Chapter Title: Reminiscence
My name is Arme, a Battlemage and a member of the Grand Chase. We've sworn to protect and achieve peace among the continents. We've been through countless battles but the turmoil persists and mysteries get deeper and deeper.
All of these things play inside my head keeping me wide awake.
"Ugh! Can't sleep!" I grunted and rose up from my bed.
It's almost past midnight but I decided to take a walk outside hoping to relax myself. The palace halls were really scary and gloomy at night. I never thought that on how it looked so elegant and beautiful in the morning was its total opposite by night.
"I wonder where the guards are." I said to myself as I find the place empty.
I'm planning to go to the palace garden and let some cool breeze take my worries away but something forces me to visit the workshop. Well, as for myself, I believe I have no business in going to the workshop at this hour. I stayed for a while in the garden but something really tells me to visit the workshop.
"I might as well go." I said to myself and went on my way to the workshop.
As I got near to the place, I saw that the lights were on and someone seems to be inside. I got near its door and held the knob. As I turned it, it was unlocked! Quietly I opened its door and entered the room full of bolts, nuts, and other mechanical parts that are scattered around the place.
Just as I thought, the only person I know who would come to this place at this very late hour. She's holding a long wrench and winding a bolt of her strange invention. She's wearing a white tank top only covering her chest and her jacket was tied on her hips. Her navy blue hair matches her shorts.
"I've read about Santa and the Christmas elves but there was no midnight tinker I believe." I said to her.
"Oh! Evening Arme. Can't get some sleep?" She asked without even facing me.
"The spirits are restless. They seem to be active tonight. Somehow I'm affected." I replied.
"How 'bout you? Why are you still up?" I asked her.
"I'm just getting these things done. There's a lot more to do tomorrow so this just to lessen the work." She replied and continued working as if she's just talking to herself.
"Say, how's it going with Lire? Is she still mad at you?" I asked 'intentionally' to distract her.
"Lire? We're fine now. I talked to her this afternoon and apologized. She's really kind" She replied without giving an effort to look at me.
Does she really intend to ignore me this much? I tried thinking of other ways to make her turn around and I bumped a pile of boxes beside me. I thought that if I 'accidentally' pushed them I'd really get her attention. A fiendish smirk was drawn to my face as the thought ran to my head.
"Wow! What do these boxes have? Mind if I –"
"Don't even dare touching those, Arme!" She threatened me.
"If it wasn't hard to make you look this way I wouldn't even think of such things." I told her.
She suddenly stopped working and faced me with her droopy eyes. She turned around and placed her wrench on the table beside her.
"Sorry Arme. I'm just in a hurry. I don't want Elesis to find out that I'm still up. She'll scold me big time." She said and leaned on the table.
"Evening Cries. Next time, look the person in their face when you're talking to them, ok? They'd feel a bit more welcome." I told her.
"Yeah, I'm really sorry. It's cold. Do you want something to drink? Milk, coffee, chocolate or tea? It'll warm you up a little." She offered.
"Nah. My blood is already boiling that my body is all warmed up." I replied.
"So what is it that you're doing?" I asked and got near her work table.
"I'm working on the motor of the Grand Bike. Got to maintain it all the time. We don't want accidents to happen during our trip, right?" She replied.
"So this thing makes our ride move. It looks very… Complicated." I said as I looked at the strange machine.
"It is but once you get used to it, it wouldn't be too much trouble at all." She replied.
"See this thing? This is exactly what we Silver Scouts are proud of. This is the same source of energy that makes the Paradom move." She said and pointed a round core glowing.
"Now, all we have to do is cover it. This goes here and this one's here. Could you hand me over the screwdriver, please?" She asked.
"Screwdriver? Um… This one?" I asked and randomly picked one of her tools.
"No, the other one next to it. Yup! That one. Thanks." She said and started tightening the cover.
"There! It's fixed. All I have to do now is attach it tomorrow." She said and stretched her back.
"The Grand Bike. Your greatest invention so far, isn't it? How did you come up with an idea inventing such a thing?" I asked.
"It's not my idea actually. Scout Master Silver is the one who made its blue print. I just helped in the project." She replied.
"Yeah. I heard you studied alchemy for it, too. I'm surprised you haven't got any problems studying without a background for magic or chemistry." I said.
"If you really want something nothing's hard. But it also took me three non-stop months to finish studying them. My teacher from the Violet Mage Guild is a really good teacher." She looked up with a smile on her face.
"I remember back in the camp. Everyone was busy doing their task. The scouts are gathering armor pieces and recycle them. The Elves handles the resources to make sure that we only take what we need from the forest. Mages from Violet Mage Guild are so interested in the project. I'd say I've been on a great camp!" She said and stretched her arms.
"Time flies really quickly, don't you think?" I asked.
"Sure does. But…"She paused for a while looking at her right palm.
"There's still no clue where our father is." She said and smiled faintly.
"Oh yeah, Elesis joined the Grand Chase to find your father." I replied.
"Yeah… I wish this battling would be over so we could concentrate finding our father. I want to see him faint to know he already have two daughters." Cries said
"A son and a daughter you should say. Elesis is a big tomboy." I said.
"You think so? Well, guess you're right." She said and we both laughed.
"After this trouble has settled, we'll go find our dad. Then, I'll reunite with the Silver Scouts and have an adventure throughout the world! There's still so much to learn and so much to find out there waiting for me to discover them." She continued.
"How 'bout you, Arme? What's your plan for the future?" She asked.
"Me? I still don't know. Maybe I'll be an instructor at Violet Mage Guild. After having a decree as an instructor, I'll qualify myself to teach around the world." I replied.
"Hey! Not bad. You know, we might even bump on to each other on the way." She replied.
"Yeah! I wonder how you would look after all those years." I said and wrapped my arms around her waist.
"He-hey! Cut that out." She said freeing herself from my arms. We were both laughing and continued to wrestle each other. I then saw a glimpse of her scar in her body. I stopped and look at it closer.
"The scars..." I said and touched them.
"The one's that caused Elesis' death and my birth." She said and moved my hands slowly.
"I'm really not comfortable talking about it. She even hasn't told me what happened back there so I want to keep it that way." She said.
"Oh! What time is it? Let's get going before Elesis catches me here." She said in a panic.
"Let me help you in the remaining ones then." I said.
"That's the last one left. I've finished the others earlier. My machine is much complicated than yours so it took me time to finish it." She replied.
"Cheater! No wonder yours is faster than ours." I said and puffed.
"Hey, don't get mad at me. I'll upgrade yours, too. That is after I upgraded mine again." She said and stuck her tongue out.
"Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!" I said and hit her continuously.
We've cleaned the whole place up and made sure the windows and door is locked.
"Umm… Cries? Could I ask you something?" I asked.
"Sure. If it something that I could do that is." She immediately replied.
"Could you teach me how to ride the Grand Bike? I want to ride it myself just like you and Elesis." I said.
"You want to learn how to ride a bike? That would be great! Sure. I'll teach you. I bet you won't find it hard riding it." She replied.
"Really? Thanks!" I said and hugged her tight. I hugged her for some time.
"Arme? You can… Let go now…" She said and tried taking my hands off but I resisted.
"Just a bit more…" I whispered with my voice trembling.
"I just want you to know that I-I…" Tears started to flow out of my eyes.
"I will never let you die again… I will protect you no matter what…" I said to her and started crying.
"Oh, come on, Arme. Stop it already. Elesis won't hear you through me." She said and wiped the tears off my face.
"You should tell her that personally. I'm sure she'll be happy." She said.
She ran off around the castle walls making a short cut towards her room. I simply walked backed to my room taking the palace hall.
As I'm on my way, I met Elesis half awake rubbing her left eye and her hair was a mess.
"What happened my dear? You seem to be struck by lightning bolt." I said.
"Oh, hi… Um… Arme? Can't get any sleep, too?" She said and walked pass me.
"A little earlier but I'm fine now? Where are you headed?" I asked.
"I'm going to find the reason why I can't go to sleep and I've just got the feeling where to check." She replied.
"Oh, Elesis? Be careful, okay?" I said.
"Huh?" She said having that 'What is that again?' look on her face.
I smiled at her and teleported away.
As I hit my bed, my whole body felt heavy dragging me into deep unconsciousness.
I felt a strong urge why I should keep fighting. It's like a magic charm that forces a person to keep going. A charm is so strong like a hell broth boil and bubble. The Chase is On!
This might be the only chapter where my OC will have a very long air time.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well
Thank you and enjoy reading.