JUST LOVE
Chapter Five : Dark Light
Ryudo took a step forward and clenched his fists. "Gatta! What do you think you're doing? Have you lost your mind?! Why did you order this?!" Ryudo demanded.
Gatta smirked sinisterly. "Hmph, we're doing the world a favour. Valmar maybe gone but his followers still remain. In order for the world to prosper, we must get rid of everything that is Evil. We plan on starting here, Cyrum, the Kingdom of the Dark Ones."
"But we are not the Dark Ones anymore!" Roan protested.
"Ha! You're nuts!" Millenia said mockingly.
Gatta yawned. "I still have plenty of work to do and I'm wasting time standing here and talking to you."
"Wait! Where are you going?" Ryudo asked.
"That's none of your business but don't worry, we'll meet again. We'll come for the Young King and the red head, all that is Dark must perish. Oh and Ryudo, stay out of our way next time unless you plan on joining Melfice in Hell," Gatta replied and turned around to leave. Gatta put his hood back on and left.
Ryudo sighed and stood still, he had no idea on how to respond to the current situation. Elena just looked at Ryudo sympathetically. Lance leaned on a lamp post with his eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest. Roan stood still as well while his fists shook violently on his sides.
"We cannot let him get away, after what he has done," Tio said to break the awkward silence.
"She's right. Judging the way he talked, he's not the only one responsible for this chaos," Millenia added.
"Let us follow him!" Roan snarled under his breath.
"You're right," Ryudo nodded.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Ryudo?" Elena asked.
"Yes," Ryudo answered.
Skye nudged his head towards Lance. "What about him?"
Roan gave the Ninja a smile. "Thank you for helping us fight our enemy."
Lance opened his eyes and gave the Young King a cold glare. "I just did it to save Elena, not you or your friends."
"Just who the Hell are you?! What are you doing here?!! You just seem to be popping all over the place!!" Ryudo demanded.
"The name's Lance," he scowled at the Geohound.
"What an attitude," Skye whispered to Millenia's ear.
"I like it," Millenia whispered back.
"Thank you for saving me Mister Lance," Elena said and took a respectful bow.
Lance's expression softened a bit. "Don't mention it." He then looked at the rest of the group who just stared at him. "What are you looking at? Aren't we suppose to go after that lunatic and the Cathedral Knights?!"
Ryudo gave the Ninja a mocking look. "What do you mean by "we"?"
"I'm after the Cathedral Knights too, I've got a score to settle. We've got a common foe, so why not take me with you? My skills will be of great use."
"We will be happy to have you accompany us," Elena replied.
"I don't trust this guy Elena," Ryudo said.
Lance chuckled. "Why not?"
"The enemy is going to get away if we do not stop arguing," Tio said.
Ryudo sighed. "All right, he can come for now."
"The enemy headed towards east," Millenia told everyone.
"And that's where we're going too," Ryudo replied and ran to follow the enemy, with the others right behind him.
***
Outside the Kingdom of Cyrum, in the plains, Gatta boarded a small airship with the remaining Cathedral Knights. Gatta went to the control room and ordered a Cathedral Knight to start the ship.
"We're going back to base," he commanded. The Knight nodded back and started the ship's engine. The ship roared and rumbled as it started to rise from the ground. "Uru will be pleased with today's work." Gatta laughed maliciously and then suddenly fell on the floor as the ship rocked from an explosion. "What in the name of Granas is going out there?!" he asked.
The Knight on the pilot seat shrugged and continued doing its job.
Gatta growled and stormed out of the control room. On the deck, he found Ryudo and company facing off with his Cathedral Knights. "Ryudo! What do you think you and your pals are doing?! You'll kill us all!!!" he hissed.
Millenia did not pay attention to Gatta and casted a Burn! spell. The ball of fire flew towards a Cathedral Knight but it dodged the attack. The fireball hit a part of the ship's wing instead and started a fire.
Roan took out his Gladius. "We cannot let you get away after what you have done to my country!"
Ryudo unsheathed the Maken Valborg. "We're ending things here and now Gatta."
"Bah, even if you stop us, it still won't matter. All that is Dark shall perish, that I assure you," Gatta snorted.
Millenia took out her Black Angel Bow. "You know what?! All of this "all that is Dark shall perish" stuff is starting to irritate me." Millenia took out an arrow and kissed its tip. She put it on her bow and aimed for a Knight. "This may sting a little," she said as she fired the arrow. She hit a Knight on the forehead. Thick, blue blood trickled down from the Knight's forehead to its cheeks. The Knight fell on the floor and formed a puddle of blue blood.
"Accursed Dark One!" Gatta snarled and unsheathed his sword. Before he could attack, he fell on the floor again as the ship rocked violently. The fire on the ship's wing had gotten bigger. Gatta laughed. "Now, we're all going to die!"
Ryudo looked alarmed. "This ship is going to crash! Everyone! Hold on to something!"
The ship's wing exploded and everyone held on to something as the ship began to descend real quick. Everyone shut their eyes and hoped that they would survive the crash.
***
Lance slowly got up from the ground and groaned in pain. His whole body was sore and his head felt like a rhinoceros stomped on it. He opened his eyes but his vision was blurry. He then closed his eyes and put his hand on the side of his head. He shook his head and when he opened his eyes, his vision was a little bit better.
Debris was scattered around the Ninja's surroundings. Lance rubbed his eyes and his vision was back to normal. Finally, he was able to identify bodies. First he saw Tio, Roan, Millenia, and then Ryudo but whether they were alive or not did not matter to him. He was only concerned about Elena. Lance found Elena laying under a tree and ran to her.
Lance knelt beside Elena and shook her arm. "Elena, wake up." Elena just laid still. He checked her pulse, she was alive. He shook her shoulders this time. "Elena, please wake up."
Skye, who flew to safety before the ship crashed, landed on Ryudo's chest and pecked his cheek lightly. "Hey! Wake up!"
Ryudo moaned in pain and then opened his eyes. Skye spread out his wings and took to the air. Ryudo got up and checked his body for any signs of injury. "Where are we Skye?"
Skye nudged his head towards Elena and Lance. "We'll figure that out later. We have to check up on the others."
Ryudo looked alarmed. "Elena!" he yelled and ran towards her while Skye checked up on Millenia, Roan, and Tio. He knelt beside her and held her hand. "Elena, wake up!"
"Hmph." Lance stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.
Elena's eyes opened slowly and saw Ryudo kneeling beside her. "Ryu... Ryudo?"
Ryudo smiled and sighed in relief. "Elena! Are you okay?!"
Ryudo released Elena's hand as she sat up. "I am fine."
Millenia and the others then arrived. "Man, that was one nasty fall," Millenia said.
"Is everyone unharmed?" Roan asked. Everyone just nodded yes. "I am relieved."
Tio looked around for any signs of Gatta and his Knights. "Where do you think Gatta is?"
Ryudo stood up. "I don't know but they probably survived the crash too. Before we go after them, we have to find out where we are first."
"We're in the St. Heim pastures," Lance replied and pointed something ahead of them, a city. "That city has to be St. Heim. We couldn't have gotten that far from Cyrum."
"So, should we go to St. Heim?" Elena asked as she got up from the ground and dusted dirt off of her clothes.
"Yeah, we should, everyone is beat. We need a place where we could spend the night anyway," Ryudo answered.
***
The group checked in in an inn. Ryudo, Roan, and Lance stayed in one room while Elena, Millenia, and Tio shared another. As soon as Ryudo entered their room, he laid down on the bed. Roan did the same thing while Lance crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall.
"Damn! My body feels like it's been stomped by a herd of elephants," Ryudo complained and then sighed in relief as the soft bed relaxed him a bit.
Roan sat up from his bed. "Aren't you going to rest... uh... Lance, that is your name, right?"
"I'm okay," was just the Ninja's reply and turned around to leave. Lance sighed to himself and left the room.
"I wonder what that guy is up to?" Ryudo asked.
"I do not know but I am glad he showed up when Elena was about to get, you know. If it was not for him, Elena might be..." Roan answered and then Ryudo cut him off.
"I know that! I'm glad he came when he did but I don't trust him. If he wants to travel with us, the least he could do is show us his face and tell us why he's after the Cathedral Knights."
"Well, you know, he IS a Ninja." Roan took out his Gladius and began to wipe the blade with a small, white piece of cloth. Roan also knew that Ryudo was not too fond of Lance because he had saved Elena back in Cyrum, not him. That fact alone irritated the Geohound. Ryudo should have also seen his face when Lance tried to wake Elena up at the crash site. He looked like an angry, jealous lover.
Ryudo just laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wondered what Elena was doing right now and just what the Ninja was up to.
***
As soon as Elena entered their room, she sighed and collapsed on her bed. "I am exhausted."
Tio sat down at the edge of her bed. "I am tired and sore from the fight and that crash too. Fortunately, my systems received minimal damaged."
"Quit complaining. Ha! I'm betting there's going to be more fighting ahead so get used to it. And be thankful that we actually survived that crash," Millenia said.
"We survived the crash because I put up a protective barrier around us before the ship started to fall out of the sky," Tio replied.
Elena sat up from her bed. "I wonder if Gatta and the Cathedral Knights survived."
"Who cares? If he died, good, we don't have to deal with him anymore. If he made it, we'll find him sooner or later and then kill him," Millenia snorted.
Elena ignored Millenia's comment and turned to Tio. "I wonder how Ryudo is taking this."
"I do not know. He has not mentioned Gatta's name since the crash. Try talking to him later, I am sure he would appreciate that," Tio answered.
Millenia walked over to her bed and sat down. "Speaking of Ryudo, just what did you two do before the attack? Come on, sister, give me the details!"
Elena looked away as she started to blush. "Things did not go exactly as I planned..." she thought.
Millenia cocked up an eyebrow. "Well?"
Elena faced her "twin" and put up a fake smile. "We just talked."
Millenia did not look satisfied with the answer. "Yeah right. I bet you tried to get Ryudo to kiss you."
"I did not do such a thing!!" Elena protested and shot a dirty look at her dark counter part but Millenia returned it with a sweet smile to irritate the EX-Songstress further.
Tio looked at the clock on the wall. "Look, it is time for dinner. Let us go to the dining room downstairs. I am sure Roan and the others are waiting for us."
"Now that you mention it, I'm a little hungry." Millenia stretched her arms and got off her bed. Elena and Tio stood up and followed Millenia out of the room.
When the girls got to the dining room, the food was ready and Ryudo and Roan were seated on the table. "All right! Everyone is here! Let's start eating!" Ryudo smiled. Millenia and Tio sat down while Elena stood where she was.
"Are we not forgetting someone? Where is Lance?" Elena asked.
"Oh, him. He left. He didn't really say where he was going," Ryudo answered glumly.
Elena sat down beside Ryudo. "Do you think he will come back?"
Ryudo took a sip from his drink. "Who knows? Come on Elena, stop worrying about the guy. He's not your responsibility. Besides, I think he can take care of himself."
Elena did not say anything and started eating her mashed potatoes.
"So, Ryudo what is our next move?" Millenia asked.
"We'll ask the people around here if they saw Gatta or know anything about him. If we don't get any information, we'll look around the place. If he survived, he shouldn't be too far from here and shouldn't be too hard to find," Ryudo answered.
Millenia smiled. "Are you going to kill him when you find him?"
Ryudo was speechless.
"Millenia!" Tio scolded at the red head.
"We will not kill Gatta. We will ask questions first, right Ryudo?" Roan said.
"R.. right," Ryudo nodded and continued eating.
Elena wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I wonder what drove Gatta to do such a thing? And the Cathedral Knights... I thought they were gone."
"Just what are the Cathedral Knights anyway?" Tio asked.
Ryudo finally finished his meal. "I don't know... Bah, I'm getting a headache from all these questions. I'm going outside and get some fresh air." Ryudo stood up from his chair and left the dining room.
Millenia ate all of her food. "I'm done eating. Toodles," Millenia smiled and left.
***
Ryudo stood outside the inn and breathed in the evening fresh air. "Damn, what's happening?! First, my plans with Elena didn't turn out the way I wanted it to and now Gatta. What the Hell is this?!! What am I suppose to do?!!" he thought. The Geohound felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Millenia with a smile on her face. "What do you want?" Ryudo asked coldly.
"I came here to talk to you."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Why her?! Why HER?!!" Millenia asked. Her voice was harsh and cold.
"You mean Elena."
"You love her, don't you?!! That's why you asked her out and not me! I thought you loved me, Ryudo. What happened to you?! Did someone smack you on the head with a big, wooden mallet and forgot that?!!"
"Millenia, I said that I love BOTH of you. But, after a lot of thinking I realized I love Elena more. I've loved her from the start. I love everything about her, her golden blonde hair, those ruby red eyes, her voice, her kind heart... everything. And I know my feelings for her are true. I'd do anything for her, even if it means risking my life."
"What is it that Elena have that I don't?! If you love her more because she can sing, well I can learn how to sing too. There's nothing she can do that I can't."
"It's not that, Millenia."
"What is it then?!"
"I don't think it was love that I felt for you. I think it was guilt. I was always hard on you but you helped Elena save me from the Horns of Valmar. I guess I said that I love you at the Spring of Love because I didn't want to hurt you, not after what you've done for me. I love you Millenia but not like Elena... I'm sorry. I should have told you that before."
Millenia was speechless. She growled and then casted a Burnflame spell on a tree. She glared ice cold daggers at Ryudo and stormed back to the inn.
"Millenia wait!" Ryudo called out but Millenia ignored him. Ryudo extinguished the burning tree with a weak Crackle spell and then shook his head. "Man, what the Hell am I doing?!" Ryudo asked out loud.
"The right thing. It's good that you told her that now," Skye answered, who was perched on top of a lamp post.
"Do you think she'll forgive me?" Ryudo sighed.
"She will, eventually," Skye answered.
***
Elena stood in the balcony. She sighed to herself and smiled as she looked at the sky. The sky was filled with stars, the moon shone happily, and best of all, Valmar's moon was gone permanently.
"Enjoying the view?" a voice asked from behind.
Elena turned around and saw Lance without his navy blue mask. He was handsome and what a tragedy it would have been if he was really ugly under that mask. Elena looked into the Ninja's ruby red eyes, they were void of any feelings or emotions. She was about to ask him a question but she saw the expression on Lance's face. He was expecting an answer from her. "Yes, the sky looks beautiful tonight." Elena turned around and stared at the horizon. "I have always looked at the sky and marvel at its beauty on nights like this but then I would see Valmar's moon. Seeing that moon always made me sad, it reminded me all of the suffering Valmar caused. I am glad that moon is gone now."
Lance walked over to Elena and stood beside her. Lance spoke in his usual cold, monotone voice. "I heard you were a Songstress in a Church of Granas back at Carbo."
Elena was a bit surprised from Lance's statement. "Yes... I was, but seeing that there is no need for Gods anymore, I decided to become a minstrel."
"Do you miss your family back at Carbo?"
"I do not have a family back at Carbo. I... I was an orphan."
"Really? How come?"
"I... I do not know. I cannot remember much about my past."
Lance looked disappointed. "I see."
"I am sorry."
"It's okay. Say, where's Ryudo? There's something you guys need to see."
"Did you find something important about Gatta?"
"Could be." Lance put his mask back on. "Look, I'll go find Ryudo and you get the others."
"Okay," Elena nodded and left.
Lance looked down from the balcony and saw Ryudo standing under a lamp post. The Ninja jumped off the balcony and landed right behind Ryudo. The Geohound turned around to go back to the inn and gasped as he realized that Lance was standing right in front of him.
"Would you stop doing that?!!" Ryudo growled.
"There's something you and the others should see," Lance said.
"What is it? This better be good."
"Don't worry, it'll be worth your time."
Elena and the others then arrived. "Did you find something about the enemy, Lance?" Roan asked.
"Yeah," Lance nodded.
"What is it?" Tio asked.
"Look, ask questions later. For now, come with me," Lance said impatiently and turned around to leave. The Ninja walked down a street with the others trailing behind him.
"Where are we going?" Elena asked.
"To a church of Granas," Lance answered.
Millenia kicked a small rock off the sidewalk. "What are we going to do at a rickety old church?!"
"I spent the night here in St. Heim a couple of days ago. When I arrived here, a man hired me to exterminate everyone in the church," Lance replied.
Roan watched a red car pass by them. "Did you do it?"
"I had to. Anyway, I heard the priest talking about something the children of Granas."
Ryudo frowned. "What do you think that could be?"
"We might find out when we get there."
"Are you saying that the church where we are going is more than a place where people worship Granas?" Roan asked.
"Yeah, I looked for the man that hired me. I squeezed some information out of him and according to him, the place is more than a church."
"Are we there yet?!" Millenia said impatiently.
"We are." Lance pointed something to their left, the church was just across the street.
The group crossed the street and went inside the church. The church was empty and it looked like the place has not been visited for days. The floor and the seats were dusty and the statue of Granas by the entrance could use some polishing.
"My, this place is deserted," Elena said.
"What do you expect? People were killed here, people tend to stay away from places like these. Besides, with the priest gone, who's suppose to hold the mass?" Ryudo snorted.
"This better be quick because I can't stand this place!" Millenia said impatiently.
"We are here. What are we suppose to do now?" Roan asked.
"Look around," Lance answered.
Tio frowned and pointed at the wall. "There is a hidden door over there."
"A door, eh?" Millenia cracked her knuckles. "All right, stand back! I'll blow that wall with a Howlslash!"
"Wait! Don't do that! We don't want to attract attention!" Ryudo scolded.
"Fine, YOU find another way to get in!!!" Millenia snarled.
"Tio, can you find a way to get to the hidden door?" Roan asked.
Tio nodded. "Yes, over there!" Tio pointed at the organ. "Play the organ and the door shall open."
Roan walked over to the organ and played it. The wall rumbled and the hidden entrance was revealed. The group entered the door and found themselves in a place that seemed like a factory.
"Whoa! I wonder what goes on down here?" Ryudo asked. Skye flew away from Ryudo's shoulder.
Roan pointed something ahead of them. "Look, over there!" Roan ran to a couple of big glass tanks with the others behind him. There were Cathedral Knights in the glass tanks. The tanks were filled with a light blue liquid and there were small tubes attached to the Knights' arms and legs.
"It is the Cathedral Knights!" Elena gasped.
"So, this place is a factory that make these guys?" Ryudo scoffed.
"They were not human after all," Tio commented.
"So these are the children of Granas... but why would they call them that?" Lance thought.
"I cannot believe that the church of Granas would make these... things to kill people," Elena said sadly.
"Not people, just the "Dark Ones"," Roan sighed heavily.
"Ryudo!" Skye called out from the end of the hall.
Ryudo ran to Skye. "What is it?!"
Skye nudged his head to the left. "Look over there."
Ryudo turned to his left and walked down a path. He found another glass tank covered with dust. He wiped the dust off with his hand to see what was in the tank. Ryudo gasped and backed away instantly. There was a person in the tank. Ryudo took a step forward and looked at the person closely. "No way... it's Melfice."