Peacemaker ~ Spectre

I woke up in an infirmary somewhere on Mizeareigh. I sat up, slowly, because every little movement caused me some kind of pain. Black spots danced around my eyes as I stood up, leaning on the nightstand beside the makeshift bed , and tried to reclaim my memory of what happened before blacking out.

Cold.

My emotions were all swirling around in my head as I started speed-walking through the corridors, following my current and only objective. Rage washed over me when I finally remembered what had happened.

That damned demon.

That damned demon and his plans. He's dead as soon as I find him. And I will find him.

_____________________

I walked as quickly as I could through the familiar corridors of the office building on Mizeareigh. As soon as I got to the floor I searched for, I sped up, ignoring whoever it was that was calling my name behind me. I nearly broke the door off its hinges with sheer rage as I marched into his office.

"Spectre, what could bring you here, when you're supposed to be in the infirmary?" he asked me.

"You absolute, complete, unholy, son of a bitch!"

"Okay?"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO YOUR OWN SON LESAUVAGE?! YOU KNEW, OH YOU KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN, YET STILL YOU WENT THROUGH WITH IT?!" I could feel all the anger slowly leaving me through the words I was angrily spouting out in the few minutes that I had been here.

Argotaurius stood up from his desk.

"Listen, I completely understand your feelings right now-"

"NO YOU DON'T! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY KNOW HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW!" I took a deep breath, carefully choosing my words, as everything I say can affect my next few minutes of existence.

"How can you possibly say that you understand how I feel, when you practically made me end my own friend's life?" I asked him.

"It was an honest mistake, really. The ascension failed, we need to move on. It's as simple as that, really." he replies, almost monotone, but with a hint of emotion.

"An honest- an honest mistake? You call your son's death an honest mistake?!"

Argo fell silent.

I took a step closer to his desk, lightning sparking between my fingers as I spoke.

"I will get him back. I don't care how, or what it takes. I will get him back."

Then I turned around and left Argo in his office, scorch marks on his desk.

_______________________

I walked out of the main part of the city, searching for a suitable spot to open up a portal.

"And where would you be going?" a voice said behind me.

I turned around and sighed, couldn't he ever stay out of my way?

"What do you want now, Zachriel?" I asked him.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck in whatever you're going to do, and if you ever come back, I don't think you'll be the same. So I thought it would be better to get through to you know, rather than later. " he replied to me quickly.

"Is that all?" I asked.

He paused for too long, so I took it as a no, and turned to cross through the portal.

"Spectre?"

I sighed.

"Please come back?"

I didn't reply as I walked through the portal, closing it behind me.

________________

I stepped out of the portal right outside the gates of Euthoria. I needed to travel the rest of the way on foot, otherwise I wouldn't be let in. As soon as I turned my back to the gate, I felt something on my shoulder.

I looked sideways to see that it was a blade. A bronze sword was casually resting on my shoulder, not there to kill, just for a warning.

I carefully picked the sword off my shoulder, careful not to cut myself on it, as I would need a healer's touch to fix that.

I focused my vision through the dark and realizing who it was, I gave a little smile.

"Stradivarius Corden, we meet again. Or should I say, Athuriel Lesauvage?"

__________________

Stradivarius looked a bit surprised.

"H-how did you find out?" He managed to keep the whole sentence intact, but the stutter was clear.

"Oh I've had my suspicions for a while now, I just needed you to confirm them." I replied.

I took a step closer to him, and he took a step back.

"How?" He asked me.

"I realized it when we met in Woodsage. You, as a Euthorian knight should be targeting all three of us, but you only seemed interested in taking Leviathan down."

"So? He's the one keeping the three of you together, if he dies, god knows what happens."

"Yes, but then I realized, what if you're just acting on what you were always raised to do? Hunting demons. You never paid Queen Lykfilia any attention, not even when she stood in between of you and Leviathan. You've never as much as given me a second glance, not even when I'm standing with a knife at your throat." I paused, taking a few breaths in between.

"So I thought about those facts, and I came to a conclusion; The Fate gave you a second chance, and here you are, Athuriel, son of Raziel, son of Zachariah Lesauvage."

"You haven't changed at all Trophonia."

"Oh I've changed more than you think."

"Really?" Athuriel's voice was a bit...sarcastic? I couldn't quite tell.

All I knew was that I needed to end this conversation quickly, or else I wouldn't make it in time to the City.

"Yes. I don't stand with Raziel anymore, seeing as not only did he banish me, but he also lied to me. He lied to us all." I said.

"Please do explain your statement to me?"

"Well, first of all, he's the younger brother of two, and his older brother is Argotaurius of Mizeareigh." I started, feeling the hate run through me once more, making my blood boil.

"What? That can't be right-"

"Furthermore, he banished Lucifer for a wrongful reason. He said that it was because he was aiding the demons, but that wasn't him."

"How you know that Trophonia, it was never proven to be wrong you know."

I sighed deeply.

"I know it wasn't Lucifer because it was me that had accidentally let it slip to a demon how to get into the city-"

"I really don't know what I was expecting of you Trophonia," he started. "I knew there was a reason you were banished too. Now, If you'd stop disrespecting my father-"

"Athuriel-" I began, only to have him cut me off again.

"I mean it Trophonia, if you aren't going to say something that isn't completely insane, please do."

"Athuriel, listen to me." I said, taking a deep, calming breath.

"I'm listening."

"You are not Raziel's only child Athuriel. Do you remember your mother's name?"

"Of course I do. Ygraine Tergeo, the last moon controller. Sometimes also called the moon demon, after the accident when I was five." he said, confused as to why I was asking him about his mother's name all of a sudden.

"Exactly. Tergeo. Now tell me Athuriel, if your first child was unwanted, wouldn't you give it your last name instead of the father's?" I replied, giving him a rather cold look.

"Y-you don't mean-" his breath hitched in a noticable way. "It's you, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"Wow, I mean, I heard rumors in the underworlds, rumors that Raziel had another child, but I never actually thought they were true. So I guess that makes you my older sister...?" he said, back in his old, cheerful self for a few seconds. Then upon his realization, he frowned.

"So you weren't lying about the other things either?"

I smiled sadly.

"I wish I could say I was, but that would be a lie in itself." I replied to him, finally letting my guarding aura back down, taking a step towards him.

"And you say that this is just the start?"

"Yes. I've yet to uncover all the other things he lied about throughout our whole childhood- and basically everyone else's lives too. "

Athuriel cleared his throat, as if he was hiding a laugh.

"You're not exactly clean yourself, Aria. " he said.

"Raziel would have sunbeamed Euthoria if I'd used the name Spectre." I backed away again. "Listen, as much as I would love to sick around to talk, I have a friend to save." I said, turning around and walking away.

"Wait a second," I heard Athuriel call after me. "If you're Ygraine and Raziel's daughter, who controls the moon?"

I stopped, hesitating to answer him, but then decided on a simple answer.

"We don't know." I said.

"Liar, try again Spec." he replied.

"Agh, fine. We do know, but we can't let that information get to Raziel. He'd sunbeam Araycien just to get them."

".....you have a valid point....."

I took a deep breath before speaking.

"All I know is that they're not on Raziel's side."

There was a long silence. All that was heard was the soft sound of the wind that was rapidly increasing and a few nocturnal creatures.

"Trophonia, where exactly are you going? Who are you going to see?"

"I'm going to talk to an old friend of mine, see if he still listens to me." I said, turned around and left him. I could hear his voice shout something over the wind, but I ignored him.

___________________

At last I had arrived at the hidden tunnel in the Crystal Caves in the underground tunnels of the Oiwa, right outside Euthoria's landline. I carefully whispered an opening command to the entrance, letting me pass through. Once through, I waited for a a spirit to arrive. To get there safely you need to follow a few things. Firstly, you must follow the spirit's exact path or you'll be dragged away by the damned. Secondly, you cannot lose sight of the guide or you'll lose the protection it gives you, and will be dragged away by the damned. Third and last, you cannot look back. If you do, you're basically giving the spirit guide permission to kill you.

As I waited, I noticed how much the place had changed. It was more....lively? Full? It wasn't nearly as transparent as it had been in the past.

"Hey you, what is your business here?"

I snapped back to reality. It was a spirit I knew all too well. James Brightwood was an old friend of mine, back when I was a sword instructor in Euthoria.

"That is nothing you need to know Brightwood, just lead the way."

He shrugged, and started walking away. As soon as I started following him, he started sprinting ahead. I picked up the pace, barely keeping up with the speed of the undead. As I ran, I had to duck and jump over fallen, half crumbled cave walls, but I couldn't lose sight of the spirit.

After a while he finally slowed down, carefully passing the half-destroyed bridge. As I crossed the bridge, I saw him standing on the other side, arms crossed and waiting. I recognized him as the gatekeeper. I had arrived to the City of the Dead.

"What is your business here, weary traveler?" he asked.

"I am here for a soul." I replied, catching my breath.

He gave a low laugh. "I see James kept you on your toes."

"Shut up and listen to me." I said. "I need a favor."

"Let me guess, you want the soul of your demon friend?"

I didn't answer, just nodded.

"Well I'm sorry. This is a favor I cannot grant you. What could you possibly have that could equal the soul of one of the Lesauvage demons?" he asked me.

"What about the soul of a pure angel?" I said.

His gaze turned interested. "And who's soul would that be?"

"Mine." I paused. "I, Trophonia Aria Tergeo, offer my soul to you, Bartimaeus, gatekeeper to the City of the Dead, in exchange for that of Leviathan Zachariah Lesauvage. Do you accept?"