Mt. Nyth

High above the city of Gorz and built on the side of Mt. Nyth stood Castle Penfenics. A large stone-made castle placed in the center of Mt. Nyth for all to see yet looked as natural as any tree or rock on the mountainside. Most of the surrounding trees and plant life seemed to cling to the castle walls and were kept in check due to the excellent garden work, giving the castle a somewhat more ancient look than one would think.

Linning the towers, balconies, and red roofs of the castle were statues, banners, flags of Phoenixes put on display with each one giving off bright flames thanks to a small stone placed near or on these decorations.

At each and every entrance and exit to the castle, both known and unknown to the public were members of the Phoenix Gaurd of Gorz, who were all equipped with the highest grade armor and weaponry all of which was themed after a Phoenix. The standard benefits of these fine men and women who have chosen to give their all in order to ensure that the House Penfenics may live and rule their land and people in peace and safety.

Of course, running around at a brisk pace was a multitude of servants, ensuring that everything and anything was put in place, cleaned to a shine and that the royal family was waited on hand and foot.

"Hmph! This sight almost reminds me of my vacation home in the eastern pits of the Underworld." Valac mockingly mussed as he and Hilda were looking over the castle from afar.

"Hmm?" But despite the grand or in his case mundane sight, the Demon's eyes were soon drawn to a tower connected to the castle yet still a fair distance away from it. The building in question was partly covered in red moss and had flames coming out of its birdcage-like top. "There you are...Come, Hilda," Valac commanded as he and Hilda turned in invisible via a dark mist.

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Inside The Tower's Birdcage

Sited at a small table near the bars of the cage was a young woman dressed in a long dress with an open back that started white at the top and slowly turned to a dark red as it went down to her bare feet. Her fiery red hair flowed down her back, blowing in the air with a headdress similar in style to her dress, and under her bright orange eyes was a line of red freckles.

"Hmm..." The woman hummed as she gazed over Gorz from afar, lightly brushing a hand to the bars of her home. The rest of the room was a mix between a library and a bedroom with bookshelves and desks on one side while dressers, wardrobes and a bed were on the other side and in the back of the room was a solid stone door with a flight of stairs beyond that.

"What was that blast earlier...?" She muttered, seeing what looked like a giant purple dome pop in the distance with an elbow going to the table to prop her head up while her other hand went to a teacup. "...More importantly, that boy really shouldn't keep his favorite person waiting for so long...hehe...ah?" She giggled at the end but stopped with an oddly depressed sigh and saddened look on her face. "Hmm?" But then she turned to the door leading out of her room which was slowly sliding open with footsteps following soon after.

The first person to appear was a young servant who seemed to be a bit flushed as they kept fidgeting with their fingers and breathed in and out a few times while looking back down the stairs. "Greetings, Royal Seer, Raechel! Today his lordship the king has come to yo-wah!" But the poor servant's words were cut short by someone tossing them aside by walking past them.

Coming up behind the servant was a tall, imposing middle-aged man in a full suit of red armor with some silver around his gauntlets and streel boots with a large golden Phoenix emblem on his chest plate. A large white cape that was fitted to his shoulders by black pins came over his arms, only allowing the handle of a sword to be seen from his side.

"..." His face was set in a calm yet menacing scowl as he scanned the room with a pair of judgmental green eyes, the left one having a nick in the pink brow above it and cut short was his dark pink hair, the only thing about him that wasn't overly intimidating. "Everything looks good..." He turned to the stairs as the final set of footsteps neared the top.

"I could have told you that one, Derrick..." Raising from the stairs was an elderly looking man. Wrinkles marked his face and the gray taint in his slicked back blonde hair, and pair of kind blue eyes that were starting to lose color. "...That climb up those stairs was about the most dangerous thing I've done, bah!" Despite his words and age he still had quite the build, appearing almost equal with the knight named Derrick if he wasn't wearing armor. His clothing was a chainmail shirt under a white tunic with golden designs that went to a Phoenix on his chest, black pants held up by a red belt, and finally, a pair of leather boots were his footwear.

King Loth Penfenics, Head of House Penfenics, the current ruler of the Laudonian Kingdom, which he built up with the heads House Ovis and Le Fay. A proud and fierce man who was once known as the Flame Slicer and the leader of a brand of wild mercenaries known for both great and terrible deeds until after years of gaining riches, allies, and followers, he rose up to be a king.

"Ah! Your lordship! It is good to you see as always..." Raechel bowed her head to her king, bringing a smile to his face. "...and to you as well, Captain Derrick." She did the same for Derrick as well.

"Hmm..." Derrick merely hummed as his eyes were fixed on one of the bookshelves.

Captain of Phoneix Guard Derrick, a cold giant of a man who had long served as King Loth's loyal bodyguard even before Loth was a king. A man of few words and even fewer actions as he has made sure nothing may come to hope of harming either King Loth or any member of the Penfenics family as quickly and effortlessly as possible by any means necessary.  

"Bah! Derrick, you can stop with that," Loth raised a hand to his knight's shoulder, making him slowly turn as if he was made of stone. "The most dangerous thing in this room right now is a tie between you and me, old friend."

"I think not; you are without your blade, my king," Derrick said slow and direct.

"Tch! You have me there, Derrick, but please you're scaring that one there." Loth motioned over to the servant who was trying their hardest to appear ready to work, out of sight and as brave as possible all at the same time.

"Not my problem..." Derrick didn't even take a look at the servant and went back to staring at the bookshelves.

"Bah! Same as always..." Loth shook his head at his knight then turned to Raechel who had been waiting quietly to be addressed by him. "...sorry about him, Royal Seer." He bowed his head in forgiveness.

"Oh! Please, my king! For you to do such a thing for one who serves you is far too out of place." Raechel protested to the king's actions, bowing back to him.

"Don't be another stick in the mud. That's his job..." Loth waved Raechel off, pointing at Derrick who was tapping on the bars of the cage to make sure they were on tight, causing Loth to shake his head at his knight's thoroughness in his duties. "...now, you already know why I am here." He returned to Raechel with a serious face and tone.

"Yes, indeed...but do you believe that anything has changed since your last reading, my king?" Raechel asked as she stood up and walked over to the center of the room with her hands in prayer, then turned to Loth.

"I want to see if anything I've done so far has affected anything that's to come...so get on with it!" Loth answered, crossing his arms as he gave Raechel a demanding look. "You're not needed anymore; wait for us down below." He ordered the servant without looking at them.

"Y-y-yes! My King!" They quickly made their way to the stairs and disappeared.

"So be it...my king." Raechel nodded and closed her eyes to focus. "From flicking embers to blazing flames and finally smoldering ashes! Oh, Great Cycle of Fire! Who dwells within me, come forth and give me the power to feel the flow of time..." She slowly chanted out as she did red markings that looked like feathers set ablaze began to appear on her skin.

"...From blazing flames to smoldering ashes, and finally flicking embers! Oh, Great Cycle of Fire! Allow my ears to hear the voices that have yet to speak, my lips to speak the unspoken and my eyes to see what shall be..." With the next part of the chant, the markings went over her face covering up her freckles, and now a fiery aura was coming off her body.

"...From smoldering ashes to flicking embers, and finally blazing flames! Oh, Great Cycle of Fire! I thank thee for this gift you have given me and now free yourself from this unworthy vessel that is I in a glorious burst!" Rachel threw her arms out and opened her eyes which were now glowing, with this act a torrent of fire erupted out of her and into the air as a large bird and with one flap of its wings it vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"Well?" Loth asked right after Raechel was finished with her ritual, leaving her winded as she went over to the table to rest. "I said; 'well' Royal Seer?" He asked again, not worrying or caring about his servant's well-being at the moment.

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"*pant* Give me *pant* a moment," Raechel softly answered as she slowly got her breath back and sat up straight. "...Are you ready to listen to your fate, my king?" She asked once she regained her composure.

"You do not need my words for that, now get on with it! What did your Great Cycle of Fire show you?" Loth ordered as he and Derrick right behind, walked up to Raechel and stared her down. "And don't hide a thing from me."

"I would never, my king," Raechel lowed her head under Loth's gaze then breathed in. "...The Great Cycle of Fire showed me; the Gorz engulfed in battle and bloodshed caused by one you thought as an ally...yet this new enemy was fooled by another who seeks to find a great evil. This evil shall swipe darkness cross the city taking hold of the lives of its people as if holding a toy..." She paused to look up at Loth to see his reaction to her word.

"..." But the King's eyes showed no worry nor fear, and he nodded for her to continue.

To which Raechel obeyed. "...And you shall try your hardest to stop both this betrayal and darkness but shall fail and out of the darkness shall arise a young bird that you watched over since it was an egg. It will take flight along with another that has befriended this bird, which is as great an ally to it as an another was to you in times gone. They will strike down your traitor, their ally and the great evil, freeing Gorz from the madness they brought on to it..." She stopped as she lowed her head, but the hand of Loth brought her up to face him. 

"You say that I would fail but how?" Loth asked, holding Raechel's chin softly as not to hurt her but still kept her from looking away.

"You shall die right before the young bird takes flight...should I say that your death is the cause for its wings to begin to flap," Raechel answered in a whisper, but it was heard by Loth making him nod with his eyes closed.

"By my dead body, he will!" Derrick declared for once showing a sign of emotion as his face twisted in anger at the words this woman was speaking. "Your fire's wrong if it thinks he's dying!"

"Derrick, enough, you know as well as I do that what she says will happen..." Loth held up a hand to Derrick, making him back down with a low groan. "But that's not all is it now?"

"No, it is not; you wish to know what will befall your plan...?" Raechel asked in return, and without a word or nod from Loth, she continued. "The young bird shall learn of a great lie told made by the Founding Houses and with this new knowledge it shall continue what you have begun...that is as far as I was able to see, my king."

"..."  Loth was silent once done hearing his Seer's reading, thinking over each event and tried to see how it would happen. "...same as all the other times, huh?" He finally spoke up with a content look on his face, despite hearing that he would die in his kingdom greatest need for its king. "...I only have one thing to ask will the city...no, this entire kingdom in fact...will it still stand after I am gone?"

"Yes...yes, it will stand, thanks to the young bird, Laudonia shall stand the test of time for many more years to come," Raechel answered then bowed to Loth. "I hope that my reading has answered all you wished to know."

"It has...as always; you bring ease to my mind." Loth thanked Raechel for her powers as he pulled his hand away from her with a saddened look to it while the king's was still holding on strong. "But it appears you are the one who looks more affected by this news, not I...is there anything that I can do to lessen this?"

"Please, my king, do not worry for me, I am but a simple servant..." Raechel tried to decline the offered, but Loth gave a look a father would give to his daughter, one that promised her that he'd do anything to cheer her up. "...Ah? But if you are so forceful...then? Would it be possible to see...prince Medruat...today?"

"Ohoho! Listen to that, Derrick!? She wishes to see my boy!" Loth jabbed Derrick in the side trying to get him to add anything this.

"..." But sadly the royal guard captain wasn't playing along as he was eyeing the bookshelves again. "...She can do better than that one..."

"Ugh...? Good one, old friend..." Loth past a hand over his face at Derrick's words, remembering what this man was good for and what he wasn't. "...but right now that last son of mine is getting worked by his mother, he's got some important work ahead of him now that the other four are gone."

"Hmm, is the western kingdom in need of aid?" Raechel asked left confused at hearing that not only was prince Medruat unable to see her but that his four older brothers were gone as well. "My king...this is most troubling, do you not think?"

"Yes, it is..." Loth answered, not showing much worry on the fact but his face showed that something was picking at his mind. "...only he and his mother are here at my side...I wonder what that says about those four working under him...but I don't think I'll be needing to worry about that for long if you're right, which you always are...." He nodded as he turned to the stairs, followed by Derrick.

"Allow me to go down first, Loth." Derrick held out a hand to stop his king before going down first.

"Bah! He will never change..." Loth sighed about to leave once Derrick went down. "...I'll try to work something out with the queen on letting that boy see you..." He promised Raechel with a fatherly smile before he vanished under the stairs, and the stone door returned.

"Ah..." Now left to herself Raechel let out a sigh of relief. "...they're gone, at last, thank goodness...now show yourself, Valac!" She ordered, putting on a serious face and looked around her home for the Demon boy.

"Oh my, oh my! You knew I was here all along?" Valac's voice came out first the at the bookshelves Derrick was looking at the whole time the Demon slowly started to appear with Hilda standing next to him. "I am so very sorry. I wanted to examine your collection of books in peace." He made a few of the books float into Hilda's open arms. "Quite the finds might I say."

"Enough of your acting! Why are you here, Valac?" Raechel asked the Demon as he playfully picked some books out as if wanting to check them out.

"Oh my? What is wrong with you? Can't a Demon come by to say hello to an old friend?" Valac asked in return, putting the books he picked out back and turned to Raechel with open arms. "I mean no harm to you, my dear Phenex."

"Do not call me by that name, Valac!" Raechel yelled at Valac with fire beginning to jump off her.

"Master, shall I...?" Hilda asked, moving in front of Valac.

"Try me, Imp!" Raechel spat out with her hands aflame.

"No need, Hilda..." Valac raised a hand to his maid, having found Raechel's reaction amusing. "...Oh my, oh my...what is so wrong with that, my dear Phenex? Was it not the name that your parents put on to you? The name that you went by for most of your life? The name that struck fear in those who knew it? Or has that other name taken its place?" He questioned, slowly going around the bookshelves as he spoke. "You seem to quite like it from what I have been able to see."

"Valac, I am warning you! Stop with this nonsense and get to the point or else!" Raechel raised her hands to cause her fire to rise as well and was ready to use it.

"Hah!" Valac scoffed at the threat while Hilda was readying her fire. "But on to the main dealings at hand, I am sure even you have noticed her Ladyship Risabeel's coming here, yes?"

"Of course! Why else would you be here!" Raechel gasped for not getting it the first time. "But why is she here? Someon-...no...something like her shouldn't be anywhere but the Underworld!" She gasped as the number of things that could go wrong with Risabeel being in the human world started to pour into her head.

Valac, however, kept calm and relaxed as Raechel was having a small breakdown. "Indeed it is. Also, you must have felt it already, but most of her power has been lost as well and what remains is being used by a mere mortal." He explained more of Risabeel's status to Raechel with his eyes getting sharper when he mentioned Blake.

"How could something like this even happen, Valac!?" Raechel asked to get as much information out of him as possible before he either left or wanted something out of her. "And does the rest of the Underworld know about this?"

"Of course, not. If they did then all of the Demons from below would be here trying to bring her back, and we both know what would become of this world soon after..." Valac looked down as did Raechel, both of them with grim looks on their faces, but what could be worse than every Demon coming to the world? "...Which is why at the moment the only ones who know about this are his lordship and his most trusted of servants...and now you..." He finished, giving Raechel a somewhat disappointed look. "As for the how? None of us have any answers yet."

Raechel tried her best to brush off Valac's comment. "Hmph, Think what you will of me, Valac, but I am guessing you were sent here to bring her back correct?"

"Why yes I was...at first, but his lordship for whatever reason wants me to watch over her for now. Although I have taken some chances where I see fit," Valac answered, noting that Hilda's Fire Elemental had been dealt with some time ago. "As I thought..."

"I wonder how his lordsh-! Ugh! 'He' feels knowing that you are going against his commands?" Raechel wondered out loud, having to catch herself in her words for a moment which Valac smiled at. "Think nothing of that."

"Hmph, coming from a certain run-a-way that is amusing..." Valac answered, going after Raechel again, but it looked like she was holding firm. "...Tch!" Much to his annoyance until a wicked idea came to him. "But...I believe once his lordship finds out how this occurred, he will likely return me to my original task...which by then would require me to deal with those who are close to lady Risabeel, such as that mortal and those he calls friends..." He trailed off as he smirked when Raechel glared at him with eyes aflame and her hands twisting fire around her.

"Valac! Are you trying to imply something?" Raechel's voice was hate-filled and furious as she seemed to give off a dark aura that Valac was joyful to see since his smile curved more and more.

"Oh my, oh my! I have not said any more, but you are already displaying that lovely malice that you were known for when we worked together..." Valac started, taking a moment to look at Raechel who was ready to burn him alive if given the smallest of chances. "...do not tell me it is because there is a chance that young prince you asked for could face me in battle? Is there something you are not telling me?"

"Shut up!" At his question, Raechel lashed out with a burst of fire that wiped across the room right at Valac, which was blocked by Hilda throwing out her own blast of flames. "Understand this Valac! Even if it means that I have to cut a deeper line between the Underworld and myself! Even if it means that I lose my life to you! I will protect the one I care for!" She barked at the small Demon with wings of fire appearing behind her.

But Valac raised his hand to stop her right there. "Very well then, my dear Phenex, as I am now I can not defeat you...but I am very sure that I can safely retreat after which I would quickly report your actions to his lordship and from there you can understand what will happen, can you not?" He explained, with some of Raechel's fire weakening as him walked up to her. "It seems you do? But that will not stop what is to come. I will be taking lady Risabeel at some point and by that time I wonder...?" He paused now in front of her with Raechel looking down at him. "...Will you be able to do anything if it means that boy's life is not in danger?" He finished as he looked back at Raechel.

"..." Raechel looked at the floor, her wings disappearing and her fire now gone. "For Medruat's safety, I would..." She thought with the worst things coming to her mind, but she pushed it back and looked back Valac about to tell him off.

But again a raised hand stopped her. "No need to tell me now, I shall see for myself in time," Valac said, leaving his question to fester in Rachel's mind. "Granted, you could simply see into his future if you haven't already, but that is your issue, not mine." Valac pointed out and was now done with this talk as he and Hilda were disappearing. "Hehe, farewell, for now, my dear Phenex! And remember where lady Risabeel is I'm always ~near~"

A small yet twisted smirk was the last Raechel saw of Valac, and once it felt like he was gone completely, she dropped to the floor holding herself as she shook lightly. "*pant* Please, please to anyone who'd listen to one like myself! Do not let that vision come true, please, please..."

 Chapter end