Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kyo Kara Maoh, this is purely fan-made!

Chapter 12: The Path Revealed

As it turned out, Sara and Berias searched the entire town and hardly anyone still remembered who Alaric was. Save for a few sparse people who knew very little or had only heard the name in passing here and there. The rest knew almost nothing about the man and the two of them found that a bit disturbing given the position Alaric once held as High Priest.

Though those who actually did know of Alaric said that there was a rumor going around that he had been in contact with one of his old instructors from the royal academy that majored in folklore. And there was another rumor about a group that was bent on seizing the throne away from Alazon that had become very active lately. Hearing this of course confirmed some of their suspicions about her recent behavior and Alazon's reasons behind her warning about being on their guard...

"And what is this man's name?" Berias asked simply.

"I believe its Owen if I remember correctly," the smith replied gruffly while finishing stoking his fire, "He's retired now of course and lives in seclusion out in the foothills just outside of the city, but from time to time Owen returns to the Hall of Records to use some of their scrolls for his research. My guess is that he's still there if he hasn't gone home already."

"Thank you," Berias nodded, inclining his head at Sara who had been observing an intricate array of various tools; whose uses he was uncertain of. Without a word, Sara motioned for Berias to follow him and the two of them left the shop.

And as usual, Sara masked his true feelings perfectly every time someone approached them. He acted charming and full of poise and warmth when inside Sara's insides felt twisted with a deep sense of distress. Part of it was that every so often, Sara would feel a chill run up his spine and his breath would catch as he felt phantoms of Yelshi's tortures taking place far off in the distance.

When it first happened Sara was unprepared, but now he knew what to expect and was able to keep his condition hidden long enough for Berias to help ease his discomfort. "Your Highness, I really think that we should cease our efforts for today and return to the castle. We've learned about as much as we can on our own and I can go speak to Owen in your stead while you rest."

But Sara shook his head, "We can't afford to waste any time Berias, I can feel Yelshi's convictions waning as they continue to torment him. If we wait any longer they'll break him long before we can find Alaric's lair and move Yelshi to another location that will be even more difficult to locate. Yelshi is enduring far worse things than me right now. I can deal with it."

"Highness..." Berias began, about to insist upon Sara going back but then he thought better of it and agreed, "As you wish then. But if Owen is not there then I will continue the investigation on my own while you attend to my sister's request. Is that agreeable Your Majesty?"

"Yes," Sara finally agreed without admitting that he really was quite tired, "And if he IS there, then you know what I must do. We need answers and I am not willing to play these games of secrecy when Yelshi's life is on the line. So if it comes down to it, I will use my power on Owen to force the answer out of him about what Alaric wanted from him..."

"Or what Owen wanted from Alaric," Berias added gravely.

Taken aback, Sara stopped walking and looked at Berias quizzically, "What do you mean by that?"

"As you said, we cannot assume anything and that includes the fact that Alaric is the mastermind of all this. He might simply be a pawn in a much larger conspiracy. For while Alaric is a very cynical man he is also fond of powerful allies. Furthermore-" Berias began when Sara caught on to what he was saying and replied-

"Now I see. You're saying that it would be very easy for Alaric to be swayed by the promise of a power far greater than his own by someone older and wiser then himself. I highly doubt that this retired professor could be one such man but you're right, we can't rule out the possibility either," Sara smiled knowingly and then continued walking, "Come Berias. I need you to take us to the Hall of Records to look for this man. And then I think it's time for me to spend some quality time with my fans."

Then Sara winked at a young boy that had been staring at him from the doorway of one of the shops they passed that quickly scurried away, blushing bright red. It reminded Sara of when he told Yuri about the noblewoman that had been very fond of him before he convinced her otherwise. Just as it reminded him of those same feelings surfacing inside of him towards Yuri as well, even now with everything else going on.

And sometimes Sara wondered, did Yuri ever have similar feelings...?

One of the worst parts of this method of torture they were using on him was the fact that Yelshi could not measure the time that had passed since they first started. What's more, Yelshi could not see the faces of his oppressors and know who he had to hate for it. After his initial encounter with Alaric's other associate, there had been others in charge of whatever they were doing to him.

No one spoke that entire time but Yelshi could sense a different presence each time one of them used their powers. Yelshi had lashed out at several of them in the beginning only to be dealt a harsh punishment. And sadly, Yelshi had to admit that compared to what Alaric did to him, this was sheer agony...

Then after it was finally over, Yelshi was left alone in the silence of his own breathing. No other sound was able to pass through the impregnable walls of the Manor's deepest chambers. The silence was so loud that it was deafening and Yelshi wasn't sure how long he could stand the dark and the muteness that surrounded him. It was just like tasting the most vision of death; a death that was nothing but a cold empty void that was utterly devoid of all thought, light, feeling, or sound.

It had even become impossible for Yelshi to distinguish when he was asleep or awake because even in his dreams they had become a bottomless void of darkness without the outlet of escaping into Sara's dreams. Now Yelshi was more alone than ever and he was starting to become afraid. His only comfort were the moment when some of those strange butterflies would begin to flutter around Yelshi's chair and illuminate small portions of the room...

There was his chair obviously, but there were also several other objects in Yelshi's cell that he hadn't been able to identify in the pitch blackness before now. Yelshi was surrounded on all sides by an assortment of crystals embedded into the floor that created some sort of pattern on the floor that he still couldn't see. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a second chair without the leather straps and a small table with an unlit candle sitting on it.

On top of the small table was a silver pitcher of water and some food that they usually fed to him in between tortures as long as Yelshi was able to stomach anything afterwords. Besides those everyday items, the rest of the room felt so surreal that Yelshi had begun to feel detached and dazed from endless hours spent down here.

Yelshi knew he was starting to break but he couldn't help himself. He was so tired everything, living this way, fighting a futile battle against these people, and most of all, tired of waiting for someone to save him. There was no one that could save him, not even Sara...

Who was Sara anyway...?

Had Yelshi only dreamed him up too? Was any of this real? Or was he still sleeping in his room with some book laid sprawled open next to him after Yelshi had nodded off reading it?

No. He had not dreamed Sara up, Yelshi knew that. But as for the rest, he was no longer sure anymore...

Yelshi stared entranced as one of the butterflies landed on the wick of the unlit candle and it burst into flames, lighting it. He didn't even blink as a face appeared in the flickering candlelight sitting in the chair beside the table. But Yelshi was so used to the darkness now that it took him a long time to adjust to the light, regardless of how dim it was. And by the time he did, the person had left the chair and was now lifting his wet, sweat glistened face up as if to look Yelshi in the eyes but there was no face with which to see those eyes.

Then, a familiar voice cut through the silence so suddenly that Yelshi jolted and said, "Come now, isn't this enough for you yet Yelshi? I hate to see you in this condition when you can still be happy if you would just submit to us..."

"Alaric..." Yelshi said feebly, "...why are you..." but he was too weak to finish and he blinked slowly.

"I came to end this," Alaric whispered, cupping both hands on Yelshi's cheeks, "Please, you have to let us help you now Yelshi. My spells have been removed but you are still repressing those memories yourself. If you don't let us in, we'll have to continue like this until you break Yelshi, and I don't want that. I love you too much to let you keep doing this to yourself. Only the truth will set you free."

Yelshi breathed in long shallow breaths as he tried to find his voice again, only to fail to find the will to form the words. He was so tired and yearned to just give in and do whatever they wanted. But some small part of him still had a little fight left in him because Yelshi knew that Sara was here in this land looking for him. There was still a small pinprick of hope left that he would be set free by his twin brother at long last. And it was that hope that still kept Yelshi fighting, even right now when despair had already set in.

So at last, Yelshi found his voice and uttered a single word before fainting soon after. And that word was, "No..."

The Hall of Records was actually more impressive then Sara had expected. There were several floors worth of nothing but books and scrolls dating back thousands of years. He would have thought that when the country was in peril, these records would have been pillaged and sold on the black market but surprisingly none had been touched.

Apparently knowledge was considered to be very sacred to the Shinzoku so it was well protected even during those times of terrible strife. Some of the even more rare documents were on display in glass cases that were heavily enchanted to protect the contents from being damaged or eaten away by mold from old age. And it was there that Berias spotted the man the smith had described to them at his forge, sitting at a desk across from one of these cases with several large tomes and a scroll rolled out in front of him.

Despite his obvious age, Owen was still quite handsome. His face was smooth save for the few wrinkles at the edges of his eyes and his skin was as dry and pale as parchment. As for his hair, it was so blond that it almost appeared white; although streaks of actual white extended from his temples as the hair was tied at the nape of his neck just like Berias's was. And lastly, Owen was garbed in a simple robe with a cross design stretched across his back and shoulders that exposed a good portion of his chest in the front with a similar design cut out of the cloth.

Noticing that Berias had found Owen, Sara approached him and asked politely, "Excuse me, but by any chance are you Owen?"

"I am," Owen replied absentmindedly, still focusing on translating a verse of his scroll. "And you must be the savior everyone has been raving about. The long lost prince of Seisakoku, Saralegui..." and finally, Owen looked up at Sara and looked him over curiously, "Although where you harold from, you're already King are you not? Governing over humans instead of your own kin."

"Mind your tongue sir," Berias warned sharply, "And take care not to insult His Majesty again."

"I wasn't insulting him, I was simply stating fact. Have you become so savage during your years serving in human lands that you would assume that automatically Your Excellency?" Owen challenged softly, "I can understand that of course, as humans are quick to take offense, but I would not expect that of a proud Shinzoku like yourself. Or even King Saralegui for that matter..."

Sara was actually surprised by that and asked, "Really? And why do you think that?"

Putting his scroll away in its protective tube, Owen offered Sara a seat in front of him across from the desk and explained, "I've heard quite a bit about you and I am quite aware of your dealings with Her Highness during her search for a worthy bearer to the Divine Sword. I knew of course that it was hardly going to choose a mere human wielder and even warned Alazon of this before she and her brother, His Excellency Berias, left our shores. But being as old as I am, my advice was thoroughly dismissed by the will of the Council's decision to approve their departure. Ultimately, the sword led both of them back to you and you were chosen by it to save us. And the only master of that blade could have one of noble heritage befitting such a sword as well as rule over humans as successfully as he has."

"I'm honored that you think so highly of me-" Sara said finally, "-but there is something I have to ask you that is of the utmost importance."

Owen pulled a book from the pile beside him and idly began to open it as he said, "Then by all means, ask away Your Highness..."

"I need to know what you know about a man named Alaric," Sara said bluntly.

Owen stopped midway while opening his book and let the cover fall shut before once again meeting Sara's gaze and asked in a low voice, "What about Alaric?"

"Perhaps we should go somewhere private to discuss this," Berias offered after seeing several onlooker given the three of them a curious look, "There's a room behind the left staircase to the second floor that is usually unoccupied. We can speak there without being overheard."

Owen raised an eyebrow, "That serious is it? Very well. I could use some excitement in my old age..."

So after returning the books he had been using to the shelves and brought his scroll with them, the three of them made their way towards to obscure room Berias had described and closed the door behind them. It was beautifully adorned with a fine oak table that was simply a polished stump from the actual tree whose twisted roots now served as the legs of the table. And a matching set of the same wood was also used with the chairs, which were slightly less intricate except for the three jade leaves embedded into the base of the chairs back piece.

After settling down, Owen asked, "I seem to be uncommonly popular lately. First Alaric, and now King Saralegui requires my assistance. So tell me, what's this all about?"

"There is a reason that I need to find him," Sara said, "It's a matter of life and death and you are the only lead I have."

Berias was shocked that Sara was being so honest about it but held his tongue and simply listened. Waiting to see how Owen would react.

"I see..." Owen mused thoughtfully, "So am I to assume that you are also a member?"

Sara didn't answer and hoped that Owen would assume that his silence meant yes so he would tell them more. But if not, Sara was prepared to use his powers on this man since Berias had so carefully lured him into this secluded room where no one could see or hear what they were doing. As always, Berias seemed to know exactly what Sara was planning and did his best to comply with his will. Even if recently Berias had found that sometimes, even he didn't know what Sara was thinking.

Unexpectedly though, Owen stated venomously, "If you are a part of that dreadful guild, then I will have nothing more to do with you," and he rose from his chair to glare at Sara, "I will not let them abuse my knowledge again as they did in the past. The only reason I even associate with Alaric is because he was one of my most prized students and I had high hopes for him. I still do despite those he chooses to affiliate himself with."

Exchanging looks with Berias, Sara finally confessed, "No, I am not a member of this guild you're talking about. The truth is I came here to find Alaric because he kidnapped someone I care about. And if I don't find Alaric before it's too late, something terrible is going to happen to them..." he shuttered as another wave of dizziness washed over him but continued, "...please, I wouldn't have come to you if I knew how to find them myself. In fact, I might not even have come to Seisakoku at all if not for this one reason. As much as I wanted to see my mother and get to know her, I also have my own country to run and I have been away for far too long already chasing after this man. So please, tell me what you know and I will do what I can to repay you. I swear it."

Hearing this, Owen settled back down in his seat and sighed, "Forgive me. I should not have assumed anything, but you bear the sigil of the Lazuline Flame so I-"

"Excuse me?" Sara blinked, honestly confused.

"The blue butterflies on your ring-" Owen pointed out, "-represent sacred spirits that act as guides to lost souls; including those of the dead. And the flame they produce is known as the Lazuline Flame which is also known to some as the 'Soul's Pulse'. The cult Alaric belongs to misuses their image in their obscene rituals and as their emblem so I thought you were another member. But since you're not..." he trailed off for a moment, deep in thought before he finally met Sara's earnest gaze and said, "...I still don't want anything to do with them but I am willing to help you. As both a favor since your actions saved Seisakoku, and since you have been so honest with me. Therefore, I will tell you exactly where you may find Alaric. Under one condition-"

"What is it?" Sara asked impatiently, "Tell me and I'll-"

Owen cut him off though and simply stated, "I hate to betray Alaric but this is for his own good. If you successfully breach their base, I only ask that you destroy that disingenuous place once and for all. It is an abomination to nature and has no place being in existence at all. Destroy the whole society if you can but if not at least get rid of that unholy place. Also," he added seriously, "As for your friend, promise me that you will be as dedicated to saving him as you are to loving him. Because if he has been taken to the heart of all of their evil, there is no telling what horrible twisted things they've done to him. And he will need that comfort more than anything else."