Urban Knight - Return of Legends

It was a new day in New Lumingard, and the weather had turned cloudy for a change as a mass of black, foggy shapes were blocking out the sun. The wind had picked up, and a storm was brewing in the distance—perhaps an omen of things to come.

The usual suspects had gathered in an unusual spot in The Chalice, around a table that was located further inside, one of the more discreet spots in the establishment. Ascalon sat near a window, and watched the darkening sky with a contemplative look, wondering if the climate in this world was as harsh as the one back in Excadia.

At his side rested a languid Selorien, who yawned softly from time to time and looked incredibly tired. Lilithra had called him early, and also fetched Ascalon along the way, for a supposedly ‘very important’ meeting.

Driven by his desire to laze around, Selorien spoke with impatience. “Ugh~ why did we need to come so early if she’s going to take her time to come?” He grumbled, dropping his right cheek onto the table and muttering inaudible words to himself. Lilithra, seated beside him and in front of Ascalon, pulled his hoodie up and covered his head.

She smiled mischievously, seeing no resistance coming from her friend, and replied. “She said she was going to come around this hour, so I needed you here beforehand!” Lilithra propped her chin up with her hands, her elbows resting firmly on the table. She looked tired, with bags under her weary eyes, as if she hadn’t slept a wink.

As far as Ascalon and Selorien were aware, Lilithra had been contacted late into the night, and had been exchanging texts with Lyra, the girl they had met back at the Howling Chasm. They both had their own ideas about why, but didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

Selorien sighed in resignation, slowly lifting his head to meet Lilithra’s gaze. “Why did we all need to come, then?” He reproached, thinking that his presence wasn’t really necessary. Lilithra puffed out her cheeks, and retorted with indignation in her tone.

“Because I would get shy!” She pulled her hoodie up over her head this time, and Ascalon smiled gently at her reasoning.

It was then that the door chime rang, signaling the arrival of a visitor. The trio’s heads moved in unison, staring right at the entrance. There stood a girl, squirming as she looked around nervously, a fluffy tail swishing behind her. She jumped slightly the moment she spotted them, and advanced toward their table with uneasy, awkward steps.

It didn’t take long for her to reach them. She waved bashfully in greeting, her fluffy cat ears twitching cutely. Ascalon nodded, and Selorien waved lazily back at her. “G-g-good morning, I-I’m sorry about being late… I missed my train…” The trio felt compelled to reassure her, as she exuded an aura that made others want to dote on her.

However, the only one to actually reply was Lilithra. “Don’t worry! Uhm, take a seat!” Lilithra’s enthusiasm was palpable in her tone, though a bit of nervousness seeped through.

Lyra smiled shyly and blushed a bit as she pulled up a chair, sitting on it carefully as she folded her dress to the side. In contrast to the last time they had seen her, she was now dressing very differently, more cutesy!

She had a long, one piece white dress adorned with a delicate floral pattern embroidered along the hem. On top of it, she wore a small pink blouse made of cotton, buttoned up tightly and holding on for dear life as her chest was clearly too big for it to fit. She complimented her look with a stylish red purse, and a short, puffy pink muffler. Her legs were covered by long white socks, and her feet by a pair of pink Mary Jane shoes.

Lilithra stared at her with awe, completely enchanted by her appearance—particularly by the pink selections that quite matched her own sense of style! Well, if you could even call it a ‘style’, as she always dressed in similar clothes. Lilithra felt a bit embarrassed, but quickly pushed aside her thoughts about fashion and the like.

A few moments passed after Lyra sat down, letting the silence grow into an uncomfortable mood. Selorien and Ascalon gazed at her, unsure of what to say, so Lilithra took the initiative. “So, uhm, I haven’t told them yet. So, could you tell them what you texted me yesterday?” She asked, smiling softly. Lilithra didn’t want to push her, but she thought it would be better if the rest heard the details from Lyra herself.

Lyra jolted on her seat as realization struck, her gaze dropping to the table. “W-well… You remember w-what happened to us at the dungeon…?” She asked while lifting her head, her ears shrinking slightly as painful memories crossed her mind.

Ascalon and Selorien both nodded in tandem, and Lyra took it as a cue to continue. “M-my brother, Levi, told me he was going to solve it, that I d-didn’t have to worry, and just left… I-I haven’t seen him or heard from him since, and he never does that to me.” The table fell silent again, her brown eyes glimmering with anguished, unshed tears.

Ascalon let out a thoughtful ‘hmmm’, and nodded at her. Lyra placed her hands on the table, and fiddled with her thumbs as she spoke. “Since he left, everyone at the Guild has been… angsty and moody, s-so to say. Some of them told me they were leaving the Fluffy Warriors, the rest are mostly avoiding me… I-I know I’m not a good vice leader, and I’m unreliable at best, so I don’t blame them…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked really crestfallen, her mouth pouting in sadness.

“I-I wanted to find Levi, but I didn’t know where to start… and since my f-friends wouldn’t help me, I was going nowhere.” Lyra paused, sighing deeply at her own words.

The trio looked at each other, exchanging brief glances. They all shared the same thought: that the dungeon incident had probably struck the Fluffy Warriors quite hard, so Lyra’s friends were probably dealing with their own issues, too. After all, lives had been lost. The impact of such a tragic event was bound to be profound.

Lyra noticed the silence creeping in once again, and perked up nervously. “Uhm, so… a friend told me t-to try and keep myself distracted, and invited me to t-the colosseum…” At her sheepish words, the rest began to realize where all of this was going.

“I saw your matches, and r-remembered you offered to help me that time, L-Lilithra. I thought about it over and over, and s-selfishly contacted you…” Her voice cracked for a moment, her regret clearly palpable.

She didn’t want to involve them in her matters, but Lyra was clearly at a loss of what to do next. “I see. After witnessing their matches, you thought they could be reliable helpers, yes?” Ascalon asked in a gentle but inquisitive tone.

Lyra nodded a few times, her ears twitching slightly. “I… I know I shouldn’t ask… b-but, I don’t know what to do. I miss Levi. I want to find him, and f-for that… I need help.” She stated her feelings with a sorrowful tone, a few droplets rolling down her cheeks.

“I-I will pay, of course!” She said frantically, feeling that compensation would help the trio make their minds.

But the group simply looked at her with warmth in their eyes, feeling touched by the girl’s earnest emotions. She just wanted some help finding her brother, and the raw honesty of her plea resonated with them, reward or not aside. Lilithra herself was at the verge of tears, moved to her core. Selorien patted her on the shoulder, trying to comfort her.

Lilithra shook her head and wiped her face with the hem of her hoodie, before looking at Lyra with a determined gaze. She had already gotten the gist of it through Lyra’s text messages, but hearing it in person felt like it had added a lot of weight to the request. “So, in short, you want us to help you find your brother, right?!” Her words carried her usual enthusiasm, fueled by her desire to help Lyra.

Ascalon’s face was lit up with a contented smile after hearing Lilithra’s words, knowing she had already resolved herself to assist the cat girl, even before setting up the meeting. Lyra looked at Lilithra with a gaze that flickered between suspicion and hope, her eyes reflecting a quiet desperation as she nodded repeatedly, trying to emphasize her acknowledgment. Selorien stretched in his seat, chuckling softly at their interactions.

Lilithra’s eyes sparkled with determination as she clenched her fists in a pumped up gesture, springing to her feet as motivation welled up inside her. “Alright!!! We’ll help you out, Lyra!!!” She exclaimed energetically, her cheerfulness spreading through the air. Lyra felt a bit confused at first, unsure if she had heard her right.

She had already braced herself for rejection, and Lilithra’s sincerity had taken her by surprise. She smiled with delight as the realization slowly dawned on her. “T-thank you!” She stated, her head bobbing up and down as she bowed frantically, her face beaming with happiness.

But her joy was short-lived. After a moment, she stopped and looked down once again, her shoulders slumping as she noticed a key detail. “T-thank you, but… I don’t even know where to begin, anyway…” She informed them, her tone a defeated one. She had managed to get them to help her, yet had no leads to follow whatsoever. She hadn’t thought things through.

Lyra felt so useless, at the brink of crying. Lilithra and Selorien looked at her with sympathy, pondering about how to reassure her, when a voice cut through the air with authority, effortlessly waving away the downcast mood. “Ah, but we do.” Ascalon’s sudden addition took everyone by surprise, and they all turned their heads toward him.

Looking at his confident visage, Lilithra and Selorien felt their curiosity welling up, wondering where his sureness came from. “Starugnia.” Ascalon declared, his tone exuding triumph, though he wasn’t entirely sure of what that even meant!

His friends’ faces gradually shifted into surprised expressions as they recalled the name. “That’s right! Claude and Levi!” Exclaimed Lilithra with excitement, while Selorien nodded with a bold smirk on his face.

Lyra stared at them with furrowed brows, clearly out of the loop, and interested in what they knew about her brother. Lilithra noticed this, and cleared her throat as she explained. “Right! We met your brother a while ago, at Claude’s shop! He asked about that guy… uh, Ryan? Anyway, Claude told him something about Starugnia, and Levi acted like he had struck gold!” She smiled with confidence at her own words.

Slowly, Lyra’s face lit up with realization. “Ohh! Ian, n-not Ryan, was talking to Levi about Starugnia once… I d-didn’t catch much of it, but it sounded like something only they would understand!” Lyra added, hope rekindling in her eyes. Even if it wasn’t the most concrete of clues, it was the best they could hope for.

A thoughtful ‘hmmm’ could be heard from Selorien, who shifted on his seat and put an elbow on the table, resting his face on his hand. “Hmm… but Starugnia is part of the Union, isn’t it? We’ll need a pass to be allowed there…” He informed them with a slightly cheerful tone, trying to not bring the mood down. “Or… make use of Casanova’s prize.” He added, shooting a knowing look to Lilithra. Ascalon let out a gasp of realization, remembering one of their rewards from the Guild war.

If he recalled correctly, the Casanova Guild could now travel anywhere, it was something regarding ‘incursions’. Lilithra looked conflicted, but her fiery resolve wasn’t so easily shaken. She nodded at Selorien, her gaze a firm stare. “Yeah… we’ll have to postpone leaving the Guild for now.” Her sorrowful words puzzled Lyra, who knew nothing about the current issues within Casanova.

Lyra pondered about the reveal, taking solace in the fact that she wasn’t alone, that every Guild had their own problems. She felt a bit reassured at the thought, even if it was a bit shameful to find comfort in the misfortune of others.

Noticing her soft smile, Ascalon glanced at Lilithra. He knew her desire to help others was genuine, and it never ceased to uplift his spirits, filling his chest with warmth. He felt compelled to assist her, but also felt excitement welling up at the thought of traveling to a new city. If New Lumingard had been so incredible, just how interesting were the other lands or countries?

But Ascalon couldn’t let himself get carried away. After all, this was no sightseeing trip, but most likely a ‘rescue mission’. Selorien’s thoughts aligned with Ascalon’s, as he felt a sense of anticipation for the adventure, but was also concerned about Lyra’s older brother. As usual, they were quite in tune with each other, unknowingly.

It was then that Lilithra’s voice caught their attention. “Alright! When do you think we should start, Lyra?” She questioned the Felinae, her smile shining with confidence. Lyra fidgeted shyly, and clenched her fists in determination.

“I-I can go after I make some arrangements! Five- no, give me three days!” Her enthusiasm made the rest nod in agreement, recognizing she had been fully resolved to find her brother, and simply needed a guiding hand.

They all exchanged looks as Lilithra placed both hands firmly on the table. “In three days it is, then!” She declared, and everyone nodded in agreement. The date was set.

Afterward, Raphael approached with some drinks. He had maintained his professionalism and discretion, waiting for their matter to be settled before intruding. The group enjoyed the masterfully crafted beverages, with Lyra feeling like she could get hooked on them. She wondered if she could become a regular there, after they found her brother.

After discussing some details, like where to meetup and such, the group escorted the girl to the entrance. Just before leaving, she stopped in her tracks and turned around, bowing deeply to all of them. “Again, t-thank you! I w-will never forget this!” She declared, her tone filled with heartfelt gratitude.

They had made such a huge decision despite barely knowing her, so she was going to repay them to the fullest. “Just a second!” Raphael’s voice boomed from behind the counter, taking the group by surprise. He hurriedly approached with a folded umbrella on hand, offering it to Lyra with a warm smile.

They had been chatting for so long that they had completely forgotten about the storm brewing outside, but Raphael was one to never miss such fine details. “Thank you!” She exclaimed with yet another deep bow, before finally heading out, her body now shielded by the umbrella. Thankfully, the rain had only begun, and it was little more than a light drizzle.

They all watched her go from behind the door, until her figure disappeared around a corner. With their business concluded, Raphael flipped the outside sign to ‘open’, letting the outside world know that the café was ready for customers. It took no time before patrons came rushing in, eager to enjoy a warm refuge from the rain.

As for Lilithra, Ascalon and Selorien, they moved to the bar counter, and discussed some more details about their upcoming quest. They had to prepare well, since they were heading to a city none of them had visited before. In just a couple of days, a new adventure awaited.