Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 35: Unwelcome Guests

Time returned to the present as Tsuki and the others quickly returned to Phi's place after the young girl they met when they initially arrived to the town approached them in ripped, tattered and bloodied clothes while covered in scratches, cuts and bruises. The girl had no serious injuries to her but due to her appearance, they didn't want to cause any alarm with the townsfolk. Not only that, they wanted to know what had occurred overnight and the girl was their only lead on figuring it out. However, personal hygiene, healing her wounds and getting her into a new, fresh set of desperately needed clothes was their first priority. They spent their entire morning and a good portion of their afternoon healing her injuries, cleaning her up and getting her into a better outfit. By the time they had finished tending to her, it was almost two in the afternoon. Due to their efforts, the young girl had started to grow more relaxed.

They all gathered in the living room and sat down in the chairs and couch as they had quite a bit to discuss. It wasn't going to be easy, however. There were several minutes of awkward silence that filled the room as no one knew what to say to break the ice. As they kept their eye on the girl, making sure she was comfortable and everything, everyone seemed to have notice that the girl was strangely attached to Tsuki as she barely left his side since first approaching them and due to the fact that she was almost practically clinging onto his sleeve. Cheria was sitting next to the girl who was also sitting between her and Tsuki and was the first to speak up.

Cheria cleared her throat and took a deep breath before looking to the girl. "Alright. I know this won't be easy for you but can you tell us what happened to you?" she asked carefully. Seeing the girl in her current state caused some flashbacks for her when Nagi first arrived in Eresseas with Georg after Tsuki had rescued her from Prophet Castle. She put up a brave face, trying to show that she was alright despite having spent years in captivity and almost used as a human sacrifice but she could see all the pain and agony in her eyes of everything she went through. The young girl was almost no different. Thankfully, this time, she has help to bring the life back into her eyes. She then reached down and held onto her hand gently, giving her a motherly smile. "Just take your time and don't rush" she said softly.

The girl felt whatever uneasiness she had slowly melt away. At first, she was cautious and weary of them but due to their kind and selfless actions, she was able to settle down fairly easily. It also helped that they didn't smell like bad guys either. When she felt the soft touch of Cheria's hand, she took a deep breath. "Well...what happened was...um..." she said. She had trouble getting the words out. She then looked around the room and saw that everyone was staring at her. Despite her uneasiness melting away and relaxing, she still felt very nervous and timid. Thinking back on all of the bad things that's happened to her up to the point when the assassin came to her rescue made her body tremble a bit.

Tsuki noticed that the girl was starting to close herself off. He couldn't let that happen. He placed his hand on top of her head and pet her gently to ease her anxiety. "It'll be okay. Take a deep breath and speak when you're ready. We are not going to hurt or judge you. We're here to help you" he said.

The girl looked up at Tsuki as the word help rang through her mind, causing her to think about the assassin's final words before disappearing into the night. She stared up at him for several moments. "That's right...help. They're here...to help me..." she thought to herself Upon hearing his words, she took another deep breath as she started to calm her nerves so that she could explain to them what happened. Once she was ready, she started to explain some of the things she's been through. The treatment she and the other Demi-humans have endured over the years, who the slave traders were and how she was put up for bidding when the assassin came in and saved her and the other Demi-humans.

As the girl explained what happened. Phi went through reports she obtained while everyone was tending to the girl. What she told them had pretty much lined up with what the reports say. It would seem that some of the Demi-humans that the assassin freed had informed the local guard and Esseand soldiers about what took place which were then put into various reports. "So, it's true. An assassin did infiltrate their hideout overnight" she said.

Luan was confused about how the infiltration played out. She's heard quite a lot about the slave traders and the people that the oppressors of Sirione employ. From what she had learned, they weren't your average fighters. Each one was extremely skilled in their own, unique ways which make them feared by all Demi-humans. "Something doesn't seem right. Sirione Slave traders employ both slave owners and guards that are all very skilled fighters. Yet, a whole group of them were killed seemingly effortlessly by a single assassin. How could one person sneak into their base of operations, kill everyone involved and escape unscathed, freeing the Demi-humans in the process?" she asked.

Phi shook her head as she scanned through the other reports. There was almost no information about the assassin at all so she had nothing to go off on except from what the girl said. "I think the answer is obvious. Whoever this assassin is, he's extremely good at what he does. He left no evidence that would trace back to him. If he can take down an entire operation hosted by Sirione by himself, he's not someone you want to take on unprepared" she said.

Nagi folded her her arms and fell into thought. It seems that the assassin shared somewhat of a common goal. "Wait,if he saved the Demi-humans and put an end to the slave trade operation here, isn't he on our side then?" she asked.

Tsuki shook his head. While it was true that they seemed to share a common goal, it was still way too early to assume that they were on the same side. They just had far too little information to rely on. "I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet. All we really know is that he's not fond of the treatment Demi-humans endure" he said. His actions may have had good intentions but he would need more than that to determine if he was a friend or foe.

Talk of the assassin and whether or not he was a friend or foe made her cling onto Tsuki's sleeve a bit tighter. She didn't like the subject being discussed since in her eyes, the assassin was a hero who saved her when she was in dire need. She then glanced over at Tsuki for a moment before closing her eyes with a slight smile on her face. "He's a friend. I know it" she whispered to herself.

Lynette noticed that the girl was getting awfully cozy with Tsuki as she continued to cling onto his sleeve. She decided to ask a question everyone else has probably been thinking about. "You seem to really like Tsu. Why are you so attached to him?" she asked, giving Tsuki a brief look.

Tsuki looked at Lynette, shaking his head. "Hey, don't look at me. I didn't do anything to her if that's what you're thinking" he said.

The girl tilted her head a bit before looking up at him. "His smell. Something about it makes me feel safe and secure. It reminds me of the assassin" she said.

By the look on her face, there seemed to be something more to it than just having a familiar scent. In fact, just the mention of his scent raised some curious questions since it was a rather odd way to refer to someone. Lynette grew even more curious about the young girl now. "What do you mean by his smell?" she asked.

The girl looked over at Lynette with her fox ears twitching a bit and tail swaying across the couch a bit. "As you can see, I'm half human, half fox. My senses and physical abilities are more heightened compared to an average human. For some reason, they're also more heightened compared to the rest of my kind. You can say I can tell if a person is a friend or foe by their scent" she said.

Ramza stroked his chin a bit as he slowly started to connect the dots on why the people bidding for her were throwing out extremely high bids for her during the auction. "I get it now. That's why the slave traders were so eager to keep you to themselves until they sold you off" he said.

Nagi looked at Ramza, tilting her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Ramza looked at Nagi before turning his attention to the girl. "Demi-human slave trade, as you know, is a major problem and has been going on since the royal family of Sirione was overthrown by their oppressors. There are people around the world who'd be more than willing to buy a Demi-human off an auction to do the things they're not fond of doing themselves" he said. He then pointed to the girl. "There's also a pretty high demand for young Demi-human slaves apparently. That alone sets their price pretty high above the rest. If she does indeed possess abnormally heightened abilities compared to other Demi-humans of her kind, then that explains why the prices were skyrocketing" he said.

Ruko fell into thought as he tried to make sense of all this. Eventually, he started to understand the point Ramza was trying to make. "They wanted her for her heightened abilities. Combined with the fact that she's at a fairly young age, they could make use of such abilities for a very long time. She would of been put to work for the rest of her life or until they no longer needed her" he said.

Ramza nodded, looking down towards the coffee table as he reached down to grab a cup of tea. "Exactly. Having the ability to literally sniff out an ally or an enemy is both a major asset to allies and deadly to enemies" he said. He then took a sip of his tea and then set it back down on the table. "If you ask me, if she found the assassin to be an ally, then it's probably safe to assume that he's not our enemy. At least, not right now" he said.

The girl listened to Ramza, nodding as he gave his explanation about her abilities and why they'd be well sought after. "You all give off a similar scent like the assassin. I can tell you're all friendly" she said.

Elle was standing by the window, staring out of it in silence as they all had their discussion about the slave trade. Seeing as how the discussion was slowly wrapping up, she turned and face the rest of the group. "Well, with the issue of the slave trade operation here already dealt with, what's our next plan? Go out and look for this assassin and confirm his intentions ourselves? It's not like we have a whole lot of options in front of us right now" she said.

Tsuki scratched his head a bit before shaking it. Finding the assassin would be a viable option but they had little to no information to work on. He thought about it but ended up shaking his head, rejecting the suggestion. "No. We have little to no information about him or his whereabouts. We don't even know what he looks like besides a black ninja outfit and two short swords and I highly doubt someone as well trained as him would be out randomly walking the streets. We'd be searching for a needle in a haystack" he said. Elle did make a valid point though. They weren't exactly pointed in another direction once they reunited with Phi.

Cheria looked at the girl and soon realized something. They had all done their introductions to the girl while they were attending to her after returning to Phi's place but they have yet to catch her name. "First off, we need something to call you by. What's your name?" she asked.

The girl flinched a bit when she was asked what her name was. She fell silent for a moment before shaking her head. "My name? I...don't have one any longer. My old name was taken away from me when I was enslaved. I can't even remember what it used to be anymore. It's not like I have a family anymore anyway..." she said. She had a depressed look on her face due to the fact that she couldn't remember the name her parents had given her. Having your own name taken from you is like having your personality taken from you. As a result, it's had a significant impact to her overall psyche.

Lynette felt her stomach twist a little bit after hearing she no longer had a name to call herself by or a family. It shocked her how you could have something extremely personal ripped away from you. "You don't have a name? What have you been called by then?" she asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

The girl nodded slowly, not wanting to admit it. "I was given a number instead. Number 169. That's the closest thing I have to a name now since I was the 169th person to be enslaved by them" she said.

When she mentioned that she was the 169th person to be enslaved by the slave trade operation, Nagi grew horrified. She didn't realize that the slave trade operation has enslaved so many people and possibly many more. "169th!? Just how many Demi-humans have been enslaved?" she asked.

Luan shook her head with a simple shrug. "Hard to say. Hundreds. Maybe even thousands. There's no clear number to how many have been enslaved or how many have died while enslaved unfortunately" she said.

Tsuki shook his head. "Well, regardless of the total number, that's not a name. It's a title. Let's see..." he said. He then examined the girl closely. Ears and tail of a fox. Light brown hair that went down slightly past her shoulders with dark blue eyes. A friendly girl with an extremely likable nature to her. He was never good when it came to coming up with names. He had to think extremely hard about this for a moment. He then eventually thought up of one he thought was good. He gave her another look. "...Cesela. That's your new name" he said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit as she thought about the name Tsuki came up with. A name that speaks of friendliness and a sort of artistic and likable nature to it. Judging by her innocent and friendly vibes, she thought that the name fits her perfectly. "Cesela, huh? I like it. It has a nice ring to it. It fits who you are too" she said. She then placed her hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "It's decided then. It's nice to meet you, Cesela" she said. She then gently pulled her in for a tight hug.

The young girl, now given the name Cesela, felt her heart skip a beat when they gave her a new name and then called her by it."Cesela..." she said softly, holding a hand up to her chest. She could feel her eyes start to water once Cheria had pulled her into a warm embrace. It was a warmth she hadn't genuinely felt in a very long time. It reminded her of a mother's embrace and she couldn't help but find herself lost in it as she buried her face in Cheria's chest, holding onto her tightly as she started to cry a bit into her chest. She released her hand from Tsuki's sleeve and dropped it on top of his hand. Tsuki then held onto it gently, not saying a word as he reached down and grabbed a cup of tea to take a sip of it

The whole display rose a few eyebrows around the room. Lynette couldn't help but giggle a bit as she watched the three of them in silence and decided to lift the mood a bit by teasing them. "Well, isn't this a sweet scene? It's almost as if you two were husband and wife and she was your child" she said.

The sudden tease made the tea Tsuki was drinking go down the wrong pipe and fell into a series of coughs. "C-child!? I wouldn't go THAT far" he said, trying to calm himself down.

Lynette giggled a bit, waving her hand in front of her face "I'm joking! You're such a tease sometimes" she said, enjoying herself. It seems that a bit of Elle has started to rub off on her.

Phi couldn't help but chuckle a bit as well. "Well, if anything, at least that side of yours hasn't changed one bit. The same goes to Her Highness as well" she said, glancing over at Cheria.

Cheria's face was beat red from Lynette's comment but tried her best to mask off the embarrassment. "Oh come on..." she mumbled to herself. She shook her head and looked at Cesela, putting her at arm's length with her hands on her shoulders. "Think of us as family. We can't replace your real family and I don't know if we can do much but we'll do what we can to help so don't be afraid to talk with us" she said.

Cesela wiped her eyes a bit, looking at Cheria with a nod and smile. "Okay, I will" she said.

Soon, silence filled the room but not for long. A commotion could soon be heard coming from outside. It sounded like the both the soldiers and citizens were in a panic about something. Before they could go and check up on the situation themselves, a knight walked into the living room. This knight, however, didn't appear to be any ordinary knight. He had a had blonde, spiky hair with a scar that went across his left eye and appeared to be in his 30s. He was carrying a jet black greatsword on his back with a jagged edge. It was clear that he wasn't part of the local patrol or just an ordinary knight.

The knight approached the group and examined all of them. There was an awkward silence that filled the air again as he scanned the room. His gaze eventually focused on Phi as he walks up to her. "You are Ms. Sykes, correct?" the man asked in a mild tone of voice.

Phi stood up and looked over at the man that had just entered the room. He was unfamiliar and wasn't wearing any sort of armor she was familiar with so she was a bit cautious. "Yes and who might you be? I thought I instructed the maids that I didn't want any visitors" she said. She gave him a bit of a glaring look.

The man returned the glare back at her before standing at attention. "Pardon my intrusion. My name is Luka Snowe, knight of Ustrisu Fortress. Pleased to make your acquaintance" he said, changing his tone.

Ramza leaned up against one of the bookshelves, his arms folded across his chest as he chuckles a bit. "Not just any knight of Ustrisu either. More like, the famed Black General of Ustrisu. Isn't that right, Luka?" he said, turning to face the knight.

Luka looked towards Ramza and kept a rather cold expression on his face. "Ramza. I had heard that you've been out traveling with a ragtag group of people. It seems the word on the street is true, after all" he said.

Ramza then approached him, lightly tapping on his armor with his knuckles. "It's just something I prefer rather than wearing heavy armor like this" he said. He then turned around and walked back towards the group, sitting on the edge of the couch as he folded his arms once more. "So, what news do you have for us? Must be pretty serious if Ustrisu sent out the Black General to make a personal delivery" he said.

Luka nodded, turned around to face the door. "It'd be easier to show you. Come with me quickly or you'll miss them passing over us" he said. He then left the room and headed to the exit before anyone else had a chance to speak up.

The group looked at each other, confused by his statement and soon followed him outside. Once they stepped outside of the mansion and walked towards the town, they noticed that people were standing around with their gazes up into the sky. Everyone seemed to be very anxious about something. Even the soldiers appeared to be on high alert as they held onto their weapons as if they were getting ready for an attack. There was also an uneasy chatter among the crowd. However, chatter soon turned into slight panic as everyone pointed into the sky. Something with large wings and a long tail flew by high into the sky with three more identical figures soon following it from behind. This caused a bit of hysteria and confusion among the crowd.

Elle knew right off the bat what just flew over their heads. There was only one logical answer and it was an answer the people of Ersheath really didn't like to hear. "Dragons" she said.

Luka nodded, facing the group again. "Not just dragons. They're some of Dolothlond's elite Dragon Riders. Our scouts in Nargelond and along our borders spotted them flying in this direction and alerted the top brass of Ustrisu" he said.

Phi hasn't personally seen or fought a dragon or Dragon Rider but she has read the reports and heard from people who have been in fights with them. They matched up to what the rumors say about them. They're not ones you want to get involved with unprepared. "Damn. What are they here for!?" she asked.

Luka reached behind him and pulled something out which he kept hidden in the ball of his fist. "I probably don't need to ask this but I have to clarify. Is it safe to assume that these people are our highly esteemed overseas guests from Eresseas that His Majesty has talked about?" he asked as he examined Tsuki and the rest.

Phi gave him an assuring nod. They had mentioned that their presence in Ersheath and where they really came from was only known among the royal family and some of the higher ups in Ersheath's military. It was no surprise that he knew who they were. "Yes. I can personally vouch for them myself as I used to fight alongside some of them" she said.

Luka shook his head. "There's no need for that. His Majesty has already informed the necessary people. Word of your efforts in Dagbor of how you rescued Captain Setzu and chased off the swordsman causing unrest around the area has also spread around to not only local military forces but also the towns. Your little group is starting to attract attention from both the military and citizens. Onto the matter at hand, His Majesty had to pull some strings but I come with a formal request" he said. He then held out his arm and opened up his hand and revealed an oddly-shaped stone. It resembled a key of sorts. It has carvings with weird symbols engraved into it as well.

Tsuki examined the stone and tilted his head. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the stone. "A rock?" he asked, scratching his head.

Luan took a look at the rock with a curious expression. After a quick examination, she recognized the rock. "Not just a rock. It's called the Tower Key...but why are you showing it to us? I thought only certain people are allowed to have one" she said.

Nagi scratched her head a bit. A strange name for a strange looking rock. "Tower Key? What's it for?" she asked.

Luka looked over at Nagi for a moment. "The Tower Key is something that's granted only to people who've met the approval standards of Ustrisu. It grants people access to a place called Sky Tower. It's an old ruin from the time of the Ancients that we've restored. We use it as a library of sorts as well as a place where we keep some of the kingdom's valuable treasure" he said. He then walked up to Tsuki and placed it in his hand before stepping back. "Our scouts believe that the Dragon Riders are heading towards Sky Tower as we speak and His Majesty would like your group to intercept them" he said.

Ramza was surprised that they were going to such a place. There wasn't really anything there that would be useful to Dolothlond aside from old relics and dusty books. Only thing they could be going after is Ersheath's Frost Gem but that particular item is kept elsewhere due to how important it is. "What does going to Sky Tower accomplish?" he asked.

Luka glanced over at Ramza. "Do you recall the object that we found in the northern snow fields? That crystal?" he asked.

Ramza held a hand up to his chin and fell into thought. After a few moments, it seems he's remembered something. "Oh that thing? Sure, I remember that. It was a royal pain in the ass to excavate though I didn't really sense anything special about it at the time. What about it?" he asked.

Luka walked up to Ramza and handed him a sheet of paper that he pulled out from behind him. "And you're right, there wasn't anything too special about it. We didn't learn about it ourselves until after you had left to chase down the Shadow Knight. Our scientists one day noticed that the crystal started to produce Aer. As a result, the Aer within a large radius of the crystal was significantly heightened, increasing the Mana flow. Not only did it increase the Mana flow, it also strengthened it. It seems Dolothlond somehow caught wind of it and appeared to have sent a team of Dragon Riders to retrieve it for themselves" he said.

Ramza looked over the paper that Luka handed him and what he said seemed to match up to what the scientists have discovered. It was easy to conclude on what their end goal was. "They want to use the crystal for themselves to bolster their numbers even further. Combined with the power of dragons, that's a deadly combination especially if it can strengthen Mana in a large area" he said.

Luka nodded, confirming Ramza's assumption. "Exactly. Dragons alone give us enough problems. We don't need stronger dragons to deal with, let alone stronger Dragon Riders. Due to its properties, we've called it the Aer Crystal" he said.

Luan couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit, shaking her head. "Aer Crystal. Seriously? You guys couldn't be more creative?" she asked.

Elle held her hand up to her chin and fell into thought. Something about the Aer Crystal seemed familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. "A crystal that produces large amounts of Aer, huh?" she mumbled to herself.

Tsuki heard her mumbling and looked towards her. "What's up? Does it ring a bell?" he asked. If it was something that dated back to the Ancients, she would most likely know more about it.

Elle stayed silent for several moments before shaking her head. "I have some ideas but I don't want to make any assumptions until I verify it for myself and to do that, I would need to see it with my own eyes and examine it" she said.

Luka turned around and faced in the direction of the town. "I have to report back to Ustrisu. Just hold the Tower Key up to the door and the tower will respond. Whatever it takes, you mustn't let that crystal fall into their hands. I wish you the best of luck" he said. He then walked off into town, soon disappearing from sight.

Tsuki scratched his head as he placed the Tower Key in his pocket. He then sighed heavily. "So much for not getting involved too much with Dolothlond. I can't picture this going well" he said.

Lynette looked over at Cesela briefly who had been standing next to Cheria quietly the whole time, holding onto her sleeve before looking at Tsuki. "What should we do with Cesela? It might be too dangerous if we brought her along" she said.

Tsuki looked down at Cesela before patting the top of her head gently. "Isn't it obvious? She's coming with us. After all, it's not like she has anywhere else to go" he said. He realizes the danger that they'll be facing but he couldn't just abandon her. Not after what they said to her earlier.

Phi knew what Tsuki's answer would be. She could read him like an open book. "Well, in that case, I'm going to join you on this mission. Seeing as how you'll have your hands full protecting Cesela, I'll do what I can for Her Highness" she said.

Cheria scratched her cheek a bit. "Um...I appreciate the thought. Really. But, I'm well protected enough already. I'd be glad if you joined us though. Just...don't refer to me as Her Highness in public. We wouldn't want our identities being known to the public. Not yet at least Just speak to me as if I was a normal person" she said. She's actually gotten used to being called just plain old Cheria. It felt more refreshing to her than "Her Highness".

Phi nodded at her. By habit, she almost found herself bowing to her but she quickly stopped herself. "Of course...Cheria" she said. It felt weird for her to refer to someone of royalty, someone she serves under, just by their names. She wasn't like Tsuki.

Tsuki nodded and faced the group. "Looks like we have our next destination in mind. Time is against us. Make sure you're all fully prepared. When you're ready, meet up at the town gate. I have a feeling things are going to get pretty hectic for a while" he said.

Everyone nodded and split off around town, mainly to stock up on supplies and any new sorts of armor and weapons that were available. No one knew what to expect from Dolothlond, let alone the Dragon Riders aside from what they've already heard. They had to make sure they were prepared for any outcome that may occur. After about an hour had passed, everyone started to gather at the town exit with their stocked supplies and new equipment. Even Cesela had some armor on though obviously no weapon. Once everyone had gathered, they left Chesberry and made their way towards the northeast, following the map as it led them towards Sky Tower.

To be continued...