"Is it me, or is the horizon much closer than usual?" asked Thomas.
The other three turned to look at what Thomas was speaking about.
"Yeah, you're right," said Ron. "I'm not any expert on sailing but the water ends much closer to us than I've ever seen it."
"It is dark out here," suggested Suzanne. "It's probably just difficult to tell."
"I don't think so," said Ron. "Alice's spell has reached the horizon before. I'm telling you, we're seeing the 'end' of that water a lot closer to us than we should be!"
"Should we sail over there to take a look?" asked Alice.
"I'm against that," declared Thomas. "We have a specific mission on this trip and with Rubiss's help we won't have to do much exploring. Investigating that horizon will only add unnecessary risk."
"Though I am also curious about this I must agree with Tom," said Suzanne. "We continue on our planned course."
As the Shadow Ferry continued the group met with some resistance. Fortunately, they had trained well in preparation. They even managed to stay in control of their fights against the tough orange and purple squids that had given them trouble on the trip to Kol. The heroes had learned how to better spot their enemies coming at them and prepared for the coming melee with spells to increase their fighting ability.
It took another two days after the discovery of the horizon before the Shadow Ferry reached the first shrine. The shrine was beautifully decorated with pictures and bannisters depicting rain and water. Some of the pictures showed plants flourishing in a nice shower while others showed people gathering to drink from a pond that was being replenished by rain.
"It doesn't look like this shrine has been defaced like the tower Rubiss was sealed in," noted Alice. "That must mean Zoma hasn't taken control of it yet!"
"Or it could be a trap," said Thomas. "Zoma might have known that if there were no obvious signs of a takeover that allies of Rubiss would then lower their guard."
"Wouldn't Rubiss have known if Zoma had taken over this shrine?" asked Ron. "She seems to be aware of everything that happens in Alefgard."
"You're probably right, Ron," said Suzanne. "However, let's keep our guards up, just in case."
The interior of the shrine was even more beautiful than its exterior. There were small streams and running water along the perimeter of the shrine. All around the water were gorgeous flowers of a variety of colors. There was an altar at the back with a large statue of a raindrop. The statue and decorations were crafted such that some of the shrine's water flowed through the raindrop. The shrine's only occupant was a woman with green hair garbed in a plain white robe. Curiously, the woman had transparent wings coming out of her back.
The woman reacted with alarm when she saw the four armed figures enter her shrine. Suzanne motioned for the others to stand down and tried to calm the woman down.
"Please, don't be afraid!" called Suzanne. "We are not your enemies! We are allies of Rubiss!"
The woman seemed unconvinced though she appeared to be less panicked. Suzanne slowly reached into her pouch and took out the Sacred Amulet.
"I present this as proof," said Suzanne.
The woman looked transfixed at the amulet. The fear seemed to leave her instantly and she stepped forward to inspect the amulet. Suzanne handed over the amulet.
"No agent of evil could ever get its hands on this amulet," said the woman. "Even Zoma itself could not bear to touch it. Tell me, how did you acquire this amulet?"
"Rubiss herself gave it to us," answered Suzanne.
The woman was shocked to hear that. She grabbed Suzanne's arm as she said, "Rubiss did!? So she has been freed!?"
"Yes," said Suzanne. "She wished that she could have visited this shrine herself, she told us. However, it is important that we acquire some items in order to fight Zoma. She said showing herself here would jeopardize that mission. So she sent us in her stead."
"You must be referring to the Staff of Rain," said the woman. "Hold on, I'll retrieve it for you."
The four waited patiently as the woman went back to the altar. She cast an unknown spell and the statue of the raindrop began to react. The water flowing through the raindrop increased and the altar it stood on opened. Water gushed out of the opening as though it was the water's force that caused the altar to open.
Inside the altar sat the Staff of Rain. The staff was blue with a black thundercloud at its head. The thundercloud had a few lightning bolts running through it. The woman picked up the staff and presented it to the heroes.
"I am the fairy spirit that once served Rubiss," said the woman. "I present you with this Staff of Rain. May fortune be with you!"
"Thank you, kind spirit," replied Suzanne. "I don't know how we can repay you."
"You already have," answered the spirit. "I had given up hope that Rubiss would ever be freed. With her free and guiding you, perhaps there is a chance that Zoma's hold over this land will finally be broken."
The next portion of the journey was much shorter. A day of sailing east of the spirit's shrine would take the heroes to their next destination: the Shrine of Honor, as Rubiss had called it.
There is a small island isolated on the southeastern side of Alefgard, Rubiss had said. The island is home to a very small order dedicated to my service. Incredibly, the order has survived over the centuries. This order is tasked with the creation of the Rainbow Drop.
"Great!" said Ron. "So we just have to take the Stones and the Staff to them and we'll finally have the Rainbow Drop!"
Do not forget the Sacred Amulet, cautioned Rubiss. The order is governed by a strict set of rules. Among those rules is one that says they shall not create a Rainbow Drop for any who have not proven their allegiance to me. Without the Amulet they will not aid you.
"So we just have to find this order and ask them for the Rainbow Drop?" asked Suzanne.
Most of the order is in hiding, said Rubiss. It is not necessary to reveal the location of the whole order. On this island is the Shrine of Honor. The shrine is attended to by one chosen by the order; one that is in charge of creating the Rainbow Drop. I will reveal the location of the shrine to you.
With Rubiss's instructions the four had no trouble finding the island and the Shrine of Honor. The shrine was adorned with many fine decorations of swords, shields, and warriors.
"Looks like my kind of shrine!" said Ron. "Think they could get a picture of me up there?"
"It's called the Shrine of Honor, Ron," replied Alice. "What honor do you have?"
"Hey now!" protested Ron. "I have plenty of honor!"
"I agree," said Thomas. "You play the flute most honorably. Perhaps they could put up a picture of you and your flute up there, next to all those big, strong, and heavily armed warriors."
The idea made Suzanne and Alice laugh. Even Ron had a grin. The four approached the shrine and went inside.
The interior was even more decorated than the outside of the building. There were many displays of actual weapons and armor, in addition to more pictures on the walls. The weapons and armor looked to have seen a great deal of action as every single piece had suffered great damage.
Several displays of armor had been set up around the middle of the shrine to create a de facto room. Inside this room was a stall, not unlike one would find for a shop. Sitting in the stall was an old man. His robes mirrored that of the shrine; every inch of his robes was decorated with pictures of weapons and warriors.
Suzanne pulled out the Sacred Amulet and held it up for the man to see as they approached. "Hello!" she greeted. "We are Suzanne, Ron, Thomas, and Alice. We come on behalf of Rubiss to request a Rainbow Drop."
The man broke out in a huge smile as soon as he saw the Sacred Amulet. "This is the Shrine of Honor," he said. "Welcome! Welcome! It would do me great honor to create a Rainbow Drop for the emissaries of Rubiss. Alas, I am afraid I do not have the materials to create the Rainbow Drop."
Alice took out the Staff of Rain while Ron withdrew the Stones of Sunlight. The
y put their items on the countertop of the stall.
Somehow, the man's smile became even wider. "Excellent! Stay here in my shrine for the night. By tomorrow morning I shall have a Rainbow Drop for you."
The four stayed in the shrine over the night. The man tending the shrine worked through the night and woke the group up the next morning. Despite his long night of work the man did not seem tired at all. Indeed, he seemed to have an extra burst of energy.
"Good morning! Good morning!" the man said excitedly. He eagerly waited for the heroes to get to their feet. He was sitting at his stall. When the four stood before him he withdrew a vial. Inside the vial was a beautiful rainbow-colored liquid. The colors in the liquid were constantly shifting and changing.
Suzanne stepped up to receive the vial. With some showmanship, the man gave the vial to her, "Now it is the time that sunshine and rain do meet. I give unto you this Rainbow Drop!"
"Thank you sir," answered Suzanne. "We will put your gift to great use."
The final part of the four's journey was to get to the city of Rimuldar. It was the last city in Alefgard the group had to visit that had a waypoint. Being able to teleport to Rimuldar would play a key part in the battle to come. However, there was some concern over the city. Rimuldar had become nearly impossible to reach from the rest of Alefgard and no word had been heard from Rimuldar in a few months. Some of the last known people who were able to teleport to Rimuldar had been killed by monsters.
It would take nearly a day of sailing to reach the east coast of Alefgard near Rimuldar. However, there were steep mountains that blocked Rimuldar to the east. The four would have to spend two days on land going through hills and forests to finally reach the city.
When the group arrived at Rimuldar they found what was likely the most beautiful city they had encountered in Alefgard. Rimuldar was in the middle of a lake with a land bridge leading to the city entrance. There were several beautiful streams and ponds within the city itself. As was the case with any settlement in the dark world Rimuldar was filled with lanterns and lamps. The lights reflected beautifully off the waters of Rimuldar.
As for the people of Rimuldar the morale of the city was a mix. Due to its isolation, Rimuldar was not privy to the arrangements being made throughout Alefgard. Thus, the four expected that Rimuldar's morale would be as low as many of the other Gardian settlements had been.
The group split up as they typically did when they arrived at a new city. Suzanne covered up the Armor of Radiance and the Shield of Heroes. They did not want the presence of those items known in Rimuldar. After a few hours among the people they regrouped at the local inn to speak.
"It's weird," said Ron. "We all expected the people here to be depressed since they didn't know about the offensive against Zoma. But some people here act like they know about it."
"I think I know why," said Alice. "Some of the people here have talked about a hero. Some guy who went by himself to Charlock Castle."
"By himself!?" exclaimed Suzanne. "That's suicide!"
"His supporters say that he's the most incredible fighter they've ever seen," said Alice. "Some believe he'll be able to sneak into Charlock and assassinate Zoma."
"Though some react like you did, Susie," chimed in Thomas. "Others say that, strong as he is, he doesn't stand a chance. Some believe he won't even make it to the island."
"That's right, did they say how he plans on getting to Charlock?" asked Suzanne. "We'll have the Rainbow Bridge. How else can a person make it to Charlock without drowning?"
Thomas and Alice shrugged at the question. "Alright, we have some time here. Let's find out more about this hero," said Suzanne.
The group stayed the night at the inn and then resumed their investigation of the mysterious hero. Rumors abounded about him but it was difficult to ascertain the true story. The man was not a regular of Rimuldar and had left the city shortly after his arrival.
"It's like people can't agree on anything about him," said a frustrated Ron as he walked around town with Alice.
"They agree on some things," remarked Alice. "All agree he was not a native Gardian. And I don't believe anyone said he was a woman."
"Even that's not true!" said Ron. "We met that one guy that swore this hero was actually a waitress from the local pub."
"That guy was almost passed out!" protested Alice. "We can't count on what he said!"
"It's still a point of disagreement," persisted Ron. "How can we count on what anyone here has said?"
"You need to work on your investigation skills," said Alice. "When enough reasonably trustworthy people agree on certain facts then we can believe those facts are true. In this case, we can be sure that the hero that left to fight the Archfiend was a non-Gardian man."
A young boy happened to be walking by as Alice said that. Overhearing the two's conversation, he decided to join in, "Are you guys talking about Ortega?"
The question hit Ron and Alice like a lightning bolt. Ron was the first to recover enough to respond, "What did you just say!?"
The boy was startled by Ron's sudden exclamation. "I-I-I just thought you were talking about Ortega."
Alice used a more gentle tone. "We didn't mean to startle you. It's just Ortega is a name we've heard before. You know of him?"
"Oh yeah!" said the boy, regaining his cheery demeanor. "He's great! He's going to go kill the Master!"
"Is he the one that left Rimuldar for Charlock?" asked Ron.
"Yeah!" said the boy excitedly. "I can bring you to my dad. He spoke with Ortega a few times!"
The boy led the stunned duo to a local pub. It was midday so the place was not filled to capacity though there were some that were already there. The boy walked up to a middle-aged man sitting at one of the tables with a couple other men. The man looked surprised to see his son approach with a couple strangers.
"Hey Dad!" called the boy. "These people want to hear about Ortega!"
One of the other men at the table scowled at what the boy said. "Jack, you have your boy spouting off this nonsense now? I tell you, the fool is already dead!"
Jack paid the other man no heed. "Newcomers to Rimuldar, huh? After months of no newcomers it seems that Rimuldar is drawing quite the crowd these days. So you heard about Ortega huh?"
"Yes," answered Alice. "We've heard a lot of rumors about Ortega. Your son said you talked with him."
"That I did," answered Jack. "I tried to talk him out of it. But he had such steely resolve…he was a person unlike one I've met."
"He was another fool!" cut in the other man, the same that had spoken up before. "Just like all non-Gardian warriors that fall down here! They come here and think they're tough enough to undo centuries of suffering!"
"You didn't speak with him," said Jack. "I've met some non-Gardians myself. Like you, I thought the lot of them were fools. But Ortega was different. I don't know what it was but something about him made me realize he's not a fool. He had incredible strength and fighting skill, far greater than any other I've seen. It wasn't just his fighting ability, though. His resolve wasn't arrogant like the others. It was just like…he knew it was a fact. No bragging, no chest-bumping, he just knew he could do it."
"You're as big a fool as he was!" declared the other man.
"Sir, how long ago did Ortega leave?" asked Alice.
"Only a couple days ago," answered Jack. "He didn't want to cause a stir with his departure. He left early in the morning before most of the city had awakened."
Ron and Alice talked with Jack and his friends for a little while longer. Then they left to try and find Thomas. The three found a quiet spot to talk amongst each other.
"Tom, we heard some news about the hero that was here recently," started Ron.
"You mean Ortega?" asked Thomas.
"You heard too?"
"He was treated at one of the local healing houses," explained Thomas. "He was roughed up when he made it here. Nobody's even been able to explain how he got here. Some think he swam here."
"Swam!?" exclaimed Ron. "How is that even possible? I don't know much about how Ortega fights but doesn't he wear armor?"
"I think so," said Alice.
"Guys, I think we have to keep this from Susie," said Ron.
"What!? How could you suggest such a thing!?" demanded Alice.
"Shhh! Don't yell so loud!" cautioned Ron. "Look, I feel terrible suggesting this. But we have a plan for going after Zoma. I think that plan gives us the best chance at success. If Susie hears that we're only a couple days behind her dad she might want to charge Charlock right away. That's not according to our plan."
"Ortega is likely already dead," commented Thomas.
"Tom!" hissed Alice.
"Let's face facts," said Thomas. "We've met nobody yet who knows how he would get to Charlock. He doesn't have a Rainbow Drop. We've heard the tales of the rough waters that surround the island."
"But if Ortega made it here, he could probably make it to Charlock!" persisted Alice.
"In which case he'll be alone right in the middle of the Archfiend's might," said Thomas.
"Well that's great, you two!" said Alice angrily. "Either let's lie to Susie or tell her her dad is already dead so it's not worth going after him!"
"Or neither," answered Thomas. "If we heard about Ortega it's likely that Susie did too. Even if that's not the case, I don't support keeping it from her. Let's see what her actual reaction is rather than continue to guess."
"Ugh, you're right," conceded Ron. "I'm being stupid. Let's go talk to Susie."
It took the three of them some time to find their leader. Suzanne was not at the inn and she was not at any of the local gathering places. The three had to split up to continue their search. Finally, Thomas found someone who had seen Suzanne wondering around. She was on the outskirts of town, walking alongside a stream.
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