They rose and packed camp quickly. Yuri seemed restless once more, his eyes staring at the horizon instead of the skies. He seemed like he was in a hurry, more than once having to double back in their hike from where he had gotten so far ahead of everyone else. Yes, they had a deadline, but he seemed especially eager to get to Nordopolica, and Flynn feared that he knew why. If knights had made it as far as the Weasand of Cados, they were surely in the Coliseum City.
As they neared the city at sundown, their suspicions were confirmed. There were a group of white and tan tents and glowing lights that marked an Imperial encampment and as they entered the city, knights were everywhere, as if the city had been seized in martial law. But why Nordopolica? Palestralle had been a neutral third party in the war and even with its Duce being old friends with the Don of Dahngrest, they had given no aid either way. Was the Empire planning to stop them before they could?
Even with all they had been through to this point, it was hard for Flynn to think that these people were those that he had once served with, people he had called his comrades in the protection of their glorious Empire. Now they were the enemy, even if unwittingly. He had once viewed the knights as chivalrous and noble, but those things were slipping away from him now. He had to maintain that the knights were merely being used by Alexei, still caught up in his charisma and seemingly good intentions.
"What? Why are the knights here?"
"I have a feeling it has something to do with Belius." Yuri's eyes narrowed and he peeked around the corner of a building to an adjoining alley. "If we keep to the back streets, we should be able to keep clear of them. Let's get up to the Coliseum fast." With a motion of his head, he ushered them forward and down the street. He must have known that even here, across the world, they could be seen as wanted and caught. The knights would not hesitate to try and kill Yuri if they knew who he was, a wanted guild spy with a missing princess in his custody.
They found a long back alley that was unguarded and followed it through the winding paths of the market and to the main thoroughfare. They managed to avoid the knights patrolling the streets and make their way to the highest platform of the stone city. The doors of the Coliseum were guarded by two men wearing the emblems of Palestralle, which came as no surprise. Getting through them would be no problem, but the circumstances turned against their favor. A group of knights, led by a Royal Guard, came marching up the steps, weapons at the ready. An altercation began.
"Let us through, by order of Commandant Alexei Dinoia of the Imperial Knights. We are here to see Belius." The commanding officer spoke with a tone of voice that told Flynn what they were really there for, and it wasn't negotiating.
"The Empire has no power here. Withdraw from our city at once or suffer the consequences." The two Palestralle guards stood their ground against the formation.
"You leave us no choice." The Royal Guard raised his arm straight into the air and the mages in the back of the group let off two bright white, crackling flares into the skies. "Congratulations. You've doomed your city and yourselves."
"If you think we'll just surrender-"
A great rumbling shook the city and until he saw a shadow block out the last remaining light of the sun on the horizon, Flynn believed it to be an earthquake. This was far worse.
"T-The Heracles!"
A glowing light formed off its bow. From experience, he knew what it was and feared what it meant. The knights pulled back and allowed the following blast of light to rip through the Coliseum. Marble cracked and shattered, scorched shards falling into the sea from the hole burned through the walls by the force of the hit. They crouched in the alley with the quaking of the earth, covering their heads to try and protect themselves from the falling rubble of the buildings surrounding them that had also been caught in the strike. As Flynn raised his head, he could see the knights storm the building, cutting down quickly and easily the pair of staggering guards as if they were nothing.
This wasn't fair. This wasn't chivalry. This wasn't just. This was unmistakably an act of war, of cruelty. This was not the Empire he knew.
As soon as Estellise could stand, she pulled away from the them to check on the two very obviously deceased soldiers. Yuri rushed in right behind her to pull her away.
"There's no helping them now. Let's get inside. They're after Belius."
"But-"
"We have to do what we can for those who still have a chance. Save everyone who can be saved."
She dried her eyes quickly and grew determined. "You're right. Let's go."
Pressing forward, they followed as quickly as they could behind the knights through the debris filled halls. The cries of the injured echoed all around them. Estellise healed as quickly as she could while trying to keep up, but there were still those who were far beyond her help.
The devastation of the unwarranted attack weighed heavily on Flynn. What could Nordopolica have done to deserve this? The nation that he had believed in had so quickly turned to such terrifying tactics as this, even during a war, and then had used them with sickening zeal. He wanted to believe that it was simply Alexei, but something about this was rooted far deeper. Had not a single soldier been questioning these dubious orders, and if it had been Flynn in this position, would he have questioned them? Was it fear that had been instilled in them that kept them quiet or had they been swept up in Alexei's mad crusade? If they were this far gone, was there any hope of stopping them?
They made it to the tournament hall, and the destruction there was thankfully minimal. The knights had flown up the stairs and were locked in battle with Natz when they arrived.
Natz swung his mighty sword, knocking a few of them down the marble stairs. Others rushed him and in the back of the melee, mages were casting in an attempt to immobilize him. Rita responded with a new spell and shadows of black and purple leeched out of the ground and drug away the casters before they could complete their incantations. Yuri, Repede, and Karol surged forward to the clump of knights, taking out the ones in back as Natz threw two more into the wooden door. Flynn and Judith followed up, attacking those who had recovered from the other attacks. Through the shouts of attack artes, he heard the telltale sound of Estellise healing and moving back into the fray.
The last knight was sent kidding down the stairs and into the far door, and Natz prepared to turn his sword on them.
"Hold on, now..." Raven started.
"Pardon." He lowered his blade, breathing a sigh of relief. "You are the emissaries from Don Whitehorse, correct?"
"That's us." Yuri sheathed his sword.
Estellise wasted no time in healing the man's wounds and he thanked her for it. "I know that now is not a good time but..."
The moment of silence had only been a calm in the storm as more knights burst through the door, barreling over the bodies of their fallen and swarming the hall like a myriad of angry insects.
"Go to Lady Belius! I'll hold them off here as long as I can!"
"Thanks." Yuri pulled the door open and motioned to the rest of the party to head up the stairs. He paused in following them, putting his hand on Natz's shoulder. "Don't go getting yourself killed."
"I live to protect the Duce. My death here would be honorable. Now go."
As soon as they made it through the door and closed it, Flynn could hear that the battle had commenced, with Natz's broad back braced against the door to protect the entryway.
"Let's keep going."
Up the long stairway they flew, the din of the fight below them fading. The blast had done its damage here as well, a huge, semicircle chunk missing out of the portions of the walls and stairs. At the top of the steps was a large, wooden door, bearing the emblem of Palestralle, a flaming shield with swords crossed over it.
"This must be the place."
Enter, Emissaries of Don Whitehorse.
The voice that pierced Flynn's mind could be likened to a thousand rushing rivers, to the lapse of the ocean against the shore, strong, calm, and steady.
"Tell me I'm not the only one who 'eard that," Raven said, digging in his ear with his pinky.
"You're not." Yuri placed a hand on the door and pushed it open.
They all passed into the darkened room and the door slammed shut behind them. Two bright blue flickers caused the darkness to recede and two tall candelabras lit before them, revealing something that he had just begun to suspect. The presence surprised them regardless.
The creature that stood before them was huge, long, four legged hind end, sitting a head over the largest war horses and an almost humanoid form sprouting from the front. Atop the form was a fox like head with intelligent eyes of deep ocean blue that stared right through them and four long, furred tendrils that trailed from the back of its head. The creature was covered in golden-white fur save its long black arms that ended in clawed, four fingered hands.
"So you're Belius." Yuri was the first to speak, his shock wearing off fast. He must have suspected also.
I am Belius, the Duce of Nordopolica. Welcome, emissaries of my long time friend, Don Whitehorse. The voice was the same, but was heard by their ears instead.
"You... You're an Entelexeia," Estellise said.
That is correct, child. Regrettably, we have little time with the attack on my city. Why have you come here?
Yuri pulled an envelope out of his vest and extended it out to her. She took it and opened it easily. Her eyes scanned over it a moment before she folded it up and set it down beside her.
I see. The tide of war seems to be turning in the Empire's favor. Her brow furrowed slightly and her soul searing eyes glared at them in a sudden and surprising anger. And although my dear friend sends this plea for help, with the party to deliver it, he sends an insidious poison.
"W-What?" Estellise stuttered, taking a step forward. "But that... that is what Phaeroh called me."
It is only natural that my brother would say such a thing in your presence, Child of the Full Moon. Why have you come here?
Her voice was lost and she fumbled nervously with the blastia on her wrist. Flynn stepped up to answer her question as it was his request as well. "We have come to ask for your aid and the aid of Palestralle. We do understand that the circumstances right now are less than ideal, but Alexei is surely behind this attack on Nordopolica and the advancement of the war."
There is no time for this. Belius rose from her sitting position. Her tall ears perked and her whiskers twitched just as Repede started to growl.
Behind them, the door creaked and splintered, blown back away down the hall and a huge man with wavy red hair and a cleaver of a sword as tall as himself stood there. He strode in with ease and confidence. His broad face was grim and scarred, and his brown eyes looked right past them and directly to Belius.
Flynn drew his sword as the man swung his, his own blade stopping the other. There was a heavy weight, anger and strength in those corded muscles, and the attack bore down against him.
"Out of my way, fool. I'm here for the monster."
"The Hunting Blades." Yuri came up beside him, sword also at the ready. "Get out of here, Clint. We're here on official Union business."
"I don't care if you are Don Whitehorse's other grandson. If you stand between me and that monster, I'll be forced to consider you one of them."
Flynn saw Yuri's eyes narrow slightly and he raised his blade.
A crash echoed up from the Coliseum floor below, drawing their attention away. The building shook with a thunderous rage and battle cries rose up.
Belius lunged forward, knocking aside Yuri and Flynn and grabbing Clint. If he wants a fight, I can handle a single mortal. Go. Help Natz.
"Bring it on, monster!" He swung his cleaver and she caught the blade in her other hand before he could land a single strike.
"Let's get back downstairs. I've got a bad feeling about this," Yuri said.
They exited the room as the intensity of the fight between Belius and the hunter continued and they made their way swiftly down the stairs.
"Yuri, who was that?" Estellise asked.
"That was Clint, the leader of the Hunting Blades, a powerful monster hunting guild."
"Why is he here attacking Belius?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't like it." With his shoulder, he shoved open the doorway that Natz had been guarding only to find that the battle had spilled out onto the Coliseum floor and men and women dressed in monster hides had joined the fray against the monsters that had poured in from the broken reverse barrier. It was chaos. Palestralle soldiers were fighting back both knights and monster, but also the members of the Hunting Blades.
"If the Hunting Blades are here that must mean that - Nan!" Karol called out, ducking.
A huge boomerang blade spun by them, taking out one of the monsters and was caught on its return. The brunette girl who caught it easily, spun it around herself, holding it at her waist. She looked at Karol in surprise and opened her mouth to speak, but a man in a green hood behind her got her attention and she ran off.
"What the hell are they thinking?!" Yuri pressed forward, taking out a knight and then another as he moved. The others followed, lending their unique skills wherever they worked best. They found Natz moments later, caught in the middle of the fray, standing against knights and the hooded man.
Repede rushed in first, taking one of the knights out with his knife, and giving Yuri an opening to attack and let the party in. Estellise went to his side quickly, casting again.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, thanks to you. How is the Duce?"
"She's fighting the leader of these idiots!" Yuri felled another of the knights before clashing with the hooded man who struck out with bare fists and nothing else.
"Tison!" A blond young man with a red tattoo stretching across the bridge of his nose jogged up, grabbing the hooded man. Flynn felt he looked familiar, but couldn't place him. "Yuri and Raven are allies. Let them be."
"Harry?!" Yuri knew him, although he didn't seem at all pleased to see him. He gritted his teeth angrily, barely managing a voice between them. "What the hell are you doing here? And with them?"
The blond seemed astonished by this and Raven came in from behind to grab Harry and pull him away without another word before Yuri could continue the interrogation.
Several stories above them, a rumble and a crash brought Belius and Clint through marble wall, each fighting the other with all the ferocity expected of those fighting for their own survival. They landed with a crash on the Coliseum floor and with a final swipe, Belius knocked Clint away and into a pile of rubble. She was breathing hard, her chest heaving and under her left arm, a large wound from which dark bubbles of aer, not blood, floated.
Her sudden appearance had sent knights and hunters scattering, and with their leader down, the hunters Tison and Nan had pulled back to aid him.
Flynn lost sight of Yuri for the barest second and he followed Estellise forward to protect Belius. He heard a call for the knights to fall back. They must have been at a disadvantage between fighting the Palestralle, Hunting Blades, and the party. The rest of the party fought off the stragglers as they came to protectively surround the Duce.
The battle lulled as groups retreated or became too injured to fight, and they were allowed a moment to speak with Belius again.
Thank you for your assistance in the defense of my city and myself.
"No big deal." Yuri had found his way back, dragging the blond young man behind him. His movement were tensed slightly and his steps heavy as he moved. Even though his features were calm, the way he shoved the young man to Raven to deal with made his anger clear to Flynn.
"Oh no, Belius! You're injured!"
She slid a clawed hand over the wound to hide it. It's nothing grievous.
"Let me heal you." Estellise dashed forward, ever concerned for the well being of others over her own. She started to glow, a soft green and gold aura surrounding her as the glyphs of light started to form arcs around her.
"Estelle, wait!" Judith tried to catch her by the arm, but as the glow increased, it was too late to stop her.
The aura seeped through the air toward Belius, its bright and vivid hue muting and turning black as the arcs of light of the healing spell surrounded the Entelexeia. She shook and screeched as the light turned to black flames across her body. She flailed, frantic, trying to wipe the flames away with her hands, but they overtook her in a split second. Her lips curled back in a snarl, bearing long white fangs and the blue of her eyes faded into blackness.
"No..." Estellise staggered a step back, covering her mouth with her hands. Tears filled her eyes as she stared up at Belius. "I... I was just trying to help... I'm so sorry..."
Please... mortals. End my suffering now... before I lose myself completely.
Yuri drew his sword, and Estellise grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Yuri, no!"
Estellise, Child of the Full Moon... you bear kindness and compassion far beyond most. Keep that... in your heart always, and I am certain that my brother Phaeroh... may too see what I have seen. Born a poison unto this world... if you never let go of your kind heart... there may be hope yet...
'I-I don't understand..."
With time, all things will be clear. Now hurry. Her limbs tensed and flinched seemingly against her will, but she tried to hold firm. Let me live my last moment... knowing who I am.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way." Yuri raised his sword.
I as well. But in this world... it is kill or be killed.
"Yuri!"
"This is what she wants, Estelle." His eyes were hidden as he said that and Flynn couldn't even imagine the depth of what the guildsman was feeling in this moment. He wasn't hesitating, but neither was he eager for this. His voice cracked, but he suppressed it. "The least we can do is end her suffering. We can't hold back."
Slowly and reluctantly, the party all drew up their weapons, Estellise last of all. The burden of this on her was surely suffocating. She pushed forward, her pace a step slower, the swing of her blade and word of her cast weakened and saddened. She still pressed herself on, following through in the example of the other members of the party, none of whom had wanted to do Belius harm, but all of whom understood her wishes.
The black flames grew brighter and hotter, and Belius yowled, losing control of her body. She swung at them, snarling with one breath and urging their hands on with the other. She returned their attacks nearly blow for blow, scattering them across the battlefield. Yuri was relentless in his attack, aggressively swinging and slicing, firing off arte after arte. Flynn tried to keep up, flanking Belius where there was less chance of getting attacked and more room to do serious damage.
Although large, Belius was fast and as soon as she found Flynn trying to get in a series of attacks, she spun, knocking Yuri into Judith and descending on Flynn in a flurry. He dodged her hands as they swiped at him, claws sharp enough to rip into the metal of his shield as he tried to block her and get in a thrust attack.
She gave him no openings in her fury, but instead of trying to attack, Flynn drew her attention long enough for Yuri and Judith to recover from staggering and get back into the brawl. With Karol moving in on the action, the four of them managed to trap her in between them, sending volleys of attacks whenever she tried to turn her rage one way or another.
They kept hacking away at her, firing off artes and spells. It had seemed as though they were doing little to no damage for a long while, but their persistence paid off. As their attacks appeared to do more, she resorted to more frenzied and relentless assaults. A swipe of her paws would knock several of them away, sending them scrambling to recover as she turned on the remaining party. Even long range attacks were no security. With her massive size, she could reach most of the way across the Coliseum floor and even a speedy distance attacker like Raven had been able to keep away from her for long.
Yuri focused on her midsection, dodging furiously swinging limbs as they came at him. Each of his strikes did a little more to slow her, to take her down a little faster. Flynn tried to do the same as the strategy seemed to be working, and the others followed suit.
She staggered with each blow, and finally, she collapsed, the weight of her body sending a spray of dust up off the stone. As it settled, Flynn could see the black flames that had covered her, that had been driving her with madness, flicker and extinguish. They were left standing around, waiting for another possible round of attacks, everyone breathing heavily and watching closely. Belius did not stand. She could not.
Natz... She stammered, lifting her golden head slightly to look at the man as he approached their position.
"Lady Belius..."
Do not hold a grudge against these people. I knew that this day would come. Her body had begun to break apart with the disappearance of the flames and bits of her floated away in bursts of green aer, dissolving into nothingness.
Estellise couldn't watch. She turned and pressed against Yuri, who wrapped one arm across her back to hold her as she cried into his shoulder. There was something in his eyes that Flynn couldn't place, something strange and different from the cold and stony face he wore. What was he hiding here?
They all watched in quiet reverence as she disappeared, leaving in her wake a large blue-green crystal that floated down into Yuri's hand.
Give this, my cyano ciel crystal, to my old friend Don Whitehorse. Thank you... Her voice of water trailed off and disappeared with the aer that her body had been composed of.
"I...I'm so sorry," Estellise sobbed, pulling away from Yuri and taking the apathetia in both her hands. She cradled it against her bosom, her knees collapsing underneath of her. "I never meant to hurt you..."
"We should get out of here before the knights come back." Even Rita had been affected by the scene they had just witnessed, and wiped the corner of her eye.
"Come on, Lady Estellise." Flynn hooked a hand under her arm and knelt. He wanted to give her a chance to recover and mourn, but Rita was right. The knights or the Hunting Blades could return at any moment, and with the state of things here, Palestralle was on the verge of destruction. But there was nothing more they could do save return to Dahngrest and explain the situation to the Don.
She wretched her arm away from him roughly, curling into herself. "Just leave me here. I'm no good to anyone. I really am a poison..."
"Yuri, what are you doing?" Karol asked and Flynn turned his head just in time to witness the collective shock of the group as Yuri raised his sword and slid the blade across his forearm, cutting himself deep enough to sever veins.
He dropped his arm to his side, his face not showing a single trace of pain as blood gushed from the wound in a wave of red down his arm.
She looked up, her green eyes still red with tears, and was just as shocked by the display as everyone else had been. She was on her feet in a hurry, instinct pushing her as she grabbed his injured arm and began casting. As the light of her power touched the wound, the flesh began to knit itself neatly back together, leaving a dark, shiny scar where it had once been.
"What is wrong with you?!"
"See? You're not a poison."
She stared at him in silent shock for a moment before wiping her eyes. "Thank you."
"Sir Natz!" A Palestralle soldier burst in through the ruined Coliseum door and fought his way past piles of rubble to get to them.
"What is it?" Natz took a ragged breath, holding back tears of his own as he turned.
"The Imperial Knights are swarming the city! They have the harbor blockaded and are demanding our immediate surrender."
The determination on Natz's face showed that he had no intention of surrendering, even with the Duce of Nordopolica gone. "Rally the others. We will drive the Imperial scum from our city if it costs us our lives." He turned to them as the soldier ran off. "Please leave this place."
"Wait, let us help you," Estellise said.
"This is Palestralle's fight. Go back to Dahngrest."
They didn't argue further, and instead fled the hollowed ruins of the Coliseum. The streets of Nordopolica were packed with Imperial Knights, and they were forced to fight immediately.
They cut through the knights, dashing as quickly down the streets at they could manage. Side roads and back alleys were far from a useful strategy now, and although they had just expended so much strength in defeating Belius, their fight was far from over.
The battle ridden road let them finally to the docks, where the Heracles was casting its dark shadow over the ships bobbing at the piers. Imperial war ships were closing in on the harbor quickly, but that didn't deter Yuri from jumping on deck, shouting at Tokunaga to get the anchor up. As soon as the others were on deck, he was issuing orders to them as well.
"Flynn, get the rigging. Karol, Estelle, man the rudder. Rita, get the engine running, full blast. Raven, Judy, keep 'em off of us." He took over getting the anchor out of the water and let Tokunaga take the helm.
"What about me?" the blond young man who had been drug along behind them asked.
"Stay out of the way!"
As soon as the anchor was up and the engine roaring to life beneath Rita's care, Yuri was scrambling to get the sail open. The Fiertia sputtered and skipped across the waves as the makeshift crew got the ship turned and moving toward the open ocean.
Flynn's hands quickly became scraped raw from the rough rope while tugging and tying in accordance with the ship's movements, but he didn't stop. He pushed back the fatigue lingering in his head and his extremities. They still had to make it out of the harbor before they could rest. The light on top of the Heracles that was flickering warned them that they wouldn't have long to do it. If the canon was preparing to fire and they were still in the mostly blocked off harbor, they would be easy targets.
The Fiertia swerved, narrowly avoiding two warships that threatened to crash into it, and skipped past them to a small space between the Heracles and another ship. Flynn found himself dashing across the ship endlessly, from bow to stern, lending his strength in wherever necessary, between helping with the helm or the rudder, adjusting the sails, or even aiding in the ship's defense. They had managed to barely scrape through the opening, nearly losing their mast in the process. Once past the barricade, they had clearer sailing, no obstacles to dodge, and used their small size and speed to their advantage to put as much distance between themselves and the occupied city of Nordopolica. Standard warships had a wide turn pattern and a slow speed, but he didn't want to wonder whether or not the Heracles was capable of catching up with them. They were lucky enough to get out of there before it had finished charging the canon.
When they were clear, and could no longer see Nordopolica and the Heracles in the distance, Yuri allowed Rita to drop the ceres blastia engine back to its normal speed. But even with safety, things were far from over.
Yuri seemed calm enough, but he was definitely not. Beneath his pale skin was fiery rage that he occasionally exhibited in small, controlled ways that only Flynn seemed to notice. He tried to smile, but it always felt halfhearted and the somberness of their voyage was holding everyone else back also. As soon as they were safely out of Nordopolica and away from any pursuing forces, he confronted the blond young man who he and Raven referred to as Harry.
"What were you doing in Nordopolica?"
"Who is this idiot anyway?" Rita asked, sitting on the deck and letting Estellise nap leaning against her.
Raven seemed more exasperated than angry with the whole ordeal. "This idiot here is Harry."
"He's Gramps's real grandson."
"Yuri, I can explain..."
"Well, you better start. Gramps isn't going to be real happy when he finds out what happened."
"I received word that Grandfather's friend was in danger, that she was captured by monsters. So I hired the Hunting Blades to go with me to help take care of things."
Yuri passed a hand down his face in frustration, sighing before he asked. "Who was your source?"
"Regaey of Ruin's Gate, so I believed the information to be reliable." Harry would have had no reason to not believe the leader of one of the five Master Guilds on a matter so grave, but he didn't know about what Regaey had done in Nordopolica, and that 'Regaey' had seemed to be merely a disguise.
Yuri spun on his heel and started straight for the cabin.
"Yuri, wait-!"
"Leave him be, Harry." Raven stopped the young man with a hand on his shoulder and after a second of fretting, Harry took a seat once more.
"It... it wasn't supposed to turn out this way." He seemed as downtrodden as everyone else.
"So, what's going to happen now?" Flynn asked.
"Well, since this is a trouble between two guilds, and usually in cases like this, there's only one solution. It might just end up being an eye for an eye." Raven leaned back, looking up. "Either way, it won't be pretty."