Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 29: Spirits & Wellsprings
With Phi now reawakened, she joins Tsuki and the others as they were guided to the audience hall in order to brief Raiku their side of the story of the events that went down within the forest. Aided by the testimonies of some of the surviving knights that were sent out along with the survivors from the outpost, they were able to paint a clearer picture of what has happened. While they didn't know what the true intentions were behind the attacks, they were able to see the sequence of events as everyone told their sides to the story.
The story first started with the survivors from the outpost. Based on what they said, it was just an average, normal day for the outpost. Adventurers and merchants came and went just like any other day and sought respite in its courtyard. As night fell, a small group of travelers came into the outpost when everything started. Amongst the small group, there was a man who wore a full body black robe. No one knew who this person was and the group of travelers that entered into the outpost said that they picked up the person when they were out in the middle of nowhere. Since it wouldn't have been safe for someone to be out alone in the wilderness with seemingly nothing on hand, they offered to bring the individual to the outpost where he could rest. No one knew what was about to happen.
Not long after arriving at the outpost. This robed individual unleashed a dark power that Tsuki and the others recognized as Arcanum. This individual kept most of his identifiable features hidden under his robe so no one was able to figure out who they were. Upon unleashing his dark power, he made swift work of the nearby knights, adventurers and merchants and decimated the outpost with little effort and left nothing behind that would trace back to this individual. It only took this person less than an hour to completely destroy a well-established civilian outpost and kill those that were nearby. Based on the testimonies of those that survived the outpost attack, what they saw and witnessed couldn't be called anything but a slaughter. Not even the most seasoned of adventurers or veteran knights were able to contend with this dark power and just as sudden and fast as he came, he would soon disappear without a trace. Little did this individual know though that there were a group of knights that had fled from a back entrance using the cover of darkness to mask their escape. Prior to their testimony, it was believed that the Dragon Riders were the ones responsible for the attack on the outpost because of the level of destruction. While they sought shelter, they revealed that they were being pursued by someone who they assumed was the individual that attacked the outpost.
The story then picks up with the knights that were sent out after the survivors reached the safety of the forest cottage. The knights entered through the forest and made their way through the brush to reach the survivors with haste while being vigilant of their surroundings. While making their way through the forest, they encountered an individual standing in a clearing not too far from the forest cottage. Hearing that they were being chased by someone, they immediately started asking questions while preparing themselves for a potential fight. This person would turn out to be Draven and he wasn't about to answer any questions. Instead, he immediately attacked some of the knights and killing a few before summoning the strange entities that Tsuki and the others have already encountered a number of times already. Upon doing that, Draven would vanish into the trees. Fearing for the safety of the survivors, the knights split up in groups of two. Half of them grabbed the attention of the entities while the others made their way to the cottage.
The knights that had caught the attention of the entities said that they were fighting against something completely inhuman. No matter how much they wounded the entities, they wouldn't go down. As a result, the knights struggled and several lost their lives in the process. They were starting to wonder if they would make it out of this encounter alive as nothing seemed to be effective against them. The knights didn't give up, however. They stood their ground and after what felt like fighting against an impenetrable wall, they were finally able to strike down the entities. However, before they could investigate their bodies, they would vanished in a burst of dark energy. This encounter left them with many questions about what they just fought. After collecting themselves and tending to those who were struck down, they made their way towards the cottage to meet up with the others.
As for the knights that headed towards the cottage, they arrived there before Draven could. The survivors from the outpost saw that they finally had help arrive and were relieved. Thanks to Shuko's treatment, those that were injured were already in the recovery process. According to the knights, they literally walked in on Shuko as he was preparing to leave the cottage and seeing the state that they were in, he offered to provide them with some medicine and to treat the injured. While waiting for the other half to arrive, however, Draven would soon make his appearance again. The knights immediately engaged with Draven but they quickly realized that they were fighting a one-sided battle. Draven effortlessly tore through the knights like they were cannon fodder. He used a mix of martial arts and that same dark power that the survivors witnessed from the outpost. The slaughter of knights was on a gruesome level that even made the most veteran knights get cold feet. Spirit and morale was at an all-time low as most of them feared that this was their time. However, in a desperate bid, the older knight that had briefly clashed with Draven led small handful of those who could still move and fight into the forest with Shuko showing them the way through a hidden pathway while those that were unable to fight sought shelter in the hidden attic space.
This was around the time when Tsuki and the others arrived at the cottage and saw the gruesome, bloody scene that was left behind. They told them what happened from the moment they arrived at the cottage all the way to their encounter with Draven near the cliffs. Of course, they omitted some details, specifically about Tsuki and his strange transformation. Now that they had the full story about the chain of events that took place surrounding Duskhold Outpost, they were about to clear some questions and doubts but also brought up some new ones. While they were able clarify that Dragon Riders from Dolothlond were not responsible for this, they were left with two questions. Who was it that attacked the outpost and what was Draven's intentions for being there at that time? Now, everyone had finally said their piece on the matter.
Raiku, who was sitting on his throne, was rubbing his forehead in intense thought as he processed this information through his head. So much happened all at once that it almost seemed planned somehow. The timing of it all was almost too coincidental. "…I see. Thank you for your reports" he said. He looked over towards a familiar-looking knight. It was the same knight that was hiding in the attic space that almost attacked Lynette and explained to Tsuki and the others what happened. "It brings me great relief to know that, at the very least, some of you made it out of there but also deeply saddens me that we were unable to save everyone" he said, lowering his head a bit.
The knight was down on one knee as he shook his head. "Please, Your Majesty. None of us could have predicted things to spiral out of control the way things did. These types of situations are always rapidly changing. We're just thankful that we managed to survive through it and bring these events to light. Makes us feel like our losses weren't in vain" he said. It was unfortunate that not all could have been here but they fought to their dying breath as any knight should.
Tsuki had his arms folded in front of him as he thought about the information that was given. His thoughts were stuck on Draven and the individual that attacked the outpost. "Could Draven be responsible for the attack on Duskhold, as well?" he asked.
Ruko gritted his teeth a bit with a look of frustration on him. He was still coming to terms with what has happened to Draven. Even though he has witnessed things with his own eyes, a part of him wanted to believe what he saw was a trick or something. "I just can't believe it. Albert…he was a shy kid but had a kind heart. He didn't have the greatest communication skills back then but he always wanted to be someone that helped others" he said.
Lynette gently laid her hand on his left arm to try and console him. She couldn't imagine what he could possibly be going through but it definitely left a lasting impact on him in more ways than one. "Ruko…" she said with a soft tone.
Raiku looked over towards Ruko. He could sympathize with him on some level. He's felt the bitter taste of betrayal before. He once had someone he called a dear friend back when he traveled around with Taichi and Emma. They had been friends since they were kids and were as close as family. That is, until one day when he suddenly betrayed him, nearly killing him in the process as well. "I know what you're going through, lad. The pain…the frustration…the confusion. You think you know someone down to their very core but then they go and do something that completely changes your perspective of them" he said. He looked down at his right hand as he made a light fist. "I had someone like that once. I couldn't understand why he did what he did. I tried to get him to see the light. To bring him back and atone for his actions. In the end, however, I was forced to take the life of someone I once called a brother" he said. No one should ever have to experience betrayal but unfortunately, it can happen and when it does, it's usually at the worst possible moment.
Elle thought to herself for a moment. While they didn't have a clear description of the individual that attacked Duskhold Outpost, they did share one thing in common and that was the use of Arcanum. There weren't many people out there that would have access to that kind of power. At least, as far as they know. "They both used Arcanum. There's a good chance that Draven may have been responsible for the attack on the outpost too" she said.
Many assumed that the individual that attacked the outpost and Draven were the same individual. However, one of the additional reports from one of the survivors would soon change that.
Another knight that was kneeling down next to the previous knight shook his head. "Forgive me for speculating, but I don't think they were" he said.
Raiku glanced over towards the knight that just spoke. "Why do you say that?" he asked.
The knight that just spoke stood up, removing his helmet to reveal himself for everyone. He looked to be around Tsuki's age with spikey red hair and a scar that went across his right cheek. "I can't say this with absolute certainty but I believe the one that attacked the outpost was a follower of Draxus" he said.
Raiku tilted his head a bit. He hadn't expected to hear that name come up but he wasn't too surprised either. "Draxus? That's quite the claim, considering they tend to operate as a unit. Explain your reasons" he said. He then took a closer look at the boy. He didn't recognize him at all. "Wait, you're a new recruit, aren't you?" he asked.
The knight put his hand up to his chest and bowed to him. "Yes, I recently joined up with the knights and my first assignment was to serve at Duskhold Outpost. I recognized the robes he was wearing. I would never forget those strange, unique patterns. Do you recall what happened a few weeks ago to a village called Tillia?" he asked.
Raiku nodded at him. "Of course. We had received reports of strange activity around surrounding area from the mayor and some of our knights we had stationed there so we sent out an additional unit to help investigate. They arrived just as when Draxus attacked the village" he said. The timing was almost perfect. If the knights hadn't arrived there when they did, the death toll and destruction could have been much worse.
The knight nodded. "There were a few that were abducted, my sister included. I wasn't able to make out any facial features but those robes were unmistakable. Not only that, but the individual that attacked the outpost had this unquenchable thirst for blood. It looked to me like he killed for sport" he said. He had a few visions flash in his mind of the events that took place at Duskhold. A robed individual standing around the bodies of adventurers and knights. He had this presence that absolutely froze him in place. "Meanwhile, the one who chased us into the forest had a different aura to him. If he wanted to, he could have killed all of us back at the cottage. However, it seemed like he was meticulous in how he acted. Rather than just killing us outright, it's like he left a trail to follow intentionally" he said.
Ruko remembered what Draven had said during their encounter. He said that he was sent out to abduct Cheria and must have used that opportunity to settle whatever score he had with him. "He knew that we were here. He must have followed us from Cayhill and knowing that we'd probably seek aid from Esseand, he used the knights to bait us out. What I don't understand though is how he managed to catch up with us so quickly. Even under favorable weather conditions, Cayhill is a 3-day boat trip and unless my sailor eye has dulled, we weren't pursued at all while crossing the ocean" he said.
Tsuki had heard about the method of travel that Draven used when he fled from them from Cliff while he was recovering. "Shadow Traversal. According to Cliff, it's an ancient form of travel used by those that are under the influence of Arcanum. Apparently, it allows them to travel through what people speculated as the "dark realm" in order to travel across vast distances with little effort. So long as certain conditions are met, they can travel practically anywhere" he said.
Ramza scratched the back of his head. If they had the ability to go anywhere, then that could pose to be a problem for them later on down the road. "Well, that's just annoying. Which means, it'll be hard to get the drop on them" he said.
Phi tilted her head a bit. She was given the rundown of what's happened while she was unconscious but there was so much for her to process all at once. "Just what in the hell have you guys gotten yourselves involved in while I was unconscious? It's like I woke up in a completely different reality" she said.
Raiku glanced over at Phi and chuckled lightly. "I feel like I'm right there with you. Yet, I can't help but feel a little nostalgic. Reminds me of my old adventures. Wouldn't you agree, Mel?" he asked, shifting his gaze over to Melphi
Melphi shook her head with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I don't seem to recall ever having to contend with some ancient power from a bygone era. This adventure has only just started and it's already nothing like our previous journey" she said. They had their fair share of hardships and difficulty in their old adventure but even their greatest threat at the time seemed to be miniscule compared to what's at stake now.
Caz standing between Raiku and Tsuki's group. For him, it sounded like a crazy story that was greatly exaggerated but given the supporting testimony from other knights, he was forced to accept it as fact. "So basically, after all of that, we're no better off than when we started" he said. He felt a little frustrated that they basically had no information to go off on besides possible Draxus involvement and unconfirmed reports on whether or not Draven was acting under Honegroth orders or for his own personal benefit. They did mention that one of his objectives were to abduct Cheria but he didn't seem to mention anything about attacking Esseand knights outside of luring Tsuki's out of hiding.
Elle placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "I feel like someone's playing a joke on us" she said.
Cheria gently patted Elle on the back. "It'll be okay. For the meantime, all we can do now is wait for Luan to return. Once we have some more information about Spirits and Wellsprings, we can formulate some form of plan going forward" she said. Their first step before charging headlong into battle is to gather information and learn about what's going on so that they have a better idea of how to go about proceeding.
Moments later, the doors to the audience chamber opened up with Shuko on the other side of it. He was carrying a bag over his shoulder that looked pretty heavy. He walked over towards Tsuki's group and stood next to him, bowing a bit to Raiku. His clothing was a bit torn and muddy.
Shuko set the bag down in front of him, letting out a light groan. "I apologize for my late arrival. With all the damage and flooding caused by the storm, it was a little difficult to retrieve belongings that were left behind in the forest" he said.
Raiku looked over towards Shuko and nodded at him, waving his hand a bit. "Don't fret too much about it. How were things out there?" he asked.
Shuko shook his head with a heavy sigh. "The surrounding areas took quite a punch. There are parts of the main road that have been blocked by debris carried away by the winds and fallen trees that need to be removed. As for the forest, the path to the cottage is pretty much inaccessible. Too much extensive damage caused by strong winds" he said. He couldn't get very far into the forest. Many trees had been downed and the brush of the forest was practically all ripped out and tossed around.
Ramza tilted his head a bit when he mentioned something about retrieving belongings from the forest. "What's this about?" he asked.
Raiku glanced over towards Ramza. "Shuko volunteered to head out with a few knights to try and retrieve some of the belongings that were left behind by those who didn't make it back so that they could be returned to their respective families" he said. He was a little surprised that he was able to find anything at all after that fierce storm tore across the countryside.
Shuko nodded and patted his chest. "I wanted to bring more back but this was all I could scavenge. With the amount of damage the forest took from the winds, I wouldn't be surprised if what was left of that cottage was blown away" he said. He then turned to face Tsuki's group before walking between them to approach Phi.
As he approached Phi, everyone else took a few steps back to give them space. They had no idea just how long the two of them were apart but it was clear that Shuko cared for Phi very deeply. Based on what Tsuki had heard, he was almost constantly watching over her to make sure she recovers properly. He even went as far as to use some of his more rare supplies and materials that were hard to come by these days without question. The family bond of grandfather and granddaughter was pretty solid and strong between them. Phi had been told that she was tended to by Shuko which seemed to make her extremely happy at the time as well. It had been a while since Tsuki had seen her face light up the way it did.
Phi's eyes darted across the room with a nervous body language as she fidgeted around with her hands. "U-umm…hello, grandpa. I uhhh…" she said. She was going through a mixture of happiness, anxiety and nervousness all at the same time. She didn't know what to do. It had been years since she's last seen him.
Shuko stopped in front of her and gave her a warm smile and a light pat on the head before pulling her into a hug. "You've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you. I heard the stories about you from Her Highness. You've matured into a fine young lady. Your parents would be proud" he said.
Phi could feel her heart melt away when Shuko embraced her to the point where her eyes got all watery. She didn't shed any tears but she came close to as she returned the hug. "Grandpa…thank you" she said in a low voice.
The two of them shared their moment together for about another minute or so. It was heartwarming to see what seems to be a family reunion that was a long time coming. For Tsuki and Cheria, they didn't know much about her family history or any of her past prior to becoming a full-fledged knight. It wasn't exactly their business to pry into other people's past. It was the first time Tsuki had seen Phi in such an emotional state. It re-iterated the fact that underneath the persona of being a knight, she was also just an ordinary girl.
After they shared their moment, Shuko broke away from her and faced the others before clearing his throat to continue speaking. "I never got to properly thank you for saving me so let me say it now…" he said. He then turned his attention over towards Cheria and bowed to her in respect. "Thank you so much for coming to our aid. If you hadn't, neither I nor Phi would be standing here. I would also like to show my appreciation for looking after Phi all this time, Your Highness" he said.
The sudden politeness made Cheria feel a bit flustered. Thankfully, they were in a secured and enclosed space so no one was able to overhear him. "P-please, raise your head! We just did what anyone should have done. Besides, Phi has been a loyal knight to me and my family for a long time now so it's only natural that I'd look out for her" she said.
Phi walked over towards Cheria and got down to one knee and lowered her head. "Regardless, the fact remains is that you kept me safe while I was unconscious and carried me all the way here. I swear, on my name as a member of the Royal Eight, that I will do everything I can to repay you" she said. It had to be said from her. Even though it may not have been necessary, she needed to put on her persona as a knight and return her kindness with unwavering loyalty and conviction.
Cheria waved her arms in front of her, feeling more flustered than ever. Under normal circumstances, this sort of thing would be routine. However, things have changed and this wasn't the place for formalities like this, especially while in the presence of another nation's king. "A-alright, I get it! Please, drop the formalities. I'm not traveling around as Eresseas' princess so there's no need to be all formal" she said.
Elle nodded at her statement. "I agree with her. It might be disrespectful as a knight to be light and casual with her but if word were to get out that she's a foreign princess, that could cause some potential problems for us down the line. It would be in our best interests to keep her identity on a need-to-know basis" she said. She then glanced over towards Tsuki for a brief moment before returning her gaze on Phi as she pointed back towards him. "Just follow Tsuki's example. If he can be casual towards her, then so can we" she said.
Phi glanced over towards Tsuki for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "That's what worries me. Although, I do see your point. I'll try my best and watch what I say" she said.
Tsuki shot a quick glare at Phi, grumbling to himself a bit as he folded his arms in front of him. "Just what is that supposed to mean?" he asked.
Raiku was in full agreement to this. Given the current state of things happening around Esseand, there would no doubt be people who would use the news of a foreign princess to their advantage. Especially when it came to a certain crowd of people that have been infesting his lands as of late. "You can rest assured that anything discussed within these halls will never leave these walls. Tai and Em would kill me if something were to happen to you under my watch" he said. He then stood up from his throne and stretched a bit. At this point, it was starting to become pretty late. "It's getting close to dinner time so feel free to join me in the dining hall, especially you, Phi. Being unconscious for so long, I'm sure you're quite hungry. Your body needs nourishment and a proper meal" he said.
Phi turned and faced Raiku as she stood back up before bowing to him. "Of course, Your Majesty. I'd be honored" she said. Even though he was a foreign king, it was still proper etiquette for her to show respect to royalty.
With that said, they were all guided towards the dining hall where they had an extravagant feast to celebrate Phi's recovery and to rid the air of all the tension and anxiety that had rose up from their discussions. It was during this time that they gave Phi a full run-down of everything that's happened since she was now officially part of their group. This included everything from that happened during Tsuki's original mission, the two encounters with Caius back in Briswater and Basilwell and everything they knew about his strange power that was known as the Sigil. Naturally, it was a hard story for her to swallow as one would expect. When Tsuki briefed the Royal Eight of what he had experienced, he never went into full detail about it so hearing it all now seemed like a crazy, made-up story. With all that's happened, however, it was almost impossible to deny it, as unfortunate as it was.
A few more hours passed and it was now in the dead of night. A bright, half-moon shined up in the darkened skies and most of the castle at this point was already asleep aside a few roaming guards. There were still castle officials that were up and working late into the night. As for Tsuki's group, most of them were fast asleep. Tsuki was laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling wide awake. He tried to sleep some more but it didn't last very long. He only slept for about another hour or so. Since he had been resting for a significant portion of the day, he wasn't feeling tired in the slightest. Sleeping next to him in the same bed was Allie who was dead asleep and didn't look like she'd wake up anytime soon. She was holding onto the sleeve of his shirt in her sleep. Since he shared a room with Phi still, he noticed that she was gone from her bed. He then gently released Allie's hand from her sleeve and slowly got out of bed, pulled the covers over her and quietly snuck out of the room.
Tsuki walked through the dimly lit halls of the castle. Some of the passing guards stopped to talk to him for a bit but since they all knew of what he has already done for them, the short conversations were rather lighthearted. The night patrol seemed to be just as dull and boring here as it was back in Esseand. He eventually arrived at the little garden area where he and Allie met up with Raiku before. The rays from the moon shining above them filled the small, enclosed area and gave off a feeling of tranquility. He then noticed that Phi was standing under the gazebo, leaning forward against the railing as she stared at the flowers so he decided to approach her.
Phi looked like she was deep in her thoughts as the sounds of water running through the small garden along with the natural vibe gave her a sense of peace. There was a lot for her to process and accept. Without even turning around to acknowledge him, she knew that Tsuki was approaching from behind her. "Can't sleep either, huh?" she asked.
Tsuki chuckled a bit as he walked up under the gazebo and up next to her. "Kind of hard to sleep when you've been doing just that all day, you know" he said. By this point in time, he pretty much had his full range of motion back in this body. The stiffness that he was feeling before was completely gone.
Phi was silent for a few moments as she gazed out at the flowers. Moonflies could be seen flying around a few batches, giving off a faint light as they slowly moved around. "Everything happened so suddenly. I just hope that everyone is doing okay over there. Taichi, Emma, Georg…Aya, Lydia, Jula, Zero…" she said. She looked down at her hands as one of the smaller Moonflies landed on the tip of her finger. "They're over there, probably doing what they can to fight back against Caius. What about us? What are we suppose to be doing right now?" she asked.
Tsuki leaned forward against the railing as well as he thought about what to say. "We came here to save you. With that accomplished, every fiber of my being is telling me to return to Cayhill and rejoin the fight. However, something is telling me not to. Not yet, anyway" he said. Even if they did go back, they wouldn't have any form of strategy to use against that Anti-Arte Field that surrounds Eresseas. So long as that field is still up, they can't launch an effective counterattack. "They've got their fight to protect the home front. Meanwhile, our fight is to contend with that barrier. It may not seem like it but what we're trying to do now will directly aid them in the long run" he said. He then had a couple flashbacks of some of the people he met during his travels around Cayhill while he was out on his mission. Flashbacks of Reia and the village folk of Crescentia, Lucas and the people of Briswater as well as Alba and the people of Basilwell. "We all have to do our part to help out in some way" he said.
Phi scratched the back of her head a bit. She's said this about a thousand times already but she will say it again. "I really do have to thank you. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be standing here right now" she said.
Tsuki shook his head a bit. Realistically, the one who gave her the help she needed was Shuko. Melphi also played a major part in all of it as well with her draconic medicine. "If anyone is to be thanked, it's Melphi and Shuko. All we did was push forward" he said.
Phi closed her eyes for a bit as she dove back into her thoughts for a brief time. Despite being colleagues, she's never really been open to him. She had always known about his own circumstances and used to think that he simply got special treatment. Over the years, however, her opinion of him changed. "My family comes from a long line of knights dating back to Year 2000, you know. It had become a long-standing tradition for family members to enlist" she said.
It was unexpected to hear Phi suddenly talk about her family. Tsuki has always been curious to know about her history but never brought it up. She didn't seem like the type that would divulge much about her past without a good reason. "I see…" he said.
Phi took in a few deep breaths before continuing on. "When it came time for Grandpa to enlist, he refused. He was the first one in our line to not follow the path of the soldier. I heard that when he made this decision, he caused quite a stir. Some tried to convince him to change his mind while others shunned him and cut ties with him altogether" she said. She had heard the story about her family disputes from her uncle and parents. At the time, Shuko was around 20 years old when it came time to enlist. However, he had no desire to fight. He didn't want to be used as some kingdom's tool. He had a strong passion for medicine and herbs since he was very young and desired to become a famous herbalist one day. The fact that he threw out a long-standing family tradition for his own personal desires and goals rubbed a lot of family members wrong. "Even to this day, Grandpa is still considered to be the black sheep of the family. The only ones that truly defended him and his actions were my parents and uncle" she said. Shuko was now a 68 year old man and had became a successful herbalist renowned across Ersheath but that stigma was still there within the family and will probably never go away. "It's put us at odds with some members of the family and it frustrated me to see family turn on each other over some musty, old tradition" she said.
Tsuki listened to her story quietly. He didn't expect her to have a family history this complicated and it stood to reason why she never seemed to be the type that would talk about it. "Yet, you upheld that tradition and enlisted" he said.
Phi shook her head. "I didn't enlist to be a knight because of family tradition. I did it for my parents. To carry on their legacy. I wanted their memory to live on" she said. She had a bit of a saddened expression on her face as she spoke.
Tsuki was about to ask something but he stopped himself when she mentioned carrying their legacy. "Wait, do you mean…they're gone?" he asked a bit hesitantly.
Phi nodded at him. "Yes. I was still too young to understand but I was told that they were sent out to investigate unusual activity in a nearby ruin not too far Eresseas. They were sent out with a unit of knights and were ambushed by armed thugs who commanded monsters. They were able to repel the ambush in the end but there were a number of casualties among the knights. My parents were among that number" she said. She had flashbacks to when she was still a kid. She was only around 10 years old when it happened. The news that she got from a knight commander who returned with some of their belongings devastated her. "My Uncle ended up taking me in and raised me as his own. I told my uncle that I wanted to become stronger than my parents were so he trained me hard every day until the day finally came when I enlisted into the knights at the age of 16. Thanks to my performance record and a recommendation from Uncle, I was promoted to my position in the Royal Eight" she said.
Tsuki couldn't help but laugh to himself a bit. Thinking back to the kind of person that Alba was, it was of little wonder on how far she's been able to progress. She was an accomplished knight in her own right and is even training under Georg as her apprentice to master his Twin-Blade Style of swordsmanship. "Training under Alba…I don't think I would last against a battle junkie like him" he said. He had flashbacks play back in his head of his fight with Caius. Despite being seriously injured, he still fought hard and unrelenting. If he hadn't gotten pierced by Caius, he probably still could of kept on fighting.
Phi chuckled a bit, shaking her head as she had a few flashbacks run through her head of when she was younger. The training sessions she had with Alba were pretty harsh and intense but it gave her some invaluable experience. "He loves fighting more than anything. When he finds a worthy opponent, the thrill of battle is all he thinks about until he's fully satisfied" she said. She knows that those they left behind are fully capable of fending for themselves but she still couldn't help but worry about them. "…I just hope that they're all doing okay…" she said.
As the two of them talked, the scene switches back over to Cayhill in a remote area within a ravine-like area surrounded by an incredibly dense fog. The fog was so thick and dense that you couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of you. Within the ravine stood an old fortress built into the side of the chasm which seemed to be occupied by a large group of people. Mixed in with this group of people were civilians, merchants and knights. Amongst the knights, there were a number of familiar faces and those were the faces of Jula, Aya, Taichi, Emma and Shana. It would seem that they were in some sort of strategy meeting of some kind as they stood around a slab of stone with a map of Cayhill laid out on top of it.
Jula was pointing at a specific spot on the map near the border town that separates the Northern and Southern Lands. "With Zero's efforts, we were able to re-purpose the nearby trading outpost into a makeshift stronghold. It'll take a lot more reinforcing but it's all we've got. The trading outpost and this old, abandoned fortress are the only lines of defense we've got to protect the Southern Lands" she said.
Aya slammed her fist on the stone slab in frustration. "I can't believe we're out here, trying to protect the Southern Lands and yet, the Tribes still refuse to offer their support. Don't they realize that if our defensive line falls, they will be targeted next!?" she shouted, gritting her teeth. She understood that they had their differences with the Tribes but this was no time that.
Emma had her arms folded in front of her, shaking her head a bit. "Unfortunately, that's how the Tribes are. They're old-fashioned with a Council of Elders that not even we have authority to cross" she said.
Taichi nodded as Emma spoke. "Thankfully, there have been an influx of Southern volunteers who realize that there's more at stake than one's own pride and tradition. All we can do is hold the line until the opportunity to strike back presents itself" he said. Saying that was easy enough. Actually implementing that into real practice was a different story. Most of the Northern Lands have already fallen under Honegroth occupation.
Just then, a familiar deep, male voice spoke out from the fog. "If you're waiting for possible reinforcements from other nations, you might want to temper those hopes" the voice said.
Soon, two familiar figures stepped out from the fog and were accompanied by several squads of armed civilians and guards. One of the familiar figures was Alba and the other person that he was carrying was Reia. They both looked beaten up and bruised with Reia seemingly having the worst of it. Her clothing was torn and she was pretty seriously wounded. Not only that, she looked completely drained and exhausted.
When Emma saw Reia's condition, she rushed over towards her, putting her other arm around her neck and pressed her own hand against her stomach to help support her. "Reia! And Alba too! Thank god you two are okay….relatively speaking" she said.
Reia leaned up against Emma as she was pulled off of Alba. She barely had the strength to stand. "Emma…it's great to see you again…" she said.
Taichi walked over towards the two of them and put his hand on Reia's shoulder. He gave her a quick examination and determined that she was completely drained. She looked like she was barely holding on from collapsing. "My god, you look awful" he said. He then glanced over towards Alba and saw that he had sustained some pretty heavy injuries himself but still looked like he was ready for more fighting. "What the hell happened out there? What are you guys even doing here…?" he asked.
Alba walked over to a tree stump and sat down on it, groaning in slight pain. "Basilwell has fallen. They've seized full control of the town and it's ports. We were able to evacuate as many civilians as we could via ships but the rest weren't so lucky. I was only able to save a small number and whoever couldn't leave were subjugated under Honegroth rule" he said. He then took out some bandages and disinfectants and started to treat some of his wounds, glancing over towards Reia. "We were able to shake our pursuers until we had a run-in with Reia who was trying to evacuate people from Cresentia all on her own. If we hadn't ran into her, then there's a good chance that she would have been killed as she at the end of her rope fighting off those enhanced knights" he said. After cleaning his wounds, he used the bandages and gauzes to wrap himself up as best as he could. "It wasn't long after that when we came onto that trading outpost you re-purposed. Zero re-directed us here as the makeshift stronghold isn't ready to hold people yet" he said.
Emma gently guided Reia down onto the ground with her back up against the stone slab that had the map of Cayhill on it and started to apply some Healing Artes on her. "I see…well, at the very least, some of you were able to make it to safety. That's all that matters" she said.
Shana was leaning up against a broken stone pillar with her arms folded in front of her. "If the port has fallen into their hands, then we're playing at severe disadvantage. Now that they've got control of the ports, nothing is stopping them for calling in additional knights from Honegroth" she said. They were in a bad spot. With having their connection to the seas cut off, they were effectively boxed in. Taichi and Emma already lost a significant amount of knights and the local mercenaries have all either boarded ships and fled or were scattered around and isolated. Since they weren't receiving support from the Tribes, they were on their own. "Honestly, things aren't looking good for us right now" she said. She may be an S-rank mercenary but even she has her limits. Even someone of her high caliber can't fend off a whole army by herself, especially since they were bolstered by the effects of Arcanum.
Alba shook his head with a heavy sigh. "Anyone hear word from Lucas recently?" he asked. He hasn't heard anything from Lucas ever since Tsuki and the others left.
Aya shook her head. Communication across Cayhill has become difficult ever since Eresseas fell. "Unfortunately, we haven't. As far as we know, you and Reia were the last ones to see him. Ever since Briswater fell under occupation a few days ago, all communications with our contacts there have ceased" she said.
Jula had her head lowered as she leaned over the stone slab, looking dejected and almost defeated. "Is this even a fight that we can win? Our numbers are too few, we have no reinforcements to rely on and we're trapped within our own land" she said.
Shana glanced over towards Jula. "It's grim but that doesn't mean we're out of the fight just yet. I received notice from Mel earlier that the knight you all call Phi has fully recovered from the Deixide poisoning that was inflicted on her by Stahler" she said. She then turned her head to look over towards Taichi and Emma. "She also said that they've established a connection with King Raiku of Esseand and are researching ways to take down the Anti-Arte Field that surrounds Eresseas" she said.
Taichi felt a sense of relief to know that Tsuki and the others were holding up okay. The only way they've been able to verify their status was through the Wayward Stone that Cheria possessed. "If Raiku is providing them with assistance, then we can rest a easy. Has she said anything else?" he asked.
Shana nodded at him. "They speculate that they could potentially use the influence of the Great Spirits to take down the barrier. They believe that the Wellsprings that spring up around the world are tied to the Great Spirits themselves" she said. She wholeheartedly believes their theory for reasons she didn't want to explain at the moment.
Emma was still applying Healing Artes to Reia as they all spoke. The theory definitely seemed sound as much about Wellsprings is still a mystery due to the difficulties when it comes to researching them up close. "Wellsprings and the Great Spirits, huh…? If you're going to fight against an ancient power, you might as well use another form of ancient power to even the playing field" she said.
Shana scratched the back of her head. This next piece of information may not sit well with both her and Taichi. "It would also seem that they are targeted. Mel tells me that they had a run-in with someone affiliated with Caius with intentions of kidnapping Cheria. They were thwarted by Tsuki but that potentially exposes them to even more danger" she said.
Aya looked over towards Shana, tilting her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.
Shana closed her eyes and remained silent for a few moments so that she could collect her thoughts. "I can't go into full detail yet but Tsuki is…special. He has a power that could potentially fight on equal grounds to that of what Caius possesses. How effective that power is, however falls on how much he develops it over the coming weeks" she said. If she were to divulge everything about the Sigil to them, they wouldn't understand it. There was already enough strange things happening so she felt that it wasn't necessary to pile on even more. "Not only that but if they are truly planning on investigating the nature of Wellsprings, then they will eventually be traveling into some rather hostile territory. Namely speaking, Sirione, Nula and Menorion" she said.
Emma was a bit worried when she mentioned hostile territory for more reasons than one. "Honestly, I'm more worried about their travels to Sirione and Nula more so than Menorion, believe it or not. In Sirione, they'll likely be caught up in the conflict going on between the dictatorship and the rumored resistance fighters and the entire area around Nula is still poisoned by that large Wellspring" she said. They had little information about the inner workings of Sirione so that was worrying enough and everyone knew just how incredibly dangerous of a place Nula had become. Travel there is strictly off-limits and those that do travel there go at their peril. No help would be coming for them.
Taichi folded his arms in front of him as he leaned against the stone slab with a look of contemplation on his face. The mention of Sirione got him thinking about something. "Sirione…thinking back on it, I can't help but feel about the similarities between then and now" he said.
Reia tilted her head as Emma continued to heal her injuries. She felt a lot better than before but still felt pretty sore to move around. "Similarities?" she said with a confused look on her face.
Taichi nodded. "The nature behind the coup d'état and those responsible that overthrew the Sirione royal family 8 years ago and the events that led up to it" he said. News of the coup that brought Sirione down to her knees shocked the world. It was an unprecedented event that no one could have anticipated. "It's a known fact that the royal family of Sirione strongly advocated peace talks and were firmly against violence. They didn't have the strongest of military but if push came to shove, they could put on some serious backbone. They were more than capable enough to fend off against a revolt of that nature and yet, they were defeated so easily. Just as we were…" he said. No one knew the true nature behind the events that led up to the revolt and there was a good reason for that. "Ever since Sirione fell under a dictatorship, getting information in and out of there is heavily restricted. The few that managed the smuggle information out say that those who support the dictatorship have abnormally high strength and endurance" he said.
Alba stroked his chin a bit. The only thing that had a common link to what was happening now was the abnormally high strength and endurance. "You're speculating that those responsible for the coup d'état were under the influence of Arcanum" he said. It was a bit of a stretch to come to that conclusion. This whole business with Arcanum started with Honegroth. "That would mean that Honegroth had to be involved with it. However, based on the few reports that made it out from survivors, Honegroth had nothing to do with it" he said.
Taichi held a finger up as he looked towards Alba. "They may not have been directly involved with it but there's a strong possibility that they were indirectly involved" he said. He hasn't heard much about some of the tales that managed to sneak out from Sirione but he has heard chatter and whispers from people here and there over the years. "There were also rumors of inside corruption and internal leaks, which bear a striking resemblance to the role that both Mike and Stahler played on us" he said.
Aya shook her head at the information. Due to the heavy restrictions on how information travels to and from Sirione, they will never know for sure unless one were to actually go there. Travelers and merchants that go to Sirione are met with some pretty intense scrutiny at the ports and are almost constantly watched. If one were to try and get around this by entering Sirione through its southern regions, they would be met with hostilities from the resistance fighters that have grown a disdain towards foreign visitors that make the situation worse for them. "Given Honegroth's track record, I don't doubt that they could potentially have some involvement. However, we know next to nothing and our efforts are otherwise best focused on our current predicament" she said. She leaned forward on the stone slab, tightly clenching her fists with a defiant look on her face. "We have to keep fighting otherwise the losses we've incurred will have been for nothing. For our fellow knights and countrymen. For Lydia…" she said.
Aya had several unhappy scenes play back through her head. It was when she regroup with Taichi, Emma and Shana as they fled from the castle. The countless bodies of knights and innocent lives that littered the streets and the ruined state of Eresseas. It was hard to take in for any of them. They practically wished that they were all in some collective dream sequence. However, those wishes were shattered when they saw a familiar face amongst the body count. Near the entrance to Eresseas, they found the lifeless body of Lydia. Seeing her like that brought them back to reality as they realized that this wasn't a game. The stakes were high and their enemies will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals, even if they had to kill their former friends and allies.
The space around them fell into silence as they all closed their eyes to offer a moment of silence. It was the first real hard loss that they've faced in a long time and it would only be the signal to many more if things didn't change. They knew that they had to keep fighting to the bitter end. Giving up wasn't an option for them nor would they ever consider it.
Shana felt a bit of responsibility for the loss of Lydia. She had arrived in Eresseas moments too late. If she had been a bit faster, she could have saved her. "I may not be a suitable replacement for her as an individual but I have more than enough strength to fight in her stead…" she said. She then held her arm out in front of her where moments later, sparks of electricity started to surge around her arm with intensity. "So long as you've got me and Volt, the enemy won't be able to hold the advantage over us if push came to shove" she said.
Emma looked at the electricity that sparked around her arm. She could feel the deep, immense energy and power just from this simple display. It was almost frightening that she could feel such power just off of a little show of power. "So, you managed to fully control Volt?" she asked.
Shana rested her arm back down at her side as the electricity fizzled out as she shook her head. "Not completely. As you know, Volt is an extremely volatile and dangerous Spirit. There's a reason why Volt isn't regarded simply as a Great Spirit anymore. I've learned how to take a firm grasp of him but he can still be a little unpredictable" she said. It's taken her many, many years to be able to wield Volt the way she can now. It was, by far, her most difficult challenge she's ever had to face. A challenge that almost killed her several times in the past.
Taichi didn't know all that much about Spirits and, in particular, Spirits from a bygone era that shouldn't exist anymore. However, he's seen what happens when the power of Volt goes out of control and the results were devastating. Being able to wield such volatile power would be a major addition to their side and if there's anyone that could pull of a feat like that, it would be Shana. However, he also didn't want to overly rely on her as Volt's power output consumes a large amount of Mana. By the time they had escaped Eresseas and reached the safety of the Great Plains, Shana was completely drained and had to be carried the rest of the way. "That's why we need to re-evaluate our options once we've regroup with everyone. We'll fight this battle together and we'll make it out of this alive. Somehow" he said. He needed to be confident but not too overly optimistic as that could spell trouble for them down the line.
They continued to talk amongst themselves about their current situation. Hours passed and the scene shifts back over to Esseand with Tsuki and the others. The sun had risen from the horizon and it was the start of a new day for them. The historian, Luan, was set to arrive back in the capital by early morning so Tsuki and everyone else gathered in the audience hall to talk about some minor things to kill time as they waited for her. Tsuki and Phi managed to get in a few more hours of sleep after their evening talk came to an end and were back feeling refreshed and ready to fight once more.
As a follow-up examination, Phi was looked over by Shuko with Lynette's assistance. They wanted to make sure that she had a clean bill of health before she went back out into the field. To everyone's relief, all traces of Deixide were completely expunged. Shuko was able to provide her with the necessary medicine just in time before the poison could affect any of her organs. As such, there was no reason to confine her to bedrest any longer. With the doctor's seal of approval, she was now officially a part of Tsuki's group going forward.
Small talk amongst them soon came to an end when a knight entered the audience hall and saluted Raiku. "Your Majesty, Ms. Himari has arrived" the knight said.
Raiku nodded at him. "Excellent timing. Send her in" he said.
A few moments later, the door to the audience hall opened up and walking in from the halls was a girl with long, dark hair and red eyes. She looked a little older than Tsuki and had a sort of dignified air around her. She was wearing an outfit that had a mixture of researcher and explorer vibes to it. She had a book strapped down to her waist with a staff used by martial artists on her back.
The girl noticed that Raiku had visitors and was hesitant to approach but he motioned her along to come closer. She walked back Tsuki and the others and approached the throne, kneeling down and lowering her head. "I have returned, Your Majesty. I apologize for the delay. I thought I could beat the storm the other day but I miscalculated" she said.
Raiku shook his head, holding his hand up. "No need to apologize. Mother Nature can be unpredictable at times especially during these times. The important thing is that you made it back safe and sound" he said. She was one of his trusted aids. He was concerned to hear that she got stuck out in the wilderness when the storm hit but based on the reports, they were in an area that was spared the brunt of the storm and only got the outer bands, primarily.
The girl remained in the same position for a few moments longer before standing up to look around the room. "I wasn't aware that you already had guests. If you're busy, I can come back…" she said.
Raiku shook his head again as he stood up from the throne. "Actually, these people are here to see you. They've been wanting to poke that brain of yours with a few questions and have been waiting for your arrival" he said.
The girl tilted her head a bit with an interested look on her face. "Is that so…?" she said. She then faced Tsuki and the others and bowed to them. "In that case, allow me to express my apologies to you as well for making you wait. My name is Luan Himari, historian and researcher of Esseand. Where there's old ruins to be found or knowledge of the past to be discovered, none are more suited than me" she said.
Ramza chuckled a bit as she made her introduction. It seems that she hadn't taken notice of his presence yet. "You also seem to forget self-certified histo-maniac" he said.
Luan heard a familiar voice ring out as her eyes turned over towards Ramza standing in the back. "Wait-Ramza!? When did you get back!?" she asked, covering her mouth in surprise.
Ramza scratched the back of his head, laughing a bit at her reaction. "A few days ago. My business in Cayhill came to a close after things got…hairy, to say the least" he said.
Luan had a confused look on her face before letting out a heavy sigh. "Oh no…did you pick a fight with the Mercenary Guild again? Honestly, keep doing that and I'm sure that they'll suspend you" she said, shaking her head.
Ruko tilted his head at her comment. Based on how she phrased it, something of that nature has occurred before. "Again? Does this happen often?" he asked.
Nagi folded her arms in front of her, leaning her head to the side as she fell into thought. "You did mention that you had some rough ties with some of the higher ups within the Guild…"she said. He's never fully talked about what issues there were between him and the Mercenary Guild.
Ramza had an irritated look on his face as he took the sides of his hands and gave them both a good whack on the back of their heads. "This and that are two different things and I'd appreciate it if you didn't say things that others would misunderstand" he said.
Nagi covered the back of her head as she knelt down as if she were in pain. "Ow…you didn't have to hit me! I was just joking!" she said.
Ruko rubbed the back of his head. "No wonder he gets into fights with the higher ups…" he mumbled.
Ramza cleared his throat as he decided to move the conversation forward. He took the next few minutes to introduce everyone to her and briefly fill her in on what they came here to do. They didn't go into full detail of what's been happening as of yet, just the basics of who they were and what they came here to ask of her. Obviously, Luan knew that there was far more to the story than he had given her but she would take the time to figure it all out later.
Luan had her arms folded in front of her as she took in what she was told. She thought to herself for a few minutes before giving them a nod. "So, you're here to talk about a theory of a possible connection between the Great Spirits and the Wellsprings. Lucky for you, just as Raiku had instructed, you came to right researcher. In fact, I pioneered that field of research" she said. She reached into her bag that was around her waist and pulled out a topaz-colored crystal. "This crystal is imbued with the element of Earth. However, this isn't a naturally formed crystal of Earth" she said.
Lynette examined the crystal closely. To someone not familiar with the different elements, it would seem like any ordinary topaz gemstone of some kind. "I don't understand. How is it not a naturally formed Earth crystal?" she asked.
Luan continued to hold out the crystal for them to examine. "This crystal was just an ordinary gemstone. No magical properties were tied to it. It was completely neutral. I used the nearby Wellspring to imbue the crystal with Aer as a test of sorts" she said. She walked over towards Lynette and placed the crystal in her hand and then pulled out another crystal from her bag. It had the same shape and size but it was white. There was no magical properties at all coming from it. "In the modern age, the only place you can find objects with elemental properties tied to them are in places where the Aer of a specific element is dense and concentrated. These places would be the Wellsprings. Given enough time and exposure, even a normal crystal like this can absorb the elemental energies that pour out from Wellsprings and become charged with that specific element" she said.
Caz was standing next to Raiku as he thought about what Luan said. "All that just proves that the Wellsprings have an element tied to them. How can you use that to try and prove that this theory that the Wellsprings are, in essence, the Great Spirits?" he asked.
Luan looked over towards Caz and held a finger up. "In order to begin understanding the nature of Wellsprings, you first need to have an understanding of the fundamentals" she said. She then took out a rolled up piece of cloth and opened it up for everyone to see. The cloth had several different designs on it in various different colors. "As you all know, Uncondensed Aer is the fuel that serves as the foundation of life. Condensed Aer, commonly referred to as Mana, is the fire that drives humanity" she said. She then points to three different symbols. "There are three types of Aer in this world. First, you have Positive Aer, or also known as Elemental Aer which, obviously, is Aer that has been infused with the power of the Elementals. Then, you have Neutral Aer which is completely devoid of any elemental property. These two crystals are good examples to use. Finally, you have Negative Aer which is Aer that is volatile, unstable and very dangerous. No one knows much about this type, however, due to the fact that no one has been able to study it in full due to it's nature" she said.
Lynette was pretty fascinated by this whole thing. She didn't know a whole lot about the world of Magical Artes and it's moments like these that she thrives for. "Interesting. I didn't know there were different types. I've always thought they were one and the same" she said.
Luan nodded at her with a wide grin. "Some of this stuff is taught to you in various magical institutions but a lot of it is from independent research and study" she said. She then took the crystal she just handed to Lynette and held them both side-by-side. "Now, imbuing an object with an element isn't a simple process. At least, not in modern society. It takes a vast amount of Aer to infuse an object with an element. I obtained these two crystals from the same cluster and placed one near the Wellspring. I left it there to take in the Aer that poured out for about a month" she said. She then placed them both down on a nearby table. "Imbuing an element to an object restructures the whole thing at a molecular level. Under natural circumstances, it takes months, even years to even partially imbue an element. The crystal that I left near the Wellspring was fully imbued in about a month's time" she said. Natural deposits of Aer is always at a very minimal level. Wellsprings were always seemed to be regarded as natural phenomenon but that simply wasn't the case based on her own investigations and studies. "Significant deposits of Aer that take form as Wellsprings are things that just don't happen naturally, as much as modern scientists and experts want you to believe. There has only been one thing that is able to hold such a vast amount of Aer and that would be the Great Spirits that govern over the elements. If you believe that the Great Spirits are the very source of Wellsprings, then I can definitely attest to that" She then glanced over towards Allie who was standing next to Tsuki, pointing at her. "That girl-Allie, correct? I know she's not a human. She may look human but her whole structural being is different. Doing what I do for so long, you start to develop a sort of sixth sense. I'm getting the same kind of feelings and vibes from her as I do every time I'm near a Wellspring and that feeling is of great power and significance" she said.
Tsuki was stunned to hear her see right through Allie. They never told her who Allie was or anything about her predicament so she had no way of knowing that she wasn't a human. Yet, she figured it all out in an instant just from a single glance. "Wow, that's pretty impressive. By all accounts, Allie looks just like an average young girl. There should be no way for anyone to tell the difference unless you were on the battlefield" he said.
Allie put her hand up to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment. "Great power and significance…" she said. She knew that what she was saying was true. Not just because she already knows this herself to a degree but also because Luan didn't seem the type of person to grasp at straws and make wild assumptions. "I still don't know..." she said.
Luan held the cloth that had designs and such printed on it for a bit longer before rolling it back up and placing it back in her bag before picking up the crystals. "While I don't have concrete proof that the Great Spirits are indeed tied to Wellsprings, it's undeniable that there are similarities and that's enough for me to throw my eggs in the basket, so to speak" she said. She then put the crystals back into her bag and then glanced over towards Melphi and Raiku. "While on the topic of Great Spirits, doesn't that S-rank mercenary you two are familiar with have a connection with Volt?" she asked.
Raiku nodded at her. "She does but last I heard, she was still having a hard time with it" he said. He then looked over towards Melphi. "Has she made any progress?" he asked.
Melphi tilted her head to the side with a contemplating look on her face. "She's managed to be able to freely use an extent of his power but she's still got a ways to go before she fully controls it" she said.
Cheria tilted her head a bit at the mention of Volt. "Volt?" she asked.
Melphi scratched the back of her head. It's only natural that they wouldn't know who Volt was. His name has practically been lost to the ages of time. "Back in the golden age, there was once eight Great Spirits. We all know about Gnome, Sylph, Efreet and Undine but there are four Great Spirits that have been re-classified and forgotten" she said. She then walked over to the same table as before and took out a sheet of paper and drew four symbols on it that correlated with the elements of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. She then drew arrows between the symbols. "In the Cycle of Elements, Earth is strong against Lightning while being defensive against Lightning. Wind is strong against Fire while being defensive against Fire. Lightning is strong against Water while being defensive against Water. Fire is strong against Ice while being defensive against Ice. Water is strong against Earth and defensive against Water. Ice is strong against Wind and is defensive against Wind. As for Light and darkness, they both oppose each other, offensively and defensively." At the bottom of the paper, she drew four extra symbols and labeled them appropriately, connecting two of them to some of the previous symbols. "As for the four Great Spirits that have been re-classified, these Spirits governed over the elements of Ice, Lightning, Light and Darkness and were known by the names of Frost, Volt, Seraph and Shadow" she said.
Lynette tilted her head as she look at the symbols that Melphi had drawn with great interest. "I've been taught many things about Spirits over the course of my training in the Magical Artes but not once have I heard about anything relating to these other four Great Spirits…" she said. Most of her knowledge was taught to her by Reia. She has never made any mention of this to her nor has she seen any form of reference material that talks about them.
Melphi shook her head. "Like I said, they've been re-classified and forgotten. The former Great Spirit, Frost is said to have merged with Undine. Volt became so powerful that he literally had grown aetherically unstable and had to be contained. As for Seraph and Shadow, they both have long since disappeared without a trace" she said. Because of the circumstances that surround these former Great Spirits, they are no longer referred to in historical records.
Elle folded her arms in front of her, tilting her head a bit. She's never heard of Frost, Seraph or Shadow but she can recall reading something that sounds like Volt. "I remember reading something about Volt in old historical texts from my village. Volt was an incredibly powerful and dangerous Spirit that people tried to subdue. A lot of people apparently lost their lives trying to contain him" she said.
Ruko rubbed his chin a bit as they talked about the Spirits. "And you're saying Shana is contracted to Volt and is able to use his power to a certain extent. Given what we've briefly seen from her, I could believe it. She definitely isn't your average fighter" he said. Just from a first glance, he was able to tell what kind of person she was. It was pretty easy for him to gauge her power.
Raiku nodded at his assessment. "For whatever reason, the containment that Volt was in was a family heirloom of hers. According to her, her ancestors were in charge of keeping vigil over him. As time went on, however, the true purpose behind the containment became muddled and lost. Even Shana was surprised to find out that a former Great Spirit was tied to it" he said. Whatever technology or advanced Artes that had been used in the past, no one had expected such a thing. The containment was nothing more than an ordinary crystal that she used as an accessory piece back in the day. Not once did they ever feel any sort of power from it until certain events had happened.
Phi tried her best to follow along with what they were saying but she was mostly confused about it all. Having only being told minor things through word of mouth and not actually experiencing it herself, she didn't know what to make of it. "Seems to me that there's a lot of world history out there that's either being intentionally hidden away or remains to be discovered" she said.
Luan glanced over towards Phi and nodded at her, patting herself on the chest with a wide grin. "That's why I aim to uncover it all and learn the buried truth. Nothing will escape my eye, you can count on that!" she said with confidence.
Ramza scratched the back of his head. She had a very strong devotion to history and always knew that there was always something that felt off to her. If there was anyone with a burning passion for a bit of history hunting, it would definitely be her. "Believe me when I say this when there isn't another person in the world that can match her in terms of historical research. Hence why she's fondly referred to as a histo-maniac by many others in her field" he said with a light chuckle.
Allie took a good, hard look at her. Her eyes were almost brimming with excitement. She had a fire lit within her and she could feel it burning bright and intensely. "If you ask me, her excitement is almost a little…intimidating. If you could beat someone down just based off of pure energies like what she has, she's be unmatched" she said.
Nagi shrugged her shoulders with a light chuckle. "She's definitely motivated, that's for sure. I don't doubt that she will go far in the world of history if she keeps a positive outlook like that" she said.
Luan soon cleared her throat as their discussion seems to be coming to a close. "That's all I have to say about Spirits and Wellsprings for right now but if there's anything else you'd like to know, come and talk to me in the library anytime" she then turned and faced Raiku. "Now then, there's something else I have to report to you. It's about that other matter. Shall we talk about it in private or…?" she asked.
Raiku looked at Luan and then gave a quick glance to Tsuki and everyone else. It was then a thought occurred. "No…in fact, I believe that Tsuki and the others could possibly help us with it…" he said.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit. "What's going on?" he asked.
Raiku sat back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. "Since most of you are new to the outside world beyond the borders of Cayhill, what I'm about to tell you may shock you. Have you guys ever heard about the situation that surrounds the Republic of Sirione, the kingdom on the continent of Megrove?" he asked. The topic coming up was going to be difficult to talk about and explain due to the very nature of the topic and the lack of reliable information.
Tsuki's group was mostly silent. Everyone except for Tsuki, Cheria and Allie already had a grasp of what's been happening behind the scenes. They planned on keeping this information from Tsuki as much as possible as they knew how he would react but it seems fate had other plans in store for them.
Raiku took the collective silence from them as their answer. It wasn't all that surprising that they hadn't anything. "Looks like I'll have to start from the beginning. On the southernmost continent of Megrove lies the Republic of Sirione, or otherwise known as the Kingdom of Beasts. It is there where the vast majority of Faeries reside. It's also a place of great fear for them" he said.
Cheria tilted her head a bit. She's heard very small whisper talk of Sirione through various rumors and stories but she never heard the full details. "I've heard that place doesn't take too kindly to people, especially foreigners" she said.
Raiku shook his head. "Saying it like that makes it the biggest understatement of the century. There was a time where Faerie and Beastfolk lived in harmony with Humans. Trade amongst the different races flourished, there were many bi-racial families and everyone got along. That is, until eight years ago when everything changed…" he said. The news became a sensation all across the different kingdoms. Many were horrified about what had happened while many others had revealed their true nature and rejoiced. "The Republic of Sirione suffered a terrible coup d'état in which they never recovered from. The usurpers murdered the royal family and seized control of the kingdom, turning it into a dictatorship of cruelty. Faeries and Beasts of all kind were persecuted, being labeled as Demi-Humans as a derogatory. Faerie and Beasts alike are treated no better than slaves" he said with a grim, disgusted look on his face.
Tsuki and Cheria didn't take this news very well. They were both understandably mortified when they heard this. For Cheria, she felt a certain feeling deep in the pits of her stomach. "Slaves…?" she said as she covered her mouth from shock.
Melphi had her eyes closed as he started to tell them the story. She wasn't a native of Megrove but she's seen the wide-spreading effects of Faerie and Beast enslavement. "No one is safe. Men, women…even children. Demi-Humans like us, as they so fondly refer to us as, are now viewed as lesser humans and are treated poorly by certain people. Some are forced to fight and act as shields for our "Masters", others are given no choice but to serve if they wanted to survive. Some are even used purely at the expensive of our "Masters" desires and…personal entertainment" she said. It was both sickening and awkward to talk about this and it's magnified to worse levels when one considers that even children are subjected to this treatment. "The children and young folk among us are especially in high demand…" she said.
Tsuki felt an explicit, unbridled rage swell up inside of him. Hearing things of that nature, it is understandable that anyone would feel this way. However, there was something off about this feeling. It was true that he was feeling intense levels of anger and disgust but he could also feel a mutual feeling of anger and disgust. Surprisingly, it didn't feel like it was a feeling that was being given off by Cliff. He felt as if something opened up inside of him. "I can't believe what I'm hearing right now…" he said.
Allie immediately noticed the sudden shift of his Aer. Compared to the previous times where he seems to take on the Aer of Cliff, what she was feeling now was of a different presence. She reached over to him and took hold of his sleeve, lightly tugging at it. She could feel what he was feeling due to their shared connections. She could feel his anger and disgust which, in turn, was making her feel the same as well.
Luan nodded a bit, taking in a deep breath before continuing with what she was saying. "Faerie and Beastfolk slave trade took over Sirione's society and has been slowly spreading out to other corners of the world" she said. She then took out a bundle of papers from her bag. "And it just so happens that I've uncovered a slave trade operation in the desert town of Chesberry" she asked. She then walked up towards Raiku and handed over the bundle of papers before stepping back. "Those are eyewitness accounts and testimonies, as well as my own observations, of this alleged operation" she said.
Raiku took the bundle of papers and briefly skimmed through them. What was written down matched up to rumors that he has heard from knights and travelers that have expressed concern. "I see. So, it was more than just rumors then" he said. He sighed heavily, setting the papers on the side of the throne and rubbed his forehead.
Lynette wanted to know something. An incident of this scale would have surely spurred the other kingdoms to take action and yet nothing was done. "If the situation with Sirione was so bad, then why hasn't anyone taken any action yet?" she asked.
Raiku felt a fair bit of shame that he hasn't been able to do much for Sirione. "Esseand has always been an ally to Faerie and Beast but unfortunately, with the conflicts and changes going on in Dolothlond, we just don't have the manpower to spare" he said. The timing of Sirione's fall from grace always seemed to be coincidental to him because that was roughly around the same time when they first noticed that there were things going on in Dolothlond. He had always planned on a form of contingency plan regarding Sirione but with the increase in suspicious activity with their neighboring kingdom, he can't afford to divert his troops. "Unfortunately, Esseand's hands are tied behind her back. However…" he said, glancing over towards Tsuki and the others. "You guys are not associated with us and with Eresseas in an occupational state, you guys hold a unique position…" he said.
Ramza saw the look in his eyes and knew what he was about to propose to them. "You want us to go to Chesberry to investigate the matter further" he said.
Raiku chuckled a bit with a nod. "You see right through me. Yes, I would like to formally request your assistance with this matter as a third party. From a kingdom's standpoint, we're unable to do anything. Even though it's a dictatorship, they're still recognized as the new rulers of Sirione. We don't even know what their forces are capable of now, eight years later" he said. It was frustrating to have to admit that the dictatorship was officially recognized.
Nagi mumbled to herself as she came to grips with the information. "As unfortunate as it is, you do have a point. Getting information out from Megrove is rather difficult, correct? If you were to incur their wrath when so little is known about their current forces, you may end up boxing yourself into a corner" she said. With the ongoing threat from Dolothlond, having another kingdom bear their weight down on them would surely crush them.
Tsuki took in several deep breaths to calm himself down before making an obvious decision. "I would like to help out. I can't just walk away after hearing a story like that" he said.
Elle scratched the back of her head. "Normally, this would be the part where I would disagree but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want drive a wedge into the slave trade efforts. Elves have also fallen victim to is as well" she said.
Cheria, Lynette, Nagi and Allie were all in agreement with them. They didn't even need to state their opinion. Cheria took the information a bit more personal because of her royalty background. She felt saddened for the loss of the royal family. She wants to do her part as a member of royalty where they no longer can. Lynette sees it as an opportunity to do what the older Healer did to her all those years ago. She wants to go around and provide aid and relief to those less fortunate. Nagi was in a similar position herself not too long ago, being shackled down, used as if she were a disposable tool and controlled. She knew what it was like to live a life of oppression than any of them. As for Allie, while she didn't have any significant personal gain or feelings on the matter, she wanted to support Tsuki and everyone else as best as she could as a member of their group.
Phi looked at them as they all seemed to fall on the same page with each other. It's been so long since she's acted under non-official orders so she didn't know what it was truly like to let go of their shackles and live an adventurer's life. "Diving headfirst into the lion's den without a second thought as you always do…" she said. She thought back to when Tsuki and Lynette infiltrated Prophet Castle to confront Draxus and the debriefing he gave after returning to Eresseas.
Ramza laughed a bit. "Such is the life of an adventurer. Wherever they do, danger always lurks around the corner in some form or fashion" he said. The way of the Mercenary wasn't all that different to adventurers so he could relate to that quite a bit. "Besides, it's not like we have any other plans. Until we have solid proof that the Great Spirits are tied to the Wellsprings, we can't even begin to plan a counterattack against Caius" he said. It was better for them to focus efforts elsewhere while they figure out how to overcome this obstacle. Not only that but since it concerns Sirione, they will eventually have to deal with the slave trade problem and the dictatorship at some point. Even the smallest and earliest of impacts could have long-lasting effects.
Ruko took his right fist and punched the palm of his left hand with an eager look. "You can count on these fists of mine. No dictatorship can withstand the fury behind my blows" he said. He was raring to go for a fight. He felt fired up to take down a bunch of slave traders.
Luan saw that they were all in agreement with what Raiku had asked of them. They were willingly exposing themselves to danger that didn't involve without hesitation. It was pretty inspiring. "Leave the matter with the Great Spirits and Wellsprings to me. I'll focus more efforts into it and hopefully have more information to share with you the next time you're around" she said. While they handled the physical labor, she could put focus into her research.
Cheria bowed to Luan. She had full confidence that she would be able to discover something. "Thank you so much. I don't know how I could ever repay you" she said. Their mission rides on the success of their investigation. All she can do is hope for the best at this point.
Luan shook her head and patted her chest with a grin on her face. "You find me more history to uncover and we'll call it even" she said. She had a good feeling about them. As if they were the ones to really drive the world of historical research and discoveries forward.
Raiku nodded and looked over towards Caz. "Could you prepare a carriage for them?" he asked.
Caz saluted Raiku. "Of course, Your Majesty. I'll get one ready as soon as possible. By your leave" he said. He then promptly left the audience hall to prepare for their departure.
Raiku shifted his gaze over towards Tsuki and the others. "Chesberry lies on the west side of the desert to the north of here. The carriage will take you halfway back to Velika and then head northwest to the desert outpost, Third Haven. From there, you'll have to travel by foot unfortunately. So long as you keep heading west from there, you'll reach Chesberry in no time" he said. They had no viable methods of travel across the desert. There was a special form of travel but that is exclusively operated by the Merchant's Guild.
Luan thought back to her travels across the desert. "Traveling first by foot was a bit rough as I don't go across the desert all that often. Thankfully, I knew someone affiliated with the Merchant's Guild and was able to hitch a ride back the Third Haven. Hopefully, you guys pack enough water and supplies before making the crossing" she said.
It wasn't a large desert. In fact, it was on the small side compared to most other deserts out there. You could hike from one side of the desert to the other after a day's walk. Despite that though, crossing the desert is an arduous task for beginners. From the steep, sandy slopes to some pretty intense heat during the hot summer months. Thankfully, the desert isn't as hot during this time of year so this was around the time where Chesberry tends to stock up on supplies to fill their warehouses in preparation for the summer months. This was what is referred to as the Desert Boom amongst merchants. A lot of money can be made whether they operate under a company or independently. Once the summer heat comes around, travel and trade across the desert significantly slows down.
Raiku stood up from the throne and looked down at Tsuki and the others. "I'm sorry to suddenly spring this on you but I feel like this deserve immediate action. I want you to investigate further where we are unable to and report what you learn to the Chesberry mayor" he said. He then walked down the steps and approached Tsuki, taking out an envelope with the royal seal on it. "Give this to him and he'll give you what you need" he said.
Tsuki took the envelope and put it into his bag. "Got it. We'll see what we can uncover" he said.
Raiku placed his hand on Tsuki's shoulder and leaned in close as if to whisper something. "Don't be afraid to kick the hornet's nest for me" he said. He then stepped back from them and went back up to his throne to sit back down. "Be safe out there. Try not to do anything too reckless out there, okay?" he asked.
With their next destination and plan of action in mind, they formed up and left the audience hall. While they were out tending to matters in Chesberry, Luan would put all of her energy and focus into the theory that they've brought to her. As for Tsuki and everyone else, they were on the road of an all-new adventure. They left the audience hall with a sense of purpose. Up until now, they were dealing with the remnants of the conflict that affected Cayhill. Now, they could truly say that they were on a new journey. Despite the odds at stake, however, they were all feeling pretty excited and energized as new sights await them.
They were going to meet up with Caz and the carriage at the town entrance but first, they paid a visit to the local shops to check up and temper their equipment as well as restock on some items and even purchase some new supplies. New types of Gels were available for them to buy which are said to provide additional restorative benefits for them. They also made sure to follow Luan's advice and stock up on water. None of them, not even Ramza, have ever crossed a desert so they didn't know what to expect. They were too thrilled about the fact that they soon didn't have to worry about being carted around by carriage anymore as they haven't really had the opportunity to truly explore. With everything in hand and ready to go, they met up with Caz and departed Esseand with haste. Amidst all the newfound eagerness and excitement for a new journey, however, lies a sense of caution and dread. The news about the slave trade operations has definitely set the tone for what to expect going forward. They knew that the journey ahead wasn't going to be anything like before.
To be continued…