A Learning Curve - Etrian Odyssey 4 - Boyxboy

Chapter 8

AN: Thanks so much Ame_Tasogare for commenting on the previous chapter! I'll tell you this now; Roxbury is only going to become even more precious. Look forward to it! Now, onto the chapter~

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Chapter 8:

Ciaran never thought that he would get sick of looking over airship blueprints, maintenance records and crafting new inventions for said airships.

But he was.

Pushing away the numerous folders and files of the airships under his guard, Ciaran leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. His back and neck hurt from continuously being hunched over his desk to work. And the mysteries surrounding the damaged airships was starting to make his head hurt, too.

A noise that sounded like that of someone accidentally bumping into a crate pulled Ciaran from his work and he immediately lifted his head up to listen. When he couldn't hear anyone approaching, he felt a sense of apprehensiveness wash over him.

"Who's there?" Ciaran asked as he placed his hands on his desk and pushed back his chair to stand up.

When he received no reply whatsoever, he knew immediately that whoever it was walking around his wharf wasn't Roxbury or any other member of the Phaedron guild. That made him feel even more uneasy.

It could be Xander wandering about, right? Or maybe another guild was trying to sneak out on a late night run for some reason and didn't want to disturb him. Could even be a couple of the local kids who wanted to play with the airships.

...Maybe it was a saboteur?

Whoever it was and whatever their reason for being at the wharf, he needed to check it out. It was really dark tonight, though. He had better take a torch of some kind.

As he stepped from his office, a soft flicker of light caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he realised that it had resonated from a lantern that hung on the wall next to his office. It was the Black Flame from the Windy Archives. Nitish had allowed the Black Flame to reside at the wharf, stating that it would be of better use here than locked up at the Researchers' Clinic.

Would it be ok for him to use it as a torch as he investigated around his own wharf?

It shouldn't hurt, right? It was a powerful flame, so it would offer him the best light.

Reaching forward to remove the lantern from the wall, the Black Flame flickered lightly but did little else. The flame was bright and seemingly peaceful.

Heading in the direction he assumed was the most likely area for anyone to hide in if they were avoiding him, Ciaran silently looked around. It was so quiet. The silence was making him feel edgy. Like something was going to happen.

...Perhaps he should head back and wait for Roxbury to turn up like he promised he would.

Tightening his grip on the lantern, Ciaran turned around in preparation of heading back to his office when he found himself accosted by three shadowy figures. Their sudden appearance startled him, making him jump back in surprise. He, thankfully, didn't utter a sound of fright, even though his heart-rate suddenly leapt into the triple digits.

Lifting the Black Flame a little higher to bring light over the three shadowy individuals, Ciaran immediately felt a feeling of nausea wash over him when he recognised the class. There were three imperials. One clad in dark-blue armour from head to toe while the other two were in black armour, they too covered completely. There was no chance for him to identify any of them.

"...What the hell do yeh want?" Ciaran asked as he tried to hide his nervousness.

The Imperial decked out in dark blue armour took a threatening step toward him. "What gives you the right to possess the Black Flame?" a surprisingly feminine voice snapped at him, sounding rather indignant.