ꜱᴄᴀʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴇʏꜱ

Chapter 9: Reylyn

 She swung her backpack over her shoulder. "I think I have everything I need,"

Saif sighed in front of her. "You should at least let someone come with you." he passed her Scernma, her gladius.

"You know I feel about duet quests," she sneered. "I hate them. One person always gets so much credit, and the other gets nothing."

Saif smiled slightly, "Your one for equality," he teased as she dragged her gladius across the stone floor. "Do you at least have a plan?"

She nodded and took out the map of Maleni. "First stop is the empire," she cleared her throat. "Then I'm planning on going to the Forbidden Barrage," she looked at the sky, it was close to dark. "I better get going,"

"Before you go," his face turned pale.. "Take this," He passed her a necklace with small ruby leaves on it.

"H-How did you get-,"

He cut her off. "For your adventures, Rey." he sounded depressed as he said that.

"I'm gonna come back alive," she clasped the necklace. "I always do." Double check your bag.

She swallowed. The voice was back. She obeyed.

She took her bag off of her shoulder and looked through it again. She had almost everything, but the voice was still nagging at her.

"Map of the whole land."

"What do you mean the whole land?" she spoke back to the voice. "I do have the whole land."

"That's what you think, Reylyn. Trust me."

"It took me forever to find the map of Maleni, I'm not risking it for this phantom map or wherever."

"Fine, you don't need it yet anyways. Good luck, Agni,"

She smiled in her head. The voice reminded her of fire.

"I'm still ready," she grinned at Saif for the last time.

"Stay safe, you," he nudged her. "Good luck."

She climbed to the entrance of The Agiator's Headquarters and looked upon the land for the last time in awhile.

Something felt right about this quest, though. A little to right.

The voice spoke to her again. "Grab your map of Maleni."

She obeyed. "Now, do you see the empire?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I know your plan. Advert it,"

"No. I have a specific plan to get-"

"Listen to me, Reylyn. I've done this thing before."

Reylyn paused at that. How did this "voice" know what to do?

"First of all, how do I know you're just trying not to change up my plan to lead me into danger?"

"Ahh. Step one completed. Never let your guard down."

Reylyn grabbed her notebook from her bag and labeled a page.

VOICE'S TIPS

NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.

'

"You know, you can change my name."

"To what?"

"Caryx."

"Who names their kid that?"

"My parents do. My mom loved Caryx vines when me and my- nevermind."

"Go ahead. It's fine." Secretly it wasn't fine. Reylyn missed her parents.

"You're awfully quiet about your trauma,"

"How'd you know that?"

"I can transfer into people's minds and talk to them. It's an awesome side effect of the quest."

"Your quest? Why can't you tell me about i-"

"I'll tell you when you have completed your own quest."