Friend or Foe

The golden flames engulfed Gorbash and his goons in its terror. The burning blaze felt to them like an impenetrable cage, and they were trapped in it. Gorbash precisely, was trembeling on the floor as Vincent towered him.

"Uhhh—uhh, monster..!" he stuttered.

"What'd you say, Gorbash?" Vincent subtly glared at the eye-patched Pirate. "How about you call this off this instant?"

"Uhh, you..!" Gorbash gritted his teeth in defeat. "Everyone, fall back.."

The few last words left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he carried on regardless. His henchmen, on the other hand, stammered to what their boss had just ordered.

"Said what, Gorbash?" Vincent tilted his head, as if confused. "I think you didn't make it clear enough for your empty husks.."

"I SAID, FALL BACK! WE'RE RETREATING!" Gorbash snapped and shouted.

And with that being blurted out, the rest of Gorbash's crew who restrained Jaden, Eugene, and Svyen backed off. Their faces were all lowered to gaze at the ground.

"Excellent.." Vincent told him. "Now, scram out of here."

"Ugh.." Gorbash began crowling away from Vincent. "You'll never get away with this! Sour Disel will get you for sure!"

"Bwagi, help me get him up!" one of his henchmen came forth and supported Gorbash out of the area.

"R—oger, let us fly out of this planetoid, now!" another one replied.

~Footsteps! Running!

"Eh.." Eugene gazed as he stood back on his feet. Gorbash and his goons were dragging their broken dignity. "No way..!"

"No worries." Vincent put his daggers back and dusted off his hands. "These ragtags wouldn't be bothering anyone anymore."

"They better be.." Wassie'e added as he got up.

"Hey, where's that kid?!" Jaden span his head all around him.

"Oh, Lamount was with us when we ran.." Eugene added.

"Yeah, I glimpsed him running ahead." Svyen pointed toward the exit gates before them.

"Then, what're you waitin' for!" Jaden rose up, and ran to near the gates with the others in tow.

~Footsteps!

Once their eyes were capable of seeing the gates close enough, Jaden and the others slid behind a large strand. Once Eugene stuck his head out to inspect, he saw him, Lamount.

The young boy was walking briskly toward a group of armored guards. Eugene recognized them in a jiff. "Huh..?" he was surprised and confused at the same time. "Aren't those the Judge and that Marquess we saw back in the mines?"

"Wait a sec..!" Jaden jerked once he saw, yet, a much more shocking detail. Among the armored guards escort were two girls. "Those are—Safi and Noor!"

"And what is Lamount doing there?!" Eugene asked.

"That is no Lamount.." Vincent sighed as he strided away from the cover. "Alphonse Eins Eisenhauer; fourth son to Afallan's Emperor, and brother to Gundolf."

"What..?!" both Jaden and Eugene exclaimed.

On the other side, the young boy walked up to the Judge and the Marquess. "Seems like you found much more interesting things within the Mines, Lord Alphones." said the Judge.

"I can say the same to you, too.." replied the boy.

"We found them as the guards arrested some Pirates dwelling in the Mines." explained the Judge. "Which is one more reason for you to not break loose on your own, my lord."

"Now, isn't that true..?" Alphones said whistfully as his eyes soften toward the two girls standing tensely before him. "Say Marquess,"

"What, young man?" asked the Marquess.

"I would like to have two more people along with my escort." said Alphones as he stretched both of his hands to grab Julia's and Petra's. "Judge Mival, you are right. I shall not stray off on my own any longer."

With these words Alphones gestured for a couple of armored guards to accompany him along with the two girls. And the young lord walked away with both girls on either side. "That seemed to end shortly." said the boy as the two girls are completely perplexed. "Thank you, Julia.."

Gotten even weirder after uttering her name, Julia gazed back at Petra for a moment before nodding to him. "O—of course..!" she managed to say.

Watching them from afar, Jaden and the three boys were also confused. How did things ended up this way?! Jaden had even more unanswered questions as of that point. "Did I miss something..?" he tilted his head awkwardly.

"Where is he taking them?" Eugene asked.

"To the Marquess's palace for sure." Vincent replied. "This is apparently a political visit. So, I suppose, Alphones will be Dior's guest of honor for tonight."

"Then, our paths lead to the same place; to Dior.." Svyen tightened his fist.

"We're meeting that guy?!" Eugene was surprised.

"He might know where Feona and Mika are.." Jaden replied.

"He knows full well, that is.." Kamal walked out once the coast around them was clear. "Come on, let's move."

Although they intended to meet with the Marquess, the four guys stood away from his escort along with the Judge. There was no way for them to approach him in such company. So, Kamal and the others had to think in a different way.

"Being a fugitive ain't that easy of a life, you know.." Jaden told them as they stood by the sidewalk.

"We wouldn't be able to talk to that Marquess like this." Eugene added.

"The guards would try to arrest us the moment we get near the palace gates." Svyen said. "We may need to use brute force at this rate.."

"Causing a ruckus is the last thing we need right now. Besides, we're not fully out of options.." Kamal stroked his chin as he spoke. "There's been words that Dior is channeling funds for the Resistance. If those rumors were true,"

"We can use it to get his attention!" Jaden snapped his fingers.

"But, how..?" Eugene tilted his head.

"We need a very good insentive." Vincent said. "Something that forces him to act quickly."

"How about the news of my survival?" Wassie'e suggested. "That could shake him up a little."

"Hmmm.." Vincent went deep in thought. "Well...It was him who announced your death two years ago. If word about you still alive can make him look like a fruad."

"That will juice his kewies!" Jaden smirked. "So, how do we start?"

Vincent gazed back at Jaden with even a bigger grin on his face. "The old-fashioned way.."

"What..?!" Jaden and Eugene were confused. But Jaden sort of understood what his comrade meant.

And with that, Vincent sent both Jaden and Eugene to go shout out the word about the survival of Captain Svyen Helsem. But just for safety, Eugene went out screaming out that he is Captain Helsem in the middle of crowded areas.

"HEY!" he shouted. "I'M CAPTAIN SVYEN HELSEM OF DERANNA!"

"SVYEN LIVES!"

"DON'T LISTEN TO DIOR'S LIES!"

"HELSEM IS NOT DEAD!" he yelled. "I'M RIGHT HERE IN JANACRE!"

Jaden, on the other hand, kept a eye on his friend from the shadows. As Eugene went from one street to another, Jaden watched from a distance to check how much attention this endeavour would grab.

Way to go, Majd!, he thought. Keep it up; we began to atract actual people.

"CAPTAIN HELSEM WAS NEVER DEAD!" Eugene kept on shouting out.

"I hope this works.." Wassie'e said. "Saying my name out like that is not comforting.."

"The odds are tough, my friend. I'd admit. But this is our only bet.." Vincent replied as the two watched Majd shout loud enough for the street to hear. "Finding Mika depends on it.."

Svyen noticed that his friend's face went uneasy for a second. "Uh..is this Mika—?" he asked.

"She's important to me." Kamal answered right away.

"I was meant to ask if she's like us." Wassie'e finished.

Kamal gazed down at the floor. "I still don't know yet.." he replied.

"Do you think she's Zara?" Wassie'e asked.

"And, what makes you say that?!" Kamal fidgeted for a second.

"I have never seen you this concerned about any other person before." Svyen teased him even further.

"Get off my case already." Vincent crack a slight smile he couldn't resist.

"Your face flares every time you think about her. Almost the same as when we were with that kid back in the Mines.." Svyen added. "Looks like this world had done things to us, Kamal.."

Vincent turned to face his friend. "Oh, isn't that true to you too, Captain Helsem..?" he told him. "Why do you care about that Feona?"

Wassie'e smiled whistfully there for a moment, and gazed at his empty palm. "It's just.." he said. "You could say-—it's an unfinshed errand.."

"You guys!"

The two turned to see Jaden waving for them as he ran further. Once Vincent traced the boy's course, he saw a crowd of people dragging Eugene away.

"They caught Majd!" Wassie'e stressed there for a second.

"Come on, we better not lose them!" Vincent charged after them with Svyen in tow.

~Running Footsteps!

"Hey! Let go of me!" Majd struggle against the firm grip of the two people who were dragging him along with them. "I said let me go!"

"No way we'll do!" said one them.

"Sir Strue shall see what you done!" finished the other.

Few steps back, Jaden was striding his way trying to catch up to Eugene's captors. The street that he ran through was very narrow and crowded. There were even instances when the heterochromatic boy lost track of directions. But Jaden kept following Majd's yelling as the latter kept shouting for this purpose.

Good job, Majd!, he thought. If we keep at this pace, those folks will lead us to the Marquess with ease.

"You ain't getting away with this!" Jaden yelled as he tried catching up to the captors.

Meanwhile, in the Marquess's palace, Julia and Petra sat next to each other on a prestigious sofa on a roofless room. It seemed to them like they were in a wide large balcony. On the other end of the room, Alphonse Eisenhaur was sitting on a desk; signing papers. The two girls didn't know what to say. The entire situation was very strange to them. After exchanging few glances with one another, Julia decided to speak up first. "Uhmm, we're sorry we couldn't thank you for earlier—even though, we haven't met before.."

"It was my pleasure to help you." Alphonse replied while still writing on the papers. "And I wanted to return the favor to your friends. They were of a great help to me."

"Wait a sec!" Petra jumped to her feet. "You met our friends! Are they here?"

"Are they all right..?" Julia asked.

"Don't worry. You will reunite shortly." he told as put down the pen. "Once we see our way back to Flowershade."

"But, we can't go back there!" Petra snapped.

"That Council will hurt us." Julia said.

"That Council is my brother—" Alphones replied, but both girls gasped and interrupted him midway.

The young boy sighed, "You don't need to fear him. I'll do the necessary talking."

"I—I just don't get it.." Petra said. "Aren't you from Afallan?"

"So?" he nodded.

"Why are you helping us?" she further drilled him. "Didn't your people separated us in the first place?"

Alphones lowered his gaze to the table before answering Petra. "I give you my sincere apology. I was not there when that happened. But together, we will set everything around. I promise you."

"I—well.." Petra scratched her head in confusion. "Ain't like it's that easy to trust you.."

"But, can we..?" Safi added.

"You have to believe me." Alphones walked up to them. "Because I give you my word."

Alphones bent his knees and held both girls's hand in his. "We at House Eisenhaur swore to put others' need before our own." he told them. "Whatever it takes, I promise you. You see your people again."

As Alphones kept Safi and Noor in his hospitality, their companions were chasing the means to get to them. On the streets of Janacre, Eugene got caught and dragged out of the main streets, and into a dark alley. His captors were three men with lean bodies and very little clothes covering their ripped bodies. Once the reached some doorstep, they pushed the light-brown haired boy inside.

~Push!

"Ouch!" Eugene stumbled upon a short dark corridor. Once he walked few steps forward, his eyes caught a table in a middle of a semi-dim room. "What is this place..?"

As he grasped his surrounding, Majd saw that the room was full of not so friendly looking people. Amongst all of them there was one particular guy, sitting in the table with his arms crossed. When Eugene tried making eye contact with him, the man glared back at him.

"This is the one, Cuvary." said one of the guys who captured Eugene. "He's the one who'd been yelling he's Svyen Helsem."

"What a cheap old-tale." said Cuvary. "But still, out of all the names he could've used. Why Captain Helsem? And why now?"

"Eh.." Eugene didn't know how to answer that.

This man got me cornered, he thought to himself. Even if I chose to blow my cover, these guys don't seem to let me go without a fight..

"Looks like he's some money snatcher who gathers people and grab their attention; so he can loot them." suggested one of the men next to Cuvary.

"Or maybe he's smart enough to grab the attention of specific people..!"

The group of people in the room turned toward whoever said those words. When they turned toward the door, the found a brown-haried guy with a sharp face. He entered the room with two others. "Gotta admit, using a rusty tavern to hide the suspicion is quite dull." he shrugged.

"You guys!" Majd smiled.

"How dare you—?!" one muscular man rose his fist against them.

"Cut the act." Svyen stepped forward. "We know that you and Dior are working with Resistance."

Cuvary's brows rose up on surprise. A sudden quick laugh escaped his mouth for a moment. "What do you know..?!" he said. "So, Captain Helsem does yet live!"

After that shocking revelation, Cuvary decided to sit in one table with the not-so-dead Svyen Helsem and his companions. Cuvary couldn't remove the dumbfounded surprised look off of his face with much ease. The man that was pronounced dead two years ago was talking to him. It wasn't something he dreamt. It was happening right in front of him.

As they talked, Cuvary told Svyen that he used to be a soldier in the squadron under Captain Helsem's command. He even fought with him in Paling battle back in Almerry Fortress along with Prince Alvin. After some time of catching up, Jaden and Vincent decided to get down to business. They expressed their need to meet with Marquess Dior, and Cuvary complied to assisst them.

"In that case, I'll arrange you a meeting with the Marquess." Cuvary told them.

"Thank you, Cuvary." Svyen stood up. "I know this might be ignorant of me, but I truely don't remember you in particular. I have command hunderds of soldiers throughout my service. But for you to become this man that you are now, makes me the utmost proud."

Cuvary smiled wistfully in return, "Do not say that, Captain. This is the least I can do. Besides, seeing you again from upclose—after all that happened! This is truely a miracle."

Then, Svyen shock hands with his former disciple.

~Grab!

"We'll definitely meet again, Captain." he said. "There's still so much to learn from you."

"We'll fight side to side again, Cuvary." Wassie'e replied. "We have a homeland to retrieve."

At the end of that day, Cuvary's connections borne fruit. The Marquess's palace issued a permit for the four guys to meet with Dior in his office. And by sundown, Jaden and his comrades had gone there to talk to him, and reunite with the others.

Once they reached the castle gates, a guard came to them, and offered to take them to the Marquess himself.

"Follow me." he gestured to them. "His Excellency's office is on the other side of the palace."

"We'll do, thank you very much." Eugene answered on his friends' behalf.

~Footsteps!

"Whoa..!" Jaden exclaimed quietly.

This place is really fancy!, he told himself.

"This is what you get when you obey the Empire.." Vincent whispered to him. "If you play good-dog, that is.."

When they reached a large door. The guard halted, and stood in place. "His Excellency, Marquess Dior." he declared as the door magically opened simultaneously.

Jaden and the other three walked in afterwards. Once the door closed behind them. Someone sitting on the desk twisted the seat back to gaze at the guests.

"Marquess.." Svyen stepped forward.

"Well, well. If it isn't Svyen Helsem." Dior began. "If I do recall, I pronounced your execution two years ago."

"I'm aware. And that's why I draw breath." Svyen replied.

"Then, you understand what your presence here might cause." Dior said.

"I don't wish to be spotted by the public, yet." Svyen told him. "But I need you to get to someone. A woman, Feona."

Hearing the name made Dior rub his eyes. "What is this interest in this woman, anyway?" he said. "If it's not the Empire, you had also erupted from the dead to get her."

"I need to see her." Svyen replied.

"What about Lamou—Alphones? Isn't he staying here? There're two girls who were with him—" Jaden said.

"Lord Alphoens's airship took off few minutes ago." Dior cut him off.

"What..?!" Eugene's jaw dropped in disappointment. But Jaden tried reaching the room's exit.

~Grab!

"Wait.." Vincent grabbed him by the shoulder. "I don't think we can anymore.."

Jaden gazed at the door as two armored Imperial guards in silver armor were blocking the only way out. "Don't tell me that we..!"

Vincent then switched his gaze to address the Marquess. "Humph, so that's how you want to play it."

"The wheel of change is merciless. What you're fighting for had ceased to exist." Dior told them with his fingers interlacing before his face. "The Axiom had chosen the Empire to lead this planetoid into enlightenment. There's nothing here that you can do."

"Why you.." Eugene gritted his teeth in anger.

"I see.." Svyen uttered. "Yet, I'll still take my chances."

"Firm as ever, Helsem." the Marquess stood. "SUMMON THE GUARDS!"

~Bam!

"Huh!" Jaden and Eugene jolted as the guards barged inside.

"No, wait!" Vincent turned to his friend, but Wassie'e mind seemed to be made up.

"I'm sorry.." he said over his shoulders as the armored guards handcuffed him and the others.

"They're to be surrendered to Judge Mival." Dior told the guards.