Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 14: Crystal Shards
Basilwell lies in one of the most popular destination spots for tourists and locals alike. It was a port town with a fairly large resort attached to it. The beaches stretched along the coastline for miles and were almost constantly packed full of people. With its beautiful surroundings and excellent views of the ocean, many flock to the resort. The view of the mountains that cuts off the area around Basilwell were also a sight to behold as well. The resort had a little bit of everything as a lot of it was influenced by foreign cultures.
Maintaining order in the town was the responsibility of Commander Alba. He has held his position as a commander in the Eresseas military for over 10 years and has been acting as the mayor of Basilwell ever since the previous mayor lost their life due to illness 3 years ago. Because Basilwell is the only port in Cayhill, security is rather high due to the constant presence of foreign port tends to be at its busiest in later afternoons as merchant ships and other non-commercial vessels make port. The resort serves as a welcoming sight for merchants and travelers who are tired after their time out at sea.
The trek from the Cavern of Solace to Basilwell was a short walk. With Ruko guiding them through the wilderness, it only took them roughly 30 minutes to reach the gates of Basilwell. The smell of salt in he air was a lot more apparent as waves could be heard off in the distance. Beyond the gates was a plaza with a grand fountain in the middle of it. Many people were coming and going while others were hanging around and talking amongst themselves or just relaxing by the fountain. The surrounding area was ripe with excitement as the resort was not that far off from the plaza they were at and could even be seen. It was a grand hotel that stretched high up into the air with decoration and build quality that looked like it costs a fortune to manage.
Ruko stepped towards the grand fountain and turned to face Tsuki and the others. "It's my pleasure to welcome you all to Basilwell. Cayhills' own portside resort!" he said.
Lynettes' eyes could visibly be seen lighting up with excitement as she looked around. It was the first time she has not only been to Basilwell but been so close to the ocean. "Everything is so lively...! I've heard stories from Reia but they don't do this place justice!" she said.
Ruko chuckled a bit and a slight grin on his face. "It's your first time, I take it. What about you two?" he asked, looking towards Tsuki and Ramza
Tsuki shook his head. "Only once. I came here with last year with the royal family for Cheria's birthday. Based on what I remember, it seems you guys have made some new additions and attractions over the last year" he said.
Ramza shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "A few times. As a mercenary, I tend to come and go through different ports on different occasions" he said.
Ruko turned to face the grand hotel with his arms extending out from each side of him. "You guys couldn't have come at a better time. We're in the midst of festival preparations to celebrate the 4th anniversary of the resorts' grand opening" he said. He then took in a deep breath, putting his hands on his hips. He took in the sight of the grand hotel as the sun reflected off its windows. With a nod, he turned back around to face them, holding his finger up in the air. "You see, the former mayor knew his time was short. The illness that took his life ravaged his body beyond medical help. He had dedicated his life to Basilwell after retiring from being a sailor. Having 20 years of experience out at sea, he knew the kind of fatigue that not only sailors endure but travelers as well. Seeing as how there was lots of land to develop on, he decided that he wanted to build an establishment for weary travelers and sailors alike and after over a year of development and construction, the Grand Sandpearl Hotel was opened for business" he said.
Tsuki didn't know the former mayor but he has heard people talk about him. The citizens of Basilwell held him in high regards as both a former sailor and mayor. "It's a shame that he only got to see his vision grow for a short time. He ended up passing a year later, didn't he?" he asked.
Ruko nodded slowly with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head. "Sadly, yes. The illness took a sudden, rapid turn and the medication that he had been taking started to lose their effectiveness. We reached out to Reia in Crescentia to see if her healing abilities would help but even with her expertise, she was unable to do anything. The illness had progressed too far" he said.
Lynette reached over and held onto her left arm, looking slightly down towards the ground, looking a little gloom. "That's how it is, unfortunately. Healing Artes are significantly more effective and potent than normal medicines but they're not the be-all, end-all. Even Healing Artes have their limits" she said. She then looked up at the sky with a bit of a gloomy yet nostalgic look on her face. "Sometimes, miracles can happen but those are rare..." she said.
Ramza looked towards the hotel that stretched high into the sky. "If I remember correctly, the Commander was one of the mayors' backers for the project, right? I had heard he had donated quite a bit of his own time and money into it" he said.
Ruko folded his arms and looked at Ramza. "Yeah. Him and the mayor had quite a bit of history together. He's dedicated to carry out his legacy" he said. His gaze soon shifted over towards the port and the ocean beyond it. "While the Commander wasn't a sailor like the former mayor, you can say that the two of them operated on a similar wavelength. They understood each other in ways that other people didn't. They were close like family despite the difference in age. In the days where the illness started to take hold, the Commander would assume his duties so that he could rest peacefully. It was the only thing he could have done for him" he said.
Tsuki followed his gaze out to the ocean. He remembered back when he appealed to the king and queen to be allowed to take charge of Basilwell. "So, that's why he was so adamant about wanting to take the seat as mayor. Normally, there was a procedure that had to be followed but the king and queen saw the level of devotion and determination he had" he said.
Ruko nodded, dropping his arms down to his side. "It was supposed to be a temporary position but the Commander has proven his tenacity over the last three years" he said.
Ramza heard the stories behind Commander Alba. He has never met him personallty but to be able juggle the duties of being a military commander and a town mayor wasn't an easy feat. "The man definitely deserves recognition. Despite all of the responsibilities he bears, he manages to keep things running pretty stable. You don't see people like him too often" he said.
Ruko soon cleared his throat and looked back at the group. "Well, best not keep the man waiting much longer. He's waiting for us at the mayors' office" he said.
Guided by Ruko, they walked through the busy parts of the town past the resort and headed closer towards the port. The town portion may be small but its marketplace had a wide variety of goods and merchant stalls. From small trinkets and accessories to exotic goods such as foreign foods and other things. Not far off from the marketplace, in the opposite direction of the resort, was the residential area. The total population wasn't as big as places like Eresseas or Briswater but there were still enough houses to provide for a moderate number of people. Connected directly to the marketplace was another commercial area such as weapon, armor and item shops as well as a pub that also serves as an inn. The port wasn't too far off from where the inn/pub was located. The port was separated into three different sections: docks dedicated to commercial and merchant ships, docks dedicated for non-commercial ships and a storage area where exported and imported goods are stored. There was even a small Mercenary Guild located not too far off from the docks.
The headquarters, which also serves as the mayors' office, was located between the port and commercial districts. Originally, the mayor's office was located not too far from the main plaza on top of a hill. However, the office was moved closer towards the center of town so that it would be easier to get around town for official business. As they approached the building, the guards standing by the entrance saluted Ruko who returned the salute before taking them through the front doors. Upon walking through the doors, they were greeted by furniture and decor that matched the quality one would expect from a mayors' office. It had a second story to it where the actual office was located while the main floor had a receptionist desk and places to sit.
Ruko took them straight upstairs and approached the double doors. He soon took a deep breath and knocked on them. "Commander, I've brought the Envoy" he said.
A deep voice soon emerged on the other side of the doors. "Ah, finally. Come on in" the voice said.
Ruko pushed open the double doors and opened up a wide open office. The office had several tall bookshelves off to the left side and a small area to sit and relax with a fireplace. On the far side of the office was a grand desk and on the other side of that was a man who appeared to be in his fifties. He had light, grey hair with red eyes. Behind him was a double-bladed battle axe with a unique design accompanied by a fishing rod. The man looked like a true war veteran. He had muscles with a number of scars along his arms and one going across his left eye.
The man stood up from his chair as Tsuki and the others approached his desk while Ruko closed the doors behind them. "So, we finally get to meet. Feels like a lifetime since I received word of your departure from Eresseas" he said.
Tsuki stepped forward and saluted the man. "I apologize for my very late arrival. If circumstances were different, I would have been here much sooner" he said. Upon leaving Eresseas, it shouid have taken him roughly 4 to 5 days but with everything that's happened, it's taken him a little over two weeks.
The man shook his head, holding his hand up. "Don't apologize. Things have been pretty hectic lately for everyone. I heard a brief summary of what's been going on from Lucas but if it's not too much trouble, I would like to hear about it from you. Before that, though, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alba Sykes, commander and acting mayor of Basilwell" he said.
Tsuki nodded, stepping back towards Lynette and Ramza. "I'm Tsuki Himura, one of the Royal Eight. These are my companions, Lynette Suzaki, a healer from Crescentia and Ramza Tokatsu, a traveling mercenary" he said.
Alba looked at the group and examined each of them. "When Lucas said that you were coming with companions, I was expecting others of the Royal Eight but I guess that wasn't the case" he said.
Tsuki shook his head. "Unfortunately, it was just me that was sent out. The others were bound by other duties. These two ended up joining along the way. There's also another..." he said.
Moments later, a bright light came out from the Caliburn and hovered in front of Tsuki. Allie soon appeared in front of them which surprised both Ruko and Alba.
Ruko didn't know how to react when Allie suddenly manifested in front of them. "W-what!?" he said.
Alba raised his eyebrow with interest as he looked at Allie. "Well now. Who, or what, do we have here?" he asked.
Allie simply looked up at Alba with the same emotionless yet innocent expresssion on her face with a slight tilt of her head. Tsuki began to tell Ruko and Alba everything that had occurred ever since leaving Eresseas. The trouble in Crescentia, his trek to Crescent Hills to cure Lynette, their detour to Prophet Castle, their encountere with Caius and how Tsuki came into the possession of one of the legendary holy swords that Allie was inhabiting. They even brought up the crystals and the dark power that they contain. A power that Caius refered to as Arcanum. It was a lot for them to take in at face value. If circumstances were different, they probably wouldn't have believed them but given all that's been happening, it was hard to discredit what they had to say especially if Lucas was backing them up.
Ruko had to sit down in one of the nearby chairs as he tried to grasp what they had to say. "All of that has really happened, huh? Oh man..." he said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
Alba was sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed as he appeared to be lost in thought. "So, our main concern is finding out what purpose Caius has here and to control the flow of these crystals before anything else happens" he said. He then reached for a file in the side of his desk and puilled it out. He placed it on the desk for Tsuki to look at. "You recall that I had initially asked for assistance to investigate some mysterious cargo. The thing is, that mysterious cargo was nothing but what appeared to be broken crystal shards" he said.
Tsuki tilted his head as he reached for the file. "Crystal shards?" he asked. He then opened the file and saw pictures of numerous crates filled to the brim with them.
Alba nodded. "At first, we thought it was just a shipment of crystals that had somehow broken in transit. We tried to get in touch with the merchant that was in charge of delivering them to the warehouse but we haven't able to locate them" he said. He then stood up and walked around his desk towards one of the bookshelves. He then reached for a small box and brought it over to them. "After a few days, we decided to toss the shipment to clear out the warehouse for others when this...thing appeared wearing the armor of the Royal Eight" he said. He soon set the box on the desk in front of them.
Lynette knew where this conversation was going. "Don't tell me...was it hard to kill and unnaturally strong? she asked.
Ruko got up from his chair and walked over to them. He then rolled up his shirt and chainmail, revealed a fresh, nasty-looking scar running down his chest. "It just wouldn't die, no matter how much I hurt it. Just when I thought I finally took it down, it sprung back up and nearly killed me. If it wasn't for the Commander, I wouldn't be standing here right now" he said.
Alba had a disturbed look on his face as he thought back to that encounter. "When I finally brought it down, I noticed there was a crystal shard in the remains. The shard shattered into dust and the remains disappeared along with it. It wasn't hard to recognize it; the shard that had shattered was the same as the ones we have currently locked and sealed away our warehouse" he said. He then opened the box and revealed a purple crystal shard within it.
Lynette approached the desk and did an appraisal of the shard. It was faint but she definitely felt the same dark power within it. "There's no doubt about it. It's just like all of the other crystals we've been encountering" she said.
Tsuki wasn't the least bit surprised. Deep down, he had a feeling that this was going to happen. With everything that's been adding up, it came as no surprise to him at this point. "The question now is, why are they here and where did they come from?" he asked.
Ramza had a flashback to the mines in Briswater where Caius made off with a good, solid chunk of crystal. "Could the shipment have come from Menorion?" he asked.
Alba shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "With the information we currently have, it would be a logical assumption to assume so. We know that Caius is hunting down crystals for some ambition. It's clear that he has plans in motion for us here" he said.
Tsuki wanted to investigate the crystals himself. That was the reason he came here for. "You said that you had the shipment of crystal shards sealed away in one of the warehouses?" he asked.
Alba nodded. "Yes, along with rotating guards" he said. He then closed the box that had the crystal shard in it and re-sealed it before putting it back where he got it from.
Tsuki looked over at Lynette and Allie as both of them nodded. "If possible, I would like to take a look at it" he said.
Alba walked back over to them after putting away the box holding the crystal shard. "Of course. We have it sealed away in Warehouse 2. I'll take you guys over there if you're ready" he said.
Tsukis' group looked at each other and gave one last nod. It would seem that everyone was ready to go. They can worry about sightseeing, shopping and other things once their task was done.
Alba saw that they were all set and then looked over at Ruko. "I'll be stepping out for a bit. Can I ask you to handle things here for a little while?" he asked.
Ruko nodded, giving him a salute. "Yes sir! Leave things here to me" he said.
Alba walked on over to the door and opened it up. "Excellent. Let's get going then. The guards should be changing out pretty soon" he said. He then walked out the door and headed downstairs towards the exit.
Tsuki, Ramza and Lynette followed Alba out of the room with Allie walking alongside them rather than retreating back into the Caliburn. They left the headquarters and headed around the corner where they walked along the docks towards the warehouses. They had to walk past the commercial docks which only had one ship docked and in the process of loading various crates and other shipments onboard. The commercial docks were fairly big in size because of the size of certain merchant ships.
The warehouses beyond the commercial docks were of a moderate size as well. There were a total of 12 warehouses, six one one side and six on the other and in the center of that was a small plaza. The plaza was mostly used to transport goods to and from warehouses but there was a small rest area off to the wide that looked out at the ocean that stretched far out towards the horizon. Alba led them through the plaza and eventually, they arrived at Warehouse 2 where two guards were posted by the steel double-doors. They werent alone, however. A knight wearing silver, decorated armor with a longsword was with them.
Alba noticed that one of the guards were in a bit of a heated discussion with the person in silver armor. "What's going on here?" he asked.
Tsuki immediately recognized the armor. It was the Silver Knight, the person that came to his aid back when he fought the Rhino named Fenrir back in the forests of Briswater. "Wait, is that the Silver Knight?" he asked.
Lynette only saw the knight briefly back when he had fought against Fenrir but didn't interact with the knight much, if at all as healing Tsuki was her main focus at the time. "You mean, the one from the forest? What's she doing here?" she asked.
Ramza looked over at Tsuki and Lynette. Since he had joined up with them long after their meeting, he knew nothing about this person. Though, he had heard rumors of a certain individual in the employ of the Eresseas royal family. "Silver Knight, huh? So, who is she and why is she here? Based on what seems to be going on, it doesn't appear to be a social visit" he said.
Tsuki looked towards Ramza. "She's a knight with a lot of mystery surrounding her. She acts exclusively under the orders of the royal family and no one else. She is normally held back as a reserve unit but is deployed out when circumstances demand it. She saved us back in the forests of Briswater when things got a little hairy" he said. He had flashbacks to his fight with Fenrir and hoiw she quite literally swooped in to save the day at the last minute.
Alba crossed his arms as he examined the situation from where they were at. "So, the rumors were true, after all. I had heard the stories about her but never met her in person. Even through all of that armor, you can practically feel their aura" he said.
Allie seemed to have her eyes locked on to the knight as she tilts her head. She was able to pick up incredible levels of magic easily almost to the point where the emotionless expression on her face had some level of surprise and excitement. "I sense great magic within her. Magic that's taken quite a long time to grow and completely natural" she said.
Tsuki looked down at Allie who, for a split second, looked to be trembling with excitement. He then shifted his gaze over towards the knight and two guards. "Shall we go see what's going on then?" he asked.
The group soon continued their approach of the warehouse. They weren't able to make out what they were talking about due to how far away they were but once they were able to get closer, they started to be able to make out what they were talking about. It would seem that the Silver Knight was trying to gain access to the warehouse.
The guard on the left was seen shaking his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Even if you are the Silver Knight, I can't give you access to the warehouse without the Commanders' approval" he said.
The knight shook her head with a sigh from beneath her helmet. "This isn't the time for formalities. What you have locked up behind those doors could lead to potential disaster and needs to be destroyed" she said. Breaking into the warehouse would be a simple task for her to do but forcing her hand would only make things worse.
Alba stepped forward from the group and approached the knight and two guards. "Is there a problem here?" he asked.
The same guard looked past the knight and saw Alba walking up to them. Him, along with the other guard, gave him a salute as he approached before speaking. "Commander! Well, you see, the Silver Knight wants access to the warehouse to destroy the shipment of crystal shards" he said.
Alba held his hand up to his chin as he looked back and forth from the guard to the Silver Knight. He knew that the shards were dangerous but he wanted to know more about them before any action was made. "To destroy them, huh? I understand that the crystal shards are dangerous material but we need to know more about them to understand their nature. I'll happily accomodate you with your request but, in return, I would like to ask that you wait for a little bit until these good folks finish their investigation into the shards" he said, shifting his gaze over towards Tsukis' group.
The knight looked over at Alba when he made his request with a slight tilt of her head. "Investigation?" she asked. He then followed his gaze over towards the others behind them and when she saw that Tsuki was among the group, she felt her body almost freeze. For a brief moment, the tone of her voice shifted to a softer, warm tone. "Tsuki...?" she asked. She then shook her head, clearing her throat. "So, we meet again. You're looking a little stronger since your tangle with Fenrir. By investigation, do you mean to tell me that you're the one that His Majesty sent out? I thought the investigation ended days ago" she said. The tone of her voice had shifted back to the normal cold, rough voice.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, about that...we just arrived to do the investigation. We are a bit late to conduct it due to various circumstances and delays" he said. He was, once again, reminded that this was an investigation that should have been finished with last week.
The knight folded her arms and seemingly stared off towards the ground in thought. "I see..." she said, trailing off at the end. She was silent for a few moments before looking back up with a nod. "Alright, I'll wait until you've finished your investigation. In the meantime, I'll be securing a place to stay at the inn. If something comes up, you know where to find me" she said. She then waved them off and began walking back towards the port area.
Alba tilted his head as she agreed to their terms so easily and walked off like that. "That was...surprisingly easy. I had expected that we would of had to push her into it" he said.
Lynette shrugged a bit, looking back towards the port where she knight walked off to. "There's something about her that's different. She may come off as cold and somewhat standoff-ish but I get the feeling that behind all of that is a kind, gentle person" she said.
Ramza scratched the back of his head, looking towards the ground. "I'm amazed you're able to make observations like that when you haven't even seen her face yet" he said.
Lynette looked back up at Ramza with a nervous laugh. "Call it woman's intuition, I suppose" she said. She had to admit that she was a little curious about the Silver Knight. Who she was and what her what kind of person she is. The fact that no much is known about her outside of the royal family just makes things more curious.
Tsuki shrugged his shoulders. He was curious to know what she was up to and wanted to talk to her since their encounter in the forest and since it would seem like she would be making camp in the town until their investigation was done, he would have plenty of time for that. For now, he decided that it would be best to focus their efforts on the shipment beyond the doors in front of them. "Let's take a look at that shipment before we do anything else. We'll go from there afterwards" he said.
Alba nodded and approached the two guards. "With that being said, can I count on you two to watch the door for us?" he asked.
The guard off to the right saluted once more, shifting his posture to stand at attention. "Yes sir! Leave this to us!" he said.
With that, Alba approached the doors, opened them up and walked into the warehouse with Tsuki and the others behind him. The warehouse was of a fairly large size. The inside seemed a lot bigger than the outside would show. It was a big, spacious storage area that can had a large capacity when it comes to the number of crates and various other shipments. However, what they saw caught them by surprise. Most of the crates lined along the walls and around the space were practically destroyed. In the center of the space, there were five wooden crates stacked on top of each other with nothing else surrounding them. There were even traces of what appeared to be dried up blood on the ground and towards the right side of the space. Not only that but upon stepping inside, they could feel an energy field of sorts throughout the entire space.
Alba walked towards the crates in the center of the space. "I apologize for the mess. We haven't exactly been able to clean things up" he said.
Tsuki looked around the room and walked around to examine the wreck. He soon approached what appeared to be the dried up blood and remembered Ruko saying something about being struck across his chest and nearly dying from the unknown entity. "This is where Ruko got injured, wasn't it?" he asked.
Alba nodded and looked in the direction where Tsuki was. "Yes. He was getting ready to send these crates out to be disposed of when that entity appeared" he said.
Lynette could feel the energy swirling around her. It wasn't anything negative but she did feel the suppressing effects from it. "How, exactly, did it appear? Did he ever say?" she asked.
Alba folded his arms and fell into thought as he had to think back to when it all happened. He never saw it appear himself so when Ruko explained what happened, he wasn't sure what to make of it at the time. "He said that one of the shards...came alive. It just hovered in the air for a moment before this entity appeared before him, swallowing the shard as its body formed from nothing" he said. He then opened one of the crates, revealing countless crystal shards filling the entire crate up to its lid. There had to be hundreds, if not, thousands of shards in each crate. "Initially, we didn't find anything suspicious about the shards. With a strong appraisal, we were able to discover the dark power within them, albeit faintly. I had no reason to doubt Rukos' story but it did serve as some form of confirmation for me. As a result, just as a precaution, I had this energy field put up around the entire space of this warehouse. Its' suppressive effects are more than enough to keep things in check until we take approrpriate action" he said.
Ramza looked at the crates and the amount of shards that just one crate had inside. He then recalled when Tsuki mentioned the explosions that resulted from two full-sized crystals being destroyed and then hearing about how the Silver Knight wanted to destroy them. "Would destroying them really be in our best interests? Based off what Tsuki and Lynette have told us about what happens when a full-sized crystal is destroyed, think about what would happen when you destroy five crates filled to the brim with crystal shards. Sure, the power they have might be rather faint but when you throw all of these into an explosion, you might end up biting off more than you could chew" he said.
Allie walked up to the crates and climbed up on top of one that was still closed so that she could get a better look at what was inside. She put her hand on top of the crystal shards and closed her eyes as her body started to glow. She was in the process of doing an appraisal of not only the shards in the opened crate but the others ones as well. After about another minute or so of this, the glow of her body started to dim and eventually looked up at the group, shaking her head. "It's just as Ramza says. Destroying them outright wouldn't be good. A single crate could leave behind a good sized crater. If these were full-sized crystals rather than shards, you're talking about an explosion that could level an entire town" she said.
Lynette didn't like what Allie had to say about the shards. It make a chill run down her spine. "So, not only do these crystals seem to have the ability to form these...entities, but if someone had a mind to, they could use them as powerful explosives. No one would ever expect it" she said.
Tsuki shook his head, trying to think of what they could do. They needed to get rid of them somehow. "Couldn't we just dump them out in the ocean and let them sink to the ocean floor?" he asked.
Alba shook his head. "Absolutely not. We have no idea what would happen to the marine life. Plus, recall what happened with the Rhybgaro and that Rhino...Fenrir, was it? Imagine passive, harmless creatures like that swallowing one of these shards and falling under their effects. It would devestate not only the marine ecosystem but would also pose a major risk to sea travel" he said.
Allie looked at them as they went back and forth, trying to come up with ways on how to deal with the shards. "The simple way is purify them. That would just leave them as normal crystal shards ready for disposal any time" she said.
Alba rubbed his chin a bit when purification was brought up. Indeed, it would be the best possible solution but to purify a large quantity of shards like this would take days and multple people strong enough to do the purification ritual. Basilwell didn't have the capabilities to pull off such a task nor did they have the resources to do so. "That would make things easier but the question is, how?" he asked.
Tsuki fell into thought about how they could go about performing a rather difficult purification ritual. In order to purify something, you need people with strong magic and depending on the object you're trying to purify, you may need more than one person. He then glanced over at Alba for a moment. "By observation, how many people do you think would it take to do the purification?" he asked.
Alba could only take a wild guess on how many people it would possibly take. "Hmm...for a job of this size, I would probably say, at least, 6 people at the minimum" he said.
Tsuki looked back at the crates and was silent for another minute before nodding to himself. "Then, I might be able to offer a solution. However, we would need to transport the crates to Eresseas in order to do so" he said.
Lynette looked at Tsuki, tilting her head a bit. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.
Tsuki turned and faced the group. "If we only need 6 people, then we should be set. I'm sure I can ask Aya and Stahler for assistance in this as they both blend powerful magic into their physical techniques. They're members of the Royal Eight so securing their help shouldn't be difficult. Then, there's Reia from Crescentia and Her Majesty, Queen Emma. Both of them are masters when it comes to magic. Finally, we have Allie and the Silver Knight here. The Silver Knight wants to dispose of the crystals so this would fall in line with her objectives. If her magic is as good as Allie said it is, then she will fit the bill. As for Allie, she has her unique circumstances of resembling a Great Spirit with seemingly equal levels of magic within her" he explained. They had all the people they would need for this task. The only difficult part is transporting heavy, and dangerous, cargo all the way to Eresseas. Not only that, it would also be another long trip due to the fact that they would have to go through the checkpoints and then take the long way around the river they crossed.
Allie looked up at Tsuki with a nod. "If Master wishes it, I will offer my body and soul" she said with no hesitation.
Tsuki laughed nervously as he scratched his cheek with his finger. "Keep your body and soul. All I would need is your magic" he said. A response towards her in which she returned a thumbs up. Despite having an emotionless, straight-faced demeanor, he couldn't help but wonder if she said these things because of who she was or if someone taught her these phrases and has taken them to heart.
Alba thought about the solution he made and soon nodded to himself. "Sounds like we have a plan then. I can coordinate with Her Majesty and work on preparing the crates for transport. It will take me a while to secure suitable transport and clearance through the checkpoints, however" he said. They would have to proceed through two different checkpoints with different levels of security and cargo inspection.
Tsuki looked over at Alba and nodded. "That's fine. We need to get the Silver Knight onboard with this plan anyway so we'll work on that in the meantime" he said. He then looked over at Allie, who was examining the shards once more. "Ready to go, Allie?" he asked.
Allie looked towards Tsuki and hopped off the crate, giving him a playful salute afterwards. "Ready whenever you are" she said. She then started to glow as her body started to vanish, the Caliburn taking up the glow until she was gone.
Alba nodded once more before heading towards the doors. "If you've seen enough, then let's get going" he said.
The group soon left warehouse. Upon exiting, the guards locked it back up and resumed their posts by the doors. Afterwards, they made their way back to the port area and gathered near the commercial docks.
Alba was the first to separate from the group as he stepped into the direction of headquarters. "I'll head back and begin working on securing transport and the necessary clearance. I'll also send word out to Her Majesty via carrier bird and update them on what's going on. Let me know if something happens" he said. He then made his way out of the port and up the street towards headquarters, disappearing among the crowd of people further ahead.
Ramza watched him leave and then turned around, facing in the direction of the non-commercial docking area. "I'll let you two reach out to that knight. There's somehing I would like to check out at the Guild while I'm in the area" he said.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit. It took him a moment to realize that there was a small Mercenary Guild branch located not too far from here. It gave him the perfect opportunity to ask a favor. "While you're there, can you ask around and see if anyone knows more about Caius? Or anything relating to recent movements with Honegroth?" he asked.
Ramza looked back at him, briefly holding his hand up in the air. "I'll see what I can find out. I'll meet up with you guys at headquarters later" he said. He then walked off towards the non-commercial docking area.
With their group now shrunk down to just two, Tsuki looked over at Lynette. "And then, there were two" he said with a sigh. It was up to them to convince the Silver Knight to cooperate with them. "Shall we go? She mentioned something about making herself at home at the inn" he said.
Lynette nodded at him and then the two of them were off towards the small inn not too far off from the docking areas. Since the inn was frequented a lot by travelers and migratory sailors, it tends to pick up a lot of buisness despite being rather rustic compared to its surroundings. The inn has a lot of different cultural influences to try and appease as many people as possible from different corners of the world.
After several minutes of walking through the streets and crowds, they eventually came to a building true to its word. An old, yet elegant building made out of oak wood and cobblestone laced with vines, flowers and other greenery. The surrounding buildings were more traditional so the inn itself stood out. A number of merchant and sailors could be seen exiting the inn all at once and heading back towards the port with their stuff in tow. While they were in the commercial docking area, they did notice that there were a few ships that appeared to be getting ready for departure. They approached the inn and stepped inside through its doors. Inside, they were greeted with a rather modest seating area to relax and even a small little cafe off to the side for those who want a quick bite or drink.
Lynette looked around as she took in her surroundings. "This place reminds me of Crescentia a little bit" she said. She felt right at home that she almost forgot that she was in Basilwell. She then looked towards the small cafe area and saw a familiar person sitting at one of the tables. "Hey...isn't that the Silver Knight?" she asked.
Tsuki looked over towards where she was looking at and was a little surprised. The person they were looking at was definitely the Silver Knight because of the armor they were wearing. The only difference this time was that the face guard was removed. While there wasn't much to look at since the helmet still covered the rest of her head, what they did see appeared to be a young woman with dark, violet eyes. Given the type of presence the Silver Knight gives off, he was expecting someone older. He was kind of taken back by her young looks. The only thing that worked against her was her facial expression. It wasn't one you would expect someone who had a cold, rough voice.
The Silver Knight took a sip of her tea before looking over towards Tsuki and Lynette. "You know, it's rude to stare at a lady" she said. She then finished up her tea and the sandwich she was eating before leaving a small tip behind. She then approached them, still keeping her face guard off as she looked at both of them. "Judging by your looks, you have something you want to say. I would assume it relates to those crates" she said.
Tsuki nodded at her. "We might have a better solution than by simply destroying them" he said.
The Silver Knight looked at the two of them and soon nodded, stepping towards the stairs leading up to the second floor rooms. "Let's discuss this in private then, shall we?" she asked. She then headed up towards her room.
Tsuki and Lynette followed her up to the second floor into her room where they gave her a brief explanation about what was going on and their plan to deal with crates. Since they didn't need to tell her about everything, the explanation didn't take that long as they only really included the initial details of his mission.
After hearing what they had to say, the Silver Knight was coming to understand everything. She had been lookinig into the strange crystals for a while now but always felt as if she was missing a lot of pieces. "Purify the shards, huh? And you say this is the best course of action?" she asked, leaning up against the wall near a window.
Tsuki was sitting on the side of one of the beds, nodding at her. "Yes. Doing so will, hopefully, minimize any negative effects" he said.
The Silver Knight folded her arms as she tried to figure out how he seemed so confident in this decision. "You seem pretty sure about this" she said.
Lynette scratched the back of her head. "Well, we do have a reliable source" she said.
The Silver Knight looked over at Lynette, tilting her head at her as if she didn't understand what she was saying. Since they haven't told her about Allie, Tsuki decided it would be best to show her rather. The Caliburn started to glow once more and moments later, Allie manifested sitting on the Tsukis' lap. Naturally, it surprised the Silver Knight though there seemed to be something else more to it.
Tsuki didn't expect Allie to manifest on his lap but she was the definition of a 'free-spirit' who has done crazier things so he shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. "Meet our source. This is Allie. She's a-" he said.
Suddenly, the Silver Knight faced Allie and got down to one knee, bowing to her without any warning. She didn't recognize her at first when they first met back at the warehouse but after seeing her manifest before her eyes, her whole demeanor changed. "Great Spirit! I apologize for my lack of respect from before. I didn't recognize you" she said.
Her sudden actions threw off Tsuki and Lynette as they both looked at each other with tilted heads. When it came to the Great Spirits, most believe them to be simply part of legend or fairytales considering that no one has seen a Great Spirit in decades, if not centuries. As such, while people make references to them in a joking manner, there aren't many that still worship them. The only people that worship them with strong devotion were Elves. It was almost a rare sight to see ordinary humans worshipping the Great Spirits.
Allie, much like Tsuki and Lynette, looked at her with a slight tilt of her head. Not having any recollection of her past or who she was, she didn't know how to respond. "Great Spirit?" she asked with the usual emotionless expression on her face.
The Silver Knight looked up at Allie with as much confusion as the rest of them seem to have. "You...are a Great Spirit, aren't you? Your Aer Signature is almost identical to one" she said, bringing up a strange, unfamiliar term.
Lynettes' curiousity peaked when she brought up the unfamiliar term. "What's an Aer Signature?" she asked.
The Silver Knight brought her hand up to her chest. "Everyone has a unique signature to their Aer. There's no two that are alike" she said.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit, looking at Allie. "But you said that her Aer Signature was identical to a Great Spirit" he said.
The Silver Knight nodded at him. "Yes. It's near identical to one. Much like ordinary people, Great Spirits have their own Aer Signature but there's a slight difference that makes them stand out. Although, now that I have a better look, something seems a little...different about her" she said.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head as he noticed Allie tilt her head back, looking up at him. "Honestly, we don't have much to say about her. Apparently, she was sealed away inside the Caliburn. She has no memory of her past which probably explains her lack of emotions" he said. He wanted to know more about Allie himself but he wasn't aware of anyone who could help him with that. "Anyways, Allie said it herself: destroying the crystals outright isn't the smart choice. She was the one to suggest purifying them. That way, we don't have to worry about any collateral damage" he said.
The Silver Knight simply stared at them in silence for a few moments. Ultimately, her objective is to get rid of the crystal shards. The method of how to go about doing it didn't really matter to her so long as she was able to achieve it. If there was a way to be rid of them while reducing the risks involved with it it, she had no reason to deny them. "So, in order to purify them, you would need my help. Is that correct?" she asked.
Tsuki nodded. "Yes. You're one of the few people that come to mind that have a strong connection with Magical Artes" he said. The success of their plan largely depends on her cooperation. Getting the others to cooperate with him would be easy because of connections he has already established. The Silver Knight was the only one that really needed convincing since he didn't really know anything about her.
Lynette bowed to her. "Please. Would you lend us your help?" she asked. Deep down, she wished she could be the one to help out but she was still a novice when it came to the Magical Artes. She was still a growing healer and didn't have a strong enough connection with Magical Artes currently.
Allie simply stared at the Silver Knight with her head tilted at her with the same innocent, emotionless expression on her face. She may not have spoken any words but her thoughts could be easily conveyed through her eyes. It was obvious that she shared the same conclusions as Tsuki and Lynette.
The Silver Knight eventually caved and let out a deep sigh. Then, she bowed once more, a gesture that was directed more towards Allie again. "Alright. I'll help you out. I see no reason not to anyway as it falls in line with my objective. Plus, Great Spirit or not, I can't go against the will of the spirits. My magic is at your disposal" she said.
A sense of great relief could be felt in the room as the tension almost immediately died down when she agreed to help them out. Tsuki tapped on Allie's shoulder as she hopped off his lap so that he could stand up. He then offered his hand forward with a confident smile on his face. "I promise we won't disappoint. Thank you" he said.
The Silver Knight looked up at Tsuki as he stood up and put his hand out towards her. She stood up and did the same, grabbing his hand and shook it. As their hands shook, she couldn't help but look at Tsuki. For a split second, you could see her facial expression become softer with a very small smile on her face before it went back to how it normally is. "Commander Alba is working out the method of transport, correct?" she asked.
Tsuki nodded at her, releasing her hand and resting his arm at his side. "Yes. We will be returning to headquarters once we leave here to check up on things" he said.
The Silver Knight turned and walked over to the window and taking a seat in a nearby chair. "Alright then. If you need anything from me, I'll be here. Once the crates have been loaded onto the transport, we'll leave for Eresseas together" she said.
Tsuki watched her sit down in a chair before turning to face Lynette. "Let's get back to the Commander and inform him of the news. Hopefully, he will have something to update us on too" he said.
Allie rubbed her eyes with a slight yawn. She was suddenly starting to feel tired which was understandable. Manifesting into a physical form takes a lot of Mana out of her and not only did she do it twice within a short period, but she also used up more of it when she did her analysis of the crates back at the warehouse. "I'm getting sleepy. I'm going to get some rest" she said. Then, her body soon disappeared in front of them as she retreated back into the Caliburn.
Lynette giggled a bit. "Poor girl. I guess we pushed her a bit too much. Let's leave her be for a while" she said.
Tsuki nodded at her as he glanced down at the Caliburn strapped to his waist for a moment. "Yeah. She deserves a bit of rest" he said. He patted the sword almost as if it was a real, living thing. He then made his way over to the door. "Let's get moving" he said.
With that, Tsuki and Lynette left the room, shutting the door behind them and leaving the Silver Knight to herself in her room. After they left, she leaned forward against the small table in front of her. "Hmm...maybe it'd be worth it to investigate that spirit..." she said. Her mind was stuck on Allie and what she felt about her. She wasn't sure what to make of her. She definitely seemed like a friendly spirit but her Aer was so close to the levels of a Great Spirit yet there was something different about it. She didn't know how to explain it.
Tsuki and Lynette left the inn and made their way up the streets towards headquarters which wasn't very far from where they were at. Upon arrival, they made their way into the building and were guided upstairs by one of the officials working there to Alba's office. They stepped through the doors and saw that Ramza was waiting inside with Alba. Ruko was nowhere to be seen.
Alba looked towards the door as Tsuki and Lynette walked right in as the doors shut behind them. "Ah welcome back. How did things go with the Silver Knight?" he asked.
Tsuki stepped up to his desk. "We managed to get her to work with us. She said that she will travel with us once we're ready to transport them to Eresseas" he said.
Alba nodded at them. "Excellent. That's great news. As far as transportation goes, I've secured a carriage and have instructed the port workers to start loading the crates onto it as soon as possible. As far as obtaining the necessary clearance to get through the checkpoints, I've sent Ruko out to the two checkpoints. I should hear back from him by the end of the day. I've also sent out a letter to Her Majesty, updating them on what's happening here. I should also be hearing back from them soon as well" he said. They were essentially playing the waiting game now. Once the necessary clearance has been obtained, they could leave anytime since loading the cargo onto the carriage won't take that long.
Lynette looked over at Ramza who was sitting in a nearby chair. "Did you find anything out at the Mercenary's Guild?" she asked.
Ramza scratched his head a bit, looking a bit disappointed. "Unfortunately, no. The contacts I reached out to in Honegroth basically told me what we already know. Caius hasn't been seen outside of his castle for a number of days which we already know what he's been up to. But, what's most interesting is that there's been no irregular movement in Honegroths' military to signify any sort of potential invasion yet they said that they could feel something big was coming" he said. If Caius was planning an invasion, then there would definitely be signs of preparations being made for it. One doesn't simply invade another kingdom without making it obvious. Word would spread quickly but, in this case, there is none of that. It made him feel a little uneasy. The contact he reached out to is usually spot-on with his reports so his last words to him only put him on alert even more.
Tsuki folded his arms, looking down towards the desk. He didn't like where things were going. Even after all this, they still had no idea what Caius' motives were. "I have a nagging feeling that something is going to happen. Hopefully, I'm just imagining things but we should be on our guard, just in case" he said.
Alba nodded in agreement. At this point, there was nothing they could do but wait to hear back from Ruko and Queen Emma anyways. "We're on standby until we receive word back. Until then, I suggest taking this time to stock up on supplies and check your equipment. I know it might be hard to do so but try to relax and get some rest as well" he said.
Ramza leaned back in the chair and looked over at them. "I still have things I want to check up on around town so I'll leave restocking of supplies up to you two. Alba has a point, though. You two should get some rest when you can. You both look like you're about to fall over" he said. As a mercenary, he was more used to these types of long trips than they were. It was a trait that was almost needed when it comes to being a mercenary
Lynette grabbed onto her arm, looking down towards the ground a bit as she rocked her body. "Really? But, I would feel bad if you two were doing the work around here while we kick back and relax" she said.
Alba shook his head. "What are you talking about? You two have been doing far more work than the both of us have, no thanks to me. Please, take this chance to rest and relax. Leave the rest to us" he said.
Tsuki didn't want admit it himself but they were running pretty ragged. Not only that but they could go for a bit of shopping as well. "Alright. We'll take you up on your suggestion" he said.
Alba nodded at them sitting back in his chair. "Excellent. I've already made arrangements for you two at the Grand Sandpearl Hotel. After all, I was serious when I said I wanted you two to rest and relax. Once I receive word from Ruko and Queen Emma, I'll let you know right away" he said.
Tsuki looked at Alba with a surprised look on his face. He was just going to book a room at the inn but then he had to go and one-up him and give them a place to stay at a lavish resort. He wasn't about to complain though. "You really didn't need to go to such lengths but we appreciate it" he said. He then turned towards the door and looked at Lynette. "Let's get going, Lyn" he said. He started walking towards the door and left the room
Lynette followed him out of the door, leaving the room in total silence with just Alba and Ramza. It continued like this for about another minute when Ramza broke the silence by sighing heavily and looking towards Alba. "So, you decided not to tell them about the sighting of Caius, huih?" he asked.
Alba leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk and closing his eyes. "Yes. We are still trying to confirm the sighting so until we are able to provide solid proof that it was him, it would be best not to get them riled up" he said. He sighed heavily as he didn't like where things were potentially going. "I'll buff up security around the ports and warehouses, just in case" he said. He was given no better option. Either leave security as it is and give him more wiggle room to move around freely in or buff up security and potentially risk a higher casulties if something were to happen.
Ramza leaned his head back against the chair, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. "Everywhere that man goes, death and destruction eventually falls in his wake. I hope you understand this" he said.
Alba nodded to himself slowly. "I'm aware. The murders, the incident in the Briswater mines...looks like it's going to be our turn very soon" he said. He then opened his eyes and looked over towards Ramza. "Might I ask that you keep an eye out on things while you're out checking up on whatever it is you're doing? Just like Tsuki said, I'm getting a bad feeling about this" he said.
Ramza nodded at him, standing up and stretching a bit. "You got it. We mercenaries have a trained eye when it comes to spotting things that might seem out of the ordinary, even in unfamiliar territory. Just as a precaution, I'll update the Guild about all of this so that they can be ready to act. Mercenaries are a tough bunch and luckily, there are some pretty strong ones at the Guild more capable than I am. If an attack of some kind were to happen, we're going to need as many able-bodied fighters as we can" he said. He was hoping it wouldn't come to that and that whatever they were feeling was just them being paranoid but with everything that's happened, one can't be too sure. It's better to be prepared for the unexpected to happen than not to be prepared at all.
Alba soon stood up from his chair, holding his arms behind his back. "You have my gratitude. If anything seems suspicious in any way, inform me right away" he said. With them being too far away from Eresseas, he couldn't rely on potential reinforcements from the royal knights. Not to mention the fact that it would take longer to move a large group of knights to such a remote area like Basilwell. The location of the town was Cayhills' greatest strength because if invasion were to happen, there would only be one entry point which would make it easy to cut off advancing troops but it also served as its greatest weakness because of how difficult it was to reinforce the town.
Ramza tapped his chest with his fist and left the room without saying anything else, leaving Alba alone in silence. There was little else that they could do at this point. Alba was usually spot-on when it came to his gut feelings and they only made it worse for him when they were still in the dark about Caius or what his motives were. It made him feel uneasy and helpless that all they could do right now was sit and wait.
Meanwhile, Tsuki and Lynette spent their time shopping for some needed supplies and checking out the various equipment stores to bolster their offensive and defensive capabilities. Once they had everything they needed, they decided to explore the parts of town they haven't had a chance to really see yet such as the Resort Area and Residential District. They didn't even arrive at the Grand Sandpearl Hotel to check into their room for a few hours after they had left Alba and Ramza at headquarters. Much like the outside of the hotel, the inside of it was just as lavish with water running beneath their feet under platforms that served as the first floor. They were even given the Presidential Suite on the top floor which was rather spacious and luxurious. It had a big living space and even a balcony that overlooked the town and the ocean beyond. They could practically see everything from the balcony, even the headquarters building towards the port. Not having much else to do, they decided to spend the rest of the day trying to relax and wind down. They were going to need all the energy and strength they can muster in the next coming days.
To be continued...