Disclaimer:
"Arc the Lad " is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. © 1995-2002 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Working Designs under license by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. English Translation © Working Designs 2002.
Rain of Shadows
Slow clamors within the dark corridors could be heard from afar. The darkness began to boil and consume everything in its path. It's trickling tentacles stretching out from the mass of evil that had been cultivated over centuries, unraveled before the world. Yet within all its black and bitter colors of the world stood a presence that couldn't be perceived. Surrounding by the rays of screaming pain and voices of threats and hate, the world of darkness revolved around him. The clamors grew louder now and from these short coming corridors, voices that mourned of death cried before the darkness. The lack of light, the world without any hope and love, was apparent in this mass apparel of blackness. The breaches of darkness swept the lands with their devastating demolishment. Through it all, only screams and roars of agony could be heard and through it all, only light remained never present. The light was crying, the light was weeping and through their despair, evil grew stronger and dominated the entire planet.
Arc gasped as he woke from the terrifying apparition of the world covered in darkness. He gripped his chest, finding a sudden flow of pain and uncertainty brewing before him. He messy chestnut hair apparently showed his lack of peace. He closed his eyes, trying vainly to extinguish all the horrifying images that haunted his minds. Confused, he shook his head, for he couldn't understand how he feared the reawakening of the Dark One again. The only reality that was more than obvious was the fact that the Dark One was resealed and wouldn't reawaken in an entire millennia. He received the relief of the sleepy sunlight that slightly crawled in through the crevice window of his room. Arc silently lifted from the comfort of his bed and walked to greet the waking red sun. The crimson color of the sun made him feel uneasy, though the color was fit for the morning. The red shadows that were cast onto the landscapes drizzled against the color of the environment like fresh blood spilled from his dreams. Arc seemed to continually doubt the incidents that his mind repeated in his mind over and over. The continual growth of his uncertainty made him realize that their battle might have been far from being over. He turned away from the bloody sun and looked to his sword and his father's armor. He wondered about how in his life, destiny seemed to restlessly contaminate all the peaceful moments he rarely grasped.
Slowly he began to dress into his clothing as he was able to fix the ruffled strands of his hair. Although the images still troubled Arc greatly, he decided that he should put them behind him for now. The world was in a period where peace must be brewed and hope must be grown. As he equipped himself silently, Arc wondered about Kukuru. Where she had gone, what she was doing at the moment, if she had survived the night, and when she would ever return. The hardest part that came to his attention, however, was telling the rest of his companions about why Kukuru left. Though the task would be difficult, he knew that they would understand sooner or later. Tosh, on the other hand, might prose to find her in the wilderness. If he ever would ask to go, Arc wondered what he was supposed to say. Finally, Arc decided that he shouldn't worry too much, but worry about how he can make his time on this desolate planet useful. Even with so much to worry about, Arc didn't want to let his companions fall into despair.
Chongara and Shu remained in the cockpit from dawn. There, Chongara continued his usual work of cleaning the inner compartments of Silver Noah's mechanisms. Shu was silently leaning against the wall, having nothing to look forward to except some peace and quiet. The quiet atmosphere slightly fluctuated as a creak of the door was heard from afar. The sound was from the door that Lieza just opened. Lieza, who was followed by her faithful monster, Paudit, walked along the quiet hallway of the Silver Noah. She stood alone watching the sun rise, emitting a brighter and brighter glow from its core. Paudit sat down next to her, patiently waiting next to his master's side. Lieza wondered about the civilians of Holn and Mother Claire. The more and more she wondered about her future, the more and more she felt a little lonely. Although it is clear that Elc had feelings for Mariel and Mariel alone, Lieza hoped that she could appease his pain. Unfortunately, Elc did not reflect the feelings for her the same way she showed her feelings for him. The soft whimper of Paudit told her that Paudit was a little bored not receiving any attention for quite some time. Lieza giggled as she stroked the dog-like beast's forehead lightly. She did not want to face the hardships of the world by herself, but she knew deep inside she would be all right. Now that she had organized the clumps of thoughts in her minds, all that she wanted was to go back home to her grandpa and Mother Claire. A light cough was heard behind her and she turned to find that Elc just opened the door of his room. He smiled at her attention and walked towards her.
"Morning, Lieza."
"Good morning, Elc." Paudit gave a little growl to alert Elc that he was present as well. Elc chuckled lightly by his ever aggressive, yet friendly behavior towards him.
"Morning to you too, Paudit." He kneeled and lightly smoothed the hair on Paudit's back. He looked up to find Lieza's sapphire eyes staring back at his. "Lieza, have you wondered what you were going to do from now on?"
"Yes, I have." She replied as he stood up facing the window. "I decided to go back home to my grandpa and Mother Claire. There, I think I can help my town folks and even the people of Ramul. Um…What about you, Elc?" He looked at her slightly confused but turned away seemingly unaware of the question spoken to him.
"The truth is…I'm not really sure. I wanted to continue as a hunter to sustain myself financially but there is an emptiness to it that wouldn't satisfy me. I mean, I don't really have a home to go back to…although Prodias and the pooch are still there…I don't really want to think about it for now, I guess…"
"I see…that's an easy solution to the question. I'm sure you'll find out what to do in the end…" Lieza looked slightly saddened by the fact that her days with everyone on the team shortened.
"Lieza…" Lieza looked up at Elc, who still kept his back towards her. The sun now glistened to display the glory of all the splendor of light. "..I…um…wanted to know if…if there were no place for me to turn to, would you welcome me openly?"
Lieza held her breath for a while before the words of his question were able to fully sink in. Paudit, who was apparently annoyed at Lieza's sudden silence, nudged her lightly to answer him quickly. "Oh!…O-Of course! I would be more than happy to, Elc." Elc turned to face her with an elevated expression.
"Thanks, Lieza…"
A light rumbling from the engines of Silver Noah caused both of them to jump a little. Even Paudit got on all four paws and looked about.
"What's going on?" Lieza's confused remark was shared by almost all their companions as Iga, Gruga, Shante, and Gogen started opening their doors, one by one, to the strange noises coming from the cockpit. The cockpit, occupied by Shu and Chongara, seemed to be the source of the uneasy disturbance. As Lieza and Elc stumbled their way in through the main part of their beloved ship, they noticed another person standing before the door.
"Arc?" Lieza exclaimed as they stood next to him.
"Lieza…Elc?" He turned noticing that they had found the source of the turbulence as well. They nodded at Arc, as he nodded back, opened the door and walked inside, inspecting the maintenance of the area. Slowly the rumbling ceased as the rest of the party looked about each other. Paudit relaxed and started to sniff the troubles that almost erupted. Elc and Lieza stood next to Arc, as they all heard the shutter from the cockpit opened, revealing a blackened Chongara and Shu.
"Chongara, Shu..." Arc approached them. "What had happened?"
Shu looked obviously irritated at Chongara and just sighed a long sigh. "Nothing serious, Arc. Chongara just got a little messy with the machine and almost got himself stuffed under the engine."
"So the rumbling was…?" Elc looked confused and turned to Lieza, who shared the same thoughts as Elc.
"Yes…it was Chongara. You're lucky you had me around to get you out of that bottomless burning pit." Shu lightly pat Chongara on the back. Chongara had streaks of black smears across his face as he coughed a little smoke out of his body. He, nevertheless, chuckled and smiled at his companions.
"Hehehe. All good though, neh? Chongara get all up for morning. Good Morning call!" Arc smiled as he looked inside to see that the cockpit didn't seemed to be affected by the previous disasters. "At least no one is hurt."
"What do you mean no one was hurt! Grrr…that rumbling nearly threw me off balance and caused me to break this ancient spine of mine." Gogen came flying in with minor anger.
"Don't forget to mention my beauty sleep…" Shania yawned as she stumbled on Iga's foot, but caught herself quickly. Arc looked among his friends, finding that everyone was present. He was relieved at how quick his companions were able to react to any danger, whether it is small or large. Arc closed his eyes and decided that now would be a good time to tell everyone about Kukuru's disappearance before someone noticed that Kukuru wasn't present. Unfortunately, the sharpness of little Choco never failed him.
"Where is Kukuru-sama? How come Choco can't see her here?" With the child's words, everyone was stirred and looking from side to side, noticing the truth in her words.
"I could answer that question." Everyone stared into Arc's face with a confused expression except Elc. Elc walked away from the crowd and stood looking outside of the window. "Kukuru…left. She had something to do…something that she was seeking…so…" Everyone continued to stare into his face, but this time with a worried expression. "She left us yesterday night. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. She'll be all right…she's strong. She wanted some fresh air by herself…for some time."
The silence of the room prolonged throughout the morning. Missing a companion, had taken a harder toll on everyone, especially Arc. Nevertheless, the everyday work continued as Chongara began working with the Silver Noah again. With a nervous cough, Gogen began meditating once again and Poco played his harp to sooth the distress that everyone felt. Arc didn't want his fellow friends discouraged so he decided this was the time to act.
"As Chongara said, the Silver Noah is able to take flight again." Everyone stopped to stare at him again. "This is when we can choose to part ways again. I'm sure each of us has places they belong to and places they wish to return to. Our mission here is done. We are free to go anywhere we wish." Although most of his companions were lifted by his words, some looked nonchalantly at what he had just said. There were many incidents that are still ever present in the minds of all their friends. Yet through more times without distress and prospering of their world, perhaps his companions will find comfort in the light of their own future.
On the other side of the world, a man cloaked in a silver robe walked silently across the Palencia Castle ruins. A malicious grin was shaped on his lips as he stared at the throne of the great kings of Palencia. As his elegant black shoes clicked with every step, he walked towards the throne. On the ruined seats, he gallantly sat down and leaned against the royal chair with ease. Within the silence, his light chuckles echoed throughout the halls. As intended, his laughter caught the attention of some people. As people of Palencia inspected the ruined castle, they all shuddered wondering what was inside. Intently looking upon the mystery, the residents of Palencia waited with patience. Suddenly, a dark figure silently walked from the ruins as the silver gleams of his robe were reflected from the sun's daily rays. Now away from the shadows, the man stood before the people, whose mouths were opened with shock and disbelief. He smiled a peaceful grin and spoke with a gentle voice.
"Hello everyone." His cheerful demeanor was a sudden transformation from his dark stature inside the ruins. Almost all the people before him fell on their knees before him.
"Uh…you're…you're…it can't be! You were dead!" An ancient man exclaimed with horror and fear.
"Pri-Prince Clive?" One of the guards asked with uncertainty as the face of the man seemed to reflect the face of their prince, son of their recently dead king of Palencia, who was missing since five years ago. "Is it really you?"
The man named Clive, smiled and walked to the guard, lifting him to his feet. "Yes, I have returned. There is much to talk about, why don't we go inside the town."
The people of Palencia seemed to be delightful of the return of their prince. After the entire day of speaking with the people of the town, Clive was finally alone within the quiet of the inn. He chuckled as he brushed his few light gray hair aside from his eyes, taking his glasses off and peering deeply into the mirror before him. Inside his reflection brewed a strange darkness that shaped his body. A voice echoed faintly inside his mind, the tone was dark and filled with ominous intents.
"Well done, Clive…"
"The people here are easier to deceive than we have thought. Now we must only wait for him to return here." Clive shrugged and lightly grinned.
"Yes…he will come, sooner or later. Till then, you must hold a stronger bond with your kingdom. He must not be able to rule Palencia…for then, our plans will be destroyed."
"I understand, master."
Light snickers were heard from within as the darkness spoke again. "It was wise of me to choose to you, Clive. Now I can get my revenge on the retched fool that tried to keep me entangled in the seal for another millennia. Yet, he is deceived if he believes that my end was the end of his misery. Hehe. I will make sure every moment he lives from now on will be of only pain and suffering. Clive, as long as you are here, I will be reborn again…and this time, there is nothing they can do about it. Absolutely nothing!" A roar of mad laughter echoed throughout the night as Clive smiled and placed his glasses back onto eyes. He slowly walked away from the mirror and looked through the window.
"So what are you waiting for, Arc? Come take your kingdom from me." He spoke with a deep and slow firm voice. His bottomless blue eyes glistened as he spoke. The clear sky began to choke with sudden flood of gloomy clouds and dust that invaded the peaceful state of the weather. Claps of thunder and sudden glow of lightning welcomed Clive. "Without the powers of your Guardians…and the Guardians now weak…what can you do to me?" His eyes returned the normal luster as he merely chuckled for a moment but threw his head back to let out his laughter of triumph.
The change in weather took many civilians by surprise. With all the ruined towns and shambled created from the previous disaster, the rain was not the friendly life giving water. The rain that took over the world seemed to splatter on the floor with pain and suffering, supple with a glow of sadness. There were not many places for the people to hide under or fall asleep. Even Chongara found it rather uncomfortable navigating through the blistering winds and the crying heavens.
"Urgh! What wrong with weather! Making Chongara angry and nervous! Hey, Arc…how many more stops would I have to make?" With Chongara's question, Arc peered behind him finding Shu, Elc, Lieza, and Shante. Luckily Shu, Shante, and Elc were heading into East Aldia all together. Only Lieza would have to be transported to Forles.
"Two more places, Chongara. Can Silver Noah hold on till then?"
"Pah! Silver Noah can fly for more than that. Don't worry, I'll get them safely back home. No need to worry!" Arc smiled at Chongara's change from the first time they met him. Although the only true desire Chongara had in his mind was to become the richest merchant that ever existed, after meeting Arc, Chongara's spirit took a strange turn. His desire for gold and riches remained but another desire to stay with his companions grew stronger inside. Luckily, through his skills, Shania was able to return to Millmana and Gruga returned to Brakia to seek his adopted daughter while Choco, who missed the peace of the Time Forest, returned to Clenia Isle. Diekbeck decided to tag along with Shania, until he felt the real need to return to Yagos Isle. Although Shania refused greatly in the beginning, Iga's soft talk of wisdom caused her to accept Diekbeck. On their visit to Millmana, Arc and his companions decided not on visiting the Toyoke Forest. Gogen warned them that forest would time to recover and our presence there wouldn't be helping the Forest Guardian at all. Thus, their travel to Millmana was brief, allowing only little time for Iga and Shania to share words, which seemed to cause Shania to be a little disappointed and angry, taking that she felt as though there were something growing between them. After her departure, Iga, on the other hand, was immediately rebuked by Gogen for being so incredibly shy.
Shante and Gruga decided to keep in touch more than often. She hoped that his daughter would be safe and enjoy a life filled with visions and light. Gruga and Shante held a strong bond for each other, and they hoped that their friendship would last forever. Meanwhile, on their restless flight, it was finally time for them to watch Lieza depart from the large crowd. As Chongara safely landed at the Forles Airport, he opened the lift, revealing the bellowing of the cold winds screeching through the chambers. Grabbing onto her excess hair that wavered without control, Lieza and Paudit stepped down a few steps of the lift. She turned to face her companions who smiled back.
"Good luck to you, Lieza." Shante waved from entrance, standing next to Shu who also nodded with her reply.
"It was a delight knowing such a bright and beautiful lady as yourself." Gogen said hovering among the rest of his companions.
"Be safe, Lieza-chan!" Poco waved lightly. Arc also stood next to him and smiled. "Thank you for all your help."
Lieza smiled back at everyone and bowed. "Thank you everyone. I won't ever forget you all." When she looked up, she noticed Elc, who stood next to Arc. He stared back at her with a slight sadness. "Goodbye…Elc."
Elc nodded and gave her his usual grin. "I'll see you later, Lieza."
"Yes…I'll be looking forward to your visit." As she turned and stepped down along the lift, she did not turn back. She finally walked away from the Silver Noah enough spaces away for the Silver Noah to take flight again. She turned around, standing under the port roof, to watch her friends depart. As the rain drizzled against the ship, the lift slowly detached from the floor and began to close onto Silver Noah. Elc's and Lieza's eyes never stirred as they stood staring at each other. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he closed it. Lieza stood, staring at Elc's figure. She only wondered how much he had grown from the first time they've met. He was so confused and in despair, only seeking revenge. Yet now, he seemed to have matured, the gleam in his eyes showed the obstacles that he had conquered. It reflected his strength and his faith in his friends. Lieza admired those eyes, and knew she could look into them for eternity and let the warmth of his eyes fill her heart forever. Finally, the lift shut upon the Silver Noah and the glimmer of his eyes were no more. She sighed as the Silver Noah finally took off from Forles Port. On the Silver Noah, Elc stood with his arm held steadfast against the window pane. He peered below, finding nothing now but the appalling colors of darkness falling from the stormy clouds. He, too, sighed as he shifted his weight to lean against the wall next to him.
"Lieza…" Elc whispered to himself. He wondered how long it would take for him to return to her cheerful face and find himself falling for her all over again. Yet, he couldn't stop but notice how long it would take for the memories of Mariel to stop torturing him. Her memories didn't hurt him anymore but Lieza's physique seemed to get him more confused. She looked almost identical to Mariel and from the beginning, he treated her as if she was Mariel. The sudden flow of memories that poured back when he look into Lieza's eyes. Until he grip himself back to reality that Lieza was Lieza and not Mariel, he had no right to face her again.
Below within Forles airport, Lieza sat down quietly on a bench, sipping the warm tea that she bought from the counter. She held the cup against her knees with both hands wrapped around it. She peered quietly into the light burgundy tea, until she noticed that Paudit was silently whimpering beneath her leg. He raised his head and looked into Lieza's eyes, finding the same sadness that he was feeling. She reached down to stroke his chin.
"You miss them already, huh, Paudit?" Paudit slightly whimpered and licked her hand. "Yea…I miss them too…I miss him…already." She stopped stroking Paudit and rose from her seat, holding the cup with one hand. As she silently watched the weather grow colder she decided to spend the night at Ramul, before traveling all the way to Holn. She walked silently with Paudit, until a little boy accidentally slammed into her with more little children followed by the boy. The impact caused her to drop her cup, crashing onto the floor, sputtering all the tea on the tile floor. As the clamor of the children faded behind Lieza, Paudit slightly growled. Lieza, at that moment, stopped and peered at the cup that fell. A sharp throbbing hit her heart when the cup fell, the pain was no ordinary sting. For strange reasons, Lieza felt a heavy aura around her, an aura that spoke of unimaginable darkness. She looked back at the storm and held her heart. She felt deep inside her heart that she might never see Elc or any of her friends again.
Aboard the Silver Noah, Arc silently rested his head against his seat. He reflected on his last conversation with his allies before one by one they departed. He remembered their eager faces as they asked him of his plans for the future. At first, he was confused and a little timid to express his answer. Nevertheless, his future and goals were more than a blurry vision before him. He was more concerned for the guardians and Kukuru. He was compelled to believe that if he goes back to Seirya, she would be there. Yet, another side inside told himself that she might not return forever. He began to fear many things, and as he feared more and more, he felt as if darkness grew stronger.
"Arc, what are you going to do from now on?" Shania asked curiously. With her question, everyone peered to look at him, seeming to want to ask him the exact same thing. He stood looking at his companions with a calm stare. "I'm sure you had something in mind."
"Yes…there was something in mind. I'm planning to go back to Touvil and help the people of the village rebuilt my home. I wish to stay with my mother and the people of Touvil, waiting for…" He stopped a little short on his words. Still, he needn't speak further for they all knew who he was referring to. Poco, looking from side to side, seemed to be a little confused from the banal reply of his future goals.
"But…but, Arc…wasn't your father the Crown Prince of Palencia?" Everyone stared back into Arc's nonchalant face with shock and amazement. "That would make you now…the Crown Prince!" The entire ship was now silent. Elc faced Poco with a smile and looked back to Arc. Inside, he knew for certain that Arc would make a wonderful king. He believed in his character more than anyone. When it came to Arc's noble and wisdom, there seemed to be nearly no one that could compare. Gogen, however, raised his eyebrow at the sudden exclamation made by Poco. True, Arc was the Crown Prince, but something inside Gogen told him of an ominous ordeal that Arc might have to face before receiving that title. "Um…Arc? Won't you say something?" Poco looked into his friend's eye, as if pleading him to speak of good fortune.
"Poco…everyone…I don't know how my life seemed to have turned around like this. Yet, I'm not quite sure whether that is the path I should follow. I would rather feel more comfortable, fitting into the haven of my family and home. Just as my father did not accept the title, I believe I'm not destined to take it." Most of his friends seemed a little saddened by his reply, especially Elc.
"But Arc! Palencia…Palencia would need a king now. They need someone to lead them along the dreary path back to restoration." Elc was clearly frustrated by Arc's measure to escape the royal duties in his blood. Still, Arc was silent. He seemed confused but more over, a little wanting to escape duties and further duties. He didn't feel the need to gain power anymore. In fact, he only wished to escape the drudgery of political issues.
"Elc has a point there, Arc.." Arc looked at his wise friend, Gogen. "Although I might say, I don't agree completely. All the same, a king must rule his kingdom in times of disorder and chaos."
"Indeed! Arc! You would make a wonderful king!" Poco jumped up and down with excitement. Arc stared at the floor a little more than wishing to please his friends' wishes. Still, he didn't know if he had the heart to return to the dreadful seat where his uncle was killed and the whole chaotic issues sprung. Tosh, noticing his friend's disposition cleared his throat. Tosh's proud voice boomed across the mass of people.
"Not only that, isn't the Priest of the Sacred White Clan engaged to the Crown Prince of Palencia?" Arc blinked and looked up at Tosh, who stared at him in a playful nature. Slowly but steadily, Tosh walked next to Arc and put his hand on his shoulder. "With you being King of Palencia, Kukuru can easily find her way back to you, right? When she's looking for some comfort…some sort of need to return home, you would be there for her. It's the fastest way to hit home run, my friend."
"…Tosh…" Arc looked into his sincere friend, who simply grinned. "I…I guess…" He had forgotten the tradition of the Sacred White Clan and Palencia, and it seemed as though his destiny calls for him to not run away from his duties. Suddenly Shania stepped in front of Arc and Tosh.
"I understand Arc, the pressures of ruling a kingdom. But do not be discouraged by those simple factors, when in the end, you have the strength to make something much brighter and beautiful for this world. Arc, as Princess of Millmana, I humbly remind you that you have more than enough friends that had fought by your side and would be more than willing to fight again if ever a problem did come during your rule. Remember that you have friends that will stand with you till the end." Arc looked into the young princess's eyes, finding much wisdom and knowledge. His thoughts began to unravel and he felt a calm aura inside. The comfort of his friends was certainly one of the greatest gifts he had received from this journey.
With a sigh, he looked into his companions eyes again. "Thank you, everyone. I...I'm a little embarrassed that I have forgotten my responsibilities." Everyone gave a little spew of laughter as Chongara slapped Arc on the back, nearly causing him to fall.
"Haha! Arc, when you're King, don't forget to appoint me as your chief pilot! Neh?"
"Uh..wha-"
Suddenly Poco spoke with enthusiasm, "Oh-Oh! And don't forget to give me a position in the marching corps of your elite army! There's no one as good as me when it comes to the drums!"
"Um…" Suddenly Tosh, grabbed Arc firmly over his shoulder.
"Speaking of which, you know my stunning skills would be perfect for the leader position of the Elite Army of Palencia, don't you?"
"Guys…please-" Arc looked a little uncomfortable by their sudden requests. Suddenly they all froze from Gogen roar of anger and lightening that flickered from his staff.
"Fools! Asking for positions that compare nothing to what Arc could really give you all. Arc, if you haven't forgotten my excellent services to you, you'd do your best to make me your prime minister, wouldn't you?"
"Ach—Gogen, you too!" Arc's utter expression of confusion made everyone laugh. Gogen chuckled as he hit Arc's forehead with the tip of his staff.
"Of course not, my young friend. We are all merely freaking you out with our sudden lust for power! Ho ho ho!"
"Yea, Arc! Haha!" Poco laughed as he looked up at Arc. "You didn't think we could be so evil, huh?" The laughter continued as the trip to drop off Shania commenced. From then, Arc felt the confidence return to him. He followed the notion that his friends made, and he decided that he would not follow in his father's footsteps but now, lead the people of Palencia to peace. Perhaps, there he would find more meaning to the purpose of his life. The lightning still roared from outside of the walls of Silver Noah. The angry weather brought his thoughts back to the present as he peered into the window next to him. East Aldia should be a little less than an hour away, about now. He continually stared into the strange darkness that the cloud seemed to represent. A flash of his nightmares caused him to hold his head for a moment. Iga, standing next to the window noticed Arc's pain stricken face.
"Arc, are you all right?"
Arc shook his head lightly, shaking the images away from his mind. "Yes. I'm all right, Iga." The images, however, didn't escape from Arc's mind. A continual pain began to consume his mind and chest. He had a hard time breathing for a moment and grasped the arm of his seat firmly. Unfortunately, Arc began to find it hard to not fall faint from the pounding images and the darkness that seemed to continually trying to consume him. Although the weather did not beckon it, the air seemed thick with a dampness that suffocated him. The heat that pressured the aching muscles began to blur his vision. Arc slowly let his grip on the arm slip as the weight of his body seemed to become heavy. Before his body fell head front from his seat, Iga grabbed his shoulders.
"ARC! Arc! What's the matter!" Iga gently shook Arc, who seemed to almost reach his unconscious state. Arc breathed in heavily as he was leaned against his chair. By now, Poco, Gogen, and Shu seemed to have heard his sudden cry of shock.
"I…I don't know. What happened?" Arc's eye lids flickered a little before he could completely open his eyes. His body felt a little heavy but he couldn't recall anything before, except the images of the nightmare. Gogen fluttered by and looked at Arc.
"You almost fainted…perhaps this trip is making your body a little tense." Iga helped Arc up from his seat.
"Maybe you're right. I think I'll rest in my room for a moment. Be sure to get me when we reach East Aldia."
"Sure…go rest now." Iga gently let him walk on his own. He stood from a distance, watching his friend nearly limping across the hall to reach his room. Distressed from the sudden unhealthy appearance of his friend, he looked outside the window, noticing the clouds growing strangely darker than before. Gogen coughed uneasily as he inspected the sky with Iga. Arc walked silently into his room, slightly closing the door behind him. His breathe seemed to be much clearer and his body seemed to be at ease now. He sat on his bed, with his hand over his forehead. The uneasy tension seemed to almost drain him of his strength. The nightmares never haunted him like this before. These new images seemed to consume him the same way the darkness consumed the world. He shook his head lightly and stared on the floor in front of him. Beneath the shadows of figure, Arc found another shadow next to his shaped like Kukuru, leaning against him. He removed his hand from his forehead and blinked. Then the shadow was gone as he looked around him. His mind seemed to be either taking her disappearance a little seriously or he has felt her presence for a moment to make him hallucinate her image. He shook his head as he stood from his bed and peered outside the window again. The rain stained the window with every drop, as its downpour cruelly hit the earth.
"Kukuru…" Perhaps her sudden absences made everything just feel much more heavier.
The dark atmosphere took further toll on the shattered world. Though the heavy rains crackled against the broken windows and crumbled walls, shelter was still available for those lost and alone. A few residents took the task of carrying for those, who had lost their previous homes, and shared their warm hospitality. Regrettably, not everyone had the wholesome heart to be willing to share with those in need. Though the world was desolate and much had been lost, mankind still kept steadfast to their selfish ways and greedily collected what could only benefit them. With each spark of shadows, the bitter fight between good and evil began to rise again deep within the heart of darkness. As the clouds shimmered a faint burst of lightning, children cringed closely against their gentle mothers. No rest was given to the weary for cascade of thunder cries shot from the sky. The winds began to cry and light of the world dimmed to a degree where it seemed to not exist. Yet, there was more than one who did not give in to the dreary state of the planet. Within the Houfion's usual rowdy city, a crowd of injured civilians gathered together around the Communal Peon Pit. Even though the fire seemed to dim slowly, the people continually burned the flame, hoping that their hopes for the spread of the flame's warmth would lift the spirits of each and every soul present. Singing little hymns, children held each other under the large bundle of clothing over them. With their tremendous effort, the warmth began to slowly spread as the cheerful nature of the civilian seemed to return.
Amidst the blackened forest of Romalia, a woman of pale complexion and lilac hair stood under the security of the Kiyulic trees, avoiding the unnatural weather. Kukuru leaned her head slowly against the immense trunk behind her, closing her ruby eyes. She only wanted some time relax and time to know what to do with herself. Standing behind the thickets she recalled how the Silver Noah left. Still, before it completely took off, she saw Arc peer outside for several minutes. He stood not far from the ship, just slowly walking around, encircling the same path over and over. He must have been waiting or either hoping she would come back. She did feel a little guilty but the look of his eyes seemed to already know her bidding. Arc slowly walked back inside Silver Noah after half an hour of his patient wait. She felt relieved that he didn't plan on staying the entire day waiting for her, and most of all, she was more than happy that she had been given the chance to find herself again.
Suddenly a burst of darkness was all that she could see. A shrilling cry was heard and throughout the entire blackness, shadows immerged from the bleak mass. Within the blackness emerged a solid eye that she recognized immediately as the same eye that took her to captivity the day of its own sealing. The eye of the Dark One grew larger as the colors reflected the shade of her clothing and the spill of fresh blood from men bodies. She opened her eyes as quickly as her mind allowed her. She sighed a heartless sigh, and slowly slid down the barks of the trees, quietly sitting on the ruffles of her tattered clothing. The more haunted the nightmares seemed to come about, the more she felt the pain inside growing. Gripping her heart, Kukuru shook her head vigorously. No matter how the world may be shattered, she promised herself, and she promised Arc that she would not fall into despair. Yet, the nightmares made Kukuru nervous, as if the images were close at hand. She began to contemplate for a moment of the possibilities that the darkness could revive again. Somehow the chances were slim, nevertheless, Kukuru vowed that she grow stronger before another disaster could occur again.
Looking silently at the weapon firmly equipped on both of her fists, her eyes filled with a determination that surpassed the devastating powers of the current weather. "I…I must train again, if not for myself, I must do it for those who are still fighting against the darkness like I am." She rose to her feet and looked straight in front of her. She thrust a fist before her with speed and precision. "I am the Priest of the Sacred White Clan. I must soon return to my village to lead my people back into prosperity. Then…then I can be with Arc and the others again. Still…till then, I must train to become a stronger person…inside and out." She spun around and kicked the firm tree body, which slightly crackled from the sudden force that she put in her attacks. She slowly let the weight of her leg pull her feet back to the earth. Kukuru hit the body of the tree once more with her Kaiser Gauntlet, finding the stability of the tree falter. "All those days trapped in the Sabatico Shrine sure made me lose my edge. Today is just warm up, but…tomorrow will be the real training." She looked up into the cluster of leaves that held the rain from pouring down onto her. Kukuru seemed more relieved now that she resolved her next path. Voices were heard from afar as they began to stretch closer to where Kukuru stood. She looked towards the sound of the voices. Kukuru realized the voices echoed from the Heap, close to Houfion. Without second thoughts, she headed towards that direction.
As she ran faster, the voices were able to be deciphered into the cries of children. Noticing the urgency in their calls, she quickly reached the Heap. The pile of rubble that was dispatched onto the floor by the disaster was immeasurable. The voices were clearly cutting through the walls of waste from the interior. She leaned closer and tried to move away the small pieces of metal scrapes from the Sky Castle. The voices ceased as the children realized someone from the outside slowing began to peal in. Soon, their cries became louder as the shift in their urgency for help was evidently their fear for what was out there. Kukuru's gentle voice, however, calmed their state of alarm.
"Can you all hear me?" Kukuru flung her wet bangs away from her face as she tried to pull the large scrap of wooden planks that seemed to disintegrate with the rain. The children seemed to almost move inside, as to try their hardest to cut out from their prison. "Calm down…I'll help you. Are you all right?"
"Yes, most of us aren't injured…" A voice of a girl was heard within. Some coughs were made afterwards as the winds did shower them all with the winter frost.
"How many of you are there?" As Kukuru spoke, the air turned her breath visibly into puffs of little smoke as the warmth of her speech contrasted with the ice in the air.
"There are five of us…we didn't know Romalia would bring up a Sky Castle. To get a closer look, we came here but only found the place falling apart and soon we got covered with the remnants of it." The voice was louder and it appeared to be from an older lad. A few groans and cries of pain were heard inside as the hushes of few children tried to ease the pain.
"Who is injured?" Kukuru piled away as much scraps as possible but the routine seemed endless. The amount of debris on them would not dismember no matter how much she could throw off. She was now completely wet and the debris had only made the atmosphere worse to work in. The cries of the children, however, caused her to be headstrong with the task of freeing them.
"Only Ovelle's injured…I think she broke something though." More cries were heard within but the mountain of garbage did not budge. Kukuru snarled at this dilemma and somehow wished that everyone in the Silver Noah stayed behind. 'We would need about ten people to actually break them free…I can't do this alone,' Kukuru thought to herself. Suddenly quick footsteps were heard from behind as the puddles of water were disturbed from their stationary state.
"Children! Children!" A stout elderly woman came rushing with a mass group of civilians, apparently from Houfion. The children voices were elevated and more cheerful as they called out to their mother. Kukuru stood back as the woman demanded the men to quickly help her children. The people, almost numbering more than twenty, surrounded the disastrous ruins and quickly dismantled it from the children. The stout woman was crying, afraid for the conditions of her beloved children. Kukuru, feeling compassion, stood next to her.
"It'll be all right. Most of them aren't injured…they told me only Ovelle seemed to have broken something." The woman turned to look at the beautiful priestess and nodded, trying her hardest to keep her tears and cries. After several hours, the children were finally free. The people of Houfion rejoiced, even in the state of being completely wet and surrounded by the dreary atmosphere. The children rushed to the side of their mother, as she rushed towards them and next to the girl who seemed to be unable to move. Kukuru assumed that the girl was Ovelle, as she walked along the people. A man carried her and began to walk away with the rest of the town. The peaceful nature of the crowd was warm and Kukuru bloomed with new hope by watching the world turn to good will. Upon reaching Houfion, the crowd soon crowded inside the huge interior of the Houfion Bar. The place was scattered with empty bottles of whiskey and broken benches but the shelter from the rain was all they needed to feel cozy. Ovelle was placed on the counter. Her mother examined the wound with several other people, perhaps, doctors or medics. She was a girl around Kukuru's age, or a bit younger. Her hair was ruffled like a flowing black river and her face was extremely pale, distinguishing the colorless lips. The men shook their heads looking at the wound, and her mother looked extremely worried. Suddenly Kukuru felt someone watching her. She stirred and looked about her.
"Hey…you look familiar…" A man voice behind her must have been the source of her conscious awareness. She looked at him with misunderstanding, not recognizing the face. "Right, aren't you the woman that traveled with Arc and them?" She froze for a bit, as the entire room seemed to fall silent except the blistering rain outside. The civilians turned to look at her and try to be familiar with what the man was explaining. "Right! It is you! You had healing powers, didn't you? You can heal Ovelle's broken leg!" The man did not mean to threaten and Kukuru acknowledged his will to only help and find help. Unfortunately, Kukuru was not the one that could provide the hand that could heal. If she had, she would have healed the children long ago even before freeing them from the pile of wreckage. She stepped back a little, uncertain of what to say or do. Even attempting to heal the would of the child would be meaningless, the source of her powers completely vanished the day the Dark One was resealed. The people looked extremely confused as Kukuru, looked furiously ashamed at herself for not being able to do anything.
"All right people, knock it off!" All the people looked at the booming voice of the elderly woman, the mother of the children. She was holding Ovelle's leg, looking more than agitated by the silence being prolonged. "It's obvious that she's not the one. So there is no need to continue scaring the poor child. Goodness, if she was the healing priestess, wouldn't she have healed my child long time ago?" A spread of murmurs sealed the room as the people realized that their hopes were kept a little too high. The tall man looked disappointed and a little down by the realization. He looked at Kukuru with guilty eyes, that only stabbed her heart with more guilt than she can bear.
"I'm sorry…I was just a little scared for Ovelle…" He shook his head, now sullen with false findings. Kukuru walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder. He raised his head at her gentle gesture.
"No…I'm sorry…I'm the one that couldn't do anything." With this Kukuru walked away and stepped towards Ovelle. He looked a little confused as she stepped away. He didn't understand the meaning of her words. The doctors were able to patch her leg up to the best they could. Hopefully it would heal within time. Kukuru looked at Ovelle with sad eyes and reached out to hold the girl's hand. Yet, even after holding the child's lifeless palm, Kukuru couldn't release any life to clear the pain from the girl's body. She remained steadfast to her will to try and help Ovelle, but the divine powers bestowed by the guardians were gone. Thus, the strength to help others also lifted. Kukuru felt a light tap on her shoulder, as she turned, she looked upon the mother of these children. The woman smiled with her other four children by her side. She motioned for Kukuru to follow her. As Kukuru did, her steps were slippery as her wet clothing almost dragged along the floor. Most of the civilians were damp from their last encounter with the outside storm. The winds that broke through the cracks of walls sent shivers from places to places. Most of the people began to build little bonfires to keep themselves warm for the night. The woman led Kukuru into another room within the bar. It was a smaller room and much more warmer due to the bodies that were closely scooted together. The children sat down close the fire burning in the center. Kukuru sat down with them as they looked up at her, smiling from the peaceful mood she brought.
"I will bring warm clothes for you…Kukuru-sama." The woman looked at Kukuru softly but Kukuru stared back in shock. She had known all along that Kukuru was the one with healing powers and the priestess that traveled with Arc. The woman merely smirked, even when Kukuru only looked confused and uneasy. "It's all right. Taking that you're not with your friends right now, I understand something must be the matter. Please make yourself comfortable and do get yourself warm. It wouldn't be kind of us to treat the Priestess of the Sacred White Clan with such disrespect in this awful weather."
Before she turned to leave, Kukuru rose from her seat. "Wait. I don't understand, how…how did you know?" The woman looked back and replied in a casual way.
"I've lived in Touvil almost all my life, Kukuru-sama. It's only been several months since I've moved to Romalia to meet my husband…Hehe, and to find the town to be the battlefield of good versus evil." Kukuru couldn't wipe the concerned look on her face. The woman's knowledge of who she was brought suspicion but the words that she spoke brought more comfort. "Kukuru-sama, let us speak tomorrow morning and then we can discuss about the matters at hand. I must be tending my child now."
The woman turned and left the room quietly. Kukuru still a little stunned sat down by the fire, rubbing her hands. She wished deep inside her soul that she had the power to help the woman and her child. The damp strands of her hair were limply loose from the tie on her head. She undid her ponytail, letting her long pale purple hair fall abruptly from the water that it soaked. As she was about to close her eyes to rest, she noticed that the children were staring at her intently. She smiled at them as they returned the smile.
"Kukuru-sama, why are you here by yourself?" The little girl asked with innocent eyes. Kukuru returned the gaze with a softer look. It seemed as though this family knew of her long ago. She was concerned somewhat of what would happen if the people in the town would know who she really was. Nonetheless, there was no harm in answering a child.
"I'm alone because I didn't want to burden my friends." Kukuru slightly smoothed the girl's messy hair as the older boy, a little younger than Elc's age, crawled next to her. She looked into his eyes. "How did you all know who I was?" Kukuru continued to ask.
"We heard your voice! Anyone could recognize your voice!" The boy smiled until he was hit by his older brother.
"Liar! You looked through wreckage and saw her face before all of us!" The young boy looked angrily at his brother and tried to hit him back. Kukuru grinned at their playful nature, which somewhat reminded her of Tosh and her usual behavior, but felt a small tug at her shawl. She turned to find the youngest child, a little girl, tugging at her clothing. Kukuru received her openly and let her lean over her knees. The night was long and the weather seemed to have made the children sleepy. Soon the people inside the room were all asleep. Even the belligerent brothers stopped their quarrel and lied down to rest their weary temperament. All was quiet and resting except Kukuru, who couldn't find the will to actually fall asleep. She only stared into the fire, hoping that she can manage to keep it still burning while she was awake. She did feel tired but constant dreams of darkness filled her spirit and made her fearful to fall asleep. Her thoughts began to travel back many spaces as she thought about the times she fought by Arc and everyone. The images began to fade as she realized already that there was no strength in her left to continue to ponder of the past. She slowly closed her eyes and hoped that her dreams would not become nightmares of the dark world.
"Arc…" She fell quietly asleep by the children, awaiting for the day to clear the sky from the rain.
The prince of Palencia awoke from his brief nap. Looking outside the window, he realized the storm carried on its evil course. Slightly rising from his bed, a quiet knock came from the door.
"Arc? Are you awake?" Iga's calm voice echoed through the door, as Arc slowly walked towards the door.
"Yes, Iga. I'm awake. I'll be out in a minute." With this Arc, heard the slow footsteps of his friend fading from his audible range. Shortly after, Arc followed them back into the cockpit. Chongara was firmly driving the Silver Noah safely to East Aldia. Tosh was hanging around the corner as Poco sat a few steps in front of him, playing his lovable instrument. As Iga walked through the door, Gogen raised his eyebrows and looked at him.
"Well, how is the lad?" Gogen fluttered over to Iga, who took a seat close to the window.
"I think he's all right. He seemed to have fallen asleep earlier."
"Hmm. I see." Gogen stopped his suspended flight and got on his olden legs to walk once more. "Iga, the weather is bothering me tremendously." Iga looked outside the window with Gogen. "It seems as though it speaks of dark occurrences. It may look like a regular storm but I can feel it in these ancients bones, these winds speak of unnatural causes. Indeed…very unnatural. I'm getting worried…"
"That's never good." Iga and Gogen stirred, finding Arc quietly approaching them. "I suspected you might say something like this, Gogen."
"Ho ho, well, you were always the first to catch on. Then I suppose you felt it as well." Gogen spoke as he continually stared into the storm. Arc nodded and looked on with him, but turned away abruptly. Gogen recognized his familiar painful expression and the way he gripped his chest. Gogen took hold of his staff and lightly hit Arc's forehead, grabbing his attention. "Arc, listen closely. There is something stirring in nature and it seemed to be aimed at someone in particular." Arc stared intently, quietly listening, as Iga looked absorbed by what Gogen explained. "We may not be certain who it is…but you, especially, might want to be careful." Their silence was broken as Chongara hollered from his skipper position.
"Haha! Finally, East Aldia!" Shu and Elc stood up as they watched Chongara prepare to make a landing at the Aldia Airport. The winds seemed stronger in this area as they heard the pouring rain forced sharply onto the Silver Noah. Tosh and Poco looked a little concerned as the ship rocked not in its usual way. Yet through the perilous world outside, Chongara finally did get the Silver Noah landed. As the lift fell from its place, Shante watched the waters rising slightly from the floor. Grabbing their belongings, Shante, Shu, and Elc started their exit. A few steps from the concrete, however, Shante's foot was grabbed by the hands of a Chimera. She at once fell as the Chimera threw her off the lift. Shu and Elc immediately jumped off the lift as it caught Arc's direct attention.
"Shante!" Shu yelled from the other side, trying to reach to her. Sadly, another chimera approached Shu from the side and knocked him onto the floor. Shante, grabbing her shoulder, slowly rose from fallen position. Two chimeras had surrounded her, before she could reunite with her companions. Elc, in his fighting stance with his spear propped before him. He lashed at the monster before him and easily dismantled it. Shu was able to knock over the Chimera that was growling over him. From behind, he loaded his machine gun and shot the two chimeras surrounding Shante. Shu sneered at the way they seemed unaffected by his attack, but before they could attack Shante, she used one of her strongest spells.
"Diamond Dust!" She spread her hands before her, as the crystal icicles fell from the sky. The weather seemed to double their effects as more was formed from the floor. As the monsters fell before her, she abruptly turned around finding more unwanted visitors approaching her. She prepared the work of her firm dagger boots as one nearly lunged at her. Dodging to the side, she hurled a devastating kick against its chest and kneeled to kick below the monsters legs, causing it to fall. Two more howled as it jumped to throw a powerful explosion spell. Fortunately, Tosh came flying through with his thin blade and able to block another monster's attack from behind, countering with an uppercut.
"How many are there?" Elc yelled from his position, which seemed pretty segregated from his companions. Three monsters tackled him all together, as he hit the floor hard dropping his spear. The spear slid far enough for Elc to not be able to reach it. One jaw was opened wide enough for Elc's defensive less arm to be wolfed down, until Elc thrust his hand against its shoulder casting a Fire Storm from his position. The fiery winds caused the monster to step back a few steps behind, giving Elc only enough time to quickly get up in a more defensive pose. The monster just gurgled as it seemed completely unaffected by his Fire spell. Before the monster could approach Elc again, Arc slashed through the monster from behind and stepped next to Elc.
"There's enough to keep us busy for awhile." Gogen flew across quickly reaching the side where most of the monsters were clumped in one place. Raising his staff, he quickly drew his breath and spoke fiercely. "Explosion!"
"Wait! Fire attacks don't work on them!" Elc shouted above shortly after Gogen commenced his attack and as truthfully testified, the monsters weren't affected by Gogen's tremendous fire power. Gogen raised an annoyed glance at the boy, who ran to grab his spear.
"Now, you tell me." Gogen cleared his throat as he quickly dodged the futile attempts of the monsters to grab him from his elevated state. "Then let's see if this won't hurt! Thunder Storm!" With his staff, Gogen hit the floor as the clear cut of light spurted from the sky and raged over the furious beasts. A huge shrill from the heavens sent electrical tremors through the monsters. The beasts roared as they fell one by one by the incredible fury of the storm.
The beasts were obviously based with elemental fire. One by one, they breathed fire from their maw and cast spells with fire effects. Elc had the easiest time avoiding the fire, even being shot by a few spells, but unaffected by their effects since he was almost resistant to the flames. Arc, on the other hand, didn't have much luck with their spells after his tremendous lost of power. He had trouble avoiding the hurl of flames and seemed to be hurt by them the most. He gripped his wounded arm as he picked up his usual pace in his attacks. He didn't notice, however, the raging fire storm that was about to be cast on him. Arc looked behind with a swift glance, noticing it was almost impossible to avoid the imminent spell. As the bright orange red flames that spoke of inconceivable pain and burns flared towards him, Elc immediately got in front of Arc.
"Fire Shield!" A fire resistant sphere shield enveloped Elc and Arc. Elc, concentrating with all his might, began to feel the pressures of the flame increasing against the shield. As he didn't give up with his resistance, the fire shield couldn't contain all the forced energy against it and shattered into million shards before Elc. The full strength of the flames hit on Elc and not even he was able to resist the immense blaze. He let out a scream of pain as he and Arc flew back from the sudden impact. Tosh and Shante turned when they heard the huge explosion and Elc's cry. Shu, began to quickly finish off the monster before him to rush to Elc's side. Iga and Gogen combined their attack with Gogen's Diamond Dust and Iga's Senpu-Gekishu to quickly scatter their enemies. Arc cringed from the fall as he slowly rose. He stopped and looked towards Elc, who seemed to be nearly unconscious from the blow.
"Elc! Elc!" Arc ran towards Elc, who was barely able to get up. Elc shook his head lightly, and feeling the trickle of warm blood down his chin. A large shadow loomed over him as his shaking arm reached out for his spear. Yet the monsters large claw snatched Elc's futile aim to defend himself, and broke it in two. Elc snarled at the demon, who raised his powerful weapon above to get rid of Elc for good. Fortunately, the monster was intercepted by Arc's sword, which completely detached the arm from the monster. The monster's roar was short-lived however, as Shu's ninja agility allowed him to quickly reach the monster and curse the mutilated chimera under his breath.
"Wind Slash!" He looked towards the sky as a blast of tornado winds swept across the floor and surrounded the being. It swept the monster and tore his armor and body with clean gashes from the airstream's fury. With the final fall, the monster breathed his last breath. The final beasts were scattered on the floor dead. The pouring rain had the spilled blood surround the area in an eerie manner, like a river of death flooding the once clear concrete. The sky seemed to thunder with delight and sparkles of lightning did not yield. Meanwhile, Gogen and Iga rushed to Arc's side as did Shante and Tosh. Shu kneeled to examine Elc's condition but reclined as Elc, with Arc's help, was able to stand only to find his attempt in vain. As the blood on his lips added to the stony flood, Elc fell on Arc. Arc put Elc's arm around his shoulder and slowly carried his wounded friend back to the Silver Noah. Gogen looked towards Shu and Shante, who were more than worried about Elc's condition.
"I believe it would be best if we headed back to the safety of our ship. Let us return when it is safer for us to accept the oddity of this weather." Gogen grumbled as he threw his wet ponytail behind him and fluttered towards the ship. Returning to the Silver Noah, Arc helped Elc into the seat. Poco rushed with blankets for his friends. Chongara, as well, turned up the heater in the Silver Noah. The warmth was a welcoming call for them, for the battle outside had them all drenched and made them short of breath from the cold air. Shante's dressy attire was completely soaked and stuck on her body like a tight suit. Shu, just the same, didn't like the sodden condition of his blood red scarf, as he unwrapped himself from the shawl and hung it over the seat. Tosh and Iga accepted the blankets happily until they started the irritating task of drying themselves. Shante reached across to Elc and cured him. Unfortunately, her concentration was running short as she felt her energy could not extend to his deepest wounds. She stopped as she panted slightly.
"I'm sorry…I can't heal him completely…at least not now…" Shu put his hand on her shoulders as Arc merely nodded, understanding the last battle took up most of their abilities. Poco leaned closer to his companions and began to play the soothing melody of his harp. The healing notes did help to elevate his companions and lift their wounds slowly.
"Damn, the weather isn't clearing…this might last all night." Tosh growled, looking outside. Iga lifted Elc from his seat as Arc instructed and slowly walked him to his room. Tosh looked back at Arc, noticing the signs of guilt in his eyes. "He'll be all right, won't he?"
Arc nodded slowly. "His injuries will heal over some time though," he turned and looked at Poco. "Thanks, Poco for guarding Silver Noah again." Poco stopped playing and followed Iga towards Elc's room.
"I'll stay by his side and tend to his wounds." Poco rushed right away as his companions saw him turn around the corner. Arc sighed and Chongara stared into those weary eyes. He coughed uncomfortably and helped Gogen dry himself off by offering new blankets. Tosh, Shu, and Shante returned to their rooms slowly to get into something dry and more comfortable. Arc, sulking in his seat, looked extremely disturbed by their previous encounter with the chimera project. Their sudden appearance was not only a surprise but a shocking occurrence. Not only that, the weather almost directly correlated to how events are turning around for him. Arc clutched his hand into a fist and bit his under lip. His frustration and confusion of these events were rising. As he slowly rose from his seat, he glanced at the window, watching as the winds furiously blew splattered the darkened rain onto the clear glass structure. A few streaks of blood were marked outside of the window, slowly fading as the water spilled from above. The sky thundered loudly, causing Poco to shrink a little as Iga laid Elc's wounded body on the bed. Iga looked sadly at Elc and turned towards Poco. Poco looked back at Iga with a tight expression. They both seemed to feel the dreary atmosphere taking its effect on the morale of the team.
"Poco…will you play your harp once more?" Iga sat down against the edge of the room and comfortably positioned himself to listen to the peaceful melody. Poco happily complied and took out his majestic golden harp. With great precision, his fingers pulled each metallic string one by one, producing the harmonica of peace. Although inside the Silver Noah the relaxing tone of each passenger returned, the inner dilemma of Arc was still boiling. The winds howled carrying cries of darkness as shadows rained down on his spirit. The maelstrom of these complexities puzzled him more and more. It seemed a new evil was brewing elsewhere but unnoticed for the time being. He continually stared into the storm, wondering of what was to come tomorrow.