Exiastgardsun Chronicles – Twelve Fruits of Creation

Morning sun poured into the inn room where twelve young elves stirred, or didn't. Sakura snoozed deeply, snuggling into a pile of soft blankets like a pudding-loving caterpillar. Nearby, Orchid quietly placed a chocolate bar on Sakura's pillow with a victorious grin. "Breakfast in bed~"

"Don't wake her," Gabyola whispered, adjusting her quiver. "She ate six servings last night. She needs hibernation, not breakfast."

Meanwhile, chaos unfolded two rooms down.

"Why is my cooking pot filled with mana bullets?!" yelled Yetsan.

"And why is my milk bottle in Sinryo's underwear drawer?" added Kyle dramatically, despite being the culprit.

"You two again?" Fuhiken sighed, arms crossed, already prepared with his "Big Brother Lecture #57: Respecting Personal Property."

"It was a harmless prank!" Kyle argued, dodging behind Sinryo.

"An experiment in item displacement!" Sinryo added, not helping.

Fuhiken rubbed his temple. "One day, one peaceful day. That's all I ask."

Adiw yawned, stretching with one arm, then accidentally cracked the wooden edge of the table. The sharp crack echoed through the room. He froze. Everyone else was too distracted, Kyle was arguing about carrots, Sinryo was claiming he'd invented "strategic item relocation," and Fuhiken was already mid-lecture.

Adiw slowly slid his hand over the cracked edge, trying to press it back into place like nothing happened. 

"…Oops," he muttered. No one noticed. Crisis averted.

Still, no one noticed. He casually placed a folded towel over the damaged corner.

Flawless cover. No one would ever know.

Probably.

Jessica, already dressed and silently observing everyone, simply scribbled a note in her mini diary: "Kyle + Sinryo: chaos. Fuhiken = worry. Adiw = table murderer. Sakura = still alive (somehow). Orchid = chocolate again??"

Eventually, the group made their way downstairs for breakfast. Gaby handed out neatly packed travel snacks, Sakura woke up mid-stairs mumbling "...pudding…" and Kyle failed to look innocent while Sinryo sneakily swapped someone's salt for sugar.

With everything packed and no new fires (literal or metaphorical), Fuhiken did a final damage check on their rooms. A few scuff marks. A suspicious pudding stain on the wall. And a snapped table edge. He sighed again.

"Let's just… leave a generous tip."

---

At the adventurer guild, Seraphina was already waiting near the front hall, harp slung across her back. She stood poised and graceful, her hand lifting in a smooth, practiced wave as she spotted the group entering. The sunlight filtering through the tall windows caught in her golden hair, casting a warm glow as she smiled in welcome. Despite the casual setting, there was a sense of quiet dignity in the way she held herself, confident, but not arrogant. Her presence, as always, drew the eye.

"I challenge thee to one final duel!" she announced, pointing dramatically at Fahleena.

"Oho~! A final test of fate!" Fahleena grinned, keyblade on her back and eyes sparkling. "Let's finish our arc with STYLE!"

Yuuna quietly set up the magic chessboard, arranging jellyfish pawns and dragon knights as Seraphina fluffed her hair for maximum dramatic effect.

Jessica pulled out a small notebook titled: "Official Chess Match Commentary (But Secretly to Laugh At Them)."

The guild watched once again as light illusion spells from Gigih flickered behind the players. This time, he had fine-tuned the effects, soft glows pulsed with each turn, and as pieces were captured, sparks burst into the air in brief, colorful flashes. When a particularly bold move was made, a flurry of glowing feathers drifted down from above, vanishing before they touched the ground. The illusions weren't overbearing, they framed the match like a stage, drawing attention and awe from the growing crowd of adventurers who paused their routines to watch.

"Is this some kind of new spell combo?" one swordsman whispered.

"Nah," a cloaked archer muttered, munching on dried fruit, "just chess, but way too dramatic."

"I like it," a younger mage grinned, eyes following a phoenix-shaped rook being knocked off the board. "Feels like I'm watching a boss battle."

A dwarf near the back gave a satisfied hum. "Never seen a pawn explode like that before."

A silence fell as another piece was taken, this time with a burst of golden light and the sound of chiming bells, courtesy of Gigih's precise mana control. A ripple of quiet applause followed.

"Whoever that kid is, he should run the lighting for the arena matches," someone murmured.

"Jellyfish forward!" shouted Seraphina.

"Knight to flame!" declared Fahleena, which didn't make sense but sounded cool.

Jessica narrated softly, barely holding back giggles. "And Seraphina falls into the bait again… Classic Fahleena trap. Wait for it… yep, critical hit on the phoenix rook. That's not a real thing. But there it is."

After fifteen intense, spark-filled minutes, the game reached its peak. Pieces had clashed, sacrifices had been made, and the tension around the board was thick enough to silence even Kyle. Then, with calm precision, Fahleena moved her final piece into place. A soft pulse of light flared from Gigih's illusion spell as her opponent's last defense fell.

Fahleena stood, one foot slightly raised like she was stepping off an invisible stage. With a sweeping gesture, she pointed at the board and declared, "Victory is mine! The goddess of fate blesses me once again!"

Seraphina stared at the board for a long moment, then slowly sank to her knees, harp resting in her lap. Her posture didn't sag in defeat, if anything, there was a sense of reverence to it. She looked up with a soft smile and said, "Defeated… but inspired. Our legend shall echo in ballads."

A quiet laugh rippled through the room. The atmosphere had shifted from competition to camaraderie, the match becoming less about winning and more about the story it created.

Jessica couldn't take it anymore and burst into laughter, dropping her commentary notebook and rolling on the floor. Again.

Kyle gave her a thumbs-up. "Still funnier the second time."

With their final match in Machinia complete, the party strolled through the city one last time.

---

Sakura picked up a new staff, gently humming to herself.

Gigih found a slightly scorched spellbook he swore was calling to him. The shopkeeper warned it might "explode randomly," to which he cheerfully replied, "Perfect!"

Yuuna traded a stack of silver coins for a sleek blue wand etched with runes. She tested it once, then nodded, satisfied. The design was vaguely futuristic. A quiet reminder of her other world.

Fuhiken bought snacks for everyone. Gaby made sure they remembered travel etiquette. Adiw resisted cracking another table. Sinryo and Kyle "totally didn't steal free samples," and Jessica found a pudding shop and bought four for later.

As they exited Machinia, Seraphina stood at the city gate with her harp in hand. No theatrics this time. Just a soft, elegant melody under the blue sky.

"Farewell, heroes of Etheria," she said. "May your road ahead be filled with song."

Orchid waved both hands wildly. "Bye Seraphina! Remember to eat chocolate every day!"

"I shall," Seraphina laughed, then added quietly, "...but not too much."

Fahleena posed one last time. "Until our next fateful encounter!"

Yuuna bowed slightly. "Take care, bard."

Jessica raised her pudding like a toast.

The party continued their journey, twelve young elves walking down a dirt road, magic bags swaying, hearts light, the breeze behind them.

Then a sudden explosion.

Gigih sheepishly raised a finger. "Uh… that might have been the new spellbook…"

Fuhiken groaned. "I knew this was going too smoothly."

Sakura just munched her snack and kept walking. The road ahead was long. But they were ready.

Probably.

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