Aboard the Tartarus, they were escorted to a "cell" that obviously doubled as a soldiers' cabin a short time before; there was still a uniform jacket hanging from on of the bunks, and a book on fonic artes nearly kicked under another. Ion and Anise stayed with Luke and Tear, all of them settling into the chairs around the table in the center of the cabin.
"Jade will be back soon," Ion tried to reassure them. "He's just getting the Tartarus started."
Though he couldn't blame the Fon Master for trying, Luke wasn't much in the mood for reassurance, and instead retrieved the book from under the bunk and opted to bury his nose in it while waiting. Soon enough, the vibration of engines hummed throughout the landship, and then they were under way.
The door slid open to admit the Malkuth colonel about ten minutes later, just when Luke was deciding that Malkuth's military fonic jargon was beyond his understanding. Luke folded the book and straightened in his seat; as far as he was concerned, this called for formality on par with the Kimlascan court. (Indeed, it felt very much like a court as a pair of soldiers filed in to stand guard at the door - just a very different kind.)
Jade didn't seem to be taking the situation nearly as seriously. Though the man remained standing, his face was one of neutral amusement as he adjusted his glasses. "Two days ago, a Seventh Fonon Hyperresonance came from the direction of Baticul and converged inside Malkuth territory, near Tataroo Valley. Now," and Luke could swear that look not only made the hair on the back of his neck rise, but made it rise so far it probably lifted the ponytail from his neck. "If you two were the source of that hyperresonance, that would make you guilty of illegally crossing the border into our country, wouldn't it?"
"It would," Luke agreed, trying to keep his tone of voice under control. "But do you have any evidence that we were?"
The colonel just chuckled before folding his hands behind his back. "Moving on - Tear, we already know you're with the Oracle Knights. But what about you, Luke? What's your full name?"
Luke narrowed his eyes. He didn't believe for a moment that, if this man had figured out the source of the hyperresonance, that he hadn't also put together Luke's identity. There was only one redhaired boy named Luke in Baticul. "...Luke fon Fabre," he admitted grudgingly.
Across the room, Anise and Ion both sat up straighter, surprise coloring their faces, but, as Luke had expected, Jade didn't look shocked in the slightest. "The son of Duke Fabre, who married into the Kimlascan royal family? Why are you in Malkuth?"
"We're only here because our Seventh Fonons triggered a hyperresonance," Tear answered. Luke looked in her direction and saw, up against the wall past her, that Anise was giving him a predatory look.
He shivered. If the feeling that look gave him was what Guy experienced from the maids, he felt he could understand his friend's fear a little better. "I know that tensions between our countries are high," he said, focusing his attention back in on Jade. "But this was no act of aggression from Kimlasca, and the only thing I want to do in your country is get out of it."
"A bit blunt, but understandable," Jade replied. He turned to Ion. "What do you think, Fon Master? Shall we make use of them?"
"I believe they're telling the truth," Ion replied. Of everyone in the room, Luke observed, the Fon Master appeared the least affected by Jade's personality and the implications that could be read into the colonel's words. "And having someone from Kimlasca accompanying us would certainly make things go more smoothly. But it's up to Luke if he decides to help."
"Help with what?" Luke cut in quickly, before Jade could go back to talking with Ion like he wasn't in the room.
"We're headed for Kimlasca under orders from His Majesty, Peony IX, Emperor of Malkuth," Jade said, managing to answer the question without providing any real information at all.
"To declare war?" Tear asked, words coming out in a rush, her voice just barely showing panic.
"To deliver a letter," Luke corrected, thinking back to the conversation Ion and Jade had had in the liger cavern. He watched Jade's expression carefully as he said it, but the man gave nothing away in either direction.
"Relax, Tear," Anise said from her position on the far side of the room. "We're trying to prevent a war from breaking out." She looked as though she might say more, but a glance from Jade was enough to prompt her to shut her mouth.
"That's not public information, Anise." The colonel's words seemed to suitably quiet the energetic girl for the moment, as he turned his attention back to Luke and Tear. "But yes, that is our intention. We'll release you now, at least as far as moving about the ship, though I'm afraid you can't be allowed in any areas containing military secrets." Somehow, he managed to make that sound almost regretful, an emotion that Luke was sure was completely fabricated.
"So you're asking us to agree to help you without really telling us anything," Luke said, frowning. He folded his arms, not looking at anyone else in the room, though out of the corner of his eye he could see Ion's sheepish expression.
"It's a state secret," Jade replied from outside his line of vision. "As a member of Kimlasca's royal family, I'm certain you can understand."
Luke sighed, unfolding his arms. To refuse just because the person making the request was a pain in the ass was petty, and he knew it. "As a member of the royal family," he began, "I can't sit back when the lives of my people are at risk. You don't need to strong-arm me into helping to prevent a war - anyone in my position would agree to help, if they had any morals at all."
He looked back at the group then; Ion was smiling warmly, Tear was looking a little surprised at him, and Jade was adjusting his glasses again, his expression satisfied.
"Then I suppose we should fill you in..."
It took nearly half an hour for Jade and Ion to explain the situation, with most of the explanation actually coming from the Fon Master, rather than the colonel. The politics on Malkuth's end, after all, were fairly straightforward; their nobility was getting testy, especially those with lands near the border in southern Rugnica, but Emperor Peony IX had no desire for a war. It was the Order of Lorelei that was causing problems, as factions within the church tried to make Ion do whatever it was they wanted.
It didn't help that Luke was only passingly familiar with most of the players in Daath's political scene - in one case, in a very literal sense. Tear might swear up and down that the Grand Maestro, Mohs, had good intentions, but Luke couldn't throw his impression of the brief time he'd encountered the man in his uncle's court. There had been something about the way the man looked at him that made Luke feel as though he was livestock being drawn up for slaughter.
In any case, getting across the border would most likely be fairly straightforward, in spite of the fact that Luke wasn't carrying identification. His father's old military rank meant that he had met most of the higher-ranking officers at least once or twice at formal dinners, which was enough to be recognized as who he claimed to be, rather than an imposter. And, of course, it was likely that Kimlasca had sent someone across the border to search for him; the base at the Kaitzur checkpoint was high on the list of places to be notified about his missing status, given where he had been discovered after the kidnapping seven years ago.
After the discussion, Jade retreated to take care of matters on the bridge, and Luke somehow found himself on a small maintenance deck with Ion, both of them having left the cabin for a bit of fresh air. The landship was moving at a fairly quick pace, generating a wind that blew Luke's hair around his face and Ion's robes around the Fon Master's knees.
"I wanted to thank you personally," Ion said, smiling as he stepped up the the railing Luke was leaning against. Luke turned his head to give the Fon Master a confused look, and Ion continued, "To be honest, I was more than a bit nervous about how we were going to cross into Kimlasca. Your arrival might have been an accident, but I think it was quite fortunate for us."
Luke nodded a little absently, not quite sure if he agreed. True, it was lucky that he would be able to help stop the war, but he'd much rather have been at home in the first place. Home was safe; no need to worry about kidnappings, or what his family would do if he never came home -
"Luke?" Ion's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you alright? Your face is looking a bit pale."
Luke straightened a bit, pushing himself up off the rail with his arms, trying to not squeeze it in a white-knuckled grip. "I'm fine," he said, a little too quickly and with a little too much irritation. Ion's expression of gentle concern didn't change, and as it was clear that he wasn't going to leave, Luke eventually was able to settle his breathing and loosen his grip on the rail.
"I just want to get home as soon as possible," he said. "I'm sure my family thinks I've been kidnapped by Malkuth again; that by itself could lead to war, even if tensions weren't so high."
"Again?" Ion said, surprise in his voice. Luke didn't answer, instead letting go of the rail to turn and lean his back against it instead, facing the Fon Master at a bit less of an awkward angle. Ion's expression quickly became sympathetic. "I'm sorry, it must be difficult to talk about. I didn't mean to pry."
"It's fine," Luke said quietly. He didn't really talk about the kidnapping much, even with Guy, but there was something about Ion... He was easy to trust, and what harm could come from telling him, anyway? "I don't really remember most of it - I try not to remember it. But this is the first time I've been outside of Baticul since then..."
"I understand. It must bring back a lot of painful memories."
"You could say that." Painful, hell; they were terrifying memories, if he thought about them too long. Luke was almost grateful to see Jade approaching the two of them. It provided an easy way to change the subject. "What is it?" he asked, once Jade was close enough to hear him clearly over the wind.
"I thought it best to inform you that the ship should arrive at St. Binah by nightfall - " Whatever else Jade had been about to say was cut off by the screech of an alarm attached over the door leading into the ship's halls. Luke had to cover his ears against the loud noise; Jade simply looked a bit irritated, much as though he'd stepped in a particularly deep puddle. "Assuming we don't run into any interruptions," he finished mildly. "Perhaps it would be best if the two of you returned to your cabin."
Luke nodded, and lead Ion into the ship as Jade headed for a speaking tube at the other end of the hallway. Luke couldn't hear their exchange, but soon the ship's intercom blared all he needed to know.
"Large swarm of monsters 20 kilometers ahead. All hands, battle stations! Repeat! All hands, battle stations!"
"Come on," Luke said quietly to Ion, as the two of them descended the metal stairway towards the cabins.
Anise and Tear were waiting in the hallway, both with staves drawn; Anise immediately swooped upon her charge, while Tear stepped up beside Luke, handing him the cheagle she'd had scooped up in her other hand. "Do you know what's going on?" she asked.
"Only as much as you do," he replied. "Jade just ordered us down to the cabin."
At that point, the ship shuddered, the floor tilting briefly as the Tartarus came to a stop. Luke heard Jade's voice raised up the stairs - "Bridge! Respond! Bridge!"
"Oh, that can't be good," Anise said behind him. Mieu crawled to Luke's shoulder and quaked with fear.
"I smell ligers," the cheagle whispered.
Before Luke had time to process the comment, the door at the far end of the hallway opened. A pair of Oracle Knights entered, their faces completely hidden by their helmets, and behind them, a massive figure who could only be their commander, just from the way he carried himself. The man, in red and black armor, stood a full head over the soldiers - which put him head and shoulders above Luke, who wasn't particularly tall, and even further above Ion, Tear, and Anise - and carried a massive scythe that was so long, Luke expected it to scrape the ceiling.
Should've gone back to the cabin when we had the chance, Luke thought, putting a hand to his sword. Behind him, he saw Anise step in front of Ion, pulling the strange yellow doll she carried from her shoulders (now what what the purpose of that?) - but before either she or the Oracle Knights could do anything, a fonic arte crossed over Luke's head from the stairway.
Everything happened at once, then - the two Oracle Knights crumpled to the ground under the force of Jade's arte, but their commander didn't, instead swinging his weapon down at the group arrayed in the hallway. Luke ripped his sword from its sheath and managed to parry, though the force of the blow drove him to his knees. The motion of battle stopped there, thankfully, as Jade stepped forward from the rear of the group.
"Impressive," observed the armored man, and Luke had to admit that he doubted the comment was directed at him, halfway to the floor. "But it's time for you to calm down. Now. Colonel Jade Curtiss, Commander of the Third Division of the Malkuth Imperial Forces...Or maybe just, 'Jade the Necromancer.'"
The words caught up with Luke's mind even as Tear echoed them out loud, and he kicked himself for not putting it together sooner. It really would have been stretching coincidence to imagine that there was another Jade in the Malkuth military with enough of the Emperor's trust to carry out such an important mission. But feeling foolish would have to wait until Luke wasn't under the blade of a much more powerful opponent, who seemed to be only putting off killing him in order to banter with Jade.
"Well, well. It seems I'm famous." Did Jade ever miss a chance to be inappropriately casual? "Though my stories have nothing on yours, sir. 'Largo the Black Lion.' One of the Six God-Generals of the Oracle Knights."
Largo chuckled, and the pressure on Luke's weapon decreased slightly. "I've been waiting for a chance to cross blades with you, but unfortunately, right now I must retrieve the Fon Master."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Jade's voice was still calm, but Luke could feel the gathering of fonons behind him as the colonel readied an arte. The pressure on Luke's weapon increased in response, Largo's strength slowly pushing him down into the floor.
"Don't move if you want the boy to live," Largo commanded, his gaze flicking away from Jade for the first time to briefly fall on Luke. There was something a little thoughtful about the threat and the way Largo looked at him, but the man looked back at Jade quickly enough that Luke thought he was probably imagining it. He did, however, catch the man palming some device from his belt. "Jade the Necromancer - letting you go now will only mean trouble later."
"Do you think you can kill me by yourself?" Jade asked, casual tone slipping a bit more serious.
"If I seal your fonic artes." Largo tossed the object in his hand past Luke, over Jade's head, where the device cast a cage of light around Jade. Luke took advantage of the distraction to jerk himself out of the immediate path of Largo's weapon, the point of the scythe sliding from his sword to embed itself in the floor where one of Luke's feet had been only a moment before. Luke threw himself up against the wall and out of the way.
He was grateful that he had - whatever that barrier had done to Jade hadn't stopped the man from summoning a spear to his hand, and he took advantage of the opportunity presented by Largo's trapped weapon to dive under the God-General's guard. In a breath, Jade's spear was impaled in a gap in Largo's armor, and blood soon leaked out of the gap.
"Heh," Largo wheezed. "Impressive, that even after having your fon slots sealed..." Whatever he had been about to say didn't make it to his lips - the man keeled into the wall Luke was pressed against and collapsed there. Under all that armor, it was hard to tell if Largo was breathing or not, but with the wound under his ribs, he wouldn't manage long even if he was.
Luke pulled himself away from the wall and sheathed his sword. With his other hand, he reached up to stroke the ears of the cheagle that was quivering against his neck. Another death barely dodged, thanks to Jade's skill and some lucky timing.
"A fon slot seal?" Tear asked, as Jade dismissed his weapon and stepped away from Largo's body.
Behind her, Anise righted the stuffed animal's position on her back. "Wow, Colonel, I'm surprised that didn't knock you out..."
"I'm sure he intended to use it to disable the Fon Master's Daathic artes," Jade replied, his usual vague amusement already back in place. He stepped past their group and towards the stairs leading up to the deck. "Come, now, we'll need to move quickly if we intend to take back the bridge."
"But what about Ion?" Anise said, obviously dismayed. "If the Oracle Knights are after him - "
"Then we'll just have to bring him along."
Anise looked about to continue her protests, but Ion himself cut off whatever she was going to say. "What about your artes, Jade?"
"It will take several months to undo the seal, without a doubt, and we certainly don't have that kind of time to spare," Jade answered, already turning up the stairs. The rest of them followed obediently, even Anise who was clearly displeased with the situation.
As they went, Luke gathered Mieu off his shoulder and handed the cheagle off to the Fon Master. "Here, he'll probably be safer with you." Mieu whined a little and attached himself to the front of Ion's robes. "Worst comes to worst," Luke said to the cheagle, "breathe fire in the face of anyone who tries to touch Ion."
"Mieu... Understood." Mieu gave a single, very serious nod, his ears flapping with the motion. It was enough to make Ion smile, at least, which was all Luke could have asked for.
"I still can't believe that doll is a weapon," Luke whispered to Tear, as she finished putting healing artes to a slash in his shoulder. The deck of the Tartarus had been occupied by not only Oracle Knights, but also ligers and griffons, the monsters in fact far more prevalent than the humans. As a result, Luke had had more than his share of scratches from fighting their way up to and across the high pathways over the deck, though the only one who hadn't been at all injured was Ion, sandwiched firmly and safely in the middle of the group.
"It is rather unusual," Tear agreed. "Though I suppose having a weapon that passes for harmless is an advantage when it comes to serving as the Fon Master's guardian."
Luke nodded and looked down to the route they were taking to the patch of deck in front of the bridge entrance. There was one guard there, a man who had already been put into a deep sleep by Tear's hymn. "You'd better go help Jade. I can take care of guarding the entrance." And Ionwent unsaid; though the monsters seemed more inclined to ignore the Fon Master than anything else, all of the Oracle Knights had made attempting to capture the boy their priority.
"Right." Tear turned and headed into the bridge after the colonel; the tight space meant that it was a poor fit for melee combat (no doubt an intentional aspect of its design) which meant that Luke, as the only one without fonic artes to supplement his weapon, got the guard duty.
Things were quiet outside the bridge for quite a while; Ion, sitting by the door and mostly hidden from view under an awning unless you were directly across the deck, was tired enough that he was quiet, and thankfully didn't try to resume the conversation they had been having earlier about Luke's kidnapping.
Sure enough, the clear deck didn't last too long. "Ion, get inside and tell the others," Luke said, rising to a standing position to get ready to hold the doors against the small squad of Oracle Knights that was approaching.
As it turned out, that wasn't what he needed to worry about.
"Eclair de Larmes!"
Luke wasn't sure where the woman's voice came from, but he felt the light-based arte well enough. It was enough to drive him to his knees, vision blurring from the bright light of the sixth fonon. Damn, what was keeping Tear and the others in there?
The caster dropped from the same paths above the bridge that Luke's group, and though Luke couldn't see much of her but her heel with his gaze at the ground, he heard the click of a weapon well enough, and felt the press of metal against his skull. His heartbeat vibrated in his chest -
"Wait, Legretta!" Another voice and another pair of feet, dropping from over the bridge doorway. "He's - "
"Is this why you neglected to step in, Ember?" responded the woman. Legretta the Quick - another of the God-Generals. Luke cursed silently. In retrospect, they should have known better than to think that Largo was the only one, with Ion hanging in the balance.
He heard the door open, and a gasp that could have been either Tear or Ion (most likely the latter). Legretta's feet turned as she angled her body that way, but her weapon remained pressed against Luke's head. "Put down your weapons," she commanded.
A series of clangs, one recognizable as Tear's staff, the others probably Anise and Jade likewise dropping their weapons. Luke's back was to them, so he couldn't see, and he didn't dare so much as raise his head to look. The other set of feet in his view shifted.
"Legretta - "
A sigh came from somewhere above Luke's head. "Lock them in a cabin then. I'll secure the bridge." Legretta's weapon lifted from behind Luke's head, but before Luke could raise his head more than a fraction, it was replaced by an unsheathed blade. Still, it was enough for him to see something more of his captors - Legretta's black dress and blond hair as she walked through the Oracle Knights that were taking the rest of his group captive.
Meanwhile, whoever held the sword to Luke's neck had mostly stepped out of his vision. All he'd seen were boots and the tails of a coat, almost artfully tattered. The figure had bent over him, though - Luke could see their shadows in front of him, looking almost like a single person. "Sorry," the voice above him said, before the sword was raised just long enough to come down again, the hilt slamming into the back of Luke's neck and knocking him out cold.