A/N: Hello guys! I bring to you all the new update to the story. Sorry for the 2 week delay.
Now then, let's get to responding to them reviews!
Dimdy3019: Indeed, anyone would actually lose their sanity if they go through what Ludger did. Ludger will go crazy if he continues pushing himself
Demons Anarchy of Pride: I'm sorry D: I didn't mean to rip out your heart T_T
F-ckthesystem125: Ah indeed "Elize" and Jiao could have talked for one last time but I felt "Elize" would want to use the little time she had left to impart Elize with advice. After all, Elize is the "future" so fractured "Elize" will want to make sure Elize has no regrets
Grayjack72: Yup! That was the sentence to seal the deal that Ludger and Julius are no longer brothers in the prime dimension
Jakezero: Well I'm glad to see that you enjoyed the chapter. Yes, I wanted to display each characters talk with their fractured selves, because it was like the "future" talking to their "past" and telling them what they should do :)
Zeref-the-black-Mage: Well... every fractured dimensions end it with it being destroyed so... yeah :S
P-bomb: Ah, I'm honoured to have inspired your friend. However from seeing your outline, I'm rather concerned. I mean you're having Ludger and the cast having so much powers (Great Spirits linking with them) with no balance. If the characters are going to be overpowered, it won't be too interesting for readers.
-For example, Ludger having the Chromatus level 5 in this story cannot be used too frequently as it will damage the seal Chronos placed on his pocket watch. But in the end, it's your friends story so you HAVE my permission to go for your story :3
Ace101Mega: It's okay... let the tears out.
-Ah well they didn't have a lot of time so fractured "Rowen" just wanted to impart the important stuff to Rowen, lol
Roxas Blaze: Oh god, the hymn of proof is such a beautiful song and listening to it, I still have feels T_T
-Nah I'm sticking with the idea thta Ludger and Julius are no longer brothers. That part of the story was solidified at chapter 1, hehe
-Yup the fractured selves giving their final advise is like the "future" talking to the "past". That's what I wanted to show.
-Sure, no problem! Editor has been a huge help in making the story better presented, so I'm very thankful for her hard work :D and I can't help if I have to write tear-jerking moments in the story since it has to flow that way, hehehe
Ryuu von Einzbern: Haha, well I definitely like most of the ToX/ToX2 cast, I jsut can't pick a favorite . But Ludger and fractured Milla are definitely in my top list, hehe
-Yup the fractured selves giving their final advise is like the "future" talking to the "past". That's what I wanted to show.
-Aye, there's not gonna be any "feels" chapter for some time to come. The fractured dimensions arc took out a lot from me for me to set up, lol
ElementalSoldier9819: They'll end up back in Rieze Maxia, as you will find out in this chapter :)
Yami no Nokutan: I'm surprised you spent all 4 hours to read it in one-session xD
-Nice to meet a fellow ToX fans. If you think there's anyone who'd enjoy my story, do spread the word :D
Tales Fan: I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings :(
-Glad you enjoyed the story although I'm sorry for making you hurt from the chapter XD (man that emoticon doesnt sound like I'm sorry)
Project Yota-Hachi: Hehe, I haven't heard from you in a while. It's nice to see you're still keeping up with the story
-I was originally planning to make Ludger and "Julius" fight but then I felt there was no point for them fighting. So I scrapped that idea (and yes, I caught your joke xD)
-Oh this story has always been a Milla x Jude ship, but the progress has been rather slow, I admit.
-Elle won'[t meet up with the team for some time because the schism is still intact. You'll just have to be patient
-Well Gilland's in his own fractured dimension so unless Ludger goes to his fractured dimension, Gilland's going to live
-Oh thanks for the update. I'll be sure to check your latest chapter(s) :3
Well that's it for responding to reviews. I hope you guys will enjoy this new chapter and do let me know your thoughts of the new chapter or how the story is coming along. Till next time!
CHAPTER 49: AFTERMATH
Steiner wanted to return to his room and be with his wife, but he could not help but shake the feeling that something was wrong – as if something terrible was about to happen. It was like waiting for a falling glass to hit the ground and shatter. In the end however, he decided that there was no point worrying about something he doesn't even know. He made his way towards his room.
He arrived at the door of his room and reached for the doorknob, but a sound stopped him. It sounded like a glass cracking. At first, he thought he imagined it, but he heard it again. He looked behind him, thinking it was his daughter Lara, but he was alone. Again, the sound of cracking occurred. And another.
"Is someone there?!" Steiner demanded in the shadows of his home.
Steiner then noticed a visible crack, but the weird thing was that the crack was on the air. Then more cracks started appearing until his whole surroundings had visible cracks. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, the whole place shattered into a million pieces – only an empty, dark void was before him. His home, his wife, and daughter have all disappeared.
Unknown to him, this was because the fractured dimension was destroyed by Ludger Kresnik. He and everyone else were returning to the prime dimension.
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Just outside the gates of Fennmont, Julius Bakur has finally returned from Sharilton with Driselle of House Sharil, followed by the group of Rashugal soldiers that accompanied Julius. They entered Fennmont through the Bernauer Highroad, which instantly brought them to the central plaza. From here they could see Orda Palace.
"Come, I'll bring you to your brother." Julius said to Driselle. He walked ahead until he noticed Driselle wasn't following him. She looked troubled. "Miss Sharil? What's wrong?"
Driselle looked up at Julius, "I… I'm just worried about the people at Sharilton. I shouldn't have left. They need me and -"
"Don't worry, your city and people are safe." Julius assured, "I made sure I left no enemies alive."
"Even so, I shouldn't have abandoned my people. They need me to help organize the repairs, to look after the injured." Driselle argued.
"You aren't abandoning your people." Julius corrected, "You're targeted by those soldiers because they know you'd be a valuable hostage. I'm sure the citizens of Sharilton will understand that this is for your own safety. Even your brother asked to bring you here where it's safe."
Driselle had more to say, but she knew that Julius would simply find other reasons to justify taking her from Sharilton. And Julius's reasons did make sense. It was simply far too dangerous for her to remain at Sharilton, but even so, she was still worried for the people. It was a common trait that she and her brother shared: their love for the people. But Cline had called for her safe retrieval to him and now she was at Fennmont, the capital of Rashugal.
As Julius led the way towards Orda Palace, Driselle then realized she had never met or seen Julius before. If he was an elite soldier working under her brother, she'd have known of him.
"Why did my brother ask you to save me? I've never seen you before, so how do you know him?" Driselle asked.
Julius took a short moment before he answered, "I'm looking for someone, and your brother promised me he'd help if I rescue you from Sharilton. That's all really."
Driselle sensed that Julius wasn't going to give more information than that and ended the conversation between the two.
With no one to talk to, Driselle was now captivated at the sight of Orda Palace. After all, this was the first time she had been to Fennmont She had only heard tales of how magnificent the palace was. Even the night clime of Fennmont fascinated her. She only wished that her coming to this city was on better circumstances.
After a short while, Julius and Driselle entered Orda Palace and moved to climb up to the fourth floor, where the audience chamber was located. The Rashugal soldiers that accompanied Julius separated, probably to return to the barracks. Only the Rashugal captain followed Julius and Driselle as he had to report to Cline the events at Sharilton.
Julius and Driselle finally arrived at their destination, entering the audience chamber. Cline was sitting on the throne but the moment he saw Julius and his sister, he immediately sprang up.
"Driselle!" Cline cried out in relief and moved quickly towards his sister. The moment he reached her, he grabbed her in a tight hug, "I'm so relieved to see you."
Driselle returned the hug, "I'm safe thanks to Julius, brother. If it wasn't for him, your soldiers might have been too late."
Cline ended the hug and turned to Julius, "Thank you for rescuing my sister. You're truly a man of your word."
Julius simply nodded in return. He only did this so that it would make it easier to accomplish his mission.
Now that she was reunited with Cline, she wanted him to attend to an important matter. "Brother, what about Sharilton? Why haven't you returned? You've taken over Fennmont, so the civil war is over right? There's no reason to remain here any longer, right?"
Cline looked at his sister, "It's rather complicated to explain, but for now I can't leave Fennmont. It's the capital city of Rashugal, and the people need my leadership after what we've done when we invaded the city."
"But what about Sharilton?"
"Don't worry, I'm not abandoning my duty to my city." Cline said and then shifted his sight to the Rashugal captain, "Captain, I'd like a report of the situation at Sharilton."
The Rashugal captain delivered a detailed report of the attack on Sharilton by the Elympion army, although at the time they still called them 'foreign soldiers'. Cline and the others still didn't know of the existence of the schism and Elympios after all. Julius also didn't offer to clarify who the Elympions soldiers were.
After the Rashugal captain was done with his report, Cline dismissed him. Cline was pleased to hear that Sharilton didn't suffer too much damage but his sister was right. He cannot remain in Fennmont forever. Sharilton needed him to return, but not yet. Until Rowen and Nachtigal returned, he would remain at Fennmont a little longer.
Before Cline could tell his sister of his plans, Julius decided it was time he reminded Cline of their deal.
Julius cleared his throat, "I've rescued your sister from Sharilton and honored my end of the bargain. Can I expect your help now regarding my request?"
Cline turned to Julius and without a moment of hesitation acknowledged Julius's words. "Yes. You helped protect my city and saved my sister's life. I owe you a great debt. As promised, I'll use whatever resources I can spare to look for the person you're looking for."
Julius's face grew a small smile. He made small progress on his mission.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The last thing Jude, Milla, Alvin and the rest of the party saw of the fractured dimension was Ludger piercing his lance through his brother's chest. After that, their surroundings started to have cracks like broken glass, and suddenly, everything around them broke into pieces. Darkness enveloped them and when light greeted them again, they were in a completely different setting.
The party could feel the comforting ocean breeze blowing against their skin. Behind them, they could see the vast ocean with ships anchored around the dock. It was obvious now that the party had landed up on a seahaven.
"Did it work? Are we back in our world?" Rowen wondered aloud.
"Yeah, we're back in the prime dimension." Fractured Milla answered, "Although I'm not sure exactly where we are."
"This is the Sapstrath seahaven." Alvin revealed to the party.
"How can you be sure of that?" Fractured Milla countered.
"Trust me, I've been a mercenary for a long time and the jobs I've taken required me to travel a lot. So I've frequented Fennmont, Lakutam, Sapstrath and Aladhi seahaven to differentiate between all of them. Right now, we're at Sapstrath seahaven."
Rowen also recognized this as the Sapstrath seahaven and silently agreed with Alvin's testament. Fractured Milla begrudgingly accepted Alvin's claims.
Now that the party was back at the prime dimension, they didn't know what their next move was. This whole time, their objective was to destroy the Lance of Kresnik, which they did successfully before they entered the fractured dimension.
Jude turned to the only person who might have a clue what they should do. "Ludger, what do we do now?"
However, Ludger didn't respond. As a matter of fact, he was still in the same position he was when he destroyed the divergence catalyst earlier. It was almost like he was frozen in place.
Jude took a step towards the young Kresnik, "L-Ludger?"
Ludger still did not respond. He couldn't hear Jude calling him, and fractured Milla knew the cause: he was still trying to cope with the fact that he had to kill his brother again in the fractured dimension.
Even Leia knew Ludger was suffering. When he brought her to her first fractured dimension, Ludger told her he would handle everything – including the guilt and emotional trauma of taking the life of people they know because they were a divergence catalyst. She now understood Ludger's resolve. Even if the catalyst was his brother, Ludger would still do what was necessary to return to the prime dimension.
Ludger still didn't say a word and Jude took another step closer towards Ludger when suddenly, someone else shoved Jude aside, catching the medical student by surprise. The person rushed towards Ludger like a mad bull.
"WHERE'S MY FAMILY?!" Steiner shrieked at the top of his lungs. The whole party was surprised by Steiner's sudden entrance.
"Steiner? Where the hell have you been?" Alvin said with surprise.
"I even forgot he was with us in the beginning." Rowen commented. The whole party had actually forgotten Steiner was with them at the fractured dimension but separated with them at some point, thus avoiding capture.
Steiner ignored Alvin and Rowen's remarks, his focus only on Ludger. "I want an answer! I was with my family when suddenly, everything went black, and I'm back here with the rest of you. WHAT DID YOU DO? WHERE'S MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER?!"
Ludger looked at Steiner and then looked away. He was just not in the right condition to explain to Steiner that the fractured dimension was gone. He needed some time to recover from what happened just a few minutes ago.
Sensing that Ludger would not be able to clarify what happened, fractured Milla stepped up.
"Have you forgotten? Ludger took all of us into a fractured dimension to escape Gilland's trap. Your wife and daughter you were with were from a fractured dimension. Ludger destroyed the divergence catalyst, so we've returned to the prime dimension." Fractured Milla said.
Now, Steiner remembered. As a matter of fact, he was actually excited that he got the opportunity to enter a fractured dimension since as a Chromatus researcher, he only got reports about them. When he was reunited with his family, his mind completely erased the fact that he was in a fractured dimension – a dimension that was bound to be destroyed.
However, Steiner could not accept that. He was finally reunited with his family and even though he knew they were from a fractured dimension, he wanted them back. Fate was cruel to have him meet them only to be taken away again. So in his rage, he threw a fist at Ludger with all his might.
If Ludger was focused, he would have easily intercepted the punch, but because he was not Steiner's blow connected. Ludger felt a fist land on his right cheek, throwing him down to the ground with a visible bruise and a small dribble of blood on his lips.
"GIVE ME BACK MY FAMILY!" Steiner demanded at the top of his lungs. However, Ludger was still too emotionally drained to explain. Steiner moved in for another attack, but Alvin rushed in and grabbed ahold of the man from behind.
"Steiner, calm down!" Alvin said while Steiner continued to struggle against the mercenary's hold on him. When it became apparent Steiner was not going to stop his struggle, Alvin took out the Svent family's golden pistol. "Don't hate me for this."
With enough force, Alvin delivered a sudden thump on the back of Steiner's skull with the back of the golden pistol. Steiner instantly stopped struggling, losing consciousness. Alvin grabbed Steiner's limped arm and placed it around his shoulder, supporting the unconscious man.
"You okay?" Jude asked and offered a hand to Ludger.
Ludger accepted the help and Jude pulled him back to his feet. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Ludger wiped the dried blood on his lips.
"So… what do we do with him?" Alvin asked the group regarding Steiner. He was still being supported by the mercenary, unconscious.
Agria rolled her eyes, "Just put him an inn or something. That useless little prick wasn't even helpful."
"I believe that would be best." Rowen said in agreement.
Alvin chuckled and took the unconscious Steiner to the local inn and checked in a room. Once inside the room, he carefully placed the older man on the bed. The mercenary proceeded for the door, but took one last glance at the unconscious man on the bed. Then, he opened the door and walked out.
While on his way out of the inn to rejoin the party, Alvin still couldn't believe that he and everyone else had completely forgotten that Steiner was with them in the fractured dimension. But considering the events that occurred at the time, they were far too busy to think about Steiner. Besides Ludger confirmed that anyone from the prime dimension would return, even if they were separated.
Once Alvin returned to the party, Gaius had something he wanted to address the party.
"What will you all do now?" Gaius asked the group. He wanted to know because the whole point of them working together was mainly because they both shared one objective – destroying the Lance of Kresnik.
Ludger didn't answer. He knew that the next thing they needed to do was find a way to break the schism, but he was just not in the right state of mind to be the leader of the group. Jude, Milla, and fractured Milla also saw Ludger's condition and decided to give him time to recover. For now, planning their next move was out of the question.
Instead of answering Gaius's question, Jude asked, "Gaius, what do you mean? You make it sound like we won't be working together anymore."
"His highness agreed to work together because we shared a common goal." Wingul spoke in Gaius's place, "The Lance of Kresnik has been destroyed. Even the leader of Exodus has been dealt with. There's no more reason to continue to cooperate."
Gaius raised his hand, stopping Wingul from saying anymore, "I must return to Kanbalar. I still have a duty to protect my people, and I do not take my responsibilities lightly. But don't misunderstand. I believe there are still unresolved issues that will require us to work together. So when the time comes, find me at Kanbalar and I will do what I can to help." Gaius then eyed the party, "Before we leave, is there any amongst you who wish to follow us back to Kanbalar?"
Gaius gave the offer thinking none of them would take it up, but Elize was actually considering Gaius's proposal. This was because Elize made one promise to fractured "Elize": to find out more about her family's past and to grow closer with Jiao. Fractured "Elize" revealed that a year ago, Jiao sacrificed his life at Fezebel Marsh for the sake of everyone. Fractured "Elize" never got the opportunity to ask Jiao about her parents. Also she could tell that Jiao deeply cared for fractured "Elize" as if she was his own daughter.
However, because of Ludger's entering the past and interfering with events, Jiao was still alive. Fractured "Elize" told Elize that thanks to Ludger, she could live a much happier life. With that promise made, Elize wanted to not only find out about her family from Jiao but try to befriend the large man.
Gathering her courage and clutching Teepo tightly against her chest, Elize stepped up, "Um… I-I'd like to join. I-Is that okay?"
Gaius, the Chimeriad and everyone else in the party was surprised by Elize's decision.
"E-Elize? You want to go with his highness?" Leia asked.
Elize gave a slight nod.
"Elize, are you sure this is what you want?" Jude asked. He was rather concerned about this.
Again Elize nodded, "Y-Yes. I'd like to travel with them back to Kanbalar." Teepo then added, "And there's nothing the rest of you can say to change our minds!"
Elize shifted her gaze to Gaius, waiting for his approval. Gaius assumed that if anyone wanted to join him and the Chimeriad back to Kanbalar, it would be one of the older members of the party. Elize however was still a child, so he was rather unsure how to respond to this.
Wingul voiced out his concern to Gaius, "Is it wise to let her come with us? We don't really have time to look after a child."
Agria was in agreement with this, "Yeah! I don't like the idea of having to babysit a brat like her."
Presa remained neutral, not offering what she thought. Gaius considered what Wingul said and was thinking that it would be best to reject Elize. But just as he was about to verbally reject Elize, he remembered the advice his fractured-self gave him.
"My advice to you is that while a King must be alone, having a few close companions is necessary for a human. You are no exception."
Gaius had always treated all members of the Chimeriad as subordinates and nothing more. However unknown to him, the Chimeriad have always seen Gaius as not only their King but as a friend. Fractured "Gaius" said he regretted discovering the truth too late and how things could have been different if he and the Chimeriad were friends.
Gaius took one quick glance at Jiao and remembered how much the large man cared for Elize. He doesn't know what history Jiao and Elize share together but even now, he could tell that Jiao wanted Elize to come along. After all, it had been too long since Jiao last spoiled the little girl with little gifts or snacks.
A small smile crept up on Gaius. To honor fractured "Gaius's" advice, this was his first step in trying to create a bridge to form a bond with the Chimeriad.
"It's fine. The girl can come with us." Gaius finally said. He then turned to Jiao, "Jiao, the girl will be your responsibility. I am assigning you this duty."
A big smile grew on Jiao's face but that only lasted a moment before he turned serious. "I understand, your highness." Jiao turned to Elize and offered his hand, "Come child. You're under my care now."
Elize cheerfully ran to Jiao and grabbed Jiao's hand. With the difference in size between the two, it was almost like a scene of a father doting on his precious baby girl. Jiao looked at Jude and gave a nod of thanks at the medical student. Jude understood the meaning and returned the nod. This was in reference to the time at Fezebel Marsh when Jiao thought he was going to die, he made the medical student promise him he would take care of Elize. Now Jude was free from that promise.
"So the little brat's back with us. It's almost like we're back at square one. Ugh…" Agria grunted in annoyance.
So it was confirmed that Elize would be travelling with Gaius and the Chimeriad back to Kanbalar. Just as Gaius was about to say something, Alvin spoke up.
"Actually I'll follow them back to Kanbalar too." Alvin said and started making his way towards the Chimeriad.
"Alvin?!" Jude cried out in surprise. Leia, Milla and fractured Milla were rather taken aback as well.
"I've got some unfinished business I need to deal with Wingul. That's why I'll be going with them."
Wingul raised an eyebrow when he heard Alvin's reason, "What are you talking about? What business?"
"I still haven't received my payment back when I was still working under you guys." Alvin replied, "You remember, right? I was supposed to deliver the Lord of Spirits Maxwell to your doorsteps, which I did. However, I never got my reward for it."
Now, Wingul remembered. Alvin betrayed Jude and Milla at Kanbalar when they met Gaius for the first time. After Jude and Milla were imprisoned, Alvin wanted information as his payment instead of gald. He wanted to know about Elize and what happened at the booster research facility several years ago. Since Wingul was in charge of that project, he offered to tell Alvin everything he wanted to know, but due to Ludger and fractured Milla's arrival at Kanbalar, Wingul failed to give Alvin what he wanted.
Wingul sighed, "You're correct. I never did give you the information you wanted. Very well then, you can come with us."
Alvin smirked and turned to Jude and the party, "Well guys, we'll be going our separate ways. You know where to find me if you need me."
Gaius waited to see if anyone else wanted to follow him but Alvin and Elize were the only ones. Gaius ordered Wingul to get for them tickets to the Lakutam seahaven and Wingul obeyed, making his way for the ticket booth.
While they waited for Wingul to return, Gaius again asked the party, "What will be your next move? You still have not answered me that."
Unfortunately, Ludger still did not respond. Jude and fractured Milla were beginning to be concerned about Ludger's condition. Fractured Milla was especially worried, thinking the latest ordeal might have broken Ludger's mental fortitude.
Since Ludger and Milla did not offer an answer to Gaius, it was Nachtigal that spoke, "I also need to return to Fennmont. Ilbert and I were originally just scouting an Elympion ship that crashed at the Bernauer Highroad, and before we knew it, we got involved in this mess. However… Ilbert, didn't you assign the young Sharilton Lord to watch over Fennmont while we were gone?"
Rowen nodded, "I did. However, we only assumed we would be gone for a short while. I believe we've been away for far too long and we need to relieve Lord Cline from his duty of running Fennmont. I'm worried about him." Rowen paused and was stroking his beard, "Actually, I'm worried about Lady Driselle as well. Do you mind if we stop by Sharilton on the way?"
"Of course Ilbert." Nachtigal then faced Gaius, "Well then, we'll make our way for Fennmont."
Gaius nodded, "Understood. By the way, once you're done with managing Rashugal, I believe we need to rectify the situation between our two countries. After all, we're technically still at war."
"…Indeed." Was all Nachtigal said in response.
Gaius was right. Officially Auj Oule and Rashugal were still at war as they never did call for a ceasefire or for peace. Once Gaius and Nachtigal have settled matters with their respective nations, they would need to officially end the war between the two nations.
After a short while, Wingul returned with six tickets to the Lakutam seahaven. Gaius gave his farewells to the party and turned around, walking towards the ship that would bring them to their destination. Alvin and Elize also waved goodbye to the party and followed Gaius and the Chimeriad.
The party stayed and watched Gaius's group board the ship that would take them to the Lakutam seahaven. The ship soon left the docks, and the party then decided they should make their move for Sharilton.
But just before could get far, Leia remembered something important, "Wait, wait, wait… did Alvin just leave us with his Exodus friend? Uh… what was his name again? Oh, Steiner! Yeah, did he just leave Steiner at the inn and abandoned him?"
The party blinked and realized that Alvin did just do that. "Indeed he did. What do you propose we do?" Rowen asked the party.
Fractured Milla grunted in annoyance, shifting her posture, "Well I don't see the point of bringing him along. He's a civilian and we only took him with us because Alvin wanted to protect him. I think it's best if we leave him here. He can't defend himself so he'll only slow us down."
"Indeed." Rowen said, agreeing with fractured Milla's assessment. While her words were harsh, it bore the ring of truth. Rowen then turned to Milla, "What do you believe we should do?"
Milla thought about it then looked at Leia, "Leia, can you check on Steiner? If he's still unconscious, write him a note explaining what we decided to do."
Leia nodded and headed for the inn. She asked the innkeeper which room Steiner was in and a short while later, opened the door to where Steiner was located. The older man was still out-cold so following Milla's instructions, she found a small piece of paper and began scribbling notes for Steiner to read. On the note, Leia wrote that the whole party decided for Steiner's sake, they left him here as they still had things that needed to be resolved and if he followed the group, his life would be in danger. To conclude the note, Leia wished Steiner the best of luck.
Leia placed the note on the desk next to Steiner's bed and walked out, making her way back to the party. When she returned, she told the party that Steiner was still unconscious and have written a note explaining their decision.
"Now then, shall we make a move for Sharilton?" Rowen asked the party.
"Let's go." Milla replied.
With that, the party left the Sapstrath seahaven, leaving Steiner at the inn of the seahaven. Their destination: Sharilton.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It took the party only a couple of hours to cross through the Sapstrath Highroad. With the occasional monsters attacking them and bandits trying to rob them, there were no other threats on the highroad. And finally the party arrived at the city of Sharilton.
The moment they stepped into the city, Rowen could instantly tell something was wrong. The usual scene of merchants populating the entrance was missing, only to be replaced with the sight of a ravaged marketplace. The roads were damaged with several small craters, most likely explosions that caused it. Also the sight of soldiers busy with repairing the damages and restoring order were all over the city.
"What happened here?" Jude wondered aloud.
"It appears the city was attacked." Milla pointed out and then looked at fractured Milla, "And I believe we know who is the most likely responsible for this."
"…The Elympion army." Fractured Milla said in realization, "Ludger never did destroy all of them. He just distracted them before he joined us to destroy the Lance. They must be the ones to have attacked the city."
Now realizing that it was most likely the Elympion army that attacked Sharilton, Rowen feared the worst and sprang forward. "Lady Driselle! I must see to her!"
Rowen ran through the streets of Sharilton, trying to reach the Sharil Manor as soon as possible. When they finally reached the western district of Sharilton and saw the state of Sharil Manor, Rowen's heart sank. The gates of Sharil Manor had been blown off its hinges and also several spots on the ground around the compound were decorated with dried blood. Rowen's deepest fear was beginning to ring true.
"Sir Ilbert? Is that you?" A voice asked from behind the party.
The party turned to the source of the voice and Rowen instantly recognized the man. It was the commander of the Sharilton guards.
When the Sharilton commander saw that it was indeed Rowen, he continued speaking, "Sir Ilbert, it is you. But aren't you supposed to be with Lord Cline at Fennmont? What are you doing here?"
Rowen ignored the commander's questions, "Commander, what happened here? Who attacked the city? And where is Lady Driselle? Is she okay? Please don't tell me she's-"
"Sir Ilbert, please calm down. I cannot answer if you keep bombarding me with questions."
Rowen took a deep breath, "I… I apologize, commander. I just… never mind. Please, tell us what happened here."
"It was a few hours ago, in the wee hours of the morning. Suddenly these… flying ships appeared and fired upon the city and soldiers descended upon these ships with weapons we have never seen before. The guards did their best protecting the people, but being taken by surprise and not knowing what kind of weapons the enemy was using, we suffered heavy casualties."
The Sharilton commander continued telling Rowen and the party what happened during the attack. While the commander didn't know who the attackers were, the party knew their suspicions were now correct: it was the remnants of the Elympion army.
The Sharilton commander continued, "We couldn't stop them. Soon they reached Sharil Manor and they were targeting Lady Driselle, but just before they could capture her, reinforcements from Fennmont arrived. Lord Cline must have received word of us being under attack. Thanks to them, we managed to defend the city. The flying ship retreated once they realized they lost the battle."
"Where's Lady Driselle now?" Rowen demanded.
"Lord Cline ordered the soldiers from Fennmont to bring her to him. Don't worry Sir Ilbert, Lady Driselle is safe. She should have arrived Fennmont by now."
"Thank goodness…" Rowen said with a great sigh of relief. Hearing the good news, the Conductor suddenly felt exhausted from all the tension.
Of course the party was also relieved to hear the good news but fractured Milla picked something else in the commander's story that troubled her.
"Wait, that can't be right." Fractured Milla argued, "Are you saying the reinforcements from Fennmont were able to drive away the Elympion soldiers?"
"The Elympion soldiers?" The commander repeated in confusion.
"The ones that attacked Sharilton." Fractured Milla explained, "But what you just told us can't be right. No way could ordinary soldiers have defeated the Elympion soldiers – not when they have advanced weapons."
The Sharilton commander could only scratch his head, "I don't know what else to tell you. That's how it happened. No, wait… actually some of my men did say the reinforcements from Fennmont had one skilled warrior leading them and he was the one that defeated most of the enemies. But I didn't see it for myself, so I don't know if it's the truth or not."
That was the only clue the party got regarding how Sharilton managed to fend off the Elympion attack – a supposedly elite soldier within the ranks of the Fennmont army. However, unknown to Ludger and the party, the Sharilton forces that witnessed this soldier was actually elite Spirius agent, Julius Bakur.
"Thank you for the information commander. You may return to your duties." Rowen said gratefully to the Sharilton commander.
"Of course sir." The Sharilton commander saluted Rowen and left.
Now that the party knew Driselle was safe, they would have continued their journey to Fennmont via Fort Gandala – but a loud, growling noise was heard coming from someone. Everyone looked for the source of the sound and realized it was coming from Milla's stomach.
Milla blushed and cleared her throat, "Considering it's already late and we know Driselle is safe, I think we should spend the night at the inn before resuming the journey for Fennmont."
Leia was quick to agree with Milla's suggestion, "Yes! Let's do that! I'm exhausted and my legs are killing me."
Normally Ludger would have offered to cook dinner, but since he hasn't recovered yet, fractured Milla offered, "I guess I'll be cooking dinner for everyone. There are some new recipes I've wanted to try." Fractured Milla then glared at Milla, "And I'm sure you'd like a sample."
Nachtigal however was a little surprised by Milla's suggestion. "Maxwell, why are you still with us? Wasn't your mission as the Lord of Spirits to just destroy the Lance of Kresnik? That goal has been accomplished. What reasons do you have to still travel with us?"
Milla was not expecting that. She now remembered that all this while, she kept telling the party that destroying the Lance of Kresnik was her mission – but this was all during the time when she thought she was the Lord of Spirits. The only ones that knew she was actually a human was herself, fractured Milla and Ludger. The rest of the party doesn't know the truth yet.
"Yes. There's… something I must tell everyone about, but now is not the time. Everyone's tired. Tomorrow, when we're all clear in our heads, I'll tell you all what you need to know."
Nachtigal seemed satisfied with that, thinking Milla simply had another mission as the Lord of Spirits. Unknown to the King of Rashugal, he would soon learn the truth of Milla's identity.
"Come. Let us get some rooms at the inn." Rowen suggested, leading the way back to the commercial district of Sharilton.
The rest of the party followed Rowen. Fractured Milla approached Milla and whispered, "Are you sure you want to tell them the truth?"
"She cannot hide the truth forever." The voice of Efreet spoke, "Sooner or later, she will have to tell them that she isn't really Maxwell."
Milla nodded in agreement, "Efreet's right. 'Milla', thank you for your concern, but we both know that Jude… and everyone else deserves to know."
Fractured Milla didn't respond. Of course, she knew the rest of the party should learn the truth. She just hoped Milla was ready. After all, in her dimension when the villagers learned the truth, fractured Milla could not bear how the villagers started to view her differently.
Milla and fractured Milla walked in silence, following the party from behind.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Several hours have passed since then and after a delicious dinner that was presented by fractured Milla, the party decided to retire for the night. This way they would be able to get an early head start for Fennmont in the morning.
Ludger however was wide-awake, staring blankly at the ceiling above him in the dark. Jude, Rowen and Nachtigal were all sound asleep, with the King of Rashugal snoring rather loudly. It was rather unsightly for a King. After a couple more minutes passed and still unable to sleep, Ludger got out of bed and without making a sound, walked out of the room. He wanted some time to think.
The lobby of the inn was empty and Ludger walked towards the closest window, staring outside. He thought back to the fractured dimension and how it confirmed his suspicions that in this world, he and Julius were no longer related by blood. By taking the life of "Julius" of the fractured dimension, it was basically severing his ties with Julius. That one fact was painful.
"Ludger?" A feminine voice said softly from behind.
Ludger was startled and turned around, finding fractured Milla behind him with a look of concern on her face. "M-Milla? You're still awake?"
"I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to sleep. So I came to check on you." Fractured Milla explained and looked Ludger in the eyes, "Are you okay?"
Ludger forced a fake smile, "Yeah I'm okay now. I just needed some time to think, that's all. I'm sorry for worrying everyone, but it wasn't actually that bad. I mean, I had to kill Julius before in the original timeline and in other dimensions, so the second or third just gets easier. So that's why I…"
Ludger continued talking, but fractured Milla could tell he was just trying to pretend like everything was okay. She walked up to him while Ludger continued talking about things that were completely random. Then when she was within reach, she outstretched both of her hands – and held Ludger in a hug.
"M-Milla?" Ludger cried out in surprise.
"Ludger, you need to let it out." Fractured Milla said with a soothing voice, "Stop holding it in. If not, you won't be able to move forward. If you need to cry, then let it happen. There's no shame in it."
Ludger was stunned by fractured Milla's words. When he heard what she said, his mind started replaying the memories he had shared with his brother. The times they spent while growing up, when Julius would help him train the art of dual wielding, the look of delight Julius had when he prepared tomato omelets and up to the final memory he had when Julius offered his life to be the Soul Bridge.
Tears slowly started to slide down Ludger's cheek and then, he could no longer contain his sadness. As fractured Milla suggested, Ludger stopped trying to put a strong front and released his pent up emotions, crying out loudly and streaks of tears poured from his eyes like a waterfall. He would have collapsed down to his knees while sobbing, but fractured Milla had a tight grip on him, holding him tightly to her chest, feeling his shoulders shake uncontrollably.
"It's okay Ludger… it's okay. Just let it all out." Fractured Milla continued to whisper in Ludger's ear, soothing him like an infant.
This was necessary for Ludger. All this while, he just continued to push forward without ever releasing all his emotions and frustrations. If he continued that way, it would have consumed his mind and break him. It would have been a path that would have made him become like Victor.
Unknown to Ludger and fractured Milla, Jude was watching the whole scene from the corner of the hallway. He awoke just a minute ago and realized Ludger wasn't in his bed. When he went out to search for him, he found Ludger being comforted by fractured Milla.
Seeing Ludger suffering so much emotionally, Jude clenched his fists in frustration. Jude now understood what fractured "Jude" meant when he said he was always powerless to help Ludger. Because when it came to matters that dealt with fractured dimensions and divergence catalysts, Ludger was the only one who could deal with them. And Jude hated that.
"I swear... I will find a way to help you Ludger." Jude said to himself, "I promised the "Jude" of that dimension that I'll find a way. You've suffered enough. I'll find a way to help you."
CHAPTER END
