Rekindle The Light

Chapter 7: An Adventure Awaits

They had been walking most of the morning, only to stop for short breaks. It wasn't long before the tips of buildings peaked over the horizon. Eventually, Nagano could see a whole town: Delan. If he had seen it any other time, he would be impressed. It was pretty extensive. The houses were well crafted, too. However, the last time he was here, they were all out to kill him. He wanted to find another way around the town, but Alice insisted it was the only way through, and she didn't have enough supplies to make the longer trip around the town–

"Wait," Alice said as she stopped walking. She began rummaging through her satchel before pulling something out and handing it to Nagano.

It was a cloak.

Nagano examined it. It was a black cloth. The material was light but appeared to be durable as well. When he held it out, it looked small, maybe for someone half his size.

"Just try it on," Alice said, a grin spreading across her face.

"Alright," he replied hesitantly. As Nagano donned the cloak, it seemed to expand. The hood grew large enough to cover his ears, and the cloak extended long enough to reach his ankles. "How..." Nagano was stunned. He had never seen anything like it.

"It's an Enchanted cloak. Each thread has to be spun while just the right amount of Aether is transferred into it. It takes extreme finesse and dedication to make."

"Aether? What's that?"

Alice stared at him momentarily, completely bewildered. "You seriously don't know what Aether is?" She stared at him in disbelief, and Nagano shook his head.

"Seriously, where did you come from?" she sighed and continued, "In its most basic sense, Aether is the essence of life. Every living thing produces Aether. It's what allows us to cast magic. I could go on for hours about the intricacies of Aether, but I'm afraid we don't have time for that right now." Alice shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts. "Let's get going, alright?"

Nagano nodded and began following Alice's lead closer to Delan. It appeared Nagano had much to learn about this world.

***

Nagano's heart raced as they approached the town. A guard stood on watch at the front of the entrance. He looked at them suspiciously as they approached.

"You two," the man called out. "Identify your purpose." The man sounded irritated.

"We're just passing through to Solgard," Alice said pleasantly.

"Well, you better have some identification on you. This damn town has been on high alert ever since The Cyotte escaped."

Nagano heard Alice holding back a laugh, and he glared at her. She stopped after that.

"Yes, just one second," Alice murmured as she rummaged through her satchel. She pulled something out of it, but Nagano couldn't distinguish it from a distance; however, when she showed it to the guard, Nagano saw the man's posture immediately straighten.

"L-Lady Hyperion? I apologize for not noticing sooner! I am so sorry for holding you up; go right ahead." The man said as he quickly stepped aside.

Nagano felt relieved as they passed by the guard. He didn't seem to notice Nagano's appearance. On another note, he was now confused about how they entered and what a Hyperion was.

"What was that about?" He questioned. Alice looked up at him with a bashful expression.

"Oh, That? It was nothing!  You could just say I'm well-known for these parts. Let's just keep going." Alice laughed awkwardly. She still held the object in her hand. Nagano was closer now, and it appeared to be some sort of golden medallion. It had a bizarre design that resembled the sun. She quickly slid the medallion back into her bag.