The Celestials Prison - Project Archangel

Chapter 11: Arthur, Vagril 6th, 343SR; 06:00

The winds passing by broke the silence of the night. Arthur stood by the window in his room, tapping his foot against the stone floor. The short hand on the clock in the room hit six, Arthur yawned. He leaned out the window and looked toward the Lightbringers tower, it was at the adjacent corner of the inner wall. 'Where is he… He's usually on time…' Arthur took a deep breath as he turned to the desk in his room. He took a seat, leaning back into the creaky wooden chair. He opened his drawer, and pulled out a stack of files. The one on top was a large stack of applications, specifically to House Pendragon. Arthur reached to the back of the drawer, and found a small gap he could just barely fit a nail under. Under the false bottom was the white book, 'The Legend of Ragnarok'.

Arthur squinted at its cover, still pondering its odd differences to what he found at the library. 'Lanaris… Silsta… I've searched for records of those places, but I can't find anything…' A knock at the door made Arthur flinch, he pushed the drawer closed then walked across the room as he glanced back at the window. Upon opening the door, he saw his lieutenant, the current spy of House Pendragon. A chill ran down his spine.

She had lustrous black hair just passing her neck, deep red eyes like her mothers, and small facial features. She wore a sleeveless white nightgown, but there was a thick layer of bandages wrapped over her left arm. It concealed her gift, the red petals embedded into her arm, passed down to descendants of the Kagami family. The velvety scent always reminded Arthur of what he did to Leia, it made him feel guilty. She moved her bangs behind her right ear as she looked down the tower's stairs with an annoyed expression.

"Freiya, what's the problem," Arthur asked.

"Oh, sorry if I am… Bothering you…" Freiya peaked into Arthur's room. "Were you sleeping? I'm sorry, I'll deal-"

"It's fine, I've been up for an hour already… What's the problem," Arthur sighed.

Freiya gulped with wide eyes. 'Unlike her mother, she's always nervous around me…'

"Uh… Liam came out of the washroom last, but… He's angry that the sink was blocked… And it flooded…"

Arthur raised an eyebrow, he felt his shoulders slump slightly. "Doesn't Liam know how to fix it?"

"He doesn't want to because he thinks Hana blocked it…"

"Oh… I see…"

Arthur stepped out of the room and let out an extended sigh. 'Those two just can't get along…' He shut the door to his room behind him and walked down the curving staircase. As he got further down, he started hearing his other two lieutenants bickering. 'I hope Lawrence doesn't send the signal right now… I better solve this quickly…'

"You were in there last, now just own up and fix it!" he heard Hana shout.

"Nah, nah, not this time! Last time too, it was blocked before I got there! And you were in there last! Taking your sweet ass time as per usual!" Liam yelled back.

"Well, I have to wash my hair? What are you, stupid?"

As Arthur passed the door that led to the top of the wall, he reached the bottom of the steps. He entered a tight hallway which led into a wider living room. The floor, walls and ceiling were also made of stone. The rooms around the inner wall were mostly tight corridors, but each of the nobles towers had similar living rooms, which included a kitchen, and a washroom. Across from the kitchen was a circle of couches where his other two lieutenants exchanged glares that could probably pierce steel.

"I'm stupid?! Exactly how many papers have you published?" Liam asked, smiling with grit teeth.

The five foot nine slim man stood with his arms crossed, and his long face tilted as his nose repeatedly twitched. He had dense black hair that was barely combed, sideburns down to his jaw line and a bit of acne. His light blue narrow eyes switched over to Arthur as he walked over. He wore black pants and a white shirt, as well as slippers to avoid the cold stone.

"Oh here we go again…" Hana rolled her eyes. "You published one paper and hold it over everyone constantly! You probably got a lot of help from your father with that study anyways!"

Hana was just shorter than Liam, standing at five feet and eight inches. Her pink hair was usually tied back into two braided tails, but she usually let it free before she slept. She stood with her hand on her hips, her lip twitching and just barely flashing her grit teeth. Her eyes were a darker pink than her hair, she had small facial features and nearly perfect skin. She wore a bright beige nightgown that covered her down to her ankles. A thin gold string tightened the gown around her waist.

"Everybody? No no no, I only hold that over people who think I'm stupid! And it's only you who just loves calling me an idiot?!" Liam shook his head.

"Hey… You two, you shouldn't be yelling at this-"

"Hold on Freiya! If Liam's so smart maybe he should just fix the damn sink instead of complaining to me about it!" Hana stomped.

"I have! And the same problem happens over and over because of you! It's always messed up after you use half of your fucking soaps!"

"None of those block the sink. They were made to be washed down a sink! How is it me?!"

"Well…" Liam, flinched as he looked up. "That's a good point actually… But I didn't break it either!"

Arthur took a deep breath and walked toward the washroom that was located to the right of the kitchen. He opened the door and entered a small room. The sink was on the left side, next to the toilet. The window across from the door was slightly open, the glass was murky and the room felt damp with steam. To the right was a bathtub, with a glass panel separating the shower from the rest of the room. Freiya peeked into the room as Arthur looked for the problem, the sink was drained. He turned the knob, but nothing came out. 'The faucet's blocked? That wasn't any of us then…' Arthur turned and walked out, Freiya moved out of his way at the same time.

"Then don't come yelling at me!" Hana hissed, before turning with a huff. "I'll accept your apology in writing, and I better see your best handwriting, or I'll know you aren't sincere!"

"Huh?!" Liam's head snapped to the right.

"And all the apology letters you still haven't written to me," Hana turned and shot a sharp glare at Liam.

"Haha, yeah, keep waiting, I'll most certainly spend my time writing letters for you, yeah, definitely Hana, go have a great night!" Liam sarcastically shouted during the last part. "Rich kids… They're always jerks…"

"The water line is blocked or closed… It's not an issue with the drain…" said Arthur. "I'll go ask Angela if her sinks are also blocked, she's usually awake at this time…"

"Can I come?" Liam asked. "I need some air…"

"I'll, I mean…" Freiya stuttered. "Can I accompany you as well?"

"You really don't need to," Arthur yawned. "But I don't mind… It's your choice…"

Arthur walked to the door he had come from, climbing up two steps at a time and taking the first door on the left. Upon opening it, he was met with the cold winds of the night and two perpendicular pathways. The one on the left led to House Rael, and across the pathway on the right, was the tower House Lightbringer's squad stayed in. The tower House Rover stayed in was at the opposite corner of the wall surrounding the Celestial.

Arthur glanced to the right, the strong winds pushed his hair to the right. The northern side of inner Helios was built on a hill. The rooftops of buildings got lower the closer toward the ocean they were. The blue ocean was silent at that distance, the light from the moon casted shimmering sparkles along its surface. To the left of the path was the Celestial, stretching straight into the sky.

"Hey sir, can I ask you something?" said Liam.

"What is it?" Arthur replied.

"You're only a few years older than me right? My dad said you were the youngest person to become a noble in history…"

"Liam…" Freiya elbowed Liam.

"What? It's amazing isn't it? No ones ever-"

"Liam, please stop-"

"It's alright Freiya," Arthur sighed. "I only became the noble to fill in for my father after he died. I'm not that special…"

"Oh… Right…" Liam kissed his teeth as he smacked his own forehead. "My bad, I forgot about that… It's been so long, I was a kid when that happened… But, you are pretty special… I mean you have two Celestial gifts…"

"The Celestial blessed me with Reiu when I was seventeen…" Arthur recalled that day, and smiled. "Right before I beat Alexander Rael in a sparring match… This pendant is the only reason I won, I think he still hates me to this day because of that…"

"You sparred with Alexander?! And won?! He's almost twice your height!" Liam shouted.

"I was lucky if anything… I don't think I'd survive an actual fight with him…"

"Even with Balakin?"

"Heh, not a chance… Father always told me he is probably the strongest angel, no questions asked…"

Arthur lifted the pendant hanging on his neck, his fingers rubbed over the rigid silver surface. His smile faded as he reminisced, remembering how much joy he used to have. The three of them made their way across, Freiya broke the silence.

"Did they… Ever find out what happened to House Pendragon's last squad? The only one left is… Akovo Musagi, Ando's mother…"

Arthur looked down, his heartbeat quickened. "No… We still don't know the culprit…"

Liam looked around as he started to scratch his head. The silence became even more awkward. Freiya's sniffle cut through the cold winds. Arthur gulped, he felt disappointed in himself.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up…" Freiya apologized timidly. "I shouldn't have said that…"

"It's alright, I understand…" Arthur said under his breath as he glanced to the left.

Between the wall Arthur and the others walked over, and the Celestial itself, was a large gap. It was at least one hundred meters wide. Arthur looked down, there was nothing but a sea of darkness between the inner wall and the Celestial. But Arthur knew, at the bottom of that darkness was the secret his father found. The revelation that caused everything.

"Everytime I look down there, I just feel nervous…" Liam shuddered as he peaked between the bricks on the left side.

"Then why do you keep looking?" Freiya asked.

"Mostly curiosity…"

"I doubt there's anything down there, Liam…"

They were almost at the tower to House Lightbringer. Arthur glanced up at the window he had been looking at before. His eyes widened as he noticed the light in the room turn on and off three times. 'Why did he have to signal now of all times! Dammit… I shouldn't have brought Liam or Freiya along…' They reached House Lightbringers tower, the path forked left, or into the tower. Arthur went left, it was another stone path over the wall, but this time House Rover was at the other side.

"Or maybe like, a really big insect!" Liam sounded excited.

"Why do you sound so giddy for that…" Freiya cringed.

"Hana hates bugs, so I can use that against her," Liam grinned as he rubbed his hands together.

"You're gonna go down there just to find something to scare Hana?" Freiya sighed. "That's silly…"

"It'll be so worth it, trust me! Remember when she was screaming threats down the hall because I left a spider in front of her door? Heh, hahaha!"

'I still have no leads on where that kid Shinra found is… Could the Lightbringers have found him by now? Could Lawrence be hiding that?' Arthur continued forward, staring blankly at the stones in front of him as he walked. He glanced back at the two lieutenants. 'I have to hurry up, then meet with Lawrence…'

"What's with that laugh…" Freiya raised an eyebrow. "She was literally chasing you with her rapier… Why do you want that to happen again?"

"It was probably the hardest I've ever laughed," Liam chuckled just thinking about it.

"Hm…" Freiya stared blankly at Liam's face. "Liam, do you like Hana?"

"Huh?!" Liam suddenly snapped to the right. "Like… Hana?!"

"Yeah."

"She's such a nag! How could I ever like someone like her?! I like my ears where they are!"

Arthur looked ahead, he saw Angela leaning against the brick wall. She was reading something from a folder, but turned and looked up as she heard Liam. Her short and icy blonde hair blew strongly in the wind, she was still in uniform. The button on her blue dress shirt collar was unbuttoned.

"It seems like you want her attention sometimes..." Freiya poked.

"Huh?! Arthur, are you hearing this?!" Liam's face warped to one of disgust.

"Well if you get so defensive, it seems like it might be true…" Arthur added.

"What?!" Liam scowled.

Freiya laughed slightly under her breath, she even pursed her lips and looked away. Angela took one more draw from her wooden pipe, the substance within it crackled from the heat. Angela pulled the pipe out and exhaled, before stretching her arms and letting out a yawn.

"Well if it isn't doctor little," Angela greeted Arthur.

"You aren't funny," Arthur smiled. "Why are you out right now?"

"My lieutenants hate it when I smoke inside, especially Leo. Hey Freiya, Liam. you two seem well," Angela said with a soft smile.

"Yo," Liam raised his palm to greet her.

"Good evening, how are you?" Freiya bowed her head slightly.

"Same old… Kinda wish I was still in Hiria though…" Angela sighed again as her shoulders slumped.

"Oh yeah, your squad was sent to Blue County four weeks ago, right? Ando told me about it…" Liam asked.

"Yup… That place is just… Something else…" Angela leaned back and recounted her journey. "You gotta go to Tempa's Woods sometime Arthur, the whole forest is literally shrouded in blue leaves. And when they burn…"

Angela pulled on her pipe, looking down at the inside of it in front of her. She pointed at it and lowered her head, revealing the contents. As she inhaled, the ash seemed to glow a bright blue.

"Woah! That's cool!" Liam leaned over and looked over Arthur's shoulder.

"Hm," Arthur squinted. "Painting your lungs blue, rather than black isn't much of a difference, don't you think?"

"Pft, hahaha!" Angela choked on the smoke, before bursting into a coughing laughter. "That's funny! But trust me, it's cleaner than what we got here in Helios."

"Yeah well, I wouldn't know…" Arthur shrugged.

"What brings you three out? You get one of these?" Angela fanned the paper in front of them.

"An application?" said Freiya.

Arthur squinted at the paper she held, it was a single document. He could just barely make out the name on it.

"Actually, I was meaning to ask if your sink was working… We're not getting water on our side…"

"Huh… Well…" Angela turned as she dragged the word, she looked up at one of the windows of House Rover's tower. "Nope, still got water… One of my lieutenants is taking a shower…"

Arthur looked up at the window, steam bellowed out from the lit room.

"Huh… Might just be our side then…"

"You're going to have to make a request to the Lightbringers to get that fixed…" said Angela. "Unless you know how to do it, Freiya."

"Huh- I am not doing any plumbing, nope, no way…" Freiya suddenly jumped where she stood.

"Don't worry, I'm kidding! I was kind of hoping you would though," Angela smiled.

"Why do I have to ask the Lightbringers for that?" Arthur asked.

"Helios uses two separate sewage systems, one is accessible by the public and used around most of the city, but the other is only connected to buildings we nobles use," Angela explained. "I think it's to keep people from sneaking in through there."

"Someone's tried?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Well… Maybe not in my lifetime… Our sewer systems have been like that for as long as I can remember…"

"Huh…" Arthur squinted upon hearing that.

"Anyways, back to what I was saying, you're getting a fourth lieutenant too right?" Angela asked.

"Fourth?" Liam reared his head back.

"Yeah… I talked to Alexander about it this morning, every squad seems to be getting an extra lieutenant. Alexander didn't think much of it, but this is weird to me…"

"I… Have no idea what you're talking about? I didn't get a letter like that?" Arthur leaned forward and looked at the application a bit closer.

"You didn't get one? That's really weird… Maybe because House Pendragon got new lieutenants not too long ago?"

"But… Every house has had three lieutenants… Why the sudden change?"

"I'm not sure… Even weirder, it's not an application, it's kind of just a letter saying… This is how it is now," said Angela.

Arthur squinted at the name of the new recruit. 'Zeus? What kind of name is that…'

"Where is his last name?" Arthur asked.

"That's another weird part… Apparently the one joining House Rael doesn't have a last name either… Well, whatever, the more the merrier I suppose." Angela yawned again. "I'm gonna get going, I have to go to the office for something…"

"Alright…" Arthur handed the letter back to Angela. "I'm going to head back… I'll see if I can get it fixed today…"

"Have a great night!" Angela waved as she entered the tower.

"Fourth lieutenants?" Freiya pondered. "Why the sudden change?"

"Who knows… I wish we could get a fourth member… Why are we being left out?" Liam complained.

"Well, the three of us joined House Pendragon over the last two years… Most of the other squads have been around for a bit longer…"

"Well… It's only like one more year for House Rover? They've replaced their squads recently too…"

Arthur, Freiya, and Liam continued back along the wall. 'The Lightbringers are assigning new squad members? Why isn't House Pendragon isn't getting one, unless they are just slow with the mail… Wait… No last names…' Arthur squinted as he remembered the boy his father found. 'That kid didn't have a last-' Arthur's thoughts stopped as he looked up at House Lightbringers tower, there was a figure by the window. 'Huh…' A green light flashed in the hands of the black silhouette. Arthur took a deep breath as he glanced back at Liam and Freiya. The two of them continued to discuss the new changes as they passed the Lightbringers tower, and made their way across and back to the Pendragon tower.

"You two head back up. I'll put in that request right now," said Arthur.

"Now? It's really early isn't it? Will anyone be available?" said Freiya.

"It's urgent, so I'll go ask right now, I'll be back soon."

"O-Oh, yeah that's probably a better idea," Freiya smiled.

"Hopefully it gets fixed by tomorrow," Liam yawned as he stretched his arms. "I hate going all the way through the bureau just to take a shower…"

They entered the tower, Liam and Freiya went left up the stairs. Arthur took a right and went down. At the bottom, he reached a small corridor, to the left was a balcony at the bottom of the tower. Arthur turned right and walked through a door, entering a long hallway. The ground was made of stone, rigid shapes of moonlight were formed by the windows and evenly spaced down the length of the hallway. Just like above, the hallway split into two paths, both with a pair of guards keeping watch, their gold masks sparkling in the light.

"Over here…" Arthur heard a voice behind him, it came from the balcony.

Arthur turned quickly, he looked back at the guards, they were still staring out the window and into space. Arthur went back into the corridor, closing the door behind him and slowly crept through to the balcony. He poked his head out and noticed Lawrence leaning on the railing.

"What… The fuck are you doing?!" Arthur swore as quietly as he could.

"Yeah, I know, not the usual meeting place…"

"Were you seen by the guards?"

"Of course not, who do you think you're talking to…" Lawrence sighed. "I was trying to send you a signal… Then noticed you and your lieutenants outside… Figured it'd be faster if I just met with you here…"

"Yeah, you were late…" Arthur leaned against the railing and looked over the north east side of Helios. "We shouldn't use this spot… Any of my lieutenants can walk down right now and they'll see us…"

"Yeah well, this is the last time…"

"What?" Arthur reared his head back. "What do you mean? You told me we'd stop the Lightbringers! We've waited all this time for that!"

Arthur felt a violent anger stir within himself. Lawrence took a deep breath as he scratched his blonde hair, then rubbed his neck. He didn't wear the black and white cloak the Lightbringers usually wore, just a white shirt and black pants. 'He's usually calm and collected…' Lawrence's eyes furled as he looked down.

"All we've done is stall! You told me you were my best bet at revenge, but we've done nothing!" Arthur whispered angrily. "You really were just trying to save your own skin! Weren't you!"

"There was nothing you could do! And there was nothing I could do either! All we had to do was wait till they made their move… And… The Lightbringers made their move…" Lawrence shook his head.

Arthur froze. "Huh… What do you mean?"

"Lucifer and Arid made an expedition down there recently, about a week ago… Down to the place your father found… And… I don't know what happened but…"

"But what?"

"To put it bluntly… They are freaking out…" Lawrence nodded.

"Huh…" Arthur squinted. "You mean?"

"Yeah… They know the kid went missing… They don't go too often… Last time I remember was over fifteen years ago… But only Arid went at that time… If Lucifer and Arid both went…" Lawrence sighed. "Something had to have been different this time… But I think something went wrong…"

"Does this have to do with those new squad members being assigned? I saw one of their names… Just like the kid my father found, the one joining House Rover doesn't have a last name…"

"That's the odd part… I was eavesdropping on them as I usually do… I thought they'd just try again… But they've deemed the entire project to be a failure… And they can't continue it…"

"What?"

"Project Archangel was a failure… Not only that, I think something else happened down there… I overheard the king while he was throwing a tantrum…"

"A tantrum?" Arthur squinted harder.

"He kept saying things I didn't understand…" Lawrence looked up as he recounted what the king said. "He kept talking about someone named Leazra… Screaming and cursing her name out loud like a wild animal… It was… Disturbing to say the least…"

"Leazra?" Arthur tilted his head. "I've never heard a name like that…"

"Whatever she did… I think she had something to do with Project Archangels failure… He kept screaming about how much time and resources have been wasted… And… The last thing he said was…"

"What? What did he say?"

"He said… It won't be long… Before Alexander Rael comes for their heads…"

Arthur paused. "Huh?! Alexander? Why would Alexander do that?"

"I… I don't know… I've never heard them like that, but when the topic came to Alexander… They sounded… Very afraid…"

"I mean… Alexander is intimidating… The guy's eight feet tall and freakishly strong…" Arthur looked down in thought. "But he's completely loyal to the Lightbringers? He hates me more than them if anything… It makes no sense that the Lightbringers would be so afraid of him…"

"I don't know… I wish I had a better answer but…" Lawrence turned to Arthur and looked past him. "That's all I-"

A pop was heard in the distance, Arthur and Lawrence turned toward the south. 'What the… What was that…' Despite the strong winds, Arthur knew he heard something.

"Did you hear that?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah… It sounded like an explosion… Really far away…" said Lawrence.

As Arthur and Lawrence leaned off the railing to try and look south, they both noticed something in the night sky. Arthur's jaw dropped as a bright light descended from the clouds. 'What… Is that…' A whistle followed a strong flap as two white lights descended through the black night sky..

"Am I seeing things?" Arthur turned to Lawrence, whose expression was equally dumbfounded by what they were witnessing.

Lawrence didn't say anything, he just stared up in awe. There was a silhouette behind the small lights. The thing came down quickly, too quickly. It was like the entire world had stopped moving for a moment. His previous concerns about the Lightbringers became irrelevant, as he watched the falling object glide through the sky.

"A meteor? No… It can't be…" Lawrence uttered.

"Hey… That's coming this way…" Arthur uttered.

Lawrence and Arthur were motionless as the thing crashed directly into the peaks of the mountain south of Helios. The thing pierced through the mountain like it was nothing, massive boulders were hurled over Roverswood. It spun off its course, ruthlessly smashing the trees in its path.

"Holy shit…" Lawrence uttered.

The object crashed into the forest, sending a quake through the land unlike anything the two of them had ever felt. The tower shook, causing Arthur and Lawrence to duck. Several more quakes followed as the boulders smashed into the forests, the snaps of tree's could be heard behind the rumbling. Lawrence stood still for a moment, but then reached into his pocket. He pulled a small glass panel from his pocket with a golden sphere embedded into it, and handed it to Arthur. The glass was about a centimeter thick, its edges surrounded with silver.

"Arthur… Take this, and go!" said Lawrence as he handed him.

"Huh…" Arthur replied, still taking in what he had witnessed. "Is this one of Lector's communication devices?"

"Yeah! I have the other end, I'm going to go inform the Lightbringers of this! It's constantly transmuting sounds that come near it, if you keep it in your pocket, it shouldn't pick up much, but don't say anything too loud, I'll let you know if it's clear first, don't talk about anything you shouldn't speak of until you know I'm alone! Go, now! Find out what that is before the Lightbringers do! You can get there faster than anyone!"

Arthur gulped, he hesitated for a moment, then put his foot on the wall. The lights across the city all turned on slowly. Arthur climbed up, then jumped off. The wind blew past his ears, his hair rose and his cloak flapped.

"Balakin!" Arthur called.

A red light flashed beneath him, the black snake-like dragon's head materialized out of it and slithered forward quickly. He landed on the metal helmet covering its head, crouching as the rest of the dragon's body slithered out of the red light. Arthur glanced to his right as he passed House Rael. Alexander and his squad were already outside their tower, staring right at him. 'Shit… They're pretty fast themselves… I have to hurry up!' Black armor surrounded his legs, clicking into place as each piece arranged itself. After a minute he passed the inner wall of Helios. 'They'll most likely use Bruno's gift to get across the city… It'll take them about ten minutes to reach the crash site…' A red light flashed under Arthur's feet, the energy fluxed as he prepared to jump. Balakin was just passing the outer wall of Helios, its scales glowed red as Arthur released him.

"Dragon driver…" Arthur chanted.

Arthur kicked off Balakin's helmet as the dragon disappeared. He launched himself straight into the sky over Roverswood, a stream of red light following his path. The wind blew past his head, pressing against his face as he squinted. His hair rose as he began to descend at the peak of his height, he looked over the land. A pillar of smoke rose from the middle of Roverswood, and another rose from the mountain's peak. Arthur soared past the crash site, landing on the side of the mountain. His black grieves pressed into the cliff face, he stopped for a moment as he breathed out. Arthur looked back toward the clearing, then kicked off again with less force. He landed in the forest, rolled against the ground, then sprinted through the forest. Arthur breathed heavily as he hurried, but as he got close, he heard a voice near the crash site. 'Someone got here first? That's impossible! Who-' Arthur crouched behind the bushes next to a fallen tree.

"It has bolts and screws… Did someone build this?" a man asked.

'How the hell did someone get here before me?!' The object that came down from the sky was embedded in the dirt, multiple trees in the area had fallen. Two people circled the strange object, observing its features closely. 'Dammit… The other houses will be here soon… Should I just reveal myself? They didn't notice me… I can probably make them leave…' Arthur stood up and left his cover, he crept towards a tree that still stood.

One of them walked around the front of the object, a woman with short black hair. Around the back was a man, he looked young. The man had brown hair, hesitantly touching the surface of the object. 'Dammit… Why did you two have to be here! No, I can't wait, i'll-' Arthur heard a steady whistle as something clicked in place, he looked up to see the man hesitantly run from it. 'What-' Arthur quickly hid, he gulped as he peeked out, the man had crouched behind a fallen tree.

"Jack! What was that?!" the woman yelled.

"Carol, it's moving!" the man shouted back.

'Jack… And Carol… Are they from Logos? They're dressed like miners… Wait… What the hell is that…' The back of the object seemed to open as steam released from inside of it. The woman walked around to the rear end of the object. She paused for a moment, observing the inside, then walked in.

"Carol, wait! That might be its mouth!" Jack cried.

'I don't think that's a mouth… But then again I don't even know what it is…' The male slave crept out of his cover, still completely unaware of Arthur hiding just a few meters behind him.

"Jack! Come here! Quickly" the one named Carol yelled.

Jack stepped over the log he hid behind, then slowly crept toward the object. 'What happened… Should I go and check… What if there's something in there…' After a few minutes, Arthur became anxious. It was silent.

"I knew it! This is the mouth! We should go, or else we'll end up like him!" the man shouted from inside.

'Is someone in there?!'

"Wait… He's breathing! This guy is still alive… How?!" the woman sounded shocked.

'He's alive too?' Arthur looked around at the fallen trees, then up at the part of the mountain that broke off. 'It's already amazing that it didn't shatter after hitting the mountain… But… Someone was inside while it crashed? Where did it come from?!'

"Hey, wake up! Hey! Jack, what the hell! Give me a hand, this guy needs help!" Carol yelled.

After a few seconds, Arthur heard heavy footsteps against the metal interior. The two non-unified left the object, carrying a third person on their shoulders. It was a man, and he was huge. Despite the two slaves being just under six feet tall, the body they dragged was at least the same height as Alexander Rael. His entire body was muscular, almost like he had no trace of body fat on him. He had a dense mane of black hair, Arthur couldn't see his face behind it. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of black pants and boots, his feet dragging through the mud. What struck Arthur as strange, was the injured state the man was in. He was riddled with wounds, a lot of blood was dripping from his body. The two non-unified carried him off, grunting and struggling while they slowly walked away.

Arthur's head slowly inched to the right, he noticed the object that crashed at the end of a long line of fallen trees. Smoke still rose from the crash site, Arthur looked between the ship and the two slaves walking away. 'Wait… This might work in my favor if they stay hidden…' As Jack and Carol disappeared into the forest, Arthur jumped over the tree and ran towards the crash site.

The thing was blue in color, with the text '#MC-78 Imperial Dragoon' written on it. 'Writing? Is this thing a Hirian weapon? No… It looks… Weird…This isn't Hirian… Cerulean or Jakaran? A dragoon? I don't know what that means… This is fascinating…' Arthur circled the strange thing, it had thick slabs of metal jutting out of its top, and was definitely the work of some unknown craftsman-ship. 'It can't be Hydronian… It came out of the sky… But… This… Seems different… Could it have been from Pandora? Whoever came out of it would be my answer…' Arthur reached the back and noticed a cavity in the object. 'They entered here…'

The crackle of electricity on the object popped before fading out, leaving only the sound of the nobles' hesitant breaths, and what sounded like someone stepping on tiny shards of glass with hard boots. The sound came from something in front of him. 'What is that…' There was a purple crystal, growing out of the metal surface. 'Huh…' Arthur stepped on something hard and noticed the crystals were littered all over the floor. It made him feel uncomfortable just looking at it, he shuddered as he stepped back.

"Is this stuff safe to be around…" Arthur covered his nose. "It reeks of blood in here…"

Arthur looked around the wider room, noticing strange tools mounted along the wall. 'Weapons?' Arthur assumed they had to be weapons of some sort due to a few of them having blades attached. He looked at the sides, the stairs, the painting, even the seats. Arthur heard the wheels of caravans, and the approaching gallop of horses through the firm dirt. He walked further inside the vessel and tried to avoid stepping on the crystals. The most of it was in the centre. 'There's no way I can keep the ship from the Lightbringers… But whoever was inside it…' Arthur reached up, hesitantly feeling around the edge of what seemed like a door frame, he held on and hopped over the crystal. The narrow hallway filled with crystal, had multiple rooms on either side. His nose blocked suddenly, and he had to breath through his mouth. 'I'm not used to this… No… This stuff might be toxic, my nose feels itchy in this place… It blocked so quickly…' Arthur pulled his shirt up and covered his nose and mouth.

Each of the rooms seemed to be clear, just some bedrooms which looked mostly void of belongings. But he was a little more relaxed knowing he was alone, he progressed forward. Arriving at the front of the vessel, he found a small room with two seats. But in front of it was a panel of buttons, knobs, a wheel, and several switches all covered in the shards of a glass. Arthur looked down and noticed a broken bottle on the ground, he picked up a shard of it, reading the label 'Melrosa's cherry spirit? Product of… Junipus? Picked in… The rainbow hills of- Anrac?' His head started to get numb, Arthur stood up and looked out the front window, then stopped for a moment as he looked out the front of the vessel. 'That's tinted glass…' Past the stains of dirt and cracks on the glass, Arthur could see angels clad in white robes hesitantly approaching the scene. Arthur turned and promptly made his way out of the vessel.

One of the angels wore a white shirt with blue decals, a lieutenant from House Rover Arthur easily recognised. He got off the back of a black cougar, its fur was patterned with silver spots. On all fours, the beast was half the height of his rider. It was a Celestial gift that was only bestowed very recently like Arthur's silver pendant. The rider was just around Arthur's height, he was decently well built, but very slim. He had dark brown skin and short puffy black hair.

"Scouts of House Rover! Welcome! You took your sweet time, lieutenant Ando," Arthur greeted them with a smirk.

"You're nuts! Mom always said you were fast though!" Ando laughed as he greeted him and shook his hand.

"I'm kidding… You got here pretty fast as well…" Arthur smiled.

"What is this thing?" an angel asked.

"It's- a vessel of some sort I think… It possesses an interior… Do not go inside the vessel without protective equipment, the bacteria may be foreign, I feel sick from just being in there…"

The galloping of a horse on stone could be heard, but the steps felt hefty and came from above. Arthur turned and looked up to see Alexander Rael and his two lieutenants ride in on a stone chariot. One of them was a slim man with blonde hair, he looked half asleep. The other was a large man with naturally grey hair, he was a little fat, but very muscular. 'Lector, Bruno, and…' A pair of quick flaps came from above as the third lieutenant descended from the sky, a slim woman who was just taller than the slouched over Lector. A black pair of wings receded into her back, she adjusted her hair quickly and efficiently as she stood. 'Vivian…'All three of them wore white shirts with green decals.

The largest in the group was Alexander, who immediately shot a hateful glare at Arthur. The eight foot man looked down at him with furled eyebrows, his nose twitching repeatedly. His short spiky hair was bright green, and his face was well built. 'It's like he's stabbing me with his eyes… Is it seriously that big of a deal that I beat him one time…' One of the scouts crouched down and started to analyze something on the ground. 'I need to catch up to those two non-unified… I can't lose their location…'

"Uh, Sir! What about this? What is this…" the angel called out with a curious tone, he held a purple crystal, similar to the one inside the ship.

Arthur squinted. 'How is it growing outside of the ship… There's more… It's leading to the ship's entrance…. Wait, no… Oh no… It's the path those two took! The body is leaving a trail!' Arthur pursed his lips and took a deep breath. Alexander's menacing stomps could be heard behind him. The eight foot man towered over the other angels as he observed the scene.

"Gather all of that crystal substance and take it to the Lightbringers for analysis," Arthur ordered and then turned to the members of House Rael. "Good morning Alexander, lieutenants of House Rael. I'm sure none of us were expecting something like this…"

"No need for the formalities, runt... This... Thing... What is it? Where did it come from?" Alexander asked. "This thing took off a decent portion of the mountain, perhaps we should make the people of Logos mine for logorite up there too…"

As Alexander spoke, Arthur's mind trailed off. 'Runt… Yeah, I don't know how dad and this guy were friends… I can't do this… As it is he hates me, but I don't even like the guy that much myself… The number of brutally injured slaves we've had to treat… All caused by him….' Arthur sighed as he turned away.

"Something struck me as odd. Please, follow me," said Arthur.

Arthur heard Alexander kiss his teeth, before following to the rear-end of the crashed object. They both stopped outside the opening to the interior. Alexander walked forward as he observed the architecture. 'I can't keep wasting time here… How can I get away… The trail… I'll follow the trail…' Arthur gulped as he looked at the back of Alexander's head.

"Do you think this is some kind of demon sorcery or one of those damn resistance members from the gutters of Torovince?" Alexander asked.

"I doubt the non-unified could do this... Hey, there are footprints," Arthur pointed out.

Alexander turned and followed the steps, then noticed a smeared trail in the mud that led out of the ship towards the woods. Alexander stood still for a moment, his eyebrows furled as he looked at the trail.

"Arthur... What did the scouts from House Rover discover inside?" Alexander asked.

"I got here first... This is how it was when I found it..." Arthur replied.

"Thirteen years as a noble, and you're still this much of a newbie aren't you," Alexander sighed. "Someone was here before us. There's a trail leading out of the woods towards Logos!"

"Huh, you're right... Good observation," Arthur nodded.

'Why is he assuming Logos…' As Arthur thought this, an explosion rippled through the air. A purple light lit up on the other side of the mountain for a brief second. Arthur turned and looked up. 'Shit, what happened! Did that guy wake up?!' Black grieves formed over Arthur's legs, they clicked together and started to glow.

"What the hell, that was bright... Someone did get here before us you-" Alexander stopped as he noticed Arthur equip his gift.

Arthur crouched down and put his palm on the ground. 'Dragon driver!' A red light fluxed off his legs, and he pressed off the ground. Arthur launched himself two hundred meters into the air, just over the peak, then descended. Arthur conjured his black spear, dragging his feet against the cliff face as he landed on the other side. Arthur stabbed his spear into the rock, stopping his descent. He looked around, trying to spot the two non-unified from earlier. A pillar of smoke rose from the entrance of the mines. Arthur looked to the farms north of Logos where another pillar of smoke rose, then noticed a purple light glowing at the center of a circle of flattened crops. He saw the two non-unified, and they continued to drag the body. He lost sight of them as they moved into the crops. 'Why would they…' Arthur noticed orange lights approaching the purple flame. 'Are they avoiding the others from the town? Good… Good… I have to get in contact with those two… I'll-' Arthur looked down, and was surprised to see Alexander sprinting down the path between the mountain and the forest.

"Shit… If Alexander finds those two… Who knows what he'll do… But if they move through the crops… It should cover the trail… Maybe I can relax… I'll just have to find those two after… It shouldn't be too hard…" Arthur sighed as he pulled his spear from the mountain.

A foul scent lingered in the air as Arthur slid down the slope of the cliff face, he jumped off the last bit and descended a short distance. 'That smells like ignited Logorite… Why does it smell like that…' Alexander stopped in front of the mines, Arthur landed behind him. He was surprised as he looked at the entrance of the mines. Chunks of black rubble filled the hole into the mountain, some large, some small. 'What the… The crash couldn't have caused this… It looks like it was blocked from the inside… Was this the sound before the crash happened? Someone sealed the mines again? Didn't this happen like… A couple of weeks ago?' Arthur watched as Alexander clenched his fist, he grit his teeth as the veins on his forehead bulged. 'I imagine most of the people of Logos hate the angels, but… What does this even accomplish…'

"The shards of the mountain's peak all got sent to the other side, there's no reason the mines should be blocked off on this side though... Something else happened here..." said Arthur.

"Was there a similar scent at the top of the mountain?" Alexander asked.

"No?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Something strange is going on though that's for sure... When I was on top of the mountain, a purple fire was burning north of Logos," Arthur added.

"Purple fire... Could the demons be making their move..." Alexander pondered.

"I doubt Abaddon would invade without sending an army, and the mines being closed... It's an oddly specific target... It doesn't accomplish much either… Please handle the situation in Logos, I'll inform the Lightbringers of this right away..."

"You punk... What are you trying to pull!"

"Huh..."

"We'll just make the slaves do it! They did it! They should be held responsible! But no! You want to use this to discredit me, don't you!"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Alexander, with all due respect... After the mines had closed three weeks ago... The Logorite supply fell heavily... We can't afford to waste time, this directly impacts our allegiance with Hiria, they need that Logorite... You know this..."

"You-" Alexander grit his teeth.

"I'm not doing this to discredit you, it must be done... I know you don't like me but, I hold you in high regard, Sir Alexander. While, I do find your methods in Logos, brutish... My father respected you, and I trust in my father's faith."

Arthur turned and followed the wall of the mountain. 'I get that he doesn't like me… But is it that serious? I beat you in one sparring match after catching you by surprise…' Arthur shook his head. He heard the flap of wings behind him, glancing upward to see Vivian land near Alexander. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the glass device Lawrence had given him earlier. Arthur quickly looked back once more, Vivian and Alexander started toward Logos. He held the device up to his mouth as he moved behind a tree.

"Lawrence… Can you hear me? Where are you?" Arthur spoke into the device.

"Arthur, I'm with Arid…" Lawrence responded.

"I'm calling to inform you of something important, it's not in regard to the crash…"

"Go on…" Lawrence's tone sounded confused.

"The mines have been sealed again… Alexander and I found it like this just now…"

"What did he just say?!" Arthur heard someone else, their voice sounded like it echoed strangely.

'That sounded like Lucifer… But…'

"What, how- Nevermind, I got it… I'm with them right now… Arid is on his way, wait there…"

"Thank you…" Arthur lowered the device and put it into his pocket.

Arthur sighed as he turned around and walked back toward the mine's entrance. 'Could it… Have been those two slaves… There's no way they went from Logos to Roverswood so quickly… But, if they were here… It's a little more believable…' Arthur pulled his hair back as he sighed. 'What a morning…' Arthur started in the direction toward Logos. 'While Arid is on his way i'll-' Arthur stopped as he heard a strange sound approach from above. He turned, only to see a bright light shine over the area. Arthur shielded his eyes, 'What the hell?!' As the light faded, he lowered his arm, his eyes widened.

A man in a white shirt with yellow decals on it stood in front of the entrance to the mines. There were two circles of blue light behind him. 'H- How… That wasn't even one minute?! How did he get here so fast?! Was that magic!' The man had short black hair, shaved around the sides of his head, but a bit taller on top. His fist was clenched around a scepter, at its crown was a blue orb. Around both his upper legs were holsters commonly used by mages to store paper talismans. The circles of light behind him almost looked like an eye, it moved on its own to Arid's right, facing Arthur.

"Those pieces of trash…" Arid seethed, his voice sounded odd, like it was echoing despite them being outside.

"Arid… That was… Fast…" Arthur didn't know what else to say, he felt intimidated.

"Arthur… You did well today… I heard from Lawrence, he told me he saw you act within seconds…" Arid spoke without turning his head, his eyes still on the mine's entrance.

"Oh… It's- I was just doing what I had to…" Arthur shrugged.

"Yes… You've always been exemplary… Ever since you first became a noble… You are very much like your father…" Arid complimented him, but his tone sounded skeptical. "Where is Alexander..."

"He continued to Logos…" Arthur paused for a moment. " For some reason there were tracks from the crash site leading back to the town. After he had seen what happened to the mines… I believe Alexander might be enraged."

Arid glanced at Arthur, his eye was a bright blue. 'What the… Is that caused by Nilrem's Wisdom? I know the crystal orbs created with that gift change color based on its user, making them ideal catalysts, but I didn't know it changes the color of the wielder's eyes…' Arid stabbed his scepter into the ground, the orb at the end started to glow, before igniting with blue flames.

"I want you to go and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid… Let me know if he exhibits any other odd behaviour…" Arid ordered.

Arid opened the holster on his left leg, he pulled out a talisman with a cloud drawn on it. He held it between his fingers, then raised his scepter in his other hand. It glowed brightly as blue flame fluxed out of it and spiralled around Arid. 'Hold on… Is he planning on clearing it right now?!' The cloud on the talisman started to glow a bright white, before vanishing from the page. A bubble of water formed in front of Arid, and was surrounded by rings of blue flame. The wind created by the talisman whipped around the fire and water, spinning the flame into a tornado. Sparks crackled off the mass of magic, Arthur stepped back as his hair rose, the force coming from Arid was incredible. 'This guy isn't the head of the School of Magic for nothing… He's a prodigy, to be able to harness opposing elements without them cancelling each other out is impressive… To be able to use something as powerful as Particle Magic at a whim, paired with his basic affinities which grant him mirror magic… He could be a serious problem if he figured me out…' An orb of light surrounded the mass of magic, condensing it down into a ball. As he clenched his fist, he condensed the orb more and more.

"Step back…" Arid warned.

The energy inside the orb started overflowing, but it had nowhere to go. Arid continued to fuel it with ether from his catalyst. The orb grew, sparks of electricity within it violently tried to escape, but simply expanded its container more and more. Arid lowered his scepter and raised his hand, controlling the orb with his hand instead. It moved forward, the orb of violent energy pressing against the sealed entrance of the mines.

"Particle magic… Particle Burner!" Arid chanted.

Arthur continued to step back, looking up in awe at the display of skill in front of him. It was hard to look away. 'I only know the basics of magic myself… But… This makes me want to learn more…' As the orb burned the wall of rock, it dug itself deeper, and deeper. Its core glowed brighter, shining out of the hole it made until reaching a blinding point. Arthur reflexively hid behind a tree as the orb exploded outwards, engulfing the entire entrance of the mines in a blue explosion. The two circles behind Arid moved in front of him, shielding him from the blast. Arthur stayed behind the tree, listening to the searing sound of rocks being burned to ashes. As the sound stopped, he peeked out of his cover. 'Huh…'

Arthur walked forward, completely perplexed by the site. The entire entrance of the mines had been completely vaporized, all of the rubble was burned down to nothing but sand. Bits of molten remained on the dirt, some of it falling from the ceiling. Weakened chunks of rubble fell, landing softly in the sand that was once solid rock. At the back of the expanded opening was a narrow tunnel that led into the heart of the mountain. 'That… What the… Balakin can't even make that much firepower with its blasts… This is the power of a level five spell? And he can fire multiple of these…'

Arthur skipped a breath. "Aren't you worried about glassing several pounds of Logorite?"

Arid sighed, his voice started to echo again. "It doesn't matter… This mountain is full of it after all… And soon… We won't even need it…"

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"Do not speak about this with anyone other than the Lightbringers, but we have plans to harness an even larger cache of logorite, located in Hiria…" said Arid.

Arthur squinted at Arid. "Logorite in Hiria? I thought logorite was specifically located on Kamino… That's why the Hirian's come to us for it…"

"The minister of communication, Jerm Ragel, recently went to Dorad with Angela. His agents have recently made a breakthrough during the trip… Minister Joseph wants to capitalize on it immediately, and the ministers Edna and Lawlose are more than willing to fund it…"

"Aren't the Hirian's our allies…"

Arid nodded as he squinted at Arthur. "While we are allied to them, an alliance simply goes as far as what both parties get out of it… And at the moment, they have much more land than we do, despite almost half of it being used by the filthy resistance… If we can expand our borders into Hiria… We won't be so cornered…" Arid's voice echoed slightly. "Then, we expand further… Protor and Pandora…"

Arthur gulped. 'This guy… The Lightbringers really mean to take everything… I still don't get it… How can there be a logorite cache in Hiria, that the Hirian's don't even know about? That doesn't make any sense…'

"If it's supposed to be a secret, why are you telling me all of this?" Arthur asked.

Arid turned around, he looked down the path at Logos. Arthur raised an eyebrow, his teeth jittered, and his hand was flexed, ready to summon his spear at a moment. 'I don't trust this guy one bit… I feel like he's onto me…'

"Do you think it's wrong of me to trust you?" Arid asked.

"It's not that… There is a saying passed down in my family, my father once told me… One will not see the reason to search, until they have realized there is something to find…"

"Hm… Those are wise words… It even brings back memories…" Arid smirked. "The Pendragon and the Lightbringer families are two of the earliest houses to hold power in Helios, we've been allied for generations, and couldn't have made it as far as we did without each other… You are one of the last of their line, and a wise man, like your father… Laris will most likely take the seat of the king after Lucifer, it's fortunate that we have you two… In order to keep our legacy alive… We need to preserve our… Best roots…"

"Heh… So you people want me to get married and have kids… Got it…" Arthur smirked.

He hid his grit teeth. 'You people had my father killed though… And why Laris instead of Lawrence… They are night and day in terms of competence and strength…'

"Yes, and specifically with Lucifer's daughter… Leanne…"

Arthur's eyebrows raised. "You… Want me to…"

"Yes… Is she not to your liking?"

"That's… That's the king's daughter Arid… Don't joke around like that…"

"It's not a joke, he wants this as well. You need not wed her, simply give her a child."

Arthur twitched. The way Arid said it made him shudder. 'What the fuck… How the hell can he say that with such a deadpan tone… And… A child of Lightbringer and Pendragon blood… Are they trying to secure Balakin… Lawrence is right… These guys are losing it… They want to shift the entire paradigm?! What the hell happened with Project Archangel's failure?! Did it really cause all of this?!'

"You seem tense… Are you loyal to someone else?"

"No it's… Just a lot to take in… But I'd rather not if I'm being honest…"

"Why?"

"It just… You know… Morally…" Arthur shrugged.

"Morales, and faith, means nothing in this world compared to power…" Arid's voice echoed once more. "I trust you will underst-"

The two nobles flinched as the sound of a massive explosion reached their ears. It came from the direction of Logos. 'What the fuck?! Did those two get caught?!'

"That sounded like an explosion… We'll speak about this later! Hurry to Logos! That fool Alexander is rampaging, again!" Arid seethed, the echo in his voice was much louder that time.

'Shit! Shit I wasted too much time here!' Red energy surrounded Arthur, he squatted down to the ground as black grieves formed around his calves and feet once again. He jumped backward toward the mountain, and pressed his feet against it. 'Dragon driver!' Using the slope of the cliff face, he jumped straight over the trees and toward Logos, soaring almost one hundred meters into the air. 'I can't keep jumping like this… I'm running low on ether, I already summoned Balakin once, which I can only do three times at most before running out completely… After the last three long jumps, I'll have a little less than half my total ether left…'

As Arthur got a better view of Logos, he noticed a pillar of smoke rising from a green flame at the southeastern side of the town. 'Ah! Dammit Alexander!' Arthur grimaced as he soared over the town. A crowd of non-unified surrounded a wooden house smothered in green flames. He saw someone on the ground, and a short distance away was someone burning in flames. 'No!' Arthur landed in the farms, his feet dragging to a stop as he toppled several stalks of corn. As he stood up to sprint, a purple explosion bursted into the air. Arthur shielded his face as a shockwave brushed past him.

"Huh…" Arthur uttered as he looked up at the massive pillar of purple flame.

It rose straight upward, appearing like a cone of pure flame, the shape and density of it was majestic. But its peace was disturbed as a second explosion rippled outward. Arthur shook his head, then ran forward toward an alleyway between a burning house and one that was untouched by the green flames. As he got closer, he heard someone wailing in pain. Their screams were that of an adult, someone with a deep voice. At the end of the alleyway, he saw a silhouette against the flames. They hoisted their arm back, holding a purple crystal in their hand.

"Just die!" they yelled as they threw the crystal.

Arthur walked forward slowly, squinting at what he was looking at. 'Where's Alexander…' He was careful not to make too much noise, worrying that the assailant would turn on him next. As he got closer, he noticed the figure of an eight foot man burning in the pillar of purple flames. Arthur blinked repeatedly, shocked at the sight of Alexander burning alive at the hands of a non-unified. Arthur looked back to the boy who threw the crystal, reaching into his pocket for another. It was one of the non-unified at the crash site, the one named Jack. He hoisted up yet another crystal, and pulled his arm back. However, before he could throw it, Arthur grasped his arm, causing him to look back in shock and anger.

"Huh!?" Jack huffed.

Jack had furious red eyes, but his eyebrows furrowed as he noticed a noble had grasped his arm. Arthur pulled the purple crystal out of his hand, then looked up at Alexander. 'It'd be for the best if I let someone like Alexander die here… He's too much of a risk… But…' Arthur remembered Lawrence's words. 'No… There has to be a reason the Lightbringers fear him so much…' Jack struggled to break from his grip as red energy collected around Arthur's black grieves. He suddenly jumped forty meters into the air, pulling Jack with him. Jack stopped struggling, and instead held onto Arthur's arm tightly.

"Balakin!" Arthur called.

A red light flashed behind Arthur, and the snake-like dragon with wings materialized out of thin air just like the armor. It flew high into the air and circled him. Arthur landed on the Balakin, and then let go of Jack, the slave grasped its jagged black scales and held on desperately. 'Blow away the flames!' Balakin dived straight down to the ground, then opened its mouth and let out an ear-piercing roar. The flames surrounding Alexander were pushed away, revealing the unconscious noble. His skin was charred black and his jaw wide open, Arthur had never seen him this injured before. Smoke rose from the burnt parts of his skin.

"Vivian! Head back to Helios and alert my squad and House Lightbringer's squad to get down to Logos, Alexander needs treatment immediately, tell them it's an emergency and it's my order!" Arthur ordered, then turned to the slaves. "All of you get to work! You've wasted enough time standing here, go! Any farmers assigned to the northwest farms, avoid the burned crops for now!" Arthur ordered strictly!"

Arthur stepped off Balakin. His grieves, and the dragon all dissolved into red particles of light. 'I barely have any ether left… I didn't expect I'd need Balakin again…' Jack fell a short distance, landing hard on his side as Arthur landed softly on his feet. Vivian covered her mouth as she looked at Alexander's body.

"S-sir..." Vivian uttered.

"Vivian, I gave you an order!" Arthur scolded.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Vivian snapped out of her shock.

She pulled out a black feather, and it faded away as she turned. A pair of black wings sprouted out of her back, and she flew north towards Helios. The crowd of people scattered as they looked back at the noble's burnt body. Arthur turned to the house burning in green flames, only to see the other slave from the crash site. 'Shit…' They were in the worst condition. Her skin was charred black from the stomach, and her face was covered in blood. Alexander's greatsword was embedded into her torso, Arthur cringed as he looked away. 'Dammit… I…' He glanced at Jack, and understood what happened immediately. 'I could have stopped this…'

Arthur turned back to the crowd, making sure they each left the scene. However, he heard a scrape against the dirt behind him. Arthur glanced back, only to see Alexander Rael on his feet, his veins lit up green and his skin was healing. 'What… Why are his burns healing so fast… Hold on… What…' The sight of Alexander standing tall after being injured like that was something he didn't think possible.

"There you are," Alexander uttered with a rasped throat, his eyes wide with rage.

Alexander Rael's skin was charred from head to toe, scraps of his clothing drifted in the wind. His hair was burned off completely, and his face was scarred with a deep red burn that traveled down his neck and burned most of his chest. His skin was still slightly lit purple along the burnt parts of his skin, but his veins pulsed green. Even though he looked like a corpse, he still walked forward. 'This… This shouldn't be possible…' Jack was frozen in fear, even Arthur felt a little afraid. Alexander raised his hand weakly into the air, and his greatsword appeared.

"Jack!" Alexander roared.

'Shit?!' Arthur conjured his spear with the last of his ether. Alexander charged forward and swung his blade. Arthur got in front of Jack, and blocked the strike with his spear. 'Rgh!' The force was as unreal as he remembered, but with the weighty greatsword, this time it was far harder to block. Arthur's feet dragged against the dirt, he grit his teeth, grunting as he put his shoulder against the spear. Alexander let go of his blade as he fell to the ground, he could barely stay up on all fours. Arthur looked down at him with wide eyes.

"Arthur... You fool, that boy... Kill him... Kill Jack... Or he'll kill... All of us," Alexander uttered as he struggled to keep his head up.

'What...' The noble fell face-first into the dirt. Arthur knelt next to Alexander and put his finger on his neck. 'Is he delirious?' A faint pulse lingered.

"He's still alive... Why did he say that just now... No, there's no time for that," Arthur turned to Jack. "You... I know what you did, don't bother trying to hide it. Where is the body?"

Jack froze. "H-how do you-"

"Shut up and tell me if you want to live! The other angels will be here soon, hurry up and tell me!" Arthur shouted impatiently.

"H-He's in the cellar... A-at my house... My friend... Carol she..." Jack stuttered.

"Show me," Arthur ordered.

Jack stood up, shaking in fear as his eyes were glued to the young noble. The slave inched back, continuing to look at the noble from head to toe. Arthur let go of his spear, it faded into red dust. 'I am really out of ether now… Hopefully nothing else happens…' He looked up at Jack, who was still shaking in fear.

"I'm not going to kill you now, please hurry up, you're embarrassing yourself," Arthur shook his head.

Jack continued to glance back at Carol's body as they walked away. Arthur looked back at the body on the ground, her smile was strangely haunting. 'Shit… These two really tried to kill Alexander… They almost did it too…' Arthur glanced back at the noble of House Rael laying flat on the ground. 'I think…'

"That girl... Was she your friend?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah..." Jack's voice cracked.

Arthur observed the damages on the houses, making sure the green flames weren't spreading anymore. 'Balakin's roar managed to extinguish those as well… They'll need repairs though…' The two of them reached the wooden house labelled '03'. Jack led Arthur to the alleyway between the houses, and around the side to the cellar. He opened the cellar doors and walked in, however Arthur was met with a damp scent of mold he wasn't used to. 'Ugh… They live in a place like this? How are they not sick…' It could barely even be called a cellar, it was more like a hole under the house.

"The moment the first purple explosion happened, I saw you and the girl dragging a body through the fields from the mountain, and you left tracks back at that thing in the woods," Arthur explained.

Jack lifted some jackets and a cloth, revealing the unconscious man. Arthur tilted his head as he crouched next to him. He was just as big as Alexander, and almost just as muscular. 'What in the world…' The veins on his body had a faint purple glow to them, however, Arthur couldn't take his eyes off the horrible wounds on him. 'What happened to this guy… Was this done during the crash? It looks more like someone tried to kill him…'

"The crystals, where did those come from?" Arthur asked.

"They came out of his blood... But his wounds closed while we dragged him here..." Jack explained.

"While you dragged him here? There was blood all over the place back in the forest with crystals sprouting out of them, how bad was the wound?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know how he's alive... We could see right through him earlier. What are you going to do with him, is he an angel?" Jack asked with a nervous tone.

'Definitely… Not… I think? He looks just like us… Except for his monstrous height… No one other than Alexander is this huge… And how is he even alive…' Arthur put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "Did anyone else see him?"

"No..."

"If those crystals are that powerful, and they are coming out of his blood, he has a gift from the Celestial and a powerful one at that. It's good you got him here without being seen," said Arthur.

"What? What do you mean that's good?" Jack tilted his head.

"You're going to help me, and you don't have a choice in the matter..." Arthur suddenly declared. "You're going to keep this guy here, and make sure no one finds out he exists. No one. Not even other slaves."

"Huh..."

"I'm sorry, this all must be very sudden... I don't have time to explain why I am doing this, but just know... I am on your side..." Arthur turned toward the exit of the cellar.

"What? Wait... You're working against your own?! Do you know who- Or what he is?" Jack asked.

"No, but it's for the best if he's out of the angel's hands... More importantly... I was never here, you never threw the crystal at Alexander, I saved you from the explosion, and no one ever finds out about him." Arthur pointed at the body. "I assume you did what you did to see these corrupt bastards fall. That's what I want as well. Go back to your usual life for now... And maybe... Just maybe we can change this twisted world… I'll come back and check up on him once in a while, you check on him daily, if he wakes up, I'm the first person you tell! Now go... I don't want you here when the other nobles show up..."

Arthur climbed out of the cellar, leaving the slave named Jack alone in the cellar. 'Is this wise… Can I really trust this kid…' He walked back to the street, and turned left. As he approached the gruesome scene from earlier, he saw the corpse and the noble on the ground. 'Chances are… Alexander will just get patched up, then come back to Logos and kill him… Then when they search the house they'll find the body… If I try to take him to Helios… I don't have a safe place to keep the body… And… I don't know what this guy is going to do when he wakes up… Unless…' Arthur looked down at Alexander on the ground. 'Unless… I was Warden of Logos… Then Alexander can't do anything…' Arthur reached into his pocket, and pulled out the glass device with a sphere of gold embedded into it.

"Lawrence…" said Arthur.

"I'm alone right now, what happened…" Lawrence's voice came through the device.

"A lot… I'll tell you when I get back… But I need your help with something right now…"

"What?"

"I'm going to take the position of Warden from Alexander… I need your help getting the Lightbringers to agree…"