| I can hear the crying echoing from the walls as we walk inside of them. With the stranger at my side and my friend at my other, I walked through the dusty walls and toward the faint glow at the end. The crying seemed to fade away as we approached the room at the end. A breathing seemed to flow from deep within as we slowed, almost to a halt, in front of the room. �Now is the time to shape your stories.� The stranger spoke to me as we stood silently outside of the doorway. �You must choose; choose to fight or fall.� �I will not fall back.� I answered as a dreadful thought hung onto my mind. I seemed distracted from reality as though living in a dream. �I will not surrender.� �I shall stand by you.� My friend spoke to me with a forced grin. �If we die, we die together!� �Then, it is time to face you fears.� The man raised his sword as we all prepared to enter the dark, musty room. �Remember, your fate is in your hands.� With thoughts still lingering in the back of my mind, the three of us entered the room prepared to fight to the death with whomever stood there. My mind raced with empty memories and thoughts from days of old even though they were actually not that long ago. I could feel the turmoil from within the very confines of the house as though they were my own. The crying had stopped. My breath was quickened as I stopped in the room and stared at the heathen � our enemy � that we were to send to his death. My heart stopped as I stared at the familiar face with an expression of sheer terror across my own face. �No.� My sword fell to the ground and clamored loudly on the stones. The small town of Soir Vert on Marthor was hometown to many of the voyagers who discovered the known half of Synth. Soir Vert was scattered with cottages and was settled next to an array of waterfalls and sparkling rivers. Somewhere within the peaceful town and the smokestacks of the houses was a girl with long blond hair and deep auburn eyes. That girl was history. �Nephte!� Her name echoed across the field. �What�re you doing out here?� A girl dressed in rags came running up to her in a frenzy. �Priscilla,� she turned slowly toward her and stared strangely at the girl, �what is it?� �There are some strangers at the dock to see you.� She stopped running as she slowly approached her. �They say they�re form the Kingdom of Civil.� At that moment, Nephte knew exactly who they were and why they had come to her. Walking to the air-station where the group awaited, she knew their names and where they had all come from almost instantly. I approached her first. �Zedaine,� she respectively shook my hand, �yes, I was half-expecting you all to show up.� The others stared at her as she paused and looked us over. �So, you�re all from the Kingdom of Civil.� Her eyes passed over a dark soul at the end of the line dressed all in red. �Except you.� Something struck her as odd about this darkened figure that wore tinted glasses to cover his eyes. �You are not from the Kingdom of Civil. You�re from somewhere farther.� She paused as she noticed his glasses slip and had a brief glance of his eyes before he readjusted the shades and she once again stared at her reflection in their murky depths. �Vlakorados.� The man bowed his head as though in shame. �They call you Cromwell, right?� �We must leave before dawn.� He spoke in a voice so distant, it sounded as though it was from a dream. �You must hear our journey and why we have come and asked you for help. We are all in danger here.� �Ridiculous.� She blurted out as Cromwell lifted his head. �Although you may have the gift of knowing about people, Nephte,� Cromwell turned his back toward her and took a step forward, �there is still much more you need to know and see.� He entered the building we all stood in front of. After hesitating a moment, the other travelers, Nephte, and myself entered the hut. We sat and she prepared to listen to our amazing story. We had all traveled to Soir Vert from the Lost Island in the east. On orders from their commander, Kitrun and Luchra marched on a mission to the town of Nattik to investigate the recent appearance of strange creatures repeatedly in the area. Luchra, later murdered by his own, lead the way to the small gathering of houses in the safety of the mountains. Kitrun had a feeling in his gut of something terrible, though he knew he could not undermine Luchra who was still a higher rank than he in their division. Nattik was never as quiet as the day that they had arrived. Walking through the tall pillars that marked the town�s entrance, Kitrun and Luchra noticed that the whole of the town was covered in blood. Only one living person was found in the settlement, Cromwell. Not knowing whether Cromwell was friend or foe, Kitrun and Luchra took him into custody and prepared to venture back to the further end of The Lost Island. As they passed an area of ruins, three other officers approached them. Being from a different division of the KNIGHTS, Kitrun and Luchra were not at all surprised to have never heard of these three soldiers. Makaei, Thes, and I � Zedaine � were our names as we later mentioned; but something was wrong with Thes. As our group of seven camped that night, an intense argument sprouted between Thes and Luchra. Afraid to confront them, Makaei, Kitrun, and I listened quietly from our darkened tent. �You left me for dead, Luchra!� Thes�s voice was filled with ultimate rage. �You were the only one in the corps that believed he could take on the enemy; so, we gave you the chance and you failed!� We could hear Luchra�s foot crush some leaves as he took a step toward Thes. �I failed?� �Yes, Thes,� Luchra�s voice rose slightly, �you failed. You neglected just how dangerous our enemies were back then and you put our whole corps in danger!� �No.� Cromwell whispered from behind Kitrun, Makaei, and I but, by the time we turned around, he was gone. �You shall never be forgiven!� There were two slight clicking sounds and then a gunshot rocked the night. Before Kitrun, Makaei, and I made it out of the tent, there was a muffled grunt and then the sound of a heavy body falling to the ground. As we exited the tent, we saw Luchra�s body lying lifelessly on the ground with one bullet to the chest. That was when we saw Cromwell withdraw a silver sword from Thes�s back. Falling to the ground, Cromwell landed on his useless arm that was slung up by the arm of his coat. �What did you do?� I reached for Cromwell who stood off of the ground and dusted the back of his coat. �I did nothing,� Cromwell jerked away from my grasp, �but save all your lives from an eccentric and very upset soul.� He gazed at Kitrun. �He was going to kill all of you � and me.� �How do you know of this � this treachery?� Kitrun stuttered. Cromwell gave no answer but, instead, picked up his fallen blade and took a small step away from the bodies around the small fire. �Where are you going?� Makaei yelled after him. �I�m going to find someone that can help us.� Cromwell walked toward the forest edge. �Someone that I need to see.� After a pause, Makaei stepped forward and out-stretched a hand. �Did you kill all those people in Nattik?� �I couldn�t have.� Cromwell turned toward Makaei, Kitrun, and me. �I haven�t the strength or the time.� �We need answers, Cromwell!� I yelled as Cromwell turned back toward the trees. �Real answers!� �That�s why we must make the journey to Soir Vert.� Cromwell grunted as he lowered his sword until the blade rested on the cool earth. �Why to Soir Vert?� Makaei asked as he, Kitrun, and I all approached Cromwell. �The only person that can help us is there; but, first,� Cromwell lifted his blade, �we must find some means to reach Marthor.� �The only port here is in Leau.� I stated as we all gazed back at Cromwell. �But, that�s located at the other end of the island. It would take days to reach it.� Kitrun sounded pessimistic about the idea. �That is where we must go.� Cromwell stood erect. �We just don�t have that much time.� He turned toward us. �We must find a faster way to the port in Leau.� We all gazed around and, after a moment, the answer came to us. Its black feathers blowing in the gentle breeze, a giant Sqwuall landed in front of the dying fire. Legendary for helping stranded travelers, we all knew that the Sqwuall was our only means of reaching Leau. Even though we all doubted the journey, Cromwell, Kitrun, Makaei, and myself climbed onto the Sqwuall�s back and headed to the south end of The Lost Island to the port therein. The stranger we had found made Kitrun, Makaei, and me nervous as we soared through the air above continents and oceans. Never before had we found someone so strange that knew so much about many things that he should not. �Empty thoughts.� Cromwell whispered as the wind rushed hastily past us. �One shouldn�t think empty thoughts.� He turned on the Sqwuall�s back and faced us. �They shan�t help our purpose.� �He�s crossing boundaries, Zedaine.� Makaei growled under his breath as Cromwell turned back toward the sky. �How do we know he did not set this all up?� �We�re going to have to trust him, Makaei.� I glared toward the man. �He did save us from Thes�s vengeance. We should be thankful to him.� �How can we trust him? You saw him in Nattik. How do we know he did not kill all those people?� �We don�t, Makaei.� Kitrun entered the conversation. �We�re just going to have to trust him now, aren�t we?� �I suppose, at least until we get to Leau.� He paused as Cromwell glanced back once. �I don�t like his eyes. Those glasses block him from us. I can feel the evil deep down within his soul.� He stared intently at Cromwell �There�s something wrong with him.� �Perhaps but,� I mumbled, angrily, almost inaudibly, �we must befriend him for now, for he is the only one that can help us reach Leau.� �Yes, sir.� Makaei stared up at the clouds that had gathered above us in the night sky. �Whatever you wish of me.� Perhaps it was the lonely calling of birds in the east or the howling of the vicious wolves in the west that made the hairs on my neck stand but, either way, the journey was most discomforting to me. I could hear Makaei and Kitrun whispering but the words they were speaking seemed almost foreign to me as I lie back and slowly closed my eyes. The heavy breathing of the Sqwuall and its soft black feathers put me instantly into a state of comfort and I seemed to slowly drift to sleep. I should not have fallen asleep but, the facts is, I did and my dreams were filled with horrible visions and a haunting voice that called � well, beckoned me. �Zedaine.� The voice echoed in my mind. The calling rose and fell like the wind as it spoke. �Zedaine.� This dream was one I had had for years and it never seemed to bother me. The voice calling to me was haunting and lingered like a perfume. What was it supposed to mean and why did it come? �Who are you?� I whispered in the dark as I stepped into the blackness. �What is it you want?� �Zedaine.� The voice whispered again. A longing could be heard but it seemed only to be false hope. �Zedaine.� A soft candlelight formed at the end of the blackness but it seemed to be so far away from me. �I have come for you.� �Who are you?� I watched as the light drew closer and closer to me. �What do you want with me?� �Zedaine.� The calling of my name made me shudder with its slimy touch. I could almost feel the figure breathing upon me as it drew even closer. �You have to come with me. Stay with me, Zedaine.� �Tell me who you are!� �You must stay.� I could almost see the person�s face as it came closer. The same outplay as all the dreams before. A haunting voice that called me to join it hung in my mind. �Don�t resist it, Zedaine. It�s the only way.� The figure shrouded in black stepped close to me and reached out a cold, pale hand. �You cannot leave.� Suddenly, the light snuffed out and I searched the darkness for the blackened figure. A scream erupted in the darkness. I bolted upright and wiped the sweat from my brow. The air was now cold since I was doused in a pool of sweat from the lingering nightmare. Makaei and Kitrun turned suddenly toward me with worried expressions. �What is it, boss?� Makaei stared intently at me. �Bad,� I rubbed my temple, �bad dreams.� �Same one, eh? Maybe it�s supposed to mean something.� �Yes, but, what?� �You�ll find out all in good time.� Cromwell replied still staring straight ahead. �The answers shall come to you. You will know soon enough.� I stared strangely at the man that sat at the head of the Sqwuall. �Who are you?� Cromwell turned. �I am I, Cromwell of the Lost Continent � Vlakorados. I have history in this place.� He turned back toward the vast sky. �You will find out in time, my friend.� The Sqwuall began to slowly dive toward the ground. A giant metal group of houses could be seen through the clouds. �All in time.� I replied not as we all neared the ground. The port of Leau lined the riverbank and the metal masses reflected the sparkling blue. A giant port stood halfway into the River Lete. The Sqwuall softly landed and, when the riders dismounted, flew hastily up into the sky. Some of its jet-black feathers fell to the ground around us. I still stared oddly at Cromwell. �Why are you here?� I lifted a hand as Makaei and Kitrun also stared toward the strange man. Cromwell grinned as he turned toward the three weary travelers. �To give you answers.� He smirked as the smile faded to an expression of seriousness. �Answers to what?� Makaei grew angry once again. �To your deepest questions and desires.� �We have no questions!� �I do, Makaei.� I glared at him. �And I suggest you not speak for the entire group unless you�re sure it�s accurate.� Makaei bowed his head. �Whatever you wish of me, sir.� I stared back toward Cromwell. �Tell me, why are you here, stranger?� Cromwell stared for but a moment before responding solemnly. �Not now, my friend. I shall answer that not now.� He gazed past us three and toward the port behind us. �We must make it to Soir Vert before three days time. It is vital to our survival.� �Why is it you avoid our questions, stranger?� Kitrun glared evilly. �Why can�t you just give us an answer, Cromwell?� �I cannot tell you more than you already know. It would be devastating to us all.� His voice seemed sincere to me as he spoke of warnings and trouble. No, he did not say it directly but I knew that he meant we would be followed by chaos if he spoke. In my heart I felt I knew him, his dark eyes, his odd character. At the same time, though, he seemed so strange to me. I stopped walking behind the group and stared at the towering metal in front of us. The twisted masses seemed to reach toward us as we stared strangely at them. An odd feeling swept over me as we entered Leau. There seemed an intensity there that I could not find the source of. Cromwell stopped and seemed to stare frighteningly into the city. Though we could not see his eyes through his glasses, we could all sense the terror inside of him. �You must stop this, Althenia!� Cromwell�s voice yelled inside his mind. Cromwell�s hands began to shake. He trembled lightly and we could all see his fright. �There is no stopping!� A woman hollered back at him. �I am Althenia! I will destroy you if you go against me, Cromwell!� Cromwell placed a shivering hand on his brow and bowed his head slightly. I could see his eyes close from behind his tinted windows. �You cannot do this, Althenia! I won�t let you destroy everything here!� Cromwell lowered to one knee and placed his sword tip-down on the gravel road. He gently placed his other hand next to his left foot. A vision flashed through his mind. He saw a woman dressed all in golden chains and bands of emerald and black onyx dangling from her dress. Her lips were red as fire and she beheld a scorn as intense as flame. Then, he saw himself, standing in front of her. He was young back then, a strapping young lad with both arms useful and no need for glasses. He wore the same apparel; actually, he had not changed at all. Cromwell coughed loudly and slowly stood. He could feel Kitrun, Makaei, and my eyes boring into him. �You shall regret this night!� A bright light flooded his mind as Althenia yelled. �Are you all right, Cromwell?� I stepped toward him and reached for his shoulder. He shrunk from my touch. �You mustn�t.� He wiped his still shivering hand across his brow. �You mustn�t do that.� �And why not?� Makaei was still as stubborn as ever. �Makaei!� I yelled at him, as I was finally tired of him being so questionable to someone clearly in so much pain. �Bother him not! Even I�m growing tired of your questions.� Makaei bowed his head like always. �Whatever you wish of me.� �I wish of you to shut your trap is you haven�t anything positive to state!� My fury bubbled below the surface. Never had Makaei been so vile to a stranger. �I feel you are being to eccentric in your examining!� �But, Zedaine�� �Makaei!� I interrupted as my anger with him blew. �Yes, sir.� I took a deep breath and glared evilly at Kitrun as he stepped toward me. The extreme fear on his face almost made me shudder once I caught its glimpse. The pain in his expression was almost like a dagger to the heart. �Not on my count, Zedaine.� Cromwell approached me and motioned toward the port. �Maybe after we have reached our destination you can deal with your partner.� I lowered the hand I had raised in anger and stared befuddled at the man. �Yes, perhaps you�re right.� For what was this man here with us? �Cromwell,� I placed the hand back at my side, �I believe Kitrun is right. Why do you avoid our questions?� �I have already told you, Zedaine. I cannot answer anymore. You already have the answers but you must find them for yourself.� I reached a hand toward him again to see the outcome. �You mustn�t do that.� He stepped from me and cowered on the ground once again. �You mustn�t do this, Althenia! You will destroy everything!� His shivering slowly started again as we watched on, afraid to reach for him. �It is a way of life, you ignorant fool! And, if you wish to try and stop me, I must take drastic measures!� His grip lessened and he dropped his blade to the hard ground. We stared down, worried of what was happening to our newfound friend. �What is the sense in all of this?� �Cromwell!� I yelled as he cried out from pain and sunk even lower into the dirt. I reached for him by instinct but he bolted from my touch. He struggled to rise. �Do not!� He cried as he drew his sword and raised it toward me. �If again, you will regret.� �You cannot escape your fate, Cromwell! It is a meaningless effort.� He cringed lightly but seemed not affected by anything. I watched as he lowered his sword and bowed his head for just a few seconds before raising it once again. I imagine he closed his eyes but, because of the darkened glass, I could not tell if he did. �I can feel it within him.� Makaei whispered under his breath as though to keep me from overhearing. �Something is wrong with him.� �Do you have something,� I turned toward Makaei and Kitrun, �to share with the rest of us?� Makaei bowed his head. �No, sir.� �Then, I suggest you keep it to yourself.� I snapped with a point of my finger. It seemed as though I worried more about the well being of this man than the own safety or commandment of my own men. Maybe it was the way this man spoke or the way that he moved swiftly from my touch with a cringe. Or maybe it was just the strange way he was found in Nattik amongst the devastation and chaos he swore he had not caused. Though Makaei said he could feel evilness within him, I could feel nothing � neither good nor bad; nothing gave me a sign of his mysterious character. �Where are you from, Cromwell? Why are you here?� My voice seemed full of accusations. �I am from Vlakorados but my business here is my own. I can only tell you that I have come to fulfill a promise to a friend.� He bowed his head. �Come, friends.� He lifted his head and stared at me from the back of his shades. �We must go on.� Almost as though it was an order, we followed Cromwell into the city. �I will fight you, Althenia! You will not take me, too!� I watched as his hand formed a small fist as though to ward off inner pain. I sighed deeply and shook my head because I knew that if I tried to help, it would end disastrously. �Why are we here, Cromwell?� I asked, hoping that it may take his mind off of whatever was paining him so. �The first step in our journey.� He answered solemnly without glancing back toward me. �A journey must begin with the sea and end with the stone.� �What�s that supposed to mean?� Makaei gestured toward him. �You will not win a fight against spirit, Althenia!� �A journey begins with the sea � a flexible worthwhile object � and ends with a stone � an undesirable, deadly entity.� �And you shall not win a fight against death!� A clash of thunder and a bright light erupted inside of his brain. Cromwell�s right hand trembled slightly and I could tell that something was happening. �What is it that pains you so, stranger? Why is it you act this way?� Cromwell hesitated and then turned to stare at me through the sanctity of his glasses. �Memories have gone and people have flourished. I stay here and keep promises.� He turned back to stare at the buildings and the port. �That is my fate.� He sighed as he began to walk toward the port at the opposite end of the city. �A past of lies and a future of deception.� What Cromwell meant by that statement puzzled me and still does. I know not what he meant but I knew that, with a person like Cromwell, I would soon find out. |
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