That night after dinner, I met Nefaria in the castle courtyard. The only sound in the area was the blacksmith sisters and Malka forging new weapons in the armory while everyone else slept dinner off. We didn't even spend that much on groceries and Cleo's cooking was still fit for royalty. I wondered where she even got her skills.
"You have arrived. Your company has been most helpful to me and Nidhogg. I am thankful," Nefaria smiled lightly as I approached her. Her bow seemed to glow even more sinisterly in the moonlight. I quivered with repulse, "Do not fear"
"I'm sorry?"
"That is your first lesson. Do not fear the dark. Embrace it," Nefaria drew an arrow, nocking it into her bow and aiming to a nearby dummy, "Those with spirits of shadow harness the power of darkness to fell their foes. Blood, fear and death are their allies"
The archer drew back her arrow, "Night of Antiquity!"
Firing the bolt at the target, the arrow exploded into a cloud of shade upon contact. I watched as the shade hovered above the demolished dummy before raining down a maelstrom of black shadow bolts like a rainstorm, peppering it with arrows that seemed to screech on the wind. When the attack ended, there was nothing left but a destroyed dummy and several fading twinkling purple arrows. Not a terrifying attack in concept, but being murdered with no trace of the weapon was a scare enough.
"A concept people are still blind to is that light is good and dark is evil. A world of black and white is hardly a world at all however," Nefaria continued, "Light-spirited people can be evil and dark spirits can be good. It's the individual morality of the person. Do you feel embarrassed by your spirit sometimes, Adrian?"
"... Occasionally," I felt like my spirit was responsible for the bad luck throughout my life. Getting assigned employers like Prince Emile and Leonidas, being branded a traitor for speaking out against said employers, nearly losing my life multiple times and well… the thing that started it all: the illness that has taken my sister and family which forced me to be an Alberian knight. Truth was, I had become to silently hate and fear the spirit the populace shunned "I've been more than embarrassed by it"
"Mm. I see. Alas, it is something you'll live with for the rest of your life," Nefaria's eyes suddenly took on an ageless look, like her life was flashing before her, "You have to learn to let go of your regrets and condemnations in your life. Otherwise, you may never master the darkness"
"... Is it really this complicated? Prince Euden lived in royalty his whole life and yet he mastered his skills in a single day"
"Were you around to see his troubles? The trials he had to take?" Nefaria asked and I bit my lip. I should of known. Captain Leif's training was harsh enough to awaken the spirit in anybody, given they survive enough of it. It wasn't a surprise Euden's fiery blood burned bright.
"No. I wasn't" I admitted and Nefaria smiled at my honesty.
"Elemental spirits are manifested, honed and strengthened by moments of conflict and strife. Some take longer than others to grow. Perhaps you are in that category," The archer stroked my cheek gently and I flinched, slightly taken aback by her cold touch, "How much have you suffered, pray tell?"
"... Plenty. More than most others, if I'm being honest"
"Mm, I see. You are a late bloomer then. There is time still left for you to grow," Nefaria drew away her cold hand and pulled out the Nidhogg dragonstone, "Because I am bonded to a shadow dragon, I can awaken the spirit within you slightly. The rest however, is your path to walk"
"Just how do you know all of this stuff, Nefaria?" I asked, "Even by experienced sorcerers and mages, this knowledge is scarce and still lost to the- Oh boy. I'm talking like you now"
Nefaria smirked at my remark, "Anyone who has lived to my age has enough time to unlock any secret of the universe. Why else do you think I'm bonded to the dragon of death?"
"But you look so young. You can't be-" The truth struck me. It sounded absolutely ridiculous, but Nefaria's gaze was gentle. I knew she wouldn't laugh in my face if I got it wrong, "Nidhogg, the dragon of death is bound to you, yet you are alive. However, you are not. Because you are…"
"In truth, I am what you folk call zombies. A resurrected corpse," Nefaria admitted. No wonder she felt so cold. It wasn't just because of the nighttime air. She was literally as cold as a corpse, "I was the former queen of the southern desert nation and I attained my shadow spirit after I came back to life"
"Is that why you're aiding me with my issue?"
"I'm doing so because you asked me first, but indeed. That too," Nefaria nodded, "Back to where we were, Nidhogg helped me strengthen my spirit further when I met him. He could do the same for you now"
"... Is it safe?"
"Nothing comes without risk. All you have to do is walk the rest of the path yourself," Nefaria whispered an incantation and Nidhogg appeared in the nighttime courtyard, radiating death and darkness. Nefaria's words came back to me.
"Don't fear the dark. Embrace it"
"I won't be afraid. I won't run away," I said boldly to the towering dragon, "I'm here right now because I survived everything that happened until now. Darkness, death and suffering won't faze me, because I know I've suffered through worse. Give me your power so I may save my family"
"Touching. Life and death is a cycle not everyone is still accustomed to. Are you prepared for when the worst passes?" Nidhogg asked. The question held an ominous tone to it, but I nodded still, "Very well. Accept my strength, as a fellow shade"
A faint blue light glowed around me briefly as Nefaria withdrew Nidhogg. Just as fast as it appeared, the starlight around me was gone. I didn't feel any stronger physically, but more… confident. Like I was more grounded in reality and the world.
"Congratulations. The first set of your mana circles have been unlocked. The rest is up to you," Nefaria said flatly as the light resembling Nidhogg faded back into her dragonstone. The ancient queen caught my look of confusion, "Ah, are you not familiar with mana circles?"
"No… I've never heard of such a thing," I shook my head, "What are they?"
"Mana circles are said to resemble a tower five floors high within the human body. Each floor contains ten mana nodes and those nodes can be unlocked to grant new powers to the person" Nefaria explained.
"And how are such nodes unlocked?"
"By experience. The more you fight and the more you stress your elemental spirit, the more nodes that will be unlocked," The ancient queen replied, "That or a certain ritual involving ingredients lost to time…"
"Like…?"
"Greatwyrm dragon scales, orbs of elemental energy, parchments detailing ancient codes for knights and champions and of course, pure mana," Nefaria listed off, "Gathering all of that is a trial on its own. People find it best to unlock the nodes manually"
"I see…" I frowned. We had a Greatwyrm in our entourage in the form of Midgardsormr. Perhaps he could lend us his scales if we asked? But I suspected scales of the Windwyrm wouldn't work for a shadow elemental like I was, "Well, thank you for everything Nefaria. I must be off to bed"
"Wait, if not for a second," Nefaria grabbed my shoulder, stunning me. The cold touch of the dead queen froze me in my tracks, "Is it not wise to test your new power? Prithee, do not make me and Nidhogg's efforts go to waste if you don't use it"
"Yes… you're right. I was just drowsy" I shook my head and grabbed a training lance. I took a stance against a training dummy, listening to the nighttime winds howling.
"Calm yourself. Envision the spirit of darkness as part of you. Manifest it unto your weapon" Nefaria instructed and I nodded, closing my eyes to concentrate.
"Do not fear death and misfortune. Embrace it. Those are your powers," I muttered to myself before hearing a crackling sound behind me. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and saw purple flames dancing on the edge of my spear.
"Now is your chance. Bring it to its final resting place" Nefaria encouraged and I arched my eyes to my target, ready to leap.
"Luna Breaker!"
I jumped, slamming the fiery end of my weapon onto the dummy, erupting it in a brief explosion of umbra flames. The bonfire burnt the remains of the demolished dummy to ash and I watched in awe as the shadow flame faded from my spear. My lance had nary a scratch on it. I did it. I finally unleashed a skill.
"... It's not enough. Prince Euden and the others already mastered their second skills. I need more-" Nefaria touched my shoulder, freezing me. Even though she touched me only a minute ago, it stunned me in my tracks, "Nefaria?"
"Prithee, do not exert yourself. What do need is rest," The ancient queen reprimanded, "You have a task to undertake tomorrow morning, do you not? Is best that you sleep now, lest you regret it later"
"Right… I'll continue to hone my skills later. Thanks again, Nefaria," I bowed to the archer out of respect before walking back into the now-empty castle. I found my way back to my room and the instant my head hit the pillow, I was out. I didn't realize how tired using Luna Breaker for the first time made me.
"Wonder what I should… name the second… one…" I yawned and closed my eyes, letting the peaceful darkness around me claim me in slumber.
…
The next day, the group we had prior to arriving in the Halidom set off back to the Alberian capital city. I learned along the way that Ezelith decided to stay awhile and hold the castle while Ku Hai and Roc set off back on their travels. Nefaria and Nidhogg stayed as well, stating that they wanted to observe the castle more. Rodrigo stayed as well, stating he needed to find a way to repay us for letting him stay the night.
"Hmm…", Euden looked lost in thought as we exited Rovetelle and made our way back down the Mistholt, backtracking the original way we got there. I figured he was still troubled by the events from yesterday.
"What's the matter, Your Highness?" Elisanne asked, noticing Euden's discomfort too. The prince flinched in surprise slightly before regaining his composure.
"It's… it's nothing. I'm just thinking about Zethia and my imposter father yesterday. Who were they and what did they want with the Sacred Shard?" Euden asked aloud, "No ordinary fiend is powerful enough to resist the power of a shard, so who were they?"
"I'm certain the real King Aurelius would know the answer," Elisanne reassured, "And he can help get the Auspex back, along with punish the imposter"
"Yes… I'm sure he will" Euden smiled lightly and we pressed on, approaching the royal highway that passed through Myriage Lake. Me and Euden originally departed from here when we got our assignment, yet it felt so long ago now, with everything that happened. Yet still, Myriage Lake looked no different. A relatively peaceful body of water surrounded by sylvan villages.
"Blegh... Finally! We've nearly made it back to the royal city," Notte panted, "The Halidom is so far away from here, it's crazy!"
"We have to hurry. Every moment we delay is a moment Zethia suffers," Euden urged, already dashing ahead to the gates. However, Ranzal held him back, "What is it?"
"Hold on. We got soldiers incoming," The mercenary pointed to the crowd of soldiers emerging from the capital's gate, "Maybe a little welcomin' party for Euden?"
"I don't think so. That banner they're flying isn't Alberia's" Elisanne said uneasily and I looked up to the flag the battalion toted. The flag depicted a blue horned shield with a trident behind it. On the shield was a serpent coiled over a spiral, as if the snake was crushing the entire world. It was a far cry from Alberia's free, red dragon sigil banner.
"I recognize that standard... That's the banner of the Dyrenell Empire!" Cleo gasped, "But how is that possible? They were defeated centuries ago!"
The army caught up to us and a man with familiar white and black armor took the front. He had short, spiky brown hair and a stoic expression on his face. He was the legendary White Sparrow of the Alberian knights and both me and Euden's teacher: Captain Leif.
"Captain Leif, what are you doing here? What's Alberia flying Dyrenell's colors for?" I asked worriedly and Leif hung his head in shame.
"Ah, I feared word hadn't reached you yet. I'm sorry to bring this news to you but…" Leif's head rose and his expression hardened again, "Alberia has fallen"
"What?! By whom?" Euden cried in surprise.
"By King Aurelius. Our land has been given a new name: the Dyrenell Empire" Leif replied with a grave tone.
"What?! But that… that's the name of the evil empire that was destroyed three centuries ago!" Elisanne cried in surprised, "How did they-"
"We're a kingdom, Leif. Not an empire. Please just tell me what happened," Euden's tone turned deadly serious and Leif nodded in response.
"It's your father. He… he has changed ever since he came back from the Binding Ruins. Delphi and I have tried to stop him, but to no avail. And now we live to regret it," Leif looked around himself to make sure nobody was listening, even though an entire Alberian battalion was behind him, "King Aurelius has abandoned our charter of peace and declared war on the rest of the world. You cannot stay here, Your Highness. Get as far away as you can!"
"Leif, what are you so scared of?" Notte asked worriedly.
"Just hurry and go!" Leif looked around himself again, sweat beading down his forehead, "Before he finds you and-"
"Well, well. If it isn't Prince Miscreant in the flesh!" A smug, confident voice cut through the air and the Alberian battalion made way for a man with brown hair, wearing a black and purple coat lined with fur by the top. The legendary shadow sword Dainsleif laid in his scabbard. His posture and voice made him seem like a jokester and not a threat, but I knew exactly how good he was. The chief of the Alberian capital guard, Harle. Said to be equal to Captain Leif, "How fortunate for us to meet here. I thought I'd have to scour the entire kingdom for you!"
"Who are you calling a miscreant, Harle?" Euden asked in surprise and Harle's eyes went wide before he rested his hand over his forehead, grinning lightly.
"Oh dear! Oh dear dear dear," The swordsman shook his head, "Has no one warned you about the precarious position you're in?"
"That sneer, that haughty bearing, that way he keeps saying "dear..." Everything about him turns my stomach," Elisanne grumbled impatiently, "State your point and be done with it, cur! We've not time for the likes of you"
"Elisanne! Peace please!"
"Hey, hey, I agree with her here," Ranzal chimed in, "This guy's a chump and a half. Can you just tell us what's going on already?!"
"Oh, I'll tell you alright. You are ALL in the service of a criminal, which makes you all complicit!" Harle intoned and all of us gasped in horror.
"Of what crimes?!" Cleo cried.
"Oh, ALL of them! Unleashing fiends upon the royal city, kidnapping dear Princess Zethia-"
"We didn't do that! It was an impos-" Euden interrupted, but Harle cut him off.
"Nuh uh uh. You can explain all of that to your cellmate. After all, you two will have a lot of time to know each other," Harle drew his blade, 32 inches of glistening darkness webbing the air, "Guards, arrest them all!"
"Stop! This is a mistake! I demand to speak to my father!" Euden cried in desperation as the guards moved in to attack. However, another voice called out from behind the crowd, stopping them. I mentally groaned since I recognized the voice. The haughty, self-righteous, poor hypothetical son of a fiend Emile. My former employer who almost had me killed for speaking against his idotic orders.
"Ha! That's never going to happen, you stupid twit!" Emile stepped onto the scene, his blonde hair tousled like usual and his expensive green and white outfit glittering in the sunlight. A clear, but transparent show of his lack of wealth and power. The blade at his side was nothing like Harle's Dainsleif or Leif's Zex's End. Just a cheap Featherblade, "Your father was one who ordered you to be taken in!"
"Emile?! Father would never do that! The man you think is Father is an imposter!" Euden backed away from the approaching crowd of soldiers, desperately pleading to Emile and Harle while Leif looked on, helpless "Open your eyes, Brother!"
"Ah-ah-ahhh! You're still talking, and criminals don't get to talk," Emile looked to the soldiers around him and his face soured, "...Guards! What are you waiting for?! Seize them! NOW!"
"You metal-plated pond scum. How dare you raise your weapons to your own prince!" Elisanne roared and struck an approaching Alberian soldier, taking him down. However, she was met with five more lances and she took a hard blow to the arm, "Gah!"
"Prince? All I see is a traitor. And if the traitor is smart, he will lay down his sword at once" Harle threatened, ''Otherwise, we can make this a whole lot more painful for the rest of you"
"TACTICAL GALE!"
"Huh?!" The Alberian soldiers only got a second to look in the direction of the voice before blasts of wind threw them off their feet and onto the ground dazed. Harle, Leif and Emile managed to stand, but were completely stunned in shock.
"Go! I'll catch up with you guys!" I heard Ku Hai's voice yell as he drew his sword and engaged the soldiers starting to get up while Roc did the same. Ranzal took that cue to run off onto the boardwalk spanning over Myriage Lake and we did the same. Behind me, I could hear the sounds of fighting, swords clashing and winds roaring in challenge as Roc screeched, drunk with battle. The first time I saw a real dragon in combat and I was being hunted as a fugitive.
"Dammit! Fiends are here!" Ranzal slammed his axe into a line of fiends that jumped out of the water, opposing us, "I'll lead the charge! Euden, stay behind. Your fire spirit is going to do no good here!"
"What? Why?!" Suddenly, a goblin fiend leaped out of the lake and fell onto Euden. The prince swung blindly and cleaved the fiend's arm off, but it powered through somehow and clonked Euden on the head, giving him a nasty bruise. I finished the job with a stab through the neck as Cleo healed Euden, "Oh… that's why"
"Yeah, these fiends seem to be water-attuned. Me with my wind spirit does best here!" To show an example, another row of fiends appeared to challenge us, with two magical "Marine Gobmancers" teleporting in. Ranzal threw a whirlwind with Tornado Bash and completely demolished them instantly, "See? You can leave everything to me!"
"Your Highness, stay in the middle of us! We may not have the elemental advantage like Ranzal does, but we're faring better than you are!" Elisanne impaled a blue fiend bird swooping down from the air, "Let's get to that village on the other side of the lake and get some help!"
"Right. Come on, everyone! Go, go!" Ranzal cleaved through another line of fiends with a wide swing. The boardwalk we were on provided an easy chokepoint, but we were at risk of being trapped between fiends and the Dyrenell battalion. All we could do was keep moving while hoping Ku Hai survived and kept the army down for long enough.
"There's a big water troll up ahead! Let's be quick about it!" Cleo called and the massive ogre-like troll roared, raising it's club to smash us to paste. Ranzal ran up to it, projecting Storm Wall to deflect the blow.
"Here we go! Have a piece of Ranzal!" The mercenary ripped away at the massive troll's legs with Tornado Bash while Cleo's shadow magic rained upon it from above. The troll fell quickly, shaking the boardwalk as it dissolved into dark mana. Before it was completely gone however, I saw arrows glistening off the remnants of the troll's face. That was odd. Nobody here had a bow.
"No imperial is moving unless they want an arrow in their face!" We turned and saw the same archer I encountered yesterday aiming a bolt at us in her bow. The sylvan archer Eleonora, "You dirty Dyrenellians will pay for destroying my home!"
"Eleonora, wait!" I cried and the archer's eyes widened in surprise as she lowered her weapon, "We're not part of Dyrenell! We're being hunted by them right now and we're not responsible for any attacks on your village. We're not the enemy!"
"You're… you're not? Then who do I fight? Who do I have to kill to avenge my people?!" Eleonora cried, blind with rage. Ranzal slowly pointed to behind her and I saw dozens of Imperials in hot pursuit on Ku Hai, who was riding away on Roc like a mount. The dragon was covered in blood, both her own and the enemy's, "There!"
"Eleonora, no! There's too many-" I tried to stop her, but she already ran off in a mad dash to help Ku Hai. Elisanne tugged me along as the village came within reach. The sound of fighting behind us grew more and more distant as we left Ku Hai and Eleonora behind.
"You knew her?" Cleo inquired, curious, "I thought sylvans don't interact much with humankind"
"I met her and Rodrigo while fiend hunting yesterday," I replied, "She helped me harvest materials to make new weapons and even gifted me a wyrmprint"
"Ah. I see. Hopefully she remains safe," Cleo turned to Euden, who still looked relatively distraught, "Your Highness, shall we rest for a bit? You look terrible"
"Yeah, cheer up!" Ranzal slapped Euden's back. Luckily, the fiend assault has winded down now that we were approaching civilization, "Sure, the kingdom's turned into an evil empire and our lives have all basically been ruined, but whenever I feel low, I look up at the clouds and remember I don't have to be blue. That's the sky's job!"
"Ugh. I think you need to dig a little deeper for words of inspiration" Elisanne groaned and the mercenary spread his hands, surprised.
"Aw come on! It wasn't that bad!"
"Don't worry everyone. I'm fine," Euden shook his head, shining a weak smile, "I just wish we had some sort of plan. Should we find a way back to the Halidom to fortify ourselves or find a way to confront Father? I've never been so lost before…"
"Halt!" Another sylvan archer dropped down from a nearby tree in front of us, aiming his bow directly at Euden's head. We pointed our weapons at the assailant in challenge, "If you're smart, you won't move a muscle, because I never miss"
"Wait a moment, it's another sylvan!" Notte gasped, "And he's seriously hurt too!"
The fairy wasn't kidding. The archer was bleeding all over the place from gaping wounds in his chest, arms and legs. He looked like he picked a fight with a herd of cats wielding knives. It didn't help that the only "armor" he had was a shirt that barely covered up to his abdomen. One stab through the guy's stomach and he was done for.
"I think it's safe to assume a sylvan would never do Harle's bidding. Easy, friend," Elisanne walked over to help the sylvan stand. He could barely hold up his bow anymore and easily accepted Elisanne's aid, "You're about to keel over here"
"Nngh... You imperial vermin did this! You and your dragons!" The archer spat hatefully, but his eyes were starting to droop from his injuries.
"Dragons?!" Euden suddenly looked very worried, "Don't tell me Emile unleashed Mercury…"
"I'd never have lost to them if they'd fought fair!" The archer snarled as his legs began to wobble "I'd still have my little sister, and you wouldn't see...a scratch on me…"
And with that, the sylvan slumped in Elisanne's arms, out cold.
"So what are we going to do with him? He's convinced we're his enemies and will probably kill us buutttt he's out cold," Ranzal frowned and looked to Euden, who was looking at Cleo, "We're healing him, aren't we?"
"Yes. I need to know if Emile has truly invoked his pact dragon. We can't just leave him here," Euden looked ahead and behind him, looking for enemies, "Cleo, can you heal him?"
"Of course," The sylvan healer rose her rod into the air, muttering an incantation, "Elder Cure!"
A spark of green light glittered over the archer's body, washing over him and healing most of his wounds. Because Cleo's healing was weaker than Zethia's however, several cuts and bruises still remained. Still, he should wake up soon.
"I'll go back and see if I can find Ku Hai and Eleonora," I decided. We were already taking a break waiting for the archer to wake up, so I might as well make it productive. Euden nodded, making me promise to not go too far. I walked back onto the boardwalk, my hands clung tightly to my weapons. The new Mailbreaker and Ensorcelled Sword I got were finely-forged, but I still felt ill-confident with everything that has happened.
"Am I doing the right thing siding with the prince?" I murmured to myself once I was alone. I only joined along with his quest to curry favor with a good noble and raise my paycheck. Now I'm part of a small fugitive group running away from the empire, "Should I jump ship and work in the empire? Euden's force won't last long and I could ensure my survival…"
I looked behind me, where I could barely make out shapes heading towards us. Ku Hai and Eleonora probably, "I still have Alberian knight armor, so I could probably pass easily for a common soldier. Hmm…"
"Adrian!" Eleonora called when she and the swordsman reached me. The trio was covered head to toe in blood, although the sylvan archer still held a visible scowl and primal rage. Ku Hai simply looked winded.
"We took out most of the Dyrenell battalion, but that shadow swordsman and the prince gave me and Roc a surprisingly tough fight. We only got out safely because Eleonora here nearly shot them in the head," Ku Hai gestured to the bloody sylvan archer while he recalled Roc into it's dragonstone, "I had to drag her back with me though. More Dyrenell soldiers were on the way"
"And I could of killed them all if you didn't hoist me onto the dragon," Eleonora growled, fuming, "Two arrows for two dastardly heads and this whole mess would be over"
"Dyrenell is composed of more than just those two. Surely you understand that," Ku Hai replied, wiping the sweat off his brow, "Anyways, we're here now and shook the enemy off our tail"
"Fantastic. We should be able to rest easy for a little bit then," I nodded, "Right now, we're resting while a fallen sylvan archer recovers. Come and get healed from Cleo"
"Another sylvan?! Bring me to him!" Eleonora demanded, her ears jerking up. It was cute, the way her white ears twitched, "It could be a survivor of my village!"
"Possibly. Come on, he's right over here"
Our team:
- Adrian, Yearning Freedom - Shadow lance. Level 13
Equipment: Mailbreaker, Ensorcelled Sword (Weapons) and Alberian Banner (WP)
Skills: Luna Breaker
- Ku Hai, Rambling Blade - Wind sword. Level 17
Equipment: Grassrunner (Weapon), Howling Predator (WP) and Roc (Dragon)
Skills: Soaring Flicker and Keen Blade
- Eleonora, Curious Archer - Wind bow. Level 14
Equipment: Proof of the Wind (Weapon) and Crown of Yore (WP)
Skills: Viper Bolt and Vendetta Arrow
The "Our team" section was starting to get long with everyone joining in alongside the main cast, so I'm shortening it down to just Adrian + secondary adventurers. Anyways now we're entering the in-game chapter two, where things are really starting to boil within Alberia and for Euden's party. This series might take a bit of a break as I need to get back to other fanfics I put off in favor of this, but soon, it shall return. If you want to be notified of when a new chapter comes out, favorite and follow. If you want to give constructive criticism, leave a review. Until next time!