Chapter Two: Reunion, Cid's part

I ran down as fast as I could jumping off some stairs and bounding my way down to where that paladin was, whoever he was, he meant business and fought like someone I knew a long time ago, I just couldn't remember who. As I was near the entrance to enter and exit my guild's proud castle of Lazrigees, a professor saluted me with his wand, I returned the salute and saw the professor sit down to study more powerful magic, something I would never do, the thought of reading one single book for countless hours and learning all the information written on it to perform spells was beyond me. I quickly ran outside of the entrance, seeing my two knight guild mates battered, one on the ground with the paladin's metal armored right foot on his chest and flamberge a hairsbreadth from cutting deep into his throat and out the other end. I walked up to this strange paladin who said he had business with me, he quickly sheathed both blades with godlike speed back onto his back and just stood there, staring at me. Odd, I didn't even recognize, let alone know who this paladin was, yet he stared at me with a look as if we had known each other. He walked towards me slowly then stopped and said in a cold like tone, as cold as steel of a blade cutting into one's face.

'Father….' The paladin had said to me in an almost recognizable tone.

'Is that you Eloron? My son? What happened to you?' All these thoughts were running in my mind, and before I knew it I had already spoken those thoughts out loud.

My son seemed to have fidgeted with his voice and felt uneasy after I asked the question, but before I could say anything to stop him, he stopped me.

'It's a long story, Cid….' He said, sounding as if something had happened he wouldn't forgive himself for happening, his hair was now pure red, so was his cape, but what changed most was his hardened attitude and having no more hesitation to kill his enemy or even engage in a fight with them.

'Cid, I need to speak to you alone...'

'…what is it?' I asked intently, something was wrong, my son was never liked this before.

'…in private.' He replied before he would even answer my question.

We agreed to walk into my room and talk about what had happened, I somehow sensed that something was wrong, my son had changed a whole lot, and I guess you can say I sensed he was coming back to talk to me to clear his mind, but from what I'll never know.

Chapter Three: Forgotten Carsomyr

My father led me into his private quarters, where he slept, planned and ate his food and drank his wine, as we entered I was amazed at how big the room looked, although it was still messy from scrolls and maps on his desks to another flask of wine near his bed and a battle plan he had made for one of the next sieges the leaders of the reign of chaos would pull. He sat down on one of his chairs and asked me to sit as well, I did as he asked and sat down, letting out a deep sigh, I had walked almost nonstop to meet my father, got attacked by two of his knights and now, sitting in my father's quarters, about to talk to him.

'So, my son, what did you want to talk about?'

'It's a long story but I'll begin on where it happened, and how long ago it was.'

'Alright, go right ahead.'

'You see, two years ago, as you may know was the second year of the reign of chaos, Zero and I had already anticipated that they would attack us soon, but we never expected it to be early, we had somehow miscalculated. So, as Zero, Cotton, Karu, Storm, our other friends and guild mates were positioned out, a squad outside of the castle interiors to try and stop them, one near the room where the throne of our castle was, and the rest of us in the throne room. I was agitated because they haven't showed up in the room yet, just than one of our hunters came in, he was panting heavily and told us the news, but before he could finish, the poison he had been shot with had finally reached his heart and he died. Than, twelve of those despicable lord knights, two of their assassin cross and one high priest had went into the throne room in Repherion. We fought like mad beasts, Storm as you may well know casting spells and negating some of the new abilities on the assassin cross and lord knights, Cotton, Karu and others were healing us. I than got ganged on, by around four or five, surrounding me, I couldn't move left, right, front or back, I was trapped. So, I fought harder than I have ever fought before, I had killed two and wounded the other two. Finally, their leader had showed up, I had my back towards him, fighting towards Zero, but than, Zero ran in front of me and that Lord Knight and had stopped the attack with his already shattering shield. He told me to run; told me I was too young to die, told me we would meet again, and told me he and the remaining would hold them off so I could get away. Next day I ran out back to castle Repherion, what I say was…'

'What was it my son?' my father had been listening intently, and urged me to continue.

'…they slaughtered Zero, Karu, Storm and Cotton, and hung Zero's head on a pike at the entrance to our castle, they murdered my friends!' I slammed both my hands hard on his desk; tears were coming out of my eyes as I remembered it.

'and I was the cause, I promised to protect them with all that I had, with all that I could do, as young as I was, and yet, they protected me and told me to run, told me to avenge their deaths if our castle was taken, and now, I will never be able to experience protecting them, or my other friends, for the past two years I've been wandering Rune-Midgard, protecting myself with my shattered edge of a saber and a flamberge. I thought you could help me, father…' Tears started coming down my eyes as I remembered every gruesome detail, their screams after getting wounded, it was horrible.

My father, felt sympathetic I guess, as much as he had disliked my leader, they had a mutual respect with each other and always fought each other, now that Zero was gone, I guess he would start to miss the fights we had had against him.

Cid walked up towards me, and patted my back gently, telling me it wasn't my fault; I did the best I could, that was what he was telling me. I asked for his advice, and I guess I got it.

'Son, I've been planning on fighting these bastards already, since the Crimson Elite were destroyed to now, as long as I lead the Forgotten Elites, the Crimson Elites will be remembered. Why not join me, and fight our enemies together, this time actually in the same guild, take your father's word when he says this, please, lend me your sword and help me protect my guild mates and friends with the same passion and fire you had two years ago, before this started.' What did he mean by protect his guild mates and friends, I had to talk back at him, and give him a piece of my angered mind.

'That's not right father! You mean protect your guild mates and friends, but let me tell you something you may not know, the word protect, no matter how honorable or special it sounds, it's just another word to be used as an excuse to killing! Every style of fighting, be it taekwon, spear, sword, fists it's all still killing! Kill some to protect many, Kill many to protect some, Kill a village to protect a continent, no matter how you decorate the word kill, it still shows in almost every word such as protect and defend!' I yelled at him as loud as I could, punch my metal gauntlet fist on his wall. Cid was dumbstruck at these words, never had he seen his son so negative or blow a fuse after hearing the word protect, now he knew how much of an impact the death of his friends and guild leader had caused Eloron to be so negative and forget his true strength, forget everything he once valued and only fight to defend himself. He decided to tell him something.

'Son, I know how you feel, I to lost my friends to those tyrants, but look, as long as one of the survivors live you can always avenge their death, I'm proposing you join me, not so that you do as I say, but maybe, just maybe fight the one who you think has killed your leader. I do not know what to say but, my son you have forgotten where your true strength lies. I ask you to please, meet me in the meeting hall when the sun is setting, we have many things to talk about, as a guild, as family.' With that, Cid patted my shoulder and walked away. I decided it was time to walk around the castle, see if their was any training area to get me stronger and better than before, so I could finally put my friends death in peace. I wandered around, until finally I heard noises of metal clashing on steel, and spear crashing on shields, it was time I unleashed my anger in my swords. What I saw next amazed me, standing there was a once proud leader of a guild, he had a crown on his head, brown armor and an upside down cross on his paladin armor, he had brown hair tied up like a ponytail and had a very majestic sword sheathed on his left shoulder running down to his right side of his hip, and his shield sheathed on his back. It was none other than Turelus Valentine, my leader's old rival. I walked up to him, he saw me, recognized me to be one of VP and shot me a hateful glare, my leader had caused a lot of pain for him, ones that will never wash away even in the sea of time. I talked to him.

'Turelus, I know you hate my leader, he's taken everything good in your life, but let me tell you something he's dead, be happy, you finally won't lose anymore people to him…'

Turelus shot me a surprised stare; I guess he would have never thought that Zero would die to someone other than his own hand. I continued to start speaking, 'Look, I'm sorry, I know Zero killed your love, than began killing some of the ones you cherish as friends, and if I could, I would bring them back to life, but I cannot, so I ask of you, for my dead leader, please forgive him.' I walked off.

The sun was setting, I decided to find the meeting hall place quickly, as I did I saw everyone walking in the same direction; I decided to walk there to. This hall was amazing; it was so spaced out, with one part higher than the rest, for the leaders and advisers of the guild. I stood near the back, not wanting to talk and leaned against a wall, closing my eyes. Cid entered than, stepping up and shouting to us.

'Friends, I've brought you here today to bring you some news, as you all know, many of us has been through hard times because of those Lord Knight leader of the reign of chaos, well, these years will be different, we will fight and we will win, they have affected all of us, today I'd like to ask that you listen to what this guest of mine has to say about them, this guest, is my son, please make room for Eloron Swiftblade to enter.'

I walked up the path, some people giving me hateful glares, some just staring at me, something was wrong; I bet that was their thought. I shouted to them, 'The leaders of the reign of chaos has brought many of us pain, I for one, lost my friends and master, also leader of the guild to them, they've made me what I am, and I want to take vengeance on them, I hope you all haven't suffered the living hell I have suffered because of them…' I walked off, standing at the back, leaning on the wall closing my eyes. Cid than made an announcement which surprised me. 'Friends, I'd like to say that I'd like to invite my son to our guild, sure he used to be our enemy, but now we are fighting the same enemy, so why not accept him as one of us for awhile?' There were murmurs of disagreement and silence in the room, I just smirked, I knew they hated me, what was the point if I joined them. 'My son, has forgotten where his true strength comes from and where it lies, he's forgotten how it felt to protect his friends, and he's forgotten how to fight for a reason, so now, the title for my son shall be the Forgotten Carsomyr! You may all leave now.' Cid shouted as loud as he could, everyone left the room.