Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 32: State Affairs

Two hours seemed to creep by at a snail's pace. The wait to meet up with the commander of Dagbor was almost painfully unbearable. The anticipation and anxiety continues to grow among the group as the minutes go by. Their original intentions were to meet up with the officials and figure out what's been happening with the recent string of conflicts that has been occurring and find out who the cause was. However, from their encounter in the forest, they already have their main question answered. However, the encounter also left behind many unanswered questions as well. The only person that seems to know who the person they encountered was is Elle and she's been avoiding the subject for some reason. Due to her solidarity of not wanting to talk about it, everyone eventually gave up on pressing her for more details and decided to wait until she was ready to talk about it.

When it was finally time to meet up with the commander, everyone slowly gathered in the foyer of the building. Even Setzu came along with them despite his extensive injuries. They could do nothing but wait for someone to escort them. After several moments of silence, a guard who wore what appears to be elite armor started to approach them as he came down the stairs leading to the second floor.

Once the soldier is within arm's length of the group, he gave them a quick salute. "I apologize for the wait. The commander will see you folks now. Follow me" he said. He then turned back around and headed back up the stairs.

The group followed the soldier up the stairs. Tsuki and the others remained silent throughout their walk to where the commander was waiting for them. As they continued to enter more secure locations in the building, security slowly started to tighten. Clearly, they were now in an area where people don't normally get access to very easily.

After several minutes of being escorted, they eventually reached a heavy looking wooden door at the end of one of the hallways. Outside of the doors stood two sentries on both sides. After the soldier escorting them gave them a brief explanation, the sentries soon nodded and stepped aside. Once the soldiers were out of their way, the one escorting them turned to face the group. "Beyond this door lies our base of operations" the soldier said, stepping aside as well as the doors were pushed open by the sentries.

Setzu nodded as the doors opened up, stepping forward ahead of the group. "Allow me to start the introductions. I've been long overdue for a report anyway" he said. He then stepped inside the room.

Tsuki looked at him as he stepped forward. "Sure" he said. It was probably more wise having him start the discussion. He's the one serving directly under the commander after all.

The group then followed Setzu into the room with the doors being closed behind them as they entered. The doors closed with a loud thud that echoed slightly around the room. They stepped into a large room that contained various amounts of important books, documents and other stuff. In the center of the room, there was a round table that could seat twelve people. On the table itself was a massive map of the entire world as well as maps of both Ersheath and Nargelond. The maps were marked by various markings. At the far end of the table, a man with a long beard that went down to his collar sat. He had a single horizontal scar that went down over his right eye and appeared to be in his late fifties. He also had dark brown eyes with brown hair. He has his elbows on the table with his hands overlapping the other as his chin rested on the top of his hands. He almost had a barbarian look to him.

Setzu approached the man from the other side of the table and brought his fist to his chest with a quick snap and bow. "Captain Setzu, returning from duty, sir" he said in a formal and serious tone in his voice.

The man grumbled a bit and remained silent for a minute after Setzu made his introduction. "Captain, I've heard that you just recently returned. You've been missing in action for several days now so I was starting to worry especially since Gradia Outpost was all but destroyed with little to no trace of any survivors" he said in a low, rough tone.

Setzu bowed once more to him, holding his arms down to his side. "I deeply apologize for my disappearance. I was trying to send word but we ran into several complications on the way that prevented me from doing so. In fact, if it wasn't for the timely arrival of Ramza and his companions, I wouldn't be standing here now" he said.

The man looked at Ramza and the others behind him, examining them closely. "So, you're the group His Majesty informed me of. Don't worry, my men had informed me although the detail they gave me was very brief. Regardless, you saved one of my best men and for that, I'm in your debt. If you folks need anything, please feel free to ask me anytime" he said.

Ramza shook his head a bit. "It was no big deal. It proved to be very beneficial to go out of our way anyway" he said.

The man looked over at Ramza and grumbled a bit more. "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Shu Reed. I'm the Esseand Commander of Dagbor. Before we get into the discussion His Majesty informed me on, I'd like to hear a full report on what happened with Setzu" he said.

They then spent the next half an hour telling Shu everything that happened from the moment they arrived in the remains of Gradia Outpost to when they rescued Shu from the mysterious fighter. They tried to make the details as easy to understand as some of the things that had to tell him about were a bit complicated and probably too far-fetched to believe. A task that wasn't exactly easy for them as none of them didn't know the full picture yet either.

After they were done explaining what happened. Shu couldn't help but scratch the back of his head. It was almost too believe after all. It sounded like something that came out of a very bad fairy tale but with their circumstances, he was forced to believe it. "Honestly, it sounds pretty far-fetched. However, if Setzu is backing up your story, then who am I to doubt him?" he asked.

Elle was leaning up against the table with her arms crossed across her chest. "The man that's been causing so much grief around here isn't your average guy. You'd best give up your hunt for him" she said.

Tsuki, who had been sitting down since they filled in Shu of what had happened, turned his head and looked over at Elle. "You know who he is, don't you?" he asked. She was definitely hiding something. It was plain to see.

Elle fell silent for a moment, closing her eyes as she looked down towards the ground. She fell into her thoughts for several minutes before raising her head once more and turning to face the group. "I suppose I should tell you now that everyone here is involved. Believe it or not, that man used to be a fabled hero back in the days of the Ancients" she said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit in confusion. She couldn't help but scratch the back of her head as she tried to figure out how someone like him could possibly be considered a hero. "What do you mean, used to be? How could someone like that possibly be a hero? He gave off a rather evil vibe" she said.

Elle sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing her explanation. "It's a rather complicated subject and a lot of details about it have been lost to time. He and several others fought to uphold the peace and succeeded despite the hardships. This was during the most turbulent war this world has ever seen" she said.

Ruko sat down in one of the empty chairs and leaned onto the table as she talked. "The War of Mana" he said. He couldn't believe how relevant the War of Mana was in their journey so far. It seems a lot of the things they've encountered so far is linked to the war.

Elle looked over at Ruko and nodded. "Yes. Eight unlikely people banded together to save their world from the turmoil that ravaged the world. This ragtag bunch are the ones that played a major role in ending the war. You can imagine how much of a devastating blow it was when one of them fell to darkness. That person is the man we encountered in the forest and his name is Zieg Strauss" she said.

Luan crossed her arms together and fell into thought. She recognized the name in her research of the Ancients. "I've read about him from some of the documents I've uncovered. He was a famous knight who put the princess of a royal family first before everything else. However, an incident occurred that claimed her life. This drove him mad for power in order to become stronger. However, that was centuries ago. How is he still alive?" she asked.

Elle gave Luan a brief glance, nodding at her before looking down at the table. "You're right. The princess that Zieg protected with his life was killed near the end of the war. The overwhelming burden of the war and the loss of his beloved princess drove Zieg into total madness. He succumbed to dark, twisted power and was eventually consumed by it. Comrades, allies and friends became enemies. Obstacles. The other seven heroes confronted Zieg and tried to save their fallen comrade and bring him back. However, despite how strong they all became, they were unsuccessful and ended up fighting against him. After a tough and emotional fight, they heroes defeated Zieg, putting an end to his plans. Whatever his plans were though was lost in time" she said.

Setzu tilted his head as he listened to Elle's story. He couldn't help but scratch the back of his head. But, that still didn't answer Luan's question. "So, if they defeated Zieg, why is he still alive?" he asked.

Elle shook her head. "Unfortunately, the most details of the fight and what resulted after became lost in history. However, it's speculated that the seven heroes couldn't bring themselves to strike down their fallen comrade despite the crimes he committed. So, they used a powerful Sealing Arte to seal him away in a disjointed space in time. They probably figured that the seal would contain him for all eternity. Unfortunately, their seal degraded over time to the point where it was weakened enough for him to break free of" she said.

Shu couldn't help but grumble a bit. The fact that the heroes of the old days couldn't strike down an enemy who was once a friend bugged him. "Well, of course. Sealing Artes aren't a permanent solution. Sealing Artes are only as powerful as the caster. If the Sealing Arte that the seven heroes used lasted for four hundred years, then they were extremely powerful. Since Sealing Artes are temporary, they basically threw him aside for other future civilizations to deal with if he ever broke free" he said.

Ramza shrugged, chuckling a bit. "Sure sounds like it to me and looks like that the civilization to handle it is ours too" he said. He rubbed the sides of his head, sighing heavily. They had enough problems to deal with already. "So, what's the plan now?" he asked.

Elle glanced over at Ramza for a moment before looking over at Shu. "As far at our next plan, I can't tell you. What I can tell you though is that you won't have to worry about Zieg causing anymore trouble any time soon" she said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit, looking over at Elle. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

Elle stepped away from the table and held a finger up. "Ever since we got here, there has been a sense of heaviness in the air. I know you all felt it too. After he left from our encounter, that heaviness in the air vanished" she said.

Shu stroked his chin a bit with a look on his face as if he came to a sudden realization. "You know, now that you mention it, it does seem as if it's easier to breathe around here" he said.

The mention of the heaviness in the air caused Tsuki to have a flashback of when they first arrived in Dagbor. Almost immediately after arriving, his subconscious slipped into the Celestial Bridge. He recalled that the mysterious boy that he has spoken to on several occasions mentioned that there was a powerful presence that was interfering with his connection just before they were cut off.

The discussions soon started to turn towards filling Shu in on their purpose there and the circumstances that led them to where they wer at now. Strangely enough though, there was some information that they had informed Shu of that didn't come as a surprise to him. Specifically, the events that took place in Eresseas.

Shu nodded his head as they explained everything else to him. It took a bit more explaining on their part but he soon started to fully understand their situation. He then stood up and clapped his hands together. "Alright! I think I get the gist of the situation. It sounds like you guys are in quite a bind" he said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit, scratching her cheek a bit with a rather confused expression on her face. "Um...not to sound rude or anything but there were some stuff we told you that didn't seem to come as a surprise to you. The only people that know of this are King Raiku and his cabinet of officials. Did he already inform you of this?" she asked.

Shu suddenly fell silent. An awkward silence filled the entire room. He then started to pace around a bit with a solemn expression on his face. Once he was ready to speak, he stopped pacing around and shook his head. "Not at all. I haven't spoken to His Majesty in few days" he said. He then gave Tsuki, Cheria and Elle a brief glance. "There's something that I should tell you. Since you three are directly involved with Eresseas, I feel that you should know this. I have a granddaughter and she serves directly under the royal family of Eresseas" he said.

They were shocked at this information. If information like was publicly known, it would be considered a potentially major security breach. A commander from another kingdom with a family connection with someone else who serves another kingdom. A connection like that would be easy to get inside, confidential information. Something like that could easily be taken advantage of. They didn't what to make of it. All they could do was give each other looks of uneasiness.

Shu noticed their suspicions and uneasiness in their body language and facial expressions. He then shook his head. "Now, before you start to jumping to conclusions and form misunderstandings, allow me to reassure you. My granddaughter did not play a role in the coup of Eresseas nor did she leak any information about Eresseas. She has an undying love to the kingdom and royal family she served. Her parents were part of their military because they liked their ideal of an everlasting peace" he said.

Cheria scratched the back of her head a bit. If what he said was true about his granddaughter, then that helps put her mind at ease. "Where is she now? Did she escape?" she asked.

Shu looked over at Cheria and nodded. "It wasn't easy for either of us but she did manage to escape. Once she was out of danger, I dispatched a ship to get her out of there. She arrived here two days ago" she said.

Tsuki thought for a moment. If there was indeed another survivor from that attack that had escaped, it would probably be in their best interests to meet up with them. It could possibly answer some questions about how they were able to infiltrate the castle too. Despite having escaped themselves, they barely had any information about how the attack played out. With a nod, he looked at Shu. "Do you know where she is now?" he asked.

Shu nodded and walked over to the side of the table where an enlarged world map was laid out on the table. He then took his finger and pointed to a location northwest from where they were at now. It was a small town in a desert-like area alongside a lake that connected to the western sea. "Right now, she's in a small town called Chesberry. Since she can't return to Cayhill, she was overwhelmed with worry and concern for the royal family, her comrades and citizens of Cayhill. So, I sent her to Chesberry on a secret mission to help get her mind on something else for the time being. If you want to know what that secret mission is, you're more than welcome to ask and join her. I can't share the information, unfortunately" he said.

Ramza tilted his head a bit. "Is there a reason why you can't?" he asked.

Shu shook his head a bit. "Let's just say it's an extremely complicated matter" he said. He then walked over to one of the cabinets along the wall and pulled out a folded sheet of paper and then walked over to Tsuki and handed it to him. Although, it wasn't just any ordinary sheet of paper. It was a map of Ersheath. "Take this with you. Since you're unfamiliar with the lay of the land here, this'll come in handy when plotting out your next move" he said.

Tsuki looked down at the map briefly before looking up at Shu. Not wanting to press him for more information about this secret mission, he simply took the map from him. "What does she look like so we'll know who we're looking for?" he asked.

Shu grinned a bit, chuckling. "Don't worry. I'm confident that you'll recognize her right away. She's someone you're very familiar of" he said. He then walked back over to his seat and sat back down, pulling out some important documents. "Now, you have your next objective. Best not to keep the lady waiting now" he said.

They all looked at each other, tilting their heads as the room fell in silence again. They soon turned around and walked out of the command center and were escorted back outside. Once they left the building, they walked towards the exit of the town with Setzu guiding them.

Once they arrived at the exit, Setzu backed off from the group. "I'm afraid that this is where we part ways. If you need any help, don't hesitate to contact us. I still owe you guys for saving me" he said. He then held out his hand as if to shake hands.

Tsuki nodded at him and reached out to shake his hand. "Thank you. Take care of yourself" he said.

Setzu chuckled a bit with a grin. "Until we meet again. Good luck on your quest" he said. He then bowed to them a bit before turning around and walking back towards Dagbor headquarters.

Luan smiled as Setzu said his goodbyes and walked away from them. Once he was gone, she clapped her hangs together, taking a deep breath. "Alright, so Chesberry is our next destination, huh? I can't wait!" she said.

Ramza looked at Luan, tilting his head. "Huh? You're still coming with us? I would of expect that you would stay here with Setzu" he said.

Luan shook her head with a bright grin on her face. "Setzu is safe from harm and is now in good hands. With Zieg gone, I have a feeling that the tension around here will slowly dissipate. Besides, I can't just turn my back now after all that's happened. I want to see this through to the end. That is, if you'll allow me to join you" she said.

Without any hesitation or second thought, Tsuki gave her a quick nod. "You're more than welcome to join us. We could use someone with your expertise" he said.

Cheria nodded with approval. She then walked up to Luan, taking hold of both her hands with a bright smile. "I agree. We could use more allies and your wealth of knowledge about various subjects is very fascinating. Besides, I want to know more about you" she said. She was a bit of a history nut so whenever she talks about old history, especially if it's history that isn't in the history books, she gets excited about it.

Everyone else nodded in unison as they gave their vote of approval for her joining up with them. Her resourcefulness as well as exclusive knowledge about the Ancients that even top researchers don't even know could come in handy in their travels. With the approval of everyone, Luan was beaming with excitement.

After they all welcomed Luan into the group, Tsuki looked at each one of them and nodded before turning around to face the exit. "Alright. Let's head out. According to the map, it's about a day's hike. Best to get a move on before she moves onto somewhere else" he said.

Everyone shouted in agreement and walked out of Dagbor. They followed the path to the northwest into the vast, open plains of Ersheath. This was their first time they actually set out to traverse across the lands of Ersheath. A new type of wilderness they didn't get a chance to fully explore last time. A wilderness home to a new breed of monsters and dangers. They were now officially on their own with very little information to go off on. With those thoughts in the back of their minds, they pressed on into Ersheath's backwater territory.

To be continued...