TALES OF QUETZALIA

Chapter 3: Power to Control Nature

Kappa guided Rhett and Symonne back upstairs through Faldies Ruins, retracing their steps back through the winding paths while avoiding blocked hallways. The trip itself was uneventful, but Rhett appeared pensive while glancing at Symonne continuously. The seraph had enough of her worrying and demanded, "What's the matter? Something I did wrong?"

"No, nothing like that…" Rhett murmured, then suddenly whispered so Kappa couldn't hear them, "Are you feeling okay?"

"What in the world are you going on about now?"

"I mean with your oath. You told me that you made an oath to never kill in exchange for your high magic power, yet you most definitely killed some of those men back there."

"… Oh, that. I didn't tell you about the stipulation, did I?"

"Stipulation?"

"I'm actually able to kill so long as I am protecting someone I consider a comrade. Back when I made the oath, I believed it was something I would never have to do. I didn't see the point about having to kill to protect someone else when I lived alone for so many years, cursed with a blessing that causes misfortune and malevolence to occur. I thought it was pathetic for the world to create seraphs like me who exist only to bring disaster to others, so naturally it would be just as absurd for me to use my magic to protect someone."

"Really? What made you change your opinion?"

"Your precious Great Shepherd muttered some gibberish about it being okay for me to be 'evil'."

"… Huh?" Rhett raised her eyebrow quizzically.

"He was an ineloquent bumpkin who tried to console me just before his final confrontation with Lord Heldalf. He also said that it's fine for all kinds of humans and seraphs to exist, all after losing one of his Sub Lords who had a similar blessing to mine."

"I see."

"I didn't understand him at the time, but I spent a long while thinking about it. I'm still not used to the idea of being around others given the nature of my blessing. But after seeing what you went through because of your high resonance level, I came to realize that both seraphs with rare negative blessings and humans with rare resonance levels can be misconstrued the same way – as something others don't understand, so they try their hardest to push anything they consider alien off to the side so they can live their shallow, normal lives without worry."

"So you were drawn to me because I suffered a similar loneliness as yours?"

"I guess," Symonne looked away bashfully. "But don't think for a second that this means we're friends. We're comrades, got it? I'll only stay with you until you give up on this foolish quest of yours and fulfill your part of the bargain with me."

Rhett chuckled softly. "Don't be in a hurry for my final decision though. I'm only taking the first steps in my research. Until that time comes, you'll have to use your magic to keep me safe, 'kay?"

"Whatever you say…" the seraph trailed off. After a moment, she appeared to recall something and said, "Speaking of that Sub Lord, you know the hat that that dumbass Zaveid gave you?"

"You mean this one?" the adventurer asked while taking out the embellished black fedora from her bag. "What about it?"

"It actually belonged to that Sub Lord. Zaveid inherited it and became the replacement for the Great Shepherd's wind seraph."

Rhett paused and stared at the hat, thinking of how much history was possibly contained within it. She then said, "You reacted quite negatively to it when he gave it to me. Was there some connection between you and this deceased Sub Lord?"

"Yeah, but there's no point in me telling you. It's all been said and done."

"… Sure. I won't press you for details then."

Rhett smiled a little and asked, "So can I wear it now?"

"Not a chance," Symonne snapped.

"Oh, darn. Thought I'd test the waters a little."

"Are you kidding? It'd just look terrible on you."

"How would you know? I haven't even tried it on yet."

"Trust me. I have an eye for bad fashion, and that's as bad as it gets."

"Bad fashion…?" the adventurer murmured while looking over the seraph's questionable attire.

"Is there some kind of problem?"

"No, no. No problem at all. Eh heh heh heh."

Kappa looked back and demanded, "Hey, whatcha ladies gossiping about?"

"Nothing a shrimp like you needs to know," Symonne grumbled.

He noticed the hat and exclaimed, "Hey, that's Zavvy's, isn't it!?"

"Zavvy?" Rhett wondered. "You've met Zaveid before?"

"Yup! Had the pleasure of doin' some business with him in the past!"

"What in the world could that philandering monkey have that's of value to you?" Symonne wondered.

"Money, for one!"

"… Why do I bother asking?"

Rhett tried to change the subject before they could get into another argument, so she asked, "Are we almost out of here? I wasn't really paying attention to how deep underground this place goes while rushing down to help you."

"No worries," Kappa said. "Just another level and we'll be at the top. The east entrance is practically right where you two came in."

"Really? We must've just missed it."

The trio finished trudging up the last flight of stairs and returned to the main entrance. From there, he showed the way through to the eastern exit of Faldies Ruins while warning, "The thing I'm gonna show you is just ahead. Try not to drop your socks when you see it!"

"That depends on the subject of your little show-and-tell," Symonne said.

The trio finally wound up outside, where more grassy plains stretched along the northern convex coastline for miles. It was a bit chillier than the western half of Northgand, but it wasn't cold enough to prevent wildflowers from blooming.

"Welcome to Gaiburk Fields, ladies," Kappa spread his arms out. "This used to be a totally frozen wasteland with only one town in the area, but now it's the heartland of this country."

"I remember those mercenaries mentioning something about a regent," Rhett recalled. "What exactly is the political status of Northgand anyway? Neither Rolance nor Hyland know that much about it, and the only rumors I've heard are that the few people who live here are barbaric and lead tribal lives."

"The 'barbaric' part is right, for sure," Symonne grumbled.

Kappa grinned, delighted at the prospect of imparting his vast knowledge to others. "Actually it's not as bad as you think. The regular folks are part of small, nomad tribes who frequently wander the area."

"Really? We didn't see any in the western half," Rhett wondered.

"A lot of people believe that Faldies Ruins is cursed with the souls of the damned who died violent deaths ages ago, or so I've heard. That's why they don't venture through its halls unless it's a real emergency such as a food shortage or a weather crisis. As far as the mercs and troublemakers go, those guys are mostly focused in the capital, Meirchio. Those who don't want to live nomadic lives live there under the Duke of Northgand's rulership."

"A Duke? Why not a King?"

"Two millennia ago, Northgand used to be part of the Midgand Empire as a whole, but once the kingdom's power waned after the Abbey's fall, the very first Duke voted for secession from Midgand and began running the country as a separate entity. Because of the many mountain ranges surrounding Northgand's southern borders, neither Rolance nor Hyland had a way of trying to invade Northgand and acquiring its territory through war, so the Duke and his progenitors were virtually free to do as they pleased… Oh, I almost forgot! The first Duke was actually a Duchess! Her family is the top brass of this nation!"

"Interesting. What's the family's name?"

Kappa folded his arms and tilted his head side to side in contemplation. "Lemme think about that one… The first Duchess used to be part of the Abbey, but old records stated she defected… I think it was Hyme… Or was it Hume? Bah, I can't remember. Their names have changed so many times that I can't keep it straight."

"Oh, that's fine. I thought it would be incredibly prestigious like the Asgard, Dragonia or Midgand families."

"Nah, nothing like that, although I remember reading one of the lady poet Mayvin's stories that the Duchess had a strong swordsman by her side, allegedly from the ancient Rangetsu family."

"Wow," Rhett murmured. "I'm guessing the Duchess and this swordsman were the ones that started her family, right?"

"Dunno. The records aren't clear about that… Not that it matters anymore," the merchant boy shrugged.

"Why not?"

"The latest Duke and his entire family died under unknown circumstances. To avoid any of the stronger tribes from taking over this political vacuum, the Duke's will stated that a trusted aide of the family's would be appointed as the regent until another Duke could be found."

"So when did Northgand's military capabilities suddenly rise? Before the Duke's death, or after the regent took over?"

"Hmm… I'm not totally savvy on the country's inner workings, but the Duke was funding quite a few researchers and their work. I'm guessing the regent took over command of those studies and expected results practically right away. Don't ask me what the nature of that research is though."

"If the new entrance to Trizolde and the capture of Lohgrin is the result of that work, then…" Rhett trailed off, not wanting to finish what she wanted to say.

"Ugh," Symonne rolled her eyes and shook her head in disgust. "If all of this doesn't scream suspicious, I don't know what does."

"Wanna add a third thing to that list of yours, Rhetty?" Kappa asked with a coy grin.

"… Do I want to?" the adventurer cringed.

"Then take a good look at the pride of Northgand, Mt. Killaraus!" he exclaimed and gestured his arm to direct the women's gazes toward the distance. They looked up at the skyline where they could clearly see a grand mountain in the distance. Centuries ago, it used to be an active volcano that was the primary source for a source of fuel and incendiary material known as flamestone. According to Northgand officials, Mt. Killaraus went extinct about 1200 years ago, thus diminishing any remaining supply of flamestone left, so flamestone became an obsolete source of energy, and society moved to using horses and steam for basic power.

However, none of that history was going through Rhett's mind as she stared in disbelief, transfixed upon the mighty miracle she was witnessing.

"Mt. Killaraus… It's…"

Rhett couldn't believe her eyes. She expected the largest volcano in the world to be a silent landmark showcasing nature's former fury contrasted with its current beauty. Instead, violent plumes of ash, smoke and gases rose out of the earth, making it appear like a natural smokestack that had gone out of control. Even from hundreds of miles away, the trio could feel the heat being generated. Although they were too far away for the ash to sprinkle down upon them, they could see a thick grey layer beginning to coat the upper reaches of the volcano.

"Why is… this happening…?" she uttered, feeling her throat go dry.

Even the normally indifferent Symonne couldn't help but feel amazed. Her eyes widened as she murmured, "Musiphe's domain was never this strong before…"

"What do you mean?"

"The other three elemental Empyreans are active, but many seraphs claimed that Musiphe's power waned so that the world could stabilize itself. Nowadays though, Amenoch is the most active of the Four since the planet's water level is rising so rapidly. Eumacia and Hyanoa are responsible for keeping the world's ecology in balance through stable weather patterns, but if Amenoch and Musiphe are the ones with more power at the moment, things could get disastrous real fast."

"The fire that destroys old life to make way for new, versus the boundless waters that are the source of infinite life," Rhett whispered, then inhaled sharply as she felt her heart sting with dreaded realization. "N-Northgand has managed to rekindle the fire that should have not reignited until much later…"

"Seems that way."

"I… I don't understand… This isn't just mere weaponry we're talking about… This is a power to change the world itself!"

Kappa put his hands in his pockets and muttered, "Told you. These guys mean serious business. Still fancy your luck with exploring the rest of this country?"

Rhett fervently shook her head and yelped, "Absolutely not! We have to get out of here right away!"

"Now you're talking my language, sister! Let's skedaddle!"

The trio bid a hasty retreat back to Faldies and dashed back through the western entrance to safer grounds. Kappa exclaimed, "There's a chance someone might have seen us. Let's lay low for now and wait for the coals beneath our feet to cool down."

"Is there anywhere we can hide?" Rhett asked. "The only place we saw was an ancient warehouse."

"Oh, you must've stumbled upon the ruins of Hellawes. I've got a better place in mind though."

He brought them a bit further westward, climbing up some hills and steep cliffs to reach the top of another high rise natural platform. He pointed over to a gaping cavern carved within the mountain face and explained, "We'll duck inside Hadlow Hollow for a day or two to make sure we aren't being chased. It isn't being used by the mercs, so we should be okay there."

They had to go around for a few miles, which led the team to the dilapidated gates of another town that had all but disappeared save for the framework of a couple of brick houses. Kappa said, "This used to be Beardsley, a tiny community made up of people who were either rejected from society or turned their backs to the world."

"If it was a frozen country back in ancient times, why in the world would anyone want to build a town here?" Rhett asked. "It doesn't look like they could have grown anything."

"Yeah, but this was back when Shepherd Artorius was in power 2000 years ago. Those who didn't obey the Abbey's precepts or flat out rejected them came to live here in isolation."

"Oh, that makes sense. I read that the Abbey's control over the world was likened to a draconian military domination, although the intent was to combat the mysterious illness daemonblight. But I already know that that was an outright lie. Shepherd Artorius expected everyone to behave according to his belief, but he didn't tell anyone the truth. Even if he was trying to save the world, he was only leading it down a different path of damnation."

"Got that right. I stopped here a few times to deliver goods, so I remember this place pretty well."

"Kappa…?" Rhett raised her eyebrow. "Just… how old are you, anyway?"

"Ah! No wonder you seem perplexed! I'm talking about past events as if they happened yesterday! No worries; a real man would never be offended about telling his age! I'm about three… three and a half thousand years old or so…? Kind of lost track after a while."

"Uwah!?" she gasped, startled to realize she was traveling with someone who lived even before the Era of Asgard.

"What's the big deal?" Symonne grumbled. "Turtlez are known to live up to 10,000 years, maybe even more."

"I-I didn't know that! I only know about seraphs living that long!"

"Hee hee! Are you surprised?" Kappa chuckled and flashed his teeth with a big goofy grin. "I bet a researcher like you would love to pick the brain of someone who's seen every corner of the world, right? But keep asking me more questions and it's gonna start costing you."

"Oh please," the seraph groaned. "She can just ask a seraph or two about the details for free. I've told her many things about the past, and I haven't expected a single gald from her."

"Oh yeah? How old are you then? Can you boast about living as long as I have?"

She narrowed her eyes fiercely. "A real man would not ask a proper lady her age, would he?"

"Yeah, I know. The key word is proper though."

"Why, you smarmy little-"

Before they could get into another heated argument however, the group heard the distinct sounds of boots running on soft dirt. They looked around to discover themselves surrounded by around 20 to 25 well-armed men, and all of them looked intent on putting up a fight against the tired travelers.

"Well look what crawled out of the woodwork," Symonne grumbled in disdain, knowing she wouldn't be heard by the assailants.

"Stop right there, Turtlez!" the leader of the mercenaries called out. "You're under arrest for trespassing and theft!"

The man didn't look to be much older than Rhett even though his eyes sported heavy bags beneath them, and he had hilariously messy maroon hair frayed around his cranium that made him look like he always had a bad case of bed head. His attire wasn't particularly fancy, consisting of a simple grey trench coat with black trimming, grey pants, black boots and gloves, and a worn breastplate over the coat. A large broad sword was attached to a sheath on his back. He clearly had the aura and appearance of a traditional swordsman, but Rhett could see in his cold steel grey eyes that he was no amateur in the battlefield.

"Gah! I wish I had a weed killer equivalent for bounty hunters!" Kappa yelped.

"We heard what happened to Kelton and his guys in Faldies! You managed to get backup to ambush them, didn't you!?"

"That's not quite what happened…" Rhett muttered, but knew it would be pointless to explain to them.

"Shut up! I won't forgive you for what you two did to my buddy and his men! Don't think that you're going to get the drop on us this time though, you sticky-fingered Turtlez! We told the regent what happened with all of the strange magic flying around, and he suspects that you have a seraph in your group!"

Symonne grinned, "Even just knowing that is pointless. What can they possibly do to-?"

"Well now it's my turn to show you a trump card!"

"What!?"

The angry mercenary took out a strange orb that contained some kind of magical energy, then hurled it at the solid ground. It shattered into pieces and released an aura that surrounded the immediate area. Although it felt like nothing happened, the brigands gasped when they could finally see Symonne appear before them like a ghost, and responded with mixed emotions of awe and surprise. The livid girl shouted, "What kind of sorcery is this!?"

"An artificial domain," the leader said confidently and unsheathed his sword. "It temporarily gives us resonance so we can see seraphs. The effects won't last long, but it'll be enough for us to put all three of you down!"

"You're kidding!" Rhett gasped.

"By the way, young man," he pointed at her. "Since the Turtlez didn't have a seraph with him, the regent suspects that you brought one with you, which means you must possess resonance in order to coordinate that battle in Faldies."

"Guh…" she swallowed and got her spear ready.

"Thought so. The other two will die, but the regent will pay us handsomely if we bring you back alive."

"Doesn't look like saying no is an option for me, is it?"

"Don't waste your time. We'll beat you to the ground if that's what it takes. In the name of my Oriel Brigade, we will defeat you and reclaim our honor as warriors!"

The mercenary leader, Oriel, gave the trio no chance to prepare themselves and ordered his men to rush them. Kappa and Rhett yelped in astonishment at their readiness to fight. Symonne maintained her composure and used her magic to teleport them out of the center of the onslaught moments before the dumbfounded men piled around the suddenly empty space.

"Teleportation?" Oriel snapped and glared over at where the three reappeared nearby. "You won't get away!"

He barreled straight for Kappa while unleashing a battle cry. Rhett jumped into the fray and blocked his sword swing with her spear. She maintained a strong defense against him, but he wasn't giving her any chances to counterattack.

Just as I thought, he's a seasoned warrior, she thought. It was hard to tell if Oriel recognized her own battle prowess, but at least she could sense that he was indeed taking her seriously.

"Photon Burst!" Symonne called out after chanting her spell and launched an orb of fire at Oriel. Rhett pushed herself off him and jumped back to avoid the powerful burning explosion that followed, momentarily engulfing the mercenary in a burst of searing red heat. "It's a waste of time to fight them! Get moving!"

"Run away! Run awa~ay!" Kappa shouted.

The trio immediately turned to flee, leaping off the nearest hillside and landing upon the soft grass. They then hurried to a peninsula that stretched southward away from the ruins of Hellawes.

"Pah! That way leads to a dead end!" Oriel laughed. "Alright men, chase them down! We'll trap them at the coast!"

Rhett looked back when she heard the roar of multiple footsteps charging in the distance behind the group. She took a glance forward and realized where they were going. She called out, "Hey! We can't go any further like this!"

"The wetlands aren't too far away! Maybe we can make a swim for it!" Kappa assured.

"Are you kidding!? Symonne and I can't swim like you can!"

"Hmph…" the seraph grunted. She appeared to be concentrating on some kind of spell, but neither of her comrades knew what it could be. They reached as far as they could, stopping upon the high coastline that arched over the raging waves. They stared back at the horde of mercenaries as they approached the trapped trio, with Oriel in the lead. Rhett huffed and gasped for air while trying to figure out her options.

"Are we finished playing tag?" he demanded. "This is where you'll meet your end. I suggest you start making peace with yourselves before we mete your punishment for disrupting Northgand's order."

"There's too many of them to fight," Rhett murmured between clenched teeth. "We might have to surrender…"

"Heek! I can't lose here! I have to keep it safe, no matter what!" Kappa panicked. She glanced at him curiously. This was the first time she heard anything about him holding on to something important.

Keep 'it' safe? What is he talking about?

"Feh," Symonne sounded unusually nonchalant. "Foolish whelp. It is you who should be making peace with yourself."

"What are you talking about!?" Oriel snapped.

"Yes… You should prepare yourself for bringing bad news to your precious regent. Oh, I can only wonder in anticipation at what your sentence will be."

Just then, she raised her arm and surrounded herself, Rhett and Kappa in a sinewy white aura. He realized what was going on and charged at the seraph before she could complete the spell. Symonne's grin was deliciously wicked as she finished casting a much stronger teleport that could carry them across the ocean towards the closest landmass to the south; the Plitzerback Wetlands.

"Shit!" Oriel cussed at the top of his voice and slammed his blade into the ground in frustration. There was no way he could organize a ship to carry him and his men across the water, and going through Trizolde Cave would take much too long for him to catch up. "I wasn't expecting the seraph to be capable of teleportation. Whatever her oath is, it must be a powerful one."

"What should we do, boss?" one of his cronies asked. "Should we tell the regent what happened?"

"No. That would cosign us to execution. We have no choice but to go through Trizolde and regroup in Lohgrin. We will follow rumors about that Turtlez and his new associates until we catch up. Finding people matching their descriptions shouldn't be too hard – it's not often that someone walks around wearing bandages over one of their eyes," Oriel replied, thinking of Rhett's distinct appearance.

"But with the seraph being able to warp around like that, she could force us to run around in circles."

"I know. Send a message via carrier pigeon to the institute. I'm sure they'll know what to do to counter that witch's powers. All we have to do is maintain the pursuit."