Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 25: A Royal Proposition
Tsuki and his companions have finally made it to the Trade City of Velika which lies on the continent of Ersheath. Upon arriving in the port, they were greeted by the knights of Esseand with hostility, demanding to know who they were and why they were there. Displeased by their rude welcome, Tsuki returned the rudeness back at the knights. Before the situation became worse, Ramza had interrupted them, changing the attitudes of the Esseand knights like a switch on a wall.
After Ramza had briefly explained their situation, things between the two groups settled down enough to drop hostilities between them. On Ramza's request, the knights of Esseand escorted Tsuki and his companions to request an audience with King Raiku who was coincidentally in Velika for a meeting with government officials and advisers. The meeting was being held in Velika's main headquarters which was in the center of the busy city. As they made their way through the city, they noticed the huge crowd of people throughout the streets. Every single street and alleyway was packed full of people and merchants. However, it wasn't just the busy streets that was interesting. Strangely enough, there even seemed to be what appeared to be monsters roaming around although they weren't of the hostile variety.
Tsuki was confused when he saw these monsters roaming the streets without anyone running in a panic. It caused him to scratch his head. "I think I need some serious sleep because I just saw a monster walking around in the street" he said.
Ramza couldn't help but laugh a little bit. "That's right, they're aren't any monsters like that around Cayhill so I guess you wouldn't know. Allow me explain as there is actually a pretty unique explanation. Among the population of monsters throughout the world, there are quite a few species of monsters that are actually friendly towards humans. In fact, people and merchants actually buy and trade stuff among them. Some of the common friendly monsters are known as Faeries, which are human-like beings the size of a child but with armed with powerful magic Artes and can be identified by the wings on their backs, and Mandragoras, which are human-like figures that vary in size that can be identified by the flower growing out of their head. If it weren't for the distinct flower, Mandragoras could pull off pretending to be a human since they have the skin tone of a human, wear clothing with a leaf design to it and green hair" he explained.
Tsuki folded his arms and rubbed his chin a bit. "Interesting. I had no idea. I thought all monsters were bad but who would of guessed that there are some species of monsters that are actually friendly?" he said.
The crowds of Eresseas couldn't even compare to Velika. Eresseas looked like a small town in comparison. There was a vast amount of travelers, townspeople, merchants and soldiers around every turn they make. After about thirty minutes of walking through the city, they reached Velika's headquarters in the center of the city. The headquarters was a massive ten-story building that towered over the smaller buildings around the city. Still being escorted by the knights, they were guided through the building to the roof that was only accessible by the king and government officials of Ersheath. On the roof, there was a circular building in the center of the roof with a garden that surrounded the building. Inside the building was a conference room that's used during official meetings with the government officials of Ersheath. Officials from every city and town meet here once every month to discuss private matters of concern. Once they arrived, the knights that were escorting Tsuki's group stopped by the door.
The knight from the port stopped in front of the door of the circular building then faced the group behind him. "Wait one moment" he said. He then turned back around and walked into the building and was inside for several moments before coming back out. "Alright, His Majesty will see you. Mind your manners as he's currently in a meeting with our leaders" he said. He then stepped aside and held the doors open.
Tsuki and his companions walked into the conference room when they were granted an audience with the king. When they stepped inside, the knight closed the doors behind them. The conference room had a similar look and feel to a war room. A massive rectangle-shaped table was in the center of the room with about fifteen people including the king himself sitting at the seats. They all were staring at Tsuki and his group in silence. They approached the table and then bowed to the people that were sitting at the table. The king was sitting at the far end of the table in royal attire with a long white beard that went past his neck so it was easy to tell who he was.
After an awkward moment of silence, Ramza decided to speak up. "Your Majesty, I've returned from Cayhill. Pardon our sudden intrusion if we're interrupting something important" he said. He didn't like acting so formal because it made him feel awkward but if their mission was dependent on earning Raiku's favor, he had no choice but to deal with it.
The king was silent for a moment as Ramza came into the room and acted all formal. After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but laugh a bit in a deep tone, seeing him act so out of character. "Oh Ramza my friend, formal talk really doesn't suit you. It makes you look stiff. Welcome back" he said. The king looked a bit menacing at first from the stares that he was giving them but in truth, he was actually a person with a good nature to him. He had the presence of someone who was strong, dependent and caring. He then examined Tsuki and the others who were still bowing behind Ramza. Since Tsuki and Cheria were dressed in normal attire, he couldn't tell that Tsuki was a knight and Cheria was a princess. "Well now, this is quite the party you've brought with you, my friend. It's not normal to see you traveling with so many people. When I received your letter, I couldn't help but grow a bit concerned. So, what is it that you have to tell me that's so important? You know that I'm a very busy man, so I haven't had time lately to hold audiences with people, even if it is for a friend" he said.
Ramza stood up and cleared his throat. He didn't know how or where to start talking. "Well, it's very complicated. I think it'll be better if someone else explains things" he said. He then turned around and looked at Tsuki, nodding at him. "Tsuki, why don't you do the honors? You have more experience with this sort of stuff than I do" he said.
Tsuki looked at Ramza and nodded then looked up at the king, stilling bowing down. He was used to dealing with royalty but since he's in a different kingdom, he had to be careful of his words and attitude which makes him anxious. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and took a deep breath before speaking. "Greetings, Your Majesty. My name is Tsuki Himura. As our companion, Ramza has said, it's a complicated story so I'm asking you to listen to what we have to say. What I'm about to tell you may seem far-fetched and hard to believe but I assure you it's the absolute truth. I ask that you and all of the government officials in this room listen to our words with open minds. I'll do my best to explain everything in a way so everyone here will understand" he said.
The king leaned up against the table, placing his elbows on it with his hands folded under his chin as he looked over at Tsuki. "Ramza had made note of your base intentions for being here but didn't specify what for. Since you have his backing, I decided to at least hear what you have to say although don't expect much of a response from me. So, what's so crucial that you have to tell us?" he asked.
Tsuki nodded and stood up. He was starting to feel more anxious now that all eyes in the room focused on them. He took another deep breath to calm himself down. "Before I start, I should first reveal a little bit of background of myself. I serve under the royal family of Eresseas on the continent of Cayhill as one of their elite guards known as the Royal Eight. Due to some dire and extreme circumstances, we were forced to seek out your aid. To prove my legitimacy, I've brought the official seal of the Eresseas royal family" he said. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a red and gold seal with a serpent in the center of it. He then handed it to one of the officials so that the king could verify it for himself
As the official took the Seal from him, whispers understandably filled the room. Once the king had the Seal, he gave it a thorough inspection, he was able to confirm that the Seal was, indeed, authentic. He then handed the Seal back to the official and had it brought back to him to which he promptly put it away. A sense of uneasiness started to fill the room as the officials continued to whisper amongst themselves.
The king stroked his beard with an expression that showed curiousity and confusion. He could tell that he clearly wasn't lying when he said he was a knight just from his demeanor and posture. "Well, the seal is the real thing so I know you aren't lying. Your body language also supports your claim. Only royal members of the royal family and most trusted personnel are given these types of seals. But still...an envoy of Eresseas? I've been good friends with King Taichi and Queen Emma for a long time now and they know that sending envoys from a neutral kingdom is a dangerous move to make" he said. If there was one thing he knew about Taichi and Emma, it was that they were extremely strict when it came to their kingdom's neutrality. It didn't make sense to him on why they would send an envoy to another kingdom when it would put their own kingdom at risk.
One of the officials that was sitting next to the king looked over at him. He appeared to be a senator from how he was dressed. He examined Tsuki for a moment along with the rest that came with him before looking over at the king. "I know you have some deep history with Taichi and Emma but are you sure you're going to trust a knight from another kingdom so easily?" the man asked.
The king looked over to the man next to him and nodded. "Yes. We've never once had problems with Eresseas and as you're all very much aware, I know the royal family very well. After all, I used to travel around the world with King Taichi and Queen Emma. Still, they should know that sending envoys here poses a great risk to their neutrality, something they hold with utmost care and priority" he said. He then looked over at Tsuki, sitting back in his chair with his full attention now on what he has to report to him that's so urgent. Considering who they were, he just couldn't figure out why they'd send one of their royal knights to meet with him In the back of his mind, however, he could feel that something went terribly wrong.. "Now, you've got my full attention. What's the reason of them sending you here? Taichi knows this well so he wouldn't send envoys to another kingdom unless the situation calls for it" he said. He hopes that his fears wouldn't come true.
Tsuki nodded. He made a slight fist as it wasn't going to be easy to tell them what has happened to Eresseas. Judging from their questions, it would seem word hadn't reached them about what took place in Cayhill which was going to make things rather difficult."This isn't easy for me to say but what I'm about to tell you is the absolute truth. You can have your scouts verify it for themselves if you don't believe me. It's like you said, he knows the risk and wouldn't send one unless the situation calls for it. However, they didn't send us. We were forced to seek you out" he said. He then fell silent for a moment as if he choked on his own words. He took a deep breath before continuing. "It's about Menorion. Several days ago, Eresseas was attacked by an invasion force from Menorion and was overtaken. Menorion have since seized control over Eresseas and all of Cayhill" he said with a heavy tone of voice.
The king and the officials haven't heard about the recent events that have taken place in Cayhill over the past few days. Hearing about this news shocked the officials in the room including the king himself which caused a commotion to erupt in the conference room. "What did you just say!? How!? What about Taichi and Emma?" he asked, shooting up from his seat, slamming his hands against the table.
Tsuki shook his head. "We don't know. They stayed behind in Eresseas to buy us some time to escape. Menorion came in contact with a power that was supposedly sealed away known as Dark Arcanum. They summoned beings known as Shades which easily overpowered Eresseas' knights and defenses. We were far outnumbered and outmatched as Dark Arcanum also strengthened Menorion's forces significantly as well. Not only that, but it turned out that the Royal Eight was compromised. Just as the name states, eight people make up the elite guard. Two of them turned out to be traitors; spies of Menorion while the other five went missing prior to the invasion" he said.
The king sat back in his chair and folded his arms. He then fell into thought, trying to come to terms with this shocking news. Just the fact that the combined powerhouse duo of Taichi and Emma could lose to the likes of Menorion forces baffles him. "So, Menorion is starting to begin their move. This is a problem because it's much earlier than what we had anticipated. It would make sense to occupy Cayhill first since it would make it easier for them to launch attacks against other kingdoms. We knew this would happen so I was planning on sending some of our troops to Cayhill to fight back against Menorion in the event that we notice their movement but it seems that they made their move much earlier than what we had originally thought" he said.
Tsuki closed his eyes for a moment and cleared his throat. "All hope isn't lost, however. Even though we fled from Eresseas with no knowledge of what happened to King Taichi and Queen Emma, we escaped with Princess Cheria, the next in line to become Queen" he said. He then turned around and faced Cheria who was standing behind him.
The king looked at the girl Tsuki had turned to face. It took him a few moments to realize who she was. He didn't recognize her at first glance because not only was she not wearing anything that would give her away as royalty, but she looked completely different than when he last saw her. He hasn't seen Cheria since she was five years old, so he wouldn't know what she would look like currently. "So, this is Cheria, huh?" he asked. He then stood up from his chair and walked up to her to examine her more closely. "I didn't even recognize you. Last time I saw you, you were quite young though I doubt you'll remember me. You've grown into a beautiful young lady. You have Emma's eyes and within those eyes is Taichi's strength" he said.
Cheria looked up at the king and bowed to him once more. "Thank you. Unfortunately, you're right; I don't remember you at all. However, they've told me the stories of a number of their old allies who are scattered across different kingdoms" she said. Since she apparently hasn't seen the king since she was very young, she didn't remember him at all no matter how much she looks at him though he did fit one of the stories she's heard. Besides her times with Tsuki, she didn't remember much about her childhood.
The king smiled at her and nodded, chuckling a bit. "Stories, huh? Yeah, I'd imagine there'd be quite a few of them. Particularly about a pair of twins who's whereabouts are currently unknown and a certain knight in Dolothlond" he said. He then placed his hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about Taichi and Emma. In fact, I feel sorry for those that try to stand in their way. Those two make a devastating fighting pair especially if they were to get serious. While the odds may have been stacked against them, it wouldn't be the first time they've gotten out of sticky situations. I'm sure they're just fine" he said. He then looked at the others for a moment and turned around afterwards, facing the officials of Ersheath. "Well, the good news is we can reclaim Eresseas from Menorion. It'll just take a little time" he said.
Elle shook her head, sighing at his response. She's had a history with the king so she needed to be careful with what she says. After all, he did order Ramza to bring her to justice for what she did. "I'm afraid it's not going to be that simple. They've put up what's called the Veil of Darkness around the Eresseas and as long as the Veil is up, we can't get anywhere near there" she said.
The king looked over at Elle and despite her not wearing her Shadow Knight armor, her voice did seem a tad bit familiar. It took him a couple moments to make the connection. When he realized who she was, he had a displeased look on his face as he looked over at Ramza. "Well, if it isn't the Shadow Knight. You sure got guts showing your face around here again. I could of sworn I assigned you the task of bringing her to justice, Ramza. Instead, I see you traveling with her. Mind explaining things?" he asked.
Ramza sighed heavily. He knew this would happen if he found out that Elle was the Shadow Knight. "It's a long story. One you probably won't believe at first. You see..." he said. He then began explaining who Elle was and why he never brought her to justice and abandoned the mission that was given to him.
The explanation didn't take too long but everything he said seemed unbelievable to the officials of Ersheath. They thought that they were making up some kind of story. Everyone did their best to try and make the explanation more reasonable and less outrageous. If they were to reclaim Cayhill, they would need the Relics of each kingdom and in order to do that, they would need to gain the trust of the royal family and the top officials.
After Tsuki and the others finished explaining things to Raiku and the other officials still in the room, the room fell silent for several moments. It sounded like a fairy tale. After the several moments of silence, The king eventually nodded at them. "A story straight out of a fantasy, if you ask me. If I were to hear it without on Ramzas' behalf, I would of dismissed it immediately. However, Ramza is a trusted friend with a high credibility so I guess I'll have to believe your story to some degree" he said. He then walked back to his chair on the far side of the room and sat back down, resting his arms on the table. "So, this Veil of Darkness you mentioned; if we can't penetrate it, how do we break it down? It's got to have some kind of weakness" he said.
Tsuki fell silent for a moment before answering his question. He knew that the answer he would give him will be very difficult. "That's where things get complicated and one of the reasons why we are even here in the first place. According to Elle, we need the six Relic Keys that are passed down in the royal families of each kingdom" he said.
The king didn't expect that the things that they need to take down the barrier were the national treasures of the kingdoms. More than that though, he didn't realize that the Relic Keys held such an important role. The royal families all know that the Relic Keys are ancient artifacts from the old world that were passed down and guarded by former royal families so they knew they were important. However, their true worth and meaning were eventually lost as centuries went on."So, in order to bring it down, you need our Frost Gem" he said. He then sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. "You're right, that does complicate things. Although we never really grasped the true significance of the Frost Gem, you're talking about us lending you our national treasure. A treasure that's guarded with the lives of our knights and citizens. Unfortunately, that's not something we can do very lightly despite the current situation. If the citizens found out that we loaned our national treasure to a group of foreigners, especially if they are foreigners who work for another kingdom, it would cause a publiic outcry. The media would eat it up" he said.
Tsuki rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Yeah, we expected an answer like that. It's not easy to simply hand over something that people of a kingdom cherish" he said. They needed to do something to earn the kingdom's trust. If they can't, then another war like the War of Mana will take place.
Ramza shook his head for a moment. "Your Majesty, I understand how big of a request we have, but is there any way? This is much bigger than Cayhill, or us. This will soon become a major problem for all the kingdoms and could even spark another War of Mana and I know for a fact that no one wants what happened centuries ago to happen again. Our corner of the world was ravaged because of the War of Mana and if something like that were to happen again, then the Four Great Spirits will do more than just blow a hole in the ground as a scare tactic to stop the fighting. Isn't there something we can do?" he asked.
The king stroked his beard and fell into thought for a moment. He understood their situation but it has to consider the people of Ersheath. "I don't want to take advantage of your situation or those of you that serve under Taichi and Emma but given our kingdom's current situation, we have little choice. If you lend us your assistance and help our citizens until we can smooth things over with the kingdom of Dolothlond, I'll gladly loan you the Frost Gem. Be aware that such a process will take quite some time though. With the growing tensions from Dolothlond, the people have been restless as of late. Not only that, there's also a group of people going around our lands, causing panic and even committing acts of murder, abduction and human sacrifice. There are a lot of problems that we are facing right now. Make a name for yourselves so all of Ersheath will know. You never know, you might gain even more allies to help in your endeavor to reclaim your home" he said.
Tsuki listened to his suggestion and nodded. Gaining the trust among the citizens may not only benefit them but could also help with uniting the kingdoms when this whole mess is resolved. However, such a task would take time and it wouldn't be easy to accomplish. "That sounds like our best option right now. It might take a while, but we have no choice" he said.
The king clapped his hands together when Tsuki had agreed with his suggestion. He was overjoyed to know that they would help out because they need all the help they can get. "Great! You folks are welcome to the castle in Esseand if you ever need guidance around our lands. With that said, I think we will end this meeting here go back to the capital together. You're all welcome to stay the night when we return. I'll even point you guys to where you can start off" he said.
Tsuki bowed to the king after he offered a place for them to stay for the night. "Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. We'll take you up on your offer then" he said.
The king stood up from his chair once more and looked out the window behind him. After staring out into the sky for a few moments, he turned back around to face the other officials around the room. "Thank you all for coming. Feel free to share what we learned here to your advisors and officials but make sure you keep this from the public. We don't want them getting into a panic" he said. He then turned back around and walked back up to Tsuki's group. "Since we're all going in the same direction, we can leave whenever you're ready. Consider it compensation for your services" he said.
Tsuki nodded at him. "That sounds like a plan. It would be better to travel as a group rather than separately. Besides Ramza, we know nothing about this continent so we can learn more about this place when we arrive in Esseand" He then looked at his companions and nodded. "As for us, we're ready to go when you are" he said.
The king grew a grin on his face. Not only would this help lead them in the right direction, but it would give him the opportunity to witness foreign combat skills. "Wonderful! Well then, if you would all follow me. Our carriage awaits us" he said. He then walked through the doors of the conference room, walking back out onto the roof of Velika's headquarters.
Tsuki and his companions followed Raiku out of the room. They followed him through the massive building to the bottom floor once more. When they reached the bottom floor, they walked towards the front exit where a carriage was waiting for them outside. The carriage was accompanied by three knights of Esseand. With no time to waste, they entered the carriage and got comfy since they would be there for a while. After several minutes, the carriage, along with the three knights, took off down the streets of Velika. They had about a five hour ride before they would reach Esseand, which was southwest of Velika. During that time, they took the opportunity to talk some more and get to know each other better since they would be working together for quite a while.
To be continued...