Tales of Xalthia

by xXGhostStalker

*DISCLAIMER: This holds no relation to Tales of VS. This is an original story* A mysterious lineage. An unimaginative power. Oblivious to Tsuki Himura, he defends his kingdom from evil and learns of a sinister plot. Forced to seek help, he travels the globe for much needed allies. Join him as he learns more about the world and about himself as something awakens inside him

33. War General -1st Revision-

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 32: War General

As Cliff and the others returned to Lux Mansion, the maids and butlers brought Melphi to one of the rooms and tended to her injuries as they were pretty severe. The young Dragonkin offered their knowledge and expertise when it came to draconic medicines. A few other maids took the young Foxkin girl off their hands to get her cleaned up, examined and dressed up in more comfortable clothing. Any that remained stayed with the others to help mend their injuries and offering whatever first aid they could.

An hour had passed since they returned to the mansion and everyone had their injuries healed and bandaged up. Melphi was still being worked on, however, because of the extent of her injuries. Over the course of the last hour, the others told Lux of all the events that took place in the underground tunnels. From everything that Ramza and his team learned to what Tsuki and Shadow encountered. In the process, they were told that the captives had arrived in town safely and were being taken care of by people that Lux appointed and trusted most. Cliff tried his best to introduce himself to Lux as himself and not Tsuki though this was pretty hard to do without divulging too much.

It was only natural for Lux to be shocked and surprised to hear how the auction ended and what caused the blast of raw power that shot up into the sky. To know that such danger was so close to them was a bit unnerving for him. Indeed, if it weren't for Cliff and the others, there's a good chance that Chesberry would have been wiped out by the wyvern-like creature. Relying on them was the best choice which proves to him even more at just how cunning and strong Raiku's foresight was.

Lux was sitting in his seat in the lounge area, rubbing his forehead as he took in as much information as he could process. He soon let out a heavy sigh. "Just what was it all for, anyway?" he asked.

Cliff shook his head a bit. "It's only speculation but I believe they were using the auction as a testing ground to invoke a Daemon. The bidders were lured there under the pretext of purchasing slaves but in actuality, they were nothing but sacrifices" he said. He crossed his arms and leaned up against the nearby fireplace. "The invocation of a Daemon requires a substantial amount of Aer. We were lucky that more hadn't gathered" he said.

Ramza was leaning up against the wall with his shoulder with his arms crossed. His neck and arms were wrapped in bandages and was wearing basic clothing since what he was wearing before was all tattered and broken. Since the shops had all closed for the night, he would need to head to the markets in the morning to re-outfit himself. "I think we're owed an explanation. You and Mel both seem to know something about that wyvern and those entities that spawned with it" he said.

Cliff closed his eyes and fell into thought for a few moments to collect his thoughts. "As I mentioned, what we fought was a being called a Daemon. Back in the Year 1000, the gates of Hell were suddenly blown open and what came pouring out of it were legions upon legions of Daemons. Miraculously, humanity won in the end but ever since then, our level of civilization has regressed" he said. He soon walked over to one of the empty seats and sat down. "Daemons have played an integral part in how our world became what it is now" he said.

Lynette tilted her head, still lost on the whole thing. "But what are Daemons? You still haven't answered that" she said.

Cliff leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. "Daemons are beings manifested from an overload of Corrupted Aer. Using the right methods and tools, certain people are able to convert a person's Mana into Corrupted Aer. When enough of it is gathered, a Daemon can be invoked by using a person's body as a vessel" he said. He reached for a cup of tea that was on the nearby table and took a sip of it. "Earlier, both Melphi and I mentioned that it was 'incomplete'. Basically, what that means, is that while the amount of Corrupted Aer that was gathered was enough for an invocation, it was at the level of what's known as a Devil-class Daemon" he said.

Phi, who was sitting on the nearby couch, looked over at Cliff with a curious look. For her, since it was the first time she's seen Tsuki in this state, it felt pretty weird to talk to him while knowing that she wasn't actually speaking to Tsuki. "The way you make it sound, there are different tiers of Daemons" she said.

Cliff nodded at her. "There are and this will also answer your questions on those entities that spawned with the wyvern" he said. He then reached for a sheet of paper and a pen and started to scribble a diagram of sorts. "The entities that spawned with the wyvern. The very same ones that you've all already fought before. These are known as Lesser Daemons. They're the empty shells of what remains when one becomes a Daemon. When there's a concentrated presence of Corrupted Aer, these things will typically spawn with it as "foot soldiers" of sorts" he said. He looked over towards Elle for a moment. "Take, for example, the purple haze that covered Eresseas. That was Corrupted Aer, albeit on a much lower level and capacity to what happened earlier" he said.

Elle had flashbacks run through her mind of when the crates of crystal shards had all exploded and filled the lower levels of Eresseas Castle with a thick, purple fog and when Mike detonated the crystal he was holding. "So, that's what that was…" she said.

Ruko tilted his head a bit. "But wait. We encountered those entities in Basilwell and outside of the Cavern of Solace and there wasn't any purple haze then" he said.

Lynette nodded as a brief flashback played in her head from the mines in Briswater when she and Tsuki were searching for the miners, just before the first encounter with Caius. "Me and Tsuki also encountered one in the Briswater mines" she said.

Cliff nodded to himself as they spoke as he continued to scribble on the paper. "Lesser Daemons can also be spawned by a Daemon of a higher class. The wyvern we fought would fall under the next category of Daemon, which are classified as Devils. Those that become Daemons shed their mortal forms to become a monster befitting their corrupted soul. Devil-class Daemons are the more common variety that you used to see" he said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit as she held a finger up to her chin. "And what about their empty shells?" she asked.

Cliff sat back in his seat. "Those are simply that. Be it a Human, Faerie or Beast, the shells are sustained through Corrupted Aer, essentially becoming mindless monsters and nothing more." he said. He reached over to grab one of the cookies that were provided with the tea and ate a few of them.

Ruko thought back to all the entities they've struck down up to this point. "So, what you're saying is that the entities we've fought before were former Humans?" he asked.

Cliff nodded at him as he ate his snacks. "Exactly. Who, or what, you see could be from the present age and as far back as ancient times" he said. The thought of him running into a Lesser Daemon that he might potentially recognize from someone back when he was still alive was unsettling. "Going up from there, you have the next stage of Daemons. These are classified as Hell Lords who hold a commanding position. These are basically the equivalent of military Generals and various leaders and, as you might expect, hold far more power than Lessers and Devils. Even one of these Hell Lords would pose as a significant and grave threat to the kingdoms of today" he said. He took a deep breath before continuing with his explanation as he went back to scribbling on the sheet of paper. "Finally, you have the final tier .which is held exclusively by the big guy himself. He goes by different names. The Daemon King. The Archfiend. The Bringer of Chaos" he said.

Nagi recognized some of those names. They brought back memories that she would rather forget. "Sarex…" she said in a low tone. Without a doubt, it was the same fallen God that the Cult of Draxus worshipped.

Elle shook her head as he explained things to them. What he was saying would absolutely be referred to as "forbidden knowledge" in the eyes of the Elves. "How do you even know all this? We heard the generalized run-down from Tsuki back in Esseand but you know far more than what's been recorded to history, even in the eyes of us Elves. Just who are you, exactly?" she asked.

Cliff was silent for a few moments, leaving everyone in a suspenseful wait. "Someone who once lived through those events. The remnants of a former hero from the Year 1500. Trust me when I say that Daemons are not your typical monster variety and shouldn't be trifled with" he said. He then suddenly felt lightheaded as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. He hasn't been using his Mana since the wyvern so he's been able to conserve it to speak with them for as long as he had been. Unfortunately, he was just about at his limit now. "Unfortunately, I'm out of time. I can't maintain connection with Tsuki's body for much longer. Melphi will have to answer anymore questions that you may have…" he said.

Cheria was concerned about Tsuki and rightfully so. Last time this happened, Tsuki was out of it for a while. "Will Tsuki be alright?" she asked.

Cliff looked over at Cheria and nodded at her. "Unlike before, I'm borrowing power from another soul within Tsuki as to not pull too much from his own strength. Ordinarily, us souls wouldn't borrow from another but this was a special case" he said. He started to feel his link with Tsuki slip even more as he felt his consciousness start to fade.

Cheria tilted her head. She didn't know much of what's going on with Tsuki so she wanted to know as much she could. "Why do you mean?" she asked.

Cliff's vision started to get fuzzy as he tried to stay connected to answer her question. "Us souls…don't have a physical body. We can't establish a stable link…between two souls because we don't have…a body to use as a catalyst…" he said. He shook his head as he hunches over a bit. "Time's up…Tsuki will most likely be confused about what's going on so…fill him in for me, would you?" he said.

Cheria walked over to his seat and knelt down in front of him, putting her hands on his shoulders so his body wouldn't fall over. "Alright then" she said.

Cliff soon closed his eyes as Tsuki's body went limp. The energy surrounding Tsuki disappears as Cliff's presence goes with it. The room soon fell silent as they waited to see if Tsuki would come back. After about another minute, groaning sounds were heard as Tsuki's body started to move. His eyes soon opened back up and instead of the mix colors of red and yellow, they were back to the normal azure blue. Tsuki was back in control of his body as he regained consciousness, much to everyone's relief.

Tsuki looked around the room, looking very confused. The last thing he remembered was being in the auction hall when Gepard was channeling the Corrupted Aer. He had no memory of what happened while Cliff was in control of his body. "Ugh…where…?" he mumbled. He put his hand over the left side of his face as he shook his head. It took him a moment longer for his senses to return to him as he recalls that they were in a dangerous situation. This made him jump up from his seat. "Wait! Gepard! Where is he!?" he shouted, looking around the room. As he looked around, he quickly realized that he was back in Lux's mansion with everyone standing around him, all bandaged up. "Huh...? This…isn't the auction hall…" he said.

Seeing Tsuki in an energized state set their minds at ease since last time, he was so out of it that he could barely move. Since it was obvious that he had no memory of what went on from the moments before the wyvern appeared to the present, they filled him in on what happened and on the things that Cliff had told them. It took him a short while to come to grips of what transpired in a short amount of time. Suffice to say, he was pretty shocked at the events that happened. He was concerned for Melphi but was reassured that she was in good hands.

Tsuki leaned back in his chair, his head tilted up towards the ceiling. "Man, this is troublesome. If this is what I should expect when one of the souls take control of me, then it's going to be rather inconvenient…" he said. He didn't remember much when Cliff took control of him when they confronted Draven and again when he apparently lost control of himself during his second fight with Caius in Basilwell.

In that moment, Allie's voice came speaking out before suddenly appearing in a flash of light, sitting on Tsuki's lap and facing him. "I would have to agree with that sentiment. I called out to Master so many times but got no response!" she said, her cheeks slightly puffed out.

Tsuki was surprised by her sudden appearance. He was relieved to see that she was doing well. "Ahh…sorry about that. It all happened so suddenly that I didn't have time to warn you…" she said.

Allie pounded her fists against his chest in gentle manner as if she were throwing a tantrum. "Master has no idea how much I was worried!" she said

Tsuki chuckled a bit and lightly patted her on the head. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry, okay?" he said, going along with her tantrum.

Elle looked at the two of them as she shook her head with a sigh. "I swear, sometimes I think Allie is just an ordinary girl. Seeing her like this, you wouldn't think she's on the same levels of a Great Spirit" he said.

Phi hasn't known the relationship between Tsuki and Allie for too long but she almost doubted that they were Contractor and Spirit. "If you ask me, all I see is a father/daughter relationship…wait, I feel like this is déjà vu" she said.

Lux yawned a bit before standing up to stretch. "Well, it's starting to get late so I think I'm going to hit the sack. I recommend you guys do the same. After what happened earlier with that blast of energy, no doubt that it caught the attention of Esseand" he said. He then headed towards one of the hallways. "I have a feeling that tomorrow will be pretty busy" he said. He soon disappeared down the hallway with Mina by his side.

Tsuki and the others were left on their own in the lounge area and spent some the next half an hour talking a bit more before deciding to break off and get some shut eye. With everything they went through, they deserve a rest. Meanwhile, the scene shifts back towards the desert where the auction hall once stood. Standing on the edge of the newly formed hole in the sand was someone dressed in a brown robe. He stared down into the whole with a satisfied grin on his face.

The robed figure knelt down and examined the aftermath of that blast of energy. "I must say, I'm impressed at the level of raw power of that Daemon. It's unfortunate that the transformation was a failure…" he said. He scooped up some sand in his hand and watched as it fell through his fingers. He stood up afterwards and wiped the rest of the sand off his hand. "…but I did run into something pretty unexpected" he said. He chuckled a bit, gritting his teeth a bit as he looked over into the direction of Chesberry. "The Lost King…the Crimson Spark. To think that your soul still exists…" he said. He then held his left arm out from under his robe to reveal the lower half of it was that of a dragon with white scales and claws which were enveloped in the same dark aura that Gepard wielded. "Just you wait. That power of yours will be mine, Cliff Steele" he said. The figure chuckled a bit more before turning towards the desert and walked off before being enveloped by darkness and disappearing completely.

The scene then shifts over back over to Cayhill, in the fortress within a certain canyon, hidden by a dense, thick fog. The same fort that Taichi and his forces have commandeered after being driven out from Eresseas. Standing on a stone balcony was Shana who was looking out into the distance, lost in thought seemingly. She was leaning against the stone railing, holding her right hand up to her face with two fingers pressed up against her cheek, just below her right eye. Within her right eye was the symbol of a dragon that was faintly glowing. It stayed like this for another minute before both the glow and symbol faded from her eye as she let out a heavy sigh, hanging her head a bit.

Footsteps could be heard walking up to her from behind. Out from the shadows was Emma in a nightgown, holding two cups of hot cocoa. She set one of them down on the stone railing next to Shana as she let out a sigh. "No luck?" she asked.

Shana shook her head a bit. "No, I can't seem to get through to Mel at all" she said. She reached for the cup of hot cocoa and brought it up to her mouth to take a sip of it.

Emma leaned her back up against the stone railing, holding her cup of hot cocoa in her hands. "What did you feel, exactly?" she asked.

Shana took a few more sips of her hot cocoa. "I felt Mel drawing power from our pact and a pretty sizable amount as well. It's obvious she transformed but the amount of power she drew in suggests that this wasn't just something she did on a whim. Something has happened" she said. She didn't know just what it is but she had a gut feeling that something terrible had occurred.

Emma mumbled to herself a bit before taking a few sips of her hot cocoa. She soon looked up at the night sky, which was mostly obscured by the fog. "Mel is pretty strong so whatever it is, I'm sure she's just fine. Besides, she has Tsuki and his friends helping her out" she said.

Shana shook her head a bit more as she turned around to press her back up against the railing, taking more sips. "You don't need to tell me that but it still concerns me. Unless ordered to, she doesn't go into dragon form willingly very often unless the situation demands it, especially in and around Ersheath" she said. She finished her hot cocoa, setting the empty cup on the stone railing and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "It just worries me, that's all. She may be strong but she's still pretty young for a Dragonkin her age" she said.

Emma couldn't help but chuckle a bit at her last statement. "You're starting to sound like a concerned mother for her daughter" she said, poking fun at her. She took a few more sips of her hot cocoa before setting the cup on the railing next to her.

Shana looked over at her, extending her arm out towards her. "She may as well be! She was like, 10 years old when I took her in!" she said. She loved Melphi as if she were her own flesh and blood. "If you knew Cheria was in any danger, I'm positive you would be reacting the same way" she said.

Emma smiled a bit, closing her eyes a bit as she thought about Cheria. The last few moments that she saw her before escaping Eresseas quickly flashed in her mind. "Yeah, you're probably right. However, she has Tsuki to protect her. If it's him, then I won't have to worry much" she said.

Shana was pretty curious about Tsuki. Their encounter in the castle was the first time she had met him. "Tell me about him. I only know him as the Sigil Bearer" she said.

Emma fell into thought for a moment. There was so much she could say to her. "He came to us under some rough circumstances but he had potential. He stood up for and defended Cheria without hesitation despite the odds against him" she said. She had flashbacks of when she first met Tsuki when he was still a child. It was after his stand-off with the Syndicate while very ill. "The two of them were practically inseparable and probably even more so now. With Tsuki's protection, both me and Tai can rest easy" she said. Of course, as a mother, she was naturally worried about her. However, she knows that Tsuki would protect her to his dying breath so that settled a lot of her worries.

Shana tilted her head a bit. She was a little surprised that the both of them had such rock-steady faith in his abilities. "I guess he made quite the impression on you two. I suppose that would settle the matter of who Cheria is going to wed also" she said.

Emma shrugged her shoulders before reaching for her cup of hot cocoa to finish the rest of it. "That would be up to the two of them but I wouldn't have any complaints. Tai wouldn't allow a political marriage with another kingdom's prince anyway" she said. She looked down to stare at the now empty cup in her hands with a smile on her face. "Kind of reminds me when Tai confronted my father when he tried to set me up for marriage with the prince from Loné all those years ago" she said.

Shana chuckled a bit as she thought back to their shared past. "He really laid into him back then. I still can't believe he actually managed to beat your old man in a duel" she said.

Emma tapped the side of her cup before putting it back on the stone railing. "He didn't admit this until way later on but he actually let him win in that duel. He knew how Tai felt about me and wanted to put him to the test to see if he had what it takes to protect me" she said. Her father, while he would never admit this himself, was always going to approve of them getting together and eventually marry but considering the social and political norms at the time, it was unthinkable for royalty to hook up and wed a commoner. He needed to show the people just what Raiku was capable of and his plan worked.

Shana hung her head low as she shook it. Knowing Taichi, finding that out must have set him off. "Oh, I'm sure he was less than thrilled when he heard that" she said.

Emma let out a nervous laugh and chuckle as she gently scratched her cheek with her finger. "He demanded another duel from him. Suffice to say, even after all we had went through on our journey and the struggles we overcame, my father was the one obstacle he could never beat" she said. Her father's swordsmanship was far and above that of a master swordsman. There were many people who wished to be trained under him but never once did he ever undertake a disciple.

Shana cracked a smile on her face as she let out a slight laugh. "Tai still never beat him, huh? That's got to make him itch especially since now they've both retired and moved on" she said. She hasn't seen the former king and queen ever since Taichi and Emma ascended to the throne. "What do you think they're doing right about now?" she asked.

Emma let out a soft sigh as she turned around to look out into the foggy distance. "Probably lounging on the beach, looking up at the starry skies on their little island without a care in the world" she said.

Shana closed her eyes as she leans her head back. "Living the life of paradise. Wouldn't that be great?" she asked. If she had her own self-sustaining island like they did, she probably would never leave. "You think they will come back and help if they catch wind of what's happening?" she asked.

Emma smiled a bit as she remembered the faces of her parents. "They're both over well over 60 years old. They may still be as fit and spry as they were when they were 30 but I wouldn't want them to get involved. Not only have they done their time, they've long since passed the torch over to us" she said. Personally, she would love it if her parents came to their aid. Having their strength to rely on would be a major asset and morale boost for many as there were still knights and officials that still served who were around during the time of their rule. "No, this is our problem. My parents are no longer involved in matters pertaining to the kingdoms. It's one of the reasons why they don't leave their island" she said.

Shana scratched her head a bit. "If you ask me, I'm sure they'd help in a heartbeat if their own daughter was asking for help" she said.

Emma shrugged her shoulders a bit. "Maybe you're right. However, I want to show them that we can lead our people just as good as they did" she said. She took in a deep breath stared off into the distance with a determined look on her face. "We will find a way out of this ourselves" she said.

The two of them shared a brief look as their talks continued on into the night. The scene then shifts back to Esseand where Raiku was in the audience hall, holding a meeting with several knights and officials in the room. They were discussing what they witnessed taking place in the direction of Chesberry and were organizing a plan of action what to do in the coming hours. Naturally, many people saw the blast of energy shoot up into the sky which caused a bit of panic and alarm with the townspeople. Raiku was meeting with the knights as they briefed him on the situation in town while the officials were sharing concerned reports from those in Velika and the nearby Ustrisu Fortress.

Apparently, members of the Merchant's Association and the higher ups of Ustrisu also took notice of the blast of energy and expressed their concerns. Several merchants seemed to have relocated elsewhere, leaving a number of stalls and shops in Velika abandoned and Ustrisu, being so close to the desert, essentially went into full lockdown. Everyone was in a panic and considering what they saw, it's no surprise. As they were going back and forth, Raiku felt something vibrate in his pocket. His attention immediately shifted to the vibration and after talking his way out of his current talks, he slipped away from the knights and officials.

Raiku left the audience hall and headed down the hallway, turning around the corner. He stopped to look around for a moment to see that no one was around. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some strange small device and placed it in his right ear. He held two fingers up to his right ear as a small incantation circle formed between his fingers and his ear. "Hey, I'm here. Sorry for the wait. Things have been pretty crazy around here lately" he said.

There was a bit of a static sound in his right ear for a brief moment before a male's voice suddenly spoke out from the device in his ear, responding to him. "So I've heard…and seen. That business with the civilian outpost and its survivors. The typhoon-like weather. And, more recently, the strange occurrence in the Raffiki Desert" the voice said. There was a moment of silence before the voice spoke again. "I also heard that you had a run-in with a certain someone from a mutual friend" the voice added.

Raiku chuckled a bit to himself. "Oh? With how tightly kept that secret is, I'm surprised you even know about that" he said.

Once more, there was a brief static sound. "You should know by now. Nothing escapes my intelligence network around these parts. While I am curious to know why she's here, that's not the reason why I'm reaching out to you, unfortunately" the voice said.

Raiku leaned up against the wall behind him. "Yeah. With how limited this form of communication is, I figured that this wasn't just a social call to check in on me. Has something happened?" he asked, taking a serious tone.

There was what sounded like a sigh coming from the other end of the device. "I'm afraid so. I'm sure you remember the name, Kaito Isamu?" the voice asked.

Raiku looked to be surprised to hear that name being brought up. "How could I forget? He was the one who committed all those atrocities with the Dragon villages all those years ago" he said. It was hard to forget a man like him. The acts he committed all in the name of obtaining more power were heinous. There were many Dragonkin that died as a result of his actions which only ended up hurting the already damaged relationship between Humans and Dragonkin even more..

At the time, Kaito Isamu was a young General who had a lot of fire and skills. Many looked up to him and even admired him, but that was only just an act. He had other, less savory motives that he conducted in secret. Raiku remembers those days very well. Along with Taichi and the rest of his former companions, they were ones that exposed the truth to the public which left many people broken and betrayed. After an intense fight between them, they came out on top and had put a stop to his ambitions. It was by Shana's spear that he was struck down and killed.

Hearing about his name now gave Raiku a bad feeling in his gut. "Why are you bringing his name up?" he asked.

Again, there was a moment of silence before the voice responded to him. "I'm afraid to say this but…we have reason to believe that he's still alive" the voice said.

This news came as shocking to him. It wasn't possible for him to still be alive still. "No, that's impossible. We were right there when Shana killed him! We even checked his vitals to verify! How can that be!?" he shouted, shaking his head in disbelief.

Again, static was heard for a few moments before the voice responded. "We're not sure yet. The report says that a man who looked almost exactly like him was seen recently operating as Dolothlond's new War General" he said. There was a brief silence before the voice continued. "Normally, such reports would be discredited since we were there to witness it. However, the report came from a highly trusted source" the voice said.

Raiku tilted his head a bit. There was no doubt that Kaito was dead. Shana had pierced his heart. "Can you really trust this source?" he asked.

The voice immediately responded to his question. "Yes, as should you. Because the source…is your son" he said.

Raiku's eyes widened as he was left stunned and speechless for a moment. "Gael!? You've heard from him!? When!? Where is he!?" he asked, shouting.

There was more static that could be heard. The static seemed to be getting worse the longer they talked. Parts of what the voice said was only heard in bits and pieces through the static. "…Don't know…missive received…other day…Mastead…" the voice said.

Raiku attempted to channel more power into the device to strengthen the connection. It took him a bit to reconnect with the other end. "Connection is pretty unstable" he said.

The voice could be heard sighing on the other end. "Probably because I'm just at the border of where I'll fall out of range. If we lose connection again, chances are I probably won't be able to get it back from where I'm at. Listen, I'll try and fill you in later about Gael. There's more to the report that you have to know" the voice said with a tone of alarm.

Raiku nodded, letting out a soft sigh. He wanted to know about Gael but it will have to wait. "What did Gael have to say?" he asked.

The voice spoke through the static but thankfully, the full message got through this time. "It's about the Raven's Claw in the Nobuo Shrine. Kaito, or at least the person who resembles him, is planning an excursion the day after tomorrow to seize it" he said.

Raiku was immediately put on alert at the mention of this news. "The Raven's Claw? Preposterous! It's a national treasure! Attempting to seize it by force is almost the same as declaring war!" he said.

The Raven's Claw, as Raiku stated, was a national treasure and a closely guarded one at that. It was a crystal that housed highly charged, pure, untainted Aer. No one really knew the origins behind the Raven's Claw or what purpose it served but there was one thing that they knew without a doubt. The amount of Aer housed within it was unnatural. Nothing, with the exception of Great Spirits, can house that much Aer within itself and not show any signs of corruption or compromise. It also wasn't a naturally formed crystal either. Someone, with an exceptional alchemical knowledge and possibly access to forbidden tomes, created it to serve some sort of purpose. There was no other reason why such an object would exist. It was an object that was handed down the royal line and given the duty of safeguarding.

The voice was silent for another minute or two. "I'm sure he has a plan for the Raven's Claw. What that plan is, we can't say. Regardless, you know as well as I do that it can't fall into his hands" he said. More static could be heard as the connection seemed to be weakening again. "I would intercept him myself but due to my position, I'm unable to act. Therefore, I'm sending one of my best men to intercept Kaito at Nobuo Shrine. However, if it is indeed him that we're dealing with again, I fear that his skills might not be enough. Is it possible for you to send back-up of your own?" he asked.

Raiku let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. This couldn't have happened at a worse time. "Unfortunately, no. The only people I could send out in an official capacity are all out on assignment. Sending anyone else out to meet him would be like shipping lambs to the slaughter" he said.

A heavy sigh could be heard again with a hint of disappointment in the voice. "I see…wait. You said, official capacity? You wouldn't be talking about…?" the voice asked.

Raiku had a scheming grin on his face as he chuckled a bit. "The very same. While Esseand is unable to lend a hand in an official capacity, I do know a group of wandering adventurers that are quite capable that might be up to the task" he said.

There was a bit more static that was heard. Soon, a bit of chuckling could be heard through the static. "If Taichi knew you were involving his daughter in your schemes, I'm sure you'd be hung out to dry" the voice said. There was a moment of silence before the voice continued. "But, I suppose I'll take what I can get. I'll send my man out to meet them" he said.

Raiku nodded. "They're currently in Chesberry so I'll send out a messenger. I'll also update Ustrisu and alert them of what's happening to see if I can't secure you with more back-up. Where are you now?" he asked. If he was on the border of communication, then he had to be near the desert or Ustrisu.

The scene shifts over across Ersheath to a forest nestled between a mountain and open plains. Off in the distance from the plains, there was a large fortress. Hiding amongst the trees of the forest were two individuals dressed in green robes. One of them was holding two fingers up to his left ear. Because their facial features were blocked by the robes and the darkness, there wasn't much to make out. All that was known about them were that the two individuals were two males.

The man holding two fingers up to his left ear looked around a bit. "A forest southwest of Ustrisu" he said.

Raiku's voice could be heard through the man's device in his ear. "Not too far from Nobuo Shrine then. Excellent. Have him wait for them there" he said.

The man nodded. "Got it. I'll send him out now then" he said. He then looked over towards the other robed figure, nodding at him.

The robed figure nodded back at him and saluted him before running off into the brush and quickly disappearing into the darkness. The scene shifts back to Raiku in the castle as the static between their communications started to grow stronger again. They both knew that their connection was about to drop.

Raiku sighed a bit, pushing himself off the wall he was leaning on. "Looks like our connection is about to drop" he said.

The man on the other side of the device could be heard chuckling lightly. "Seems so. I'll send a missive to you if I learn anything else. Also, about Gael…" he said.

Raiku shook his head. "I know. I can wait. Just knowing that he's still alive and kicking is enough for me" he said. He was silent for a few moments before clearing his throat and slapped the side of his face with his other hand to snap him out of his funk. "Hopefully, we can get everyone together again and have a drink. Like old times" he said.

The man on the other end chuckled a bit more. "One day" he said. The man fell silent for a minute before giving out one last word of warning. "Stay on your guard, my friend. I have gut feeling that we're heading into troubling times. For all of us" he said in a serious tone.

Raiku shared the same sentiments as the man on the other end. "Yeah. I'm well aware. You take care as well" he said.

Communication between the two of them came to an end when the small incantation circle hovering over Raiku's ear disappeared and the device ceased to function. He took it out of his ear and held it in his hand, letting out a deep, heavy sigh. These events were unexpected and caught him completely off-guard. He was going to need to revisit some of his strategies and plans going forward to take into account of what he has just learned. He stayed here in the hall corridor for another few minutes before putting the device back into his pocket and returned back to the audience hall.

Time passes as the seemingly long, eventful night came to an end. The sun rose the next morning over Chesberry and people were already crowding the main plaza in front of Lux's mansion. Word of the previous night's events had spread around and caught the attention of the town and naturally, everyone wanted to answers. People were rightfully concerned about more potential dangers that could be hidden in the sands. Mass groups of people also have taken trips out into the desert to inspect the giant, gaping hole in the sand where the auction all once stood. Because of the destruction and change in the landscape, the tunnels that led into the different directions underground have all either caved in, were buried by the mountain of sand dropped down on them or both.

Lux held a town meeting to explain to the townspeople early in the morning to explain to them what has happened. Omitting certain details, he told the town that the illegal auction of Faeries and Beastfolk was taken down during an overnight sting operation and those that were held responsible for it have all been dealt with accordingly. He told the town that a large group of Faeries and Beastfolk had been rescued from the operation and that the operations of the Skullblades have been crippled.

Wanting to nip the problem in the bud further, Lux had sent out a team of mercenaries led by Seara to investigate the southern fortifications that belonged to the Skullblades. Upon arrival, they were immediately met with hostility but the fighting didn't last long. Not only were the remnants of the Skullblades still disoriented from the previous night, they were just straight-up overwhelmed by Seara and her mercenaries. Most of the Skullblades had surrendered their weapons and gave themselves up to the authorities. The southern fortifications were seized by town officials and are currently occupied by them, guarded by the same mercenaries, except for Seara who helped convey the message to the townspeople with Lux. With the bandit ringleaders either killed or in shackles, the people felt a huge sense of relief as the desert was made a bit more safer.

As Lux and Seara handled the townspeople, Tsuki and the others were holed up inside his mansion. With an operation of this scale, people were naturally curious on who carried it out and they were the only ones that really stood out. People would most likely assume that they were the ones responsible for carrying out the operation. They were told to lay low so that Lux could explain everything to the town as it was his job as mayor.

Everyone was scattered around the mansion. Some were talking to the maids and butlers, others were resting in their rooms. For Tsuki, he was sitting in a chair in the room the young Foxkin girl was sleeping in. She's been unconscious since blacking out at the auction hall when Tsuki saved her. He was concerned about the girl but that wasn't the only thing. As he watched over the girl as she slept, flashbacks from the auction replayed through his mind over and over. He kept remembering having feelings of unbridled rage and aggression which didn't feel like his own. More like, he was channeling the emotions of someone else through him.

Tsuki stared down at his hands as he rolled them into gentle fists, closing his eyes and took several deep breaths through his nose. He wanted to know where those feelings came from and there was only one logical explanation for it. It had to do with the Sigil and one of the souls that were inside him. The feelings he felt didn't belong to Cliff but to someone else. There was a certain energy behind those emotions that he felt. Cliff's energy felt powerful and dominant while the energy behind those emotions felt warm and gentle, but at the same time, cold and aggressive. Using what he felt, he attempted to establish a connection similarly to how he connected with Cliff.

Tsuki soon opened his eyes and found himself floating in the familiar endless expanse that Cliff called the Celestial Bridge. In front of him was a mass of swirling, violet energy. As he stared at the mass of energy, he felt the same type of emotions and feelings as he felt before. He knew right then and there that this person was who he was channeling emotions from.

Soon, a soothing, calm voice spoke out from the mass of energy as it started to glow and resonate with Tsuki. "So, the connection was made at last" the voice said.

There was a bright light that soon emerged after the voice spoke which blinded Tsuki for a few moments. After the light disappeared, the mass of energy formed into a human figure. It was the figure of a woman with long, spikey, violet hair that went down the length of her back with violet eyes. She resembled someone who was in their late 20s and carried a scythe on her back.

The woman that was given form had her arms crossed as she examined Tsuki for a moment. "Ah, how I've waited for this moment. To speak with someone that isn't those two old fogeys" she said, referring to Cliff and the other unnamed soul.

Tsuki examined the woman as he was a little lost for thought. "So, you're the person I was feeling…" he said.

The woman nodded at him. "What, surprised that I'm not some tough, muscle-brain man? Not all heroes are men, you know. Women are just as capable" she said, looking slightly offended.

Tsuki waved his arms in front of him, shaking his head. "N-no no! That's not what I was trying to insinuate!" he said in a panic.

The woman stared at Tsuki with the same expression for a few moments longer before breaking out in laughter. "I'm kidding! I was just messing with you, don't worry" she said. She put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "My name's Fumiko Yuzuki. As if it isn't obvious enough already, I'm one of the three souls trapped within the Sigil, alongside Cliff" she said.

Tsuki could sense her energy swirl around them. She may look like an average young woman but he could tell that she could pack a serious punch. She didn't have Cliff's muscles but it was obvious to him at first glance that she is, or was, a capable fighter. "And I'm Tsuki Himura. It's nice to meet you, Fumiko" he said, holding out his hand towards her.

Fumiko hovered over towards him and reached for his hand, grabbing hold of it and shook it. Since they were both in a spiritual-like form, they were able to touch each other. She gave him a large grin, gritting her teeth. "Fumi or Miko is fine. No need to be so formal since we'll be working together for the foreseeable future. Wouldn't you agree, Tsu?" she asked.

Tsuki didn't really care how they addressed each other. Plus, he was already used to being called Tsu because of Cheria anyway. "I suppose so…" he said.

Tsuki examined Fumiko a bit more and noticed that her attire was pretty different than Cliff's. Granted, they weren't physical clothes but according to what Cliff had told him during one of their many meetings, what the souls "wear" resembles the time period and circumstances that the soul lived in. Cliff wore a mix of what resembled leather, chainmail and light armor while Fumiko wore various types of cloth with her stomach, lower arms and legs exposed. Her clothing of choice was very similar to that of various dancers.

Fumiko noticed that he was checking her out which made her cross her arms in front of her. "You know, it's very rude to stare at a lady" she said

Since Cliff said that he was from the Year 1500, he was curious of what time period Fumiko originated from. "I'm…not sure how to ask this…" he said.

Fumiko tilted her head a bit. It was obvious what he wanted to ask. "Curious to know the time period I came from, huh? No need to beat around the bush. I originated from the Year 2000" she said. She paced back and forth as if she walked on an invisible floor. "Believe it or not, you're living in simple times. Back then, the world was still in a rough place. A degrading civilization filled with conflict and strife" she said.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit. Much like most of the world's history, little is actually known what life was typically like throughout the centuries. Having the viewpoints and knowledge from Cliff and Fumiko could really open the eyes of historians. "Something tells me that you didn't exactly have an easy life" he said.

Fumiko shook her head. "Back then, I just wanted to protect my friends and family. Being saddled with the responsibility of a hero's role was something I didn't want. Unfortunately, fighting against fate and destiny was a fruitless battle" she said. She looked up to the great empty expanse, stretching her arm up over her head as if she were reaching for something. "Circumstances forced me to accept the role when the world was at it's bleakest. Someone needed to step up against cruelty and misfortune. A vigilante of justice who took action into their own hands, no matter how much blood is shed…" she said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head, not sure how to respond. Whatever experiences she had gone through were apparently pretty significant. Her words seemed to carry a certain weight to them. "Honestly, I'm finding myself in that same situation. All I want is to protect those I care about, nothing more" he said. He looked down at his hands and rolled them into fists. "Why me? Why did the Sigil choose me, of all people?" he asked.

Fumiko rested her arm back down to her side and looked over at Tsuki. "The Sigil works in mysterious ways. Not even Cliff, the first one to bear the Sigil, knows everything about it" she said. She fell silent for a few moments. "It's a heavy burden that we've all had to carry, whether we wanted to or not" she said.

Tsuki shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "I just hope isn't too heavy for me. This all seems to be a complicated mess to me" he said. He soon started to feel his connection with the Celestial Bridge start to weaken.

Fumiko put one hand on her hip and stretched her other arm out towards him, her hand rolled into a fist. "Don't you worry about a thing. We're all in this together, for better or for worse now" she said. She had a wide grin on her face, winking at him. "You have my scythe just as you have Cliff's axe" she said.

Tsuki chuckled a bit, shaking his head. Knowing that he had such internal support from past heroes that have long been dead was a strange feeling to him. He returned the sentiment by stretching his arm out towards hers and bumping fists with her. "Guess I'll be counting on you too" he said.

After he said that, the link with the Celestial Bridge came to an end as his consciousness was pulled back to reality. When Tsuki opened his eyes once again, he found himself still sitting in the chair in the room with the young Foxkin girl. There were many unanswered questions about the Sigil but he had a feeling that they would all be answered in due time as he goes about his journey.

Tsuki opened up his hands that were rolled into fists as he stared into his palms for a moment. "For better or for worse, huh? I wonder which one that would be…" he said. As he said that, he heard soft moaning sounds coming from the bed across from him. He looked up and saw the Foxkin girl shuffling around under her sheets.

After about a minute, the girl slowly opened her eyes. The girl was staring up at a plain, wood ceiling as it took a few minutes for her to come around. She slowly sat up in bed after a while, rubbing her right eye and yawning. The girl still had her ears down close to her head which showed that she was still feeling anxious and nervous.

The girl looked around the room a bit as she found herself in an unfamiliar and strange setting. "Huh…? Where am I…?" she asked. She had a very confused and anxious look on her face. Finding herself in a luxurious bed in a rustic room made her feel a bit distraught when she took into account of her circumstances. "That's right. I…was sold off…" she said. She didn't seem to remember about the events that took place prior to her being rescued. The last thing she remembered was the auctioneer announcing that she was sold.

Tsuki sighed a bit, shaking his head. It wouldn't be good to keep her thinking that she was sold or even enslaved any longer for that matter. "Not sold. Rescued" he said.

The girl's ear's twitched a bit as they lifted from her head slightly as she heard a familiar voice. She looked over to her left to see that Tsuki was sitting across the room from her. "You're…" she mumbled. Upon looking at Tsuki's face, her missing memories prior to her blacking out came back to her. "…Rescued...?" she said in slight disbelief.

Tsuki nodded to her. He then stood up from his seat and grabbed a small plate with a sandwich with a couple cookies on it along with a glass of milk and carried it over to her, setting the plate on her lap and the water on the nightstand next to her. "Here. It's not much right now but we'll get you fed later. Thought it would be best to start with something light on the stomach" he said.

The girl was still feeling a bit apprehensive as Tsuki approached her and handed her a plate of food. For what she had been living through, this simple act felt outlandish to her. "R-really…? I can eat this…?" she asked. Up to this point, she was only fed at certain times and what she was given was ordinary foods that were just enough to keep her sustained and nothing more.

Tsuki nodded once more and pulled up a nearby chair and sat down next to her bed. "Of course. And if you're still hungry afterwards, we'll fill that stomach of yours until you can't eat anymore. How's that sound?" he asked. He was fully aware of what kind of conditions she was living in based on what he saw and heard from others.

The girl hesitated for a good while but eventually caved and started to eat the sandwich and cookies that were given to her. At first, she took little bites out of habit to conserve food but soon started to scarf down the food like she hasn't had a proper meal in ages. She still hasn't fully come to grips of her situation right now but she allowed herself to indulge in the moment.

While she was still unconscious, Tsuki heard the various stories from the captives that they had rescued in the underground tunnels. The stories were beyond words that they could describe. They told them everything that had happened to them and others that were either not present at the auction or were unfortunate and met with certain fates. They were treated with horrible conditions, barely kept alive through small food portions that they all had to ration out amongst each other. Many succumbed to disease and famine because of this. Faeries and Beastfolk that were sold or traded off were to be used for the sole purpose of either exploitation or a life of service, be it hard labor or less unsavory activities. Those that weren't were at the mercy of the Skullblades, who took advantage of them in many gross and disgusting ways.

For whatever reason, the young Foxkin girl was left untouched with a hands-off order amongst the Skullblades and slave masters. It was only because of that reason that she was spared the cruel and inhumane treatment the other Faeries and Beastfolk received. They watched many of their brethren be killed, exploited and abused. These stories exposed some of the already known nature of the Viper Syndicate and it's slave operations. Hearing these types of stories really drove it home for Tsuki and Cheria since they both previously had personal interactions with the Syndicate with Cheria almost falling to that fate.

After hearing what the freed Faeries and Beastfolk had to say, Lux had ordered for the immediate arrest of any and all that were suspected of being involved with the underground auction and anyone that had ties to either the Skullblades or the Syndicate. As a result, they ended up arresting over two dozen individuals across Chesberry. There were some that immediately showed resistance and were met with swift justice at the hands of the guards and mercenaries that assisted in the matter. When it came to the corrupt mercenaries that had been discovered were involved, Seara and her associate dealt with them accordingly. Those that were arrested and restrained were all held up on display for the townspeople to ridicule and mock all while being guarded to make sure they could be properly detained and punished under Esseand law.

The Foxkin girl quickly finished the small portion of food and drowned the rest of it by drinking the milk that Tsuki gave her. She used a napkin that was given with the plate of food to wipe her mouth. Feeling a little more relaxed, her ears lifted up a bit more as she looked at Tsuki once more. "Umm…thank you…for the food" she said.

Tsuki gave her a soft smile as he gave her a gentle pat on the head. "You don't need to be so reserved. You're in a safe place" he said. He could see that she was still feeling nervous and a bit guarded so he needed to figure out how to break the ice. "My name is Tsuki Himura. What's yours?" he asked.

The Foxkin girl didn't know how to act and respond around him. It's been a long time since she's had any sense of normalcy. "Cesela…Reese" she said, hesitating a bit.

Tsuki didn't want to cause her to be more guarded and reserved than she already was. Given the environment that she came from, her behavior was understandable. "Cesela, huh? If you don't mind me asking, how long were you held captive?" he asked.

Cesela was silent as she fidgeted with her hands. "…Two years" she said.

Tsuki hoped for a shorter time of captivity given her young age. "I see. Do you remember anything before then?" he asked.

Cesela's eyes darted around as she fiddled with the half-empty glass of milk in her hands. "I was…living with my aunt in the countryside. Anything before that, however, I don't remember. I was told that I was in a bad accident which caused me to lose my memories up until I was 4 years old…" she said.

Tsuki held his hand up to his chin as he looked at her. "A bad case of amnesia, huh? Talk about déjà vu…" he said. He let out a heavy sigh.

Cesela continued to fidget with the half-empty glass of milk. "U-um…!" she said. As she tried to say something, she fumbled with the glass as it slipped out of her hands, causing the leftover milk to spill on the expensive-looking sheets and on Tsuki's pants. In an instant, her ears pressed down against the top of her head as her body visibly shook. She had a heightened sense of fear in her eyes. "I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to…! Please, don't punish me…!" she said. Her eyes were tightly shut with her head hanging low as if she was waiting for him to hit her for soiling the sheets and his clothes.

Tsuki was taken aback by her sudden shift in attitude. She backpedaled at the drop of a hat. This scene caused a flashback to run through his head way back when he was still young and living with his family in Tomoha. In the flashback, Elize had accidently ruined something of his and almost begged for forgiveness the same way Cesela was. This was at a time when Elize was still a new addition to his family so she didn't know how to properly act around Tsuki and his family. To calm her down, Tsuki simply patted her on the head and hugged her gently.

Seeing her in such a panicked state drove the fact home more for him that she had experienced and witnessed things now 12 year old should have had. He gave her a soft smile and patted her on the head gently a few times. "It's okay. It was an accident. No one's going to punish you" he said.

Cesela was still in a slight panicked state as she looked up at him, teary-eyed as her body shook. "I-I won't be punished…?" she asked.

Tsuki let out a soft sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "I don't think what I'm doing is working…" he said. He didn't know how to handle her. He didn't have the same type of skills of handling kids like Cheria did.

As he thought about what to do, Allie's voice came speaking out telepathically in his mind. "Let me try, Master" she said. A bright light appeared over the bed as Allie appeared sitting across from Cesela.

To no surprise, this made Cesela more panicked by her sudden appearance. "W-who are you?" she asked.

Allie patted herself on the chest. "I'm Allie! Nice to meet you" she said. She then crawled up closer, sitting in her lap and gave her a wide smile. "You don't need to be so afraid around us! Master and his friends are good people, I can promise you that" she said.

Cesela examined Allie for a brief moment. Going off just by appearances, Allie was younger than her. She looked to be around 8 years old while she was 12. However, she noticed something more than that. She could "see" a vast, potent flow of Aer swirling both inside and around her. She's never "seen" something like this before. Because of this, curiosity started to overtake her initial fears and apprehension. "Such a powerful Aer flow….what are you?" she asked.

Allie puffed her chest out, her hands on her hips. "The illustrious spirit of them all! None shine more brighter than I! Allie, the sword spirit, at your service! With Master in tow, we're an unstoppable duo!" she said, throwing in a bit of exaggeration in her words.

Tsuki gave her a blank stare as he crossed his arms. "Why does that make me sound like a sidekick?" he asked.

Allie looked over at Tsuki with a playful sneer. "Master said it first, not me" she said, sticking her tongue out at him. She then grabbed ahold of Cesela's hands, lifting them up and interlocking her fingers with hers. "As for you, my dear Foxy, you've been liberated and are free at last! How's about you join us and fight off tyranny together!?" she asked, leaning in close to her face.

Tsuki's eyebrow twitched a bit as he reached his arms out towards her and pressed both of his knuckles against the sides of her head, grinding them against her. "For a "hero", you have an unorthodox approach" he said.

Allie released her hands and flailed her arms as Tsuki grinded his knuckles against the sides of her head. "Owowowow! I surrender!" she shouted.

Soon, a knocking could be heard coming from the door. When it opened, Cheria and Lux came into the room. Apparently, they had heard the shouting coming from down the hall and decided to investigate what was going on. They weren't quite sure what to make of the scene upon opening the door though.

Cheria looked at Tsuki and Allie as they were messing around. "What's with all the racket in here?" she asked.

Tsuki looked over towards the door when it opened and stepped away from the bed. "Oh, nothing. Just Allie being…well, Allie. That's all" he said.

Allie was crouched over on Cesela's lap as she put her hands over the sides of her head where Tsuki had his knuckles pressed against. She looked at them with fake tears in her eyes. "Master's no fun…" she said.

Cheria crossed her arms and gave Tsuki a scolding look on her face. "Tsu, I know she's a spirit but she's still a child. You need to remember that" she said. She spoke to him as if a mother was scolding her child.

Tsuki surprised at the tone of voice that she was giving him. "What!? You're taking her side!?" he asked.

Allie sat up and pointed at Tsuki with an accomplished look. "Ha! It's two-on-one! Master doesn't stand a chance!" she said.

Tsuki looked back over at Allie. "What is this, a competition now!?" he asked.

Cheria walked up to Tsuki and put her hands on her hips, giving him a stern look. "Tsuki!" she said.

Tsuki returned his gaze on Cheria who was still giving him a stern, scolding look. She only ever used his full name if she was giving him a lecture or in official settings. When she gets this way, he knew he'd be digging his own grave. He let out a heavy sigh as he hung his head. "Why does it feel like I'm the bad guy…?" he asked.

Lux tilted his head a bit as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. He was about to make a comment about it until he noticed Cesela behind them who appeared to look more relaxed. "I don't know what comedy skit you guys are doing but whatever it is seems to be working" he said. He then pointed over towards Cesela.

Cesela was watching them go back and forth with her ears more up than they had been. She didn't look like she was shaking from reactive fear and anxiety. In fact, she almost felt calm and relaxed. She couldn't help but let out a faint laugh from watching it. "W-what is this…?" she mumbled.

Cheria walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, facing Cesela. "I'm sorry if these two scared you. One doesn't know how to handle young ones very well and the other one is…special" she said. She placed her hand gently on top of hers, giving her a warm, comforting smile. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Cesela looked at Cheria and could feel her warmth. She had a calm, soothing aura to her that a mother would show to her child. It made her feel even more relaxed and safe. "I-I'm fine…" she said. She wanted to say something but stopped herself by looking down at her hands to fidget with the bedsheets.

Cheria tilted her head a bit. She clearly had something on her mind to say. "What is it? If you're feeling any pain, just say where" she said.

Cesela shook her head as she gripped the sheets, taking a deep breath before looking back up at them. "It's not that. Umm…what's going to happen to me now?" she asked.

Cheria gently took hold of her hands and looked at her in the eye. "Whatever you want to happen. You're no longer someone's property. No longer enslaved or bound by someone's will. You're free" she said in a comforting voice.

Cesela heard those words before but she didn't process them properly through her head. "Free…? But…the Cursed Mark…" she said.

Lux shook his head and pointed to just below his neck. "Already removed. Nothing will stop you from going wherever you want now" he said.

Cheria held out a small mirror towards her so that she could look for herself. Cesela pulled the collar of her shirt down and she didn't see anything just below her neck. She put her hand up to where the Cursed Mark should have been but didn't feel or sense anything. She stared into the mirror for what felt like an eternity as her mind was coming to grips with reality. Time seemed to slow down for her as she gave everyone around the room another look before returning her gaze back to the mirror.

Cesela soon came to understand the meaning of what they had been trying to tell her. "I'm…free…" she said.

Moments later, as if the floodgates just opened up, tears ran down her face as teardrops fell and landed on Cheria's hand. The bottle in which she was locking away all of her emotions had shattered as they hit her all at once. This caused her body to start violently trembling as she started to cry. Cheria leaned in closer to her and embraced her in a warm, gentle hug. She stroked the back of her head as Cesela buried her face into her chest, wrapping her arms around her and vented out all of her pent up emotions.

The scene then shifts over to the town. Ramza and Lynette were out walking around town to offer what assistance they could. Many buildings suffered a good amount of damage and there were still people injured from the previous night. While Ramza pitched in with the heavy work, Lynette offered what healing she could offer to those that need it. They spent a good two hours running all over town, most of it being spent around the central plaza as that's where most of the damage was sustained.

Ramza and Lynette were hanging out around the central plaza, taking a break near the lightly damaged fountain. They had just finished helping out around the markets and stopped to take a short break before heading to the residential area. They watched people as they were hard at work cleaning up the mess that was left over while hearing the commotion from the other side of the plaza with those that were caught and exposed. Many people were shouting insults and various types of derogatory statements at them. Others were even throwing empty cans and other small objects at them as they were publicly ridiculed. Standing around them were a squad of mercenaries to ensure that they can be passed off to where they needed to be.

Lynette didn't feel bad for those that were caught in the slightest. They were getting what they had coming to them. She was worried that things might escalate though. "Do you think we should stop them?" she asked.

Ramza shook his head a bit, shrugging his shoulders. "Probably not. When it comes to an angry mob like that, it's best nto to get involved. People might get the wrong idea, you know" he said. He glanced over to the crowd for a brief moment. "Besides, I'm sure everyone wants them to see the justice they deserve" he said.

Then, a familiar female voice came speaking out. "I would have to agree. Death is but a mercy to people like them. For the acts they've committed and supported, there's no better sweet justice than having your name completely tarnished with your face plastered all over for all to see" the voice said. Off to the side, Seara came walking up to them from the direction of the main entrance. She stopped a few feet from them and crossed her arms. "Though if this were my ship, they'd be shark bait right about now" she said.

Ramza looked over at Seara. "Coming from the self-proclaimed Pirate Lord, I wouldn't have expected anything less" he said with a sigh.

Lynette tilted her head a bit as she approached them. This was the first time she's met Seara in person so she was a little confused on who she was. Her attire made her look completely out of place. "And you are…?" she asked.

Seara put her hand up to her chest, puffing it out a bit. "Only the greatest pirate the seas has ever seen. All who hear the name, Seara Khai, shiver in their boots!" she said. She drew in a few glances from onlookers as she made her dramatic introduction.

Ramza sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Pay her no mind. She's, in a literal sense, a bit of a loose cannon who spends too much time out at sea" he said. He's not quite sure where her obsession with pirates came from but she's fully embodied the persona ever since she became a mercenary. "This is Seara Khai, an A-rank mercenary and an…acquaintance of mine" he said.

Seara crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks out a bit. "Way to undersell it, killjoy" she pouted.

Lynette remembered that Ramza had mentioned her name before. She was curious to know who she was since he seemed to have a sense of fondness in his voice and facial expression but this wasn't what she expected. The two of them were complete opposites to each other and yet, they seemed rather close. "I guess opposites do attract…" she mumbled.

Ramza gave her a quick glare. "What was that?" he asked.

Lynette smiled, shaking her head. "Oh, it's nothing" she said. She stood up and gave her a slight bow. "I'm Lynette Suzaki. I'm one of the people traveling around with Ramza" she said.

Seara examined her as she rubbed her chin in thought. "He did mention that he was working with a few others the other day…" she said. The more she got a good look at her, the more she realized and how much of a figure she had to her. No doubt, she would be pretty popular amongst men. She couldn't help but poke Ramza with her elbow with a sneer on her face. "So, you like them young, eh?" she asked.

Ramza glared daggers into Seara from her last comment. "I'll pretend like I didn't hear that. Besides, I'm twice her age. I'm sure she could go for someone better than me" he said. He soon shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms. "Besides, she's not my type" he said.

Seara gave Lynette one last look before shaking her head. "Hmm…I guess that's true. What a shame" she said.

Lynette didn't know how to feel about this conversation they were having. "I'm not sure if I should be angry or offended by this…" she said.

Ramza sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, how are things going with the Guild Branch?" he asked.

Seara put her hands on her hips with a satisfied grin on her face. "It's all going pretty well now that we've weeded out all the bad eggs. Now, all that needs to be done is correcting the mistakes the old Branch Leader committed" she said. She may be a free-spirit but when it came to work as a mercenary and their ethics, she took those very seriously. "I already reached out to Enzo in Velika to see if he had any mercenaries he could spare. That man always seems to have a reserve of them" she said.

Ramza knew how much additional work is saddled onto A-rank mercenaries outside of their usual jobs so, being a B-rank himself, he was a little relieved that he didn't have to deal with any of that right now. "By the sounds of it, looks like you'll be sticking around a bit longer, I take it then" he said.

Seara sighed heavily, hanging her head down. "Unfortunately. I had initially planned on leaving my associate to handle things but with the way things are now, I thought it best to stick around until others arrive. After all, Guild Branches have to support one another if they want to keep a proper network flowing" she said. She was getting tired of being in the desert. She was starting to miss the sea salt of the sea and the ocean spray. She was never the type to stay on land for too long. "What about you guys? What are you plans going forward from here, now that your investigation is done?" she asked.

Lynette crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she fell into thought. As far as she knows, they had nothing else to go off on. "Maybe return to Esseand? I'm curious to know if Luan managed to learn more about the Wellsprings…" she said.

Being a mercenary, Ramza was used to be floating adrift in things. Going back and forth between locations was practically routine for him. "That is what I would assume. Perhaps there, we can-" he said.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the sounds of a commotion coming from the direction of the main entrance. They looked over into that direction and saw a crowd of people start to form. Whatever was happening seemed to be a big deal because there was a heightened level of excitement in the air. Out coming from the other side of the crowds were several platoons of knights marching down the road towards the central plaza. These weren't just regular knights either. While they carried the Esseand insignia, their level of gear and equipment were of a higher grade than those around the capital.

Leading the large group of knights, one person in particular stood out among the rest of them. It was someone dressed in pitch black armor with a gold lining strewn across their armor. The armor itself was spiked and looked like it was made out of some pretty expensive and materials that were hard to come by. The person carried a large, two-handed black and grey broad sword that was of a similar design to that of their armor. This person had a very commanding presence to him as some of the townspeople had their eyes locked onto them in awe.

Upon entering the central plaza, the black armored knight put his hand up which signaled all the other knights behind him to come to a halt. There was excitement in the air that spread around like an infection amongst the lingering people. The black armored knight soon took notice of Ramza, Lynette and Seara by the fountain and started to approach them.

Lynette watched the black armored knight as he was approaching them. She couldn't see the person's face because of his helmet but they had quite an intimidating presence to them, even from this far away. "Umm…who's that?" she asked.

Seara had a serious look on her face that was almost uncharacteristic. "The fabled Black Knight of Ustrisu Fortress. But, if he's been deployed, then…" she said. She shared a quick glance with Ramza with a slight hint of alarm and worry in her eyes. "Ramza…" she said.

Ramza slowly nodded to her, sharing the same look before turning his gaze towards the approaching knight. "Yeah. Something major has happened" he said.

As the town is filled with elated excitement, the scene shifts back over to Lux's mansion with the others lingering around. Tsuki has since left the room with Cesela while she speaks to both Cheria and Allie. Nagi was out in the back of the mansion, training with Mina and Elle as she continued to get accustomed to using her spellbook that Mina had given her. She used it a few times when the town was attacked and much like everyone expected, her power over the element of Darkness was a terrifying thing. With mastery over such raw power, they could see her becoming a literal nuke on the battlefield. As for Ruko and Phi, the two of them were having a little sparring match alongside them. The both of them felt like they were lagging behind the others and wanted to gauge their skills with each other.

With everyone else preoccupied, Tsuki and Lux went to check up on how Melphi was doing and how her recovery was coming along. Upon entering the room, they saw Melphi sitting up in her bed, eating some food that was given to her by two of the young Dragonkin maids that were in the room with her. The two maids had a brief exchange further before bowing to Lux and leaving the room to the three of them. Melphi has heavily bandaged. While the injuries weren't miraculously life-threatening, they were still pretty severe. Thanks to the draconic medicine that she had, her smaller injuries were relatively quick to heal but the injuries to her side and shoulder were a different story. The puncture wounds from being bit on her shoulder., in particular, were very bad as it tore some of the muscle.

Tsuki sat down on the adjacent bed and looked at Melphi. "How's the shoulder treating you?" he asked.

Melphi put her hand over her shoulder as she rubbed it gently. "Still pretty stiff but better than it was" she said.

Lux shook his head. "An injury like that would permanently cripple an ordinary Human, indefinitely. However, the body makeup and structure of Dragonkin is different than that of us Humans. In most cases, Humans can't recover from such an injury but for Dragonkin, they can. I'm almost envious" he said. While Dragonkin have the ability to recover from an injury, it's something that will take time. Healing Artes have no effect over things like torn muscles, broken bones or damaged organs.

Tsuki looked over at her wounded shoulder. It's a relief to hear that she will be okay. "How long would the recovery be?" he asked

Lux was silent for a few moments before answering him. "If she takes it easy, gets lots of rest and applies the necessary medicine, I'd say she would be back up on her feet in a few days. Which means…" he said, drifting off at the end.

Melphi sighed heavily, hanging her head a bit before looking at Tsuki. "I'd be bedridden until I fully recover" she said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. "I see. Well, it's not like we have any place we need to be. I think we can spare a few days" he said.

Lux looked over at Tsuki, tilting her head. "Don't you need to report back to His Majesty about what's happened here?" he asked.

Tsuki shook his head. "If he is aware of what's happened here, I'm sure he'll send out a response team. Besides, we've only been gone for a few days. I doubt Luan has been able to find anything yet about the Wellsprings that we don't already know" he said. The more time Luan had to research the Wellsprings and the possible connection with the Great Spirits, the better.

Melphi shook her head at him. There was no reason for them to stay behind for her. "You don't need to go that far for me" she said.

Tsuki gave her a wide grin. "You're a friend and fellow companion. If it's just a few extra days, then I'm sure they can wait" he said.

Melphi let out a heavy sigh as she scratched her head. "Even still, I don't think that's reason enough to linger" she said. She wasn't sure what he was thinking. To her, it felt like a waste of time.

The two of them spent the next few minutes go back and forth with each other. Melphi was adamant that they go on without her and that she would catch up with them. Following their trail would be a simple matter for her. Tsuki, however, was opposed to leaving her behind, using the argument that Shana had ordered her to keep an eye on them. Tsuki believed that they were in no rush to return so he had no problems with lingering around. It would also provide him with an opportunity to make sure that everything around the desert and Chesberry were settled.

As they were talking back and forth, a knocking sound came from the door. Moments later, one of the older Catfolk butlers came into the room. He put his hand up to his heart and bowed slightly before speaking. "Apologies for the interruption, but there's an urgent matter that needs your attention, young Masters" he said.

Lux turned to face the Catfolk butler, tilting his head a bit. "An urgent matter? What is it?" he asked.

The butler straightened himself out, dropping his arm down to his side. "The Black Knight of Ustrisu Fortress requests your audience. He says the matter is urgent" he said.

Lux's facial expression turned serious at the mention of Ustrisu. "Not the response I was expecting from His Majesty. Alright then, bring him here to me. Also, fetch the rest of Tsuki's companions while you're at it. I'm sure they'll all want to hear this" he said.

The butler nodded, bowing to him one more time. "Right away. If you'll excuse me…" he said. The butler soon closed the door and headed back down the hallway.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit as he looked at Lux. "What did you mean when you said that this wasn't the response you were expecting? Who is this Black Knight?" he asked.

Lux sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head. "Someone who's typically not called out to unless the circumstances were significant enough" he said.

Tsuki was left with confusion as Lux refused to elaborate further than that. After a few minutes, Ramza and the others gathered around Melphi's room, along with Cesela who appears to have grown an attachment with Allie, and the black armored knight himself. The atmosphere around the room was pretty intense and heavy as everyone wondered who the black armored knight was. Based off what was already hinted at, they can easily guess that something was happening behind the scenes.

With everyone gathered around the room, the Black Knight was the one to start talking. He soon took off his helmet and set it down on the nearby table, revealing a middle-aged male underneath with spikey, red hair and eyes, a scar running across his left eye and a burn mark on the right side of his face. "Allow me to start off. My name is Shinzo Brusck, also more known as simply the Black Knight of Ustrisu Fortress" he said. He looked around the room to examine Tsuki and the others briefly. "His Majesty has informed Ustrisu of you folks and wishes expresses his gratitude for all of your efforts. According to the townsfolk, you all played a vital role in eliminating the bandit threat that has plagued these sands for months, something us knights have struggled with because of the harsh environment" he said. He then held his hand up to his breastplate and bowed to them in respect. "For that, I wish to personally give you my thanks on behalf of the knights as well as my sincerest apologies for having you settle matters that we fell short on" he said. The fact that the bandit problem was resolved due to a third party intervention rather than the official knights showed him how much they were lacking.

Tsuki shook his head, waving his arms out in front of him. "You don't need to thank us. We were just happy to help out. As…adventurers, we couldn't just leave things as they were" he said. He had to remember that they were under the guise of wandering adventurers rather than a group of people that came from a foreign land to save a foreign kingdom.

Shinzo shook his head, chuckling at his remark. "There's no need to hide it, boy. Due to the recent circumstances, His Majesty has already informed Ustrisu Fortress of your little group and the situation you all are facing. From one knight to another, it's quite honorable to uphold your beliefs and values while having so much stacked against you" he said. Those operating around Ustrisu had already received the information Raiku had on Tsuki and the others. Naturally, many were up in arms about this rash and self-appointed decision so there was some blowback on Raiku's part in this.

Ramza was pretty surprised to hear this. Given his experiences dealing with Ustrisu politics, he figured that they'd be met with a lot of scrutiny. "I'm surprised those old fossils of Ustrisu even went along with this. I doubt that, even with my influence, convincing them otherwise wasn't an easy task" he said.

Shinzo looked over towards Ramza and nodded. "And you'd be right. However, His Majesty strongly urged his utmost confidence and faith in you, which was almost out of character for him. He speaks of you the same as he once spoke of his former companions back before he was made king" he said. Given the fact that he held authority over Ustrisu, there was still a process for him to follow. In the end, the final decision falls on Raiku regardless of what path he chooses to take. "His Majesty is a methodical man who always plans ahead so if he has enlisted you into the fold, then that means, he has a plan of some kind brewing in his head" he said.

Lynette nervously scratched her cheek lightly. Hearing him say all this just adds on the pressure for them. "Well, I suppose it's nice to know he expects so much from us…" she said.

Shinzo took a deep breath before continuing. "Now then, before I get into the reason for my visit, I would like an explanation on what has happened here. The blast of energy that shot up into the sky riled up more than your fair share of people, after all" he said. Investigating what went on was part of the reason why he came out here.

Tsuki and the others proceeded to tell him everything that went on from the moment they first entered the desert all the way to the chaotic end of the underground auction. Naturally, to no surprise, the story was hard for him to swallow. Confirmation of illegal slave auctions, the invocation of the Daemon, the connection between the Skullblades and the Viper Syndicate. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that he almost didn't believe that Tsuki and the others were the ones to handle it on their own.

Shinzo rubbed his forehead as he processed the information slowly. "To think all of that was happening right underneath us…" he said. He sighed a bit, shaking his head. "Something tells me that we're still missing many pieces to this puzzle" he said.

Ramza shook his head. He fully agreed with him but they had close to nothing to go off on. The information available to them was extremely limited. "With all that said, why don't we get around to the real reason you're here, Shin. If His Majesty was the one that sent you out, there's a good reason for it" he said.

Shinzo was silent for a moment as he closed his eyes. "Indeed there is" he said. He then took a seat in one of the nearby chairs. "It would seem that Dolothlond is about to make it's move" he said.

Ramza tilted his head a bit. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

Shinzo took a moment to gather his thoughts. "According to some intel that His Majesty received from one of his "secret sources", one of his old enemies seems to have risen from the grave and was appointed as Dolothlond's new War General. His name is Kaito Isamu and apparently, he's plotting an excursion to the Nobuo Shrine to make off with the Raven's Claw" he said. Unlike his vouch for Tsuki and the others, this "secret source" of his was taken with all seriousness. It's sent Ustrisu Fortress into a state of high alert.

Ramza raised an eyebrow at the mention of the Raven's Claw. "The Raven's Claw? I understand that tensions between these two kingdoms are high and a few skirmishes have broken out from time to time but do they understand that this is essentially declaring open war?" he asked. He knew that there were some significant differences between Esseand and Dolothlond but he didn't expect them to take the plunge.

Shinzo nodded. "Considering who we're potentially dealing with, absolutely. I'm sure you heard the horrendous stories of Kaito Isamu over 30 years ago" he said. It was news that rocked all of Nargelond as a whole and even some parts of Ersheath with how heinous the acts and crimes that were committed under Kaito's orders.

Ramza didn't know the fully story of exactly what occurred all those years ago but he has heard people talk about it from time to time while working as a General. "It'd be harder not to hear about it. It's a topic that's still talked about today. Kaito, who once served as one of Dolothlond's famed and beloved Generals, committed inhumane ritualistic acts on a number of dragon villages in the pursuit of a greater power, only to be thwarted by Shana" he said.

Melphi was silent as they spoke. The topic brought back some bad memories for her. At the time, she was a Dragonkin child who lived in one of the villages that were targeted. If it wasn't for Taichi and the others that came and intervened, she would have met the same fate as the rest of the villagers. It was because of this that she ended up befriending Taichi and the his friends which led to the eventual blood contract between her and Shana. "I faintly remember that. I've tried to block those events out of my head but they're stuck with me" she said, putting her left hand up against her right arm. She shook her head to brush off the flashbacks as she came to realize something. "But I thought Shana killed him. Tai and the others witnessed it themselves and verified his death" she said. She wasn't with them at the time they confronted Kaito but she saw what she believed was his body being carted off after everything was all said and done.

Shinzo shook his head a bit. "Unfortunately, I don't have any answers to that. His Majesty was also shocked to hear this news so you can definitely assume that this matter will be getting his full attention" he said. What drove this home more for him was the fact that Raiku displayed a fair bit of concern when making his report to Ustrisu. There wasn't a lot to put him on edge so the fact that the possibility of Kaito's apparent return was enough for him to have concern was pretty significant.

Tsuki looked back and forth between the three of them, scratching his head as he was completely lost along with the others. "Mind explaining things? What's this 'Raven's Claw'? Who's Kaito?" he asked.

Lux looked over towards Tsuki and the others. "The Raven's Claw is what you could call, a national treasure and a closely guarded one. It's a peculiar crystal that houses an exceedingly high concentration of pure Aer attuned to the Light element. It's levels of Aer bring it close to that of what a Great Spirit would have" he said. He stood up and walked over to a nearby bookshelf to remove a book. He opened it up and flipped through a number of pages and stopped at a certain one before placing it down on a nearby coffee table. The page he stopped on had an illustration of a crystal in the shape of a claw along with a couple of notes jotted down. "It's something of a relic that's been passed down through the royal family for generations. No one really knows it's true origins or purpose, however. Many have tried to experiment with it but they are unable to harness the Aer within the crystal. Apparently, the researcher, Luan did some studies of her own and found out that the Raven's Claw served some unknown, higher purpose" he said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit. The unknown, higher purpose bit caught her interest. "Well, that sounds mysterious. I wonder what that purpose is…" she said.

Elle scratched her head. "Whatever it is, it must be something significant if it houses that much Aer" she said. The Raven's Claw almost reminds her of the dark crystals they've encountered before in Cayhill. More mysterious crystals that harbor unknown, untold power within them.

Lux fell silent for a few moments before continuing. "That wasn't all she discovered. Through her studies, she came to learn of 4 other crystal-like objects that seem to hold the same amount of Aer. While their exact locations are unknown, she's learned of the general location. Cayhill, Nargelond, Menorion and Sirione…somewhere in those lands hides the remaining 4 objects" he said. No one really knows what these objects are, or even what they look like which helps them remain hidden from public eye, and probably for good reason.

Cheria held her hand up to her chin. She tried to think of anything that could match a similar description as the Raven's Claw but nothing came to mind. "Perhaps my parents know. If these objects hold some sort of significant purpose, they would likely be the ones to know" she said.

Phi was a little concerned by Dolothlond's actions. Something didn't seem to add up to her based off what everyone has said. "I don't get it. If no one has been able to tap into the power of the Raven's Claw, then why target it? As things stand now, it just seems like fancy paperweight" she said.

Shinzo shook his head. That's the question everyone wants to know. "We're having the matter looked into but I don't exactly hold any high hopes on a clear answer. Lately, we've been losing contact with a number of our scouts over in Nargelond. While that doesn't necessarily point to Dolothlond interference, it does strike to us as more than just mere coincidence" he said. It's hard to send out support to Nargelond without catching the attention of the enemy. It's one of those things where you're basically on your own once you set foot into Nargelond.

Ruko leaned up against the wall behind him, crossing his arms. "What about this Kaito? Who is he?" he asked.

Melphi took a few deep breaths before taking the initiative to answer him. "Kaito Isamu was one of Dolothlond's top Generals some 30 years ago. Many aspiring knights admired and looked up to him. In most cases, he was looked upon as the classic example of what it means to be a knight" she said. She was still a young girl back then so she didn't know much about him herself. Since dragon villages were fairly remote, some of which being located in the high mountains around Nargelond where Humans couldn't reach easily, news revolving around Human settlements didn't reach such places too often. The flow of information was also restricted due to the added animosity Dragonkin have towards Humans in a general sense. "He played the charade as the charismatic knight in the eyes of the people but played a sadistic, cold-blooded killer in the shadows. He and his personal guard razed several dragon villages, forced wild dragons into servitude and slaughtered Dragonkin without prejudice. Men, women, even children…he hunted them all down, all to collect the scales off their backs and their blood" she said.

Being a Faerie herself, Cesela could relate to the Dragonkin's plight on many levels. She's watched many of her own kind and other races of Faeries and Beastfolk fall victim to the hands of Humans. "He sounds…no better than the slave masters of Sirione…" she said, her ears slightly down as she fidgeted with her hands.

Allie reached and took hold of one of Cesela's hands and held onto it tightly to try and help her relax. "What was his plan? What did he intend to do with the scales and blood?" she asked.

Melphi shook her head. "Supposedly, he was going to use the scales and blood as ritual offerings in order to obtain powers unlike the world has ever seen, according to what Tai and the others concluded on. Unfortunately, they never did find out what this power was that he was trying to obtain as all the leads they were following suddenly went cold" she said. Shana had spent a long time searching for answers and clues to whatever it was that Kaito was trying to achieve. Having killed Kaito before she could learn more about it was one of her mistakes that she made but never came to realize that until way later. "Lady Shana hasn't been able to confirm this but she theorized the heavy usage of Corrupted Aer" she said.

Lynette didn't like the sound of that one bit. She had flashbacks of when Gepard succumbed to the influence of Corrupted Aer and transformed into a Daemon. Just thinking about it made her blood run cold. "Good god…you don't think he was trying to conjure up a Daemon back then, do you?" she asked.

Elle shook her head. The possibility was definitely there since Corrupted Aer played a potential part in it. "I can't think of anything else. Corrupted Aer has no other use for it outside of nefarious plots and schemes" she said.

Cheria tried to make sense of all this. There was one thing she was having trouble understanding. "But, according to what you said, Shana had killed him and had his death confirmed. How could it be possible that he's still around?" she asked.

Nagi could only speculate but she did have some solid theories. "This untold power…it all brings Arcanum to mind. Could he have been resurrected somehow?" she asked.

Elle shook her head. Arcanum was a power that's still largely a mystery to them with many of it's aspects hidden away. Normally, the concept of resurrection falls in line with the forbidden knowledge that Elves attempt to restrict so not much research into the field is publicly known. If Arcanum was as powerful of a force as they reckon, she can't discredit the possibility. "Maybe but what you're trying to imply is delving into some deep stuff that many consider heresy" she said.

Tsuki rubbed his chin in thought as he tried to piece together everything in his mind. After about a minute of silence, he came to a theory. "Based on what you said, Taichi and his friends thwarted Kaito and had put a stop to his ambitions. I can only assume from that he was unsuccessful in conjuring a Daemon" he said. According to what he was told, invoking a Daemon requires a significant amount of power. If he was unsuccessful, then he may have lacked the necessary levels of power. "You said the Raven's Claw holds an exceedingly high concentration of pure Aer. If Kaito has indeed returned somehow, then I would probably assume that he wants to use the power of the Raven's Claw to finish what he started. Since the Raven's Claw is the only known object of it's kind, it would make sense for him to target it" he said.

Shinzo crossed his arms as Tsuki proposed his theory to him. "The thought crossed my mind. In any case, regardless of what his intentions are for it, we can't let him get his hands on it" he said. He then gave Tsuki and his friends a brief look. "Which brings me to the reason why I'm here. His Majesty asks that you make for the Nobuo Shrine and stop Kaito from making off with the Raven's Claw" he said.

Ruko tilted his head a bit. It was a little odd for to him that he was entrusting the safeguarding of a national treasure. "Why us? Wouldn't it make more sense to have you be the one to do it?" he asked.

Shinzo shook his head with a sigh. "Normally, you'd be correct. However, I'm currently bound by other matters that require my attention just as much" he said. He couldn't just drop what he was doing because that could potentially cause more problems. "His Majesty says that you folks are the only ones he could trust with this matter. You'll be assisting someone else in this matter who will meet you at Nobuo Shrine so you won't be without some additional support" he said.

Ramza rubbed his chin a bit. "Who would that be?" he asked.

Shinzo shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't told much in the report he received from Raiku. "One of his "secret sources" is sending out their best man. Who that is, I couldn't tell you" he said.

Melphi didn't like the timing of this. "When is this little excursion of his planned?" she asked.

Shinzo pulled out the letter that he had received and placed it on the coffee table. "Tonight. He plans to use the cover of darkness to mask his movements and since we have no effective ways to counter him from the ground, he'll reach the shrine in a matter of hours" he said.

Melphi rubbed her arm a bit, biting her lip a bit. "I see…" she said. She let out a heavy sigh and looked over towards Tsuki. "Looks like you guys will have to go on without me, after all" she said.

Tsuki gritted his teeth. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her behind. "But what about you?" he asked.

Melphi shook her head. "Look at me. With these injuries, I'd only slow you down. Not only that, don't forget that transforming consumes a lot of my energy. I had to borrow power from my contract with Shana so I wouldn't be left totally drained" she said. She looked down at her right hand and slowly rolled it into a fist, her arm lightly trembling. "In my state, I'd only be a burden" she said.

Allie shook her head. She could feel what Tsuki was going through. "She's right, Master. Her Mana levels are very low" she said.

Ramza thought that was the best course of action as well. "I know you don't like it but she's right. It won't do if we make an injured person walk, you know" he said.

Tsuki sighed heavily, hanging his head. "I know. Plus, I'd rather not be the one looking down Shana's spear if something were to happen to her" he said. He then looked over towards Lux. "Is it alright if she stays here until she's recovered?" he asked.

Lux nodded at him, tapping his chest with a grin on his face. He didn't even need to ask. "Of course. She's welcome to stay here as long as she needs. Besides, I think the young Dragonkin maids have taken a liking to her" he said.

Melphi knew that Lux was a person worthy of trust because of what he's done for the Faeries and Beastfolk. At first, she was wary and cautious of him but that changed after hearing the stories from all the maids and butlers around the mansion. "Thanks. I appreciate it" she said. She looked over towards Tsuki once more and reached into her bag that was hanging up on the headboard. She pulled out something from one of the smaller pockets. "Here, take this with you" she said.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit and walked over to her bed and held out his hand to take what Melphi was giving him. In his hand was a spherical gemstone with what appeared to be a dragon's eye etched into it. "What is this?" he asked.

Melphi leaned back against her bed. "A Dragon's Eye. This will allow me to track where you go. So long as you have that with you, I'll be able to find you once I've recovered" she said.

Tsuki nodded and put the spherical object in his bag. "Sounds good" he said. He then looked at the others. "It'll take us a while to get across the desert so we should restock on supplies and make sure our equipment is in order before heading out" he said.

Lux shook his head with a grin on his face. "Leave the transportation to me. I can work out a few strings. Just give me about two hours and then you'll be on your way in no time flat" he said. After what they've done for him, expediting their way back is the least he could do for them.

Tsuki nodded at him. He didn't know what he was thinking but it most likely had something to do with the carriages they commandeered from the underground tunnels. "Then, we'll head out into town and stock up on what we can" he said.

Cesela walked up to Tsuki as she fidgeted with her hands. After about a minute of building up her courage, she looked up at him and gave him a serious look. "Tsuki…umm, can I…come with you guys? On your travels, I mean…" she said.

Tsuki looked at her with a surprised look on his face. He didn't expect her to ask such a question out of nowhere. He was flattered that she wanted to join them but who knows just what dangers they will be facing down the road. Taking in a young girl who can't even fight poses many problems. Allie was a special case since she had the power of the Great Spirits and has already shown that she had plenty of combat experience. He looked down at Cesela and placed his hand on top of her head, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but you can't. There's just too many risks involved with our journey" he said.

Cesela shook her head at him and held her hand up to her chest. "I may not be able to fight right now but I can still help!" she said.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit. He was confused at what she was trying to imply. "What do you mean?" he asked. He took a closer look into her eyes and realized that there was a certain power to them that he's never seen before. It was then that he remembered what some of the bandits said about her in the underground. "Actually, now that I think of it, the bandits did mention something about certain abilities…" he said.

Lynette crossed her arms and tilted her head in thought. She remembered overhearing conversations from the different groups that it was mainly because of this "ability" of hers that she was selling for such a high price in the first place. "I was wondering about that myself" she said.

Cesela twiddled her thumbs a bit as she gathered her thoughts. "I…I don't know how long I've been able to or when it started but I have the ability to "see" flows of Aer that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye" she said. She didn't know much of anything relating to this strange ability so it was hard for her to describe, let alone explain. "Whether the Aer is weak or strong, I can "see" it through my eyes" she said.

Elle raised an eyebrow at the description of her ability. "It sounds to me like Aether Flow" she said.

Phi looked over towards Elle, tilting her head in confusion. "Aether Flow?" she asked.

Elle nodded at her. "It's an incredibly rare innate talent that some races of Faeries and Beastfolk have a chance of inheriting. 1 in 100,000 have a chance to inherit it. Much like she said, Aether Flow allows the person to "see" the all traces of Aer, even the most faintest" she said. She glanced over towards Cesela as she came to understand why she was so highly valued. "To be able to "see" traces of Aer would be a major asset to anyone seeking to make high profits or even an combative front. If she was sold off, I can see her becoming a money-making tool or a tool of war" she said. She thought for a few moments and weighed her options. "This may come as a shock but…having an ability like that on our side might help us out in the long run" she said.

Tsuki looked over at Elle with a shocked look. With the way she worded it, she made it sound like she was on board with letting her come with. "Are you crazy? She's just a child!" he said.

Elle shook her head, shrugging her shoulders. "Take away her abilities as a spirit, so is Allie" she said. The more she thought about it, the more it sounded better for her to come with them. "Besides, she might just be the key that we're looking for to prove whether our theory that the Great Spirits are indeed tied to the Wellsprings" she said.

Lynette thought about the circumstances for a brief moment. For her, an Appraisal offers no additional insight with something as complex as a Wellspring, let alone a Great Spirit. "She does make a good point. With how limited we are in terms of physical material to go off on, it does sound appealing…" she said. Their whole journey is backed by an unproven theory that they can't exactly put to experimentation easily.

Cheria could see the potential benefits of having her with them but has trouble trying to justify involving another child in their mess. "My royal instincts are screaming at me to not allow this but I can't help but think how much she might be able to help us…I'm conflicted" she said.

Phi shook her head a bit. The very thought of bringing another child into the fold tarnished her role of being a knight. "The situation we're facing has already taken too many innocents. I'm not comfortable with this, personally" she said.

Nagi could understand the point that they were all trying to make but she can't help but sympathize with Cesela on this. "I…think it takes a lot of courage to be able to stand up and move forward with one's life after experiencing such trauma. When it comes to survival and the act of moving forward with one's life, age doesn't really matter. At least, that's how I feel…" she said. She looked at the situation from her own perspective. She wasn't a fighter when she was younger. She was practically a flower child and probably would be leading a normal, peaceful life as an ordinary person if the events in Tomoha didn't happen. However, the human instinct to survive kept her pushing and fighting on, even after repeated attempts of trying to end her own life while in captivity of Draxus.

Ruko grew up training and honing his body she he has always been in the fold from a young age. He wouldn't condone child involvement in a journey like theirs without taking into consideration the risks it poses. "She's clearly trying her hardest to try and move on with her life. To leave the bad things in the past and regain the time she had lost that was taken away. She's not saying this just to go with the flow. She's determined" he said.

Ramza was of the same mind as Phi was. If it were up to him, he wouldn't allow her to join them, despite her abilities. It was unheard of to willingly put children in the face of danger. "I'm against this myself but I'll conform with the will of the group" he said.

Tsuki was shocked to hear that most of the group were entertaining the idea. As a knight, it goes against his morals. He got down on one knee to meet Cesela at eye level to look at her. "You found your freedom. Why jeopardize it by coming along with us? This is your chances to get a fresh start" he said.

Cesela shook her head. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even have this chance" she said. She glanced over at Cheria for a brief moment. "Cheria said that I'm free to do whatever I want to do. I want to repay you. I want to help!" she said, giving him a determined look.

Tsuki could tell from the look in her eyes that she has taken into account just what it was that she was getting involved in. She knew the risks and the dangers that she would face and chose to face them rather than living the peaceful life. When he sees eyes like that, it's hard to change them. He sighed heavily, falling silent for a minute or two. Eventually, he nodded at her. "Alright then. If you sure this is what you want to do and are that determined, then you can come with" he said.

Cesela's eyes lit up brightly as her ears and tail perked all the way up. "Really!?" she asked with excitement.

Tsuki held his pointer finger up at her. "The only condition I have is this: don't put yourself in danger. You're not some tool to be used on a whim. Each of us have a role to play; you support us from the backline and we'll support you. Got that?" he asked. He didn't want her to think she was something that could be used as an convenience. She was a living person with her own will.

Cesela nodded at him. "Yes sir!" she said. She didn't know Tsuki and the others for very long but because of her ability, she can easily sense their intents and level of character. They all gave her a warm feeling and that feeling made her feel safe. There was a lot she had to move on from but she believed that if she was by their side, she could accomplish that.

Lux nodded, stood up and clapped his hands together. "Well, if everyone has settled things, I have transportation to work out for you. Meet up back here once you're all set to go" he said. He soon left the room and made his way over towards the corridor that lead to the entrance.

Shinzo picked up his helmet and put it back on before standing up as well. "I'd best be on my way as well. I got prisoners to transport. I have a feeling the interrogators will have a field day getting information of the Viper Syndicate out from them" he said. He headed towards the door as well but stopped for a moment to glance back at them. "One more thing. Nobuo Shrine is a protected site. When you get to the front gates, show the guards this. It'll let them know you have full access to it" he said. He pulled out a small red passport. On the passport, there was the engraving of the royal family and top brass of Ustrisu Fortress.

Tsuki walked up to Shinzo and took the passport. "Got it" he said.

Shinzo bowed slightly to him. "I wish you all the best of luck. Try not to do anything too reckless" he said. He left the room and continued down the corridor, disappearing around the corner.

Tsuki put the passport in his bag before stretching his arms. He then looked back at the others. "Let's go hit the markets and get ourselves stocked up. If there's any matters anyone needs to settle, do them now before meeting up. I have a feeling that we won't be back for quite some time" he said. He glanced over towards Melphi. "We'll see you soon, Mel" he said.

Melphi nodded at him. "Be careful out there" she said.

Tsuki and the others grouped up and left the room together, saying their farewells to Melphi. The group made their way through the mansion and out into the central plaza. They could see that the knights were rounding up all those that were arrested from before with the crowds of people letting out cheers. Compared to the other day where people were wary and cautious, the town was lit up with infectious excitement and buzz. It showed them that there were others out there who opposed the Viper Syndicate and stood beside the Faeries and Beastfolk.

Tsuki and the others couldn't help but join in on the excitement as they were drawn into the crowds. By now, people knew that they were the ones responsible for what's happened and the townsfolk wanted to show them their appreciation. Everyone was so afraid to lash out and speak up against the Syndicate and Skullblades on fears of falling victims themselves, or worse. Now that the threat was gone and exposed, people had no reason to fear anymore.

Cheria could feel the excitement in the air. It was almost electrifying. "Maybe humanity still has a chance. Maybe, one day, Humans can live peacefully again with Faeries and Beastfolk" she said, holding her hand up to her heart.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. "It's a long road to recovery but so long as us Humans strive to better ourselves, we may yet be able to mend this deep, festering wound" he said. He has many friends and allies that are Faeries and Beastfolk and they're no different to Humans, aside from the ears and tails.

Allie ran towards the fountain, pulling along Cesela and Cheria by the arms. "Come on! Let's check out the shops! We need to pick out an outfit for Cessie, after all!" she said with excitement.

Cesela was being pulled by her arm, a bit speechless when Allie spoke. "C-Cessie…? A new outfit…?" she asked. She was then starting to realize that she was wearing plain clothing that was given to her in place of the torn garments she was wearing before.

Cheria didn't understand why she was being roped into a shopping spree but she went with it anyway. "A-alright! Don't yank my arm off!" she said.

Tsuki sighed a bit, shaking her head. "I'm not sure what's triggering it but she seems to be coming out of her shell a lot more lately. I can't help but feel a little proud…" he said. He started to follow them when he noticed something off in the nearby corner. It was a familiar figure that he has been wondering about for a while.

Tsuki approached the figure that was concealing themselves in a dark alley. Upon getting closer to him, the figure turned out to be Shadow, who had mysteriously disappeared overnight. Tsuki spent part of the morning before going to Cesela's room looking for him but couldn't find any trace of him.

Tsuki walked up to him, waving. "Shadow, there you are. I was wondering where you've been" he said.

Shadow was leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed when Tsuki approached him. "Tsuki. I see everyone's up bright and early. By the looks of things, you'll be heading out soon" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit, unsure of how he got to that conclusion. "How did you know that?" he asked.

Shadow chuckled a bit, shaking his head. "Did you forget that I'm a ninja?" he asked. His glance soon shifted back over towards Cheria and the others. Specifically, he seemed to be locked onto Cesela. "So, she's choosing to fight her demons, huh?" he mumbled to himself.

Tsuki couldn't make out what he said since his face was still covered by the ninja garb. "What did you say?" he asked.

Shadow pushed himself off the wall, resting his arms down at his side. "Nothing, just talking to myself" he said. He then looked at Tsuki with a serious look in his eyes. "Tsuki, can I entrust you with the protection of Cesela?" he asked.

Tsuki was confused at his question. A loaded question like that definitely had some meaning behind it, backed by a serious look. "Wait, do you know her?" he asked.

Shadow was silent for a moment, closing his eyes. "Something like that, yes" he said.

Tsuki didn't understand him at all. "If you two know each other, then why haven't you met up?" he asked. He understood the secrecy when it came to being a ninja but it confused him that he was keeping his distance for some reason.

Shadow shook his head. "It's…not time yet. Our circumstances are complicated. More so than you can probably imagine. It's because of those circumstances that I'm unable to reach out to her right now" he said. He opened his eyes, once more giving Tsuki a serious look. "Which is why, I'm asking you this: can I entrust her safety and protection to you?" he asked again.

Tsuki could see a familiar look in his eyes. He could almost see himself reflecting back at him. For some reason, he felt that he had a connection with Shadow though he wasn't sure what it was. "You can count on me. I'll make sure no one tries to use her again" he said.

The two of them shared the same serious, intense gaze into their eyes. Then, in one swift motion, they each pulled their arms back and swung them forward, clasping each other's hands in a firm grip as if to seal some sort of deal.

Shadow pulled away from Tsuki and turned down the alleyway to walk into it. He stopped and looked back at him for a moment. "I'm counting on you" he said. Shadow then leaped up, using the adjacent walls to wall-jump up to the roofs and disappearing from view.

Tsuki grew even more curious Shadow but knew that he wasn't about to tell him anything, even if he tried to ask. When he left, Tsuki turned back and rejoined the others as they all headed towards the markets to stock up on items and buy any new gear that may need replacing or enhancing. The town remained in full excitement as time went on. The markets, especially, were crowded with lots of shops offering discounts and celebratory cheer.

With this level of excitement in the air, the next two hours for them seemed to fly by. Before anyone knew it, the time to meet up with Lux had came. With the help of Cheria and Allie, Cesela got a new outfit that went along great with her fox ears and tail. It was a dress mixed with leather and cloth that felt lightweight and easy to move around in while giving her personality a bit of a boost to make her stand out. She also had a small bow on her back with her own batch of arrows attached to her back. Cheria was the bow expert of the group so she took it upon herself to start teaching her how to wield a bow and fight from the backline.

Tsuki and the group met up with Lux at the mansion once everyone had stocked up on what they needed. They were soon taken to the entrance of the town where they were greeted to an unexpected sight. Standing by at the entry gates were strange-looking carriages. There was parts of carriages that they commandeered attached to what looked like two canoe-shaped objects. The carriage parts that were used were the backs to the carriage and in the center of it was what appeared to be a mast. It was a unique design, to say the least.

Standing by the strange carriage was a man dressed in loose, desert-type clothing along with Seara. When the man noticed that Lux and the others were approaching, he waved to him and spoke out with a familiar voice. "There they are! The desert heroes! I was starting to think you might've gotten cold feet!" he said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit when she heard the man's voice. It took her a few moments to realize who the voice was, which shocked her, Ramza and Elle. "That voice…Colin!?" she shouted.

Colin had a wide grin on his face as he put his hands on his hips. "Who else do you think it is!? I knew you couldn't forget about me" he said.

Ramza was surprised to see that Colin made it out of the underground tunnels alive. He was sure that everyone had been killed either by having all of their Mana siphoned out of them or from the resulting chaos that came after it. "If it isn't a desert ghost…how in the world did you manage to survive?" he asked.

Elle nodded. She was wondering what had happened to him after parting ways with him in the auction hall. No one brought him up, not even Lux, so she assumed the worst. "We thought you were dead!" she said.

Colin shook his head. "Hardly. I'm very much alive. Although, that was a close call though. Managed to work my way out of the tunnels just before all hell started to break loose" he said. Flashbacks ran through his head in that moment. It was of him scrambling out from one of the tunnels out in the desert as the chaos in the auction hall was reaching it's peak. It was probably about 30 seconds after getting out from the tunnels that he saw the blast of energy shoot up into the sky. "It's a damn miracle I made it out of there. I could feel my energy being siphoned out of me like a vacuum" he said, putting his left hand up to his right shoulder, rolling his head around. "Still feeling a bit stiff but aside from that, everything's all okay" he said.

Seara glanced over to him, crossing her arms. "If it weren't for me, that is. Found the guy all but passed out at the town entrance in the middle of all the chaos" she said. She looked over towards Tsuki and the others, examining each of them closely. It was a strange mixture of people but she could see the strength in each of them, even Cesela. Her gaze soon locked onto Ramza. "So, these are the rest of your companions, huh? Not the most orthodox group but I know power and opportunity when I see it" she said.

Ramza shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "Says the so-called Pirate Lord. You're the last one to be making that type of comment" he said.

Seara laughed a bit at his expense, giving him a big grin while gritting her teeth. "Alright, fair enough!" she said.

Tsuki looked at the carriages and was intrigued by their unique design. "So…what is this thing?" he asked.

Colin patted the side of the strange carriage. "We used some of our spare Sand Skiffs to modify those carriages you guys brought back. Normally, our Sand Skiffs can only seat up to two people but with this, we're able to ferry up to 10 across the desert! In theory, at least" he said. He wasn't quite sure how they would work, honestly. They haven't even been able to properly test them. "We call these Sand Skimmers!" he said.

Phi tilted her head a bit. The Skiffs belonged to the Sand Surfers and no one else which only meant one thing. "That must mean you're part of the Sand Surfers that we've been hearing about" she said.

Colin nodded at her. "That's right. You're talking to the man in charge of the Chesberry Sand Surfers! Where there's desert ruins to explore, shipments across the sands to make or threats that need quelling, the Sand Surfers got your back" he said, pitching what appeared to be a slogan. He then climbed on board the thing he called a Sand Skimmer. "And you folks get to be the first ones to set out on the maiden voyage of our Skimmer, free of charge!" he said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head. He had a feeling that the carriages would be used for spare parts but he didn't expect them to turn into something like this. "Well, it's certainly…unique, I'll give it that. I think the design still needs more work but if it functions, that's all that matters" he said.

Colin leaned up against the mast. "Sure, it may not be the prettiest design but this is still a prototype! Just you wait, these Skimmers will be the cornerstone of desert travel, I guarantee it!" he said. He exuded bright confidence in his words and posture as if it were a deep passion of his.

Seara patted her chest lightly. "As for me, I've got some replacements to pick up over in Third Haven" she said. She then climbed onto the strange carriage and sat down in the back.

Lux shrugged his shoulders and looked at them. "The Skimmers, much like the Skiffs, are powered by Earth-based Artes mainly but with the sail we repurposed from the carriages, travel will be even faster with the addition of Wind-based Artes" he said. He ran his hand across the wooden frame of the carriage. "Colin is passionate when it comes to inventing. While we haven't seen any real testing being done yet, I can promise you that he knows what he's doing" he said.

Tsuki shrugged his shoulders. Regardless of how they do it, they needed to cross the desert again. "I guess we'll be the guinea pigs. What could go wrong…?" he asked, climbing into the back of the carriage.

Phi scratched the back of her head with a sigh. Getting into untested creations seems to be rather reckless. "I can probably think of a few things…" she said. She also climbed into the back of the carriage.

Everyone else soon followed suit and piled into the back of the carriage. It was pretty cramped and didn't have much room for anyone else which basically confirmed that the carriage could carry, at most, 10 people at a time. It wasn't a large amount but it was certainly a start when it came to desert travel. With enough resources and time, they could see this becoming widespread.

Lux stood back as they loaded up into the carriage as the canoe-shaped objects underneath the carriage started to glow a yellow color with an incantation circle appearing behind the carriage itself. According to what Lux had told him, the Mana being channeled through the Skimmer's bottom fins is used for smooth travel across the sands while the incantation circle produces wind to blow against the sails. The driver is able to fully maneuver the Skimmer across the desert by use of Earth Artes.

Lux put his hands on his hips and examined the outside of the carriage to make sure everything started up properly. After checking up on it, he gave Colin a thumb's up, who was sitting in the driver's seat in front. "All good to go!" he said. He then made his way to the back of the carriage one more time to say his farewells. "You guys be careful out there, you hear? Don't be foolish and get yourselves killed!" he said.

Cheria bowed to Lux as she was sitting down in the back of the carriage. "Thank you for the hospitality. We'll do our best" she said.

Colin looked back at them and nodded before shifting his gaze towards the front. "Alright then! Let's get this show on the road! Let's put this Skimmer to test for it's maiden voyage! Make sure you're all seated and prepared!" he said. With all the farewells all said and done, it was time they get a move on.

His eyes started to glow yellow as the carriage rumbled to life. Within seconds, the carriage slowly started to move across the sand as it pulled out through the main gate. Lux stood back to not get blasted by the sand and dust that was kicked up as he waved at them. The carriage soon started to pick up speed as it began to seemingly glide across the soft sand. The ride appeared to be rather smooth aside from going across the various sand dunes. It almost felt like they were on a boat out at sea almost. The wind coming from the incantation circle also helped push the Skimmer across the desert. It also served as a bit of a cooling system as it blew out cool air for them which made the trip even better.

The Skimmer eventually came to a steady high speed as it surfed across the sand, showing Tsuki and the others why Colin and his little group are known as Sand Surfers. As they went across the desert, they didn't notice any sign of deficiency or unstable break-up from the carriage's design. Despite the looks of it, the carriage was actually pretty well-built with a lot of attention to reinforcement and stability to the carriage itself.

By foot, it takes people half a day to travel between Chesberry and Third Haven but at the speeds that they were going at, they would be able to reach their respective destination within a matter of three hours, if that. It was hard to tell exactly how long it would take since this was the maiden voyage so that was a rough estimate, according to Colin. As they traveled back to Third Haven, they spent the time talking with Seara and amongst each other about various things though some of the group were mostly interested in the relationship that Ramza and Seara had, much to Ramza's disdain of the subject. With what's probably to come, it was best that they took advantage of this calm and peace while they can. No one knew what to expect at the Nobuo Shrine so they had to prepare themselves for whatever may come, both physically and mentally.

To be continued…