Cease the Suffering - Etrian Odyssey II (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 6

AN: New chapter! :3

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Chapter 6:

It was nearing evening when the ship finally docked at Lagaard. Walking down the boarding plank, Lynus lifted his arm to shield his eyes from the glaring setting sun. It was in that moment that he realised how long it had been since he had stepped foot outside. The sun against his face, the wind in his hair felt incredible.

It was another stark reminder that they had done it. They had actually fled the stronghold of Lord Taksony’s mansion and they were free.

The town was nestled at the base of a large tree, the branches reaching high into the heavens, disappearing in the swirling clouds. It was Yggdrasil Labyrinth. The greatest mystery.

It loomed over the entire town, yet Lynus didn’t find it frightening. It was a beckon of hope, a signal of dreams.

“Wow!” Binah gasped as she smiled brightly, running a few steps forward to the town centre where a large water fountain was situated. “So this is Lagaard?”

“Don’t wander off too far, Binah,” Lynus chided lightly, his protective instincts still very potent.

“There are a lot of people here,” Lirit commented as he looked around at the bustling people, all of whom walked around them, none of them giving them a second glance.

“Perfect for us to blend in,” Rahas muttered, casting a suspicious gaze to their surroundings.

“It’s no surprise that it’s so bustling,” Lynus said as he pushed back a few wayward strands of his hair from his eyes. “The Labyrinth had been known for years, yet no one has been able to discover many of its secrets.”

Lirit looked interested. “How do you know about Lagaard, Lynus?”

“Hm? Ah, well, I remember hearing about it when I was young,” Lynus explained, smiling somewhat bashfully. But then his smile turned sad. “I made a promise…”

“A promise?”

“It…was a long time ago,” Lynus said softly, watching as Binah dragged Rahas over to the fountain, the female Troubadour absolutely fascinated by it. A sense of sorrow touched Lynus’s heart, yet there was also a sense of hope. As small as it was.

“My childhood best friend,” he went on to say. “We promised, should anything happen, that we would meet again here in Lagaard. He was going to become the strongest Landsknecht ever.”

“What’s his name?” Lirit asked him. “Maybe he’s here somewhere, waiting for you.”

Lynus smiled, although it did not quite reach his eyes. “That would be nice.”

“Well?” Lirit prodded, physically nudging him with his elbow. “What’s his name?”

“Axel.” It had been so long since Lynus had said his name aloud. He had said it many times before, but only in his dreams.

“Axel, huh?” Lirit said, nodding his head as if filing that piece of information away. “Well, I hope you two will meet up again. So you can be happy.”

Lynus turned to look at Lirit and found a small, hope-filled smile forming on his lips. “…I hope so, too.”

He really did. Although it had been eight long years, the Axel he remembered from childhood kept his promises. Axel had to be in Lagaard, somewhere. He would have done anything it took to get here. All Lynus needed to do was find him. No easy task in a town filled to the brim with explorers, but they were free now. They had time.