A Gathering of Guardians: The Prologue (Etrian Odyssey Nexus Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

AN: Slowly, slowly making my way through these chapters. Still quite long. Over 5k words long~ Anyway, hope you enjoy reading and do let me know what you think!

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Chapter 13:

The sun had only just risen as Roxbury made his way out into the streets of Tharsis. His guildmates had gathered into the morning air, also. Luggage, important personal items in their possessions, by their sides.

He cast a quick glance over everyone, noting that they were all together, and ready to go. All except one. But he was coming.

Roxbury turned in time to see Isiah step out of his clinic, and turned to shut the door behind him. He then proceeded to lock the front door to the clinic. The sound of the lock clicking into place felt and sounded louder than they've ever heard before. The building itself, however, stood silent.

It was almost sad, in a way. The Researchers' clinic was their shelter, a place they could spend together, to plan and to laugh. It felt wrong somehow to leave it now.

But the building was tall and sturdy. It would wait silently for them to return from their journey. And when they returned, they would have more materials and knowledge to fill the rooms and bookshelves once more.

"Ready?" Roxbury asked as Isiah joined them.

"Un," Nitish was the one who answered first. "We'll return one day."

Roxbury gave the runemaster a small smile. "Yeah."

He cast one last glance toward Tharsis, to the city that he had called home for the last year. He, surprisingly, wasn't as sad or nonchalant as he thought he would be. He loved the city of Tharsis with all his heart, and yet the adventurer part of his soul longed for the mysteries of his new expedition.

Perhaps he had grown somewhat restless. Or maybe he longed for some time away from the city that brought both comfort and concern.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they gathered their belongings and took the path that would lead them straight to Maginia. They weren't the only ones who were boarding. Other explorers, both locals of Tharsis and inhabitants of the other lands, were joining the expedition in their own way.

Because of Villard's invitation, Roxbury and the others were able to skip the queue, as it were.

Speaking of the elderly war magus, Villard stood at the gates to Maginia. And he seemed genuinely thrilled to see that they were all there, belongings by their sides, waiting to join.

"Welcome!" Villard greeted them boisterously before he folded his hands into the sleeves of his cloak. "You all agreed to join, I see."

Roxbury nodded his head. "Well, we didn't have much of a choice," he said, jokingly as he sent a glance toward a certain member of their party.

Villard scoffed lightly, dismissively. "Now, don't be like that. But I am gladdened to know that you agreed to participate. It's a chance of a lifetime, after all."

That was very true. Roxbury was glad that everyone had agreed to join. They had already been through a lot together, so it was reassuring to know that they were going to experience this new time in their lives together, too.

"Come, allow me to welcome you to Maginia," Villard stated as he waved a hand to follow him.

To be truthful, Roxbury wasn't expecting to see an actual city within the steel hull of Maginia. A city of building and streets. But that was what greeted them as they stepped through the heavy metal and steel gates.