Tales of Xalthia

by xXGhostStalker

*DISCLAIMER: This holds no relation to Tales of VS. This is an original story* A mysterious lineage. An unimaginative power. Oblivious to Tsuki Himura, he defends his kingdom from evil and learns of a sinister plot. Forced to seek help, he travels the globe for much needed allies. Join him as he learns more about the world and about himself as something awakens inside him

31. Slave Operations -1st Revision-

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 30: Slave Operations

Tsuki and the others spent the next day and a half traveling from Esseand to the desert outpost known as Third Haven. During their travel, they fought off numerous roadblocks of monsters and bandits that tried to slow down their progress. Caz also took the time to explain to Tsuki and the others the type of environment they were going into. Considering that Cayhill doesn't have a desert environment or any place that suffered from scorching temperatures and intense heatwaves, the trek ahead of the would prove to a challenge for some of them.

The desert that they were going to was called Raffiki Desert and much like as they were told, it was on the smaller end of deserts you can find out in the world. That doesn't make it any less dangerous to travel across, however. The desert has steep sand dunes with it's fair share of quicksand pits which can easily seal the fate of any that find themselves stuck in one. Not only that, but there is an abundant variety of monsters that exclusively live in the desert. From Sand Crawlers to ravenous Dune Worms, crossing the sands it's a perilous hike. There is even a local legend that deep within the sands lies a slumbering beast known as an Antlion. As the legend goes, Antlions were not to be trifled with as they held every advantage against it's prey. From being able to travel both above ground and under the sand with extreme ease, they used to be the most feared monster throughout the desert. However, these were all old folk takes and legends as no one has seen an Antlion for a long time. These days, the most anyone had to worry about were Heat Scorpions and Dagger Vultures.

It wasn't just the local monsters that travelers that cross the sands had to worry about though. There are a number of bandit colonies scattered throughout the sands, some of which have proven to be quite notorious that Esseand had to get directly involved in. These bandits would attack merchants and travelers for their supplies and leave them to die. There were even rumors that some of the colonies have taken to abduction but these claims have never been confirmed. As small as the desert is, the bandit colonies do a good job at concealing their various hideouts and with the difficulties that come with traversing the desert, it's almost impossible for the knights to mount any type of large-scale operation. They recognize the bandit problem but until they're able to come up with a viable method to travel across the sands, there's not much they can do.

Their carriage eventually arrived at the gates of Third Haven where they were greeted by the knights that stood guard. The desert outpost was fairly big. It was slightly bigger than the Velkhor Checkpoint back in Cayhill and had all the necessary commodities for travelers, merchants and those that were stationed there. There were a few shops that provided necessary equipment and supplies, a small inn outfitted with a café and a pub. The outpost nestled between two cliffs and served as the entry point into the desert. As for the desert itself, it was completely surrounded by tall cliffs and ravines.

The carriage pulled into the outpost and stood in an open area so that Tsuki and the others could get off. Seeing as this was as far as Caz could take them, this was where their ride ended. For Tsuki and the others, it's no small relief as they were all starting to grow weary of being carted around. As serious as things were that brought them this far, it killed the adventuring vibe.

Once Tsuki and the others stepped off the carriage, Caz turned the carriage around so that he could leave and pointed to the gate across the way on the other side of the outpost. "Beyond that gate over there lies Raffiki Desert, our "sand bowl" as people around here tend to call it. Chesberry lies straight west from here; just head out in a straight line and you'll get there in no time" he said.

Tsuki looked over towards the gate that he pointed towards. Beyond the gate, all he could see was a seemingly endless ocean of sand and dust. He could almost feel the heat coming from that direction. "For being so close to the desert, it's surprisingly cool around here" he said.

Caz nodded at him and pointed towards several pieces of machinery. "That's because we use Water Artes to cool the air. Those machines take in water and pushes it out as cool moisture. They're a vital part of Third Haven's continuous operation" he said

Cheria examined one that was near the gates they just entered from with a curious look. It had a hard, cold steel body and she could hear a slight humming sound from it. "What a curious device. I've never seen anything like it before" she said.

Caz turned his gaze over towards Cheria. "We call them air coolers. Apparently, these types of devices were pretty commonly used at one point in time. Back when the desert was still relatively safe to travel across freely, some of our scavengers uncovered them buried in the sand. Getting them working again was a mechanical achievement for our smithies" he said. Ever since these were uncovered in the desert, he's always wondered what else could be buried until the mountain of sand. They could be standing on a potential treasure trove of history and knowledge and they wouldn't even know it.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. He had heard the reports of when they were repaired but this was the first time he's actually seen them. "If I remember things correctly, they weren't easy to fix. They contained various other small parts and pieces inside them that were all rusted and choked with sand and dust. They had to practically be gutted and reassembled and even then, it took a lot of trial and error" he said.

Cheria tilted her head as she stared at the strange device as she reached her hand out and placed it up against it. As to be expected, it was fairly cold to the touch. "Air coolers, huh…?" she mumbled to herself.

Caz prepared for the carriage to leave as he gave them one last look. "Well, I better let you go. Judging by the time of day, you should be able to reach Chesberry by dusk" he said. He made one last glance over towards the gate leading out towards the desert. "I wish you guys the best of luck. Be careful out there" he said.

The carriage started to move again as it slowly picked up speed and left Third Haven. Tsuki and the others watched as the carriage sped off into the distance and eventually disappeared from view. Left on their own, they all collectively felt that their new adventure has officially started. They were all feeling pretty eager but at the same time, they kept in mind the gravity of their situation.

Lynette was looking out towards the desert, tilting her head for a bit. She then looked over towards Ramza. Seeing as he was the local expert, she wondered if he had anything else to say. "Have you been to Chesberry before, Ramza?" she asked.

Ramza shook his head. "No, I haven't. Not only was the trek not worth the effort, but the Guild Branch there isn't exactly the friendliest one from what I've heard" he said. He's heard a lot of horror stories about how people are treated over there. "To make matters even less worthwhile, the contract work there is shady, at best" he said.

Ruko grew curious when he called an official branch of the Mercenary Guild shady. "Shady? How so?" he asked.

Ramza didn't know much outside of what he's heard from other people so he can't confirm or deny the claims he's heard. "Supposedly, the contract work there is more suited for the less…savory of mercenaries, if you know what I mean" he said.

Phi could only assume that meant only one other thing. She's aware that the various Guilds hold unique positions outside of royal influence and that could potentially lead to some problems. "So basically, what you're saying is that it's a place for vagrants" she said. She's never personally worked alongside mercenaries all that much, if at all so she didn't have much experience to go off on.

Ramza simply shrugged his shoulders and offered no further comment. His silence on the matter pretty much spoke all. "Enzo had expressed some concern about the operations of the Chesberry Guild Branch in the past but was never able to fully investigate those concerns" he said.

Allie tilted her head as had flashbacks to their encounter with Enzo back in Velika outside of the Guild Branch building. "He was the leader of the Velika Branch, wasn't he?" she asked. She remembered feeling the presence of a spirit closely tied to him. It wasn't nearly as strong as her but it felt pretty powerful.

Nagi folded her arms with a curious expression. Since outside entities have no influence over Guild operations, she was wondering how rules are enforced and regulated. "I've been curious about something. Outside of the standard laws of each kingdom, do the Guild Branches independently enforce rules?" she asked.

Melphi glanced over towards Nagi. "Something like that. The Guild Branches are independently operated by their respective leaders and occasionally receive orders from their main headquarters from time to time. Usually, code enforcement among the various Branches are handled by A-ranks" she said. She recalled a few stories that Shana used to tell her. She was sent out, and even called to certain places to enforce mercenary code. That meant appropriately punishing those that abuse that code and those that blatantly disregard it.

Ruko had always been confused on the operations of the Guild Branches and their main headquarters. "I didn't think A-ranks had that kind of power. It seems really easy to abuse if one had the right intentions…" he said.

Ramza nodded to himself slowly with a sigh. "Honestly, it's a headache. Headquarters only gets involved under extreme circumstances. It's up to the individual Branches to regulate themselves which is why each Branch always has an A-rank mercenary or two assigned to them, ready to act" he said. There have been a number of Branch Leaders that have been taken down or removed from their position due to a violation of mercenary code or the abuse of their power and station.

Elle scratched her head a bit. Hearing about the Guild Branches in comparison with their main headquarters was a little concerning. "Does the main headquarters do anything? Because, it sounds to me that they're just as incompetent as I hear they are" she said. She's never had a good opinion on mercenaries because of the stories she's heard about their main base of operations.

Ramza wished he could say something that would make her rest easier but unfortunately, there was nothing he could say. "From my experience, no. Remember when I said that I wasn't exactly on good terms with the main headquarters? I'm not the only one in that category especially when something happens and they do get involved, they just take in all the credit for themselves" he said. He let out another deep sigh as he hung his head. "Corruption in headquarters is big issue but no one has the guts to challenge them" he said. He then glanced over towards Melphi and let out a light chuckle. "Well, except for Shana, of course" he said.

Phi rubbed the top of her forehead as she grumbled to herself. "Sounds like a complicated mess to me…" she said.

Tsuki shrugged his shoulders a bit and started to make his way over towards the gate leading out into the desert. "I say leave mercenary problems to the mercenaries. Let's get a move on. I'd rather not be caught in the desert with no sunlight" he said.

They regrouped and made sure that that they had everything before heading out. As they walked through the outpost, they saw a number of adventurers and a pack of merchants that seemed to be under the protection of a small group of mercenaries. Aside from that, there wasn't much excitement around the outpost. In fact, things seemed to be a little too quiet.

As they made their way over towards the gate, they were able to get a better look at the situation. They noticed that the knights and merchants were looking pretty anxious and restless. Something was clearly bothering them and all of their gazes were fixed on the desert. Granted, that could mean a lot of things when it came to desert travel but there seems to be to their anxiety. Even the mercenaries that appeared to be on guard duty for the merchant caravan were looking pretty nervous.

As they approached the gate, they were stopped by one of the knights that were stationed by it. "Good day, folks. What brings you all to the desert?" he said in a slight aggressive tone.

Ramza stepped forward from the group. "We're on the way to Chesberry under a personal request from King Raiku" he said. He took out the letter with the royal seal on it and showed it to the guards to prove their authenticity.

The guard, much like everyone else, recognized Ramza and saluted him, shifting his attitude. "G-General Tokatsu! It's an honor to have you here, sir! I apologize for my tone of voice!" he said.

Ramza held his hand up, shaking his head. "I'm not a General anymore, lad. You can relax" he said.

The guard took several deep breaths before dropping his salute. "Y-yes sir…" he said.

Allie took stock of their surroundings as she could feel the atmosphere around them. "Why does everyone seem so on edge around here?" she asked.

The guard looked down towards Allie with a tired expression. "We've been having some problems across the sands, little one. We've received reports from our allies over in Chesberry and the Sand Surfers that they've noticed some suspicious activity going on" he said.

Elle folded her arms, tilting her head with a confused expression. "Sand Surfers?" she asked.

The guard shifted his gaze over towards Elle and nodded at her. "They're a local group that resides in Chesberry that patrol the desert in Earth-powered objects called Skiffs. They work with the knights stationed around here to deal with any problems that may arise in the desert that we can't get to" he said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. He's never heard of them before and the fact that no one made a mention of them until now tells him that they're a newly established group. "I've never heard of them before…" he said.

The guard could understand their confusion. Even some of the knights around the area haven't grown fully accustomed to them yet. "Because of the rise in bandit activity across the desert, Chesberry elected to form a local group to handle them. They know more about the desert layout than any of us. Plus, with these "Skiffs" they have, they can cover more ground than we ever can on foot" he said.

Nagi was interested in these Skiffs that they use to cross the desert sands. "If there was a way to cross the desert effectively, why haven't they made it widely known?" she asked.

The guard shook his head with a sigh. "Because they're not a finished product yet. From what I understand, the Skiffs are still in the prototype and testing phases. The few they've got working are reserved to the small unit of Sand Surfers" he said. If they're able to perfect and finalize their Skiffs, it would be a major breakthrough for any that wish to cross the sands. "The Sand Surfers are made up of 6 people with 3 working Skiffs and a handful of others still being developed" the guard added.

Melphi was curious on where they were finding the materials needed for these Skiffs. "Where do they get the parts for their Skiffs? If they were in the midst of a project of this scale, then surely it would raise a few eyebrows" she said. Their most likely supplier would be Velika as they were the closest in terms of distance.

The guard glanced out towards the desert. "There are many buried secrets under these sands. Much like our air coolers, they've scavenged the sands for their parts" he said. The fact that their supplies come from the desert itself also slows down the development process. He soon returned to his post by the gate but stopped to tell them one final thing. "If you're going out there, I'd advise take caution. Bandits could appear at any time" he said.

Tsuki nodded when the guard gave one last word of caution. "We've taken down strange entities before. What are a few bandits to us?" he asked. He then glanced back at the others. "Well, the desert awaits. Let's go" he said.

They all had to mentally prepare for their trek through the desert. Once everyone was ready to go, they headed out through the gates and into the desert sands. Almost immediately after leaving the outpost, they felt the temperature skyrocket. It didn't take them too long after making their crossing that they were already being beaten down by the heat. During the hottest seasons, temperatures can reach to a scorching 110 degrees. Thankfully, they were making their crossing during the more cooler times as the temperature felt like it was in the high 90s. Up until now, they've traveled under mild temperatures so none of them except for Melphi were used to intense heat.

As expected, travel across the desert on foot was difficult. Probably more difficult than they initially thought. Climbing the steep sand dunes were a challenge and their movements are restricted a bit because of the sandy ground. Fighting off the monsters proved to be challenge as well not only because of the movement restrictions but also due to the heat. They had to be careful they didn't overexert themselves because the heat bearing down on them will make energy conservation harder. Aside from the this, they continued westbound. The longer they walked, the more it seemed like the desert wouldn't end. It eventually got to the point where there was nothing but sand and buried ruins in every direction.

The hours slowly crept by as they crossed the sands. Things started to drag on seemingly without end and things were starting to look the same no matter where they looked. They ended up going through half of their water supplies and there was still no end in sight. The effects of the heat were starting to bear down on them. They were all practically drenched in sweat at this point and felt gross.

As they crossed the sands, Ruko wiped the sweat from his face with a torn piece of cloth. "Th-this downright sucks. I feel the energy being sapped from my body along with all this sweat…" he said. He then glanced over towards Melphi. "Remind me again why we didn't just have Mel fly us across the desert?" he asked.

Ramza shook his head. While he had a bit more heat tolerance compared to the others, this was starting to become more than he could handle. While flying would have solved their problem, it would just open up more cans of worms that they'd rather not open. "Did you already forget? There are already enough problems going on around the desert with the bandits. Do you really want to throw in a dragon sighting into the mix?" he asked.

Tsuki took a moment to catch her break as he keeled over himself. He could sympathize with Ruko. It was one thing to be drained and exhausted after a hard, grueling battle. It was something else entirely when he was feeling drained from being overheated. He didn't that there was a difference before; now he does. "I don't know about you but…I think I have a newfound respect for people that live here and travel under this kind of heat. And this isn't even as hot at it gets!" he said.

Cheria wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and tried to fan herself to help cool down. "Definitely going to need a cool bath when we get to Chesberry…and a change of clothes" she said.

Allie was the only one that wasn't affected by the heat. Much like how Spirits don't bleed, their bodies don't measure cold or hot temperatures the same way that people do. She tugged at Tsuki's sleeve and pointed over towards a set of buried ruins. There was a bit of shade that they can use to take a break and get out of the sun. "Master, we can rest over there" she said.

They all walked over to the buried set of ruins and made themselves comfortable under the cool shade. It didn't offer much but it got them out of the sun and off the hot sands. They decided to take shelter and rest up for a little bit before continuing westward across the desert. By this point, they've been in the desert heat for roughly four hours. They were informed that they would arrive before dusk which was in approximately seven more hours. They could only assume that they were halfway across but there was no telling that for sure since everything looked the same all around them.

While resting, they decided to take a look as the ruins they were taking shelter under. Based on what they saw, they could only assume that they were in what used to be a small room that was connected to a bigger space. There was old, broken pieces of pottery and smashed crates buried in the sand. It was difficult to say what the room was used for but based on it's assumed size, it had to be a storage room of some kind. They eventually came up to something that resembled a stone door that was completely buried under a mound of sand. There were inscriptions etched into the stone door and strange-looking symbols that were unrecognizable due to extensive damage and erosion.

Tsuki ran his hand across the stone door to see if he could find some sort of switch but he didn't feel anything suspicious. "Hmm…this door obviously means something. Compared to the surrounding ruins, this seems to be in the best shape" he said.

Allie walked up to the stone door and examined it with a slight tilt of her head. "I sense something behind this here…" she said.

Lynette walked up between them and placed her hand on the door and used her senses to scan the area. She was able to confirm what Allie was sensing. "I feel a collective presence…" she said.

Melphi's keen dragon senses soon put her on full alert as she sensed an imminent threat. "Well, we were warned about the many well-hidden hideouts…" she said. Right as she said that, she turned around to welcome 10 bandits that had appeared behind them. "It would only make sense to come across the bandits that occupy them" she said.

The bandits quickly surrounded them to cut off any paths of escape. The bandits were dressed in light attire with their faces all wrapped in cloth except for their eyes. They wielded a range of different weapons, some using swords and spears while others used bows and arrows. Compared to ordinary thieves and bandits they've come across during their travels already, these people seemed to be more organized and in sync with each others. Each of them had postures that showed they have combat experience.

One of the bandits who wore red cloth around his face stepped forward from the group. Based on his slightly different attire, he appeared to be the leader of the group. He took a good look at Tsuki and the others, taking particular interest in the female population amongst them. "Well, what do we have here? A couple of desert travelers, eh? How unfortunate of you to step into our turf" he said, his voice slightly muffled from the cloth covering his mouth.

Tsuki knew that this was going to end in a fight but he'd rather avoid that if he could especially with them right outside a possible hideout. "Easy now. We're just passing through. We don't mean to bring you any harm" he said, trying to de-escalate the situation.

The red-wrapped bandit scoffed at him. "If you mean that, then drop your weapons and leave your belongings. We'll take the women off your hands, as well" he said. He took another look at the females and locked his eyes on both Allie and Cheria. "You've got quite the figure, lass. I bet you would fetch for a high price and while she's no Demi-Human, the young girl could also go for a decent price, with the right buyer" he said.

Tsuki soon locked his eyes on the bandit with an out-of-character death glare as they very briefly changed colors to deep violet. Not only was he giving Allie and Cheria disturbed looks, he also brought up the term, Demi-Human, which was a derogatory for Faeries and Beasts. He felt a nerve being snapped for some reason that seemed to be out of his control. "What was that…?" he asked in a low, threatening tone of voice.

Allie felt the sudden shift within Tsuki. It was the same feeling that she felt before when they were being told about Sirione and the inhumane treatment that the Faeries and Beasts are forced to endure. She felt another familiar presence but wasn't able to figure out why. Much like how she felt with Cliff, she felt as a deeper connection. It caused a funny feeling in her chest which made her put her hand up to it. It was for a brief moment but she felt a terrifying yet warm feeling in his brief energy shift.

The red bandit glanced over toward Tsuki. "You got sand in your ears, boys? Leave your belongings and step away" he said. He then turned his head over towards one of the bandits standing next to him and nodded.

The other bandit returned the nod and approached Tsuki with his weapon at the ready. As he did, Tsuki's eyes turned deep violet once more as he extended his right arm out at him. Wind energy started to swirl around the length of his arm where he soon shot out a blast of wind from the palm of his hand at his feet to serve as a warning shot.

A sudden wave of aggression came over Tsuki. He wasn't sure where it was coming from but he knew that what he was feeling wasn't coming from him. "This is going to be your only warning. You will let us pass, if you value your lives" he said in an aggressive tone. He shifted his eyes over towards Melphi, giving her a slight nod to which she returned it a few moments later.

The red bandit expressed a look of interest in his eyes as a warning shot was fired off. "The boy's got some bite to him, huh? Or maybe he's just trying to make himself look good among the ladies" he said. He shook his head, folding his arms in front of him. "We are the Skullblades. We rule these sands and any that set foot here are forfeit. You can intimidate us all you want; you have no idea who you're messing with" he said.

Melphi scoffed at his remark, shaking her head. "Intimidation, huh? You certainly talk big…" she said. Approaching behind her was a bandit wielding a sword. He was attempting to sneak up on her to subdue her but unfortunately for him, this was a fatal decision. Her eyes changed colors to a piercing yellow as she quickly spun around, her arms below the elbows morphing into a dragon's. She extended her left arm out and grabbed onto the blade of the bandit's sword and tightened her grip on it. Because of the hard scales with her dragon strength, she shattered the blade with extreme ease before swiping her right claw up from his waist to his shoulder in a diagonal line, her claws ripping through the bandit like butter and killing him instantly. As the body hit the ground, she turned to face the red bandit once more. "I can say the same to you. I'm afraid you've picked a fight with the wrong desert travelers" she said.

The red bandit was surprised to see that one of the females was a Faerie. And not just any Faerie, but a Dragonkin to boot. "A Dragonkin, eh? From what I recall, the Viper Syndicate pays a high price for one of you" he said. He then let out a hearty laugh. "Looks like we've hit a treasure trove, lads!" he shouted.

Tsuki and Cheria's eyes widened quite a bit when they both heard him say a familiar name. Tsuki took extreme interest in what he just said. "Wait, did you just say Viper Syndicate…?" he asked.

The red bandit looked over towards Tsuki, nodding at him. "Yes, the Viper Syndicate, the current rulers of Sirione" he said.

Cheria shook her head fervently. What he was saying should be impossible. "That's impossible! The Viper Syndicate should have been wiped out 9 years ago!" she shouted.

The Viper Syndicate was considered Tsuki's first real enemy. They infested the Slums District in Eresseas back when Tsuki was young and alone, living on the streets 9 years ago. They were the ones that made life in the Slums difficult and had made several attempts to abduct Cheria when she used to sneak away from her guard to visit Tsuki in the Slums. They were under the impression that everyone that was tied to the Syndicate was apprehended and handed the appropriate punishments when Taichi and his knights came to Tsuki and Cheria's aid when they were driven into a corner.

The red bandit tilted his head when she spoke. "9 years ago?" he said with a confused look. He had to think back for a moment to realize what she was talking about. "Ah…you must be referring to the operations in Cayhill that was dismantled by the royal family. You're right, they were wiped out. The Viper Syndicate was going to use Cayhill as a staging ground but were thwarted by that meddlesome royal family and a persistent street rat" he said. He then reached his hands back behind his head and unwrapped the bandages that were wrapped around his head. Hiding beneath those wrappings was an old, rough-looking face. "It took a whole year and a complete relocation but after the remnants came across a great power, they came back with a vengeance and to not have a repeat of the past, they wiped out the royal family of Sirione and seized control of the kingdom" he said.

Tsuki's took a closer look at the man's now exposed face. Something about his face seemed very familiar. It took several moments before he came to a shocking realization. Memories from his past while living on the street flowed through his mind. Two individuals popped into his head immediately. They were the two individuals that frequently confronted him when he was younger and tried to kill him when he was deathly ill in the old sewers. "It's you…! Impossible!" he shouted. The man that was standing before him was the man with the muscles that chased after him. "You should have been thrown behind bars for life for what you've done back in the Slums!" he said. He couldn't believe his past was coming back to bite him. Thinking back on it, when he and the other member of the Syndicate confronted Tsuki in the sewers, he ended up killing one of them but not the other. He only kicked him up against the wall so he could climb up out of the sewers.

The red bandit looked over towards both Tsuki and Cheria, giving them another hard look. Something about the both of them seemed off. "You two seem to be too familiar with this…" he said. His eyes locked onto Tsuki as he examined him. "Now that I'm getting a better look, something about you seems very familiar…" he said. He was stroking his chin as he thought back. He wasn't sure why Tsuki was so familiar to him. However, after about another minute or two, the image of Tsuki when he was younger flashed in his head as he examined him. His eyes soon widened in shock as he gritted his teeth with a wide grin. "Well, I'll be damned. That look in your eye…the structure of your face. You're that street rat who used to give us a hard time, aren't you?" he asked. He then let out a loud laugh, slapping the side of his leg. "Now, isn't this just a coincidence!? Who would of thought that this would be our long, awaited reunion!? The street rat grew up to become quite the ladies man!" he said.

Tsuki still couldn't believe what he was seeing. He never gave him a real hard time before but this was a reunion he wouldn't have expected to happen. Thankfully, it seems that he hasn't recognized Cheria so that's one thing he didn't have to worry about, for now at least. "Never in my wildest dreams would I expect to run into you again" he said.

The red bandit took in a deep breath before reaching back to pull a greatsword off his back and held it at his side with a wide grin of anticipation. He then extended his left arm out and made a tight fist. "You have no idea how I've longed for this day. To repay you for all the frustration you gave me" he said.

Tsuki shook his head at him. He may have gotten older but he still seems to be the same person as before. "Still all brawn and no brains, I see. Age doesn't seem to have made you wiser" he said.

Lynette couldn't help but scratch the side of her face with her finger. She thought the whole thing was pretty sad. "If you ask me, it's pretty pathetic. Didn't all that happen a long time ago?" she asked.

Ruko shrugged his shoulders a bit, not sure how to reply. "Tsuki was what, 9 years old? If a child was part of the reason why the Syndicate in Eresseas fell apart in the first place, then this whole situation is sad…" he said. While Tsuki didn't intend to dismantle the Syndicate back then, it was because of his chance meeting with Cheria that eventually led to their downfall.

Ramza couldn't agree more with their assessment. "Not only that but a fully grown man in an established organization was defeated and swindled multiple times by a 9 year old boy living on the streets in rags. If it were me, even my own pride would have been irrevocably damaged" he said. In his eyes, this guy was a joke. He then drew his weapon and steeled himself for battle as he noticed that the bandits around them were doing the same. "In all seriousness, we should probably cut through this rabble before we attract the attention of the others behind this door" he said.

Elle drew her sword and stood in front of Nagi to protect her. "I fully agree. We didn't come here to fight against the bandits, after all" she said.

The red bandit held his left hand up for a moment. "Have at them, boys! Kill the men and subdue the females. Try not to scratch them up too bad though. Damaged goods are of no use to us" he said. He then pointed his greatsword at Tsuki. "Leave this desert rat to me" he added. He then held his greatsword up close to his face as he prepared himself for battle. "I believe I never introduced myself. My name is Gepard Soule, affiliate to the Viper Syndicate. Prepare yourself!" he shouted.

The bandits all readied their weapons and those carrying swords and spears charged towards Lynette and the others, ignoring Tsuki as they ran past him. Meanwhile, those using bows started firing off arrows and various other ranged elemental attacks at them. Out of the remaining 8 bandits, two of them were ranged fighters. Cheria would be the one to take charge over the ranged fighters as she was the only aside from Lynette that could fight at a distance.

The enemy archers fired off two arrows each into the air above them where moments later, they exploded and rained down numerous elemental arrows upon them. Lynette quickly erected a defensive barrier around them so everyone was safe the attack as the arrows simply collided against the barrier. Cheria would retaliate by running her hand across her bow to form an energized arrow as she pulled back on the bowstring. She took aim at one of the archers and released the energy arrow. As it shot towards the enemy archer, another energy arrow split off from it and went towards the other archer. They were both hit at the same time by both arrows as they pierced through them and killing them. Since they were not physical arrows, nothing stopped them from going through them like paper.

The three enemy spearmen charged at Ruko, Ramza and Melphi. One of them did a quick thrust at Melphi but she simply held her right arm up and used her hard dragon scales to block the attack which caused the spearmen to stumble back. As he stumbled, Melphi leaned back as she did a deep inhale of air. Moments later, she straightened herself out as a blast of fire shot out from her mouth. The fires engulfed the bandit and incinerated him which made him yell out in pain and agony and stumble more before falling down to the ground and going silent.

Meanwhile, the other two spearmen closed in on Ramza and Ruko, who were standing back-to-back with each other. The one that approached Ruko did several quick jabs and thrusts with his spear which were all blocked and deflected as Ruko swung his fists. As he made one final thrust, Ruko swung around to evade it and threw his left arm over the shaft of the spear. Still in the same spin motion, he used his momentum to pry the spear out of his hands and promptly snapped in two. Disarmed, he closed in on the bandit and delivered a swift, powerful punch to his gut which sent blasts of air out from his back. The bandit didn't feel any pain as his body went limp and fell to the ground. As for Ramza, he used his sword to deflect the thrusts and then kicked him in the stomach to make him stumble back. His blade started to glow moments later as he held it up close to his face, holding onto the handle with both hands. He soon brought his sword down to his side and swung it in an uppercut motion, releasing a crescent-shaped blast of yellow energy at him. The bandit tried to block the attack but his attack cleaved right through the spear and collided into the bandit, knocking him off his feet before hitting the ground.

The three bandits wielding swords were charging at Phi, Allie, Elle and Nagi. Since they were ordered to subdue them with as few scratches as possible, their primary focus was to quickly disarm them. They assumed that Allie and Nagi were easy targets since they didn't wield any weapons. One of them clashed swords with Phi but quickly found himself outmatched by her Twin-Blade Style. Fighting against the bandit was like taking on a level 1 grunt for her. The bandit swung his sword at her and she used both her katana to block the attack in an X-formation block. She then swung her arms back to break the clash which threw the bandit off his guard. She then rushed at the bandit and shot past him with incredible speed. It was hard to see but as she rushed past him, she delivered a deadly slash across the man's chest which ended up killing him.

For Elle, she was taking on the remaining two on her own. They both came at her at the same time to attempt to catch her off-guard. Unfortunately, her guard wasn't going to be broken by cheap tactics. She wasn't known as the Silver Knight for nothing. She clashed with both of them several times as if she were just toying with them. When one of them swung at her with force, she stepped off to the side and slammed the bottom hilt of her sword against his back, making him stumble forward before swinging around once more to block an attack from the other bandit. She threw her arms forward and delivered a quick slash down his chest, killing him.

The bandit that stumbled forward was heading for Nagi. Seeing as she was defenseless and unarmed, he was going to grab her and use her as a hostage to force them to lower their weapons. He looked at her with a wide grin and lunged at her. This made Nagi flinch and take a few steps back but Allie soon stepped between them. Since she was also unarmed, his plan had just gotten better. His plans were soon shattered though when Allie formed an energized form of the Caliburn in her hand and swung it towards the bandit to clash blades with him. This caught the bandit by surprise as he didn't know how to react. Allie used this opportunity to break the clash and held her left hand out to form an incantation circle. Moments later, a piercing streak of light fired out and shot through the bandit's chest. She killed him before he even knew how to react.

While the bandits were being struck down one after the other, Tsuki and Gepard were clashing swords in an intense fight. Tsuki never actually got into a real fight with him back in the day so this was the first time he's actually fought him. Compared to the other bandits, he seemed to put up a decent fight. As for Gepard, he looked like he was actually enjoying this. He was too focused on fighting Tsuki that he hasn't even noticed that his underlings were being struck down one after the other. They clashed with each other and fought on even ground for a good while but the fact that Gepard had been fighting in a desert environment longer than he has, he held territory advantage.

Tsuki soon found himself on the defensive as his slow, unstable footing on the sand was starting to affect his ability to fight. With Gepard now having the upper hand, he continued to push Tsuki on the defensive as he started to grow more aggressive in his attacks. With the more aggressive he got, however, the more careless he became. They ended up clashing swords one more time and shared one last look before Tsuki ended up breaking the clash by putting more force behind his swing, making Gepard stumble past him. As he stumbled, Tsuki spun around and swung his down at him. Gepard turned around and tried to block the attack but because of the angle of his swing and the inexplicable speed behind it, Tsuki's blade grinded down against his blade and slashed him across his right shoulder, leaving a deep wound. Gepard put his left hand over his shoulder as he shouted out in pain and stumbled back. It was at that moment that he finally took notice that all of his underlings have been killed as the rest of Tsuki's group rejoined with him.

Gepard gripped his shoulder in pain as he bled down his arm. "Agh…just a flesh wound" he said. He assessed his situation as the tables have turned on him. With no sign of reinforcements on the way, he found himself in a bind. "To be defeated by this street rat yet again…! It's like reality is playing a sick joke on me…" he said.

Tsuki was out of breath mainly because of the difficulty he had while fighting on soft terrain. The combined heat didn't make things any easier for him. "Any last words?" he asked.

Gepard chuckled to himself. Despite his situation, he found this all amusing somehow. "What, you think I'm just going to give up?" he asked. He then shook his head as he lowered his head a bit. "This is only a minor setback, is all" he said.

Phi pointed one of her katana towards him. "Do you honestly think you can take us all on in your condition? The smart thing to do is surrender" she said.

Gepard shook his head as he looked back up at them. "Us Vipers do not surrender. What this calls for is…" he said. Suddenly, his left hand started to glow yellow as the Aer around him started to stir. The sand started to kick up and swirl around him. "…is a tactical retreat! You may have bested me this time but next time, you will be sorry!" he shouted.

Gepard then swung his left arm as the sands around him kicked up into the air and blew across the surrounding area. He had created a powerful sandstorm which ended up dropping the visibility to zero. Tsuki and the others were effectively blinded by the sudden sandstorm as they were sandblasted by the intense, swirling sands. After about a minute or so had passed, the sandstorm started to settle down and when they did, Gepard was gone. Because of the sandstorm, any tracks he could have made while he made his escape were covered up. Melphi ran up to the adjacent sand dune to get a clear view of the surrounding area but didn't see any sign of him. She wasn't sure how but he had made a clean escape.

Melphi shook her head with a sigh before turning back to face the others from on top of the dune. "He's gone. I think we're in the clear" she said.

They all sheathed their weapons and joined Melphi up on top of the sand dune. Lynette healed everyone's injuries as they took stock of what just happened. They still didn't know where the bandits even came from in the first place. There wasn't much cover for them to hide behind and you could see nothing but open space for miles all around them. It only stood to reason that there had to be another hideout entrance somewhere nearby to go along with the door.

After everything settled down, Ramza looked at Tsuki. "So, he's an acquaintance of yours?" he asked.

Tsuki shook his head. He never found out what happened after the knights arrested him when the Syndicate was dismantled. All he knew was that he should have been left behind bars for quite a long time. "Unfortunately. He used to be a lowly grunt working for the Syndicate back in the day. I used to have several run-ins with him" he said. He then made a tight fist, gritting his teeth. "I still can't believe it. The Viper Syndicate is still around and to make matters worse, they are the ones responsible for what's happening in Sirione with the Faeries and Beasts…" he said.

Cheria wasn't told much about the Syndicate apart from what she already knew. They were a shady organization who took part in illegal activities. "Compared to back then, they're much more dangerous and if the abduction rumors that are circulating around these bandits are true and they share a connection with them…" she said. It made her think back to when she was a child. She was nearly abducted herself if it weren't for Tsuki.

Phi nodded in agreement. "There's a chance that these Skullblades might have information on Sirione and the Syndicate" she said. She then glanced back over towards that stone door they saw earlier. "It almost makes me want to investigate further…" she said.

Elle shook her head as she patted her on the back. "All in due time. First thing we need to do is link up with the Chesberry mayor and see what we can learn from him and about these bandits" she said. They have no idea at how many bandits they were dealing with or how big of a scale that they're operating on. She then turned towards the west and pointed off into the sandy horizon. "We should get a move on before those behind that stone door decide to emerge" she said.

Everyone looked at each other and silently nodded in agreement. They steeled their wills and continued on across the vast desert sands. With their run-in with bandits, they kept remained vigilant as to not get ambushed again. Thankfully, they only had to deal with the local desert monster variety. As they traveled westward, they started to notice that there were more ruins that have been unearthed. However, it was hard to tell whether they were recent excavations or not. There was evidence of possible looting or retrieval though as they found modern tools and supplies within a number of old ruins.

Their venture across the sand continued for another 3 hours, their long trek through intense heat and never-ending sand was finally coming to an end. They could finally see the desert town of Chesberry as they climbed over one last sand dune. The town was a bigger-than-average town that was fully flourishing despite the harsh environment. A number of small oases surrounding the small town surrounded by trees, shrubs and healthy grass. The town itself seemed to use the surrounding area to it's advantage to create a feeling of luxury and tranquility. The closer they got to the town, the more they felt the temperature start to cool down. It was just like Third Haven with their air coolers.

However, they still had to cross the last bit of desert between them and the town and it was as if mother nature had other plans in store. They noticed that the winds started to pick up significantly as sand and dust started to fill the air. Unfortunately for them, they were about to be swept up into an intense sandstorm. The intense winds kicked up sand which dropped the visibility levels to practically zero. It was a distinct difference compared to the sandstorm Gepard set off. They were so close to Chesberry but now they essentially lost their sense of direction as the sandstorm engulfed them.

Tsuki had to cover his eyes with his hands as he tried to push his was through the strong winds while being sandblasted. "What a wicked storm…!" he shouted. The sounds the wind whistling past him almost drowned out his voice.

Even with her heightened dragon senses, Melphi was just as blind as everyone else was. "Just our luck to be caught in the middle of a sandstorm…!" she shouted. Sandstorms could be deadly if one wasn't prepared and unfortunately for them, they weren't. It was hard to keep your bearings while within a sandstorm.

The winds were so strong that Lynette was having trouble staying up on her feet. As she tried to push forward, she was just about to be blown back off her feet but was saved by Ruko who grabbed onto her arm. "Th-thank you…!" she said.

Ruko pulled her close to him and held onto her tight, putting an arm around her to help her walk and keep balance. "We need to keep pushing forward….! We'll be buried otherwise!" he shouted.

Allie found herself unable to push forward through the winds. It was taking all that she had to stay on her feet. "I…can't move forward…!" she shouted.

Cheria walked up beside her and took her by the hand and held onto it tightly. "I got you, don't worry. Hold on tight and don't let go!" she said.

Much like Lynette, Nagi struggled a fair bit as well. Her footing was unstable due to the shifting sands combined with the winds. However, Elle walked alongside her to help her walk forward. As for the rest, they were able to manage their way as they pressed on.

The winds didn't seem to settle down one bit as they slowly pushed through the sandstorm. They were starting to pass some of the oases that they saw before so at least they knew they were going in the right way. Unfortunately, they had no idea how much further they had to go due to the fact that they couldn't see more than a few feet in front of their faces.

Tsuki wasn't sure but he had a gut feeling that they were getting closer. "Just a little bit further…! We have to be close!" he shouted.

As he took a few more steps forward, he suddenly felt a hand grab onto his arm and pull him in a different direction. He looked in the direction he was being pulled and saw a small, feminine figure in front of him. It was hard to tell but he could see what appeared to be orange fox ears with white fur at the tips and a tail. The figure wore a tunic with their face wrapped up in cloth wearing a pair of goggles to protect herself from the sandstorm.

The small female figure tugged him along in the direction she was pulling him in. "Not that way! You're heading towards a steep drop-off!" the figure shouted.

The figure started to guide Tsuki, pulling him along through the swirling sands. However, because of the poor visibility already, no one else knew what was going on. Lynette and everyone else were following as close behind as they could so that they could keep a visual on Tsuki as he marched onward but they didn't see this figure that was guiding him along.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally made it to the town gates. The effects of the sandstorm had died down by this point but some of it's effects still lingered. Tsuki and the others were practically hunched over from exhaustion or had dropped down to the ground. They were cooled off from the cooler temperatures and high winds from the sandstorm but were completely covered in sand and dust. Some of the nearby people gave them looks of concern. They didn't know if Tsuki and the others were friendly.

Lynette was down on the ground, coughing up dust that she inhaled from the sandstorm. "Let's…not do that again…!" she said.

Ruko was brushing and shaking off all the sand that covered him. He felt like he just crawled out of being buried in the sand on a beach. "Ugh…I feel like I have sand in places where there shouldn't be sand…" he said.

Ramza shook his head, running his hands through his hair to get the sand out. "If sandstorms are a common occurrence around here, then I'm glad I don't come this way for mercenary work" he said. He had sand in the tiniest parts of his armor so they were going to need a deep cleaning once they settle down.

Cheria helped brush Allie off and made sure that she was okay since she was struggling quite a bit in the storm. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Allie looked at Cheria as she was brushing off all the sand. "I'm okay though I could use a bath right now" she said.

Melphi was relieved to be out of the storm. The one they went through was a minor one. She's heard that, under the right conditions, a sandstorm can bury towns. Sandstorms weren't the type of thing you want to find yourself in, if you can avoid it. "It's odd though. It came on so quick and sudden" she said. Usually, you could see the signs of a potential sandstorm brewing. There was hardly any warning with this one.

Much like with Ruko, Nagi felt sand in places where there shouldn't be and it was starting to chaff. "Maybe Mother Nature just wasn't on our side this time. I mean, we did get lucky from that rainstorm…" she said.

Phi shook her head as she let out a series of coughs from all the dust she inhaled. "Look at the bright side. We made it to Chesberry, at least" she said.

Tsuki finished brushing himself off and looked around the area. The figure that had guided him through the sandstorm was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to express his appreciation. He couldn't get a good look at the person but he did catch a glimpse at their ears and tail. As he looked around, he noticed what an old, beaten up bracelet at his feet. He reached down and picked it up. It was pretty small, probably the size for a young teenager. He tilted his head a bit and wondered if the bracelet belonged to the person that helped them.

Cheria noticed that Tsuki was acting a bit weird and approached him. "Tsu, what's wrong?" she asked. It looked like something was bothering him.

Tsuki shook his head, putting the bracelet in his pocket before turning to face her. "It's nothing. Just scoping out the area. Despite there being a sandstorm, the people around here don't seem to be all that disturbed" he said, trying to redirect his thoughts.

Ramza walked up alongside him and crossed his arms. "Well, living in a desert environment, I'm sure it happens often so it would only be understandable that the townspeople have gotten used to it" he said. He then looked ahead of them and saw a middle-aged man accompanied by two others wielding spears approaching them. "Looks like that's our welcoming committee" he said.

The trio of individuals walked through the markets as they made their way over towards Tsuki and the others. The middle-aged man was wearing refined clothing that stood out among the rest while the other two wielding spears were dressed in standard guardsman attire. People that were around greeted the man as he walked past them. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits as a small crowd formed around him for a brief time.

Allie walked up to Tsuki and stared at the man, tilting her head a bit as she examined him. "He looks important" she said. As she looked at the man, an intense, heavy feeling came over her. It was so strong that it made her feel weak all of a sudden. She held her hand up to her forehead as she stumbled back a bit.

Tsuki immediately took notice of Allie and put his arm out to stop her from stumbling back. "Whoa, easy the-" he said. Just then, he suddenly felt the same thing Allie was feeling. It was an inexplicable heaviness that almost made it hard for him to breathe. Since he and her have a shared bond, if one was feeling something, then the other would feel those effects. What he was feeling felt more directed to Allie than it did to him. It was in that moment that it seemed like time all around them came to a complete stop. "Wh-what is this feeling…!?" he thought to himself.

Allie looked up at Tsuki, looking pale and completely drained as if all of her energy was sucked right out of her. "M-Master…do you feel it too…? This overwhelming sense of dread…" she spoke telepathically.

Just then, they both heard another voice speak through their minds. It wasn't the voice of Cliff, however. It was another male's voice that spoke in a rough tone. However, the voice's words were muddled and not fully conveyed. What they were able to make out spoke of a sense of urgency. "….Warn…danger…ahead…caution…advised…." the voice said.

Just as fast and sudden the voice came, the voice left. They didn't hear that voice speak again. They didn't know where the voice came from but since it was telepathic communication that only they both heard, they could only speculate that it had something to do with the Sigil. Having the voice suddenly speak out not too long after his inexplicable surge of speed back in the desert was too much of a coincidence. Then, it's as if time started to flow around them once again as voices of concern from the others spoke out. When they both snapped back to reality, they were both crouched down on the ground.

Cheria was kneeling down next to Tsuki with her hand on his shoulder. From their point of view, they suddenly saw Tsuki and Allie both collapse and looked to be in a complete daze. It only lasted for about a minute or so but their words didn't seem to reach them. "Tsuki!? Come on, snap out of it, you two!" she shouted.

Lynette was checking up on Allie, who still looked completely pale and drained. "You're completely white and your Mana has taken a nosedive! Are you alright!?" she asked. She noticed that her Mana levels dropped dramatically in an instant out of the blue which was of great concern.

Allie felt very weak as her head spun. She didn't know what just happened but it was definitely something significant. She tried to shake her head but that only made her more dizzy. "I don't know…what came over me…" she struggled to say. She then tugged at Tsuki's sleeve and gave him a look like she's on the verge of passing out. "Master…I'm going…to get some rest…" she said.

Tsuki looked over at her and saw that her body was starting to become translucent. She looked like she was struggling just to keep her physical form. He reach out to her to pat her on the head but noticed that his hand went through her. It gave him strong reminders of what happened to her when Cayhill was attacked and the Anti-Arte Field was erected. He put his hand over her head as if to pat her and gave her a nod. "Go right ahead…" he said.

It was in that moment that Allie vanished into a flash of light and retreated into the Caliburn. Tsuki still reeled from the effects that he felt from earlier as he slowly got up onto his feet with the help of Cheria. She was obviously pretty concerned about them both suddenly collapsing without warning and it didn't seem like it was simply because of their trek across the desert or their sandstorm escapade.

Elle showed an uncharacteristically concerned look for a brief moment. "You feeling okay yourself? What happened to you two?" she asked.

Tsuki wasn't sure how to answer her. "I'm not sure. The moment I touched Allie, I was overcome with this incredible sense of heaviness. It was like her Mana had been completely cut off…just like what happened in Cayhill…" he said. It baffled him because he didn't sense anything and judging by the looks of everyone else, they didn't either. "Plus, we both heard words of warning" he said.

Melphi crossed her arms and tilted her head with an interested look. "Words of warning…?" she asked. While she didn't exactly have the same reaction, she did feel a sharp chill down her spine right around the same time they collapsed. Her eyes had been locked on to the man in the refined, fancy clothes in the middle of the crowd ahead. She shot him looks of suspicion. "Interesting…" she mumbled quietly to herself.

Tsuki started to feel the heaviness lift from him. "Something about danger ahead and to advise caution. The words were pretty muddled and hard to make out…" he said. There was a danger in the words that were spoke. That much was true despite the mystery behind their meaning.

Ramza let out a sigh before patting him on the back, taking a few steps forward towards the main part of town. "Danger will have to wait, unfortunately. We need to meet up with the mayor before sundown and I think I speak for everyone that we're all too tired to do anything right now" he said.

Having the energy to press on, Tsuki nodded in agreement. "Let's get searching then" he said.

After that, they headed off towards the main section of the town, walking past the crowd of people that swarmed around the refined-looking individual. As they walked past him, the man glanced over towards Tsuki as if he suddenly took notice of him. He stared at Tsuki for the briefest of moments with a look of interest in his eyes before focusing on the crowd of people around him.

It didn't take them too long to reach what appeared to be the central plaza of the town. It was a wide open space that went off into two different parts of town. In the center of the plaza was a large, marble fountain that was filled with crystal clear water. Surrounding it were a couple of trees that appeared to be well-nourished despite the harsh living environment. On the west side of the plaza was a two-story mansion made out of cobblestone and wood, giving it a rustic vibe. It was clear that the mansion belonged to the town mayor. All the other buildings around town followed a similar design. It was definitely a change of scenery compared to the likes of Velika or Esseand.

There were a number of businesses that lined around the plaza but most of the commerce took place in the north end of town. There, you could find weapon shops, item shops and even a smithy for gear enhancements and repairs. The supplies were fairly limited due to the difficulty of the location but there were enough wares offered to keep sustaining people. The southern end of town seemed to a mix of houses and other non-commercial businesses such as the Mercenary Guild Branch and the place where the Sand Surfers operate out from.

Because of the effects of the lingering sandstorm, much like at the town entrance, there weren't that many people out and about. Most, if not, all of the shops have closed their doors because of the sandstorm so Tsuki and the others had little available to them at that moment to explore so they decided to head straight towards the mansion. As they got closer, they started to realize just how big it was. It was a simple building design but imposing at the same time. As they made their approach through the front gates, they noticed a small outside garden. Tending to that garden was a maid who appeared to be in her late 20s. She had long, brown hair and hazelnut eyes with a slim figure. More than that, however, she had a long, brown tail with a pair of black and brown cat ears.

The young maid was tending to the garden and seeing if any damage was done to it by the sudden sandstorm when she took notice of Tsuki and the others walking through the front gates. She set aside what she was doing before approaching them with a slight bow. "Hello there. How can I help you today?" she asked. She looked at them and saw out dirty they were. She was a bit wary at first because she was worried that they might be bandits or worse.

Tsuki approached the maid but made sure to keep his distance but made sure to return the bow back at her. He could see the apprehension in her eyes and body language. "Hello. We apologize if we're intruding but is it possible for us to speak with the mayor?" he asked.

The maid tilted her head as her ears twitched briefly before lowering a bit. "I'm very sorry but the mayor is unavailable at the moment. May I ask what this is about…?" she asked.

Tsuki reached into his bag and pulled out the letter he was instructed to give to the mayor. "We've come on behalf of King Raiku to investigate a certain matter. We were told to give this letter to him" he said.

The maid took the letter from him and immediately noticed the royal seal stamped on the back of it. This caused her to have a bit of a reaction. "This is…I understand. Please, follow me. I'll take you to see him right away" she said.

Tsuki and the others looked at each other with collective confused looks about her reaction to the letter. They followed her into the mansion and noticed that the inside felt more like an oversized cottage than a mansion. All the decorations and engravings had a natural feel to them as opposed to the regal, lavish feel of Esseand Castle. For those who've spent their whole lives on Cayhill, this was a pretty nostalgic feeling for them.

As they passed through the bottom hallway, they noticed that the different maids and butlers appeared to be all Faeries. Most of them appeared to be Catfolk but there were a few Foxkin, Wolfkin and even a few young Dragonkin. They had heard the reports of a slave trade operation in town but there wasn't a doubt in their minds that this wasn't the place that they were looking for. Everyone seemed so happy and cheerful and they looked like they were living pretty comfortably. Though, all of them kept their distance from Tsuki and the others. It was understandable that they would react in such a way. They weren't exactly in the best presentable states.

The young maid that was escorting them eventually came up to a door on the far side of the north wing hallway and knocked on it. "Master Callus?" she called out.

Moments later, a deep, male's voice responded to her from the other side of the door. "Is that you, Mina? I'm a little busy right now. Is something wrong?" the voice asked.

The maid nodded from the other side of the door. "There are guests here to see you. They say that they come on behalf of His Majesty with a letter stamped with the royal seal" she said.

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the door. "The royal seal, huh? Alright, come on in" the voice responded.

The maid soon opened the door and walked into the room with Tsuki and the others. On the other side of the door was a fairly big office space that had a number of bookshelves filled with books and other documents that lined the wall. There was a fireplace with a small seating area around it off to the side and on the other end of the room was a half-circle desk that had a mountains of paperwork piled on it. Above the half-circle desk on the back wall was an axe and spear mounted against a shield.

Standing off to the side of the desk was a tall, middle-aged man in his early 30s with long, silver hair, red eyes and a burn scar that covered a good portion of the left side of his face. He was looked rather muscular and fit which was a close reminder to how Alba looked. At first glance, he had an intimidating look to him. It was obvious that this person has seen his fair share of conflict because his narrow eyes had that true warrior look burned into them.

The maid walked over to the man and handed him the letter before stepping off to the side. The man looked over towards Tsuki and the others, who appeared to be looking quite anxious and nervous, before looking back down at the letter. He noticed the royal seal and nodded a bit before opening it up to pull the letter out. An awkward silence filled the room as the man read the letter to himself. After about a minute had passed, he set the letter down and approached Tsuki, stopping within arm's length of him. The two of them shared a brief look into the other's eyes for what felt like an agonizing eternity.

Then, the silence was finally broken when the man gritted his teeth with a wide grin before dropping his hand on Tsuki's left shoulder. "So, His Majesty calls you our 'Ace', huh? The man's got talent for scouting people out, that's for sure. That look in your eye, I like it" he said. He patted down his shoulder rather aggressively before taking a few steps back from him.

Tsuki was confused by this. He didn't know what was going on. The man had such an intimidating aura that he almost didn't want to speak. He's like Alba when he's under the effects of what he calls Battlerage only somehow worse because it was a natural intimidation. "Um…pardon…?" he said with a confused look.

The man sat down on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms. "I'm saying that I approve. The name's Lux Callus. As you probably guessed, I serve as this town's mayor. You've already met my Head Maid…" he said, motioning his arm over towards the maid.

The maid soon lifted up the sides of her skirt, bowing to them. "Mina Rye, at your service. It's an honor to welcome such important guests to our small little town" she said. She started to feel more relaxed now that Tsuki's group was given the approval of Lux. "Allow me to apologize for my earlier attitude as well as for everyone else that we passed by on the way here. I'll be sure to let everyone know that you're to be treated as honored guests" she said, keeping her bow to them.

Tsuki was getting more and more confused by the minute. He wasn't understanding the vibe that was going on in the room. "Don't worry so much about it. Anyone would think we would be suspicious with how we currently look" he said. He then looked over towards the letter that Lux had placed on the desk. "What did you mean by, 'Ace'?" he asked.

Lux scratched the back of his head. It was clear to him that they were obviously left in the dark which made him breathe out a heavy sigh. "His Majesty didn't tell you, huh? Figures. The man is just too damn calculating…" he said. This was so like Raiku that he wasn't even surprised. "He wrote to me saying that the people delivering this letter will be our 'Ace' in snuffing out our little problem…" he said. He then pointed over towards Tsuki and the others. "You, my friends, are our 'Ace'" he said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit. She was still having a hard time understanding. "I mean, we did agree to help out but he just handed us the letter. Based on what you said, it seems he predicted this in letter" she said.

Melphi had a slight irritated expression in her face to the point where she lightly breathed out puffs of fire from her mouth. "Rai always thinks three steps ahead. He must have planned this from the moment we first approached him. He might not look it, but his keen foresight is pretty sharp" she said. There was a slight agitation in her tone of voice. "We played right into his hand" she said.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. He had a feeling that they were being taken for a ride. He noticed that Raiku still had that same look in his eyes. The eyes of a genius tactician. "Always scheming. I suppose that's why Dolothlond can't seem to get one over Esseand" he said. He was a pretty scary tactician back in his earlier days.

Ruko let out a nervous laugh and sweat. "I suppose we should count ourselves lucky he's on our side, huh…?" he asked. He never got any vibes of that nature from their meetings before but now, he was starting to develop a different impression of Raiku.

For Tsuki, it didn't matter to him whether this was all planned or predicted to happen. He would have helped out regardless. "It doesn't change the fact that we're here though" he said.

Lux had an affirming grin on his face. "Nice answer" he said. He then looked over towards Mina. "Mina, have the baths prepared for them and a change of clothes ready. Tell the chefs to prepare a feast" he said.

Mina bowed to Lux for a brief moment. "Right away, Master Callus" she said. She then turned and promptly left the room to fulfill her instructions.

Lux looked back towards Tsuki and the others. "Right then. Before we continue with the introductions, let's get you guys all cleaned up and fed. We have plenty of rooms to spare so make yourselves at home" he said. It wouldn't do well for them to track anymore dirt and sand across the mansion either. Plus, having a cleaner appearance will help put everyone's minds et ease. Particularly, when it came to his attendants.

Cheria, Lynette and Nagi seemed to be of the same mind as they all shouted out the same thing at the same time. "Bath!? Don't mind if we do!" they all shouted out in a collective response. It was a fact that they were tired of walking around with sand stuffed away in certain places.

Tsuki couldn't possibly refuse his goodwill at that point even if he wanted to. Everyone needed a good soak. "Thank you. We appreciate the hospitality" he said.

Lux shook his head with a satisfied smile. "Don't mention it. We can continue this talk at the dinner table. Now, go get yourselves cleaned up before you bury my mansion in all that sand and dust" he said, shooing them away with his hand.

With that, they left the office and thanks to the relayed words from Mina, the other maids and butlers were far more relaxed around them and openly approached them. With their help, they were escorted to where the baths were on the south end of the mansion. To everyone's surprise, the baths resembled that of a hot spring. It was indoors but the baths were fairly large. Of course, the baths were divided by a wall but there was an opening along the ceiling that allowed people to talk back and forth with each other. The baths didn't quite feel like springs but the water was warm and toasty. Everyone could feel their troubles melt away and evaporate into steam.

Unfortunately for them, the time to get out of the bath had to come eventually. They got themselves dried off and changed into the clothes that were provided to them while theirs were being cleaned and washed. With them all cleaned up and looking more presentable, the rest of the uneasiness among the attendants had faded away. They were eventually brought to a large dining hall area with a long, stretched out table that looked like it could seat 50 people. The dining hall looked like a place where someone would hold a large party with how open and spacious it was. Joining them at the table were all the other maids and butlers and even with their added numbers, there was still plenty of seating left. A large assortment of various foods had been prepared and laid out across the table for everyone to eat.

As they all sat down to eat, Tsuki and the others introduced themselves to everyone and talked a little bit about themselves before going into the details of what they were trying to accomplish and what was happening with the world as of right now. Naturally, this was shocking news for everyone to hear. For the Faeries, they all felt a sort of kinship with them as all of them had gone through rough times themselves. Some of them even openly talked about themselves and some of the things that happened to them.

As everyone was happily talking amongst each other, Tsuki decided to ask a question he has been wanting to ask since they got there. "Hey Lux. Do you mind if I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to…" he said.

Lux was eating a piece of chicken when Tsuki spoke out to him. The room then fell silent as if the maids and butlers knew what was about to be asked. Lux set his fork down on his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "…It's about my attendants, isn't it?" he asked.

Tsuki slowly nodded. "…Yes" he said.

Lux knew this question was going to be brought up almost immediately since it relates to the reasons for them being here in the first place. "As you probably heard from His Majesty, Esseand stands with the Faeries and Beastfolk. We want to help them and provide the aid they need to get back onto their feet. To put Sirione back on the right path" he said. He leaned forward against the table. "Unfortunately, we're being pressured more and more by Dolothlond so we are unable to divide our forces" he said. He then looked down the table at the maids and butlers who all sat there in silence, some of them having their ears and tails lowered. "The slave trade operation here has been a major issue for us for a while. Not only are we unable to act against a foreign body, but it appears that they've sided with the Skullblades. The Viper Syndicate, the ones that rule over Sirione and the subsequent slavery operations, is an unknown force that won't hesitate to strike back" he said. He then took a sip of his water and held the half-empty glass in his hand. "Since we can't act on them in any official capacity, I've been making…anonymous purchases of Faeries that they try to sell off in their secret auctions and give them a comfortable place to live. All in order to free them from that world of Hell…" he said, grinding his teeth and tightening his grip of the glass.

Then, one of the younger maids spoke. She had short, curly yellow hair with brown eyes and looked to be around Tsuki's age. "Master Callus used his own funds in order to purchase us off the auctions that they hold twice a month" she said. She then held her hand up to her neck as if she were trying to touch something that wasn't there. "He gave us a roof over our heads. Told us that we could live freely as we see fit. Of course, none of us believed him at first. But then, he forcibly removed the bonds that tied us down" she said.

Soon after, one of the older butlers spoke out. He looked to be in his 30s with sleek, grey hair with green eyes. "When he broke our bonds, we could finally breathe. It was like a huge weight had finally been lifted off of us. And then, he reassured to us that we had a place to stay and live freely" he said.

After that, Mina, who had been standing next to Lux the whole time, chimed in. "We all chose to live here and serve the person that treated us with dignity. Like how it used to be between our two races. The person who freed us from a life no one should ever be subjected to" she said.

Lux grew more and more agitated the more he thought about this as he grip tightened even more. "Despite all my efforts though, it's still happening right under my nose. It really…pisses me off…!" he growled through his teeth. Suddenly, the glass he was holding shattered into pieces by how hard he was squeezing it, causing glass to fly all over and cutting up his hand.

Mina jumped a bit when the glass broke and pulled out a first aid kit nearby. She returned to his side and used a small brush and pan to clean up all the glass shards on the floor before getting down onto her knees to remove the shards of glass in his hand and tend to his wounds. The way she did it looked so natural as if this has happened many times before. "Lu…you need to be more careful. You can't keep doing this to yourself…" she said.

Lux sighed heavily as Mina cleaned up his mess and tended to his injured hand. "I'm sorry, Mi…" he said. After his hand was cleaned and wrapped up, she took hold of Mina's hand and gently lifted it up and kissed the top of it. His attention then turned back to Tsuki and the others, who were watching them very intently.

Lynette was lightly blushing from their sudden display of affection. "W-wait a minute. Are you two…?" she asked.

Lux nodded at her and looked at Mina for a moment as she stood back up after she finished cleaning everything up. "It was love at first sight for me. I saw her one day walking the streets and thought she was drop-dead gorgeous. Imagine the horror I felt when I found out that she was a Catfolk slave that was set to be auctioned off. I couldn't allow that to happen so I disguised myself in order to sneak into their auction and purchased her" he said. He had a few flashbacks pop in his head from that time. The look of complete and total emptiness in her eyes on that day he purchased her. "It wasn't easy to convince her that I had good intentions. She had already accepted her fate at that point and didn't care for much else. And so, I was determined to prove myself" he said. He remembered spending days on how to break various curses, hexes and spellbindings. He read through so many texts that he could probably make his own. "It was a week after I purchased her that I forcibly broke the curse that bound her as a slave. Although such a technique took a massive toll on my own body and health" he said. He then looked stared up into her eyes as if to be transfixed in them. "Of course, I didn't confess my love to her right then. She needed time for herself. But when the time came when I did, she reciprocated them" he said.

Mina was blushing from embarrassment from such a story being told in front of so many people. The other butlers and maids have all heard this story a million times but it was still just as embarrassing. "Hard to believe that was almost two years ago. Time sure flies" she said.

Lux sat back in his chair as he recounted his earlier days. "It's with her support that I've been able to do the things I've been doing up until now. Without her, I don't think I could have convinced everyone at this table as easily" he said. He felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that he's been able to give those that he could a better life with the proper protections but there's only so much he could do. "Lately, I've been hearing reports from a few connections of mine that the slave auction has been ramping things up, however. I think they plan to expand their reach and obviously, I can't allow that to happen" he said.

Melphi came to understand the situation. Being a Faerie herself, she was able to speak more with the others and they've all pretty much confirmed what Lux was saying. There was no hint of deception in his words. "So, what would you like us to do?" she asked. If they were going to dismantle the slave auction, then they had a few options potentially open to them.

Lux looked around the table at each of them. "I take it you're all onboard with this" he said. He didn't even need to say that; the looks on their faces gave him their answer. "Right then. I've got a plan in mind but in order for it to work, you guys need to familiarize yourself with the area. With that in mind, I would like you guys to go out into town tomorrow and scout around while keeping your eye open for any suspicious activity. If you guys are as sharp as I think you are, you should be able to pinpoint our area of observation" he said. He then stood up from the table and walked over to a nearby wall mantle and picked up a round object. "Tsuki, take this with you and keep it on you" he said. He then tossed the object at him.

Tsuki reached up and caught the object. He examined the round object but didn't know what it was. It looked like an ordinary gemstone of some kind though he could tell that wasn't the case. The composition and makeup of it felt different. It gave him a similar vibe to that of the Wayward Stone. "What is this?" he asked.

Lux headed back to his seat and sat down. "There's a certain individual I'm closely working with for the duration of this planned operation. We're total strangers but we both want the same thing so we decided to work together on this. That thing will allow you to come into contact with this person" he said. He wasn't sure why but he had a feeling that the two of them would get along just fine.

Tsuki looked at the object a bit more before looking back up towards Lux. "Who are they? Where can I find them?" he asked.

Lux shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "No clue. I don't know much of anything about them myself. They're rather secretive. All I know is that they seek the ruination of the Syndicate and the slave auctions" he said. He reached for his fork once more and took another bite out of the chicken he was eating. "Don't bother looking. They'll come to you" he said.

Hearing Lux say that made Tsuki feel a bit uneasy. He wasn't too keen on meeting up with a total stranger without having any information about them beforehand. However, he decided to trust in his words. "A-alright then…" he said.

Elle wanted to know more about this plan that Lux had in mind. "What does this plan entail, exactly? You haven't told us yet" she said.

Lux shifted his gaze over towards Elle. He would like to answer her question but he was unable to at the moment. "Unfortunately, I can't say much else. Part of the reason I want you guys to familiarize with the area is to meet up with this individual. Once you do, then we can move forward" he said.

Elle didn't like operating with the unknown. They had no idea who this person was or what they're getting involved in. "I can't say I feel all that comfortable being left in the dark but if that's the case, then so be it…" she said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head with a light sigh. "I suppose we'll play it by ear then" he said.

The conversation amongst those at the table continued on into the late hours before everyone decided to call it a night. Lux had provided them each with rooms to stay in since he had plenty of space open for guests. The maids and butlers all seemed to get along with Tsuki and everyone else and did their best to make them feel welcome. On the next day, they gathered what information they could from Lux and Mina before heading out into town. Nagi, Melphi, Phi and Elle stayed behind at the mansion to go through all the documents that were given to them while everyone else did the manual labor. Since their group was still pretty big, they decided to split up into smaller groups. Tsuki and Cheria went out to investigate around the town entrance, Lynette and Ruko went to the northern part of town where all the businesses were and Ramza elected to go by himself to the southern portion since it also gave him a chance to drop by the Guild Branch.

In the northern part of town, Lynette and Ruko walked through the streets while keeping their eyes open for anything strange or suspicious. They weren't really sure at just what, exactly, they're suppose to look for but the one thing they did notice was how crowded the markets were. With the effects of the sandstorm now completely gone, everyone was out and about and filled the streets.

Lynette was kind of surprised at how many people were in the streets. "Wow, I didn't think the streets would become so packed this early in the day" she said.

Ruko wasn't sure where all the people came from. It was like there was a big party going on or something. "Makes me wonder if we're still in the same town" he said. The crowds were pretty big as people huddled around various stalls and came in and out of the nearby buildings, cafes and restaurants. "With a crowd this size, it's pretty easy to conceal a secret, underground operation" he said.

Lynette just couldn't get over the fact that something as vile as a slave auction was happening under their noses. Yet, people around here were living happily without a care in the world, ignorant to what's been happening behind the scenes. "I still can't believe such a thing is even happening in the first place" she said.

As they walked through the streets, they started to notice a bit of tension in the air up ahead. They looked in front of them and a group of 3 people wearing brown robes were seen walking in the opposite direction. The crowds seemed to avoid these people as they tried to pay them no mind. Lynette and Ruko stepped off to the side to blend into the crowd as they approached one of the stalls selling knickknacks and other small trinkets.

As they did so, an older gentleman on the other side of the stall spoke out to them. "Welcome. See anything you like?" he asked. He then tried to show them a small batch of what he was selling. "If you're looking for quality, then I recommend these bracelets" he said.

Lynette waved her hand out in front of her, shaking her head. "Ah, I'm so sorry. We're not here to shop…" she said.

The older gentlemen simply smiled at them and continued on, seemingly ignoring what she said. "Not interested in bracelets? Then, how about these necklaces?" he asked. He then showed them a few necklaces, leaning in closer to them. "Just play along for a minute…" he said in a low tone.

Lynette and Ruko got the gist of what the gentleman was getting at and acted as if they were interested in what he was selling. It wasn't long after that when the 3 men in robes walked past them as they continued down the streets. As they did so, Lynette felt a sense of uneasiness and a disturbing fluctuation in Mana. Eventually, they disappeared around a corner and it was as if everyone around them left out a collective sigh of relief.

Lynette was the first to point out the disturbance as she looked into the direction they were heading in. "What was that about…?" she asked.

Ruko shook his head. He could feel the apprehension in the air amongst the crowd as that group walked by. "I'm pretty sure we just found our suspicious activity" he said.

The older gentlemen set the stuff he was showing them back down and took a good look at them both. "You two don't seem to be from around these parts. Judging by your equipment, I take it that you're both adventurers?" he asked.

Ruko nodded at the man. "You could say that, yes. Our travels eventually led us to here" he said.

The older gentlemen sighed, lowering his head as he shook his head a bit. "I'd welcome you to our humble little town but you couldn't have arrived at a worse time" he said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit. "What do you mean?" she asked.

The older gentlemen shifted his gaze off into the other direction for a moment. "Those three people that you saw walk through here. They're a part of an illegal underground organization. They gather here around this time of the month for some sort of auction" he said in a low tone, trying not to be too loud.

Ruko raised an eyebrow as he mentions the auction. It seems that there were people aware of something going on but it seems they're unsure of what that is. "An auction? What do they sell off?" he asked.

The older gentlemen shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's a very exclusive club, it would seem. Only people allowed to participate are those that are vouched for. They say they're a pretty dangerous bunch too so people around here tend to not look them in the eye" he said. Of course, they've tried reporting things to the officials but nothing has ever came of it.

Ruko stroked his chin in thought. If they were to follow them, then they might be able to learn some clues. "That does certainly pose a problem…" he said .

The older gentlemen looked at the two of them and saw the look in their eyes. He had a gut feeling of what they were probably thinking about. "You two are young and have your whole lives ahead of you. Don't waste it away by involving yourselves in dangerous business" he said, giving them a word of warning.

Lynette smiled at the gentlemen and bowed to him slightly. "We appreciate the concern. We'll do our best to stay out of trouble" she said. Obviously, that wasn't going to happen but there was nothing else she could of said in that moment.

The gentlemen leaned in closer to Ruko to whisper something to him, making sure that Lynette didn't hear what he had to say. "You make sure you keep your pretty lady safe, you hear? A catch like her doesn't come around all that often" he whispered.

Ruko didn't even know how to respond to that, letting out a nervous laugh and sweat. "I think you have the wrong idea…" he said. He glanced over at Lynette who stared back at him with a tilt of her head and a confused look on her face.

With that, they bid the gentlemen farewell and walked away from the stall, heading into the direction that the three robed figures were heading in. Thanks to Lynette's Appraisal, she was able to keep track of the strange fluctuations in Mana and used that as a trail to follow. They eventually went around the same corner that the figures disappeared into and made their way down a narrow alley. There weren't any people in the small space and the further they walked down it, the farther away the noise from the markets started to deafen. After a few minutes of walking, the narrow alley opened up to a small, open space that ended at a dead end. They were far away from the public eye at this point and were now in a pretty shady and questionable area.

They stopped just before the opening as they heard a number of voices around the corner. They took a peek around the corner and saw the three people from before talking with another person in robes, standing by a door to one of the buildings. A far-off, secluded meeting like this away from the public could only mean one thing. Seeing that this was a perfect opportunity, they decided to eavesdrop to see what they can overhear.

The person standing guard by the door sounded a bit upset as he spoke to the group of three. "So, you haven't found her yet?" they asked in a deep male's voice.

The tall robed figure standing in the middle of the group shook their head. "No. We had her but she slipped away from us. Finn is continuing the search and sent us back. Our presence here already stirred up the locals and the watchful eye of that meddlesome mayor" they said.

The guard sighed as they shook their head, crossing his arms. "That girl better be worth the trouble" he said.

The shorter figure standing off to the right shrugged his shoulders and spoke in a high-pitched, creaky voice. "She'll definitely fetch for a high price. Many of our clientele would pay an arm and a leg for a young female with her looks. Not to mention her special trait" they said.

The guard looked over at the shorter figure. "Well, I suppose I can't deny that. You guys have never failed to deliver quality merchandise before" he said.

The average-looking figure tapped on his chest with a wide grin on his their face. "Don't you worry. With that Curse Mark on her, she won't be getting far. Finn will be back with her in no time at all" they said.

The guard shook his head a bit with a faint sigh. "Hopefully, he knows not to damage the merchandise. Used goods are of no use to us, after all" he said. He then turned around and opened the door behind him. "We only have a few hours before the auction starts. Preparations still need to be done. If there's nothing else to report, I'll take you to the venue" he said.

They nodded at each other and entered the building with the guard, the door shutting tightly behind them with an audible locking sound on the other side of it. Lynette and Ruko had been silent the whole time as they talked amongst themselves and confirmed the suspicious activity that was going on.

Ruko felt like he could breathe again. He was afraid to make any sort of sound or movement while they hid around the corner. "Well, I suppose that answer's that" he said.

Lynette scratched her head. It was good that they were able to confirm the rumors and reports that they heard but bad at the same time. It was also of great concern that there appears to be someone on the run. "Who is this girl that they're talking about, I wonder…" she said.

Ruko shook his head a bit. "I'm not sure but based on what they said, she's apparently going to be a key figure in that auction" he said. If the auction was a few hours away, then they were short on time. "We need to report this to Lux" he said.

Lynette nodded in agreement. "I agree. Hopefully, the others found out something else too. Let's get going before we're spotted around here" she said.

The two of them promptly turned back down the alley and made their way back towards the main streets. Thankfully, they didn't have anymore run-ins with anymore of these robed individuals but they could feel the pressure building. They needed to act soon especially if they were going to save those that were going to be auctioned off. They weren't sure just how many but they were able to confirm at least one person was in danger, at the very least.

As they made their way back towards Lux's mansion to report in, the scene shifts over to Ramza in the southern portion of town. His goal was to investigate the residential areas and check in on the Guild Branch. After hearing rumors about how unsavory the Guild Branch was, he was a little on edge about going there. As he walked through a number of different residential areas, nothing seemed to pop out at him as out of place. It all seemed like pretty normal neighborhoods.

There was one place though that caught his eye. It was a two-story house that was gated in and looked pretty luxurious compared to the other houses. It was made out of pure stone and polished marble while the rest followed the same design of wood and cobblestone. Frankly, it stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn't nearly as big and wide as Lux's mansion was but just by the materials used in its construction, someone with deep pockets lived there.

As he examined the house, a pair of footsteps could be heard approaching him from the side. A woman with long, ragged, silver hair that went down the length of her back and grey eyes approached him. She looked to be a year younger than him and had a free-spirited type of presence to her. Strapped to her hips were two small firearms that resembled flintlocks. Her attire was pretty unique as well. She was half-dressed up as if she were a pirate with the hat and lots of skin showing.

The woman approached and stopped within a few feet from Ramza and crossed her arms. "Do my eyes deceive me or is that Ramza Tokatsu I see in my spyglass?" she asked.

Ramza heard a voice he wasn't expecting to hear call out to him. It was the voice that belonged to someone that he wasn't keen on seeing either. He begrudgingly turned his head to see the woman standing right in front of him and gave her the most unenthusiastic look. "Ugh...out of all the mercenaries I could possibly run into, it just had to be you" he said.

The woman had a wide grin on her face, gritting her teeth. "Aw, don't be like that. It's been ages since we last saw each other!" she said.

The person standing in front of Ramza was Seara Khai. Despite her pirate looks, she was actually an A-rank mercenary. She had made a name for herself by being one of the more well-traveled mercenaries within the Guild. She's been to just about every corner on their side of the Rift and has made her home on the open seas. She had the true embodiment and soul of a woman sailor.

Seara took a few steps closer to Ramza and patted him on the arm. "Why the attitude? Not thrilled to see a childhood friend?" she asked with the same wide grin on her face.

Ramza sighed heavily, hanging his head a bit. "What brings the self-proclaimed Pirate Lord to this bowl of sand?" he asked.

Just as she said, Ramza and Seara are childhood friends. They have known each other since nursery school. Growing up, they were stuck together like glue and did everything together. Back then, Ramza was rather spineless and could even be called a wimp. Seara was an energetic, outgoing girl and was always there to protect him. Ramza wasn't able to defend himself so she took that role in for herself. She kept that established role well into their teenage and young adult years until she became a mercenary. Wanting to improve himself so he wouldn't have to be protected anymore, he trained hard while she was doing mercenary work.

When they eventually reunited, Ramza came to the realization that all of his self-improvements were overshadowed by hers. In the first year of her being a mercenary, she became an exceptional fighter worthy of praise while he was struggling to improve himself. He would never admit it but deep down, he felt frustrated and left behind. Seara was soaring to new heights while he hasn't even gotten off the ground yet. He wanted to catch up to her and would do anything to achieve that. This eventually led him to the decision to enlist into the knights. He swore to himself in that moment that he would close the gap between him and Seara by the next time they met. Seara was pretty surprised when she heard that Ramza had enlisted but supported his decision. Every time they met though, Seara continued to push to new heights. Even after attaining the rank of General, Ramza still felt as if he hasn't done enough. With the freedom that is offered to him as a mercenary, he hopes to be able to attain what still alludes his grasp. Again, he would never admit this himself.

Seara held her hands behind her back, her fingers interlocking with each other with a carefree smile on her face. "I heard things around this Guild Branch hasn't been operating to normal standards so I came here to set things straight" she said. Since it usually falls on A-rank mercenaries to keep the various Guild Branches operating under code, she was only fulfilling her duty when no one else seemed to be doing it themselves. Being a mercenary for as long as she has been with a wide variety of different experiences, she wasn't the type to hesitate.

Ramza mumbled a bit as he scratched the back of his head. "Set things straight…? Just what, exactly, did you do?" he asked.

Seara held a finger up in front of her face, winking at him. "What do you think?" she asked. She reached down and took the two firearms out of their holsters, spun them around her fingers and pointed them both at the nearby wall. "Where there's corruption, there's a need for justice. I gave them a swift pirate's justice" she said.

Ramza shook his head with his hand pressed up against his forehead. "So, you shot the place up…" he said.

Seara stomped her foot as she looked at him with her cheeks puffed out. "No! Who do you think I am!? I'm not one of those vagabonds who would look down the wrong side of the barrel!" she said. She may have a carefree demeanor but when it came to gunslinging and marksmanship, she was at the top of her class. There's not a target too small or too far for her that she can't hit with pinpoint accuracy and precision.

Ramza sighed heavily, waving his hand in front of him. "Alright, alright. I'm just kidding. I know you're a master marksman" he said. He then looked up at her. "So, who's running the Guild Branch now?" he asked.

Seara put her two flintlocks back into their holsters. "One of my most trusted mates. It's only temporary, however until a proper replacement is dispatched. In the meantime, they'll work to restructure the Guild Branch so that it's put back into proper order" she said. She crossed her arms, glancing back in the direction she came from. "With that said though, normal operations around here will be fairly limited and restricted. Thankfully, there are some decent local B-rank mercenaries around here that offered to help out" she said. She soon turned her eyes back onto Ramza. "Now, it's my turn to ask questions. What brings you all the way out here? Can't be mercenary work since there aren't any favorable bounties around here…" she said.

Ramza wasn't sure just how much to tell her as she wasn't involved in his mess nor does he want to get her involved in it. "I'm…working with a few others under a request made to me by His Majesty to investigate the slave operations around here" he said.

Seara tilted her head a bit, her arms still crossed. "Slave trade, huh…? I've heard whispers but didn't think they were true…" she said. She then looked over at the house that Ramza had been looking at before she approached him. "And what, you think this place might be involved?" she asked. She fell silent for a few moments as if falling into thought. "Well, it doesn't surprise me all that much…" she said.

Ramza raised an eyebrow at her last comment, crossing his arms. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Seara turned and started to walk away from the house. "It wouldn't be wise to talk about it here. Let's walk and talk, like old times" she said.

The both started to walk back down the road and turned the corner, heading back in the direction of the central plaza. What they were about to discuss was pretty sensitive information so it wouldn't be a good idea to talk about where others might overhear them. They purposely walked down a secluded road to avoid people.

Seara was walking with her hands behind her back and fingers interlocked with each other. "That place is apparently owned by a guy named Clive Retter. Next to Lux, he's the second richest person in Chesberry with a significant amount of influence. He operates a private business the specializes in stonemasonry. His work is pretty popular around Velika" she said. She looked up into the sky as she continued to walk. "There are rumors, however, that say he's conducting some illegal business schemes" she said.

Ramza thought about the possible connection. "And you think those business schemes involve the slave auction" he said.

Seara shook her head a bit with a light sigh. "I can't say for sure but I'd put all my treasure on it. One of my associates did an investigation on him and his finances don't add up. As popular as his works are in Velika, there's a huge discrepancy in his earnings. There's no way that he could have as much money and influence based on Velika sales alone" she said. She's not quite sure just how he's managed to fool the system but based on her findings, things were definitely covered up.

Ramza looked at Seara. "Have you tried reporting this to Lux? Money fraud isn't exactly something that Esseand takes lightly. If you have a detailed report, it should be easy to start an internal investigation" he said. Based on past experiences, Raiku would spare no efforts to weed out those that willingly commit money fraud especially when it involves illegal activity such as the slave auction.

Seara mumbled to herself a bit, scratching her cheek with her finger. "Not yet. I feel like I haven't gotten enough evidence yet. Our investigation has hit a wall so we can't go any further" she said.

Ramza let out a light groan as he processed what she told him. "I see. Hopefully, the others found out something we can use" he said.

Seara leaned forward a bit with her head tilted towards Ramza before she walks out in front of him. "Anyways, I was surprised when you told me that you were working with others" she said. She then turned around to face him while walking backwards, her hands still behind her back. "I didn't think I'd see the day my Ramie working in a group" she said with wide schoolgirl grin.

Ramza gave her a flat, blank look. "First off, I'm not "your" Ramie. Second, please don't call me by that old nickname. Do you realize just how old we are?" he asked. He let out a heavy sigh as his old memories of them being together kept pouring into his head. "No matter how long it's been, you never change" he said.

Seara tilted her head back a bit. "Really? Hmm…I wonder about that" she said. She then spun around and started to walk normally as she took a few steps back to walk alongside Ramza. "In all seriousness though, if you need my help with what you're doing, let me know. I'll be hanging around town for a few days to make sure things around the Guild Branch go smoothly" she said. She held a finger up to her bottom lip, winking at him as if she were teasing him. "Plus, I would like to meet these people that opened you up" she said.

Ramza groaned a bit, leaning his head back. "…Guess I'm not out of your hair just yet" he said.

Seara gave him one last grin as she slapped his back with her hand. "Nope! A Pirate Lord is nothing without her compass, after all!" she said with a happy expression on her face.

Ramza started to remember how much of a handful she really was. In fact, she seems to have gotten worse since the last time they ran into each other. "What does that even mean…?" he asked.

Despite the total opposite personalities and attitudes between them, they were always close friends no matter how much Ramza tries to deny it himself. They have an unshakeable bond that's similar in a lot of ways to that of Tsuki and Cheria although not nearly as openly flirtatious and affectionate. If anything, they could be compared to really close siblings.

As they walked back towards the central plaza, the scene shifts over towards the entrance of the town where Tsuki and Cheria were off investigating. They wanted to talk with some of the town guards that stood on watch around the entrance as well as anyone that might have information about any suspicious activity coming to and from the desert. Almost as if it were expected, no one had much to say besides reports of noted Skullblades activity going on out in the dunes. It shouldn't be too surprising that they weren't going to find out anything substantial. If you were going to conceal a secret, underground auction, then you normally wouldn't just casually walk through the main entrance like were just any ordinary day especially if it's something like a slave auction. The only thing they did note was that the bandit activity had been on the rise over the last few days which, according to the town guards, this always happened at this time each month. With the connection between the Skullblades and the Syndicate, it was something they couldn't just rule out.

Tsuki and Cheria spent a good two hours talking with different people and examining the area but nothing else worthy of note ever came up. Seeing as how they weren't getting anywhere, they decided to take a break. They stopped by a nearby oasis and sat down in the grass under what little shade the trees had to offer. They were still within the town so there were other people hanging around the area. There were even a few kids playing in the water.

Cheria looked out over the water and the first thing she noticed was how crystal clear it was. It looked nice enough to just jump on in. "Makes me wish I brought a swimsuit" she said, her back pressed up against the tree.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head as he looked at the clear water of the oasis. "Got to admit, it's a pretty nice area. It's no luxurious beach or lakefront but I guess a place like this has its charms too" he said. He could see a place like this be considered a desert jewel for those that live here. It offers a sense of relaxation and a place to cool off whenever it gets too hot outside.

Cheria leaned her head back against the tree, looking up at the sky. "Even a place like this has sights to offer. I wonder what else is out there. Maybe a secret natural hot spring in an icy tundra. Or a secluded beach even! Wouldn't that be romantic?" she asked. Just thinking about the potential secret gems that are still yet to be discovered makes her heart race with excitement.

Tsuki chuckled a bit with a slight smile. "The thrill of adventure and the potential of what could be out there. I can see why adventurers have such unbridled passion for it" he said. Thinking about the life of an adventurer makes him wonder how different his life would be if he opted for a life of adventure rather than being a knight. Where would he be if he had a normal childhood under the love and care of his parents? These were questions that has always left him wondering but will never find an answer to.

Just then, Tsuki heard Allie's voice suddenly speak out through mental communication. "Master…?" she said, her voice a bit groggy.

Tsuki was surprised to hear Allie's voice. Ever since her little episode yesterday, she hasn't spoke or made a sound since. He was concerned for her but could feel her slowly regain her strength. "Allie? You there?" he asked.

Cheria looked over at Tsuki. "Did she talk? How is she doing?" she asked. She was very worried about her since it was abnormal for her Mana levels to drop so drastically in the matter of seconds.

Moments later, the Caliburn started to glow a faint light before lifting off from the sword. Moments later, Allie materialized in front of them, rubbing her left eye with a big yawn. "I'm here…" she said, half-asleep. She still felt the effects of being drained but she had regained enough of her energy to maintain a physical form.

Cheria sat up on her knees and placed her hands up against her arms, looking at her at eye level. "Allie! Are you feeling okay?" she asked with concern in her voice.

Allie let out a few more big yawns. "I'm okay. Just really sleepy…" she said.

Cheria let out a sigh of relief. She was glad to know that there wasn't anything wrong with her. "Thank goodness. You had me worried…" she said, hanging her head.

Allie continued to rub her eyes a bit more. "Mmm…I'm sorry, Mama…" she said.

Being suddenly called Mama surprised Cheria. She knew that Allie has a tendency to say things in a rather joking manner like when she called her mother Tsuki's "Mistress" back in Eresseas but this time, it felt genuine. Her sleepy, innocent looks also added to this feeling. "M-Mama…? No no…it's me, Cheria" she said. She won't deny that hearing her call her Mama made her feel a little happy.

Allie felt her drowsiness start to fade away as she was coming to. "Cheria…? Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from" she said.

Cheria gave her a soft smile and rubbed the sides of her arms. "It's okay, dear. You just surprised me, that's all" she said.

Tsuki lightly tapped her on top of her head as if to gently knock her awake. "Judging by your looks, it seems you were having a nice dream. Have you remembered anything?" he asked.

Allie shook her head and held her arms up over her head, stretching them. "Maybe…? I dreamt that I was living with two others though I can't remember their faces. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of warmth and affection" she said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit. "Could it be family? Though, do Spirits even have family? Maybe a mother and father figure, perhaps" she said.

Allie shrugged her shoulders a bit. Obviously, she wasn't able to provide a clear answer but it did leave a fuzzy feeling in her chest. "I'm not sure but it felt tender. It made me feel safe. Just like how I do with you all" she said.

Tsuki scratched his cheek with his finger with a satisfied look on his face. He wasn't sure why but he felt overcome with a feeling of deep nostalgia and comfort. As the two of them talked, however, he felt eyes watching him. He looked around and turned his head towards main road that led back towards the main part of town. It was for a brief moment, but he saw movement quickly duck around a corner.

Tsuki tiled his head a bit before looking at Cheria and Allie. "Hey, I'll be back in a sec. I want to check on something. You guys stay here and talk for a bit" he said. He then turned and started to walk in the direction of the main road.

Cheria looked at him with a confused look before giving him a nod. "H-huh? Okay…" she said. She watched him walk off for a moment, curious to know what was bothering him.

Tsuki slowly made his way towards the corner where he saw the movement. Upon walking around it, he didn't see anything but open road that led into town and people walking by. He looked around for a moment, still feeling eyes trained on him. He knew that there was someone hiding somewhere. He searched around the area for about a minute or two, checking behind the various stalls and large, ceramic jars that were lying around. Eventually, he found the person he was looking for.

Hiding behind one of the ceramic jars, he found a young girl in slightly tattered clothing. Based on her appearance, she looked to be only 12 and more than that, Tsuki even recognized her. The girl had the same colored and patterned fox ears and tail as the figure that guided him through the sandstorm. She had long, light brown hair that was wrapped up into a small, side ponytail with dark brown eyes. When the girl found out that she was discovered, she jumped back from fright, knocking over the ceramic jar and crawled away from him, putting a few feet between the two of them.

Tsuki held his hand out and got down onto one knee so that he was close to eye level with her. He made sure to keep an appropriate amount of distance between them as to not scare her more than she already was. It was clear that she had a terrified look on her face. "It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm sorry if I scared you…" he said.

The girl's ears were pressed down against her head with her tail wrapped around her legs as she sat on the ground, her body trembling slightly. "W-what do you want…!?" she asked with a shaky voice.

Tsuki examined her a bit more now that he got a closer look at her. Her clothes resembled those that belonged to someone who either lived on the streets or had a very poor household and he thought that this was strange. She appeared to be well-fed and healthy which didn't seem to make sense to him. He shook off those thoughts and then reached into his pocket to pull out something. In his hand was the beaten-up bracelet that he found yesterday. "Are you, by any chance, looking for this?" he asked.

The girl's ears perked up a bit when she saw the bracelet in his hand. "M-my bracelet! So, you did find it…" she mumbled to herself. She reached for it but suddenly jerked her arm back.

Tsuki tilted his head a bit before reaching out to take the girl's hand gently and slid the bracelet back on her left wrist. "You don't need to be so apprehensive. It's yours, after all" he said softly.

The girl pulled her left hand back and looked at the bracelet. She felt herself become a bit more relaxed but still wary of him. "Th-thank you…umm…" she said, her ears still hanging low.

Tsuki shook his head and stood up, reaching his hand out to her to help her up off the ground. "Don't mention it. I should be the one to thank you, actually. It was you that pulled me out of that sandstorm wasn't it?" he asked.

The girl's ears and tail stood up in surprise. She didn't think he would recognize her with how covered up she was and the low visibility. "H-how did you…!?" she asked. She was caught off guard when she saw him offering to help her up.

She reached her hand out but was hesitant at first. Her arm could be visibly seen trembling as she stretched it out. She eventually took his hand and she suddenly felt a strange surge come over her. She couldn't explain it but she felt a deep, soothing and calming nature from it. That wasn't all that she felt though. Feelings of immense strength, a sustaining, unbreakable endurance and a sharp intuition and agility. It was such a strange feeling for her and most of all, it didn't feel threatening in any way. It made her feel safe and secure for some reason. Because of this, her ears had stood back up and her tail seemed to show signs of relaxing as she stood back up with his help.

The girl looked a lot more calmer all of a sudden as she held her left wrist up to her chest. Even though they just met, she felt like she could trust him. "I-I appreciate you help…and thank you again…for the bracelet…" she said.

Tsuki noticed a shift in her facial expressions and body language and could tell that she felt more at ease. He wasn't sure what brought on the sudden change but it made him feel more at ease. "I told you, don't worry about it" he said. He was curious about her living circumstances. Despite being well-fed, she wasn't wearing proper clothing for someone her age. Being a former street rat himself, he could potentially relate to her plight. "You were out in the middle of yesterday's sandstorm. Hopefully, you didn't worry your family too much" he said.

The girl felt her body completely freeze up with a sharp inhale of air for the briefest moment. She let out a nervous laugh and sweat as if to play it off. "N-no…of course not…" she said. Just then, she felt a cold chill run down her spine which caused her ears to drop to her head once more.

At the same time, a male's voice could be heard calling out to her in the direction of the central plaza. "Ah, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" the voice said.

A male in his early 40s wearing a tattered cloak with black, spikey hair, a rough-looking face and narrow eyes approached them. Tsuki looked at the man and immediately upon first glance, nothing about the individual seemed to be good. He felt dark, evil vibes coming from the individual as he tried to play off an innocent act. Of course, he also noticed the sudden shift in body language again with the fox girl which gave off more red flags. With that, he decided to play along with things.

Tsuki turned to the man as he approached. "Oh, are you her guardian, perhaps?" he asked.

The man scratched the back of his head, letting out a nervous laugh. "I am. I turned around for just a second and this girl just ran off on her own. I apologize if she's caused you any trouble, good sir" he said.

Tsuki shook his head a bit, patting the girl on the head. "No trouble at all. She's been a good girl" he said. Just from the touch on her head, he could sense her high levels of anxiety. There was obviously something very wrong with this picture but he wasn't able to do anything about it.

The man bowed to Tsuki for a brief moment. "You're too kind" he said. He then looked at the girl. "Now then, missy. Didn't I tell you that there were things that needed to be done? Come along now" he said.

The girl hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding her head. "O-okay…" she said. She slowly walked over towards the man.

The man nodded and turned to face back in the direction he came. "Thank you again, sir. If you would excuse us…" he said. He then walked off towards the central plaza.

The girl started to follow the man but not before stopping to turn her head back towards Tsuki, giving him the best smile she could possibly do while waving at him before continuing on to follow the man. There were a great many things that were wrong with this picture. The tone in the man's voice was ice cold. There was no trace of love or affection in it whatsoever. His demeanor was also incredibly suspicious. The look that the girl gave him before walking away stirred up something inside of him. Mixed feelings of anger and sympathy with a strong urge to do something. He saw right through the girl's fake smile which made him roll his hands into tight fists as he gritted his teeth.

Almost on cue, Allie and Cheria came up running towards him. They were both wearing looks of concern, probably due to the fact that Allie had sensed a shift within Tsuki. She mostly likely had told Cheria that something happened and so they went off to find him. They knew right away that something happened without even having to say anything.

Cheria walked up to Tsuki and gently put her hand against his arm. "Tsuki…? What's wrong? What happened…?" she asked.

Allie could feel the turbulent energies swirling around inside of him. Feelings of frustration and anger. The strong sense of wanting to exact justice. "Master's upset…"she said.

Tsuki was silent for a few moments before taking in a deep breath in order to calm himself. He knows what needed to be done. "Come on, let's get back to Lux" he said.

He then started to walk off towards the central plaza without saying another word. Cheria and Allie shared a look of concern with each other before they followed behind him. After a few more minutes, they returned to Lux's mansion where everyone else, except for Seara, reconvened. They all gathered in one of the lounge areas on the bottom floor of the mansion and started to talk about what each of them encountered in their respective areas. The suspicious group of robed individuals from the markets and their secret talk in the alleyway, the possible connection between the slave auction and a man named Clive Retter and Tsuki's run-in with the fox girl and her "guardian". Everything they said seemed to align with everything that were in the various reports that Phi, Nagi, Melphi and Elle looked through.

Lux was sitting down in a nearby chair as their debriefs came to an end. He had a satisfied look on his face. "So, what are your thoughts?" he asked.

Ruko had difficulty processing everything. There seemed to be so much more about this situation than what they see on the surface. "My thoughts? It's clear that something needs to be done! What other option is there!?" he asked.

Nagi nodded in agreement. "I know what it's like to live in captivity. The horrible treatment, the awful living conditions…we have to help!" she said. Whether it was being a captive of Draxus or forced into slavery, there was no difference to her. It was more frustrating for her because she hasn't been able to find a proper medium to channel her energies through so there wasn't much she could offer in terms of support despite her desire to make a difference.

Melphi held her arm out and rolled her hand into a fist. "Slavery is a blight on this world. Even the smallest of chances could become into bigger opportunities down the road" she said.

Ramza was pacing back and forth in front of a glass door that leads out into a small, backyard space. "You know for a fact that His Majesty wouldn't let this stand if he had a say in the matter. According to my friend, there are even a few local mercenaries that are involved. As far as I'm concerned, this is my problem as well" he said.

Lynette held her hand up to her chest, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "There are people waiting for much needed help. If the knights are unable to respond to those desperate cries and if we don't either, then who will?" she asked. There's no way she could live with herself if things are left as is.

Tsuki shook his head. He couldn't shake the girl off his mind nor that final look that she gave him that practically screamed for help. He then took out the object that Lux gave him during last night's dinner and squeezed it tightly. "We came here to investigate claims of slave trade and we have our answer. We're not leaving here until something is done" he said.

Cheria was leaning up against one of the support pillars with her arms crossed. "According to what Lyn and Ruko overheard, it takes place tonight, right? The slave auction?" she asked. She looked over towards Allie. "Is it possible for you to sense where they're at?" she asked.

Allie shook her head with a dejected expression. "No, there's a strong, dark force that's lingering in the air. It's preventing me from seeing the flows of Aer properly. Everything feels so turbulent and unstable" she said. She didn't know how to explain what she was feeling. What she did know was that whatever it was, wasn't good.

Tsuki suddenly remembered the words of warning that both he and Allie heard. Someone was trying to warn them of impending danger and to advise caution. It made him feel incredibly uneasy. "We're about to walk right into something potentially dangerous and serious. However, none of that matters right now. People need our help and I'm not about to deny them of that" he said. He then stood up from his seat, still squeezing the object in his hand. "It's time to embrace the past and remind the Syndicate what it means to violate Faerie rights" he said.

Suddenly, they all felt a powerful presence appear very close by. Accompanied by this presence was a deep, slightly muffled male's voice. "Excellent answer. You all exceed my expectations" the voice said.

Just as sudden, a figure appeared standing behind Ramza, on the other side of the glass door which had been opened up without their knowledge. The figure was dressed in black and purple-stripped ninja attire. The only features they were able to make out was that it was a man who sounded a little older than Tsuki, had dark brown eyes and a familiar pair of fox ears and tail that followed the same colors as the girl Tsuki ran into. The man had two shortswords strapped to the back of his waist with a pair of kunai strapped to his upper right and left leg. Everything about him, from his equipment to his lack of a presence up until now was proof that this person was a bonafide ninja.

Tsuki and the others looked towards the man, unsure of what to make of him and his sudden appearance. From the looks of Lux, however, there didn't seem to be any cause for alarm. It was in that moment that they all remembered what Lux had told them during dinner. He was working with an individual who was rather secretive and didn't know much about them himself. If this person was a true ninja, then they finally had an answer as to why he made that statement. This was the person that he was talking about and would be the one to lead them in what's about to happen.

To be continued…