The first wave at Knarr concluded as soon as Ruby and Faith brought an end to the final cyclops. The giant’s body collapsed onto the ground, only to be pushed into the tremor that split the floor apart. Most of the cyclopses defeated by the two were recycled in the ground for later dismemberment. The others at the four corners of the village were done as well. Sean’s side had a single cyclops that nearly brought an end to their crew. The general and his soldiers made waste of the three giants that fell near them, and OJ cleaned up the smaller cyclopses that were wreaking havoc on the village.
Ruby landed beside Faith and exhaled in excitement. She threw her hands in the air and cheered, getting the rest of her crew to follow. The pools of blood scattered about the battlefield managed to stain their clothes and skin, creating a stench comparable to Penn’s.
Queen Ruby: [We’re fucking done!]
She sat above a pool of Cyclops blood. She made a transparent magical barrier to keep her afloat.
Queen Ruby: [We can finally rest!]
Faith: [You said it.]
She said as she collapsed into the pool. Blood splattered everywhere, but Ruby created a transparent wall to keep herself clean.
Faith: [I can barely stand.]
Soldier: [You two look exhausted.]
The soldier, his uniform drenched in blood from head to toe, approached Faith and Ruby with two mana potions in his hands. He held the potions out, offering them to the girls, and Faith couldn't help but stare at them with curiosity. While she tried to figure out where she had seen the soldier's voice and build before, Ruby took one of the potions from his hand. Faith was sure she knew the soldier, but the blood covering him made it difficult for her to recognize him.
Queen Ruby: [Is it that obvious?]
The soldier laughed with a nod of his head. Faith grabbed the last potion and chugged it down.
Faith: [Are the others done?]
Ruby put a hand on the ground and closed her eyes, waiting for a vibration. After a moment, she turned back to the others and nodded.
Ruby: [Looks like we’re all good.]
Faith amazed: [You can sense things from the ground? Okay, how powerful are you?]
Ruby: [They’re giants, Faith. You can feel their footsteps from miles away.]
The soldiers snickered as Faith’s face turned red. She was humiliated in front of everyone, or at least that’s what she thought. Ruby laughed with the soldiers as Faith turned away.
Soldier: [Your Highness.]
Ruby’s laughing stopped, and she turned to the soldier with a bright smile. Her genuine smile from her laugh seemed contagious, capturing the soldier looking at her.
Soldier: [Could you text the others to see if they need help?]
Ruby surprised: [Oh yeah! I forgot about the group chat!]
She pulled out her chat interface and opened the “Devil War” group. There was a flood of messages from the others at the other villages, all discussing their situation and even calling out for the Knarr group’s response. No one on either side of Knarr had given any of them a response, resulting in panic in the chat.
Ruby scrolled up and began reading aloud the messages the other sets had. From the very beginning…
----------------------------------------
RK Sophia: [Uh… – are you guys getting anything?]
Paladin Zack: [It’s clear at the capitol… – All clouds parted.]
RK Ali: [Seriously?! 😱]
He sent an emoticon of a character that looked like him, standing flabbergasted with his hands over his mouth. Ruby acted it out for Faith and the soldier, getting a good laugh out of them.
RK Sophia: [Did you get some Ali?]
RK Ali: [Not a single enemy – Any luck with you?]
RK Sophia: [We’re in the same boat – This is weird…]
Paladin Zack: [How’s everything going for you, Ruby?]
RK Ali: [Maybe she’s busy?]
RK Sophia: [Okay – How do you two plan on using your time?]
RK Ali: [Set C’s gonna wait here.]
Paladin Zack: [Same here]
RK Sophia: [Alright – I’m going to teleport around the kingdom for any attackers.]
----------------------------------------
Ruby: [That’s the last message since.]
She turned to Faith, who was still lying in blood.
Ruby: [What should I say?]
Faith chuckling: [Pretend you’re a sporadic klutz. Say something like, “Sorry, had my phone off!”]
She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Her playful smile got to the Queen. The two of them started laughing.
Ruby laughing: [Are you trying to get me in trouble?]
Faith: [Ask Alley (Ali) if any spawned near him.]
Ruby nodded and turned back to the interface. Without saying any words or moving her hands, her question was sent to ‘Devil War’ and was awaiting a response. It didn’t take long for the Royal Knight to send a message, followed by the other two in all caps. As soon as Ruby saw the texts, she chuckled and tried showing them to Faith. She quickly remembered that others couldn’t see her interface and flinched.
Faith stared at her, confused.
[Ruby: Ali replied.]
----------------------------------------
RK Ali: [It’s still a dry land over here.]
RK Sophia: [RUBY!]
Paladin Zack: [WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!]
----------------------------------------
Faith laughing: [They’re pissed!]
Ruby nervously: [As expected. I’m gonna tell them that we’re all done here.]
----------------------------------------
Paladin Zack: [Ultras spawned on you guys?]
Queen Ruby: [Yeah – We were kinda overwhelmed.]
RK Ali: [What? – That doesn’t make any sense.]
RK Sophia: [Sense or not, what’s important is that the other villages had no attacks.]
Queen Ruby: [Only Knarr was attacked?]
Paladin Zack: [Seems like it.]
RK Ali: [I think we should meet back up at the castle – If the ultras stopped spawning, that means the wave is over… right?]
RK Sophia: [Yeah, everyone at the castle in five.]
----------------------------------------
Ruby turned to the soldier and requested he gather all of the soldiers. As soon as he ran off, Ruby told Faith all about what was happening in the group chat. The moment she was caught up, Faith stood up and stretched with a groan. She threw her fists in the air and took a large breath of the corroded atmosphere, shouting into the sky with a wide smile across her face.
Faith: [Victoryyyyyyy!]
Ruby watched her with a smile. Watching this girl celebrate a minor accomplishment with a cheer full of herself made the Queen stand beside her. With her clothes covered in blood and her black hair stained to the brim, she threw her hands in the air and shouted along with the light purple sorceress.
Ruby: [VICTORYYYYY!!!!!]
Shouting seemed to have dispersed the tension inside her and allowed Ruby to feel free for the first time in a while.
Faith and Ruby: [WE DID IIIIIIIT!]
Ruby took a large sigh of relief as she lowered her hands and stared at the spiraling red clouds lingering above them. Their menacing atmosphere remained stalking the set as they all gathered together at the center well.
Parker scurried to Sean and Abrianna the moment he had the opportunity. Standing beside Paladin OJ gave him the shivers on a degree he never thought possible. Though they spent the last couple of hours together, he and the Paladin hadn’t engaged in much conversation. Once Parker reached his friends, Sean laughed and insulted him.
Queen Ruby: [Before I continue with the plans, I want to congratulate everyone for making it through the first wave. Apparently, we were the only set to have any enemies, so feel free to rub it in the other soldier’s faces.]
The soldiers, along with the general, chuckled at Ruby’s appraisal.
Queen Ruby: [With that out of the way, we’ll meet back at the castle with the other sets. My best guess is that we’ll be put on a little break until the countdown restarts, but it’s entirely possible that His Highness disbands this set.]
Ruby clasped her hands together over her chest and smiled softly.
Queen Ruby: [It’s been an honor fighting beside you all.]
General: [We appreciate your kindness, your highness.]
Paladin OJ: [Alright, everyone!]
He walked into the middle of the crowd and raised his hand. He garnered everyone’s attention with a simple action and maintained it with his voice.
Paladin OJ: [Please get into formation! This process is quick and painless, so please don’t rush.]
Like primary school children, everyone lined up in a single file and recreated their rectangular formation before teleporting. Faith stood beside her friends and watched the Paladin over the shoulders of a few soldiers. They had complied almost like ants, following the orders of the single entity before them. OJ produced a scroll that created a blue circle beneath the rectangular formation.
The bright blue light continued to increase in density to the point that no one could keep their eyes open. The atmosphere around them suddenly changed as soon as everyone’s eyes were shut. No more gentle breezes, and the smell of cookies filled the air.
They all successfully teleported back to the castle’s throne room, with maids holding plates of cookies as congratulations. They handed one to each soldier, including the friends tagging along. King Didus and Queen Nefrai were sitting at their thrones with smiles on their faces, and Ali standing in front of them. The other two seats remained unoccupied. He looked towards the crowd with a gentle smile, primarily focusing on Set Knarr.
Ali and Sophia approached them, standing tall and with smiles on their faces. A good majority of the Knarr soldiers saw their unscathed conditions and groaned. Not a single scratch nor a drop of blood on them. Their uniforms were still clean, and their faces pure.
RK Ali: [Congratulations, all of you! You did great.]
Paladin OJ: [We had our celebration. Let’s skip the reunion and get on with part two.]
Sophia narrowed her eyes and dropped the fake smile.
RK Sophia: [No need to be an ass. We’re just being nice.]
Paladin OJ: [Kinda hard considering you guys threw us right into the most populated- no, the only battlefield.]
RK Sophia tampered: [Knarr showed no warning signs. It was impossible to know they’d attack there, and only there.]
King Didus: [Well, at the very least, that insights us into the demon lord’s true intentions.]
He effortlessly recaptured the crowd’s attention with his voice alone.
Queen Nefrai: [His attack on Knarr proved that he isn’t after reckless manslaughter, but rather our territory.]
Parker whispers to Faith: [I bet they’ve got lots of oil.]
The sorceress chuckled.
Faith whispers to Parker: [Don’t tell ‘Merica]
OJ overheard their conversation behind him and listened until the end. They caught his attention with their inside jokes and sparked an idea in his head. As soon as they stopped, OJ turned back to the king.
King Didus: [With this information, we can guarantee the locations that will be attacked. We’ll send the Set leaders the information when we come to a decisive conclusion.]
Queen Nefrai: [We have also called for support from a foreign nation. Because of this, Set Knarr will be disbanded.] Ruby lowered her eyes and let out a silent sigh. [We appreciate your support, but we believe you have other problems to worry about.]
Paladin OJ: [If you don’t mind me asking,]
The king and Queen turned to the Paladin.
Paladin OJ: [Who will be replacing us?]
The royals looked at each other, which OJ used to sneak another question in.
Paladin OJ: [If that’s too much, which nation did you request support from?]
RK Sophia: [You’re not obligated to know. Not to be disrespectful, but this matter doesn’t involve you.]
Paladin OJ chuckling: [Woah, I thought we were allies here!]
RK Sophia: [I will say this in case you’ve forgotten. The alliance contract strictly states that unless commanded by their ruler, Paladins are prohibited from getting information from the other kingdoms.]
OJ turned to Zack with a grin on his face.
Paladin OJ: [You gonna let her do your job?]
Paladin Zack: [Don’t let that derive from the facts. You clearly violated the–]
Queen Ruby: [Why don’t we all put a cap on it and call it a day?]
Her interruption shocked the crowds.
Queen Ruby: [Set Knarr has already said their goodbyes and is happy we served with such a great nation–]
Faith nudged her shoulder.
Queen Ruby: [Kingdom!]
Ruby cleared her throat.
Faith whispering to Ruby: [Wrong world!]
Ruby embarrassingly to Faith: [I know! Oops!]
RK Ali: [Alright, with all that said and done, this meeting is adjourned. We come back once a new timer starts.]
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
After wishing everyone a pleasant break, the Sets split ways. Before the main group could walk away from one another, Ali reminded Ruby of the promise they made before leaving the battlefield. She was surprised she had forgotten about it and requested Ali continue with the plan. As he gathered everyone, she thought up what she wanted to say with no recollection of what she had in mind. It was only a matter of time before Ali brought everyone back, so she used it to think.
It had been a while since Ruby had had to think of a solution to a simple problem quickly. Perhaps the last time had been in class or at home. She couldn't think of anything despite all the time she was given.
Ali had already brought the whole group together and awaited Ruby’s next command.
Abrianna: [Is there a reason you want us here, Ruby?]
Abrianna’s question took Ruby out of deep thought.
Ruby frantically: [Y-yeah! I wanted to talk to you all about something!]
A strand of Sophia’s hair turned a pastel purple as she stared at the Queen.
Ruby: [Do any of you have a house we can hang in?]
Parker: [I don’t think anyone’s gonna be hanging today–]
Ruby shouting: [NO ONE IS GONNA BE HANGING!]
Parker smirked.
Ruby: [I meant that as in, like, a place we can stay for a while.]
Zack: [It’s been a while since anyone has been to my place.]
Parker, Sean, and Faith turned to him.
Zack: [Maybe we could go there.]
Ruby curiously: [You have a house?]
Sean laughing: [He’s basically the fucking commander-in-chief. Of course he’s got a house.]
Sean walked ahead and wrapped an arm around Zack’s head. He pulled him along, barely giving Zack enough room to move around.
Zack: [The term’s Paladin, douchebag!]
Sean passed off his response like he never said anything. Parker followed afterward while unequipping his large staff.
Parker: [We should stop by a restaurant or something! Do they have burgers?]
Faith: [We’re in another world, and all you can think about are burgers?]
Faith, Parker, Sean, Zack, Sophia, Ruby, Abrianna, and Ali were the group that left the throne room.
Parker: [I don’t give a fuck! If I want a fucking burger, I want a fucking burger!]
Ruby: [Burgers don’t exist in this world…]
Parker let out a sigh.
Ruby: [Yet.]
She finished while nudging his shoulder. The eight of them made their way out of the castle. They began walking down the main road leading towards Zack's house as the streets were as empty as Parker’s stomach.
Sean looked around, puzzled that everyone had disappeared.
Faith: [How has no one thought of putting bread over steak?]
Parker: [It’s a patty, not steak. Ground beef is an entirely different class of food!]
Sean smirking: [Fat ass.]
Parker agitated: [Listen here, you piece of shit!]
Sophia: [Maybe we shouldn’t argue about a possible business idea outside.]
With her hands in her pockets and a smile of glee on her face. Ali looked at her and was shocked to see her smiling.
Ali surprised: [I’ve never seen you so happy!]
Everyone else turned to her at the back of the group and laughed. Sophia quickly blushed and sporadically turned to Ali, punching him without hesitation.
Sophia embarrassed: [You- Why!]
Faith laughing: [Even a grouch can have fun!]
Sophia agitated: [I am NOT a grouch! I’ll have you know I was one of the happiest people growing up.]
Zack: [Really? You’ve been nothing but grouchy ever since I arrived.]
Sophia: [Well– that’s because you appeared out of nowhere and stole my spot! Anyone would be angry in my position.]
Everyone shook their heads in unison, only further triggering Sophia.
Ali smiling: [Regardless, I think you should smile more. You look good smiling.]
Sophia stared at him while her ears blushed, then turned and stormed ahead. Ruby walked up to Ali and placed a hand on his shoulder, nodding gently with a grin on her face.
After several minutes of laughing and teasing, the gang reached Zack’s lodge-like house and settled down. It took a moment as Ruby and Abrianna were in awe when they saw the house and reacted exactly as Faith and the others had. Seeing a building reminiscent of Vermont architecture still hit close to home for those with their memories.
Zack prepared tea while everyone else took a seat around the fireplace.
Sean grunting: [So…]
He comfortably sat down on the long couch.
Sean: [What is this meeting about?]
Ruby: [I got all my memories back the other day and practically relived my life in a few hours. Because of this, I learned a lot about this world and how it could possibly tie in with ours.]
Faith slightly averted her gaze while everyone else moved inward. Zack even poked his head out from the kitchen to get a better viewing.
Sean: [You have our attention!]
The Queen anxiously nodded.
Ruby: [Dad… in this world, told me a few stories about the origins of magic. One that really stuck out was the encounters between Elliot Bengt and the Fairies.]
Faith: [I know this one.]
The sorceress raised her hand and got everyone’s attention.
Faith: [I don’t think that’ll help much.] A strand of Sophia’s hair turned purple.
Ruby: [Really? I thought that because you have a fairy inside of you–]
Faith: [I have a what?]
Sophia: [She didn’t read much of the book. A page into it, she got distracted.]
The Paladin of Wind walked out of the kitchen with a plate of China carrying several cups of the same material.
Zack: [That sounds like the Felix I know.]
He placed the plate on the center table and allowed everyone to get a cup. They all thanked him, some more enthusiastically than others.
Faith sipping: [Stay outta my head, why don’t ya?]
Zack grunting: [I’d like to hear it.]
He took a seat on a single chair in front of the fireplace.
Zack: [This could probably help us get back, right.]
Ruby: [Yeah. In that case, I’ll start the story:
Elliot Bengt is the first recorded mage to gain their magic from an external force. Rather than collecting and using the mana within him, he was taught how to use the mana around him. The fairy race was said to be the most advanced in mana manipulation at the time, to the point that the entire race was considered a gift from god.]
Ruby turned to Sophia.
Ruby: [Many stories and folklore are told today.]
Sophia: [That’s right. My brother used to tell me about how magic has evolved from its primal beginnings. Bengt made tons of revelations during his time.]
Sean: [Okay, so how does this tie into going home?]
Ruby: [Uhh... After an unexpected turn of events, Bengt managed to manipulate the elder fairies and gain the title of Demon Lord. With enough power to triumph over the elders, he started studying immortality.]
Parker: [It’s always fucking immortality.]
Faith: [He’s a god among gods. No one would want to pass up that power.]
Ali: [What kind of immortality did he learn? Never aging, incapable of dying-]
Ruby: [Soul transference.]
Faith silently: [Like Orochimaru?]
Zack: [That’s not possible, right? The nobles banned it during the Mana Release and Protection Act.]
Sophia: [Why do you think that Act was put in place?]
Sophia placed her cup back on the plate and crossed her legs. Zack turned to her with curiosity.
Sophia: [Elliot made the general public believe he was the prophet of god, sent to bring peace to the people. His teachings and words were placed into religious texts and were involved in the formation of several classes.]
The royal knight turned to Faith and Ruby.
Sophia: [Both of your classes, to be exact.]
Ali: [Regardless of MRPA, there were people that continued to practice Bengt’s methods. The fairies’ method of mana usage became commonplace the moment Bengt’s disciples showed superiority above the common folk.]
Sean: [My question remains unanswered.]
Ruby: [Oh! My bad. Because of MRPA, Bengt couldn’t use his followers as replacement dolls. That led him to dimensional travel.]
Sean: [Skip!]
Ruby nervously: [In a failed attempt to take the demon lord out, the elder fairies became souls that roam this continent and created one-way portals that lead to another dimension!]
Sean: [There’s what I’m here for.]
Zack: [So you’re saying that we are a result of the portals being open?]
Ruby: [It’s only a theory.]
Faith: [That couldn’t work, right? I mean, we all entered the portals at different times, and some of us ended up years apart. Not to mention that Sean, Parker, Zack, and I entered through the same portal.]
Ali: [She said it was just a theory.]
Parker: [Theory or not, that brings us one step closer to figuring out why the fuck we’re here. The more we know, the better.]
Ruby: [That being said, I think we should all grow used to Elliot’s method of mana manipulation.]
Abrianna: [Why?]
Ruby: [Because… It’ll bring us one step closer to figuring out why the fuck we’re here.]
Parker with a smug: [I like this one.]
He turned to Zack.
Parker: [You got any biscuits? Maybe a loaf of bread; anything to eat with this?]
Zack: [I can do you one better.]
He stood back up and walked into the kitchen.
Sophia: [How are we supposed to use Elliot’s methods anyway? The only classes capable are yours and Faith’s.]
Faith: [I can’t teach people how to use external mana. Before now, I thought I was getting it from inside.]
Ruby: [You weren’t using Elliot’s method at Knarr.]
Faith: [How can you tell?]
Sean: [I think we need to simplify what Elliot’s method is. You guys are making it sound like Ki from Dragon Ball.]
Ruby: [Well… how do I put this? It’s kinda like this: Ever since the MRPA, classes had to restrict their powers to a point that they can’t use them to the full extent. Banning outsourced mana led them into locking freedom in the classes.]
Parker: [I’m pretty sure Felix told us about this a while back.]
Sean: [He didn’t do a very good job at it, though.]
Faith pouting: [Be grateful I even told you!]
Ruby: [Anyway… each class was forced into the same set of skills, which caused an uproar.]
Sean: [We aren’t here for a history lesson, Ruby.]
Zack returned with a plate of dark blue crackers and set them on the table.
Sophia irritated: [She’s trying to say that the only way to use free magic is by taking the mana from an external source. How come you’re so impatient?!]
Sean: [I just think that we should value our time, Sophia.]
Zack: [Can we not get into an argument? Please? If we’re going to be getting this done, let’s start before the next wave.]
Faith: [I vote for starting tomorrow.]
She grabbed a cracker and took a large bite.
Faith: [I’m drained of mana. Can barely make a flame.]
Ali: [There are potions for that.]
Faith: [I’m tired from all the fighting.]
Sophia: [There are drinks for that.]
Faith sighed.
Faith: [I’m not feeling very motivated.]
Zack: [There are people that help with training motivation.]
Faith agitated: [Is there a solution for every problem?!]
Zack: [Pretty much.]
Parker muffled: [She has a point, though.]
Stealing the attention from the crowd, Parker had his face stuffed with biscuits and tea. Before he continued, he covered his mouth with his palm and finished chewing.
Parker: [We just spent the day fighting cyclopses. I’d say we deserve a fucking break!]
Sean: [Here, here.]
Zack: [You guys can take a break for as long as you like.]
He put his cup back on the table and stood up with a grunt.
Zack: [The next wave is in a few hours. I’ll be training with my sword until then, so feel free to stay in the house. Just make sure you guys lock the doors on your way out.]
Everyone simultaneously: [Thank you, Zack!]
With a chuckle, he walked out of the room. Ruby turned to Ali and Sophia as she grabbed a blue biscuit.
Ruby: [Are you two leaving, too?]
She took a bite of the rough baked dough and smiled with glee at the taste.
Ali: [I mean… we can’t just lounge around before the wave.]
He turned to Sophia,
Ali: [Can we?]
Sophia disappointed: [You aren’t seriously asking me that, are you?]
Ali quickly turned away. With a sigh, Sophia looked at Ruby and smiled softly.
Sophia: [It’s our job to protect the royal family. Not exactly something we can put aside, you understand?]
Ruby nodded in response.
Sophia: [Do you plan on being lazy like these clowns?]
The three stooges rolled their eyes with a click of their tongues.
Ruby: [I wish! Heirloom is my problem now, so I have to look after him.]
Faith: [Oh! Speaking of, didn’t you clear his memories? Is he one of us?]
Sophia: [Sure is. Ruby needs to make sure he doesn’t regain his memories or come into contact with his dragon.]
Parker: [I still can’t believe he’s allowed to live. Is he being held at your place, or what’s the deal?]
Sean: [She has no place, dumbass.]
Abrianna and Faith chuckled.
Ruby: [Yeah, he’s staying in the prison with the others until I get my own house. They figured he’d cause too much of a ruckus if he stayed with me in the hotel.]
Sophia: [Well,]
She put her cup on a custard and stood up with a stretch.
Sophia: [It's time we head out.]
Ali: [Take care, you five! You did good work today.]
After everyone said their goodbyes, the two vanished into thin air and left the room silent. Ruby looked at the three boys, then Abrianna, who had still been inspecting the architecture. Looking back at the boys, she caught Faith staring at her as if she was an extraterrestrial. It had been the first time she got a decent view of her outfit, and felt the sudden urge to call it out.
Ruby smiling: [That robe was well worth the money.]
Surprised, Faith looked down and grabbed a hold of a hanging yellow cloth by her waist.
Ruby: [It looks really good on you!]
Faith chuckling: [Yeah? I added a few things when we split up. I think it looks really cool!]
Faith gracefully rose from her seat and began to turn around slowly, her movements almost hypnotizing. As she spun, the folds of her light purple robe billowed out, revealing the intricate details of the garment. The robe was adorned with stunning yellow highlights, delicately placed at the ends of her sleeves and the edges of the armor plates. Her hair, styled in a way to accentuate the white highlights, seemed to blend in perfectly with the robe, creating a seamless and mesmerizing visual experience.
Abri: [It’s so cute!]
Faith made a wide smile that reached from ear to ear.
Abri: [I wish I had the money to afford something like that.]
Sean coughing: [Not our fault.]
Abrianna stared back at him with her eyes narrowed and a frown.
Parker: [Aren’t you some sort of princess, Abri?]
His question sparked Abri’s attention.
Parker: [I don’t see how you’d be childhood friends with Ruby if you were common folk.]
Abri: [Yeah, I’m actually last in line to be crowned Queen of the Elven Dynasty.]
Sean and Faith stared at Abri in disbelief.
Abri: [There are 19 others ahead of me, so there isn’t any chance I’d get the chance.]
Sean: [You have 19 older sisters?]
Ruby: [The Elven Dynasty doesn’t use the classic hierarchy system. Since Elves live extremely long lives, one ruler would be in power for millennials.]
Abri: [We are chosen randomly at birth and cycle between the twenty for fifteen hundred years.]
Parker spat out the tea in his mouth and choked.
Parker panicking: [15?!]
Abri nervously nodded.
Faith: [How old are you?]
Abri: [Around 1500 years old.] *
Parker spat out more tea like a fountain.
Abri giggling: [Are you okay?]
Ruby giggling: [This is strange to them.]
As Parker groaned, wiping his mouth, he reached for another biscuit.
Faith: [1500 years and Ruby was your only best friend, huh? Were you a loser or something?]
Sean: [No,]
He crossed his arms and examined the Princess.
Sean: [With a body like that, there’s no way she was a loser.]
The sorceress copied him and raised her legs onto the table.
Faith: [I mean, she had a lot of time to change, didn’t she?]
Sean: [Fair point.]
The wizard copied Faith and sighed.
Sean: [Yo, how often do you exercise?]
Abri disappointed: [Are you two being serious?]
Faith: [If she was a loser with a body like that, then the elves must’ve been something out of our league.]
The sorceress scanned her slim, thick figure, primarily staring at her chest, only to look back at her mean glare.
Sean: [That would be considering she’s in our league, bro. Not even for a second have I thought we had a chance.]
Faith: [Parker’s been hitting it off, hasn’t he?]
Abri’s face flushed into a beet red while Parker spat out his tea for the third time.
Sean: [Now that you mention it- I walked in on them glued together earlier!]
Parker embarrassed: [I DIDN’T SLEEP WITH HER!!]
As soon as Parker caught Faith and Sean's attention, they both turned towards him, their faces devoid of any emotion. The intensity of their gaze and their nonchalant demeanor immediately put Parker on edge, and he couldn't help but let out a quiet growl of frustration.
Sean confidently: [He definitely hit that.]
Faith: [I was thinking the same thing.]
Parker angrily: [WHAT?!]
Ruby: [I can assure you,]
Faith and Sean turned to the Queen, only to see her copying their actions while struggling to keep a straight face. She was ready to burst into laughter at any minute.
Ruby: [Abri has never slept with a man.]
Faith and Sean simultaneously: [For one thousand five hundred years?!]
Abri turned her head away and exposed her sharp beet-red ears and cheeks, emanating a cherry glow. Suddenly, the scent of mint spread across the room.
Abri quietly: [An elvish woman’s body doesn’t mature until year sixteen hundred.]
Sean: [How the hell have you not fucked someone in 1500 years?!]
Faith: [And I thought waiting till I was forty was disappointing.]
Ruby: [That’s still shameful, Faith. Just admit you can’t get a girlfriend.]
Faith broke out of character with a flinch and cough.
Sean: [That’s where you’re wrong, Ruby.]
The wizard turned to Faith, who was still recovering from Ruby’s remark. With a grin across his face, he continued,
Sean: [She goes to another school.]
Faith with a growl: [I hate you guys.]
The two laughed, breaking out of their roles and reaching for the plate of biscuits. Faith watched them eat with smiles until she had enough. She slammed her palms against the armrests and stood up.
Faith: [I’m going to bed.]
Everyone: [Booo!]
As she stormed off, the four that remained shared a laugh.
Ruby joyfully: [Hey Abri, are you doing anything after this?]
Abri: [I was going to tag along with you, but you seem busy.]
Parker: [Watching a war criminal can’t be that difficult, can it?]
Abri: [Regardless, I wouldn’t want to be a bother.]
Sean: [So, it’s more sleep for you too.]
He crossed his arms behind his head and laid back on the comfortable couch. With a pleased groan, he continued.
Sean: [I’ll be heading wherever there’s food.]
Parker: [I’ll be doing some side quests.]
Abri: [I’ll join Parker, then.]
Sean sarcastically: [This is your chance, Parker.]
With a smug grin across his face, he lifted his tea in cheers and winked.
Sean: [I’m rooting for you.]