296 The Order's goals

As time went by, Hera and Bonnie felt more and more nervous about meeting Ninleyn. He was the creator of the Order of the Lost Court and the person who would allow them to join as fully fledged members or say they couldn't be a part of the inner circle, so to speak. Lena kept telling them to calm down, but that didn't help Hera at all. She never gave too much thought about what the Order actually did, and now it felt like she was going to an interview in a company she knew nothing about.

"So those jobs you took from the order. What were they?" Hera turned to Bonnie, who was sitting across the table.

"I can't talk about the specifics, but they were mostly research about one subject or another, or the occasional test of a spell. I had to make several tests and report things like effect, mana consumption, size of the spell, and stuff like that. There was one time they asked for some lizard skin from Brinnefront. I asked why they didn't just go through the guild for that, but they said it was faster to ask me directly since I was already there. I kind of figured, but I still wanted to be sure," Bonnie explained.

"Does it really take that long to post a quest through the guild?"

"Well, not really. It usually takes a day or so for a quest to appear on the guild database, but then someone has to pick the quest, and that might take a while. Another option is to make an item request, but then your order will enter a queue, and you'll have to wait until all the previous ones are fulfilled. Since large companies or stores tend to make those types of requests, you might end up waiting for months until you get whatever you asked for," Helena came from the kitchen with a large pot of coffee and three cups.

"Oh, I get it then. It makes sense. But is the actual goal of the order much different?" Hera asked.

"Well… yeah. Honestly, I don't remember all the details, but it is about doing something specific. It's better if we wait for Ninleyn to explain it to you guys. If I try to say anything, it will only make things more confusing. Besides, I do remember that Ninleyn loved explaining all that," Helena chuckled as she served the coffee.

"Thank you," Hera took a sip, "Did Ninleyn say when he would get here?"

"He should be here at 2:47," Helena noticed the confused expression coming from Hera, "He is very annoying about being punctual. When he asks for a meeting, you better be there on time."

"And if we are not?" Bonnie asked.

"You better have enough free time to spend the next three hours listening to how order separates us from mindless beasts," Helena sighed.

"How many times did you hear that speech?" Hera turned to the mage.

Helena squinted at Hera, "You're still not a full member. Do you want to push my buttons?"

The three laughed and kept talking. After some time, the subject changed to Helena's research and what would be her next step since Bonnie had already figured out the modular spell. It wasn't the first time they talked about that, and there were no hard feelings since the modular spell wasn't Helena's goal and it could help her use a larger variety of spells.

A good thing was that they had the entire house to themselves. Alex was at the guild helping them test out the training rooms and the gym. It was mostly just a way for her to work out and give the rest some privacy. Silah did the same. She would spend the day doing her job at the guard as per Helena's request. Ninleyn didn't like discussing the Order business with other people around. Time went on, and Helena left to meet the Order leader at the doorway. Then precisely at 2:47, the two arrived at the house.

"That is… disturbingly accurate," Bonnie mumbled.

Behind Helena, there was an elven man with long white hair, a pointy nose, and a joyful expression that gave him a youthful look despite the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. He wore a long-sleeved green shirt with a black vest over it and a pair of black pants with workout shoes. It was a sight that broke a bit of the mysticism that Hera had created in her mind about elves.

"I must say, I didn't expect this room to be so… unique," Ninleyn was talking to Helena.

"It's not that odd. Underground cities are kind of common," Helena replied.

"There is some truth to that, but the architecture is quite distinctive. Other civilizations use the walls to stack their buildings to allow for better use of space, or they develop a formicary structure. Although that wouldn't apply since the cave is so large. Here, they decided to take an approach more common to cities that were created on plains. Not to mention the roofs. The conical shape is used to avoid the collapse of the ceiling due to snowfall, but here it has a purely esthetical value," Ninleyn explained.

"Snowfall? But there are tropical places that use those triangle-shaped roofs too," Bonnie said.

Ninleyn turned to the researcher with a large smile, "That is correct, tropical countries also use a slanted awning. However, in their case, it's more about drainage. Since they have to deal with heavy rains during large parts of the year, those places developed a similar way to protect their homes. That doesn't mean they are exactly alike either. In a place with a lot of snow, you have to focus more on the actual weight the house can support. In contrast, for places with a lot of rain, the focus is more on directing the water to a specific location and making the roof easy to be fixed or replaced since the constant rainfall can and will cause problems."

"Sorry, Ninleyn, but can we focus on what you came here to do? If I don't stop you now, I'm sure we will be spending the rest of the day talking about other things, and we don't live here alone," Helena asked.

"Of course. Apologies, it's just rare to see someone interested in that subject," Ninleyn turned back to Hera and Bonnie, "First, I believe introductions are in order. I'm Ninleyn Aywin Nerilar Zylphyra, creator and current leader of the Order of the Lost Court. I won't be asking you to remember my full name, of course. You can call me Ninleyn Zylphyra or simply Ninleyn. And you are?" he put out his hand to greet Bonnie.

"Bonnie Chamarel, researcher and candidate to join the Order of the Lost Court," Bonnie replied while shaking his hand.

"Ah, yes. Your research abilities have not been unnoticed, and I appreciate the help with the lizard skin. I'm afraid that buying from the guild would have delayed too much a project I was working on," Ninleyn gave her a warm smile before putting out his hand for the next candidate, "And you?"

"Oh, yes!" Hera stood up straight, "I'm Hera. Hera Kingsley, and I'm a member of the Order too. No, I mean I'm a candidate to join," she awkwardly shook the man's hand, "Sorry. I didn't know we should have prepared."

Ninleyn chuckled, "There is no need for the apology, child. As much as I appreciate a formal introduction, it was not required. Now, is there a place we can sit and talk more comfortably? I'm afraid the old feet are not what they used to be."

"We can stay on the couch. Do you want coffee?" Helena walked to the kitchen.

"If you wouldn't mind, herbal tea would be lovely. I'm trying to cut back on caffeine," Ninleyn said as he walked over to the living room.

They all got comfortable, and Helena returned with a small plate of cookies and drinks.

"Before we start. Can I apologize for not helping the Order for the last few months?" Hera asked.

Ninleyn gave her a soft smile, "There is nothing to apologize for. There is a possibility that in one of the rooms you have helped discover, we can find some clues to what we are searching for. Besides, our little Lena vouches for you. I wouldn't want to make the entire Order upset for refusing a small request from one of the members who went to the wall."

"And what are you searching exactly?" Bonnie asked.

"You already know the answer to that. Even if you don't realize it," Ninleyn said.

"What?" Bonnie had a confused expression.

"What could we be searching for?" Ninleyn took a sip of his tea.

"Gold? Spells? Legacies? It could be anything," Bonnie gasped.

"And yet, it's something you already know."

"Why are you being so cryptic? Just tell us," Bonnie huffed.

"I understand that fire you have. The desire for knowledge, but this is the first part of the test. The answer is something you must find given my clues," Ninleyn calmly replied.

"Is it the Court?" Hera asked. It seemed like too much of an obvious answer, but the fact that the elf was being careful not to mention the order made her suspicious.

"Oh, that was fast. Most people circle around some more before reaching that answer," Ninleyn chuckled.

"And is she right?" Bonnie asked.

"She is. We are searching for the lost Court. To explain what the Court is… I'm sure you are familiar with the Three Heroes but are you aware of the nine?"

Hera nodded, "I found out about them recently, and Lena gave me a book about them. I'm still not done, but yeah, I know they are a thing."

"Same, but I'm done with the book," Bonnie added.

"Good, that will make this easier. Let me ask you this. Do you think they are the only ones?" Ninleyn took another sip of his tea.

"What? They are, right?" Hera asked.

"Are they? We say Khan is the first hero, but that happened 2954 years ago. What about before?"

"You mean, before Khan?" Bonnie asked.

"Exactly. We know that humans were around for much longer than that. For the other races, that's the same. We estimate that we, and I mean the collective, humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and all the races. We are at least 400 thousand years old. And we know that the system was around since some cave paintings show rectangular shapes floating around people. Even if we only consider how long civilization exists, we are still talking about 6 thousand years. During all that time, do you believe that only those nine people did something Hero worthy?" Ninleyn asked.

"I… don't know. I mean, it's unlikely, but at the same time, if there were, we would know about them, wouldn't we?" Bonnie asked.

"Like you knew about the nine?" Ninleyn pointed out.

"Fair point."

"Before our civilization, there were many. Think of them like the Mesopotamians from Earth. We can still find ruins and archeological sites, but most are in languages we cannot understand. That doesn't mean there is nothing to learn from those ancient civilizations. By studying their architecture, their art, sculptures, temples, and many other things, we can get glimpses into their lives," Ninleyn took a bite out of one of the cookies, "It doesn't mean we are archeologists. Of course not. We are looking for something specific. During my travels when I was a young boy, I discovered a temple, and in that temple, there was a large mural depicting a war. However, it was different than I expected. The ruins belong to an ancient race of elves, but the painting showed only a single elf. Along with them, there were many different races with unique characteristics, be it exotic weapons, spells, and decorations. They fought some type of black amorphous creatures, but I couldn't tell what they were. By translating what I could, I was able to find the name of the piece. It was called 'The Last Battle of the Court of Heroes.'"

"Wait, are you telling us that the Lost Court is actually called the Court of Heroes?" Hera asked.

"It is a possibility. We have many names for this supposed group. And the people that I found in that mural appear in other ruins. With different styles, of course, but the unique features were all still there."

"How can you tell you are right? I mean, if there really was something that big, we should know about it, shouldn't we?" Bonnie asked.

"Well. For one, not many people are interested in ruins. Sure, you might find some gold or some age-old equipment, but most of what we have today would be much stronger than those items. And we rarely see any dungeons near or inside those ruins. Most likely, it wasn't a big event that destroyed the civilization, but maybe they just left and abandoned their homes, searching for a better place to live. Or their story is still not over. Also…" Ninleyn pulled up his tablet, "To share this information, could you two sign a small NDA? It's not something I want people talking about."

"Is that really necessary, Ninleyn?" Helena chimed in.

"It is. For my peace of mind if nothing else."

Hera and Bonnie took a quick look at the contract. It was simple; They weren't supposed to reveal a secret that Ninleyn would share with them. If they did, they would be kicked out of the order, and any resources they used or acquired because of the order had to be paid back in full. The secret itself was written on the contract, but it was hidden by a thick black line. Bonnie, who was more used to those kinds of things, quickly agreed since, in the end, the terms were very favorable for them. If they wanted, they could just pay back everything now and tell everyone about that secret which meant that Ninleyn was already putting his trust in them.

After both signed the contract, the man stood up and looked around to ensure they were alone. He then created a wooden staff out of a small green seed and tapped it on the floor. Suddenly, a crown of flowers appeared around his head and a cape made of grass-covered his body.

"This is the proof I have. A legacy called the Woodland Court," he tapped the staff on the floor again, and all that green vanished as if a gust of wind came through. Just at the end, an unnerving growl echoed through the living room.

Hera started to look around, worried about a monster, but Ninleyn just placed one hand in his stomach, "Apologies. I forgot I couldn't call the legacy on the same day I had meat. Could you point me to the bathroom, Lena?"

"Second door on the right. And please, for the love of the system, light the scented candles. I still remember the smell from last time."

"Of course. Thank you," Ninleyn walked over to the bathroom while Helena opened the windows and started to light some incense.

"Is he… going to be ok?" Hera asked.

"He is, but we have some time before he comes back," Helena replied.

Hera leaned back on the couch to think. The order was dealing with something much bigger than she expected, and she still had many questions. But for now, it was a good idea to organize her thoughts.