The Crimson Magister

Azure learned to not question Aqua's techniques. After all, they were in enemy territory and she would need to trust her abilities. But the power she sensed from the previously normal sword was insane, the seemingly ordinary steel blade was turned into a container of immense power that could be considered a national treasure.

Enchants of this magnitude were unheard of and yet her companion surprised her once again by calling them basic.

And yet she did not care, no matter what kind of monster her new friend was, all that mattered was that she was lending her power to rescue Sheira.

She looked over the blade with a satisfied look before wrapping it in a piece of cloth and loosely tying the great sword to her back.

Once both Azure and Laura got their weapons they were once again lost. They were equipped for a potential fight, and yet they had no idea where to continue looking.

While most humans that passed them paid no heed to their presence but instead went by their business some still gave them weird looks as the trio frankly looked like lost sheep.

"You Ladies are members of Golden Rose, are you not?" A raspy male voice came from behind them, getting an immediate reaction from the trio.

Laura was the first to answer, after all, she recognized this voice. It was the voice of the observer that was in their encampment. Finally, someone who recognized them is what Laura thought. If anyone would know why they couldn't find Golden Fang and why most people seemed to not even know that Golden Rose passed through the city. It would be him.

"Oh, it's you! Yes, I'm Golden Petal Laura. These girls are Golden Petals Azure and Aqua" Laura spoke while giving a slight bow.

Man looked over them with obvious suspicion in his eyes before answering, his gaze piercing through two disguised elves "I haven't seen these two girls at the encampment, but no matter. Follow me."

As the man started walking away Laura tried to ask him "Why does nobody know that Golden Rose passed through the city?"

Man cackled before answering "No. Follow me now and stop asking unnecessary questions."

Trio looked at each other before following the old man shortly after. The man leads the trio through Eastern Street, his stride slow and unsteady.

"Golden Fang is awaiting you, Laura." Man spoke as his cane hit the ground providing support for him to stand.

'Why is he pretending to be weak' That was all Aqua could say about this man, while his charade could fool lesser eyes it couldn't fool Aqua's.

The sheer power he emanated dwarfed even the statue in the city center. He has cleverly hidden his power, forcing even her to put some effort into seeing past his concealment.

Man did not use any illusions, and yet his concealment was about as effective as a master illusionist.

Whoever he was, it was almost certain he would lead them to neither Sheira nor Golden Fang.

'It is a bad idea to follow a strange old man, but I'm quite interested in what he is hiding' Aqua mused as they quietly walked behind the man.

She fully expected a trap, and yet neither Laura nor Azure expected a thing. 'Well that is expected, he concealed himself extremely well'

His apparent mastery of illusion-like magic was worrying, after all, the illusion wasn't something she had much knowledge of.

While sufficient destructive power would be enough to remove illusion, she knew she couldn't destroy the city, especially with Azure and Sheira being in this city and to some extent Laura.

While she expected Laura, who was experienced in deception to at least get a hunch that something was wrong. She couldn't say the same for Azure, who proved that she was still too naive and trusting.

Perhaps this was a good test of man's perception as she channeled power into two spells. Both Laura's and Azure's forms shimmered for a mere moment as [Heart of Phoenix] settled in them, marking them with a scar in the shape of wings in the same manner as Sheira was.

Aqua carefully observed the man, and yet it seemed like he noticed nothing.

'That is reassuring, even if it seems that not even my two companions noticed anything' She sighed as she wondered how none of them noticed a flash of color even if it was so brief that the naked eye could barely perceive it.

Following a slow old man made the travel time longer than it would have taken them alone, but eventually, they arrived at a marble building like many others. The surroundings were unusually quiet as they entered.

While the front yard was luxurious as all estates in the city were they were still eerily quiet, be it for lack of slaves working on it or for different reasons.

The man opened the heavy door of the building with no effort whatsoever before gesturing the girls to follow him, getting a surprised reaction from both Laura and Azure.

The man leads them down the intricate stairs, leading deep underground. Illuminated by Mystic Lamps as far as the eye could see.

The quiet while they were walking down was unnerving, forcing Azure to speak up despite wanting to stay quiet.

"I don't like this place, it's giving me creeps!" Azure stated as she placed her hand on the sword handle, ready to defend herself despite no danger being present, and yet a presence was gnawing at her mind.

Observer scoffed at her comment before speaking "You 3 should be the last Golden Rose members to arrive right?"

Laura was next to speak and with a suspicious tone answered "Yes, we are the last ones. Why do you ask?"

Man let out a creepy giggle as the group finally approached a door at the bottom of the stairway "Good, please enter. Honored guests." Man opened the door revealing a large basement room, with many people standing inside.

Laura gasped in shock as she recognized many people inside the room, they were the remaining thorns of Golden Rose both the ones who escorted Fang and the thorns that arrived with her, and in front, she recognized Golden Fang.

She found him, at long last. But he did not seem to be ok, his face lifeless and movement almost nonexistent.

But she did not care, she had questions to ask, and despite her better judgment she rushed towards him and hugged him tightly.

"Kill her, Thrall!" Observer's former raspy voice was replaced by a booming voice of a demigod.

While Laura never truly confessed her feelings, she truly loved the man, a love that made her blind and deaf to Observer's voice and the dagger in her neck, a dagger that pierced her flesh by the hand of Golden Fang.

A man who betrayed everything that he built, he abandoned all as Laura's consciousness faded into the dark sea.

As her life flashed before her eyes she had only one thought 'No, I do not wish to believe that he would do this' 

Laura never had a chance to even scream as her life was extinguished by the hand of a man she trusted the most.

In her last moments, she saw Azure rushing towards her while Aqua just stared at each member of Golden Rose.

"Golden Rose belongs to me. My plan only requires Golden Fang your unexpected arrival has no use, so DIE!." Said the observer as his former frail body and aura of weakness were replaced by an aura of immense power, threatening to suffocate all in its vicinity.