AN: Hello guys, I bring to you all the new update for this story! Well, holiday's coming to an end and soon, the second semester will begin for me T_T
But enough about that, with the year coming to an end... I want to thank all of you readers that have read this story. And those that review, an even bigger thank you to you all! You guys are awesome!
Now to respond to those that review'd

TheAnime4Fan: Hehe, thanks!
Ah yes, the two remaining Great Spirits knowledge of the 'truth' will play a vital role in the later chapters. The fact that Milla doesn't know yet adds to the drama and mystery, huehue
Hehe, glad you liked the Jude Ludger bonding moment :D And yes, Alvin with the two of the Chimeriad makes their appearence, woo

mikigirl18: Thanks!
Jude can be passionate when he wants to, and I wanted to emphasize that. Glad you noticed it

Rune: Hahaha, well Ludger's cooking always did seem to faze everyone, hehehe
Ah yes, glad you pointed it out. While it's true that Elympions have undeveloped mana lobes, my reasoning that the Lance could steal the Chromatus's power was because I reasoned since it was Chronus's power, the watch/Chromatus is filled with mana. Hence, it managed to still drain Ludger. Maybe it's still a plothole but... ah well :(
Oh, so far his transformation I've done it where he does it in the game. So basically he doesn't transform while displaying his pocket watch and just transforms. But yes, now that you point it out, when in a future chapter Ludger reveals his power that it's related to the watch, I will make sure a char take notice on that
Thanks for bearing with me :D hehe

Aldehar: Hahaha, yes Jude is the only one with any gald xD oh yeah, Ludger has no more debt :D yippee!
Hehe, yeah only fractured Milla would have a chance to compete with Ludger in cooking! No one else!

At the moment, yes Alvin is an enemy. I'm not sure if the game stated it, I just recall him spying on Milla for Exodus I believe? not very sure.
Ohoho, don't worry. The fact Ludger is an Elympion will be covered soon between him and Alvin.
Thanks for supporting :D

Eran: Yes, Ludger can't reveal anything just to protect certain elements. Mainly because Muzet will kill any who knows of the schism and also he doesn't want to upset Milla... yet.
Hohoho, Ludger reacting to Alvin will definitely be covered, don't worry.

Nameless Knight: Agriaaaaa, woooo
Hehe, he is a mercenary after all. Money buys their loyalty

Time Heals All: Ah... it's okay, totally understandable. You're totally busy huh XD
Yes, Alvin is now on the enemy's side, so him joinining the party will be mighty different now, hehe... assuming he ever joins :O
Hehe, thanks for the supporting words as usual, I'll be sure to keep this story interesting

Grayjack72: Thanks mate!
Hmm... so far, not that I've any focus on. Alvin x Leia is in the possibility, but I'll see how the story goes

Well that's it for reviews! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter!

CHAPTER 7: ATTACK AT SEA

Inside the inn of the Aladhi Seahaven, all was quiet. Guests were all asleep inside their respective rooms, and none were aware that one of their guests was the Lord of Spirits. Except two others. Milla slept on her back, all proper without moving too much. But while she slept, the two Great Spirits with her were still awake. Well, spirits did not need to sleep like a human. Now that Milla was asleep, they took this as the best moment to discuss what needed to be shared.

"Do you think… he knows the truth of Milla? I mean, Lord Maxwell." Sylph asked.

Efreet had his arms crossed on his chest, maintaining a powerful image, "We do not know if he knows the whole truth of Lord Maxwell. His claim of… coming from the future does not necessarily mean he knows everything. But for now, the Kresnik human has the upper hand."

"What if he does know the whole thing?" Sylph insisted.

Efreet grunted, "If the Kresnik knows about Lord Maxwell's 'true' identity, why did he not tell her? Does he have something else planned?"

"Maybe… we should… tell her the truth?" Sylph offered, testing the waters.

Efreet's gaze grew cold, "We have our own orders from 'that' Lord Maxwell. Do not forget our duty, Sylph." Efreet sighed and looked down at Milla, sleeping comfortably in bed, "We'll just have to wait and see. For now, the Kresnik is an ally, no doubt about that. But if he is about to reveal Lord Maxwell's identity, we'll have no choice but to consider him… a threat. Sylph, keep your guard up."

Sylph nodded and the two Great Spirits ended their discussion. The two were wary of Ludger. Not because they were afraid Ludger would betray and attack Milla. No, they could tell Ludger's sincerity in helping her. What they were afraid, was that if he revealed the 'truth', things would get ugly. And Efreet and Sylph's true mission would be much more complicated.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later, Jude awoke to the sound of footsteps outside his room. There was also the sound of people chattering about and the noise of utensils and plates. It must have been breakfast time. He got up from his bed and freshened himself up before he went out of his room to find Milla and Ludger.

He found them at the exact dining table like yesterday. There were three other tables occupied by other guests, so it was much livelier than the previous day. Jude took a seat and greeted the two, which they returned. Milla was enjoying her meal, her bowl quickly depleting fast before asking for seconds. Although the meal provided by the inn was decent (compared to Ludger's cooking anyway), Milla's inexperience with food allowed her to enjoy them with great pleasure. After everyone was done breakfast, the three picked up whatever items they had in their rooms and left the inn.

They gathered at the seahaven's square, and now they needed to plan their next move. Milla stared at the open sea, feeling the sea breeze coolly blow against her.

"So Milla, what're you going to do?" Ludger asked.

Milla crossed her arms, her eyes never leaving the sea, "I leave for Fennmont immediately. I would have liked to return to Nia Khera, but doing so will only consume precious time. So long as the Lance of Kresnik still exists, the lives of spirits and humans will be in danger. As the Guardian of this world, I shall see to it that the Lance is destroyed!" Milla then turned to Ludger, "What about you?"

Ludger gave a nod, "I'll be coming along to help you."

"Even though I still have the two Great Spirits with me, your skills with the blade and battle finesse will definitely be a big help." Milla said with caution, "However, do not assume that I trust you completely. Until I can verify your 'story', I will be keeping an eye on you." Ludger understood. He knew Milla was focused on her mission, but he had not expected her to be this way a year before he met her. He would simply have to earn her trust. Milla then turned to Jude, "What about you Jude? Have you decided what you're going to do?"

Jude looked down at the ground, "I…"

Milla's features softened and then spoke, "Remember Jude, the choice is yours. You must choose your own path. No one else can do that for you. Also…" Milla shut her eyes, thinking for a moment. After a while, her eyes opened again and her gaze was much deeper on Jude, "Be yourself, and do what you have to do. I believe every individual human have their own goal or mission in life. The question mostly lies on whether they have found it or not. So Jude, your decision lies on where you think your goal is."

Jude sealed his eyes, allowing darkness to envelope his sights. What should he do? There were only two choices available to him. If he chose to remain in Auj Oule, what would he accomplish? There was little for him here. Even if he waited for Milla to destroy the Lance of Kresnik, it did not mean he would be free of all charges from the Rashugal military. His normal student life he had in Fennmont was probably out of reach now.

However, if he joined Milla in her mission to destroy the Lance, his fate would change little. He would probably still be considered a fugitive. But at least, he would be putting his abilities to good use. He could help save the spirits and humans from being drained by the Lance. Besides, he wanted to help Milla. Not just because he was a do-gooder, but because there was something about her that made him want to help her. To follow her. His decision was now clear.

He opened his eyes, finding both Ludger and Milla still looking at him. However Milla could already see his answer. His eyes carried a strong will, something that was missing when she first met him. "Milla… I want to help you in fulfilling your mission. I don't know what my mission in life is, but… right now, my heart is telling me to go with you and accomplish what you need to do. That's why, I'll go with you!"

With such fire in Jude's words, Milla was pleased. With a smile, she said, "If you're sure that is the path that you must take, I have no arguments." Milla then warned, "However, if either of you slow me down or fall behind, I will simply leave you. I cannot have anyone jeopardize my mission."

"I'll do my best!" Jude said enthusiastically. Ludger nodded, the usual silent response he enjoyed doing.

"Now then… how do we get back to Fennmont?" Milla questioned.

Jude could not help but chuckle at Milla's lack of travelling experience, "We'll take a ship back to Fennmont."

Jude led the way with the other two following closely behind. They approached the ticket booth of the seahaven. The clerk gave a warm smile as Jude approached the clerk, looking through the ticket prices.

"Excuse me; I'd like three tickets to Fennmont please." Jude said, taking out the appropriate amount of gald for three tickets.

The woman behind the booth looked regretful, "I am so sorry sir, but unfortunately, the Rashugal government has closed off all routes to Fennmont's seahaven. So all ships to Fennmont have been cancelled. I apologize for the inconvenience." The woman then gave a suggestion, "However if you'd like, our ships are still going to Sapstrath seahaven and Leronde seahaven. Would you like tickets for either destination?"

Jude thanked the clerk before returning to his friends, telling them of the situation. Honestly Jude was not surprised it came to this. Rashugal was looking for two fugitives, so they would have to close all entry points.

Milla considered the option that Jude mentioned, "You said we can still go to the Sapstrath seahaven?"

Jude nodded, "Yes. The Sapstrath seahaven is to the far east of Fennmont, so we'll have to travel through land to get to Fennmont. We can pass through Sharilton and see the situation on how we should progress perhaps?" When Milla did not answer, Jude turned to Ludger, "What do you think Ludger?"

Ludger shifted his weight to his right, "Hmm… I guess it's the only way to get to Fennmont. I say we should go for it."

Milla gave the go as well, having to trust the two of them. Jude paid the clerk for the three tickets to Sapstrath seahaven. The clerk then informed them that the ship was actually departing soon and that they should board the ship. The trio quickly moved towards the docks and the sailors directed them to the ship. After making sure they had left nothing behind, the trio had boarded the ship and waited for the ship to set sail.

The ship did not depart for another twenty minutes, calling out for passengers to get on board. Once it was clear that everyone who had purchased a ticket was on board, the ship lifted its anchor and departed the Aladhi Seahaven.

Jude, Milla and Ludger relaxed on the deck. It would be several hours before they would arrive at their destination. And they were blissfully unaware of eyes watching their every move, like a predator stalking its prey.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two hours into their journey, Ludger enjoyed watching the birds soaring above their ship. It was as if they were accompanying the ship to their destination, guiding them. Milla was nowhere to be seen, probably wanting to be alone to consider her mission. He was honestly surprised by how Milla's vision was entirely on her mission. When he met her, a year had passed since the schism was destroyed and although she still placed priority on her mission, she was much more relaxed. He guessed that Jude must have broken through that persona. He hoped that his presence in this timeline would help them. He had to.

As Ludger wandered through his thoughts, Jude came out of the entertainment hall. The ship had a large hall below deck for the passengers to linger about. There were music playing, bars and tables to play cards. None of them interested the medical student, so he came up hoping to find either Milla or Ludger. He spotted Ludger and approached him.

Skit: The friends to meet
Present: Ludger & Jude

Jude: You look pretty deep in thought.

Ludger: *Surprised* Oh, sorry… I was just thinking… of the others that we haven't met. Or well… I mean, the ones you should meet.

Jude: I should meet…? O-oh right… you said you met me a year from now. *Thinking* so, there are others who'd actually join in this insane mission?

Ludger: Should be… unless you know them before this.

Jude: So who are they? Where will I… we, meet them?

Ludger: I'm not sure where… you never told me. There's Alvin, and I think he was a mercenary when you met him. There's Rowen. I think he was a butler or something in Sharilton.

Jude: Sharilton huh? Maybe that's where we'll meet him when we take a break in Sharilton.

Ludger: It's a good chance to find him. And there's also Elize. If I'm not mistaken, she once said that 'it all began here' in Hamil, so I think you met her there.

Jude: Hamil…? I don't think I've ever heard of that place.

Ludger: It's a village in Auj Oule. I don't think many know that village because it's quite isolated. I think.

Jude: I see… I can't imagine meeting all of these people and having all of us travel together to help Milla's mission.

Ludger: There's one more person. You should know her. It's Leia.

Jude: *Shocked* Leia?! As in, Leia Rolando? H-how did she end up with us?!

Ludger: I-I don't know. Like I said, I don't have the details. *Thinks* Do you hate her or something?

Jude: It-it's not that… I'm just surprised, that's all. I mean, to think that she'd be with us. You know, she always writes me letters while I was studying in Fennmont but… I never sent her back a reply. I feel kinda bad about it but… *sigh*

Ludger: I see…

Jude: But I'm glad that she'll join us. And for those that you just mentioned. If we met you a year later, it just means we're all still friends after this journey. *Smiles* I'm glad you're here to help us Ludger.

Ludger: *Smiles and then nods*

XXXXXX

Milla Maxwell stood with her back on the ship's railing, deep in thought. The people passing by her did not register into her mind. She was imagining different scenarios on how to destroy the Lance and rescuing both Undine and Gnome. After all, it was best to be prepared for any scenarios.

While she paid no attention to other passengers passing by her, three others approached her and stood in front of her. The two Great Spirits glared at them, although the three humans could not see the two. Milla finally realized the three humans wanted something from her.

"Yes?" Milla said to them.

"You're Milla Maxwell." The woman in blue stated flatly.

Milla narrowed her eyes in suspicion. They now caught her attention, "Who are you? How do you know me?"

"We'd like you to come with us." The woman in blue, known as Presa, gave a sultry smile, "We have questions to ask you regarding the Lance. If you refuse, we will simply… have to use force." Presa giggled after her last statement.

Milla drew her blade the instant she heard Presa's words escape her lips, "How do you know about the Lance?!"

In return, Agria drew her own sword. It was a unique black sword, with special designs near the handle and on the blade itself. "Hehehe, it looks like we get to do this the hard way! That's good! I've wanted to scratch that pretty face of hers since I saw her! And her way of speaking was starting to tick me off anyway!"

The third member of their party, Alvin stepped up and held Agria back, "Hey there kiddo, try to calm down a little, eh? We need her alive."

"What do you want from me? Are you from Rashugal?" Milla questioned.

Presa opened a thick book, which looked like a book of artes, "I already told you… we want to bring you in for questioning. As for our allegiance… you don't need to know about that." Presa then issued a hand gesture, "Alvin, Agria. Get her!"

"You didn't even have to tell us." Alvin said as he rushed in with Agria.

Agria released a laugh as she leaped in and attacked. Milla blocked Agria's dive with her blade and with Agria just in front of her, Milla had Efreet release a fireball. With the close proximity between them, Agria got hit by the fireball, blasting her away. She landed on her back several meters away, groaning in pain but in delight as well.

"So that's the power of the Lord of Spirits." Alvin commented with a whistle. "Gotta make sure she don't burn my scarf here."

Right as Alvin engaged Milla, the passengers nearby screamed in horror and ran away from the fight in fear. Alvin swung his blade around, but Milla parried each attack easily. The mercenary then backed away and released a volley of bullets from his gun. Milla was surprised by the mercenary's second form of attack, and was only saved thanks to Sylph summoning a great gust of wind to send the bullets fly upwards.

'Is that a spyrix weapon?' Milla thought, but then shook the idea off, 'No… but a weapon that shoots something like a fire arte… what kind of weapon is that?'

Presa saw one of the passengers fleeing in panic was about to crash into Milla. She quickly used this to her advantage, "Take this!"

Directly where Milla stood, Presa summoned a channeling arte that ensnared Milla's feet. Unable to move and the passenger not watching where he was running, he crashed into Milla. The Lord of Spirits grunted in pain, landing on her back. With this opportunity before them, both Alvin and Agria moved in. Efreet and Sylph prepared to protect their master, both channeling a powerful elemental arte of their own.

"Efreet! Sylph! Don't!" Milla cried out.

Efreet and Sylph stopped from her command, but wondered why. Then they saw it. Milla was telling the passenger nearby to get away. If Efreet or Sylph had gone through with their artes, it was likely that the passenger would be harmed from either of the Great Spirits' artes.

Milla recalled Efreet and Sylph from the battle. Although she needed them, having Efreet or Sylph assisting her would harm the passengers nearby. Their artes were simply too powerful and covered too much ground. She had to make sure no one was hurt. Now, Milla fought alone. The two Great Spirits were no longer by Milla's sides, although they were still watching her.

Milla quickly got back to her feet just as Agria reached her. The girl in red laughed as she attacked and this time, Milla could barely block the attack. Sensing Milla's depletion in strength, Agria smashed the hilt of her sword on Milla's exposed stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Milla gasped in pain but she had no time to regain her bearings. Alvin came in and delivered a earth-shattering kick on her, throwing Milla several feet away. She crashed on the ship's railing, almost breaking it before she landed on her front.

Presa shook her head in disappointment, shutting her book, "Ah… you should be more wary of your surroundings Maxwell. Only at the last minute did you realize you could have harmed all these poor, innocent civilians. If you hurt one of them, you'd make a very poor Lord of Spirits, wouldn't you?"

Milla had to take a moment to recover. Knocking the air out of her from Agria, that was a truly dangerous moment. She could have lost her life if they wanted to. But they wanted her alive.

"Lord Maxwell, you need us!" Sylph remarked in panic, "Without us… not just your artes, but even your swordsmanship…"

"I will not." Milla responded in her mind, "There are too many civilians on this ship. As a Guardian of this world, I will not harm their lives if I can avoid it!"

"Lord Maxwell…" Efreet and Sylph could only watch hopelessly. It was an order and they could not disobey, could they?

Milla got back to her feet, although her legs were trembling. At this point, she realized how much she depended everything on the Great Spirits. Her swordsmanship, endurance and artes… all of them were heavily supported by the Great Spirits. Now without them, she was like a normal human with no combat experience.

"Looks like she's about to fall off…" Alvin remarked.

"Capture her." Presa ordered, "Just make sure you two don't use too much force."

"You should tell that kid that." Alvin responded, "You don't have to tell me twice."

Agria was charging in with a crazed expression on her face. Milla drew her blade, even though she could hardly defend herself. Agria thrust her sword forward and Milla managed to block the attack, but the force almost made her lose the grip on her sword. Alvin came next, moving in with his blade raised above him.

"Milla! Watch out!"

Alvin was surprised by Jude's sudden appearance. The medical student appeared behind Milla and threw a punch. Alvin managed to block the attack with his blade, but he could feel the force behind the fist. Alvin backed off but Agria had other plans. She instead engaged Jude now, the two exchanging blows. Milla took this opportunity to back away, trying to gather back her strength.

Although the fight seemed to be on equal ground, Agria could see Jude's inexperience seeping in. He was careless and left himself exposed on certain areas. When Jude finally moved in with a kick, Agria found her opening. She swung her blade on the exposed area, but to her surprise, Jude was quick to react. He side-stepped, elbowed Agria on the chest and then smashed his palm on her gut. Although it hurt, her pride was hurt more. She released a furious scream and raised her sword and bringing it down. Jude jumped away just as the sword smashed the wooden floor, breaking the wooden floor.

"Anytime now Presa!" Agria called in frustration.

Presa had been channeling an arte the whole time, "Almost done! Beware! The arte of-"

However Jude made no attempt to escape. Presa found this weird when she heard the familiar sound of bullets being released. The only difference was that it came from above her, not from Alvin. The mercenary was surprised by the sound of bullets as well. Presa instinctively stepped back, stopping her arte as a rain of bullets all pierced through where she once stood.

"What's going on?!" Alvin exclaimed in shock, "Who…? No one else should have a gun!"

Agria, Alvin and Presa then saw the third person entering the fray. Ludger was standing on the ship's pillar, a few meters above them. He had been observing them and found Presa to be the most vulnerable, thus aiming her. Now that his location had been exposed, Ludger jumped from the pillar and landed next to Jude.

"You okay Jude?" Ludger asked.

Jude nodded and then turned to Milla, "Milla's hurt pretty bad though."

"You've got healing artes, right?" Ludger inquired. When Jude confirmed this, Ludger told him, "I can cover you for a minute or so. Heal Milla, quick!"

Jude did not have to be told twice. Jude began healing the Lord of Spirits. Milla was never more thankful now that she had Jude and Ludger with her. Without her Great Spirits, she was as vulnerable as a sheep to a pack of wolves.

Ludger stood facing the three of Milla's assailants, pointing his gun at two of them. His eyes landed on Alvin, who was glaring back at Ludger.

Alvin was still shocked at the sight of the stranger. He was carrying a pair of guns, a pair of weapons that no Rieze Maxians know of. Only those from Exodus, those who were from Elympios, had such weapons. And even worse, the stranger's guns were a little different than his. While Alvin's gun was much bigger, the stranger's guns were much smaller while still maintaining a considerable amount of fire power.

"Who is he?" Alvin muttered, cocking his gun, "He doesn't look like he's from… but he has our type of weapon. Just who the hell is he?" Alvin sighed and grinned, feeling the sea breeze blow behind him, ruffling his hair, "Well now… this is interesting."

Both Ludger and Alvin aimed their guns at each other. The weapons that only Elympions had.

CHAPTER END