CHAPTER 17

X opened his eyes. He did not know how long he had passed out, whether it had been a day a week, or a year. All he remembered was a vast ocean of darkness, and pain coursing through his body. It was not a vision, but it felt like one. It felt like it had happened in his past, just like the other visions of the giant cavern or the land of pink. But it didn't, It had a sort of a different feeling. Like it was actually just a dream. A horrifying nightmare.

He was inside his house, the only place that was his home. The visions may or may not be his past, or his future, but so far, they did not feel real. He rose from the floor, and for a moment, anger rose within him. The cot inside his house was free. No one was lying down on it, so why did he have to be kept on the floor? Then he laughed out. Compared to the excruciating pain that he felt in the dark vision, the pain of lying on the floor was a joke. So he laughed, and it felt good, laughing. 

He walked out of the door and saw Aqua and his Grandfather speaking. It was a slow conversation, with a lot of pauses. X couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was understood that Aqua was feeling depressed.

 'You know, I see those four hanging out together, and it just hurts. I do not have a bond with any of them, which is strong enough. And now Brik is...'

Frederick placed his finger on his mouth and turned his head towards X. After a moment of awkward silence, he beckoned X to come closer. Taking tentative steps forward, X walked up to the felled log on which they were sitting. He stood there, not knowing what to do. 

'This girl over here is sad that she does not have friends.'

Aqua tensed up, embarrassed. She glared at Frederick, and it was obvious that she had meant for it to be a secret. However, X wasn't surprised. Aqua had always felt like an outsider, even among the five of them. It was just as she said, Brik and X were close after the Academy Entrance Exam, although they did have Uncle Ken's death between them. Rose and Goofy were already best friends, which was odd considering their contrasting personalities. Everyone in the Royal Academy, including Headmaster Dusan Sinclair Rubeus, the students of their senior and junior batch, and even their other teachers were considering the idea that they were in a relationship, although Rose absolutely denied it. But Aqua, she was different. She was not that close to anyone and did not have an extreme friendship with a single person. 

X was not good at conversations. In fact, he was terrible at conversations and was even afraid of it. But he felt that he had to talk to Aqua, although he did not know what to say. Luckily, she spoke first

'What are you doing standing over there? Grab a seat.'

X sat at the edge of the log without questioning her. His Grandfather walked away, allowing the two of them to speak alone. It was important if they were to become real friends. Aqua spoke first since she knew how difficult it was for him to be doing this.

'You know, I heard that we are going to get a real mission after this, one that will take months to clear.'

'Well... we must go back to the... Capital first. Besides, why do you... want to get a... mission.'

'Well, my Father told me that the first mission that a person gets is one of the most important times for everyone.'

'Your dad... is a knight.'

X was surprised. Brik's parents were knights, and Aqua's were too. Maybe his own dad would also be a knight.

'No.'

X laughed, thinking about how stupid he had been.

'I am not sure if you know, but...'

Aqua hesitated for a moment, thinking for a moment whether it was right to say this to him. X gave her the moment, although he did not know what was happening. He hesitates a lot while speaking, after all.

'I am not human. I am an Atlantean. Most of my species will die if they come out of the water, which might be why you have...'

'You're an Atlantean noble, then. Only nobles can breathe out of water.'

'No. I am related to them. I have noble blood, but it was separated by many generations. So... I really wanted to see what it is like outside the ocean. My dad had once done the same, coming out of the waters and seeing the world. He even received a knight mission, despite not being a knight. That is what he told me.'

'So your entire family is... water?'

X could not find the right word and blurted out something random. Aqua laughed out loud and slapped him slowly on his arm. X felt happy, the same way he felt when he befriended Brik.

'No, my whole family is Atlantean. You should really see them, you know. My whole family is made up of lunatics. My Father is addicted to ice, and turning water into ice for combat, although he rarely fights, and our house is the tropical waters.'

X did not really know what tropical meant, but he did not interrupt. He was scared of ruining one of the only conversations he had which was not frightening.

'My Mother really likes showing that she is a cold person, although she is actually very fond of everyone. My elder brother really likes the position of the King of the Waters, and every time someone asked him what he wanted to become in the future, he used to reply with" The King Of Atlantis". My little sister is really cute, the most adorable person you would ever meet. She is so small and cuddly and I am pretty sure she is the person I love the most in the whole world. '

Aqua's eyes glittered when she spoke of her sister, just as a child's would when they spoke about their most prized object. It was obvious that she liked her. After a while of silence, X realized that he was expected to speak. Taking in a deep breath, he spoke

'I do not know who my dad is, or who my mom is, or if I have siblings, but I do have my Grandfather. He is...'

'Yeah, I know. I really just want someone who hears what I say. You were unconscious for the past three days you know. Oh, I forgot to ask. How are you?'

X cracked a smile. He heard a noise coming from the woods and turned.

'Oh, that's just Brik. He is angry at me, you know. I tried speaking to him, but he felt odd. He was sad, and angry like usual. It's like he was a different person completely. One moment he is laughing away with you, the next he is screaming his head off at everyone else.'

'I think it's because of... Uncle Ken.'

X could not speak another word. His voice quivered, and he shivered. He had been hiding away the grief from everyone else, kept it hidden within himself. Every day, he would mentally apologize, wishing that he was as strong as he was now. He knew that nothing would happen due to apologizing to the dead, but he still had to do it. And he was sure that Brik would be doing the same too, and much more. Tears started pouring out from his eyes.

'I did not know him that much, only for a few months. But he was a perfect person really, kind and affectionate, strict while training but kind after that. He died, protecting us. He gave up his life to protect us, to help the world. He was stuck as a Stage 2 knight, but he knew with our talents the two of us would soar to greater heights. He fulfilled his vow. And I intend to fulfill mine, until the end.'

Grief and anger had stopped X from stuttering. His voice did not break. He spoke out those words in a flow, spilling them out at an extremely fast pace. He had to say these words, words which he had held back for years. And he needed someone to listen to them, just like how Aqua needed someone to listen to her. She felt loneliness, but he felt despair. And by saying these words out, to an actual living person, he instantly felt better. He did not know if she had been listening or not, but he still wanted to speak. But now that he was done, his throat was parched. Aqua replied after a small moment of silence

'Well, I am really excited about the mission. Where would we be going? To the frozen lands in the north, or the untouchable forests. The Giant continent, or maybe even Atlantis.'

Aqua changed the topic quickly, trying to cheer X up. She herself did not really want him to cry, but he needed someone to talk to. She had to stay with him. And through his exchange, she understood why Brik had yelled at her, or why they always excluded her. X and Brik, they had something massive between them. The death of a father figure. She could not compare, but now she felt like she was a part of them. She had changed the topic, but it turned out to be a mistake. A familiar voice responded, as they turned to see an old man with long white hair floating in the sky towards them.

Dusan Sinclair Rubeus had teleported to see an unexpected sight. X and Aqua were sitting on a felled log, and X was sobbing silently. Then, Aqua asked about where their first mission would take them, naming some deadly places. He spoke back, answering her question, startling the poor kids.

'It is none of them. You shall be going on a scouting mission to the Southern continent of Ricaf. Call Brik as well. Rose and Goofy have already declined the mission, which seemed odd from Rose's point of view. You have to check for the presence of demons in the Rahasan desert and report back. Do not engage unless you are sure that you can win. If the demons are Stage 2 or above, run away. Now pack up, we will be leaving for the floating city immediately. Have you ever ridden a ship before?'

'What is a ship?'

The village bumkin who had barely even fully seen the only big city he had visited questioned the Tower Master. Dusan Sinclair Rubeus sighed and signaled for them to call Brik. They would now be heading for their first mission.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sand dunes shifted, and the sound of muffled footsteps filled the air. The desert was blistering hot. From behind a massive dune, three entities walked forward, shrouded by their shadows. The one in the middle glowed slightly, while the other two shifted with the hot desert wind, their bodies seemingly falling apart and reforming again. The glowing one in the center spoke in a gravelly voice

'Soldiers, this is a direct mission from the Fifth Shield of the King, the new King of demons. We may be only Stage 2 demons, but in the desert, we are undefeatable. So gather your morale, and let's prepare to raze all life in this area for the greater good.'

The other demons saluted. The cracked grey skin of the exposed arms of the middle demon shone brightly as the cracks were filled with white-hot flames. The desert was not a place for playing. And it was risky to come here, unprepared.