CHAPTER 4 (PART 2): THE FORGOTTEN WINTER

Warm air welcomed them upon stepping inside. An open space at the center had long couches and a low table. The blazing fireplace gave warmth and light to the entire living room. The floor was finished with wood and the glass windows had dark curtains covering it.

Arth was walking around when he got a bitter and burned scent in the air. "What's that smell?" he asked.

Robert looked up and sniffed, then his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh dammit … Alice!" he grunted, storming through the hall.

Arth wanted to know where the scent was coming from, so he followed Robert. The hall had two doorways on each side. The first one Arth had passed by was the dining area, and the second one was the kitchen. At the end of the hall was a staircase leading to the second floor.

"What on Earthos are you doing?!" Robert's loud voice thundered from the second doorway ahead.

As Arth entered the kitchen, the smell of the burning food got stronger. Robert was seen inside, arguing with a young lady on a pink apron. She had circular eyeglasses with a book on her right hand. Her straight, white-colored hair extended down to her waist.

"Excuse me? You were gone so we had no other cook!" said the girl in a high-pitched voice while pointing at Robert's face. She was shorter compared to Robert with a slimmer body.

“And you really thought you can cook?” Robert fired back. “Did you hit your head on a rock or something?”

“I was the only one left!” said the girl. “Big-head,” she whispered.

"Oh gods, let me handle this!" Robert said, looking at the roasted meat that was already burned out.

"I don't understand what went wrong. I followed the steps in this book!" said the girl while raising the book on her hand.

“Just … step back. You just gave me more work.”

“I was only helping! Hmph…”

The girl turned around, then stopped when she saw Arth standing on the doorway. She poked Robert’s shoulder and whispered to him while pointing at Arth.

"Oh, that's Arth, my bro! He's the new member I’ve been talking about the whole time… boss finally ordered me to take him here," said Robert while putting on his apron. "Arth come here, this is Alice!"

Arth dug his hands on his pockets before walking inside. His eyes had been locked by Alice’s long, white hair. He got a closer look to her round, black eyes, blinking with thick lashes. Seeing a girl with this kind of beauty made Arth swallow hard on his throat.

Alice raised a brow and surveyed Arth's appearance before offering her hand. "Alice Veillantif," she said with a serious face.

"Arth…I’m from Frostwood village," he replied as he shook her soft hand. Their skin tone had a bit of a difference. Arth had a fair skin but Alice had a lighter one.

“So you came from the same place as this big-head?” said Alice, referring to Robert.

“We grew up together and-”

“Okay. I’ll be straight honest,” Alice crossed her arms. “I won’t be expecting much from you because…” she gave a short glance at Robert. “I was already given a bad impression, about the men from your poor…or humble village or whatever it is.”

“Uh okay…?” Arth scratched his head, not knowing what to say.

"Anyway, this is nice. We could use an extra hand here in our hideout. I think you would be perfect for the laundry and cleaning assignment," Alice rubbed her chin while nodding. “What do you think, big-head?” she turned to Robert.

What? Cleaning and laundry? Did they just let me join here to be a house helper?

"Stop teasing my bro,” said Robert while roasting another meat.

“You think I’m joking?”

“Just take him to his room first, Alice!"

Alice cast a leer at Robert before rolling her eyes. She walked past Arth and went through the hall towards the staircases. Arth pinched his lips as he followed, glancing at her straight hair on her back. She was about an inch shorter than him and still looking very young. I wonder how old she is. Eighteen? Nineteen? Arth thought.

"Our boss is currently out on a mission with Luna, one of our members," said Alice as she led Arth to his room. "But they will be back by now, I think."

"So how many members are in this guild?" Arth asked.

"Five."

“Including me?”

“Excluding you.”

That’s rude. Arth sighed.

As they climbed on the staircases, they encountered a young man on a black cloak with hands under his pockets.

Arth's eyebrows rose, seeing the young face of the guy. Are those... red eyes? he thought, seeing the guy's dark, blood-colored eyes. He had a light skin, the same as Alice, with his black hair fixed backwards, leaving some strands on his forehead.

"Who's this?" the young man asked Alice, his voice was cold, as he looked at Arth from head to toe.

"This is Arth, a new recruit of the boss," said Alice.

The man’s red eyes stared at Arth with his thin, soft lips pursed. He tilted his head to the side, still looking, showing his perfect jawline and sharp cheekbones.

Arth offered his hand for a shake, but he was only ignored.

“Petty,” said the young guy as he walked past them.

Is he even human? Arth thought, turning his head to glance.

"He's always like that. You'll get used to him," said Alice.

They stopped at the door at the end of the hall. "Just go to the dining when you hear a bell ring later," Alice informed before walking away.

Arth opened the door, then stepped inside the dark room. The space was small but enough for himself. He walked on the carpeted floor and lit up the candle lamp to illuminate the room. It took him a couple of minutes to unpack his bag and place them on the empty wooden cabinet.

After arranging his personal stuff, a sound of the bell rang from the outside. 

“Well that was fast,” Arth whispered. He took off his blue cloak, leaving him with his white, long-sleeved garment. It had two buttons opened that slightly revealed his chest.

As Arth reached the dining area, he caught a glance of two more unfamiliar faces seated at the long table. One was a tall woman with short, golden hair. She had her back turned so Arth could not see her face yet. The other one was a middle-aged man with black hair and sharp eyes. He was seated at the head of the long table, drinking his cup of wine.

Is he the boss they're talking about? Arth wondered. Alice and the red-eyed guy were also at the table while Robert was serving the dishes.

"Oh, there’s my bro!" said Robert.

"Arth, come in and join us," said the man sitting at the head of the table. He cast a thin smile as he gestured his hand to the vacant seat.

Arth nodded, then sat on the chair beside the tall woman. The moment she turned her head, her bright green eyes had stunned Arth. He quickly looked away and gulped hard as he got a short glance at the woman’s big breasts.

Green? Red? They really are weird just as Robert said, Arth thought.

"Luna," the woman offered her hand. "Luna Stormwind. You have great blue eyes, Arth,” she spoke in a different accent.

"Uh... you too," Arth replied as he shook her hand, his eyes avoiding her chest. He focused on the dishes instead, being served by Robert on the table. They all had the same type of food which was roasted meat with some spices and toppings, except for the red-eyed young man whose plate was served with raw, leg meat.

So weird. Arth stared at the raw meat on the plate when he realized that the red-eyed guy had been glaring at him. He immediately looked away, rubbing his hair. And scary.

"I think this is the time we introduce ourselves to our new recruit," the man at the head of the table spoke in a dark voice. "I'm Lucas, the leader of the guild." A small scar was spotted at his right cheek with his black hair reaching down to his shoulders.

"I assume you already met her, Alice Veillantif, the mage of our team," said Lucas as he pointed at her. "She is proud … and a prodigy as well, studying ice elemental magic and sorcery."

Arth turned to her in amazement. She seemed so young for him. 

"That woman beside you… is Luna. Don’t be surprised, but she's already a hundred and twenty-three years of age."

Arth almost choked on the meat he was chewing. Hundred and twenty-three? Is she immortal?!

"Luna’s half-elven so I guess that explains it," said Lucas. "She's the master archer of the guild."

"You know how to use bow and arrows?" Luna asked Arth. "I can give you some pointers," she winked at him.

Arth quickly looked at his plate and scratched his head, "Uh... I think I'm good with my sword." 

So that explains her green eyes. She's truly an elf! he thought while drinking on his glass of water.

"And that young man in front of you… is Janshai," Lucas continued. "He's the most talented and skilled assassin among us in this guild."

Janshai never paid attention as he kept on eating his raw meat bare handedly.

"He's only nineteen years old," Luna whispered on Arth’s ear. "He’s short-tempered so try your best not to talk to him."

Nineteen? No wonder he has this young face. Arth thought. But wait… those bloody-red eyes really made him look like… is he a half-blood too like Luna?

Arth forked the roasted meat on his plate and took a tender bite, tasting the delicious combination of the spices. He remembered how great of a cook Robert was, growing up together in the same house. Arth had the knowledge of cooking too but not as good as his friend.

"That's not fair, boss! Include me in your introduction!" Robert complained as he came to the dining and sat down on the chair beside Arth.

“The boss has nothing to say about you,” Alice teased. "You’re just a good-for-nothing, stupid player who roams around the capital, trying to hit on every woman you see. You’re not even ashamed of that ugly face of yours."

Arth bit his lower lip to prevent a smile.

“Shut up, you nerd. Your standards are just too low,” Robert fired back. “I’m attractively… and seductively handsome… right bro?” he elbowed Arth beside him, asking for help.

“I guess, yeah,” Arth quickly nodded.

“Tsk, of course he is,” said Alice sarcastically.

“Did I ask you?!" said Robert.

"That's enough, I swear to god," Lucas interrupted, shaking his head. “You’re fighting in front of the table again.”

After a short moment of silence, they continued eating their dinner.

"What about you, boss?" said Arth to Lucas.

The people at the table all paused and turned to Arth with furrowed brows, as if he just said something dumb.

"Wait, you mean you don't know the boss?" Robert told Arth. "He’s Lucas Denvorn, bro. Are you living under a rock?"

"Robert," said Lucas. "It had probably been a long time for him to know."

Arth stormed his eyebrows in confusion. Wait, what am I missing here?

"I'm the retired Divine Knight, Arth, serving the previous King of Glacia before," said Lucas.

Arth almost threw up the food on his mouth. "A Divine Knight?!"

Chief Gregor had mentioned that it was the highest and most powerful rank of knights above the Standard Knights and Grand Knights. They served to protect the king and were with them at all times. And it was Arth’s dream to become one someday.

"It was a long time ago, Arth. But I was replaced when the king I was supposed to protect had died eighteen years ago," said Lucas with a frowned face.

Replaced? Oh right. There could only be one divine knight on each kingdom of Earthos, Arth thought.

"Before I continue, Arth," Lucas turned to him with serious eyes, "I want to formally ask if you have already decided to join our guild, the Forgotten Winter."

Arth dropped the fork he was holding. His body flinched as his eyes were forced to open wide. Fo... Forgotten Winter? That’s the… rebel guild!

"This is…" Arth slowly gazed at the warriors around him. "So… you're the one who murders nobles and high executives?!" 

They don't seem like professional killers! Well except for that Janshai in front of me, Arth thought as he swallowed hard the lump on his throat.

"Wait... so this stupid big-head didn't tell you?!" said Alice, casting a sharp glare at Robert.

Robert gasped. "Oh no, I thought you already knew, bro!" he covered his mouth.

"It’s alright. Now that you know, Arth," said Lucas as he crossed his arms. "What's your decision?"

Arth’s mouth could not form any words as he was still processing everything. So this means… if I join them… I will become a rebel too? But I'm a knight, so I can't turn my back against the king!

"There's no way this… amateur… could work with professionals like us," Janshai spoke out in a cold voice. "But now that he knows our hideout’s location, we’ll just have to kill him."

"Hey, wait!" Arth quickly waved his hands in front of him.

"Don't mind him," Lucas told Arth. "It's just his own way of telling you that you have no other choice left but to join us."

“Idiot,” Janshai shook his head while staring at Arth. He stood up from his chair and left the dining area.

"Arth, I just wanted to inform you that our guild is a rebel one. We are the enemies of the kingdom so one mistake could potentially risk the lives of the members," Lucas said.

Arth looked down on his plate. "You’re aiming to eliminate corrupted source of the kingdom, right?"

"Not just that," said Alice. "Our target is Terrowin, the king of Crown Galacer."

“He’s the worst,” Robert added.

"Ever since the King Letholdus died, his brother, Terrowin, replaced him. He is known as the ‘Cold King’ for being cold-hearted and merciless to his people, spreading his evil deeds to many councilors and nobles of the kingdom. And now, excruciation, persecution, over-taxation, and so much more are already everywhere. The powerless are suffering everyday under the hands of the powerful. And we are going to stop that once and for all," Alice continued.

"If that's the case then, why not just kill the king directly?" Arth asked.

"It's not that easy, bro," Robert told him, rubbing Arth’s hair.

"Let's just discuss these things to him later on. It's his first night here in our guild. Let him take his rest," said Lucas. "So what do you say, Arth?"

Arth squeezed his fists under the table. "If this is the path to help and save the people including our village, then I'll join you."

"That's the spirit!" Robert gave him a thumbs-up.

"Very well,” Lucas sipped on his cup of wine before standing up. “You will be assigned first under Robert. He will tell you what to do tomorrow."