Pruned Trees Re-Sprout!! ~ Ragazza Volpe Magica ~

Early next morning.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

“WHY?!” Pacifica immediately screeched into the darkness at the incessant whining of the tuner’s alarm.

“I’m getting it.” Shouri pushed himself over Taika to get to the nightstand where the annoying beeping originated.

As soon as the alarm was dealt with, Taika wrapped herself around Shouri as if he were a large plush toy and attempted to fall back asleep with him in her grasp.

“Stop, we gotta get up!” the Maestro complained trying to pry himself free of his clingy fox. After herding the girls out of bed and flipping on the lights, Shouri took to the bathroom to get dressed.

Taika shambled over to the refrigerator and threw it open. Emptiness was all that awaited her, ears instantly wilting at the lack of foodstuffs contained within. “Hrmph. I miss Paci’s house,” she grumbled.

“What are you doing?” Rebecca questioned her fellow fox while putting her blazer on.

“Breakfast.” Taika continued to glare into the empty fridge as if trying to will food into it with her mind.

“Figured we’d be getting breakfast in the cafeteria as usual.” The fire fox shrugged, quickly tying up her tie and slipping it over her head.

“I wanted to make breakfast.” The door to the ice box was finally shut, as the lunar sighed in defeat.

“Saves you some effort.” Rebecca shrugged before walking away.

“But I like making food,” the deflated lunar fox mumbled sadly.

Meanwhile, Pacifica slipped her gloves on, sitting at the foot of the bed. She paused to yawn before looking around for her sandals. “Too early,” the otter muttered, whilst wiping the sleep from her eyes. Shouri sat next to her, dropping her sandals at her feet and beginning to lace up his own shoes.

“Need some coffee?” he asked.

“Probably.” She yawned, taking the opportunity to lean on her Maestro. “Maybe an etude.”

“EEP!”

Rebecca and Taika rushed over to find Pacifica covering her face. Shouri had a hand up the back of her shirt, his free hand holding the blue tuner linked to the Resonator in question.

“She wanted etude,” the Maestro said simply, not looking up from the screen. He ignored the taps of protest he was receiving from Pacifica’s tail.

“So where exactly are we going again Sho?” Rebecca asked, flopping down onto one of the loveseats.

Shouri frowned, glaring at the tuner screen where their destination for the day was already displayed. He took in a breath, recalling the events that informed their itinerary for the day.

RIIIIIIIIIIING!

They had just gotten back to their room at the Lyreann MA office after a long night with one Solana Leduc and her merry band of Resonators.

Shouri begrudgingly answered the call from his trio of ringing tuners with a sharp: “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Not at all!” Priscilla beamed from the other side of the line. “Did you all get settled in fine?”

The younger Maestro shot an uneasy glance to the lunar of his group. “You could say that,” he mumbled.

“Good good! So tomorrow is the first day of the conference and I need to get you into the secret meeting place, you are my replacement after all,” the elder Maestro informed him.

“But it’s gonna suck,” Shouri whined.

“Tough shit. It’s how you can pay me back for those plane tickets and dealing with your father’s goons.”

“Mmmrghph,” the protests continued.

“I hear it’s catered.”

“Free food?” Taika perked up, catching the bit of the conversation that mattered.

Shouri rolled his eyes. “I never said I wouldn’t go. I’m just gonna bitch and moan the entire time,” he warned.

“Just give Taika a full body massage for etude, you’ll be fine.”

“Stop giving her ideas,” he hissed into the tuner.

All he received for his trouble was a chuckle from the other end of the line. “I’m sending you the address.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Shouri replied flatly.

“You’re not who they’re expecting, but I think you’ll get some attention.” He could practically feel Priscilla beaming with pride through the tuner.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Weak-willed, I don’t want attention. I want people to leave me alone,” he grumbled irritatedly.

There was a small moment of silence. “You may be weak-willed, but you’re strong knowledge, and I know you have a certain curiosity. One that’s been nagging at the back of your mind.”

Shouri was stunned to silence. His gaze rose to his Resonators, who all exchanged confused looks with each other. They had gotten used to Priscilla speaking in riddles, she wasn’t as forthcoming with what she read off of people as her daughter was.

“Now why would they want an etude master at this conference? That’s the real question," came yet another riddle.

“I’m not a master,” Shouri retorted.

“You will be one day in the near future,” Priscilla countered. “You have proven this time and again. I don’t have to be apprised of your adventures to know that.”

Shaking his head, Shouri just wanted off the phone. “What do I need to do?”

“Go to the address I’m sending you and find the secret entrance. Only someone with a particular set of skills will be able to find it,” Priscilla tittered.

“No. No! Don’t you make me do some puzzle bullshit!”

But it was too late, he had already been hung up on.

Back in the present, Shouri addressed the question asked of him.

“According to this, we’re supposed to go to Lyreann Castle,” he finally replied.

“A castle?” Rebecca tilted her head, mulling that over.

“Oh! I’ve never been to a castle before!” Pacifica lit up at that revelation.

“Me too! Do they have a princess?” Taika wondered hopefully.

Shouri chuckled. “I don’t think it’s that kind of castle, but it does have a rich and storied history from what the search results show. This town was named in honor of one of the original owners of that very castle.” He returned the tuner to his side and hopped off the bed.

“We’ll probably have to go through the tour, so we should get going.”

The trip to the train station was uneventful. As early as it was in the morning, the platform was relatively empty outside of the early risers and the Resonators employed by the train company, allowing the small group the luxury of boarding without much fuss on this fine Tuesday morning.

“What is this?” Taika looked around the cabin they were walking through with wonder.

“It’s a train,” Pacifica informed her fellow Resonator.

“Only been on one of these once,” Rebecca commented.

The quartet arrived at their seats and sat down. “Trains aren’t as common in Lybertera, but they’re far more plentiful here on Unis-Résonne,” the Maestro explained to his trio of Resonators.

“Why is that?” Pacifica questioned.

“Not sure really. Guess the Lyberteran senators don’t care much for rail? Couldn’t tell you,” Shouri shrugged.

“Is it like the planes?” Taika wondered.

“Not at all. Trains you take for the view!” Pacifica exclaimed.

“The view?”

There was a much larger window to their side than on the plane. Far larger than any of the other vehicles she had experienced thus far. Taika could take in everything that was going on outside; though all she could see right now was the loading platform they had just gotten off of. A few of the employed Resonators were cleaning up the trash and debris littering the platform, but outside of that, the current vista was anything but impressive.

“The view.” Taika furrowed her brow, wondering just what they’d see.

The fox’s thoughts were interrupted by the announcement above them. “This is the final call for the 6:00 AM service to Castle Lyreann on platform 2L.”

It wasn’t long before the massive metal beast lurched forward, truly beginning the day’s outing. A small squeal of the wheels grinding against the tracks informed of the work being done to move the train forward. It was slow going, slower than the cars Taika had ridden in, but given the size of the transport, that wasn’t too surprising.

Leaving the train station, the lumbering precession of machinery made its way through town at a slow pace, the whistle atop blowing every so often to alert any who may be unfortunate enough to cross its wake. The bells from the crossings rang as they passed by.

Shouri, Rebecca, and Pacifica were chattering amongst themselves, but Taika paid them no mind, enraptured by the sights passing them by. Maestros, Resonators, and even other vehicles went about their business, seemingly untroubled by the long metal worm snaking its way through their quiet town. It was amazing how easily the train seemed to fit through the town, passing within mere feet of buildings and other infrastructure.

However, this didn’t last long as they picked up speed as the train cleared the quiet town of Lyreann and sped out into the countryside. Tall green grass swayed in the wind with the occasional farmland breaking up the scenery. Occasionally they dipped into a small forest, with the trees growing around the tracks acting as a tunnel for the locomotive.

It was magical, storybook, and picturesque; Taika’s eyes sparkled with wonder as she watched it all pass by with bated breath.

Soon the train rushed back out to an endless green field, in the distance sat a towering grey building which stood well over the countryside. Despite its apparent age, the structure was kept in immaculate condition as they soon observed, drawing ever closer to the behemoth of a building. Before they could take in any of the scenery the train suddenly jerked downward, venturing into the underground.

“Che cavolo?!” Taika suddenly squeaked.

“Castle Lyreann has its own train station, though it's underground,” Shouri told the startled lunar fox.

“Oh, that’s neat,” Rebecca hummed.

“How modern of them,” Pacifica giggled.

With the train slowing to a crawl, the loudspeaker came to life once more: “The train is now approaching Castle Lyreann station, please wait until the train has come to a complete stop before disembarking.”

“Let’s get to the door,” Shouri decided, getting up from his seat.

“How was the view, Taika?” Pacifica asked the fox.

“Bellissima…” she cooed blissfully in response.

“You really like that storybook kind of landscape don’tcha?” Rebecca chuckled.

Taika shot a pouty glare at the other Resonator. “You know what I like to read,” she whispered so only her fellow fox could hear.

The station itself appeared like any underground train station, illuminated and temperature-controlled in all the modern ways one expected of a building constructed within the last couple of decades. It didn’t scream “ancient fortress” to anyone visiting. Mundane and typical in all forms.

“This isn’t what I had in mind when I heard we were visiting a castle,” Pacifica commented.

“As far as I can tell the theme of Castle Lyreann is “rebirth” so it’s a strangely modern castle despite the core of the thing being around since the early sixth century,” Shouri recounted from an article he was reading off one of his tuners.

Crossing the threshold between the train station and the castle proper was jarring. The modern infrastructure immediately gave way to a storied tunnel. One carved out of the surrounding land’s rock. Electric lighting had been forsaken all in the name of authenticity. The original candle holders which had been installed hundreds of years ago still remained affixed to their positions in the walls, using the same crude lighting methods as days gone by.

Shouri and Taika could even see scars of prior conflict all around them. Their night vision enhanced the ambiance of the tunnel as they rose into the castle. Pacifica glanced over at Shouri, who remained speechless. Though through his unspoken emotion told her of stories she could not see that played plainly to her Maestro.

After a long ascent, they reached the entrance to the castle.

The room they had arrived in was the lord’s chamber, decorated to be fit for a king. Even from the age the castle was dated back to, a modern person would consider themselves in the lap of luxury.

“Aha, this was a secret tunnel then.” Shouri stepped back to take in the passageway they had just traversed.

Sure enough, a bookcase which acted as a cover to the secret stairwell was propped open like a normal door. The room itself was set up more like a museum, with red velvet ropes attempting to keep the public away from the pieces that were on display. Tables had old documents and books sealed away under glass covering to prevent the encroachment of time from further damaging the ancient relics. There were even a few museum-like labels describing the various pieces throughout the room.

Taika’s tail swished excitedly. “A secret passageway?!” she squeaked in realization. “Then this is the king and queen’s room?” The girl hopped in place excitedly.

“I’m not sure the previous lords of Castle Lyreann were necessarily kings or queens.” Shouri frowned.

Rebecca raised a brow, spinning around in place to take in the room’s features. “Coulda fooled me,” she commented.

“The reverence probably comes from her.” Shouri pointed to a large painted portrait.

Depicted for their viewing pleasure was a small winged girl. Her hair, wings, and long feathery tail were all painted in a bright, fiery red. Her attire consisted of reds, whites, and blues, all adorned with flame motifs. The painter managed to capture the very essence of this girl in their work – a small presence whose loyalty to her Maestro was unmatched.

“Who is she?” Taika whispered.

“That is the legendary Blaze Lyre, one of the Orchestra of Heaven,” Pacifica revealed. Sure enough, on the label under the painting was a confirmation of the identity of this girl.

“Wait… the Orchestra of Heaven? Those seven ethereals?” Rebecca looked between her Maestro and the painting.

Taika furrowed her brow. “Who?” she asked.

“The Orchestra of Heaven are seven ethereals, immortals, who take the form of seven instruments. The instruments were said to be used by the god Cievo to shape all that is known before he scattered them on Riterra,” Pacifica told her fellow Resonator.

“They can serve Maestros like us Resonators but are wicked strong. Though they haven’t been seen publicly in like 200 years or something,” Rebecca added in.

“Probably because whenever they show up in the historical records, it ends up being a time of great chaos and societal upheaval.” Shouri continued to regard the painting of the Blaze Lyre with thought. “Though supposedly there are plenty of times where they’re awakened and nothing happens, presumably because their Maestros are level-headed enough to know what they have their hands on. Who really knows?”

Taika too took in the picture of the fire ethereal, appreciating the piece that hung proudly in the king’s bed chambers. “She’s still alive?” the lunar asked.

“Ethereals are immortal beings, so yeah. She might be sleeping in her Lyre form waiting for her next Maestro, or she could be walking around with a Maestro today. Certainly haven’t been in the news.” Shouri shrugged.

The lunar fox hummed in thought. “I wonder… if she’s lived so long, how she feels about Maestros.”

Shouri elbowed the contemplating fox in the side. “Maybe one day you’ll get to ask her,” he chuckled.

“Sho!” she giggled back, shoving him playfully.