As the party left for the direction of the Rifts, Sly, Thaldir, and Jalen discussed the recent Magycte Beasts, what that could mean for Aurum as a whole, and Chancellor Radinov’s Harmony Taxation Act.

“I don’t trust the Chancellor as far as I can throw ‘em,” Thaldir said with a stiff grunt. “He comes in after the previous chancellor, thinks he can make things better by throwing money at people who have lost so much, and now expects those people to pay taxes? We all know who it is going to affect more. Then, he thinks he can get rid of Locksmiths when we are connected to the Wellsprings.”

Sly nodded. “And I don’t think those are rumors anymore. I can’t fathom what the military would have that Locksmiths can’t do better.”

Jalen sighed. His broad shoulders sagged in mental defeat. “Aye, that’s what a couple of my mates were saying. Knowing the Empire has to be something. The Citizens Chamber is holding a conference in Crystalline City’s tower in a few days, and the Chancellor will appear there.

Thaldir scoffed. “Let’s hope the CC calls the Empire out. Nevertheless, we must worry about these Rifts if that is not enough. Did you say the Children of Deimos came back? What is going on in Lumos' name?”

“That’s what I’d like to know, too,” Sly said. “But I’m also intrigued about the CC’s conference.”

While the older Locksmiths talked, Lyra and Eamon walked ahead.

“And looks like Thaldir and Jalen are at it again,” Sorrel said, looking behind at the elder Locksmith’s going at it. He placed his arms behind his head.

“And with the Rosevera Whip of all people!” Rylia exclaimed. Her face burned at her sudden outburst.

Gavrik let out a guffaw. “Can you blame them? A lot has been going on these last few weeks with the Chancellor's message and the strange Rifts. Now both the Children of Deimos and Magycte Beasts are back?”

“And,” Elessa pointed, moving her red hair to the side. “Don’t forget the military. They think they can take over the Locksmith’s job. Well, they got another thing coming to them.”

Lyra and Eamon listened to the B-Rank Locksmiths talking among themselves. Lyra, wide-eyed, was fascinated by their lively exchange.

Eamon, on the other hand, while the group discussion wasn’t foreign to him, the camaraderie of it all was. There were moments like this in the military, but much of it was dreary and serious, if not bleak.

“Oh, gosh,” Sorrel blurted out. “We’re just talking and shooting the breeze; we aren’t letting you two get a word in.”

“Oi! Forgive us, you two,” Gavrik’s voice boomed. He made a show of apology with a smack on his forehead. “When conversation strikes, we can talk for hours.”

Elessa snorted with her arms crossed. “Speak for yourself. I say a few lines here and there.”

Lyra chuckled. “No, No. Don’t worry about us, well, me. I’m just listening. It’s amazing to be in the presence of B-Rankers.”

“Agreed. The information that’s being talked about is very beneficial, thank you.” Eamon regarded them with a simple bow.

“Aw, you guys are cute and polite,” Rylia gushed and clasped her hands together. A twinkle in her eyes lit up her face. Shyness was gone, so she approached Lyra and squeezed her cheeks in her hand, causing Lyra’s cheeks to redden.

“And here she goes,” Elessa shook her head with a small smile. “Once Rylia finds something adorkable, she can’t help herself, and the shyness festers.”

“How can you not!” She exclaimed. “And they both managed to Kesync. At their levels, too! Gav and I have started to master it, but it takes a lot of focus and trust.”

Elessa grabbed Rylia’s ear and pulled her away from Lyra as she protested.

Lyra, free from Rylia’s clutches, massaged her cheeks and mumbled, “Yeah, trust.” As she side-eyed Eamon.

Eamon, too, looked at her and tried to hide the somber mood from the other Locksmiths. A hard pat on the back lurched Eamon forward, and a sturdy arm fell over his neck as Gavrik leaned into him.

“Hope you don’t mind giving us some tips or secrets? Or… is it because you two are more than just combatants.”

“Whhaaa?” Lyra and Eamon exclaimed together. Their faces grew a deep shade of red, and Lyra waved her hands wildly, shouting, ‘I-It’s not like that!’ All while the group teased them with fits of giggles.

“Alright, alright,” Rylia waved at them to settle down as she controlled her giggles. “Let’s not tease them.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Through the laughing and teasing, Elessa had walked further ahead than the group and stood off to the side. The group walked down the trail until there was no longer a path and nothing but open fields. The path formed again, this time much narrower than previously.

Ahead of them, a sea of dark forest.

“Hmm…” Elessa hummed, narrowing her amber eyes into the sea of darkness. “Something… isn’t right.”

“Hm? What is it, Elessa?” Sorrel said behind her. “Do you sense anything?” the laughter died down, and the group was silent.

“Is there any Veilspawn lurking?” Gavrik asked, pounding his fist into his palm.

Elessa pressed her lips together. “...No. There might be a few Fiends lurking but no Veilspawn, but it does feel…ancient.”

Lyra squinted and furrowed her brows, knowing what that feeling might be. A Magycte, maybe? She looked to Eamon for confirmation if he felt the same, and he nodded in agreement, their anger defusing for the moment.

Elessa’s brows furrowed. “I’m not…sure.” Elessa and her family had an innate attunement to spiritual energy, making her a profound asset when it came to tracking. However, she couldn't feel the residual life energy this time.

“Stopping for a break, kids?” Sly asked. The three senior Locksmiths walked up behind them. Though as she said it, Sly frowned at the forest's darkness, sensing something was off.

Jalen frowned. His jaw tightened as he took in the atmosphere. “The energy is off here. It wasn’t like this earlier today or yesterday.”

Thaldir grunted. “Mmm, those dern Rifts and meddling with the activity going through the region. As if the Primal Eyre Forest was eerie enough.”

“Why is it more eerie than usual?” Lyra asked.

Jalen turned to her and explained. “Long ago, it used to be held as an execution ground for the coven of Primal Weavers during the Primal Chaos Era. Some say at the right moment, you can hear the ghostly wails of the departed.”

Sly, deep in thought, held her chin. “Hmmm…It also sounds like the perfect source of power to attract a Magycte Beast. Everyone ready?”

One by one, they followed Sly into the mouth of the forest.

The Primal Eyre Forest loomed ahead, its ancient trees reaching skyward, their roots sinking into the rich, fertile earth. Shafts of golden sunlight pierced through the dense canopy, dappling the forest floor with patches of warmth. The air was thick with the scent of moss and damp earth.

Sly, Lyra, Eamon, and their Locksmith companions ventured deeper into the forest. The path became less defined and swallowed by the encroaching wilderness. Every step felt like a journey back in time, as if the forest remembered the days of the Primal Chaos era.

Sly led the way, with Elessa and Jalen flanking her. Lyra and Gavrik followed close behind while Eamon, Sorrel, Rylia, and Thaldir formed a protective rearguard.

As they passed beneath the shadow of an enormous tree, a low rumbling echoed through the forest. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and leaves shivered in response. The Locksmiths instinctively took defensive stances.

An enormous figure emerged from the forest's depths, its hulking silhouette a remarkable sight. The large Magycte Beast stood menacingly, unlike any they had encountered before. It resembled a colossal Silverback gorilla, with mottled fur and shimmering blue and violet patches. Its eyes glowed with an eerie, otherworldly light.

With a guttural roar, the Magycte Beast charged, its massive fists slamming into the earth with each thunderous step. The Locksmiths sprang into action, their attacks fueled by Wellspring magic. Lyra's sword, Riftbreaker, gleamed with Radiant power while Eamon twirled his Escrima blade sticks, flames dancing along their lengths.

This time, something was different. Fiends, the forest's native creatures, began to emerge from the shadows, their eyes aglow with the same eerie red gleam as the Magycte Beast. These were no ordinary Fiends; they were under the beast's control, moving with unnatural coordination and purpose.

Caught off guard by the unexpected alliance between the Magycte Beast and the Fiends, the Locksmiths faced a relentless onslaught. The forest threatened to conspire against them, the once-familiar terrain now filled with dangers at every turn.

Sly's voice rang out above the chaos. "We need to break the Magycte Beast's control over these Fiends! Focus on weakening it, and I'll disrupt its connection!"

The Locksmiths adjusted their strategy, targeting the Magycte Beast with coordinated strikes while defending against the relentless Fiends. The battle raged on, with the primal forces of nature itself arrayed against them.

Eamon and Lyra's Kesync connection, formed with purpose, moved with synchronized precision. A horde of Fiends surrounded Rylia, their razor-sharp claws slashing through the air, Eamon's swift movements interwoven with Lyra's devastating Essentia power. Together, they fended off the attackers, each protecting the other with an almost telepathic understanding.

Amid the chaos, Sly pinpointed the core of the Magycte Beast's influence. With a surge of energy, she unleashed a disruptive pulse that rippled through the forest, severing the ethereal threads that connected the beast to its unwilling minions.

The Fiends hesitated, freed from the Magycte Beast's control; the Locksmiths seized the opportunity to strike. Jalen's mighty hammer crashed against the beast's side. Gavrik conjured barriers to trap it, and Sorrel unleashed torrents of icy Essentia to slow its movements.

Yet, the battle was not over. The Magycte Beast, enraged by the disruption of its control, unleashed a barrage of vined attacks as it controlled the trees now. Elessa’s gauntlets wreathed in flames, lunged forward, and burned away the attacking vines, drawing its attention away from Sly.

Meanwhile, sensing an opening, Lyra and Eamon focused their Kesync abilities on Rylia. They shielded her from the encroaching Fiends and swiftly incapacitated them. Now, a unified force stood triumphant against the remaining adversaries.

Sly stepped forward after weakening the Magycte Beast's connection to the Fiends. She unleashed a radiant burst of energy that enveloped the creature. The Magycte Beast convulsed, its form convulsed, until finally, with a roar, it collapsed to the forest floor, defeated.

With the immediate threat neutralized, the Locksmiths turned their attention to the Rift. Elessa and Lyra approached the Rift's pulsating core. Together, they channeled their Essentia and chanted together to seal the Rift.

The ethereal disturbance subsided, and the Rift began to close, its ominous glow diminishing. Leaves rustled, and the forest seemed to exhale, returning to a state of serene equilibrium. The Magycte Beast lay defeated, now a mere silhouette against the dappled sunlight, slowly dissipated.