"…Mom…?" Elesis had tears streaming down her face. She was at home, in Kanavan. The Grand Chase would be going to Serdin soon to report to Knight Master (and party hard), but Elesis wanted to talk to her mother first. The house was… Well, it was a brown, wooden shack. Her mother was in the kitchen washing dishes, and Elesis had just crossed a red rug to get to her.
"…Elesis?" her mother turned around. She had red, flowing hair, like Elesis, and she was wearing a plain white dress. She had ruby eyes. She just looked like a taller version of Elesis, to sum it all up. Except for Elesis' clothing. She had on her outfit that also functioned as armor that she received when she received her Ssanggeom.
"Elesis, it's really you!" she cried out as she rushed forward to hug her.
"…Mom… I never found him…" Elesis said as she hugged her back with tears still streaming down her face. Her mother's eyes saddened at this, and she hung her head.
"…I'm sorry. I know how hard this must be for you, honey… I should've never let him be a part of the Trackers…" her mother replied.
"Mom, I'm quitting the Grand Chase." Her mom's eyes widened.
"But… I thought you still wanted to look for your father?" she asked. Elesis shook her head.
"I can't take any more of this. I've searched every corner of Aernas! Mom, I can't do it anymore! I just can't! Mom, I just can't…" Elesis explained. The amount of tears on her face multiplied at this.
Flash back
"Mom… I'm leaving to join the Chase now," Elesis announced. She was wearing a red shirt and red shorts, with black on the edges of both pieces of clothing. She was holding her sword that was a birthday gift she got from her dad on her tenth birthday. That was the day he started training her in swordsmanship. Her mother was wearing the same white dress. She was standing outside the door to her house, with her mother right where the door would be if it closed. Her mother took one step forward and put her hands on Elesis' cheeks.
"Elesis, know that whatever happens… You have my support all the way."
"Mom, I'm GOING to find him."
"I know you will."
"Mom… Thanks."
"You're welcome, honey."
"I have to go. Bye, mom. I will NOT let you down." Her mother smiled at this, and kissed her cheek goodbye.
"Goodbye. And… Good luck." Elesis nodded and ran up the dirt trail that went over a green hill and to Elesis' transportation to Serdin.
End of flash back
She was so determined that day six months ago. It felt like it had been years, though. But to see Elesis so broken like this… Her mother simply nodded and pulled her closer.
"I understand, honey. I understand."
"Um… Who are you?" Elesis asked the blonde woman who sat behind the desk in front of her. She grinned.
"You must not be used to seeing me without my helmet," Knight Master replied. They were in Knight Master's office at the Grand Chase headquarters in Serdin. The room was light brown, and wooden. The desk was silver steel, with a bunch of papers on top and a wooden chair behind it.
"Oh… Well, I came here because I wanted to talk to you, like I said before," Elesis explained.
Flash back
"Knight Master! I was looking for you," Elesis cried out as she saw the red-helmeted woman come out of a room.
"Oh, hi there, Elesis. Need something?" Knight Master asked.
"Well, I wanted to see if I could talk to you for a bit." Knight Master tilted her head to the side.
"Well… I'm kind of busy right now, but come find me in my office in about 5 minutes. You go down that hall," Knight Master pointed, "and take a right."
"Alright, thanks!"
End of flash back
"What is it you wanted to discuss with me, Elesis?" Knight Master asked the red-haired teenager who had just walked into her office, laying back in her chair and putting her hands behind her head.
"I've decided… I've had enough." Knight Master raised an eyebrow.
"Um… I think I know the answer, but what exactly do you mean by that?"
"I'm quitting the Grand Chase."
"Really? You seemed… so eager to join six months ago."
"I've lost my drive." Knight Master just stared for what seemed like an hour.
"…Well, if that's what you want… I'll be filling out the paperwork for you." Elesis nodded.
"Thank you."
"Hey, has anybody seen Elesis?" Lire asked in the room where the entire Chase was celebrating saving the world for now. Even Ronan, despite the injuries he obtained during the battle with Kaze'aze. She got a "Nope." from Rin, a head shake from Zero, a "No." from Lass, and an "I haven't seen her anywhere!" from Arme. Nobody else heard except for one person.
"I saw her in the cafeteria," Dio answered with a cup of tea in his Rake Hand while heading towards the couch. Rin was beating the pants off of Asin in a Pokémon X and Y Double Battle, which Dio was going back to watch.
"WHAT THE HECK? TWO CRITS IN A ROW?" Asin shouted.
"Um… One crit," Rin corrected.
"THIS IS SO STUPID! HOW ARE YOU BEATING ME SO BADLY?"
"It's not really my fault you were stupid enough to lose your only Pokémon that stood a chance against my main attacker type-wise…"
"Okay, thanks!" Lire replied to Dio, and headed there.
"Oh, hey Arme. I didn't notice you following me here," Lire stated.
"I was looking for Elesis, too. It's really weird that she just disappeared like that," Arme explained. Just then, they saw a lock of red hair on a corner. They immediately ran towards it, and saw Elesis lying down on her back… crying silently. Lire and Arme bent down to her.
"Elesis, we were looking for you!" Lire exclaimed.
"Why are you crying?" Arme questioned. Elesis turned her head to the side to face them.
"Lire… Arme… Sometimes… you just have to let it all out…" Elesis replied in a shaky voice. A giant "?" appeared above Lire and Arme. Elesis sighed.
"I quit the Chase. I'm not looking for my father anymore… These tears are ones that I've been holding back for so long…" Elesis confessed. Arme raised an eyebrow.
"But why? Wasn't looking for your father the reason you decided to join the Chase?" she asked. Elesis nodded.
"I give up. I've searched all over Aernas… I'm not going to do it anymore. I already talked to Knight Master about it. I… can't do it. Anymore… My dad is probably dead by now. What's the point? It's stupid to think I can find him after Kaze'aze probably sent him to a space between dimensions… I gave myself false hope," Elesis said. Lire and Arme's eyes seemed to sadden at this.
"Elesis…" Lire tried to comfort her. She just sighed as her tears multiplied.
"Six months… Six, long, months… It feels like it's been so much longer than that… All of Aernas… he's gone…" Elesis muttered to herself.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Lire asked.
"I'm going back home to live with my mom," Elesis answered.
"Life sucks…" Elesis stated. Lire just nodded.
"My best friend was killed when a portion of the elves living in Elven Forest had to evacuate because of an attack from the creatures that were under Kaze'aze's influence." Arme just stared at Lire.
"Really?" she asked. Lire nodded again.
"I volunteered to be trained in combat by the Elven Corps and be sent to join the Grand Chase because I wanted to avenge her, and all that died in the attack. No one else wanted to go after the Kanavan Tracker incident… Seems like I was an exception to the fact that the elves there and on Eryuell are pacifists," Lire continued, with her eyes getting watery as she recalled the painful memory.
Flash back
"During combat, if there's no time to dodge, try and make it so that your armor takes most of the attack, like this in this example," Lire's instructor advised. He was having someone shoot his face from afar, and he raised his arm and turned his body so the armor he was wearing deflected the arrow. Lire nodded, and moved her body like the teacher when the person shot at her face.
"Okay. Am I doing it right?" Lire asked. Her instructor nodded. Lire and her instructor kept doing this a few more times, and then the instructor gave a hand signal to the archer to let him know that he could stop.
"By the way… No one else wanted to go. Not even any of us adults. Not after the Kanavan Trackers mysteriously disappeared like that. Why do you want to go so badly?" her instructor questioned. Lire knew what he was talking about. He was talking about why she wanted to join the Chase. She looked to the green, grassy ground. Her teacher noticed this.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he said immediately. Lire shook her head.
"No, no, it's fine. It's just… My best friend."
"What?"
"Her life was lost because of Kaze'aze's influence on the normally peaceful creatures in the Elven Forest."
"Oh… I'm sorry…"
"No, no, it's not your fault. This is the reason why I train hard every day. I want to contribute to Kaze'aze's death as much as I can. As long as she's alive, none of Bermesiah is safe. And my lust for vengeance won't go away." Lire's voice turned into a whisper at the last sentence. The instructor nodded, but with sad, sympathetic eyes.
"Alright then. Go take a water break."
"Thank you."
End of flash back
"I'm so sorry, Lire…" Arme said. Elesis just closed her eyes and continued to silently cry.
"Later, I found out that he was actually her father," Lire continued.
"Who's 'her'?" Arme asked.
"Lire means her best friend," Elesis explained.
"Oh." Lire went on.
"My instructor… He became a family member to me. That just gave me more determination to take down Kaze'aze. If I failed, I would not only be letting myself down, but him as well. He volunteered to be my mentor for the same reasons I wanted to join the Grand Chase. He wanted to help defeat Kaze'aze in any way he possibly could, because he lost someone important to him." Elesis was still crying. Lire's green eyes were full of melancholy.
Elesis opened her eyes because she felt warmth suddenly envelop her. She saw Lire and Arme hugging her.
"Elesis, we love you like a sister, and I'm sure the rest of the Chase feels the same way. Everyone here knows what you're going through. They've probably experienced bad things themselves. Believe me, I know. But the Chase just wouldn't be the same without you. Elesis, please don't go. I need you. We need you. And if there are bumps in the road… We'll always be there to support you. Just… Please, don't go…" Lire spoke from the heart, and Elesis knew that it was true.
"And besides, you know you need us!" Arme added. For the first time that day, Elesis smiled. She got up and hugged them back.
"Thank you."
"Yes, Elesis?" Knight Master asked as the red-haired knight burst from the door to her office.
"I've revoked my decision." Knight Master raised an eyebrow.
"I won't be quitting the Chase." Knight Master stared for a few seconds before breaking into a grin.
"Welcome back, Elesis Sieghart."
"Hey, mom?" Elesis asked through video chat.
"Yes, Elesis?"
"Just to let you know, I won't be quitting the Chase." Her mother smiled.
"Good luck, honey."
I feel proud of this. I just do.