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Chapter 2: Conflict

Both Elcrest and Hilda continued embracing each other for quite a while at the shore. They had their respective reasons to not let go and it wouldn't be anytime soon. At least until the Time Witch was satisfied of letting every emotion out within the tight hug. She was happy, she was relieved for once, and she didn't get to have something like this often. Hilda had trouble feeling any sort of emotion for the past several decades. She only felt the dull determination of the promise she kept to Elcrest. And for once, she was able to feel something different this time other than that.

Elcrest felt similar emotions, he was also happy. Happy he was able to see Hilda again. Relieved she was still here, waiting for him after all the centuries that passed. Yet, some part of him felt a strong sense of guilt. Something felt wrong about the promise he made. Was this worth the centuries Hilda had to make herself go through? He asked himself.

"Hilda," he said.

"Yes?" Hilda sniffled back a few tears.

"I'm sorry..." He said. "I'm sorry for all these years I put you through..."

"I've spent a thousand years in isolation ever since you entrusted me with such a task... There were times where I thought that I should've given up," Hilda looked up into his eyes, smiling, "but being able to see you again made all those years seem meaningful."

"I'm glad..." The pair had let go and decided to catch up before deciding their next move.

"Allow me to ask..." Hilda started, "Where have you been staying and how long has it been since you woke up? I trust it's not far from here, is it?"

"No, actually," he said. He turned his head and pointed towards the dirt path from where he came from. "It's not too far from here. We just take this path, and we'll be there." He turned again. "If memory serves, the village i'm staying at is called Mithra, and it's been only a day since I awoke."

"Oh?" Hilda was a little surprised at the answer.

Elcrest noticed her reaction. "Wait, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, "It's rather irrelevant to say..."

"Relevant or not," he spoke up, "I still would rather hear it than not know. Does this have to do with you telling me to leave the village?"

Hilda let out a stressful sigh. "I...was going to do something to that village..."

"What were you going to do?" He asked.

"Something you would not like..." She trailed off.

Elcrest started to feel peeved at Hilda's refusal to be straight with him. Instead, she acted rather cryptic about it.

"Hilda, I know you have difficulty choosing your words and that you hate explaining," he said, "but please, just this once explain everything about your current situation."

Hilda sighed again. "Fine, but I hope you won't ask this of me often." She mentally prepared herself. "I was planning to entrap that village in crystal using a song I call the Song of Ruin. Before I do, I send one of my subordinates over there to seize it to ensure no one leaves."

"I-I see..." Elcrest tensed a bit. "But what were you trying to achieve when you thought of such...method?"

"It was...a way to stop the Mother..." Hilda said.

"How does encasing people in crystals stop it? What is this Song of Ruin?" He asked. "This is all rather confusing to me."

"I could say the same," she said, "I'm surprised you're taking this all in especially well."

"It's to be expected..." His eyes started to wander. "I sort of knew you would've done something like this over the centuries..."

"Oh? And why is that?" Hilda asked.

"Nobody can live one thousand years and still be the exact same." He looked at her. "For now, you don't seem to act any different, but that will change the more I spend time with you." He shook his head. "But never mind that, we'll talk about this later. What do we do now that I'm here?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, "Are we not using my Song of Ruin?"

"We're not," he said. "It's a method you claim to have said it would stop the Mother but crystallizing people seems... inhumane. I have another plan in mind."

"And what plan is this?" Hilda seemed to be irritated at the sudden change of plan. Yet, even if she wanted to, she wouldn't go against Elcrest's wishes.

"We find the Witches of this era and ask them join us," he suggested. "It the same plan as last time."

"Are you positive it will work this time?" She questioned. "It's that same reason why we're in this situation."

"I promise it will work this time." Elcrest reassured her. "Now we know that the mother gained a personality to protect itself. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"Promise me then," Hilda said. "Promise me you will not fail again."

Guilt hit Elcrest like a train. He knew that if he were to fail the world again, Hilda wouldn't take much more of it. Judging from how she reacted from his reveal, he wouldn't want to imagine what she'd do if he did fail.

"Alright, I promise." Elcrest nodded. "I refuse to make you suffer living through another millennium alone."

"And may god help you if you do." Hilda smiled halfheartedly. "I shudder to imagine what I'd do you if you did."

"As do I..." Elcrest returned her smile with a nervous one. "Shall we get started and find the witches? I'm sure the location of each one will be trivial if the qualias stayed in their respective regions."

Hilda realized what he said and looked at his chest. "Speaking of qualias," Hilda started, "where is the Water Qualia that Fran entrusted to you?"

"I... gave it to a girl in Mithra..." He said hesitantly right before seeing Hilda's shocked faced. "Please, if you allow me to expla-"

"Elcrest, what were you thinking!?" Hilda shouted in an outburst of anger. "You gave the Water Qualia to some girl!?"

"If you would let me to expla-" Elcrest was cut off again.

"If she refuses to hand it over..." Hilda's face hardened. "then I'll take by force."

"The qualia was resonating with her when we met!" Elcrest shouted, trying to get Hilda's attention. Hilda realized what he said and let go of all the frustration she had.

"M-my apologies..." She said. "I was thinking you did it on a whim..."

"The qualia chose her as a potential candidate." Elcrest explained. "All we need to do is to convince her to join us and we'll already have the Water Witch."

"Then we'll go back to the village an-" Hilda was cut off by foreign noise from nearby trees. She summoned her scythe and got into a battle stance.

"Elc, get ready," she said.

"What's going on?" He asked.

He was answered by more rustling from the trees. Before he knew it, they were surrounded by a pack of green jelly looking monsters.

"Monsters!?" He got into a stance as well.

"Do you even have a weapon?" Hilda asked.

Elcrest fumbled around only to see he didn't have one on him. "Damn, unfortunately I didn't bring one"

"You went into the forest and didn't carry a weapon?" Hilda questioned. She raised her hand towards Elcrest. A sheath appeared strapped to his waist with a weapon along with it. "Here, use this for now."

Elcrest unsheathed the weapon. "Thanks." He took his stance again and charged towards the monsters.

"Here it goes!"

Elcrest jumped up and prepared his sword as he slashed downwards on the jellyman. He followed it up with a horizontal slash while dashing forward as he slashed across its body. The jellyman flattened itself as it disappeared into the dirt defeated. He recomposed himself before putting up his free hand in front of him.

"Ha!"

He leaped towards another jellyman on his right and brought his sword forward and stabbed it. The monster took the attack and formed two unidentifiable liquid orbs from it's antenna-hands(?) and hurled them at Elcrest as he rolled to the left to dodge. He brought his sword up and attacked it again. It flattened itself and disappeared into the dirt again like the previous one.

He took a quick breather but was greeted by a tackle from the back and fell to dirt, knocking the wind out of him. Elcrest struggled to catch his breath before taking his sword and rolling over. He slashed the air in front of him as he rolled to face the sky. He felt the sword connect to something solid. He saw the assailant was another jellyman as it was knocked away by the hit. He got up and took a swing at it, defeating it as it flattened and disappeared.

Elcrest looked around to see 3 more of gelatin monsters close in on him. He took the hilt of the weapon and held it like a dagger across his back.

"Disappear!" He shouted.

He brought the blade forward and slashed the air in front of him. A yellow beam formed at the blade and extended the range of the attack. All three jellymen took the hit as they flattened and disappeared. Elcrest sheathed his weapon and wiped his forehead.

"My capabilities with a sword have declined a bit over the centuries..." He said to himself. "I suppose when I have the time I should train." He looked around to find Hilda facing a few jellymen.

"Darkness will swallow you!" She said before chanting to herself and raising her hand to the nearest jellyman. An orb of distortion appeared before it ripped into space itself, damaging and defeating it. She teleported to the one on her left and brings up her scythe, defeating it in a single blow. The remaining jellymen surround her.

"Hilda, watch out!" He shouted.

Hilda brought up scythe. "I'll shred you!"

She swung out her scythe and spun around. A purple beam was sent out of the blade in a wide radius that wiped out every single jellymen surrounding her.

Elcrest and Hilda collected themselves after the battle. Taking a minute of rest before making their next move.

"I have to say..." Hilda started. "The fact that you went into the forest unarmed is reckless of you, Elc." She gave him a half smile. "Though, that is the Elcrest I always knew."

"Fighting side by side with you again feels... nostalgic." He said, returning the smile. "Though, enough idling here. We should return to Mithra and have Lisette join us." Elcrest paused, then corrected himself. "That's the Water Witch's name."

"Let's hurry then." Hilda said. "We spent quite some time here and who knows if more monsters will show up."

"Right." Elcrest nodded.

The pair had walked down the path of the dirt road leading to the village. Unbeknownst to the lost hero and forgotten by the Time Witch, conflict had already arisen in the village. It was only a matter of time before they took notice.

Elcrest came in dashing to the village gates with Hilda following behind him. Hearing what sounded like weapons clashing and shouts coming from village, he couldn't help but run. Upon arriving at the village gate, he fell to dismay at what he saw. Monsters had overun the entire village and not just any monster: Orcs. Orcs are barbarian monsters that resemble boars or pigs. They carry wooden clubs and use their brute strength to overpower their foes. Hunters that are unfortunate to encounter one would find them a challenge to fight. In high numbers, they are a truly formidable foe.

"What are monsters doing here in the village!?" Elcrest asked himself. "And fighting with..." He observed the armored knights that were fighting with the Orcs. "...Lambert knights?"

True to his assumption, they were Knights from the Capital of Regnant. Trained to fight monsters and protect the people, they all wielded swords and spears to fight off everyday monsters.

Hilda gasped as she watched the battle unfold in the village. "How careless of me..." Hilda tilted her head down, bearing a sad expression. "How could I forget I sent one of my subordinates here..."

Elcrest whipped his head around the moment he heard this. "Hilda, why would you do something like this!?" He asked, almost pained. "Why did you send monsters here!?"

"Elc, I'm sorry." Hilda said. She felt ashamed, ashamed that he had to see something like this. Something she was responsible of doing.

"These monsters...they're my familiars..." She explained. "I send them to help my subordinates seize the villages I assign them..." She looked at the knights that were fighting them. "By my orders, they aren't suppose to hurt anyone, only to capture. The Regnant knights and anyone who fought back however, made things complicated..."

"Will they listen to you?" Elcrest asked. "They are your familiars after all."

"For the most part, yes," she said, "but they won't listen to anyone once provoked."

"Then we'll have to fight your familiars then." Elcrest drew his sword and charged into the fray. "Let's go!"

"I'll go find my subordinate. Take care." Hilda teleported away.

He rushed towards an orc fighting a knight. He readied his sword and thrusted it into the monster's body from behind. The orc let out a pained grunt and turned around to face him. He withdrew his sword. Elcrest sidestepped to the right to avoid a downwardswing from the orc's club. He swung his sword again, slashing at the torso. He followed it up with an uppercut. The blade sliced the creature's face. The orc toppled over. It twitched and it took its last breath.

These monsters don't really take much to kill... He thought. This won't take long then.

He rushed off to fight another orc, not hearing the knight's thanks. Elcrest attacked another distracted orc from behind. He leaped forward and brought down his sword, slashing its back. As before, the orc turned around and swung its club down.

Damn, can't dodge.

His attack from behind left him wide open. He was left too close for comfort with the monster. He brought up the blade and tried to deflect it with the flat. The club connected. It sent strong vibrations through the blade to Elcrest.

The attack itself sent him sliding across the ground a few inches. Elcrest struggled to keep the blade up. He tried to stand his ground, but the Orc's brute strength was overwhelming. Attempting to move aside, he tried to keep the blade up to prevent the club from hitting him as he went out of the way of the attack. Successful, he jumped up and struck the monster. He dashed forward and slashed its side. The orc fell over, unmoving.

"Hey, you!" An unknown voice said. "Just what the hell are you doing!?"

Elcrest turned around to meet a boy somewhat shorter than him. He had messy red hair and wore a black coat with a fur-lined neck. With the coat, everything else is pretty much black except his red shirt. (Even then, just say he's wearing all black). His (questionable) fashion aside, he wasn't happy with Elcrest slaying the familiars.

"Are you responsible for these monsters?" Elcrest asked.

"Obviously," he said, "and I'm not gonna let someone like you mess up my plan."

"Who are you exactly?" Elcrest asked.

"The name's Dante," The red-haired boy smirked. "And I'm the best spearman in the Harbingers."

Harbingers? Elcrest thought. I assume that's what Hilda meant by her "subordinates" if it helps her save an explanation.

"If you're responsible for this attack then call it off!" Elcrest demanded. "These innocent people don't need to be caught in the crossfire. It'll cause unnecessary casualties."

"What casualties? All the villagers are locked up in their homes fearing for their lives." Putting a finger on his chin, he thought for a moment. "I think I saw some of them hiding in the bushes and behind some houses." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, My orders are not to kill. However..." He sneered at the nearby knights. "The Regnant knights somehow knew I was here and provoked the orcs. Now it's making this job a bit more complicated." Sighing, he looked in the direction of the town center. "It doesn't make it any better when that one ginger girl is literally sitting there in the middle of this." Elcrest's eyes widened. "The fighting must have traumatized her..." Shrugging again. "Oh well, it won't matter anyway once she and the rest of the village are crystallized." He pointed at Elcrest. "Although I usually let the familiars do all the work, you're special. Taking down those two orcs so easily, I'm not gonna take that lightly which is why I'm calling you out."

Elcrest clenched his teeth. On instinct, he immediately drew his sword and pointed it at Dante. "You..!.." He growled. "Stop this attack right now!"

Dante readied his spear. "Oh, so now you're showing your fangs, huh?" He smirked. "No can do, I'm not gonna let some scrub like you get in my way. Even though I'm not suppose to kill anyone, there isn't anything that says I can't beat you within in inch of your life!" Dante rushed towards Elcrest.

"Haahh!" Elcrest let out a battle cry as he charged in.

Hilda had trouble locating Dante among the chaos. She had teleported from rooftop to rooftop in order to find him, but she hasn't found a sign of him anywhere.

"Where could have he gone too..." She asked herself.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar shouting coming from the other side of the village. Then she heard weapons clashing, metal against metal.

"Oh no..." Hilda said. "It seems Elcrest has found Dante but..." She heard Elcrest shout again this time. "Dante must have provoked him..." She looked on with dismay at the fighting going on and reflected back on all that happened today. "This is just too much for me..." She sighed. "God must really hate me."

Elcrest and Dante worn each other out. Both had landed attacks and caused cuts and bleeding, but the adrenaline kept them from feeling the pain.

"I gotta say..." Dante panted. "You're pretty good." He gave a tired smile. "Ready to give up or do you still want some more?"

"Not a chance." Elcrest said, panting. He took the hilt by both hands and rushed at Dante. Dante prepared his spear to anticipate the next attack.

"Stop it, both of you!" Hilda shouted from the rooftop of the house next to them. Elcrest stopped midway of his rush and Dante lowered his spear. Both of them look up to see Hilda staring at them disappointed.

"Hilda!?" Dante was surprised to see her this early. "Weren't you waiting for me to capture this village before coming here?"

"Change of plans." Hilda said. "We're no longer doing this."

"What!?" Dante couldn't believe what she said. "Wasn't the point of the Harbingers to crystallize everything?"

Hilda looked at Elcrest. "We'll be taking orders from him now."

"Hold on, you know this guy?" Dante asked, he looked at Elcrest. "Just who the hell are you to get Hilda herself to stop all this...?.."

"In time, Dante." Hilda said. "Right now, we have a new objective."

"Finding Lisette..." Elcrest saidd, looking in the direction of the town cente.

In the town center, Lisette was at loss. She was kneeling hunched over. She didn't want ti do anything. She didn't want to think of anything. Yet, her mind wanted to reflect back on this morning. This morning wasn't something she expected. When she and Rosa went outside to look, they were greeted by soldiers and orcs clashing throughout the whole town. Unable to go back inside to hide from the fighting, she was seperated from her mom. She went to the townsquare looking for Elcrest since he wasn't in bed this morning. The only thing he left was the charm necklace he discreetly gave to her when she was asleep.

Did he leave? Lisette asked herself. She started believing her own words but started listing other possibilities. No, he said he'd live with us. She fell on her knees. Why would he leave this with me then? She then thought of worse possibility. Did he give this to me because he heard all the fighting? Did he go out and fight trying to protect us? Then...why?Why can't I find him anywhere?

Accepting this as fact, her mind returned to the present. She felt tears run down her face and drop onto the ground. She held the charm necklace close to her chest and started to cry. It was then that the qualia shined brightly and imbedded itself into her chest, right into her heart. Lisette hunched over in pain. She fell onto the ground and twitched. She was slowly lifted off the ground, black flames beginning to surround her. She wailed in agony as the flames swallowed her, creating a pillar of flame visible to the whole village.

Elcrest heard her cry and saw the pillar of black flames slowly swallow up the village.

"Lisette!" He shouted.

"What the hell is going on!?" Dante asked. "What's happening over at the town center!?"

"Elcrest!" Hilda spoke up. "We're about to be consumed by her heart! Are you ready to do this?"

"Yeah!" Elcrest said, he began walking towards the flames. "Here I go!"

In a black expanse, Elcrest floated up to Lisette. He reached out with his open hand to her back. The qualia then revealed itself, and once it fully separated, Elcrest grabbed it. The black expanse then began to shape itself. Checkered floors erupted from the darkness and formed a path to Lisette, The background itself started to change as well. Images of chandeliers fell from above and hung above the currently reforming world while images of fish floated about in random directions. The qualia disappeared from Elcrest's hand and formed behind Lisette, immensely larger this time and formed magic circles around and created a background behind it that look like mosaic glass with a missing piece. An eyeball filled the space where the missing piece was and looked around in random directions before disappearing and reappearing again.

Lisette's Spirit World

Begin Tuning

"So this is Lisette's spirit world…" Elcrest said. "It seems her world is trying to represent the water qualia by making the illusion of being underwater…it's somewhat alike to Fran's spirit world." He looked at the linear path formed directly towards Lisette.

Lisette was mentally exhausted. She was on her knees, eyes closed, and heavily breathing. "I...I…" Lisette muttered. "I...thought this would've been great for me and my mom…" She slouched a bit. "Why..?..why did it come to this..?.."

Elcrest walked up the path. As he walked and looked around, he was reminded of his adventures from one-thousand years ago.

"It's hard to believe i'm doing this again…" Elcrest mused. "To start all over...to tune a witch's heart…" His gaze was drawn to the Water Qualia ahead. "To fight Mother Qualia…" He continued walking.

Lisette took a deep breath. "If I can just stay here...wherever this is…" She muttered again. "I wouldn't mind…"

"Lisette!" Elcrest called out, he was a few feet away but Lisette heard him and looked up surprised.

"E-Elcrest...?" She stuttered. "Is that really you?"

"Yes." He said, finally making it at the top of the checkered stairs.

"I thought you were dead!" Lisette exclaimed. "Where were you this whole time? I couldn't find you anywhere in the village!"

"I'm sorry for worrying you." Elcrest said, pulling up Lisette from the floor. "I should've told you I was going out in the first place." A flash of light appeared at Lisette's chest. A loud heartbeat was heard.

"I'm so glad you're okay…" Lisette gave tired smile. "Where are we anyway? W-what is this place?"

"We're inside your heart," Elcrest explained, "and I'm here to tune you."

"Tune me?" Lisette repeated, confused. "Inside my... heart?"

"Ah, I must've forgotten." Elcrest said. "You're being turned into a witch."

"A w-witch!?" Lisette said. "How is that possible? When did I have the potential too?"

Elcrest pointed at the Water Qualia behind her, and she turned around to look at it. "It's the power of that qualia that will turn you into one."

"That was part of the necklace you gave me!" Lisette said. She turned back to him. "Elcrest, I wanna ask you something."

"Alright."

"Are you really the Elcrest from one-thousand years ago?" She asked. "Everything that happened from yesterday till now can't be coincidence, is it?"

Elcrest looked down, staring into the abyss of the spirit world. He then looked at the Water Qualia.

"Elcrest?"

"It's true." He simply said. "I am the same Elcrest from one-thousand years ago. The same one you heard in the stories."

"But how are you still alive?" She asked. "People can't live that long…"

"I was put to sleep in that lake you found me in," he explained. "The Water Qualia watched over and preserved my body until I was ready to awaken."

"So the qualia…" Lisette looked at giant blue qualia again. "Since I'm a...witch, what will people think of me? What will the people of Mithra think when I come back as a witch?"

"Don't worry about what people think of you." Elcrest said. "For me at least, you turning into a witch won't change what I think about you."

A flash of light appeared on Lisette's chest again. Another loud heartbeat was heard.

"Thanks for reassuring me." Lisette smiled again. "So, how do we get out of here?"

"Here," Elcrest held his hand out. "Take my hand."

Lisette took his hand. A bright light enveloped them as they were taken out of the spirit world.

Tuning Complete.