Prelude to Disaster
While slicing through the endlessly stretching sky in flight, a single thought swirled relentlessly in my mind. Ricoris... I'd left that child alone for three whole years. All because of a single Golden Pearl, I lost my senses for three years. What in the world have I done?
"Lady Frostia, are you alright? Maybe slow down just a little..."
Nis's voice scattered into the wind. She clung desperately to my back, struggling to hold her position, but I had no spare attention for such trivialities. Right now, nothing mattered except Ricoris.
Faster.
In an instant, my muscles swelled further, my wings cleaved the air more fiercely, and our speed surged.
"Ubbubububub."
Nis gripped my back tightly, barely hanging on as she let out a bizarre noise. Gone was her usual elegant poise; her hair whipped wildly in the wind, a tangled mess.
"Y-you're too f-fast, aren't yoooou?"
Nis's voice trembled—a far cry from her typical composure and refinement. But I had no time to worry about that. Without a word, I maintained our velocity.
Far off, the silhouette of the Sia Kalt Mountains began to emerge over the horizon. The snow-capped peaks gleamed silver in the sunlight. Normally, I'd have found the sight beautiful, but now it only screamed still too far.
Ricoris, hang on. I'm coming soon.
Anxiety crashed through me like waves, ebbing and flowing. What did Ricoris look like now? How anxious had she been when I didn't return? Or... was she angry? No, Ricoris wasn't the type to get mad easily. But three years...
The mountains drew nearer. At last, we reached the labyrinth's entrance. Jagged ice shards adorned the mouth of the cave, from which a frigid wind howled outward. Our home—mine and Ricoris's.
"Whew... Let's head in now."
Nis slid down from my back, her face flushed from the wind, her once-perfectly coiffed hair a disaster. But her red eyes mirrored my own worry.
"Yes."
I replied softly and polymorphed into my human form. The air felt even colder against my skin now. My silver hair fluttered in the breeze, and the chill on my flesh brought a strange comfort. Nis tidied her own form. Her curvaceous figure was, as always, flawless. The black dress accentuated her grace. But her crimson eyes held seriousness instead of their usual mischief.
"Hurry."
With those curt words, I plunged into the labyrinth. Nis followed right behind.
The interior was as cold and silent as ever. Ice crystals clung to the walls, faintly illuminating the passages with reflected light. We pressed deeper—through the upper, middle, and lower layers toward the heart.
This labyrinth must have changed over the three years too. I wondered what had become of the space where Ricoris had been. The area she tended always brimmed with warmth. A gentle flower blooming in the midst of an ice labyrinth—like an oasis miraculously appearing in the desert. That's what that child meant to me.
We raced to the core. Passing familiar ice tunnels and caverns, I spotted traces of monsters here and there. Fewer than usual, though.
Finally, we arrived at the vast chamber between the core and the deepest level—the place where Ricoris had been. My heart pounded. Soon, I'll see her again.
But the moment I stepped inside, it felt like my heart plummeted.
"Ah..."
Ricoris was gone. The enormous space held only the small flowers Nis had made in her likeness and swarms of insect monsters. Where she'd stood was now just bare ice. Only faint traces of her roots remained.
My mind went blank. No. What happened to Ricoris? Did someone... get to her?
Horrific images flooded my head. Someone ripping her out by force. Ricoris withering in agony. All the dangers that could have befallen her while I was away...
"Lady Frostia! Pull yourself together!"
Nis's sharp voice snapped me out of it. Only then did I notice the temperature plummeting around us. My emotions were affecting the environment. Nis gripped my arm. Worry and bewilderment mixed on her face.
"Lady Frostia, look at the bugs."
Turning at her words, I saw butterflies fluttering agitatedly in the air. Below them, ants, beetles, centipedes, mantises, and other insect monsters clustered into the shape of a massive flower.
My heart began to beat again. The bugs were trying to explain about Ricoris.
"Is that Ricoris?"
As I murmured, the flower shape they formed began to shift. Petals turned into a torso, the stem into legs, forming the figure of a little girl.
"Oh my! Looks like Ricoris polymorphed after all!?"
Nis cried out in surprise, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The bugs' performance continued. Beside the girl figure gathered a massive bee shape from clustered bees, two butterflies, and a spider. Their movements grew more complex. The girl figure extended a hand as if pointing to me, then mimed walking toward that direction. The bugs dispersed.
To think they could perform such a play... I couldn't help but marvel. Last time I'd seen them, this level of intelligence was impossible. Ricoris must have raised them well.
More importantly, she polymorphed and set out to find me...
The situation clarified. Ricoris had mastered polymorph on her own, turning human, and left with her four bugs—Miel, Cecilia, Glessia, and Lote, no doubt—to search for me.
My chest ached. How long had she waited for me? How much longer until she learned polymorph herself and finally left like this?
Guilt and emptiness surged together. It's my fault. I left her alone for three years. Because I lay there senseless, unable to return...
"Let's hurry and find Ricoris! To think she polymorphed all by herself without my help!"
Nis said, thrilled. A smile played on her lips, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
I sighed involuntarily. What was with that simplistic thinking? She didn't grasp the gravity at all. Didn't she wonder what state of mind led Ricoris to polymorph?
Irritation flared, but there was no time for it now. Finding Ricoris came first.
"Yes, let's go right away."
My voice was calm, but inside, a storm raged. Where was Ricoris now? Had she run into danger? And above all... what would she say when she saw me?
As we headed back to the entrance, my mind grew tangled. Where to even start looking for Ricoris? The world was too vast.
"Where to now?"
Nis asked, as if reading my thoughts. Her eyes shone with anticipation for what lay ahead.
"Well... if she came looking for me..."
I pondered. I'd left to drop Nis at Desmeer, so maybe Ricoris headed there. But once she learned I wasn't? Where next? Or had she been wandering the world from the start?
"It's so daunting. I never realized the world was this big."
I gazed at the open sky and sighed. Finding a little girl like Ricoris in this expanse...
"I've got a great idea."
Nis said brightly, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
"What is it?"
"We're famous across the world, right? How about we just go to some country and wreck it? Rumors about us would spread fast, Ricoris would hear, and she'd come running!"
My eyes widened. It sounded insane... but thinking it over, it was actually pretty solid.
"Hm... surprisingly good idea?"
Nis's eyes sparkled.
"Right? Most efficient way. Humans—who cares if a few die? They're short-lived anyway."
She waved dismissively. To her, human lives were like flowers that bloomed and wilted in an instant.
My view wasn't much different. From the perspective of millennia, humans were fleeting shadows. Sometimes I didn't get why Ricoris cared about them.
Come to think of it, that god Michael she fussed over always nagged at me. Michael cherished humans, after all. But playing nice for Michael's sake would slow the rumors.
"Yeah. Easy way to spread word and find Ricoris."
"Exactly! Somewhere central on the continent would be perfect for her to find us!"
Surprisingly rational. Central continent... I didn't know what countries were there now, but it fit.
"Good thinking."
I smiled faintly, and Nis beamed like a praised child.
"See? Glad I came along, huh?"
"Yeah, yeah."
I replied with a wry smile. Nis's methods were always extreme, but in this case, it might just work.
"Ricoris... we'll meet soon."
I murmured, preparing to take flight again.
Munch munch! The Haind Count's family dinner was far more lavish than I'd imagined. The whole roasted pig at the table's center had crispy brown skin; one slice, and juices cascaded like a waterfall.
Nom nom nom! This is insane! So good!
I marveled, stuffing my mouth with meat. The count's chefs were top-tier. Especially thoughtful: all meat and seafood, no veggies in sight. Luxe lobster dishes, tender beef steaks, spicy seafood stews.
Aaah! Too delicious!
"Not a bad taste, is it?"