CHAPTER I : Return to the City of Humans

It was a grueling fight but somehow, Jack and Ridley had survived it all. His body was about to give out but then he thought to himself that it wasn't the time to think such things. Beside him was Ridley, standing proud and tall as if she wasn't even the least bit affected by the fight that took place just moments ago. In front of them loomed Radiata Castle in all its glory, bathed in the light of the moon. They were just a few more steps from the bridge that connected Lupus gate to the outside region but from where they were, they saw no guards.

"I can't believe-" Jack huffed for air, hanging his head and hands on his knees. "that we actually made it." he took a deep breath and stood upright.

"By a long shot." Ridley quickly retorted. "Against a monster like that, we were lucky." she added. "Lucian...!" Jack clenched his fist, shaking with anger. "Lucian was the Silver Dragon... Aphelion." said Ridley.

"He-" Jack's anger began to surface. "It's all his fault!" Jack said, his voice vibrating due to his own rage. "If it weren't for him, this wouldn't have happened!" he got on the ground and began pounding at it with his right hand. "There never would have been a war!" Jack pounded the earth powerfully. A searing pain emanated up his arm but he ignored it. He was consumed with anger, being controlled by his emotions. Pain was nothing to him now. "And the Captain-" he pounded more times, this time even harder. "The Captain-" Ridley clutched his wrist in midair, stopping him from hurting himself. "Jack cried out loudly, finally giving in to his sadness. Ridley locked him in her embrace, his head leaning on Ridley's stomach area. "Be strong, Jack." Ridley ran her fingers through his brown hair. She held his head in both her hands and leaned down to level herself with him.

"Jack..." Ridley tried to muster a smile, combining it with her gentle green eyes. "Ganz-" she cut herself short. "I mean, the Captain." she corrected herself. "Wouldn't want us to be like this. We're stronger that this, Jack." she said. "He saw how strong you and me were. But..." she looked away from his gaze. "It was his choice. And the castle was collapsing." said Ridley. "It was the only thing we could do... to run." she looked disappointed in herself.

"We should have stayed there and died!" Jack yelled at her. Ridley was taken aback at his sudden outrage. "This is hell, ok! THIS IS ALL HELL!" he screamed louder. "This all wouldn't have happened!" he repeated the same line for a few more times. "It's all because of that stupid Silver Dragon! That bastard, Aphelion!" Ridley slapped Jack across the face, putting all her might into one single blow. Jack was bewildered at what Ridley had just done.

At that moment, he grew calmer. The rage that he was emitting subsided. More tears streamed down his face and he turned his gaze to Ridley with teary eyes. "It hurts, Ridley." he sobbed incessantly. "Everything hurts..." he let go of himself and gave in to all of his sadness, all of the depressing thoughts that had wormed themselves into his heart and mind. He pulled Ridley into his arms and embraced her.

"Jack." she said his name gently, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in closer, tighter. "The pain lets us know we're alive." she said and caressed the back of his head with her hand. "We're here." said Ridley. "We're alive. And we will continue to live on." she pulled out of his arms and held both his hands in hers, staring deep into his eyes and projecting a loving smile, a smile that no one but Jack had ever seen. "It's all over Jack." this time Ridley ran her hand down Jack's left cheek. "Let's live through it, Jack."

Jack put his hand on her hand which was still on the left side of his face. "Ok Ridley..." his weeping began to die down. "Ok."

Jack collected his thoughts and got his emotions under control. A few moments later, Jack got up to his feet and began to wipe away the wet areas on his face. He did his best to muster a smile and took a single step forward. Ridley was right. This was not the time to act as if the world had come to an end. Now was the time to live, to continue to live, and to go on doing so until he took his last breath.

Jack reached for Ridley's left hand and grabbed it. "Let's go, Ridley." he pointed to Radiata Castle with his left hand. "Not just for us, but for the Captain!" he said determinedly, his old attitude and mindset returning to him. "Yes Jack." Ridley gripped his hand and took a step forward as well. "Let's move forward."

They walked hand in hand towards Radiata Lupus gate and so no guards at the guard house. As they finally entered the town proper, they saw that the streets were lit... but no one was there. The usual faces Jack saw that would be wandering the city at this time of night were not there. Moving forward, they passed Theater Vancoor. Jack looked at it for a good few seconds and saw that it looked deserted.

"Even Theater Vancoor looks deserted." he said. "I think all of them are in the castle." said Ridley. "After all, we were at war with them. I think King Jiorus would have evacuated all the citizens to the castle." she explained further. "But what about the members of each guild?" Jack curiously asked. "I mean, they sent out members of the warrior guild to guard the roads. Wouldn't they have dispatched some others to guard the town as well?" he asked. "That depends. I mean, you do remember that large flash of light that happened after we left the City of White Nights, right?" Ridley asked her own question.

"Yep, I do. Why do you ask?" him and Ridley turned to face each other. "If you saw that and knew about the war, wouldn't you think it was something like the end of the world?" Jack raised his brow in thought. "Hey, you're right." he agreed with her speculation. "So you think everyone is in the castle?" he asked. "Only one way to find out." Ridley turned her gaze towards the castle which was now just a short walk away from the Yellow Town of Sun and Stars.

As they walked up the inclined path, they saw a guard at the gate. The guard quickly spotted them and raised his polearm at them. "Who goes there! Identify yourselves!" he quickly spat out his lines as if they were part of some script.

"Sergeant of Theater Vancoor and temporary knight commander Jack Russel." he said.

"Ridley Silverlake, former captain of the Argent Faucon squad, daughter of Lord Chamberlain Jasne Colton." Ridley gave her answer.

The guard gave them a long and hard look through his helmet and then after much staring at them, stood upright and gave them a salute. "I see. I apologize for my rudeness, sirs!" he said curtly. "Please, proceed into the castle."

Ridley and Jack entered the castle and saw that the entrance hall leading into the corridors was filled with people, refugees from the ongoing war. Some of them stared at Jack and Ridley as they moved forward. There were kids sleeping, others playing with each other. Some of the adults huddled into a corner of the hall and laughed loudly. Others played something which looked like a card game. It was quite lively. Despite the fact that there was a war going on, these people just acted as if it was just an ordinary day.

"See, Jack?" Ridley took his hand in hers as and looked around while they walked. "Look at all these people just being who they are." she said. "They just want to go on living each day to the fullest." she added. "They know all too well that a war is going on but here they are, just enjoying themselves and acting as if we weren't in one. So Jack, don't ever give up, ok?"

Jack looked at her and nodded. "Yeah, I understand." he gave a simple reply but deep down inside he got the message. Giving up would never be the answer. Jack understood now what it meant to be alive, to just live and face the world head on.

"Ridley?" a voice called out. "Jack?" the same voice called out to Jack. "Is that really you? Jack and Ridley?" the voice sounded amazed. From among the crowd then stood Lord Larks.

"Lord Larks?" Jack called out. "What are you doing here?" Larks walked closer to them, his hands at his sides and a calm look on his face.

"Well, this is unexpected." he said. "And as for the answer to your question, I'm attending to the needs of the refugees here." he placed both his hands on their shoulders, one of Jack's and the other on Ridley's. "But this is quite the turn of events." he said. "I thought you two had been lost on the field of battle."

Larks turned his gaze over to Ridley but he did not at all look at her with malice. He looked, for one, concerned for her well-being. "Ridley. I see you have returned to Radiata." he let go of Jack's shoulder as well as Ridley's. "You do know that you have been labeled as a traitor..." his voiced trailed off slightly. "As well as Jack here, correct?" he looked over both of them with a stern gaze. Jack suddenly grew tense and felt a cold sweat about him. "Why so tense, Jack?" Larks quickly read his tiny movements. "Did you honestly think that you could waltz back into Radiata and fall under our good graces?" he said flatly.

Jack readied himself for any sudden movements that Larks would make. He was even willing to go for his blade, anything to get out of here lest they be thrown into the dungeons. And if they were captured, Jack already knew all too well what they would do to people who've been branded as traitors, there would be no exceptions for either of them.

Larks turned his back on them and began to make for the inner corridor that led into the castle. "Meet me in my office." he said plainly as he stopped walking just for a bit. He then continued into the inner parts of the castle. Jack took a quick glance behind him and noticed that the gate which they came through now had more than just one guard. There were now four of them blocking the exit, perhaps to ensure that Jack and Ridley would not try to escape. But then again, they were combatants of substantial skill with enough prowess to easily get through. However, there were people all around them. A fight would probably bring harm upon some of the innocent by-standers.

"Looks like we can't get out that way." said Jack in a whisper to Ridley. Ridley took a glance herself and saw what Jack did. "Affirmative." acknowledging Jack's answer. "It looks like we have no other choice but to go and meet with Lord Larks." said Ridley. "They've probably got all the other exits guarded as well." she added. "And with all the refugees in here, I doubt that we'll be able to get out through fighting."

"So, this is how it all starts, eh?" said Jack, gulping down a lump that had formed in his throat after he began to think about what might become of them. "Yeah. If this is the path you and me have walk, then I say we should face it." said Ridley to Jack. "Come on." Jack reached for Ridley's hand and the two began to walk into the inner corridors of the castle.

As Jack held Ridley's hand and they traversed the passageways within Radiata Castle, he could not help but think of thoughts that made him regret coming back to the place. Is this really how it's going to end for me and Ridley? He kept asking himself that question in his head.

Ridley was in the same state, she couldn't believe that she was stupid enough to come back to the town, let alone the castle. But they had no place else to go. Jack... she let his name echo through her thoughts, filling her head with images of the past, her memories with Jack. If these were to be their final moments together, then at least she would be with him until the end. She tightened her hold on Jack's hand and took a deep breath, now looking determined and proud.

There they stood now, outside Lord Lark's office. Jack gulped down another lump in his throat and raised his fist to the door. Before making a knock, he took a look at Ridley who in turn looked at him. Ridley gave him a nod and Jack finally pounded on the door.

"Come in." said a voice from the other side of the door. It would be no other than Lord Larks.