Back at the Vampire's Blood tavern, Estarossa had been delicately placed down on a chair by Melascula. Though, with his insistence, he had Griamore pull his chair towards the window near the door. Now, he was just watching in waiting for her and the others to return.
Veronica and Griamore were exploring the tavern upstairs. Though, Griamore was more waiting for Veronica. Meanwhile, the princess was curiously looking around every room, even if she did quickly ditch the boy's room.
Veronica sat down on the girl's bed, patting the mattress. "Well, at least she's getting a nice bed."
"Lady Veronica?" Griamore peeped inside.
"Yeah?" Veronica looked back towards the door. Griamore slowly crept inside, shutting the door behind to block everything out. "Griamore? Are you alright?"
"I've been thinking a lot about everything that's happened. Are you...alright with all of this? With being here?"
"Going with the Commandments? I mean, I'm a little concerned. There's no mistaking it, there's something absolutely wrong with Zeldris but, if Melascula was correct, it's almost completely out of his control. Besides, you and I don't really have much of a choice then to be here right now."
Griamore's eyes shifted to the window. "I suppose."
"It's...about your uncle, isn't it?" Veronica asked gently. Griamore's eyes furrowed. "Kind of."
"Kind of?"
"On the day of his murder, I was in the town that day with my mother, helping her at the market. Father was away with Hendrickson at the castle. Everything then just got so chaotic so fast. Before my mother pulled me away to safety, I looked back. There were just...so many corpses of Holy Knights flooding the streets, the top of the castle was crumbling, and right in the middle of it all were the Commandments.."
Veronica felt the ground shaking below her and the cracking of the castle wall all over again. She too was in Liones that day, just a little younger than Griamore. Veronica stepped a little closer. "I...remember that I was in my room. Everything around me suddenly felt like an earthquake. I had no idea what was going on, and my father was just frantically calling for me and my sisters."
"Earthquake...Yes, that sounds just about right." Griamore took a deep breath. "I just can't wrap my head around any of this. As if I'm just supposed to believe they're good after everything I saw?"
Veronica lightly placed her hand on his arm, very much accepted by Griamore. "And have you remembered anything they said about Fraudrin?"
"...I wasn't exactly being honest before." Griamore admitted.
"About what?"
"Father before had told me to forget about it, but I do remember something about Fraudrin before the Commandments made their escape. I never understood why, but Fraudrin had stopped for a moment when he saw me. He just...uttered my name before running. Now with everything Zeldris told me...I can't stop thinking about it and it's giving me a migrane."
"Migrane?" Veronica murmured. Now that she was thinking about it, she was also forming a pretty bad migrane of her own. "Wait..." She then said, her hand slipping off his arm to then grasp to her head.
"Before I was pulled away from my room, I remember seeing some of the Commandments out of the window making their escape, followed by some rubble. You said the top of the castle were crumbling, but the Commandments had massacred the... Knights?"
"Yes...you're right, that doesn't..."
Estarossa's finger lightly tapped against the window glass. "Now that I think about it, I probably should've asked to be sat outside...Ugh, this is the worst."
Estarossa's eyes slowly glanced at the orange sky. "At least I can watch the sun set."
Woosh...
Estarossa felt the wind of the opening door as Zeldris first entered, holding the door for everyone. Drole's sapphire skin then be seen outside.
"Hey, Brother. How are you feeling?" Zeldris asked. "Alive."
Gloxinia went to a chair and plopped down. Melascula wearily but gently laid her hand on his shoulder. Gloxinia glanced towards her attempt on consolement and then at her awkward grin, then looked away.
"And where did you go?" Estarossa asked the Fairy. "Please. Drop it." Gloxinia sighed.
"AHHH!" The groans of Veronica and Griamore echoed throughout the tavern. Various thuds pounded against the upstairs floor. "Veronica?! Griamore?" Elizabeth called out. No immediate response. Elizabeth charged for the stairs, followed by Zeldris and Melascula.
Once they made it to the door, Zeldris opened to see the two on their knees. Their heads were grasped by their hands, sweat was running down their cheeks. "What happened?" Elizabeth asked, running to Veronica's side.
"Wh-What is this...pain?!" Veronica murmured.
Zeldris turned towards Melascula, ushering her forward. "A-Ah..." Melascula nodded in affirmation before coming forward. Her hand lightly touched Griamore and Veronica's heads. "I...I don't feel any spells active...but it's not any normal headaches either..."
"I remember it now!" Griamore suddenly shouted. Melascula stammered back a little. "Hold on, Griamore!" Zeldris replied, then grasping his shoulders. "Just try to calm down, what do you remember?"
"Fraudrin! My mentor from when I was a boy! My own father trusted him with me, how could I have forgotten about him?! Ah..." Griamore looked Zeldris straight in the eyes, his own were growing in anger. "That day the Grandmaster, my uncle was murdered, what actually happened?"
"Wait! Calm down, Griamore! They didn't do it!" Elizabeth protested. However, Griamore wasn't listening. "Tell me, Zeldris!"
"All I remember is seeing his dead body on the wall, nailed to it with two swords. Suddenly, Hendrickson, Dreyfus, and others had arrived. We tried to explain, but no one was listening. We had to escape to avoid hurting anyone!" He explained. "Y-Yes, that's what I remember too!" Melascula spoke up.
"And the dead Holy Knights outside the castle?"
"Dead Holy Knights? There weren't any- Wait..." Zeldris froze, memories of that day started to slowly come back. He murmured to himself, his hand grasping his head in the same fashion as Veronica and Griamore did. Melascula and Elizabeth came to his side.
"Captain?" Melascula asked before she too was started to feel ill.
Zeldris's forming headache felt like a pencil moving along a page. Fitting as it was like his memories were rewriting themselves. "I remember now..."
"To all of the Ten Commandments, I request that you all report to my quarters for a meeting at noon today. Signed, Zaratras." Zeldris read to the group, then putting the letter away in his bag.
The Commandments headed up the stairs to the Grandmaster's headquarters, each talking to one another along the way. Well, everyone except for Drole, who had to wait patiently out amongst the outer castle walls.
BANG, BANG. The quiet, careful footsteps of the giant knight in the purple spiky armor barely echoed amongst the walls. "How odd. It must be an emergency. Sir Zaratras never has much time for meetings during the mornings." He stated
"It's probably not that serious, Fraudrin. Otherwise, he would've told us to be here immediately." Gloxinia replied, floating above the group, right near Melascula.
"Either way, it's strange that he just left the note on our door without a single word. Didn't even stay after knocking." The hooded knight in the white robe with a fiery pattern spoke.
His female companion next to him leaned a little closer, her golden hair lightly brushed against his skin. Her suit was more adaptable. One side of her was slim and flexible with barely any armor. The other side was stacked with armor, making it sturdy and beefy. "Relax, Monspeet. He probably had things to do."
"He is right though, Derieri. It's unlike him." Fraudrin replied.
"He's just up ahead. We can ask him about it later." Zeldris stated as they approached the door. Zeldris reached up to knock on the door. Knock, Kn-
The door slowly opened. It wasn't even shut in the first place. Creak...
Zeldris slowly stepped in. The room was completely silent, no feeling of life anywhere. Despite the daylight gleaming through the windows, the room had such dead darkness filling the area. Zeldris felt the dread send a chill up his back. "Zaratras?" Zeldris called out. "Hello?" Estarossa followed.
The other Commandments slowly followed Zeldris into the room, having felt the same aura. Some of their hands started reaching for their weapons. "I don't like this..." Gloxinia murmured cautiously.
Sniff... The pale woman in the long sleeved sweater like suit turned her head side to side, sniffing the air. "It smells of...darkness, that of the demon clan's..."
" Ah...Oh no!" Fraudrin suddenly cried out.
As he dashed towards a certain wall, the Commandments turned to see what occured. Some gasped, some were further disturbed, some only further put on guard. Zeldris was of the first, absolutely shocked... "Grandmaster..."
There he was, Zaratras was pinned to the wall by two swords. A crack had formed behind him, revealing the impact that occured. Blood dripped down the blade, had poured down his torso, and some lightly oozed out of his mouth.
As Fraudrin began analyzing the body, everyone else came over. "Oh, Zaratras...who will tell Gilthunder?" Fraudrin stammered, devastated by the sight.
"Grayroad, how long was he-" Zeldris began asking before the pale woman suddenly started tapping at the body's wounds. "Blood started clotting, but the mere medium size of the blood puddle below suggests he's been like this for only a few hours at most." She observed. "Grayroad, don't touch that..." Fraudrin slowly grasped her sleeve to pull her hand away.
"This clearly wasn't a normal assailant." Monspeet stated. "Yeah, and worse, we have no clue who did it." Derieri added.
"Everyone, do you sense that?."
The Commandments turned to see the tall, slim, yet firmly statured crimson red suit of armor approaching the left window. As matter of fact, they did and it seemed to be getting worse outside the castle. "What is it, Galland?" Estarossa asked.
"Something is out there." Galland replied. However, before he could completely get a look...
The sound of scurrying metal boots dashed into the room. The two Diamond Ranked Holy Knights, Hendrickson and Dreyfus, who was followed by a hoard of various knights.
"What...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Dreyfus yelled. "After everything this kingdom's done for you, how could you betray us like this?" Hendrickson followed. The two grasped their weapons, each one of their subordinates following their lead
"Wait! Dreyfus! Hendrickson! This isn't what it looks like, we found him like this!" Fraudrin raised his hands in defence.
"Acid Tower."
With a wave of Hendrickson's hand, thick purple gas had suddenly circled the Commandments, bursting upwards like a volcano eruption. The Commandments were trapped inside the radius, near directly in the middle. Each of their suits of armor were starting to erode and crack...
"Now's the time, Dreyfus. Do it for Zaratras!" Hendrickson said.
Tears began pouring down Dreyfus's face. "We know everything. You..." He unseathed his sword, held it straight forward as he aimed it right at the Commandments. The sword's blade began to glow a fierce white. "Impact!" From the sword's tip, a huge white beam blasted.
BOOM! The wall of the castle's top began to crumble as the beam bursted through. The beam was powerful enough to then walk up the sleeping Drole outside, and seemingly went on for what seemed like many miles!
However, the Commandments were far from dead. "SCATTER! Get away from here!"
From the newly formed escape, the Commandments made their way and jumped out! "Meet back up at the west mountains!" Zeldris ordered. "Right!" The Commandments affirmed.
As they fell further more to the ground and scattered about, Zeldris stuck to the rooftops and dashed forward. He couldn't quite see any other Commandment, he was more or less alone. He had no plan, but he just knew they had to get away before anyone else got hurt...
And it was there Zeldris's memories had began getting blurry before, but now he had the full picture.
"I...I just kept running on the rooftops, trying to get away. But right in the middle of the town, there were dead Holy Knights! Just bodies everywhere and there was this...man with some kind of orb! Before I could even get a look at him, everything got bright for a few seconds, but then I just kept on running."
Melascula kept stroking her head in pain. "Why...Why couldn't I remember any of this before?"
Elizabeth was just so confused. Everyone was in agony around her and she couldn't do anything about it. She desperately went back and forth trying to console and comfort the four.
"A man...in a black cloak, right?"
"Yes."
"...so It really wasn't you afterall." Griamore stated. His hands slipped from his head as his head hung low. However, the knight had suddenly collasped, his body would've plopped against the floor if Zeldris hadn't then caught him. "Griamore!" Veronica called out.
Hendrickson cautiously entered the Grandmaster's quarters. At least this time he had good news. As he entered, he bowed. "Your majesty."
"Report." The man in darkness sighed.
"Many forces have been dispatched all across the kingdom, the rest will be making their way tomorrow morning. Each of their commanders have recieved a root from Ger to test the sap supplied and to use as a means of reporting if any Commandments are found."
"Good. Very good. I'll admit, I was a little...disgusted by having to rely so much on a puny little servant fairy like her, but she's proven to be useful."
"Yes, I have assured she's utilizied in all ways she could possibly muster."
"And what of Dreyfus? I've noticed he's been quite absent from his work."
"He's been...grieving, sire. He only recently lost his son." Hendrickson slowly stated.
"Oh...how unfortunate." The man in darkness grumbled, placing his hand against his chin. "Unfortunately, Hendrickson, such losses are all too common in times such as this, and I haven't permitted any breaks."
"Quite so, your majesty." A feminine voice replied. Making her way into the light, it was Vivian. The man in darkness groaned at the sight of her; "What is it, Vivian?"
"I've been hoping to recieve a newer model of the invasion orb. Bartra has been showing a high amount of resistance, unlike any other in the royal family. It's hard to recieve any vision out of him." Vivian stated.
"... Strange. I've never known a more stubborn old man. And none of the other royal family has done anything similar?"
"Elizabeth, perhaps. I know personally that Margeret hasn't, and Veronica's been a good, quiet girl...though I couldn't find her today."
"Locate her immediately, no royal is allowed out before dark."
The man in darkness was going to continue on... At least, until one glowing light could be seen in his pockets. "What?!" He forcibly pulled out his invasion orb. The orb in Vivian's pocket also started to glow.
"Vivian! Give it here!" The man in darkness barked. Vivian immediately snapped her fingers, then went the orb to faze into the man's hands. The pink light from the orbs was very bright, almost breaking the darkness a little.
The man in darkness's bright hair and pale skin could be seen for only a split moment before he covered the orbs with his hand. It was the first time Hendrickson or Vivian could remember seeing anything of him but a sillouette.
"But how?! It couldn't have been...been..." The man in darkness stopped before turning to Hendrickson. "Hendrickson, who is with the Commandments right now?"
Hendrickson's heart froze midbeat, swear began forming in his hair. "What...do you mean, my liege?"
"This invasion orb in my left hand is the one I used on the Commandments to make them forget that they ever saw me and the slain Holy Knights. This other one I lended to Vivian was used on the royal family and those closest to them, to insure that they too remain under our watch. The invasion orb's Rewrite Light is powerful but limited in its grip. If someone were to realize the faults in their memories, they will return to normal."
The man in darkness held the two orbs forward as their light slowly dimmed out. "And as you can see, both the Commandments and our special someone are regaining their memories at the same time. What are the odds of that being a coincidence?"
"Very slim, sire."
"Yes. And I'd like to emphasize that Elizabeth may already know the truth about the kingdom takeover, but she was just barely older than an infant. There is no possible way she could bring back their memory about the event if she can't even remember it herself! So, I will ask again. Who is with the Commandments right now?"
"... Veronica, sire." Hendrickson stated, sweat falling off of his head like raindrops.
"WHAT?! And you're only telling me now?!" The man in darkness roared.
"It's only a small matter, sire! She will be dealt with once she is found."
"You fool! Do you know how much careful placing and timing it took just to insure that Rewrite Light reworked everyone's memories to the most consistent result? Do you not remember all of the countermeasures I've placed to deal with any worries of the spell breaking? If one breaks free without being dealt with, ONE...it'll all begin crumbling down."
The man in darkness held the two invasion orbs forward. "And it's already starting."
"My...apologies for my foolishness, my liege."
The man in darkness groaned, stroking his head. "And I was hoping to have as much blackmail possible for Bartra. No matter. Have the sent out forces looking for Veronica, and have her killed at any cost. Vivian, I'll get you that orb. However, be on standby, I will most likely require your assistance later."
"Yes, sire."
The man in darkness lightly tossed the orb back to her, which was caught. He then stood up and headed to the window. As his hand gripped the stone wall, he once again took a good look out at the nation.
The sun in the pure blue sky shined down brightly on the quiet town. The man in darkness sneered. "Playtime is over. From this day forward, the war has begun."