"Tell me," Sunny began. "Do you know what these are?"
Davi and Ken awkwardly looked around the room that Sunny had taken them to. After messing with the strange light in the sky, the purple-skinned elf took them both to the large colosseum that was below the ball of light.
Besides the stadium of seats and the arena, there was also a set of stairs that led underground. It was a large stone room, forged out of what looked like red and black marbles. Torches lined the walls, leading toward the back, where a large statue and a mural resided.
"I have no idea what any of this is," Ken said flatly. "Care to explain why we're here?"
Sunny walked toward the statue. It was over twenty feet tall and resided on a podium. He placed his hand upon it and stared up toward its stony face, smiling softly.
"This is the All-Mother."
"The All-Mother?" Davi asked. "I don't think I ever heard of her."
"I have." A frown crossed onto Ken's face. "She's an old tale. I know of her, and I've heard many stories that feature her."
"I'm sure you have, but who knows what is true and what is false when it comes to her." Sunny spoke in a soft tone. The statue was of a woman, tall with broad shoulders, and she wore a gown. A shield was placed on one arm, and the other held a torch, which she raised. Bandages covered her eyes, and she wore what looked like a bride's veil, but it was split open, allowing her face to be seen. "She was a giant," Sunny explained. "One of the first-ever giants created by the dragons. Some say she's the most important giant, for not only is she the mother of the Loudest Thunder, one of the ancient heroes that helped Haru defeat the tyrant king, the All-Mother is also the creator of the elven race."
"She created the elves?" Davi said, startled. He got a better look at the woman, taking in her appearance. The statue made it impossible to tell what color her hair or eyes were, nor did it help convey her height. Part of him wondered if this was even what she looked like. He had never seen a giant before, but he doubted they looked like big humans. "She must be pretty important?"
Ken gave a nod. "Han Yuan, the Loudest Thunder; Sigurd, the dragon emperor; and even the Ebony Knight, Du'Lac. These heroes came together, and they held King Sylas off long enough for Haru to deliver the finishing blow. Each of them was a great hero, at least until the Ebony Knight pulled his stunt, but that's not really important right now. What is, is the Loudest Thunder was the All-Mother's first son, so even without being the creator of the elven race, the All-Mother is pretty famous."
"I see. What exactly does it have to do with us?" Davi asked hesitantly.
"The All-Mother made the elves," Sunny began. "That means she made King Sylas. It is said Haru offered the All-Mother a choice. The All-Mother chose salvation and allowed herself to be slain to appease her crimes. Many people hate her since she was responsible for making the being that nearly ended the world. I don't, nor do my people. Sylas made us, and so in a way, we're her grandchildren. The Licht-Fulk worship the All-Mother, and it is through her light that we are able to live in this hellish world. That brings me to my next point. Could you kindly look at the painting behind the statue?"
The All-Mother was an impressive sight, but behind her was a large mural that Davi had noticed first. It caught his attention because of the things he saw when he was near the fake sun. The mural resembled one of the visions. Specifically, the first one.
The picture was that of a black sky, made of screaming faces, and the ground was forged of brimstone and fire. Two figures were present in the painting. The first was a kneeling man, defeated and covered in shadows. Red flesh and jagged horns could be seen, and he wielded a broken pitchfork.
Before the kneeling man was Haru. Naked as the day she was born, with pale and beautiful skin, draped in a white cloak that barely hung off of her. She carried a sword, one which she had placed at the throat of the other person.
Her body wasn't made of the twisting metal that other paintings depicted her as. This one made her look like a saint or some sort of holy angel-like figure. A woman of unquestionable beauty and power, portrayed to look flawless, and yet the truth was, this being had slaughtered so many races and had gone so far in her pursuits that Davi doubted if she could even be called human.
"Why did she do it?" Sunny mused. "Haru, the woman who could do whatever she wanted and defeat anything, why did she seal something away? Isn't it odd?"
"A few people have found it odd," Davi noted.
"The being she sealed away is the reason this dungeon is so cold," Sunny stated, finally turning to look back at them. "In the queen's castle resides a device. This machine was built by an old hero known as Himvel, and it uses a flickering ember that was carved away from the All-Mother's heart. That power is what creates the sun. I would ask that you not mess with it anymore. It is very sacred to us and the final thing we have from Himvel, whom most account as the last true elf."
"Has anyone ever heard it speak to them?" Davi questioned. "The sun thingy, I mean?"
Sunny frowned. "The orb? Speak? No. It is light, pure mana, generated from the All-Mother. Mana can do many things, but it can not speak."
"A person could speak through their mana…" Ken muttered quietly. "Maybe the voice wasn't coming from the light but instead the machine-"
"In any case," Sunny held his hand up. "I would ask you both to forget about it. Please, pay it no mind, and do not mess with the objects of my people anymore. I'll overlook it this time as you did not know any better, but try that again, and I will be forced to make a choice."
Ken's eyes narrowed, but Davi placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "We won't do it again. Sorry."
"Apology accepted." Sunny's smile returned. "Now, I trust you two can find your own way back? Please get some rest. The games will start first thing in the morning, and I'd hate for you to lose because you're so tired."
Davi and Ken shared a look, and then together they turned and left the room. Sunny remained behind his eyes, locked onto their backs, and his smile faded when they walked off.
"This place is fucking weird." Ken kicked a rock as she and Davi made for the exit.
"Tell me about it."
"Why do you always have to get dragged into trouble? Can't you just be normal for once?"
Davi gave a weak chuckle. "Believe me, I'm trying. Something is clearly going on, though, and I have my suspicions that Sunny and maybe the royal Licht-Fulk know more than they're willing to say."
"Want to raid the castle then?"
"Nah."
"Really?" Ken looked surprised.
"Yeah." Davi nodded. "Whatever this thing is, I don't want any part of it. Knowing my luck, it's trying to get me to unseal it because of the connections I have, either because of my mother or because I am part of the dumb seven thingys. No, thank you."
"I mean, it can't be part of the seven, can it? Wouldn't Susie be hearing stuff also?"
Davi paused and frowned. "That's actually a good point. I didn't ask her if she was hearing stuff. Maybe I should-" His scar burned as soon as he stepped outside, and he turned, holding his hand up just in time to catch the apple that was dropped down toward him. Davi glanced at it, taking in the fact that it was chewed down to the core and nearly gone.
"Yo!" A voice called out. From up above, sitting on a large slab of stone that jutted out of the stadium was a familiar figure—one with a plague doctor's mask and a long trenchcoat.
"High?" It was the first Licht-Fulk he had met—the one he and Ash had saved.
High leaned forward and dropped from the air, crashing down next to Davi. He tried to do a cool landing but slipped on some ice and slammed his head into the floor. Just as quick as he dropped, he was back on his feet and threw an arm around Davi's shoulders.
"Human! What is up?"
"What do you want, High?"
"Whoa, what's with the hostile tone?" High placed his hand on his forehead and looked as if he were about to faint. "You're wounding me!"
"You ditched Ash and me…" Davi lazily took the arm from his shoulder. "So, why'd you come back?"
High let out a nervous chuckle and sheepishly scratched at his mask. "Yeah, about that. I sort of have a favor."
"A favor?"
"Yeah." High nodded and clasped his hands together. "Please help me out, Human!"
"Slow down. What's the favor?"
"It's about the Enforcer games."
***
A day came and went. Everyone in Phoenix Flight and Pantheon rested, and as soon as dawn came, they were all awoken by a loud horn.
The streets of the city were bustling with people, the Licht-Fulk all eager. They cheered as the two guilds marched to the stadium and entered. The bleachers were full, showing off just how many of the Licht-Fulk there were, as thousands screamed at the top of their lungs. Inside of the stadium, besides the rows of chairs that went up and up, there was a slab of stone that served as an arena.
It was flat, with a pair of stairs on either side of it, and pieces of stone were placed down next to each other, with dozens of squares forming the final shape. It was ten feet off the ground and was both wide and long, allowing for plenty of movement without risk of falling off.
Between the lines and the cracks within the stone, black metal rods were placed and jammed into the ground, and they glowed with faint traces of rainbow-colored mana, just like the orb above, meaning they most likely came from the All-Mother's power.
The crowd cheered as both guilds made their way to opposite sides and stood before the stairs, lined up. Near the top of the stadium, a section jutted out like a strange box, where the queen resided. Sunny stood next to her, as did her daughter, still cloaked in all white.
"I wonder which side will win." The queen held a glass of wine and twirled it for a moment before taking a sip. "What do you think, dear?"
Her daughter didn't say anything. Instead, the princess silently stared down at all the figures below, looking at a scarred raven-haired boy who kept glancing back at her.
The queen frowned when her daughter didn't say anything. "What? Do you have your eye on a suitor you might want? Should I order that boy to marry you?" Again, her daughter did not speak, and the queen just sighed. "Fine. Be that way. Sunny? Who do you think will win?"
"Pantheon, of course." Sunny gave a half-bow. "It's pretty obvious, I think. They do win every year, after all."
"Perhaps." The queen took another sip of her drink. "Maybe things will be different this time, though."
"Maybe. But I doubt it."
In the center of the arena, a strange Licht-Fulk floated up. He was small, less than two feet tall, and incredibly plump, with large butterfly wings poking out of his back. He also held a large microphone and let out a loud yell.
"Are y'all folks ready tonight?" The crowd cheered. "I said, ARE Y'ALL FOLKS READY TONIGHT?!"
"Oh God, they have their own version of Pretty Face." Ken sighed.
"I hope this one doesn't kiss me." Davi wiped his mouth, having bad memories of the last flying announcer he met.
"I'm here to announce that the Enforcer games are about to begin!" The purple-skinned elf said proudly into his microphone. "I'm your host, Ho! You can just call me Lil Ho, if you want!" He did a little pose in the air. "Now, for those kind folks who aren't in the know, let me explain how these games work! We don't decide anything! Himvel, the ancient hero who helped create the light of our world, made a ritual that needs to be completed to keep the lights on! This ritual involves playing a series of games! We got something that will help us select players! It's totally random, but it will pick from both sides. It might pick one, it might pick two, or it might pick even more! Once it picks its players, it will then pick a game! Each game has its own rules, but we do have a universal one that is true for all games! If you fall out of bounds, you're out! If you refuse to compete, you're out! If you kill your opponent, you're out for the rest of the games! These are for fun, so keep the violence to a minimum! We'll be playing up to three games today! Each game you win will earn you and your guild a point! Now, in the past, you've been able to get a nifty reward from the vault, but this year we got something even better!" Ho said in a giddy tone.
"Excuse me!" Myth hollered toward the flying man. "What do you mean, even better? Are you saying that we won't get anything from the vault?"
"That's correct!" Ho stood on the air and did a little dance, shaking his butt back and forth. "Since our vault ran out a while ago, we've taken to filling it up with cores that we get from the invaders we slay. A few of the other nations complained that the cores were always weak and couldn't be used for anything great, so this year, the queen got a good idea! In fact, how about she explains it?" Ho twirled his microphone, and a spotlight suddenly appeared, shifting to shine on the box the queen and the others were in.
There was a glass window, allowing everyone to see her, and the woman stood up, a soft smile on her lips. She held her daughter's hand and stepped forward, clearing her throat. "Indeed," despite being so high up, her voice boomed across the arena. "This year will be very, very special." She glanced at her daughter and smiled. "The winner of the games this year will be allowed to take my daughter's hand in marriage."
"What!" Laerton nearly did a spittake from the flask she held, and several of the guild members on both sides looked confused.
"M-Marry your daughter?" Myth sounded even more confused now.
"Yes. Princess Ever wishes to marry." The queen giggled. "As her mother, I decided it will be done when the games come to an end this year. Whichever player does the best will have a chance to win her hand and her heart. Of course, doing so will come with a few other rewards as well."
"Such as?" Myth perked up.
"It just so happens Princess Ever has a message from the legend herself."
"You don't mean-"
"That's right. Princess Ever has a secret that came from Haru." The queen raised a finger. "But it will only be revealed to the one she marries as per Licht-Fulk tradition. So do try to do your best."
That got all the guildmates excited, and many began to wonder what the princess looked like. Laerton sighed and took another swig from her flask. "Great, now we'll get our asses kicked and watch a wedding."
"What if we win?" Olem shrugged. "It'd be nice to have someone from my homeland in our guild. Plus, we could do the thing you did to me and Ghost so she could leave the dungeon."
"Ha. Good one." Laerton shook her head. "Us? Win. Ha."
"How does the marriage work?" Olivia wondered.
"Good question!" Ho startled her as he apparently heard her. "As I said, you'll be earning points for your guild but also for yourself! Your points are earned by not only winning but also by standing out! Do the best you can, and you'll earn a lot of points! Winner gets the hand in marriage!"
"O-Okay?"
"I wonder who will win." Sieg hummed.
"You interested?" Falco nudged him.
"No."
"What about you, Davi?"
"...Maybe." Now that he thought about it, a lot of people did offer their daughters' hands in marriage to him. Maybe he should get married. It could be rad. "I guess not, though. I probably shouldn't." He couldn't help but think back to what High told him.
"Alright!" Ho spoke in his loud booming voice once again. "I think we've stalled for long enough; got the word count up pretty high! How about we get this chapter started for real and get those games going!"
There was a loud rumbling sound, and the ground began to crack and split. A large black screen jutted out of it, along with more of the rods. It appeared next to the arena, and everyone turned to look at it as the screen began to flash and flicker.
"Let's see who it'll be!" The flashing halted, and a name appeared. "Cinder, of Pantheon!" It flicked again. "Martel, of Pantheon!" Finally, it flicked a third time. "Ash, of Pantheon! Looks like we got three members! Ash, Martel, and Cinder, please approach the arena!"
Three members of Pantheon broke off from their group, one of whom was Ash. Cinder led them, the woman already drawing her guns and twirling them, a confident smirk on her face. Once all three of them were standing shoulder to shoulder at one end of the arena, the screen began to change.
"And now, three will be selected from Phoenix Flight! First up, Olem!"
"Fuck my life." Olem slammed a fist into a stone pillar.
"Ha!" Miranda laughed at him. "Sucks to be you-"
"Miranda!"
"Oh fuck my life!" Miranda punched the same pillar Olem did. "This is bullshit."
"It's funny, is what it is." Olem snorted.
"And finally, Mary Lot!"
"M-Me?" Olivia squeaked.
"Phoenix Flight, please step forth!"
Olivia looked to her friends and then towards Davi, who nodded. She gulped but then joined Olem and Miranda, who walked up the steps and headed toward the top. When she arrived, her eyes met Ash's, who stared directly at her.
For the first time since joining her guild, she was about to fight Ash. How much had she grown? How much had he grown? It was time to find out.
"And now!" Ho pointed to the sky. "Let's see what the first game is!"
The Enforcer games were about to begin.