Chapter 338: That Trope Again (1/2)
Tal calmly took a sip of her tea, savoring the way the warmth of this particular brew drove away the slight chill that had crept into the hideout once the sun had fallen. While it may very well have been a decent place to take refuge, Mike had not had time to fashion much in the way of creature comforts.
Such things rarely mattered in the grand scheme of things, but it might be beneficial to remind him that his party mainly consisted of young women, two of which hail from noble backgrounds, and it would not be a bad idea to take that into account when planning future bases of operation.
”I suppose Sir Mike and the others should be returning soon.” William offered, interrupting the silence that had sprung up between the two of them for nearly a half hour. ”Perhaps I shall retire to the kitchens and ensure we have something warm to welcome them with.”
”Is fine.” She replied, indicating that she thought it was a good idea.
The butler was sitting nearby, having successfully guided Lily into her room and set her to a simple course of study in regards to regional history. Tal suspected that his efforts were likely futile, since the obtuse woman had an almost pathological inability to remember anything that didn't relate to her interests, but she had to give the man credit nonetheless. He put forth every effort to do his job as her de facto tutor and guardian.
While he was getting up to start the lengthy process of starting a fire in the hideout's makeshift stove, Tal caught the faint sound of hoofbeats in the distance. She paused to listen for a few seconds and confirmed that they were growing closer.
”Someone coming. Prepare Lily.” She told William, before stepping outside to get a better vantage point.
A whispered request to Akiriti, and her mind was soon riding along with the bird-like Air Spirit as it breezed over the tops of the trees. She took a brief moment to enjoy the sensation of flight, the caress of the wind against her companion's semi-corporeal wings, before focusing on the situation at hand.
Scanning the nearby region with her borrowed senses, she quickly located the interlopers, a pair of riders moving at a dangerously fast pace. When she had drawn close enough to identify them, she felt her heart sink.
Releasing her connection with Akiriti, she walked back into the hideout and spoke to Lily and William. ”False alarm. Sera and Morris.”
The butler blinked. ”It is good that they aren't enemies, but why are they returning on horseback and without Sir Mike?”
”Unknown. Must wait.” She replied, indicating that all would be explained once their friends had joined them. Thankfully, it was a short wait.
In a matter of minutes, a slightly breathless Sera burst into the room, demanding. ”Did Mike come here?!”
Tal shook her head. ”Not seen.”
The Oracle bit her lip in frustration, walked over to one of the stonework chairs and sat down. Morris, evidently having dealt with the pair's horses, stumbled in next to provide a bit more context.
”We were hoping that he might have headed here instead.” He offered, a bit listlessly.
”What happened?”
He scratched his neck. ”Truthfully, I am not fully certain. We had just finished fighting the final boss and were in the process of taking the portal back down to the entrance. Mike said he wanted to check something out and told us to go on ahead. Not long after we left the dungeon, the whole Seaside Citadel started shaking, and dozens of parties of delvers were forcefully ejected from the main portal. And then the whole thing just...collapsed in on itself.”
”I'm afraid I don't follow.” William asked.
”I mean, it looked like the entire citadel was just sucked up into a tiny pinprick of light that simply vanished immediately afterwards, leaving a massive hole in the ground that quickly filled up with sea water.” Morris explained wearily while rubbing his face and collapsing into another chair.
”But surely Sir Mike was ejected with the rest of the delvers.”
The bard glanced away, expression uncertain, but eventually shook his head in a firm denial.
”He vanished.” Sera offered before grimacing. ”He probably did something foolish again. I just hope didn't get himself killed doing it, because I have every intention of strangling the man the next time I see him for making me worried like this!”
Tal examined her friends sadly. They had clearly worn themselves out coming here as quickly as they could, exhausting themselves for the small possibility that Mike had shown up here first without letting them know. They definitely need a few words of encouragement. ”Will be fine. Have faith.”
Morris nodded in agreement and gave a big sigh without saying anything.
Sera on the other hand only seemed to be getting more agitated. ”If he got sucked into interdimensional space or became trapped in a collapsing reality, then even he might have difficulty surviving. How can I…”
She trailed off with a glazed look in her eyes, mouth hanging open slightly as she stared off into space. With the ease of someone long practiced in it, Tal gently led the Oracle to a chair and had her sit down before returning to her own seat to wait for whatever insight her friend managed to glean from her vision.