AND THE NIGHT THAT CALLS ME 30

* Rabanastre present several hours after the arrival of Amaya and Al-Cid in the Dalmatian capital *

It was late at night in Rabanastre and Amaya had gone out of her hiding place eluding her two guards, the girl was determined to take a ride on the streets of the city where she was born and raised.

Rabanastre that evening was so calm, different from what it was during the day, only a few people were around its streets, a few taverns were still open and there was still a party inside.

Amaya walked along those streets dusty with sand from the desert, the ancient houses with oriental architecture made her feel nostalgic for that place. The young huntress was beginning to remember the night escapes through the city, when she came out of the sewage channels or some secret passage, always taking care not to wake the guards. By now this behavior had become a constant vice.

Few times she had been discovered to sneak away from the palace, her father scolding her often, but that had never stopped her desire for absolute freedom that had been harboring within her since she remembered it.

Court people could talk as much as they wanted and gossip again and again, about her illegitimacy as the king's daughter, who had decided to recognize her as her daughter, given her only heir Ashe.

Since she was in the city, Amaya decided to make a trip to her father's tomb too, often during the war with the empire the young woman had returned to Rabanastre several times for various business and was told to visit the tomb of his family.

Nobody would ever have expected such behavior, given the resentment that the princess showed towards the royal family. Amaya had gone there only to let off steam ... as if screaming her thoughts to dead people would have solved something, it would have served something if only those who had died had been alive.

The young dalmasca strode towards the tomb of the royal family, it took about forty minutes on foot to get there, the cemetery was in the north-west area of the northern quarters. Once Amaya reached her destination, she climbed over the walls of the fence and entered the cemetery.

That place in Amaya had never been liked, even when she had gone to visit Noah's tomb in Archades. In the almost ghostly darkness of the cemetery, the girl looked for a large monument in white marble and gold arabesques.

After another twenty minutes of searching, Amaya finally found herself in front of the royal family's mausoleum. Every time she saw him, Amaya was not at all enthusiastic, the girl approached the gate where they lock the lock with great skill, removed the bolts and the padlock, then using magic she lit a torch that was hanging on a wall in the entrance.

With the torch in hand, Amaya was preparing to ascend some steps of the mausoleum which led to a huge underground crypt completely made of marble.

The underground crypt was immersed in the blackest darkness, in the dark Amaya's eyes saw clearly, she could perceive the strong presence of the Mystes stagnate in that room, a cold Mystes that she knew very well, said nothing ... limited only to use magic to light the rest of the braziers supported by the statues, placed in a circle around her.

the crypt had six columns on which six statues of the goddess had been carved, the same figure that could be found in the four large statues of the large square that led to the royal palace.

The statues were strikingly similar to Ondine, Amaya said nothing, merely looking at them, looking around, everything now seemed more visible. The flickering light from the braziers gave the place a ghostly appearance.

The princess looked at the tombs of the royal family, one by one. Those names so close to her and yet so distant in time. He had called those names for many years, Vales, Alan .. Verdin .. the list was long.

Then he focused on Eleonore, the queen, what for nearly a decade of her life Amaya had called "mother", the one who was the exact portrait of her sister Ashe. It was she herself who had announced her illness and then her death ... everyone in the palace was frightened by that dark power of hers.

Raminas didn't say anything that time, he remembered Amaya ... he was only nine years old.

Amaya's gaze then focused on the tomb of Prince Rasler, on the tombstone was engraved a phrase that made Amaya's blood freeze. "Here lies your strong soul that fate has torn you from me ... May your heart find peace."

Amaya knew well what fate had fallen to the poor prince, if only he had lived some things could have been avoided thought the girl.

Of Rasler's person, from when he was alive, Amaya knew almost nothing ... but when Rarsler had learned of the true nature of the girl. the prince had often observed her with great curiosity. Amaya remembered, when she was still Princess Ondine, the rare moments when she and Rasler had exchanged a few words.

Even then Amaya noticed the short life of the prince, perceived his "essence" fading day by day unlike others. That was how Amaya understood he was going to die ... but nobody had listened to her.

Towards Rasler, Amaya felt only a great pain unlike Raminas towards whom she felt a visceral hatred almost as much as that for her sister Ashe, so at a certain point the girl moved her gaze to the tombstone of the man she had once called " father".

Amaya stared at the tombstone in absolute silence, noticed some fresh flowers placed near her tomb, the girl could imagine who had been able to bring them.

-There was a time when I called you father ... but you are nothing to me. You are only the man who raised me in lies ... I find it useless to always repeat this speech. Anger does not abandon me, however much I may try to understand and make sense of it, I cannot forgive you.

Ironically, you know, I ended up appreciating more the man who took your life ... I didn't tell you? If you were still alive I would like to see your angry expression ... but for that I think Ashelia will take care of it.- Amaya said looking at the tomb of Raminas.

Suddenly the flames of the braziers flickered for a brief moment, just enough for Amaya to look up and turn her back to the stairs that led to the entrance.

An expression of anger appeared on the face of the Dalmatian princess, while her eyes turned yellow, gold-colored. Amaya would have recognized him everywhere that presence so familiar to her, already in the past he had "sensed" her alongside Dr Cid in the Draklor laboratories or next to Vayne himself, she had seen him many times remaining silent in observing him and he had done the same with her.

And like that time, even in the crypt of the royal family that "presence" similar in all to Venat was manifesting itself. He barely hovered, looked almost like a ghost, but Amaya does not seem to be in the least bit diseased, on the contrary, he kept his head up and his eyes fixed on him.

-Elbereth ...- so the mysterious voice called her.

-You don't give up, Gerun? now that you have lost your chrysalis you remembered my lineage ... is your hatred for these huma really so deep? ... however "insignificant" you define them, you cannot digest the fact that they did not indulge you ... this does not justify you presenting yourself here, in front of me, with your crazy idea.- Amaya said looking into the eyes Occuria that had just appeared in front of him.

- The madman was Venat ... and you! With the power that you find yourself you could take back what belongs to you, claim your place Elbereth ... they will never understand you, they fear what they do not understand and what is beyond their control.- said Gerun.

-Are you making me so stupid, Gerun? Have you perhaps forgotten who I am ... and what can I do if I only wish to, even your "powers" united are in the least comparable to mine.-Amaya said as her eyes turned from amethyst to golden yellow once again .

-One of your rank, who has every honor ... finds himself mocked by what you call "friends", while what you call "sister" takes all honor ... while you ... or "Queen of stars "..." you are queen of nothing ", neither of the humas, nor of us Occuria that we are your people.- The Occuria said to remind Amaya of her nature.

- "What claims does Gerun have on History, sitting on his immortal throne borrowed from time?" ... does this not remind you of something ...? - said Amaya, silencing the Occuria.

-You like all the others have no pretense ... the immortal throne on which you reside is not "yours" .. you just borrowed it from me ... Venat was not stupid, you think I don't remember these things Gerun ... did you really think that when I was reborn in another form, I would forget everything? I have never forgotten .. I will not allow you to act freely as you always have, know it.- Amaya challenged him.

-And how? becoming again the "light of Dalmasca" ... of a kingdom of which you do not care.-mocked the lord of the occuria.

-Not .. for Dalmasca, but for my lineage. You will not use it for your purposes, as you did with negalite ... you have fallen so low. I will not allow any of you to get your hands on them.- the girl replies.

-Elbereth ... sooner or later you will have to choose whether they or us.- Gerun said, vanishing into thin air.

That was already the second time Gerun had addressed that phrase to her.