• Tales of Xalthia

    Chapter 18: Awakening


    The fighting throughout the city was slowly staring to settle due to the aid of Tsuki's companions. As the fighting was starting to settle down in different areas throughout the town, Lynette, Ramza, Alba and Ruko eventually regrouped in the plaza where the remaining Basilwell troops were gathering. Any survivors from Menorion were immediately disarmed and arrested to be brought in for interrogation once the fighting completely stops in the town. Thanks to Lynette and her healing Artes, she was able to heal those that had been injured. It wasn't long until the fighting in the upper portion of the town came to a halt. Once things settled in the upper portions of the town, they had a chance to get a feel for the damage. Homes were destroyed, shops and businesses were burned to the ground, buildings had caved in due to the fires and several other buildings had shattered windows and broken walls.

    When Tsuki's companions regrouped in the plaza, they took a moment to catch their breath. It wasn't an easy battle since they were horribly outnumbered. It's a miracle they even managed to keep so many alive with the odds they had faced. When they had their chance to catch up, they noticed that Tsuki was nowhere to be seen.

    Lynette looked around, trying to find Tsuki. He was the only one that was missing from the group. "Has anyone seen Tsuki?" she asked. She was concerned for his safety because no one has seen or heard from him since they split up. Normally, she wouldn't be worried because she knew that he was more than capable of handling himself but she was getting a disturbing feeling.

    Alba shook his head. "No, I haven't seen him since you guys left the base" he said. Due to their long history, he wasn't concerned for him. Tsuki is brilliant fighter and had some of the best swordsmanship in Cayhill. He does have a knack of being reckless at times though.

    Ramza looked around and shrugged. "He's a tough kid. He wouldn't let a few simple soldiers get the better of him so easily. He'll be fine" he said. He didn't want to admit it himself but he was actually concerned about him since Tsuki had encountered their leader at the warehouses. Their leader was not a man to be messed with unless someone was properly prepared.

    Ruko went around and checked on the injured. Once he was done, he walked up to Alba. "Everyone seems to be okay. What are we going to do with the captives?" he asked.

    Alba looked towards the captives then looked back at Ruko. "We'll detain them for the time being. When Tsuki returns to Eresseas, I'll have them transferred to the city for further questioning since this is a matter of invasion. It's out of our hands" he said. He had a feeling that the attack on Basilwell was only just the beginning. If there was more to come, then this would have to involve all of Cayhill. He then motioned to Basilwell troops who were holding the captives to take them away.

    As the soldiers were taken away, Lynette still had a worried expression on her face. She was getting a bad feeling that something was about to happen but wasn't sure what. She couldn't shake the feeling. Worrying about Tsuki wasn't helping the situation either. Alba and Ramza both noticed her worries right away.

    Alba faced Lynette and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Tsuki. There's still fighting going on in the lower portion of the town so I'm sure he's helping our troops fight them off. He'll be fine by himself" he said, trying to comfort her.

    Lynette shook her head. She knew that he will be okay but that doesn't help comfort her for some reason. "I know. I know he'll be fine but..." she said.

    Ramza smirked a bit before looking at Lynette. "It seems you've grown quite...infatuated with him, haven't you? Perhaps, you love him?" he asked, teasing her. He wanted to cheer her up so that she can get her mind off her worries.

    Lynette blushed from embarrassment when Ramza teased her. "N-no, that's not it! It's just---" she said. Before she could finish her sentence, there was a massive explosion that came up from the mountainside towards the Cavern of Solace.

    After the explosion occurred, they could hear the echos of growling. Alba grabbed a pair of binoculars and looked up at the entrance to the Cavern of Solace. What he saw through the binoculars stunned him. Coming out from the opening towards the caves was a large horde of monsters stampeding towards Basilwell.

    Ruko and the others didn't know what was going on since they could only see smoke coming out from the mountainside. "Oh, now what!? Were there more Menorion soldiers waiting in the caves!?" he shouted.

    Alba shook his head. "Not Menorion soldiers...It's a horde of monsters. The fighting must have agitated them!" he said. He then looked around, trying to quickly come up with a plan of attack. "Get the injured and remaining civilians into the shelters! I need all able-bodied soldiers ready to fight back the monsters!" he shouted.

    Upon his orders, the injured soldiers started to make their way into the underground shelters with the remaining civilians that were still above ground. Things were getting out of hand. Their forces have already been severely diminished due to the previous attack and now they have very few soldiers that can actually fight. As the Basilwell troops, along with Ramza and Lynette, gathered and readied themselves for yet another battle, fighting continued in the lower section of the city. If monsters were to enter the fight, it would be absolute chaos among both Basilwell and Menorion fighters.

    Meanwhile, the battle between Caius and the unmasked Shadow Knight seemed to be going nowhere since they were both evenly matched. Damage to the port was extensive and some of the docked boats were destroyed. There seemed to be no end to their fight since they both don't any sign of stopping. Watching the two fight made Tsuki felt so powerless and weak. His strength was nothing compared to theirs.

    As the two collided their weapons, Caius gave her a smug look. "I'm impressed that you're able to hold your own against me for so long. It's too bad that you're the enemy though. You'd make a great subordinate" he said. He then broke their clash and jumped back, putting some distance between them.

    The knight gave him a blank look. "If that's how you plan to recruit me under your command, you can forget it. I have no interest in pledging my loyalty to a fool who's blinded by their obsession of power" she said, scolding him.

    Caius chuckled a bit. "You'll give in eventually. You can't keep fighting forever" he said. Just then, he took out a cylinder-shaped object from his pocket. "No matter how strong you think you are, Boosters are superior!" he shouted. Seconds later, the object shattered, releasing a red mist-like Mana that surrounded him. As the Mana was absorbed into his body, he felt a significant power boost go through his body.

    The girl was a bit unnerved by his disgusting abuse of Boosters. If this continues, Caius would become a serious threat. "Clearly, you've become drunk with power. Boosters aren't meant to be used like this" she said. She was strong herself but if he abuses the use of Boosters any further, he will eventually outmatch her in terms of power. She needed to do something about this and it has to be soon otherwise, this will turn into a grave situation.

    Tsuki was tired of standing on the sidelines. He had to do something to help. He walked up next to the girl with his sword in hand. "So, what's the plan, Shadow Knight? This isn't looking too good" he said.

    The girl looked at Tsuki for a moment before looking back at Caius. "He's a true monster. His power is far beyond yours due to his excessive use of Boosters. If he were to continue this, I'm afraid he will overpower me" she said. Right now, she was the only one who could fight against Caius but if he overpowers her, then their chances of survival will become slim.

    Caius looked at the two and let out an evil laugh. "Oh, are you two going to come at me at the same time? Go ahead and try. I can't wait for the moment that I step into Eresseas. Once I do, I will be able to crush the spirits of that feeble royal family and claim this kingdom as my own" he said. He then gave Tsuki a brief look. "I especially can't wait for the moment that I present the little Princess with your head, boy. When she sees the severed head of her beloved knight, her spirit will be completely destroyed" he said in a disturbing tone.

    Just then, something inside Tsuki snapped. When he threatened his childhood friend, he could feel a nerve snap. Moments later, the Shadow Knight felt a sudden spike in Tsuki's power that's increasing at an alarming rate. It was almost like something inside him came alive and exploded with power.

    Caius lifted an eyebrow at Tsuki and grinned. "Oh? Did I strike a nerve? Show me your anger boy" he said, provoking him. He then started to slowly approach them. "The thought of seeing the look on the Princess' face when she sees your head and her nation crumble under her feet. It'll be a delight to witness. I will personally break her spirit until she wishes for death" he said.

    Suddenly, a sudden burst of Mana erupted from Tsuki's body. Then, with the blink of an eye, he lunged forward with intense speed. The blade of his sword became a solid white color, almost like an energy blade. Using the intense speed, He quickly swung his sword at Caius. Caius blocked the attack but proved to be useless. Just as he quickly blocked the attack, Tsuki blocked the clash with ease then took his fist and slammed it up below Caius' chin and sent him flying off the ground. He then jumped up and swung his left in a sweeping motion, throwing him into the bay as if her were a ragdoll. When Tsuki landed back on the ground, he held his hand out as Mana formed on the palm of his hand. Moments later, he shot a dense ball of Mana into the bay where Caius was thrown into and after several seconds, there was a massive explosion underwater.

    The girl watched, almost shocked at his sudden shift in power. She knew where his sudden power boost came from but didn't expect it to be so strong. "So, his power has finally been awakened. I can still sense a great deal of it remains locked, however" she said. She then walked up to Tsuki and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now that your powers have awakened, you need to control it. Find your Focus Point and concentrate. Put all of your Mana into your Focus Point. Once you do that, you'll gain control over your new power" she instructed him.

    It took several moments for Tsuki to be able to find his Focus Point. Once me found it, it only took him about a minute to direct his Mana into his Focus Point. It wasn't long afterwards that he came back to his senses. When he did, he felt like he was possessed. "What...was that?" he asked.

    The girl nodded and patted his shoulder to keep him calm. She could understand that exhibiting such power would leave him with questions. "Do not be alarmed. You've only awakened your power as an Ancient. Of course, you still have much to learn and discover. You've only unlocked a fraction of your true power but the rest will be up to you" she said. She then walked towards the edge and started down into the water. She knew that Caius wouldn't go down that easy. She could feel the Boosters' power leave the area. He must have fled using the water as cover.

    Tsuki sighed and looked at the girl. "Who are you? I don't want a title either. I want a name. I want answers and you're the only person who can answer them" he said. He's been in the dark for long enough and now that he's awakened this so-called power that belongs to the Ancients, he wants answers to his questions.

    The girl turned around and faced Tsuki. "My name is Elle Solize. I see no point in keeping my identity a secret since my face has been revealed" she said. She turned and walked up to Tsuki, sheathing her sword. "It appears that he's using the cover of the ocean to retreat. Things almost got hairy there for a minute" she said. She then looked towards the upper portion of the town and saw smoke coming out from the Cavern of Solace. "Now that Caius is falling back, his troops will soon follow. It's perfect timing too because we may have a new problem. Look" she said, pointing up towards the mountainside.

    Tsuki nodded when she introduced herself. Elle, huh? It's a nice name. My name's Tsuki Himura" he said. His attention then shifted his gaze towards the smoke coming from the mountainside. "That's the Cavern of Solace!" he said. He then looked at Elle. "Would you like to come with me? I could use the help fighting back the remaining enemies" he said.

    Elle thought about his offer for a moment and nodded. "Alright, I'll join you. For now, at least" she said. She was going to follow him regardless. She wanted to see if Tsuki could freely use his power at will so this was a perfect chance.

    Tsuki nodded. "Good enough for me. Let's hurry then" he said. He then left the port with Elle and headed towards the town square.

    Meanwhile, the remaining Basilwell soldiers that were able to fight along with Lynette and Ramza were fighting back the horde of monsters in the outskirts of the town. Somehow, they've been able to prevent monsters from entering the already devastated town. However, the number of injured are starting to grow into the red zone. The remaining fighters were starting to become overwhelmed even with Lynette and Ramza's help. Fortunately, the number of monsters have also been reduced. However, their defensive stance is severely crippled. At this point, the remaining fighters were bunched up as the remaining monsters surrounded them, cutting off any chance to escape.

    Alba looked around, assessing their situation. They weren't in a good spot. "Well, it seems we're in quite the predicament. Any ideas on how to get out of this?" he asked. He was out of options. Most of his forces are injured and can't fight anymore while the rest laid dead on the ground.

    Ramza, staying his usual calm self, looked around a bit and shook his head. "We could always force our way through. Although with our current numbers, we won't last if we charge in head-on" he said.

    Ruko looked at Ramza and gave him a blank look. "How can you be so calm at a time like this?" he asked. His focus then went back to the monsters. "I swear, I don't understand some people" he said.

    Lynette groaned a bit, getting light-headed by the excessive use of healing Artes again. "Ugh...that's Ramza for you... she said. She was trying to put on a brace face but she was actually scared. "Tsuki, where are you?" she whispered to herself.

    Just before the monsters could make their move, Tsuki and Elle ran up to the town exit. When they arrived at the town plaza, they saw numerous dead bodies and injured soldiers lying in the street.

    Elle stopped in the center of the town plaza and looked around. "This whole conflict feels like it's been planned. If that's the case, it's a brilliant plan. Lose the battle but use the monsters to finish off the remaining forces" she said.

    Tsuki stopped and looked back at her. "You were with them when they arrived, I'm assuming. What are their true goals? Why attack Cayhill?" he asked.

    Elle looked at Tsuki and noticed the monsters that were surrounding the remaining fighters beyond the town gates. "Now's not the time. Your friends are in trouble" she said. She then walked up to the town exit and waited for him. "Show me how well you can control your new power" she said.

    Tsuki turned around and looked in the direction of where she pointed. He then nodded at her. "Let's show them the power of the Ancients, shall we?" he said. He then rushed towards the remaining monster horde with his sword in hand.

    As Tsuki ran out into the outskirts of the town, he started to channel the Mana that he was directed into his Focus Point. Moments later, the blade of his sword became solid white again as his eyes turned from dark blue to dark red. It was like he had a complete personality shift. He could feel the intense power swell up inside him.

    When he approached the horde of monsters, he jumped up into the air and landed in the middle of a group of monsters, stabbing the sword into the ground. "Ground Breaker!" he shouted. Seconds later, the ground around him within five meters exploded, killing the monsters that were around him. As he took the sword out from the ground, an ogre came up behind him.

    Lynette heard Tsuki's voice and looked over to where Tsuki is. She was relieved to see him well. He did look very beat up and injured though. That's when she noticed the ogre approach him from behind. "Tsuki, watch out!" she shouted.

    Just before the ogre could strike, Elle charged at the ogre and delivered a swift slash, cutting off the ogre's arm and effectively killing him. "Keep your guard up" she said.

    Ramza looked at Tsuki and Elle for a moment. He immediately recognized Elle's armor. "What!? The Shadow Knight!?" he shouted. He didn't expect the Shadow Knight to be fighting alongside Tsuki.

    Then, Tsuki and Elle put their backs up against each other and started channeling the Mana into their swords. Moments later, a barrier formed around the remaining fighters. As they channeled their Mana, they made it so their movements and Mana were perfectly in sync with each other. "Vicious Spiral!" they both shouted together. Afterwards, a powerful gust of wind formed around the barrier. The gust of wind soon turned into a twisters, lifting the monsters off the ground and shot them out from the top of the twister.

    The twister soon dissipated once the last monster was thrown out from the twister. Moments later, the barrier that surrounded the remaining fighters disappeared as well. Thanks to the combined power of both Tsuki and Elle, they were able to defeat the monster horde as well as the Menorion attack. Once the fighting finally came to an end, all they could hear were the sound of leaves blowing in the wind with the distant sounds of waves crashing from the ocean. It was a bitter victory that suffered many and unnecessary losses. They should be celebrating that they were alive but couldn't. Everyone had a feeling that this attack was only just the beginning of something truly devastating.

    To be continued...