Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 12: Holy Sword
The chaos at the mines became the biggest topic of discussion throughout the city. Operations around the mine resumed after a few hours. The miners have all undergone treatment and a small bit of counseling before they were able to be released to do their own thing. With the theft of the violet cluster of crystals, the feeling on the lower level of the mines went back to normal. There was no longer a dark, oppressive feeling that filled the air. As a precaution, however, security both inside and outside of the mine was heavily increased. It took a while for things to get moving once mining operations started but the miners are dedicated to their work despite being in a life-threatening situation.
By sunrise the following day, operations in the mine were back in full capacity and the flow of minerals and ores continued where they left off. As the distribution of minerals and ores resumed, Tsuki and Lynette made their way back to the Business District to the combined weapon and armor shop where his sword was supposed to be made. Once they stepped into the doors, they were greeted by Bryce who ran the armor shop.
Bryce was standing on the other side of the counter as he was putting stuff away underneath it. He heard the door to the shop open and looked up over the counter to welcome his customers only for him to find that they were Tsuki and Lynette. "Ah, it's you two! Welcome back to the shop!" he said. He then walked around the counter and approached them. "We heard what went down in the mine from our supplier. It would seem things got pretty serious down there" he said.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head. It wasn't something he could really deny especially since it was true. "Well, you're not wrong about that. It did get a little dicey" he said.
Lynette looked over at Tsuki, placing her hands on her hips. "A little? You almost got yourself killed!" she scolded.
Tsuki shook his head, shrugging a bit. "Hey, we made it out alive, didn't we? That's all that really matters" he said. Tsuki was a fighter so after being spectacularly beaten not once but twice in a row, he couldn't help but feel that his pride had taken a bit of a knock. "Next time we meet, it'll be different" he said.
Bryce looked at Tsuki and Lynette and tilted his head a bit. "Not without a new set of equipment. After all, I did promise the little lady I'd whip up something special to improve her magical capabilities" he said.
Lynette shook her head slightly fast as she waved her hands in front of her. "I-I told you that wasn't necessary!" she said, slightly flustered.
Bryce patted his chest with his hand. "It is absolutely necessary! Without you, we wouldn't have been able to receive our shipment of ores and minerals! Your actions deserve reward" he said. He then turned and walked behind the counter once more and into the backroom for a moment before coming out with a box. He walked around the corner and handed the box to Lynette. "And reward you, I shall. Open it" he said.
Lynette tilted her head and opened the box. Inside, she pulled out a white and red top. As it turns out, Bryce had made her an entire healers' attire rather than one specific piece of armor from the top all the way down to the tan colored boots. "T-this is a whole set! And this fabric...!" she said. Her eyes could be visibly seen lighting up with excitement. The fibers that were used in the whole set wasn't ordinary fibers. They were magic-imbued fibers that used in high-end mage gear. They serve to enhance a mages' capabilities, both physically and magically. As she did her appraisal of the attire, she could feel the magic flowing through the fabrics.
Bryce saw the look on Lynettes' face and knew that she would be pleased by the end result. "You like it, don't you? The magic-imbued fibers used in that set aren't easy to come by but luckily, I still had a whole bundle left to use" he said.
Lynette looked up at Bryce with the same lit up set of eyes. "I-I can't accept something like this...!" she said. It was clear she wanted the set of attire but her personality makes her unsure if she should accept it despite being told that he was a gift.
Bryce shook his head. "No ifs, ands or buts about it. Consider it a token of my appreciation. Besides, these will offer you much more protection than what you currently have" he said. He was adamant about his intentions. He wasn't going to back down.
Deep down, Lynette wasn't going to deny the gift. She wanted it. "T-thank you. I'll be sure to take care of it" she said. She set the top back into the box and closed it, holding it close to her body.
Bryce looked over to Tsuki with a more serious expression. "As for your sword...well, I'm afraid it's not going as expected...again" he said, scratching the back of his head.
Tsuki looked at Bryce, folding his arms in front of him. "Please tell me there's not more trouble in the mines" he said.
Bryce shook his head. "No, nothing like that, thankfully. It's about the ore we were going to use. As it turns out, they were...unsatisfactory" he said.
Tsuki tilted his head. He knew nothing about the process behind being a blacksmith and how ore is handled. "I'm sorry, you lost me. What do you mean?" he asked.
Bryce stepped back towards the counter as he leaned up against it. "The process of smelting ore is a fine art. You need to maintain the quality of the ore while being able to refine it into something durable enough to be used in armor or strong enough to be used in weapons" he said. He reached over the counter and grabbed a small sword. He held it in his hand as he tapped the blade. "If the quality drops during the refinement process, you'll be left with a brittle blade. Take the swords our soldiers use, for example. The blades may look strong and hard but they're easy to break. That's the result of quality drop" he said. He then walked around the counter and stepped into the backroom. He took out a tough-looking dummy with countless sword marks in it. "Bos uses this to test the durability of his blades. I'd advise you that you guys step off to the side" he said.
Tsuki and Lynette nodded at him and moved off to the far right side of the shop. Once they were out of the way, Bryce set the dummy up in a small testing area where the quality of swords could be tested without risk of injury.
Bryce looked over at Tsuki and Lynette briefly. "Watch what happens when this is struck with a medium-powered swing" he said. He then assumed an attack stance with the sword. After a few moments, he swung the sword at the striking dummy and the blade snapped in half, the broken portion of the blade clattering against the floor. He then looked over at Tsuki. "What did you observe?" he asked.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit, holding his hand to his chin. "Well, I can tell that the striking dummy is made of a rather hard and dense slab of wood. The power behind your swing wasn't particularly strong and yet, the blade snapped like a twig. It didn't even leave an indent in the wood where it hit" he said.
Bryce nodded. "Exactly. Now, let's use this for comparison..." he said. He then walked over to a sword that was hanging on the wall in Bos' backroom. He took it down and held it out so that Tsuki could get a good look at it as he picked up the broken blade of the previous sword. "First, tell me the difference between these two blades" he said.
Tsuki walked over to Bryce and examined the two blades. He was able to tell immediately the difference of quality between the two blades. "It's quite obvious that the sword you're holding is much more strong and durable. It's not lacking in quality as the other one, as you would say" he said.
Bryce nodded, placing the broken blade and the other half of the sword it came from back onto the counter and walked back over to the striking dummy with the other sword. "Now, watch this" he said. He assumed another offensive stance and after a moment, he swung at the striking dummy with an even stronger swing. Only this time, the blade of the sword cut into the thick wood and became lodged into it. He had to use a bit of effort to get it out but he managed to pull it out. He then showed the blade to Tsuki. "Now examine the blade" he said.
Tsuki examined the blade of the sword and was shocked. The blade looked like it was still completely new. There wasn't a single scratch, dent, chip or nick in the blade aside from the wood fibers stuck to the blade. "Incredible! Not only is the quality of the blade top-notch but the overall craftsmanship!" he said. He then walked over to the striking dummy and examined the mark that was left behind. It was a clean cut.
Bryce nodded at him. "This is the result of a blade that's retained its high quality and even improved on. This is Bos' best sword he had ever forged and is his prized possession. He uses it as a form of measuring tool to compare with other swords and weapons" he said. He then walked back into Bos' backroom and placed the sword back up on the wall.
Lynette tilted her head as she watched them talk amongst themselves in silence. "So, when you said that your shipment of ore was unsatisfactory, that would mean that they don't meet the kind of quality Bos was looking for, right?" she asked.
Bryce looked at Lynette with a nod. "Pretty much. He didn't want to forge you just any ordinary sword so he is unable to use the ore he received from the mine" he said.
Tsuki sighed, scratching the back of his head. He felt bad that Bos was going through all this trouble just to forge him a new sword. "He doesn't need to go through all this effort for me" he said. Even though it was something that Lucas ordered and told him not to worry about it, he still felt a bit guilty. "So, where is Bos now?" he asked.
Bryce pointed towards the door. "He went to the mines himself to see what he could do. His brother works as one of the miners and is the best at his job. You tell the man what to dig for and he'll somehow know where to find it" he said.
Lynette walked over to the nearby window and looked out in the direction of the mine. "So, he's hoping his brother can lead him to a gold mine, so to speak" she said.
Bryce nodded. "Something like that, yeah. Once Bos sets his mind on something, he's determined to see it through. If you want, you can head on over there to check up on his progress" he said.
Tsuki shrugged a bit. They didn't really have much else to do right now. They were still on standby and Lucas had his own things to discuss with Ramza before they were ready to hear about his report. "We got some time to burn, so why not? We'll also be able to see how things are going there as well" he said.
Lynette nodded at Tsuki. "So long as we don't have to walk down to the lowest level again" she said. She faced Bryce one last time and bowed at him. "Thank you for the healer attire once again" she said.
Bryce held two fingers up to his forehead and saluted them. "Hopefully, you'll have good news waiting for you. Good luck to you guys. Stop by anytime if you need anything" he said.
Tsuki and Lynette soon left the shop and headed down the street towards the mines once again. On the way there, they bumped into several soldiers and miners on break that recognized them. They greeted them as they walked by and continued this trend until they reached the mines. The once empty, quiet mine entrance was bustling with life and machinery as people were sorting through trolleys of ore and coming in and out of the mine. People went about their day as if the whole encounter in the mine never happened.
As they walked towards the mine entrance, they were stopped by a familiar voice calling out to them. "Hey, it's you two!" the voice shouted.
Tsuki and Lynette looked off to the side where the voice came from and saw that it was Kurama. He had several bandages on but aside from that, he looked like he was back in tip-top shape. They were both relieved to see that he was doing better.
Tsuki waved at him. "Kurama! Up and moving already, I see" he said. He had some pretty serious injuries so he was a little surprised that he would be hard at work again.
Kurama walked up to them and patted his chest. "These bones of mine don't know when to quit. Not when there's still things that need to be done" he said.
Lynette held her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Spoken like a true workaholic. From a healers' perspective, you should be resting. How's the foreman doing?" she asked.
Kurama shrugged. "Eh, I'll be fine. I'm built tough. As for Lux, he regained consciousness late last night. His injuries were pretty bad so he's still in the care of our medics" he said. While Lux was unable to perform his duties as the foreman of the mine, he assumed responsibility. "So, what brings you two back here?" he asked.
Tsuki looked over towards the mine entrance. "We're looking for Bos, the man who runs the weapon shop in the Business District. Have you seen him around here, by any chance? We were told he might be here" he said.
Kurama nodded, pointing towards the mine entrance. "Sure have. He and his brother went off into the mine a while ago. The brother was going off about some potential discovery while excavating in one of the tunnels at the bottom of that crystal chamber" he said.
Lynette tilted her head. She recalled seeing a number of tunnels at the bottom of the shaft but didn't seem like they would yield anything. "What was it?" she asked.
Kurama shook his head with a shrug. "I'm not sure. They ran off to the lower level before I could ask but it had to be something. His brother only gets that way when he feels like he's on the verge of discovering something and 9 times out of 10, he's usually spot-on" he said.
Lynette held her hand up to her chin. "Hmm...I'm kind of curious now on what it could be" she said, looking towards Tsuki.
Tsuki looked at Lynette and nodded. "Same here. You want to go check it out?" he asked.
Lynette returned the nod back at him. "Yeah" she said.
Tsuki looked over at Kurama. "Is that okay with you?" he asked. Since he was the temporary foreman in charge, he wanted to make sure that they had permission.
Kurama nodded. "Of course! The monsters in the mines have been pretty scarce with the increased presence of security so you shouldn't have to worry about any wild encounters" he said. He scratched the back of his head, glancing back towards a small group of people behind him. "I would love to go with you but I'm afraid I have my hands tied up here" he said.
Tsuki shook his head. "Don't worry about. We understand that there's still much to do" he said.
Kurama soon turned around and turned his head back for a moment. "If you guys need anything, you know where to find me" he said. He walked off towards the group of people that were behind him.
Once Kurama walked off, Tsuki and Lynette continued their way and entered the mines. As opposed to before, the mines were filled with sounds of iron hitting up against stone walls and machinery. Once they reached the first hub, they saw some miners of sorting through ores and minerals near one of the working stations while others were coming and going through different tunnels. They were stopped by various soldiers and miners where they talked for a few before making their way towards the service lift and rode it down to the third level.
The service lift stopped on the third level and they stepped off. There were miners scattered here and there around the hub as several trolleys filled with crystals and minerals were being pulled out through the tunnel leading to the crystal chamber. Excitement seemed to fill the air as something seemed to hype up the miners. As they looked around, they saw Bos standing by one of the workstations processing some of the crystals brought in from the crystal chamber.
Tsuki walked up to the workstation where Bos was at, waving at him. "Bos! There you are!" he said.
Bos was busy sorting through the crystals and ore that was in front of him when he heard his name being called out. He looked up and saw Tsuki and Lynette walk up to him. "It's you two. What are you doing down here?" he asked.
Tsuki stood on the opposite of the workstation where Bos was standing. "We heard what was going on from Bryce and were curious about this 'potential discovery' your brother has been boasting about" he said.
Bos scratched the back of his head. "Ah, so you heard everything, huh? I was hoping to have this whole mess sorted out before you came to retrieve your sword" he said. He picked up one of the crystals and walked around the workstation and sat on the edge of it next to Tsuki. "If my brother is one thing, it's that he's good at what he does. If he says that he's onto something, he almost always is and this just might be one of those cases" he said.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Bos held the crystal out to them. "Check out the crystal. There's something about the energy residing inside of it that feels almost alive" he said.
Lynette tilted her head with a confused look on her face. "Huh? That's impossible. I did an appraisal of the chamber when we got there and I didn't feel anything like that" she said. She reached her hand out and took the crystal from him. She then closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths for a few moments before opening them back up with her eyes glowing. The crystal soon started to levitate above the palm of her hand and slowly rotated itself counterclockwise. As she made a more concentrated effort in her appraisal, she couldn't believe what she was feeling. "Incredible. I don't know how but the energy I'm feeling now is so much more different and stronger than yesterday. It's giving me the same vibes as that of the violet crystals. It feels alive but the main difference is that the energy feels pure and gentle" she said.
Tsuki held his hand up to his chin as he rubbed it a bit, watching Lynette in silence for a bit. "Hmm...could it be because of the fact that the violet cluster of crystals was taken away like with the others?" he asked.
Lynette stared into the crystal, lost in thought as she did her appraisal. "I mean, it could have the same concept. Remove the source of corruption and things will balance themselves back out. That's what I'd conclude. Though, there's still the matter of the energy itself" she said.
Bos folded his arms in front of him, looking down towards the ground as he thought to himself for a moment. "Energy that feels alive...it reminds me of the Four Great Spirits" he said.
Lynette kept her eyes locked onto the crystal as Bos raised an interesting theory. "Undine, Gnome, Efreet and Sylph. Four entities that govern over the elements of Water, Earth Fire and Wind. They're essentially living incarnations of Mana itself, being made up entirely of Mana" she said.
Tsuki looked at Lynette, tilting his head a bit. "Are you saying we're in the territory of a Great Spirit?" he asked.
Lynette shook her head slowly. "I can't say for certain. It's been centuries since anyone has even seen a Great Spirit and according to documented history, there are only four of them. The energy I'm feeling with this crystal is of a warm but powerful light" she said. After about another minute, the glow in her eyes started to disappear as the crystal slowly fell back into her hand.
Tsuki looked down at the crystal for a minute. "So, we're back to dealing with the unknown again, huh?" he asked. He then reached out and took the crystal from her hand.
As soon as Tsuki took the crystal in his hand, the crystal had a reaction to it. It shined brightly almost to the point of blinding. Light filled the entire room like it had just been exposed to sunlight.
Bos had to cover his eyes. He had been underground for quite a while at this point so his eyes weren't adjusted to bright lights. The same applied to the rest of the miners. "W-what's going on!? I can't see!" he shouted.
Lynette noticed that the light had enveloped Tsuki like some type of aura for about a minute before the light faded. Right after the light faded, the crystal pulsated with the same light before a thin beam of light shot out from the tip into the tunnel leading towards the crystal chamber.
Lynette watched the beam of light shoot off into the tunnel. "What was that!?" she asked.
Tsuki looked a bit out of it for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know but..." he said. He looked down the tunnel leading towards the crystal chamber. "...I feel something calling to me" he said.
Suddenly, Tsuki took off running down into the tunnel leading towards the crystal chamber, leaving Lynette and Bos behind.
Lynette watched as Tsuki ran off on his own, holding her arm out as he headed down the tunnel. "H-hey, wait!" she shouted.
Bos looked at Lynette. "I don't know what's going on but we better follow him" he said.
They both started to give chase as they ran through the tunnel. It was the first time she had seen Tsuki like this so she couldn't help but be a concerned. Once they arrived back in the crystal chamber, they saw that some of the crystals were pulsating the same type of light as the one from before. They could feel a strong but gentle warm presence in the chamber, totally opposite to the dark, oppressive feeling from before. They ran down the path down towards the bottom of the crystal shaft and saw Tsuki standing next to a miner, staring at a newly revealed door.
Lynette ran up to Tsuki and stood next to him as she looked at the door. "Wait, this wasn't here before, was it?" she asked.
Tsuki shook his head. "No, it definitely wasn't" he said. There were other tunnels that he spotted while dealing with Caius but there was no sign of any door.
The miner approached the door slowly and glided his hand across it slowly. "I'm not sure how to explain it. A beam of light came out of nowhere and reflected off several crystals before shooting into the wall of crystals. Next thing I know, the wall just...vanished into particles of light and revealed this door" he said. He then examined the strange looking door but saw no way to open it. He tried to push on it but it didn't budge at all.
Bos walked up alongside the miner and examined the door a bit. As he did, he noticed a small indent. "Looks like something goes in here that opens the door. It doesn't appear to be a normal keyhole, though" he said. He then folded his arms in front of him and looked over to the miner standing next to him. "What do you think? Any ideas?" he asked.
The miner shook his head. "None. The door looks really old. Possibly decades, or even centuries. There's no telling what could be used as a key" he said. He sighed, scratching the back of his head as he turned and faced Tsuki and Lynette. "Who are these people, Bos?" he asked.
Bos looked over at Tsuki and Lynette, holding his arm out. "This is Tsuki and Lynette. He's the one I'm trying to forge a sword for. Guys, this is my brother, Cinna" he said.
The miner held out his hand to them. "Ah, the guests of honor. Cinna Lumbar, professional miner extraordinaire, at your service" he said.
Tsuki reached out and grabbed his hand, shaking it. "Pleasure to meet you. So, you say that the wall of crystal just disappeared?" he asked, looking towards the revealed door.
Cinna nodded, taking a couple steps back from the door so he could look at the whole thing. "Yeah. Happened right before my eyes" he said.
Tsuki tilted his head, running his hand across the relatively featureless door towards the small indent. It was bigger than a normal keyhole and had a unique shape to it. "The hole looks like it's shaped like one of the smaller crystals..." he said. He held his hand up that was holding onto the crystal from before as it continued to pulsate. "The crystal wall disappeared once the beam of light shot into it...I wonder..."he said. He took the crystal in his hand and inserted it into the hole and felt it almost lock in place.
Tsuki stepped back from the door as the pulsating crystal stopped and shined bright. Moments later, multiple beams of light came out from the hole and channeled through the door, creating a intricate design. The lights weaved together and formed a what appeared to be a sword with the blade stuck into a slab of some sort with wings coming out from the back of it.
After about a minute, the design on the door seemed to complete and the sound of rumbling started to come from the door. It slowly started to open up inwards and on the other wise was a dome-shaped chamber made out of stone and brick. Inside the chamber, they could see what appeared to be another entrance that had caved in completely. In the center of the chamber, there was an old-looking sword that matched the design on the door right up to the detail with it impaled in a concrete slab. The torches on the side of the room lit themselves up on their own as they walked into the chamber.
Bos looked around the chamber, completely dazed. "This is incredible...! What is all of this?" he asked.
Cinna stood in the doorway and didn't know how to react. "I'm not sure but judging by the stone and brick that was used in this chambers' construction, everything here is all manmade. There's no telling just how far back this was made and for what purpose" he said.
Lynette walked around the chamber as she did an appraisal of the area. She could feel that this was where the energy she had been feeling was at its' strongest. "Maybe this was an old ritual site of some kind" she said.
Tsuki could feel himself being pulled into the chamber and over to the sword. He walked up to it and ran his hand across the hilt and blade. The craftsmanship of the sword as a whole was on a whole different level than any sword he has seen. The blade was flawless, almost as if it had never been used in combat. Despite being sealed away for who knows how long, the sword was perfectly preserved.
Bos walked up to Tsuki and examined the sword. A fire could be seen igniting inside of him as soon as he laid his eyes on it. "T-This design...! This craftsmanship! There's no doubt about it. It's the Caliburn!" he shouted.
Tsuki tilted his head as he looked at Bos. "Caliburn?" he asked.
Bos looked up at Tsuki with uncontrollable excitement. "Caliburn is one of the legendary holy swords, just behind the Excalibur! Out of the eight holy swords, only three of them are still believed to exist: Excalibur, Caliburn and Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi" he said. His gaze soon returned to the sword. "No one knows where they are at and if this is the real Caliburn like I think it is, then there's a possibility that the other two still exist" he said. He then held his hand out and gripped the hilt of the sword and tried to lift it out of the slab. Unfortunately, it didn't even budge an inch.
Cinna walked up towards Bos as he tried to lift it out of the slab. "It's in there pretty good. Can you even pull it out?" he asked.
Bos looked at Cinna and scoffed at him. "If you're about to tell me that I'm not worthy to pull it out, stuff it. All it needs is a little elbow grease" he said.
Bos then prepared himself and tried to pull the sword out again with more force and power. Once again, it didn't budge. However, this time, there was a reaction with the sword. Sparks of light shot out from the slab the sword was impaled into that knocked him back off his feet.
Cinna went over to Bos to make sure he was okay. "You okay!?" he asked.
Bos was a little dazed as he shook his head. His hands were slightly numb but other than that, he felt fine. "Y-yeah. I'll be fine" he said.
Lynette walked over to the slab and examined it, tilting her head. "Maybe it's some kind of defense mechanism to prevent looters?" she asked.
Tsuki reached out to the sword again and gripped it with both hands. He could feel as if his body was being guided by something. "No...not a defense mechanism" he said.
Upon grabbing the hilt, the blade of the sword started to shine with a bright light. He had to put in a bit of effort but he could feel the sword slightly lifting from the slab as he tried to pull it out. Feeling like he was capable enough to pull it out, he exerted more force and effort as he pulled it up. After what felt like an eternity, he was able to extract the sword from the slab which caused the entire chamber to be filled with a blinding light as light. Tsuki found himself stumbling back from the slab with the sword in his hand, falling back onto the ground from losing his balance while everyone else had to shield their eyes from the lights' intensity.
After minute of being blinded by the light, it started to fade. The chamber became dimly lit once more by the torches on the wall as everyone started to open their eyes again. Unsure of what just happened, they were a little on edge. It was the second time there was some sort of light reaction. Once they got their vision back, they noticed that there was something new in the chamber.
Standing in front of Tsuki was a figure of a young girl with long, silver hair with a mix of light blue and green eyes. She had a slender figure to her and had the appearance of a fully grown child. More than that, however, she was completely exposed. She wore nothing to cover herself up. The only thing covering some of her exposed parts was her long, silver bangs. She was completely and totally naked as she stood there with a blank, curious expression, looking down at Tsuki.
It took everyone a minute to fully process the scene as they could do nothing but stare at the girl. Once it all processed through their heads, a collective shout could be heard echoing through the chamber. Bos and Cinna quickly turned around while Tsuki had his eyes shut tightly, looking away.
Lynette, slightly red, was a bit freaked out by the fact that this girl came out of nowhere. She couldn't understand where she came from. "W-whoa there! Too much exposure!" she said.
Being a girl herself, Lynette took charge of the situation by stepping between the girl and Tsuki. She immediately opened the box that she got from Bryce and took out the healer top and quickly slide it on over the girl. Of course, she was much too small for the top but at least it covered up her exposed body.
With the girl now covered up, Lynette sighed heavily and looked back at the others. "It's safe now. You can open your eyes" she said.
After a few moments, they opened their eyes once more and saw that she was wearing a top that was almost doubled her size. So much as it covered her up, however, no one was about to complain. They all breathed a sigh of relief and took a couple moments to collect themselves.
Bos cleared his throat before being able to look at the girl. "Anyone mind explaining where this girl came from?" he asked.
Cinna shook his head. "I highly doubt she walked through the mines like that and it's not like there's any other way she could of came from" he said. It was unexplainable about how there was suddenly a naked, young girl standing in front of them.
Tsuki managed to get back up on his feet, brushing himself off before approaching the girl and kneeling down to her. "Who are you? Where did you come from?" he asked. In case the girl did somehow wander into the mines, he wanted to approach this carefully. Though based on the circumstances, it was highly doubtful.
The girl looked at Tsuki with the same emotionless yet curious expression, pointing to the sword in his hand. The girl remained silent through her entire first interaction with him.
Tsuki tilted his head, looking down at the sword. "The sword? Are you trying to tell me you came from the sword...?" he asked.
The girl silently nodded at him as if to answer his question. Again, she remained totally silent as she kept her eyes locked on Tsuki.
The silent communication was becoming a bit awkward for Tsuki. He then looked up at Lynette. "Lyn? What do you think?" he asked.
Lynette started to do a concentrated appraisal of the girl before them and wasn't sure how to explain it. "I see...a deep abundance of Mana. Gentle yet strong. Free flowing as if it has a mind of its own. Something that would resemble Great Spirit..." she said. She was unable to make a full analysis of the girl due to her current lack of experience but she can say for certain that the girl standing before them was not a human.
Tsuki tilted his head at her before looking back at the girl. "A Great Spirit, huh? Can you tell me what your name is?" he asked. He was hoping to get some sort of response out of her.
The girl tilted her head a bit at him before she finally spoke in a soft tone. "I've had many names. My name is whatever my Master wishes it to be" she said.
Her response threw off Tsuki a bit. "Your Master? Who would that be?" he asked.
The girl pointed at Tsuki. "You. Those who are able to wield me, I recognize as my Master" she said.
Tsuki waved his hand at her. "Whoa whoa whoa! Me, your Master!?" he asked. He then looked at the back of his hand and noticed a marking that was now engraved in his skin. "W-what is this symbol?" he asked. It was a symbol of an ancient form of language.
The girl walked around Lynette and approached Tsuki, placing her hand over the top of his hand. "The proof of our pact. Both myself and the sword recognizes you as our next Master" she said. She then looked up at Tsuki, leaning in close to his face with the same emotionless expression. "With that said, I would appreciate it if Master gave me a new name" she said.
Tsuki didn't know how to deal with the girl. He wasn't all that great with interacting with children like Cheria or Lynette were. It only made it more difficult for him to handle with her personality. She may have an emotionless expression on her face but she had the looks of someone pure, innocent and fragile. It was the perfect mix of personality and appearance that drives the urge of wanting to protect.
Tsuki was a bit flustered as he tried to process what was going on. It didn't help that she was inches away from his face. He also wasn't all that great with coming up with names which made his mind race even more. As he tried to think of something, the swords' name popped in his mind. "The spirit that resides inside Caliburn. Caliburn...how does Allie sound?" he asked.
The girl leaned back, placing her hand over her chest as she closed her eyes, looking down towards the ground. "Allie..." she said softly. It was brief but she ended up giving a soft, happy smile as she muttered the name to herself.
Lynette saw the look on her face and nodded, looking over at Tsuki. "Looks like she likes it" she said.
The girl soon opened her eyes and looked up at Tsuki. "My name...is Allie" she said. She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside of her as she called herself by her new name.
Tsuki knew that he chose right. It wasn't the most creative name since he took it from Caliburn but so long as she likes it, that's all that matters. With the matter of her identity settled, another matter needed to be addressed. "So, what should we do now? We can't exactly walk out of the mine with her dressed like that" he said.
Bos scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, you have a point. Just think of the bad press: four adults walk out of the mines with a small girl wearing a long shirt and nothing else" he said.
Lynette folded her arms in front of her. "Should I make a run to the store for some clothes that might fit her?" she asked.
Allie looked up at them and slowly shook her head. "Don't worry. That won't be necessary" she said.
Allies' body started to glow for a moment before disappearing into particles of light as the top that Lynette put on her had fallen to the ground. It was a sight stirred up more confusion amongst the group.
Cinna was more amazed by the sight of her disappearing than anything. "Whoa! Where did she go!?" he asked.
After she disappeared, the blade of Caliburn started to glow and pulsate. Tsuki lifted the sword up in front of him. He looked at the blade and immediately knew that she was there. "...Allie?" he asked.
The blade of the Caliburn pulsated more as he said her name. Moments later, Allies' voice started to speak into their minds. "I'm here, Master. As you can see, I can freely retreat back into Caliburn so you don't need to worry about me" she said.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head. "Well, I suppose that's pretty convenient. Though, it'll be a hassle if you manifest into a physical form without any clothing" he said.
Lynette knelt down and picked up the top, dusting it off. "It would seem normal clothing wouldn't work if they don't go with her either" she said.
The blade of Caliburn pulsated once more. "Not to worry. Since my physical form is comprised of Mana, I can form any types of clothing" she said.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit. "Wait, if you can form clothing, then why did you appear in front of us completely naked?" he asked.
The blade continued to pulsate. "Because I was told that it would please my Master" she said with clear sincerity and absolutely no hesitation.
Her remark almost made them all fall over on themselves. Tsuki couldn't believe that was her reason for doing so and it made him wonder who told her such a thing. "Who told you that!?" he shouted. He sighed heavily as he dropped his shoulders. "Well, from now on, please manifest with some clothes on" he said.
The blade pulsated one last time. "As you wish, Master" she said.
The pulsating light from the blade soon faded and Allies' voice fell silent. The chamber became eerily silent soon after. There was a bit of an awkward silence between the four of them. After a few minutes, Bos would be the one to break the silence.
Bos cleared his throat and clapped his hands together. "Alright, I think that's enough fun and excitement for the day. I don't think we'll find anything else around here. Besides, I want to take a closer examination of that sword" he said.
Cinna nodded and walked back towards the entrance to the chamber. "You're probably right. For the sake of exploration and discovery, this wholly satisfies me. I'll lead you all out of the mine" he said.
They nodded at each other and left the chamber. Not having a sheath for the sword, Tsuki had no other choice but to carry it out as is. Normally, it was against the law to carry a sword or any kind of weapon unsheathed. If caught, people could be charged for the offense or even arrested outright depending on the circumstances. Thankfully, once they returned to the hub of the third level, they stopped by the workstation and grabbed a long, thick piece of cloth that was laying around and wrapped it around the blade so that it wasn't exposed. It would have to do until they were able to get a sheath for it.
After about 20 minutes, they emerged out from the mine entrance. As they walked out, Kurama came up to them. "You guys were down there for quite some time. Did everything go okay down there?" he asked.
They all looked at each other with a nod. Then, Cinna looked at Kurama. "Better than okay. We discovered a chamber at the bottom of the Crystal Chamber" he said.
Kurama raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms in front of him. "A chamber, you say? What was in it?" he asked.
Bos pointed to the sword that Tsuki was holding as he walked up close to him to whisper something. "We hit the jackpot, Wolfe! We found the legendary sword, Caliburn!" he said in a low tone so that no one around them would hear.
Kuramas' eyes widened a bit when he heard the name of the sword. He had stop himself from shouting out his surprise. "Did you say Caliburn!?" he asked.
Tsuki held up the sword and unraveled the cloth that covered the blade, revealing the sword in its entirety to him. Kurama was a man of history. If there was anyone besides Bos who would be able to tell its authenticity, it would be him. He examined the blade closely from the hilt all the way up to the tip of the blade and it was just like what he had read about. Every small detail that was depicted in books and just about any other form of literature was there.
Kurama couldn't believe his eyes. At first, he thought he was dreaming to where he actually pinched himself to make sure. When he realized that what he was seeing wasn't a dream, he had to take a step back. "Incredible. It really is Caliburn. To think that one of the legendary holy swords was right under our feet this whole time" he said.
Tsuki shook his head. "That's not all. There's more" he said.
Kurama tilted his head with a confused look. "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked.
Tsuki looked around the area and saw that there was no one around. Once he made sure no one was around them, he looked down at the sword. "Allie?" he said.
The blade started to shine brightly for a brief moment. This time, everyone except Kurama was prepared for the blinding flash. Once the flash disappeared, Allie was seen standing in front of Tsuki, this time fully clothed. It was a relief to Tsuki because part of him was worried that she would manifest naked again.
When Kurama saw Allie standing in front of them, he didn't know what to think. He was positive that there was no child around them just seconds prior. "W-what!?" he shouted.
Lynette scratched the back of her head with bit of a nervous sweat. "As it turns out, the holy sword Caliburn housed a living spirit. When Tsuki pulled the sword out of its' slab, she appeared in front of us and says that both she and the sword recognize Tsuki as their new Master" she said. She wasn't sure how to explain this in a way that would make sense so she decided to just be truthful and open about it.
Kurama looked as if what she just said mostly flew over his head though he did manage to understand some of it. "I see...this is definitely quite the discovery. I think you've outdone yourself, Cinna" he said.
Cinna shook his head. "Please. All I did was discover the door. If it weren't for Tsuki, we wouldn't have been able to get into the chamber" he said. He felt a surge of uplifting energy as he was getting himself pumped up with vigor and excitement as clearly indicated by his body language. "I don't know about you guys but I'm feeling energized!" he said.
Kurama looked at Cinna and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Settle down there, tiger. Before you get any ideas of rushing back into the mines, I need your expertise with something for a little bit" he said.
Cinan looked at Kurama and nodded, tapping his chest with his fist. "Sure thing. Besides, some fresh air will do me some good for a while" he said. He then turned to face Tsuki and the others. "Looks like we're going our separate ways. Hopefully, things work out for you guys" he said.
Kurama and Cinna soon walked off together towards the man operations area on the other side of the mine entrance where Tsuki met up with Lucas the day before. Meanwhile, everyone else was left staring at each other.
Bos heavily sighed, shaking his head. "And there he goes. The man doesn't know when to stay still" he said. He then turned and faced in the direction of the Business District. "Come on, let's get back to the shop. I want to do a deeper examination of that sword. Besides, I'm sure Bryce is probably getting impatient with me by now" he said.
They nodded, wrapping the blade back up with the cloth and followed Bos out of the Business District. They walked through the streets with Allie as people couldn't help but stare at the sword Tsuki was carrying. Allie also got some looks from people as well. She may appear to look like an ordinary human child but there was something about her to others that made her stand out more. Eventually, they returned to the weapon/armor shop.
Once they entered the shop, Bos got right to work examining the Caliburn. He performed all kinds of tests on it to test the durability and quality. Every single test far exceeded his expectations. The craftsmanship and quality of the sword as a whole was almost on a completely different level than even his finest work that he had hung up on his wall. He tested the durability and quality of the blade on his striking dummy and it sliced clean through it, leaving not even a scratch or marking on the blade. Part of him knew what to expect, seeing as it was one of the legendary holy swords but the stories that he had heard didn't do it justice.
After doing as many tests as he could possibly think of, Bos wrote up his findings in a notebook and handed the sword back to Tsuki. "I think I've got as much data as I'm going to get. The sword is flawless and the blade is in pristine condition and unmarked despite me putting it through some abuse. I have to say, I'm downright jealous of you, Tsuki" he said.
Tsuki took the sword from him. "It's that amazing, huh?" he asked. He knew his swords but his knowledge of them only goes so far. Being a weapons master like Bos, he couldn't even compare himself.
Bos nodded. "Amazing doesn't even cut it! People would quite literally kill for a sword with quality and craftsmanship like that. Nevermind the fact that it's one of the legendary holy swords!" he said. His excitement was through the roof. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance that he was able to not only lay his eyes on one of the holy swords but to be able to handle it.
Tsuki looked at the sword, his head following the length of the blade. "I'm guessing there's no chance in being able to hide it either, huh?" he asked. He didn't want to attract anymore attention than he already has.
Bos shook his head. "Not if you want to fulfill your duties as a knight. There's no other sword I'd be comfortable giving you that I currently possess that would fit the bill on Lucas' orders" he said. He then turned and walked into his backroom for a moment and grabbed something off his workstation. He came back out holding a scabbard made out of a combination of hard wood and metal. "I can give you this though to put it in. It may not match the quality of a holy sword but I put in my best effort to try and make it work" he said.
Tsuki took the scabbard from him and examined it. As he did so, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down and saw that it was Allie who was looking up at the scabbard. He lowered it so that she could take it in her hands. Allie took the scabbard and ran her hand across it. After giving it her own brief inspection, she nodded with a content look on her face.
Bos saw the look on her face and assumed that she liked it. "So, I take it you approve of it? Again, I'm sorry that it doesn't match the quality of Caliburn" he said. Seeing as how Allie was the dormant spirit residing within Caliburn and served, in a sense, as the swords' will, her approval of where Caliburn was going to be stowed was of the utmost importance.
Allie looked up at Bos with the same emotionless look on her face, giving up a thumbs up. "I like it. It'll do but would you allow me to make one small modification?" she asked.
Bos nodded, holding his hand out. "By all means. Modify it however you deem fit. I guess in some kind of weird sense, the scabbard would be like a house for you and a house is for you to design and decorate" he said.
Allie nodded at him and placed the scabbard down on the ground. She then got down onto her knees and held her hands out in front of her over the scabbard, closing her eyes. Moments later, the outline of her body as well as the scabbard and Caliburn started to glow a warm light. She appeared to go into a trance-like state.
As she did that, Lynette looked over at Bos. "You know, I didn't really think of it that way. The scabbard being like a house for her" she said. It was an interesting and unique way of thinking that impressed her. It showed her just how much of an expert he was with swords.
Bos rubbed his finger under his nose with a grin on his face. "Well, it kind of is, right? If Caliburn serves as her vessel or catalyst or whatever you want to call it, it would make sense that the scabbard would be the home for said vessel or catalyst" he said.
Bryce leaned against the counter. "I'm a little impressed as well. Then again, it's not every day we get to work with an actual living spirit" he said.
It wasn't much longer after he said that when the glowing light faded away. Once Allie, the sword and scabbard stopped glowing, she picked up the scabbard and held it up to Tsuki. "It's done" she said.
Tsuki took the scabbard from her and held it in his hand. He examined it and felt magic flowing through the whole length of it. There were even light engravings now along the scabbard that weren't there before. "What did you do to it?" he asked.
Allie tapped on the scabbard as it glowed faintly. "I imbued it with my power. It will prevent anyone from pulling out Caliburn except for you. Not only that, it can even serve as a secondary weapon and store Mana" she said. She brought her arm back down to her side and tilted her head a bit. "Plus, while the scabbard was made with quality in mind, it was rather plain so I gave it a personal touch" she said.
Bryce couldn't help but laugh a bit at her last remark. "You hit the nail on the head, missy. When it comes to forging weapons, Bos is second to none here in Briswater but when it comes to things like scabbards, his creativity takes a massive nosedive. The man can't seem to design an eye-popping scabbard no matter how hard he tries" he said, poking fun at him.
Bos scoffed at him, looking away. "Hey, I'm trying here, alright? Give me a break!" he said.
Tsuki took Caliburn and slid it into its scabbard where it fit nicely. There was even a small magic circle that appeared around the hilt guard once the sword was sheathed that served as a sort of lock. The marking on his right hand also glowed at the same time when he did that. Now that he has his sword, he was finally ready to proceed forward. "Well, it took jumping through some hoops but I got a weapon again" he said.
Lynette nodded. "I suppose now we should head back to Saiyaka and meet up with Lucas and Ramza" she said.
Tsuki looked at her and nodded back. "I agree. I think we've kept them waiting long enough. They're probably wondering where we're at by now" he said. He then looked over at Bos and Bryce and bowed at them. "I appreciate all that you've done for us" he said. As he bowed, Allie followed suit.
Bos shook his head, looking back at them and tapping his chest. "Hey, it's what we do. I have to thank you as well for giving me the opportunity to not only lay my eyes on one of the holy swords but to be able to analyze and study it too. This was more than worth the hassle that Lucas gave to us" he said.
Bryce chuckled a bit. "Stop by anytime next you're in town! Hopefully, we'll have some good stuff to show you!" he said.
They said their farewells to Bos and Bryce as Tsuki strapped his new sword to his waist and left the shop. With Allie, they hitched a ride on one of the local boats and went off towards Saiyaka. After about 20 minutes of cruising through channels of water, they arrived at the docks of the school. They got off it and made their way towards the campus. Much like before, they attracted a whole bunch of attention from the students as they walked across the courtyard. Allie got a lot of attention herself, mainly from the female population. She didn't flinch to anything though and kept her stoic expression as they walked.
They soon entered the northern building and made their way towards the room where Tsuki and Lynette met up with Lucas before. They knocked on the door and waited to be called in. After a moment, Lucas' voice spoke from the other side of the door and they entered. Inside of the room was not only him and Ramza but Frey as well, sitting on the couches. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the sword that Tsuki had on his waist and Allie.
Lucas was able to read the room and sighed heavily. "Something happened again, didn't it?" he asked.
Lynette let out a nervous laugh and sweat as she scratched her cheek. "Y-yeah..." she said.
Ramza kept his gaze on the sword strapped to Tsukis' waist. He didn't need to see the whole thing to know what it was that he was looking at. "Well, things just keep getting interesting around here" he said.
Frey scratched his head, looking at Allie and then at Tsuki. "So, who's the girl?" he asked.
They closed the door behind them and approached the couches that they were sitting on. Before they talked about anything, Tsuki and Lynette gave them a rundown of what happened at the mines. Needless to say, once they discovered that one of the legendary holy swords had been underneath their feet all this time and the fact that something of a Great Spirit was residing within the sword shocked and surprised them. For the next two hours, they launched a barrage of questions at them as they wanted to know everything. Not even Allie was safe from their questions as she was at the center of nearly all of them. The questions seemed to go on and on without end.
Finally, the questions soon stopped. Lucas leaned back in his head and rolled his head around his shoulders and let out a sigh. "I'll tell you what. You guys continue to bring some sort of excitement to our city. I don't know if I should be impressed or worried" he said.
Tsuki shook his head. "Hey, it's not like we bring it intentionally" he said.
Ramza shrugged his shoulders. "That's just how it is sometimes. Excitement like this can hit you like a train and be gone in a flash the next minute" he said. He then glanced over at the Caliburn and couldn't help but think back to the words that Caius spoke about his search for some sword. "I guess that answers that question" he mumbled to himself.
Lynette scratched the back of her head, looking over towards Allie. "When I left Crescentia to accompany Tsuki, so much has happened. The plain, normal life I had training as a healer suddenly became full of excitement, adventure and danger. I would have never expected things to turn out like this" she said.
Allie, who was sitting in Tsukis' lap, looked over at Lynette, tilting her head. Naturally, she was maintaining her signature stoic expression as she tried to look as innocent as possible.
Frey wasn't sure what to think of it all. "If you ask me, it's an omen. Excitement like this doesn't just happen without a reason" he said.
Lucas leaned over, placing his elbows on his knees. "An omen, huh? You might not be too far from the truth with all things considering" he said. He then looked over at Ramza.
Ramza looked at Lucas and saw the look on his face. He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I guess it's my turn to do the talking, huh?" he asked. He reached forward and grabbed a cup of tea that was sitting on the table in front of him and took a sip of it. "Well, you already know the identity of the man in question so that saves me some time and effort on explaining. Caius Aimes, king of Honegroth. He is a man with a strong, steadfast ambition with conviction to boot. His combat skills are said to rival those of the late King Ashnard, the former ruler" he said. He then stood up and walked over to a bag he had sitting on Lucas' desk. He reached into it and took out a bundle of papers that were bound together as well as a folder. He walked back over to where everyone was sitting and laid them out on the table in front of them. "According to my sources, he used to be a man who listened to his people. He was a strong and firm ruler but also open-minded and reasonable. However, as Frey pointed out yesterday, something happened several months ago that made flipped Caius' personality on its head. Suddenly, he became withdrawn and his whole demeanor was that of a completely different person" he said. He shuffled through the bundle of papers and stopped at one of them, pointing at it. "About a month and a half since the sudden change, he became more aggressive. He sought out more action and got their military involved in things that they had no business being involved with. That's my standpoint, at least. Anyway, the military started to see a sudden shift as well. Stricter drills and training, a completely different vetting process and harsher treatment" he said. This was just the tip of the iceberg in what he managed to uncover.
Lucas looked over the documents that Ramza laid out for them and couldn't believe the amount of work was put into them. "I knew that there has been a drastic shift of power in Honegroth recently but this is something else. It's like he's restructuring the entire military right down to its foundation" he said. He picked up some of the documents and scanned through them. The more he read up on what has been going on in Honegroth, the more unbelievable it sounded.
Frey did the same as he sorted through the various documents. "Whatever he is doing or trying to do, it definitely warrants cause for concern and alarm. You don't make moves and changes like these unless you were planning something big. If what's written in these documents is true, they've been preparing for themselves for months now" he said.
Tsuki tried to wrap his head around things as best he could. Things were definitely getting close to a boiling point. "Something of this scale could mean only one thing: invasion" he said. It was clearly evident that this was what he was planning and preparing for. While he has his commanders get Honegroths' military prepared and ready, he came here to eliminate any potential threats to the invasion plans.
Lynette still feels uneasy whenever the word invasion is brought up. It makes her nervous and worried about their future and for what looms over the horizon. "Will it really come to that...?" she asked nervously.
Ramza shook his head as he reached over and opened the folder. He then spread out the files and documents that were in it across the table. "Fortunately, or unfortunately, that remains to be seen. Despite the sudden change in their military, there have been no abnormal movements. No fortifications to their bases or ports. No change in their distribution of weapons or armor" he said. He then sat down in the chair next to him as he let the others scan through all the documents that he laid out for them.
Tsuki leaned set the papers he was holding down on the table and leaned back against the couch with a heavy sigh. The documents he showed them definitely helped give them a much clearer picture in Honegroths' state of affairs but it still doesn't answer their most pressing and concerning question. "So, in the end of all this, we still don't know Caius' true intentions" he said.
Ramza nodded at him. "That is correct. If invasion truly is his goal, then there are much bigger threats for him to deal with outside of Cayhill" he said. He then puled out a folded piece of paper from the folder and opened it up, revealing the world map of their corner of Lorategia. He then pointed to where Cayhill was. "As you know, Cayhill is a neutral state. Because of the inaction of King Taichi and Queen Emma, they've remained neutral in global affairs. Other kingdoms are also aware of Cayhills' unique position in our corner of the world. It sits in a location that would make deploying troops out to other kingdoms relatively easily. This may be a small continent but it also holds probably the biggest piece on the board in terms of strategic value. Which means..." he said, trailing off at the end.
Lucas rubbed his chin as he looked at the map. "Honegroth is the only kingdom as of right now that has been expressing the desire of a full-on invasion. If he were to move on Cayhill, his actions wouldn't go unnoticed. He would attract the attention of the neighboring kingdoms which would create a domino effect and spur them into action as a result" he said.
Frey nodded as Lucas made his assessment. "And since Cayhill holds strategic value because of its' location, the neighboring kingdoms would deploy their troops to counter them. If Cayhill were to fall under Menorion rule..." he said, trailing off.
Tsuki looked at the world map as he felt the conversation get passed down onto him. "...that would give Honegroth free access to invade other kingdoms under the guise and flag of Eresseas. No one would ever suspect a small, neutral kingdom of invasion" he said.
Lynette shook her head at the brilliance behind it all. "It's genius. Eresseas...no, Cayhill as a whole would became a funnel for them to push their troops through under a false flag. Other kingdoms are surely aware of this possibility and must be keeping a close watch on Cayhill at all times" she said.
Ramza nodded at them. "Exactly. Now, you see what their main issue would be which is why I can't say for certain if invasion is on the table but it's not something that can be denied as a possibility" he said.
Tsuki nodded as things seemed to start coming together. "I need to get to Basilwell. I have to find out what this unknown cargo is and see what the commander down there knows" he said.
Lynette nodded in agreement. "It feels like we have most of the missing pieces to the puzzle. The last one should be there and we might finally have the full picture" she said.
Lucas looked at the two of them for a moment before turning his head to Ramza. "Ramza, the information you have provided us is invaluable. I can't thank you enough. I'll be sure to relay all of this to King Taichi and Queen Emma. Job well done" he said.
Ramza shook his head. "All in the days' work for a mercenary. We strive for the best as we can provide" he said.
Lucas nodded. "Which brings me to make another request of you. If it's not too much trouble, I would like you to hire your services once again and ask that you accompany Tsuki and Lynette to Basilwell. Payment will be made in full upfront" he said. He then took out a heavy-looking bag and tossed it on the table in front of Ramza with a loud thud.
Tsuki tilted his head at Lucas as he looked at him in surprise. "Wait, Lucas!?" he said.
Ramza reached over and picked up the bag. He opened it up and saw a pretty good pile of Gald. Even more so than what he had paid him before. "You want me to continue my investigation by taking it to where it all began, right?" he asked.
Lucas nodded. "Yes. If things are as dire as I have a feeling they will be, Tsuki and Lynette will need all the help they can get. This mission of Tsukis' has clearly evolved and became something much different. Due to the extent of what I'm asking you, I figured the amount I handed you would be most fitting" he said. He then looked over at Tsuki who seemed totally lost because of his actions. "I'm sorry for asking this of you but will you allow him to travel with you while you investigate this matter further?" he asked.
Tsuki didn't expect him to pay Ramza to accompany them. The added help would surely help in their travels but this came totally out of nowhere. "I'm not going to deny help when we could definitely use it right about now but you could have warned us ahead of time!" he said.
Lucas shook his head. "If I had warned you ahead of time, then you would have protested against it. Am I right?" he asked.
Tsuki wasn't sure how to respond to him. He was absolutely right; he would have definitely spoke against this. It was one thing with Lynette who genuinely wanted to come with him by choice but this was different. "Well..." he said.
Ramza looked at Tsuki and Lucas, placing the bag down on the arm of his chair. "So long as a mercenary is paid, they'll see their job to its' full completion. Personally, I have no reason to object. However, if Tsuki here doesn't wish this, then I'll have to decline the offer" he said.
Lynette placed her hand on Tsukis' shoulder as she looked at him. "Accept his aid. You know that things are getting harder with just the two of us. Remember our last two encounters where we nearly got ourselves killed? Besides, with another physical fighter, it'll be easier to provide support if the other is unable to provide it" she said. She knew he understood what she was saying. Adding another fighter to their roster would make it easier for the both of them.
Tsuki was well aware of the obvious reasons on why he should accept his aid. His last two defeats have left him feeling inadequate. Having someone else to provide back-up for him or Lynette would make things a lot easier and would split the burden of the group more evenly. As he thought about it, he felt his sleeve being tugged by Allie, who was still sitting in his lap, completely silent the whole time. She didn't voice her concerns but he was able to read what she was trying to say with the look in her eyes. She may have a stoic expression but her eyes tell a lot more than her face does.
After thinking about it for a bit longer, he sighed and looked at Ramza and Lucas. "Alright. If Ramza is willing to accept the offer, then he's more than welcome aboard" he said.
Lucas smiled and nodded, clapping his hands together. "Excellent! I was hoping that would be your answer! That settles it then" he said.
Ramza nodded and put the bag of Gald coins away in his bag, tying it shut. He then stood up and held his hand out towards Tsuki. "Looks like we're comrades for a while. I look forward to working with you, Tsuki" he said.
Tsuki tapped Allies' shoulder which made her hop off his lap before he stood up to reach for his hand and shook it, giving him a confident grin and nod. "Likewise" he said.
Lucas soon stood up walked over to his desk. "Seeing as time is of the essence now, Briswater will help speed you on your way to the Cavern of Solace. Frey!" he said.
Frey got up and stood at attention. "Yes sir!" he said.
Lucas quickly wrote a letter and marked it with his seal. He then walked over to Frey and handed him the letter. "Take them to the main entrance. Show this letter to the Carriage Master and he will speed you on your way" he said.
Frey took the letter from Lucas. "Leave it to me. I'll be sure to get them to the Cavern with our fastest ride" he said.
Tsuki looked at the two of them. The generosity of Lucas seemed to continue. "Wait, we're not going to be walking this time?" he asked.
Lucas shook his head. "Are you kidding? Walking from here to the Cavern will take you, at most, four days and that's assuming you aren't sidetracked. Which, knowing the luck that you've had trying to get here, would most likely happen to you. With this, you'll get there in about a days' travel time with our fastest stead. As I said, time is of the essence and we can't be having you go off to do some sidequest of some kind" he said.
Tsuki and Lynette couldn't really argue back because he spoke the truth. It took Tsuki over two weeks just to reach Briswater because of all the delays and side trips. There was nothing they could say that would serve as a counter argument so they chose not to say anything.
Frey looked at them and headed out towards the door with the letter in hand. "We better get a move on then if we're going to be swift about this. Let's get going" he said. He then stepped out through the door and started to walk down the hallway.
Lucas looked at the three of them, giving them one final nod. "I wish you all the best of luck. I'll be waiting to hear more" he said.
Tsuki and the group nodded and made their way out of the room. They followed Frey out of Saiyaka and onto the boat, the air hanging heavy over their heads. They could feel the weight of the world on them. The sense of anticipation and anxiety was pretty high for Tsuki and Lynette as they continued to journey forth into the unknown that awaits them. With Ramza as a new companion and having Allie and the Caliburn at their side, some of their anxiety was quelled a bit but uncertainty remained. No one knew what to expect or what might happen next. However, the closer they got to finding out the truth, the worse the anxiety seemed to get and the heavier the weight over their heads became. Time would soon be upon them in which they would finally be able to discover the truth about what's been happening.
To be continued...