Astral Flow

Chapter 16

"Come on! We're burning daylight slowpokes!" Lily's voice calls out from up on a hill, her joyous sunny smile beaming down at the trio making their way to the dungeon.

"Remind me again, why are you tagging along?" Feros shouts up at her, confusion and a slight cold tinge in his voice, though no hostility could be felt. "I thought you were staying with the others?"

"Nah, I figured you guys would need a master at movement! After all, what if there's some secret spots in the dungeon only accessible by doing some crazy trick?" as she says this she proudly jumps around, as if showing how nimble she could be.

"She's got a point Feros, no one can move the way she does, honestly some of her movement seems inhuman..." Ryder comments as he approaches Feros's left, a bit of a tired look still in his eyes.

"That is true... though we haven't come across anything like that yet, we've only been to early game dungeons so far." Feros rests a hand on his sword and the other on his chin, gazing past Lily as he loses himself in thought. "Though, if this is a dungeon that was meant to be late game, then who knows what it could hold..."

Yuria walks in front of the two, turning around to face them, the sun making her form silhouetted and oddly more divine looking. "That is why we're grouped up, is it not? You have nothing to worry about if you stick with me though, I promise you that we'll get through it safe and sound."

"So, does that mean you'll actually be fighting this time?" Ryder questions, honestly expecting her response to be a no or some kind of riddle.

"Should the need arise, I shall slay those who cross our path, otherwise I would like to see how you handle it." her mischievous grin returns to her face before she turns and starts walking to Lily. "I won't let you die though, if that's what you're worried about."

A sigh escapes Ryder as he shakes his head, clearly not satisfied with the answer. "That really doesn't comfort me in the slightest..."

"Oh relax dear champion, just enjoy the walk there and ease your mind." she replies with a slight teasing tone in her voice as she approaches Lily. "You might want to slow your pace, I don't think the boys could keep up with us even if they tried."

"You're right about that, it's hard to keep up with someone able to move so freely here..." Feros comments, finally reaching the top of the hill alongside the rest of them.

"It's because I've spent most of my time in Full Dive, it's really how I've gotten any sort of freedom or sense of adventure in my life." a sorrow lingers in Lily's voice as she turns and looks out at the sight before them now, a bittersweet look forming on her face. "After all, it's not every day you can see these sights."

Following her eyesight the group sees a scene ripped right from a fantasy novel. Rolling green plains littered with beautiful wild flowers shining brightly in the sun, tall trees swaying in the breeze, the ocean barely visible in the distance but sparkling nonetheless.

Worn and heavily walked dirt paths show that this used to be a heavily treded area, the feeling of countless people moving through here still marks the land.

"It's almost easy to forget that we're supposed to be in a dark land with sights like this..." Feros admits while crossing his arms.

"That's because, until recently, this land had been untouched by the war raging on in the mainland, it was only that new blood seeking lordship that tainted these sacred lands." Yuria tells them as she looks out at the horizon with a softer smile. "Truly this place was a thing of beauty, though not many remain to appreciate it now."

"Wait, this place was considered sacred?" Ryder asks her, now even more confused than before. "I get the temples could be, but I didn't know the entire island was."