Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 28: Mysterious Connections

Tsuki and his companions were in the middle of an important discussion with Luan, Esseand's historian, in the castle library about the infamous cult named Draxus that goes around the world, terrorizing people, the Ancients and some of the hidden truths pertaining to the War of Mana. As they were in the middle of talking about the possibility of discovering the location of the ruined city of Reimsdale, a once extravagant city during the time of the War of Mana, they were interrupted when a group of knights came into the library. Upon entry, the knights had said that King Raiku had requested their presence about a situation that had occurred in the Border Town of Dagbor. Eager to find out what's happening, Tsuki and his companions along with Luan followed the knights to the audience chamber to speak with Raiku.

Upon entering the audience chamber, they gathered in front of the steps that led up to the where Raiku and the missing members of the royal family sit. As they approached the throne, one of Raiku's advisors were whispering something in his ear. They soon knelled down and bowed. They waited in silence as tension soon filled the room. The silence lingered around the room for several minutes before anyone spoke up. Raiku soon cleared his throat, breaking the silence with a heavy sigh.

Raiku rubbed the sides of his head as if he had a headache. The news that he had just received was very troubling. "I'm fully aware that you were all in the middle of an important discussion and I apologize for summoning you all here in a frantic manner. However, we have a situation on our hands and I would like to request your assistance in this" he said. He then stood up and started to pace around the throne, holding his arms behind his back.

Tsuki shook his head. Raiku was the one that set up the meeting with Luan and he was aware of what they were going to discuss so he knew that they wouldn't want to be disturbed unless situation calls for it. "Please, Your Majesty. You don't need to apologize. You're the one that had arranged the meeting and I know that you wouldn't interrupt it over something small. Your knights said something about a situation in Dagbor?" he asked. Frankly, he didn't know anything about Dagbor besides the fact that it was the border town between Ersheath and Nargelond.

Raiku faced the group and folded his arms in front of him, nodding at them. "Yes. We have a situation in Dagbor that's reaching a boiling point and I would like you all to assist us in calming things down" he said.

Lynette looked up at Raiku, still down on one knee. "I'm sorry but could you enlighten us a little bit more on the situation? As you know, we know very little about this kingdom besides a general run-down on the situation between the two countries here" she said.

Raiku nodded. "Of course. Let me start off with Dagbor and its history. The Border Town of Dagbor serves as the border between our kingdom and Nargelond. The town itself is split in half by a deep, long river with a reinforced gate that's heavily guarded, respectively on both sides. It's the only means of entry into and out of Ersheath and Nargelond. Once you step through that gate, you fall under the jurisdiction of that particular kingdom" he said. He then walked behind the thrones and approached a bookshelf, pulling a book off one of the shelves. He then walked down the steps of the throne and handed the book to Tsuki. "This book contains a more detailed history about Dagbor so feel free to read it on your own time" he said.

Tsuki reached up and took the book from him. "We will. What about this situation that you mentioned?" he asked.

Raiku sighed heavily and fell silent for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Tension throughout the city has always been rather high and strenuous due to the shared and divided aspect of the town but people do their best to live normal lives. If there's one thing us and Nargelond have in common, it's the fact that we dont interfere in the daily lives of the citizens. However, over the past couple of weeks now, we've received reports of someone going around in both sides of Dagbor, stirring up the public which tends to cause conflict and skirmishes among the people and this problem has only been gradually escalating" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head. If someone were deliberately causing the conflicts in Dagbor, then that might explain why some of the tensions between Nargelond and Ersheath are so high. "Do you have any information about this person?" he asked. If they had some sort of idea of what the person looked like or possible location sightings, they should be able to handle the rest on their own. If they could alleviate the problem, they would have a much easier time.

Raiku shook his head. Unfortunately, he didn't have much information about the person besides whatever was reported by eyewitnesses around Dagbor. "I don't have much to say. The information we've received is very little. All we know is that he's a swordsman of remarkable talent and skill. He wears black armor with his sword being the most unique part about him. The sword's design was something we've never seen before. According to a report we received from our informant, Setzu, his sword almost felt alive" he said.

Ramza folded his arms as he walked up to a stone pillar and leaned against it. "A sword that feels alive? I wonder what he meant by that" he said.

Luan looked up at Raiku as she stood up. "Have you heard anything from Setzu recently?" she asked.

Raiku shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. We haven't heard anything from him in four days, around the same time when this situation first started" he said

Cheria soon caught onto something when Raiku mentioned when the incident in Dagbor started. "You said four days ago? Do you know the exact time this happened?" she asked.

Raiku fell into thought for a few moments as he tried to recall the exact time. "I believe it was sometime between 3 and 4 in the morning" he said

Cheria looked over at Tsuki as she realized that the times were almost aligned to when Eresseas was attacked. Although she wasn't certain that the two were related, the almost exact same times of occurrences were suspicious. "Don't you find the timing odd, Tsu? The situation in Dagbor was almost around the same time as when Eresseas was attacked. Do you think the two events are related to each other?" she asked.

Tsuki folded his arms, holding his hand up to his chin in thought. Cheria did have a point; the times seemed to match up. However, it could of been just pure coincidence that it happened as well. "if the two incidents are indeed connected, it would mean that Menorion would most likely be the cause" he said.

Luan tilted her head a bit as Tsuki and Cheria talked among themselves. She was never told the full story about the circumstance of them being in Esseand so she was unaware of majority of the things that took place in Cayhill. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked.

Tsuki looked over at Luan, realizing that she was never really told anything. "That's right, you haven't been told anything about what's happened besides being told that Cayhill was overthrown. Basically, four days ago, the Holy Kingdom of Eresseas located on Cayhill was attacked and overthrown by Menorion forces that were accompanied by a staggering amount of beings known as Shades. We were far outmatched and outnumbered and were lucky to have even escaped" he said.

Luan's mind began to race a little bit when Tsuki mentioned Shades. She could recall reading something about that in one of the many books she has read over the years. "Wait, you said Shades? You don't mean those soulless beings created from Dark Arcanum, don't you?" she asked.

Luan's knowledge of Shades and Dark Arcanum sparked an interest inside of Elle. She then approached Luan moments after she had mentioned them. "How do you know about that?" she asked. She didn't know much about Dark Arcanum much herself and she needed to know more about it since it's a driving force with not only the Menorion military but quite possibly Draxus as well. She needed to know what Dark Arcanum really was and what such a destructive power can do in the wrong hands.

Luan folded her arms and fell into thought for a few minutes. She's read so many books over the years that she couldn't even remember where she first read about it but she always remembered the topic since it was extremely interesting to read about. After a few minutes of silence, she looked at Elle. "I first read about it years ago. It was a power with almost limitless capabilities. If it were to fall in the wrong hands, the world would be in great danger. According to the legends that I read, Dark Arcanum was created by the first inhabitants and became their main source of power. That power was then used against fighting back some of history's strongest demons. However, as decades passed by and more of Dark Arcanum was used, the more unstable it became with each use. Once their descendants, the Ancients, found out how unstable it was, they sealed it off with a powerful Sealing Arte. It was most likely due to the after-effects of Dark Arcanum that caused the inevitable demise of the first inhabitants" she said.

Ruko folded his arms, trying to comprehend everything that he's hearing. Everything was almost too overwhelming to take in all at once. "So, Dark Arcanum wasn't a power conduit like Mana that flows through every living being like it is today. From what you're saying, Dark Arcanum comes from a single power source which makes it a little more understandable about how it was originally sealed. If Dark Arcanum was a power conduit that channeled through every human being like Mana, sealing it would of been an impossible task, even for a civilization as advanced as the first inhabitants" he said.

Luan nodded. "Yes, that's exactly it. Dark Arcanum was sealed off completely around the same time when they first discovered a much safer power conduit, Mana. Mana, as you know, is the world's life energy. It lives in every living thing from the small blades of grass to human beings and monsters but you already know that" she said. She then took a quick glance at Tsuki and his friends. Since they had revealed that Eresseas had fell due to the oppression of Dark Arcanum, it made much more sense to her on how the kingdom fell just overnight. "Menorion has always been a rather hostile kingdom over the last couple of years. If they're in possession of Menorion and our scouts were right, it's highly possible that they've played some sort of part in the situation in Dagbor. The question is, what do they have to gain from causing an uprising here?" she asked.

Ramza walked up to Raiku and stood next to him, facing the group. "This is just speculation on my part but if I had to make a logical guess, they're trying to get Esseand and Nargelond to wipe each other out in our own conflict so they can seize control with very little retaliation from the surviving kingdom" he said. He then started to pace back and forth around the throne. "Menorion isn't stupid. They're aware that our two kingdoms have a mutual hatred for them. A common enemy, so to speak. If an alliance were to happen between our two kingdoms, we could easily match or even overpower their military force with the aid of Nargelond's dragons. So, if you think about it logically, they're trying to start a civil war between us. Once one of our kingdoms fall, it would leave the other one significantly weakened. When that happens, it would be easy for Menorion to strike and not only claim the land of the fallen kingdom but easily overthrow the weakened kingdom. It's a brilliant plan on their part, if that's their end goal for us" he suggested.

Ruko listened to Ramza's theory carefully. His theory definitely sounds possible given what he knows about Menorion. "It's something to keep in mind. Menorion doesn't just have a strong military force but they have some of the best battle strategists in the world. Your theory sounds like something their strategists would come up with" he said.

Nagi fell into thought as they all talked among themselves, holding onto her chin. The more they talked about Menorion's possible plot and strength, the more she began to have small hints of doubts about their efforts. The reality of their situation was starting to set in. They were only a group of seven people going up against an entire nation with a powerful military accompanied by expert battle strategists and the terrifying power of Dark Arcanum. The were heavily set against near impossible odds. Thoughts like these would make just about anyone get cold feet. "Can we really win? We're heavily outnumbered and outmatched. We have no allies to back us up in combat unless we can get the cooperation of the surrounding kingdoms which is difficult enough as it is" she said. She could feel her body shake a little bit from her slowly rising fears.

Elle shook her head. She was right on all counts. The reality of their situation was utterly impossible for anyone to bear. "Unfortunately, as things stand right now, we don't stand a chance. After all, we are only seven people. It's as you said, we have no one to back us up. Menorion would crush us if we were to engage them in battle" she said. She hated to admit it but there was nothing that would make their situation better. Even with the combined powers of Elle's and Tsuki's power of the Ancients, it still wouldn't be enough. There was no way around it; they would have to gain the cooperation of the neighboring kingdoms.

Cheria walked up to Nagi and hugged her. The last thing she would want to happen is for her to have a panic attack since it was clear that she was starting to have doubts. "It'll be okay. We'll figure something out. We won't give up until we do" she said. Something on a massive scale of such as taking on an entire kingdom isn't something that can be easily decided. It takes a significant amount of time to plan and prepare. Holding onto Nagi to help calm her down, she looked over at Raiku. "Worrying about how we're going to fight Menorion and thinking about what their plotting isn't going to do us any good right now. Let's just focus on what we have to do right now. We won't be able to do anything until we have all of the Relic Keys anyway" she said.

Raiku looked at Cheria and nodded. "Which is why you're all here. Rest assured that we're fully aware of the situation and I'm currently in the process of informing all of our kingdom's civilian officials and military commanders. Give them your names and you'll have the cooperation of our military and civilian leaders throughout Ersheath. Think of it as compensation from me not able to lend your our national treasure" he said.

Tsuki looked at Raiku, shaking his head. Just having the cooperation of the military and civilian leaders throughout Ersheath is plenty of help. Because of that, it would make getting around that much easier as well as lending a hand in matters that military officials would normally restrict others from taking part in. "Don't worry about it, Your Majesty. Just having the cooperation is more than enough for us" he said.

Raiku nodded and sat back down on his throne. He took a deep breath before looking at the group. "Now that we got all of that out of the way, Let's get back to the main reason why I called you here. I would like you to investigate the situation in Dagbor. If Menorion are indeed the root cause of this, I'd like you to remove the cause before the situation worsens by any means necessary. I'll leave the course of action up to you as long but try to avoid any conflict with Nargelond forces. It won't look for either of us" he said.

Tsuki nodded. "Leave it to us. We'll find out if Menorion is connected to what's going on in Dagbor. If it turns out that the root cause is connected to something else, we'll handle things discreetly" he said.

Luan approached Raiku. "Raiku, I'd like to accompany Tsuki and his friends to Dagbor. I'm concerned about Setzu and the lack of communication from him. It's unlike him to go this long without getting in touch with us. He may be in trouble" she said.

Raiku stroked his chin slowly when Luan made her request. "You aren't duty-bound to me like my knights and officials are. You're free to do whatever you want. As long as Tsuki and his friends are okay with it, you're more than welcome to accompany them for as long as you please" he said.

Tsuki nodded at them. There was more that they needed to talk about anyway since they were interrupted before. Getting the chance to travel together is the perfect opportunity. "Of course. We only have Ramza's knowledge to rely on while we're in Ersheath and having Luan's experience would be of great help to us" he said.

Lynette looked up at Luan and Raiku, giving them a reassuring smile. "We'll make sure that she's well taken care of. Don't you worry about a thing" she said.

Raiku looked at each one of them, seeing their expressions of approval and reassurance and nodded moments later. "Then, I'll leave my sister's well-being in your hands. Due to the gravity of the situation, I'll grant you access to our Warp System" he said.

Elle tilted her head. The Warp System was of Ancient origins. She didn't expect to see it working again in this day and age. "Ersheath never ceases to amaze me. I had no idea that you had managed to revive the old, leftover technology by the Ancients" she said. Warp Systems was widely used as the main travel method centuries into the past. However, as the number of Ancients dwindled, their technology and their accomplishments soon began to fade over time.

Raiku looked over at Elle and nodded slightly. "We have but there are still many flaws in the revived technology. We've only been able to revive a small portion of it" he said.

Tsuki fell into confusion. It would seem that Teleportation Artes and this Warp System that Ersheath use are similar to each other. "Isn't that the same concept as Teleportation Artes? What's the difference between them?" he asked.

Raiku looked over at Tsuki. "While the concept between them are rather similar, they're completely different. For starters, Teleportation Artes are special artes that very few people can use and an even smaller number of people can master. The amount of Mana consumption depends on how many people are within the teleportation circle and how far they're transported to. It's near impossible for one person to teleport multiple people over long distances which is why a team Teleportation Arte users is required. Not only that, but each user has to be able to visualize where they want to be sent. If not, then the people being teleported could end up in a completely different location. With our revived Warp System created by the Ancients, we're able to transport over long distances without the use of multiple people. It comes in handy in times of crisis but the thing is but there's just one drawback. The other Warp System has to be active. If it's not active, our Warp System won't work" he explained. The Warp System is generally used to make travel faster across Ersheath but there's a slight drawback. There are only a certain number of Warp Systems around Ersheath and some of them aren't active.

Tsuki had a brief flashback back when they had fled from Eresseas using a Teleportation Arte. After they had escaped, they ended up being teleported just on the outskirts of the city away from the invading forces, leaving Elle heavily depleted of Mana. "Now that you mention it, Elle used a Teleportation Arte to get us as far from Eresseas as possible but only ended up just on the outskirts. If Teleportation Artes are really that strenuous, the explains why Elle was left weakened afterwards" he said.

Elle looked at Tsuki and nodded. "Exactly. Since I'm an Ancient, my Mana levels are far higher than other people so I can handle transporting multiple people at once for a certain distance by myself. Teleportation Artes consume a tremendous amount of Mana if used by a single person. With the combined efforts of others who know Teleportation Artes, the amount needed is divided among the casters" she said.

Raiku looked over to one of his advisers and waved for him to come over. He then took a gold plated seal with the image of a falcon etched into both sides of it. He then approached Tsuki and handed him the seal. "Take this with you. It's the official seal of Esseand. Just show our civilian and military officials this seal and they'll assist you in your endeavor. Be aware though that just because you have this seal, it doesn't mean you will be granted access to certain locations" he said.

Tsuki took the seal from him and looked at him. So basically, they'll be given free reign with support around Ersheath except for several closed off area. It was similar to how Basilwell and Briswater operated with only allowing authorized personnel into their more secret areas that even members of royalty would have a hard time getting access to. "I understand. We are foreigners after all so I can sympathize with them not allowing us to access certain places" he said.

Raiku nodded and looked back at his adviser. "With all that being said, I believe we're just about done here. Would you lead them to the Warp Chamber?" he asked.

His adviser nodded at him with a salute. "Yes sir" he said. He then walked down the stairs and past Tsuki and his friends, heading towards the exit to the audience chamber.

Raiku bowed to them one last time before heading back up to his throne chair and sitting down. "I wish you all the best of luck in your search. Safe travels, my friends. I hope to hear good things from you" he said.

They all bowed to Raiku and started to follow his adviser out of the audience chamber. They ended up walking around to the other side of the castle, deeper into the mountain that the castle was built into. They eventually came out to a garden with sunlight shooting down from the top of the mountain through numerous holes and craters. There were also streams of water throughout the garden that were coming through small water channels from the surface of the mountain that channeled water through the garden and out several more channels to reach the city. In the center of the garden was a small building made out of cobblestone and steel plating with two guards standing by the entrance. The adviser stepped forward and explained everything to the guards and after a couple minutes, they were granted access to the Warp Chamber.

Once everything was settled, the adviser approached Tsuki once more. "You're good to go. Good luck out there" he said. He then walked past the group and headed back into the castle's interior, disappearing from view.

Before they decided to leave, they took a short detour back into town to resupply on much needed provisions as well as buy new armor and weapons to make their travels a bit more easier. After about thirty minutes of preparation, they met back up by the Warp Chamber. Once they had everything they needed, they headed inside the steel and cobblestone building. Inside of it was a massive circular pad with various computers and other technology such as gauge meters and monitors with symbols and numbers on them. It was as if they had just stepped hundreds of years into the future.

Ramza approached one of the many consoles and started to interact with it. After about several minutes, they would hear something powering up. "Alright, we're good to go. Mana levels are stable with no foreseeable problems" he said.

Tsuki was a bit overwhelmed by his surroundings. Everything felt so futuristic to him that it felt like a dream at first. He never knew just how advanced the Ancients were but now he does. "You're seriously telling me that this was all first developed by the Ancients decades ago? Compared to this, our world has seriously fallen in the technology race" he said.

Luan chuckled a bit and walked up to the warp pad. "Remember, we've only been able to revive a very small portion of their technology. This is small fry compared to most of their technological advancements" she said.

Elle examined the entire room and was amazed that the old technology was actually working. She didn't believe it at first but Raiku was right. He had indeed revived the old Warp System. "Well, it seems I've given Raiku far to little credit. I never imagined he had what it took to bring this back" she said.

Ramza walked up onto the warp pad and faced them. "You shouldn't underestimate Raiku. He's not only an excellent fighter but he's incredibly smart. He figures out how to get the job done and employs the appropriate people to work on it" he said.

Tsuki and the rest of the group walked onto the warp pad. Several moments later, they could feel the Mana energizing the air around them. It was almost just like when they fled Eresseas.

As they waited for them to be teleported, Tsuki decided to run them through their plan. "Alright, let's run through the plan. We'll try and meet up with Esseand's leader in Dagbor. They should know more about the situation than most people. We'll figure out what to do then and go from there" he said.

Luan nodded. "Don't forget about Setzu. If we can't meet up with the leader, Setzu would be our next possible source for information considering that he's been stationed in Dagbor for several days now. The only issue is locating him" she said.

Ramza folded his arms and held his hand to his chin. "That's a good idea. I may have a few ideas of where he could be. If he's in trouble, there are several places where he could lay low in. However, let's try meeting up with the leader first" he said.

They all fell into agreement and moments later, the teleportation sequence finally began. They were soon enveloped in a blinding flash of light. It wasn't long after that when they vanished into thin air as they were teleported through the Warp System.

To be continued...