Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

N.D. 2000 In Heliodor shall be born one who inherits the power of Yggdrasil. He will be a boy of royal blood and bear the mark on his left hand. He shall be called the Luminary. And he will lead Heliodor to new prosperity.

Light streamed in from the windows, waking and subsequently blinding Eleos. He groaned and lifted his arm over his eyes to block out the sunlight. “Another bright and sunny day, huh?” he said to himself, almost wishing he could go back to sleep. He knew if he tried, though, one of the maids would come to wake him within the hour anyway. He sighed and resigned himself to getting ready for the day. 

Closing the door, Eleos headed down the hallway that led to the courtyard. It wasn’t a training day, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t practice on his own. Besides, he’d read all of the books in the manor library. They still wouldn’t let him leave to explore town, no matter how much he begged. At least Commander Jasper would be pleased that Ele was taking initiative with his sword training.

As he turned down to yet another hallway in the manor, he encountered one of the maids. “Oh, Master Eleos! I was just coming to wake you.” 

Called it. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Thank you, but I can wake up on my own now.”

She bowed slightly. “Of course, Master Eleos.” 

He’d asked them to stop before, but they would just bow and come back the next morning. Ele hated being coddled, but that seemed to be all anyone wanted to do. He wished people would take him seriously and believe him when he told them he was fine. He reached for the door to the courtyard, but stopped. A ringing he hadn’t realized was in his ears grew suddenly louder and a sharp pain pounded throughout his head, leaving him gasping for air. He braced himself against the door for a moment while the pain passed and sighed in relief as it slowly faded away. 

Ok, stabbing headaches aside, he was fine. They were the only side effects that remained after he was kidnapped seven years ago... Eleos shook his head. That was in the past, and it was where it belonged. He didn’t even have memories of that day, nor anything before. The doctors had said it was him blocking out trauma, and to be honest he was glad for it. If it was as bad as it sounded it was probably best that he forgot. 

Of course he wished he could remember other things. Apparently he had proposed to his childhood friend Gemma, who also happened to be the Princess of Heliodor. Now, though, he didn’t know how he felt about her. He loved her, but not in the way he knew she wanted... 

Again he shook his head. He was determined to get in some practice today. He took a moment to pull himself together with some deep breaths and pushed his way out the door and into the sun. 

Luckily it was easy to pull himself out of his thoughts when he noticed a shock of blue hair from behind the bushes nearby. Eleos excitedly walked around them to find his best friend Erik balancing two large bags of mulch on his shoulders. 

“Ele!” Erik smiled wide and unceremoniously dropped the bags of mulch next to the gardener, who was grumbling under his breath. There must not have been anyone else available if he was asking Erik to help him. Those two didn’t exactly get along, not after Erik had fallen out of a window and into his bed of precious peonies. Erik was always sneaking around somewhere, trying to dodge work.

“Hey, Erik,” Ele greeted warmly. “They’ve got you gardening, now? I never thought I’d see the day.” He laughed as Erik made a face. 

“Hell no, I hate plants.” The gardener shot an incredulous glare up at him. 

“You hate plants?” Ele asked, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Yes. All plants.” Erik had a knack for exaggerating and being incredibly stubborn. Eleos was quick to meet his challenge, however.

“Even Yggdrasil?” 

That stopped Erik short. The gardener stood up. “Hey, if there’s about to be blasphemy here, I don’t want to hear it.” He turned to Ele and bowed. “Master Eleos, if you’ll excuse me.”

Ele nodded his head to him and the man promptly left the boys alone. A moment of silence passed before the two of them burst out laughing. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything bad about Yggdrasil!” Erik said with a pout as they caught their breath. “You set me up!” 

Ele just laughed again. “You make it so easy. Oh, Erik, what would I do without you?”

Erik clapped him on the shoulder. “Be bored out of your mind, probably.” Ele glanced down at his feet. It was true. Without Erik he probably would have gone stir crazy. He was trapped in his own home and had been for years. Why wouldn’t anyone trust him?

Erik noticed his change in demeanor. “Hey, you up for some sparring?” 

He knew him too well. Eleos brightened immediately. “Really? I thought you said it wasn’t worth your time until I got better.”

“I’ve seen your last few sessions with ol’ Jasper. You’re really improving.” Erik flashed him a genuine smile and Ele’s heart skipped a beat. Erik was a very handsome man. He knew it, too. He was always posturing and acting cool around the maids, who would giggle and flirt in turn. Ele wondered why the guy was still single. Surely one of them had caught his eye? Not that he minded. Having Erik all to himself was more than fine with him, even if it was Erik’s job to be by his side. Erik was his unofficial manservant, after all.

"Master Eleos!"

Eleos pulled himself away from staring at Erik, which he only just realized he was doing. One of the servants of the manor approached them.

“His Grace requests your presence in the drawing room,” he announced dutifully.

That was odd. Usually Rab came and found Eleos himself if he needed something. “Why am I being summoned?”

“Lord Robert and Commander Jasper are currently in conference. I was not told the reason for your summoning.” The servant shifted his feet awkwardly. They weren’t used to being asked questions, which Ele was always full of.

“Commander Jasper is here? Today isn’t a lesson day…” Eleos looked to Erik who just shrugged. Eleos gave him a small wave and followed the servant into the drawing room. His grandfather and Commander Jasper were seated toward one side of the long conference table, talking animatedly. 

“Ach, there ye are, lad.” Rab smiled up at Ele as he sat down next to him.

Ele turned to Jasper. “Commander, will we get to train today?”

“Training can wait. We must speak of something first,” Jasper replied curtly. He was never overly kind, and to be honest, it was a bit of a relief. Everyone else walked on eggshells around Eleos, as if he were to be kidnapped again at any moment. The odds of that were small at best.

“Commander Jasper will be leaving for Arboria tomorrow.”

“Oh?” He tried to hide his disappointment, but Jasper’s smirk told him he’d failed.

“As leader of the Arborian Knights, it is my responsibility to safeguard the Fon Master as well as lead the other members of the Knights.”

“The Fon Master?” Ele asked. He had heard the name before in his lessons. She was the leader of the Order of Yggdrasil. “She mentored the truce between Heliodor and Sniffleheim ten years ago, right?”

“Aye,” Rab flashed him a warm smile. Oh how far his grandson had come. “However, rumor is that her predecessor, Fon Master Serena, has gone missing.”

“It is my duty to assist in locating her,” Jasper said. “Don’t think you can let up on your training while I’m away. While it would be easier to have you attend sword mastery classes at the Heliodor Academy of Knights…” he shot Rab a withered look. “I will have to inconvenience one of the tutors and have them come to the mansion in my stead.”

“Ach, don’t give me that, Jasper. You know full well it’s not in my power to allow Eleos to leave the mansion.”

“Ah yes,” Jasper drawled, “King Carnelian just wants Eleos to be safe. Confined to his quarters and never to see the light of day.”

Eleos opened his mouth to disagree because of course he left his quarters, but Rab beat him to it. He beat his fist on the table, surprising everyone. “You are out of line, Commander.”

Jasper opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, and closed his jaw with a quiet snap. “Carnelian has been nothing but good to us all these years. He did no’ have to take us under his wing when Dundrasil fell, nor did he have to bring the Dundrasil family into his court. His methods may be hard to understand, but he is a great man and deserves your respect.”

Jasper placed a hand to his heart. “Apologies, Lord Robert, it will not happen again.”

“Too right it won’t. You are dismissed.”

Jasper turned to leave and placed a hand on Eleos’ shoulder. “Come to the courtyard when you are ready. One last training session will not make me late.”

Eleos nodded emphatically, and content with that Jasper left the room. Rab sighed. “I’m sorry for that, laddie. His attitude is terrible but he is nae wrong. Carnelian should let you out of the grounds at least. We have good security, nothing should happen. Besides,” he smiled at Ele. “you are stronger now, and keener than most. Ye’d be alright.”

Ele returned the smile. His grandfather was always on his side, and he appreciated it. Part of him wished he’d push harder for Eleos’ freedom, but he knew there was nothing Rab could do to change the King’s mind. Besides, King Carnelian did say that Eleos would be free to leave the manor when he came of age. All he could do for now was pass the time with lessons and sword training. Eleos followed Jasper outside. 

Commander Jasper was speaking with Erik in the courtyard. Eleos could tell by Erik’s face that there were a million things he’d rather be doing than listening to Jasper talk. Eleos wondered why they even gave each other the time of day, considering how much they disliked one another. It was unfortunate; these were two of the most important people in his life. He decided he’d better go rescue his friend.

“Erik, what’s up?” Eleos asked as he approached. Erik turned to him, slightly surprised and if Ele didn’t know better, caught a bit off guard. 

He regained composure quickly enough to scowl and jab a thumb behind him at Jasper. “The Commander here was trying to tell me how to improve my sword posture, and I’ll have him,” he jerked his head toward Jasper. “know that the technique I’m trained under would lay him flat in seconds.”

“I’m sure it would,” Jasper said, condescension dripping with every word.”which is why you’re the one teaching Eleos and I do the menial labor.”

Erik’s fist clenched and he whirled on his feet, most likely to connect that fist to Jasper’s face. Eleos caught him by the arm. “Erik!” He could feel Erik’s tense muscles grow slack in his grip. “I think I’m the one who should be sparring with Commander Jasper, don’t you?”

“You think you could best me, Eleos?” Jasper cocked an eyebrow with his signature sneer.

“N-no, sir! I just meant…”

“I doubt there will be any need for you to actually fight anyone, trapped in this upperclass prison. Come, show me what you’ve got.” Jasper tossed him one of the training swords from a nearby rack. Ele was used to abrupt starts in lessons and caught it with ease. 

“I’ll just be watching over here.” Erik seated himself on a nearby bench, crossing his legs to show Jasper just how relaxed he was and how little Jasper got to him. It was a fallacy, but Ele wasn’t about to tell him that. He had more important things on his mind, like parrying a sudden swing of Jasper’s sword. 

What none of them knew was that in the north end of the manor, the guards had collapsed in a fonic induced sleep.

Jasper and Eleos jumped apart, a sign for Ele to catch his breath. He turned his head to see Erik smiling encouragingly at him when a soft song could be heard on the wind. It was faint, but something about it caught his attention. The tone was eerie yet calming. 

“...where’s that music coming from?” Ele asked. Erik looked bewildered, not having heard it himself, but Jasper stiffened, suddenly alert.

“That voice!” he called out, turning on his heel to see a woman coming toward them from the edge of the courtyard. Ele fell to his knees, suddenly feeling a wave of hazy exhaustion. Erik too seemed to be struggling to stay awake.

“What the-” Erik stood up shakily, bracing himself on the arm of the bench and reaching for his sword. “Where the fuck are the guards?”

The music stopped short, just as the woman broke into a run at them. She had a spear and was pointing it directly at Jasper. “Jasper!!” she cried. “Die, traitor!” She jumped at him, lunging with her spear. Ele was quick to respond and rushed in front of him to block the attack on his teacher. 

“Eleos, don’t-!” was the last thing Eleos heard before a blinding light burst forth from his hand, engulfing both him and the would-be attacker. He felt his body jolt upwards and he blacked out.

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry, Princess Gemma, he's not taking any visitors right now." The doctor stood resolutely in the doorway as little Gemma poked her head around him.

"But look at him! He's terrified!" She tried to push past the doctor to no avail. "He knows me, it'll be fine!" Tears filled her eyes as she shoved at the man.

A large hand gently rested on her shoulder. "Gemma, lass. He doesnae remember a thing. Not even me." Through the doorway Ele could see Rab's eyes shining and dark. He looked heartbroken.

"No! No no no!" Gemma threw herself into Rab's arms, sobbing. "Eleos! Eleos!!!"

"Eleos!"

Ele snapped awake and instantly the old memories started to blur and fade. The crying face of a young Gemma was replaced with the concerned look of Jasper's apparent enemy. The woman was kneeling next to him, the knit in her brow loosening as he awoke. "Oh good. You're ok."

His head hurt. "How- how do you know my name?" he asked, sitting up slowly.

"Someone called out to you as we..." she trailed off and looked up to the sky. He followed her gaze. It was nighttime now, but Ele was surprised to see many more stars than usual.

"What happened? And why were you trying to hurt Commander Jasper?"

The woman put her fist to her chin, contemplating. "It felt like a hyperresonance, but there are so few Seventh Fonists in the world..."

"A what?" He wasn't following at all.

"I wasn't expecting to run into another seventh fonist,” she continued. “When their powers clash it can cause a hyperresonance. I assume that's what happened to us. It must have launched us all the way here."

"...and Jasper?"

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry I got you involved in this. I should have been more careful. I'll help you get back home. It's the least I can do." She held out her hand and Ele took it, realizing that that was all the answer he was going to get as she pulled him to his feet. "My name is Jade."

"I am Eleos von Dundrasil." He bowed slightly once he was upright. "Pleasure to meet you."

Jade raised an eyebrow at that. "Dundrasil? I had heard that Heliodor had taken in the King and crown prince of Dundrasil when it fell, but I never thought I'd meet one of them."

"Ta da," Ele said blandly, splaying out his arms. Jade laughed.

"Alright, let's see if we can figure out where we are. I think I can hear the ocean, so we must have been moved south. I did a perimeter check while you were recovering. It looks like there’s a path beyond those trees.” Jade began to walk where she had gestured, but Eleos didn’t follow her.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“No. No, I’m fine, but... couldn’t we go this way?” He pointed to the cliffs behind them where youthe roaring of the ocean waves could be heard.

“...why?”

Ele shuffled his feet, suddenly embarrassed. “I’ve... never seen the ocean.”

Jade’s eyes grew wide, then softened. “Sure.” She promptly turned her back on the woods and together they climbed the rest of the cliff until Eleos could see over the edge. He stopped short.

The sea spread out before him, beyond the horizon. Dazzling blue glistened against the water, reflecting the morning light as the sun started to rise. He had never seen anything like it. He had read books and been told, but nothing could compare.

“Wow...” He stared.

“You... really don’t get out much, do you?” Jade asked, also admiring the ocean, but with more seasoned eyes.

“Not really...” He thought about telling her he never left the mansion, but he didn’t know how to breach the subject. Plus, he still didn’t know what her agenda was. She was kind to him, but she also tried to kill his sword master...

A gentle hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts. “Are you ready to go?”

He nodded and together they made their way back to the path. Eleos had been told there were monsters out in the wild, but things seemed so quiet here that he wondered if this area was free of them. He was soon proven wrong when Jade put an arm out to stop him. “Something’s coming.” 

Jade pulled her spear out, having had it strapped to her back and stood defensively in front of Eleos. Unfortunately all Eleos had was the wooden sword he’d had back at the manor. He took it in hand anyway, knowing that if nothing else he could use brute force to keep the monsters at bay. 

A large boar burst through the bushes to their left, snorting and snarling as it rushed towards them. Jade turned on a dime, swinging her spear overhead into a better attacking position. Eleos gripped the hilt of his sad excuse of a weapon, but before he could even swing it, Jade had slashed and stabbed with lightning speed, ending the boar as if it were made of paper. Eleos watched in awe as she wiped the blade of her spear on the grass, cleaning the blood off.

“Wow. That was…”

“Don’t relax just yet. There’s more!” 

This time Eleos was at least a bit helpful. He knocked a few of them dizzy enough for Jade to finish them off. He was surprised that he wasn’t scared, but he attributed it to the adrenaline and the fact that he had a master fighter like Jade by his side.  

A few hours later, the woods gave way to open fields. They soon found a road and followed it for a while before a passing carriage slowed to a stop next to them.

“Pardon me, but what are the two of you doing out in dangerous parts like this?” The man leaned over the edge of his driver’s bench, placing the horse’s reins in one hand to steady himself with the other.

“Dangerous?” Jade asked. “How do you mean?” Since leaving the woods they hadn’t seen a single monster.

“Oh, wow, you haven’t heard. There’s a group of bandits roaming these lands. They’ve made right havoc of the place. Call themselves the Dark Wings. Lonely travelers like yourselves are prime for the pickings.”

“We weren’t aware. In that case, do you think you could give us a ride to the capital?”

“The capital? Well I can take you as far as Puerto Valor, but you’ll have to take a ship out to Sniffleheim.”

“Oh.” Jade clenched her teeth and Eleos barely heard her under her breath say “Shit.”

“Sniffleheim??” Ele turned to Jade. “But there’s no snow here!”

“Their lands are more than just the northern hills, Eleos.” Jade rolled her eyes. She seemed to do that a lot whenever he asked what turned out to be a ridiculous question. Ele promptly shut up. 

“There a problem? You guys aren’t from Heliodor are you?” He eyed them warily. 

“No,” Jade lied quickly. “No, we just got turned around. We were trying to cross the border. We have business in Heliodor.”

“Well, it ain’t gonna be cheap. Angri-La is a day’s ride and a bit out of the way for us.”

Jade felt through her pockets and upon finding very little coin looked to Eleos, but he shook his head. He never carried money on him. Everything was always paid for back at the manor. She rolled her eyes again before taking off the cuff where her hair was bound. There was binding underneath, so it must have been purely decorative. 

“How far will this get us?” She asked, handing it to the man. He eyed it carefully.

“Far enough. Hop on.” The man gestured to the door of the caravan, which the guests inside kindly opened for them. The two climbed in, politely greeting the other passengers in the cart. They then fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence as the carriage took off and they watched the sun rise to midday through the windows.

Eleos finally broke the silence, still having so many unanswered questions. "So what were you saying about me being a Seventh Fonist? And something about a... hyper seance?" 

Jade hid a smile behind her hand. "A hyperresonance,” she corrected. “A Seventh Fonist is someone who can harness the power of the seventh fonon, sound. You know about the other fonons, yes?"

Ele nodded. "There’s Darkness, Earth,Wind, Water, Fire, and Light." Jade smiled at him and he thanked Yggdrasill he’d paid attention in his lessons.

"There are very few seventh fonists in the world, and until a few hundred years ago we didn't even know about the Seventh Fonon. Using the arts of the seventh fonon is the only way to read the Will of Yggdrasil, which is why seventh fonists are so highly respected.”

Eleos knew all about the Will of Yggdrasil. On Her Leaves there were tellings of the future.. People from around the world would go to Arboria to get special readings from the Will, and those in the upper class had a seventh fonist visit and read their Will every year on their birthday. Both Heliodor and Sniffleheim fought intensely over the fallen leaves, trying to get the upper hand on their opposing nations. This had caused much strife between the two kingdoms, and there were always concerns about the tension one day leading to war.

He was about to ask if Jade was one of those who did readings, but before he got the chance, a loud boom echoed through the valley, rattling the carriage. The horses strapped out front jumped, whinnying in terror. The driver managed to calm them down enough to pull off the main road. 

“What was that?” one of the other passengers asked. One of the children hid their face in their mother’s lap. Jade was already up and heading out the door to investigate. Not knowing what else to do, Eleos followed. 

They walked around the back of the carriage to see an enormous land ship coming closer and closer off the horizon. A large crater in front of it had definitely not been there before.

“It must have a fonon cannon…” Jade muttered as Ele joined her. 

“What the heck is that?” Eleos asked.The speed with which the ship was hovering over the land would have it overtake them in minutes. 

“It’s a Sniffleheim land ship. One of their newer models. They seem to be chasing something.”

She was right. After squinting a bit, Eleos could see a small but gaudy caravan speeding in front of them. It definitely wouldn’t stand a chance against one of those cannon hits, but it was deft, just barely dodging another explosion of dirt. 

“The Dark Wings!” one of the passengers cried, sticking their head out the window to see better. “They’re heading for Angri-La!”

The caravan driver approached Jade with a look of apology. “I’m sorry, I can’t rightly take you to Angri-La right now. It wouldn’t be safe for my other passengers.”

Jade nodded. “I understand. We’ll go with you to Puerto Valor.”

With that, everyone filed back into the caravan and by dusk they were pulling up to the large gates of Puerto Valor.

Chapter Text

“Bienvenido to Puerto Valor, city of blossoms and sea breeze!” The woman at the desk of the inn greeted them with almost too much excitement. ‘She must have to say that a lot,’ thought Eleos with a twinge of sympathy. Her tone was similar to some of his servants at the manor. It was the sound of someone who has had a long day and really would prefer to just go home rather than talk to anyone. 

Jade had agreed to them staying at an inn even though they didn’t have much money. Eleos was grateful. He had never slept outside of his own bed, and he didn’t much like the thought of the hard ground. 

“We still have enough money for some supplies. We should do some shopping tomorrow before heading out,” Jade said as they climbed the stairs up to their room. The sun was setting and luckily their room had a view of the ocean. Eleos was surprised that Jade suggested just one room, but she explained that though they still had some coin, wasting it on two separate rooms was foolish. He was both concerned and flattered that she wasn’t intimidated by him and knew he wouldn’t do anything... untoward.

Eleos stared longingly out the window. His first city! He wanted to go explore the town more than anything. But Jade had said they would go tomorrow, and he was starting to realize just how tired he was. He’d fallen asleep in the carriage once or twice, but one could hardly call that rest. 

Instead he opted for sitting on his bed by the window, watching the lanterns light one by one as the light from the sun faded into night. The town looked as if the stars had fallen down to join them. There were people dancing, drinking, laughing. Ele had never seen so many people in one place before. And they were so happy. Some musicians were playing music down by the beach and Eleos could just barely hear the tunes through the window. Everything was so peaceful it was easy for Eleos to be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the sea coupled with the ambience of nightlife below.

------

Eleos was surprised to find Puerto Valor quieter during the day than it was at night. The alley with shops they were currently walking seemed to be the most populated place, but everywhere else was calm and relatively empty. It was as if the town itself were nocturnal and slept during the day.

“After we go shopping, can we go down to the beach?” Eleos asked, curiously watching Jade choose which apples to get. He couldn’t tell the difference between them. They were all just apples. But Jade picked each one up, eyeing it carefully before putting it in her bag or placing it back on the counter.

“Perhaps,” was the only reply he received. 

He tried again. “There also is a place with bright lights called a casino? What is that?”

“It’s a place where you bet your money in hopes you’ll get more in return.” She finished paying the man at the food stall and turned on Eleos. “Don’t get too relaxed here. We’re still in enemy territory, you know.”

“Right.” Eleos followed her down the steps of the town towards the beach, only to turn last minute into a weapons shop. “Why would you want to bet money? Can’t they just get money for working?”  

Jade sighed, placing a sword she was holding back onto the rack. “Yes, they can. But you can only get so much from working. It depends on the season, how the economy is… there are a lot of factors. Besides…” She held out another sword, balancing the hilt on her hand before handing it to Ele. “There are luxuries that people cannot afford unless they strike lucky at a casino. It’s better than robbing someone. How does that sword feel?”

Ele held the sword in his hand. Even he could tell that the quality wasn’t all that great, but he knew he couldn’t be picky. It seemed sturdy enough and wasn’t too heavy. “It’s good. Better than a wooden sword, at least.”

Jade nodded, taking the sword back from him so they could pay. It was the last of their savings, but there was nothing they could do. The weapons seller wasn’t letting them haggle. (A new concept for Eleos.) He did at least agree to sharpen Jade’s spear for free.

They left the weapons shop, new sword strapped to Eleos’ hip. He had thanked her, but she waved him off, saying it was a necessity. Still, Eleos was happy. They continued their way through the town, Jade leading them on a longer route back to the inn so Eleos could see more of Puerto Valor. He was distracted from watching the midday sun glisten on the water by a loud group of people behind him.

“Ugh! All this walking. Why couldn’t we have stayed on the Cetacea?”

“Veronica, you know they needed it to catch the Dark Wings.”

At the mention of the Dark Wings, Eleos couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder. The loud one turned out to be much younger looking than he anticipated. She was wearing a bright red dress and carried a staff that looked far too large for someone of her size. A woman walked beside her, calm and graceful, and behind them was a tall and serious-faced gentleman, who clearly was a soldier of some sort.

“Good lot, that did…” the smaller girl, Veronica, grumbled.

“Besides, we have Sir Hendrik here to keep us safe.” The woman in green turned to smile at the somber man behind her. He simply nodded in reply.

Jade stopped short. “Sir Hendrik…?” she murmured. Eleos gave her a questioning look, before glancing once again at the group behind them.

“What’s he got that I can’t take care of with fire? I can keep us safe without his big muscles.” Veronica punctuated her point by snapping her fingers. A flame flickered to life above her hand, and Eleos gaped.

Hendrik had remained silent, despite being talked about while he was standing right there. He had learned to pick his battles with Veronica. However, he had noticed Jade and Eleos watching them. His eyes widened in recognition. “...Jade?”

“Shit,” Jade hissed under her breath before plastering on a fake smile and turning to face the mountain of a man behind them. “Hendrik! How lovely to see you.” 

Hendrik briskly walked up to them, a smile spreading across his face. It seemed… off for someone as stoic-looking as him. Then again, Rab always taught Eleos not to judge on appearance. 

Hendrik surprised all of them by pulling Jade into a quick but tight embrace. Jade flushed and patted him awkwardly on his back before he let her loose. “Jade. It has been quite a while since last we spoke. Ah, but where are my manners?” Hendrik reached out a hand to Eleos. “I am Hendrik, commander of the knights of Heliodor. And these are my companions.” He gestured to the two women with him.

“Pleasure to meet you,” the woman in green greeted, stepping forward. “I am Fon Master Serena, and this is my Guardian, Veronica.”

Eleos shook Hendrik’s hand, snapping back into polite nobility and bowing his head slightly. “I am Eleos von Dundr-ah!” 

He was yanked backwards by his shirt, cutting him off. Jade hissed in his ear, “Remember where we are!”

“Oh right. Sorry.” Eleos cleared his throat. “I’m Eleos,” he started again, but the damage had already been done.

“Did you say... Dundrasil?” Hendrik asked slowly. Damn. He’d heard it.

“Wait, aren’t the Dundrasil royals under Heliodor’s thumb?” Veronica asked, turning to Hendrik.

“They are,” he answered simply. “Guards!” Hendrik’s voice bellowed through the town square. A few Puerto Valorian guards made their way over. “Arrest these two.”

Jade sighed. “Come on, Hendrik, please be reasonable.” 

The guards took their hands, tying them behind their backs. Eleos struggled at first, but a hasty glance from Jade made him stop. 

“I’m not the one traveling with an enemy of the state,” Hendrik replied simply. 

Jade rolled her eyes so hard Eleos wondered if it hurt. “God, you really can be an ass.”

Hendrik faltered for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. He nodded to the guards and together they marched Eleos and Jade out of the market square.

----

Eleos sat in the chair of their room at the inn, watching Jade pace back and forth. He shifted uncomfortably. The chair itself wasn’t bad, but the ropes were still tightly bound around his wrists. It was itchy and cutting off his blood flow. They guards had confiscated their weapons, but Ele was surprised that they let them stay in their room instead of some dank and dark dungeon. Jade had informed him that not all towns were big enough to have an actual dungeon, then muttered something under her breath about “reading too many books” before continuing her pacing and grumbling about Hendrik.

“What’s the deal with you and Hendrik?” Ele finally asked after a few hours. Jade’s pacing had slowed and he felt it safe enough to start a conversation again. She glared at him, giving him second thoughts, but eventually, she sighed and gave  in, sitting down on the edge of the bed across from him.

“Hendrik and I… we grew up together.” Jade smiled fondly, probably remembering something from their childhood. “He was always serious, but he used to cry so easily.” She laughed. “I had to stand up for him when others picked on him.” Jade then grew silent, staring out the window. “He did always want to protect others,” she said after a moment. “Now he does,” she finished with a hint of bitterness in her tone. She lifted her arms behind her to show her bindings, as if to say ‘he’s doing it wrong.’

“Did you two used to be… y’know…” Eleos had to nod his head to get his point across since his wrists were also still tied. He tried to ignore the fact that he was losing feeling in his hands. 

Jade’s head snapped back to him, eyes wide. She stammered. “N-no! Not at all! We weren’t- it… it wasn’t like that.” Her cheeks were red and she couldn’t seem to maintain eye contact.

Eleos decided a change of topic would be prudent. “So, Fon Master Serena… I guess she isn’t missing, huh?”

Jade looked grateful, but was surprised at the question. “Missing? Who told you that?”

“Commander Jasper and Lord Robert. They sent Jasper to help find her.”

“Really? That’s… news to me.” Jade chewed her lip. “Grand Maestro Morcant never said anything to me about Fon Master Serena.”

“Wait, are you part of the Order of Yggdrasil, too? That means you and Commander Jasper are on the same side! Why would you-?”

Eleos stopped at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. He could faintly hear Veronica and Serena arguing with Hendrik.

“Your faith is admirable, but we cannot make quick judgments.”

“Says the guy who arrested them because of a surname…” Veronica scoffed, clearly annoyed by him not listening to Serena. Hendrik ignored her.

“We do not know what their intent is in our lands. There was a hyperresonance that lit up Heliodor before landing west, and now a high ranking official of Heliodor just appears in Puerto Valor without any paperwork? They may have found a way to enter illegally. Surely you don’t expect me to just untie them and trust they’ll not run off the first chance they get?”

“Sir Hendrik,” Serena paused, taking in a calming breath. She placed her hand gently on Hendrik’s arm. ”It is you I trust. You have kept us safe from harm all this time. Surely you can handle two more people in our company?” She looked up at Hendrik innocently, smiling as if she had only asked him to hold open the door. Oh, Serena was laying on the charm, Veronica knew. She held back the urge to gag. 

Hendrik fell for Serena’s spell (they always do), and finally acquiesced with a sigh. “Alright. I will keep constant vigilance.” He opened the door and marched into the room, and Serena slipped out her hand for a low five with Veronica behind his back.

As Hendrik approached Jade stood up, chin high. She wasn’t about to let Hendrik feel as if he had the upper hand despite hers literally being tied. He walked up to her until they were inches apart, staring down one another. After a moment he stepped back, reaching behind her and loosening her bonds. The rope fell to the floor and Jade rubbed her wrists to get the blood flowing again. 

“Does this mean we’re no longer under arrest?” she asked as he moved on to untie Eleos. Ele sighed in relief as his hands were freed. He too had to rub at them to regain feeling in his fingers. 

“That remains to be seen. You have illegally crossed the border into our lands and I demand you tell us why.”

“Oh, Sir Hendrik, do calm down,” Serena said as she and Veronica followed him into the room. With all of these people in such a small space Eleos was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic. “You are not under arrest. In fact, we would humbly like to request your help.” Hendrik looked a bit put-out at being ignored.

Jade eyed Serena warily. “Our help? With what?”

“King Gustaf has written a letter proposing a formal peace treaty. They requested my aid as a neutral ambassador to assist in delivering it,” Serena explained.

“A peace treaty?” Eleos asked.

“Small localized conflicts have broken out recently,” Hendrik said. “It is likely those will soon escalate into a full-scale war. ”

“Are relations between Heliodor and Snifleheim really that bad?”

“Where the hell have you been? Living under a rock?” Veronica asked him incredulously. Heat rose in Eleos’ cheeks and he turned away, embarrassed. He couldn’t say she was wrong, though…

He cleared his throat and started again. “If you’re on this mission for peace, then why do people think you've gone missing? They have search parties looking for you.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Hendrik said. Serena however was oddly quiet. 

“Morcant’s just trying to make it look like he wasn’t keeping Serena captive. Pfeh.” Veronica crossed her arms with a huff. She had jumped onto the bed a moment before and bounced slightly. If Eleos hadn’t seen her literally conjure fire out of thin air he may have said it was cute.

“What? Why would Grand Maestro Morcant want to hold you captive?” Jade asked. Serena was still silent.

“Because that jackass is trying to start a war!” Veronica flailed her arms up in frustration. “Serena here is against it, obviously, and they locked her up for it! I only just managed to bust her out of there with the help of Hendrik and his men.”

“Fon Master Serena!” Jade pleaded. “There must be some mistake. Morcant would never want such a thing. He only prays for the fulfillment of the Will.”

Serena sighed and shook her head. “I wish that were enough…” 

Veronica jumped off the bed. “Arguing about this will get us nowhere. Will you help us or not?”

Eleos shifted uncomfortably. He’d been quiet for most of the conversation, a lot of it going over his head. “I don’t exactly know what we have to do with this?”

“We must deliver this letter to Heliodor,” Hendrik answered. “but we're soldiers of an enemy nation. Even as emissaries of peace, it won’t be easy for us to cross the border.“

“That’s why we need you... well, really we just need your social status,” Veronica said. “Surely the Prince of Dundrasil will be able to get us through.”

Eleos and Jade exchanged looks. They couldn’t exactly confer over whether or not it would be a good idea to join them, seeing as they weren’t alone. Eleos for one didn’t think it would hurt, considering they were going the same way. Plus, war was something he’d like to avoid. He nodded to Jade who then announced that they would at least help them get through to Heliodor territory. 

“Wonderful!” Serena exclaimed, clasping her hands together. 

“Now that that’s settled, the Cetacea should be back any minute. We can take it to the base of Angri-La then continue on foot.”

Eleos would have asked what they meant by “Cetacea” but Hendrik and the girls were already leaving to get ready for departure. The guards returned their weapons and belongings. 

“Guess we’re done here in Puerto Valor,” Jade said with a shrug. “Come on, let’s get ready.”

Eleos and Jade packed up their things and joined the others who were already outside the inn. Hendrik led them out of town and walked straight up to the large land ship that had almost run them over the day before. 

“That must be Cetacea,” Jade murmured. 

It was massive. Eleos had never seen anything like it. He thought it looked like a giant metal whale. It definitely didn’t fit in with the calm atmosphere of Puerto Valor. 

It must have been normal for the others, though, as Veronica ran up the ramp to the entrance as if this were an absolutely normal way to travel. She waved them on to hurry them up and soon everyone was inside. Hendrik led Eleos and Jade to a cabin where they could store their belongings.

“I’ll let my men know that you have permission to enter any area you wish, apart from those that contain confidential information,” Hendrik told them. “I shall be on the bridge. Come find me later and we can… talk more.” Eleos thought he looked reluctant to leave. It was most likely caution, but he also seemed remiss to leave Jade. He couldn’t blame him. Friends who don’t see each other for a long time only to have one arrest the other? It was probably not the way either of them thought they would meet again. 

Hendrik did end up leaving eventually. He bowed his head slightly and gave an awkward farewell before leaving to attend to his duties. 

Eleos was just relieved to be out of the eye of scrutiny. He’d been kept in his home for years, but he’d never felt as trapped as he had in the past few hours. Jade seemed to look more relaxed as well. She slumped into a nearby chair with a sigh of relief. The light in the room dimmed from the setting sun and even though they hadn’t done much physically that day, Eleos was exhausted from everything that had happened.

He laid down on one of the cots and before he could even start to comprehend the last 48 hours he was fast asleep.