Ch 13: The Tragedy of Alexander Bastille

Following Alexander, Mythra tries to convince him to come to dinner, and in the process blurts out his greatest secret just as Amy brings his meal to him instead. What has Alexander been hiding?

            As everyone moved to go down and eat dinner, Serius said, “Grey, give Amy my apologies. I am going to go try to speak with Alexander.” Before Grey could say anything, Mythra said, “Serius, you go on ahead. I’ll do it.” Turning to her, Serius said, “Are you certain? Food and drink are little more than pleasantries for an ethereal being such as myself. I do not require it.” Walking down the hall, Mythra said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll get through that thick skull of his…” Reluctantly, Serius followed the others as he said, “Very well.” Reaching the door of Alexander’s room, Mythra knocked. Alexander called out, “Leave me be Serius. I’m fine.” Slightly irritated, Mythra said, “You know, that’s rather hard to believe considering how you stormed off like that.” There was a tone of surprise in Alexander’s voice as he said, “Mythra?” Smirking, Mythra said, “The one and only! You won’t be getting rid of me as easily as Serius, so why don’t you get yourself together and come down to the celebration dinner? Amy’s still trying her best despite my screw up with the portal, Saria too! Do you want to ruin it by not even showing up?!” Heaving a sigh, Alexander said, “Saria… There’s another matter I can’t bring myself to face…” Banging a fist on the door, Mythra exclaimed, “I’m not asking you to tell them the truth about yourself, or to go to the Lost Temple of Umbra! I’m just asking you to suck it up and come down to dinner! If you give a rat’s a*s about Amy’s feelings or those of your own daughter, you’ll come out of that damned room right now!” Then Mythra turned with eyes wide as the sound of shattering ceramic filled the hall. Having been told that Alexander had gone to his room, Amy had come upstairs with a plate of food for him, and in the process had overheard Mythra’s side of the conversation. Staring back at Mythra with her eyes wide as well, Amy muttered in disbelief, “His daughter?!” As Mythra struggled to come up with some explanation, she thought to herself, “Oh no! What have I done?!” Opening the door to his room, Alexander stepped out. Seeing Amy standing there, he simply said, “Come inside.”

            Closing the door behind him once they were both inside, Alexander walked over to stare out the window of his room. After a moment, he said, “Sit.” Amy pulled up a wooden chair that sat at the side of the room, while Mythra took a seat on the edge of the bed. For a while there was tense silence. Then Alexander finally said, “Amy… I am Grey and Saria’s father.” Still in utter disbelief, Amy said, “But how? All this time you’ve told Grey his parents were dead! How could you?! That’s just… That’s horrible!” After a moment, Alexander said, “Yes it is. What I’ve done to those two is without excuse.” Mythra just stared at her hands folded in her lap as he continued, “It was six years before they were born that I met my wife, Amelia. Energetic, strong, very caring, the time I spent with her made me think that perhaps I could start over, escape the past that haunted me. We knew someday our time together would end. The curse of my immortality weighed heavily on me, but we still could not deny our love. When Saria and Grey were born, it was the happiest day of my life…” Alexander clenched his fists and said, “But three years later, our world together fell to pieces around us. Serius contacted me telepathically that day while I was in town, telling me that Alastor had broken free, and that one of his informants on Mautau had learned that the High Soothsayers had divined that my son was the new He of the Infinite. He told me to take my family and hide them. However it was all too late…” 

Alexander was clenching his fists so tightly now that they were shaking. Finally he relaxed his hands and with a sigh he turned around to look at them as he continued, “Altera Veritas attacked before I even got home. Any damage to the house or the grounds was hardly noticeable, but I knew something was amiss. Amelia escaped from the house when they arrived, taking our children with her. I can only imagine she fought them off with her strong wind affinity and skill with her bow, yet Alastor had not taken any chances. Scathe, the Revenant of the Black Sun, hunted her down. Knowing she was being pursued, Amelia hid our children and used herself as a distraction. She sacrificed herself for them. When I found her, she barely had enough time to tell me where our children were before she died. I didn’t even get to say goodbye… or that I was sorry…” As Alexander finished, looking as though he were about to fall apart, Amy felt as though she might cry herself as she said, “Alexander… I’m so sorry… but still…” Turning to her with a sad expression, Alexander said, “I know Amy. Grey and Saria have every right to know. Even so, I am sorry to say… If you do tell them, I’m afraid I can no longer travel together with you and the others. I cannot face them as their father after everything I’ve done…” With that, he turned around to stare out the window once more as he added, “In the end, everything is my fault. Please, just leave me alone now…”

            Halsa. Thursday June 28, 520NA. Sitting on the steps of the inn with Saria watching as Grey and the others were trying to tie a wagon to the hover cycle so that it could transport them all into the desert where the Lost Temple of Umbra awaited them, Amy was lost in thought, the fact that last night’s celebration dinner was a big success with all who attended the furthest thing from her mind. As hard as it was to know and accept the truth, it was even harder to keep something so important from the one person she cared about most. As they finally succeeded in firmly attaching the wagon, Guru said, “Well, there you are folks. Wherever it is you’re off to this time, this should get you there.” Grinning, Grey said, “Thanks for lending us the wagon and all the help Guru!” Laughing, Guru waved his thanks away, saying, “Nah. Things may have been noisy lately, but you kids are alright. Not many travelers round these parts these days, you pretty much saved my business showing up here! Not to mention last night’s dinner party was a nice change of pace, though I do wonder what happened to that friend of yours in the red coat and cape. Don’t think he’s left his room since the other day.” 

Having been wondering about this as well, Grey stared up at Alexander’s window and thought, “Guess he’s really serious about not coming.” Leaning against the wagon, Richter saw him staring at the window and said, “I’m afraid there’s not much we can do. Alexander has lived far longer than any man should have to. No doubt there are many painful things in his past he would rather not be reminded of…” Nodding in agreement, Serius said, “Some people seek immortality and power without realizing everything comes at a price. There are times I envy the short lived races…” A moment of silence filled the air, and then Scott said, “Well, we’re set to go. Might as well get ready. By the way, where’d Fox get to?” Having been lazing about in the wagon, Fox suddenly sat up and exclaimed, “Yeah! Let’s get this show on the road already!” They all glared at him for a moment, but then Mythra came bursting out of the inn, nearly tripping over Amy and Saria as she exclaimed, “Alexander’s not in his room! He’s gone!”

            They all split up and started searching for Alexander around town, and after a few hours Grey, Saria, and Amy rushed back to the inn to regroup with the others, having found a lead. Arriving to find they were the last to return, as Grey rushed up to the others, he said, “Someone in town saw a person who fit Alexander’s description heading out into the desert!” Looking concerned, Scott said, “The desert?! None of our supplies are missing. He isn’t going out there to die or something is he?!” Feeling she couldn’t keep silent any longer, Mythra started to say, “I really hope not. Look guys, there’s something I have to-” Stepping out from behind Grey, Amy said, “Mythra, no!” Looking surprised for a moment, Mythra fell silent. Looking back and forth between them, Grey said, “What’s going on you two? You know something, don’t you?” Staring down at the ground, Amy slowly said, “I’m sorry Grey, I can’t tell you…” Grey looked at her in surprise and simply said, “Amy…” She remained silent. Understanding, Grey said, “Alright. Well, whatever’s going on, we have to go find him!” Nodding, already forming a plan of action, Richter said, “Indeed. Perhaps we should look into more transportation so we can split up? The desert is vast after all…” Staring out into the desert, Serius said, “That won’t be necessary.” They all turned to look at him as he added, “If he’s gone into the desert, I am certain we will find him at the Lost Temple of Umbra.”

            As he reached the Lost Temple of Umbra, which in truth was the very ruin in the side of the mountain that Fox had been hiding out in, Alexander dismounted his stolen sandhoof, a large beast of burden with sand colored hair and a second set of transparent eyelids used to shield their eyes from sandstorms. Entering the temple, he made his way into the large chamber where Grey had found Saria, muttering to himself, “A thousand years since I first set foot here. As long as it seems, it hasn’t been long enough for my taste…” Forming his sword, Alexander stared at it for a moment, thinking, “To break the seal, I turned my own anima weapon into a key, and in the end I used the base of that spell to change it again, this time into a prison for the darkness within me.” Turning to the left wall, Alexander approached it and placed a hand on it. Pushing a spot on it, the wall seemed to disassemble itself block by block until a passageway was revealed. Alexander quickly proceeded through it and down a long, spiraling flight of stone stairs into the dark depths of the temple. 

Raising his hand before him and creating a small ball of EDE to illuminate the way, Alexander looked at the ancient language on the walls as he descended, thinking, “I ignored all the warning signs, all the unknown variables, all the danger. Despite my brother’s misgivings, I pushed onward, dragging him down with me. All for the sake of my ideals…” Reaching the bottom at last, he made his way down a long hall lined with massive statues of fearsome creatures until he came to a room with an enormous rune circle carved into the floor and a large open door with broken chains hanging from it, only darkness beyond it. Stepping into the rune circle, Alexander said, “And here I stand once more, alone. My brother lost, my ideals unfulfilled… I’ve lost everything. That’s the price I’ve paid for my mistakes.” Stabbing his sword into the rune circle, he said, “And not only do I suffer, no… The entire world has paid for my crimes! Even my own children…” Clutching his sword’s handle tightly with both hands, he began to gather EDE, saying, “If I can use the original seal and the darkness within this blade, it’s only a theory, but perhaps I can create a similar absorption effect to the seals on Teramis. Only this time it will absorb the lifeforce contamination, the Corrupted EDE that threatens the world! It may end my life, but it’s past time I atoned for my sins…”

            Rushing at Alexander with a powerful EDE charged punch, Grey shouted, “Don’t you even think about it you B*****D!” As Alexander turned in surprise, Grey caught him straight in the face, knocking Alexander flat on his back as his signature shades clattered to the ground. The others quickly rushed in as well while Grey simply glared down at Alexander. Struggling to sit up, Alexander said, “Ugh, why are you-” Quickly, Mythra shouted at him, “Why the hell do you think we’re here?! We were worried about you, you stupid old fart!” His arms crossed before him, Richter’s expression was stern as he said, “Apparently the saying ‘with age comes wisdom’ is not true for everyone…” Looking angry as well, Scott said, “Seriously! Did you just say something about ending your life?! To atone for something?! After everything you said to try and help Grey through his own problem, you’re acting just like he was!” With a deflated look, Alexander tried to speak, saying, “I…” Stepping out from behind Grey, Amy walked over to stand by Alexander. A shadow fell over her face as she quietly said, “Is this what I get for keeping secrets for you Alexander? You’re not just acting as bad as Grey was, this is worse! Do you think throwing your life away like that will bring them happiness? Bring anyone happiness?” Trembling, her voice sounded like she were on the verge of tears as she shouted, “Even if you dying could bring an end to all the suffering in the world, the people you leave behind will still have to live with the pain of loss!” 

Alexander’s shoulders sank, and he merely hung his head in silence. Popping out from behind Grey, Fox said, “Well, since we’re here, we may as well continue into the chamber. Once you’ve taken a good look I’ll start explaining things…” Fox started to head for the open door, and as he motioned them to follow, Serius said, “I will stay here to keep an eye on Alexander.” Approaching Serius as the others followed Fox, Saria said, “I-I’ll do it if you want…” Staring at her a moment, Serius nodded and said, “Very well.” As Serius followed after the others, Saria bent down and picked up Alexander’s shades. Walking over to Alexander, Saria presented them to him and said, “You dropped these…” Looking up slowly, Alexander took them and for a moment he simply stared at them. Then putting them on, he smiled reluctantly and said, “Thank you…”

            Gathering within the dark room beyond the great door, Grey and the others could barely see each other. Unsure what they were supposed to be seeing, Grey raised a hand and gathered EDE as he said, “Guess I’d better-” Raising his own hand, Fox shot a fireball into the darkness. Striking a torch on the wall, as the torch lit up, the darkness diminished. Lowering his hand, Grey muttered, “Or we could do that…” Lighting one torch after another, as the room was finally lit, Fox turned to them and said, “Welcome to the Halls of Origin.” As the others began to stare at the pictures drawn upon the far wall of the rectangular room, Serius said, “The Halls of Origin? The ancient sanctum from which the mythical beings called the Old Gods carried out the ritual that created Origin itself, whose walls are inscribed with the history of creation? I’ve always believed it to be nothing more than a myth, the stories say it was lost almost immediately after the world itself was born.” Grinning smugly, Fox said, “Anything lost can always be found! You just have to know where to look.” 

Staring at a picture on the far left of the wall before him, portraying a group of small white circles with rays of light shining out upon a larger white circle, Grey said, “So then, would this here be the Old Gods using their powers to create Origin?” Coming over to look at the picture, Richter said, “That’s a rather good question, the pictures are so vague and simple. I believe we’d have to know what the writing below it says in order to discern what any of them mean…” Staring at Grey curiously, Fox said, “Actually he’s right on the money there. Pretty impressive considering he can’t read the angelic letters it’s written in.” Crossing her arms, Mythra eyed him skeptically as she said, “I think it’s more impressive that you can! Even I don’t understand any of this… If this is angelic language, it must be an even older version than the most archaic books you could find in my library, and that’s old.” Laughing her suspicions off, Fox said, “It was written at the start of creation after all. I’d be happy to bet that this is the oldest language there is. After joining up with Altera Veritas, my brother started researching it, and I picked up on it as well.” Staring at the other pictures, Serius looked troubled as he said, “For the Nameless One to be sealed within the Halls of Origin… What does this mean? Just what story do the rest of these images tell Fox? What is the connection?”