The Last Heirloom's
15. Emrys Tree

Amalthea Palace.

It was still morning, the sun had only partially risen. The palace was startled by the appearance of three figures who had just teleported and fell right in front of the Palace grounds.

The three figures are Eris, Declan and Dallas. All three had just returned badly injured, most notably Dallas, who nearly lost his left leg. Their three guides also suffered the same fate.

The medical witches rushed to pick up, carrying the twin brothers on magic stretchers. Their three guides were also stretchered off to get treatment. An adult woman wearing a silver dress appeared from the palace doorway, picking up Eris who was about to go inside.

The woman had a very beautiful face, charismatic with narrow eyes like a cat. His dark hair was left long. His aura was powerful and intimidating. He was carrying a silver-gloved sword hanging behind his back.

"I'm glad you survived, Eris," he told Eris, who finally arrived at the Palace's doorstep. The woman with the tomboyish appearance smiled bitterly with breath still wheezing.

His brownish red hair that was cut short like a man looked tangled like it had been a year without combing. He came back with a very different appearance. He was wearing clothes that were certainly strange to the people of Amalthea. His appearance is somewhat muddled, wearing jeans, jeans that have been torn in several places. Not to mention the attributes of small sharp objects that were intentionally affixed to his jacket. His body doesn't even look straight. His left eye was covered by a cloth and there were still new patches of blood on the cloth.

"Hi, Samira. Haven't seen you in more than three years, it turns out you've changed a lot. Look, you look almost like the Queen."

Eris has always been in the style of the ceplos since long ago. Not only was his appearance tomboyish, but also his attitude and behavior were sometimes too brazen. He will convey what he sees clearly. And that obviously made that beautiful woman named Samira not like her.

"Thank you for the compliment. I'm surprised you can still talk so much when it's already battered so. Now come with me!"

Eris simply shrugged while following Samira into the Palace. Eris was in not so good shape. He had only just returned in his mission to find Emrys' heirloom for three years.

Declan and Dallas met him about two weeks ago. But they encountered a major obstacle on their return to Amalthea. Hugo Lorelei's men are blocking in some places. They discover his whereabouts quickly after Ios is found dead.

A fierce fight ensued that left Declan and Dallas severely injured. Dallas had the most severe injury, his left leg was hit by curse magic. Magic that also killed Ios. Fortunately, the magic only hit his feet. If his heart were to be targeted, then he would end up the same as Ios.

Eris also had to give up her left eye. He manages to use the magic dimension to escape with his two brothers, before they are actually getting seriously injured. And most importantly, Akuji's three troops did not manage to get the heirloom fragments.

Samira takes Eris to a special room inside the Palace. The room was not large, but the ceiling was very high. All the walls and floors are made of stone. Samira used her magic, chanting a spell that made the floor below them tremble and open.

Samira and Eris are retreating. The floor split open and a large box appeared like a cage with iron bars. Both go inside. The box closed again and led the two towards the palace's basement.

The trip down there takes about three minutes because the elevator goes down slowly. The two figures were just silent to each other. Samira stood straight ahead, staring straight at the stone walls that passed. The top of the box there is an orange light that shimmers so that the journey to the bottom there is not too dark.

"Have you heard from Kai?" ask Samira suddenly. Eris who was moving her legs looked up.

"Don't you guys send Argo and Hilma?"

"Yes. But something messed with their tracker. Hilma hasn't told you anything from there. I'm kind of wondering why Kai's tracker didn't show any movement."

"Maybe Kai accidentally left her. I'm sure they've met Akuji's men. That army can't be underestimated."

"really. Therefore, I do not want the heirloom brought by Kai until it falls into their hands. I just don't like Hilma and Argo having other plans I don't know."

"Of course." Samira answered briefly. The two of them did not speak again until the elevator arrived at their destination. Eris follows Samira into a cave-like room.

The flap-haired woman stared in amazement at the sight she witnessed before her eyes. A dazzling beauty of light, reflected from the calm water below.

A huge tree stood in the middle of the clear lake. Eris watched as the Emrys Heirloom floated with its bright rays hanging on the branches of the tree like fruit.

The original shape of the Emrys Heirloom is exactly the same as the visual of the sun emblem. As a result of the heritage that is divided, then made the tree of life as a container of the broken heritage that has not been able to unite as long as all the fragments have not been collected.

Samira looked at Eris. The tomboyish woman immediately reached into something from inside her jacket pocket. He took out a thin black bag and reached into something inside. A glass city with a bright blue light he let out and was immediately handed over to Samira.

Using a magic spell, Samira placed the heirloom fragment on one of the empty branches. Emrys' heirloom beam is glowing brighter. That part of the branch is now growing its natural leaves like other branches. Two branches are still empty. One of them belonging to Ios has fallen into the hands of the enemy. And now there's another empty branch. That branch belongs to Kai. The tree of life will restore the original form of the Emrys heirloom, if all its fragments have been found.

*****

The borders of Amalthea are currently in a precarious state. The Southern column led by Luke reported something unexpected. The Lumis who lived around the border suddenly contracted a disease that is currently spreading in East Amalthea.

Luke has reported what he's up against Edric and Issac. The border was heavily guarded, there should be no way Lumis had managed to escape towards Western Amalthea. Akuji's forces have not wandered near the border in recent days either.

Due to this shocking news, a portion of the troops were sent towards the Southern ranks. Similarly the medical witches who were still in the middle of the forest were partly pulled back to Western Amalthea.

The Elves came to help. The spread of the disease that has entered Western Amalthea should be stopped immediately before it spreads even more widely. Some places adjacent to the live spread were temporarily closed. The Lumis who contracted the disease were isolated and cared for by medical witches.

Edric and Issac came to Luke who was discussing something with some of his troops. They all used nose and mouth cloths. They also wear cloaks covered with special protective gloves to avoid physical contact with each other.

"How did that happen Luke?" edric asked after his brother finished meeting with his troops.

"The medics have made a statement. Those who managed to enter have been in Amalthea since one week ago. One day before the barrier is updated."

"Have it been that long?"

"Yes. It seems like the intruder is waiting for the barrier in a weakened state. So it wasn't detected when the intrusion occurred."

"Didn't any of your troops report anything?" ask Issac.

"No. Everyone was patrolling as usual. And there's not a single border I've missed."

"That means someone helped them infiltrate, Luke. You have to skin your troops. We don't know if any of them have betrayed."

Seriate...