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

43. Missing Royalty

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 42: Lost Royalty

The hours passed by as Tsuki and everyone else waited for the preparations for their trek to Border Town and what lies beyond to finalize. When the sun rose the next day, Tsuki and the others hit the shops to finish getting their own individual preparations done. Stocking up on supplies, checking up on the state of their equipment and making sure they had finished all of the business they needed to attend to. Once they cross the border into Nargelond, there was a high chance that they wouldn't be able to return for a while.

When they finished all the preparations they needed to do, all that was left to them was playing the waiting game. To pass the time, some of the group went out to undertake some minor job requests that were posted on the bulletin board so that they could get used to prospects of what being a mercenary is like. With the group mostly being F-ranks, there weren't any difficult jobs to undertake. Most of them were simple delivery jobs, gathering requests and simple monster extermination jobs.

When it came to job requests that are posted on the bulletin board, much like with mercenary ranks, each one is also ranked based on stars. The number of stars a particular job posting has indicates the predicted difficulty of the job itself. Every job posting is marked with stars ranging from 1 to 6. The higher rank a mercenary attains, the more they'll have access to the higher tier of requests. Ranks F-D are restricted to job postings that are marked with either 1 star or 2 stars. Ranks C and B are granted access to jobs marked with 3 and 4 stars, along with any 1 and 2 star requests, and Rank A is granted access to requests with 5 and 6 stars, along with everything that came before it. Naturally, S-ranks have access to everything.

It was around early afternoon that preparations had been finalized. The group received official orders approved by both the Velika Branch and the Jibril Branch which will help their transition into Nargelond go a lot more smoother. With everything ready, Tsuki and the others said their farewells to Odette and Enzo and boarded the arranged carriage that would take them across the countryside to Border Town. The trip would take roughly two hours from Velika.

Thankfully, the ride through the countryside was rather peaceful. The weather was nice with clear skies and not a stormy cloud in sight and most of the monsters kept to their own business. The group took in the sights while they could because they'll be traveling through canyons, mountain ridges and other bits of rough terrain for a good while. Since they'll be around Jibril for a while, they would also have to get used to the drastic temperature change. Being so close to Mt. Praxik and the lava tunnels, it's the type of environment that isn't easy to live in and adjust to for newcomers.

As they rode through the countryside, they took the time to rest and talk amongst themselves. Before they knew it, the next two days of travel flew by with little to no excitement. Their destination soon came into sight as they traveled south. They could start to see the many large mountains in the distance that were beyond a fortified town. As they started their final approach to Border Town, they started to see what appeared to merchants lining up along the road going into the town proper.

The carriage pulled up to the main entrance of Border Town so that they could climb off it. Once everyone was off, the waved off the carriage before watching it turn around and started the return trip back to Velika. Once the carriage was gone, they turned around and headed into Border Town. The town itself wasn't that large. In fact, the town looked like fortress that was converted into a small town. It looked roughly around the same size of Chesberry was with the only difference being a wall that went right down the center of the town plaza. Along with the wall was a heavily fortified gate guarded by a series of guards presumably from both sides, one side being guarded by knights of Esseand and the other knights of Dolothlond. This was all that separated the two territories. Upon passing through the gate, you'll be considered on the others' territory.

The divided portion of town had everything travelers would need. There were a number of different shops scattered around along with the local bar and inn. There was a small residential area, but not many people outside of local merchants and families of knights take up residence. Because of the tensions of being literal neighbors to the neighboring kingdom, not many were all that keen on living in Border Town. That's what made it feel like more of a fortress than a town.

When they walked up into the plaza, they could see a line of merchants standing in front of the gate that divided the two kingdoms. Allie looked around the area and could feel the tension in the air. The merchants were trying to cross into Nargelond for rich business opportunities with the upcoming war tensions and other people were trying to make the best of their situation. "This place feels…on edge" she said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head a bit. "Given the problematic situation, I would be more surprised if things weren't on edge. If war were to officially break out between Esseand and Dolothlond, this place would be the first to be hit" he said. Tensions around Border Town were already high on a daily basis and the rumors of a war outbreak has only made things worse.

Cheria almost couldn't believe that the dividing line that separates the two kingdoms was guarded by a single gate. "I still can't believe this is what's considered the border. It's like someone cut the continent in half like a slice of pie and laid claim to it" she said.

Elle shook her head. She's seen a similar sight like this before, although a lot less heavily fortified. "The layout is really no different than that of Arbor Flats. That place is just a small village that also serves as the gate into the Southern Region back in Cayhill. While it's not like this place, it's still considered a border town" she said.

Ramza folded his arms together. "The Border Town of Dagbor. According to Luan, there was once a time where the two kingdoms of Esseand and Dolothlond had no such thing as borders. Two kingdoms that shared one giant continent with no defined borders had eventually started to cause problems, so the two kingdoms came together to build something like what we have today. The natural mountain formations that came together in this valley provided a perfect area to define the borders" he said. There were some other things that were involved in the establishing of the border town, but much of what Luan had once told him effectively went in one ear and out the other. "With the newly established borders, the continent was divided with each section being given their own names, Ersheath and Nargelond, to identify the different regions" he said.

Lynette stroked her chin a bit. After looking at the world map and seeing the massive continent that they were on, she had grown a bit curious on the process of deciding just what would be considered Esseand and Dolothlond territory. "So, that's how it happened. Interesting…" she said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit as she thought about the history. "It almost feels like the two kingdoms were on good terms with one another at the time. The fact that they both came together to establish their borders shows that they were once capable of it" she said. It made her think about how things could have gone wrong.

Melphi shook her head, shrugging her shoulders. All of this was way before her time and she wasn't a big history buff, so she didn't have much to say. "That's the generational gap for you. You could have one generation with decent people but then have the generation that comes after that's filled with scum. Especially with Humans, so long as they seek to elevate themselves, they don't care who they have to step on, even if it's their own kin and ancestors" she said. There may be decent Humans in the world, but the bad far outweigh the good. History has shown this and continues to show it with the present age.

Ramza grumbled a bit to himself. There was nothing he could say about that because he knew that she was right and it almost frustrates him. "I wish I could tell you that you are wrong…" he said. Humans have dug themselves into a deep pit that could take generation upon generation to climb out from. This was something that was not going to happen in any of their lifetimes, unfortunately.

Ruko looked at the line of merchants waiting to gain passage through the border gates. "So, remind me: what's the plan after we cross through that gate?" he asked.

Tsuki thought back on the plan that they had worked out back before leaving Velika. "Once we pass through the gate, we have to reach a small outpost not too far from here where something calls DracoFlights operates out of. Supposedly, we'll be able to rent tamed dragons that will be able to fly us over to Jibril" he said. The distance from here to Jibril was quite a ways away, far more than the distance from Imil to Ustrisu Fortress. "Having Mel fly us there ourselves is out of the question. I'm not going to put that much strain on her" he said.

Melphi scratched the back of her head a bit. Even if she offered to fly them there, she wouldn't have been able to for a number of reasons. "…I appreciate it" she said. It wasn't just the distance that she would have had to travel, but the route she would have taken. DracoFlights had its own mapped out routes that often avoided dangerous areas and one area in particular was strictly avoided. This was the route she would have gone as it would have cut their travel time by half, but it would also put her into territory she didn't want to return to right now.

Cesela had a wide grin on her face with an excited look on her face as she stepped forward from the group, spun around and held her arms behind her back. Her fox ears were twitching with excitement as her tail swayed back and forth. "It does sound a lot more fun than some dull carriage ride though!" she said.

Phi remembered them talking about DracoFlights briefly. Wild dragons and wyverns aren't exactly the friendliest creatures out there. Melphi was one thing, but the thought of flying on the back of wild dragons makes her uneasy. "Will we be alright? They won't, like, throw us off, will they?" she asked.

Ramza nodded though he couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive about it himself. "From what Enzo and Odette told us, DracoFlights appears to be very reliable and trustworthy, boasting top-notch service with the strongest and healthiest dragons. Even some of the mercenaries use them from time to time" he said. He reached into his bag and pulled out a letter that was signed by Enzo. "Once we get to the outpost, we're suppose to give this letter to a man named Ryder and he'll set us straight" he said. The letter he gave them was something a letter of introduction of sorts.

Elle shrugged her shoulders a bit as she stared at the letter for a moment. "I suppose it pays to have mercenary connections" she said.

When Enzo gave them the letter that Ramza was holding, he told them that it will serve as a first-class ticket of sorts. DracoFlights is a popular service people use to transport things or get around with. With the increase in demand and not having enough manpower to meet that demand, they were forced to implement a system where people had to make reservations with them. Since DracoFlights have a contract with the Mercenary Guild, all it takes is a little bit of leeway and one could skip the reservation process completely.

Nagi took out a map of Nargelond that they were given by Odette. She had marked a head of time key locations to be aware of for future needs such as checkpoints, towns and areas to stay away from. "According to the map, once we get leave Dagbor through Nargelond's side, the outpost we're looking for should be about halfway through the canyon pass. Judging the distance, we're probably looking at somewhere close to 2 hours" she said.

Lynette was hopeful that the trek to reach the outpost would be as smooth as their ride here, but considering the type of environment they are going into, she had her doubts. "We won't run into wild dragons out there, will we?" she asked. She couldn't help but think back to their encounter with Kaito and his dragon, as well as the Daemon they fought back in the desert. Taking down things like wolves, bears and boar were one thing, but a dragon was on a whole different level.

Melphi shook her head. "Dragons typically live up in the high mountain ranges. Very rarely do they come down here unless forced" she said. She then walked over to Nagi and pointed at a series of mountains that were circled in southeast of them. "So long as we stay away from this area, we should be fine" she said. The area that was circled was along the route she would have taken if she were to fly them herself.

Allie tilted her head a bit. She could feel a hint of anxiety coming from Melphi. "Why's that?" she asked.

Melphi sighed a bit and turned around to face the gate in front of them. "That area is controlled by Dragonkin. I…can't guarantee everyone's safety if we were to set foot into there" she said.

Ramza stroked his chin a bit as he looked at where she pointed at on the map. "Dragonkin, huh? I can see why that might pose a problem for us then. We'll keep that in mind" he said. He had a gut feeling that she was hiding something from them and whatever that was seemed to be sensitive with how she clammed up. It would best not to pry at her until she talks about it herself.

Tsuki shrugged her shoulders a bit. "Well, we have no reason to walk into Dragonkin territory to begin with" he said. He turned to face the gate. "Ramza, you're the representative of the group. Given that you're the A-rank, you should be the one to lead" he said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head a bit. "Leave it to me. Just play the role of a mercenary and things should go smoothly" he said. Once they get past the gate, they'll be in the clear to loosen up. "Let's get a move on before that line gets any longer" he said.

The group nodded in agreement and made their way over to the line of merchants that were waiting to pass through the gate. Each group had to go through a thorough check to make sure they weren't bringing any contraband or anything else illegal. To make the process more smooth, Allie returned into the Caliburn. The line slowly started to move along as merchant groups passed through the gate one at a time. Eventually, their turn to pass through the checkpoint came up. Before they stopped at the gate, two guards stepped up to them.

The guard with muscles and a scar on his face walked up to Tsuki and the others and examined the group. "You all don't look like merchants. I'm sorry folks, but civilian entry into and out of Nargelond is restricted right now, so I can't allow you through" he said.

Ramza stepped forward from the group, taking out his gold-plated Codex as well as the official job form that they were given back in Velika. "Oh no, we're not civilians. We're mercenaries out on a job right now" he said.

The two guards immediately recognized who Ramza was. Since they were still on Ersheath's side of Dagbor, the gate was guarded by knights that belong to Esseand. The scrawny-looking guard instinctively stood at attention. "G-General Tokatsu, sir! W-what brings you all the way out here?" he asked.

Ramza handed them the job form for them to look at and verify. "Like I said, we're here on official Mercenary Guild business" he said, trying to steer the conversation away to avoid raising suspicion. "Me and my partner here have been tasked with taking some new recruits over to the Jibril Mercenary Guild Branch. You'll find all the relevant details on that form along with the official seals of Velika and Jibril" he said.

The two guards examined the job form as well as everyone's Mercenary Codex. The seals and their Codex matched official documents, so they didn't see any issue. Being unfamiliar with how the Mercenary Guild works, they had no idea that Tsuki's Codex wasn't exactly up to code. Though, they did find it a little odd that only two high-ranking mercenaries were in charge of leading such a large group.

The guard with the scar mumbled to himself a bit after verifying the legitimacy of the job form and everyone's Codex. "Is this really the whole party? It seems a little unorthodox to lead such a large group with only the two of you" he said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. The man had a point, but it's not like he could deviate from the narrative at this point. "Unfortunately, things around Velika have been busy lately and this job came in as an emergency from Jibril. Apparently, there's some suspicious activity going on around the lava fields and they lack the manpower to handle it" he said.

The scrawny guard stroked his chin as he fell into his thoughts. What he said and what was written on the job form correlated with the rumors he's heard from other travelers and merchants prior to the gates being shuttered. "I did hear some talk about that. Because of how remote Jibril is and considering the local rough environment, not many people go down there" he said.

The guard with the scar seemed to nod in response. If the Mercenary Guild was taking action, then maybe there was truth to the rumors. "Just a word of warning before you go out there: Mt. Praxik has been showing signs of recent activity. I wouldn't be surprised if we see an eruption any day now" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit, folding his arms. "I've heard that the volcano was once dormant though" he said. He tried to play it cool and pretend like he didn't know much about the area.

The guard looked over towards Tsuki, nodding at him. "It was, yes. That is, until that Wellspring sprung up in the lava tunnels. Over the last few days, there appears to be signs of instability which has been shifting the lava flow quite drastically" he said. No one knows why the Wellspring started to act up.

Elle put her hand up to her chin and fell into her thoughts. "Wellspring instability…?" she mumbled to herself

Just then, she heard the voice of Frost speak to her through her mind that only she could hear. "It's possible that Efreet senses us. My awakening seems to have triggered a response from the other Great Spirits, including Volt" she said.

Elle grumbled to herself as Frost spoke through telepathy. It was the first time she's experienced something like this and wonders if Tsuki and Allie do it all the time. "A response? Have you been able to establish communication with them?" she asked.

Frost let out a soft groan almost as if to tell her no."Unfortunately, no. Like I said before, the other Great Spirits have closed their minds off due to the missing pieces that Allie holds inside of her. Because we are all connected, however, we can sense each other no matter the distance" she said. Her awakening must have caused some sort of reaction with the other Great Spirits, and by extension, the Wellsprings.

Elle glanced over towards Melphi and Cheria for a brief moment as she stroked her chin."You mentioned Volt. Are you able to communicate with him too?" she asked. She remembered the old stories and what Melphi had told them and how Volt was de-classified as a Great Spirit though no one really knows why. Even by modern standards, Volt is still considered to be the strongest, and most dangerous, Spirit out there. The fact that Shana, a seemingly ordinary Elf, has practically full control over him is nothing short of a miracle.

Again, Frost let out a soft groan like she was indicating that it wasn't possible. "Volt is…a special case. To make a long story short, he's completely separated himself from the rest of us" she said. She fell into her thoughts for a moment as she remembered the long, distant past. "There was an incident back in Year 1505 when the Humans tried to eradicate the Spirits. Volt wound up being captured by a certain powerful individual and forced to comply with the demands of Humans. They sought his immense power and tried to harness it, but it proved to be too difficult which resulted in a massive loss of life" she said. She remembered the carnage that ensued from that accident. All the charred remains of Humans "Because of the forceful attempts to harness his powers, it caused his own Aer to fall out of balance beyond repair. This resulted in him becoming an unstable Spirit which increases the risk of a Spatial Quake occurring. If someone like Volt were to cause a disaster like that, it would be devastation on a wide scale" she said.

Elle was starting to piece things together. She didn't understand how a Great Spirit could simply be "re-classified". Regardless of how one sees it, Volt still held considerably more power than any other Spirit. "So, he shut himself off from the world to avoid a potential disaster. But then, how did Shana manage to wrangle him in?" she asked.

Frost was silent for a few moments as if she didn't have an answer. "…That, I'm not sure. After the incident, Volt suddenly broke off from us and sealed himself away in a place no one knew about. The years turned into decades and we hadn't felt or heard anything from him. He had completely disappeared from the world. That is, until about 30 years ago when he suddenly reappeared. By that point, he was already under a Spiritual Contract with Shana" she said.

After being away from the world, and the Great Spirits, for almost 1,500 years, there was much she and others wanted to talk to Volt about. They all wanted to know where he had been all this time and how he was holding up. Truthfully, they were all pretty concerned about Volt and his wellbeing so the fact that he had suddenly disappeared caused quite a lot of trouble for them. However, they knew that he was still himself somewhere out there since there had been no news about any disastrous Spatial Quakes. The only one that could fall under that category that occurred was the one that Alexander had mentioned to Tsuki, the one that was caused by a very powerful Spirit which resulted in the massive crater where Briswater now stands. However, they knew Volt wasn't the one that caused it. The level of damage and destruction caused by that Spatial Quake far exceeded even Volt's capabilities.

Frost could be heard letting out an audible sigh in her head. "If Efreet can feel us, it shouldn't be much longer before he's able to establish a connection with Allie the same way I did" she said. Since Allie holds a piece of them inside her, they're able to communicate with her, albeit very limited due to a variety of reasons despite being on the same level as a Great Spirit.

Cheria looked over towards Elle who had been staring at them for a while now. She looked like she was in some serious deep thought about something. "Elle? You okay?" she asked.

Elle snapped back to reality when Cheria called out to her, shaking her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just having a small chat with Frost, that's all" she said.

While the two of them were talking, Ramza and Tsuki had finished working things out with the guards by the gate. After a short routine inspection of them, they were all cleared to pass through into Nargelond. They had to go through a secondary checkpoint, this time inspected by Dolothlond guards. Unlike before, they had a little bit of a harder time dealing with them, but were soon cleared to pass through. They were now officially in Nargelond territory. Much like how it was on the other side of the gate, tension in Nargelond's side of Dagbor seemed to be fairly high. It was easy to tell that the people were uneasy.

The group made their way through the rest of Dagbor without issue and soon exited the town and setting foot into a valley of canyons. It was such a drastic difference in environments compared to the grassy flatlands of Ersheath. They were expecting barren canyons given what they've heard, but in fact, the canyons were quite beautiful. There was almost a sense of tranquility to them. Patches of grass and flowers with a river flowing through the canyon, a seemingly abundance of wildlife. It was like something straight out of a fairytale.

The canyon pathways were well-kept and maintained to prevent any accidents from occurring. There were even pathways separated from the main road that served as monster trails of sorts. With an entirely new region, they could expect to see a different variety of monsters which would also bring new levels of danger. Being in unknown territory for the first time was a little stressful and probably more so this time around compared to when they arrived in Ersheath due to all that's been happening. From where they were currently, Dolothlond was to the far east of them while Jibril was located near the southern coastline. If they had to walk in either direction, according to the map, it would take roughly 3 days, maybe 4 to reach Dolothlond while it would take up to, if not more than, a week to reach Jibril. This also meant that the distance between Jibril and Dolothlond was roughly going to be a 2 week journey.

Ramza had relayed to them what Enzo had informed him about. Because towns and cities were such a large distance apart from each other compared to Ersheath or Cayhill, transportation services such as DracoFlights was almost a necessity to get around as it would cut travel times by 80%. This means that they'll most likely be taking advantage of that service as much as they can.

Their travels through the canyon proceeded with relative ease. They took in the sights and fought new monsters such as a new breed of Bear, Wild Hogs, Rams, Sparrow Vultures and Canyon Spiders. Aside from that, their travels through the various canyons and valleys went along pretty smoothly. As they walked, Elle had told them what she and Frost had talked about. They tried to press Melphi for more information, but she didn't have much to add to the conversation. She never really questioned the nature of Volt or how the two of them came into contact with each other since it wasn't any of her business to know. All she could offer was that she and Volt were already connected by the time they first met on that fateful day when Kaito sacrificed her entire village.

As previously suspected, two hours had gone by in a flash. The canyons opened up to a large valley surrounded by tall ridgelines. The outpost that they were looking for was right in front of them as it nestled along the edge of a cliff. Below them at the foot of the canyon was a vast open space of greenery and forests. They could see a long set of stairs leading down the sides of the canyon to the bottom along with what appeared to be lifts to take people straight down without having to climb. The area below them was seemingly untouched by man. It was as if the canyon walls formed around the whole area, enclosing it.

The outpost itself was pretty small. It basically served as a rest stop for people to use before continuing their journey, whether it was taking them into the valley below or through the canyon. Compared to the vibe around Dagbor, the feeling around the outpost was much more relaxed probably due to the fact that no one resided there aside the assigned guards and associates of DracoFlights. Despite that though, the outpost did it's best to make people feel as comfortable as possible as they passed through.

The outpost they stepped into was called Arbor's Outlook. According to what Melphi said, the outpost was built to oversee the valley below. It was a nature preserve that was protected under Dolothlond law. No one is allowed to build within the valley or do anything that might cause environmental damage. It was a place that many tourists, both locally and foreign, often visit. It's also a famous spot to go camping. The people that stay in the outpost are take shifts on managing the valley.

The group walked into the center of the outpost and looked around the area. There was a single shop and a small café set up but aside from that, nothing too extravagant. In fact, the outpost itself was rather simple and plain. Off towards the southern part of the outpost was the road leading back through the canyons to the lands beyond. However, their objective was off towards the ridgeline of the outpost where dragons and wyverns of different shapes and sizes slept within an enclosed den. Above the den was a sign with the name DracoFlights attached to it. This was their destination.

Ramza at all of the sleeping wyverns and dragons. "Looks like this is the place. Pretty bold to have wild dragons and wyverns residing within the outpost as if they were common animals" he said. They all looked pretty tame and docile.

Nagi scratched the back of her head. Not only were there dragons and wyverns sleeping in their designated dens, but others were being tended to by people. By the looks of it, there seemed to be a strong bond of trust between them. Some were even rubbing their heads up against the people which was commonly known as how animals and other creatures display signs of affection. One wouldn't think these were the same type of monster that can raze towns to the ground. "No kidding. It's like they've been completely domesticated. You can see just how much they trust their handlers" she said.

Melphi watched how they interacted with each other and it solidified what she had already knew about DracoFlights. "Unlike with the Dragon Riders, DracoFlights don't force dragons or wyverns into submission and eventual servitude. According to what Shana used to say, every dragon and wyvern that DracoFlights employs under them were all born and raised from eggs. The handlers know how to treat them with respect and it seems that the dragons and wyverns are able to reciprocate that" she said. It was almost heartwarming to see such a loving and trusting bond between dragons and Humans, something that's quite rare these days.

Cheria felt like there was still some hope for humanity left after seeing this. There were a lot of good people out there and to see two opposing races practically coexisting in peace was a welcomed sight. "Maybe one day, this level of interaction will be possible for us Humans again" she said.

Lynette let out a soft sigh as she shook her head. "To think, this is something that could have been widely common" she said. There was a time when Humans and Faeries lived in times of peace and coexistence, but that was before they were born.

In that moment, the Caliburn on Tsuki's waist glowed and moments later, Allie's voice could be heard speaking out. "It could still be possible! We just have to work at fixing all the mistakes that the people who came before us made" she said. She soon appeared in front of them after she spoke out.

Ruko shook his head, putting his hands on his hips. "Easier said than done. There's so many problems that they created that it'll be hard to find a good starting point" he said. Tackling the problems that their ancestors created was like fighting against a pack of Behemoths. An insurmountable task, and one that most would say was impossible.

Phi felt like they should focus more on their present problems rather than ones that have already become rooted into the annals of history. Only once those have been resolved can they look to the ones more deeply rooted. "It's good to be optimistic, but considering what you're implying, that task would take multiple generations to accomplish" she said.

Tsuki shrugged his shoulders. The world has many problems that need solving, but the scope of those problems are out of their reach as of right now. "We can worry about that stuff another time. We have our own stuff to deal with" he said. He then stepped forward towards the dragon dens. "Come on, let's see if we can hitch a ride" he said.

The group followed Tsuki over towards the DracoFlights operational area. The dragons and wyverns within the various dens almost immediately sensed them approaching and looked over towards them. Most of those gazes were locked onto both Tsuki and Melphi. Dragons and wyverns have heightened senses compared to most other breed of monster, so it was possible that they were picking up on the fact that Melphi was a Dragonkin and remnants of Cliff's aura inside of Tsuki.

Since Melphi was a Dragonkin with the ability to transform into her dragon form, it was of no surprise that other dragons and wyverns would be able to pick up on this. Despite being a half-breed, she still carried the same scent and aura of a dragon. As for Tsuki, since Cliff was a Dragonkin himself and was regarded as the Dragon King back when he was still alive, it would make sense that his aura would have rubbed off on Tsuki with the amount of times they've combined their powers together.

As they approached, a man with long, silver hair tied in a ponytail with closed eyes walked out of the dens to greet them. "Hello there. Welcome to DracoFlights, where we guarantee the best flight service and transportation all across Nargelond. How can I help you folks today?" he asked. He had a calm demeanor to his relaxed expression and looked like someone who lived a carefree life.

Ramza walked up to the man and handed him the job notice from before along with the letter that was for a man named Ryder. "My name is Ramza Tokatsu. I'm an A-rank mercenary that's come here to deliver this letter to a man named Ryder and to request your services" he said.

The man took the job notice from him as well as the letter. He looked at the group with closed eyes. "Well, I'll be happy to inform you that you've located the person in which you seek. My name is Ryder Umaki and you must be the mercenaries I was informed of to expect. It's a pleasure to meet you" he said. He looked down to open the letter that was signed for him and read through it as well as giving the job notice a brief lookover, all while his eyes were still shut. "Hmm…I see. So, Enzo would like to make an exclusive deal with us in order to accommodate you. Normally, such a proposal would be flat-out rejected given the circumstances, but DracoFlights does owe the Mercenary Guild a lot, so I see no reason to deny it" he said. He glanced back up at the group. "Though, it is a bit odd that you would require our services when you have a Dragonkin amongst your number" he said, pointing out Melphi immediately.

Ruko took notice of something immediately. There was something to Ryder that was unmistakable to him. "Wait. Is that…the Mind's Eye?" he asked. Even though he wasn't using his eyes, he was still able to read the scraps of papers he held and even point out Melphi. There was no mistake that the man was using the Mind's Eye and a very powerful one at that.

Ryder looked over towards Ruko and nodded. "Oh? A fellow disciple of the Fist, huh? You are correct. The Mind's Eye is a powerful thing that reveals more than what the eyes would see…" he said. He then shifted his glance over towards Nagi and Elle. "Such as an overwhelming sense of Darkness coming from the girl with the spellbook, the presence of a powerful ice-based Spirit from the High Elf…" he said. Again, his gaze shifted and this time, it locked onto Tsuki and Allie. "…Even the presence of multiple powerful souls in the young swordsman and the different types of conflicting Aer within the young Spirit girl" he said.

The group was caught by surprise by the man's deduction of them. The fact that he was able to point out those things without even opening his eyes was almost terrifying. According to what Ruko had told them, the Mind's Eye was a special technique that martial artists use in order to sharpen their senses whether it comes to spiritual training or actual combat. The deeper the connection a person has spiritually, the stronger their Mind's Eye becomes. With enough development, someone could easily point out a person's will and intentions and take the appropriate actions before anyone could react.

Cesela let out a slightly nervous laugh as she scratched her cheek. "That…is quite the scary technique" she said.

Ruko nodded at her response. "It is especially when it's wielded by someone with ill intentions themselves…like Albert" he said. His thoughts briefly fell back on his former friend that they had confronted back in the forest where they rescued Phi's grandfather.

Allie put her hand up to her chest as she looked up at Ryder. If he could see that there was conflicting Aer inside of her, she wondered if there was anything else going on. "Um…you mentioned conflicting Aer inside of me? What do you mean? Is that why I've been having a hard time making a connection to it?" she asked. Every time she tried to use her angel-like abilities, they only last for a short time before she suddenly loses connection with them.

Ryder looked down at Allie and took a closer look at her. Hidden behind all the conflicting Aer was indeed something stronger and more solidified. "I see the presence of Water, Fire, Wind and Earth inside you along with an ancient, powerful Light. Your Light-based abilities appear to be constricted by the foreign fragments of Aer inside you…" he said, stroking his chin. In all of his years, he's never seen something like this before. Not even the Great Spirits are capable of wielding multiple elements at once. "Fascinating. I've never seen such a tumultuous congregation of Aer. It's as if you were a walking Wellspring without the negative outward effects. If you can get rid of those foreign fragments of Aer, you should have no further issues connecting to your Light-based abilities" he said.

Allie assumed that's what she had to do. Ever since she lost the fragment of Ice-based Aer that belonged to Frost, she felt her connection with her Light become a little stronger, but not enough to form a stable connection. "That's what I thought…" she said. This meant that if she wanted to fully regain her Light abilities and whatever potential that could lead to, they would need to awaken Efreet, Sylph, Gnome and Undine. She may not be able to fully access her full potential, the more fragments of Aer she gets rid of, the more reliable her connection with them improves.

Ryder cleared his throat and looked back towards the rest of the group. "Getting back to the topic at hand, you all need to rent some of our dragons, correct?" he said. He glanced back towards the dens and clapped his hands together. "Dom! Ready five of our dragons!" he said.

One of the handlers who was tending to one of the sleeping wyverns when Ryder called out to them. The man named Dom stood up and looked towards Ryder. "On it, boss!" he said. He turned and went into the dens to prepare the dragons that they will be riding.

Ryder looked back towards the group. "As much as I would like to give you all your dragon, I'm afraid you'll have to settle up with partners" he said. Their group was too large for individual dragons and wyverns. After all, he still had a business to conduct.

Tsuki shook his head. So long as they can all get to Jibril, five was enough. "Don't worry about it. We'll make due with it. We appreciate your cooperation" he said.

Ryder walked up to Tsuki, reaching into his bag around his waist and holding something out for him. "Take this with you" he said.

Tsuki reached out and took what he handed him. In his hands, he was holding a silver-plated ticket laminated in plastic. "What is it?" he asked.

Ryder took a few steps back from him. "Call it a…future investment. With that, you'll be able to use our services whenever you need them. We're currently on a reservation system due to all that's going on, so we can't be as accommodating as we have been. Think of it as a VIP pass" he said. The ticket he handed them was basically the way for them to skip the reservation process. These types of tickets are only handed out to certain people, mainly those that are employed by DracoFlights. It was rare that anyone else would have one.

Tsuki examined the silver-plated ticket in his hand, tilting his head a bit. Having an all-access pass to use for travel around Nargelond would help them out a lot.. "That does sound handy. Thanks" he said, putting the ticket in his bag.

After a few more moments, the handler from before came out from the dens with five wyverns. "Here you go. They just finished eating, so they're energized and ready to fly" he said.

The wyverns were much smaller than the group would have expected. Considering the fact that the only dragons that they've seen were Melphi's form and the black dragon under Kaito's command. They let out a collective roar, flapping their wings a bit and kicking up the dust around them. Seeing them up close, they legitimately looked harmless.

Ryder walked up to the wyverns and stroked their manes gently. "These five may look young, but they have plenty of strength to get you all to Jibril" he said. They were still fresh new flyers, but they've passed all of the required checks and benchmarks.

The group then paired up and climbed aboard their respective wyverns. Tsuki, Allie and Cheria were on one, Ruko and Lynette were on the second, Ramza and Phi on the third, Elle and Nagi on the fourth and Melphi and Cesela on the fifth. Since it was the first time they flew on the backs of wild wyverns, they were given a small test flight so that they could get a feel with how to ride them. Surprisingly, the wyverns were quick to obey to commands and offered no issues or resistance. It didn't take them long enough to nail down the maneuvers.

Ryder watched as they finished their test flights and prepared for the real deal. The dragons and wyverns under the employ of DracoFlights are all known for getting along with their handlers, but even he was surprised at how fast they were able to sync up each other. "Looking good! You're all ready to fly! Don't worry about the wyverns when you get to Jibril. They'll find their way back by instinct" he said. It was most likely because of the presence of Melphi and that other Dragonkin-like aura emanating from one of the souls inside of Tsuki that helped the wyverns feel more relaxed and trusting.

Ramza nodded at the man, throwing him a casual salute. "Got it. We'll make sure to take good care of the wyverns" he said.

Ryder then waved them off as they readied to leave. "Thank you for choosing DracoFlights for your traveling needs. We hope to see you again soon" he said. Not that he didn't expect they would be back. Considering what was asked of him by Enzo, there was a strong possibility that they'll be working together quite a lot in the future.

Moments after that, the wyverns lifted up from the ground, letting out a roar before taking flight high up into the sky. Before they knew it, they were practically touching the clouds as they began their flight to the southern end of the continent where Jibril awaits. Unfortunately for them, they had to go around a certain section of mountains due to Melphi's earlier reluctance. Since they are taking the long route, it would take the group roughly two hours to get to Jibril. This was fine though since it provided them a good opportunity to survey the land below them.

As they had expected from how the map looks, most of Nargelond was all canyons, valleys and high mountains. It was a completely different sight compared to the likes of Ersheath or Cayhill. It was a somewhat hard and rough environment to live in, but people seem to make the best of it. Towards the eastern coastline where Dolothlond was, they could see the canyons start to level out with a glimpse of a grassy field, but they were too far away to be able to see most of it. All they could see what sat along the horizon.

The further south they went, the more the canyons started to turn into large valleys with high ridgelines. A mix of rock, water and grass turned an otherwise dull and bland landscape into colorful and lively scenery. They could even spot a few small villages and towns as they flew over them. They eventually flew over one large town, which according to their current location on the map and what Melphi said, was the Merchant Town of Mastead that they heard about. Going further south from there would officially put them in lawless territory. Not even Melphi knew what to expect going forward since she typically avoided leaving her settlement unless she had to.

Their flight path eventually took them around the mountains that they were told to avoid. The mountains stretched high up into the air and were all compacted together. As they flew around them, they were able to spot other dragons and wyverns flying around the mountains, some of which had stopped to watch them. According to what Melphi said, the dragons they were seeing were actually Dragonkin that were patrolling the region. They were watching them to make sure they didn't cross into their territory. The mountain range was rather large and took up a good chunk of the southern region of Nargelond, so it would take them a while before they got around them.

As they flew by the mountains and watched the dragons flying around, Cheria looked over towards Melphi. "So Mel, what was the reason for not wanting to fly through the mountains? You're from that area, aren't you" she asked. There had to be a reason she wanted to avoid going back into familiar turf.

Melphi was silent for a few moments before answering. She knew that this question would pop up eventually. "In the center of those mountains, you'll find what's known as the Dragon Colonies. It's a place of sanctuary for Dragonkin and is governed by the High Acheron" she said.

Cesela was holding onto Melphi as she tilted her head a bit. She didn't know much about Dragonkin culture, but was always interested to learn about it. "High Acheron?" she asked.

Melphi scratched the side of her head. "Basically, someone you'd call a village elder or town mayor. Except the only difference is that the High Acheron is dictated by strength and wisdom rather than through a community vote. The strongest has the role of leading the Colonies and ensuring survival and stability" she said. She shifted her gaze out towards the mountains that they were flying past. "Naturally, with each new High Acheron, there are ancient laws that must be passed down and some of those laws can be archaic and unnecessary. It's because of one of those laws that I found myself in a predicament that isn't easily solved. The only solution I could come up with is to distance myself from the Colonies until the situation resolves itself" she said. There was a hint of frustration in her voice as she had a tight grip on the reins that she was holding.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit. Melphi didn't seem like the type of person to run and hide from her problems. There had to be something deeper going on. "What's this law that you're talking about?" he asked.

Melphi hesitated to respond, but the truth would have to come out at some point. "The current High Acheron is getting quite old. They probably only have another year at best. Which means, the search for the next High Acheron is underway…and all eyes fell onto me" she said. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. "I'm the strongest amongst all of the Dragonkin at the Colonies, so it's only natural that others would look to me to take up the mantle when the time comes…" she said. Despite her maturity, she was still widely regarded as a young Dragonkin. She had a talent that others didn't have and the tenacity that some lack. However, there were more things that were playing a factor as to the hesitancy of her being the next High Acheron besides her young appearance, both in her half Human form and dragon form.

Lynette knew where this story was going. It was obvious, given her facial expression and uncomfortable body language. "But something is standing in the way that prevents that from happening, isn't there?" she asked.

Melphi nodded slowly. It was the one law that not only makes people very hesitant and reluctant on the idea of her becoming the next High Acheron, but distances her from other Dragonkin within the Colonies. "It's my association with Humans and especially the contract that ties me with Shana. Because Dragonkin have a serious dislike of Humans, they don't want someone who fraternizes with the object of their aggression and disdain to be the next Acheron" she said.

Ruko stroked his chin in thought. "I get it. They basically want you to sever the ties you formed" he said. To him, the law that seems to forbid any and all contact with Humans did seem archaic and unnecessary. However, given Human nature, it's understandable why such a law was still being enforced. "Can't you just deny the role of High Acheron?" he asked.

Melphi shook her head slowly. "Unfortunately, no. In tight-knit Dragonkin culture, the strongest always takes the lead, regardless if someone wants the role or not. Refusing it wasn't an option" she said. She knew that from experience as she thought back to the times she got into arguments with the council members and the current standing Acheron. They all told her such a thing wasn't possible every time.

Allie tilted her head a bit. "But you said that role was dictated by strength and wisdom, not a community vote. Even if your association with Humans gets in the way, the fact remains that you're still the strongest within the Colonies, right? So, what gives them the right to make judgment and demands?" she asked. It all sounded very convoluted to her. She just couldn't understand what went through their minds.

Melphi used the share the same thoughts as she did back when she was first told that she would be the next Acheron. "One of the Acheron's duties is stability of the Colonies. Most Dragonkin are stuck in the old ways and refuse to adapt to modern society. If someone like me were to take the place as High Acheron, while they wouldn't have any chance for a debate, it could cause a potential problem from within the Colonies" she said. She recalled a story the current standing Acheron once told her. A previous High Acheron loved Humans dearly and even formed a family with one. This caused a widespread scandal that almost destroyed the unity of the Dragon Colonies. In the end, the Acheron was forced to step down before promptly being exiled from the Colonies. "It's a difficult task to keep the people unified when the two share different views and outlooks" she said.

Elle was starting to understand Melphi a little more and why she's who she is today. She didn't hate Humans necessarily because of some deep-rooted grudge Dragonkin have but also because of the inconvenience it has on her. She must have had to endure countless negative remarks and gazes towards her when it was said that she would be the next in charge. "So, you left the Colonies in the hopes that someone else would become stronger in order to take your place" she said.

Melphi nodded. The timing of it all happening couldn't have worked out better too. The day she decided to leave the Colonies was the day that Shana had called her to Cayhill prior to Honegroth's sudden attack on Eresseas. It was almost as if fate was guiding her that day. "That's about it. I'm not exiled or anything, but I just don't…want to go back there right now" she said. It's only been a little over a month since she left and no one was even close to matching her skills. Not enough time has passed for any hopeful growth. She then looked back towards everyone else. "Not only that, but they don't take too kindly to Humans that's step into their territory. Even if I'm with you, I don't know how others would react" she said.

Tsuki nodded in response to her. They had no reason to enter into their territory right now anyway, but it was good to know what they would potentially walk into if the need ever came. "If that happens, we'll deal with it somehow" he said. It would be nice if they were able to work something out with the Colonies in order to fight alongside one another, but that was a future problem.

The group talked amongst themselves about things relating to the mountains and the surrounding areas. Melphi had told them that the Dragon Colonies had ties to their ancient roots and have been around for centuries. She talked about the history of the Colonies such as how they came to be and what led up to where they currently stand. According to Melphi, the Dragon Colonies was brought together through the vision of a single Dragonkin whose name was all too familiar. That Dragonkin was named Cliff Steele.

Cliff Steel became a prominent figure due to his exploits and achievements during Year 1500. He was the person solely responsible for bringing the Faeries together in order to team up with Humans to defeat the Archdaemon, Sarex. Because of his unparalleled strength and unbreakable spirit and tenacity, many Dragonkin started to look up to him and even almost worship him. All of this led to a series of events that gave him several titles and accolades such as the Dragon King and the Crimson Spark. After Sarex was defeated in Year 1500, Cliff went to form the Dragon Colonies and became the first standing High Acheron. The laws that Cliff created for the Colonies have served as a base for future Acherons to build off of or enhance as needed. Through the centuries, those laws and fundamentals were left unchanged. That is, until about 100 years ago when a certain Dragonkin became High Acheron. At first, things were the same as they had always been, but people didn't realize the corruptive nature this Dragonkin had. Over time, things started to change which led to the protest of many.

Conflicts within the Colonies would soon spark that threatened the livelihood of all Dragonkin. Thankfully, the corrupted Acheron was forcefully removed from power and a new one soon took their place. It was this event the sparked a change to the ancient laws that Cliff had once implemented. While some of the old laws were still enforced, many were changed to the point that they were practically new laws. This is what led the Dragon Colonies become what they were today.

After about an hour of flying around the mountains, they finally entered the southern region of Nargelond. The majestic valleys and canyon ridgelines soon flattened out into small plain that sat right up against a valley of fire and lava. They could see what could only be Mt. Praxik looming off in the distance. The lava fields stretched out a good distance in all directions only to be cut off by a high wall of stone and volcanic rock. On the other side of that wall of stone and volcanic rock was a grassy field with trees, farmland and a small lake nestled around a small town along the coastline. On that coastline was what seemed to be a small port with two ships docked. Despite all that they heard about Jibril, the town didn't look as run-down as they would have expected especially with it being so far away from the more populated areas and right at the foot of an active volcano.

Jibril seemed to be a small portside town that looked be roughly about the same size as Basilwell, if not a little smaller. From the skies, they could see that the town was divided into three sections, a residential area, a business district and the port. According to what Enzo had told them about Jibril prior to them leaving, the town had a rough estimate of 300 people living in it which was quite a lot for a remote town. Before things with Dolothlond changed and trade routes were cut, the town used to hold up to 500 people. The town has had to downsize quite a lot over the last several years. They could even see remnants of old buildings in the outskirts of the town that were either abandoned or destroyed. It was obvious that Jibril used to be a much bigger portside town. The town was on a steady decline, but once trade routes across the sea were established my merchant ships that wished to provide aid, things have been relatively stable.

It wasn't long until Tsuki and the others flew into Jibril. The wyverns landed in a pre-designated area marked off by DracoFlights where various handlers were standing by. Once on the ground, the group climbed off the backs of the wyverns where they could all finally stretch their bodies and embrace the feeling of being grounded again. Once they were off the wyverns, the handlers that were standing by walked up to them and proceeded to tend to them by guiding the wyverns to the dens where a well-earned meal and some rest awaited them. Once everyone got their legs back, they proceeded to leave the landing area where they were welcomed by other members of DracoFlights. They were handed a map of the town and were sent on their way soon after.

As they walked away from DracoFlights and walked off into the town, Tsuki opened the map to see where it is that they were going and something about the general layout of the town reminded him of something. "You know, one look at this map and you would think you walked right into a resort or something" he said. The map marked key tourists spots, offered a number of different restaurants and stores and well-known attractions.

Lynette walked up alongside Tsuki and looked at the map he was holding. As she skimmed through it, her eyes immediately became locked onto something. "Hey Tsuki, look at this! They even have something called the Grand Sandpearl Spa. Do you think it's connected with Basilwell's Grand Sandpearl Hotel?" she asked.

Ruko nodded at her question without having to look at the map. "The Grand Sandpearl is a popular name for tourists. It started out in Basilwell and then sought to expand to other portside towns. It would seem that they made a separate branch out here, but rather than a grand hotel resort, it's hot springs" he said. Thinking about the location they were in, it was actually a pretty smart business move. The idea of indulging in a natural hot spring sounded pretty appealing compared to one that was created artificially. Being so close to the heat vents that are connected to the volcano served as the golden opportunity.

Tsuki stroked his chin a bit at the idea of a natural hot spring. It had been a while since they had last been to one. "Maybe we'll get the opportunity to check it out later. In the meantime, we need to find the Guild Branch…" he said. He continued to look at the map for another minute or so before finding out where it was. "Looks like it's right next to the port. We'll head there and see what we can learn about the business that the Shogunate are conducting in the lava tunnels" he said. It would be nice if they were able to find the 'princeling' that the Shogunate mentioned back in Velika that Melphi and Cesela overheard them talking about. He could potentially hold information that they might need. However, considering the grim and ominous circumstances they placed the man in, being left seriously injured after a fight, he tried not to be hopeful.

The group nodded in acknowledgment and continued their way through the town. Again, much against what they thought of the town prior to their arrival, things were actually rather lively. One wouldn't think that the town was in dire straits as what they were led to believe. Despite living at the foot of an active volcano and in an area that appears to have suffered a lot of damage relating to the volcano, people carried on with their lives as if nothing was wrong. It really helped lift the vibe of an otherwise unfortunate situation. The community of townspeople appeared to be very tight-knit. Everyone knew everyone, so it was obvious to them that Tsuki and the others weren't from around the area. They all greeted them warmly and welcomed them to Jibril with smiles on their faces.

After about 20 minutes of walking through the streets, they finally reached the Guild Branch. When they opened the door, they were greeted to a rough scene. There were a number of mercenaries sitting on the ground, all wrapped in bandages. It was like they stepped into a medical tent on an active battlefield. Thankfully, their injuries didn't seem to be all that severe, but it was still a pretty concerning sight to see.

When they walked in, they were greeted by a young male dressed in Eastern-style clothing. "Welcome to the Mercenary Guild. I apologize, but as you can see, we have our hands full right now and are unable to take in anymore requests at this time" he said.

Ramza stepped forward and approached the young male, pulling out the job form along with his Codex. "You are mistaken. My name is Ramza Tokatsu, A-rank mercenary. We've come all the way from Velika under official orders from both Branch Leaders" he said.

The young male took the job form and looked through it. It didn't take him long to connect the dots from there. "Oh! You must be the help we've been expecting! I'm so sorry for the confusion" he said, bowing to them.

Ramza shook his head, putting his Codex away. "It's alright. By the looks of things here, we seem to have arrived at the right time too" he said. He looked around the lobby area. There were at least six other mercenaries sitting around that were covered in bandages.

The young male took a few steps back and bowed with respect. "My name is Ichiro Tanaka and I work as the receptionist for the Jibril Guild Branch. Pleased to meet you" he said.

Cheria looked at the injured mercenaries. The bandages appear to be fresh, so whatever happened here must have been recent. "What happened here…?" she asked.

Ichiro looked back towards the mercenaries that were sitting around the lobby. "There was a bit of a skirmish out near the lava fields the other day in which things a little out of control" he said. He soon shook his head and pointed a door next to the receptionist desk. "Please wait in the conference room over there. I'll go fetch the Branch Leader and she'll be able to explain things for you" he said. He then turned towards a set of stairs leading up to the second floor and headed up.

Tsuki and the others entered the room that Ichiro pointed out and sat around a big round table. They didn't have to wait too long for the Branch Leader to arrive. After a few minutes had passed, the door opened and a young girl walked into the room. The girl was a couple years older than Tsuki and carried the weight of a born leader on her shoulders. She wore a mix of heavy and light armor with a bit of chainmail added in. She had two small handaxes attached to her back and a dagger strapped to her upper right thigh.

The girl walked up to the round table the group was sitting at and gave each of them a good look. After a few moments, she nodded with a grin on her face. "Yeah…I like the looks in your eyes. They tell a story of many struggles and obstacles that have been overcome" she said. She folded her arms, nodding to herself. "We've been looking for folks like you" she said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit as she talked to herself. "Umm…and you are?" she asked. Whoever this girl was definitely had a unique aura to her that puts her on a different level than Enzo.

The girl put her hands on her hips. "The name's Kasai Ayre. I'm the Jibril Branch Leader. I've heard the stories about your exploits over in Ersheath. It's an honor to finally put a face to the stories" she said. She was particularly interested in them mainly because of their past experiences with the Shogunate.

Lynette put her hand up to her mouth in surprise as she introduced herself. "You're the Branch Leader!? But you look so young!" she said. By the looks of things, she was about three years older than herself which would put her around 20 years old.

Kasai had a smug expression on her face. "I get that a lot. Here, this should alleviate your doubts" she said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a familiar gold-plated Mercenary Codex. "As you can see, I'm an A-rank myself with a number achievements under my belt" she said.

Ramza reached out and examined her Codex. It would seem that she was exactly who she was. "It's the genuine article, that's for sure. But an A-rank with a line of achievements for someone your age? Not to mention also being a Branch Leader? Impressive" he said. Whenever mercenaries accomplish certain achievements and accolades, their Codex are marked with unique symbols. They work similar as badges of honor. With her Codex in particular, there were at least 10 different symbols etched into her Codex. Not even he has the number of achievements marked on his Codex. Through his time as a mercenary, there have only been three accomplishments he's been able to achieve have been marked compared to the 10 she has.

Kasai took the Codex back from him and returned it to her bag. "Thanks. A lot of my motivation came through hearing stories about the famous S-rank, Shana Aska. She is my role model and someone I aspire to be one day" she said. She was still years away from being able to stand side-by-side with Shana, but that only served as fuel for her motivation.

Melphi raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh? Fan of Lady Shana, huh?" she asked. She's come across several people who looked up to Shana though most of them couldn't dare to dream that they'd be like her. She was the first person who genuinely wanted to be like her and makes a hard, earnest effort towards her goal.

Kasai nodded at her response, glancing over towards Melphi. "You mean Shana? Yes, I am…" she said. She stared at Melphi with an intense look as she examined her. "Hmm…according to the rumors, it's said that Shana is quite familiar with a certain young Dragonkin. By the way you addressed her, am I correct in assuming you're that Dragonkin?" she asked.

Melphi folded her arms, leaning back in the chair she was sitting in. "And if I am?" she asked.

Kasai couldn't help but feel a bit jealous that she had a deep connection with her. "Can't say I'm a little envious…" she said. She soon shook her head and walked over to an empty seat and sat down. "Anyway, let's get on with business, shall we? I got the general rundown from Enzo's letter, but could you fill me in on what's going on?" she asked.

The group proceeded to tell her about some of the events that led up to their arrival as well as introducing themselves. They told her about what they were involved in during their stay in Ersheath as well as what has been happening with Honegroth and how they occupied all of Cayhill. The news of Honegroth and Cayhill as a whole didn't really come as much of a shock to her, but it did make her feel uneasy. Word of what's happened has already spread around the various Guild Branches, so most mercenaries by this point were already aware of the situation.

What really got Kasai interested were the stories about their involvement with the Shogunate back in Chesberry with the underground slave auction as well as their skirmish around Haven Village. The fact that they were able to go toe-to-toe with an elite, specialized fighting force and give them a run for their money was the sort of strength she has been wanting for the last several weeks.

In return of this information, Kasai had told them of what's been happening around the lava tunnels. Most of the activity that's been going on has been kept under wraps by the Guild Branch in order to not spread panic. It would explain why the town itself was so bright and cheery despite what's been going on. She also told them about the skirmishes the Guild Branch has been getting involved with. Apparently, they've been conducting operations to eliminate the Shogunate presence within the lava tunnels for a while now. The longer they attempt to mine for Prismatic Crystals, the greater the risk of a volcanic disturbance. Despite their attempts though, they've been faced with great struggle. None of the local mercenaries are experienced enough to take on the Shogunate.

In addition to that, she also told them that they're harnessing the power of the captured Dragonkin via Prismatic Crystals which has also been serving as a deterrent for them. According to the intel they've managed to retrieve, the captured Dragonkin weren't particularly strong, but they were strong enough to repel most of their attacks. The mercenaries that they had seen out in the lobby all bandaged up was the result a recent scouting mission that had gone wrong. Thankfully, the scouting team all managed to escape but not without injury.

Cesela had a troubled look on her face. It seems what they had overheard while following the Shogunate around in Velika was right, after all. "It's just like what they did with me…" she said softly, putting her hand up to her neck. Back when she was still a slave to them, while she didn't have the power a Dragonkin has, her ability to "see" the flow of Aer was used by the Shogunate. She was forced to use her ability to locate other Faeries so that they could capture them.

Tsuki didn't like the fact that they were able to harness a Dragonkin's power as their own. Although the effects of the Prismatic Crystals seem temporary, if they were able to refine them and develop a method to ensure more reliability, it could spell disaster. "It seems they really are trying to piece their research back together that Kesuke destroyed" he said.

Kasai glanced over towards Tsuki. They had told her about their encounter with Kesuke and the fact that the Syndicate permanently altered his genetic code which allowed him, a human, to transform into an Elder Behemoth. "It's still hard to believe that they were able to actually do something like that. I've heard about my fair share of forbidden topics of research, but to be able to alter a person's genetic code and essentially mutate him into a pseudo-Faerie is completely unheard of" she said.

Ramza nodded slowly. It was still a hard pill to swallow and wouldn't have believed it otherwise if he hadn't seen it for himself. "Which is why we need to stop them, especially if they learn that the Wellsprings are, in fact, the Great Spirits themselves. If Prismatic Crystals are as potent and dangerous as they say, then there's a good chance they may set their sights on them" he said.

Kasai stroked her chin as she fell into thought. She had already been told of what they are trying to achieve by Enzo and has since been confirmed by them when she was told the story earlier. "You'll need specialized equipment if you even hope to get close to the Wellspring. According to what intel we've opened, the Wellspring and the area the Shogunate are mining Prismatic Crystals are on opposite sides of the lava tunnels" she said. Normally, one would need special suits tailor-made to handle the intense and dangerous effects of the Wellspring. Unfortunately for them, they didn't have these types of suits on hand since no one was fool enough to venture to that part of the tunnels. "While we can't provide you with the suits that you should have, I can provide a suitable alternative. I'll need time to get it ready, however" she said.

Tsuki nodded at her. Unlike their exploration into the Glacier where they went in with no protection, this time around will be different. He was reminded what Frost had told them before. She was considered the weakest Great Spirit which would explain why the effects given off by the Wellspring weren't as potent. The others, however, would be a different story as they were on a whole other level. They can't afford to go in unprotected this time. "That's fine, we can wait. It'll give us some time to look around town and get our bearings" he said.

Kasai looked over towards him and nodded in acknowledgement. "Speak with the mercenaries out in the lobby and they can fill you in on whatever details you may need…" she said, trailing off at the end. She looked like she had just remembered something. "There is also one other individual you could speak to. One of the scouting party members found them in the lava fields. He had some pretty serious injuries and before losing consciousness, he uttered the Shogunate's name" she said.

Melphi remembered what the people in Velika talked about. How a 'princeling' attempted to interfere with them which resulted in a battle. One that left him seriously injured. "That must be the person the Shogunate were talking about. Apparently, he had been following them for quite some time. If anyone's got good information on them and their movements, it'd be him" she said.

Tsuki was relieved to hear that the 'princeling' they referred to was found. It would have been a shame to lose someone with valuable information. "Where is he now? How is he doing?" he asked.

Kasai was silent for a few moments before she let out a soft sigh while shaking her head slowly. "If I'm going to be honest, his chances aren't looking too good. He looked to have been stabbed amongst other injuries along with a series of burns from being out in the lava fields. Honestly, it's a miracle he's even still alive" she said. It was a pretty gruesome sight. He looked like he had just stepped off a warzone. The townspeople were deeply concerned for him and his health as well as what could have possibly did that to him. They managed to convince the public that it was the result of a monster attack, but some weren't convinced. The injuries inflicted on him were much too precise. "He was taken to the clinic up the road from here where he's been tended to by the local doctor. However, due to the extent of some of his injuries and our limited medical supplies, there isn't a whole lot we can do for him" she said.

Lynette shook her head as she told them of the man's situation. Not only could they not let the man die, as a Healer and practitioner in medicine herself, she wouldn't allow it. She immediately stood up from her seat. "Is it alright if I lend a hand? I'm a Healer and I have a pretty diverse range of knowledge when it comes to medicine. I might be able to make up for what the doctor is lacking" she said with a determined look on her face.

Tsuki let out a soft chuckle before nodding to himself. "She's pretty experienced with this sort of thing. We wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for her exceptional healing abilities and the medicine she makes for us" he said. Not only has her Healing Artes vastly improved over the course of their journey together, her knowledge when it came to making medicine saved them a lot of Gald and time.

Kasai looked up at Lynette as she stood up and saw the fire in her eyes. She didn't even need Tsuki to reassure her of her skills. She was able to see them quite clearly. "Of course. Having an experienced Healer such as yourself will surely be a most welcomed sight for the doctor" she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a broach, setting it down at the table. "Give this to the doctor and he'll know that I sent you" she said.

Lynette reached over and took the broach from the table, grasping it in her hand. "Got it. I'll make sure the man pulls through this" she said. She turned to face Tsuki and the others. "I'm sorry for the sudden request, guys. I'll be back later with good news, I promise" she said.

Ruko laughed a bit, shaking his head as he also stood up from his chair. "That's just in your nature as a Healer. No doubt you'll also try to mend those mercenaries too" he said. He glanced over towards Tsuki, patting his chest with a grin on his face. "I'll go with her and make sure she doesn't push herself too hard" he said.

Tsuki nodded at them as they made their decision. "Sounds good. We'll leave it in your hands then. We'll see what else we can learn in the meantime" he said. With the two of them focused on tending to the man, they can walk around town and talk with the townspeople and see what they can learn about the lava tunnels and the surrounding areas. Considering the type of location they are going into, they need proceed with extreme caution.

The two nodded at each other before heading out of the room together to tend to the injured man. Not long after they left, Kasai also stood up. She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a couple of files. She walked them back over to the table and laid them out for them to look at. The papers appeared to be intelligence reports about the Shogunate and the surrounding area of the lava fields, including the tunnels.

Once she set the papers down, Kasai turned towards the door. "Feel free to look through these reports. They document everything we currently know about the recent events in the lava tunnels" she said. She then walked over towards the door and prepared to leave. "I'll let you guys know when things are ready for you. Take all the time you need" she said. After that, she opened the door and left the room.

Once she was gone, the group looked through the various reports. The reports not only talked about the activities relating to the Shogunate, but also the overall conditions of the lava fields and tunnels, documenting any notable changes. When it came to the overall conditions, the lava fields have slowly been expanding outwards over the last few weeks. It's been gradual, but they were definitely losing more ground. They also reported on small seismic activity that's been affecting the flow of lava. There have been a number of passages and tunnels within the volcano that have been either cut off by the shift of lava or collapsed due to the seismic activity while new ones had recently appeared.

When it came to the Shogunate activity, they knew about just as much as they did. At first, they were observing the Shogunate from a distance. They didn't understand what they were mining Prismatic Crystals for. At the time, they thought they were just crystals that shined a radiant light full of beauty. Because of the mixture of color, Prismatic Crystals were widely popular in the world of jewelry. No one knew that they also served another, more nefarious purpose. This didn't come to light until they witnessed them using the crystals to siphon and channel a Dragonkin's power.

Because they were aggressively mining for these crystals, it has been causing the volcano to destabilize gradually and the effects of the Wellspring were only making things worse. When it came to mining the crystals from the lava tunnels, there was a certain method that had to be done in order to ensure nothing goes wrong. Otherwise, the results could lead to catastrophe. She had even provided documents that talked about when the last major volcanic eruption happened. To the surprise of no one, it occurred due to mishandling the Prismatic Crystals, though this information was never made public.

The report also mentions erratic behavior with the local monsters that inhabit the tunnels. They all feel threatened because their territory has been invaded. This can possibly be attributed to the fact that there was the presence of Dragonkin inside the tunnels. Most monsters tend avoid dragons and wyverns as they were the apex predator. Because of the irresponsible use of the Dragonkin's power, it's making the monsters agitated.

After skimming through the various reports that she provided them, they bundled the papers back up and left them on the table before walking out of the room. Back in the lobby, the group had noticed that the injured mercenaries that were wrapped in bandages were now seemingly fully healed. It was easy to deduce that Lynette had offered to heal their injuries before heading out of the Guild Branch. They could overhear the mercenaries talking amongst themselves with excitement.

After walking into the lobby, they were approached by one of the mercenaries that had been injured. It was a muscular man with ripped sleeves and carried an intimidating axe on his back. He looked to be somewhere in his 40s. "You guys are the ones that came in with that Healer girl, right?" he asked.

Tsuki looked up at the man as he approached. The man was both taller and had far more muscle to him that it made him almost feel small. "Y-yes, that's right" he said.

The man patted his upper right arm with a wide grin on his face, gritting his teeth. "She sure is something else. Patched up all of us in seconds without asking for anything in return. Healers like her don't come around too often. The world needs more people like her with a gentle, caring soul" he said. She didn't even give them an option to refuse her healing. She suddenly walked up to everyone and proceeded to heal their injuries without being asked to.

A younger woman walked up alongside him with her arms crossed. She had long, curly brown hair with eyes of amber. "A gentle soul in which you couldn't help but hit on her. The looks that guy gave you were almost piercing that we felt it across the room" she said.

The man looked down at the woman, putting his hands on his hips. "Who said I was hitting on her!? She may look cute, but I have to be at least 30 years older! Besides, strong women are my type, if you know what I mean" he said. He started making hand gestures towards the woman with that same wide grin on his face.

The woman took the sheathed sword from her waist and swung it around, hitting the map across the face and making him stumble back and fall. She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Honestly, you have no tact. No amount of healing will be able to fix that, unfortunately" she said.

Allie couldn't help but laugh a bit at the scene that unfolded. It was almost comical to her. All that tension that was in the air seems to have lifted thanks to Lynette. "You guys seem to get along pretty well" she said, wiping her eyes as she couldn't help but tear up from the laughter.

The woman put the sword back onto her waist and crossed her arms again. "Who, me? With this lummox? He gives me a headache, if anything" she said, shaking her head.

The man reached his arm up as he laid on his back on the ground. "Ah c'mon, you know you love me" he said.

The woman almost shuddered at that statement. She couldn't even look at the man after that. "Love is a strong word. One I probably wouldn't associate with you" she said.

The man felt an icy cold chill as she said that. Normally, such a statement would hurt a person, but it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. "Those words could kill a man…" he said. He then stood up, brushing himself off. Even though he was hit across the face with a sheathed sword, he didn't even look hurt. "But, I wouldn't have expected anything else from our Ice Queen" he said. He approached the group once more, putting his hands back on his hips. "Almost forgot to introduce myself. The name's Felix Hart, A-rank mercenary at your service" he said.

The woman shrugged her shoulders as the topic shifts. "I'm Lyric Amos. I'm also an A-rank, just like musclehead here. The only difference is that between someone who focuses on raw strength to fight, my style is more refined and elegant" she said. Despite their stark differences in personality, the two of them actually got along pretty good. "Despite how it seems, me and him are fighting partners" she said.

Tsuki and the others proceeded to introduce themselves to the two of them. The two groups talked a little bit about themselves so that they were able to feel acquainted with one another. Considering that they were now technically mercenary comrades now, it would be good to build connections. There may be an opportunity in the future where any connections they build could serve to further their goals. Obviously, they kept the true identities of Tsuki, Cheria, Phi and Elle a secret. Even though prior occupation didn't matter when it came to being a mercenary, there were things that others didn't need to know.

Felix looked over towards Ramza, his arms crossed as he leaned up against the nearby wall. "Ramza…didn't you serve as General in Esseand?" he asked. It wasn't that strange to think about. Many mercenaries have served in the military prior to becoming a mercenary.

Ramza nodded at him. Unlike with Tsuki and Cheria, he had no particular reason to hide his identity. "I was, yes…" he said.

Lyric took a sip of the drink that she had on the nearby table. "Isn't a General's pay far more than what a mercenary could make though? You still look pretty young yourself. Why did you retire?" she asked. For someone like him to have such a high position in the military at his age, he would have had no problems making an honest living. She couldn't understand why he would trade all that away to be a mercenary.

Ramza sat back in the chair he was sitting in, his back leaning up against the bar counter behind him. "My niece went missing a couple months ago. Being a General has it's perks, I'll agree. However, not only could it not prevent her going missing, but it prevented me from being able to look for her" he said.

Lyric's eyes widened a bit as she put her hand up to her mouth. "Oh no, I-I'm so sorry…" she said. She felt like she had unintentionally broached on a subject that he probably didn't like talking about.

Felix felt saddened by his circumstances. However, hearing his niece had gone missing didn't come up as much of a surprise for him. "Missing, huh? It seems like a lot of people these days are either going missing or being abducted. It almost makes me feel little uneasy" he said. He glanced over towards Lyric. "How many times have we heard that as of late?" he said.

Lyric shook her head slowly, resting her arms on the table with a grim look on her face. "Too many. It's starting to become a problem and yet Dolothlond does nothing about it. They're too focused trying to push for war" she said.

Soon after she spoke, Ichiro's voice could be heard speaking out to them from behind the receptionist's desk. "You can blame the War Council and Kaito's influence for that. Everything was fine until they assumed control of the kingdom. Until the Queen went missing" he said. Ichiro had come out from the room behind the receptionist's desk and walked up to them from the other side.

Felix stroked his chin a bit as he fell into thought. He had made a solid point. "Come to think of it, this all started when the Queen went missing, didn't it? The push for war, the aggressive tax spikes, the civil unrest, the disappearances…" he said. None of this type of thing had happened before. The recent changes to Dolothlond were the only thing to blame.

Cesela's ears lowered as she had a look of concern on her face. To hear that Dolothlond was in such a rough state was all to familiar to her. She had braced herself for this fact, but it really felt like Dolothlond was heading down the same path as Sirione is. "I still can't believe this is happening…again…" she said. She crossed her arms in a tight hold, her body lightly trembling as her tail fell between her legs.

Allie walked over to Cesela and gave her a warm hug. "Shh…it'll be okay" she said. She held onto her as she couldn't help but think back to the conversation she overheard Cesela and Ryoka had. About how she was the princess of Sirione from before the Syndicate overthrew the royal family.

Cheria walked up behind the both of them and also put her arms around them, holding them closely as she gently pet Cesela's head. Her silky smooth hair and soft fur around her ears brushed across her hand. While she tried to comfort Cesela, she looked over towards Felix. "We had heard about the aggressive war efforts and tax hikes and how people are up in arms about it. However, this is the first time we've heard about the disappearances. Can you tell us more?" she asked.

Felix nodded at her and did his best to recount what he knew about it. "It started off as just small occurrences. Carriages being attacked on the road and then abducting the passengers, home invasions and unsuspecting adventurers and travelers. As the months passed by, more and more of these incidents started to occur which prompted a collective response from the various Guild Branches" he said. He pointed towards the wall where there were two separate bulletin boards, each having a number of job flyers posted on them. "Now, you'll see two bulletin boards in just about every Guild Branch around here. One for normal jobs and the other for search and rescues" he said.

Lyric shook her head with a heavy sigh as she glanced over towards the bulletin boards. Compared to the normal job boards, the search and rescue board was filled to the brim with job requests. "We try to take on as many as we can, but we either come up empty-handed or more requests keep coming in from all over. Considering how vast Nargelond is and the difficult terrain, it's easy for would-be kidnappers and abductors to hide out somewhere" she said. She recalled a time when she and Felix were out on a job in the canyons when they stumbled upon an entrance that had been expertly hidden away. The entrance was only revealed due to the aftermath of a battle that had taken place with some local monsters. "It reminds me of when we found that den in the canyon. If it wasn't for that swarm of Boar, we wouldn't have ever found it" she said.

Felix nodded as she recalled the memory. It really was pretty lucky that they found it. The swarm of Boar wasn't even the target for their job at the time. The swarm only happened to occur because they had caught on to the scent of food. "That's when we found a cell full of people, right? Some of them being of high standing from the nearby town too" he said.

Melphi couldn't understand it, but she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. "The disappearances. Has there been a pattern to them?" she asked.

Lyric nodded slowly, taking another sip of her drink. "At first, we weren't sure. They seemed to be random incidents. However, after investigating them closely, we started to notice that the victims were either Dragonkin or those who were skilled in Magical Artes" she said. Initially, they thought they were targeting specific people in order to hold them up for ransom. However, that didn't make any sense as their investigation went on.

Melphi stroked her chin in thought. The pattern of the disappearances seemed all too familiar with her. "Kaito Isamu. It's got to be him…" she said.

Nagi looked over towards Melphi. She looked like she was reliving some bad memories. "Mel…?" she said with a concerning tone of voice.

Melphi clenched her fists tightly with an angry look on her face. "The disappearances. It must be Kaito up to his old schemes. This is just like what happened 30 years ago" she said. She recalled what Taichi, Shana and the rest of their companions talked about when they had saved her. "Kaito used Dragonkin and talented mages as sacrifices in his pursuit for greater power" she said.

Elle scratched the back of her head, slowly shaking her heard. "Picking up his old habits, huh?" she asked. After what they know about Kaito, she wasn't surprised that he would do something like this.

Lyric looked like she wanted to add something else to the conversation, but she hesitated for a while. She had an awful expression on her face. Eventually, she decided to come out and say what was on her mind. "…Even going so far as making a whole village disappear…you're right; this does sound like something he'd do" she said.

Cheria stood up in surprise, slamming her hands against the table she was sitting at. "Did you say…an entire village!?" she shouted.

Felix let out soft groan as he thought about the subject. It had happened very recently not too far from Marstead. "…There's a small settlement called Navoi south of Marstead. It only had a small population of about 30 people. They were a tight-knit, nomadic community that looked out for each other" she said. He fell silent as the words started to become stuck in the back of his throat. "A peaceful settlement…until they all disappeared overnight, leaving behind a ruined settlement" he said.

Tsuki and Nagi both looked at each other with the same expression on their faces. They both knew exactly who was behind this. Hearing his story brought back unpleasant memories for Tsuki. Visions of houses burning around him and the screams of villagers rang through his ears. "That sounds an awful like something Draxus would do" he said.

Nagi had a troubled expression on her face as she crossed her arms. "Given their history, it wouldn't be too far out of the ordinary to think about…" she said. By now, they should have heard about what happened back in Melte. With their operations being dismantled yet again, it would only make sense that they would make an aggressive response.

Ichiro leaned forward up against the receptionist desk. "This is just my speculation, but I believe that Kaito and Draxus are working together, to an extent. After all, they both have similar agendas" he said. There's nothing really substantial to back up his claims, but he couldn't ignore his gut feeling. Then again, it could all be coincidental and nothing else.

Ramza stroked his chin in thought as he recalled what Enzo had told them about regarding the situation that brought them here. "Why do I get the feeling that we were called here for other reasons besides what's happening around here?" he asked.

Ichiro let out a quiet chuckle before sitting down at the chair. "Well, you can say that Kasai has some high hopes for you considering you guys have a knack for this sort of thing" he said. He reached into a couple of drawers and pulled out some papers before getting back to his work.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that statement. It's good that they've helped out as much as they could, but it wasn't as if they were purposely going out of their way to do it. They just sort of happened. "Well, it's good to feel like we're making some difference out there, I suppose…" he said.

Felix cleared his throat a bit. He felt that they've brooded on this topic for a bit too long that it was bringing down the mood. "Let's switch gears for a while. The atmosphere around here is gloomy enough as it is" he said. He stood up and walked over to the nearby bar counter and filled up a couple of drinks before talking them back to the table and setting them down. "Your friend is out taking care of the man at the clinic, right? Then, take a load off while you wait. Besides…" he said, glancing over towards the other mercenaries around the lobby. They all looked like they wanted to talk with them too, especially the females who had been eyeing Cheria, Elle, Nagi, Cesela and Allie for a while now. "I'm sure everyone has their own questions to ask you" he said.

Tsuki looked around the lobby. It wasn't just the females that had been eyeing them, but the males as well. Despite the atmosphere around here, they all looked pretty excited. He couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh. "Why do I feel like a new transfer student at school…?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

Lyric shrugged her shoulders a bit, taking another sip of her drink before standing up to refill it. "That's one way to think about it. We don't get many mercenaries around here, especially ones across the border, so please indulge their requests" she said.

Just like that, the rest of the mercenaries started to crowd around Tsuki and the others. They all were very curious about them and what kind of talents they had. To the mercenaries, Tsuki's group looked to be quite strong and formidable despite what their ranks may be. They answered as many questions as they could and before they knew it, almost three hours had gone by. While they waited for Lynette, they even demonstrated some of the skills they could use in the training area out behind the building. After a while though, the excitement started to die down and the mercenaries began to disperse. Even after all that, there was still no sign of Lynette or Ruko.

After waiting for three hours without any word from them, they decided to head out to the clinic and check up on them in case something had happened. The clinic wasn't that far up the road from the Guild Branch. It was located along a quiet street, not too far from the marketplace. As they approached the clinic, they noticed a couple of people in nurse outfits talking amongst themselves outside. It appeared to be that they were taking a break. As they walked past them, they could hear them talking with excitement about a certain girl and how knowledgeable she was. Of course, that could only mean that they were referring to Lynette. The nurses looked like they had the world lifted off their shoulders.

When they entered the clinic and stepped into the lobby, they saw Lynette behind the nearby counter, browsing through the various types of medicines and other things that were displayed on a shelf. She was muttering to herself, so they couldn't hear what she was saying. She looked to be very deep in thought as she moved from the shelf to a nearby table where she appeared to be mixing a variety of ingredients and medicines. She looked like she was in her own world, unaware of the fact that Tsuki and the others had walked in. It was a rare sight to see since they hadn't seen her so laser-focused like this before. Not wanting to interrupt her, the group stayed quiet for a few minutes while she did whatever it was that she was doing.

After a while, Lynette let out an excited cheer as she was brewing some type of medicine. "Yes! With these ingredients, this should resolve the lack of anesthetics!" she said. It was only after this that she took notice of Tsuki and the others that had been quietly standing around the lobby, observing her. This caused her face to turn red from embarrassment as she jumped back. "G-guys!? H-how long were you standing there for!?" she shouted.

Cheria couldn't help but giggle a bit at her surprised reaction. "Only for a few minutes. You looked like you were in your element, so we thought we shouldn't disturb you" she said. It was obvious that was enjoying what she was doing. Only someone who was truly dedicated to their work would have such a focused expression like she did. It reminded her, once again, that she was wholeheartedly dedicated to the teachings she had received in medicine-making.

Lynette's face only grew more red. She hadn't realized so much time had passed already. "Has it really gotten that late!? I-I'm sorry! The head doctor asked me to make some medicine for him and…!" she said. She had gotten herself flustered over the fact that it's been several hours since she had left them without any updates.

Tsuki put his arms out to try and calm her down. "It's alright! Calm down! There's no reason to get worked up over it" he said. Considering what Kasai had told them about how they had limited supplies regarding medicine, it was no wonder that she would be giving it her all to try and alleviate that.

In that moment, the door on the other side of the lobby opened up. Ruko and a man in a white coat stepped out from the other side when they had heard the commotion. The man stepped into the lobby and looked at Tsuki and the others. "What's going on out here?" he asked.

Ramza looked over toward the man in white, bowing slightly to him. "We apologize for any inconvenience, sir. We're just here to check up on a friend who's late to return" he said.

The man quickly realized who they were based on Lynette's earlier reaction and body language. "Hmm…so, you must be the people Ms. Suzaki was talking about. Welcome to my clinic. My name's Kenta Cromwell, the head doctor around these parts" he said.He soon glanced over towards Lynette. "Your friend is quite amazing. Her knowledge in medicine-making is nothing short of extraordinary. She's able to mix the most unlikely ingredients together into proper medicine. Her Healing abilities don't leave much to be said either" he said. Seeing her work over the last few hours was an inspiring sight. He's been a doctor for over a decade now and this was the first time he's seen someone with such a fiery drive. "Whoever it was that taught her really knew what they were doing" he said.

Lynette shook her hand as she waved her arms out in front of her. "Like I told you before, you're overselling my abilities. I didn't do much…" she said.

Kenta shook her his head, crossing his arms. "Didn't do much? You showed me methods that I wouldn't have even thought about and I've been doing this for over a decade now. You have a natural-born talent for this" he said. He glanced over towards the medicine that Lynette had brewed. "Take that anesthetic, for example. Mixing dragon root with crushed mandragora leaves and chesmire was something I wouldn't even considered since you don't typically mix those three together" he said. She could try to deny it all she wanted, but it was clear that she had a talent for this. "Any doctor worth their salt would love to have someone with talent and knowledge like you for their apprentice" he said.

Lynette developed a nervous sweat as she let out a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek lightly. "I-I'm flattered, but really, this wasn't anything special" she said.

Ruko put his hands on his hips, letting out a soft chuckle. "Just take the compliment and feel proud at what you did" he said. She didn't exactly take compliments pretty well and gets flustered when people try to give her some.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head as the topic didn't seem to be going anywhere. "Anyways, how's that guy doing?" he asked.

Lynette had a smile on her face as she nodded at him. "He'll be okay. It was touch-and-go for a few minutes, but my Healing along with the medicine Dr. Cromwell provided helped keep him stable. All that's left is for him to rest…" she said. She had no idea how long he would remain out cold.

Ruko nodded a bit more. "That's exactly why we came out here to get you. He just woke up and asked for you" he said. He was conscious when they started provide aid to him, but he didn't stay that way for long.

Lynette gathered some of her things and put them in a bag. "Alright then. I'll help provide the post-examination then" she said.

Tsuki looked over towards Kenta. "Mind if we join you guys? We'd like to ask him some questions, assuming he's able to answer them" he said. This was the perfect chance to find out what the man knew.

Kenta nodded at them and showed them towards the room. "Sure thing. Follow me" he said. He walked over towards the door that they had walked out of with Tsuki and the others in tow.

The room they entered in was a small room with a single bed and a number of other medical stuff. The room had a small table and couch for visitors to sit in along with a TV that was playing. It was just a standard room you'd find in any established clinic and not much else. Sitting up in the bed was a man with short, black hair and topaz eyes. Both of his arms and his lower torso were wrapped in heavy bandages. He looked to be around Tsuki and Cheria's age.

Kenta walked into the door, knocking on the door. "Sir, I've brought the Healer that you asked for. You also have some guests that would like to ask you a few questions" he said.

When Tsuki and the others walked into the room, they locked their eyes on the man in the bed. All was normal for the first few moments until Ramza and the man locked eyes with one another. There was an additional few moments of silence that filled the room.

Ramza soon broke the silence with a shout. "Y-Your Highness!? Is that really you!?" he shouted out, pointing at the injured man.

The man soon matched Ramza's shouting as he nearly fell back off the bed. "General Tokatsu!? Wh-what are you doing all the way out here!?" he shouted.

Ramza immediately ran up to the man's bedside. "That's what I should be asking you! Do you realize how worried His Majesty has been!?" he asked. He couldn't believe who he was seeing. He was the last person he would have expected to run into especially out in the far reaches of Nargelond.

Cesela tilted her head a bit at their reactions. The two of them were clearly familiar with each other based off their reactions. "Someone you know, I guess?" she asked.

It was clear to Elle, and to everyone else, that the two of them obviously knew each other and considering the forms of address they were using with each other, it didn't take long to figure it out. "Wait, could he be…?" she asked. She recalled a story he and Caz had told them when they first arrived in Ersheath.

Ramza nodded at them before taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Yes. This man…his name is Gael Strife, son of Amelia Strife and the adopted son of Raiku. In other words, the missing Prince of Esseand" he said.

The room fell silent for a few moments as everyone processed what they had just learned. As you would expect, everyone would let out a collective shout that could of almost rocked the entire building. They all recalled how Ramza and Caz had said that the Prince set out to search for Queen Amelia of Esseand after she and Ramza's niece went missing during a trip to Velika. After departing Esseand, no one had heard a word from Gael since. To know that the man that they've been looking for who nearly lost his life was actually Raiku's son was nothing short of a miracle.

It took a several more moments for the room the settle down enough so that everyone could get introductions out of the way. Kenta gave them the room and left so they could all talk in private. Considering that he was Raiku's son, they decided to divulge everything to him that has happened that led up to this moment. Gael was surprised to hear all that has been happening across Ersheath. What really caught him off-guard was to hear about the attack on Esseand a few days ago. He was relieved to hear that they were able to fend off the attack with minimal casualties as it could have been much worse. He was also interested to hear about the circumstances that revolved around Tsuki and Cheria. He almost didn't believe that she was a Princess by the way she was dressed. But then again, he wasn't dressed like a Prince himself. He had ditched anything that had the insignia of Esseand branded on it and opted for more common attire. He chose to wear light armor with metal plating along the arms and legs and appeared to carry a sword and shield with him that were propped up against the wall in the corner of the room.

Once everyone got introductions out of the way, Gael took a few minutes to process everything in his head. "…I see. So, that's what's been happening out there. I've tried to keep up-to-date on matters as best as I could, but it seems information has been getting harder to come by" he said. He had been keeping tabs on the movements of Kaito and the War Council for some time now. He's noted that the War Council has been changing their tactics and becoming more aggressive. Things will soon hit their boiling point, both in political and civilian affairs, if this keeps up.

Ramza was sitting in a chair at Gael's bedside. There were many things he wanted to ask him. "Your Highness, just what are you doing out here? What have you been doing?" he asked. Having not heard a single word from him in several months, he wouldn't have gone AWOL like that if it wasn't something important.

Gael looked down towards the sheets of his bed. "You know I left Esseand to aid in the search for Mother, right?" he asked. He did his best to recall as much as he could that he has done over the last several months. "I went to investigate the scene where they disappeared from and asked any locals about it. Most didn't know anything about it. I mean, it was to be expected considering it was out in the middle of nowhere. But then, I had overheard a few sailors around Port Velika that a strange group dressed in black had boarded a ship with 'suspicious cargo' recently" he said. He thought back on his memories as if to relive his initial search efforts. "I asked them more about it and they said they saw them off a nearby coastline hauling crates and what appeared to be a cage onto a docked ship. They didn't get a good look at it since they didn't want to be seen, but they thought that they saw two people inside the cage. At first, they thought it was another act of slave trading by the Shogunate, but something seemed off" he said. His memories then shifted from the ports of Velika to the beach in which the sailors had seen them loading their ship. "I went to investigate the coastline and search for any clues that may have been left behind and saw a broach in the sand. I immediately recognized it as it had been something I made for Mother back when I was younger and knew that the two people that were in that cage was her and her bodyguard. Knowing this, I hired a private boat in order to chase after them. I spent the next several weeks going to every port I could possibly think of, trying to track down where they went" he said. He had spent so much time out at sea that it was almost his second home.

Ramza stroked his chin in thought. "If they were taken out of Ersheath, then that explains why no one ever found them" he said. It was the only logical option other than the possibility of them being killed and tossed away somewhere. "What happened next?" he asked.

Gael leaned his head up, looking towards the ceiling. "After a few weeks of checking in on the various ports, I was starting to lose hope. But then, by a stroke of luck, I came upon a ship out at sea, bearing an unmarked flag. I took the chance and raided the ship and discovered that it belonged to one of the cults of Draxus. After killing the crew, I went to interrogate the ship's captain to see what he knew" he said. Knowing that the only evidence that he had was the fact they were all dressed in black robes and seeing that the ship's crew were in the same types of robes, it wasn't hard for him to connect the dots. "After being a little persuasive, I learned that they were the ones that had attacked Mother and her bodyguard and were the ones that took them away. I asked him where they were and he told me that they were traded off to the Shogunate, but before the trade could be finalized, the two of them had escaped from their shackles and fled. As far as he knew, they have yet to be recaptured and since they were now the Shogunate's problem, they would take matters into their own hands" he said. That was when he had to shift his focus from Draxus to the Shogunate. Considering who they were, he was surprised that they had managed to evade capture up to this point.

Ramza thought back to the letter he received from his niece a while back. The same letter that he had mentioned to Melphi back outside of Spiral Woods. He took it out from his bag and opened it up. "That seems to coincide with what my niece wrote in this letter. About how they had escaped imprisonment and found themselves in a strange, unfamiliar land" he said.

Gael looked up at the letter that Ramza held in his hand. "After I found out that they had escaped, I scoured every inch of land as I could to see if I could find or hear anything about their whereabouts. Eventually, I found my way to Marstead where I finally learned from a few people that there were two female travelers wandering around and asking strange questions regarding Shinobi activity and about any recent cases of people going missing" he said. His memories then shifted over towards a town completely ran by merchants where he had questioned just about everyone he could flag down. "The merchants didn't give me exact details, but they did give me descriptions of what they looked like. I knew I was on the right track, but then I realized something…" he said, trailing off at the end with a troubled look on his face.

Melphi thought back to the conversation that she had overheard back in Velika. Not only did they mention a meddlesome princeling, but also the fact that two others were pursing them and that they were basically walking into their trap. This paints a very bad picture in her mind. "So then, the two people that those Shinobi were referring to are…" she said.

Ramza rolled his hands into fists as he expressed frustration. Based off Gael's story and what Melphi overheard, it was obvious. "…Queen Amelia and my niece. Just what are they thinking, challenging the likes of the Shogunate on their own?" he asked.

Gael shook his head. That was the one thing he couldn't figure out. "Unfortunately, I can't answer that. All I know is that the two of them had been chasing down that particular unit of Shinobi for a while. I could only assume that they were the ones that were suppose to receive them via trade" he said. He thought that maybe what they were doing was some sort of act of retaliation or that they were the ones that orchestrated their abduction in the first place. "When I was in the lava fields, I caught a glimpse of them entering the tunnels, so I followed them. However, before I could catch up with them, but a band of Shinobi stopped me and…well, this happened. Miraculously, I managed to flee the tunnels, but soon ended up collapsing in the fields. That's when that mercenary scouting party found me. You know the rest." he said, raising his arms and looking over his body that was all bandaged up.

Cheria grew even more concerned by these revelations. "This isn't good. If they know that they're right behind them, then they've already lost the element of surprise. They were led into an area that wouldn't be able to escape from easily" she said. The tunnels had a lot of danger to them. It wasn't just the fact that they were in the depths of the volcano, but there was also the Wellspring as well as anything else that lingered inside.

Lynette thought back to the conversation that Melphi had overheard. Particularly, on the point where they mentioned that they would be able to make Raiku bend to their will. At first, she didn't understand what they meant, but now it all makes sense. "I get it now. With the narrow spaces provided by the lava tunnels in combination to the natural dangers and few escape routes, they plan to overwhelm the two of them and capture them again. If they use the Queen against Raiku, then he'd surely have no choice but to do what they wish" she said.

Nagi shook her head as she brought her arm up to her chest. "We can't let that happen! We have to help them!" she said. After all that Raiku has done for them, it was their turn to repay the favor that they owe.

Tsuki nodded in acknowledgement. Regardless of who they were, their destination was the lava tunnels to begin with. He was already set on the idea of thwarting the Shogunate activity around the tunnels. Rescuing the missing queen and Ramza's niece along the way was just an added objective. "You can leave their rescue to us. We also have business in the lava tunnels to attend to, so it'll be better this way. Besides, becoming a thorn in people's plans has become somewhat of a specialty of ours" he said.

Gael lowered his head in appreciation to him. He wanted to go with them, but his injuries prevent him from doing so. He'd only get in the way if he went in his current condition. "Please, I beg of you. Do whatever it takes to save them. I just wish there was something else I could to do help you guys…" he said.

As they talked back and forth with each other, Allie could hear a ringing in her ears which deafened the sounds around her. She remembered what this sensation felt like. It was just like what happened as they got closer to the Glacier. She couldn't make anything definitive out, but she felt the familiar urge of being called upon. Considering this happened with Frost, she assumed that the one behind it this time was Efreet. The ringing soon stopped as the sounds around the room came back. She shook her head a bit before her eyes glanced over to a strange, sphere-like object on the nightstand next to Gael's bedside. It was clear and transparent and had this strange feeling to it. "Hey, what is that?" she asked, pointing to the clear, spherical object.

Gael glanced over to the nightstand next to his bed. He remembered picking that up while he made his way through the tunnels. "Oh, that? I'm not quite sure myself. I found it in the tunnels. I'd like to say it's a Prismatic Crystal as it has the same composition and make-up of one except for one glaring difference. It's clear and transparent, almost like a glass ball, rather than beautiful and vibrant with color" he said.

Melphi walked up to the nightstand and examined it closely. She's seen her fair share of Prismatic Crystals, so she could definitely tell that it was as he said it was. "Well, it definitely is a Prismatic Crystal, but I've…never seen anything like it before" she said.

Ramza walked up beside Melphi and examined the strange, clear object. It definitely looked strange, but after examining it, he started to get some weird, familiar vibes from it. That's when the Elle's Frozen Tear and the Raven Claw that Lynette holds popped into his mind. "Hmm...I wonder…" he mumbled to himself. He then reached out and picked it up.

As soon as he touched the clear, spherical object, a bright glow appeared which filled the room. It was just like what happened with the Frozen Tear and Raven Claw. Once the bright glow dissipated, a small flame could now be see within the spherical object. Ramza could feel a strange type of connection with the object he was holding in his hand.

Gael looked at Ramza and examined the crystal in his hand in bewilderment. "Wh-what was that!? What did you do?" he asked. He's held onto the crystal for a short while and not once did he see it ever react like that. When Lynette, Ruko and Kenta touched it earlier in the day, it didn't seem to react either.

Ramza glanced over towards Lynette and Elle and the two of them took out their respective objects. When they were held together, all three objects started to emit a faint glow. "It's just as I thought. This must be the other 'key' we need in order to awaken Efreet" he said.

Allie nodded at his response, putting her hand up to her chest. "I think you're right. I'm getting the same feeling as before with the Glacier. I think…I'm being called upon again" she said.

Gael looked at them as they talked about the object in Ramza's hands. "If you that thing will aid you guys in your endeavors, then feel free to take it with you. I have no need for it myself" he said. His glance shifted over to the rest of the group. "The tunnels have many dangers to them that aren't just the unstable tunnels" he said.

Phi soon headed towards the door. "We'd best not keep them waiting then. Every minute we waste around here, the more danger Queen Amelia and your niece walk into" she said. Despite serving a different kingdom, she couldn't help but put on her knightly aura where she puts her duty towards royalty above all else.

Tsuki nodded. It's been a few hours since they parted ways with Kasai, so he hoped it was more than enough time for her to prepare whatever it was she was preparing. "Let's get back to the Guild Branch and check in with Kasai. We'll load up on supplies afterwards before we head out" he said.

Gael looked over towards Tsuki, lowering his head towards him. "Good luck out there. Please, bring them back safe and sound" he said.

The group said their farewells to Gael before leaving the room. They informed the doctor of what's going on and he said he would keep his eye on him while they were out attending business. After that, they left the clinic and made their way back down the street towards the Guild Branch.

Once they were inside, they were greeted by Ichiro and were told that things were ready to go for them. The group was brought up to the second floor of the building and were taken to a makeshift armory where various weapons, armor and other things were locked behind bars under lock and key. It almost looked like a law enforcement building than a mercenary guild. Up there, Kasai was waiting for them with a small triangular-shaped object with a blue crystal embedded in the center of it. The triangular shape itself had a bronze look to it with carvings of ancient text engraved on it.

Kasai handed Tsuki the object. "Take this with you. It'll serve as your 'suit' against the Wellsprings' negative effects" she said, almost out of breath. She looked like she had worked up quite a sweat.

Tsuki took the object from her and examined it. Because the triangular shape was pure bronze, the object itself was pretty heavy. "What is this thing?" he asked. He got a strange vibe from the thing he was holding. He's never seen or felt anything like it before.

Kasai sat down in a nearby chair so that she wouldn't find herself collapsing. "Something…that was meant for Wellspring research. It's called an Aetherial Veil. It's prototype technology that has been in the works for quite some time now by the scholars over in Loné. It uses the surrounding Aer to displace the harmful effects where there's a heavy concentration of it" she said. It was still very much in the experimentation phase of things, but it's reliability has been guaranteed and proven in the past. "This will allow you to get as close as you need to the Wellspring without needing any special suit" she said.

Lynette could feel the energy radiating from the embedded crystal. It had a powerful resonance that felt comforting. As if there was an invisible barrier that surrounds them which protects them from harm. "Aetherial Veil? I've never heard of it before…" she said.

Kasai shook her head with an unsurprised look on her face. "I'd reckon not. Not very many people and organizations have one of these. We have one because there used to be a dedicated research team here until the town was forced to downsize" she said. Ever since the volcano became increasingly active with more tectonic activity and lava channels opening up, it became too dangerous to be anywhere near the lava tunnels. Access to the tunnels is regulated by the mercenary guild and is strictly off-limits to people unless given the approval of herself. "I'm sure it'll come in handy for you guys, so feel free to hang on to it. It'll automatically activate once it detects any negative pressure or effects" she added.

Cesela was a little concerned about how out of breath Kasai was. "Are you okay though...? You don't look so good" she said. She looked completely drained and exhausted to the point where she could almost collapse.

Kasai nodded, putting her hand up to her chest and taking a deep breath. "I'm okay. It's been a while since the Aetherial Veil was used and as a result, it fell into disrepair. It required a bit of elbow grease, but I managed to get it back up and running" she said. The Aetherial Veil required a lot of Mana in order for it to work and it's usually maintained by a team of researchers. Since those researchers are now gone, she had to make up for the lack of additional help. "When the Veil activates, it'll emit a small bubble of Aer to shield you from the Wellspring's effects. Just make sure you all stay close to each other" she said.

Ruko stroked his chin in thought. It would be helpful if they had something to refer back to when it comes to figuring out where it was that they were suppose to go. "You wouldn't happen to have a map of the tunnels, would you?" he asked.

Kasai shook her head. "Because the tunnels are almost constantly changing with shifting lava flows, we don't have any reliable maps anymore. I'm afraid you'll have to figure out where to go yourselves" she said. There used to be a detailed map of the tunnels, but with the Wellspring's effects, those maps were practically useless now.

Phi sighed a bit, shaking her head. "We survived walking through a sub-zero freezer, so how bad can a scorching oven be?" she asked.

Cheria mumbled a bit. Going through the Glacier was one thing, but she wasn't too keen on spending an extensive amount of time in scorching hot tunnels. "I think I'm definitely going to need a shower after this is over with…" she said.

Tsuki glanced over towards Cesela for a moment as she tilted her head at him before turning his attention to Kasai. "Would it be alright if you could watch over Cesela?" he asked.

Cesela looked at him with a surprised look. She was left behind before because she wouldn't have been protected by the negative effects. However, now that they had the Aetherial Veil, things were a bit different. "What!? No! I want to go with you!" she said.

Tsuki looked back towards Cesela, shaking his head. Even if she would be protected under the Veil, the tunnels would pose more danger than the Glacier would have been. "It's too dangerous. Putting aside the Wellspring itself, the tunnels are unstable with a shifting lava flow. On top of that, we'll be confronting the Shogunate again. You're already on their most wanted list for recapture" he said. He wasn't worried so much about the tunnels or the Wellspring, but more so the Shogunate. No doubt that she would become a target if she went with them.

Kasai scratched the back of her head, letting out a soft sigh. She understood what he was getting at; bringing a child like her to such a place was almost out of the question. However, she couldn't bring herself to agree with him. "I think it'll be safer for her if she went with you. The Shogunate have had a rather strong presence in these parts and you saw what became of my mercenaries when they tried to confront them. If they caught wind of her presence here, no doubt they'll try and use force to get her back" she said. She wouldn't put it past the Shogunate if they tried to attack the guild in order to capture her, even if it were in broad daylight. The chances of that happening were low, but the risks were definitely there and if it were to happen, the mercenaries wouldn't be able to do anything as many of them were still recovering.

Nagi couldn't help but agree with Kasai. "She's right. At least with us, we can guarantee her safety and watch out for here. Not only that, her ability to "see" Aer might be able to help us pinpoint where to go in the tunnels" she said. She'd rather not overstay her welcome in the tunnels. Who knows when pathways might be blocked off or if there could be cave-ins because of tectonic activity.

Cesela nodded at they spoke up for her. She didn't want to be left behind again. While it was unavoidable before, she hated the fact that she had to wait around for them to return and when they did return, half of the group came back pretty badly injured and Tsuki looked like he was almost on his deathbed. "Please, let me come with you. I may not be all that useful in a fight, but my other abilities will be able to help!" she pleaded.

Allie walked up next to Cesela and looked up at Tsuki. She was also of the same mind as everyone else. "I'll watch over her, Master. Won't you let her come with?" she asked.

Tsuki felt the eyes staring at him and after a few moments, he let out a heavy sigh. "Alright then. Make sure you stay with us and don't wander off" he said. He knew that she was a strong and capable girl and the confrontation with Kaito at Nobuo Shrine and with the band of Shinobi at Haven Village proved that. He just couldn't help but feel reluctant about having her with them in extremely dangerous environments. It wasn't just the fact that she was still just a child, but there was something else about her that calls forth his knightly senses. He may not know what her real identity is, but he had always known that there was something unique about her that almost makes him think about Cheria when she was about her age.

Cesela nodded at him, lowering her head a bit. "I will. I promise" she said. Part of the reason she didn't want to stay behind was partly due to the fear that she wouldn't ever see them again. It was trauma that had stuck with her ever since that fateful night in Sirione where she was separated from her friends and loved ones and never saw most of them ever again. She had found a new family with Tsuki and the others, so she was going to do everything in her power to stay.

Ramza nodded to himself as the discussion was wrapping up. "Alright. If there's nothing left to be said, then we should-" he said.

Suddenly, the surrounding area started to shake violently. Loose things on nearby shelves ended up falling and crashing onto the ground, the sounds of glass breaking filled the room and muffled screams from outside could be heard. The shaking was so violent that it made some of them stumble back while others ended up falling down. The shaking didn't last too long, but it felt like it lasted for ages. What they were experiencing was the tectonic activity that has been on a steady rise throughout the area.

It was in these moments that Allie felt a powerful feeling come over her. It felt like her body suddenly became engulfed in flames because of how hot she felt. Not only that, but it also felt like time around her had slowed down. Then, a deep, rough male's voice spoke out to her from somewhere. "Ahhh…it's been too long since I felt a familiar presence. Mankind's creation which holds my stolen power. I shall await…in the heart of the volcano…for what belongs to me. Hurry…before it's too late…" the voice said. Beneath that rough, deep tone of voice, there was also a deep pain as if the one behind voice was struggling with something and was being pushed to their limits.

Allie knew what this was. It was just like what happened when Frost called upon her. The only difference was that it felt far more suffocating and crushing. It was a stark contrast to what she felt before. It was also the same voice that spoke to her earlier that she wasn't able to fully make out. She clutched her chest as she felt like it was hard to breathe. This all felt like it went on for minutes, but in reality, it was only a few seconds. When her senses returned to her, she could hear Tsuki calling out to her. By this point, the incredible burning sensation she felt through her body was gone.

Once the tectonic activity settled down, he went over to Allie who looked like she was in a great deal of pain. He put his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her to try and snap her out of whatever trance she was in. "Allie! Hey, Allie! Snap out of it!" he said.

When Allie came to, she found herself short of breath like a massive weight was lifted off of her as she was sweating like crazy. "H-huh? Wh-what happened…?" she asked.

Tsuki had a look of concern on his face. She was soaked with sweat and looked as if she were in some sort of pain. "That's what I should be asking you. Are you okay?" he asked. He's never seen her like this before and it was concerning.

Allie nodded slowly to herself. She took a couple deep breaths in order to calm herself down. "It's the same feeling before, only stronger. I'm being called to the volcano and was told to hurry before it was too late" she said.

Elle stroked her chin in thought as she regained her bearings from the violent shaking. "If it has to do with the seismic activity we just felt, then I will agree" she said. She turned her gaze over towards Kasai. "This has been a regular occurrence around here as of late, yes?" she asked.

Kasai nodded. By now, she and everyone in the town had grown used to the tremors and weren't really phased by it as much anymore. "Correct. Though, the one we just felt seemed to be stronger than the ones we've felt before" she said. Even though they've adapted to these occurrences, it still prompted them to check and make sure that the town was alright. "Excuse me, but I need to go check up on things outside" she said.

Tsuki attached the Aetherial Veil in his hand to the belt around his waist before collecting himself. "We'll follow you out" he said.

The group gathered their things and followed Kasai back to the first floor of the building and left through the front doors. There, Kasai was met with an immediate reaction. Usually when they were hit with these types of tremors, they were fairly small and didn't cause much damage aside from things falling off shelves or any loose structures like tents and market stalls. The one they felt just now was different, however. Not only were things scattered around, but there was actual damage to the town. Several windows appeared to have been blown out, the roads had visible cracks running through them and some buildings even appeared to have suffered some minor levels of structural damage. It was the worst tremor that they've felt yet.

The sounds of commotion made the group turn their attention over towards Mt. Praxik off in the distance. There was a significant plume of black smoke coming from the mouth of the volcano. This caused the town to become alarmed as everyone knew that it was the sign of an impending volcanic eruption. The wall that they've build around the town has prevented lava flows from spreading any further, but it's only a matter of time before the walls fail.

Kasai couldn't help but get a bad feeling in her stomach. "First, it was a warning telling us to hurry and then strong seismic activity followed by a plume of smoke. I'm not sure if this is caused by the Wellspring or if the Shogunate are doing something inside the tunnels, but I have a bad feeling about this…" she said. She turned to face the group. "If you're all ready, then I suggest adhering to that warning Cesela mentioned as quickly as possible. In the events that things turn south, I'll be here to prepare for any sudden evacuations if needed" she said. It was better to be safe than sorry. After all, they are dealing with three separate forces that are in play; the volcano, the Wellspring and the Shogunate.

Ramza grew even more concerned for the safety of Queen Amelia and his niece, who were right in the middle of it all. "We'll try and hurry. If we can awaken Efreet, that should remove the threat the volcano poses for the town" he said. If they can eliminate the negative effects that the Wellspring emits, that will greatly ease the tension of the volcano

Kasai nodded at him before turning her attention back towards the town itself. "Remember, be extremely careful in there. If more seismic activity occurs while you're inside the tunnels, that could spell big trouble for you. Try not to do anything too reckless" she said. With that, she ran off to help coordinate with other mercenaries around the town to make the needed preparations.

Once she was gone, Tsuki looked at the group one last time. "Alright. We'll need to make sure that we're prepared before we head out, so let's see to that and head out as soon as we can. Got that?" he asked. It was a good chance to check up on their equipment and supplies since they weren't sure what to expect within the tunnels.

Everyone was in agreement with this and went off as a group to make their preparations. They checked in with the local shops around the markets, bought up any Gels they might need as well as any medical supplies that they could carry. Since they would be rescuing Dragonkin captives, there was a good chance that some of them had their share of injuries. They also brought some extra food with them in case they needed it. Their equipment was due for some upgrades and thankfully, the local weapon and armor shops had what they needed for what's coming up.

Once everyone was ready, they made their way out through the town exit and into the open fields. There was a bit of a walk from the town to the lava tunnels and half of that walk would lead them into the lava fields where they had to be extra careful about where they stepped. Eventually, they reached the earthen wall that the town had made to prevent the spread of lava and carefully navigated across it before stepping into the lava fields. The area going forward was all scorched land and the overall temperatures began to climb the closer they got to the volcano. There was rising pockets of steam all across the fields and there were even a few geysers shooting out hot streams of water. They not only needed to be careful for any streams of lava, but the scorching hot blasts of water that were being shot out. The water around the area was so hot that it'll leave scalding burns or worse. In light of this, Lynette had put a protective barrier around them which should shield them from harm as they made their way across the lava fields. They could see the volcano in the distance, but they still had a perilous walk ahead of them before they arrived at the real danger.

To be continued…