I do not own anything from Star Ocean Till the End of Time!
The True Nature Of All
Chapter 5: Brewing War and More Sorrow
It was a year after the death of Nixie and her friends. Since then, war has brewed like lava in the Urssa Lava Caves. Vox had managed to spread the rumor that the Aquarians, had, indeed kidnapped the Princess and killed the three women, not having recognized any of them by the disguises they wore. War was on the verge and there was nothing the Princess could do to stop it. She had no memories of who had kidnapped her, or what was said to her while she was imprisoned. However, all she could do was sit in her room and wait for what was to come. Albel and his father had gone off to commune with the Air Dragon spirits in order for Albel to take his father's place as commander of the Dragon Brigade. Glou was dying. Albel, Airlia and Arzei knew this from the way the tormented man would barely eat, drink or sleep. The pain was so great in his heart and soul. They made their way to the caves, dodging some monsters and killing others, they soon were met face to face with a dragon that was even greater than Oddeye.
In fact, this dragon was so large; it was hard to imagine communing with it. Albel knelt on one knee; bowing his head as he spoke. "Great Marquis, I speak before you, beseeching you for your aid. Our people, friends and family alike, are facing a grave peril. Please aid me in helping to bring peace to our squabbling nations…"
Albel would have continued, but the dragon spoke, speaking the voice that lay in both hearts. "I will not! You are not sincere about needing my help. You are sincere about only one thing. However, it is not for me and my kin. It is for the Princess that you love so deeply. You are not fit to have a dragon. I know of the Airyglyphian traditions that my kin speak so fondly of. Become captain of the Black Brigade. You are not fit for this position or of me." Albel's eyes darkened with black fury.
"How DARE you!" Albel spat. Glou didn't like where this was going. His son had a temper, but knew that the Great Marquis was dangerous when angered. However, it was after the dragon spoke that Albel realized his mistake, one that he wasn't likely to survive to repeat.
"How DARE I? How dare you! I am the ruler of my kind. You come into my world, disrespecting my kind. Expecting us to bow to your whims and serve as your slave! Talos told us that not everything was as it seemed in your world. However, look at what happened to him. Tales are still spinning as to how he really died. However, it is time to deal you humans a lesson of your own to pain and suffering. It shall start with you!" With that, a large flame started brewing in his mouth as he began to spit it out at the young warrior. Glou felt himself dive in front of his son, protecting him from the flame!
"Father, NO!" Albel reached his left arm out at his father. The searing flames reached just beyond that of his father, consuming the body completely, except for the mystical royal treasure of Airyglyph, his katana. The flames even seared Albel's extended left arm. When the fire died down, Albel was clutching the remains of his left arm and saw his father's charred body. Even with the rage the Marquis still felt, he knew the pain of losing a loved one.
"Take his body and leave. I shall shout a warning to any and all that would dare attack you on your way home. GO NOW!" Albel was barely able to sling the sword around his waist, in an attempt to bring the treasure home. The sword seemed to understand that he had no intention of trying to tame it and was quiet while Albel tried to bring his father home. Albel barely made it back outside of the caves and saw that it was magically sealed for good. Gareth had been flying the skies, patrolling it for trouble when he saw Albel's frantic wave with his good hand. Baldwin landed as Gareth paled at the sight before him.
"What happened to Glou, Albel?" Gareth asked as Albel could barely speak.
"I failed. I was going to be killed when my father leapt in front of the flames. In an attempt to stop him, my left arm as you can see, was burned severely." Baldwin bowed his head as he used his foreleg to assist Gareth with getting Albel and his father on his back. When Albel and Glou were secured on Baldwin, the dragon jumped into the sky and flew back to Airyglyph as quickly as possible.
Airlia had stayed inside her room all day. She had been doing that ever since she came home from the kidnapping. Her memories of those days were still a haze. The local doctor had said that was actually quite normal. They had felt, however, that with time, her memories should return. Airlia's eyes watered with the memories from just under a year ago.
Kirlsa, the mining city and under the protection of the Storm Brigade; Count Woltar manages the city. Since the town of Airyglyph is too frozen to bury their loved ones, they do so in the town of Kirlsa. After the dragons dropped off their riders, they took the body of their beloved friend, Talos, to the Dragon Graveyard for his own funeral.
Airlia was given a beautiful sleek black dress. She wore it with a black veil for mourning the lost friend to all and mother-figure to her, Nixie Nox. Airlia remained close to Glou and Albel. Arzei knew it was because she was so close to them, they were family to her, as was he. It was the only time that Albel actually cried in public. Glou looked like part of his very soul had died with his love and his partner's deaths. Arzei dressed in the traditional black clothes that were fit for a ruler in mourning the departure of dear friends. The day went by in a blur of tears and crying by those who knew them. Her body was buried with a flag of the country that she served. She had died trying to give her Princess freedom from her captors. It was the least that could be done. Nixie had no known family except for the ones that she had in Airyglyph. Nevelle and his family as well as the Lasbards were in attendance. Regardless of the brewing war that would soon erupt that everyone sensed; they wanted to be there for her burial. They had buried Kira in her home of Arias. There was a burial in the land of the Sacred Royal City of Aquaria, it was that of Elysia. Cavan and Cassius wore black, knowing they didn't want to further hurt the young Princess.
"She was too young to be claimed by the reaper of death. However, this young woman gave her life in an attempt to free our Princess from captivity with the assistance of three others, all of whom have been unfortunately killed in the process. They shall live forever in our minds, hearts and souls. I promise to find out who did this and allow those who suffered most the first attempt at killing them if they so wish it. Now, however, is time for mourning the loss of a brilliant star in our town of Airyglyph, Nixie Nox." Her body was lowered into the ground slowly as tears fell freely from those who truly knew the brave woman.
The memories faded into the distance as she heard frantic beating of wings. Her heart leapt into her throat as she thought it could have been Albel, returning to her on the wings of a dragon of his own. She was garbed in pure black still, it was the only color she wore at this point, and it represented the depression that she felt. She ran out of the room, eager to see her knight and his father. Albel and she had been the only reason that Glou remained among the world of the living, otherwise he would have joined the spirit of that of his wife and his partner in heaven.
However a sinking feeling was felt in the pit of her stomach, especially when she smelled a foul smell, one that was somehow familiar. A fleeting image passed through her mind, one of a charred body found near the body of Talos. Her smile was gone as quickly as it came as she tore down the stairs to see Albel clutching his arm in pain and his father was burned nearly beyond recognition. She ran to Albel to try and save his arm. "Get me the two from Greeton! GONOW!"
Two guards ran from the room and returned minutes later with Cavan and Cassius. Cavan paled at the sight while Cassius assessed the damage. "We should be able to amputate it. Luckily for him, we're adept at it. Why don't you stay here Princess? It's much too ugly for such a delicate woman to witness…"
Airlia's deadly glare stopped them cold. "Over my dead body will you do anything to him without my being there to watch over him!" They nodded; their skins were two shades paler as a blue light appeared behind her eyes, a power of sorts that had no known origin.
They moved Albel quickly back to the workshop where all of the tools they needed were at hand. A soldier returned with a gauntlet that he had found as the result of combat one day out in the mountains. The whole time, all Airlia could think about was the pain her knight had to be in. It brought tears to her eyes as she whispered, "Albel, please, you must live through this. You and my father are all that tie me to living here. I would never willingly leave this place, knowing that you and father would suffer without me here." His good hand grasped out in the air, feeling for something. Seeing it brought her to reality as she ran to it and held it tightly.
"Go ahead and squeeze Albel, I love you my dark angel. You had better make it through this." Airlia felt her heart finally stop squeezing painfully when she admitted to the secret in her heart. However, it quaked when she realized that in his pain, he might not have heard her, or might have thought himself delusional. She refused to put her heart on the line again, knowing that it may be unrequited. Cavan shot a dark look at the man whose arm he was amputating. One look at Cassius told Cavan that he was thinking the same thing, however, they knew if they failed to do the amputation, which it would cost them more than banishment from Airyglyph and the Princess they both lusted after.
Several hours later as well as many tears from Airlia later Cavan smiled genuinely. He and Cassius had successfully attached the gauntlet to his damaged arm. They had used some basic potions to establish the link of thought to the reaction of the gauntlet. When Cavan backed up, he got a reward that he hadn't dreamed of. Airlia, in her grief gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek for helping to save him. She had also given the reward to Cassius. The amber eyed man smirked at his partner as if to rub it in his face. Airlia walked over to Albel and stayed by his side as he awoke from a terrible nightmare filled with heat and pain.
"FATHER, NO! DON'T DO IT!" He shouted into the room. His eyes darted from one spot to another as he then registered that someone was holding his hand. His eyes lowered to the form and saw his beautiful Princess. Her long hair was like a curtain shielding her from everyone's gazes. "Airlia, what happened?"
Her face rose to look him in the eyes. "Your father… I'm sorry Albel."
Her voice cracked with the pain in it. Albel felt his left arm, feeling the cold steel beneath his hand chilled his skin. "What the hell is this?"
Airlia could barely contain her tears as she spoke, "Gareth brought you home to us with your father, your arm was burned beyond repair, so a soldier gave us a gauntlet that he received as the spoils of a fight with a monster and these two," she indicated the black haired man and the platinum blond haired man, "managed to attach it and establish a connection so it's not useless."
Albel glared at the two men, but knew that Airlia had no engineering skills and the longer they waited to do it, the less likely they would be successful. He glared as he said through clenched teeth, "Thank you both, and now stay away from Airlia." Airlia looked at him questioningly; obviously she didn't remember her feelings towards them from the incident that was just prior to her kidnapping, otherwise she would have understood. Trying to get off the table he had been on was a slight challenge. He was still weak from the amputation, so Airlia assisted in helping him up, with an arm around her neck; she helped him back to the castle and to her room.
He hid his happiness of being with his Princess as being cocky. Slipping on his usual cocky grin, he said, "You may not remember, but they messed with your mind, your heart and very soul. It hurt me to see such torment on your face as we tried to clear everything from you." She seated him on her bed as she went to her compounding book. She wanted to find a recipe that would help to alleviate the pain that he was feeling.
Airlia remembered fragments from that, but everything had a haze to it since her disappearance as she was told had happened. It made sense to her a little with what little she could remember, but everything was as if covered by a blanket of fog that surrounded the peaks of the mountains surrounding her home. She was lucky that she remembered anything at all. There was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, Airlia went to open it to reveal her father. His face showed all of the pain that he was in both in body and in his soul. She couldn't remember a time that he looked that pained, except for when he helped to bury Nixie. Her face reflected the pain that was in her heart of hearts.
"Albel, I am truly sorry, we must bury your father so soon beside your mother. We shall do it tomorrow to give you time to rest today. You have my deepest sympathies. After the burial, we shall hear more from Vox about the investigation. I have this strange feeling that all shall be revealed tomorrow." Arzei said while in deep thought.
Airlia felt torn between two of the most important people in her life. Albel gave her a small smile and nod to attend to her father. Both men had seen that she was taking care of everyone except herself. She gave her father a hug as he nodded and let the tears fall in silence. With her door closed, no one was to enter without knocking on her door first. After his tears were done, he saw her eyes were also red, but it was equally due to the amount of tears and lack of sleep. When he released her from the hug, he dried his own eyes. So much had happened to her in the year that she had been reunited with those who care about her.
"Airlia, I am so sorry that you have to go through so much pain," Arzei said as he then turned to see the troubled look on Albel's face, "Albel, prove to me that you are still capable of protecting her, then you will forever be her knight. Tomorrow is the funeral, and then we begin to truly see what has brought all of this about. Someone is trying too hard to get to us, I want to know why." This brought a nod and a grim expression to the younger man's face. Arzei turned and left wordlessly leaving the two to do as they saw fit within reason of keeping Airlia's innocence intact without question. Albel shook violently on the bed. "Airlia, it was hard enough to spend time in my home on the lower floor without seeing my mother, now with my father gone, it'll be a night of nightmares for a while." He would have continued had Airlia not placed a finger gently on his lips.
"I shall be right back my knight. You protected me during the day; it's my turn to be your guardian at night."
Airlia quickly left the room and knocked on the door leading to her father's room, "Come in." Airlia entered and saw her father overlooking several documents. He glanced up and seemed startled. "Airlia, what is the matter little angel?"
Her eyes showed such confusion. "Albel, he feels awkward returning so soon after his father's death to their room."
Arzei smiled, even in the face of adversity, his daughter was still putting the needs of others before herself. "Very well my daughter, however, he must sleep on the couch. He may have blankets from his room brought up, however, do not let anyone catch you two in a compromising position. Understand?" Arzei asked as his daughter smiled gratefully. She curtsied as she left, leaving him shaking his head with a wry smile on his face.
Airlia made her way to his family room and crossed herself before going in to get his blanket. She knew which bed was his instantly by the size. She quickly grabbed the blankets and pillows and left the empty room. Making her way up, she almost was at her door when she was accosted by the vile relative of her father, Duke Vox. "Princess, where are you going with Albel's belongings?" Airlia stiffly ignored him and persisted to her door when a hand on her arm stopped her from entering.
"If you must know, I brought them up to Albel who is resting on my couch. When he is ready in a few hours, he'll be going back downstairs to his room. He's still in critical condition from the severe burns. I need to monitor him while he rests." Airlia knew she didn't have to defend her own actions, but she defended her knight, giving only a half-truth, but it was so convincing that it seemed to be acceptable to him, only for a moment though.
"Princess, I fear for your reputation. If a prince from another land comes to ask for your hand, if word gets to them that you are 'used' goods, then you will be hated throughout all of Airyglyph and the rest of the continent. Keep this in mind before aiding a hormonal teenager."
Airlia scoffed at him openly, "Vox, let me be frank with you. I do not trust you or your friend, Shelby. I have no doubt you'll become captain of the dragon brigade. I also have no doubt Albel will gain captain status of the black brigade. However, keep this in mind, if any harm comes to either him or me, we'll look for the actual source, not the fabricated source. I am sure that will be either you or Shelby." At this point, however, he paled drastically making the Princess wonder what he was hiding as the man took off down the other direction.
Airlia glared at the retreating man's form as she went back into her room to see Albel fast asleep on her bed. She chuckled as she set up the makeshift bed on the couch. When it was done, she quickly dressed in her long sleeping clothes behind her dressing screen and tucked Albel in within her own bed. With a gentle kiss on his forehead, she went to lie down on the couch. It wasn't too long after she had drifted to sleep that she had a dream where Albel, even though he was still weak from his injury lifted her into his arms and back into her own bed. He had kissed her on the forehead and went to lie back down on the couch and fell fast asleep. She brushed off the mysterious dream in her sleep and it seemed to the pair as if night had just faded into day not long after, Airlia awoke and felt something soft beneath her. Softer than the wonderful padding on her couch, it was her bed. The dream had not been a dream! Her eyes watered up at the thought that Albel had placed her into bed and slept on the couch. The pain that he must be in at this point! She saw he was fast asleep and quickly changed into her usual black gown.
It was just after she had changed into the black dress that Albel began to wake up. Airlia was at his side with one of her healing potions. "Here Albel, take this please. You must hurt so badly after helping me into bed. You were so sound asleep that I couldn't bear to make you wake up to get on the couch. I was fine, I promise!"
Albel's doubtful glance spoke volumes as he smiled gently. "I know it is comfortable, but you belong on that bed, not someone like me." They left the room so Airlia could join her father as Albel left to ready himself for the second funeral in far too soon.
Airlia knocked on the door. "Come in." resounded from deep within. Her father was obviously still getting ready. Airlia smiled sadly as she entered. She sat in the chair that was reserved for those with issues in the kingdom. After a short time Arzei left the bedroom. He was wearing the same black garb that he wore to Nixie's funeral.
"Airlia, I want you to remain in the castle after this is all said and done. I do not want you to be the subject of another kidnapping. I fear for you as both the Princess of Airyglyph and as that of my daughter first and foremost." Airlia nodded solemnly as they left to join Albel in the throne room.
Albel bowed courtly before them. He would not fail to protect them as he did his own family. "Let us go." They left to go to the city of Kirlsa that now held so much pain for the two royal people and that of the guardian to the Princess. They walked with a royal escort. All of those whom the Princess knew within the brigades were there. Everyone was there whose lives were touched by the strong man who was Glou Nox.
They arrived to the cemetery and watched as the ceremony was done in the same tradition as it was done for his wife. The man would also be a hero to the eyes of those who knew them. It went on for so long, but eventually Glou was resting beside his wife. Airlia stayed near both important men in her life as Gareth came up to the three people. "Majesties, Young Albel, I am not going to apologize about his death. When I lost my family, that's all anyone could say. I got sick of the phrase really quickly. So I will say that if you ever need anything, feel free to ask me. My door is open. Glou touched my life deeply when he took me to get my partner. I feared that I wouldn't be able to commune and suddenly, the next thing I knew, he helped me to believe in myself and I was able to commune with Baldwin. So I promised myself that I would always be there for you and anyone who was important to him."
It brought tears to Airlia's eyes. Albel gave a wry smile, "Thanks Gareth."
They left the cemetery and made their way back to the castle. The spot that Airlia had been found was marked with several bouquets of roses. Airlia felt tears come to her eyes as Albel squeezed her hand gently. All too soon they were back in the castle in the main hall when Duke Vox barged his way through. In Airlia's eyes he looked all too pleased with himself. A half conscious man was being dragged behind Vox with the aid of the man that wasn't fit to be part of the Black Brigade, Shelby. The man was wearing the clothes of the Royal Sacred City, Aquaria. Airlia looked at the scene aghast of the poor man and what was likely to have been done to him. Arzei had finally had enough of Vox's interruptions and said in anger, "What is the meaning of this?!"
"Excuse me sire, however, a new development in Airlia's kidnapping has been made. This man, Arnold Craigen told me of who it was that was responsible for the terrible deed. Tell them what you told me exactly." Arnold could barely raise his head, never mind speak. Airlia wanted nothing more than to take the poor man away from the dastardly man. However, what the man would speak would forever shatter the tentative peace between worlds…
"We stole her away to force her to marry one from our lands. We were plotting to kill you so that our people could take over your kingdom. We will still get away with it. It is only a matter of time Your Majesty." However, before he could speak more Vox ended his life with a thrust of his sword to the man's neck. Airlia turned her head away from the scene as tears came to her eyes. It was impossible. Those from Aquaria wanted nothing more than peace.
Or so she had thought it seemed, looking at her father, his face spoke of only revenge and war. Her heart felt like it was shattering. She left as his words rang clear in her mind for years to come, "We will kill those who are seeking to do our kingdom harm. Let it begin." Airlia went into her room to write into her book all that had transpired. She recorded everything from dreams to nightmarish visions of war that were forever dancing in her head. She would figure out the truth. It would only be a matter of time, however, that, she feared was the one thing she didn't have.