• Tales of Xalthia

    Chapter 26: Foreign History


    The carriage ride from the Trade City of Velika to the kingdom's capital of Esseand was said to be about a five hour trip. As Tsuki and his companions were driven alongside the countryside, they saw an abundance of life from animals to a number of monsters roaming the plains of Ersheath. There were a lot of places to explore as well that ranged from forests, caves and mountain ranges. For Ramza and Elle, this wasn't as interesting to them but for Tsuki and everyone else, it was practically uncharted lands filled with many possibilities and adventures. Just by looking at the land as they traveled by carriage, they knew that Ersheath was indeed a completely different place compared to Cayhill.

    As they made their way down one of the many dirt roads, Raiku looked at Tsuki's companions for a moment. The only real introduction he's heard was from Tsuki himself. He hasn't formally introduced himself nor has the rest of Tsuki's companions introduced themselves either. "Since we're going to be working together for a while, I think it's best if we get to know each other. You folks already know who I am but I feel a proper introduction is in order. My name is Raiku Calloway. Since I already know who Ramza, Tsuki and Cheria are, I'd like to know who the rest of you folk are and what made you start traveling together. I highly doubt you're all under the service of the royal family of Eresseas." he said.

    Lynette looked over at Raiku and nodded. "My name is Lynette Suzaki. I'm a healer from a village called Crescentia in Cayhill. I was the first to travel with Tsuki. He was on a mission given to him by King Taichi and Queen Emma to oversee a government matter in a town called Basilwell. The reason why I decided to travel with him was to repay a debt that I owed him. I was stricken with a local disease known as Winchester's Disease which is very lethal and deadly. Tsuki went out of his way to retrieve the only known medicine to fight the disease called a Moonlight Flower and in doing so, he saved my life. If it wasn't for his selfless efforts, I wouldn't be here right now. Because of that, I decided to accompany Tsuki on his mission to repay him for what he's done for me. Doing so, I slowly began to love t he idea of going on adventures" she said.

    Tsuki rubbed the back of his head and chuckled a bit. "I've told you time and time again that it was my duty to help out the innocent in any way I can. I couldn't continue my mission knowing that someone was in trouble so I had to help in some way" he said.

    Raiku looked over at Tsuki and gave him a slight grin. "A knight who's loyal to his kingdom and citizens. You have a characteristic I wish some of my knights had in them. If only there were people like you serving under me" he said.

    Tsuki turned a bit red from embarrassment as he cleared his throat. "I'm just a normal knight. There's nothing special about me. Loyalty is one of the things I hold important to me" he said.

    Cheria took her hand and patted Tsuki on shoulder and giggled a bit. "Tsuki's too modest for his own good. He knows how to give a good compliment to someone but he can't seem to take a good compliment for himself. That's a problem he's had since when we were kids" she said.

    Tsuki shook his head. "Why are we talking about me? Weren't we doing introductions?" he asked, wanting to move back into the introductions.

    Ruko couldn't help but chuckle a bit, hearing them go back and forth with each other. He then looked over at Raiku. "I'm Ruko Keiss. I serve under General Alba of Basilwell. Ramza was the second person to join up with Tsuki so I'm actually the third to join the group. Tsuki, Lynette and Ramza first arrived in Basilwell two months ago under a false mission given by Alba. His true mission we requested was to help eliminate the Menorion threat that was hiding out in the town. Shortly after their arrival, the Menorion, along with their leader, King Caius attacked the town. Since Basilwell didn't have a good military force, we had Tsuki and his companions help fight them back. It was a tough battle but we succeeded in pushing them back until they eventually retreated. Victory celebrations were brief because soon after their retreat, a horde of monsters came out of a nearby cave and attacked the town. Most of our troops were badly injured or dead so we were in a tight spot but we managed to pull through in the end. I decided to travel with Tsuki because I've felt like something was missing. I wanted to rediscover what I had lost and traveling with Tsuki and his companions was a great opportunity to do so" he said.

    Raiku stroked his beard a bit as he listened to Ruko. "A journey to find out more about yourself, huh? That's a pretty good reason to go on an adventure. I remember doing something similar to that back in the day before I became king of Esseand" he said.

    Elle folded her arms and sighed a bit. Introductions weren't her strong point but since everyone else was doing it, she might as well do it as well. "I'm Elle Solize. You guys know me as the Shadow Knight. First off, I apologize for my actions I've taken against you and Ersheath while I was performing my duties as a Shadow Knight. However, being a Guardian of the Ancients, I have my reasons" she said.

    Raiku glanced over at Elle and gave her a brief look. "It's almost hard to believe that you're an Ancient, a race that has been long extinct for decades. To be honest, I still have my doubts about you" he said. Given their past history together, she can be very deceiving at times when she wants to be.

    Elle shrugged at him. She expected that things would become awkward if Raiku discovered who she was. He was very perceptive so it wasn't easy to hide such a thing from him. "Your suspicions and doubts aren't unfounded. After all, I did try to kill you once when you were getting too close to the Ancients" she said.

    Raiku examined her closely and nodded. "Well, it's not like I've forgiven you for attacking me but I can understand why you attacked me now that you guys explained things to me. I'll think of some way you can earn my forgiveness" he said.

    Nagi took a moment to gather her thoughts. After about a minute or two of silence, she cleared her throat and started to introduce herself. "My name is Nagi Ferid. I'm Tsu's childhood friend from an old village that used to be around in Cayhill. Now, that village is nothing but a pile of debris and rubble. Now, I'm traveling with Tsuki because I didn't want to be separated from him again. Everything and everyone I once loved is gone so there's not much left for me" she said.

    Raiku tilted his head when Nagi suddenly made a rather dark and depressing introduction. "An old village now a pile of debris and rubble? Lost loved ones? If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" he asked. It took him a moment to realize what he had just asked of her. It was obviously something that was extremely devastating and shouldn't be brought up so easily. "I apologize. I shouldn't ask such a difficult question so easily" he said.

    Nagi shook her head. It was still a very sore subject to talk about but she felt that he needed to know the important things about them. "The village me and Tsuki used to live in was called Tomoha. It was raided by a group of terrible people. They killed everyone and abducted the defenseless" she said with a low tone in her voice.

    When Raiku heard the name Tomoha, his behavior had an immediate shift as he looked at Nagi. "Did you just say that you two were from Tomoha? News of that devastating tragedy was worldwide. Unfortunately, Tomoha and it's victims weren't the only ones to fall by the hands of the cult involved in the devastation. That cult has caused similar incidents from every kingdom and because of that, they're on every kingdom's top most wanted lists" he said. He still wasn't aware that Tsuki and Nagi were there when they attacked Tomoha.

    Tsuki folded his arms and fell into thought when he mentioned that the cult wasn't just a problem for Cayhill. "Worldwide? I never thought that they were such a major problem around the world. There's little known about them in Cayhill" he said.

    Raiku shook his head. "I'm not surprised. The incident of Tomoha was the first and only time they showed themselves to the public. Since they know how to make people disappear and leave a scene of destruction without a trace, they're incredibly skilled at stealth and evasion" he said.

    Cheria twiddled her thumbs in silence as she listened to them talk about the cut. She had heard the story from Nagi when Tsuki was still on his mission two months ago so she knows what kind of history Tsuki has with them and how dangerous they can be. "The cult...what are their goals? Why was there only one incident in Cayhill?" she asked.

    Raiku stroked his beard for a moment and thought for a moment. "They wish to revive an old demon god that fell in battle over three thousand years ago known as Albatross. In our eyes, it's a crazy idea only delusional people can come up with. However, these fanatics believe they can do it by sacrificing people with pure blood. Since Tomoha was the only incident in Cayhill, we believe they found one of the people they were looking for" he said.

    Cheria had a nervous look on her face. She didn't feel comfortable talking about something like this especially in front of Nagi who had to live through that hell for most of her life. She shared a brief look with Nagi, who was staring down at the carriage floor. She saw that she had her eyes closed, her ears covered and her body was shaking. She knew that she hasn't even come close to recovering from her traumatic experience. She wrapped her arms around her and held onto her tight. "Nagi..." she said.

    Raiku looked over at Nagi, who appeared distressed and afraid. Since he wasn't aware of what she had lived through for thirteen years, he hasn't realized that he's causing her to have flashbacks of her past. "What's wrong? Was it something I said?" he asked.

    Cheria shook her head slowly. "Yes. It's just...Nagi was held against her will as a prisoner by the cult for thirteen years and was to be used as a living sacrifice. Plus, it's not just that...both she and Tsu were present in Tomoha when they raided the village" she said. Over the years, she had a feeling that Tsuki was hiding something deep down inside him but she didn't want to pry into his past. However, when he had rescued Nagi from Prophet Castle and had her escorted to Eresseas, it wasn't long before she found out who she was. However, she wanted to know what was going on. She then looked over at Tsuki. and bowed at him. "I'm sorry, Tsu. I know that this is a sore subject for you guys and I understand why you kept it a secret for so long but I had Nagi explain things while you were away on your mission" she said.

    Tsuki looked at Cheria and shook his head. He wasn't really surprised that she found out before he had a chance to tell her himself. He knew that she was suspicious about him hiding something and it was only a matter of time before the secret came out. "Don't apologize, it's fine. I should of talked about it a long time ago to begin with instead of keeping it to myself" he said.

    Raiku was shocked when he found out that not only was Tsuki and Nagi present when the cult attacked Tomoha, but that Nagi was held captive by the cult for so many years. He didn't know what to say as he was at a loss for words. He had to take a moment to keep his composure. "You folks never cease to surprise me. I had no idea there were any survivors from that incident" he said.

    Tsuki nodded at him. "Yes. To be honest, I was suppose to have been killed on that night with the rest of the villagers if it wasn't for being buried under collapsing debris. Nagi, on the other hand, was abducted into the night" he then fell silent for a moment. "There also may be a third survivor as well. I just don't know where she is and if she's still alive" he said.

    Raiku tilted his head and looked at Tsuki. Now, he's been told of a possible third survivor. "A third survivor? Who is that?" he asked.

    Tsuki took a deep breath before sighing heavily. "My sister, Elize Himura. When I pulled myself out of the debris that fell on me, the only thing I saw was charred buildings, burnt bodies of the villagers and a thick cloud of smoke that covered the entire village. I searched through the rubble of the entire village but the only people I couldn't find were Nagi and Elize" he said.

    Raiku stroked his beard once more in thought. "It's safe to assume that you rescued Nagi from the cult before something happened" he said. He then looked over at Nagi once more. "Were there any other captives? The cult tends to capture innocent victims from every town they attack" he said.

    Nagi shook her head, holding her arms close to her chest. "There were...but they were all murdered...used as human sacrifices. Their screams filled the empty halls of where I was held up in" she said, her voice quivering a bit. She then started to have unwanted flashbacks from her captivity. She then shook her head, trying to shake the images out of her head as her body started to tremble. She then covered her ears and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I'm sorry, but can we talk about something else?" she asked. She still had severe mental trauma she has yet to overcome. Such trauma would take a long recovery period. No one knows if she will even recover from it.

    Tsuki wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "It'll be okay, Nagi. I know this wasn't the kind of talk you wanted to hear when you're still recovering from what had happened to you" he said.

    Raiku looked Nagi and Tsuki, seeing her reaction from the conversation. It was clear that this wasn't the place nor the time to discuss such a thing. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how severe the trauma you're going through was. Forgive my carelessness on the matter. I can't even imagine the kinds of things you saw and went through" he said.

    Tsuki held onto Nagi to try and calm her down. He wanted to change the subject so that they can start thinking about something else. There wasn't much they knew about Ersheath and since he would be in direct contact with both Ersheath and their neighboring kingdom, Nargelond, he wanted to get a better understanding about the two kingdoms. "Tell us about this kingdom and Nargelond. I'd like to know what exactly we would be dealing with while we are here" he said.

    Raiku sat back in his seat, folding his arms. "So, you want to know more about the two kingdoms, huh?" he asked. He then looked down at the ground for a moment. When he gathered his thoughts, he looked back up at Tsuki and his companions. "I'll start with Ersheath then. Unlike Cayhill, our kingdom is far from being at peace. However, our people have the ability to adapt to any given situation. The knights of Esseand do their best to uphold the peace, but even that is becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day. Being under constant threat from Nargelond, Menorion and the cult has taken its toll on not just our knights, but our citizens as well" he said.

    Tsuki stroked his chin for a moment and then stared out the window for a moment. "What does Nargelond want with Ersheath? Do they side with Menorion?" he asked. If he was going to be caught in the middle of their dispute, he wants to know what they would be getting into.

    Raiku shook his head. "No. They despise Menorion just as much as we do. What they want is to secure hold over something we recently discovered in the snow plains to the north" he said.

    Tsuki tilted his head with a confused look on his face. "Something you discovered? What's so important up there?" he asked.

    Ramza looked at Tsuki after he asked his question. "Because we discovered a relic we believe belongs to the Ancients when they still roamed our world. Embedded in the rock and icy mountain, we discovered a massive pillar structure that stretches high into the air. Within the pillar, technology that has been long lost in our day and age remained dormant" he said.

    Elle folded her arms and closed her eyes, falling into thought for a moment when Raiku mentioned a relic that could belong to the Ancients. "An old relic that belongs to the Ancients...I don't recall something like that in that area. Are you sure it belongs to the Ancients?" she asked. She was extremely knowledgeable about remaining artifacts and relics that were still scattered around the world and have been long forgotten. As far as she knew, however, there shouldn't be any relics or artifacts in the northern snow plains.

    Ramza scratched the back of his head. "If it wasn't made by the Ancients, then who could have the technology and means to build such a thing?" he asked.

    Raiku shook his head. "Don't let it bother you too much. We don't know for certain ourselves either. Since it was filled with dormant technology back when the Ancients were around, people automatically assumed it was a relic from back in the day. However, it seems Nargelond knows something about it that we don't and until we figure out what they know and what purpose the pillar serves, we can't allow them to get their hands on it" he said. He then briefly looked out the window for a moment and saw that they were now passing through a forest pathway. "We have a little bit of everything from swamps to forests. To continue further down south towards the border, you would have to go through the checkpoint at our main line of defense, Ustrisu Fortress" he said.

    Tsuki looked at Raiku and tilted his head. "Ustrisu Fortress?" he asked. He then looked out the window that Raiku was looking out of.

    Raiku nodded. "Yes. It's where most of our military operations come out from. If Nargelond were to invade us from the border, their military would have to get past Ustrisu first. We'll be passing by there tomorrow so you will be able to see it then" he said.

    Lynette folded her arms and sunk back in her seat. "What about Nargelond? I've heard that it has a very unforgiving and tough terrain to traverse on foot" she said.

    Raiku looked at Lynette and nodded at her. "Yes, you heard right. Nargelond is primarily a mountainous terrain filled with caverns. Some of you may have heard people refer to Nargelond as the Land of Dragons. Nargelond is the only place in the world where wild and tamed dragons thrive. They use the countless mountain ranges and caverns as shelter and vantage points" he said.

    Cheria was a fanatic when it comes to dragons. She's been interested in them ever since she was still very young. However, she's only seen one dragon in her lifetime. She was anxious to see them again. "Are they particularly dangerous to humans?" she asked.

    Raiku nodded. "Most people don't believe this to be true, but dragons are very peaceful and docile. They won't attack humans unless they're provoked or attacked themselves. For monsters, they're very intelligent. They guard their nests and come to the aid of others in times of danger. Now, those are wild dragons. Tamed dragons are a little different" he said.

    Tsuki looked at Raiku. "Different? How are they different?" he asked.

    Raiku sighed for a moment. "Unlike wild dragons who defend each other, tamed dragons don't have that kind of trait. Due to the fierce power that dragons have, Nargelond's military have taken advantage of them. Nargelond is infamously known for their powerful and maneuverable Dragon Riders. If they aren't dealt with immediately during a battle, they can quickly and easily control the flow of battle. Majority of their Dragon Riders fly dragons that were forced into service. Whenever the number of dragons falls to a certain number, they raid a community of dragons and abduct them from their nests before they tamed" he said with a sign of disgust in his voice.

    Cheria felt her heart sink when she heard what Nargelond's military does to the local dragons. "That's horrible! How could they do such a thing to them!?" she said with absolute disgust and anger.

    Raiku didn't say a word. He could sympathize with her and her reaction. "Because they have the power to do so and are willing to go to extreme lengths if it means bringing in more strength into their military. Unfortunately, we can't do anything to help the dragons without risking open war" he said.

    Something didn't add up to Ruko. "Something seems off to me. When I was still serving under Alba in Basilwell, I read up on Nargelond when a traveler came to visit a few months ago prior to Tsuki's first arrival there. Their king loves everything about dragons and wouldn't allow this kind of thing happen. Is it possible that he isn't aware of how his own Dragon Riders are treating their dragons?" he asked.

    Raiku nodded. "That's very possible. I knew someone who was close friends with him so I've heard stories that contradicts the actions he's been taking and hasn't taken. As a child, he practically grew up with dragons. They're a huge part of his life and would risk his life to protect them" he said.

    Tsuki fell into thought for a moment. "If he cares that much about dragons, then how can he not be aware of the treatment his own Dragon Riders give to dragons?" he asked.

    Raiku stroked his beard for a moment as he fell silent. "He isn't in charge of the Dragon Riders. One of his subordinates controls the entire group so I doubt that they would tell him of their actions. Not only that, but the Dragon Riders aren't based in the kingdom. They reside somewhere else within the kingdom" he said.

    Tsuki placed his hand over his chin in thought. "Well, if we could expose the Dragon Riders for who they really are to the king, that might put us in good standing with him. We'll have to remember that when we move onto Nargelond. What else should we be aware of?" he asked.

    The group continued to talk about things relating to Nargelond and Ersheath for the next several hours. Conversations seemed to drag on forever. They also took the time to tell each other more things about them that they had not previously mentioned to help pass the time. They were lucky enough to not run into any problems. As the hours went by, they could finally see the kingdom of Esseand off into the distance.

    When the driver of the carriage caught sight of Esseand, he turned his body around and tapped on the wall of the carriage. "Your Majesty, we're on final approach to Esseand. We'll be passing through the main gates in just a few moments" he said.

    Raiku looked over at the knight and nodded. "Excellent. It's about time" he said. He then stretched his muscles out and looked at the others. "Boy, these long trips wear me out. As a host and king, I'd offer Her Highness and Nagi a place to stay but in the state we're currently in, I don't think that's a good idea" he said.

    Cheria smiled a bit and shook her head. "Thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty, but I'd have to decline even if it was possible. After all, I can fight too and I'm pretty skilled with a bow" she said.

    Nagi shook her head as well. "I'm with Cheria. There's not much left for me so I'd feel safer if I was with Tsu and the others even if I can't fight" she said. She didn't want to become a burden to Tsuki and everyone else. She has to find a way where she can help everyone out even if it meant fighting. She has yet to figure anything out though.

    Raiku chuckled a bit. "Oh, so you were going to deny my offer either way? You really roped these two girls in, boy. Makes me a little envious that you have not one but three lovely ladies by your side" he said, teasing Tsuki.

    Tsuki nearly jumped out of his seat when Raiku made a comment about him. "W-what are you talking about? Do you have anything else to do other than to tease me?" he asked.

    Raiku laughed a bit more. "I like you, boy. You're pretty interesting" he said. He then looked out towards the driver's window and saw a massive structure come into view. "Looks like we're here. I'll have the driver show you guys around so you won't get lost when you wander through the town since we have plenty of time" he said.

    The carriage soon pulled up into the capital city of Esseand. It had a very different feel to it than Eresseas did. Instead of being surrounded by water in the middle of a massive lake, a massive wall that extended up so far into the sky that you couldn't even see the top surrounded the entire city. The wall serves as protection and sanctuary in times of war. The wall itself is made of stone so thick and durable that not even modern day bombs or high-grade explosives and magic could penetrate. It was like they turned a fortress into a city. Not only that, but half of the city was constructed into the mountain range that was behind the city. The castle was located within the mountains themselves. It was a very unique place because there was nothing like it on Cayhill. Despite the colossal walls however, the actual size of the city was about half the size of Eresseas due to the enclosed space.

    The carriage made its way through the city as Raiku and the driver did their best to describe what kind of place Esseand was since most of the group wasn't expecting to see something like this. Buildings were made out of stone and wood and since the city was in an enclosed and limited area, most of the buildings were built right up against each other. Eventually, the carriage pulled into the castle courtyard and came to a stop at the main entryway. Moments later, the doors opened up and more knights approached the carriage, each one standing in a single file line, facing each other while holding their spears up to their sides.

    As Raiku stepped out of the carriage, a man in royal attire holding a book approached him. "Welcome back, Your Majesty. I pray that your travels went without issue?" he asked.

    Raiku looked at at the man and nodded. "Yes they did. The conference went exceedingly well too since we received some very interesting information" he said.

    As they talked, Lynette came out of the carriage and stretched her muscles. Being cramped in a small space was starting to take a toll on her body. When she was done, she took another look around. "This place is very unique. I never thought a place like this exists" she said.

    Tsuki came out of the carriage after Lynette. "Well, we don't have places like this from Cayhill. We're bound to visit places that we've never seen before" he said. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited. He wants to see more places like Esseand.

    Ruko came out soon afterwards. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starting to get excited. There's still so many places and things we've yet to see" he said.

    Elle stood in the doorway of the carriage for a moment and sighed, shaking her head. "I can understand your enthusiasm, but try and behave. We can't afford to fail. If we do, things are going to take a major turn for the worse for the entire world" she said. She then walked out of the carriage and stood off to the side.

    Nagi followed Elle out of the carriage. "Oh don't be such a poor sport, Elle. We all can't be as serious as you" she said.

    Ramza was next to leave the carriage. "Boy, it feels like it's been ages since I was last here. Nothing's changed one bit, it seems" he said.

    Cheria was the last person to leave the carriage. She stepped off it and walked up to Tsuki. "This place really is an amazing sight though. You wouldn't see a place like this just anywhere" she said.

    The man watched as Tsuki and his companions walked out of the carriage. "Are these the guests you were talking about before? It's rare for you to travel with others especially people you aren't familiar with. Whatever they had to say must have been important" he said.

    Raiku nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. "Yes, it was important. Ramza was with them so they can be trusted. I'll brief you and the ministers about our situation later. For now, I'd like you to take them to see Luan" he said.

    The man tilted his head at his request. "Our historian? Why?" he asked.

    Raiku glanced over at Tsuki and the others for a moment. "Let's just say that they need a history lesson about our kingdom. I'll inform her that they will be coming. When you bring them to her, come to the War Room so I can explain our situation" he said. He then walked past the man and disappeared into the castle.

    As Raiku gave him an order, the man nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty" he said. When Raiku disappeared into the castle, he then approached Tsuki and his companions. "Travelers of Cayhill, I would like to welcome you to Esseand. My name is Devon Marx, King Raiku's prime minster. It's not everyday that he brings so many guests to the castle" he said.

    Tsuki looked at the man as he approached them. "It's an honor to be here under these circumstances. My name is Tsuki Himura. I apologize for our sudden visit. I'm sure visitors from another kingdom has caused some stir within the castle" he said. Since it seems that their presence has already been made known, there was no point in keeping it a secret.

    Lynette was too infatuated with the city architecture that she zoned out completely for a bit. She eventually came back to her senses when introductions were being made once more. "Oh I'm sorry. My name is Lynette Suzaki" she said.

    Ruko bowed to Devon. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prime Minister. My name is Ruko Keiss. Once again, pardon for our sudden intrusion" he sad.

    Cheria bowed with Ruko. She's basically a representative of Eresseas since word has already gotten out to Esseand that they would be arriving. Being a representative of Eresseas, politeness and courtesy are important. "I'm Princess Cheria Tsubasa of the kingdom of Eresseas on the continent of Cayhill. It's a pleasure to meet you" she said.

    Nagi stood next to Tsuki, holding onto his sleeve as she was also infatuated with the architecture like Lynette was. When she finished looking around, she turned her focus on Devon. "My name is Nagi Ferid" she said.

    Elle simply stood there with her arms crossed, keeping her normal blank and cold facial expression. "I'm Elle Solize" she said.

    Since Ramza was already from Esseand, he didn't need an introductions as he was already well known. "Man, you guys sound so stiff. Will it kill you guys to relax a little?" he asked.

    Devon listened to their introductions and nodded at them when they finished. "What a unique bunch. Now, onto business. His Majesty has instructed me to take you to see our historian for a history lesson. So, if you would all follow me, we'll make our way to the library. Try not to get lost, okay?" he asked. He then turned around and headed into the castle.

    Tsuki and his companions followed Devon into the castle. The interior was beautifully decorated and well-maintained despite having been built inside a mountain. As Devon escorted them to see Luan, Esseand's historian, he tried to get to know the group a bit more since they would be together for a while. However, being from another kingdom, he still didn't trust them so he made sure that he didn't show them places that they weren't authorized to see.

    To be continued...