(Chapter 20: Wayward Minds)
- Three Days Earlier -
Queen Lumera suddenly felt a breach in her barrier as she was in the royal library. Her soldiers immediately gathered in the gardens of Lythos's castle where the magic came from. She arrived on time, her hands in fist, ready to fight but when the light faded, she gasped, seeing two women and many children with them.
"Please, do not attack! We mean no harm!" The woman dressed as an Elusian maid cried out as she stood protectively in front of a pregnant woman and children, "We seek asylum! I beg you!" Sumia cried out.
"Weapons down." Queen Lumera raised her hand, the soldiers quickly put down their weapons as she walked up to them, "State your names. Who are you and how did you get in here?" She said.
The other woman nodded for Sumia to move and walked up, Lumera gasped once she realized who the pregnant woman was.
"Queen Thyme?!" Lumera fully walked up to her, "H-How are you here? And, who are all these children?" She said as the children were all huddled together.
"I sincerely apologize for this, Queen Lumera," Queen Thyme said, "I know there is much explaining to do but right now, please at least grant the children a place to stay." She said as the queen looked at her shocked before Sumia walked up and bowed, holding a letter with two hands.
"The one who brought us here told us to give you this letter," Sumia said.
Lumera took the letter, carefully opening it. She could tell how sloppy the wax seal was that the person who wrote it was in a rush as well and the trembling handwriting on the letter. She began to read it but she could smell death on it.
Queen Lumera, my name is Natalie Lycinth, this will be hard to believe but I come from beyond the Outrealms.
I write this letter in a hurry due to the limited amount of time there is so I shall get straight to the point. King Haycinth is dead. The man who currently walks is the king himself who was killed and then resurrected by Fell Magic. He is now a Corrupted but is not aware. I do not know why he was kept that way but all I know is that Sombron needs him despite he is dead. In five days, King Haycinth and King Morion will face in battle. King Morion will be defeated by Emblem Lyn and King Hyacinth, taken to Destinea Cathedral, and sacrificed to resurrect the Fell Dragon and Demon. My job as someone who knows this information is to put a stop to it.
As for Queen Thyme, her maid, and the children, they have been hiding from King Haycinth for a few years now. The reason for this, despite King Hyacinth being corrupted, he was going to have his children sacrificed to Sombron and The Demon because of their Sovereign blood. With the aid of Emblem Arisa and Emblem Soren, I was able to get them to Lythos. Again, I apologize for the sudden event but please grant them asylum, they have done nothing wrong.
Lastly, I have also learned that The Demon and Sombron are the ones responsible for the tragedy seven years ago. After King Hyacinth was killed and resurrected, he was used to destroying the island and sacrificing everyone on it to open a link to the Outrealms. Unfortunately, this tragedy is what brought me to this world. Countless innocent lives were destroyed all to get to me. I can not live in peace of mind knowing that innocent lives were destroyed to get to me. I will take responsibility and fix this. That is a promise. I will bear this sin "my life" and use it to save King Morion. If you find my siblings, their names are Perla and Miguel, please grant them shelter. They have nothing to do with this. All those monsters want is me, my siblings are innocent.
That is all. Thank you, I promise I will fix this, even if it costs my life.
- Natalie Lycinth
Queen Lumera slowly lowered the letter, her lip trembled as one particular memory flashed in her mind. One very painful memory.
"This sin, my life, I shall use it to strike the final blow against that monster!"
"You fool..."
- Present Time -
"Queen Thyme!" Goldmary cried out along with Rosado and the rest of the army as the queen, despite being pregnant, ran as fast as her feet could to the group, "Oh by the gods! What happened to Hortensia?!" The Queen screamed, nearly passing out had it not been for Sumia who quickly was by her.
"Sumia, you're here too." Rosado looked at them surprised, "Wait, if you're here, then is everyone here as well?" He said but before he could continue, Queen Lumera arrived with her hands intertwined, her gaze half-lidded as everyone quickly bowed in her presence.
The only one that remained straight was Alear, who was stunned by the amount of people that were suddenly in Lythos castle.
"Mother, what is going on?" Alear asked as Queen Lumera closed her eyes and shook her head, before looking at Klaus and Luna.
"Luna, please guide the young man and woman that holds Princess Hortensia of the medical wing." She turned to Klaus, "Guide the soldiers to the courtyard." She turned to Queen Thyme and Sumia, "Queen Tyhme, go. Your child needs you." And back to Alear, "I need to speak to you, it's urgent. Follow me." And away they went.
The silence between the two brought a sense of discomfort as Alear followed Queen Lumera. They walked and walked till they reached her office. There, the door closed and Queen Lumera let out a heavy sigh before she walked to her desk.
"Mother, what happened? Who was that? You called her Queen Thyme." Alear said and Lumera turned to him with a hurt expression as she held a letter in her hand.
"Miguel's sister, Natalie, brought them here." Lumera said as she took deep breaths to control herself, "Queen Thyme's maid, Sumia, explained to me that Queen Thyme and the royal Elusia children have been in hiding for two years now. They had been staying in Elusia's north during that time and were recently evacuated because one of Sombron's generals had discovered their location." A heavy sigh left her lips as she handed Alear the letter, "The one who warped them here was Miguel's sister, Natalie."
Alear took the letter and began to read it but the second he touched it a scene suddenly played before his eyes.
He stood in what looked like a magic laboratory, there on the desk, the room lit by a single candle, was the woman from his dreams. But she looked so...different. Her hair from dark brown had become white, her tan skin was sickly pale, dark circles under her eye, and tear stains on her cheeks, yet her hand despite shaky kept writing on the piece of paper. Beside her stood Emblem Arisa but also an Emblem he did not recognize.
"This is...my final wish." Natalie's thoughts rang in his ears as he watched the woman bite her lip to the point the skin broke and bled, "I have to save King Morion. I must stop Sombron from being resurrected. I must...pay for my sins. I pay for existing. So many lost their lives and were hurt because of me. I need to stop King Morion's death. For the future...I can't let the future that I know happen...I must pay..." she wiped her lips and lifted her pen, "Miguel, Perla...please live."
SHATTER!
"Alear! Alear!"
Alear gasped, looking around before his eyes landed on Lumera who had a concerned expression.
"I have been calling to you for a few minutes now. Are you alright? You blanked out after reading the letter." Lumera worried as Alear gulped before reading the letter.
His heart sank reading the shaky words written and even more as he saw that Nanami was feeling the same guilt as Miguel but her level of guilt was much more extreme. Nanami saved Hortensia, said goodbye to Miguel, helped Queen Thyme and the Elusian children escape Zephia's clutches, and eventually helped them prepare to fight against Hortensia. It was clear Nanami felt she was responsible for the people of Elyos's suffering and doing everything she could to save them.
"Should I tell Miguel?" Alear whispered but he was debating if he should or not.
Miguel's reunion with Nanami has already made the man's mental health plummet, especially now with the recent revelations that it was The Void Demon that caused the tragedy of seven years ago.
Marth manifested and looked over the letter with Alear, his face grave as he read the words. But he blinked seeing Arisa was mentioned along with an Emblem he had never heard of before but the name did sound familiar.
"Emblem Arisa..." Marth said, catching Lumera's attention, "If Emblem Arisa is with Natalie, then she must be using her life force to suppress the curse." He said, which suddenly made Lumera turn pale.
"Curse? What curse?" Lumera croaked as Marth hesitated but, "It is...The same curse that...Sebastian had...The Devil's Kiss." Lumera froze, her heart pounding and racing, her breathing becoming rapid, the voice of her son and Marth becoming muffled as the image of her husband screaming in agony as the curse took over.
The curse took over, he did everything he could to fight against it, in the end...the image that came to her mind was Ermos's sword stabbed right through her beloved's heart. The emotions became too much and Lumera passed out. Alear screamed having caught her on time. Thankfully Luna was near and heard his screams, she came running in along with one of the nurses of the medical wing.
[—-]
"It seems the shock from what you three were discussing caused quite the emotional distress." The nurse witch, Xina, said to Alear and Marth as Queen Lumera laid on her bed with a warm towel on her forehead and passed out, "But upon closer examination, it seems Queen Lumera has been overworking herself again." She sighed, "I will make sure to watch over her as well as our guest. But do please have Vander, Framme, and Clanne come back. There's only so much I can do on my own." The witch sighed again as Alear nodded.
"Do not worry, I will." Alear bowed to her, "And thank you Miss Xina."
"I do apologize if this is overstepping my boundaries but, what exactly did you three speak of that caused Queen Lumera to pass out?" Xina asked and Marth looked away, "Sir Marth." The prince avoided eye contact, "Prince Marth of Altea, what did you three speak about?"
"Sigh..." Marth sighed and looked back at her, "We spoke of The Devil's Kiss." Xina's eyes went wide, "We recently learned that one of our allies has it."
Xina remained silent for a few seconds before her eyes looked down. A bitter smile formed on her lips as she spoke.
"...I see...Let us head to the medical wing. We can speak there." She whispered, and they went.
It didn't take long to reach the medical wing, just a few turns and such. Marth remembered the place. But he also remembered just how terrified Emblem Arisa became at the sight of the medical wing that she refused to even go near it and would return quickly to her ring. Sophia later explained to him that in the world she and Arisa came from, Arisa was born sick and weak, the majority of her childhood was in a white room similar to the medical wings. At that, the Emblems understood but they hoped that one of their friends would conquer their fear of medical rooms.
Once they arrived, Xina closed the door and turned to them to continue the conversation.
"I think it's best I tell you this, Divine One." She looked up at him, "Three years before the war from 1,000 years ago ended, we learned that The Demon cast a curse on King Sebastian. He was Elusia's Court Mage but also, Queen Lumera's Husband and your adoptive father." She said, "We later on learned that The Demon had cast the curse at the start of the war. It laid dormant in his body for those 20 years. King Sebastian over the years fought against it, never once letting anyone know. His emblem of that time, Emblem Arisa, used her life force to surpass it but at the cost of her strength." Xina explained her eyes downcast.
"The curse began to change Lord Sebastian's mind and body. His emotions became unstable, he was barely able to stay awake during the day and would be active at night. The most noticeable was his hair and skin, turning ghastly white. His ability to use dark and black magic greatly increased, the sight of holy and white magic sent shivers down his spine but also he could no longer eat normally." Her gaze rises to look at him.
"What do you mean?" Alear asked a bead of cold wear on his cheek.
"King Sebastian described that there was a voice in his mind mocking him, telling him to take revenge on anyone who opposed him. But also, to devour those he killed." The woman closed her eyes as she continued to speak, she could already predict the face Alear was making along with the Emblem, "His body slowly began to change from human to non-human. The first major sign of this was when I caught King Sebastian eating a magic stone and jewels to restore his strength." She opened her eyes, "I believe the reason why Lord Sebastian managed to last so long was because of love."
"Love?"
"Yes, love." Xina smiled sadly as she placed a hand over her chest, "Divine One, love is a powerful emotion, it is also the purest and most ancient magic to ever exist. But it is also the most dangerous and corrupted." Her gaze became half-lidded, "Lord Sebastian had a support system. He was surrounded by people who he loved and loved him back. He had a powerful ambition and dream to create a better world and protect his people. Despite people seeing him as a cold person, through his actions, people saw that he truly loved them." She said but her smile also fell.
"But that love could also become twisted. Lord Sebastian loved Queen Lumera more than anything in the world, and when the previous Divine Monarch was killed, Queen Lumera fell into despair. Sebastian confessed that the voice of the curse was trying to turn his love for the Queen into a twisted thing. To lock her away and to kill all this who hurt her." Alear and Marth choked on air hearing this, "Lord Sebastian feared he would hurt his wife so he asked Court Mage Ruby and Emblem Arisa to create a seal. To seal away the curse in his body. To do this, Emblem Arisa became the seal itself. Her life force became the very thing that prevented the curse from rapidly spreading and helped him control his urges." She sighed, "The curse was not able to spread quickly because of Sebastian's love and dream. He did everything he could until the bitter end."
"Whoever now possesses the curse, I have a feeling Emblem Arisa is using herself once more as a seal to prevent the curse from spreading. This ally, I do hope you all show them as much support as you can to help them. Only when the individual has truly given up hope and faith will The Devil's Kiss take over. Lord Sebastian fought the curse until his last breath. And when he could no more, he was killed." She sighed, "There is another reason why Sebastian was cursed."
"What is it?" Alear asked and saw the woman's lips become a thin line, "What is it?"
"Back then, Sebastian was the Starfarer of that time." Now that made Alear's jaw drop.
"What?!" Marth yelled, "I was never told this! None of them Emblems or the others were ever told this! Did Lumera know?!" Xina nodded, "Who else?" She looked away, "You and who else?"
"...Emblem Arisa and Emblem Syrus." Marth quickly turned away as he shook his taking deep breaths before he turned back to her, "Sebastian begged for them to not tell anyone."
"Why?" Marth asked, "Unfortunately I do not know why but Sebastian made us swear to not tell anyone. The only ones who would know the real reason why would be Emblem Arisa and Emblem Syrus. Syrus I believe will not speak because he wants to respect Sebastian's wishes, but Emblem Arisa believes she would tell you the answer." She said respectfully.
Alear had many questions but again, just what exactly is a Starfarer?
"I see..." Alear sighed, "Thank you Miss Xina." He said, "But, that doesn't explain why my mother's reaction was so strong. I understand father passed away because of the curse but there is more to it, isn't there?" He said as Marth looked at him worried.
"It is a painful and terrible memory." The prince said, "It would be better for Lumera to tell you."
"No, it won't." Xina said, "Divine One, you have no memory of this but there is another reason why Lord Ermos left Elyos." Alear blinked.
"Xina..." Marth's tone dropped.
"He needs to know if he wishes to progress." Xina glared at the Emblem then turned back to Alear, "I believe this may also help you decide on the one who now bears The Devil Kiss." She took a deep breath to calm herself before she continued, "When Lord Sebastian's curse finally took over, it was a very bloody and gruesome battle. Ermos, Maria, Lumera, Alma, Oscar, Francis, Ruby, you, Martha, and The Emblems all united to fight against him." Alear's eyes went wide, "The curse turned Sebastian into a monster but also the demon tried to use the curse to turn Sebastian into a vessel to resurrect itself. Sebastian did everything he could but unfortunately, it came to one decision," she closed her eyes her voice cracked as she spoke the next words, "that he must die. Sebastian realized he would not win the battle and begged for us to kill him." Alear felt his heartbreak.
"No one had the heart in them to deal the killing blow, even when Emblem Arisa was on the verge of becoming a fallen emblem as she tried to help Lord Sebastian. In the end, the one who dared to do so was none other than Lord Sebastian's flesh and blood, Lord Ermos." The woman croaked as the memory resurfaced.
Sebastian screamed and trashed as he held his head in agony. Emblem Arisa screamed like a mad woman as she trashed and curdled and uncurled as the dark magic was taking over her. Everyone around them was injured, Lumera cried as he reached out to her husband but also, Ermos despite blood streams streaming down his cheeks, picked up Liberation and summoned Yato in his other, walking towards his brother before lunging at him. The two clashed in a bloody fight, Emblem Arisa lunging at Ermos, fighting him as she cackled like a mad woman with tears in her eyes. They fought before Ermos found an opening and jumped in the air. He screamed, falling like a meteorite as the sword was pointed down. The swords penetrated through the fallen emblem's chest, turning them to dust, the blade hit the shield protecting Sebastian, and it began to crack, and then.
BOOOM!
The sword went right through Sebation's heart. The demon let out a scream of curses as black smoke left Sebastian's body. The sword went right through Sebation's heart. It was there for the first time in 15 years since anyone had seen Ermos cry as Sebastian said his final words, thanking his brother for putting an end to him.
"Ermos...killed Sebastian?" Alear croaked, feeling his throat tighten as Xina nodded, "Then..."
"Lumera had a strong reaction because it seems history is about to repeat itself. After that day, the relationship between Lumera and Ermos was never the same. Ermos kept his distance because he believed your mother despised him. Lumera at the time was grieving and put all her attention into stopping the war. After the war, Ermos discovered something. I don't know what happened but it was what caused his obsession with researching to destroy the Outrealm gate and serving Elyo's connections to the Outrealms. But such research came with a price. And that price was that he would never be able to return to Elyos ever again." She wept, "Yet, somehow his great-grandchildren have been brought into this world. I hope this information I have told you will help you make a decision when the time comes." She said and bowed.
"Thank you Xina." Alear smiled bitterly as the woman excused herself and left them on their own.
They shut and the room was silent. Alear gritted his teeth as his fist trembled, the letter in his chest pocket felt heavy as he looked to the ground.
"I...I don't know how to process this information. This is the first time I have heard about my adoptive father. I have heard him mentioned but no one had ever talked to me about him. Now I'm learning that he bore the same curse as Natalie, Miguel's sister, and I'm supposed to decide to kill her?" He croaked as Marth floated in front of him.
"Alear, I know this is a lot but at the moment I believe we shouldn't tell Miguel of what we have learned," Marth said as Alear sighed, nodding.
"I agree...Especially with what happened today. The one that saved Hortensia, that's her. She is the woman of my dreams. The woman in my dreams...is Miguel's sister, Nanami. Haha..." he covered his eyes, his lip quivered, "My chest hurts...I feel like I am missing something but I can't remember. How am supposed to make such a decision? You're right Marth...I should wait before speaking to Miguel about this." Alear smiled bitterly.
He needed some time to think before he headed back.
[—-]
"Explain. Say it straight and no games." Citrine said coldly as Oniyuri took deep breaths as she sat next to her husband.
"Seven years ago, Eden found me gravely wounded under Lake Aqua." Oniyuri said, "I was 20 feet under the lake. Incased in some sort of magic bubble." She said as Eden nodded.
"I was out playing in the woods when I thought I heard crying." Eden said as his hand intertwined with his wife's, "A few leaf spirits ended up guiding me to Lake Aqua, and from the surface, I saw something glowing. From there, I ran back home to tell my mother and father what I found." He sighed, "Mother ended up diving into the water, and the next thing we knew she came back up with a girl covered in blood in her arms." He said, his tone soft.
"We took the girl in, treated her, and when she woke up a month later she..." Eden looked away.
"I had no memories of the past or who I was," Oniyuri said, shocking the crowd.
"Amnesia," Alcryst whispered as the woman nodded.
"Having no memory of who I was, Martha chose to take me in. It was around the same time she also took in Ethan." Oniyuri said, "I had no memory of who I was, not even my name, so Martha and Albert gave me the name Oniyuri. For seven years I lived my life in Brodia, recovering, learning, meeting new people, and creating bonds but even all thought...just the sight of seeing war between Brodia and Elusia made my skin crawl. I felt something inside me scream for the fighting between the two to stop." She closed her eyes again.
"I remember Martha told me that no one must ever see my eyes while I lived in Brodia. I asked her why." She whispered as she remembered it as if it was yesterday.
"The people of Brodia despise the people of Elusia. Especially the royal family. The shade of your eyes is one only those of the Elusian royal family have. Oniyuri, you are old enough to know this but you must never tell anyone, alright?" Martha smiled sadly as Oniyuri looked at her with her bright pink eyes.
"You're a princess of Elusia who your mother told me to take care of. So I will protect you and teach you how to be a mage."
"So uncle and every one of you knew as well." Alcryst said as Oniyuri smiled bitterly and Eden hugged her protectively, "Do our parents know?" They shook their head, "Diamant?" Again they shook their head, "So the only ones who know your true identity are Ethan and his siblings, Aunt and Uncle." She nodded.
Before anyone could speak anymore a magic circle appeared a few feet from them and Alear came back with Klaus.
"How did it go?" Miguel as he walked up to them.
"Vander, Framme, and Clanne," Alear called out to them and they were immediately in his presence, "I apologize but I need you three to return to the Lythos."
"Did something happen?" Vander asked as Alear nodded.
"Mother has collapsed." Gasp immediately came from everyone, "There have...also been some surprises." Alear sighed, "Yunaka." Yunaka quickly came up, "If it is alright with you, can you switch Emblems with Vander?"
"Say no more," Yunaka said as the knight nodded and the two switched rings.
Lucina appeared beside Yunaka and Micaiah beside Vander, "I'll do what I can to help Queen Lumera. You have my word." Micaiah dipped her head politely.
"Thank you, Micaiah." Alear nodded then turned to the twins, "I apologize for this but we need the trio's strength at the moment. If it's alright with you, I want the ring to be given to Prince Alcryst at the moment." He said.
"W-Wait, me?!" Alcryst screeched as he pointed at himself, "S-Surely this a mistake, Divine One! There are others more worthy than someone incapable as me!" The prince stuttered.
"Don't sell yourself short Prince Alcryst!" Clanne said, "The battle prowess you showed today was unlike anything we have ever seen." Framme said as the twins walked up and Clanne grabbed his hand, placing the ring in it, "You can do it!" The twins grinned.
Alcryst's lip quivered before he gulped and nodded firmly, putting on the ring. The three Lords appeared, nodding in approval with warm smiles. The prince turned to Alear, his eyes filled with determination.
"I won't let you down!"
[—]
"GAAASSSPPP!"
Nanami's eyes snapped open, gasping for air as she rolled off the bed. Her lungs burned and the taste of iron was so overwhelming she barely had the strength to run to the bathroom to vomit. She lurched and coughed, choked before she stopped, taking deep gulps of air to breathe again. She panted, trying to calm herself before she wiped her lips.
"Gasp…Gasp…huff...Miguel is here...Gasp...Gulp..." she paused, "Then Perla is here as well. Hortensia is now safe. It won't be long before Ivy comes." She whispered as she forced herself to stand up, "I need to join the army heading northeast..." her legs quivered as she stood up.
She turned to look at the mirror, freezing at the sight of her appearance. A strand of hair moved, uncovering her ear, revealing the tips of it were pointed.
"You got to be FUCKEN kidding me!" Nanami suddenly screamed, making Arisa quickly put up a sound barrier, "Why is it always me?!" The woman screamed as she clutched her head tightly with a mad smile, "It's ALWAYS ME! WHY DO BAD THINGS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?! WHY DO I KEEP GETTING SCREWED OVER?! WHAT THE HELL DID I DO TO MAKE THE WORLD HATE ME?! WHY?!" And she punched the mirror.
"Nanami!" Arisa yelled, quickly flying to where to pull her back as Nanami kept repeating punching the mirror, "NATALIE STOP!" Arisa screamed, finally making Nanami snap out of it.
The mirror was shattered into, pieces. Her knuckles were bloody but the flesh quickly healed before her eyes. Nanami started hyperventilating and then came to a haunting halt. She slowly turned to look at the broken mirror, picking up a shard of it.
"Why would I have continued to stay with you? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? I gave you a chance to get laid with me, a popular man. No one would get with you, a 200-pound girl. You're too...innocent to say the least."
"Nah, she's more like a whale."
"Little Miss Goody two shoes."
"A teacher's pet."
"You take everything too seriously! Loosen up for fucks sake."
"Seriously?! You don't get the joke? Uuuggggghhh! This is why people think you're a kid, you don't understand something everyone else does."
"This is the real world, Natalie. It's not all fun and sunshine. You should have listened to me. It's a miracle I even gave you a chance. People like you work for me to get me to the top. Someone like you needs to stay at the bottom."
"He's way out of your league you know? I don't get how the hell people ever stick around you. Everyone talks behind your back anyway. No wonder your siblings don't talk to you. They are ashamed of you because you're so naive."
"You're a child. No one wants a child."
Natalie remained silent as she stared at the shard before crushing it in her hand. The voices of the past all repeated in her mind as she turned to walk.
"So what people think I'm a kid..." Natalie mumbled as she picked up the magic canon she modified and put it on her left arm, "There's a reason why I am sure people know not to fuck with me because..."
"Clunk clink!"
"Because the more they fuck around, the more they find out."
[—]
There was a small line to sign up for the army heading to Elusia's northeast border. Natalie wore Brodian armor of an archer with a thick winter fur coat, her bag over her body, her new canon equipped to her left arm, and long-sleeve gloves to hide her blacking skin. She also made sure her hair hid her ears.
"Next." A Berserk said and she walked up, "Uh...kid? I don't think-" All the woman did was raise her right hand at a target practice not too far, and made it burst into flames, "Oh, shit she's packing heat! Hahahahaha!" A sword woman cackled, "Just to make sure, how old are you?"
"I'm 20 even though I don't look like it sadly," Natalie grumbled as another nodded.
"Ah, cursed with a baby face." A berserker snorted as Natalie signed up, "We'll be heading out in a few hours!" He yelled out for everyone to hear, "Make sure to get things ready!"
"Yes sir!" The soldiers yelled out and she was instructed to join the fifth group.
"Oh, hello. Welcome." Natalie looked up and froze, "My name is Jade and I am the leader of this battalion." Jade smiled warmly, "We will be heading to the borders soon for guard. What's your name soldier?" The knight said.
"It's Na—" she paused then spoke again, her gaze firm, "It's Natalie."
"Welcome to the club." A man said as he walked up, "A bit small you are but we saw how you set fire to the training target to show Tez how much of a punch you pack." He held out his hand and the two shook, "The name Hermes."
"Natalie," Natalie said as the others walked up and introduced themselves.
"What's a girl like you doing out here?" An archer named Yuma said as they walked to their horse to get on.
"I'm dying." Natalie said which made the group freeze as she mounted her horse, "Might as well spend my last days protecting my people and die in glory on the battlefield." She said.
"Going out in glory, huh?" A swordsman named Jackson said, "Terminal illness?"
"Curse." Natalie as they were all now on their horses, "Traveled all over Elyos. Even the mage dragons said they could do nothing. Might as well go out with a bang." She said as they looked at her sadly.
"Perhaps when we return from battle I can take you to see Court Mage Martha," Jade said as Natalie blinked.
"Court Mage Martha...I'm not sure such a thing as my curse is important to show her." Natalie said as Jade shook her head.
"Nonsense." Jade said, "Lady Martha is a kind woman despite being a little intimidating at first. If you do not feel comfortable seeing her, perhaps Lady Oniyuri or Dr. Perla can see you." Natalie twitched.
"Doctor Perla? I have never heard of her." Natalie said as a mage of the battalion named Risa, spoke up.
"She was hired by Lady Martha around five or six months ago to be her third apprentice. The reason for this is because of a village she saved near the borders of Firene and Brodia. Martha saw she was an incredible mage and doctor and decided to take her in." Risa praised the woman as Natalie listened.
"This Perla...she sounds like a nice person." Natalie said, "But again, I do not need to see a court mage, let alone a doctor. I shall die on the battlefield as my last will protecting my people." She said firmly, "I can only pray that in the future, the new generation of warriors will hope for peace instead of war." She looked up to the sky, "Too much blood has already been shed for 300 years, regardless if one is Elusian or Brodian. Just how long can war continue?" She closed her eyes taking a few deep breaths.
"How many more of our people must die to continue a war against those of Ice? What about the innocent civilians on both sides who have lost their lives? What about the ones who just worship and do no harm? The Divine Dragon has awakened once more, perhaps they can help bring the peace we desire when they strike the fell dragon." She said as she opened her eyes and noticed how a few hung their heads.
"...The way you spoke..." Jade said, "It reminded me of Princess Topaz." Natalie blinked.
"Alright," Natalie went into her bag and pulled out a wine bottle, "Who's for a full-out debate?! I'm opening Pandora's box and I'm not afraid!" She honestly loved a good political debate once in a while.
"Let's go!"
— Five Hours Later -
The forts at the border served as a reminder to Elusia that Brodia was close. From its towers, guards stood looking out to cold hard lands as fires and torches burned to keep them warm. Natalie rubbed her hands together as she and the group sat around a bonfire. Wine was at her side as she heard the heated argument between a young man who was her age and an older woman.
"Please, you older folks been gunning for war and bashed and bathmouth Princess Topaz when she proposed peace!" The young man named Luke yelled as the older woman huffed.
"Those Elusian scum should have thought about worshiping the damn fell dragon and demon." The old woman, Thea, grumbled as she went back to sharpening her sword.
"Mind if I pipe in?" Natalie said as the two turned to look at her and shrugged, "The only reason Elusia now worships the Fell Dragon, and they only started worshiping the Fell Dragon 100 years ago, is because they have been pushed to the brink of exhaustion because Brodia keeps invading other lands and theirs." She said the old woman was about to argue but Natalie didn't let her speak.
"And if we take into account Brodia also has gone after Firene and Solm, which resulted in The War of Thorns and The War of Ashes. War of Thorns took place 400 years ago and The War of Ashes 200 years ago. The ones who pushed back Brodia were none other than the king and queen at the time, who many saw as kind and chivalrous till their son was killed by one of Brodia's generals. This resulted in the royals fully stepping in and that's where everyone knew not to fuck with Firene. The king tore that man apart and the queen obliterated the army." She said as the old woman went silent, "Want me to bring up the war of Ashes?"
"No." The old woman cursed under her breath, "Elusia isn't innocent either you know."
"Of course, Elusia isn't innocent either." Natalie rolled her eyes, "No nation is. Every nation that has existed all across history has committed countless war crimes against one another, the people, or even the non-humans. Hell, there's a place I read about that funds damn wars all for damn profit." She said as she thought about her old world.
"I'm guessing you're speaking with no filter 'cause you're dying soon, huh?" Luke said as he sat down next to her, "I didn't want to be part of the war but if I didn't my grandfather would have thrown me and my little siblings to the streets. Ugh...it's always the damn nobles in our nation that want damn war for funny. Speaking of nobles," she quickly leaned forward and smirked speaking in a hushed tone, "Did y'all hear about Count Lavulite?"
"No. Go on." Thea said and the rest leaned in to listen.
"The bastard kidnapped his people and had them sacrificed to The Demon and Fell Dragon." A few gasps were let out, "Yup. He was promised land and money in exchange for sacrifices and information from the court." He clicked his teeth as he shook his head, "Makes me worried about how many rats could be in the court. A lot of nobles have been pushing for a full-out invasion. The only voices of reason as Regent Albert, Court Mage Martha, and Prince Diamant. Plus Prince Alcryst despite he is a bit of a wimp." Luke said as he was handed a cup of warm milk.
"Look, Prince Alcryst may be on the shy sigh but have you seen that boy shoot?!" Natalie grinned, "That boy can rip off a man's hand by using an arrow! I've seen Prince Alcryst fight a few times on the battlefield and that boy is a wolf in sheep's clothing." She snickered and out at the fields, the prince sneezed.
The group continued to talk, taking shifts to rest and eat before it was their turn to guard. Natalie stood at the tower with Jade, looking out to the frozen fields. No words were exchanged between them but Natalie felt that a good opportunity had arisen.
"Not sure if this will help," Natalie said as Jade slightly looked her way, "but I heard a rumor going on that supposedly King Hyacinth was killed and resurrected into a corrupted." Now Jade was fully paying attention to her because she could see his shocked expression, "What? Have you seen what Necromancers can do? I've seen a few of them raise the dead." She said, watching as she turned to look away with a conflicted look on her face.
"What...other rumors have you heard?"
Natalie inwardly smiled as she let out some sweet tea.
—- Brodia's North -
"RRRAAAHHHH!"
Her hands stabbed right through into the chest of the corrupted before she ripped it in half. Perla gasped and panted for air as the black blood of the monster splattered on her face then threw the body onto the ground. She watched it turn to dust before she picked up its axe, unleashed a blood-curdling scream as she jumped into the air, and spun her body.
"Behind you!"
Perla turned to see the young man called Nil suddenly appear behind her and behead the corrupted mage that nearly got her from behind.
"You alright?" Nil asked, breathless before he let out a cough.
"I'm fine!" Perla yelled as she caught him on time, "Thankfully this was the last wave for today." She said and looked at the field, "Everyone back to the castle!" She yelled.
"Yes, General!" The soldiers yelled and helped get the injured inside.
"I need to check you." Perla said to the Nil, "No buts." And Nil hung his head because she had immediately noticed he was about to protest.
It had been three days since the monsters had begun attacking the north. Soldiers left and right fought monsters wave after wave, and it was now her job as a leader and new lord of the north to protect them. The doctor was happy to have evacuated everyone on time, they all should have arrived in the second capital by now. She had been tending soldiers left and right, the first time she had had to put her new surgical skills to use. She had been studying to become a surgeon before her life was turned around and now she was thrusted into this. Honestly, her first time operating on someone was on one of her soldiers who had a terrible stomach gash. One of the internal organs was damaged. Things like gloves, numbing medicine, and such were rare.
"Boiling water. A fire, a candle, human hair, a bottle of alcohol, wipes. I know this is difficult since it is your first time but I am here and I am going to guide you through this. This world does not have the medical equipment we had in our old world so we have to adapt. I learned how to work with what I have to save the lives of the people of Ylisse, Plegai, and Valm. You're going to do the same."
She nearly had a panic attack but she somehow managed to save the soldier's life. After she did a quick check-up on Nil, she quickly went on to the next patient. Perla was grateful that magic existed in the new world she was in or else she was going to have a difficult time. The medical spells and training that Martha and Sophia drilled into her were put into full use.
"Thank you." An archer said as she finished stitching the gash on his left thigh then turned to work on the next one.
She instructed each of the mages and healers on what they needed to do. The brownies and other non-humans were also helping. After 2 hours of non-stop healing and surgeries, Perla finally had a chance to collapse and breathe. She just laid her head back, letting small breaths of her air calm her racing heart. She's never been in a war like this. Yes, the front lines but fighting like her great-grandparents, Grandfather, Father, and Miguel had was different.
"Perla, dear." Queen Opal called out to the woman, thanking Perla turned her head a bit and saw the Queen holding out to her a cup of warm milk, "Drink this, a small break won't hurt."
Perla sat up and took the cup but her hands were shaking after now being able to take a break. It's only been three days and they have been hit wave after wave of monsters. The enemy is trying to tire them out before they launch a full attack. The enemy was attacking them from the front, left, right, and behind.
Any mystical messengers they tried to send would get shot down. They were isolating them.
The Castle was surrounded. Thankfully they had plenty of food but there was only so much they could have. From the inventory she checked, they had a least another two days' worth of food. Perla drank the milk quickly, gulping it down, thankfully it wasn't too hot.
"Thank you, Queen Opal." Perla whispered as she wiped her lips, the Queen sitting down next to her, "Two more days. We have two more days. After this, I'm getting everyone out of here." She said.
The Queen remained silent before she spoke.
"You're pushing yourself to your limit. There is a limit to what you can do." The Queen said as Perla smiled bitterly as she closed her eyes.
The images of her great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, and siblings flashed through her mind. She had to get out of this alive. Not just her but everyone in the castle and lands.
"Your majesty, we need to speak to you! It's a message from Prince Alcryst." A soldier called out to the queen.
"I'll be back in a bit." The queen said as Perla nodded.
The doctor just sat there in silence, taking deep breaths before she heard footsteps approaching and opened her eyes again.
"Excuse me, Miss Perla?" She looked up and saw it was the young man, Nil, "Sorry to disturb you. May I sit?" She nodded, "Sigh, hectic it has been these days. Hopefully, things turn for the better." He said.
"Same." Perla sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, "I miss home." Nil twitched.
"Your home?" Nil asked and she nodded, "If you could return to your home, if the opportunity arose, would you take it?" He asked as Perla closed her eyes.
"If the opportunity arose, I might. I have to find my siblings first. I just hope they are safe." Perla said.
"I can help you find them. Actually," Nil quickly rummaged through his bag and pulled out a red clam, "I can help you find them right now." Perla looked at him shocked, "I think you have noticed by now that I'm not human." He smiled.
"…I did. The way you move in battle is different from a regular human." Perla said as her guard was suddenly up, "What is that thing?" She asked as Nil held out the calm to her.
"It's a magic device my elder sister made as a way to locate people who share the same blood as you. She used it to locate a few siblings of ours that went missing. All you need to do," he gently tapped the shell to make it open, "is place a drop of blood on it. It will show a map of Elyos and your sibling's location." He said.
Perla looked at the clam in shock but gulped. She wanted to ask Sophia if it was safe but the Emblem was fast asleep after an entire day of fighting monsters and healing people. It was a bad time but Perla was feeling homesick. She missed her old world. She missed going out and walking with her friends and family. Her life wasn't as hectic or stressful ever since she came to this world.
She…She just wanted a break.
Perla wanted a break. She wanted to breathe. She wished she didn't have to go through all this. It had been one thing after another. What bout her siblings? What is going on with them? The woman gulped, her hand shaking as she stared at her thumb before she bit it. Nil watched as the woman had it hovered inside the shell, a few droplets of blood fell in before she healed her thumb. The inside of the clam began to glow a ruby red before the map of Elyos showed itself. There on Brodia's map, it showed a glowing dot in the main Capital of Brodia and another at the northeast border.
"They're here in Brodia?!" Nil thought, his expression shocked but the shuttered whine from Perla made him look back at the woman, her eyes were wide, brimming with tears, pupils shaking as her eyes were solely focused on the glowing-blinking dots. Her siblings were in Brodia. After all this time, they were somehow in Brodia. One was near the Border of Elusia and the other was heading towards the main capital. The woman quickly got up and ran up to her room, ignoring Nil calling out to her.
Nil was stunned at the woman's sudden actions but he understood. He closed his eyes and raised his hand, a small green and red orb of magic formed before it took on the shape of a butterfly.
"Hey," he whispered as he brought it close to his lips, "Renata…tell Elder Brother that Miguel is in Brodia's Capital. And Nanami is in Elusia's border. Something big is coming, and it won't be pretty." He said as he walked and stopped in front of one of the open windows, looking out with slit eyes to the horizon.
"As for me, two more days. After that, I'll make my move." He whispered, "The Priest is here. A pity he has been turned to a slave of Father and That Devil." he said as he looked out to the field to see the soldiers of Brodia getting ready for the next day.
It's only been a short while but Nil could not bring himself to abandon these people. Even the Queen of Brodia had shown him kindness and Perla showed she truly was wise and caring as Natalie said.
"Just a few more days…"
As for Perla, the woman frantically began writing a letter before she sealed it and held it in her hands. Her hands trembled as a crooked smile was on her lips. Then she set the letter on fire as a trickle of blood dripped from her lips.
"Get to Prince Alcryst."
- The Next Day -
It was agreed that no one would say anything about what they learned about Oniyuri. As much as everyone wanted a full explanation, with everything going on, no one needed any more drama. The group was informed that Queen Thyme of Elusia was in Lythos along with the royal children. Rosado had given them a short explanation that the royal queen and children had been in hiding from Hyacinth for two years now. The reason was that if the extreme fell followers got ahold of the children, they would be used as sacrifices. It was safe to say the faces the people of Brodia made left a huge impression and impact.
Miguel was shocked hearing all this but seeing the faces Prince Alcryst, Citrinne, and Lapis were making, faces of horror, disgust, fear, and shock, was showing them the reality of things. Push a man too much they become desperate. This was only the tip of the iceberg of how bad things have gotten. One, they knew that the king had closed Elusia's borders seven years ago, it was making the trio question just how desperate the people had become. Oniyuri kept her silence but Alear could see how once in a while she would glance at the trio. She wanted them to hear how bad things had gotten. She wanted the people of Brodia to know just how far they had pushed her homeland to desperation. And with now also being informed of what happened with Count Lavulite, Alcryst was going to have a long talk with Diamant and his father.
"We're here. Brodia Castle."
"Did I just walk into the Roman Empire or Babylon?" Miguel blurted out as he saw the behemoth of the castle along with the walls, structures, and towers.
The Kingdom of Brodia truly lived up to its name. Just the sight of the place you could see it's intimidating.
"I don't see Elusian soldiers so, that means they haven't attacked yet. Thank goodness." Alcryst sighed but suddenly magic circle appeared in front of them, "What on earth?!" The prince shirked.
"Are we under attack?!" Alear yelled as he raised his arms to protect himself but froze.
The scent of elder wood, lycoris, raspberries, and the scent of stars suddenly overpowered his nostrils.
The smell came from the magic circle and soon, as the magic circle turned into golden and pink dragonflies they now stood a woman. A petite woman with long pink puffy hair with streaks of gray, that was tied in a high ponytail that curled into a drill. Curled bangs that framed her face nicely. Her eyes were closed but slowly she opened them to reveal dark pink eyes and golden pupils. She a gremory-styled shawl with a fur collar. The top part of her clothing she wore, exposed her shoulders, and she wore golden ornaments. She wore a leather black long skirt that was slit on the slit, wearing boots with small heels. On her waist were strapped two tomes, along with potion bottles. She held a long black staff with a dark red sphere at its top and four crow wings spread out. Lastly, she wore a red jeweled necklace with a strange symbol and star earrings.
"Mother/Aunt?!" Eden and Prince Alcryst yelled but Eden was quick to stop Alcryst from taking a step further, "What gives?" Alcryst said but then he felt it.
There was suddenly a terrifying and powerful aura coming from Martha, to the point it could be physically seen. Alear stood stunned and still, his eyes wide as the woman before him looked down at him with a half-lidded gaze, and the grip on her staff deadly. For Alear, the second he laid his eyes on her, every fiber of his body burned with some sort of rage. Not hatred but something territorial. The woman before him was powerful, so powerful that it reminded him of the dragon he first encountered in Firene. However, unlike that dragon, the aura Martha was giving was akin to…
"This is my territory. These are my lands. You dare step into my domain."
That was what the aura of the woman before him felt like. But there was also something else other than that territorial intimidation. The woman looked familiar and just in a few seconds the image of a young teen with short pink hair appeared before his eyes and then faded into the image before him. The silence between the two was tense but…
"Are you…" Alear managed to speak before he gulped and continued, "Court Mage Martha?" He asked as the woman remained silent.
Martha just continued to stare at him before she turned and glanced at him.
"I'm glad you're awake." She said and looked at the rest of the group, "Come everyone! As much as I would love to throw a celebration things are serious at the moment." She then spoke in a hushed tone that only Alear could hear.
"It's been a long time, little brother."
[—-]
Happy First Anniversary! More chapters come soon!