Alicia actually went through with what she said and resigned from her post. A part of Jacob thought that there would be more resistance in her efforts, but in the end there was very little. Alicia had said it was because they must be close to brokering a peace with the tenebrage.
Jacob wasn't surprised by that. They had fought alongside them in the last battle. Though he honestly didn't care about the war in the first place, the same went for peace.
The ones in Alicia's army that had married followed her back to Lucel. They also helped carry the bodies of those who fell in the battle back to their loved ones. It was more than any one was comfortable with.
Alyze was overjoyed to see them-well Alicia at least-she had grown a little when they had been gone, but she was still a child in their eyes.
Lovers reunited and cried tears of joy and relief in each other's arms. It seems that the townspeople had heard about how gruesome the battle had been. Some women even held newly born infants in their hands. Both on the sides of soldiers and villagers.
For every couple that reunited there was one that cried over a tombstone. They had buried the bodies in a cemetery honoring them outside the village. Noctils laid on many of the graves. However, not all were full of sorrow. In this time of grief, new things were born.
"We've been through a lot haven't we?"
Jacob sat next to Alyze on a bench outside under the blue sky. They both looked on at an altar with Jarvus and Alicia both adorned in white. It had taken many people to insist that she wouldn't wear her old military jacket.
Jacob was taken aback by the prestige of the guest. Alicia had many friends that he didn't know of. Even Lord Soluriel attended the wedding. His golden eyes shone with beauty, and he was draped with golden garbs. His atmosphere would make all those who look upon him feel at ease.
Alyze didn't even look at Jacob, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
He raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? Don't you remember when you used to hate me."
Alyze ignored him, still staring at the altar.
"Don't tell me that you still do. You were always a bad liar."
Alyze turned away from the altar, but not to look at Jacob, her gaze turned away from him at the aisle leading to the altar.
"You're not my friend."
Jacob could hear the voice inside his head, and he couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of the first time she had done it. Like the last time the tone of the voice in his head didn't have him convinced.
His voice was filled with sarcasm, "I'm not your friend either."
He could see the smile creep across her face. He didn't know if it was from what he had said or from the fact that he heard her in his head.
As the wedding drew to a close without any complications, Jacob stayed back not wanting to get in the way of Alicia and Jarvus greeting their guest. It was all he could do to hold Alyze back from running to them. It even got to a point when it looked like she was struggling with him.
Both stopped however when Soluriel walked down the aisle followed by a procession of followers.
Jacob bowed and forced Alyze down with him, "May you have a safe journey back to Fotos your Grace."
Soluriel simply nodded to them, but Alyze looked up at him exposing her eyes.
Soluriel stopped and leaned forward towards the girl, "My what beautiful eyes you have. You must be destined for great things. I'm sure you'll out shine your mother."
Alyze's eyes assumed their usual glow when anything related to Alicia was brought up.
Jacob still had his head bowed, "I'm sure she will. Thank you for your words, your Grace."
Soluriel nodded and continued on down the aisle.
Jacob eyed Alyze who's eyes still glowed, "Don't let his words go to your head."
Alyze noticed that he was still there and blushed as if he saw something he wasn't supposed to.
After some time Alicia was able to break away from the crowd and visit them.
"Has Lord Soluriel already left? I wish he could stay longer, but I guess he's busy with the peace and all. He kept talking about someone he had to get back to. At first I thought it was Lady Direth but..." she shook her head as if it was stupid, "I'm just grateful that he was able to attend."
Jacob thought back to the regal man, "You just missed him. But how does it feel to now be a married woman."
Alicia gave her same warm smile, "Nothing really has changed. It's just official now I guess."
Jacob looked back towards the village, "I hope they haven't. I don't want you to pull me around on another one of your adventures."
"You know you're thankful to me. Imagine what would have happened if I left you in that bar?"
Jacob didn't look impressed by her declaration.
She held up a hand defensively, "Don't worry I don't plan on going anywhere for a long time, if I even ever do."
"You better be telling the truth."
Alicia kept her promise. They all settled down in Lucel. Jacob went back to spending every day like he did before he joined the army. Though he didn't fight as much. It had gotten old after having to do it so long in the army.
While Jacob was getting drunk in bars or lazing around on the grass outside of town. Alicia seemed to be making a life for herself. She and Alyze now lived with Jarvus, and like Jacob it seemed like she was also taking a much needed break. Soon however that changed.
Alicia began to grow restless. She felt that she had to do something. In the end she set all this energy into becoming the mayor of the town. She won without much contest. The old mayor had one foot in the grave, and unfortunately his mind was beginning to fade. The villagers talked about how it was a waste to lose the wisdom inside it.
One day Alicia came to Jacob as he was staring at the clouds asking him to lead the town's guard.
"I thought I told you not to drag me into anything else."
Alicia crossed her arms. Though he didn't care much for that. It was the first time he had ever seen her wear a dress apart from her wedding day. It was the color of the sky above and was embroiled with silver. She looked like an average townswoman, but her stern look had stayed with her.
"You've been drinking yourself to death ever since you've settled down. I doubt you'd be able to keep paying for it at this rate."
Jacob sighed he guessed he had no choice. Apparently Alicia had enlisted other veterans into the guard. Though they were all different from him in the fact that they had happy families. Jacob didn't know why she didn't put one of them in charge of the guard. They would certainly have wanted the job more than him, and would have been more respectable, too.
His job as master of the guard, also caused Alyze to constantly tease him. She must have thought the same as him.
He also began to wonder why they needed guards in the first place in times of peace. Though the guard was shortly justified. There were plenty of thieves and vagrants that came in with traveling merchants. Jacob had seen more merchants sense Alicia became mayor, but he never tried to understand why. He had no interest in such things.
Another reason for the guards was shortly made apparent to Jacob, and it was also the most bothersome one.
Due to the peace Alicia had made an effort to be friendly with traveling tenebrage. Lord Soluriel had opened the borders after all. However, some did not share in Alicia's mindset. Resentment for tenebrage during the war had carried over. Jacob found it ironic that one of the people that led the charge against them was the most friendly towards them. He personally didn't have a problem with them, as long as they didn't cause any trouble.
For the most part everything was peaceful. Some days the most violent thing to happen was a bar fight, while other times it was just Alicia pounding Jarvus over the head because he was late on multiple orders for the town. That last one amused many in the village including Jacob.
Their peaceful days were interrupted as fate had other plans. It soon became apparent that Alicia was coming down with some type of illness. At first she was only experiencing fatigue. Many attributed it to her overworking herself. As years went by it became more severe. This became evident when Jacob was invited to her house for dinner but as she opened the door for him she suddenly fainted. Shortly after she came down with a severe fever.
The fever would come back every once in a while. The doctors said that they had no idea what it could be. Though Alicia did mention that her mother had come down with an illness similar to hers.
Jarvus tried to remain stoical, but Jacob could tell he was working tirelessly to find a cure. Alyze seemed to believe her mother would get better. Jacob couldn't blame her. Alicia remained positive throughout the whole ordeal even in the later stages.
As the illness progressed Alicia became more and more friendly with the traveling tenebrage. Jacob would sometimes even hear them discuss religion. Alicia's friendliness towards the children of death naturally led to some nasty rumors, but none would mention them around her.
One day Jacob brought them up to her.
She simply shook her head, "Let them think what they think. I can only carry out this job to the best of my ability..."
She suddenly had a coughing fit into her hand. When she drew away she looked at the red liquid on her hand solemnly.
As her disease progressed she would often end up bedridden. Only having enough strength to go on her private walks in the forest. No one could reject her wishes, not even Jacob.
He was busy with taking over her duties as mayor. It wasn't much at first, but soon he was almost like a substitute. All he could do was hope that Alicia got better so he didn't have to work so hard anymore.
Alyze, on the other hand, was tending to her mothers needs. She still seemed to be in denial about her condition. Jarvus still remained steadfast in his search for a cure. He had been looking for so long that Jacob doubted he would find one.
One day Jacob found Jarvus loading up a wagon.
He found that anger overcame him, "What are you doing Jarvus! You can't leave her in the state she's in."
Jarvus looked to be in a rush and waved his hands violently in the air, "Jacob! There are rumors of a healer in Retterin. They could hold the key to get rid of that damn sickness!"
Jacob furrowed his eyebrows, "Healers!? Have you gone mad! They're not real! Don't go chasing fantasies while Alicia is..." His voice trailed off. He was afraid to finish the sentence.
Jarvus's expression darkened, "Jacob this might be our last...no only chance to save her. I can't pass it up."
Jacob bit his lip. He knew he was right even if he didn't want to admit it, "Just be quick about it."
Jarvus left that day in haste. He was trying to fight fate itself, but anyone should know that it was a vain struggle.
On an ordinary day, Jacob was walking to the Eapev household as rain poured down from the clouds above. He was worried about them, Alyze especially must have been exhausted from taking care of her mother and all the house chores.
When he came upon the house he spotted Alyze on the porch. She had grown quite a bit. She was taller now and she held the same presence that her mother once had. Despite not being related by blood she almost looked like Alicia in a way to Jacob. Though she was still just a child.
None of this caught his attention as a look of panic was spread throughout her face.
Her voice was filled with desperation and fear "Jacob! Mom...she hasn't come back yet! I think something might have happened!"
He didn't even think about calling on an attoka. He ran as hard as he had ever run in his life. As he ran he mumbled the same thing under his breath, "Please Luxcian, please Luxcian, please Luxcian."
He knew where Alicia had gone, He had made sure he knew for this exact reason.
He finally made it to her favorite spot. It was a small clearing in the forest. The only special part of it being a single small tree in the middle of it.
Jacob caught his breath at the sight that greeted him.
three Nocturnals laid dead, with a knife not too far away from the bodies. At the center of the clearing there were multiple tenebrage; Jacob didn't exert the effort to take them all in. He was focused on the one that held Alicia with a dagger to her throat. His black cloak blew violently in the wind.
Jacob knew what he was without the moment he laid his eyes on him, a Hound of Mortis.
The Hound smiled at Jacob's entrance, "Look what we have here. Are you going to be this woman's hero."
Jacob called out in desperation, "What about the peace!"
The Hound spat on the ground, "The peace is dead, our Lord goes to Fotos this instant to make sure that bastard Soluriel pays."
"Pays? For what!?"
The Hound shrugged, still not loosening his hold on Alicia, "The point is that the time of war has come."
Jacob looked at Alicia who was still struggling, though in her weakened state he doubted she would prevail in her efforts.
"Just let her go! She has nothing to do with this!"
The Hound grimaced, "Like hell I'll let this bitch go after killing my men. Besides, she should know her place."
Jacob didn't care what it took, he just wanted to free Alicia, "What do you mean!?"
"We found her holding a talisman of Tenebrage. It's disgusting that a Luxcian would even think about doing such a thing."
Jacob grew more and more desperate, "Please! Let her go! I'll do anything."
The Hound glared at him, "Then you can die after her. This is war, the Black Crescent will no longer uphold that wretched peace."
Alicia had given up and stared at Jacob with a firm resolve as if knowing what was coming, "Tell Alyze that I love her, and that I know she'll do gre..."
Alicia was cut off as a kukri was plunged through her heart.
The hound stood over her as her blood died the grass red, "Let that be a message to you luxcians. We will not hold back. We will drive you out of this sacred land for the sake..."
Jacob no longer heard them. Only one thought ran through his head. It screamed, flooding out everything else. The Hound's voice, even the feeling of the rain droplets splashing on his person.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! "
***
Jacob walked down the main road of Lucel with Alicia's body in his arms. He was drenched with blood. Though he didn't notice it. He didn't notice anything. His thoughts were completely blank. He didn't even know if he was walking or not, or where he was going.
In the end he somehow arrived at Alicia's house. Jarvus was outside unloading a wagon. He looked overjoyed. His face was filled with hope. It was as if he was seeing the light for the first time in his life. That all came crumbling down when he saw Jacob.
Jacob walked slowly to Jarvus. He couldn't even hear his cries of anguish. At some point Alyze had run out of the house and had fallen to her knees sobbing when she saw Jacob. Though he didn't notice it.
Jacob came to a halt in front of the Jarvus, Jacob's eyes were dead. They held no emotion or life; they were simply empty. They were in stark contrast to Jarvus's which were filled with shock.
Jacob turned to walk to the house. Not hearing the Jarvus's muttering, "But I got the elixir. Everything was suppose to be fixed. Go back to the way they were. It wasn't suppose end like this. It wasn't supposed to end like this. This can't be possible..."
Jacob walked past Alyze who was now shaking uncontrollably as she sobbed and reached for her mother.
Jacob stopped and turned to stare at her. As Alyze saw the lifeless eyes of Alicia she drew back and started to sob uncontrollably.
Jacob walked up the stairs and walked into the house not hearing or seeing anything.
Alyze stayed by Alicia's bed side for three days. They almost couldn't remove her to take the body away. Jarvus plunged his sorrow with alcohol and smoke. For some reason Jacob had no desire for any of that after what happened.
After about a week Alyze accepted his invitation to go to the place her mother had died. Neither had been eager to do so. But Alyze had a newfound look of determination on her face.
When they arrived at the clearing at sunset Jacob was reminded of the corpses he left behind. He looked at the one that wore a black cloak in particular with disgust.
Just looking at them all made his bandaged hands ache. Though Alyze walked slowly into the clearing carefully studying everything. When she got into the middle of the clearing almost right in front of the corpses, she started to tremble.
This tremble gave way to convulsions. She began to shake uncontrollably as she fell to her knees with a blood curdling scream into the heavens. Jacob looked down as he couldn't stand to see her that way.
Though something miraculous happened before his eyes. A flower not only grew from the ground but also bloomed.
He looked back at Alyze who maintained the scream, but more things caught his eyes, and they terrified him. The trees surrounding the clearing collapsed and rotted away until there was nothing left. The same could be said for the tenebrage. The ones that were still recognizable flesh rotted and turned to dust until just skeletons remained, Those too turned to dust.
Though with death came life. More flowers grew in the clearing to the point that one could call it a garden. The single tree that was once so small that it would barely be noticed, grew and grew until it's trunk, was wide enough for five men to lay back on, and ripe fruit hung from it's massive branches.
When everything was done. Alyze fainted and laid on the grounds not moving except for the movement of her chest showing that she was breathing.
Jacob tried to process what he had just witnessed. The only person that he had heard was capable of such a thing was…
Suddenly it was as if the wind had a voice of it's own, "What the hell has Soluriel done! Why is there a successor now of all times? Mura, do you know anything about this."
Jacob could not believe his ears. He had heard stories of the Elemental Beast but he had never imagined...The voice had mentioned 'Mura' if Jacob wasn't mistaken, was the beast of the Fulgcere. Then that must mean…
Jacob shouted into the heavens, "Lord Atmos I do not understand. What has happened."
The voice went on, "What do you mean you don't know anything! Mura you..."
The voice paused as it was listening to something, "What is happening luxcian, is that the girl in front of you is a danger to all of us, and the balance of everything as a whole. If you knew what was best for you, you would take steps to ensure her protection. If people find out what she is, she would be in danger of being a political puppet."
Then the voice paused once more.
"Lord Atmos what do you mea..."
The voice cut in again, "Heed my warning child of Luxcian. It will be your only one. Now I must find out what that fool Soluriel has done to cause this to happen."
The voice cut off leaving Jacob alone with Alyze. He looked upon him with newfound concern. He thought back to the days where he just wandered around Lysets without a care in the world. The only thought on his mind was where he would sleep. He almost couldn't remember how that felt, and knew that he could no longer go back to that.
He looked towards the black cloak that was now surrounded by flowers. A feeling that he had never felt before surfaced. One of hatred and disgust, one of vengeance. He would make sure they would all regret even stepping close to Lucel.
More importantly he had a duty to carry out. A purpose. He would do everything in his power to protect Alyze. He would not fail her like he failed Alicia.
As the sun finally set, flowers began to bloom that glowed purple. There were more than he could count and they outnumbered all others in the newly made garden.
Jacob looked towards Alyze with pity then smiled at the flowers, "Noctils huh? They really are beautiful. I'm sure Alicia would appreciate them."