Chapter 20 - Withdrawn

The crisp sea air was refreshing to the team that had been at the front lines. To those who had gone to the ruins it was familiar and inviting once more. The Lacour Hope, their finest chance against the Wise Men and their power, was already secured on the greatest ship of the Lacour Fleet. Now soldiers and dockworkers were loading supplies on the ship in preparation for sailing to El as the warriors stood watching.

"I'd love to go," Kher said, waving at arm out to sea, "but they want me at the front lines still, and my wounds haven't completely mended despite Rena's magic."

"It's fine," Ashton said, glancing up at the dragons hovering over his head, "we'll somehow manage. Besides, you're quite looked up to back at the Lines. They need morale still."

"Right. Well, I should be heading back. Thank you, Rena, and everyone. Good luck and good travels." They watched the young archer leave out the city gates alone, heading back for the front lines.

"So, does everyone have what they need?" Dias asked, looking around at everyone. Nods were exchanged, and Rena squeezed his hand. "We should get onboard then so they can go the second the loading preparations are done. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can eradicate them."

'The sooner I can have peace,' Ruprecht thought as they all made their way to the plank. As they started up they could hear Leon up there, talking with his parents - more like dictating, though. Dias was the first up, and his eyes scanned the deck for a moment before he stepped onboard completely. He was used to traveling on ships, having crossed between Cross and Lacour often for the tournaments and his own travels in the last few years.

They headed for their cabins, each to put stuff away and know where they would be sleeping. Dias stepped into his, noting that someone had put Rena across from him. Next to his cabin was Claude's and across from him was Celine, then Ernest and Opera, Ashton and Precis, with Ruprecht and Bowman at the end. He could only assume that Leon was staying with his parents in another part of the ship.

He closed the door, setting Hope of Breeze against the wall by it and crossed to the bed, lying down. It was more comfortable then the ground, but not as much as the room he had had once in Cross. He closed his eyes, relaxing a bit. They had won a victory, but nothing was truly secured until they had eradicated it. Their making it safely to El in one piece was paramount. If they failed, their chances of survival were slim in the waters of the deep sea, and to try and go to them would be walking through hell.

'I've walked that path once, and for Rena, I'd do it again.'

A sudden knock on the door caused him slight start from near-sleep. He sat up, looking at the door in idle curiosity. "Come in," he said, pushing a lock of blue hair from his eyes.

The door opened carefully, and Rena peeked around it. "Hello, Dias," she said, "mind if we talk awhile? I'm a little bored, and not very tired. I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, not at all," he said, offering her a spot on his bed. "What's on your mind?"

"Not much... keep thinking back to before you left," she said, sitting down. "A lot of people asked me about you. And I was always eager to hear things when something did come to Arlia."

Dias nodded solemnly. "I... I couldn't be there, it was too close to the memories. I did visit the graves time to time, but I couldn't go into town...."

"Why not?" Rena asked, touching his right arm gently. "Everyone was concerned for you - even the recent newlyweds asked about you."

Dias looked up at the ceiling, laying back. It was true he could have stopped in at any time, but one thing had always held him back. "I couldn't bear to hear the questions, the asking about what had happened, and other reminders. It hurt to think about them. I felt so alone, and asking more about things, or if I was all right, like I was helpless... I was helpless to save them. I couldn't bear that reminder."

"I see," she said, letting it trail off.

~*~

Claude stood in the hallway, blinking a moment at what he had seen upon exiting his room. 'Rena... just went into Dias' room...'

He shook his head, trying not to make any assumptions, but after what he had also seen before, he could not help thinking. They had barely set sail, and things already bothered him. He shook it off, and passed the door without a thought, heading for the deck and fresh air.

He emerged up top to find hardly anyone there. Only two guards stood watch over the Hope, and on the starboard side he could see Ashton at the rail, leaning on it and thinking as the dragons watched the waves.

He took a spot to the rear of the ship, and leaned on the rail as well, watching the light sparkle on the surface, remembering photos of the Earth's oceans form long ago looking this pretty.

Ashton meanwhile was thinking of the past, of his home and his old friends. Eluria had been home to him, and when he had learned of the meteor, initially he had wanted to go back. However, he was unable, caught in the midst of a mission he could not retract from, and when that was over, it was far too late.

No word, no nothing from anyone he had known. 'Did they die quickly, on the impact, or did someone like Cyril kill them slowly?' he wondered, his green eyes skimming the horizon. 'I've wondered what had happened to them... I may never know, but I can try for my revenge. Not just for them, but for this world. Gyoro and Urunrun... everything in this world deserves life. And they're corrupting the natural life, and killing the people; taking it away from us. Why?'

He shook his head, looking down to the water passing by. 'Eluria was a good place... why did it have to be destroyed? Why are they doing this?'

His head snapped suddenly at the sight of motion, and he watched with the two dragons as Opera walked quickly to the back of the ship. Urunrun pecked him in the head a bit and shook his head. "Awroo..."

"Yeah, she does seem upset," Ashton said, patting the dragon on the head. He then saw Claude further down on the opposite side, wondering if he had heard her as well.

Opera stopped at the tail of the ship, looking out at the sea and the land fading in the distance. She was angry, upset, and hurt but she knew she shouldn't have been. She had gone into the main area and found Ernest and Celine talking, and he had not noticed her enter, or sit down at all. Not once in her whole time there had he acknowledged her.

She sighed, leaning over the rail. She had brought Kaleidoscope with her, on instinct as whenever she was bothered she always found herself tinkering with it, or needing it for some reason.

They were making good time - they should only need a few more hours to make it to where they were going. The three on the deck watched as the sun slowly made it's way across the sky, and it was late afternoon when they suddenly felt the ship shake.

"What the hell?!" Opera exclaimed, catching herself on the rail with one hand as she steadied the rifle.

Claude headed for the forward deck even as he heard Gyoro and Urunrun sound off. The two blondes converged on the main deck as Ashton drew his twin blades. From Below Dias and Rena were arriving quickly, armed and ready.

"You again!" Ashton said, eying the demon that appeared. "You won't even have a chance this time."

"Oh really... I was holding back. My powers were focused on maintaining a horde's attack." Shin watched as others, including Leon and his parents arrived on deck. "You all have no chance... prepare for oblivion!"

The deck was a veritable mess as the demon laced in and out among guards that had arrived and then began randomly striking others. Ashton lanced the arm of Shin as he tried to move away from Precis after knocking her over, and Ruprecht cracked his lance down on Shin's back. The demon flew up, eying his playthings.

"I would like to play more, but I have business to attend to," he said haughtily.

Leon stood up and proclaimed, "You can't destroy the Hope."

"But I can take the ship and everyone with it," he replied with a sneer.

Dias was first to react, stepping in front of Rena as the shockwave flew away from the demon, striking the deck and throwing everyone to their knees. "Dias!" she exclaimed, landing on his back.

"I'm fine..." he managed, trying to regain his breath. He lifted himself, looking across the crack in the deck to Claude, Opera, and Celine sprawled on the deck, a trickle of blood staining the deck near Claude. "Claude," he managed, pushing himself up further. The ship creaked horribly, and he felt it listing slightly.

Another shockwave shot out, sending anyone who wasn't down back to the deck, and the ship shuddered violently. Rena was thrown back, and she barely caught the railing as she slipped over the side screaming. Dias scrambled, forgetting the pain as he lunged and grabbed her hand before she fell as a wave washed over her.

"NO!" he bellowed, grabbing onto her. "I won't lose you!"

"Dias..."

Claude gritted his teeth, looking upward. His sword was close... so close, he only had to pull it from the sheath and stand, but it seemed so hard. The ship suddenly lurched to the side, causing him to slide quickly alongside Opera and Ashton. The possessed swordsman made a futile grab for the rail and missed, falling into the chilled waters. Opera's rifle caught her and she hung off the side of the listing ship, looking for Ernest, or any chance of saving themselves. The crack was widening, and she knew there was no way.

Claude had hit a pole abdomen first nearby, and was gasping for breath, his eyes closed to keep out the seawater splashing up. 'This... isn't what we expected. Father... I guess I am... a failure...'

"Say goodbye to your pitiful existence!"

The blast rocked the ship, ripping it apart. Leon was thrown clear of the ship by the force, separated from his parents and the others even as he could see others being thrown from the ship. The last thing he was saw the sun before he hit the water and everything faded to black.

Claude slipped into the sea quietly, already battered from debris. 'Please... let everyone be alright... I'm... sorry...'

Nearby Opera was fighting to get clear of the debris of the ship, glancing once up at the sun, which was heading for the horizon. 'We'll all freeze,' she thought. There was no sign of Ernest, Ashton, or anyone from her position. She ducked under the water, under a large chuck of ship as the demon flew over. 'We can't be that far from the shore... please let the tides help...'

~*~

"It was successful," Shin said, landing on the balcony rail where the four highest wise men were seated. "The ship is destroyed, and no traces of anyone were to be spotted. The sea has claimed her prize, Indalecio."

"Good," he said, dismissing the demon. "Well, that should take care of the human and his companions."

Vesper cleared his throat, glancing at Decus and Cyril before speaking. "It might get rid of mere humans, Expellians, and other riff-raff, but we should be concerned that uprecht survived. Even if he was knocked clear, the ocean should hardly bother him that much to kill him."

"Should he come, there are nine of us to one of him," Cyril spat, leaning back. "I am not worried about one drowned rat."

Decus shook his head. "One rat and save many," he said. "If there is a fire in their home, one can find the way and call the others to it."

Cyril snorted. "Only you can allude nearly anything to something related to fire."

"It's in my blood," the other replied, grinning and producing a small flame form his finger.

"He has a point," Indalecio said. "We're not entirely clear, but this is fine. Their ability to cause real harm is nullified. When they come, we can personally show them how wrong they are."

Vesper and Decus nodded, but Cyril remained straight-faced. "You'd let them come into the tower, to us?" he asked.

"I see not reason why they shouldn't," the redhead replied. "If they can even make it. And this is providing they even survive the cold ocean currents."

Author's note: Ok, I know, I delayed writing this. I was busy with other things, and having a creative dead-spot. But here it is... it's rather bland, honestly, but it moves me closer to the important things, such as the beach scene and reunions there, and then THE TOWER. Might be a slight delay for it, but it'll come, I promise.

And with this chapter 20 comes 40k words or so for Spiraling Fates. *cheers*