"I am leaving tomorrow."
Xicor says this lying on the grass looking at the stary night sky with Amara and Franklin. A distant look with and a smile on his face.
Amara fell silent before jumping up in surprise. Even though it was only a few days, she had grown somehow attached to Ryuga. Through their conversations she had learnt and understood the kind of person Ryuga was. In the past she would have short talks with her brother regularly. But after meeting Ryuga she started to enjoy spending time talking about anything and nothing, with conversations that would drag on without specific topics.
"So... Soon? You can't go yet!" She busted.
"You saw it, right? I don't have a core. I have to retrieve my core and deal with a lot of other things." Xicor spoke looking at her. "I'm really sorry. And thank you for helping me when I needed help."
"What if I came along with you?" Franklin who had been silent entered the conversation.
"Don't bother, it's more of a personal matter than the good of the world you know." Ryuga said with a chuckle. "It's starting to get chill, I wouldn't want you guys getting sick, let's go in shall we." He dismissed the matter once and for all.
Getting indoors, the trio had dinner and followed it up with some celebratory liquor. Franklin fell asleep earlier because of his low tolerance and exhaustion. This was the first time in a while he's been walking around. Earlier he had done all of Amara 's chores -washing, cleaning, getting water from the well, chopping wood and even having tested his magic against Ryuga in training and mock battle.
Xicor prepared some coffee before sitting down to clear his head. The alcohol was starting to feel uncomfortable for someone like him who couldn't get intoxicated.
Amara sat across him with a look of pity on her face.
"You know, everyone who serves the empire is looking for you out there."
"I see. Are you too worried about me? Did
think you've found yourself a husband?" Ryuga teased her as he slipped on his coffee.
Amara blushed, but was startled by Ryuga who burst into laughter. He simply said, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, before he stood up and headed to sleep.
He cast a spell on himself after lying down on the bed. In a moment it was like the world flipped over and he was in his subconsciousness. Black and white colors spread endlessly into the abyss.
Morning came all too soon and Ryuga was already exercising by the time the sun came out and signalled for a new day. He went to bathe and when he came back, Franklin was sitting at the table.
"You seem to be looking good. Going somewhere?"
"Yes. I'm leaving with you.
"Jokes shouldn't be made during breakfast you know. You'll make some of us cough up our food." Ryuga said in mockery.
"Please take my brother with you, I bey you." Amara begged sincerely." I wouldn't be asking if I didn't know who you are. So I am begging the man who wields the Resemblance blade, please take my brother with you and protect him." This time she even bowed her head.
"Okay, let's see if that can be reasoned with." Ryuga asked a question that most people of this generation would know of by chance.
He asked about the location of a woman who lived in the Snow Tower- Aqua. She was known as the most powerful psychic in the past. He powers were second only to the Lord of that territory. The Lord Of The Stars. But Ryuga doesn't recall ever meeting him though.
But his question was nothing to dwell on as Franklin answered it almost instantly. By his knowledge, Aqua takes a decade long slumber every century, and she will be going into slumber in the next 6 days.
Xicor jumped out of his seat with his eyes wide open. If he doesn't get to the tower in that time, he'll almost never regain his memories. He took a deep breath before sitting down again.
"How about a deal. I need to know when the Snow Tower brings down its barrier. Franklin will come with me once you have the constellations, I have to get something from Astron." Ryuga took his black coat on the line on his way out as he started rushing his way to the imperial Castle.
"I wonder how long it will take him to move all the way to the other side of the continent on foot?" Amara wondered looking outside.
"If he is who you say he is, you shouldn't worry. He'll probably get there by dawn tomorrow. That's assuming he can move fast enough without his core." Franklin got up and walked to his sister. " Thank you for the meal. You should go home now, they're waiting for you. I won't say goodbye, because I'm still going to see you. No matter what."
He said as he giving his sister a hug. He whispered into her ear before he looked at her face and patted her shoulders. He walked out of the door and left without looking back. Some distance from the gate he warped space and a portal opened up before him. Amara watched as he disappeared in the distance.
Imperial Outpost Seven
This outpost is submerged under a volcano. There is lava all around it. It was built here so that in case anyone wanted that information to challenge the empire, they would get buried along with it. And if they escaped, they at least wouldn't have any knowledge from here. The only ways in and out of here are through a tunnel of magical barrier and a teleportation circle in the middle of it.
This outpost keeps backup of some information the empire gathers, in other words, it is a backup of an archive.
This would be a good place to get information about the Snow Tower. It is only logical that Franklin would know about it since he was a researcher who had some of his data hidden here.
Franklin used an illusion to mimic the clothing of the workers here. He then headed to the data room where he could access the information he needed. He looked through all the information he found about the North territory, but there was little to no records about the Snow Tower. It was more frustrating because he had to keep hiding whenever someone walked in and he couldn't ask anyone about what he wanted.
It took him 18 whole hours and he was getting about to give up, but when he went to the door, someone opened it from the outside.
He jumped back and hid behind a bookshelf. The men who entered took some boxes and left. When he relaxed, he noticed the inscription on the walls.
He pushed a brick in the wall and an the wall opened up to another room. The book he wanted was before him. But a barrier locked it on the other side. He simply flipped the it pages by manipulating the energy on the other side of the barrier. He then walked out when he was done memorizing it.
Just as he got onto the magic circle area, he was seen by what seemed to be a high ranking commander in charge of this facility.
"Hey you, get off that. Which shift are you? No one is allowed to use that unless I give permission to." He said with authority.
"You mean this, now why do I need permission to use something I made?" Franklin asked with a smirk.
"What do you mean you made tha....?" He opened his mouth in utter surprise. "Master Franklin, is that really you?"
Without answering, Franklin activated the magic circle and disappeared on the spot, leaving the researchers there with questions.
...
...
The next day, few hours after dawn. Near one of the walls of Astron, Ryuga 's body falls to the ground looking as lifeless as a doll. No wounds, no bleeding ... No damage.
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