There was nothing like a comfortable bed. Too bad that the one Alza was laying on had all the softness of a slab of rock. Still, it was better than nothing. In lieu of sleep, Alza traced her gaze across the cabin. It had not changed much, if at all, since she last saw it.

The room was spacious, its walls adorned with a collection of nautical instruments, maps, and charts. To the right of her bed, a wooden desk held various pieces of parchment, a quill and inkwell, and sets of dusty books which she never quite knew where they came from. There wasn’t much light, except from the dim glow of a few flickering lanterns which hung from the walls. The shadows cast by the soft light of the lanterns soon writhed and twisted, forming themselves into a humanoid figure.

"Excuse me mistress, but may I speak to you?" The figure spoke.

Alza sighed. "What do you want, Tartaros?"

"I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot earlier, you have my sincere apology." Tartaros bowed his head in deference.

"It’s fine, I don’t hold grudges over trivial matters."

"I appreciate that, mistress."

A brief silence descended on the area. Speaking with Tartaros had never been something that Alza enjoyed doing. For she knew where his loyalty truly lied.

"Can I ask you something, Tartaros?"

"Yes, mistress?"

"Is my father still looking for me?"

Tartaros dropped to a bow once more. "My deepest apologies, but I cannot answer that question, mistress."

"I figured as much."

Alza got up from her bed and paced around the cabin. "So, are you going to bring me to him?’

"No, mistress, I will still take you to Menon." Tartaros replied. His form remained perfectly still.

"And why is that?"

"Because you ordered me to, mistress."

"Of course I ordered you, but I imagine that my father must have known about my awakening." Alza said as she sat down behind her desk. "I highly doubt some human could have found a way to unseal me by themself."

"In that, you are correct, mistress."

"So why don’t you just bring me to my father? He’s always been looking for me."

"Your father has instructed me to follow anything you say to the letter indefinitely, mistress. I have received no further instructions beyond that."

Alza massaged her temples, torn between confusion and frustration. "Fine," she conceded with a heavy sigh, "I suppose I'll just wait and see for now."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Tartaros vanished in an instant, leaving behind rapidly fading shadows that dissipated back onto the floor. "Excuse me, Alza, is it alright if we come in to talk?" Shion asked aloud.

"You two may come in."

Shion and Nia entered the room. "If you’ll excuse us." Nia muttered. The two adventurers observed the cabin with great intent as they walked towards Alza’s desk.

"Go ahead and take a seat." Alza said, pointing towards the two chairs in front of her desk.

The two adventurers nodded and obliged. Shion sitting on the left while Nia on the right. Alza’s gaze swept across their features, she wasn’t sure what they wanted quite just yet.

Alza pressed her hands together. "So, was there anything that the two of you wanted to ask of me?"

"Quite a lot actua-"

Shion appeared eager to speak his mind at first, but Nia silenced him with a gentle elbow to his side. "My apologies, Alza," Nia interrupted, "What Shion meant to ask is how will we dock? Considering the peculiar state of your ship."

"That is a small matter, Tartaros can disguise himself when we are close to port. We’ll look just like any other ship and crew." Alza explained.

"I see." Nia nodded. "I have no further questions for now then."

Alza raised an eyebrow towards Shion. "So, how about you? Seems like there’s still much that you want to ask."

A weary smile pulled at Shion’s lips. "I remember you mentioning that you had your suspicions as to who may have been responsible for the death of the crew on my ship, may I know who exactly you’re referring to?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question at the moment, not until I’m completely certain." Alza said bluntly. Her tone laced with an air of indifference. Truth be told, she already suspected that her father or one of her siblings were responsible, but such things would be better off being kept secret in her mind.

"I- I see." Shion stuttered.

Alza pressed a hand against her temples. "Alright, how about a change of pace?" She then leaned back and crossed her arms. "You two have been asking me questions all day, I think it’s only fair if I ask some of my own, no?"

Both Nia and Shion looked at each other. Both then nodded in agreement.

"That is fair, what do you want to know?" Nia asked.

"Let’s start with something simple, how long exactly has it been since I was sealed?"

"I’m not the most familiar with history, but most sources I have seen seem to agree that you have been gone from anywhere between two to three thousand years." Nia replied.

"That…sounds roughly correct." Alza muttered. She then tapped lightly on the desk with a finger. "I assume much has changed."

"That would be putting it lightly." Shion interjected. "There are many who would view you as a myth, in fact, I was one of those people at first. But here we are."

Nia nodded affirmatively. "I’ve heard stories of the ancient times, when mortals, demons, dragons, and gods clashed. But as Shion has said, I always thought they were just that: stories."

"I don’t blame either of you for thinking that way, memories and records are fickle things to begin with, and time no doubt made things worse."

Shion seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat. "It’s honestly surreal to be speaking with someone like you."

"If there is any solace for you, remember that I could have killed you long ago if I wanted." Alza said with a playful chuckle.

Shion managed a faint smile. "I….don’t doubt that."

"Jokes aside, I think I should make it clear once again that I have no intentions of world domination or bringing about the apocalypse or anything of that sort."

"Yes, you did say something similar back then, something about you changing and your husband?" Nia said.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"That is correct." Alza replied.

Shion’s brows furrowed as he squinted. "You had a husband?"

"I did, yes, is that so surprising to you?"

"No, no, not at all." Shion said, his back straightening as his shoulders tensed.

A wistful sigh escaped Alza’s lips. "Honestly, I had expected him to be the one to awaken me from my seal, but things didn’t work out as planned it seems."

"I am curious about that," Nia chimed in. "Did you have some kind of agreement with Melchio? And if so, why?"

"Wait just a second, the Sun Knight Melchio is her husband?" Shion asked in disbelief, pointing a finger towards Alza.

"He is, Alza told me while you were mourning in the cavern." Nia said.

A gentle smile grazed Alza’s visage. "To put a long story short, my husband discovered a grave threat that would have put the world in unparalleled danger. He asked me to lend him my power, and so I did."

"But why did he have to seal you?" Nia pressed.

"It was for my own protection; I gave him so much power that I became gravely weak as a result." She frowned slightly as she spoke. "Judging by the fact that he wasn’t the one to revive me, I’m going to assume that nobody has seen him over the last several thousand years."

Shion leaned back against his chair. "I know there are some who worship him like a god, they believe that he will return when the world needs him most."

"I hope so too."

***

After just over a day’s voyage, Alza could just see the faint silhouette of a port on the edge of her vision. Perhaps it was time to enact her plan.

"So, what’s the plan for when we need to dock?" Shion asked, standing to Alza’s right.

"You don’t need to do anything except to keep quiet, I’ll take care of things from here." Alza replied.

"Understood." Shion said, turning to walk away.

However, before he could leave, Alza placed a hand on the swordsman’s shoulders. "Wait, where is Nia?"

"She’s taking a nap on the lower deck, why do you ask?"

"Tell her to come up here, she should see what’s going to happen."

Once Shion had taken a groggy Nia to the deck, Alza decided that the time was right. She walked to the tip of Tartaros’s deck, and spoke to the ship. "Tartaros, I need you to disguise yourself, we’re going to dock."

The ship rumbled slightly as Tartaros spoke. "As you command, mistress."

In an instant, a thick fog set in around the ship, obscuring it completely. Then, as Tartaros emerged from the fog, it looked nothing like the ghastly ship it was before. Its sails looked polished and new. Its hull was now replaced with a more standard oak wood. Even the ghastly specters which inhabited the ship had now transformed to look as if they were normal people.

"What…just happened?" Shion muttered as he took in his new surroundings.

"This is a completely different ship." Nia said as she paced around the deck. Her nose twitched as she smelled the air. "Even the smell is different."

"This will be our cover for when we dock." Alza poked a finger against one of the "crewmembers". He did not seem to react in the slightest. "We’ll have to be careful though, this is still just an illusion, once we get out, I’m having Tartaros leave immediately."

"Let’s just hope nobody asks too many questions at the port then." Shion said with a light chuckle.

"Bah, we have enough money to pay off any overly curious officers anyway." Nia scoffed.

Alza smiled. "Looks like we’re ready then."

***

Fortunately for Alza and her two guests, the docking process went without much of a hitch. The officer in charge of monitoring the ships didn’t ask too many questions. And the fact that both Shion and Nia were A-rank adventurers helped to give them the benefit of the doubt. Once all the formalities were completed, Alza sent Tartaros away.

Soon, the trio were walking on the streets of Menon. As they strolled deeper into the city, Alza saw how Menon’s streets teemed with people of all walks of life. Adventurers clad in armor shared the same pathways with scholars clutching parchment while merchants haggled with customers over the prices of goods. Children darted through the crowd, laughing with an infectious joy. It was a welcome sight, to see a place so lively again. But despite this, a familiar feeling gnawed at the back of Alza’s mind. It was the same one she had first felt when she walked out of her tomb and into the surrounding forest.

"So, what do you think of Menon, Alza?" Shion asked.

"It’s a fine city, but I feel that something is off." Alza replied.

Nia leaned a bit forward. "What do you mean by that?"

"It’s nothing." Alza said softly.

"Are…you sure? You were spacing out for a moment there." Shion asked.

"I’m fine, really," Alza reassured them, casting a glance toward Shion and Nia.

Nia nodded in agreement. "Anyway, once we get to the guild, you should go ahead and meet up with the guildmaster."

"I am rather curious, what is your guildmaster like?"

"If I were to describe her with one word, it would be: enigmatic." Nia said.

"That’s one way to put it." Shion chuckled.

Alza raised an eyebrow. "Tell me more about her."

"She’s probably the most gifted oracle in the entire world, no others have come close to her predictions in terms of accuracy." Nia explained.

Alza placed a hand on her chin. "Interesting, and is she blind?"

"She is, though that doesn’t seem to hinder her too much."

"I used to know an oracle just like that, actually, she was blind but she could see the world as if she still had her eyes."

"I’m sure our guildmaster would have loved to meet your friend if she could." Shion chimed in.

Alza chuckled. "Perhaps."

Upon arriving at the adventurer's guild, a wave of nostalgia hit Alza. When she saw the adventurer's guild, she paused to take in the sight of the exterior. The guild's emblem, a stylized image of a gryphon, was prominently displayed above the massive wooden doors. Meanwhile, the walls were decorated with banners and tapestries espousing the achievements of notable adventurers.

As Alza and Shion stepped inside, the atmosphere changed, the clinking of tankards, and the scent of seasoned leather greeted them. Maps adorned the guild’s interior while swords, staves, and bows hung above a large hearth. At the heart of the guild was the quest board, filled with notices of various quests and missions.

"Places like this take me back." Alza said.

"Oh, were you an adventurer before?" Shion asked.

"No, but I fought plenty in my time." Alza replied with a chuckle, causing Shion to follow suit with a nervous laugh.

Nia, instead, walked towards one of the tables. "I think Shion can take things from here, I’m going to take a break." She said with a wave.

"Hey, what gives?" Shion asked, slightly disgruntled.

"I’m tired, and you still owe me anyway. Unless you want to pay up now of course." Nia grinned slyly.

Shion breathed an exasperated sigh. "Alright." The swordsman then turned towards Alza. "Just follow me, I’ll take you to the guildmaster’s office."

"Much appreciated." Alza replied.

After bidding Nia goodbye, Alza and Shion traversed up a flight of stairs to head towards the guildmaster’s office. Eventually, they stopped in front of a set of mahogany doors. Looking closer, Alza’s eyes widened in shock.

The image of a three headed serpent was carved into the surface of the door. She would have thought it was mere coincidence at first, but everything about the emblem seemed exactly the same as what she had seen before she was sealed. When she too, sought the advice of an oracle.

"Are you, alright, Alza? You’re sweating." Shion asked.

Alza shook her head. "I’m alright, perhaps just slightly seasick."

"I see, you should get some rest after this meeting then."

"Indeed, but that can wait, let’s go in."

As Shion pushed open the doors, Alza saw a desk fashioned from elderwood, bathed in a pool of sunlight that filtered through tall, arched windows. An elf woman sat behind the desk with an air of quiet contemplation, her presence commanding the room.

"Shion, I’m going to have to ask you to leave for now." The woman said.

Shion nodded. "As you wish, Guildmaster." He then stepped outside and closed the doors.

Alza, meanwhile, stood frozen inside the guild master's office. Her eyes widened in utter shock.

"Elysia…you’re alive?"

"Hello there Alza, fancy seeing you here."

Alza could barely believe that the elf oracle was still alive. Elysia wore a blindfold that hid her eyes, just as she had years ago. Her white hair cascaded down much the same way it did in Alza's memory, and everything on her face, down to her pointed ears barely had a single wrinkle on them. Even the ornate gold choker around her neck seemed like it was the exact same one she had worn before. It was as if time had stood still for Elysia, preserving her appearance completely.

"Did you foresee us meeting today?" Alza asked as she walked forward.

"Perhaps." Elysia said, a smug grin tugging at her lips.

Alza settled into the chair across from the Guildmaster, her gaze locked onto Elysia. "You were always a mystery to me, Elysia, but I didn’t know that you were immortal as well."

Elysia leaned forward, a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips. "I have my ways, Alza. But it is a good thing that you are here; we have much to talk about."

"I agree, I can smell the demonic infestation in this city the moment I stepped inside of it." Alza scoffed.

"Believe me, Alza, I am well aware of that fact."

"And you are fine with that?"

"They have their teeth sunk deep into the roots of the city, including places of power. So long as they don’t do anything too blatantly disturbing, I can’t step in without making a fuss."

Alza sighed. "I suppose that’s fair."

"I find your hatred of your kindred to be admirable, if not amusing." Elysia said with a light chuckle.

"Very funny, Elysia." Alza scoffed, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"Nonetheless, there is something you should know." Elysia’s smile was gone now, replaced by her usual taciturn expression.

"And that is?"

"I saw you die, Alza."