Arian took in a grounding breath before he began to explain. "I lived with the Fearbringers for a long time... I was created around the time that Mersall came to power in the group. Their numbers were skyrocketing because of his promise that anyone could be part of his army. He wanted nothing more than to create a few incredible soldiers that would be able to help him conquer Daragon. This was back before he started his invasion of Daragon, but he was trying to prepare to the best of his ability," he said. "I was his first attempt at making a perfect soldier."
"I see," Jubilee commented, crossing her arms. "The two of us aren't so different then, if you think about it. I mean, I was created by an older generation of Fearbringers that had good intentions even if they pushed me too far. You were made by a new generation of Fearbringers that didn't realize what they were being dragged into. There was no dramatic story behind the ones who dragged me into this, but it seems like that's where we're set apart."
Arian nodded. "Yeah... The one who gave me power and life was a spirit. His name was Odysseus, and he wanted nothing more than to find a place in the land of the living. That was where this had come from, as a matter of fact. He was trying to find a body, and Mersall longed to make a fighter who was powerful enough to give him a physical form for him to inhabit," he continued.
Jay resisted the urge to shudder at his words. She didn't say anything, but she could tell that everyone was wondering why she was so tense all of a sudden. Of course they had noticed. Given that she was one of the people being called out for this situation, they had to keep an eye on her. They all trusted each other, but the quiet curiosity still bothered her. Jay wanted to curl up and hide away from the rest of the world, but she supposed that this was what had gotten her into this situation in the first place.
"I was with the Fearbringers for a few years since I didn't know any better. I didn't exactly have years of youth because I was roughly this age when I was created. Mages age slower than most people, and since I was introduced to life with the body of a teenager, I was given the chance to keep this appearance for a really long time to make up for the early years that I had missed out on," Arian told the members of the group.
Jay winced at the realization. That was why Arian had looked so exhausted when they first met. She had been confident that there was something more to him, and there was no way that he was simply sixteen the way that he had claimed. This explanation made much more sense, though the tragic pull behind it wasn't lost on her. She could only imagine how awful the Fearbringers had been to work with for someone like Arian who hadn't been given much of a choice in the matter.
Then again, she supposed that Arian was far from being the only one who was dragged into the group without their consent. In fact, there were many others who had been born into the cult either during the war or before it had started. That left them forced to fight for a cause when they hadn't ever been given the chance to understand the rest of the world at large. It was a dreadful thing to think about, so Jay did her best to shove it out of her mind. The last thing that she wanted to do was get distracted when this was meant to be about Arian.
"I eventually had enough of it. I wasn't even given the chance to fight out on the battlefield, instead only training constantly. Mersall didn't want to risk anything happening to me because he needed me to be used as a vessel for Odysseus. I got sick of it, so I ran away as soon as the chance presented itself. I don't even know if the Fearbringers looked for me, if I'm being honest. I was in hiding for quite some time because I knew above all else that I just couldn't go back to that no matter what happened," Arian went on.
"And then you wound up as part of our group... You were basically immortal because you were an artificial existence that had been given power by a source with too much magic for one person," Lana concluded. "What happened after you left the Fearbringers? Were you just in hiding for a long time before you left it behind when you concluded it was safe?"
Arian nodded. "Yeah. I started to crawl out of my hole about five years ago since I realized that they weren't looking for me anymore. I heard about Zelda Artem, a legendary soldier who Mersall was molding for the sake of meeting his own goals. I realized a bit late that she was the one who was replacing me in his attempts to resurrect Odysseus, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to go back to helping her. I didn't want to fight anymore, so I simply kept as far away from the battlefield as possible. Before this happened, I didn't think that I was ever going to fight again."
"But then you didn't exactly have a choice because we were attacked," Jay muttered. She couldn't blame Arian in the slightest for the choices that he had made, and they certainly made sense given what she knew about him. He was experienced with combat, but it wasn't because he had chosen to be. He was exhausted when it came to matters of battle, but he held far more experience than the average person. Arian himself felt like a collection of contradictions that Jay was only just starting to understand.
"Exactly... I don't even know if Mersall realized what I was, I have to say. I was born from the element of Chaos since that was the power that Odysseus had inherently, and he thought that was the only element that I held. It wasn't until after I left the Fearbringers behind that I realized that I didn't fall into only that category. I have all five types of magic that branch off from Mystic, but I prefer to only use Mystic when possible. It's easier for me that way, and it doesn't remind me of all the training that I had to put up with when I was working for Mersall still," Arian said. He watched the ground with a soberingly honest expression, and Jay could feel a powerful pull of sympathy grabbing onto her heart the longer that she watched him.
"When we met... You said that you weren't a Mind mage when we met. Did you read my mind in order to hear about the dream? Did you really get the same message that I did from Lyloc, or were you simply following me for some other reason?" Jay questioned as her mind was cast back to the first time that she met Arian. His mentions of his magic had reminded her of what had taken place when they first crossed paths, and she had to admit that his words bothered her. She had to hear the truth from his lips.
Arian shook his head. "No, I really did have the same dream, and Lyloc pushed me to find you and help out with the search. I didn't really have anything better to do. Everybody else was wrapped up with other obligations, but I wasn't doing anything aside from wandering the realm. I was just trying to keep out of the attention of the Fearbringers. I couldn't go back to that no matter what happened. Trust me when I say that Lyloc contacted me on her own terms. I didn't read your memories. Besides, why would I want to do that randomly? I haven't worked for the Fearbringers in well over a decade since I left them behind so long ago to pursue my own ventures."
Jay nodded her understanding. She had to admit that she had expected as much, but it never hurt to get a bit of confirmation. "Alright," she murmured. It sounded as if that was all she needed to know about Arian's story. She was happy to have access to this new information, but she wasn't anywhere near as joyful at the prospect that it was her turn to explain what had taken place with her before Lyloc called upon her.
"Why don't you tell us what you've gone through, Jay?" Lana questioned. She had noticed that Arian was finished as well, and she wasn't about to let Jay get away without explaining the past. Her gaze was friendly, but something about it was stern enough to tell Jay that she had to be honest.
Then again, Jay wouldn't have been able to lie even if she wanted to. Somehow, blatantly spitting on the past didn't sit well with her even after she had avoided it for so long. She had been cornered into telling the truth, and she wasn't going to back down and leave it to rot despite her other ideas of what was right or wrong. She was simply going to have to be honest for better or worse.
"Alright," Jay murmured. She watched the grass in front of her feet intently, figuring that it was better than making eye contact with any of the Skylian Mages watching her every move. She didn't think that she would be strong enough to watch them directly as she told the story. "First off... I want you to know that this is my first time telling this full tale ever. That's important to know, I suppose. Lyloc told me to keep it a secret for as long as I could manage, but I don't think that's feasible anymore."
Jay sighed. Nobody said anything in response, and she knew that it was her cue to keep speaking. "I wasn't born in the Galaxy of Hyperion. In truth, I grew up on Earth. Well, not exactly 'grew up', but... I was born there. Unfortunate circumstances brought me here to Hyperion. I was abducted by some mages, and I wound up here at the start of the war between Daragon and the Fearbringers. Lyloc wound up saving me from the Fearbringers responsible, and she decided to take me in, but... There was a bit of a twist to it. I didn't have any magic at the time."
"You have magic now though," Arian concluded. "I can see that pretty easily. You prefer using a sword, yeah, but it's clear that you have some kind of power. I can feel that there's quite a bit behind you too."
"You could certainly say that," Jay snorted. "I grew up with the Skylox Heroes. Lyloc raised me around all of them, and I spent time with them constantly. They taught me how to fight even though I didn't have any notable magic. I used a sword because that was my favorite weapon out of the bunch. I didn't have magic for most of my life. I didn't gain power until the past year or so. That's the approximation, anyways."
"What changed for you to get your magic?" Ronan questioned. His voice was so full of curiosity that it almost hurt to hear. She hated that she had kept the truth from him at all as soon as she heard his voice even though she had been convinced for so long that she was doing the right thing.
"The Skylox Heroes fell," Jay said simply with a loose shrug. "They were defeated, and their souls were sent spiraling into the afterlife with no way of being held to the land of the living. Lyloc lingered for just a while longer, and she gave me her magic. She held immense power, and she merged her incredibly powerful magic with my lack of strength. I only had a tiny fraction of magic when I was born, but Lyloc gave me something strong enough to allow me to become a warrior of immense power."
Jay hesitated afterwards, and a sigh left her lips. "You see, I... I fought in the war between Daragon and the Fearbringers. I joined the war just before the end of the conflict on the side of the Draconic Superiors and Clan Leaders. I didn't exactly use my true name at the time though. I hid my identity because I figured that would be the best option for anyone. Instead, I went by the alias of 'the Silver Knight', and I only told a single person about my past. Then again, I suppose I had to... After all, he was my twin brother."
"I should have known," Jubilee muttered. "You look almost exactly like one of the Clan Leaders, but I passed it off as coincidence at the time. I didn't think that there was any possible way that you two could have been connected, but now I see that I was wrong in jumping to that conclusion."
Jay nodded. "Yeah... He was a Clan Leader, and we should have been part of the Clan Leader group together, but I wasn't made a member of the team. Instead, another destiny was set out for me, and that canceled out my strength as a Clan Leader. I guess that Hyperion knew that I would wind up taking over Lyloc's magic in the aftermath of her death. The mark on my face is the symbol of Skylox, a sign that I hold her ancient strength. Only those incredibly well-versed in magical symbols would be aware of what it means, and I think that's most certainly for the best."
"And that's why Cryai targeted you... He knew that there was something going on with that symbol, and he wanted to capitalize on it if he had the chance," Arian realized. "So, just to make sure that I have all of this straight, you were born on Earth with a very small amount of magic. You were abducted by Fearbringers who were probably trying to interfere with the Clan Leaders who were going to one day fight to defeat them. Lyloc saved you when you were young, and you grew up alongside the Skylox Heroes. When they fell in battle, Lyloc gave you her power, and you became one of us. Do I have that right?"
"You do," Jay concluded. "That's the short version of it, at the very least... I hated talking about the past. I didn't think that I had any right to discuss it when I was the only one who got away from the Battle of Nadia. All of the Skylox Heroes died because of the Fearbringers striking when we weren't paying attention. I felt so guilty even though there was nothing I could have done to change it."
"Let me guess... You're related to Jayler Rose," Jubilee said, earning her a nod from Jay. "Ironic how similar your names are. I doubt that Jay was your name when you were first born. I somehow doubt that the same title carried over across worlds."
"You would be correct in both of your assumptions," Jay confirmed. "I guess it was just the coincidence of a lifetime that we wound up with such similar names, but there's nothing we can do to change it now... I haven't seen him in quite some time. He hasn't ever even seen my face, as a matter of fact. I've been hiding my true identity for a while. After what happened to the Skylox Heroes, I didn't think it was safe for me to advertise my existence."
"I remember hearing about the Silver Knight, you know," Lana remarked. Jay could already tell where this was going, and she glanced down to the ground. "I'm willing to guess that this is where you come in regarding the story of the war between Daragon and the Fearbringers. You fought as the Silver Knight, and that's how you were tied in with what happened."
Jay nodded. "Yeah... And you would be right in thinking that. It's what I thought would be for the best, especially considering that Zelda Artem was going to be involved with the war. I thought that it would be better if I hid everything from the world at large. I didn't know what I was going to do when I saw her again... And I hated the idea of her recognizing me. You know, assuming that she even knew who I was."
"I didn't realize that any Skylox Heroes survived what happened, but I guess that you're not even a Skylox Hero," Jubilee muttered. "You're a Skylian Mage. You were simply being cared for by Lyloc, but that's an important distinction to make. It allowed you to survive when everything else began to fall apart."
"Your elements are directly transferred from Lyloc, so you possess each of the magical types," Colt muttered. "That's what I believe you're trying to imply, at the very least. In the beginning, every type of Hanilia consisted of a single person who had every element. When reincarnations took place, everything began to divide off, and that was how we wound up with, for example, six Clan Leaders. Your powers are directly from Lyloc, so it's like you skipped the reincarnation cycle entirely. Skylian Mages are the exception to the reincarnation rule, as a matter of fact."
"You're right," Jay told him. "Skylian Mages don't apply because they're chosen based off being immortal. That's one of the prerequisites. From there, five elements are given to each member of the group. I'm a reincarnation from Lyloc in the loosest standpoint. She merged with me years after I was born, but she did give me her magic, so that somewhat counts, I suppose."
"How experienced are you when it comes to using your specific types of magic?" Ronan questioned. He understood the heaviness of the situation, but he didn't seem to want to contribute to it if it could have been avoided. He watched Jay eagerly, and she couldn't help but wish that she could see that soft smile of his far more often. It certainly brought a new lightness to her heart.
Jay hesitated before shaking her head. "If you want me to be honest, I'm not experienced with it in the slightest. I haven't had enough time to do that sort of thing. My magic was so minute and inconsequential from birth that I couldn't really learn how to use it with the help of the Skylox Heroes. I didn't actually gain the ability to fight with magic until after Lyloc gifted me with her magic, but... I haven't had the chance to practice it for understandable reasons. Too much has been happening in the past few months. Besides, I'm already talented enough with a sword, and that's what I care about more, if I'm being honest."
"So, our little group has already been completed. I'm glad to hear it," Jubilee announced as she glanced out over the other Skylian Mages. "I wish I could say that I knew what we were supposed to do next. Do we even have any plans on what to do from here?" She paused as her gaze settled on Colt. "We should probably help to get a certain someone here acquainted with how we run things as a team too. I don't think it would hurt at all."
Colt sighed at the sudden attention before tearing his eyes away from Jubilee. "I don't know much about what's happening aside from what I've already told you. If we want to find any particular bits of information, our best bet would be to go to the hub of Hanilia that's currently being set up by the Draconic Superiors and Clan Leaders. Chances are that there are at lest a few people there who would be able to answer the most pressing of our questions, and it sounds like a good place to start if nothing else."
Jay was silent for a moment at his words, knowing logically that he was right but not wanting to believe it. There wasn't a way for them to figure out what was happening without stepping out of their comfort zone, but she still didn't know if she liked the idea of going back to the castle. Jay had gone overnight when she couldn't sleep one evening to visit Jayler, but she only managed to distract herself because she was focused on seeing him above all else. She wasn't sure if she would fare quite so well when they next left.
"I don't know about that," Jubilee confessed after a moment of hesitation. "I didn't want to bring it up, but I found something while we were trying to find you, Colt. I don't think that it's something that we want to talk about, but... Whatever. I guess that I've already dug this hole, and the least I can do is follow through with it and say what's going on in the first place."
Jay felt her heart sink into her stomach and then her feet after Jubilee turned to face her. "The Fearbringers have allied themselves with the Draconic Superiors and Clan Leaders, and they're currently living in the castle as far as I can tell. I didn't think that it would wind up being too particularly important, but I guess that it's pretty damn relevant now. Sorry for not talking about it sooner," Jubilee told her.
Jay fell quiet once again, and she concentrated on the ground instead of focusing on anyone around her. She could feel their eyes watching her every move, not that she could particularly blame any of them for watching her so carefully. If anyone was going to react negatively to the Fearbringers moving into the castle with the Clan Leaders and Draconic Superiors, it was going to be her. In fact, Jay wasn't even sure if she liked the idea of the latter two groups being there after all of the history that the castle had allocated over the years.
"I... I don't mind. If this is what we have to do, then we'll just have to get it over with. I'll get over it if I have to," Jay replied, unsure of what else she could even say. She had managed to put aside her previous reservations to fight alongside the Fearbringers during the war on Daragon, and it seemed as if she was going to have to do that once again, as much as she hated to admit it. There were more important matters than her own baggage and anger towards Zelda and the other Fearbringers, and Jay understood the importance of prioritizing business over her own internalized hatred.
"In that case, it sounds to me like we've got our next generation," Arian remarked with a nervous smile as he rose to his feet. Everything about him still seemed rather shaky despite the fact that he had spent so much time sitting down. Jay suspected that it was partially because of the emotional knock back that came with revealing so much of his past at once. As far as she could tell, Arian hadn't discussed what had happened to him since leaving the Fearbringers either.
In a way, they were rather similar, Jay observed. They had been involved with Hanilia groups because of the magical prowess they either already possessed or would one day have a handle on. They detested discussing the past because of what had happened to them, and they did their best to ignore the lingering emotions left behind by what they had endured. Arian hid it all behind a smile while Jay masked it with stoicism. They had been through an incredible amount of suffering despite their young ages as well. Jay couldn't help but feel that her friendship with Arian was only going to grow stronger the longer that they were together because of the notable connections between their experiences despite the differing environments.
Lana was the next one to rise to her feet, and she let out a small sigh as she smiled in the direction of both Arian and Jay. "I'm glad that we had this discussion. It's better that we talk everything out now than go on a wild chase trying to track down the other Skylian Mages without realizing that they were right in front of us the whole time, you know?" she asked.
As much as Jay hated to admit it, Lana had a point, and she nodded to herself as confirmation. "Yeah," she whispered. There was still a knot in her stomach that came with this sort of engagement with others. Jay hadn't been vulnerable this way since she was with the Skylox Heroes outside of her brief connections with Jayler. She felt closely tied with her brother because of the blood that she shared with him, and this was only deepened since he was the primary person who offered her a connection back to the place of her birth. He was the only one who had been able to breach her defenses since she was with the Skylox Heroes, and it was strange for her to go away from that so suddenly.
Still, she didn't exactly hate it. The nervous high that came with talking about such intense subjects remained notable and prominent, but Jay had to confess that she did feel better about not bottling everything up constantly. It was a new experience, but she wasn't opposed to it in the slightest. In fact, she was sure that it was only a matter of time before she was able to take a step back and enjoy what she had done. This was a significant step in the right direction for her, after all, and Jay wasn't about to downplay that after all that she had gone through to reach such an important moment.
Jay looked at the other members of her little ragtag group, and she found herself smiling despite her initial expectations. She hadn't been in a team like this in quite some time. When she was staying with the Skylox Heroes, she had the ability to connect with a large group of other people, and it had been the perfect place for her to call home. Even when Jay moved on and spent time with the Draconic Superiors, Clan Leaders, and Fearbringers during the war on Daragon, she never truly felt like she was at home. There was a strange divide that she didn't know how to describe as far as the two situations were concerned, but she suspected that it had something to do with time.
However, none of that seemed to matter as she looked at the other Skylian Mages standing in the clearing alongside her. For a moment, after everything that she had endured, Jay felt like she was home. It was something that she hadn't experienced in a long time, and she rather enjoyed it. In a way, she was almost happy that Lana had pushed her as hard as she did. Jay wouldn't have been able to go on lying forever, and she deserved to be able to talk about her issues without being afraid of the consequences. The others had all opened up to her, and Jay knew that she could trust them. After all, they were members of the same Hanilia faction, so they were going to have to learn how to get along.
Still, Jay didn't think that was going to be an issue. If they were already as connected as they were after such a short period of time, they were only going to get closer from that point forward. She smiled to herself at the thought of finally having found a place in the world to enjoy and embrace without a scrap of shame. She deserved this, and she knew that the others did as well. They had come from all walks of life, immortals of some kind or another, but they were brought together by a common cause.
Jay couldn't help but wonder if she fell into the second category regarding the lifespans of the Skylian Mages. She wasn't exactly selected to be a Hanilia though traditional means, so it wouldn't have surprised her if she was the exception on that front as well. Still, it wasn't something that she needed to concern herself with as far as Jay was concerned. It was something for her to consider years in the future when she actually began to show signs of swaying to one direction or the other regarding immortality.
All that mattered to her was that moment. At long last, she had found the ability to be honest with the people around her, something that she hadn't even imagined was possible for years on end. She was beyond happy with the concept, to say the least. Jay smiled to herself as she glanced out over the other members of the group once again. She had finally found a place to belong after roaming for so long. Even if the Skylox Heroes were gone, Jay had found her home. She was alright without needing to rely on them as much as she once had, and she valued that far more than she expected.
Jay let out a small breath as she braced herself for what was to come. The next set of actions involving reaching out to the other Hanilia groups wasn't going to be easy, but she was going to have to follow through regardless. The Fearbringers were going to have to be an afterthought compared to the coming mission. There were too many important things to focus on for Jay to get caught up in her past grudges. After all, the future had to be her first priority, and she was determined to prove such to the world at large.
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The Silver Knight! Aaaaa!
-Digital