After returning to the Heart Base, the Heart Soldiers were swiftly able to get their wounds treated. Raten had been taken to the same doctor who he had first met who he had come to know as Raegan but immediately after, he had been summoned to the Research Facility.
The Facility was at a lower level in the Heart Base, specifically underground. The moment Raten went down the stairs and stepped through the door, he was greeted by a young-looking woman with wisteria-purple hair wearing a lab coat and glasses.
"You're here. Come on, I'll show you around." He was practically being dragged around the place by the woman. He could see researchers working on crystals that they would extract out of these ores. Information on it returned to his mind.
The ores they were working on was known as Element Ore which was applied in forging to enhance a regular weapon since only those that were Taikon Hosts were unable to bring out the full potential of the weapons made from Taikon Beasts. Depending on the grade of the Element Ore, type and skill of the Weaponsmith, the weapon could either become heavily enhanced or just minimally boosted up.
Among other things were people trying out weapons made from Element Ore. "Hyahh!" A man swung at the air with a sword that generated fire from the blade. The Researchers around him began to take notes.
Raten also sighted Nalia who had waved at him both nervously and excessively before getting back to her work. Finally, he and the woman whose name he had yet to learn arrived in a secluded room away from anyone else with no visible windows and the door they came in through as the only exit and entrance. "So what did you call me in here for?" He asked, taking a look around the room.
"That!" She wasted no time, pressing a smoothened crystal at the edge of the room and in front of them, coming up from a compartment in the ground came a fragment of a black crystal being held up by mechanical claws. He instantly recognized it. It was the same type of crystal they had found at the tower but was specifically the one Katie had shattered and Raten immediately understood why he had been called here.
"First of all, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Penny, I'm kinda the boss around here.", she introduced herself with a cocky grin, prompting the boy to roll his eyes. "Now, about the maginficient mystery in front of us. I received it an hour ago from the soldier, Katie. She said she had seen Nalia destroy one of them and all the Spirit Beasts had disappeared."
"After learning this, you were all attacked by soldiers that seemed to be endless that were also being created..." She walked to the fragment of the crystal that had been retrieved, "by this."
"So... what exactly are they?" Penny was fully aware of who he was and his situation so if he remembered what they were, he could possibly remember how they were made.
"I have no clue," Raten replied deadpan and blatantly. "All I know is that when you destroy it, all the Spirit Beasts disappear. Those soldiers didn't seem familiar to me so I' sure they're new creations."
"I see," Penny said, feeling a bit let down after she had let all her excitement build up in gaining new info about it. But then a realization made her even more ecstatic. "Wait, you said the soldiers didn't look familiar but the Beasts did, right?" Raten nodded in response, not sure where this was going.
"Your memories can be jogged back based on familiar things and experiences you've come across before. Is that what you're saying?" Raten nodded again, not sure how it would help.
As quickly as he had been dragged through the place, he was quickly being pushed out of it by Penny as if he had become a nuisance or distraction. "Thanks! That's all I needed. We'll call you when we need you again. Probably a few days from now. Thanks again. Bye!!!"
He arrived outside the facility and the door had been closed on him before he could even say anything. Shrugging, he headed back ti his living quarters where he found Ace meditating on the ground on his side of the room. 'Weirdo. I'm sure if eating and sleeping weren't a necessity, all he'd do is train all day.' Raten made way to his side of the room, getting ready to lie on his bed.
"Oh, Raten! Vice Captain Raldin told me to tell you to tell Annie that her presence is needed in his office," Ace informed him with an earnest look on his face and a serious tone in his voice. The Zen Wielder's eyebrow arched ever so slightly in suspicion with his arms folded.
"And why did he ask this of me and not you?"
"Something about making you run an errand. Anyway, he didn't say why exactly but it's Vice Captain's orders. You have to agree unless your life has become a bore to you." Raten's body stiffened from the statement that came out of the Energy User's mouth. Ace was aware that he was in a situation where he couldn't disobey Raldin. He thought the whole purpose of the state of things was to make him work for them and put people under the false pretense that he had turned over to their side.
'Is that how much he trusts this muscle-head.' He was perplexed. "Tch, whatever. Where is she anyway?!"
"Oh, she's at Dreamdale of course. That's the second village from here. She goes there every saturday. I have no clue why though," Ace answered with the same earnest face as before, earning a grunt from his roommate.
"Ugh, fine." Raten left the room and the moment he did, the serious face on the Energy User shook a bit before breaking into one of amusement. "Oh, I was on the brink of laughing back there." Ace smiled to himself while holding his gut.
Of course, everything he had told the Zen Wielder was fabricated. A complete lie. Ace wasn't as stupid as he made himself out to be. He knew Annie currently disliked Raten right now and even dreaded the thought of being in the same room with the latter. That was why he decided to deceive him on the pretense that it was an order from Raldin.
'Under normal circumstances, this might have never worked. That is... if I hadn't learned what I did the other day.'
* * *
Raten dashed through the village on the buildings and structures in order to avoid as much interactions with people as possible. The village known as Dreamdale was right after the one he was in at the moment but in a different direction than the route they had taken on the mission.
Raten arrived at the entrance of the village, surprised by the scenery. It was a bit more on the advanced side than Quilton, the village before it.
There were crystals that would project signs all over the place, telling people where to go or where the nearest shops were. There was also a statue of a large elephant with tusks glowing an amethyst colour.
'Now, where do I start..." A particular sign caught his attention.
[The Fire Magician Show will take place at the Village Square Field]
It read along with arrows to show the directions of the Village Square. "Fire Magician, ey?" Raten would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued. Although he was a Heart Soldier which was signified by the medallion, he made it very clear to those who tried to shower him with gifts and praises that he wasn't interested.
He arrived at a place with gardens laid out professionally in a circle along with white tiles in the inner circle, making it look a bit grand.
"Pick a card, any card." Annie stood at the centre with some kids paying undivided attention to her every action.