*It was a new day like usual and our dear Traveler left Athena's place more earlier than usual to head back to Iceland where near a coffee shop he gets a message from someone.*
*PHONE RINGS*
Traveler: "Huh?"
*He picked his phone up only to see 1 notification from Hinako*
**"Hey Sweetheart! Hinako here! I managed to get your number from Mika recently, and i need your help with something extremely hard. I was called by one of my old supervisors from Lunia asking me to check inside one of the deepest mines there is in Iceland that connects the two nations. They witnessed a massive sickness wave and don't know from where it's coming from. Best details i can tell you is that it's some sort of shadow thing? Not fully sure. Head to the Shadow Fighters Headquarters and meet me inside my office. I'll tell you more there alright?"**
*He replied back with: "Alright. I'll be there soon."*
Traveler: "Lunia? What's that.. and eh whatever it's probably not something too harsh but considering what Hinako told me i'll never know until i see for myself."
*He stole a random bike and drove it there*
?: "Hey my bike!"
*At the Shadow Fighters Headquarters.*
*KNOCK*
Hinako: "Yes? Come on in!"
*He opened the door revealing Hinako laying down in her bed near her office chair with Chris and Jackie sitting on some chairs.*
Hinako: "Ah you're here!" *She gets up* "I apologize for seeing me like this im just a little bit tired nothing much."
Chris: "Yo Traveler!" *They fist bumped and so he did with Jackie.*
Hinako: "So let me tell you about this. But if you have some questions! Don't hesitate to ask me first!"
Traveler: "I do actually. What's Lunia? And... Sickness wave?"
Jackie: "Lunia is the Nation of Water. It has recently faced a sickness wave coming from some shadow powers in the deep mines we get materials from in most nations."
Hinako: "And one of my foster supervisors asked me to check it out and see what and where the problem is coming from. Would you mind giving us a hand?"
Traveler: "Sure. Anything for my friends :)."
Hinako: "Splendid!" *She clapped her hands in excitement.* "We will leave together in approximately 10 minutes. If you need to go to the bathroom or anywhere you're free to go now. Only the two of us will go there and check this thing out. You rest make sure the Headquarters is in good hands. Chris! As Lieutenant im letting you take charge this time! But if something bad happens reach out to Emily. She should be in her office alright?"
Chris: "Yes Ma'am! U-uh.. i mean B-boss.."
Hinako: "Hey don't worry Chris! I take both! No problem!"
*Traveler already left for the bathroom. As some time passed Hinako got ready dressed up a bit more combat wise and got her sword and amulet that she put it above her head.*
Traveler: "Back! Shall we go?"
Hinako: "Yes. Right at it! Are you ready? I won't promise you'll like what you'd see."
Traveler: "Alright! Let's keep going!"
*They left the Shadow Fighters Headquarters and headed towards the border between Iceland and Lunia.*
**At the border**
Soldier: "Lady Hinako! Fancy seeing you by the border! Where are you headed?"
Hinako: "Well i am headed towards the Iceland's big mine. Need to discover what happened in there since Lunia is facing a sickness wave coming from there. He's my friend helping me with the investigation."
Soldier: "Alright he's with you right? Like you took him. Because if he only agreed to come then he'll need to show me a permit of being an Iceland citizen."
Hinako: "He's with me don't worry about it."
Soldier: "Great then give me your ID really quick."
*She takes her ID out of her phone case.*
Hinako: "Here ya go. Don't mind it. It was back when i was 25. I still didn't make my new one yet."
Soldier: "Well it's not expired yet it expires in 2028 so you still have 3 years of use to it."
*He comes back and hands her back her ID.*
Soldier: "Alright you're good to go. Have fun and be careful outside there! You know how dangerous it is. And i just realized you wear heels. Are you sure you can do it in heels? It's pretty sloppy and slippery around there."
Hinako: "Eh im sure i'll be fine."
Soldier: "Your call! I won't interrupt ya any further."
General: "Soldier!" *Whistles* "Need you here! Now!"
Soldier: "At it chief!"
*He leaves and they move on.*
*After 35 minutes of walking they reached the entrance of the big mine.*
Hinako: "Here we are. The big mine! Look how bigger it got since 2018! The war was crazy back then!"
Traveler: "Huh really? Guess i never got to see the war."
Hinako: "Eh im sure you might be in one at one point. Alright! Going down! Hold my hand it's really slippery in here!"
Traveler: "Alri- OW DAMMIT!"
*She immediatelly turned back and realized her mistake.*
Hinako: "Oops! Sorry! My nails are really sharp! I apologize!"
Traveler: *wiping tears* "It's f-fine!"
*They eventually go down together sliding down the slippery surface until they reach down at the entrance and they saw a sign saying.*
**"CAUTION! TOXIC AREA IN FRONT! ACCESS PROHIBITED!"**
Hinako: "Hmmph.. prohibited access. Yea yea like i care." *She nudges the sign and moves on with Traveler following behind.*
Hinako: "Holy fk this area stinks! And it used to have such clear air! What could've happened here!"
Traveler: *coughs* "Surely not something great..."
*They explore more around and notice that the usual small rivers around there are now black*
Hinako: "Hmm.. the rivers here have turned black.. i wonder what's the cause..."
Traveler: "Black rivers? That's a new sight to me."
Hinako: "Hmm yeah.. i never saw it in my life either.. so who knows!"
*They continue walking and dropping down several areas until the area becomes too toxic to move on.*
Hinako: "Good god! What is this!? Notice this Traveler? Traveler?"
*She turns back only to see him passed out.*
Hinako: "Uh-oh! Traveler! Hey! Wake up! Oh shit! Let's get back up."
*She picks him up and gets him back to the top from where they dropped and he was still passed out. Hinako put him in her lap and awaited him to wake up. After 5 enemies he woke up staring at her face and then getting up quick in distress.*
Traveler: "Eek! Why was i in your lap! Did i pass out or what!?"
Hinako: *giggles* "Oh you worry too much. I'm sure you could'nt handle the shadow levels of toxic clouds in there. I am 25% made of shadow as i said before and i can easily handle these. But it seems you cannot. Uhh what can i do to lower these fog levels... I could'nt see anything either..."
*She looks around only to see some sort of mechanisms locked behind a shadow barrier.*
Hinako: "Hmm? Hey come with me. I think i noticed something."
Traveler: "A-alright.." **"Why did she have to put me in her lap now seriously!?"**
*He followed her and reached the mechanism.*
Hinako: "Hmm there's a note."
**"T wo be smting t shd no b touch. RUN! DON'T LOOK BACK!"**
Traveler: "What does this even say? I can barely make the last part seenable for myself. The words are cut.. even the paper itself is."
Hinako: "Let me see." *She picks up the note and brings it closer to herself.*
Hinako: "This would be something that should not be touched.. Run. Don't look back. What can this mean?"
*She uses her powers to lift the barrier up and sees a lever. She pulls it down and a massive noise of up to 120 DB is made and the Fog inside the dropped part dissipates but not entirely.*
Hinako: "Ah! Something useful! Let's head back the-"
**MASSIVE GROWL**
Traveler: "Yo i am not going down there no more!"
Hinako: "Come on now! It was just a dog most probably."
Traveler: "YOU THINK THAT GROWL WAS FROM A DOG!?"
Hinako: "Probably. I don't know until i see it. Come on now! We're going down there!"
*As they dropped down again they witnessed a corpse with a small writing on the ground saying.*
**"BEWARE OF THE VOID REAVER! IT'S GONNA END US ALL!"**
Hinako: "Void Reaver? Who is that?"
Traveler: "Hinako!? What's that in front!"
*They noticed a thing extremely tall that had a pulsating black orb as it's head with a white body and chained to the ground with a blue fiery aura behind it releasing shadow fog continuously. But it spotted them two.*
**MASSIVE GROWL**
*Both of them fall down to the ground as the chains of it break and it's freed. The Void Reaver charged at them fiercely striking the ground where they are with its arms.*
Hinako: "Look out!" *She parried the attack as Traveler went out of its way.*
Traveler: "What is this thing!? We need backup! ASAP!"
Hinako: *grunts as another hit stroke her sword.* "It's strong! Extremely strong! We need to leave this place!"
*The Void Reaver closed their only escape with a beam that blocked their way by strong rocks.*
Hinako: "Drat! Spoke too soon! Guess i'll have to take care of it on my own! Traveler! Break those rocks! I can take on it!"
Traveler: "Alright! Will do my best!"
*Hinako took her jacket off and her eyes began shining a black color.*
Hinako: "Bring it on!"
*She charged at The Void Reaver hitting it 4 times as it gets pushed back. Traveler uses his sword and wind powers to try and break the rocks that blocked their escape.*
Hinako: "Get away! You won't beat me!" *She continued to strike as it got closer to its usual spot where the chains weren't there anymore but then.*
Hinako: "AAAAHHHH!?" *She gave a intense slash that pushed The Void Reaver knocking it down but instead of falling to the ground it fell under a portal probably back to the shadow realm.*
Hinako: "Phew.." *she was gasping for air as she left her sword down and fell to the ground.*
Traveler: "I did it Hinako! Let's go!"
Hinako: "Gimme.. a.. minute.."
*After 3 minutes they got away from the big mine almost harmed.*
*Outside the Mine.*
Traveler: "Hinako you're bleeding everywhere!!"
Hinako: "Really? I'll.. be fine..." *She collapses to the ground.*
Traveler: "Oh no! Wth do i do!"
*He took her phone that luckily had a easy passcode to unlock and called Emily.*
*Phone rings.*
Emily: *on line* "What's up boss?"
Traveler: "Emily! This is The Traveler! I need help! We faced an insane creature in the mine and barely escaped! Hinako is extremely wounded and she passed out! I need help! We're out of the mine!"
Emily: "Really!? I'll be there in like 10 minutes! Luna!" *Whistles* "Let's go baby girl! We have to save our boss!"
*She got in the position as Emily hanged up and rode Luna until the mine. Chris and Jackie were smoking a cigar outside noticing Emily in a hurry.*
Chris: "Huh what could she be up to? Without a warning or anything?"
Jackie: "Eh i don't know. We'll know once she's back."
**Emily POV:**
Emily: "Go Luna! Go! Don't stop! Faster!!"
*After 7 minutes she reached the mine noticing them.*
Emily: "Boss!"
*She got off Luna and rushed to her.*
Emily: "What happened!?"
Traveler: "I'll explain more when we reach the headquarters! Let's move!"
Emily: *whistles*
*Luna reacted and came closer. Emily put Hinako on top of her and both of them also got on her and rode back to the headquarters.*
**Back at the headquarters.**
Chris: "Wait is that- Boss!!"
Jackie: "What!?"
*They both rushed over as Emily got Hinako off Luna.*
Jackie: "Emily what happened!?"
*The Traveler explains them everything they went through.*
Chris: "Really!? That's a new threat we should report to the Tea Party Headquarters! I'll do it!"
*He quickly goes to his office to report to Jess.*
Jackie: "Let me help you."
*All 3 carried Hinako inside as Luna followed back slowly and went inside Emily's office to rest.*
Emily: "God i need to patch her up badly.. help me here Jackie. You're dismissed Traveler. You can come another time to check on boss. I'll let her know you're safe."
Traveler: "Alright. Thank you Emily. Take care all of you."
*He left*
Jackie: "Do i call the medic squad?"
Emily: "Most surely."
*Traveler went back to Duran via the bus and went back to Athena's place where he told them everything that had happened in his journey.*
Athena: "Are you okay!? Let me see!"
Ken: "Man you have to be serious! Actually!?"
Traveler: "Yea man it was so fkn awesome but extremely dangerous as well.. god i thought i was gonna die there."
*Athena checked on him everywhere to ensure he wasn't wounded. But luckily he wasn't at all. Next time it'll be worse most probably.*
**To be Continued.**