Maria stood next to Noel, while Kokoso and Noel were working on the day's special and most popular menu item: Salmon.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3zQOkn8rN 維尼
"After everything that happened, not sure I can look at salmon the same way again." Maria sighed.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFs9gpqSTe 維尼
"You mean the golden one?" Noel thought for a moment before giving a reply, "I guess it could have been magic, but you know what Autumn said about food, it could have just been a salmon with extraordinarily high concentrations of magic, which is why that yeti was after it."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMjeinVB9g 維尼
"I guess the yeti was Autumn...she knew what status she was after, it probably made her ice attack stronger." Maria mused, "We could speculate for hours."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQHjuaNclW 維尼
"Or I could just tell you," Spring fell into the desk next to them, "the salmon she ate gave all her magic effects a boost, from resistance to attack, Autumn told me all about it at the inn before we fell asleep."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW6AcJjPgq 維尼
"That's where you were, I thought you went back to the Refractory Construct."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Qv3EqLkRC 維尼
"That would be nice, the magic of the Wilds is strong there, steeping in that kind of magic would be ideal, but it's a wreck, Autumn trashed that place well, it's best to wait until we find Summer and Winter before trying to make it livable...I think I saw a molded...former plum in a corner." Spring thought back to it and shrugged, "Anyways, until then we're living in the inn, the only problem is that I can't be sure if that's Autumn snoring across the hall, or Noel who's next door to me."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzdTvpi6cW 維尼
"Hey, what's going on with this soup, is it supposed to stick to the bottom of the pot?!" Kokoso cried from the kitchen.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmXoFYoXNR 維尼
"Oops, got to go back there, my soup's burning!" Spring darted back to the kitchen, where Kokoso jokingly accused her of abandoning him.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBCC3yN2Am 維尼
As the day dragged on, Maria noticed two costumers who she hadn't seen before, a woman in a green suit, blue tie, red tented glasses, carrying a notebook with her, and a young man who came in after, wearing a plain yellow shirt, he immediately went to a table in a corner, while she sat at a table on the side, "So, they're traveling alone, then."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1hTfJrrjL 維尼
She turned to Noel, who turned to the dining area, "I'll take his order, you take hers."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFK4DQCMjM 維尼
Noel nodded and started towards the table.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡf66NOvpbfD 維尼
"Hello," Maria greeted, "welcome to the Sea Side Wolfe-"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4Y867iqBX 維尼
"Something feels off." he suddenly remarked, looking around curiously.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡzO1Su5az70 維尼
"Eh, this was a ship, that's probably why."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwu4HFq1as 維尼
"Not in the geometrical aspect...just fundamentally...off."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPY3jzoSkO 維尼
"Oh, it's probably the Wilds, the energy here is...hard to explain."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oXOvzhmag 維尼
"As though it has filled a void in my soul...like an empty battery suddenly given power." he looked up at her and frowned.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyxi2MAy00 維尼
"Um, is something wrong?"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCibpECoc9 維尼
His reply was a question, "You have chocolate cake here?"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0kbchgMn7 維尼
"U-uh, no...we don't, now that you mention it, we haven't stocked up on any desserts."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnoaqat2pX 維尼
"Well...that's fine...I can wait...I've got a little while."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTVn2EpB3w 維尼
"Y-you'd wait for that? We still have to find the ingredients and compute prices-"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6heEQFp2Vw 維尼
"I can wait...I'd show up every day for some cake."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCLXuILeTC 維尼
"Alright...well, until then, do you want to order anything else?"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cpcEvWW5S 維尼
"Uh, I'll just have a salad for now."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jI0v4JzEd 維尼
"Alright, I'll bring one out."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeHWxf5ZlT 維尼
She got back to the kitchen to find Noel bringing out single coffee, "Mine wants chocolate cake, since things seem to be slowing down-"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡO83FToDSmZ 維尼
"Got it, just have Kokoso hold onto the funds for ingredients." Noel continued on her way and Maria absentmindedly wondered where the others were, before continuing to the kitchen to burden Kokoso and Spring with yet another order.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DIetqU3d7 維尼
Byrd waited behind Cathryn, axe upright to guard against the pack of wolves rushing up to them, Autumn running from them, luring them in close.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡtviQJ9YPsv 維尼
"Shocking Guard!" Cathryn roared, waiting for yellow sparks to run through the pack, springing from one to another, stunning the pack.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8kspeTSLH 維尼
She then swung her axe through the group and Byrd flew off to the side, then raised his spear, "Piercing Gale!" he cried, before charging across the wolves.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxCw2fkOvf 維尼
Autumn took the pack out with regular claw attacks, then stepped away from the vanishing monsters to address the others, "We can forge new armor with what we've collected, right?"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHjdau8Vwb 維尼
"Byrd, what's on our shopping list?" Cathryn inquired.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡi79PdBY07I 維尼
"Wolf pelts, iron, gorgons' bane, eagle beaks...is there even a monster that drops eagle beaks?" Byrd turned to Autumn, who nodded.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WLk4ZzHWn 維尼
"Don't worry about the iron," Autumn assured, following Cathryn to the Mosaic Rosetta, "I collected some before the wolves saw me, as for the eagles, there's a mountain beyond the Fall waterfall's source, monster eagles should live there, plenty of bears, too."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbX6wz1Abn 維尼
"I have a question." Cathryn turned to Autumn and continued after the spirit nodded, "Why did Spring attack as a phoenix, and you were a yeti? It doesn't...doesn't make sense to me."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UlvKGPGMI 維尼
"Yeah, it's crazy, huh? The thing is that it does make sense, if you're thinking one season in advance, Spring gives way to Summer, I prepare the land for Winter, Spring's element is wind, so you have an airborne monster, yet Summer comes next, and sense one thing becomes another, the airborne beast is cloaked in flames, thus the phoenix, a symbol of rebirth, a bearer of fire borne aloft the winds." Autumn snickered, and sang out merrily, "I just plagiarized Historia!"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyAxLpFpr2 維尼
"Wait, that means Summer's going to be fiery and earthy, and symbolize life?" Byrd racked his brain for a monster that would fit that description, but came up empty.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcgQ5745Wt 維尼
"And how could Winter manifest as chilly and airy, and...deathly?" Cathryn fell into contemplation as she continued leading the group back to the Mosaic Rosetta.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfzsnaiH8J 維尼
"That's the thing...I don't know, for instance, instead of a yeti, I could have been a snowman, that wouldn't have been fun...and I'm sure there's another symbol of rebirth that Spring could have been...I just don't have an example prepared...it could even just be a symbol of new beginnings, like...an ash tree?" Autumn frowned and shook her head, "Yeah, that's the best I've got...because ash, fire, Summer."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYRxC3O6OW 維尼
"That would be a good name," Byrd decided, "and I see where the wind figures in, it'd attack with leaves."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvo1WiQWQ0 維尼
"Well, that happens sometimes." Autumn shrugged.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sxhkEC64x 維尼
"W-wait, this happened more than a few times before?!" Byrd exclaimed.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8NegjRqbF 維尼
"Yeah, it's never easy, one year Summer was fine, the next hundred years we tried to find her, she was crazy, destroying so many farms and forests, once she was a whirlpool monster...but there are four patterns: Forward, reverse, flip, standard, forward is what's happening, reverse is what like...if Summer was a phoenix, and flip...when flip happened, Summer became a Charybdis and wandered the ocean like an idiot, it took a couple of decades to snap her out of it...of course, I was a dragon, so...yeah, it wasn't fun for the kingdoms at the time."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQJBqirjbx 維尼
"Why did you turn into monsters last time?" Cathryn wondered.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWXeqEkM1T 維尼
"Ha, ha, um, well, Spring told you about Unseason, right? Well, she has minions, some were magicians, some were alchemists, some were...other spirits, we're most vulnerable without a body, but then, if we're along, we're more vulnerable than spirits without a body, and thus, wandering alone, become monsters, but Unseason wasn't supposed to be able to do anything this time around, we thought we were safe, her magicians shouldn't have had power, and yet...somehow someone could use the chains we cast upon Unseason to curse us, turn us into monsters, it's torture to be a monster, during the time, it feels like a nightmare, except there's no waking up."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡNf86lLNedS 維尼
"Alchemists turning spirits into monsters?" Byrd shook his head, "I know you're not kidding me, but I wish you were."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9paArXQlHj 維尼
"I do have a terrible time refraining from humorous indulgences, but I'm afraid I'm sober this time...somber, I meant somber!" Autumn grinned as Byrd closed his eyes and lowered his head, a toothy grin on his face while Cathryn gave her an amused hum, "Oh, and I remember once, I think it was one of the last three or four times, Spring was a shadow on a horse, she had ravens that attacked...her monster was Valkyrie, she raised spears that could cut your defense, and if she mortally wounded someone...she made them fight for her...raising them as her puppet."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJjqWa2ya5 維尼
"So, what was that occasion, standard," Byrd inquired, "or-"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGB6HDPwLI 維尼
"It was reverse, her mortal wounds bound victims in ice, her lances were chilly gales, and she could swoop over her enemies to freeze them."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtxnwnK5gh 維尼
"I guess I see how Valkyrie is rebirth." Cathryn sighed, "Even if it's not actual life, there's still the theme of death, it's really perfect."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqUI5ih4F4 維尼
"It is," Autumn agreed, "and I can't wait to break the cycle...but we can't necessarily 'kill' Unseason, just bind her again...with a better hiding place, I hope."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡedoQxBFYWI 維尼
Cathryn used the Mosaic Rosetta to travel back to Historia's gates outside the Refractory Construct, and they continued the journey in silence.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95byYWHfIS 維尼
Noel returned from the store, Spring waited outside a side door and gestured her over, "This one leads straight to the kitchen."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0rcdAZqpH 維尼
Noel nodded and took the groceries inside, after fitting them in the refrigerator, she went back to the front to find Maria nodding as the woman with red glasses spoke to her, she heard something about pentameters and synonyms, her eyes drifted back to the journal and she realized that the woman was a poet.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡa90SEIbdd1 維尼
She turned to the man sitting alone with his salad, besides the two here, the place was void of customers.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLqd1v2fww 維尼
"Hello, Miss," the poet greeted, "Maria and I were just discussing my new poem. My name is Re."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkX00KT0gg 維尼
"I'm Noel." Noel turned to Maria and nodded her head to the kitchen, "Maria, does he still want chocolate cake?"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvwHVzmU2n 維尼
"Yeah, I think so." Maria turned around but Noel was already headed that way.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDw7D0wBX2 維尼
"Don't worry, I've got it." Noel promised.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y6YmzVM17 維尼
"So, Maria, have you heard the news in he city?" Re asked, smiling.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpsajFD49Q 維尼
"No, I haven't, what's going on over there?"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMNdfdKDbz 維尼
"Apparently the king and his science team are mobilizing, something about a missing android."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1sVOMpS3Q 維尼
"A missing android, aren't those things hard to make? Why would an android just go missing?"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fDyUxlzq1 維尼
"Oh, this one, they say, is special, mobile and coordinated as a gymnast, with all the fiery might of a phoenix born aloft the winds."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPlPXatndl 維尼
Maria's brows furrowed as she stared at the smiling author, "Are you-"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pvR2yAhtZ 維尼
"If you know, you needn't speak my name, but if you do, know that my...resources are limited and that all I can do is write under my pen name, that of an author you and your bunny friend have read much of." Re stood up and took a final sip of her coffee before turning away, "Ciao, and good luck with managing your battles and your store."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEicmPgAI5 維尼
"Thanks." Maria watched as the woman left, it made sense that she was the spirit Historia, but only Historia would know about her and Kokoso's favorite author, "So, she writes as Relia Cordelia? I don't see how that makes sense...Spring suggested she was calling herself Record, but she cut it to Re...she's a strange one, for sure."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeFnCTpDQM 維尼
"Maria?" she turned to find Kokoso watching her, "Noel told me about an author that didn't seem affected by the Wilds, one named Re...Spring suggested that that was," Kokoso turned to the last costumer in the room, "well-"8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8xB9Ts9kM 維尼
"I know, I think so, too...she cut Record short, and is apparently our favorite author...despite not having met you she knew."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFfiOIgYGT 維尼
"She could probably tell us where the last two are."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp3tWVmwVt 維尼
"She...probably could." Maria shook her head, "For some reason, I get the feeling she can't, either that...or she's interested in seeing what kind of destruction either side can do to the other."8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFc6JaXjy1 維尼
"You know, at first I thought there were three regulars here, looks like it's just Noel and that guy who ordered chocolate...is he wearing yellow?!" Kokoso hurried off to speak with the customer and Maria turned away.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZBQHx71Re 維尼
"What's gotten into him?" Spring laughed.8964 copyright protection486ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBPh9F3yiJ 維尼
"I think he's going to go and extol the virtues of yellow." Maria shook her head thoughtfully, "Oh, well, if he embarrasses himself, I'll just be...taking his place in the kitchen."490Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOIsvAkq4S
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Spring giggled and watched Kokoso, who seemed to be in a deep conversation with the cake fan, "I keep forgetting how much fun humans can be to watch."490Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsg2JyVklu
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Spring smiled and started for the exit, she wanted to be the first to know when the hunting team came back with the gorgons' bane.490Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIiQQwPfGKe
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