Author's Note: I don't own the White Knight Chronicles series, ergo; I don't own any of the characters, settings, plots and so on. The concepts such as the Crystalis and some characters that will feature in this work are my own creations, however.
The reason the cloaked figure wasn't talking in Bold in the previous chapter was because said figure wasn't talking at all. It was supposed to be the figure thinking to herself. In hindsight, I probably should've put said line in italics or something. Ah well. I'll take those pointers Luckenhaft and see how it works.
White Knight Chronicles – A tale of a Crystalis scorned
Chapter 4: The Reunion.
Location: The Free City of Greede.
Time: 8:42 AM
Cronic knocked upon the door to the mansion, and quietly stood waiting for someone to answer the door. About a few minutes later, the door opened, and a familiar Glasses-wearing Paupitaur came into view.
"Can I help you?" The Paupitaur said, as he looked up at Cronic, who knelt down to make it easier on the Paupitaur.
"It's been a while, Amir. I'm not really surprised you don't remember me that well. I was a bit on the silent side last time we met." Cronic said to him, as Amir looked Cronic dead in the eyes, before he realised who he was.
"Ah! You're Cronic, one of Leonard's companions!" Amir said, as he opened the door wide so Cronic could enter.
"Come in!" Amir said, as Cronic walked into the mansion, shutting the door behind him, as the two began to walk through the hallways of the mansion.
"So what brings you back to Greede? I thought you were busy with the adventurer's lifestyle?" Amir asked, as the two walked.
"I need to see Caesar and Kara. It's about the Yshrenian Knights Arks I'm watching over in Vellgander. Nothing bad for now at least, but damned if I know how long it'll stay that way." Cronic said, as Amir walked him into a sort of living room area.
"I see. I'll tell them you've arrived. Just wait here, alright? I'll bring them as soon as I can." Amir said, as he then turned around and walked down a nearby corridor. Cronic, walking over and setting his bag down the side of it, took a seat opposite the door in which he came in, and began to quietly wait.
"The Crystalis appears in Vellgander, Boreus being alive and doing god-knows what behind the scenes… I feel a storm approaching. And I don't think Balandor, Faria and Greede are in any condition to fight a war, even if some time has passed since Yshrenia was crushed along with Madoras… I'd be lying if this situation doesn't worry me." Cronic thought to himself, as he looked towards the ceiling, and leaned back into the chair, a look of concern upon his face.
Greede Rooftops
Time: 8:56 AM
The Cloaked Figure had since climbed up onto a rooftop, and was now looking down at the Mansion, observing any of the guard's patrol routes, windows, balcony doors, and that sort of thing, and began to memorize them.
"I know Cronic's in there, but the question is where can I get in without being unnoticed?" The figure thought to herself, as she extended her senses, locking onto Cronic's magical energy, and looked in that direction. "He's on the ground level still. My best bet would be to slip in at night, while visibility is limited. That is, If Cronic stays that long." The figure thought to herself.
"Better take an inventory check of the shops… I could always use a new blade." The figure thought to herself, as she then turned and began to head towards the Merchant quarter of Greed.
Count's Manor
Time: 8:59 AM
The sound of footsteps startled Cronic from his thoughts, as he looked towards the doorway leading to the hall. Shortly afterward, two figures stepped into the room, one male, and one female, both of them who Cronic recognized instantly, and both of which looked like they hadn't changed much since he left for Vellgander.
"Caesar, Kara. Long-time no see." Cronic said to the two of them, as Caesar smiled, while Kara walked over before punching Cronic in the gut, and Caesar sighed.
"You could've at least come to visit once in a while." Kara said to him, while Cronic clenched his stomach in pain.
"Kara, aren't you sure that's overdoing it? I think you may have cracked a rib or two there." Caesar said from the other side of the room, away from Kara.
"Sides, I don't think our old pal Cronic would be here if it wasn't important. And just by looking at that backpack, I can he's loaded for a long haul, so I don't think it's something minor." Caesar said, as Cronic sat back up again.
"Now that I've got my breath back in my lungs… Thanks for that, Kara. Still got that strength in those punches I see." Cronic said, as he had one hand pressed against his stomach, as the woman in question sat down across from Cronic.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Cronic." Kara said, her voice sounding a lot calmer now, as Caesar took a seat.
"So what brings you to Greede?" Caesar said, as Cronic turned to look at Caesar.
"Hope you two are comfortable, because I've got some explaining to do." Cronic said, as he rested his arms upon the chair's armrests.
Crystalis Meeting Chamber
Time: 9:04 AM
Zion stood in the chamber, looking out a window to the horizon, as a messenger walked in, who Zion acknowledged that he was there, but didn't bother turning around.
"Master Zion… We may have a slight problem." The messenger said, as Zion said nothing in return, gesturing with his hand for the messenger to continue.
"It seems, as of last night, Serena has not been in her room as per usual in the morning. Upon further investigation, her dress was folded up and left upon her bed, her balcony door unlocked. We suspect she…" The messenger stopped worryingly as Zion turned around, walking over to his chair before sitting down, looking at the Messenger.
"…Continue." Zion said, as the messenger gulped, before continuing.
"…Has descended down to the world below. We think it may have something to do with learning of the continued existence of the exile, Crobalt." The Messenger said, as Zion just face palmed upon hearing this.
"I don't believe this… That girl is going to be the death of me one of these days. Do you know where she decided to descend to the world?" Zion said, as the messenger shook his head.
"We don't have an exact time or place, although some of the Elemental Sages suspect it was sometime after she left the meeting chamber last night. We were flying above Frass Chasm at the time." The messenger said, as Zion rested his elbows on the table in front of him as he leaned forward, clasping his hands together.
"Do you know where she is now?" Zion asked, to which the messenger shook his head once more.
"Given hers and Crobalt's history, it's likely she's trying to meet with him. I'm just guessing here, but I think she may wish to confirm it is actually him with her own eyes. Speaking of which, an unknown Incorruptus was sighted flying over Frass Chasm around Half-seven this morning. Ground watch spotted it purely by chance. It doesn't match the records we have of the Yshrenian Knights."
"I see. They are five knights who, were it not for the Athwani, would've led the world to ruin at the hands of that emperor, Madoras. Very few weapons could severely harm them." Zion said as the Messenger nodded, before turning to leave.
"Wait. I need you to spread the word. If Serena returns, I want you to tell her to see me immediately." Zion said, as the messenger turned around, saluted, before leaving the room.
"Just what on earth are you thinking Serena? I exiled him to teach a message to his parents, who refused to listen to my orders to separate you two." Zion thought to himself, as stood up and walked back over to the window.
Greede – Count's Mansion
Time 9:23 AM
"Okay, that about covers it. In recap, the Crystalis appeared in Vellgander, and I'm assuming they came there for the Arks, which was a cause for concern for me. On my way here, I fought an exile that is known for his patience, resourcefulness, his skill as a Mage, and his mercy, or more accurately, the lack of." Cronic said, as Caesar and Kara turned to look at each other, before back to Cronic, looks of concern upon their faces, much like they had been with Cronic as well.
"And that is why I need to head to Balandor as soon as I can. I'll stay in Greede long enough to gather some of my strength back, and then I'll travel to Balandor at the first possible opportunity. Leonard, Eldore, Yulie and Cisna deserve to know just as much as you two do." Cronic said, as Caesar leant forward in his seat.
"That's good and all, but you and I know that overuse of the Knight's power is exhausting. So while I can understand you're in a rush, you're probably in no condition to make a long trip like that. So why don't you stay the night? You look like you could use a decent bed and a feast." Caesar said, as Kara nodded as well.
"Living up in Vellgander with just camping equipment is not my opinion of a comfortable lifestyle, Cronic. Normally I don't always see eye to eye with Caesar, but he's right on this one. You need your rest.
Cronic looked at the two, and looked as he was about to say something but Caesar interrupted him before he could.
"No buts, Cronic. You're staying the night even if we have to lock you in one of the bedrooms of the mansion." Caesar said, as Kara shot Cronic a serious glare. Looking Kara dead in the eyes for a moment, Cronic, realising that they weren't taking no for an answer, let out a sigh.
"Alright, Fine. I'll stay the night…" Cronic said, sounding defeated.
"Good call. I'll see to it about having a room set up. In the meantime, let's see if we can't get you a decent breakfast in your belly. Knowing you, I'd say you skipped breakfast this morning." Caesar said, as he and Kara got up and left. Cronic let out a sigh once he was certain they were gone.
"…God knows I could use something good for breakfast… Getting decent food is difficult in Vellgander. But I really don't want to stay here longer than I have to…" Cronic said, as his stomach let out a loud growl.
"…Damnit. Now I've got food on my thoughts." Cronic said, as he stood up and walked out of the room, hauling his back over one shoulder as he did so.
Time: 7:34 PM
Greede Mansion – Guest room
Cronic walked into the room albeit somewhat hunched over, closing the door behind him. The room itself had a Dresser and a mirror on the far side of the room from the door, a double bed with curtains beside said wall, with beside tables on either side.
"Ugh… With the amount of food they had to eat, you'd think fine dining was going out of fashion." Cronic said to no-one in particular. His bag was propped up against a nearby wall. He shivered a little though, before realising the window was wide open.
"…That's strange. Pretty sure I didn't open that before I left the room earlier..." Cronic said to himself, as he walked over and closed the window.
"…Must've been one of the mansion workers opening the window to let the room air out." Cronic said to himself, as he walked over to the bed, and noticed the curtains were drawn over it. Reaching out, Cronic took hold of the one facing the window, and then pulled it open, as he saw the black hooded figure from before sat on the bed, facing him.
"…Are you an assassin or something, here to kill me?" Cronic said as he looked at the figure's shadow covered face. She held one hand out towards Cronic, then reached up for her hood, and pulled it down, revealing long brown hair and fair white skin. With a sweep of her hand, she pulled the rest of her hair out of the hood as it trailed down her back, before opening her eyes, and Blue eyes met a similar blue.
"I don't even know how you came to that conclusion. But I guess my attire didn't do much to help with that opinion of me." Serena said, as she stood up, Cronic's eyes widening as he realised who she was.
"It's been a long time, Crobalt. I… Always held onto hope you were alive somewhere." Serena said, as Cronic just stood there in silence before speaking.
"Serena, what are you doing here?" Cronic said to her, as she stepped towards him, and once she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace, resting her head on his right shoulder.
"I heard about someone who seemed like you during the debriefing of the leader of the squad sent to Vellgander to recover the Arks. I had to know if it was really you, or someone who looked like you." Serena said, closing her eyes. Cronic slowly returned the embrace.
"…I'm so happy… That you're still alive." Serena said, as a faint smile spread across her lips.
"…And here I thought I'd never see anyone I knew from the Crystalis again." Cronic said, as he pulled her head to face his, before he kissed her on her lips.
"I put everything about the Crystalis behind me, even you, when I crawled onto land. I landed in the ocean, and was lucky enough to pull myself out of the water just off Balandor. The water impact fractured my right arm, and cracked a few of my ribs, but I was alive, and that's more than I can say for most of the exiles that came before me." Cronic said to her, as he broke the embrace and sat down upon the bed, pulling her down onto the bed beside her.
"…I just wish our reunion was under happier circumstances." Cronic said to her, as he then looked out the window.
"…What do you mean?" Serena asked him, as she looked at him, tilting her head slightly.
"Balandor, Albana, Faria and Greede are still recovering from the aftermath of the Yshrenian war. Next thing I know, the Crystalis show up at Vellgander looking for the Knights, and to top it all off, on my way here, I encountered another Exile. And not one of the kind ones either." Cronic said to himself, as he turned to look at Serena.
"I'm sure you're familiar with Boreus the Bloodied. Of all the surviving exiles that I could've ran into, it just had to be him… And he's definitely up to something. He was threatening a Paupitaur about supplies of metals." Cronic said, as Serena's expression changed to one of concern.
"Did he state what he wanted the metals for, or what kind of metals he was after?" Serena asked him, and he shook his head in response.
"No, and that's what worries me. Boreus has several defining qualities about himself, some of which good, and others bad. The three that are of concern to me however, are that he is extremely patient, he plans things out like clockwork, and he is extremely resourceful. He has ways of procuring supplies through purchases, bribes, blackmail, or brute force." Cronic said, as Serena looked down towards the floor.
"I see what you mean about wishing our reunion was under happier circumstances." Serena said, as she let out a sigh.
"Believe me; I know that better than anyone. Life's a pain in the ass like that." Cronic said, as he then took off his boots, setting them beside the bedside table, before removing his gloves and putting them onto said table, as he removed the upper half of his robe and set that down on top of the bedside table, leaving his upper torso exposed. He was of above average physical build. He wasn't necessarily muscular, but he had signs of said muscle.
"Huh, with little but camping equipment in Vellgander, I've not had the luxury of being able to sleep in a proper bed. In fact, I forgot what it was like to sleep in one." Cronic said getting up and extinguishing the lights in the room, before he lay down on it the bed, drawing the curtain across as he did so, resting his head on a pillow. Serena removed her cloak and set it down onto the floor before removing her boots as well, and turned to look at him.
"Where do you plan to go tomorrow?" Serena asked as she sat down onto the bed, before turning sideways and lying down onto her side, resting her head on a pillow as well.
"I'm headed north to Balandor. They have a right to know about this whole mess." Cronic said, as he turned onto his side, looking Serena in the eyes.
"I'll probably be leaving after breakfast. I'll catch the ride to the Flandars and proceed on foot for a while. Till then, I'm just going to take my time enjoying the comfort of this situation." Cronic said, pulling Serena into another embrace as he turned to lie on his back, much to Serena's surprise. Closing her eyes, Serena rested her head upon his chest.
"Then I'll probably come with you. Never know when you might need an extra pair of hands." Serena said, as Cronic ran one hand through her hair.
"Good night then, Serena." Cronic said to her, as a smile spread across her face.
"Good night, Crobalt." Serena said, as the two drifted off into slumber.
That's it for chapter 4.
Next chapter I'm thinking about showing a little more about what Boreus is planning. Boreus himself is gathering metals for some unknown purpose, but given his nature, it's doubtful it's anything good, no?
As always, feedback is appreciated, and I'll see you next time for chapter five!
Cronic out.