Despite the sounds of the area around the house, the birds singing around it and the animals running along the trees above them, it all seemed to stop the moment Oliver stabbed his blade into the beasts skull, as if every life felt what happened as Susanoo's gaze looked back at him, it's eyes glowing the same purple as the blade did. Isao just watched in silence, Elia herself only looking in between Oliver and Reginhard as she tried to process what just happened. "Excuse me for saying this, but I was under the impression that Oliver wasn't going to kill that beast." Elia spoke as Isao fell down on his knees, still processing what had happened while the body of the behemoth began to shake.
"Like I told your brother and you, his actions cannot be understood if you try to place him in a single viewpoint." Reginhard spoke as Susanoo's body seemed to deflate, leaving nothing but the skin around it soon after as Oliver drew his blade from the beast. From what Elia saw, she could've swore she could've seen something move inside of the skin as Isao picked himself up, running over to the remains of the beast itself.
"Don't go circling around the truth, Reginhard, you should tell them upfront since I have no intention of taking this land over or even playing for a position of power." Oliver spoke as he picked up the remains of the beasts head, swiping his blade straight through the skin and opening it as they all heard a muffled yelp, making all both Isao and Elia look to the source, the small lump that Elia noticed before now moving slowly towards the opening Oliver had made before finally crawling it's way out from inside of the skin, revealing a small animal that only stood at the height of Oliver's knee as it moved up beside him, it's fur coat matted with blood as Oliver looked down at the creature smiling, dropping the mat of skin as he placed his hand on it and closed his eyes. Slowly, the blood covering the creature soon turned a dark black and rose up like a fog around it as the other three watched, soon dispersing to reveal a clean silver coat on the animal, it's form looking like a smaller version of the behemoth it came out of. Oliver only smirked as he rubbed it's head. "And there we go. Sorry about stabbing your forehead like that, I wouldn't have been able to leave the skin off otherwise."
"Susanoo?" came Isao's voice, making the creature look at him and walk over, soon nestling it's head beside the shocked boy. The boy simply stared, too stunned to speak as he reached down to pat the creature, Elia herself walking up to Oliver and looking down at the beast's skin.
"So I guess that this is what you meant by resetting it's time, then?" Elia asked, only getting a slight nod from Oliver as she looked at Isao kneeling down beside the small behemoth, still silent as he stared at the animal that used to be several sizes larger than him as Elia looked back at Oliver. "So what exactly did you do? I've never heard of a spell that makes people younger."
"The darkness I control has many mysteries to it, some even those of us who command it don't understand." Oliver spoke, etching the mystery to it in detail as he looked back down at the pelt. It was then that a smirk began to play on his face as he looked at it, an idea returning to him as he looked back at Elia. "So then, Elia, do you think your brother is up for passing a lie that the behemoth really was killed here?"
Elia just turned her head to him, the look of confusion practically emanating from her face. "Why would you want us to lie with that?" Elia asked as she looked to the pelt, her gaze focused on the seal on one of the arms of the skin as she looked back at the smaller creature, the same seal now gone from it as Oliver chuckled.
"A fun idea that I want to test out, and to see if it will inflict any damage to those who hired those mercenaries in the long run…" Oliver responded as he raised his hands up, the shadows under the skin lifting it up as he looked over to it, moving his hands along the movements of the shadows as the dark mass started to fold the skin together. Elia just watched the event in awe as Oliver kept his focus on it, continuing his conversation with her as he did so. "Those two, if given the proper training and learning, can be quite the terrifying combination if they grow together in their strengths, another reason why I wanted the beast to go through it's aging process again by doing this. If Isao ends up joining the military in another five or six years, the mindset he has will give him the potential to end up rising to a commander easily, if he goes in without the training."
"With it, on the other hand, he could become one of the greatest military minds of his time if he focuses on it." Oliver continued as he set his hands down, the skin of the behemoth now landing neatly folded, with the head of the skin resting at the top of it as he walked over to it, heaving it up with a quick grunt as he looked to Elia, who had snapped out of her trance from Oliver's abilities from what he said of the boy. He then smirked as he lifted the skin onto his right shoulder, patting the mass with his left hand as he walked over to the pathway. "One of the reasons I didn't want you two to kill the behemoth was because of that reason."
"What makes you think he's capable of that much potential?" Elia asked as she looked back to Isao, Oliver just sighing as he walked to his house, motioning for her to follow with his left as he walked up the steps. As Elia started to, however, she noticed Hesperus resting on the side of the houses porch, the shadows seeming to circle around the blade's hilt as Oliver set the Behemoth skin beside it, causing the wood under it to creak slightly from the weight.
"The sword over here is the reason." Oliver responded as he picked up the blade, pulling the hilt straight off in the process as he looked back at her, holding it up as he held the sheath at his side. He then chuckled when he saw her mouth gape open in surprise, placing the hilt back on as he set it back down. "Hesperus, the Sword of Twilight as it's maker liked to call it. From what I was told by Alegar, only those who are descended directly from the original owner of the blade can draw it, and only those with the same mindset can unconsciously release it's power like Isao did when he drew it. Along with this, the potential for those who have drawn it normally span to some of the highest points, straight to becoming some of the greatest generals of their time. An example of this would be an ancestor to the person who the weapon was made for, a man named Zhang Liao who cut down an army of a hundred thousand with only a small group of eight hundred."
"Really…" Elia spoke as she looked at the blade, her gaze soon turning to Oliver again as he walked over to one of his chairs, sitting down without a care as he looked over to Elia. Oliver only smirked as he guessed what could probably be going through her head: there she was, a known figure of the royal family, and he's there just sitting around as if she was someone else. Elia then sighed as she walked over to the other chair, sitting down beside him as she looked at Isao, now finally out of the stage of shock and walking around the house with Susanoo as Reginhard started his way towards the house. "So what does it mean if you pull the hilt off like you did?"
"It just means that your ambition is far beyond the blade itself, and the goal itself is something the blade and it's user would willingly serve if they saw fit." Oliver responded as he leaned back in his chair, a bit disappointed that his guess didn't lead to anything as Isao walked over to them, his pace quickening from a tug by Susanoo. The two were listening now as Reginhard had made it to the steps, Oliver continuing his explanation of the blade. "If you cannot draw the blade, it means that you have too little ambition to be of any importance to the user, and far too little imagination to even hope to compare to them. If the weapon flies to any of the people who can draw it or to a person who has drawn the hilt, that means that the person who attempted to draw it would've been considered scum by the original owner, and someone who he wouldn't of had a second thought in killing."
"I thought you said that it wouldn't let people who can't change their ways to draw it, and that it depends on the heart of the person." Isao spoke, looking at him confused as Oliver chuckled. The boy remembered what he said, and apparently wanted some explanation as to why he said it.
"I may have decided on some fabrication of the truth." Oliver spoke, making Elia look at him with a hard gaze, one that he easily shook off as he waved his hand. "War is fought with the idea to deceive your enemies. Besides, the idea of the plan was to scare him to a point of such irrational thinking that he'd lead me to any escape routes he'd have at the camp."
"That doesn't mean I have to like it." Elia responded, making Oliver look at her with a smirk as he felt his right hand twitch, soon being enveloped in darkness as he looked down at it.
"You and me both." Came Oliver's reply as he held his hand up, the darkness rising onto his finger tips and dancing as if it was a flame, a faint green glow coming off of it as he kept his gaze on it. "The man who wielded the blade was titled as 'The Blade of Alegar' and was considered by many to be one of the greatest warriors to have ever taken up the sword, being the right hand man of Alegar himself. He was justice incarnate, so to speak, doing what was necessary to ensure that absolute justice was dealt, be the person he judged either good or evil."
"Do you know his name?" Elia asked, looking at Oliver with a new insight as he looked back at her, the flames on his fingers slowly dying away as he nodded.
"From the stories Alegar told me, his name was Gaius Aurelius, and he held the title of Lord of Darkness in our arts until a short time before my own arrival." Oliver spoke as he looked to Isao, who was now walking off with Susanoo over to the open patch of dirt to the side of the house as he looked back at Elia, who held a slight confusion in her eyes. "The title is only that, a title. Those of us who control the darkness are designated to several titles, Lords all serving under the rule of a King of Darkness, one of the fifteen users of the darkness that the others and me command. Alegar himself is one of these fifteen kings."
"So does that make you a lord under him?" Elia asked, making Oliver smirk as he looked to Isao, his eyes seeming to flicker a light orange that Elia noticed.
"That I shall keep to myself, my princess." Oliver responded as he walked over to the bundle of skin, tapping it with his fingers before it was covered in darkness, soon shrinking even further before it was the size of a lunch box, tied together with a black string. Oliver then looked down at his shirt, noticing the current dust that had accumulated on the uniform as he stood up with the bundle of skin in hand, looking over to Elia with a smirk. "I will say one thing that can hint at my power, and it's that these clothes weren't always the black you see them at this moment."
To that Elia tilted her head at him before he walked over to her, holding out the small bundle in front of her. Now rationally, Elia expected the bundle to need her to hold it with half her strength. When she took it from him, however, she found it to weigh no more than a feather. "I expected this to actually be more than it's weighing right now." Elia spoke as she looked at the bundle, tossing it up as she tested its weight. Oliver only chuckled as he grabbed it from the air before she could catch it, making her look at him with a glare. "I suppose it's some type of magic that you did?"
"Of a sort." Oliver responded as he tapped the string holding it. Elia just took the item as Oliver continued his explanation, her gaze overlooking the item itself. "This string, so long as it's tied, shrinks and lightens the item it's around to the point that you can easily move it. If untied, the string will vanish and the item will regain its original size and weight. Used to use this to smuggle large arsenals of weapons as if they were toys back in the war."
"You'll need to tell me more about this war of yours, it sounds fairly interesting on the tactics you used." Elia spoke as she looked at the item in her hand, making Oliver only nod as she looked up at him. "So then, how do you plan to take Isao and the behemoth to the north?"
"That will be Ksalso's job, given he'll want to explore this place as much as he can." Oliver answered, Isao soon looking at him in shock as he remembered the dragon. "I'm actually interested in seeing how the boy will respond to the means of travel."
Oliver then felt a tug in his head, making him sigh as he walked back down the patio and onto the open area. 'Talk about timing, Ksalso, I was just talking about you.' Oliver thought as he walked to the open area beside the house that he had been training with Serphia at. 'How goes the decryption?'
'The base encryption has been dealt with, and I've finished the first rough draft of the letter if you wish for them to have it.' Came Ksalso's voice, making Oliver only nod as his hand was soon enveloped in darkness. 'How would you like me to deliver it?'
'Use your fragmented form to deliver it; I'll open up a gateway for you to use and enter by. We need to get the boy and his beast accommodated as well, so be sure to have a room readied afterwards.' Oliver replied, soon looking back to Elia and Isao. "Speaking of Ksalso, he's finished his first draft of the letter, if you wish to read it." Oliver spoke, making Elia eye his hand while nodding. Oliver then pointed his hand to the open area, a thick fog soon shooting from it and enveloping the area to around a five-foot radius. When it cleared, however, a large red disk was what rested in the ground. Oliver then sighed as it rose, revealing a doorway that was made of solid steel. "Looks like he was using the elevator…"
"To be fair, you probably didn't ask where he was at the time of the decryption." Reginhard replied as the door to the new pillar opened, Ksalso soon walking out to find the five looking at him, the gem now in the center of his chest. In his left hand were a few of the letters that Oliver had given him in the camp, while in his right was a sealed letter with the crest of Oliver's family on it. "You're still using the seal of our lord?"
"He hasn't asked me not to yet, so I intend to continue it." Ksalso merely responded as he walked to Oliver, his gaze a bright yellow that informed Oliver of what the being was doing at the moment. Elia was looking in between him and the small building with confused eyes, Isao both shocked and confused as he backed up from the ebony man. Oliver had expected as much from the boy, however; Isao had seen Ksalso take care of several beasts in that form, it'd be hard to not be shocked over the fact of his appearance. Oliver then looked back to Ksalso, who was now standing in front of him as he held out the letter in his right hand. "Here is the rough draft of the first letter, as requested. Granted there are others that were closer to decryption than this one, but the contents in it called me to work on it faster."
"Good work." Oliver spoke as he took the letter, his own gaze overlooking the seal as he looked back to Elia. "Did you write it in the main language of this country?"
"I did, my lord, given the fact that you wanted to give them a copy." Ksalso simply spoke as he looked over to Elia, noticing her gaze on him and the building as he bowed to her. "I suppose you're the princess that he informed me of before my arrival to your lands."
Elia snapped out of her analyzing and looked at the man, then back to Oliver with a quizzical expression before she nodded. "Yes, I suppose I am." Elia responded as Oliver smirked. She then looked back to Ksalso, who now stood straight in attention as his actual height towered over all of them by a foot. "May I ask what he spoke about me?"
"Just that you were a powerful fighter, yet lacking experience in combat against people of your caliber of fighting and tactics." Ksalso spoke, making Oliver sigh as he walked to the red building before Elia could look at him.
"We'll discuss what I said about you in detail later, but for now I need to go inspect the storage of the Dragon's Heart, since you came here at a rush." Oliver spoke as he opened the door to the small building, making Ksalso only nod before he turned and followed suit. Before Oliver went in, however, he looked over to Isao. "So, are you and your friend at your side coming?"
Isao just looked at him confused, processing what the man said. "Why are you asking if I want to go in?" Isao asked, looking at the door warily as Elia looked back to the boy.
"Well for one, it's to see if you'll like any of the rooms in there since you'll be staying in the Dragon's Heart till we reach our destination in the North." Oliver spoke as he looked back to the doorway, soon looking back at the boy as he smiled. "The other reason is that it's a lot more cozy to rest at than the grass out here."
Isao just looked at the door warily, but his thoughts were halted when Susanoo nudged him towards the door. Isao just looked at the now small behemoth before he walked over to the door, soon disappearing in the entrance as Elia looked at it in confusion. "You're taking him to the north by a ship?" Elia asked, making Oliver smirk as he heard her surprise. "The path to the north doesn't have that many rivers, certainly none that can carry a massive ship."
"Not all ships travel by water, but that's a discussion for another time." Oliver spoke as he looked over to her, smiling as he did so. "Now if I'm correct from the rumors that were circulating around the town, you're supposed to be getting ready for a party tonight, aren't you?"
"…Yes, I do." Elia spoke as she turned around to her horse, noticing that Reginhard himself had vanished in the middle of all the commotion after his single sentence to Ksalso. As she started walking, she stopped and looked over to Oliver again. "How are you so certain that the man you dealt with was speaking the truth if you were torturing him while planning to kill him anyway?"
"An interesting question, one that can be easily answered if I wanted to." Oliver spoke as he looked down to the letter in his hand, soon remembering that he had yet to give it to her before he walked over to her right side while staring at the trees surrounding the house, soon holding the letter to her. "However, it's one secret that I'll keep, and one that I only use when I deem it necessary since it's something that I hate personally."
Elia just looked over to the letter, taking it from him as she tried to read his expression. "Regardless of your actions, you dealt with a problem that could've proved fatal for our country." Elia responded as she looked at the letter. She then looked to the tied up fur in her other hand as she looked to the sky, now partially cleared. From what she could see, the sun was now close to the upper corner of the sky and starting to set, meaning that they would be expecting her to get ready by now. "…If you'd like, then you can come to the party to speak with us further on the matter, if you're still willing to. This can also give you a chance to meet with us if your friend over there decrypts anything else."
"That's a nice offer, and one I'll take since I need to ask you and your brother a few things once I finish reading my own copy of the letter." Oliver spoke as he turned to the doorway again, his arm now resting on his sword's hilt as he looked to Elia again. "From what I can tell, it seems like war is going to be brewing for your country, so I'd like to know just how you plan to deal with it and if I have to leave or not."
"I'll see if I can do anything on it, and expect a letter to be with Oric." Elia responded, soon looking to the tree line as she noticed a few moving figures in the trees, more than likely the local wildlife. Then, with a sigh, she turned her head back to Oliver. "Do you think you'll be able to find any proper clothes for the party, or will I have to-"
Before Elia could finish her statement, he had walked into the doorway, which soon shut and vanished the moment he did. All that remained was a claw mark on the ground, a light red gleam coming off of it in reflection to the sun. Elia just looked around in shock, soon resting her gaze on the claw mark before she shook her head. 'Now isn't the time to be worrying over his abilities.' Elia thought as she turned to her horse, placing the fur into one of the pouches on it's side. 'What matters now is the ball that's to occur, and to warn people of his arrival.'
-Emerial; castle cells, twenty minutes later-
"So tell me, Orius, what do you know of the attacks that have occurred?" Arlus spoke as he looked at the man, both sitting at a small table while Orius messed with a small bit of food on his plate. Orius, despite his accusations, remained in his own formal attire as instructed by Arlus, the only exception being the chains on his wrists. In Arlus' right hand was a ring, the same ring that Oliver had brought him when he had told them of his interrogation of the man. "All we want to know is who gave you that knowledge on the villagers, especially since we know that you've been sneaking into local taverns to converse with others"
"I have sources for information, not unlike yourself my prince." Orius spoke as he looked at Arlus, making the prince smirk as he looked on the hands of the man. On them were nothing in particular, but what caught his attention was a ring on the man's left hand, a red gem sitting on the top of it in a similar fashion to the one in Arlus' own hand. "I normally go to places they specify directly in order to make sure that I don't jeopardize their information."
'Something I noticed with these rings, when the person is growing increasingly weary or in fear of their life, the ring itself will glow and send a calming effect into the person, possibly through the nervous system to directly interact with the brain.' Oliver had spoke in the room, back when he was talking about the ring itself. 'If your man is actually in on this against his own will, then you'll need to make sure of it through doing something that could ruffle a politician. And given your political status, it shouldn't be too hard for you two to try out.'
'Easier said than done.' Arlus thought as he watched the man toying with the food in front of him. Despite their current talks, the lord didn't seem to waver in the least when Arlus spoke to him, but did shake and stutter a few times. However, that was the way the man had spoke even in the war room or in the court, and hardly something that would ensure he wasn't being controlled. No, if Arlus wanted to have the man show any signs, he would have to pull no punches, and that was where the food had come in.
"I do have to say though, you hold quite a bit of loyalty in keeping your information circle secret." Arlus spoke as Orius finally took a bite of one of the fruit on his plate, something the prince had been waiting for. "A shame that it's going to go to waste."
"What are you talking about, I haven't even said… anything…" Orius spoke, shaking his head as he seemed to start to sway, pushing himself out of his chair and onto the ground as he tried to get up, realization popping onto his face as he looked to the food. "W…what did you do to the food?"
"Nothing really, just placed a poison laced with a plant that forces those who ingest it to fall into a deep sleep, within this sleep being nightmares unimaginable." Arlus spoke as he got up, soon walking over to Orius as the man backed away, the fear in his eyes now clear as he started to realize what the prince was trying to do. "If you're truly keen on the idea that you haven't done anything wrong, then I am truly sorry for doing this. However, your own life does not way more than the lives of the civilians who live in the city outside these walls. If you want the antidote, you'll have to tell me the information I wish on the mercenaries, along with your informants."
Orius opened his mouth, possibly to spit out something in order to gain some leverage or an antidote in some form, but the moment Arlus was hoping for occurred; the ring on his left hand glowed, flowing up on his arm and over the man as his face seemed to start to calm down. "…So be it, if you're still so keen on nothing." Orius spoke as he leaned back, looking at Arlus as his body seemed to pale. "I guess I'll still be imprisoned here, then, regardless of what your decision will be."
"For a time." Arlus spoke, watching as the man closed his eyes, falling back onto the ground. He then sighed as he checked their pulse, feeling it beating quite well as he soon got up. He then knocked on the table three times, the door behind him soon opening as he looked to the guards, Darius walking in as he looked at the unconscious politician. "Seems like your plan worked."
"It was something that General Yamada had come up with when he had dealt with the Eastern lands before hand, that way to ensure if there were any controlled individuals among us." Darius spoke, soon looking to the ring on the man's hand. The plan the general had come up with was a simple one; to use a poison that only causes paralysis and unconsciousness in order to see the reactions of the people, along with a truth syrum that was laced into it to have them feel as if they were being warned. The compound itself was something that the rings weren't made for due to the plant for the poison only growing in the mountain regions of Emerial, along with being one of the many secrets of the country that only those of the highest positions would know about. "Did it glow like you expected?"
"Indeed, it seems that the hunter who dealt with the mercenaries was right on the mark with his speculation." Arlus spoke as two of the guards picked the man up. He then looked to Darius with a stern gaze, his mind still on the task at hand. "I'm hoping you know how to remove that ring without taking off the man's hand."
"Of course, but it's something that takes at least a few days to occur." Darius spoke as he walked to the food in the room, taking one of the apples that were perfectly safe. "During this time, we have to have him held down by either chains or straps, that way he can't try to kill himself or others during the removal phase. This also means, sadly, that his family will need to be informed of what has happened, as well as the guards of this area."
"Very well, though I doubt this will change my fathers plans to hold the party for my sister, given his stance on our country." Arlus spoke, soon walking out of the room as the man followed. "It's interesting that the hunter can manage so much, despite the difference in numbers for him."
"I'm more impressed on the fact of how much he had decimated the camp, and how he left the leader of those mercenaries." Darius responded, making Arlus nod as he continued his walk through the corridors. Darius assigned some of his best men on the march to the camp, and the reports from the scouts allowed them to learn of the damage the camp took, along with the prisoners that were held at the outside of the camp. "Are you sure that you can trust this man though, my prince? He may have helped a good deal, but there's no telling if this is his own game at trying to take us out from the inside or not."
"Oric seems to trust him, and he even said that Elia's master knew him, so I think he should be given the benefit of the doubt." Arlus responded, looking to the path ahead of them to see a armored figure standing at the entrance, a letter in their hand as Arlus passed them and took it. As soon as he did the figure moved away, Darius watching them as Arlus opened the letter and read it. "It seems that my sister's offered the hunter an invitation to the party tonight, which he took after handing her a rough draft of the first decrypted letter."
"That's unexpected, though understandable given his actions." Darius spoke, looking a bit warily at the letter in Arlus' hand. He then coughed to get Arlus' attention, making the prince look to see his hard gaze. "Regardless of the princess' thoughts, the way he was described to slaughter the men in the area over there was fairly brutal."
"Yes, me and Elia were informed of his actions in the camp by him personally after he told us his own plan for the behemoth, as coded as it was." Arlus responded, nodding to the man's thoughts on the hunter. Oliver, after stating his own plan, had later told them of his actions in the camp, leaving out what he had done to the commander until he learned that there was a party already heading in that direction. "Oric did say that he would instate his own form of justice, as brutal as it may seem. Were any innocents harmed?"
"No, it looks as if they were all in the cages outside of the camp, though the fact he left them in there actually benefitted in their defense." Darius spoke, the two now turning into the main hallway of the castle that led in between the throne room and the entrance. "There were several of the local beasts that were within the camp, though not enough to be of any trouble to the men. What interests me, however, is how the people in the camp were burned."
"He did mention that the clothes of those men would be in tact." Arlus responded, catching Darius' surprise from the corner of his eye as he stopped over at the entrance to the castle. "He didn't apologize for his actions at the camp, but said he would accept whatever punishment we see fit. If he's intending to go to the party tonight, and we gain a substantial amount of information from this first letter, then I may have an idea as for what he can do."
"I see…" Darius muttered, noticing a hint of a chuckle coming from the prince after he did so. The man then coughed, looking to the area in front of them as he went through their discussion in his head. "Shall I call one of the guards to take a letter of invitation to his location?"
"He won't be at his house, as this letter says." Arlus responded as he closed the letter. He then turned his head to Darius, his gaze seeming to analyze the man as he did so. "Have the letter taken to Oric instead. It seems that's where Elia had said it'd go to."
"Then I shall take my leave." Darius responded, giving a slight bow before he turned and headed off. Arlus just sighed as he looked back to the entrance of the castle, seeing the buildings with people moving around them.
'A war on the horizon, with the possibility of it harming the people in this city.' Arlus thought, his gaze rising up to the sky itself as his hands moved to his sides. 'And to top it all off, a hunter who appeared out of the blue one day can control a power I can't comprehend. I wonder if this is a sign of times to come…'
Arlus then shook his head, bringing his mind back to the present. He may have liked to come up with dreams of his country, maybe even finding a way to improve it's finances, military and food storages every now and again, but it would be nothing if the countries around them continued their wars as they did. The ring on Orius meant one thing for certain; Dalce intended an invasion, and they needed to be prepared for it. For their actions, however, it would not end with thwarting an invasion by them. No, Arlus knew what would come next, and it was a step that his father would hate to take; Emerial would finally have no other choice then to go to war.
-The Dragon's Heart-
Isao looked around in shock as Oliver walked in front of him, leading him through the various corridors of the fortress. They had been there for a while, but it seemed that anywhere Oliver had taken the boy seemed to peak their interest, starting from the elevator they had come in at till the corridor's they were currently walking through, a red carpet spanning the area that complimented the grey walls and ceiling, several chandeliers being in the corridors to keep the room lighted with a light orange flame on each. Susanoo, likewise, looked around the area with caution, especially given that they didn't have the strength they did before. "These will be your quarters for the trip north, but you're free to access most of the Dragons Heart and explore it as you will." Oliver spoke as he stopped at one door, opening it to a fairly large room that held a queen-sized bed. Isao just looked at it in wonder as he walked into the room. It didn't bear that many decorations besides the bed, but it held a wardrobe and a few tables that were, if Oliver remembered, made of oak. One of the first things he made sure of with this place was that the area itself had some actual building materials outside of darkness made items, though that didn't count for the rest of the fortress itself. "If you wish to explore any more or require anything, just call for Ksalso by shouting his name. He'll arrive immediately when you do so."
"Of course…" Isao spoke, looking around the room in wonder, Susanoo walking in beside him as Oliver closed the door behind the two and left. As he took a turn through one of the corridors, he soon found himself facing Ksalso, who was now holding another letter, this one not sealed and only neatly folded.
"My lord." Ksalso spoke as he held out the letter, Oliver taking it while nodding as the two began their walk along the corridor. "So then, would you like to hear the report on the stock at the moment?"
"In all honesty, it was an excuse to keep from hearing any backlash from what you said on my comments to Elia." Oliver spoke as they took a turn, leading to a massive room that held a large round table with a stairway behind it. On the table was a map of America covered with statues and miniature tanks in several locations, the old map Oliver had used for strategies in the early points of the war. Ksalso just chuckled as the two walked around the table, soon reaching the stairway before the two walked up the steps. "I'm more interested in what made you say that they'd need to know about the letters."
"It seemed that the letter was given over an invasion force being in the works, with a small group within the city damaging certain structures and buildings, including the castle walls." Ksalso spoke as the two made it to the top of the steps, upon it resting a large black door. Oliver only nodded as he opened the door, leading to a large throne room, in the far back being two doors with a large black throne in the center of the two. "The letter was one to confirm for the receivers to begin mustering the forces and to prepare them as well as possible. The force that it was recommending was a force of two hundred thousand."
"No doubt with most of those being slaves with similar rings to the ones we saw on the mercenary, but it would still take a year at most to muster such a force." Oliver spoke; moving past the throne to the door on it's left as he turned his head to Ksalso. "From what I know of the Eastern kingdom of Dalce, they are constantly doing raids on the borders while having another war to the north. Their raids may be fine for small groups, but an invasion force takes discipline, loyalty and a functioning military force. More importantly, it would thin their forces to try and invade two countries at once, unless they're planning to invade a certain point that can let them march on both in locations that can prove a strategic weakness for both countries. Did they say where they recommended to start the invasion through?"
"Only a city, my lord, which they claimed would be undermanned in a few weeks time from this letters delivery." Ksalso spoke as Oliver opened the door, revealing a massive room. Within it were several rows of books, a chair and desk with several papers placed on it, and an orb that hung suspended above them. The orb itself was the biggest interest to Oliver though, the clear crystalline surface showing the inside of it, a set of axes that seemed to emanate a red glow. Upon the flats of the axes were red glowing words in a dialect that would be considered Gibberish, but to Oliver it still read clear as day: For the people we are made, and for the people we will be used. Ksalso just sighed as Oliver looked over the axes, soon walking past the man and stopping by one of the bookshelves. "Making sure those axes are still out of reach?"
"Always have to if I wish to ensure that mistakes aren't repeated, at least until the power within them fades." Oliver spoke as he raised his hand up, a black aura coming off of it as the orb started to float down, revealing several words written upon the crystalline form. "There's always the alternative to purify them, but the amount of lives that would be lost to attain it would be too many… You said they planned to hit a city? What was it's name?"
"Olares." Ksalso simply responded, making Oliver sigh as he lowered his hand, allowing the orb to rise back to it's point of stasis. "I suppose you know of it?"
"Its name is on a few of the items I see in the city, even the mead that I purchased." Oliver responded, walking over to the chair and sitting down as Ksalso walked behind him, a mirror rising in front of Oliver as he looked to the area around them. "Knowing both Arlus and Elia, they'll probably reach the same conclusion I have on it."
"So the city is a place where trade goes through." Ksalso responded, thinking of the possibility himself. "So they deal a blow to the trade of the two kingdoms, and simultaneously move to take both through that point. If dealt correctly, and with the proper resources funneled in, it can deal a massive hit to the economic and social standing of both countries."
"Indeed, which will mean that Arlus will probably try to have me do something to reach the place." Oliver spoke as he looked to his right, his eyes glowing a light orange. "First, however, I'd like to know the reason you're watching us with that tension about you, Reginhard."
To that he heard a sigh, soon finding the old man materialize in front of him as they walked to the table. This time he didn't hold his staff, making Oliver's gaze narrow as the man stopped beside him. "When we were viewing the events of the camp before you cut the feed, back when it had started, Oric had spoken about things he knew about you." Reginhard spoke, his gaze hard as stone as he looked at Oliver. "About your time as a warrior, and some knowledge of the war. Along with this, he spoke of a person called Yamada who he serves and made him swear silence."
"Yamada?" Oliver spoke, leaning back as he reran the name in his head several times. "Given that Isao also bears a Japanese name, I expected his father to be someone from a version of our world, or the reason to be because the world had been imagined in ours by a Japanese writer. To think that some of them could even be from our own world, though, seems close to impossible…"
"Oliver, the man they referred to as Yamada instructed Oric to remain silent until your abilities returned." Reginhard spoke, making Oliver's gaze move to back to him with a look of shock, a heavy weight seeming to move into his chest as he heard those words. At the same time, the area around him seemed to darken as Reginhard continued. "When he was asked to reveal why he knew so much, he stated to Elia to ask her master, to which she called the man 'Instructor' Yamada."
Oliver kept quiet, his gaze hard on Reginhard as he lifted his hand. A shaving knife appeared in it as Oliver kept his gaze on the man, soon looking back to the mirror as he angled the blade on his face. "That would explain why she bore such a similar style to him…" Oliver muttered, slowly starting to cut off parts of his beard as he looked into the mirror. He then sighed as he placed the razor on the table in front of him, the hair that had fallen seeming to melt into the floor as he looked back to Reginhard. "I'll have to ask Oric why this is the case later, especially since I need to get my invitation to the party from him. For now, however, I need to get ready for that party that is to occur tonight."
"Very well, but don't be too brash when dealing with Oric." Reginhard spoke, making Oliver only nod as the man vanished, his voice remaining as it echoed around him. "He may have hid information, but it was under orders. That is surely something you can relate to."
"Against my better judgment..." Oliver spoke, soon looking back to find Ksalso standing directly behind him. "I hope it's not too much to ask for you to give me a bit of a haircut? I'm a bit worried on what I might end up doing to myself after that information I was just given."
"Of course, my lord." Ksalso replied calmly, holding his hand out before a small hole opened in the floor under it, a pair of scissors soon flying up and into his hand as he grabbed a bit of the hair on Oliver. "I suppose it's too much to ask to let out your emotions on this matter?"
"I'll do it when this haircut is done, specifically in the training area." Oliver responded as he held up his hand, the snipping of his hair seeming to go around him in a blur as he looked at the lines on it, specifically the calluses that had formed from both his training and work in the last year. "It's supposed to be genuinely impossible, but we have a person who bears the blood of the Blade of Alegar in the Dragon's Heart right now. If anything, it's more or less put me into a bit of a lack of emotions at the moment, more than likely just waiting for me to have something to let it out by."
"Do you think that Gaius may have had something to do with it?" Ksalso asked, the scissors soon coming down as Oliver saw the man's hand move to the front of his head, followed by the return of the snipping as he kept his head still.
"It's the only explanation I can think of, given what happened." Oliver responded, placing his hand back down as he closed his eyes, his mind still processing the information. Oliver then recounted the events at Richmond, his mind encompassing the event. "When the missile had hit Richmond, Myrkr had told me that it bore an affinity to darkness, a weapon more than likely gifted to our enemies by the King of Lust herself. While in normal circumstances, from what Myrkr had told me then, anyone who was caught in the explosion would be cast into the primordial darkness, to be either devoured by the darkness itself or to eventually merge into it. If that boy bears a blood relation to an incarnation of Gaius Aurelius, though…"
"I'll have to ask you to stop talking for a bit since I'll be starting with the razor." Ksalso spoke, causing Oliver's mouth to close as he watched the man's hand move to the razor in front of him. "Regardless of what we speculate, we'll get the answer from Oric when you go to get that letter. So for now, just let loose your emotions in the training area, and I'll prepare a set of outfits you'll probably want to use for this party."
"Of course." Oliver spoke as he leaned his head back, feeling the darkness rise up on him and start to move any hair that had fallen on his clothes into the ground. Ksalso may have been blunt in stopping his thoughts, but he was right on the matter of the truth. He would learn it directly from Oric or from whomever he was supposedly under. And, hopefully, he would learn it after he let loose his own emotions on the facts of all of these revelations.
-Emerial castle, the war room, thirty minutes later-
Arlus sat in his chair to the left of his father in the war room, the king himself sitting in his chair while Elia stood to his right with the letter in her hand. Though there were several men of high standard in this room at the moment, the meeting wasn't an official one in the least. Among these men were the ones who made the main strategies from the matters that were discussed in the open war room, all tasked with the safety of the country. Elia had just finished reading the confines of the letter when Urius spoke. "So we're going to believe the decryption of a letter that came to us from a hunter?" Urius asked, his voice aggravated as he looked at Elia with a calculated gaze. "Not to mention this hunter is an outlander, at that. What's to say that he's not working for an opposing country itself?"
"He's stated to us constantly that he has no intention of taking the country, and has shown personally how easily he could've damaged our system it if he wanted to." Elia spoke, her own voice calm while showing a hint of annoyance at the man. "Not to mention that we were even given confirmation from Oric on the sincerity of his word, along with the two who serve him."
"That still wouldn't explain why we should trust him." Indlas responded, his gruff voice catching the attention of the others. His own gaze was on the letter itself, his face looking as if there was some revelation from it. "This would explain the lack in raids as of this last month, but it doesn't mean we should truly trust him. Unless there's more than just the word of a retired veteran."
"Oric said that if we wanted to know more about this hunter and why he holds him so highly, then we should ask General Yamada." Arlus spoke finally, making everyone's gaze rest on him as he leaned back. He knew this was going to be the reaction of the officers and officials in front of him when he said those words, in fact that was what he was playing for to ensure that his own idea worked. "If I'm correct, Elia, he used to tell you stories about the general he served under, correct?"
"Yes, on how they could face impossible odds with a smile and find a way to deal with them without any major losses." Elia spoke, noticing where he was going at. "From what Serphia had told of Oliver's tales, he led a group of generals back in his own country in a co-leadership role."
"Indeed, so it could be safe to assume that Oliver himself is the man who he served, especially given the similar accent their voices have." Arlus responded, making the group around them just look around, small whispers being heard as Arlus placed his hands on the table. "Regardless, there's still the matter of the chance of a hundred thousand troops moving into Olares, if the letter is correct. Chances are that, since this is only a confirmation letter, this force is already gathered and is probably scheduled to march on the area regardless. We need to come up with options to deal with this matter."
"The forces are too thinly spread as it is, especially with the provocations from bandit attacks on the western border recently." Came the man beside Urius, making the rest look to him and grant him their undivided attention. "Along with this, there's also the bandit attacks in the Southeast that Elia's army is constantly facing, which they will need to return to shortly. If the case of invasion is true, as well, then we need to keep our own defense forces to the east in their positions to ensure no surprise attacks may come if this information is a ruse to weaken our defenses."
"So all that remains is the General of the North and his forces, who have been aiding the Northern Kingdom with their own problems against the Northern Tribes." Arlus spoke, making the man nod as Arlus sighed. Though he didn't like the fact, this was the full scale of the matter and something he already came to the conclusion of when Elia had presented the letter to him beforehand. "I guess this level of thinking is why you're the master of strategy, Aerius."
"It's a rough draft of what I know, it's far from complete with the little amount of information we have here." The man responded, now looking to Arlus with a slight smile. "Though I'd like to send a messenger to the Northern kingdom to recall the man, I'm guessing that you already have something planned?"
"Something I was hoping could be accepted." Arlus responded, nodding to Elia. Before this event, he had told her of his idea, and she had to have a proper explanation for it herself, but in the end she had accepted it. Elia only nodded as she stood up, allowing Arlus to continue. "As we all know, we can't spare any armies up north if this is the case. We can, however, send a messenger to go warn them of the oncoming threat at post haste, with the hopes to make it there as soon as possible. Since it's also a high risk task given the tribesmen of the north, I'd like to recommend Elia for delivering the information, given she would be able to hold her own far more than anyone we could also send."
"Not to mention her relations with the general and with Yamada, given that he's been training her in combat." Came King Indras, causing the room to become eerily tense. The old man, from what Arlus had gathered, already realized the magnitude of the situation from simply listening to the men, and was coming up with his own plan through them. It was to be expected, however, given he was the one who had led the kingdom during a time of a massive tribal invasion that had momentarily subjugated the Northern Kingdom of Eoric, forcing the rulers to momentarily flee to Emerial with what little remained of their forces before Indras had marched his army against the tribes, forcing them out of Eoric and the capital city, reinstating the rulers and allowing them to make use of their generals to train their troops for better preparation. "It normally takes at least two weeks to reach Eoric's capital, where the march to Olares would then take another week at least, by which time the city would fall. I suppose you have a plan for that?"
"I do indeed." Arlus responded, looking back to the center of the table. "From what Elia has told me, Oliver himself bears a ship that he has stated can travel up north by more than just sea. Along with this, he had stated that he was heading to the northern kingdom to take the boy to there, possibly to find his family, as Elia had learned during her time at his place. It's with that knowledge that I'd like to suggest that she travels with him to the land, in the hopes that he can travel there sooner than any of us can by foot or horse."
"Regardless of that matter, it will depend on whether or not he accepts it, correct?" the king asked, making Arlus only nod as he leaned back in his chair, waiting for the king's decision. With a sigh, Indras looked to Elia on his right, who had was still standing as she looked to him. "I'm guessing that you have trust in this man, given his actions."
"That is the case, my king." Elia spoke, not leaving out the formal title that he held. Regardless of her own thoughts on the matter, when it came to the war room she always made sure she called others by their ranks. "If he did want any power in this country, or if he wanted to harm us in anyway, he wouldn't have gone so far to keep away from the city by living on his own in the forests around the city. Along with this, I've been to the place he lives at; it's far more humble than you'd expect of a warrior or general of his caliber, obviously hand made by the man himself."
"That doesn't change the fact that he's an outsider." Urius spoke, Aerius looking over at the man with a sharp gaze as the man continued. "Sure, he may be on our side at the moment, but the fact that he isn't born of this country still remains. What hope is there to believe that he could hope to aid us with this, if he even is on our side?"
"If I remember correctly, Aerius had a similar discussion with me when I decided on making General Yamada my master of arms several decades ago." Came the king, silencing Urius as the man looked to him. The king then stood up as he looked to Darius, who stood directly behind him. "If I also recall, you had sent a letter to Oric that would grant this man an invitation to the party tonight, correct?"
"Yes, my king." Darius spoke, bowing his head slightly as the man looked back over the table. His gaze seemed to pierce into each man, and every time it rested on a person they seemed to squirm from the pressure. Finally his gaze rested on Arlus, who just looked at Indras as if knowing what he was planning.
"In that case, I'd like to meet this man personally when he arrives." Indras spoke, making the group look at him shocked as the old king smiled under his trimmed beard. "If he is of a great threat, then I shall see it myself from speaking with him just as I did with General Yamada. Until that time, however, the role of the decision shall lay to me and me alone. Now, seeing as we all have to prepare for the party that is to be held in a few hours, I call this meeting adjourned."
To that the group simply stood up, bowing before many of them exited, soon leaving Aerius, Elia and Arlus standing at the table with the king. "So then, why trust this hunter so much?" Aerius spoke, his voice now showing a concern that hadn't been there during the meeting. Arlus just smiled as he looked at the man, seeing the cool face he held now gone with a genuine wonder. "I know that you think of him highly due to what he's just done, but Yamada specifically told Oric to only watch him and tell him the truth afterwards. What's to say that it was due to a fear of the possibilities the man may possess?"
"In all honesty, it's a hunch." Arlus spoke, catching his father's look of surprise as the prince placed his right hand on the table, looking down at his hand as he felt the outlines of the table beneath it. "It's true that we don't know much about him at the moment, but he's had several chances to end up killing any of us. He even stated and shown an example that if he wanted to, then he could destroy this entire city with his own powers. Me and Elia saw this from his confrontation with the mercenary camp."
"If that's so, then the current question is why even allow him into the castle?" came his father, making Arlus' smile widen slightly as he looked at the man. Indras then looked at Elia, who held her own gaze as an officer while looking to him. "Why would you accept going with him, as well, if he's more than powerful enough to kill you?"
"Because he's stated to us every time that he's wanted to live in peace." Elia stated, making Indras raise his eyebrows as he looked at her. "During my fight with him, I kept giving him offers of positions. First in army ranks, then even up to several nobility ranks that I'm allowed to offer. Every time he threw them down, and when I offered ranks for his own student he simply replied that she should demand it herself. It wasn't until I had to go with a threat that he actually got serious and dealt a blow that called the fight."
"So a man who doesn't ask for much because he has enough, and only fights when his friends are in danger is what you see." Indras spoke, receiving Elia's nod as a response before he looked to Arlus. "And what do you see, my son?"
"In all honesty, I haven't faced the man in combat, and I've only the reports that my spies have given me." Arlus spoke, looking at the paper in front of Elia, the note the man had given them. "I see a man who bears enough resources to do whatever he would wish to, who will do anything if he puts his mind to it. I also see a man who lives peacefully hunting from the land, never trying to break his word or swindle others from what I've heard. From what one of his own servants had said, however, he's also a man of great ambition, along with a great general who led his country to victory. A man of such potential, ambition, and strength to lead men into a new era, yet lives his life as a hermit happy to remain reclusive of the world; that's what I see."
"I see, so you can only go off of information on the man and the actions he has taken this past year." Indras responded, getting a simple nod from Arlus before he walked away from his chair, Darius following suit as he went to the exit. "I'll take both of your ideas of him into account when I talk to him tonight, if he decides to show up."
With that the man exited finally, leaving the room silent as Aerius looked at the two nobles in front of him. "Well then, I guess I'll be off as well. Need to write out the letters you need, along with finding some escorts that can take them if you can't go with the man." The man stated as he moved away, his gaze overlooking the area as Arlus sighed, sitting back in his chair. Elia just looked at him before she took her own leave, more than likely getting ready for the party if Arlus was correct.
'So in the end, we still choose to defend.' Arlus thought as he lifted his hand, looking at it as he heard rustling in the area outside of the war room, no doubt servants working on fixing the place for the event. 'The strongest army as shown during the previous wars of the central lands, and we choose to do nothing but let the entirety of it all just war around us.'
Arlus then lifted himself off his chair, soon walking to the exit as he continued thinking these thoughts. He would stand by his fathers wishes, but it may end up to a time where he'll have no choice but to act on his own accord, especially given how things were progressing. Until that push came, however, he wouldn't do anything against the wishes of the court. That honor he would save for when it would go too far…
Good News! I finally got out of my writer's block since we're at a part that I've been thinking over for a while now on the premise of it.
Better News! This means that I might (keyword might) be writing these things faster than before!
Moderate news! I would've probably posted this sooner, but I've been busy with both college work and several other activities with friends to post it.
Now that that's out of the way, let's also come down with some other news: We'll be focusing on a certain few characters for another two chapters, after which we'll be popping in and out with them while the story will focus around Arlus for five of them. Along with this, there will be more information on the war itself, and what happened with that certain event that Oliver keeps referring to with the axes will be brought up soon, though people who have read this before will probably get a guess as to what may have happened. There will also be some explanations on why Oric knows Oliver and why he's keeping his mouth shut on the subject in the next chapter, along with more explanations on the war Oliver fought in itself, specifically the events in Richmond.
Well, seeing as that's all I want to cover right now, feel free to RR if you want to, tell me if there's something I missed, need to fix, or stuff that seems a bit rushed or a bit sloppy. Until then, I'll be signing out.
