Our Quest - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Without a Reason.

“Say, Yume...”

Another doubt stroke her.

“What are you going to ask me this time, little girl?”

It wasn't hard for him to guess her intentions.

“Hehe, I'm sorry. It’s just that I can’t get it out of my...”

The girl was quickly interrupted.

“Come on, we’re prison brothers! Spit it out!”

It scared her at first, but then she giggled.

“Okay okay! well... you see... um... Why are you helping me?”

The demon didn't need to think twice his answer.

“No reason.”

She thought he was making fun of her.

“... Seriously.”

But he was being totally honest about it.

“Yeah”

Still, the girl felt anything but convinced.

“That doesn't make any sense!”

Yet the man remained oblivious.

“I'm aware of that.”

---

“Is there something bothering you, milady?”

Yuki gets startled by the guy. As you can see this happens too often.

“N-no, it’s just...”

She quickly realizes what she once again did and apologizes, but Gladio doesn't seem concerned.

“It is my duty as a gentleman to help someone in need, no matter how small the problem is.”

What a nice fellow!

“I was just wondering.”

The girl's anxiety shows up in her eyes as she continues gazing at Yume's picture.

“How is it that someone labelled as a hero has a bounty over his head?”

The smile of gentleness fades for seriousness over Gladio's face.

“Well, it is common knowledge around the kingdom of Algalord, but the knights have done everything to prevent outsiders to know the story.”

So, when he says “everything”...

“But I intend to fulfill my previously mentioned duty.”

Our girl expresses her gratitude with a delightful look in her eyes. She listens silently as Gladio breaks an order issued by the knights to clear her doubts.

“It happened one year ago in this very city. The knights were holding a private execution behind the walls of the Academy. A demon had murdered an entire family of Algalord nobles, but thankfully was captured right afterwards, impeding another massacre. A total of one hundred and fifty recruits were present at the time, the one with higher rank being a young Lieutenant. Nothing could possibly go wrong... or that was what they believed. Just before the executioner could cut the head of the culprit, a man fell from the sky... and took his. Armed with two single-edged swords, the murderer rushed to the witnesses. In a matter of seconds, one by one, a hundred knights were savagely slain. Among others, the Lieutenant had his life spared, he was the one who helped in the making of the “wanted” poster. He said he could never forget his evil glare and pretentious grin. Also, according to him, the only words the criminal shouted were: I am the Demon Hero.”

The story sends shivers down her spine.

“So, as you can see, it is not like they think of him as a hero, but it is the only name they got.”

She doesn't know what to think, how to react, what to say. The girl mutters the first words that come to her mind.

“That story... it’s sad...”

“It is in many ways.”

That answer didn't came from Gladio's mouth. A man walks slowly towards Yuki, carrying a helmet in his arm. The cape he wears floats elegantly. As soon as the girl recognizes his armor she forgets everything she was worrying about and only the anguish of having offended the knights she admires so much engulfs her mind.

“I-I beg your forgiveness! I spoke carelessly.”

She bows her head before the knight. He looks down on her. He and Gladio exchange looks. While not as tall as the latter, his presence is overwhelming.

“There’s no need to apologize, woman. I truly agree with your words.”

Even if he has a deadly serious all-mighty attitude, the sign of approval makes our girl smile. He stands in front of the Wanted posters.

“To think that many recruits were deprived of their existence by one filthy demon it’s utterly pathetic.”

Those words crush Yuki's initial thoughts. Gladio closes his eyes and stays silent. It’s like he doesn't want to get involved in the discussion. Or maybe he just can’t disagree with what the knight is saying.

“This images are here as a reminder of the failures of those who died on that day and disgraced the good name of my beloved Aurea Aurora.”

Our heroine finds it hard to hide her rage. She has been idolizing Algalord’s royal knights for years. And now she has to listen how their fallen soldiers are humiliated by a knight himself. She at least tries to say something.

“B-But they died whilst fulfilling their obligations and...!”

“And they failed.”

She could say no more. She’s about to unsheathe her blade.

“That is enough, Captain Vindice. I will not tolerate any further insult towards those men.”

The gentleman finally steps up.

“Mr. Magna...”

The knight doesn't seem to care about him.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Do you think that I'm wrong?”

Their eyes meet once again. While the knight’s eyes show indifference, Gladio's gaze denotes a combination of anger and understanding.

“They were once your companions. No matter the circumstances in which they perished, you are meant to respect their memory.”

The mood gets pretty dense. Yuki's nervousness is off the chart.

“I don’t want to be lectured by the very man who’s at fault of this conversation. Or should I remind you of the law you just broke?”

With a fast movement of his arm Gladio takes his cape away, revealing the shiny golden armor underneath.

“General Magna.”

The girl is amazed at the revelation.

“It is true that I disobeyed the law. But worry not, for I will accept any punishment the Commander decides to give me based on the consequences of my actions.”

The Captain frowns, then turns to Yuki.

“I'm sure you are aware of the fact that this information is meant to remain inside the frontiers of Algalord, aren't you?”

Yuki watches her tone as she responds the question.

“I will not betray Mr. Magna's trust.”

After that, Vindice walks away inside the walls of Aurea Aurora without losing his all-mighty demeanor.

“I am terribly sorry about the Captain’s behavior, young maiden.”

“What kind of man is he? How can someone like him be a member of the royal knights?”

And suddenly she remembers that she is not talking to an ordinary man anymore. The girl apologizes for taking such a friendly attitude, but the General doesn't mind.

“Listen, milady. Even if what he says seems to be ill-intentioned, the Captain has strong reasons to believe his own speech. And I highly recommend you to wait until you know those reasons before judging him.”

Our heroine just got scolded by a knight of the highest rank. Although she feels bad about it, she also sees it as an honor.

“Now It is time for me to go inside the academy too. Do not forget that you must not speak about what you learned here with any outsider nor outside of Algalord.”

“I won’t, General Magna. Thank you for giving me the privilege of meeting you and for regarding me as worthy of your trust.”

She bows before him, then marches to the Algalord entrance of the city. And just as Gladio is about to take his leave...

“I almost forgot! My name is Yuki! I'm a daughter of the Mornen family from Loregard!”

Yuki then gets back on her course. Gladio remains shocked.

“... Mornen.”

Once she is far enough from Orin's walls, the girl turns around and sighs.

“What took you so long?”

The demon’s sudden arrival make the girl scream and fall out of surprise.

“Please don’t do that!”

She waves her arms in a comical way.

“Haha~! You should have seen the look on your face little girl!”

Yume keeps on laughing, Yuki doesn't try to get up. Her mind is blasted with the story she heard about the demon hero. It’s anything but easy for her right now to face the guy standing beside her. Because the feeling of being unable to prevent other from dying it’s not beyond her.

“Shall we?”

Then she looks up. The man on the Wanted poster smiles at her in a pretentious yet gentle way as he offers her his hand to help her get up. The very same man that offered her his hand to help her reach her goal.

“Sure.”

The uneasiness is still in her heart. There will come a day when she will have the strength to confront him for his actions, but not today.

Our Quest - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Wanted.

Somewhere in Loregard a group of imperial soldiers is being scolded by a high rank officer.

“You had him right under your noses... and you let him go.”

He wears a full-body silver armor, without a helmet, letting his long hair loose.

“W-we are so sorry Captain. He was so easy to capture we didn't suspect it was him.”

The one who spoke is hit by the Captain with his sheathed sword.

“Shut your disgustingly pathetic mouth! How dare you to speak without your superior's permission.”

The others shake while looking at his companion as the Captain steps over him, literally.

“Lieutenant, would you be kind enough to tell me exactly what happened?”

A braided-hair knight steps up. One who doesn't look nervous at all, looking at the superior right in the eyes.

“The criminal held a human hostage. My men just acted accordingly to the code.”

The inferior rank knight's words are filled with defiance, which enrages the boss.

“The code? The code orders us to punish the evildoers! Sacrificing a civilian's life in order to capture someone who has done such evil as him is nothing but a cheap transaction.”

They begin a staring contest. I'm getting the impression they do not get along. Finally the Captain forfeits and walks away.

“Spread the word across your men, Lieutenant, I don't care how many worthless lives it takes, not even yours.”

The man mounts his white horse.

“Find the demon hero and take his head!”

He gallops away, the soldiers sigh of relief. The Lieutenant looks up to the dawning sky.

“How far will it take you, Captain?... That obsession of yours.”

…

That was pretty dramatic wasn't it? Anyway, I'm a little concerned about the “Yu” pair. Last time I saw them they were taking a nap so let's see how are they doing.

“The quickest way to reach Algalord is through there, little girl.”

They watch a city's door from afar.

“At last...”

Right in the frontier between the kingdoms of Loregard and Algalord, the City of Great Walls: Orin. As its name suggests, it is a place surrounded by enormous concrete barriers, made to stand wars and invasions. This city is the home of the great and renowned academy of Algalord, famous and respected for training the best knights in the continent. The aforementioned great protective wall that surround this city has only two openings to allow communication with the outer world, one on each kingdom, both being heavily guarded.

“It's like a dream!”

One cannot possibly ignore the huge smile on the girl's face.

“Why are you so excited?”

Not even Yume.

“I... I've never been to Algalord before and...”

Yuki realizes she got carried away and she blushes. Just how cute is that girl.

“When I was a child it was my desire to be one of its knights.”

“Is that so, huh...”

Their eyes meet, the girl giggles.

“Then it might be better for you to go on your own. I'll see you on the other side!”

“What are you...”

An air current interrupts the girl and makes her close her eyes. She opens them again just to see the guy is not around anymore. At first it surprises the girl, but then she remembers he's a demon who can use magic.

“Fine! Guess I better go on.”

And there she goes. To be honest I want to tag along with that guy. Then again, this tale is about Yuki.

“Thankfully I was able to recover my money, but my sword was nowhere to be seen.”

… What, did I forget to mention that?

“I better buy a new one.”

Anyway. The heroine nervously walks through the entrance guarded by imperial soldiers. Now she's inside the great walls. The Loregard side of the city looks just like any regular town. Happy people passing by, salesmen yelling on the streets, kids playing with their friends. Our lady does her shopping quickly, she buys a regular sword, not so different from the one she had. To be honest with you nothing amazing happens there. But everything is different on the other side of the city, and Yuki notices that as soon as she arrives to the frontier door. It is not protected by imperial soldiers but by the knights themselves.

“That's...”

Beyond the door lies the holy land of Algalord, the kingdom of kingdoms

“Just a little more.”

As she attempts to step inside, the guard's lances cross in front of her.

“Hold right there lady. State your name, and your purpose to leave the kingdom of Loregard, or else you shall not pass.”

Yuki gets nervous. The poor girl gets so stoned she can't articulate any word.

“I-I-I...”

“Nothing to say girl? It's getting suspicious.”

Come on girl!, say something!

“I am sorry for this, gentlemen. She is an acquaintance of mine.”

The knights gaze up.

“You are...!”

A big man stands next to our heroine. His body is cloaked up.

“I did not mean to cause any trouble. I told the lady to go ahead and wait for me, but now I am here as well. Now, could we please walk inside?”

Yuki's face is all kinds of red now. The man standing beside her not only behaves like a true gentleman, but he also seems to be, like some would say, handsome.

“All right, you may pass. Apologies for the inconvenience.”

“None required.”

They both finally get inside. This is Yuki's first step on the great kingdom of Algalord. One more step in his search for... well, a library. Once they are far enough from the guards to listen, the girl proceeds to show his gratitude towards the cloaked man.

“Um, thank you so much for what you did back there, mister.”

“Like I said to the guards, none required.”

Yuki finds it a little difficult to stare at the man's eyes.

“I just saw a mistress in disgrace and I did what man of honour should have.”

“Oh...”

Way to kill the mood, but whatever. The Algalord side of Orin is like a military city. Almost everyone there wears an armor and carries a weapon. Some restaurants that provide basic meals, blacksmiths and carpenters workshops appear to be the only business there.

“Please forgive my rudeness, milady. I did not mean to do you wrong.”

I bet every girl surrenders to his smile.

“The truth is you reminded me of an old friend, whom I deeply cared of.”

Somehow the man's true reasons are enough for our heroine to feel relieved. They keep walking through the city for a little while, until they find themselves on the town square.

“My name is Gladio, prideful son of the Magna family from Algalord. Now that I gave you my name, perhaps you could honour me by giving me yours.

“O...of course! My name is...”

Something else captures the girl's attention. Another guarded door, protecting a long-reach stairway. At the end of it, a huge elegant building stands. The renowned knight academy: Aurea Aurora.

“No way.”

She runs towards the closed door to take a closer look. A colorful smile shows again on her face. Our heroine certainly looks like a “little girl” right now.

“I am getting the impression that you feel admiration for the Algalord knights.”

“ I'm sorry, it's just that I got excited because...”

And yet again the girl stops her speech. Her sight is lured by a wall standing close to the door to the academy's territory. Five “wanted” posters are displayed on it. Yuki reads carefully all the names.

“Nightmare Wolfhart... Vankar Dargor... Erick Nekron... Arganthiel Raurich.”

The young woman gets startled when she reads the fifth poster, one with Yume's face printed on it.

“Demon... Hero?”

Yu-Gi-Oh! - Card I - Part 01

The legend speaks about a magical organization known as The Order of Arcana. Its wizards confronted each other in amazing sorcery duels to prove their skills. Summoning vicious monsters, aiding their armies with mystical spells, tricking their rivals with shameful traps, the goal was to end with the opponent’s life. Winning meant to acquire the sealed knowledge of the defeated duelist, while losing meant death, and to have your soul engulfed by the darkness. Nobody knows when or why the order disappeared. However, there’s the belief that all the magicians’ wisdom was sealed in mysterious cards, whose location remains unknown...

Yu-Gi-Oh! - The Order of Arcana.

Card I - The Magician.

Part 01

Edward was an annoyingly easy-going young man with just one thought on his mind: to win. Having no goal in his life other than living it in a simple way, he always believed that the only path to reach it was winning on everything. Be it at games or sports, he has never lost, not even once. Still, every person he meets finds only one word to describe him: fool.

It all started one night in a bar on London. The crowd was enjoying the strong rhythms of classic rock, while tasting a variety of alcoholic beverages. The jukebox was playing Guns and Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle", which seemed to be the appropriate song for the appropriate moment.

“Read ‘em and weep, the dead man’s hand again!” Edward grinned while showing his two pairs to his three opponents.

One of them decided to quit. “I should’ve listened to the guys that were here before. There’s no point in keep losing money to this fool!” He stood up and walked away, angered.

“C’mon dude! We’re having fun here! Aren’t we?” Asked Edward to the other rivals.

One of them answered. “Sure, buddy, there’s nothing i like more than getting beaten by a brat.” He lighted a cigar.

“Shut up, I’m 22. Now stop whining and give me one of those.” He extended his hand and a cigar was given to him, along with the lighter.

The third man on the table spoke. “We heard there was a fool in here that never loses. Guess it was the truth.” He was the second to leave.

Edward shady smile appeared once again. “And I’m happy the way I am.”

“Rejoice while you still can, lad. Sooner or later a guy will cross that door and beat the crap out of you.” The last opponent left the table.

“But it’s not gonna be tonight.”

The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” played on the jukebox.

The gambler gathered his earnings as the bartender walked to him. “If I had an euro for every time I've heard some loser say that to you I would close this damn place.” He said.

“Fuck you, Freddy! Here’s where I make my living.” Edward yelled. “Now shut up and pour me a glass of scotch.”

“Relax man, you know I wouldn’t do that.” He served him the drink he asked, then took out a pack of cigarettes and lighted one. “After all, how can i live without the smell of smoke, alcohol and vomit filling my lungs?”

“I know I can’t.” Edward exhaled the smoke of his cigar one more time before putting it out.

David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” started playing when a strange man entered the bar. He slowly walked towards the young gambler. He wore a cape and had his face covered by a hood, so it could hardly be spotted, but had a large black beard that couldn’t be ignored.

Some customer shouted. “What’s up gramps! Lost your way to the costume party?!” Some other equally bad jokes were screamed. Still, the man kept walking until finally being face to face to what appeared to be his target. The crowd decided to continue minding their own business.

“I see it in your yellow eyes. You are that famous never-losing fool.” Said the hooded man.

The pride in Edward’s face was evident. “The one and only.” He howled.

“I am here to give you the chance to bet in an ultimate gamble.”  Declared the stranger while taking a chair and sitting on it. He then spoke to Freddy. “Would you mind serving me a cup of wine, gentleman? The most expensive if possible.”

“Ri...right away sir!” The enthusiast bartender went for it.

Edward was intrigued. “So, what are you talking about, old man. What’s an ultimate gamble?”

Freddy put the cup on the table. “Leave the bottle, please.” Requested the hooded person.

He drank it in one gulp. “An ultimate gamble is one where you can not afford to lose.” He poured himself another cup. “Because if you do, you die...” Again drank it in a gulp.

The young guy took a sip of his whiskey, without looking away from the one sitting in front of him. They remained silent for a while. The jukebox’ song changed to Queen’s “I Want it All”.

For the first time in the night Edward looked serious. “I don’t give a fuck about what happens when you lose. Tell me about winning.”

“That is something I can not tell you.” He drank another cup. “But everything will be clear for you once you get your ‘bet’.”

The unnamed man took out a strange looking, golden box from under his cape. A pentagram was engraved on the cover.

“My ‘bet’?” Asked Edward.

“This is what you need to take part on it. We will play a game. Win and it is yours. Lose and...well, you probably do not care about that.”

Edward’s mind was assaulted by doubt. No matter how much he looked into it, there was nothing “simple” about the situation he was facing.

“You have to decide, young man. Are you willing to take the risk?

Even so, his blood was boiling for passion. He wanted to know what was the ultimate gamble, he wanted to participate in that ultimate gamble, he wanted to win it...and he believed he would. AC DC’s “Thunderstruck” played.

“Don’t fuck with me and bring it on, old man!” Said Edward as the pretentious smirk appeared once again on his face.

The stranger took off his hood, revealing his face completely. His left eye was apparently blind. “I will give you the advantage. We are playing your game.” He said as he took the card deck from the table and started shuffling it.

None of them took the sight away from each other until the cards were dealt. Edward looked at his hand: ten of spades, ten of hearts, jack of clubs, jack of hearts, jack of spades.

“I am staying. What about you.” The stranger looked pretty confident.

Edward had a respectable hand, but it wasn’t enough for him. He could either take the risk with it, or change some cards and expect a miracle. He made his decision and changed three cards.

“Ready to face your destiny, young boy?”

“I was born ready, old man!”

The two of them revealed their cards.

Our Quest - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - The Real One

Spectral atmosphere. Everyone, everything around Ekleipsis is surrounded by it, though it can’t be seen with the naked eye, just like the air we breath. Some life beings are even connected to it, which means they’re connected to the world itself. The art of understanding one’s surroundings and manipulate them at will. That is magic.

“Hey! Aren’t you going to answer me?”

Yuki, and the guy who I’m guessing it’s our hero, managed to lose their persecutors by entering Loregard’s south forest. It seems they got used to each other.

“I don’t remember what should I answer.”

Loregard’s trees are the tallest of all Ekleipsis.

“Back there, when the guards were blown away, were you the one who did it?, can you use magic?”

While it seems to be just a stroll in the park for Yume, somehow the girl is finding it difficult to walk over the trees’ roots, also she’s walking slower than usual. One can only think that Yuki doesn’t get out a lot.

“Yeah, I don’t know why are you so surprised about it, as far as I know every demon can use magic.”

Ekleipsis is populated mostly for humans. Then are the demons and finally the elves. Only the human beings lack a connection to the spectral atmosphere.

“Every demon, huh...”

A memory strikes our heroine’s mind, a memory about a man covered in black, a frightful look. She shakes her head trying to get rid of the remembrance. Yume notices the girl uneasy behavior.

“Let’s take a break little girl, I know you need it.”

Be it for empathy or just mercy, she feels grateful. While silently dedicating a smile to the demon, she sits, leaning against a tree.

“Thank you... it’ll be just... a minute...”

She suddenly falls asleep.

“So, no more questions for the rest of the night.”

Yume also sits and leans against the same tree. He lights a cigarette.

Let’s just leave them taking a peaceful rest. At least now you know a little about how magic works in this world. If you want to read something that might be more interesting let’s see how things are going back on Thorald. The bar’s open, its customers are mostly foreign people so nobody knows about the incident involving our heroes. Except of course for its workers.

“Look, Belle, there’s him again.”

The bartender points towards the bulky man who I’m sure you remember.

“He’s got some nerve to appear around here again.”

“I know, but to be honest I feel sorry for him.”

Hey, that guy was so scared he passed out, even I feel sorry for him.

“Let’s give him another chance.”

A kind smile shines on her face.

“Are you sure? I think we should take him out while we can.”

“Yes, I’m sure, after all he is a customer!”

Nowadays It’s hard to find such gentleness. Speaking of the false joel, that man can’t help but feel frustrated. He was humiliated, his sword of which he was so proud of was torn in half, and of course he hates the fact that his life was saved by a girl, the same girl that he was about to smash. Every time he closes his eyes he can still see the image of the demon who made fun of him.

“Here, sir!, it’s on the house.”

Belle gives same bottle of wine of that day, but seeing it enrages the man.

“What are you doing...”

I don’t think he liked the gesture.

“Don’t worry sir, you’ll always be welcomed to Thorald’s bar!”

When the wrong person listens to such compassionate words they could be easily interpreted as mockery.

“Fuck you bitch! I don’t need your pity!”

He stands up while flipping the table. The waitress falls and so does the bottle. Everyone stares at the man.

“What...”

He starts seeing Yume’s face on all the people around him. The sights are too heavy for him. His head is filled with the demon’s crushing words. The whispers pierce deeply in his ears. The last remnant of sanity in him fades away.

“I’m going to KILL YOU ALL!”

One second, one spark. Two seconds, a flare. Three seconds... the man’s covered by flames. A loud scream of horrendous suffering escapes from his mouth

“You are annoying as hell.”

A man wearing a headband walks towards the screaming, burning guy, with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

“When I heard what you were doing, I got really angry, fake one.”

No one runs away this time, neither one tries to help. The slow dance of the fire has hypnotized everyone.

“To think that there’s people stupid enough to believe your lies... No, I can believe that.”

He drinks all the whiskey and then throws the glass away, gazing upon the blazing fellow’s agony. His eyes, colored as blood, show both anger and delight. Belle snaps out and watches the horrible display. She quickly stands up.

“Please! Someone help him!”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that, woman.”

The fire finally extinguishes and the cremated corpse falls down. Now the whole clientele realizes the situation, and still they can do nothing but observe. The tremendous terror prevents them from moving a muscle. The red-eyed man attempts to leave the place.

“I would help you cleaning this mess, but, in a way, I just did.”

Two incidents, one day after another. Of all the bars in Loregard, Thorald’s must be the unluckiest.

“Besides, I got a prey to catch.”

The payment for the drink is left on a table. The guy walks out. With tears in her eyes, Belle mouths some last words to him.

“Who... who are you?”

Without looking at her, without stopping, he answers her question.

“My name is Joel.”