What this seems to be, what this seems to be, is real
All of my life is changing
You're the enemy, you're the enemy, i fear
All of my life is changing, always some rearranging
So much is lost, so much disharmony
So much is lost, no voice of sympathy
My identity, my identity, is not real
All of my life is changing
All of my lies you're facing
Paradise Lost. So Much Is Lost.
Dart moved through the open gates of Bale. He noted that a few people looked his way, some even nodded at him as if they knew who he was. Maybe they did, it was hard to say how far his face was known... Surely they had heard tales, stories maybe, about a man in red armor.
Dart ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't ready to be a hero again, not for these people... Maybe he never would be. But he'd be the one, just like the rest of them, trapped in a circle of death and pain. It wasn't his job to feel guilt for killing his enemies. It wasn't his job to question. But it was to murder, and to hand out answers.
Then gain... He just thought to much about things that may never come to be in the first place.
Shana trotted lightly behind him pointing out some random places to Raizel and Balder. She neatly left out Lavits' house, and instead talked about the man who they meet when they when leaving the town. He was the one who asked them to help for stardust.
Great pain that was too... Shana thought in her head, even though the items where very powerful.
Finally they rounded a corner and where set straight on the path to the castle. They walked up the stairs and at the top Dart stopped for a moment to speak to the guards who quickly bowed to him.
"Right this way sir!" A man in dark colored fabric said, before leading them into the heart of the well lit castle.
Dart nodded waving at the others to follow him into the building. Raizel followed looking about, she couldn't shake the strange feeling that people were giving her odd looks. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had been here before too.
But she hadn't been outside of Seles more than once or twice has she? She hadn't left that small town in the longest time... Maybe she had gone out side of it once. Wasn't that what Dart had told her?
She moved about the stairway cautiously. She had been here at one point or another. It hadn't been to long ago either. She caught a stray glance from the man in dark clothes and golden armor. She felt a slight sense of pity and repulsion at him. Then she noticed that they were walking up more steps, careful not to trip she lightly moved up them.
Balder looked about the thrown room in modest surprise. He hadn't really expected the place to be so unfurnished. Sure it had wonderful motifs on the railing and the carpets was the best, however it really was lacking in anywhere to sit.
Maybe he had been expecting something more like a living room... Then a dark figure near the back of the room caught his glance. The man had silver hair, and almost red looking eyes... Maybe they really where red. However it was unnerving what he felt, in his mind he could hear someone else's voice, but the words were to far away to hear.
Quickly he shook his head, noticing that the stranger was giving him a strange look to. Before shaking his own head...
This all passed with seconds for who came to the scene but the King himself. And with him a hole new set of emotions.
Albert smiled for once in a very long time. His eyes flickering back and forth between the people there. "Dart! It's good to finally see you here! Meru hasn't arrived yet, but Miranda and the others are already here. They're resting right now though."
"That's good... It's been a long time, we have some catching up to do I think. If you can get everyone's rooms together I'd like a moment to speak with you."
Albert took the slight hint there. "Of course. Your rooms are already placed together. I'll have the maids show you where. Dart if you want to come over here." Albert said waving him up to a door on the right side of the room.
Dart followed patiently. As he reached the top of the steps he paused only for a second to look across at the cold and ever calculating tactician. His eyes couldn't help but narrow at the man before Albert pulled him into the room.
Shutting the door behind him Albert turned on Dart, holding a finger to his lips. He opened another part of the room out into the balcony to his own room. "We can talk out here."
"I wasn't expecting to see him so suddenly that's all." Dart said noticing the more than disapproving look.
"I know, I know... But Miranda, Haschel, even Kongol have been glaring daggers at him. I know for a fact that he is getting suspicious of what is going on. I'm not sure if the spell is wearing off, or if he's simply to powerful now to be tricked like that. You remember what Charlie told us, she can't tap that much power off of them, unless they are within Ulara. I think he's just growing to powerful to be held in by the magic she placed on him."
"I've noticed it with Raizel and Balder also." Dart stated. "However I have something far more important to speak with you about."
"I don't want to know about it."
"I'm afraid that you must Albert... Because before you are a King you are a Dragoon."
"One of those great sayings, hm?"
"Melbu Frama appeared and when after Raizel while we were in the caves."
Albert's head hung. "I should have guessed that it would be soon."
"I should have too. He was in the body of a Succubus, and he was powerful enough to have darkened the entire caves."
"Have you sent word to Charle yet?" Albert asked apprehensively.
"I did with my spirit. She has yet to speak to me back... "
"I'm not surprised, she is undoubtedly working on point out his location. However this couldn't have come at a worse time. I'm going to be having a wedding, and all of you are here..."
"Leaving the rest of the world completely unprotected... I'm thinking about telling Meru to stay in Ulara after this. I know she'll hate me for it, but it would be comforting to have one of us there." Dart responded running an uneasy hand through his hair.
"She'll understand... Because before we are living we are Dragoons..." Albert said, before casting his eyes out at his country.
Alulan stalked off in as dire a mood as ever. The way the man Dart had glared daggers at him when he came up the steps, not to mention the other three. They all just stared a glared. Of course when he had seen them he had felt emotions springing up, all far to random for him to comprehend. None of them direct like the one he felt when he had seen Emille.
Why... because I saw all of these people at once?
He shook his head not look ahead of him, but a the ground. It was then that he bumped into one of the people from Dart's party. The blond man...
"Excuse me." He muttered before starting to walk off.
"Hey! Wait a second do I know you?" He asked.
Alulan twirled around to greet the stranger. "I'm afraid I wouldn't know, but if you recognize me..."
"Um... No not exactly, you see when I see people I know from before I lost my memory I often get a flash of some reorganization... I was hoping you could tell me who you are, or where we met."
Alulan tilted his head slightly. "That's rather odd, because I seem to have lost my memory also... About three months ago to be exact."
"Three months ago... At the end of the Moon war?"
"Yes... Your one of the other two who were there aren't you?" Alulan asked carefully.
"Other two... I think I was, it very hazy... But I do know that Raizel also lost her memory around the same time! What a coincidence to meet you here!" The man said far to loudly for Alulan's tastes.
"Keep it down will you. The Dragoons are already suspicious of me I think, knowing about their little quick fix to things. Why don't you come out to the tavern with me, I doubt that we'll get heard there." \
"Alright, I'm Balder. Or at least that's the name I was told. How about you?"
"Alulan." He said heading back around the side and down a small hidden stairwell. Balder followed behind intrigued by the strange happenings.
They reached the tavern in only a few minutes. Being still rather early in the day there was few customers. All the better for the two of them.
"Where should we start?" Balder asked.
"Hm... What have you been told about the incident surrounding your memory loss?" Alulan queried waving over a maid to get them drinks.
"I was told that I lost my memory due to the Moon War... They said I hit my head or something stupid like that, called it amnesia. I was told that I was a relative to Dart, that's why we look alike, and are both Dragoons. He spent some time training me to be a dragoon. However that was far to easy, so I think I must have done it before. Shana and him talk about me, and then they will often start talking about him... I'm not sure who he is, however I think that I was associated to him, like an ally. He is their enemy apparently, which I think must be the reason for my loss of memory." He paused and reached for the pint of beer which had come his way. "Your turn."
"Very similar... I was told by Albert that I lost my memory after being attacked by some sort of creature called a Virage. He said that it was dying, however I was it by a magic ray from the thing and was forced into near death by it. He claims that's how I got a rather strange scar on my chest, I don't believe it one bit cause it when all the way through, and should have killed me." Alulan paused talking a sip. "I've heard in the past few days that a wingly named Charle erased my memory. Apparently she also placed some sort of spell on us to keep us from questioning our memory loss. It seemed to have been working well until a little over a week ago."
"If Charle erased your memory, and I remember you being there... She must have did the same thing to myself and Raizel." He answered, looking about the room again as if suspicious of something.
"I've also heard that Dart was the one to give the order to erase my memory...." Alulan mentioned.
"What?!"
"I heard it when Albert was speaking to someone, apparently Dart is directly involved with Charle, or something like that. He helped out with a family dispute, and Charle does him the Favor of wiping his enemies clean." Alulan nodded and leaned back watching Balder's reaction.
"... It would make sense... Shana certainly didn't like me at first, and with this whole Him thing popping up... Maybe we were their enemies, it would make sense that they would try to keep us quite, especially if something terrible happened."
"Like what?"
"Oh I don't know... End of the world, sacrificial things. Something vile, something a groups of famous hero's just wouldn't want you to hear about."
"Ha! I bet they accidentally killed someone, and they don't want us to go telling everyone who it is!"
However Balder's eyes had focused on something outside the window. Alulan turned and a strong sense of betrayal hit him. Outside was a young girl, dressed up in a extremely skimpy blue dress pranced by, leading a man who also had silver hair by.
"You feel it too." Balder stated.
"Betrayal... What did you feel?" Alulan asked him turning back.
"Joy, and annoyance."
"Strange...." Alulan stated. "It's times like these where I think it's better to get drunk."
"I whole heartily agree!" Balder said with a smile.
A/N: Sorry I know I really should get around to writing on my other fics... Like my two ff9 ones and A Tale of Two Winglies... Or maybe finish Baon since it only has one chapter left. XD But know know! Frick it! BWAHAHAA! Okay I promise that the next thing I put up will be another chapter on one of those, maybe Demon Squirrels II!