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Araya Lucaris (Elora Krisara x AndrewS)

"I almost lost you because of it Vander. You almost didn't come back to me. I won't deny that you're right...I didn't see him in time to protect myself. You saved me...again. You're always saving me." Kelaira sighed. "I didn't like seeing that in your eyes. You aren't that person anymore Vander. Maybe you never really were. I know you don't believe that but it's true. You aren't that person anymore." Her eyes didn't stray from his as she spoke and there was an intensity to her look. She wished there were a way to get him to believe it, to believe in himself. "Thank you for saving me again" she finally added. Though her thanks was genuine at the moment she was quite certian she didn't deserve to be saved. Her guilt at what she had just done still ate at her, even as she laid in his arms.

Kelaria waited for his rejection, ready to feel its sting all over again. Would it be easier this time since she had already convinced herself that he loved Alexandra? Or would it be harder because now he would be knowingly rejecting her and the feelings she confessed to. She was a bit surprised when his question came instead of his rejection but the surpise faded quickly. Of course he'd want clarification.

"Yes... I truly feel that way. I don't know how or why. We've only know each other a handful of days, but the feelings are there nonetheless. That's twice now I almost lost you and each time I had to picture what it would be like to do this without you. Maybe I've become too dependent but I also had to picture a world without you in it and that nearly broke me and I didn't even realize it at the time. I know i shouldn't feel this way, especially not this strongly. It's honestly a bit pathetic. I care far more for you than just allies traveling together on common cause." Her eyes stayed on his and the intensity remained but her fear joined it in her gaze.
 
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The belief she had in him felt so unfounded that it threw his mind for a loop and yet, he found comfort in the way she spoke about him. It almost made him happy to hear her speak of him the way that she did, as if he was someone who had changed and wasn't the monster he believed himself to be for so long. He didn't want to be that person anymore, but wants and needs were simply just that; it was action that mattered. She must have seen something in him that gave her the impression that he was changing and that made him feel relieved. He didn't want to become like his brother, he didn't want to kill or hurt any more innocent people and, above anything else, he wished to keep her safe against the darkness he had helped conquer her home.

It was complicated. But Vander never said he wanted easy.

Her confession was exactly as Alexandra thought it would be. She had feelings for him. True, genuine feelings beyond what should have been possible given their dispositions and the little time they had spent together. With what they had been through, however, far surpassing what normal couples would go through in their entire lives together, it wasn't entirely out of reason to believe they would develop a dependency on each other through their tribulations and their trauma, but this was nothing more than another Alexandra situation in Vander's head. They were from different worlds, they couldn't be together, he was going down the exact same path he had just gotten off of and in many ways, this was even worse. At least he and Alexandra were on the same sides, he hadn't killed Alexandra's people and she wasn't the only thing standing between his brother and limitless control.

He should have pushed her away then and there. He should have let go of her, rather than pulling her closer. He should have shut this down before it even had a chance to go any farther and yet, his mind was adrift with thoughts that shouldn't have occupied a single ounce of his conscience. He wanted something he knew he shouldn't want, but he had grown so tired of being told what he was allowed to do that it was almost pointless for him to try and fight against it.

She was here. She wanted him for who he was, despite his darkness and his past. She was a Princess of an opposing kingdom and he, the successor to the throne of his own, but beyond his brother, they had nobody left to tell them who they could and couldn't be. So...why not just...be?

He prepped a response, then felt it falter against his lips as he tried to speak it. He decided not to speak at all. The small distance that remained evaporated as his head drew closer to hers, tilted slightly. When his eyes closed, his lips found their new home, pressed firmly into hers for what felt like an eternity, but was really only a couple of seconds at best because now, he was the one waiting on her response. Had he over stepped? Maybe he had misread the moment? As he drew back, he read her face intently in the moonlight, searching for some sort of sign that he hadn't just made a mistake with the act of treason he was committing by letting himself become involved with someone who was meant to be his enemy.
 
Kelaria's whole body was braced for his rejection as he stared at her in silence, absorbing what she said. Their gazes remained locked but each moment that passed had Kelaria's urge to tear her eyes away growing stronger and stronger. Once again she found herself silently scorning Alexandra for planting these seeds of thought in her head. No. That wasn't entirely fair. Those seeds were already there, growing and thriving, Kelaria was just blind to them. She wished to be blind again. Was it better to be unknowingly bitter or to suffer the kind of pain she was preparing to feel for a second time?

Her heartbeat picked up as Vander's lips moved as if he were preparing to finally speak. She could see the indecision in his expression. She assumed he was trying to find the right words to let her down easy. What he was really considering wasn't even a possibility in her mind. He pulled her impossibly, but not painfully, close to him and that only made her heart beat faster.

Having never been kissed before, Kelaria missed the telltale signs of his approach. She only stared in confusion as he closed the distance between them. When his lips finally found hers Kelaria's whole body tensed in surprise. Her eyes popped open wide and she didn't know how to respond. Should she push him away? How could she when his lips felt so warm against hers? How could she when she really realized she wanted this kiss to go on forever? Despite her current state of self loathing, she wanted nothing more that to feel his lips against hers over and over again. Just as her brain caught up to her he was drawing back.

There was something close to panic in his eyes as he tried to read her expression. Why? How? How could he share the feelings she had for him? The feelings she definently shouldn't have for him. The feelings she didn't deserve. How did they exist at all? Kelaria's eyes found his again as she tried to think of something to say. "Oh..." was the only response she could think of before her eyes traveled down to his own lips. Without another moment to doubt her actions, she reached up and gently pulled his face back to hers and planted her lips firmly against his. This time, as her eyes slid shut, she was an active participant. This was the only way she could think of to answer the question his eyes had been asking.
 
"Oh..."

That was all she had to say to him? Just...oh? Vander didn't know what he was supposed to do with that. Was that a positive response or a terrified one? Was that a grounds for him to get away from her, or for him to move closer and do it again? He wanted clarity, he searched for it in the way he looked at her reaction, but she had given him nothing to put him at ease, or better explain what it was she felt after he made his move. That single, small response, and the very short silence that lingered afterwards had been more than enough to send his mind into a frenzy and yet, all was silenced when her intentions were revealed and she acted in return.

Her lips somehow felt softer the second time. While the first kiss had been led, and initiated, by him, this one was different. This wasn't her being surprised and uncertain how to act; this was Kelaria taking what she wanted and fighting back her doubts about whether or not this was something they both could have. Vander still didn't know the answer to that, but for now, he didn't care about that. Alexandra did not cross his mind, nor did their duties and responsibilities. His guilt felt absolved by her kiss, like it was proof that he was changing, that he could be better, that there was light inside of him, even if that light was only there because Kelaria had given it the warmth it needed to grow.

Time felt as though it found pause, but it was interrupted far before the eternity he wished it would have lasted had expired. A faint glow coming from aside them, just bright enough to crest their closed eye lids and distract them, pulling them out of the moment they were sharing before a proper resolution could be settled on. Vander groaned in annoyance, underneath his breath, directly into her lips as he pulled back and opened his eyes. He stared at her, for a brief moment, noting the differing response he was receiving from her now after their second kiss, directing himself towards the source of the light instead.

It was Alexandra's contact device, the glyphs and runes around it's out ledge pulsing softly as if trying to receive, or signify, a message that neither of them could read. It's owner was nowhere in sight, leaving them to decipher it's meaning on their own.

"I..." He mumbled, under his breath, uncertain what to say now as an air of awkwardness settled in around them following their interruption. "...we should probably check that...right?"
 
As their lips met for the second time, Kelaria held his face gently in her hands as if attempting to hold him to her. Despite her guilt and exhaustion and despite the impossible situation they were in, Kelaria allowed herself for that moment to just enjoy herself...to enjoy him. She allowed herself to be comforted by his arms around her rather than fighting against that feeling. She allowed her lips to press against his as if they had any right to be there at all. She allowed herself for just that moment to not be a princess ruled by the impossible task before her. She wasn't the princess who was quickly failing her kingdom and her people. She wasn't the princess who spent a lifetime weighed down by expectation. She was just a girl kissing the boy she liked and it felt damn good to let herself be that girl even if just for a few moments.

Kelaria would have given anything in that instant just to ignore the nagging glow but as reality snapped back to her she knew they were in far too dangerous a position to go one ignoring unknown glows. Kelaria held onto Vander for just a few seconds more, enjoying the way it felt to hold him and be held by him, as his breath washed over her. Her eyes opened after he pulled back. The moonlight illuminated her just enough that the blush in her cheeks couldn't be ignored. Her eyes were full of wonder and about a million things left unsaid. There was also a slight disappointment in her expression though it was obviously directed at the annoyance of being interrupted. Kelaria sighed as he turned towards the light, her hands falling from his face.

Reality really did come crashing back the moment her eyes landed on the device. Damn. Of all things, it had to be that damn device. From her understanding, neither of them had a clue how to understand it. "We should probably find Alexandra...She's the only one who can interpret it. Unless you know more about it then Alexandra thought you did?"

Kelaria shifted so she was no longer in his arms though it pained her to do so. The night suddenly felt so cold around him and the weight of the events leading up to their kiss settled back on her shoulders. She couldn't even bring herself to look in the direction of the man she had murdered. She would have to see to it that the body was taken care of properly and as respectfully as they were able. Instead of looking that way she kept her eyes trained on Vander, noting the awkwardness now surrounding them. "Vander...I...Nevermind. We'll have time to talk about it later... I just want you to know I don't regret what just happened, I mean...What we just did." The rest would have to wait.

Kelaria tried to get herself to stand but much like Vander before Sam found them outside the Nither, she found her strength still failed her. She really had burnt herself out.
 
"I don't. I never really got to use one of these things." Vander admitted, looking at the device more intently. The writing felt familiar, but not in a sense that he could read it. It was definitely related to dark magic, though, that much was for sure. H speculated it might have been some kind of runic language that demons used, perhaps taught to his brother and his men by Alzahar, but he couldn't be completely sure. Still, it wasn't preferred by him that they'd seek out Alexandra immediately after what had just happened...but what choice did they really have? "I guess so. I have no idea where she went, though."

When she had left his arms, he felt surprisingly empty, like a piece of him had been stolen away. He could feel her eyes still upon him, even though they had separated, leading him to awkwardly meet her gaze with his own out of curiosity. "Hm?" He mused as she spoke his name, listening to her as she argued with herself over whether to say what had come to her mind or not. To know that she didn't regret what had happened brought great comfort, and he responded in turn by nodding his head and reassuring her the same was true on his end as well. "Neither do I." A slight, half-smile crested his lips, if only for a second, before he turned away and let his eyes scan the tree line, past the murdered man and the wreckage they had caused in search of any sign of Alexandra somewhere out there.

"I have an idea..." Vander practically laughed at the thought. He closed his eyes and summoned Alexandra's sword to his side, knowing that she was currently in possession of it and it's sudden disappearance would alert her. Vander admired the sword properly for the first time in a while as it gleamed and glistened in the light of the moon. It wasn't long before the sound of somebody moving towards them in a hurry could be heard, Alexandra bursting through the trees.

"What's going on? Are you alright?" She asked, concerned that Vander had drawn her sword to protect himself, only to find that they were both alive and well and very much not in any trouble. "...are you kidding me?"

Vander's laughter changed from brimming behind his lips to etching past it.

"You're an asshole, Vander Albright. You had me worried."

"Sorry." He replied, though he didn't seem sincere. "We needed you and I wasn't sure how else to call you."

"So, you frightened me half to death for nothing?" Alexandra seemed flustered with the worry she had shown. Vander thought it was amusing, it was so unlike her. She was clearly still a little on edge and confused over all that had happened.

"Your communication device is lighting up. There's some sort of message and we can't read it."

Alexandra had been so caught up in the potential danger that she hadn't noticed it's blue glow until her attention was drawn towards it. "Huh? You're right..." She stepped closer, dropping down towards the ground to pick it up, cradling it as she watched the runes flash and glow. Her exasperated expression gave way to curiosity before draining entirely. "We need to go. Right now." There was an urgency in her voice that caught him off guard.

"What?" Vander questioned, but Alexandra was already buzzing around her camp, packing things. Vander grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from her flurry. "What's happening? Talk to us."

Alexandra turned her head, looking at him, pure fear in her eyes in a way he had never seen. It was beyond what she had shown moments before when she thought they were in danger, and beyond any worry he had ever seen her show.

"The King knows where you are."

Vander cast a weary look over his shoulder towards Kelaria, not looking at Alexandra as she gave a follow up that was somehow even more worrisome.

"...and he's coming for you, personally."
 
That smile, even just a half one, on his lips when combined with his assurance that he hadn't regretted their actions made Kelaira blush faintly and echo with a half smile of her own. She glanced again at the device in his hands. She watched it with a weariness, as though she expected Balthier himself to emerge from it. She naturally didn't trust anything that even resembled demon magic. She glacned around the campsite as Vander did, looking for signs of Alexandra's approach but immediatly had to stop and look away from the scene before her. She found herself wishing she could turn back time to moments before when she was able to blissfully ignore all these troubles while in Vander's arms.

Kelaria had to admit she was impressed with Vander's idea and was even more so when Alexandra came crashing through the trees. The worry on Alexandra's face made her frown though, ending her appreciation. "We didn't mean to scare you. Thank you for coming so quickly though..." Kelaria felt a little bad about her earlier mistrust for Alexandra despite her promise to get them to safety. While she inspected the device Kelaria tried again to pull herself to her feet. It took a while but eventually she was able to stand but it appeared keeping herself upright was just as much of a struggle.

The urgency in Alexandra's voice made Kelaria freeze. If Alexandra seemed concerned then Kelaria was confident there must be a damn good reason behind it. The second Alexandra's fear filled eyes turned towards them Kelaria knew they were doomed. Alexandra didn't strike her as someone who was afraid of much. Kelaria guessed the reason before the words left Alexandra's mouth. Balthier. He knew somehow...he knew where they were. She wasn't exactly sure what had tipped him off to their location but there were a number of possibilities. Vander used his magic again, the villagers and the travelers in the forest had spotted her, it could have been something else entirely that she wasn't thinking of. They would have to run again. There would be no rest for them still.

"...and he's coming for you, personally."

Her words sent ice straight through Kelaria's veins. Pure terror gripped her. This was it. It was going to be all over...all for nothing... she couldn't conjure her magic to her to defend herself. If Balthier arrived there was little she could do to defend herself. The fear seeped into her voice and Kelaria didn't make any attempts to hide it. "How much time do we have? I-I can hardly stand, much less run." Her panicked eyes met Vander's, afraid to admit her inability to access her magic. Her eyes said it all, she knew they were doomed. She tore her eyes from his to look to the scrambling warrior. "If he can teleport like Vander...we don't have time to pack anything. We should go now."
 
"Time?" She asked, shaking her head. Now, she was panicking too. "We don't have time. He could be here at any moment..."

"And if he sees you, he'll kill you once he knows what you've done."

Alexandra's eyes were full of actual, honest fear, and Vander could sense the tension. He didn't want to see his brother any more than they did, but at least he could safely say this was his fight, not hers. "So, you go."

"What...?"

"You heard me." Vander doubled down. "You need to go. He's coming for Kelaria, he doesn't need to know you're here."

"He already does. This device is a tracker. Do you think he hasn't already realized how close it is to the princess? I'm not..I-...I won't leave!" Alexandra raised her voice, slightly, before letting it come back down in the awkward silence that followed. "I won't let your brother kill you...because that's what he's going to do, Van. He's going to kill you to get her to give him what he wants, and then he's going to kill her too. The only difference between me running and me staying by your side is that at least if I'm here, I get to die next to the person that I l-"

"Don't." Vander cut her off, not letting her finish that thought. "You're not dying. Neither of you are." Vander's eyes wandered from Alexandra to Kelaria, trying to summon the courage he needed to be strong for the both of them. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not yet. He wasn't strong enough. "Maybe I can get us somewhere...take us some place safe."

"There is no place safe...your brother smells blood. He won't stop. And, no offense, he has better control over his magic than you can. Where one teleport can wipe you out for a day, it barely slows him down...if you keep using your magic, we won't be able to pull you back, and then we're all dead anyways."

"We can't just stay here and do nothing!"

Alexandra pleaded with Vander to find some other solution as he reached out for both of their hands, preparing to teleport. He could see the worry on both of their faces...a worry for him, for what this would take from him. He let go of their wrists, wracking his brain for a way to fix this.

"...Alex."

"...y-yeah?"

"Arrest us."

"What...?"

"Take us into custody. At least then, you can say that you caught us and you were going to bring us back...he'll go easy on you."

"You can't be serious."

Vander glanced towards Kelaria for support of this idea. "I am. He wants us, not you. I won't see you throw your life away for me."

"I will not! I-"

"Alex!" He called out, a second time, exasperated. They didn't have time for this. She could sense the seriousness behind his tone and she meekly nodded, fetching some rope from one of her satchels nearby in the campsite.

"This isn't going to work...this isn't..."

Vander let his hands move behind his back. "It's better than nothing." He said, letting Alexandra bind his arms in a knot. Alex moved towards Kelaria next and Vander shot her a protective warning. "Hey, be careful. She's still hurt." Alexandra sighed, nodding her head, her nimble fingers moving more gently as they wrapped rope around Kelaria's hands too.

Vander looked the princess in her eyes, hoping to soothe her with his presence, a slight nod of his head aimed in her direction. "It's going to be alright. We'll make it through this. You and I." He was trying his best to be strong, to find conviction, but he was as uncertain as they were. "The castle he's occupying is your home. You know it better than anybody else...we'll find a way out and then..."

Vander knew the only way this ended. He knew they needed to find the Araya Lucaris. "You're going to tell me where the Araya Lucaris is, and I'll send his demon back to where it came from myself."
 
Kelaria could only nod in response as she looked away from Vander to Alexandra. She did her best to keep the fear off her face but she obviously understood the severity of the situation. "He's right Alexandra. We're doomed no matter what." Kelaria knew it. This was the end of it all. She couldn't fight and Vander couldn't get them away. She had failed. Her people needed her, Vander needed her, and she had failed them all. The demons would win after all and all of this will have been for nothing. "If you can't and won't go then you should at least arrest us and try to spare yourself in some way." Another thought dawned on her and she looked to Vander.

"He's coming for me Vander. Obviously he'll be happy, thrilled even, with the chance to get even with you. You should go. He'll be distracted enough with capturing me to give you the time you need to create some distance. He will have his hands full and can always deal with you after he has what he wants. If he takes you too he will just use you against me, or simply kill you. At least if you get away you have the chance to do something, especially if- if..." she couldn't finish. She had already accepted that she wasn't going to make it out of this in one piece but she needed to convince Vander to leave without her anyway. "It will be easier for me to try to get out if I don't have to go find you on my way out and you stand a better chance to help me if you're free." Despite her words, Kelaria held out no hope for herself.

Before Kelaria put her hands behind her back she reached up and pulled the necklace she had been wearing since Vander had met her, from her neck. She pressed it into Alexandra's palm and looked her in the eyes. "I'm choosing to trust you because Vander does and because I believe that deep down you know what the right thing to do is. I won't tell you where to find it but if I can't get out if I-" she cut herself off and looked at the necklace. "Look for it. You'll need that to get to it." She still wished Vander would go so that he could help Alexandra find it when she didn't make it out alive.

She moved her hands behind her back and now the fear revealed itself on her face. Even Vander's attempts to soothe her seemed lost on her. She wished she could believe him. "Vander, you heard what Finlay said about what Balthier did to my father to get information from him...I think Alexandra being a little rough tying me up is the least of my worries."
 
Alexandra took the necklace, tucking it into her pocket. "I will keep it safe." She reassured Kelaria as she tied her hands with a knot, binding her, turning her and Vander into her willng prisoners. "But I am only holding it until you are free. You will get to find it on your own."

Alexandra was trying to be strong as well. She could sense that was exactly what Vander was doing, and despite her complicated situation with Kelaria and him, she held no ill will towards the princess anymore. At first, she had sat out to track her down, to follow orders and bring her back to Balthier, but the more she spent time with Kelaria, the more it was dawning on her that she was far from the problem. She was a victim, a pawn in a bigger game, only she was powerful enough to pose a threat and she had knowledge that the King wanted. Otherwise, she was no different than the other people of her kingdom who were being oppressed and manipulated. The real problem was the person in power, but she wouldn't openly admit that thought.

The Araya Lucaris was their reset button. If they could just get to it first...

Dark energy began to swirl, causing the objects gathered around the makeshift fire pit to separate from where they had been placed, discarded by the force. The flame died down, taking away the light it had provided, masking a figure emerging from a teleportation. He was tall, intimidating, there was an air of absolute evil around him, as though he had sucked the light from the night sky, or sent the stars themselves into hiding. His red eyes illuminated despite the lack of light, falling upon the trio he had found.

Vander knew beyond a doubt that it was his brother. He had felt this evil before, there was no mistaking it for what it truly was. At least he seemed to have come without Alzahar.

"You've been busy, princess." His voice was so distorted that Vander barely recognized it anymore. The man who had been his brother was long gone, replaced by something he couldn't relate to anymore. "Exile." He spoke next, his eyes directed towards Vander, his bother. Balthier Albright spoke with utter contempt, as though he no longer cared even a miniscule amount about the man he had grown up with and once loved.

"..."

"Y-your highness, I-"

"At ease, Lieutenant. I see you have done exactly what I had asked of you."

Alexandra didn't lighten up under the praise; it wasn't what she wanted anymore. She felt glued in place, like she was being shackled to the dirt beneath her feet, unable to move an inch beneath Balthier's stare like it was causing petrification. "You have done well. It pleases me to see that not all of my followers fail me."

Followers. Why hadn't he called her a part of his army? Or his soldier? By calling her a follower, it only made it all the more apparent how far gone Balthier was, revering himself like some sort of God. Or perhaps, the exact opposite.

"T-thank you..." She stammered out, nervously.

"Though, something doesn't seem to sit right with me..."

Was he on to them?

"You've been here with them this whole time, haven't you? In possession of the most wanted woman in the twin kingdoms and yet, you barely moved a muscle...knowing how important it was that you retrieved her and brought her back to me, I can't help but question why you remained here."

Balthier circled around them. It was like he could see them perfectly in the dark though all they could really see was his imposing figure moving around and his red eyes staring straight through them.

"And just rope? Really? The exile may be a disappointment, but we both know the power he wields...the power he's wasting...and the princess, with all of her light, stopped and bound by mere rope and twine?"

"I-it was all I had on hand, my liege...I-"

"Right. I believe you. Really, I do." There was sarcasm all over the statement. Vander tensed, his hands balling into a first behind his back. This wasn't good.

As Balthier continued to move, he settled directly in front of Kelaria, something which only put Vander more on edge. He was watching like a hawk for any sign or hint of movement, expecting Balthier to do something to hurt Kelaria and knowing full well if that were to happen, he would ruin whatever facade they were trying to keep up.

"He-he has grown fond of her. He will not act out of fear for her safety."

"Is this true, exile?"

Vander said nothing, simply staring down what remained of his brother.

"Then it will bring me great pleasure to see him suffer along with her."

Balthier's hand rose up, suddenly, his palm outstretched towards Kelaria. Tendrils of dark magic exited, reaching out, piercing into her. They didn't break skin physically, there was no blood drawn, yet that darkness was seeping through her freely, pushing against her tired light, forcing it deep into her body with intent of causing her great pain.

Vander thrashed against his bonds.

"Don't touch her!" He yelled, already moving towards Balthier, attempting to break the ropes around his wrist. Balthier's other hand lifted, effortlessly, locking Vander in place with the same dark magic he had used on the man who had tried to attack Kelaria. "You fucking asshole!" He yelled, again, swearing. The anger in his voice was unlike anything Alexandra had ever heard before. Vander's eyes were flaring as his dark magic began to rise, but it was like he couldn't release it...Balthier was suppressing it, somehow, or perhaps, Vander simply couldn't bring himself to summon it any more. "Stop!"

Alexandra's heart was breaking, her hand twitching slightly, like she wanted to call her sword, but she was too terrified of what would happen if she did. She could hear everything, but the only thing she could see was Kelaria's light desperately trying to fight off Balthier's overwhelming darkness and she was caught in total fear. Vander had an excuse for being locked in place, Alexandra just felt like a coward and, further more, responsible, as she had made the comment about Vander's connection to Kelaria that had caused this in the first place.
 

"Then it will bring me great pleasure to see him suffer along with her."

Kelaria desperately wished Vander had taken her suggestion to leave. It was a fools hope to begin with, Even before what had just transpired between them Vander was far too protective to stand leaving her to this fate. Kelaria glared at Balthier as he stood in front of her. She had herself braced for whatever he had in store for her. She didn't hold out any hope of gentleness. The second his shadowy tendrils touched her, seeking to suppress the light inside her, Kelaria fell to her knees with a pained gasp. She didn't have the strength to stand against him in her current state. That didn't stop her from gritting her teeth in an attempt to stop herself from screaming. Her screams would only make this harder for Vander and it seemed for Alexandra as well. She also didn't want to give Balthier the satisfaction.

Her resolve was slipping as Vander tried to lunge for his brother. Kelaria had so little inside her to fight him but that didn't stop her light from fighting against the shadows he imposed upon her. The fighting only made it worse but as if acting only on instinct her magic still fought. "V-Vander do-don't!" she shouted at him through gritted teeth. Finally, Balthier got what he wanted and a scream tore it's way from Kelaria's throat and her lips couldn't stay tight enough to contain it. Once the scream had released itself there was no holding herself back. The darkness ate away at her light in a way that was so painful that it caused spots in her vision. Her back arched against the pain as the light inside her flickered.
 
Kelaria's scream broke something inside of Vander that he never knew existed.

Alexandra had reached her limit as well. She was steeling herself to act, wincing as she heard the pain in Kelaria's voice. Her palm opened and she tried to summon her sword, but it did not appear. She tried a second time, confused as to why it wasn't responding. As she looked back up, she caught something glimmer behind Vander; he had beaten her to the punch. The blade sliced through the ropes around his wrists, easily, and within an instant, it came around his body, straight towards the shadow of his brother.

Vander screamed too.

It wasn't pain, at least, not in the typical sense. It was anger. Pure, unkempt anger. The reflective surface of Alexandra's sword became blotted in black, dark magic, flaring around the blade and wrapping it into a sheathe of malicious energy. Giving in, and ignoring Kelaria's warning, Vander Albright brought his sword into the rib cage of his own brother to protect her. Balthier recoiled from the sudden impact, breaking his concentration on the magic that not only kept Vander in place, but was torturing Kelaria, sparing them both momentarily as the King's blood-red eyes stared directly at the so-called Exile who had wounded him.

Blood dripped from the wound, unseen, until it closed on it's own, repaired by Balthier's overwhelming power.

"There he is." Balthier spoke, calmly. "I knew my little brother was still in there somewhere."

Balthier only seemed to recognize Vander as his brother when he was tapping into their dark magic, but Vander no longer viewed Balthier as family. There was a hatred in his heart that was causing his magic to grow erratic, uncontrolled.

"There you go. Let it all out. It feels good, doesn't it?"

"I'll kill you..." Vander replied, pointedly, through gritted teeth, his entire, tired body fighting against what threatened to take control of him.

"You can try." Balthier still sounded unimpressed, undeterred. He could tell Kelaria was too tired to fight by the little resistance she put up and he was still under the impression that Alexandra was a good soldier, that she wasn't going to stand against him. "Or you could join me. Give up on that annoying humanity of yours. The Araya Lucaris is within our reach. We can take back what was promised to our family, what was stolen from us by her..."

"Keep her out of your mouth..."

"Make me." There was an air of sibling rivalry there, like Balthier was calling on something that only Vander would have understood. Vander leapt towards him, sword drawn, swinging a second time, but it missed. He couldn't believe he hadn't hit his mark. From that distance, with that speed, and the dark magic imbuing the sword, it should have been an easy connection, but Balthier had teleported aside like it was nothing. It took no effort, as easy as blinking his eye. "I can teach you how to control this power..."

"Shut UP!"

A second swing also missed it's mark as Balthier teleported again. This time, he appeared behind Vander, pushing him to the ground with a pulse of magic straight against his back. Vander hit the ground, chest-first, but barely felt it, recovering halfway to his feet. A second pulse hit him, barreling him back down again. Still, he fought against the pain, standing again to face another attack his eyes turning more red with every blast he felt, with every time his brother bullied him into the earth, forcing Kelaria and Alexandra to watch.
 
Kelaira slumped but didn't fall forward, with some effort, in order to avoid face planting on the ground. She was panting and working to steady her heart. While she was grateful for the moment to breath she would have rather Vander let her suffer through it until Balthier grew bored. She knew Vander's reaction was only going to fuel Balthier and make this more enjoyable for him. She wanted to shout to Vander to stop again. She wanted to talk him out of it. She could see that Vander was using more of his magic than he should and Balthier was trying to push him to lose control. She wanted to stop him but she knew that intervening would just give Balthier more incentive to use Vander against her for information. She had to act as though she didn't care and it was killing her.

Instead of calling out to him like she wanted she only looked at him, at his eyes as they turned red, in horror.

It took every ounce of energy Kelaria had in her but she was able to muster that last bit of magic while Balthier's back was turned. Her eyes flashed brightly for a second and suddenly Kelaria's voice filled Vander's head. "Don't let him win Vander. He's trying to force it out of you. Don't let him. I will be ok. He can't kill me while he still needs me. We'll get out of this but I need you to be you when we do. Don't let him turn you against me." The light faded from her eyes and her magic, wounded and strained, retreated back into her.
 
"Is that it? Are you giving up already?" Balthier taunted as his magic pushed Vander back into the dirt again. It was their childhood all over again. Vander could never measure up to his brother. He trained as hard as he did to become a warrior out of spite, he wanted to do something his brother couldn't and yet, even now in a fight, he still couldn't beat him. He could barely stand his own ground. It just made him so angry. "Come on, brother, you'll never save her like this..."

Balthier was very clearly egging Vander on, trying to break him completely, to make him give in to that hatred and to the darkness that was trying to take root in his heart. By the way his magic was reacting and responding, it was clearly working, which only made Balthier try harder. He was finding sick satisfaction in this torture, in how he was bending Kelaria and Vander to his wretched will.

Vander could see it so clearly in his head. Reminiscing on all of the times he felt inadequate, inferior to his brother. All of the times that Balthier, just like he was now, pushed him down. He wanted to kill him for hurting Kelaria, and doubly so for the pain he had caused him during his childhood, but there was light in the vision that he was seeing through his pain, there was a voice. Kelaria managed to reach him, again, even in the darkest pits of his despair, breaking through the black like a ray from the sun. She urged him not to give in and, like before, she brought him back from the brink.

Alexandra had been trying to free her sword from Vander, but it wasn't working. The black magic that had infused inside of it was like an extension of Vander himself, preventing her from yanking it free. As Vander came out of his trance, his eyes lightened and the energy around the blade dispelled. He could feel it being tugged and he loosened his grip. His head turned, looking to try and find Kelaria, but all he could see was darkness and the faint glow of her light, strained and unable to shine the way it should have.

"Pathetic. I knew you didn't have it in you, exile."

And like that, Vander was back to no longer being considered good enough to be the great Balthier Albright's brother.

"She's burnt herself out trying to reach you, trying to protect you...and here you are, holding back...I know you're aware that I need her alive, so maybe you aren't taking me seriously." Balthier started to walk towards Kelaria now. Vander tried to pull himself across the ground towards the direction his brother's shadow had moved in, towards that faint light. The hand holding Alex's sword could barely even lift it from exhaustion, the final curl of his magic letting go of it as his body finally gave up on him. "Her magic, as strained as it may be, should be enough to keep her alive through a couple of broken bones..."

"B-Balthier..."

"No. Don't beg me for mercy. You lost your chance. You a-"

Balthier was interrupted by the pain of a sword impaling straight through his black heart. Alexandra's hands were shaking as the point of her sword pressed into her King's body from behind. She had seen the opportunity, finally summoning her sword back once it had been released, and had summoned every bit of bravery she had left to try and defend them. She knew her life would most likely be the forfeit, but she was a warrior, she had to fight.

The surprise attack had been effective enough to stop Balthier in his tracks. Unlike the blow Vander had landed, which was surface at best, Alexandra's sword crested the front of Balthier's chest, pushing through from one side and out the other, straight through his most vital organ. He sputtered blood from his mouth as he fell over, taking her sword with him, out of her hands. Balthier knelt in front of Kelaria, looking down at her with his horrifying red eyes, gasping to catch his breath.

And then, he began to laugh.

More terrifying than any sound in an unseen night, Balthier Albright began to laugh. He sounded in pain, but also amused. "Alexandra..." He called her name, knowing he had been betrayed. "Your family will pay for this."

"N-no!" She called out, reaching towards Balthier.

The King, however, placed his hand upon Kelaria and began to channel his magic. "As always, little brother..." He taunted as he used his teleportation magic on him and the weakened Kelaria. "...you lose."

Balthier Albright disappeared, taking Kelaria with him. Alexandra's sword clattered against the ground, no longer embedded into the King's body, leaving them both behind. Alexandra fell to her knees, scrambling through the dark to try and find Vander, practically hysterical at the threat Balthier had just made towards her family. Meanwhile, Vander's eyes struggled to stay awake, and an empty feeling replaced any hope he had in his heart that he and Kelaria would make it out of this alive. There was no happy ending for any of them, he saw that now. He was as a man the same as he was when he was a child, inadequate and weak.
 
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Kelaria felt a pang of fear as Balthier approached her with the intent of harming her more seriously this time. She braced herself and tried to hide all fear from her face. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She could allow herself to be hurt if it meant he left Vander alone. Kelaria's eyes met Balthier's as he approached. She had dealt with this pain before, possibly even worse, her secrets would stay locked away inside her. The resolve left her face as the sword appeared through Balthier's chest. Instead she just looked completely shocked. She held no hope though as the blade sliced into him. She had crushed Finlay to death and buried him alive and he only rose stronger. Balthier was already so taken over by the demon magic inside him, this wound would cause him pain but it wouldn't kill him.

Her eyes sought Alexandra's at the threat her King made. Her heart ached for the woman, her own grief over her family was fresh enough to understand the pain and fear Alexandra must be feeling. Her eyes met Alexandra's with a sadness but still she didn't speak, not until Bathier's hand touched her. Panic gripped her and her eyes flew to Vander. "Vander!" she called out just as she vanished from view, teleported away with her enemy.

There was no strength in Kelaria to fight his magic on her again and there was no point in trying. It would only further exhaust her. Her vision was hazy for a long moment until she righted herself enough to take in the scene of the bloodied throne room she now found herself. The once familiar halls of her home should have made her feel safe and comforted, but now they housed monsters instead of family. Now these halls haunted her in her sleep. This wasn't her home anymore. They had robbed her of it.
 
"Welcome home, princess."

Balthier appeared before Kelaria, faster than her eyes could blink. He towered over her form her fallen perch, glancing down at the princess, his latest conquest. The wound that had been inflicted on him had already healed and he seemed no worse for ware thanks to his healing.

"Do you like what I've done with the place? It was in need of some redecoration."

Blood lined the floors, the throne, everything that was once a different color now fell crimson. It wasn't aware who's blood it had been. Perhaps it was her father, or her mother, or one of the many others who died trying to protect her. Maybe Balthier had gotten bored, or frustrated with the chase, and took it out on more innocent people. Regardless, his 'redecoration' was little more than blotches and splatters, with the occasional pool where he must have really enjoyed himself. He was so sick and twisted that he was painting this as a positive, though he knew Kelaria was well aware of what occurred here.

"You've made me wait long enough. You are weak. You cannot fight this. Your light is fading and your body is failing. Why don't you just make it easier on the both of us and tell me what I want to know?" He posed, kneeling down to get a closer look at her. "So beautiful, even in such a state. I can see why my brother fawns after you." His hand reached out for Kelaria's hair, sifting through it, causing it to lose some of it's color wherever his dark magic-riddled fingers touched. His caress was soft for but a moment before a fist was formed, yanking on any strands he could grasp, looking for a reaction from her from the pain it would cause. "Where is the Araya Lucaris? Tell me and I will let you see your parents once more..."
 
Kelaria didn't even allow herself to look around much, what she could see in her field of view was enough to make her ill. She tried not to linger too long on trying to imagine who's blood surrounded her. She knew it would be a pointless exercise and would only take her down some dark roads. Instead of focusing on his new decor she looked at him instead. Her eyes were dark and filled with so much hatred and loathing. Her skin crawled as he touched her hair. She wanted to pull herself far from his reach but instead she just stared at him in disgust.

Her scalp burned where he pulled her hair but she only gritted her teeth in response with a slight flinch. His words brought out a dark laugh. "So you are going to kill me after all then? Wow, not much patience huh? My parents are dead, at your hand. I'm no fool Balthier Albright. They're gone and the only way I'll see them again is if I join them in death. Even if you could and would bring them back, it would bring me no comfort to see them like that. You may have your people fooled but you won't win me over so easily." She was tempted to spit in his face but decided against angering him further. Instead she just continued to glare. "This is a wasted effort and we both know it. You won't get what you want from me, you must be smart enough to know that."
 
Balthier seemed impressed with her resolve, and the way she called him out. "Yes...I suppose I've underestimated you. Though, let it be known, I simply said I could reunite you, I didn't say that it had to be in this life..." He taunted, holding her glare with his own. His hand moved down, from her hair, instead wounding around her throat, constricting tightly. His finger tips seared against her skin, forcing his magic inside of her again, fighting against her light, willing it into submission. "Very well, I had a feeling you would be stubborn."

Balthier stood from where she was, pushing her onto her back by force. Two guards walked into the room, their eyes red like demons, clearly no-longer human. With them were three members of Kelaria's kingdom, a family. They looked in rough shape, the mother more than the father, but their child, who couldn't be anymore than four years old, was tearful and had been that way for a while. They were pushed to their knees in front of Balthier, forced to face Kelaria. The father's eyes lit up as he saw who it was.

"P-Princess Kelaria? You're here! You're alive! You're going to save us, right?"

The child's eyes also came alive, like she was looking up at her hero in the flesh. "Please! Please, you have to help us!"

"If threatening you does little to sway your mind, perhaps this will suffice.

Balthier let his hand fall open at his side, nonchalantly. As it did, those pesky tendrils of darkness extended from his palm the same way they had when they grasped her back in the forest, wrapping around the bodies of the three being held before her.

"P-Princess! Princess, help!"

"Where is the Araya Lucaris? I will not ask again."
 
The only indication Kelaria gave at any sort of pain or struggle was her eyes widening as he cut off her breathing. His hand burned painfully into her skin as he once again forced his magic inside her. That blinding pain returned as his magic ate at her own. Her eyes flashed brightly but with a light that flickered weakly. She gasped out loud when he finally released her neck, forcing her onto her back with a heavy thud. She struggled to pull herself back up with her hands bound the way they were.

Kelaria felt her heart sink so far into her chest it may as well not exist at all the second she saw the family brought in. She knew exactly where this was going and it killed her. The hated and loathing burning in her eyes a moment ago was nothing compared to what burned in her eyes when she looked at Balthier now. Her eyes stung with tears. "you truly are a monster. There is no hope for you is there? These people have done nothing to you. She's just a child!" tears ran freely down Kelaria's cheeks and she made no attempts to hide them.

The pain of guilt from the man she murdered in the woods was nothing compared to this pain. That had been an accident. This she had the power to stop. All she had to do was tell him but in doing so she would condemn her whole kingdom. She would condemn not only her own people but Vander's people and anyone else who stood in the way of Balthier and his master. "She's just a child." Kelaria repeated with a defeated tone. "They've done nothing wrong." She had no magic left in her to save these people but she couldn't doom her entire kingdom.

Kelaria's tear streaked face looked to the family being held before her, first at the the father, then his wife, and finally at their daughter who looked at her like she was her hero. She wanted nothing more than to wrap that child in her embrace and block out any darkness that might harm her. She wanted to be able to assure her parents that she would be kept safe, but in doing so she would doom so many more children and their families. "I'm so so sorry" her voice broke as she spoke to the family. She squeezed her hands tightly behind her and drew on every last ounce of magic she could call upon, weakening herself further until her vision blurred. The bindings around her wrists snapped and she held her hands out in front of her to steady herself. Her light wrapped around the family in front of her. It would do nothing to save them but it would ease their pain and their fear.

For a moment the father and mother looked like her own parents, hoping desperately for safety for their child...for her....if only they could see her now and what she had become. She could only imagine their shame. Tears continued to run down her face. This was unforgivable.
 
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The sick smirk on Balthier's face made it all too clear that he was enjoying what he was doing, as heartless and sadistic as it was. Seeing the pain on Kelaria's face, and hearing the family beg to her for help, only seemed to feed his ego. He applied more pressure with his magic, draining them of their life bit-by-bit. The family clutched to each other, looking at the Princess for help, desperately, as they began to lose their footing and grow weak. The tendrils pulsed and drew more from them than their bodies could manage, pushing them to their brink.

"P-please! You can't do this! Help us! Save my family!"

"Yes, princess. Help them." Balthier taunted, smugly, watching their struggle.

When Kelaria reached her breaking point, her light came forward not as an eruption, but as a whimper. There was barely any left inside of her to shine, and even less to fight against Balthier's overwhelming darkness. The light she did muster was but a blanket over them, easing their pain, but unable to shield them from the damage, or to rejuvenate back to them what was being stolen. The child was the first to succumb, slumping lifelessly at her father's feet. Next, the wife closed her eyes, her head against her husband's shoulder until she slumped down to join her daughter on the floor. The husband staggered forward now, catching himself, gasping, his eyes pleading with Kelaria one last time, but not with hope that she could save them; it was fear. Fear that she had become just like the invaders. In his dying eyes, it wasn't a demon who killed them, it was her.

"Are you proud of yourself?" Balthier asked, stepping away from the family he had so ruthlessly snuffed out. He brought the back of his right hand against her face, striking her, causing her tears to ricochet off of her cheeks and onto the blood-stained floor of what was once her home. "You could do nothing to save them. You have nothing left to give. No light, no kingdom, no hope." He continued to taunt, kneeling over her. His hand rested against her shoulder, letting his dark magic infect her again, spreading like dark veins beneath her skin, inching across her shoulder and through her arm. "I hope that it burns. Their deaths are on your conscience, not mine. Give me what I want and it ends. Continue to resist...and I will continue to punish you, and the vermin that you care so deeply for. Where. Is. It?"
 
"I'm so so sorry" Kelaria repeated as tears ran down her face. The look the father gave her as the light faded from his eyes, even with her light wrapped around him to protect and sooth his mind from what was happening, broke a piece of Kelaria on the inside and she wasn't sure it was a piece she'd ever get back. She was the monster. She could only fail so many times before it became a joke. It was obvious to her now that she never was what everyone thought she would be. She wasn't capable of saving anyone, much less herself. The whole kingdom was doomed and they only had her to blame. How many hundreds of thousands of people who had looked up to her for help had she disappointed and let down? Was she truly no better than the ones destroying her home? All she had accomplished was giving her people false hope then disappointing them at every turn.

There was a darkness in Kelaria's eyes that had never once been there before as she glared up at Balthier. Her expression was otherwise blank. She did nothing but give a short yelp as be slapped her hard enough across the face to result in a cut across her cheek. Her entier body tensed as his magic violated her once again, crawling under her skin and eating at her. She gritted her teeth but was unable to keep her screams in for long. It was obvious the pain was starting to wear her down and was weakening her resolve. She wanted to fight it but her body was too weak, too starved, and too exhausted to fight much more. She knew it showed on her face.


Tears ran down Kelaria's face as she hunched over on the ground. Her hands were out in front of her to stop her from landing head first on the cold marble floor of her training room. Her knees ached from where they hit the stone with a painful thud. The sixteen year old's whole body ached but her skin burned to a degree that the pain had her seeing spots in her vision. Her back felt like it was on fire and she couldn't catch her breath.

The young princess screamed until the pain began to fade. It took every ounce of concentration in Kelaria to end the pain and cut off the attack to her. She managed to put an end to it mere moments before blacking out entirely.

"Very good" a soothing voice cooed to her as the attack came to an end. Slowly soft slippered footsteps clicked across the cool ground. The Queen knelt before her daughter and gently lifted her head. "Very good Kelaria, though you must be quicker next time. You nearly lost that one."

Tears continued to run down the young princess's face. "I can't do it Momma. I want to stop. Please."

Queen Aretta gently raised Kelaria's head by her chin. She took in her daughter's tear stained face and quickly brushed aside those tears. She didn't seem to notice how Kelaria flinched from her touch. She would never know that from that point on her daughter would flinch from anyone's touch. "You can and you will my little light. You were born for this. You my darling girl were born with so much light, so much magic, in you. I've never seen your equal and you're still young and training. Think of the wonders you could accomplish when you grow older. You must learn to take this and so much more. You must learn to fight it. Remember, you cannot heal yourself and your magic will not always accept the light of others. "

The queen continued to inspect her daughter's face, landing her gaze on her daughter's eyes that were still bright with magic. "I knew the second I laid eyes on you that you were special...a prodigy. There must be a reason. Some day your kingdom, our people, will need you. Your light will save them but only if you survive to wield it. There are dark forces in this world and your light will suffer more from them for it's brilliance. You must learn this for the sake of your kingdom. It's your duty my little light." She kissed her daughter's forehead.

Kelaria tried to control her tears and her aching muscles. Her mother was a gifted seer and prophetess and there was a weight to her words that neither Kelaria nor her mother understood but Kelaria knew better than to doubt her mother. "Is there no other way?"

Aretta shook her head. "No. There is no other way." She sighed. "You know I love you right? I only do this because I care."

Kelaria nodded slowly "of course Mother."

Aretta nodded once and stood. "Good. Now stand. We go again. Once you get a better time you may rest." Kelis could hear the crack and pop of lightening already dancing across her mother's hands as she rose from the ground.


Though the pain was threatening to break Kelaria already, she cried out through her screams. "You'll have to do better than that Balthier Albright". She felt her magic fighting against his assault, trying to defend itself. Her light fighting was draining her faster than even the assault itself.

"Some day your kingdom, our people, will need you. Your light will save them but only if you survive to wield it."

Her kingdom needed her and that knowledge was the only thing that kept the pain from drawing her secrets from her lips but that would only last so long. Maybe her mother was wrong all along. Maybe her magic would be her undoing.
 
Balthier seemed equal parts amused, and frustrated, by Kelaria's continued defiance and the strength she seemed to somehow find inside of her even though she had been stripped of every ounce of light strong enough to fight against him. "Better?" He questioned, shaking his head. "I have only just begun."

Behind Balthier, in a swirl of dark energy, emerged Alzahar, showing his demonic form to the Princess for the first time. His eyes were pure red, his skin black, as though it had been drained of any pigmentation and light. His body, while corporeal, almost felt as though it existed of darkness and only darkness alone. He looked down upon Kelaria with a sinister smirk, his gaze itself commanding such an intense, foreboding feeling, that she wouldn't be able to exist the feeling of dread it would instill within her, even beyond her guilt for what had just happened to the family she had let die.

"Toying with your food again, Balthier?"

"We're just having a little fun. Kelaria is stubborn."

"So was her father, and her mother too...it made it all the more enjoyable when they finally broke."

Balthier smirked. "What is it you'd have me do?" The King was taking orders from the demon, still, leading into questions of the power dynamic between the two of them. Balthier was supposed to be the ruler, but was he still just a puppet?

"If you continue on this path, you will kill her before she ever spills her secrets. We cannot have that." Alzahar came closer, getting a better look at Kelaria, his wretched and hateful presence forcing what little light remained inside of her to cower away in hiding, retreating into the deepest recesses of her form. "Her light is weak, her mind fragile. Her heart...broken. As always, humans continue to be disappointments...throw her to the dungeon. Let her live in her agony a little while longer. She will tell us what we need to know in due time, rushing her death would be our undoing."

"Yes, I believe you're right. We have time, after all. There's nobody left to come for you, Kelaria. Nobody to save you."

"And why should they?" Alzahar added further insult to injury, playing at the guilt that was eating away at Kelaria's fragile mental state. "You haven't saved anybody."

Balthier made a motion with his hand and the demons who had brought in the family moved to Kelaria next, grabbing her by both arms, hoisting her defeated form off of the blood-stained floor.

~~~

"Van."

"Vander..."

"VAN!"

Vander startled himself awake. He had passed out from the pain, from the weight of what he had witnessed. Alexandra was standing over him, her once vibrant eyes dulled, her cheeks stained with the remnants of tears she had surely wiped before waking him up.

"Finally..."

"Alex..."

She knelt down, at his side, her hand reaching out to move through his hair, soothing him. She did so for a moment or two before pulling away, guiltily, realizing that wasn't something she could do for him anymore.

"Where's K-Kelaria...?"

And that was the reason why.

Alexandra sighed. "You don't remember?"

Vander closed his eyes again, feeling it all coming back to him. His brother...her screams...the hatred he felt when his dark magic took control. Balthier had Kelaria. They had failed.

"We have to go..."

"Go WHERE?" She asked, raising her voice in exasperation. "Where do we go? Back to the castle?"

"To save her."

"To save her? Van..."

Vander forced himself to sit up, wincing in pain. Alexandra looked at him with worry. "Let me heal you..."

"No." He again protested, stubbornly, refusing to let anybody but Kelaria do so.

"Vander Albright." She spoke his name, sternly, using it in full. "I want to fight too...but there's nothing we can do. We gave it our best shot...your brother is too powerful, and he's got an army of demons at his side...trust me, I want to help. He threatened my family, he said they would pay for what I've done...I..."

"If you wanted to help, then nothing would stop you." Vander spoke, bluntly, looking into her eyes with conviction beyond his weekend exterior. "There's nothing holding you back. Balthier already knows you've betrayed him, why are you still hesitating?"

"All I've ever known...was how to be a fighter. And all I ever wanted was to impress your family...Van, being Lieutenant means the world to me, it really does, but part of me would be lying if I didn't say one of the biggest reasons I wanted to be so successful was to prove to your father that I was worthy of your hand..."

"My father is gone." Vander forced himself back to his feet, staggering. A concerned Alexandra rose with him, ready at this side to catch him should he lose balance. "Your intentions were sweet, but you've got it all wrong. You should commit to something for yourself, not for others. I was far from worthy of your hand in return, look at all the damage I've caused."

"You do not get to call me out when you are as much a hypocrite as I. Are you not searching for the Araya Lucaris on Kelaria's behalf?"

"No." He told her, shaking his head. "I wanted the Araya Lucaris for selfish reasons. You were right about me, at least at the start. I was using her to get what I wanted, and deep down, she knew that. Everything I've done was for myself...for revenge, for atonement. Even now, though I care for her greatly, I know that this journey is my own. I know what I must do to end it but I can't do it without her..."

Alexandra sighed, again. "Because you need her strength, or because you need her knowledge?"

"...right now, it's both."

"So, you're not committed to this solely for yourself."

"...I guess not."

"So, you understand me. It's possible to do something for yourself, and for others. You are not a monster, Van. You do not need redemption, nor do you need to atone for what you did while you were being manipulated by your brother."

"...and you do not need to be in fear of changing your mind about which side to fight for."

"Do you really think we can save her? That we can defeat your brother?"

"It doesn't matter what I think...I have to."

"Right." Alexandra shook her head, again. She knew there was nothing stopping him. It ached her that Vander was so willing to fight for Kelaria against all odds when he didn't fight for her, but she understood where he was coming from and it seemed the two had found a better understanding of each other through their pain. "I know a place we can go to prepare, but you need to allow me to heal you first. I won't tell Kelaria."

Her hand reached out for him. He clasped her wrist and pulled it away. Alexandra faltered, but kept in control, she had cried enough for one life time.

"Let me guide you. You're going to need to teleport us."

~~~

It was cold and dark. Water dripped against unforgiving concrete, echoing through the emptiness of a long corridor. Iron bars lined either wall, separating into cells with the barest of amenities; a barely hospitable bed roll and a whole lot of nothing around it. In a cell next to the one holding the Princess was the husk of an elderly man, beaten down and bloody, barely holding on to the life that begged to leave him. The bars that contained him were nothing but iron, while the bars that contained Kelaria hummed faintly with purple energy in the form of glyphs, just like those that were imprinted on the outside of the communication device Alexandra had.

He had been asleep, dreaming through nightmare after nightmare only to awake in a reality that was somehow worse. He noticed, however, the color change in the cell adjacent to his own, and could discern the appearance of somebody through the dark. He wasn't alone anymore.

"H-hello...?" Came the weakened, weathered voice of Regis Fairwind, the scholar who once cared so closely for the Albright boys. "Who's there...?"
 
Dark magic continued to eat away at Kelaria and she was no longer able to keep the screams from tearing their way violently from her throat. She could hardly find the strength to keep her head upright. Her mother's words continued to echo in her head on repeat.

"Some day your kingdom, our people, will need you. Your light will save them but only if you survive to wield it."

"Only if you survive to wield it."

"Only if you survive to wield it."

Kelaira wanted to scream to her mother as the screams of pain tore through her. "That's easier said than done mother!" It was easy to survive when you weren't constantly being hunted down. It was easy to survive when the thing determined to keep you alive wasn't what was killing you. Who was she kidding? Survival was never easy.

"Only if you survive to wield it."

The room grew cold as Balthier's demon materialized behind him. He was no delusion cause by the pain that made her nearly delerious. The power and darkness that radiated off of the monster's body was enough to nearly suffocate Kelaria's already dwindling magic. Her skin cralwed as he spoke, his voice a vicious mockery of human speech. Though Kelaria loathed to admit it, his mere presence struck her in fear.

"Only if you survive to wield it." her mother's voice continued to echo inside her.

I will survive to weild it. I have to find a way to survive.

As the darkness surrounding her sought to suffocate Kelaria's remaining light, a thought dawned her and brought an accompanying dread with it. She knew what she would have to do and she wasn't even sure she could do it. More importantly she wasn't sure she could undo it. She knew there was little choice left if she were to survive.

"Only if you survive to wield it."

As her magic was overwhelmed by the demon magic around it, Kelaria let it get overwhelmed. She let the darkness back it into the smallest and darkest corner deep inside of her. She willed it away, picturing a tiny chest deep in her chest that she shoved it into. It was the single most painful thing Kelaria had ever experienced and she was doing it to herself willingly. Kelaria screamed so loudly her voice broke as she turned the key of that imaginary chest and trapped what was left of her light away, leaving the appearance that Balthier and Alzahar had somehow succeeded in snuffing it out completely, leaving Kelaria completely weak and nothing more than ordinary.

Kelaria's body fell to the ground and her ears rang. She felt...empty. It felt as though a hole had been torn through her chest and now all that was in it's place were raw and burning endges. Her body felt colder than it ever had before and it left the battered princess trembling. She didn't even have the strength to lift her head. The deformed voices around her were muffled and distorted to a point she hardly registered any words at all, that is until Alzahar's dig at her failures.

When the guards lifted her, her eyes met Balthier's. The bright purple hue was gone. Her eyes were now a dull grey that held only a faint echo of their once purple appearance. Her skin was pale as though she had never seen the sun. She didn't look as ghastly as the false king himself but she looked sickly and weak. Her light was gone and she wasn't sure she'd ever dig it back out.

The trip to the dungeons was an easy one for the guards, as Kelaria was far too weak to put up any sort of fight, but for Kelaria it was agony. Everything felt different now. It was all harsher and more painful. Her body felt as though it had been trampled by an entier herd of horses. She had never had to survive in a world without the strength and comfort of her light.

Once tossed into her cell, Kelaria scrambled to lean against the wall in order to rest as best she could as her plan formulated in her head. Magic or no, she couldn't let herself rot in here while she wallowed in her misery. At the very least she needed to escape to find Vander so he could finish what she couldn't. Selfishly she also wanted to escape before she was subjected to any more of Balthier's fun. Being dragged to the dungeon was the second-best thing she could have hoped for. Kelaria knew what her plan would be, she only needed to gather enough strength to make it happen.

The sound of another voice startled Kelaria out of her thoughts. She looked to the faintly glowing bars and frowned. She debated being honest in her answer but decided one more person knowing her identity couldn't hurt. It was just one more person to disappoint. "It-" her voice was raw and weak from her screams. "It's the princess." she said the word Princess as though it was a bad word, a shameful word. "Kelaria. Who are you?" she moved closer to the voice.
 
"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid not. Please, don't be angry, you have to understand how difficult it has been for me! For my family!"

Torven was a blacksmith, and a damn good one at that. Though Vander had just met him, he could tell from the worksmanship on display in his shop that he knew what he was doing. It was no surprise that Alexandra came to him, and he had heard stories of Torven long before now, they had just never met. In fact, if he had known Alexandra had intended for him to teleport all the way back to their home in Arellia, he would have never agreed. It felt like they were running away, not heading towards the place they needed to be. He was farther away from Kelaria than he had ever been, and in her time of need at that, but he had to trust Alexandra now, she was the only ally he really had left.

"You do remember my rank and role, do you not?"

"Y-yes! Of course I do, Lieutenant! And he is the prince...I have not forgotten your faces...but our economy has been a disaster since the war effort...we're all really just waiting for the King to return. We've depleted resources, money...I've made more armor, and more weapons, than you could have imagined. I...I've given everything I have, there's nothing left to use...no more metal or iron, or steel..."

Alexandra sighed. She knew it was true. What Torven had on hand now was likely al he was going to have left for quite a while, and his shop, while still stocked, was looking much more barren than before.

"I can spare you a sword or two...maybe, but temper your expectations. It won't be anything befitting a prince..."

"It's alright, Torven. Thank you, we will take whatever you can spare."

"Van-"

"Alex, it doesn't matter...we both know whatever weapon we bring will be for show rather than practicality. A sword, no matter how well made, isn't going to be enough to stop my brother..."

"Speak for yourself. Mine made it's way through his wretched heart..."

"You caught him by surprise, and yet, even with your sword in his chest, he lived to take Kelaria away from us."

Alexandra grumbled, looking past Torven, closer to his forge.

"Kelaria? You mean the princess? And what do you mean 'through his heart...'?"

"Don't worry about it." Alex cut off the conversation before Torven decided they were traitors. It seemed word of their betrayals had yet to reach their home front. "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"Right there. Hanging on the wall."

A simple, black sheathe was suspended on a hook near the forge. It was rather large, it looked heavy, it's handle decorated with small crystal-like stones against silver.

"It's an old project...it isn't finished. What use would you have for something like that?"

"Bring it to me."

"I sai-"

"Bring it to me."

Torven threw his hands in the air and retrieved it from the hook, bringing it to the counter and laying it horizontally in front of Vander and Alexandra. Alex pulled it out, letting it's blade shimmer naturally. There were more of those crystals embedded into the blade itself, giving it the illusion of the blade itself being filled with light. When Alex's hand moved over the crystals, they seemed to respond, shaking slightly, changing color to match the usual blue of her magic. When she pulled her hand away, that magic lingered within the crystals for a few moments afterwards before fading away, leaving them both looking on in awe and confusion.

"What is it?"

"Well, it, uh...it was a special order...it was meant to conduct magic using these crystals said to have been dug from the soil around the Araya Lucaris itself...but as you can see, I ran out of them, and materials, so I could never finish it."

Sure enough, the sword did seem unfinished. Though the stones were fitted into the sharpened blade, they were few and far between, with one half of the weapon barely having any at all. "Not like we could just walk up to the thing and find more...I used what the royal family had on hand."

"Special order from who...?"

"Your late father, bless his soul...damn near broke my heart that I wasn't able to finish it before...well, you know."

Vander reached out for the sword next, his hand moving over the crystals. They responded to him the same way they did Alex, casting a purple, dark glow over the crystals that faded when he pulled away. "What use did my father have for a sword like this?"

"Never told me, and I never asked questions. The King comes to you with a project and special materials and you just do as you're told..."

Alexandra looked towards Vander like they had just found what they were looking for. He felt it too. Almost like it was fated to be his.

"We'll take it."
"We'll take it."

They both spoke up, simultaneously, speaking in time with one another. The blacksmith seemed to disagree.

"Absolutely not." Torven snatched it away, putting it back into it's sheathe.

"Excuse me?"

"It's not finished. It's never been tested in battle. The last thing I need on my conscience is for one of my experimental weapons to explode in the prince's hand, killing him AND the Lieutenant at the same time. I'm sorry, it's not for sale, and it's also not something I can donate. It stays." He hooked it back up onto the wall, leaving it there. Vander and Alexandra's eyes met again, a quaint nod and understanding between the two.

"That's fine, I'll take one of your regular pieces. Thank you for showing me that, Torven, it means a lot to me."

The blacksmith nodded, coming out from behind the counter to show them the weapons he could part with. Meanwhile, Vander and Alexandra both knew that the weapon he had made would not remain on his wall for long, but now that Vander was aware of it's existence, it was something he could call to him with Alexandra's sword-trick...and it may be the one thing they needed to turn the tides.

~~~

"P-princess Kelaria? No...it can't be..." There was a panic in the tired voice that spoke back to Kelaria through the bars of their cell. "He found you...has he found the Araya Lucaris as well...? No...he wouldn't keep you alive if he had what he wanted..."

This man made it clear from the start that he knew more than a simple prisoner, but as Kelaria had yet to meet him, nor had Vander really spoke to her of Regis, he remained a stranger with a wealth of knowledge beyond that of a regular citizen of either kingdom. He ignored Kelaria's request to know his name, but not out of a desire to be rude; he was simply distraught with the revelation that she was alive and in captive, and it was playing heavy on his aged mind.

"...tell me what has become of his brother. Is Vander Albright still alive...?" It was a long shot, Regis knew that. He figured that Balthier would have already snuffed out the life of his 'exiled' brother by now, but if Kelaria was still here, and still alive, there was a chance. There was always a chance.
 
Kelaria pulled herself closer to the bars that separated her from that voice. She tried to peer through the bars to see who it was speaking to her. Inside she could faintly make out the shape of a man, old and battered. He looked as though he had suffered a great deal at the hands of their current hosts. It pained her to see him, knowing there was nothing she could do for him. Just another person she was destined to disappoint. Her mother was wrong. Kelaria was a failure, and her people were worse off for her existence.

"He found me but not the Araya Lucaris...not yet. He's determined to torture its location out of me." her voice was so strained and raw as she spoke, she could hardly raise her voice enough to be heard. Each movement was painful and each moment her eyes remained open was a struggle.

The hope it the man's voice when he asked about Vander surprised Kelaria. Of course, his accent...this man was not one of her people but rather one of Vander's. That still explained very little. Clearly this man knew the horrors the Albright family had become. How could he, locked away in here, know anything about Vander's efforts towards redemption? No. This man had to know the brothers personally. Another traitor like Vander who couldn't be blinded by power perhaps?

At the mention of Vander Kelaria's heart ached. What she wouldn't give to be by his side again. Only hours ago, she was in his arms, and it was the happiest she had been in a long time. Now she had been torn away from any form of happiness. She wasn't sure Vander would want her now, knowing what she had become...what she was.

"I hope so...he was the last I saw him." The emotional pain was clear even in Kelaria's strained voice. "Hopefully a long ways away from here." She hugged her arms around herself as she shivered. She could only hope that somehow Alexandra had convinced Vander to keep looking for the Arya Lucaris without her. She knew Vander would try to rescue her but she needed him to give up on her and focus on saving their kingdoms from Balthier's distruction. After all her failures it was clear to Kelaria that she was never meant to save her peopleor his like Vander thought she would. He had been protecting her all this time for the wrong reasons. It had all been a waste. He'd have to be the one to save them all.

"How do you know Vander? You speak as though you care for him." He hadn't ever mentioned anyone else. Once upon a time, when he was just Vonn and she was just Ani, Vander mentioned something about a grandfather but Kelaria knew the prince's grandfather died years ago. Was this man who he spoke of?
 
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