Chapter 2
I just want to go home already, I've never had so much to think of. Is this too much to ask for?-Luke
Luke, Tear and Anya were shoved into a room of 'The Tartarus' on Jade's orders. While Jade went off for some unfinished work promising to be back for questioning, the trio was joined by Anise and Ion who were both quite friendly where Anise was the more talkative one. Somehow ten minutes passed away quite fast for everyone except Luke who wouldn't do anything but whine.
The door opened and the prisoners immediately fell silent.
"So why exactly have we been arrested?", Luke asked as soon as Jade stood in front of them.
"The seventh fonon hyperresonance came from the direction of Capital of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear and converged inside Malkuth territory near Tataroo valley. Now if you two were of that hyperresonance that would make you guilty of illegally crossing the border into our country", Jade told them.
"Colonel", Tear spoke out, "This didn't happen intentionally. I didn't know Luke here was also a seventh fonist and the hyperresonance took us to Tataroo Valley. It wasn't an act of aggression against Malkuth by house Fabre. We were on a coach and the coachman misunderstood our destination to Baticul for Grand Chokmah. He dropped us at Engeve from where we were trying to get back to Baticul when Luke wanted to investigate the Cheagle business." She told him without pausing.
Anya realized Tear was just as resolute as her to not get in trouble right now. Where on Midgard was she? Or wait…Malkuth, she possbibly couldn't be-
"What else do you want to know?", Luke asked in a frustrated tone interrupting her thoughts.
"Starting with your names would be preferable", the colonel answered and added, "Full names", when Luke was about to argue.
"I'm Luke Fon Fabre", the red head told him, "The one you tried to kidnap".
"Fabre? Son of Duke Fabre who married into Kimlascan Royal Family?", Jade asked interested suddenly and then turned towards Tear who answered, "Tear Grants,Locrian Sergeant, First platoon oracle knight's intelligence division under Grand Maestro Mohs' command".
"A duke's son. Ooh?", Anise suddenly commented in a singsong voice peering at Luke.
Anya looked at them in amazement. The colonel and the girl named Tear were important people alright.What had she gotten herself into anway?
"What about you Anastacia...?", Jade asked her purposely leaving a blank in his sentence .
" Loire,", she told him seeing no point in lying anymore, "And call me Anya please".
"Alright. Anya then, from Kimlasca?", Jade asked.
"No", she told him in a small voice "Where did you say we are right now?".
"Malkuth", was his short answer.
Anya had already drifted off into her thoughts and looked vaguely around the room for a world map and found one on the right wall. She stepped off the couch and made her way to it. 'Just as I expected, far far away from home' she thought and rubbed her forehead with a sigh.
"What?", Luke's shout brought her back to reality, "You don't even know your place's name. Geez-"
"Well?", the colonel interrupted Luke, Anya could feel his patience wearing off.
"I am assuming you can answer, I mean you just didn't drop down from heaven, now did you?", Jade asked her in a calm sarcastic tone.
"As a matter of fact, I did", she replied back and mentally hit herself knowing just how it sounded.
"My, my, is that so?", the colonel's smile was inevitable as he pushed up his glasses.
"I was back at the Serdberg Mountain ruins in Midgard that is, when a friend cast a teleport spell to save us from the monsters and I alone got transported here due to circumstances", she told him in a distant voice remembering everything slowly, " And then I remember falling down into the Cheagle woods so technically, I did fall from the sky you know?", she added innocently.
"Midgard?", Jade asked her, "That's quite far from Malkuth. Infact, it's isolated from the rest of the continents".
"Opposite sides of the planet", Ion mused out and Anya nodded, "that's why I'm a little unaware about some of the things you all are talking about. Things are different in Midgard", she informed them, "But I've been told about this place, you know the conflicts between Kimlasca and Malkuth".
"Conflicts?", Luke asked in general.
"You seem to be the only one who doesn't know anything about it", Tear told him.
"We're headed for Kimlasca under the orders of Emperor Peony the Ninth who has proposed a formal peace treaty between Kimlasca and Malkuth", Jade told the new comers.
"Peace treaty?", Luke asked, "Relations between the countries are that bad?".
"I'll second Tear", Anya said knowing this was going to annoy him to no end.
"Jade, why don't we ask for their help?", Ion asked the colonel.
"That's quite a good idea actually", Jade said, "Even as peace emissaries, we are from the enemy territory therefore it would be much easier if we could have the advantage of your social status", he explained Luke.
" Didn't anyone ever teach you to bow down to respect when asking for a favor?", he asked the colonel arrogantly.
The colonel sighed and knelt on a knee surprising everyone, "Please, Master Luke, would you be kind enough so as to grant us your aid in our mission?" at which Luke agreed grinning.
"By your leave, Master Luke, I have other business to attend to", with that Jade turned to leave the room.
"Stop calling me 'master', coming form you it just sounds wrong", Luke told Jade.
"Oh. I won't, 'master Luke'", Jade said once again smirking and left the room before hearing Luke's outburst at Jade's attitude.
For the next fifteen minutes when Anise had dragged Luke outside for exploring, Tear and Ion explained Anya the life in their part of the world. Anya had particularly been interested in the concept of Artes.
"Back at our place, artes are taught to military people of very high ranks only. It's because you have to be exceptionally skillful to master artes fully and well,the weapons have to be strong enough too. Midgard maybe a kingdom but it's small." Anya was explaining now, "Anyway, the weapons we use are different-"but before she could proceed however, she was interrupted by a sudden loud noise from outside. Tear and Anya sprinted outside, to check the problem when they saw Jade communicating Bridge through an intercom and a terrified Luke who was being restrained by Tear.
"Get me out of this thing", they heard Luke scream out in a high pitched voice.
"Griffins are attacking in horde", Jade informed them, "Ligers too-" suddenly the Tartarus tilted to a side dangerously preceded by an exploding noise which was probably the Ligers attacking the hull.
"Luke, we cannot go out at this-" Tear started reasoning with Luke.
It happened in a flash. Luke broke out of Tear's grasp and ran forward looking for a way out when a large man in black with a scythe pinned Luke to the wall.
"I've been wanting to cross blades with you, Colonel Jade Curtiss, third division of the Malkuth imperial forces or better known as Jade the necromancer", the intruder told Jade in a deep hoarse voice.
Of course, it clicked Anya just why Jade was so familiar apart from his military status. Grandpa used to talk about him all the time to scare off her little sister… what stories he would make up.
"Jade the necromancer? You?", Tear's visible eye was wide.
"I see, I'm quite famous among the God-generals, Largo the Black Lion", the colonel coolly replied.
Apparently the intruder was called Largo and he informed at once that he had come to take the fon master with him to which request Jade denied immediately.
Anise and Tear shifted to a battle stance when Largo pressed the blade of his scythe threateningly against Luke's throat, "Don't move if you don't want this boy's head to roll" at which Tear looked troubled. Jade lunged with his spear at the big man who imitated Jade and they both missed each other narrowly.
"Mieu", Jade called out in the disturbance, "Fifth fonon at the ceiling. Light it", he ordered and Mieu did as such. In the distraction that followed, Jade had Anise run off to get the fon master out and safely away.
"Well well", Largo slashed the air with the scythe threateningly towards Jade.
"You plan to take me on single-handed?", Jade asked with a slight smirk. Gosh, the guy was obnoxious alright.
"If I have your fon slots sealed, it wouldn't be much of trouble", Largo replied and threw a dice-like object over the colonel. The colonel was trapped in a light spherical shield. He groaned as if in pain and fell to his knees on the ground.
As soon as Largo saw his chance, Tear began her nightmare fonic hymn which drowsed him. Jade's lance appeared out of nowhere in his hand and he stabbed the Black Lion.
Luke was once again terrified, "He-he stabbed him". Anya knew how he was feeling.
"There's not much time", Jade told them, "Let's take the bridge from the back".
Jade and Tear immediately made their way outside but Luke continued to stare at the spot where Largo was lying in a pool of blood.
"Come on", Anya told him and stood in front of him to shield him from the bloody sight and taking hold of his hand lightly as she would a child.
"Huh?", Luke's eyes were unfocused, "Yeah, yeah", he said and followed her outside.
"It's just that I'm not used to killing alright", Luke was arguing with Tear who was lecturing him on 'kill or be killed'.
The five of them were about to reach the exit when shards of glass fell towards them from the sky and a black figure with flaming hair dropped down to where Luke was standing, "Why do you even keep that sword on you if you're so scared, you reject", the new man growled at Luke and slashed his arm and kicked him in the abdomen with a look filled with pure revulsion and resentment.
Tear was about to attack but the man caught sight of her and much the same way as Luke, slashed her side making her drop down on the floor.
"And you're as hard to kill as they say, Necromancer", he told Jade whom he had been about to attack but had dodged and now had summoned his weapon.
"Asch!", a sapphire eyed woman in black called out to the red haired man, "Have you forgotten your orders?" with that the woman turned a stoic beautiful face framed with large blonde tendrils towards the Colonel. She pointed a gun at him and jerked her head towards the weapon in his hand. Jade sighed in defeat and dropped the lance.
"All right then", Asch agreed after the blond beauty had sprinted off somewhere else, "Take them all inside", he told the oracle knights. Suddenly he felt his jaw almost break as a foot contacted with his face. So he had missed this new traveler who had till now remained in the shadows.
"Don't even try", he shouted to her, blood in his mouth, as he dangled his sword above the unconscious figures of Luke and Tear.
Anya hesitated and then slumped, giving up as all of them including Mieu were taken to a cabin in the Tartarus.
"Luke, Luke!", Tear called, "Wake up".
"Wait mom", Luke sleepily called out, "Just two more minutes".
Anya giggled at the indignant expression on Tear's face and took over waking him up instead.
"Luke", she cooed gently and then, "WAKE UP!", she shouted in his ear and immediately he woke up looking around for a monster but instead found Anya in a fit of laughter on the floor beside the bed he was now sitting on.
"Why did you do that?", he asked infuriated.
"Nice sleep Red?", she choked out between peals of laughter, "Sorry. You just looked so cute", she told him and pinched his cheek.
"Hey!", he jerked her hand away blushing, "Quit saying things like that".
"Now that Luke's over with his slumber, shall we prepare for an escape?", Jade asked them.
"Well what happened?", Luke asked, "And where are we?".
"In a cabin onboard the Tartarus", Jade informed him pushing up his glasses.
"We were attacked and you killed that Largo guy", Luke said in a small voice remembering the past events, "And to escape there will be more deaths".
"Luke, you're a civilian", Anya told him gently, "It's natural for you to react like this but like Tear said, it's now 'kill or be killed'".
"I know, I know", he told her, "But let's not kill any more than we have to alright?".
"Human life is very valuable", Jade said softly.
"But right now we have war at hand", Tear explained, "If we don't hurry, then even more lives will be lost".
"But what about your weapons?", Anya asked them.
"Let's look for them. They wouldn't have taken them that far", Jade stated.
With that the party made their way outside cautiously checking for any patrolling guards and fortunately found none.
As they began checking out the rooms for their weapons Jade had drifted off toward a device on the wall and was now speaking into it.
"By my name as Necromancer, heed my command. Initiate emergency plan 'Corpse Hunt'. No sooner than Jade finished talking, the Tartarus lurched to a full stop and all the lights flickered feebly before throwing them in darkness.
"It's an emergency shutdown system I set up in advance", he told them ushering into a room nearby.
They entered and found a large chest where their weapons were kept unguarded. The thought struck all of them as unusual.
"Funny they weren't even guarding them", Luke commented.
"At the moment everyone is busy trying to operate the Tartarus", Jade told them and made his way to the adjacent room.
"This is where we will find something fun", Jade informed them.
As far as Anya could see the room was only filled with boxes. She was about to ask the colonel when he answered, "Oh. It's behind the boxes".
"So we'll just have to move the boxes right?", Anya asked. The colonel nodded at which Tear grabbed a box and began moving it.
"A woman doing all the work?", Jade started, "Luke I must say, this doesn't make me think so highly of you anymore. Or do aristocrat boys lack muscles?".
Luke, incensed approached the boxes and pushed Tear out of the way at which she thanked Luke, blushing.
As soon as Luke had the boxes out of their way, they hurried to the rear of the room where they saw a large box.
"That's your something interesting?", Luke asked the colonel bored.
But Anya recognized the logo on the box immediately and gasped disbelievingly.
"Colonel!", Tear spoke out, "Is that gunpowder?".
"Yes", he replied, "I found out that some of my crew was trading gunpowder from Midgard. They are the best quality found, isn't that so Anya?", the colonel asked glancing at her direction at which she nodded.
"So we're going to blow this wall up by lighting the box using fonic artes?", Tear asked.
"No", the colonel told her, "We'll use Mieu. Mieu, you're on".
"Yes sir", the cheagle eagerly stepped forward and ejected fire at the box. The effect was instantaneous and part of the wall was blown away.
Luke backed up into the wall behind him, I swear they're not human. How can they watch an explosion going off in their faces so calmly?
"Good work 's go", the colonel led them outside the Tartarus where they found the blond intruder holding ion captive.
Jade immediately switched to a fighting stance and dodged the shots from the blonde's gun and was soon facing her.
"Tear, now", the colonel ordered at which the blond turned her head sideways, "Tear? Tear Grants?", she asked in a disbelieving tone.
"Major Legretta?", Tear seemed equally surprised.
The fon master, seeing his chance attempted to run back towards Luke, Anya and Tear but was blocked by Legretta.
"No one moves", she commanded in a cold voice pointing her guns at them and sparing a moment's glace to another comrade, a pink haired young girl whose face was half hidden behind a doll.
"Arietta. What about the Tartarus?", Legretta asked her.
"It's still inoperable", she informed the blonde.
Suddenly Anya looked up to see a black dot in the sky approaching the ground fast. A second later, a human figure dropped down and moved so fast that he was a blur. Snatching up the fon master, he sprinted between the two females towards where Luke was standing.
"Enter the amazing Guy", the newcomer announced with a smile straightening up his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, "Never thought I would find you in a place like this", he turned to Luke.
"Aaah", they heard a small female voice squeak out and turned to see Jade holding the tip of his lance against Arietta's neck, "Leave, or she dies", he announced.
The major, Legretta looked troubled and decided to obey the Necromancer's command.
"Ion", Arietta looked up at the fon master with tears in her eyes.
"Arietta", Ion replied back, "Please do as he says" at this Arietta nodded and headed inside the Tartarus after Legretta.
"Oh well", Jade started, "Now that that's taken care of let's head for St. Binah".
"Why?", Luke asked.
"That's our rendezvous point with Anise", Jade told them and headed towards the field immediately with the others following.
Rendezvous? Anya thought with a smile, Nice choice of words.
Okay readers, once again this chapter is just like the game's story but for the first few chapters this is how it has to be. The actual change of the story doesn't come until Akzeriuth and I couldn't think of putting on any skit like things so please 4give me. If anyone has any ideas, help would be appreciated. And Please review, at least I'll know that some1's reading this thing.
