"Is it alright to start without your companion?" Lady Marigold asked as the group settled into her office. Unlike the rest of the camp, the office was an actual building, though still quite portable. The walls were made of an expensive plaster and the inside, while spacious had been crammed with all sorts of reports and books. Thankfully there was still enough room for them to all sit.
Riften answered the Lady, "I'll fill her in later. She doesn't need all the details."
"Perfect," she smiled. "I assure you that nothing will escape this room, so what have you come to tell me? I am quite curious to know how you are acquainted with my dear guest."
Kyle scratched his head and looked to Lillia for support. The girl took his hand and smiled, "It's up to you, though I think we had better say something."
"Right," Kyle heaved a breath. "Okay before I begin, this is going to be quite an information dump and a lot of it you won't really believe. I'll spare you from the harsher details but here we go." And so Kyle began his tale. A world that was different to theirs and the Heroes who protected it. Though he skipped their origin and a lot of the details, the key points were still there. The reason their world had been born and the reason why they were here now. The reactions in the room differed from confusion and disbelief to amazement. The one who paid the most attention however was Riften and as Kyle neared the end of his tale, speaking of how the new world came to be and the origin of his father, the black haired man let out a tender smile, one though pained was also content.
"So Arvel is alive...," Riften wiped his eyes. "I'm getting sentimental again. I could hug that man so hard he'd be winded for days. He really did his best."
Unlike Riften who understood the majority, Valandus' brain was fried, "I-I can see why you didn't want to tell us anything till after you told the Captain. If our situation was different I'd pretend this never happened." He paused and turned his eyes to Melissa who was surprisingly calm, "History of our world hasn't got you fazed?"
She chuckled showing her true nerves, "No my face muscles just kind of gave out halfway."
"Well at least Lady Marigold is getting a kick out of this," he shook his head at the Lady who hadn't stopped taking notes. "So saying I believe all this, there's just one thing. Kyle you used to be one of the Mercenaries of whatever called Estile, I get that, also explains a lot of things. Your father was one to, and so is the black haired guy but, where the hell has he been this entire time?" He folded his arms and stared at Riften.
"Actually that's what I'd like to know as well," Kyle faced him. "Riften... you used to be a Hero as well didn't you?"
Lillia flinched at Kyle's statement, "You mean he's the guy we thought your dad was?"
"Are you?"
Riften sighed, "Yeah, that was me."
Melissa quickly placed her hand on Valandus' shoulder, "Hey you're not going to-."
"Not right now I'm not," the driver pressed his hands on his forehead. "Let's just try finish this before my head bursts. I'm sure everyone has their reasons."
Riften didn't miss their interaction, "I probably hurt you in some way...."
"Yeah when you disappeared and abandoned your duty."
"Valandus!" Lillia stood up opposed to his aggressive tone.
"No it's fine," Riften gestured for her to settle down. "Like Estile-Kyle is now, I also went through a transition period but mine came when I was older. Before I became the Hero I did my usual thing."
"Thievery?" Kyle looked at him unimpressed.
"Yes, thievery." He chuckled, "And who better to steal from then the Hero's Guard. Instead however I discovered the truth about the Eternal Hero and saw a yellow haired girl die before my eyes. The sight was... traumatising, and in that instant I gained some of my previous strength, managing to beat back the demons. From there I was picked up by the Hero's Guard, yada yada, and became the Hero. I'll be honest, at the start I wanted out but then I met the Garden children and decided I couldn't just let them die over and over again. Back then they were different, with barely any personality but they had potential." His gaze turned to Lillia, "Seeing you Lillia, the difference is amazing. There's no way you couldn't be human."
"Um thank you," she blinked unsure how to take the odd complement.
"Then after a few years of being the Hero my memories began to return stronger and soon enough I understood who I used to be. My curiosity got the better of me and I had to know what happened, but it was more than just the knowledge, I needed to see it. So I left to explore the fog. I had every intention and reason to return but... I made a mistake, or really I screwed up. I got caught in a Devil's trap and was ensnared into a dream. A dream where I met all my friends again.... By the time I realised the truth, the fog had shifted and I spent close to the last twenty years finding my way back."
Kyle's heart beat, "You were lost all this time? And that devil... was it alive?"
"Oh yeah, she's alive. She's actually the companion who came with me."
"What!?" Kyle stood up with enough force to knock his chair over.
"Calm down Estile, she may be a devil and high one at that, but she's not a bad person. Trust me, I was sceptical but a lot has changed." He laughed, "Without her I may have gone insane. Out in that fog, it's next to impossible to navigate and anything I did find, the places I had visited before, they were all empty."
"Are devil's that bad?" Melissa asked. "They're not really like those monsters from picture books right?"
"No they're worse," Kyle grit his teeth as Estile's memories once more emerged in his mind. Kalvara's smooth smile as he watched, forcing them to fight again and again, all for his amusement and the blood on her hands that would never wash away.
Riften looked at him, his expression calm, "Estile-Kyle, you're still transitioning and you probably have it worse considering everything but Mica is a good person. You also said not all devil kind was bad."
Kyle righted his chair and sat back down, "Sorry, my mind is just... I don't know where I start and Estile ends anymore. But tell me, is she the only one?"
Their gazes met and Riften nodded, "She's the only one."
"That's...," Kyle didn't know how to react. On one hand they were devils but on the other, it just went to show how much their mistakes had effected the world for even the devils to disappear.
Seeing his dejection Lillia chose to move the conversation on, "Umm Riften, how did you find your way back?"
"Right," he picked up on what Lillia was trying to do and continued. "About a week ago I felt a powerful burst of energy that even I could follow. Luckily we moved fast enough and made it here not too long ago. Did give the sweepers quite the scare though."
"Yes you did," Lady Marigold chuckled. "Oh but it was worth it." She neatly stacked her notes before looking at Valandus, "History and mystery are all well and good but I believe you came here due to the present not the past."
"Ah right!" Valandus jerked up. "We need your help. The Hero's Guard and capital were attacked by Lavise." He quickly explained the situation. "And so Kyle said you might be able to help."
The Lady leaned against her hand, "That's quite the situation.... It could lead to a civil war. While I do have supplies and equipment, it's little compared to Lavise's arsenal."
The driver nudged Kyle who was still stuck in his own thoughts, "Hey you had a plan didn't you?"
Snapped back to the present Kyle blinked, "Ah yeah. My father, Arvel, he's in the fog and we wanted to know if you could help us find him. With him we could turn the tides."
Lady Marigold sadly shook her head, "That's impossible for us. Even if you knew exactly where he entered, without a guiding rope we'd never be able to track him. You would be betting on luck."
"I thought this may happen...."
"Then all this was for nothing?" Valandus sighed.
"No," Kyle smiled. "I was hoping for a miracle and we got one, right Riften?"
"Oh?" the black haired man smiled. "You want me do you?"
"Care to lend an old friend a hand?"
"Give me a massage and we'll call it even," he lent out his hand. "Karen, Lav and the other girls always hogged your talents. I always wanted to try one."
"If that's all then I guess it can't be helped," the two shook.
Lillia however raised herself in complaint, "Hold on! You-you won't be trying anything will you?" Her glare towards Riften was serious.
The man gave Kyle a look over and sighed, "With how she-he is now, no, I won't be. Besides I'd rather not die. Though I have been curious, what exactly is the relationship between you two? You're quite intimate."
"K-Kyle's my boyfriend," she gripped his arm strongly. Riften stared at the two wide eyed in disbelief.
"It's the truth," Kyle smiled.
"You-Estile," he looked more shocked than anyone expected. "You were into girls!? That would explain so much. Lav would-."
"H-hang on!" Kyle stopped him before his misunderstanding could grow. "I like girls as Kyle. We started going out before things became like this. I don't know what Estile's preferences were!"
Riften looked at them oddly disappointed, "I see.... Now is there anything else, or can we take a nap? Because I only arrived back in this world earlier today. I know you went through a lot too but trust me when I say, so did I."
"I second that motion," Valandus raised his hand. "We all have a lot to think about."