Shouri awoke with a pounding headache. “Uhg…” he groaned. “Maybe we should have prepared better for this…” the boy complained. He could feel the soreness in his muscles. At least if this turned out to be a bust, the return trip should be easier, right?

A trio of groans joined him as the three girls sat up with him.

“Why am I awake?” Pacifica shook her head.

“Mrrph.” Rebecca clung to Shouri, burying her face in his side.

“Stanca.” Taika rubbed her eyes, ears folded back and tail flicking.

The quartet sat in groggy silence for a couple of minutes. “Let’s try exploring this cave,” Shouri finally spoke up. He stared down into the abyss that awaited them. “I got a feeling about it,” he mumbled.

“Not a good feeling?” Pacifica raised a brow.

“It’s lucky I have any feeling right now,” the Maestro grumbled, rubbing his pounding temples.

Retrieving their make-shift bedding the group drank their fill of water and ate a hearty breakfast of dried fruits to get something in their systems.

Morning preparations out of the way, they faced down the cave ahead.

“Go, yip yip!” Rebecca urged her still-summoned rhythm foxes ahead. The little fire creatures trotted ahead, illuminating the passageway before them. “Looks safe enough,” she shot a sideways glance to her Maestro.

He responded with a slow nod. “Let’s get moving then.”

The group marched onward into the depths, allowing the rhythm foxes to take point. The temperature in the cave was consistent, it didn’t get any hotter or colder than it already was. “It’s kinda nice in here,” Taika noted.

“Weird way to spell chilly,” Pacifica shivered.

“I’m with Paci on this,” Rebecca chimed in.

“Give her a fox to hold then,” Taika suggested.

“Oh, good idea!” Pacifica brightened up at that thought, turning her attention to the fire element.

Rebecca didn’t have the link for the spell any more thanks to their sleep, so she turned to their Maestro.

“Famiglio Incendio, Presto,” he cast, hand on Rebecca’s tuner.

With a snap of her fingers, Rebecca summoned another flame fox into existence. “With her,” she commanded of the new summon, motioning to Pacifica.

The rhythm beast jumped into Pacifica’s arms. “Oh, you’re affectionate!” the otter giggled. She settled on opening her jacket slightly to allow the flame fox to nestle against her skin, its little fiery head poking out from the opening afforded to it.

“Good?” Shouri asked.

“Very,” Pacifica cooed, hugging the small fox.

They moved on, walking deeper into the cave. “A thought occurs to me,” Shouri suddenly spoke.

“What’s that?” Rebecca questioned as the group came to a stop.

“We probably shouldn’t wander too deep into this cave.” The Maestro glanced back from where they had come, the light of the outside long since faded.

“It’s probably fine,” Pacifica said, waving off the concern.

Shouri hummed, turning in place to take in their surroundings. “I’ve read enough stories of people getting trapped in caves to know this is how it starts.”

“What happens in those?” Taika wondered.

“Usually they die, after getting trapped somewhere,” he told her.

“D-die…?” The lunar vixen gulped hard.

Pacifica placed a hand on Taika’s shoulder. “We wouldn’t get trapped, we’re being careful, right?” She motioned to the flame foxes who stood waiting just ahead.

“Let’s keep-” Shouri paused, his eyes darted to his side; though he didn’t turn his head or body.

“Sho?” Pacifica stepped forward but was stopped when he held up a hand. His gaze was oddly focused to his right as if studying something none of the girls could see.

“Taika,” he spoke.

She jumped at the call. “Y-yes, Sho?”

“Rilevare l’intenzione, Lento.”

The vixen squeaked as she suddenly felt her Maestro’s rhythm connect with her. She didn’t fight it and allowed the casting to be completed. She felt the presence of her friends and…

“Who?!” She spun on her feet to face deeper into the tunnel.

“Who is it, Taika?” Rebecca dropped low into her combative stance, her heels sparking.

“Two Resonators, right ahead. Standing next to the foxes.”

Stepping into the light cast by the squad of flame foxes ahead were two Resonators, as Taika had sensed. However, none of the quartet could have expected their sudden appearance.

“F-five…?” Taika blinked before rubbing her eyes.

“I’ve heard of two and three… but five tails?” Rebecca was similarly in disbelief.

Standing in the flickering orange light were two child-sized resonators, a blue-haired boy, and a red-haired girl. Behind each of them, five tails each flicked about. Their manner of dress was the same, white robes, eastern in origin, looking like they came right out of a period drama. It was no stretch of the imagination to say these two looked like they had hopped straight out of a historical fantasy into the real world.

The two children bowed before the travelers.

“Greetings,” said the boy.

“Master Sarayul will see you now,” spoke the girl.

----------------------------------------

It was no wonder Sarayul had not been discovered until recently.

The quartet was looking around their new surroundings in stunned silence as they followed the two fox children. The cave had long since given way to what appeared to be a scene right out of a storybook. Above them, they could see the blues of the sky with gentle fluffy clouds passing overhead. The path beneath them had turned from wild craggy rock to polished paved stone. Grass grew and blew with the gentle breeze.

It was like they had stepped into another world.

And at the center of that world was a palace. Matching the two fox children in aesthetic, it was of the Eastern flair.

Despite the difficulty one would have invading such a place, the palace began with deep redwood walls, encasing the perimeter. The gate was open, allowing them to walk in.

Perfectly manicured trees stood proudly over crystal-clear ponds which sat in a sea of flowers. A small sitting area could be seen with a dirt walkway in the distance of the garden. The guests were led through another set of gates.

A large wooden temple stood before them. It was perfect in form and execution. Trimmings of gold and elaborate etchings grace the wood that made up its glory. It stood atop a stone base with a staircase that filled Shouri with dread – it must have been at least a hundred steps tall if not more.

“This way,” the red girl spoke, leading the group up the horrible staircase.

“We mustn’t keep Master Sarayul waiting,” the blue boy advised as they climbed.

“Please tell me that this is the trial,” Shouri groaned, his legs already protesting the new effort.

Their silence was telling.

Making it to the top, the quartet found their expectations did not match reality – the temple that sat at the top was much larger than it had appeared at a distance. It was a mansion with how large it was. There were many individual rooms, allowing for a large population to dwell within.

However…

“There’s no one here,” Rebecca whispered, her ears twitching as they made their way around the outside perimeter of the temple.

“Master Sarayul’s retainers have long since left this world,” the blue boy spoke.

“We remain in his service, however,” the red girl added.

“How long have you been here?” Pacifica questioned.

The two stopped.

“A hundred years a tail,” the boy said.

“Surely you know math?” the girl grinned, her five tails fluttering behind her.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

They continued walking without another word.

“Five hundred?” Pacifica hissed.

“They’re fucking with us,” Rebecca added.

“I haven’t heard of any Ethereals like them before,” Shouri joined in the gossip.

“They’re leaving us, vai vai!” Taika pushed her friends forward.

Thankfully, they didn’t lose their guides and met back up with them in front of the largest door of the palace. Without much effort, the two mysterious fox children pushed the door open and motioned for the guests to enter.

The quartet hesitated before Shouri stepped forward. “Come on,” he said, keeping his gaze forward.

The central chamber was overly elaborate, with a red carpet stretching from the doorway down to a central “stage” near the back of the space. The room was well illuminated, though the façade of an ancient palace had begun to fade.

Standard electric lighting was installed in place of fire-based lamps like they had expected. What’s more, the hum of a robot vacuum graced their hearing… and then their vision as the little device crossed their path, darting from one side of the room to the other.

As they approached the center stage, the distinct sound of chatter could be heard, despite only one body occupying the space. The chatter of a conversation faded into boisterous jingles and pitches of commercial breaks. Someone lying on the pedestal was watching television.

Reverence had long since faded from the four young ones who had wandered into this space, replaced with confusion and the slightest bit of annoyance.

“Nina, is that you? Have you returned with my Atmoni order?” the man asked, remaining fixated on his programming.

“Yes Master Sarayul,” the red-haired girl spoke up from behind Shouri and co. She stepped around the guests and up the stage. She drew from her robes a manilla bubble mailer, holding it out for her master. He sat up, back remaining towards the door. He eagerly snatched up the delivery and tore into it.

“Yes! Finally, I have the last card I need for my deck!” the man joyously announced, holding the enclosed card in the air as if he had pulled it from a treasure chest. “Wait a minute…” He brought the card close to examine it. “This is clearly water-damaged! Near mint my ass! And it was a special selection rare at that!”

The girl, referred to as Nina cleared her throat. “Master Sarayul, you also have guests,” she motioned to the four strangers.

“Eh?” The man allowed himself to fall backward, taking in the four outsiders from an upside-down vantage point. “Who the terra are you supposed to be?” he asked.

Shouri remained speechless for a moment, still trying to parse if they were in the right place. Nina had called him Sarayul, but was it possible this man was a fake?

Pacifica elbowed her Maestro in the side, shaking him out of his stupor.

“I’m Shouri.”

“And I’m Pacifica!”

“Rebecca.”

“T-taika…”

“We’re here because Taika unlocked her ad-Lib recently and needs training,” Shouri cut right to the chase. “And we heard you were the best guy on Riterra for the job,” he paused for a moment, considering if he should say anything more. Ultimately, he decided to leave it at that.

Sarayul studied the group for a moment. Without a word, he waved a hand out.

“What?!”

“Hey!”

“What’s happening?!”

Rebecca, Pacifica, and Taika floated in the air and then were ejected from the room, the door slamming shut behind them. The red and blue foxes made their way to the door and stood in front of it as if to additionally bar the way.

“Hey!” Shouri went to chase after his carelessly tossed out resonators-

“You stop.”

-but found himself unable to move, his entire body stuck in place as if he was flash-frozen in the position he had been in. This didn’t last long as Shouri was forced to face the older man.

From behind the man, tails began to flick in the air,

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine of them in total danced in a wave-like manner behind him. “I am the Ethereal known as Sarayul. I have conquered many lands, both of Land Sage Lanvi’s and of Life Sage Luca’s. Why should I train your pitiful kit?” His voice though quiet carried a weight as if he was commanding an army.

Shouri did not want to be here; every cell in his body was screaming this was a terrible idea and to just run. He certainly wanted to act on that instinct. However, there was a part of him that spurred him on – Taika.

Even without being able to see her, he knew she was outside. He could feel her desperately trying to claw her way in. She was behind him, even if a physical distance separated them. In that sense, he couldn’t fail her. They dragged her up this mountain and for that trial, he had to use his wit.

But how could he convince a 900-year-old Ethereal…

His eyes landed on the plastic case still in the fox Ethereal’s hands. “I’ll get you a replacement for that damaged card!” Shouri blurted out.

Instantly the hostility faded. “Really?!” Sarayul beamed. “This is a really expensive card you know,” he boasted, his tails swishing together much like Taika and Rebecca’s did when they were excited.

“Yeah, let’s just say I know a guy with a ton of money,” Shouri informed the Ethereal. (Somewhere Elijah Klein sneezed hard.)

“Okay! Sounds good!” The fox-man continued to smile, tossing the damaged card away. “Though first, we do need to talk,” the man rose to his feet. He stepped down from his pedestal which he perched himself on and made his way over to the Maestro.

Shouri gulped as Sarayul studied him up and down. Then, his hand shot out.

It wasn’t Shouri who he grabbed though, but an invisible guest, who was forced into view – Vienna.

“NNGH… This is why father said not to mess with Ethereals huh?” the lyrebird grunted, attempting to fight against her captor as he held her off the ground by her hair.

“Cute trick,” Sarayul chuckled, his grip unmoving despite how hard the bird girl squirmed about. He noted the clear-bodied tuner hanging from her collar. “Tell me about this one,” he demanded of Shouri.

“Work associates,” Shouri said, ignoring the plight of the captured Resonator.

There was no lie there, Sarayul could sense that much. His scrutinizing gaze pierced the lyrebird, continuing to scan her struggling form. His expression eased upon completion of his examination. “Aha, you’re using each other,” the Ethereal mused.

Shouri nodded. “She wants rhythm, and she has information. She also can hold her own in a fight,” he stated the facts as they were. “She’s useful,” the Maestro stated coldly, the yellow logical rhythm flowing behind his eyes.

“If that’s the case, why does she hide?” questioned the fox.

“Cause those petty little bitches think I want in his pants! I just want the rhythm damn it!” the null element groaned, not enjoying the pain in her scalp.

“Oho?” Interest was piqued. Sarayul released Vienna, at least from his hand. She remained hovering in place for a moment before being tossed in the opposite direction of Shouri’s Resonators – crashing just behind the center stage of the chamber.

“Asshole!” they heard her shout.

Sarayul took a seat as if he had beckoned an invisible chair. “Now let’s be honest with one another,” he began. “What do those three out there mean to you?”

Shouri averted his gaze. “They’re my friends and-” The Maestro's jaw was forced shut.

“Stop,” said Sarayul. “Lie to me again and you’ll get to feel what I’ve done to your Resonators,” warned the Ethereal. “Try again.”

Rubbing his now sore jaw, Shouri took a breath. His face reddened. “I-”