Goliath, frustrated, stood up from his seat and slammed his palms on the desk.
"Now just what the hell are you thinking, Grimhild?! You told me that Obsidia must be sealed away at all costs, what's the matter with you?"
"Mm." Grimhild nodded her head. "I know what I said, but things have changed, Goliath."
"Changed?" He crossed his arms, frowning. "What the hell has changed?!"
"A lot," Grimhild closed her eyes, "I met a group of people a while ago. A young Kaizamei, Elizabeth, a young Cyrodel, Kyto, and a young Champion User, Jean Parolette."
"H-Hey, what about me?" Said the spirit.
Ignoring Chroliosa, Grimhild opened her eyes to glare at the Golem.
"They are all special people, and I believe they have what it takes to destroy Dracula by working together."
Goliath widened his eyes, baffled by her words.
"Wait, do you mean… the Dracula?" Asked the time spirit.
Grimhild nodded, "Yes indeed, the one who calls himself the King of Darkness."
"And how are you so sure about this?" Asked Goliath, sitting back down. "What makes you think they can stop someone as powerful as Dracula? He has enough power to even defeat Arthur Pendragon."
"I know…" Muttered the witch, lowering her head, "But I see great potential in them, and with the help of Obsidia, our chances are even greater."
"Hmph." Goliath scoffed, leaning back into his chair. "You really do surprise me, Grimhild, I can't believe someone as smart as you want to release that destructive tyrant."
Standing up from her seat, the petite witch grinned.
"Just trust me, like you always do, Goliath."
"Man…" He sighed, opening the drawer beside him, "You owe me one, you old coot." Taking out a Fusion Core, he tossed it at Grimhild. "Here, it's the last of my Fusion Cores."
"The last one?" Grimhild caught it in her hand, a bit surprised by his comment.
"Yeah, we all ran out."
"Can't you make more?"
"Afraid not, we lack a sufficient supply of Maligant Ore and Melted Pixie Dust, so we can't make any of the materials needed to craft these things."
"I see." Grimhild looked down in thought. "Maligant ore is rare to find in the Northern Empire; it's usually discovered South of us, in the Land of Technology."
"Ah, the Southern Empire, huh? Yeah, we don't have any means of transportation there, I'm afraid."
"If that's the case, then I'll acquire some in the future and return it to the village, that way I'll be paying you back." She grinned. "Is that enough to settle my debt?"
"Hmmm…" Joining his hands together, the golem chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so, do what you want with it, old friend."
"Mm." Nodding, the witch turned around, approaching the door. "Let us be off, Chroliosa."
"Oh, y-yes!" The time spirit did a small bow before the golem. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Sir Goliath!"
"And it was nice to see a spirit for once in a while. Take care, Chroliosa."
She smiled, hearing them say her name.
"I shall! Goodbye." Leaving the room, the spirit closed the door behind her, following the witch in her tracks.
"Master!"
Catching up to Grimhild, she nearly tripped.
"I see you haven't adjusted to your human physiology yet." Said the snarky mage.
"Master, who is this Obsidia you speak of?! I must know!"
Grimhild carried onwards, approaching the exit.
"Obsidia is a powerful Golem created by me in the past. She has the power to control the authorities of the Gods—but she became sentient, and used her power for irrational purposes."
"She can manipulate the laws of the Gods? How did you create something so almighty?"
"They were one of my greatest creations…" Grimhild lowered her head into a sigh. "But they were consumed by too much power, so I sealed them away."
"I-I see, then why did you make something so powerful, exactly?"
"It was during the Dragon raid."
"I'm a bit lost, I've never heard of this Dragon raid."
"Naturally, it's only something that the Golems of Goliath village are aware of." Stopping in the middle of the room, the witch lifted her hand. "Projanta." A hologram appeared, reflecting the past.
"What is this?"
"What you see in the hologram is Goliath Village, ten years ago. This was during the time I trained Merlin, the Great Mage that is feared across many Empires in this age." The hologram fast-forwarded, revealing Merlin casting a powerful magic circle. "Merlin was the one who led the dragons into Goliath Village, wreaking havoc among the golems. She had planned on wiping them out, and taking their Fusion Cores for herself."
"That's horrible…"
"Mm," Grimhild nodded. "She used her magic for wicked crimes, not caring about the consequences."
"Were you aware of this, master?"
"Yes, I was aware, but this is after I told Merlin to be Arthur's Court Wizard."
"How does that correlate?"
Grimhild slightly frowned.
"Merlin was under the protection of King Arthur; a powerful man who possesses Excalibur. In other words, if I intervened, or even approached her, Arthur Pendragon would cut me down."
"Oh, I see…" Chroliosa crossed her arms. "Not even you can go up against Excalibur, it seems…"
"I'm afraid not. Excalibur is a sword that can eradicate even my Destruction Magic. It would be foolish to challenge him."
"I-It has the power to destroy even destruction itself? And yet Dracula is on even grounds?"
"Yes." Rather blunt with her reply, the witch took away the hologram.
"Who knew that the mortals of the Nie'mada had what it takes to challenge one of the three witches of calamity."
"I'm wary of every decision I make—that is why I'm still alive. When dealing with Merlin, there must be precautions; that is why I made Obsidia handle her and those pesky dragons that attacked this village."
"I guess that makes sense… so you created the Golem to handle your dirty work?"
"Indeed - If there's a risk of Excalibur being involved, I must avoid it at all costs." Grimhild continued her journey towards the exit, now twisting the doorknob. "Now, let us head underground."
"Yes, master!" Chroliosa jogged behind her as they left the mansion.
+
"What happened to the others, young child? Wasn't there a Kaizamei and Cyrodel with you?" Zarutha flapped his wings, landing on a log below.
"It's a bit of a long story… but they all left our party and went to Mythical Valley, alone."
"M-Mythical Valley? What in the Muspelheim are they thinking? That place is guarded by powerful creatures!"
Jean cringed at their comment, scratching his cheek.
"Yeah, I know, but they really want that wish… that's for sure."
"Not even seasoned mages can survive the inhabitants of that place, that I tell you! They'll last for a few minutes, tops!"
Jean huffed a sigh, already acceptant of such a fact.
"Yeah, I know, that's also another reason why I've come searching for Grimhild. She's the only one who can stop them!"
Zarutha nodded his head.
"Oh, most certainly! It isn't in Grimhild's character to let people she knows die without good reason!"
Jean smiled, quite relieved to hear that.
"Then, do you know where she's at?"
Zarutha flapped his wings, levitating in midair.
"Indeed, I do! She is settled within Goliath village, not far from here!"
"Uhm… Goliath village?"
"Aye! It is the village of the golems, and it is hidden with powerful magic that prevents its discovery."
"How is that possible? Aren't golems created to only serve their masters? How can they own a village?"
"It's quite a long story, young man, and perhaps I can tell you another time, but first I must continue my journey!" Zarutha turned tail and flew. "You must be careful following behind me, boy. You're an outsider, and they'll be wary of your entry."
Jean nodded his head, stern in his visage.
"Alright, I got it."
Running behind the owl, they made their way into the foggy forest, surrounded by mist. It was a bit hard to see, or even pinpoint locations from the echoes of their voice.
"Woah, I can't see a thing… how does one travel through these forests!?" Questioned Jean.
"It is difficult, but with the right magic, one can vanquish the obscurity of their vision. It's safe to assume that Grimhild did such a thing while wandering this forest."
"No surprise there…"
"Stick close to me, boy! If you trail too far behind, you'll lose me and be lost within this forest forever."
A nervous expression crossed Jean's face.
"Lost, forever?! You're joking, right!?"
There was no response.
It was evident that Zarutha was quite serious about his claim.
"How are you tracking Grimhild, exactly?"
"The usage of Clairvoyance magic. When a Delivery Owl and its master make a contract, their souls are bound together, allowing me to appear wherever my master summons me. In return, I can also track them down, regardless of their whereabouts."
Jean kept running behind him, visibly worn out from his lack of energy.
"Ah, that makes sense…" He slowed down, nearly coming to a halt. "Man… I'm so tired!"
"Carry on now, child! We're almost there!"