Pillar of Yita

This was just a slightly dilapidated cabin, so cramped that there was hardly room for one person to turn around in. In the darkness, there was a single bed made of dry wood, a battered wooden cabinet, and a table adding to the few items that filled the space.

The small and gloomy room was the only shelter the three could find at the moment. Outside was the bone-chilling cold of the cemetery at night, and a wind lantern hung by the window, its iron base and handle almost frosted over.

Inside, at least, there was still a bit of warmth.

The breathing of the three people was very light.

No one had lived here for many years, and the air was permeated with a faint musty smell. The elf girl fluttered her eyelashes slightly, and after a while, she came to.

She turned her head weakly and looked at the two young girls beside the bed.

”Sister Atira!” Both girls looked worried.

Atira’s pale face displayed a slight smile, warming her heart, ”Gita, Fuli, I owe you thanks.”

”Sister Atira, are you alright?” Tianlan spoke quickly, which made Gita, who was a step behind, give her a frustrated look.

”I’m alright. Where are Ade and Parker?”

”They clashed with the Dragon Worshippers. Brother Ade didn’t want me and Gita to risk anything, and since you were injured, he asked us to take you and leave, Sister Atira.”

Atira surveyed the small cabin, ”What place is this?”

”We don’t know,”

Gita, ever so organized, clarified, ”This is inside Haggston Cemetery, Sister Atira. We could only find this place nearby to take shelter, with undead creatures all around.”

Atira was silent for a moment.

She took out a necklace from her bosom and looked at it — Tianlan and Gita watched this scene with curiosity. They knew it was Kid’s legacy. They had gone through great trouble to redeem it from the hands of those adventurers, yet Atira had never shown them the necklace.

”Sister Atira?”

The elf girl shook her head, ”It’s nothing, Gita, Fuli. I’m just thinking if I was too hasty and involved you as well.”

The two young girls anxiously protested, ”Sister Atira, why would you say that? We had agreed on this originally.”

”Don’t worry,” Atira smiled mildly, ”I’m not planning to leave you behind. I promised I’d help you complete the final test with Parker.”

She reached out and touched the heads of the two, ”Besides, all good things must come to an end. After you complete the test, you’ll each go your separate ways, won’t you?”

Thinking about this made the two young girls glance at each other, each feeling a bit gloomy.

They were not in a good mood, yet they didn’t know whom to blame for their gloom.

”And what about you, Sister Atira?” Gita asked softly, ”Brother Ade and Miss Hilveld, will this adventure group that you founded continue to exist for a long time?”

Atira silently looked at the necklace she held, seemingly reminded of something, and just gently shook her head without a word. The necklace’s pendant bore an intricately carved white oak wood.

It was a gift she had made by hand for Kid on his coming-of-age celebration.

The white oak wood above.

It was actually the Holy Forest of the Forest Elves, Ameya’s Holy Land.

The two young girls felt somewhat depressed. Tianlan turned around, leaning on the cabinet with a poor mood, looking out the window.

Bright moonlight streamed through the glass, casting a glow on her cute and delicate face. The girl watched the foggy forest outside, which seemed to always harbor something sinister in the dark, yet there was also a faint, irrepressible anticipation.

It was a longing for the unknown world, for the unknown adventures.

It was the essential mindset of every Invoker.

If not for this, why would she have come to this world? Tianlan sighed, thinking she had come here just to clear her mind.

Yet subconsciously, her bloodline also carried that wild longing for freedom, the blood of an Invoker. But after coming to Eteliria, her troubles only seemed to increase.

”Ah...” she sighed.

Atira couldn’t help but chuckle seeing her like this, ”Fuli, what are you sighing about?”

Tianlan pouted, ”I was thinking that Brother Ade and the others must have already entered Hustings Cathedral by now. I really want to see what that place looks like.”

Gita jumped, shocked, ”Miss Fuli, please don’t be rash. If the undead burst in here, we can’t hold them off with Sister Atira in her current state.”

”Just kidding,” Tianlan giggled, ”Gita, you really are timid. How can you qualify as an Invoker like this? Invokers are supposed to be daring adventurers.”

Gita bit her lip, unable to say a word. Her mentor had said the same thing more than once, but she still couldn’t help worrying about this and that.

She even wondered if she really wasn’t suited to be an Invoker, like Brother Ade, who remained calm under any circumstance.

Or like Parker, who was carefree.

Or at least like Miss Fuli, whom nothing could scare—except ghosts.

As for herself, she was afraid of everything—

Atira saw how Tianlan’s words had almost brought Gita to tears and couldn’t help but glare at her sternly, ”Fuli, when will you stop bullying Gita without reason? Only then can you be considered a mature adventurer.”

”I wasn’t bullying!” Tianlan stuck out her tongue, ”I didn’t touch her. Besides, Gita is so flat, she’s not even nice to touch.”