Within the Kingdom of Esteria, there was a small and quiet town. One that most people didn't even know existed, due to its mundane and unassuming nature. This town was known as Dandelion.
Within the town of Dandelion, near the very center of it, there was a small diner. It served breakfast, lunch, and dinner and was family-owned. The people of Dandelion often came here to get a good meal.
Today, four people sat in this diner. Four people who were having an interesting discussion. They weren't quiet; in fact, they were being quite loud. Two of them looked downright monstrous, while the other two were dressed in clothing far too expensive for Dandelion. They would have been asked to leave due to their odd appearance, as well as the loudness of their behavior and the subject matter they were discussing, yet strangely enough, not a single person in the diner or outside looked at them.
The people ignored the four strangers who sat at a booth in the back and acted as if they didn't exist.
It wasn't that they were actually ignoring them. Instead, it was another matter entirely. The Quill didn't bother to write a scene of them engaging with the four people in this diner, and so the people of Dandelion didn't, for if the Quill didn't acknowledge them, then did they even exist?
Adam tapped the top of his glass of tea with a simple silver spoon. "You failed to kill Davi Hawker?"
"Regrettably." Bloom tapped a finger on the side of his head and gave a sheepish smile. "I tore his heart out, but it seems he had been under the effects of Roads-Polymorph. As such, even though I killed him, he was able to come back since Roads Path is above even yours."
Adam gave a chuckle. When the sugar was fully dissolved in the tea, he picked it up and took a sip. "Yes, not even I can interfere with the Great Dragons of Roads Path. Roads-Polymorph is far above my powers and those of a simple Polymorph. Isn't it interesting that he had such a power? How did a survivor of the dragon's attack learn to do such a thing?" Adam hummed. "I wanted him dead, but now I'm left wondering if perhaps it would be better to have a little talk with him. It seems he's not a normal person at all."
Rage gritted his teeth so hard that they nearly cracked and shattered. "And are we certain it was he who had the power to use Roads-Polymorph?" Rage was angry as he spoke; his fingers squeezed down on the burger he had, causing it to pop and burst.
Adam raised an eyebrow. "That's a good question. Bloom, you were there, were you not? Did my story miss anything?"
Bloom used a fork and carved into a fudge brownie. He plopped a piece into his mouth as he shook his head. "The man with the scar on his face, the mutant covered in zippers, and the woman from another land. All three were present, as your story said."
"And just them?"
Bloom went to answer, then went silent. "There was one more."
Adam stopped mid-sip and lowered his cup. "Explain."
Bloom frowned slightly. "The story you gave me was simple. It said the man with the scar would die after his heart was ripped out. It also stated that the three beings listed previously would be present. At the time, I was so focused on completing your story that I didn't even notice it, but there was a fourth person present at the time that Davi Hawker died. One not present in your book. A woman with snow-white hair and ruby red eyes. She had pale skin, and the mana that came from her was tight and constricting."
"So, this girl could have the power of the Roads-Polymorph?" Rage spat out.
Adam shook his head and tapped his spoon a few more times on the rim of his teacup. "No. Not possible. Seven. Seven is the number of survivors or warriors who faced the Dragon of Roads in battle and survived him. The Dragon of Roads has laid out a story and a Path, yet these seven people who survived his encounter are like glitches upon that Path, causing a sea of ripples that must be dealt with to ensure the story flows smoothly. I know all seven that we must kill, and not one of them is a girl that Bloom described."
Bloom gave a casual nod. "Do you want me to head back out and kill that man?"
Adam shook his head. "The Quill needs time to rest. Writing a story will take a bit. Besides, there's no point right now until we know more. If he does somehow have the Roads-Polymorph, we can't control fate or his destiny. His story could go anywhere."
Rage's teeth clenched again, and blood began to drip down his chin. "Tik, what do you think we should do?"
"Tik. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tik. Tok."
"A little brutal, don't you think?" Rage grinned, showing a row full of sharpened fangs.
"Tik. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tik. Tok."
"If you want to play next, Tik, then you're welcome to do so." Adam finished his cup of tea in one final gulp. "Since Davi Hawker is currently a mystery, let's instead try to focus on one of the other seven first. I'd like to see if they have the power of Roads-Polymorph also."
"Tik. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tik. Tok."
"If you want. It doesn't matter how they die. Do it however you wish."
"Tik. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tik. Tok."
Bloom laughed. "That would get the job done."
Adam hummed, and then he reached out of the booth, and, without warning, his fingers wrapped around the wrist of a waiter who had been about to walk past them, not even noticing they were there. The Quill didn't write a story for this person, and she wasn't even given a name or any importance, so of course, she simply didn't interact with the characters that actually existed. So what happens when a character that doesn't exist meets a character that does exist?
They become part of the plot.
Kira Octo lived a simple life. She grew up in Dandelion, born and raised there, and unlike other kids who had dreams of making it big, Kira was smart enough to know that she'd never have what it takes to be an Arcane Knight. Instead, she just lived her life, one day at a time, working for her family's diner, which would likely be inherited by her.
Today was like any other. She woke up, she got dressed, she tied her black hair back, and she went to work. She served some people burgers and fries, while a few others received bacon and eggs. Then, she went to refill someone's glass when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
In that moment, Kira existed.
"Excuse me." A handsome and lovely-sounding voice was the first thing Kira heard. "I hate to be a bother, but do you think you could be a dear and get me a refill on my cup of tea?"
Kira turned, and her face reddened slightly when she saw the man who was gripping her wrist. When had someone like him entered? She hadn't noticed? It seemed impossible to miss a face like his. He was gorgeous. Divine even. Perfection itself.
The man who gripped her wrist had flawless skin. Not a scar or mark was upon his body. He was pale and fair and was both handsome and beautiful. He was well-built, being tall and muscular, but the muscles weren't bulging or massive. Snow-white hair fell down his back, tied into a long ponytail, and he had a pair of soft royal purple eyes that looked kind and warm, but also powerful and determined.
The clothes he wore made her wonder if he was from Rossum. They had gotten a lot of Rossum people who fled here because of the war. He was dressed in loose white robes with a bit of black lines embroidered into the sides, that hugged his body perfectly, and at his belt, a Knight's longsword with a handle shaped like a quill was sheathed and stowed away. The robes looked like some sort of gi. He also had a book tucked under his arm. It was thick but lacked a cover and a back. It was just pages, loosely held together by a band. Finally, he had a round bamboo hat placed onto his head, which he tipped slightly.
"Do I need to repeat myself?" The man asked gently, still gripping her wrist.
"W-What?" Kira blinked, feeling as if she were in a daze of some sort.
"More tea." The man finally let go of her wrist and tucked a lock of his perfect hair behind his ear. "And some food for my companions here."
Kira went to say something, but stopped. Suddenly, the part of her brain that had been blocking out the others stopped working. The pretty man wasn't alone at the table. Someone sat next to him. He was a young-looking man and wore a pure white suit, complete with a white tie, white gloves, and even white shoes. He had an average-looking face, with plain black hair, but his eyes were impossible to look away from, being flower-like and twisted.
Then Kira noticed the other two members who were seated on the other side of the table. Kira felt her body tremble and shake as she stared at these other two people. They weren't human. At least not anymore.
The first had sickly green skin. His flesh almost resembled that of a fish, being slimy and wet, with gills running along his waist and neck. He wore no clothes either, and now that she noticed him, a horrible stench filled the diner. His fingers were webbed, and he had hooves for feet. His arms were crossed over his chest. His head looked as if it belonged to a horse, with wide and wild eyes rolling around in his sockets, and his snout kept twitching. His lips were pulled apart, showing his gums, which were bleeding, the blood running down his chin.
The second creature didn't even resemble a humanoid form, unlike the strange fish-hybrid, which at least had two arms, two legs, and a vaguely human shape. This second being lacked limbs. It was a tall, rectangular-shaped body that wobbled back and forth on the chair it was placed on. Instead of skin, the thing was made out of solid wood, and along the front of it was clear glass.
The thing was a grandfather clock. It was also alive. The face of the clock, which showed the time, had two large eyes carved into the wood. The eyes glanced and darted around rapidly, and Kira nearly threw up as she stared past the glass and saw hundreds of gears and functioning organs all working in harmony.
Then she heard it. 'Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok.' A large metal limb moved just past the glass, missing a beating heart, and as it swung back and forth, blood was carried across the gears, through winding veins.
Kira screamed. Loud and blood-curdling, it filled the diner and caused everyone to jump and jerk as they stared at her. Rage's lips separated even further, and more blood poured down his chin. The horse monster stood up, shattering his chair.
"STOP SCREAMING!" Before Kira could even think of moving, Rage reached out and wrapped his palm around her head, and then he squeezed. Red flowed out, and the woman's body hit the floor, now missing a head.
Adam frowned. "Rage? I was going to ask her to get me more tea."
"I'll get it for you." Bloom smiled as he stood up. More screams filled the diner, and people jolted and ran for the door, but as they did, the windows were blotted out with a wave of red, as a wall of blood shaped like vines grew from the ground, trapping everyone inside.
"Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok?"
"Sure." Adam gave a lazy nod. "You can do whatever you want to these people, Tik."
There was a click, and the clock's back opened up. The sound of a buzz saw filled the air, along with the screams of the people. Bloom ignored it, though, as he walked to the back so that he could make Adam his tea.
As for why they decided to meet at such a strange place as this? That was simple.
A story was only as good as its characters. The people who lived in the world and brought life to it.
Adam Hawker thought that this would be a good way to show some of the people who lived in his world. 'His' people.
Of course, the people in this town were simply living in his world, and they weren't important. Not to the story he was trying to tell.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the kingdom, several farmers working in a field all looked up when they heard a strange noise.
It was screaming?
As one of them raised his head, his eyes went wide when he saw a massive metal object flying through the sky.
Past the clouds, soaring forward, was it a bird? Was it a plane? No! It was a truck!
The metal pickup truck was literally falling apart, bits ripping off of it as it began to finally come toward the ground. Laughter also filled the air as Ragna stood on top of it. In a single instant, the truck slammed into the ground so hard that it exploded, metal debris going everywhere. Luckily, they weren't near any people, so no one got hurt.
Well, no one except for Davi.
A mini crater had been formed in the ground, and Ragna pulled himself out of it, still laughing. Davi lay motionless on the ground, covered in his shadowy armor. He groaned and opened his vault, which spat out Olivia, who landed on her feet.
He had quickly shoved her into his vault right before they hit the ground. Despite only being in the vault for a few seconds, Olivia was covered in a layer of snow, and her skin was a little blue as her teeth clattered together.
"So," Ragna placed his hands on his hips and stared down at his two new recruits. "What do you think of my method of travel?"
"Fuck you." Davi rolled onto his back, and his armor faded away.
"Come now, it's quick! I can't teleport long distances like Pock can, so this is the only way I could get us here fast enough!" Ragna grinned. "If we didn't hurry, another group might have shown up and poached the quest."
"How do you expect us to get back?" Olivia shook over the layer of snow and tried to focus her mana so she could heat herself up. "You blew the truck up."
Ragna rubbed his chin and looked around. "I can rip a tree or something out of the ground and launch that instead-"
"No!" Davi and Olivia yelled.
"Why not? What doesn't kill you-"
"We know!"
Ragna let out another hearty laugh. "Alrighty, you two! Come along!"
Davi pushed himself up and sighed slightly. Olivia finally managed to heat herself up entirely, and together the two of them quietly followed after Ragna. They had crash-landed out in the middle of the woods, far away from any civilization.
Olivia looked around and felt her heart twitch slightly. These were familiar woods. She had grown up and played with Bruno and Trent out in this very forest. Fri village would be less than four miles away, and even further would be Lotus. That wasn't where they were heading, though.
It felt weird to be back, being so close, and Olivia wondered if she should drop by and speak to Rosco and the others. He likely wanted to see her. Did she want to see him, though?
They had left on not the best of terms, and he never believed in her dream. He never once thought she could actually become a Knight. Did she want to rub it in his face that she was now a Knight and he wasn't?
Of course not.
So why didn't she want to go back and see him?
It was a weird feeling in her gut.
"You okay?" Davi noticed her staring off into space, and he nudged her slightly.
"Yeah." Olivia squished the strange feeling down. "It's just weird to be back."
They walked for a few more miles before eventually arriving at Violet Village. She had never really visited the village, though she had heard tales about it since Bruno and Rosco would often go there to find trades. She had only been to the village once, and that was when it was under attack from a small group of Hell Hounds.
Back then, a mini dungeon had opened up, and the monsters came spilling out and overran the village. She had stumbled into the middle of it on a horse and nearly died but at the last second was saved by Evelyn, the silvery witch who made her have an even stronger desire to become an Arcane Knight.
Now, Violet wasn't on fire. The buildings had all been repaired after over a year, and it seemed as if everything had returned to normal. It looked like a village you'd see in a fantasy novel, with small shacks and brick houses. No cars or any signs of electricity seemed to be present, and various kids played in the streets, all having a good time. A lot of adults were watching, but then attention was instantly drawn to the three of them as they wandered into the open village.
It must have been a strange sight after all. Three people walking out of the woods, one in a black gi, the other in leather armor, and the last one in a tight Speedo. Several adults covered the kids' eyes, and everyone looked at them in shock and some mild horror.
Olivia felt her face heat up a little, and she became self-conscious of how she looked. Davi boredly looked around and gazed at the village, trying to spot any issues or if something was wrong.
Ragna waited till all eyes were on him, and then he spread his legs, placed his hands on either side of his hips, puffed his chest out, clenched his butt cheeks, and roared to the heavens as loud as he possibly could.
"Hello, Violet Village!" Ragna's voice rippled through the air. "We're from the Phoenix Flight guild, and we've come to save you all!"