Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 24: Sworn Oath
Twelve hours have passed since Tsuki and his companions set sail from Basilwell, leaving Cayhill and the kingdom of Eresseas behind them as they crossed the vast ocean. When the sun rose the next day, they found themselves in the middle of nowhere. The morning sun rose from the horizon as it reflected off the still ocean. The only thing that was around them was the ocean that extended beyond the horizon all around them. Besides a few small islands, there wasn't any significant landmasses anywhere in sight. Most of the group weren't able to sleep well due to the rocking of the ship. The only people that were used to sailing at sea were Elle, Ramza and the small crew that was appointed to the ship by Alba. Tsuki, Lynette and Ruko were not adjusted to traveling across the ocean.
Around noon, Tsuki was standing out on the deck of the ship, staring out at the ocean. He appeared to be in deep thought. Thanks to Alba's help, sailing the ship was a lot easier despite the fact that they were only given a crew of twenty sailors to help with the ship. He knew that the ship was in good hands so he didn't have to worry about that. However, everything else that's happened remained on Tsuki's mind. The fall of Eresseas, the Menorion occupation and stranglehold over Cayhill, the Ancients and the mystery behind them and not knowing whether or not Taichi and Emma along with the other members of the Royal Eight were alive. Everything happened so fast that it felt like a nightmare that he simply woke up from.
As Tsuki remained in thought, a man in a captain's uniform approached him from behind. "Mr. Himura? Are you okay?" the man asked.
Tsuki snapped back to reality and turned around to face the man. He then nodded at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking. There's a lot going through my head right now. Please, call me Tsuki" he said.
The man nodded. "Of course. A lot has happened recently so I can't blame you. Allow me to formally introduce myself now that we're out of immediate danger. My name is Rolfe Sozette, captain of the Saint Alize. It's a pleasure to work with you" he said. He then held his hand out to shake his hand.
Tsuki reached out and shook Rolfe's hand. "My name is Tsuki Himura. I greatly appreciate the efforts you and your crew are taking for us" he said.
Rolfe nodded and gave him a brief smile. "It's no problem. Alba is an old friend of mine and I owe him for a lot of things. Not only that, but I've lived in Cayhill all my life. Just like everyone else, I don't want to see our kingdom fall under permanent Menorion rule. If there's anything I can do to help out, then I want to do everything that I can" he said. He then stood beside him, placing his hands on the wooden rail and leaned forward, inhaling the ocean smell. "We should arrive in Velika by tomorrow night" he said.
Tsuki tilted his head. Since he has never left Cayhill, he knows absolutely nothing about the other kingdoms or their cities. "Velika? I haven't really studied about other cities outside of Cayhill so I'm unfamiliar with the name" he said.
Rolfe shook his head. It was understandable that he wasn't familiar with anything outside of Cayhill. Unless someone had planned on taking trips to other kingdoms, no one really needed to know. "Don't worry about it. Velika is one of the most well-known cities in Ersheath. It's popular among merchants and commerce. It's basically a big trade city. Almost anything in the world can be found on those streets as merchants from every corner of the world come to trade off their goods" he said.
Tsuki went into thought for a moment. "Every corner around the world, huh? Maybe I can gather some information about what's going on around the world" he said.
Rolfe chuckled a bit. "Yeah. If you guys are going to be traveling around the world, then it's best that you learn as much as you can beforehand. If you don't, then you might have some trouble later on down the road" he said.
Tsuki folded his arms for a moment, placing his hand on his chin. "How much do you know about Ersheath?" he asked.
Rolfe shrugged a little bit. "I don't know very much, unfortunately. I try not to spend a lot of time in Ersheath due to the hostile tensions between them and a neighboring kingdom" he said.
Tsuki wasn't thrilled when Rolfe brought up the hostile tensions. "Hostile tensions, huh? Can you tell me what you know about Ersheath? Specifically, anything you know about the relationship between the two kingdoms" he said.
Rolfe nodded. "Sure, we can talk on the bridge. I have some books and documents on everything that I know about them" he said. He then turned around and started to head back towards the bridge.
Tsuki followed Rolfe up towards the bridge so that he could learn everything he can about Ersheath and their neighboring kingdom. Meanwhile, Elle, Lynette, Nagi and Cheria were below deck in the ship's lounge area. They were having a conversation about something as they laid back on the couches and chairs that were set up in the center of the lounge. They seemed to be relaxing without a care in the world.
Cheria was in the middle of telling a story about something that happened back when she was a child involving Tsuki. She was telling them a little bit about their history together, how they met each other and how they got to where they were at now. "...and that's about it. When my dad first met Tsuki, he thought he was an average street thug" she said.
Lynette listened to her story as she had been interested in their relationship for quite a while. "Interesting. I never would have guessed Tsuki used to be a thief" she said.
Elle seemed to be quite interested to hear about Tsuki's past for some reason. "Considering how he is now, he changed significantly from childhood. It brings back some old memories" she said.
Nagi looked over at them as they spoke, laughing a bit though there was a sense of awkwardness in her behavior. "Yeah..." she said. However, once Elle said that talking about Tsuki brought back old memories, she looked down to the floor and fell silent for a few moments.
Cheria looked at Nagi and tilted her head. "What's wrong, Nagi?" she asked. Her demeanor had changed from a happy and cheerful attitude to being troubled about something.
Nagi remained silent for a minute before she gathered the courage to ask a question. When she was ready, she looked over at Elle who was sitting across from her in one of the chairs and gave her a stern look. "It's time you tell me the truth. Why haven't you told Tsu who you really are?" she asked.
Lynette looked at Nagi and Elle with a confused look on her face. She suddenly asked a strange question out of nowhere. "What are you talking about, Nagi?" she asked.
Elle remained silent and looked down at the ground with her hands folded in her lap. She knew what Nagi was referring to. In an instant, her normal, cold facial expression changed into an innocent look. Now that Nagi has spoken up to her publicly, there was no way out for her. "It's complicated. You wouldn't understand, Nagi" she said.
Nagi shook her head and stood up from her chair. She was keeping something extremely important to herself and refuses to say anything and that frustrated her. "How!? You do realize that he's been searching for you for years, right!? What's so complicated that's forcing you to keep it a secret!? Why are you hiding it from him, Elize!?" she shouted, blurting out a familiar name.
Cheria tilted her head and looked at Elle after Nagi called her Elize. It was a name that was vaguely familiar to her but couldn't put her finger on it. "Elize? That name seems familiar. What's she talking about, Elle?"she asked. She now wanted to know what was going on between Nagi and Elle.
Elle went silent once more and sighed heavily soon afterwards. She could no longer avoid it. "I guess the secret is out now. I suppose I can't hide it from you any longer" she said. She then looked up at them and gave each one a look. "I've been deceiving everyone. Ever since I first arrived in Eresseas. The name, Elle Solize, is an alias I gave myself years ago to cover up who I really am due to extreme circumstances. My real name is Elize Himura...Tsuki's little sister" she said, revealing a long-kept secret.
When Elle told them her secret that she has kept hidden from everyone for years, Lynette and Cheria were shocked. They had no idea that Tsuki even had a sister and now they find out that his sister who he had been searching for since the night of the Tomoha raid has been with them all this time. They were speechless and didn't know how to react to this shocking revelation.
Cheria was lost for words. She didn't know how to react to what Elle said. "Little...sister? You and Tsuki...? I can't believe it" she said. She had so much to say but she couldn't get the words out of her mouth.
Lynette was just as shocked. She had no idea that Tsuki even had a sister. To find out that the Shadow Knight, Elle was his little sister. she began to wonder about a few things. "Tsuki hasn't been exactly open about his past with us yet. It looks like there's so much more about him that we don't know" she said.
Elle took a deep breath then looked over at Cheria for a moment. "There's something I have to tell you. Something that Tsuki and I have been keeping from you and your family. But first..." she said, looking over at Nagi. "Have you told her anything about what happened to our hometown?" she asked.
Nagi shook her head. There were several things that she had kept from Cheria such as their hometown and what happened on the night when Tomoha was attacked and destroyed. "No. I didn't want to think about what happened. I wanted to forget about it all" she said.
Elle nodded. "I see. I'm sorry to do this but it's about time she learned the truth. If you don't think you can handle listening to it, then feel free to cover your ears. I don't want you to have a relapse" she said.
Nagi felt a bit nervous. She knew more than anyone that any mention of Tomoha's destruction or the cult, no matter how vague it may be, would trigger flashbacks in her mind of her time in hell. However, Elle had a point. Cheria knew nothing and it wouldn't be fair to her if she were to be kept in the dark. After thinking about it for a few minutes, she nodded slowly. "I'll be okay. I'll add in my part as well as whatever Tsuki had told me back in Eresseas as well" she said.
Elle nodded and looked back at Cheria. She then started to explain everything to her. Their lives during childhood in Tomoha, the destruction of their village, the cult and their pasts that they've kept hidden from public knowledge for so long. It would be a lot for her to take in so she tried to best to explain things so that Cheria would be able to understand.
It took a while before things started to sink in for Cheria. She had absolutely no idea that Tsuki, Nagi and Elle shared such a devastating childhood. She was almost mortified. As she was being told about Tsuki's past with the added portion from Nagi, things were starting to finally connect. When she first met Tsuki out on the streets of Eresseas when they were kids, she could sense that he was a good person but his good nature had been locked away. It was like he was trying to be someone he wasn't. When she first met him, she knew that he wasn't really a thief at heart. "It's all starting to make sense now. I knew from the first time I met him that there was something wrong. He didn't show it but I could tell from the look in his eyes. He had the eyes of someone who had lost everything. I knew something tragic had happened to him recently. I wanted to ask him about it but something always held me back. Like, something was telling me not to bring it up. Even now, I've always wanted to ask him but I was afraid of what he would say" she said. She then had a series of flashbacks to when she and Tsuki were kids, long before Tsuki was enlisted into the knights. Once the flashbacks were done, she couldn't help but shake her head. "And here I thought that we knew practically everything about each other. As it turns out, he kept a huge secret from me for all of these years" she said.
Elle looked down for a little bit. She took a moment to gather her thoughts as Cheria was slowly starting to come to terms of what she was just told. When she made her last comment, she looked back up at her. "Your Highness, you have to understand his reason for keeping it a secret. He did it not just for the sake of himself, but you and your family. I don't know what he experienced but I know that it was tragic. It would make sense that he would push his memories of what happened to the back of his mind and forget about them. He was protecting himself from his own haunting past. He is probably thinking that if he had told you and your family the truth, he would cause a great amount of concern. Not only that, but I'm sure he had a feeling of what would happen if word had gotten out that someone from Tomoha was alive. After all, Tomoha's destruction by the cult made headline news all over the world. Everyone knows that Tomoha was wiped off the face of the earth with all of its villagers. Just think of what would happen if the world's media were to discover that there were survivors. He would get slammed with questions from people who may of had loved ones in Tomoha who wanted answers" she explained. She didn't want Cheria to have the wrong idea since she knew that she and Tsuki were practically opened up to each other in terms of who they were and their pasts.
Cheria closed her eyes, sighing softly. "I know. He kept it a secret for our sake. It's funny how you think know who a person is but find out that you really don't know everything about them; Tsuki's hidden past and how you deceived us by hiding who you really were. Tsuki has his reason for not mentioning his past to us and I'm sure you have your reasons for deceiving my family under your alias" she said.
Elle stood up and walked over to Cheria and got down on one knee next to her seat with her head down. "I'm sorry for deceiving you for all this time but you're right. I have my reasons. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what they are right now. It's not the time for me to reveal what they are or my identity to Tsuki" she said.
Nagi walked up to her and placed her hands on her hips, "Why? Tsuki has been suffering for a long time. You are the only family he has left and he thinks you're missing or dead!" she said, shaking her head. She made a fist as her arm started to shake. Not from anger, but from frustration. She couldn't understand her reasoning behind all of this.
Elle stood up, crossing her arms and held them close to her chest, shaking slightly. "I know that! His suffering; I can see it clearly. You have no idea how much I want to walk up to him and tell him that I'm his sister. It's very difficult for me. I love my brother and yet, I can't even tell him that I'm alive. This may sound selfish of me, but this isn't the right time for him to know, no matter how difficult it is for me to keep it a secret" she said. She then looked up at them with a serious look on her face. "Until that time comes, he must not know who I am" she said. It was unclear to her when the right time to tell him was. There was so many things she has to do before she tell him.
Nagi gave Elle a long, hard look. Elle was her childhood friend and a beloved sister to Tsuki. She could feel the pain and suffering he's endured when he told her his story back in Eresseas. "Ever since that dreadful day in Tomoha, he's always suffered. He doesn't show it because he doesn't want people to know but no matter how hard he tries to hide it, I can see it clearly. He may appear to be strong and reliant but deep down, he's fragile. Do you remember? Your parents were elite guards for the royal family and were away from home for quite some time frequently. Due to that, you two grew extremely close to each other compared to other siblings. Tsuki was very frail back then and rather shy but he always put you before anything else. Back in Eresseas, he told me what happened. After the village was attacked and discovered that your parents were killed and we both vanished from the village, his life shattered. All the light from his eyes had darkened. Because of that, he's had some significant life changes, both good and bad. After all, he thought we were dead as well. He had no one left to turn to. That is, until he met Cheria" she said, looking over to Cheria who had been sitting in her seat in silence.
Elle nodded slowly. She always knew that Tsuki had thought that she was either dead or missing. She can understand how he feels because she felt the same way. Tsuki had never left her mind. After all, they were both separated at the time. She had always wondered if he was alive or not. Up until their meeting in mines of Briswater, she had no knowledge that he was alive and well. When she realized who he was in the mines, she felt a great burden lifted off her shoulders. She was happy that her brother was alive but the relief of her burdens soon came back when she came to the realization that he had no idea that she was alive. "It pains me to see someone I love suffer so much. It pains me even more that I can't do anything right now. We're all that's left of our family. If it weren't for my responsibilities at the time when I ran into him in the Briswater mines, I would of joined up with him especially since I knew he would get himself involved with Menorion in Basilwell"she said.
Cheria folded her arms, sitting back in her seat and fell into thought for a few moments. She was curious about what she plans on doing now. After a moment of silence, she looked up at her. "What do you plan on doing now? These responsibilities you mentioned weren't given to you by my parents so they don't have anything to do with Eresseas. You always had a knack of showing up and disappearing on a whim" she said.
Elle looked over at Cheria. "You're right. They don't involve Eresseas. Unfortunately, explaining everything to you know would take too long. I give you my word that I will explain everything to you at a later time so that you'll be able to understand what my responsibilities were. As for what my plans are now, your parents may have released me from their services but that doesn't mean I've been released from yours. My loyalty is and always has been with Eresseas. You and your family took me in after your father had found me near death in the clutches of the cult prior to Tomoha's destruction. For that, I will forever be in your family's debt. So, with that being said, as long as you understand my own circumstances however suspicious and strange they may be, I will do whatever you ask me to do, Your Highness" she said. Even though she's no longer needed by Taichi and Emma, Cheria is a completely different story. She wasn't the strongest of people and there aren't enough people for her to surround herself with for support. She would need more than Tsuki if she was going to get anywhere.
Cheria listened to what Elle had to say and when she said that she would do what she asked, that brought a sense of relief to her. Despite everything that she's said, Elle was still one of the people she trusts with her life regardless of who she was. "It's a bit strange, having someone to order around. Usually, I just sit around and let my parents order people but I guess I would have to get used to it if I were to become the next Queen" she said. She then took a deep breath and looked at Elle with a smile on her face. "If that's the case, then I want you to stay with us. I ask that you give me your support so that we can someday return to Cayhill and extinguish the dark veil that hangs over the kingdom" she said.
Elle had a feeling that's what she would say. In terms of strength, Elle was the strongest among their little group. Tsuki still had much to improve so he would need all the help he could get. She smiled softly at her then got down on one knee again with her head pointing down, her hand in a fist placed on the ground. "If that's what you wish, then so be it. As of now, I offer my sword to your cause, Your Highness" she said.
Cheria couldn't help but keep her smile as she placed her hand on Elle's shoulder. Now that she has her oath, there were two things left for her to ask. "I'd like to two more requests though. First, I want you to drop the titles. Just call me Cheria. Your Highness makes it feel that we're distant from each other" she said. If they were going to be traveling around the world, then she doesn't want to be some princess that would be a burden for everyone. She can fight as well as any other person so she would be able to hold her own.
Elle giggled a little bit, showing off her more gentle side. It was almost uncharacteristic compared to her persona as a Shadow Knight. "Consider it done then, Cheria. What is your second request?" she asked.
Cheria looked up towards the ceiling for a moment as her thoughts briefly turned to Tsuki. She wanted to make sure he had support as well. "I understand that you can't tell Tsuki who you are and I won't force you to tell him. However, I would like for you to offer whatever support you can to him as well. He tends to get himself involved with matters that are over his head. Lyn had told me about his encounter with the cult in Prophet Castle. He could of been seriously hurt if Georg and his knights hadn't arrived as reinforcements when they did as he was heavily outnumbered. Then, there was the time he was overpowered and had almost gotten himself killed by Caius in Basilwell if you hadn't stepped in to help him" she said. She then looked out of the window and glanced out at the sea a little bit to gather the rest of her thoughts. "I know that Tsuki is strong but there are times where he doesn't know his own limits and that puts him into bad situations. I fear that one day, he might get himself involved with something that will actually cause great harm to him or worse. So, as his sister and my sworn sword, I ask that you protect Tsuki if it comes down to it" she said.
Elle had heard the small talks around the castle in Eresseas on how a knight from the Royal Eight had took on the entire cult in Prophet Castle though she wasn't exactly sure who it was at the time. After her encounter with Tsuki in the Briswater mines, she was stopped by Georg, the knight who commanded the reinforcements that were sent to Prophet Castle, one day while she was roaming around the castle where he had told her about what happened and who the mystery knight was. She was quite shocked when Georg had told her that. Thinking back to what Georg had told her and his fight with Caius, she can completely understand what she was trying to say. "Yeah, I can see why that would cause a great deal of concern for you. I had wondered why you were freaking out when Georg made that report when he returned to Eresseas with Nagi but didn't feel like it was my business to ask" she said. She rubbed the back of her head, sighing. She had no idea that Tsuki had become such a troublemaker over the years. He is a completely different person now than when he was young. "I'll keep my eye on him and do what I can to support him. If he gets himself involved with something that's too much for him to handle by himself, then I'll do what I can to help. He's no longer alone, after all. He has the support of you, Ruko, Lyn, Nagi, Ramza and myself. I'll be supporting him as the persona of the Shadow Knight and secretly as his little sister" she said.
Cheria nodded at her with a smile across her face. She was glad that she came to understand her. "That's true. You don't have to worry about him finding out who you are though. I promise to keep it a secret from him until you're ready to tell him yourself. Don't you agree, Lyn?" she asked, turned to Lynette who had been sitting in silence this whole time as they explained everything.
It was a bit complicated for Lynette as they explained everything but she slowly came to understand what was going on. Since she didn't have much to say about it, she had decided to keep quiet and let the three talk. When Cheria looked over at her, she nodded back at her. "Of course. I won't be telling him anything either. Besides, it would be better for him if he were to hear it come out of you anyway" she said. The only other person that still had to make the promise was Nagi. She then looked over at Nagi. "What about you, Nagi?" she asked.
Nagi was apprehensive about the whole thing. It was clear to her that Elle had her reasons for not telling Tsuki anything and that she wasn't going to say anything to him anytime soon. It frustrated her a little bit but she didn't have the heart to betray the intentions of her childhood friend. After a moment of silence, she sighed heavily and sat back down in her chair. "I don't like the fact that you're hiding this from Tsuki. Honestly, I still feel like you should tell him. However, your reasons for not doing so seem to be very strong and it wouldn't be right if I said anything. As long as you'll tell him at some point, then I promise not to mention any of this to him as well" she said.
Elle looked at them as all three of them promised her that they wouldn't say anything to Tsuki. She felt a huge sense of relief since she knew how strongly Nagi opposed this. "Thank you. You have no idea how much relief this gives me" she said. She then looked over at Cheria and gently nudged her elbow against her arm. "I do wonder though. Can you keep a secret from him? As I've heard from the rumors around Eresseas, you're practically an open book for him since you and him are the rumored sweethearts of Cayhill. The rumors of you two lovebirds are some of the most talked about subjects for the people. There are even people talking about the possibility of a marriage between the two of you" she said, teasing her. She couldn't help but bring up the rumors that have flown all around Cayhill about how Tsuki and Cheria will marry and become the next King and Queen.
Cheria became flustered and blushed bright red from her comment. "M-marriage!? You've got it all wrong! H-how can we marry if I haven't even told him-" she said before stopping herself. Her face turned a brighter red as she quickly covered her mouth.
Lynette had a grin on her face when Cheria was just about to say something rather interesting. She knew what she was going to say but she wanted to hear her come out and say it herself. "Oh? If you haven't told him what? I wonder what that could be" she said.
Nagi had an eye brow raised when Cheria stopped herself from finishing her question. "Hmm...was that suppose to be an unintentional love confession?" she asked. She now wanted to know what Cheria was going to say even though she knew what her little secret was.
Elle giggled a bit, nudging her arm a bit more with a sly look on her face. "You might as well spill it, Cheria. We already have a pretty good idea on what you were about to say. For you, he isn't just some childhood friend. No, your bond with him is something more deeper. You're actually in love with him, aren't you?" she asked.
Cheria shook her head as her face turned a dark red when they kept pushing her when Elle finally came out and asked her if she loved Tsuki. She didn't know what to say as she's never been in this sort of situation before. Not knowing what to do or say caused her to get even more flustered. However, she knew that she had to answer them now that they're getting on her case about it. After several moments of silence, she took a deep breath to try and calm herself, still blushing a dark red. "Yes, I am. I'm in love with Tsuki. Ever since we were kids. When I first met him, something drew me to him. I didn't know what it was. It wasn't until a few years after I had known him that I finally realized what it was that drew me to him. I've been in love with Tsuki ever since we met. You can say, it was love at first sight. Tsuki is my first love and I wasn't sure how to tell him so I kept it to myself. Before he left on his mission, I tried to tell him but I couldn't and with how things are right now, it's not the best time to tell him either" she said.
Nagi tilted her head. She had a question in her mind that she wanted to ask but wasn't sure how she should properly say it. After a moment, she decided to go with what she had in mind. "Those rumors that Elle mentioned. Would you actually consider marrying him? Doing so would not only make both of you happy but it would bring a tremendous amount of joy to Cayhill to welcome in a new King and Queen" she said.
Cheria shrugged, not sure how to give her a definitive answer. She was still blushing as they continued to talk about their relationship. "Marriage. You're right, it'd be a great thing for us and all of Cayhill. However, Tsuki doesn't want such a high standing in Cayhill. After all, he originally enlisted into the knights to pay off his debt to society for his charges of theft when he was roaming the streets. He hates getting involved with politics. After all, he's a fighter not a politician. So as far as marriage is concerned, I'm not quite sure how that will all work out. If it ever comes to that, I'm sure there would be something that we can work out" she said.
Elle smiled as Cheria talked about her and Tsuki's relationship. Being his little sister, she's happy that there's someone besides herself who loves Tsuki with all their heart. Tsuki didn't have many people like that in his life. "It seems you fell for him quite hard. I wonder if he realizes that you love him" she said.
Lynette shook her head. She highly doubts he's realized it. After all, Tsuki can be a bit dense at times despite his position. "Yeah, I don't think so. He's pretty dense. He's the type of person that wouldn't notice it even if you expressed your feelings to him. You'd have to tell him yourself in order for him to get the picture" she said.
Cheria giggled a bit and nodded with a soft smile. "Yeah. I'm not in any hurry to know how he feels about me though. I have all the time in the world to tell him how I feel. Not only that, but I want to make sure that when I tell him, the time is absolutely perfect" she said. She then cleared her throat and looked at Elle, Lynette and Nagi. "This is our secret as well, okay?" she asked.
Elle chuckled a bit. "Of course, Cheria. After all, this is just all talk between us girls" she said.
Everyone in the room agreed and continued their conversations. As they talked among themselves, Ramza and Ruko were on the back of the ship, staring out at the sea in the direction they came from. They were also in the middle of a conversation themselves but one that was completely different than what Cheria and the others were having.
Ruko stared out at the sea behind them for a few minutes in silence. Soon after, he turned his head to face Ramza who stood next to him, leaning up against the railing. "So, what's Ersheath like? I've never left Cayhill and I've done very little research about the kingdoms on the other continents. Is it anything like Cheria?" he asked. Since he knew absolutely nothing about the other continents, he wanted to know what they were like.
Ramza shook his head. "Far from it. Cayhill is like the holy grail when it comes to a peaceful continent compared to the rest of the world. Unlike Cayhill, Ersheath isn't in a neutral state. There is no established peace and there hasn't been for quite a few decades. Esseand, the Kingdom of Staves, is currently in hostile relations with neighboring kingdom, Dolothlond, Land of the Spires, in Nargelond. There have been skirmishes and fights breaking out on both lands from each kingdom especially along the border. Due to the constant fighting and hostilities, it makes the people of both nations uneasy. They fear that war will break out and as far as thing stand right now, there's a good possibility of that" he said.
Ruko tilted his head. "Disputes between the two kingdoms, huh? Is it even safe to travel there now under the current conditions? With war possibly on the verge of breaking out, I'd imagine travel in and out of the nations is heavily restricted and guarded" he said.
Ramza shook his head once more. "No. To be blunt, this is the worst possible time for foreigners to travel to this country especially if they're in league with another kingdom. If someone they don't recognize suddenly shows up unannounced in either land, it could make matters worse. In my case, it's easy for me to return to Ersheath due to my status and position with the King Raiku. However, you guys are another story because you're from an entirely different kingdom. I imagine that we're going to be met with some hostilities from the knights of Esseand once we make it to port" he said. He then folded his arms then looked up in the sky. "Dolothlond is a nation that's known for its aerial fighters, particularly their infamous Dragon Riders. Those Riders lay waste to Esseands' defenses without even breaking a sweat" he added.
Ruko heard tales about the famous Dragon Riders of Dolothlond. "I've heard stories about them from Alba. When they're deployed to the battlefield, they basically dominate the airspace, giving them a big advantage over the battlefield. They're fierce fighters who could topple a battlefield easily. No one tries to pick a fight with them" he said.
Ramza nodded. "Yeah, that about sums it up. Unless you know how to repel aerial attacks, you won't last long" he said. He then stroked his chin for a moment, thinking about something."We should do our best not to get into a fight with them as long as we're here. Until we figure out how to take them on when they're in the air, we're powerless" he said.
Ruko didn't want to have an encounter with fierce fighters like them in their current state. They already have enough problems on their hands with an entire nation to fight back. If they're as fierce as everyone says they are, they will be ill-prepared. He then shook his head to get the thought out of his head. "So, is there going to be someone waiting for us when we reach port or will we have to walk?" he asked.
Ramza shrugged. "I'm not sure. Chances are, we'll be walking. His Majesty isn't the type to open up to people from other nations. However, as long as I'm with you guys, there shouldn't be too many problems but like I said, Esseand is in a delicate state right now so I can't make any promises" he said.
Ruko closed his eyes and fell into thought for a moment. "I see. Well, I can understand that. Not all of the kingdoms are as friendly and open as Eresseas" he said.
Ramza sighed and looked down towards the deck of the ship. "Yeah. Only time will tell" he said. He then fell silent, losing himself in his train of thought.
As the hours went by, everyone had their private discussions accordingly among themselves. They used their free time to rest and relax since they have no idea when they'll get another chance. Time seemed to have flown by because before they knew it, they were finally able to see land. As they sailed closer to port, a massive city came into view. Their destination was finally in sight after two days at sea. They were all relieved to be on land again but were also anxious about stepping into a hostile land.
By the time they sailed into Velikas' seaport, the sun was already going down. After thirty minutes, they pulled into one of the empty docks and shut off the water Artes that were being used to make the ship sail. As they got ready to walk off the ship, they noticed a squadron of knights gather on the dock that they pulled into. It appears that they're waiting for them to exit the ship. They didn't seem too pleased about their arrival with the way they were holding their weapons.
When Tsuki walked down the ramp of the ship and onto the dock, the soldiers and knights were on edge. They didn't know what to expect. They kept their weapons in a defensive stance. Tsuki could sense the hostility among the knights who stood on edge on the other end of the dock.
One of the knights who appeared to be the commanding officer of the squad approached him cautiously with his weapon ready. "Halt. Your ship is not under Ersheath's registry. State your name and business here. Be quick about it too. We don't take too kindly to foreigners" he demanded with an aggressive tone.
Tsuk could understand their aggression towards them given what Ramza had informed them about. Although he should of expected it, he didn't appreciate their immediate aggressive attitude. "Boy, is that how you welcome travelers from distant lands? Looks like they didn't teach you manners in the academy" he said, returning their aggression.
The knight became angry immediately after hearing Tsuki's comment and his disrespect towards him. "You impudent little runt! Do you have any idea who you're talking to!?" he shouted at him.
Tsuki folded his arms and stared him down. "It appears that I'm talking to a knight with no manners" he said, further provoking him.
Before things got out of hand anymore than they already are, Ramza stepped off the ship."Alright, that's enough you two! Let's not cause trouble when we haven't even left the ship yet" he said. He walked up to Tsuki and patted his shoulder. "Let's try not to start a fight immediately upon docking" he said.
The knights' attitude towards the group changed instantly when he saw Ramza walk off the ship and stand next to Tsuki. "S-sir Ramza!?" he said. He then quickly saluted him with the other knights behind him. "Pardon my rudeness sir, but what are you doing, sailing in on a ship that's not on our registry?" he asked.
Ramza shook his head. Now wasn't the time to explain things as they had more important matters to deal with. "I'll explain at another time. All you need to know right now is that I'm here under extreme urgency. I'd like to request an audience with King Raiku immediately" he said.
Tsuki looked at Ramza and tilted his head. There seems to be more about him that he doesn't know yet. Working under the royal family's name tends to put a lot of secrecy on that person. Elle worked as a stealth specialist under Taichi and Emma and no one knew about it except for the royal family. Who knows what kinds of other secrets Ramza could still be hiding from them.
To be continued...