--Written by Naki
"So this is what Deningrad looks like," Lavitz commented.
"Yeah, but I see the Crystal Palace isn't fully restored back to its original state," Dart said.
"What happened to it?" Lavitz asked.
"I think you mean, 'What happened to Deningrad?'" Haschel said. "The Divine Dragon got a hold of it and vented its anger."
Lavitz made a face. "Ouch."
"Hey!" Dart said.
"What?" Albert asked. "What is it?"
"It's Wink!" Dart answered. He walked over to the blonde young woman.
"Who's Wink?" Lavitz asked.
"She's the Third Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau," Albert answered.
Dart came back with two young women trailing him.
"Lavitz," Dart said, motioning to each of them. "This is Wink, the Third Sacred Sister, and this is Setie, the Fourth Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Lavitz said.
"Sister Miranda received your letter, King Albert, and left for Serdio. She's back, but hasn't been really social," Wink said.
"Why?" Albert asked. "Is there something wrong?"
Setie shrugged. "We don't think so. Come, let's go see her."
"The rebuilding of the Crystal Palace looks extraordinary," Albert said.
"Yes it is," Wink smiled. "But progress is going very slowly."
They ascended the steps up into Queen Theresa's throne room.
Queen Theresa sat on her throne, with the First Sacred Sister Miranda sitting on the steps beneath her.
Wink and Setie bowed. "Good day, Queen Theresa."
"Good day, my Sacred Sisters," Queen Theresa smiled. "You brought guests?"
"They're here for Sister Miranda," Setie said.
Before anyone could react, a dark-haired young woman stood and staggered over. She was blind. "Good day, Dart and friends. I hope you all are feeling well?"
Setie went to her side.
Dart nodded. "We're fine to an extent, Sister Luanna."
Luanna's sightless eyes roved over the group. She shuddered. "One of you is highly disturbing."
"Matthias...!" A voice said accusingly not a second after Luanna's comment.
"Sorry!" Matthias responded.
Laughter rang out. Lavitz turned around. "Nice one, Erisi."
Erisi had a smug smile on her face.
Miranda walked over. Seeing Dart and the others, she smiled. "What are you guys here for?"
They were interrupted by a loud gasp from Luanna.
"Sister Luanna, are you all right?" Setie asked.
A grin spread across Luanna's face. "Sister Miranda, you...you smiled."
More laughter.
Lavitz whispered a question to Albert, and the king of Serdio pulled his knight to the side to explain it to him.
"We're here for help," Dart answered Miranda's inquiry. "Winglies kidnapped three of our own. Meru, Claira, and Deirdre."
"Deirdre?" Miranda asked.
Dart jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Lavitz's girlfriend."
"What have made Winglies so aggressive?" Miranda asked aloud.
"Good question," Albert said. "We were wondering the same thing when Bale was attacked."
"Bale was attacked?" Queen Theresa repeated.
Albert nodded. "Yes."
"They even tried to assasinate King Albert," Lavitz added.
"It seems that they were unsuccessful," Luanna pipped up.
Miranda walked back over to where she had been sitting on the throne steps. She hefted a large, old book up and carried it back to Dart and Albert. She leafed through the pages, and finally stopped.
"Here," she said, showing the book to Dart. "I found this in the Deningrad National Library. Does that picture look familiar?"
Dart studied the rough drawing. "Yeah, it does ring a bell. It looks like that monster that nearly took Albert out in Tiberoa."
Albert scowled at Dart's remark. "Remember, there were two of them." He took the book from Miranda. "Hmm...let me see." His index finger traced the words in the book. "Oh. Here we go. It is called a Landstrider."
"Landstrider?" Dart repeated. "Never heard of it."
"Of course. This book says they are extinct," Albert read.
"That book looks like it's about as old as Serdio," Lavitz commented. "But, if these creatures were extinct back then, how can they be here now?"
Miranda took the book back. "I was wondering that myself. You see, sometime during last summer, this creature attacked Luanna, Setie, and me. And when two of them attacked your group, it got me thinking."
"Seriously," Dart said, crossing his arms. "What if these Landstriders are connected somehow to the Winglies?"
"Maybe," Miranda said.
"Well, after the war we went through two years ago," Hachel piped up. "I'm willing to say anything can be connected to the Winglies."
"Haschel has a point," Albert said. "By now, I'm not sure if anything will truly surprise me."
"I don't remember the Landstriders being particularly vicious," Matthias added. "At least, not the little ones."
Dart, Albert, and Lavitz turned to look at Matthias.
"What?" Matthias asked.
"Of course you'd know about these," Lavitz said.
"Don't be harsh on him," Haschel said.
"Do you remember them?" Matthias asked Erisi.
Erisi looked up at him with a confused look. She shook her head slowly. "What do you mean? I've never seen such a thing before."
Realization struck Matthias like a ton of bricks. He was obviously embarrassed. "Uh...sorry..."
"I'm going to take a walk," Erisi said. "It's been a while since I've been in Deningrad."
Erisi sat alone on a bench near to the entrance foyer of the Crystal Palace.
It hasn't changed much. Erisi thought. Not much at all. It still has that comfortable emerald glow.
Erisi leveled her head so she could see straight ahead.
"You are troubled?"
Erisi snapped her head around to face the speaker.
"I am bothering you?"
It was Sister Luanna.
Erisi shook her head, knowing that Luanna couldn't see it. "No, of course not."
"May I join you?" Luanna asked.
"Sure."
Luanna staggered over, and reached out with her hands until she felt the bench. Sitting down, she turned her sightless eyes to Erisi.
"Something is troubling you." It was a statement more than a question. "I can sense what is in people's hearts since I can't see."
"That explains it."
"Do you wish to talk about anything?" Luanna inquired.
"No."
Luanna didn't fail to recognize the surge of protectiveness surrounding Erisi after her answer. She decided to back away. "I am treading on glass shards. I will veer away from this subject."
"Thank you."
"Sister Luanna!"
"You're being hailed," Erisi said.
Luanna stood, facing Erisi. "Just one thing."
"Yes?"
"The Dark One longs for the Light. Think about it. Just know that being divine doesn't make One perfect."
Setie came over and led Luanna away.
Why'd she say that...? Erisi thought. What did that mean anyway?
Miranda joined the group a day later.
"Where to now?" Matthias asked.
"Let's go to Snowdrift Abbey," Erisi said suddenly.
"Where?" Albert asked.
"It's the Abbey here in Mille Seseau. It nearly sits on the border of Mille Seseau and the Death Frontier." Erisi answered. "I think it's the one Deirdre is from."
"Yeah, it is," Lavitz said. "It's where I met her."
"I've been there too," Erisi said. "A while back. They have so much stuff from Dragon myth and prophecy that'll make your head spin."
Before anything else could happen, however, an explosion rang in the distance.
"What the-" Dart said.
"Look!" Lavitz called, pointing upwards.
Haschel clenched his hands into fists. "Winglies, yet again."
The tide had turned. It was almost obvious that the Winglies were much stronger. Or, at least took safety in numbers.
Two male Winglies had jumped Haschel and they had nearly beaten him unconscious. Dart, who was bleeding profusely from a cut on his temple and from a split in the corner of his mouth, was beginning to tire, but he kept hacking away at the opponents. He kept close to Lavitz, and the duo gave the Winglies a constant flow of pain. Matthias, being the loner he normally was, fought savagely by himself. He took the most number of Winglies down, and had the most effective attack. Being a lancer, Matthias would jump straight up, and plummet downwards and slam right into the ground, impaling one or more enemies. Miranda, who's specialty weapon was used for far-range fighting, quickly unstrung her bow, and used it as a rather flimsy stave, while she also used her arrows as daggers.
The battle seriously took a turn for the worse when Albert encountered a rather skilled Wingly who fought with a staff. The Wingly constantly hammered at Albert, who could only hold his spear up in defense. Suddenly, the wooden handle of Albert's weapon cracked and split in two. The Wingly grinned an evil grin...and brought his staff around to point at Albert. His staff was more of a crude javelin; one end blunt, but the other end was sharpened to a point roughly, so that it looked like its maker used a rock to sharpen it.
Realizing what this could mean, Albert dropped the broken blunt half of his spear and flipped the blade section around so that he held it blade down in his right hand. Charging each other, Albert wounded his opponent first by burying the blade of his ruined spear into the upper back of his enemy. However, Albert, wincing through excruciating pain, staggered backwards away from his adversary. The Wingly still kept the evil grin upon his face; even through the pain he received from the spearhead in his shoulder. He gripped ths handle of his javelin, which had impaled Albert. The Wingly sniggered, put his foot up against Albert, and kicked the king off his javelin. Albert hit the ground motionlessly, his life trickling from him as his blood stained the snow and cobblestones beneath him red.
Matthias gasped suddenly after knocking away an opponent. His face paled as he felt the life ebbing away from an ally. Knocking down another Wingly, Matthias whirled around, to see...
"ALBERT!!!"
Everyone froze in the Deningrad morning sunlight. Everything became so silent, that its eeriness matched the morbid feeling of Matthias.
"God...no...King...Albert..." Lavitz said, taking sporadic steps towards the fallen king.
The Wingly who had slain Albert grunted as he pulled the spearhead from his shoulder, and then sniggered once more. "Fool. Should've never fought against a Wingly."
"King Albert was no fool!" Lavitz snarled, advancing upon the Wingly.
The Wingly brought his javelin up. "You want to die like your pathetic king did?"
"Worthless threats won't affect me," Lavitz said, his voice was so dangerously calm that it frightened every being present. Miranda squatted down, and helped Haschel up into a sitting position.
Lavitz brandished his spear. "I was the one who taught King Albert to use a lance. Now, I challenge you."
"Fine. You may waste your life haphazardly for all I care," the Wingly said.
Lavitz charged him. The Wingly swiped at Lavitz with his javelin, but Lavitz dodged and slammed his fist into the Wingly's face. Lavitz waited for his adversary to rise, but waiting no longer. Out of fury more than design, Lavitz attacked the Wingly with a swift, six-hit combo.
"GUST OF WIND DANCE!!"
The Wingly failed to rise after the mericless onslaught of Lavitz's rage. Lavitz stood there motionless, not looking at the defeated Wingly, but at his fallen king. Lavitz, breathing heavily, fell to his knees and dropped his spear at his side.
"It's all my fault...I couldn't protect you, King Albert."