An Englishman in Castle Aincrad

Floor 9 - Chapter 4 - Snow Joking Matter

Even without any confrontation, the atmosphere amongst the group was tense. Very few words were being exchanged, except when necessary, and even then, they were short and to the point. The short trek through the forest, probably only about half an hour, felt like it took all day, exhausting the group, all of whom had finally come down from the adrenaline rush they'd felt earlier...

They'd stopped at the shoreline, and all but Mito and Jet had sat down on the sand, and the latter was only because he was now lying in it instead. As they did, their Forest Elf ally returned, and to say he didn't look happy was an understatement... he looked positively furious, in fact. ''I sneak in, to try and recover the bottle, and find that not only is the bottle gone, but the entire castle is on high alert too, because a human had partially blinded the protocol officer...'' Mito looked vindicated as the Forest Elf tore into the group. ''However, I must admit... it is a shame you are on Lyusula's side. If it were not for Wendelin's orders, I would not hesitate to cut you all down now, lest you cause the Kales'Oh more trouble in the future!'' A few nervous looks were exchanged between everyone present, and even a small amount of incredibly uncomfortable laughter from Jet.

''Well, umm, you should be able to identify that poison now, right?'' Koharu asked, seriously concerned at their supposed ally's words. He wouldn't really cut them down, would he? She looked up quickly to check his cursor - still yellow, so he wasn't hostile thankfully.

''Indeed, young warrior. I intend to deliver it to our healers forthwith. As for you though, head north through the Golden Forest, to it's edge, where it meets the Snowflake Forest. Once there, call for Cal, and he shall arrive with haste. Take these as travelling expenses, and watch out for the Fallen. Now they are aware of your presence, I do not doubt that they will be rearing to hunt you all down. Farewell...'' Their ally left quickly, and without much clarification. All of them looked somewhat confused as they looked around - it was about 20 degrees Celsius outside. It would've taken a miracle for it to snow here, and none of them could understand why the ecosystem would change on the same floor...

(-)

Reaching the edge of the Golden Forest, everyone had noticed the temperature beginning to drop. The trees, once covered in gold and bronze leaves were now beginning to lose their leaves, revealing the branches that held them. The canopy above them had thinned out too, and the warm summer breeze had become considerably cooler, as if they'd stuck their heads out of slow moving car. The floor beneath them had become slushy in areas, the leaves meeting the small amounts of melting snow atop the dirt, and becoming a sludgy mess when it did. A quick search of the tree branches revealed the next set of chimes, which were soon rung, and a familiar mist surrounded them. Jet wondered idly if all of the Forest Elves were this theatrical, or did they just find the one who liked to make an entrance?

''You all made it then. I must thank you, on behalf of our king for your work at the castle. Even if you did aid Lyusula, you have kept true to your word.''

''What happened to keeping watch on the castle?'' Mito asked, a tone of distrust in her voice.

Cal either failed to notice it, or completely ignored it, and answered her, ''The chancellor fears that he is made, and not without good reason. He has lost both the poison, the element of surprise, and the whereabouts of one of their leading generals. He is backed into a corner, and much like any other creature backed against into a corner, he is desperate. He has had the castle fortified, and readies the Kales'Oh for war. We have agents in the castle doing their best to slow down efforts, which do, thankfully, seem to be working for now. However, I do not expect them to last, once the chancellor sends out his operatives to find Wendelin. I do not doubt what will happen when they find him either...''

''I didn't realise he was so important...''

''He is one of four generals that collectively make up the Kales'Oh War Council. They plan for the worst outcome for both species, but they have been suspiciously quiet regarding the chancellor's coup. Other than Wendelin, of course...'' Footsteps became more pronounced, approaching over crunching leaves. A hooded individual, a revelation that sent chills through the spines of every human present... it couldn't be, could it? He hadn't found them again, had he?