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

45. Strange Affairs

Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 44: Strange Affairs

The scene shifts over shifts over to Misty Keep within the Valley of Mists in Cayhill that Taichi and his forces inhabit. The skies above them were clear without a cloud in sight with a thin fog that covered across the valley. Numerous stars sprinkled the night sky as a gentle, cool breeze blows through the valley. A comforting sense of peace helped the surrounding knights and lingering merchants and civilians feel calm and at ease despite all that has been happening. Its been several weeks since everything happened and it felt like people were finally starting to get back to having some semblance of a normal life.

Because it was so late, most people in the fortress were asleep. The only ones awake were knights doing routine patrols and others that stood guard. Even when it seems like things are at peace, no one could afford to be too comfortable. They may not have the threat of Caius and his troops to deal with right at this moment, but the valley still posed some dangerous wildlife especially during the night when the more violent monsters come out. By now though, the knights and anyone willingly able to wield a sword in defense of Taichi and Emma had a good grip on things. They've even managed to wrangle in a few drifting mercenaries that have been displaced because of all that has been happening. Mercenary activities across all of Cayhill have almost essentially been shut down, which has left many without work and without work, they cant support themselves.

Since Taichi and Emma have some established connections with the various Guild Branches across Cayhill, they willingly take in any mercenary they can that are willing to set aside their differences and work together. Under normal circumstances, most mercenaries would avoid getting involved in anything relating to the royal families, but since they are all trapped in the same situation, it would only hurt their chances of survival if they didn't cooperate. So, the mercenaries that they've managed to pick up so far are aiding the knights in patrol and guard duty around the valley and the newly established village of Camille not too far from the valley.

Standing out on the overlook near the top of the fortress was Taichi leaning forward against the stone wall. He was staring up at the star-filled sky as he took in the view, a gentle breeze blowing across his face. "The night sky is so peaceful and calm. One wouldn't even know about the chaos that now envelopes these lands" he said. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as the recent events played back through his mind as if it were a record player. Most of his thoughts kept landing on Caius and the kind of person he used to be. "Caius, just what is your endgame? Total Domination?" he asked himself. He soon let out a soft sigh as he shook his head. "No. If that were the case, all of Cayhill would have been brought to heel by now" he said. Things just didn't make sense to him. The actions he has been taking these last few months prior to their recent invasion didn't add up to the kind of person he was. He thought back to how Volt once told him that people, especially Humans, can change, but this wasn't just a personality change. Caius was like an entirely different person.

As he contemplated on Caius, a strange female voice soon spoke out to him. What made this voice so strange was that it sounded almost robotic and artificial in nature. The voice spoke in a vocal tone that was feasibly impossible. "Perhaps you shouldn't be thinking of the what of it, but the why of it. Humanity may be a complex enigma, but there's always a drive that makes them do what they do" the voice said.

Taichi looked down looked down to where the voice was coming from and what he saw looked completely alien. The ring on his right hand was glowing, but what was most strange was that there was a small, miniature figure hovering over the ring. It was the figure of a female that looked almost like a projection of some kind. The figure clearly had a will of it's own as it moved and spoke freely. This was a sight that should make people question their sanity, but not Taichi. In fact, he chuckled lightly at her remark. "Funny to hear that from an AI, whose whole existence consists of an ever-changing code collection of 0s and 1s" he said.

The projected female figure put her hands on her waist, sighing and shaking her head. "The A.I.R.I System is more than just 0s and 1s, but a cognitive entity created for A.M.S operations. Artificially Intelligent Robotic Individuals are designed for the sole purpose of maintenance and overseeing Atomic Mechanical Soldiers. There's nothing "complex" about it" she said. She was throwing out terms that most other people wouldn't be able to understand. If someone were to overhear what she was saying, being confused would be putting their reactions lightly. Taichi, however, seemed to understand what she was talking about.

Taichi let out a slight nervous laugh. She said that there wasn't anything complex about her, but she seems to have forgotten where they were. "You seem to forget that you're on the wrong side of the Rift. Everything that you just said, it's all foreign and alien here, Ai. What would that be if it's nothing short of complex?" he asked.

The projected female figure named Ai tilted her head a bit in thought. "Apologies. It's only been a short while since hibernation protocols were deactivated, so my scanners and processors are still updating. I must ask inquire about something, however" she said, looking up at him with a look of curiosity.

Taichi had a feeling about what she was about to ask as it was a question he had expected her to ask almost immediately. "You wish to know why I deactivated hibernation protocols" he said.

Ai nodded at him as a miniature projected screen appeared in front of her, her finger seemingly scrolling through whatever it was that she was looking at. "Correct. According to my memory core, you ordered that the A.M.S to be placed in a permanent hibernation status to never be used again. This was recorded roughly 30 years ago. So, why bypass hibernation protocol? Why were we not dismantled as directed by protocol?" she asked. Once the A.M.S was put into a hibernated state, the A.I.R.I System that maintains it would also follow the same procedure. This usually meant that both would be decommissioned and dismantled. She didn't expect to ever be rebooted again.

Taichi let out a soft sigh, scratching the back of his head with his left hand, mumbling a bit to himself. "And destroy the only things I have left from my homeland? Besides, I don't ever recall saying that I knew how to do all that" he said. He fell silent for a few moments as he looked back up towards the sky. "Putting you into hibernation was the best way I could protect you. After all, we're partners and partners need to look out for one another" he said. He chuckled lightly before looking back down at the female projection. "Even if that partner is an artificial computer program that was built for mass destruction" he said.

Ai couldn't understand why he was so attached to an artificial program. She wasn't an actual living person, so she didn't find it a normal thing for a Human to become attached to an AI. "Even with all my processing power, I still can't understand your way of thinking" she said. She was designed to be a tool for a means to an end. The concept of relationships should have had no meaning for her. Yet, Taichi has always treated her with the same respect as if she were a living person. She was about to say something else when her gaze briefly shifted over towards the doorway behind him. She started to pick up the presence of someone approaching them. "I'm detecting someone approaching" she said.

Taichi nodded at her. "Alright. I'll let you go and handle the needed maintenance and software upgrades for the A.M.S. It's not the time for others to see you right now, in any case. Keep me updated on the progress" he said. There was a good chance that he was going to need the A.M.S at some point in the future. It was a powerful asset that he had and would easily be able to shift the tide of battle were he to deploy it to the battlefield, but it was also dangerous at the same time. A danger that would expose himself and may create more problems that they don't need right now.

Ai nodded and her figure soon disappeared along with the glow coming from the ring on his finger. After about another minute of silence or so, Shana walked out from the dark doorway. She bought her hand on her hip, tilting her head slightly. "I thought I heard a voice over here. I was looking for you" she said. She walked on over next to him and gazed out across the valley. "Talking to yourself out here?" she asked.

Taichi shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Something like that. An old man like myself tends to do that in their old age" he said, jokingly. Very few people knew what secret he had and those people were Emma and her parents, the former King and Queen of Eresseas. Not even his most trusted companions knew of it or even his own daughter. It was a secret that would flip everything on it's head if word got out in more ways than one. However, he had a sneaking suspicion that Shana knew what it was, but has never been able to confirm it.

Shana leaned forward against the stone railing, closing her eyes and taking in the smell of the valley air. "Hmm? Is that so?" she asked. Even though he tries to hide it, she knew that he had a deeply guarded secret. He had caught sight of it years ago, but has kept it to herself. If it wasn't something that he wanted to divulge, then he must have a good reason not to do so. She's also seen what it does to him and how much of a heavy toll his body is placed under. He was someone that she considered as her best friend and rival. Seeing the toll that his body is put under from this secret was what sparked her to become the person she was today, a destructive force to blow through any obstacle. As close as he was to his old companions, there was always something about him that felt off. After letting out a soft exhale, she glanced over towards him. "Also, you're not that old. You've still got plenty of years left for your prime. You not going to be outdone by Old Man Ray, are you? The man you still have yet to beat in a swordfight?" she asked.

Taichi felt the sting in her words and made him think back on old memories. "Emma's old man is simply in a league of his own. His old age never slowed him down or dulled his blade. Even now, he's probably cutting down trees on that remote island of his as if he were still a spirited young man" he said. Just thinking about Emma's father, the former king, made him shudder a bit. His strength went far beyond what someone his age should be capable of and makes him wonder how her mother, the former queen, is able to keep up with him. "Honestly, I don't know where he gets all of his strength from" he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Shana chuckled a bit and looked up towards the night sky. "There were very few people like him back then and even fewer now. So much has changed in 30 years, hasn't it? Seems like it was only yesterday we were fighting the Four Lords over territorial disputes, gross misuse of power and unlawful tax heights" she said.

The situation they were in now was vastly different compared to all of their old adventures. They were in uncharted waters and worst of all, everyone was split apart. The only support Taichi and Emma had was her. Raiku was the King of Esseand with his own problems and kingdom to deal with. Flynn has the Nightwings to manage in his efforts to bring an end to the corruption of Dolothlond's War Council. Maria is deep into her aetherology research in Lonéand has proven to be extremely difficult to get ahold of in recent days. Their last companion hasn't been seen or heard from nor does anyone know where they currently are. It's speculated that they were somewhere in Megrove and with the current restrictions when it comes to getting information out from there, it would make sense why no one's heard from them. If they were all together, they could all formulate a plan on how to deal with the situation. It would be like old times for them except for the fact that they'd be one person short. With the passing of their old companion, Nymeria Espers, they'd be left wanting strength. She was a powerful mage that commanded great power. Power that they could desperately use right about now.

Taichi closed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Compared to now, those were the easy days. Here, we thought we had seen the worst mankind had to offer. If Nym were still with us, she'd be pushing for action" he said. Nymeria was a source of great strength and support for their group. If someone were to stumble or panic, she would be the first to set things back on track. It was painful for everyone to see someone kindhearted and strong like her be taken down by some illness.

Shana scratched the back of her head a bit as she thought back on the past. The days that they had all spent together were some of the best memories she had. "That's Nym for you. As fragile as she was, she boasted a lot of power, both magically and supportively. She was the definition of a glass cannon, to be sure" she said. Thinking about the old days brought her some level of comfort. It's something they could all use right now especially with everyone scattered around. "As nice as it is to talk about old memories though, that's not why I was looking for you. Volt has shared with me some news you'll like to hear" she said.

Taichi tilted his head before turning to face her. "Some news? Hopefully, it's good news…" he said. The last thing he needed to hear was some sort of unexpected problem that had rose up.

Shana turned and leaned against the small stone wall that lined the overlook. "You'll be happy to know that the Great Spirit, Efreet has been awakened by Tsuki and his friends" she said. Even though Volt has isolated himself from the other Great Spirits, he can still sense any changes that occur with them and much like what happened when Frost was awakened, he immediately picked up on Efreet. "By all accounts, it seems the Princess and her companions are holding their own" she said.

Taichi was gladdened to hear about their progress. At the rate they were going, they'll have the other Great Spirits under their command in no time. "That's excellent to hear. I'm curious as to who it was that brought him in. If what you told us about Efreet is true, then whoever it is must carry a significant amount of power in order to keep him in check" he said. His thoughts fell back onto Tsuki and the companions that were with him. The one that seemed the most obvious to him was Ramza.

Tsuki could have been an option, but Efreet was someone who wields raw power. Power that he didn't seem capable enough to wield. He was the type that would balance strength and defense. Lynette was an obvious disregard because of her Healing Artes and Cheria was more the sort to strike with more precision. He never got to test Nagi's abilities, so his knowledge on her capabilities were limited to the brief reports he received from Elle. Based on what she said, she could also be a likely candidate since she had a reservoir of Mana that ran deep and untouched. With the proper training, she could become an avatar of pure destruction on the battlefield. The only reason why he didn't think it would be her though was because she was one of the very few people that were capable of wielding the element of Darkness.

As for Elle, she operated more purely on the defensive side of things and used techniques to bulk up her allies. Having the destructive power of Efreet wouldn't benefit her combat style. Phi was the type to make lightning-fast movements and dash around the field with her speed and agility. In a way, she was almost like Shana. Both shared the element of Lightning and could almost go head-to-head in terms of speed. The only difference was that Shana was more of an upfront fighter that puts the full might of Volt into her attacks while Phi used stealth and her fast movements to quickly disarm and stagger her opponents. Ruko was of a mix between Tsuki and Phi whereas he preferred having a balance of strength and defense, but also having some agility for his movements and a martial artist. Nothing needed to be said about Melphi though as they already knew her fighting style.

Shana was happy to know that their efforts were bearing fruit, but now that they've awakened two of the Great Spirits, then there was a high possibility that Caius will start to take serious action against them. "While this is welcoming news, it also paints a big target on them. Surely, Caius knows that they are starting to pose as a threat to him now. They've had it pretty easy so far, but it's only a matter of time before Caius steps in their way" she said.

Taichi had considered such a possibility. In fact, he had expected that it would happen at some point as they get closer to reawakening all of them. To make matters worse, there's not much they can do for them. Not right now, anyway. "You raise a good point. After all, he was the one responsible for the murders of some of our finest prior to his attack on us. He wanted to eliminate any potential threats before things could get started" he said. He thought back to the report Tsuki gave him upon his return to Eresseas, particularly the two encounters he had with him. Both times, he mentioned that Caius proclaimed him as a potential threat and made two attempts on his life, only to be foiled in the end. It wouldn't be too outrageous to think that he would try something on them again. "We'll need to step up our offensives if we're to keep his eyes on us and away from them" he said. It was then he came up with an idea on how he could go about doing that. "And I think I might know of a way. Could you go find Georg and Alba for me? Have them meet me in the war room in 20 minutes" he said.

Shana tilted her head a bit, unsure about what he could be planning. Whatever it was, she knew there was a sense of recklessness and danger involved with it because he had a certain look to his eyes that she knew all too well. That feeling was only cemented more when he was asking for a powerhouse like Georg and a battle maniac like Alba to come together. When the three of them take to the field together, they can all go a bit overboard. Nevertheless, she nodded at him. "You got it. Just don't plan anything too reckless, okay?" she asked. With that, she pushed off the small stone ledge and headed back towards the doorway of the overlook and disappeared around it's darkened corner.

Taichi closed his eyes once more, taking a deep breath before looking down at the strange ring on his finger. "Maybe it's time for a bit of field testing to dust off the cobwebs…" he said. He rolled his arm around so that the palm of his hand was facing up. Moments later, the ring on his finger started to glow again when suddenly something started to form around the lower half of his right arm. A strange light started to appear around it before the lower half of his arm became encased with a mechanical shell that looked extremely advanced in terms of technology. It was similar to that of some type of armor. He stared at his mechanical arm for a few more moments before making it disappear with a flash of light. Afterwards, he headed towards the doorway and soon left the overlook.

The scene soon shifts back across the seas to the town of Jibril. It was moments before the volcano erupted when Tsuki and the others returned. The quakes and tremors grew much stronger as they made their way across the lava fields and grasslands, but didn't run into too much trouble on their way back. When they returned to town, they noticed that any able-bodied mercenary and town guard were trying to get people down into the town's emergency shelter. Aiding in their efforts was Mercenary Branch's receptionist, Ichiro and the Branch Leader, Kasai. When they noticed their group stumble back into town with their own share of injuries, they rushed on over to them.

Kasai stopped within feet in front of them and looked at each of them. They were covered in ash and injuries, both serious and minor. Her first reactions were to ensure that they were fine. "You're back! Are you all alright!?" she asked. She was greatly concerned for them since they were within the volcano as things were getting worse.

Tsuki nodded at her. Most of their injuries were healed up by Lynette, so what she was probably seeing now were minor scrapes and bruises from monsters they had to fend off as they made their way back to town. "We're fine. It was a pretty close call though" he said.

Ichiro breathed a sigh of relief. When the volcano started to show signs of increased activity, he could only worry for them. "What about the Wellspring? Were you able to find it?" he asked.

Nagi nodded at his question. With the Wellspring gone, they should start seeing a decrease in volcanic activity going forward. The only reason things are as they are now was because of their fight with Stahler. "Yes. Ramza was able to awaken Efreet and thus eliminate the Wellspring. Once the balance of Aer stabilizes around the volcano, you shouldn't have to worry about anymore eruptions" she said.

Kasai was relieved to hear the good news. The main reason why the volcano was so active was because of the Wellspring. With it's influence now gone, she hopes that the town can be more at peace. "That's good to hear. I'm sure the townspeople will also be pleased to know that as well" she said.

Ichiro tilted his head a bit and looked at the group once more. He noticed that they were short two people. "Wait, where are the other two? I don't see them with you" he said.

Kasai realized that both Melphi and Ramza were missing from the group. "You're right. Nothing happened to them, I hope…" she said.

Cheria shook her head with a reassuring smile. "On our way out, we discovered where the Shogunate were and since it was too dangerous for all of us to go, they went off on their own while we escaped" she said. She glanced back at the volcano for a moment.

Kasai became more concerned with this information. "Wait, so they're both still in there!?" she asked. She looked up towards the top of the volcano and could see the dark smoke clouds coming out.

Lynette was pretty worried that they left them behind, but she was confident that they'll make it out. "They said that they had a back-up plan if things go south, so I'm sure that-" she said.

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the surrounding area as massive quake shook the town. As they looked towards where the explosion came from, they could see that the volcano had finally reached it's boiling point and erupted. The black clouds of ash and smoke shot high up into the sky as a river of lava came pouring out from the top and along the sides of the volcano. A thick downfall of ash came raining down over the entire area. Everyone had their eyes locked on the volcano as tension and anxiety grew between them. After what felt like an eternity, they saw a massive pillar of fire shoot high up into the sky just off to the volcano's right side. Moments after this column of fire disappeared, they saw something fly out from where it originated from shortly before a stream of lava came shooting out.

Ruko pointed up towards the sky where they saw something fly out. "Look! Is that them!?" he asked.

Before anyone else could react, they felt another tremor, but this time, it was different. It wasn't a tremor caused by the volcano. From where they stood, they could see a large, wide wall of earth shoot up all across the fields that divided the lava fields and the grassy plains. The earthen walls were tall and acted as a shield to protect the town and surrounding area from the lava flows. None of them knew what was going on or who created the wall, but they appreciated it nonetheless.

After a few minutes passed, the flying object, which was Melphi in her dragon form, came flying towards the town and soon landed just on the outskirts of the entrance. When on the ground, Ramza and the ones they rescued soon climbed off her back. He helped Miyuki down since her arm was still injured and bleeding out. Once everyone was off, Melphi transformed back into her half-Human appearance. She felt a bit tired from the whole ordeal as she slowly stood back up only to stumble a bit backwards. Amelia caught onto her and used her body to support her. As for the other rescued Dragonkin, they all remained behind them all as they were wary being so close to a Human settlement.

Lynette looked over at them and was relieved to see that they were both okay. "You're both okay!" she said. She saw that the girl next to Ramza was pretty seriously injured, so she rushed over to her side and started to perform Healing Artes on her to fix her up.

Miyuki could feel the intense warmth of her Healing Artes. It was a warmth that was far greater than that of when Amelia tried to heal her. The difference in skill was clear. "Th-thanks…" she said.

Phi, now able to walk on her own, turned and approached them. "What about the Shogunate?" she asked.

Ramza nodded at her with a satisfied grin. "All taken care of. Not only that, but the chamber where they were mining the Prismatic Crystals was filled with lava. Jibril should be able to rest easier now" he said. With both the Wellspring gone and the mining operations halted, volcanic activity should see a drastic shift for the better.

Tsuki walked up to them and looked at the group they brought with them. "Looks like everyone's none worse for wear. I take it that this is your niece and our missing Queen?" he asked.

Amelia walked over to them once Melphi was able to support herself. She looked at Tsuki and others before turning her gaze towards Ramza. "These must be those friends you told us about" she said. She returned her gaze over towards them. On their flight back, he had given them a very quick rundown of things that led up to his arrival back at the volcano. "I appreciate everything you've all done. I don't know how I'll ever repay you" she said.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head. He felt a bit awkward for the appreciation she was giving them when they didn't really do anything. Despite that though, his instincts as a knight drove him to bow to her out of respect. It didn't matter that she was the Queen of another kingdom. "We didn't really do all that much, Your Majesty. You don't owe us anything" he said.

Amelia shook her head slowly with a gentle smile. "Nonsense. You've all supported Ramza up to this time and if it weren't for you, then there's a chance that this reunion wouldn't have been possible" she said. She soon bowed to them in return. "As a Queen and person both, please allow me to express my gratitude" she said.

Miyuki was a bit surprised that Ramza was surrounded by people. He was usually the lone wolf type, even when he was still serving as a General. She had been worried that he kept going about things on her own, so she was relieved to see that he was sharing some of that burden. "It's nice to know that Uncle has opened himself up more. I was worried he'd grow old and alone" she said.

Ramza shot a few glares towards her because of her comment. "Hey now. Who's getting old now? I still got a lifetime ahead of me" he said. He didn't take that comment too well, but it had been a while since he had heard her sass, so he let it slide.

Ichiro scratched the back of his head. While it was nice that they were all reunited, they had bigger things to worry about right now. "I hate to be the one to break this up, but we have an erupting volcano to worry about. Who knows how long those earth walls will last" he said.

In that moment, a deep voice spoke out with a strange accent. "Ye dinna 'ave to worry about me walls for they have the blessin' of Gnome" the voice said.

The group turned to face the direction where the strange voice came from. What they saw surprised them. A small, round man with the height of a Human child and a large, burly brown beard with a large hammer on their back came walking into the town from the fields. None of them expected to see one of his kind around these parts. For most of the group, it was the first time they've seen someone of his race. As for the rest, it was a pretty rare sight to see one outside of their caves and mountains.

Tsuki has seen them in books and documents, so to see one in the flesh was a surreal experience. "Wait, is that…a Dwarf?" he asked.

The small figure looked towards him, folding his arms close to his chest. "An odd question. Haven't ye ever seen a Dwarf before?" he asked. He took a close look at Tsuki and the others. Judging by their equipment and the aura they give off, it was obvious to him that they weren't locals. "Hmm…not exactly locals, are ye?" he asked.

Melphi didn't expect to run into a Dwarf here especially since there weren't any known Dwarven settlements in the region. It couldn't be a coincidence that one would appear now after what they went through within the volcano. "It's not often we see a Dwarf outside of trade routes. What brings you out here?" she asked. She gazed down towards him for a moment with a strange look on her face before looking away.

The dwarf looked up at Melphi with a brief surprised look on his face. Dragonkin were easily recognizable for him, so he wasn't too surprised to see one. What did surprise him though was the sight of Melphi. He was about to say something, but judging by the look on her face, he got the feeling that it was best to not say what he was going to say. "I could say 'bout ye. Wasn't expectin' runnin' into Dragonkin here" he said. He glanced back towards the erupting volcano off into the distance. "I came here to check up on an ol' settlement, but it looks like I cannae do that. Not with the volcano eruptin' like that" he said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit as she thought back to the ancient, abandoned settlement they stumbled upon on their way to the Wellspring. "Wait, you mean don't mean the one located within the lava tunnels, do you?" she asked.

The dwarf shifted his gaze over towards Cheria, nodding at her. "Aye lass, that be the very same one. How'd ya know?" he asked. Not many people traversed into the lava tunnels and even fewer would go beyond the main shaft, mainly due to the influence of the Wellspring.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head a bit. "Well, it's a bit hard to explain…" he said. He glanced back over towards Amelia and Miyuki. Since they were both affiliated with Esseand and have been away for quite some time, there's a good chance that they don't know what's been going on around the world. "Perhaps we should explain everything" he said.

Kasai was interested to hear about what they encountered within the lava tunnels, so she wanted to be a part of the debriefing. "We can discuss things back at the Guild Hall. Ichiro, can I leave the town matters to you?" she asked.

Ichiro nodded at her, tapping his chest. "Leave things to me. We should have enough hands to help us, so take as long as you need" he said. With the Dwarf's wall of earth protecting the area from the flows of lava, the only thing they really needed to worry about were ash and raining embers. These were very minor problems, so having one less pair of hands wouldn't be a problem.

Amelia shook her head. "I'm sorry, but would it be alright if me and Miyu catch up with you later? We would like to bring Mahrie back to her mother first" she said. The two of them have been separated for quite a while and the both of them told her that they'd bring her back.

Miyuki, now having the worst of her injuries healed, was in agreement. They had left Nephie at the inn and was currently awaiting for any news. With the eruption, there was no doubt that she was worried for their safety. "Yes. She's waiting for us" she said.

Ramza nodded at her. "Sounds good. We should also have the other Dragonkin looked at by the doctor…" he said. He glanced over to the other Dragonkin and saw that they were very apprehensive about their surroundings. "…but maybe, that isn't such a good idea" he said.

Melphi stepped forward towards the other Dragonkin, glancing back towards Ramza. "You can go on ahead. I'll make sure they get treated and meet up with you all later. It'll give me a chance to figure out how they wound up in that situation too" she said. With her presence there, the others wouldn't have to be so on edge. As she expected, the looks on their faces started to calm down a bit when she spoke out. As for the circumstances that led up to their capture, she was very curious to hear of it. They were residents of the Colonies and if the abduction had happened on its own soil, then there should have been an immediate response from the other Dragonkin. The fact that none of them seemed to have been alerted meant that something is going on within the mountains.

Tsuki looked down towards the Dwarf. "You don't mind if we have we talk for a bit, do you?" he asked. He didn't want to impose on him if he had other plans.

The dwarf shook his head. He was pretty curious about their group the more he looked at them. Not only that, but he was picking up certain types of Aer that he was quite familiar with. "Aye, I could use a bit of restin' meself, anywho" he said.

Kasai turned into the direction of the Guild Branch. "Be careful out here. We won't really be able to relax until all of this passes" she said. She put her left hand on her hip and pointed off into the distance with the other. "The Guild Hall awaits!" she said.

With Kasai leading Tsuki and the others back to the Guild Branch, Miyuki and Amelia took Mahrie and wandered off towards the town while Melphi guided the other Dragonkin the opposite way towards the clinic. When they returned to the Guild Branch, Kasai led them back into the conference room that Tsuki and the others were in before heading out to the volcano. Everyone took their seats around the table and began to speak. Tsuki and the group started their debriefing on what happened with the Wellspring, their encounter with Stahler and Efreet's reawakening. Ramza did his best to explain what happened when he and Melphi confronted the Syndicate Shinobi. He wasn't sure exactly what happened with Melphi with her sudden shift of power, but he told them that she was apparently given the title of the 'Azure Spark' and that her circumstances and position within the Dragon Colonies seemed to be more than what they had anticipated.

During the talk, they also mentioned that they stumbled upon the old, abandoned settlement which belonged to the Dwarves from ancient times. This news brought some relief to the Dwarf. It all made sense to him now on how they knew about the abandoned settlement. It wasn't exactly a hidden secret, but normal people wouldn't venture that deep into the volcano especially with the negative effects from the nearby Wellspring.

The Dwarf was stroking his beard as he mumbled to himself. "'Tis good to hear that the ancient magic still holds. I reckon it won't last much longer though" he said. It's a shame, but there was nothing that can be done with the deteriorating magic.

Lynette tilted her head a bit. The Dwarf had a somber and troubled expression on his face. "What…do you mean?" she asked.

The Dwarf let out a heavy sigh, folding his arms. "First, let me introduce meself. The name's Asgrim Gloin of the Muzgardt Clan. Pleased to meet ya" he said. He stroked his beard a bit more as he got into his introductions and the reasons for him being there.

Kasai raised her eyebrow with curiosity. She recognized the clan name immediately. "Wait, THE Muzgardt Clan? The descendants of the Embermeads!?" she asked. Anyone well-seasoned and traveled as she was would know who they were.

Nagi looked at the both of them with a confused look. Based on her reaction, this clan of Dwarves was apparently very famous. "Who are they?" she asked.

Kasai looked over towards Nagi and then shot glances at the rest of the group who were all, for the most part, just as confused as she was. "There are a number of different clans amongst the Dwarves just as there are different colonies amongst Dragonkin. While most of the clans didn't have much renown to their name, there have been a few that have been marked as legends throughout history. The most prominent one to have ever existed was known as the Embermead Clan" she said. She sat back in her chair, folding her arms as she stroked her chin, thinking back on her history. "According to ancient texts, the Embermead Clan played a vital role in Years 1500 and 1505. If it weren't for the ancient Dwarves, the old heroes wouldn't have been able to defeat Sarex, the archfiend. It was also their contribution that helped reign in worldly affairs in 1505 when Humans were pitted against Spirits and their own kind" she said.

Asgrim was impressed that she knew such privileged information. Not many people outside of the Elves and Dragonkin knew what role the Dwarves served. "Impressive, lass. Ye are definitely knowledgeable about the subject for some as young as ye. Which begs the question, where did ye learn of it?" he said. He was definitely curious on where she would have came across such information. What she knew was basically considered forbidden knowledge and was heavily restricted.

Kasai looked over towards Asgrim with a confident grin. "Let's just say, I've gotten to know a few people during my time as a mercenary and some of those people know things that most of the world isn't privy to" she said. If the world knew what her contacts knew, things would be rolled up on their heads with potential collapse of society in certain regions. It's the job of these contacts of hers to keep that information secret and she wasn't about to divulge them, even in trusted company.

Asgrim stroked his beard as he mumbled to himself. It wasn't his business to pry, so he didn't want to press her for more information than that. "Hmm…ye don't say…" he said. He looked back towards the rest of the group. "Anyways, I was sent out to evaluate the ancient magic of our forebearers. It doesn't matter how powerful it once was, over time, the potency and effectiveness starts to wane. Last time it was inspected, it was projected that it would only last a few more months" he said. His gaze shifted over towards Tsuki. "Tell me, lad. Did ya see anything out of the ordinary happen?" he asked.

Tsuki nodded as he remembered the entrance to the abandoned settlement closed tightly. "Yes. We were lucky enough to make our way through the settlement before the walls closed in on us" he said.

Asgrim breathed a sigh of relief. While he wasn't sure how much longer the magic will still work, it was nice to know that it hasn't completely dried up yet. "That's good to hear. I'll still need to inspect it meself once the volcano settles" he said.

Ruko didn't understand the point of checking up on an old defense system when the settlement had been long abandoned for centuries. "Forgive me if you find this offensive, but why inspect it? It was clear that it's been centuries since anyone has resided there. Why bother if no one lives there anymore?" he asked.

Asgrim shifted his gaze towards Ruko. "That settlement was the home of our ancestors, the Embermead Clan. As the young lass said, the Embermead Clan was once a legendary icon, not just amongst us Dwarves, but as craftsmen all across the world. Many people desired works done by the Embermead, including various royalties" he said. Even in the world today, works done by the Embermead Clan are counted among as sought-after relics and antiques that fetch for exorbiant Gald. To his knowledge, the highest one of their works have been sold off for was close to 5 million Gald. "It shouldn't come as a surprise then when us Dwarves want to try our best to preserve our history. A task that falls onto the Muzgardt Clan as descendants that we've upheld since the clan's inception. However, there's not much more we can do, I reckon" he said.

Lynette was interested in the type of magic the ancient Dwarves once used. "You mentioned that the walls you erected out in the fields were blessed by Gnome. What did you mean by that? Is it related to the ancient magic?" she asked. If they had ties with Gnome, then there was more than meets the eyes.

Asgrim shook his head a bit. "No. The magic used by the Embermead Clan was unique to the clan itself. Once all of the clansmen were gone, so too was the magic" he said. He reached into his bag and pulled out a crystal with a yellow tint to it. "Us Dwarves are masters of Earth, so it's little to no wonder that all of us are connected to Gnome. So long as we have this crystal, we can keep his Wellspring in check" he said.

Tsuki raised his brow with curiosity. "Wait, so you already know the truth behind the Wellsprings?" he asked.

Asgrim took another glance at the assembled group, his gaze returning to Elle. "Normally, this is where I'd shut me trap, but considerin' that ya have a High Elf amongst ya little group and already aware of it, I reckon there's no harm in tellin' ya 'bout it" he said. Such information would normally be regulated, but since they were already past that point, there was no sense in withholding anything. He placed the crystal down onto the table before stepping back from the table. "There aren't any other beings out there that have the same wavelength of Aer" he said. Considering that the Great Spirits haven't been around since Year 1505, it was a no brainer that they'd fall into myth and legend. This was cemented more as certain bits of history was deemed forbidden and withheld from public eye. "Unfortunately, preserving history does have its downsides as much of it never sees the light of day again. There are certain groups out there that will do anything and everything to prevent those scraps of history from ever re-emerging, the Elves, in particular" he said.

Cheria tilted her head a bit. His comment about the Elves had a dark, ominous tone to it. "The Elves…?" she asked..

Elle could sympathize with him. History should be preserved, which is why the Elves are so adamant about collecting anything that could be tied to the past. She was reminded of the time when Melphi pulled out a book containing ancient Elven script back in Basilwell and it was mentioned that the Elves would have taken it away from her without question if they knew she had it. With the mention of Elves, several images played back through her head. They depicted a young High Elf girl, a small child in the eyes of Humans, injured and chased through a dark forest by a group of other Elves. "Elves would go to extreme lengths in order to ensure that certain parts of history are hidden away. If one knows or reveals too much, they become a liability and are swiftly dealt with extreme prejudice. No one is safe from Elven Law…" she said, grabbing onto her left arm while looking down at her feet. More images flashed in her mind of that same young girl that found herself cornered, crying and scared out of her mind as four older Elves slowly came at her with their weapons pointed at her. "…I once knew a little girl who accidently came to know a little too much and became an instant pariah in the eyes of her village. Even her own parents turned on her. She was then hunted down by her former friends and neighbors in order to prevent any information from getting out…" she said. More images continued to flash through her mind. As the four Elves approached the scared little girl, an adult Human male with long, spikey brown hair carrying a sword suddenly appeared between them. The Human quickly dealt with the four Elves, throwing them aside like trash. After that, the Human would turn to face and kneel down to the small girl with a smile on his face and holding his hand out towards her as if to welcome her. "If it wasn't for a Human swordsman passing through, the little girl would have been killed" she said.

Lynette couldn't help but be in shock of what she was saying as she covered her mouth. To think that the Elves would even silence a mere child for the sake of history preservation was an absurd thought. It made her feel disgusted. "Gods…keeping certain parts of history a secret is one thing, but to kill an innocent child over it!?" she shouted.

Cheria has heard that the Elves live under different laws than Humans do with some of those being on the extreme side, but she didn't think that were that extreme. "That's beyond cruel. Words can't even describe it. Was she okay afterwards? What happened after that?" she asked.

Elle was silent for a few moments as more memories flashed through her mind. This time, it was memories of that little girl in the loving care of a family of Humans that consisted of the adult male that saved her, his wife and their young son. She was adopted into the family and they treated her like any other person. They lived in a small, quiet village in the countryside where the little girl was able to live a peaceful life for the next few years. "The Human male adopted the little girl and was loved by all around her. Communication was difficult at first since she only knew the Elven tongue, but her family and neighbors all pitched in to teach her how to speak Human language. It's been…a long time since I've heard anything else about her though, so I can't say how she is now" she said.

Cheria was relieved to hear that the young girl was able to return to some semblance of a normal life. After being turned on by your own people and family, it must have left her traumatized. "That's good to hear. Hopefully, she's been able to live a good life" she said.

Tsuki was silent as Elle talked about the young girl. All he could do was stare at her with his arms crossed, not saying a word. After a few moments, he soon shook his head with a soft chuckle. "Whoever they were, they had to of been quite skilled to take on four Elves on his own" he said.

Asgrim had one eye open as he looked over in Elle's direction. "Moving back onto the previous topic, ye mentioned the task of reawakening the Great Spirits. Is it truly possible?" he asked. While the Dwarves knew the truth behind the Wellsprings, they had no idea that it was possible to reawaken the Great Spirits.

Elle nodded at him. "Yes, it's possible" she said. She glanced over towards Ramza for a moment, nodding at him before stepping away from the table.

Ramza joined Elle by stepping away too to give some space. "We've already reawakened two of them" he said.

Both of them took out the objects that contained the essence of Frost and Efreet, the Frozen Tear and the Prismatic Crystal and started to channel their Mana through it. After a few moments, both objects started to emit a bright light blue and red glow that soon filled the room. Not long later, the transparent figures of Frost and Efreet appeared next to them. Everyone could feel both intense heat and the freezing cold almost instantly. Both Kasai and Asgrim were shocked beyond words to see two Great Spirits right before their eyes.

Asgrim took a moment to collect his thoughts as he stroked his beard. Despite being of different elements, their Aer was undeniably similar to that of Gnome. He's seen many things throughout his lifetime, but nothing quite like this. "Honestly, I thought ye were pulling me leg when ye said that ya have both Frost and Efreet on ya side. To see the spiritual legends themselves is quite an honor" he said.

Kasai couldn't help but let out a slight nervous laugh as a sweat drop rolled down her cheek. She didn't expect them to actually awaken Efreet and see not one, but two of the Great Spirits under the same roof as her. "Y-you really did awaken him…" she said. She glanced over towards Tsuki and the others. "If you guys weren't working as temporary mercenaries, I'd be trying to scout you all immediately right about now" he said. There was definitely more to them that meets the eye.

Asgrim continued to stroke his beard as he took all the information he's learned into account with what he already knew. What he wanted to know what how they managed to do it because it would have taken more than just the objects they hold in their possession to achieve that. "The Muzgardt Clan has been tryin' to figure out how to awaken Gnome, but we've only partially succeeded. How did ya do it?" he asked.

Tsuki was silent for a moment before answering. He wanted to feel for Allie's energy, but it would seem that she was still asleep and recovering. "The key that your missing is the Aer that was stolen from the Great Spirits by the Humans back in Year 1505. A young Spirit girl by the name of Allie, who is bound to the sword that I carry, harbors all of that stolen Aer for reasons unknown. Not even she remembers why" he said.

Asgrim shifted his gaze and locked his eyes onto Tsuki. "A Spirit girl, eh?" he said, stroking his beard more. He gave him a more closer look and what he saw intrigued him greatly. "Well now, yer quite the interestin' Human, boy. I can sense the presence of multiple wavelengths of Aer around ya. Quite powerful ones too with one in particular that stands out" he said. His gaze shifted down towards the sword strapped to his waist. He sensed an immense level of power coming from it. More specifically, he was sensing the Spirit girl he referred to as Allie. While he could easily tell that much of her own power was being suppressed, whoever this Allie was, she was by far the strongest being he has ever felt, possibly even more so than the Great Spirits themselves. This was both interesting and deeply concerning at the same time.

Elle glanced over towards the yellow crystal that was on the table. Thinking about it now, it all should have made sense to her a lot sooner. She was reminded of when they were told that while Gnome was partially awakened, communicating with him was still impossible.
"It should have been obvious. If Gnome was already partially awakened, then it would stand to reason that someone else was already in possession of his catalyst and was fully aware of it's purpose" she said. She wasn't sure why she didn't connect the dots far sooner.

Ruko tilted his head a bit as he stared at the yellow crystal. Something about it made him transfixed on it. After staring at it for a solid minute, he shook his head to snap himself out of his daze. "Well, that makes things easier for us. Now, all we have to do is go to where Gnome's Wellspring is" he said. He reached and picked up the crystal in order to give it a closer look. "I thought finding the catalysts would be harder than this, but we've had some pretty good luck so fa-" he said.

Suddenly, the crystal shined a bright, almost blinding yellow. For Asgrim and Kasai, they jumped back with surprise and caution. The two of them didn't know what was happening. As for the rest, however, it was obvious as it was the same reaction the Frost Tear, Raven's Claw and Prismatic Crystal had when Elle, Lynette and Ramza touched them. This only meant one thing.

Ramza stroked his chin with an intriguing look in his eye. "Hmm…this can't be just a coincidence, can it?" he asked. All things considered, everything was going pretty well for them.

Ruko looked towards the rest of the group with a slight confused look on his face. "So, does this mean that I'm chosen to be the one that bears Gnome?" he asked.

Frost nodded at him as she hovered up over the table. "Considering the track record so far, I'd say it's pretty high chance" she said.

Nagi was glad to hear the good news, but it wasn't all happy. After all, Gnome was far out of their reach right now. "But, isn't his Wellspring located inside the cave near Esseand? We won't be able to do anything until things with f are settled…" she said. After all, they were sent to Nargelond for the sole purpose of killing Kaito Isamu, which would cause the War Council to collapse. In their present situation, that was a task that wasn't about to be completed anytime soon.

Phi nodded to herself slowly. They were warned that they may not be able to return to Ersheath for a while. "We'll have to deal with him once things blow over…whenever that will be" she said. It was hard to say just how long they'll be around Nargelond. They had already spent several weeks making their rounds across Ersheath and since the terrain is a lot more treacherous and restrictive compared to the fields across Ersheath, there was a good chance that they'll be spending just as long, if not longer, around Nargelond.

Tsuki looked over towards Asgrim. Since the crystal resonated with Ruko, that meant that only he was able to fully utilize it. "Do you mind if we take the crystal? We'll need it in order to awaken Gnome. It doesn't have to be right now, though" he said. Realistically, there was no need for them to have the crystal on them at this moment. If the Muzgardt Clan is keeping a close eye on Gnome's Wellspring, then It shouldn't be too difficult to get the crystal later.

Asgrim glanced over towards Tsuki, crossing his arms. "I would need to ask the Chief. That crystal belongs with the clan, so it's not like I can just hand it off easily" he said. Getting permission would be very difficult since it wouldn't be easy to convince them that he found a way to awaken Gnome without physical proof. What's worse is that, like them, he was also stuck in Nargelond while the rest of the clan had recently made their new home in the mountains surrounding Esseand. He didn't find out that Border Town has restricted entry into and out of the kingdom until the other day when he arrived in Marstead.

Ruko set the crystal back down on the table and scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's not like we need it right this minute anyway. At least, we know where we can find it now for when the time comes" he said.

Asgrim took the crystal and put it back into his bag. Seeing as how he's gotten some answers from them while offering some of his own, it was about time he got back to what he initially came here for. "Well, I'd better be on me way. I'll inspect those walls I put up before heading towards the volcano" he said.

Efreet looked down at Asgrim as he prepared to take his leave. "Things around the volcano should be settling down now, but I'd take some extra precaution, just in case. With my Wellspring gone and it no longer having any adverse effects, there shouldn't be too much to worry about now though" he said. He expects for the volcano to die down eventually and maybe go back into being inactive somewhere down the line.

Asgrim nodded, looking towards Efreet. He still couldn't believe that he was seeing him in the spiritual flesh. "Don't ye worry about me. I've been to my fair share of dangerous environments, so I know how to take care of meself" he said. He soon turned and headed towards the door. He opened it and stopped for a moment before leaving, looking back towards the group. "I may not fully understand everythin' that ya said, but it sounds like rough times await. Be careful as ye move up north. Tensions are risin' day by day amongst the people" he said. With that, he left the room and closing the door behind him.

Lynette couldn't help but be a bit worried. It's been about 40 minutes since the eruption occurred and thanks to their efforts inside the tunnels and the walls that Asgrim put up, the situation was able to stay under control. However, there was still real danger that involved his trek into the tunnels. She knew that he said he was used to this type of thing, but she couldn't help but be concerned a little. "Will he...really be alright by himself?" she asked.

Efreet mumbled a bit to himself for a moment before nodding in assurance to her. "While Gnome hasn't been fully awakened, that crystal he holds contains part of him. If he's as capable as I know Dwarves are, he'll be fine. Even if it's a little, it seems he has the ability to tap into what little power he has of Gnome" he said. If it were simple tasks like forming new pathways or clearing debris, he should be more than fine. He may not be able to utilize them in a fight, but Dwarves are more than your typical craftsmen. They may not be very agile, but they can pack a punch with the large hammers they carry on their backs.

Kasai sat back in silence as Asgrim left the room. With him gone, she can move on to a discussion she's been wanting to have with Tsuki and his group even more so now after seeing Efreet and Frost. "Now that we have the room to ourselves, I think it's time you all give me the full story about yourselves" she said. She took a deep breath before giving the group a good, hard look. "Like I said before, I didn't truly believe that you'd be able to awaken Efreet. I'm sorry for doubting you all" she said. She then bowed to the group apologetically.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head. He couldn't really blame her for doubting them. It's not like they showed her any proof before besides word of mouth and a letter of recommendation. "I-it's fine, really. Don't worry about it" he said. He reached for the Aetherial Veil attached to his waist and pulled it off, setting it on the table. "If it weren't for this, we wouldn't have made it in as far as we did" he said.

Kasai looked at the Aetherial Veil and examined it. It was obvious that the device worked as it was intended for. Not only that, it was still in perfect condition for further future use. "Well, I'm glad this old thing worked as intended. I won't lie and say that I didn't have my worries about it working…" she said with a nervous sweat.

Ruko looked at her with a slightly displeased expression. "Wait, you mean you gave us a device that you couldn't even say if it worked properly?" he asked. He wasn't sure how he felt about her comment.

Kasai let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head. "Hey, it worked in the end, right?" she said. She cleared her throat and pushed it back towards Tsuki. "Anyways, with the Wellspring gone, we won't really have a need for this anymore, so you guys can hold onto it. If it was enough to protect you from Efreet's Wellspring, then it should serve you just fine for the others" she said.

Efreet grunted a bit as if to acknowledge what she said. "Considering that I'm the strongest of the Great Spirits next to Volt, I'm inclined to agree" he said.

Frost glanced over at Efreet for a brief moment before folding her arms. "Way to toot your own horn…" she said. Not like she couldn't argue against him anyway since he spoke the truth.

Efreet turned his gaze over towards Frost. He may have blazing holes for eyes, but it was obvious that he was almost glaring at her. "I'm just stating a fact, that's all! You and Undine are no slouches yourselves, you know" he said.

Frost shrugged her shoulders a bit, shaking her head. "Undine isn't exactly the type to pick fights unlike a certain blazing daemon and I'm not exactly the strongest out there. I'm not sure what you see in us" she said. While she appreciated the sentiment, it felt more of a bother than anything.

Efreet let out a soft, deep grunt. "You say that, but you both put up a tough fight when you fuse together, passive as you two try to be" he said. He shrugged his bulky shoulders. Their top strength is when the two of them combine their powers. That was also their biggest weakness, however, especially for Frost.

Kasai let out a nervous laugh once more as the two of them bickered back and forth. It felt a bit surreal to hear banter like that coming from beings of legend and myth. "Hearing the Great Spirits bicker with each other almost feels like a family of sorts…" she said. She cleared her throat once more to try to get back to what she originally wanted to talk about. "Getting back to the topic, you've all given me a small rundown of the general situation, but now I'm curious to know the full story. Would that be okay?" she asked.

Tsuki leaned back into the chair, mumbling to himself a bit. Considering that they'll be in Nargelond for a while, it would probably be best to have at least someone who knew the full story. "Alright. Though, you may not be able to fully understand it…" he said.

Tsuki and the others proceeded to divulge the full story of their circumstances to her, including everything about the Sigil and the three souls within it and everything else they omitted from before. As they had a proper discussion with her, the scene shifts outside of the Guild Hall where Asgrim had been standing just outside the front door. Night has long since fallen and the chaos of the streets have died down significantly. The streets were dimly lit by the street lamps as people were out cleaning up the mess caused by the eruption and earthquakes. Asgrim could feel the sense of community coming together after a terrible disaster. It wasn't long until Melphi came walking down the dimly lit streets from the direction of the clinic. Within moments, the two of them were standing face-to-face with each other. The two of them shared the same look briefly before Asgrim noticed that she looked rather troubled about something.

Asgrim tilted his head a bit with a confused and worried expression. "Why the long face? You don't look too good" he said. Something was clearly on her mind that was bothering her.

Melphi looked at him and shook her head slowly, giving him a troubled smile. "Grim…I'm fine. I just learned some troubling news, is all" she said.

Asgrim was curious to know what could be eating away at her. She wasn't the type of person to fret over something as much as she was now. "Troublin' news, ye say? Hmm…does it have to do with the Dragonkin ye saved?" he asked.

Melphi was silent for a moment before answering, slightly clenching her fists. "Yeah. Something is going on within the Dragon Colonies and it's…concerning, to say the least" she said. There wasn't much the freed Dragonkin could offer, but what they did was disturbing to her.

Asgrim wasn't up to speed with the current affairs within the Dragon Colonies, but the look on her face painted a bit of a grim picture. Whatever it was she was told, it didn't look like your average trouble. "Hmm…I would think that the High Acheron would have dealt with anything suspicious happening within his territory, but if it still persists right under his nose, then it can't be anything good" he said. The leader of the Dragon Colonies makes it their life task to ensure everything is kept under a stabilized rule.

That's what Melphi couldn't figure out. The High Acheron may be getting up there in age, but there shouldn't be anything that got past his gaze. "That's what bothers me right now. Just what is going on over there…?" she asked. She may have ran away from the Colonies to avoid her ascension to be his next successor, but they were still her home.

Asgrim mumbled to himself a bit as she spoke. Things must be more complicated than he thinks. "Maybe a trip back home will help ye find answers. I may not fully know what's goin' on, but it'd be better than waitin' around" he said. He scratched the back of his head a bit.

Melphi wasn't keen on going back to the Colonies right at this moment, but if something was happening within her home, then she couldn't possibly ignore it. She couldn't lie to herself by saying she wasn't concerned about the High Acheron too. After all, the High Acheron was the closest thing she had to a father since she lost her parents a long time ago. "I suppose you have a point. I guess I can't keep avoiding things forever, can I?" she asked.

Asgrim nodded a bit with a light chuckle. "Circumstances aside, ye seem to be doing well, lass" he said. He put his right hand on his hip as he smiled warmly at her. "Not quite the lost little dragon ye used to be anymore" he said.

Melphi's expression was a lot more softer than it usually was when she is around the others. All the tension in her face was practically gone. It still bothered her though that she was just barely taller than him. For as old as she was in dragon years, her Human appearance was forever going to be that of a pre-teen girl. "My Human appearance still hasn't grown even a centimeter though since the last time we met" she said.

Asgrim chuckled a bit. She may be small in stature, but she's definitely grown in other places besides physical appearance. "Hard to believe it's been 5 years since we last seen each other. Shana and ye have always been on me mind" he said. He knew that the two of them would be fine wherever they went. They weren't the same as the were back in the day, especially Melphi. "How is she these days?" he asked.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders a bit. "You know how she is. Constantly moving around, trying to take on the world's problems by herself" she said. She was silent for a few moments as her thoughts fell back onto Shana. It made her wonder what she was doing now and how she was holding up over in Cayhill. "Right now, she's helping Taichi reclaim Eresseas" she said.

Asgrim stroked his beard as he raised his brow with curiosity. "Ah, the fiery young lad that she fancies, eh? Though, I heard he married that royal lass…Emma, was it?" he asked. Despite that, she was still loyal to her heart and feelings.

Melphi scratched the back of her head a bit. She had always known that Shana liked Taichi, though that ended up being only one-sided. That didn't bother her though. She still cherished Taichi just as much as ever and if anything, they both shared a sense of rivalry with each other. "Yes, Emma Tsubasa. The three of them are fighting to repel their enemies while we operate independently in order to aid the war effort" she said.

Asgrim heard rumors floating around that King Caius of Honegroth had attacked and seized control of Eresseas, causing people to feel more unsettled than they already were. Since the attack was unprecedented and unprovoked, people began to worry if they were going to be targeted next. Considering the state Nargelond as a whole is in, they wouldn't be able to fend off a foreign assault. With discontent on the rise with how the War Council is handling national affairs, it's baffling that they're even picking a fight with Esseand in the first place. "There's always somethin' that breaks the peace. One would think that after the conflict with the Four Lords, people would get a clue" he said. It was a fool's dream to think that people, especially Humans, would change. It did give him some form of comfort though that there were people like Shana that were still trying to bring the world under wraps. "The world needs more people like Shana, if ye ask me" he said.

Melphi couldn't agree more with him. There were too many people that sit around these days and take the peace for granted. Now, look at where the world currently sits with it's peace all but shattered now. "You're right. There are far too few out there and many others that were too reliant on the past heroes" she said. Of course, she was referring to Taichi and his companions, who played a major role in bringing the conflict with the Four Lords to a close, were highly revered the world over. Many expect them to pick up the torch again when they don't realize that those old heroes were all scattered and divided.

Asgrim nodded slowly in agreement. It was probably the same with the heroes from ancient times too that defeated the Archfiend, Sarex. Only, during that time, some of those people ended up turning on those heroes. One would hope such a thing would never come to pass again. His gaze soon shifted towards the door of the Guild Hall as he thought about Tsuki and the others. "Your companions…they're still fairly green and rough around the edges, but they have potential to be what the world is missing" he said. After a few moments, his gaze turned back to Melphi. "Ye found a good group to be with and I wish ye all the best" he said.

Melphi walked up closer to Asgrim. "Thank you, Grim. Next time you see Kaho, say hi to her for me, okay?" she asked. She wrapped her arms around Asgrim and hugged him gently.

Asgrim laughed a bit and wrapped one arm around her to return the hug, patting her on the back. "I'll be sure to pass the message to her. She'll be happy to hear it" he said. He was glad to see that she was finally breaking out of her shell. Before, she was so isolated that made her rather difficult to be approached by others. "I will say that you shine more radiantly when you're smiling" he said. They may not be related by blood, but he always felt like an uncle to her.

Melphi remembered Shana telling her the same thing a while back. Of course, back then, she always kept to herself if she wasn't around Shana or any of her other friends. Throughout her travels though, she's slowly starting to open herself up. "I'm…doing my best. I know Kaho would tell me to try harder if she was here" she said.

Asgrim took a few steps back from her, putting his right hand on his hip. "Aye, that she would. After all, she wants nothing but the best for ye" he said. He smiled at her one more time with a nod before turning to face the opposite direction. "I better be headin' out now. That settlement isn't goin' to inspect itself now. It was good to see ye again, lass" he said.

With those final words, he waved her off and started to walk off towards the town exit. Melphi waved back and watched him leave until he was gone from sight. It was an unexpected reunion, but one that she was glad to have had. Ever since the Muzgardt Clan migrated to a new home, she hasn't seen Asgrim though they always used to keep in contact through letters. It was heartening for her to see him again and to see that he was doing well. Once she could no longer see him, she sensed two females approaching from behind her.

One of the female voices soon spoke out as she waved at Melphi. "Hey Mel! Did everything go alright at the clinic?" she asked.

Melphi turned around and saw that both Miyuki and Amelia were there. "Ame…yes. The other Dragonkin were hesitant, but I was able to smooth things over. Were you able to find that child's mother?" she asked. Someone as young as her shouldn't have had to deal with such an ordeal.

Amelia nodded at her. "Yeah. She was beyond relieved to have her back, safe and sound. Both of them wanted me to send you and Ramza their regards" she said. She approached her, reaching her hand up to pat her on the head. "I know I've said it before, but it's wonderful to see you again, Mel" she said.

Melphi scratched her cheek a bit, her cheeks slightly red from embarrassment as she looked the other way. Because she had a young and small frame, it always used to give Amelia the opportunity to treat her like a kid. "Gosh, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a kid anymore?" she asked, her cheeks slightly puffed out. Being around

Amelia giggled a bit before pulling her arm back to her side. "Maybe so, but your small frame makes it hard to resist, you know" she said. She was happy to see that she was doing well but more than that, she could see that she's not as much of a recluse as she used to be. It reminded her of the old days and it was most likely thanks to being around Tsuki and the others.

Miyuki couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had heard the stories about her from Amelia, but still had a hard time processing it. "Is she…really the same age as you? She doesn't look much older than someone still in Sunday School" she said.

Amelia laughed a bit at her confusion. "Not even close. I'd say, she's about 20 years younger than me, at least if we're counting Human years. If we're using the draconic calendar, that would put her two, maybe three times older than me" she said. Much like with the Elves, Dragonkin age differently and live far longer than Humans do. Out of all the Faeries out there, the Elves and Dragonkin can easily outlive most other species.

Miyuki was confused even more as one could almost see question marks pop up on top of her head. "So, that would put her just about 80 years old, if not older. Why does her Human appearance look like a Human in their teenage years?" she asked. She's never had any interaction with a Dragonkin before, so she was unfamiliar with how their Human appearances work.

Melphi looked over towards Miyuki as she stared at her with confusion and curiosity. Normally, she'd get upset and lose her cool when someone pokes at her height, but since she genuinely wasn't aware of how the process worked, she managed to keep her composure. "A Dragonkin's Human appearance can vary. It's the combination of Dragon and Human genes and what the end result would be from that fusion of genetic code. No one really knows what how it all works out. They could be as tall as an average adult Human male or as small as child. Unfortunately for me, I ended up being the latter" she said. She was always sensitive about her height. It was a surefire way to make her mad, but it also proved to be a bit of an advantage for her. Since most fully grown Human adults would assume she was a child, they won't be as guarded as they normally would. This was perfect for times where she had to go undercover. It also proved effective in combat since in addition to her ability to wield her dragon abilities in her Human form, people tend to gravely underestimate her because of her child-like appearance and those instances were almost always fatal mistakes. She couldn't help but think back on all the times Taichi and the others would treat her like a kid. They knew it bugged her but still persist in doing it. "Because of my small stature, certain people like to give me a hard time about it as if it were a daily necessity" she said. One could almost see veins pop out the top of her head in aggravation. She knew they all meant well and know how far to take it, so it's not like they were purposefully trying to make her upset. It was the equivalent of friends giving each other a hard time and dissing each other in friendly banter.

Miyuki let out a slight nervous laugh as she could feel a slight coldness from her. "S-sounds rough…I'll be sure to refrain from making any comments about it…" she said. She may look small, but she's seen just how strong and dangerous she could be. With how she ruthlessly killed the Shinobi without hesitation back in the lava tunnels, she felt it wasn't wise to get on her bad side.

Amelia chuckled a bit, patting Melphi on the shoulder. "Don't worry. She may have a cold, hard exterior, but Mel is a sweet girl at heart who's loyal to her friends. She wouldn't do anything that would bring any unnecessary harm" she said. She does a good job making herself out to be a tough girl, but can actually be quite soft in the right situations.

Melphi threw her arm aside as she stumbled back a few steps as she was starting to feel more embarrassed. "H-hey Ame! That's enough! Are you trying to ruin my image!?" she asked.

Amelia simply gave her a soft smile. "I wouldn't dare, but at least you seem to be out of that funk of yours" she said. She had noticed that she had a long, forlorn look on her face and wanted to cheer her up.

Melphi was silent for a moment. She knew what she was trying to do and it was working. She let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head. Despite the headache she was giving her though, she felt strangely calm and happy. "I'm glad to see that you're still the same as ever. You still need to tell me where you've been these past few months" she said.

Miyuki scratched the back of her head, letting out a nervous laugh. The reason for their absence was really quite pitiful. "About that…it's not the most exciting thing in the world" she said.

Amelia nodded at her. She knew that there was a lot to explain. "I know. I'll explain everything once everyone is together" she said. She was interested to hear what has been happening ever since she and Miyuki were abducted, so talking with Tsuki and the others was going to be her best bet.

Melphi looked over towards Miyuki and saw that her left arm was wrapped in heavy bandages. "You sure you don't need anymore medical help?" she asked.

Miyuki shook her head. The pain was mostly gone now thanks to Lynette's healing and Nephie's first aid. "I'll be fine. I won't be able to take part in any fights for a while, but I'm clear to do anything else, so long as it isn't too strenuous" she said. The injury to her arm was deeper and more serious than she had originally thought. She didn't suffer any broken bones, but the injury was debilitating enough to where she'd be a liability.

Melphi could see that she was a tough girl. She was still a fledgling knight, but she had the same spark and drive that Tsuki had. She had a feeling that the two of them would get along great. "Just try to take it easy. We don't need you reopening your wounds" she said. She turned and faced the door to the Guild Hall. "We shouldn't keep everyone waiting. Let's get going" she said.

Melphi soon led the both of them into the Guild Hall and were brought to the conference room by another mercenary that was around. By the time they arrived in the room, Tsuki and the others wrapped up explaining everything to Kasai regarding their situation in full. Kasai was rubbing the sides of her forehead as she tried to process it all in her head. She knew that it was going to be a lot to take in, considering what she had asked them to explain, but it was still overwhelming. What really tripped her was everything that revolved around the Sigil and the mysterious nature of Allie. Regarding the Sigil, Cliff, Alex and Fumiko had to pitch in to try and explain things as easy as possible, much to the strain of Tsuki. He felt completely drained after the three souls spent so much time talking. When the three of them stepped into the room, Tsuki had his head down on the table. Lynette and Elle were doing their best to transfer some of their Mana to him so that it would ease the burden that the souls placed on him.

Cheria looked over towards the door when Melphi, Amelia and Miyuki walked in. "Oh! You're back already? You could have taken your time, you know" she said.

Melphi shook her head. While it was nice to catch up with things that were happening around the Colonies, the concerning circumstances that came out of it were too great for her to ignore. "Thanks, but I learned all that I could from the ones we saved" she said.

Nagi tilted her head a bit. She didn't make it too obvious, but she could tell that something was bothering her. "You don't look like you have good news to share with us…" she said. Melphi tends to keep a stoic attitude, so it was difficult at times to see what she was really thinking, but there were times where she slipped up and dropped the act. Personally, she wishes that she'd be more open with them.

Cesela nodded in agreement. Melphi hides too many things and keeps just as much, if not more, to herself. She shouldn't have to carry so much burden on her shoulders. "You've been a great help to all of us. You can talk to us if something is wrong" she said. Of course, she had no right to criticize her for withholding secrets and burdens as she was withholding a lot of things herself from the group.

Melphi scratched the back of her head. Out of the group, Nagi and Cesela were a bit more perceptive compared to the others, so it was no surprise that she picked up on her shift in attitude right away. "I'll get into that in a bit. First, you should introduce yourselves properly now that the danger has passed" she said, glancing over towards Amelia and Miyuki.

Amelia looked at Melphi and nodded before shifting her gaze towards Tsuki and the others. Since she was in the trusted company of Melphi and Ramza, she felt that there wasn't any need to hide their identity, especially since they were already aware of it to begin with. She lifted up her battle dress and bowed to them. "My name is Amelia Wright. As most of you would know, I serve as Queen of Esseand. This is Miyuki Tokatsu, my closest friend and one who serves as both a knight of Esseand and my personal bodyguard" she said.

Miyuki put her right hand up to her chest and bowed to them. "Words can't express our gratitude. If it weren't for you, then we wouldn't be standing here right now" she said.

Tsuki scratched his cheek a bit. Much like with before, he really didn't feel like they did much of anything. All the credit was rightfully Ramza and Melphi's. "Like I said before, you needn't be so formal with us. Most of us didn't really do anything to help you" he said.

Amelia shook her head. "Maybe so, but if you hadn't shown up here with Ramza and Melphi, then I would have been captured and Miyu would have been killed" she said. She continued to hold her bow to them. "Indirect as it may be, it was help that we sorely needed nonetheless" she said.

Cheria stood up from her seat and approached Amelia. Since she introduced herself as the Queen of Esseand, she felt she shouldn't hide anything from her. She lifted her own battle dress and returned the bow to her. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Your Majesty. My name is Cheria Tsubasa, Princess of Eresseas. It brings me relief to see that you are well" she said.

Amelia glanced over towards Cheria with a curious eye. "I knew there was something about you. You may have the look of your average adventurer, but you have this regal and dignified aura about you. It's a pleasure to meet you" she said. She hasn't met with any of the other royal families, so this was a good opportunity for her.

Miyuki held her bow towards her. As a knight, it was only proper to greet her with the appropriate etiquette, despite being from a foreign kingdom. "I can see that you carry yourself well, Your Highness. Much better than I have been able to. I wouldn't have thought that you were a Princess of another kingdom" she said. She looks like she was fully immersed in the adventurer role where as she herself would struggle. She really did pull off the look of an adventurer.

Cheria let out a nervous laugh as she scratched the back of her head. "Well, I was a rather rambunctious while growing up…" she said.

Phi folded her arms and simply stared at her when she made that comment. "I think a certain knight is also partially to blame for that too. Our once diligent and pure Princess was defiled by a boy with no manners whatsoever" she said, glancing over towards Tsuki with a smirk on her face.

Tsuki, slightly red himself, threw his arm to the side as he looked over towards Phi. "Could you not!?" he shouted.

Amelia put her hand up to her mouth, her face slightly red as she looked at Cheria. "Oh my. Though, I suppose you are at that age where certain tensions and hormones may arise" she said.

Cheria, who was even more redder than Tsuki from both of their comments, shook her head wildly. "N-no! It's not like that! It's just…!" she said, stopping herself from speaking out of fear of saying something she wouldn't be able to take back.

Amelia looked back and forth at Tsuki and Cheria for a moment before grinning at them. She instantly picked up on the vibe between the two of them. It reminded her of when Raiku confessed his love to her. "Ohoho…I see what's going on here. A Princess and her knight on the outside, but something much more on the inside. Interesting…" she said.

Miyuki tilted her head a bit as she was reminded of an old book she used to read during her off time. "Hmm…it sounds like just the plot to the Flower & Shield novel. The Princess and her most trusted knight would keep appearances to the public eye, but in private, the two of them were madly in love and would even steal away into the night on occasion. It was only through the knight's prestigious record and the Princess's undying love and devotion to him that swayed the king into approving their relationship and eventual marriage. It's a story that's quite popular among female readers and romance novel enthusiasts" she said. She always liked reading those types of stories though she tries to hide that fact on account of not wanting to be teased about it. That book, in particular, was her favorite to where she could almost tell you everything about it word for word.

Phi shifted her gaze to both Tsuki and Cheria with a blank expression on her face. "…I'm pretty sure I've seen my fair share of you both sneaking off to the castle gardens in the dead of night before and after Tsuki became one of the Royal Eight" she said. She wasn't the only one to have seen it either. Pretty much everyone in the Royal Eight and a handful of other knights, maids and butlers have also seen them sneak off to the gardens. No one interrupted them or confronted them about it since it was obvious to everyone what was going on. It wouldn't surprise her if Taichi and Emma knew about it too.

Cheria became a bit flustered with her face red even more as she looked at Phi in surprise. "Wh-what!? Y-you've seen us!?" she shouted. She didn't think anyone had noticed them and this made her feel really embarrassed. The times where they would sneak off to the castle gardens were the only times the two of them could really talk and be alone. Nothing happened during their meet-ups, they just simply talked and enjoyed their company, though there were some rather embarrassing moments that happened.

Lynette couldn't help but let out a soft whistle as she smirked at Tsuki. "Boy, you've really captured her heart, haven't you?" she asked.

Ruko let out a light chuckle as he crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair. "You've had your moments before, but who knew you were such a bad boy, having secret night meetings?" he asked.

Tsuki couldn't believe they were even talking about this. He didn't even understand how it got so escalated so fast. "Are we really doing this!?" he asked.

Ramza shrugged his shoulders a bit with a smug look on his face. "Hey, it's best to experience all that when you're young and single. When you get older and find a wife, you won't be able to do all that. Unless, of course, the wife is involved…" he said, glancing over towards Cheria.

Cheria's face turned dark red as she didn't want to hear anymore of this conversation. "C-can we please change topics!?" she shouted with fluster.

Amelia couldn't help but laugh at their interactions. The vibe of their whole group felt real tight and close-knit. "Anyways, getting back to the original discussion…" she said. She took a deep breath before heading over towards the table to sit down in one of the chairs. She took a moment to compose herself before speaking further. "I've apparently missed a lot of things. Would it be alright if you were to explain what's been happening? I know you must have already explained things, given the atmosphere of the room when we walked in…" she said.

Ramza looked over at Tsuki, who was still feeling the effects from having the three souls within the Sigil out to explain things to Kasai. They had literally just finished explaining things to Kasai. Not wanting to take up anymore time than they already have, he opted to give her the short story of it. In the process of doing that, the rest of the group took it upon themselves to introduce them to Amelia and Miyuki. It was a brief explanation, but he made sure to hit all the important notes. Amelia and Miyuki also took the chance to explain to them about their predicament that was the result of their disappearances. By the end of it all, pretty much everyone in the room was mentally drained from it all.

Ramza could have gone into more detail, but everyone was pretty much done with talking. "…And that's about the short of it. I can go into detail later, if you'd like" he said. Honestly, he didn't want to explain everything again.

Amelia could feel the atmosphere become heavier the more they explained things to her. She felt bad about having them go through the whole process all over again. "I-it's quite alright. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to fully understand it anyway. I think I understand the gist of it" she said.

Miyuki couldn't even begin to understand what they all said. It all sounded like a bad dream. "And I thought we were having problems. Everything seems to be falling apart at the seams. The Syndicate, Draxus, the War Council and now Menorion. I don't know about you, but I see a bleak sky in the future" she said. Hearing all the conflict that was happening around the world was definitely unsettling.

Nagi was relieved to hear that the two of them were able to make it out of Draxus' hands, although they wound up in a place just as bad, if not worse. "It's amazing that you two were able to survive through all of that on your own" she said.

Amelia shook her head slowly, looking towards Miyuki. "It was only thanks to Miyu that we were able to escape. Us being swept away and the subsequent memory loss that came after was almost a blessing in disguise for us as it threw them off our tail" she said. Considering the odds against them, it was a miracle they managed to get this far. "Sure, it was tough at first, but we were able to adapt" she said.

Ramza could feel some weight lifted off his shoulders. What happened to them shouldn't have occurred in the first place, but they made it out of the situation stronger for it. Raiku would definitely be proud. "You were always a tough one. His Majesty has definitely been a big influence" he said. He looked over towards Miyuki for a moment. "And you did a fine job protecting her despite all that's happened" he said.

Miyuki shook her head slowly before lowering it and looking down towards the group, clenching her fists. "I…I'm not…if I was more competent, then we wouldn't have been abducted in the first place. I've brought shame onto the knights of Esseand…"she said. She was powerless to protect them from the initial Draxus attack. Just thinking back on things made her body tremble.

Tsuki shook his head. If Draxus really was involved in that attack, then it wasn't much of a shock that things turned out the way they did. "No offense, but I don't think it would have made a difference. Draxus seems to harness the same power that Caius uses. It requires certain knowledge to fight them. Knowledge you two wouldn't of had at the time" he said. It wasn't even just that alone. There were other factors that played a part. "Not only that, you could say the Draxus has a…specialty for this kind of thing, if you could call that" he said.

Ramza approached Miyuki and patted her on the head in an attempt to calm her down. "You did all you could in that situation. Sure, you wound up being abducted, but you still took Her Majesty's safety into account with your subsequent actions" he said. Even subjected to the treatment that she was given, she still looked out for Amelia's safety over her own. "I say this as the General of Esseand, not as your uncle. I mean it when I say that you've done an excellent job protecting Her Majesty…at least, until you decided to chase the Shogunate into the lava tunnels on your own" he said.

Miyuki didn't know what to say. It was an undeniable fact that they both were being reckless and that almost had grave consequences. "I…I understand what we did wasn't the best course of action…but…" she said.

Ramza shook his head slowly. While he understood their reasons for doing so, it didn't excuse their actions. "Your duty is to protect the Queen and ensure that she's kept out of danger and yet, you bring her into the heart of an active volcano with a Wellspring nearby to boot. That's the exact opposite of what you should be doing" he said, almost reprimanding her.

Amelia felt like he was being a little to harsh on her especially since she was the one that pressured her into doing it. "Ramza, don't blame her too much. I was the one that pushed her into it" she said.

Ramza sighed heavily, shifting his gaze over towards her. As much as he doesn't want to, she was just as at fault as Miyuki was, so she needed to be scolded too. "You're not innocent either, Your Majesty. Raiku would lose his sanity if he knew what you were up to" he said. First off, Amelia wasn't exactly made for the battlefield. She grew up from a humble, ordinary household without any real combat experience. Her family had a simple background and she made a living by working at various cafes and small shops. What combat experience she now was limited to the occasional sparring practice back in Esseand. She was more of support from a distance type of person rather than a frontline fighter like Miyuki was. "You don't have the combat prowess to be picking fights with a group of corrupted individuals who are known for committing the most vile of acts" he said.

Elle walked up to Ramza and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Normally, I'd agree with you, but it's not like we're all totally innocent either. Regardless of our circumstances, we're dragging Cheria around through constant danger. Even if she isn't acting as the Princess of Eresseas right now, that doesn't make what we're doing any less reckless. In fact, we're probably worse examples" she said. She was still a Princess at heart her core. No matter what persona she tries to use, it doesn't dismiss the danger associated with where she goes. To make matters worse, it's not like they were under any sort of orders or mission directives to investigate things like the Wellspring or get involved in foreign affairs. After all, the only reason they even got to this point in the first place was to save Phi from Deixide. Anything beyond the scope of that objective was their own decisions.

Phi didn't want to admit it herself, but Elle made a good point. She could also sympathize with Miyuki a bit since wherever she went, they would have to follow her. Even if she wasn't giving out any orders under the authority of a Princess, they knew that she was a girl with desires and goals. "…Well, you're not wrong there" she said. She glanced over towards Ramza. "That also means that you are in cahoots with dragging around a foreign Princess into constant danger as well and even though you aren't acting as a General, you're still a knight in service to the Esseand royal family right?" she asked.

Ramza had nothing to say in response. After a few moments of silence, he let out a small laugh. "Alright, you got me. I guess none of us are innocent, in the grand scheme of things anyway" he said. He couldn't rightfully reprimand the two of them anyway without disciplining himself first, in any case.

Cheria walked up to Miyuki, took her by the hand and lifting it up. "I can tell you're dedicated to your duty as a bodyguard. You're strong, resourceful, determined…maybe a bit reckless, but you know what you're doing. Take it from someone who has someone just like that by her side" she said, glancing over to Tsuki for a brief moment.

Miyuki looked up at Cheria and was able to see the strength in her eyes. Compared to their situation, she had it much worse. Being separated from her parents and having her kingdom stolen from her on top of all the insurmountable challenges that she's endured and will continue to do so in the future. Despite all that, she still remained strong and optimistic. She glanced over towards Tsuki and based off what she said about him and gauging his character for himself, it helped make her feel a little better. "Princess Cheria…thank you. I think I'm starting to feel better now" she said.

Cheria shook her head, giving her a gentle smile. "You don't need to be so formal. Please, call me Cheria. The less people know of my identity, the better" she said.

Ramza took a few steps away from Miyuki before shifting her gaze onto Amelia. While the circumstances behind it all wasn't all that great, it was worth finding out what the two of them had been up to the last few months. "I have a question. Were you able to learn anything while in captivity? Like, anything about the Shogunate's plans or what Sirione is doing?" he asked. With the rise in slave activity around Esseand and the constant appearances of the Shogunate, not to mention the letter that Ryoka got from his acquaintance back in Megrove that talked about strange activity going on around Sirione and the increasingly difficult living conditions of the oppressed people, the Syndicate's movements are becoming increasingly concerning with each passing day. It was obvious that they had plans for Amelia when she was sold off to them.

Amelia tried to think back to the time they were captives of the Shogunate. Most of the things they heard was the typical things one would expect with slave traders. Vile and disgusting discussions were pretty much the norm amongst the Shinobi that had captured them. "Hmm…well, apparently, the Syndicate has been having some trouble dealing with the rebellion all across Megrove. After a recently failed attack on some place called Fort Gjorman, the Syndicate have received some intense pushback by the rebellion. It seems the fighting hasn't exactly gone in their favor in the last few weeks" she said.

Ruko stroked his chin in thought as he couldn't help but think back to when Ryoka read them his letter. Fort Gjorman was also mentioned in it, so it stuck out. "So, the Syndicate is on the backfoot, huh? It would explain why their slave operations have been growing quite aggressively as of late" he said.

Nagi felt disgusted about the thought, but it would make sense. "Because they're being forced back, they seek more fighters and the best way to do that for them is through slave trade and acquisition" she said. She held onto her arm, staring down towards the table with a grim expression. "If I had to guess, they planned to use Her Majesty in order to force Raiku to comply with their demands, which would give them free reign to do whatever they please across Ersheath" she said. This also meant abduction of people and further subjugation of Faeries that are otherwise under the protection of Esseand, so long as they resided on Ersheath soil. They would then sell those people off to a life of servitude that no one should have to endure.

Miyuki nodded at them slowly, closing her eyes for a few moments. "The rebellion seems to have grown exponentially in numbers since the attack on Fort Gjorman. They're probably feeling a bit desperate as they're starting to lose control of the situation" she said. Something else caught her attention from one of the discussions she had overheard. "Supposedly, there's a big backer for the rebellion that continues provide funding and additional support. There are rumors floating around amongst the Shogunate that this backer is Prince Isaac" she said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit. The wasn't familiar to her, but she got hung up on the title that was associated with the name. "Prince…Isaac?" she said with a confused look. It didn't add up to her. "Wait, I thought the royal family were all killed" she said.

Ramza looked towards Lynette, shaking his head a bit. "The King and Queen, for sure as their bodies were put on full display to the city, according to the story that Ryoka told us. The Prince and Princess were a different story, however. He mentioned that they had fallen into a raging river, but their bodies were never recovered" he said. With no body to show, there was no real hard evidence that they truly died. It was all just pure speculation. "There is a possibility that they could still be alive and if so, it would explain the explosive rise of the rebellion and if he is alive, there's a good chance that the Princess is as well" he said. According to the letter Ryoka got, it seemed like things weren't going so well. However, they've since seen an exponential growth that occurred not too long after that letter had been sent out. With much of the old Royal Guard dismantled and the former pillars that had once supported Sirione all but destroyed, there were very few people that remained that could stir such a rise in opposition.

Cesela felt like she could breathe a huge sigh of relief. She had been wondering how the fight had been going in Megrove since Ryoka told them about his letter. "The spirit of Sirione may be shaken and strained, but deep down, it's unbreakable" she said.

Amelia nodded slowly. "That appears to be the case. So long as the rebellion fights on, I'm sure that spirit will continue to endure" she said. She wonders how long that spirit would last, though. The rebellion has been fighting for a long while now with no end in sight, even after their pushback against the Syndicate. A grueling fight still awaited them as the heart of the Syndicate awaits them. "That's just about all we heard from the Shogunate" she said.

Cesela scratched her head a bit. She was hoping to hear more, but she should have known it wouldn't be so easy. "Everything is so tight-lipped, even amongst those directly involved with the Syndicate" she said.

Tsuki was thinking about the things they've all laid out on the table. There was a lot of information to process and with this new information about the Syndicate, it makes him feel a bit more optimistic about Sirione's future. As these thoughts swirled around in his head, he looked over towards Melphi, who had been quiet since they walked into the room. It was clear as day that she looked troubled about something. "You've been quiet this whole time, Mel. You look like something's bothering you" he said.

Amelia looked over towards Melphi to see that she was in deeper thought than she was outside. "She's been like that since we ran into her outside" she said. She was curious to know what has her so troubled.

Melphi sighed heavily as she leaned forward against the table with her head hanging. "I…might need to return to the Colonies for a while…" she said.

Phi tilted her head a bit. She remembered her talking about the Dragon Colonies when they were flying around the mountains. "Weren't you reluctant on going back there? Why the sudden change of heart?" she asked.

Melphi was silent for a moment before answering. "After I had the ones we saved checked up on by the doctor, they began to tell me about some strange things that have been happening around the mountains" she said. She wasn't sure what to make of what she was told, but something didn't feel right.

Amelia was curious to know what was happening. It wasn't everyday that she got to hear about the mountains and the surrounding areas of the Dragon Colonies. "Strange, how?" she asked.

Melphi reached into her back and pulled out several bundles of plants and hers along with a few other things, setting them onto the table. "Strange people have been spotted lurking around in areas they shouldn't be. In fact, the ones we saved all said that they were abducted from within the Colonies, a place where people outside of the Colonies aren't exactly welcomed. Various fields and mineral deposits are being picked dry which seems to be linked to illegal export of goods leaking into Human markets" she said. As if the abductions weren't bad enough, but dragon-born medicines and plants were amongst those that were being illegally sold off. These medicines and plants were of exceedingly high quality in terms of nutrients and medicinal quality that were beneficial, and in a lot of cases, life-saving to dragons, but extremely toxic and lethal for Human consumption.

Tsuki looked down at one of the medicine vials that she had placed on the table. He recognized it right away as it brought back some memories. "That's the medicine you used on Phi when she was poisoned, wasn't it?" he asked.

Melphi nodded, reaching for the vial in question. "If you recall, I said I administered it to her with a much lesser and diluted dosage and even with that, I had to employ additional safety methods to ensure she didn't fall into septic shock" she said. She place the vial back down on the table and looked towards Phi. "Honestly, I was a bit surprised that things worked out as well as they did" she said.

Phi looked back at Melphi with a concerned expression on her face. "Wait, so are you saying that you gave me that medicine and you weren't even sure it would help me?" she asked. She wasn't sure how she should feel about that.

Melphi shrugged her shoulders a bit. Either way, her fate would have been sealed if she hadn't done anything. Her survival was almost like a miracle, if anything. "If the Deixide didn't kill you, then drowning at the bottom of the lake certainly would have" she said.

Amelia rubbed her chin as she examined the things Melphi put on the table which sparked a memory. "Now that you mention it, we did see a lot of stuff from the Colonies that were being sold at various stalls in Marstead. I thought it was strange at first, but then I heard that there was a trade agreement with the Colonies, so I didn't think much of it after that. There were even back alley shops selling medicinal herbs and strange potions, which I thought was a little sketchy" she said. Some of the stalls tried to get them into buying some of their stock, but they weren't in the market for any of it.

Melphi shook her head. "While there is a trade agreement in place, there are some restrictions on what's sold off and all of that is kept under tight regulation. The trade agreement covers foodstuffs, drinks and other basic necessities such as lumber, stone, cloth, leather and metal" she said. She put her hand down on the table next to the items she had set down. "The selling and distribution of medicine, medicinal herbs, plants and certain minerals are prohibited because of the dangers they pose to Humans" she said. It should be common knowledge in these parts that they shouldn't be consumed, but it seems that there's been quite a demand for them on the black market, according to what the Dragonkin said. "Not only that, a number of farms have been raided for their food. It's getting to the time of year where the temperatures plummet up in the mountains which makes growing crops difficult, which is why they always keep the excess harvest in storage for the winter months" she continued. The fact that they know where to target for their food stores was also of deep concern. Everyone knows each other in the Colonies. Despite there being bad blood between them in the past, they have all since come together. No one would benefit from raiding one of the storehouses and even if they could, it wouldn't be difficult to track them down. They always seem to strike under the cover of night and somehow manage to leave no trace behind once they're done. "All of this shouldn't be happening though. Not under the watchful eye of the High Acheron and that's what concerns me" she said.

Ramza thought to himself for a moment as he absorbed everything. He didn't know much about the Dragon Colonies, but what he did know was that the High Acheron knows just about everything that goes on within them. There wasn't any possible reason for him to be unaware of things. "Something seems to be brewing and I can bet you my Codex that it's nothing good" he said.

Tsuki fell into deep thought. The Dragon Colonies hold a unique position in Nargelond. With the War Council growing increasingly aggressive, it wouldn't be too far outside of the realm of possibility that they could be the ones responsible. With dragons being in high demand for the military and with recent abduction, it was almost too much of a coincidence. "Hmm…it would be nice if we could garner favor from the Dragon Colonies…" he thought to himself. It would be quite a difficult task to get them on the same page, but the benefits could be more than worth it. This did come with a considerable number of risks, both with the unfamiliar terrain and dealing with the dangers of wild dragons as well as the Dragonkin themselves. "Worrying about it all right now won't do us any good. Once we get there, we can look into things and see if we can help out" he said.

Melphi looked up at Tsuki with a surprised look that almost left her speechless. She didn't know how to react. "Huh…?" he said. She wasn't really expecting him to offer his assitance.

Cheria nodded in agreement. "You have a point. All we have right now are rumors and speculation. If possible, it'd be nice to see what else we can learn from the Dragonkin that were saved" she said. She wanted to help them. Melphi has done so much for them and has shouldered some pretty heavy burdens since joining up with them. This was a good way to repay all that back.

Melphi shook her head a bit frantically. "W-wait a minute! I didn't bring this all up so you guys could help clean up the mess! Besides, gathering information on the War Council and Kaito should be priority!" she said. They didn't come here to get involved with the Dragon Colonies. This wasn't a problem they needed to involve themselves in.

Ramza nodded, glancing over towards her. "Which is why we divide and conquer. There are only a few people that would try and poke and prod the Dragon Colonies. While there are a few likely suspects, we don't have solid proof. It could be something else entirely, for all we know and the second best place to search around for information aside from the source would be Marstead" he said. She reached for the map of the region and laid it out on the table. He pointed to where they were at currently, which was the southern tip of Nargelond. He then trailed his finger slightly northeast from their location to the large group of mountains. "To best utilize our efforts, half of us should head out to the Colonies while the rest head through the canyon pass to Marstead" he said, trailing his finger northwest from the mountains to what appears to be a marked city just beyond the canyon that divided the area around Jibril and the rest of the continent. "With any luck, we should be able to dig up who is responsible and if that leads us closer to the War Council and Kaito, then all the better" he said.

Melphi was against this plan. They didn't seem to understand just how much danger they'll put themselves in simply by venturing into Dragon Colony territory. "This is crazy! You all can't be serious about this, can you!?" she shouted. They may have overcame numerous dangerous scenarios already, but they'd be walking straight into the lion's den with this one. There were many Dragonkin within the Colonies that have an extreme distaste for Humans and wouldn't hesitate to attack them on the spot, even without provocation.

Tsuki fully understood what the risks were when it came to meeting with people of the Dragon Colonies. He wasn't bothered by it in the slightest. "Of course we are. You didn't think we'd just bat an eye and ignore what's going on, did you?" he asked. Melphi has done a lot for them and they've never actually had the chance to do anything for her and this was the best opportunity. He shifted his gaze towards the others. "We all good on this plan?" he asked.

Ruko nodded. Splitting up will allow them to cover more ground. Not only that, going into the Dragon Colonies with a big group would end up causing more problems that they don't need, in any case. "Splitting up worked out fine with us before, so I don't see why not" he said.

Nagi was also in agreement with this idea. Going off to Marstead to do a separate investigation would be more fruitful than sending a small group out to the Colonies while having the rest hang back. "Yeah! How hard can a little information gathering be?" she asked.

Melphi was still uncomfortable about this. It was already bad enough that she would be returning to her home, but the fact that she would be returning with Humans in tow will make things more complicated. She wanted to argue back with them to try and tell them that they didn't have to bother, but she knew they wouldn't listen. She knew something like this would happen if she were to bring it all up, but she hoped that it wouldn't be the case. She didn't know what to say, so she remained silent.

Kasai saw that they were all in agreement with their next set of plans. Fortunately, or unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to leave until morning, so t his was a good time for them to prepare for their journey forward. Not only that, they couldn't leave town without first washing away all the ash that still covered them and what better way to do that than taking a dip at the hot springs. "I've already got rooms booked for you guys at Geyser's Inn. Be sure to hit up the Grand Sandpearl Spa too while you're nearby. The hot waters alone is enough to heal the fatigue of the body" she said. She soon got up from her seat and stretched her body, letting out a few light groans. "I'll leave you guys to it then. I better check up to see how Ichiro is doing. Hopefully, you guys get some rest for tomorrow" she said. She waved at them before walking towards the door and leaving the room.

The room fell silent for about a minute or so after she had left. Ramza soon spoke out to break the awkward silence. "That reminds me, there's someone else in town that you might be interesting in meeting" he said, looking towards Amelia.

Amelia tilted her head a bit with a curious look on her face. "Oh? Who would that be?" she asked. She couldn't think of who it might be since she wasn't exactly a local.

Ramza walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Gael is in town. Ever since you two disappeared, he's been out tracking you down. It's thanks to him that we were pointed in the right direction" he said. It would be best for to know that he's around so that they could spend some time together and catch up.

Amelia covered her mouth as she let out a surprised gasp. Gael was the last person she would have expected to run into around here. "My son is here!? Where!?" she asked.

Ramza scratched the back of his head. She didn't know that he was severely injured and was in the midst of recovering. "This isn't easy for me to say to you, but he's currently recovering in the clinic" he said.

Amelia's eyes widened with shock and horror. "He's what!?" she shouted.

Miyuki was equally concerned for the Prince's well-being. She may be Amelia's bodyguard, but she was also a knight of Esseand. Her duty as a knight, first and foremost, is to protect the royal family. To hear that the Prince had sustained heavy injuries, even though she had been missing from duty all this time, was horrifying. "What happened to him!? Is he okay!?" she asked.

Ramza waved his arms out in front of him to try and calm them both down. "Easy! He'll be okay, but he's going to be bedridden for a while. He has been tracking you guys down since you disappeared and wound up picking a fight with the Shogunate that left him almost at death's door" he said. His injuries were pretty serious, but thanks to Lynette and the clinic's doctor, his most severe injuries were all patched up. Now, it's all down to rebuilding up lost strength.

Amelia couldn't help but worry. She had no idea that Gael was on their trail. Hearing about his condition almost made her heart stop. "Of all the reckless…!" she said. She put her hand up to her face to stop herself. If it weren't for him, then they probably wouldn't be standing here right now. Still, she hated the fact that he threw himself into such danger. This was also something that she couldn't complain about considering her past actions. "I assume he's recovering at the clinic?" she asked.

Ramza nodded. "Yes. He's waiting for you, so make sure you drop in on him" he said. There wasn't any better way to report a job well done than having her report in on it herself.

Amelia looked over towards Miyuki as the two of them shared glances before nodding at each other. "We would have done that even without you saying so" she said. She glanced back over towards Ramza. "We'll catch up with you guys later then" she said.

With that, the two of them got up from their seats and left the conference room. Now, the room was left to just Tsuki and the others. There was a still silence in the room for about a minute before Ramza broke it by speaking out with an exasperated sigh. "I swear, that family can be hard to handle sometimes. Raiku is one thing with that scheming mind of his, but those two give him a good run for his money" he said.

Lynette couldn't help but let out a soft giggle. "They seem like a good family though. I can see why you hold so much respect for them" she said. He may not talk about his time as General, but it was obvious that he had high respect for them and was proud to serve them.

Ruko shrugged his shoulders a bit. "We got our own reckless individual, so I can almost sympathize with you" he said, making a jab towards Tsuki.

Tsuki shot glares towards Ruko as he crossed his arms. "Was that really necessary?" he asked. He let out a sigh, shaking his head. Soon after that, he started to yawn as he felt the fatigue start to catch up to him. "We should probably get ourselves cleaned up and hit the sack sooner rather than later" he said.

Nagi nodded in agreement as she took a look at herself. All of the ash that was on her was starting to irritate her in places where there shouldn't be ash. "I thought you were never going to say it. I can't wait to get this stuff off me" she said.

Elle got up from her seat, stretched a bit and then headed towards the door. "Let's get a move on then. Not only do we deserve a nice bath, but some good food too. I don't know about you, but I'm starving" she said.

The group realized that they hadn't eaten since they arrived in Jibril. It had completely slipped their minds from all of the excitement. Once everyone was ready to go, they all left the room and Guild Hall. They talked amongst themselves as they headed towards their inn rooms and the spas. Melphi was silent throughout the whole time, however as she seemed to be absorbed in her own world. Tsuki noticed that she was in deep thought and debated on whether or not to say anything to her, but something told him that she wouldn't talk about it. It was obvious that she was contemplating about something, however.

The volcano has since settled down with the plume of smoke that had been coming out from it now all but gone along with the rain of ash. People were back out and already hard at work cleaning the town up. A lot of small stalls and various other loose objects and debris had collapsed from the violent seismic activity. A number of windows were also broken and there were even some old buildings that had partially collapsed too. The damage was very mild and could have been much worse, so everyone was thankful. Since people around town were used to this by now, it just felt like another routine clean-up job. There weren't a whole lot of people that were injured either, so that was also a plus. Spirits around town were fairly high, all things considering.

After several minutes of walking, the group arrived at the Grand Sandpearl Spa, where they saw a young woman in a Yukata standing by the front entrance. Once she saw the group approach the building, she stepped forward a bit, taking a slight bow. The woman appeared to be a worker for the spa. "Welcome to the Grand Sandpearl Spa. Kasai had sent word to expect a group of mercenaries. I take it that's you?" she asked.

Cheria tilted her head a bit, putting her finger up to her chin. "She not only booked us some rooms, but also made reservations for us here too" she said. It was nice that she was so accommodating to them despite still being new around town.

Phi wasn't going to complain. If she made reservations for them, then they were surely going to make use of it. "I think we should clean ourselves up a bit before entering the springs. It wouldn't be a good idea to walk in there, covered in ash" she said.

The female employee nodded and stood off to the side to guide them in. "Allow me to show you to the showers. Clothes will be provided to you on behalf of the Mercenary Guild" she said. Since their clothes and armor were covered in soot and ash, they would need to clean them separately. Since the Grand Sandpearl Spas were connected to Geyser's Inn, it was only just a short walk across the wooden balconies from where the spas were located. People that are guests at the inn are given complementary Yukata for the duration of their stay.

The group was quick to take the female employee up on her offer and were directed to where the showers were. The males and females went off into the designated shower rooms where they were finally able to wash away all the soot and ash that covered them. The water was steaming hot from the underground lava tunnels that helped keep the springs hot. Being so close to lava veins though, some security measures were put in place to help regulate the temperature of the water, so that it wasn't scalding hot.

Once the group was all showered and clean, they moved their belongings into designated areas in their respective changing rooms before heading out into the springs themselves. The hot springs were open to air and had a dividing wall that separated the two sides. With the females on one side and the males on the other, each group indulged in the hot springs. The water was kept at a nice, hot temperature and it didn't take long for their bodies to feel it's soothing effects. The muscles in their bodies all loosened up to the point where both sides had let out an audible sigh of relief. With everything that's been going on, it was nice to finally get a proper bath. Steam from the spring water rose high up into the air as they had the springs to themselves for a good while. They were able to talk amongst themselves and through the wall that divided the two sides. Before they knew it, almost an hour had gone by since they had entered.

Seeing as how they didn't want to overheat, both sides soon ended up leaving the springs so that others could use it. They all dressed up in the Yukata that were provided to them and gathered their things before heading across a small walkway through a garden to reach Geyser's Inn. There, they were greeted by a male employee of the inn and were escorted to their room. Unfortunately, even with Kasai's arrangements, many of the rooms at the inn were booked already, so they had to compromise and wound up using one of the larger rooms that were typically reserved for big social gatherings and business meet-ups. Since there was nothing really scheduled at this time for the inn, the management had no issues with them using the space for the night.

The room that they were all staying in was more than big enough to accommodate all of them and were all provided bedding. The inn, as well as the spa, were heavily inspired by Eastern culture, which was a nice change of pace for them. Their clothes were taken away by the staff of the inn to get cleaned up and the more heavier garments and armor were left outside on the porch where they could be cleaned up later. By this point in time, it was already pretty late into the evening hours.

Cesela ended up throwing herself down on her padded futon on the floor as she could start to feel the last of her energy start to dwindle. "Oh man, I'm exhausted. I don't think I have the energy to move around anymore…" she said. It was a tough day for her especially since she was still just a kid. She didn't have the stamina that Tsuki and the others did and it was almost worse since she was exposed to the Wellspring's effects. While the Veil protected them from the worse effects, they were still exposed to a small portion of it.

Cheria sat down on the futon next to Cesela and stretched her arms over her head. "I'm in the same boat. That spring really hit the spot" she said. As tired as she was, she felt like she could of stayed in there a bit longer. The springs back in Basilwell were nice, but they couldn't compare to what these had to offer.

Lynette was lying down across from them on another futon, already making herself comfortable and ready for bed as she could barely keep her eyes open. "I don't know about you guys, but I could easily sleep the night away…" she said, letting out a loud, audible yawn.

Ramza was sitting at a small table on the other side of the room, sipping on a glass of cold milk that was provided to them by the staff. "It's been a while since I was able to indulge in a true hot spring. The ones you'd find in cities and rural towns can't even compare to this" he said.

Ruko was doing some stretches and small exercises in one of the corners of the room. Despite the day that they've had, he still had a bit of energy left in him. "While Basilwell has a decent hot spring, I'd have to agree with that sentiment. You just can't replicate the atmosphere that a natural spring can bring" he said. He's indulged in Basilwell's hot springs a number of times and while they did a good job in attempting to recreate it, it just wasn't the same, even when it comes right down to the temperature of the water.

Phi was sitting next to Cheria on her futon with her hand up to her chest, her gaze shifted downwards. "It almost makes me feel guilty that we're here, doing this type of thing while everyone out there is still fighting. King Taichi, Queen Emma…the rest of the Royal Eight…heck, even the Nightwings" she said. It almost feels wrong that they get to relax and enjoy these brief moments of respite when others deserve it more.

Elle was sitting in a chair near the table that Ramza was sitting at, shaking her head and eating some of the snacks that were also provided by the staff. While she could understand how she feels, it was of little point to them. "Everyone needs to relax and unwind at some point. It's a surefire way for someone to break if not otherwise. I'm sure everyone over in Cayhill are managing just fine. As for the Nightwings, they've got a good leader to guide them and to keep them from going astray, so I see no point in worrying about them" she said.

Melphi had been mostly silent since leaving the Guild Hall, but soon decided to speak once more. "…You may not realize it yet, but we seem to play a pretty big role in things. I'm sure no one would argue that we should maintain being in top form on a regular basis" she said. She soon headed towards her futon near Lynette and sat down on it. "I may not know much about the Royal Eight, but I know that situation across Cayhill will remain in good hands with Taichi, Emma and Shana at the helm. Those three have seen their fair share of war and conflict, so they have experience to fall back on. With Flynn in charge of things, the Nightwings should be more than prepared for what the War Council and Kaito can throw at them. Don't forget that Reis can also use Arcanum of his own too" she said. Flynn already makes a tough opponent and his previous experience with Kaito all those years ago only serve as fuel to drive himself and those he commands forward. Combine that with what Reis can do with the Arcanum inside of them and that would make them into a fearsome duo. They probably wouldn't be on the same level as Taichi, Emma or Shana, but they'd be considerably close in terms of overall power and ingenuity.

Nagi was sitting on her futon that was on the other side of the room. She thought back on Reis and what she had seen back in Melte. Whenever Reis had used his Arcanum, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. "Reis…I still don't like that he uses Arcanum. When I saw him use it…I'm not sure how to describe it, but…I could almost feel his body breaking apart. Like a glass bottle that was starting to crack under intense weight" she said. She couldn't describe what she felt very well. Even she didn't know what to make of it herself. What she did know, however, was that she was worried about what would happen if that "glass bottle" were to completely break.

Melphi shook her head a bit. She didn't know Reis for very long and she didn't really get to see much of his abilities, but she was able to tell that he was different. The feeling of Arcanum was strong and undeniable, but it felt completely different compared to their previous encounters with Arcanum. Despite that though, the uneasiness was still there and widely apparent. Even if he had it under his control, Arcanum was still dangerous to wield regardless of the user's intentions. "Your apprehension is understandable. We don't really know the depths of Arcanum, but we know of it's corruptive nature. Honestly, it would be best that he didn't rely on it at all" she said.

Cesela rolled onto her back and sat up, putting her hand up to her chest as she clutched the fabric of her yukata. Because of her ability, she was able to "see" how much his body was affected by the use of Arcanum. Nagi's way of describing it wasn't that far off from the truth. It was a slow and gradual change, but every time he used it, his body would change. She doesn't even know if Reis was aware of it himself. "I'm sure he will be alright. He told me that he knew his limits and when not to push it" she said.

Tsuki was leaning up against the wall by the window, his hand help up to his chin as he thought back on their encounter with Stahler. He just couldn't get him out of his mind and how much he's drastically changed. It was like Stahler was a completely different person. There wasn't a shred of his former self left in his eyes. "I'm more concerned about Stahler and the power he displayed. Not only was it different than before, but it also seemed to have blocked my connection with the Sigil" he said.

Lynette thought back to their fight with him. He didn't even look or act like a Human anymore. It was like a demon had completely taken over his body. "Could it be some form of Anti-Arte Field…?" she asked. It was concerning that Tsuki wasn't able to access the power of the Sigil, which was basically their trump card. Nothing in the world should be able to compare to it, not anymore at least. "No…if it were, then we wouldn't have been able to use our own Artes" she said.

Soon after, the voice of Cliff spoke out to the group. "It could be a new byproduct of Arcanum that we don't know about" he said. Not long after he spoke out, his translucent figure appeared before them. "No doubt that this is the work of the Hands of Sarex. It's got their mark written all over it, especially when it comes to Daemon Augmentation" he said.

Elle glanced over towards the translucent figure of Cliff. She still can't get over the fact that three separate souls reside within Tsuki, all of which have a living conscious of their own as if they were still alive. It freaks her out, but at the same time, brings her comfort since she knows that they're watching over him. "Those are Sarex's most trusted aides, right? You mentioned them back at the Glacier" she said. Images of the mysterious cloaked figure that interrupted their fight with Utaru. He remembered how effortlessly he made it look to repel Allie's attack and throw it back at her.

Cliff nodded slowly. "The Staff, one of the Hands of Sarex, was the one that created Daemon Augmentation. He may be the weakest amongst the group, but his knowledge more than makes up for it. He all but immerses in forbidden research" he said. Thinking about him made him roll his hands into tight fists as he had a look of frustration on his face. "It's ultimately my fault that he was able to finish his research into Augmentation. If I hadn't let him get away from me all those centuries ago, then I could have put a stop to it" he said. It was his biggest regrets while he was still alive and one that he still carries to this day. "With all of his knowledge at his disposal, he's the only one capable enough to develop a new technique that's meant solely for the purpose of blocking the Sigil. It wasn't just the fact that Tsuki wasn't able to connect with the Sigil; we weren't able to connect with him at all either. No Anti-Arte Field in existence is strong enough to prevent such a block" he said, glancing over towards Lynette.

Tsuki held out his hands, looking down towards them as he rolled them into fists. It will be problematic if they were able to block out the Sigil. This meant that Tsuki can't solely rely on it, even in the toughest of spots. "Which means, we need to get stronger. Much stronger than we are now. We couldn't even touch him in the last half of that fight" he said. If it weren't for Efreet's power and that new transformation of Allie's, they would have been in some serious trouble. Even after all this time has passed, they still seem to find themselves on the backfoot against Caius and his army. They've been on quite the losing streak with them. They've not once beaten anyone in association with them. The only victories that they can really claim was that they were able to push back Draven and Stahler. The fight with Utaru ended without a clear winner, but if that cloaked figure were to have entered the fight, they would have most likely lost.

Cheria nodded in agreement. While they've gotten a lot stronger since leaving Cayhill, it still wasn't enough to go up against Caius and his cronies. "You're right. We can't just keep relying on the Sigil and we most certainly can't solely rely on the Great Spirits and Allie" she said. Outside of the fact that the Sigil boosts Tsuki's own abilities, the only other person in their group that would be considered the strongest was Allie. The power she's displayed so far with that angelic form of hers was something on a whole different level than them and that's with most of her power being restricted.

Cesela looked over towards Tsuki when Allie was brought back up. She hasn't appeared or been heard talking since their fight with Stahler ended. "How is she, by the way? Nothing's wrong with her, right?" she asked. She couldn't help but feel worried for her. The way she suddenly collapsed like that was concerning.

Tsuki put his hand over the scabbard of the Caliburn. It was faint, but he still felt the warm presence of Allie. "She's still asleep. Whatever happened to her must have drained her significantly. She also lost Efreet's Aer, so I'm sure that exacerbated things more" he said. It bothered him that there was nothing he could do for her.

Lynette could sense the power that was emanating from her when she went off against Stahler. Her own Light-based abilities paled in comparison to what she felt from her. Hers were on a whole different level, even though they were still Light-based. "Whatever it was, it's clear that there's a lot more to Allie than we know. I've always thought this, but she seems to be completely different than your average Spirit or even the Great Spirits. The fact that she still retains a physical form when other Spirits don't and that for some reason, she harbors the aether of the Great Spirits inside of her still boggles my mind" she said.

Tsuki let out a sigh as he scratched the back of his head before shifting a glance towards Cliff. "You're more of an expert with this type of thing than we are. Is there anything else you can tell us?" he asked. Since they've dealt with a similar situation back when they were still alive, he was curious if they knew anything that could help them.

Cliff stroked his chin for a moment as he thought back on his old memories. After a few moments, he slowly shook his head. "I'm afraid not. While there are similarities to what me and the other souls were involved in, the circumstances are different. If you're looking for advice from experience, then you'd be in for some bad news" he said. As chaotic as the world was in now, it is pretty tame compared to the Old and Middle Ages. "Back then, our enemies were much more active. They were merciless and wasted no time in their efforts for conquest. This time around, however, they seem to be acting…almost methodical. Rather than just target at random like before, they coordinate and plan. The murders around Cayhill prior to the invasion and the invasion itself, in particular. Even our encounters with Draven, Utaru and Stahler all seemed to be too much of a coincidence" he said. It was obvious that they were keeping tabs on them. What bothers him was how they were doing it.

Ruko scratched his head as he tried his best to wrap his head around what he's saying. "So, basically what you're saying is that, our enemy has grown wiser. I'm sure that'll cause us some headaches down the road" he said.

Tsuki couldn't help but feel a bit on edge. They didn't even really know what Caius' true intentions were. One would believe it to be world domination, but their main actions and focus seems to be squarely on Cayhill. If Caius really wanted world domination, he had all the means to do so by now. "I suppose we can be thankful that he doesn't have his eye on elsewhere. But, that also means that there isn't anything to take his gaze off Eresseas' remaining forces" he said.

Ramza finished up with his cold milk before standing up to stretch. "All we can do is take things one step at a time. We should get some rest. I have a feeling things are going to get even busier starting from tomorrow" he said.

Everyone was in agreement and soon decided to get some sleep. It didn't take long for them to drift off with how tired they were. With their trek all the way from Border Town to Jibril and everything that went down in the volcano, the fatigue had finally caught up to them and this was made worse with their stay in the springs. The group had no issues with sleeping through most of the night.

At some point in the night, however the scene had shifted to an empty space with Allie floating somewhere within it's black void, curled up in a ball. There was nothing and no one else around her. She remained in this state, unconscious, for another minute or so before she finally opened her eyes where the black void greeted her.

Allie uncurled herself, rubbing her eyes as she looked around the empty space. "Huh…? Where am I? What is this place…?" she asked, her voice echoing through the void. She tried her best to sense her surroundings, but nothing was coming back to her. "Hello? Is anyone there!?" she shouted. As expected, no one would give her a reply. She decided to float around the empty space to try and figure out where she was.

After what felt like forever of drifting through the endless darkness, Allie saw a light in the far off distance. Using it as a beacon of sorts, she made her way over towards it. As she got closer, she soon became blinded by the light as she was forced to shut her eyes. Upon opening them back up a few moments later, she found herself sitting in a chair in a small 4x4 room with three of the walls being made out of steel and the last one being solid glass that divided the room in half with a door that connected to the other side. She could see her reflection in the glass, but was unable to move around or talk on her own. What's more, what she saw in the reflection didn't even look like herself. She had short hair that barely went down to her shoulders, was wearing some strange-looking power suit of some kind and had no almost no light to her eyes. She sat there in the chair, completely motionless like she were a lifeless doll.

While she was unable to move or speak, she still had the ability to think to herself. "W-what is this…? This…is me, right…? And this room…" she thought to herself. She recognized the room from one of her previous visions of the past. It was the room where she found herself in most of the time.

As she thought that, a pair of voices could be heard entering the other side of the room as a steel double door opened on its own. Two men in white lab coats entered into the room and one of them was the young male that she has seen several times already while the other one was someone she didn't recognize. Their voices were mostly muffled because of the glass that separates them, but it wasn't long before the two opened the door into closed off space she was in.

The male with dark, short hair who looked to be in his 40s was the one she didn't recognize. He guided the other male into the room, holding his arm out towards Allie. "This is who you'll be in charge of, Dr. Mayfield" he said in a rough, slightly cold tone of voice.

The young male had short, spikey brown hair and looked like he was somewhere in his 20s. Unlike the other male, he had a calm and composed look on his face. He was the exact opposite of the other male. Whereas they had a cold, hard exterior, he looked like he had a caring and soft personality. He looked over towards Allie who had been sitting in a chair, almost lifeless. She showed no reaction to them at all. He wouldn't think twice if someone had told him that she were a life-sized doll. "So, this is her, huh? The girl that almost struck down Cliff?" he asked. He walked up to Allie and kneelt down so that he was eye level with her. He waved his hand in front of her face to see if she could get any kind of reaction out of her. Aside from some slight eye movement, she didn't react much. "Is she really okay…? She doesn't really show much life" he said.

The dark haired male shook his head with his arms crossed. He gave Allie a look of indifference. He didn't seem to care about her in the slightest. "So long as she shows progress, she can remain as lifeless as she wants" he said. He walked over towards a nearby table and put several books and notepads down. "Your job is to observe her and document anything that will prove useful for further research. How you go about it is up to you, though it'd be best not to get too attached to her. After all, she's a tool for our grand scheme" he said.

The young male couldn't hide his eye from twitching from his comment. He didn't like what he had to say about her. However, he chose not to speak up against it. "Of course. I'll make sure to remember that" he said.

The dark haired male placed a folder down on the table on top of the books he had set down. "This file contains all the information you need to know about her. Make sure to study it well" he said. He soon turned and headed towards the glass door. "I'll leave you to it then. Report back to me if anything comes up" he said. He soon left through the glass door as it closed behind him and proceeded to leave through the steel double doors on the other side of the glass.

The young male let out a heavy sigh of relief as he scratched the back of his head. With the other male gone, he could finally relax. "Whew…finally, some peace of mind. The atmosphere of this place is more bleak than I thought it would be" he said. He took another look at Allie as his gaze soon locked on to the collar that was around her neck. The collar had "Subject A" engraved on it.

Allie continued to stare off with an empty gaze, showing no further reactions. While she was unable to do anything physically, her mental state was a different story. To her, it felt like she was looking through the eyes of someone else. She wasn't able to move or interact with herself, but she could still see what was going on. In fact, she was still in her spiritual form as she watched herself through a mirror or some kind. "This boy…why does he look so familiar…? And why does my heart ache…?" she thought to herself. She reached up and clutched her chest. Just seeing the boy and thinking about him almost brought her to tears.

Back in this strange reality, the young male walked over towards the table and opened the folder the other person left behind. He picked up one of the sheets of paper and read through it's contents. Much of it was blacked out with ink, so he wasn't able to read the juicy bits, but he did get a general understanding of what was available to him. "A Spirit, huh…? You're not like any Spirit I know of. Strange…" he said. According to the information that was readable to him, she was a special kind of Spirit who serves as the key catalyst for something called the Artiface Project. Unfortunately, much of the project itself has been blacked out with ink, so he wasn't able to learn anything about it. "I suppose it wouldn't be that easy to learn about the Faction's top secret" he said.

The lifeless version of Allie slowly turned her head to look towards the young male, but still didn't speak up. She still had that empty look in her eyes as she gave him the blankest stare anyone could possibly give.

The young male took notice of Allie as she finally gave some form of reaction, though it wasn't much. "Ah sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you like that. Don't mind me" he said. He took the sheet of paper with him and walked back over towards her, getting down to her eye level. He looked at the collar once more and glanced back down at the paper. "According to the file, this… Suppressor Collar is the reason for your lifeless attitude. If I can just do a bit of tweaking here…" he said. He reached for the collar around her neck and fiddled with it for a bit. The collar was made out of a peculiar type of material that required more than a physical key to unlock. It needed certain magic to flow through the circuits in order for him to get it off of her.

Normally, the collar is maintained by someone higher up the food chain than he is, but since he was given free rein of her, having something like a Suppressor Collar on would only be a hindrance. What he has trouble understanding though was why they put such a nasty thing a little girl. She may apparently be a Spirit, but she seemed rather harmless at first glance. As he thought that, he remembered about the recent encounter Cliff had with her out in the wastelands. While the fight seemed to be one-sided in Cliff's favor, the girl managed to quickly turn the tables on him. As a result of that, she almost ended up killing him and it made no sense to anyone on how she was able to do that which warranted investigation into the girl. After much persuasion, he had convinced Cliff to infiltrate this facility and go undercover in order to learn as much about her as possible. There was great pushback since he wasn't a frontline fighter or anyone that was used to combat, although he did have some experience in combat in the form of self-defense through his time of being a merchant. He had felt like he hadn't done enough for him during his endeavors to take down Sarex 5 years ago, so he wanted to use this opportunity to fix that.

After channeling some of his magic through the collar in a certain way, it finally loosened from her neck, which allowed him to take it off her neck. He took the collar away from her and set it down on the ground next to her. Immediately upon removing the collar, some light returned to her eyes. She looked at him, still with a blank expression, and soon finally spoke. "My collar…who…are you…?" she asked in a flat tone of voice. While she was now showing more signs of life, she still had an emotionless vibe to her.

The young male was happy to hear her finally talk. "There we go, she finally speaks. I will be taking care of you from now on" he said. He couldn't get around the fact that their greatest threat since Sarex was this small girl. She looked no older than 11 years old. To make it more personally worse for him, she reminded him of his little sister a bit, so he already had some connection with her, albeit indirectly.

Allie tilted her head slightly, still keeping that emotionless expression on her face. "Taking…care…of me…?" she asked in a flat tone.

The young male noticed that she seemed to have trouble speaking. He wasn't sure if it was a side effect from having the collar on or if there was another reason for it. "Yes, you'll be in good hands with me, so don't worry" he said. He glanced back down at the paper he was holding as well as the collar on the ground. He noted that both had her official name listed as "Subject A", but according to the file he had, apparently, she used to have a real name that seems to have been discarded. "Subject A doesn't sound like a very nice name and it seems that you used to be referred to by a normal name once before…" he said. Unfortunately, much like with the information regarding the Artiface Project, her name had been mostly scratched out. The only thing he could read were the letters A, two Ls and an N. "A, L, L, and N, huh? Not very helpful" he said. He stroked his chin in thought. He wanted to give her a proper name to go by in the hopes that it would get her to open up more. After thinking about it for a while, he eventually settled on a name he could use based off some of the letters in her old, scratched out name. "How about I call you Allie then?" he asked.

Allie tilted her head a bit when he gave her a name. As expected, she didn't show much reaction. "Allie…it's…good…" she said, her hand reaching up and pressing against her chest.

The young male gave her a soft smile and patted her on the head gently. "Great. It's nice to meet you, Allie. My name is Ashe Mayfield. I'm looking forward to spending some time with you" he said. He soon gave her a big grin to try to show his good intentions.

Back in the black void where the spiritual form of Allie floated, she had her hand pressed up against the mirror that played the scene she just witnessed, her hand slightly trembling. Tears could be seen flowing down her cheeks through the reflection as she felt her heart ache tremendously. She didn't know what was going on or why this was happening to her, but she felt a mixture of both happiness and sadness overwhelm her.

Allie knew from how her heart felt that whoever this Ashe person was, he was someone of extreme importance to her. That would explain the feelings of happiness she was feeling, but not the feelings of intense sadness. "Ashe…" she mumbled to herself as she stared at him through the mirror.

Moments later, the mirror shined brightly and after a few more moments, the scene depicted in the mirror had changed. This time, it was where both Ashe and Allie were confronting a group of armed fighters wielding highly advanced guns and weaponry that were blocking a large, steel door. Amongst the group of armed fighters was the dark haired male from before. Ashe was no longer wearing a lab coat, but instead was wearing military-grade equipment and gear and was wielding a pair of highly advanced twin guns in his hands. Allie was wearing the power suit from before, without the collar around her neck and wielded her own highly advanced sword. The alarms throughout the entire facility were flashing red and blaring. It was clear that the two of them were trying to escape the facility.

The dark haired male was holding some type of strange gun that looked different than what the others behind him were wielding as he stared down both Ashe and Allie. "I knew you were going to be trouble the moment I caught you meddling in affairs. To think that we had a spy lurking amongst us for 7 months" he said.

Ashe scoffed at his remark. There were a few close calls that almost exposed his identity during the course of his stay here, but he's managed to keep himself hidden from sight. However, after what he's recently learned about Allie and what they had planned to do with her, he couldn't stay in the shadows any longer. "Sounds like the Faction needs to improve their vetting process. I was surprised you all bought that made up story about me in the first place" he said. He had created a fake alias and a convincing backstory in order to pull something like this off.

The dark haired male shook his head, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Yes, it truly is a shame. Because of that, many of our secrets have been leaked out by you. So, tell me: where do you think you're taking Subject A?" he asked. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from his mouth directly.

Ashe glared at the man before glancing back towards Allie, who was standing behind him as she held onto the back of his shirt with one hand. He could feel her trembling as she held onto him. She was scared, but was doing her best to be brave. Without the collar around her neck, she no longer had her emotions bound and restricted and the time he's spent with her over the last several months has really opened her up to him. "I would think the answer to be obvious for a top-of-the-line scientist like you. I'm taking Allie out of this place and far away from the likes of you and the Faction. Once Cliff and everyone else hears about what's been going on and what you plan to do, there won't be a shred of mercy coming for you" he said in harsh, angered voice.

The dark haired male returned his glares right back at him. He had the nerve to try and steal away with their property. "So, the reports are true then. You're not a researcher in the field of Genetic & Biological Engineering. You're a merchant who aided the Sigil Bearer and played a minor role in Sarex's defeat 5 years ago" he said. He tightened his grip on his assault rifle as anger swelled up inside of him. "What makes you think the likes of you have any chance against trained, military personnel? You're just a lowly merchant with little combat experience. Don't think you can just waltz off with our property. Our weapon" he said, pointing his gun towards them.

Ashe clenched the grips of his twin guns tightly as he gritted his teeth with anger. He always grew angry every time they had referred to Allie as if she were some object or tool. It only made him much more angry now to hear such comments after learning about Allie's origin and the vile, inhumane things they did to her that put her in this state. "You don't seem to get it, do you? She's more than just a weapon, she was a Human being and you took that all away from her!" he shouted. An intense anger swelled inside of him. He's never felt such rage and total disgust before.

The dark haired male continued to keep his gun pointed towards him as he looked at him with indifference. "Petty sentiments. She was a perfect match to the data we required, so we put her to good use. Her humanity means little to us on the path to create the ultimate Artifact" he said. He didn't care what they did to her or showed any remorse for what they did. He only viewed her as what he said she was, as their weapon. "If a weapon is broken, then all it needs is some fine tuning and adjustments to prevent this from happening again" he said.

Ashe couldn't take hearing another word come from his mouth. He felt his anger building up to an explosive boiling point. "As if I'm going to let that happen. I'm getting her out of here and there's nothing you can do that will stop me" he said.

Soon after, his twin guns started to glow intensely. He slowly raised his arms and tossed both his twin guns out in front of them. The guns collided into each other as a sphere of digitalized light appeared in their place, absorbing both guns. Moments later, he reached into the sphere of light and soon pulled out another highly advanced rifle that looked completely different than what any of the others had. In the center of the gun was a strangely-colored crystal that seemed to power the gun itself. The gun radiated an intense, heavy aura as energy started to generate at the muzzle between two pointed prongs. The feeling in the air was overwhelming.

Allie held onto to Ashe's shirt tightly as sparks of energy shot out from the generating energy. She could feel the intensity behind it. It didn't feel like anything she's ever felt before. It almost put the power of the Great Spirits to shame if she were to compare the two. "What is this? This raw, destructive power…" she said, this time around in a much more upbeat and emotional tone of voice.

Compared to the previous scene that played out, Allie looked like she had all her emotions back. She had light back in her eyes and her voice and way of speaking had vastly improved. At this stage, she was basically her own person just like anyone else. She was no longer the emotionless, expressionless girl from before. The Allie that she was seeing now through the mirror was practically who she was in the current age.

The dark haired male looked at Ashe with a stunned and surprised expression. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Impossible! Is that the experimental Phase Blaster Artifact!? How in the world did you get your hands on that!?" he shouted.

The Phase Blaster was an Artifact of extreme power and destructive capabilities that was in the middle of experimental phases by a company who produces Artifacts called the Gligar Corporation. It was said that only one Phase Blaster Artifact had been currently produced and due to it's sheer power and capabilities, it needed extensive testing done on it before it could be replicated in bulk. There were a number of problems with the Phase Blaster, however. The first one was finding the right person to test it out. There were a lot of complexities to the Artifact that others didn't have. Someone needed to know how it worked to a thorough degree. The second, and probably the biggest issue, was the power source for the Artifact itself. It was powered by something called an Atomic Crystal which were exceedingly rare to come by. It was a crystal that was imbued with great power at an atomic level, unlike normal crystals which are fueled by elemental aether. The process of refining these special crystals is quite extensive and intricate that very few of them have been able to be produced. A single Atomic Crystal had more than enough power and energy to provide power and electricity to an entire city and more than enough destructive capabilities for an atomic bomb, an explosive device that destroys anything and everything for miles. A whole city would wiped off the face to the earth in the blink of an eye.

The energy gathering around the muzzle had soon reached it's peak. Even more sparks shot out from the muzzle as electricity filled the room. Ashe kept the gun pointed steady towards the armed group in front of them with the heavy steel door behind them. "Why wouldn't I have it? After all, Gligar made me it's tester" he said with a smirk on his face.

The dark haired male didn't like where this was going. The situation for them had suddenly became very bad. "You were it's tester!? But how!? You, a lowly merchant!?" he shouted. He couldn't understand why such a big corporation would make a traveling peddler of wares a field tester for their most powerful and destructive Artifact ever created.

Ashe braced himself as he got himself ready to pull the trigger. "Don't underestimate a peddler because looks can be deceiving. Now, kindly step out of my way or be melted down into atoms because we're busting out of here" he said.

Without hesitation, Ashe pulled the trigger of the Phase Blaster and fired off an intense blast of atomic energy. There was a bright light that filled the room that blinded most of what the mirror had to show Allie, but it soon ended with the blast of energy ripping through the heavy steel door like tissue paper. Before long, the entire mirror turned white as Allie kept her spiritual hand pressed against it's glass.

For reasons she couldn't explain, Allie could feel an intense anxiety building up inside of her. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to see what happened next. "Ashe…" she said. It was moments later that the mirror started to flash repeatedly.

No more scenes played out, but instead, various images quickly flashed through the mirror. Most images went by too fast for her to make up, but there were some that stood out to her. They were images of the two of them outside of the facility near it's destroyed entrance, surrounded by trees and armed fighters, pointing their guns and weapons at them. These images depicted the two of them fighting them off as best they could, but found themselves overwhelmed. The last two images that flashed through the mirror was the dark haired male aiming his gun at Allie and firing off a barrage of energized bullets at her while the second one showed Ashe standing in front of her, attempting to block them with a barrier, but ended up piercing through it which resulted in Ashe being shot multiple times.

Allie put both her hands against the mirror as the image of a bloodied and wounded Ashe was soon seen lying on the ground in a pool of blood with herself huddled over him, visibly upset. She couldn't stop herself from pounding on the mirror as if to try and call out to what she was seeing. "Ashe…! No…you can't leave me…!" she shouted.

More tears flowed down her cheeks as her tearful voice echoed through the black abyss around her. As she pounded on the glass, the images and scenes eventually stopped just as the mirror itself cracked and shattered in front of her. Finding herself alone yet again in the black void and after seeing what it was that she saw, she couldn't hold herself back anymore as she soon curled back up, pulling her knees up to her chest and cried. There was still much that she didn't remember or recall from the scenes she had witnessed, but she knew that this was the moment that she lost someone very dear to her, even though she couldn't fully remember who Ashe was. She couldn't stop herself from crying.

As she cried in the darkness, the voice of Tsuki could be soon heard yelling for her through the abyss. "Allie! Allie, wake up! Come back to your senses!" he shouted.

Upon hearing his voice through the darkness, Allie managed to stop herself from crying briefly. "M…Master…?" she said in a tearful tone.

Before she knew it, the black void she was in lit up with a warm light, almost blinding her. The next thing she knew when she opened her eyes again, she was now standing in the garden that lied between the Sandpearl Spas and Geyser's Inn. It was in the dead of night where you could hear the insects buzzing around the garden and the gentle flow of water. She found herself back in true reality with Tsuki standing in front of her in his yukata with a look of great concern on his face. Unaware of it herself, she still had tears flowing down her face even now. This proved to her that what she saw wasn't just some dream or nightmare; it had really happened.

Tsuki walked up to her and kneelt down in front of her, putting his right hand up against the side of her cheek. He's never seen her so upset before. Prior to this, he was sound asleep in their room when he was woken up by Allie's voice. He heard her kept calling out to someone named Ashe. He tried to talk to her, but his voice didn't seem to reach her. That's when he decided to leave the room to find someplace quiet where he could try to try and reach out to her. By the time he had reached the gardens, he could hear her crying. After some more internal yelling, he was finally able to reach her which brings them to where they are now.

Tsuki used his hand to wipe the tears. "Good to have you back. You were starting to worry me for a minute there" he said. He didn't know why she was so upset or who this Ashe person was, but whatever happened was pretty significant if it had put her in this state.

Allie had trouble speaking as she was almost choking on her words. "M-Master…I…I…" she said. She reached up and took hold of his sleeve as more tears continued to flow. The sight of Tsuki reminded her of Ashe which caused her to become more upset.

Tsuki didn't need to say anything. She was very shaken and upset about something, so she needed something more than just words to help calm her down. He took hold of her and pulled her close to him and held onto her tightly. Allie held onto his yukata as she buried her face into his chest and spent the next several minutes venting out her emotions. She still didn't fully understand why she was so upset, but she couldn't stop herself.

After several minutes had passed, Allie had finally started to settle down. The two of them were sitting down at a nearby bench near a small waterfall. The sounds of the gentle flow of water and overall atmosphere of the garden, along with Tsuki's presence. helped her calm down. By the time she stopped crying, her eyes were slightly red. She started to feel better after letting out her emotions, even though she didn't fully understand it herself.

Tsuki was gently rubbing her back. She always had a collected and composed personality with the occasional moments of her acting her age. This was the first time she had a full-blown mental breakdown, so he wasn't sure what to do or say to make her feel better. He wasn't good with handling crying kids, but remembered that Cheria would just let them vent out until they started to feel better whenever she tried to help out, so he did just that. He was relieved to see that she was starting to calm down. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

Allie sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah…I'm sorry you had to see me like that" she said. She felt a bit embarrassed that Tsuki saw her in such a poor state. It wasn't one of her finest moments, that's for sure.

Tsuki shook his head, reaching his hand up to pat her on the head. "There's no reason to apologize. Everyone has their breaking point. There's no shame in crying" he said. She may be a Spirit with an unknown origin, but she was still technically an 11 year old girl, at least through her appearance. "Can you tell me what happened that made you so upset?" he asked.

Allie put her hand up to her chest, taking several deep breaths as she calmed herself down. "I'm…not sure. It was like a nightmare but…it looked and felt so real…" she said.

She proceeded to tell Tsuki what she went through while in that black abyss and what she saw through the strange mirror. Even though most of her memory remained clouded, there was no denying that the Allie that she saw through the mirror was herself. She was worried that Tsuki might think she was crazy or something. However, Tsuki was pretty receptive to what she had to say. He didn't show any signs of doubting what she said, though it was a bit hard to swallow. It was interesting to hear about this Ashe person and this emotionless version of herself. Whoever this Ashe person was, they seemed to really care about her when they were trying to escape that facility. It was hard to make heads or tails of it all though since there was a pretty significant gap between the two scenes, 7 months worth of memories. What did strike at him, however, was that they had mentioned Sarex had been defeated by Cliff 5 years prior.

Tsuki stroked his chin in thought as he processed what she had told him. "If Cliff was somehow involved in this and that Sarex was defeated 5 years prior to the events you described, then this has to have been in Year 1505…" he said. His train of thought stopped when he came to a sudden realization as he glanced over towards Allie. "That means…you're basically a 1,500 year old Spirit?" he asked. It was a wild thought to think about, but it was practically confirmed. It's not a surprise that there could be Spirits that are centuries old since Spirits are unbound to the concept of time like living beings are. After all, the Great Spirits still exist and have been around since time immemorial. It was still a strange thought to him nonetheless; she had all the appearances and the occasional personality of an 11 year old girl, but is actually almost 1,500 years old.

Allie had no other choice but to accept this as fact. There was nothing she could rationalize or say to try and debunk it all. Her surroundings and the level of technology and weaponry that the people were using back during the scenes all match up to recorded history. You won't find anything close to that level of technology or weaponry in this day and age due to humanity's regression because of Sarex and his forces. "I…guess I am, but I don't feel like it" she said.

Tsuki wanted to know what Cliff had to say about this since what she saw seems to be related to her. "Cliff, I know you're listening in. What do you know about this?" he said through telepathy.

Cliff took several moments to respond as if he was trying not to. "…I know exactly what it is she's referring to. However, it's not the right time or place yet to talk about it. I'm sorry" he said.

Tsuki shook his head, not understanding what he meant by his reply. "What do you mean, it's not the right time or place? What's going on?" he asked telepathically. Unfortunately, Cliff would not respond to his question nor did he respond to anything about this matter going forward which left him feeling a bit frustrated. It was obvious that Cliff shared some kind of connection with Allie, a connection that could possibly help clear up some of her amnesia, but for some reason, refuses to offer up the information. He tried to reach out to the souls of Fumiko and Alexander, but he pretty much got the cold shoulder from them as well as they both recited the same thing to him, that it wasn't the right time or place for such a discussion. Since they refused to tell him anything, he was forced to give up his pursuit for information. "What could those three be hiding from me…?" he asked, stroking his chin.

Allie tilted her head a bit with a bit of a worried look on her face. "Master…?" she asked, tugging at his sleeve. She may be bound to him and was able to listen in on his thoughts, she wasn't able to hear any telepathic communication that went on between him and the three souls. Something was blocking her from doing so. "You're…not mad, are you?" she asked.

Tsuki noticed that he was making her worry and considering what she just went through, that was the last thing he wanted to do. He needed to shift the subject around. "Oh, I'm mad, alright. I'm mad at that dark haired person that kept referring to you as some object. Makes me want to grab him by the neck and choke him out, but I guess he's already long dead by now, if the time period of those scenes is true" he said. It wasn't a total lie, he genuinely was upset that she was once treated like that. Though, in retrospect, it was a bit odd to be angry at someone who has been dead for 1,500 years. "So what if you're from ancient times? You're not some tool and you're most certainly not anyone's personal weapon. You're a living person with a will of your own. You can choose who you want to be and how you want to live. There's still much we don't know about you, but if anything, this just makes me all the more curious about you" he said. If she truly was a 1,500 year old Spirit, then she must have a whole bunch of stories to tell. This makes him even more motivated to clear up her amnesia.

Allie felt a strange warmth in his words which made her bring her hand up to her chest. She closed her eyes with a smile and leaned her head up against his arm. There was comfort in his words that seemed to resonate with her deeply. It made her feel safe. "I'm…my own person…" she said softly.

Both of them spent the next few minutes sitting on the bench in silence. If an outsider were to look at the scene right now, one would think they were as close as family. After a while, the two of them decided to head back to their room. Despite spending a good amount of time sleeping and recovering her strength, she was still pretty tired. Having gone through what she did and spending minutes crying made her sleepy again. As for Tsuki, he was reaching his limit too. He had been woken up from a dead sleep from hearing Allie's cries, so he was still worn out from their long day.

The two of them soon left the garden to catch more sleep. Allie returned back into the Caliburn that he had brought with him in order to finish recovering her strength while Tsuki made his way back towards the room. As he approached the corner to the room, he saw Melphi step out, dressed in her normal clothes again. She quietly closed the door to their room and looked around the hallway as if she were sneaking off somewhere. Tsuki, hiding around the corner, watched as she soon made her way down through the hall. He was curious to see where she was going, so he decided to follow her.

Tsuki ended up following her out of Geyser's Inn and through the empty streets of Jibril. By this time, most of the people that had been working on getting the place back in working order have long since called it a night. Since there wasn't anyone around, it wasn't hard to follow Melphi. Eventually, he was led to the town exit where Melphi was standing just outside of the gates. He had an idea of what she was planning to do, so he decided to approach her.

Melphi had caught his scent not long after entering the town, but still continued to lead him on to the town gates. As she heard him approach her, she let out a sigh. "So, you followed me out here, huh?" she asked.

Tsuki walked up to her, stopping within a few feet of her. "Of course. You may be a Dragonkin, but it's unsafe for a beautiful lady like yourself to wander the darkened streets alone at night" he said, making a light joke with her.

Melphi chuckled a bit at his remark. "Oh? Well, aren't you quite the gentlemen to worry about me" she said. She soon turned around and crossed her arms, locking her gaze on him. "So, what did you need from me?" she asked.

Tsuki put one hand on his hip. "You were planning on flying off on your own to fix the problems that are going on in the Dragon Colonies, weren't you?" he asked. Her intentions were obvious. She was pretty adamant about their assistance regarding the Dragon Colonies and here she was, sneaking off into the dead of night alone.

Melphi never intended on asking them for help with her problems. This was something that relates to her kind and her home. It didn't need to involve Tsuki and the others. "So what if I am? This is my problem to deal with, not yours or anyone else's" she said. It wasn't just the fact that this was a problem for her, but having Humans show up now during all of this would cause problems.

Tsuki shook his head. He understood her intentions, but they weren't needed or necessary. "You're part of the group now. If it's a problem for you, then it's a problem for us, plain and simple. Friends help each other out" he said. If she had found herself in a tight spot, then he and everyone else wanted to be there to help bail her out of it, or at least make things easier on her.

Melphi didn't want their help with this matter. She was more than capable enough to handle it on her own. It would cause less problems that way. "I don't need you guys to get involved in Dragonkin affairs. Dealing with Colonies will be a simple matter for me" she said.

Tsuki wasn't going to back down from what he said earlier. He said he wanted to help her out, so that's what he was going to do. "I think it's a bit late to worry about that, don't you think? Besides, you didn't need to get involved with everything that went down in Eresseas, did you? Sure, Shana may have called on you, but she knows your dislike against Humans. I'm sure a part of her expected that you wouldn't show up, even if it were by request, but you did" he said. Not only that, but she technically fulfilled her reason for sticking with them for so long already once they had healed Phi. "You could have gone back to her side over in Cayhill after we cured Phi from her Deixide poisoning, but you continued to stay with us. You've put yourself in harms way for us countless times already, badly injuring yourself twice already" he said. His comment refers to back in the desert where they fought against the Daemon that left her seriously wounded and again during her battle with the Elder Behemoth outside of Melte. "Now, it's our turn to repay the favor. Let us help you with this. You don't need to play the lone wolf and go at it alone. Safety in numbers, right?" he asked.

Melphi shook her head, putting her hand up to her forehead. She wasn't sure that he fully understood the gravity of what he was asking. "You do realize that we're going to be dealing with the oldest and most hostile of Dragonkin, right? They're more than likely to chew you up and spit you out before letting you get a word in edgewise" she said.

Tsuki understood the risks that would entail from encroaching on Dragonkin territory where Humans aren't exactly welcomed. Regardless, he was determined to see things through. "We've fought off scarier things than a dragon. If they choose to fight us, we'll just have to make them listen to us. Besides, my gut tells me that there's more to this and you'll need some backup in case things go south" he said. Truthfully, he didn't want to have to fight any dragon or Dragonkin. He wanted to go into the Dragon Colonies with peaceful intentions. However, he knew that it won't be easy. "All of us understand the risks and still want to pitch in. Isn't that enough?" he asked.

Melphi slowly shook her head, letting out a sigh. "Why do you insist on getting involved? You all should be focusing on Kaito and the War Council, not strange disturbances in some far-flung mountain range" she said. She knew that they would fight her in order to join her which is why she wanted to fly off when everyone was asleep. However, when she had noticed that Tsuki was missing from the room, she needed to leave quick. Unfortunately, now that he's caught her, there was no getting out of it.

Tsuki had ulterior motives for wanting to help her out. While it was true that he genuinely wanted to help her, he also wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity to put the Dragon Colonies in their debt. Their assistance could prove to be vital for them later on down the road when they really need it. "Learning about life around Nargelond will be more effective than charging headfirst into enemy territory. Besides, we would have chased after you, even if you had snuck off" he said.

Melphi's thought process was stopped in their tracks with his comment as he raised a good point. "That's…I guess you would have…" she said, scratching the back of her head. She didn't consider the fact that they would have ended up following her. While not many Humans enter the mountains surrounding the Dragon Colonies, it wasn't as if the path to it was a secret. All they would have needed to do was ask someone around town or at the Guild Hall.

Tsuki extended his hand out towards her as if to call her back to them. "See? There's no point in arguing about it. Let us help you like you've helped us" he said.

Melphi was silent for a few moments before viciously scratching the sides of her head. "Agh fine! Just don't say I didn't warn you, okay?" she said. She walked towards him, brushing his hand aside as she made her way past him and back towards town. "I swear, you sound just like Taichi" she said. They may not be related, but he shared a lot of traits that Taichi has. It was obvious that he had rubbed off on him. Thinking about it, they would have ended up causing her more problems if they had chased after her. At least this way, she could keep an eye on whoever goes with her.

Tsuki shrugged his shoulders as Melphi marched past him, almost in a huff. He couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as he was compared to Taichi. "Well, when you train under him for a number of years, you start to pick up things from him" he said.

The two of them continued to banter back and forth in light, friendly arguments as they made their way back towards Geyser's Inn. Once back in their room, the two of them settled back in and spent the next couple hours of the night to catch up on sleep. Since the group was going to be divided up in the morning, they needed to sort out who was going where and to stock up on as many supplies as they can. For the group that was going to the Colonies, they can expect all kinds of hostility from the local dragons and Dragonkin while the group heading towards Marstead can expect to dig up a lot of useful information. Merchants like to talk and spread word and since Marstead was the biggest merchant town in Nargelond, there was no better place to do some recon.

Little did they know, however, that something was brewing in the shadows. A malevolent plot was underway in an effort to throw more chaos into the mix and to spurn people into fighting. The feelings of war and anxiety amongst the common people was steadily rising. So far, there hasn't been any retaliation from Esseand, but there was no telling how long that would last before Raiku's hand is forced. Tsuki and his friends were fighting against the clock with very little information to go on, so they needed to make the most of what time they have, even if that meant splitting up and going separate ways for the time being, which was a pretty risky move. They needed to proceed with utmost caution and haste before things reach a boiling point.

To be continued…