● Twelfth Day of Ninth Month, Year 666 - Realm of Light: Evalis; Flowershade.
The narrow streets of Flowershade were heated by the diagonal sun of noon. Most people walking down the crowding roads were either puffing out air in exhaustion, or hastening to slide under any nearby shade. Among the crowd, there was a girl who did not seem bothered by the intese weather. Her body rested on the ledge of large water fountain in the city plaza, but her mind was not interseted in the surroundings; as though it got hypnotized.
What am I—supposed to do now?, she thought. I'm all alone. Left behind again—just like when Kym died. But that wasn't real, Mado is! Mado was right before me! Why didn't I save him?! I was scared, but that's a stupid excuse. He could've saved me if it was the other way around. But I——
Her memories took her back to when Jaden held her hand in a dark space.
.
.
"..But, when this is all over.."
.
.
I can't just let him know.., she told herself. But he knows, doesn't he? He saw everything! Still, he pretends it's nothing like he's clueless about it all. I hate him! Yeah, I do—!
"Julia?.."
"Uh!" a voice of a little girl brought her back to the present moment.
"Are you okay?" Lara asked as she sat next to the ginger haired girl. "You dozed off a little."
"Uh, no—it's nothing. It's just," Julia waved her hands with a smile on her face. "I'm a little lost without the others. So, I'm thinking about what to do."
Lara blinked dumbfoundedly for few seconds. "Aren't you worried about them..?"
The question took Julia off guard that she barely clumped her expression. And she forged another forced smile. "Yeah, of course I am!" she nodded. "But—I'll figure it out."
Seeing her optimistic response, Lara stood up on her feet. "Then, let's go see Granpa!" she told her. "He's sure got an idea where to start."
"Yeah, let's!" Julia got off the fountain ledge, and followed the little girl.
Lara is so sweet, she thought. It's really scary how sweet she could be. It's like, the fact she's programed is untrue. But now isn't the time..
The two girls walked along the narrow roads, and reached the Underground. They headed toward the alley, and took a right turn to Borg's tent. The moment the two stepped inside, their eyes caught Talkid along with two of Borg's lackeys.
"Julia!" he jumped in surprise. "I thought you all got caught!"
"No, Julia didn't. I kept her hidden." Lara replied with a prideful tone.
"Uh—is Grandpa here..?" Julia asked.
After making sure that Old-man Borg was present in his chamber, Julia, Talkid, and Lara went to meet with him. Old-man Borg was seated on the farthest end of the room, smoking through his hubble bubble.
"Aye, if it isn't my two trouble makers!" he greeted them as they got in. "And you brought the traveler-lady along! Where are the rest?"
"Hey, old-grandpa!" Talkid waved for him. "We need your help!"
"Talkid, mind your manners!" Lara smacked the orange haired boy on the head.
"It seems you are in a querrel, indeed.." Borg stroked his beard.
"The Afallanians captured her friends!" Talkid said.
"Yeah! We have to help them!" Lara supported him.
Old-man Borg noticed Julia's eyes fixated on the ground. "You may talk to your grandpa, young lady.." said Borg.
Julia raised her head, and gazed at the old bearded man with a defeated face.
What am I supposed to say?, she was lost for words. 'Mado and the others got captured because I hesitated?'
Julia hung back her head, and responded to Borg with a simple nod. "What they say is true.."
"I see.." Borg huffed. "Although, I had very high hopes in that red eyed boy. He seemed determind.."
"Jaden..?" Julia whispered.
"But Gundolf is a dangerous man. He suspected the Fete to draw near all kinds of trouble. Therefore, luring them into his cage. Devilish, I'd say!" he continued.
"But grandpa, where did they take Jaden and the others?" Lara asked. "Can we see them?"
"Hmm.." old-man Borg stroked his beard. "I do not know.. a prison, perhaps. But I'm not sure where.."
This old man knows something, but he's hiding it, Julia theorized. He's keeping away the crucial info. But why? For whom?
"Gr—grandpa Borg," Julia mustered the courage to speak. "You were a soldier back in the days. Don't you still have some connections somehow?"
Old-man Borg enhaled through the hose of his hubble-bubble as he thought about the question Julia had dropped. After exhaling a pink thick cloud, he cracked a slight smile; trying his best not to burst in laughter. "Aren't you amusing, young lady?!"
"So, I was right." Julia said.
"But you realize my dear that I am quite old to stay in touch with the lads." Borg replied.
"So?" she asked.
"We have to hit two birds with one stone, as they say.." he answered, and called for one of his men. "Kafeel!"
A bald man seemed in his late thirties hurried forth. "Yes, grandpa!"
"Bring me that special item I once told you to deliver it one day to a certain someone."
Kafeel bowed, and went to grab it. And not long enough, he returned to the room holding a golden sword within a golden sheath. Kafeel handed the sword to his grandpa.
"Yes, it is the one. And it looks in good shape." Borg examined the item. "You took a very good care of it, Kafeel. Good job."
"My pleasure, grandpa!" Kafeel replied with a salute.
Then, Old-man Borg gave the sword to Julia. "There's an old friend of mine who is very well still breathing on the ground. His name is Ascot Ringtower, and we were in the same troop back during the early days of the war. He saved my neck once, and I returned the favor not so long afterwards. And ever since, we tend to go back to each other whichever the circumstances." he explained. "If you take this sword to him as a token of my appreciation, he will most certainly help you find your friends."
Julia was stumped. Would that man be this helpful? The girl had her suspecions, yet no choice but to go with what Borg said.
"And, where can I find this man?" Julia asked, but Borg only shrugged in response.
"I have not seen Ascot in years." he told her.
"How about we go ask our boss?" Lara suggested.
"Yeah. That evil wazzbag knows a lot of people!" Talkid punched lightly into his palm.
"Okay, we'll go there first." Julia got up, ready to leave.
"We'll be going, then.." she told the old man with a slight nod. She then took both Talkid and Lara with her to ask about Borg's friend whereabout.
After quering their boss, Lara and Talkid took Julia to a place called The Pumkin's Face. It was a very popular tavern on the east district of the city. Most of the frequent costumers were bounty hunters, fugitives, and theives. From the outside, it didn't look special. Julia thought it seemed like some fantasy styled bar with all the wooden decoration.
The moment the three stepped in, they felt dreadful intents as everyone inside stared at them with bloodshot eyes of predetors.
"This place is packed!" Talkid exclaimed happily.
"Yeah, by evil criminals." Lara shot back.
"Are you sure Ascot is here..?" Julia asked with her body gradually leaning toward leaving.
"Yes. My boss might be a wazzbag, but the information he got are always true." Talkid replied. "Come on, let's ask around!"
As they made their way toward the bar, Julia tried grasping her frightening surroundings without making eye contact. The wooden floor she stepped on creaked with each move, making her heart pump even faster. She felt as though she was a helpless rabbit in a forest filled with starving wolves.
Among these wolves, there were one who didn't seem to bother gawking at Julia and the others. This man was drinking in regret as he kept smacking the table in frustration.
"What's the matter, sir?" asked the waitress. "Do you want a refill?"
"Yes, please. I am in so much pain—I want to end my sewer-like life!" said the man in anger.
"Bad day, Zenk?" a man sitting on a nearby table turned, and asked him.
"I messed up.." Zenk replied. "My benefactor doesn't want to pay me."
"What? Why? Didn't your job go well? I heard you worked with Gorbash." said the man.
"Yeah, but I only caught one girl. I was supposed to capture them all.." Zenk smacked the table again.
The waitress came back to him with a large bottle that she put down on the table. "The army interfered with his job, and he didn't get paid." she explained to the curious man.
"So that's what this is all about, huh.." he nodded.
Zenk hid his face in his arms on the wooden table. "I can't afford to live any longer. I want to die this instant.."
"Huh?" the bartender raised a brow once Talkid approached the counter. "Why are you kids in this place?"
"We're looking for someone." Lara broke out of silence.
"What? Who?" asked the bartender.
Julia exhaled slowly before leaning in to answer. "His name is Ascot. He's a regular here."
"And what do you want from him?" said the bartender with narrowed eyes.
"We just want to talk. Is that okay?" Julia replied.
The bartender gazed hard at the ginger haired girl; as if sizing her top to bottom. He then nudged toward a table at the farthest corner of the tavern. When Julia looked, her eyes saw an old bald man with short rounded white beard sitting all by himself, and drinking from a large cup.
"He doesn't like to be disturbed while drinking." said the bartender. "He's been a regular since Afallan took over. He was forced into retirement, and decided not to give that mind of his a chance to think."
"He must be really sad.." Lara said as she looked at the lone old man.
"No," Talkid tightened his fist. "He's angery.."
Talkid is right, Julia thought. It's hard to be angery in a vaccum. The best thing to do is to avoid feeling it—to become numb.
"Thank you, sir." Lara said and got up. "Come on, you guys."
Both Julia and Talkid followed the little girl. But as she was distracted, Lara bumped into a waitress while on her way.
~Drop!
The cups that she was holding had all dropped and spilled on the floor. "Ohh!"
"Uh—?"
"HEY, THAT'S MY DRINK!" a large muscular with multiple scars on his face stood in fury. "I just paid for that!"
"Sorry sir, but this little child came in my way—" explained the waitress.
"Then, go and bring me another one!" yelled the angry man.
"I can't, sir. You have to make another order—" replied the waitress.
"What did you say, you piece of ass?!" he smacked the round wooden table. "You ain't stealing my dough in the middle of the day! GO AND GET ME ANOTHER CUP!"
"SHUT UP, YOU MOOD KILLER!" another man yelled from the other side of room. "WE ALL CAME DOWN HERE TO RELAX! SO, KEEP QUIET, AND DO AS SHE SAYS, OR LEAVE!"
The angry man had gotten even more furious, and threw a chair at the other man.
~Break!
The wooden chair broke to pieces the moment it collided with the other man. And a second later, the other man's friends got up and started throwing different objects at the angry guy.
"KILL HIM!" they shouted.
The folks with the angery man didn't stand and watch. They soon charged forward and fought the opposing people.
It wasn't long before the entire tavern broke into aimless brawl for nothing. Wherever Julia and the two kids looked, there were people sending each other punches and kicks, or throwing whatever they could reach.
~Break! Punch! Whack!
From within the chaotic battle, one large man came out of the fight, and charged toward Julia, Lara, and Talkid.
"It was all because of you, you little brat!" he took out a large sword, and swang it at Lara. "You shall pay—!"
"Ahhh!" Lara covered her face as she screamed.
"Lara!" Both Julia and Talkid yelled in unison.
~Paw!
"Uhh—!" the large man recieved a quick punch in his stomach.
~Paw! Paw! Kick! Whack!
"How dare you raise a sword on a child?!" said Zenk as he knocked down the assaulting man.
"What the..?" Julia's body froze in place.
"Are you hurt?" Zenk asked Lara.
"N—no, I'm fine.." she answered timidly.
"Thank goodness." he exhaled. "This place is dangerous for little girls, you should get out." "Hey! She's with us!" Talkid jumped to Zenk's side, but the latter didn't bother to notice.
"No, I came to meet that man!" Lara pointed to Ascot, who despite the commotion, was still sipping from the large cup before him with ease.
"Hey, old man!" Zenk shouted for him. "This little girl came all this way to see you, and you're drinking like it's your wedding?!"
Ascot continued drinking; as though he didn't hear a thing. "Are you going to ignore me?!" Zenk shouted.
"Hey, old man!" Talkid walked up to him. "Grandpa Borg sent us. He said you two were friends—!"
~Thwip!
Ascot threw a knife that ended up near Talkid's foot. "—whoa!"
"I hate hectic places." Ascot said. "Break the fight, and then we may talk.."
"What..?" Zenk raised a brow in confusion.
"All right.." Julia stood on her feet. She stretched her hands toward the still fighting herd. "..Rewind.."
~Vivivividddivid!
A viberating wave with dark purple aura emenating the room. All those in Julia vacenty began moving backwards. Like the entire scene around her was being played backwards. It didn't take minutes before everyone returned to their seats just as they were before the fight.
"Whooaa!" Talkid and Lara went jaw dropped.
"That's insane..!" Zenk mumbled to himself.
"How about now—" Julia tried to ask Ascot, but the same furious guy began yelling all over again.
"Where's my drink, you piece of ass?!" he stood and smacked the table.
Julia sighed exasperatingly, and then her eyes glowed purple. A second later, a dark restless shadow resembling her phasique emerged from within her body, and dashed toward the yelling man.
~SHAAAAAAAH!
The moment it took grip of him, the dark viberating shadow screetched loud that the man flew away, and got tossed onto the ceilling before his body broke through and disappeared into the sky.
For a second, the people in the tavern froze in place with pale faces.
"M—mo—monst—MONSTER!"
"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"
"OUT OF THE WAY!"
And in handful of seconds, the tavern that was filled with tough-full of scars-men became utterly empty. The dark Julia-resembling shadow got itself sucked back into her.
"Ohh..!" she regained consciousness.
"Oh my.." Lara hugged Talkid who also hugged her back.
"Julia's scary.."
"Wait a minute.." Zenk mumbled.
I saw this girl before, he thought. She was one of them. She must have feld before the guards arrested the others.
"And now?" Julia asked Ascot.
The calm old man turned to face them. "Much better." he replied. "What business Borg wants with me?"
After finally agreeing to listen to them, Julia and the others told Ascot the entire story.
"The new Council, eh.." Ascot sipped from his cup. "That man has ever been a force to recon with.."
"Can you—tell us where could they have taken them..?" Julia asked.
"You said they were caught along with the Insurgants, didn't you?" Ascot chuckled. "There's no way they were to remain in the city."
"What..?!" Julia's shoulders dropped in despair.
"How are we supposed to get there..?" Lara asked.
"If only—— if only Eugene or Jaden were here.." Julia murmured.
"But what about that other girl?" Talkid asked. "Didn't you say you saw other people kidnapping her!"
"Huh..!" Zenk jolted.
"Yeah, but I'm not so sure.." Julia replied. "They could've been the guards who took her as well."
"But she wasn't there with Jaden and the others when we saw them taken away!" Lara pinpointed. "She must got kidnapped!"
The old man Ascot kept listening attentively to the two kids. He then decided to stretch his hand, and drew an incantation in mid-air.
~Tink!
A glowing golden circle, darted toward Safi, shone bright enough for the girl to close her eyes. Once she opened them up again, Julia saw a hologramic replay of what happened at that moment in the Waterways.
"Is that?!—" she covered her mouth.
"This is a Necromancing Mystic Art." Ascot said. "You'll now know what exactly did happen."
Julia, Lara, and Talkid watched the events that Julia went through reccure right before their eyes. Even Zenk was standing nearby with a trembling heart beat.
This will cause me trouble, he thought. At this rate, they're going to turn on me. I better leave..
Zenk began pulling his steps farther away just as Julia witnessed the moment Petra got struck down and pulled into the fog.
"—There!" she said, and Ascot paused the frame.
"Hmm, doesn't look like a soldier.." he remarked.
"So, that's—" Talkid tried to say, but Lara blurted out.
"—Julia!"
The moment Zenk was about to storm out of the tavern, Julia caught him using [Rewind].
~Vivivividadda!
"Ugh..!" Zenk's feet retreated against his will. He tried to resist, but it was fruitless effort.
Julia redirected the purple waves, and forced Zenk's body to be pushed against the ground.
"Ahhhh!" he groaned. "Stop.."
"Julia—!" Lara mumbled with a shaky voice.
"Give me one reason to.." replied Safi in a dry tone. "Where have you taken that girl? Is she still alive? Why did you kidnap her?"
"Ahhh! Let go first—!" Zenk responded, but Julia amped the waves even harder.
"You better talk, or else!" she spat.
"She's alive! But I don't know where she is—" he said.
"But you're the one that kidnapped her!" Julia replied. "Don't try finding a way out with a lie.."
"No, I'm not!" Zenk managed to reply. His body became way too heavy for him to keep breathing. "She's with Gorbash. But——I don't know where he is..."
"That's enough, now." Ascot decided to intervene. "If he dies, you might not get to her, isn't that right?"
"Tsk.." Julia found no other choice, and turned down her waves.
"Oh goodneas.." Ascot mumbled as he saw Zenk catching his breath as his body was sweating perfusely.
Few minutes after Zenk's strength was restored, Julia and the two kids sat with him on one table; along with Ascot.
"So," Julia started. "Where is my friend?"
Talkid and Lara gazed at Zenk as he opened his mouth, "I told you: I don't know."
"But you mentioned a name: Gorbash." Julia shot back.
"Yes, I used to work with him, but got fired recently.." Zenk replied.
"You don't know where he is, eh?" Ascot sipped from his huge cup.
"Who's this Gorbash anyway?!" Talkid asked.
"And what does he want with Petra?" Lara added.
"Gorbash is a Space Pirate. My benefactor hired me to work for him on a job." Zenk explained. "I was supposed to catch a guy named Vincent, but he was surrounded by multiple people. And midst all the mess, I got confused.."
"And you caught the girl instead. Isn't that dozy..?" Ascot chuckled.
So it was this piece of garbage doing after all, Julia thought. I really should've squished him on the floor till he turns into an unrecognized paste.
"You really don't know where Gorbash is?" Julia asked.
"No. But my benefactor does." Zenk answered.
"Then why don't you—?" Talkid tried asking, but Zenk smacked the table.
"As if he'll tell me!" he spat. "He refuses to even meet with me. He thinks I blew the job, and that son of bitch Gorbash didn't pay him a thing.."
Zenk sank back into his seat. "Because of him.." he said sorrowfully. "Because of him, I would lose my mother. I only agreed to this to pay for my mother's medicine. But now, she's going to die. And my family would not have any money for food."
"Ohh.." Julia's face loosened.
"Sorry, but I'm a disgrace.." Zenk said. "Instead of fixing one life, I manged to ruin two.."
"If you're looking for forgiveness, you will never get any." Ascot said. "You have put this poor lady in a big trouble. She may not be able to see her friend again."
"Uh—" Zenk glanced forward at Julia, who stared back at him like a hawk.
"Huff.." the ginger haired girl took a deep breath and relaxed her tensed shoulders. "Does your benefactor know where that guy might've taken Petra?"
"Yes, he does. But he won't agree on even talking to me.." Zenk replied.
"Because you ruined the operation?" she asked.
"And Gorbash, therefore, didn't pay him." Zenk answered.
"So, it's a money problem, huh.." Julia crossed her arms. "Would he be okay to talk if we pay him?"
"Yeah, according to him, I owe him a huge amount.." he explained.
"How much?" Talkid asked.
"Seven hundred thousand." Zenk answered while gazing down at the table.
"Tha—that's a lot..!" Lara was shocked.
I don't have that huge amount of money!, Julia thought. But if it will tell me where Petra is, I have no other way! Mado might have savings back in the ship, but that thing won't open without his eye-print. What am I gonna do?
"Let's find a treasure!" Talkid announced.
"Are you mad?!" Lara shot back. "That's impossible!"
"You're a funny boy, aren't you?" Zenk cracked a smile through his gloomy face.
"Then let's take a job!" Talkid suggested. "There are tons of requests on the board over there."
"What..?" Julia gazed at a wooden board hung on the wall. It got numerable amount of papers posted on it.
"Not a chance." Zenk shook his head. "The best these errands can get me is eighty thousand."
"Well, if you're serious, I've got a job for you.." Ascot said. "But under one condition. You will promise me that you'll help this girl get to her friend."
"Huh..?" Julia's jaw dropped open.
"It'll be a one way to undo my mistakes, good sir." Zenk replied. "You have my word.."
Ascot gazed hard at him for few second; not saying a word. He then, took out a piece of paper from his coat pocket. "This is a special request from a small village in the outskirts." he said. "They will pay nine hundred thousand if you got the job done."
Zenk picked the request paper up to read it. "...Rescue a number of people working in gemstone mine from an unknown Lander..."
"What the..?" Lara shrieked. "It sounds scary!"
"Old man, where did you get this?" Zenk asked.
"Didn't I say it was a 'Special Request'.." Ascot took a sip from his drink. "I was the one enclined for it, but couldn't finish the job. Never thought 'Age' would become so hindering like that.."
"Really?! Then how am I supposed to survive this..?" Zenk cried.
"I didn't say a thing about surviving. Anything could happen on the field after all.." Ascot chuckled.
"In that case," Julia interjected. "He shouldn't be going there alone."
"Hm?"
"Yeah, we're all coming with!" Talkid said.
"Yeah!" Lara nodded.
"I—I didn't mean you two, Talkid.." Julia said.
"Well, the more the merrier, isn't that what they say?" Ascot remarked.
"But, I'm the one who caused all of this trouble. You people shouldn't—" Zenk tried saying.
"If anything happens to you in there, I'd lose my only trace to Petra. So, I have to keep my eyes on you." Julia repiled. "Don't even dare thinking that I trust you."
"Oh, of course.." Zenk got up. "Then, let us go. The outskirts are a bit far.."
"Yeah," Julia and the others got off their seats as well. "Let's move.."
After excusing themselves, leaving Ascot savor his drink, Julia, Lara, and Talkid followed Zenk through the city's streets. He intended to stop by his home to check up on his family. Once the four arrived before the doorstep of a worn out house with small wooden windows, Julia noticed a bunch of kids playing together in street. Among the childern, there were two girls that grabbed her attention. They seemed to Julia as though they were sisters. One girl was surrounded by the other kids while the other was standing a bit distant. For a second, the two young girls morphed into an image in Julia's mind. A memory from when she used to play with her sister, Safi's sister.
.
.
"Ruki, tell them that I want to play!" the child Safi cried.
"You better tell these girls that you wanna play yourself!" Ruki said. "If you don't, they will forget you!" her sister replied.
"But they're your friends. Sure, they will listen to you.." Safi said while looking down on the ground.
"Huh! No, you just have to speak to them!" Ruki pushed her forward. "Come on! You can have anything if you speak.."
.
.
"They're orphans, just like us.." Talkid said, bringing Julia back to the present.
"Hm?" Julia gazed back at the orange haired boy.
"A lot of kids lost their parents in the war." Lara added. "My parents died the night Afallan took over.."
"They got killed, huh..?" Julia said.
"Yeah.." Lara mumbled.
"It was because of me.." Talkid interjected. "If I wasn't living with them, they wouldn't have killed them.."
"Talkid's parents died long time ago. The plague took them both." Lara explained. "And then, he and Benn moved in with us."
"And since your brother was in the army.." Julia grasped the story.
"Lara became an orphan, too.." Talkid murmured. But Lara rested her hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay." she smiled. "At least we still have each other."
"Lara..?" Talkid's eyes were about to flood in tears.
~Door closing!
"All right. We're good to go." Zenk came out of his house.
"Oh!" Julia followed him as he went ahead. "Is everything okay in there? You seem in a hurry.."
"Not your problem." he replied in a shaky sad tone. "Let us head to the South Gate."
"Alright," Talkid grabbed Lara's hand, and followed Julia. "Let's do this!"