"It is intimidating, isn't it?" Yugo's voice sounded dour, the glowing Eliacube reflected in his big brown eyes as he gazed at it from a safe distance. His head hung, looking at the relic from under his eyebrows and the edge of his hat with a hesitant and thoughtful demeanor that was shared with the female Eliatrope standing behind him.
Alys had been silent since king Oakheart Sheran Sharm led her and Yugo into the Dofus chamber. She was anxious when Yugo requested for her to join him in seeing the Eliacube, something Adamaï had been furiously persistent about. The young boy needed to gain an understanding on how to use it, but he was reluctant. Like Alys, he too had a bad experience with the Eliacube's powers, the confidence he usually had not present when it came to the responsibility of handling such a massive source of power. The Eliacube had driven one man insane. Who was to say it wouldn't do the same to Yugo? She believed his worries to be justified, though Alys' hesitance came from fear, a different kind of fear than Yugo was experiencing.
"Adamaï keeps trying to push me, but I am not sure…"
The king smiled at the boy before saying as he rose his gaze to Alys who stood frozen and with her eyes fixated on the slowly rotating cube," all in due time, Yugo. The Eliacube and the Dofus are safe here; neither will go anywhere. I understand your brother's concerns, but if you do not feel ready then it shouldn't be forced."
Yugo gave a wry smile before he leaned slightly back to look up to Alys without needing to turn around, saying with doubt in his voice," I was hoping Alys would be able to teach me, but…" He didn't need to finish his sentence. The knowledge that the female Eliatrope lost all her memories was a known fact in the Sadida court and everyone involved with Yugo. He sniffed to not pout in disappointment and flexed his fingers while trying to see the positive in the matter. "Adamaï is the only one who knows the most about the Eliacube, all thanks to Grougaloragran. I don't have a choice. I just…" His voice trailed off as he sighed. He needed courage. Why was it so difficult to find it in himself? He was known to be brave.
"Alys?"
The boy frowned after hearing the king's concerned voice and brought his attention back to his fellow Eliatrope, noticing the fright in her eyes as she appeared to be mesmerized by the Eliacube, her lips pressed together into a tight line. She showed no reaction to the calling of her name, lost in the Eliacube's rotating pattern and soft glow. She could hear whispers echoing through her head while feeling drawn to the glowing relic, yet at the same time she wanted to run from it. She didn't understand why she was so frightful of the cube, but it made her heart pound in her chest and her palms sweaty. There were important pieces of the puzzle missing, like memories that could have made it all clear. What had happened between her and this cube when she was in the Xelor's captivity? Did anything happen at all?
The room grew darker as she stared at the Eliacube, a threatening presence seeping around the twisted tree that held up the Eliacube and the Dofus egg. The darkness grew heavy and thick, the cube the only beacon of light. She gasped through clenched teeth in startle when two light blue orbs suddenly appeared behind the Eliacube in the dark as the whispers continued to murmur, the brightly glowing orbs narrowing with a glare that pierced her very soul before a sharp pain cut through her head. It kept stabbing her repeatedly, a blinding white flash accompanying every stab while the whispers increased in volume, the cube spinning out of control as she could not take her eyes from it.
She was thrown back into reality after a rapid surge of disembodied sounds and flashing images, gasping for air with a frantic heaving of her chest and shoulders while she grew paler with a terrified expression on her face. She flinched when someone took her hand and she brought her wide-eyed gaze down to Yugo, seeing him inspect her with worry while the question he asked wasn't heard by her. Her lower lip quivered, the scare her broken mind gave her having her thoughts in disarray. She was quick to look back at the Eliacube, seeing it calmly rotate while the darkness she experienced was gone. Her fears and mind were playing dangerous tricks on her… She pulled her hand free from Yugo as she backed away, paranoia gripping her heart as her eyes were pinned upon the cube in fear and detest before she tore herself away from it and threw herself around to flee the Dofus chamber.
"Wait, Alys!" Yugo called after her in worry and sprinted to the chamber's exit before grabbing onto the doorpost to stop himself from going after her as she didn't respond nor waited for him," Alys!" He watched her hurry down the corridor without looking back and bit his lip to fight back the urge to go after her, his grip on the wood tightening. He didn't expect her to have such a reaction to the Eliacube; she was more frightened than him. He felt the large appearance of the king step up next to him, hearing him gruffly sigh through his nose in sympathy for the woman. It had been too soon. Far too soon.
Alys hid her face behind a hand, the other holding up the skirt of her gown as she moved quickly to her chambers, wishing to bring a great distance between herself and the Eliacube as swiftly as possible. She felt threatened and scared, her head still hurting from the mental torment that struck her without warning. She hurried around a corner in panic, plagued by despair, only to walk straight into someone. She stumbled back with a gasp and covered her mouth with the hand she held before her face, looking with large eyes at the one she accidentally ran into before her breath got stuck in her throat.
The prince.
The scowl Armand wore judged her harshly though turned into surprise when he realized who had run into him, blinking at the female Eliatrope before his eyes narrowed inquisitively. "In a hurry?" he asked, easily noticing the so called 'Lady' Alys was distraught about something. She had been such a frail weak thing who kept to herself and yet here she stood, panting as if she just ran a whole lapse around the palace with something chasing her; he hadn't seen her like this before. Did they ever talk since her arrival here? No, other than the formalities they hadn't exactly indulged themselves with each other's company.
She didn't answer him, nor apologize. The hand that was held over her agape mouth dropped and clutched for the skirt of her gown to lift it further as she took a long breathe to thaw from standing frozen with fear. She was quick to slip around the Sadida who easily towered over her, the paranoia flaring up once more as what she felt blinded her, numbed her thoughts and told her to do only one thing; flee.
Armand looked after her when she brushed past him, his fingers flexing as he was about to instinctively grab for the woman to stop her and have her answer him, but his muscular arm did not rise. He remained like he was, watching in thought as the Eliatrope hurried down the long corridor with its large open windows, the sound of her footsteps slowly dying off. She came from the direction of the Dofus chamber… Did she come in touch with the Eliacube? Was that why she was in such a stressed state? He turned to round the corner and steered himself to the Dofus chamber, only to find the familiar appearance of his father steadily making his way down with the help of the small tree stump that supported him like a walking cane.
Oakheart gave a fatherly smile when his son came towards him, slowing in his tread while Armand picked up the pace a little to close the distance in between them. The look on the prince's face bode nothing good but the king had a suspicion of what was on his mind. He was bound to have crossed paths with Alys.
"Father. Did anything happen in the Dofus chamber?" Armand asked without pause, his eyes flickering from Oakheart's face to the corridor behind the king, seeing the guards were stationed where they were supposed to be. He relaxed a little in his posture when the king shook his head though kept his frown as something still didn't seem right.
"Yugo and Alys have not yet been able to come in contact with the Eliacube," Oakheart said as he leaned on his thick walking cane. After Alys ran away, the boy had gone in a different direction with his head held low, the encouraging words the king gave him accepted but not yet taken to heart," they aren't ready."
Heroes of the kingdom or not, indebted or not, there were certain things which had a limit to them, and the limit of Armand's patience and understanding was already reached. There was hope that the Eliacube would prove useful after it acted as a source for someone's madness, but that hope had turned bleak. The prince audibly and visibly scowled at the obvious truth and said as he looked back over his shoulder from the corner of his eyes," as expected from a scared boy and a weak wom-"
"Armand." The king rose to stand taller after he abruptly and sternly interrupted his son from saying anything he may regret later before he softly sighed and nodded; though rough and rude, Armand's words were what several people thought. Faith in both the Eliatrope's capabilities was little, no matter the deep respect the king himself held for them. "We need to discuss this development with Master Joris. Find him and escort him to the council room… I will meet you both there with Toufdru," Oakheart said warily while waiting for Armand to begin his search.
If he had a visible nose, a crinkle of discontentment would have shown across it. Armand nodded however to comply to his father, his own thoughts remaining inside his head. "As you wish, father…" he said, the tone in his voice humble though it could not cloak his frustration. He abruptly turned around to take his leave, already thinking of what he would say during the upcoming discussion.
As the prince and the king parted ways to prepare for the small council, Alys had left the Tree of Life in a hurry she never experienced before. She shouldn't be running. She shouldn't be pushing herself. It was painful as mind and body protested but the intense fear kept her going as she rushed through the gardens. Guards looked after her but remained at their posts, servants threw a glance her way but kept to their duties. No one stopped her, unaware of what drove her.
Tears stung but did not flow. The mental torment continued while her recovering body pleaded for her to stop running with strained muscles, but all she saw was the scenery that passed by through a hazy vision and the terrifying images she witnessed in the Dofus chamber; those eyes. Those glaring eyes among the pressing darkness and many whispers. What did they want from her? Who did they belong to?
Leave me alone. Leave me alone!
Alys released her dress to cover her ears when the mental images and sounds refused to leave her or lessen, panting with ragged breaths until a sudden stop came to her blind and panicked rush. She nearly tripped with the losing of her sandal as it got caught behind a clump of grass, her legs getting caught in the linen skirt of her gown and causing her to stumble on already weak knees. She couldn't stop herself from falling forward with the fatigue mercilessly dragging her down and crashed through the bushes before landing in shallow water. The sudden cool water that splashed up caused a quiet yelp to escape her before the sound was drowned by her panting while she laid partially in the water, just able to keep herself up on an elbow and a hand.
Her head spun, her stomach turned and her lungs felt like they were on fire, her vision focusing in and out. She wheezed as she panted, her hair dipping into the water she had fallen into, her nose almost touching the rippling surface while her fingers pressed into the mud. She was exhausted but her heart continued to race and her nerves refused to settle, having her tremble while the thought of getting up and out of the water didn't even cross her mind. Fear was all there was.
She couldn't remember anything whenever she had to endure a nightmare. Whenever she woke with a gasp or clutching the pillow, a feeling of dread, anxiety and paranoia was all that remained, the images she was forced to witness during her sleep staying just out of her reach. This time however, this time it stayed. Whatever happened in the Dofus chamber, it haunted her; she couldn't stop seeing it. While Joris was kind enough to share his finding about the Xelor's tampering with the Eliacube, it only opened wounds her amnesia had covered up. Now questions kept rising.
Her fingers dug in the mud as she tried to force herself up to a sitting but the fatigue kept her down. The water she had tripped into was clear, her reflection showing in the surface. She reached the edge of what was a large lake, stretching out far and splitting off into several rivers and creeks that disappeared among the trees to who knew where. In the middle of the lake was a large dome, the top of the trees woven together by Sadida magic to form the curving shape.
Alys had no eye for the impressive centerpiece of the lake, her gaze cast downwards to the dark soil and her distorted reflection while wavy strands of hair floated upon the water. The heaving of her chest and quivering of her body disturbed the water, but it were her tears that caused it to ripple. Master Joris had called her strong but she felt the opposite. She ran from her fears and left Yugo on his own. Her shoulders shuddered with an audible sob when the young Eliatrope crossed her mind; he was almost as scared as her of the Eliacube and was in need of her support. How could she have turned her back on him…? The key to her past was the Eliacube. No, Yugo was the key and the Eliacube the lock that needed to be opened. Without Yugo there was little to no hope of learning more about their people or her past. According to the Xelor's research she was incapable of using the cube and yet a child could, or so Adamaï and his deceased draconic mentor believed.
"I am sorry," she whispered before it was interrupted by another sob, uncertain who exactly she was apologizing to but the guilt she felt was mixing with the other terrifying feelings. Was the apology for herself, Yugo or everyone else who had stuck their neck out to try and help her? Probably the whole world… She had too much she felt sorry for.
A cough left her when she made another attempt to sit rather than lay partially in the water and managed to bring herself up with a shudder before a deep breath left her, sitting on her knees in the shallow water while her hands remained submerged for support. Her dress was soaked and stained with mud but it didn't bother her. The cool water was forgiving to the beating she put her own body through. When others called her a 'frail flower', they weren't overreacting; she was still physically weak but it did surprise her that she didn't falter or faint during her fear-driven run. Perhaps she was stronger than she was given herself credit for… He did say it. He did say she was too harsh on herself.
She shook her head after Joris crossed her mind, the wonder of what he would say if he saw her like this swiftly pushed back. She rather not think of it; she doesn't wish to be found, not like this. She rose her hands up from the water to fold her arms underneath her chest and hug herself, droplets of water running down the leaves that formed the bodice of the linen dress she wore. Her panting had become less but she could feel the soreness of having exhausted herself. She was still scared, the tears which slowly rolled down her cheeks the very proof of it.
Whatever was she going to do? This time there was no forgetting; she will remember those eyes and the accompanying darkness along with the threatening presence that enshrouded the tree holding the Eliacube and Dofus aloft in the Dofus chamber. There was no escape from it, like the chorus of ticking noises she would hear from time to time with certain thoughts. Perhaps it was but a taste of what was to come… who knew what the Eliacube held, what answers it could give to her and those who had taken her under their wings. If this already shook her so badly, what would anything else do? Courage. Like Yugo she had to find courage.
She rose her gaze to finally look at the scenery before her, taking in the warm colors of the lush nature, the setting sun and the reflective waters showing the sky above. The reed and tall grass sprouting up from the water on either side of her softly rustled in the gentle breeze, the various sized lily pads still upon the smooth surface of the lake. To think the Eliacube was in the center of this serenity… but so was she. There was so much in this world worth fighting for and so little that was bad.
There was one other choice other than to remain where she was, give up and wither away; to try again. She owed it to everyone who had given up their precious time and care to stand behind her. She knew she couldn't face her fears alone, but she should remind herself that she wasn't on her own; at times she would forget such to not be a burden. Quite ironic as she was more a burden to others and herself when she tried to solve things on her own. It was a bad habit.
Alys watched the lake's scenery from where she sat a little while longer while regaining her breath, the inner struggle to suppress the terrors of the Eliacube waging on. This would take time… There was something else however which needed to be done soon; she needed to apologize to Yugo and that shouldn't wait.
Urging herself, she brought herself up to her feet to step out of the water and leave the serene atmosphere, the soaked dress weighing her down with the fatigue that remained present. She stood on shaky knees as she bent down to pick up the sandal that caused her to trip and put it back on while deep in thought and sniffling softly. Even her hands were shaking but she kept her balance fairly well as she began to walk, taking it slow to not reach the peak of exhaustion too soon; she had a fair bit to go.
The Tree of Life was very tall and large as she stood at the very foot of it, the setting sun shimmering through the many leaves and tree tops. It hurt to walk while a sense of lightheadedness remained but she kept going, her eyes cast downwards as she entered the palace by one of the many wooden but guarded bridges. Again no one paid much heed to her as they knew her to be a guest of the royal family Sheran Sharm but she didn't mind; she had somewhere to be.
She was in no hurry this time as she moved through the corridors, up the winding walkways and along the bridges towards the middle of the palace on her own pace, combing her damp hair while she thought about what to say and how to apologize. She hoped Yugo wasn't angry with her, that she could talk with him though she didn't feel ready to speak of what she had witnessed within the Dofus chamber or the chase of terror that followed.
The closed door was an unwelcome sight when Alys finally reached the boys' chambers, hoping that Yugo was behind it. She wouldn't know where else to look for him if he weren't there, not wishing to delay her apology any further. She knocked on the door, waiting with her nerves accompanying her until the door cracked open and Adamaï gazed up at her with his claws on the door handle.
There was a moment of silence between them, the dark pupils of the dragon fluttering over her appearance and taking note of how her usual attire was rather dirty. He made no comment about it however. "Figured it would be you," he finally said before he opened the door further to allow Alys inside, a pout on his blue lips while the look he gave her was inquisitive.
Alys took a deep breath as she picked up on Adamaï being bothered by something, asking as she stepped inside to accept his quiet invitation," is Yugo here?"
"He's been sulking on the bed ever since he returned from the Dofus chamber," Adamaï said as he walked further into the room to guide Alys inside, not paying Az any mind when the tofu came flying towards them and circled around them in greeting," he hasn't been very talkative either. Did something happen?"
Alys softly sighed at the news and said under her breath while shaking her head and searched with her eyes for a sign of Yugo," not just something, Adamaï…" It appeared Alibert was not present at the time and somewhere she felt relief about that. She slowed in her step when she found the young Eliatrope laying on his back on his bed, playing with Zaaps by summoning one after the other in a lazy but rhythmic order. He seemed down and thoughtful, unlike how he usually was. Az chirped as he flew over to Yugo, disappearing through one Zaap to then reappear through another before he hovered above Yugo to peer down at him, receiving no response from the boy. Alys grimaced as she exhaled through her nose and lingered in the doorway with an anticipating Adamaï next to her before she carefully rose her voice," Yugo…?"
Yugo looked up from his Zaap play after hearing his name and rose his head up from the bed to look over towards the door, his face clearing up at the sight of Alys standing there with Adamaï. "Alys," he said as he sat up while containing his elation to see her after she suddenly disappeared," how are you...?" The question sounded reluctant, as if he wasn't certain what to say or if it was the right question to ask. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed when Alys approached him and lowered herself down next to him, seeming to think for a moment while she slowly nodded her head.
"Better," she said as the nodding came to a stop and she turned her upper body a little to be able to look at the boy next to her," I am sorry for running away like I did, Yugo. I shouldn't have… You needed me and I wasn't there for you." There was a quiver in her voice as she apologized for her cowardice behavior from earlier, trying not to remember the vision she witnessed within the Dofus chamber while she remained sincere to Yugo. "I truly regret my actions."
"No, it is my fault," the boy said honestly as he folded his hands together in his lap and twiddled with his thumbs," I figured that if we were to go together, we both would have a revelation… or something. I didn't realize that it would be too soon for you, I should have thought about that." He looked over to Adamaï, the dragon raising a brow when the truth behind Yugo's sulking finally came to light. The dragon snorted in disgruntlement before he sighed as there was no point in throwing lectures, and made his way over to the bed to also have a sit down. "I don't know what happened," Yugo continued," but I am not going to pry. You just… you looked so terrified."
Alys' smile was faint and weak as she couldn't stop the glimpses of what she had seen and felt from showing themselves to her. "I didn't expect anything to happen," she said softly, almost whispering while she rose a hand to brush some of Yugo's dirty blond hair aside, the boy still appearing to feel guilty," but whatever the case was, Yugo… it wasn't your fault. The Eliacube and I have a history with each other and it is something I have to somehow make peace with. What the Eliacube did to me wasn't pleasant and left many scars, and therefore the sight alone frightens me…" She licked her lips as she sought for the right words, needing to nudge herself to say what she needed to say," I know I have to face the Eliacube again. We both do…" She tried to reassure Yugo with a more sincere smile while laying her hand on his head. "I'll gladly try again with you."
Yugo pressed his thumbs together, having a heavy feeling in his stomach. On one side there was Adamaï, his own brother who kept pushing him to get an understanding of the Eliacube so they could find their people. On the other side was Alys, one who shared the doubts and understood his hesitance. They were both supportive but each in their own way. He had to be strong, no matter how difficult it was; there was so much riding on this. He clasped his arms around Alys' waist to hug her after a deep breath left him, a sudden movement which had Alys raise her arms in surprise while Adamaï shook his head and rolled his eyes with a huff.
"You two are terrible," he snorted, dramatically pouting at first until a small grin formed upon his thick lips as he watched Alys hunch over Yugo to hug him back. His patience may be limited when it came to the Eliacube, but he couldn't stay mad at Yugo; they never really had an argument they couldn't overcome together. At least his brother had the female Eliatrope to lean on if needed, and same went for her. The Eliacube was a mysterious relic, a powerful one which only a few beings had good knowledge of. If only Grougaloragran taught him more about it...
Yugo's muffled chuckling made the dragon look back at the two seated next to him, hearing him ask after Alys released him from her embrace to allow the boy to breathe and speak," what is that smell…? You smell of some mud pie made of real mud and rotting leaves. It stinks. And why is your dress wet…?"
"Stinks? Oi now…" Alys said with a tut before she smiled and wrapped her arms back around Yugo to pull him close, the boy struggling to get free from her weak grasp while laughing heartily," you want to smell of it too, hmm? That can easily be arranged." She tickled his sides to have him stop squirming and surrender, but only made his twisting and writhing worse than before while he almost slipped off the bed in his struggle. She was dodging the question but then there had been enough sulking this day.
Adamaï crouched onto the bed after Yugo cried with laughter and tried to get away from the tickling, pleading for help and mercy while grabbing for his brother. "Don't worry! I'll save you, Yugo," Adamaï said with a wicked grin and pounced past Yugo onto Alys to overwhelm her, joining in on the tickle fight which spontaneously erupted on the bed. The room soon filled with gasping, laughter, squealing and playful threats, the event that occurred in the Dofus chamber and the gardens forgotten about for the time being.
To be continued