• Tales of Xalthia

    Chapter 19: Aftermath


    As fighting throughout the town came to a close, any survivors from Menorion were disarmed and arrested by Basilwell officials while the rest were either laying dead in the streets or had escaped with their leader. The injured Basilwell troops were all healed and patched up due to the assistance of Lynette and scholars who knew healing Artes. Those who fell in battle were to be given proper burials in the near future. As the Menorion soldiers retreated to the sea, questions have been left in their wake. What were their true goals? What could they gain from attacking a neutral state of power?

    Tsuki and his group, along with the Shadow Knight, Elle were resting up in the inn while Alba and the town officials tried to get everything under control within the town. Thankfully, there were no civilian casualties which is surprising due to their surprise attack. As they awaited for Alba's return, the atmosphere within the room they were staying in was tense due to Elle's presence.

    After about several minutes of awkward silence, Ramza finally broke the silence. He then approached Elle, who was leaning up against a wall. "So, the Shadow Knight is actually a young girl. What kind of game are you playing at?" he asked.

    Elle shook her head. "I'm just doing my job. There is no game I'm playing at. You're the one that's been pursing me" she said with a calm face.

    Lynette didn't like her at all. She attacked them in mines underneath Briswater, gravely injured Frey and threatened Maxwell. She could not put her trust into her. "Your job? You threatened to kill us and tried to kill Maxwell and Frey in Briswater! Your job is sounding an awful like an assassin!" she shouted.

    Elle chuckled a bit. "An assassin, huh? It has a nice ring to it but no, that's not my job. I don't need to explain my job to you" she said, almost provoking her.

    Tsuki shook his head. "Alright, break it up guys. Remember, she saved me and assisted me with handling King Caius. She also helped fight back against the monsters that came from Solace. Besides, there's more to her than you guys realize. Which reminds me..." he said. He then turned around and gave her a serious look. "I think it's about time you fill in the blanks" he said. He wanted answers and this may be the only time he gets the chance.

    Elle looked at the group and saw that all the focus was on her. She sighed heavily and nodded. "I suppose I do have a lot to explain. I'll start from the beginning then" she said. She then walked up to one of the windows and stared outside for a moment. She needed a minute to gather her thoughts since there was a lot that needed to be said. After several minutes of silence, she turned around and faced the group. "It all started when the first people stepped into our world. Everything that we know today came from the accomplishments of the original inhabitants. These people were known as the Ancients. The planet flourished and life was full of peace. However, all of that ended when a group of extremists broke off from the peace and formed their own band of followers. They caused unspeakable destruction. It wasn't long until others broke off and formed their own groups of people, each with different ideals and opinions. Eventually, the Ancients were divided into five separate groups that opposed each other" she explained.

    Tsuki crossed his arms, trying to understand her explanation. "Five separate groups huh? Are they connected to the five kingdoms?" he asked. It was a question that was complete speculation. He wasn't know for sure if the two were related or not.

    Elle nodded at his assessment. "Yes, you're exactly right. The five kingdoms we know today were born from the different ideals each group had" she said.

    Ramza shook his head. He wasn't believing a word Elle has said. It was a completely outrageous story. "You actually believe her? How does she know of such things? None of this isn't even in history books!" he said. He refused to accept her story. He thought she was just making things up as she goes.

    Elle looked at Ramza with a serious look on her face. "I know of such things because I'm an Ancient. My duty is to protect the doorways that lead to the Ancient's home. If there happens to be an Ancient or a descendant of an Ancient in this world, I guide them back to place where they belong" she said. She then looked back at the entire group. "As I was saying, it wasn't long before the Ancients turned against each other. Since the powers of the Ancients were equal, the conflict among the five groups came at a stand-still. Eventually, as the years went by, the five groups formed into the kingdoms of today. As the never-ending conflict continued, the Ancients were slowly becoming extinct. Seeing the destined fate of the Ancients, a group of people from each nation broke off and proceeded to find a way to put an end to the conflicts. Even though these individuals did the best they could to find the answers that could help put an end to the conflicts, it was all for naught. There were no safe places left in the world. In a final act of desperation, they opened up a rift in the space-time continuum and brought as many people as they could into the rift and declaring that their new homeland. Since these people were hereby branded as deserters and traitors, they were on everyone's most wanted list. To avoid any pursuers, they closed the rift that they had opened and sealed themselves away, cutting them off from the rest of the world. Upon sealing the rift and forming a new homeland, five ancient and impassable doors were made in each kingdom. Only the Ancients and their descendants have the power to gain access. To the rest of the world, they were structures of an unknown origin and the Ancients preferred to keep it that way" she explained more in-depth.

    Lynette was having a hard time understanding what was being said. She couldn't wrap her head around it. It was a very complicated matter. "So, if each kingdom was built on the foundations that those five groups built, does that mean that the royals of each kingdom are Ancients too?" she asked. She wondered if the royal families of the world had any link to the Ancients.

    Elle shook her head. "No. The power of the Ancients is a very rare genetic trait that you don't see in most humans. Not all newborns receive that power during their growth. There are rare cases that normal humans can come in possession with the power of the Ancients if it's bestowed upon them but that can only be done by another Ancient. Other than that, you'd have to be born with the power" she said. She then took a look as Tsuki for a moment before she rubbed her chin in thought. After a moment of thought, she shook her head. "Since the Ancients are practically extinct in this world, there are very few that remain. The rest lie in the rift that they've claimed. If you include me and Tsuki, there are only about fifteen-thousand Ancients left in existence" she said.

    Tsuki was a bit shocked when he heard how few Ancients remained. In a dimension completely split off from the world, he thought that the Ancients would have grown in numbers over the years. "That little? What happened to the rest? The ones that didn't enter the rift or know about these doors?" he asked.

    Elle went silent for a few moments before answering. "They were all wiped out during the War of Mana. History books claim that the Ancients disappeared decades ago, before the War of Mana even took place. The Guardian before me was only able to rescue a very small number of people before the Great Spirits came and put a stop to the conflict that had ravaged the land" she said.

    Ramza started to come around as he remembered hearing about a similar story that his uncle told him when he was growing up. "That's right...I remember now. My uncle told me a story that is very similar to what you've said. I guess over time, I forgot about the story and started to believe what's been written in the history books. Do you know if anymore Ancients remain in this world? Excluding yourself and Tsuki, of course" he asked. He was curious and wanted to know if there were more people like Elle and Tsuki that still roam around.

    Elle shook her head. "To my knowledge, no. Normally, I can sense an Ancients' power even if it lies dormant inside someone. However, I've been roaming around the world for several years now and Tsuki is the only one I've found that had the Ancients' power" she said.

    Lynette was slowly starting to understand everything after having a while to think about it all. Some of it still didn't make any sense to her though. "So, since Tsuki is a descendant, what happens now?" she asked.

    Elle didn't know how to answer her question. Normally, if she finds someone with an Ancients' power, she has an obligation to lead them into the Ancients' world because if someone were to learn of them, they would stop at nothing to obtain that power. "I'd bring them back to where they belong. However, something's going on in this world that's causing a sense of uneasiness. I have a feeling that something terrible will befall this world. Not only have I been tasked to find and relocate any Ancient that may remain in this world back home, I have a duty to protect this world as a Guardian. Until this uneasiness settles, I cannot open the rift" she said.

    Just then, Alba walked into the room without knocking which he felt was a mistake. When he walked in, he could feel tension in the air. It appears he had interrupted something he shouldn't of interrupted. "Uh...sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important. If I am, please excuse me" he said.

    Elle shook her head. "No, you're fine. I've said all there is I can say right now. The rest will be explained in the future" she said. She then started to walk towards the door with the intention of leaving. She's spent more than enough time there and it was time for her to take her leave.

    Tsuki noticed that she was trying to leave. "H-hey, wait! Where are you going?" he asked.

    Elle stopped in the doorway and turned her head and looked at Tsuki. "I don't know about you all, but I'm leaving. We'll meet again in the future. Use this time to strengthen your abilities. You will need them in the approaching future" she said. With that, she turned her head back forward and disappeared into the hallway.

    Ramza rubbed the back of his head. "Well, at least some of our questions have been answered. Although, now I think we have more questions than when we did before" he said.

    Lynette nodded. "That's true. There's just so much in this world that we don't yet know. It's almost too complicated for me to understand" she said.

    Tsuki shrugged then looked at Alba. "We'll worry about all that when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on what's going on right now. How's the town, Alba?" he asked, turning his focus to Basilwell and its citizens.

    Alba looked at Tsuki. "The citizens are frantic and shaken and most of the town is in shambles. However, disaster isn't new to Basilwell. We can easily rebuild what was lost. Unfortunately, we have to report this incident to Eresseas. I have a feeling that this attack was only the beginning to something much greater and I don't like it one bit" he said.

    Tsuki nodded. "I'll be sure to add in whatever information is needed when I return to Eresseas and make my report to the royal family" he said. He then turned and faced Ramza and Lynette for a moment and nodded. Afterwards, he faced Alba once more. "If you'd accept us, we'd like to assist in the repairs to the town" he said.

    Alba didn't expect Tsuki to come out and offer their assistance with repairs. He figured that he would of wanted to return to the castle as soon as possible. "Are you sure? We're not talking about a few hours of repairs, Tsuki. It will take a while before the town is fully repaired. Don't you have to return to the castle as soon as possible?" he asked.

    Tsuki nodded. "I do but if I explain my reasons and send the royal family a letter of my delay, I'm sure they'll understand" he said. Not only that, once he returns to the castle to make his report, he'll have to part ways with Lynette and Ramza. He's grown very close to them so it will be hard for him to part ways. He wanted to spend a bit more time with them before he has to say goodbye.

    Lynette walked up and stood next to Tsuki and bowed. "Please, let us help. We can't just walk away from such devastation. Not only has Basilwell took a severe blow, a lot of people are injured. You will need all the help you can get, right?" she asked.

    Ramza grinned a bit, chuckling softly. "You two are so soft. Honestly, my initial mission was to pursue the Shadow Knight but after she explained herself, I've been left with deciding what to do next. I don't mind helping out with the build" he said.

    Alba looked at them as they gave their response. It seems they were going to help even if he said no. It was pointless to try and decline their help. "Alright. Your help will be greatly appreciated" he said.

    Tsuki nodded. So, do you have an estimate on how long it would take to rebuild? I'd like to give the royal family a time frame" he said. He didn't want to cause worry to the royal family if he doesn't return when he's suppose to without some kind of notice.

    Alba folded his arms and fell into thought for a few moments. "The damages aren't very severe, just mostly widely spread out. One of our issues is the amount of people we have that are able-bodied. With our available manpower, the repairs will take up to two months to complete. I'll ask once more...are you guys absolutely sure you want to stay and help? We're talking about two months here, after all" he said, wanting to make sure they were certain about their decision.

    Tsuki and the others knew it would take quite a while to rebuild. The damage extended from the docks to the entrance of the town. It wasn't just buildings and houses that were in shambles either. They wanted to aid in the reconstruction of the town mainly because of how little manpower they had at their disposal. They all nodded at Alba, not going back on their word.

    Alba nodded one final time. "Okay. We owe you guys a great deal. If you guys need anything, feel free to call upon us anytime and we'll do what we can to help" he said.

    Tsuki gave him a grin and walked out of the room, patting Alba on his shoulder on his way out. "With that settled, I'm going to send an update to the royal family so they know what's going on" he said. He then walked down the hall and left the inn.

    When Tsuki walked outside, the flames that engulfed the town were put out and the bodies of those who fell in battle were carried off somewhere. The surrounding buildings were charred and badly damaged to the point of collapse. Even the pavement and walkways were damaged. He now realizes how tough the reconstruction will take but he couldn't go back on his word now. He looked around the town and was almost shocked at how little manpower they had considering there were only a handful of soldiers who could actually walk. He shook his head then headed down towards the docks. As he walked along the walkway, he noticed a dirt path that leads up to a hill. He started to walk up the dirt path and after climbing up the hill, he reached a hilltop that overlooked the ocean. The hill was known as Cape Point to the people of Basilwell. This place was known for its scenery and an ideal location to watch the sun come up from the ocean.

    Tsuki walked up to the fence that was set p on the edge of the hill to prevent any accidents that may occur. He took a deep breath of the fresh ocean smell and sat down on a bench, taking out a piece of paper and used a broken piece of wood to write on. He took a minute to gather his thoughts before he started writing. When he was ready, he began to write his letter. "My King and Queen, I apologize for the late update. A lot of things have happened lately. I don't even know where to being writing this letter. Things went well in Briswater but not without some problems. We ran into a small issue that took place in their mines but we overcame it. I eventually received access to Basilwell where things really took a turn for the worse. We had uncovered a plot to overthrow the kingdom. The one's conceiving the plot was Menorion themselves. They attacked Basilwell out of the blue, leaving the town in shambles and many dead and injured. We managed to fight them off with the help of a young girl known as the Shadow Knight. Almost immediately after the fighting starting to settle, a horde of monsters emerged from the Cavern of Solace, agitated by the events that had just taken place. Since the soldiers of Basilwell were weakened already from the surprise attack, there were very few who could still fight. Miraculously, we won though but with even more sacrifice and injury. The damages aren't severe but their manpower is severely low due to the two attack. Due to that, the repairs to the town would take almost twice as long than it should have. With that said, I'm staying in Basilwell with my companions to assist in the repairs. I'm sure you'll understand my reasons for doing so. I just can't walk away from those in need. Once the reconstruction is complete, I'll begin my journey home to make a full report. I hope things are going well and I'll try to keep you updated" he wrote. He sighed heavily then whistled a tone. Moments later, a white bird came flying down from the sky and landed on his shoulder. He folded the letter up and tied it to the birds' leg and sent it flying to Eresseas.

    From the dirt path, Lynette was watching him in silence. When she saw the bird fly off, she approached him. She didn't want to disturb him until he was done. "Are you okay?" she asked.

    Tsuki turned around and looked at Lynette. "Oh, Lyn. I didn't know you were here. Yeah, I'm fine" he said.

    Lynette shook her head. "It's okay. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you" she said. She walked up to the fence and looked out at the ocean. "A lot has happened since we met in Crescentia. It's hard to believe that our journey is coming to an end" she said.

    Tsuki shook his head. "Ending? No...our journey has only just begun. There's still so much we don't know. About this world, about the Ancients, about ourselves. Even when we part ways, our journey will never end. For now, let's make do with what we have now" he said.

    Lynette smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah. The world is a big place. There's so much we haven't seen yet. Who knows what waits for us on the other side of the vast ocean? There's still a lot left for us to do. We can't stop now" she said.

    They both shared a brief look then walked back down the hill and headed towards town. Reconstruction was already in progress at a very slow pace. When they joined up with Alba and the others, they wasted no time and started to assist in the long repairs of Basilwell.

    To be continued...