• Tales of Xalthia

    Chapter 24: Facade


    Twelve hours have passed since Tsuki and his companions set sail from Basilwell, leaving Cayhill and the kingdom of Eresseas behind them as they crossed the vast ocean. When the sun rose the next day, they found themselves in the middle of nowhere. The only thing that was around them was the ocean that extended beyond the horizon all around them. Besides a few small islands, there wasn't any significant landmasses anywhere in sight. Most of the group weren't able to sleep well due to the rocking of the ship. The only people that were used to sailing at sea were Ellie, Ramza and the small crew that was appointed to the ship by Alba.

    Around noon, Tsuki was standing out on the deck of the ship, staring out at the ocean. He appeared to be in deep thought. Thanks to Alba's help, sailing the ship was a lot easier despite the fact that they were only given a crew of ten sailors to help with the ship. He knew that the ship was in good hands so he didn't have to worry about that. However, everything else that's happened remained on Tsuki's mind. The fall of Eresseas, the Menorion occupation and stranglehold over Cayhill, the Ancients and the mystery behind them and not knowing whether or not Taichi and Emma along with the other members of the Royal Eight were alive. Everything happened so fast.

    As Tsuki remained in thought, a man in a captain's uniform approached him from behind. "Mr. Himura? Are you okay?" the man asked.

    Tsuki snapped back to reality and turned around to face the man. He then nodded at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking. I have a lot on my mind right now. Also, call me Tsuki" he said.

    The man nodded. "Of course. A lot has happened recently so I can't blame you. Allow me to formally introduce myself now that we're out of immediate danger. My name is Rolfe Sozette, Captain of the Saint Alize. It's a pleasure to work with you" he said. He then held his hand out to shake his hand.

    Tsuki reached out and shook Rolfe's hand. "My name is Tsuki Himura. My companions are Lynette Suzaki, Ramza Tokatsu, Ruko Suigetsu, Cheria Tsubasa, Nagi Ferid and Elle Solize" he said.

    Rolfe nodded and gave him a brief smile. "Good to know. We're going to be spending a lot of time together so we should know each others' names at the very least" he said. He then stood beside him, placing his hands on the wooden rail and leaned forward, inhaling the ocean smell. "We should arrive in Velika by tomorrow night" he said.

    Tsuki tilted his head. Since he has never left Cayhill, he knows absolutely nothing about the other kingdoms or their cities. "Velika?" he asked.

    Rolfe nodded. "Yes, you never heard of Velika? It's the famous Trade City of Velika. Merchants from all over the world gather in that one city and earn huge profits in sales from the city folk and travelers from all around" he said.

    Tsuki went into thought for a moment. "Interesting. It sounds like a city where we can get a lot of information too. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Ersheath. Do you mind telling me everything you know about the continent?" he asked.

    Rolfe nodded. "Sure, let's talk on the bridge. I have some books and documents up there that you can take a look at" he said. He then turned around and started to head back towards the bridge.

    Tsuki followed Rolfe up towards the bridge so that he could learn everything he can about the continent of Ersheath. Meanwhile, Elle, Lynette, Nagi and Cheria were below deck in the ship's lounge area. They were having a conversation about something as they laid back on the couches and chairs that were set up in the center of the lounge. They were having a good time and laughing until Nagisa fell silent and looked towards the ground.

    Cheria looked at Nagisa and tilted her head. "Nagi? What's wrong?" she asked. Her demeanor had changed from a happy and cheerful attitude to being troubled about something.

    Nagi remained silent for a minute before she gathered the courage to ask a question. When she was ready, she looked over at Elle who was sitting across from her in one of the chairs. "Why haven't you told Tsu who you really are?" she asked.

    Lynette looked at Nagi and Elle with a confused look on her face. She suddenly asked a strange question out of nowhere. "What are you talking about, Nagi?" she asked.

    Elle remained silent and looked down at the ground with her hands folded in her lap. She was clearly hiding something. In an instant, her normal, cold facial expression changed into an innocent look. Now that Nagi has spoken up to her publicly, there was no way out for her. "It's complicated..." she said.

    Nagi shook her head and stood up from her chair. "How!? You do know he's spent years looking for you, right!? Why don't you tell him who you really are!? Why are you hiding it from him, Elize!?" she shouted, blurting out a familiar name.

    Cheria tilted her head and looked at Elle after Nagi called her Elize. It was a name that was vaguely familiar to her but couldn't put her finger on it. "Elize? Elle, what is she talking about?" she asked. She now wanted to know what was going on between Nagi and Elle.

    Elle went silent once more and sighed heavily soon afterwards. "I guess the secret is out now. I can't hide it from you guys anymore" she said. She then looked up at them and gave each one a look. "My name, Elle Solize, is a fake name I gave myself to cover up who I really am. My real name is Elize Himura...Tsuki's little sister. A sister who disappeared when Tomoha was burnt to the ground" she said, revealing her long-kept secret.

    When Elle told them her secret that she has kept hidden from everyone for years, Lynette and Cheria were shocked. They had no idea that Tsuki even had a sister and now they find out that his sister who he had been searching for since the night of the Tomoha raid has been with them all this time. They were speechless and didn't know how to react to this shocking discovery.

    When Cheria eventually got over the initial shock of finding out who Elle really was, she shook her head and tried to think of what she could say to her. "Elle...how could you keep such a huge secret to yourself?" she asked.

    Elle closed her eyes, sighing once more before looking at Cheria with her answer. "Your Highness, I apologize for deceiving you for all these years. However, I can't answer your question right now. It's not the right time for me to do so. This isn't the time to reveal myself to Tsuki" she said.

    Nagi walked up to her and placed her hands on her hips, "Why? Tsuki has been suffering for a long time. You are the only family he has left and he thinks you're missing or dead!" she said, shaking her head. She made a fist as her arm started to shake. Not from anger, but from frustration. She couldn't understand her reasoning behind all of this.

    Elle crossed her arms and held them close to her chest, shaking slightly. "I know...I know that! His suffering...I can see it clearly. I want to tell him but now isn't the time. I'll tell him who I really am but only when the time is right. No matter how much I suffer for hiding the truth from him" she said. She then looked up at them with a serious look on her face. "Until that time comes, he must not know who I am. This conversation doesn't leave this room, okay?" she asked.

    Nagi gave Elle a long, hard look. Elle was her childhood friend and a beloved sister to Tsuki. She could feel the pain and suffering he's endured when he told her his story back in Eresseas. "He's suffered since that horrific night in Tomoha. The thought of him losing you brings him grief" she said.

    Elle nodded slowly. She knew he has suffered, thinking that she's dead or missing. She also knows that he still suffers from not knowing. However, it still wasn't the right time to speak up. "It pains me to see someone I love suffer so much. We're all that's left of our family. That's why, I plan on staying by his side. When the time comes, I'll tell him who I am. I promise" she said, giving them her word.

    Cheria sighed and nodded afterwards. She didn't like keeping such an important secret from Tsuki but Elle was very adamant of not telling him quite yet. "You're still you whether or not you hide behind the name of Elle. Until you tell Tsuki who you really are, this will be our little secret" she said.

    Elle looked at Cheria and smirked a bit. She wanted to change the subject and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. "Oh? Can you keep a secret from him though? As I've heard, you two lovebirds never keep secrets from each other" she said, teasing her and bringing up how they're so lovey-dovey with each other.

    Cheria became flustered and blushed bright red from her comment. "L-lovebirds? We aren't...in love" she said, twiddling with her thumbs a bit as she looked down.

    Lynette grinned and moved closer to her until her face was directly in front of hers. "Hmm? That brief moment of hesitation says otherwise as well as your reaction. You love him, don't you?" she asked. She was curious and wanted to how she felt about Tsuki.

    Cheria shook her head as her face became a darker red. She didn't know what to say. "Now, Lyn is teasing me..." she said. She then sighed and took a moment to calm herself down before looking up at them. "But you're right. I can't hide it anymore. I do love him. He is extremely important to me. The times we spent together over the years are some of the most cherished memories that I have. Just as he wants to protect me, I want to protect him which is why I learned archery" she said.

    Nagi tilted her head. She had a question in her mind that she wanted to ask but wasn't sure how she should properly say it. After a moment, she decided to go with what she had in mind. "Would you consider marrying him if he proposed? If you do, you guys would be the new King and Queen of Eresseas. That would raise the hopes of Cayhill as a whole" she said.

    Cheria shrugged, not sure how to give her a definitive answer. She was still blushing as they continued to talk about their relationship. "Marriage...it'd be a thing for not only us but for everyone in Cayhill. However, Tsuki doesn't want such a high standing in Cayhill. He hates politics so I don't want to put him in a position he's not going to enjoy like being crowned as the next King. If I have to, I'll leave all the riches and perks of living in royalty and become a normal person for him, if it comes down to that" she said, admitting her true feelings.

    Elle smiled as Cheria talked about her and Tsuki's relationship. Being his brother, she's happy that there's someone who loves Tsuki with all their heart. "It seems you fell in love with him quite hard. I wonder if he realizes that you love him" she said.

    Lynette shook her head. She highly doubts he's realized it. "I don't think so. He's pretty dense. I'm sure he'll realize it himself at some point. Otherwise, you're gonna have to tell him yourself" she said.

    Cheria smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah. I'm not in any hurry to know how he feels about me though. I have all the time in the world to tell him how I feel. I just don't want him to feel pressured to tell me" she said. She then cleared her throat and looked at Ellie, Lynette and Nagi. "This is our secret as well, okay?" she asked.

    Elle chuckled a bit. "Of course, Your Highness. Nothing we speak of here leaves this room until the time is right" she said.

    Everyone in the room agreed and continued their original conversation. As they talked among themselves, Ramza and Ruko were on the back of the ship, staring out at the sea in the direction they came from. They were also in the middle of a conversation themselves but one that was completely different than what Cheria and the others were having.

    Ruko starred out at the sea behind them for a few minutes. Soon after, he turned his head to face Ramza who stood next to him, leaning up against the railing. "So, what's Ersheath like? Is it like Cayhill?" he asked. Since he knew absolutely nothing about the other continents, he wanted to know what they were like.

    Ramza shook his head. "Not exactly. Ersheath isn't in a neutral state like Cayhill. There is no established peace and there hasn't been for quite a few decades. Esseand is currently on bad terms with Dolothlond, the kingdom of Nargelond. There have been skirmishes and fights breaking out on both lands from each kingdom. Due to the constant fighting and hostilities, it makes the people of both nations uneasy. They fear that war will break out. No one wants that but the fighting continues to spread with no end" he said.

    Ruko tilted his head. "Disputes between the two kingdoms, huh? Is it even safe to travel there now under the current conditions? With war possibly on the verge of breaking out, I'd imagine travel in and out of the nations is heavily restricted and guarded" he said.

    Ramza shook his head once more. "No. Actually, this is the worst possible time to travel to those two nations. If someone they don't know suddenly shows up unannounced in either land, it could make matters worse. In my case, it's easy for me to return to Ersheath due to my status and position with the King Raiku. However, you guys are another story because you're from an entirely different kingdom. I imagine that we're going to be met with some hostilities from the knights of Esseand once we make it to port" he said. He then folded his arms then looked up in the sky. "Dolothlond is a nation that's known for its aerial fighters, particularly their infamous Dragon Riders. Those Riders lay waste to Esseands' defenses without even breaking a sweat" he added.

    Ruko heard tales about the famous Dragon Riders of Dolothlond. "I've heard stories about them from Alba. When they're deployed to the battlefield, they basically dominate the airspace, giving them a big advantage over the battlefield. They're fierce fighters who could topple a battlefield easily. No one tries to pick a fight with them" he said.

    Ramza nodded. "Yeah, that about sums it up. Unless you know how to repel aerial attacks, you won't last long" he said. He then stroked his chin for a moment, thinking about something. "When it comes to our travels through Ersheath, we shouldn't have a problem if we can avoid them" he said.

    Ruko didn't want to have an encounter with fierce fighters like them in their current state. They already have enough problems on their hands with an entire nation to fight back. If they're as fierce as everyone says they are, they will be ill-prepared. He then shook his head to get the thought out of his head. "So, is there going to be someone waiting for us when we reach port or will we have to walk?" he asked.

    Ramza shrugged. "I'm not sure. Chances are, we'll be walking. His Majesty isn't the type to open up to people from other nations. However, as long as I'm with you guys, there shouldn't be too many problems but like I said, Esseand is in a delicate state right now so I can't make any promises" he said.

    Ruko closed his eyes and fell into thought for a moment. "I see. Well, I can understand that. Not all of the kingdoms are as friendly and open as Eresseas" he said.

    Ramza sighed and looked down towards the deck of the ship. "Yeah. Only time will tell" he said. He then fell silent, losing himself in his train of thought.

    As the hours went by, everyone had their private discussions accordingly among themselves. They used their free time to rest and relax since they have no idea when they'll get another chance. Time seemed to have flown by because before they knew it, they were finally able to see land. As they sailed closer to port, a massive city came into view. Their destination was finally in sight after two days at sea. They were all relieved to be on land again but were also anxious about stepping into a hostile land.

    By the time they sailed into Velikas' seaport, the sun was already going down. After thirty minutes, they pulled into one of the empty docks and shut off the water Artes that were being used to make the ship sail. As they got ready to walk off the ship, they noticed a squadron of knights gather on the dock that they pulled into. It appears that they're waiting for them to exit the ship. They didn't seem too pleased about their arrival with the way they were holding their weapons.

    When Tsuki walked down the ramp of the ship and onto the dock, the soldiers and knights were on edge. They didn't know what to expect. They kept their weapons in a defensive stance. Tsuki could sense the hostility among the knights who stood on edge on the other end of the dock.

    One of the knights who appeared to be the commanding officer of the squad approached him cautiously with his weapon ready. "Halt. Your ship is not under Ersheath's registry. State your name and business here. Be quick about it too. We don't take too kindly to foreigners" he demanded with an aggressive tone.

    Tsuk could understand their aggression towards them given what Ramza had informed them about. However, he didn't appreciate their immediate aggressive attitude. "Boy, is that how you welcome travelers from distant lands? Looks like they didn't teach you manners in knight school" he said, returning their aggression.

    The knight became angry immediately after hearing Tsuki's comment and his disrespect towards him. "You impudent little runt! Do you have any idea who you're talking to!?" he shouted at him.

    Tsuki folded his arms and stared him down. "It appears that I'm talking to a knight with no manners" he said, further provoking him.

    Before things got out of hand anymore than they already are, Ramza stepped off the ship. "Alright, that's enough you two! Let's not cause trouble when we haven't even left the ship yet" he said. He walked up to Tsuki and patted his shoulder. "You're still strict and edgy as ever, my friend" he said.

    The knights' attitude towards the group changed instantly when he saw Ramza walk off the ship and stand next to Tsuki. "S-sir Ramza!" he said. He then quickly saluted him with the other knights behind him.

    Tsuki looked at Ramza and tilted his head. There seems to be more about him that he doesn't know yet. Working under the royal family's name tends to put a lot of secrecy on that person. Elle worked as a stealth specialist under Taichi and Emma and no one knew about it except for the royal family. Who knows what kinds of other secrets Ramza could still be hiding from them.

    To be continued...