A/N: Again, this is a slow update. My school studies are finally catching up on me and I'm quite busy these days.
Tom Valor: Yeah, I realized about the battles as well. But I'm not really good at battles scenes, plus I'm usually writing my updates at about midnight now, even during weekdays, so it might not be good. Anyway, I'll try to make things better the next time
To Sky Mihalak: Lol, you bro's girlfriend? Haha, so sorry, I didn't know that :P Thanks for your vote of confidence!
Chapter 8: Revelations
"So, you managed to get pass my pets, did you? Pity, if you had given your life to them, it would make things far easier for you and me."
The creature stared at the crystal orb broodingly for a moment. Suddenly, he smiled. He waved his bony hand momentarily at a spot chalked with blackened soot. A puff of violet steam hissed out that outlined a figure hazily. Gradually, the steam ceased and in front of the creature stood an assassin, his face hidden in the shadows.
The assassin knelt down and murmured, "You summoned for me, master?"
"Yes, yes," his master said vaguely, still staring penetratingly at the smoky crystal orb before continuing, "You seem to have acquaintance with that alchemist, the one with that absurdly long raven hair, Harck. I want you to find her, find her strength and weaknesses. But you must not be seen. Cloak yourself in the shadows, kill those in your way, but never reveal yourself to her, not just yet. I wish to know my rival before I vanquish her."
Harck's eyes widened slightly at the instruction but he bowed respectively and said, "As you wish, Master." He stood up and backed away slowly, heading towards the door.
"Oh, and one more thing…"
The assassin stopped in his tracks, his face bowed low, causing billows of dark-gray streaked hair to fall, hiding his face once more.
"Kill the wizard, no wait, the sage. Kill the young man with silver hair and azure eyes. He is with the alchemist you will be trailing."
Harck nodded once more and backed off. As he left the darkened room, he wondered how was he to kill the sage without Alyssa noticing anything. Then he shrugged.
"Ah well, I'll just do my best then. It's time to meet my beloved fiancée once more…"
The air was thick with tension. Semi-nude bodies of dancers and female sages bedecked the bloodied halls of the church. They were all dead, fiery arrows pierced through their head and body, creating a reddish glow of light that emanates the dark halls.
The knight looked around him feeling satisfied, the gory sight seems to satisfy his mood. Slowly, he walked towards the altar, his coal-black boots clunked heavily as he passed by countless of dead bodies from priests and their fledglings. Just before he reached the scarred altar, he stopped. Someone was behind him. The bloodied knight inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of tainted blood and hatred. Slowly, he turned around and smiled humorlessly at the unknown figure.
"Should have known it was you. You never do know when to give up, do you?"
"You know I will never do…"
"Now why can't you face reality? These people," he indicated to the blood-drenched carcasses, "are meant to die, and you know it. Hatred and greed led them to death. Mistrust and deceit led them to their own doom, to their destiny. And I am merely here to…lead them."
"You will lead no more, traitorous knight! This time, your doom shall personally arrive to pick you up!"
The dark knight laughed softly. "My doom? My dear boy, you don't seem to realize one thing. I am, and forever will be, doomed," he said mockingly. He looked directly at the speaker, flicked his hand once, and stared penetratingly at the silver-haired sage in front of him.
"But you, you will be doomed. Doomed by your own pride," he growled out as he prepared for an attack. He did not have to wait long. Angered by his words, the sage began to prepare for his own attack, his body radiating with power as surges of energy pooled in his hands.
"Die, knight!" he snarled as he directed several energy balls at the motionless knight. Instead of avoiding it, the knight stood his ground as the hair-crackling bursts of energies targeted him. At the very last minute, he jerked his head suddenly and the energy balls whizzed past him, barely missing his ears. The altar exploded at the impact behind him. The knight ignored the flying bits of wood and looked at the sage.
"That's the best you can do, squirt?"
The sage growled in anger and focused once more on a spell, his mouth uttering something unintelligible. He felt his hand growing warmer as he drained his energy from his body and redirected it into his palms. Concentrating in his mind, he envisioned holding several spheres of blue flames, spitting and hissing for all its worth. The knight watched the strange procession thoughtfully. His eyes widened with realization as the sage glared hatefully at the knight while raising both his flame-filled hands into midair.
"Now, you shall die…"
"No!"
Alyssa thrashed on her bed for a few minutes before jerking up, her body drenched in her own sweat. Breathing heavily, she lifted her hand and clutched her damp forehead, as if trying to chase away the slideshow in her mind. "What's going on? Why am I having these dreams?" she whispered painfully, her heart still thumping heavily.
Someone stirred beside her. "Alyssa? You awake? Hell, what happened to you? You looked like you just saw a ghost!" Shenzein exclaimed as he caught sight of his friend's pale and sweaty face. Alyssa turned at him and smiled weakly.
"Nothing happened. Just a nightmare…" her voice trailed of unsteadily as she remembered the horrors in her dreams.
The sage stood up, groaning as he eased of a crick on his neck, and poured out a glass of water for her. "Want to talk about it?" he asked as he offered the glass of water to the alchemist. Alyssa accepted the glass gratefully and shook her head.
"It's okay, it's nothing at all. Just a silly dream," she said as she gulped down the cool liquid. Her insides churned as she realized that the sage in her dreams was no other than the one sitting next to her. Whether it was coincidence or destiny, she did not know. What she knew was she could not trust him any more than she could trust herself.
"Well, if you're okay…" Shenzein hesitated. The alchemist looked at him enquiringly.
"Think you're well enough to head downstairs? There's someone that wants to meet the both of us, beats me why though. Said she knew something about us. I wonder what she meant by that," he said thoughtfully as he eyed Alyssa.
She shrugged, her emotions in turmoil. Too many things are happening too soon. Wearily, she got up from her cozy bed. "What happened back there?" she asked as she got hold of a basin of water. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around her neck and began to wash her face as she waited for a reply.
"Dunno…A bunch of nightmares had suddenly decided to drop by to visit I guess. The reason why, I have no idea," came the cryptic reply. Alyssa wiped her face and looked quizzically at the sage.
"Hey, no need to get so worked up now. We'll find out why soon enough, I suppose. Now, get out from my room and wait for me outside while I get dressed."
The sage laughed ruefully. "You never will change, Lyss. Be quick, I'll be outside your room until you're done." He got up and headed towards the door.
As Shenzein waited for his friend, he began to ponder about the recent happenings. "Things are going too fast," he muttered, "Something's going on, I can feel it in my bones. But…what?" He suddenly remembered his former master's menacing words.
"Do as you're told and no one will be hurt…"
Was that merely a threat to frighten him those days? Or was it for real? He wondered. He heard the door creaking and he quickly erased his thoughts. Turning around, he faced the alchemist and beckoned her to follow him downstairs.
"What do you think we are about to find out, Shein?"
The sage shrugged. "Beats me. Answers, I hope."
They both went downstairs and headed towards the bar. Shenzein scanned the surroundings, trying to spot the blond assassin. He finally located her at the darkest corner table he had ever seen and ushered Alyssa towards there. The assassin heard their footsteps and looked up from her drink.
"So you're finally awake, Alyssa Quayshua," she smiled. She gestured them to have a sit. "Drinks? My treat," she offered as a waitress headed towards their way. The two friends smiled automatically and ordered their drinks as soon as the waitress arrived.
"Now, can we get to the bottom of this? I want to know what this hullabaloo is all about," asked Shenzein impatiently. Alyssa sighed at her friend's impatience and turned apologetically at the assassin.
"So sorry about my friend's rudeness. However, I would like to know the person I am talking to at the moment before anything else. It seems as if everyone knows me but not me knowing anybody."
The assassin gave a husky laugh. "Sorry, my name's Anexia Kristos. And you're Alyssa Quayshua, sister of Constance Quayshua."
The alchemist was taken aback. How did that assassin know who her sister was? She opened her mouth to voice out her question but before she could utter a single word, Shenzein interrupted her.
"Okay, Anexia. Can we please figure out some answers here? You're keeping us in the dark and making me nuts waiting here!"
Alyssa glared at the sage. "Be polite, Shein!" she scolded as she poked his ribs. "What? I just want things to speed up a bit," retorted Shenzein as he rubbed his sore ribs. Anexia smiled at their antiques as she sipped on the murky liquid in her glass. After some time, she set her glass down quietly and spoke up, "Can I have a word in now?" The two of them stared at her, frozen midway in their gestures.
"Thanks for the moment of silence. Now, where shall I begin?"
"How about the Nightmare attack yesterday? Why was it that no one was there but you, me and Alyssa?"
"I can't tell you much about that, but I suspect that it was the doings of the Dark Master. My bet is that he's searching for either one of you."
"But why?" Alyssa interjected, "Why would he want anything to do with us? What did we do anyway? And who is this Dark Master?"
"Interesting…so you don't know who the Dark Master actually is? Odd, I should think you would know by now…" Anexia mused.
The alchemist stared at her. What was she trying to say? "Look, can you just get straight to the point already? No more riddles, please!" groused the sage impatiently.
"All right, all right. I'll tell you all that you should know. First of all, Alyssa, I want you to remember your past. Everything happening here today has many close connections with your life years ago. The Dark Master, who ordered for the death of your family, is Xanotheim Harlienne."
As soon as the name was mentioned, Alyssa felt an odd shiver running behind her back. Something about that name rings a bell…she thought, trying to remember why. But before she could think any further, Anexia continued her story.
"Xanothiem was a knight before he betrayed his own kin for vengeance. You see, according to legend, Xanothiem once had a sweetheart that he loved dearly. Rumor was that an assassin under the orders of his own family murdered his beloved. Maddened with grief, he couldn't bear the betrayal and soon turned into dark arts, swearing for vengeance before annihilating every single member of his kin. It was said, however, that one had survived this attack. Somehow this fortunate victim had managed to be revived by a priestess who had seen the attack. That priestess was Lysette Herr."
Alyssa started and stared at the assassin. Lysette? But…that was her mother's name. "What's the name of the survivor?" she asked tersely, her heart constricted painfully as she waited for the reply.
"Nexxon. Nexxon Quayshua Harlienne," came the soft reply as Anexia looked directly into Alyssa's eyes. The alchemist rested her back against the hard back of the chair, a powerful feeling washed against her. She wasn't sure if it was grief, anger, or betrayal. She continued to stare dumbly at Anexia.
Shenzein, who was rather quiet all this while, finally could not bear it any longer and blurted out, "Hang on, are you trying to tell me that Alyssa's somehow connected to the Dark Master?"
The assassin nodded her head grimly. "My guess would be that she'll be the next in line to receive the Dark Master's wrath, considering Constance is gone. Now, I'm not saying that she's gone forever; she might still be alive, if I'm not mistaken. Somehow, the assassins were unable to kill her. So my guess would be that your sister is in hiding for a while," she said gently as she patted the alchemist's hand compassionately.
"Wait a minute… 'An eye for an eye, blood with own blood, never shall they rise, forever shall it brood'" the sage recited, trying to remember the exact words, "I read this somewhere when I was doing some research on the disappearance of King Tristan. These words were found written in blood on the walls of the king's chambers. Now, if what you said are true, then I'm afraid our beloved king is kidnapped by none other than Xanotheim!"
Anexia looked slightly confused. "But what does he want with the king?" she enquired, "I somehow doubt that he had anything to do with the Harlienne family feud."
Shenzein shrugged and replied, "How should I know. Maybe he's kidnapped the king so that he could be king himself. But let's put that aside first. Alyssa, are you okay?" He watched the white-faced alchemist anxiously.
Taking one quick look at Alyssa, the assassin stood up and said quietly, "Maybe we should continue this chat later. Why don't you get some rest first, Lyss. I know this could be hard for you, but I thought it would be wiser for me to tell you instead of you finding everything out yourself through the Dark Master himself."
Alyssa barely heard a word Anexia said. Her head was still swimming with confused emotions and questions. She remembered her flashbacks of her past. Could that voice actually belong to Xanotheim? Did her family really did order for the assassination of his sweetheart? And if so, why?
"I need to get out for a while," she muttered roughly as she pushed past the startled sage and assassin. She left the inn and strode forcefully at the pavement. She didn't know where she was going but she didn't care. Finally, she found a nice secluded spot under a shady tree and sat underneath it, hugging her knees tightly.
Alyssa stared blankly around for a moment, her mind still unable to discern the startling revelations Anexia had said. Suddenly, she gave a loud sob and buried her face at her knees, rivulets of tears streaming down her face. Oh Constance, did you know about this all the while? Why didn't you tell me about anything? Oh please, please be safe! She cried silently, her petite frame shaking uncontrollably as she tried to control herself.
"Alyssa."
The alchemist didn't look up. She didn't have to. She already knew who it was. "Go away, Shein," she choked out, her face still covered. The sage stared at his friend for a while before kneeling down beside her. Gently, he sat by her side and hugged her compassionately, stroking her back while murmuring soothing sounds to calm her down.
Alyssa felt the warmth from the hug and gave another huge sob before throwing herself into Shenzein's arms. She continued to cry for a while; her grief was too great. To lose a sister was bad enough, but to learn about a terrible family secret was even worse. Shenzein continued to stroke the alchemist's hair, ignoring the fact that his clothes were getting soaked with salty tears.
Finally, Alyssa detangled herself from the sage's embrace. "Sorry about that," she hiccupped as she wiped the remaining tears away. Shenzein smiled gently as he raised her chin with his fingers. "No problem," he murmured. He produced a beige handkerchief from one of his pockets and wiped her tears gently.
"Hey, I know it's hard to cope right now. But trust me, everything will be fine. We'll find Constance together, no matter what. As for the Dark Master, he'll just have to get past me to find you!" he declared strongly.
Alyssa smiled weakly. "Thanks for everything, Shein. I just hope you're right," she sighed disconsolately.
"Come on, let's go on a joyride in this pathetic city. I think I have just the thing to cheer you up," said Shenzein, brushing away the sand from his clothes as he stood up. He stuck out a hand for the alchemist and pulled her up.
"It's okay, Shein. I think I just want to be alone for a while. Hope you don't mind," she said apologetically. Shenzein smiled ruefully and shook his head.
"Nah, it's okay. Just be safe, okay? And don't do anything silly," he said as he gave her one last hug. Turning around, he headed towards the Morrocan Library, looking back once only to find the alchemist looking wistfully at the open air. I really hope she'll be fine, he thought, but I need to find out some stuff about Xanotheim Harlienne first. I thought I had seen that name before in the Book of History, Shenzein paused in right in front of the doors of the library.
"I hope I'm wrong…"