Chapter 38
The next morning, after the chaos last night....
Elraven and Frea were seen walking in the hallway inside the main temple. The gunslinger put up a grumpy face in his head, he was still disappointed about last night 'chaos' at his room. "Why did Alexandria came suddenly? Without knocking my door?!! Without permitting?!! And when she saw Frea she gave me an uppercut!??! What did I do!? I didn't insult her or anything!?! Isn't it my freedom to sleep with whoever I like?!!?" He said to himself.
Frea was very concerned seeing her lover like that. "Elraven, forget about what happened last night. It was just an accident. May be the princess needed to talk to you, and found you....I mean us in that kind of condition, so she felt somewhat ashame and didn't know what to do, and ended up hitting you. She didn't mean bad, I'm sure about it. Why don't you just enjoy this morning! It's a lovely morning isn't it?" The soul linker tried to comfort the gunslinger.
Elraven sighed, "Frea, how come you're so positive about anything? If your words are true then I guess it's alrigh....Oh my god!!". Elraven surprised when he suddenly see a scary looking woman right in front of his eyes. She was tall and black skinned. Her hair was black and judging by her clothes, she is a Professor. Her glare match than that of Fiorentin.
"What? What happened, Elraven? Who's standing in front of you? I don't recognize this soul presence..." Frea asked the shocked gunslinger, but Elraven couldn't give her any answer. "You are Elraven Sinclair? Am I right?" The professor asked.
Elraven nodded as an answer. "I've heard a lot about you from my daughters. They told me you monster. No wonder it's like that, boy. I can tell, you're not a human at all. You're a changeling" The professor slowly said as she smiled. Elraven didn't understand what was the professor meant, but she heard Frea slowly muttered, "No way....".
"Huh? What did you say, Frea?" Elraven asked Frea but Frea didn't seem want to answer. The professor grinned and slowly said, "Don't worry, miss. It's not like him being a changeling is a bad thing. I didn't see any evil on him. You should be grateful".
Before Elraven could understand what was the professor talking about, Olivia appeared in the hallway. "Mom! I've been looking for you. Didn't I tell you not to wander alone?! What if...oh, Elraven and Frea? Good morning!" The high priest cheerfully greeted the two couple, but find out that they seemed somewhat surprised.
"Uh, Olivia. Did you just say mother?" Elraven tried to ensure himself that he didn't mishear.
"Yes, let me introduce you to her!! This is Talia Hammond, my beloved mother. She just arrived here yesterday along with the soldiers. Mom, this Elraven and Frea. Elraven is the gunslinger I told you about. Frea is the leader of Palamedes" Olivia introduced the three.
But the high priest noticed how Elraven gave a weird look to her mother where Frea seemed somewhat uneasy near her. "Elraven, Frea. What's up with you guys? Did my mother....oh, not again. Mom, you told them something weird, didn't you?" Olivia turned her attention to her mother, who was seen smiling.
"Oh, no sweetie. Mommy only told them something interesting about the purple glassed man over there. But it seems his woman didn't take it too lightly. Ohohohohohoohohohoho!!!!" Talia replied as her daughter put an annoyed expression on her face.
"Frea, Elraven. Whatever she said, please forgive her. My mom is always like this. She likes to tell something private from someone" The high priest aplogized for her mother's action which Elraven replied with, "It's alright".
"Oh, before I forgot, Fio told me that she wants to see you two in her room. She said she would like to hear your story which Felicia asked to postponed two days ago!!" Olivia informed the two lovers.
"Huh? Oh, alright" Elraven responded.
"Well, I better get going now! My father, George, and his father are waiting for me in the stronghold in the bridge. Bye-bye!!" Olivia told the two couple as she dragged her mother with her, leaving the two lovers all by themselves.
"This morning supposed to be a lovely morning but it's full of trouble, isn't it?" Elraven muttered as Frea nodded. "Oh, yeah. What is a changeling? You seemed surprised when she said that word, right?" The gunslinger asked but he could see the soul linker wasn't so eager to answer.
"Don't worry, Frea. Just tell me. What is a changeling?" Elraven stared right to Frea' eyes when he asked that question. Frea could tell Elraven won't be mad no matter how unpleasant the answer will be, and decided to tell him.
"....As far as I know Changeling is a being typically described as the offspring of fairy, troll, elf, and sometimes even gods that has been secretly left in the place of a human child. In some cases, changeling is no different from a monster. Changelings were said to feed on their mothers and to leave odd bruises in the back of their necks as a result. The feeding process could take weeks, until the mother was drained dry. Anything or anyone that prohibited the Changeling's nutrition would be mercilessly killed. Simple charms, such as an inverted coat or open iron scissors left where the child sleeps, were thought to ward them off. The best way to get rid of a changeling is to threaten it with iron. According to some legends, it is possible to detect changelings as they are much wiser than human children. When changelings are discovered in time, their parents must return them. Changelings are picky eaters unless offered something they like. Compared to other children, Changelings tend to be extremely eccentric in personality and in clothing choices. As young adults, their strange traits will become harder and harder to conceal. As for your case, maybe your insensitivity is the strange traits I mentioned before" Frea finished her explanation to Elraven.
Elraven stay quiet for several minutes after that. "Elraven, are you alright?" Frea's caring voice is more than enough to make Elraven answered with smile.
"Well, pretty much. Honestly, it didn't really surprise me knowing something like this. Ktullanux crushed me hard but I'm still alive. Gloom Under Night stabbed my torso with his rock spear but I'm right here standing in front of you. Judging by that fact, how come I didn't feel something isn't right with me? Maybe the other trait I have is extreme durability?" The gunslinger told the soul linker, who replied with, "Don't forget the extreme insensitivity I mentioned before", and they laughed.
"Anyway, let's meet the bratty princess. I bet she has been dying to meet us. We have so much to tell her, aren't we?" Elraven and Frea walked away to meet their leader, without knowing what kind of destiny awaits them.
Meanwhile, not far from the border desert between Morocc and Payon....
A lord knight was seen sitting inside a tent while drinking a bottle of water. A sniper entered the tent and asked, "Hey, you have another bottle? I'm damn thirsty, it's so hot outside!". "Catch!" The lord knight threw a bottle of water and the sniper drank it. "Thanks" The sniper said.
"I'm glad nothing is going on here. This border post is the farthest among the other strongholds, and there only the two of us here. I hope Valdomir won't attack this point, at least for now" The lord knight started a conversation with the sniper.
"You can say that again, we'll be doomed in a second if Valdomir attack us. Especially if they bring a large number of soldiers" The sniper replied as they felt the ground shaking. "Hey, is it just me or...the ground was shaking a while ago?" The lord knight's question was soon answered when the ground was shaking again, proving it was not just him.
"What the hell?!" The sniper and the lord knight got outside their tent to find a large number of monsters soldiers were storming right towards them. In the front line, Lord of Death was seen leading the soldiers.
"Get the message to Alexandria!!! Use your falcon!! Now!!" The lord knight shouted to the sniper. The sniper quickly put a message in one of his falcon's claw and set him flying. The falcon flew as quick as he could as Lord Of Death and his soldiers stepped on the tent, not to mention on the two warriors also.
At the same time, in the main temple in Payon.....
Elraven and Frea entered Fiorentin's room and found the former princess, Felicia, and Alphard inside the room. Although Fiorentin greeted them with a grumpy face and Felicia with an uneasy face, Alphard greeted them with smile and introduced himself, "My name is Alphard Pendragon. Nice to meet you, I believe you're Miss Frea, the leader of Palamedes".
"Nice to meet you too. My name is Frea, and this is Elraven" Frea returned the greetings politely. "Oh, so you're Elraven! George told me a lot about you, nice to see you" Alphard seemed so enthusiast when he shake hands with Elraven who respond with "Nice to see you, Prince Pendragon. It's an honor to see you in person".
"Well, the invited guests are finally here, let's hear the story they promised" Fiorentin slowly said as a sign that the greeting party is over for now. Frea and Elraven looked each other before Elraven start telling, "OK. During the battle against Lethe...............".
At the same time, inside one of the room in the stronghold near the bridge.....
"Talia! You're fine as always!! Give me a hug, darling!!" General Dorn hugged his wife as George and Olivia watched them. Talia returned the hug and said, "Glad you're fine, Donald. As expected from former General of Prontera Kingdom. And thanks heaven our two angels are fine, right sweetie?", the professor smiled seeing her daughter.
"It's nice to have a mother, right Olivia?" George whispered to the high priest who returned the champion's words with a smile and said, "Don't say that, George. Your father will be sad". George nodded when suddenly his father rushed inside the room.
"Dorn! Dorn! Thanks god, you're here! Emergency alert, Lord of death is attacking!!" General Hagi told the other four loudly and made them totally turned their attention to the breaking news.
Back inside the main temple....
Elraven and Frea have just finished their story. Fiorentin and Felicia fell quiet in disbelieve about what they just heard, although Alphard tried to remain calm and think. "Beelzephir The Chaos sealed the gods, Frea is another survivor from Rachel, and Elraven is a changeling? Thanks god I asked you to postpone the story, Elraven. Otherwise the festival would be ruined!!" Felicia slowly stated as Elraven nodded.
"Well, what interest me about your story is the point about the Prophecy of Eisenheim. The prophecy about the Armageddon, the savior, and the guardian. I think we need to know more about that prophecy if we want to win this war and moreover, stop Beelzephir The Chaos" Fiorentin tried to cool down the shocking atmosphere.
"And the point about Beelzephir's actions, didn't you fell weird at all?" Alphard ask his comrades. "Weird? What do you mean by weird?" Frea asked back. Alphard took a deep breath and start explaining as the others paid their attentions on him.
"Here's my point. Beelzephir The Chaos destroyed Rachel and the whole Arunfeltz continent, right? And based from what Gloom Under Night said, Beelzephir The Chaos is Valdomir's true leader. He is standing behind them. In other words, he's hiding. Why? He is strong enough to seal the gods but he let his underlings taking actions. Isn't it weird ? Why did he destroyed Rachel and then stop when he could destroy the whole Midgard? If my deduction is right, Beelzephir The Chaos must have a reason behind every single action he did until now. An unknown reason" Alphard finished his reasoning.
Fiorentin understood and responded her fiancé's words, "So, you're trying to say Beelzephir destroyed Rachel and supported Valdomir for a different reason, right? He is hiding behind Valdomir for an unknown reason, but if we connect The Prophecy of Eisenheim with Beelzephir The Chaos and Rachel, it's possible that the reason he destroyed Rachel was not to show his power off, but to hide the secret of the Prophecy of Eisenheim. Am I right, Alphard?". The prince smiled and nodded as an answer.
Elraven looked at them in awe, "Wow, they are so smart!! They deducted Beelzephir The Chaos' doings in no time!! No wonder Sagramore and the whole Midgard trust them!! Man, I feel somewhat bad after doubting them last night!!!".
Frea giggled seeing Elraven, "Now he understood why they became leaders of Rebellion armies in such a young age. Good for you, Elraven!".
"OK. Since the Prophecy of Eisenheim seems to be our top priority, we shall conquer Geffen then, right?" Felicia asked her leaders who nod again as their answer. "Geffen? Why Geffen?" Elraven didn't get his comrades' point.
"Didn't you mention that the Prophecy of Eisenheim was created long ago? Prontera and Geffen are the place you go when you want to find something related to the world on its prehistoric time. Since Prontera is currently unavailable, Geffen is our next destination to go" Felicia explained when she looked at Fiorentin, who put a sad expression on her face. Felicia knew she didn't like talking about Prontera since it brings back bad memories for her.
Felicia said, "Sorry", which Fiorentin replied with, "Never mind". Alphard pat the former princess' back to comfort her. Elraven who didn't understand what was going on (thanks to his insensitivity) was awarded a slow punch by Frea before he had the chance to say anything. "Why did she punch me? I wanted to ask why Fiorentin seemed somewhat sad!!!" Elraven insensitively said to himself. But he chose not to ask after his girlfriend glared him.
Suddenly, George rushed inside the the room and shouted, "Emergency!! Lord of Deaths is attacking in Payon's border!!". The whole room turned their attention to the attack. "Geffen can wait!" Fiorentin said as they rushed outside, preparing themselves for the upcoming battle.
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Well, that's it for this chapter. I wanted to give some explanation in this chapter so I can build another battle chapter. The next war will be the first real war, I'm so excited!! And I promise to do my best in rendering the action scenes!!! Don't worry, all character will get their own chance to make their actions in this war!! ^^
Hope u enjoy reading!! See u next chap!!