The town of Redwood, the only town for miles. It made Cecilia feel somewhat stranded at times whenever she remembered that fact. Mountains and forests surrounded this part of Elysium, which separated them from major cities. Nothing but miles and miles of open field with a green forest wall on the horizon. The mountains loomed over the trees, like sentinels that watched over the lands. As they approached the town, Cecilia was tempted to drive this truck right into a tree- if it didn’t belong to Mandy.

  Well, there were only a total of three people she could live without meeting. Mara, who was seated next to her, was honestly a good kid. The look in her eyes as they neared town made Cecilia feel a little fuzzy inside. The way the girl showed her excitement like a child on their way to an amusement park. Mara was giddy and eager to see the mundane world of modern society. Something Cecilia wouldn’t understand, but couldn’t help but feel happy as well.

  Chapter III: History is Power

  Bucket, an odd name, was level headed. Quite smart for a goblin, which gave Cecilia some hope for goblin kind. But she felt like Bucket was just another thieving goblin, as her talents were far more suited for thievery and stealth. There were times that Cecilia lost sight of the goblin so easily, despite just being in front of her. Not because she was as short as any other mischievous creatures, but the fact that she was an actual rogue from a fantasy setting. Somehow, her green skin just blended so well with the concrete ground. As if she had the ability of invisibility.

  Now, the last three. They were a dangerous topic.

  Cecilia wanted nothing to do with them specifically. They were, in her words, a trio of lunatics. Violent individuals that would tear at each other if Mara wasn’t around. Like wild dogs, they bark and bite at anything they see. She nearly swerved off the road a few times when she scolded Roxas, who was attempting to shoot at passing street signs. Thankfully, this discouraged Vonryl to follow the elf and not throw his axe at anything.

  The town wasn’t grand, but it was home for many. Dozens upon dozens of signs lined up the walls and streets. From a simple barber shop to a fancy restaurant, you could find anything you need in this place. And of course, as they entered town, the people in the back couldn’t help but catch some attention from the townsfolk.

  People of all kinds of shapes and sizes, of different origins, all stared at the passing truck as they noticed oddities. Unlike the common folk, Mara’s party consisted of armed warriors. Dressed like they didn’t belong in their era. Cecilia expected this attention, sadly she wasn’t clever enough to figure out a solution. She did think of letting them use her employee uniforms, but it would have garnered the same kind attention anyway. Almost everyone knew each other in this town, so seeing five new faces would certainly be the talk of the town.

  “I remember my first move into this town…” Cecilia muttered to herself.

  “What was that?”

  “Oh, nothing!” Cecilia said as she tried to ignore Mara’s curious gaze. “Anyway, how are you doing, kid?”

  “Oh, I am feeling fantastic! Seeing a new world is always an amazing feeling. Reminds me of my first venture into the Catacombs of King Johan! My first official quest as a proud member of the Adventurer’s Guild.” Mara smiled warmly as she reminisced. “I am just enthusiastic to see new experiences!”

  “Huh, that’s great to hear. Honestly, your optimistic outlook sure is cute.”

  Mara looked away shyly, her cheeks flushed. “Aw shucks, thanks! This is not like any I have ever seen before. Look at these structures, businesses, and fashion! Never thought I would be part of the future. To be here, and to witness the capabilities of our descendants. Remarkable.”

  Cecilia smiled at that.

  Though Mara surrounded herself with dangerous people, the girl herself was a light in the darkness.

  The truck came to a stop, and they all jumped out one by one. The group were standing right in front of a large building with fascinating architecture.

  Roxas whistled as he set his eyes on it. “You said there were no other elves around? That structure makes me doubt your words.”

  “There were no elves in this place, ever.” Cecilia said once again. “Not even way back when. Because we mostly kept to ourselves in Blancaer. So no, this isn’t made by elves. Welcome to the Redwood Town Hall.”

  The building itself was built upon a stump of a titanic tree. And it was then that the newcomers realized how this town achieved its name. The stump was carved out, and an old stone structure was built on it.

  “Well, I guess this is elven inspired. These walls…” He ran a hand on the surface of the stump. He felt time itself on the crevices and cracks. “This was a fort, wasn’t it?”

  “How can you tell?”

  Roxas grinned. “I can speak to the dead. I jest, I jest. The truth is, I remember this place now.” A twist of event that shocked Cecilia. “This was the outpost Blood Roots, once a human occupied fort, now… a symbol of politics. I quite find it hilarious how this fort became such after all these years. They say that the bark itself bleeds when cut or wounded. Despite having fallen centuries ago. Not even insects or birds dared to touch it. Humans on the other hand…”

  “Well, nice little history lesson, but, let’s just go in and head straight to the library.”

  Mara squealed. “This place is also a library!? Fantastic! Let us venture forth and find answers to our questions!”

  The townsfolk continued to watch them as they entered the town hall, some started to whisper and gossip amongst themselves, while few continued on with their own businesses. But one thing was for sure, the whole town knew about these odd folks.

  As the six walked through the doors, everyone in the room came to a halt. Eyes landed upon them, especially the massive orc that towered over everyone. Cecilia tried to ignore their gazes as she led Mara and her friends to the library. “Listen, the librarian is kind of a jerk, so don’t be loud and keep to yourself. No messes or food, or else we get banned from this place.”

  Books, plenty of them. It made sense as this was the library, home to knowledge and history.

  Mara was quick to whisper orders to Gorzul. Then they then found a nice little corner where they sat down, only occupied by another dwarf who was staring at them like everyone else. Soon enough, Gorzul arrived with a tower of books, she made sure to put them down as quietly as possible. All heeded Cecilia’s warning, and dared not to make a noise.

  Once Mara was satisfied with the collected books, she began assigning a book to the other four.

  “What exactly are you guys looking for?” Cecilia asked as she leaned into her chair.

  Mara looked away from the Human History book to answer. “We need clues. We can’t exactly stay here in this place, there are people back home that need us. Friends, family, even Vyrlos.”

  Roxas grumbled. “This map, it’s all wrong.”

  Vonryl chuckled at the elf’s frustrations.

  “You’re right,” Mara hummed as she looked at the page Roxas was in. “No Ferrumhin, Blancaer, or Stormgard. Just Elysium. Dwarves, elves, and humans, all united under one name.”

  “At least the other countries kept their name. Though it appears that the orcs have shortened the name to just Uzkobog.” Vonryl pointed out.

  Gorzul pressed a finger on the page. “The Ashen Crown has shrunken.”

  “Alright, we are learning more and more. Let’s keep at it.” Mara smiled at the progress they were making.

  “Knowledge is power.” Cecilia commented as she decided to pick up a book to help out.

  Hours went by, the group were deep in their research. Cecilia realized how hungry she was as she had skipped breakfast. Seeing it as a good excuse, Cecilia left them to their work and walked out of the library and to the nearest vending machine. The elf spotted a bag of chips behind the glass. She punched in the numbers and grabbed the snack as soon as she could. It wasn’t a meal, sure, but it was something to fill her stomach with.

  “What weird looking folks you got there.”

  Cecilia nearly dropped the chips. She spun on her heel immediately and smiled awkwardly. “Mayor! What can I do for you today?”

  The mayor, a dwarf with a clean shaven face. Short and stout like any, but the only notable difference was his grey skin. “Nothing much, I am only curious about those friends of yours. And please stop with the thing, just call me Shane like always. Mayor makes me feel older.”

  “Friends? What? No. They aren’t my friends, they are… my brother’s! Yeah, that’s right. He has very strange friends, I get that. Well, he’s strange too. Crazy even.”

  “Brother? Boy, I didn’t know you had a brother. Don’t think you ever mentioned him ever back then, not even your mother.”

  Cecilia raced to make an excuse. “Well, see, he just had bigger dreams back then, and didn’t really follow us to Redwood. A bit of a bad topic with mom, you understand.”

  Shane nodded. “Ah, that makes sense. Some people just can’t be held back. Hell, my mom wanted me to follow her footsteps in carpentry. Anyway, the whole town is talking about him and his friends.”

  “Ah, there’s no need to be concerned, dude. They’ll be on their best behavior.”

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  He nodded. “As long as they don’t cause too much trouble. Well, they seem like good folks.” Cecilia arched a brow at that comment. “I’ll see you later, got work to do, and I feel like going insane with these paperworks.” He laughed as he walked away. He continued to laugh even after he rounded a corner. His booming voice echoed through the halls, so much so, that it could be heard all throughout the building.

  Cecilia sighed as she returned to her snack. She couldn’t exactly bring it into the library, so all she could do was sit outside and eat it. Once her hunger was sated, she walked back into the library and rejoined the research. But when she returned, she found everyone gathered around one book, with faces full of confusion and denial.

  “Found what you’re looking for?”

  Roxas sighed as he pressed a finger on one entry. “This didn't happen.”

  Cecilia took a look at where he was pointing. This section was about the Great War, dubbed as a pointless victory by most historians. Dated over 300 BE; Before Elysium. As Cecilia read through it, it revealed that the efforts made by Stormgard weren't enough to put a stop to the schemes of a man named only the Tyrant. How three heroes walked out in shame after they defeated the Tyrant. These three fought through an army, only to suffer the consequences.

  “How do you know?” Cecilia asked.

  “Because I was there, I am one of those three heroes.” Roxas said through gritted teeth. His hands clenched around the edge of the table, which creaked under his strength. “We didn’t walk out of that room in shame, we held our heads high. We defeated the Ashen King, Aemora!”

  “Shush!” They heard from over the shelves.

  Roxas grunted as he calmed himself down. He sat back down as Cecilia looked at him in fear. She was frightened that he would just let loose at everything. But it seemed that his team had his back. Vonryl rested a reassuring hand on Roxas’s shoulder, while Mara gave him a soft smile.

  With a sigh, and his rage diminished, he continued. “This is also the wrong title, he was the Ashen King, a black dragon that ruled over the Aeshhin, and the Aeshmei. There’s nothing in this book about him at all, only calling him a tyrant.”

  Gorzul nodded. “Yes, if memory serves, everything else is accurate, aside from describing magic as nothing more than a myth. Up until the end of the Great War.” She hummed with a hand on her chin. “After that is also wrong, there was no chaos: After the death of Aemora, the land saw a generation of peace. But look, for three hundred years, society seemed to collapse as something changed. We can assume that magic disappeared here or even right after the Great War, and thus the Age of Chaos.” She said as she pointed at the entry itself. “I do not recall these events. Millions suffered some sort of sickness that swept the lands.”

  Roxas had his face in his palms, who tried his best not to lose control. “This isn’t right. This is not right.”

  “Is he okay?” Cecilia asked.

  Vonryl only sighed. “Let him be. The man does not wish to forget the years he lived. So to see such contradictions written down.” Vonryl then jabbed his fist at Roxas’ shoulder. “Keep it together, elf. Don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the brat.”

  For a moment, Roxas stared at the dwarf through his fingers. Then his lips curled into a smirk. “Right, I must show them what a real elf should be like. And looking at her, I have my work cut out for me.”

  “I prefer your doom and gloom side.” Cecilia scoffed.

  “There must be a reason why things don’t add up.” Mara said, her one eye scanned the pages over and over. Doing her best to understand the faults in history. “Wait, Gorzul, is there a book about religions?”

  The orc grunted and showed Mara the book she wanted. The girl then skimmed through it in a matter of seconds. Familiar names passed by as she flipped through the pages. Then she stopped at what she was looking for.

  “Demron.” She spoke the name with a hint of loathing, as if she was spitting poison that lingered on her tongue.

  “The Wizard King?” Bucket gasped.

  “Of course, why didn’t we think so sooner?” Roxas growled as he shook his head.

  Mara nodded with a grim look. “Indeed, he should have been our prime suspect.”

  Cecilia drew a blank, as she had not heard of this person. Though, the fact that gods existed long ago still sends a shiver down her spine. To think, the world was once under the supervision of these heavenly beings. And also hellish ones.

  “Who is he?” She finally spoke after a minute of silence.

  Vonryl scoffed. “Not good, not bad, just god.”

  Gorzul massaged her temples. “Mischievious prankster. God of Games. God of Rules. We are entirely unsure what he even represents. And let us not speak his name so much, I would rather not have a headache right now.”

  “Well, sounds like you people would be happy that he’s long gone.”

  To that, the group laughed at Cecilia. The elf shrunk in confusion as they continued to bellow in amusement.

  “What? What’s so funny?”

  Vonryl wiped a tear away. “Elf does not know that no power in all reality could ever remove the Wizard King.”

  “That’s true,” Roxas sighed. “He follows his own set of rules, and is never under any threat. Knowing him, he must be watching our struggles. He is omnipresent, truth be told.”

  “Huh, then why isn’t he helping you guys out? I mean, he is a god right? Then maybe you can do some ritual offerings or something.”

  Bucket clicked her tongue. “He isn’t the giving type. Unless he feels bad for you, you will have to earn his blessings.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Gorzul’s face morphed into a deeper scowl. If she looked angrier before, then this was a whole new kind of emotion. “When I finally won one of his games, he twisted my words and granted me an undesirable prize. You must be careful with your tongue around that foul trickster.”

  “Excuse me,” Cecilia nearly screamed out of surprise, while the others simply turned their heads to meet the addition to their circle. An old man, with hair that had long since lost its color. His face, though soft in expression, had a hint of fury behind it. “You brats, this is a library, so shush or get out.”

  “Sorry Mr. Montoya, we will try to keep things down.” Cecilia promised to the old man.

  Montoya grunted as he eyed everyone carefully. His gaze raked over them one by one, obviously attempting to figure them out. “You’re a big one. Parents must be feeding you bricks.” His comment toward Gorzul was somewhat odd and brunt, but the orc took it as a compliment.

  The old man then shuffled away.

  Everyone watched as he walked away, with a feeling of strange unease toward the old man.

  “The librarian seems nice,” Bucket said, breaking the silence in the room.

  “Alright, everyone! Let’s take these books back to Cecilia’s place.” Mara didn’t need to finish her sentence as Gorzul was already piling the books.

  Cecilia then followed the group to the circulation desk. Of course, Montoya was seated behind it. Eyes held a hint of unwarranted contempt toward them. But Montoya swiped the books from Gorzul’s hand before Mara’s could even open her mouth. “Sorry, but you need a library card to borrow these books.”

  “Oh, well. Cecilia?”

  Cecilia shrugged her shoulders, her hands tied. “I never had one.”

  She expected Vonryl to make a comment, but to her surprise it was Roxas who reacted. Roxas’ lips curled to a frown, his eyes locked onto the back of her head with sudden malice. Before the young elf could even make an excuse, Roxas snapped his hand onto her head and twisted her neck to face him.

  “What do you mean?” His voice was utterly calm. But Celicia could feel the hatred in his words.

  “Easy,” Vonryl slapped at Roxas’ hand. “Not all elves are as addicted to books as you are.”

  “Then let us all receive library cards. Because knowledge, and information is something we cannot be without.” Roxas grinned like a maniac as his hand wrapped around Cecilia’s arm.

  Montoya grumbled as he stood up, the chair behind him screeched as it backed away. “You’re lucky, signing up is free.”

  The old man led the six of them, who didn’t question or argue. Much to the surprise of Cecilia. They didn’t even put up a vote. Instead, they all followed Montoya to a corner of the library with a set ready. There was of course a small layer of dust on the equipment, and one quick wipe was all Montoya needed to have it all ready. One thing led to another, Cecilia was now on the chair right in front of the camera, with her name written on a small whiteboard. She didn’t smile, her brows instead were knitted together in confusion as Montoya took the shot.

  One by one, they took turns in taking their pictures. From Mara’s humble smile, to Roxas' prideful grin. The chair even creaked under Gorzul’s weight. But there was one thing out of this that really caught Cecilia by surprise was when Bucket sat down. Her name, since the moment Cecilia met the goblin, was Bucket. But the twist showed itself when Bucket wrote “Bukut” on the whiteboard.

  After Montoya took Bukut’s picture, they all followed him back to the desk, where he started to piece together their library card. Printed, and laminated, they were now ready to borrow some books. And without missing a beat, Montoya scanned the books and packaged them in a sealed box. All within seconds. His hands worked like a machine.

  Once done, he then shoved all of them out of the library and back into the main lobby. Once again, everyone in the room looked in their direction. Yet the five remained unbothered as they gathered themselves. Instead they left without wasting another second. Gorzul carried the box full of books in one hand. Her arm flexed beautifully, her muscles displayed for all to see. A green monolith that stood amongst mortals.

  Just like before, the five outsiders stood out like a beacon. Especially when the five just stood there. Their attention swapped rapidly as they took in the sight of the town. Roxas especially was deeply interested in modern architecture. Cecilia could tell that he had inspiration burning in his eyes. Vonryl noticed as well, and immediately jabbed the archer in the ribs.

  “Don’t even think about it.” The dwarf warned.

  Before Roxas could even strike back, his attention snapped toward the left, his nose flared as he inhaled sharply. Before they could even question him, he sprinted off. The group gave chase, with Cecilia a reluctant member of their team. As much as she wanted to stay with Mandy’s truck, but these lunatics needed someone to watch over them. And Mara wouldn’t be enough.

  The six of them became the main attraction as they ran through town as if there was a fire. With a second elf in the lead. But what really caught everyone’s attention the most were their amazing skills. The five were athletic, and quick. Any obstacles that appeared in their way were easily avoided. While Cecilia struggled to move around said obstacles. It was more amazing that she could catch up with these perfect lifeforms.

  At some point, Cecilia felt her heart screaming in her chest. Fatigue caught up with her before she could even catch up with Roxas. With deep breaths, she found herself losing vision as things slowly went blurry. Then she slammed face first with Gorzul’s back, and fell on her backside. It was like running into a wall made of flesh. They had finally stopped, and Roxas had led them too far from the truck. To where is the real question. Cecilia, despite feeling as if she had run a marathon, leaned past Gorzul’s large frame.

  Of all the things that would pique Roxas’ interest, it was a hot dog stand which also doubled as a news stand. The smell of sausages was overwhelming, with some sharp onions and garlic.

  “Really, a hot dog stand?” Cecilia hissed out. “We ran like we were being chased, for a damn hot dog stand?”

  “What is a hot dog?” Mara asked innocently.

  “It’s a type of sausage, a frankfurter or a weiner. It’s a very common snack.”

  “Is this what you were smelling, elf?” Gorzul sneered.

  “No, him.” He pointed at the man behind the counter.

  He was a short man, his face obscured in shadows cast by his blue hoodie. The man was currently conversing with two beast folks, a bunny and a horse. The bunny was dressed in red, while the horse was in blue. Casual clothes of this generation.

  “Check it out!” The bunny raised the newspaper in her hands proudly. “The Elysium military has just invented a new artillery platform!” She announced proudly to the man. The horse simply rolled her eyes. Not interested in the subject at all. “Not only that, but with things going bad in Koruk Uzgobog, maybe we can finally see some action with the new tanks!”

  “Jen, you patriotic loon. You’re gonna scare the customers with that talk.”

  “Don’t care! Too happy!”

  “Vel, if you please?”

  The horse beast folk, now known as Vel, snatched Jen by the collar of her shirt and dragged the lagamorph away.

  “Sorry about that, friends, can’t live without them.” He chuckled. “Now, what can Trusty do for you? Come on, don’t be shy!”

  “Something about this man is familiar to me.” Roxas whispered to the others. “But, I cannot put a finger on it.”

  “You figure that out, I’m grabbing myself a bite.” Gorzul said as she walked ahead of them, the box still on hand after all this time.

  “Hold on, I want to try it out as well!” Roxas ran after her.

  “Welcome! What will it be? News or some grub?”

  “I would like to partake on these hot dogs. So will my companions.” Roxas grabbed a pouch from his coat. “How much are they?”

  “Three crowns for plain, but one crown per toppings.” He pointed at the menu above his head.

  Roxas rubbed his chin as he formed a decision.

  Cecilia was the last to give her order, since she hadn’t had breakfast at all. So this was the best thing Roxas did for her yet. While the others were just experimenting with their first experience, she just had a plain hot dog with ketchup, and mustard. Still, she forgot that these folks were out of place. Something so common to her was new to them. To them, it was an uncharted territory of food. She wondered if there were more for them to see. Who was she kidding? This world they found themselves in would be enough to blow their minds away.

  At first, Trusty was hesitant to accept Roxas’ coins. But then he realized that the coins he carried were made of gold. Not like the current coins and banknotes, which were both made of nickel and paper respectfully. A single gold crown was enough to buy out the whole store, sans the newspapers and magazines. But they only wanted hot dogs and some reading materials.

  While they waited, Bukut was busy with an elven beauty magazine. The rest were huddled over a newspaper. Roxas held a sour expression as he and the others read the pages. She saw that they had bought themselves some magazines as well. All of which focused on travel and landmarks. Elysium may be a land where the three kingdoms unite, but there were still the lands beyond the borders. It must be so jarring to them that not only was the world around them different, but beyond the horizon and mountains as well. All five of them were probably full of curiosity about what lay beyond.

  Even as they all munched down on the hotdogs, the team sans Bukut were still nose deep into research. Cecilia was impressed with their dedication.

  “Strange friends you got here, Ceci.” Trusty commented as he wiped his hands clean.

  “They’re not my friends. They’re my…” A sigh escaped her. "They're my brother’s.”

  “Didn’t know you had a brother.”

  “Like you know me.”

  “We went to the same classes in high school.”

  “I don’t remember you.”

  “That’s harsh.”

  Cecilia returned to watching the four do their research. Though they had run through town like lunatics, Cecilia felt a sense of calm as she watched them slowly adapt to their new environment. It wasn’t common for her to enjoy a hot dog with people from a time long forgotten. These five were truly fishes out of water. The way they dressed caught everyone's attention in this town. The way they talked. And the way they saw the world. It was all different from what Cecilia learned throughout life.

  This was a glimpse into the past. A world that the world itself had moved on from. Now laid bare for everyone to see. With their outdated view on society, and their thrilling and daring take on life. Cecilia must admit, they weren’t the kind of folks you want around your parents. But they were actually such an interesting group, that deep down she wanted to know more about them. Still, they were dangerous and outdated. Luckily, they could still learn. Hopefully.