Deepwoken: Divers

Promotion: Promoted

The friends reunited after the fierce battle, Pakki having a hand over his eye. "I've used it again..."
Colt looked at him. "It?... What do you mean by 'it'?"
Pakki didn't answer.
Gwen looked concerned. "Are you okay? Is there something wrong..?"
Pakki sighed, taking his hand off his eye. "Nathan told me not to use my magic. It's... Shadowcast. Something looked down upon by most people since it's used by the Ministry... It's a rabbit hole."
Faust looked at him. "So through all of these missions... You haven't even used magic?"
Pakki nodded. The friends cheered each other up as they returned to Castle Light, though there was still a bit of bitterness in the red-haired Canor of the group.

Klaris sighed before handing Faust his black diver clothes. "You've proven you're among the most powerful of divers. I hereby grant you the highest honour among us - the rank of black diver."
Apprentice divers cheered for him. Faust was among the youngest black divers now. However, they didn't have too much time to stay happy. Nathan pulled the four of them aside.
"I need you four for a mission. We need to collect a void feather from a corrupted deep owl." He said, his eyes dark and almost looking as though they lacked any empathy.
Faust smirked. "Right... Where's the thing I gotta beat up then?"
Nathan started walking out. "Follow me. I'll show you where the last place it was sighted at is."

The group followed Nathan, with Pakki and Gwen in the forefront, right behind Nathan.
Colt stayed behind a little, which Faust noticed, and slowed down to reach him. As he got closer, he noticed something - Colt was hyperventilating a little, and he was staring at Nathan as if he was a monster.
Faust whispered. "What's up?..."
Colt refused to take his eyes off of Nathan. "...Remember when I told you guys I think the breach was.. orchestrated?"
Faust stared at Nathan as well. "You don't think--"
Colt interrupted him. "He's the traitor."
Faust looked at him for a moment. "Why would he be the traitor?"
Colt still refused to take his eyes off Nathan. "Nathan is one of the weakest black divers... That's why he was left in charge of the rookies. Looking through our reports... When Castle Light was breached, every black diver was out on a mission. Except Nathan Mirad. He didn't have a reason to be gone."
Faust looked at Nathan, thinking about the possibilities.
Colt continued. "And what Pakki told us earlier... Nathan told him about the Ministry."
Faust narrowed his eyes. "I don't know about that... Isn't the Ministry common knowledge on the surface?"
Colt shook his head. "No. They know of their existence - but not much more. Just like us. When I came down here to become a diver... I brought books with myself. None of them mention anything other than the danger of the Ministry. Yet, Nathan knows they're... Apparently godseekers. Looking to repeat the tides. And... I know it's not much, but look at his eyes. They look... Darker."

Before Colt could say anything more, Nathan spoke up. "The owl was seen somewhere around here." He looked out into the distance. "We should split up. You two stay there. Me, Gwen and Patrick will look that way."
The group all agreed - Faust and Colt contemplating their next move while Gwen and Pakki approved of the idea without a second thought.

Once they were out of sight, Nathan stopped the three of them.

"Gwen... There's something I need to tell you." Nathan said.
Gwen looked up at him. "Hm? What is it?"
Nathan looked at her, almost as if he was panicked.

Colt's thought process was quite clear. "But suppose Nathan's with the Ministry... And looking to make the tides happen again... If Pakki should be careful with his Shadowcast in case people think he's trying to--"
Faust bumped Colt. "Hey... There's kind of a bigger issue at hand."
As Colt turned around, he saw it - a corrupted dark owl, right about to charge into them.

"Didn't you... Ever notice that you were getting preferential treatment?" Nathan asked.
Gwen looked confused. "Prefential treatment?..."

Faust tried to parry the owl, but it broke right through his blockade. Colt was swept away to the side as Faust stumbled. "Why's it... So strong...?!"
Colt grabbed onto his rifle spear. "This is seriously bad... We need to call for help!" He summoned several lightning bolts, but to no avail - Kevin didn't seem to be near.