The ceiling stooped down as it neared the circular platform, stooping down into a domelike curve, connecting to the tall walls with a set of alcoves evenly spaced in a circle. In these alcoves, facing the gem, were a set of statues. Figures of powerful warriors who built up an undeniable reputation as unearthly warriors during the kingdom's dynasty. Axel's attention was drawn to the statues as he saw a familiar face on one of the statues on the left. Axel cautiously walked around the gem, giving it a wide berth and ignoring the perpetual demented shiver that resonated in his head, and approached the statue.
The statue depicted King Creon standing tall in full plate armor, holding the elegant spear he always carried with him at his side in a strong stance.
The plaque below it read; Aurus Creon, Thunderous Commander.
Axel let his gaze drift to the right, moving around the larger-than-life warriors standing vigil over the powerful magic gem.
A formally dressed figure presenting a rapier and a strong, grandfatherly look. He stood with elegance that belied the sharp and dangerous look in his eyes. Syon Aureon, Meteor Sword
A slender woman in light plate armor, carrying the largest greatsword Axel had ever seen. She stood with a relaxed, uncaring frown, glaring warily around the room. Myra Desticy, Roaring Storm
A lean man in simple leather armor with two broadswords strapped to his back. Despite his simple dress, he stood with a powerful charisma befitting the founder of the Kingdom of Argean. Kei Argean, Righteous Vigilante
Axel turned to his left and looked at the final two statues in the alcoves.
He stumbled backwards in surprise, almost crashing into the ghostly gem standing in the middle of the platform.
Standing proudly among legendary fighters who became rulers of the kingdom, noticeably shorter than every single other statue displayed in all their majesty and splendor, was a statue of him.
Facing outwards to the left, complete with messy hair and a simple broadsword resting on his shoulder, dressed in a simple training garb, his own face gave him a sidelong glance and a wary grin out of the corner of his eye.
Axel, Paragon of Holy Fire
"Wha-" Axel's voice came out in a short gasp as his brain struggled to find the words to describe his disbelief.
A strangely familiar lighthearted voice floated suddenly spoke from behind Axel, startling him out of his confusion.
"Found you!"
Axel snapped around to see a man walk into the treasury behind him.
"That took forever. You gotta leave behind more noticeable traces."
Axel stared blankly at the man as he put two hands on his hips and smiled up at Axel.
"You didn't like fame then, and you still don't like fame now. Not much has changed with you, huh Axel?"
"Kyle."
Axel's memory began to drag up details at a blistering pace. A man who was in every way more masculine than Axel. Taller, more muscular, and better-looking. A man who moved fast enough to break the sound barrier but never quite succeeded in chasing after the king's daughter. A dagger-wielding jester who never took anything seriously. A very old friend of Axel who loved to flaunt how often he had good hair days.
Axel's face darkened subconsciously as Kyle walked up.
"Checking out the old treasury, are we now? Bossman never let us look through it back then."
Axel nodded warily, keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword. Kyle looked at him in confusion, waving both his empty hands, showing that he was unarmed.
"What is with everyone and wanting to attack me the second I appear?"
Axel frowned. He wasn't sure. His memory was blanking out again.
Kyle sighed dramatically and strolled up to Axel, who was still tensed up.
"Check it out, they did a good job, didn't they?" Kyle said, looking up in admiration as he gestured at the statue to the left of Axel's statue. Axel turned and almost gagged when he saw the last statue.
Standing in a completely relaxed stance, wearing a cheery, mischievous smirk, a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, was Kyle, playfully brandishing his two fancy curved daggers.
Kyle, Paragon of Thieves
Kyle frowned and put his hands on his hips. "They really couldn't come up with a good title for me."
Kyle whistled in surprise as he turned and looked at Axel's statue.
"Wow, they really did a good job with yours. Look at that pose." Kyle mimicked Axel's statue's stance, even miming how he held his sword.
Axel let out a long sigh and put a hand to his head.
"What's wrong?" Kyle asked. "That look is smooth."
Axel rolled his eyes.
Kyle suddenly laughed uproariously and pointed at Axel's statue. "Are you upset that even your statue is better at picking up girls than you are?"
Kyle's resonating laughs made Axel grit his teeth and glare at him in annoyance.
"Shut it," Axel grumbled.
Kyle's laughs stopped easily, but he clearly couldn't keep the smile out of his voice as he suddenly drew close and wrapped Axel in a bear hug.
"I missed you, man."
Axel flinched unconsciously.
"I thought you were dead," Kyle mumbled, his voice dropping to a low tone unlike his usual attitude.
Axel closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
"Let go of me," he mumbled, shooting Kyle a glare.
"Still don't like getting all touchy-feely, huh," Kyle smirked, withdrawing and leaning playfully against the wall. "Classic Axel. So what happened to you? You look pretty battered."
Axel looked down at his bandaged torso and nodded. "Stuff happened."
"Looks like it."
Axel paused. "I'm… not actually sure what happened to me. I lost most of my memories."
Kyle suddenly launched forwards off of the wall and into Axel's personal space. "Really? Again?"
Axel blinked in surprise at Kyle's shocked face, backing away a few steps. "Huh?"
"What are you, a serial amnesiac?" Kyle asked, his face still plastered with a clearly real look of surprise.
"What do you mean?" Axel asked.
Kyle sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Where do I begin? Well, let's start with this. Are there, like, random words popping into your head?"
Before Axel could respond, Kyle continued his explanation. "Like, words that you don't know the meaning of but you just kinda use instinctively?"
Axel nodded. "Happens all the time."
"Well," Kyle said, "that's because you already lost your memories once before, when we first arrived in Argean. I did too. We were both a couple of amnesiac friends who could only remember each other."
Kyle grinned and stopped his explanation. "So how much do you remember? I'll pick up from there."
"I know we both fought under King Creon as Paragons," Axel said slowly, dredging up as many recovered memories as he could from the past week or so, "and we were fighting these guys called Dark Lords."
Kyle nodded. "Yep, alright, that's a start."
"There was this one Dark Lord guarding one of an Elder Dragons' gem. It was on a hidden castle down south."
Kyle's face stiffened. His voice tightened and lost its carefree gait. "Anything else?"
"Wait," Axel muttered, still thinking. His eyes seemed to be drawn to the plaque before Kyle's statue. His brain was beginning to kick into overdrive again. Something in the back of his mind was insisting that there was something else. Something that had to do with Kyle and the Dark Lords. "There's something else."
Kyle leaned towards Axel cautiously. "What else?"
Axel's hand went back to the hilt of his sword. The edges of his vision began to redden as his heart sped up. Inexplicable anger began to spill out of his stopped-up memories. Axel's vision focused on a single word scratched into the stone plaque before Kyle's statue. A barely visible etching made crudely with the point of a knife.
"Hey," Kyle said. His voice was much more serious now. "You good? What's going on with you?"
When Axel included the extra word, the plaque read, Kyle, former Paragon of Thieves.
Something clicked in Axel's brain. Axel's teeth ground against each other suddenly. He drew his sword violently and lunged at Kyle with a face twisted in rage. White flames burst down the edge of the sword and exploded against the two curved daggers glowing blue that suddenly appeared in Kyle's hands.
"Hey, what's going on?" Kyle asked. His voice was strained slightly as he tried to hold Axel at bay.
"Shut up," Axel growled.
Kyle suddenly pushed hard, forcing Axel backwards, and kicked off the ground, flipping through the air and landing behind Axel. He began to back away towards the gate of the royal treasury.
"Get a hold of yourself!" Kyle shouted.
Axel wasn't listening. His mind cleared suddenly as he crouched down, as if preparing to dash at Kyle. His sword, engulfed in a blinding white blaze, shifted to a ready stance.
"Axel! It's me! It's Kyle!"
"I know that," Axel growled with the last strands of reason he had in his mind.
"So calm down!"
"Don't tell me to calm down," Axel said through gritted teeth. His voice was starting to rise into a feral growl. His next words came out clearly despite Axel's fury, echoing through the massive room even over the roar of the flames on Axel's sword.
"You traitor."
Kyle's pupils shrunk suddenly. He froze in surprise as Axel lunged at him, wreathed in white fire, moving at a speed that rivaled Kyle's own, with his sword aimed at Kyle's neck.