--Written by Naki
"Wow, is that the abbey?" Haschel asked.
"Yep," Erisi said. "Sure is."
"Are they gonna let us in?" Dart asked.
"They should. An abbey such as this one goes out of its way to help travelers," Erisi answered.
As they reached the huge ebony gates, Lavitz knocked smartly on them.
Dart ran his hand on the wall. "This rock is rough. It feels like sandpaper."
"Of course," Erisi said. "It's sandstone."
Kongol analyzed the white rock. "Kongol thought sandstone red."
"Not this kind," Erisi said. "The founders of this abbey dug up sandstone from the Death Frontier. That's why the sandstone is white."
"Hence the name Snowdrift Abbey," Dart said as Lavitz rapped on the door a second time.
"That and all the snow they get," Erisi added, motioning with her hand towards the ground.
Haschel stared up at the large building on the opposite side of the wall. "It looks like a huge snow fort."
"It does," Miranda agreed.
"Nah," Dart said, shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. He gazed up at the abbey with a scrutinizing look upon his face. "... More like...an enormous square igloo..."
Erisi laughed. "A square igloo? Dart, you are truly your father's son."
"Only Zieg thought up things like that," Matthias said.
"No one's answering," Lavitz said after knocking a third time.
"Wait a sec," Erisi said. Her wings appeared on her back, and she flew up to the wall top.
"Ahoy down there!" She called, cupping her hands around her mouth. She sat down on the parapet.
A young male Wingly flew up from the grounds. His hand glowed as a red ball appeared. "Are you friend or foe?"
Erisi stared at the young man curiously for a moment, then smiled. "You've grown up, Kurintsu."
The magic ball vanished from the young man's hand. "E-Erisi?"
Erisi nodded.
Kurintsu looked down towards the grounds. "Get the Abbot! Erisi is back!" He turned back around and hugged Erisi. "I've missed you so much."
Erisi nodded to the gate. "I'm traveling with friends. Please, let them in."
Kurintsu nodded, and the duo flew down to the gate.
A slightly heavyset elderly Human man stepped out into the snowy grounds.
"What is going on, Abbot Albus?"
"A Sister has returned to us, Deirdre." Abbot Albus answered.
"One of the Divine Sisters?" Deirdre asked. "Who?"
Abbot Albus turned around. "The one you look so much like: Sister Erisi."
The gate creaked open, and the others trudged through the arched gateway.
Kurintsu stood next to Erisi. "Lavitz!" He ran forward and shook hands with the knight.
"How've you been, Kurintsu? All the girls climbin' all over you yet?" Lavitz asked.
Kurintsu blushed as he shook his head, smiling. "Not yet."
"Kurintsu, this is Dart," Lavitz said, introducing the two.
Erisi walked up to Abbot Albus, who exited the main building alone. She pulled up the skirt of her dress slightly with her hands and curtsied.
The Abbot bowed.
Seeing the confused look on Dart's face, Kurintsu leaned close to explain. "Erisi is one of the Divine Sisters of this abbey. However, the Abbot looks upon her as his own daughter."
"How many Divine Sisters are there?" Dart asked.
"There's only been two," Kurintsu replied. "Erisi is one, and the other left the abbey long before I was born. Her name was Sister Charle, I've been told."
"My daughter Erisi," Abbot Albus said. "I'm so glad you've finally returned."
"Father Albus, I regret that I cannot stay long," Erisi said. She motioned behind her. "I'm traveling with the legendary Dragoons. We must stop this Wingly army."
Abbot Albus nodded.
Running footsteps crunching in the snow came nearer.
"Lavitz!!"
Lavitz turned around. "Huh?"
A blonde woman ran right up to him, and before Lavitz could see her face, she threw her arms around his neck.
Lavitz pulled away from the girl to look at her face.
"Deirdre..." he said after a moment, and hugged her again.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
"You're warm," Deirdre said suddenly.
"Deirdre, if you're here," Dart said.
"Heeeeeey!" Meru dashed up.
Claira ran up and hugged Dart. This action shocked him.
She let go and smiled up at him.
"Claira, I think you just freaked Dart out," Deirdre said, cuddling close to Lavitz for warmth.
"She did," Dart said. "What's with the affection all of a sudden?"
"Claira, don't you have something for Dart?" Meru asked.
"Oh yeah," Claira shoved a hand into her pocket and pulled out a red ball.
"How did you three escape?" Albert asked.
"We didn't do it all by ourselves," Claira said, turning to Albert.
"Yeah, Rose helped us by killing our guards!" Meru said as the group headed inside the main abbey building.
"Rose?" Haschel asked.
"Yeah," Claira said. "Rose and my dad helped us."
"Your dad?" Lavitz asked.
"Dart knows him," Claira said, turning to Dart. "Here. He wanted me to give this to you." She handed him the red ball.
"This is..." Dart said, gazing at the ball sitting on his palm.
"It's the Spirit of the Red-Eyed Dragoon," Claira said. "It was returned to my father at Mayfil for unknown reasons."
"Returned?" Dart repeated. He looked quizzically at Claira.
Claira took a deep breath and turned towards Dart. "I know I'm mostly hid underneath a shadow, 'cause I've never revealed who I really am, or where I'm from, my background, or anything, not even to Meru." She paused, taking another deep breath. "My name is Claira Feld." She said with finality. There, she'd at least gotten through her name. Now, the rest of it. "I was born twenty years ago, just months after the destruction of Neet, in the city of Deningrad. I'm the daughter of Zieg and Claire Feld."
There was a moment of silence as Claira allowed the news to sink into Dart.
"You're my brother, Dart," Claira said. "I didn't even know it until I saw our dad in Mayfil. He explained everything I had questions about, and he even helped us escape from that wretched death city."
There was another moment of silence and Dart walked over and hugged Claira.
"Wow...I have a sister...I really do..." Dart said.
"Hey Dart," Lavitz called.
"What?" Dart asked, releasing his hold on Claira.
"Just think about it. All those years you treated Shana like the baby sister you never had, and now to find out that you've actually had one all along," Lavitz said.
Dart smirked. "Ironic, isn't it?"
The rest of the day and night were passed by storytelling in a large, upstairs dorm room in the main abbey building.
Deirdre sat on the edge of a bed with Lavitz sitting behind her, brushing her hair out.
Meanwhile, Meru paced furiously between the bed Deirdre and Lavitz were on and the bed Dart and Claira sat on. One could almost see the smoke coming from Meru's ears as her rose pink-colored eyes turned a dangerous shade of red.
"How dare they! Go and kill our king, why don't ya!" She fumed. "I don't care that we were able to bring him back, you're still gonna pay! Winglies like you shame our kind!"
Dart chuckled and threw his right arm about Claira's shoulders affectionately.
"And furthermore," Meru continued, nearly burning a rut in the wood flooring with her angered steps. "Why didn't Erisi just tell us that she's a Wingly?" She turned to Matthias, who was sitting alone across the room. "And what about you? You seem quite friendly with her."
Matthias remained silent.
"Meru, everyone has something they choose to hide," Deirdre said. "And me being a Wingly was my dark secret."
"Or maybe," a voice said. "No one ever asked."
Meru whirled around to see Erisi enter the room quietly, followed by Albert.
"I have spoken to Father Albus," Erisi said, in a strange, princess-like manner. "He has granted us stay at his abbey for the night. He has also conferred to provide us with provisions for our journey. He sends his wishes."
Erisi ascended a set of stone steps in the middle of the night. The long corridor glowed orange from torches placed in brackets on both walls in regular intervals.
She soon reached a pair of heavy wooden doors and found them slightly ajar. She eased the door open and leaned inside.
A lone figure sat at a long wooden table, hunched over. A candle was lit in a candleholder sitting near him.
Even in the dim light, there was only one person that came to mind.
"Albert," Erisi called in a low voice. She waited a moment and there was no answer. "Albert." She said louder.
When there wasn't an answer from him a second time, Erisi entered the room, and walked over to him.
She found him asleep, laying his head on his arms.
Erisi smiled down at his prone form, and pulled the open book gently out from under his arms.
Closing it, Erisi checked the faded cover of the ancient book.
"The Legends and Myths of the Dragon Campaign." Read it before. Erisi thought. "Huh. I could practically write my own book on this and landslide them all."
She placed the book back onto its place on the shelf.
Erisi looked back at the sleeping Albert. If it were safe, I would tell them everything they wish to know...
She walked back over to the table and gathered all the other books that Albert collected and stacked them on the table top rather than returning them to the shelves.
Albert awoke to the presence of a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, blinked several times and looked up over his shoulder.
"Erisi?"
She smiled down at him. "You fell asleep."
"Did I?" Albert asked, turning around and rubbing his eyes.
Erisi pulled out an adjacent chair and sat down next to him. Albert does look remarkably like him... She rested her chin on the heel of her hand. Small wonder why I like Albert so much. She smirked. Albert, you have his looks and his interests. The smirk faded from her face. He was always there to comfort me when Matthias left. And then he left me at the abbey to lead his own life. I never saw him again. Erisi glanced over at Albert, who was opening another book. He looked a lot like you, Albert. However, he had short hair that looked kinda like Lavitz's. She watched Albert get up and search the shelves for more books. And, like you Albert, he had a serious upbringing. He worried about everyone and cared nothing for himself. Like you, he made a young but incredibly strong leader of a nation. The same nation, to be exact.
"Albert," Erisi said suddenly.
The King of Serdio turned around. "Yes?"
"It is late," she said, rising. "Let's go to bed."
Erisi remained quiet as the pair walked through the corridors to their room upstairs.
Albert observed her blank expression. "Is everything all right?"
Erisi remained silent.
Albert suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her. "You've never been quiet like this. Tell me, what is wrong?"
Erisi froze as an unpleasant feeling washed over her. It's happening... It's happening again...that feeling... Her knees became weak and she slid down to the floor. She hugged her arms to her chest. No...it can't be...not again...
Albert crouched down beside her. "Erisi...!" He put his hands on her bare shoulders and looked intently at her face. There was no denying the petrified expression, something was wrong. "Erisi...what's wrong?"
His voice sounded so distant and faraway to Erisi.
Erisi squeezed her blue eyes shut. Albert...feeling your life force die away like that back in Deningrad put me through so much grief... It was like feeling all my friends die all over again. No...it happened because of me. One of those Winglies knows...there's on who knows about my past... She barely heard Albert's voice in the background, but she chose to ignore it. I can't go with them...but, my destiny... What do I know about my destiny? They are starting the campaign all over again... The Winglies want control back... But, I cannot fight against them anymore. I must not cause my friends any more pain and anguish!
Erisi jumped to her feet and ran down the corriodor, ignoring Albert's calls, which now echoed eerily in the deserted hall.
I'm so sorry, Albert...
Albert crept back into the bedroom. It was dark, so he felt his way over to his designated bed. He collapsed tiredly onto the bed on his back, and closed his eyes. A moment passed, then Albert felt four small paws descend upon his chest.
What the? Albert thought, opening his eyes. He found himself staring into a pair of glowing cat-like eyes.
"Albert-sama!"
"Sun Raye?" Albert said without thinking. "What is wrong?"
"I'm worried about Otohime-sama," Sun Raye said.
"Who?" Albert asked.
"My mistress Erisi," Sun Raye answered.
"Me too," Albert admitted. "She was acting out of character earlier." He yawned. "Let's sleep one it and look for her in the morning."
Albert awoke the next morning with Sun Raye asleep on his chest. He sat up, taking the drowsy Manoo in his hands.
"Good morning," Deirdre said, poking her head into the room.
"Good morning to you too, Deirdre," Albert responded as Sun Raye leapt from his hands onto his shoulder. Deirdre closed the door quietly behind her.
"Everyone's downstairs having breakfast," she said. "Dart sent me up here to wake you up."
"Funny," Albert said, stretching. "I'm usually the first one up."
"Albert," Deirdre said, her voice lowering in volume. "Erisi's not going with us."
"What?" Albert suddenly went serious. He yanked the string that held his hair up in the ponytail out. "Why?"
Deirdre shrugged. "I don't know. Abbot Albus came down earlier and told us that Erisi went to him early this morning and told him she was going to stay here instead of go with us."
"Hmm..." Albert ran his fingers through his long light brown hair. "I wonder if that has anything to do with what occurred last night."
"What do you mean?" Deirdre asked.
"Both Erisi and I were coming back here from the library last night, when she suddenly stopped, looked frightened, and ran off down the corridor."
Deirdre bit her lip in hesitance. "Father Abbot asked me not to go either."
"Why?" Albert asked.
"He said I look incredibly like the Divine Daughter," Deirdre answered. "How he knows that just puzzles me."
"Do you want to stay?"
"No. I want to go, to be with Lavitz, but...I know I'll be far too much of a burden."