• Tales of Xalthia

    Chapter 15: A Sinister Encounter


    Basilwell lies in one of the most popular destination spots. Running along the town was a beach that stretched for miles. The town was alongside the vast ocean with a beautiful sea-green color to it. A lot of researchers come here for the isolation since Basilwell was nestled between the ocean and impassable mountain ranges. There were only two ways to enter and leave the city and those are the Cavern of Solace and the sea.

    Since the city resides between the ocean and mountains, they live in an area where a tsunami or any other natural disaster could devastate the town. Due to that, the officials have built a pathway that ran up alongside the mountainside, leading up to the evacuation camp in the Cavern of Solace. The camp was at a height where one would be killed if they were to fall. They were basically on the edge of a massive cliff. At the bottom of the cliff lies a small forest along with what appeared to be some kind of construction site. Unlike most of the continent, monster activity in the area around Basilwell was significantly low due to the efforts of the locals who fight to keep their land and town safe.

    After admiring the sight from the high cliffs, Tsuki and his group started their descent down the long path of the mountainside. Eventually, they reached the bottom of the pathway but still had quite a walk ahead of them until they reached the town. They made their way through the designated dirt road through the forest. There have been rumors that a Razgriz demon resides within the forest, but unlike the other demons, this was the only docile demon among its species. The demon responds to those who threaten it. However, if you show no signs of malice, the demon will ignore you completely. They've even heard that the demon was acting as if it was Basilwells' protector.

    After following the path through the forest, they eventually made it to the gates of Basilwell. Unlike Briswater, Basilwell was a small, seaside town. They didn't have tall skyscrapers or canal roads. They had small huts of stone and wood, which makes it easy to rebuild if something were to happen to the town. Back when the town was first built, it had a design similar to Briswater until a devastating tsunami came and wiped out the city. Now, they no longer have such a design.

    When they walked through the gates, Ramza took in the smell of the ocean. "Ah, the sea! I can't get enough of that sea breeze and smell" he said. He then looked around the town plaza, seeing different kinds of people go about their day.

    Lynette walked up to the fountain in the center of the plaza and also took the opportunity to look around. She could see the beach from the entrance which enticed her. She then turned and faced Tsuki. "Hey, I have an idea! Let's take a short break and rest up. Crossing through those caves was exhausting" she said.

    Tsuki folded his arms and thought about the idea. The walk through those saves were indeed exhausting. "You have a point. It wasn't easy going through those caves. Not only that, but I want to find out why Menorion soldiers are here and why the monster activity in the caverns are so high before I meet with the officials" he said.

    After talking to a few locals, Ramza walked back towards Tsuki. "So, it's settled. We'll break from here and meet up at the inn at dusk. If you want information, you should go to the pub. You might learn something since pubs are great for gathering information" he said. He then turned back around and walked towards the stairs leading down into the town. He stopped at the top of the stairs and briefly looked back at him. "I'm going to walk around town for a bit. I'll see you guys later" he said. He then made his way down the stairs and headed into town.

    Lynette climbed up onto the edge of the fountain and walked around it, keeping her balance so she doesn't fall in the water. When she made two laps around the fountain's edge, she jumped off and ran towards the stairs. She was clearly excited about something. "I'm going to check out the beach. Surely, a seaside town like this gets a lot of visitors from around the kingdom so I'll see if anyone knows anything. I'll catch you later!" she said. She then took off running down the stairs and headed towards the beach.

    Tsuki chuckled a bit. He knew that even though that say that they will see what the locals know, they actually wanted to take a break from it all. He didn't totally mind as he needed one himself. "A good rest will do them some good" he said. He then looked around and thought for a moment on what he should do. "I guess I'll check out that pub and see what I can find out" he said. Even though he could of used this opportunity to take a break, he couldn't sit by knowing that Menorion had something planned. Once he made up his mind, he made his way down the stairs into the town to see if he can find answers to what's going on.

    Once the group went off to do their own thing around town, they were scattered around the town. Tsuki decided to follow Ramzas' advice and headed to the pub to find out if anyone had information about the Shadow Knight or the Menorion soldiers were on Cayhill territory. They obviously had no idea what he was talking about since they were also clueless. Lynette decided to take some time to relax at the beach since things have been chaotic and she had a feeling that it will only get worse. Ramza didn't really have a place in mind to go to so he's been wandering around the town aimlessly, trying to find out information on the side as well. They were split up for several hours and before they knew it, the sun began to set over the horizon.

    Ramza noticed that it was getting late and decided to head back to the inn. He made his way from the port after talking to some of the nearby sailors towards the inn which was in the center of town. When he reached the inn and walked into the lobby, he saw Lynette staring out one of the windows. He could see that she was concerned about something. After looking around the lobby, he noticed that Tsuki hasn't arrived. "Where's Tsuki?" he asked.

    Lynette turned her head and looked at Ramza. She then shook her head, keeping the worried look on her face. He was running late. "He's not here yet" she said. She was concerned about him since they agreed to meet up at the inn at dusk and it was already dark outside. "I wonder what's taking him..." she said.

    Ramza scratched the back of his head and shrugged. He didn't seem too worried about him. "He'll be okay. He's fully capable of taking care of himself. All we can do is wait for him" he said. He then walked towards one of the lobby couches and sat down, leaning his head back and stared at the ceiling.

    As Lynette and Ramza waited for Tsuki to arrive at the inn, Tsuki was on the other end of town, still gathering information. He had been all over the city, going to some of the hot spots of commerce and social gathering to ask what the locals knew. Just like the pub, he didn't get much information out of them. When he noticed that he was getting dark outside, he started to make his way to the inn. However, he has never been to Basilwell so he doesn't know his way around. He wasn't even sure how he got to where he was. As he tried to retrace his steps, he found himself in an area filled with warehouses. It was eerily quiet which gave an unsettling feeling. As he tried to find his way out, he noticed a group of soldiers gathered around one of the open warehouses. There were about fifteen to twenty soldiers, all bearing Menorions' mark on their shoulder plates. He hid behind one of the corners of the warehouses to eavesdrop.

    One of the soldiers, who appeared to be a captain or someone of authority was receiving reports from the other soldiers. "I see...what of that Eresseas Envoy? Do we have any intel on them?" the soldier asked.

    Another soldier nodded his head. "Yes sir. Unfortunately, we don't have any information about the girl he's traveling with but we did learn quite a bit about the knight. the soldier said.

    The captain was interested to hear what they had learned about the knight. "The girl is of no threat. That knight is a different story, however. What intel do you have on the boy?" he asked.

    The soldier took a deep breath before speaking since there was a lot they had learned. "His name is Tsuki Himura. He is a skilled swordsman and is the youngest member of the Royal Eight. It appears he has a very strong personal connection with Eresseas' very own, Princess Cheria" the soldier said.

    The captain rubbed his chin in thought. "A personal connection to the princess, huh? Perhaps, we can use that to our advantage" he said. He had a sinister look on his face as if he was scheming something.

    Just then, another voice chimed in accompanied by two sets of echoing footprints from inside the opened warehouse. A man with dark, spiky hair with a jet black ax strapped his back came out of the warehouse with a familiar face, the Shadow Knight. "Don't think that obtaining that link will be an easy task, captain" the man said.

    The captain turned around and saluted the menacing figure. "King Caius! What makes you say that? According to our reports, he doesn't seem much of a threat" he said.

    The man named Caius shook his head. "This knight known as Tsuki...there's more about him that we don't know. Something that prevented our mysterious knight from killing him back in Briswater" he said. He then turned around and faced the Shadow Knight. "So, it's time you tell us what happened" he said.

    The knight shook his head, refusing to not give out any information. "Sorry, but I have nothing to say. I'm just hired help so I have no obligation to take orders from you let alone disclosing information about Tsuki" the knight said.

    The captain didn't like the knight's answer or the attitude directed towards Caius. "Watch your tongue! The king hired you to assist us in this endeavor!" he shouted, offended that the Shadow Knight was refusing a direct order.

    The knight simply shrugged. "An endeavor in which I accomplished. I'm not the king's lackey so I hold no loyalty to him nor to his kingdom. You hired me to investigate Eresseas' envoy, which I did" the knight said.

    Caius snapped his finger and moments later, soldiers surrounded the knight, ready to draw their weapons. Caius drew the ax off his back and held it in his hand. "You are bound to me by contract until we return home. If you plan on going rouge right here, we'll cut you down. Now, I order you to tell me what you know about Tsuki. I will not tolerate disobedience!" he shouted.

    The knight chuckled a bit as the group gathered. "You poor fools. Do you really think you have the skill to take me down?" the knight asked. The knight drew the katana that was strapped to his waist and glared at them. "You don't stand a chance against me. Besides..." the knight said, looking towards the warehouse corner Tsuki was hiding behind.

    Tsuki watched as a debriefing session was turning into a brawl. He couldn't stand by and watch it go down even if it meant siding with the Shadow Knight. Before he knew it, instinct took over his body. He had drawn his sword and appeared from around the corner. After he made his sudden appearance, a green incantation circle appeared below his feet. "Final Gale!" he shouted. Moments later, Tsuki swung his sword, releasing a green arch of energy at the group of Menorion soldiers.

    The attack collided into the group, sending some of the soldiers off their feet and blowing some of the lingering wooden crates into nearby soldiers and warehouse walls. The only ones not affected by the attack was Caius and the Shadow Knight.

    The knight had known that Tsuki was eavesdropping on their conversation the entire time and given his history, he knew he would intervene if a fight broke out in front of him. "You have bigger problems on your hands" the knight said, finishing his sentence.

    Caius felt the impact of Tsukis' attack but stood his ground. When the attack subsided, he turned around and faced him. "So, there was a rat in hiding. From the intel we received, you must be Tsuki Himura" he said. He didn't expect to run into Tsuki here. He then made a hand signal and moments later, eight soldiers started to charge at him.

    Tsuki felt a surge of energy swell up inside him. It felt like he was being possessed by something. Tsuki approached the group of charging soldiers, slashing two across their waists, grabbing and throwing one into one of the warehouse windows with a surge of strength, knocking three of them out by hitting the back of their necks with a fast and swift hand swing and the remaining two were kicked into the water. It was as if the soldiers were moving in slow motion so he could easily see their attacks and dodge them with ease. After the brief confrontation, he approached the Shadow Knight and Caius and stood next to the Shadow Knight.

    Caius watched his performance in disbelief. None of the soldiers were able to touch him. He managed to take down eight soldiers at once as if it was child's play. There was more about him than what meets the eye. "Incredible. So, that's what you're capable of" he said.

    The Shadow Knight chuckled a bit, thrilled to see Tsuki's' fighting skills. However, the power he demonstrated is very small and didn't even come close to his true potential. "Now, do you see what you're up against? There's no shame in retreating" the knight said.

    Caius knew that it would be a tough fight since not only was he not prepared for a full fight, it would mess up what he has planned. He couldn't risk having anything interfere with his plans. "It looks like I have no choice. There's too much at stake and I don't plan to let things fall apart now. Everyone, scatter!" he shouted. He then took out two flash bombs and threw them onto the ground. Seconds later, a blinding flash of light erupted from the bombs, blinding Tsuki and the Shadow Knight. By the time the flash subsided, Caius and his soldiers were gone.

    Tsukis' sudden power surge wore off soon after the flash subsided. He shook his head and looked around but saw no one around except for the Shadow Knight. "Damn, they got away" he said, not even questioning his sudden power surge. He then faced the Shadow Knight, unsure of whether or not the knight was a friend or for at this moment. "Who are you? You disobeyed direct orders from them so it seems you aren't in league with Menorion but yet you attacked the mines of Briswater so you aren't an ally" he said.

    The Shadow Knight sheathed his katana and looked at Tsuki. "You'll learn when the time comes" the knight said. The knight then turned around and started to walk off.

    Tsuki remembered that the figure from his strange subconscious vision wanted to know what the knight was up to. "Wait! You're an Ancient...right? The Guardian of Ancients? What are you doing in our world?" he asked.

    The knight stopped and turned his head towards Tsuki. "Oh? I wonder who told you about that. My job is to protect the world of the Ancients from those who would threaten our way of living. I don't ally myself with those who seek power for their own selfish reasons" the knight said. Moments later, the knight disappeared in a bright green light. It wasn't time to reveal any information to Tsuki yet.

    Tsuki wanted to know more about the Shadow Knight but before he could ask more questions, the knight disappeared. He had more questions than answers and that bugged him. Just who was the Shadow Knight? What is his true purpose? These were only a few questions that he wanted answers to. "Damn, what's going on here? I can't wrap my head around this..." he said. He sighed heavily, sheathed his sword and made his way out of the warehouse area.

    Eventually, Tsuki made it back to familiar sights and made his way towards the inn. When he arrived, Lynette and Ramza questioned Tsuki on where he was. He was extremely late so it was natural that they wanted to know what took him so long. Tsuki started to explain the reason on why he was so late. After explaining things, the room went quiet. There were all confused. None of their questions were answered and even had new questions and doubts.

    Ramza was more confused than the rest. There was contradicting information about the Shadow Knight now from what Tsuki heard. "I don't get it. If the Shadow Knight has no allegiance to a nation, why is he aiding them?" he asked himself. He couldn't figure out the Shadow Knight's motives.

    Lynette had her arms crossed, disturbed about what Tsuki had witnessed. "I don't like this. Judging from what you heard, it's almost as if they are planning an attack on Eresseas by using your connection with Princess Cheria..." she said. She didn't want a war breaking out if that's what they're planning. It would be everyone's worst nightmare.

    Tsuki shook his head. He didn't want to believe it but he had to accept that whatever the Menorion soldiers were planning, suffering will result from it. "I don't like this situation. I need to inform the royal family about this before it escalates further. Since a mountain divides us from the mainland, we'll have to speak with the officials to send out a missive. Carrier pigeons won't work this time" he said.

    Ramza nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Let's get some rest tonight and we'll go schedule an appointment with one of the officials in the morning" he said. He then stood up from the couch and headed down the hallway to his room.

    Tsuki and Lynette gave each other an uneasy look then followed Ramza down the hallway to their own separate rooms. They spent the rest of the night, thinking about what they learned. Eventually they all drifted to sleep. Tsuki was the last one awake. Before he drifted to sleep, he couldn't help but show concern for his kingdom. He didn't expect that his mission would uncover a plot that could threaten the kingdom. He needed to learn more about what they are planning so that he can prepare everyone if they do decide to attack. Time was running out and they needed to take immediate action before things get out of hand.

    To be continued...