• Tales of Xalthia

    Chapter 7: Answers


    Tsuki and Lynette had successfully infiltrated Prophet Castle and found the captive girl who turned out to be Tsuki's childhood friend from Tomoha, who was believed to be killed. Exposing himself to the cult was a risky and dangerous plan, considering that the reinforcements from Eresseas were still about ten minutes out. Now, the entire cult had placed a huge target on Tsuki since he was the first to reveal himself. Lynette, however, still remains a secret from the cult. It was only a matter of time before she has to reveal herself though.

    Magus stared at Tsuki and immediately realized who he was based on his armor. "You...you're one of the Royal Eight!" he shouted. He wasn't expecting to be caught since they've been hiding in the shadows for years. It would seem his cockiness and his lack of security during his gatherings have finally caught up with him.

    Tsuki pointed his sword at Magus with intent to kill on his face. "My name is Tsuki Himura. By the laws of Eresseas and under the name of the royal family, I order you all to stand down and surrender" he demanded. He was having a personal conflict. He had to choose between doing the right thing which was taking the cult into custody or taking justice in his own hands and avenge all of those that were killed because of the cult.

    The girl opened her eyes and saw Tsuki standing above her. She looked up at him with hopeful eyes. This was the first time she's seen someone who's managed to find her after all of these years. Before she could speak out, she heard him introduce himself. Upon hearing her name, her eyes widened. She made an instant connection on who he was. "Tsu...? Can it really be you...?" she asked him, almost hesitantly

    Tsuki turned his head at the girl and gave her a gentle smile with a nod. "Don't you worry. I'll get you out of here, Nagi" he said. He then looked back at Magus and gave him a threatening look. He wasn't going to let him get away.

    Magus chuckled quietly before he busted out laughing. "Us? Surrender? Why would we do that when we have you completely surrounded and outnumbered? You knights are so full of yourselves, thinking you can take us all on by yourself. You should of stayed hidden away. You could of lived longer" he said, snapping his fingers. Upon snapping his fingers, they could hear the echo of swords and daggers being unsheathed from the crowd behind Tsuki. "Any last words before we cut you up?" he asked.

    Tsuki looked back at the cult members as they drew their weapons. He didn't even show a hint of fear or intimidation. His expression was stone cold. He then sensed a sudden concentration of Aer, which is the basic component that makes up Mana. He knew what that meant. He then looked at Magus with a smug look. "I have only two words. You're busted" he said.

    Moments later, there was an explosion that came from the direction of the castle's main gate. The explosion caused the ground to shake violently and the chandeliers and loose hanging stone to fall throughout the castle. It was a miracle the place didn't come down entirely, given the current state that the castle was in already. Once the explosion died down along with it's aftereffects, they heard shouting and the sounds of guns going off and the clashes of swords.

    Lynette walked up to Tsuki and removed her black robe, revealing herself "It's over, Magus. You have no place to run" she said. She felt relieved that she no longer had to pretend to be a part of the cult. Just having the robe one was enough. She was going to need a shower to get the smell of blood and stench off of her.

    Magus gave both of them a cold stare. He was furious that this all happened at once. He began questioning himself on why he didn't have a decent security team. He realized that he got cocky over the years of not being caught. "Damn. You won't get away with this!" he shouted. He then took out two objects that looked like bombs. In fact, they were two highly compact flash bombs that were used to make quick and immediate escapes. He then threw them down on to the ground. Before they hit the ground, Magus and the rest of the cult covered their eyes. Upon hitting the ground, the bombs released a sudden blinding light that left everyone in the room who didn't shield their eyes blinded for thirty seconds.

    Tsuki, Lynette and Nagi were left blinded when the flash went off. They could hear the sounds of feet from within the chamber running in the opposite direction. On top of that, they heard the sounds of fighting were slowly starting to die down. When they got their sight back the ritual chamber was emptied out. The cult that filled the entire room had disappeared within a thirty second timeframe. They couldn't explain it. If they ran out the front, then they wouldn't of gotten past the knights. Perhaps, there was another escape route that they didn't know about.

    When Tsuki saw the emptied room, he knew that they had an escape plan, even when they didn't have any security at all. He was surprised that the cult even had a back up plan. He eventually shrugged it off and sighed heavily. At least, they rescued their captive. He turned around and used his sword to cut the chains that bound Nagi to the stone table. He sheathed his sword afterwards and kneeled down next to her. "It's been a long time, Nagi. You're safe now" he said in a gentle tone. He was aware that her state of mind could be extremely fragile after being a captive for thirteen years then used as a human sacrifice.

    Nagi was paralyzed. She was still in shock that her childhood friend, who was presumed dead after the raid on Tomoha, came out of nowhere and rescued her when her life was about to end. It was like something that could happen in books or movies. She didn't accept it at first because she thought that she was in heaven. "Tsu...? I can't believe it. Is this heaven?" she asked, believing she was dead.

    Tsuki smiled a bit, took her hand and held it tightly. "No. This is real. You're very much alive" he said, reassuring her. He could understand her shock. He was shocked too when he discovered who she was in the prison block. Although, she seems to be in a greater shock, which was completely understandable.

    Nagi knew this was real when she felt the warmth from his hand. Her eyes almost immediately teared up as she quickly grabbed and held onto him tightly, crying. She had been holding back her tears for over thirteen years. "Oh Tsu....! I thought....I thought you were dead! I felt so along, knowing all my loved ones were gone but you...you're alive!" she said, crying her eyes out. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She has always to tried staying strong and not show a hint of weakness since her capture. However, she was at her breaking point and now, she finally broke down.

    Tsuki held onto her, petting the back of her head gently. "I'm here now. You don't have to be afraid anymore" he said. He then motioned at Lynette. "Lyn, come heal her wounds." he said. She had cuts and bruises all over her body and he couldn't leave her in this condition.

    Lynette nodded and walked over to the other side of the stone table and stood above Nagi. She held out her hands as a warm, white light emitted from her hands and covered Nagi. "Her injuries aren't serious. They're only minor ones. I can't tell how damaged her mental state is, however. She's going to need a full medical examination" she said. She may be a healer but she can't heal the mind. She needs an experienced doctor.

    Just then, three armored knights ran into the chamber. They saw Tsuki and approached him. Once they got to the stone steps, they saluted him. "Sir Tsuki! Are you alright!?" one of the knights said. The knight appeared to be a Captain due to the red garb that was placed over his armor.

    Tsuki looked over at the knights that approached them and nodded. "We're okay! You guys came just in time" he said. He had to be honest with himself; he had no plan whatsoever when the cult drew their weapons. He could of died before the reinforcements showed up for all he knows.

    Another knight, who appeared to be a lieutenant due to her blue garb over har armor walked up to the stone table and examined Lynette and Nagi. Her initial thoughts were that they were captives. Everyone knew Tsuki departed Eresseas alone so no one knew he picked up some help along the way. "We're just glad we made it on time. We apprehended two members of the cult so we'll take them back to the capital and have them interrogated when we return" she said. After examining Lynette and Nagi, she had to ask. "Were these two captives?" she asked.

    Tsuki tilted his head and shook it. "Only one was. This girl has been a captive for thirteen years. She's a survivor from the Tomoha raid" he said, pointing to Nagi. He then looked at Lynette. "She's with me. She helped me with this infiltration" he said.

    The third knight, who was a low ranking knight, was surprised when he brought up Tomoha. "From Tomoha!? She's actually a survivor!?" he asked. He was always interested on the research that tried to explain what happened to Tomoha. He was disappointed that a definitive answer was never found out though.

    Tsuki nodded. "Yes. When you guys set out for Eresseas with the prisoners, I'd like you to take her with you for a full medical examination. Eresseas has the top doctors in the world. Tell them that this is a personal request from me and they'll handle things from there" he said. As much as he didn't want to be separated from Nagi again, he had no other choice. He wasn't sure if the cult was going to come back for her nor does he know how damaged her mental state was.

    The Captain saluted him once more when he gave them the order. "Yes sir! We're doing a thorough sweep of the castle grounds to make sure that no one is hiding out. Given the size of the castle, we'll be here for a while" he said. They also had to do a perimeter sweep as well. They had a large area to canvas.

    Tsuki crossed his arms and stroked his chin. "Hmm...I see. We'll stay until you depart then. I have some things I needed to discuss anyway" he said. He was aware that they'd be at the castle for quite some time. He still needed an answer about Briswater's occupation as well. He was hoping whoever was in charge of the knights had an answer.

    The Captain held onto his salute as he spoke. "Of course. Stay as long as you like" he said. He then dropped the salute and turned around. "Please excuse us. We're going to aid the search efforts" he said.

    With all that said and done, the three knights left the chamber. Tsuki could hear the footsteps of many iron boots echo throughout the empty halls. He guessed about fifty knights but it was hard to tell because of the echos. Once they had the room to themselves again, Tsuki put his attention back on Nagi.

    Tsuki placed his hand on her cheek and rubbed it gently. "How are you holding up?" he asked. He had so much catching up to do with her. He was sure that she had a lot to get off her chest after being in captivity for thirteen years too but knew it would be tough for her.

    Nagi rubbed her eyes, sniffling as she felt his hand on her cheek. "I'm doing better. I can't believe you're a knight serving under the royal family" she said. She didn't expect him to be a knight let alone being part of Eresseas' Royal Eight that serve directly under the royal family.

    Tsuki chuckled a bit. He could understand her initial doubt. The person he was back then was not knight material. In fact, he had a rather weak and fragile build when he was younger. He has improved greatly over the years. He was almost like a different person. "There are a lot of things I need to fill you in on" he said.

    Nagisa wiped her years away before taking in a deep breath. She then looked over to Lynette then back at Tsuki. "So, tell me...who's this girl?" she asked. If she was with Tsuki, then she must be traveling with him or something.

    Lynette pointed to herself, tilting her head. "My name is Lynettte Suzaki. I'm a healer that's traveling with Tsuki. He tells me that your his childhood friend from before Cheria" she said. She realizes that Nagi is in a rather fragile state due to everything that's happened so she didn't want to overload her with lots of questions right now.

    Nagi nodded. "Yes. My name is Nagi Ferid. Nice to meet you" she said. She then paused for a moment before asking her next question. "What do you mean, before Cheria?" she asked. It took her a moment to realize who she was. "You don't mean...the Princess?" she asked.

    Tsuki nodded once more. "Yes. After the cult left what was left of Tomoha, I searched for you. Everywhere I could possibly go, I went to find you. I soon came to terms that you were gone. I was in a depression state for quite a long time even after moving into Eresseas. That's when I met Cheria. Thanks to her and the kind support from the royal family, I eventually came out of my depression and to repay them for everything that they've done for me, I was admitted into the knights and moved my way on up the chain to become a part of the Royal Eight, where I serve as the Princess' bodyguard" he said.

    Nagi couldn't believe how much Tsuki's changed. He was a completely different person than from what he remembers. She thought back to when they were together as kids and couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "It's funny. Back then, you were a fragile boy and I was the big sister that had to protect you" she said.

    Just then, a different knight came into the chamber. He walked up to the stone stable and saluted Tsuki. "Sir, our leader wishes to speak with you. He's waiting outside in the courtyard" he said.

    Tsuki looked over to the knight and nodded. "Alright. I'll be right there" he said. The leader was the person he wanted to talk to the most after Nagi. The leader should have some information about Briswater's occupation of Basilwell.

    The knight dropped his salute with a nod. "Yes sir!" he said. The knight then turned around and headed out of the chamber.

    Tsuki looked at Lynette and Nagi once the knight left. "Come on, let's get out of here" he said. He couldn't wait to get some fresh air. The smell of the castle after decades of being empty with the added smell of the blood from human sacrifice was not pleasant.

    Tsuki helped Nagi onto her feet and then they left the chamber without looking back. They walked through the main hall and out of the broken down gate that was caused by the explosion earlier. Once they were outside, it was pitch black. The only thing that lit up the night were torches that were lit all throughout the castle grounds by the knights. They took a deep breath of fresh air and saw a man standing in the center of the courtyard. His chestplate had a yellow Phoenix etched into it and the sleeves of his armor were a dark red color. He was standing with his arms crossed, waiting patiently.

    The man was standing in the courtyard, waiting for Tsuki. When he saw them come out of the castle, he then approached them. "Here, I thought you would be in Basilwell by now. Instead, I get orders from the King and Queen, ordering me to redirect my knights to this ruined castle to assist one of the Royal Eight who has gotten involved with something that's over his head. You sure are quite the daredevil, challenging the entire cult all by yourself. I'm not sure if I should call you brave or stupid" he said.

    Tsuki approached the man, rubbing the back of his head. "It's great to see you too, Georg. You came at the perfect time" he said. Him and Georg had a long history together. They served together for four years before Tsuki was appointed to the Royal Eight. Georg always likes giving him a hard time.

    Georg sighed then gave Tsuki a smirk after examining Lynette and Nagisa. "I see that you're surrounding yourself with some rather cute girls. Cheria would have a fit if she saw this, you know" he said. Of course, he was only teasing him. It's what he loves to do.

    Tsuki shook his head. He was used to Georg's teasing. "Please don't ake such accusations. What did you need to talk to me about?" he asked. He then turned his head to Nagisa and back at Georg. "Aslo, if you have any spare clothing, get Nagi cleaned up for me" he said. She was in tattered, dirty clothes. If anyone deserved a change in clothes, it was her.

    Georg looked at Nagi and nodded. "Of course. I'll see what our supplier has in storage. In the meantime, read this. It's a message from Her Majesty" he said, taking out a letter and handing it to Tsuki. "This will explain Briswater's occupation, your long-awaited answer" he said.

    Tsuki took the letter from Georg and looked back at Lynette. Finally, they were about to get their answer about why Briswater is occupying Basilwell. He took a moment to take a deep breath before opening it. After a few moments, he opened the letter and started to read it out loud.

    "Tsuki, I apologize for being late in informing you about Briswater. We didn't receive word about it until four days after you left. The reason why Briswater occupied Basilwell is because one of Briswater's generals was found dead with a message left behind that said "We're coming". We are not sure who they are and since this was a Briswater general, they occupied Basilwell until they find the killer. Briswater's Major Maxwell is restricting access to Basilwell because of this. Even under our requests, we could not get you in. We did talk to Maxwell though. He agreed to meet with you in Briswater. Show the attached note to Maxwell's security detail and you'll get through to meet him. Again, we sincerely apologize for this. If anything happens, we'll make sure to contact you as soon as possible. Keep in touch with us as well. You wouldn't want Cheria worrying about you now, right? Stay safe and return to us soon."


    Now, he understood why Briswater would suddenly occupy Basilwell without some form of notification to Eresseas prior to the occupation. Tsuki and Lynette were still a day's walk from the forest that surrounded Briswater. However, they chose to stay with Georg's knights until their search for any lingering cult members that may still be around was finished. They weren't quite back on track with Tsuki's mission until they leave Prophet Castle and climb back down the mountain to reach the trail again. There was something about the cult that seemed off to Tsuki, however. What were their true goals? Why keep a captive for thirteen years? They could of just gone out to find some other eighteen year old girl to sacrifice. There must of been a reason they kept Nagi in captivity. There seemed to be more to their goals besides resurrecting a fallen demon. Tsuki knows one thing though. This was not the last time that he would see the cult.

    To be continued...