…
Everyone rode back on the carriage. They should've been feeling glad and happy that they could finally get out of the wretched forest, but written clearly in their faces, that they appear morose.
Scias, Nina and Aily did little to no effect to the demon general, which now had fled from them into the unknown. The demon toyed with their decisions, their will and importantly, their promises. Dantalion revealed that he wanted to devour many creatures. When he said devour… it was meant for negativity. Despair, anger, sadness, melancholy, and many more are the demon's aim. Those emotions mostly come from the undead, making Spectral Forest like a heaven of food for the demon. The demon not only succeeded in devouring the undead, he also succeeded in twisting the party's will to protect each other.
"As expected… of the second strongest demon in 'our' world," so said Nina to herself on the carriage, sitting glumly with her sister beside her.
Thanks to Dantalion, however, they could get out of the forest without facing monsters in there.
Now, the party enters the region of Alidia, one of many kingdoms from the world of Tellus that got stuck in the merged world, too.
…
..
.
As they enter the gates of Alidia, the guards there blocked the wagon's path.
"State yer business here, mate," said one of the guards. Among them stands a soldier with a big armor with a hatchet. "What does a Naprean wanted to do in here?"
Sean looked at the guards, their eyes looked so unfriendly, he thought. Napre and Alidia weren't in good terms, anyway. So as long as people with Naprean colors spotted would not be treated well. Sean replies, "Business tasks."
"Ah? Business tasks? A vanguard like you would like to do business? In our great kingdom?" one of the soldiers asked mockingly. "Oi-oi, you smell stinks, haha, so much for the Napreans. Can't even pass the Spectral Forest with ease, eh? Bwahahahahahahahaha!"
"It's been hard lately." Said the vanguard, his grip on the horse ropes are tightening. Sean held his writhing rage. "Old man, do your job." Sean told the coachmen.
"Aye-aye, Sir Sean." The coachmen reached his bag and grabbed a roll of paper and gave them to the annoying guards. "Aw, what's this?" asked one of the guards. Four of them read the paper together while the big armor guy watches persistently near them.
Suddenly, the guards in there changed their personality.
"W-W-Welcome to our kingdom! P-Please pardon our stupidity earlier!" said them altogether. Marco might look somber, but the sudden change of attitude caught his attention. He wondered what Sean did to get such treatment.
"Huh… neat." Marco said quietly, unheard by his fellow comrades.
And with that, they enter the kingdom.
Alidia is actually a small kingdom with around 250.000 inhabitants living in it. The kingdom stands in the middle of the small desert around it. Their colors match that of the desert, which makes them look like a kingdom of sand. Despite being in a desert, rivers still flow through the kingdom, date palms grew richly in it and livestock works normally just outside of the kingdom's walls.
"Phew… it's really hot in here, sister. Can't we get something to cool ourselves?" said Aily complaining.
"Please be patience, Aily. We'll get a glass of ice lemonade soon." Nina patted her sister kindly, which she leans on her soon after and pouts. "Mwaaah… I want to drink now…"
"Drink those waters from the bottle canteen, Aily." Scias stated coldly. "It's not good anymore, it's warm! It's warm, warm, and warm! I want something cold!" she pouted. "Then jump into that river over there," Scias said sarcastically. "You might sink in there, though, hem-hehehem," Scias giggled awkwardly which made Nina laughed slightly.
"Huh! That's just mean of you, Scias!" Aily waves her arms erratically. "Besides, how come you weren't sweating a bit in this hot land?" she asked. Scias glared at her for a short while… and looked away. "Unlike you, I'm used to heat. Or have you forgotten that I'm a fire user?" Scias countered.
"Nggrgh… that's unfair! I want to be like you, Scias. You can hold against heat so easily!" Aily pouted over and over. Nina stops her sister's mood swing before it could go any worse. Aily really could not stand heat, she would nag about it.
The wagon stops in front of an inn. "Alright, you all," Sean's voice caught the party's attention, "I'll drop you off here. Don't worry about the bill, I've got it covered." Sean stated with a stiff look.
"Why, thank you, Sir Sean," Nina thanked him. "No problem," said Sean, "Your crazy-arsed friend there saved my life."
But seeing Marco did not react to him irritated him. He hops off the wagon and approaches the explorer.
"Hey." He grabbed the explorer's collars. Sean felt reluctant to say a word at first because he drifted himself into Marco's past purposefully, albeit not knowing what had happened to the explorer in reality. But he doesn't want his lifesaver go dark and depressive.
"Don't start acting like this. You are a man. And a man must not dwell in sadness forever."
"…Heh," Marco blurted all of sudden. "I'm questioning myself… who is right and who is wrong, Sean. Which one's false and which one's true…" said Marco in a resigned voice. "All this time… I was following my father's path. Yet today I found out that the Dragonians refuted what my father once said."
"…" Sean simply glared at him. The rest of the party also looked at Marco.
"Marco…" Scias comes close to him. "To be frank, I don't think I will know whether I'm on the right path or not. We just have to keep on going. You 'saved' my life from the brink of destruction—ah, wait, that's a bit too hyperbole."
"Marco," Nina called softly. "Even though you're in heavy confusion, don't forget that we're still here for you." She stated kindly.
"Marco, Marco," Aily called smilingly, "I won't forget that you saved my life once. Remember on that mariner's ship? Honestly, I… I'm very impressed that you saved me, even though I'm nobody."
"The time you saved my sister, Marco… I will not forget it. I thought I would lose her that time, but you appeared out of nowhere and saved her. That's why, from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you, once again."
"See, your friends supported you, mate." Sean stated while letting his grip off his collar. "I never know that you're actually a life saver."
…
Marco thought about those words coming from his friends. He believed that he was eligibly hunting for revenging his parents' death. He evoked chaos in his heart but concealed well. His mind thinks of going the same way as his father's path will eventually led him to the one who killed his father and mother. "Finding the path to the Grand Altar…"
Marco remembered his late father's voice, he sincerely spoke that Marco should better off not knowing. But in that fateful day, he remembered, his father wanted to share the knowledge he had, and that is to go to the Grand Altar. But he questioned himself, what was that knowledge, he had forgotten it. He only believed that it must be the truth that Dragonians were evil.
"Thank you, guys," said Marco. In spite of that, he still remained the same.
…
As the midnight falls, every one of them is resting up before continuing on. Sean stated that he had some business that he must do hence his primary objective was located here in Alidia.
Scias gazed at his buddy, who sleeps early. "I hope for the best for you, mate. We all do," Scias stated meekly. He then bumps into bed and head on sleeping.
…
…
That same dream emerges into Marco's ocean of dreams. The dream of that reminded him of that fateful day. Those distorted voices and creepy groans all over the place became crazier and more horrifying by the day. He closed his ears off beforehand, his heart throbbing in fear, his hands trembling as they cover his ears. The voices forcefully invaded his earholes. The poor teenage explorer felt depressed as those sounds kept assaulting him. He feared that dream which kept coming to him every night. Time passed by, yet he remained the same.
…However, he didn't want to bury himself in the dark dream every night. He wanted to know. He wanted to understand. The world gave word that people like him should better off not knowing the borders of truth, otherwise suffer the consequences. Marco wanted to know the truth. Which is the righteous path, which is the wrong path, or even… whom to believe?
As time passes, he began opening his arms, listening to those voices that might be the sound of the underworld. It hurt his mental, he cannot make it stop. But finally, after some time, the explorer opens his heart, throwing the fear off his shoulders and let the voice freely fill his listening.
The groan…
The human voices…
It was all buzzing and inaudible like a broken radio. As time passes… he finally recognizes the voices in his dream. Those voices and noises he heard… it no longer forces its way in. It simply flows calmly into his mind.
"That sound of a loud and disturbing roar… was it… a dragon? A-And these humanly voices shrieking to me as they spoke, are they…
*REaaaLLLIzzze…!*
*Reeaaalize….!*
*Realize…!"
*…Do… you… realize this situation…?!*
That voice now sounded very clear. Marco realized, it was his father's.
*Protect my son, brother. Go! GO!*
*I will not let the same havoc 'awakens' again.*
"Ah… that's his face. I remember it vividly. The greatest explorer, my greatest hero, my father…
Wait… father… why are you distancing away from me…? Father…! FATHER!"
No matter how far his arms reached out, it will never reach him. The man he admired greatly has already gone. He realized… this was all just a dream, or was it just a simple dream? No… it has to hold a message behind it. He shed tears as his father's body decayed into thin air. He faced those groaning noises that sounded like a massive dragon's roar.
In the last second…
His father turned around at him. He highly smiled in full spirit and gazed at his own son.
"Marco, my boy, no matter what happens… don't forget that you don't live on your own. You will be a strong man like your good old dad or perhaps greater."
Rogers body looked all distorted, slowly decaying into the air. He turns around, and then he speaks like the bravest man in the world.
"Remember, my son. Protect everyone you cared and love. Save them. Be kind towards them."
As the decaying process continues, leaving only a portion of his head. Rogers turns his gaze away from his escaping son and brother, he gazes at his demise. He finally speaks out, "The Dragonians were wrong, I thought in such way… because I dug too deep into their truths. I face the consequence of beingh harmed by one.
No…
You are not a Dragonian. This creature… is never going to be a Dragonian.
I realized it fully, the Dragonians lent their hands kindly to us, smiling sincerely as they spoke but I as my people's leader turned their reach. I was blinded by the truth I discovered… it shrouded my heart in darkness, sinking me into my very downfall.
For my final wish… I pray… that my son will find the Grand Altar…
…and not to fall into the same way as I do."
…
..
.
Marco slowly opened his eyes from his dream. His tears run down on his cheeks not by his own will. His heart felt pierced. His voice would hardly come out. His hands wiped his face off, but the tears kept running.
Marco realized something that very night. That he fought against many enemies not because he was vengeful nor anger. He just didn't want to lose his family. He saved many people, but he neglected that truth. His friends are his family. His people are his family. Everyone he met can be his family, someday.
Marco realized how wrong he was all this time. He was going to the Grand Altar wasn't a guise. It was his real intention, to fulfill what his father has prayed.
The dream that he was defending against… was actually the truth that was left undiscovered by him. Now that he knew the truth about his father. Slowly, he raises his mouth corners. He lets all badness and sorrowful thought flow away from him.
He now feels the bundling emotions in his heart are weighing off his shoulders.
A new beginning… is about to start.