I do not own Odin Sphere or any of the characters depicted in this story (with few exceptions). That should be self-explanatory.

Chapter 4: A Sister Gone Missing

As much as Ingway enjoyed travelling around the world of Erion, the return trip back to his home in Valentine was always the part he loved most. The prospect of seeing his dear sister and mother again after a lengthy journey far outweighed his fear of returning to King Valentine's madness, and his trip home was nearly complete. His most recent outing had taken Ingway to the far east, where King Onyx's Fire Kingdom rested within the massive volcanic lava pit of Volkenon. There he had beheld the Origin of Fire itself with his very eyes, a brilliant sight he would never soon forget. Ingway had long had a passion for exploring the world around him, observing everything that made Erion what it was.

Nothing surpassed his love for the Valentinian Kingdom, however, his beloved home. Like in all of his previous expeditions, Ingway had grown homesick after a short while, and had set off from Volkenon after he had done his share of exploring. He felt very at ease when he passed Valentine's borders, finally within the confines of his birth country. He knew the first thing he wanted to do was tell Velvet and their mother about the wonders he had seen. That anticipation quickly came to a grinding halt when his entrance into the Valentinian palace was abruptly interrupted by the intrusion of the royal guards.

"No entry," the soldiers stated firmly. Ingway clearly found this denial unexpected, but the guards appeared to have known this moment would come in time.

"I beg your pardon?" Ingway questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Certainly the royal guards of Valentine must know who I am."

"We do indeed, Prince Ingway," one of the guards responded, refusing to even make eye contact with him. "However I am afraid that King Valentine has given us strict orders to keep you and Princess Velvet out of the royal palace."

Ingway's wide eyes filled with anger and disbelief. "That's ridiculous! How can he keep his own grandchildren out of the palace?! Can you not see the madness of this?!"

As Ingway argued with the palace guards, Virgil watched from his lofty bedroom window, the pages of a blue hard-cover book fanned open in his lap. He gazed down at the developing scene, letting out a sigh as he rose from his chair. Knowing that it would be best to prevent the quarrel from escalating, Virgil proceeded to the front gates to clear up the situation.

Ingway was furious, to say the least. He knew his grandfather was insane, but to banish him from his own home was simply outrageous.

"I demand to know what gives King Valentine reason to evict his own flesh and blood from the palace!" he barked, just as Virgil emerged from the opposite side of the Valentinian castle's front courtyard. The two princes locked eyes, and Ingway breathed a sigh of relief.

"Virgil, what in Erion's name is this insanity?" Ingway inquired sharply, crossing his arms in aggravation. "What does our grandfather think he's doing?!"

Virgil scratched his forehead and gazed down at the ground, unsure how to explain things to the second prince of Valentine. Despite having a few days to let things sink in, Virgil wasn't quite sure if he himself had fully comprehended the utter chaos that had unfolded before his eyes.

"I'm… afraid the situation is quite serious," Virgil started. "Grandfather just recently returned from Winterhorn Ridge to speak with the dragon Hindel. He was given a prophecy regarding Velvet and yourself…"

"Velvet!" piped up Ingway suddenly. "What has that madman done with my sister?"

"Please," Virgil interrupted, his voice louder. "Please, Ingway, let me explain."

Ingway silenced himself and clenched his fists in restraint. If Valentine had done anything to Velvet, there was no telling what measures Ingway would take for retribution. Virgil closed his eyes, for he knew his next words would undoubtedly incite his stepbrother's fury.

"Ingway, our grandfather has exiled Princess Velvet from the kingdom," he finally said, not daring to look the man in the eye. A palpable silence followed, Virgil could sense that Ingway was fuming with hatred for the psycho that was King Valentine.

"You're telling me," Ingway hissed nastily, "that my dear sister has been thrown out into the world without so much as a second thought?"

"…"

"LOOK at me, Virgil."

Virgil raised his head high boldly, and could now see the stone cold anger etched in Ingway's face. No words were exchanged for a brief moment, until Virgil at last issued a response.

"…Yes. I… I'm afraid that is what Grandfather has decided," he told him, wringing his hands together uncomfortably.

"And Mother had nothing-"

"Our mother is now a prisoner of Valentine," Virgil cut in, his voice now trembling.

"What?!" Ingway screamed, his hands now gripping the iron bars of the palace gates. "Virgil!! You let me inside this instant!! I'll be DAMNED if I let Valentine get away with this!!"

The guards were quick to act, keeping the infuriated Ingway away from the gates.

"Tell me what Hindel's prophecy was!!" he shouted while attempting to shake off the two Valentinian guards restraining him. Virgil sighed and looked up at the sky.

"He foretold that the daughter of Ariel and Odin would be the fated leader of Valentine," Virgil recalled. "Grandfather threw our mother in prison for lechery."

"This… this is preposterous!" Ingway countered. "What are we to do without a home, Virgil?! What is going to happen to Velvet…?!"

"I'm… sorry," Virgil apologized, unable to think of anything else to say that might ease the pain.

"I have to find her," Ingway added, mainly to himself. "Please tell me you know where she has gone…"

"…I do not."

"…I cannot believe this," choked Ingway as he turned his back on the royal palace. Virgil was again staring down at his feet, wishing he could impart the tiniest bit of sympathy to Ingway and Velvet, wherever she was. He reluctantly returned to the palace, his mind more clouded than ever.

Ingway, now leaving Valentine once again, knew not of where to start in his search for Velvet.

"Odin, the Demon Lord," he mused sorrowfully. "Our true father. Perhaps… he would have an idea where she might be…"

With nowhere else to go, the banished prince of Valentine made for the nation's long-time enemy, Ragnanival, hoping to death that Velvet was unharmed.

"Be there any true and pure gods in this world, I beg of you, watch over my sister."