Returning to Sekandaya Port with Ghyfin, who was still a bit shaken but safe, and with a new mystery enveloping them both, Reinh felt mixed emotions. On one hand, he had managed to use a powerful skill from his past as Luminere, albeit at the cost of tremendous exhaustion. On the other hand, the incident with Kanae—the wind spirit now residing within Ghyfin and calling him "Emissary"—opened up more questions than answers.
They arrived at The Valiant Hall late in the afternoon. Livia Thorne at the reception desk looked worried seeing Ghyfin's slightly pale condition and bruised arm, as well as Reinh's haggard appearance.
"What happened to you two?" Livia asked anxiously, her eyes shifting from Ghyfin to Reinh. "Farmer Giles' mission shouldn't have been this dangerous."
"We... encountered something unexpected in the forest, Miss Livia," Reinh answered vaguely, not wanting to explain about Kanae. "But Ghyfin will be fine after some rest."
Ghyfin, who had been mostly silent since the incident in the forest and occasionally clutched her chest as if feeling something strange, merely nodded curtly. "I'm fine. Just a little sprain." She looked at Reinh with an unreadable expression. There was gratitude, confusion, and perhaps a hint of suspicion in her red eyes.
After reporting that Farmer Giles' livestock was not found (as their mission was interrupted), and receiving a small portion of the reward as compensation for their efforts, Reinh made sure Ghyfin returned to her inn, The Wandering Minstrel Inn—a slightly better establishment than The Rusty Anchor where Reinh stayed. Reinh himself returned to his cramped room, his mind preoccupied with the day's events.
"Emissary..." Kanae's whisper still echoed in his mind. What did it mean? And why Halonial? He had often visited the southern trading port city in Tale's of Aurora to sell goods or find parties for nearby dungeons. But what awaited him there now?
The next morning, Reinh felt a bit more refreshed after a long sleep, although dreams of Yui and her damned vow continued to plague him. He decided to meet Ghyfin. He felt responsible for what had happened, and Kanae's message was directed at him, albeit through Ghyfin.
He found Ghyfin having warm wheat porridge for breakfast in The Wandering Minstrel Inn's dining hall. The woman looked better, though there was still a slight bruise on her arm.
"How are you feeling?" Reinh greeted, pulling up a chair opposite Ghyfin.
Ghyfin looked up, slightly surprised to see Reinh. "Mage. Better. Thanks to your... decent healing magic." There was a hint of sarcasm in her praise, but her eyes were no longer as cold as yesterday. "So, what's Master Mage's plan for today? Looking for another lost cat?"
Reinh ignored the jibe. "I was thinking about the message... from that light creature yesterday. About Halonial."
Ghyfin's expression turned serious. "Yes. Me too. I can still feel... its presence. Like a whisper of wind inside my head. It's very strange." She paused, looking at Reinh. "You were called 'Emissary.' What does that mean?"
Reinh shook his head. "I don't know. Just like you, it's the first time I've heard that term." This was a partial truth. As an Awakener in the game, he was often referred to as an emissary or chosen one in some epic questlines, but the context was very different.
"We have to go to Halonial Coast," Reinh said finally. "I feel there's something important there."
Ghyfin looked at him for a long time. "You don't even know what it is, but you're willing to go just like that? Halonial isn't close, Mage. The overland journey could take days, passing through the notoriously dangerous Grimswood Forest and Stonefang Hills."
"I know. But I have to find out."
"And you think I'll just go with you after you almost got me killed by... whatever that was yesterday?" Ghyfin asked, her tone challenging.
"I'm not forcing you," Reinh replied calmly. "But the message also involves you, because... the spirit is inside you."
Ghyfin fell silent, stirring her spoon in her porridge bowl. She did feel a strange urge to go south, towards Halonial. The whisper of wind in her head seemed to agree with Reinh's words. "Alright," she said finally, sighing. "I'll go. But on one condition. We go as an official party. Take a merchant escort mission or something similar to Halonial. At least we'll get paid and the journey will be safer."
Reinh agreed. It was a sensible idea.
They returned to The Valiant Hall. Fortunately for them, there was an escort mission heading exactly to Halonial Coast. A wealthy spice merchant named Master Valerius Thorne (coincidentally, the uncle of Livia Thorne, the receptionist) needed guards for his trade caravan. The reward was quite substantial: 50 Copper Pieces per person, plus a bonus if the merchandise arrived safely.
Livia seemed pleased when they both took the mission. "Uncle Valerius will be very grateful. His caravan will depart tomorrow morning from Southgate. Make sure you're ready."
The next morning, Reinh and Ghyfin joined Master Valerius's caravan. It consisted of three large wagons pulled by sturdy Dray Horses, filled to the brim with sacks of fragrant spices like Saffron Bloom and Cinnamon Bark, bolts of Seafoam Silk, and other handicrafts. Besides them, there were two other hired guards, a pair of grim-faced veterans named Grimgar the Ironhand and Borin Greymane, who looked at Reinh with some disdain due to his still novice-mage appearance. Master Valerius himself was a portly middle-aged man with a cunning but friendly smile.
The journey began. The first day passed on relatively safe main roads, only a few times did they have to drive off amateur Road Bandits trying their luck. It was here that Ghyfin began to see another side of Reinh. Although his magic was still limited to Ignis Minor and Glacies Scutum, Reinh used them intelligently and tactically. He didn't hesitate to step forward to protect the wagons, using his ice shield to block arrows or attacks, then retaliating with fireballs aimed at enemy weak points. Grimgar and Borin, initially skeptical, began to show him some respect.
"Not bad for a young Mage," Grimgar muttered after Reinh managed to burn an arrow from a bandit that almost hit Master Valerius.
Ghyfin herself fought with her usual deadly grace. Her twin swords, which she called Whisperwind and Silent Dirge, danced among the enemies, slashing and stabbing with lightning speed. However, she felt something different. Sometimes, when she moved, she felt an additional gust of wind that made her faster, or her instincts became sharper, as if someone was whispering the direction of enemy attacks. It had to be Kanae.
During the journey, the interaction between Reinh and Ghyfin began to thaw. At night, when they camped by the roadside under the light of the Twin Moons of Tierias, Luna Magna and Luna Parva, they often shared stories—or rather, Ghyfin did most of the talking about her experiences as an adventurer in Sekandaya, while Reinh listened more and occasionally asked questions.
"So, Mage," Ghyfin said one night, skewering a piece of roasted Wildhare Skewer over the campfire. "You haven't told me much about yourself. Where did you learn your strange magic? I've never seen a mage fight like you."
Reinh paused for a moment. "I... learned from a faraway place." He tried to be evasive.
Ghyfin looked at him intently. "A faraway place, huh? How far? And why do you always look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?" She paused, then continued in a softer tone, as if hesitant. "Actually... there's something I wanted to ask you, or perhaps, tell you. This might sound crazy."
Reinh turned, interested. "What is it?"
"A few nights before I met you in that forest... when you were fighting... that wind creature," Ghyfin began, her eyes gazing thoughtfully at the campfire. "I had the same dream several times. A very vivid dream."
"A dream?" Reinh asked.
Ghyfin nodded. "In my dream, I was in a vast meadow, the sky was always twilight, and a strong wind was blowing. Then, a girl appeared. She was perhaps seventeen or eighteen, with long green hair like spring leaves, and her eyes... her eyes were like those of the wind creature we met, glowing green and full of wild spirit. She wore simple clothes made of leaves and flowers, and she always smiled, a free and slightly... mischievous smile."
Reinh listened intently. The description perfectly matched Kanae, or at least the spirit form he had seen.
"The girl," Ghyfin continued, "she didn't say much. But she pointed in one direction, to the south, then she said with a voice as clear as wind chimes, 'Follow the Mage. Your destiny is intertwined with his. He is the key, and you are the storm.' Then I woke up."
Ghyfin looked at Reinh, searching for a reaction. "Strange, right? I've never dreamed anything like that before. And 'Mage'... when I first saw you in Shadowfen, then in that forest with the wind creature... for some reason, I immediately remembered that dream. Even though you looked... well, you know, a bit pathetic at the time," Ghyfin added with a slight mocking smile, trying to lighten the mood.
Reinh was silent, processing Ghyfin's story. A green-haired girl in a dream, telling her to follow a mage. It couldn't be a coincidence. Kanae, before entering Ghyfin's body, must have tried to communicate or guide her through dreams.
"And when... that wind creature entered me," Ghyfin continued, her voice trembling slightly, "I felt its presence exactly like the girl in my dream. The same energy, the same spirit. Since then, I've often heard whispers... like the wind, telling me small things, or giving me urges. And she... she also calls you 'Emissary'."
"So, you decided to come with me to Halonial because of that dream?" Reinh asked.
Ghyfin shrugged. "Partly because of that. Partly because I'm dying of curiosity about you, Mage. And partly... because I feel like something big is about to happen, and somehow, you're in the middle of it." She looked at Reinh again, this time more seriously. "So, tell me, Reinh. Who are you really? And what does all this mean?"
Reinh sighed. He wasn't ready to tell her everything. "I... I'm also looking for answers, Ghyfin. Just like you."
Although Reinh's answer was evasive, Ghyfin didn't press him further that night. However, the story of the dream added another layer of mystery between them, an unseen bond that was beginning to form, blown by the winds of fate and the whispers of a guardian spirit.
Entering the third day, they began to cross the Stonefang Hills. The terrain became rougher, the roads rocky and uphill. It was here they faced a more serious threat. A horde of Stonefang Goblins, small but fierce green creatures armed with wooden clubs and poisonous arrows, attacked the caravan from the hillside.
The battle was fierce. Grimgar and Borin fought shoulder to shoulder to hold off the goblin assault at the front, while Reinh and Ghyfin protected the sides of the wagons. Reinh cast Glacies Scutum repeatedly to block the poisonous arrows, while Ghyfin nimbly cut down the goblins that managed to get close.
Suddenly, from a large rock crevice atop the hill, a giant creature emerged. A Stone Golem Guardian, nearly three times the height of an adult human, made of rough granite boulders that moved with a horrifying creak. Its eyes, made of glowing red crystals, stared at the caravan with a menacing gaze. In the game, this was a rather troublesome mini-boss.
"Damn it! A Golem Guardian!" Master Valerius shouted in panic from inside his wagon, his voice cracking.
Grimgar and Borin tried to hold off the Golem, their wooden shields clashing against the Golem's stone arms, but the Golem's giant stone club smashed their shields easily, sending both men flying and groaning in pain.
At the same moment, at a crossroads not far away, a young adventurer in full armor with a large shield, Lios, had just successfully finished off a swarm of Rock Biter Worms that had attacked him. He heard the rumbling sound and shouts from the direction of the caravan. Quickly, he ran to the edge of a small cliff, seeing the giant Golem threatening the wagons below. A soft, luminous voice, which only he could hear, whispered in his mind, "They are in danger... The Mage needs time... Protect them!"
The Golem Guardian near the caravan swung its arm again, this time aiming for Master Valerius's lead wagon. Ghyfin tried to distract it, slashing her swords against the Golem's stone leg, but her attacks only created small sparks with no significant effect.
"Mage! Do something!" Ghyfin shouted, while leaping back to avoid a stone fist that shattered the ground where she had stood moments before.
Reinh knew his basic magic wouldn't be enough. He had to use that skill again, despite the great risk. He raised his Elderwood Staff with Sapphire Crystal high. The sapphire crystal at its tip began to glow with a dim blue light. He closed his eyes, trying to draw energy from his surroundings, from within himself, from the faint memory of Luminere's power. "Aeris et terrae spiritus, audite vocationem meam! De caelis fragmenta, et iram siderum invoco! (Spirits of air and earth, hear my call! From the heavens fragments, and the wrath of the stars I invoke!)" His voice trembled, but a new power began to be felt. The air around him swirled, gathering dust and dry leaves. The crystal on his staff shone brighter.
Seeing Reinh begin to cast a spell with such a powerful aura and the sky above starting to darken, Ghyfin immediately shouted to the others, "Everyone get away from the Golem! Take cover!" She herself pulled Grimgar and Borin, who were still trying to get up, a few steps back from the Golem's reach.
However, Lios, who had seen the Golem preparing to destroy the wagon, did not retreat. Instead, with a thunderous war cry, he leaped from the small cliff, his Guardian's Aegis shield held high. He landed hard right in front of the Golem, smashing his shield against the monster's stone leg. "Face me, you ugly pile of rocks!" Lios shouted. Then, his eyes met Reinh's, who was focused on casting the spell. There was recognition there, a conviction. "NOW, LUMINERE!" he yelled, as if that name was the key to all his dreams, trying to draw the Golem's attention to keep it in place. He planted his Spear of Unyielding Will into the ground and used all his strength to resist the Golem's push as it tried to step forward. His shield vibrated violently under the pressure, but Lios held on, his feet shifting slightly on the rocky ground, determined to keep the Golem from moving out of Reinh's spell target.
Reinh felt a different energy flowing within him, not the basic magic energy he usually used. This was stronger, wilder, more primal. A skill name flashed in his mind, an ultimate skill he had once used as Luminere to turn the tide in a difficult raid boss. "CRASHING DOWN!" he shouted, pointing his staff directly at the Golem now being held by Lios.
A series of blazing balls of light reappeared from the sky, this time more numerous and larger, hurtling down with terrifying speed towards the Golem Guardian. Lios, who was very close, felt an incredible heat and had to close his eyes, trusting his protection to his shield and his courage. Several meteorites struck the Golem's body repeatedly, making it roar in pain, boulders on its body beginning to crack and fall off. One or two impacts even grazed Lios's shield, sending a strong vibration through his arm and nearly making him lose his footing. The final impact was so strong that Lios was thrown several meters back, his shield slipping from his grasp, and he fell sprawling, unconscious. Before darkness engulfed him, a final thought crossed his mind, "Finally... I found you..."
Ghyfin, seeing Reinh cast that devastating spell again and knowing how exhausted Reinh would be afterward, immediately ran and lightly hit the back of Reinh's head, just enough to startle him as the final attack hit. "I told you not to use your weird magic recklessly, you Stupid Mage! You could die of exhaustion!" she scolded, though there was a note of concern and a little admiration in her voice seeing the spell's effect.
The Golem Guardian, now severely damaged and parts of its body destroyed, still weakly tried to swing its remaining arm. However, Ghyfin quickly darted in, leaped onto the Golem's back, and thrust both her swords into a crevice between the boulders in the Golem's neck, where its power core resided. The Golem creaked loudly, then collapsed into a lifeless pile of rocks.
The caravan was safe. Grimgar and Borin looked at Reinh and Ghyfin with a mixture of awe and respect. Master Valerius emerged from his wagon, his face pale but relieved.
Ghyfin immediately rushed to Lios, who lay unconscious. Reinh, though extremely tired, also dragged himself closer.
While Lios was unconscious, he seemed to float between two worlds. A comfortable darkness enveloped him, but there was a gentle whisper constantly calling his name, the same voice he had heard in his dreams. Then, a flash of memory that wasn't his own appeared. A chaotic battlefield, filled with magical explosions and the clang of swords. In the midst of the chaos, a magnificently robed mage stood tall, his staff emitting a dazzling light. The sky above him split, and a meteor shower destroyed the enemy ranks. Incredible power, a majestic aura. That mage... his aura felt the same as Reinh's. The whisper returned, clearer, "He is hope... follow his light..."
Reinh, too tired to be further surprised by Lios's earlier question about "Luminere," just stared at the unconscious young man with a mixture of guilt and confusion. Ghyfin checked Lios's pulse. "He's still alive. But it looks like the impact was quite hard."
Before anyone could say more, Master Valerius interrupted. "It doesn't matter what his name is or what happened to him! What matters is that we're all safe! Thank you, brave guards! You'll all get a big bonus! Halonial Coast isn't far now! We must leave immediately before other monsters come!"
With Lios now being carried in one of the wagons, the caravan continued its journey. Reinh, Ghyfin, and now the unconscious Lios, each carried their own burdens and mysteries, heading towards Halonial Coast. Kanae's message had brought them here. The big question was, what awaited them in the port city, and how would fate bring them back together with the destiny that seemed to have already begun to intertwine?