“Everyone okay?” Rift managed to choke out as he slowly climbed to his feet.

“Yeah,” Yuki groaned.

“That wasn’t cool,” Anzu grumbled while glaring at Sebastian.

“You’re alive, aren’t you?” Sebastian retorted.

Asha stepped forward and called out, “How about the rest of you?”

A few of the others also mumbled affirmation as they all dusted themselves off. Sebastian stood with his arms crossed and smirked. Of course, he’d probably done this a few times already. Rift dusted himself off and surveyed the land around them. Each trainee who joined the Hallowed was made to study Araphel’s history and geography as it was important to know your surroundings.

The continent of Acarta was a republic-based land ruled by representatives from the ten provinces. Each province was named after one of the thirteen Mythic Phantasms, great guardians from legend. The capital city was located in Zelennia in the Hecate province. The people of Acarta worshipped the Phantasms as guardian saints, and they are able to use them as a source of their spiritual energy. Legends said that some of the more powerful Acartians are able to summon these ancient spirits to stand as their champions. They were currently in the Anemasu province, the home of the Mythic Phantasm of water.

About a mile north of them stood a grand seaside town and, off to the south, he could see a small farming community in the distance. To the east, a grand ocean sprawled across the distance as far as the eye could see. The salty air and sound of gulls in the distance washed over Rift and for a moment he closed his eyes to allow himself a moment of peace. The weather was nice as it wasn’t too hot nor too cold. Just one of the benefits of not being on Earth, no climate crisis.

“I think it’s best if we find a place in town to set up.” Anzu’s gruff voice shook him from his meditative state.

“Good idea, we’re just about a mile out. It shouldn’t take long, plus the Hallowed own a building in town where we can settle in.” Asha responded.

The group gathered their equipment and began making their way north towards what he now knew was Dutour. The route ran through an open field with a few trees scattered about. He could see various crops planted throughout, although none of them were identifiable to him. Animals could be seen scurrying about and for a moment he could swear he was back home in the country somewhere. His foster family had a cottage out in the middle of nowhere and when they would go out there during the summer it was the only time he felt at ease. He could run out into the fields and lay in the tall grass as a way to escape, even if only for a few hours.

“Move over to the side, watch for the carriages!” Asha ordered.

Rift did as he was told and looked over his shoulder as he heard something approaching. He expected to see an old-styled wooden carriage being pulled by horses or other hoofed animals of some sort but, instead, he saw a metallic orb with wheels on it zooming by. There were a few uppity-looking people inside not even bothering to look their way. On the top of the orb was a man controlling the carriage who sat in a small opening big enough for two people with the carriage’s controls in front of him. He gave them a nod as they passed by and continued making their way to Dutour.

Yuki slowed down her pace to match Rifts after noticing him staring in wonder. She giggled a bit before she said, “It’s a mechanical carriage. Not unlike cars back on Earth. Except, these don’t run on fossil fuels and instead rely on magical energy from Sihir crystals to move.”

“Sihir crystals? Aren’t those used to charge magical items?” Rift asked.

“Yep! They’re also used as a power source for cities’ electrical systems. They’re reusable, don’t have a pollution output, and just one pound of crystal can run an entire city for ten years!” Yuki beamed.

Rift thought about the possibilities of having such a crystal on Earth. It would definitely solve a lot of problems, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there was some sort of negative aspect to the crystals. As far as he had experienced, nothing came for free and everything had a price. He continued to think this over until they finally stopped in front of a big house in the middle of the city. He hadn’t even realized they had been walking through Dutour for about fifteen minutes.

The city reminded him of one of those old villages you’d see at a renaissance festival, only real and bigger. The clothes people wore were a mix of old and new, giving them a look all their own. One woman he saw was wearing an elegant long gown while another younger woman wore a skirt and heeled boots. More Sihir carriages made their way through the streets. Their soft whirring was the only sound they made along with the occasional honk when someone got in their way. In the middle of the square was a large fountain with a statue of a beautiful woman in the middle of it. She had flowing drapery covering her body and bellowing hair that swirled around her. She held her hands in front of her, and in them was a giant light blue crystal, the same color as the ocean. Water poured from around the crystal and pooled the fountain beneath her.

“Here we are, the Hallowed’s Dutour outpost.” Asha beamed.

It was a beautiful old building that stood off into the corner. A stone and iron fence ran along the front of it, and at the gated entrance a metal sign read, “Hallowed Embassy.” Asha began making her way up the path leading to the big iron doors chatting with Sebastian while the others followed them. Rift, being the last one in, closed the gate behind him and took one final look at the square. Different people were making their way to their various destinations, which made him feel happy. It was nice to see there was an entire world out there for him to experience and, hopefully, someday he’d see all of it.

He quickly made his way to catch up with the others as Sebastian closed the door behind him. The inside was almost just as lavish as the Bastion. Beautifully varnished wood made up most of the pillars and walls while the floor was a glossy marble. A grand staircase stood before them that lead to the second floor. To their right he could see the entrance to a giant dining room and to the left was a study filled with bookcases that blocked his view of the rest of the room.

“Alright, the bedrooms are upstairs, there’s enough for each of us to get our own. Go settle in and meet back up in an hour in the study. We’ve got a lot of work to do before the day is up.” Asha said before heading up the stairs with her things. As she made her way out of sight, Yuki and Kira squealed in excitement.

“Wow, this place is so awesome!” Kira exclaimed.

“Let’s go pick out rooms!” Yuki proclaimed while hopping up and down.

Both of them giggled excitedly before grabbing their things and running upstairs. Sebastian snorted and shook his head before picking up his things and also making his way up the stairs on the opposite side the girls had run. Anzu continued to sulk angrily as he grabbed his things and mumbled obscenities about Sebastian as he followed in the same direction he had disappeared off to. Rift looked over at Zephyr who also seemed to be mesmerized by the house. He noticed Rift looking at him and smiled.

“Pretty great, isn’t it?” He asked, still looking around.

Rift nodded before responding, “Yep! Never thought in all of my years that I’d ever be somewhere this fancy.” He laughed a bit in disbelief.

The two of them made their way up the same steps Anzu had headed. They passed by another study that was much smaller than the one downstairs. It had a few computers in it as well as other bits of technology that felt out of place in this world. They finally stopped in front of two of the bedrooms that were vacant.

“See you in a bit,” Zephyr said, smiling warmly before heading into his room.

Rift opened the door in front of him and laughed in disbelief. It was actually a lot bigger and nicer than the room back at the Bastion, and that one was already lavish for him. The bed had to have been a king-size, at least. Mahogany furniture filled the room and connected to it was a private bathroom with a big porcelain tub. Rift put his things down and began getting ready for the mission ahead.