Chapter 20: The Great Seven Kingdoms

I wearily opened my eyes.

And at that instance, a blinding light challenged my focus that wavered unsteadily.

I took a deep breath and rubbed at my eyes, almost gasping, a hurried attempt to remind my body of its dire need of air.

My body feels like I'm floating...

Where am I?

When I manage to peel my eyes open, adjusting to the brightness, I began to look around and found myself standing in the middle of a dusty sunny desert where the sand dunes and vast fields of hazy mirage from the heat, almost as though water exist over the surface, stretched across the horizons.

The wind blew as the sands and dusts billowed like a rolled out carpet of smoke.

This place... looks strangely familiar, I thought, with one hand up to shade my eyes from the bright sunlight blasting at me.

"What is it?"

Huh? Who spoke just now?

I turned around and saw a silhouette of a man standing ahead of me. Dust screen covered my view of him and all I could do is gaped at him, hopeful and patient to await for the wind to blow and clear the dusts.

"We can't stop now.

We need to keep walking..."

His voice is low and husky, a sound that seems thick to my ears like a whisper in the night; a hauntingly familiar tune nagging at the back of my head. It's awfully familiar.

I opened my lips to talk but my voice is lost.

"What's wrong?" the man began to walk back now, heading towards where I stood still as though my feet had been cemented in place. My eyes screwed open in anticipation as he took one step after another, drawing closer and closer.

I glared as though it was a challenge. I want to see him. I want to see his face.

This place is familiar and so is his voice, but I can't seem to remember and it plagued me more as I tried harder to recall.

Who are you?

And when the curtain of dust began to slowly settle down, with him— just few steps away from my reach, the wind blew violently against me from all direction. It howled and pushed at me, slapping like a whip and shoving like a huge wave of the mighty seas.

"Let's go..."

No— wait!

A hand stretched before me. "Grab hold of my hand"

I outstretched my hand and just realized how heavy my hand is, it felt like it weigh tons! I tried my best to reach for him, leaning forward, more and more... our fingers almost touching... just a few more and...

••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••

BAAG!!! 💥

—and I woke up falling over to the floor in a loud thud; hand outstretched and face planted flat against the floor. My eye fly open at the sudden awakening.

Wha—!

I carried myself up by my elbows and gazed up to find the the bright rays of the sun blasted directly at my eyes. But this time, the light hit my eyes in a stingy sensation that pierced pass my eyes and through the back of my head.

"It was... just a dream after all..." I grunted, now rubbing my throbbing head.

I squinted and sat up while looking around. I realized the room looks familiar. It's a small cabin room with few benches planted firmly on the floor. The ceiling is made of resilient looking glass that allows one to view the outside, with it I can perfectly see the bright skies with its thick white clouds and on one corner, the sun is seen, blasting its ray like a damn spotlight. I shut my eyes and pushed at my knees to stand up, dusting my pants as I went on studying my surroundings.

The walls are covered in simple wallpapers where few circular windows are equally distributed. Not much of a furniture aside from the benches.

On one area of the room, it elongates into an edge that curves into a half circle where the entire wall is made of the same resilient looking glass similar with the ceilings, joining as one actually, but despite that resilience, a railing is provided which marginates the entire room.

I recognize this place— its the cabin of the same airship that I traveled on with my brother way back when we first came to Ak'hilheim. It's suppose to be a cargo ship, the fastest one they have, and belonging to some known merchant guild in Ak'hilheim but now...

BOOOM!!! 💥

An explosion went off and the entire room quakes violently. I almost lost my footing.

What the hell is going on?

I gathered my bearings and walked towards the window.

From there, I can see a view of a vast city below. For a moment, I just studied it. A vast bazaar, a palace, a busy harbor... Ah! It's Ak'hilheim Kingdom!

So we're already flying away, huh?

I guess this makes sense, the airports are on a tight security so Faram must have settled for a guild's cargo airship instead.

But what is that explosion about? —Is what I was about to say but the heavens answered almost immediately as a shadow cruised from above us—a looming military vessels of Ak'hilheim came into view, even before I could have even tilted my head. It's colossal compared to the airship I'm currently onboard. And with it slowly descending, I just gawk as a huge alchemic circle popped out and a fireball began to gather on its middle as the warship hovered down right before my window's view. All the wrinkled lines on my face smoothened, brows arched up, and my mouth dropped in shock.

. . .💧

Wait— is it planning to do what I think is?

Frozen in place, I gaped at the scene when suddenly something screeched loud and a huge black shadow, much much bigger, shoved right at the military vessel before my eyes, clearing my entire view from the window, almost as though it tackled the warship head on.

The warship was hauled afar, catapulting towards the open seas. There it imploded.

"...w-what was that just now?" I murmured to myself.

Another screech echoed loud, enough that even the entire cabin shudders. Again, the shadow glides pass the windows but this time I caught a glimpse of it. The room rattles at it passed. A huge eye comes into view, blinking, with a size almost as big as the entire window, and then moved pass away as I saw vividly it's sharp black scales and the longest and biggest framework I have ever seen.

It's a...

No! I can't be mistaken... it really is a dragon?!

...and in Ak'hilheim?!

What is happening? 💦

I sense someone coming from behind me, so I turned around and walked towards the door, "Oh hey, you're finally awake!" says Aide as I swing the door wide open even before she could have grabbed the knob.

"What the hell is happening? T-there are military vessels aiming to fire at us and a d-dragon T-THIS BIG—!" I flung my arms in a stretch, "—is outside!"

"Woah! Calm down. Hahaha! Well, about that—we actually have Claude to thank for!" Her apologetic smile turns sour, obviously sarcastic. "That blundering idiot..."

"Claude?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.

"C'mon! Everybody is by the Bridge." Aide stated as she began to led the way.

For a moment, everything was calm again. Unlike the cabin, the hallways were dimmer and narrow too. I kept my eyes gazing straight, blankly staring at Aide's back as I followed her.

I remembered my dream, the silhouette of the man.

My eyes casts down and I looked at my hand against the dimly lighting.

Odd though— it felt like someone held my hand...

or rather, it feels like I have held someone's hand for so long.

Aide suddenly spoke, breaking the silence between us.

"I hope you're not upset; I made you fall asleep because we had to flee. I bet you were to fixated back then about your friend's safety that you failed to sense the ground was about to collapse!"

Flee?

Ah.

So the fight didn't commence...

"Upset? No, of course not!" I hurried and matched her pace. I tried to recall the event before I woke up to this point . "So... did the district collapsed after all?"

"Yep! All thanks to Claude." she grunted, rolling her eyes. "But he's fine. Your friend, I mean... he got away with the help of his comrades, so there's nothing to worry about. He's fine." she repeated.

I didn't reply.

Levi... I thought.

When I confronted him, I completely forgotten why I left Greenrun in the first place. It's to make sure no one precious to me gets too involved with my own problems than they already have... but listening to Levi sounded so compelling then. I wasn't thinking straight. I let my emotions get the better of me again.

And I realized how I hate how gullible I am right now...

I should try harder and have more guts. I can't stay like this forever, otherwise— everything will be pointless.

••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••

The Bridge is the main control room of the entire airship.

As we got there, I saw Emis manning the wheel. Scias stood a little from behind her, reading a map. Faram is at the frontmost area of the bridge where the huge wide windshield is seen.

Suddenly the same dragon I saw few moments ago hovered before us, low enough to show its riders that's on its back. "I TOLD YA THAT DISTRICT AIN'T GONNA LAST!!! NOW LOOK, BOTH THE KINGDOM AND THE EMPIRE ARE AFTER US! BUT GONNA COVER FOR YA'! SO MAKE HASTE AND GET OUTTA HERE!" Claude yelled from behind the windows with a wink, the sound thick against the glass.

"YOU MORON, THEY ARE AFTER YOU!" Faram yelled back. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DESTROYED THAT DISTRICT—!"

Claude hand gestured at his ear, "WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YAH! THE WIND IS TOO STRONG!"

I walked towards Faram and saw how pissed he is with his jaws tightening and arms tucked around each other before his chest.

Hm.

This is the first time I've seen him this uncharacteristically annoyed. Faram is usually patient and shows the slightest of emotions despite how expressive his words can be. So to see him crack like this...

He and Claude must really really be close...

I guess there's another side of him aside from his stoic nature.

"Yo, Aerra!!!" Jin waved widely and cheerfully as he sat near the neck of the beast. "I'll see ya' soon, okay?"

Claude, standing tall and mighty behind him, yelled one more time, "I GOT YOUR BACK BUDDY! NOW GO!!!" He grins as he said this to Faram.

Faram rubbed his temples and just shook his head in defeat. "Emis, take us up."

"Aye-aye!" She replied in a sing song.

"See ya soon!" Jin shouted, waving at me as the dragon stirred away from us. I just raised a hand in response. "See you..." I mouthed. He just nods then blinked his eyes away.

Our airship shifts direction and turned to soar higher.

Fire began to draw and the dragon swerved to block the view of us— as our airship ascended further.

Soon, clouds where too thick enough that disabled us to watch what was transpiring.

The next thing I knew, I was looking at a field of clouds.

Wow.

That was chaotic...

I notice Faram walks back inside and stepped out the Bridge. I stayed to appreciate at the scenery before me, just idly staring at the clouds.

"We're... finally leaving the Seven Kingdoms, huh?" I asked out loud.

"Yup! You excited?" Aide replied, walking up to me.

"More or less" I answered, turning to look at her over my shoulders.

I look back at the windows and the calm finally allowed me to reflect on my dream. But even before I could have delve deeper on the details, someone spoke from behind me,

"Oi, you okay?" Scias reach to pat my shoulder.

But I was able to grab his hand even before it landed on me.

"Nice reflex!" he murmurs, looking stunned at my sudden clasp. I released him.

"I'm fine..." I answered,

"All that sleep and you still look a little wan!" he murmurs. The dream flashes in my mind when Scias raised his hand and was about to reach me. I nonchalantly evaded.

"This is nothing... just a bit shaken up from all of that perhaps." I explained, thumb pointing at the windshield, pertaining to the dragon and the warships.

Scias's brows crunches, "I'm not gonna hurt yah. Whatcha avoiding my hand for?"

"Pffft! Maybe she sensed your malicious intentions," Aide scoffed in a sarcastic chuckle,

"Don't stoop me to your level, you perverted tomboy!"

"Who you calling perverted?!" Aide growled, "Bah! Nevermind!!! Anyway, just let her be. I used black magic to make her fall asleep, there's a huge chance she had a nightmare from that... So whatever it is that you saw, don't dwell on it, 'kay?"

A nightmare? The words echoed in my thoughts. "No, it's not a nightmare..." I told them. I pressed a hand on my chest and became aware of the lingering raw feelings I had from that dream, nostalgia. The hand that reached out to me, the man's silhouette against the hazy deserts, and his familiar voice. Such a pensive dream.

Unknowingly, I stared blankly at midair and pondered. Hmm— I feel like I have seen the dream before. The desert, huh?

Now that I think about it, this must be the second time I'm on an airship that's heading away from home; the first was when me and my brother got kidnapped under Cerguz's orders.

I remember I also dreamt about the desert when I was first aboard that airship with my brother even before we landed at the deserts and came to Ouboros's base! I can't recall the exact details already but I know it was about the deserts as well.

Hmm, but had my dream about it been that surreal?

I looked at my hand now and can't help but to wiggle my fingers, opening and closing it into a fist.

It really feels like I've been holding on to something for so long that a phantom sensation left me. Like something is missing.

I notice Scias and Aide exchanged glances.

"Don't mind me. Anyway, where are we heading now?" I digressed, just to shake the awkward silence off.

"Aside from the watch, we're off to hunt the Collector that Cerguz is most affiliated with."

"A Collector?" I asked, "why?"

As I recall, Collectors are people who have this twisted hobby of collecting purebloods like me, either as a whole or just body parts, preserved in containers.

"You want to return the brooches, correct? That man was Cerguz's main confidant and informant. He might know where to find the location of your friends' parents. But since Cerguz passed, we haven't heard anything about that Collector ever since. It might take a while to track the fella but we'll track him down alright!"

"T-thank you!" I blurted out, overjoyed to hear the plan.

"You might want to say that directly to the person who gave the order!" Aide chuckles in a wide grin, with a charming face that really resembles a guy. For some reason, I just know she's referring to Faram.

I still want to ask Faram a lot of questions. So many things happened and up until now I haven't figured out how to confront him about it. "I'll just go and do that!" I answered, deciding to head out there and just let things roll on it's own. I need to talk to him.

I began to head to the door when Emis called out just after I walked pass her, "Oh by the way, I'm done fixin' your anklet. Here ya' go." She tossed me the braided ropes. I caught it between my hands and saw it looks good as new. Weird, I can't remember I gave it to her.

I glanced at Aide as she just nods briefly at me. Maybe it was her that gave it to Emis.

"Thanks, Emis."

Emis nods, "You take care of that anklet now." she says with her kind-of stiff accent.

I nodded and beamed at her. Emis just turns to face front. I can't help but to stare at Emis as she gazed so blankly while stirring the airship's wheel.

I believe I've gotten a bit closer with Aide and Scias now but Emis is somewhat still far away. Sure she talks to me but it's very limited. Most of the time she has no-say on stuff that happens lately.

"Hm? What's wrong?" She asks, her eyes focuses at me.

I just noticed now, Emis peridot eyes sparkle with light somehow whenever she talks but if she's silent or no one is talking to her, her eyes turn dull— like a porcelain doll. Or... more like a wind up doll that turns alive only when the string is pulled, otherwise she stays silent, blank, and just... I don't know, generally 'not present.'

Emis is a Demi; it's a hybrid race of humans and bestiaras, and their lifespans are longer than ours too. She has thick and long hair on the shade of orange to honey; thick lashes with the same colors riming her big round peridot eyes; a dark tipped nose that resembles a cat, also a pair of long cat ears and a bushy tail. She said she's 273 years old that equates to a 18 year old human but she rather looks around my age and stands as tall around my height too. And her voice...

"Are ya' okay?" She waves her hand before my eyes.

"Ah! Y-yeah! Sorry" I smiled at her apologetically, snapping in the realization I've been rudely staring at her.

"If ya' want to say something, I'm all ears. No need to hesitate, I'm not gonna eat ya!" She grins playfully.

My eyes shifts to the fox-like mask on her head that she wore like a headband. The group said it's Emis who makes the Ouboros mask. It's a mask capable of granting its wearer the ability to see miasma, a type of dark element that causes anything to wither.

I want to keep a small conversation going with her so might as well ask.

"Just curious, how exactly do you make the mask?"

"Hm? The mask?" She takes her mask from her head and studied it. "It's more simple than it looks. I craft the mask and then enchant it with the Eye of the Dead. It's sorta like an incantation using the dark energies of the corpses."

Hm. Eyes of the dead, huh? Makes sense why most of them have a carved eye engraved on the mask.

I recalled Emis's ways of fighting... But so far, the only thing I seen her do is to hold a weird looking doll which can grow and swallow dead bodies of people she encounters. She claims that that will add them to her collection. Not sure what she means by that but aside from collecting corpses, I've never truly seen her fight. Aide does most of the fighting but then again, I never really see her move much either. Aide just stands still and let her chains do her bidding. I assume both of them can do black magic, a type of dark element that is broken down into many more different categories.

"So let me get this straight, this Eyes of the Dead enchantment enables the one who wears it see the miasma like how they can see it?"

"Yep!" She answers briefly.

"Uhh, the dead... still can see???"

"Don't hurt your head, kid. I'm a Necromancer. Let's leave it as that."

Suddenly things are beginning to make sense— a bit.

But for creating masks with that ability? "That's amazing!" I gasped, sincerely amazed. It could have been helpful for those who actually seeks to do something about the rot though. To be honest, I can't fathom what to feel for being on the side of group of dark magus... They're not technically evil but they're not doing heroic deeds either.

"It's just a hobby. Anyway, I'm still not done with your mask but I'm definitely thinking hard 'bout the design so ya' just have to wait, m'kay?"

I shook my head, "It's alright. I didn't ask it to mean that way! I'm just really curious. Take your time! But thank you! Most especially for fixing my anklet!"

"Hmm" she curls a finger under her chin. "I can craft other stuff y'know? And I think I can lend you something helpful for ya' if y'can do something for me in return?"

"Huh? Something helpful for me?"

"You're curious about a lot of stuff, right? I can tell because you're broodin' as much as your master! But asking him ain't that easy! I get ya! It needs guts if not— y'gotta intimidate."

I guess I'm that transparent.

"That is, if ya wanna thank me for fixing your anklet, plus lend y'this special item, welp!— I have something on my mind. Call it a favor, actually."

I tilted my head to the side curiously, "Go ahead, as long as I can do it, that is."

She gestured at me to come closer and side-glances at Aide and Scias who are having a casual conversation at that moment. I stepped closer and she whispered something to me, "Since we're finally done with escapin' that continent... Ummm..." she paused for a second and then continued, "Don't tell anybody I told ya but— it's actually about Faram... If ya' can help him, I'll owe ya' one! But t'is okay if ya' failed, I'll letcha' borrow this for at least trying!" She puts her hands out and a small eye-mask pops out from a black smoke, it's black like that typical Zorro mask with holes for the eyes.

"What can it do?" I asked, taking the mask from her.

"Tis' tricky. The risk is yours to bear, of course! But I enchanted it with the 'Deadman's Regret'! I created it to assure the wearer would be able to speak what's on their mind," Emis paused and rubs her temples, "Uhh, wait. That's not it! It's suppose to give the wearer confidence to say something they ain't gonna say in normal circumstances! Like be braver and gather yer guts to speak up or sm'thin!"

"Kinda sounds odd...." I murmured in a deadpan.

"Well, at least ya can ask Faram anythin'! No need to play charades and just go straight to the point!"

If I think about it, I never really flat out asked Faram all the questions in my head.

"First, you need to tell me what the favor is about..."

"Actually, no one in this group can really order Faram what to do but we know all too well he's not really been sleepin'. But he seems different when it comes to you. So I think there's a slim chance he might listen to ya and actually do it!"

A slim chance...

"He doesn't even want to answer my simple questions, what makes you think he'll listen to me? What makes you think this will all work at all? Should I make him wear the mask instead?"

"Like I said, it's a gamble. Maybe if ya find a way to talk him out of it? I don't know really." She shrugs, her eyes returns to look ahead, "I think you noticed it too by now, he just used the blindfold at night but he doesn't really sleep behind that cover. And I think that might be one of the reason why he's always brooding or spacing out. He's too tired and he..." Emis paused and her eyes sweeps down and gave a blank stare. She seems lost in thoughts.

She must really be worried...

"For how long?" I loosen my tensed shoulders. I actually thought about that too the first night I had been traveling outside Greenrun with these guys. Faram was up at that time when I woke up in the middle of the night.

I guess I noticed it too but I chose to ignore it because I know it's not in my place to tell him or ask him to go to sleep.

"How long indeed." Emis chuckled, "Forty years maybe? Fifty? Or more— I've only met him for that span so I'm not sure either."

"Fifty?!"

"Shusshhh!" Emis grabbed my mouth and made a shush gesture. And slowly, she lets me go.

"Exactly how old is Faram anyway?" I murmured.

"Over a thousand or two. Does it even matter?"

It does! I screamed inwardly.

Holy crap he's a walking relic!

"Let's talk about these stuff more some other time, m'kay? I don't wanna let the others know I'm askin' this to ya'! So what's your answer? Do you think you can do it?" She says, offering the eye-mask.

I looked at the windows and noticed the sky turning pink and orange. The sun is setting down soon, huh?

"I don't want to make promises, Emis. But I'll try to talk him out of it. Though I doubt he'll listen to me at all. He might even dismiss me or walk out on me, worse he'd say I'm too n—!"

"Don't over think it. I'm sure he'll listen to what ya have to say, at least. He's just really REALLY really stubborn to deal with that's why we can't get him to actually do it.... let's be a bit optimistic shall we?"

"Alright. I'll try..." I took and tucked the small eye-mask inside my pocket.

"Who knows, right?" She smiles warmly at me. "Thanks in advance! I mean it..."

I just sighed, "No promises!" I repeated.

She chuckles and nodded.

I took one step back and noticed Emis returns back to being that dull-eyed mannequin as she blankly looks on when she faced front.

I have something to gain from this too anyway so... better try and fail. It's not as if Faram will kick me out the group. What's the worse that could happen?

I walked to the door and left the Bridge soon after that.