Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

Only a week had elapsed since the passing of the Crimson Comet. The calamity had watched over Aelion for three days straight, shining its hateful lighting onto the land until no field, no forests and no mountains were left untouched.

Despite the world reverting to its natural colors and life seemingly returning to normal, the dangers were yet to pass. The mana levels, putting even the surroundings of Ley Lines to shame, sank ever so slowly as the days passed, keeping the beasts in their frenzied states with only the oldest and strongest ones returning to their right state of mind.

In a lavishly decorated study far away from any combat, with walls and guards standing as unshakable bulwarks sat a man at his desk. Right outside the massive window to his back opened up the view of a magnificent garden left untouched by the destruction visible in the far distance. A rare and privileged sight. He was still in his prime, frantically reading through report after report with his cold gray eyes snapping from word to word as he chewed on his lips.

“Almost a hundred cities…” He whispered, leaning back and pushing his golden locks out of his face. “With countless towns and the reports are still coming in.”

“Your Grace, nobody could’ve predicted the return of the Comet. Luckily no dragons or any Lords of the Forest succumbed to the influence. Even the Line held.” Answered a voice from the shadows of the curtains. “The casualties are only to be-”

“It’s pathetic.” The man leaned back forward. “How could we sink so deep? We, Valeria, are meant to be the hegemon of the East yet people died in the millions due to… negligence. Blindly clinging to peace and the way of words even after our swords have become so dull… The foolish ideals of an old and dying coward.” He hissed with poison in his voice. “Tell me, how many of these were majority nonhuman settlements?” He asks the shadows by his side.

“Only two, your Grace.” Came the answer without delay.

“And how come the cities with us, humans, the supreme race have suffered the most? Shouldn’t they be the most well-defended?” Despite phrasing it as a question there was no curiosity in the grey-eyed noble’s voice.

The words hung in the air for a few seconds as the uncomfortable truth was brought to the surface.

“The fallen settlements were the poorest, your Grace.” Replied the shadow, wary of the direction this conversation was heading in.

The gray-eyed man swept the piles of reports about all the destruction the Comet had brought and took an old, foxing book into his hand. “What I’ve read here… is it accurate?”

“The information is believed to be genuine.”

“Then start the search, we need to claim them before anyone else.” The man locked his fingers and stared ahead of himself, already deep in thought. “Stay hidden and act with utmost subtlety. If the Comet came to bring change to our infuriatingly stagnant world then who am I to defy its will…”

Strands of white hair cascaded down like a waterfall framing the huge purple eyes, staring back at her. A sight that would frighten anyone, but all the little thing felt was indescribable warmth and comfort. This little helpless thing was Elyssia.

She had emerald green eyes just like her father, with a slight shimmer that made them even more mysterious. Her hair, which at this point could be more accurately described as a tuft, was light blonde, a slight mix that she inherited from her parents. Her ears were more elf-like but slightly shorter, again a sign of mixed heritage.

She was preoccupied with wailing and gasping for air with irregular breaths, the reason for her crying unbeknownst even to her; however, one thing was crystal clear. She. Was. Hungry. A problem soon solved by the white-haired giant, after which…

[A new soul has been born by the grace of Aelion, a creature never before seen, the first of its kind. A Celestial Elf.]

Elyssia

Age: 0

Celestial Elf

Mana: 0

Free Points: 0

+0/hour

Might: -

Intelligence: -

Mana: -

Speed: -

Focus: -

Willpower: -

Endurance: -

Dexterity: -

Fortitude: -

General Skills: *Locked*

I. Class: *Locked*

II. Class: *Locked*

III. Class: *Locked*

She understood not the words before her eyes, just their meaning resonating with her being like a weird instinct. Something important, life-changing… Now that the disturbance was over, back to napping.

As days passed in Megaris and the situation outside the walls eased up little by little the people taking refuge breathed a sigh of relief. The greatest factors of danger, the strongest beasts, were gone and the numbers gathering outside dwindled, no longer replenishing.

This of course didn’t mean that stepping outside the gates was safe, far from it. With their homes destroyed and food aplenty, beasts still roamed the lands feasting on the remnants left by the three days of visceral carnage. Nevertheless, the city was safe, the brunt of the danger had passed.

“How long do you think we have left?” Luna asked her man while feeding the little glutton in her arms.

“Weeks, maybe.” Muttered her man with a frown.

“And for another month…”

“Yes, it should take about a month.” The man sat down and rummaged through their bags.

Water was not an issue with multiple wells around the city, food on the other hand… The granaries weren’t designed to feed this many people for so long, especially with the crops destroyed during the beast tide.

The couple knew the officials of the city and the people with enough wisdom and experience must’ve realized the situation was approaching the breaking point and could even guess the solution soon to be proposed. Hungry people were no less dangerous than hungry beasts, except there was no wall holding them back in case the urge was to drive them into desperation. The food crisis needed to be resolved.

In the following days, an idea was floated among the fighters in the city, to form an expedition. By that time even the meat of pets and farm animals people had to put down after they turned rabid was running low, with some resorting to catching mice and other rodents.

The idea was simple. People go outside, gather what they can, and return as fast as possible. Everyone knew what venturing past the walls would mean…

“I should go”. Lucious declared out of the blue and got up to put his boots on before leaving.

The two of them and the new addition to their family had been living in the same tent ever since, offered by the kindhearted people after seeing the newborn little Elyssia. With little to do they devoted all their time to taking care of their daughter but every minute only deepened their worries and bolstered their resolve.

The feminine hand reaching out yanked him back with the force of a full-grown bear. “Oh, the fuck you are!” Luna argued and dragged the man back away from the tent’s flaps. “Why would it have to be you, huh? I even recovered completely.” She flexed her arm with actual muscles to show.

“You’re forgetting one crucial thing.” Lucious chuckled with the key to winning this argument already up his sleeve.

“Which is?” The wife put her hands on her hips, standing up face-to-face with the man.

“I can’t feed Eli.” He answered with a flat look.

Never before had he won a battle of words this easily and it took all his willpower to keep the victorious smirk off his face. True to her character Luna opened her mouth to retort, except she failed to find her voice, to find a suitable counterargument.

Lucious returned to getting dressed while his wife’s face played in thirty shades of red, frustration, anger, embarrassment, worry and many other emotions playing musical chairs at mindboggling speed.

“You have two days!” Luna whispered after gathering her thoughts. “I’m going crazy locked up in here Lucious, get back safe in two days please, or else…” She never finished the sentence as if practicing her motherly threats.

The man just smiled at her antics before planting a kiss on her lips and another on little Eli’s forehead. He sheathed his dagger and left with his hunting bow in hand to fulfill his role and do what a Hunter is always meant to do. Bring food to the table.

***

A day had passed since the expedition left. Luna knew she shouldn’t be unreasonable yet worry still gripped her heart all the same. She hugged her little Eli tightly, seeking reassurance in each other's embrace, as right now it was just the two of them in their own little world. That night she hardly slept and by the dawn of the next day she began to fear the worst.

Something must’ve happened to him. I know it hasn’t been two days yet… It’s just they haven't planned to go too far. Yeah, something’s not right I must… but Eli… A fierce mental battle played out in Luna between her heart and reasonable thoughts. “Arghh, this is so stupid. Fuck it, I’ll do both!” She growled and started strapping her armor on.

Light leather covering the most vital points on a body and her trusty spear in hand, she carefully shouldered a sizable backpack. “We’re going to find Papa and rescue him, okay?” Luna whispered to the sleeping Eli bundled up in the backpack before leaving the room.

Wandering down the streets the city felt like a ghost town despite homeless people sleeping in every corner. The lack of sustenance was starting to become apparent on the many sunken faces and glassy eyes. The general vibrancy of a city of this size was nowhere to be seen as if life and business had stopped entirely.

The number of people increased sharply as she neared the gate which only made Luna quicken her steps. Many were waiting for their loved ones to return, while others were preparing to set out themselves as they ran out of options. Upon reaching the exit a crowd welcomed her, people pushing each other and shouting in a frenzy.

What is this? Are they back? Or did something…

Soon it became apparent that the expedition was back and the members were sorting through their haul. They had caught a few wild animals and salvaged what they could from the surrounding fields. A share of that was given to the common folk as a sign of charity while also keeping the hungry mob on their side, all the while keeping a generous slice for themselves as compensation for the risk they had taken.

Luna’s heart leaped into her throat as she looked around for her husband. “Lucious! Lucious, where are you, you moron.” She shouted, pushing her way through the crowd.

Out of nowhere, a hand grabed her shoulder.

With the instincts of a seasoned fighter, she griped the arm and spun with a kick aimed at the head of whoever attacked her. As her eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar face and a pair of green eyes she tried to pull her leg back, albeit too late.

Lucious flew back a few paces, landing on his buttocks, dizzy from the vicious attack. People all around her looked perplexed at the sudden fight and stirred restlessly, preparing to interfere.

“No, it's alright everyone.” The man chuckled. “I just forgot a little about what my wife can do and surprised her with bad timing. Especially with that temper of hers.”

“I’ll show you temper, you’re late! I was about to leave and look for you, you bastard!” Luna rushed over to hug her man.

“Wha? Were you that worried?” He asked with a cheeky grin. “And I’m not late at all, I still have a few hours.”

“Shut up.” She silenced him with a passionate kiss, letting all her worries go.

The people around them let out amused noises at their antics but soon a high-pitched cry broke the moment, coming from the backpack.

Lucious couldn’t believe his ears as he recognized the voice. ”No way. You didn't!” He rushed to open the backpack in disbelief.

“What else was I supposed to do? I couldn’t just leave her there…” Luna muttered, so embarrassed she wished for the earth to swallow her whole. “Sorry…” She added meekly.

“I… We’ll be discussing this when we get back. This was very stupid of you.” Lucious stuttered in disbelief before pulling his daughter out of the backpack to the bystanders' disbelief. “She pooped.” He gagged. “Let’s just go back, I’m dead tired and we should be good for a few more weeks.”

After a quick farewell to the other expedition members, they made their way back to their tent. The wide streets of Megaris were still mostly empty and deserted, despair and misery permeated everything, yet a ray of hope shone down on the city today. The brave souls who ventured outside came back, all of them, and brought with them temporary relief for many.

***

Another two weeks passed in the city and some of the refugees began their journey back to their homes, or what was left of them. Hope and happiness began to appear on the streets as people returned to their normal daily routines.

“Where now?” Lucious asked as they sat on a sidewalk near the same gate where he got face-kicked. “I mean, Modicia is likely nothing more than rubble by now along with our home.”

“We start anew.” Luna declared off-handedly. “I’m not sure city life would be the best choice for our baby. Maybe if she were a few years older. This place will be too crowded and expensive for the next couple of years too so I think we should look for another town, I’m sure there’ll be new ones built especially along the beach. The salty air has done it for me and I think she’d love it.”

“I could stand behind that. I’m sure I could get work in the guard again or just stick to being a hunter to be more free, but what would you do?” Pondered Lucious deep in thought about their future.

“I’m a great fighter and a decent-level mage, I’m sure I’ll manage.” Winked Luna, smugness basically oozing from her voice. “Training idiot newbies, for example, or just doing some light adventurer gigs in the area.”

“It’s decided then.”

***

The journey wasn’t easy with a little banshee demanding all their attention, every waking hour of the day, and others besides. There were no other complications and they arrived at the planned construction site without much difficulty. The two of them were able to help greatly with the heavy-duty work and protection of the craftsmen, alternating between their jobs and looking after their daughter.

In a month they had a new albeit empty house to call home; all of their furniture having been lost. They now had plenty of space and some remaining funds to buy what they needed.

“I’m starting to suspect that you married me for my money,” Luna teased with her notorious shit-eating grin and crossed arms. ”Now that my reserves have almost run dry you’ll leave me, won’t you?” She continued with the feigned heartbreak, managing to sneak in a few fake tears.

“That’s not why I proposed but the idea of leaving you is becoming more and more promising every second now.” Lucious replied with a poker face.

“Oh, if you were to try that, poor Eli would have to grow up without a father.” Came the reply a bit too menacingly and without a hint of jest, earning them some loud wailing.

Their days, although different from what they had known before the calamity, were just as happy if not happier with something new to look forward to every day.