“No, not this one. Get me the one in that shelf there. The one with green cover!” Lei ordered.
“Which one, madame? Everything there looks green!” Maven scratched her head, mimicking Declan’s habit.
“Hmm…! Find the one with the title ‘Magical Relics’! And you, Reyl," Her voice turned softer. “Please read the books on that pile over there and look for anything about magic relics."
“Yes, madame.” Reyl immediately did as he was told. Meanwhile Sophia was drowned in the middle of other spell books, aided with only candle light.
A moment later, the sound of the door being knocked and Declan could be heard, “Helloooo! I’m home with the food.”
Maven immediately left the book shelf and walked towards the door, opened it and yelled on Declan who was standing under the dark of the night.
“What took you so long?! I bet you ate in town!”
Declan casually answered, “Well, of course! I was already hungry, and you can’t walk to the city and go back with empty stomach! Can you do that, Mave?”
“Eh, actually… I can...”
“Sure, you’re an elf.”
Declan just stepped inside the shack when Nepathya Lei yelled, “Ah, here’s the one! I’ve found it!”
The other four immediately gathered around her. She swept her silver bangs aside in order to read more clearly. Thus she began, “Look! It’s fortunate that this book happens to have something on Crylium Crsytal, which has the traits of Ice Spirit Necklace. This is a very rare crystal. You can only find it in one place in the whole Terra Everna. It's Zaburyvostok in the frozen country of Valshka, famously known as…"
Declan interrupted, “….the Eternal Ice Crystal Palace, the former stronghold of Frei Val’shka.”
Declan, Reyl and Maven all turned pale as if they just saw a ghost. On the contrary, Sophia was dumbfounded at their reaction. “Who is Frei Val’shka? Is she a giant monster like the Fat Lady?”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Lei answered, “No, Sophia, but she possesses a much more terrible power. Back in the the First World Age, Everna once suffered from Ragnarok, that is a Great War between gods, demons and creatures. At the end of the war, Doomsday happened. The entire world perished in fire.
Yet the Doomsday was not the end. That's because the Source, the Creator of Everna quickly put down the fire with eternal ice. Thus began the Ice Age.
Within the age that lasted for a thousand years, thus appeared Frei Val’shka. She was a surviving ice deity who became the strongest due to the Ice Age, ruling over the entire world as Goddess of Ice. The Thousand Years Queen remained in power until the Ice Age came to an end, following her defeat.
Centuries after that, Val’shka rose up again, eager to bring back her reign over the world. The Third Emperor of Arcadia with the name of Lesnar Geine gathered the heroes, declared war against Val’shka and her army of ice monsters, and defeated them.
Even so, The Crystal Palace of Zaburyvostok has remained intact to this day, dwelled by various monsters and supernatural beings. Its influence as the source of magical ice power is still covering the wide forest surrounding it. That forest, covered in snow all year is called the 'White Forest'.’”
“Wow, looks like our next mission is going to be pretty ‘cold’,” commented Declan while faking shivering from cold.
“Indeed,” Lei continued. “This book doesn’t mention about the effect of Crylium, only the list of names of crystals that can be found in that mine, along with their basic traits. But I’m sure there, at the origin of that crystal, we can find the cure, and it might one among the crystals in this list.”
“So we will be dwelling inside the freezing palace for long? Trying and testing the effects of each crystal? Whew…” mumbled Sophia. She then turned her gaze towards Reyl.
A moment later, her expression turned tense. “Aah! madame, look! Reyl… his face looks so pale! And his chest! There are strange creases!”
Lei immediately got up from her seat. She squatted beside Reyl, checking on his chest and face, and rubbing his forehead. A moment later, Lei took a step back. “We must hurry at once! It looks like the crystal in Reyl’s necklace is slowly siphoning its wearer’s life force. We don’t have time to waste, we must depart for Val’shka right now. We can’t afford to be late to find the cure, or we will lose Reyl.”
It was like thunder striking in the clear sky, a serious ultimatum. Everyone was stunned on the spot.
On the other hand, Reyl stood up, then walked towards the door before calling for his companions, “Well, what are we waiting for then? We’ll return home to prepare for provisions and equipments.”
His three comrades were all baffled on seeing him all spirited and eager, despite his own health. A moment later, they exchanged relieved smiles among themselves.
Sophia looked towards Lei. “Madame, please come with us. This journey will be very long, dangerous and tough. We will need your experience, knowledge and power so that we can return from Val’shka safely.”
Nepathya Lei put her finger on her chin for a moment, before saying, “Hmm... Very well. This adventure can add even more into my experience in witchcraft... and life. Let us prepare for our journey.”