Chapter 3

Firo felt weightless, as if he was in a dream. A gentle hand was brushing fingers through his hair. He didn't feel tired, nor did he feel any pain. He figured that maybe he was dead. Hearing a faint, gentle voice talking to him, he began to stir. Slowly beginning to open his eyes as he sat up.

"You've awoken, my child. That is good," a familiar voice spoke to him. He saw a woman of pale skin, and hair of glistening gold sit before him. She was dressed in a garb of white that was tied by sashes of gold. Her eyes were like sapphires and her lips were like rubies.

Firo struggled to stand up, hearing water splash beneath him as he stood up and look around. The ground beneath the water looked as pure as white marble. The chairs were made of the same material, as was the throne she sat in. Behind her sat eight beautifully crafted statues. Each depicting either some manner of beast or a person. He looked at them with a feeling of awe until his eyes looked over one statue in particular. The beast looked familiar. He slowly reached for his necklace, grasping the charm that hung from it gently. The statue was of a beast like creature that had large horns. It was Ifrit. Unable to find the words, he looked to the woman immediately and she only responded with gently raising her pale hand. Silently telling him not to talk.

"Worry not, my child," she spoke as she glanced at the statue. "He is one of my children. Just as everyone on Vehlahn is my child. Although your people would refer to him as an Eikon. I am Slyphaal, mother to all."

"So, the legend Mayu told us is true," Firo said as he nodded. This was all so much to take in. "But if you sealed them away, why did Ifrit break free?"

"The seal has weakened. My son has escaped. He was freed by those who seek greed from power. And as such, formed a contract. He grows ever stronger and I can no longer stop him. I no longer have the power to do so. If you can free my children, you may be able to restore the seal, just as your ancestors did before you," Slyphaal explained as she gently rose from her throne, stepping forward. Her steps didn't splash the water, but instead caused tiny ripples on the water's surface. "Trust in your friends and the allies you will make. I am sorry, but I must entrust the task with your kind."

"Ancestors? So this has happened before?" he asked, shocked by what she had explained to him.

"Yes. You will make five more allies. Place your trust in them and the strength all of you possess will grow, shining the brightest light to banish the darkness." she spoke gently, as she rested a hand on Firo's cheek. "Never lose faith. The crystals will guide you. Now you must return to them, my child. We will speak again when the time comes."

Slyphaal stepped back, gently seating herself back upon her throne. Her body began to slowly turn to pure clear, beautiful crystal as she remained seated. As Firo watched this, he felt a ringing in his head as he heard distant voices calling to him. Falling to his knees as he held his head with both hands, he struggled to remain conscious until he finally collapsed onto the floor, causing the water to splash onto his face.

He suddenly awoke, seeing the face of his friend Yshimu sitting over him. Looking around, he didn't recognize where he was. Fighting to try to sit up until Yshimu forced him to lay back down.

"No getting up! You got hit pretty hard," Yshimu scolded him, smiling right after.

"Where are we?" Firo managed to ask as he looked around and saw Mayu and Kayaki as well.

"We're on Cid's airship. Bahamut he calls it. Comes from old lore, the king of the dragons it was," Mayu chimed in, enjoying a moment to show off her knowledge of legends and myths. "He got us out of there just in time. How the hell did you cast a large fire spell? You're Aether-Drive appears to be broken and only had ice and water materia in it."

"I think it's because of Ifrit. Ugh…" Firo forced himself to sit up, using Yshimu's shoulder for support. "Slyphaal… I got to see her. Apparently, Ifrit is mine to control now. I think." He paused a moment to think about this. He wasn't sure if it really was his to control or not. But he was ever grateful for the aide. Especially, in the wake of the battle they had just fought.

Mayu's face lit up. She was clearly excited by this news. She rushed over to Firo, nearly knocking Yshimu over as she eagerly pressed him for answers. "You control Ifrit? How? Why? Tell me more! Tell me everything! What's Slyphaal like? Did she reveal anything to you? Details! Details! Now!"

"Calm down, Mayu. He just woke up," Kayaki scolded her coldly. "Glad to see you're still alive." She gave him a cool look.

"Sorry. I just got too excited, I suppose," Mayu apologized as her ears went low and sat on her knees after taking a step back. "But, later, right?"

"I don't know much. She wants her children to be freed. And something about her 'son' was freed and made a contract. I'm sorry I don't remember too much," Firo shook his head as he sat up fully on the bench. His head still ringing from all that had transpired.

"Well, I hate to tell you the bad news but… well maybe it's better if you saw for yourself," Kayaki said as she reached out to the screen and turned it on. The screen showed clips of the events that happened earlier. Monsters were chasing the citizens and being fought off by the military. But there were more than just the Bombs they saw earlier. There were large hulking monsters that had horns growing from their heads and had fire engulf their fists. Strange gelatinous creatures that melted any metal they came into contact with. There was also a clip of them standing in the park, followed by the video of Firo launching the fireball at the airship that took it down.

"As you have just witnesses, Lotus has unleashed a horde of monsters upon the unsuspecting citizens of Freyja. Among those involved are former captain of the Crimson Wings, Firo Argent, and now former captain of the Cerulean Kights, Kayaki Yulena. The other members are yet to be identified but are to be considered extremely dangerous. Their attack resulted in the failure of Freyja's supporting system, causing the city to fall to the world below. It is currently unknown if there were any survivors but expected casualties are in the thousands. If you have any information regarding these members of Lotus, you are to contact Grenschal authorities immediately. More on the story as it develops," the woman on the screen reported as she looked into the camera with a straight face as she fed the masses the lies that were constructed by the Grenschal Organization. "We now take you to President Grenschal, where he will be giving a speech about the recent events."

The screen cut to a well dressed man with blond hair and green eyes as he stood behind a podium that bore the Grenschal emblem. He cleared his throat he as took to standing before the microphone that sat before him. "My humble citizens!" he proudly proclaimed. "We stand together as witnesses to the terrible acts of these loathsome terrorists. It seems they will sacrifice innocent lives as though they were nothing but yesterdays trash. So I urge you to stay vigilant. Every human, Mi'quthal, Vahrul, Barshaal, Gobkin, Efiel, Lucien, and Roefren alike to stand united in our time of sorrow. Many lives were lost today. We shall not let their deaths be in vain. Instead, we shall carry their memories with us. To drive the swift sword of justice so that they may pay for their crimes! Our forces will not rest until they are brought to pay for the deaths of our brethren! So I offer a reward for anyone who can provide sufficient information that will lead to their arrests. For the safety of Vahlehn, I must ask that you remain ever vigilant in our darkest time. Thank you," President Grenschal gave a powerful speech before the masses. Bowing slightly before he left the podium and walking off to his assistants as they left the press room, ignoring all the questions being asked by the press. The screen cut back to the news woman as she was about to read from her next line, Kayaki turned off the screen and looked at Firo.

"We're fugitives now," she said as she took a seat at the nearby table.

"Terrorists? We helped fighting those monsters… I don't understand," Yshimu said, turning to look at Kayaki.

"Kayaki would have been a hero killed in action if we hadn't escaped.." Firo said as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Instead, I followed you guys. And because I know the truth, I'm a liability. Just like the rest of you," Kayaki added as she looked around at everyone. "Cid's trying to reach an old friend of his. Says she runs the city of Alto."

"Alto? The city of gold?" Yshimu asked as she slowly rose to her feet.

Kayaki nodded before she said, "That's the one."

"How? They're going to plaster our faces everywhere," Firo asked, looking over at Kayaki with a lost expression.

Mayu looked at Firo before turning to look at Kayaki. Grinning mischievously, she nodded her head before speaking, "Because Grenschal doesn't really control Alto. But rather, the officers there are paid to not notice anything by the people in power there. Am I right?"

"Exactly. The higher ups have been suspicious of the illegal activity. But without anyone willing to actually report any of it, there's no evidence. No evidence, no crime," Kayaki explained with a smug grin, crossing her arms over her chest and crossed one leg over the other.

"It would be the safest place for us to go. Especially if Cid knows someone there. But what do we do after that?" Firo wondered as he looked over at Kayaki.

"We'll just figure it out as we go. I think that's all we can do right now," Yshimu chimed in cheerfully with a big smile on her face. "What's important is that we're still alive and in one piece. What comes next is something we'll figure out together. For now, we should just rest. Don't you agree?"

Firo, Kayaki, and Mayu all nodded in agreement. Soon after, a voice came through the speakers.

"Alright, kids. I just got a hold of our friends at Alto. We're going to be visiting 'investors' that are looking to finance a casino. Relax for now. We'll be reaching Alto, City of Gold, in about five hours. So take this time to enjoy the lovely scenery and the complementary refreshments that aren't really complementary," Cid said as he spoke over the intercom, with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"I guess you're right," Firo said before lifting himself up onto his feet, letting out a pained grunt as she stood. "I'll need some time to recover before we get into our next fight."

"I'll tend to your wounds. I specialize in healing and protective spells," Mayu said as she stood up. "I can use these spells without the use of an Aether-Drive, but I'll explain that later."

Alto, the City of Gold, is a prosperous city. While it is still a city under the Grenschal flag, there are others who control this city. The city is well known for its financial districts and gambling resorts. At night, the city seems to radiate gold from the lights from the city. Alto's streets are filled with those of every race, but those who seem to run the city are among the Lucien and Gobkin race. No matter the hour, the streets would still be filled with life with the shops open to all who would have the coin to spend it. Any desire to be bought, as long as the price was fitting.

Within the lavish capital building of Alto, behind a beautifully crafted desk, sat a Lucien who was the true ruler of Alto. The Lucien's are a short race who almost seem childish, but are as mischievous as they are intelligent. The Lucien woman of long auburn hair reached forward to the console on her desk, turning off the screen as she ended a call. Dressed in her stately formal attire of a royal blue dress that was adorned with golden buttons and golden lining.

"It seems we're going to be having some guests, dear sister," she said as she brushed her hair away from the front of her face, with a big grin.

"Oh? Are they going to be fun guests this time? I grow tired of those uptight officials coming here all the time," said another Lucien woman who was in the office. She wore a strange top hat over her raven black hair that had a large red streak in it towards the front, and a joker card resting in the brim. Dressed in a black vest suit with a red undershirt. Silver eyes peering from beneath the brim of her hat to the woman behind the desk.

"Now, Lucia, you can't set everyone on fire. These are personal guests of mine. They need our help. See to it that the preparations are made and the guards are paid. They must be blind to our guests," she said as she stood in her desk chair to fully peer over the desk to her younger sister.

"Alright, Lafisa. I'll play nice for now," Lucia responded in almost a childlike manner as she gave a small pout.

Of course, where everything is bathed in golden light, there are always bound to be secrets hiding within the shadows. Alto was a city with a bustling economy as well as a bustling underground society. Time marches on, and all the pawns were beginning to make their moves. Little did we know the strings of fate that had bound us together from the start. Even there were movements in the shadows, elsewhere in the city.

A hooded man sat alone inside a run down apartment, overlooking a map of the city of Alto. A small glow of the cigarette that hung from his lips, before he exhaled a puff of smoke. He was making notes on the map as he focused on a government building in the city. Hearing a knock on the door, he laid down the pen before speak up.

"Come in," the hooded man said without turning to face the door.

A young man opened the door and walked into the apartment, giving the man a salute before speaking, "Sir. I've come to deliver the report on the activity of Freyja."

"Go on," he said as he turned around to look at the young man.

"Master Lynx, after a strange growth of Aether energy at the central crystal of Freyja, monsters had overrun the square. A large monster was seen shortly after and laid waste to Grenschal forces," the young man continued. "The beast was felled by the people who they showed on the news. However, they are in no way listed within our ranks."

"At least not yet," Lynx spoke as he took the cigarette from his mouth and extinguished it in the ash tray.

A bit confused, the young man stepped forward. "Sir? What do you mean?"

"I will meet them in time. And I'll ask them to join us. What other choice can they have at this point, right?" he said, showing a fanged grin in the dim light of the apartment. "The pawns have moved. Now is the time to remove their strongest pieces from the board. We can't let the lives lost on Freyja to be in vain. A ruler who is willingly ready to sacrifice its citizens is not someone fit to be called a ruler. Send the order, I want every available agent to find our new friends."

"Yes, sir!" the young man saluted before he took his leave.

"The air feels heavy lately. Could the Aether be changing here as well?" he asked as he began walking out to the small balcony that was attached to his third story apartment, watching the people walk by in the streets below. "Firo Argent… This time we won't be crossing blades."

The airship station was busy as usual with all the people coming and going. New arrivals and people leaving to head off to new cities. Some of them transporting goods along with them. Cid's airship had just docked minutes earlier, and now they found themselves wandering through the station in a group. Cid was leading them, with his Vahrul assistant close by that was carrying his bag that contained all of his research notes.

"So, Cid. Who are we looking for?" Firo asked as he followed behind him.

"A Lucien friend of mine. She's agreed to put us up for a bit. In exchange we do some work for her, of course," Cid said with a sly grin.

"I hate the way you just answered that. A job with no pay, but I guess we can't be too picky right now. This doesn't feel right to me," he said as he glanced over to Yshimu and Mayu.

Kayaki wasn't too far behind the group. She felt so out of place now. Being a wanted criminal while she was still wearing the armored uniform of the Cerulean Knights. Letting out a depressed sigh, she looked over to Firo.

"My career is completely in shambles now. All those years of hard work, now wasted. What am I supposed to do now?" Kayaki asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Could always become a mercenary. There's good money in that," Firo said without hesitation.

Lucia came walking up to the group with a mischievous grin on her face as she carelessly walked up to Cid, waving to him excitedly. "Are you the really old guy that big sis told me to come greet and not set fire to? Mr. Cid, was it?" she asked cheerfully, tipping up the brim of her hat with a stylishly gloved small hand.

Cid couldn't help but chuckle at her question before giving her a confirming nod. "That would be me. You must be Lucia. How has your sister been lately?" he asked happily.

"She's been busy as always. I really think that she's forgotten to have fun," Lucia responded as she gave a surrendering shrug. She leaned over to the side and glanced over the rest of the group. Letting a big smile grow on her face before leaping to the side and spreading out her arms in a welcoming manner. "Helloooooooooooo!" she cheered out to them with a short chuckle following soon after. "I am Lucia, Mistress of the Arcane and all of that is mysterious within the city of Alto! You can address me as Mistress Lucia! Yeah, mistress sounds awesome."

"Um, hi. I'm Yshimu," she said as she looked down at the short, yet very eccentric Lucia that stood before her.

"I'm Kayaki," she said coldly as she tried to read Lucia.

"My name is Firo. It's nice to meet you, Lucia," he said, giving her a nod.

"Mayu," she said as she took a small step forward, bowing slightly.

"Now that introductions are out of the way! We should be on our way. Big sis doesn't like to be kept waiting, ya know. She can be pretty scary when she gets mad," Lucia said cheerfully as she began marching forward, leading them.

"We'll be safe here. Lafisa has more control over this city than Grenschal does. Money seems to go a long way here," Cid added in as he followed close behind Lucia.

"So how did you meet someone like Lafisa?" Kayaki asked in her usual cold tone, adjusting her shield on her left arm.

"Gambling. I met her through gambling. If there's one thing Lafisa can't resist is a good bet when the stakes are high. That's how everything is handled here through their 'official' channels," Cid answered, letting out a small laugh as if he remembered something.

"You'll be safe here, anyway. But if you disrespect my big sis, I'll set you on fire. Try not to forget that," Lucia said cheerfully, leading them through the crowded city streets now.

It would be a short while before they reached the capital building. The gates were golden rods that were adorned with silver vines that seemed to entangle themselves around the rods, holding it together. The building was a rather large, impressively lavish estate. In front of the building, a large statue of a rather impressive looking Lucien woman stood in the middle of a well-lit fountain. Lucia raised her hand, touching a silver leaf that seemed to be sitting out of place. Pushing the leaf, the gates began to slowly slide open, with the groaning sounds of the gears as the mechanism came to life. The front yard of the estate was beautifully decorated with trees that had thousands of blooming flowers on them. The continued down along the stone paved path that led to the front door.

Lucia turned around before the large double doors to face them with a big grin on her face. Lifting the hat off her head, she took a small bow to their guests and said, "Welcome to Lemure Manor! I am Lucia Lemure. My big sis is Lafisa Lemure. My twin brother is Melbor Lemure. If you should need anything, be sure to come talk to us."

After she greeted them, the large doors opened inward as if they were welcoming them with open arms. The hallway was lined with well dress butlers and maids of what seemed like of every race, except Gobkin and Barshaal. They all bowed in unison to the guests as they walked into the hallway.

"Welcome to Lemure Manor," The butlers and maids all said in unison, before standing straight again.

"Well… this is certainly discrete. Are you sure we're going to be safe here?" Firo asked as he looked around in amazement at how lavish the manor was on the inside.

"Of course. Lafisa owes me this since I won our bet," Cid said before we went ahead and walked forward, looking towards the servants. "It's been a long day. Could we be shown to our rooms? And Lucia, can you arrange a meeting with your sister tomorrow?"

"Of course!" Lucia chimed. "I'll go talk to her. She has a meeting in the morning, so it might be a lunch meeting."

With a hand motion from Lucia, the servants came to greet each person to lead them up the large manor stairs up to the second floor walkway. Now splitting from each other, each servants showed them to their individual rooms with barely a spoken word. Each of them took their room and began removing their equipment and relaxed within their rooms.

Firo particularly walked straight towards the bed and collapsed on it. Still feeling exhausted he could feel himself slip away into darkness as his body felt heavier with each passing breath. Until he felt something cold and wet on his face, he began to stir, until he pushed himself up to sit on his knees and looked around. He was no longer in the lavish bedroom of the manor. He was now in that same marble room where he met Sylphaal. Looking around carefully, he noticed his body rested above the water and not in it. It was like a dream as he looked around and eventually saw her throne. She was seated in her throne, but in flesh instead of crystal.

"Rest now, my child. I will explain. You now possess the powers of Ifrit. Pray use them well. You have good friends. Look after them, because they will need your help and guidance soon." she spoke, lifting her head from her hand.

"But what of the people of Freyja? They're dead because of this," Firo asked, rising to his feet and taking a step towards her.

"I have tended to their souls. And not all are dead. I managed to save as many as I could, but I am now weaker. I need to entrust you with the rest for now. I shall rest and recover my strength. May the Flames of Ifrit protect you, my child." she said, resting her eyes for now.

The room grew dark as Firo took another step forward. Everything was gone. There was no echo to his footstep. However, the air felt heavy. This caused his body to shake from an unknown terror that he knew was there. He could hear chains rattle in this distance, as if someone was trying to break them. Looking forward, he saw a red orb glow in the distance that was followed by a sadistic laugh shortly after.

"So she has chosen you? Her faith in your kind sickens me. We don't need your kind. I will devour your Aether and claim you as my own." the beast laughed again, the red orb flashed away before reappearing. It seemed like it was blinking. "Worry not. We shall meet soon enough. I'll claim you and Ifrit for myself. I will be reunited with my brothers and sisters once more. Remember my name, for I am Anima!" the beast roared out, pushing a strong unseen energy against him that caused him to collapse.

Firo rose from the bed, breathing heavy and covered in sweat. Without realizing it, he repeated the beast's name over and over under his breath. This continued until he heard a knock at the door and a familiar voice come from behind it.

"Firo. Are you alright? I heard you screaming.." Yshimu inquired from behind the door.