Hal threw a glance at Tai, who at this point looked as if he had seen a horror movie. His eyes then travelled to Lyrrah, who smiled and stepped forward.
"I see your confusion, dear Tai, but all I say is the truth: your current king stole my throne, and I intend on reclaiming it"
Tai blinked rapidly for a few seconds before saying, "You really are crazy. I was there before he was even crowned, I was a kid when he was announced as our next ruler, and I was-"
Lyrrah did not wait for Tai to complete that sentence and interrupted, saying, "And you really trust those memories of yours, Tai?"
Her words brought Tai's own to a halt as Hal really wished that he could have popcorn in a moment like this. It didn't really sound right, but after all he'd been through, he had a right to crack a joke to himself.
"And what do you mean by that? Are you trying to say that I shouldn't trust my own memories?" Tai stepped away from Lyrrah as the uncertainty in his voice was more than clear.
Hal was pretty sure he felt a breeze blow through his hair right before Lyrrah spoke.
"There are mysteries in Haverfield, many mysteries and most of these mysteries are hidden by powerful people, incredibly powerful in fact, and one of those mysteries lies right here, you want to know it"
Even Hal felt a shiver roll down his spine the more the girl seemed to speak as Tai grit his teeth, he saw the struggle Tai was going through to contain his anger as he spoke.
"I asked you my own question, and I'm not interested in whatever mysteries that may be hidden here; none of that matters to…"
Lyrrah's voice once again disrupted Tai's own as she asked, "Are you sure, even if I were to tell you that the memories of the people in Haverfield have been altered?"
Lyrrah smiled as she saw the feeling of curiosity and denial display themselves on Tai's face.
"And that some of the memories that were altered include the memories of a great war that happened ten years ago, or what happened to the nobles who existed back then, and most importantly to you, how your parents actually met their end"
Hal had never really heard that much about Tai's parent before and had never actually considered it since they had only known each other for a short time, but the reaction on Hal's face was enough to show them that they were not a talking subject.
Tai clenched his fist as an enraged voice left his lips, "You know nothing about my parents, and you have no right to talk about them"
Lyrrah smiled even more as she turned to face the balcony of the clock tower.
"Huh, Mr Tailow Roseheart, you really believe that to be your name, but I, who has glanced at the mysteries of this world, think otherwise. I know you better than you know yourself, and if you agree, I can help you learn about your real past and what actually happened to your parents"
Tai stared at the girl, stunned by her words, yet he still hesitated to retort. It was clear that he now doubted his own memories, that he actually now considered her words.
"I won't believe you" Tai's voice was shaky, as if he was desperately hoping that Lyrrah would say no more.
But as always, this just seemed to excite Lyrrah and encourage her to continue.
She stepped forward and took his hand, guiding him forward. Hal followed silently, making sure that he didn't alarm any of them.
And when they finally arrived at the balcony, they were met by a huge white manor fit for a king. It had three floors, and from this distance, Hal could still tell that the rooms in this place were endless.
The place had four fountains that spewed out water whose colour was altered by the same gemstones that illuminated the towers, one representing each tower.
The place was heavily guarded with hunters and normal guards patrolling around the entire area. The place seemed normal at first until Hal's eyes fell upon it.
The symbol on the manor, he had seen it somewhere before, the memory of the time Hal raised his blade to him back in the cave, right before he told him his purpose.
"The crest above the manor it's the same as the one on Tai's sword" he had not originally cared about it, so it did not come off as something important.
But now, in the face of everything the girl had said, the mere crest he chose to pay attention to had resurfaced as something gravely important.
His eyes moved to Tai, who backed away from the balcony "That's my dad's crest. My family was a small noble family in a village far from here, so why is that crest here?"
Lyrrah turned to Tai, her hair blowing into her face at a steady rate "Isn't it obvious, Tai? This is your family's actual home, but your memories have been altered to fit the current king's agenda"
Tai sat down as Lyrrah stepped forward and offered her hand "Don't you want to know the truth, Tai, who you really are, what actually happened ten years ago, and what actually happened to your dad?"
Tai hesitated as he stared at the girl's hand; his eyes were full of denial, but there was no denying the fact of what he had just seen.
And to make it worse, Lyrrah spoke to him again, "Take my hand and help me conquer the mysteries hidden deep in Haverfield, please, Tai"
Tai finally raised his hand and accepted the girl's offer, and Hal could not blame the guy, though only one question remained in his mind.
"But why Tai, why do you need Tai to help you in this, and why did you go through so much to get him on your side?"
Lyrrah and Tai turned their gaze upon him. Tai's own was desperate, but Lyrrah remained calm as she answered his question.
"It's because of his father, I made a vow to him that I will find his son and reveal to him the truth so that he can discover his true origins. I was a kid back then and didn't know what it meant then, but now I do, and that's why I'm here"
She offered her hand to Hal as well and soon spoke, "You can join us as well. I respect you for having survived an encounter with a higher being, and I'm sure that your power will come in handy to us"
Hal stared at the girl's hand. He had no obligation to say yes, and unlike the other two times, there was really nothing she could do to him since her actions against him could affect Tai's agreement with her.
But he still took her hand, maybe it was curiosity, a thrill that begged him to find out more about these mysteries in Haverfield, or maybe he wanted to be there to support Tai.
Either way, this was his decision. He turned his eyes to the sky and wondered if he was being a good servant to the lord of stars, and at that moment, he said
"I'll help you uncover the mysteries you need, but I'm not doing this for you; but for Tai. I don't trust you enough to leave him with you"
Lyrrah retracted her hand and placed it behind her back "It's good to have you on board. I hope that this quest will come to be beneficial to you as well"
She walked back to Tai and helped him get up, after which she walked to the balcony and said, "Mysteries await us, but for now, please enjoy the view"
Hal came to the balcony, and so did Tai. There was still distress showing on his face, but for now, he had nothing to do for him as they all took in the sight of the entire city of Ortario and what a great sight it was