"Oh, hello.", he greeted, "Did you find anything? Or did you fail?"
Kelly hissed under her breath. Clara felt very similar. Did this lord even care about what horrible things they'd gone through?
Well, no, of course he didn't. He was a noble. Generally those people cared only for what they wanted, no one else.
Carla slipped the blue pearl out from her pocket. "How about this?"
A smile crossed the lord's face. "Excellent, excellent! That is definitely a pearl of deepest blue! May I have it?"
Carla hesitated.
Connor interjected, "We nearly died trying to get that item. Whatever it is, the Darkness wants it, and I don't think we trust you to hold onto it. We'll keep it among ourselves for now. I trust us to keep it safe."
Clara was certain Lord Henry would try to argue. But surprisingly enough, he simply held up his hands and said, "Okay, okay. Hold onto it, then. But I expect you to get the other things I asked for too, you know."
Prince Richard sighed. "Yes, yes. Can we come in now? It's been a long, long day."
"Anything for you, my prince.", Henry replied, giving a deep bow.
As they strode through the doorway, though, Clara felt a familiar surge of vertigo, and suddenly she was back in time again, walking up towards the door again.
This time, though, she decided to analyze how the lord acted. She had a suspicious feeling about him, one she did not like.
As the conversation repeated, Clara started noticing little details. When he asked if they failed, his eyes twinkled and his lips turned slightly upwards, as if he was hoping they had. When Carla showed him the pearl, his eyes lit up with greed, and when Connor rejected him, the smile he made was a smug one, as if this was exactly what he'd planned. When Henry bowed, Clara realized he was exaggerating it, and the look of boredom on his face suggested that he did not actually respect the prince as much as he claimed.
All of this was making her very, very suspicious and worried.
Because of her worries and suspicions, Clara decided it was about time she interviewed a certain someone who'd been trying to remain incognito.
Once they entered the estate and had gotten their muddy clothes cleaned up (the steward was not pleased at all about this), Clara tracked down Kelly, who was hiding under another cloak and curled up on a dusty blue chair, tucked in one corner of the parlor.
"Alright, Kelly, we need to talk.", Clara stated.
"About what?", Kelly whispered.
"You know what.", Clara replied, not interested in dancing around the topic.
Kelly sighed. "You know who I am, don't you?"
"Katrina Mirana, I believe your brother said?", Clara replied, "Yes, I am certain I do."
Kelly sighed again. "Yes...that is my birth name."
"Why are you hiding, Katrina?", Clara asked curiously, "Why did you run away?"
Kelly (or Katrina) answered, "You wouldn't understand. My family...our relationship is complicated. But when I heard they were assigning me a betrothed, that was it. I was done. I don't want to marry someone I don't want to. I'm done with them trying to decide my future for me. I was done just being here, I guess. So I ran away to try to escape from all that."
She chuckled. "I didn't even realize they wanted to marry me to the prince, who I'd never even SEEN before. But even if I had known, I still would've ran."
She sighed again. "But I can sense it. That's not the only thing you want to discuss, is it?"
Clara nodded. "It's about your brother. I've been watching him. He seems...suspicious, like he doesn't like us, and that he's planning something. Do you know what it could be, and why?"
Kelly thought for a moment. "Maybe, but I'm not entirely sure."
She took a deep breath. "About a year ago, my brother was living far to the south, serving as the lord of a city called Volpeii. He was happy - he had a wife, and a son. He had a position of power, and did not want for much. But Volpeii was built near a volcano, and one day, it erupted without warning."
Kelly shivered. "I don't know everything that happened, but I know that everything was destroyed, his family among them. He came home mourning, and our parents treated him with disgrace, assigning him to watch the household whenever they're away, and nothing else. They didn't even care about all that he had lost. He's...never been the same."
Clara felt sad. She wondered just what this lord had gone through, and she could see him in another light. But if anything, it only heightened her suspicions.
"Tragedy changes people.", Clara whispered, "Oftentimes for the worse. Do you think...that maybe your brother would've joined the Darkness?"
Clara noticed tears come to Kelly's eyes. "I don't know.", she sobbed, "I don't want to believe it, but he could've. I don't know how the Darkness convinces people, but maybe...he could've manipulated my brother into joining him."
Kelly's tears were really pouring now. "Henry was such a nice guy before the eruption. Now he's nothing like he was. He never even recognized me. If he's working for the Darkness now...I don't know what I'll do."
Clara placed a reassuring hand on Kelly's shoulder. "Whatever happens, I will try to help you. If we must fight your brother...I can only hope it will turn out okay."
Kelly nodded tearfully, and together they sat and watched the nearby clock slowly tick, tick, tick, as if reminding them how every second they lost would only be used against them. (-o-)
Ray stepped into the room, where Richard awaited him across a table laden with more tea and cookies.
"Hello, Ray.", greeted the prince, "Please, lock the door behind you. I wish for this to be a private discussion."
Ray nodded, locking the door. He felt a strange twinge of worry, wondering if something bad might happen because of it.
But he knew Richard was trustworthy. Ray had never had a better friend.
As Ray sat down across from the prince, Richard stated, "As the darkness rises, so too does the light."
Ray nodded. "The words from that spirit in the marketplace."
Richard nodded in agreement. "Indeed. But I've heard them before. In my dreams."
He reached up to his neck, and pulled out a golden pendant, shaped like the royal wheel.
"Does this look familiar to you?", Richard asked.
Ray lifted his own emerald necklace. "I think so."
It was quiet for a minute.
"I did not ask for this.", muttered Richard, "Things were meant to be so easy...and then fate decided that my bedtime stories were meant to be real."
He closed his eyes and sighed. "I did not ask for a heroic destiny. I did not ask for these constant nightmares. But most of all..."
He opened his eyes and stared directly at Ray. "I did not ask for both of us to be dragged into this."
Ray nodded calmly. "No one did.", he whispered, "But now that it's happening, we must fight through to the end."
"If only it were so simple...", murmured Richard.
He took a deep breath. "You've been out of the loop for a long time, my friend. If anyone is to share this news, it must be I."
Richard continued, "My father is ill. Gravely so. He has not awoken for three months. So far, the palace has kept the people quiet, but I know not how long that will last. During that time, the chief advisor has claimed regency."
Richard growled, "Unfortunately, I suspect that he is working for the Darkness. My nightmares only started when he took control. And they are only getting worse. When he decided that now of all times, I must meet my betrothed, I became suspicious. I think he wants me out of Royalldon for some reason. I want to stop whatever he's planning."
Ray nodded slightly. "I see...what do you propose we do?"
Richard answered, "It's simple, really. We must return to the city without him finding out. Together, the Legendborn are powerful indeed, and we might be able to stop this agent of darkness. But after today...I am afraid. We were far too close to death there. And she wasn't even trying! I fear that if we try to fight the Darkness now...we will be destroyed."
Ray placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "We must have faith, my prince. Faith in our destiny. Faith in ourselves. Otherwise, the Darkness has already won."
Richard nodded. "You are right. Of course you are."
He sighed. "But the things I see in my nightmares...I see cities burning. People getting murdered by demons, in the most horrific ways. Black titans crushing buildings to dust. The very earth sinking into the sea, the sky filled with death and suffering. I see us dying. I see us failing. And I only fear...more."
Ray said, "Fear is one of the Darkness's greatest weapons. We will need to be brave. You are already. I will fight beside you to the end, you know that?"
Richard smiled. "I do. I know it very well."
The two boys studied each other's eyes for a long moment.
"Come.", Richard said, "Let us think no more on this. But once we finish in Azulia...there is a lot that must be planned."
Ray nodded. "I will definitely think over a good course of action. Let us remember, friend: hope and courage are our greatest allies."
The two stood up, and left the room. (-o-)
As night fell, Ray found himself walking down the now barren streets, the moon shining above him.
He thought over all that Richard had said. He still could not believe that the king was ill. The last time Ray had seen him, the king had been extraordinarily healthy and well. To think that he was near death...after so little time...
It just did not seem right.
Ray soon reached the beach shore, where he sat and watched the dark waves sparkling in the pale moonlight. He reached out, and touched the cold water, as if it would shed some light on his dilemmas.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Ray whirled around, and his eyes widened with shock and horror as he realized who had spoken.
Sitting on a nearby rock was a shadowy cloaked figure, spinning a silver knife and wearing a mask of iron, styled to look like a strange draconic face.
Ray remembered that mask. Remembered the assassin jumping through the window, demanding the prince to follow them. Remembered his relentless chase, his crippling defeats. Ray felt full of surprise, but even more than that...
He felt rage.
"What brings you here!?", he yelled.
The assassin chuckled, their voice shifting fluidly between male and female. "I wish to speak to the prince.", they said, "As I always have."
"Well, by Arceus I will not permit that!", Ray cried, standing up and rushing towards the assassin.
They chuckled, and in a poof of black smoke they appeared farther up the beach, waving him over. "Come, come! I missed our little chases."
Ray yelled in fury, and charged.
So the chase began anew.
The assassin darted across the ground, melting into shadows and appearing farther ahead. Ray pursued them, not thinking to summon his Pokemon as his mind was clouded with the anger of a hundred restless nights. Frequently the assassin would stop, waiting for him to draw painfully close before teleporting again, their laugh echoing melodically through the streets.
Soon they were racing along the docks, and the assassin started swinging across the ropes. Ray kept a close pace, his heart pumping furiously and his breaths becoming jagged and rapid. The assassin seemed tireless, however, which could not be said for their pursuer.
Finally, the assassin tossed something down, declaring, "Use that item well! I look forward to seeing how you will try and catch me!"
They disappeared again, and did not appear again.
"Dammit!", roared Ray, "Arceus damn them! I can't believe I failed again..."
He stopped in front of the item, picking it up. It appeared to be a black rock, with words carved into it that were of a language Ray could not begin to recognize.
He wanted to destroy it, to throw it away, but in the end he kept it. He did not know what it was for, but he knew he had to find out.
He slowly walked back to the estate, where he spotted Catherine floating serenely beneath a pomegranate tree.
"Oh, hello!", she greeted, "I did not realize that you were out here too!"
After a few seconds, she asked, "Are you all right? You look like you're in rough shape."
"It's nothing.", muttered Ray, "Just a bad memory..."
Catherine nodded. "I see. Can I say something?"
"Sure.", replied Ray, his thoughts muddled from exhaustion.
"Do not let your thoughts and memories cloud your judgement.", she said, "For there may just be something hidden there that you do not realize."
She smiled. "Like perhaps, a secret that could mean the salvation or destruction of this world."
She strode into the estate, Ray following tiredly, ready to just lay down and forget his troubles with blissful sleep. (-o-)
AN: Ooh, quite an interesting chapter! Although not much happened, the things mentioned here will be VERY important. Perhaps there's even more knowledge here than meets the eye...
Or you know, this chapter might be confusing because I wrote it after midnight. Who knows, I'm just so tired right now...
Anyways, I'll see you next time in Glashear!