Chapter 368 - A Final Goodbye (2) (unedited)

Regaleon flew away towards the open sea on Tempest. The ones that were left on shore were Dimitri, Jeremy, and the body of Clara.

Jeremy was still crying while gently hugging his sister body in his arms. Dimitri looked at him sadly, trying to comfort him with a pat on his shoulder.

"Stay here with your sister. You are not in good condition to fight." Dimitri said and stood up. He looked at Patricia who is at a distance. A wide river that formed after she parted the surface of the sea shore was the only thing separating them from Patricia.

"No. I want to help you. She killed my little sister. I will let her pay." Jeremy tried to stand up but Dimitri pushed him back.

"Do not even try in your condition." Dimitri said. "You are in no condition to fight a royal of Atlantia. Do not forget that your sister gave her life to save you."

"B-But…" Jeremy was still hesitant. His anger for Patricia was boiling up inside of him, but he had lost a lot of blood that he could just be a hindrance for Dimitri. "I understand." He closed his eyes and decided that it was best to not be a hindrance.

"That is good to hear." Dimitri replied.

"Make her pay." Jeremy said with fiery eyes. Dimitri can see that Jeremy was giving him the task of defeating Patricia for him and his sister's sake. "My little sister and I worked for her since we were young. We have followed her every order without any questions asked. We have killed many people that hindered her plans. But she paid our hard work with taking my sister's life. She is a witch with a black heart. She does not deserve to be queen, let alone rule people." He said in fury.

When Dimitri was about to charge towards Patricia, he saw her bombarding every elemental magic she has on Regaleon.

"Your majesty!" Dimitri yelled in worry.

Fortunately, Tempest was there to help block every attack that Patricia threw their way. But Regaleon was on a defensive and was not able to advance further.

"I will not let you get away!" Patricia yelled.

From afar, we saw a tidal wave coming for us. It was at least fifteen to twenty feet high.

"That is insane!" Dimitri yelled in disbelief

Dimitri cannot imagine how can Patricia conjure such a terrifying magic. The giant tidal wave's size can wipe out at least a tenth of the coastal areas here in Alvannia.

"I will not let you get away!" Patricia yelled. "You will all die here. HAHAHA!"

"I have to stop that huge thing." Dimitri told himself.

Regaleon could have done something about the upcoming tidal wave, but Patricia was bombarding him with attacks that he cannot get away.

Dimitri thought of using his dark magic. He can use it to suck the tidal wave in his dark vortex.

"But can I even maintain a dark vortex until all of the tidal wave is gone?" Dimitri questioned himself. "What if I go past my limits and the dark vortex get out of my control?" He worried

Dimitri has never used his dark magic as much as possible because of the fear that he cannot control it. There have been instances that his dark magic, rather than be of help, endangered his comrades. After a handful of such circ.u.mstances, he has been afraid of using it more than he needs to. Even with practice, he can only control his dark magic at a given size and time limit. He was afraid with a tidal wave of that size, he will need to create a dark vortex that passed his own limits.

'Would you like me to lend you a hand.' A voice suddenly spoke to him inside his head.

"W-What?" Dimitri was flabbergasted.

'I am right here.' The voice said once again. 'Look down here.'

Dimitri looked at his feet and saw an unusual black tortoise beside him.

"H-How did you…" Dimitri was left speechless. But then he had remembered the familiars Regaleon and Alicia has. "Are you a familiar as well?" He asked curiously.

'You are quick to catch, human.' The black tortoise said. 'I like you, that is why I would like to lend you a helping hand. With your current magical strength, I surely can use my second form and help you out. Would you like to form a contract with me, human?'

Dimitri was left in awe. He cannot believe that a familiar like Tempest and Snow will choose him as its partner and master.

Before he was about to answer, he heard horses arriving from a distance. When he looked back, he saw Alicia's parents and some Alvannian soldiers coming their way. Alicia's mother Leticia, helped Regaleon to block Patricia's attacks and was able to get away. Regaleon proceeded to his original destination, where his wife is.

"Dimitri!" Leticia called out to him when she and the others arrived. "I have told my son in law to go to my daughter. I also told him that we will be dealing with that." She pointed out towards the tidal wave.

"I understand." Dimitri nodded in understanding.

"Oh my. Is that what I think it is?" Leticia saw the black tortoise beside Dimitri's feet. "It is as I thought." She smiled sweetly towards Dimitri.

Dimitri then remembered the conversation he had with Leticia when they were at the village, after just escaping from Jennovia.

**FLASHBACK**

"You are Dimitri, correct?" Leticia asked.

"Yes, I am your highness." Dimitri replied.

"You do not have to be formal with me." Leticia let out a smile. She looked closely at Dimitri. This made him feel embarrassed. "Oh I am sorry, did you feel uncomfortable with my stare?"

"I-I am not just used to someone so beautiful staring at me." Dimitri replied, hiding his blushing face with his hand.

"How cute." Leticia giggled. "I am sorry, it is just that you look so much like someone. Someone I know so well." She then had a sad face.

"Is my face letting you remember sad things, madam?" Dimitri asked.

"It is just… you look like my at father, except with your black hair and eyes." Leticia said with a thoughtful look. "Tell me, how old were you when the war ended in the past?"

"I believe I was five years old or younger, madam." Dimitri replied courtly. "I do not remember that clearly because I was still so young."

"Do you remember your parents?" Leticia asked.

"I do not know about my father, but my mother was a maid in a noble house back then in Atlantia." Dimitri replied. "My mother and I were able to escape the purge of the country, but my mother succ.u.mbed to illness not long after."

"Tell me, was your mother's employer a duke of Atlantia?" Leticia asked with such curiosity.

"…I think so." Dimitri replied with a curious look. "I do not remember that clearly of what family was it, but I think it was a duke's family."

"Oh my…" Leticia was shocked hearing Dimitri's words. "Then you could be my half brother." She chimed and smiled wholeheartedly.

"W-What?" Dimitri said in surprise and disbelief. "That is impossible. My mother was just a maid, and my father…" he trailed off.

"You do not know anything about your father, correct?" Leticia chimed. "My father, the mad king as he as dubbed, had spent nights with a beautiful palace maid. Because of those nights, she got pregnant. When she gave birth, it is said that the baby was a boy with black hair and eyes. A complete opposite with the royal's silver hair and eyes. My father tagged him as a taboo and said that the baby was a curse to him, planned to dispose of the mother and son. My mother the queen knew that the maid was being forced against her will, but she was powerless to stop her own husband. When she knew of my father's plans to dispose of the maid and child, she helped them to escape out of her guilt. She had placed the mother and son under the care of the duke of Wintermoon, a close friend of hers that she knew can hide the mother and child. Duke Wintermoon's daughter is no other than Regaleon's mother, the one that took you in."

Dimitri could not believe such coincidences could have happened. He was still doubtful that what Leticia had said could be true.

"I am sorry madam. I am finding it hard to believe that I have royal blood running thru my veins." Dimitri said with a respectful bow. "I am sorry, but I believe I am not your half brother as you have thought."

"I cannot convince you if that is what you think. But I cannot deny the bond I am feeling right now with you." Leticia said. "I can feel that you are my dear little brother." Leticia smiled sweetly.

Dimitri's heart skipped a beat after seeing such a sweet smile coming from Leticia. But he was still doubtful of her words. He cannot believe that he also had royal blood running thru his veins and being a b*stard son of the mad king himself.

**FLASHBACK END**

"As I believe, familiars only select Atlantians with royal blood running in their veins." Leticia said to Dimitri. "You really are my little brother." She smiled at him.

"What? Who is your little brother?" Edward asked his wife.

"I will tell you the whole story when we get back." Leticia told her husband and he replied in a frown. "Dimitri, I believe this one can help us with that huge tidal wave coming."

"I understand." Dimitri replied with a nod.

"Let me take care of my twin sister." Leticia added.

'So, are you going to form a contract with me?' The black tortoise asked.

"I will." Dimitri replied firmly. "My name is Dimitri. I will name you Carrick." And with this simple naming, the contract has been made.

'Thank you, my master. I now have a name once again.' Carrick said.

Carrick walked towards the receding water line of the sea. He plunged into water and disappeared. Not long a huge thing came out of the water. When the water that splashed out subsided, a huge black tortoise emerged.

"Because you have high magical strength, I can use my full potential without any problems." Carrick said. He used his snake like tail and wrapped it around Dimitri's body. He hoisted him up into the air and landed him on his shelled back. "Now let us stop that huge wave from getting to shore."

Carrick conjured a huge wall made of rock just a few meters out from the sea shore. It slowly materialized from the ground up. It was towering to at least fifty feet in height and the length cannot be measured. It stretches as far as the eye can see.

"The wave is also huge, so I have made the wall to be double in height and length." Carrick replied.

Dimitri was in awe seeing that his own familiar conjured such a huge rock wall with the help of his own magic.

"You are amazing." Dimitri said with astonishment.

"Of course I cannot do this by myself." Carrick replied. "It is also thanks to you that I can use such powerful magic. I can also feel that you have dark magic attribute that you are afraid to use. Do not worry because I can help you with controlling that. In the future and with practice, you can use dark magic without worry."

Dimitri was happy to hear Carrick's words. Now he was starting to believe Leticia's words. He really might be the half brother she was talking about. He looked at the shore where Leticia and the others were and saw that Leticia was able to cross the river that Patricia made with magic.

"Well look who is here." Patricia said sarcastically. "My little weak twin sister has arrived all well. Are you to join me or stop me?"

"Sister, stop this madness." Leticia pleaded.

And with that, the confrontation between the twin sisters started.