Callias Fleet
"Princess, I know you said not to call you that, but I need to know if you are okay." I asked Tessia as she started to wake up inside of the healer's tent. "Princess?"
"Where am I?" She asked me, a little out of it. "Where is Veer? Where is my team?" Tessia shot to her feet, but I stood in front of her, not letting her go back into the dungeon. "Move."
"Princess, no, I can't do that, Veer made me promise to protect you, if I let you go back inside, that would be hard." I spoke calmly, thinking about my partner in there with Samantha. "You know what he is capable of, sit, please, and recover from your injuries."
"I feel fine, Veer already healed me." She sat down aggressively, but at least she did as I asked.
"Tessia!" Stannard exclaimed as he walked back into the tent. "You are awake."
"Stannard, where is everyone else? Are you okay?" Tessia's eyes were wide, but I could tell she was glad to see him. "Caria, Darvus?"
"They aren't back yet." Stannard spoke with a sad tone. "But Lance Olfred arrived and is searching for them at the moment."
"Lance Olfred is here?" I asked, not knowing that he had shown up. "Shit, this must be serious, it's good Veer is in there too, the two of them would make a powerful duo."
"We should be in there too." Tessia told us. "Callias, you know you want to fight with Veer, let's go back in."
Stannard and I shook our heads. "No, it's too dangerous, and you aren't at one hundred percent." I would love to fight with Veer in there, I just hope Victoria and Samantha are okay. "Anyways, if Veer and a Lance are in there, the fighting should be over soon."
"He's right, Tessia." Stannard agreed with me. "We would just be putting ourselves in unnecessary danger."
"Stannard." She said, still insisting on going in. "Unnecessary danger? Fighting against Alacryans and mana beast is unnecessary."
"No." I spoke with authority, I was supposed to watch over her, and I will. "You're right, but what he is saying, is that we won't be changing the outcome if we do go in now." I paused for a second and gave Stannard a nod. "So, let's just stay here, and wait for everyone to return, I'm also responsible for protecting the base, with everyone out."
Tessia sat in silence, thinking over my words, Stannard agreed with me, so that helped. "Fine." Tessia spoke, and I was relieved. "I hope everyone is okay, I won't be able to live with myself if the two of them died."
"They'll be fine, there are a lot of people looking for them." I sat down in a chair next to her, Stannard did as well. All we could do was wait, it sucked, because the truth was, I did want to fight, but keeping the Princess safe was more important.
"Yeah, Tessia." Stannard sent her a smile. "Everything is fine."
I did feel something weird though, when I was with Veer, like a dark force was in the dungeon with us. It might have been my imagination, but I swore it was something. I didn't want to bring it up and make Tessia worry more.
"How about we go for a walk?" Stannard suggested. "Keep your mind off the situation."
"That sounds good." I stood up. "Come on, Tessia, let's go wait for everyone at the exit." A sudden energy was sent throughout the base, and then disappeared. "Was that the teleportation gate?"
"I think so." Stannard said, and we all started to walk toward where the gate opened at. "But Lance Olfred is already here."
"It's probably my grandfather." Tessia said shamefully. "He heard we were attacked and probably wanted to see if I was okay."
The portal came into view, and it wasn't her grandfather. "Who's that?" I asked both of them as we continued to approach.
"I don't know." Tessia answered me, and someone else stepped through the portal, it was another Lance, but there was already one here. "That's Lance Bairon."
"Why is he here?" Stannard spoke up as the two men started to walk towards us.
Tessia stepped in front of us and greeted the men. "Lance Bairon, I'm happy to see you." Stannard and I bowed behind her to him.
"Princess, I'm not officially here, I was informed of a situation." The Lance peeked over at the guard, smiling at us. "I would like the man named Callias's help."
"Sorry, I am Callias, but I promised a friend I would protect the Princess, I can't help you with the situation inside the dungeon." I bowed again to the Lance, apologetically. "Please forgive me."
"I'm talking about another situation." Lance Bairon looked at the guard, and he scurried off, but was smiling for some reason. "I don't know how true this is, but I couldn't let go." He turned to the Princess. "If you don't mind, Princess, you should head back to the Floating Castle."
"I'm staying until my team gets back." I knew she wasn't going to leave.
"That's fine, but I am going to need you to stay inside of the base." The Lance turned to Stannard. "Will you be able to stay here with her?" Stannard nodded his head at the Lance. "Good, Callias come with me, we will be right outside the base, so you'll be fulfilling your promise."
The Lance started to walk toward the exit, and I shrugged at Tessia and Stannard. "Alright, stay with her." I motioned to Stannard, and then started walking behind Lance Bairon. "What's the issue if I may ask, why do you need my help?"
"All you have to do is stand and wait until Lance Olfred shows up, I'll take care of the rest if it's true." He said angrily.
I have no clue what's going on, but I will do it to the best of my ability. "Why would Lance Olfred be showing up while there is fighting inside the dungeon? And what's the truth, you say you'll take care of?"
The Lance opened the doors to exit the base and turned to me. "I was told you would understand this." The Lance paused for a second, then went on. "The Devil isn't dead."
"Huh?" I asked, the Devil isn't dead? "You referring to Veer?"
"I don't know, I was told you would know." The Lance closed the doors, and we stepped toward the teleportation gate that led to the first tunnel. "Remember what I said."
We appeared in the tunnel, and I turned to the Lance. "I understand, I don't know why you needed me to be honest. Couldn't you just talk to him?"
"No." Lance Bairon started to back away from me, into the darkness of the tunnel. "Wait here, and don't do anything unless I tell you."
"Fine." He vanished behind me, and I faced forward, waiting for the other Lance to show up. I'm about to see two Lances today, if I didn't know Veer, this would be the best day ever, but I've already met Lance Varay and Lance Aya.
I waited and waited, after about ten minutes in, the Lance showed up, and seemed surprised to see me.
I bowed to him. "Lance Olfred, it's an honor to meet you." I stood up and looked at the Lance.
"I know you, weren't you at the castle?" He asked me, something was off with him.
"Yes, I am on a team with Virion Leywin, I stayed there for a week." I told him.
"What are you doing here?" The Lance took another step toward me, standing seven yards from me.
"I'm waiting for Virion and the rest of the squad to come back, I was put in charge of guarding the base, Lance Olfred." For some reason, I felt like pulling out my sword, but I didn't, not like it mattered, I couldn't touch the Lance. "Princess Tessia was injured, and I am here protecting her."
"I see." He looked at the ground, and then started to talk again. Why was the Lance acting like this to me? "I have something to tell you then, but I would wait to tell the Princess."
He has something to tell me? "Oh, okay?" I said questioningly, what was going on? "Is everything alright?"
"I'm afraid not." The Lance took another step toward me. "Virion Leywin is dead." He spoke calmly but showed sorrow. I froze, unable to move or speak, Veer couldn't be dead...right? "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I couldn't walk by you, and not say anything."
"Y-you're joking, Lance Olfred." I gave him a puzzled look, not believing his words. "He can't be dead." I took a step back, was this why Lance Bairon wanted me to stand here? He knew already?
"I tried my best to safe him, but it was too late." The Lance had to be lying, there was no way Veer was dead. "There were already mana beast devouring him when I got there."
That's when Lance Bairon's words came back to me, The Devil isn't dead.
He said I would know what that meant, and the only thing that comes to mind is, Veer isn't dead. What the hell is going on? I am so confused; my brain is starting to hurt. I have so many mixed emotions, is Virion dead or not?
That's when I heard Lance Bairon speak up. "So, it's true." Lance Bairon stepped out from the shadows behind me and stood slightly in front of me. "I didn't want to believe it, Olfred, but he was right."
"Right?" I interrupted, as Lance Olfred was stunned to see Lance Bairon.
That's when an unfamiliar voice came from behind Lance Olfred. "He's working for Alacrya." The man from earlier in the silver armor came into view, and was smiling "Isn't that, right?"
"What? How dare you accuse me of that." I backed away from Lance Olfred as his aura exploded out. It didn't move Lance Bairon or the regular soldier at all. "Bairon, do you honestly believe that?"
"Not at first, but he predicted everything." Lance Bairon motioned to the soldier.
"Bairon, I am no Alacryan spy, I should report this, but if we head back now, I won't say anything." The Lance took a step toward the other Lance, and electricity started to emit out of him, stoping Lance Olfred in his tracks. "Bairon, are you truly going to stand up against me, right here and now, just because this man, says so?"
I didn't feel any mana coming off of the soldier, he must be stronger than me. "Remember the dick, that thought his plan was perfect, and then suddenly found out, it wasn't?" The soldier pointed at Lance Olfred. "That's you."
"What?" The Lance asked.
Lance Bairon answered for the soldier, and it left me speechless. "That right there, is Virion Leywin." The soldier bowed to the Lance sarcastically, with a huge smile on his face.
"I told you what would happen, didn't I." The soldier swung out his arms. "Your defeat was inevitable."
That's Virion?