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ascendancy-echoes · 3 months

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Chapter 12: Russ and the Blackbird

2nd of Ninthmoon 1019 AG, Medina forest

Seven years had come and gone in Medina since Russ had been found by Ismene. While little had changed for the Mystic lands as a whole, Russ’s arrival had definitely changed things in Medina. After the initial curiosity and gossip in the first few weeks, the citizens of Medina accepted Russ as one of their own. After all, he wasn’t human and that was good enough for everyone.

Although Russ never really lost his strange accent, it became less pronounced over the years. He had grown from a lanky child into a young adult in what felt like a blink of an eye. Even though he had no idea how old he was exactly, Russ suspected he was in his early teens when Ismene found him.

Ismene had teased him about his growth spurts even as he stood a good half a foot taller than her when they finally seemed to stop. Meanwhile Belinay delighted in his frequent visits to the shop to get clothes replaced as he rapidly outgrew his previous sets of clothing. She always chatted with him about how Ismene and he were doing, seeming to genuinely care about him and his life with Ismene.

One day, she made a comment that left Russ feeling uncomfortable to say the least.

“Surely you’ve moved out of that little room by now,” Belinay remarked out of the blue as she measured him for some new autumn clothes.

“Why would I?” asked Russ, genuinely perplexed at Belinay’s question. “It’s not that small. It suits me just fine for a bedroom.”

Belinay seemed just as confused by Russ’s response. She tilted her head and eyed Russ. “I mean, the way you talk about Ismene these days, are you two not a couple now?”

Russ shrugged slightly. “I don’t see it that way. Izzy’s a great friend but I wouldn’t say we’re a couple.”

“Ah! You see? That there,” Belinay noted firmly. “You are the only soul in Medina that gets away with calling her anything but Ismene. She’d slap any one of us with her tail right into next week if we dared to call her anything as cute as ‘Izzy’.”

“You two have lived together for quite some time now, you both talk about and to each other just like any other couple so surely you’re more than just friends,” she concluded.

“Belinay, what are you trying to say?” Russ asked, his accent intensifying. Between this and Russ’s ears flicking slightly, Belinay knew she crossed a line and now Russ was offended.

Belinay clacked her beak over so slightly. As much as she wanted to know what others wondered, Belinay knew it would harm the friendship Russ saw in her if she pressed the issue further. She sighed. “I’m sorry. I just assumed you two were a couple since you seem so close. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“It’s rather bold of you to assume something like that,” Russ grumbled. “Izzy is my best friend besides Nabal. I care about her greatly but there is nothing going on between us.”

Belinay nodded. Russ, honest to a fault, was always sincere with others. She wondered if perhaps Russ didn’t see Ismene in any intimate way because he wasn’t the same type of Mystic as Ismene. Of course, the poor dear was the only one of his kind in all of Medina.

“Well I’m sorry in any case,” she said. Changing the subject, she told him the new coat would be ready next week.

Russ muttered a thanks and farewell before he departed for home. As annoyed as he was by Belinay’s comments, it made him wonder if he and Ismene were more actually than friends.

Back at the cottage, Russ found Ismene in the workshop, hanging some flowers and leaves to dry. He immediately told her what Belinay had said about the two of them.

Ismene made a face as though she had eaten a whole lemon and scoffed. “I swear Bel would blow a gasket if she didn’t say something gossipy at least once a day… What did you say?”

“I-I said you were my best friend…”

“But?” Ismene asked, getting the impression that Russ had more to say.

“I mean, she isn’t wrong that we’re close after all this time. Everyone can see that,” Russ said. “But I was wondering what’s the difference between how we’re close friends and how Nameia and Iados are a couple?”

“Fuck if I know,” Ismene shrugged. “Besides the fact they’re always kissing and way too snuggly? We don’t do that shit.. so besides that, I think there’s little difference, do you?”

Russ shook his head. “Not really.”

Ismene turned her attention back to the pile of flowers on the counter and resumed hanging them. Gesturing to the far counter, she asked,”Think you can start on those orders? The Elder is gonna expect his tea in a few days and I’d prefer that he not send Oz again.”

Russ nodded and got to work. As he did, he pondered what Ismene had said and what Belinay had said. It was true he had no desire for physical closeness but being with Ismene made him feel happy in a way that he couldn’t quite describe. It had little to do with the fact she had taken him in those years before. He was continually grateful, but gratitude is not the same as fondness. He wanted to be with Ismene, even on her grouchier days, he was always thinking of her and happy that they were together. Eventually, Russ came to the conclusion that perhaps he was overthinking the matter. What truly mattered was that life was peaceful and they were happy together.

~o~O~o~

It had been a rather rainy week as summer turned to autumn. Neither Russ nor Ismene liked the rain much but it did mean that there were plenty of mushrooms in the forest to collect for medicines and food. Gathering what he could find, Russ spied some more mushrooms atop the hill and climbed up.

Reaching the top of the hill, Russ could see Ismene at the bottom. He waved down to her, saying that he found some chanterelles. As he stepped over the root of the tree to walk over to the mushrooms, the ground beneath his feet gave way.

A feeling of complete terror seized Russ as he plummeted. Instinctively he closed his eyes and braced for the inevitable impact but instead he felt himself tumble roughly down a steep slope before coming to a brief stop before once more falling a few inches, this time against branches that cracked under his weight.

When he opened his eyes, Russ could hear Ismene yelling for him in the darkness. The cave he had ended up in was cold and hard. The darkness sent him into a panic. He had never been afraid of the dark before but the feeling of being alone in complete darkness was oddly familiar and very upsetting.

“Light, come on, stupid spell, I need a—“ Russ cursed to himself as he tried to focus to summon a sphere of light. When he managed it, he immediately regretted the choice.

Russ found himself in a strange room, metal countertops with strange objects embedded in them were all around, there were also a few skeletons, broken and slumped against the counters… and he was sitting on top of one.

Russ let out a shout and scrambled to his feet, the light spell dissipating as fear broke his concentration. The bones of the skeleton clattered and scattered as he ran up the sloped floor to the entrance of this strange tomb. The air felt both stale and filled with energy, like a thunderstorm.

Sparks of lightning arced around Russ and struck the counters. Lights flickered on briefly and a gemstone projected a ghostly image of a human whose face was covered by a mask. A stuttering voice echoed through the tomb-like room.

“C-ca— be-ieve… Da-ton f-ck’d us o-over. So-ing … kingdom’s fall- La-

Then there was the sound of an explosion from the apparition and frantic disembodied voices yelling that something hit them. Despite the garbled voices, Russ could make out something about a "Blackbird" crashing. Then the ghost vanished and the room fell silent and Russ was in the dark once more. Not wanting to dwell on what he had witnessed, Russ tried to summon a light so he could find his way out of these strange ruins.

As usual, Russ’s spell fizzled out within moments, leaving him to repeatedly cast it as he made his way up the sloped corridor. After several feet, he came to a steeper incline and could faintly see the light from the surface.

He could hear Ismene shouting for him so he shouted back that he was okay, unsure if she could hear him. His voice and hers echoed back and forth through the passageways as he tried to tell her he was climbing back up. It was clear that neither of them could hear the other clearly but Ismene sounded relieved to hear him call back to her.

As he slowly made his way up, Russ intermittently cast the light spell to ensure he was finding his footing and grabbing the openings in the wall and floor of the corridor. Every so often, Russ caught glimpses of human skeletons or strange rusted statues in the edge of the light down other passages. He continued to reassure Ismene that he was coming up the slope.

As he arrived at the opening to the sinkhole, Russ could see it was a straight drop down to where he was. There were roots and dirt around the opening but Russ wasn’t sure he could reach the roots and he was exhausted. He was out of breath and his body was shivering. Russ felt light-headed and barely registered that Ismene called out to him again.

“Russ! Are you hurt?”

Shaking his head, Russ stammered that he didn’t think he was hurt, just really tired and sore from climbing his way back up to the opening.

“Well, you look like shit,” Ismene remarked from her vantage point.

Russ glanced up and chuckled weakly. “I feel like shit. I don’t think I have the strength to climb out, Izzy…”

Ismene looked down at Russ. There was no way she was going to be able to reach him even if he jumped to grab her hand. The hole was too deep and she wasn’t strong enough. She hated to leave him down there but she felt had no choice. She’d have to go find help.

“Stay right there, I’ll go get help… someone’s gotta have a rope or be strong enough to pull you out,” Ismene called down.

Russ nodded. Sitting at the top of the slope, he watched as Ismene slithered out of sight. Looking back down into the darkness, he could see that beyond the few feet of dirt and stone that he was in some sort of building made entirely out of metal that had been buried who knows how long ago. It looked like the tree roots had forced their way through the pieces of ceiling and the groundwater had rusted the panels enough that his weight was the tipping point.

Although his body had stopped shivering, Russ still felt uneasy, almost nauseous. It reminded him of his first winter in Medina when he got a fever and while not bedridden like previous times, was certainly not up to doing much.

He wasn’t sure how long he was alone before he heard Ismene’s voice. It sounded like Belinay was with her as well as Nox.

“Still alive, Russ?” Ismene asked, peering down into the hole.

“Last I checked,” Russ replied. “Who’s come to my rescue?”

“Hello Russ!” Belinay called out. “Nox and I are here to help. I brought the rope.”

“Ya brought some of your fancy silk cord,” Nox retorted. “I said to grab rope.”

“It is rope,” Belinay replied. “Silk is stronger than it looks. Don’t let its splendor mislead you.”

“Shut up and give it to me so I can fish Russ out of the hole,” Nox snorted. “Don’t know why you’re even here, dirtying up your fancy-ass robes.”

Russ was doubtful that the silk rope that was thrown down to him was going to hold his weight. After a couple of attempts and losing his grip, Russ decided to tie the silk cord around his waist and then try to climb out as Nox and Ismene pulled him up.

To everyone’s surprise, except Belinay’s, the cord held true as Ismene and Nox assisted Russ in getting out of the sinkhole. Ismene immediately rushed to Russ’s side as he found his footing in solid ground.

“Dear you look awful,” Belinay remarked. “What exactly happened down there?”

“I fell into some sort of ancient ruins,” Russ breathed. He described his climb out of the building below their feet and how he saw an apparition and human skeletons deep in the darkness.

Nox glanced down the hole. “That’s a hell of a fall. How in the name of Lavos did you manage not to break anything?”

Russ could only offer a shrug. He wasn’t sure how he survived the fall without any serious injuries. The whole tumble has been a blur yet strangely familiar. Russ had the eeriest sense of deja vu but decided to keep that to himself for now. He and Ismene thanked Nox and Belinay for their help before Ismene placed a hand on Russ’s shoulder and told him they should get back home.

Walking back, Russ still felt lightheaded and nauseous. Ismene looked his way and asked how he felt. Russ let out a breath and admitted he felt ill, unsure if the cause was the stress of the fall or perhaps the air in the ruins.

Arriving back home, Ismene made Russ lay down on the couch and told him to stay put. She came back several minutes later with a cup of tea and a bottle of medicine.

“I’m not sick, Izzy,” Russ protested despite still laying dazed on the couch. “I’m probably just tired from climbing out of those ruins and the sinkhole.”

“You said you cast that light spell a lot, right? You’re sick with magic exhaustion,” Ismene replied, measuring out the liquid in the bottle and adding it to a cup of tea. “I’m not a physician like Paion but I’ve seen it enough and read about it to know what it looks like.”

“Using your magic up is like pulling a muscle or over-exerting yourself,” she explained, handing Russ the cup of tea. “Most of us have done it at one point or another in our lives. Drink it up. There’s enough honey to hide the taste of the Ether.”

Russ frowned but took the cup and drank the concoction. A bit sour but Ismene had poured a lot of honey into the tea so it wasn’t so bad.

“Were you serious about the shit you said back in the forest?” Ismene asked. “There’s a bunch of human ruins down there?”

“I guess? The bones I landed on looked human enough,” Russ replied. “It was too dark to see anything when I wasn’t creating light to find my way out.”

“Not surprised there’s human ruins around here,” Ismene remarked. “There’s a weird stone platform to the north with a bunch of weird symbols carved all around it. Zoradysis says it’s ruins from some human kingdom called Zeal that vanished eons ago.”

“I’m sorry all the mushrooms got crushed when I fell down that hole,” Russ sighed, laying back on the couch “All that hard work destroyed because of a damned sinkhole.”

Ismene waved her hand dismissively. “Mushrooms grow back. I’m just happy you didn’t get hurt or worse.”

~o~O~o~

It was dawn about two days after the incident in the forest. Ismene and Russ had finished their breakfast and were about to start their work for the day when they heard the sounds of a bell ringing. Low, loud repetitive tones rang out. Ismene dropped what she was doing, took off her apron and rushed to the front of the cottage and pulled a sweater over her blouse.

“Get your coat and boots on, we need to go to town,” she said. “Now.”

Russ put down the pestle he was about to use and asked, “Why? What’s going on?”

Ismene went straight for the front door and replied, “The Elder is dead.”

#chrono trigger au #echoes in time #chrono trigger #zeal ascendancy

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ascendancy-echoes · 27 days

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Chapter 17: Preparation

Marle returned to the castle and immediately went to find Crono. This early in the morning, she knew exactly where he would be. As predicted, she found him getting ready to spar with Liz out in the gardens. It was part of their morning routine and Marle hated to interrupt it but the news Melichor had relayed could not wait.

“Crono, we need to talk. It’s really important,” she said, her voice edged with urgency Crono had not heard from her in a long time.

Crono looked to Marle then back to his daughter, then back again to Marle. He sighed and sheathed his bokken and set it down on the stone bench next to him. “Sorry kiddo, I gotta talk to your mom. I’ll be right back.”

Liz nodded. She could tell her mom was worried about something. Minutes passed as she waited for her dad to return so they could practice swordplay. After a while, Liz grew concerned as neither of her parents had returned. It dawned on her that it had been weird enough that her mom left so suddenly after breakfast with Lucca and Zarya without any explanation. Lucca and Zarya never came to the castle without Janus, especially so early in the morning. Something didn’t feel quite right. Finally, Liz put down her own bokken and headed for the castle, intent on finding her parents to ask them what was going on.

~o~O~o~

While Liz couldn’t find her parents, she did find Oren in Lucca's workshop. Lucca had trusted him with a key to the building and sometimes he would go in there to work on his own personal projects as he did in his spare time so he could learn how to help her recreate the Epoch.

“Oren, have you seen Mom and Dad?”

Oren looked up from the pile of tangled wires and metal panels he had placed on the workbench. He shook his head. “I thought you and Dad were busy with your morning sword practice.”

Liz sighed. “I was but then Mom-”

“Kids, we need to talk.”

Oren and Liz looked over to the doorway to see Crono standing there. Before either could ask what was going on, Crono continued, “Can you two come with me to your mom’s study?”

They nodded and followed Crono to the study. Oren tried to ask what was going on but all his dad would say was that he and their mom would explain at the study. In the study, they found their mom with her arms crossed, a grim expression on her face.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” Liz asked once Crono closed the door behind them.

Marle sighed. She took Crono’s hand as he offered it to her. Looking at Oren, she replied, “There was an incident in Alastori this morning… Do you two remember Melichor?”

“Yeah, he’s that guy who helped you guys fix the Masamune?” Oren answered. “Did something happen to him?”

Marle replied, “He’s fine… physically. Melichor arrived at the Ashtear’s home early this morning with the news that Mystics had burned his house down.”

“We’re telling you this because we know that you’re both old enough to handle this news,” Crono added.

“But I thought the Mystics didn’t mind him being over there with them before…” Liz remarked. “Why try to hurt him now?”

Marle sighed. She explained what Melichor had told her and Janus, about how the Mystics had a new leader who didn’t want any humans to set foot on their lands. How the only reason he knew to escape was because of the two Imps that had once helped them.

“We’re hoping that this new Elder won’t hurt anyone else… but it wouldn’t be the first time that Mystics have broken the treaty,” Crono lamented. “That’s the other reason we’re telling both of you this.”

Oren and Liz looked at their dad in surprise.

“Twice in our lifetimes Mystics have infiltrated this castle,” Marle explained. “Once during our adventure to stop Lavos… and once more when you both were young. We’re afraid it might happen again and we want you to be ready if it does.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about this before?” Oren asked, almost demanding in his tone.

“We didn’t want you to worry and think there was danger when there was none,” Crono answered. “Janus can see through their illusions when they try to disguise themselves as humans. After the incident when you kids were younger, he spent over a year making sure there were no more Mystic spies, but there was never another attempt after that day, so we asked him to ease up on his searches for the sake of his health.”

“Zarya was actually the one who first spotted the Mystic spy but she still has no idea she uncovered a secret Mystic plot and we’d like to keep it that way,” Marle added. “She’s too young to be worrying about hidden monsters.”

“Why did the Mystics sneak into the castle?” Liz asked. She recalled the history lessons about the Mystic War and how Glenn had advocated for peace, how the king had given the Mystics the island of Alastori so they could have their own nation away from humans with the provision that they stay out of human lands. “Why break the treaty?”

“The first time was for revenge,” Crono replied. “A Mystic calling himself Yakra the Thirteenth swore revenge on your grandfather and the kingdom for the death of his ancestor during the Mystic War. He had a group of likeminded Mystics and well… We took care of the matter and saved your grandfather and the rest of the castle.”

“What about the second time?” Oren asked.

Crono frowned and thought for a moment. “That one is harder to explain. Zarya noticed someone using an illusion spell walking by the library and Janus and I went to investigate. We found and outed the Mystic but she escaped. We caught the other two but they swore they weren’t there for revenge. Unfortunately, they died before we could get more information. We think the third Mystic killed them to keep them from talking.”

Marle added. “After that day, we worried for months that she would return or others would try to sneak back in but it was as if the whole thing never happened. We’ve avoided the news getting out to Porre or Choras regarding both incidents as it would make Guardia look weak. However… if the new Elder is as hostile as Melichor heard, then we will have to warn everyone of the potential danger.”

Oren raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because, while no nation officially has a trade agreement with the Mystics, we know that there are merchants that do trade goods with them,” Crono answered. “I doubt the leadership in Medina will tolerate further human contact.”

“One more thing,” Marle looked at Liz. “I talked to your father about this… and we agreed that maybe now is the time for you to learn how to use your magic for self defense, Liz.”

Oren saw the excited look in Liz’s eyes as she was told she would finally get to learn actual ice magic and all it did was remind him once more how he couldn’t use magic like her, how he had abandoned that part of him. He immediately felt he had no need to stick around and started to leave without asking to be dismissed when Marle cleared her throat and said. “Oren, could you please stay for a moment?”

Looking at Crono, she said, “Why don’t you two go back to practice? Janus should be by later to help Liz with her magic.”

Oren stayed as his mother asked, knowing she wouldn’t let the matter rest if he walked out. He turned to face her as his dad and sister left. He let out a heavy sigh the moment the door closed behind him. Alone with his mom, Oren frowned and asked, “Why do you need to talk to me? I don’t see what there is to talk about. You and Dad know I’m a pacifist and I don’t use my magic.”

Marle frowned and came around from the desk to approach Oren. She would have been blind not to notice that he carried the same headstrong attitude she had at his age. She had to be calm and careful with her words if she didn’t want Oren to resent her and Crono the way she spent years resenting her own father. She would have to let him vent and hear his words if she hoped to prevent a rift between them.

“Oren, I think there’s plenty to talk about,” she asserted calmly. “I’d hate for you to resent your sister or us. So please, tell me what's really on your mind.”

“It’s everything!” Oren exclaimed. “It’s all these secrets and magic and- What am I supposed to do while Liz learns how to use magic to fight? Help Aunt Lucca build you guys some sort of fire-breathing tank so you can fight more Mystics? Are we going to war?”

Marle sighed. What was she supposed to expect of him? He was still a child by all rights and didn’t need this burden on his mind. He was supposed to be doing whatever it was that young teenagers were supposed to be doing. But life wasn’t that simple for royalty or for the children of time travelers.

“Honestly? You shouldn’t have to do anything,” she finally answered. “I don’t want this reality for you or Liz. Worrying about threats from beyond our borders… You two should be as carefree as you can be as the prince and princess of these lands. Your father and I never wanted all this trouble for you two and I am truly sorry… And we won’t start a war if your father and I can help it.”

Oren’s expression softened. He looked down and said, “I don’t see why you didn’t tell us about the Mystics before… I mean, how could you keep that kind of thing to yourselves?”

Marle smiled, trying to find humor in the moment. “Well, the topic isn’t exactly something someone should bring up in casual conversation… There has never felt like a right time to tell you or your sister that your father and I killed Mystics to save your grandfather.”

“Are you really going to let Liz learn ice magic?” Oren asked, sounding a little weary.

“We’ll see…It certainly won’t be anything that will wreck the courtyard,” Marle replied. She smiled and changed the subject herself. “Speaking of you helping Lucca, why don’t you show me what you’ve been working on with her?”

Oren shrugged, still frustrated. “Sure, I guess.”

Oren knew his mom had a point about not telling him and Liz about the Mystics, even if he was frustrated by the secrecy. He truly hoped there was nothing to worry about. While he knew his sister was skilled with a sword and his parents had done amazing things in their youth, he wondered if the Mystics could actually do anything, given they had been rendered powerless by the Mystic War. Thinking more on it, Oren wasn’t sure he would know what to do if faced with the prospect of fighting any Mystics.

~o~O~o~

In the following days after Melichor fled to Guardia, Marle reluctantly contacted the leaders of Choras and Porre with the news of what had happened. Naturally, the two nations sent dignitaries who asked Marle and Crono what Guardia was going to do about the matter.

The day of the meeting, Liz sat beside her parents while they spoke to ambassadors from Porre and Choras. Janus had silently cleared them of being Mystics in disguise and departed before the meeting had started. Liz wished she could have followed him and asked for more magic lessons, but more and more her parents had asked her to join meetings with officials so she could learn how to be queen someday. She understood it was important that she be there and learn but she felt so out of place as the grownups talked.

“Perhaps we should ensure that the Mystics do not harm anyone else,” the ambassador from Porre suggested. “Stop the threat while we can.”

“The Mystics haven’t been a threat to the world since the war four hundred years ago,“ Crono countered, adding that the Mystics presently had no army to invade with.

Choras’s ambassador frowned and noted, “You say they have no army, but we know next to nothing about the Fiends as they have been practically isolationist since Medina’s founding.”

Liz sat there as the adults debated and argued for what felt like ages. Everyone had valid points, she supposed, but it was clear that the politicians from Choras still felt the sting of what the Demon King’s army had done those four centuries ago. They expressed the most concern about dealing with the ‘Fiend threat’ while Liz could see her parents were carefully treading their roles as leaders of Guardia and the fact they personally held no animosity towards Mystics as a whole. Liz found herself wondering why no one else involved could move on or why the Mystics continued to hate humans so much.

Finally everyone came to an agreement. While no nation had an official trade agreement with Medina or its citizens, no one present was blind to the fact that merchants in each of their nations had done trade with the Mystics on Alastori’s shores. An embargo, an outright ban on trade, was the safest bet for all nations. In addition, each nation vowed to ensure that the patrols on their ocean borders to make certain that no ships entered or left Alastori’s waters. Without trade from the outside world, everyone was sure that Medina would be unable to do anything to endanger any humans.

Later that day, Liz told Oren about the meeting. Oren expressed doubt that the embargo and patrols were going to protect anyone.

“If there’s one thing I know, people will do what they want regardless of the rules,” Oren remarked.

Liz frowned. She knew her brother had once made a habit of sneaking out of his room back when their parents had been worried about Mystics sneaking into the castle. A fact she had kept secret for Oren's sake.

“But… they’re going to tell everyone why there’s an embargo,” she protested.

Oren scoffed. “There will be merchants who are willing to take the risk because they don’t want to lose money. Their whole business was trade with Medina… and people aren’t going to be happy when they can’t get the goods they want anymore so there’s going to be smugglers.” “What are Mom and Dad to do then?”

“Without controlling everyone’s every movement? I think they’ve done all they can,” Oren replied.

#chrono trigger au #echoes in time #chrono trigger #zeal ascendancy

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