Brief intoduction:
Again, I'd like to thank everyone for his or her reviews, alerts and other manners of showing support for this story. Your kind and/or constructive words give me the motivation to continue onwards!
I'd also like to thank Moonshine's Guide for helping me find the grammatical errors in chapter 2, and giving me lots of general advice on the topic. I wonder if i did better this time around.
Originally, I planned on having this chapter appear about two months ago. However, at that moment I suddenly had to deal with organizing a weekend out for around 30 people, which took away all of my available writing time.
In the following weeks, I was busy with university starting again, and combined with the fact that part of this chapter was extremely hard to write, I simply couldn't find the time to finish it. I apologize for the chapter being late, so it's slightly longer to compensate a bit. It's not as long as you might think from the word count: it jumped up by 1000 when I added the horizontal rulers (?).
Disclamer: I do not own tales of Vesperia, and I'm aware that the actual story was written by minds far greater than my own.
Nobility chapter 3: Knight of the lower quarter, part one
The storm shook the ship violently, and it was only by a supreme display of agility that the Red Eye was able to maintain his balance. Even as he closed the door behind him, he could hear the ongoing panicky shouting of the crewmembers.
They were quite literally fighting for both their lives and his own. He might have cursed at their combined misfortune, but years of discipline had taught him that there was no point in doing such a thing. In fact, the storm wasn't even his most pressing concern.
Right now, his mind was on the psychotic screams and bursts of laughter that were coming from below the deck. At best, they were a continuing distraction to the crew. At worst, they reminded the men of who exactly was traveling with them.
After all, no sane person was truly at ease when Zagi was around, regardless of him being locked up in an isolated mithril-reinforced prison designed specifically to contain him. The Assassin was said to have performed more logic defying feats in the past; it seemed that the rules of common sense did not apply to him at times.
Again, he wondered if this mission wouldn't have been better off without Zagi's involvement. While the man was certainly a force of destruction, he was also a liability. He had turned on his allies on several occasions, especially when his bloodlust had reached critical levels…
"HYYYAAAAAARGHHHH!!!"
…and if the screams were any indication, the unstable assassin was getting quite restless. He had to subdue him before something bad happened, such as him breaking out of his room and consequently starting a massacre among their own men.
Of course, there was a chance that the two guards stationed outside of the cell would be able to handle him, but the red eye preferred not to take any risks… not with what was at stake now. Next to that, he was sure that the captain could put those guards to good use.
He wasn't afraid to face Zagi. He supposed that he was one of the few exceptions, both in- and outside of the guild, that were unaffected by his insanity. Fear was something he had forgotten long ago; it was a mental mechanism that urged someone to not to seek out danger.
However, as an assassin, danger was a part of his daily life. Ever since he had buried his sense of self-preservation, his assignments had seemed that much easier. Without fear, he was focused. When focused, he was deadly.
Some said that he was too devoted to his tasks for his own good, but he knew that those were words of those who were not meant to excel at this craft. He was still alive, and he had succeeded on missions others would not even consider accepting.
Whether his target was a wealthy merchant or the head of a powerful guild, his skill and devotion had always served his guild well… so well, in fact, that he had given an exceptionally great honor: to oversee the assassination of Yuri Lowell.
Succeeding would bring endless fame to both the Guild and himself, but he knew that that was not the main goal of the overall mission, and neither was it his personal one.
If Yuri Lowell died, the only remaining person with a claim to the imperial throne would be Ioder. If everything had gone as planned, the prince would now be his master's prisoner, courtesy of the Blood Alliance and their mutual 'friends' in the royal military.
With Ioder captive, and with the empire still recovering from the last great war with the Guilds, how far would the empire's regents go to ensure that no harm came to their last hope for a unified leadership? How much would they give, and how many demands would they meet?
He grimaced. They would do whatever was asked of them. The current regents of the empire were usually weak and/or corrupt. Many prominent and popular leaders had lost their lives in the battles of the last war, and more than a few of their positions had been assigned to far less capable and integer replacements, usually coming from the imperial Council.
Perhaps it was better that way as well. This operation wouldn't have been possible without their support, or more accurately, their greed. Even among the higher-ranking members of the council, there were enough fools that had been all too willing to gently push the more naïve prince into their trap… all for the sake of their wallets.
He wondered if they had even thought of the potential long-term consequences of their actions. If they had, they probably had a plan that allowed them to personally benefit from Ioder's disappearance. He supposed it mattered little though… they were easy to control, and if any of them became a problem, they would be dealt with accordingly.
The assassin briefly interrupted his train of thought as he came to the stairway leading down to the lower decks. Normally he would have silently glided downwards, but the storm made such a simple task far more dangerous than it should have been.
Thus, he took care not to get thrown around, and consequently, injured. He personally didn't mind to get hurt, but it could have an unfavorable influence on the outcome of the mission.
Soon afterwards, he entered the lower deck, which contained the cell that held Zagi. Despite focusing more on moving carefully rather than stealthily, he still tried to stay hidden. He knew it was probably unnecessary, but a certain degree of paranoia could be healthy at times.
If worst came to worst and the insane assassin somehow escaped before he got there, being hidden could prove to be quite vital. Thus, he moved as quickly as he could under the cover of the shadows. They were like his friends in a way: regardless of where he went, they were always there to aid him and hide him from harm.
It was a bit ironic really, to be forced to conclude that lifeless things were far more reliable than colleagues. Perhaps he would not have felt that way if the empire hadn't taken his brother from him in the last great war… but there was no point in musing about the past.
He drew nearer to the cell and took out his poisoned blades, taking care to quickly cover the flat sides beneath his lower arms. It would prevent them from reflecting any light towards the front. As always, the sharp and unpleasant scent of the Moriria based poison reached his nose, and as always, he ignored it.
Sometimes, he wished that it wasn't such an important ingredient for many potent poisons. While it was always a possibility that a combatant used poisoned weapons, the scent of that particular flower was a dead giveaway to just about anyone with a functional sense of smell.
'Well, It's not like Zagi doesn't know that all of us use poisoned weapons, despite his insanity.'
Speaking of which…
Although the screams were still coming from the same direction, he still glanced around the corner carefully.
Indeed, the cell was still sealed shut, and the two guards were still at their posts. To their credit, they had their weapons drawn and were taking the threat of Zagi breaking out as a realistic one.
To their discredit, they were in full view, and they paid no attention to anything other than the door. In actual combat, only paying attention to your direct opponent was highly dangerous. He hoped they would not make that same mistake in the coming mission… if they ever reached the imperial capital.
He did not want to dwell on that possibility though, and made his way over to the guards. He could see them flinch every time Zagi's psychotic cries resounded throughout the hallway. They were afraid… but at least understandably so. Still, he was a bit disappointed that he managed to reach them without either of them noticing.
They were his subordinates, after all.
"…Report," he demanded.
With a start, they both spun around to face him. They immediately tried to salute him formally, which looked a bit odd with them clutching the weapons in their hands tightly. Well, at least they had enough of their wits left to respond to his presence swiftly and correctly.
"S-Sir! We… Zagi…and the prisoners-"
"O-oh, sir! Please forgive us for-."
He interrupted them with a wave of his hand. Well, perhaps they did need a moment to regain their wits… perhaps he had underestimated the effect Zagi had on his men. Though he was not very familiar with these two, all the assassins that had been assigned to him were supposed to have at least some degree of experience.
Regardless of this relative unfamiliarity, he was still able to tell them apart by the differences in their stances and posture. Other than for those characteristics, all the Red Eyes, including himself, outwardly all looked the same, with their dark blue outfits and gray and red facial masks.
He decided to address the smaller one, Cut, First.
"Don't ask me for forgiveness, just know that you won't be able to ask your enemy for the same. In Zaphias, keep your guard up at all times, understood?"
The smaller assassin hastily nodded.
"Good," he continued as he turned to face Gash, the larger brother of the other assassin. "Now, what did you say about Zagi and the prisoners?"
The man hesitated a moment before answering. "Sir. This morning, Zagi… started to become restless. We tried to subdue him by bringing him more prisoners to kill, but this time it didn't work! Maybe if we had more of them… but we ran out shortly. It wasn't long before he started scream-"
"GARROTE!! WHERE IS HE!? WHERE ARE YOU HIDING HIM?! WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE NOW! IT WAS PROMISED TO ME!! THE BLOOD OF A LOWELL-"
"…Before he started screaming like a market salesman desperate to sell his food before it rots," the lead assassin, Garrote, dryly finished for him. "Is there anything else worth mentioning? I was asked to come here by the captain to silence him, so I already know that he's been a bit noisy. So does the rest of the ship, and quite possibly the rest of the world, by the way."
The two men, who had immediately spun towards Zagi's prison upon hearing his last outburst, exchanged a nervous glance. Garrote tensed; they obviously had some very bad news.
"Yes," the smaller assassin reluctantly began, "After we brought him the last prisoner, we heard a loud snapping metallic noise coming from the room. We… We think he might be loose in there."
Garrote sighed. Normally he would have questioned the sanity of someone making such a claim, but this was Zagi. Breaking a mithril chain with his bare hands seemed to be right up his alley. With him being loose, there was no avoiding a fight now… and since he also had a chain to fight with, the chances of being critically injured had just increased dramatically.
Well, at least he was aware of it beforehand. He had to give the men some credit for performing their task well, regardless of them knowing that Zagi was loose and armed. On the other hand, one of them could have left to inform him earlier… but he decided to ignore that. Being overly harsh was always bad for morale.
"WHERE IS HE?! I'LL TEAR-"
"All right," he said, ignoring Zagi. "You did well in keeping him quiet as long as you could. It's unfortunate that we had to use the last of our prisoners, but I guess it was unavoidable. See if you can assist the captain, I'll make sure the crew will not be bothered again."
The other two did not leave immediately. Perhaps their loyalty the guild, and consequently to him, prevented them from doing so. "But boss, you're not going to fight him alone, right? Are you … sure you don't want us to help you?"
Even if Garrote had been convinced that they were capable enough to face Zagi, the very reluctant way in which Gash said this was enough reason to reject the offer. A scared combatant was a lousy one, regardless of his skill.
"Are you sure you're able to fight him calmly and skillfully, and to the death if necessary?" he countered. "If not, leave now. Any slip or hesitation could lead to all our deaths."
There was no reply.
"I'm better off by myself, then," he finished with a tone of finality. "If I die, and you hear Zagi closing in, barricade the deck with whatever you can find. The mission does not change."
Seconds later, he was alone again, staring at the metal door of the cell. He noticed that for the first time in the last few hours, it was quiet, with the storm far less audible and the screams having come to a momentary halt. Zagi was probably waiting for him…
He took out his keys and proceeded to slowly approach the door from the side, blade at the ready.
And he opened the door.
Meanwhile, in the imperial capital city of Zaphias, Estelle had just finished her meal and was preparing to leave her apartment. The two large bowls of miso soup she had eaten, along with her long and uninterrupted slumber, had revitalized her fully. Looking back, she was glad that her friend had forced her to eat and rest.
She felt determined. First, she would deal with the tax collectors, and stop them from randomly taking whatever they wanted from those unable to pay the increasingly high taxes, as they seemed to think was their right.
Unlike practically everyone else who lived around here, she knew the law. As far as she knew, apart from herself, only the elders had varying degrees of knowledge on the subject. If it were up to her, no loophole or gray area a crooked official came up with would ruin the lives of poor citizens today.
Sadly though, preventing them from taking the last of what those people had was not the most important reason for going there. The main threat, as Gwenn had reminded her, was that of a possible fight breaking out.
With the taxes growing higher over the last few years, and without them receiving anything in return, the people of the lower quarter had been growing increasingly discontent. The only real things the government had ever given them were a few warehouses that were allowed to sell untaxed food products, but those had been here for ages.
The way things were going, one of these days, something would trigger them into taking violent actions… and a few overly ambitious tax collectors were perfect examples of such things. A fight could well turn into a riot, which would lead to a fight between the lower quarter and the military, something they couldn't possibly hope to win.
From what her friend had been able to see, elder Hanks had been reasonably successful in containing the water, at least so far. Therefore, she had to agree that helping the other elders in keeping the peace was more important right now.
Still, now that she thought about the whole situation, with both the fountain, the taxes and the missing protection or privileges that the wealthier citizens had taken into account, she felt distinctly uneasy.
Sometimes, she wondered if someone was deliberately trying to make life miserable for them in order to try and provoke a rebellion. However, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what someone could possibly hope to gain by causing the deaths of so many innocent civilians…
No, she insisted to herself, she was being paranoid; someone in the government would be smart enough to see something like this coming, and would take steps to prevent it. Today, she would try and contribute to making sure it wouldn't happen, just like elder Hanks would have done.
Yes, everything would go all right, and after that, she would immediately set out to recover the aqua blastia. It was her fault it had been stolen, and it was up to her to reclaim it. No matter where Rita was hiding, she would find her and take the stone from her, with force if it was necessary… even if the thief had already left the city.
She owed that much to the others living here. If she didn't go, she wasn't sure if she could ever face the others, if they ever found out that she had been the one that had allowed the blastia to be stolen.
If possible, she would also force her to repay the money that the elder had collected to hire her, perhaps even a little more. Someone rich enough to carry around melange gels could most likely afford to repay everyone for the trouble she had caused.
Before setting out to do anything though, she had to equip herself properly, and as quickly as possible.
First, she put on her undergarments and her white dress. During the two years that she had it, a few hard to notice but irremovable bloodstains had gradually appeared on it, but she didn't really care about those that much.
Although she tried to never wear it while working, as a doctor, there were times that you suddenly had work to do. On some of those occasions, it was pretty much impossible to avoid getting a bit of the patient's blood on you…and in those cases, that wasn't even remotely her main concern.
No, what mattered was that this was her most comfortable dress, and the one that she would prefer to wear if she was ever forced into a fight. It was also by far the cleanest one she had, and despite its all its plainness, it did look a tiny bit regal.
With some luck, wearing it would help tricking a tax collector into believing that she was an important person around here, and increase the chance that they would listen to her. For a moment, she considered the possibility of actually pretending to be an elder, but immediately decided against it.
Apart from being far too young to come across as one, she was quite sure that impersonating an elder would gain her a rather severe reprimand from the actual elders later, regardless of why she did it. There were rules that she had to follow, just like everyone else living in the lower quarter.
Next, she attached her sword belt, and hung her shield on it as well. It was a habit really, to take them along wherever she went. After her time in the military, she felt quite vulnerable whenever she didn't have them with her. Also, in this neighborhood, it was common sense to have a good means of defending yourself, especially if you had to frequently go out at night to visit patients.
As for the gear itself, her sword and shield were the only pieces of equipment from her time in the knights that she still possessed. However, neither of them outwardly looked like items a knight usually carried.
Instead of the blue and golden paintwork that was usually found on their scabbards, this one was completely covered in dull gray. The same was true for the shield, which did not carry its traditional drawing of a weighing machine surrounded by the symbols of the great houses that had or had once had a rightful claim to the imperial throne.
She was grateful for having received them as a gift, but she had repainted them as soon as possible. Next to not wanting to be reminded of her time in the knights, there were some who disliked the knights as a whole, and for good reason as well, she now realized.
Turning her attention back to packing her gear, she pulled a small leather backpack out of her closet and filled it with a few medical items: two packs of apple gel, an orange gel, a potent all-purpose antidote, a couple of bandage rolls and a small pack of ointment.
She brought along the final two items more out of habit than anything else; if it came to a fight, they couldn't be used swiftly like the gels. Their only potential use was for treating an injured person without having to resort to magic or relatively expensive items, saving energy and money for when it was really needed.
Finally, she added a bottle of drinking water and a small bundle of money. She deliberately didn't want to wear the money on her belt; it had mysteriously vanished from her once before, and that had been the last time she had taken it along in full view. This way, it was far harder to steal, and it might make a potential thief unsure as to whether or not she actually had any on her at all.
As for food, she decided to just add some slices of bread. She didn't want to waste time by cooking something fancy to take along with her. If she had to leave the city to chase Rita, she could always buy more ingredients or a meal somewhere along the way.
She couldn't immediately think of anything else to take along, and turned around to ask her friend if she might have forgotten anything. Before she finished moving though, her eyes fell on her reflection in the mirror, and she paused.
For a brief moment, she was filled with a memory of her asking her father a similar question, as she had been packing to move to her new 'home' in the barracks. Back then, she had been so excited about her acceptance into the knights, and so absorbed in how nice her uniform looked in the mirror, that she hadn't even noticed that her dad had been quite sad to see her go.
That was about… four years ago, wasn't it? Everything had seemed so much nicer before the war…
"Estelle? You look… lost, child. Are you all right?" Gwenn asked, concerned.
"Huh? Oh, sorry," the younger doctor replied, snapping out of her daze. "Yes, I'm fine!" she continued, trying to sound energetic and confident. "It was nothing, just something I remembered from long ago. I was just about to ask you if you could think of something that I had forgotten to pack."
Her colleague was quiet for a moment, and Estelle was sure that she had her reservations on it 'being nothing'. Still, everything relating to her time in the knights was something she didn't really like to discuss with anyone. There was no time for it now, anyway.
"Well, while I'm not an expert on what to bring for long marches and travels, I would however urge you to wear something to cover your feet, preferably a pair of boots," her friend replied, slightly humoristic, and apparently deciding not to ask further.
Estelle looked down and flushed a light shade of red. Yeah, that was pretty solid advice, and she immediately followed it. The brown leather boots she possessed didn't match her white and gray outfit at all, but they were far more practical for any travel she might have to do.
"You know Estelle, I can understand that you feel as if all of this is your fault," Gwenn began, back to her usual tone of seriousness, "But you need to realize that it was a coincidence that you ran into the thief at all. If you hadn't been there, the blastia still would have been stolen."
"I had a chance to stop her. I allowed it to be taken because I was naïve enough to believe someone who had tried to kill me moments before that. I even wished her good luck," the younger woman countered, momentarily tying up her boots with a lot of unnecessary force.
Gwenn sighed. "Regardless, you don't have to chase her, child. You do enough for everyone here as it is, I'm sure the elders can find someone else to retrieve the stone… perhaps even a group of people. Preferably someone whose absence will not be felt as much as yours."
Estelle looked up at her, slightly surprised. It was rather unlike Gwenn to complement anyone, let alone so directly.
"But, if we did that," she started, "I would have to explain how I know who stole the blastia… I'm sure that anyone who hears the real story will agree that I should be the one going after her, and I'm not that good of a liar."
She paused for a moment, putting on her backpack again and started moving towards the door. They could talk outside while walking; it would save some time for later.
"Also," she continued, "Do you know of anyone else able to follow her quickly and survive outside of the town barrier? I don't think that many others here have experience in fighting monsters."
"First, you can't ever be completely sure of what the elders would decide," Gwenn reminded her while catching up. "Secondly, I truthfully do not know how many persons here can defend themselves properly out there, but I do know of one at least. Rumor has it that yesterday, Sergeant Flynn-"
"No!" the pink haired healer immediately interrupted, uncharacteristically harshly. Realizing that her friend was only trying to keep her safe, she immediately calmed down and apologized.
"Sorry, I… thanks for your concern, but I don't want anything to do with him. And I feel like I have to do this, and I'll do it on my own."
"Hmpf. I do not know what has transpired between the two of you, child, and neither is it a concern of mine," the graying woman added in response to a glare from her younger colleague. "But I do know that you were friends once, and that he is one of us. He also has more fighting experience than anyone else here, including you."
She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sure that if you were willing to momentarily put whatever it is you have against him aside, he would help you. He came back yesterday, so he should still be in the castle. I would feel a lot better about you heading off into danger again if you at least had one capable person accompanying you."
"Again, thanks for your concern, but I will not ask for, or accept, his help," Estelle insisted. "I don't see him as one of us anymore. He will put whatever needs the military has over ours, and abandon us in a heartbeat if he has to make a choice!"
Realizing that she was about to start a tirade in the middle of the street, she immediately dropped the topic. "Look, there's a chance Rita is still in the city and that I won't have to travel at all. However, if I do need to leave, I promise you that I'll be fine."
"Yesterday, you said the same thing before you left, child… you almost died," Gwenn replied, looking away.
This was followed an uncomfortable silence, as the younger healer didn't really know how to respond. Last night, she had been exhausted…but she had almost been killed. Was she dangerously overestimating herself?
"Estelle! Gwenn!" a familiar voice cried out, saving Estelle from having to reply. Both women spun around to see Tom running towards them, clearly looking distressed. Wait… Tom was distressed? No… did something… happen to the baby, or to Denise? The thought provoked a feeling of panic.
'Please don't let that be, not on the one day I won't be able to go there!'
"Thomas Merringer? Why are you here? Aren't your wife and child in good health?" the elder woman asked, beating Estelle to the question.
"N-No, they… they're fine," the man replied, panting heavily. "I'm so glad I found you here… you… you need to come with me, right now! Something horrible is happening!"
"Why? What's-" Estelle began, momentarily relieved by hearing his family was safe.
"Horrible things are happening all around us, child," said Gwenn, cutting her off and addressing the man with a hint of coldness in her voice. " We were about to go and assist the elders in dealing with the tax collectors…"
"But that's why I came to get you!" the young father cried out. "It's them… but it's unlike the other times. This is far worse… they're closing down the food warehouses, and are arresting anyone that protests! They even got one of the elders!"
He balled his fists in anger. "And they say it's on prince Ioder's orders," the man spat out.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Yuri apologized half-heartedly upon entering the office with Repede. "There were a few people I had to blackmail first, but now I'm more than ready to stand trial for my horrendous crimes."
In front of him, a middle-aged woman with copper colored hair was sitting behind a large and beautifully carved desk. She was busy studying a number of files, and did not respond to his attempt at humor, nor did she acknowledge his presence in any other way.
Behind him, two royal guards followed him inside and proceeded to close and guard the entrance. They were dressed in their usual mostly black uniforms, with a bit of added gold for the lining and a couple of patterns.
Overall, their clothing combined with their imposing equipment probably made them look rather intimidating. However, as Yuri had grown up surrounded by them, he wasn't really affected by it. If anything, he respected them for their overall discipline and skill.
…Unless they were out to capture or discipline him, of course. In that case, they were highly annoying.
For instance, the two guards now guarding the entrance, along with two others that had stationed themselves in the hallway outside, had stuck to him like glue for most of the day. They had even followed him into the bathroom, and had been very 'helpful' in pointing out spots that he had forgotten to wash.
Even the few yards of personal space they were giving him now were a rather welcome relief.
For minutes, no one spoke a word. Lisa, the swordswoman behind the desk, was seemingly intent on giving him a taste of his own medicine. Well, if he was honest with himself, he probably deserved it, as he had delayed this conversation for hours.
Not willing to be the one to give in and break the silence, he took his time casually glancing around the room. Apart from the desk, the room was mostly sober, with its furniture simple and practical.
What did draw attention, were the many medals and declarations of honor that hung on the walls. To qualify for this position, you needed to have quite an impressive service record, and this woman wasn't exactly an exception.
Another noteworthy item in the room was a beautiful and glowing yellow flower that was encased in glass. From his upbringing, he immediately recognized it as a Moriria, a highly poisonous flower whose fragrance he was always supposed to watch out for whenever he dined.
He had never gotten around to asking why she had it, or why it was enchanted. Usually, he was too preoccupied with whatever lecture or punishment he received here, for reasons such as successfully escaping the castle.
Oh well, he didn't really care too much about why it was here, as long as its owner didn't force him to eat it or anything. She had probably considered it on some occasions.
"I hope, for your sake, that whatever you were really doing was highly useful and productive," the captain of the guard finally began, putting the files to the side. "I don't really appreciate having to reschedule my entire day to wait for you to show up, especially when there are important matters that we need to discuss."
"It's nice to know that you care about my well-being so much," the prince began, "but there's no need to worry. I'm sure the results will save me from your wrath."
By now, Lisa's piercing green eyes were fixated on him. He remembered that the first he came here on a similar visit, that look alone had been enough to make him cringe. Over the years though, he had gotten used to it. She was even likeable, most of the time.
"Really," she said icily, "Because your tone is not really helping you achieve that. What exactly have you been doing, then?"
"Hey, I already told you," said Yuri, grinning. "I've been blackmailing a few people here and there. And quite successfully too, I might add."
"Is this true, Marcus?" Lisa asked wearily, turning towards the unusually large guard standing by the door.
"Actually, it is, my Lady," the man answered, without moving from his post. "And I believe I can speak for all of us when I say that we were quite amazed at the efficiency and creativity that he employed while doing so."
He turned towards Yuri and threw him a look of disapproval. "Regardless, I would say that he is severely lacking in manners towards us, and even more so towards you."
The woman closed her eyes slowly. "So it seems," she said, her voice dangerously neutral. "Please leave us alone for a moment. Apparently I need to force some sense into him… again."
*Whine*
"And take Repede with you," she added. "There is no reason for him to be here."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine, buddy." Yuri reassured him softly.
*Snort*
'Great, thanks for the vote of confidence…'
The prince could almost feel the guards grinning as they slowly left the room. It wasn't until they had closed the door behind him that Lisa opened her eyes again, continuing to glare daggers at him.
He was about to say something when she held up her only hand, commanding him to be silent. The ex instructor of the knights then took a small blastia from one of her drawers, and activated it. It immediately filled most of the room with a soft blue light.
"I do not wish for anyone to listen in," she explained, turning back to Yuri. "First, I should give you a much needed lecture on not risking what is left of your reputation by openly blackmailing people. What you decide to do with your public image really isn't my concern though."
"What does concern me however," she immediately went on, "Is what could possibly have been going on in your head when you decided to break into the military archives. I couldn't have blamed anyone for shooting you on sight, with all that blood on you."
"Hold on," the prince cut in. "Before we get into that, what makes you so sure it was me?" he asked, genuinely curious.
In response, the veteran swordswoman wordlessly opened another drawer, and took out a small, mostly round rock. "Does this look familiar to you?"
Inwardly, Yuri cringed. He had taken the pervert's arrow with him, but had forgotten to look for the stone he had used to knock him out…
"Do you happen to know of anyone else able to make it in there unseen, who carriers around stones like these, and who happened to be missing from his room for almost the entire night?" she went on, dryly.
"…And who would do that mostly on Sergeant Flynn's behalf?" she finished while gesturing towards a certain file on her desk. "Oh, and that is even ignoring the key that Preston found in your-"
"Ok, ok, I got it already!" Yuri exclaimed, grinning sheepishly and throwing up his hands in mocked surrender. "Hey, I was only curious. Besides, it wasn't that dangerous. The few guards I did come across were mostly too concerned with etiquette to be paying much attention."
The one handed woman in front of him slightly raised an eyebrow, the only outward sign that she was even remotely interested in what he had just said.
"So maybe we should talk about something more relevant, such as what I managed to dig up today," he continued, trying to change the subject. He didn't like being reminded on how many things he had overlooked.
Maybe he had been more tired, and consequently sloppier, than he had thought…
"In a moment," she agreed, in a slightly gentler tone. "I want you to be aware of how lucky you were that you managed to shift the blame to that other man. Commandant Alexei himself is treating this as a matter of national security, claiming the archives had been infiltrated by a guild spy."
'So the old man was really from the Guilds…'
"…You're also quite lucky that I don't have the time to discipline you accordingly," Lisa's voice resounded, immediately pulling him out of his thoughts. "You're not exactly making my job easy for me."
"What, having those guys harass me in the bathroom wasn't punishment enough?" Yuri asked, slightly annoyed.
"No, definitely not," she immediately replied. "You know full well what you're risking by putting yourself in danger unnecessarily. What is a little humiliation compared to a potential power struggle between the great houses? Some of them would immediately begin preparing for war the moment they heard that either you or Ioder were dead."
The black haired prince sighed and looked away to the side. There was no denying what she said… and as soon as the great houses showed any sign of massive internal conflict, the military and the council would start taking sides.
In the absence of an emperor, the knights and the imperial government served the houses as a whole. He could easily see them falling apart into a few large groups, each supporting the claim to the throne of a different house, or a different group of houses… and then…
No. There was no way he was going to let that happen, he promised himself. Ioder would be fine, he would be rescued, and then he would make sure that his cousin became emperor as soon as possible.
"You're right," he finally said, completely serious. "So what we need to be doing is getting Ioder back to us. I gathered some information that might help us do that. Will you hear me out on this?"
Apparently satisfied with his confession, at least for now, the swordswoman nodded her head. "Very well, what was it that was so valuable that it would 'save you from my wrath', in your words?"
"Well, it relates to the files I shoved under your door last night. I guess you studied them all?" the prince asked.
"Yes, and the double files make it very clear that some military records are being switched with a forged one before they are reviewed. I think there is enough evidence here to demote a fair number of people, if not discharge them outright."
She focussed her attention on one particular file. "And if this is Flynn's real record, he should have had a higher rank than sergeant by now. By the way," she continued, "how did you manage to find those files? The archives are a huge place to go through, and I can't imagine that they weren't hidden in some way."
"I owe that to Repede, mostly," Yuri responded. "There was a locker that was quite well-hidden behind a part of the wall that was blocked by a bookcase. A not too bright clergyman was keeping a bottle of wine in there, and Repede was able to smell it. After that, finding and opening it was easy."
"I see," said Lisa, with a hint of approval in her voice. " But while I do look forward to, for instance, captain Cumore being demoted, I do not see how this relates to Ioder's disappearance…"
"It doesn't do so directly," he admitted, "but what I found there gave me an idea. Next to those military files, there were also a couple of double files belonging to some of the clergy who worked there… so I decided to have a little talk with them."
"Meaning you were blackmailing them this morning," she surmised. "I hope you were at least a bit discreet in doing so… you do not want the commandant connecting you to the break-in."
"Yeah, I already thought of that. So instead of going there myself, I bribed a few of the servant girls and pages to lure them to me," the prince explained. "And don't worry about them… they tend to be as silent as the grave, as long as you pay them for it."
"It's still dangerous if it ever does come out, Yuri… but I shouldn't be the one to remind you."
"Even if it does come out, it won't matter," he replied with determination. "Ioder will make it to emperor, and everyone will be awed by how perfect he is. That's what I'm going for: I dirty my hands so that he can keep his clean. And then all will be fine."
"…Anyway," he went on, " Once the clergy realized that they were trapped in a room with four very intimidating royal guards, a demon hound, and a highly annoyed prince waving evidence in their face, they suddenly became very helpful."
"I can imagine," she said dryly, finding the image rather amusing despite her reservations. "So what exactly did they tell you?"
"I pressed them for names. I figured that the people whose files I found in the locker couldn't be the only people they were forging, or had forged for."
He paused for a moment, half expecting a question or an interruption. "I was also kind of interested in who exactly was paying them to do that, since I didn't think all those soldiers could have afforded hiring them to do anything that dangerous. I figured that clergy who forged their own files had to be greedy types of persons."
The prince then took a folded piece of paper out of his beautiful black and purple robe, and gave it to her, continuing to share his findings as he did. "Most of these names don't ring a bell, but there are a few that are very interesting, especially…"
"Ragou," she finished for him, staring at the list. "Regent of Capua Nor, the city Ioder was supposed to be visiting. He was one of the persons paying them?"
"Yes, which makes me wonder… what does a highly ranked member of the council gain by paying clergy to forge military files?" he questioned.
"I don't like where this is going," the swordswoman admitted, taking a closer look at the names in front of her. "Nor do I like that some of the knights on this list were in Ioder's guard when he left."
She glanced over at the prince. "You don't seem surprised to hear that. Why?"
"That's because there are a couple of names on the back of that list that I am personally familiar with," he replied.
Upon reading them, the woman's eyes widened slightly, which was probably as close to a reaction of pure shock as Yuri could have gotten out of her. "They're…" she began.
"…Royal guards," Yuri finished for her. "Those two happened to be with Ioder when he came to say goodbye. From all of this," he went on with a touch of sarcasm, "I think he might have been set up."
"…You're sure that this information is accurate, and that the clergy didn't just make it up to get out of that room?" asked Lisa, after taking a moment to consider this.
"Yeah, I'd say it is," the prince replied off handedly. "The one who gave me those particular names… well… peed himself out of fright. If he was lying, he did so VERY convincingly."
For a second, he thought back to that memorable moment. "The clergymen were also highly grateful to me for not hanging them, and thanked me profusely for being such a benevolent person. Well, what can I say, I live to serve my subjects."
She nodded thoughtfully. "I see. In that case, I'll find out what I can about these people in preparation for tonight. In the meantime," the black clad woman went on, "continue your… 'studies'. Just don't tell me what exactly you're going to do. That way, I won't have to punish you."
To this, Yuri performed a deep and flamboyant bow, almost perfectly imitating the one the servants usually gave him. "Like I said, I live to serve my subjects."
The woman in front of him smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Just get out before I regret giving you a day of free reign."
With that, he turned and left.
The captain of the guard watched him leave with a slight feeling of remorse. The boy had so much raw talent; it was a waste that it couldn't be put to better use. She was convinced that he would have done well in the knights, or as a spy, if he chose not to focus on his fighting skills.
She turned to watch the flower in the case of glass. To be unable to grow, or to pursue the things you were really gifted for. Perhaps they were both trapped in a way…
… Or perhaps they weren't. Flynn was teaching him how to fight properly, and it didn't seem like he needed anyone to tell him how to break into high-security archives, for example.
Regardless, she couldn't truly compliment him on how well he had performed. She was convinced that boosting his ego in such a way was literally dangerous to many.
Again she went over the list. Although she had tried not to let it show, the possibility of corruption among the royal guard was a frightening one.
'Are these two the only ones…? And if not, why did I never notice anything?'
Author's notes:
Scene one was the real roadblock when writing this chapter. I wanted to try and go into the red-eye's side of the story for their attack on Zaphias castle, and this was the result. If you're wondering about Garrote, I got the idea from the first time you fight Zagi in the game.
In the aftermath, a red eye runs up to him and sort of commands him to leave. Although he gets killed about 10 seconds later, it did made me think. What kind of a guy would be placed in command of Zagi? And how much information would he have/give on the overall plan of the opposing side? What's it like to be a red eye? How do you transport Zagi and keep him in check?
The scene went through numerous revisions before I was finally somewhat satisfied with the tempo and content.
Instead of rushing Estelle into the action, I decided to give her a bit more character development, along with expanding further on what it's like to live in the lower quarter of Zaphias. I figured there couldn't be only one elder if the slums were of a realistic size, so it was probably a system of one elder per every X inhabitants. Hmmm... so which rights and duties would an elder have?
Don't worry by the way, Estelle will have more than her fair share of action soon.
For scene three, well, I had a lot of fun writing Yuri abusing his status. Originally, I wanted this scene to be much shorter, but then I realized that someone in charge of keeping him safe wouldn't just let him endanger himself without seriously reprimanding him for it.
Well, that's about it. Again, I'd like to ask anyone to review and tell me what you liked or disliked about the chapter. I'm always seeking to improve, and kind words alone are also highly motivating.
