Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Araya Lucaris (Elora Krisara x AndrewS)

There was the tiniest bit of satisfaction when Kelaria noticed his inability to heal the cut on his cheek. She didn't know or understand the reason he couldn't, but it was one teeny tiny victory. An inconsequential one in the long run, knowing they were all about to die. It would all be lost now. That satisfaction was wiped away the instant Balthier so easily flung Alexandra away. A fear worse than any she had felt before gripped her as he approached Vander, taking up this strange new sword.

Kelaria helplessly watched as Balthier held the blade to his brother's chest. Kelaria's blood went cold as he pushed the sword into him. She watched as Vander desperately fought to keep the blade away, slicing his hands in the process. "Vander!" she helplessly stumbled forward again. Her voice was desperate and pleading. The anger inside of her only grew. She couldn't sit back and watch more die in front of her while she was helpless and unable to do anything about it. She refused to let Balthier do that to her again, not with him. She knew that if she could just muster enough of her magic to fight him Alexandra may have a chance to get to Vander and heal him. They could escape and find the Araya Lucaris together. Kelaria knew she was never destined to do it anyway. It would have to be someone else. If this was the only way she could help then she would do it, even if it meant she wouldn't survive.

Kelaria's attention turned towards Balthier as he approached her. She watched the sword thrum with the shadows of his demonic magic. Fear took on a whole new meaning as he approached. She struggled once again to unlock her light, desperate for a way to fight him. When it still didn't come to her, she felt her eyes burn with tears. She was useless.

"No." Kelaria spoke simply and glared at him. She stood her ground as though she had any chance of fighting him. "I won't let you do this to me again. I won't let you hurt them. You may as well strike me down now because I will never make this easy for you. I will never give you what you want. " Her words held no real threat behind them in her current state, and she knew it, but she meant every word anyway. She would find a way to give them meaning. She eyed the sword again. If there were only a way to be fast enough to get it from him.

It was foolish, it was hard to say if it was more or less foolish than the rock, but that didn't stop Kelaria from making the stupid choice again. With nothing but adrenaline powering her spent body now, Kelaria acted. With no weapon, no magic, and no prayer of succeeding Kelaria lunged at Balthier: aiming for his arm.
 
Balthier lifted his arm as Kelaria latched onto it, holding his ground. She wasn't strong enough to physically pull it from him, and the dark energy that reverberated around the blade would have only made it more painful for her to touch it. He allowed her to tug at it, giving her false hope that she would be able to wrestle it from his grasp. He looked back, over his shoulder, at the damage that he had caused; Vander was bleeding out on the floor and gasping through his blood-filled mouth to draw air, Alexandra was still unconscious below the dent made in the wall by the force of her body being thrown into it. Balthier's eyes focused back on Kelaria, staring straight through her. "I gave you an offer that was more than fair. Now, you lose them both."

Balthier turned his arm, slightly, then swung it outwards with her still pitching onto it. Not only did this fling her backwards from where she was, it also caused the blade edge of the blade to gash across her rib cage, searing through her skin with it's dark energy, catching her blood on the crystals that were embedded into the blade. They began to react, almost immediately. The finished edge of the blade started to glow, pushing Balthier's dark magic to the other side that had less crystals, over powering it, as if Kelaria's blood itself still held remnants of her light within it. The sword began to shake, then sear against Balthier's hand, the way the stone against his cheek had. He gripped tighter, trying to force more of his demonic magic inside the blade to fight back the burgeoning light, but he was unable to stop it's spread, forcing him to drop it entirely when the burning of his palm became too painful for him to bare.

Again, his dark magic seemed unable to repair the damage, and the weapon clattered to the floor, the light remaining for as long as Kelaria's blood still touched the crystals within it.

"What did you do?" He hissed, angrily.

Vander rolled over onto his stomach, his vision hazy. He could see Balthier holding his hand in pain, but from his position, he could barely see much of Kelaria; only the fact that she was injured, and bleeding. Balthier began to approach on her again, intending to take her anger out on him. In one last, desperate breath, Vander used whatever was left of his strength, and magic, to force a teleportation from his position on the floor. When he reappeared, it was between them, the sword summoned back to his hand. He could barely stand, let alone hold the thing, but her light continued to hum within the crystals, giving the blade the force it needed to repel Balthier backwards. It actually hurt him, irreversibly so, leaving the King more hesitant to get closer as long as the sword still burned with Kelaria's dormant power. The problem was that the very same light that could be weaponized against Balthier also harmed Vander in return, causing him pain just from holding it, regardless of the fact that he was badly injured, and his palms bleeding from his previous attempt at stopping Balthier's attack.

"Kel..." Vander whispered, barely, coughing again as he found speaking a single syllable more than he could manage now. "N-need your light...please, try..." It was a hail Mary, but Vander knew it was the only thing that could save them now. The fact that the sword was glowing was proof that somewhere inside of her, even if it was just within her blood, her light was still there, she just needed to harness it once more.

"You may have failed, but you are not a failure."
"Do not let your guilt and pain silence your heart."
"You were never born to be a hero, you were born to be a queen."
Click to expand...

Regis Fairwind, though no longer present, had urged Kelaria that her light could still be found, worried that she was letting her guilt suppress it and silence her heart. Despite being in a moment of need, Vander still looked at Kelaria with a softness in his eyes that said he wouldn't blame her if she couldn't do it, if her light was truly gone. If this was where it ended for them both, he would die not in anger with her for being unable to control her light, but in admiration for the fact that despite everything she had been through, she never stopped trying.
 
The searing pain of the dark blade tearing across her chest caused Kelaria to gasp as it stole the breath from her. Having been flung backwards, Kelaria missed the sword's initial reaction to her blood, but she felt it. In almost the same moment as the blade sliced into her flesh Kelaria felt a blinding heat travel through her body as though her blood, cold moments prior, had been set on fire. The pain was enough to cause her to cry out, but she noticed it did nothing to physically harm or weaken her. No. It did the opposite. As her blood coated the crystals of the sword Kelaria felt her body react to it. It was like another jolt of adrenaline ran through her. Having landed on her back, no one saw as her eyes flickered. For a few brief flashes they were purple again.

Powered only by sheer stubborn determination and this new burst of energy, Kelaria dragged herself once more to her feet like a weed that just refused to be purged. Her breathing was heavy as she held an arm across her new wound. Her eyes found Balthier's in enough time to see him drop the sword in pain. She also witnessed Vander teleporting himself to that same sword. She saw it hurting him. The sword he and his brother had just held in their hands now had a faint purple glow and caused them pain. Real pain. Caused by her?

Kelaria's terrified eyes found Vander's as he begged her to release her light. Even as he begged the look in her eyes reassured her that she was forgiven if she couldn't. Regis' words to her before filled her head now. Her eyes remained locked on Vander's as she focused on that burning pain running through her veins. She willed it into something more. Her light was still in there. She just had to unlock it. She had to do it for Alexandra and for Vander. She had to do it for herself and for her people. She couldn't let this end here. She wouldn't let this end here.

Those dull grey eyes flickered again. It was like a flame struggling to remain lit while being starved of oxygen. Every few breaths her eyes would glow purple again. Frustraion took over her features but she didn't stop. The heat in her veins was becoming unbearable and still she didn't stop. She welcomed it.

Kelaria held her hand out and suddenly the sword left Vander's hand and appeared in Kelaria's as she unexpectedly borrowed Alexandra's trick. The second it materialized in her grasp the room was filled with a blinding light and a wave of force that would knock even Balthier off his feet. When the light slowly died down Kelaria stood at its source. Her eyes were brighter than they had ever been. The color had returned to her hair and though she was clearly still injured she seemed strong. Her eyes left Vander's and found Balthier's. She tested the weight of the blade in her hand and looked him dead in the eye. "I'm not losing anyone today. Not by your hand or anyone else's."
 
Balthier found himself being thrown back, the light she had summoned powerful enough to push him back. His dark magic shrouded him like a suit of armor, trying to fend off the burning glow, protecting him but not saving him from being forced backwards and away from her by what she had released. When the light had died down, and the room had come back to it's normal lighting, Kelaria stood with the sword in her hand, burning bright, and Balthier was stunned by what had occurred. "How is this possible? It was supposed to be gone."

Vander slowly lifted himself back to his feet to stand beside Kelaria. The pain that kept him pinned to the floor seemed to have left him. The wounds that had been inflicted on his body had healed. Kelaria's burst of light had not only repelled the demon, but it had freed him from his pain. Alexandra, too, was beginning to stir, having also been healed by the rebirth of Kelaria's incredible power. Suddenly, hope had stirred amongst the three, and doubt had been sewn into Balthier Albright's blackened heart for the first time since Alzahar had granted him his power.

"This can't be..."

"I told you, you'll never be our King..." Vander said, reaching his hand out for the one holding the sword. As his placed his palm on top of Kelaria's the second side of the sword ignited too, adding a purple hue to the opposite end. Light and dark, rallying back and forth around it's blade, somehow finding harmony in the constant clash.

Taking a step backwards, Balthier found Alexandra standing behind him, now, her own sword back in her hand. "Yield, or face our blades."

Sharp, black daggers of dark magic formed themselves around Balthier once more, just as they had when he attacked Vander the first time. Three of them were turned towards Alexandra, the remainder trained on the joint union of magic being made by Kelaria and Vander. "The Araya Lucaris belongs to me. This kingdom belongs to me. Just try and take it back." The daggers shook violently before flying forward in both directions, a desperate Balthier launching his first attack in unison on both fronts.
 
Kelaria couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips as Vander rejoined her side, whole and healed. Finally, she answered Balthier's question. "It was never really gone. It's not something that can be taken away. So long as I am alive it will be too." She realized how true the words were. She had always known her magic was inside her, but she assumed she couldn't possibly access it again. She had feared she had somehow snuffed it out completely. She realized now how impossible that was.

"As long as you survive to wield it." her mother's words rang true at least in that sense. If she survived her magic would too.

Kelaira's eyes moved again to Vander as his magic joined her own, wrapping around the blade. Turning her attention again to the enemy before them her smile grew by the smallest fraction as she watched Alexandra come up behind Balthier. This time she was ready and unafraid as his dark daggers went flying towards them. She removed her from her chest, now painted crimson from her wound, and raised it up. Using her other hand, she was able to deflect a few of the daggers with the blade that danced with hers and Vander's combined magic. From the other hand another burst of blinding light appeared, this time creating a shield around herself and Vander. The daggers that hit the shield immediately dissolved.

" You are nothing more than a false king. The Araya Lucaris belongs to no one. This kingdom belongs to me and my people. I fully intend to take it back. There was pride behind Kelaria's words. For the first time since this all began and possibly for the first real time in her life, Kelaria felt proud of herself, even if it likely wouldn't last.
 
Balthier wasn't foolish enough to think that his initial attack would be enough, especially since everyone present had been healed enough that they could fight again. There was something about the way his body was still burning, though, almost like her light was suppressing his darkness, preventing him from using it at his full disposal. Balthier could easily kill regular humans without batting an eyelash, but it was different with them now. He wasn't sure if it was the wounds she had given, or the burst of light she had created, but he felt weaker, like his connection to his demonic magic was being disrupted.

He forced himself to teleport as the daggers smashed into the barrier, hoping to catch them off guard when it fell, but he wasn't as nimble with it as he normally was. Vander had seen it happening and had more than enough time to react, lifting the sword, along with Kelaria's hand, to intercept him. When Balthier felt the light, he altered course out of his teleport, stepping back to avoid being burned by it. Meanwhile, Alexandra came out unscathed, though the third bolt had given her some difficulty. Her magic, while strong, wasn't much of a match for dark magic like Balthier's, so she struggled to direct the dagger, but managed to do so.

The demon king knew he needed to divide them if he was to win this fight; he needed to get Vander away from Kelaria. The easiest way to do that was to go after the weakest link, so he shifted his focus back to Alexandra as she fended off his first attack, knowing that they would have to come to her aid. Alexandra's blade met a conjuration of black magic in the form of a sword, much like Marley's axe, trading blows as a wall of black energy lifted across the hallway, temporarily cutting the pair off from their ally. He knew Kelaria would cut through it, but that wasn't the point, he was buying himself time.

~~~

"Your father begged your protégé to spare the life of his wife." He taunted, trying to rile Alexandra up, tapping in to her emotions. "The last word she spoke in her dying moments was your name. She knew this was your fault."

"It wasn't my fault." Alexandra argued back, remembering what Kelaria had told her. "I'm not to blame for the horrible things that you've done!"

Blade met darkness, with Alexandra using her magic with her free hand. A blue cage formed around Balthier as she tried to pin him in place, but he broke free with a surge of energy, teleporting behind her. Alexandra quickly summoned her sword to the opposite hand to parry the incoming attack, showing great resourcefulness despite Balthier's taunting.

"Their lives were taken because you betrayed me. Does that not make it your fault?"

"I saw you for what you truly were. Not a King, but a murderer. A liar. As far as I'm concerned, all you've done is reinforce what I know. I'm ashamed to have followed you, to have helped you lay siege to this kingdom."

"And I'm disappointed that you turned out to be so weak...but don't worry, I'll reunite you with them soon. I'm sure you'll continue to disgrace them in the afterlife as you have here today."

"You monster!" She yelled, letting her magic curl around her blade, mimicing what she had seen Kelaria and Vander do. Her weapon wasn't designed with the crystals, it couldn't really hold the energy, but it caused the blade to glow blue and extend a little longer past it's tip with a construct of magic filling in the extra space. She swung it, a wave of magic flying off of it in an arc that Balthier was forced to teleport through again. He started darting around the room, using that power, but each teleport seemed to be more labored than the last, slowing down. Alexandra launched waves of magic errantly before catching on to the way he was slowing down. She thought she had figured it out, firing out another blast straight into the trajectory of his next teleportation. "That's for my parents!" She proclaimed, watching the magic cut through Balthier, only to find the version she had hit was nothing but an illusion that fizzled out.

The real Balthier was behind her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. Black magic bound her wrists as she struggled, his manifested blade letting it's malicious, onyx edge hover less than half an inch away from the skin of her throat. It was in this moment he turned them, towards the wall of darkness, hoping that Vander and Kelaria would see it when they finally broke through.

~~~

"Think you can get us through?" Vander asked, trying his hand at pushing through the wall of dark magic, but finding it was repelling him. With her light, however, she would be able to carve them an entrance. "Kelaria...I'm proud of you." He told her, sweetly, before refocusing on what was most important in the moment. "We have to help Alex."

He walked back towards her, letting her hold the sword on her own. His dark magic exited the blade, letting it shine fully with her light on both sides. He adjusted her stance, knowing she wasn't used to wielding weapons like this on her own. "Like that. Grip a little tighter...perfect." Nodding encouragingly, his eyes met the purple of her own, relieved to see their color. "Now, shine."
 
The sounds of fighting on the other side of Balthier's wall had Kelaria concerned but not nearly as concerned as she would have been moments ago. She had seen Balthier's weakness. Something she had done had weakened him. This would be the first time Balthier had even a taste of her full magic. Maybe he'd think twice about underestimating her again. Kelaria knew what Alexandra was capable of and trusted that she could hold her own against the weakened Balthier until they reached her.

Kelaria nodded once. "I can get us through." Her voice was confident and sure. After everything else, this would be an easy task. Her heart warmed at his compliment. Now that her skin had some color to it her blush showed easily. She nodded again. "Then let's help Alex." she turned her attention back to the wall. With his instruction she was able to wield the blade in a more effective manner. Her eyes met his and as the words "Now, shine" left his lips they light up before she turned towards the wall once more. Her light wrapped around the blade and shot out the end as she used it to carve a way for them through the wall of dark magic.

She stepped though in enough time to see Balthier with a blade poised above her throat. Anger flared in her again. "No!" She shot her bloodied hand forward and a blast of pure purple light shot at his hand in an attempt to dissolve the dark magic blade he held. She had told him she wouldn't let him take anyone from her today and she intended to hold to that.
 
Vander watched in awe and wonder as Kelaria commanded her light, channeling it through the blade and outwards with such precision that it pierced through the wall, causing the entire division to fall away, her light eating away at it until it could no longer stand. On the other side, he froze, seeing Alex in such a dangerous position, but Kelaria had no such hesitation. Willed on by her control over her re-emerging power, her light destroyed Balthier's constructed weapon. With it gone, Alexandra was able to free herself as well, summoning her sword back to her, getting in a parting shot on Balthier as she backed away, reuniting, finally, with Kelaria and Vander.

"Took you long enough." She commented, with a joking smirk.

"I thought you had it handled." Vander teased back, causing her to scoff.

"I would have figured it out...but thank you, both." She spoke, her voice softening, though her thank you was more directed towards Kelaria than Vander given the terms of her rescue.

"Why won't you just give up? How much more do I need to take from you?"

"As long as we're still standing, we aren't going to give up trying to stop you. Brother, you have been corrupted by Alzahar's dark magic, it's just as Regis tried to warn us. Cast out the demon and together, we can put this right. We do not need to be at war with each other any longer."

"Do not call me your brother. We are nothing alike. The only thing we share in common is the same disappointment for a father."

"Our father was a good man."

"And yet, you hated him."

"I hated how he tried to control me, but he was trying to teach me in the only way he knew how. Princes were to be rulers, not warriors. I rejected that idea because I was afraid of that responsibility. You always had ambitions for the throne, do you not think that Alzahar realized that too? He tried to turn my hatred for our father into my reason for giving in to the darkness, and he nearly won."

"Vander...I can't let go. I can't stop this."

"You can. You're stronger than this."

"I'm not!" He called out, voice distorting as his eyes burned bright red again. "I will take what is mine because it is what I am due. I am your King."

Vander reached out for the sword, taking it from Kelaria, letting his magic light it up with a dark glow. "Wait for my signal, then give me everything you've got." Vander's voice was a trusting whisper, shooting her a look of determination before walking towards Balthier, on his own, raising his voice so that, this time, his brother would hear it. "Then I will fulfill the promise that Regis never could. I will free you of your burden."

"Find your courage, brother. There is no place in this world for the weak."

~~~

"It isn't fair."

"It isn't?"

"Why are you the one father favors?"

A young Vander, no older than twelve years of age, had tears in his eyes while he called out to his brother from across the training yard of their castle.

"Because you spend all of your time here, focusing on swords and fighting instead of learning how to be a prince."

"Maybe I don't want to be a prince..."

"We both are, whether we like it or not. That is the price we pay for being born into this life of privilege."

"That's no excuse for the way he treats us...why should I be any less important than you just because I don't want to spend all of my time in meetings and playing politics?"

"Father needs somebody who can take over for him when he is too old to rule. Do you not realize the weight of expectation placed upon us? The responsibility? And how the majority of that is now on my shoulders because you won't take any of this seriously? Are you just afraid?"

"I'm not afraid..."

"You are a coward."

"I'm brave!"

Vander charged at his brother with his wooden, practice sword. Balthier sidestepped and disarmed him immediately, turning the sword against Vander as he fell to the ground.

"You lead with your emotion. You lack discipline and vision. You can't throw yourself head first at a problem without a plan. That's not bravery, that's stupidity."

Vander looked up at Balthier, sadness in his eyes, feeling as though, yet again, he was the inferior brother. Even after training, he still couldn't take down his brother, even by surprise.

"Find your courage, little brother. There is no place in this world for the weak."

Balthier dropped the wooden sword into the dirt, walking past Vander, not even so much as offering a hand to pull him back to his feet.

~~~

Vander wasn't that kid anymore. He wasn't charging in blindly at his brother without having a plan, nor was he afraid to embrace the role he was made to play, even if it would cost him his life in the end. The difference between the Vander who was standing before Balthier now, and the one who opposed him that night in the throne room, was that this Vander had a reason to want to live. She was standing behind him, willing and ready, to share her light with him when the time came, to heal his wounds and keep him healthy...to accept him, even for his faults, not as a failure beneath a responsibility he didn't want but as a good man who was once lost and was now trying to find his way back.

"I'm not weak. And I'm not afraid."

"Then show me."

Balthier created another blade of darkness, connecting it with Vander's first swing, engaging his younger brother in what appeared to be their final duel.
 
Kelaria willingly handed the blade off to Vander. "Wait for my signal, then give me everything you've got." She gave a quick nod in response. "I'll be ready."

Kelaria felt proud, looking at Vander and seeing what he had become. He didn't crumble under the weight of his brother's disappointment or ridicule. He seemed to have a better understanding and confidence in who he was. He was a man capable of standing on his own and willing to face his personal demons, in this case very real ones, but willing to accept help when he was ready for it. Kelaria's magic danced across her hands in swirling patterns, ready for when he needed it. She was almost afraid to release it in case it hid away from her again, but she didn't let herself dwell on those doubts. Kelaria let her magic build up around her in preparation.

Instead of inspecting Alexandra for injuries like she wanted to, she kept her eyes trained on Vander as he crossed blades with his brother for what would hopefully be the final time. Her hands itched to intervene in a protective manner, but she held back. Vander was more than capable, and she would be ready when he needed her.
 
Sword and darkness clashed again and again, swinging back and forth. Sometimes, Vander would get the upperhand, other times, Balthier would command the pace of their fight. Balthier felt how personal this was, neglecting to use any of his dark magic and, instead, focusing on beating his little brother into submission in a more direct manner.

"Are you sure we shouldn't help him?" Alexandra asked, watching the fight alongside Kelaria, who was ready and waiting to use her light whenever it was needed. "I know this is his brother but...I don't feel right just standing aside and watching." She was a warrior, after all, and this was the man who had corrupted Marley, and sentenced her parents to death. She wanted revenge just as badly as Vander did...but she couldn't bring herself to put her desires above his own, even now that their hearts were divided and he was giving himself to another.

The Albrights appeared evenly matched. All of Vander's hard work and training, as well as the time he spent just trying to survive, had honed his skills to a level that could out match Balthier, but the sheer strength of the magic inside of his brother's body more than evened the playing field, creating a stalemate between them both.

"We could have ruled these kingdoms together. You have become strong enough to lead."

"This kingdom isn't ours. It belongs to Kelaria."

"No, it belongs to me."

Balthier's anger got the better of him, causing him to swing recklessly. Vander dodged to the left, then landed a slice of his blade against his brother's rib cage. "Lacking discipline, are we?" He asked, smirking as he used his brother's words against him. Balthier responded by forming another blade in his free hand, jamming it upwards. Vander retaliated by narrowly blocking it with the powered edge of his sword, but the force caused the blade to come loose from his grip. Instead of letting it fall directly to the floor, Vander instead used the momentum to throw it past his brother, hearing it clatter against the floor without seeing exactly where it landed.

"Van...? What is he doing?" Alexandra asked, out loud, as it seemed as though Vander had just thrown his weapon away.

Balthier swung both blades, forcing Vander to use a last second teleportation. As he came back out of it, he fell to a knee, trying to catch his balance. It was then he felt one of Balthier's constructs stab through his shoulder. Balthier pulled him forward by the wound, into his arms. Vander stumbled forward against his brother to steady himself, looking up into his demonic, red eyes.

"There's the weak little brother I remember..."

"Kelaria..." Vander groaned. "The sword, now!"
 
"I'm trusting him to tell me when he needs us. Us getting in the mix now might just make things harder for all of us. It could become too chaotic. For now, we stand by and stay ready." There was a slight strain in Kelaria's voice. It was just as hard for her to stand on the side and wait, it seemed. "At the moment he has it handled..." The anxiety radiating off of the princess was practically palpable as they watched the fight go on. She trusted Vander but it was so evenly matched. Too evenly matched. One wrong move and it could be over for either side.

Kelaria's heart seized, and she jolted forward a half step when she saw Balthier stab Vander through the shoulder. Her body was tense.

"The sword, now!"

Kelaria called the sword to her and in an instant, it was in her hand. Without hesitation she wrapped her magic around it, letting her light soak into the crystals in order to imbue the weapon with her light for Vander to use. She let her magic seep into it until the blade glowed brilliantly with bright purple light.
 
With the sword behind Balthier, he wasn't aware of the way it was beginning to glow. He was too caught up in having the upperhand on his brother, as he always did, to realize that what Vander did had been done on purpose. When he recalled it this time, he angled his hand so that when it appeared, it did so in front of him. He knew this was going to hurt, but it was the only way. He could be healed when it was over, but the demon that his brother had become could not be afford the same luxury. Vander buried the brilliantly glowing blade straight through his own sternum and into Balthier's heart, his eyes locked onto Kelaria's the entire time he did so. She was going to hate him for this.

Both of the Albright brothers screamed in pain as Kelaria's light burned through them both. Vander's dark magic began to interfere, moving through the handle and across the crystals, but by the time it had gotten to the point where it could match her power, the damage had been more than done. For Vander, it was unimaginable pain. For Balthier, it was enough to stop his wretched heart.

Vander withdrew the blade and tossed it aside, clutching the wound he had made, trying to keep the blood from exiting his body too quickly before his wound could be healed. Balthier fell onto his back, the magic inside of him desperately trying to repair the hole that had been made in his chest, but unable to fight against the light that remained festering in his wound. His eyes shot open as he gasped for air, his heart restarting, but for a short moment, long enough to cough out a statement towards his brother. "Van-der...thank..you."

Vander's eyes opened as he heard his brother's voice, not the demon, for one last time, like it had finally broken through the cracks. Was he being thanked for freeing Balthier of his darkness? Or was there something else amiss? It didn't matter. Vander fell forward into Kelaria, his eyes watering at the weight of having taken his brother's life, even if what remained was far from his brother anymore. Alexandra came closer as well, wanting to comfort him, but realizing that it was not her role to play and that Kelaria was already in a better position to do it. Dark magic swirled around Balthier's body, giving one final attempt at curing the wound that had been inflicted before dying out entirely, leaving the usurper king on his back, dead.
 
Kelaria's eyes widened, and she could practically feel her heart stop and sink to her stomach. Her expression turned to pure horror as Vander stabbed the brilliantly glowing blade through his own chest in order to stab his brother. "Vander! NO!" she screamed to him as she watched the blade cut right through him. Her eyes went to his face, not making any moves to hide her horror or confusion. She could feel her heart breaking already as she prepared for the pain his death would cause. One more to add to her ever-growing list. She wasn't sure this is one she could come back from. She found his eyes already on hers. When he began to scream it tore her apart inside in a way, she couldn't come close to understanding or describing. Had her words meant anything at all? Alexandra's or Regis'? Had their pleas for him to keep himself alive meant nothing to him?

The second the blade clattered to the ground Kelaria's body unfroze and she ran to him. She dropped to her knees beside him and pulled him into her lap. Tears were already in her eyes. "Damn it Vander!" She brought her hands to his bleeding wound and pressed down onto it in an attempt to stop the bleeding as she willed her light to heal him. Her hands trembled as they began to pour light into his wound, seeking to stitch and mend him to make him whole again. It could heal his physical wounds, but it could do nothing to heal the pain of losing his brother all over again. She hoped at least that it's warmth would bring him comfort.

For a moment Alexandra wouldn't be able to see the pair at all as Kelaria willed her light to burn brighter to heal the man she cared about. The two of them were cocooned in a circle of light that didn't begin to fade until Vander had been healed.
 
Vander could only see, and feel, Kelaria's light all around him, like a blanket smothering him beneath it's warmth. Her magic filled him, mending all wounds, relieving the pain and exhaustion in his tired muscles, and aching bones, though the pain in his chest that was unrelated to his physical injury was something that not even her light could reach deep enough to cleanse. Still, as the glow died, and he looked up at her from within her arms, he let out a small laugh, his lips curling into a smirk. His hand lifted, slowly, until it crested the curve of her cheek, resting there for a brief moment before falling back to her side once more. "I knew if I did that, you'd save me."

"You're an idiot, Vander Albright. A stupid, reckless, inconsiderate..." Alexandra was angry too, but she started to trail off during the middle of her rant, shaking her head. "...you're lucky she's here to heal you because I really want to hurt you right now."

Vander couldn't help but laugh again, taking a moment to compose himself before lifting back to his feet, slowly. The jovial nature of the moment between the three died down as he turned back towards where his brother had rested. Balthier's body had begun sinking into the floor, surrounded by a pool of dark magic, submerging entirely before Vander could even think to try and react and pull it out. Like quick sand, it swallowed him down, giving Vander nothing to bury, and no body to grieve.

"...do you think it's because he was a demon...?"

"No, we've killed a demon before...that didn't happen to him." Vander answered, recalling Finlay.

"I'm sorry, Van...I'm sure you wanted something to bring back to your kingdom, something to bury..."

"It's alright. I don't think it would have done my people any good to see him in that state anyways..." His people? Already, expectaiton and responsibility was seeping in before Vander even had a chance to fully grasp the fact that he had just taken the life of his only remaining family. "And I don't want to stay here any longer either. This place is still crawling with his followers, other demons...I don't think we want to be here when they realize what we've done."

Alexandra nodded. "Let us catch up with Regis and leave this place at once. Our fight is not yet over, but this is a big step forward."

Vander recalled his sword, sheathed it, and carried it with him as the three survivors made their way towards the false wall Regis had been concealed behind.

"Goodbye, brother..."

~~~

Black and purple flickered in every direction of what felt like a realm that shouldn't exist. The very air inside was evil and suffocating, the walls were somehow devoid of light yet capable of casting endless shadows. Balthier Albright laid in the center, his body clutched to the floor by tendrils of dark magic that had solidified into a stone-like structure. He gasped, his eyes opening, straining against he bonds until they gave way and broke, crumbling into obsidian gravel. Sitting, he looked around in a panic, at his surroundings. "No...no, I can't be here. Not now..." He whispered, reaching up towards his chest, feeling where he had been stabbed. The wound was still there, unhealed, yet somehow, he was alive. It shouldn't have made sense, but it did.

Shadows moved around him, red eyes dancing through the darkness. Not one pair, but many, watching him. He was the center of attention, the guest of honor. One of the shadows in particular moved forward until it's whispy form focused, revealing Alzahar as one of the multiple demonic beings who were watching him. "Your fight has not yet finished, Balthier Albright. Did you really think you could just die on me and get away with it?"

"No...stop. I don't want this anymore. I don't..."

"You don't have a choice. You swore an oath to me, sealed like a contract. Your body, and soul, are bound to me for eternity, in death or in life. I pledge myself as a servant to your unholy legion and cast away my humanity..grant me this wish, and with my dying breath, I shall grant you my soul in return." Alzahar taunted, repeating back to Balthier the pledge he had made, the very same that Finlay had given moments before giving into his demon side completely. "Our work is not yet done."

Balthier screamed as the dark energy that kept him bound pulled him back down again, holding him captive beneath Alzahar's frightening stare. "You will be free when I say you are allowed to be free. The Araya Lucaris is still out there waiting for us, begging to be found. Do not disappoint me again."
 
Kelaria let out a breath of relief and tears ran down her face but now mostly from that overwhelming relief and a bit of anger. She wanted to slap the smirk right off his face but instead she just held him tighter. Her cheeks turned red as he caressed her face. "If it's within my power I'll always be there to save you." She promised him. "But that doesn't mean it wasn't a foolish and reckless thing to do! Don't you ever scare me like that again!" Kelaria made no complaints as Alexandra chewed him out. She considered letting her hurt him, agreeing entirely with her rant. Kelaria thought she was the one being stupid throwing the rock at Balthier and picking a fight with him while defenseless, but Vander put her to shame with this reckless decision.

Once Vander was off of her lap Kelaria stood as well. She winced in pain, her arm going once again to hold the still bleeding wound across her chest. her other hand reached out and took Vander's to give it a comforting squeeze as he watched the body of his brother dissolve into shadows. She wished she could take this kind of pain away. She knew what it was like to lose the only family you had left. Alexandra now did as well. Kelaria wished there was some way she could have spared them both from that pain.

Kelaria nodded. "Let's go. I want to make one stop on our way out though, If that's alright. The passages will take us by and I will be quick now that my magic and strength have returned." She walked towards the wall that concealed Regis. She used her hand that was covered in her own blood to unlock the passageway. She wondered how much of what happened Regis had heard. She was sure she was quite the sight to see when Regis saw her again. The color was back in her skin. Her hair was once again raven black with purple and blue undertones. Her eyes were as vibrant as ever. She looked better but she was also covered in blood. Her blood, Vander's blood, and any stains she had picked up from the throne room floor. She was in desperate need of a bath. The dirt stains on the dress were hardly visable because the whole garment had been stained crimson.
 
As they walked together towards Regis, Vander couldn't help but notice that Kelaria's wounds weren't healing. Though her light had returned, perhaps stronger than ever, her magic didn't function the same way that Balthier's did, it wasn't self-healing her injuries. He certainly didn't have the capability of doing that sort of magic, and Alexandra had been through as much as they both had, it wouldn't have been wise to ask this of her. "Hey, slow down." He called out to her as she got ahead of him, hoping to pull her back as the passageway opened back up. "You're still hurt..."

"Master Vander..." Regis spoke out as he saw them, his eyes falling onto Kelaria now. She was in terrible condition, but her color had returned, her light had found her once more. Regis felt bad smiling at that, hoping it didn't come across like he was glad she was in pain, but rather that he was proud of her for finding what she had lost, and for taking his words to heart. "You have found your way once more, Princess."

Regis' eyes wandered past them, into the hallway. Balthier's body had already disappeared, leaving no sign or trace that they had won, but the fact that they were all still standing (for the most part) and walking away freely was enough proof for him. A tear stung at the corner of his eye, his dirty hand lifting up to try and swipe it away. "Yes...I suppose there was no other way. I'm sorry, Master Balthier..."

"It isn't your fault, old friend." Vander reassured him, shaking his head, speaking with a gentle kindness that only seemed reserved for Kelaria under regular circumstance. "Balthier was beyond saving...but I think when he died, he was himself, for a brief moment. It sounded like the brother I knew was still in there, trapped, suffering...this was the only way to free him from his pain."

Regis nodded, solemnly. "And the demon?"

"Still alive, unfortunately." Alexandra filled in the blank as Vander went back to tending to Kelaria. "But a problem for another time. We have earned a reprieve...and a chance to mourn. We should leave this place at once."

Neither of them had much in the way of clean cloth to use to create usable bandages, but having her walk around with a deep wound still open wasn't something he could allow to happen either. He had no other choice but to ask Alex, and hope that Kelaria would accept her aid. "Alex...do you think you have enough left in you to heal her?"

"Oh?" She asked, getting a closer look. "I'll try my best. Is that all right, Kelaria?"

"It is." Vander answered, for her, not allowing Kelaria to refuse. "Please, do it."

Alexandra nodded and lifted her hand towards Kelaria's wound. Blue magic surrounded her fingers as they glided over the gash, sealing it, easing the pain it was causing her, but not wiping away the blood that had already dried to her skin. As her magic subsided, Alex staggered backwards, dizzy, catching herself on the nearby wall; Vander's hands were on Kelaria's back, keeping her steady, he couldn't have reached her in time.

"Alex?" Despite the fact that he hadn't moved to steady her, concern was laced in Vander's tone, she had done this by his request, after all.

"I'm fine." She stubbornly admitted, shaking her head. "Just a little...dizzy..."

"You have all fought so hard...you all deserve a long rest."

"I can keep moving." Alex continued, ignoring her own condition yet again. "I'll rest when we get to safety. Lead the way, Princess."

"Alex..."

"Lead the way." She repeated. Vander knew better than to push her on the subject, so he dropped it, the hand at Kelaria's back inching her forward to start walking again.
 
Compared to the pain she had been in previously She could deal with the pain of this injury. It was deep and certainly hurt with each movement but compared to the pain of Balthier's torture it was easily managed. She knew the pain of the wound would eventually catch up to her, but she didn't seem concerned at the moment. She frowned when Vander stopped her to check the wound. "Vander it's fine. It can wait until we get out of here and have had a chance to rest." It was obvious that Kelaria hadn't even realized it's severity. Everyone else had suffered worse.

Kelaria was grateful Alexandra asked her permission first. Kelaria opened her mouth to argue against it. "Alexandra you need to rest first. It can wa-" She closed her mouth and looked at Vander as he answered for her, cutting her off from refusing. Kelaria shot him a look but let Alex heal her anyway. For a brief moment Alexandra's magic stung as though her own was fighting against it but relented quickly. Kelaria let out a breath of relief as the wound healed and took the pain with it.

Kelaria almost missed the moment Alexandra stumbled backwards. Her arms reached out as though she wanted to catch her but didn't have a prayer of catching her before the stumble. "Thank you Alexandra..." She didn't push her either, hearing the way she brushed Vander aside. She only nodded. "Yes...Let's get going. We all need some rest." It was obvious that Kelaria didn't exactly know how to speak to Alexandra, not just now but always.

With Vander nudging her forward, Kelaria began to lead the group through the passageway. After a while they came to another staircase. "I need to go upstairs briefly, then the exit is right behind the bottom of this staircase." She looked to see if any of the group would argue, looking mostly at Vander.
 
Alexandra's steps were a little more labored than usual, exhaustion taking control of her pace, slowing it to match that of Regis, who had many more years on her to justify the casual pace of his exit. The dark hallway seemed to go on forever, winding beneath the castle, leaving Vander in the precarious role of watching over the three of them as the most capable of still fighting. That was, ironically, a role he also shouldn't have been fit for given he had been nearly mortally wounded just moments before, and had barely come to terms with saying goodbye to his brother. To say that the four of them were in a mess would be an understatement.

Kelaria's natural light illuminated the way forward, helping him see that there were no threats ahead, and how could there be? They were in a hidden passage that nobody else likely knew of, it should have been easy to go from here to the outside without alerting anymore guards, demon or otherwise, but Kelaria's sudden request to go upstairs put a wrench in that plan.

"What's upstairs?" Vander asked her, bluntly, wanting to know what could be important enough that she would risk them being caught. "Just because my brother is gone doesn't mean this place is safe for us to be wandering around in..."

"Yeah...Marley's still here." Alexandra added. And she was in no condition to be seen by her former friend.

"And possibly Alzahar too. I'm not saying we can't go, I just want to know why we're going."
 
There was no surprise on Kelaria's face as Vander reasoned, with Alexandra's help, against her side trip. It was a risky thing to do and she knew that. There were still several very real threats in the castle that was once her home and they did not know where Alzahar was at the moment. She had no desire to end up in the demon's grasp again. It was a risk. She had expected push back from at least Vander and was no surprised that Alexandra agreed with him.

"My room." Kelaria made no attempts to conceal any information. "There's a book hidden there that I would like to grab. It's a journal of sorts...passed on by the women in my family. Every Arellian queen dating back to my great great-great grandmother has written in that journal. It has a lot of valuable information in it that I think might be helpful. I don't have to retrieve it if you don't think it's worth the risk. I'd just like to have it. " She looked at them both. Clearly, she wanted their input, rather than to just make the decision without them. "These passageways have an exit right into my room I could use to avoid being seen as much as possible."
 
"It's for a book?" He asked her, trying to gauge whether he was hearing her right. She was going to risk her safety for a book?

"It does seem a very useful thing for a future queen to have. Would you not want the same if the opportunity had arrived for you to retrieve the knowledge of your father?"

"Your bedroom, you said?" Alexandra added to the conversation with a musing thought of her own. "Would it be improper for me to say that may be a pleasant place to rest, for just a few moments? If you would rather I didn't use it for that, I wouldn't impose, but I really don't feel well right now..."

Kelaria was making it clear that it wasn't a priority, but it was something she would like to do, and he was finding it hard to argue against that regardless of the danger. He wanted her to have the things that she needed, he wanted her to find peace with her family and to feel more prepared to embrace her eventual destiny as Arellia's ruler...but more than anything, he wanted her to be happy. The more he grew to care for her, the harder it would be to deny her these things, and he was finding that he didn't really want to, he just wanted to know what they were going for and whether they could do it safely or not.

And if he got to help Alex feel better in the process, then he was succeeding on two different fronts at once.

"Let's keep moving, then." Vander told her, nodding his head. "We have a journal to retrieve."
 
"For a very important book." Kelaria corrected but again didn't argue against him. If the others felt it wasn't safe she wouldn't push them. They had all been through enough today and really should be on their way, Kelaria just hated to leave it behind while they were so close to it. She knew there were things in there that would prove useful. Not only did she want it for practical reasons, but she wanted that tangible tie to her family. She would never see her parents again but at least it would be something of her mother's for her to keep close to her. "And possibly a change of clothes to take with us if the way is clear. If we arrive at my room and it isn't safe, we can turn back around." Kelaria offered as a compromise.

Alexandra's request took Kelaria off guard. "Of course, you may. I don't know how safe it will be...safer than most parts of the castle, I imagine it would be a difficult place for a demon to be comfortable in, but I don't know how safe that makes it. You need the rest and I wouldn't rob you of it. We should just get moving as soon as possible." Something dawned on Kelaria in that moment, and she looked to Alex. "Do you still have that necklace I gave you?"

Kelaria was a bit surprised when Vander announced they would retrieve the journal. She smiled gratefully to him. "Thank you." Once they were all ready she led them up the stairs and through the passageways to her room.
 
Vander wondered what type of life Kelaria lived in the castle. He wasn't entirely sure what her relationship was like with her parents, or whether she had to deal with the same things as he did outside of facing the overbearing weight of her responsibility. He lamented the fact that he was seeing her home in this way, and that his first and only memory prior to this was when he helped his brother lay siege to it. Vander was certain it must have been beautiful, but all he could really remember was the killing and the anger that he felt...it was beginning to settle in on him just how much of this destruction he had helped cause. The destroyed rooms, the blood stained walls and floors, the enslavement of her people...

He didn't want to think of that. Not now, not when they were so close, but the guilt he was starting to feel was overwhelming.

"Van-der...thank you."

And still, his brother's voice was in his head, on repeat; his actual brother. Not the demon, but the man who had been manipulated and changed. Vander was certain that it had been the real Balthier in the end, but that only made it hurt more. It would have been easier to imagine his brother gone completely, replaced by a monster, but the thought that he was still in there, just trapped in all of that darkness was disturbing and not at all comforting.

Still, he hoped that Kelaria's bed room, likely untouched by his brother's malice, would provide a window into the life she lived before, and would bring her the comfort he couldn't seem to find. Alexandra seemed eager as well, if not for a reason to take a rest some place more comfortable and away from constant danger. It may have been for a journal, but there was much more to be found within this visit than just a book of memories.
 
As if sensing Vander's distress, Kelaria slowed down a bit and took his hand before continuing to lead the group to her room. She tried as best she could to be the comforting presence, he usually was for her. Kelaria was both eager to make it to her room and was dreading it all at the same time. It was unlikely any of the demons had found it bearable to stay in the room for long so it was likely in decent shape so that isn't why she worried. She worried about such a harsh reminder of her life before it was torn away. She was worried it would tear open wounds she was only barely beginning to heal, or at least ignore.

After a while they finally arrived at an indent in the passage wall. There were some unknown runes traced into the stonework there. Kelaria ignored the runes and opened the passage the same way she had opened the others. Her stomach suddenly twisted with anxiety about stepping into her room, her old life, and of the others seeing it.

The room was bright somehow, despite the darkening sky. It wasn't a harsh brightness or an unpleasant one. It was more of a gentle glow that illuminated the space. There were four tall floor to ceiling windows on the exterior wall but they were covered by silvery drapes. Runes similar to the one on the other side of the passageway were carved into some floor tiles and on the back of the main door. The walls held blue and purple swirling stones as light sources in some places. Hanging off the walls or on the floor they could see what looked like drawings or sketches. Mostly the room was filled with books, scrolls, and other articles of was clearly some sort of arcane research. Her entire life had been dedicated to it.

It was obvious that someone had been in here, things were in a bit of a disarray. Likely some of Bathier's men looking for her, signs of her, or clues about the Araya Lucaris. The large canopy bed was messed, and the pillows were scattered. The writing desk on the opposite walls had the drawers all pulled open but it was otherwise unharmed. Some loose pieces of parchment were scattered about the room and the doors to her wardrobe were open and some of its contents had been emptied onto the floor. The bookcase that sat next to the desk had been completely ransacked and its contents had been roughly scattered along the ground. Otherwise, there were no blood stains or any real damage to the room. Whoever entered the room hadn't been able to stay for long.

To Vander the reason would be obvious. This room still held a very strong echo of its owner's magic. Whether it was from the runes scattered about, the stones along the walls, or simply from Kelaria's existence within it for her lifetime. It could have easily been unbearable for Vander to stay in the room had he not already grown accustomed to Kelaria's magic and had it in and around him so much since their meeting.
 
Vander felt a little awkward walking alongside Kelaria with her hand in his, especially with both Alexandra and Regis following so closely behind, for differing reasons depending on who he was worried about more at any given time. He, however, appreciated the gesture, and the way was able to read his body language without him speaking out a single word pertaining to the distress that he felt. It was comfort, though in a way he wasn't used to just yet.

Kelaria's room was not like what he expected, but the more he gazed upon it, the more it made sense that there would be runic writing all around her, and a hue of blue and purple cascading in all directions across a place that was very, distinctly, her. It looked as though the place had not gone unaffected, but it was in mostly decent shape, baring just the signs that somebody had been here, likely looking for information pertaining to the Araya Lucaris, or where Kelaria may have ran off to when her castle fell. He let go of her hand so that she could wander around, watching her carefully while Alexandra and Regis both sat their tired bodies against the edge of her bed to take a load off of their tired bones.

This place somehow felt like her, but it was no surprise. She had spent most of her life staying here, learning her magic, harnessing her light; the very writings on the wall gave off the same energy that she did. Had he not been more accustomed, it was likely that stepping into this place alone would have burnt and seared away at the dark magic inside of his body, but being with her for so long had helped him build up a surface-level tolerance.

"Any sign of the journal?" Vander asked, walking towards Kelaria a few moments after separating from her, as though being within her immediate vicinity was something he seemed to want, albeit subconsciously.
 
Ordinarily Kelaria would have avoided the contact so blatantly in front of Alexandra. She didn't like making the warrior feel uncomfortable and she didn't want her think she was rubbing her nose in it. She got no joy from Alexandra's pain. At the moment though her thoughts were focused on trying to provide Vander with some sort of comfort, so she simply hadn't considered hiding it. She wasn't sure words would do him any good at the current moment so she hoped that the contact would somehow comfort him.

Kelaria glanced at Alexandra and Regis. "Feel free to make yourselves comfortable. It hardly counts as my room anymore so do not hesitate out of politeness. You've both more than earned a few moments to rest in comfort." She then looked at Vander. "You may too if you wish. Or you may help me. Whatever you wish..." She blushed, realizing she was babbling a bit out of nervousness. Why was she so nervous? It took her a moment to realize exactly why. No one, aside from servants and occasionally her parents, had ever seen the inside of her room. She hadn't had any friends growing up. Her studies didn't allow time for friends. Her childhood had actually been startlingly lonely. She certainly hadn't had any men in her room before now.

A bit embarrassed, Kelaria gathered a few of the falling sketches and tucked them into a pile before placing them on the desk. She looked to him as he spoke, noticing he was near her again. "Um- There should be a key somewhere. Except it won't look like a key. It will look like a strange sealing stamp with an odd runic symbol on it. It would have been in my desk but with everything scattered the way it is, it might be elsewhere."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom