Arise - Chapter 6: The Elf

The girl's brows twitched as her lips quivered into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Regis wondered what he had done wrong when he realized he had forgotten what Big Sister Yvel said. He quickly bowed in apology, "Sorry, I wasn't supposed to say that. I take it back. Please forget that I ever said it, or Big Sister will be mad."

"Take it back?" The girl tilted her head uncomfortably like her neck was made of wood. Her yellow eyes glared strongly at Regis, and he backed away with his hands acting as a wall to stop her from doing anything. The angered look she gave him was nothing compared to the iciness in her voice. "What is this idiot talking about? Is there even a brain inside that head of yours?"

Regis fumbled on his words, unsure of what to say next. Grandpa always said to compliment them to quell their anger. Observing the girl's face, he tried to find something that wouldn't enrage her further and spotted a unique feature.

He pointed to his ears and said, "Your ears are long and sharp. Very unique."

That set the girl over as she yelled with a flushed face, "That's it! I'm going to kill you!" She lunged for Regis, and he backed away as fast as he could. But the girl blurred and appeared a step ahead of him, about to stab him with the knife in her hand.

Why did she have a knife? The knife closed in toward him. Regis resisted the shudders running down his spine, the numbness carrying over to his skin. He remembered what Yvel taught him before and entered a stance, launching his punch from his waist. His motion was so quick, thanks to his new training, and the girl wore a face of shock as the punch neared her face. He threw out any thoughts about how to apologize or why the girl was mad, leaving them for later. Right now, he had to fight to stop the knife from stabbing him.

Before their attacks could land, a loud electric shriek knocked their heads. Danube swooped between them, his feet quick and accurate, knocking away the girl's knife and Regis's punch. As they fell to the floor, Danube played another solo performance, much more abrasive and forceful this time.

"Be mindful of your words, Regis. She's an elf, one of the races that live in the Tower. Never speak of their ears. It's a very sensitive topic for them." Danube warned with a sigh and turned to the girl elf. "Sorry about this kid over here. He's from the 0th floor and has no idea about anything. Give him some time. After all, we have to work together from this point on."

"I'm sorry for saying so rude. I didn't know." Regis bowed his head, ashamed of his careless words. Grandpa Folk and Big Sister Yvel warned him about his big mouth before, and now he was reaping the consequences.

"0th floor….I'll forgive your rudeness on account of your status. However, do it again, and I'll kill you." Her words didn't warm up at all, only getting colder by the second. She glanced at Danube with a stern look. "To come in here with a guitar and an incessant drive to play music wherever you are…are you a member of the Sonus Family?"

"What about you?" Danube played a flat tone on his guitar. "An elf in such luxurious clothing must be someone of high status. That fabric is from the rare silkworms that grow on the golden mulberry trees, aren't they? Are you from a nobility?"

The elf's attire was strange. She wore a white jacket wrapped around her upper body, wide sleeves flowing elegantly to her wrists and covering her hands. The jacket was fastened and held together by a ribbon on the side of her chest; underneath it, a long, full skirt fell to her ankles, matching the color of her hair with a golden leaf hairpin tucked inside.

"Hello. I am Regis Folk. Thirteen years old. Nice to meet you." Regis introduced himself since they seemed to be getting acquainted with each other. "What is your name?"

"Danube Lycricen. Sixteen years old. As you said, I am from the Sonus Family." Danube seemed less lively, stopping his guitar strumming when he mentioned the Sonus Family. His red eyes pierced into the elf girl. "So, what is your name?"

"Astar Rowanveil. Fourteen years old." Astar, the girl elf, placed her hands together, covered by the wide sleeves, and curtsied an elegant bow. "From my last name alone, you can tell my noble lineage. Still, are you also from a noble lineage on the 0th floor, Regis Folk?"

"Me? No. My Grandpa and I don't have any servants or live in a big house." Regis wondered why Astar asked him that.

"Are you really from the 0th floor? Those clothes you wear are not something the 0th floor, which is cut off from mana, should have. I can see the mana woven into the fabric, a good defensive item like mine." Astar narrowed her eyes, clearly not believing him.

"These clothes were a gift from my big sister. I only met her recently, but she's very nice even though she sometimes pranks me." Regis patted the fresh clothes that fit him perfectly.

"Y-your…big sister just gave you those clothes?" Danube no longer had a cool demeanor. Both he and Astar stared strangely at Regis, who rubbed his cheek. Was there something on his face?

"Hah. You must have caught the eye of someone powerful for them to favor you this early. Still, is this allowed?" Astar roamed around Regis, pinching his clothes, making him blush bright red. She seemed to mumble things to herself. He caught some words of admiration for his attire as she circled back to her spot.

"It's a good advantage. Who is your big sister?" Danube asked, strumming his guitar again.

"She said not to tell anyone. It'd be annoying, were her words." Regis chuckled weakly, recalling Yvel's stern warnings. He nearly screwed up already and couldn't let it happen again. His bright smile never lessened despite their disappointed looks, but he gripped the silver pocket watch in his pocket, his fingers running across its smooth surface, bringing him calm against their stares.

"ALL THE CLIMBERS HAVE BEEN DIVIDED INTO GROUPS. ONLY THOSE WHO SUCCESSFULLY PASS THROUGH THEIR TRIALS CAN CONTINUE TO ORSUSTAN. THE OTHERS WILL HAVE TO RETRY AGAIN."

A loud groan echoed, and the room started to quake. Regis stumbled around before stabilizing himself with the punching stance Yvel taught him. In the center of the wall, an opening rose from the floor. Once it reached its highest point, the ceiling, the quaking stopped. Regis glanced over to the others, and they all nodded in agreement, heading toward the new opening. Regis hesitated momentarily, but seeing his new teammates enter without a fuss, he went ahead.

The room past the opening was a large golden hall with tapestries of golden depictions on scarlet cloth. Regis was in awe of the great drawings of beasts he had never seen, places that seemed impossible to exist, and strange people holding hands. The footsteps of his companions snapped him back to the focus of the room, a set of three stairways leading up to three different doors.

Hanging down from the ceiling was a large banner that said, 'Choose One And Choose Wisely.'

Astar went up the stairs to one of the doors, observing it. She jumped to the next platform and did the same for the second door. After finishing the third door, she returned with a troubled face, and her brows knitted as her lips puckered. "I can't see a difference with these eyes. The mana around them is all the same. Why aren't the two of you trying to do anything?"

"I've been trying to hear how my strumming bounces around them. All identical. There must be something that makes these doors different. I'd rather not face difficult trials." Danube played harder, closing his eyes and perking his ears up, but his face only darkened. He sighed and turned to Regis. "What do you think, Regis?"

Regis gritted and ground his teeth around his mouth, the irritation building down to his toes. The entire time Astar and Danube assessed the doors, he felt the same strange feeling he had in the labyrinth, an urge to go a certain way. This desire kept increasing until his feet started to walk on their own. Each step of the stairs lessened the discomfort, and Regis sighed in relief when he arrived at the center door. Without hesitation, he grabbed the knob and turned it.

"What are you doing?!" Astar screamed from behind, her footsteps drawing close. But it was too late. Regis opened the door, a strange fog churning inside. The other two doors disappeared with their stairs, leaving this door the only choice.

Snapping out of his stupor, Regis faced the angered Astar and the stern Danube. "Sorry, but I felt this one was the best."