A pale skin elf walked through the slums of the town, the waste lies around as it stink out the whole place. The elf was wearing a bright blue collar coat, with a pink t-shirt and a blue pant.
"Ew it's an elf."
"Don't look at him, take your eyes off of him."
"What a disgusting race, what is he doing here?"
As the townspeople mummered nasty words towards the elf, he pay no attention to them. He simply walks forwards and made his way to his destination. A small building that's look about run down as a fail concert, trash piling up against each other.
He enters the building. And look around for items that are on the selves. He grabs something and head to the counter.
"I would like this one please."
The clerk look at him with suspicion before a smile shot up.
"Ah, is that you Fiden? It has been a long time since you come here."
"Well Mr. Gnome, I been busy doing some stuff.
"I see." As the clerk—an old man, who is bald, but has a beautiful fluffy beard. As he rings the items, Fiden put the moneys on the counter and left.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry I couldn't stay for much longer, bye Mr. Gnome."
The old man chuckled as he stroke his beard.
"It's fine, I know yall youngling like to venture out and explore. Well, bye Fiden, please come again."
Fiden wave the old man goodbye before heading toward the main road, where there were more people roaming around. As he reach the main road, he felt a slight tap on his shoulder.
"Uhm, sir, have you seen this man?"
Fiden turned to look and see a blue hair girl with braids asking. The girl seems somewhere around his age, she was wearing a victorian dress.
Fiden was confused on why a rich girl was in this filth, the he saw a paper in her hand, a poster of a little boy with black hair. Fiden was confused.
"A man..? She is showing a young boy." As he looked at the young girl, it appeared that she was blind, her eyes closed as she held a cane in her other hand.
"Uhm, I'm sorry but I can't say I have."
"I see, then I carry on now. Sorry for bothering you."
As the young girl was about to walk away, Fiden called out to her.
"Ern.. miss, can I get your name?"
The young girl turned, she somehow was able to stare at Fiden's face despite her not being able to see.
"What's for?" The girl ask.
"The poster you're holding up shows a young boy, yet you said he was a man. I presume that you have lost contact with him as a young age..? If so, I can use my magic to at least tried to identify him and if I do, I would need your name to confront him."
"I see, well that somewhat logical, I don't see no troubles giving out my name. I am Lillian Omar."
"Fiden Hei." He said as he puts his hand out ready to shake her hand, but he realized that she was blind so he pulled his hand back.
"Well Fiden, I'd admit that you were on point but, rather then him being lost, he ran away from home."
"Hmm?" Fiden wrapped his finger around his chin.
"Well to be a little bit more helpful, I help him escape from his household, but I've grown tired of also staying at home so I decided to venture out and look for him now."
"I see… then I'll tried to find him-" before Fiden could finish his sentence, three guards wearing shiny silvery armor appears.
"The princess! She right there!"
The guards rushed towards Lillian.
"Welp, now that they found me. I gotta bounce now, cya Fiden." With that, the girl leapt backwards, then she make a sharp turn.
"For someone who is blind, she sure do know where to go…"
The guards ran passed Fiden to find Lillian and bring her back home.
"Hmm, well I guess I'll find the person she's looking for. Not everyday a person come to me asking for help.. that's because I'm an elf, anyways."
With the best of his abilities he tried remember what the boy look like, at first a blurry image begins to show, it look vague but a second later. It became vivid. Just when he was about to cast out his spell, someone bump into him.
"Ah, I'm sorry sir." The man said as he reach out for Fiden to give him a helping hand.
"Oh, it's all good." He say picking himself back up.
Fiden looks at the man, a majestic face with chisel jaw appear, his sun like eyes flashes along the sunlight. His black lustrous long hair covers some of the side of his face.
The word handsome wouldn't do him justice, Fiden thought.
"Uhm, are you okay? You been spacing out for a while now." The majestic man said.
"Oh, I been in a dazed," Fiden noticed something, the poster from early, it look like the man standing in front of him but grown.
"Hey I think a girl is looking for you, Lilli-"
Getting cut off again, he heard a girl calling out the majestic man's name.
"Hey Vas, hurry up, we're all waiting for you!!"
Vas Allen looks at Yuriel before looking back at Fiden.
"Sorry man, but I got to go, oh and I'm sorry about earlier."
Then he's gone. Fiden stood still wondering what just happen.
"I pretty sure that girl was looking for him… should I follow him or go get the girl? This is too confusing.."
Fiden goes the direction where Vas Allen and Yuriel were going but nothing he has lost them.
—-
As Yuriel and Vas Allen were walking, Yuriel ask him a question.
"So, who was that guy you were just talking to?"
"Someone I bumped into, that's all."
The awkwardness between the two begins to tense up so they remain quiet.
Kim dreadfully walked over to Yuriel and Vas Allen while Luc Mugen is holding his hand.
After the 'red hand' event, Kim come clear, and told them why Luc Mugen is still alive, due to this, he is deep down in his emotion. Having fight a child for a item that could revive someone is…
"Kim, cheer up," Vas Allen say as he pats his back.
"I know this may sound harsh but I glad you pick Luc… to put it bluntly choosing someone's life is not easy…"
"That wasn't just someone's life, that was Daima's mother, her life, the one who helped me and Yuriel and yet I…"
Vas Allen stares at Kim complicated face, then look towards the ground.
"I can't really say anything, call it bias but your action has no justification nor does it have any unjustified. You did what you had to do, what you choose to do, what you did isn't bad or good, nor is it evil or virtuous. It's the human's nature… to choose a loved one rather than someone who had helped you… that's all."
Yuriel could feel the bad vibes in the air, it was immense, sad, and somewhat unsettling. To tried and break the cold tension in the air, she remind them of their goals.
"We got to stop pondering, this won't get us nowhere.
Kim slumped as his dreadful expression faces Yuriel.
"B-but Daima…"
Yuriel walked up to Kim and grabs his shirt and pull it closer to her, Vas Allen flinch, his fists clenching as he's prepare to fight Yuriel if she pulls any stunt.
He walked toward Yuriel but got stop by Luc Mugen and Uma Michael.
"For now, let's trust her, this might give Kim a chance to think." Uma Michael said as Luc Mugen nods along her words. All Vas Allen could could was scoffs and watch what's was happening unfold.
"Kim, you think Mary want you to choose her life over a kid?"
"No, I'm saying that Mary probably doesn't want to leave her son alone, especially in that hell-hole!!!"
"And what? You already made your choice, you think she is going to get brought back?"
Kim gritted his teeths as he stare Yuriel dead in the eye.
"It was my choice and mines only, if I could I would save both but I have to pick… and I choosen Luc… yet I feel guilty for letting Daima down, as well as his mother."
Yuriel expression changed, first it was a little bit of anger then it soften, but that didn't stop her from clenching her teeth.
"Kim, the fact that you were able to bring back a life is anything but guilty. Most people don't have that chance as you do and yet you're feeling guilty? Say this, would you sacrifice your life for Uma or Luc?"
Kim stare blankly at Yuriel, unsure and confused by what she's bringing up but his head nods automatically.
"I would…" he said.
"And how would you feel if they choose you over each other? Will that make you happy? Grateful that you're back to life but in cost of Luc or Uma being dead, would you still be happy?"
Kim eyes widen, his mouth gasping a little, not knowing how to react.
"I don't think it would make me happy but, this is other people we're talking-"
"This isn't just any other people we're talking about, this is Mary. Do you think she would be grateful if you choose her over a kid, will she jumped up and cheer, no. She will feel disgusted by that, and so will you."
Kim defeated, look away from Yuriel's stare, her focus is now on the ground.
"S-so what now, Daima is still at that hell forsaken place alone and I'm over here, surrounding with people I know…"
Yuriel stares at Kim for a bit, not knowing how to respond to that. She tightens her grips on Kim's collar and release her grips.
"There's nothing we can do honestly, unless we find the same cult that bring us there, Daima will continue to stay in that god forsaken world.. but how is us pandering, being sad, being depressed going to help? Aren't you guys looking for [The Fortress That Lies on the Cloud.]?"
Kim didn't know how to respond, all he could do was stumbles backward as the guilt continues to eat him.
"Yes.. we are, but I see-" getting cut off once more, Yuriel dragged Kim near Luc Mugen and Uma Michael.
"Look what you did is already done, there's no more changing that but didn't you say you want to find that place because it might holds some answer for your question?"
Kim nods slightly.
"Then you being sad ain't going to find the answer itself, I'm not telling you to cheer up, well somewhat. But I'm telling you that what's done is done, there's no changing that but you can find a way to help Daima a different way."
Kim just nods, he knows that continuing this conversation, the way he's acting right now is going to save anyone, nor is it going to help him get back home alongside his friends.
In his mind, he felt a warm welcome hand touch his, it was Luc Mugen, then he felt a pat behind his back, it was Uma Michael trying to cheer him up, then a tap on his shoulder, well more then a tap, he felt a strong grip, it was Vas Allen.
"C'mon Kim, why don't we resume our journey? As much as I would like to disagree with Yuriel, she is… right. We have to keep going, after all we went through, there's so many more question now."
Kim nods, then he turned to look at Yuriel who was smiling.
"I agree, so Yuriel, could you tell us how we get to [The Fortress that Lies on the Cloud.] unscathed?"