Tales of Xalthia

by xXGhostStalker

*DISCLAIMER: This holds no relation to Tales of VS or any Tales game* A mysterious lineage. An unimaginative power. Oblivious to Tsuki Himura, he defends his kingdom from evil and learns of a sinister plot. Forced to seek help, he travels the globe for much needed allies. Join him as he learns more about the world and about himself as something awakens inside him.

24. Ocean Passage -1st Revision-

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 23: Ocean Passage

Chaos has quickly enveloped Eresseas. News of the disaster that fell upon the majestic, lakeside city had quickly spread to all corners of Cayhill. Briswater was put under a state of alert while villages and nearby settlements near Eresseas were evacuated. Crescentia remains inhabited and have even taken in some evacuees from those those smaller settlements and even some people who managed to escape from Eresseas. The border town that divides the Northern and Southern Regions had closed its gates to prevent people from entering and leaving the Northern Region. The checkpoints leading towards Briswater had shuttered their walls and bolstered their defenses with whatever they could. The Cavern of Solace entrance from the Great Plains were completely sealed off to prevent anyone from accessing them.

To make matters worse, Eresseas continues to remain as it was. The Anti-Arte Field continued to linger with the thick, purple haze swallowing up everything within the barrier. Thankfully, the purple haze does not go beyond the barrier. With Eresseas in complete disarray, General Maxwell of Briswater put out a direct order and classified Eresseas and its surrounding area were deemed unsafe and off-limits. The people of Cayhill were in total panic as the whereabouts and well-being of King Taichi and Queen Emma were unknown. The civilians and knights that evacuated from Eresseas were all scattered around Cayhill. Aside from Tsuki and Phi, the other members of the Royal Eight were still missing as well.

The checkpoints leading down towards Basilwell were being bombarded by people trying to flee and seek passage across the ocean. Basilwell authorities were stretched incredibly thin since they wre still recovering from their previous attack. They allowed people to come through the checkpoitns but the process was incredibly slow due to them being severely shorthanded. Even with the help of the mercenaries they had on-hand, it didn't make much of a different to speed the process up. No one cared where they ended up, they just wanted to be as far away from Cayhill as possible.

As for Tsuki and the others, they wre brought back to Basilwell where they were given immediate medical attention. Some of their injuries were pretty serious and took longer to heal through normal means but once Reia and Lynette had regained a sufficient amount of the Mana, they took over healing everyone's injuries. Phi was given a bed to rest in at the Guild Branch where she remains unconscious along with the Dragonkin girl. For Tsuki and everyone else, none of them felt up to the task of giving Alba or anyone else a full debrief of what happened in Eresseas. From what they gathered, the Guild Branch was the first to discover that something was wrong. They had lost all forms of contact with the Guild Branch in Eresseas. They reached out to the Guild Branch in Briswater to see if they could get in touch with them but they had no luck either. This prompted both Guild Branches to contact their local government authorities, Commander Alba of Basilwell and General Maxwell of Briswater, and inform them of what's happening. The two of them then attempted to contact Eresseas through a number of their own methods and all came up short. This was unprecedented and due to this, they put Briswater and Basilwell under a state of emergency.

When Tsuki and the other arrived in Basilwell, Alba was immediately informed and attempted to get information out of them but they were clearly in no shape at the time. Allowing them time to recover and gather their thoughts, he got in touch with General Maxwell who wasted no time in making his way to Basilwell so that he could get the full story when they do decide that they're ready to talk. A full day had come and gone since they arrived at Basilwell. On the second day there, they felt that they had recovered enough to tell their story of what happened. Everyone was still feeling very sore and weren't ready to go back out fighting but they felt a lot better than they did before. Tsuki, Ramza, Ruko and Elle were bandaged up quite heavily because of the extent of their injuries. They had to get a whole new set of clothing as their old ones were torn and ripped to shreds. Tsuki had to ditch his normal knight armor and replace it with a mix of light armor and chainmail while Cheria had to change from her royal attire to something more conservative and casual. Elle had to get a new sword since not only was the hilt guard completely broken, but upon a closer inspection, the blade had several chips and cracks in it.

Tsuki and the others met up in Alba's chambers in the Basilwell headquarters where not only Lucas Maxwell was waiting for them but also the Guild Branch leader, Ryousuke Fhey as well. Since this incident involves the Mercenary Guild, he felt obligated to find out what happened so that he could inform the Guild Branch in Briswater and send word out to their main headquarters. They were anxious to know what happened in Eresseas the other night. They proceeded to tell them everything that happened. From their morning meeting with King Taichi and Queen Emma to relegate tasks to help organize things for the Festival of Blossoms to their escape on the back of a dragon as Taichi, Emma and Shana all willingly stayed behind. At first, they thought that they were just making things up as a joke but given their serious expressions and tone of voice, not to mention the fact of the condition they were in when Max had found them with the unconscious Dragonkin and Cheria in tow, they had no choice but to believe. It was a very hard pill for them to swallow. A heavy sense of dread filled the room as everyone remained silent for several minutes, not knowing what else to say.

The heavy silence was soon broken by a loud bang against the wall. Ryousuke was frustrated and ended up slamming the side of his fist into the wall. "Those Honegroth bastards...!" he said. To hear that the Guild Branch in Eresseas suffered heavy losses enraged him. He was familiar with a lot of mercenaries and office staff that worked out of there. Not only that but he knew that even if he reported it to their main headquarters, they wouldn't lift a finger in retaliation because of their non-involvement policy.

Lucas had his head buried in his left arm as he leaned against the opposite wall. He was trying to cope with all of this information as best as he could. "I can't believe it. I refuse to believe...that Eresseas has fallen" he said.

Alba was sitting in his chair and leaning over his desk with his elbows rested on top of it, his fingers interlocked with each other as his forehead rested against his hands. "This is truly the start of dark times for Cayhill..." he said.

Tsuki was sitting down on one of Alba's couches, his head hung low with his arms resting on his lap, both of his hands in tight fists as his body shook from frustration. He still hasn't fully come to terms with Mike and Stahler's betrayal. "Mike...Stahler...I still can't believe it...!" he said, gritting his teeth.

Cheria reached her hand out and gently held onto his left hand which was bandaged up from not only being sliced open with a deep cut from him literally grabbing onto Delvin's scythe blade but was also injured when he blocked Mike's attack on him. "Easy now. You'll open your wounds again..." she said. She could understand his pain and frustration. While she wasn't particularly close with Mike or Stahler, they had still served her family for years. Their betrayal made a big impact on her as well but with Tsuki, it was more personal which made it worse.

Ramza stretched his right arm out and gazed down at his hand, opening and closing it. "We were undone before the real fight could begin. The one-two punch of having those Honegroth soldiers appear out of nowhere and then having our Artes sealed away, crippling our offensive and defensive power" he said.

Nagi looked over towards Tsuki when Ramza mentioned that their Artes were sealed away. If their Mana and Aer were completely locked away, she was worried about Allie. "How's Allie doing? You mentioned before that she was a spirit, a being made up of entirely of Mana and Aer. Have you been able to get through to her since then?" she asked.

Tsuki shook his head. That was one of his current biggest concerns. After Allie had disappeared suddenly when that barrier went up, he felt his connection between them significantly weaken. Being made of entirely of Aer, the barrier would surely have some severe effects on her. "Unfortunately, no. She doesn't answer me. My connection with her weakened while inside the barrier but I can sense that it's getting stronger again. I can feel her inside of the Caliburn so, at the very least, I know she's alright" he said. He then put his hand over the sheath that held the Caliburn as it glowed faintly from his touch. "That Anti-Arte Field barrier must have done quite a number on her" he said.

Ruko recalled Lynette and Reia saying something just before the Honegroth soldiers appeared. He then turned over to Reia and Lynette, who were sitting on another couch together. "Lyn, you mentioned something about sensing strange magic. What was it?" he asked.

Reia shook her head. She wasn't sure at first but after seeing the magic take its full effect, it was undoubtedly clear of what it was. "It was a unique type of magic that very few magic users can use. It's called Teleportation" she said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit. "Teleportation? What's that?" she asked.

Reia held her right arm up with a single finger pointing upwards with her other arm folded across her chest. "There's more to Magical Artes than you may think. When you think about Magical Artes, you think of Artes that fall under a certain elemental category. However, there are other categories of magic that are non-elemental. One of these is Teleporation" she said. She then leaned over towards the small coffee table to pick up a cup of tea, taking a sip of it. "Teleportation allows the means to travel from one place to another in the blink of an eye, no matter how great the distance is" she said.

Ryousuke looked over towards Reia, leaning his left shoulder up against the wall. "You're kidding me. Such an Arte exists!?" he asked.

Reia looked at Ryousuke and nodded. "In a manner of speaking, yes. It's an Arte of an extremely advanced level. Very few magic users can use it and even fewer have been able to master it" she said.

Ruko folded his arms and leaned up against the back of his chair. "So, someone used Teleportation on those parade floats to transport the Honegroth soldiers" he said.

Reia shook her head. "It's not as simple as that. Like I said, Teleporation is an extremely advanced skill and it's that way for a good reason. It was an extremely high Mana cost which can fluctuate even higher depending on the number of being being teleported and how much distance they will be covering" she said. She then put her hand on her chest. "For example, if one were to teleport from here to Eresseas, you would need at least four people to pour their Mana during the spellweaving process, and that's just for teleporting a single person. Now, take into account at how many Honegroth soldiers that were teleported" she said.

Ramza thought back to when the Honegroth soldiers appeared. There were multiple squads of soldiers so their numbers were easily over at least 70. "They would have needed a massive group of people" he said.

Lynette started to connect the dots. "Or a single individual under the influence of a crystal's power" she said. She had no doubt that the power within those crystals was more than enough to teleport a group of that size on its own. "However, even with the power of one of those crystals, teleporting that many people would have been an impossible task regardless" she said.

Elle shook her head. "Not necessarily. Remember the crystal that Mike had on him?" she asked. She then had a flashback of when Mike pulled out the crystal. Her senses were blocked then but she could feel the overflowing power coming from it. "That crystal was pushed way beyond its capacity and was on the verge of bursting. It had more than enough power to teleport all those people." she said.

Cheria put her hand up to her chin with her head slightly tilted. "Then, there was that strange purple fog. What was that? I've never felt such strong negativity and heaviness before" she said.

Elle had flashbacks from when the purple fog appeared in the lower levels and all across Eresseas, with her shouting at Mike to stop what he was doing. "That fog is a byproduct of the crystal..." she said. She quickly shook her head, stopping her current line of thinking. "No, that's wrong. The crystal only serves as the vessel. It's the byproduct of what Caius calls Arcanum" she said.

Tsuki and Lynette both looked at each other, giving each the same look on their face. They remembered Caius mentioning something about Arcanum back during their first encounter with him, back in the Briswater mines. They recall him saying that it was some ancient power that coule topple cities or something along those lines.

Lucas looked over to Elle. He wasn't very knowledgable when it came to Magical Artes compared to the former president of Saiyaka but he recalled that he was researching something before his untimely death. Something he called revolutionary. "What's Arcanum?" he asked.

Elle shook her head with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Hard to say. The name isn't familiar but the properties behind it remind me of a story an old High Elf used to tell me" she said. She then started to pace around the room, her arms folded in front of her. "A dark, all-consuming power unfit for Human hands. Highly corruptive in its nature, it poisons everything it touches. Turns man and beast into unrecognizable monstrosities. A power born with a very heavy and strong demonic nature. A power that could mean the end of humanity itself..." she said, coming to a pause.

Nagi looked at Elle, tilting her head. It sounded like there was more to it than that. "Is that it?" she asked.

Elle looked at her and nodded. "Unfortunately. Much of Arcanum is a mystery and is still considered mostly lost knowledge. It's safe to assume that Arcanum isn't even what it's real name is. Elven legends portray this power as apocalyptic. To combat against this, humanity created its own power to fight against it. All of this led to a conflict that embroiled not just Human and Beast, but the Great Spirits as well" she said.

Alba scratched his head as Elle started to talk about some complicated stuff. He was having a hard time trying to understand it. "A conflict with the Great Spirits? I don't recall hearing anything about that in the history books at the academy" he said.

Elle shook her head as she walked up to the nearby window to look out of it, faintly seeing her reflection through the glass. "Not surprising considering the fact that it took place 1500 years ago, in the year 1505. Much of it's history, however, has been lost to to the ravages of time. Not even we Elves know what the conflict was about or what came of it" she said. She recalled learning about the old times from her elders. There were a lot of Elven scholars and historians that have made it their life's work to finding out what truly happened back in the old days.

Tsuki looked over at Elle. "In the year 1505? If even the Elves don't know the true history, it makes me wonder why such history has become lost, or even intentionally forgotten. Is there anyone besides the Elves that might know something?" he asked. He knew that he was asking for something pretty crazy. No other race have lived longer than the Elves but maybe there was a possibility.

Elle shook her head. "Sadly, no. Knowledge that has been lost is almost impossible to recover and there isn't an Elf alive today that could tell you anything significant outside of what is already common knowledge among Elves" she said. She stared into her own reflection for a moment and came to remember something. "If anyone could tell you anything from that time period, it would be the Great Spirits themselves" she said.

Ramza sat back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. "Well then, I guess we'll never learn about it then" he said.

Lynette looked at Ramza, giving him a slight glare. "Way to be optimistic about it" she said sarcastically.

Ramza looked at Lynette. "Look, don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying that the Great Spirits don't exist but they haven't exactly made their presence known in centuries and even if they did exist, no one knows where they could be hiding" he said. What he was saying was completely logical. The Great Spirits were even considered folktale and legend in some cultures or just straight up fantasy stories.

Ryousuke folded his arms in front of him as he continued to lean against the wall. "Well, the Great Spirits are beings of Aer essentially, right? If they did exist, then it would only be logical to assume that they're hiding in a place with a dense, highly concentrated flow of Aer. A place no one can easily reach or get close to" he said. What he was saying sounded a little familiar. Like, a certain natural occurrance that continues to be unexplained to this day.

Tsuki soon realized what he was describing. He's been near one before, back in the Cavern of Solace. "The Wellsprings!" he said.

Ryousuke nodded at his conclusion. "Think about it. No one knows the true nature of Wellsprings. Even in special equipment designed specifically to handle Wellsprings, exposure time is kept at the bare minimum, no more than a few minutes. That isn't exactly a whole lot of time to collect data and it's not like the Great Spirits would make it easy for people to find them either" he said. Of course, everything he's saying is strictly theory with no possible way to back it up but it was plausible. "There's also the fact that Wellsprings have a tendency to come and go as we have seen already in the Cavern" he said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit. With the way he said it, it sounded like the Wellspring they encountered in the Cavern of Solace was no longer there. "What happened to the Wellspring?" she asked.

Alba reached into one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper, setting it down for them to look at. "We received a report from Ionia's chief researcher, Vanessa the other day. They documented a significant drop in Aer levels early that morning. Then, yesterday morning, the Wellspring just...vanished" he said.

Ramza tilted his head and scratched his head with a confused look. "How can it just vanish? In all my years as a mercenary and having traveled many lands, I've never heard of a Wellspring just vanishing like that" he said.

Elle nodded to herself, thinking about the possibilities. "If the Wellsprings are indeed the hiding places of the Great Spirits, then it's entirely possible that whatever spirit inhabited the cavern Wellspring sensed the impending danger and decided to change locations. It just seems too coincidental that the Wellspring vanished right as danger struck" she said.

Lucas sighed heavily. This was all a fascinating discussion but they were talking nothing but conjecture at this point. They had no way to prove or test their theories as that would require a completely different skill set and knowledge that they don't have at present. "It's a shame we can't put those theories to test but I think we're avoiding the real question here" he said. He then looked over towards Alba. "Just how did Honegroth troops even make it here in the first place? Based off what's been said, direct teleporation from Honegroth itself is an impossible task" he said.

Alba looked over towards Lucas, shrugging his shoulders as he shook his head. "If you're trying to ask me if any suspicious individuals have come through here recently, no. In fact, most of the ships that have been coming here have been nothing but merchant vessels and that's only for loading and off-loading cargo. Don't see too many adventurers or tourists coming around these days" he said.

Lucas folded his arms in front of him, leaning his back against the wall. "Then, how did they get so far in-land?" he asked.

Silence soon filled the room. That was the main question that everyone wanted an answer to. Honegroth soldiers couldn't have been teleported and they couldn't have gotten through the port. With no other entry point from the ocean aside the area around Basilwell, there was no other way. Cayhill was essentially one giant plateau in the middle of the ocean. They thought to themselves for a short bit until they heard knocking on the door.

Alba looked up towards the door when he heard the knock. "Yes? What is it?" he asked.

The door soon opened up and on the other side of it was the mercenary Max who found Tsuki and the others out in the fields and brought them back.

Max bowed to them slightly, standing in the door entrance. "I apologize to disturb you all but I've come to tell you that the Dragonkin girl has awakened" he said.

Tsuki stood up from the couch upon hearing the news. "Excellent. Maybe we can get some answers from her" he said. Both she and Shana seemed to know what was going on more than they did so he wanted to hear what she had to say. "Mind if we put this meeting on hold?" he asked.

Alba nodded at him and waved them off. "Fine by me. Find out what you can from her. In the meantime, I'll try to see what other information I can gather to see what's going on around Eresseas" he said.

Lucas walked over towards Alba's desk. "I can help with that. I've got some contacts I can reach out to" he said. He then looked over towards Ryousuke. "I assume you're heading back to the Guild Branch with them?" he asked.

Ryousuke nodded. "Of course. That girl has close ties with Shana so she must know something" he said.

Reia felt that this was her time to bow out for the time being. She felt a little out of place with everything going on. "I think I'll stick around here. Hopefully, you guys learn something" she said.

Tsuki looked at his companions and they all nodded in agreement. Max then proceeded to guide them towards the Guild Branch. As they walked through the streets, not only did the people recognize Tsuki, Ramza and Lynette but Cheria as well. Even though she wasn't dressed in her royal attire, she had an appearance that was unmistakable to them. With the status of Taichi and Emma being up in the air, the people felt a huge relief seeing Cheria unharmed and walking about, away from danger. Many people expressed their concerns for her and her family and encouraged her not to give up hope. Naturally, this made Cheria feel a lot better, knowing that she had the love and support from so many people. This was her first time she's ever left Eresseas so she was feeling anxious about being in a new place especially under their current circumstances. She hoped that she could leave Eresseas one day to visit the rest of Cayhill but not like this.

They eventually made it to the Guild Branch in the port area which was undergoing some heavy repairs still from the previous attack. It would seem the fight between Tsuki, Alba and Caius letf behind a lot mroe damage than people realized. A few buildings had to be completely torn down and rebuilt while a few others were still condemned and awaiting demolition. The non-commercial docks were still closed due to the damage but repairs were going by steadily. It would be a while longer though until things were back to normal.

Inside the Guild Branch, they went to the upper floors where the beds were. Phi was still in a deep sleep while the Dragonkin girl was awake and fully alert, sitting up in her bed. Standing next to her was the mercenary Natasha Grey, who was pretty badly injured from the previous attack. This time around, she looked like she was back to full strength and good health as she was trying to attend to the Dragonkin. When they heard the door open to the rest room, they turned to look towards it as Tsuki and the others walked in.

Natasha looked over at Max as he walked into the room. "There you are. I was starting to think you got lost" she said. She then looked over to Tsuki and the others that were behind them. She didn't have a chance to meet them before but she was able to tell who they were. "These must be the town saviors" she said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. Being called a savior is something he'll probably never get used to. He didn't do it for fame and recognition but rather duty. "Saviors? Well, you're not wrong but I'd prefer not to be called by that"" he said.

Max shrugged his shoulders and patted him on the back before walking over to Natasha. "Ah, no need to be so humble about it" he said. Once he was standing next to Natasha, he turned around to face them. "Ramza and Elle know who we are but as for the rest, my name is Max Albreiter, A-rank mercenary at your service. This here is Natasha Grey, also an A-rank mercenary" he said.

Natasha bowed to them slightly while saluting Tsuki and Cheria. "It's a pleasure to meet you all and a great honor to be in the presence of the royal family. I've heard small details of what happened to Eresseas and I would like to urge you not to give up hope on the king and queen. I'm sure they're fine"' she said. She's heard that Taichi and Emma have gone missing along with the rest of the Royal Eight members, excluding Mike and Stahler.

Cheria gave her a soft smile, cupping her hands together and held them close to her chest. "Thank you. It's difficult but I think I'll be okay" she said.

With the introductions of the two mercenaries done, they stepped aside so that they could give the Dragonkin some space. The room fell silent for a few moments as all eyes were soon shifted onto her. She could feel their stares burning into her which was a little irritating.

The Dragonkin girl sighed heavily. "I suppose it's my turn, huh? I'm Melphi Orsho. As you all are aware by now, I'm a Dragonkin" she said.

Tsuki walked up to her and sat down on the bed next to her. "Melphi, I've got a few questions I want to ask you. Is that alright?" he asked.

Melphi looked over towards Tsuki as he sat down and stared at him for a few moments. "You want to know how Honegroth soldiers got here, right?" she asked.

Tsuki was surprised a bit but assumed that she already expected to be asked questions like these. It was only natural, given the circumstances. "Among a few others, yes" he said.

Melphi scratched the back of her head. "Lady Shana was the first to make the discovery. At first, she assumed that they were being smuggled in through the port here but she said that she found evidence of that anywhere. At the time, she wasn't aware that there were spies that were close to the royal family" she said.

Tsuki could feel the sting from her words, labeling Mike and Stahler as spies. It was still hard for him to process. "Those...would be Mike Yote and Stahler Tokesu. Former members of the Royal Eight" he said.

Melphi nodded at him. She could tell from the look in his eye and body language that he was having a difficult time with all this. "When she was asked to investigate them by the royal family, she kept them both under close observation. At first, she wasn't finding much of anything substantial that would incriminate them. She said that she was about to call it when she saw them both leaving the city the other night very late into the evening hours" she said. She then pulled the covers off of her and adjusted herself so that she was sitting on the side of the bed. "She followed them north and was led down through a cave entrance that wasn't marked on any map not too far from the lake. This cave led down to a hidden cave grotto with beach access that appeared to connect out to sea. It was there that she saw Honegroth soldiers exiting numerous small boats" she said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit. The area around the lake were heavily patrolled and not once has anyone ever made a report of a cave entrance anywhere near it. "That's impossible. Lyida personally patrolled that area not too long ago and she never saw a cave entrance of any kind" she said.

Ramza shrugged his shoulders. "It's quite possible that the entrance has been there all along, just disguised and hidden away by Earth Artes. Were Mike or Stahler experienced with them?" he asked

Tsuki nodded at Ramza. "Yes, Stahler was. He wasn't very good with it but he used it to help train himself better by making obstacles and such for himself. If it was to hide away a cave entrance, then it should have been no problem for him to do so" he said.

Ruko folded his arms in front of him, falling into a bit of thought. "And if they came in via small boat, then their main vessel must have anchored somewhere offshore since you can't cross the seas with a tiny boat which would explain their limited numbers" he said.

Melphi nodded as they spoke. Everything they said was true. "Lady Shana continued to observe them from a distance and discovered what their intentions were. To kill the Eresseas royal family and assume occupation of Cayhill. When she learned this, she realized that she couldn't do thihs alone so she summoned me from Nargelond to assist. I was sent out to Eresseas ahead of her to lie in wait while she continued to observe Mike and Stahler. The rest, you already know" she said. They could have potentially stopped the fighting before it even started but that would have caused a whole other set of problems that would implicate them.

Lynette made her way over to Phi who was lying unconcious in the bed next to Melphi and did a quick medical examination of her. "Well, at least now we know how they got here. Then, there was that whole talk of leading the world to prosperity and such" she said.

Nagi looked over towards Phi as Lynette had her hand hovering over her body, letting out a faint, warm light. "How is she doing, by the way? Any signs of her waking up?" she asked.

Lynette sighed heavily, shaking her head. "No...her wounds have healed up but, for some reason, she won't wake up. It's like something is preventing it" she said.

Melphi glanced over to Phi. "That's because she was injected with a potent, deadly poison when she was stabbed by the knight wielding two shortswords" she said.

Tsuki eye's widened a bit when she said who was responsible for her condition. "Poison!? Stahler did that!?" he asked

Cheria couldn't believe that someone like Stahler would resort to using something so dirty, even if they were enemies in that moment. "Oh Phi..." she said.

Tsuki ended up punching the nearby wall as he stood up from frustration. His thoughts on them were now at an all-time low. "Of all the cowardly...!" he said in frustration. He then took several deep breaths before looking over at Phi. "Will she survive?" he asked.

Lynette shook her head once more. "I...don't know. Whatever type of poison she was injected with, it's way beyond my level to cure and I recall Reia mumbling something similar to herself when she tried to heal her yesterday" she said. Again, she was unable to do anything despite being a Healer. Something else to add to her list of frustrations.

Melphi looked over at them. "Unfortunately, Healing Artes aren't going to cut it. You're going to need a powerful herbal medicine to rid the poison in her system" she said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit. It was weird that Healing Artes didn't seem to have an affect. "An herbal medicine?" she asked.

Melphi got up out of bed and walked over to Phi, putting her hand over her forehead. "She's been injected with Deixide. It quickly spreads through a person's body, striking the nervous system and shutting down their organs. What she needs is a medicinal herb called Turmeric which has the healing properties necessary to combat Deixide" she said.

Elle was familiar with the herb. Elves use Turmeric for a number of different things when it comes to alchemy aside medicine. However, obtaining Turmeric can be a bit tricky. "Turmeric, huh? Getting your hands on that isn't exactly easy. It's an herb that can only be found in two enviornments: the deep mountains or marshlands. If you're lucky, you can find them at some pharmaceuticals but the demand for the herb is so high, they tend to sell out very quickly" she said.

Melphi was silent for a moment as she closed her eyes. "For the time being, I've given her some strong antibacterial medicine that us Dragonkin use. It won't cure the poison but it'll slow down Deixide's effects significantly. However, it's only temporary. How strong the antibacterial medicine is and how long it lasts wholly depends on the person's own immune system and overall health" she said.

Ramza looked over at Tsuki and gave him a curious look. Something about Phi seemed awfully familiar now that he was able to get a good, hard look at her face. "Hey, what's her family name? It wouldn't happen to be Sykes, would it?" he asked.

Tsuki nodded at Ramza, tilting his head a bit at his question. "Yeah. Her full name is Xpheria Sykes. Why do you ask?" he asked.

Ramza nodded to himself as he confimed her family name. "I knew it. I knew I recognized her looks from somewhere. We might be in luck" he said.

Cheria looked over to Ramza, tilting her head. "What do you mean? Do you know her from somewhere?" she asked.

Ramza shook his head. "Not her personally but her name. She shares the same family name as an an old acquaintance of a friend of mine who just so happens to be an advent collector of herbs" he said. If there was anyone that could potentially have what they were looking for and were more than willing to give it up, it would be them. "There is, however, a slight problem to that" he said.

Tsuki faced towards Ramza with a determined look. As much as he and Phi give each other a hard time, she was still a good friend and ally. He wanted to save her. "What is it?" he asked.

Ramza scratched the back of his head as he looked at Tsuki. He could see the spark in his eye and knew what his intentions were. "The problem is, this acquaintance resides in a small village in Ersheath. I don't know the village name so you'd have to get the name from my friend" he said.

Lynette looked down towards the bed, resting her hands down next to Phi. "So, we'd have to leave Cayhill? But..." she said. She wasn't sure if leaving Cayhill was a good idea, considering what their circumstances are.

Ruko shook his head. "Is that even wise to do? Shouldn't we be trying to locate the king and queen?" he asked.

Melphi looked over to Ruko as he expressed concern. "If you're concerned for the safety of Tai and Em, don't be. I may not know where they are but they're both still alive with Lady Shana" she said.

Cheria's eyes lit up when she said that her family was safe. "Really!? How do you know!?" she asked, getting closer to her.

Melphi didn't expect her sudden reaction so it surprised her a little bit. She then pointed a finger up to her eyes. By looking closely, you can see what appeared to be an incantation symbol etched within her eyes. "I share a connection with Lady Shana. I can feel her life force inside of me, pulsating with brim life much like how she can with me. This allows me to stay in touch with her, even if we're distances apart from each other and allows me to know whether she's safe or not" she said. She then glanced over to Tsuki. "Tai and Em are close friends of ours. She wouldn't allow them to be killed on her watch. The fact that she hasn't contacted me also tells me that they're safe somewhere" she said.

Ramza took a close look at her eyes. He recognized the pattern almost immediately. "So, you've made a pact with her. That explains a few things but opens up a lot more questions in the process. You mentioned that Shana saved your life but something like that wouldn't persuade a Dragonkin enough to enter into a pact with a Human, given their...rough history together" he said. He was deeply curious about the relationship between the two of them. It was extremely unsual to see a pair like them together side by side. "It also opens up a lot of questions about Shana herself. It takes a lot for Humans to form pacts with Beasts and Faerie folk. When it comes to pact-making with Dragonkin, however, it requires a certain...trait, so to speak. A trait that's only seen in Dolothlond's Dragon Riders" he said. Shana was no ordinary individual. Her seemingly immense strength was far beyond that of an average foot soldier.

Melphi shook her head at his words. She knew what he was trying to get out of her but she wasn't going to say anything. "When it comes to Lady Shana and her past, I'm in no way obligated to speak about it. You'll have to ask her yourself if you want your answers. You won't get them from me" she said in a slightly cold and stern voice.

Ramza sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. He knew that she wouldn't give up the answers to his questions that easily so it was to be expected. He could tell that whatever relationship they shared, they kept it very hidden and private. "Fair enough, I suppose. Worth a shot" he asked.

Elle was curious about her remark about the lack of communication. Normally, that type of thing would be a cause of concern. "You mentioned that she hasn't contacted you. How does that tell you she's safe?" she asked. Normally, that would be cause of concern if there were no communication going back and forth, particularly in their situation.

Melphi leaned up against the nearby bedside dresser, closing her eyes. "Lady Shana only contacts me if things seem dire, which for her, isn't too often. She knows my...apprehension when it comes to Humans and the history us Dragonkin and other dragons have with them" she said. Usually when it comes to dragons, especially Dragonkin, certain Humans have a strong desire to tame them and use them because of the great power they wield. Because of this, she's always been extremely wary and cautious of Humans. Lady Shana, Taichi, Emma and her other former companions were the only Humans that treated her with respect and made her feel like she had a place somewhere. That is why there were very few Humans that she would listen to and actually take commands from. "If she hasn't contacted me, then she's out there with them somewhere. Also..." she said. She then pulled her collar out to reveal a choker around her neck with a familiar stone embedded in it. Moments after she did that, the stone started to let out a faint glow of red, yellow and green, alternating in color. "Each of them have a similar stone on their person. The glow the stone emits is further proof that they're alive" she said.

Elle recognized the stone immediately, letting out a slightly surprised gasp. "Wait, is that a Wayward Stone? Those are still around?" she asked.

Nagi looked back and forth from Elle and Melphi, tilting her head. "What's that?" she asked.

Elle looked over to Nagi. "Wayward Stones are special stones that resonate with each other. When a person lays claim to one, that persons' Mana Signature is imbued into the stone and binds to it. Think of it like recordkeeping. If other people have Wayward Stones, they can "record" another person's Mana Signature into their stone. This will allow that person to be able to sense the other person's Mana Signature. So long as that person is alive, the stone will resonate and glow" she said. She then folded her arms and stared at Melphi as she desired to know exactly why and how they have them. "From my understanding, however, Wayward Stones are practically nonexistent now and are worth more Gald than you could ever dream of. There's no way to get your hands on them anymore as the old methods to make them are no longer around. How did you guys manage to get your hands on them?" she asked.

Melphi put her collar back up, covering the choker around her neck. "There are 8 left in existence and we've had them for 30 years under our protection. They were given to us by their previous owner. We aren't the only ones that have them either. There are 3 others out there that also have Wayward Stones as well. Our former companions that we used to travel with. Due to their extreme rarity and value, they never leave our person" she said. If word got out that Wayward Stones still exist, they would be painted as a large target. Wayward Stones, in the present age, would be worth millions, if not, tens of millions in Gald. People would target them to try and make off with the Stones, even if they had to kill for them. Talking about the stones, she took note of the necklace around Cheria's neck that Emma gave to her before parting ways. She had a surprised look on her face for a brief moment before pointing her finger at it. "As for the fourth one, you've got it hanging around your neck. It used to belong to an old friend who, unfortunately, is no longer with us. They entrusted it to Emma where she kept it as a keepsake. It's a bit of a surprise that she gave it to you..." she said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit, looking down and lifting up the necklace that Emma had put around her neck. She never really gave it much thought before but she could feel a strong magical connection with the stone attached to it. "This is a Wayward Stone, too? I used to think it was just a pretty jewel. For some reason, I would always feel drawn to it and played with it growing up. Mother used to get mad at me for it but stopped all of a sudden after a while" she said.

Melphi soon closed her eyes and held her hand up, holding it over Cheria's hand that held onto the necklace. She took a few deep breaths when the stone etched into her choker could be seen letting out a glow through her collar. At the same time, the stone in Cheria's necklace reacted as well. "It's no wonder. The Wayward Stone has bound itself to your Mana Signature. I have no doubts that she knew of this. With that being the case..." she said. She then gently pulled her hand away and reached down to grab onto the other, bringing them up as she gently hald onto them. "Close your eyes and concentrate on the Stone. You should be able to feel their Mana Signature that has been "recorded" within it" she said.

Cheria looked at Melphi as she took hold of both of her hands. She could feel magic swirl around her and transfer over to her as they held hands. She nodded at her and closed her eyes. The world around her turned dark as she visualized an empty space in her mind. The abundance of magic seemed to be filling her up as they kept an established connection. Then, after about a minute or two of silent prayer, the Stone attached to the necklace started to glow alternating colors of red and green. Through her mind's eye, she was able to "see" and "feel" the presence of her parents standing in front of her and smiling.

Melphi soon released her hands and rested them at her side. From the Stone's glow, it was obvious to her that she succeeded in making a connection with them. "Do you feel them? By connecting with their Stones, they can do the same to yours. By now, they probably already feel this established connection" she said.

Cheria put her hand up to her heart, breathing a sigh of relief. Being able to verify that they were still alive brought her great joy and a bit teary-eyed. Having a means to check up on their well-being and vice versa made her feel like they were walking beside her. "So, they are alive. Thank goodness..." she said.

Ryousuke scratched the back of his head as he listened them all talk in silence. Everything that they were talking about was way over hishead so he had a hard time following everything they were saying. "I hate to be the one to say it but can you really believe her? I mean, magic stones that can sense a living person?" he asked. It all sounded crazy to him.

Melphi looked over towards Ryousuke and saw that he wasn't convinced at all about what she said. Frankly, she didn't quite care if he believed her or not. "Believe what you want. It makes no difference to me. It's only natural for Humans and Dragonkin to be wary and cautious of each other so your disbelief isn't surprising" she said. Obviously, she had no way to really prove what she was saying. Communication can only be initiated by Shana, the pactmaker and she wasn't going to try and convince them otherwise.

Cheria shook her head, her eyes closed with a small smile on her face as she wiped her eyes. "I believe her, without a doubt. She's a bit difficult but I've felt it for myself. Besides, what would she gain by lying to us?" she asked.

Melphi looked at Cheria with another surprised look on her face. Her words made her recall an old distant memory of hers with Emma practically saying the exact same thing, word for word. It made her a little nostalgic and it made her see Emma within Cheria. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit with a soft smile, breaking out of her cold, rough tone of voice and facial expression. "You're definitely Em's daughter, no doubt about that. You have the same mindset as she did all those years ago and still does to this day" she said.

Ruko tilted his head a bit at her remark. Given the fact that she said they've had the stones for 30 years and her small stature, it made him wonder something. "You've had those stones for 30 years and yet, you look so young and sm-" he said. He suddenly stopped when he felt a sharp cold shiver down his spine.

Melphi had immediately turned her gaze over to Ruko as he spoke, giving them the coldest death glare that could tell a demon. It even got to the point where the lower half of her right arm transformed into a dragon's arm with claws. "If you value your life, I wouldn't finish that sentence" she said.

Ruko felt the piercing glares shoot through him as if he got hit with a barrage of arrows all at once. He could almost feel his whole body go cold. "M-man, if looks could kill right now..." he said with a nervous sweat. He then cleared his throat and tried to get back to his previous question. "A-anyways, what's our plan going forward? I know you said not to worry about the king and queen but..." he said.

Tsuki shook his head. He wasn't sure what to do. This was a situation he didn't ever think he would be in. "I...I don't know. His Majesty was right; my duty and responsibility is to protect Cheria. In this situation, I can't do anything that would put her in danger. As much as I want to go out and search for them, she's the one in charge" he said.

Cheria fell silent for a few moments as she thought about what she wanted to do. She could go out and search for her family if she wanted to but she had already made up her mind several minutes ago. "I trust Melphi and given the great lengths she's gone through already, I can trust Shana in safeguarding my parents. Phi, however, is in bad shape. I want to save her, even if it means leaving Cayhill if I have to. She's family too, after all" she said.

Lynette nodded as Cheria shared her resolve. "I agree with Cheria. Phi's condition won't remain stable for long" she said.

Ryousuke nodded to himself. When it comes to the state of Eresseas, there's not much they can do right now. It would make sense to tackle objectives that they can accomplish within their power. "Same here. I hate to say it but given how little information we have, we don't even know how to proceed with matters here. So long as that barrier is up over Eresseas and with how divided our forces are in our present state, I don't think there's much any of us could do right now" he said.

Melphi looked over to Ryousuke after he had mentioned the barrier. "When dealing with an Anti-Arte Field barrier, there are two ways to get rid of it. The first is the easiest but has monumental obstacles and risks involved. Simply exterminate the source and the barrier and any other byproduct that comes from it will break apart. If you know what the source is, it makes the task much easier to a degree" she said.

Ramza folded his arms in front of him, tilting his head a bit. "The source, huh?" he mumbled to himself. A flashback played through his head when Reia told Ramza to destroy the crystal that was on top of one of the parade floats moments before it shot out a pillar of energy into the sky which created the barrier. "That would be the crystal on top of that parade float, in the central plaza" he said.

Melphi tilted her head. She didn't know what he was talking about. When she made her way through the central plaza with Shana and dealt with Delvin, there was nothing in the area that resembled a crystal. "A crystal, you say? I don't recall seeing one there when we made our way through..." she said.

Elle shook her head. She didn't see the crystal herself but if that was indeed the source of the barrier, it would make sense that it would be no longer there. "Most likely, they moved it somewhere else to prevent anyone from destroying it" she said.

Ruko leaned back in his chair, mumbling to himself. "And if the enemy is smart, they've probably hidden it somewhere in Eresseas so that we couldn't get to it very easily" he said.

Tsuki looked out the window in the direction of Eresseas. Going back into Eresseas and falling under the effects of that barrier was practically suicide at their level. If they were as strong as Shana was, the story might be different but they weren't. "What's the second option?" he asked.

Melphi paused for a moment and fell silent. What she was about to tell them was going to sound pretty crazy and absurd but given their situation, they had no other choice, realistically. "The second option, naturally, will prove to be significantly more difficult. To forcefully dispel an ancient, long-lost Arte, you need power equally on point with it. It involves making a pact with the Great Spirits" she said

Everyone in the room all had a look of shock and surprise. Not only was what she said unexpected, it also sounded completely unheard of. As they have stated on several occasions, Great Spirits are thought to be figures of legend. They had no real proof that they still live or even if they truly existed. The theory of the Wellsprings that was made earlier had some possibilities to house the Great Spirits but there was no scientific proof of that.

Ramza was the type of person to not take the legends and myths he's learned seriously. If people wanted to worship the Great Spirits, to each their own. Personally, he never thought they existed in the first place. "Wait, you mean to tell me that the Great Spirits actually exist?" he asked.

Melphi nodded at him. Again, she had no way to prove this herself but it was an undeniable fact that they exist and still do to this day. "Of course they do. Most of you Humans have grown so egotistical in all your manmade advancements and achievements that you've completely rejected the old ways out of fear. After all, it was Humans that caused the Great Spirits to close themselves off to the world after they attempted to kill them" she said.

What she just mentioned made everyone pause. They didn't know how to react to what she just said. All they could do was stand there in disbelief.

Natasha looked to be genuinely shocked and almost mortified. She and her family were big believers and worshippers of the Great Spirits. She always knew they existed somewhere out in the world. To hear that Humans once tried to kill them, however, made her freeze up. "What...? Humans...tried to kill them?" she asked.

Melphi could see the shocked looks on their faces. They had genuine looks like as if this was the first time they've heard of such a thing. She didn't know so much recorded history had been lost on Humans. Even Elle, a High Elf, was surprised and Elves have a much deeper library of recorded history of their own. "You didn't know? In the following years after the Archfiend Sarex's defeat in the year 1500, Humans blamed his resurrection on the various spirits around the world and the Great Spirits that commanded them. Naturally, there were just as many Humans who denied such claims as there were that believed them. Thus, a rift between humanity was formed" she said. She then reached into a bag that she had on her person and pulled out a really old book. She set it down on the bed and opened it up to a certain page. It depicted a mural of two groups of Humans fighting each other. One side looked like they were using various forms of ancient weapons while the other had what appeared to be spirits fighting alongside them. "Humans called for the unprejudiced extermination of all spirits, including the Great Spirits themselves and any that sympathized with them. This pitted Human against Human in a bloody battle where spirits of all kinds were dragged into the middle of. The heroes that struck down Sarex immediately called their claims and accusations bogus since they had received aid from the Great Spirits themselves during their travels. Led by those same heroes, the Humans that defended the spirits came to fight the opposing Humans who called themselves the Radicals" she said as she flipped through the various pages of her book. Much of the information in the book was hard to read while a lot of the pages themselves were either torn or completely ripped out but the depictions on each page aligned to what she was saying.

Elle walked over to the bed that Melphi has set the book down on. She made a thorough examination of the book and immediately noticed that the writing on every single page that was legible was written in an ancient form of Elven script that was no longer used in the present age. She knew this because there were various old documents and history books from her village that are locked and sealed away by the High Elves written in the same exact script. "How the...!? This is ancient Elven script! Where did you find this!?" she asked.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders. "Buried away in a long forgotten village in the middle of a dead forest in the southern region of Megrove. Me, Tai and Em, along with our companions, stumbled upon it during our travels all those years ago. To us, it looked like an old, abandoned village with no recognizable proof that the village was, indeed, Elven. That book was the only thing left that had any resemblance to Elven culture" she said. She then closed the book and gently ran her hand across the cover. "Me and Shana have spent a long time trying to decipher the book and its depictions. We could have just gone to any Elven village to get it deciphered for us but they would most likely have confiscated it from us without even bothering to tell us anything" she said.

Elle knew all too well just how precious history was to the Elves and how protective they are of it. Even among Elves, there aren't many that have access to old records like these. Ancient records such as this book is kept under a tight lock and key by the village's elder. Because the world has changed so much over the last 1500 years and with so much history lost to the ravages of time, any depiction or knowledge of how the world used to be would potentially have devastating effects if word got out so ancient records and documents that are found that came from that time period are labeled as forbidden knowledge. She couldn't believe that she was actually looking at one of those forbidden tomes, much less have gotten the chance to read some of it. "Well, you are certainly right. This is a forbidden tome. They would have taken this away from you almost immediately and not give you any answers that the book may hold and possibly could have attempted to kill you on the spot. There are rumors that when someone brought an old scroll that had depictions from that time period to a village, the Elves had that person killed to silence him and prevent any information getting out" she said.

Nagi's eyes widened a bit at what she had to say. To repay someone for returning an old piece of history by killing them outright was heinous. "They'd go that far just to hide away old history!?" she asked. She didn't klnow much about Elves aside from the fact that they rarely ever leave their forest village homes. It almost reminded her of Draxus a little bit. She recalled back when she was still their captive an argument one of the cult members were having with one of the more respected individuals. The member didn't want to be a part of Draxus anymore and wanted out but the respected individual wouldn't allow it. After some debate, the member was allowed to go but as he made his exit, he was mercilessly killed so that he anything he's witnessed couldn't be known.

Elle sighed heavily a bit as her head sank. Elves were almost no better than Humans and in a lot of cases, especially when it comes to old, ancient history, they're far worse. She knows this all too well from her own past experiences that were life changing for her and the main reason why she no longer lives in the forest with her own kind. It was actually pretty rare for a High Elf such as herself to completely cut themselves off from the other Elves. There was a moment in her head where a brief flashback played, showing a younger version of herself standing behind a man and female Elf that were older than her, seemingly protecting her against a pack of other Elves. They two that protected her wanted her to run and live and were killed without a shred of mercy. "...I wouldn't put it past them for even a second" she said. There was a brief moment where she made a fist with her right hand in a flicker of anger but it was unnoticable for anyone else.

Max was really interested to know how the story ends with what the book depicts. Being a bit of a history lover himself, this kind of information was beyond revolutionary. If this knowledge ever did get out into the open and was verified to be true, then this could have drastic effects on how people view the world and its history. "So, what happens after that? When the two opposing sides clashed?" he asked.

Melphi shook her head, opening the book up again to where she left off. Unfortunately, much of the pages beyond that point were completel elligible and in total disrepair. Not even the depictions could show them even a hint of what happened after that and that was pretty much how every single page was beyond that. "Unfortunately, that's all that this book has to offer. We've tried to search for other potential treasures like this but haven't found anything. Whatever came as a result of that conflict, however, the Great Spirits closed themselves off from humanity but it's obvious that the Humans that defended them won in the end. The last bit of information we were able to decipher from the book was the phrase 'Anti-Spirit Affair" which is, what I would assume to be the name of said conflict" she said.

Max was a bit disappointed that the story just ends right there. There was definitely a lot more to the history and those secrets are hidden out there in the world somewhere, just waiting to be rediscovered. "Unfortunate but it can't be helped, I guess" he said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head as the conversation started to appear as if it were winding down. "Well, if you're all committed into saving Phi, we better go appraise Alba of what we learned here and secure passage on a ship. Getting Phi cured should be our first priority" he said.

Tsuki nodded at Ramza before glancing over to Melphi. "Mind coming with us for a bit? Having you there will help the explanation a little better" he said.

Melphi stared at Tsuki for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Alright" she said.

Ryousuke looked at them as they made the decision to return to headquarters. He got all the information he wanted so he had no reason to go back there. "I'll hang back here and keep an eye on her. I need some time to think about what was discussed here, in any case" he said.

Tsuki and the others nodded in agreement and with Melphi in tow, they headed out of the room and left the Guild Branch. They made their way back to headquarters where Alba, Reia and Lucas were waiting. When they arrived back in his office, Lucas was still out so they decided to wait until he returned. After about 30 minutes had passed, Lucas returned to the office. Unfortunately, he couldn't learn anything new about the situation around Eresseas. Most of his usual contacts have gone dark and the rest were just as confused as he was. Alba had similar results himself. His main contact that he usually uses was in Eresseas at the time of the attack so he hasn't been able to get in touch with them.

With everyone gathered, Tsuki and the others started to inform the three of them of what they learned with the help of Melphi. Since they were still trying to wrap their heads around the information she gave them, they had to rely mostly on her explanations. Melphi essentially had to repeat everything she told them to Reia, Alba and Lucas once more. It was a little annoying for her to repeat herself but she decided to deal with it. Naturally, the three of them were shocked at the information and had a hard time beliving her. Everything she said was borderline fantasy. However, they were eventually convinced by the constant seriousness in her vocal tone and body language.

When they told him that they wanted to save Phi which would require seeking passage across the ocean, the wheels in Alba's head started to turn. Getting across the ocean would be a simple task and would be an easy request for him to grant. "So, you've resolved yourselves on crossing the ocean, huh?" he asked.

Tsuki nodded at him. "If that's what Cheria wants to do, then I'll follow through with it. Besides, Phi is a good friend despite our differences so I want to save her as well" he said.

Elle folded her arms in front of her as she glanced over at the two of them. "Her Majesty gave me the order to keep my eye on the two of them so naturally, I'm going with them" she said.

Alba nodded at them before looking over towards Lynette and the others. "What about you all? What are you going to do?" he asked.

Lynette tapped her chest with her hand with a determined smile. "Obviously, I'm also going. As a Healer, I'm obligated to make sure Phi gets cured. Besides, there's still so much I have to learn" she said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. He really had no other choice in the matter. He had to go with them because he needed to introduce them to the person that potentially has what they're looking for. "It's pretty obvious that I'm tagging along. Without me, you won't know where to look or who to find. Not only that but you could use a guide around Ersheath" he said.

Ruko was silent for a few moments. He had been thinking about what he wanted to do for a good while now. With a resolved look on his face, he faced Alba. "With your permission, I would like to step away from my duties as your lieutenant and assist Tsuki and the others. I feel like we've come too far to back out now. Besides, I want to see if I can learn more about the world's forgotten history" he said.

Nagi already knew her answer. She wanted to stay with them. It's not like she had anything left in Cayhill at this point that held her down anymore. "I may not be able to contribute in fights just yet but I want to go. I'm tired of being left behind. I want to get stronger and learn how to control my magic so I can be of some use" she said.

Alba listened to each of their responses and nodded in response. It seems they were all determined to the course that's been set in front of them. "If everyone's on the same page, far be it for me to try and stop you" he said.

Reia was in agreement with Alba. Deep down, she wished that she could join them but her abilities are better suited here on Cayhill than with them. Besides, with how fast Lynette is growing as a healer, she was confident that she could handle things. "You all will have to watch each other's backs out there. Beyond Cayhill is a totally different world with entirely new sets of problems that you will likely have to face" she said.

Lucas looked over at Melphi. They were all in agreement to march off together but he was curious about what she plans on doing now. "What about you? Do you have plans on returning to Shana?" he asked.

Melphi looked at Lucas and shook his head. "No. My presence isn't needed for her. Instead, I'll be going with them as well" she said.

Tsuki was surprised when Melphi said that she planned on joining them on their journey. She said it herself that she didn't like being around Humans, much less cooperating with them unless they were former companions. "May I ask why?" he asked.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders a bit before looking back at him. She stared at him with a bit of silence before responding to his question. "I have my reasons. That's all I have to say" she said.

Tsuki stared at her a bit. He was curious about her reasons for joining us but she's done and said nothing that would mislead them so he decided to respect her decision without trying to pry. "Alright then" he said.

Alba saw that they were all resolved in their decision. "I'll work on geting a boat ready for you guys. Preparations might take a bit of time though so use this opportunity to stock up on any supplies you may need and check your equipment. Once you leave here, I have a feeling you won't be able to come back for a while so make sure you've attended to all of your affairs" he said. They all had a long road ahead of them and on that road was a lot uncertainty and unknown. The challenges that they've faced here was only the start of things.

Lucas nodded at them. He could see the fire that was lit up in their eyes. It was better to do something that they can make a difference in than fumble around Cayhill with their heads cut off. "I'm sure the road ahead of you guys will be filled with danger but given all of your combined talents, I think you'll be fine" he said. He then glanced over towards Alba. "I'll help out getting the boat in order. Getting one ready to set sail on short notice isn't an easy task" he said.

Alba nodded at Lucas. They were still hurting for help as many people were still in the midst of recovering from the previous attack. Having another commanding figure around to help guide things alone would be a great help. "If you could, that would be great. There should be a few sailors still hanging around the portside pub that might be able to help" he said.

Lucas nodded at him, giving him a thumbs up with a smiling grin. "Leave it to me" he said. He then made his way over to the door and left Alba's office to make his way over to the portside pub.

Alba looked over towards Reia after Lucas left the room. "Could I ask you to head to the warehouses and gather some supplies? Show this letter to the guards and they can take things from there" he said. He then handed sheet of paper over towards her.

Reia walked over to the desk and took the letter from him, nodding. "Sure thing. We'll get those supplies ready for boarding" she said. She then followed Lucas out of the door and made her way towards the warehouses.

Alba looked at Tsuki and the others. "As for you guys, I suggest doing what I recommended. Once the ship is ready to go, I'll call on you guys" he said. He then stood up from behind the desk and walked around it. "If something comes up, let my receptionist know. I need to go and secure a boat for you guys" he said. He was soon the next to walk out of his office, leaving Tsuki and the otehrs on their own.

Ramza soon made his way towards the door. "I'll join up with you guys later. There are some preparations of my own to make since we're going to Ersheath" he said.

Ruko nodded to himself. This was going to be his first time leaving Cayhill and with his position as lieutenant, there are some things he needs to attend to before leaving. "I guess we all have our own things we gotta take care of" he said.

Tsuki rolled his head across his shoulders. He was still feeling a little stiff so he thought a trip to the hot spring would do him so good. "There isn't much for me to do so I think I'll pay a visit to the hot spring" he said. He then looked over to Cheria. The steam and hot water might help her relax as well. "Want to come with?" he asked.

Cheria's eyes lit up brightly when he mentioned something about a hot spring. It had been ages since she's been to one. "Oh yes! That sounds nice" she said.

Lynette laughed a bit at her reaction which felt familiar to her. "A trip to the hot springs is enticing but I think I'll take a little walk around town. So much has happened all at once and I need some time to decompress" she said.

Elle didn't have much to do herself. There was nothing she needed to restock on and there was no business for her to wrap up. "I'll be resting at the inn then until things are ready" she said.

Nagi looked over to Elle, giving her a serious look. She had that look as if she wanted to talk about something rather serious. "Can I join you? There's something I want to ask of you" she said.

Elle looked at Nagi and nodded. She had a pretty good feeling about what she wanted to talk about and now was as good a time as any to talk about it. "That's fine" she said.

Melphi scratched the back of her head. Much like with Elle, she didn't have much else to do here. "I think I'm going to go meditate on the beach. There are some things I want to think about and the sound of the ocean will help clear my head" she said.

Tsuki looked at each of them and nodded. "Alright. Next we meet, we're seabound" he said.

With that said, everyone left Alba's office and the headquarters building and went their separate ways of each other. There was a lot that they all had to think about, matters to settle and preparations to be made. They were about to embark on a journey into the vast unknown. No one knows what to expect going forward which understandably rose the anxiety level of some of them. It didn't help that most of the group had never left Cayhill so the thought of leaving only heightened the anxiety, especially with the current situation.

People around Basilwell were all talking about Eresseas' fall and were all anxious and worried about their future. However, so long as they had commanding figures such as Alba and Lucas to help lead things, they didn't give up hope that they can turn things around. However, things were going to get worse before they get better and this was a reality that people had to come to terms with. The spirit of the people and the love that they had for Cayhill and the royal family had to be stronger than ever if they ever hope to make it out of this.

The minutes turned into hours as the day went by. Alba has been making good progress securing a boat for them as one has been moved over into an empty dock. It was fairly small but more than large enough to carry Tsuki and his companions as well as some supplies they may need for the trip to Ersheath. It was a small, non-commercial vessel that they had seized that brought in the crates of crystal shards. Since no one came around to claim the boat after a good amount of time had passed, authorities seized the boat for themselves. Lucas also had some luck reaching out to the sailors around the portside pub. Given that it's a small vessel, they really only needed 4 sailors at most and all of them were more than willing to help when they were told that they would be transporting Cheria across the seas. There was no greater honor for small, humble sailors than being given the opportunity to sail across the ocean with one of the royal family. Reia had gathered a sufficient amount of supplies for the trip to Ersheath and back thanks to the assistance of the local guards and mercenaries that lent her a hand. Preparations for getting the ship ready were proceeding apace.

Everyone else was walking around Basilwell, doing their own things to pass the time. As for Tsuki and Cheria, they ended talking a walk around town as he showed her around. The walk took a bit longer than they thought but they eventually made it the Sandpearl where they were shown to their hot spring. However, it would seem that Tsuki had found himself in a similar situation as he did with Lynette. They were both given private access to the mixed baths. It made Tsuki wonder if fates thought it was some cruel joke for this sort of thing to happen not once but twice. Naturally, they both were reluctant to get in the mixed baths but eventually caved in and got in. This time around, it felt even more awkward for Tsuki than last time considering their close relationship. There were both sitting in the hot water with their backs up against each other, both of their faces red from embarrassment. Much like with before, Tsuki was wrapped in a towel from the waist down and Cheria had a towel wrapped around her torso with her hair braided back and bundled with a hairclip. Both of them were silent for a good few minutes after entering the mixed baths.

Tsuki was the first to break the awkward silence with a light grown as he scratched his head. "I feel like someone is playing a joke on me right now..." he said. There was no way he could tell Cheria that he was in a similar situation with Lynette. That would open up a whole can of worms for him so it was better for him to keep it to himself.

Cheria's face was bright red from embarrassment. When they were kids, she would always force herself into the royal baths with him when he was taken in. However, as time went on and their relationship deepened, that came to a stop. This was the first time that Tsuki has seen her with so much skin exposed in years. She was woman so it was naturally embarrassing to be seen like this but it was even worse when that person was Tsuki. She could feel her heart beating quite rapidly. "I-it is a little embarrassing to be in this situation, isn't yet? I feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest at any moment" she said.

Hearing Cheria talk about how embarrassing it was for her somehow made it worse for him. Tsuki started to question whether he should step out of the bath so that she could have some alone time to herself. "Maybe I should get out. I don't want to make you uncomfortable" he said.

Cheria shook her head and rested her hand on top of Tsuki's that was under the water. "I-it's okay. It's fine so long as it's you..." she mumbled softly.

Tsuki was about to get out but then he felt her hand over his which stopped him. What she said definitely didn't help the mood. They were silent for another minute or so when he noticed that her her hand was slightly shaking on top of his. He het let out a sight sigh and closed his eyes, leaning back against her. "Are you afraid of leaving?" he asked.

Cheria's body was visibly shaking lightly. She had always wanted to see what the outside world was like but not like this. The world she was seeing now and what was waiting for her terrified her. She tightened her grip a bit on his hand as she tried to calm herself down. I talked a big game earlier. Said all those things with such resolve. Yet, here I am, my body trembling with uncertainty and fear. I had envisioned my first big trip out into the world with my parents and you. Us riding along the countryside, laughing like any other peaceful day as the gentle breeze blew past us. The sun shining down on us with our spirits high..." she said, her body trembling more. She's been putting up a brave face in front of everyone ever since they fled from Eresseas and she could feel herself starting to crack under the pressure and weight of reality. "But, all I see is a suffocating blanket of darkness. Eresseas in ruins. The bodies of many innocents strewn across the ground. A kingdom that has been upheaved. An uncertain future. I've been trying so hard to stay strong this whole time but..." she said. Tears soon started to run down the sides of her face as teardrops fell and dripped into the spring water. She was no longer able to hold back her tears and feelings. It all was too much for her to take in all at once. "I'm scared, Tsu...! This dark, black world terrifies me! I'm scared to lose my parents. I'm terrified to lose you! Every one of you are so strong-willed and determined that I find myself struggling to keep up...!" she said. Tears flowed freely down her face as her body trembled sharply.

Tsuki silently listened to her talk as she brought her true feelings to bear. Because they've been together for so long, he knew everything there was about her. The way she talks, moves and acts. Even when she tries to put on a brave face to hide her true feelings. Cheria wasn't that easy to cry so it wasn't often that he has seen her in this state. "Cheria..." he said quietly. He knew that she was getting close to her breaking point which was the main reason for him bringing her to the hot spring. Not only would it help her relax, but she could let everything out without making a scene in front of everybody else. This was a sight of her that only he was allowed to see.

Cheria lifted her hand from his and attempted to wipe the tears away but they kept flowing without end. "I'm the princess of Eresseas. People are suppose to look up to me and feel safe. I'm suppose to stand tall and show my strength as the daughter of King Taichi and Queen Emma. Yet, I struggled to properly wield my bow in battle! I demonstrated fear, not strength. I'm...a failure as a princess...!" she said. She was ashamed of herself because she had grown complacent in her feelings.

Tsuki soon turned around and wrapped his arms gently around her neck and held onto her. As a member of royalty, there was a certain level of degree of what to be expected of her. These expectations tend to lead to a lot of pressure and stress on the individual. Each person of royalty has their own level of tolerance but there comes a point when everyone hits their breaking point. Beneath all the of that fame and royalty, people seem to forget that they are all still human. "You're not a failure, Cheria. Did you see all the looks people gave you around town? They all believed in you from the bottom of their hearts. They understood the difficult time that you're going through and encouraged you to keep going, no matter how hard things become" he said. He thought bout his companions for a brief moment. "We're all scared of the unknown. We don't know what's coming or what to expect so there's no way to prepare for it. Lynette has shared her fair share of frustrations about her level of skills and the fact that there has been many instances where she couldn't do anything to help. For Ramza, there's no doubt that he's been in many situations where he questioned himself. Ruko is about to set out on a journey of his own in a bid to try and learn about the world's forgotten history along with their terrifying secrets. Being a High Elf, Elle must have seen and experienced many hardships that we possibly can't even imagine. Nagi has already been through more than a single person should experience in a lifetime and still chooses to follow us. Melphi, while much of her is still a mystery, must have been through many ordeals to make her so wary and cautious of Humans..."he said. He then took a pause for a moment as flashbacks of his past popped up in his head. From his time in Tomoha to the streets of Eresseas. "As for me, I've had several life changing things happen. There were a lot of difficulties then and I'm sure there's going to be even more coming up but so long as I have people to watch my back and offer me support, I know we'll find a way out of this dark, black world of yours" he said. He tightened his hold around her slightly. "You're not alone. We're all in this together" he added.

Cheria continued to shed tears as her emotions came flooding out. "Oh Tsu...!" she said. She suddenly turned around to face him and buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hoild. She felt that she wasn't going to get another chance like this to blow off all of the emotions she has kept inside for a while so she used the opportunity to let everything out.

Tsuki held onto her gently, stroking the back of her head in silence as she let out everything. He knew that she needed this emotional release and he made sure to give it to her. The two of them stayed in that state for almost 20 minutes when Cheria was finally starting to calm down. After the tears stopped flowing, he continued to hold onto her untill she had fully settled. In these moments, the embarrassment they both felt from being in the same bath had completely disappeared.

Time seemed to slow down for them as the two of them shared there private moment. The scene soon started to flash over to everyone else. Lynette as she stared out from the town entrance, gazing out towards the mountains with the gentle seabreeze blowing past her. Ramza was standing by the non-commercial docks that were still in disrepair. He appeared to be attaching a letter to the leg of a hawk before sending it out. He watched it as the hawk carried his letter across the sea. Ruko was running around town, doing what he can to help out the citizens. He wanted to make sure he helped as many people as he could so that he could leave with no regrets. Elle and Nagi were both sitting in one of the rooms at the inn, talking about something rather serious. Elle's expression seemed a lot more relaxed than it usually was as they were both laughing about something. Melphi was over by the beaches not too far from the town, sitting in the warm sand with her eyes closed. She was in a deep meditation state as the sounds of waves crashing against the shoreline and the cries of seagulls could be heard. Phi was being tended to and watched over by Natasha as she was cleaning her up and getting her dressed up in a more comfortable attire. If she was going to be traveling to another kingdom, then it wasn't wise for her to go while still wearing her Royal Eight armor with the crest of Eresseas etched into it. That would potentially cause a lot of problems.

The scene soon switches back to Tsuki and Cheria as things had calmed down between them. Cheria was sitting next to Tsuki with her head resting on his shoulder after she had settled down. Her eyes were a bit red from crying but she felt a whole lot better now after releasing all of her pent up emotions. She was lightly blushing now from the fact that Tsuki had seen her in such a state. "Tsu, prmise me something" she said.

Tsuki was looking up towards the sky, looking up at the slow-moving clouds above them. "What is it?" he asked.

Cheria closed her eyes, taking a small deep breath. "Stay by my side. I want you to watch me as I get stronger. I don't know if I'll ever be as strong as mother is but I want to try and surpass her" she said. She had a long road of growth ahead of her still. She wanted to prove to everyone that she could be as strong and dependable as her parents are so that when she becomes the next Queen, others can feel more at ease.

Tsuki chuckled a bit. She didn't need to make him promise such a thing. He had no intentions of leaving her side and that's not because it was his duty and responsibility. "And here I thought that I could finally hang up the mantle" he said.

Cheria's cheeks puffed out a bit before she ended up splashing him in the face with water. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. Of course, she knew that he was just making a joke to try and lighten the mood.

Just then, a familiar female voice started to speak out through their minds. "Don't you worry. If Master shows signs of slacking, I'll get him in shape" the voice said.

Tsuki recognized the voice immediately. "Allie!?" he shouted. He had been trying to get in touch with her for a while now and the fact that she wasn't responding to his attempts made him concerned.

Moments later, Allie soon manifested in front of them in the mixed baths, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her. She had fully recovered from what happened to her in Eresseas and was ready for some more action. She gave Tsuki a casual salute after she manifested. "Allie, at your service, Master" she said.

Tsuki was relieved to see that she was seemingly back to her full strength and looking quite well. When she suddenly disappeared after that barrier went up, she looked incredibly pale and weak. "You're alright! Thank god, I was worried about you" he said.

Allie held her arms behind her, her head hanging low as she looked down. "I'm sorry, Master. Allie didn't want to cause you worry" she said.

Tsuki shook his head and smiled at her. "You've got nothing to apologize for. It was something that happened that was out of your control" he said.

Cheria was happy to see that Allie was okay. Since she was a spirit made entirely of Aer, that barrier must of had a much greater effect on her than it did for them. "That barrier blocked all traces of Aer, right? Are you feeling okay now?" she asked.

Allie looked over at Cheria and nodded, patting herself on the chest. "Right as rain. Recovery was a little slow though. Lost Aer isn't an easy thing to recover, you know" she said.

Tsuki thought about the concept of Aer and Mana. They were both the same but at the same time, fundamentally different. Aer was the uncondensed, free flowing force that's normally invisible to the naked eye unless it came from a strong source while Mana was the condensed version of it that lives inside every person and can be wielded and healed through things like Orange Gels. It was tough for him to classify which is which when it comes to Allie. "Well, at least there doesn't seem to be any adverse effects on you. That's all that matters" he said.

Cheria nodded at him. Her well-being is the only thing that really counts. "I still don't have a full understanding of an Anti-Arte Field but I wouldn't have thought that it would have such a drastic effect on a spirit" she said.

Allie tilted her head a bit, looking at the two of them with her usual innocent, detached expression before pointing a finger at them. "You two look awfully comfortable together. Does that mean that you two..." she said. She then held out her other hand and had a finger from each hand tap against each other.

Tsuki immediately knew what she was trying to suggest which caused him to splash her with water with his full strength. "No! Absolutely not! Erase those thoughts from your head!" he shouted.

Allie got splashed with a full force of hot water which knocked her back on her butt. "Allie was joking! Master didn't have to be so forceful about it..." she said.

Cheria tilted her head. Unlike Tsuki, she didn't quite get the message of what she was trying to imply but whatever it was had to be pretty significant if Tsuki reacted that way. "What? What was she suggesting?" she asked.

Tsuki sighed heavily, dropping his shoulders as he shook his head. "It's nothing. You don't need to know" he said. He knew that she would freak out if she knew what she was implying.

Allie soon vanished briefly and reappeared down next to Cheria. She put her hand up close to her ear and leaned in to whisper something. "Did you two...?" she ask.

Cheria listened to what she had whispered into her ear. Upon hearing it, her entire face turned into a deep shade of red as visible steam came out of the top of her head as if she suddenly overheated, causing her to sink down into the water without saying a word.

Tsuki quickly stood up and faced Allie as he reached out to grab onto her arm. "Allie!" he shouted. He couldn't believe she went and told her what she meant. Saying that could be considered harrassment. Then again, she did call Emma his 'Mistress' when she first met her. It seems like she was getting more bolder with her comments which was going to be a headache for him.

Allie instinctively jumped back in response to try and get away but got caught by him as she found herself pulled over towards him. "Allie wishes the best for Master and friends. Being down about things will only lower your spirits. A break in tensions and anxiety is what Allie suggests" she said. The way she acted may seem unorthodox but there was nothing but good intentions behind it.

Tsuki let out a loud, heavy sigh as he dropped his shoulders with his head hanging low. "I feel like you're going to break my mental state before any tensions or anxiety" he said. He then released her arm but then then put his fists up against either side of her head and gently twisted his knuckles against her head. "How many times do I have to tell you to refrain from making comments like that?" he said.

Allie squirmed to try and get away from him but couldn't break free. "Owowowow! Uncle. Uncle!" she said, tapping his arms.

Tsuki sighed once more and pulled his arms away from her head. "Spirit or not, bad girls get punished" he said.

Allie rubbed the sides of her head and gave him a pouty look with fake tears in her eyes. "Master is so mean" she said.

Watching the two of them bicker back and forth reminded her of how a father would reprimand his daughter. It made her laugh a bit watching the exchange. "It's like watching a father and daughter fight" she said. Because of this, she felt practically the remaining tension and anxiety she was feeling before disappear. If anything, she definitely achieved in creating a break.

Tsuki shook his head at Cheria's remark. "I don't think I could survive in this world if I had a daughter like her..." he said. It was a scary thought for him. He could just imagine all the headaches she would cause him.

Allie tilted her head a bit at them. Since she was a spirit, the concept of having a family was totally lost on her. She didn't have any spirit parents that she could remember and no one to really call a 'family' as a substitute. If anything, the only 'family' she currently had at the moment was Tsuki. "Allie isn't sure what you mean but, at least Cheria is feeling better now" she said.

Cheria looked at Allie and gave her a soft smile before standing up and giving her a pat on the head. "Thank you for being concerned for me, Allie. I appreciate it" she said. She then turned and stepped out of the hot spring and looked back at them. "I think I've soaked long enough. Best not to get overheated in here" she said. She then made her way over to the female changing rooms and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

Tsuki nodded at her as she got out and left. He would soon follow suit but before that, he gave Allie one last look. "I'm really glad you're feeling better but be on your guard. Things are going to get pretty busy for us pretty soon" he said.

Allie gave him a casual salute with a nod. "Master's words give Allie much comfort. Allie will be looking forward to the days ahead" she said. She soon started to glow and moments later, she disappeared into particles of light.

Tsuki soon went into the male changing area to get dressed. The two of them shared a cold drink after getting out of the baths before heading out of the Sandpearl. A few hours had passed since they left headquarters and were curious about how preparations were coming allong. They made their way towards the port, making sure to stop at the nearby shops to stock up on whatever they needed. The journey ahead was going to be a long one so they needed to make sure they were all ready to go, just like Alba suggested they do.

When they arrived at the port, they saw that everyone else was already there waiting. It seemed like everyone fell on the same wavelength with each other. The small ship they were going to use was stocked up with supplies and was ready to depart at any time. All they had to do was board the ship and they were on their way. Tsuki and the others walked over to the ramp that they had to use to climb onto the ship where Reia, Lucas. Alba and Ryousuke were waiting.

Alba saw them approaching them and faced them. "Ah, there you guys are. I was just about to send someone out to find you" he said.

Tsuki looked up towards the deck of the ship for a moment and saw that the sailors that were commissioned to take charge of the ship were moving things around the deck. "I assume that things are ready to set sail?" he asked.

Lucas nodded at him. "Yep. You got enough supplies onboard to last you the trip. Just try not overindulge yourselves. The sailors will need them for the return trip" he said.

Reia shrugged her shoulders. "Something tells me there won't be a supply issue. There's more than you think packed inside of those crates, you know" she said. The crates were loaded with food and water. There wasn't any chance of them running out.

Ryousuke pointed up towards the ship. "Your friend is already onboard. Max and Natasha moved her to the ship's lower deck already. Natasha even left some additional supplies and medicine, just in case" he said. He wasn't sure if the medicine they had would do anything for Phi but it was better than nothing.

Alba held his arm out and welcomed them aboard. "All that's left is for you guys to get onboard and you'll be on your way" he said.

Tsuki and the others nodded and climbed up the ramp and onto the deck of the ship. The ship was just big enough for their small group and not much else. Once they were on, the ramp was lowered and pulled away from the ship and the siren from the ship soon blared, signaling it's departure.

Alba stood along the edge of the docks and looked up towards the deck of the ship. "I wish you all luck out there. It'll be dangerous but I'm confident that you guys will succeed" he said.

Lucas tapped his chest with the side of his fist. "Don't you worry about us here. We'll do what we can to find the king and queen and see what we can do to get ourselves out of this mess" he said. He wasn't sure exactly how they were going to do it but they weren't going to just lay down and let Honegroth trample over them.

Ryousuke put a hand on his hips and gave them a casual salute with the other. "Remember that you can get in touch with us here through other Guild Branches. I'll also try and see if I can spur headquarters into taking some form of action" he said. With how the Mercenary Headquarters operates, he doesn't expect to receive much in terms of a response but this was a problem that affects them too in the long run.

Reia waved them off, sending them away with a smile on her face. "Make sure to watch your backs out there! A party works well together if you're all on the same page, after all!" she said.

Tsuki waved back at them for a few moments as the ship slowly started to pull away from the docks. "Thanks for all the help! We'll be back before you know it. Honegroth won't know what to expect!" he said.

The ship soon started to pick up speed as it pulled away from the docks and out into open waters. Tsuki and the others stood at the back of the ship and watched as Cayhill started to get smaller the further they moved away from it. Before long, they were out in open waters as Cayhill shrank in viewing size. From the viewpoint of the ocean, they were able to get a full glimpse of what the continent of Cayhill really looked like. All they ever saw were sheer cliffs as they looked down from the top but now they understood why Cayhill was considered a plateau in the middle of the ocean. The entire continent was stuck out of the ocean like a giant block. Most of them couldn't believe what they were seeing as this was the first time they have been out at sea.

As most of the group stood near the rear of the ship, Melphi was sitting down up against the ship walls leading into the interior, watching them. Her gaze soon locked onto Tsuki as they started to talk amongst themselves. Staring at Tsuki, she had a flashback run through her head from when she was still in dragon form under the lake waters of Eresseas, waiting for orders from Shana. She had encased Phi in a barrier to prevent her from drowning and was holding onto it with one of her frontal claws.

As she waited for her orders, she heard Shana's voice speak to her through her mind. "Mel, you ready?" she asked.

In her dragon form, she nodded her head as she glided through the watery depths of the lake. "Yes, My Lady. Just say the word and I'll fly you guys out here. Is Tai and Em alright?" she asked.

Shana's voice continued through her head, "They're unscathed, as you would expect. However, there's been a change in plans" she said. The scene shifts to the viewpoint of Shana standing beside Taichi and Emma with Tsuki and the others standing near the back of the audience chamber as Mike and the strange entities surrounded them.

Melphi tilted her head as she soon came to a stop and merely floated under the water near the back of the castle. "What's going on?" she asked.

Shana took a moment to herself before speaking further. "As you also would expect, Tai and Em refuse to leave and convincing them otherwise will be a fruitless effort. With that in mind, I'm going to stay with them and help them escape. As for you, I want you to carry a group of people out of here" she said.

Melphi was a little surprised to hear that they weren't going to escape out of the castle. "My Lady, that is incredibly dangerous. Do they understand just what they're up against?" she asked.

Shana soon lowered her head a bit, closing her eyes. "You know how they are. In the meantime, I want you to get hese people out of here. As an added request, I want you to prioritize the safety of the young boy knight as of you were protecting me" she said.

Melphi paused for a moment. What she was saying wasn't making any sense to her. "I'm sorry, but I do not understand. Why must I protect some random Human?" she asked.

Shana knew what her response would be. She wasn't about to protect some Human that she didn't know or trust unless she had a very good reason. "Because this young knight just might be the key that we need" she said.

Melphi was still confused about what she was trying to say. "Is this an order you're giving me...?" she asked.

Shana nodded to herself. "Yes. It's also an order from Tai and Em. Guard the boy as if you were guarding us" she said.

Melphi sighed heavily. She couldn't disobey an order given to her by the only three Humans that she would take orders from, especially if they all were saying it. "...As you wish. I'll guard the boy. However, I need to know. What did you mean by, 'key'?" she asked.

Shana paushed briefly. "Because the boy..." she said. The scene then shifts back to the present with them on the boat as Melphi stared at Tsuki with a serious look on her face. The remnants of Shana's voice echoed through her mind as her flashback ended. "...just might be the new Sigil Bearer" she said.

Melphi recognized the term immediately when she was told. She even did her own appraisal of Tsuki indiscreetly when they first met. The term 'Sigil Bearer' was not something Shana would throw around lightly as Sigil Bearer played an important role throughout the world's history. Upon doing a deep dive examination of Tsuki's Aer, she could definitely sense that there was credible evidence that supported what Shana had said. She felt the presence of multiple types of Aer inside of Tsuki which shouldn't be possible. Each type of Aer all felt Human in nature but they were completely different from one another. Aer makes up a persons' soul so in this case, Tsuki had the presence of not only his Aer but the Aer of three others flowing inside him. One of which he's recently made a connection with and the other two still lay dormant. She also sensed the presence of another foreign type of Aer which belonged to Allie. Having so many different types of Aer flowing through a single person was only possible for one type of person and that was someone who had inherited an ancient power which gave them the title of Sigil Bearer.

Melphi continued to stare at Tsuki for a moment before closing her eyes and hanging her head as she fell into her thoughts. "The Sigil Bearer, huh? Things are about to get interesting..." she mumbled to herself.

The view of Cayhill grew smaller and smaller until it was just a speck off in the distance. Nothing but the vast, endless view of the ocean soon took all of their surroundings. The ship rocked gently along with the waves as they soon entered rougher waters. The first part of their journey had concluded and now the start of their second, true journey has begun. They weren't sure what to do but their first priority was getting Phi healed up. Anything else can wait until she was back up on her feet. They were about to set foot in a whole new world to them. A world filled with troubles that the have never faced before on Cayhill. These troubles will surely put Tsuki and the others to the test as Honegroth's dark shadow slowly started to grow bigger. Things were only just getting started for them as the fight for the world would soon begin.

To be continued...