The meeting took the entire day with a short break for lunch. Kyle had to commend the Hero's Guard and the Church for their speedy management and organisation. He and Lillia had only been sleeping for less than a day and already they had created a solid plan. It was also in thanks to Arvel and Riften, and quite a few captured prisoners who worked for Philius. With their knowledge it was all but certified how Philius would act.
With the sun set, Kyle sat at the edge of the lodge's lawn. The barrier that had been erected during the battle ended right where he sat and the difference was easy to see. On one side was the lodge and although things had been shifted it looked mostly the same. The other side should have been a garden plot, instead it was covered in burnt grass, gouged earth and stumps that marked where trees once were.
"So did you figure out a way yet?" Kyle asked as Arvel sat beside him.
"Not quite," he shook his head. "Navigating the fog without any equipment will just have us running in circles. We could really use another sky fortress."
"That would take too long to build."
"I know...," he sighed but then looking at Kyle smiled. "You grew up well."
Kyle let out a tired laugh, "Did I grow up how you expected?"
"God no," Arvel smirked. "But better than I could ever imagine."
"I do have to say though, this is kind of awkward now most my memories are back," he looked at his father, his friend. "Thanks for raising me."
"It was an honest pleasure and don't worry I won't say anything about your more embarrassing moments."
"Thanks," Kyle curled his legs to his chest and leaned into his father's side.
"Estile-."
"Not right now. Right now I'm just Kyle," he closed his eyes.
Arvel smiled and wrapped an arm around him, "And I'm your dad. You've been through so much and I know you'll continue to do your best but when all this is over, how about we open another bakery?"
"Find a place out in the world without the fog. Why stop at a bakery? We could build a small place of our own so when everyone comes back, we can welcome them home."
"That sounds amazing... when all this is over." He paused and spoke slowly, "Esti-, Kyle I-."
"I know," he replied. "Like I said, when everyone comes back."
"When everyone comes back," Arvel repeated satisfied and after a pause let out a shallow laugh. He wiped a tear from his eyes, "I can't wait for that day to come."
Kyle straightened himself and smiled, "We'll make it happen. We'll make sure the world is a nice place."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Why? Because we're here," he replied confidently.
"Those words sound familiar...," Arvel paused and then clapped his hands, "Didn't Kyle say that before?"
"He did. Though now I think about it, when he comes back I guess I should really go by Estile again. I get you wanted to pay homage to him but did you really have to name me after him?"
"Well if you were a girl I was going to name you Estile."
"I'm mostly there at this point," he laughed and stared out to the battle scarred forest.
The two were completely comfortable with each other's presence but it wasn't long until a presence made itself known behind them quite abruptly.
"Excuse me," Lillia pushed between the two of them and squashed herself in the middle. "I know you're having a father and son moment but don't forget the girlfriend. You know that I think about it, this is all super weird. I've got memories as Lav now and well..., you know what it doesn't matter." She squeezed into Kyle and sighed, "I got what I wanted in the end."
A rare smirk crossed Arvel's face, "Hey Estile did you know Lav used to stalk you?"
"I-I didn't stalk her!" Lillia shot back embarrassed. "I just liked to keep tabs on where she was. You know what happens whenever she's alone!"
Kyle patted her head, "It's okay, I'm pretty sure I knew. Though I just thought you were a very endearing friend. Looking back I'm feeling a lot of ulterior motives. We took a lot of baths together...."
"No-well, I mean... we were both girls back then so-," she coughed and cleared her throat. "Like I said it doesn't matter. Let's just be happy with what we have now."
"Well now that I'm not really a girl... or a guy for that matter, guess we'll keep our bath time separate."
"No!" Lillia responded all too quickly to his easy tease. "When you think about it, we're adults that have lived for hundreds of years. We don't need parent supervision anymore!"
"Maila might disagree. You're actually quite young," Kyle shrugged. "Well if she's okay with it I guess I would be."
"I-I'll ask her!" she disappeared quicker than she appeared. The fact that she was convinced she needed Maila's authority in the first place just went to show that Lillia was still Lillia.
Arvel shook his head smiling, "You should be careful Estile, Lav was passionate about quite a few things but none more so than you."
Kyle stared in the direction she had left, "Yeah, but I feel the same way. Plus she's super cute and fun to tease."
Arvel stood up and stretched, "Well it's getting late and we have a lot to do tomorrow. There's a lot we still need to plan and even more we still need to think about."
"You'll get there eventually," Kyle took his father's outstretched and was pulled to a stand. "We might not have a sky fortress but we have you."
"Thanks for the compliment but it's not like you won't be involved," he patted Kyle on the back. "I heard something about a new promotion for the Hero's Guard. That Dilly Devro is quite the character."
"Yeah...," he sighed in reply. It was going to be a busy few days.
The day before the incursion in the early morning a crowd had gathered in the depths of the Garden. Descending beneath the wall of rock that surrounded the tranquil scenery was a sombre hollow of cold grey stone. A line of children each with a flower picked from outside the entrance and beside them those who had come to pay their respect.
Row upon row of tombstones each marked with a name and date. Though there was plenty of space still to go, those that attended the memorial were resolute to not add another. At the end of the line a new plaque was laid, the name engraved, Bethial Vonteur. Around it members of the Hero's Guard and the Church, friends and even family of the deceased.
With a clearing of her throat 1st Officer Leela Lin began, "Good morning everyone. I thank you on behalf of the Guard and Captain Bethial Vonteur's family for your presence during this occasion of remembrance. I was asked to speak today about Bethial's life and as we all know, what a great man he was.
"Bethial Vonteur was ordinary. He was born in the Capital and raised like any other child. His life by all accounts was normal. He didn't have a cause behind him or a past that pushed him forward. What he did have was a passion to help. From it he began his career with a clear goal to join the Hero's Guard where he believed he could help the people most. At the age of sixteen he joined the City Guard and after four years was invited into the Hero's Guard. It was at this time that I first met Bethial. The two of us served under at the time Petty Officer Pelmont and followed the duties of the Guard.
"Bethial always had a great sense of justice, of right and wrong but he also knew what needed to be done for the greater good. No matter what however, he never lost his compassion to see the potential of people and I'm sure many of you are here due to that part of him. I was there when Bethial found about the truth of the Hero and the sacrifices made. We were taken to this very place, allowed to say goodbye to a friend. The two of us were shocked beyond doubt..., and for the first time I witnessed him shed tears. I thought that would be it. The both of us were shaken, but the morning after he looked at me with a determination I had never seen from him. 'When I die, I will be the last.' Those are the words he said to me. Bethial wanted to be buried here and for his life to end the sacrifices. In that moment when my faith in our world was at its lowest, it was his words that pushed me onwards."
Leela breathed slowly and wiped a tear from her eyes, her voice however remained steady and composed, "We remember him today to honour what he achieved but most importantly I ask all of you to join me. Join me in making sure that his wish, his duty and his goal can be accomplished. It's time to end this chain of sacrifice. Let the last to be laid to rest in this ground be Bethial, that no more of the children he swore to free ever give their lives again." She paused, letting her words sink in, "Now let us bow our heads and pray for his life."
As one the crowd went silent and heads bent down each offered a silent pray in memory of their Captain. A minute passed and then began the procession. Lillia began to sing like she had for Jana, the same melancholic song as back then, and one by one the children laid their flowers upon the Captain's grave soon followed by everyone else. Some said words, others silent with tears and some swearing for justice. Kyle was one of the latter. A subtle anger filled his heart, one that he was very familiar with.
He laid his hand on the tombstone and kneeled, "Thank you for all you did for us. I'll make sure to pay back what they did tenfold." From personal experience he knew that revenge wouldn't make him feel better and it wouldn't fix the fact that the Captain had been killed. The point wasn't for him to find closure, the point was to make sure the man who betrayed them got what he deserved.
The memorial ended and with that everyone dispersed to complete their duties. There would be an incursion in less than 24 hours and while a defence line had already been organised, there was still a lot to settle. Beyond that was their ongoing plan to move into the fog and chase after Philius, a plan that was becoming harder and harder to make reality. Before any of that however, Kyle made his way through the Hero's compound alone and soon reached an office. Without warning he opened the door and was welcomed to the sight of Reina drinking. Not even half an hour had passed since the funeral but her face was flushed and her hair unkempt.
Seeing Kyle she paused as her alcohol addled mind processed the situation. In a sudden lurch she stood, "W-what are you doing here?"
"Mind if I join you?" Kyle simply smiled and walking to her desk sat opposite her.
She sighed deeply and sat back down, "Sure."
Kyle took the drink she offered and downed it in one go.
"You should be careful. It's purposefully made to get you drunk fast." Despite her words she did the same.
"It takes a very special alcohol to get me drunk. It comes with the body," he smirked. "How are you doing?"
"How do you think?" Reina poured more of the amber liquid into her glass. "The man I respected most died... he was murdered and I couldn't do anything. I wasn't even there... instead I was injured by a Hero be damned random arsehole!" She paused holding her glass partway to her mouth but after releasing a tired breath placed it back on the table. "Sorry, I- I should collect myself. We sortie in a few hours."
"No it's fine. You've been holding it in all this time. This may be the last chance for a while to destress."
"Since when were you so eloquent," Reina laughed. "I can still remember you shivering every time you saw me."
"Well you do pull off the stern officer really well."
"So I've been told," she went to pick up her glass again but deciding against it reached for her water instead. "You never told me why you're here. I'm surprised you didn't go to comfort Valandus."
"Valandus' will be fine. Last I saw he was speaking to Maila."
"About time," Reina smirked. "You don't need to worry about me."
"I'm not." Kyle faced her seriously, "I'm here because you and I share a common goal."
Reina caught on quickly, "I didn't think you were one for revenge."
"There's a lot about me you don't know. Now tell me, 1st Officer Urza, who the hell is he and how do I kill him?" His eyes darkened revealing an expression he'd never show Lillia.
"Hold it right there you two," the third voice called from the door. Valandus stood by the wall, face slightly flushed. "If it's revenge you're planning, you can't leave me out."
"Weren't you talking to Maila?" Kyle asked.
"Yeah... I'm working on that still," he pulled up a chair to sit beside them and picked up the bottle from the table. "Weren't you meant to drink this the day you became a 1st Officer?"
"We were all meant to drink it... together," Reina took back the bottle only to pour the driver his own glass. She laughed spitefully as a dark grin split her lips, "I guess the gang's all here. I've got a lot to show you."