The streets of Groven begin to empty, as the moon reaches its peak. Eiziest and his friends along with two new companions, Angelie and Gaultrus Bryngger. Sat together around a long wooden table in a pub suggested by Gaultrus, with Remil sitting at the middle of Gaultrus and Eiziest

All the girls sat on one side as to all the boys sat on the other. Mimir floats idly by at Eiziest shoulder. As Silfy sits on Nora’s shoulder, reading together with her.

Silence fills the group as they wait for Remil to speak, as the only words that came out of him were that Nemi has disappeared.

Gaul is the first to speak up as he calls for a humanoid golem waiter and tries to comfort Remil. “…Pick whatever you want kid! Just speak when you feel like it…” he says warmly to Remil.

Remil weakly smiles as he fumbles with his hands with a blank expression, “I… appreciate the gest…”

Gaul sighs as he simply tells the golem waiter to just get them something to drink. While also telling to get something for the young ones.

Eiziest curiously glances at the golem waiters serving the patrons. “…Is the whole place run by golems?”

Gaul smirks, “Nah! A family of wood elves owns the place, and it just so happens the son of theirs happens to be a big fan of mine… Hence the food is on the house for us!” Gaul smugly shrugs.

Eiziest nods, “Explains the name ‘Sticks and Stones’…” as he says he sees Angie scowling at the people looking at them.

Felice chuckles, “Relax… I already told you, that no one besides the people close to us can recognize Eirene, Nora, and Xion” she says calmly to Angie.

Eirene and Felice laugh as they try to ease Angie’s nerves. Nora and Silfy simply ignoring them as they continue to read. Xion on the other hand is reviewing something projected on Mimir’s drone.

As everyone’s drinks are served on their table, while Nora’s is simply some hot milk as the same with Silfy. Remil took his wooden mug and slowly, in one tilt, drinks all of it.

Gaul and Eiziest look at him with concern, as Remil put his wooden mug down. “I… I shouldn’t have made her stay with me…”

Everyone looks at Remil curiously as they listen to his story.

Remil sighs, “I usually stay behind when we’re done with our deliveries just to buy some extra supplies and replacements… Usually, if Nemi’s there, she would always try to join in, even when I told her she didn’t need to… But she always argues that I can’t be left alone. She says, ‘If I leave you alone, I only get nervous thinking what kind of trouble you get into’…” Remil meekly chuckles.

Remil fumbles with his wooden mug. “And I can’t argue with that…” Remil solemnly smiles. “Ever since I can remember, Nemi and I were always together. Ever since I lost my family…”

“I’m sorry to hear that…” Eiziest says to Remil solemnly.

Remil waves his hands and smiles. “It’s fine, besides I was very young at that time and hardly remember much about them, I don’t know if it’s because of trauma or what, but all I could remember was my name… And beyond that all I remember is that the Chief took care of me as one of his own as they found me hidden inside a basket which was left inside a broken-down carriage, crying my eyes out. He said some bandits or creatures might have attacked us, and my parents hid me to protect me… The Chief buried them at Tinril’s cemetery near his wife’s grave, which he told me is a way to say he’ll treat my family as his family. Which me, the Chief, and Nemi gladly visit from time to time…”

Eiziest takes a sip of his drink. “What happened to the Chief’s wife?” he asks Remil.

Remil thinks for a moment, “…The Chief told me that she was very weak when she gave birth to Nemi. He always nervously thinks that Nemi would grow up blaming herself for her mother’s death. But to his surprise, Nemi always showed how grateful she is to her mother even though she never met her…” Remil laughs. “Wish she was that gentle with me when we first met…” Remil sighs.

Gaul chuckles as he takes a drink, “Guess you had it rough huh?”

Remil laughs, “I blame myself for that, as I hardly spoke the first time we met. And Nemi HATED that… She always tries to get a reaction out of me, be it tickling, pranks, or by kicking me due to her frustration. But I was too depressed back then to care and always tried to hold a blank face to anyone… She never left me alone though, and was always by my side, well… besides trying to force me to react to something every time she can, Nemi was always with me. The Chief didn’t mind at all, he didn’t even care when some people say an elf and an orc shouldn’t be that close. To which he just lectures them, saying I was part of the family…”

Gaul and Angie look at Remil with concern and curiosity. “An elf and an orc?” Gaul asks.

Felice explains, “Nemi is the daughter of the Orc Chief in Tinril, and the area is mainly inhabited by Elves and Orcs. Orcs outnumber the Elves, but even so, they generally stay at good terms with one another”

Angie nods, while Gaul smirks. “I see…” Gaul says with a smile while holding back in saying anything else.

Remil continues, “Over time, thanks to Nemi’s persistence. I learned to care about others, and thanks to some merchants having some technology and a book from Civel, which the Chief gladly bought for me as he hardly saw me interested in anything else. I then learned the best way to help the people I care about is by using the gift given to my race… the ability to wield and magic and create things!” Remil excitedly says. “Well, that also gave the whole town worries with all the explosions I was causing. But they never asked me to stop and thanks to that I was able to create things to help everyone out… with Nemi beside me in each step of the way…” Remil says solemnly with a smile.

Silence fills the table again as Remil looks about to cry, but he just takes a deep breath and continues. “So… When Nemi disappeared today, I blanked out completely and ran all around asking anyone if they saw her… She and I never left each other side without saying anything. So, it was odd that when I asked her to wait outside while I bought something inside a shop, and when I came back, she was gone! At first, I thought she got bored or had to do something else really quick. But I waited and waited and when she didn’t come back…” Remil grips on his wooden mug hard as he remembers.

Gaul swirls his drink, “You ran like a mad man hoping to find her and eventually led to us finding you…”

Remil nods, and bows his head as he becomes more depressed once again.

Angie thinks for a moment. “Have you asked the guards for help yet? And what of the people you asked told you?” she asks Remil calmly.

Remil lifts his head and looks at Angie as he ponders. “I… haven’t asked for the guards for help yet. And some people told me they saw a female orc being led by some men to an alleyway. But I checked the alleyways they mentioned and couldn’t find any clues as to where Nemi could be…”

Gaul chuckles, “Save yourself the trouble. Don’t bother asking the guards for help, they’ll just pass it on to us anyway…” Gaul says as he takes a drink.

Xion nods as he closes the prompt in front of him. “Looking at the records of guards here at Groven provided by the Commander and the Queen of Alberio. Most of the guards are just hired by the Osmous family. And due to the large amount of them, the true guards from Alberio can’t move in as Groven tells them they are at full capacity on their security. The Commander had to issue a special request after finding about the cult rumors, and thus putting Angie and Gaul here” Xion says with a dejected sigh.

Angie nods, “Much as I hate to admit it. But I agree that you won’t find much help with the current state of security in Groven. I can say that this was a better course of action having you tell us directly…”

Angie lowers her voice. “You should also understand that your friend isn’t the only one that has gone missing, as we are already investigating numerous cases of the same problem” She explains while making sure that she doesn’t mention anything regarding the search for the missing queen of Aéthea.

Remil nods, “I understand…”

Gaul sighs, “Since this one just happened recently, I think we may have a bit more luck in finding some clues and more so if we have Felice and Ponytails here with us!” he says as he slams his mug on the table.

Felice freezes Gaul's mouth. “Keep it down you fool…” to which Gaul childishly chuckles as Angie notices how many drinks he has taken, as he’s been sneakily been taking everyone else’s drinks.

Eiziest and everyone else looks at Gaul and just sigh and laugh it off. “Let’s start first thing tomorrow, for now, let’s just relax and eat!” Eiziest says with a smile to which everyone agrees to.

Mimir notices something and looks at the direction of a hooded person sitting at the bar, “…?” he sees that the hooded person is just having a conversation with the bartender.

Eiziest notices Mimir looking at someone, “What’s the matter?” he asks Mimir curiously.

Mimir looks at Eiziest, “Nothing, I was curious about what you would look like when drunk” Mimir bluntly says to Eiziest.

Eiziest sighs and smirks, “As you know, I don’t go down easily…”

Gaul heard Eiziest and challenges him, and even got Remil to join. Xion on the other hand just sighs as he helps everyone get their order to be passed to the waiter.

Later on, after having a rowdy dinner thanks to Gaul’d drinking challenge, which results in Remil getting knocked out at the first round, then Gaul. Eiziest won with Gaul remarking, “Ywou Chweated!” to Eiziest.

Xion assisted in carrying Remil, while Eiziest carried Gaul back to the inn.

Angie and Felice decided to separate the rooms, having all the boys in one room and all the girls on the other. To which everyone was fine with following.

As everyone enters their rooms. After closing the doors, Eiziest throws Gaul onto his bed while Xion gently lay Remil to his.

Remil was crying and mumbling in his sleep. Compared to Gaul who was dreaming of something funny as he smiled foolishly while snoring.

Having only two beds, Eiziest asks Mimir to make some roll-up mattresses for him and Xion to use to sleep on the floor.

The night ends with Eiziest and Remil dealing with Gaul’s drunken sleep talking banter. As both of them try to sleep.

/=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/

Early in the morning, Eiziest and his friends arrived at the alleyways Remil mentioned.

Everyone begins looking for clues, lifting crates, and boxes. Pressing and looking for hidden buttons on the walls. Mimir and Silfy continuously scan each area for anything the others can’t see. Everyone works together to thoroughly search the area.

After a while, after going to five other alleyways near the first one, they take a break. “Yet again… no clue or anything in sight!” Gaul states as he leans on a wall and sighs.

Felice pulls up her goggles as she ponders, “No, there’s no doubt someone used magic in each area base on how the disappearances go. But I can’t seem to find any trace of it… How about you Silfy?” she says looking at Silfy riding on top of Mimir.

Silfy shakes her head, “There is a faint presence of magic in the area, that much I can say. Mixed with something else, that I can’t quite explain…” Silfy says to everyone as she thinks.

Mimir continues, “I believe, that the spell used is similar to how Felice uses her cloaking spell as evidence when we try to locate the origin of the magical trace, it would always obscure itself from us. Leading to nothing”

Eiziest sighs, “So, it means if we aren’t the ones who made it or even recognize it. We can never find it…” Eiziest dejectedly chuckles.

Remil breathes heavily, “Nemi…” he murmurs as he places his hand on top of some crates.

As everyone takes a break, to their surprise they hear a female voice speak. “You guys need some help?” the female voice reveals herself to everyone as she walks out of the corner at the entrance of the alleyway. Wearing a hood over her head.

Mimir looks at her unfazed, “I’ve been waiting to see when you’re going to show yourself”

The stranger chuckles, “I see you’ve noticed!” as she says she reveals her face.

Silfy states what the female stranger is, “She’s apparently a Ri’lvelian…”

Everyone looks in surprise, as to what Silfy said. As they see a dark-skinned purple long-haired girl, standing before them looking like she’s 2 feet taller than Xion. Her crimson eyes look at everyone warmly, partnered with her sweet smile.

“My name is Armira, nice to meet you all! And yeah, I’m a Ri’lvelian…” Armira says as she playfully glares at Silfy. “And my parents told me that you shouldn’t just reveal private stuff about someone you've just met, and besides... I’m not a pure-blood though” Armira shrugs.

Xion looks at Armira in confusion, as did everyone else. “Not a pureblood…?”

Armira sighs, “Let’s get to know each other later…” she then looks at everyone with excitement. “You guys mentioned something about how only those who’s connected with the spell, are the only one’s who can find it right?”

Everyone nods to her question, “And?” Gaul tilts his head and asks.

Armira chuckles, “Watch this!” she then points her hand onto the stone bricks laid on the ground. As she does, small forms of magical circles form on the tip of her finger.

A second later, a hidden manhole is revealed right in the middle of everyone. Everyone looks in delight and surprise as they see it. “How’d you do that?” Felice asks Armira.

Armira smirks and shrugs, “Long story short, I’m one of these cults failed experiment. Well, supposedly failed experiment… That much I can say for now!” Armira chuckles, “Now I know I can reveal this stuff to you, but there’s a seal over it that I can’t really remove… So, yeah…” Armira sighs.

Felice smirks, “Just leave that to me!” as Felice says, with a snap of her finger the seal on the manhole brakes.

Gaul lifts the thick steel manhole cover and as he does, everyone sees a ladder leading down. “So, who goes first in the dark and probably smelly hole?” Gaul jokingly says.

Felice moves around at the back of Gaul and kicks him into the hole. “Gentlemen first!” Felice says with a smile as he kicks Gaul.

“It’s best some of us stay here, to keep watch…” Felice suggests to everyone, besides Gaul.

Eirene suggests she and Angie, along with Nora will stay. Angie saying she’ll keep in touch using her communicator. Everyone agrees to it as the others continue to climb down.

One by one they go down, Remil, Armira, and Xion follow next after Gaul. Then Felice while leaving Silfy behind with Nora. Eiziest says Mimir should stay as well, to which Mimir nods. As Eiziest climbs on down.

* * * * * * * * *

As Eiziest reaches the bottom, he sees Angie using a floating lantern that lights up the dark tunnel they’re in.

Felice, Remil, Gaul, Xion, and Armira, begin to check out the huge tunnel seeing it continue for quite some distance from where they are. Meanwhile, Eiziest uses his Aevos Spheres to create two electric lanterns one of which he himself can use.

“Gaul, catch!” as Eiziest says, he throws one of his lanterns to Gaul who’s at the front of the group. Which he quickly catches and says his thanks.

Gaul leads, as they walk forward deeper in the tunnels. Felice next to him, while her floating lantern floats in the middle of Remil, Xion, and Armira. Eiziest is at the back, holding one of his own light source.

Everyone continues onward for a while, before stopping at a large circular section of the tunnel.

Gaul sticks something on the wall at the tunnel they came from, to mark it. “Best we don’t go too deep” Gaul explains as he lights up the other tunnels connected to the open circular area.

As everyone enters, and further illuminate the area. Gaul smiles as he sees something on top of the tunnel entrances.

Gaul quickly looks closer at the emblem on the wall on top of some of the tunnel entrances. He then calls up Angie through his armlet, “Hey Angie, I think we found our clue! A crest of the Osmous family, right here inside these tunnels!”

As Gaul says, everyone looks at the crest on the wall. And further, sees it marked all over the circular area.

Remil looks on with conviction, “Don’t worry Nemi… we’ll find you…”