Hey, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! We have wrapped up the arc involving the recruitment of the team, as we now have our four main heroes! Over the next five chapters, we will also wrap up the arcs involving the first half of the story and I'm really looking forward to it. But that's still to come, so let's focus on what we have here shall we? I want to offer a quick apology for my absence of late. I will explain it more in my note at the end of the chapter. Big thanks to Kristen Verne and soraroxas123 for reviewing!
Chapter 21: Sins of the Father
After a long flight back from Traverse City, the team had sought a moment's relief inside of a tavern on the outer edge of Baron's city limits. Raelyn and Kyan still had their disguises from the prison, and so the chances of being recognized were minimal. Raelyn in particular was eager to get the fake skin and scar off of his face and be back to normal.
At the moment, he, Kyan, Taelor, and Mitchell Scofeld were seated around a table in the back shadows of the tavern. They kept their hoods up and their faces low as a precaution, and spoke little until Drea returned with five mugs in hand. She handed them out and then sat down with a tired sigh. "So where will you go from here?" Raelyn asked quietly, looking over at the tattooed man. Mitchell took a long drink before setting his mug down to answer.
"Honestly, I don't know. I got myself tossed in that prison to break my brother out, but I couldn't save him in time. Someone framed him for a murder he didn't commit, and they wanted him executed as soon as possible," he explained. Drea nodded slightly.
"A man of your skills could surely hunt down those responsible," she observed.
"The orders for my brother's execution came directly from the office of the Council of Sovereigns," Mitchell replied, causing the rest of the group to look at each other in alarm.
"Who on the Council could have wanted your brother dead?" Kyan asked, leaning closer in order to speak more quietly. Raelyn heard the shuffling of feet behind him and glanced around to make sure they weren't being overheard. Two drunken patrons were getting up from the bar and starting to struggle with each other.
"I can't say anything for certain, only that the papers issued to the prison bore the mark of the Spiran Councilor," Mitchell said. Taelor raised her eyebrows.
"Councilor Heelia? She's the same one who presented the evidence that got me thrown in jail," she added. Raelyn whipped back around to look at her.
"I thought you said that Caleb set you up in order to keep you quiet," he said suspiciously. Taelor nodded, pushing a few strands of blonde hair back into the darkness of her hood.
"He used a surrogate inside of the Spiran Councilor's office. I assumed he paid a low-level intern, but that's two suspicious activities coming out of Heelia's office bearing her signature," she explained. He touched his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
"That doesn't sound right. Why would a Councilor be in league with Caleb?" he asked aloud. Kyan snorted into his drink.
"Heelia's not in league with Caleb. She and Balorin are heading up the Freedom's Fall debate. She's the most anti-LE voice on the court," he told them. However, Drea shook her head.
"There's something off about all of this. Why would she be pushing anti-LE legislation while signing off on things that Caleb wants done behind the scenes?" she asked.
"Because she's a politician?" Raelyn shrugged. He was well-versed in Council Law, having made it his focus of study back during his training. The thing he had learned more than anything was that no one in that field could be trusted. "Except for Zane," he reminded himself a moment later, suppressing a small smile.
"If we can get me access to a computer, I can find out a lot about what's going on," Taelor told them. Raelyn rolled his eyes, still not fond of the idea of his father's betrayer being at his camp from now on.
"I spoke to Zane on the flight over. He's arriving this afternoon with everything you're going to need in order to do your part. But as soon as you've done what we need, you're out of my life," he said, a noticeable venom in his voice. Taelor looked at him with an odd glare, but said nothing further.
"I'm going to keep digging into who set my brother up, and why. Maybe what I uncover will help us both," Mitchell said, steering the conversation back on track. Raelyn saw Drea fixing him with a stare out of the corner of his eye and looked down at the table, keeping his mouth shut.
He couldn't help himself but feel a burning hatred every time he looked at Taelor. She had taken payment from Caleb for doctoring evidence against his father. She had tainted Turias' name, and helped to justify the coup against him. He didn't understand how Zane expected him to be able to work with her.
"I wish you luck, and safe travels. Remember that you are still a wanted man, and the Legion will have your face posted on every wall in Council space," Drea said, turning her gaze from Raelyn to Mitchell. The tattooed man nodded.
"I had a plan in place for my brother's fugitive lifestyle once I got him out, so I'll be fine. But I still owe all of you a debt. If I find anything out about Caleb or the Council that could help you, is there a way I can make sure you get it?" he asked them. Drea nodded, leaning closer to him to speak in a whisper.
"Zane Alkerias, the Ancient Councilor. Send it to him in an encrypted file, and he'll make sure it gets to us," she whispered. Mitchell nodded in understanding and took one last drink from his mug, setting it down on the table. He then stood to his feet and looked at each of them in turn.
"Thank you, all of you. I hope our paths cross again, and I hope you find what you're looking for," he said, offering his hand across the table to Raelyn. He stood and took it with a slight nod.
"Good luck, Mitchell," he replied. The other man nodded and wrapped his cloak tightly around himself, before striding across the tavern and disappearing out the door. Following his example, Drea stood up.
"Alright then, back to camp. We have a lot to discuss once Zane gets there," she said, taking the lead since Raelyn was in such a sour mood. He didn't argue, as the rest of team followed her in silent agreement.
LATER, CAMP, FOREST ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF BARON….
(Wanderlust, Final Fantasy XV)
Upon returning to camp, Raelyn spent more than an hour in the ship's bathroom ridding himself of the prison disguise. It took that long to peel off the fake skin scar and to return his hair to its normal blonde.
Once he was finished, he removed the contacts from his eyes and stared into the mirror for several long moments. "Almost forgot what I actually looked like," he muttered with a small smile. He then stopped and turned toward the door, hearing the shuffling of feet in the hallway. Figuring that the others were moving Taelor into the last empty bedroom on the ship, he rolled his eyes and strode over to open the door. Instead of turning left to head for his room, he turned right and walked toward the armory.
Once he got there, he found the bag filled with his belongings waiting for him. He knelt down and unzipped the top, pulling things out one at a time starting with the brown cloak that Dawnomar had given him. Slowly, he pulled out the rest of his battle gear: his fitted black shirt with armored veins, his gray and white pants, black gauntlets and boots, and finally, Sora's Necklace.
He sighed and reached in, pulling out the Founder Relic and holding it in his hand. "Sure could have used your power while I was stuck in the prison," he said quietly, closing his fist around it. He raised it close to his face and closed his eyes. "Show me something…..anything," he whispered. After a moment of silence, he heard a voice speak in his mind as clear as day.
"Jack, nobody's perfect, and you shouldn't expect it of yourself. We've all made mistakes, but we've gotta rise above them. We're still with you to the end. Forget the Keyblade Hunter and the Wanderer. You're our Grandmaster now. Only you can get us through this. Only you can lead us against Maechil," Sora's voice said.
Raelyn heard nothing else, so he nodded slightly and placed the Relic around his neck. It was then that he sensed someone standing behind him. He stood up and turned around to see Drea in the doorway with her arms crossed. "You okay?" she asked genuinely.
"Yeah," he said, "Just trying to figure out where we go from here. Zane told me to recruit the team, but I have no idea what the best way forward is now." She nodded in understanding and stepped into the armory, shutting the door behind her.
"We did hear back from him. He'll be here shortly, and he's bringing all of the equipment that Taelor is going to need to do her part. But you should know something," she replied. He raised his eyebrows expectantly and waited for her to finish. "Taelor wanted him to pull certain documents from Council records regarding your father. Something about 'proving the sins of the father' or something," said Drea.
Raelyn couldn't help himself but curl his fists in anger. "She's trying to justify what she did to my father. She turned a good man into a criminal with false records," he growled furiously. Drea shrugged her shoulders.
"Whatever the records are, Zane said they check out. What's on there is true. You'll just have to wait and see for yourself when he gets here. But you need to control yourself," she said.
"This is none of your business," he replied and went to walk past her, but Drea stepped in his way to stop him.
"Actually," she said firmly, forcing him to stop and look at her. "I joined this mission in order to stop Caleb, because he is a threat to the entire Realm of Light. I did not join the team to further your need for vengeance. We need Taelor to stop Caleb, so buck up and get over it," she told him. Raelyn narrowed his eyes and glared down at her, but she didn't cower. "Something to say?" she asked fearlessly.
He growled softly and took a step back, causing her to relax slightly. "None of us are in the circumstances we want to be in. But you convinced Kyan and I to stand with you of our own free will. Don't forget the bigger picture here. If we have to work with her in order to stop Caleb, that's a trade we have no choice but to make," she said softly. He looked at the floor defiantly, but eventually gave her the slightest nod of agreement.
"We need her," he admitted and crossed his arms, "But that doesn't mean I trust like I do you and Kyan. I doubt I ever will," he muttered. Drea shrugged her shoulders.
"Good, there's some progress. Get rid of your mopey face and meet us outside in a few. Zane will want to talk to you when he gets here," she said and walked out of the room.
Raelyn knew she was right, but he was in rush to interact with Taelor and dragged his feet in getting outside. He changed out of the prison clothes into a more comfortable set to wear around camp, before placing his field uniform back in its place on the opposite wall of the armory. Every time he looked at his armored shirt and the rest, he couldn't help but think back to his time in the Golden City with Zane.
Knowing that he needed to go, he sighed and made his way out of the armory. He strode down the hallway, past the living room, and down the ladder to the hangar bay. He passed the boxes containing the still-fresh fruit from the Ancient realm, happily snagging one on his way down the ramp to the outside camp. He bit into it and his mouth was immediately filled with the crisp sweetness he had sorely missed while locked in the prison. As his feet left the metal ramp and touched down on the soft grass outside, he saw the rest of the team scattered around.
Drea was on the far side of the clearing, nailing bullseyes into her targets with her arrows. Kyan was seated at his workbench under the shade of the tall trees near the river and was sharpening Bloodfang purely out of habit. Taelor, in contrast, was standing near the fire pit with her face turned upward and her eyes closed, basking in the warm sunlight.
Before he could say or do anything, a glyph appeared on the ground in the center of the camp. As everyone gathered around it, Zane materialized on top of it surrounded by electronic equipment. "A job well done, I must say. Legion leadership is still in shambles as to how you managed your prison break," the Ancient greeted them cordially, a set of folders tucked under his left arm.
Raelyn walked up to him with a warm smile. "Zane. What news do you have from Radiant Garden?" he asked. The Ancient smiled and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. Instead of answering the question, he gestured to Drea and Kyan.
"We need to set this equipment up as quickly as possible. Taelor is going to need it in order to prepare for your next assignment," he told them. The two nodded and walked forward to start doing so. The blue haired Ancient then looked at Taelor. "Over here, child," he said gently. He led both her and Raelyn over to the fire pit and sat down in one of the lounging chairs. They followed his example, Zane sighing as he removed the folders from beneath his arm and held them in hand.
"Do you know what is in here?" he asked Taelor. She nodded immediately.
"That's the file I put together for Caleb. It holds the records of Turias' misdeeds as Grandmaster," she answered without batting an eye.
"Spare me this stupidity," Raelyn growled and crossed his arms. However, Zane held up a hand to quiet him, keeping his gaze on Taelor.
"Caleb used you for his own ends. What you found against Turias was true, but it was not near enough to remove him from office or give grounds for the coup against him. Do you acknowledge that much?" he said to her. Taelor stared at him for a moment, trying to read the Ancient's expression. His red eyes stared at her without blinking, and she found that she could not read him at all.
"That's probably true," she finally admitted. Zane then looked to Raelyn, who was glaring defiantly.
"My father was a good man," he growled. Zane nodded with a small smile.
"Yes, he was," he said, "But not a perfect man." He tossed the folders over to Raelyn, who caught them with one hand. Holding them with distaste, Raelyn reluctantly opened the first folder and glanced through it. Confused immediately, he began shaking his head.
"No, no. This never happened!" he argued, but again Zane held up a hand to calm him.
"Yes, it did. Your father killed a man during his time in office. A drunken scuffle in the weeks following your brother's death. Investigations were launched, but pressure from the Grandmaster's office stopped them before they could come to any conclusions. Your father used his position to cover up a crime he committed," he explained. Raelyn furiously shook his head.
"My father would never have done that! He served and protected the people!" he exclaimed. Zane nodded patiently.
"Turias was depressed due to Eskan's death. He died on an assignment your father had sent him on. He did know what to do with himself, and so he turned to drink. While at the bar, an anti-LE protestor insulted your brother's memory and it was too much for him. Turias snapped, and regretted it immediately," he explained.
"But why would he cover this up? My father admitted to his own mistakes," Raelyn persisted. By this point, Taelor was just looking back and forth between the two of them.
"It was my counsel to do so," Zane admitted with a slight look of regret. "I knew that despite the scandal, your father was by far the best person to lead the LE. It was imperative that the Agency not fall into the wrong hands. But my worst fears came true after all, and the Council used this event and the others to justify what happened to your father. They did not have all of the facts, only these files and details that Caleb added in order to make it look worse."
Raelyn listened to this, but did not find himself comforted. In truth, he didn't know what to think. "Okay, so Dad made a mistake. That was enough that the Council didn't bat an eye when Caleb killed him?!" he exclaimed. Zane sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"In truth, I cannot explain the Council's actions. There is something deeper going on than I have yet seen. Forces are working against us in all arenas, and I have yet to uncover the full workings of our enemies," he replied. Taelor cleared her throat and finally spoke.
"I suggest looking into Councilor Heelia. She preaches anti-LE doctrine, but she's done a lot of things that help Caleb behind the scenes. There is also a trail of bodies all along her path to the Councilor's chair. She's up to something," she added. Zane heard this and grunted thoughtfully.
"Any accusations against other Council members must be taken with great care, but I will tug on that thread carefully. It will take time to see what that unravels," he mused. He then turned his gaze back to Raelyn and could see turbulence in the boy's eyes. He was torn.
He had built up a stainless image of Turias in his mind, a man that never did any wrong. It was difficult now to come to terms that his father had indeed made mistakes in his life. Raelyn glanced over at Taelor with the corner of his eye, begrudgingly.
What Taelor had uncovered….it should never have been covered up in the first place, he was able to admit. Still, it was not near enough to justify what happened. As if sensing his thoughts, she spoke. "I am sorry for what happened. What I found was the full truth. I never knew that Caleb would add things to it in order to make it fit his context," she offered, and she sounded genuine.
As much as Raelyn didn't want to admit it, Taelor had simply done her job. She had found the truth. She had not changed it or altered it to fit a personal agenda. Caleb had done that, not her.
With a loud sigh, he finally nodded. He still didn't trust Taelor, but knowing what he did now, he was able to shift much of his anger and hatred from her onto Caleb. "You're still gonna have to earn my trust," he muttered begrudgingly. She nodded with a small smile.
"I owe you for breaking me out of that prison. I'll do whatever I can to earn it," she vowed.
With that, Zane clapped his hands together and stood up. "Very well! Time to turn our attention to your next objective!" he said bracingly. They stood up and followed him over to the computer desk that Drea and Kyan had just sat up. Zane reached into his robes and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper, unfurling it onto an empty part of the table. As the four gathered around him, Kyan sighed in dismay.
"Another breakout? Fantastic," he grumbled, but Zane shook his head.
"A break-in," he corrected. Drea stepped forward and looked closer to the blueprints for the fortress that lay in front of them.
"You mean for us to hit the Ark?" she asked with wide eyes. The Ancient nodded.
"It is the only way. Caleb has sealed the true records of what happened the night Turias was murdered in the core of that fortress. We need the support of the Council of Sovereigns in order to remove him from power. To get it, we require the evidence of what he actually did to get himself the Grandmaster's seat," he explained.
"What's the Ark?" Taelor asked obliviously. Raelyn grunted softly, staring at the fortress blueprints.
"It's an impenetrable fortress built by the Dragoons of Baron under the leadership of Marek and Rayne Rikkison. It is the most closely guarded secret of the Keyblade Wielders to this day. We keep only the most important information stored there, things that would topple world governments in the span of days. Only the fabled sealed archive of Jack Rikkison is rumored to possess greater knowledge of Kingdom Hearts and Keyblade lore. Caleb was smart to store his secrets there," he explained. Zane nodded.
"The base itself lies on the Destiny Islands, far out to sea on a remote peninsula that the inhabitants are unaware of. Only senior-most members of the Agency know of its existence, and Caleb has hired outside mercenaries to guard it so he does not have to worry about LE Agents discovering what he actually has stored there. This will be no easy feat," he explained. Raelyn raised his eyebrows.
"You've known all along that we'll have to hit the Ark. You chose us all for this mission specifically," he realized. The Ancient smiled slightly.
"You're growing sharper, my boy," he complimented and pointed to the blueprints. "A great force of mercenaries patrols the surrounding ocean on boats, a host of hundreds. We will need a force capable of drawing their ire and luring them away from their posts. The Outriders are known well for their hit-and-run tactics," he explained, looking over at Kyan. The man nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"I'll gather my men and see that they're in place to do this," he replied. Zane nodded and continued talking.
"There is an underwater drainage pipe that runs into the eastern side of the compound. That area houses the control rooms, but is sealed off completely from the western side that holds the vaults," he elaborated. Raelyn nodded slightly and looked closer at the schematics, seeing the image of the drain going out of the bowls of the facility.
"So what, someone goes in the pipe to the control room and opens the vault doors for the rest of us?" he asked, to which Zane nodded. The Ancient looked over at Taelor and Drea.
"Taelor is the only one who can break the encryptions on the security systems fast enough to get you in there, but she has no field experience. Drea, however, has plenty given her Legion training. She will take Drea through the underwater pipe and get her to the control room. From there, they can get you and Kyan in through the front doors on the western side and hopefully disable the security, giving you clear access to the vault," he explained.
Raelyn mulled over the plan that Zane had laid before them, thinking intently upon it. It was clear to him that this had always been the Ancient's plan. The members of the team were all uniquely suited for the roles they needed to play. Taelor would break into the security systems and get the vault open, Drea would infiltrate both herself and Taelor in to the needed access point, Kyan's forces would deal with the bulk of the mercenaries, and he and Raelyn would fight their way into the vault and claim what Caleb had stored there.
"I gotta say, Zane, I think this will work," he said, impressed. The Ancient shrugged his shoulders casually.
"I cannot say for certain what lies inside the vault, however. There will likely be further traps and other surprises that Caleb and Lorne have laid in place for you. You and Kyan will need to adapt quickly once you are inside," he explained, and then turned his gaze to Drea. "As soon as the vault doors are open, the remaining security forces will know what is happening. They will converge on your location, and you will have to keep them at bay long enough for Kyan and Raelyn to find that evidence," he told her. Drea smiled confidently.
"Good, at least the boys won't have all the fun," she remarked, twirling her long knife between her fingers.
"What'll you be doing in the meantime?" Kyan asked, gracefully twirling Bloodfang onto his shoulder. Zane stared at him for a moment, gazing at the slight streaks of gray in the man's hair and the sleeveless armor he was wearing.
"I shall be preparing the Council to hear whatever you bring back. Owen Fair, Garret Cousland, and I have been working tirelessly not only against Caleb, but against the Freedom's Fall Protocol as well. Balorin, Heelia, and Mervin have been pushing it at every meeting due to Caleb's actions. If we can use this evidence to remove him from office, it should shelve the debate on the Protocol. I shall be waiting for you to return to Radiant Garden," he explained.
Raelyn nodded and looked between his three teammates, giving Taelor a grudging glance. "Looks like the plan is pretty clear. Kyan, gather your Outriders. Everyone else, get ready for the mission ahead. This is why I gathered you. The threat of Caleb has to be stopped. For that to happen, each of us must play our parts," he said calmly. Kyan, Drea, and Taelor nodded before scattering to go do each of their tasks in preparation to leave. Left alone with Zane for the moment, Raelyn looked over at him. "About that stuff with my dad…," he began, but the Ancient held up his hand.
"No one is perfect, Raelyn. Not your father, not Jack Rikkison, not Sora and certainly not I. We are more than the sum of our mistakes. Your father was a good man, one of the best I have known since the Founder Age. Do not doubt that, and do not let your own failures cause doubt in yourself. You have much left to accomplish, my boy, and a long path ahead," he said firmly. Raelyn didn't know how to respond and hung his head slightly, giving him a small nod. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up with a start. Zane smiled and gave him a reassuring squeeze of his shoulder.
"Do you really think this is gonna work? How do we know that the Council will agree to stand against Caleb?" he asked. Zane raised his eyebrows.
"It will work, and the Council is legally required to act on any incontrovertible evidence presented to them. Trust in the system, Raelyn," he replied. Raelyn sighed, but nodded.
"The system got my dad killed, but I think you're right," he muttered and turned to walk back toward the ship. It took him only a few minutes to ascend the ladder to the main level and reach the armory.
He quickly changed out of his casual clothes and donned his armored black shirt and gray pants. He then slid on his black boots and tightened the gauntlets to his forearms. Throwing the cloak over his back, he made sure that Sora's Necklace was safely tucked beneath his shirt and stepped in front of the mirror hanging on the wall. Taking solace in the fact that he once again looked like himself, he steeled himself for the mission at hand. "I'm coming for you, Caleb. Time to stop your schemes for power," he vowed.
(end Wanderlust)
And that's the end of this chapter! So sorry about the long delay with this one, but my reasoning for being behind is as follows:
So, at this point in time I am about to experience a major change in my life. I am engaged to be married. As such, my priorities in the days to come will be changing dramatically. I still intend to finish this story, all 50 chapters. I also will be doing three more entries in Wanderer Lore. But after those and this story are done, I will be retiring from posting new content on this site. I'll still be around to read and chat as much as possible, but once Freedom's Fall and Wanderer Lore are finished, the Wanderer's Series will be complete and I will be moving on to the next stage of my life. I want to thank all of you who have been hanging in there with me despite my inconsistent update schedule. I hope to see you sticking around to the end of this final journey with me. Thanks so much for reading, and I will see you on the next one!
