32nd Fragment: -RESOLUTION-
[Somewhere in the Land of the Opal Sun]
Theo stood groggily on his feet, with his blades and clothes drenched in warm, red blood. He could only grit his teeth at the sight of Jason and Aria lying on the ground, slowly being devoured by a dark, pulsating mist.
"You are one persistent man, Theodorus Stark."
After hearing the distorted voice speak, Theo lifted his head and saw the swirling black mist floating in front of him. "Spare me the sarcasm," the man said defiantly before spitting out the blood in his mouth.
"Impressive. I expected nothing less from the Captain of the Royal Guard."
“No one has ever incapacitated the Helians as fast as you did. Who or what exactly are you?”
A sinister laughter came out of the mist, followed by it saying, “Who or what we are is irrelevant, for we have abandoned our names hundreds of years ago. Like you and your Order, we strive to bring balance to this realm although we prefer a more direct approach.”
“Direct approach?” said Theo before he took a hurried look over his shoulder - toward the village of the Edge. “You…you’re the one who controlled the horde.”
“Correction, Theodorus Stark. Not a single soul in this world can control the horde - not even us. We merely aided them in their mission by pointing them at their targets.”
Theo’s eyes immediately narrowed as he could not hide his disgust at the prior statement. “You said you intend to bring balance to this world but, speak of human beings as if they are nothing more than fodders to these monsters.”
“What I spoke is the truth. For this world to survive, sacrifices have to be made. The scales must be balanced no matter the cost - for a single, minuscule tip can be potentially catastrophic to all. Because of that, we cannot afford any possible interferences.”
Then, black pulsing tendrils sprouted out of the mist and wrapped themselves around Theo's neck.
A grimace appeared on the man's face as he felt the prickling, icy sensation spread throughout his worn-out body. With his last ounce of strength, Theo tried to wrest himself away from the frigid hold though his attempt briskly ended in failure.
“This is not over,” said Theo.
"Hush, little warrior," the mist whispered in return, "Sleep now and dream. Dream of your paradise, and stay there – forever."
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Somewhere in the Desert of Ashes]
"RUPERT!" Lucy screamed at the top of her lungs after witnessing her brother plunged headfirst into the sandy ground. She frantically climbed out of the crater and rushed to the crash site.
"Oh no, oh no..." the female Nightingale's voice trailed off as soon as she saw her brother lying motionlessly on his back. Lucy swiftly dropped to her knees and slapped Rupert on the shoulders over and over again.
"Ow! Ow! I'm up! I'm up!"
As soon as Lucy saw her brother's eyes open up, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
"What's with the teary eyes, Luce? Worry about your big brother?" Rupert chuckled before his younger sibling smacked him in the chest.
"Shut up! It's your fault, you know?" Lucy lashed back. "I thought I lost you for good this time."
"Eh, it's too early for me to kick the bucket." Rupert later did a kip-up to get to his feet. As soon as he saw Sam and Elisabeth approaching, he murmured to his sister, "Come on now, you little crybaby. The others are coming, so you better wipe your face quickly."
Lucy immediately did as she was told, just in time as her two friends arrived.
"Still in the land of the living, I see," said Sam as he gently punched Rupert in the chest.
"Oh, you know me. It'll take more than extreme heights and an Antlion to kill me."
Shortly after, Elisabeth puffed at the elder's Nightingale casual remark -- a gesture that surprised her three companions. "You lots are really something. No wonder Markus had a difficult time with all of you."
"Liz, did...did you just laugh?" said Lucy, staring at the amber-eyed woman in disbelief.
"Nonsense," Elisabeth retorted before turning away to hide her blushing face.
Sam placed his hands on his hips and muttered, "There's no need to be so reserved of yourself, Liz. We won, didn't we?"
"There'll be plenty of time to celebrate. We've still got work to do - unless you want the Sandcreepers to join us?"
Sam briefly exchanged looks with the Nightingales before answering with, "Fair enough."
**qs******************************************
[7 hours later]
"And here's the last one," Rupert declared triumphantly after placing the wooden crate inside the cabin.
Elisabeth's eyes actively scrutinized each crate before inquiring, "Are you sure there was nothing left behind?"
"Yes, Liz, we are perfectly sure," Sam returned, nodding his head in return. "The real question is: Are YOU sure you're alright?"
"What...what's that supposed to mean?" Elisabeth fidgeted.
"Well, you're obviously still distracted by what happened inside the lair," said Sam, crossing his arms together. "Want to talk about it? We are all ears – except for him, of course."
“Hey!” Rupert grunted.
"What is there to talk about?" said Elisabeth, shrugging her shoulders, "You have already known everything: Who I was, and how I was under the influence of the Disciples' drug, causing me to kill everyone in that place.”"
"I think what Sam tried to say was: are you going to stay here – to continue with your research in the Desert of Ashes?" Lucy interjected.
The amber-eyed woman's gaze lowered to the floor -- she wasn't sure whether to linger in the desolate land or just simply leave. "I don't know yet. After all these years, I never considered the prospects of another life -- one that is free from guilt and regret." Elisabeth exhaled before recalling the words of her late friend. "Maybe Annie was right. Perhaps I should have let other people be in charge of this place."
"Should have?" said Sam, his left eyebrow raised, "You requested to be assigned here on purpose?"
Elisabeth shifted uncomfortably in her spot -- confirming the vermillion-eyed man's suspicion. "I was what you would call a mess. Even with the Order's intervention, I still can't get over this...this burden -- that I'm the one who was supposed to die ten years ago instead of my friends."
"So, as a punishment for yourself, you asked to be transferred to the Desert of Ashes.”
"No, not just as a punishment, "Elisabeth countered before she peered out of the window. "I never noticed it back then, but maybe this was a way for me to cope with the shit I've been through." Then, the amber-eyed woman chuckled as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. "Funny. Never thought the three of you would be the ones who made me realize that."
"Oh, is that a compliment I hear?" Rupert grinned.
Turning her back away to face the trio, Elisabeth bobbed her head and said, "It is. For that, I'm indebted to all of you."
"You don't owe us anything, Liz," Lucy said in response. "We just did what we were told to do. Although I must admit, it was a pretty horrendous job, but I’m glad everything worked out in the end."
"Oh no, this is not the end yet. We still need to catalog all the equipment before returning home," said Elisabeth, gesturing at the hoard of crates sitting next to the basement staircase.
"All of these?" Rupert breathed out, and his shoulders dropped.
"YES – all of these, and don’t think I’m going easy on you just because you hurt your legs.”
“Oh right, speaking of cataloging,” Lucy interjected. “How did your research go, Liz? Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I’m assuming you are referring to the tech from the Kingdom of the Golden Reeds?” Elisabeth answered before letting out a heavy sigh. “Well, before all of those Disciples’ nonsense, I was following a few leads which might point me to the whereabouts of the old kingdom’s registry. Unfortunately, my excavation was a bit more challenging than I initially anticipated – thanks to the occasional sandstorm brought by the Sandcreepers.”
“What about the tablet downstairs? Did you find it from one of your excavations?” Sam inquired.
“Ah. So, you already saw it? I found it south from here. As you can already tell, I’m in the midst of translating the whole thing, but what bothers me the most was where I found it.”
“Why is that?”
“The tablet was buried under a tall, grey pillar, and it’s…um…I don’t recognize the architecture. In fact, it is vastly different from any structures built by the people of the Golden Reeds. There were also some kind writings on the pillar – a language I have never seen before. Hold on, let me show you,” Elisabeth headed into the basement, loud noises ensued.
A few minutes later, the amber-eyed woman returned with a small photograph in hand. “Here,” said Elisabeth as she gave the picture to Sam. “Tell me what you guys think.”
Together, the trio took a closer look at the photograph. Etched to the stony surface was a single line of seven symbols – each one shaped like coils of wire.
“Hmm, are you sure this is a language? They look like bad drawings of a worm to me,” Rupert commented.
“No, they are way too organized to be a doodle,” Lucy countered. “Have you shown this to Noah?’
“I plan to, as soon as I’m done with this place. That said,” Elisabeth began to sniff the air around her. Her nose immediately crinkled up as she smelled something rancid near where she stood, prompting her to ask, “Is there a dead animal somewhere?”
“Well, about that…,” Sam exhaled before he recounted last night’s incident.
****qs****************************************
[Meanwhile...]
The hooded figure stood on the dune in silence, observing the cabin from afar. In his hand was the vial Silva gave him, and it was emitting a faint golden glow.
“Why didn’t you kill that Silva guy? He could have ratted us out to those three,” Cindar complained.
“He could, but he won’t. His mind was preoccupied with other matters,” Jay responded confidently.
“So, what the hell is in that bottle?”
“An important chess piece, Mr. Cindar. I wish I could tell you more, but my superior will be greatly upset if I do.”
“Pfft, are you telling me you’re afraid of offending your superior?” Cindar chortled.
“Not exactly. I’m just trying to avoid their incessant lecture about the importance of confidentiality. In other words, until my boss approves your credibility, I have no responsibility in explaining our…game plan.”
“Ugh, you Harbingers and their game plan,” Cindar murmured before crossing his arms together.
“Say, you told me those three were just a pack of weaklings.”
“And what of it?”
“For a pack of weaklings, they did quite an impressive feat – defeating the colossal Antlion like it was nothing. Furthermore, you didn’t mention they possessed rare abilities, particularly that kid with the vermillion eyes,” Jay paused, turning his head to face Cindar. “Got anything to say about that?”
“What do you want me to say, huh? Sorry? For withholding information from you?”
“That would be nice, but no. All of those trash talks made it sound like you are jealous of them.”
“Jealous? Me? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard coming out of your mouth,” Cindar chided at his partner’s statement.
“And, it seems I was right,” Jay chuckled mischievously. “How intriguing. They must have done some terrible things to make you greatly resent them.”
“They did nothing.”
“Nothing? And…that somehow upsets you?”
“Precisely,” Cindar grumbled. “They did nothing, and yet people admire them – revered them as heroes. While I, who has been busting my ass since the beginning was ridiculed by my peers and mentors – they called me the worst of my generation.”
“Well, your methods were questionable-.”
“My methods get the job done. No rules to obey, no socializing with the locals, and most importantly, no unnecessary dramas.”
“Huh, ain’t you a cheerful fellow? Well, no matter," replied Jay, shrugging both shoulders. Then, he snapped his fingers, and a Rift Gate materialized behind him. "Come, Jack Cindar. It's time to meet your new employer."
32nd Fragment: -RESOLUTION-
[Somewhere in the Land of the Opal Sun]
Theo stood groggily on his feet, with his blades and clothes drenched in warm, red blood. He could only grit his teeth at the sight of Jason and Aria lying on the ground, slowly being devoured by a dark, pulsating mist.
"You are one persistent man, Theodorus Stark."
After hearing the distorted voice speak, Theo lifted his head and saw the swirling black mist floating in front of him. "Spare me the sarcasm," the man said defiantly before spitting out the blood in his mouth.
"Impressive. I expected nothing less from the Captain of the Royal Guard."
“No one has ever incapacitated the Helians as fast as you did. Who or what exactly are you?”
A sinister laughter came out of the mist, followed by it saying, “Who or what we are is irrelevant, for we have abandoned our names hundreds of years ago. Like you and your Order, we strive to bring balance to this realm although we prefer a more direct approach.”
“Direct approach?” said Theo before he took a hurried look over his shoulder - toward the village of the Edge. “You…you’re the one who controlled the horde.”
“Correction, Theodorus Stark. Not a single soul in this world can control the horde - not even us. We merely aided them in their mission by pointing them at their targets.”
Theo’s eyes immediately narrowed as he could not hide his disgust at the prior statement. “You said you intend to bring balance to this world but, speak of human beings as if they are nothing more than fodders to these monsters.”
“What I spoke is the truth. For this world to survive, sacrifices have to be made. The scales must be balanced no matter the cost - for a single, minuscule tip can be potentially catastrophic to all. Because of that, we cannot afford any possible interferences.”
Then, black pulsing tendrils sprouted out of the mist and wrapped themselves around Theo's neck.
A grimace appeared on the man's face as he felt the prickling, icy sensation spread throughout his worn-out body. With his last ounce of strength, Theo tried to wrest himself away from the frigid hold though his attempt briskly ended in failure.
“This is not over,” said Theo.
"Hush, little warrior," the mist whispered in return, "Sleep now and dream. Dream of your paradise, and stay there – forever."
qs********************************************
[Meanwhile…]
[Somewhere in the Desert of Ashes]
"RUPERT!" Lucy screamed at the top of her lungs after witnessing her brother plunged headfirst into the sandy ground. She frantically climbed out of the crater and rushed to the crash site.
"Oh no, oh no..." the female Nightingale's voice trailed off as soon as she saw her brother lying motionlessly on his back. Lucy swiftly dropped to her knees and slapped Rupert on the shoulders over and over again.
"Ow! Ow! I'm up! I'm up!"
As soon as Lucy saw her brother's eyes open up, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
"What's with the teary eyes, Luce? Worry about your big brother?" Rupert chuckled before his younger sibling smacked him in the chest.
"Shut up! It's your fault, you know?" Lucy lashed back. "I thought I lost you for good this time."
"Eh, it's too early for me to kick the bucket." Rupert later did a kip-up to get to his feet. As soon as he saw Sam and Elisabeth approaching, he murmured to his sister, "Come on now, you little crybaby. The others are coming, so you better wipe your face quickly."
Lucy immediately did as she was told, just in time as her two friends arrived.
"Still in the land of the living, I see," said Sam as he gently punched Rupert in the chest.
"Oh, you know me. It'll take more than extreme heights and an Antlion to kill me."
Shortly after, Elisabeth puffed at the elder's Nightingale casual remark -- a gesture that surprised her three companions. "You lots are really something. No wonder Markus had a difficult time with all of you."
"Liz, did...did you just laugh?" said Lucy, staring at the amber-eyed woman in disbelief.
"Nonsense," Elisabeth retorted before turning away to hide her blushing face.
Sam placed his hands on his hips and muttered, "There's no need to be so reserved of yourself, Liz. We won, didn't we?"
"There'll be plenty of time to celebrate. We've still got work to do - unless you want the Sandcreepers to join us?"
Sam briefly exchanged looks with the Nightingales before answering with, "Fair enough."
**qs******************************************
[7 hours later]
"And here's the last one," Rupert declared triumphantly after placing the wooden crate inside the cabin.
Elisabeth's eyes actively scrutinized each crate before inquiring, "Are you sure there was nothing left behind?"
"Yes, Liz, we are perfectly sure," Sam returned, nodding his head in return. "The real question is: Are YOU sure you're alright?"
"What...what's that supposed to mean?" Elisabeth fidgeted.
"Well, you're obviously still distracted by what happened inside the lair," said Sam, crossing his arms together. "Want to talk about it? We are all ears – except for him, of course."
“Hey!” Rupert grunted.
"What is there to talk about?" said Elisabeth, shrugging her shoulders, "You have already known everything: Who I was, and how I was under the influence of the Disciples' drug, causing me to kill everyone in that place.”"
"I think what Sam tried to say was: are you going to stay here – to continue with your research in the Desert of Ashes?" Lucy interjected.
The amber-eyed woman's gaze lowered to the floor -- she wasn't sure whether to linger in the desolate land or just simply leave. "I don't know yet. After all these years, I never considered the prospects of another life -- one that is free from guilt and regret." Elisabeth exhaled before recalling the words of her late friend. "Maybe Annie was right. Perhaps I should have let other people be in charge of this place."
"Should have?" said Sam, his left eyebrow raised, "You requested to be assigned here on purpose?"
Elisabeth shifted uncomfortably in her spot -- confirming the vermillion-eyed man's suspicion. "I was what you would call a mess. Even with the Order's intervention, I still can't get over this...this burden -- that I'm the one who was supposed to die ten years ago instead of my friends."
"So, as a punishment for yourself, you asked to be transferred to the Desert of Ashes.”
"No, not just as a punishment, "Elisabeth countered before she peered out of the window. "I never noticed it back then, but maybe this was a way for me to cope with the shit I've been through." Then, the amber-eyed woman chuckled as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. "Funny. Never thought the three of you would be the ones who made me realize that."
"Oh, is that a compliment I hear?" Rupert grinned.
Turning her back away to face the trio, Elisabeth bobbed her head and said, "It is. For that, I'm indebted to all of you."
"You don't owe us anything, Liz," Lucy said in response. "We just did what we were told to do. Although I must admit, it was a pretty horrendous job, but I’m glad everything worked out in the end."
"Oh no, this is not the end yet. We still need to catalog all the equipment before returning home," said Elisabeth, gesturing at the hoard of crates sitting next to the basement staircase.
"All of these?" Rupert breathed out, and his shoulders dropped.
"YES – all of these, and don’t think I’m going easy on you just because you hurt your legs.”
“Oh right, speaking of cataloging,” Lucy interjected. “How did your research go, Liz? Did you find what you were looking for?”
“I’m assuming you are referring to the tech from the Kingdom of the Golden Reeds?” Elisabeth answered before letting out a heavy sigh. “Well, before all of those Disciples’ nonsense, I was following a few leads which might point me to the whereabouts of the old kingdom’s registry. Unfortunately, my excavation was a bit more challenging than I initially anticipated – thanks to the occasional sandstorm brought by the Sandcreepers.”
“What about the tablet downstairs? Did you find it from one of your excavations?” Sam inquired.
“Ah. So, you already saw it? I found it south from here. As you can already tell, I’m in the midst of translating the whole thing, but what bothers me the most was where I found it.”
“Why is that?”
“The tablet was buried under a tall, grey pillar, and it’s…um…I don’t recognize the architecture. In fact, it is vastly different from any structures built by the people of the Golden Reeds. There were also some kind writings on the pillar – a language I have never seen before. Hold on, let me show you,” Elisabeth headed into the basement, loud noises ensued.
A few minutes later, the amber-eyed woman returned with a small photograph in hand. “Here,” said Elisabeth as she gave the picture to Sam. “Tell me what you guys think.”
Together, the trio took a closer look at the photograph. Etched to the stony surface was a single line of seven symbols – each one shaped like coils of wire.
“Hmm, are you sure this is a language? They look like bad drawings of a worm to me,” Rupert commented.
“No, they are way too organized to be a doodle,” Lucy countered. “Have you shown this to Noah?’
“I plan to, as soon as I’m done with this place. That said,” Elisabeth began to sniff the air around her. Her nose immediately crinkled up as she smelled something rancid near where she stood, prompting her to ask, “Is there a dead animal somewhere?”
“Well, about that…,” Sam exhaled before he recounted last night’s incident.
****qs****************************************
[Meanwhile...]
The hooded figure stood on the dune in silence, observing the cabin from afar. In his hand was the vial Silva gave him, and it was emitting a faint golden glow.
“Why didn’t you kill that Silva guy? He could have ratted us out to those three,” Cindar complained.
“He could, but he won’t. His mind was preoccupied with other matters,” Jay responded confidently.
“So, what the hell is in that bottle?”
“An important chess piece, Mr. Cindar. I wish I could tell you more, but my superior will be greatly upset if I do.”
“Pfft, are you telling me you’re afraid of offending your superior?” Cindar chortled.
“Not exactly. I’m just trying to avoid their incessant lecture about the importance of confidentiality. In other words, until my boss approves your credibility, I have no responsibility in explaining our…game plan.”
“Ugh, you Harbingers and their game plan,” Cindar murmured before crossing his arms together.
“Say, you told me those three were just a pack of weaklings.”
“And what of it?”
“For a pack of weaklings, they did quite an impressive feat – defeating the colossal Antlion like it was nothing. Furthermore, you didn’t mention they possessed rare abilities, particularly that kid with the vermillion eyes,” Jay paused, turning his head to face Cindar. “Got anything to say about that?”
“What do you want me to say, huh? Sorry? For withholding information from you?”
“That would be nice, but no. All of those trash talks made it sound like you are jealous of them.”
“Jealous? Me? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard coming out of your mouth,” Cindar chided at his partner’s statement.
“And, it seems I was right,” Jay chuckled mischievously. “How intriguing. They must have done some terrible things to make you greatly resent them.”
“They did nothing.”
“Nothing? And…that somehow upsets you?”
“Precisely,” Cindar grumbled. “They did nothing, and yet people admire them – revered them as heroes. While I, who has been busting my ass since the beginning was ridiculed by my peers and mentors – they called me the worst of my generation.”
“Well, your methods were questionable-.”
“My methods get the job done. No rules to obey, no socializing with the locals, and most importantly, no unnecessary dramas.”
“Huh, ain’t you a cheerful fellow? Well, no matter," replied Jay, shrugging both shoulders. Then, he snapped his fingers, and a Rift Gate materialized behind him. "Come, Jack Cindar. It's time to meet your new employer."
