We… We… made it… I can’t… believe it… One second too late and I would’ve ended up dead… At least Scheu is safe… I don’t care for the slight burns on my back, so long as these events don’t hurt others… I have to get back now. The smoke is getting worse and worse. It should subside hopefully, considering Baricht is right next to a vast ocean. Whatever, as much as it makes me sound like an ass, I can’t place my worries on that. Right now, I have to get Scheu some help. He might have a substantial number of injuries. That hit he received was brutal…
I placed Scheu on my back, carrying him straight to Baricht. It was only then until I reached the gates where I faced a bit of some issues. I didn’t want to go through the gates, since apparently you need whatever that A.I.M thing that Vylona presented to the guards. Hopefully my wings have enough strength to simply just fly to the nearby branches of a tree to help me scale the walls…
“Ack. Wish I didn’t have this stupid third wing here… I can’t… fly vertically… as easy as those with two… There! Now for the walls… AH! Almost dropped Scheu there. Thank god I caught him at the last second. Hopefully there aren’t any guards up here. I should be fine if I just glide down… There we go! Hopefully the homeowners don’t get a noise complaint… I carefully navigate through the many buildings, hopping from roof to roof. If I remember correctly, Debilis Diner should be somewhere around this road next to the fountain. Where was that again? Oh! That’s one of the store owners carrying some groceries! The one with the mask! Now that I mention it, I should probably ask for their names. A bit rude of me to refer to them as “blindfold” and “mask”.
I follow her from the roof so as not to draw too much attention to myself. Ah, so it was here! And of course, I totally missed the fountain… As soon as she entered, I followed along, bursting into the place. The two of them swiftly turn their attention towards the entrance. The one with the mask seemed awfully flustered by my appearance, even covering the blindfolded one’s… eyes..?
ARE YOU OKAY?! WHAT HAPPENED?!
“It’s a… uh… I’ll explain in a bit… Could you get me something to cover myself please? A-AND, Scheu here needs some treatment. He’s severely injured.”
Got it. I’ll leave Vale to treat your friend. Mr. Scorion and Miss Vylona will be here shortly.
I waited patiently for the lady with the mask to hand me what appears to be a uniform shirt, most likely what they wear when it’s working hours. Vale, huh? Guessing that was the blindfolded man’s name…
“Also, could I ask for your name please? I haven’t caught on as to what it is…”
It’s Grace! You should probably get some rest… You look quite exhausted…
“Oh-uh, I’ll take your offer, thank you. I’ll be in my room in case Ency and Vylona wonder where I’m at.”
I trudge towards my room. For some reason the pain was getting worse and worse… I need to take some time to think. It was piercing, stinging and so damn annoying. Everywhere my body touched, it was like needles were poking through my back… This shirt was so rough on my back… Hopefully this pain will all go away if I sleep it off. Surely-
Except apparently not. I can’t find myself to even get a wink of rest. The warning… What does that mean? My mind kept racing as I lay flat on the bed with the covers over my upper body. It wouldn’t go away, no matter how much I tried to forget about it. My hands… I didn’t even know that they were shaking… What will become of my future… I’m scared…
“Huh?! What was that?! Is anybody there?!”
Now I’m hallucinating… Or was that just nothing… Yes… nothing-
False.
OK, SO THERE’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING TALKING TO ME. I lifted myself from the bed and scanned the room. There’s something here. Wait… I’ve heard this voice before…
Are you sure about that?
It’s like… this voice isn’t even being spoken to in the room… It’s like it’s in my head… ACK..! My head… wait… wha?! The black stuff is back?! It’s not covering my arm though… It’s… It’s forming into a ball?
“Was that you?” I ask, gripping onto the sheets.
“...”
No response. Why did this make her go mad? Why did she leave after seeing it? And the Omni-Sect of Darkness? Who’s the Omni-Sect?
The warning…
It’s in a day… which will be tomorrow. I… don’t want to die. Today was so… so close…
Why even try anymore… All you experience is suffering…
What?! No… Kyman wanted me to live on. How can I possibly betray him like that…
All you cause is pain to those you love. Why walk amongst them?
I-I’m sure they don’t see me as a curse… I can trust them-
You’re useless. All you are is extra luggage.
I’VE BEEN PULLING MY WEIGHT!
You hinder them.
I DON’T!
Weak.
YOU-YOU’RE WRONG!
You couldn’t save Kyman in time. You watched as all of the village burnt to ashes. You couldn’t save anyone. You had no chance against Ylva. You have no control over us. You burnt the forest. You’re no better than the Pacifists. You. YOU. YOU-
ENOUGH-
Someone… was knocking on the door… Was Vylona back? Or was Grace checking up on me?
“C-come in…” I whisper.
“Hey, a little bird told me that something happened.”
It was Ency… A bit unexpected… He didn’t seem like the type to be all worrisome. Yet, here he was, the first person here.
“Sorry… I-I didn’t mean anything bad! Honest!” I squeeze the sheets even harder.
He does. He will abandon you.
“Haha! And why would I ever think that?”
“Oh! Uh… I don’t… know…”
“So… tell me what happened.” As he takes a seat on the chair at the furthermost corner of the room. He crossed his fingers and gave me his attention. I’ve never seen him look… this serious… He was always so nonchalant with everything, and now… that image of him that I had changed.
You don’t know anything about him.
“I-I wanted to help… So I took a quest from the piles of papers that you brought and wanted to finish a few off for you two… And… And… I met the leader of the Pacifists…”
“Shit… Really? You’re okay, right?” He sits up from his chair to check on me.
You are.
“I’m… not… I was… so… so… scared… She was terrifying… Everything I threw at her… Pointless… Everything is just… so overwhelming… These burns… The fire… I-I…”
“...”
“Say, Froya. Are you afraid?”
No.
“Y-yes. Yes… I am… I hate it… The world’s so scary… Why does everything keep happening to me…”
“Well, that’s ok.”
Huh..? I was crying..? Since when..? No… I don’t want to… make myself seem weak… I don’t want him to see…
“H-huh..?”
“Of course the world’s a scary place. I mean, what’s there not to be afraid of? Death, danger, Pacifists, and of course we can’t forget about Vy when she’s angry!”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Haha..!” I chucked from that small joke of his.
“How about this, why don’t you tell me all about that little adventure of yours? I must say, I’m a sucker for stories like these!”
What..?
“O-oh! Uh… sure… Well, it started off when I wanted to finish off some of the easier and tedious quests so that you guys could relax.”
“Well, isn’t that just thoughtful! Personally I would never, ha!”
“And… uh… I couldn’t find any of the herbs I was looking for when I saw her… their leader… She was… so intimidating… Somehow… she knew everything about me…”
“Well, isn’t she quite the stalker? What’s a person like her leading such an infamous cult?”
“Heehee! And then! She was speaking all weird! Like, trying to understand what she was talking about almost made my head explode!”
“Isn’t that so? Tell me an example!”
“She was saying weird words like ‘thou’ and ‘thy’... I didn’t even know what these even meant!”
“HA! ME NEITHER! Sounds like she's a total nutjob!”
There was something more to his usual jokes at this moment. It didn’t feel like he was trying to grab some quick laughs, but he was doing it to cheer me up… He’s worried… The way he talks… it was the same as Kyman’s… When I first arrived at Ellmit, I didn’t trust anyone. I believed that everyone was out to get me. I hid. I hid far away from any person my eyes could see. It was a harsh three days with no food, no water. I was practically killing myself, which I didn’t see as a bad thing at that time. I wanted to end it all. This suffering I kept on enduring, time and time again. It was never ending. I opened up to Kyman as I woke up in the village, rested and nourished. Ency cracked jokes… just like he did…
“Look… Although I may seem to never take anything serious, truth be told, I’m worried. That friend of ours I mentioned back at the carriage had that same face as you did when I walked in. It hurt me.”
“Wait- No! Don’t be! You don’t have to worry over the likes of me-”
“Why… do you keep… belittling yourself like this..?”
I glance at the sheets in silence with a slightly bitter expression on my face.
“You… don’t have to answer that. Sorry. But hey, just to remind you, that even though we’ve been together for… how long..?”
“Around a week or so?”
“Around a week or so. We’ll stick with you until you can find yourself a place to belong. As of now, it’s alright if you don’t fit in with the two of us. You’re still learning, and that’s okay.”
“Is it really okay?”
“It’s really okay. Well…” Ency stands up, sweeping his pants and coat. “I got some things to take care of-”
“Wait! Tell me about what you two did!”
“HA! Hm… I suppose I’m not in THAT much of a rush…”
----------------------------------------
Time has passed since Ency took the time to have that talk with me. It was as if the weights on my shoulders were starting to lighten after becoming unbearable. Am I not a burden? I doubt they consider me as an equal, yet from what Ency told me, he sounded the most genuine he’s ever been… I felt relieved. So very relieved. That voice is gone too, whatever that was… It was taunting me, doubting my every thought. I don’t want to think of it now. It should be around time for lunch. I should get something to eat.
“You’re finally awake! Vale’s preparing dinner, so take a seat!” Ency waves towards my direction, with Vylona and… Scheu! He’s alright! Thank god…
“DINNER!? Did I sleep for that long..?”
“I came to check up on you once Ency told me you fell asleep in the middle of your conversation. Your injuries are only minor.”
Now that Vylona mentioned it, that sharp, spiking feeling… was all gone… I took a seat next to Scheu. I feel like I was barging into an important discussion as I rested on the wooden stool.
“I’d like to thank you first, Froya. I… overestimated myself… With that, it seems that I owe you some answers. To start, AEGIS Special Corps, Luge Afradlon. At your service.”
“An AEGIS officer?” Vylona commented. “Aren’t you quite young to be one?”
“I’m an exception. My father has put me through some rigorous training ever since I was three. He’s the chief of the Special Corps, responsible for issues regarding the Pacifists.”
Ency hums slightly. “So you knew about the incident at Ellmit? Was that your reason for joining our party..?”
“More or less, yes. My apologies for deceiving you three-”
“Why party with us? How would you have gained information from partying with me, Vy and Froya?”
“That… uh-”
“I agree with Ency here. And why hide it behind a mask? It’s not like we’re working with those cult members to begin with…”
“Listen… I-”
“You two. Enough! You’re clearly overwhelming him!” I stepped in. Jeez, all these questions… None of them don’t even help us…
“Well? I’ll start with a more urgent question that I’ve been wanting to be answered.”
“If it’s to my ability, I’ll answer.”
“Why… are the Pacifists after me…”
He paused for a brief moment, then rested his elbows onto the table. I was preparing myself for the answer…
“That… I can’t find a conclusive answer for. However, what I do know is that something has changed about the world… A change that rattled even the Pacifists, powerful warriors and mages alike.”
“A change..?” I ask curiously.
“Yes, a change. It was caught by one of our most powerful relics, a ripple from an unknown origin.”
“And how does that have to do with me..?”
“Well, some over at AEGIS speculate that it’s in relation to whomever the Pacifists are worshiping. Others believe it’s an accumulation related affair. Personally, it’s too quick to make assumptions as specific as these. They might be after you due to your relations as an angel.”
“Y-YOU COULD TELL?!”
“At a glance, no. However the higher ups gave me some help on how to assess you. Though, you should relax. This isn’t my first encounter with angels. I’m assuming your friends know about this too?”
“YEP! To be honest it was rather surprising seeing one when we first arrived at Ellmit.” Ency bashfully shouting.
“Ahem! Speaking of Ellmit, what’s the status of Kyman Cisneros? Was he travelling with you three before I-”
“He’s… no longer…” I stutter.
“Hmph. This complicates some things for me… It appears he was too weak…”
“HEY! DON’T YOU DARE DISRESPECT HIS NAME!”
The diner flew silent, with only the sizzling of food that could be heard from the back. I quickly became embarrassed. Surely he didn’t mean it in a bad light…
“I-I’m sor-”
“Sorry for… wording it that way. He was a strong Destinois warrior, it’s just I didn’t realize how much time has passed since those stories were told.”
“...”
“Anyways, research was made on Kyman’s history after interrogating a cultist. A so-called association was made to unite the countries of Ariole, which included Kyman and many other prominent figures at the time, with each member receiving relics forged and fabricated in a place called Scathanna, which… we don’t know if it’s an unknown country, or perhaps an area of operations… however what we do know is that the Pacifists are seeking these out.”
“So…” Vylona had her intrigue piqued. “Are you suggesting that we return to Ellmit to search the village?”
“Precisely. There’s a high likelihood that the relic is still at the premises, assuming that this pillage happened recently, has it?”
“Mhm. We’ve been just racking up some funds before we set off to wherever we need to be. It appears that we have enough, isn’t that right Vy?” Ency, fidgeting with a gold coin.
“You sure? We still have a few more quests to finish dude…”
“Andddd I find this situation more important to deal with first.”
She let out a huge sigh. “You really don’t ever think things out, do ya… Fine… Only ‘cause this is for Froya’s sake, okay?”
“I’m grateful for your cooperation. What about you?” As he turns his head to my direction. “Do I have your permission to investigate your village?”
“Well… before you do that… There’s something I’d like for you all to know.”
I placed my hands on top of the table, and with a cold sweat, I explained the warning that Ylva had given to me, and how within a few hours from now, she would do something about me.
“And, she told you her name, didn’t she?”
“It was Ylva, Vylona. She didn’t give me a last name however.”
Just then, I saw a slight shock appear from the duo’s eyes, as if that name was already familiar to them. And just as I suspected, they whispered amongst each other…
“Do you two know her or something..?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Nevermind…” They both say in unison. I won’t pry further. They have their secrets, I have mine.
“You sure..? Fine… Anyways, that’s basically what she told me. I know nothing as to what she meant.”
“This happened as I was knocked out, correct?”
“Y-yes. After she was rambling about that god she was talking about, she gave me that warning as she left, leaving behind that sea of blood.”
“I see… Well, from the rumors I’ve heard, these two are quite strong, no?” As he says, pointing back and forth.” Funnily enough how as soon as Luge said that, they raise their shoulders high and wear such an obvious flattered expression… These guys…
“Oh definitely. Ency and Vylona were the ones who actually saved me from the raid. I’m still so grateful that I get to travel with them.”
“Alright! That should settle it then!”
“Settle? Settle what?”
“Let’s leave right after our meals. Hopefully we’ll make a good distance from Baricht before Froya’s warning-
“Now hold on there. Who said you could make all the calls?”
“Fine. How would you like to approach this, Vylona?”
As Vylona seemed to ponder over his question, our food was finally ready! God, that looks amazing… I didn’t even know what any of this was, yet I couldn’t resist myself. The smell too… It was somewhat enchanting to a degree…
Wow… the way that just melted in my mouth… I might be acting a bit out of manners right now…
“Miss Froya? I have some news. The Grailvine leaf. It has finished evaluating your accumulation.”
Oh! Vale, wasn’t it? I completely forgot that I did that a short time ago. He held a small note and handed it to me with those pristine white gloves of his. The paper felt surprisingly both wet and burnt at the same time… I only glanced at the paper for a brief moment before Ency snatched it out of my hands.
“H-HEY!”
“Oh c’mon! Let me see this real quick!” He said before he scanned the slit of paper. I was so eager to know… IT’S KILLING ME!
“HA! I WAS RIGHT! SOUL CLASS! ISN’T THAT JUST GREAT FROYA?”
“...”
“D-did you… just s-say.. SOUL CLASS?! I DIDN’T JUST HEAR THAT, RIGHT?! No… Surely this is a joke…”
I forgot that Scheu… I mean Luge was still here… Ency and Vylona somehow already suspected that I was whatever this “Soul Class” thing is, but judging from his reaction, I’m assuming that’s… something..? Luge swiped the paper from Ency, only to fuel his disbelief even further.
“This… this is authentic… It even has the imprint of the Pioneer… I-I can’t believe I’ve just witnessed the birth of the 13th Soul Class user… I… I MUST REPORT THIS TO AEGI-”
“No you don’t.” Vylona mumbles with a rather aggressive tone, tugging on Luge’s coat. “You do not speak of this to anyone. Froya already has a lot on her plate. It would be unbearable if she had cities from around the world trying to register her into their imperial armies.”
“B-but-”
“Do. You. Understand?”
He nods, shaking that pale blue hair of his up and down. We continued the rest of our meal without saying much else, until then, Vylona seemed to finally have her answer.
“I’ve made up my mind. We’ll follow your lead, however, on some… conditions.”
“If that means that you two will help, then give me what you got.”