Yuki bathed in the rays of the morning sun as she walked the streets of Oak. It would have been a fine morning, if not for the dread that loomed in the atmosphere, well, at least just for the lady. It was earlier that morning when she was met with a letter that laid at her room’s doorstep. The letter contained a red seal, marked with a crest unfamiliar to Yuki. A soft yawn escaped her lips, her somnolent eyes somehow fixed at the envelope as she broke its seal. Pulling out its content, the lady was met with shock upon gazing upon the name of the sender. The letter appeared to be from Lord Servas himself, requiring Yuki’s presence at the castle.

Her languid steps finally brought her in front of the castle gates. As she stopped by the castle gate, she could not help but marvel at the building’s massive build. The mysterious summon however, sent her doubts to enter the castle. Mustering as much courage as she could, she finally decided to move forward handing the letter to one of the guards. Nonchalantly, she was allowed entry without much ado. Oddly enough, the security at this town’s castle isn’t as tight as the other towns she has visited.

“You must be Yuki.” Much to her surprise, Yuki was welcomed by a man dressed in a flamboyant linen suit topped with a black cape. The man stood in a stiff, yet elegant posture, his chin slightly raised. He held a white, peculiar flower on his right hand that caught the eyes of Yuki the most. The guards at the castle gate all bowed in reverence upon witnessing the man’s appearance. “Follow me.” Without further introductions, the man turned around gesturing Yuki to follow suit.

Yuki gasped, astonished at the castle’s elegant and sleek interior. She stepped upon the glistening white marble floor, marvelling at the massive walls that were decorated with bright colored banners and vibrant stained glass windows. From time to time, a couple of servants clad in black waistcoats and striped gray trousers would stop by and bow to their lord. Yuki would often slightly bow her head, holding her grimoire close to her chest in the presence of the other servants.

“We’re here. You see this flower I’m holding…”  The two stopped somewhere at the edge of the castle, standing by an old wooden door. It appeared that her summon was for a quest to collect some flowers that could only be found deep inside the castle’s dungeon. The man introduced himself as Lord Servas then explained his late wife’s death as well as the upcoming ceremony in detail. He took his time discussing the path towards the flowers’ location and how they could be found. After briefing the lady, the lord of the castle left, entrusting the lady of the noble quest.

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In contrast with the castle’s grandeur, its dungeons reeked of repugnant features. Yuki almost vomitted, as she inhaled the dungeon’s foul stench. The ground was filled with slippery moss and gooey mud from time to time. The lack of proper lighting even added to the dungeon’s dubiousness making it uneasy for the lady to delve deeper into its core. Various sounds from different creatures and the flapping of bat’s wings from time to time made the lady shriek in terror.

Yuki’s legs started to get limp, as the path into the dungeon grew darker. And alas, at the end of the corridor came another set of stairs that led into a pitch black lower section of the dungeon. It wasn’t an easy decision to take for the lady whose heart started to race in fear. Turning back without the flower however, could turn out to be an even more frightful experience.

Mustering the meager courage that’s left in her soul, Yuki decided to take the steps down into what seemed like a dark abyss. The absence of light made the lady stick closer to the walls for guidance. Oddly enough, the deeper she went, the fainter the dungeon’s stench became making it more comfortable for Yuki to breathe. The air however, suddenly went friggid almost freezing the lady if not for her thick ceremonial dress.

Her hands remained clasped on the wall, as she traversed the pitch black section of the dungeon. Somehow, the faint scent of the flower which was similar to the one that Lord Severas showed her, guided her path. From time to time, she would encounter dead ends forcing her to retrace her steps and look or rather, feel another path with her hands.

As the scent of the flower got stronger, the brighter her mood became. The ambrosial aroma gradually made Yuki forget of the dungeon’s terror. As if being pulled by a string, the lady stepped forward, now without the guidance of the walls beside her. It felt almost like a lucid dream, being drawn by the most charming scent she had ever sensed in her life. Unfortunately the pleasant dream was ended by a stray rock that caused her to trip. Her face fell flat into the muddy ground, her hands unable to save her from her doom. As misfortunes could lead to better fortuity however, her hands stumbled upon the texture of a soft leafy plant. As she raised her head towards the ground, she couldn’t deny the strong scent of the fragrant flower that seemed to be very close by. She guided her hands through the leafy plant’s structure, finally ending on the silky texture of the flower’s petals. She carefully looked for the stem and plucked the flower out. She decided to gather some more to form a bouquet.

The way out wasn’t any easier however, her sudden felicity made the experience a little less horrific. As she emerged out of the dungeon, the sight of Lord Servas waiting patiently for her proved to be rewarding enough for the slight irksome experience to say the least. Nonchalant of her stench and filth, she approached the castle’s lord who seemed to be fixed at the bouquet of flowers that she held. Lord Servas received the flowers with utmost gratitude and handed her the jewels for her service.

“Uhmmm Albert! Kindly lead this lady to the baths.” Suddenly catching the lady’s foul odor however, the noble couldn’t help but suddenly distance himself and leave Yuki’s presence. In his courtesy however, he summoned one of his servants to attend to her needs.

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