Although the clearing had grown several times larger than it had been at the beginning, the Duchess quickly approached Shade beneath the varied gazes of her colleagues. She deliberately kept her eyes away from the Lady standing beside him:
"Though it took a long time, we found this in the end."
As she spoke, she handed the box to Tifa. The Black-haired Maid lowered her head and held the heavy gray stone box in both hands as she presented it to Shade beneath the Star Sea.
The wind raced through the forest, rustling the treetops beyond the clearing. Snow fell upon the stone box's smooth surface. Shade did not take it, instead brushing away the snowflakes with his right hand. He examined the somewhat faded simple carvings on its surface: an Angel, a werewolf, an elf, a Dragon Maid, a human woman, and a human man. The six figures encircled a symbol representing flame at the very center.
Four thousand years had passed since the end of the six adventurers' journey.
"We tried to open it, but there was no way to do so."
The witch spoke softly.
The stone box appeared to be formed from a single piece, without the slightest seam. Shade stared at it for a moment, then nodded gently to show that he understood. He took from his pocket the silver crescent pendant tied with a wolf-hair cord, the one the werewolf girl had given him before he left Ashes River Valley.
Ever since hearing that the Crescent Moon Secret Society was looking for something, he had kept it on him.
He carefully placed the crescent pendant atop the flame symbol at the center of the box. When the crescent touched the symbol, the six simple drawings surrounding the flame all began emitting silvery radiance.
The