The things are getting interesting, aren't they?

In my opinion, after this chapter the true plot starts. So people, I wait you enjoy, cause I'm putting the best of me into the development of this fic's plot.

Thanks to all those who review until now, I still looking forward to get my writing better and better.

Without more delay, let's get this on.


Chapter 8

Kermish Kuromachi

Regal was sat in his office, checking the paperwork about the last activities of his company. That was the part he most hated in his job, stay there, doing nothing but read all that bills, numbers and graphics of sales.

It's in days like this I wished I still have a journey to go..., the president thought.

When he backed to take his place like Lezareno's president he had to negotiate with the King, the leaders of Sylvarant's cities and attend meetings with other influent nobles, such as Zelos, to earn support to the reconstruction projects. Now the things were calm and he just had to pay attention in what his company was putting its money.

George entered. Seeing that Regal was closing and opening his eyes, like if he was just to fall in sleep at the table. The vice-president annunciated himself:

"Master Regal, are you sure you want to stay wake up until this hour, revising the last documents of sales?", George asked and Regal suddenly got erected, trying to not show how that work was stressing and tiring.

"I have to George. I didn't do anything good to Lezareno since I was arrested and besides if I don't do this who will?", Regal asked in response.

George shook the head. He saw how his master was always trying to show that he could do something more for the company. Many employees referred to the president like "one of the Heroes", or "Heroic President". The titles seemed to annoy him, most by the fact that during his journey he didn't do anything for the company. It was almost like they were saying that he was just a representative figure.

Flipping trough the documents, Regal saw something that called his attention: an order for excavation machines in name of the company New World's Commercial Net.

Strange... Kermish didn't say anything about his company make excavation explorations.

"Master Regal, is everything right?", George asked, seeing Regal's worried expression.

The president didn't answer, he just stayed looking at the document, like trying to discover if it wasn't a falsification. After some time Regal questioned:

"George, did the King authorized any new excavation activity without my acknowledge?", Regal asked, remembering that he and Zelos made the King sing an arrangement that said none excavation activity could be done without an analysis to certificate that the ground wasn't near to the Toizey Mine area or any other source of expheres.

"By what I know, no. Why?"

"There's a great order for excavation machines of great port. To someone did such order he have the intention to do a great excavation activity."

Regal imagined what that could mean and where the excavation could take place. If new expheres are found, we can have trouble if they fell in wrong hands... Lloyd and Sheena can have trouble. Regal stood and said:

"George, I need you to watch over Lezareno while I go. I have to clarify this matter..."

- - - - -

Sheena woke in a room that looked like a hospital room. She only could remember that she was transported back to the base and fainted due the pain and loss of blood.

A Renegade without helm and wearing a white coat entered and saw that Sheena woke. He talked with other Renegade at the door and this one went to the corridor. The ninja tried to get up from the comfortable bed where she laid, but the Renegade put his hand on her shoulder saying:

"You mustn't push yourself Lady Sheena. It was a great wound the one that you just got, if it wasn't for the exphere, I didn't think you would have the same luck.", said the doctor Renegade.

Before the summoner could reply, the door opened again and Lloyd and Yuan entered. Seeing Sheena was good, Lloyd smiled. He seemed that would hug her, but Yuan hold him by the shoulder and shook the head in signal that it was better he didn't do that.

"Are you felling better?", Lloyd asked, while the doctor was checking the curatives.

"Yeah. I will live, if it's what you want to know."

"You've got a really bad time against that rogue, it makes two days since we back.", Yuan said in his usual serious voice.

Sheena gave a surprised look to him and lowered the head. To she slept so much time it means that if Lloyd didn't interfered she would be killed.

"Hey! Don't talk like if she didn't try her best to recover the expheres.", Lloyd said, upset.

"I didn't say it. I'm just pointing that was good we came so quick to the base, otherwise she could have died."

Lloyd felt what Yuan said wasn't really a console, it was more like he said Sheena was a burden.

After retrieve the curatives, the doctor let Sheena stood. The ninja didn't said anything, she stilled remember what Shioru just said about all of that being because of her.

"By the way, did you know that rogue? I saw you saying something and he stoppde.", Yuan said, with a devious look on the face.

Sheena gasped, she wasn't ready to tell to them about Shioru. She just remained in silence. When Yuan seemed that was about to ask again, Lloyd interrupted:

"Yuan give her a break. If she doesn't want to tell us now she must have her reasons.", the swordsman said, Yuan shot to him an angry look. Sheena mentally thanked Lloyd to understand.

When they exited from the room, they met Denvir.

"Ah, I see that you woke. Good, because I have a new that can interest you two." Lloyd and Sheena looked to him with a curious look, Denvir continued. "Our Iselia agent just returned and said to us that the Chosen One was attacked."

Lloyd's and Sheena's jaw fell. The two friends then started to ask much questions at the same time, despair and worry was stamped on their faces.

"Hey, calm down! I don't have all the details, ok?", Denvir tried to calm them, uselessly.

"That must be the guys of that organization. If I just didn't let that guy defeat me.", Sheena said, almost saying the name of her ex-companion.

"No, it wasn't you. It's me who let they escape.", Yuan said. When Sheena was about to reply, Lloyd said:

"What's the matter who is the fault? We have to go there and see if Colette's right!", Lloyd said.

Sheena nodded, that discussion would take them to nowhere. Before they could go, Yuan pronounced:

"I'll go too.", Lloyd and Sheena looked to him, surprise could be seeing in their eyes. "What? I'm so guilt for what happened to her how you two."

"It's not this... did you just say you will came with us... without being a mission or something?", the female ninja commented like if she had just seen a miracle.

"Oh, shut up!"

- - - - -

By the time the trio arrived at Iselia, the lunch time had passed. They hurried to the Chosen's house and stormed by the door.

"What the...?", Phaidra asked, thinking that was an invasion. When she realized, Lloyd and Sheena started to make many questions about what happened. "Calm down, calm down. She's alright, if you want to see her you can."

Lloyd and Sheena sighed, relived. They went to Colette's room, on the second floor. Knocking in the door they heard an acquaintance voice saying:

"Come in."

The three companions entered and saw Colette sat on her bed, with many curatives by the face and the arms. The Chosen seemed surprised to see that Lloyd and Sheena came companied by Yuan.

"Oh, hi! How are you all?", she said with a smile, like they was just doing a normal visit.

"We're fine, but what about you? It seemed that you walked trough a thorn wall.", Lloyd said, trying to maintain himself calm, but Sheena didn't have the same success.

"Who made it to you? It's just you say that we will hunt him.", the summoner said.

Yuan just walked to Colette's bed and took a good look on her. Colette felt embarrassed to have the Seraphim analyzing her that way. After some time he said, in his usual controlled, serious voice:

"What type of magic did this to you?", Yuan asked, Lloyd and Sheena looked with interest too. In what was the Seraph thinking?

"Uh... I don't remember well... but I heard him saying something like 'Fear Flow' and..."

"It was darkness magic?", Yuan interrupted, Colette nodded. "Hum..."

The tension in the air increased, nobody talked, with fear of interrupt Yuan's process of thinking. After what seemed to be some minutes, Sheena asked:

"Are you hungry Colette?"

"Yeah, some of short.", the girl said, with a gentle smile.

"Ok then I will prepare something. I'm sure that Lloyd is too.", she said, followed by a snore coming from Lloyd's stomach. The boy in red gave a faint smile.

Sheena went to the kitchen, while Lloyd sat on Colette's bed and started to talk with her about how she was. Yuan sat in a chair in the corner, he stilled thinking.

After some minutes, Sheena came back with Frank, each one carrying two plates with her famous Curry with pineapple. She gave two plates to Lloyd and Colette, while Frank tried to give the other to Yuan, who refused, saying he didn't need to eat.

"Thanks Sheena, it's tasty.", Colette said.

"Ah, don't mention it."

"No you're really good. You should open a restaurant and serve it.", the blond girl said, Sheena blushed by the commentary.

After had end the meal, the silence came back, until Yuan ask:

"Do you know who attacked you?"

"Hum... one of them was dressed like a rogue, the other was a scary-looking lizardman. Oh and there was another one, I think they called him Kermish."

Sheena and Yuan gasped, but Lloyd just seemed to be confused. Yuan had now a worried look on his face, by own experience, Lloyd knew that couldn't mean good thing.

"This name sounds familiar, but I can't remember.", the Eternal Swordsman said.

"Lloyd, Kermish is that noble who was in the Princess' birthday party.", Sheena explained. Lloyd looked to her and blinked, still confused. Sheena sighed. "That jerk who don't shake your hand when Regal presented him to us."

Lloyd gasped, while Yuan rolled the eyes. Sometimes Lloyd's stupidly really got him annoyed. Is this really Kratos' son?, he questioned sometimes.

"But why did he attack Colette? Do you think he work for that organization?", Lloyd asked. Yuan answered saying that the only way for they knew was to ask to Kermish.

"Then let's go. I remember that he stilled in Meltokio's castle when we leave the city.", Lloyd and Yuan nodded, Sheena turned to Colette. "Don't worry, we'll find him and put him down..."

- - - - -

The sunset in that afternoon bring the promised for a peaceful, moonless night. Slight irony of the nature.

In the balcony of the Princess' room, Kermish looked over all Meltokio. What emotion was in his eyes, it couldn't be described. It was more like he was waiting for something to happen. Then a noise came from his pocket.

He took a device that seemed much like the one Yuan used to communicate with Denvir, but this time a voice came out from it:

"Master, they're leaving Iselia with the Renegade leader just like you predicted. It seems they're going to Meltokio's way.", the voice said.

"Good work. I'll just finish my business here and leave.", without another word, Kermish turned off the device and pocket it while someone entered in the room.

Princess Hilda entered, Kermish asked to talk with her alone. By his tone the Princess thought that must be something very important.

"Did you want to talk with me?", the Princess asked

"Yes.", Kermish said, without turned to face her. After some silence he said. "It's indeed a beautiful land... Tethe'alla."

The Princess nodded even without understand why the talk began in that way. She questioned this when Kermish made a question again:

"I'm just thinking: did you know how Tethe'alla rediscovered the principles of the magitecnology? By what I know, this land wasn't the flourishing world, before the last chosen gave his life for this land."

"Well, they said that it was with the work of many scientists. But I don't know all the details."

Kermish murmured under his breath, Hilda asked what he just said, but the noble replied that it was nothing. Silence came again, the atmosphere was tense.

"Tell me, who did really control Tethe'alla when Cruxis ruled over this world?"

- - - - -

Sheena, Lloyd and Yuan landed their Rheairds at the front of the castle and stormed into the throne room.

"What the... Lloyd, Sheena? What's the meaning of this? And who is this one?", a confused King asked, pointing to Yuan.

"It's a long history, now where's Kermish?!", Yuan asked in a demand tone, not paying attention to an offended-looking King.

"He's with Hilda in her room. Wh...", before the King could end the question, the three heroes hurried to Hilda's room.

Still with a confused look, the King followed them...

- - - - -

"What do you mean? And why this...", Kermish made a signal with his hand to Hilda be quiet.

The blond man just saw Sheena, Lloyd and Yuan entering in the castle. He knew he got to be fast.

"All will be explained Hilda...", he then approached the Princess and waved his right hand in her front. A strange purple smoke appeared while Kermish did that movement, Hilda felt all her body soften and her senses turned off. "... but you don't need to be here when that happen."

Hilda fell to the floor. Kermish just watched and turned to the balcony, when a voice came from the door and when the blond magician turned he saw Zelos there, sword at hand, ready to attack:

"What did you make with the Princess?!", Zelos asked.

"She's right. Different from you.", Kermish stretched his arm and launched a dark ray on Zelos, who dodged.

The dark ray hit the wall of the corridor while Yuan and the others appeared in the portal.

"So, everybody is here...", Kermish said, with a smile, he turned to Yuan. "Hello Yuan, how is your life going now, without Yggdrasil around?"

Everybody looked to Yuan, who just drew his Shallow saber. How did Kermish know about Yuan and Yggdrasil?

Using the moment of distraction, Kermish stretched his two arms and chanted:

"Shadow Ball!", spheres of darkness shot from his hands.

Lloyd and the others drew their arms and quickly dodged the attacks.

"Don't let it hit you or it'll drain your mana!", Yuan shouted.

Lloyd used Demon Fang, but Kermish blocked the attack with a simple hand move. Zelos charged using Lightning Blade. His opponent avoided easily and punched him in the face. Kermish's hand glowed with dark energies at that blow.

Yuan then came to the attack, swimming his sword with great speed. Kermish used his hands to defend against the attacks, like Yggdrasil did, creating invisible, magic shields that deflected the attacks, but at the same time Kermish couldn't attack due the great speed of the attacks.

Sheena and Lloyd came by Yuan's sides, preparing to attack. At that moment, seeing that he was surrounded, Kermish then closed his eyes and a shiny circle appeared under him. Lights came from his back and in a flash he wasn't there, just when Lloyd's and Sheena's weapons were moving against the enemy.

Lloyd and Sheena stopped their attacks, when they were just to hit each other. They looked around to see to where Kermish went. When they looked to Yuan, the Seraph was looking to the roof with a mouth half-open, the two friends looked also and their jaws dropped.

Kermish was floating near the roof. From his back sprouted a pair of dark purple wings. The angel then flew to the balcony and landed near the glass door to it.

"What the...?", Zelos exclaimed, he couldn't believe in what he was seeing.

Kermish looked to everybody in the room, they showed a shocked and surprised expression in their faces. Kermish smiled at their expressions.

Lloyd, after recover from the initial shock, asked, returning to his fight stance:

"Who are you?"

"If you want so much to know I'll said. I'm Kermish Kuromachi, the ancient and true Chosen One of Tethe'alla!"