Disclaimer: Star Ocean and all characters involved belong to Tri-Ace. And personally, I do believe that they're in good hands. (No typos this time, for sure.)
Author's Notes: Alright, hopefully this one's posted much faster then chapter 2 was. (Actually, I fear I may have posted this chapter a bit too quickly... Hey, don't look at me like that, it's not like I had it pre-written weeks ago, I just went on a writting binge these past three days.) Hopefully it's not too long for your personal tastes... Oh yeah, I may have mentioned it before, but the fanfic is pre-planned to a certain extent. I don't really need to say anything past that now don't I?
Also, please be nice and review a chapter whilst on the chapter you want to review. If you wish to review the story entirely, then you're free to review from whichever chapter. A bit of feedback always helps, y'know?
In any case... I really don't have anything else to say at the moment. So on with the story.
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Chronicles of the Wicked
By: Knight of Paradox
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Chapter Three: To the Hunt...
It is futile to run away from the ever-watchful eyes of Erinia.
"I still cannot come to terms with this..." A calm voice of reason from a young man emerged from the carriage, traveling through the mountain path towards the mining town of Kirlsa." Explain to me, how did you get these bars in your claws dislocated like so. I would imagine it would take the blow of a hammer, swung at full strength, to do this sort of internal damage... Still, there is not even the slightest sign of a dent." To this, the owner of the claw could do nothing more then smile with pride. Such a statement was a good sign of the quality of his claw, as well as his own techniques. Not to mention that it was also sign of the strength possessed by the opponent he had faced not too long ago.
The sun was rising slowly, up upon the horizon. But even a beautiful sight such as this one, that of a golden and brilliant orange gleam, which enshrouded the vast pure white mountains upon the horizon, lightly covered in trees that were as if made of diamonds when viewed from afar, could not steal away the glare of the young girl's eyes. Fixated upon the claw of the man, the item resting in Lias's hands, as well as to the stub upon the end of her lord's arm. It was a nightmarish contraption of misshaped metal; all of which was far too alien for the regular populace to behold. Her eyes could not betray the horror, as well as a slight trace of disgust, that she felt whilst looking at it, nor the pity she felt towards the man whom stole her heart the moment he came within her sight.
A few minuscule slabs of metal, some reaching to half the width of a lady's finger, as well as strange knobs and slick metallic plates, rested upon her lap. This task of carrying these strange pieces of metal was ordained by another handsome man whom she was accompanying, Lias the blacksmith, so to keep them in safety while he would inspect the man's artificial hand for any trace of damage. "I cannot tell you if there is any substantial damage, but I would suggest you do not put your hand of steel upon too heavy of a task until we arrive to Kirlsa. If ever it were to be permanently damaged, I would not wish to imagine what physical trauma you would have to endure so to repair it." A few words of kindness linked to a gentle sigh as the man's hand reached to his own face. A lone finger pushing his glasses upright upon his nose, as he began to reassemble the claw back upon its rightful and silent owner. "Mayu, hand me the long, slim pieces of metal."
---
A lone carriage made way into the city of Kirlsa, stored aside as the three made their way towards the mansion of the wise count. The lums neighing as they were carried back to the stables, so to be tended to after the long trek. The mining town of Kirlsa was as tranquil as ever. Strangely enough, as the city was not so far away from the frontlines. Though the war did have some obvious effect on the populace, as it had severely changed the attitude of many of the villagers throughout its length. The simplistic doors of wood and metal opened slowly, revealing the ever still-majestic lobby of lord Woltar's mansion. A lone butler accompanied by one of the maids, waiting within the mansion's lobby, welcomed back one of the two lords of the house. "Ah, lord Albel, welcome home. How was the conference?" With the same politeness as ever, the lone maid asked gently, gathering the mantle off the red eyed lord's back and setting it aside, as the man in question advanced forward without a single word. "Excuse us, the trip has been long and tiring. I'm quite sure he only needs a bit of rest. In any case, I have the duty to inform you that lord Albel's metallic hand may have received some damage during our trip. If it wouldn't be too much trouble..."
"Say not another word, I will personally see to it that we make immediate arrangements with the nearest, most competent, engineer as soon as possible. Though, if I recall well, we'll need the aid of an experienced blacksmith if anything would happen to be damaged." With a gentle smile to his face, the young companion to the captain nodded lightly to the butler before him. Departing shortly afterwards with a guard by his side, the butler excused himself, his figure disappearing behind the door of wood and metal. "My friend, it appears that the diagnostic of your arm will be complete by the day's end. I ask only that you remain patient for a while longer." With these words, the man eyed the captain of the Black Brigade whom remained motionless at the peak of the staircase. The metallic claw, still limp to his side, having not been so much as even lifted since their arrival. An action of inactivity that had been taken as an added precaution.
---
It took but a few hours for the arrangements to be completed. The payments were arranged without much thought; After all, the kingdom itself funded the captain. To this, the engineer began his work. Carefully he inspected the pieces individually and the recollection of its entirety, daring not to undo the harmonious array of steel that dangled upon the remains of the man's arm. An extensive and careful analysis of his entire arm began. His friend remained besides him, awaiting patiently to see the result whilst the young lady that had accompanied them was but a block away, within the workshop across the street, preparing a small meal so to greet her lord when he would leave the building. Though the place was ill equipped for an engineer, the man did not complain, for such things meant little to a true inventor, and even less for a simple inspection of the captain's claw.
"Tell me Albel... Do you remember all those years ago, when we worked together to create the sword you still carry by your side?" A light moment of nostalgia as well as anxiety seemed to fill the young blacksmith, his eyes locked to the forge, which rested silently unused to the side. "Don't tell me you've decided that the best moment you could come up with, so to become emotional, is when my arm is being dismantled into pieces..." A slight sound of irritation, for quite a few reasons, emerged from the lips of the black and golden haired man. All of which was accompanied by a stare that many would flee from. "No I haven't, you need not worry about such things. It's simply that being in this room reminded me of that moment, that was all I meant." With these words, the captain began calming himself. The engineer, whom had backed away in fear of being struck returned, to his work.
"I've always been curious... That sword that you based this blade of steeled earth off of, The Crimson Scourge. It was your father's weapon, isn't that correct?" Nothing but the sound of a few light tools, tinkering with the claw of the man, filled the silence between these two. "...What happened to it? There are some whom say it was lost within the mountains. Some say that it was recuperated and held in safety within the treasury of Airyglyph's capital. If that is true, then why haven't you simply taken possession of your rightful heirloom? I've been meaning to find out what exactly has happened to that sword... Albel, my friend, aren't you going to answer me?" Just as his final words slipped from his tongue, the young blacksmith was met with furious and vicious eyes. The engineer, gasping lightly in surprise, cowered in fear, as the rumors of the captain of the Black Brigade were many. "SILENCE! Never speak to me about this ever again, or I swear I will have your head for it!" Saddened eyes came upon the young blacksmith, as his sight turned again to the forge.
The captain returned to his seat, his teeth gritted, as fury boiled his blood. He himself could not understand, but the thought of taking possession of his father's sword enraged him. Perhaps it was the thought of desecrating the memories of his father that enraged him, but there was another feeling, one hidden far away from all. This other feeling in question, was it fear perhaps? None would know, not even the possessor of such emotions. "I understand, I shall not say another word of the blade in your memories anymore." With a kind smile to his lips, the man turned about. Having gathered enough courage to ask a close friend of his about a matter that seemed quite important to his eyes. For the sword was often considered the soul of the warrior, and the blacksmith of the name of Lias worried for the soul of his friend.
"There, finished!" With these words, the engineer stood up high while proudly announcing the full diagnosis of the man's claw. A few minor problems of little importance had been taken care of; as the claw was indeed much stronger then any would believe. The base having been built intricately, to be seemingly fragile, yet greatly endurant. Sturdy enough to surely last longer then it's owner's life and capable of taking a greater beating then any would expect. Sadly enough, the same thing could not be said of its metallic shell which comprised the rest of the gauntlet-like claw. That being said, all worry seemed to evaporate away from the heart of the blacksmith, whilst the owner of the claw itself would look upon it in contemplation. "Well, it's good to know it's much more resilient then it appears to be. This is the first time it's ever happened, we only wished to make sure nothing was wrong." Speaking to the engineer, the man could only reply with humility to these words. A few comments and whatnot was exchanged between the two before giving each other their farewell, the engineer walking away after having finished his assigned task.
With the completion upon the checkup of the captain's claw, the two began to make way themselves. Departing from the workshop, the two of them were greeted by a young cook from the facility, hurrying to their side whilst holding what seemed to be a small plate. Within it was contained what seemed to be a gratin, large enough for a group of four. "Lord Albel, lord Lias! Please wait!" Unexpectedly, a few children ran before her: a small young boy playing with a little girl, followed by the words 'Shelby' and 'Aquarian spy' which kept on emerging. The sudden appearance of these infants though had caused an unfortunate shift within the balancing motion that young Mayu had used. Screaming for help, she began to tilt forth as lord Albel would not even flinch whilst Lias, try as he might, was not capable of reaching her side fast enough to save her from the inevitable fall.
Moments later, complaining as to the fact that her lord had done nothing, not so much as lift a muscle, to try and stop her fall; the girl was now in the care of Lias. The gratin, having fallen upon the floor, was now deformed and dirtied, though still upon its plate. Settled against the nearest wall, Lias turned his attention to his friend whose eyes were fixated upon the meal itself. "Well, what shall we do with it? I'd imagine it would be best to simply throw it away." Looking to his friend, he remained still unsure as to whatever action he would take. Much to his surprise, but to the content of both his companions, the captain silently reached to the meal. With a light rumble in his stomach, the man grasped a portion of the meal, downing it rapidly before throwing aside the remainder of the gratin, as well as the plate, behind himself without looking back. "Disgusting." Nevertheless, though his words were quite cold, the man still finished his portion, leaving what appeared to be three quarters of the ruined gratin smothered against the floor. "You must've been quite hungry." Teasing words from the one whose hammer would never leave his side rushed towards the captain.
Before they would make their way back, the youngest of the three captain looked to the horizon, to his fortress which was the facility housing his men. "Ah... is that... Yes, it is! Lord Albel, it is an honor to meet the Captain of the Black Brigade!" To this, an old man made his way towards the captain's side with a joyful smile to his lips. "Excuse an old man for taking some of your time but-" An interruption, and a rather brutal one arrived, as the captain reached to the elder, grasping him by the collar with great strength. "Be quick about it." To this command, all was brief. Informed that his right-hand man, Shelby the Heavy-Handed had captured two women from a runaway cart that came from the direction of the capital. Though it was strange he hadn't been informed, the captain could only come to the conclusion that his underling was most likely plotting behind his back, and quite clumsily as well. But the day was old and the night was young. Advised by his friends, they would await the next day to go to the facility, so to take care of this possibility of a little problem of an ill-mannered subordinate and see whatever little plan his right-hand man would conjure up to trump him.
---
The following day was born, the rising sun breeding life upon it as the captain of the Black Brigade rose from his bed. Outside, only one of his fellow travelers awaited. It seemed that young Mayu had been called back early, her mother and the rest of the staff falling in great need of an extra hand, so to prepare enough food for the soldiers that had returned from their previous task. Though his friend, the blacksmith by the name of Lias, would wish to accompany him, it seemed that there were a few tasks awaiting him. His services being in great need from the common folk, as well as from the knights of the Storm Brigade, enforced his stay within the town of Kirlsa. With these news the man departed, blessed with the silent smile of a friend wishing him a safe journey.
The path between the mining town of Kirlsa and that of the facilities, which were his, was but a short walk away. Still, the path was somewhat treacherous nonetheless, filled with dozens of broken hills. Nearly nothing more then a wasteland inhabited by creatures that would be dangerous to the health of any regular citizen. To this thought, there was indeed one creature that was a danger, one that could easily trample a full-grown man to death with relative ease. The creature in question though was not a regular inhabitant of the place. Hailing from the territories current held in dispute between Airyglyph and Aquaria, a single mad and uncontrollable bull-like beast... "Hey, you there! Watch out! HURRY!" The voice of a man shouting throughout this barren wasteland, a chorus of hooves trampling upon the dry land followed by the sound of one or two person falling to the floor.
Turning his head about, the sight wasn't quite the prettiest one. A mad creature rushing towards him, its horn wielded forth as it's previous occupants fell to the ground. It charged a straight line, nothing threatening to the man. Rapidly, his foot slipped backwards as his body shifted about. Instead of jumping to safety, the man seemed to lunge forth towards the creature, it's horns barely touching the man before his blade ran through the beast's body, effectively separating him in two. Without so much of an afterthought, the man returned back towards his path, looking back only once towards the man and the boy seated on the ground, with but a word to his lips "...Worms." With that said, the man returned to his path.
"Sorry about that!" These words spoken rapidly caught his attention but for a moment, turning his head about for only a moment. Though he did not look upon them, he had a guess that the one whom spoke to him was the blue haired boy. The distraction aside, he returned to his path, leaving the two strangers to discuss with one another in a seemingly frantic manner. Luck of it all though, with one distraction gone another would arrive flaunting itself before him. Far away, there would be the sight of a cloaked figure, making its way through the more treacherous paths of the area. "Tch... That woman." Slowly, his hand reached towards the steel which remained limp to his side, a lone finger running through its length, as he would remember her strength. All of which would bring a smile to his lips.
Tracking her down though was harder then he had first believed. Though she was certainly not familiar with the terrains, she moved through it with unbelievable ease. It did not take long before he could no longer follow her, looking towards what would seem to be the task of climbing a vertical wall so to catch up to the golden haired woman in question. Nevertheless, the man had gone high still and, from the cliffside he was perched upon, he would possess what was an angled sight of the roof of his facilities. There he was, his subordinate, the one they had dubbed Shelby the Heavy-Handed, as well as what appeared to be two Aquarian wenches. Though it was hard to tell whether they were alive or not, but more importantly it seemed that they were getting visitors as well.
The two previous strangers whom had brought that mindless beast with them made their way within. The situation seemed rather clear, a hostage exchange of sort. Well, whatever it was, it mattered not. What seemed to be his priority at the moment was to find the woman, but she had long disappeared from his sight. That having been said, he would have to make do with teaching Shelby his rightful place. The thought of punishing his underlings, as he descended from the cliffside, only made him groan with displeasure and irritation. It was ever so hard to find anyone competent these days.
---
Walking towards the quickest path to the rooftop, an unconventional way, which was through a specific window from which he could walk atop a few ruined pillars to the peak of his facility, was his chosen way. Nevertheless, he would still have to borrow a path similar to the regular one. With that, he made his way through, the area more silent then ever as a few guards would come to the captain with post-haste to explain the situation, only to be given a deaf ear. Passing before the kitchen, a young girl awaited him at the doorframe, holding a small basket of apples in her hands as she looked at him. "Ah! Lord Albel!" Before she could utter anything more, young Mayu was interrupted by the tired and cold voice of the captain. "I get it already..." With a light groan escaping his lips, the man reached forth with his hand, grasping a lone, ripe, red apple before heading forth to the broken window. "No! That's not what I meant; there are intruders in the facility! That and lord Shelby's... lord Albel?" Unfortunately for the young girl, the crimson-eyed man had already vanished long ago from their sights.
The moment he reached the roof, a few of his men had leaped to join the ongoing battle which raged below. Though he could not witness a good majority of it, not truly all that interested in whatever squabble there was between his disloyal underlings and the intruders, he could nonetheless hear a good portion of an already ongoing discussion. "Who the heck are you?" That voice, it was surely that of the young boy he had encountered earlier. It was surprising that he had made it through to the roof and healthy enough to shout with such strength. "I am Shelby... Lieutenant of the Black Brigade, soon to be Captain by the looks of things." The little maggot was indeed plotting behind his back, though this didn't come as much of a shock to the captain.
"After all that, now we have to fight Shelby?" This voice, the voice of a female voice that he was unfamiliar with, began to form a better image in his head of the current situation. "Is he dangerous?" Again, the young boy's voice came in response. "Yeah... He's the Black Brigade's second in command. Still, 'your castle'? Wasn't it Albel Nox, Captain of the Black Brigade that is the landlord of this facility?" These news was growing tiresome, the picture had already settled into place as he remained in the shadows, unseen and unsensed. Captives which were obviously Aquarian, a woman and two man whom seemed to be wanted enough for Shelby to betray him in an attempt to usurp his position. It was pretty obvious, these two were the escaped prisoners, not that it mattered much to him.
Listening in on the discussion, which rapidly faded out of his interest, turned into a battle for the lives of the intruders. Looking forth, he would only see a pathetic sight that he was not all that too proud of. His men fell one by one at the hands of these three. The blade of the young boy moving rapidly and precisely, showing signs of promise, the fist of the blonde man crushing the armor upon his men with the same efficiency as that of a war hammer whilst the woman effectively cleared the path ahead of her with obvious experience on the field. His right-hand man had lost patience as his morning star swung about in vast arcs. Striking forth towards the young boy's head, it met only air as theboy rushed underneath the chain withhis blade crashing down, followed soon afterwards by a rising arc. Both of these consecutive attacks missed though and left the boy open, as the second in command reached for his axe. A few threats were shouted, but in the end Shelby soon followed suit to the rest of these traitorous bunch. The Aquarian woman landed the final blow upon the back of the man's neck, his blood now dirtying the stone floor.
"Ha! He wasn't as tough as his talk." The blonde haired man stole the words from the black and golden hairedbeing whom had assisted to the show from a comfortable seat, up above their heads. "Let's go! No need to waste anymore time." Truly, these were words of wisdom, but it was already far too late. "Pitiful..." Rapidly alarmed, the three invaders looked to the man, placing themselves between him and the liberated captives. "So this is what Shelby was up to. I knew he was plotting something behind my back, but this? How pathetic. Always strutting, preening his feathers, but to lose to the likes of you? Huh. Once a maggot himself. Now, he's food for the maggots." Taking a few bites from his apple as the battle finally came to a conclusion, the man looked to the group, seated out in the light as to finally reveal himself.
"That gauntlet... You're Albel Nox!" A cry from the battle ready maiden emerged. "So, you've heard of me." It appeared that stories of him had spread rather deep if the enemy could identify him so easily, truthfully it made him rather joyful. Considering his position though, it wasn't all that surprising. "Who the heck is he?" The blue haired kid with the sword resting at a fairly effective defensive position looked rapidly towards the woman for answers. "That man is Albel Nox. He's the best swordsman in all of Airyglyph and the Captain of the Black Brigade. His cruelty has caused great fear and thus he is better known as 'Albel the Wicked'..." The sight was somewhat as pitiful as Shelby's defeat. The woman whom was fired up just moments ago seemed nearly cowering in fear of his presence. A light cut-off laughter came out as a reaction from the mention of his other title.
"I really can't dig the guy... Hey, get down here! I'm gonna smack that cocky look off your face!" With these words, the blonde man moved a few fingers tauntingly towards him. It seemed the trip would be worth some entertainment. "...You? Is that so? ...Heh, fine. Let's see what you're made of." Lowering the half eaten apple, the man threw it with a light twist of his wrist towards the head of the man. Though it was brilliantly deflected with one of his arm whilst enabling him to keep an eye upon the captain, it was all for naught. Catching only the sight of his hair falling down towards the floor, a sharp pain rose to his chest at the exact same moment the apple finally landed upon the floor. His left arm extended outward, the tip of his claw piercing through the man's skin drew blood unto his clothes. "What's wrong? Shouldn't I be in trouble?"
"He... deceived the eyes of a Klausian?" A light murmur which seemed nonsensical reached the captain's ear, but it mattered not. Slowly raising himself, words emerged from his lips with a vile taunting slither. "Bah, the maggot talks big. You might have some potential, but you're no match for me." These words only caught the alarmed stare of the blonde man, his fist tightening as his eyes and voice filled with a small hint of rage. "What did he just say?" A violent reaction, one that was easily expected. "I'm not interested in fighting a bunch of tired fools. Easy wins have never been my style. And unlike Vox, I take no interest in trouncing weaklings." Once again, the man with the stripes across his neck spoke furiously "Who ya callin' a weakling?" Truly, this was leading nowhere. Placing it more bluntly, the man decided to attempt to end the discussion as rapidly as he could, so to avoid any mild headache this ogre-like man could inflict upon him. "You heard me. You bore me... Now, go back to your own lands. This is your only warning, fools."
"Get over here and say it again to my face!" Obviously ready to charge forth, the path was halted by the Aquarian woman. To the crimson eyes of the captain, it seemed at least one of them had half a brain. "You're going to let us slip away? That's rather pretty nice for a guy like you." It seemed that no matter how rapidly he wished for it to end, the discussion would simply be prolonged. "Don't get me wrong. I just can't be bothered. And taking hostages isn't the way I do business" These words only seemed to catch the anger of the blue haired boy, a voice that seemed to be a bit too self-righteous to his likings. "What do you call this, then?" Responding with the same careless attitude, as he possessed, he responded rather reluctantly to the group before him, which seemed to lack any form of common sense. "Those maggots did this without my consent. I knew nothing about it. Besides, your escape is his blunder. I've no obligation to clean up his mess."
"But he was your subordinate! You have to take responsibility for his actions." The foolish boy began to grow on his nerves, indeed that tone of voice was one that he began to find impossible to handle. "I tire of your lectures, fool. Now get lost. If you remain for too long, I'll have to dispose of you but you've yet to grow stronger." With these words, the man began to make his way towards the path he had chosen earlier, leaping back to the rooftop as he looked back towards the group. "We'll get to fight someday and when that day come try not to bore me." Unable to handle the presence of the group, he himself decided to leave before they would. Aware that, if they remained within his establishment, his more faithful followers would surely continue to nag him about their presence within the facility.
It wasn't long before he could see a carriage rushing away from the facilities, holding the captive as well as the three he had engaged in a most interesting discussion earlier. Making his way towards his room, the captain was interrupted by one of his soldiers that seemed to be carrying what appeared to be a missive of some sort, the item seemingly having been tossed aside carelessly. Within it were news of his being occupied away, signed with the name of Vox. This fooled him not, the handwriting was that of the old man and he couldn't help but wonder what part the old count Woltar played inside it.
---
The woman in question that he was hunting for was clearly heading towards Aquarian lands. With these thoughts, he himself wished to head towards these lands to find her so to play with his prey, but could not be answered so easily. The old count had returned home and was keeping watch over the boy. Though, the greeting he received upon his arrival back home was not that which he had expected. "Tell me old man, what is this about?" With these words, the letter laid before him. It was the missive, which he had recuperated earlier, that which was signed with the name of Vox whilst all was written in Woltar's handwriting. "Now, now. Calm down, there's no need to be so excited. After all, did you not catch a traitor amongst your ranks?" Indeed, the man had found a person whom plotted against him, one that was of a rather high position to begin with.
The missive itself informed whomever would read it that his being, the captain of the Black Brigade, was detained for an elongated period of time by the captain of the Dragon Brigade, for no specific reason whatsoever. It was an idiotic mistake to fall for a trap like this one, but considering the sort of person Vox was, it wasn't too surprising that anyone would find this letter a believable one. "Well then, now that he's been rooted out. Should you not return to take care of your troops boy? After all, they have lost a link in the chain of command... It would be wise for you to choose a more loyal fellow to act as your second in command." With these words given, lord Albel could do nothing but comply to his wishes. Mostly because if he were to act against them, he knew far well that he would end up with more trouble then he'd want to deal with. With these words, he was indeed kept encaged and unable to cause any sort of a stir by delving too deeply into enemy territory on his own.
---
What a mess it was, all that was left in the wake of the arrival of these unexpected visitors. Letters were to be given to families to tell them of the death of their child or whatnot, funerals prepared for the bodies of their fallen soldiers and the cleanup as, unlike the captain, most of the soldiers were not too easy with the idea of having the dry blood of their fellow knights splattered about here and there. A purge had to follow, as to rid the Brigade of those whom were not loyal to the captain, but such a task never got so far as it seemed the captain did not care whatsoever for the idea itself.
As for the broken links in command, another popularity contest had started, as it truly mattered little to the captain who would be his second in command. Still, he retained veto and if ever the one named as his right hand man was far too weak or cowardly, he had the rights to refuse nonetheless; after all, the brigade was his. The matter had been taken care of rather surprisingly rapidly, considering how important a lieutenant was in the chain of command. But this brigade was far from ordinary, it was somewhat rather disorganized and that in a way was its strength. Internal problems, which would usually cripple a regular army, would only trouble them for a short period of time, but it wasn't to say that they were an ineffective group, far from it.
Unorganized, yes, untrained, no. And unfortunately, that was all that he could do for the past few days. Looking after the training of his soldiers with the same foul mouth of his, whilst waiting for all the paperwork and every little problem to be resolved, so that he could free himself from his duties. Each passing moment, he longed for a challenge or at least some entertainment. Soon enough, his wish would come true. "Sir! A messenger from the Storm Brigade is here with a message for you m'lord. It seems to be of the utmost importance!"
---
A suggestion from an old man, to form a joint operation between the Dragon Brigade and the Black Brigade, so to capture the enemy whom infiltrated the borders. Intelligence seemed to indicate they were after material to complete a weapon that would pose a great threat against the armies of Airyglyph. A letter had been sent by Woltar, informing Albel of the gravity of the situation. His heavy cavalry did not rely upon the lums for mobility compared to the Storm Brigade of the old count, making them a better choice to send up the mountain. Though, whatever the cause of his being here, it mattered not. The man was fired up, with a light smirk to his lips as he expected to be entertained by the group that dared to set foot in enemy territory, not once, not twice, but thrice already. Needless to say, his expectations were high, for these people had already proven their mettle many times. Not only so, but they had apparently also defeated a few soldiers of the Dragon Brigade, quite an admirable feat, even for the enemy.
With that thought, the man continued his excursion forth, with two of his best knights by his side making their way across the mountainside so to catch the enemy on an ambush if needed. His sight landed upon whatever knight from the Dragon Brigade was sent and what he would see did not interest him, not in the slightest. It was a man named Demetrio, one whose bark was always louder then his bite and most of his strength was upon relying on that lizard of his. A man whom had attained his position of second-in-command through sucking up and kissing lord Vox's buttocks. From here, he could see it, the fight starting between Demetrio and the infiltrators. More importantly was a carriage; one loaded to the rim with copper, making it's way at full speed down the path to Arias.
There was no real rush, they wouldn't pass by them and he was quite certain of that. Stepping down upon the obvious path the carriage would borrow, the captain looked before him with a light smirk to his lips. There it was, the beasts rushing forth with the goods as his claw fell limp to his side, his right hand reaching over to wrap his fingers around the handle. They did not stop though, knowing far well that if ever they did halt, they would invite death upon themselves. Flying from the sky, leaping off from the mountainside were the two knights whom were earlier at their lord's side. One of the guards taking hold of the carriage and placing it to a halt whilst the other expulsed the previous owners out of their seats.
"You should consider yourself lucky, be smart now, run off and leave the goods with us. We'll take good care of it." His grip loosened for a moment, as it shifted over towards the carriage as to lightly pat the wooden frame, taking back what had been stolen. "Damnit... Farleen!" Holding herself, the short-haired one began to rush forth. A simple 'Roger!' given as an answer to the one whom took the charge. Each of them immediately readying themselves to land a finishing blow. The one named Tynave prepared to utilize her hundred-slash technique whilst the one named Farleen conjuring up a deadly runological spell upon the head of the captain. "Bah! Too weak!" With this short sentence said, the one whom had previously lunged towards the man met a swift halt at her attack. Stepping inward with his body shifting low, the first strike of the blade missed by a long distance. A long swing leaving her wide open as the man's claw raised up in a rapid blow; Striking the area where the girl's liver was contained with a clean swipe, almost with surgical precision, as the tip of the claw's fingers pierced through both skin and flesh. Meanwhile, the runologist, whom remained further back, was interrupted by the other two guards before being tossed closer to their commanding officer's feet.
Her body carried through with great speed, launched to the floor, as she landed on the ground rather painfully; The short-haired woman could only grasp her being, gasping in pain, as she fell in a near fetal position against the dirt. The agony was paralyzing her at the moment, whilst the other one followed suit from the beating given by the other two men. Small fries like these could not sate the hunger that the black and golden haired man felt. The man nearly wanted to go back to tracking that blonde woman. "Tynave! Farleen!" The blue haired youth rushed forward, running to catch up with the caravan that had departed only moments ago. His arrival was perhaps unfortunate for him, as the man had already turned around to return to his previous self-designated task. "Damn, they didn't get away?" Turning his head around, he knew they would catch up. His plans of searching for that mysterious golden haired woman would have to wait, within his line of sight came the blonde brute. "Hmm! I thought something intriguing might be afoot. And now we meet again. I'm glad I came out to play today." There they were, his full course meal of the day. Turning about, he readied himself to greet them properly.
With the blue haired youth shouting his name, as if having awoken from the initial shock of seeing his companions having failed their mission, the man could not help but to taunt the group before him a bit further. "What a pity. We had to seize your precious cargo." A cruel smile to his face as he clearly indicated the carriage which was now stationed not to far away, the guards readying themselves to fight. Still, interruptions and distractions had to appear nonetheless. The two women suffering at his feet were groaning in pain, each in their own way, whilst one seemed to cry for forgiveness from her red-haired superior. "Silence, maggot." His playthings had finally arrived; he wouldn't allow anyone to interrupt this amusing moment of his.
The closest one being the young woman, who's high-pitched voice seemed to irritate his ears, received a firm hit from his foot against her lower cheeks. Nothing deadly, yet the girl still yelped in pain. Better to hear a woman scream then complain. "Albel Nox! How dare you do this to my people!" Gritting her teeth in a contained anger, the woman before him reached behind her back, above one of the two hilts, with her right hand. Her flustered face and her eyes focusing in rage upon her intended target whom stood before them, a foot upon Farleen's body. "Huh? You mean these two? They resisted when we tried to seize the goods. They didn't put up much of a fight... They... dropped like flies!" The mental image of how the first girl fell from her initial jump did have a comical hint to it. To this idea, he couldn't control the reaction that ensued. A cruel laughter rolling out of his throat, grasping his forehead as he allowed himself to drown in his own moment of amusement.
Underneath him, the two could only continue to complain from the pain with the chorus of the captain of the Black Brigade laughing away. As if putting oil in the fire, the intensifying anger from his opponents began to give him chills of expectation at the combat that he hoped would be thrilling enough to his tastes. "You won't get away with this..." The red haired woman seemed as if ready to jump at him at any given moment. "No getting off the hook for free today, ladies. I'm not through playing. Besides, this time you might even give me a little sport." Riling up his opponents, pumping them with adrenaline, that was his goal at the moment. The harder the fight, the more exciting it would get and it was a long time since he felt truly alive.
"Oh yeah? Try us! We have a way of taking the fun out of things for our enemies." The brute was already boiling; all it took was for someone to make the first blow. "Hah, I'll be the judge of that! Now, let's see what you've got!" With this, the man raised his claw slowly towards the group. They had more then enough time to assess the situation and plan whatever they wished and if they would not take the first blow, then he would gladly steal it away from them. Considering how fired up they where though, it certainly would not come to that. The blue haired boy, the one who's grip upon his sword became tighter with every word that escaped his lips, was the first to jump forth into the fray.
The two guards, which stood by the captain's side, reacted first, so to act as a shield to their commanding officer. Still, even though his safety was their priority, it wasn't his. Rushing forth, the man rapidly unsheathed his blade as his posture shifted. His upper body leaning forth and his right foot sliding forth whilst his claw remained limp by his side. His men did not last long though, acting only as warm-up for the group before him, though it was something to be expected. Charging forward, his blade spun about in a wild dance of destruction. Thrusting through the air, in an upward slash, at the blonde man forced his retreat whilst the red-haired leader of the two flies came to greet him from behind. Attacked from both sides, his blade touched the ground as it swept through the rock, digging through, as the wind seemed to shift with his movements, as stones and pebbles flew to all side around him.
His guards recuperated momentarily afterwards, attempting to strike the blonde man and the red-haired woman, effectively grasping their attention. This left the blue haired youth in a confrontation to the captain of the trio. Their blades flew in rapid succession, the boy from stranger lands striking effective but simplistic sweeps were all met with the man's claw whilst the captain's movement and motion were all fluid with a grace that could only arrive from year of practice. Each blow placed more pressure upon the youth whom began to take a more defensive role, watching and waiting for a moment to strike.
Stepping back, the boy slipped as he fell back upon a fallen log resting against a few boulders that remained on the side of the road. Seeing his opportunity, the captain arrived before him, his claw rising high as his blade followed suit, before both came crashing down forth. Yet all he met was the wood, as the boy had escaped in time, striking back with a quick blow to the captain's stomach with the hilt of his blade. The tides had changed; the blue haired boy became calm and began to gain the ability to read some of his movements. The excitement he felt soon turned into irritation as each time the boy would strike, the captain would tire more and more.
His knights had fallen unconscious by now, three experienced fighters began to strike him from all fronts and it took little time for the captain of the Black Brigade to fall. The blow, which welcomed the end of the battle, was landed by the youth, once more. A non-fatal blow, a foot thrust sideways unto the captain's stomach, left him kneeling and gasping for breath. With his blade planted into the ground below them, his head rose up to face the group that loomed above him, before him. Still pumped with adrenaline, his mind keen on beating the three before him, the crimson-eyed man began to speak. "You... put up a better fight than... I-" Coughing violently, the man's head turned to face the soil below him. The idea that he was actually wounded began to crawl into him. "This... This cannot be!"
"Want some more?" The taunting from the blonde man pounded away at the captain. His eyes slowly shifting up with rage and anger began to fuel him with strength again. Pushing upon his blade, using it as support to pull himself together. "Gladly! I... won't be defeated by the likes... of... Gaah!" His blade slipping below his weight, the man felt the many bruises and cuts he had received in the battle fall down upon him, as if a divine judgment. Pain wracked through his body as he began hacking uncontrollably; Blood emerging from his lips. A mixture, made up of this red liquid and his saliva, was slobbered upon his chin with each cough. The boy closed his eyes but for a moment of contemplation, before looking at the road before him. "Let's go, Cliff." A light reaction of confusion came from the brute, ready to lay a beat-down on the wounded leader of the Black Brigade.
"We gotta get Tynave and Farleen to a doctor, fast. And we got the copper. No reason to stick around here." Slowly regaining his breath, the blue haired boy looked to their two allies, writhing in anguish on the side. "...Yeah, you're right." The red-haired leader, the Aquarian spy that he had met a few days back, was looking towards her allies, assessing the situation calmly as the battle had seemed to have arrived to it's conclusion. "But shouldn't we take care of this little problem first?" His shoulder lifting lightly as the muscleman of the group raised a hand towards the man still crawling on the floor to recuperate as quickly as he could from the tormenting wounds he had recently received. "Yeah, well, it's just like he said." Looking towards the fallen captain as the boy spoke, the words came to resonate constantly within his being, pounding away at his mind. "Easy wins have never been my style"
The pain faded away, suddenly the world before him began to slip away as the current situation at hand began to finally sink into him. "Hehe, yeah, I gotta agree with you there. I've no interest in trouncin' weaklings either!" The blonde brute laid another truth that began to sink into him. He had lost. The world around him began to fade away, as he began to detach himself from everything. His eyes grew wide in disbelief. He, who had sacrificed so much in his life to grow strong, was turned into nothing more then another weakling in matters of minutes by mere strangers. The image of these people moving away was only but scarcely registered within his thoughts. Raising his claw up high, the man struck it upon the ground as a torrent of emotions began to fill him to the depths of his soul.
Before he would feel his consciousness slipping away from his grasp, before his body would come crashing down to meet the dirt below, a lone scream began to fill the air. One filled with despair and the harsh brutality of defeat. The mighty Albel Nox, Albel the Wicked, had fallen.
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Chapter Three: To the Hunt...
Complete
Following:
Chapter Four: To the Accusation...
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Author's Notes: I get the feeling I still have a lot to learn. Mostly in punctuation as I actually never use the ';' for I have no idea exactly when I should be placing them down... But I am going to try to make usage of it. (I bothered checking up on when it should be placed. It seems it should be done between two sentences that complements one another, with the second sentence relying on the first. Something along those lines.) You might notice that at a certain moment, I started using it a bit more openly. Sorry to be experimenting like this.
Other then that, this entire story took place in the time of between 3 to 5 days. Obviously, like many of the other chapters I've made, this could've easily been split into different chapters all on their own. But I feel that wouldn't really do, as all of this is one period to me... Eh, I know, I'm not being clear. But still, just endure the size of the chapters with me for a moment.
Looking at how the story picks up in size with each new chapter. I fear for the amount of words it'll have at the end. In any case, I hope you guys keep reading. Oh and, by the way, notice how this chapter was updated just a tad bit faster then chapter 2? And Erinia, by the way, is goddess of war and thunder in Star Ocean. One of the three goddesses married to Apris. I could've chosen between her and Dirna in matters of hunting, but I preferred using her since I've got different plans for Dirna. And yes by the way, you do meet a certain Dirna in the game itself. She's the announcer for the tournament, along with Solon.
Oh and, for the curious. Tynave received a blow to her liver, strong enough to give anyone the need to puke for a good ten minutes. The problem is that she did get her flesh punctured and slightly ripped, though but the wound isn't fatal and is mostly superficial, what really hit her hard was the flat of the claw. So no worries everyone, with a bit of rest and a bit of runology/symbology, Tynave will be back to her old self again.