[Flashback] - Seven Years Since She Disappeared

 Featuring: Ellis, Joshua

Four months before her supposed coronation, Ellis and Joshua discuss the absence of her older sister Luna over tea. While Joshua wonders whether she may return one day, Ellis laments the Freyzenese people's inability to move on from her loss, feeling that they would chose Luna over her no matter what. Joshua encourages her, saying she will be a great Queen, which prompts Ellis to hint at her grand plans for advancing the glory of Freyzenwald. Their discussion is interrupted by the announcement of Luna's return.

8:55 PM] Amasuro: 

August 15th, 2635 “If my sister was here...do you believe she would have been coronated instead?” “That is a rather sudden question, princess. Does your sister still weigh on your mind?” Ellis shook her head, walking over to the balconies edge, as she ran a hand across the top of its bannister. Her long, white hair shimmering and blowing in the soft daylight breeze. “Yes. Each and every passing moment.” Ellis responds. Joshua wiped his brow, placing the broomstick he had been using along the balconies back wall before walking over to a small pitcher of lemonade on a table. “I see. I suppose its been a bit over seven years since she disappeared, now.” Joshua spoke, pouring the lemonade into two glasses. Taking both, he began walking over to Ellis, before handing her one of the glasses. Ellis gave a smile at her retainer, before taking a sip of the drink, “it is very nice and sweet. Did you make this, Joshua?” “With some help from Kazama, yes.” “Then remind me to thank you both sometime.” Ellis turned back around to look out the balcony. The cool glass gripped firmly in her two hands.

[8:55 PM] Amasuro: 

“Seven years. I suppose she will not be coming back then.” Came Ellis’ standard blank voice. Even when talking about her sister, that Joshua assumed she missed dearly, Ellis still refused to show any significant emotion. “That is quite negative. She may yet still live, but perhaps she is unable to return?” Joshua suggested, walking over to her side, “it was pirates, I believe. She may just merely be overseas.” “Do you prefer her to be here?” “Well, of course!” Joshua answered, thinking it to be obvious, “it was already a tragedy to have her kidnapped like that. It would be a miracle to see her return!” “I...see…” “...Do you prefer her to not ret-” “Cease with the conclusion you are drawing.” Ellis spoke up, interrupting Joshua before he finished, “...that is...of course I would love to see my older sister return. But...we must accept that she likely is not.” “If you insist.” Joshua tried his best not to stutter a response in surprise, “I am sorry for my words.” “Do not be. I understand your sentiment, but...it is time to look ahead to the future.” Ellis stopped, turning her head over to glare towards Joshua. Her normally soft eyes seemed hardened, “I return to my original question. If my sister were here, do you believe she would have been coronated instead?”

[8:56 PM] Amasuro: 

“...I don’t believe so. I think you have done wonders to our country, and the people would recognize it.” “Yes, of course. As the last remaining royal member of the Rurijisa line, I must do my part to maintain the standard of excellence my father had left behind. For...years I had studied and practiced...to be the best ruler I could possibly be.” “Then you will do a fantastic job.” Ellis’ stare turned blank, before her head turned back towards the distance, “...of course I will. And yet...it is not enough.” “Is it not?” “...It is never enough. Every day I have to be reminded about my sister. How her absence still rings deeply in our hearts. A void that will never be filled.” Joshua placed his empty glass back on the table, suddenly feeling a colder chill from the wind. “Understandable. She was still royalty.” “Understandable...is it? To claw after the image of a long gone princess, while I still stand before them, and you believe it to be understandable? Why...why can they just not let her die?” Joshua remained silent for a moment, unable to think of a response. “I...don’t know.” Was the words he finally managed.

[8:56 PM] Amasuro: 

“I will tell you why. It is because they all still prefer her to me. They would rather see my sister here instead of me! Why, I bet if I were the one to have died out in the sea, nobody would have batted an eye!” Joshua’s heart began to race slightly, as he continued to keep his composure, “that’s ridiculous! Princess Ellis, don’t listen to such opinions. They are unfounded!” “Are they? Are they?! Ever since I was a child, I was always compared to her. Even though I had studied, trained, and practiced far harder than she ever did, I was...I was never…” Joshua walked swiftly up towards Ellis, grabbing the glass from her hands. Holding the glass in one hand, he placed a hand on top of her shoulder. “Princess, you will be an amazing Queen.” Joshua spoke in an attempt to comfort his liege. Though, she didn’t seem to look very sad. Rather, there was an odd fire in her eyes instead. An incredibly odd twinkle in her eye, as it burned furiously. “...Heh...Hehe...of course I will be,” came an almost overconfident sounding voice, as Ellis walked away from Joshua’s hand, “you see, Joshua. I have many, many plans that have been in the works for a good while now.” “...Plans, princess? I don’t know what you are talking about.”

[8:56 PM] Amasuro: 

“Well, yes. Simply a few deals I have made with some individuals. You will see, Joshua. I plan to turn our nation into the greatest country in all of Amia. No longer will we hide in Gallarans shadow.” “That sounds...very ambitious. Do I get to know how?” “Now that...is a secret. But, of course, there is but only four more months to wait, Joshua. And you will see. You and everyone else will see, how Queen Ellis Rurijisa freed herself from the shackles of her sister’s soul, and became the best ruler Freyzenwald has ever seen.” The door to the patio was suddenly opened, causing a short yelp out of Ellis. Though, she quickly composed herself, brushing off her dress, before addressing the servant that just entered. “Oh, did you need something?” “Well, uhh, you see…” The servant began, rubbing a hand behind his head, “it is the oddest thing. There appears to be a woman down by the piers. And she...she claims to be princess Lunarea.”

[8:56 PM] Amasuro: 

==End==

March 12, 2017

CHAPTER 7 EPILOGUE: A Civil War

Featuring:  Joshua, Ellis, Luna, Ademaro


https://www.reddit.com/r/Reddit_Emblem/comments/5m5jif/team_c_story_post_chapter_7_epilogue/

[1:47 AM] Amasuro: The sunlight above was a welcome, yet unfamiliar sight as Joshua finally walked through the front door himself after leading the rest of the team through. Shielding his eyes with his arm, Joshua squinted at the general vicinity the group had found themselves in once exiting their location. They stood high off the ground, on top of what appeared to be a building made out of sturdy metals. The building itself was shaped practically, and held no significant outer decor besides a few towers, a wooden wall surrounding the facility, and a couple unmarked doors of all sizes. Around them, Joshua could only see a single, stone path snaking away from the building, and a vast series of mountains to their left side. Past that, was nothing but an unremarkable, flat grassland. “I am glad to see you unharmed, Joshua,” a surprising voice came from the side. Joshua recognized the voice all too well, but this was not the place he ever expected to hear her. “Princess Ellis,” Joshua greeted, rushing over immediately to her feet and dropping to his knees. “Please, stand, my retainer. I do not need you to commit to such frivolous motions after the ordeal you just survived,” Ellis spoke, a hand moving to gesture Joshua upwards. The first thing Joshua noticed about his liege, was that her outfit was one he had never seen before. A black dress, full of lace and ribbons, cutting off above her chest and below her knees. Her straight, long, elbow length hair now had one large ponytail sticking out the back. Done up by a large, black coloured ribbon pressed against the back of her head. Along her left hand, was a single, lace glove reaching all the way past her elbow. Joshua shook his head. Her attire wasn’t the biggest problem about this entire meeting. He quickly wondered, why is she here instead of in the capital? “Princess, I apologize for my rudeness, but…” Joshua speaks immediately as he begins to stand, “but I have to ask. Why are you here?” “A change of plans,” Ellis spoke immediately, her answer rehearsed as if the question was expected, “my free time has raised quite a lot, and I was headed to Khlin when I heard that your group had been captured.” “Your...free time? Does that mean Queen Luna succeeded?” Ellis looks away, “I have no knowledge on the whereabouts of my sister. However, I do know that Gallaran has entered a civil war.” Joshua straightened his pose immediately, “a civil war?! ...Ah, ahem, pardon my outburst, but a civil war?” “Interesting, is it not? Perhaps the needless war declaration on their neighbour tipped them over,” Ellis shrugged, looking over across the vast fields below them. Along the sides of the building, Joshua could notice several other men and women, assisting his group that had just broken out of the prison. One large, black wyvern seemed to be crying very loudly as it thrashed around on the ground, before flying towards the group. “Yes, that is why I have the free time to punish those who threaten Freyzenwald, like here,” Ellis speaks again. “You mean Khlin?” Joshua asked. “The facility you have been inside is the largest, manmade jail on the entire continent. It was famous for being built to house the leaders of the last rebellion in Khlin,” Ellis spoke, running a hand along the door Joshua had just escaped from, “today, I learned that the people responsible for your imprisonment was none other than the leaders of the Khlinese nobility. The council.” “The leaders of Khlin themselves?” “Yes. In case you were unaware of Khlin and its structure of government, the country is run by four noble families residing in the capital of Intetsu,” Ellis began, pacing around the floor as she spoke. “They are called Bluefang, Flamewing, Paleclaw, and Sableshell. The representatives of each family lead the governing council of Khlin, as you so call it. However, they are greedy, and treat their citizens poorly. This is why a rebellion was formed long ago, and ever since then, these rebels have been fighting against the council of Khlin.” Ellis paused, taking a breath as she finished her short speech. “And it seems like they’ve finally won,” Joshua spoke, hanging his head down, “the rebels were destroyed by some kind of massive machine in Kranhai.” “I did hear about that, which brings me to my next point. I believe that Gallaran gave this technology to the nobles to end the rebellion once and for all.” “Impossible! What do they have to gain?” Joshua yelled suddenly, startling Ellis. Upon noticing her face, he backs down quickly, “I, uhh, I’m sorry again for my outburst. Its just...what I saw in Kranhai. It was inhumane.” “The unfortunate side effects of war. But, then I assume you saw what this...machine is capable of then?” Ellis asked, eyeing Joshua curiously. “I do. It brings nothing but destruction.” “The nobles and Gallaran used to be allies once. It makes sense that in exchange for using this technology to snuff out the rebels forever, they would use it again to turn on our country once they are finished. In that case, even if Gallaran was busy with their war, Khlin now poses a threat. We cannot let this remain, and is why I had to come here today.” “Its dangerous here, princess. You should have just sent a messenger,” Joshua said quickly. “I can handle myself just fine. And besides, it is thankful that I arrived here, as it seems like my sister is absent. Off to Concordia, as Mana told me.” “Mana is alive?!” “Why, yes, she is doing just fine. A little frantic, as she seemed to be running around the facility trying to rescue my nephews, but fine otherwise. There is...negative news in that department as well…” Ellis’ voice trailed off. “What do you mean by that?” “We could...only find one of the children. Solrin. Pasach...I speculate might have been brought to Intetsu as a hostage.” “Ridiculous! He isn’t even a year old!” “And that is why I have made plans with the leaders of the rebellion already. Luckily, we caught a break here. One of the council’s leaders, Bluefang, was killed in the destruction of this prison. His death may be the disruption the rebels needed to take Intetsu once and for all.” “But...the rebels were killed in-” Joshua cut his words off quickly, upon remembering where another group of rebels laid. “Yes, you remember? Intetsu has been under siege for a few months now. While Kranhai might have been destroyed, those who fight under the rebellions main army still live. I will have you speak to their commander shortly, and we will push for the city in three days.” “And we intend to take the city?” “We intend to kill the remaining three leaders of the council, yes. Taking over Khlin is necessary for our survival, Joshua. I will make sure to outfit the members of your group with additional gold to fund some new gear. And, I will be assisting you in this battle. I hope you do not let me down,” Ellis looked at him, smiling sweetly. It almost seemed...unnerving. “I will not fail you, princess,” Joshua saluted, giving a final bow. In the back of his head, he had many questions. Many leads that didn’t seem to make sense. The line where Ellis mentioned that she would involve herself in the battle most of all. When did Ellis become so confident as to involve her in battle? But if the princess willed it, who was he to argue? Every member of the group has earned 2000 gold. Three days earlier. Concordia was a pretty nice city, I guess. I think father had taken me here once or twice when I was a kid. I can’t really remember. Sister always enjoyed those artsy stuff like architecture more than me, anyway. And that’s if I arrived here for a vacation. I’m definitely not on vacation today. And after making my way to the centerpiece of the city, I was escorted quickly for an audience with the governing council of Concordia. The famed neutral peacekeepers of the region of Amia, I was thankful to have finally reached the city to save my country. I was eventually guided through numerous, white coloured marble pillars before eventually reaching a large, circular room. In the center, a floor, caved downwards, overlooked by a set of tall desks where six older men sat behind, staring down into the room. Really, those were some nicely constructed desks, I’m not gonna lie. Quite a bit more refreshing than the spasm of white marble the city apparently loves using. “Queen Lunarea Rurijisa,” one of the men began to speak, “I read here that you have gathered the council because of a...request for...peace?” I nodded quickly at the man, feeling dwarfed quickly by the six council members sitting in a position so much higher than me. What an intimidating feeling!

“Well, let me introduce myself first. You may call me Ademaro Ecclenza,” the speaking man said, nodding towards me.

“Lunarea. Ah, Lunarea Rurijisa, Queen of Freyzenwald,” I responded. The air in the room almost stifling my speech, as I struggled to speak...properly. “I am confused. Is this related in any way to prince Dmitri of Ossolkef’s request?” Ademaro asked, fanning through the papers in his hand.

...Who? Am I supposed to know who that is? It sounds kinda familiar, but…

“No, sir. Unless prince Dmitri came here with concerns about Gallaran.” “Hmm...not that I know of, no. It just seemed like it, considering he arrived here with a small group about three weeks ago. So then, Queen Lunarea, what is your enquiry?”

For real, old man? Are you senile? What other war did I come to talk about?!

I coughed into my fist, “our war with Gallaran. A month ago, Gallaran declared war on my nation. I have arrived here in hopes that your nation could broker some sort of peace with them. My country has been ravaged by a separate incident and I was hoping to spare the loss of life from this war.” “Yes...my deepest condolences for the destruction of Amaterasu. But…” Ademaro’s voice trails off, as the other five members of the council begin talking quietly with each other. The concerns on their face making my heart skip a beat. Something was very, very off. ...Wait, Amaterasu wasn’t destroyed. I...I got the shield up! We lost the outside, but I saved the castle. He shouldn’t call that a destruction! “Let me ask you another question, Queen Lunarea,” Ademaro spoke up again, as the other members of the council ceased their chatter, “how did you find out about this...declaration of war from Gallaran?” “My scouts received a letter from their nation, indicating a formal declaration of war.” “And you received this letter with your own hands?” “No sir. I received this letter from my sister.” “Princess Ellis of Freyzenwald?” “Yes,” I nodded at his statement. What was he trying to suggest? The entire line of questioning confused me. My sister wouldn’t lie to me like that. But, then again, we were locked in that castle for a while according to Mana. How did sister manage to get...one of her scouts...all the way from Scathath to Amaterasu when she told me she...had no idea of the state of the rest of the...country… “Well, see here, Queen Lunarea,” Ademaro began, “our records show that there is currently no war between Gallaran and Freyzenwald. More significantly, Gallaran is currently in a civil war due to the death of their king. I do not believe they could afford to declare war after such an event.” D-death of their king? Wait, what? What?! My palms began to feel sweaty, as the open room felt like it started to constrict around my neck. This wasn’t happening. How...what did...this couldn’t… “Are you...okay, Queen Lunarea?” Another council member asked me. I could barely speak, but I swallowed the thoughts crashing through my head and tried to make a sound with my voice again. “Fine. Now, please. Can you tell me more about Gallaran? What about their king?” Ademaro shuffled the papers in his hand, “King Ethan Bertram was murdered in his castle about a month ago. The nation currently believes that prince Niko Bertram, his heir, was responsible for his death. However, a faction within the nation believes that prince Niko is innocent, and is still the rightful heir to the throne.” A month ago? That was during our election! He’s right, they couldn’t declare war on Freyzenwald like that. I nodded, “I see. My apologies, I had no idea about these events.” “That is understandable, you have been trying to defend your own nation,” Ademaro smiled at me, “I am terribly sorry for your loss.” “Yeah, ah, that was the other thing I wanted to ask. Tesamaaru Castle still stands, I do not believe I could consider that destroyed.” Ademaro blinked, setting down the papers in his hands. The other members of the council began holding their heads down in turn. My heart began beating again. If it wasn’t considered rude, or if I was still concerned about my own image, I would have screamed. Screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping this dream would end, and I would wake up in my castle once again. My husband wrapping me in his arms. “Tesamaaru Castle was destroyed three days ago. To an...unknown invasion.” Ademaro seemed like he was about to say more, and I was going to as well, but a voice coming from elsewhere snapped the conversation. A chilling, inhuman voice, that almost seemed to be sounding from the ceiling. “AnD nOW, yOu CAn enJoY tHe pAIN Of AmAteRasU FoR yOurSeLVeS!” The white marble surrounding me immediately changed from the warm, white colour to a light, purple hue, as the light outside the window began to change colours...

CHAPTER 7: Locked In

Featuring: Joshua, Levia

https://www.reddit.com/r/Reddit_Emblem/comments/5cv4d7/team_c_chapter_7/

[1:23 PM] Amasuro: “Hey! Hey! Heeeeeeeey! Let me out! Let me out, let me outletmeout!” The sharp clanging of metal woke Joshua up from his groggy state. Picking himself up slowly from the stone floor he had been resting on, Joshua took one slow look around the room he found himself confined in, allowing his eyes to adjust to its pitch black darkness. “You can’t dooooo this to meeeeeee-! Aaaaaaaah!” The female voice continued, its level of desperation rising rapidly. Joshua rubbed his head as he sat up to look at the voice's owner. “Gods, Levia, shut up. We’re locked in here for a reason,” Joshua spoke unamused, frowning at the sight of his sister banging on the only exit door. Suddenly whipping her head around, Levia rushed back towards her brother. Her panicked face forcing an angry glare. “I. Don’t. Caaaaaare what the reason is, I want out! Its...its dark and...really small! And, and, and…” Levia’s eyes suddenly go wide, as she suddenly begins furiously patting the belt around her torso, “my tome, my tome! My tooooome, they took my tome! Uaaaaagh, they took my toooooome!” “Ugh, if you scream any louder, the guards outside will probably execute us first.” “Well I could kill them first, if I had my tome!” “Yeah, that's probably why they took it from you.” Levia stamped her feet, dissatisfied with his answer as she stomped back towards the locked door, “I had such a great life with my family! And you had to take it all away from me. All of it! I’ve been thrown and tossed from jail to jail, and I wouldn’t be in this place if it wasn’t for you!” “Levia, you were a criminal. It would have happened sooner or later.” “Then why couldn’t it have been later?!” Joshua sighed, standing up shakily as he began to pace around the room. Placing his hand along the walls of the confined, square box of a room, Joshua began to frown. No beds, no furniture, nothing but four torches lining the walls. That, four walls of stone and a door. A containment cell would at least have a toilet or something like that. Do they plan to execute us that quickly? He slammed a fist against the wall, leaning his head down. The mission had been a failure, and the result was a huge loss of life and the imprisonment of the rest. All he hoped, was that queen Luna had made it out alive somehow. Hopefully Mana had gone with her, as Joshua hadn’t seen either girl since the battle of Kranhai came to its end. Ignoring his sister's cries about ‘the bowman coming for her’, Joshua leaned along the wall, trying to remember everything that happened leading up to their current situation. That machine. The Khlinese shouldn’t have access to such technology or magic needed to build such a monster, and yet it rolled through Kranhai like a hot knife through butter. True, the nobility had huge amounts of wealth, but there was no way they could have constructed something like that on their own. Were they aided by an outside source? Then the battle that came after. Whoever survived the defense against the tank retreated backwards into the heart of Kranhai. Some tried to desert their ranks after Luna had fled. Others stayed and fought until the end. Whatever the decision they made, he remembered seeing most of them in cuffs by the battle's end. Hauled away to...wherever this was, like a common war prisoner. They even arrested most of the civilians travelling with them. Including queen Luna’s very own children. After defending their location with his very life, he could only hope that the two babies were spared. Even if she survived, he doubted that she would ever forgive him if he allowed Solrin and Pasach to be killed. He was almost ashamed that he was the one that suggested this detour down into Khlin. Getting caught up in their civil war was not his intention. That said, it still confused him as to why their enemy chose to capture most of their group instead of outright killing them in battle. Especially considering the resources devoted towards taking down Levia. Did they have something planned for them? An execution this quickly didn’t make any sense, but considering the room they were in, it was all he could think of. “Joshua! Have you given up already?!” The voice behind him called, followed by a pair of stomps. Joshua quickly felt two pairs of hands grab onto his shoulders. “I’m just...I’m feeling a lot of things right now, Levia. Could you just leave me be for a moment?” Levia opened her mouth to argue, but was sharply cut off by a sudden, deep booming voice that filled the room. A voice that only spoke a single word. “Escape.” The door suddenly flew open, and three humanoid figures entered the room. Two holding spears, and one, a tome. As if on cue, the four torches lit up simultaneously, giving off a dim light. Joshua tensed up quickly, for the humans standing in front of him weren’t simple executioners. No, their eyes glowed purple, and they leaked a slight purple gas around their entire bodies. It was just like the enemies that invaded Freyzenwald. “Dammit. Get ready, Levia. We’re not going down without a fight.” “Joshua, I don’t have my tome!” “Can’t you channel anything without a tome?!” “Well...there’s this really weak fire spell I know. But-” “Then use that! They’re coming!” You awaken in a room, identical to the one above. There are two other members of the team that are trapped in the room with you, and the series of events your character undergoes is identical to the events above.

CHAPTER 6 EPILOGUE: Too Late to Evacuate

Featuring: Luna, Artemis, Mana

[12:45 AM] Amasuro:A creation built off of the nobilities complete gamble and sheer desperation to save what remained of the country they owned. What locals could only describe as ‘a monster’, the machine that plowed through the rebellion capital of Kranhai was the result of all the money and resources the leaders of Khlin had pooled over the duration of the war. Of course, pooling all such funds into a project like this cause them to be forced all the way down to the walls of the capital city, but I guess it payed off in the end, huh?

Heh, damn rebels. Apparently, they had no idea something like this was being constructed under their noses, and nobody knew where it came from. How the hell do you hide a monster of this size?

Probably got complacent. Probably didn’t expect that maybe there was a reason the nobility seemed so weak when they pushed them back? They never stopped the production of this monster, and now it crushed their home base. Soon, it will circle around and destroy the forces they have stationed outside the capital.

All because of their damn overconfidence.

Well, now doesn’t that sound familiar? ___________________________________________________________

The sharp clash of metal rang through the battlefield, as milady shoved her sword through the final crack on the side of the monster. With a loud, crashing sound, the monster slowed and lowered its canon before stopping all together.

“M-Milady?!” I called out, rushing forwards. I couldn’t believe that milady Luna’s plan had actually worked! The monster seemed to have slowed, and we made their commander retreat. I was so worried at first, but she is truly amazing!

“Hah! How do you like that, you stupid sack of metal?” Luna taunted at the fallen beast, as she gave a sharp kick to its metal walls.

“A-ah, milady, s-should you really be d-doing that?!” I called out to her, rushing to her side, “what if it w-wakes up again?” “Oh don’t be dumb, Mana. I still don’t know what the hell this thing is, but we totally kicked its a-” Luna’s words cut off sharply, as my fears turned to reality. The beast made a strange, sharp noise before its two canons began to rise up once more. “Luna watch out!” I cried, shoving her to the side. The two of us falling over onto the damaged pavement as the monster began to move slowly behind us. I felt my knee scrape against the fabric of my pants as we fell to the ground, but I ignored the initial sting. Luna rolled and recovered immediately from the fall, watching in horror as the monster began to move itself closer and closer towards the city center. I, on the other hand, shielded my face from the dust that blew towards us. Though, even with my vision impaired, I could see the panic in milady’s eyes. Like a switch just lit the fire in her body. “Damn it, Mana! We have to stop this thing now!” She seethed, preparing to draw her weapon once again. It didn’t seem like the fall hurt her at all, but my leg still remained in excruciating pain. Though, that underlying pain in her voice made me believe otherwise. But before she could advance again, an arrow landing just short of her feet caused milady to leap back a step. I quickly scrambled to my feet, only to see that Kinshi Knight still flying high above the monster. “Queen of Freyzenwald, that is as far as you go,” the woman addressed us, “your tenacity impresses me, but sadly it is not enough. I have had my fun, testing your strength, but now I must continue with my duties. Stand aside.” “Shut up! We destroyed your armies, and now we will destroy this thing too!” Luna cried, her eyes constantly darting around the side of the monster. Looking for another hole, a potential weakness, perhaps even a clue as to how this monster was built or how it functions. “Please, do you truly believe that was the extend of our military? Judging by your words, and the size of the pitiful army you brought to aid the rebellion, I am disappointed at how much you underestimated the heart of Khlin.” It dawned on me quickly. We never entered Khlin with the intention of aiding the rebellion. We were just passing by to reach Concordia! And now, we were caught in between the nobilities largest offensive push against the rebels. “There is fire in your eyes, and I have no intention of extinguishing it quite yet. If you value your life, Queen of Freyzenwald, leave your alliance with the rebels and my sight this instant,” the woman commanded once more, before turning and flying off towards the back of the tank. And that's when I noticed. The legions of soldiers, far behind the tank, seemingly just waiting for their moment to charge into the city. Were they just...toying with us this whole time? Not only did these soldiers look far better equipped than the ones we had already defeated, but their numbers far overtook our own. Milady had to have noticed them too. A low, growling sound could be heard in her direction, as she continued to glare at the monster rolling slowly past us. Likely, milady couldn’t find a weakness in the beast. “...We must go, Luna.” I tried urging her again, tugging lightly on her sleeve. Oddly enough, she still refused to budge. “Ehe...hehehahaha-! That bitch dares talk down to me?!” Luna suddenly bursted into a laugh, “she thinks I will be defeated that easily?! How stupid do you think I am? She is obviously hiding a weakness in this monster! Mana, we must return to the front of the tank and stop it once again! Then after that, we will slaughter all these idiotic so-called nobility soldiers. I don’t care how many still stand by my side, I will not lose!” “Luna snap out of it, what is the matter with you?!” I raised my voice, now yanking on her arm even harder. I couldn’t understand. Milady wasn’t the suicidal type. Long back when I first met her, she always knew when she was outmatched, and always preferred her own self preservation over the lives of others. Sacrificing her life for this city that isn’t even ours? I couldn’t understand! “You...you would abandon me too, Mana? ...Tch, whatever. I don’t need you. I don’t care what happens to me, I just need to...I need to...stop this monster,” Luna continued to speak, as if in a trance, “its too late to evacuate everyone. Everyone in the city will die. Everyone. I can’t...reach them...soon enough...ehehe...heheh…” Everything around me froze, as it all dawned on me. Milady was trying to protect somebody inside the city. Two people, to be exact. She would choose to die for her children. I bit my lip, my emotional brain trying to formulate a thought in my head as the nobility army began to approach closer to our position. Milady, meanwhile, seemed ever ready to just dash off towards her suicide mission at any point. If we had retreated from the start, we could have grabbed them and evacuated. She must know that. She has to. That’s why...she refuses to back down. “Luna. Are you worried about Solrin and Pasach?” I mustered the most emotionless, serious voice possible, but I was hoping it wouldn’t make it too obvious, “do not worry, milady. I already moved them to the ships for evacuation.”

Luna turned her head towards me sharply, her glare burning into my act, “you did? When.”

“While you were knocked out earlier,” I swallowed hard, my gaze unwavering, “did you forget?”

“I...oh.” She murmured. I saw the fire burn out of her eyes, as she began to relax. My heart ached from the lie I had crafted, but, it had to be continued. For her sake.

“Now, may I ask again. Are you ready to evacuate?” ___________________________________________________________

I don’t really know what I expected. Of course my children weren’t on the ship by the time I reached it.

Its odd. I know I should be absolutely furious at her for betraying me, and I absolutely was when I had found out the first time. But, when I saw the final look she gave me before I saw her for the last time, I know her decision hurt her more than it did me. Heh, she’s probably completely terrified of me if she still lives.

And adding another strike due to my arrogance. I wonder who will be next! Oh yeah, I don’t have anyone anymore. Well, maybe we can get into some giant naval battle or something against a giant tentacle monster, and I’ll insist that we stay even though we’re completely outmatched. You know, small stuff like that. Ah, how we escaped. Yes, I haven’t mentioned that one yet. Well, you see, once we managed to reach the dock, all the ships had fled already. Nothing remained in the area, except for a few smaller boats and some villagers still trying to desperately flee on them. I remember looking out into the city, feeling relieved that Mana had retrieved my children and brought them to safety on board a ship. There was really no way I could have reached them in time while making it back to the port safely. We had no idea where everyone had ended up. I finally gave the command to retreat shortly after Mana gave me the news, and we ran off quickly towards the port. Joshua and his sister tried rounding up the slower members of our team, while those with mounts helped with the rest. Or, they just fled, who knows. They were some good people, I do hope they still live. Even that stupid maid, I suppose. I noticed a small family beginning to paddle away towards the ships in the distance, and asked them quickly if we could hop on. The canoe wasn’t very large, and was already off the dock, so they had to pedal back to a spot closer to the seawall. It was a small jump down, but when you’re evacuating for your life, I guess you shouldn’t be picky about these sorts of things. I prepared to leap down into the boat, but hesitated as I noticed Mana lingering behind me. I called out to her, asking her what was wrong, and to hurry it up as we were holding up this poor family. But, she didn’t respond. She almost seemed like she was about to cry for some reason. I didn’t understand at that time. After a lot of urging, she finally approached closer towards me. I thought she finally decided to leave. But that’s when she told me, “I’m sorry.” And pushed me off the pier. Mana screamed at the family to paddle, before running back into the city. I...I wanted to leap back for her, but we were already too far away from the land. And I...still can’t...really swim. And those, were the consequences of my actions. If anyone can protect Solrin and Pasach, it is you, Mana. Just, please, don’t get yourself killed trying to do so. Now, as I sit on this boat headed for Concordia, I will do what only I can, and end this war between Gallaran and Freyzenwald. And it only cost me everyone that accompanied me on this journey. Please, please stay alive. And...I’m sorry.