Arthur's POV:
I had expected a guard or two to be on the other side of the doors, but instead, a rather large dark bear towered over me. It gazed down viciously, the two white markings above its eyes shaping its expression into something of a scowl. It stood about three meters high, its hind legs rooted to the ground and its chest exposed to reveal a tuft of white fur just below its neck. Despite its angry-looking eyes, its exposed teeth gave the impression of a smile, two rows of white daggers protruding jaggedly out of its mouth.
"Brothers!" a melodious voice chirped.
For a split second, I thought it was the bear that had spoken, but Ellie, my little sister, appeared from behind the beast with a goofy grin on her immature face.
While subtle, my sister had definitely changed over these past few years. Her ash-brown hair ran freely down her shoulders instead of in pigtails which she had sported when she was younger. While her dark round eyes still shone with innocence, her thoughtful gaze toward me contained a profound maturity.
"Ellie!" I picked my sister up into a hug as she wrapped her arms around my neck and swung around me.
"Arthur!" another pair of voices called out. It was my parents.
After putting her down, I turned to my parents. I stood still, tense. Feelings of doubt and remorse kept me from giving my parents a hug. I didn't know how to greet them after how we last separated.
I saw Jude hug Ellie out of the corner of my eyes.
"Come here, Sons!" My father ran up and encircled us, wrapping us tightly in his arms.
"I-I don't understand," I stammered, taken aback by their actions. "I thought—"
"Thought what?" my father interrupted. "That just because you have memories of whatever previous existence you had, you could stop being my son?"
I chuckled as my father let me go. My mother, who had remained a few feet away, anxiously approached. My mind flashed back to how she had so desperately tried to deny everything, and I lost what little confidence I had to greet my mother.
Each slow step she took toward me made the lump in my throat grow larger. I looked down as her foot was just inches away from mine. I couldn't look her in the eye.
Suddenly, my mother clasped my hands tightly, bringing them close to her.
"Give me some time," she whispered as drops of tears landed on our hands. "I'm trying. I really am. Just give me some time."
As though a stone encasing shattered around my body, a wave of happiness and relief washed over me as I accepted her sincerity.
"Of course," I nodded, unable to look at my mother for fear that I'd cry as well.
I was envious of Jude who hugged mother like it was nothing.
"Brother! Brother!" my sister chirped as she held Sylvie in her arms. "Say hi to my Boo!"
As my mother released me from her grasp, I cleared my throat and took another hard stare at the giant mana beast.
"Your B-Boo?" I repeated incredulously, looking at my sister and back at Virion and Aldir. I knew that the mana beast wasn't an enemy, but I hadn't realized he belonged to my family.
"Yup!" she nodded. "Boo, say hi to Brother!"
Boo and I locked gazes for a second until the mana beast smirked at me. Raising a giant paw, Boo swung down at me.
Raising an arm, I immediately willed mana into my body. At the force of Boo's attack, the ground below my feet cracked.
I stared at my sister in shock with the bear's paw still weighing down on my arm.
"I see that Boo has quite the temper." I grabbed the beast's wrist and pulled down, bringing him down to my eye level.
"Boo just wanted to see if you were as strong as I told him you were. He's a bit competitive like that," she shrugged as her bond struggled to free himself from my grasp. "Bad Boo!"
"Wait. Ellie, you can talk to this beast? Are you bonded to it?" I sputtered. The strength of this mana beast had surprised me, but the fact that it was able to converse mentally with my sister meant that Boo was quite a high-level beast.
Jude chuckled, "This is the beast that hatched from the egg I gave to her."
"Well, I'm sure you would like to catch up with your family, Arthur, but let's make it after our discussion," Aldir voiced in a serious tone. "Your family is living here for the time being, as I thought it would be in your best interest."
"Right. Thank you," I nodded, turning back to my family. "I'll talk to you guys soon, okay?"
Jude and I gave everyone, except for Boo, a hug, and followed Virion and Aldir down the narrow corridor to the meeting room.
Sylvie trotted close behind, taking another look back at Boo. 'Do you want me to beat him up for you?'
'I can take care of him myself,' I smirked, reaching down to pet my bond.
As we arrived inside the guarded room, we sat around a large circular table. It was only the four of us inside the rather blandly decorated meeting area so there were quite a bit of empty chairs spaced throughout.
"Just us?" I looked around. "What about the kings and queens, and the lances? I thought I'd at least be seeing Directory Goodsky here."
The asura, Aldir, pulled back the hood that had covered most of his face to reveal his purple eye that glowed in the centre of his forehead. He first looked to Virion and nodded at him.
As Tess's grandfather turned to me, I noticed just how tired and burdened he looked compared to how he was before the war. "Cynthia is currently in a state of self-induced slumber to cope with the effects of the curse she had activated by disclosing intel on the Alacryans."
"It's that bad?" I exclaimed. The report that Windsom had shown me did mention the director's condition, but never to the point of her being in a comatose state.
"Mhmm," the elderly elf nodded solemnly. "I'll show you where she's resting later, but I'm sure there are quite a few other things you're curious about."
I nodded in reply as I went through all of the questions I had on my mind. For each question I bombarded the three leaders of this war with, they patiently answered back. I learned that, while my family was being held here for protection, the Helstea family had gone elsewhere. Vincent was using his resources in trade to assist the war efforts. It was a bit worrisome to think that they might become exposed to danger, but it seemed that the Helsteas mostly stayed in the background—never getting involved anywhere close to where the real battles were.
As for the former king and queen of Sapin, the two reported back to the castle every now and then, but they'd actually been spending most of their efforts in the Kingdom of Darv, hoping to gain the allegiance of the dwarves for this war, while Curtis and my sister in law - yes, I already considered her to be my sister-in-law at this point- joined or made a team to get some experience in a real battle for the actual war.
I could imagine how Jude would not have really wanted Kathyln to join the war, but probably agreed after she became strong enough.
"Has my father or mother ever thought about fighting in the war as well?" I quizzed.
"Your father has," Virion answered. "But, I told him to restrain himself until either you returned or until Eleanor is a bit older. He was insistent on helping out, but I made a strong case."
"Thank you. I can't imagine if my father had died in the war while I wasn't even here," I sighed.
As Virion continued explaining the status of the war and much about the strategies implemented to keep the citizens safe, I silently listened, staring idly at my bond who was listening to him as well.
"Is something the matter, my boy?" Virion queried. "You've been awfully quiet."
"It's nothing," I smiled. "Although, I am a bit anxious to hear what you guys actually brought me all the way here for, seeing as you wanted to keep your own granddaughter in the dark about everything. And I know you didn't just bring me here so that I could meet my family."
"Yes. Well, Tessia is ambitious and has trained diligently in order to make a contribution in this war..." Virion's voice trailed off.
"But, you still worry for her safety more than anything else," I finished for him. "So that whole speech you apparently gave her on working her way up to the main battle was just a way to stall for time?"
Letting out a sigh, Virion nodded. "Can you blame me?"
I shook my head. "I would've done the same thing." "How bad is this 'main battle' anyway?" I asked, shifting my gaze between the three figureheads of this war.
"As of now, the main fight is at the Wall, where a fortress had been built that spans across the Grand Mountains. Under Guardian Galahad's watch, not a single mutant or Alacryan soldier has been able to leave the Beast Glades so far." Despite the good news, Virion let out a deep breath.
"I'd like you to weigh in here just based on what we told you so far," Aldir voiced in a tone that suggested he was testing me.
I thought for a moment. "Let me see if I have this right. From what you guys have dealt with so far, it seems like the Alacryan Army's plan is to somehow infect certain mana beast leaders so that they can control the beasts to lead their own hordes to fight for them. That, along with the Alacryan mages that have been using hidden teleportation gates set up by spies to bolster the size of their soldiers here on Dicathen adds up to be a pretty dangerous fighting force."
"Agreed," Aldir acknowledged.
"But it's suspicious." I studied Aldir and Virion's faces. "I mean, I understand that the Beast Glades is the perfect territory for them to establish, especially if they have a few S class or SS class mana beasts under their control, but it seems too straightforward. If none of them were able to get through this defence, it either means that our side is that much stronger, or that they're stalling for time. And by the look on your face, Virion, I'd say it's the latter."
"Evidence that has come to light not too long ago has confirmed our suspicions," Virion agreed, a sympathetic tone in his voice. "Now, Arthur. I can't have you blaming yourself for what I'm about to tell you."
"What is it?" I raised my brow.
Aldir pulled out something from underneath the table and slid it over to me.
They were pictures of an abandoned ship. By the structure and frame of it, I was certain I had seen something like this before.
"It's not the Dicatheous if that's what you're wondering," Aldir explained. "After seeing this, the artificer, Gideon, finally admitted where he got the ingenious idea of the so-called 'steam engine' he was so proud of."
I looked over the pictures one more time, trying to convince myself from accepting what my brain had already figured out.
"That was a ship built by the Alacryans using your designs," Virion revealed, his voice grim.
Before I had the chance to respond, the dark wooden door to the meeting room suddenly flew open as an armoured soldier desperately stumbled into the room.
"Commander, Lord," the soldier greeted hurriedly, still trying to catch his breath.
"What is it?" Virion asked impatiently.
"Th-They've been sighted, Commander. Approaching the western coast." The soldier's voice quivered in restrained fear. "The sh-ships."
Jude POV:
I bolted up from my seat at the soldier's news. "Where exactly did you see them?"
"J-Just a few miles south of Etistin Sir," he replied.
I rushed past the guard and headed out the door.
I saw Arthur following behind me with Sylvie.
Upon reaching the familiar double iron doors we had come through, we saw two guards that weren't there before guarding either side of the doors.
"Open the doors," I commanded, impatience evident in my voice.
The two guards bowed and let us through without any issue. I had become one of the heads of the war as a Commander alongside both Virion and Master Galahad, solidifying my high ranking, especially in such a situation.
"To Etistin"
As the glowing portal buzzed and hissed, the view of Etistin came into focus.
Without a word, we stepped through the gate once more, my heart thumping heavily the closer I got to my destination.
Arriving at an unfamiliar room filled with guards on the other side, I stepped down from the elevated stage that held the gate, Arthur and Sylvie just a few steps behind.
The leader bowed his head and let me through.
The glittering sea soon came into view, and along with it, the direct effect of my thoughtless blunder.
I cursed aloud at the nightmarish sight ahead, my words getting lost in the wind. As we landed on a vast, snow-covered precipice at the edge of the forest overlooking Trelmore City and the ocean, I jumped off my bond, cursing once more, this time, my voice echoing around us as if mocking me.
I could only stare in silence at the scene.
Hundreds of ships approaching from the glowing horizon, not more than a few dozen miles away from shore, making their forces stationed in the Beast Glades seem like nothing more than a speck.
"This doesn't look too good," Sylvie said as she gazed at the ominous view ahead.
"No, it doesn't. And it's my fault," Arthur sighed.
I patted his shoulder, "I can't tell you that this will not cost us lives, that this not be a heavy blow to the army of Diacthen," I let out a smile, "however, we will get through this together."
My brain was in a scramble as I thought of all the possible ways to destroy the fleet and cripple the enemy. Use AOE magic? But the area itself is too large... Sword techniques aren't suitable for fighting hundreds of enemies at once either... All of a sudden, it hit me. An uncontrollable smirk formed on my face as I finally grasped the answer.
CYNTHIA GOODSKY'S POV:
I was in a room or area—some space covered in complete darkness with only a single beam of light shining down at me.
"It is imperative that you give us as much information as possible," a deep voice spoke from the shadows.
I felt my lips moving and my tongue forming words, but my voice would not come out. Instead, a sharp ring pierced into my brain.
"Your knowledge can win us this war, Director," another voice, this one thin and hoarse, muttered from out of view. "Think of the millions of lives you can help save by cooperating."
I agreed. I wanted to speak, but no audible sound could be produced. I fell to my knees as the ringing soon became unbearable, but the voices hidden in the shadows continued to pester me.
They wanted answers regardless of cost. They were desperate, but so was I.
"It's okay for you to die from the after-effects of the curse. As long as we get the answers we need, your job is done," a particularly melodic voice cooed.
'I thought that the curse had been lifted by Lord Aldir,' I wanted to protest, even though I knew that, deep down, my life had always been in danger. However, my voice betrayed me, and the torturous sound overtook my senses. My vision turned white as the pain began lessening.
I thought to myself that if this was what death felt like, I would welcome it wholeheartedly. I closed my eyes, yet my vision was still completely covered in a slate of white.
I began to wonder what would happen next when a darkened figure soon approached me. Even as the figure got closer and closer, its features could not be distinguished. My only comfort lay in the fact that its outline seemed human.
As the featureless figure arrived in front of me, it bent down and extended a hand to help me up.
Truthfully, I was reluctant—even in whatever stage of death, I was currently in.
However, curiosity bested my mistrust as I held out my hand, waiting for him to take it.
As our hands touched, the veil of shadow that had shrouded my mysterious helper disappeared.
I squeezed harder, realizing that the one I had locked hands with was Virion.
His hand was so warm. I wanted to reach out and embrace him, but my body wouldn't listen. Instead, I remained on the ground with his hand on top of mine. He held my hand so gently, like a newborn chick, as if my fingers would crumble at the slightest pressure.
I wanted to grab ahold of him with my other hand, but again, I could not move.
"I never apologized to you..." he began, muttering softly about how he hadn't stopped me, even when he realized what could happen to me. Virion's voice, normally so bright and confident, cracked and wavered as he spoke.
I pried my gaze off of Virion's hand and looked up at my old friend. His face was blurry, and I couldn't make out where his eyes were focusing on, but for some reason, I could see the tears in his eyes so clearly.
Suddenly, Virion released his grip, and he was again shrouded in darkness. As he walked away, I shouted at him to come back, but my voice didn't come out.
The featureless shadow that Virion had reverted into stopped momentarily and spoke again. It was hard to hear, and I couldn't make out some of the words, but I was comforted by them nonetheless. I no longer tried to shout at him to come back and accepted his departure.
"I'm the one with the injured leg here," Virion called out from ahead. "Hurry up."
I stepped forward, hoping to catch up when a piercing pain bore a hole in my chest. The flower-filled scenery turned a shade of red. I looked down, finally having control over my body, only to see a black spike sticking out of me with my heart at the tip.
"Hurry up," Virion called out again, this time from afar.
I reached out to him and called for him but I remained anchored by the pitch-black spear jutting out of my chest.
As if the spear was reeling me back, the once pleasant scene I was reliving got sucked away from me. As my world faded into darkness, the sight of Virion walking away was the last thing I saw before a bone-chilling grip enveloped me. As I sunk deeper into the depths of the abyss pulling me in, I could've sworn I heard a childish voice apologize to me.
VIRION ERALITH'S POV:
A bloodcurdling scream jolted me awake. I didn't know when I had fallen asleep, but my body immediately got up from my desk chair. Heading out of my study, I narrowly avoided a guard rushing in the direction of the shriek.
"C-Commander Virion," he saluted, skidding to a stop.
"What is going on?" I looked around, watching the other guards all heading in one direction.
"I'm not sure, Commander. The scream seemed to have come from just a floor beneath."
"There shouldn't be anyone—Anna!" I gasped. The only occupied room just immediately below this level was Cynthia's room, with Anna taking care of her.
The guard's eyes widened as he turned and headed down. Immediately following behind, I pushed aside the horde of armoured guards. Arthur's family was just outside the door, but they were all staring inside. Everyone was staring inside.
Lifting my gaze, my eyes stopped at the scene just a few feet ahead.
"N-No," I let out as I hobbled closer, unable to believe my eyes.
"H-How? Who?" I stammered, but Anna was just as shocked as she shook her head.
My head spun as the clutter of noise and murmurs around me became muffled. I took another step but my legs gave out underneath me and I stumbled against the bed
Cynthia Goodsky lay peacefully in bed, her arms by her side and a thin white sheet over her body. And out of her chest was a pitch-black spike jutting out, covered in blood. Covered in her blood.
An indiscernible howl ripped out of my throat as I sunk to my knees, clutching tightly at my old friend's cold, lifeless hand.
[Author's Notes: Some fun action coming up soon, probably going to release some of the training chapters before though.]