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I awoke with a start. Heavily breathing and drenched in sweat. Sakaki and the Soulforged were unmoving, peaceful. I looked over the side of my bed to the spot on the floor where I had placed Azura.
"Hey, Azura", I whispered.
"Hmm?", the weapon replied.
I picked the mace up. "Come with me"
I quietly opened the door and walked out, making sure not to awaken anyone. I practically tiptoed down the wooded stairs to the front door of the inn. The desk clerk was asleep in his chair, his fat belly rising and falling with each breath. The dining room was totally empty and darkened. Reaching the door, I slowly opened it and exited the building. The streets of Jeuno were dark save for the lights in windows and the tall lamp posts along the edges of the street. I leaned against the cold stone wall and held Azura in front of me.
"I had a dream.", I told him.
"So? You brought me out here to tell me you had a dream? Sissy..", he lamented.
"It's a reoccurring dream.", I said.
"About what? You miss your mommy already?", he joked.
"Yea, that too, but...it's about a dead friend..she talks to me in these dreams and shows me places I've never seen"
"Oh? What sorts of places"
"Well, first off, she told me to find Verechant...and I did...now she shows me a place that looks to be built of the same stuff as Delkfutt's Tower"
"Well, only the Zilart built structures like that. What did the place look like"
"A main building surrounded by towers made of the same material. The vision was blurred. Kind of like water. There was also this huge, swirling, orange portal over the top of the building"
"Hmm...definately Zilartian...I dunno what it is though.", Azura sighed.
"Hmm...",I was disappointed.
"Who is the person that talks to you in these dreams?", he asked.
"Jahlo Teshkondo...she knew Verechant and told me to find him. Thus, I found you. Do you know her"
"Damn, why didn't you tell me this earlier?! Jahlo was one of the people that defeated Lord Eald'narche the first time he tried to become a god. She was one of the people that decided to seal my conciousness in this weapon in case Eald'narche ever tried to pull it off again.", Azura said.
"But you don't know what she was trying to show me?"
"I'm no expert about the Zilart, I just worked for them. Besides, the Zilart built many structures that are still around. Delkfutt's Tower, Fei'Yin in the north, Tu'Lia in the sky, the crags...so there could be another place that no one has found yet. A lost Zilart city."
I sighed. "I guess we should just focus on Tu'Lia for now. Try and stop Eald'narche there"
A boot scuffed against the ground behind me. "I won't allow you to stop the plan of Lord Eald'narche! He will finish his task in the great capital of the ancient Zilart"
The voice was familiar. Yet, one I didn't feel like hearing at this time of night. I turned to face Jesi. His face was a huge grimace of anger as he stood in the semi-darkened alleyway beside the inn.
"Been waitin' for me?", I said mockingly.
"You had to come out some time, False King.", he said with a grin.
"I'm sorry,bro, but Lord Eald'narche is a dangerous kid. He has one of my friends captive and is using her as a tool in his plans to become a god"
"I...I don't care!", Jesi stumbled over his words, "I can't let you destroy the future of Jeuno"
He drew his rapier from his side. It was a heavily decorated item that looked tremendously expensive. Most likely, it was one of those weapons usually meant for display.
"C'mon man! I don't wanna fight you!", I waved my hands in front of me in panic.
"But I wish to fight you!", he swung his blade in a westward arc that clipped a mote cloth of my robe off. No one rips my robe. No one. I held Azura defencively, crouched slightly, ready to spring.
"I can't let Lord Eald'narche become a god! All he wishes to do is rule the world!", I told Jesi.
"You lie. You spill nothing but hate.", he moved quickly for a thrust that I managed to parry with Azura.
"I'm not lying. He wants to be the Zilartian ruler of the entire planet.", I tried to convice him.
"The Zilart no longer exist you foolish False King. How dare you soil Lord Eald'narche's name by aligning him with the villanous Zilart?", Jesi swung four quick slashes that I dodged and countered with a strike from Azura that literally crumpled his defence. The black mace struck his collarbone and it gave way. An audible crack was heard followed by a sharp intake of breath from Jesi. He clutched his injured area gingerly with his hand. "Fool! You'll pay for your slander!", he insisted and bolted down the dark alleyway beside the inn.
"Don't follow him.", Azura told me as I was about to pursue the fleeing man.
"Won't he tell somebody about me?", I asked.
"No, he's too scared. He's scared to believe what you told him"
"Is he?", I was surprised.
"Yes, didn't you see his tears? Even before you struck him he was crying. Scared to death that what you were saying is true. He has to figure this shit out for himself"
At that moment I almost felt sorry for the young man. I guess at an early age he was taught to look up to the leaders and not question them. Now that someone has said otherwise, he is terribly confused.
The door to the inn opened and closed. I heard soft footsteps behind me. I turned to see Sakaki, dressed in only the baby blue bathrobe given to everyone by the inn. She was gazing at me, confused.
"I thought I had heard something out here.", she said.
"Oh, it was nothing. I just needed some fresh air.", I answered.
She grinned at me knowingly. "I saw you fight that man you were with earlier. He was crying when he ran...", she looked despondantly at the cobbled street.
I gulped. I hope no one else had seen. "He's just confused. He'll figure things out"
She nodded without looking up. "I hope so.", she looked up once more. "Mr. Prior? Can I take a walk with you"
I nodded easily. "Of course"
"Good. I want to talk about Kaorin...", she said as her face flushed.
"Well, c'mon then.", I prodded.
She trotted over and we began to walk the darkened streets together. We kept to the main streets lest some mugger see us as ideal prey.
"I'm worried about Kaorin.", she said.
"Heh...I think we all are"
"No,...I'm worried about more than that...", she said.
"Oh?", I asked.
"Kaorin is...well, for a long time me and her have been the only ones to speak about her power"
"Power?", I asked curiously.
"For as long as I've known her we've had this sort of strange bond. This...mind speak. We have come to the conclusion that we're connected at the mind. Sort of like sisters, but not.", she explained.
"Well, that's certainly odd"
"I feel her pain. That is what we share. We share each other's pain. I can feel her grief and torment. Her mind has been locked away by that evil boy. It is only a matter of time before it withers to nothing. And when it does...", she stopped.
"What happens"
"We die..."
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epicness (love for all my readers)
-peace-