Shizukesa no kokoro: hearts of serenity

Chapter 33: capital city, Athenus.

Yuki looked around the grassland and stared in awe, "this place is unimaginable." Rusty fell back and laid down on the grass, "this is something you see in your dreams man!" Kotoha picked a small flower and put it in her hair, "it's so beautiful." Albair walked ahead, "I understand how you feel about this place, its a very adoring sight I can say that. But remember why we're here." Yuki got up and followed Albair, "right, we need to head to the primal sector." Everyone followed Albair to the colossal metropolis that was the primal sector. However Lance walked behind and heard a roar coming from a nearby river, "what was that?" Coco looked back at Lance, "what's wrong?" Lance quickly unsheathed Kazegami and headed to the river, "something's not right. I'm going to check it out." Everyone witnessed Lance going towards the river and followed him, leaving Albair behind. "That was abrupt to say the least" Albair said. Lance rushed towards the river to see a bloodthirsty wolf cornering someone. Kazegami started to radiate a bright purple color and Rusty lunged forward, "stay back you beast! Holy Katana art: spiral slash!" Lance slashed the wolf and blew it away with a tornado, Lance sheathed Kazegami and walked towards the person that was attacked by the wolf, "are you okay?" The person stood up and revealed to be a girl with brown hair and a silver dress, "yes. I'm okay." Lance looked at her for a second and started to think, "she's gorgeous...but why was she here." "There you are Lance." Hideki said as he approached him, "is there something wrong here?" Lance faced Hideki, "nothing's wrong, this girl was attacked and I stepped in to help her." The girl stood up and bowed for a moment, "my apologies for putting you through that. I just needed to go out and I didn't notice that animal." Lance looked towards the girl, "its alright, i'm always willing to help someone in need." The girl smiled, "thank you, my name is Anthea. I live in the primal sector. If it's alright with you, can you escort me back." Hideki nodded, "we'd be honored to." Hideki, Lance and Anthea walked back and rejoined Yuki. Yuki looked at Anthea for a moment, "you okay from that attack?" Anthea nodded, "yes, thank you for helping me." Albair looked at Anthea from afar, "so that's her...seems interesting." Everyone travelled forward to see a massive levitating city underneath a colossal lake, and a mechanical platform appeared in front of them. "What's that supposed to be?" Rusty asked. "Thats the transporter to the capital city, we should head in now" Albair stated. However before they could enter the transporter, five knights holding the same gryphon emblem approached them, one of the knights walked towards Anthea, "lady Anthea, thank Cecilia you're back. Your father was getting worried about your disappearance." "Forgive me of my absence, I..." Anthea tried to speak but was cut off by one of the knights, "say no more, his highness would like to speak to you." Anthea nodded and followed one of the knights in the transporter to the city. Coco happily walked towards the transporter, "teehee, all's well that ends well. Now lets head to the capital city." Before coco could enter the transporter two of the knights blocked her way with two electric shields. "I'm afraid we came here for another reason" one of the knights said. Coco looked at the knights, "another reason?" A knight looked at all six of them, "we know that the six of you are the inheritors, and we were aware of your appearance. I'm afraid you'll be coming with us." Hideki looked towards the knights, "coming with us? Are we under arrest?!" "Yes and no. We need to put all of you in confinement for questioning." Albair looked at the medallion, "huh. Fifteen minutes in this sector and already you are convicted with something." Yuki glared at Albair, "you narcissistic..." She was interrupted when the knights escorted her and her friends in the transporter, leaving Albair behind. Yuki struggled for a moment, "but we didn't do anything! What is this supposed to mean?!" One of the knights looked at Albair, "as for you. His highness would like to speak with you as well." Albair placed his medallion back in his pocket, "much obliged." The knights transported to the sector along with the six inheritors and Albair. A few moments later Albair entered capital city and looked towards a palace, "i guess that's where i need to go." Albair walked inside the palace and looked towards an elderly man with a crystal stave and regal clothing. "Albair, I assume you know why I called you here on such short notice?" Albair took a bow, "yes, you wanted me to read your future after a phantasmagoric experience, your highness?" The elderly man walked forward, "exactly, I had a vision about another battle. One even bigger than the battle a year ago." Albair took out a crystal ball and lightly placed near his forehead, the crystal ball started to glow and Albair closed his eyes. After a few minutes Albair removed the crystal ball from his forehead, "...Its more grim than I thought, Lord Nadiel the visions i've seen were true in way." Nadiel stepped back, "oh my. What we're those visions about?" Albair flipped his medallion, "I've had three quick visions, the first one depicts of a girl with hanagami walking through an ancient tomb, the second depicts of you going through Aero pavillion, the final vision was blurry but it depicted a spear going through someone." Nadiel walked back and pondered for a moment, "Aero pavillion, the sacred temple? What business would I have there?" Nadiel walked towards his throne and sat down, "this is troubling indeed, Albair you are dismissed for now." Albair bowed and walked away. At that moment Anthea walked inside the throne room, "father, are these visions true?" Nadiel stood silent, "Anthea, who were those people who rescued you?" Meanwhile, in a spacious room inside the palace, Yuki and her friends were being confined. Rusty laid back on a steel wall, "I take it back, this place sucks." Coco looked out a window to see the mechanically advanced city below them, "we did we even do? Does it have to do with us being the inheritors?" Kotoha laid face down on the floor, "this is not fun at all." Hideki looked towards them, "lets all calm down, they wouldn't imprison us without a reason. We must find out why they had to imprison us, then we can negotiate with them." Rusty looked up, "how do you know if this could work?!" Hideki sat down, "We can only hope." Lance sat back and started to think, "Anthea, is she a important figure in this sector?" All of a sudden Anthea walked in accompanied by two knights. Lance walked over to her, "Anthea what happened?" Lance was blocked by one of the knights, "speak when you are spoken to!" Anthea stopped them, "it's alright, they mean no harm." The knights obliged as they stepped back. Anthea walked forward, "I shall admit something to you, I am lady Anthea. Heiress to the royal family's throne." Kotoha jumped up, "royal family? That means your a princess?!" Anthea nodded, "in a way, yes." Yuki walked forward, "may I ask, why do you have us imprisoned? Did we do anything?" "Unfortunately I don't know, my father may know why. I was sent here to get you. My father would like to speak to you" Anthea said. Yuki nodded and walked to the throne room, "much obliged lady Anthea." "You may call me Anthea, you have my permission." Yuki walked to the throne room along with her brother and her friends. Anthea pondered for a moment as she rejoined her knights, "that boy, Lance. He has a valiant aura in him." A few moments later they met up with Nadiel. Yuki took a bow along with her friends, "your highness." Naidel put his arm out, and yuki slowly looked up at him. Nadiel looked at the six inheritors throughly, "you there, are you not the one who wields Amaterasu, the original sacred weapon?" Yuki nodded and showed Nadiel, Amaterasu. Nadiel stood silent and returned to his throne, "forgive me for calling you on a short notice and for falsely imprisoning you. We just needed to make sure that you were truly the inheritors." Hideki looked up, "we understand." Nadiel smiled, "good. My name as you know, is Nadiel. I am the king of Serenia and the agent to Cecilia." Yuki thought to herself, "king of serenia..." Nadiel stood up and held his crystal stave, "I must thank you for rescuing my daughter. I was ever so worried about her safety. But the real reason I called you here, is that I have a request for you." Yuki looked at Nadiel, "what is this request your highness?" Nadiel paced back and forth, "lately I've been getting visions about what seems to be signaling an attack on this very sector. These visions in involved a girl going to out sacred tomb, an event that takes place in the Aero pavillion in the heart of this land, and finally it hasn't been told who...but a spear has struck someone." Yuki stood frightened, "struck someone?...does that mean?..." Nadiel somberly nodded, "yes. One of you may die." Everyone looked frightened at nadiel's response. "One of us might die?" Coco said. Coco looked towards Rusty and Yuki, "no...It couldn't be." Yuki looked down then faced Nadiel, "I see. What's is our main objective?" Nadiel looked towards them, "we just need you to stay in the sector for a bit, until we can prove if this sector will be attacked or not. You will be provided with a place to stay in the palace." Yuki looked towards Coco, Lance, Rusty, Hideki, and Kotoha, then she nodded, "we accept your request." Coco looked up, "leave it to us!" Rusty and Lance looked at each other and nodded. Hideki looked up, "I shall not fail you." Kotoha smiled, "i'll do my best!" Nadiel smiled, "perfect. You may go, best of luck warriors of Cecilia." Everyone left except for Lance. "Lance isn't it, you killed the beast that attacked my daughter?" Nadiel asked. Lance looked towards Nadiel, "I don't deserve any credit. Me and my friends defeated the beast at an equal effort." Nadiel scoffed, "noble yet modest, I say you might make a fine suitor for my daughter." Lance stood surprised and started to blush, "s-suitor?!" Nadiel laughed for a moment, "don't fret, you will get the chance someday. For now, your friends are waiting for you. Rejoin them." Lance nodded, "ok, thanks your highness." Lance rejoined his brother and his friends. However after that conversation, Nadiel started to ponder, "I have a horrible feeling about this." Nadiel continues to his throne and ponders. Meanwhile Albair looks at Yuki from the roof of the palace while levitating his crystal, "yuki, I can tell that these next few days will involve your true motives in your journey."