Chapter 15 - The Edge of Madness
A pair of blue eyes stared out the window down on a world in ruin, cold but hardly lifeless. Indalecio had been sitting for hours looking out the window without moving, and the others passed by, wondering what was wrong. Vesper mentioned in passing to Shigeo that it was far better to see Indalecio raging angry then sitting quietly without moving before they parted ways near the red-head's room.
Indalecio's mind was preoccupied with thoughts that were far more important than any one emotion. He knew Cyril was causing problems, and he certainly had no idea how to address the issue of Ruprecht. Was there a chance any of the others could be swayed? He knew Ruprecht was young and impressionable; he wasn't sure if they could convince him of the error of his ways. Those who were stepping up to face them were formidable, in many aspects. It wasn't helping having Cyril stir up problems here in Eluria among the others.
He had two problems; one was that group of Expellians, the human, and Tetragene. The other was Cyril. Of them, Cyril was the far greater threat, but if he took action against Cyril, he wasn't sure what the others would do. Who would the rally around? Or would it be an all-out war? He knew he only maintained his leadership partly out of respect and fear of his abilities. Decus was easy to handle with Noah - Any of the others but Cyril were. Cyril unfortunately presented a larger problem; he was nearly Indalecio's equal. Nearly. Cyril's abilities with Wind were formidable, and his gate spell was by far deadly. What else the younger wise man knew was unknown; Indalecio was almost certain Cyril had been studying more then he knew before in preparation.
'Of course, its not like I haven't prepared a few secrets myself,' he thought to himself, raising one gloved hand to study it idly. 'Cyril may be trying to stir dissent but what does he hope to gain? Does he truly think that he can get the others to side with him against me? Should I prove that it's a futile idea? He is so driven by hate, and anger, he's only blinding himself. Ever since Ruprecht left our ranks, its only been worse. Its an acceptable loss at this point, even if Ruprecht can tell them everything; there's no way they could ever get the means to deal with us - not while united. Cyril's a fool to think he can get rid of me and succeed. He has no idea what our - my - purpose is.'
He clenched his hand into a fist then, cracking a couple joints as he did so and looked outside again. 'However. I do wish I could just see the scenery of Nede again, before it was destroyed. It was calming, relaxing, such a far cry from what lays before us now. What's required and what's optional are very different things indeed - we don't need Expel, its only another stepping stone, but I can't help but recall what happened at Nede again and again as I watch things unfold here. It's a sickening feeling really - except Cyril wasn't working against me in that endeavor.'
He stood, his robes billowing a moment as a breeze wandered in from the balcony. He walked over to the doorway to the outside, leaning against the doorway of the tower looking outwards over the charred landscape. 'This once used to be beautiful fields surrounding this city. Now it's nothing but desolation. Despair is all life ahs left hre, and with good reason; soon, very soon, Expel will be close enough for us to jump to Energy Nede and it will be over for this pitiful world. But I still can't help feeling a small portion of sorrow for it. However, things are necessary. Perhaps Cyril ahs always been right in that regard; he has had no remorse for what he has done.'
He grit his teeth then a bit, dwelling on that thought. 'But then, others see me just as cold and cruel as Cyril; however, the difference lies in that I make no secret my own feelings and thoughts about what should be done, and how to do it. Ruprecht's loss is nothing to me - there are still far worse things to worry about. It should not take all ten of us to succeed - even with the Expellians and the others trying to stop us. Losses are losses. And if I must consider including Cyril among that list, so be it. I think, however, he would best serve us by dealing with our errant one and to fuel his anger at those coming. If he has any idle intent to take my place as his ambitions imply, he certainly had better figure on dealing with them - or wait until I do so.'
He chuckled then to himself, a deep, rich laugh that chilled Vesper as the other stood outside the room where Indalecio was. He gave second thought to telling Indalecio about what Cyril was up to at the mirror, and decided instead to find something else to pass the time until it seemed a bit safer. Indalecio heard the fading footsteps and snickered then, stretching his weary body. He had been awake hours deliberating on things, and now seemed as good as time as any to retire awhile while Cyril had his mischief.
'Its only a matter of time; and Shin should be busy anyway keeping our so- called heroes at bay anyway.'
~*~
"This is horrible," Rena said as she took in the site of the front lines of Lacour, the innumerable injured and weakened cast about the place like dolls discarded by a child. The sight was almost too much, and she felt her heart sink seeing the atrocities here. "Dias, is there any hope at all?"
Dias snorted slightly, looking away from all the injured men and wondering if there was any chance left. He knew if he denied it, it would crush Rena's spirit, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. But it almost felt like lying to say there was. He had to do something, anything. His hand rested on his sword, and he recalled the stones that Gamgee had given him after the tournament. "Yes Rena, there is. Don't worry. We can do this." He felt a lump catch in his throat. "If you all don't mind, I'd like to go take care of something in peace. I need to relax."
Rena nodded, watching him walk away with sadness in her eyes. When she could no longer see him through the crowd - assuming he had turned a corner - she sighed. "I'm worried about him."
"It's to be expected," Ruprecht said. "Shin certainly is keeping busy. this is almost as bad as what happened to the City we took over, except no one remained there. They're all living on the fringes of that continent."
Urunrun, who whined a bit, nudged Ashton. "I know, its not looking good, but we have to do something. We can't just sit here and watch these people suffer - if they attack again, some of these injured will have to go fight - whether they can or not."
Precis chewed her lip a bit, taking in the grizzly sight of the wounded and those who looked on the verge of death. This was reality - the truth she had lived so far form down in Linga. This was what was coming to her home if they didn't stop this menace. "Ashton. we have to do something. Think of all the people in Linga, and Hilton who will suffer if we don't - and at Lacour. If they can overrun this place, what's Lacour to them?"
Rena flinched slightly at the question before kneeling down next to one of the critically wounded sprawled out in the hallway. He looked on the verge of death from blood loss, pale, with shallow breath. She knew she could not help everyone, but this young man - he could b hardly older then Precis it seemed - looked the worst of them all. The others were being looked after, but no nurse or doctor seemed to stop for this one. It was as if all hope had been discarded.
~*~
Dias had found solitude, a quiet place to work and the materials he needed for doing what he was about to do. He drew his sword, a specimen of craftsmanship that many would have killed for. However, it was not going to be enough; he had to forge this to make something better, anything to help achieve victory in these chaotic times. If he were to fail - the champion of the Lacour Tournament - then many would lose hope. He would put his all into re-forging the weapon, customizing it to suit his needs.
He stripped everything from his upper body as the forge heated up, stretching as he waited for it to reach the right point. He prided himself on his ability to work with swords; being out on the road constantly the last few years wandering the world had taught him much about self- sufficiency. He held the blade, admiring it as it was, and plunged it into the heat, thinking about Rena and the others, and everything that had happened only last night.
~*~
"I've got to do something," Rena said, looking up at the others from her crouched position. "No one is helping him, and I can't just watch another person die. Even if I can't afford to do this for everyone, I can't let him die because everyone else is too busy." Her eyes were filled with tears then, as she remembered hearing the news of Dias' family, Cecille especially. She had been unable to do anything then, and she was not about to repeat history when she had the potential to do something. She had sat by idly and watched things happen far too much. She could have done something long ago for Allen when that had happened; she could have done so much more for Elanor perhaps. She could not let one more chance slip by. Dias might not have agreed with what she was doing, but she had to, if only to ease her own mind and quiet her fears and doubts.
She looked away from the others and into the lifeless eyes of this youth. In some ways he reminded her of Claude, but with brown hair that was slightly longer, but the eyes had the same sparkle, or would have if they had more life to them. She took his hands in hers, closing her eyes to focus on her healing powers. She knew it was a rarity that she was able to do this, that no one else could in this world. At least to her knowledge; these front lines badly needed more that could it seemed. Her skills would be in high-demand, but she needed to save her energies for the actual fights after this one attempt. Everyone else had the care of doctors and nurses - this one did not.
Her hands started to glow in sync with her pendant, and she felt the same warmth she always did when casting the healing spell. She could tell some others who were in the hallway moving about had stopped to watch these proceedings; those she had traveled with watched with varied emotions. Ashton's dragons even were silent in awe and respect as they watched for signs of improvement. She could tell it was having an effect as she felt warmth in his hands, and bit her lip slightly to maintain the spell, sensing there were many wounds deep within this young man.
"What's going on?" a doctor asked, and was silenced by several others, including Precis. Bobot even stood still by her feet, watching the green energy swirl and work its powers. Ruprecht watched with a different set of emotion and awe, knowing what she was and that her skills lent the Expellians hope where none was. The ability to cure seemed non-existent in this world as a skill; her presence surely helped those around her in combat, and Shin was going to be bringing the worst of it soon. They all would need the bolstering power she had; else they would die fighting a futile battle.
Her mind reached further, trying to mend as much as she could, pushing her power further than she had ever needed to; whenever Claude and the other fought, she was able to cure them quickly before the damage got this far. The fact something had been able to nearly decimate this man worried her about Dias and everyone else going to fight, but she knew she would be right alongside them with her ability. She could tell ahs he stirred that the grievous wounds were healed, and that he would recover quickly at this point. She felt drained, and drew her hands back to let him fully stir and recover. Her own breath was shallow from having focused so much, her body drained of energy and vitality form pouring so much into the effort. She needed to rest before the attack came, and she met the youth's eyes to confirm it hadn't been a lost cause.
"I see you've managed to keep busy," Dias said, walking over to her through the crowd gathered in the hallway. He was clothed again, but had a different sword in-hand as he approached. Her eyes looked at the blade with a mix of curiosity and fascination - it was elegant in design, yet highly practical, and looked to be able to slice air with ease. It almost seemed to radiate a faint aura of wind, as though blessed by nature in its purpose.
"Dias," she managed, finding herself to be more exhausted then she thought she was. Her attempt to stand faltered, and she remained knelt down rather than risk collapsing at this point. The one she had healed was still recovering from the verge of death, slowing regaining his hold on reality and regaining his bearings nearby. "I- I had to," she blurted out, her vision blurring slightly as her body fought to recover its own energies.
"Its ok," he said, kneeling beside her to support her. "I made this - for you, for us. I've called it the Hope of Breeze - its blessed by the winds, and much better than my other sword. It'll make the difference for us - I know it. We can do it, Rena. Though you need to rest." His normally cold eyes seemed less harsh for a moment as he looked at her, and then looked at the one she had healed. 'He should definitely feel blessed to have had Rena help him. Its hard times when even the youth have to be called up to serve their country and world.' He glanced over to Precis for a moment, and then sheathed Hope before putting an arm around Rena before lifting her into his arms.
"Do we have quarters yet, Ashton?" he asked as she rested her head on his chest.
The swordsman shook his head. "No, I don't think so yet."
The doctor in the hall spoke up, pointing to a room a few doors down. "There's space in there for the lot of you, and a curtain to divide the females from the males. It's the least we can do on short notice with so many injured."
Dias nodded, looking back at the youth before proceeding down the hall to the room, Precis in tow with Ruprecht and Ashton following after a bit. Ruprecht knew a lot was riding on them with so many already having faced Shin's powers. He knew Shin was not going to be easy, and the hordes he always brought were only getting worse. He looked at Rena as Dias laid her down on one of the beds. 'Her will must be strong. all of us must find our deepest reserves as she has. This will be a long, hard wait. The assault of Lacour is only beginning - and I know Indalecio will let Shin use as much as possible at this point to keep us at bay.'
"She'll need to rest," Dias said. "We all should after that long walk; it's late enough as it is. Be ready in case something happens, however. We pretty much seem to be the last hope Lacour has until the others get back." He closed his eyes, rubbing at them as he added mentally. 'And I hope that isn't too long; otherwise I'm afraid for Rena's well being and our own reserves if they're gone too long.'
A pair of blue eyes stared out the window down on a world in ruin, cold but hardly lifeless. Indalecio had been sitting for hours looking out the window without moving, and the others passed by, wondering what was wrong. Vesper mentioned in passing to Shigeo that it was far better to see Indalecio raging angry then sitting quietly without moving before they parted ways near the red-head's room.
Indalecio's mind was preoccupied with thoughts that were far more important than any one emotion. He knew Cyril was causing problems, and he certainly had no idea how to address the issue of Ruprecht. Was there a chance any of the others could be swayed? He knew Ruprecht was young and impressionable; he wasn't sure if they could convince him of the error of his ways. Those who were stepping up to face them were formidable, in many aspects. It wasn't helping having Cyril stir up problems here in Eluria among the others.
He had two problems; one was that group of Expellians, the human, and Tetragene. The other was Cyril. Of them, Cyril was the far greater threat, but if he took action against Cyril, he wasn't sure what the others would do. Who would the rally around? Or would it be an all-out war? He knew he only maintained his leadership partly out of respect and fear of his abilities. Decus was easy to handle with Noah - Any of the others but Cyril were. Cyril unfortunately presented a larger problem; he was nearly Indalecio's equal. Nearly. Cyril's abilities with Wind were formidable, and his gate spell was by far deadly. What else the younger wise man knew was unknown; Indalecio was almost certain Cyril had been studying more then he knew before in preparation.
'Of course, its not like I haven't prepared a few secrets myself,' he thought to himself, raising one gloved hand to study it idly. 'Cyril may be trying to stir dissent but what does he hope to gain? Does he truly think that he can get the others to side with him against me? Should I prove that it's a futile idea? He is so driven by hate, and anger, he's only blinding himself. Ever since Ruprecht left our ranks, its only been worse. Its an acceptable loss at this point, even if Ruprecht can tell them everything; there's no way they could ever get the means to deal with us - not while united. Cyril's a fool to think he can get rid of me and succeed. He has no idea what our - my - purpose is.'
He clenched his hand into a fist then, cracking a couple joints as he did so and looked outside again. 'However. I do wish I could just see the scenery of Nede again, before it was destroyed. It was calming, relaxing, such a far cry from what lays before us now. What's required and what's optional are very different things indeed - we don't need Expel, its only another stepping stone, but I can't help but recall what happened at Nede again and again as I watch things unfold here. It's a sickening feeling really - except Cyril wasn't working against me in that endeavor.'
He stood, his robes billowing a moment as a breeze wandered in from the balcony. He walked over to the doorway to the outside, leaning against the doorway of the tower looking outwards over the charred landscape. 'This once used to be beautiful fields surrounding this city. Now it's nothing but desolation. Despair is all life ahs left hre, and with good reason; soon, very soon, Expel will be close enough for us to jump to Energy Nede and it will be over for this pitiful world. But I still can't help feeling a small portion of sorrow for it. However, things are necessary. Perhaps Cyril ahs always been right in that regard; he has had no remorse for what he has done.'
He grit his teeth then a bit, dwelling on that thought. 'But then, others see me just as cold and cruel as Cyril; however, the difference lies in that I make no secret my own feelings and thoughts about what should be done, and how to do it. Ruprecht's loss is nothing to me - there are still far worse things to worry about. It should not take all ten of us to succeed - even with the Expellians and the others trying to stop us. Losses are losses. And if I must consider including Cyril among that list, so be it. I think, however, he would best serve us by dealing with our errant one and to fuel his anger at those coming. If he has any idle intent to take my place as his ambitions imply, he certainly had better figure on dealing with them - or wait until I do so.'
He chuckled then to himself, a deep, rich laugh that chilled Vesper as the other stood outside the room where Indalecio was. He gave second thought to telling Indalecio about what Cyril was up to at the mirror, and decided instead to find something else to pass the time until it seemed a bit safer. Indalecio heard the fading footsteps and snickered then, stretching his weary body. He had been awake hours deliberating on things, and now seemed as good as time as any to retire awhile while Cyril had his mischief.
'Its only a matter of time; and Shin should be busy anyway keeping our so- called heroes at bay anyway.'
~*~
"This is horrible," Rena said as she took in the site of the front lines of Lacour, the innumerable injured and weakened cast about the place like dolls discarded by a child. The sight was almost too much, and she felt her heart sink seeing the atrocities here. "Dias, is there any hope at all?"
Dias snorted slightly, looking away from all the injured men and wondering if there was any chance left. He knew if he denied it, it would crush Rena's spirit, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. But it almost felt like lying to say there was. He had to do something, anything. His hand rested on his sword, and he recalled the stones that Gamgee had given him after the tournament. "Yes Rena, there is. Don't worry. We can do this." He felt a lump catch in his throat. "If you all don't mind, I'd like to go take care of something in peace. I need to relax."
Rena nodded, watching him walk away with sadness in her eyes. When she could no longer see him through the crowd - assuming he had turned a corner - she sighed. "I'm worried about him."
"It's to be expected," Ruprecht said. "Shin certainly is keeping busy. this is almost as bad as what happened to the City we took over, except no one remained there. They're all living on the fringes of that continent."
Urunrun, who whined a bit, nudged Ashton. "I know, its not looking good, but we have to do something. We can't just sit here and watch these people suffer - if they attack again, some of these injured will have to go fight - whether they can or not."
Precis chewed her lip a bit, taking in the grizzly sight of the wounded and those who looked on the verge of death. This was reality - the truth she had lived so far form down in Linga. This was what was coming to her home if they didn't stop this menace. "Ashton. we have to do something. Think of all the people in Linga, and Hilton who will suffer if we don't - and at Lacour. If they can overrun this place, what's Lacour to them?"
Rena flinched slightly at the question before kneeling down next to one of the critically wounded sprawled out in the hallway. He looked on the verge of death from blood loss, pale, with shallow breath. She knew she could not help everyone, but this young man - he could b hardly older then Precis it seemed - looked the worst of them all. The others were being looked after, but no nurse or doctor seemed to stop for this one. It was as if all hope had been discarded.
~*~
Dias had found solitude, a quiet place to work and the materials he needed for doing what he was about to do. He drew his sword, a specimen of craftsmanship that many would have killed for. However, it was not going to be enough; he had to forge this to make something better, anything to help achieve victory in these chaotic times. If he were to fail - the champion of the Lacour Tournament - then many would lose hope. He would put his all into re-forging the weapon, customizing it to suit his needs.
He stripped everything from his upper body as the forge heated up, stretching as he waited for it to reach the right point. He prided himself on his ability to work with swords; being out on the road constantly the last few years wandering the world had taught him much about self- sufficiency. He held the blade, admiring it as it was, and plunged it into the heat, thinking about Rena and the others, and everything that had happened only last night.
~*~
"I've got to do something," Rena said, looking up at the others from her crouched position. "No one is helping him, and I can't just watch another person die. Even if I can't afford to do this for everyone, I can't let him die because everyone else is too busy." Her eyes were filled with tears then, as she remembered hearing the news of Dias' family, Cecille especially. She had been unable to do anything then, and she was not about to repeat history when she had the potential to do something. She had sat by idly and watched things happen far too much. She could have done something long ago for Allen when that had happened; she could have done so much more for Elanor perhaps. She could not let one more chance slip by. Dias might not have agreed with what she was doing, but she had to, if only to ease her own mind and quiet her fears and doubts.
She looked away from the others and into the lifeless eyes of this youth. In some ways he reminded her of Claude, but with brown hair that was slightly longer, but the eyes had the same sparkle, or would have if they had more life to them. She took his hands in hers, closing her eyes to focus on her healing powers. She knew it was a rarity that she was able to do this, that no one else could in this world. At least to her knowledge; these front lines badly needed more that could it seemed. Her skills would be in high-demand, but she needed to save her energies for the actual fights after this one attempt. Everyone else had the care of doctors and nurses - this one did not.
Her hands started to glow in sync with her pendant, and she felt the same warmth she always did when casting the healing spell. She could tell some others who were in the hallway moving about had stopped to watch these proceedings; those she had traveled with watched with varied emotions. Ashton's dragons even were silent in awe and respect as they watched for signs of improvement. She could tell it was having an effect as she felt warmth in his hands, and bit her lip slightly to maintain the spell, sensing there were many wounds deep within this young man.
"What's going on?" a doctor asked, and was silenced by several others, including Precis. Bobot even stood still by her feet, watching the green energy swirl and work its powers. Ruprecht watched with a different set of emotion and awe, knowing what she was and that her skills lent the Expellians hope where none was. The ability to cure seemed non-existent in this world as a skill; her presence surely helped those around her in combat, and Shin was going to be bringing the worst of it soon. They all would need the bolstering power she had; else they would die fighting a futile battle.
Her mind reached further, trying to mend as much as she could, pushing her power further than she had ever needed to; whenever Claude and the other fought, she was able to cure them quickly before the damage got this far. The fact something had been able to nearly decimate this man worried her about Dias and everyone else going to fight, but she knew she would be right alongside them with her ability. She could tell ahs he stirred that the grievous wounds were healed, and that he would recover quickly at this point. She felt drained, and drew her hands back to let him fully stir and recover. Her own breath was shallow from having focused so much, her body drained of energy and vitality form pouring so much into the effort. She needed to rest before the attack came, and she met the youth's eyes to confirm it hadn't been a lost cause.
"I see you've managed to keep busy," Dias said, walking over to her through the crowd gathered in the hallway. He was clothed again, but had a different sword in-hand as he approached. Her eyes looked at the blade with a mix of curiosity and fascination - it was elegant in design, yet highly practical, and looked to be able to slice air with ease. It almost seemed to radiate a faint aura of wind, as though blessed by nature in its purpose.
"Dias," she managed, finding herself to be more exhausted then she thought she was. Her attempt to stand faltered, and she remained knelt down rather than risk collapsing at this point. The one she had healed was still recovering from the verge of death, slowing regaining his hold on reality and regaining his bearings nearby. "I- I had to," she blurted out, her vision blurring slightly as her body fought to recover its own energies.
"Its ok," he said, kneeling beside her to support her. "I made this - for you, for us. I've called it the Hope of Breeze - its blessed by the winds, and much better than my other sword. It'll make the difference for us - I know it. We can do it, Rena. Though you need to rest." His normally cold eyes seemed less harsh for a moment as he looked at her, and then looked at the one she had healed. 'He should definitely feel blessed to have had Rena help him. Its hard times when even the youth have to be called up to serve their country and world.' He glanced over to Precis for a moment, and then sheathed Hope before putting an arm around Rena before lifting her into his arms.
"Do we have quarters yet, Ashton?" he asked as she rested her head on his chest.
The swordsman shook his head. "No, I don't think so yet."
The doctor in the hall spoke up, pointing to a room a few doors down. "There's space in there for the lot of you, and a curtain to divide the females from the males. It's the least we can do on short notice with so many injured."
Dias nodded, looking back at the youth before proceeding down the hall to the room, Precis in tow with Ruprecht and Ashton following after a bit. Ruprecht knew a lot was riding on them with so many already having faced Shin's powers. He knew Shin was not going to be easy, and the hordes he always brought were only getting worse. He looked at Rena as Dias laid her down on one of the beds. 'Her will must be strong. all of us must find our deepest reserves as she has. This will be a long, hard wait. The assault of Lacour is only beginning - and I know Indalecio will let Shin use as much as possible at this point to keep us at bay.'
"She'll need to rest," Dias said. "We all should after that long walk; it's late enough as it is. Be ready in case something happens, however. We pretty much seem to be the last hope Lacour has until the others get back." He closed his eyes, rubbing at them as he added mentally. 'And I hope that isn't too long; otherwise I'm afraid for Rena's well being and our own reserves if they're gone too long.'
