Hymn of Elys

Chapter Five

"Thank you for having me!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together in her excitement. The group held their pose for a couple more seconds before relaxing. Their joyous laughter was like a balm to her soul.

A brunette from the back moved towards the front, her sharp eyes scanning Alice. "You're welcome. Now, the important part." She turned towards Lysbeth, placing her hands on her hips; her posture put her curvy body on display even more than her revealing clothing already did. "We were waiting on you for a raid, but we have a problem."

She hiked her thumb towards Alice, leaving her right hand still on her waist. "Since we have a rookie, shouldn't we scrap that? Or, at least some of us give her a small tutorial?"

Lysbeth tilted her head to the side, acting cute. "Hmm, now that you say that...," she giggled, covering her mouth, "That's true, Phantasia! The game doesn't do the best job with explanations, anyway." She looked towards Alice, her mouth quirked up. "It takes the 'learn as you go' type of approach. It'll help if you get a bit of help from someone."

Max, obviously used to how vapid Lysbeth could be, didn't comment. Instead, he took charge of the situation. "Lysbeth and I will take her on a small tour in the fields; she can grab her starter quests and some gear that way. The rest of you can practice at the 'Hidden Glade'. The world boss should be popping up there, soon."

They all echoed their approval of this plan, even Alice. It would be nice to learn more about the game before she had to log for the night. There was no way she would turn down any pointers they might give her. Besides, the best way to learn her class would be from another maiden.

Everyone else filed away, leaving Alice alone with Max and Lysbeth. She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. "I'm sorry to ruin your plans," she said, her gaze darting away from the two of them.

Max waved away her obvious anxiety, shaking his head as he replied, "Don't mention it. There's a few daily quests over there anyway that we can work on."

Lysbeth skipped away, yelling over her shoulder at the two of them, "What he said! Now, come on! It's prime hunting time, you two."

Alice followed along behind them, taking in the scenery as they made their way back towards the edge of Lyrica. It was a calm town, so she could take in the daily activities of both the players and the NPCs. If she paid attention, she could even smell the delicious scent of food coming from a small inn nearby.

There was a small outpost, sitting just before the gate that enveloped the town. The walk had only been a few minutes at most, so it was reasonably close to the damaged fountain. It was a hole in the wall; it could have easily been mistaken as abandoned if someone didn't look closely enough.

The only saving grace it had was the beautiful woman standing out front in a simple white apron, holding a basket full of dim jewels.

A few people milled around her, and she dolled out her jewels one by one, talking to them about a myriad of topics. As they came closer, Alice could finally overhear a conversation she was having with a young man that looked to be only a couple of years older than her.

"-the wolves in the Dolcet forest. I'll need five pieces of hide for your armor. Can you be a dear and bring me some?" Her dark black hair, bound in a braid, swayed in the slight wind as she reached into the basket.

The young man, his olive skin shining in the afternoon sun, took the jewel. "No problem, ma'am. Leave it to me."

Her mouth bloomed into a brilliant smile before he turned and started towards the gate. His back stayed turned towards Alice the whole time, so she never saw the young man's face. She did happen to see his large shield strapped to his back.