Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 6: Castle of Horrors
Tsuki and Lynette continued their climb up the path until eventually they were forced to retreat into the brush and proceed closer while using the wilderness as cover. The closer they got to the main entrance, the more they were seeing cloaked figures. After about twenty more minutes of walking since their encounter at the small clearing, they had reached what appeared to be the remains of an outer wall that would of likely stretched out far from each side. Beyond the remains, they could see the castle in its full view. At least, parts of the castle that still stood. It was like a sight out of an old scary story.
The castle stretched high into the air and was in total disrepair. There were numerous holes in its walls and foundation and parts with some of those walls and foundations totally destroyed. The castle looked like it could topple over if a giant leaned up close to it and breathed on it. It was quite amazing that the castle was even still standing with how bad of a shape it was in. Off to one side of it appeared to be a pile of rubble that seemed to be from one of its towers that had either fallen over due to the tests of time or had been destroyed back when the castle was still in active use. With so many exposed entrances to the castle, sneaking into it shouldn't pose much of an issue. All they had to do was get through what seemed to be a ruined courtyard filled with cloaked figures.
Using the trees and brush as cover, they quietly made their way around the ruined walls and over debris to find a suitable entrance point. The storm worked great for them since it helped cover their tracks and mask their presence. Based on from what they could see, there appeared to be about thirty cloaked figures scattered around the ruined courtyard. This wasn't all that helpful though for them as there could be lots more inside the castle. What they were doing was practically suicide and crazy as it was just the two of them against a cult gathering of an unknown number of people. They didn't want to attract any more attention than they had already so they had to be careful and keep their eyes open for their surroundings. As they snuck through the walls and across the courtyard, they saw a familiar looking tall figure standing by one of the side entrances with two others. They appeared to be talking so they tried to get as close to them as they could to see what they could learn. They ended up hiding behind a ruined wall on the outskirts of the brush.
The tall figure was nodding at the two other figures, holding his arms back up in the air as he was praising the sky. His hood blew off his head because of the winds. Underneath the hood was a middle aged man with wavy silver hair that went down slightly past his shoulders with eyes colored grey. The left side of his face had a pretty bad burn mark on it so he was very distinguishable in a crowd. "With the preparations set, all we have to do is wait for the desired opportunity" he said.
One of the two figures, who appeared a little shorter than the other one soon spoke out. It was the voice of a young female but since they were facing in a direction the winds were blowing, their hoods stayed over their heads and were otherwise unidentifiable. "Magister Yuno, if I may ask, what will our plans be after this?" she asked.
The tall figure named Yuno lowered his arms and looked at the female figure. "For us, there's nothing, my dear. Our comrades over in Ersheath are preparing to raid one of its villages. We should hear word of their success by sometime tomorrow night" he said.
The other figure took a step forward, bring their fist up to their chest as a deep male voice soon spoke out. "What about us, Magister? It's been a few weeks since last we acted" he said. The figure seemed to be quite eager for some action.
Yuno shook his head, holding his hand up and waving his finger. "Patience, my son. If you recall, our last endeavor ended in disaster. Those of the Tribes may have got one over us but soon, we'll strike back at them even harder" he said.
The same figure seemed to shake his head as he brough his fist down to his side. "What will we do about that warrior? We lost 27 people to his blade and he looked as if he didn't break a sweat!" he said with frustration in his voice.
Yuno reached out and gave the figure a pat on his shoulder with a slow nod. "In due time, my son. We musn't rush these things. An opportunity will present itself when we're finally able to rid ourselves of that nuisance" he said. He had maintained a calm expression but it was easy to tell that there was something going on beneath it.
The mention of the Tribes piqued Tsukis' interest. "The Tribes, huh? I do recall hearing King Taichi mentioning that there was some sort of skirmish involving the Tribes not too long ago. To think that not even them are safe from Draxus" he said in a low tone.
Lynette tilted her head. Being out in the countryside, she has heard her fair share of stories about the three tribes. Since the Tribes and royal family aren't exactly on good terms with each other, it can be a bit of a challenge to learn about what goes on in the Southern Regions. "I hear that the Tribes are quite formidable. They're small in number but operate and coordinate as if they were a big army, especially if they all banded together. I've heard that there was one particular warrior among one of the tribes that has grown pretty famous. They must be talking about him" she said.
The shorter figure sighed, holding one hand on her hip with the other one raised as she shook her head. "I still don't understand why we're targetting tribal land when Crescentia is practically right at our doorstep. With our numbers, we could easily take that puny village in one fell swoop" she said.
The mention of Crescentia sent alarm through Lynette. She had to stop herself from jumping up and shouting out by putting her hand over her mouth. "What!? Crescentia!?" she said, her voice muffled.
Yuno shook his head. "And that is why, my dear, you are still an acolyte. Crescentia would be no small feat to conquer. With that village having close ties with Eresseas, the royal knights would be down upon us before we knew it. Not to mention the fact that the mages of Briswater would also retaliate in force and, therefore, cut off our route to escape" he said. He then held his arms back up in the air as the rain poured down on him and thunder rattled the skies. "No, such a feat requires careful and precise planning" he said. He soon lowered his arms once more and then turned around, putting the hood back over his head. "In the meantime, my children, let's prepare ourselves for what we can do" he said. He started to walk through the side entrance and disappearing into the darkness of the decrepit castle.
The two figures looked at each other and shrugged before following him into the side entrance. Tsuki and Lynette had to take a minute to process what they overheard. Deep down, Tsuki had been hoping that Draxus had vanished from Cayhill but it would appear that they've been operating in the shadows. Despite this, based on what they know already, it didn't appear that they were the ones behind what was happening in Basilwell or the death of Saiyakas' president. They wouldn't do those things and not show it off for the public eye to see. Lynette couldn't help but worry about Crescentia. From what they overheard, they had their eyes set on Crescentia for a while it seems but haven't acted on anything yet. What was most surprising to her was that it didn't make her scared; it made her angry.
Lynette clinched her fists and stood up from the brush, her back against the stone wall. "If they think they're going to attack Crescentia, they've got another thing coming" she said. She wanted to storm off and do something about it but she knew she couldn't. She just wasn't strong enough yet, even with Tsukis' help.
Tsuki stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. Based on what they said, it appears that they won't be doing anything to Crescentia for a while. At least now, we can warn the king and queen of the impending threat so they can deploy troops out" he said. He believes that with an increased presence of royal knights, that should be able to deter them from making any sort of move against Crescentia. If he could get Briswater to deploy some of its mages to Crescentia as well, that would be even better. However, until the matter with the death of Saiyakas' president and the mysterious cargo in Basilwell have been settled, chances of that happening are slim to none. Tsuki peered out from around the wall and saw no one around. "Let's get ourselves inside and out of this rain but keep your eyes peeled as you go around corners" he said.
They both made their way towards the side entrance that the three figures used. They put themselves up against the outer wall as Tsuki took a peek inside. There was a short passageway that led into the castle that was dimly lit by torches on the wall. With the coast clear, they headed into the passageway and quickly and quietly made their way to the far side. They stopped just before the passageway opened up. The path would then split into two different directions, one going in the direction of the main entrance and the other heading further back. Tsuki carefully peeked around both corners and saw cloaked figures in the direction of the main entrance and none towards the back. With only having one path to choose, they both quietly left the passageway and headed down the hall leading towards the back of the castle.
The castle interior was in just as much of a rough shape as the exterior was. Walls to various rooms had been completely demolished, pillars and support beams were strewn across the floors in many broken pieces. The halls were lined by what would have been fancy, royal rugs but were shredded and destroyed. Statues that lined halls and various walls were destroyed or desecrated. With how damaged the remaining support columns were, it only made it more miraculous that the castle still stood. Based on the size of its interior that they could make out, the castle would have appeared to be very large and spacious. Since the castle was used by a rebel army in some past conflict, the history of its halls must truly be something. However, any records of Prophet Castle had been pretty much wiped from existence. Not even modern maps had it marked. Only a few people would have knowledge of Prophet Castle.
As the two of them wandered its halls, they've had to hide behind walls and destroyed pillars to avoid detection from cloaked figures patrolling the hallways. They had yet to come across this Yuno person again who appeared to be their ringleader. They weren't quite sure how long they had been wandering through the halls but they eventually reached the remains of what appeared to be a chapel of sorts. Compared to what they have seen so far, the chapel seemed to be better maintained. There were tall candles with two columns of benches, each having six in total on each side. There was a podium at the far end where a broken stained-glass window was. The chapel also had a slightly repaired roof but there were still holes that weren't filled in.
With no one around, they entered the chapel and took a look around. Tsuki approached the podium where he saw a book with some ancient text written on its pages. Unfortunately, he couldn't make out what was written on it. "Well, this definitely appears to be their place of worship. At least, it's in better shape than the rest of the castle though that's not saying much" he said.
Lynette could feel something in the air. She wasn't the religious type of person but chapels are suppose to be places filled with light. Seeing one used for devil worship was unsettling to her. The air around them was filled with a dark, evil energy. She even noticed what appeared to be bloodstains on the floor. Most of them appeared to be very old but there were some that looked rather recent which made her even more unsettled. "Tsuki, come take a look at this" she said.
Tsuki walked over to where Lynette was and looked down at the ground where what appeared to be a recent bloodstain was. He reached down and examined the stain and saw that he had been freshly dried. "This is recent, alright. Based on the size of the bloodstain, whoever this belonged to didn't survive. Too much blood loss" he said.
Lynette looked around the chapel some more and noticed two sets of doors, one of each on opposite sides of the room. She approached the door that was closest to them but she couldn't open it. "I wonder what they have hiding behind here" she said.
Tsuki shrugged and approached the other door. He reached out and grabbed the handle and realized it was unlocked. He opened it up slowly and took a peek inside. The only thing he saw was a dimly lit stairwell, leading downwards. The thought of having to go down under a crumbling castle made him feel on edge but he needed to investigate everything. Before he could open the door though, he heard sounds of footsteps and talking coming from the chapel entrance. He quickly closed the door and made his way over to Lynette on the opposite side of the room. "Quick, hide! Someone's coming!" he whispered.
They both quickly looked around and hid behind a large collapsed stone column on the far side of the chapel by the broken stained-glass window. Moments later, two figures walked into the chapel. As they approached the podium, they stopped in the center of the room. After a moment of silence, one of the figures spoke out in a familiar voice. It was the same female voice that they had heard from the bottom of the mountain that was talking with Yuno.
The woman scratched the back of her head over her hood and stretched a bit. "Thank god. None of those...freaks...are here. The Magister tells us to think of them as one of us but it's hard to do that when they're so...different" she said.
The figure that was with her spoke out in a different, male voice. It sounded much older than her so it was probably an older gentleman. "Can't agree with you more on that. They may look human on the outside but they're just too different. They give me the creeps just looking at them. Unfortunately, we are lacking in real numbers right now because of that tribe warrior so we'll have to get used to it for a while" he said. The figure brought his arm up to his chin and rubbed it a bit as he looked up at the ceiling. "Still, they did a good job subduing the girl" he said.
The woman sighed, shaking her head as she hung it low. "You have a point there. I can't wait to be rid of that pest. She's been a thorn in our side for too long" she said.
The older gentleman reached his arm and patted the woman on her back. "You say that now but come this time tomorrow, you'll be looking for someone else to break to please you" he said.
The woman turned and faced the other figure with her arms folded in front of her. "There are plenty more fish in the sea to break" she said.
The older gentleman let out a cackling laugh as he slapped his hand against his side. "That was a wonderful sight though. Watching her spirits break completely break by having her witness her friends' sacrifice. Oh, the look in her eyes after the deed was done was spectacular" he said.
The woman rubbed her chin in thought. "Yes, it was quite the sight. It would be pretty disappointing to let her go before one last bit of fun" she said. Her gaze then shfted towards the door that Tsuki had been at prior to their arrival.
The older gentleman shook his head. "As much as I would like to watch, we both know that the Magister wants her to be unharmed for the ceremony" he said in a sarcastic tone. He let out a quiet chuckle as he rubbed his hands together.
The woman took her hood off her head as long, flowing violet hair came down from out of it. She had the appearance of a lady from a rich family with expensive make-up and jewelry on with a rich, arrogant attitude to boot. "Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't go against the Magisters' wishes. I won't damage her too much" she said.
They both let out an arrogant laugh as they headed towards the unlocked door. They opened it up and headed down the dark stairwell, shutting the door behind them. Once the coast was clear, Tsuki and Lynette came out from hiding. They were both visibly disturbed by what they said. It was like hearing monsters talk to each other while wearing the skin of a human.
Tsuki knew there were rotten people in the world but it seems members of Draxus, and most likely anyone associated with them, were rotten on a whole different level. It makes him so angry. "What the hell is wrong with these people?" he asked. What shocks him the most is that they are in Cayhill, a place where people live in peace. To think that such vile wickedness lived on the same land as he does.
Lynette was holding onto her left arm with a tight grip. The things that they've been overhearing since they got to the castle were truly sickening. It was like they had just entered a really graphic horror story. "I've heard the stories about Draxus but...what we've been hearing...what we've been seeing...this is far worse than I could ever imagine. Such a severe disregard for human life" she said. She didn't even want to think about what the people they have held captive here had to witness and endure. Even the small thought of it terrified her to her core.
Tsuki walked towards the door that the two had entered. "Let's follow them. By the sound of things, that door should lead us to where they are holding people" he said. He was extremely nervous and anxious at this point. He didn't want to know what was down those stairs. He knows that whatever is done there isn't going to be a pleasant thing. He was almost frozen in place but it needed to be investigated. He approached the door and slowly opened it up to reveal the dark stairwell leading downwards.
Lynette walked up close next to him, wrapping her arm around his and held onto it tightly. She needed to be brave but it was getting harder to contain her fears. Tsuki patted her on the head and started to go down the stairs, shutting the door behind them. The air in the stairwell was heavy and it seemed to get worse with each step down that they take. It was a somewhat long climb down and when they got closer to the bottom, a foul stench started to fill the air. Much like the heavyness in the air, the stench got worse to grotesque levels. They both had to cover there noses because the smell got to be so unbearable. It was a smell of rotting corpses and judging by how foul the stench was, it only put them on edge more.
After a while of slow, hestitant climbing, they reached the bottom. The stairwell opened up to what appeared to be an underground cellar with other rooms and doors off to the side. Much like everything else, the entire area was dimly lit with a few candles and torches strewn along the walls. The sound of water dripping echoed all throughout the underground passages. The passage stretched a bit of ways forward into the darkness. It looked like it wouldn't end. As they took careful steps into the passage, they soon arrived at the source of the foul stench. One could not even begin to describe the sight.
Lynettes' eyes widened so much that they could of popped out of her head. "Oh my-!" she said. Almost instantly, she released Tsukis' arm to cover her mouth as she had to go down a nearby corner. She could not stomach the sight as it made her throw up.
Tsuki was completely frozen. All he could do was stare at what they were seeing. His eyes were as wide as saucers. "Please tell me...that's not what I think it is..." he said hesitantly.
The sight they were seeing was straight out of a gruesome horror story. Inside one of the big cellars was a massive pile of rotting, decaying bodies. There were so many bodies piled up that he couldn't even try to count them if he had tried. There were even what appeared to be fresh bodies that were just thrown on top of the pile of ones that were decaying and rotting. The amount of disregard of human life was out of this world. As he stared at the sight, Tsuki felt an intense rage build up inside of him. He had been clinching his fist so hard that he actually made his hand start to bleed. He had been able to keep himself under control this whole time but now he was pushed over the edge. After a few deep breaths, he forced himself to turn around and walk down the corner where Lynette had run off to. He saw her down on her knees, her body visibly shaking as she had lost control of herself, much like how Tsuki did.
Tsukis' anger was intense but he needed to calm Lynette down. He reached his hand out to her, the one that he had bloodied himself, to help her stand up. "Come on. We can't stay here" he said. His anger was clear as day, both in the tone of his voice and body language. He had managed to calm himself down but you could tell he was pissed off.
Lynette looked up at Tsuki for a moment then down at his hand that was bleeding. "Oh, your hand..." she said. She reached her hands out, putting them over his and moments later, a warm light emitted from the palms of her hands that soon wrapped around his. After a few moments, the blood and wound on his hand had disappeared. Afterwards, she took his hand and stood up. "You're right. We need to keep...moving" she said. A big part of her didn't want to. She just wanted to grab Tsuki by the hand and leave. However, she couldn't do that. Not when there could still be people that need help.
Both of them knew of this which forced them to push onwards. It took a bit of self-convincing but they both soon started to travel down the long, dark passageway, away from the pile of corpses. To their relief, all of the cells and rooms they had came across were all empty. The rooms contained what appeared to be supplies with a few desks and makeshift beds. There were some cells that had the oposite walls destroyed, exposing the underground to the open. After a few minutes of wandering through the darkness, they reached another big cell. Only this time, it wasn't a pile of corpses that awaited them.
When Lynette saw what was on the other side of the large cell, she couldn't help but point and shout. "Tsuki, look!" she said, tugging at his armor frantically.
Tsuki was looking around in the opposite direction when Lynette had tugged at his armor. "Shhh! Keep your voice down! What is it?" he asked, whispering. Because they were in a narrow passageway, loud sounds would be able to reverberate and echo through its halls. He looked over to where Lynette was pointing to and he couldn't believe his eyes.
What they saw was something that they both wanted, and didn't want, to see. Inside the cell, there were numerous people in tattered clothing, chained up to the bars, walls and even to each other. The most important thing though was that they were alive. They were in rough shape and in need of immediate care and attention but they were alive. Some of them were practically starved due to how skinny they were.
Tsuki approached the bars and grabbed onto them. "H-hey! Is everyone alright? Can anyone hear me?" he asked.
The rattling of the bars and sound of his voice caught the attention of some of the people that were chained up inside the cell. Most of them were apprehensive on responding which was a natural response for them, considering what they had been through. However, some of them looked up at them and immediately saw hope.
A male who had his hands bound in front of him got up and approached the bars. It was hard to tell exactly how old he looked due to the poor condition he was in but he would appear to be somewhere in his twenties. "W-wait! T-that armor...! The Royal Eight!?" the man shouted.
The mans' comment caused a stir among some of the people in the cell. A woman soon stood up after he had made it. "Oh! Thank heavens! We're finally saved!" she shouted with tears to her eyes.
The people behind the cell were starting to get too loud so Tsuki had to try to get them to settle down. He didn't want to alert the two people they were following, or anyone else that could be down in the passageway, to their presence. "Shhh! Please, I need everyone to keep it quiet!" he said in a loud, whisper tone.
The people behind the cell soon started to settle down and fall silent as another older gentleman approached the bars. "Please, you have to help. We've been held hostage by Draxus for months, some of us even longer!" he said.
Tsuki looked at the gentleman and nodded. "Don't worry, we'll get you all out of here soon. I have reinforcements coming soon so I need you all to hang in there for just a little longer" he said. That was a total lie because he had not received any word since he sent his bird out but he needed to tell them something. He couldn't just say that they weren't there to rescue them especially since some of them recognized his armor and authority.
The gentlemen sighed with heavy relief as a young kid, who didn't even look like he was thirteen, approached the bars. "Please, you have to help Big Sis!" he said, almost pleading.
Tsuki looked down at the kid. He couldn't believe that someone so young was among the many people on the other side of the cell. "Big Sis?" he asked.
The boy nodded, pointing his arms further down the passageway as they had been bound together by rope. "Yes, she's further down there. I hear she's going to be sacrificed! You have to save her!" he said.
Tsuki looked over at Lynette as she nodded back at him. It seems there were on the right track as they had assumed whoever this Big Sis was the person that they had been tracking. He looked back at the boy and got down on one knee. "Don't you worry, we'll save her" he said. He then looked up and examined the rest of the people in the cell. Now that he was able to get a better look, there appeared to be about fifteen people inside of it. Too many for them to take out themselves. They would need to clear out the castle if they wanted to move such a large group. How they were going to do that was another story. "Alright, I need everyone to sit tight for a while longer. There's too many of you for us to take you out right now but reinforcements should be arriving soon. For the time being, I need you all to pretend like you haven't seen us. The members of Draxus aren't aware of our presence. Does everyone understand that?" he asked.
He looked at each person in the cell as they all nodded in agreement. They ones that approached the cell soon went back to where they were before and fell silent once again. They knew that this was going to be their best, and possibly, only chance for survival so they were going to listen and do as he had instructed them to do.
Tsuki stood up and looked towards Lynette before turning to face down the passageway. He now felt a surge of adrenaline pump through him. "Let's get a move on" he said.
They both then continued down the passageway and into the more darker corridors. Once they were far enough away from the cells, Lynette tapped Tsukis' arm. "Um...about those reinforcements...they're not coming, are they?" she asked. She understood why he had said what he did but she also didn't think it was wise to say that when he had no confirmation.
Tsuki shook his head. "I don't know. It would be difficult to deploy troops out so suddenly to a remote area like this" he said. Part of him had regrets that he said that he had reinforcements on the way. "But..." he said as his thoughts trailed off.
Lynette tilted her head at him. "But?" she asked.
Tsuki soon nodded. "But they've never let me down before. I know someone's coming" he said. He wanted to believe someone was coming and he chose to do so even though there was nothing saying that anyone was coming at all.
Lynette was confused at his optimisim. She didn't know where he was getting all of it. "But how do you know though? What will we do if they don't?" she asked. She liked him when he's so optimistic but given the situation they were in, being overly optimistic can get them killed.
Tsuki was confident. He had a feeling that someone would be coming and his feelings have never steered him wrong before. "Call it...a gut instinct" he said
Lynette thought that simply following ones' gut in this kind of situation was crazy. It made her sigh as she dropped her head and arms. "A gut feeling...right...well, I hope it's right because we'll be in trouble if it isn't" she said.
After a couple more minutes of walking down the passageway, they heard the sounds of voices coming from in front of them. Not much longer later, they reached a cell where the girl they had been tracking was in with the two that they saw in the chapel. Tsuki and Lynette made their way down an alternate corridor to get around them and hid behind the corridor just beyond the cell where they were at. They both peeked around the corner and watched what was happening. The woman was standing over the girl in tattered clothing, her hands still bound behind her back by magic shackles. The other figure that was with her was blocking the opened cell door in case the girl tried to run away. Upon close examination, the girl on the ground appeared to be in some kind of pain.
The woman chuckled as she got down on one knee in front of the girl. She reached up and placed her hand under the girls' chin and made her look up at her. "Aw, does it hurt? Well, don't you worry your pretty little head. Soon, all that dark power inside of you will be released and your life forfeit. You needn't feel pain for much longer" she said in the same arrogant tone of voice as before.`
The girl didn't put up much of a fight as she remained silent and not acknowledging the woman. This caused the woman to grow a irritated and ended up giving her a hard slap across the face to which she didn't budge from. The woman was getting herself ready to strike her again.
The gentleman that had been with her approached the woman and placed his hand up on her shoulder. "I think you've toyed with her enough. Damage her even more and the Magister won't be happy" he said.
The woman clicked her tongue sharply as she lowered her arm. "Fine, you win. I think I've had my fill anyway" she said.
The gentleman released her shoulder and looked down at the girl. "It's quite the transformation though. She used to be such a lively person. Now, her spirit is all but completely broken. She's the last one, if I recall correctly" he said.
The woman turned and walked out of the cell. "From that shabby old town? I believe so. What was it called again? That raid happened so long ago that I forgot" she said.
The gentleman held his hand up to his chin in thought. "I believe it was called Tomoha" he said.
When the man mentioned Tomoha, Tsuki felt his entire freeze up. "Tomo...ha...?" he said in a low tone. That name echoed through his mind as flashbacks from his childhood suddenly popped into his head. Visions of a village on fire and of two girls. Upon hearing that name, he ended up focusing heavily on the girl on the ground. Due to the distance between them with some of his vision obscured by bars, he had a hard time trying to make anything out. However, after a close examination as flashbacks popped into his mind, he came to a shocking realization. "Nagi...?" he muttered. He brought his head back around the corner and sat down on the ground, gripping his chest.
Lynette soon noticed the sudden change in Tsuki and grew concerned for him. "H-hey! Are you alright?" she asked in a low tone as she got down on her knees next to him.
The gentleman soon walked around behind the girl and pulled her up to her feet, holding onto the magic shackles. "Well, it's getting to that time. Time for you to play your final part" he said.
The gentlemen escorted the girl out from her cell without a fight and shut the cell door behind them. He then faced in the direction to where they came from. "I'll go on ahead and bring her to the altar. Feel free to take your time" he said.
Moments later, the gentleman escorted the girl down the hall as the woman waved him off and entered an adjacent room, shutting the door behind her. Meanwhile, Tsuki was frozen on the ground with Lynette trying to snap him out of whatever state he was in.
Lynette was shaking Tsuki a bit hard but not too hard so that she didn't hurt him or bring attention to where they were at. "Tsuki, I need you to come back to me...!" she said.
After a few moments of him shaking around, Tsuki returned to his senses. He couldn't believe what he saw. His mind went totally blank. "Nagi...it can't be...can it?" he asked himself.
Lynette sighed with relief. She was glad that he was okay but his reaction was cause for concern. His whole demeanor changed when Tomoha was brought up by the gentleman. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked.
Tsuki put his hands on top of his head as he shook it. "No...I'm not. That girl...she's..." he said. He was almost hesitant to say anymore on the chance that he could be wrong but something tells me he wasn't.
Lynette placed her hand on his shoulder. "Tsuki...do you know her...?" she asked. Based on his reactions so far, she didn't need to hear his answer. It was obvious to her.
Tsuki slowly nodded. "Yes...I know her...from childhood...from my hometown" he said. More flashbacks popped into his mind. He could remember the intense heat from the flames as they engulfed a village. He could hear the screams of terror and the smell of iron and blood.
Lynette soon pieced together what he had said. It didn't take long for her to figure it out. "Childhood...your hometown...you're from Tomoha, aren't you?" she asked. He never specifically stated but she recalled when Tsuki had mention that things had happened at some point in his life that left him homeless and as an orphan. If he was a survivor from Tomoha, then that would explain things.
Tsuki was silent as he sat there, motionless for a good minute or two. "It happened when I was eight. I still remember it all. The slaughter. The intense blaze of the fire. The screams of pain and fear as they cried out for help. All the destruction. A once beautiful village surrounded by fields of flowers with a majestic view of the ocean from the cliffside, reduced to smoldering ashes" he said. It was the start of his darkest days. A truly life-changing event.
Lynette didn't know what to say to him. The massacre of Tomoha, much like everywhere else that Draxus touches, was infamous. More than that, it was the cause for the divide between the tribes and royal family. When she thought about his situation, he alos made her realize something. He was the only survivor that came out of that tragedy. When the royal guard arrived, it was already too late and Draxus were long gone. Numerous men, woman and children were killed with many more that went missing, presumably abducted. They did find a few survivors but were too badly injured and didn't survive transport to Eresseas. Up to this point, she along with everyone else assumed that everyone was either killed or abducted.
All Lynette could do for hold onto his shoulder. "Oh Tsuki..." she said. She recalled Tsuki mentioning that they had a similar childhood but she didn't expect something like this. The amount of pain and agony that he must have gone through had to have been almost unbearable.
Tsuki released his head and held his hand out in front of him. "I should of died back then with everyone else. My parents gave their lives so that me and my sister could get away but in the end, we wound up getting separated. Before I could look for her, I ended up being crushed under falling debris from a nearby building. Somehow, I managed to pull myself out of the rubble with minimal injuries. I guess I was lucky" he said. He closed his hand before dropping it to his side, looking up at the ceiling. "I still don't know what happened to her. Or if she is even still alive, for that matter" he said.
Lynette couldn't say anything to him. She remembered when the gentleman had referred to the girl as the "last one" so that could only mean one thing. "The last one...it's safe to say, then, that she is the last from those they had abducted" she said. It made her wonder if his sister also ended up being abducted and, if so, if her body was among the pile of other corpses that were piled up in the cell they saw earlier. She shook her head and chose to not believe that. "Maybe she got away. I'm sure she's still out there, looking for you just as much as you are looking for her" she said. She then stood up, holding his arm up to get him to stand. "There's only one person you can ask about that and she's about to be killed. We need to save her" she said. She felt all the fear and anxiety she had been experiencing up to this point turn into strength and determination. Tsuki has been the one encouraging since leaving Crescentia and now it was her turn to return the favor.
Tsuki looked up at her as she pulled his arm up. She was no longer frightened and was back to being herself. It made him chuckle a bit with a slight smile. "You're right. We also promised to save her, didn't we?" he asked. He then stood up and clapped the sides of his face, taking in a deep breath afterwards. "Alright, let's go save her. But, before we do that, there's one little thing I need to take care of" he said, glancing over at the door the woman had entered.
Lynette understood what he meant and nodded, taking her staff off her back. "You're right. Vile wickedness deserves punishment" she said. The thought of fighting against people still was off-putting for her but after what they've seen and heard, they weren't dealing with people; they were dealing with true monsters.
They stepped out from around the corner and approached the door. On the other side of the door, the woman was sorting through what appeared to be old personal belongings, presumably belonging to the people that they've held captive. She was rummaging through a box containing what appeared to be old, dusty clothes. She was tossing the stuff out onto the ground without a care until she pulled out a necklace with a moon accessory attached to it. Inside the tiny moon was a colorful, translucent bright blue gem.
The woman held the gem out in front of her as the she had a satisfied look on her face. She had a cocky, arrogant laugh as she amused herself. "Looks like she won't be needing this little thing. I could probably sell this off and make a fortune out of it. At least the girl was good for something" she said. As she applauded herself, she heard the door open up behind her. She had assumed it was the gentleman that was with her from before. "What, did you forget something? The Magister won't be happy if she's late, you know" she said. When she turned around, it wasn't the gentleman that was standing at the doorway; it was Tsuki with his hand ready to draw his sword from his waist on any sudden movements. "W-what the!? Who the hell are you!? How did you get in here!?" she asked, going into full alert.
Tsuki simply stood at the doorway, motionless as the natural darkness around him shrouded over his body. "There's no point in answering those questions. You'll be dead in a few moments anyways" he said. He then glanced at the necklace she was holding and immediately recognized it because of the gem inside of the tiny moon. It was a rare crystal that the girls' father had given to her on her last birthday. He remembered that she wore it everyday since then, never taking it off. He also took note and the box she was rummaging through. "I'll be taking those off your hands as well" he said.
The woman clicked her tongue sharply at him, giving him a nasty glare. "Tch, what are you, a thief? Sorry to tell you this pipsqueak, but you don't know who you seem to be trying to rob" she said. She put the necklace down inside the box and then pulled out a knife from underneath her cloak. "I don't know how you managed to get past all us but you should of stayed in the shadows like the little bug that you are" she said. Just then, her eyes started to glow a violet color as a magic circle appeared under her feet. Moments later, the blade of her knife started to emit a light of the same color as the glow of her eyes. "The more sacrifices we have, the better" she said.
The two of them stared down at each other. The woman held her knife tightly in her hand, ready to lunge at him while Tsuki stood there, motionless with his sword still attached to his waist. They remained in this staring contest for a minute before she quickly lunged at her with a fair bit of speed. With how close she was and how quickly she closed the gap between them and the limited room for movement he had, she was confdient she could take him down before he could draw his sword. She threw her arms forward in a quick, thrusting motion but before she could make contact with him, chains of light shot out from behind Tsuki, wrapping themselves around her in a tight hold before they plunged into the floor and walls around her, acting as an anchor and stopping her in her tracks, the knife just inches away from Tsukis' stomach.
The woman, who was overly confident and arrogant, found herself bound. chained and unable to move. She tried to squirm around to try and break free but the chains of light wouldn't budge. "Gah! What the hell is this!?" she shouted. The looks he was giving Tsuki were nasty and evil. She didn't understand what just happened. As she glared daggers at him, Lynette came walking around the door, standing next to him as her eyes glowed with a bright, silver light. "What!? There were two of you!?" she shouted. The fact that even one person managed to sneak past all of the other members of the cult was infuriating enough but now there was two and possibly more elsewhere. She took another look at Tsuki since there was more light in the room due to the chains and recognized his armor. "No...that armor...how the hell did the royal knights find us!?" she asked. It took her a moment to realize. "Wait, those explosions that girl caused! They must have caught their attention!" she said. She continued to struggle and thrash her body around but the chains weren't budging.
Tsuki reached out and took the knife from the womans' hands and tossed it aside as it clatters against the stone ground. "You catch on rather quick. It's thanks to those explosions that we were able to find you. The storm made it harder to track your movements but there was only one place you could possibly go to in this area" he said. He then drew his sword and pointed the blade toward her with it just inches from her face.
The womans' tone soon changed when she saw that her life was in danger. "Now, wait just a minute, please! I-I surrender! Please spare me!" she said, pleading him.
Tsukis' left eye visibly twitched when she shifted her tone and started begging for her life. "Now, I wonder how many times you've all heard that. Karma comes full circle, doesn't it?" he said.
The woman continued to plead him to spare her life. She knew she was no longer in control. "You can't kill me! You're a knight; you have to take me in! Read my rights like all the other people!" she said. She was thrashing around more when she noticed that Lynette had closed her eyes and walked out from the room and out of view from the door, the chains of light still binding her.
Tsuki shook his head at her. "People? The only thing I see in front of me is a vile monster. This is how a knight handles a monster" he said. He then thrusted his sword forward, piercing it straight through the womans' stomach as blood shot out from behind her. She let out a painful gasp as she coughed up blood. The womans' body trembled as he saw her life slipping away. Before she could die though, he leaned in close to her ear. "That's for Tomoha...and everyone you've all killed" he whispered. Afterwards, he stepped back and pulling the sword out from her as the chains of light disappeared. He watched as her body dropped onto the ground and swept his sword to the side to clean the blood off it before sheathing it.
He then stepped over the womans' now lifeless body and approached the box that she was rummaging through before. He took out the necklace and gazed into the crystal for a moment before wrapping it around his hand. He then went through all of the stuff that was in the box and the clothes that she had thrown out onto the floor. Everything appeared to be old and torn. He recognized the clothes despite how dirty and ripped they were. They were some of the girls' favorites. As he looked through what appeared be some of her old belongings, he found an old picture tucked away in one of the pockets. He took it out and examined it. It was a picture of the girl when she was still a kid along with two faces, one being Tsuki. He couldn't help but smile a bit while looking at the picture and decided to attach it to the necklace on his hand. There was nothing much else of worth or value so he turned around and walked out of the room. Lynette was leaning up against the wall, patiently waiting for him.
Although she didn't see it, Lynette heard what went on in the room after she walked away from it. Being in his position, she could understand why he took matters into his own hands rather than following the knights' code. Despite that, she was still surprised a little bit. "I didn't know you had such a dark side to you" he said.
Tsuki sighed and shook his head. What he did went completely against the knights' code but he didn't care. It needed to be done. "I'm sorry you had to hear that and made you accomplice to it" he said. He had dragged her into a grey area where trouble potentially awaits them.
Lynette pushed herself off the wall and faced him, shaking her head. "Don't be. We came this far already. Might as well go all the way" she said. She then noticed the necklace and picture attached to his left hand. "A necklace and a picture is all that's left, huh?" she asked. She walked up to him, grabbing onto his arm and pulling it up so she could see the picture. "A picture of you and two girls. One of them them is obviously the girl that we saw but who's the other one?" she asked.
Tsuki looked down at the picture once more. "That would be my younger sister" he said.
Lynette tilted her head as she stared at the picture. The girl looked nothing like him. She had long, pink hair that was wrapped in a ponytail and had no bodily simliarities to each other. What was most telling, however, was the fact that the girl had the pointy ears of an Elf. She didn't just look like an ordinary Elf either; she looked more like a High Elf. "But...she's a High Elf, right? And she's your younger sister?" she asked.
Elves are a unique breed of species that can only be found in large numbers in certain places around the world. Most normally stick to their own settlements, only venturing out when need be but some have branched out and live among Humans. High Elves, in particular, are even more rare to see. They're typcially looked upon as Elven royalty which paint them high targets for abductions and who knows what else. Elves have a longer life span than Humans do and can live up to 200 years and High Elves have an even longer life span and can live up to 300 years. A High Elf could look like they're 18 in the eyes of humans but, in actuality, they could potentially be hundreds of years old.
Tsuki nodded. Thinking back, there was a lot of mystery that he or his parents weren't able to figure out. "She is. My dad found her in a nearby forest on the outskirts of the village by herself. Apparently, she didn't remember her name, where she was or where she came from. She also didn't know her own age so my parents had to make a guess based on her appearance and growth and agreed that she looked about a year and a half younger than me in human years. My parents took her in and gave her a place to stay while they searched high and low for any clues to where she could of came from but came up with nothing after a year and a half of searching. In the end, they ended up adopting her as by that point, she had already became part of the family" he said. He wished that he knew more about her. They weren't related by blood but they were as close to being brother and sister as any normal brother and sister would be.
Lynette released his arm and stepped back. "So, if you're eighteen now, that would put her at sixteen and a half in human years but you have no idea how old she actually is. For all we know, if she's still alive, she could be over a hundred years old" she said. She hasn't had any interactions with any Elves, let alone High Elves, so she couldn't imagine what interacting with them would be like. Their seemingly young appearance would easily throw people off from their true age. She then turned around and faced down the passageway. "Now, I'm even more confident that she's still alive out there somewhere. If what I know about High Elves are true, then I'm sure of it!" she said with full confidence.
Tsuki watched her and couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself. "I'll have to choose to believe then" he said. He then walked up beside up her. "We'll have to double time it. We need to find this altar that the other person mentioned and it seems we are running out of time" he said.
Lynette looked at him and nodded. "Let's not hang around here much longer then. Let's make a run for it!" she said, pumping her arms close to her chest.
The two of them started to run down the passage, full sprint. They needed to make up for the lost time that they had. After about a few minutes, they reached the cell where the other hostages were being held when the boy who had spoke to them before waved out to them to get them to stop.
The boy heard a pair of running footsteps coming from down the passage and as he looked down it, he saw Tsuki and Lynette in full spring. He soon stuck his hand out through the bars. "Mr. Knight!" he shouted.
Tsuki and Lynette stopped in front of the cell as Tsuki approached the bars. "Perfect timing, kid! I need to ask you something. One of those people mentioned something about an altar. Do you know where that is?" he asked.
The boy nodded and pointed up towards the ceiling. "It's in the room across from the the stairwell. One of them were escorting Big Sis! They passed by not too long ago!" he said.
Tsuki nodded at him. "Thanks. We'll handle it from here" he said. He then looked at the rest in the cell. "We'll be back for you, don't you worry. You also don't need to worry about that other person that was down here. We took care of her" he said.
The older gentleman from before nodded at him. "Go, hurry and save her before it's too late. We'll be fine here for a while longer" he said.
Tsuki and Lynette looked at each other and nodded before continuing their sprint through the passageway. They soon reached the stairwell, ignoring the cell pull of corpses and ran up the stairs. As they were reaching the top of the stairs, they had to slow their pace down because they didn't know what waited for them at the top. Once they reached the top, they noticed that the door was open so they took a slow approach and peeked out over the steps. They saw the cloaked figures walk into the room across from them. From what they saw, they counted at least 20 walking in but were unsure of just how many in total were on the other side. When the last person entered the other room, the door was shut behind him with a loud metallic clunk on the other side of it. Tsuki took a peek outside the door and saw no one else around so they entered into the chapel again and approached the door. Unfortunately, when Tsuki tried to open it, it wouldn't budge.
Tsuki grew frustrated that the door wouldn't open but he didn't want to risk forcing it open. "Shit, they must have sealed it from the other side. Now, how do we get in there?" he asked.
Lynette looked around to see if there was another entrance. She didn't see any more entrances into the room in front of them inside or outside the chapel but she did notice what appeared to be a light of some kind coming from a balcony above them from the hallway outside the chapel. "Tsuki, look! Do you think we can get up there?" she asked.
Tsuki walked out of the chapel and looked up to where she was pointing. There appeared to be a window of some kind that they could use but there was no way to get up to the balcony as the upper walkway was inaccessible. "Hmm...there's got to be a way up there..." he said. He looked around and saw some chain wrapped around one of the column. "Perfect!" he said.
He went over to the column and removed the chain from the column. Afterwards, he approached one of the statues that appeared to have some sort of hook and removed it the same way he did with the lock from the cell door. With a bit of improvising, he attached the hoook to the chain. With the improvised hook and chain in hand, he walked back over to Lynette, twirled it a bit and then threw it up towards the balcony. It took him a few tries but he managed to get one good throw to get the chain to wrap around a stone beam as the hook got itself stuck on something. He then gave it a good yank to make sure that the chain was secure.
Tsuki sighed with a bit of relief when he finally got the chain to secure onto something. "Now, we have our way up. All we have to do is climb up and-" he said.
Just then, three cloaked figures came around from the other side of the hall they were in and noticed them which sent them into full alert. Two of them readied themselves as one of them shouted out to them. "Hey, you two! Stop right there!" a male voice shouted.
Tsuki quickly turned around and faced off against the three cloaked figures. The last thing they needed right now is their presence being known. "Shit, we don't need this right now. Lyn, go ahead and climb up! I'll deal with these three" he said. He then drew his sword and held it tightly.
Lynette grabbed onto the chain as she looked back at Tsuki. "Are you sure?" she asked. She wasn't concerned for his safety but she didn't want to leave him on his own.
Tsuki nodded. "Yes. I'll be right behind you" he said. It would be easier to fight them with her help but a gut instinct is telling him to hurry up.
Lynette nodded at him and started to quickly climb up the chain as fast as she could. She needed to be careful she didn't throw her body around too much since she didn't know how well attached the hook and chain was. Meanwhile, Tsuki charged at the three cloaked figures as they drew knives and swords from under their fight between them only lasted about a minute or two. Lynette soon reached the balcony and pulled herself up onto it. She stood up and leaned over the broken railing and watched Tsuki fight. Tsuki wanted to keep their fight as quiet as possible so he didn't try to block any of their attacks as the sounds of iron clashing would wind up echoing in the halls. Tsuki made quick work of two of the figures by dodging their swings and thrusts and knocking their weapons out of their hands before hitting one on the back of their neck with a hard and quick jab with his hand and knocking them out. Tsuki shifted his focus to another he had disarmed by spinning around them, grabbing the back of their head and slamming it into the wall, also knocking him out.
Tsuki turned to face the last figure as he stood at the ready with his sword. After moment, the figure charged at him and as he approached him, his eyes started to glow red as the the outline of his body started to give off a red aura, Lynette could feel a shift in the figures Mana while Tsuki picked up on an intense thirst for blood. He knew he wasn't going to get by with him as easily as the other two. The two of them ended up clashing swords a few times which ran the increased risk of their presence being detected by other people. Tsuki needed to end things quick so he made several fast and precise swings and thrusts with his sword and was eventually able to break his guard by getting him to throw his arms up in the air. An opening presented itself so Tsuki brought down his sword as he held it straight up in the air after breaking his guard and bringing it down across his chest. Blood shot out from the figure and moments later, his body fell to the ground, the sword clattering against the floor.
Tsuki took a few moments to catch his breath and checked the vital signs of the two he had knocked out. They still had a pulse but were unconscious and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. He quickly checked both sides of the hall to make sure there weren't more coming. Thankfully, both sides of the hallway were cleared and he didn't hear anyone nearby. At that point, he assumed that the rest of the figures were in that one locked room. Tsuki swept his sword to the side to clean the blood off it before sheathing it and went back to the chain Lynette had climbed. He grabbed onto it and climbed up it, pulling himself onto the balcony with Lynettes' help.
Lynette gave him a quick look over to make sure he wasn't too hurt. "That was an impressive display. You handled that quite well. Are you okay?" she asked. She noticed that he had a few cuts and scrapes so she went ahead and healed them right up with some minor Healing Artes.
Tsuki nodded at her as she healed him up. Although it wasn't necessary, he appreciated it."It was nothing. Thanks" he said.
Lynette finished healing him up after a few moments and smiled at him. "Just doing my job, is all" she said. Even if they were just simple cuts and scrapes, she wanted to make shre that he was in top fighting form.
They turned and approached the window sill with a half-broken stained-glass window in it. They peeked through the broken parts of the window and saw a rather large, circular chamber. The chamber was filled with the other cloaked figures, roughly about 25 of them which included who was referred to as Magister Yuno. The view they had showed that they were off to the right side of the room so off to the right, on the far side of it, they could see the girl strapped to the wall. Her legs were bound together while her arms were spread out. They could see that behind her was a magic incantation circle of some kind painted in red. They couldn't tell if it was paint or blood but with what they've seen so far, it probably would have been blood. Yuno was pacing back and forth, holding a staff as the other figures were all gathered in a semi-circle a few feet away from them. They could hear the echos of Yunos' voice and wanted to see if they could get a better view. They looked up over where the girl was and saw another stained-glass window inside a window sill. They walked around the balcony and saw that it looped around to the other side though they had to do some careful manuvering along the broken walls and floors. Eventually, they managed to reach the window sill that was directly over the girl. They stood on the other side of the broken glass window and listened in on what they had to say. As they listened in, it was like the thunder from the storm over them was growing in intensity.
Yuno soon approached the girl, stopping within a few feet of her and turned to face the other figures. He then opened his arms up, holding them out in a welcoming gesture. In one of his hands, he was holding a long staff with a violet jewel of some kind attached to the top of it. "The time has come, my children. The hour of sacrifice is upon us and Sarex has gifted us this powerful, tumultuous storm in celebration. Today, we release the darkness inside this vessel so that it may serve him in his reincarnation. You all saw her untapped potential. The sacrifice of our brothers and sisters will not be in vain" he said. His gaze looked all around at the crowd of figures as he had a fulfilling grin on his face before lowering his arms and turned to face the girl strapped to the wall. "I know we've known each other for so long, my dear, but all things must come to an end. Your purpose to us has come. Know that with your sacrifice, you will help bring about a new world" he said. He soon approached the girl until he was almost right in front of her face. "Because this is just a joyous occasion, I will allow you to speak one last time. Do you have any last words? Lingering regrets?" he asked.
The girl, who had been silent the whole time and staring down at the ground, looked up at Yuno. She had azure blue eyes but there was no life to them at all. They were completely blank. "I do not. There's nothing left for me in this world. Do what you want with me" she said. The tone of her voice, much like her eyes, had no life in them. It was a completely monotone voice. She had clear looks of someone who had truly given up on their life and wanted to die.
Yuno chuckled, reaching his hand up and placed it under her chin. He traced his finger along the sides of her face and lips to her hair. "You were such a fiesty, spirited girl too. It took a while to break you but it all worked out for us in the end. I'll almost miss you" he said in a creepy, low tone of voice.
Just hearing the way Yuno was talking to her made Tsuki angry and sick to his stomach. "This guy...there's not a single word that can describe him" he said.
Lynette couldn't agree more with him. She was just as upset by the way he was speaking as he was. "It's hard to believe that people like him exist in this world" she said.
Yuno took a few steps back from the girl and then tapped the bottom of his staff on the ground, a hard metallic clanking sound echoing throughout the chamber. "Let us begin the ceremony then" he said. Moments later, the jewel emitted a violet light as the red painted incantation circle behind the girl started to glow. "O'lord of Chaos and Ruin, we offer you this vessel of darkness. Drink upon her the vast, untapped darkness inside. Use her life force to bind it to your well so that you may rise again and bring us utopia!" he shouted.
The glows from the jewel and incantation circle intensified as sparks of darkness started to generate around the girl. The girl endured it as much as she could but couldn't bear it after a while. Her screams of pain and agony echoed loudly throughout the chamber as the cloaked figures around the room all looked onwards at the girls' suffering.
Lynette was ready to jump into action. She couldn't sit by and watch this go on. "Tsuki, we're out of time. We need to act, now!" she said.
Tsuki nodded at her. She was absolutely right; they couldn't afford to wait any longer. They are going to be left with no other choice but to intervene. "Right!" he said.
Meanwhile, the girl continued to scream out in pain as was being electrocuted. "Maybe now, my torment will finally end. I will be able to reunite with everyone again. Meghan, I'm sorry I couldn't get away but at least now we'll be together. Mom, dad...Tsuki, Elize...I'm coming...wait for me..." her inner thoughts said. She could feel her life draining from her with each spark as her screams were starting to stop from the lack of feeling.
Yuno chuckled and watched the scene with true delight on his face. "Ah, the glory is ours! Darkness shall be unleashed! We shall have-!" he shouted.
Just then, several incantation circles of light appeared along the inner walls of the chamber and moments later, beams of light shot out from them, hitting anyone and everything as dust was kicked up. At the same time, the stained-glass window above Yuno and the girl was shattered as Tsuki leapt through it with his sword drawn. Using the chaos and confusion from the beams of light, Tsuki was able to catch Yuno off his guard as he swung his sword down at an angle, slicing his staff in half. In one quck motion, he kicked the upper part of the staff with the jewel and sent it crashing into the nearby wall, the jewel shattering into many pieces. Moments after, the incantation circle deactivated with a violent humming sound coming from the shards of the jewel before they exploded, blasting a giant hold through the wall and exposing the room to the outside. One of the wooden support pillers had collapsed from the explosion and fallen over to where Tsuki and Lynette would of been on the balcony. Several of the cloaked figures were caught in the explosion, some being injured and others killed. The explosion rocked the entire castle and surrounding area of the mountain.
The sudden attack caught Yuno by surprise and didn't have time to react. He only caught a glimpse of Tsuki before he sliced his staff in half and kicked the top portion with the jewel into a wall. The ensuing explosion and Tsukis' sudden appearance knocked him off his feet as he had fallen backwards. Due to the beams of light and the explosion, a big cloud of smoke and dust filled the entire chamber as smoke stretched high into the now exposed sky. Because of all the smoke and dust, he couldn't stop coughing for a bit. "Who...who dares interfere!?" he shouted.
Tsuki was standing over him as Lynette used the fallen wooden support pillar to climb down from the balcony where she was at. Once she was inside, she walked up beside Tsuki. The girl strapped to the wall slowly opened her eyes but her vision was a bit fuzzy from being electrocuted. She was able to make out the figures of Tsuki and Lynette but didn't have a clear sight of them.
Tsuki held his sword in his hand as he stared down Yuno who was still on the ground. "Your luck has just run out. Draxus has nowhere to run" he said. He then pointed the tip of his blade down at Yuno. "Under the law of Eresseas and with my authority, you are under arrest, Magister" he said.
The chamber was still in chaos as smoke and dust still filled it up and ventilated it out through the destroyed wall. The sideways rainfall poured into the room. Tsuki and Lynette stood with their weapons ready for anything as they had made their presence known to all. With no sign of reinforcements, they were on their own against a small gathering of Draxus. They've only seen a small taste of Draxus are capable of with some of them demonstrating unique skills and abilities already. They were up against a force of unknown potential.
To be continued...