Tales of Xalthia
Act 1: Warm Beginnings
Chapter 1: Life of a Knight
Located on the continent in the center of the world lies the Holy Kingdom of Eresseas on the continent of Cayhill. Including Eresseas, there are a total of six kingdoms on different continents. Honegroth, the Empire of Dreams lies on the northern continent of Menorion. Menorion's land has a little of everything from every continent. From grassy plains to a vast desert to mountains. Esseand, the Kingdom of Staves is located in the forest and cavernous region of the northwestern continent of Ersheath. The Republic of Sirione sits on the southern most continent of Megrove, influenced by the abundance of swamp and farmlands. The Realm of Dolothlond lies in the mountainous terrain of the southwestern continent of Nargelond. Finally, the Principality of Lone lies in the middle of a desert on the northeastern continent that sits in-between Menorion and Megrove.
Due to a cataclysmic event that happened to the world in the bygone era, a massive chasm reinforced by powerful waterfalls on both sides divides this small piece of the world from the rest of Lorategia. This chasm cuts through the Eastern and Western Sea, making passage by ship impossible due to the raging waterfalls that flow around the chasms and with no solid ground whatsoever that connects to the other side, these continents are truly cut off and isolated. These chasms are known as the Great Rift. For as long as history within each kingdom has been recorded, no one knows what lies beyond the Great Rift and unfortunately, it's a mystery that no one will ever have an answer to due to the impassable cliffs. Dedicated explorers and inventors are still determined, however, to find a way across with the idea of new, untold discoveries motivating them.
Eresseas, located in the center of a massive lake connected to land by a massive stone bridge, is ruled by a royal family beloved by everyone of Cayhill. According to history, Eresseas was once known as The Grand Duchies but since Cayhill is considered "holy grounds" due to the fact that the War of Mana took place where Eresseas now stands Four hundred years later and having almost the entire kingdom nearly wiped out, the former kingdom was reformed into a new image under a new name. Since the conclusion of the war, the land slowly started to recover after the devastation. The once-barren landscape was now full of life once again. The only thing that remains the same was the massive crater caused by the Four Great Spirits, which is located in northeastern part of the continent. That crater was now filled with water due to four hundred years of rain and the newly formed rivers that go out to sea. Thanks to the hard efforts of the people and their knowledge of Earth Artes, new land was formed within the crater. To accompany the water that now fills the crater, a small city was built named the River City of Briswater. The only remaining traces of the war were scattered debris consisting of rusted armor, weapons and machinery that were still at the bottom of the crater and littered around the forest grounds that surround the city. Cayhill is the smallest continent so the population isn't as high in numbers. Unlike the other continents, Cayhill is in a neutral zone which means they don't take sides in fights that pertain to other kingdoms.
To further diminish the overall size of Cayhill, the continent was practically divided into two seperate halves: the Northern Lands and the Southern Lands. The Northern Lands were under the jurisdiction of the royal family while the Southern Lands were under the jurisidiction of the three different tribes. Cayhill used to be all tribal land but ever since the War of Mana, it became a shared land. The Northerners and Southerners used to live in peaceful co-existence until devestating tragedy fell down upon a small village near the southern coast. This caused turmoil among the two sides which eventually led to the tribes losing their faith and trust in the royal family. As a result, the once equally shared land became divided and had established a border that seperates the two sides with a border town being built as a passthrough. People could still freely come and go as they pleased but the rules and laws they had to follow would change depending on what side they enter. People who lived on the northern side of the border have always said that the southern regions were gorgeous and would often go to visit these sights though it was an extremely rare sight for anyone in the Tribes to venture to the north. The royal family had been making painstaking efforts to try and rebuild what was lost between them and the Tribes with little to no success. The Tribes have a rule to not become involved with the royal family.
While the southern regions of Cayhill are under the jurisdiction of the Tribes, they are not ruled over collectively as a whole. The southern region is split up into three parts, each of them ruled by one of the Tribes who have their own policies. The three Tribes live in peace with each other but have their own different beliefs. There was only one thing they all in agreement of, however. In order to secure any type of cooperation with the southern region, all three Tribes have to give their own independent support. If even one refuses to cooperate, they Tribes would not act and the would-be cooperation would end right then and there. The authority of the royal family is not recognized among the Tribes but they also don't want to end up on their bad side so they keep as much distance between them as posible.
Acting under the royal family of Eresseas are eight people who are selected by the King and Queen themselves to become the royal family's elite guard. These handpicked warriors were formally recognized as the Royal Eight. Three of the eight people are chosen to act as bodyguards for the King, Queen and the Princess. One of those knights was a young swordsman who also has a personal relationship with the Princess. That knight is named Tsuki Himura. Tsuki is charged with bodyguard duty of the Princess. He's also Princess' childhood friend. Additionally to protecting the Princess, just like every other knight under the service of the royal family, he's sent off to different places of Cayhill under official business for missions such as overseeing political matters, handling delicate cases like kidnappings and emergency distress calls.
Tsuki had light brown spikey hair with dark blue eyes and was about 5'9. He was walking down the castle halls as if he was returning from a mission. He was eighteen years old so according to Eresseas' history, he's the youngest person to ever serve under the King and Queen as part of their elite guard. The armor he was wearing was made of iron with the imprint of a wolf designed into the chest plate. Everything else was pretty standard when it comes to heavy armor. Although, his armor appeared to be as if he had just returned from an intense battlefield. His armor, particularly the body armor above the waist, was all torn and ripped apart and even had what appeared to be a deep slash that penetrated through his chestplate, chainmail and black undershirt. You could see what appeared to be bandages wrapped around his body from within the opened part of his armor and underlying shirt. As he was walking down the hallway, he kept receiving looks of amazement and awe from the guards, scholars and other people residing within the castle.
As Tsuki was walking down the hallway, a man was seen standing in his path as he had his hands on his hips. He could spot Tsuki from a mile away especially with the state his armor was in. "Hey, Tsuki!" he called out to him. He then started to approach Tsuki.
Tsuki stopped and looked down the hall to where the voice came from. Down the hall was a man who was wearing the same armor as he was except without the dents, scratches and torn plating. The man appeared to be a little older than him too. "Hey Zero. What's up?" he asked the man.
The man walked up closer to him and examined him closely. "Man, you look like shit. I've heard what happened but to see it is something else" he said. This man is Zero Hisagi was twenty-five years old, the second youngest person of the Royal Eight. He had dark brown hair that went down to his shoulders and was about the same height as Tsuki was with eyes colored in a light red. "I just came to welcome you back after a job well done. Things definitely hit the fan for you, didn't they?" he asked.
Tsuki nodded his head. "You have no idea. However, I had some help from my companions so my success was mostly because of them" he said. His mission took way longer than expected and he was met with a lot of complications during his mission which was the reason why it took so long to return. He should of expected that word would of got around the town and castle though. He even got looks from the townspeople.
Zero shrugged his shoulders, tilting his head a bit in the process. "That's true. At least you and your companions made it out safely without casualty. I wish I could say the same about the people of Basilwell though." he told said in a soft tone. He sighed a bit, looking down at the ground and scratched his head a bit before looking at him once more. "So, tell me about these companions who traveled with you. You've been gone for over a month, after all. I'm a little surprised to see them not accompanying you." he whispered to him.
Tsuki folded his arms and fell into thought for a moment. "Basilwell is in good hands. The townspeople are quick when it comes to reconstruction. The townspeople and government officials there are more than capable on handling things going forward" he said. The events that took place throughout the entirety of his mission were some of the hardest tasks that he's ever had to deal with a knight. That was his first time in actual combat that would of affected the entire nation. "What can I say? They were a great bunch. Each of them had their own special, individual talents which made a lot of things easier to handle. Honestly, I'm not quite sure just how far I could have gotten without their help especially with how my mission ended up becoming in the end" he said. He fell silent for a moment and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again and looking at Zero. "We ended up parting ways at the castle district entrance. Each of them had their own plans already decided going forwardl" he said.
Zero nodded, listening to his story. He was really interested to hear about what took place in Basilwell especially when he received reports about what had been going on there. "The entrance, huh? What were their plans?" he asked him. He wanted to meet these companions himself. If they were as good as Tsuki claims, they would make great additions as knights.
Tsuki nodded at his response. "One of them plans on returning to their home in Crescentia. With everything that's happened to us, she found a new motivation to improve her healing abilities. Since his contract was deemed fulfilled, the mercenary that accompanied us will probably roam around some more, doing whatever it is that mercenaries do. With Basilwell still under repairs and Commander Alba still mostly confined to his office, the last one is set to return to Basilwell to take over things until Alba is fully healed. Since the trip took a bit longer than it should have, they decided to stay overnight and leave in the morning" he said. He was a little sad that they had to part ways. They were only together for a short time yet it had already established a strong bond amongst them. They were his first friends outside of the knights. However, all good things must come to an end at some point. He was confident though that they would see each other again someday. "I tried to invite them to meet with the King and Queen, but they didn't feel like it was necessary" he said.
Zero crossed his arms, stroking his chin in thought. "I see. Well, it's a shame they didn't come with you. I'm sure the King and Queen would of been happy to express their gratitude to them since they were a tremendous help to you on your mission." Judging from the look on Tsuki's face, they clearly had a big impact on him. "Say, you wouldn't happen to-" he said.
Before Zero could say anything else, they both heard a voice shouting out towards them further down the hallway "Hey! You're late!" the voice shouted, echoing down the hallway. It was a loud, almost commanding female voice.
They both looked down the hallway and saw a woman who appeared to be in the same armor as Zero and Tsuki. Unlike Zero though, she appeared quite a bit older. Tsuki and Zero looked at each other and shrugged before walking down the hallway towards the woman who called out to them.
The woman was standing with her hands on her hips as she stared down at Tsuki and Zero as they approached her. They stopped at arm's length and a brief moment of silence took place between them. The woman stared at Tsuki in silence as she looked him over. Then, the woman sighed heavily as all the seriousness seemed to instantly vanish but not before she gave Tsuki a whack to the head. "You had us all worried, you know. Taking on the enemy like that was reckless...but I'm glad you're okay" she told him in a calmer tone.
Tsuki rubbed the top of his head after she had hit him. Surprisingly, he wasn't surprised that she hit him out of nowhere. In fact, he would of been more surprised if she hadn't. "Sorry, Aya. I didn't mean to cause worry for everyone" he said. He couldn't blame her though. A lot did happen while he was out on his mission and considering it all happened so suddenly, there wasn't much time for anyone to react properly. Tsuki may be an exceptional fighter with all of his skills with a sword and other combat-related abilities being self taught, but even he has his limits and they were certainly pushed to their ends.
Aya Kazuma is the second oldest member of the Eight. She was forty-five years old and the Queen's personal bodyguard. She had long, light pink hair that went slightly past her shoulders with eyes colored in violet. She gently tapped Tsuki's shoulder, shaking her head. "It's only natural that we would. We're comrades, aren't we? You were sent off to do a simple investigation and that ended up turning into so much more. While the King and Queen didn't show it nor express it, we could tell that they were very concerned for not just you but for the kindgom as a whole. What you did may have been reckless but it ended up saving us in the end. Oh and don't even get me started about the Princess either. She was riddled with worry everyday especially when she learned about your condition a few days ago" she said She then held her finger up at him. "As her bodyguard, it's your responsibility to alleviate her worries, not add to them especially since you've known each other since childhood" she said, almost scolding him.
Tsuki expected the kind of worries and stress everyone would have been under, the Princess especially. Throughout his mission, he kept in constant contact with the royal family through carrier pigeon. However, he stopped sending messages prior to what took place in Basilwell. The only reason everyone knew about what happened was through transmissions from the Basilwell authorities. "I guess I have a lot of explaining to do, huh? I have a feeling this is going to take some time to explain." he said, scratching the back of his head.
Aya nodded. She then turned around and faced further down the hallway. "Yes you do. It's best not to keep the royal family waiting any longer. They've been waiting for your arrival since you told them you were returning home. As for the rest of us, we'll be waiting to hear the short version of what happened in the squad room" she told him.
They then started to walk down the hallway together for a little while longer with Tsuki still receiving looks from other people walking by. Soon, they reached a large set of doors which signified the audience chamber. Aya and Zero walked to each side of the doors and held onto the door handles. They then nodded to each other and pushed open the doors. Behind the doors was a massive room with small waterfalls all throughout the room. At the far end of the room, there were three chairs that the King, Queen and Princess were sitting in with a large stained glass mural behind them overlooking the waters that surrounded the city. Tsuki walked into the audience chamber with Aya and Zero following him, shutting the doors behind them and stood guard by them. Tsuki took a deep breath and started his walk up the red carpet towards the royal family while Aya and Zero remained at the door.
When Tsuki made it to the foot of the stairs from where the royal family were sitting on top of, he kneeled down and lowered his head to them. "Tsuki Himura of the Royal Eight, returning from duty"he said in a polite, respectful manner. His demeanor had completely changed the moment he walked up to the royal family. He kept his head down as he waited for their response.
The King raised his hand up. His name was Taichi Tsubasa. He had dark brown, spikey hair like Tsuki and was forty-eight years old with dark red eyes. He also had a brown beard. "Welcome home, Tsuki. We're very relieved to have you back, safe and sound. We sent you out for a simple investigation but it turned out to be something far more dangerous. If we had known what was going to happen, we would have sent out reinforcements a lot sooner. For that, we apologize." he said. He tried to speak without letting out a hint of worry.
Tsuki kept to his knees with his head lowered. "Please, Your Majesty. If anyone knew something like this would happen, then we could have prevented it from happening in the first place and people didn't need to lose their lives" he said in response. There was nothing they could of done to be better prepared. It all happened very suddenly and without warning. He was amazed that they were able to keep casualties to a minimal, given the circumstances.
The Queen shook her head before starting to talk. Her name was Emma Tsubasa. She had long, pink hair that went down halfway down her back and was 45 years old with gentle violet-colored eyes. "Please stand. You did well to combat the incredible odds that were stacked against you. If not for you, things would have escalated quickly on a national level. For that, we can't thank you enough for stepping up where we faltered" she said as she examined him carefully. She could clearly see how much he has gone through throughout his mission. The condition his armor was in proves that. "Despite being up against a powerful enemy, you didn't hesitate to aid those in need. You fought valiantly and because of that, you saved countless lives" she said.
Tsuki then stood up, lifting up his head and looked at them. He glanced over at the Princess and gave her a slight smile. He then focused on the King and Queen and nodded to her response."Thank you, Your Majesty. However, I don't deserve such praise. If it weren't for the help of my companions that I traveled with, I wouldn't of succeeded" he informed them.
Taichi shook his head. "You give yourself far too little credit. If it weren't for your actions, who knows what would of happened to Basilwell. Actually, to the continent of Cayhill for that matter. Based on the various reports we've received, it has come to our understanding that you made some companions along the way that aided you. What happened to them?" he asked. With all that happened in Basilwell, he didn't want to think that his companions fell in battle.
Tsuki shook his head. "They're not with me, I'm afraid. We parted ways when we returned to the city. They're staying in town for the night then they are leaving in the morning" he informed them. He probably could of brought them along with him but they were all exhausted and they had plans to leave in the morning so he wanted to give them enough time to rest and recover before setting out.
Emma nodded as he spoke. "I see. Why don't we hold off on your report until tomorrow. You look like you're about to pass out. As for those crates you brought back with you, Elle said that she would handle the rest. Besides..." she said, looking over to the Princess, who looked as if she was about to jump out of her seat. "Cheria has been worried sick about you. You two can use the day to catch up. We'll continue this in the morning. You're dismissed." she instructed him.
Taichi glanced down at the sword that was strapped to his waist. He had heard about it from the reports he received and was curious to know about it himself. "Make sure you also include the details about that fancy new sword of yours. I've heard stories about it as well as it's hidden secret so I'm quite curious about it" he said.
Tsuki bowed one last time. "Of course. Thank you, Your Majesty" he said. He felt kind of relieved that they gave him time to rest and recover his energy. He didn't think he'd have it in him to explain his report in full detail. He then turned around and headed back to the doors. He stopped in front of them as Aya and Zero opened them and glanced at the Princess for a moment. He waved at her then left the audience chamber. Once he left, he headed to the room where the Royal Eight usually hang out at.
Several moments after Tsuki left the audience chamber, Emma looked over to Princess."Well, what are you waiting for? You better catch up to him before he escapes" she told her. She knew that she was about to fly out of her chair any minute. It was painfully obvious.
Taichi glanced over to the Princess with a slight grin and chuckle. "Try to go easy on him. He might say he's fine but its clear that he still hasn't fully recovered from his injuries" he said. He had heard from a report that Elle had made that he had a pretty nasty injury across his chest which explained the bandages that he could make out through his torn armor.
The Princess looked over to her mother and nodded. She stood up then bowed to her mother and father. "Thank you. Please excuse me!" she said with excitement. She turned around and rushed out of the audience chamber, following Tsuki.
As the Princess hurried out of the audience chamber, Zero left the door and walked up to the King and Queen and bowed. "King Taichi, Queen Emma, if I may, I have a suggestion" he said. Zero had a plan in mind and wanted to get approval of the royal family before carrying it out.
Taichi looked at Zero, stroking his beard in thought. "What's your suggestion, Zero?" he asked.
Zero then started to tell the King and Queen what he was planning. There was something missing in Tsuki's return and he thought that the King and Queen should know. He didn't tell Tsuki or anyone else what he was planning. Whether the King and Queen accept his suggestion or not, he was still going to go through with his plan.
After several minutes of walking through hallways, he eventually made it to the room where the Royal Eight were holed up. He stood outside the door and took a deep breath before entering it. After a moment, he opened the door. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by confetti and praise. Inside the room, he saw the remaining five of the Royal Eight. The person closest to his left was a girl about a year older than Zero but looks like she's really eighteen. Her name was Lydia Stanton. She had long, black hair that went halfway down her back with blue eyes. The person closest to his right was the oldest member of the Royal Eight. The man was forty-six and his name was Mike Yote. He had yellow, spiky hair with brown eyes. The person in the center of the room was a man who was forty. His name was Stahler Tokesu. He had dark brown, wavy hair with light brown eyes. In the upper left corner of the room was a young woman at the age twenty years old. Her name was Xpheria Sykes but everyone just calls her by her middle name, which was Phi. She had long, violet hair that went slightly past her shoulders with dark purple eyes. Finally, in the upper right corner of the room was an older woman at the age of thirty-eight. Her name was Jula Haru. She had blonde, curly hair with light blue eyes.
Once everyone said their congratulations and welcomed Tsuki back home, Lydia walked up to him and examined his face and the condition he was in. "Ah, the port town hero has returned. You've made quite the name for yourself" she said. He almost seemed like a different person.
Mike walked up to Tsuki and patted him on the shoulder. "You sure got guts, boy. I didn't think you had it in you." he said. He heard the stories and he was quite amazed at what he had managed to accomplish without much support.
Stahler shook his head and looked at Mike. "Tsuki is a tough kid. He may be young but you forget that he's also very talented. I better not slack off in my own training or he might be able to overtake me one day" he said, laughing. Stahler is considered the strongest out of the Royal Eight due to his White Wolf fighting style. White Wolf is a fighting style that has been long forgotten in the passages of time. Only very few people know of it and an even lesser few that have mastered it. It takes years of extensive training but the end result would be devastating once a person masters the fighting style.
Phi shrugged her shoulders and took a short glance at Tsuki. "I wouldn't worry about him passing you by anytime soon. He may be talented but his skills are also self-taught and unrefined compared to your White Wolf Style" she said with a judgmental look. Phi is considered to be Tsuki's rival in some respect. They always compete against each other to see who's stronger in various challenges. Challenges could be a foot race, sparring match or even rock climbing. It's all about a friendly competition though. It's not like they were setting records or something. Despite her judgmental comment though, she actually cared for him. She just never shows it. She took a quick look at him and shook her head with a sigh. "I don't know what it is with you and danger but you always seem to find it. And, here I thought that you couldn't be anymore reckless than your escapade into Prophet Castle" she said.
Jula looked over to Phi and sighed, shaking her head. "You never change, do you? Would it kill you to offer some sort of compliment for him?" she asked. She then looked over to Tsuki and examined his armor. "Why don't you change out of that armor? The damage to it is too extensive for our smiths to repair so we'll have another tailored and outfitted for you" she said, pointing towards the small armory in the back of the room.
Tsuki nodded and walked towards the armory where all of their weapons and armor are stored, which are under constant surveillance by the guards and the Royal Eight themselves. When he walked into the center of the room, he heard someone burst through the door. He stopped, knowing who it was before turning around. He turned around and saw the Princess standing at the doorway, who was out of breath since she chased after him. "I was beginning to wonder when you were going to show up" he said to her.
The Princess couldn't contain herself for much longer while she was trying to catch her breath. "Tsu!" she shouted. She ran towards him and then lunged towards Tsuki and threw herself at him in a hug and causing them both to fall to the ground with her sitting on top of him.
Tsuki waved to her when she called out his name. He wasn't prepared for her to lunge at him and knocking them both down though. Before he knew it, he was tackled to the ground. He could feel slight pain shoot through his body as he still hadn't fully recovered yet. "Agh! Cheria, you didn't have to tackle me" he told her. He couldn't blame her though. After everything she's probably heard about, she was most likely filled with not only excitement for his return but worry as well because of everyting that happened. Although, when he looked up at her, he noticed that her dress had become undone a little bit, revealing part of her chest. His face turned red a little bit before looking away. "Um..." he said,
She shook her head and released him from the hug but remained on top of him, almost pinning him to the ground without even noticing that her dress became unraveled a bit from her tackling. "You idiot! I was worried sick about you! Do you know how it felt when I heard that you were seriously injured!?" she asked. Cheria Tsubasa is not only the Princess of Eresseas, but she is also the childhood friend and rumored "sweetheart" of Tsuki. She had light pink, wavy hair that went down to her shoulders with violet colored eyes. They've been together long before Tsuki was a knight due to extreme circumstances and because of that, they're extremely close to the point where people had actually started to fall under the impression that they were lovers because of how they act in public. She was practically holding onto the collar of his armor, shaking him for a bit but not too much. "I'm happy that you're back, safe and sound but I wish that you weren't reckless" she said. She may sound like she was upset at him but that's only because she genuinely cares about him.
Tsuki was being shook so much that he could barely get a word out. When she eventually stopped, he looked up at her with a dazed look on his face after all the shaking. "I'm sorry to have worried but I knew that I couldn't let something like this take me out. Not when I still have my hands full with a certain princess" he said. He tried to sit up but she had him pinned down on the ground plus he kept looking away from her because of her dress with his face still red from seeing part of her revealed chest. "Besides, I'm not sure the Princess of Eresseas should be acting like this in front of the Royal Eight" he said, pointing to everyone else in the room as they watched them.
Cheria sighed heavily with relief. She no longer had to worry about his safety and well-being now that he's back. "It's fine. You came back to me so that's all that matters to me" she said. She then realized that there were other people in the room. She was so excited and focused on Tsuki that she didn't even see the other members of the Royal Eight. Once she realized this, she blushed from embarrassment. "Oh...uh...hi everyone..." she said, waving at them rather shyly.
Lydia couldn't help but laugh a bit at Cheria's expense. She hasn't seen her so excited in quite a long time that she nearly forgot how she acts when she's like this. "Oh, don't mind us. Although, that's pretty daring of you, Your Highness. I didn't know you two reached that stage in your relationship" she said with a sly look on her face. She then pointed at her unraveled dress. Lydia has always loved to tease Cheria about her relationship with Tsuki.
Cheria looks up at Lydia, tilting her head. "That stage?" she asked. She then looked down and finally noticed that her dress had become undone, giving Tsuki the perfect angle to look up at part of her revealed chest. At that point, she realized why he suddenly turned red and looked away. Her face almost instantly turned red before jumping off of him to fix her dress. "Ah! Y-you saw, didn't you?" she asked, embarrassed.
Tsuki sat up slowly, scratching his cheek a bit while still slightly red. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look" she said. He then took in a deep breath and shook his head before looking over at Cheria as he regained his composure. He reached out his hand and placed it on her head, petting her gently."A-anyway, I'm home, Cheria" he said, trying to change the subject.
Cheria put her hands on her head and sunk down a bit, blushing a deep red from embarrassment. "I guess it's fine if it's you..." she mumbled softly to herself. After taking a moment to calm down, she turned around and looked Tsuki and smiled in content as he petted her like a dog, still blushing but not from embarrassment this time. "Welcome home, Tsu" she said. She wanted to talk to him all day long so they could catch up in the things they've missed over the month that he's been gone.
Tsuki stood up, brushing himself off. Then, he held out his hand to help her up to her feet. Cheria looked up at he stood up and took his hand when he held out his hand for her. She then stood up with the help of Tsuki. Once she stood up, she also brushed herself off.
Mike watched Tsuki and Cheria as they had their reunion. When they stood up, he couldn't help but make a comment on their relationship. "It amazes me on how much the line between those two have blurred. If I had inadvertently saw her exposed parts, I would of been knocked out cold" he said.
Phi looked at Mike and shrugged. She wasn't surprised on where their relationship stands. "Well, for one thing, you're a grown man. I'm pretty sure you would have gotten arrested. You shouldn't even be peeking in at a girl in the first place especially if she was royalty" she told him. As long as the Princess was happy, she didn't care what kind of relationship the two shared.
Jula walked up to Cheria and placed her hand on her shoulder. "I know you want to catch up with Tsuki but why don't we let him wash up and change into something more comfortable?" she asked. She knew that Cheria wanted to talk to Tsuki more and it would be better if he wasn't still in his banged up armor.
Cheria looked up at Jula then back at Tsuki and nodded slowly. His armor definitely looked worse than how he had described it in his letter so she had a point. A knight of his stature shouldn't parade around the castle in damaged armor. "Yeah...you're right. Let's meet up in the garden in twenty minutes then. Is that okay with you?" she asked Tsuki. She tilted her head, waiting for a response.
Tsuki rubbed the back of his head. "Of course. I have a lot to tell you, after all. Seeing as how I have the rest of the day to myself, we have plenty of time to catch up" he told her. Looks like he not only has to give a full debriefing of his mission to the King and Queen, but he also has to give a debriefing to Cheria. He didn't really mind though. Any time spent with the Princess is time well-spent for him.
Cheria nodded and smiled. "Sounds good. I'll be waiting for you then" she said with a cheery smile. She then stood up and walked towards the door. She grabbed onto the handle and looked back at everyone in the room and waved at them before opening the door and leaving.
Tsuki nodded at her last comment before she left. When she left, he then removed the armor he was wearing and set the pieces on a sparring dummy where torn, unusable armor is then reused for training purposes. Under his armor, he wore very thin black clothes since it can get rather hot wearing heavy armor. Once he was ready, he left the room and continued down the hallway a bit more and climbed a set of stairs that led up to the second floor where the rooms for the members of the Royal Eight were located. His room was the farthest one down to the left of the stairs. There was even a place where they could wash up. Before going to his room, he stepped inside the washroom to clean himself off. When he was refreshed and clean, he dressed himself and then walked out of the washroom. He then walked over to his room and stepped inside. His room had a fantastic view of the surrounding lake and inside of his room, he had what you would expect for a knight's room. A soft, comfortable bed, a closet where he keeps spare clothing whenever he isn't wearing armor as well as a small table where he would eat or work on various forms of paperwork. He set his sword down on a nearby stand and went into the closet to change into newer, fresh clothing. Up until now, he's had to keep washing and reusing what he had on so it was nice to be in some actual fresh clothes. He made sure he looked more presentable before leaving his room, making sure to grab his sword and strapping it back to his waist once more.
Tsuki, for once wearing normal clothing without having to be weighed down by armor, made his way through the castle, greeting his fellow knights and the various officials he passed by. He stopped to talk to a few people along the way but made sure not to take too long as Cheria was waiting for him in the garden. The garden was located behind the castle that overlooked the lake. It was a rather popular place for visitors for not just the view but the garden sights. The garden was used for various things as well, wedding venues being extremely sought after. The garden was full of exotic flowers from all over, filling it with a wide arrange of colors and flower types. The hedges around the garden had different, unique shapes to them and in the center of the garden was a statue of a wolf sitting, gazing out at the lake. The garden even had its own little flowing river going through it with various other types of garden decor. It was truly a scenic place to be with a calm atmosphere to it. Knights would come here often on their free time to simply relax.
Tsuki soon reached the garden and walked through the paved pathways. The garden was of moderate size, not too small but not too big. Being back in the gardenand embracing the calming air helped him relax. He took in the sights, his hand brushing up against the various flowers as he walks past them. At the far end of the garden by the railing that overlooked the lake, he saw Cheria standing there, looking at at the lake. The breeze coming off the lake blew through her hair as flower petals filled the space between them. Cheria brushed the hair behind her right ear before turning around to look at Tsuki. She then waved him over to her with that same, almost loving smile of hers.
Tsuki walked up next to her, placing his hands on the stone railing and took in a deep breath. The smells of the lake and flowers filled his nose as he could just feel the tranquility in the air. "Man, no matter how long it's been, the sights and smells here never change" he said. This spot was definitely his favorite place in the entire castle. The castle and its design was gorgeous enough but the garden is a step above.
Cheria kept her smile as she looked out towards the lake once more with him, feeling the wind blow past them. To her, this day couldn't be more perfect. Nice weather to go along with a nice breeze to go along with Tsuki's return. She wanted this moment to last for as long as possible. "So, what was the countryside like? Based on your letters, you've seen quite a number of different sights. Tell me about them" she said.
Cayhill was a moderately large continent so where was a lot it had to offer in terms of sightseeing. Throughout the course of his travels, he only got to see roughly half of what Cayhill had to offer. He would of liked to see the areas to the south but he knew that if he had appeared there while wearing his armor, that would potentially cause some problems due to the fact that the royals aren't very well thought of by the Tribes. One day, however, he wishes to see it with his own eyes. In the meantime, all he could tell her about were the places he's seen. "A vast, open grassy plain, a decaying castle, a river city surrounded by forest, a secret facility inside of a cave and a scenic port town along a beautiful beach. You can say it really stirred my inner adventurer" he said.
Cheria has only seen the sights of Cayhill through pictures and story. She's never been beyond the walls of Eresseas but she hopes one day she will get to see what she's been missing out on. In the meantime, she can only try and picture what people describe to her. Cayhill may be a neutral zone that prioritizes peace over anything else but even Cayhill has its share of bandits and kidnappers and with her being royalty would put a pretty big target on her back. Though it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to target her. "Do you think I'll be able to get out there and see those sights one day?" she asked.
Tsuki looked over at her and gave her a nod as he tapped his own chest. "Of course you will. Sooner or later, I'll take you out to see the sights. Staying here cooped up isn't going to be healthy for you. Besides, how can the future Queen rule a kingdom if she hasn't seen it all herself?" he asked. If Cheria was going to rule over Eresseas and, by extension, Cayhill one day, it would do her a lot of good to get first time knowledge and experience with the continent.
Cheria can understand that being a Princess out on her own poses a big risk to herself. A fact that she didn't really pay mind to it when she was younger which did land her on some trouble but because of that trouble, she was able to meet Tsuki and get to where they currently are. She couldn't help but sigh though. "I guess my rebellious nature as a kid came back to bite me, huh?" she asked. She did have a habit of sneaking away from her personal guard to explore the town a lot as a kid and even more so after she had met Tsuki.
Tsuki reached out to her and poked her on the forehead. "All because of a certain little girl who was determined to keep checking up on a small boy in rags" he said. Before his time as a knight, he was living off the streets. No home and no family. He had to live off whatever hunting he could do and, in worst case scenarios, theft of food. Those were definitely his darkest days but going from a boy in rags scrounging for scraps and stealing food to being an adult who now serves as the Princess' personaly bodyguard is quite a lifestyle change. "I never realized it back then but you gave everybody a hard time, ditching your personal guards and running off. It was little to no wonder why they gave me the responsibility of being your personal guard" he said. Before he was appointed as a member of the Royal Eight, he had already been in the position of being her personal guard.
Cheria puffed her cheeks out a bit at his first remark. "Well, excuse me for wanting to make sure a certain little boy was doing well" she said. She had always sensed a connection with Tsuki since they first met. She felt like fate led her to him. It was something she couldn't explain very well but she knew that she was destined to meet him. "Those other guards just couldn't keep up with me, that's all. Always by the books with them. They were so stuffy that I couldn't stand it. You, on the other hand, were different. You treated me like a normal girl despite knowing I was royalty. That made me happy and it became something I didn't want to run away from" she said, putting her hands behind her back and locking her fingers together. It was around the time that Tsuki became a knight that she stopped running off into town. Instead, she was almost glued to him within the castle. Wherever he went, whether it was to knight training or or sparring practice, she would be there to watch him. Anytime she wasn't watching him, she was either being taught how to use a bow by her teacher or other royal business.
Tsuki couldn't help but think back to his early days of him starting out as a knight up to him becoming her personal guard. She had followed him around like a dog would its owner. He didn't complain about it though. It was annoying at first when he was out on the streets but the more he got to know her, the more he started to like being around her. After becoming a knight, her presence would always serve as a source of comfort for him especially when knight training got to be difficult for him. It was mostly thanks to her support that helped him through it all and when he became a full-fledged knight, he was appointed as her personal guard since they were almost inseperable at that point. There were many who heavily opposed that decision though with him being quite literally being fresh out of knight school. Over time, however, people started to change their minds as they started to see that the once ragged boy had became a competent knight. It was when he had eventually been brought into the Royal Eight that people had fully accepted him.
After a few minutes of silence, Tsuki took a deep breath and faced towards one of the benches. "So, you want to hear about my adventures, right? What you like to hear about first?" he asked. Talking about the past was fine and all but what she probably wanted to hear was what he experienced on his travels.
Cheria's eyes practically sparkled when he asked what she would like to hear first. There were so many parts of his travels that she wanted to hear about. Though since he was suppose to give a full debrief of his mission tomorrow, she didn't want to wear him out by talking about everything. She would get the full story then. Instead, she would settle with hearing about things he encountered as he traveled rather than actual parts of his mission. "Tell me about the grassy plains. I heard they were beautiful" she said.
They both made their way over to the nearby bench and sat down on it as he started to tell her about the things he saw as he traveled. Things that he felt weren't really necessary to divulge in his report and had no plans to say anything about them. Seeing as how he was gone for over a month, there were a lot of smaller things he could talk about with her. They stayed like this as they went into a long talk with him telling her about what he's seen and her telling him of what she's been doing in return. It was very easy for the two of them to get lost in their talks and lose track of time because before they knew it, they had been talking for about three hours. It was already pretty late into the evening hours by the time Tsuki had returned to the city and now it's well past dark as most of the people in the castle at this point were asleep or getting ready to call it a night themselves. The only people they've been seeing around are the nightly patrols. Even at night, the garden is still just as beautiful because of all the dim lighting around the area.
Tsuki stretched his arms out, letting out a yawn as he rolled his head around his shoulders. "It's gotten quite late, hasn't it?" he asked. To be honest, he was feeling quite exhausted. He could fall asleep right here on the bench if wanted to and he'd probably sleep comfortably.
Cheria rubbed her eyes a bit, also feeling a little tired herself. It's been a while since she's stayed awake for so long. Usually, she'd be getting ready to sleep right about this time. She didn't mind it though; she could spend all night talking with Tsuki if she wanted to. She then rested her head up against his shoulder, closing her eyes for a bit."This feels like we're having a secret meeting in the middle of the night. A princess and her knight, lost in their talks under the moonlight and surrounded by flowers. It's like something out of a romance novel" she said, her face slightly blushing not with embarrassment but with content.
Tsuki couldn't help but scratch the back of his head at her last comment. He was used to getting teased by the Royal Eight and even some of the officials of their relationship but when Cheria adds to it herself, it throws him off. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess it does" he said. He then stood up from the bench, looking back at her and holding out his hand to help her up. As much as he wanted to continue talking to her, they both needed to get some sleep. He didn't want to keep her up past her bedtime and he was going to need all the energy as he can get for his potentially long debriefing tomorrow. "It's also that knights' duty to escort his princess safely back to her room so she can get some sleep. Shall we head back?" he asked.
Cheria looked up at him, taking his hand and then standing up. She could see just how tired he was despite how hard he tries to hide it. Having to spend the last two days traveling back to Eresseas from Basilwell, only to finally return in the late hours and then having spend an additional three hours on her. While she was more than happy for it, she didn't want him to overdo it. "I can walk back to my room on my own, you know. Your room is on the other side of the castle, after all" she said.
Tsuki shook his head at her, holding his hand up to his chest with a slight bow. "Nope. Can't let you do that. I'll walk you back to your room. You never know what creepy crawlies in the night might lurk around the corner" he said in a joking manner. He knew that she could get back to her room just fine but the truth of the matter is, he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. He just used walking her back to her room as a convinent excuse.
Cheria knew that he was just teasing back at her because of her previous statement but it made her smile with a light blush nonetheless. She then tightened her grip on his hand, holding onto it as she walked up close next him. "Well then, you better hold onto my hand. Otherwise, I might run off on my own" she said, giggling to herself a bit.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head and took a moment to compose himself. She always had a way to catch him off his guard. With that, he escorted her out of the garden and through the western side of the castle by the hand. They walked by a few more nightly patrols as they all wished both of them a goodnight. After a few minutes of walking through the dimly lit halls and up a series of stairs, they soon arrived at Cheria's room.
Tsuki opened up her door and motioned for her to step inside as he stood by the doorway. "It's getting late. Make sure you get some sleep, okay?" he asked.
Cheria walked past him and into her room but stopped not too far in. She soon turned around and walked up behind Tsuki who was just about to walk out and wrapped her arms around him, resting her hands over his chest where his bandages would be. She laid her head up against his back and held onto him tightly. "Does it hurt at all?" she asked, referring to the injury on his chest.
Tsuki stopped in place as she hugged him from behind. He closed his eyes and put his hands over hers and held onto them gently as he felt her breasts press up against his back. "A little bit but try not to worry too much about it" he said.
Cheria's grip around him tightened a bit as she buried herself more into his back and held hands. "How can I not worry? I wish there was something I could do to ease the pain" she said. She hated the fact that she knew he was hurt.
Tsuki smiled a bit. "Just wishing that is more than enough for me but if you want to do something..." he said. He moved her arms away a bit so he could turn around to face her, bringing her hands together and held his over hers. "Let me see that smile of yours" he said.
Cheria looked up at Tsuki as their hands were held together between them. She lightly blushed and gave him her signature soft, loving smile. "If it's you, I would do it all day" she said.
Tsuki couldn't help but blush a bit as he stared at her. This was definitely one of their "sweetheart" moments that people say they tend to have when they're alone and he didn't care. It was moments like these that he wish would last forever. They spent another few minutes saying the last few things they wanted to say to each other before saying goodnight to each other. Since only certain people were allowed in this certain area, they had all the time and privacy in the world to indulge in themselves. Once their little moment came to an end, Cheria closed her door and leaned against her door with her hand over her heart, her face red as her heart raced.
Tsuki made his way back across the castle to reach his room on the other side. He walked past several guards on night patrol where he stopped to have a brief chat with them. He soon arrived back at his room about 10 minutes after he left Cheria. He entered his room and closed the door behind him. He approached the window and opened it up, letting in the night, lakeside breeze. The stillness and silence of the night felt almost theraputic. When morning comes around, he would give his official debrief to the royal family and would be put on standby until he received his next orders. These were his last few hours where he could feel like an adventurer. Somewhere along the way, he sometimes began to wonder what it would be like to be an adventurer full-time. The amount of freedom they would have and the limitless possibilities and opportunities to experience. A knight, no matter what position they held, would never have those types of feelings. What he had experienced, whether it was good or bad, would be something he would always remember. He sighed heavily before turning around, walking over to his bed and crawled onto it so that he could go to sleep.
As he stared up at the ceiling, his final thoughts for the night went to the three companions he traveled with throughout his mission. "I wonder when I'll be able to see them again. I should try and get up early to at least see them off at the very least" he told himself. He sighed heavily once more before finally closing his eyes. The prospect of being an adventurer was definitely appealing to him. Even being a mercenary seemed like a good calling to him, just like his companion was. He was bound to being a knight right now but it definitely gave him something to think about pursuing in the future when he would eventually retire from service. However, something like that would not be happening for quite some time but at least it could be a potential prospect. Thinking about all these slowly started to wear him down until eventually he finally fell asleep. A new day would await him when he wakes up.
To be continued...