I Am The Truth II

Chapter I: Who Is She?

Behold the City of Ataraxia, the historical land of the partisans. Three centuries earlier, it had once been the financial capital of the greater Ardoni confederacy, the last of the non-human empires of North Ardonia.

Ria smirked to herself. The Sendaris had based all of her operations here in memory of Senn, for this was his homeland. As isolated as it had been for three centuries, the city was as strong as ever. There was a reason it had been the symbol of hope for several nonhuman races, for it was the only city that never once fell to foreign domination, not even to Diamond Heights.

Having been isolated from the Ardoni mainland, almost 90 percent of the Ardoni population here bore markings of white, coming in their own variations. Some were cream-colored, while others were more silvery. Others were a bold white that glowed brightly in the night. It seemed that the clanless Ardoni of Ataraxia were their very own clan.

She stood before two gravestones at the top of a peak overlooking the city. The wind blew gently, making her hair flutter. One of the gravestones had been inscribed with an honorable epitaph while the other one sported nothing but brilliant white markings. She approached the latter, kneeling before it. Her forehead rested against the stone.

"We're almost there," Ria whispered. "I just need a little more time, okay?"

She placed a hand on the grave marker, feeling its smooth surface.

"If you were here, maybe I would get to show you," The Sendaris said softly. "The only other I have left is Val, and I don't want to lose her too."

She gulped in air. It was the only place where her soul was anything apart from a block of ice.

It was time to head back now. Giving the small graveyard a final glance, she returned down the path and entered the streets of Ataraxia. Various people nodded respectfully in her direction as she passed, fully aware of who she was.

She finally arrived at the entrance of her own home, only a block down from Galleous' forge. However, she didn't stop there, continuing further down the street till she was at the entrance of the former blacksmith's workshop.

The moment she entered, she was met with complete chaos. There was noise everywhere as various people bustled about. The Knights of Ardonia had essentially called upon the native Ataraxians to increase their ranks. People of all professions had volunteered their efforts, all unified by the prospect of seeing Ataraxia one day be able to live peacefully with the rest of the human world outside. More influential however, was the irredentist view that the Ardoni would one day reclaim the land of Conchord, thus reuniting Ataraxia with the Ardoni mainland.

Upon her entry, all became somewhat subdued. The noise was still there, but there were many eyes on her now. Having been in a position of leadership before, many looked up to her, impressed by her achievements for one her age. In truth however, she hardly believed herself to be worthy. Her rise to army captain had happened out of the panic of her superiors scavenging for any means of defeating the Nether.

But it had happened nevertheless, and as it turned out, she was quite the hero among many. Nobody, spare a select few, knew her real story.

"I don't mind the noise," Ria said aloud, noticing the silence that was starting to fill the room.

With that, the chaos returned. Messengers were going here and there while there were various groups of people discussing with each other. Ingressus had relocated the main headquarters of the Ardoni Underworld right here as well, making everything all the more busy.

She continued through a doorway and up a flight of stairs. This was the residential ward of the building for those who didn't yet have a home of their own. She continued down a hallway, briefly stepping to one side as a cat brushed past before finally entering a room at the very end. It strangely reminded her of the Biggerton hospital, but she pushed the thought out of her mind as she knocked once before opening the door.