Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 28: Sigil Bearer
Everyone continued to stand a distance away from Tsuki as he was seemingly taken over by a completely different presence. The aura that was emanating out of him was on a whole other level compared to how it normally is. They could feel the power coming from him and it was unreal. Not even Allie knew where all of this energy was coming from aside from getting nostalgic feelings and familiar vibes like she's seen this before. They all found themselves frozen in place, not sure how to proceed or even interact with Tsuki.
After a few more anxiety-filled moments, the silence was broken by Cheria. She took a few steps towards Tsuki while being cautious. She could visibly see him but she couldn't feel any trace of him. She knew that whoever was standing before them was an entirely different person and she didn't understand how such a thing could be possible. She's never heard of anything like this happening before. The intensity that fuels this presence felt almost crushing with how powerful and intimidating it was.
Cheria took in a few deep breaths before finally speaking out to whoever it was that was now in possession of Tsuki's body. "Tsuki…?" she said nervously.
The person controlling Tsuki's body turned his head and looked at his companions that were huddled around Ruko. He didn't answer her right away but gave them calming grin. "You're technically correct. I am Tsuki but I am also not" he said.
Ramza tried his best to make sense of what was happening. He's had an overwhelming presence to that of Caius. "Who…or what are you?" he asked.
The person glanced over at Ramza. "The name is Cliff Steele, one of the three souls that reside within Tsuki. I've been watching you all through his eyes ever since his fight with Caius in Basilwell" he said.
Nagi tilted her head with a confused look. "One of…the three souls?" she asked. What he said made no sense to her.
Melphi made a curious reaction which caught their attention right away. She seemed to be the most shocked out of all of them for some reason. "Cliff Steele…you wouldn't happen to be the Lost King that's foretold in legends, would you?" she asked.
Cliff shifted his gaze over to Melphi as he sensed a familiar presence among them. He has seen her through Tsuki's eyes but it felt good to finally see one of his own kind with his own eyes. "I've been called many things. Lost King, Dragon Lord, War Hero, Crimson Spark. The name seems to change every century" he said.
Ruko looked back at Elle, who was still kneeling down on the ground in respect. "Would someone please explain what's going on? Souls? Lost King?" he asked. He was totally lost with what's happening. So much seemed to be happening all at once that it started to make his head spin.
Melphi stood back up and gazed at Cliff. It was a strange feeling talking to someone who was using another person's body as a medium. "The Lost King is a fabled legend amongst Dragonkin. He was the one who united all of us back in ancient times and is believed to be the strongest, even by today's standards. He was the one that led people to victory against the Archfiend, Sarex and was at the center of the Anti-Spirit Affair" she said.
Lynette tilted her head. She was referring back to the ancient times way back between the years 1500 and 1505. It was impossible for someone to be around since that time unless they were spirits. "So, what you're trying to say is that the Lost King of legend and this person are one and the same? How is that even possible!?" she asked. When a person dies, their soul returns to the planet's lifeblood. This was just basic common knowledge. There were attempts to resurrect the fallen using extremely advanced Healing Artes but such techniques were deemed forbidden knowledge since it broke the laws of human nature.
Elle shook her head as she watched the scenes unfold in front of her. She's heard small bits and pieces of the old world and if what they were seeing was a manifestation of a remnant from that time, then this may potentially open up a whole new can of worms. More important than that though, there was something else of immediate concern. "I think we're all forgetting to ask the most important question. If you're not Tsuki, then where is he? What happened to him? What was this 'Soul Transfer' business you mentioned?" she asked with a slight aggressive tone in her voice. She did well to hide it but she had a faint glimpse of anger in her eyes.
Cliff shook his head before turning back to face down Draven. "As much as I would love to educate you guys and answer your questions, I'm on borrowed time, I'm afraid. Explanations will have to wait until later" he said. He then took a few steps forward towards Draven when he felt someone grab hold of his sleeve and tug back on it.
He stopped and turned around once more to see that Allie was the one that pulled back on his sleeve. Cliff stared down at her with a calm and oddly nostalgic expression on his face. The two of them locked eyes and shared looks with each other. The two of them didn't share a word with each other but there was something that sparked between the two of them. Cliff slowly reached his left hand out towards her but then she released his sleeve and took a few steps back towards the others.
Cliff could tell what was going on based on the look in her eyes and her reactions towards him. He had a bit of a saddened expression as he let out a faint sigh, giving her a soft smile before continuing over towards Draven. When he was within a few feet from him, he assumed an attack stance as red sparks started to generate around him. The air around him started to become electrically charged as a heavy feeling started to occur. "Right then. Shall we bring a swift end to this?" he asked.
Draven scoffed at him, giving him a slightly disgusted look before resuming his Quad Viper Stance. "Confident, are you? I'm not sure what kind of trick you've pulled but if you think that it gives you the upper hand, you're sorely mistaken!" he said. Disregarding the change in the area, he rushed at him with incredible speed.
In an unexpected move, Cliff gripped his energized axe with two hands, holding it down close to him with the blades facing behind him. Using his raw, unbridled power, he shot forward simply using the power in his legs. He wasn't nearly as fast as Draven was but where he lacks in speed, he makes up for it in power. Because of the sudden charge, Draven was forced to change things up. Rather than doing the single first strike to get him to block, he swung both of his tonfa at him at the same time. This attack was quickly shattered though when Cliff swung the axe with two hands in a diagonal uppercut motion, the energized blade slamming into the tonfa. Because of the sheer force and power behind the swing, Cliff's attack didn't stop there. With the continued momentum behind his swing, he ended up instantly breaking through his attack, causing Draven's arms to be thrown up over his head and stumbled back.
With Draven's guard broken as he stumbled, Cliff reached out and pressed his hand up against his face and slammed him down onto the ground with force. Dazed from being slammed down, he was then lifted up by the collar of his shirt and thrown across the ground as if he were a cheap ragdoll. Draven bounced and crashed into the ground as he was thrown back towards the cliff. Draven soon came back to his senses just in time as he saw Cliff flying down on him from above as he swung his axe down from his head. He quickly used both of his tonfa to block the attack but the clash forced him down against the ground, causing a small crater underneath him as a shockwave shot out across the ground.
Draven switched the offensive as he channeled his Mana through both of his tonfa as Cliff pressed the blade of his axe down against them. The blade was just inches away from his face when Draven eventually swung his arms and broke the clash. Cliff jumped out of the crater and landed near the edge of it. Draven would soon emerge climbing out of the crater and dropped down to one knee. He's sustained a bit of damage but still had some fight left in him. He spit out a bit of blood as he bled slightly, wiping his hand across his mouth before standing back up. His tonfa still charged with Mana, he hit them up against each other and charged towards Cliff once more. They clashed their weapons up against each other and continued their fight.
Meanwhile, everyone else watched from the sidelines. For them, it was like watching two wild beasts fight. Seeing Ruko be able to wield Arcanum efficiently was a surprising sight but it was nothing compared to what they were seeing with Tsuki. They were all still trying to comprehend what they were watching. All of them felt like they would just get in the way if they were to get involved in their fight. With Draven distracted, Lynette took the opportunity to approach the older knight and the elderly individual and provided them with some healing.
The older knight felt his wounds slowly being healed by Lynette as the pain slowly went away. "I don't know who you are but you have my thanks, Miss" he said. He then glanced up at Ramza as he stood guard with his sword drawn, his eyes locked on the fight going on between Draven and Cliff. "You as well, General. A few moments later and I'm afraid we would have died" he said.
Ramza looked over towards the knight and nodded at him. "Don't mention it. We saved those that remained back at the cottage. Shouldn't be too much longer before the other knights regroup" he said.
The older knight let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that there were still those that survived. "Thank god. Everyone else that I was with all sacrificed themselves so that we could get away. At least, their deaths won't be in vain" he said.
The man that the knight was protecting bowed to the group. For someone like him, it was a frightening experience. "I would like to express my gratitude as well. Thank you" he said.
Cheria approached the man. "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but you wouldn't happen to be the herbalist, Shuko Sykes would you?" she asked
The man looked at Cheria as she walked up to him. He raised an eyebrow when she called out his name which made him examine her closely. "That would be me. Now, how does a lovely young lady like yourself know who I am?" he asked.
Cheria breathed a sigh of relief. They were now one step closer to saving Phi. "Please, we need your help! Our friend has been inflicted with Deixide and were told that you might be able to help" she said. She was prepared to literally beg him for his assistance if necessary,
Shuko rubbed his chin when she brought up Deizide. It was a poison he's handled before but not too often. "Deixide, huh? And here I thought that we eliminated the source of Deixide poisoning around these parts" he said. There was one sure way to eliminate the deadly poison. Eliminating the source of Deixide requires delicate training and a specialized hand. He and several other expert herbalists banded together to eliminate all known sources.
Cheria shook her head. "I'm afraid it wasn't local. We've come from Cayhill to seek you out with a high level of urgency" she said.
Shuko continued to rub his chin as he grumbled softly to himself softly. "From Cayhill, you say? You've come a far way. However, I'm sorry to say this but your friend will have most likely perished by now. You see, Deixide is a powerful and fast-acting poison" he said. It was unfortunate but there was nothing he could do for them.
Melphi shook her head at him. "That's where you're wrong. She's currently under the powerful medicinal effects us Dragonkin use, on a lesser dosage, of course. We brought her here because certain events forced us out of Cayhill. She's currently under the supervision of the clerics in Esseand" she said.
Cheria got down on one knee and lowered her head. "Please, I beg of you. The effects of the medicine are starting to wear off and we're not sure how much longer her body can hold out. Phi is an important retainer of mine, I can't let her die like this!" she said, pleading for his help.
A look of shock and surprise suddenly came over Shuko. "Wait a moment. Did you just say your friend's name is Phi? As in Xpheria…? He asked.
Cheria nodded at him, her head still lowered. "My name is Cheria Tsubasa and it may be hard to believe but I am the princess of Eresseas, located on Cayhill. Phi serves my family as one of the Royal Eight, our elite guard" she said. Since she was officially requesting his help, then it she decided that it would be best to give him proper introductions.
Shuko had both his hopes and fears confirmed. "That's my granddaughter! She's the one suffering from Deixide!?" he asked.
As they talked, the fighting between Draven and Cliff seemed to be reaching its peak. Draven was starting to become exhausted while Cliff hasn't slowed down a bit. It would seem the tables have been completely flipped on their head. There was a loud sound of steel clashing that echoed through the clearing. When they looked back over towards the fighting, both of Draven's tonfa had been completely destroyed by the sheer force behind Cliff's unrelenting attacks as they flew out of his hands from a clash, one spinning out over the cliff and the other against the nearby grass. He stumbled back as Cliff closed in on him but instead of using the axe to attack, he pulled his left arm back in a fist as intense red sparks generated from it. Once he was close enough, he lunged his arm forward and punched Draven in the stomach with enough force to knock him back a ways, skipping across the ground and crashing up against a tree, causing it to fall over behind him.
Draven has taken some significant damage at this point but he wasn't the only one feeling some adverse effects from the fighting. While he was practically unharmed physically, he could feel his strength start to decrease. His goal wasn't to kill Draven; he just needed to force him into retreat. He may be feeling the pain but Cliff knows that there was more to his power that he hasn't shown off yet and none of them were ready to face off against it.
Draven was down on the ground with his back up against the fallen tree stump, bleeding from his arms and forehead. He could feel that his body was struggling to keep up. He may have the advantage of speed over Cliff but it doesn't do him any good if he can't get in any of his attacks on him. "Agh…what strength…! So, this is the kind of power that caused such an grievous injury on His Majesty" he said. He recalled him saying not to underestimate him and it seems that he's done just that. He had been running on an inflated ego after taking down so many knights and bringing down Ruko.
Cliff stared down Draven as he held his axe close to his side. Despite the fact that he hasn't shown off everything the power of Arcanum was capable of, it was pretty impressive to him that he was able to stand his ground against him for as long as he did and still not die. "You've got spirit, boy. I'll commend you for being able to hold your own against me despite not showing your true potential. However, when it comes to the experience of battle and the art of war, you're far outclassed" he said. It was an exciting fight for him since it has been a good while since he last got to stretch his muscles. However, all good things have to come to an end at some point. He could feel his energy draining fast so he knew that he only had minutes left in this form. He did well to hide this fact but it was impossible for him to mask his draining energy. "What do you say we call it quits? With no weapons to defend yourself and in your current condition, you won't be able to put up much of a fight" he said.
Draven tried to get up but as he did so, red sparks generated from his body. This restricted his movement significantly as he struggled to stand up. "Paralysis, huh…?" he said. He chuckled a bit to himself, shaking his head. It was obvious to him that he was also losing his strength to fight. He could feel his energy rapidly depleting every second. "I could say the same about you too. Looks like you're going through some struggles yourself" he said.
Cliff could feel his hold over Tsuki's body start to give way. The effects of what he called Soul Transfer earlier seems to be wearing off which was having an impact on Tsuki's body. "So, you noticed. And here I thought, I could force you to give up" he said.
Draven struggled to stand back up on two feet as he felt the sparks electrify his body with every bit of movement he made. "When it comes to good prey like you, there's nothing that I don't notice. However…" he said. He put his hand up against the collapsed tree stump. "I'll concede this fight. Count yourselves lucky because next time will be different" he said. As soon as he said that, a ring of darkness formed around his body and began to pulsate. He then glanced over towards Ruko who had most of his injuries patched up by Lynette by now. "Ruko! I expect you to be stronger by the next time we meet! Our score hasn't been settled yet!" he said.
Ruko shook his head and threw his right arm to his side. He needed to know something before he left. He tried to ask before but didn't get the chance. "Wait! What happened to Master Brae! At least, tell me that!" he shouted.
Draven chuckled to himself a bit as the ring of darkness started to emit a low-pitched humming sound as the pulsating intensified. "Wouldn't you like to know…" he said. That's all he would say as he was soon engulfed with darkness and soon disappeared into the void.
Lynette was surprised by his sudden disappearance. "He's gone!? Where did he go!?" she asked. She's never seen a technique like that before. It was as if he was teleported away but there was something different about it. The reaction of Aer around him was different compared to when she saw the Honegroth soldiers being seemingly teleported into Eresseas.
Allie looked around to try and sense where he could have gone but there was no trace of Draven anywhere. He had completely removed himself from the area. She shook her head at them, letting out a soft sigh. "He's nowhere to be found. I think…we're safe now" she said.
Cliff tilted his head a bit as he stared at the now empty space where Draven was "Shadow Traversal, huh?" he said to himself. He took in a deep breath as he leaned his head up to gaze up at the moving clouds above them as grey storm clouds started to form with the sounds of thunder starting the rumble across the skies. "It seems the time is upon us once again. This never-ending cycle of evil and chaos. Maybe this time, we'll finally put an end to it…" he said.
Cliff took a few more moments for himself before turning towards the others and started to approach them. With each step he took, his hold over Tsuki began to slip further. Cliff himself wasn't exhausted but he could feel the strain on Tsuki's body. It was at it's limits and couldn't endure the form shift any longer. Because of this, his steps were a bit unsteady and unbalanced. Being a spirit with no physical form to call his own, it has been a while for him to experience any kind of bodily pain.
Cheria noticed the unsteadiness in his steps as he slowly walked towards them. She's seen this scene before as flashbacks of their childhood played through her mind when Tsuki came to save her while being deathly ill. Granted, this was a different scenario entirely, the vibes were still there to the point where she was expecting something to happen. "Tsuki…?" she said as she started to approach him.
The energy-formed axe that Cliff was holding onto started to pulsate quickly before disappearing in his hands as crimson sparks dispersed. Cliff glanced at Cheria and chuckled a bit, giving her a bit of a smile as he felt the last of his strength and hold over Tsuki completely disappear. "Catch him, would you…?" he asked her.
Suddenly, the overwhelming aura that had been surrounding Tsuki for the last few minutes completely disappeared. His eyes reverted back to his normal blue color. However, when the change was finished, Tsuki immediately fell forward as he soon started to drop to the ground.
Expecting this would happen, Cheria quickly ran over towards him, caught him as he fell and slowly lowered them both down to their knees. "Tsuki!? Hey, come on now. Open your eyes!" she said, slightly panicked.
Tsuki was unresponsive. It would seem that he was unconscious. The others quickly ran up to them and Lynette started to apply Healing Artes to him though there wasn't much for her to heal. His physical injuries were very minor so there wasn't much she could do for him. Allie, however, was able to relieve everyone's worries and concerns right away. "It'll be okay. I can feel Master's presence again. Although, his Mana and Aer are very weak. I can assume that's the reason he fell unconscious" she said.
Shuko approached them along with the older knight. He still was very confused at what just happened but decided that the time for questions could be handled later. "A storm is approaching. It's the rainy season around here and storms can be pretty brutal. You don't want to find yourselves outside without shelter" he said.
The older knight nodded. "When your martial artist friend came to save us earlier, I sent out a message to His Majesty to request an extraction when attention was pulled away from us" he said. Since they weren't too far from Esseand, it wouldn't take them too long to receive his message and send out a few carriages to pull them out along with any necessary medical supplies.
Ramza nodded. "Excellent work. We should meet back up with the knights back at the cottage first then and hope they regrouped with the rest of the knights that were sent out" he said. Ramza walked over to Tsuki's side and put his arm over his shoulder to help carry him. "We got about an hour or so before that storm rolls over here so let's hurry" he said.
With Ramza carrying Tsuki over his shoulder, they proceeded to make their way back through the forest path that they went through previously to reach the cottage again. Since they had made the path easier to navigate on before, it didn't take them long to get back to the clearing. Fifteen minutes passed and they were back at the cottage. When the returned, they saw that the destroyed cottage was surrounded by a small group of knights. It would seem that the group that split off from the rest have indeed regrouped with the survivors that were taking refuge. It also appeared that they made a makeshift wagon of sorts that had what seems to be some of the wrapped up bodies of those that were less fortunate piled on it.
Thanks to the survivors and the appearance of Ramza, they were able to explain that the threat of Draven was gone. The group of knights gathered whatever they could salvage from the wrecked house and Shuko went to retrieve his medicine bag and his other belongings. Within 20 minutes of reuniting, they were off again as they made their way back through the forest and eventually reached the outskirts of the forest after an additional 15 minutes had passed. When they left the forest, there were 3 carriages waiting for them with an armed escort as a precaution.
With the added help, they quickly and carefully loaded up one of the carriages with the wrapped-up bodies of those that were killed along with those that had been injured. The remaining knights that were still rather healthy loaded up in the carriage that leads the pack while Tsuki and his companions, along with Shuko, piled in the last carriage. Once everyone was settled in, the carriage drivers wasted no time and immediately took off charging down the road towards Esseand. They could see the weather getting worse by the minute as the grey clouds from before became very dark in color. Thunder rumbled through the sky as it gradually started to rain with the winds starting to pick up.
It only took them about 30 minutes to reach the gates of Esseand where they were promptly let in. The streets were completely empty as people have taken shelter from the oncoming storm. This was good for them because they were able to make it up to the castle level. They pulled up to the castle gates and the knights that were standing by converged onto the carriages as they came to a stop. Those that were injured still were led out by others and soon handed off to the clerics while the wrapped-up bodies were carefully brought out from the carriage and carried off somewhere else. The knights that were relatively healthy and unharmed were met with various commanders and officials as they were debriefed on what had happened. According to what they heard, 6 squads of knights were sent out, each of them having a total of 6 people assigned to them. That would mean 36 knights in total were sent out to rescue the survivors of the nearby outpost. Only 12 of those knights came back alive, including the few survivors. It was a heavy loss as they lost 4 squads of good men and women.
As for Tsuki and the others, they were met up with Caz who helped Ramza carry the still unconscious Tsuki to the room where Phi was resting in. Inside the room, they placed Tsuki on the empty bed across from Phi. Upon entering the room, Shuko immediately made his way over to Phi, expressing great concern fro his granddaughter but managing to keep his cool. He wasted no time and started to work on a medicine to counteract the Deixide that plagues her body. At this point, all they could do now was wait and see what happens.
While all of this was going on, Tsuki woke up and found himself floating in his spiritual form within the Celestial Bridge. Within the space, he could see Cliff floating in front of him. They both shared looks in silence for about another minute or so. Time would soon reverse back over an hour ago before Cliff took over Tsuki's body.
Tsuki was willing to try anything if it meant accomplishing his task and that was making sure Shuko was brought to safety. "You're not giving me much of a choice, are you? So, what do I have to do?" he asked.
Cliff pointed to his own chest. "We're going to try something called Soul Transfer. There's no guarantee this will work and even if it does, it won't last very long at your current level but it's our best shot" he said. What he was proposing was something on a rather advanced level which is why he's unsure about it.
Tsuki tilted his head in confusion. "Soul…Transfer?" he asked.
Cliff nodded at him. "Normally, such a technique wouldn't be attempted until you have more experience handling this power. Doing it now will cause tremendous strain on your body and will leave you totally drained" he said. Circumstances have forced him to take some drastic measures. He knows that this will cause a lot of confusion but they had no choice. "To put it simply, it's a technique that is unique to us Sigil Bearers. It allows the Bearer to temporarily 'swap' souls with those embedded within the Sigil. Basically, you relinquish your body over to one of these souls which allows them to use their own unique abilities and strengths" he said.
Tsuki rubbed his chin as he tried to make sense of what he was being told. It didn't help the fact that he hasn't even told him the first thing about this power. It just made him even more confused. Despite that, he knew that this would benefit him in some way. Since they didn't really have the time for an in-depth explanation, he had to trust his gut and what Cliff was telling him. "So, it's a form of possession then" he said.
Cliff scratched the back of his head, letting out a sigh. "In a way, yes. It has the characteristics of spiritual possession but the fundamentals are different" he said. He then held his left arm out as crimson sparks started to generate around it. "When it comes to a normal spiritual possession, only the physical body becomes possessed. Soul Transfer it's a technique that takes the base concept of spiritual possession and amplifies it" he said. He then held out his other arm with the palm of his hand facing up. A ball of light energy soon formed over the palm of his hand and gave off a gentle yet powerful feeling. "Rather than just simply taking control of the physical body, Soul Transfer 'unlocks' the soul. This allows the two souls to safely switch places, carrying with it all of its power. Instead of melding our power into your own, you're able to wield it against your enemies. Such a technique, however, can be incredibly taxing on your body as it requires perfect synchronization between our Mana and Aer levels. The slightest fluctuation will cause instability and cancel out the effects" he said. Even though their connection wasn't the strongest, he should be able to successfully pull off a Soul Transfer for a few minutes, at the very least. "Naturally, all of this is highly dependent on the Bearer's own strength in terms of how effective it is and how long it lasts" he said.
Tsuki scratched his head with a confused and puzzled expression. He was having trouble understanding his explanation. It was clear to him that he was going to be asking him a whole lot of questions whenever they get the chance to thoroughly talk about things. "I still don't quite get it but…if you say that it's the only way, then there's not much of a choice, I suppose. How do I initiate Soul Transfer?" he asked.
Cliff patted his own chest. "Open your soul. Concentrate all of your Mana and Aer into the center of your body. Envision yourself as if you were looking in a mirror and release the locks that bind your soul to your body. I'll handle the rest from there" he said.
Just like that, Tsuki did as he was told as his reality shifted back to normal where he successfully pulled off the Soul Transfer. Time returns to the present where Tsuki found himself back in the Celestial Bridge after Cliff took control over his body. The two of them floated in the vast, empty space as none of them shared any words with each other for what felt like an eternity. Thinking back on what happened, Tsuki came to realize that what he witnessed was a pretty strange series of events. Even though he was watching everything unfold through his own eyes, he wasn't in control of his body. He didn't know how to explain it to himself so that it would make sense. For Tsuki, it was bizarre to watch someone else use his own body.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Cliff finally spoke up after clearing his throat a bit. "It seems our gamble paid off. Your body might take some time to readjust since I let loose a little bit but it was a success" he said.
Tsuki wasn't able to feel what his body was feeling since his spirit and consciousness has been separated from the physical body. He wasn't sure how much time has passed as the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was just before Draven disappeared. "I still don't fully understand what happened but it seems so" he said. With the threat of Draven gone, he could only assume that Lynette and the others ended up returning to Esseand with his body and Shuko. Now was the perfect time to finally get some longstanding questions answered. He gave Cliff a rather serious look as he was determined to find out what this power was. "It's time you explain to me what this power is. No more dodging the question anymore" he said.
Cliff stared at him in silence, returning the same serious expression back at him. "There was a time where our side of the world was almost brought down to it's knees. A demonic power of unimaginable strength and unrelenting advance ravaged everything and anything it touched. Some say this power was the direct cause of the Great Rift that splits our world into two" he said. He closed his eyes as grey images of a world and time of ages past flashed through his mind. Sights and other things that you wouldn't be able to find in the modern age now. Tall, prosperous cities dominated by technology and the growing rise of magic. Structures that resembled small boats soaring through the skies. The images that flashed through his head almost resembled that of a different world. "A horde of demons led by an all-powerful king that practically laid waste to the world and instigated mankind's rapid decline in planetary development. Many people lost their lives to these demons, making the body count almost immeasurable. Those that remained expected the worst and had little hope left. The world, as they knew it, was done for" he said, taking a moment to glance at Tsuki. There was a lot he needed to know going forward and he wanted to make sure he explained things slowly and in a way that wouldn't be too confusing.
Tsuki recalls reading some really old books that talked about world-changing events. While the more modern iterations leave no evidence to back up what Cliff was saying, he didn't look like he was making things up. There was also the fact that Melphi seemed to know a lot more about events that took place far back into the past that was basically considered forbidden knowledge in the eyes of the Elves, according to Elle. A lot of that seems to be hidden away from the public eye so it wouldn't be too crazy to think that they're hiding things that took place even before that.
Cliff saw that Tsuki was processing the information in his head and continued his story. "It was then when 8 brave souls appeared to fight against the demons. However, in order to fight back against the darkness that the demons had cast over the land, humanity needed it's own trump card to stand against them" he said. More images of the past flashed through his head. He had a look of nostalgia on his face as they appeared. They were images of himself and 7 other people fighting in unison and banding together. Counting himself, the group of 8 individuals consisted of 4 Humans, 2 Elves, a Dwarf and a Dragonkin. It was a strange gathering but they all seemed to fight alongside each other and shared a close bond with one another. The world at the time didn't realize it but these people were the ones that would bring peace back and eradicate the demon threat. "Thus, humanity created a power using ancient, forbidden magic to be wielded by mankind. A power from the old world, created by the joint efforts of Humans, Faeries and Spirits. This was an experimental power, however. It took many months of research and testing but they were finally able to create it. This power incorporated the power of the Four Great Spirits into a single individual. Researchers tried to replicate it to be used in others but all of their efforts to do so had failed. With only one successful result, the power was given to a select individual where the world was put on his shoulders" he said. Once again, more images continued to flash through his head. They were images of a slightly younger version of himself standing in the center of an incantation circle wearing nothing from above the waist. "This power would become known as the Sigil and those that inherit it subsequently become the Sigil Bearer" he said.
Tsuki slowly processed what Cliff was telling him through his mind. It sounded like a crazy story that was ripped out of some fantasy novel. It was an outrageous tale that rang with absurdity. However, something inside of him told him that what he was saying was true. Despite the wild claims with no evidence to back them up, he couldn't find any trace of deception in his words. He stared down at the palm of his hand for a moment. "Sigil…Sigil Bearer…" he said.
Cliff nodded slowly as he continued on with the history lesson. "The person that became the first ever Sigil Bearer and led the charge against the horde was me. Aided by my trusted companions, we fought tooth and nail until we finally prevailed over the demon king, otherwise known as the Archfiend Sarex. With the death of their leader, the demons retreated back to where they came from. Peace had finally been brought back to the world and people could finally rebuild what they had lost" he said. Unexpectedly, images of him and his companions flashed through his head as they were paraded through various streets, cheered on by countless people and awarded for all that they've done. It was because of them and their unbreakable resolve that pulled humanity out of the darkness. People thought that these peaceful days would last. However, that wasn't going to be the case. "With great power, however, there will always be people that will fear it. Five years after the death of Sarex, people began to spread false claims and rumors that his revival was because of the Spirits. Their influence over Mana and Aer was a direct cause, or so they said. At first, people didn't believe it but after a series of unexplainable events, they started to reconsider. In the end, this caused a rift to open up between humanity which stirred up conflict. Me and my companions attempted to intervene to try to quell the situation but we would soon come to regret that…" he said.
Various scenes and images would then play through his head as if it were a movie playing back. They were in the middle of what appeared to be a central plaza of sorts with countless people all gathered around, standing on two separate sides of each other. They were arguing back and forth pretty intensely and some of the arguments looked like they broke out into fights. Objects and words of slander were thrown at each side and it looked like a full-on riot was about to break loose in the streets. It was then when Cliff and his companions seemed to intervene in the middle of all that chaos to try and get people to back down. However, despite their notoriety for having defeated Sarex, not even they were able to do much. In fact, based off the images and scenes that played through his mind, it looked like they unintentionally made things significantly worse.
Suddenly, the words of Elle spoke through Tsuki's mind. He recalled her saying something like this back in Basilwell. The event from that conversation played back through his mind. "It's safe to assume that Arcanum isn't even what it's real name is. Elven legends portray this power as apocalyptic. To combat against this, humanity created its own power to fight against it. All of this led to a conflict that embroiled not just Human and Beast, but the Great Spirits as well" her voice said.
Cliff rolled his right hand into a tight fist as he grit his teeth with a look of frustration. "Because of our involvement, we only made things worse. The power of the Sigil, the tool that humanity created in a last ditch effort to save themselves with, became the new target of aggression and hate. As a result, just as there were equal amounts of people that sided with us, there were just as many that turned against us" he said. It was frustrating to him that after everything that they went through so that humanity could live another day, countless people turned on them as if they were flipping a light switch on the wall. His companions also felt the same sense of betrayal but they were all reminded that they still had those that sided with them. "To this day, I still think that if we hadn't gotten ourselves involved, everything that would have occurred after wouldn't have happened" he said.
Tsuki could feel a bit of sadness and regret in his words. He must have agonized over that thought for who knows how long. He couldn't relate to how he was feeling but he could sympathize with him a little bit. "And so that was the start of the Anti-Spirit Affair. The plan to eliminate the Spirits to prevent Sarex from reviving ever again. If you hadn't gotten involved, then things could have ended differently, Whether that would have been a good or bad ending, however…well, we will never know. I would like to think you made the right choice, though" he said. It must have been a painful thing for them to experience. Having all those people who once stood by your side and support you now suddenly becoming your enemy. "If the Sigil was the cause of all the unrest, why not get rid of it?" he asked.
Cliff shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh as he scratched the back of his head and dropped his shoulders. "The Sigil isn't something that you can just throw away. It had become embedded in my soul. Even long after my physical body had died, my soul lived on through the Sigil. The true weight of being the Sigil Bearer didn't become clear to me until much later. When I realized that so long as the Sigil continues to exist, the souls that are bound to it will remain at unrest. It's both a blessing and a curse" he said. Even more scenes flashed through his head. These scenes seemed to involve him and his companions in some sort of lab, reading through research papers and various books. They looked like they were searching for something, probably a way to free Cliff from the Sigil as it's power had no longer been needed. Unfortunately, by the end, they never found out how to get rid of the Sigil. Which meant for Cliff, when all of his friends and loved ones pass away to some much-needed rest, his soul will continue on. He would never be able to go to where they all headed to in the afterlife. Knowing that brought a deep sadness to him but over a long period of time, he became stoic. "My duties as the Sigil Bearer eventually came to an end and the Sigil went into a state of dormancy until the time came for a new Bearer to rise. This trend would repeat two more times before the mantle was forced onto you which brings us to now…" he said. He then pointed at Tsuki and looked straight into his eyes. "You, Tsuki, are the new Sigil Bearer and at your command are us 3 unrested souls with power spanning the ages of time" he said.
Tsuki was surprised but he would be lying to himself if he didn't expect something like this would come as a result. Obviously, he didn't know what to expect of this power but he's always thought that it felt different. The random bursts of power that he would spontaneously get during times of danger had been an unexplainable thing for him for the longest time and always chalked it up to some sort of adrenaline rush. "I'm…the Sigil Bearer…" he mumbled to himself. He could definitely feel a major shift within himself. As if something opened up to him.
Cliff nodded and stretched his arm out towards Tsuki as flames ignited from the palm of his hand while his arm generated crimson sparks around it. At the same time, traces of energy started to form on both sides of him. One form of energy had a violet glow to it that radiated the power of Wind while the other form had a yellow glow to it that radiated the power of Earth. The masses of energies that had appeared next to Cliff had no definitive form so it was impossible to figure out what they were but Tsuki felt that they belonged to the presence of two others. Although they didn't say anything, or couldn't say anything rather, he could somehow sense that they aligned with Cliff.
Cliff turned his head to glance at the two formless masses of energy and nodded at them before looking back at Tsuki. "Now that you've established a solid connection with at least one of us and were able to successfully open yourself to the Sigil, things around here will go much more smoothly. All that needs to be done now is to strengthen those ties with enough reinforcement that you're able to use it more effectively" he said.
Tsuki looked at the formless masses of energy and was about to attempt to communicate with them but then he noticed that his spiritual form was starting to fade away. "W-what's this!?" he asked, looking at arms as they started to become translucent.
Cliff mumbled to himself. It appears that they were out of time. "Forcibly calling your consciousness to the Celestial Bridge requires a significant amount of Mana. The power of the Sigil is vast and great but it's not omnipotent and it looks like we're about to go on cooldown" he said. He then gave Tsuki one last wide grin and a wave goodbye. "Keep up the good work out there. We'll be here whenever you need us souls" he said.
It was moments after that when Tsuki's spiritual form completely vanished and his consciousness was soon returned to his body. He tossed and turned in his sleep a bit before opening his eyes back up again. His vision was rather blurry and bright at first and so it took about another minute or so for his vision to get back into focus. He found himself staring up at a familiar stone and wood ceiling with the sounds of muffled metallic footsteps clanging around in the distance. He was confused and not totally back to his senses yet as he turned his head to the side to see Cheria, Allie and Lynette talking in the center of the room. He couldn't hear what they were saying at first because, much like how his vision was impaired, so was his hearing. Allie was the first to notice that Tsuki had finally regained consciousness and was calling out to him but could barely hear what she was saying.
Allie immediately rushed over to his side, grabbing onto his arm and holding onto it with a tight squeeze. "Mast…awake! How are…feeling!? Pain…?" she shouted.
Tsuki simply stared at her without reacting much to her. All he could hear was her muffled shouting in his ear and was only able to pick up bits and pieces of what she was saying. It was clear though that there was definite worry and concern in her voice. Not seeing much of a reaction out of Tsuki, Lynette came over beside Allie and did a quick check up on him. She didn't see anything wrong with him physically but decided to cast some basic Healing Artes on him just in case.
After about another minute, his sense of hearing had returned to normal. He felt the warmth of Lynette's Healing Artes coursing through his body as he started to get some strength back. He looked at them once more and saw that Cheria looked like she was about to break down in tears but was staying strong to hold them back. He then tried to speak. "Lyn…Allie…Cher…." he said in a strained, raspy voice.
He didn't know why but for some reason, it hurt to speak. That was when the feeling in his body started to come back. He felt absolutely drained as if all of his energy had been sucked out of him. He felt even worse than when he regained consciousness after his fight with Caius in Basilwell. It's not like he was in any physical pain from being injured this time, however. His entire body felt incredibly stiff and hard to move, if anything. Having his soul separated from his body for the first time, even for the brief few minutes, it was like he had just woken up from the dead.
He then remembered what Cliff had said at the start of their previous interaction just now. "Your body might take some time to readjust" his voice spoke.
Lynette shook her head a bit as she stepped back from the bed. "He's okay. Physically, he's healthy but his body still seems very weak. Whatever he did back then seems to have affected his body in more ways than one. Unfortunately, Healing Artes can't do anything else for him. All he needs now is rest" she said. She was concerned for him on many levels but he has regained consciousness and, at least physically, he was healthy.
Tsuki tried to sit up but his body wouldn't budge an inch. It was like he was wearing a fully body suit that had thousands of pounds weighted down on it. It was an awful feeling. "How long…?" he asked. He was trying to ask how long he has been out for since something told him that it's been longer than just a few hours.
Lynette scratched the back of her head. "You've been out since yesterday. After Draven left, you fell unconscious almost right on the spot. Ramza carried you over his shoulder and we met up with the other knights before heading back. We got lucky too" she said. Moments after that, sounds of loud but muffled thunder could be heard rumbling. "We returned with minutes to spare before the weather took a turn for the worse. It's been raining and thundering nonstop since then. Apparently, we showed up here during the worst time of Ersheath's storm season" she said.
Cheria nodded as she explained things to him. "We would have been in some major trouble if we had gotten caught in a storm like this. I haven't seen a powerful storm like this since childhood" she said. She was referring to the terrible rainstorm that drenched Eresseas for several days. It was also the same rainstorm that made Tsuki deathly ill when he was still a kid.
Tsuki's eyes glanced over towards Phi, who was still sleeping in the adjacent bed. "And Phi…?" he asked.
Lynette looked over towards Phi for a moment before shifting her gaze back onto Tsuki, giving him a satisfied smile. "It was touch-and-go at first. By the time we returned, the remaining effects of Melphi's medicine had completely worn off and the Deixide started to affect her body. Thankfully, Shuko had all the materials he needed to quickly put together an antidote and promptly administered it to her. He says, with full confidence after several additional doses along with some nutritional supplements, that the Deixide in her system has been completely removed and has stabilized" she said. She watched the whole process. Shuko kept his cool with razor sharp focus as he quickly put together the antidote. The methods of medicine-making by use of various crushed herbs and different types of plants that he used were very different than how Crescentia's clinic usually handles them. It showed her that medicine-making varied differently with each practitioner. The methods may seem similar in nature but the complexity behind them can vary.
Cheria was relieved to know that Phi was going to be okay. There was some trouble along the way but they succeeded in what they set out to do. "Because of how long the poison stayed in her system, Shuko expects that she won't regain consciousness for another day or so. Even though he stopped the spread before it caused irreparable damage, he told us that there may be some small traces left behind so we've been keeping an eye on her" she said. She walked over to the side of Tsuki's bed and sat down on the edge of it, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. "How do you feel though? Any pain or feelings of discomfort?" she asked. She was putting on her strong side since she was in front of Lynette and Allie but in reality, she was grieved with worry and concern. Seeing Tsuki in this state really brought back memories of when he came to save her from the Syndicate while being deathly ill.
Tsuki tried to move around a bit by attempting to sit up again. He had to fight with his own body for a bit but he was able to sit up in bed but that's about as much as he could do. "Everything feels…stiff. Hard…to move" he said in strained voice.
Allie squeezed his arm more as he forced himself to sit up. She did not like him doing that one bit. "Bad Master! You shouldn't be forcing yourself to move!" she said in a stern voice.
Tsuki looked at Allie and gave her a comforting smile with a light chuckle. "I'll be okay. Just need to…get the blood bumping again, that's all. Thanks for the concern though…" he said.
Lynette shook her head as she agreed with Allie. He may not be physically hurt or suffered from injuries but he was still clearly in some form of pain or discomfort. "I'm in agreement with Allie. It's best you don't strain yourself and let your body heal" she said.
Tsuki tried to move a bit more but much of his body was still rather unresponsive. "I can't much around much as it is so it's not like I have much of a choice but to rest" he said.
Lynette nodded at him before stepping back from the bed. "Good. Recovery efforts will go more smoothly when you listen to the doctor" she said. She soon started to walk over towards the door to the room, putting her hand on the door handle and glanced back over towards Cheria and Allie. "In the meantime, I'll go let everyone know you're awake" she said. She then opened the door and left, leaving the room for Cheria and Allie.
Once Lynette was gone, there was an awkward silence that filled the room. No one knew what to say at this point. The sounds of thunder rumbling could still be heard which seemed to grow louder in intensity. The silence persisted for what felt like the longest minute they've ever experienced. Wanting to break the awkward silence, Tsuki was the one to first speak up.
Tsuki let out a slight nervous laugh as he wasn't sure what to say to start a conversation. "U-umm…nice weather, we're having…?" he asked.
Right after he said that, Allie gave him a stern look as she soon got onto the bed and crawled over to him. "That's what you start with!? You gave everyone quite the scare, Master!" she said, her cheeks slightly puffed out.
Tsuki could feel her sharp glare on him. She's still in the process of starting to show emotion but there have been times where she lets them out with ease. "I-I'm sorry to cause you worry…" he said.
Allie continued to crawl over to him with puffed out cheeks before her face was just inches away from his. The way she was acting showed her seemingly young age. "Master is reckless!" she said.
Cheria let out a soft sigh as she shook her head. "I agree. He certainly is reckless. So much so that it almost gives me a heart attack" she said. She then pointed at Tsuki, giving him a stern look. "A princess is nothing without her bodyguard, you know?" she said.
Tsuki let out another nervous laugh and sweat as they both scolded him. He should of expected something like this would have happened. "I…have no excuse" she said. He tried to stretch out his arms but he could feel the bones in his body creek. "Ugh…my body could really using the warm waters of a hot spring right about now…" he said. The warm, steamy waters do wonders to the body especially if the body was experiencing pains or stiffness.
Cheria held her hand up to her chest a bit with her cheeks slightly red. She then crawled onto the bed as well and positioned herself behind him, sitting on her knees and putting her arms around Tsuki and resting them against his chest as she pulled him back against her and resting her arms against his chest. "I-It's not as warm as a hot spring but…" she said bashfully.
Tsuki felt himself being pulled back as he could feel her breasts press up against the back of his head. He felt the warmth of her body against his own which made him feel a bit embarrassed. "C-Cheria? What are you…?" he asked.
Cheria rested her chin on top of his head as she held onto him, her cheeks red. "You scared me, you know. Seeing you in such a lifeless state…it was like our childhood all over again. When you came to save me from the Syndicate even though you were unwell" she said. She didn't ever want to see Tsuki in that condition ever again. She never told him this but it was because of that reason that she focused on getting stronger. She wanted to be someone that was just as capable of protecting him as he was with her. She's not a frontline fighter like he was so there were things that only he could do but there were ways where she could support him from the rear.
Tsuki fell silent as she spoke. He had trouble finding the right words to say to her. His actions meant well but the way they can be perceived could be different. "Cheria…" he said with a soft sigh.
Cheria shook her head slowly across the top of his head. "You always do this. You always take on more than you can handle despite knowing the dangers and consequences. Your actions in Prophet Castle against Draxus, your fight against Caius, that stunt you pulled on Draven…" she said. She tightened her hold on him a little bit. A few tears ran down her cheeks and dropped down onto Tsuki. "You're my knight. I need you to be safe for me. I don't know what I'd do without you…" she said.
Tsuki couldn't help but close his eyes with a soft smile. Her words alone was enough for him as he could feel them already heal him which made him feel better. "You know better than anyone that I won't be going anywhere. How could I, when I have such a needy and spoiled princess to take care of?" he asked.
Cheria puffed her cheeks out a bit, tightening her grip on him even more with the intentions of causing him just slight pain and discomfort. "Now, you're just teasing me" she said.
Tsuki could felt feelings of discomfort and pain as she felt her grip tighten. "There she is. Cheria looks better this way rather than being all doom and gloomy. Wouldn't you agree, Allie?" he asked, looking towards Allie who was sitting down in front of him on the bed.
Allie let out a big smile with a nod. "Yes! And it's Master's job to make her happy so if you don't, punishment awaits" she said.
Cheria let out a nervous laugh because of her comment. "Why did you make that sound like an overprotective father…?" she asked.
The three of them continued to talk amongst themselves for about another 20 minutes before Tsuki started to grow tired. They both got off the bed and let him get some more rest as he soon fell asleep again. Knowing that he was going to be alright, the both of them decided to leave the room to get some fresh air. With the storm still raging on, they were all pretty much confined to the castle as the winds outside were pretty intense. Throughout the storm, they've heard chatter about how a number of wooden stalls and other structures have collapsed from storm damage. The storm seemed to rage on for what felt like forever. Thankfully, the storm finally started to die down after a couple more hours. By the evening hours, the storm had completely broken apart. The damage to the city was pretty bad but with the local mercenaries and knights aiding the townspeople, cleanup around the city shouldn't take all that long.
It was during this time that Tsuki had woken up once more, feeling a lot better. There was a bit of stiffness to his body but he pretty much had his full range of motion back in his body. With everyone gathered around the room he and Phi were in, he took the time to give some explanations. He tried his best to explain everything that he had learned from Cliff. What his power was, how it originated, what it's purpose was for, what Soul Transfer was and who the person was that was in control over his body during his fight with Draven. Naturally, all of them were left dumbfounded and confused. It was understandable, given the obviously outrageous tale he had just told. He was still trying to come to grips with it himself.
Ramza, who was sitting on one of the small couches by the door on the other side of the room, sat back against it with a heavy sigh. "Sigil…ancient power…Sarex. It's like we just stepped into a fantasy story" he said. He didn't know what to make of it. Part of him wished that what he had just heard was some crazy story he dreamt up but the story was just too incredible and outrageous, even for him.
Lynette was sitting in a chair that was up against the wall between the two bed next to a small dresser with her arms folded in front of her. It was all very confusing for her. "So…you've inherited some strange, ancient power that humanity created to fight against the demon horde. There are three souls of people who also this power sleeping inside of you that have the ability to soul swap and share their innate power with you" she said. Thinking back on all the times they were in hairy situations, things started to make sense for her. Back when it was just the two of them, she's seen him have inexplicable power surges ranging from strength, defense and speed that seemed to come out of nowhere. It never really made sense to her on where this power came from and since he didn't know himself, it had been left as a mystery. "Honestly, this explains a lot of things, as confusing as it sounds and potentially answers a lot of questions" she said.
Ruko shook his head a bit as he was leaning up against the wall next to her. "It also opens up a lot more. Has Cliff not told you anything else?" he asked.
Tsuki was sitting on the edge of his bed as he shook his head. "Nothing else. It seems that he shares information with me whenever he feels it's appropriate, I guess" he said.
Melphi, who was leaning up against Phi's bed, simply shrugged her shoulders. "That's how Dragonkin are. They only reveal certain information whenever it is necessary, especially when it comes to the older folk who tend to stick with tradition" she said. She shook her head, letting out a sigh as she hung her head. "Still, I can't believe that person was the real Lost King" she said.
Nagi was sitting in a chair next to the couch that Ramza was sitting in. She looked over towards Melphi, tilting her head. "You mentioned that he was a figure of legend, right?" she asked.
Melphi nodded. "He was the one that brought everyone together and led humanity the victory over the Archfiend, Sarex. His innate strengths and talents made him a force to be reckoned with, according to the legend. No other Dragonkin could match him. It's no wonder how he was made a perfect fit to be a Sigil Bearer" she said. She recalled the many stories that her Dragonkin elders used to tell everyone. There were even some that revered him as a God. "Cliff Steele, the Crimson Spark. His name and story has continued to be told by the elders over the years. From an early age, boys looked up to the stories that were told about him. He was a perfect role model and many wanted to be just like him. Those aspirations carry on into adulthood where the men train hard to become the next Crimson Spark" she said. Cliff Steel was a fascination that was contagious among the wide population of Dragonkin men. It would be strange not to hear someone that looked up to him.
Elle was standing next to Tsuki's bed as she rubbed her chin in thought. "Based off that overwhelming aura he had as he fought against Draven, it's easy to tell just how strong he is. Even as a spirit, it seems that he still retains his strength" she said. She's encountered some pretty powerful individuals over the years but not many were on his level. "If he were alive in this day and age, I could easily see him being on the same level as Shana" she added.
Cheria was sitting down next to Tsuki as she looked over towards him. "What about the other two souls?" she asked.
Tsuki shook his head. "I don't know anything about them, unfortunately. I haven't made any established contact with them so I can't interact with them the same way I can with Cliff" he said. He tried to ask him how he could make contact with them but he didn't answer him. All he said was to give them time. Of course, he didn't know what that meant.
Allie was sitting in Tsuki's lap, much to his protest. She wouldn't budge off of him. She looked like she had something on her mind. "Cliff…Steele…mmmm:" she mumbled to herself.
Lynette looked over at Allie, tilting her head. "What's up, Allie?" she asked.
Allie shook her head. She didn't know why but ever since she felt Cliff's energy back in the forest, she's had this strange feeling in her chest. "I don't know. Something about this seems so…familiar. This warm, fuzzy and nostalgic feeling" she said.
Ramza scratched his head a bit. If she had a reaction like that, then it must be pretty important. Otherwise, she wouldn't be this affected by it. "Perhaps it's one of your lost memories. It obviously means something. Have you been able to recall anything?" he asked.
Allie thought back to the brief flashes of scattered images that popped through her mind. One image in particularly stuck out at her and it was the one that had her lying down on the ground with a serious injury to her chest and a pool of blood surrounding her as others were huddled around her. She wasn't aware of this but one of those people looked very similar to Cliff's spiritual form. This person was one of the two that were defending the group as some of them were seemingly trying to heal her injuries. "I've been getting these scattered images in my head. I can't think of any names and all the faces of the people I've been seeing are all blurry. Then, there's an image of me being seriously injured, lying in a pool of blood…" she said.
Elle tilted her head a bit. If she were seriously injured at once point, it could be the reason for her memory loss. Or, at the very least, part of the reason. However, something immediately didn't make sense to her. "People tend to block out trauma in their minds in order to protect themselves. It's basic mental instinct. However, something isn't right. Spirits don't bleed, at least not like we do. When Spirits are seriously injured, they'll either vanish from spiritual instability or retreat back into a catalyst that they're bound to. The way you make it sound, it's like you were once an ordinary living person like us" she said.
Nagi looked over at Elle. "Maybe she was reincarnated as a Spirit? Is that possible?" she asked.
Elle shrugged her shoulders a bit. When it came to the nature of Spirits, she was as much in the dark as the rest of them were. "I suppose it could be possible but something tells me that isn't right…" she said.
Allie held her hand up to her chest where that injury was. She has no markings or scars on her body that would indicate that she's ever sustained such an injury. "Nothing else really comes to mind other than that. I'm sorry…" she said, looking a bit down. She wants to remember her past but somewhere deep down, she feels like she doesn't want to remember either. As if there was a powerful mental block that was preventing her from remembering.
Tsuki shook his head and gently patted her on the head. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. Remember, just take things one step at a time. We'll be here in the event that you do remember something" he said. He knew that it was going to take quite a bit of time before she could remember anything substantial but he wasn't in any rush for her to remember anything. "So, getting back to the original topic. Luan is set to arrive by tomorrow morning?" he asked.
Ramza looked over towards Tsuki and nodded. "She should have arrived earlier today but obviously because of the storm, her return was delayed. If their plan is to travel through the night now that the storm has settled, then they should be at the castle gates by sunrise" he said.
Cheria rubbed her chin a bit, thinking back to their plan. "We're going to be asking her about the Great Spirits and their potential connection with the Wellsprings, correct?" she asked.
Ramza nodded at her. "If anyone is going to have an answer on that, then she will likely be the person. She's a pretty talented girl who knows her stuff despite her young age. She's even been scouted by a number of highly esteemed establishments because of her expertise but has turned down every offer given to her" he said. She was always the type to do as she pleases without having people breathing down her neck all the time. She can be a bit of a loose cannon but she was undeniably the expert in the field.
Ruko shrugged his shoulders with a light chuckle. "Sounds like she's a pretty smart girl if she's given so many accolades and is highly regarded even amongst royalty" he said.
Ramza shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't argue against that because it was true. "She's always been fascinated in history and research ever since she was a kid. Her late mother was one of Esseand's top researchers at the time while her late father was a famous historian and explorer. She inherited both of their traits and aspires to surpass them both one day" he said. She was a pretty different kid compared to those at her age while growing up. Where many kids would play and goof off, she was always off exploring places or reading through old, dusty books.
Nagi heard the "late" part in his description of her. "What happened to her parents?" she asked.
Ramza let out a soft sight. "Her father was in a bad accident while exploring the canyons to the northeast, beyond Velika. He led a team down into the deeper parts of an unexplored region when the passage they were walking on suddenly collapsed. The safety gear they were using failed and he ended up falling down a deep chasm. When they found him, he was seriously injured. Unfortunately, they lost the medical supplies they had during the collapse and with it being an unexplored region, they were too far away to seek out help. In the end, he didn't make it" he said. He remembered the news of the tragedy very well. It was used as a lesson and a reminder that even the most experienced explorer can meet their unfortunate end when braving the elements. It was the biggest shock to hit the Explorer's Guild too. Many mourned his death since he had his whole life still ahead of him. Because of that incident, explorer teams are not only given backup medical supplies but they're also assigned healers in the event that something like this were to happen again. "Her mother didn't take the news very well. She was deeply saddened by his sudden death especially since their 10 year anniversary was coming up. She lost the will to do anything. She tried her best to stay on her feet for Luan's sake, but the weight of reality wholly crushed her. Tragically, she ended up dying of a broken heart. Thankfully, Luan was taken in by her grandfather but the loss of both her parents at her young age had a pretty bad impact on her, as you could imagine. Despite that though, she wanted to honor the memory of her parents. She wanted to pursue the goals and dreams that they both loved. Thus, she made their goals and dreams hers" he said. It was pretty amazing to him just how far she has come ever since making that decision. She's conquered many obstacles and blew people's expectations out of the water and now stands at the top.
Lynette felt saddened to hear about her story but she also felt inspired by it as it hit home for her pretty hard. She too lost her parents at a very young age and didn't want their memory to fade. Even now, she could feel them watching over her. It brought a soft smile to her as she held her hands up to her chest, closing her eyes. "To be able to overcome so much at a young age. I can relate to her on many levels. It makes me want to try even harder" she said.
Nagi nodded in agreement. While her late parents didn't have any highly established position for a career, it's their memory that keeps her going now. Since she was now able to freely live her life and was given a second chance, she wanted to make sure that she lives it to the fullest for everyone that she loved and cared about. Her parents, the friends that she had in Tomoha and Meghan, the girl she grew very close to while in captivity. "Same here. To hear that people have overcame similar hardships, it inspires me to improve myself. Maybe one day, I'll finally be able to control my magic so I can finally be of some help to you all rather than being deadweight" she said.
Elle looked over towards Nagi, shaking her head. "You're not deadweight. You're just having difficulty coming into your own, that's all. We all had to go through it at some point in our lives and now it's your turn" she said.
Tsuki was eager to meet Luan now more than ever. Hopefully, she'll give them the clue that they need to plan out their next move. "Right then. I suppose all that's left to do now is-" he said.
Just then, he was interrupted when sounds of light groaning could be heard in the room. Everyone looked at each other for a moment before their attention was soon shifted over towards Phi. After a few more light groaning sounds, they all witnessed Phi finally start to open her eyes. For Phi, she opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling with slightly blurry vision. She could feel the stiffness in her body as she finally regained consciousness after being in a coma for over a week. Much to everyone's delight, they all let out a collective shout in excitement and relief as they saw her wake up.
Phi slowly started to sit up in her bed. She then looked around the strange room, looking naturally very confused. "…Huh? What happened to me? Where…?" she mumbled to herself. She then had flashbacks roll through her head of the last things that she remembered. Those involved Stahler walking up to her and stabbing her with a dagger. She lifted her shirt up a bit to feel around where she was stabbed and didn't feel any kind of scar or marking. She then remembered being affected by a very potent poison. This brought more flashbacks of her stumbling over the bridge wall and crashing into the lake waters below. The last thing she could remember was that she was sinking to the bottom of the lake, unable to do anything.
Lynette felt a huge sense of relief as she finally saw Phi regain consciousness. She was pretty scared and worried for her but she managed to pull through to the end. "If you're worried about your injury or the poison, don't be. Your injury has long been healed and the poison has been completely removed" she said.
Phi turned her head towards Lynette's voice where she saw Tsuki and the others in the same room as her. "You guys…you're the companions that Tsuki brought back with him, right…?" she asked, feeling a bit unsure. She never really interacted with Tsuki's companions before aside from the first meeting. Her eyes then glanced over towards Tsuki, whom she didn't recognize at first. "Tsuki…? Is that you?" she asked.
Tsuki felt a bit hurt that she didn't recognize him right away but given the fact that she's been in a coma for over a week and suffered from the effects of a potent and deadly poison, he didn't hold it against her. Plus, he's gotten a bit stronger since the last time they got to see each other. "What, forget about me already? I'm hurt" he said. Obviously, he was joking. They were rivals but they were good friends even though both of them didn't want to admit it. "It's great to have you back with us, Phi" he said.
Cheria got up and rushed over towards Phi and threw her arms around her neck, pulling her into a gentle hug. "Phi! You're finally awake! I've been so worried!" She said. She was beyond happy to see that she was finally awake again. It gave her such an ugly feeling when she heard that Stahler was the one that attempted to kill Phi so the fact that she was now alive and healthy served as vindication against him.
More so than Tsuki, Phi didn't recognize Cheria at all. She looked completely different than how she normally dressed. Her appearance also has seen some changes too, even sporting a different hairstyle than how she usually had her hair done. "Y-Your Highness…!?" she shouted in surprise. She was used to seeing this type of reaction when it was Tsuki on the receiving end but it's rare that she was hugged like this from her. She didn't know what to do.
Cheria nodded as she pulled away from her, placing her hands on her shoulders and looking at her in the eye. "Yes, it's me. It's Cheria!" she said.
Phi was trying to figure out what was going on. She had no idea where she was or how long she has been unconscious for. She didn't even know what was going on. "That's right, Eresseas! We came under attack by Honegroth soldiers. Mike and Stahler betrayed us! Your Highness, what's happened!?" she asked. For her, she thinks she's only been unconscious for a few hours at the very least.
Tsuki and Cheria started to explain to her everything that happened in Eresseas and the things that unfolded afterwards. Of course, she didn't take the news very well. Hearing that Eresseas fell to Honegroth was deeply saddening but the fact that Taichi and Emma were still alive brought her much comfort. This was further confirmed to her when Cheria used the Wayward Stone to confirm their status. It worried her that they had no information about the other members of the Royal Eight but if Taichi and Emma had escaped, then there was a good chance they did as well and have already met up with each other again. She was also pretty shocked to hear that she had been in a poison-induced coma for over a week. It explained why her body felt so stiff. She was also surprised that they met up with her grandfather and felt relieved to know that he was still his usual self. The only thing they didn't tell her about was the whole business with the Sigil since she probably wouldn't understand it right away without seeing it herself. With Phi now conscious again, they explained that they were now waiting for Luan to return to Esseand so that they could learn about the Great Spirits and the various Wellsprings.
Phi was feeling overwhelmed with all of the information that she has been told. So much seems to have happened while she was unconscious. She had hoped that this was just a very bad nightmare. "I can't believe it. Why did this have to happen?" she asked, shaking her head with her face in her hands.
Elle shook her head. Unfortunately, they had no idea what Caius's intentions were. From anyone's perspective, world domination seems to be the most likely answer but she felt that it ran deeper than that. "That's what we're trying to find out. The easiest solution would be to go to Honegroth and investigate it ourselves but we're far from being prepared for that" she said.
Ruko shrugged his shoulders. Personally, he would prefer to take the fight straight to the source but he knows that they were outmatched right now. They still barely know anything about the power that fuels them. "That'd be walking straight into the lion's den. Given how we are currently, we wouldn't even make it to the castle gates" he said.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head, grumbling to himself. "I know it's frustrating but there's nothing we can do about it right now. If it's any consolation, we're able to track the status of the Taichi and Emma, at the very least. So long as they're still alive, then there's still some hope. While they hold Honegroth's attention, we can work on figuring out how to break that barrier" he said. The Anti-Arte Field that surrounds Eresseas and it's surrounding area was the main thing that was standing in their way of retaking Eresseas and having a direct confrontation with Caius himself.
Melphi nodded. "That barrier is of no effect to Tai, Em and Shana but three people alone can't defeat a whole army. They may be stronger than the average person but that strength isn't omnipotent" she said. Despite the sheer force of nature the three of them are when fighting on a combined effort, this situation was too much, even for them. They were dealing with too many unknown factors with an equally unknown power. "What they've fought against in the past pales in comparison to what they're fighting now. That's why, we have to move carefully" she said. She knows that they won't go down easily, especially with Shana around so they had plenty of time to assess what their options were.
Phi looked over towards Melphi. "And meeting with this researcher will help point us in the right direction?" she asked, tilting her head.
Ramza shook his head with a slight shrug. "That's what we hope for, at least. Right now, we're stuck in limbo without a clue" he said.
Phi nodded and soon stood up from the bed. Her body still had a bit of stiffness but she felt well enough to move around again. "Alright then. Count me in. My blades are at your disposal, if you'll have me" she said. She wasn't going to sit around and wait. If everyone else was doing their part in resolving this situation, then she will do what is necessary for her.
Cheria was all for having Phi join them but she was worried about her condition still. She's only just recovered and didn't want her to force herself to help out if she wasn't well. "I'm sure no one here would deny your help. However, you've only just regained consciousness. Your body still needs time to recover from the poison, doesn't it?" she asked.
Phi looked over towards Cheria for a moment before scratching the back of her head as her eyes shifted off towards the side. "Actually…truth be told, I regained consciousness a few hours ago…" she said in a low voice.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit at her response. "Wait, you did? Then, why didn't you wake up sooner?" he asked.
Phi mumbled to herself a bit before shooting quick glares at both Tsuki and Cheria. "It was a little hard to do that when you two had such a lovey-dovey atmosphere going on. It kind of made things awkward and difficult to wake up into so I ended up falling back asleep" she said. She has always been aware of how close the two of them were. It's almost problematic especially at the castle where appearances have to be upheld. However, now that they're outside, it seems that they've only gotten closer.
Naturally, Tsuki became flustered when she revealed that she was awake during their whole private conversation a while ago. "L-lovey-dovey!? Now, wait just a second-!" he shouted.
Cheria was also flustered by this as her face turned bright red from the embarrassment. "Y-y-you were awake…!?" she shouted. She quickly buried her face in the sheets of her bed, pulling the covers over herself to hide from the others. Her face was so red that you could almost see steam coming out from the sheets as she hid.
Allie tilted her head as she looked at the two of them reacting to Phi's comments. "Things did get a bit intimate there for a while…" she said without hesitation.
Tsuki instinctively took the side of his hand and whacked her on the head. "Allie! Don't say things that people would misunderstand! Where did you even learn that!?" he asked
Allie crouched down a bit, putting her hands on her head where he hit her. "Owww…it was just a joke…!" she said.
Ramza let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "We just can't leave you two in a room by yourselves, can we?" he asked.
Just then, someone came knocking at the door. Moments later, the door opened and Caz stepped into the room. He gave them a light wave as he walked in. "Hey guys, sorry to interrupt but…." He said. He immediately sensed the vibe within the room and realized that he was indeed interrupting something. "Uhh…it seems I came at a bad time" he said.
Ruko shook his head. "Nah, we're just giving Tsuki and Cheria a hard time, is all. It's probably a good thing you did interrupt us" he said. This conversation would of just devolved from that point so for both their sakes', it was a good thing. "Was there something you needed?" he asked.
Caz looked at Ruko, nodding at him before glancing at everyone else. "His Majesty wishes to see you all. Now that Tsuki is awake, he would like to know your side of the story of what happened on that hill" he said.
Elle shrugged her shoulders. "That makes sense. We haven't given him a proper explanation of the events that took place yet" she said. Since the people that were mostly involved in the chain of events, Ruko and Tsuki, were in the recovery process, they held off on giving a detailed explanation until everyone was back up on their feet.
Nagi scratched the back of her head a bit. "I suppose we shouldn't keep him waiting any longer. Are you feeling okay to walk around?" she asked, glancing over at Tsuki.
Tsuki tapped his chest with a nod as he stood up to do a few stretches. "I feel right as rain. Nothing a little bit of exercise can't fix" he said.
Phi held her hand up to her chest as she looked over at Tsuki. "Allow me to come with. After all the hospitality and care they've given me, I would like to express my gratitude and pay my respects as well" she said. It wouldn't be good manners if she didn't show Raiku her appreciation. Based on what they had told her, Raiku and his clerics did their best to keep her stable while Tsuki and the others were out retrieving Shuko.
Caz looked at Phi and nodded, bowing to her slightly. "Of course. It's a relief to see that you've made a full recovery. If everyone's ready, I'll lead you to the audience chamber" he said.
With Phi added amongst their ranks, Tsuki and the others were led over to the audience chamber where they would explain to Raiku everything that happened from their perspective. They needed to inform him everything that they had witnessed from the moment the entered the forest. The debriefing from the surviving knights only held bits and pieces of the events that unfolded so it was important for Raiku and his officials to get the fully story from everyone that was involved. For them, they had no idea who the threat was or who they were associated with. The only clue they had was that the person had access to Arcanum. Although, they were all left with the biggest question and that was why. They had no idea what Draven's purpose was for attacking Esseand knights. For Tsuki and his companions, it would have made more sense for him to come after them directly. Instead, he had to get another kingdom involved in this whole mess. Their encounter with Draven opened up more questions than answers. Tsuki and the others couldn't help but feel like they were back at square one, being completely lost in the dark and ignorant to the wider scale of events. It only made them wonder what Honegroth plans to do now going further.
To be continued…