While Jack was at the spring, enjoying his newfound asylum and Solana's body in Urianthe. A strange sight was happening in Cyros.
On top of the southern wall, two beasts were embodying the concept of friendship; griffins were swiping at each other, chasing each other like dogs and rolling on the ground.
In stark contrast to their camaraderie, two humans dressed in black with golden crosses on their back were hostile. Lancel took a sip of tea. He put the cup down on the glass table and crossed his legs.
"Kirana we'll do this my way," he said.
Lancel's confidence was backed up by his strength: he was stronger than this deranged inquisitor. Although sometimes she managed to give him a sense of dread.
Picking up her mug as if it was too big for her hands, Kirana sniffed the aroma. Her little nose scrunching with every inhale. She glanced at her colleague with a raised eyebrow.
"No poison this time Lancie?"
She chucked and gulped down the tea, the scalding hot water carelessly entering her esophagus, burning it from the inside, continuing to scar her stomach lining.
"Aaah," she said, "Pain is pleasure."
He sighed. This woman was infuriating.
"Say Lancie…" she brought the porcelain mug close to her eyes.
Holding the mug in front of her eyes, rotating it, examining it, she slowly licked it, absorbing any remaining tea drops. Kirana glanced at Lancel.
"Thank you for the tea," she smiled gently.
But her hands weren't gentle. She squished the mug, shattering it into porcelain chunks. One by one she picked the chunks and ate them as if they were ice cubes.
With each bite her HP dropped.
"Can we resume our business? The slime is more important than your disgusting display of masochism."
She nodded and her left hand glowed golden then she cast a heal spell on herself.
"Lancie how could you let a heathen escape to Vylara?"
Her eyes narrowed. "A priestess insulted our holy mother and you let her escape. I am devastated Lancie."
Putting one hand on her heart, Kirana placed her other on her forehead. "Her excellency was right to assign me here." Lancel felt adrenaline surge through him; it took his all not to burn this amateurish irritating child. Kirana was 20 years younger than him. She lacked experience yet because of her borderline psychotic faith in the holy mother, she was groomed into an inquisitor. Orphans made the perfect servants but perhaps this one was a bit too much.
He coughed, "I've already sent forth a diplomatic request for an audience with the Elven Ambassador. The meeting should be in a week."
Kirana shook her head, "A week is too long. Too long for the an excommunicated priestess to live. Too long… too long"
He snapped his finger to knock her out of her trance, "The focus isn't on the priestess. She's inconsequential-"
"Let me use the tunnel," she interrupted.
"Have you become even more mental?" He replied instantly. "That tunnel's purpose isn't for this mission."
Slamming her fist on the table, Kirana stood up. "Her excellency demands the death of the priestess and capture of the slime. Any and all resources should be used for the holy mother's will."
"This mission does not take precedence over the Justicar's crusade."
"I'll go alone. Not even Yggdrasil will sense me trespassing on its domain. Their mission will remain in tact."
Lancel thought about it for a few minutes. Even though he hated this woman; she did possess a unique skill granted by the holy mother that would be perfect for infiltration. They both had skills granted by the holy mother but Lancel's were more suited for information.
"Very well. As long as you hold up to the code."
Kirana beamed a smile. "I'll happily take my life and spend eternity with the holy mother."
Shortly after the duo mounted their griffins and flew towards the direction of Holia. The two beasts were happily squawking at each other and racing. They reached the city faster than usual. But their destination was in the lake in Uryen Forest.
Five paladins clad in golden armor were patrolling the area and easily killing any monsters that approached. The inquisitors landed on the sand next to the lake.
"Your excellencies," the paladins shouted in unison. Hopping of his griffin, Lancel searched around for the Justicar.
"Where is Caine?"
"Justicar Caine is currently in the tunnel," the paladin gestured to the lake.
"The tunnel is in the lake?" Kirana tilted her head.
But Lancel didn't answer her and instead walked towards the lake, his boots splashing water everywhere yet no water splashed on to him. Kirana followed after him like a puppy. They defended into the lake, into the furthest depth of the lake, into the part where no light reached.
The inquisitors used a holy ball as makeshift flashlight.
A massive skeleton rested on the lake's floor; a leviathan. Swimming to the northern part of the lake floor, Lancel entered a cave. The sound of sword cleaving through flesh echoed in the tunnel before him, along with magic being cast.
Following the sound, he passed by more gigantic skeletons of earth serpents, mud moles, earth spirits.
Kirana whistled, "Someone's been busy."
Finally after walking for an hour they reached the battlefield. Well the aftermath of a battlefield. A paladin was covered in blood: serpentine blood. His sword was buried into the head of a level 60 magma serpent. Plucking it out, he turned to the guests.
"Your excellencies," he said. "To what do I owe this visit?"
Before Kirana could open her mouth, Lancel spoke, "How far along are you?"
Caine scratched his chin, "I've just reached under Urianthe. Yggdrasil on the other hand might take a few more years."
The Justicar hopped off the serpent's head.
"If I had more Justicars I could finish it within the year," he said, "But of course Yggdrasil would be alerted."
Lancel nodded then he gestured to Kirana.
"Before you continue, create a small path outside Urianthe but not inside it."
Caine looked at Kirana. The way he sized her up wasn't lustful. It wasn't a gaze of a predator seeking to dominate its prey but that of a pragmatist assessing the strength of an asset.
Mist envoloped Kirana, her ears elongating like an elf, her skin becoming like wood bark, and her clothes morphing into living vines. A subtle green aura shimmered around her as she became one with the surrounding earth.
"Tada," she said. A branch extended from her arm like a finger. With her wooden finger she touched the serpent corpse.
She took a deep breath then in a singsong, "Yggdrasil my beloved tree, guide this branch with grace to see, this flesh my humble gift to thee."
Lancel rolled his eyes.
"Are you done?"
"I'm just practicing the part of being an elf," she giggled, "Alright time to kill an heretic and capture a slime."