We got back to the Guild Tavern before it was really dark. Tim and Tina said they were done for the day. I think they had had enough of all the bad stuff, like people being mean, greedy, and unfair. The guild receptionist started helping the guild maids clean up. I just watched for a bit.
All the platinum Adventurers were already gone. Their clans came and took them away, along with all their stuff.
I plopped down at a table and started digging through my stuff. Ouch! Something poked me. I pulled my hand out and looked. It was Tama's spear, and now there was a little bit of my blood on the pointy part. I forgot I still had it. I was going to put it away, but then I saw my face in the shiny part, mixed with the rusty bits and my blood. I stared at it and made a little gasp.
The guild receptionist saw my face and came over, looking all curious and happy, like she wanted to know what happened.
"You-you kept it!?" she asks, startled.
"I was supposed to put it back!" I defended.
Her serious face turned into a cat that had fiddled with a ploy, a dangerous girl…
"Perhaps…you should keep it?" The guild receptionist suggested, "After all, I wouldn't travel out at night by myself."
I just nodded because I didn't know what else to do.
I took out the flower and made it dance in my fingers while I stared at the sign for the infirmary. That's where Noobie, Exile, Kit, and Serina went all OFFLINE. I'm still not clear on what that means.
The guild master notices what I had on the table with me and gets startled, "W-WHAT are you doing with Lady Tama's Spear!?"
I wasn't bothered, "Oh, this? I was supposed to give it back, but I forgot it was in my bag. I was going to put it back to be nice."
The guild master grumbles until he notices my cloak, "Just what are you wearing?"
"Oh, you wanna see?" I said, and I took off my cloak and showed the Omega banner. "Ta-da!"
The guild master just put his hand on his forehead like he was tired of me.
The guild receptionist, on the other hand, said, "Hehe, I think it could use a few good touches on it to make it pretty mystical."
The guild master then looks at Tama's spear and reluctantly nods with approval. He goes to the back room to fetch something, returning with a golden Whetstone.
He gestures for me to come forward with the spear.
"I may not speak weapons and blacksmith…But I know an owner when I see one. Perhaps it's your fate to carry this weapon to protect the person the last holder died protecting," the guild master grumbled as he slowly polished the rust off the edge while cleaning it with wet towels of my blood on the blade of the spear.
Once he finished, he handed me the spear, now polished and refined, with the blade shimmering a light I've never seen before.
"Tama's soul spear is now yours. Take good care of it, and it WILL ALWAYS STRIKE TRUE and protect those you love and care about!" The guild master reaffirms as he hands me the handle of the spear with its blade almost touching the ceiling of the Guild Tavern.
I stared at the spear. It looked so different now, all shiny and no longer gross. I was kind of scared to touch it, like I might mess it up. I held it by the handle and quickly put the blade away.
The guild master nodded in approval as he turned in for the night.
The guild receptionist watched me, her eyes all big. I tried to hold the spear as Tama did, but my hands felt weird.
"What?" I asked to confirm what she wanted.
She smiled at me as the spear belonged to me. Then she said, "Hehe, I didn't know you liked poles and long sticks," and ran off, still smirking. I didn't get it.
Wait, what does that even mean?
I didn't get her joke, and I wasn't going to ask. I was too tired. I went up to my room, locked the door, and took off all my stuff. When I grabbed my diary, three coins fell on my bed. I wrote about everything that happened. Then I looked at the spear again.
"Hey…" a voice startled me.
"Huh? Who-who's there?!" I questioned.
"Relax…" A figure of Tama was sitting on the chair in my room. "Hmm, kind of cozy like my room too."
I was so surprised. I rubbed my eyes and even pinched myself to check if I was awake.
Was I dreaming?
Tama smiled, "No, you're not dreaming, I'm really here."
I gasped, and it was so cold in my room that I could see my breath like little clouds.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to harm you. I just came to see those 3," Tama responded.
I nodded in haste as I led her downstairs. The front area was dark now, with only 1 candle still alight on the front desk.
She followed me quickly without any sound.
We both peered through the doors of the infirmary: Noobie, Kit, and Exile in statues alongside Serina.
Tama smiled in relief.
I stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. Did she have regrets? Did she wish she could change things? I wanted to ask, but I didn't.
She then turned to me, happy.
"I'm ready to go now…" she confirmed.
I nodded, and we went back upstairs to my room together.
I sat on my bed, and she sat on the chair. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I just asked.
"Was Noobie, your-your boyfriend?" I asked.
Tama smiled as she had her chin on the top of the backrest of the chair, "No...I never saw Noobie like that, but we were very close, like brother and sister, close. We both were...Fallen, but Noobie's a fallen Paladin, while I was a Fallen Onne-bu geisha. Unlike him, I was never able to return home, back to my homeland. I've never had a lover…"
We both looked at the moon. It was big, round, and full tonight.
"By the way…why are you wearing the banner of Omega?" Tama questions me.
I didn't even know she could see it. My heart started racing, and I panicked.
Tama chuckles, "It's okay, I won't kill or harm you, silly, adorable rabbit. I was just curious if those 3 took you into the clan…but it seems they'll never forgive themselves."
I stared at the floor. I felt guilty. How can anyone forgive themselves after all this bad stuff?
Tama smiled softly, "I'd like a request, if I may?"
I nodded really fast, but then I stopped.
What if Tama asked for something scary?
My brain started thinking of all the things she could want.
Tama giggled a soft giggle once more, "Don't worry, I won't possess you to confessing that you like Noobie. I would just like to inhabit my spear. The last artifact that's still a part of me. So that I may teach you how to use it when the need arises, of course, from time to time, you'll be able to see me."
I let out a big sigh, and my face turned super red because of what she'd said earlier.
Tama smiled, "He gave you an Amaryllis, didn't he?"
I grabbed the flower really fast and tried to hide it behind my back.
Tama chuckled even more, "All I ever got from him was a joke about using coconuts to catch a very big fish." Tama chuckled while continuing, "I punched him for it too."
Then I remembered Noobie's video, the one called "The biggest catch of the day."
"That was you…" I stuttered. Then all the flashbacks from the crystal ball came back, showing how Tama locked Noobie inside the castle while she faced the oncoming enemy alone.
Tama smiled and got up from the chair. She looked right at me.
"Hey, get up, Missy," Tama uttered, but it didn't sound like Tama, instead sounding like Tim.
I then slowly dozed off, and suddenly Tim and Tina were next to me.
"Tim! I told you Missy is probably tired from yesterday!" Tina whispered.
"Sorry, I didn't know!" Tim whispered back to Tina.
I was so tired I could barely move, but I knew Tim and Tina wanted something.
"Okay, you two... what is it now?" I tried to sit up, but my hair flopped all over my face.
"Missy, Kit, and Exiled are gone, so is Miss Serina!" Tina explained.
I jumped out of bed. I didn't even care about my messy hair. I put on my armor and boots as fast as I could. When I looked out the window, the sun was already super high. It was way past noon?!
How long was I asleep?
I ran down the stairs without waiting for Tim or Tina. I rushed to the infirmary to check if Tina was right. Only Noobie was there. The others were gone.
The guild receptionist, who was stacking request forms, just finished, then looked over to notice me, "Ah, you JUST missed them. Those two woke up, said they were hungry, and went to get something to eat. Well, Serina woke up complaining about the Internet sucking and being crappy, whatever that means."
I stared at Noobie again. He was still frozen.
"He'll be here in about 5 minutes or so…" Exile reassured me as he took a bite out of an apple.
I turned around to see each one of them holding multiple baskets of fruits and food.
Kit had a fish tail stuck outside of his mouth.
"Y-you guys are, okay?" I asked, avoiding eye contact.
"Yeah," Kit muttered through his mouth still full of food, "I told Noobie to kill the dragon, I didn't want to waste any more mana. Did he even kill it?"
Exile shrugs, "I thought you remained to supervise him to kill it?"
Kit swallows the whole fish entirely, "ME!? YOU were supposed to make SURE it's DEAD!"
Wait, weren't both of you knocked out?
Both stopped bickering and began explaining.
"Noobie had the task of killing the dragon!" Kit exclaimed as he swallowed another fish whole.
Exile nodded in agreement as he chewed another apple, right into taking a pear to chew it as well, "Yep, he lost the ROCK-PAPER-SCISSOR game!"
"After we each picked our spikes on the dragon's back to tie our ropes, we 3 played rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to kill the dragon, keep its materials and its drops," Kit explained, "I went with paper."
"As did I…" Exile said, nodding in agreement.
That means... oh no, don't tell me. I put my hand on my forehead.
"Yep, Noobie went with rock, he ALWAYS picks rock!" Kit explained as he took a grape and casually ate it.
I giggled. I always picked scissors, and Noobie always picked rock. No wonder we were both so bad at the game.
"But the question still stands, did he kill the dragon?" Kit asked with his mouth full of grapes.
Exile nods as he picks up a cherry to eat, leaving the seed and stem intact, "I'd wager no, since we woke up here at the Guild Tavern Infirmary."
Then I thought, what if I just told them I killed the dragon? Would they believe me?
The two began bickering about their wager and whether Noobie killed it.
Tim and Tina watched each other as they argued.
The guild receptionist then steps in, "Noobie didn't KILL the dragon, it was killed by yours truly…" She then drags me by my hips to hers, "Missy here!"
Exile and Kit would look at me with VERY peculiar curiosity.
"How did you kill it?" Kit asked with a demanding presence as he swallowed a grape whole.
"WHAT weapon did you use?" Exile then asked as he ate a sliced orange.
"I-I- uh," I started to panic. My words got all tangled up.
"Which parts did you hit!?" Kit continued, not allowing me a moment to explain.
"Where's the body of the dragon now!?" Exile continued.
"The dragon's carcass in containment…" a voice suddenly declared.
All of us stared at the Infirmary door as Noobie stood there.
"Oi! You're not wearing your Noobie gear, aren't you afraid others might start coming to look for you again!?" Kit yells as he crunches on a pear.
I gasped, running over to Noobie as I made eye contact with him.
"Thank you," Noobie thanked me.
"Don't-don't mention it..." I started playing with my hair, twisting it around my finger so I wouldn't have to look at him. Then I punched his arm, letting my anger show. "DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!!"
"UGH! Wha-What was that for!?" Noobie yelled in question.
Kit and Exile shrugged, then walked over to the table to find Tina and Tim staring at them hungrily, and shared their fruit baskets with them.
I took out the flower again and made it spin between my fingers.
Noobie notices, "You kept it?"
I nodded and smiled. "It's a gift from you. Why wouldn't I keep it? I like it... a lot."
Noobie then snatches the flower away from me, to which I struggle to get it back.
When I finally got the flower back, Noobie looked at me funny, like he saw something he didn't like.
I noticed right away that he had changed. His face got all serious.
"Why are you wearing that?" Noobie coldly questioned.
I stopped talking. I didn't know what to say.
"My my, you all are here now!" The Guild master smiled as Noobie, Kit, and Exile bowed to him in respect. "You should all thank this young Missy; she went and brought your banner back from the ruins of your castle."
All three of them stared at me like I had done something really bad.
Noobie, Exiled, and Kit instantly made their way towards the door.
"STOP!" I yelled.
"NOOOO!" Noobie yelled in rebuttal.
Noobie doesn't even turn around.
The 3 of them didn't want to hear anything.
Somehow, the spear fell and landed right in front of the three of them, sticking into the floor.
"T-TAMA!?" Noobie asked, his eyes wide open.
The phantom of Tama appears within the doorway, smiling. Then, the sunset afternoon revealed the phantom to her, and seeing them made her happy.
"Tama…" Kit kneeled, followed by Exiled, who both lowered their heads.
Tama smiled, "Arise, my 3 guardians of Omega…if you don't face this, if you don't fix this world, then who will? Will you allow this girl to suffer what you 3 have suffered?"
All three of them stood up together, but they kept looking at the floor.
She attends to each one of them, the first being Kit, "Kit, our young commander…You will see Kat again…give her time to grow and follow you. Please be patient with Kat."
Kit nods with tears sliding down his cheeks.
She proceeds to Exile, "Exile, you are our second in command, under Atsushi…Will Atsushi be proud knowing you've failed to uphold our Omega creed?"
Exile salutes, "No mother…" Exile swallows his tears.
Tama nods in acknowledgment as she then proceeds to the last one, Noobie.
Tama smiles, "Noobie...you're not alone. Remember, some have suffered just as you and I have. Know that some will still care. There will be those who will still bring bandages and potions for you to help you when you're sick. Then there are those like this girl who will go out of their way to care for you. Why must you push her away? When is all she's doing trying to bandage your past and give you medicine to help heal your pain?"
"Mother, I-" Noobie starts.
Tama halts him. "You are the Left hand of the Unfallen, in Omega, you are one of my many sons…what do we swear by in clan Omega? Look at what she wears on her back. She's willing to carry the weight of what you 3 have suffered."
Then, slowly, as if the entire Omega clan had heard them, each member began to appear one by one, a phantom.
Atsushi followed by the others.
"L-lord Atsushi…" Exile kneels as Atsushi pats his back and gestures for him to rise.
"K-Kat…" Kit stared as she winked at Kit and held a peace sign for him.
Noobie, though, was surrounded by the others. As each of them patted him on the left shoulder as they passed him, Noobie bowed his head.
Tama smiles as she then explains to them, "I'm willing to guide this girl to learn about the soul spear I once used; I trust that you 3 will give her your UNDYING support as well as your undying loyalty as the last 3 guardians of Omega…"
"Ta-Tama!?" Noobie asks hesitantly.
Tama pauses.
"Will we see everyone again? You know, like how it was when we defeated the Volcanic Dragon?" Noobie asked innocently.
Tama smiles as her phantom fades away into the spear.
Then all three of them nodded and came over to me. Each one gave me something special to help me.
Exile hands me a hook rope, "Use it to grapple terrain and grapple onto things larger than you, you'll always have the advantage."
Kit hands me a glove, "This was Kat's glove, but you can use it for now. With this, you'll never lose grip of your equipment with whichever hand you use it with."
Finally, Noobie walked towards me, me and I making eye contact again before he rips the banner off my cloak. He adds it with his own Fallen Kingdom banner as he fastens it around my neck and clips it using the pin of his LEFT HAND of the UNFALLEN to hold it in place. "By life or death, I'll defend you, should it cost me my life. As per my Left-hand oath…"
I was so surprised. My eyes got huge, and I covered my mouth with my hand.
All 3 of them nodded in unison and bowed to thank the guild master.
"Where are you guys going?" The guild master demanded.
"We need more fruits, OLD MAN!" Kit yelled out.
"I want something to drink!" Exile replied.
"I need to talk to someone first," Noobie complained.
I didn't even have to ask who. I knew he was going to talk to the fallen queen about everything.
Sigh. What did I get myself into this time?
The guild receptionist smirked and took my new cloak. She stretched it out to look at the picture. It was Team Omega's banner mixed with the Fallen Kingdom signs. It looked like a banner for dreams that never break.
"Missy, Exile left us his baskets of fruits. Come have some!" Tina yelled out loud.
I nodded and went over. The guild receptionist came too.
But first, I had to get the spear before I could eat anything.
I really didn't want to forget the spear again. I didn't want Tama to think I didn't care.