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

27. Royal Meeting -1st Revision-

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 26: Royal Meeting

The carriage continued on through the winding streets of Esseand as they made their way up to the different levels. Esseand had 3 different levels to it with the bottom one being the largest. The bottom level of Esseand had most of the city's businesses from major stores to construction and law firms as well as residential housing. The second layer of city was slightly smaller in circumference but had a richer lifestyle compared to the bottom layer. The second layer was home to mostly rich and powerful individuals that work for the royal family or have some connection to them or the military. There were still a few businesses around but they primarily catered more towards the rich. The third and final layer to the city was where Esseand Castle was located. The castle wasn't as big and regal-looking like Eresseas was but it had its own set of charms to it. Access to the top layer of the city was open to the public but closed off at sunset.

The caves beyond the city and into the mountains themselves also incorporated into the bottom and middle layers of the city. They served as additional city expansion as buildings were built within the mountain interior. With the use of Earth Artes, they were able to clear out a large within the mountain where the old mines used to be. Within the caves, it was like an underground city that was fully functioning. Tsuki and the others didn't get to see it themselves but Caz and Ramza have tried their best to explain how Esseand works and the overall layout of the city. The biggest difference compared to Eresseas, however, was that the city wasn't in a peaceful state like Eresseas was.

Due to the ongoing stress and anxiety people have towards Dolothlond, people are always on edge. They try their best to get through their days but with the more recent activities and events going on, it was getting harder for everyone. This causes them to lash out at others, particularly those that reside in middle layer of the city. It didn't help that there were a number of people within the rich community that also looked down on those that live in the bottom layer as well. Anyone that looks rich is often targeted by people. According to Caz, the king has been trying to quell the ongoing problems his city was facing but was having extreme difficulty. The king would never admit it but it was obvious to Caz. Ever since the queen and prince disappeared, the king has slowly been losing his grip and handle on the city and his people. Many want him to retaliate against Dolothlond for a wide range of reasons such as for the unsanctioned seizure of the northern snowfields. The king's inaction only fuels these people more.

After about 20 minutes of traversing through the various streets, the carriage finally arrived at the gates of the castle on the top level. When the carriage came to a stop, Tsuki and the others stepped out and stretched their bodies. When people saw Ramza, they all flocked to him like moths to a flame. Everyone was overly excited to see Ramza which further demonstrated just how much his presence is worth for Tsuki and the others. Melphi also attracted some attention to herself as well which made the atmosphere more tense so Ramza had to step in before things got heated like before. After a short while, they were guided into the castle by Caz and escorted through the front gates. Inside of the castle was just as regal as its exterior. Incredibly high ceilings, castle decor that looked to be very expensive, various works of art such as statues and paintings lined the hallways and main foyer of the castle with a tall, grand staircase leading up to a second floor. If Eresseas had watery feel to it with its interior design and decor, then Esseand had an earthly feel to it.

Before heading off towards where the audience chamber was where the king would be, Caz brought them to one of their guest rooms. The guest room was small but offered more than enough for people's needs. It had two beds with a few dressers to be used by the guests for temporary storage. The guest rooms were even stocked up on some complimentary foods and drinks. "Since your friend is in a coma-like state, it wouldn't be wise to bring her in front of His Majesty. Feel free to use this room during your stay here. I'll be sure to inform the maids and other knights so there won't be any issues" he said.

Tsuki nodded at him, carrying Phi on his back. "Thanks. I appreciate it" he said. He walked over to one of the empty beds and set her down on it before putting the covers over her. He then took a look at her face and noticed that her face was slightly discolored. This concerned him. "Melphi, come take a look at this. I think your medicine is starting to lose it's effects" he said.

Melphi walked up to Phi and examined her closely. She had a somewhat grim expression on her face. "You're right. It's gradual but the medicine is wearing off. This isn't good" she said.

Cheria grew worried for Phi. There had to be something they could do. They've already came this far. "Can't you do something?" she asked.

Melphi shook her head. "No. The medicine that I initially gave her wasn't meant for Human consumption. A average dose of it would have killed her so I had to give her a lesser dose. Even with a lesser amount, however, it put her dangerously close to overdose" she said. She didn't tell them this but the main reason why her body was able to handle it was because of the barrier she had been incased with. That barrier applied healing properties to keep her body stable. She was unable to use that same barrier this time around because it requires a lot of Mana to maintain it. The barrier uses her own Mana as a healing method so it would require her to be in her dragon form where her Mana levels were significantly higher. It was the main reason why Melphi was unconscious for as long as she was when they arrived in Basilwell.

Lynette walked over to the side of her bed and looked at Phi for a moment before looking back at them. "I'll stay here with her and watch her. I'm not sure what I can do but I'll try my best to mitigate her symptoms at the very least" she said. It wouldn't be wise to leave her alone without a healer or at least someone who had knowledge in the medical side of things especially with slowly deteriorating conditions.

Ramza looked over at Caz. "Would you mind staying with her? If she needs help with anything, it would be best if she had someone who knew their way around here" he said.

Caz nodded at him. "Leave them to me. They'll be in good hands" he said.

Ramza smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder before turning to face the door. "Alright, the rest of you follow me. I'll lead us the rest of the way" he said.

With that, Ramza lead everyone out of the guest room and back over towards the main foyer. He guided them up the grand staircase and approached a large set of doors with two knights standing on each side of it. They both stared at Ramza for a moment with shock and surprise on their faces before saluting him and opened the doors for them, allowing them to enter. On the other side of the door was a wide open space with various statues of hawks and eagles and other smaller pieces of decor scattered around the room. At the far end of it, there were three throne chairs. Two of them were empty and the other one was occupied by a man in royal attire. He had short, spikey silver hair with a blue eyes and a short, trimmed beard. It was obvious that this man was the king that they've been hearing about. He had a commanding presence and looked like someone with a rough personality. They slowly approached the throne, stopping a few feet away from them and got down onto one knee, bowing their heads with Ramza stepping a bit further out from the group, doing the same.

Ramza kept his head lowered as he started to speak. He hasn't gotten a reply back from the letter he had sent prior to leaving Basilwell but he should have already been informed of their arrival by now. "Your Majesty, it's been a while. I apologize that I haven't had made the time to drop by in recent days" he said.

The king didn't answer him. Instead, he stood up from his throne and approached him. With their heads all lowered, they simply heard his metallic footsteps walk across the hard floor. He stopped within arm's reach of Ramza. "On your feet, son" he said in slightly deep tone of voice.

Ramza slowly stood back up and shared a look with the king. As for Tsuki and the others who remained down on one knee with their heads lowered, they could feel a bit of anxiety growing as silence filled the room. Then, that anxiety and silence was broken as Ramza and the king grinned at each other with a faint chuckle as they shared a handshake and pulled each other into a light hug as the king patted Ramza on the back before separating from each other.

The king let out a quick laugh before starting to speak in a more relaxed manner. "It's been a few months since you last dropped by, Ramza. I was beginning to think that I might have upset you or something last time you were around" he said.

Ramza scoffed a bit at his remark, waving his hand in front of him. "Sure, I was a bit frustrated that I lost to you in that duel but I'm not that petty that I would avoid you because of it. I see you've started to grow out your beard a little bit. It's too early for you to start looking like an old man, you know" he said in a joking manner.

The king let out a sarcastic laugh at his statement. "Says the former General who gets laid out by A-rank mercenaries. It's too early for you to play the weak game" he said.

Their brief casual exchange ruined all forms of tension in the room as Tsuki and the others let out a collective sigh of relief. The king looked like someone hard to deal with but it appears that looks were deceiving.

Ramza shared one more brief handshake with the king. "Glad to see you in high spirits as usual. Looks like not much has really changed" he said.

The king shook his hand once more, nodding at him. "For the most part, at least. Things have gotten a little more hectic around here in the last few days so I've had my hands full. I received your letter a few days ago. You mentioned something about coming with a group of people who have urgent business with me. I assume these are the people you were talking about" he said, looking back at Tsuki and the others behind them. They all definitely looked like foreigners except for Melphi. However, unlike the others that have noticed her, he looked at her with a bit of familiarity and fondness. "Well, this is rare indeed. I never expected to see Mel traveling with another group of Humans. And here I thought that we were the special ones" he said.

Melphi sighed before standing back up to look at him in the eye. Rather than lashing out, she spoke to him with a sense of calmness. "Don't be mistaken. I'm only here because circumstances called for it" she said.

The king nodded at her, his tone of voice becoming a bit more serious. "That much is clear. Shana's orders, I assume?" he asked.

Melphi nodded and then added onto it. "Not just hers, but Tai and Em as well" she said.

The king raised an eyebrow when she brought up Taichi and Emma, two names he didn't expect to hear. "Taichi and Emma too? That's not good. What's happened?" he asked.

Ramza looked over towards Tsuki and the others. Before they talk about where to find the herb collector that shared the same family name as Phi, it was best to explain what's been transpiring around the world in the recent days. "I think it's best if you hear it from the people who were at the center of it all" he said. He looked at Tsuki, nodding at him to cue his turn to speak.

The king nodded. "Before that, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Raiku Strife, king of Esseand. Any friends of Ramza are friends of mine so feel free to speak casually" he said.

Tsuki slowly stood up and looked towards Raiku after he introduced himself to them. "My name is Tsuki Himura. These are my companions: Elle Solize, Allie, Ruko Amado, Cheria Tsubasa and Nagi Ferid. There are two others with us but they are indisposed right now" he said.

Raiku put a hand up to immediately stop him as he recognized one of the names. "Wait a moment. Did you just say 'Cheria Tsubasa'?" he asked.

Cheria soon stood up and walked up next to Tsuki, giving him a courteous bow. It was clear that he was familiar with her parents based on the previous exchange with Melphi. "Y-yes, that would be me, Your Majesty" she said.

Raiku took a step closer to her and examined her closely. He could definitely see the resemblance of both Taichi and Emma. "My goodness, you've grown into a fine young woman. I didn't even recognize you" he said.

Ramza tilted his head at his remark. "What's this? Do you know each other?" he asked.

Cheria put a finger up to her chin and tried to think back as far as she could but nothing popped up. "Hmm...I don't recall ever meeting you..." she said.

Raiku shook his head. "Not surprising. You were still a young babe when I last saw you. I think you were only 2 years old at the time" he said. He couldn't believe the young girl who was just leaning how to walk and talk on her own had grown into a fine, mature woman. She definitely inherited her mother's regal appearance and her father's strengths.

Tsuki didn't realize that Raiku shared a connection with Taichi and Emma. When Melphi mentioned that there were others that were former companions of them scattered around, he didn't expect one of them to be a king of another kingdom. "So, is it safe to assume that you're one of Taichi and Emma's companions?" he asked, glancing over at Melphi.

Melphi nodded. "Believe it or not, yes he is. Of course, back then, he wasn't acting as this kingdom's king. In fact, he's actually the first of a new royal bloodline after the previous king sadly passed away due to illness with no living heirs" she said. She used to fondly remember the previous king of Esseand. His age was definitely showed but he didn't hesitate to put his own people first. Despite his old age and deteriorating health, he managed to keep solid grip on political and economical matters. The previous king used to be one of their biggest allies and supporters when they were all traveling together. For being a Human, she was deeply saddened when she heard that the former king passed away. She was even their for the funeral service and burial.

Raiku scratched the back of his head, letting out a soft sigh. "Honestly, I never wished to be king in the first place. I didn't belong in that type of world" he said, thinking back to the past. Those times were some of his most cherished, and most difficult, memories he's ever had.

Allie tilted her head a bit. She noticed that his Mana and Aer levels were significantly weak. It took her a moment to realize something about him. "You...use a Blastia, don't you?" she asked.

Raiku looked down at Allie with a surprised look. He looked like a tough fighter on the outside but all he had were his muscles and fighting skills with a sword. He's never had the natural capabilities to tap into his own Mana. This was a pretty common thing for people that lived the civilian life. People who are incapable of harnessing their Mana are deemed unfit for combat. The only way to get around that is the use of Boosters, which are highly illegal to use by the public, and Blastia. Not many people are able to discern the fact that he can't fight without the aid of a Blastia at first glance. "Well, aren't you intuitive. Yes, you would be correct" he said. He then held his hand as he pulled his sleeve back, revealing a bracelet on his wrist with a crimson stone embedded in it.

Tsuki took a moment to examine the bracelet on his wrist. This was the first time he's actually seen a Blastia. Everyone that he's come into contact with have always had the natural talent of tapping into their Mana. He was the first person that was incapable of that. "So, this is a Blastia, huh? Interesting..." he said.

Raiku nodded at him before pulling his sleeve back down and lowering his arm. "You see, I was just a simple attendant for the former royal family. Nothing too special about it. I wasn't much of a fighter. That is, until I met Taichi, Emma, Melphi and all the others. It was upon meeting them that my life would see a dramatic shift. Those were some pretty crazy times, thinking back on it now. Feels like a lifetime ago" he said.

For him, it's almost hard to believe he used to be an average, common person among the masses. Now, he stood at the top as a dignified, powerful figure in terms of not just figuratively but literally. Back then, he barely knew how to wield a sword. He didn't even know the basics of martial arts and self-defense. However, thanks to one of their old companions, he was able to find his calling. Now, he was a master swordsman with unparalleled skill throughout Ersheath. He was able to overcome tough and seemingly impossible obstacles just through his prowess and skills with a blade. Use of his Blastia would also give his skills an extra edge in combat as well, having access to various forms of Artes though nothing too demanding of Mana.

Allie became curious of the previous royal family that he used to serve and one that used to rule over Esseand. "What happened to the previous family? Why were there no heirs?" she asked. Since she was sealed away for so long, she was unaware of events that have happened across the world.

Cheria folded her arms in front of her and fell into thought for a moment. She was able to remember the expressions her parents used to have whenever they talked about it. She was too young to understand it at the time. "My parents used to tell me stories of their old adventures. In the Year 2976, they met with the former royal family during their adventure. A spirited, kind-hearted king and a beloved queen and princess. They were supporters and wouldn't hesitate to help..." she said. She soon fell silent for a few moments, looking down a bit. "Near the end of their travels together, my parents and their companions were dragged into a conflict between Esseand and an opposing force. There were many casualties that resulted from it with the queen and princess being part of it. The queen, unfortunately, didn't make it and despite extensive efforts made by mother, she was unable to save the princess, who succumbed to her injuries" she said. She could remember the pained and guilty expression on Emma's face when she told her this story. She never fully understood the full story until much later but it was clear to her now that she and the late princess were very close.

Raiku nodded as Cheria explained it, taking a quick glance at the necklace around her neck and briefly pointing to it as he immediately recognized the Wayward Stone that was attached to it. "The stone around your neck belonged to the late princess. She gave that to her so that she would always have something to remember her by. Those two were almost sisters, in a way" he said. He remembered some of the times that they talked with each other. The princess wasn't a traveling companion but they would both light up in each other's presence. It was unfortunate that they couldn't save her from the injuries she sustained. Emma was almost as grief-stricken and hurt as the late king was. It was a hard time for everyone.

Cheria felt like she finally understood the full picture. Her parents never went into detail about their companions or the friends they made along the way. The fact that her mother used to get so angry with her and was very protective of the Wayward Stone was more than just it's value and significance. She put her hand over the necklace and closed her eyes for a moment. "So, that's why..." she said.

Raiku gave her a brief smile before looking back over towards Tsuki. "I apologize for interrupting you but some things needed to be said. Please, continue with what you were saying before. What's been happening? The fact that Cheria and Melphi are here is a clear indication that something is very wrong" he said.

Tsuki nodded at him and then proceeded to explain to Raiku everything that's transpired over the last few weeks, starting from when it all started with his mission. At first, it didn't seem out of the ordinary to him. However, the first mention of Caius and the encounter with him in both Briswater and Basilwell immediately caught his attention. He had heard that things around Honegroth had been rapidly changing over the last few months but he didn't expect things had gotten so bad. It came as a great shock to him considering the past history that they had with them. He was understandably dismayed when they told him what happened in Eresseas and the fact that Taichi, Emma and Shana stayed behind. Thankfully, similarly to how Melphi and Cheria did it in Basilwell, he was able to verify their well-being by using the Wayward Stone so that brought him some level of relief and comfort.

Raiku was sitting back down on his throne, leaning his back against it as he rubbed his forehead. This was news that he didn't want to hear especially with all of their own internal problems. "Well, if it's those three, then I'm confident that they'll be fine. They were the strongest amongst our group. Then again, based off what you said about these...entities, they're facing off against an unknown threat" he said.

Elle folded her arms in front of her, shaking her head. She had flashbacks run through her mind as she remembered when the lower levels of Eresseas Castle became filled with that strange, purple fog which seemed to spawn those strange entities seemingly out of nowhere. It was a bit disturbing for her to think about. "If only we knew more about this...what did they call it? Arcanum? If that's what it's really called, anyway" she said.

Raiku rubbed his chin in thought. The name didn't ring any bells nor did any of it's properties seemed familiar to him. It has been a long time since he had last been on a grand adventure but he's seen and remember a lot from back in his days serving as an attendant. "Unfortunately, I don't have any words to offer. Although, it's possible that Luan may know something about this" he said.

Ramza nodded at his suggestion. "That's another reason why we've come here. There's something we need to consult to her about concerning the Wellsprings and some long-forgotten history" he said.

Nagi looked over towards Ramza, tilting her head a bit. "Luan? Who's that?" she asked.

Ramza looked back and faced them briefly. He recalls that he briefly mentioned to them that he had a friend who had a crazy obsession with world history. "My historian friend. I believe I referenced her a few times already. If anyone might have some answers for us, it'd most likely be her" he said.

Raiku scratched the back of his head a bit. "Unfortunately, your arrival could have came at a better time. She's currently out doing a seminar session in Chesberry and won't be back for at least two days" he said.

Tsuki was a bit disappointed to hear that they couldn't talk with her right away. It was a shame but it couldn't be helped. For the meantime, it was best to focus on finding that herb collector. "What about that herb collector? Can we meet with him?" he asked.

Raiku looked over at Tsuki. "If you're seeking out herbs to combat Deixide, then Shuko Sykes is the man you're looking for. That old coot makes a living off of collecting exotic, rare herbs" he said.

Tsuki and Cheria looked at each other as they naturally recognized the last name. Tsuki had been curious when Ramza had said that he knew someone who shared the same family name as Phi. "I wonder...could this Shuko be related to Phi?" he asked.

Cheria thought about it for a few moments. Thinking back, she didn't know a whole lot about Phi's family and background prior to becoming part of the Royal Eight. "It's very possible. Why else would they share the same last name?" she asked.

Raiku looked over at Tsuki and Cheria as they mumbled to themselves about Phi. "What's this about a shared name?" he asked.

Cheria returned her gaze towards Raiku. "Her name is Xpheria Sykes. She is also a member of the Royal Eight like Tsuki is and one of our most loyal knights. She was inflicted with Deixide a few days ago but remains stable for the time being thanks to some medicine that Melphi gave her. However, it's starting to wear off" she said. This was her chance to repay her for all that she's done. She wasn't as familiar with her as Tsuki was but they've talked frequently back at the castle.

Raiku rubbed his chin a bit when she mentioned Phi's name to him. It was a name that was familiar to him. "Hmm...Xpheria, huh? All the more reason then to suggest meeting Shuko. If she's who I think she is, then he will undoubtedly help you out without hesitation" he said.

Tsuki nodded at him. That was there intentions, after all. Despite being rivals with Phi, she never really talked much about her personal life or her life outside of being a knight at all. He wasn't going to lie to himself; he was always curious about her and wished that he knew more about her. However, every time he would try to get to know her better, she would brush him off and change topics or just flat-out ignore his attempts to get closer. "Sounds like a plan, then. Where can we find him?" he asked.

Raiku patted himself on the chest, giving him a wide grin. "You leave that to us. I haven't seen him for a few days but he said that he was going to be staying local for a while. He's probably peddling his ware at the markets. I'll have my knights summon him so in the meantime, why don't you all kick back and relax? Based off what you said, you've been rather cramped with your voyage across the seas and the carriage ride here from Velika Port" he said. While their circumstances that brought about their visit were less than ideal, they were still guests. It made the occasion even more special with Cheria and Melphi's presence. He wanted to make sure he treated the daughter of his old companion right and it would also give him a chance to catch up with Melphi since they haven't seen each other for quite some time.

Tsuki was a bit taken back by his generosity. He didn't expect him to be so easygoing and open to them. "I appreciate the generosity but we couldn't possibly accept. After all, we basically just walked right on in here without much word ahead of time" he said.

Raiku put his hand up, shaking his head. "Nonsense. You've brought me news of my old companions plus I got to see Melphi again. Take this time to stretch your legs for a bit and relax. Besides, you won't know exactly who to search for anyway, right?" he asked. He then stood up again and walked back up to Tsuki's group, patting him on the shoulder lightly. "Check out the sights. See what the city has to offer. I can't promise that it'll be anything as extravagant as Eresseas but Esseand has it's charms too, you know. Plus, I'm curious about Allie there so I would like to ask some questions about her later on" he said.

Tsuki thought to himself for a moment and after a few moments, he nodded at him. "Alright. Thank you for the hospitality then" he said. He did have a point; they wouldn't know who to look for. Ramza only knew this Shuko by name only so rather than just wandering around and asking the townspeople, it made more sense for them to locate him. Although, he believes that they've rested for long enough so he wasn't all that keen on sitting around and waiting again.

Raiku patted his shoulder a bit, letting out a light laugh. "That's my boy! I'll have a few other rooms prepared for you during your stay here so feel free to make yourself at home here" he said. He then started to make his way towards the door that led back out into the castle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I got some knights to assemble" he said. The knights standing by the doors opened them up for him as he walked through the threshold and out into the hallway.

Ruko was a bit taken back by his behavior and attitude. He had the presence of a king but definitely didn't quite act like one. He was a very different man compared to Taichi. "Well...he seems very hands-on, doesn't he?" he asked. He was almost speechless at just how fast he got to work on fulfilling their requests. He didn't think it'd be that easy.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. He was glad to see him in good spirits but he was kind of hoping that he would have matured at least a little bit since he's been gone. He's the same as ever. "Yeah...that's just how he is. He's not the type to just sit around and wait for others to get things done. Honestly, he spends more time out on doing grunt work than hanging back on the throne" he said.

Elle shrugged her shoulders a bit. It was a bit unorthodox for a king to do basic field and grunt work that ordinary knights are more than capable enough to handle. "If you ask me, he's ideal for the position. It strengthens the bonds between him and his fellow knights and citizens" she said. Taichi and Emma had their own way of doing things around Cayhill that were similar in some ways. Although, Raiku seemed to be a lot more involved with the public than they were.

Allie tilted her head a bit. She didn't really get a chance to add much to the previous set of conversations as there were no good places to get a word in. "Allie believes he means well. He's got a good heart to him. Isn't that enough?" she asked.

Ruko let out a faint chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "That's putting it one way but holding the position as king, you need more than just a good heart. You also need to have strong, unwavering conviction in your ideals with the means to back those ideals up" he said. He didn't doubt his abilities but the fact remains that he is naturally incapable of honing in on his inner Mana. A Blastia or a Booster were tools designed to alleviate that but they weren't foolproof. They had their own faults to them and if those faults were to come to fruition during a high stakes battle, the consequences could be dire, if not fatal.

Ramza let out a soft groan as he shook his head and patting Ruko on the back. "If you're curious about his capabilities, feel free to challenge him to a duel later on. He will be more than happy to provide you with an opportunity to spar. He can never turn down a challenge especially if he sees it as an opportunity for self-growth" he said. The two of them used to spar a lot back when he was still in the service. Obviously based on the initial introductions, he ended up losing the last sparring match that they had.

Tsuki looked around a bit before scratching his head for a few moments. Seeing as how they were effectively told to stretch their legs for a while and wait, they might as well take the opportunity to look around. "Well, for the time being, let's get back to Lynette and fill her in on what's going on. We can decide what to do from there" he said.

With that, they left the audience hall and walked back through the hallways. Upon returning to the room where Lynette and Phi was, they proceeded to fill her in on what they had discussed with Raiku. She was a little surprised to hear of the fact that he was one of Taichi and Emma's old companions, like Melphi was. With all that's been happening in recent days, she was starting to find it harder to be surprised about anything. It's always been one surprise after another ever since she first got involved with Tsuki over the last almost two months. After a few more minutes passed by, they were now in the process of figuring out what they should be doing now.

Lynette was sitting on the edge of the bed that Phi was resting in with her arms crossed in front of her. "So, we're on standby duty again, huh? I feel like we haven't really accomplished anything since we escaped Eresseas" she said.

Ramza was leaning up against the nearby wall on the other side of the room, shrugging his shoulders. "That's because we haven't. However, Raiku did have a point; it was best to let them handle finding Shuko. If I knew his overall appearance, I'd be out looking for him right now but unfortunately, I don't" he said.

Nagi was sitting down on the adjacent bed on the other side of the room, her back pressed up against the wall and her legs crossed. "Not only that but we're also unfamiliar with the city. Aside from Ruko and Melphi, we wouldn't know where to begin looking or who to ask" she said.

Melphi had sat down in a nearby chair in the corner of the room by the door. "Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to help on that front. Did you forget? I'm Dragonkin. Unlike the people of Eresseas, people around here know what Dragonkin look like just by a quick glance. It'd cause too much of an uproar if I went around the city, asking about some herb collector" she said. Part of the reason why she tries to avoid Human settlements is because of what her presence brings. Whether it's intentional or not, ordinary people have become afraid of Dragonkin and it all had to do with the stigma that comes from the results of Dolothlond's recent latest activities. Honestly, she couldn't blame ordinary people for feeling the way they do. However, since dragons and Dragonkin are alike in many ways with them being some of the most ruthless beings in existence, they ended up getting bundled together in one bit stereotype.

Ruko did a few squats to get his blood flowing before rolling his head across his shoulders. Seeing as how they were given the opportunity to sightsee, this was their chance to get the lay of the land. "Well, we better make the best of it. I'm sure we'll be making frequent trips here in the coming days so I think it's best we figure out where everything is just as Raiku suggested" he said.

Elle glanced over towards Phi, noticing that her condition was definitely degrading but at a slow, gradual pace. Her steady breathing has become somewhat staggered and slightly heavy. "Regardless of what we do, someone needs to stay with her and keep an eye on things" she said. She then turned her head over towards Melphi. "You're the one that gave her the medicine. How much longer until the effects wear off completely?" she asked.

Melphi soon stood up and walked over towards the side of the bed where Phi was resting and did a quick examination of her. There were no alarming signs of severe degradation yet but the medicine was indeed starting to wear off. Normally, the medicine she gave her would last for at least two weeks but since she was on a smaller dose than normal, it made sense to her to see the effects already start to wear off. "Probably another three days at best, two at the worst. It all depends on how much longer her body can hold out until we get the medicine we need" she said.

Tsuki's concern for Phi was palpable. Seeing her in such a weakened state despite knowing how strong and active she is pains him on some levels. "So, we still got some time left. Worst case scenario, the effects wear off before we can get our hands on the right medicine. How long then?" he asked. He was afraid to know the answer but it needed to be known.

Melphi was silent for about another minute or so as she closed her eyes and lowered her head a bit. "Deixide is a fast-acting poison. If we don't get the medicine before the effects wear off, she wouldn't last an hour. In most cases, many die within minutes" she said.

The room grew heavy with this news. No one anticipated the fast rate of death from Deixide. If one wasn't amply prepared or wasn't close to a clinic, it was practically an instantly fatal thing and that's they even have the proper medicines on-hand to treat it. With the required herbs being rather hard to iff come by, the resulting medicine itself was scarce. When someone contracts Deixide, there's essentially no hope for the poor victim. In many cases, the victims themselves are put out of their misery by request since they know that they won't make it. A mercy killing.

As the heaviness in the air persisted, someone knocked on the door. Moments later, it opened up with Caz on the other side. Immediately, he picked up on the room's heaviness. "Man, you guys look like someone died in here" he said, temporarily forgetting about Phi's condition

The others turned and all gave Caz the same dark, dreadful look. He could feel an icy cold chill run through him as if he were struck by several arrows.

Caz had never felt such tense stares before in his life which chilled him to the bone. "S-sorry...bad choice of words..." he said. He didn't mean anything by it but he could have worded it better. His comment was made simply out of habit. He put his hand up his his chin and cleared his throat. "A-anyway, His Majesty wants to see you, Tsuki" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit. It most likely had something to do with Allie. After all, he did say he had some questions about her that he wanted to talk about. He didn't expect it to be so soon though. "The man sure works fast. It's only been a few minutes since we had our meeting" he said.

Caz nodded at him. "That's how he is. He wanted me to reassure you that he's sent out people to search for Shuko so he said not to worry about that" he said.

Tsuki looked over towards Allie. "I'm sure he has like a thousand questions to ask. Feel up for the task?" he asked. Since Allie was the potential subject matter, it would only make sense to bring her along with him.

Allie lightly tapped her chest as she braced herself for a barrage of questions. "Allie is ready for the challenge!" she said with enthusiasm.

Tsuki nodded at her and then looked over at everyone else. "I have a feeling that this might take some time so don't wait on me" he said.

Ramza shook his head. He figured that their discussion would take some time considering that Raiku likes to talk. "Don't worry about us. Take your time. Meanwhile, I suppose we'll break from here until Shuko shows up" he said. He then scratched the back of his head as he thought about what he could do. "I suppose while I'm around, I may as well check in on the the Guild Branch and see if there are any local jobs to take on" he said.

Lynette was too concerned about Phi's condition so she didn't want to leave her side. "I'll probably just hang back here. Someone needs to keep an eye on Phi" she said.

Caz looked over towards Lynette. "Feel free to reach out to our clerics for any assistance. They've already been appraised of the situation. We can't do much against the effects of Deixide but we can at least try and ease her comfort" he said. He wishes that there was more they could do but this was the best that they could offer.

Lynette bowed to Caz in appreciation. "Thank you" she said. Perhaps she could learn more about the Healing Artes from experienced clerics. With a new kingdom to explore, the potential for growth is endless.

Ruko scratched the back of his head with a soft sigh. She did a pretty good job of hiding it but he could tell that she was pushing herself. "I'll stay with you and help you out. Can't have you working yourself dry now, can we?" he said.

Melphi walked over to one of the lounge chairs in the corner and sat down, reaching into her bag and pulling a book out from it. "Considering that my presence would only just cause alarm, I'll hang back here as well" she said. Some of the knights that saw her accompanying everyone were already feeling uneasy despite Ramza's word so it was better to not make things even worse.

Elle shrugged her shoulders. She didn't exactly show it through facial expressions but she has been wanting to check out around town since they arrived. It was a whole new to explore and learn about. Not only that but it would also be nice to do as Raiku suggested and get a feel for the town. "Leave town recon to me then. I'll do a bit of walking around and see where everything is" she said.

Nagi walked up to Elle, reaching down and taking hold of her hand. "Mind if I come with?" she asked with a soft smile.

Elle looked at Nagi who approached her and got super close to her. "S-sure..." she said.

Cheria was the only one left to decide on what to do. While she could use some proper sleep or learn about the town, she was more interested in what else Raiku had to say about her parents. "Tsuki? Is it alright if I come with? I'm curious to know if he has anymore stories of my parents" she said.

Tsuki shrugged his shoulders a bit. "I don't see why not..." he said. He then glanced over at Caz, motioning his arm at him. "That shouldn't be a problem, right?" he asked.

Caz shook his head. "He never specifically called on only Tsuki. Besides, I have a gut feeling that he had expected this would happen" he said. He took a quick look at Cheria and scratched the back of his head. He had only just heard it from Raiku but he still couldn't believe that the bright, young girl standing in front of him was actually a princess. It was practically impossible to tell because of how plain and simple her clothing was. He then bowed to Cheria, holding his hand up to his heart. "I would also like to apologize. I had my knights raise their weapons on you and was pretty rude when we met back at the port. If I had known you were Eresseas' Princess, that wouldn't have happened" he said.

Cheria was a bit surprised when he suddenly bowed to her apologetically. She didn't expect that coming. She had expected that things would play out differently for her from the beginning. Right now, she wasn't traveling around as the Princess of Eresseas but as an ordinary girl. It was to be expected to be met with some rude or aggressive folk with her identity hidden. "N-no no, please don't apologize! You didn't know because I neglected to say anything for my own safety. You were just fulfilling your duty as a soldier" she said, waving her arms out in front of her.

Caz shook his head at her. Even if that were true, the fact of the matter was that he still did it. If nothing else, it brought hurt and shame to his own pride and honor as a knight. "Even still, if there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask" he said. He stood upright and cleared his throat first before looking at Tsuki, Allie and Cheria. "If everything is in order then, I'll take you to His Majesty. He's waiting for you in the gardens" he said.

With their plans decided, they left the room with Caz with Ramza, Elle and Nagi leaving not that much longer later. Seeing as they're not sure just how much free time they have, it was wise to put it to some use. While Tsuki met with Raiku, Elle could learn about the city and the surrounding areas that might be points of interests to them later on down the line. With his connections and reputation, Ramza could gather information of the current events that are going on from the various mercenaries at the Guild Branch. Since he hasn't been back for some time, there's got to be a lot that has happened in his absence. As for Lynette, she continues to try her best to at least make things a bit more comfortable for Phi. With Ruko helping her out to make sure she doesn't exhaust herself, Melphi watches over them as she keeps to herself.

Caz guided them through the castle hallways until they reached a square-shaped opening seemingly smack dab in the middle of the castle itself. In that square opening, there was a lush, vibrant garden of flowers of a variety of colors as well as home-grown herbs. Above them was open skies so the sun shined down onto the garden to give the place life. In the center of a garden was a gazebo with a bench where people could sit back, relax and enjoy the smell of flowers. The garden was of a decent size as well. It was a bit smaller than the one at Eresseas Castle and didn't over a great view but it was a humble-looking garden. They could see a couple people tending to the various flowers and hedges as well as the herbs that they were was easy to tell how much love and care has been put into the garden.

Standing under the gazebo, they could see Raiku standing there with his back facing towards them and his hands behind his back. Caz approached him and put his hand up to his heart, saluting him. "I've brought them, Your Majesty" he said.

Raiku nodded, taking in a deep breath of that garden air and turned around to face them. "Excellent work. You're free to go" he said.

Caz held his salute for a moment longer. "Yes, Your Majesty" he said. He then turned and started to walk away but stopped for a brief moment to pat Tsuki on the shoulder. "Good luck" he said. He then continued off and left the garden area moments later.

Raiku looked at the three of them and offered them to come stand under the gazebo with him. "Come under the shade. Don't be shy now" he said.

Tsuki, Allie and Cheria walked up under the gazebo. Allie walked up to the railing, which was taller than her, grabbed onto it and pulled herself up to hang over the side of it while Cheria sat down on the bench. It was a cozy little setup with a fitting garden to help set the mood.

Tsuki was a little surprised by the garden. He hasn't seen much of the town yet but from what he saw during their ride through the streets, there weren't many natural spots of greenery. Everything was all stone and marble basically with a few wooden structures here and there. "I have to say, this place is quite different compared to Eresseas. There, it was all mostly water and here it's mostly earth and stone" he said.

Raiku nodded at him as he leaned up against one of the supporting poles of the gazebo, folding her arms in front of him. "Yep. It's been that way since ancient times" he said.

Allie closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath of the surrounding air. It was faint but she could feel a somewhat familiar presence in the surrounding Aer. "That's because this is the dominion of the Great Spirit of Earth, Gnome. His life energies are what fuel the land and give it life. Probably" she said rather suddenly.

Tsuki looked over at her, tilting his head a bit. He didn't expect her to suddenly say something like that. "Wait, how do you know that?" he asked.

Allie tilted her head a bit as she put herself back down on the ground and turned to face them, her body gently swaying back and forth. "It's just a feeling that Allie has. It's tough to explain but the Aer feels...familiar" she said.

Cheria put her finger up to her chin for a moment and thought about what she said. If she was on the same level of a Great Spirit, then it wouldn't be too far outside of the realm of possibility that she would be able to differentiate between the different types of Aer. For Humans, such a feat was an impossible and much sought after dream, particularly among researchers and students of the Magical Artes. "Perhaps that it's her connections as a spirit is what allows her to make a claim like that" she said.

Allie put her hands behind her back and interlocked her fingers as she gently kicked the ground. "The surrounding Aer feels so warm and inviting. Almost like how the sun's rays feel. It's not only warm and inviting either; it's a sturdy yet nurturing feeling. It almost makes you feel safe. Yet, underneath all of that, there's a certain range of emotions of overthinking, worry, sympathy and shame" she said.

Raiku thought to himself for a moment about what she said. Her interpretation was pretty spot-on. "That about sums up Ersheath in a nutshell, if you ask me. Especially in the current day and age what with everything going on. My wife and son missing, the recent tensions and skirmishes with Dolothlond and other outside problems as of late" he said. He was a little speechless about how much Allie, despite her young appearance, nailed it all right on the head. It only made his curiosity about her grow even more. Her picking up on his usage of Blastia was surprising enough but this was even more of a surprise for him.

Tsuki looked at Allie with a curiosity. "Where's all this coming from, Allie?" he asked. He wasn't much attuned with nature and the Magical Artes as some others are and much of Allie remains a great mystery to him but this all seems to be coming from out of nowhere to him.

Allie shook her head. She wasn't sure where these words were coming from either. They were words that just suddenly came to her as if it were natural and familiar to her. "I..." she said.

Suddenly, blurry grey images quickly flashed in her mind. They were images that contained a number of different people and by their clothing and weaponry, it seemed like they were images from times long since passed. One face in particular was most apparent to her for some reason. It was the blurry face of what appeared to be a young man in what seemed to be a lab coat of some kind. This caused her to quickly put her right hand up to her forehead as she gave off a pained expression. She ended up grabbing onto the railing of the gazebo as she dropped down to her knees.

Tsuki watched as Allie suddenly stopped talking and soon dropped down onto her knees, looking as if she were in pain all of a sudden. This caused him to worry about her. "Allie!?" he shouted. He got down onto one knee and gently grabbed onto her shoulders. "Hey, what's wrong!?" he asked. It was the first time he's seen her in actual pain and it was alarming to him considering that her body wasn't the same as that of a Human.

Allie took a moment to calm down as she was suddenly out of breath and sweating a bit. It was for a very brief moment but she was almost able to recall something. One of her many lost memories. "I...almost remembered something. Something...from a long time ago...but it was all blurry...and felt painful..." she said. It wasn't physical pain that she was referring to. She was talking about something painful for the heart. Almost as if she had went through some sort of trauma that cuased significant amount of what seemed like heartbreak. It was a strange feeling for her and this became evident for the others as a few tears were shed as they rolled down her cheeks.

Cheria quickly got down next to Tsuki and gently wiped the tears from her face. She looked like she were almost about to cry for some reason. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?" she asked with concern.

Allie took a few deep breaths, holding her hand down to her chest as she closed her eyes. Once she felt like she was calmed down enough, she looked up at the both of them, giving them a nod. "I...I'm okay. It's a strange feeling but...I feel like it's important" she said, her speech patterns suddenly changing a bit.

Tsuki wasn't convinced yet that she was fine but this was a common thing to happen when one were to recall a lost memory while suffering from amnesia. "Try to take it easy. Do you remember anything?" he asked.

Allie shook her head slowly. "No...I was close but it wasn't enough. All I know is that something happened a very long time ago" she said.

Cheria let out a slight sigh of relief. She was glad that she wasn't hurt or anything but was curious at what caused her to have such a bad reaction. "Well, on the bright side, the way you talk seems to have normalized, if anything" she said. She always thought it was odd that she had been referring to herself in third person this whole time but never thought that it were appropriate to question it.

Allie didn't notice the change in her speech herself until she had pointed it out which caused her to bring her hand up to her throat. "Y-you're right. I suppose so..." she said.

Raiku watched silently as that whole scene played out. They did mention that she suffered from a severe case of amnesia so perhaps the familiar feelings of Gnome that she were feeling caused something to stir inside of her. "Maybe those feelings that you had triggered something. The best way to cure amnesia is the reminder and stimulation of familiar objects, scents and feelings, after all" he said.

Tsuki thought about it for a moment. If she were indeed somehow connected with the Great Spirits, then there was a possibility that those feelings could serve as a catalyst in restoring her memories. One thing did some strange though which made him think even more. "Water..." he mumbled to himself.

Cheria glanced at Tsuki as he mumbled something under his breath, tilting her head. "What is it?" she asked.

Tsuki theorized about something in his head. "It's got me thinking about something. The element of Earth is very prevalent around Ersheath, it would seem right? In Cayhill's case, the element of Water is just as prevalent. With the lake and rivers around Eresseas, the water channels of Briswater and the subsequent water-filled crater where that place was built on, the vast and raging rivers of the Great Plains. Would that make Cayhill the dominion of the Great Spirit of Water, Undine?" he asked.

Raiku nodded. He couldn't tell him if what he was thinking about was right or wrong considering that it wasn't his place to make speculations of but from his experiences with Cayhill in the past and everything that they've told him about already, it was a strong possibility. "From my standpoint, the similarities are almost identical" he said.

Tsuki turned to Allie. If anyone would be able to clarify on that, it would be her. "Did anything come across as familiar to you in Cayhill?" he asked. If the Great Spirits were tied to the Wellsprings, then the most likely place she would have felt something was either in the Cavern of Solace or Basilwell considering their close proximity to the Wellspring before it had disappeared.

Allie shook her head slowly. Despite being as close as they were with the Wellspring during their trek through the caverns, she didn't feel anything at all. "No, nothing. If anything, it felt like something was closed off or was blocking how I perceived things" she said.

Raiku rubbed his chin a bit. This was something far out of his field of expertise and with potentially the only person that might know how to answer them out of town on business, he could only offer meager speculation. "Melphi mentioned something about how the Great Spirits closed their minds off in the past as a result of the Anti-Spirit Affair that happened back in Year 1505. Maybe that's why you felt as if something was blocking your perception or how something felt 'closed off'. If that were to be the case, then it would most likely be explanation" he said.

Cheria sat back down on the bench, pulling Allie with her to sit her down next to her. "Then, why would she be able to pick up on traces and feelings of Gnome?" she asked.

Raiku shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "Hard to say. Perhaps Gnome has opened himself up again. It would certainly explain the rise in activity at the Wellspring lately" he said.

Tsuki raised an eyebrow when he brought up the Wellspring. Last time he heard strange occurrences happening at a Wellspring, it disappeared. "What do you mean, a rise in activity? Has something happened?" he asked.

Raiku nodded at him, turning to face towards the garden with his hands behind his back. "Our researchers noted that the Wellspring has grown in significant size and density over the last few days. We established a research camp inside the caves where the Wellspring is located so that they can study it from a safe distance. The other day, however, that all changed" he said, stopping to take a moment for himself. He made some anxious body movements before continuing. "Research teams go out in pairs of two for safety reasons. As you know, so long as we have adequate protection, we can study the Wellsprings from a safe distance for a relatively short amount of time. Everyone who goes there are well-informed of the risks beforehand. It should have been a normal day of field research" he said.

Cheria was looking anxious with a nervous sweat. "...but it was anything but normal..." she said hesitantly.

Raiku didn't want to recall what happened. It was something he's never seen before and only reaffirmed him of the incredible dangers there are to being exposed to a Wellspring with inadequate protection. "I happened to be there to inspect the research camp and collect data on recent findings. Me and several other researchers watched from a presumably safe distance as a team went out to investigate some strange activity that that they had received prior to my arrival. As the team got to the designated spot for Human observation, we received alarming data from a device we had set up deeper within" he said. He almost didn't want to continue speaking. However, it needed to be said. "By the time we got the data, it was already too late. As soon as we got it, we ordered the research time to immediately return to camp. The designated spot that we had used to observe the Wellspring from was no longer safe. The Wellspring grew in density and strength, to the point where our current protected suits would no longer be effective and with the research team being as close to the Wellspring as they were..." he said, drifting off at the end.

Tsuki has heard of things like this happening. It happened all across the Isle of Nula. Deaths unimaginable occurred in large numbers which devastated the population, killing the vast majority in a matter of minutes. It was a popular topic of discussion when he was studying to become a knight. "Oh no..." he said.

Raiku was silent for a few more moments before continuing his tale. "Those poor souls. They didn't have a chance. Since our protected suits were no longer able to subdue the effects of the Wellspring, their bodies absorbed too much uncondensed Aer...and turned into an explosive elemental blast of raw energy. There was nothing left of them" he said. He's fought on a bloody battlefield before and seen some pretty grizzly deaths during his time but he's never seen anything as gruesome as that. He couldn't possibly imagine what it must feel like as your body turns into a ticking time bomb.

Cheria covered her mouth, horrified by his account of what had happened. "Oh god..." she said. She had no words.

Tsuki was able to see the similarities of what he witnessed with what he's learned about already. "This won't become another Isle of Nula situation, would it?" he asked.

Raiku shook his head. "I don't believe so. Then again, we can't say for sure now at this point. The caves where the research camp were since deemed unsafe and hazardous and so we had everyone pull out, taking as much data as they could back with them and sealed off the caves. Now, all we can do is send out research probes to collect data. It's several steps back but as far as we can tell, not much has changed since the fluctuation" he said. He was relieved that the Wellspring didn't appear to be growing anymore but what scared him and everyone else was that they don't know when it could change again.

Tsuki let out a soft sigh of relief. He was a little worried that they would potentially have a serious problem on their hands. The Wellspring fluctuation was in and of itself a serious problem but thankfully nothing much beyond that. At least, for the time being in any case. "The good thing is that we won't have to worry about have a repeat of the events that happened in Nula. I can't imagine the amount of damage and deaths that would occur because of it, given the fact that Esseand is almost three times bigger than Nula used to be" he said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit. She's heard the Isle of Nula being referenced a lot back when she was younger. When she reached an appropriate age, her parents had told her about it, obviously keeping out the more gruesome details. "I remember Mom and Dad telling me about the Isle of Nula. It was one of the places they used to visit a number of times during their earlier travels together. It was once a beautiful island, filled with grasslands and breathtaking sights, thriving with life. It's one and only city had some pretty significant historical and religious value to it as well" she said.

Raiku felt a bit nostalgic as she spoke. It brought a slight smile to his face. "Yeah. I remember that. Unfortunately, I only visited the place once at the time but Nula definitely lived up to its reputation. The sudden appearance of that Wellspring caught everyone off guard. We all wanted to help them out but that couldn't have happened at a worse time. We had some issues of our own going on that needed to be attended to so we decided to split up to tackle both situations. Taichi and Emma, along with two other companions, went to Nula to assist evacuation and relief efforts while me, Melphi Shana with the last remaining companion stayed behind" he said. The stories that they had told when reuniting were quite heavy to hear and difficult to swallow. He could remember the gruesome looks on their faces when they spoke of what happened on the Isle of Nula and what they saw. After witnessing firsthand of the results of Wellspring exposure, he was now finally able to understand after all these years. "Hard to believe that was 23 years ago and Nula still remains uninhabitable to this day. Just goes to show you how deep-rooted Wellspring exposure can be" he said with a heavy sigh. He soon shook his head, scratching the back of his head before looking back at Allie. "Getting back to the topic at hand though, Allie seems rather peculiar" he said.

Allie tilted her head a bit, giving him a look of slight confusion. "I'm...peculiar?" she asked.

Raiku nodded. "I've interacted with many spirits in the past. In fact, my father was a spirit contractor. While I haven't had the honor to meet one of the Great Spirits face-to-face to gauge them for myself, I know a spirit when I see one..." he said. He folded his arms, leaning up against the gazebo and gave Allie a good, long stare as he examined her. "I don't know if it's because she's on a similar wavelength as the Great Spirits as you say she is but...something feels different about her" he said.

Tsuki would like to know more about Allie. Who she was, what she was, the circumstances of her being sealed away and what kinds of things she went through. Based on her earlier reaction, it was clear that she's been through some pretty heavy stuff. "Different? How so?" he asked.

Raiku mumbled to himself as he tried to think of how to explain it to him. As he had previously stated, these were areas that he had very little knowledge of. Growing up, even though he was surrounded by spirits, he never really bothered to try and learn about them since he lacked the natural capabilities to hone in on his own Mana. Obviously, that came back to bite him on the rear later in life. "In all regards no matter how you interpret it, she's a spirit through-and-through. However, there's something about her Aer that seems rather odd. Even with my senses, however dulled they may be, are able to pick on it faintly. It's taught to us that every living creature, be they Human, Faerie or Spirit, is attuned to one element and weak to another. In Allie's case, I sense faint traces of Earth, Fire, Wind and Water...as well as something else that I can't explain. It's an extremely rare case for a living being to be attuned to multiple elements at the same time and even more rare, to the point where it falls into the realm of impossibility, to be attuned to all the elements and then some" he said.

Cheria rubbed her chin a bit as she looked back and forth from Raiku to Allie. "So, you think Allie isn't an ordinary spirit" she said. If that were the case, then it would only just add to the mystery behind Allie.

Raiku thought to himself for a moment. He was able to recall something that the researcher, Luan had mentioned something that took place long ago around the same time as the Anti-Spirit Affair. However, he wasn't able to remember any of the details. "I definitely think Luan might hold some of these answers. I've mentioned this before but your arrival could of came at a better time. If only you had arrived a day sooner..." he said with a light sigh.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head. If it weren't for the unexpected weather they ran into out at sea, then they could of met up with this Luan person before she left for her seminar. "Sadly, no one can control mother nature. It's unfortunate but we can wait a bit longer" he said.

Raiku stretched his arms over his head, groaning before doing a few squats. "Let's put this on the backburner for now, shall we? No use thinking it over when the expert isn't around" he said.

Cheria nodded. There was no use speculating on information and history that they knew practically nothing about. Instead, she wanted to know what else he had to say, particularly anything about her parents. "Then, tell me about my parents. What they were like, how they met, about your adventures together...anything. They haven't really talked much about their past with me yet, saying that I wasn't ready to hear about it" she said.

Raiku was surprised that they hadn't told her anything. Given the fact that she was 18 years old now, he assumed that they would have revealed everything a long time ago. "They haven't?" he asked. He let out a deep sigh, shaking his head and dropping his shoulders. She was at that appropriate age so it made no sense to him why it's taking them so long to spill the beans. "Honestly, I don't know what they're thinking...well, it's not exactly my place to divulge everything about them but there are a few things I can say..." he said.

He then proceeded to tell her some stories about Taichi and Emma from way back in the day around the time they had first met and some of the things that led up to and during their adventures together. Most of the stuff that he had said was already familiar to her as she's heard almost the same set of stories from them as she grew up. That's not to say that it was all familiar; there was some new things that they hadn't told her about too although rather minor. While she has heard most of these stories before, it was oddly satisfying for her to hear them coming from someone else's perspective. She wanted to know more but maybe if they ever ran into their other companions that they still had to meet, they might be able to shed more light on their adventures considering that there were 3 others out there somewhere. The four of them continued to talk amongst themselves about things relating to Ersheath and Cayhill once that conversation had winded down, making themselves cozy under the gazebo.

Meanwhile, back in the room where everyone had initially gathered, Lynette was keeping a close eye on Phi. Some of the castle's clerics have offered whatever assistance they could offer to help make Phi more comfortable. They all knew that this was all just a temporary measure but if it meant that they would be able to ease her pain a bit, it was worth it. Not only that but some of the clerics that have assisted Phi were experienced Healers. Given the fact that she still had much to learn, she had a lot to gain from observing others more experienced in her field and receiving advice about how to better herself as a Healer. Ruko sat off to the side of the room, keeping an eye on Phi to make sure that she didn't overexert herself by making sure they had plenty of Gels on hand to replenish her Mana when it got low.

Out of all of them, Lynette had the hardest job because she was the group's only certified Healer. Tsuki and Ruko knew basic First Aid Artes and had passive self-healing traits with some of their abilities but compared to a bonafide Healer, they were nothing in comparison. With Elle being in a similar position as them, he assumed she had the same capabilities but they haven't really had a chance to see her in actual combat. Ramza appeared to be a genuine, pure frontline attacker so he had no self-healing capabilities outside of medicinal herbs and Gels. Similarly, Cheria was obviously one of the group's ranged fighters so she really didn't have much to offer in terms of self-healing capabilities herself either. As for Melphi and Nagi, their capabilities remain to be seen, especially with Nagi being unable to properly channel her Mana and thus rendering her unable to fight. In Allie's case, she was basically an all-rounder. She had the ability to fight with weapons as well as wield Magical Artes for offensive and defensive scenarios with a number of Healing Artes as well. She was the only one thad had potential to serve as a back-up Healer in case Lynette were to fall short somewhere.

Melphi remained where she had been when everyone initially left. She was still sitting in the same chair, minding her own business as she read her book in silence. She could hear to faint mumblings of the clerics that came and went from the room and sensed the uneasiness of others as they entered through the doorway. They were understandable reactions since Dragonkin are both feared and hated among the people of Ersheath. However, word had spread around the castle that she was an honored guest with the approval of Ramza and a personal friend and ally to Raiku. While many were still wary, they tried their best to see past their fears in order to see who she truly is. Others, however, didn't share the same sentiment. It was a natural thing for many to hold grudges against her just for being related to dragons and Dragonkin. Many lives have been lost ever since relations with Dolothlond turned sour. Countless knights have lost their lives to the Dragon Riders and many civilians have lost their homes and livelihood due to the more recent conflicts. However, they knew that if they were to lash out at honored guests or someone closely related to their king, there would be serious consequences. So, these people had to begrudgingly deal with it, biting their tongues and keeping their silence.

After a while, the clerics and other knights had decided to give them time for themselves and left them alone. When they stopped receiving guests, the air around the room started to lighten up a bit. When some of the clerics and knights were around, they could feel the tension in the air. It made it a little difficult to breathe and concentrate for Ruko and Lynette as they knew where all that awkwardness and aggression was pointed towards. Melphi, however, was naturally unfazed by it all since she had grown used to receiving disdain from Humans. For her, it was simply best to ignore them, mind her own business and not get involved.

Once they stopped receiving visitors, Lynette decided to take a short break. She went over and sat in one of the chairs to rest and consume some Gels to replenish her spent Mana. She had also received some advice from some of the more experienced Healers that came and went. They showed her some techniques to try out in her free time and pointed out areas where she could improve on that she was lacking in. She had been putting some of their advice into practice but had to stop because it became hard to concentrate with the heaviness in the air. "People really aren't taking a liking to Melphi's presence here, are they...?" she asked.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders, her eyes still glued to her book. She didn't really care how people felt about her presence. "It's a stigma you get used to being a Dragonkin" she said.

Ruko scratched the back of his head. He could understand why people were so afraid of dragons, even hate them. He could tell how uncomfortable and irritated some of the knights are just by their body language. One wrong move or slip of the tongue and he didn't doubt that the Esseand knighthood would bear down on her at the snap of a finger. "I mean, I can get where some people come from. After all, dragons are some of the most feared monsters out there. However, I feel like there is something else where all of that hatred and fear stems out from"" he said.

Lynette glanced over towards him, tilting her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Ruko leaned back in his chair, folding his arms in front of him and leans his head back to stare up at the ceiling. It was a feeling he couldn't really explain well. It was like they were missing something vital. "Call it a gut instinct but I feel like there's more than just your typical fear. Dragons, and by extension, I would assume Dragonkin as well, were once a docile race. Humans and dragons used to co-exist and benefited off of each other. It's because of this bond that things such as the Dragon Riders exist" he said. He recalled that he had once read something about dragons in the past. While it didn't specifically call out Dragonkin, dragons was the main point of discussion. "There was a poiint in time where there was peace and harmony between Humans and dragons. There was a mutual understanding between the two different races. However, something happened at some point that shattered that understanding which caused the dragons to revolt and isolate. Anyone not tied down by Human culture like the Dragon Riders either turned on Humans or no longer wanted anything to do with them" he said.

Melphi continued to stare at her book as she put a halt to her reading. She had a remorseful look on her face as she let out a light sigh, resting the book on her lap. "You wouldn't be too far from the truth. There was indeed a time like that Humans and Dragonkin living side-by-side and cooperating with each other. Falling deeply in love with each other, making new families and having children of mixed blood. Fighting back-to-back with each other as allies on the battlefield. Sharing drinks and laughter together like any other person. It was a time that everyone had longed for..." she said. She drifted off at the end as she wasn't sure just how much more she wanted to say. It was clear that she knew something that she either wasn't ready to talk about or wasn't the right time to say anything.

Lynette didn't know what to think of it. It was strange to hear something like this had once existed considering how things were currently like in the world. "I don't understand. If there was truly such a strong relationship, what could of happened to break it? "she asked.

Melphi was silent for a moment. She knew exactly what it was that instigated this drastic shift in behavior. However, she felt like it wasn't the proper time to talk about it. So, she decided to lightly brush up on the subject but not getting into the details. "Something happened 8 years ago that changed people's perspective on Faeries. This change had long-lasting effects that are still felt to this day and continue to spread like a plague" she said. This topic was an extremely heavy one for her to talk about, let alone bring up. It made her extremely irritable just thinking about it.

Ruko took a quick look at Melphi's face. He was able to read her emotions quite clearly. It was obvious that she knew something that was difficult to talk about. He wanted to know more of what she was talking about but decided not to pursue his curiosity. Instead, he took her only hint and thought back on it. "8 years ago, huh...?" he mumbled to himself. He wasn't aware of too many things that have occurred outside of Cayhill but with Basilwell being a port town that sees a lot of overseas travelers and sailors, he has heard talks of a number of significant events that have affected other nations. However, he couldn't pinpoint to a specific one without more information and it didn't seem like he was going to get it out of Melphi.

Lynette thought about something. If they had bonds like that back in the past, then there could be a chance that they could turn things back around. "So, if what caused the rift between Humans and dragons was rectified, then it's possible to return things back to the way they used to be. Right?" she asked.

Melphi leaned back in her chair, scratching the back of her head. "In theory, it's possible. However, you're asking for the impossible right now and even if it were rectified, there would still be a high level of uncertainty" she said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit, confused at her remark. "Impossible? Why's that?" she asked.

Melphi wasn't sure how to begin explaining things to them. Personally, she didn't want to as it brought great discomfort for her. "Unfortunately, what caused the rift to form isn't your typical problem. It's something much larger than that" she said.

Ruko remained with his thoughts for about another minute until he came to realize something. "8 years ago...Faeries...you're not possibly referring to that mess, are you?" he asked. It was the only explanation. What happened 8 years ago with the Faeries made shockwaves around their corner of the world.

Melphi glanced over to him as she slowly nodded with a grim look on her face. "The very same. Because of what happened back then, there are Faeries that are either fearful and cautious of Humans or downright hate them...and who could blame them? Humans are the most arrogant creatures" she said.

Ruko felt troubled to hear her say such things. More than that, however, it was most troubling to hear that things still haven't been settled. "But...I haven't heard anything about that recently. I just figured that it had been resolved already..." he said.

Melphi shook her head at his response. "I'm not surprised. It's not easy to obtain information about it these days. While most of it stays within Sirione, there are a number of groups out there that actively participate in it. In fact, I've heard that there were a few of them actively operating somewhere here in Ersheath" she said.

Ruko looked to be visibly upset and disturbed about this piece of information. "I can't believe it...for it to be going on still after 8 years...I can't even imagine" he said.

Lynette kept looking at the two of them as they seemed to be on a similar wavelength with each other. They were both talking about something pretty important and she had no idea what it was about. "Umm...anyone care to fill me in? What are you both talking about?" she asked.

Melphi glanced over her briefly before letting out a heavy sigh. She didn't want to say much but it was probably best to at least tell her the basic information. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to at least be aware of it. I've got a feeling that we'll run into this sort of trouble later on, in any case. It won't be a happy tale, however..." she said.

She then proceeded to tell her a little bit about the grim tale of what happened involving the Faeries 8 years ago. It took her a few minutes to briefly explain things to Lynette. She didn't want to go into too much detail about it so she kept things to a bare minimum. As she told her the story, Lynette started to form a look of total shock and disgust on her face. She couldn't believe what she was being told. She didn't know what to say or how to react to this.

Lynette was leaning forward in her chair, her head hanging low as she tried her best to wrap her head around what Melphi just said to her. "I-I can't believe it…how could people do such a terrible thing…?" she asked.

Ruko was silent through the whole explanation. He now remembered hearing some bits and pieces of what had happened from the various sailors and travelers but there were some things she said that was completely new information for him. After hearing more of what happened, he was able to get a better understanding of why Dragonkin can so aggressive and hostile towards Humans. "Humanity isn't perfect. We're all very flawed creatures. It makes me sick to be a Human just hearing about it…" he said.

Lynette looked up towards Melphi with a look as if she were about to cry. "Why…? Why hasn't anyone stepped in to intervene!?" she asked, feeling frustrated.

Ruko shook his head a bit. He could sympathize with her a little bit. "If only it would be that easy. Getting involved in another kingdom's problems isn't something to take on lightly" he said. It wasn't all hopeless, however. Even though the various other kingdoms couldn't act, that didn't stop other people from offering help. "Though, I have heard that there were a large number of people who support the Faeries. There's also some rumors floating around that there is a rebellion in Sirione that's fighting back to retake what was stolen from them" he said.

Lynette clenched her fists a bit, still feeling frustrated. It's been 8 years since that tragedy happened and from what she's been told and what hasn't been said yet, they weren't making much progress. "Even still…if they just had ally support from other kingdoms…" she said.

Melphi gave off a slight smile after hearing her words and seeing her reaction. It was a bit nostalgic for her. "You know, My Lady felt the same way as you when she first learned of it. She once held a position of power and tried to appeal to her superiors to send out aid. However, she quickly realized that her efforts were in vain as no one would lift a finger. In the end, she ended up walking away from that position to take matters in her own hands" she said. Shana was one of the Humans that strongly advocated support for the Faeries and those who were affected by these unfortunate events. It was people like Shana and Lynette that give her some hope that the Human race as a whole wasn't entirely a lost cause.

Ruko raised an eyebrow to hear that Shana was involved in this. "If I recall, Shana mentioned briefly about following some sort of lead which eventually brought her to become involved with what happened in Eresseas. Could that be related?" he asked. While it was true that Taichi and Emma both requested her specifically in their request to the Mercenary Guild, there seemed to be more than just that.

Melphi nodded at him. She didn't know too much about what leads she was following as she wasn't with her during the time nor has she gotten a chance to ask her about it. However, she did mention that whatever leads she was following had deep, close ties to the events that took place 8 years ago. "That's correct. She hasn't told me the full story but when she summoned me to assist her, she said that there were similarities happening around Eresseas that she's noticed throughout her investigation" she said.

Lynette held her hand up to her chin in thought for a moment. "Similarities…you're saying that Honegroth was also connected to this?" she asked. She thought about what Melphi had told her earlier when she explained what happened. "I suppose when you think about it, given the effects that this…Arcanum has on ordinary people, it wouldn't be too crazy to consider" she said.

Ruko scratched his head as he stood up from his chair. "Sounds like another thing to add to our ever-growing list of problems. You can bet your soul that Tsuki will want to do something about it when he catches wind of this and it's not just him either" he said. It was almost a guarantee that he will want to step in. He was the type of person that couldn't let something like this continue on.

Melphi sighed heavily. She hasn't been with them for very long but she was able to somehow agree with him. "For his sake, and ours as well, it'd probably be best if he didn't know about this right now. We can only do one thing at time, after all" she said.

Lynette agreed with Melphi. Right now, their primary concern was saving Phi. There was also the matter of the Great Spirits and how they're related to Wellsprings. They already had plenty on their plate to handle as it is. "I agree. Let's-" she said.

She was suddenly interrupted when they heard what sounded like a commotion going on outside of the room. Then, a series of knocks at their door before it opened up. Stepping inside was Caz and another one of their clerics. Caz had an urgent look on his face. "Excellent. So, you guys are still here" he said.

Ruko looked over towards Caz as he entered the room. "Caz? What's wrong?" he asked.

Caz pointed back towards the hallway behind him. "We've got a problem. His Majesty is requesting everyone back to the audience chamber. Tsuki, Cheria and Allie are already waiting" he said.

Lynette noticed behind him that a number of knights were passing by the door in a frantic state. Whatever is happening must be pretty serious. She stood up from her chair and nodded. "Alright. Let's not keep them waiting then" she said. She then glanced back over towards Phi for a moment.

Caz was already one step ahead of her concerns. "No need to worry about her. Our cleric will stay by her side and inform us if any changes occur while you're gone" he said.

Melphi put her book back into her bag and stood up from the chair. "Let's get going then" she said.

With that, Caz guided the three of them out of the room and down the various hallways back towards the audience chamber. As they made their way through the halls, they could hear knights giving out commands to others. Everyone looked like they were in a state of alert. When they arrived by the front entrance, they could see a few small squads of knights heading out through the main entrance, fully armed. Others seemed to be making sure that their defenses were all fortified.

Meanwhile, about 20 minutes earlier, Elle and Nagi were out wandering through the lower level streets. Since they would be around for some time, it would be a good thing to know where everything was. It has been roughly 40 minutes since they parted ways with everyone. They spent half of that time walking through the middle section of the city. They saw many different types of buildings and houses and were able to mingle with some of the citizens. Most were open for conversation but they did run into a few people who were either too busy to talk or arrogant because the two of them "looked poor". They were able to learn a little bit more about Esseand and some of the recent events going on as well as some more of it's history. They also took note of a few buildings of interest that could potentially visit later on such as a grand library and a museum.

Their tour of the city eventually led them down into the lower levels where more of the diverse crowds were. They took the time to check out some nearby shops and a few merchant stalls that were set up along the road. Unlike the upper level, they were able to talk to people around here more easily. Some of the more shady people gave Nagi certain looks which made her a little uneasy but Elle was there to help drive off those people. This was also her first time walking around a new environment without her helmet so naturally, people took notice of her immediately since she was a High Elf. Ramza was with them for a brief time when they started to tour around the city but ended up leaving their company to check out the Guild Branch not long after.

They didn't have to deal with the crowds and attention that Ramza would bring to them but with Elves not exactly being a common sight to see, especially a High Elf, they couldn't avoid generating some level of attention. From the eyes of the people, what they saw was a mature and beautiful High Elf girl with long, flowing pink hair and a young, timid girl who looked like she needed constant protecting with features that drew a lot of men's eyes.

The two of them took a brief trip to the inner cave portions that had been built up and made a part of the city itself. The caves were wide open and vast. Most of the buildings were made into the walls of the caves themselves. These places were basically just refineries and mineral deposit stations and didn't really have anything of importance for them to look at so they didn't spend too much time within the inner caves. It was fascinating to see though how the earth itself was basically terraformed to fit the needs of the city while keeping that aesthetic look of a natural cave.

Their tour eventually brought them back out into the open skies as they walked back towards the markets. Unfortunately for them, they hadn't realized that they were totally lost. They thought that they were going back up towards the upper levels when in reality, they were going deeper into the lower levels where all the adventurers and other travelers congregate. They decided to take a break and check out some of the shops.

As they did so, one of the nearby shop owners took notice of them and motioned them to come take a look at his wares. "Ah, you fine ladies look like you're in need of some new accessories! Come take a look and see what I have to offer! From necklaces to anklets, we've got everything that fits the needs of any budding adventurer!" he said.

Elle and Nagi looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders and approached the stall that sold accessories. They both took a good look at some of the things the merchant was selling. Some of them were pretty pricey due to the fact that they had rare gemstones embedded in them. Not to mention, the build quality looked to be pretty top-notch. Despite that though, it didn't look like much was really selling.

Elle picked up one of the rings that the merchant had on display. There was a small piece of topaz embedded into the top of the ring and along it's band were tiny engravings. The engravings looked like they were a form of some ancient language. To the ordinary eye, it looked like a pretty standard ring but she could feel a good amount of Mana flowing through the ring. It had magical properties to it which was interesting to her. "Hmm…I must say, for a pretty generic-looking merchant stall, you have some decent accessories on display" she said.

The merchant that was selling the accessories was an old man in his late 60s. He was a little thin but wasn't skin and bones just yet. He had a short, white-bearded mustache, squinty, brown eyes and a bald head. He let out a cackle from her opinion. "Why, thank you, young lady. I put my heart and soul into my accessories to ensure they remain top quality" he said.

Elle turned to face Nagi. "Give me your hand" she said.

Nagi looked at her, blinking a few times. "H-huh? Sure…" she said. She brought her hand up and held it out for her.

Elle gently took hold of her hand and slid the ring on her finger. As she thought, it looked good on her. She noticed that there was a slight reaction with the topaz once it was on her finger as well. Almost as if the Mana within the ring resonated with her. "As I thought, it suits you very well" she said.

Nagi was a bit taken back by her comment. It made her blush a bit from embarrassment. "R-really?" she said. She held her hand up to get a good look at the ring, seeing the sun shine through the amethyst.

The merchant looked at the both of them and stroked his beard gently. "I wholeheartedly agree! The topaz goes great with your hair color and complements your eyes. For your lovely lady friend, I would suggest this…" he said. He reached over and picked up a bracelet with piece of emerald embedded into it with smaller pieces placed around the bracelet. "The vivid green colors of an emerald complements her violet eyes. The perfect gift for your special lady" he said.

Nagi became a bit flustered when he tried to imply that there was something special going on between her and Elle. "H-hold on! I think you're misunderstanding something…!" she said, her face still slightly red from before.

The merchant let out another mild cackle from her flustered reaction. "Ah, there's nothing to be ashamed of, my dear! Everyone has different preferences, after all. We're all free to love whoever we want whether it's the same gender or a different race entirely!" he said.

Nagi's face turned more red when he brought love into the conversation. "L-love!?" she shouted out. She could feel steam coming out from the top of her head from embarrassment.

Elle sighed, scratching the back of her head a bit, her cheeks slightly flushed. Compared to her normal demeanor, she felt a lot more closer to Nagi than the others. She treated her with more warmth and kindness than she did with the rest of the group. Nagi also became attached to her ever since she recognized who she was. Their relationship seems to also have grown deeper from when the two of them had their private talk way back in Basilwell as they waited to leave.

Seeing as how they were starting to attract attention to themselves, Elle decided to cool things down before it got worse. "I'm afraid you've misunderstood. We're just good friends, that's all" she said.

The merchant cackled a bit more before he decided to let things go. "Good friends, huh? Well, if you say so" he said. He then brought the topic of discussion back over to the ring and bracelet that they held. "Anyways, you're both beautiful, fine young ladies. With that in mind, for a low price, I can offer both these pieces to you. I'll even throw in a pair of earrings too!" he said.

Then, a familiar male's voice spoke out from the crowds behind them. "Careful. This old coot has a knack of sweet-talking his female customers into buying jewelry. Next thing you know, you will have spent your whole wallet" the voice said.

Stepping out from the crowds and approaching them was Ramza. Obviously, it caused a bit of excitement among the merchants and those passing by.

Nagi looked over towards Ramza as he approached them. She didn't expect to run into Ramza around here. She thought that he would be occupied with the Guild Branch. "Ramza? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to pick up some work at the Guild Branch" she said.

Ramza shrugged his shoulders a bit. "That was the plan but there doesn't seem to be any local jobs available. Everything that was posted was either escort requests or monster extermination. Since we don't know how long it'll take for the knights to find Shuko, I figured that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to go too far" he said. If anything, it was nice to see some of the mercenaries that operated around the area. Unlike with Cayhill, he was pretty familiar with most of the mercenaries that accepted jobs out of Esseand. Sadly, some of the old faces he was close to weren't around but they'll run into each other at some point. "I decided to check out the markets to see if anything is different…" he said. He glanced over to the merchant that they were dealing with. "…and it seems to me that things are the same as always around here. Especially this guy right here. Looking a little more bald than I remember you being, I see" he said in a joking manner

The merchant instantly recognized the Ramza as he got up from his seat. "Hmph! And you're still as obnoxious as I remember you being. It won't be long before you join our ranks of baldness yourself!" he said.

The two of them glared at each other for a few moments until the both of them started laughing. They approached each other, giving each other a firm handshake.

Ramza pulled his hand away after their handshake but not before patting the man on his shoulder. "It's great to see you're still alive and kicking" he said.

The merchant had a wide grin on his face, chuckling a bit. "I may be getting up there in years but I still have plenty of life left in me. You can't shake this old man off that easy!" he said.

Elle looked at the both of them. It was no surprise to her that they were familiar with each other. "So, I take it that you both are acquainted with each other" she said.

Ramza nodded at her. "Yeah. He used to do dealings with the knights around here but retired from that line of work a few years ago. Now, he just sells hand-crafted accessories and such" he said. With how busy the markets usually get, especially during the holidays and big events, one could make a living off this kind of life if you're able to find what sells best for you.

The merchant looked over towards Elle and Nagi. "Believe it or not, this is quite a comfortable lifestyle. Adventurers and travelers always travel through here so it's pretty easy to market things towards them as they're always in need of new equipment" he said. He then put his hand on his hip. "The name's Kei Strauss. Any friend of Ramza is a friend of mine" he said.

Elle put her hand up to her chest, giving him a courteous bow. "I'm Elle Solize. This is Nagi Ferid. We're traveling together with Ramza and a few others" she said.

The merchant raised an eyebrow a bit. "Oh, so Mr. Lone Wolf finally found himself some companions, huh?" he asked.

Nagi tilted her head a bit. "Lone wolf?" she said with confusion.

The merchant pointed at Ramza, looking at Nagi. "He hasn't told you? This guy right here used to always do things alone. From things as simple as item deliveries to extreme stuff like monster extermination" he said. He recalls that even working as a General, he was always the type to handle things by himself. It would used to cause some problems back then.

Ramza shrugged his shoulders a bit, shaking his head. "What's the big deal? The fewer the people, the less chance of risk" he said.

Elle scratched the back of her head. While that was true in some cases, it wasn't always the most viable option. "Uhh…I think that really depends on the situation. If you're trying to keep a low profile, then I would agree. However, if you were about to get involved in a dangerous situation, it's often said that there's safety in numbers" she said. Then again, she wasn't exactly one to talk herself. She never worked with other knights back in Cayhill and opted to work alone.

Nagi had to agree with Elle. In her opinion, it was safer to be with others. If you happened to fall under some ill misfortune out in the wilds and you were by yourself, then you could find yourself falling into some real danger. "Solo work is fine and all but there are benefits of working with a team. Not only would it make the process go by faster but you'll have someone to at least watch your back in case things get hairy" she said.

Ramza felt like they were both digging into him all of a sudden. "What kind of guy do you two take me for!? Tsuki is far more reckless than I am!" he said. He's got a lot of battle experience, more so than everyone else in their little group. He has an understanding of when he's over his head . Unlike with Tsuki who tends to jump in without much thought, he assesses the situation before getting involved.

All Elle and Nagi could do was share a look with each other. They didn't even need to say anything as they both practically thought about the same thing. They couldn't argue against the fact that Tsuki tends to go into fights gung-ho.

Kei let out a hearty laugh as he slapped the side of his leg. He was enjoying this conversation. "Judging by the looks, it seems that Ramza has found some good companions, if nothing else. You two are pretty interesting. I would love to meet the others one day" he said. He then went back over behind his stall and sat back down in his chair. "Anyway, about that ring and bracelet-" he said.

They were soon interrupted by the sounds of metallic footsteps and people shouting. They turned their attention over towards the open plaza-like section that led towards the main gates of the city. Moments later, they could see several squads of knights rush out of the city, fully armed and on alert. It was obvious to everyone that something was happening. Some of the lingering knights were starting to urge people to return to their homes or seek shelter.

Nagi saw all the knights leaving the city in a rush. It didn't look like they were going out on some training mission as they were fully geared out as if they were going to march onto the fields of battle. The fact that people were being urged to seek shelter cemented this fact. "What's happening?" she asked.

Ramza shook his head. Whatever was happening wasn't good. "I don't know. I think it's best that we return to the castle and meet with His Majesty to see what's going on" he said.

Elle nodded at him. "I concur" she said. She then turned to face the stall and was about to set down the bracelet that Kei had picked out for her along with the ring. "I'm sorry. Maybe next time, we'll have more time to browse" she said.

Kei shook his head, waving his hand and pushing the bracelet and ring back towards them. "No no. That won't be necessary. Take them, free of charge" he said.

Nagi couldn't just accept something as expensive for free. The total price for both the ring and bracelet was roughly 12,000 Gald. "Oh no, we couldn't possibly accept something as generous as this" she said.

Kei patted his chest, giving them both a pleasant smile. "Please, I insist! You're both good friends of Ramza and I owe him a lot. It's the least I can do. Besides, I wasn't lying when I said those suit the both of you very well" he said.

Ramza shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. "Just accept them. Once he's made his decision, he won't be changing his mind" he said.

Elle was silent for a moment before taking back the bracelet and returning the ring to Nagi. "If you insist then. Thank you very much" she said.

Kei nodded at them. "If you must repay me, bring the rest of your companions next time" he said.

Nagi took the ring back and putting it back on her finger. "We will!" she said.

Ramza turned and faced back into the direction where he came from. They needed to go back out towards the plaza and make a right to return back to the main road that leads up to the castle. "Come on, let's get to the bottom of this" he said.

Ramza led the two of them back out onto the main streets and followed the road back up towards the castle. As they made their way back, they ran into more knights heading down towards the lower levels while others appeared to be fortifying their defenses. Whatever was going on was significant enough to cause alarm and unrest among the knights to the point where they were double-checking the city's defenses and making sure they were up and ready to go. Residents were in the process of returning to their homes and clearing out the streets.

Back at the castle, things were even more chaotic. Knights were all assembled in the outside courtyard and prepared to move out at a moment's notice. The castle was in total lockdown but since Ramza, Elle and Nagi had special permission, they were allowed to enter the castle. They made their way through the open courtyard and entered through the main entrance to the castle. To no surprise, things were just as chaotic inside as they were outside. Knight commanders were giving out orders to either round up somewhere or prepare a defensive line. When they returned to the audience chamber, Tsuki and everyone else had already been gathered and waiting. It would seem like they were the last to arrive.

Raiku noticed that Ramza and the others had arrived just in time. "There you guys are. I was just about to send someone out to find you" he said.

Ramza approached the group with Elle and Nagi. "Your Majesty, what is happening?" he asked.

Raiku paced back and forth in front of his chair, holding a sheet of paper behind his back. "We received news that a squad of knights that were thought to have been killed from the recent attack on a civilian outpost had survived and made refuge in the nearby forest" he said.

Ramza felt a bit of relief to hear that there were some survivors. "That's great news! But…why are we now on full alert?" he asked.

Raiku stopped pacing around and faced the group. "We received an update from them saying that they were being pursued by an individual of considerable threat. They've already lost five men to this individual in question" he said with a grim tone of voice.

Ramza folded his arms in front of him. "Is it the Dragon Riders?" he asked.

Raiku shook his head. "According to the report, no. It's a single individual with thick, black hair and ripped sleeves with a pair of tonfa" he said. He couldn't believe what was written in the report. From what he read, the surviving squad of knights totaled out to be 12. For a single person to take out 5 of the surviving 12 marked this individual as an active threat. Whoever this person was, it was clear that they were targeting the knights.

Ramza wasn't familiar with anyone that matched his description. "If it's not Dragon Riders, then maybe some other elite force?" he asked himself as he rubbed his chin

Raiku didn't know how to answer them. They had far too little information to go off of right now. "It's possible. However, there's something else that they mentioned which might interest you guys. They noted that this person was unusually strong and resilient and gave off an 'evil' aura" he said.

Tsuki didn't want to make assumptions as a description like that could mean anything. However, it was this 'evil' aura that they had mentioned that made him think. "It can't be…Arcanum? Has Honegroth caught up to us?" he asked.

Raiku knew that this next bit of information will put them on full alert and alarm. Before he told them, he took in a deep breath. "That's not all. It appears that Shuko is with the survivors as well" he said.

Cheria's eyes widened a bit from the shock. "What!? But I thought you said he was in the city!" she said.

Raiku sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "It would seem he took an unexpected trip to the outpost prior to it's destruction. He used his medicines and herbs to help heal people's injuries and joined up with the survivors as they made their way back to the city" he said. It made sense to him now on why he hasn't seen or heard from Shuko for a few days now. As a merchant, it wasn't too surprising that he would go out to make some sales but he didn't think he'd leave the city so soon.

Elle shook her head a bit. "This is a problem. Without Shuko, we'll lose any hope on saving Phi" she said.

Raiku nodded at her before stepping forward towards them. "Which is why I must ask this of you. Will you go out and lend my knights your aid? If this 'Arcanum' really is involved with this mess, then your experience and expertise will be invaluable" he said. It would also give them a chance to personally safeguard Shuko until they return to the city.

Tsuki nodded, tapping his chest lightly. Esseand's knights have no idea what they're about to march into. It'll be a total bloodbath. "Of course. While we don't know of it's full effects, we know how to deal with it. Besides, it's like what Elle said. Shuko's safety is our top priority right now" he said.

Everyone else nodded with Tsuki in full agreement. They were the only ones that knew what to expect from someone who was under the influence of Arcanum.

Raiku saw the resolve and determination in their eyes and felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Excellent. Then, I ask you to depart as soon as you're ready. Last I heard, they were taking refuge in a forest cottage to the south of here. Exit the city and return to the fork in the road and keep going south until you see a forest on your right. The forest path should lead directly to the cottage" he said. Thankfully, they didn't have to travel very far. If they hurry, they would reach the outskirts of the forest within an hour.

Tsuki nodded once more. "Leave it to us. We'll be back with Shuko and your knights in no time" he said with confidence.

Raiku returned his nod with a smile. "We'll keep an eye on your companion for you in the meantime. I just ask that you hurry. My knights are currently safe but I can't guarantee that will stay like that for long if this person is indeed targeting them. I wish you all good luck…and be safe out there" he said.

With that, Tsuki and the others grouped up and left the audience chamber. They exited through the castle gates and were escorted outside of the outer walls back into the city. Even though the threat was coming from a single individual, they were too close to the city itself. Due to the unpredictable dangers of Arcanum, it was a wise decision to take security and safety seriously. Better safe than sorry. They had no idea who it was that was targeting these knights or what they were planning.

Tsuki and the others made a brief stop to the markets to stock up on supplies and upgrade their equipment wherever it was needed. Most of the market vendors had vacated to safety so their options were fairly limited but they felt confident in what they were able to secure. When they were all ready, they wasted no more time and left through the main gates. Knights could be seen gathering around the gates and the outside perimeter of the city. The defenses were rather simple but solid enough to slow down an invading force for a short amount of time. So long as they served their purpose, it worked out for them.

The group made their way south down the main road with a bit of pep to their step. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the fork in the road they had passed previously on the carriage about 20 minutes after leaving the city. They continued south along the road, fighting off the local brand of monsters out in the wilderness. After about another 25 minutes, they noticed the path split off to the right which led towards the forest that Raiku had mentioned. They followed the path towards the forest and soon found themselves at the outskirts of it. The closer they got to the forest, the more anxious they all started to feel. They could feel that same, familiar feeling that they felt back in Eresseas. It was clear to them Arcanum was truly involved. Since the description of this individual wasn't familiar, they knew that it couldn't be Caius, Mike or Stahler but if they were using Arcanum, then they had to be in league with them in some way. They needed to be careful with how the proceed going forward.

To be continued...