• Tales of Xalthia

    Chapter 12: Shadow Knight and Envoy


    Tsuki and Lynette continued to push their way further into the mines of Briswater as time continued to tick. Before they knew it, they found themselves on Sublevel Three, the deepest part of the mines. It would seem that the tunnel they took from the previous chamber where they found the injured Frey was a secret pathway that led directly to the deepest parts of the mines. To their relief, the large chamber that was identified by Frey was marked on their map so they didn't have to go searching every tunnel. However, it took them a while to find themselves on the map since they took an unmarked pathway. When they did, they realized that they were on the other side of the mines, the opposite direction from where the other chamber was.

    As they followed the winding tunnels, they ran into monsters that were a bit stronger than the previous levels of the mines. The deeper they went into the mines, the harder the fights became. It doesn't help when Tsuki still has a broken sword either. With Lynette's healing abilities, however, Tsuki was able to fight. There was very little he could do with a broken sword, however. One thing's for sure, he has to find a new sword before they finally depart from Briswater. He won't survive in the wild with a broken blade for very long, even with Lynette's healing. Thankfully, they saw no signs of the person who attacked Frey. That was their major concern.

    Finally, they reached their destination after about forty-five minutes of traversing through the mines. They found the large chamber that Maxwell was said to be at. Unlike the first chamber, there weren't very many murals on the chamber walls. There was one thing that stood out in the chamber, though. There was a massive door that appeared to be very old due to it's design. It stretched from the cave floor to the ceiling. There was no clear way to open the door either. By the looks, it appeared to be just a wooden slab etched into the chamber walls.

    Tsuki walked into the chamber and looked around. It was exactly like the upper chamber; it was completely empty. There was no sign of Maxwell or that unknown fighter that took down Frey. The only thing they could see was a massive door with an unexplainable origin. The chamber was a little dark so they didn't have much light to use. Most of the torches that were on the walls had either been blown out or burned out. The only torches that were still lit were the ones by the massive door.

    Tsuki was becoming aggravated. He felt like they were playing hide-and-seek and were losing. "Agh, come on! This is getting ridiculous!" he said. It was possible that they could of missed Maxwell because there were more tunnels that connected to this chamber. They could of walked past him and didn't even notice. However, they could go no further. This chamber was where all the tunnels connect to. There were no other levels to the mines. They were at a dead end.

    Lynette scratched her head, trying to figure out what they should do now. She then walked up to the massive door and took one of the torches off the wall then walked around the chamber. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a wooden door on the left side of the chamber. "Tsuki, look! There's a door. Where do you think it leads?" she asked, pointing to it.

    Tsuki looked towards the door that Lynette had pointed to. He then took another look at the map but didn't see any other pathway. Where did that door lead to? "I'm not sure. It's not marked on the map. Let's go take a look" he said. He then started to approach the door but before he got close to it, he saw the door open. Moments later, a man with spiky brown hair in gold armor with a heavy-looking axe strapped to his back came out from the shadows. He looked much older than Frey, probably in his mid-forties.

    The man that walked out from the shadows approached Tsuki and Lynette and gave them a cold, displeasing stare. He appeared as if he didn't welcome them at first. "What are civilians doing this deep in our mines? Can't you see that we're facing a crisis right now?" he asked. Being this deep in the mines has made communication with the surface impossible. He has no idea what's happening up on the surface.

    Tsuki approached the man and took out Maxwell's seal. "My name is Tsuki Himura. This is my partner, Lynette Suzaki. I've come here from Eresseas under the orders of the royal family to speak with General Maxwell about Basilwell" he said. After showing the man the seal, he then examined him closely. It took him a few moments to figure out who he was. "By the looks of your armor, am I safe to assume that you're Maxwell?" he asked.

    The man examined the seal that Tsuki had shown him. After several moments of study, he nodded. "Ah, so you're our royal overseer. Forgive me for my earlier rudeness. As you can see, a lot has been happening. You are indeed correct, however. My name is Lucas Maxwell, but everyone either calls me General or Maxwell. I'd like to express my sincere apologies to you for having to come this far out as such short notice" he said. If it wasn't for the murders of his own people, he wouldn't of had to lock down Basilwell. About a week has gone by and they still have no suspects.

    Tsuki shook his head. "It's no problem. I've gotten stronger on this journey, anyway so I don't particularly mind. Anyway, we need to leave. There's a dangerous person these mines that brought down Frey in a fight and he said he was coming this way. You need to get out of here before---" he said before he was interrupted.

    Just then, they heard heavy footsteps echo into the large chamber followed by a deep, menacing voice. "You called?" the voice asked. Out of the darkness that filled the tunnels behind them, a figure in pitch black armor carrying a katana mixed with black and purple coloring walked into the chamber. He gave off a very dark and powerful aura that was almost too much to bear for the average person.

    Maxwell could feel the incredible power coming from the black knight. It was so strong that it felt like it was crushing his body. However, he was stronger than he looks so he almost immediately adapted to the aura. "Damn...what power! Is he even human? I assume you're the one defeated Frey" he said, fighting back the menacing power as best he could. Even for Maxwell, the fight will not be easy if one breaks out.

    The knight continued his slow approach to them, almost as if he was walking in slow motion. He was enjoying that they were struggling to stand up against his might. "What's wrong? Has your old age wore you down, Maxwell, The Invinible?" he asked, taunting Maxwell. He then looked over at Tsuki and Lynette and gave them a smug look. He then noticed that something was different about Tsuki. "You...can you really be...?" he asked himself. He shook his head then looked back at Maxwell. "It's a shame you involved these civilians. You're tampering with forces that are far beyond your common knowledge. Don't worry, I'll be sure to make your deaths quick and painless just like your little bodyguard" he said, referring to Frey. He didn't know that Frey had survived the attack.

    Tsuki struggled to his feet but had trouble standing up straight. He then looked at Lynette, who was lying on the ground then at Maxwell who was on one knee. His focus then went onto the knight. "So, you're the one who did that to Frey. He wasn't joking...your power is unimaginable" he said, trying to act strong. In truth, he was actually a bit intimidated because of his power.

    The knight stopped and looked at Tsuki once more with an interested grin on his face. "So, you're able to stand while my Suppression Arte is in effect. You would be a worthy opponent...if you were stronger than you are now" he said. He still couldn't shake the fact that something was different about Tsuki. He then continued his approach towards Maxwell and stopped within feet of Maxwell. He held his katana up with the tip to his neck. "I'd like to thank you for discovering this door. I couldn't of found it without your help. Goodbye, Maxwell" he said. He then lifted his katana up and got ready to swing down over his head.

    They were all helpless. The knight's powerful Suppression Arte has basically left them all immobilized. Just as the knight started to swing down, they heard what sounded like a gunshot come from the tunnels. The bullet shot out of the darkness but started to slow down a bit once it came into the knight's Arte, losing it's power and lethality. However, when the bullet came in contact with the knight's armor, the bullet suddenly exploded.

    The knight heard the bullet go off but didn't react to it because he knew that the bullet would come to a complete halt in his Arte. He didn't expect the bullet to explode, however. The explosion dealt some damage to the knight since the explosion happened point blank. "Agh! Who dares!?" the knight yelled, turning around and facing the tunnels. The explosion caused the Suppression Arte to dissipate.

    A man soon came out of the darkness with a hun and broadsword in light, hunter's clothing. "You talk too much, my friend. You've sure led me on a wild goose chase to hunt you down" the man said. He seems to know the knight but how much does he know? In fact, where did he come from? The guards from the surface should of regulated who comes into the mines and the only people Tsuki and Lynette have seen in the mines are Maxwell, Frey and the black knight that stands before them.

    The knight saw the man who walked into the chamber and immediately recognized him. "You...I should of known. I see that fool of a king has finally taken some action. So, what are you going to do now, mercenary?" the knight asked the man.

    The man stopped within feet from the knight. "Yes, I have a kill/capture order on you from the King of Ersheath himself. You've left quite a trail of misery in your wake which made it easy to track you down" the man said. He wasn't a native of Cayhill. It's a mystery on how he even got onto the lands of Cayhill without permission from the royal family of Eresseas themselves.

    The knight chuckled a bit. "So, that foolish king wants to get rid of me, eh? He'll have to do a whole lot better than to send an Envoy" he said, taunting the man. He then heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he saw Tsuki, LYnette and Maxwell stand up and regain their composure. "You three just don't know when to give up, do you?" he asked.

    Tsuki rubbed his head and shook it. Afterwards, he looked up at the knight and saw the man who joined up with them. "I don't know what's going on here, but I won't let you have your way. If you have a kill/capture order on you from a king on another continent, then you're obviously a danger to the public. I will not let you roam these peaceful lands of Cayhill" he said, getting in an attack stance. He wasn't confident to fight the knight with a broken blade but he can't let the knight go, seeing how dangerous he is.

    Maxwell stood up and took his axe off his back, getting ready to attack. "He's right. You are a threat to Cayhill and quite possible, other nations. I'm afraid I can't permit you to roam these lands either. Someone of your caliber will be dealt with, accordingly" he said. He can't let someone as dangerous as this knight to roam free.

    Lynette stood up and held her staff close to her chest. She wasn't as confident as Tsuki or Maxwell, but she couldn't back down in front of them. That wouldn't make her look good. "We may not be able to do much, but they have a point. Someone as strong as you has the power to break our balance of peace. We can't allow that to happen" she said, trying to act strong.

    The man then lifted up his gun and pointed it at the knight. He had his finger on the trigger, ready to fire. Since his Suppression Arte wasn't in effect, his bullet will have it's full effect. "So, what are you going to do? Four against one doesn't seem like good odds to me" he said.

    The knight took a moment to consider his options. The only real threat to him was the mercenary. The other three were no match for him but having reinforcements in the fight could prove troublesome. "Tch, guess I'll retreat for now. Next time, you won't be so lucky" the knight said. He then took one last look at Tsuki. "You better watch your back, boy. There are so many things about you that you have yet to realize" the knight added. Just then, the knight disappeared in stream of light. It appears that he teleported out of the mines.

    The man twirled his gun before putting it in it's holster that was on his right thigh and then strapped his sword to his back. "Yeah, that's what I thought" he said. He then approached Tsuki, Lynette and Maxwell. "Are you guys okay?" he asked them.

    Tsuki looked at the an and nodded. "We're fine, thanks to you. You came at the right time" he said. He then held his hand out for a handshake. "The name's Tsuki Himura. This is my partner, Lynette Suzaki and Lucas Maxwell, a General of Briswater" he said as he introduced the group.

    The man looked down at his hand then stretched his arm out and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you folks. My name's Ramza Tokatsu. As you heard, I'm a mercenary who works under the King of Ersheath...an Envoy, so to speak" he said.

    Lynette tilted her head, scratching her cheek. "Isn't Ersheath directly north of Nargelond? What are you doing here?" she asked. She isn't to familiar with the other continents outside of Cayhill. She has never been off Cayhill so there wasn't much she knows about the world's geography.

    Ramza nodded. "Correct. I came all this way to Cayhill to hunt down that knight under orders of the King. I've been hunting him down for almost two months when the trail finally picked up. To think he would come to a neutral nation though was to be expected though since other nations can't freely walk upon these lands. He won't get far though. I can always track him down again. What are you all doing this far into these mines?" he asked.

    Lynette placed her staff on her back once things calmed down. "We came to search for Frey and Maxwell and also stop the explosives from going off" she said. She then took a look around and realized that the explosives there were in danger were going off were already disabled.

    Maxwell looked at Lynette and gave her a satisfied smile. "You don't have to worry about the explosives. I already handled that" he said. Since Maxwell was an expert in explosives and machinery, disabling century old explosives was an easy task.

    Tsuki was relieved to hear that Maxwell had disabled the explosives. That was one headache they didn't have to deal with. "Okay, with that problem out of the way, I have a question before I talk to you about Basilwell" he said. He then looked towards the strange door. "What purpose does this door serve? It looks ancient" he said.

    Maxwell looked at the door then at Tsuki. "Oh, that. We don't have all the details yet. I'm sure that you've seen ancient script on the walls throughout the mines, right? Legend has it that there are several doors like this one on each continent. These doors are said to be connected to the sealed home of the Ancients" he said.

    Ramza looked at the door and recognized it after examining it. "Come to think o fit, I've seen a similar door in the Kingdom of Ersheath. It's deep within it's faults. You say it leads to the Ancients?" he asked, having his curiosity peaked.

    Maxwell nodded. "Long ago, before the War of Mana, the original in habitants of Lorategia are said to have possessed an incredible power. These in habitants are known as the Ancients. If you're familiar with the old legends, the Ancients vanished from Lorategia when their race came close to extinction. People say they died off but others say that these inaccessible doors are the doorways into the Ancient's home" he explained. Most talks about the Ancients were just folklore and legends. They have no solid proof. There was so much more they needed to know before they could come out and say that the Ancients were still alive.

    Ramxa walked up to the old door and examined it before placing his hand on it. "Who knew these old doors held such a huge secret. Does it say how one gains access to their world?" he asked. He was a man of history himself so this sort of thing interests him greatly. Not only that, but if this story was true, then it would be a huge discovery to the world.

    Maxwell folded his arms in thought. He fell into a moment of silence to gather his thoughts. "The details are sketchy but it is foretold that when four descendants of the Ancients come together and approach the door, their Mana will fuse together and pour into the door, opening it to their distant homeland" he said. There wasn't much known about the doors, the Ancients or these four descendants.

    Tsuki couldn't help but think back to when he had that strange vision in the upper chamber. "Four descendants of the Ancients, huh?" he said to himself. He then remembered that when the strange figure in his vision referred to him as a descendent. He then shook his head, shaking the thought.

    Lynette looked at Tsuki, tilting her head. He seemed to be bothered by something. "Tsuki? What's wrong?" she asked. She was a little concerned because he wasn't being himself since that last aftershock in the upper chamber.

    Tsuki looked at Lynette and shook his head. "I'm fine, it's nothing to worry about" he said. He then looked at Maxwell. "Anyway, we need to talk about Basilwell. Can we get to that already?" he asked. He didn't want to get distracted anyone. This whole business with the Ancients did catch his interests, but has had enough with side trips.

    Maxwell looked at Tsuki and nodded. "Ah, yes. Let's return to the surface and we'll continue our discussion there" he said. He then looked at Ramza. "I ask that you come with us as well. I have a request that I'd like to ask of you" he said. He then walked into the tunnels from where they came from and started to head back towards the surface.

    Tsuki, Lynette and Ramza then followed Maxwell out of the chamber. They eventually met up with Frey in the upper chamber but was still too weak to walk on his own. With the help of Tsuki and Maxwell, they helped Frey walk and before they knew it, they were back on the surface as sunlight and a cool, fresh breeze welcomes them back from the suffocating mines. along with cheers of relief from the miners and military personnel.

    To be continued...