Chapter 3: By Marrieta’s Will Part 1

He was born a Schweitzer: a knight among knights, a leader to step above others. But it wasn’t a life that he chose. A life predetermined by his family before his Mother could even flush him out to the world was something he disliked.

Magic set him free. His love for Marrieta dwindled and replaced by his newfound curiosity.

That day marked it all, when he sacrificed his name and fought for his beliefs.

His father disowned him, his brothers thought of him as a traitor, and his fight ended up for naught — all under Marrieta’s will. But even then, he was just a normal guy who wouldn’t compromise his principles no matter how chaotic things had become.

But once a Schweitzer would always be a Schweitzer. It was a mark that he could never hope to remove.

* * *

There was a change in atmosphere when Chris returned to his group. All five of his classmates, including Raven and Arthur, were all gathered in a semi circle.

“Where’d you go, man?” asked Raven. “Actually, forget I asked. It seems like the [Boss Room] here would be opening soon, but only seven students could enter at the same time.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

“They need to put some restrictions, you see. It’d be nothing but cake walk for a group of twenty students to gang up on a boss after all.”

Chris looked at his classmates again. “Seven students, eh? But counting everybody here we only have six.”

“Hmm, Cecilia was just here moments ago. I wonder where she went?” a human girl wearing her chestnut brown hair into two large ponytails said as she gazed around. The beginner’s claymore strapped diagonally on her hips suggested she was a warrior.

“Forget about her,” said Lucretia as she folded her arms. “She never wanted to associate herself with us to begin with.”

“Now, now. It’s thanks to her we were able to get past that sentinel.”

“I could’ve done that too!” Lucretia puffed her reddening cheeks.

The other girl sighed in deference. “Sure, sure.”

The whole party laughed, except for Chris. There was no denying that the demon girl’s words cut him deep. He clenched his heart and shook his head. Not now, he thought. It wasn’t the right time, nor the right place to wallow in such distractions.

“Before we begin, may I have the pleasure of knowing your names?” Chris nodded his chin to his two other classmates.

“Just Tess is fine,” said the human girl. The bangs framing her tea colored eyes made her look beautiful as a flower.

The other girl was a Nymph, giving Chris a friendly smile as soon as their eyes met. “And I am called Luana.”

Her long shiny blue hair is neatly tied on one side by a seashell, gently touching her shoulder. Two green fish fins also served as her ears and on her left hand was a pike for thrusting.

“So Tess, Luana, Lucretia, Arthur, and Raven? Am I right?” His classmates all nodded at his question, Chris smiled. “Let’s beat this boss and freshen up.”

With a loud battle cry, the six of them stood by the entrance with double doors towering all the way up to the ceiling. Raven cracked his knuckles, Arthur readied his bow, Lucretia placed a hand on her rapier, Tess drew her claymore, and Luana took a stance with her spear. Chris tapped his staff on the ground, and the doors majestically opened.

Their position revealed nothing but darkness. Chris took the initiative, and the group followed his lead. The doors behind them closed with a gust of wind, yet no one bothered to turn and check.

He heard faint giggling noises; an eerie noise in that silent darkness. Chris tightened his grip on his staff in response. Someone clung to his sleeve, but he couldn’t tell who it was.

Light began to flare one by one on random directions until the room was fully lighted by the torches that surrounded them. Directly ahead, in the center of the room, was a ball of white fluff. It looked similar to an Ent from behind, albeit twice as large, but its two minuscule arms belied that conclusion.

Unmoving laughing trunks littered the room. No, it wasn’t a room. It was an art studio.

Chris realized that when he saw the mysterious Ent carving a face on a tree trunk; the very same monsters that pestered them in this labyrinth.

Arthur wasted no moment and released an arrow.

Swoong!

The mysterious Ent deflected the attack with a single swipe of its knife. Turning around, it looked at them and finally acknowledged their presence. Its flat lips slowly curved to that of a snicker! At the same time the nearby monsters arose from their slumber and their laughing faces morphed into an angry glare — a very, very angry glare.