Chapter 19: Alexander; Shauran 23rd; 344SR; 14:00

Alexander and Lector stood at the corner of the street on an overpass overlooking a large courtyard with House Lightbringer at its center. They were in front of a famous tavern called Moonlight's Dawn. Various citizens of the inner city flooded through its doors, ready to bathe in the pleasures of wealth. Alexander could smell the freshly baked bread from inside, even glimpsing it between the open doors as it was pulled out of the oven. Many of them took notice of Lector and Alexander. They didn't dare approach, the members of House Rael were renowned for their ruthlessness, particularly with slaves.

The top of the inner wall of Helios was behind House Lightbringer. The wall stood at a height of seventy-five meters, about double the size of the outer wall. House Lightbringer was a cathedral just taller than the outer wall. It was much larger than any of the other noble Houses, the structure was built from stone but painted a bright white, and the borders of its windows, the doors, and the banners that hung from the walls were painted a lustrous gold. Half of the building was submerged in darkness, the light that reflected off the other half gave it an almost divine look.

"Sun is going down soon," Lector said as he tapped his foot impatiently, "Yami what's going on, what's your status."

"Well... The guy is still in the hospital," Yami responded.

"Still? Why is he still there?"

"Hold on," Yami suddenly responded. "Someone's coming out, okay, yeah it's him. Hey... he's wearing a coat from House Pendragon now. I didn't know he was a lieutenant?" Yami stuttered.

"Lieutenant? What? No? He should be some random recruit, who cares just follow him," Lector moved his hand away from his mouth. "Ugh, why is he so dumb..." Lector said before he raised his hand back to his mouth. "Just follow him and when he's about halfway there tell us-"

"He's climbing the building! And fast!" Yami shouted.

'What?' Alexander looked at the buildings around him. 'Most of the buildings in that part of Helios were at least half as tall as the inner wall.'

"Huh?" Lector looked at Alexander with his eyebrow raised. "What do you mean he's climbing?" Lector asked.

"Wait a second, I think I know him," Yami said, "That's- Eos!" Yami uttered in shock over the phone.

'Eos?' Alexander had heard the name before, however, he didn't care enough to remember who it belonged to.

"Eos! Wait!" Yami suddenly shouted.

"Hey, stay focused! Yami!" Lector ordered. "Yami? Hey? Hey! Dammit!" Lector slammed his fist on the railing of the stairs.

Several citizens overheard Lectors yelling and turned their attention to what was happening. Alexander simply turned in their direction, and most of them looked away.

"He isn't responding, what do we do?" Lector looked back at Alexander who sternly looked at the front of the large cathedral.

"The plan is too risky-"

"No, the plans have been expedited, that's all. I'm going in," Alexander replied as he stepped down the stairs.

"Great, we're winging it," Lector followed down the stairs. "Yami! Respond already!" Lector shouted one more time but he could only hear the feedback of strong winds. "Oh my- okay screw it, let's go," Lector covered his face with his palm, let out a sigh and the mark on his hand disappeared.

"So, you're going-"

"Straight in," Alexander replied immediately.

"I expected so," Lector walked next to Alexander rather than behind.

"If you want to keep your status, I suggest you leave this to me."

"My status? Do you mean the best spy in Helios? Screw that, my status is only about to get better," Lector grinned.

"That's what I like to hear," said Alexander.

"I'm going in through the back, so by the time I get there I hope you've raised enough hell," Lector hurried towards the side of the cathedral while Alexander approached the front door.

Alexander walked straight to the golden door, it was delicately carved to display crossed swords in the panels of the door. Alexander lifted his hand and he felt a pressure in his core, in the spot where the gem was embedded. He conjured his greatsword with a blazing inferno of green flame gravitating around the edge. Alexander was surprised for a moment, but he raised the sword with both hands as he breathed in. 'Raise hell, right Lector?' Alexander swung the greatsword down just in front of the door, as it slammed into the ground, the green flame burned in all directions. The door flew open, the nearby bushes were burned, and the banners on the wall were set ablaze.

"Lord Lightbringer!" Alexander shouted.

He walked forward through the grey smoke and entered the front hall of House Lightbringer. A reflective marble floor, the cracks between the tiles shone gold. To the left were some white sofas with spotless plump cushions, gleaming in the light. To the right was a desk with a frightened angel crouched behind it. In front of Alexander was a staircase made from the same marble, the rails made of gold. Halfway up the steps was a tall woman, a puzzled squint on her face as she observed the uninvited and unexpected Alexander.

"Well, that was a surprise. You seem upset," she commented as she glanced at a part of the door which was charred black, green cinders burning at it.

"Leanne, where is the Lord Lightbringer," Alexander asked calmly.

Leanne's hair at the right side of her head was in a braid that fell just past her right shoulder. 'Why do they all have that hairstyle, each lieutenant of the Lightbringers is blonde and has a braid on one side of their head, each braid being in a unique position...' Alexander felt angry just thinking about how stupid it looked. She wore black pants and heels, a white shirt with the insignia of the Lightbringers on it, and a sword with an eye embedded in the guard. Leanne's uniform was custom fit with golden-rimmed shoulders, her left side even being covered by a white cloak. Alexander knew this was to conceal her gift. She had thin eyebrows, perfect eyelashes, and a small nose, her appearance reeked like that of a pompous spoiled brat. Her yellow eyes stared at Alexander as if she was better than him in every way despite the difference in status and strength.

"If that's all you wanted... You could've knocked," Leanne sighed, brushing the braid behind her head. "This way..."

"Bring him here this instant," Alexander ordered as he walked towards the couches at the side of the hall across from the front desk.

Leanne stopped and looked at Alexander for a moment in confusion as he sat down, laid his arms on the rests, and put his right foot on his knee. Leanne stood there and stared at him, Alexander snorted his nose and looked back at her.

"Well? Get going," Alexander asked again.

"You retained more injuries from your battle than reported. Especially mental damage, you seem to have forgotten respect," Leanne mocked as she turned to Alexander with an annoyed look on her face.

"Oh is that so?" Alexander stood up and walked towards Leanne.

She walked forward as well, Alexander was two feet taller than her, but even while looking up she seemed to be looking down on him.

"Was the loss that bad? To think a noble would lose right after his recovery from his- humiliating display of authority in Logos," Leanne grinned as she giggled slightly under her breath.

"You talk a lot and know nothing of respect. Not uncommon for spoiled Lightbringer brats like yourself," Alexander replied.

"You better watch your tongue, I was born of royal blood, you merely inherited the name of a house underneath ours, you should be kissing my feet to apologize for this disrespect."

"You don't know who you're talking to, you think you built this place? Do you think any of you Lightbringer brats built this place? No, it was the hard work of the other houses, so fuck off with your hair, fuck off with your makeup, and fuck off out of my face you-"

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"Woah! Easy now, no need to be rude Mr. Rael," a familiar voice echoed through the hallway.

Alexander glanced past Leanne and saw a young man step down the blue carpet laid flat on the stairs, both arms raised with open palms. He was shorter than Leanne by an entire foot, the youngest sibling of the Lightbringer siblings. Laris was visibly scrawny from the size of his wrists alone, his clothing made him appear more significant than he was. He had a braid on the left side of his head, and similar attire to Leanne, however, his right side was covered by a white cloak. 'The scout of the Lightbringers...'

"Laris..." Alexander said with contempt.

"Such barbaric language is beneath the divine, wouldn't you agree?" Laris came forward.

"Divine? You two? What a joke," Alexander laughed. "Lawrence is the only one of you who may be worth that title."

"I see you're as brazen as ever. I heard a large commotion, what are you doing here? Why's the front door broken open?"

"Let this swine fill you in. I don't talk to people who can't even see eye to eye with me."

Alexander mocked the boy's height as he turned around and walked back to his seat. He fell onto the white leather sofa and sank into its softness, he crossed his legs once more and laid back. The noble waited as if the two Lightbringers would accept his request, but he knew they wouldn't. The marble floor reflected into a mirror on the ceiling, Alexander examined the room in the reflection. Leanne and Laris still stood by, loathing the disrespect they felt. 'Lightbringers are all spoiled shits, distracting them is easy, Lector should have enough time if they are all distracted.'

"Are Lightbringers really this stupid?" Alexander suddenly asked.

"I believe it's stupider to think we'd take orders from a pathetic excuse of a soldier," Leanne replied.

"I don't care about your beliefs, do as I say," Alexander pointed, he didn't even look at them.

The sound of a whip crackled through the air as Leanne drew her weapon, a whip made of light, capable of absorbing light to extend its length.

"Oh?" Alexander grinned menacingly, still looking at the ceiling.

"Calm down," Laris raised his hand in front of his older sister.

"I'll hang him from the walls, with the banners outside. He deserves to be martyred, don't you agree, Laris," Leanne spoke coldly.

"Leanne, our Lord does not allow such brutality, not here."

"Yes Laris, that is correct," a new voice joined from the top of the stairs, one Alexander was very familiar with.

Alexander looked in the reflection of the ceiling, and to his surprise, there were two people at the top of the stairs. The noble of House Lightbringer and the other being the spy of House Rael. 'Lector...' Arid Lightbringer stood behind Lector at the top of the stairs, Lector's face was blank, expressionless, but it wasn't scared or worried. 'Did he get it?'

Arid walked down the stairs with the blue mantle over a white suit and black pants, on the left of his chest was the insignia of House Lightbringer. He glared at Alexander with the same narrow, lazy, uninterested eyes he always had.

"Arid... At last, someone who isn't a fool. Go and bring Lord Lightbringer, I want a word with him this instant," Alexander pressed on.

"Go," Arid ordered Lector, Alexander narrowed his eyes at the two of them. "That won't be necessary, what do you want?" Arid asked Alexander as he walked down the stairs.

"Never mind, clearly you're deaf as well. Bring. Me. Lucifer. It shouldn't be hard to understand," Alexander asked once more from his seat.

"Is this about the off-worlder?" Arid asked with a lazy tone.

Alexander squinted as he looked Arid in the eye, 'I don't know if Lector succeeded or not, but this might be enough.'

"What is our next course of action with him?" Alexander asked as he stood up.

"You think we'd send you?" Leanne stared at Alexander with a burning fury as she asked, but he ignored her.

Laris turned his head as he noticed Lector.

"Well, what do we have here? What's the rat doing here?" Laris's tone of voice changed.

Lector looked up at Laris and didn't say anything.

"Well? Nothing to say?!" Laris spat

"He was flirting with a girl in the kitchen..." Arid answered as he walked down to the lobby, still looking down at Alexander.

'Flirting?' Alexander looked at Lector, the spy's face remained blank, but Alexander understood quickly.

"Forget my idiot lieutenant and answer me, my time has been wasted enough," Alexander tried to drive the attention away from Lector.

"House Rover's scouts spotted a battle happening on the western bridge to Hiria yesterday. It makes sense, they have been traveling west since the morning Logos was destroyed, and one of our wagons was reported missing by a guard from House Rael, she didn't state a reason, but if they had transport they likely made it to the western bridge within a day if they didn't sleep or rest."

"Within a day?" Alexander looked down, 'Scouts?' "Why did House Rover only scout?"

Arid narrowed his already lazy eyes at Alexander.

"Why would House Rover not pursue the off-worlder immediately with all of their forces? After his battle with me and the clan leaders, he was weakened- and you lost that opportunity?!" Alexander scolded.

"Uh..." A quiet voice tried to intrude.

Arid didn't break eye contact, "Lord Lightbringer has decided this off-worlder may be a great source of knowledge, you will not fight or kill the off-worlder, House Rover and Lightbringer will take care of that. You are out of your realm," Arid talked down to Alexander.

"Source of knowledge- Are you mad? Are you really this stupid?"

"Hello..." The quiet voice tried again.

"I am far smarter than you, and a brute like you has no right to speak of intelligence."

"Ah screw it..." The quiet voice gave up.

"That off-worlder has the power to rival Ymir! And you think he'd simply lay down for your bidding like everyone else-" Alexander's voice cracked, but stopped as he noticed something to his right.

Alexander looked down to his right and noticed a white-haired angel. Alexander's eyebrow raised when he saw him, 'Why is he here, wait- Eos... he's that angel who helped mine in Logos... I thought he was a recruit...' Eos looked at Alexander with a nervous and scared expression as he turned back to the front desk. He wore an unbuttoned Pendragon jacket over his usual body armor and white sweatpants.

"Uh, I... The door... Was... Gone? So..." Eos stuttered as everyone in the room stared at him.

The atmosphere was tense, it was silent as the sound of a breeze from outside wisped through the air. Eos looked down at his bag and reached in. He pulled a stack of envelopes from the bag.

"...Have- mail?" Eos put it on the clerk's desk, and the clerk nodded at Eos with wide eyes and a worried look.

"I've wasted enough time here, Lector! You're working two shifts tomorrow! To think you'd forget your duties to flirt not once but twice in one day!" Alexander scolded him as he walked towards the door.

"Don't forget your current assignment. We need the logorite operation to continue, if you finish early, you could join the rest of the houses at the festival of life on the forty-fifth," Arid took the last word, Alexander had no intention of listening or following.

"Oh- hello," Eos said to Lector and Alexander as he recognized them.

"Piss off," Alexander scolded Eos as he exited the building.

Lector glanced at Eos with a confused look as he exited the building.

"Huh?" Eos held the bag with the mail in it as Alexander made his exit.

The two didn't exchange words as they walked away from House Lightbringer's ruined entrance, the two of them proceeded through the courtyard, Alexander looked at the top of the stairs to see Yami waiting for them in front of the Moonlights Dawn's neon red sign. They walked to the right of a large fountain in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by lush green hedges. Lamps illuminated the beautiful flowers of the courtyard, the fountain created the rhythmic sound of water splashing, and the pleasant scent of flowers filled the air.

"How did it go?" Alexander broke the silence.

"Pretty great, the chef was a solid nine," said Lector.

"Wait- you were actually flirting?!"

"He lied about that last part," Lector whispered.

"Arid lied?"

"Yeah, about House Lightbringer attending the Festival of Life, that's a lie. They aren't... House Pendragon has been assigned to go to Welis but to regroup with House Rover for the festival," Lector revealed.

"What?"

"Yup, nothing in regards to House Rael. There is no word about sending House Rael to deal with the off-worlder. Just to send you back to Logos after you recover to repair the town and continue mining logorite. Of course, it's a task which would take longer than thirty days, which, goes past the day of the festival..."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. The Lightbringers are planning something, whether they get the off-worlder's trust or not, they wouldn't even be in Andurill themselves. They're planning something... But there are still some unknowns, so it's hard to tell exactly what."

"Well... For now, I better give two of my lieutenants a proper dinner."

"Huh?" Lector stopped walking. "What are you- no what do you" Lector stuttered before he let out a sigh. "We just raised a huge red flag. Everything about us being there was fishy. You might not even keep your status as a noble, and I barely got any useful info because I screwed up!" Lector started to pull on his hair.

"You didn't screw up. You did very well, be proud of yourself. I'm well aware of the consequences, especially after my entrance," Alexander complimented as he walked past Lector.

Lector raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Entrance? I was gonna ask what was that sound earlier- What..." Lector turned around and witnessed the ruined entrance to House Lightbringer.

"The off-worlder is heading to Hiria, their intent is clear, they want to use the off-worlder for whatever he can offer. But I know he looks down on our traditions, he'd never agree to the Lightbringer's terms."

Lector didn't reply as he stood in the light of a flickering lamp, Alexander started walking up the stairs.

"Yami, you need to stay in communication with us, the plan is significantly riskier without you. But we got by with the info you provided," Alexander commended Yami.

"Sorry sir, it's just- it's been a long time since I've seen him, that's all," Yami spoke with his head down.

"You know him?"

"Yeah... We grew up together..."

"Brothers?"

"Oh, no... Foster siblings, is... Probably the right term."

"You lost your parents?"

"Lost? No, we never met them. We were raised by an angel named Theresia."

"Theresia? Hm, never heard of her."

"Oh, Eos went missing some time ago, they searched for weeks but couldn't find him. I think the fact the military found him is a lot better than him getting lost and eaten or something..."

'That Eos kid must be important to him... Strange... If he was recruited by the military, was he really missing? Odd...' Alexander reached the top of the stairs and patted Yami's shoulder. The light from the lamp continued to flicker, Alexander could hear its sharp buzz, but it suddenly stopped. He turned to see Lector still standing next to the lamp which was turned off at the bottom of the stairs.

"Lector," Alexander called.

Lector slowly raised his head, his eyes were slightly covered by his bangs, his expression blank, it was hard to see them in the darkness, but Alexander could just barely make out how wide Lector's eyes were.

"Sorry, I'm on the way. You said that dinner is on you?" Lector chuckled as a smile spread across his face and he ran up the stairs.

"Wait, you're getting us dinner? We're being treated!?" Yami repeated.

"Shut up and hurry, idiots..." Alexander cringed.

Alexander looked once more at House Lightbringer before he looked up at the Celestial itself behind the high wall. 'I will slay that off-worlder, whether or not the Lightbringers order me to or not. I know that dream wasn't a coincidence. Jack, I will stop you and save the Celestial.'