Oric was cleaning the glasses in the tavern as he listened to the bustle outside of it, the building itself completely silent due to the early closing time he had placed. 'There's no doubt that Oliver's going to learn what I know through Reginhard, but the question is how he'll react to what I had said…' Oric thought as he finally finished cleaning the last of the glasses, setting it down with the stack as he looked on the table, a letter that had been instructed for Oliver laying in front of him. As he lifted his hand to grab the paper, however, the door to the tavern opened, making him turn to see a cloaked figure enter. "Didn't you read the sign? We're closed." Oric spoke as he picked up the letter, setting it behind the counter as the figure sat in front of him.

"I know Oric, but I was told to grab something here." Came Oliver's voice from under the hood, making Oric only smirk as he picked the letter back up, setting it down in front of Oliver as the cloak the man was under shuffled. "I still don't understand the customs of this land, despite the similarities I've seen to other cultures."

"It's something that can be mind boggling for a time, but it's not so different from our own culture." Oric responded as Oliver reached over and grabbed the letter from the table, revealing a clean black sleeve as he took the letter and retreated back into his cloak. "Mind if I ask why you're wearing a cloak?"

"I decided to get a haircut and shave, so I'm intending to surprise people with that when I arrive, though I think I'll show you the damage when I'm sure that there isn't anyone else nearby." Oliver responded as his eyes glowed a light orange under the hood, allowing light shades of the mans face to appear as he was looking at Oric, the bartender himself seeming to straighten subconsciously. Despite the experience his voice held, his face seemed to be fairly younger through the light as Oric's mind returned to a earlier picture of the man that he had seen, back when they had been deemed among the most wanted lists at the start of the war. Oliver then sighed as the orange glow vanished, leaning back in the chair as he kept his gaze on the bartender. "In all honesty, though, I'm not wanting to poke around the dirt for any hints on what I want to know, and I already learned from Reginhard of you're knowledge about me. So instead, I'm just going to be blunt and ask you this: was it Derek who ordered your secrecy on my identity?"

"Well, that was fast on the assumptions, especially for someone like yourself." Oric spoke, seeing Oliver tense up as the man grabbed a glass from under the table. He then sighed as he placed the glass down, soon turning to the counter with the liquor as he continued talking. "Was it Elia's fighting style that tipped it off? She has been learning swordplay from him, after all."

"Along with the fact that Derek is among the only two people who would do something like this even in the war, hiding information from me that I'd benefit from. He always did it to keep me from doing something brash or reckless." Oliver replied, soon hearing a chuckle from the man as they turned around, holding the same mead bottle that Oliver had kept getting during his time here. "Though with the current circumstances of this land, I can't understand why he did so this time around. So now the next question; were you a soldier in the army, or a citizen of Richmond that didn't manage to make it out?"

"Both, in a sense." Oric responded as he poured the drink into the glass, an old southern accent now laced in his voice that made Oliver shake his head from the change. The man just chuckled again as he put another glass on the table, pouring another cup as he continued. "Back in our own world, I was Samuel Abbott, a retired veteran who fought back during the war before yours. During that time I served under Derek along with your father, and even during your war I was sending information to Derek about the aid needed in Richmond. Given our current position, however, you know how that went."

"No kidding, we almost faced the loss of an entire city of over a million civilians, three major generals, and forty-thousand troops that were among our most elite and veteran. That number was fortunately reduced to one general and four thousand men due to Derek's actions, something I thought cost him his life until now." Oliver responded, his voice now showing a bit of aggravation as he looked at Oric, his gaze hard on him as he drew his hood back to reveal his face. What Oric saw in full, from what he had guessed through the shading, came out correct: the face of a bearded hermit who didn't care for the comments of others was gone, and in it's place was that of a young man with short dark brown hair, his facial features now more prominently noticeable without his beard or hair covering up his face. All in all, however, it was the same as he had seen in the picture, the only difference was the experience that was held in both his eyes and faces, along with the extra years making him seem more in his mid twenties than the early-twenties of the picture. Oliver then took the glass that Oric had poured; soon taking a sip of it as he went through the events he remembered of that day. "I had been feeling guilt on that day for a year now, you know. Unlike you or Derek, or the people who are coming to this world as we speak, that war seemed to have happened only a year ago in my memory. I could still hear the screams in the radios that were coming from Richmond, along with the final battle at D.C."

"It's probably because of that reason that he told me to keep quiet on it, that way you wouldn't do anything that would get yourself killed. It was the same problem your father had back during the war in Europe when he heard of troops that were left behind, which he charged headfirst to save them, similar to what you did in Vermont." Oric spoke, making Oliver look at him confused as the man smiled. "Like I said, I knew your father and served under him and Derek back in the day, so I have quite a few stories on them. A lot of us old vets that worked with Derek during the civil war had served under your father originally, upholding a promise we made to him after our final battle together."

"Yeah, my dad told me about that back before he left the country when he was certain about my resolve: To ensure that our country would remain the land of the free, and that it wouldn't destroy itself from the inside." Oliver spoke, a small smile now on his face as he looked at his drink. "He really did lay the foundations for that civil war by hiding the resources he did for us to find, didn't he?"

"As well as your enemies, if you also recall the bastard that pulled out the location to one of the largest ships we had made." Oric spoke, picking up his own glass before downing it in one go, setting it down as he poured another drink. "Though with how you dealt with it before heading to Richmond was quite a spectacle on TV, what with that dragon of yours smashing into it."

"Speaking of, how the hell did you people survive Richmond?" Oliver asked, making Oric look at him while tensing, the question itself being one that he no doubt anticipated from Oliver and was simply waiting for. "From what I was told by Isaac and Emily, that missile-"

"Would've become an entry point for the armies we saw in there, correct?" Oric interrupted, making Oliver close his mouth before he nodded, making the bartender sigh as he leaned back onto the wall behind the bar. His gaze seemed to glaze over as he looked to the door, his mind recounting the events as best as he could. "Though it was true that the armies were to march there, they still had another hour before they could arrive. With that premature firing of the missile, we were given extra time to be able to get the troops and civilians out with that gauntlet you had made for Derek, while the vets who had fought in the previous war decided to have one last fight together."

"Derek's gauntlet, huh?" Oliver spoke, remembering the silver gauntlet itself. It was something that Derek had asked him for when seeing the natural benefit in teleporting through the country to ensure surprise attacks on the enemy, something he loved to call his key to darkness. However, the item itself had it's limitations. "From what I remember when it was forged, it shouldn't have been able to handle the stress from teleporting an entire city."

"No, which is why it was only barely able to send back the city, leaving those who were at the outskirts like myself, Derek and the others behind." Oric responded, making Oliver nod solemnly. It was during that final battle, three hours after the believed destruction of Richmond, that the city had returned, reinforcements that no one expected to appear that, when Reginhard had noticed them, sent directly to D.C. through the aid of Ksalso while the battle was raging throughout the city. "It took half an hour for Derek to concentrate enough power into the gauntlet to send the city back, but the item fell apart immediately after the deed was done, leaving us stranded while an army of an untold number was making its way to us. It was during that time which two men seemed to appear before us after Derek rounded us up in what remained of the area Richmond was at, one calling himself Alegar."

"Of course he would be involved. Something like this normally has him tied into it…" Oliver sighed as he set his glass down, making Oric look at him with a grin before Oliver looked back up at him. "Judging from your lack of surprise at me referencing him, I'm guessing that he told you I know him?"

"The other man told us, one who I don't know the name of since I was only taking orders from Derek at the time." Oric responded, lifting his now filled glass and taking a sip from it this time, his gaze overlooking the man in front of him. "If you want to know his name then you should ask Derek personally when you find the time. Regardless of the matter, however, Alegar ordered the man to take us out of there, and lo and behold we arrived here thirteen years before your arrival to Emerial."

"It's been thirteen years since the war for you guys?" Oliver asked, getting a simple nod from Oric as the bartender took another sip from his drink, making Oliver shake his head as he leaned forward, processing what he was told. "More importantly, why didn't Alegar just send you back to our own world? It should've been simple enough for one of the first Kings of Darkness."

"From what he had told us, it would've made you lose your concentration in the battle, along with giving those armies we had faced another way in." Oric responded, making Oliver grimace as he took another sip of his drink. "I suppose you know what that meant?"

"Yeah, it was the point I decided to break one of my personal codes during the battle, and used a set of weapons I hadn't used since my mercenary days." Oliver responded, catching Oric's eyes seem to flicker from their smug look to that of worry. "Fortunately the items in question were able to be directed to what I wanted to face, so it didn't end in too many losses. Back to the matter of Derek and you lot being here for thirteen years; does that make Derek sixty or something?"

"Sixty-two, if I remember correctly, and he's still training and leading troops in this country as if he's a wellspring of strength." Oric responded, his smile returning as he stood up straight. He then leaned forward onto the table, his gaze hard on Oliver as he picked up his glass. "So then, what's the grand plan for the son of Lester now that he's regained his abilities and learned that one of his allies is alive?"

"My first priority is to take the child who I saved up north to his father, who I'm guessing is the guy that helped you all out." Oliver responded, a smirk now playing along his face as his eyes glowed orange. He then picked up his glass, looking at the contents as he swirled it around. "After that, who knows? I may say hi to him or smash his face in for keeping his survival secret while I've been here."

"For now, however, I do believe you have an hour till the party shall start." Oric spoke, making Oliver nod before he drained his glass, setting it down as he got up from the table and pulled his hood back over his face. He had made it halfway to the door when he had stopped, looking back to Oric as his gaze no longer held it's orange glow.

"One more question, if I may ask." Oliver spoke, his gaze hard on the bartender as the man drained his own glass. "When we had defeated the enemy once and for all, why didn't you all return?"

"That I'll save for Derek, it's something you'll want to hear from him." Oric responded, making Oliver sigh as he turned back to the door.

"Among other things." Oliver muttered before he went through the door, leaving the room as quiet as it was when he had entered. Oric sighed as he picked up one of the empty glasses, cleaning it as his mind went through what he remembered of Lester.

"Almost too much like his father." Oric sighed as he set the glass down, sitting down in his chair again as he looked over to the door Oliver left through.

-Emerial castle, Elia-

Elia sighed as she was looking at the mirror that let her overlook the current dress she had on, this one being a larger dress then the last two that was made of red silk, the fabric and color itself making the dress look great, though Elia still didn't like it due to how stiff she felt in it. "Still not right? I could've swore it worked with your outlook…" came a woman beside her, her brow ruffled at the situation as she moved to the cabinet beside her. "It does look nice though, though it's really a shame that he wearer doesn't feel right in it."

"I don't think there's that many dresses I can agree with, Elaina." Elia responded, hearing a sigh come from the woman this time, making her smile lightly. "You know how I am with dresses that don't let me move as best as I wish to, especially at parties."

"That doesn't mean you have to refuse most of the dresses I find for you for these occasions." The woman responded, receiving a small laugh from Elia. Elaina herself was someone who had been serving the royal family since before Elia could walk, having been a slave freed by her father and wanting to repay them for the action. During her time here, however, she had worked hard enough to rise to one of the two leading roles of the servants, making sure things stayed in peak condition while she can move to them.

Elaina then came out of the closet with a new dress, this one a light blue as she handed it to Elia, who took it and moved behind a curtain that could keep in between her and the door into the room in case anyone decided to walk in. "What can I say, I've gotten used to the armor and military gear I've been using for the past year." Elia responded, making the woman just shake her head as she looked in the mirror. "It's not like I'm wanting to be looking great for anyone that's going there."

"What of the man you spoke of last night, who you trained with? Wouldn't he be deciding on something nice to wear for this event?" Elaina asked, soon getting another laugh from the girl as the dress she was wearing earlier flew over the curtain, Elaina catching it quickly as she looked over to the laughter.

"He's a simple hunter, and he probably doesn't even give a care for attire from what I've heard and learned from him." Elia responded, though her mind went through the possibility of the man going. Despite his actions as of late, along with his aid during the events with the camp and Orius, he had looked as unruly as he did when she met him, though he had wore a black uniform when she saw him last. "It could be possible that he's getting himself cleaned up for the event, then?"

"If he regards you and your brother as you've stated, then he more than likely is." Elaina spoke as she folded the dress neatly, placing it on the bed as Elia walked out behind the curtain, the blue dress she was wearing seeming to have her stand out as she tested her ability to walk with it. "As a princess, you should also consider wearing something more formal than your usual attire, even if you are a general of the army."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it." Elia sighed, looking at the mirror while turning to get a better look at the dress from the side. Alone itself, it looked like it would seem fairly average in the party, not really something that a princess would wear. However, something seemed to snap in Elia's head as she thought of something, soon walking back behind the curtain as she continued her conversation. "Why would I need to impress a man who I've only just met? After a single day, at that?"

"You're right, it was silly of me to think so." Elaina responded, hearing the ruffling behind the curtain as she looked back at the bed. "From what I was told by my husband, the man you invited seems to know a good deal on politics and military tactics."

"And I'm guessing he told you about him because he couldn't confide my brother or me that information?" Elia asked, the ruffling behind the curtain momentarily stopping before it continued, making Elaina sigh as she moved back to the closet full of dresses, skimming through them as she listened to Elia. "So why did Yamada tell Oric to keep quiet on Oliver's accomplishments and identity? Oric said that he was only planning to explain more about him after I talked with Yamada, but it seems like something that's a bit out of place for someone like Yamada to keep hidden."

"Due to his actions these past years, and of how loyal he's been to the crown, correct?" Elaina asked, only receiving a pause in the ruffling as she continued searching through the dresses. "Back before Oric was assigned to the job, he used to tell me all of the stories he had of his country, of the wars fought. What he talked about most, however, was a man known as General Wolcott, an admiral who had commanded his unit along with several other major branches in the military while he was a small time soldier. From what I remember before this year of the mans arrival, he always talked of how the general had extra pressure on him due to his ancestors having aided the founding the country they served. After a time, however, corruption started spreading rapidly through the political tree, and knowing that he'd probably be targeted to either be recruited or executed during his accomplishments from the previous wars, Wolcott resigned from his office and lived his life with his wife and son for a time, later vanishing from any known record. From what he had said, the man who had stayed at the bar the first night he arrived was his son, who your instructor had served during the war he told you of."

"General Wolcott?" Elia asked, soon moving out from behind the curtain as Elaina looked over, taking a look at what the girl had done, and was relatively surprised. While she was wearing the same dress, she was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt under it, the shirt itself being modified with slight cuts at the sleeves to give it a better look for a dress while complimenting the styling and designs on the blue fabric. Elia just sighed as she looked at the outfit in the mirror, seeming content with it but still thinking on what Elaina had said. "Yamada never mentioned anyone by that name, but he did mention a general whose name was Lester. Would that be the first name of the general you're speaking of, or a surname?"

"Indeed, it was the general's first name." Elaina spoke, walking away from the closet and to Elia. When she made it to her, she began to tighten the strings on the dress, her gaze over it as she continued. "If I remember Oric's stories of the man, he had demanded that his closest officers and advisors call him by his first name and that he called them by theirs, mainly due to the fact that the military in their country demanded that the army soldiers were all called only by their last names."

"Interesting…" Elia simply stated as she moved her hand along the dress, feeling the fabric as she went through what she knew now. "A warrior who fought to free his own country from corruption, the son of a general and descendant of one of the founders of his country. It looks like he has quite a history behind his name to simply become a hunter…"

"Though not much else that you know of on his accomplishments." Elaina reminded Elia, making the princess sigh as she turned to the mirror. "Now, seeing as how I'm not one for too much gossip, I would say that you should ask him about his past if you're so interested in it or as to why General Yamada has decided to keep quiet on it."

"I suppose so…" Elia sighed, ending the conversation as Elaina started to work double time on the outfit itself. However, the fact of the secrecy on Oliver didn't seem to worry her, rather it put some form of interest in it. For now, though, she'd have to wait until the party begun.


Voices echoed throughout the halls as Arlus walked through them, his eyes set on the latest reports from his spies as he kept his own mind on the events around him. In a couple of minutes the castle would start to see people entering for the party, and every one was doing one last look over to make sure it was all prepared. 'Strange how quick it can be made and ready, though.' Arlus thought as he rolled the reports up, setting them to his side as he looked around his current surroundings.

His steps had brought him to the entrance of the throne room, where the party was to be held, and the place, over all, looked spotless. The area was cleaner than he had seen this morning, and the guards themselves even had more ceremonial armor on, more than likely decorative for the party itself. Above, hanging on the scaffolds, were several banners of the Emerial crest, each holding a gold lining along each of the banners. All in all, the place looked ready to welcome guests, he just hoped that the throne room itself was just as prepared.

"Well then, this is quite the layout that you all have." Came a familiar voice as a door opened, making Arlus turn to see a cloaked figure enter. The figure then pulled down their hood, revealing a young man who Arlus didn't recognize. His voice, on the other hand, was very familiar to the prince as the man walked to the entrance to the throne room. "I suppose that this will be the area you'll be holding the party?"

"In some regard, though they will be allowed access in a few other areas." Arlus responded, walking up beside the man as he looked over their attire. "You look quite different from earlier today, Oliver."

"That's it? I was hoping to keep the identity secret for a bit longer." The man sighed as he lifted his left hand up, feeling his chin as he looked at the door entrance. He then sighed before he looked over to Arlus, a smirk now on his face as he pulled his cloak off. Under the cloak was an outfit that Arlus hadn't seen before, a white shirt that seemed to be of a marvelous design with a black vest buttoned over it, the color matching with the pants that Oliver was wearing. It wasn't a design he recognized, especially with the buttons that were placed

"Quite the outfit you chose." Arlus spoke while he looked Oliver over, the man just smirking as he turned to Arlus. "I'm guessing that this outfit is something that's custom to your people?"

"It was a gift from a friend, something he wanted me to have as a present for my victories." Oliver responded, looking at the design of the shirt as he smirked. "In all honesty I was against wearing it since it's such an expensive gift, but there wasn't anything else formal that I owned which could fit with this country's idea of formality."

"Even then it doesn't fit, if you didn't notice my own attire." Arlus joked, patting the tunic he wore as Oliver looked him over and nodded. Arlus then sighed before he looked back to the door, soon looking to the entrance as he continued. "However, it does suit you in a sense, and seems more practical than what these people try to pass off as formal."

"I hope so, I was given this and a few other things by a good friend who had a knack for these kinds of designs, as congratulations for my first victory as a mercenary." Oliver responded as he lifted his arm, looking at the fabric himself as Arlus looked back to him, noticing the slight glazed look on Oliver's eyes. "It's strange though, the outfit he gave me as a joke for my preference of the old ways turns out to be used as more than just a fancy antique to leave in a room to look at."

"Why would that outfit of yours be considered an antique?" Arlus asked, making Oliver only smirk as he looked over to the man, his eyes glowing a light orange. However, the glow faded almost immediately as he looked to one of the windows to his left, one of three large windows which rested at the top of the walls, glancing at the last beams of light that hung overhead from them.

"It's probably best that I tell you when I return," Oliver spoke as the prince looked at him, a confused look on his face as Oliver looked back to him. "Sorry about the glow, it's something that I forgot that I need to keep in check since my powers only just returned today. I hope you didn't find any form of it malicious."

"Not at all, though that does remind me of what you had told me before." Arlus spoke, looking at Oliver as he remembered his earlier meeting with Orlus. He then shook his head, looking to the entrance as the doors opened, a few guests now starting to come in. "You were correct on Orlus and the chances of the ring, which was interesting in the least. What made you guess that to be the case?"

"Other than how the mercenaries had acted and dealt with the borders for who knows how long, I assumed as much from how the man had looked as he was being taken away." Oliver responded, putting his hands into his pockets as he looked at the slowly approaching guests, now around ten in the room as more started to enter. "The man was shaking, but it wasn't out of anger or fear as people would assume. When I looked in his eyes, I saw several other emotions that I didn't see in the mercenary commander's eyes. Regret, sadness, and, most importantly, self conflict were what I saw in that man's eyes, all being held back from coming out through an unknown force that has now been revealed."

"How could you tell that much just from one look?" Arlus asked, now looking at Oliver while a few guests now made it beside them, the doors behind them now opening as some guests greeted the prince. Oliver only smirked as he looked to the man.

"That, my prince, comes from the path of the conqueror, but it's something that shouldn't be discussed at the start of a party." Oliver spoke, soon turning to the inner workings of the now opened door, Arlus doing the same as he heard music beginning to roll out of the room. The hall, despite it's size and the previous times Arlus had entered it before hand, looked even larger than it did empty when it held long tables along the sides of the room that held different foods, and thirteen round tables that were placed around the remaining edges of the room, seven near the entrance and six near the throne. In front of the throne, however, sat a long table where the king, Elia, and Arlus would be sitting for the festivities, which in itself was a clean table. Oliver then smirked as he walked into the room, looking back to Arlus with a smirk. "So then, would you mind in helping me learn the proper formalities that need to be used when speaking to the nobility of this land?"

"That I'll be glad to explain while the party is starting," Arlus spoke, his mind now focused on what he had planned beforehand. "But first I'd like to ask you about a plan of action I have, and if you'd be interested."

"That all depends on what this so called plan is." Oliver spoke, looking over to the man with an almost amused gaze as he entered the room. Arlus only sighed, his own mind pondering on what the outcome of this discussion may lead to.


Well, that's done... huh

Yeah I had this done for two weeks now, but I've been busy with tests by the handful along with an Essay that tried to hide from me when I was trying to turn it in. Along with this, I wasn't sure if I wanted to add anything else in this chapter or not since I want to get to the next stuff that I already planned out, while I also didn't want to rush the chapters into the stuff I want to get into.

Either way, what's done is done and all I can do now is work on all this stuff in my own time. So, feel free to read the chapters if you want to, and give a shout if there's anything I need to fix. All I can say is that I'm going to have fun when this small bit is done.