There it was; the treasure chest containing his rewards for making it through the dungeon. He stood there in silence without moving for a few minutes.

“You realize the point is to open it and reap your rewards for reaching the statue right?”

His body didn’t move. There was no need to do so. His gaze was locked on the Gott statue. It hovered slowly, golden rings spinning circles around its figure. Again, the familiar female voice resonated through the room. It left a soft lingering echo.

“Are you even here? I’m starting to think you paused and wandered off somewhere which is an odd thing to do. Most people would like to see what the treasure is first.”

The response came in a very vacant tone.

“If I open the chest then the statue falls.”

Shandel’s eyes moved past the blademaster in question. Until now she hadn’t paid any attention to the statue floating at the end of the room. It depicted a beautiful young woman. Her hair flowed down and around her bare shoulders. A dress of robes tied around her neck and stretched out from her chest down to her feet. A slit on the side exposed her right leg up to her mid thigh while a loose belt of vines and flowers adorned her waist. Her arms were out in front and her hands gently held a chalice at a slight angle towards those entering the room. A pair of wings curved around her back as if trying to protect her. There was a slight smile etched across her face but in her eyes one could see a trace of sadness. It was as though the statue welcomed one’s arrival but could not help the feeling of dread which that brought.

“Then why did you get here in such a hurry? You know how it works,” Shandel had to turn her gaze away from the statue as she spoke, “Looks like you used a Fairy Orb rush here.”

Zhirin turned and walked over to her while shaking his head, “No. I did not. To be perfectly honest, I was hoping it would take me a while to get to this room. It’s actually quite ironic. Usually when I want to reach the Gott statue I end up hitting every other passage before reaching the stairs. This time around it almost seems as though the dungeon cleared the way for me.”

The blademaster glanced back at the statue for a moment before exiting the room. Shandel, confused, followed immediately. It was a quiet walk through the four levels of the dungeon. The walls were lined with the roots of trees long since dead aboveground. Torches illuminated the way in every room giving the shadows life and letting them dance with every step they took. It didn’t take long until they finally exited out onto the snow covered field.

A cold gust of wind crashed into Shandel. Her honey brown hair fluttered and Zhirin couldn’t help but laugh as she tried to warm herself by rubbing her arms. Her thin dark leather top provided little protection from the environment. Unfortunately, her lightweight black boots and matching stockings didn’t help nor did her short ruffled skirt with interlocking belts. The only saving grace she wore was an incredibly long black and grey scarf which wrapped around her neck and then entwined its way down her arms until finally ending at her bracers. He walked away from the cave-like entrance and sat upon the remains of a crumbling building. Shandel moved over to a decrepit wall where she was not too far away but still hidden from the wind. She stared at him for a moment while trying to think of where to begin.

“You’ve been away for quite a while…a lot has happened since then,” She finally blurted out. There was a pause long enough for her to take a deep breath before continuing, “You disappeared just as everything was reaching a boiling point and I haven’t been able to get a hold of you outside of here but that’s probably because you didn’t want me to. The admins rushed the fortress and eliminated many. It was a long battle but they eliminated the majority of those which Alyanna had gathered. Your clan, the Unity…has disbanded, though I believe you know that already. A few of your clan members now suffer the same rumors that surrounded your previous clan leader. The rest are MIA.”

Zhirin raised his head, his eyes fixated on the clouds gradually passing up above. He had expected as much from the admins and was not surprised but there was a part of him that still winced at the news. She had been right in thinking that he was avoiding her. For a while, he wanted to be away and decide what he was going to do upon his return. A lot of issues had been confusing but he couldn’t help his feelings of guilt for being away. That was only amplified by the dissolution of the clan. The blademaster was also well aware of the rumors surrounding some of the members. He had communicated a few times with Kalian and knew that both he and Dien had ended up like the late Zavier whom had disappeared. There was no denying that he was deeply worried about his friends but he was snapped back to the present by Shandel.

“I don’t understand why you left. I knew there were issues but I expected to see you of all people at the forefront of that battle. Even Paliathede was surprised by your absence. He mentioned before the admins launched their assault that he wished he would have been able to give you a rematch.”

The blademaster smirked, “There was never really any desire for one on my end. I was handed my ass on a silver platter without question…but I have to admit that I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that would enjoy it.”

He got up and stretched his legs. With a quick glance around he wandered towards a few hills that caught his attention. Shandel was at his heels within moments, averting the piercing wind. Her lithe twinblade body was easily concealable behind his. Upon reaching the top of a hill they both stopped. The field was littered with mounds of snow. He wondered how many of those were buildings long since destroyed by battle and now forgotten. His body turned to face her but his cloak and the thick brown strands which he called hair were held in place by a fierce wind.

“Why did you come here?”

Shandel could barely see his face but she knew that he was serious. Granted, he usually was but she felt at ease knowing he hadn’t changed too much in his time away.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you face to face but this will have to do. You’re character is under surveillance by an administrator. Think of it as probation. I know you haven’t actually done anything to warrant it but your involvement alone with certain players and being around monsters infected by the behavior altering virus is enough.”

The wind died down, allowing him to finally remove the hair away from his face. So they decided to call it a virus. He turned towards the mountains in the east where the sun would soon rise. “Who’s the administrator?”

“Me” She murmured.

He spun back around to face her but stayed quiet.

“I…told you a lot happened. I received a few promotions and well protocol dictates this must be done.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “Well congrats. I’m glad things are going well for you. Was that all ma’am?”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t speak to me in such a manner. It makes me uneasy coming from you,” She quickly retorted, “But thanks. And no, that wasn’t everything. The other reason is that I, I saw you have made a request to change your class.”

Zhirin nodded to her and so she continued. “It doesn’t make much sense, you know. You’re a short-range fighter. By changing to whipmaster you become mid to long-range and you lose a few levels in order to make the switch. Your selection of gear will greatly shorten. Fist Fighter makes more sense if you want to change. Also, you won’t-”

He cut her off, “I already have gear which meets the requirements.” He drew Lake & Sea from its scabbard and thrust it into the snow between the two of them. “I also understand that I won’t be able to wield this sword again afterwards. Believe me, I have reasons but they are not ones that I feel need to be shared at the moment.”

Shandel didn’t push further, “Very well. Then if you’re ready, I’ll make the change now.”

“No. Not yet.”

He gripped the hilt of his sword and slid it out of the snow. With a quick swing he flung what remained of the ice and sheathed his blade. Shandel tilted her head a little to the side and was about to speak but found herself at a loss of words.

“I’d prefer this done tomorrow, around noon if possible. I am returning to Mac Anu for the evening. Meet me at the bridge tomorrow.”

Golden rings of light enveloped him; leaving her with no room for debate. Shandel knew he was headed to his favorite spot. It was a niche within one of the alleys of Mac Anu which overlooked the river. She could follow him but she knew there would be no more answers from him. Maybe she could get a few more words but only if her questions had absolutely nothing to do with anything she wanted to know. Besides, there was plenty of work that still needed to be done and she was going to be without a doubt busy for the rest of the night. Not to mention that by now, he was most likely already within the shadows and backstreets that not many people were even aware existed in the usually tranquil city.