Things you need to know before reading this chapter:
- Character thinking
- A month in Auldrant has 58 days, except for Lorelei Decan that has 60 days.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss
Chapter 6: Lessons Learned from a Setback
Hours after the news of Luke and Natalia went missing got to the King and Duke Fabre, search parties were sent to each and every part of Baticul. Soldiers were seen searching every alleys and corners, even knocking on some of the residents' homes and requesting their cooperation to let them search their homes and, discreetly, asked them if they had seen a light brown haired girl and a red haired boy.
The king decided to keep the missing of the two aristocrats secret for the time being, not wanting any spies from Malkuth to know of their panic and strike at their most chaotic moment. Even though it wasn't long since the last war ended and an anti-war sentiment was agreed by both, due to the several hundred year long resentment, the tension between the two kingdoms was always so thick you can cut it with a knife.
Not knowing when their neighbouring country would strike, Kimlasca had a spy network in Malkuth monitoring the country's movement and reporting any happenings worth mentioning. The king was sure that if they had spies in Malkuth, then the opposite was also true.
But even with their spies all over Malkuth, they never found out about Fomicry. A brown haired man, who looked to be in his early twenties, thought as he looked at the direction where Baticul was located from his position perched on a window sill in his room in one of the hotels in Chesedonia.
Chesedonia, the desert city that was also known as the trading center, was the only autonomous state, apart from the Order of Lorelei, in Auldrant. The founder of this city, Astor, was also a merchant himself and, under his jurisdiction, the city had become a heaven for merchants. Both refugees from Kimlasca and Malkuth, and merchants from all over the world resided in the city and thousands of trades were settled everyday.
Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore now that I have found someone who can do the Fomicry experiment for me. And with that- The man's thought was interrupted by a knock on the door to his hotel room.
He jumped down from the window sill and went to answer the knocking on his door. He opened the door, he saw a woman wearing a brown and black dress standing outside. Without any word, the woman handed him a folded piece of paper. After he took the paper, the woman nodded once and left. The man then closed the door and went to sit on the bed in his room and unfolded the note.
It is ironic that both Kimlasca and Malkuth never thought of the possibility of having spies from a third party, one that both think of as harmless and trust thoroughly. With an amused smile, the man left the hotel after he read the note his spy gave him.
As the brown haired man walked through the busy streets of Chesedonia, merchants shouted to him to come and take a look at their stocks. However, the man, who was in reality just a teenager at the age of fifteen, ignored the merchants' calling at him.
As he left Chesedonia and went into the desert, he thought about the things he were going to do and accomplish, and the hardship he went through.
Three years ago, the teenager, who was still just a child, had lost his home in Hod and, with nothing else to do now that the House he served was gone, he decided to follow the footsteps of his adopted grandfather in Yulia City and joined the Order of Lorelei and became an Oracle Knight.
He later heard that his master, the heir and sole survivor of the House of Count Gardios, became a servant boy at the mansion of Duke Fabre, the one who slew his family, in order to look for a chance to kill him and revenge his dead family and all those that was in Hod when it was destroyed.
After he became an Oracle Knight of the Order of Lorelei, the mayor of Yulia City, his adopted grandfather, decided to let him know about the Closed Score, something that he would need to protect with his life if and when his elderly grandfather was to retire. That was when he found out that the destruction of Hod was written in the Closed Score.
He then knew that the real one at fault was not Kimlasca or Malkuth, for the Fomicry experiment they did that caused Hod to collapse into Qliphoth, or himself, for the artificial hyperresonance that was generated when he reacted with the experimental device for Fomicry, or the Order of Lorelei, for the decision to let it all happen just to fulfill the Score and not do anything to help the many lives that were lost with Hod when it collapsed into Qliphoth, but the Score that the Order of Lorelei tried so hard to protect and made sure that everyone followed word by word .
Yes, the real one at fault was the Score, which everyone in this world believed to be able to lead them to a glorious life. He was glad to know that the seventh fonstone, the last fonstone that Yulia carved the Score onto and the same stone that he had been protecting while serving the House of Count Gardios, was thought to be lost with Hod's destruction.
Though, in reality, only part of the seventh fonstone was lost, he was able to secure some fragments of it before Hod collapsed. He had not told his even grandfather about it. He would make sure that no one get their hands on the final fonstone. He alone would find a way to read the Score written on the final fonstone without others knowing and would find a way to defy whatever was written in the Score.
Covering the anger and hatred he felt towards the Score, he continued his life as an Oracle Knight in the Order of Lorelei. He tried his best to work his way up in the Order of Lorelei, all the while trying to earn respects from his colleagues and looking for those that shared his thoughts and had the potential to become powerful allies.
However, he learned that it was near impossible for him to gain others' respect no matter what he did, seeing that he was just a child. He also realized how easily adults got jealous at the thought of a child prodigy working with them taking all theirglory. That was when he decided to try and present himself to be older than he actually was. It was still difficult to earn respects and new comrades. But at the very least he was making progress.
After deciding that he had had enough resources, he created a spy network in both Malkuth, Kimlasca and even Chesedonia to help him further his goal.
During one of his trip to exchange information with his spy in Sheridan, he met a lone man wandering Meggiora Highlands.
** Flashback **
The man was blindly killing monsters after monsters, with no care of his own injuries. It was as if the man was just venting out his frustration at the monsters and was resolved to fight to his death.
After the last monster was disposed of, the man fell on his back, lying face up from the ground and closed his eyes.
Is he dead? The now fourteen year old teen strolled over to the man.
As he got nearer to the man, he realized how large the man was.
If my estimation is correct, this man is over two meters tall. The teen thought as he went to check the man's pulse.
Upon noticing a faint pulse on the man, he started to heal him using one of his Fonic Hymns. After the spell had taken effect, the man's breath became calmer than before, though there was still no sign of him waking up soon.
I don't think it is wise for me to left him behind in the wild or to carry him all the way to Sheridan, seeing as how heavy he looks. He started looking around for any place that was suitable for the man to rest. His gaze finally settled on a natural cave some distance away.
He dragged the large and heavy man to the cave. By the time they reached the cave, the teen was thoroughly exhausted and decided to take a rest himself and wait for the man to wake up.
No man living willingly by the Score will ever think of committing suicide. After all, the Score is said to lead them to prosperity, unless some tragedies happened to him as foretold by the Score. The teen thought as he looked at the still unconscious man lying before him.
Judging from his fighting skill, I may be able to gain a powerful ally. He had a wry smile as he thought of the possibilities of having such a powerful ally.
The man woke up hours later and after some convincing, he learned of the man, Badaq Oakland's misfortune with the Score.
So the current princess of Kimlasca is a fake one and in truth, this man's daughter who were switched to replace the real one who was born dead. Yes, I can see his hatred in the Score. Now, let's see how to do this...
The teen proceeded to share with the man his own past experience with the Score. He then went on and told Badaq that he was trying to find a way to overthrow the Score and asked if Badaq was willing to join his course.
"Badaq Oakland, the Lion of the Desert, is no more. He died the moment his wife, Sylvia, committed suicide and the moment he learned of his daughter's fate as foretold by the Score. Give me a new name and from now on, the man with the new name you assign will aid you in overthrowing the Score."
"Very well," and after a slight pause, he continued, "you will be called Largo the Black Lion from now on."
** End Flashback **
He had found a powerful ally in Largo the Black Lion. After he brought Largo back with him to the Order of Lorelei, Largo became an Oracle Knight. Together the two of them worked their way up in the Order of Lorelei and, although the teen knew that it would still be a long time for him to be promoted to a high enough position to have official access to the Closed Score, with Largo's presence by his side, it was much easier for him to gain other's respect than before.
However, even that was not enough. Even if he and his new found allies were to succeed in controlling the Order of Lorelei and defying the Score, people would just find a way to revive the Score. That's right, all the people residing in Auldrant were corrupted by the Score. It's too late for them to find a way to live without depending on the Score. The only way to save the world from the curse known as the Score was through Fomicry, the technology to replicate human.
How ironic, Fomicry, the research that destroyed his home, was also the key to free the world of the Score. He believed that with Fomicry, he could replace the world with replicas, 'people' that have no prior knowledge of the Score and would be able to live without relying on the Score, thus breaking the curse of the Score.
He tried to have his spies in Malkuth steal the data on the Fomicry experiment, but since Fomicry was considered the top military secret in Malkuth, none of his spies managed to extract any data regarding its research.
However, luck was on his side when he received news of the lead scientist, the Necromancer Jade Curtiss, showing signs of wanting to abandon his research, while the other lead scientist, Dr. Saphir Wyon Neis, was still in the dark of his partner's thought and still hell bent on finding ways to better the experiment.
Not wanting to waste his chance, he went to Grand Chokmah with the intention of recruiting the one that held the key that could help him realize his goal.
** Flashback **
"What are you talking about? Jade would never do that! And who are you to accuse him of something that... that ridiculous!?" The bespectacled man in front of him shouted, disbelief and anger apparent on his expression.
"My name is not important, and as I have told you just now, I have my own source, one that I don't want to reveal to you at the moment." The brown haired man, no, teenager, calmly replied.
"Yeah right, you, someone who sneaked into my home and knew of the top military secret, suddenly accused that my childhood friend, a friend that I have known nearly my whole life, is going to abandon the research that we were working so hard on, to abandon me, this is laughable."
"Then let me ask you, when was the last time you saw you childhood friend working on Fomicry?"
"...what does that have to do with it? Besides, Jade is also a soldier who was just promoted due to his achievements during the war and has other duties to perform, it is only normal for him to be seen less in the labs nowadays."
"Oh really? That sounds to me an excuse you made to persuade yourself."
"... no, I am not going to trust you. You don't know what we went through, you don't know the reason behind this research, the driving force behind him, behind us." The lavender haired man replied and narrowed his eyes at the teen standing before him.
"If this driving force you just mentioned is so great, then don't you think it is weird for him to turn his focus away from the research?"
"No, he's not! Even I sometimes need to work on other projects as per my position as a lead scientist in the Grand Chokmah Research Laboratory! No, Jade would never do... he would never even think to abandon Fomicry!" He protested.
"You are in denial, surely someone as close to him as you and someone who is smart enough to become the leader of a top secret military research could tell that something is wrong lately."
"... no... he's not... that is..."
Although the reflection of light on his glasses blocked the eyes of the scientist making it impossible to tell what he was thinking about, the adult-looking teenager knew he had struck a nerve.
After what seemed like an eternity, which was in fact only two minutes, the scientist asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
The teenager smiled inwardly at the scientist's question. Got you.
"I am in need of a scientist, one that is brilliant enough to reproduce and carry out the Fomicry experiment, and I think you will fit the job perfectly. I had done some research on your background, Dr. Neis, I know very well what the driving force you were talking about is. I propose that you join me if you still want to revive her, and who knows, maybe the Necromancer will even thank and start looking up at you after you successfully revived her on your own."
"Just who are you? And what do you want with Fomicry?" The man, Dr. Saphir Wyon Neis, one of the lead researchers in the Grand Chokmah Research Laboratory, asked with a look of calculation.
"Someone in Daath with the means to hide you from Malkuth and let you carry out your experiments in secret. As to why, let's just say that I am someone who is very interested in the results of Fomicry and the possibilities that could be made through it." He answered with a wry smile.
After a long moment of silence, Saphir finally replied. "If, and I still don't believe your words, Jade really abandons Fomicry and I don't have the funds or means to run it anymore, then I may think about your offer."
"Very well, come to Daath and seek for Van Grants if you decided to take up my offer then."
** End Flashback **
Saphir did seek him out in Daath after Fomicry was banned in Malkuth nearly half a month ago. Since Van knew that Fomicry was going to be banned and that Saphir would go to him after that happened, he had everything required for the Fomicry experiment, the materials that his spies told him about, prepared before Saphir arrived.
Van was amazed by how efficient Saphir, who now called himself Dist to avoid being noticed by Malkuth, was when he told him that he could have the machine for Fomicry ready in merely five weeks time, eager to resume his research. That was after he settled down in the Order of Lorelei about twenty days ago.
Apparently although Dist left behind all his research data in Grand Chokmah, he had photographic memory for everything related to the fon machines he designed and created.
Not exactly a very patient person, Van decided to commence his plan, starting with Luke fon Fabre, Light of the Sacred Flame, the chosen one of Lorelei. He desired the power of hyperresonance that resided in Luke and had made a perfect plan, one that required the use of Fomicry, to make the boy's power his.
They sure are efficient, it is only the sixth day since I gave them the job and they already found a way to bring him to me. Now I just have to wait for Dist to finish the Fomicry machine.
As he neared the assigned location where he would meet the bandits hired for the job, he heard the sound of fighting somewhere nearby.
Looking towards the direction of the sound of fighting, he saw someone lying on the ground and three other people, all with their swords drawn, fighting against each other. He also noticed two kids huddling together and how one of the men was standing before the huddled kids as if protecting them from the other two men.
Having a bad feeling, Van slowly crept towards the fighting scene. I hope it is not what I think...
However, as he neared the battlefield, he saw that the one lying on the ground and mostly likely dead, was one of the bandits he met when he made the deal with them. He also saw that even though it was two to one, and that the man in purple garb had to defend the children behind him while fighting, he was having an upper hand.
Not good. Van frowned as the second last bandit crumbled to the ground after receiving a fatal wound from the purple garbed man.
With some quick thinking, Van rushed to the last remaining bandit and ran his sword through his heart from his back. As the last bandit slid off Van's sword and fell, dead even before he hit the ground, Van stared intently at the man in front of him.
"Thanks for taking out the bandits, I have been following their trail for quite some time." Van said with a smile on his face, though inwardly he was cursing his luck.
The moment he turned around would be the moment I strike. He thought, his fist clenching over his sword hilt, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"..." Without saying any word, the red haired man that just destroyed his plan casted a spell without turning around to check on the children.
"First Aid." The wound on the right thigh of the boy, the one he should be taking back to Daath with him now if not for this man, stopped bleeding. The girl watched on with widened eyes, amazed at the power that healed her friend's wound.
A Seventh Fonist? Van thought as he watched on.
"Do you know where the bandits' hideout is? I am to locate it and take out all the bandits that were terrorizing the merchants going to Chesedonia through the desert." Van asked.
"I already took care of that, though there is a chance that some of them were not in the hideout when I went there. Their lair is about two miles southwest of here." The man replied.
After watching the display of strength of the mercenary as he fought against the two bandits, whose skills weren't very bad themselves, and hearing about the mercenary's venture to the bandits' lair, Van decided not to take his chance fighting against this apparently very skilled man.
It also didn't help that the mercenary had no intention of exposing his back to a stranger with sword in hand.
Now that the plan has failed, I had to make sure that none of bandits are left alive. He decided to go to the bandit's lair later to see if anyone was still alive.
"That's fine then. You look to be a mercenary, were you hired to rescue the two kids?" He asked.
"Really? Did father hired you to help us?" The girl, the one that he knew to be the fake princess of Kimlasca, looked up from her current task of bandaging the wound of her friend, who tried swatting her away saying he was fine.
"No. I only stumbled upon the scene where the two of you were chased by the bandits and decided to help." The mercenary replied as he tuned his head slightly to look at the girl.
"Oh..." The girl said disappointed and started looking down at the ground.
"I am going to Chesedonia, I can drop you off there if you want." The mercenary added after seeing the deflated look on the girl.
"Thank you." The red haired boy, who had remained silent throughout the whole exchange, said.
Smiling at her friend's reply, the girl also thanked the mercenary before returning to her task to bandage her friend's wound, which, to her surprise, was already finished by her friend.
She then grabbed one of the arms of the boy and helped him stand up. The boy looked embarrassed and tried to shake off the girl, but she insisted that he won't be able to stand up on his own and told him to stop being stubborn.
The boy looked away from the girl then said. "Fine, do what you want."
The girl shook her head at her friend's behaviour before turning to the mercenary. "We are ready now."
The mercenary nodded once and gestured the pair to go first.
"Let's go to Chesedonia to look for help." The girl told the boy, who replied with a nod, with a wide smile on her face and, together with her friend, started walking towards Chesedonia.
"It will be about four hours before we reached Chesedonia." The man said and followed after the two kids.
There still isn't any opening for me to strike even though he's walking away from me. Van thought frustratingly as he glared at the retreating back of the mercenary and wasn't sure whether he should respect the man for being so skilled and always on guard or be annoyed at the fact that he couldn't do anything.
He was still facing the direction of Chesedonia after the three people disappeared from view. He decided that he would take his time from now on and thought of a much better plan next time.
I guess I shouldn't rush it, especially considering how complicated and grand my scheme is going to be. I will tread carefully from now on. I will make sure that no loopholes could be found no matter how I look at the plan before executing it. How ironic, this setback actually makes me realize how crude my plan was. From now on I will wait, wait patiently for the perfect moment to strike, and no one will be able to stop me.
Author's Note:
The events in chapter 3, where Kratos part ways with Saphir in Daath, happened about 30 days before the events in this chapter.
It wasn't my intention to make the chapter longer or shorter... just that there's so much I wanted to include in this chapter... it may or may not happen again in the chapters to come, so don't feel disappointed if some chapters are very long and some very short.
Also, I guess you may have noticed how I skipped some of the scenes. I'm not a skillful writer and plotter. Sometimes I'm just too lazy to think of and write out the 'missing' scenes...
Uploaded on 27 June 2012. Edited on 4 April 2013.
