Sword Astraea

A secret unveiled

Wind blew past Ryu's long elven ears as she fell down the hole that had swallowed her up. While her face remained calm and impassive. Her heart was beating rapidly within her chest.

She was separated from her familia. Bell and Cassandra were missing. And she was all alone deep inside Knossos.

Ryu didn't care much about that last part. Only the part where everyone else was alone. Their leadership was taken away from them. Leaving them like a headless chicken.

But there was nothing she could do at the moment as she fell ever deeper. Until finally and with the elegance of a level five. Landed on the stone floor beneath her.

Her eyes hardened as she took a look around her. Dimly lit hallways with multiple areas shrouded in darkness. Possible ambushes waiting at every corner.

Ryu took a calming breath as she felt the area around her. Secretly praying to feel Bell and Cassandra's presence. But there was nothing, only isolation and near darkness for her.

She once more took in her surroundings. Waiting and listening to see if anything happened. But when it didn't she looked at the way forward and went in that direction.

Her footsteps were soft and silent. No louder than a mouse looking for food. She had to be stealthy, there was no telling what could be down here.

Step after step, minute after minute she persevered. Her face a cool mask of emotions hiding the torrent stirring underneath.

She had to get back, needed to get back. Or else it would be just like that day all over again. Her familia being wiped out one by one until she was all that remained.

"Not again, not again." She chanted in her mind.

Ryu didn't know how long she had run for. Everything seemed to pass by in a blur as she passed corridor after corridor. Darkness holding the corner of her vision.

Until finally, finally, she heard voices. Voices that she was able to clearly recognize.

"Lady Riveria, where exactly are we?"

"Hush Alicia, someone's coming."

Ryu turned the corner only to find Riveria and her fairy force along with a few others. She stopped in her tracks with the high elf's eyes widening in shock.

"It's you!" Riveria gasped. Her mind rushing with thoughts about how Ryu ended up down here.

Ryu brought herself to a halt as she looked over everyone. The fairy force was Riveria's elite group of mages. Made up mostly of elves and were the best mages the Loki familia could offer.

Ryu felt a lot of nervousness in her stomach. Back during the dark age she had fought alongside Riveria to bring down the Silence.

The fight was hard and terrible. And Ryu still thought about how hard it was to this day. But that was then, and this was now.

Their fight wasn't against the Silence as she was long dead. No, their fight was against an enemy that had separated them and was going to pick them off one by one.

While all these thoughts were running through Ryu's head. Only mere seconds had passed. Long enough for Riveria to raise her hand and wave it aside.

"Doesn't matter, are you by yourself?" The high elf asked.

Ryu was quick to nod. "I am, I was separated from my familia. Bell and our healer were as well."

Riveria nodded. "Join up with us, we were separated as well and there's a good chance the two you mentioned are down here as well. We also ran into some members of the Artemis familia as well."