Final Fantasy: Cycle of Wrath
Moderator: LadyTevar
Ouch... poor Princess! So much for love
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
-
Darth Raptor
- Red Mage
- Posts: 5448
- Joined: 2003-12-18 03:39am
Another tiny update. I'm trying to get all the sap out of my system before the crazy insane action chapters. XD
*****
Green fields and verdant, rolling hills stretched out for as far as the eye could see. The scene was like something out of Argus' childhood. In fact, it was a scene from Argus' childhood. It was the city of Melmond. Although in the heart of the most agrarian of the dwarven provinces, it was a bustling city. Beyond the relatively short stone walls were a series of windmills and haystacks. It was a very tranquil and picturesque view of what was literally the world's bread basket. Argus skipped merrily; the soft, fertile soil felt nice under his bare feet. Several paces ahead of him, Liam tested out the new plow he had wrought. It sliced through the tough sod like a hot knife through butter. The plow left two neat rows of fresh, nutrient-rich topsoil. Liam's client would be most pleased. The dwarven blacksmith's prices were quite agreeable, and a finer tool simply didn't exist. The humans who tended the farm would probably use it for wheat or barley; Argus' stomach growled.
He sped up to Liam and tugged at the old dwarf's cloak. Although Argus was only a small boy, he was practically as tall as his guardian. What is it, laddie? Liam ruffled the boy's hair affectionately and looked up at the sun- which was already high in the sky. Ah, that's right. It's about that time, it is. Let's go intae town and get us some lunch The blacksmith abandoned the plow where it was and started down the dusty path toward Melmond.
Argus knew what would happen next; he also knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Sure enough, as the surrogate father and adoptive son trotted down the road, the clear sky became overcast. Thick, black clouds blotted out the sun with unbelievable speed, and a chilly wind rolled over the plains. Argus hugged himself tightly. He didn't wear a shirt- what with it being an unseasonably warm spring- and he was now frightfully cold. Oddly enough, Liam didn't seem to notice the sudden and drastic change in the weather. Worse than the biting chill, however, was Argus' awareness of his care giver's impending doom.
As the pair passed a large, dead oak tree surrounded by a patch of pumpkins, Argus' anxiety reached its climax. Despite the lack of sun, the dead tree had a long, prominent shadow that spanned the width of the road. The little human boy stopped dead in his tracks and collapsed to his knees. He tried to call out to Liam, but he could barely breathe. As the dwarf obliviously planted one foot and then the other into the shadow, the beast attacked. With an otherworldly howl that sounded like wind the shadow rendered itself into a solid form. A hideous, gigantic skeletal claw grasped at the dwarf, clutching him in its inhuman fist. Liam was rather corpulent, but in a healthy way. Nevertheless, the dwarf became instantly emaciated the second he made contact with the claw. Within seconds, the last of Liam's flesh rotted off his skeleton, and the bones themselves turned to dust and blew away. Argus wanted to run. His mind screamed at him to turn and flee the way he came, but his legs would not comply. Empty-handed again, the giant claw opened once more and thrust its spindly hand at Argus with blinding speed. Argus tried to scream, but he failed to even exhale.
***
Argus Baron, now eighteen years old and entirely safe, woke with a gasp. Disoriented, he patted the ground around him, making contact with the sleeping bodies of Gilles and Maduin. He sighed in relief. It was a dream, He thought. Just a dream. That same nightmare. Sarina said I should expect them. Curse this damned jewel Argus looked down at the Earth Crystal that hung about his neck and snorted. What would that accomplish? It’s already cursed AND damned Slowly, as not to disturb his fellow warriors, he freed himself from his sleeping bag and exited the tent. It was a clear night, and the moon was still mostly full. The campfire from earlier had gone out, but the embers still burned with a faint orange glow. It was Sarina’s watch, apparently, as she was the only one sitting on the log staring at the dying coals.
“Bored yet?” Argus stomped over to Sarina and sat down next to her.
“Mm, I’m too tired to be bored.” The healer sighed. The fatigue from their exploits earlier that night still had her down. “Why are you up? You already had your watch.”
“I... ah, had a bad dream,” the fighter offered, somewhat embarrassed.
“You mean...?”
“Yeah, THAT kind. More vivid than I really remember them, gods that was horrible.”
Sarina idly nudged a red chunk of coal with the handle of her hammer. “Yes, they are. After some persuasion, Gilles recounted his nightmare to me. The overall theme appears to be similar, but the setting, context and antagonists are different. For fear of stating the obvious, I would attribute this to the fact that each Crystal governs a different element.”
“Yeah, you get attacked by a water monster, right?” Argus cracked his knuckles and stretched, still fairly tired despite his unpleasant dream.
“A kraken, more specifically,” Sarina suppressed a shudder. “Gilles is attacked by some kind of multi-headed dragon.”
“Makes sense,” Argus yawned. “Dragons can fly. What I don’t get is what a giant skeleton has to do with the earth.”
“Giant... skeleton?” Sarina seemed puzzled as well.
“Yeah, and not the whole thing either. Just the hand, it seems to be able to suck the life out of whatever it touches. Some kind of undead?”
“I wouldn’t know. It doesn’t seem to fit well with the earth power it apparently corrupts...”
“Well, it did come out of the ground, if that helps.”
“We don’t know how reliable these visions are to begin with,” Sarina stated flatly. “We probably shouldn’t put too much stock in them. Perhaps it’s part of the curse inflicting the Crystals, intended to discourage us, and there’s no real monsters associated with them at all.”
“Yeah, well, I’m going to anticipate an enormous freaking skeleton, just to be safe.”
“That’s probably a wise choice.”
The two sat in silence for a few moments. Despite the stench from the nearby peat bogs, the campsite was relatively relaxing. Frogs and cicadas croaked and chirped in the swamp to the north, while crickets and owls composed a chorus in the woods to the south. In the clearing where they sat, a chill breeze blew through; extinguishing the last of their campfire. Sarina slid across the log, closer to Argus, and leaned against him gently.
“Heh, you cold?” Argus blushed. “Erm, we could restart the fire if you want...”
“Mm, no. Let Gilles sleep,” Sarina murmured, resting her full weight on his body and tucking her head into his neck. “Unless... unless this bothers you?”
“Uh, no! Not at all!” It was fortunate for the young fighter that it was so dark, as his face was a fiery shade of red. “I guess this... this means...”
“It means your body is warm,” Sarina chuckled.
“Oh...” The warrior sounded more than a little disappointed.
Sarina sat up slowly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s just... I mean, I thought... Would you?”
“I know language isn’t your strong suit,” Sarina chided, “but really...”
“I love you!” Argus choked. “There, I said it. You saved my life. I know that’s your job, but you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That’s not to say that’s all there is to it, but you really are gorgeous. You’re also smart and kind and funny sometimes. I’ve never told you this before, but you’re the first friend I’ve had since Liam died. The first... family I’ve had since Liam died. You’re right, I’m not that good with words. I’m really not that smart, either I just-“
Sarina embraced him in a long, deep kiss. Argus merely sat there stunned at first, but once he understood what was happening he reciprocated with great enthusiasm. When it concluded, they were both short of breath.
“You told me once that actions speak louder than words,” Sarina whispered as she guided Argus’ hands toward her chest. “Why don’t you stay in my tent tonight?”
*****
Green fields and verdant, rolling hills stretched out for as far as the eye could see. The scene was like something out of Argus' childhood. In fact, it was a scene from Argus' childhood. It was the city of Melmond. Although in the heart of the most agrarian of the dwarven provinces, it was a bustling city. Beyond the relatively short stone walls were a series of windmills and haystacks. It was a very tranquil and picturesque view of what was literally the world's bread basket. Argus skipped merrily; the soft, fertile soil felt nice under his bare feet. Several paces ahead of him, Liam tested out the new plow he had wrought. It sliced through the tough sod like a hot knife through butter. The plow left two neat rows of fresh, nutrient-rich topsoil. Liam's client would be most pleased. The dwarven blacksmith's prices were quite agreeable, and a finer tool simply didn't exist. The humans who tended the farm would probably use it for wheat or barley; Argus' stomach growled.
He sped up to Liam and tugged at the old dwarf's cloak. Although Argus was only a small boy, he was practically as tall as his guardian. What is it, laddie? Liam ruffled the boy's hair affectionately and looked up at the sun- which was already high in the sky. Ah, that's right. It's about that time, it is. Let's go intae town and get us some lunch The blacksmith abandoned the plow where it was and started down the dusty path toward Melmond.
Argus knew what would happen next; he also knew there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Sure enough, as the surrogate father and adoptive son trotted down the road, the clear sky became overcast. Thick, black clouds blotted out the sun with unbelievable speed, and a chilly wind rolled over the plains. Argus hugged himself tightly. He didn't wear a shirt- what with it being an unseasonably warm spring- and he was now frightfully cold. Oddly enough, Liam didn't seem to notice the sudden and drastic change in the weather. Worse than the biting chill, however, was Argus' awareness of his care giver's impending doom.
As the pair passed a large, dead oak tree surrounded by a patch of pumpkins, Argus' anxiety reached its climax. Despite the lack of sun, the dead tree had a long, prominent shadow that spanned the width of the road. The little human boy stopped dead in his tracks and collapsed to his knees. He tried to call out to Liam, but he could barely breathe. As the dwarf obliviously planted one foot and then the other into the shadow, the beast attacked. With an otherworldly howl that sounded like wind the shadow rendered itself into a solid form. A hideous, gigantic skeletal claw grasped at the dwarf, clutching him in its inhuman fist. Liam was rather corpulent, but in a healthy way. Nevertheless, the dwarf became instantly emaciated the second he made contact with the claw. Within seconds, the last of Liam's flesh rotted off his skeleton, and the bones themselves turned to dust and blew away. Argus wanted to run. His mind screamed at him to turn and flee the way he came, but his legs would not comply. Empty-handed again, the giant claw opened once more and thrust its spindly hand at Argus with blinding speed. Argus tried to scream, but he failed to even exhale.
***
Argus Baron, now eighteen years old and entirely safe, woke with a gasp. Disoriented, he patted the ground around him, making contact with the sleeping bodies of Gilles and Maduin. He sighed in relief. It was a dream, He thought. Just a dream. That same nightmare. Sarina said I should expect them. Curse this damned jewel Argus looked down at the Earth Crystal that hung about his neck and snorted. What would that accomplish? It’s already cursed AND damned Slowly, as not to disturb his fellow warriors, he freed himself from his sleeping bag and exited the tent. It was a clear night, and the moon was still mostly full. The campfire from earlier had gone out, but the embers still burned with a faint orange glow. It was Sarina’s watch, apparently, as she was the only one sitting on the log staring at the dying coals.
“Bored yet?” Argus stomped over to Sarina and sat down next to her.
“Mm, I’m too tired to be bored.” The healer sighed. The fatigue from their exploits earlier that night still had her down. “Why are you up? You already had your watch.”
“I... ah, had a bad dream,” the fighter offered, somewhat embarrassed.
“You mean...?”
“Yeah, THAT kind. More vivid than I really remember them, gods that was horrible.”
Sarina idly nudged a red chunk of coal with the handle of her hammer. “Yes, they are. After some persuasion, Gilles recounted his nightmare to me. The overall theme appears to be similar, but the setting, context and antagonists are different. For fear of stating the obvious, I would attribute this to the fact that each Crystal governs a different element.”
“Yeah, you get attacked by a water monster, right?” Argus cracked his knuckles and stretched, still fairly tired despite his unpleasant dream.
“A kraken, more specifically,” Sarina suppressed a shudder. “Gilles is attacked by some kind of multi-headed dragon.”
“Makes sense,” Argus yawned. “Dragons can fly. What I don’t get is what a giant skeleton has to do with the earth.”
“Giant... skeleton?” Sarina seemed puzzled as well.
“Yeah, and not the whole thing either. Just the hand, it seems to be able to suck the life out of whatever it touches. Some kind of undead?”
“I wouldn’t know. It doesn’t seem to fit well with the earth power it apparently corrupts...”
“Well, it did come out of the ground, if that helps.”
“We don’t know how reliable these visions are to begin with,” Sarina stated flatly. “We probably shouldn’t put too much stock in them. Perhaps it’s part of the curse inflicting the Crystals, intended to discourage us, and there’s no real monsters associated with them at all.”
“Yeah, well, I’m going to anticipate an enormous freaking skeleton, just to be safe.”
“That’s probably a wise choice.”
The two sat in silence for a few moments. Despite the stench from the nearby peat bogs, the campsite was relatively relaxing. Frogs and cicadas croaked and chirped in the swamp to the north, while crickets and owls composed a chorus in the woods to the south. In the clearing where they sat, a chill breeze blew through; extinguishing the last of their campfire. Sarina slid across the log, closer to Argus, and leaned against him gently.
“Heh, you cold?” Argus blushed. “Erm, we could restart the fire if you want...”
“Mm, no. Let Gilles sleep,” Sarina murmured, resting her full weight on his body and tucking her head into his neck. “Unless... unless this bothers you?”
“Uh, no! Not at all!” It was fortunate for the young fighter that it was so dark, as his face was a fiery shade of red. “I guess this... this means...”
“It means your body is warm,” Sarina chuckled.
“Oh...” The warrior sounded more than a little disappointed.
Sarina sat up slowly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s just... I mean, I thought... Would you?”
“I know language isn’t your strong suit,” Sarina chided, “but really...”
“I love you!” Argus choked. “There, I said it. You saved my life. I know that’s your job, but you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That’s not to say that’s all there is to it, but you really are gorgeous. You’re also smart and kind and funny sometimes. I’ve never told you this before, but you’re the first friend I’ve had since Liam died. The first... family I’ve had since Liam died. You’re right, I’m not that good with words. I’m really not that smart, either I just-“
Sarina embraced him in a long, deep kiss. Argus merely sat there stunned at first, but once he understood what was happening he reciprocated with great enthusiasm. When it concluded, they were both short of breath.
“You told me once that actions speak louder than words,” Sarina whispered as she guided Argus’ hands toward her chest. “Why don’t you stay in my tent tonight?”
Ya know.. the BlackMage will be SOOO DAMN PISSED that the Fighter got WhiteMage. 
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
-
Darth Raptor
- Red Mage
- Posts: 5448
- Joined: 2003-12-18 03:39am
-
Darth Raptor
- Red Mage
- Posts: 5448
- Joined: 2003-12-18 03:39am
OMFG MASSIVE UPDATE!!! Sorry for the delay, I haven't had a decent word processor since I moved back home. But... now I do! Enjoy; this chapter was a lot of fun to write.
*****
Kelga and Duane sat cross-legged, across from one another inside their tent. Kelga’s eyes were closed and his hands were outstretched, palms held inward and parallel to each other. Duane continued his lecture, “The most basic concept that any spell caster must understand is mana. Without mana living beings cannot make contact with the stuff of the ether.”
“Ether? You mean ethyl alcohol?”
Duane laughed, “No, a parallel dimension that doesn’t naturally come into contact with or otherwise affect our universe. Gilles would call it ‘magic space’. When one does magic, they’re doing something that would otherwise be impossible. In order to violate established physical laws, energy and complex matter of alien origin must be introduced- brought into the otherwise closed system that is our universe.”
“Heh, seems simple enough.”
Duane shrugged, “Conceptual understanding and putting that knowledge to practical use are two entirely different things. You were the old man’s protégé, were you not? I assume you have some basic understanding of chemistry?”
“I can manage.”
“Good. In the broadest possible sense, a magical spell can be thought of like a reaction. The effects and products manifest themselves in our world, but the energy and a majority of the reactants come from the ether. To continue the analogy, mana can be thought of as a catalyst. It provides the necessary starting energy to breach the barrier between worlds.”
“What exactly is mana?”
Duane laughed again, “It depends entirely on who you ask. The most basic definition is self-serving: Mana is the energy that a being utilizes for spell casting. But… I assume you want an explanation that is closer to reality. White mages, black mages and members of my own vocation have competing theories in regards to exactly what mana is.”
“What do red mages say?”
“Aha, that’s probably not the best explanation for a layman such as yourself; especially considering that you have no interest in white magic. For our purposes, the black mage’s explanation should be sufficient.”
Kelga filled his voice with faux impatience, “Well, what is that?”
“Ahem, theoretically speaking, the dimensional relationship between our universe and ‘magic space’ is not entirely parallel. The ether only affects our world when magic is being performed, but our world has a constant impact on the ether. Hypothetically speaking, everything in this universe affects the fabric of the ether. Black mages propose no mechanism for this, but it is self-consistent within the greater theoretical framework of black magic. It’s only when one considers the other schools of magic that a conflict emerges. A unified theory of magic will probably never be proposed within our lifetime, if ever. So, because you only want to use black magic you’re better off allowing yourself to believe the world is really the way Gilles says it is.”
“Okay, but you’re rambling again. What is mana?”
“Ah, my apologies. Mana is a literal fluid substance that resides in the ether. Sentient beings or sufficiently complex inanimate structures naturally attract and accumulate mana.”
“So people have a reserve of mana built up inside them,” Kelga mused.
“Not exactly,” Duane corrected. “If mana were a proven and not purely theoretical substance, it could be extracted and held in isolation.”
“But weren’t the goblin prison arrays doing just that?” Kelga interrupted.
Duane shook his head. “As it stands, no one has ever observed pure mana in its natural state. The intuitive conclusion is, of course, that mana doesn’t exist; at least not as a distinct form of matter, exotic or not. This brings us back to the dictionary definition- that mana is merely a form of potential energy; the ability to perform magic. Our actual physical makeup remained unaltered, even though the mana drain had physiological and psychosomatic effects. The array, likewise, was unaltered in regards to its basic properties. Magical potential merely flowed from the victim to the array. No verifiable matter transfer actually took place, so you can see how the classification of mana as a fluid substance is problematic.”
“But you said it was self-consistent within the field of black magic. How do black mages explain such observations?”
“Because,” Duane explained, “Mana cannot be verified because it doesn’t exist in our world, but rather the parallel dimension of ‘magic space’. Remember how I said everything in this universe affects the ether? Our beings, souls, whatever you want to call them, have corresponding shadows in ‘magic space’ and those shadows collect and store mana there. In other words, magic is actually initiated in that world. Mana breaches the barrier there and the required energy and complex matter crosses over. The only thing we really do here is manipulate ether-bound mana via our mere existence.”
“Okay…”
“I’m sorry; I said all that to say this: You’re essentially right. Whatever mana is, it’s created and/or accumulated by us and then stored within us. The fact that the accumulation doesn’t actually take place in our world is largely superfluous. For all intents and purposes, the effects are the same.”
“Okay, I think I understand. Go on.”
Duane cleared his throat and took a sip from his canteen. “Hold that position, Kelga.” He placed his hand on the small magic circle etched into the dirt floor of the tent. The lines began to glow and the candles spontaneously ignited. “First, you must get a feel for your inner reserve of mana. Without it, you won’t be able to use magic; period.”
“I think I understand but, do I even have mana? How can I access it?”
“The amount of mana you accumulate and can manipulate is determined by your intellect and clarity of mind. Everyone has at least some mana at their disposal. It is either in amounts insufficient to produce any real results or they lack the training to put it to use. Mages accumulate and are able to manipulate large amounts of mana due to their considerable intelligence or strength of will. The former is attained by accident of birth, the latter through rigorous spiritual training. You’re already subconsciously aware of your mana reserves. All that remains is to push that awareness to the surface of your consciousness.”
“How do I do that?”
“You’re doing it right now. It’s not a process that’s easy to explain, and I happen to believe that it varies from person to person. For laypeople such as yourself, meditation seems to be the most reliable way.”
“What about incantations?”
“Aha, I was getting to that. Mana and incantations are two sides of the same coin. Without either a magic spell ends in failure. Mana provides the energy to initiate the spell, but the incantation provides the complexity necessary to guide and manifest its effects. If you really want to learn black magic, there’s really only one good way to go about it. You need to learn Hermetic.”
Kelga’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
“Aha, heh, you really shouldn’t worry too much. Yes, it is a rather difficult language. Divine is considerably easier, but I’m sure you’ll manage. After all, I’m here to help-“
Kelga glared at Duane with his finger to his lips. His expression was deadly serious. “Do you hear that?” He whispered.
Duane shook his head slowly, perplexed.
“We’ve got trouble,” Kelga knelt down and extinguished the candles. Then, silently, he spun around and exited the tent.
***
Argus woke in a cold sweat, wild-eyed and gasping for breath. Kelga, startled, immediately withdrew the hand he was using to prod the fighter awake.
“Argus? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
The recent commotion had roused Maduin, who did not seem pleased to see him, if indeed he could see him. His eyes were barely open and his face was covered in grizzly stubble. “Vasquez? The hell? What’s going on?”
“I heard metal.”
“What!?”
Shh! “I heard metal. There’s a very large group of heavily armed… things headed our way.”
Maduin rubbed his temples wearily, “Where the hell is Gilles? Isn’t it his watch? He better not be asleep!”
Kelga shook his head, “No, he was wide awake. It’s not his fault. The sound is really faint. He’s waking Sarina at the moment.”
“Faint? Are you sure it’s not imaginary!?”
“Would you be quiet? I’m positive this is the real deal. Maybe we didn’t lose the goblins after all…”
Argus was still staring wide-eyed at nothing in particular, but his breaths had finally become slow and steady.
Maduin grimaced, “Baron, what the hell? Are you all right, man?”
Argus shook his head, “I’m… I’m fine. I’m going to get my things.”
Outside, Gilles and Sarina joined Duane around the extinguished campfire. The early morning sky was a deep blue as the sun was just below the horizon. Eastern stars were now invisible, save for a few very prominent planets. Further west, however, the night sky was still visible in all its majesty. There was a saying, that stars were at their most brilliant just before they were extinguished. That morning, it certainly seemed that way.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Sarina asked, exhausted and disheveled.
“Kelga thinks he heard something,” Duane answered simply.
Sarina sighed and closed her eyes. After a few moments, her blank, neutral expression gave way to incredulity. She opened her eyes, “I don’t sense anything.”
“Really? Nothing at all?” Gilles’ eyes were especially bright that morning.
Sarina shook her head, “No, nothing. Just the normal forest life. Are you sure he didn’t hear a deer or something?”
“He swore to me that he heard the distinct clanking of metal,” Duane adjusted his hat. The plume drooped in the morning mist, reflecting the humor of the entire group.
Argus was first out of the last occupied tent. He was sweating profusely, his face pallid and ghost-like.
“Argus? What’s wrong?” Sarina asked, genuinely concerned.
“Nothing. Everything’s fine.” In the opening, with more room to maneuver, he began latching his plate mail together. “It happened again. I’ll tell you later.”
Maduin was only a few moments behind him, looking angry. He was followed in short order by Kelga, looking sheepish. The white monk grunted, “Sarina, do you sense anything?”
“Nothing, Maduin.”
“Damn it, Vasquez! There’s nothing out there,” he sighed. “Whatever. It’s almost dawn anyway. Let’s break camp and get a move on.”
“Can’t I bathe first?” Sarina groaned.
“What’s the point? We’re crossing the swamp today. We’ll all need to bathe after that’s over with.”
“I could have sworn…” Kelga whined.
***
The group had spent the better part of the day slogging through the Hykavir Marsh. It was absolutely miserable. The putrid water was uniformly almost a meter in depth, and it could give way to a nigh-bottomless sinkhole without warning. The thick, tough swamp grass made the already slow going almost inexorable. Although there weren’t any trees, the swamp was interspersed with thick patches of knee-high thorny bramble. And then there were the parasites. Swarms of mosquitoes coalesced to form choking clouds of disease-ridden, blood sucking irritation. Every couple kilometers a leech would find its way into the last place one would want a leech attached. Of more dire concern were the leeches' larger, monstrous cousins. Gigas worms were the dominant predator/scavenger in that area, and solitary prowlers had attacked the group on three separate occasions. Guide books told the adventurer that gigas worms had a severe allergy to flame, but they neglected to explain why. The first worm the party encountered Gilles promptly dispatched with a well-placed Fire spell. Although the beast was instantly incinerated, the spell had the unintended effect of igniting the dense swamp gas. The group actually had to submerge themselves in the sludge in order to escape the short-lived but ravenous firestorm. Not a pleasant experience. The next two worms encountered were dispatched with Argus’ broadsword. By midday, the intense heat of the high sun coupled with the oppressive humidity made the march almost unbearable. Each adventurer was sweating profusely, but the sweat wouldn’t evaporate and thus did precious little to actually cool them. Finally, mercifully the party reached a logjam. Exhausted, they hoisted themselves up and out of the muck, chugging from canteens and ridding themselves of any remaining leeches.
“This… This is the worst place in the world.” Argus huffed.
Maduin laughed bitterly, “You haven’t seen much of the world then, have you? Far to the south, in Elfheim, there’s a vast marsh that makes this one look like a puddle. It’s hotter, too, and full of ogres and undead. I wouldn’t even call that the worst place in the world.”
“Is there an alternative to returning via this route?” Gilles growled, more to the point.
“Not really”.
“What would you say…” Argus dumped the last of his canteen over his head. “What would you call the worst place in the world?”
“Hmm, that’s a tough one… I’d say the mountains north of Crescent Lake.”
“Have you ever been to the Northland?” Gilles asked.
“No, never. Why?”
“South of Hawkeye- that’s where I’m from, you know it as Gaia- there’s a country called Hawkwing; also known as Lufenia.”
“The lost civilization?” Sarina was instantly interested.
“Yes. It’s a rainforest, a jungle. It’s beautiful, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, but it’s really hot and humid; kind of like this place. It rains constantly, and the ruins are booby trapped with all manner of physical and magical hazards. The flora and fauna aren’t exactly agreeable either. The monsters especially. There are creatures prowling the jungles of Hawkwing that the rest of the world only knows from fossils.”
“Wow,” Sarina murmured. “I never really explored my continent outside of Onrac. There are some caravans in the desert to the west, but the majority of the continent is largely uninhabited. Onrac is a virtual paradise… Or, at least, it used to be.”
Argus nodded, “Same goes for Duergar. What about you, Duane? You’re pretty well-traveled, aren’t you? What’s the worst place you’ve ever been?”
“Sorel Manor,” Duane spat.
Maduin rolled his eyes, “Yeah, right. The life of an aristocrat is absolutely arduous, I’m sure. Pathetic.”
Kelga shrugged, wringing the perspiration out of his bandana. “I don’t know. I’d still take this place over Pravoka.”
“That’s different, that’s-“ Maduin stopped speaking abruptly and turned to Sarina, who merely shrugged. He turned back to Kelga, “Vasquez?”
“You hear it too? It’s not just me then? I wasn’t going to say anything!”
“No I heard it. Metal. Nothing in a swamp makes a noise like that but Argus.”
“I’m telling you. I honest to gods don’t sense anything,” Sarina looked very worried.
“That’s okay,” Maduin reassured her. “Maybe they’ve got some kind of talisman that’d make them undetectable?”
“It’s possible, I suppose. Would goblins really have something like that?” The white mage closed her eyes, appearing to redouble her efforts.
“So far our adversaries have been inordinately well-equipped,” Duane pointed out. “With Garland and possibly Duergar backing them, we should be expecting anything.”
“Duergar is not helping the goblins!” Argus shouted angrily.
“Quiet!” Maduin yelled, “Now is not the time! Would they have something to make them invisible?”
“Invisible?” Duane scoffed, incredulously. “That’s second level white magic, and artifacts possessing that effect are some of the most sought after in the entire world. I highly doubt it.”
“Didn’t you just say we should be expecting anything?”
Argus climbed up higher on the logjam, next to Maduin and his vantage point. “This ‘mist’ is almost like steam. Anything could be hiding in there.”
“Well, they’re definitely not underwater. Goblins have to breathe.”
Silently, six pairs of eyes scanned the horizon, but it was a futile effort. The thick fog reduced visibility to near zero. Billowing gray storm clouds gathered with surprising speed, blotting out the sun. “Well, let’s get a move on. Whatever’s trailing us, I want to fight them on dry land.”
“I agree there,” Argus jumped from the logjam, splashing loudly back into the bayou. “Before all this mist gathered, I thought I saw a tree line. We should be pretty close to the northern shore, so-“
Argus’ sentence was terminated in a shocked gasp as he was suddenly pulled underwater.
“Argus! Argus!!!” Sarina wailed.
“Heads up, everyone!” Maduin shouted. “We’re under attack!”
“What about Argus!?” Sarina cried. Her entreaty was punctuated by a deafening clap of thunder. “Something pulled him under! He’s going to drown!”
Maduin nodded, “Everyone, stay up here!”
Without another word, he dove into the water at the exact point where Argus had disappeared. The remaining four strained to see anything beneath the murky surface, but to no avail. With all eyes focused on a single square meter of swamp water, even Kelga was caught off guard when a short sword was hurled into Sarina’s back with a heavy thud. She screamed and pitched forward off her log and into the water. As soon as she hit the surface, she too was pulled under and disappeared from sight. The remaining three instantly spun around to face their assailants, who apparently no longer saw a need to conceal themselves. They were skeletons. Human skeletons animated with profane arcana and held together with dark magic. They wielded blunt, rusty broadswords and wore heavy reddish-brown iron pauldrons. Their empty eye sockets seemed to glower at the three for an instant just before they suddenly threw their swords at their next victims. Kelga and Duane closed ranks in front of Gilles and, miraculously, caught the thrown weapons with superhuman ease. The first rank of skeletons, now unarmed, charged through the water toward the humans. Gilles immediately took advantage of the situation, casting a hasty Blizzard spell. The moisture in the air condensed and became super-cooled. The resulting projectile was hurled toward the nearest pair of skeletons at incredible speed, but once it struck it merely shattered. The skeletons were unfazed by the extreme cold. Instead, the faceless monsters closed the gap and leapt into the air. Duane raised his rapier defensively while Kelga threw a dagger at his skeleton. The weapon lodged itself securely in the ancient skull, but did nothing to impede the beast’s progress. Both were tackled by their attackers and knocked into the swamp water. Gilles, suddenly off balance, flailed piteously and fell backward into the water with the rest of his comrades.
Gilles Arkham couldn’t swim, but it didn’t matter. Unlike the others, he hadn’t been directly attacked and was held under by nothing but gravity. To get his head above the water all he needed to do was stand up. As he did so a brilliant flash of light sent a heavy spray of water in all directions. Maduin breached the surface with Argus in tow, sucking as much air as his lungs could hold. He shoved the unconscious armor-bound fighter against the logjam and promptly turned toward the splashing that betrayed Kelga and Duane’s perilous position. He jumped behind one skeleton as it attempted to drown the thief. Maduin grasped the skeleton’s skull and it released its grasp immediately, immolated in a white hot flash that seemed to erase the monster from existence. When the smoke cleared, there was literally no trace of the fiend. Kelga was on his feet instantly, coughing and sputtering. Maduin executed a quick hop over to Duane’s position and repeated the exorcism.
“Did you find Sarina!?” Kelga shouted.
“What!?” Maduin turned abruptly, the skeleton he held in a headlock was quickly reduced to ash.
“Sarina was pulled under too,” Gilles explained. “She was hit with a throwing sword. She’s injured.”
Maduin nodded grimly. “I’ll be back.” Without another word, he took a deep breath and dove beneath the surface once more. Suddenly cautious once again, the skeletons kept their distance but had the four completely surrounded. There were roughly a dozen, not counting the three or four already eliminated. Once Maduin had disappeared, they began slowly advancing once again.
“I don’t like these odds,” Kelga quipped.
“I like them just fine,” black magic crackled between Gilles’ fingers. “Remember that first worm? You two grab Argus. Once I give the signal I want you to duck underwater and take him with you.”
“What’s the sig- ah, right. Okay!” Kelga waded toward Argus as fast as possible. The drenched, armored fighter was surprisingly heavy, especially for him. “Ready!”
“Dive, now!” Together, the red mage and thief disappeared beneath the surface, dragging Argus with them. Apparently, for the skeletons, out of sight was out of mind. With only the black mage standing before them, they held their swords high and charged. Just as he completed the spell, Gilles dove underwater and the swamp became a sea of flames.
He lingered just as long as his unconditioned lungs would allow. As soon as he could stand it no longer, he stood up once again. Gilles knew what to expect and was not disappointed. The swamp grass was reduced to ashes floating on the surface of the water. The bramble and nearby logjam continued to burn, as did the gnarled remains the skeletons frozen in their attack stance; killed for a second and hopefully final time. Splashing directly behind him signified the other three’s survival. Almost immediately afterward, Maduin returned with Sarina in his arms who like Argus was unconscious and blue in the face. The blade had been removed, but she was now bleeding badly. “We don’t have much time!” Maduin gasped.
The black mage nodded and cast Blizzard on the burning logjam as quickly as he possibly could. The fire extinguished, the wood was also frozen solid enough to serve as high ground once again. Argus and Sarina’s inert mass were hoisted onto the makeshift platform. “Can you do anything?” Maduin demanded of Duane.
The red mage nodded and began casting Cure. Kelga jumped on top of Argus and removed his cuirass, pushing down hard on his chest to expel the water from his lungs. As soon as Duane’s Cure was complete Maduin rolled Sarina over and did the same. Surprisingly, the white mage was the first to respond, despite her more dire condition. Soon afterward, Argus coughed and sputtered his way back into the realm of the living. Exhausted, Maduin collapsed in a heap. “I am going to personally kill Garland; slowly and painfully.”
***
“G- GENerAL?” Knocker hated delivering bad news almost as much as his master disliked receiving it.
Garland sat on an ornate chair at an ornate table, both of which were older than the kingdom he used to serve. He was playing with an antique strategy game against himself; inscrutable pieces on an even more inscrutable board. He had no idea what he was doing. “Out with it.”
“It’s the BLOODbones. We lost CONtact with the bloodBONES.”
With a swift swipe of his mailed wrist, Garland sent the checkered board and its ebony and ivory playing pieces flying. “Berne said they were the best! Is he TRYING to undo me!?”
“I DON’T beLIEVE so, GenerAL. They ARE the LIGHT WarrIOrs AFter-“
“Shut up!” Garland bellowed. “Rally the troops. The Warriors of Light will be here tomorrow!”
From her position chained to the wall, Sarah laughed weakly, bitterly. “Beat me if you want, Garland, but that will do nothing to change the fact that I told you so.”
“No, but it will make me feel better!”
*****
Edit: Fixed a HUGE mistake. God, that was horrible. If you've read it once already, I apologize. If not then don't worry about it.
*****
Kelga and Duane sat cross-legged, across from one another inside their tent. Kelga’s eyes were closed and his hands were outstretched, palms held inward and parallel to each other. Duane continued his lecture, “The most basic concept that any spell caster must understand is mana. Without mana living beings cannot make contact with the stuff of the ether.”
“Ether? You mean ethyl alcohol?”
Duane laughed, “No, a parallel dimension that doesn’t naturally come into contact with or otherwise affect our universe. Gilles would call it ‘magic space’. When one does magic, they’re doing something that would otherwise be impossible. In order to violate established physical laws, energy and complex matter of alien origin must be introduced- brought into the otherwise closed system that is our universe.”
“Heh, seems simple enough.”
Duane shrugged, “Conceptual understanding and putting that knowledge to practical use are two entirely different things. You were the old man’s protégé, were you not? I assume you have some basic understanding of chemistry?”
“I can manage.”
“Good. In the broadest possible sense, a magical spell can be thought of like a reaction. The effects and products manifest themselves in our world, but the energy and a majority of the reactants come from the ether. To continue the analogy, mana can be thought of as a catalyst. It provides the necessary starting energy to breach the barrier between worlds.”
“What exactly is mana?”
Duane laughed again, “It depends entirely on who you ask. The most basic definition is self-serving: Mana is the energy that a being utilizes for spell casting. But… I assume you want an explanation that is closer to reality. White mages, black mages and members of my own vocation have competing theories in regards to exactly what mana is.”
“What do red mages say?”
“Aha, that’s probably not the best explanation for a layman such as yourself; especially considering that you have no interest in white magic. For our purposes, the black mage’s explanation should be sufficient.”
Kelga filled his voice with faux impatience, “Well, what is that?”
“Ahem, theoretically speaking, the dimensional relationship between our universe and ‘magic space’ is not entirely parallel. The ether only affects our world when magic is being performed, but our world has a constant impact on the ether. Hypothetically speaking, everything in this universe affects the fabric of the ether. Black mages propose no mechanism for this, but it is self-consistent within the greater theoretical framework of black magic. It’s only when one considers the other schools of magic that a conflict emerges. A unified theory of magic will probably never be proposed within our lifetime, if ever. So, because you only want to use black magic you’re better off allowing yourself to believe the world is really the way Gilles says it is.”
“Okay, but you’re rambling again. What is mana?”
“Ah, my apologies. Mana is a literal fluid substance that resides in the ether. Sentient beings or sufficiently complex inanimate structures naturally attract and accumulate mana.”
“So people have a reserve of mana built up inside them,” Kelga mused.
“Not exactly,” Duane corrected. “If mana were a proven and not purely theoretical substance, it could be extracted and held in isolation.”
“But weren’t the goblin prison arrays doing just that?” Kelga interrupted.
Duane shook his head. “As it stands, no one has ever observed pure mana in its natural state. The intuitive conclusion is, of course, that mana doesn’t exist; at least not as a distinct form of matter, exotic or not. This brings us back to the dictionary definition- that mana is merely a form of potential energy; the ability to perform magic. Our actual physical makeup remained unaltered, even though the mana drain had physiological and psychosomatic effects. The array, likewise, was unaltered in regards to its basic properties. Magical potential merely flowed from the victim to the array. No verifiable matter transfer actually took place, so you can see how the classification of mana as a fluid substance is problematic.”
“But you said it was self-consistent within the field of black magic. How do black mages explain such observations?”
“Because,” Duane explained, “Mana cannot be verified because it doesn’t exist in our world, but rather the parallel dimension of ‘magic space’. Remember how I said everything in this universe affects the ether? Our beings, souls, whatever you want to call them, have corresponding shadows in ‘magic space’ and those shadows collect and store mana there. In other words, magic is actually initiated in that world. Mana breaches the barrier there and the required energy and complex matter crosses over. The only thing we really do here is manipulate ether-bound mana via our mere existence.”
“Okay…”
“I’m sorry; I said all that to say this: You’re essentially right. Whatever mana is, it’s created and/or accumulated by us and then stored within us. The fact that the accumulation doesn’t actually take place in our world is largely superfluous. For all intents and purposes, the effects are the same.”
“Okay, I think I understand. Go on.”
Duane cleared his throat and took a sip from his canteen. “Hold that position, Kelga.” He placed his hand on the small magic circle etched into the dirt floor of the tent. The lines began to glow and the candles spontaneously ignited. “First, you must get a feel for your inner reserve of mana. Without it, you won’t be able to use magic; period.”
“I think I understand but, do I even have mana? How can I access it?”
“The amount of mana you accumulate and can manipulate is determined by your intellect and clarity of mind. Everyone has at least some mana at their disposal. It is either in amounts insufficient to produce any real results or they lack the training to put it to use. Mages accumulate and are able to manipulate large amounts of mana due to their considerable intelligence or strength of will. The former is attained by accident of birth, the latter through rigorous spiritual training. You’re already subconsciously aware of your mana reserves. All that remains is to push that awareness to the surface of your consciousness.”
“How do I do that?”
“You’re doing it right now. It’s not a process that’s easy to explain, and I happen to believe that it varies from person to person. For laypeople such as yourself, meditation seems to be the most reliable way.”
“What about incantations?”
“Aha, I was getting to that. Mana and incantations are two sides of the same coin. Without either a magic spell ends in failure. Mana provides the energy to initiate the spell, but the incantation provides the complexity necessary to guide and manifest its effects. If you really want to learn black magic, there’s really only one good way to go about it. You need to learn Hermetic.”
Kelga’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
“Aha, heh, you really shouldn’t worry too much. Yes, it is a rather difficult language. Divine is considerably easier, but I’m sure you’ll manage. After all, I’m here to help-“
Kelga glared at Duane with his finger to his lips. His expression was deadly serious. “Do you hear that?” He whispered.
Duane shook his head slowly, perplexed.
“We’ve got trouble,” Kelga knelt down and extinguished the candles. Then, silently, he spun around and exited the tent.
***
Argus woke in a cold sweat, wild-eyed and gasping for breath. Kelga, startled, immediately withdrew the hand he was using to prod the fighter awake.
“Argus? Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
The recent commotion had roused Maduin, who did not seem pleased to see him, if indeed he could see him. His eyes were barely open and his face was covered in grizzly stubble. “Vasquez? The hell? What’s going on?”
“I heard metal.”
“What!?”
Shh! “I heard metal. There’s a very large group of heavily armed… things headed our way.”
Maduin rubbed his temples wearily, “Where the hell is Gilles? Isn’t it his watch? He better not be asleep!”
Kelga shook his head, “No, he was wide awake. It’s not his fault. The sound is really faint. He’s waking Sarina at the moment.”
“Faint? Are you sure it’s not imaginary!?”
“Would you be quiet? I’m positive this is the real deal. Maybe we didn’t lose the goblins after all…”
Argus was still staring wide-eyed at nothing in particular, but his breaths had finally become slow and steady.
Maduin grimaced, “Baron, what the hell? Are you all right, man?”
Argus shook his head, “I’m… I’m fine. I’m going to get my things.”
Outside, Gilles and Sarina joined Duane around the extinguished campfire. The early morning sky was a deep blue as the sun was just below the horizon. Eastern stars were now invisible, save for a few very prominent planets. Further west, however, the night sky was still visible in all its majesty. There was a saying, that stars were at their most brilliant just before they were extinguished. That morning, it certainly seemed that way.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Sarina asked, exhausted and disheveled.
“Kelga thinks he heard something,” Duane answered simply.
Sarina sighed and closed her eyes. After a few moments, her blank, neutral expression gave way to incredulity. She opened her eyes, “I don’t sense anything.”
“Really? Nothing at all?” Gilles’ eyes were especially bright that morning.
Sarina shook her head, “No, nothing. Just the normal forest life. Are you sure he didn’t hear a deer or something?”
“He swore to me that he heard the distinct clanking of metal,” Duane adjusted his hat. The plume drooped in the morning mist, reflecting the humor of the entire group.
Argus was first out of the last occupied tent. He was sweating profusely, his face pallid and ghost-like.
“Argus? What’s wrong?” Sarina asked, genuinely concerned.
“Nothing. Everything’s fine.” In the opening, with more room to maneuver, he began latching his plate mail together. “It happened again. I’ll tell you later.”
Maduin was only a few moments behind him, looking angry. He was followed in short order by Kelga, looking sheepish. The white monk grunted, “Sarina, do you sense anything?”
“Nothing, Maduin.”
“Damn it, Vasquez! There’s nothing out there,” he sighed. “Whatever. It’s almost dawn anyway. Let’s break camp and get a move on.”
“Can’t I bathe first?” Sarina groaned.
“What’s the point? We’re crossing the swamp today. We’ll all need to bathe after that’s over with.”
“I could have sworn…” Kelga whined.
***
The group had spent the better part of the day slogging through the Hykavir Marsh. It was absolutely miserable. The putrid water was uniformly almost a meter in depth, and it could give way to a nigh-bottomless sinkhole without warning. The thick, tough swamp grass made the already slow going almost inexorable. Although there weren’t any trees, the swamp was interspersed with thick patches of knee-high thorny bramble. And then there were the parasites. Swarms of mosquitoes coalesced to form choking clouds of disease-ridden, blood sucking irritation. Every couple kilometers a leech would find its way into the last place one would want a leech attached. Of more dire concern were the leeches' larger, monstrous cousins. Gigas worms were the dominant predator/scavenger in that area, and solitary prowlers had attacked the group on three separate occasions. Guide books told the adventurer that gigas worms had a severe allergy to flame, but they neglected to explain why. The first worm the party encountered Gilles promptly dispatched with a well-placed Fire spell. Although the beast was instantly incinerated, the spell had the unintended effect of igniting the dense swamp gas. The group actually had to submerge themselves in the sludge in order to escape the short-lived but ravenous firestorm. Not a pleasant experience. The next two worms encountered were dispatched with Argus’ broadsword. By midday, the intense heat of the high sun coupled with the oppressive humidity made the march almost unbearable. Each adventurer was sweating profusely, but the sweat wouldn’t evaporate and thus did precious little to actually cool them. Finally, mercifully the party reached a logjam. Exhausted, they hoisted themselves up and out of the muck, chugging from canteens and ridding themselves of any remaining leeches.
“This… This is the worst place in the world.” Argus huffed.
Maduin laughed bitterly, “You haven’t seen much of the world then, have you? Far to the south, in Elfheim, there’s a vast marsh that makes this one look like a puddle. It’s hotter, too, and full of ogres and undead. I wouldn’t even call that the worst place in the world.”
“Is there an alternative to returning via this route?” Gilles growled, more to the point.
“Not really”.
“What would you say…” Argus dumped the last of his canteen over his head. “What would you call the worst place in the world?”
“Hmm, that’s a tough one… I’d say the mountains north of Crescent Lake.”
“Have you ever been to the Northland?” Gilles asked.
“No, never. Why?”
“South of Hawkeye- that’s where I’m from, you know it as Gaia- there’s a country called Hawkwing; also known as Lufenia.”
“The lost civilization?” Sarina was instantly interested.
“Yes. It’s a rainforest, a jungle. It’s beautiful, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, but it’s really hot and humid; kind of like this place. It rains constantly, and the ruins are booby trapped with all manner of physical and magical hazards. The flora and fauna aren’t exactly agreeable either. The monsters especially. There are creatures prowling the jungles of Hawkwing that the rest of the world only knows from fossils.”
“Wow,” Sarina murmured. “I never really explored my continent outside of Onrac. There are some caravans in the desert to the west, but the majority of the continent is largely uninhabited. Onrac is a virtual paradise… Or, at least, it used to be.”
Argus nodded, “Same goes for Duergar. What about you, Duane? You’re pretty well-traveled, aren’t you? What’s the worst place you’ve ever been?”
“Sorel Manor,” Duane spat.
Maduin rolled his eyes, “Yeah, right. The life of an aristocrat is absolutely arduous, I’m sure. Pathetic.”
Kelga shrugged, wringing the perspiration out of his bandana. “I don’t know. I’d still take this place over Pravoka.”
“That’s different, that’s-“ Maduin stopped speaking abruptly and turned to Sarina, who merely shrugged. He turned back to Kelga, “Vasquez?”
“You hear it too? It’s not just me then? I wasn’t going to say anything!”
“No I heard it. Metal. Nothing in a swamp makes a noise like that but Argus.”
“I’m telling you. I honest to gods don’t sense anything,” Sarina looked very worried.
“That’s okay,” Maduin reassured her. “Maybe they’ve got some kind of talisman that’d make them undetectable?”
“It’s possible, I suppose. Would goblins really have something like that?” The white mage closed her eyes, appearing to redouble her efforts.
“So far our adversaries have been inordinately well-equipped,” Duane pointed out. “With Garland and possibly Duergar backing them, we should be expecting anything.”
“Duergar is not helping the goblins!” Argus shouted angrily.
“Quiet!” Maduin yelled, “Now is not the time! Would they have something to make them invisible?”
“Invisible?” Duane scoffed, incredulously. “That’s second level white magic, and artifacts possessing that effect are some of the most sought after in the entire world. I highly doubt it.”
“Didn’t you just say we should be expecting anything?”
Argus climbed up higher on the logjam, next to Maduin and his vantage point. “This ‘mist’ is almost like steam. Anything could be hiding in there.”
“Well, they’re definitely not underwater. Goblins have to breathe.”
Silently, six pairs of eyes scanned the horizon, but it was a futile effort. The thick fog reduced visibility to near zero. Billowing gray storm clouds gathered with surprising speed, blotting out the sun. “Well, let’s get a move on. Whatever’s trailing us, I want to fight them on dry land.”
“I agree there,” Argus jumped from the logjam, splashing loudly back into the bayou. “Before all this mist gathered, I thought I saw a tree line. We should be pretty close to the northern shore, so-“
Argus’ sentence was terminated in a shocked gasp as he was suddenly pulled underwater.
“Argus! Argus!!!” Sarina wailed.
“Heads up, everyone!” Maduin shouted. “We’re under attack!”
“What about Argus!?” Sarina cried. Her entreaty was punctuated by a deafening clap of thunder. “Something pulled him under! He’s going to drown!”
Maduin nodded, “Everyone, stay up here!”
Without another word, he dove into the water at the exact point where Argus had disappeared. The remaining four strained to see anything beneath the murky surface, but to no avail. With all eyes focused on a single square meter of swamp water, even Kelga was caught off guard when a short sword was hurled into Sarina’s back with a heavy thud. She screamed and pitched forward off her log and into the water. As soon as she hit the surface, she too was pulled under and disappeared from sight. The remaining three instantly spun around to face their assailants, who apparently no longer saw a need to conceal themselves. They were skeletons. Human skeletons animated with profane arcana and held together with dark magic. They wielded blunt, rusty broadswords and wore heavy reddish-brown iron pauldrons. Their empty eye sockets seemed to glower at the three for an instant just before they suddenly threw their swords at their next victims. Kelga and Duane closed ranks in front of Gilles and, miraculously, caught the thrown weapons with superhuman ease. The first rank of skeletons, now unarmed, charged through the water toward the humans. Gilles immediately took advantage of the situation, casting a hasty Blizzard spell. The moisture in the air condensed and became super-cooled. The resulting projectile was hurled toward the nearest pair of skeletons at incredible speed, but once it struck it merely shattered. The skeletons were unfazed by the extreme cold. Instead, the faceless monsters closed the gap and leapt into the air. Duane raised his rapier defensively while Kelga threw a dagger at his skeleton. The weapon lodged itself securely in the ancient skull, but did nothing to impede the beast’s progress. Both were tackled by their attackers and knocked into the swamp water. Gilles, suddenly off balance, flailed piteously and fell backward into the water with the rest of his comrades.
Gilles Arkham couldn’t swim, but it didn’t matter. Unlike the others, he hadn’t been directly attacked and was held under by nothing but gravity. To get his head above the water all he needed to do was stand up. As he did so a brilliant flash of light sent a heavy spray of water in all directions. Maduin breached the surface with Argus in tow, sucking as much air as his lungs could hold. He shoved the unconscious armor-bound fighter against the logjam and promptly turned toward the splashing that betrayed Kelga and Duane’s perilous position. He jumped behind one skeleton as it attempted to drown the thief. Maduin grasped the skeleton’s skull and it released its grasp immediately, immolated in a white hot flash that seemed to erase the monster from existence. When the smoke cleared, there was literally no trace of the fiend. Kelga was on his feet instantly, coughing and sputtering. Maduin executed a quick hop over to Duane’s position and repeated the exorcism.
“Did you find Sarina!?” Kelga shouted.
“What!?” Maduin turned abruptly, the skeleton he held in a headlock was quickly reduced to ash.
“Sarina was pulled under too,” Gilles explained. “She was hit with a throwing sword. She’s injured.”
Maduin nodded grimly. “I’ll be back.” Without another word, he took a deep breath and dove beneath the surface once more. Suddenly cautious once again, the skeletons kept their distance but had the four completely surrounded. There were roughly a dozen, not counting the three or four already eliminated. Once Maduin had disappeared, they began slowly advancing once again.
“I don’t like these odds,” Kelga quipped.
“I like them just fine,” black magic crackled between Gilles’ fingers. “Remember that first worm? You two grab Argus. Once I give the signal I want you to duck underwater and take him with you.”
“What’s the sig- ah, right. Okay!” Kelga waded toward Argus as fast as possible. The drenched, armored fighter was surprisingly heavy, especially for him. “Ready!”
“Dive, now!” Together, the red mage and thief disappeared beneath the surface, dragging Argus with them. Apparently, for the skeletons, out of sight was out of mind. With only the black mage standing before them, they held their swords high and charged. Just as he completed the spell, Gilles dove underwater and the swamp became a sea of flames.
He lingered just as long as his unconditioned lungs would allow. As soon as he could stand it no longer, he stood up once again. Gilles knew what to expect and was not disappointed. The swamp grass was reduced to ashes floating on the surface of the water. The bramble and nearby logjam continued to burn, as did the gnarled remains the skeletons frozen in their attack stance; killed for a second and hopefully final time. Splashing directly behind him signified the other three’s survival. Almost immediately afterward, Maduin returned with Sarina in his arms who like Argus was unconscious and blue in the face. The blade had been removed, but she was now bleeding badly. “We don’t have much time!” Maduin gasped.
The black mage nodded and cast Blizzard on the burning logjam as quickly as he possibly could. The fire extinguished, the wood was also frozen solid enough to serve as high ground once again. Argus and Sarina’s inert mass were hoisted onto the makeshift platform. “Can you do anything?” Maduin demanded of Duane.
The red mage nodded and began casting Cure. Kelga jumped on top of Argus and removed his cuirass, pushing down hard on his chest to expel the water from his lungs. As soon as Duane’s Cure was complete Maduin rolled Sarina over and did the same. Surprisingly, the white mage was the first to respond, despite her more dire condition. Soon afterward, Argus coughed and sputtered his way back into the realm of the living. Exhausted, Maduin collapsed in a heap. “I am going to personally kill Garland; slowly and painfully.”
***
“G- GENerAL?” Knocker hated delivering bad news almost as much as his master disliked receiving it.
Garland sat on an ornate chair at an ornate table, both of which were older than the kingdom he used to serve. He was playing with an antique strategy game against himself; inscrutable pieces on an even more inscrutable board. He had no idea what he was doing. “Out with it.”
“It’s the BLOODbones. We lost CONtact with the bloodBONES.”
With a swift swipe of his mailed wrist, Garland sent the checkered board and its ebony and ivory playing pieces flying. “Berne said they were the best! Is he TRYING to undo me!?”
“I DON’T beLIEVE so, GenerAL. They ARE the LIGHT WarrIOrs AFter-“
“Shut up!” Garland bellowed. “Rally the troops. The Warriors of Light will be here tomorrow!”
From her position chained to the wall, Sarah laughed weakly, bitterly. “Beat me if you want, Garland, but that will do nothing to change the fact that I told you so.”
“No, but it will make me feel better!”
*****
Edit: Fixed a HUGE mistake. God, that was horrible. If you've read it once already, I apologize. If not then don't worry about it.
-
Darth Raptor
- Red Mage
- Posts: 5448
- Joined: 2003-12-18 03:39am
“That's it? It's huge!” Argus exclaimed as he parted the foliage to get a better look. He was genuinely surprised by the incredible size of the structure in the distance.
“Indeed,” Duane affirmed. “I've only seen illustrations until now. That has to be larger than the Cornelian Grand Cathedral.”
“Hard to believe something that big is over two thousand years old...”
“Would you two get back down here?” Maduin barked. “This is why we sent Vasquez, so the rest of us could keep our heads down. This isn't some sightseeing tour. You'll all get a closer look than you'd probably like soon enough!”
Reluctantly, the two adventurers broke their gaze and descended to the forest floor where the other three waited. After escaping Leinhoffen with their lives, their trip through Gytmori had been one of relative ease. They had encountered significantly less goblin patrols than they had in the Atmori woods, although the more animalistic fiends were both more numerous and more dangerous than they were at the front. Whole herds of unicorn roamed the forest. They, in turn, were preyed upon by huge packs of feral wargs and giant spiders. The party had also come across two whole platoons of skeletons. Different from the ones that had nearly killed them earlier that day, these fiends were pathetically weak and almost trivially easy to dispatch. One could only suspect that Garland employed them for their sheer numbers and tactical shock value. Upon reaching the edge of the Gytmori Woods, Maduin had decided to send Kelga alone into the shrine first. A group of people, no matter how small, faced a much greater risk of being detected. The thief had protested initially, but was emboldened by Sarina's magic, which rendered him invisible. He had been gone nearly an hour, but said it would take two. No one was worried, only bored.
“Ugh, I can't take this!” Argus complained. “We're so close and now we're waiting AGAIN!”
Maduin chewed a piece of tree bark he had removed with his steel claws. “I suppose your idea would be to rush inside with all haste?”
“It beats waiting on the results of this stupid... probe!”
“Heh, probe.” Maduin chuckled. More to himself than anyone. Sarina rolled her eyes.
“It's not like there's going to be an alternative entrance anyway,” the fighter continued. “Didn't the king say something about a failed rescue attempt? That place is probably hardened against incursions by the Cornelian Special Service.”
“It doesn't matter,” Maduin leaned against the lacerated tree trunk and slid down into a sitting position. “You might as well get comfortable. We're not moving out until nightfall anyway.”
“WHAT!?”
“Jeez, do you always have to be so hysterical? Our best chance to infiltrate the temple unnoticed is under cover of darkness. I know things like stealth and subtlety are beyond you, but do try to keep up.”
Argus merely growled in response.
Gilles voiced an opinion for the first time in almost a full hour. “I suppose this is a good a time as any to bring up one very minor tactical detail.”
“Shoot,” Maduin responded indulgently.
“The princess. Assuming we can get to her undetected, which frankly I find highly unlikely, what then? Getting out will be much more difficult with royalty in tow. She may not be in any condition to make the return trip, either.”
“That's a valid concern,” Sarina agreed. “We'll have to go to great lengths to protect her. That will slow us down and make us easier to spot. Like he said, she may be in no condition to travel.”
“You can heal,” Maduin reminded her.
“If she's injured, yes, but that's not what I meant. If she's weak and exhausted it will take time for her to recover.”
The white monk nodded. “Fine, I'll carry her if it comes to that.”
“She might be a real fatty,” Argus pointed out, only semi-seriously.
“She's not,” Duane responded, completely serious. “Or, at least, she wasn't the last time I saw her. She couldn't be any more than sixty kilograms. That may have changed significantly, however.”
Argus raised an eyebrow. “How old did you say she was?”
Sarina beaned him square in the head with a pebble.
“The point stands,” Maduin turned to Gilles. “Attempting a swift and stealthy extraction is still our best course of action. It's preferable to taking on Garland and his minions directly, regardless of our actual chances of success. It's still very much worth a try. And don't worry about getting Her Highness out of there. I'll find away. Once we escape back into the forest we can let her recover.”
Gilles didn't relent. “He's bound to notice his missing hostage. Very shortly after the deed is done, I might add. Our enemies will be pursuing us in full force. I don't need to remind you that this is the heart of their territory.”
“You'd think there'd be more sentries around,” Argus observed.
Maduin acquired a new piece of bark and resumed chewing. “The Royal Army is holding up its end of the bargain, at least.” He shrugged. “Whatever. I'll carry her several kilometers if I have too. Just don't worry about it.”
“If we killed Garland and his guards, we wouldn't have to worry about it.” Argus was slashing the air with broad swipes of his sword. “Bonus for ending the war.”
“That's out of the question.” Maduin shook his head emphatically. “We'd be slaughtered. Rescuing the princess ends the war anyway. Without his hostage there's nothing to stop the Army from shelling Garland into oblivion. It's the only reason the chaos shrine isn't a pile of rubble already.”
“I'm going to dispute that,” Duane almost looked guilty. “Rolling cannons through Leinhoffen is an impossibility. Nevermind the fact that artillery units would fall easy prey to goblin ambushes. No, Cornelia has nothing to offer but light infantry.”
“What about the Navy?” Argus pointed in the direction of the Chaos Shrine. “It's right on the water, well within bombardment range.”
“Ugh!” Maduin slapped his forehead. “I'm going to pretend you didn't even say that!”
“Why?” Argus demanded. “There was open water to the north of the temple.”
“That's the open ocean, Argus, not the Aldean.” Sarina explained gently. “The Royal Navy has no presence there, and no way to get one, either.”
“Oh.”
“It is true that Garland loses his bargaining capital if he loses Sarah,” Duane reassured them. “But ending the war right here and now would expedite the completion of the drawbridge and our journey in general.”
The monk spat out his wood chip. “The king promised the bridge rebuilt regardless. Cornelia's efforts to mop up after don't concern us.” He stabbed his claws into the tree trunk angrily. “As if any of this does. I have no intention of taking on the greatest warrior of the world's greatest kingdom. We avoid direct confrontation. That's final.”
“Is that a tacit admission that someone could be better than you?” Argus baited maliciously.
“Piss of. I'm a professional, I don't get creative on jobs like this. We have a VIP to worry about, remember? I refuse to lose the princess to sloppy heroics. You five are a liability anyway.” He sighed. “We have a very narrowly defined objective. I plan on adhering to it strictly. I would- damn it, Kelga!”
“Hi!” The thief had dropped straight down from the forest canopy. “All finished!”
“You're early,” Maduin stated flatly. “Report.”
“The upper levels are practically destroyed. Ravages of time and all that.” He plopped down in the moist ferns. “While the rooftop is in a state of disrepair, it's also very, um, high.” Kelga scratched the back of his head. “There are more than a few good-sized holes, but not everyone can get to them. No offense, guys. It was a real challenge, even with my acrobatics. No, Garland made sure that the main entrance is the only way in or out.”
“Wonderful,” Maduin growled. “Did you get inside?”
“Yes, but not very far. Too many guards.”
“Any sign of the princess?”
“Nope.”
“Okay,” the monk nodded. “Good work We move out at nightfall. Vasquez, you'll be in charge of eliminating the gate sentries. Do it quietly, and stash the bodies somewhere. Once the way is clear, the rest of us will sneak in.” He turned to Sarina. “Could the rest of us get some of that invisibility action?”
“Sure,” Sarina nodded.
“I know that spell too,” Duane added.
“Great.” Maduin cracked his knuckles. “That place probably doesn't have the best lighting. It may not be easy, but it certainly won't be impossible to move around once we're in.”
“How are we supposed to find the princess?” Gilles asked.
Maduin turned back to Kelga. “According to the maps they gave us, the temple has dedicated dungeons. Did you check them out?”
“Only one. It was the only one with a hole in the ceiling. There was no one inside.”
“That leaves three, then. There's also a good chance she's being held in the temple interior. Or the basement levels, if they've been renovated. We can't discount the possibility she's right next to Garland, either.”
“Possibility? More like certainty, I'd say.” Gilles was having a difficult time containing his pessimism.
“Did you see Garland?” Argus asked.
Kelga shook his head. “No. Nothing further to report.”
“Alright then,” Maduin stood and crossed to where their pack lay. “We've got a couple hours yet. Who's hungry?”
***
Sarah had been drifting in and out consciousness for the past hour. There was no such thing as a restful sleep chained to the wall like she was; only alternating periods of wakefulness and inky black oblivion. Something pulled her mind from its slide into dormancy, however. A sound she had never heard before, but at the same time seemed inexplicably familiar. Her weary, sunken eyes opened to take stock of the situation, but she could see little in the gloom. One thing she could see was Garland. He sat on the floor directly before her, his back turned to her. His helmet was off and he was tending his face with bare hands. His pouldrons rattled as they heaved up and down. The man in the armor was sniveling faintly. Sarah couldn't believe her senses. Garland was crying.
Sobbing, really. The kind of intense, racking sobs that stole the voice from a person. At first she grimaced contemptuously. Was his conscience only now bothering him, or was he afraid his private war would end in failure? Both?
The dark knight whimpered like a little boy.
And with that, all of her anger and hostility evaporated, replaced by a profound sense of pity. What sat before her was the real Siegfried, allowed to surface briefly in what must have been an intense moment of loneliness and despair. His allies had abandoned him. The prospect of opposing the legendary warriors was likely too big of a personal and political risk for them. Even Knocker had been deployed to the front in order to lead the latest siege on Cornelia City. Garland was completely, utterly, alone.
“Siegfried?” Sarah croaked.
The visible effects of Garland's grief disappeared immediately. He stood up with a bolt, sniffed and replied, “What? What is it? Do you need something? Can I get you anything?” His back was still turned to her. He refused to show her his face, even in the darkness.
“Siegfried... I... I'm sorry.”
He finally turned to face her, his eyes were bloodshot and his face was streaked with tears. “What? Why?” What could you possibly have to be sorry for?”
She looked down at the cold tiles of the temple floor. “I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you. I'm sorry for what you've become.”
With a loud crash, Garland plopped back down on the floor, this time facing the princess. “None of that is your fault, Sarah,” he shuddered as he suppressed another sobbing fit. “You are completely blameless. My sins are my own.”
Did he finally see the error in his ways? Did he finally realize that what he was doing was wrong? “Then stop this, Siegfried, I'm begging you! Don't let this pointless war drag on any longer! Run away! Run away to Crescent Lake, or the northland! I'll go with you!”
“You- you would?” Garland shook his head violently. “No! I can't ask you to do that! Not after everything I've done to you! I- I deserve to die. Even if I didn't before, I do now.” He brought his knees almost up to his face. An impossible feat in such heavy armor. “It wouldn't work anyway. Crescent Lake would never harbor us. Nor would Onrac, if there was a way to get there. The pressure from Cornelia would be too much for them.”
“So what then?” Sarah demanded. “Stay the course? Do you really think you can survive an encounter with the Warrior's of Light? Even if your friends do come back are you certain that Duergar and West Elfheim would oppose such powerful religious icons?” She shook her head, rattling her chains as she did so. “No, there are infinite alternatives, Siegfried. Every one of them better than what you're doing now! I swear on my life, my honor. I'll go with you!”
Garland's response was not immediate. “Do you... Do you still love me?”
“...No.” Sarah whispered.
The dark knight nodded in agreement. “Of course. I wouldn't expect you to. I can't expect you to forgive me, either.” He stood. “That is why I won't take you into hiding. You're of no value to me in the wilderness. In Cornelia, I can use you to secure my dominion. In the forests of Elfheim, you'd just be a girl that hates me. I don't need that.”
Sarah's heart was in her throat. Siegfried was starting to fade away, and the dark knight was taking his place again.
Garland continued, “I will face the Four Warriors of Light. I will defeat them, too. When the world hears of such a feat, they will all bow before my power. Your father will be out of options, and we will return to Cornelia as king and queen.” He sneered, and Sarah gasped as his eyes flashed with dark blue, electric light. “I will kill him. I will paint the walls of Castle Cornelia with your father's blood. From there I will build a new empire to conquer all empires. I will absolve myself of my sins by creating a world where something like this never has to happen again!”
Sarah realized her mistake. She had been so close, his black exterior had begun to crack, but any advantage she had gained she squandered in that moment of honesty. “If you take me away from here, “ she lied, “and put an end to this bloodshed I might... I might learn to love you again.”
“Hmph!” Garland scoffed, “Do you think me a fool, Sarah? I know you think I'm evil and insane, but to suggest that I've lost all higher cognition is the final insult! You want only what's best for your family, and what you THINK is best for your kingdom! What I want is of no concern to you. Gods, what YOU want is of no concern to you! You've been raised to be a courtesan from birth, and that upbringing has paid in dividends to His Majesty.”
Garland had his full suit of armor back on, including his helmet. He closed to an uncomfortable proximity to the princess, paused briefly, and started unhinging her irons. “I'm going to remove these chains, Sarah. They aren't necessary. If you try to escape, my servants will find you. Even if you did manage to escape the temple, you wouldn't survive the trek back home. I suggest you don't attempt such a feat.”
Sarah sighed with relief as she sat down on the floor, and nodded. “I won't try anything. Do not think ME a fool, Siegfried.”
Garland knelt down, putting his face right up to hers. His breathing was metallic and dark blue orbs burned from behind his visor. “Whatever the truth may be, one thing remains: This war, this life, even you are of fleeting importance to me now. The only thing I care about is vengeance. No vessel can contain my anger. No love can stifle my wrath. I hate your father more than anything else. You underestimate the power of my animosity, Sarah. Time itself has no dominion over it. It will burn forever.”
The last thing she heard as she lost consciousness was wicked, maniacal laugher. Laughter that reverberated through her soul as it reverberated through Garland's helm. But even then, it was a laughter that didn't sound completely sure of itself.
*****
LOLZ Garland is so emo.
“Indeed,” Duane affirmed. “I've only seen illustrations until now. That has to be larger than the Cornelian Grand Cathedral.”
“Hard to believe something that big is over two thousand years old...”
“Would you two get back down here?” Maduin barked. “This is why we sent Vasquez, so the rest of us could keep our heads down. This isn't some sightseeing tour. You'll all get a closer look than you'd probably like soon enough!”
Reluctantly, the two adventurers broke their gaze and descended to the forest floor where the other three waited. After escaping Leinhoffen with their lives, their trip through Gytmori had been one of relative ease. They had encountered significantly less goblin patrols than they had in the Atmori woods, although the more animalistic fiends were both more numerous and more dangerous than they were at the front. Whole herds of unicorn roamed the forest. They, in turn, were preyed upon by huge packs of feral wargs and giant spiders. The party had also come across two whole platoons of skeletons. Different from the ones that had nearly killed them earlier that day, these fiends were pathetically weak and almost trivially easy to dispatch. One could only suspect that Garland employed them for their sheer numbers and tactical shock value. Upon reaching the edge of the Gytmori Woods, Maduin had decided to send Kelga alone into the shrine first. A group of people, no matter how small, faced a much greater risk of being detected. The thief had protested initially, but was emboldened by Sarina's magic, which rendered him invisible. He had been gone nearly an hour, but said it would take two. No one was worried, only bored.
“Ugh, I can't take this!” Argus complained. “We're so close and now we're waiting AGAIN!”
Maduin chewed a piece of tree bark he had removed with his steel claws. “I suppose your idea would be to rush inside with all haste?”
“It beats waiting on the results of this stupid... probe!”
“Heh, probe.” Maduin chuckled. More to himself than anyone. Sarina rolled her eyes.
“It's not like there's going to be an alternative entrance anyway,” the fighter continued. “Didn't the king say something about a failed rescue attempt? That place is probably hardened against incursions by the Cornelian Special Service.”
“It doesn't matter,” Maduin leaned against the lacerated tree trunk and slid down into a sitting position. “You might as well get comfortable. We're not moving out until nightfall anyway.”
“WHAT!?”
“Jeez, do you always have to be so hysterical? Our best chance to infiltrate the temple unnoticed is under cover of darkness. I know things like stealth and subtlety are beyond you, but do try to keep up.”
Argus merely growled in response.
Gilles voiced an opinion for the first time in almost a full hour. “I suppose this is a good a time as any to bring up one very minor tactical detail.”
“Shoot,” Maduin responded indulgently.
“The princess. Assuming we can get to her undetected, which frankly I find highly unlikely, what then? Getting out will be much more difficult with royalty in tow. She may not be in any condition to make the return trip, either.”
“That's a valid concern,” Sarina agreed. “We'll have to go to great lengths to protect her. That will slow us down and make us easier to spot. Like he said, she may be in no condition to travel.”
“You can heal,” Maduin reminded her.
“If she's injured, yes, but that's not what I meant. If she's weak and exhausted it will take time for her to recover.”
The white monk nodded. “Fine, I'll carry her if it comes to that.”
“She might be a real fatty,” Argus pointed out, only semi-seriously.
“She's not,” Duane responded, completely serious. “Or, at least, she wasn't the last time I saw her. She couldn't be any more than sixty kilograms. That may have changed significantly, however.”
Argus raised an eyebrow. “How old did you say she was?”
Sarina beaned him square in the head with a pebble.
“The point stands,” Maduin turned to Gilles. “Attempting a swift and stealthy extraction is still our best course of action. It's preferable to taking on Garland and his minions directly, regardless of our actual chances of success. It's still very much worth a try. And don't worry about getting Her Highness out of there. I'll find away. Once we escape back into the forest we can let her recover.”
Gilles didn't relent. “He's bound to notice his missing hostage. Very shortly after the deed is done, I might add. Our enemies will be pursuing us in full force. I don't need to remind you that this is the heart of their territory.”
“You'd think there'd be more sentries around,” Argus observed.
Maduin acquired a new piece of bark and resumed chewing. “The Royal Army is holding up its end of the bargain, at least.” He shrugged. “Whatever. I'll carry her several kilometers if I have too. Just don't worry about it.”
“If we killed Garland and his guards, we wouldn't have to worry about it.” Argus was slashing the air with broad swipes of his sword. “Bonus for ending the war.”
“That's out of the question.” Maduin shook his head emphatically. “We'd be slaughtered. Rescuing the princess ends the war anyway. Without his hostage there's nothing to stop the Army from shelling Garland into oblivion. It's the only reason the chaos shrine isn't a pile of rubble already.”
“I'm going to dispute that,” Duane almost looked guilty. “Rolling cannons through Leinhoffen is an impossibility. Nevermind the fact that artillery units would fall easy prey to goblin ambushes. No, Cornelia has nothing to offer but light infantry.”
“What about the Navy?” Argus pointed in the direction of the Chaos Shrine. “It's right on the water, well within bombardment range.”
“Ugh!” Maduin slapped his forehead. “I'm going to pretend you didn't even say that!”
“Why?” Argus demanded. “There was open water to the north of the temple.”
“That's the open ocean, Argus, not the Aldean.” Sarina explained gently. “The Royal Navy has no presence there, and no way to get one, either.”
“Oh.”
“It is true that Garland loses his bargaining capital if he loses Sarah,” Duane reassured them. “But ending the war right here and now would expedite the completion of the drawbridge and our journey in general.”
The monk spat out his wood chip. “The king promised the bridge rebuilt regardless. Cornelia's efforts to mop up after don't concern us.” He stabbed his claws into the tree trunk angrily. “As if any of this does. I have no intention of taking on the greatest warrior of the world's greatest kingdom. We avoid direct confrontation. That's final.”
“Is that a tacit admission that someone could be better than you?” Argus baited maliciously.
“Piss of. I'm a professional, I don't get creative on jobs like this. We have a VIP to worry about, remember? I refuse to lose the princess to sloppy heroics. You five are a liability anyway.” He sighed. “We have a very narrowly defined objective. I plan on adhering to it strictly. I would- damn it, Kelga!”
“Hi!” The thief had dropped straight down from the forest canopy. “All finished!”
“You're early,” Maduin stated flatly. “Report.”
“The upper levels are practically destroyed. Ravages of time and all that.” He plopped down in the moist ferns. “While the rooftop is in a state of disrepair, it's also very, um, high.” Kelga scratched the back of his head. “There are more than a few good-sized holes, but not everyone can get to them. No offense, guys. It was a real challenge, even with my acrobatics. No, Garland made sure that the main entrance is the only way in or out.”
“Wonderful,” Maduin growled. “Did you get inside?”
“Yes, but not very far. Too many guards.”
“Any sign of the princess?”
“Nope.”
“Okay,” the monk nodded. “Good work We move out at nightfall. Vasquez, you'll be in charge of eliminating the gate sentries. Do it quietly, and stash the bodies somewhere. Once the way is clear, the rest of us will sneak in.” He turned to Sarina. “Could the rest of us get some of that invisibility action?”
“Sure,” Sarina nodded.
“I know that spell too,” Duane added.
“Great.” Maduin cracked his knuckles. “That place probably doesn't have the best lighting. It may not be easy, but it certainly won't be impossible to move around once we're in.”
“How are we supposed to find the princess?” Gilles asked.
Maduin turned back to Kelga. “According to the maps they gave us, the temple has dedicated dungeons. Did you check them out?”
“Only one. It was the only one with a hole in the ceiling. There was no one inside.”
“That leaves three, then. There's also a good chance she's being held in the temple interior. Or the basement levels, if they've been renovated. We can't discount the possibility she's right next to Garland, either.”
“Possibility? More like certainty, I'd say.” Gilles was having a difficult time containing his pessimism.
“Did you see Garland?” Argus asked.
Kelga shook his head. “No. Nothing further to report.”
“Alright then,” Maduin stood and crossed to where their pack lay. “We've got a couple hours yet. Who's hungry?”
***
Sarah had been drifting in and out consciousness for the past hour. There was no such thing as a restful sleep chained to the wall like she was; only alternating periods of wakefulness and inky black oblivion. Something pulled her mind from its slide into dormancy, however. A sound she had never heard before, but at the same time seemed inexplicably familiar. Her weary, sunken eyes opened to take stock of the situation, but she could see little in the gloom. One thing she could see was Garland. He sat on the floor directly before her, his back turned to her. His helmet was off and he was tending his face with bare hands. His pouldrons rattled as they heaved up and down. The man in the armor was sniveling faintly. Sarah couldn't believe her senses. Garland was crying.
Sobbing, really. The kind of intense, racking sobs that stole the voice from a person. At first she grimaced contemptuously. Was his conscience only now bothering him, or was he afraid his private war would end in failure? Both?
The dark knight whimpered like a little boy.
And with that, all of her anger and hostility evaporated, replaced by a profound sense of pity. What sat before her was the real Siegfried, allowed to surface briefly in what must have been an intense moment of loneliness and despair. His allies had abandoned him. The prospect of opposing the legendary warriors was likely too big of a personal and political risk for them. Even Knocker had been deployed to the front in order to lead the latest siege on Cornelia City. Garland was completely, utterly, alone.
“Siegfried?” Sarah croaked.
The visible effects of Garland's grief disappeared immediately. He stood up with a bolt, sniffed and replied, “What? What is it? Do you need something? Can I get you anything?” His back was still turned to her. He refused to show her his face, even in the darkness.
“Siegfried... I... I'm sorry.”
He finally turned to face her, his eyes were bloodshot and his face was streaked with tears. “What? Why?” What could you possibly have to be sorry for?”
She looked down at the cold tiles of the temple floor. “I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you. I'm sorry for what you've become.”
With a loud crash, Garland plopped back down on the floor, this time facing the princess. “None of that is your fault, Sarah,” he shuddered as he suppressed another sobbing fit. “You are completely blameless. My sins are my own.”
Did he finally see the error in his ways? Did he finally realize that what he was doing was wrong? “Then stop this, Siegfried, I'm begging you! Don't let this pointless war drag on any longer! Run away! Run away to Crescent Lake, or the northland! I'll go with you!”
“You- you would?” Garland shook his head violently. “No! I can't ask you to do that! Not after everything I've done to you! I- I deserve to die. Even if I didn't before, I do now.” He brought his knees almost up to his face. An impossible feat in such heavy armor. “It wouldn't work anyway. Crescent Lake would never harbor us. Nor would Onrac, if there was a way to get there. The pressure from Cornelia would be too much for them.”
“So what then?” Sarah demanded. “Stay the course? Do you really think you can survive an encounter with the Warrior's of Light? Even if your friends do come back are you certain that Duergar and West Elfheim would oppose such powerful religious icons?” She shook her head, rattling her chains as she did so. “No, there are infinite alternatives, Siegfried. Every one of them better than what you're doing now! I swear on my life, my honor. I'll go with you!”
Garland's response was not immediate. “Do you... Do you still love me?”
“...No.” Sarah whispered.
The dark knight nodded in agreement. “Of course. I wouldn't expect you to. I can't expect you to forgive me, either.” He stood. “That is why I won't take you into hiding. You're of no value to me in the wilderness. In Cornelia, I can use you to secure my dominion. In the forests of Elfheim, you'd just be a girl that hates me. I don't need that.”
Sarah's heart was in her throat. Siegfried was starting to fade away, and the dark knight was taking his place again.
Garland continued, “I will face the Four Warriors of Light. I will defeat them, too. When the world hears of such a feat, they will all bow before my power. Your father will be out of options, and we will return to Cornelia as king and queen.” He sneered, and Sarah gasped as his eyes flashed with dark blue, electric light. “I will kill him. I will paint the walls of Castle Cornelia with your father's blood. From there I will build a new empire to conquer all empires. I will absolve myself of my sins by creating a world where something like this never has to happen again!”
Sarah realized her mistake. She had been so close, his black exterior had begun to crack, but any advantage she had gained she squandered in that moment of honesty. “If you take me away from here, “ she lied, “and put an end to this bloodshed I might... I might learn to love you again.”
“Hmph!” Garland scoffed, “Do you think me a fool, Sarah? I know you think I'm evil and insane, but to suggest that I've lost all higher cognition is the final insult! You want only what's best for your family, and what you THINK is best for your kingdom! What I want is of no concern to you. Gods, what YOU want is of no concern to you! You've been raised to be a courtesan from birth, and that upbringing has paid in dividends to His Majesty.”
Garland had his full suit of armor back on, including his helmet. He closed to an uncomfortable proximity to the princess, paused briefly, and started unhinging her irons. “I'm going to remove these chains, Sarah. They aren't necessary. If you try to escape, my servants will find you. Even if you did manage to escape the temple, you wouldn't survive the trek back home. I suggest you don't attempt such a feat.”
Sarah sighed with relief as she sat down on the floor, and nodded. “I won't try anything. Do not think ME a fool, Siegfried.”
Garland knelt down, putting his face right up to hers. His breathing was metallic and dark blue orbs burned from behind his visor. “Whatever the truth may be, one thing remains: This war, this life, even you are of fleeting importance to me now. The only thing I care about is vengeance. No vessel can contain my anger. No love can stifle my wrath. I hate your father more than anything else. You underestimate the power of my animosity, Sarah. Time itself has no dominion over it. It will burn forever.”
The last thing she heard as she lost consciousness was wicked, maniacal laugher. Laughter that reverberated through her soul as it reverberated through Garland's helm. But even then, it was a laughter that didn't sound completely sure of itself.
*****
LOLZ Garland is so emo.
-
Darth Raptor
- Red Mage
- Posts: 5448
- Joined: 2003-12-18 03:39am
Never before had the Warriors of Light seen a more foreboding sight. The ruined, hulking mass of the Chaos Shrine, all fifty meters of it, stretched menacingly up into the night sky. Lightning flashed, serving both to announce an impending rainstorm and to further highlight the ominous scene. The Temple of Fiends, as it was also known, was once an enormous pyramid, but the top three floors had collapsed completely; the remnants creating a jagged pile of rubble that looked for all the world like a spiky crown. To continue the theme, the cavernous main entrance looked like a monstrous maw, ready to devour anyone foolish enough to enter. To either side of the archway stood a goblin pikeman in heavy copper armor. The contours of their uniforms were lined with cloth that was dyed a dark blue, signifying their status as elite guards. Regardless of their rank or experience, the conditions were not in their favor. The six approaching humans were invisible to the naked eye, and the burgeoning thunderstorm drowned out the sound of their footfalls. Almost in unison, the two guards pitched forward among a dark spatter of blood, stabbed in the back of their heads.
“Simple enough,” Argus whispered.
Without another word, the adventurers closed rank and stepped reluctantly into the ancient ruins. On either side of the main entryway were a row of columns, few of which were completely intact. Although the crumbling edifice was still imposing, it likely paled in comparison to what must have existed thousands of years ago; when the cult that constructed the temple was at the height of its power. The pillars, like the huge walls outside, were hewn of gargantuan singular slabs of obsidian; an impossible feat for modern architects. While such constructs were not beyond the Lufenian Empire, the shrine predated the Sky People by almost fifteen hundred years. The Royal Archaeological Society had reached the consensus that magic must have been used in the temple's construction. There was no other possible explanation. The wide corridor stretched off into the darkness, the sparse torches lining the walls and pillars failed to provide sufficient lighting. There could have been anything hiding in the gloom, and there probably was.
“Which way?” Sarina queried softly as she flickered back into existence, her invisibility spell failing at last.
One by one, the others regained their opacity. Immediately to their right and left were smaller, more narrow corridors. They were in a worse state of repair than the main hallway, and even more poorly lit. Maduin glanced at both quickly, then turned to point down the main hall. “According to the map, there's an inner sanctum or whatever at the very center of the temple. If we follow this route straight ahead, it should take us to... what was it called? Anyway, it's the center of the shrine.”
“And that's where the princess is?” Argus asked impatiently.
The monk shrugged. “How should I know? It's probably the easiest room to defend and-” He stopped abruptly as another pair of goblins clanked toward the entrance- apparently to relieve the guards the warriors had just dispatched.
Kelga muttered a curse under his breath and hurled a pair of throwing knives into the darkness. The imps fell with a crash, but they made no other sound. He turned to the leader. “If we're going to conference, I suggest we at least do it off to the side or something. Not right out in the open like this!”
Maduin nodded and shepherded the group to the west end of the corridor, where they crouched between a pillar and the wall. “Okay,” he huffed. “Garland's in here somewhere, most likely close to the princess. I shouldn't need to remind you people that we avoid him if at all possible. That's why I want to check the central chamber last. I'd wager that's where both of them are, but I want to do a quick sweep of the rest of the ground floor. Remember the map. These auxiliary corridors snake around the perimeter of the temple. They swing by several dungeons that can't be counted out just yet. After all, Kelga wasn't able to check all of them.”
“The four dungeons are in each of the corner towers,” Kelga explained. “There's only one entrance to each of them, but they're surrounded by yet another small corridor. It shouldn't be hard to get in, assuming they aren't sealed from the inside. There's plenty of room to get the jump on any monsters in our way.”
“I want us to split up.” Maduin stated flatly. “Three of us will take the auxiliary corridor to the east and the other three will take the one to the west. Once we check the southern dungeons we'll head north and check the northern ones. From there we'll continue on towards the center. We'll meet up in the north of the shrine and head south into the inner chamber.”
Gilles wheezed. “What if we find the princess? Or Garland? Or both?” The musty air wasn't agreeing with him.
“Don't do anything.” Maduin ordered. “Stay out of sight and meet up with the rest of the group. We'll head back to nab the princess if that's the case. Again, avoid Garland like a plague.”
Argus was swinging his sword at his own flickering shadow. “Who's going where?”
Maduin's face contorted in earnest thought. “...Argus, Sarina and Gilles. Take the east route. The rest of us will head west. Avoid patrols if possible. Take them out as quickly and quietly as you can if necessary.” He motioned to Kelga and Duane. “Okay, let's move out.”
Without another word, the six adventurers split into two groups of three and began moving away from each other.
***
“Okay, what's that noise?” Argus stopped dead in his tracks. The point position in their single file line, the two mages following him were obliged to do the same. He pointed his sword into the musty darkness. “What the hell is that?”
Humanoid shapes were shuffling up and down the passageway. Too tall to be goblins, too bulky to be skeletons. They looked like people, but their movements were slow and laborious. One by one, the shapes turned and started staggering towards the three. Their posture slouched backward in a way that looked painfully unnatural. Their arms were held out straight before them for balance.
“I sense no life in them,” Sarina glowered at the gradually approaching creatures.
“That's because there isn't any.” Gilles answered. As the shapes waddled into view, one could plainly see that he was right. They were human, or at least had been at one time. They were animated corpses, kept in a perpetual state of undeath by dark magic. Unlike the skeletons the group had faced previously, these shambling subhumans still retained most of their rotting flesh. Most likely recent victims of Garland's war, they were driven only by their desire to feed. They could sustain their bodies indefinitely with a steady supply of fresh meat, and three hearty kills stood before them here and now.
“Zombies,” Sarina spat with contempt. “What a disgusting perversion of life this is! If there were such a thing as an ultimate sin, you're looking at it right now. These souls are trapped forever in a world of miserable pain and hunger.”
“Uh, they're getting closer.” Argus pointed out.
Gilles coughed. “They probably burn well.” He gestured toward the approaching targets. “Shall I?”
“No,” Sarina shook her head. “They're mine.”
“What are you going to do?” Argus had spent more time with the white mage than any of the others. In all that time he had yet to see her attack in a way that didn't involve swinging a hammer. Although the zombies were desperately slow, their gaping jaws and vicious claws made melee combat very dangerous. A quick Fire spell probably was the way to go.
Sarina's response was in Divine. She began chanting a spell that Argus had never heard before. Sarina's aura flared up, just like it always did whenever she used magic, but all familiarity ceased there. From her outstretched hands shot a beam of searing white light. The beam dispersed to bathe every zombie in golden luminescence that looked not unlike sunlight. The zombies gasped and moaned as their rotting flesh was burned from their bones. In a few seconds it was all over, their naked skeletons had disintegrated before they even hit the ground.
“Wow,” Argus whistled, impressed. “How come you've never used that spell before?”
Sarina didn't look jubilant. Her expression was still one of intense disgust. “That was Dia. I never use it because its utility is severely limited. It's really little more than concentrated sunlight, but the fragile flesh and bones of the undead possess a severe allergy to it.”
“Very impressive, Sarina.” Gilles agreed. “Let's continue.”
***
“Find anything?” Maduin leaned against the doorway to the dungeon in the southeast tower.
“How do I look?” The thief grinned. He was wearing a tall, steepled hat very much like the one Gilles wore, only this one was crafted from sturdy leather instead of straw. He made his hands into claws and pointed them at Duane, who was on lookout. “Thunder! Bzzap!”
The monk rolled his eyes. “Anything else in there?”
Kelga doffed the hat. “Nope. I butchered a couple of big green dogs though. They were scary. Nothing else of interest. The cells were empty.”
“Werewolves, probably.” Duane was all business. “Hang on to that hat, Kelga. Gilles might want it.”
“You mean he can change hats!?” Kelga gasped in mock astonishment.
“Come on,” Maduin growled. “The others are expecting us.”
***
“This one's locked too.” Argus tugged on the heavy double doors, but to no avail. “That's one hell of a spell!”
“Is it the same enchantment?” Sarina was referring to the door of the dungeon in the southeast corner of the shrine. It had been sealed with powerful magic that neither the healer nor the wizard could dispel.
Gilles patted the door up and down. “Yeah,” he grunted. “Same stuff. I've never seen anything like it. That's saying a lot, too. I'm a spellbreaker by vocation.”
“You mean Garland did this?” Argus was incredulous. “He's a better enchanter than either of you? How are we supposed to get to the princess now?”
“The princess isn't behind these doors,” Gilles muttered, annoyed.
“These seals have been in place for a very long time,” Sarina explained indulgently. “Hundreds of years at least.”
“There must be something really important inside, then!” Argus bounced up and down as he gave the handle another tug. “Maybe really awesome weapons or armor!”
“We'll never know, because we'll never open it!” Encountering magical phenomena beyond his understanding always put Gilles in a poor humor “Now let's go!”
***
“Any good swag in that one?” Maduin stood outside the northwest dungeon expectantly.
Kelga had returned with an armload. “Must have been a storeroom of some kind. I mean, yeah, it's a dungeon, obviously. But archaeologists must have left this here, since it isn't the kind of stuff goblins would use or undead would need.”
“What is it?”
“I found a disposable tent and a bottle of healing potion. There wasn't anything else of use.”
“What's that all over you?”
“Oh, this?” Kelga handed the goods to Maduin and started brushing himself off furiously. “Cobwebs. There was a huge freaking web in there. Kind of gross, really.” He frowned as he glanced at Duane, who was standing there pointing at him. The red mage's mouth was agape and his eyes were wide. On top of that, his face was flushed of all color. “What's with you?”
Duane didn't say anything, he just started walking backwards.
Kelga and Maduin both turned to follow his gaze. Slowly descending from the ceiling was the largest spider any of them had ever seen. Its spindly legs were at least three meters in length and its bulbous, black abdomen was adorned with a fiery red spot in the shape of an hourglass. Eight red eyes focused on the three humans. The arachnid's primitive ganglion had concluded that they were full of delicious juices.
“Fry it,” Maduin commanded in a hushed tone. “Duane, fry it now!”
Before the giant black widow touched down it was greeted with a large fireball. The spider made a rattling noise like broken glass as it fell to the ground. It thrashed briefly as it burned alive. Eventually, it folded up into a ball of legs and stopped moving. The spell completed, Duane spun around and vomited all over the temple floor.
“He really doesn't like spiders,” Kelga explained.
***
“What took you guys so long?” Argus chided, good-naturedly.
“A better question would be how did you guys get here so quick?” Kelga looked genuinely confused. “I thought I was pretty damned efficient. I had to clean out the dungeons, you know.”
“You mean you could get inside yours?”
“You mean you couldn't?”
“The southeast and northeast dungeons were sealed tight,” Sarina explained. “We got here so quickly because we couldn't get inside. Not much to do in that case, you understand.”
“Well, that does explain it,” Maduin agreed. He nodded to Gilles. “I never thought a petty lock would stop you. You said both of them were sealed?”
“Maybe I should go have a look at them.” Kelga offered.
“No, you don't understand.” Sarina sighed. “They were sealed with magic. It wasn't Garland's doing, either, so the princess isn't there.” She gestured down the south corridor. “That leaves one place we haven't looked.”
“Yeah, I suspected as much,” the white monk concurred. “Damn it, I don't like this. We didn't encounter anything but animal type monsters. Where are all the guards?”
Sarina nodded. “Yes, it does seem like Garland has entrusted temple security to dumb beasts. We ran into a pack of zombies and a couple of skeletons.” She turned to Maduin and shrugged. “Maybe the bulk of his forces are at the front?” She offered hopefully. The sentiment was meant to be reassuring, but she didn't sound like she believed it herself.
“Or maybe we're waltzing into one big trap.”
“Whatever!” Argus threw up his arms in exasperation. “We know where she is now. Let's finish this job and get out of here!”
Maduin rolled his eyes. “Does the prospect of facing Cornelia's greatest swordsman really make no nevermind to you?”
“If we have no other options, standing around and moaning about it isn't going to do any good. The six of us can take him!”
“Oh!” Kelga removed his pack and thrust an arm down into it. “I almost forgot! I found something for you, Gilles.”
“What?” The wizard looked mildly interested, but none too hopeful.
Kelga produced the wadded up leather hat and shook it open. “It looked like something a black mage would wear, so I got it for you.”
Gilles' eyes had widened slightly. “Why... thank you.” He accepted the article from Kelga. “This is very nice indeed. Yes, I think I'll use this.”
“You have to put it on right here!” Kelga grinned viciously. “In front of us!”
“Not a chance,” the wizard shuffled off to change hats safely behind a pillar.
“Okay,” Maduin announced. “We'll be splitting up one more time. Same groups as before. We'll circle the central chamber and look for an alternate way in.” He scratched his head. “To tell the truth, I'm not all that hopeful, but I'm also not going to use the main entrance unless there really is no alternative. Keep your eyes peeled.”
***
None of the six had found a weakness in the central chamber's very solid wall. The two groups had reunited in front of the large, heavy double doors that stood between them and the almost certain location of the princess. They were now closer to their objective than ever before, but each of them were filled with an intense anxiety. Because although Princess Sarah was definitely beyond that massive portal, so was Garland.
“Don't worry,” Kelga tried to reassure the defeated monk. “We can still sneak inside. We have that invisibility magic, after all.”
“What's the point?” Maduin sighed, swiping a hand towards the huge doorway. “There's no way we can open that without whoever's inside noticing. No, this is it. Every one of you, get ready. Remember your training. Remember everything you've learned on the way here. If we're at all lucky, it will just be Garland.” He hung his head. “I did everything I could to avoid this, but it looks like we'll have to confront him after all.”
“It's not your fault.” Argus was having a hard time containing his excitement. “Like you said, you did everything you could. Now it's time to show them what the Warriors of Light are made of!” He jerked on the right hand door and swung it open with a loud, rusty groan. Once there was a large enough opening he immediately stomped inside. “Let's kick some ass!”
The Chaos Shrine's central chamber was shaped like the inside of a sphere. The center platform was a cross-shaped pathway connected to the walls of the vault. The bridge spanned a deep abyss, the depth of which was anyone's guess. This room had the best lighting in the entire temple. On the north end of the room a green haired girl in a filthy dress lay sprawled on the cold, tomb-like floor, unconscious. In the center of the chamber was a golden altar that sported a large, black crystal. The spherical gem seemed to distort the air around it. Several bats shrieked and flapped about the ceiling as the Warriors of Light entered the sanctuary. Brooding over the huge, black crystal was a tall man in wicked, darksteel armor and purple cape.
As the six resigned adventurers filed in he whirled around to face them. “Who's there!?” Garland demanded, his voice reverberating inside his helmet.
Argus clutched the hilt of his broadsword with both hands. “We're the Warriors of Light. We've come for the princess.”
The dark knight snorted contemptuously. “Hmph! The king's lapdogs! Do you have any idea who you're messing with?”
“Yes, General, we do.” Sarina brandished her cudgel and closed ranks with Argus. The remaining four fanned out into their preferred positions, weapons drawn.
“Oh, ho! It's that snooty little bitch from Prontera! Lady... what was it? Alexander?”
“Alexandra,” Sarina corrected coolly. “Sarina Alexandra. On behalf of the gods I'm going to see to it that judgment is served!”
“Whatever,” Garland shrugged. He glanced back and forth between the others. “I'm afraid I don't know the rest of you...” His electric, glowing eyes settled on Duane. “You! Albino! Have we met before? You seem familiar.”
Duane didn't feel like correcting Garland's assessment of his complexion. “My name is Duane Sorel,” he stated simply.
“Ah! AH HAHA! Wonderful! It's Anton's little brother! I'm going to enjoy killing you!”
“You won't be killing any more people!” Argus exclaimed. “Not without getting through me!”
Garland cocked his head. “You really think you have what it takes to cross swords with ME?”
Argus didn't so much as blink.
“...Very well. I, Garland, will... KNOCK YOU ALL DOWN!!”
Argus didn't get a chance to mock that last very pathetic line, because the dark knight was upon him instantly. Garland's steel longsword crashed against Argus' iron broadsword, again and again. Argus had never before encountered such a fast and ferocious onslaught. He parried what he could through sheer luck, but in mere seconds he had sustained several vicious slash wounds that had penetrated his armor. The young fighter fell backwards, the momentum kept his body rolling in a decidedly awkward position. When the warrior stopped rolling, he didn't get up.
“Argus!” Sarina rushed to his side.
Garland hissed and leveled his sword at the vulnerable healer. He knew better than to allow the mages to sit back and cast with impunity. If he eliminated the white mage here and now, the remaining 'warriors' would be at a terrible disadvantage. He charged, but before he could penetrate the frail healer the white monk swept in with a blur and snatched her away to safety. Garland abruptly changed direction and charged for a very terrified Duane who didn't have time to cast any spells. Rather than parry the strikes with his flimsy rapier, the red mage leapt to safely. Garland growled, looking for all the world like an enraged, metal minotaur. That anger certainly didn't subside when three throwing knives crashed harmlessly against his back. He whirled around to face Kelga, who tossed another three, deftly aiming for the opening in his visor. The daggers would have made their mark too, had Garland not deflected them with an impossibly precise swing of his sword.
Having ensured Sarina's safety, Maduin leapt down directly in front of Garland. Despite his fierce opponent, the black belt's demeanor was as calm as ever. Surprisingly, the dark knight didn't charge immediately. He apparently knew what he was dealing with, and didn't want to give the deadly fighter the slightest advantage. In that instant of hesitation, Garland was struck by a black haze which bound his shadow in place and burdened him with a terrible, illusionary weight. From his relatively safe vantage point, Duane had nailed him with a Focus spell. The dark knight's movements wouldn't be quite so blindingly fast now.
That was all the opportunity Maduin needed. Exploiting Garland's enfeebled state, he delivered an impossibly powerful roundhouse kick to his opponent's face, sending him flying backwards into the Black Crystal. The impact was punctuated by the cacophonous crash of metal against crystal. No sooner had Garland righted himself then had Kelga dashed in and snatched the steel longsword right out of his hand. Unarmed, he lunged after the thief with an irate roar, but had little hope of catching him.
“Everyone! Get down!” Gilles shouted. “Thunder!” A vicious, blue bolt of lightning shot forth from both of his outstretched hands. The spell snapped and hissed as it arced toward Garland's very metal armor, which drank up the electricity eagerly. Garland stopped instantly, making no sound at first; just shuddering violently while standing upright. But as Gilles continued to pour more energy into him, he began to wail in agony and rage as his flesh was welded to the inside of his mail. The runes on his armor glowed with indigo light and smoke poured out from between the joints. The air stank with burning flesh, hair and ozone. After the screaming stopped, the black mage finally relented, allowing Garland's body to darken and cool where it stood locked in place; that is until a recently-revived Argus crashed into it with his shoulder, sending it careening into the abyss like a cast iron rag doll. After the count of three, a sickening crunch echoed up from the bottom of the pit, proving that there was, in fact, a bottom.
“We... we did it,” Maduin gasped, dropping to his knees on the temple floor. “We actually did it.”
“Well, there are six of us,” Gilles pointed out. “A general isn't much good without his army.”
“But that was Wyrmkiller Garland,” Duane seemed as astonished with himself as Maduin. “The man who single-handedly felled the Red Dragon of Lariat!”
“Yeah? Well we're the Warriors of Light,” Argus beamed, jubilantly. “The men- er, and woman- who felled Wyrmkiller Garland!” He strode over to where the young woman lay sprawled. Eyes open, but staring blankly at nothing in particular. Argus knelt down next to her and and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “Hey there, are you alright? Can you hear me?”
The green-haired girl was incredibly beautiful, but that beauty was grievously marred by weeks of illness, malnutrition and inadequate hygiene. Somehow, her emaciated body still retained enough moisture for her eyes to well up with fresh tears. The raw skin around her eyes testified that these were not the first. “You... you've come to rescue me?” She croaked weakly, her voice all but nonexistent.
“Yes, we have,” Argus took her frail hand in his. “I'm Argus. We're the Warriors of Light. You're safe now. It's all over.”
The girl managed a smile and laughed with a mixture of joy and disbelief. “I don't know how I could ever repay you. I am Sarah, Princess of Cornelia.”
“We surmised as much,” Duane removed his hat, kneeling down alongside Argus. “It is good to see you again, Your Highness, even under these most dire circumstances.”
“...Duane?” Sarah was stunned, “Duane, you're alive! You had us all so terribly worried! You are one of the Four? I don't believe it!”
“Ah, no. Well, not exactly... Milady.” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, rare color forming on his face.
“There are actually six of us, Your Excellency,” Sarina explained. “You have already met Argus Baron, warrior and bearer of the Earth Crystal. I am Sarina Alexandra, Priestess of Light and bearer of the Water Crystal.” She gestured toward two more of her comrades. “Gilles Arkham, black mage and bearer of the Wind Crystal and Kelga Vasquez... um, 'adventurer' and bearer of the Fire Crystal.”
“It's okay. Thief. You can say it,” Kelga grinned. “It's nice to finally meet you, Princess. Duane and Maduin may not have Crystals of their own, but they're helping us out just the same. In fact, we probably couldn't have done it without them.”
“Maduin...” Sarah seemed to mull the name over.
“Maduin Vargas,” the monk nodded amicably. “My-”
“Reputation proceeds you,” Sarah was agape.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Er, no... not if you are in my father's employ, anyway,” she chuckled. “As seems to be the case.”
“Oh yeah, Argus!” Kelga called. “I still have this. It' better than the one you've been using, but too heavy for my tastes. You should take it.” He handed Garland's ornate, steel longsword to the fighter, who promptly dropped his old sword in exchange for the vastly superior weapon.
“Oh, Awesome!” Argus exclaimed, testing the near-perfect balance of the mastercraft longblade in his hands.
“That sword...” Sarah's voice grew quiet. “Where did you get it?”
“Right out of Garland's right hand!” Kelga sometimes had trouble containing his pride. This was one of those times.
“And Garland is...”
“Dead.” Gilles grunted, speaking up for the first time.
“Very dead,” Maduin elucidated. “Or he should be, anyway. I don't know how anyone could have survived everything we put that poor bastard through.”
“He's a pile of human bacon coated in molten slag at the bottom of this really deep shaft!” Kelga cackled with glee, pointing to the floor below him. “You should have heard the noise he made when he hit the bottom, Princess!” He shuddered involuntarily just thinking about it.
“I... I see...” Sarah hung her head.
“Is something wrong, Your Highness?” Duane asked.
“N-no. That's the first time anyone's ever defeated Garland.” She sat in silence for another moment. “You must allow me to show my gratitude. Please, accompany me to Castle Cornelia!”
“That's easier said than done,” Maduin said. “My apologies, but you're in really terrible shape, Princess. We may need to stay here a few more days so that you can recover. It's a pretty rough track back to the capital.”
Sarah shook her head. “That won't be necessary, sir. With Garland dead, his wards that contained my powers and bound me here have also fallen. My magics can take us as far as the Temple of Light in nearly an instant.”
“Teleportation?” Sarina stammered, visibly humbled. “That's very impressive, Your Majesty. Such spells are as yet beyond even my abilities.”
“It is one of the few spells I do know, Milady.” Sarah reassured her with all genuine modesty. “Shall we be off then, my valiant champions?”
“Wait,” Gilles interjected. “Are you in any condition to use such a difficult spell?”
“I will be fine, sir. Do not worry.” Sarah struggled to her feet on weak and wobbly knees, braced against Argus' sturdy, mail-clad frame for support. “Are you all prepared?”
The six adventurers all mumbled their agreement and Sarah began casting. In a few moments' time, the entire party was enveloped in a brilliant, white light and then promptly vanished into nothingness.
***
“Your Holiness! Your Holiness!” Healer Etoh barged into the office of Cardinal Vias, streaked with sweat and gasping for breath. “Your Holiness!”
“What is the meaning of this!?” The pontiff demanded, scrambling to fully conceal the choir girl beneath his desk. “Why must I suffer such indignity!?”
“A thousand apologies, Your Holiness!” Etoh wheezed. “I have come from the palace, courier pigeons bring news from the front! The undead hordes have all become as dust in the midst of battle! The goblin armies are retreating on all fronts!”
“Impossible...” Vias couldn't believe what he was hearing. “Any word as to why?”
Etoh shook his head, sending droplets of sweat in all directions. “The development came completely without warning, Your Holiness! Entirely unexpected! The Leinhoffen front was on the verge of collapse!”
“It must be them,” the cardinal mused. “It must have been Miss Alexandra and her motley band of heretics and traitors. To think they've actually gone and accomplished their mission...!”
“But sir, are they not the Warriors of Light?”
“Apparently they are, Etoh. Apparently they are.”
Suddenly, a whirl of commotion sounded from outside the office doors. Templars clacked down the marble corridor in their steel boots, some could be heard shouting for healers. Etoh stepped outside to see what all the fuss was about. “What's going on?” He demanded of the nearest temple knight.
The templar beckoned for him to follow. “Word 'as it the princess and her entourage 'ave just arrived in the Goddess Shrine. It's said she's in grave condition. Please follow me, sir!”
Etoh looked back at Vias, still fidgeting uncomfortably at his desk. “Go on and tend to them, Etoh. I'll be right behind you!”
“Simple enough,” Argus whispered.
Without another word, the adventurers closed rank and stepped reluctantly into the ancient ruins. On either side of the main entryway were a row of columns, few of which were completely intact. Although the crumbling edifice was still imposing, it likely paled in comparison to what must have existed thousands of years ago; when the cult that constructed the temple was at the height of its power. The pillars, like the huge walls outside, were hewn of gargantuan singular slabs of obsidian; an impossible feat for modern architects. While such constructs were not beyond the Lufenian Empire, the shrine predated the Sky People by almost fifteen hundred years. The Royal Archaeological Society had reached the consensus that magic must have been used in the temple's construction. There was no other possible explanation. The wide corridor stretched off into the darkness, the sparse torches lining the walls and pillars failed to provide sufficient lighting. There could have been anything hiding in the gloom, and there probably was.
“Which way?” Sarina queried softly as she flickered back into existence, her invisibility spell failing at last.
One by one, the others regained their opacity. Immediately to their right and left were smaller, more narrow corridors. They were in a worse state of repair than the main hallway, and even more poorly lit. Maduin glanced at both quickly, then turned to point down the main hall. “According to the map, there's an inner sanctum or whatever at the very center of the temple. If we follow this route straight ahead, it should take us to... what was it called? Anyway, it's the center of the shrine.”
“And that's where the princess is?” Argus asked impatiently.
The monk shrugged. “How should I know? It's probably the easiest room to defend and-” He stopped abruptly as another pair of goblins clanked toward the entrance- apparently to relieve the guards the warriors had just dispatched.
Kelga muttered a curse under his breath and hurled a pair of throwing knives into the darkness. The imps fell with a crash, but they made no other sound. He turned to the leader. “If we're going to conference, I suggest we at least do it off to the side or something. Not right out in the open like this!”
Maduin nodded and shepherded the group to the west end of the corridor, where they crouched between a pillar and the wall. “Okay,” he huffed. “Garland's in here somewhere, most likely close to the princess. I shouldn't need to remind you people that we avoid him if at all possible. That's why I want to check the central chamber last. I'd wager that's where both of them are, but I want to do a quick sweep of the rest of the ground floor. Remember the map. These auxiliary corridors snake around the perimeter of the temple. They swing by several dungeons that can't be counted out just yet. After all, Kelga wasn't able to check all of them.”
“The four dungeons are in each of the corner towers,” Kelga explained. “There's only one entrance to each of them, but they're surrounded by yet another small corridor. It shouldn't be hard to get in, assuming they aren't sealed from the inside. There's plenty of room to get the jump on any monsters in our way.”
“I want us to split up.” Maduin stated flatly. “Three of us will take the auxiliary corridor to the east and the other three will take the one to the west. Once we check the southern dungeons we'll head north and check the northern ones. From there we'll continue on towards the center. We'll meet up in the north of the shrine and head south into the inner chamber.”
Gilles wheezed. “What if we find the princess? Or Garland? Or both?” The musty air wasn't agreeing with him.
“Don't do anything.” Maduin ordered. “Stay out of sight and meet up with the rest of the group. We'll head back to nab the princess if that's the case. Again, avoid Garland like a plague.”
Argus was swinging his sword at his own flickering shadow. “Who's going where?”
Maduin's face contorted in earnest thought. “...Argus, Sarina and Gilles. Take the east route. The rest of us will head west. Avoid patrols if possible. Take them out as quickly and quietly as you can if necessary.” He motioned to Kelga and Duane. “Okay, let's move out.”
Without another word, the six adventurers split into two groups of three and began moving away from each other.
***
“Okay, what's that noise?” Argus stopped dead in his tracks. The point position in their single file line, the two mages following him were obliged to do the same. He pointed his sword into the musty darkness. “What the hell is that?”
Humanoid shapes were shuffling up and down the passageway. Too tall to be goblins, too bulky to be skeletons. They looked like people, but their movements were slow and laborious. One by one, the shapes turned and started staggering towards the three. Their posture slouched backward in a way that looked painfully unnatural. Their arms were held out straight before them for balance.
“I sense no life in them,” Sarina glowered at the gradually approaching creatures.
“That's because there isn't any.” Gilles answered. As the shapes waddled into view, one could plainly see that he was right. They were human, or at least had been at one time. They were animated corpses, kept in a perpetual state of undeath by dark magic. Unlike the skeletons the group had faced previously, these shambling subhumans still retained most of their rotting flesh. Most likely recent victims of Garland's war, they were driven only by their desire to feed. They could sustain their bodies indefinitely with a steady supply of fresh meat, and three hearty kills stood before them here and now.
“Zombies,” Sarina spat with contempt. “What a disgusting perversion of life this is! If there were such a thing as an ultimate sin, you're looking at it right now. These souls are trapped forever in a world of miserable pain and hunger.”
“Uh, they're getting closer.” Argus pointed out.
Gilles coughed. “They probably burn well.” He gestured toward the approaching targets. “Shall I?”
“No,” Sarina shook her head. “They're mine.”
“What are you going to do?” Argus had spent more time with the white mage than any of the others. In all that time he had yet to see her attack in a way that didn't involve swinging a hammer. Although the zombies were desperately slow, their gaping jaws and vicious claws made melee combat very dangerous. A quick Fire spell probably was the way to go.
Sarina's response was in Divine. She began chanting a spell that Argus had never heard before. Sarina's aura flared up, just like it always did whenever she used magic, but all familiarity ceased there. From her outstretched hands shot a beam of searing white light. The beam dispersed to bathe every zombie in golden luminescence that looked not unlike sunlight. The zombies gasped and moaned as their rotting flesh was burned from their bones. In a few seconds it was all over, their naked skeletons had disintegrated before they even hit the ground.
“Wow,” Argus whistled, impressed. “How come you've never used that spell before?”
Sarina didn't look jubilant. Her expression was still one of intense disgust. “That was Dia. I never use it because its utility is severely limited. It's really little more than concentrated sunlight, but the fragile flesh and bones of the undead possess a severe allergy to it.”
“Very impressive, Sarina.” Gilles agreed. “Let's continue.”
***
“Find anything?” Maduin leaned against the doorway to the dungeon in the southeast tower.
“How do I look?” The thief grinned. He was wearing a tall, steepled hat very much like the one Gilles wore, only this one was crafted from sturdy leather instead of straw. He made his hands into claws and pointed them at Duane, who was on lookout. “Thunder! Bzzap!”
The monk rolled his eyes. “Anything else in there?”
Kelga doffed the hat. “Nope. I butchered a couple of big green dogs though. They were scary. Nothing else of interest. The cells were empty.”
“Werewolves, probably.” Duane was all business. “Hang on to that hat, Kelga. Gilles might want it.”
“You mean he can change hats!?” Kelga gasped in mock astonishment.
“Come on,” Maduin growled. “The others are expecting us.”
***
“This one's locked too.” Argus tugged on the heavy double doors, but to no avail. “That's one hell of a spell!”
“Is it the same enchantment?” Sarina was referring to the door of the dungeon in the southeast corner of the shrine. It had been sealed with powerful magic that neither the healer nor the wizard could dispel.
Gilles patted the door up and down. “Yeah,” he grunted. “Same stuff. I've never seen anything like it. That's saying a lot, too. I'm a spellbreaker by vocation.”
“You mean Garland did this?” Argus was incredulous. “He's a better enchanter than either of you? How are we supposed to get to the princess now?”
“The princess isn't behind these doors,” Gilles muttered, annoyed.
“These seals have been in place for a very long time,” Sarina explained indulgently. “Hundreds of years at least.”
“There must be something really important inside, then!” Argus bounced up and down as he gave the handle another tug. “Maybe really awesome weapons or armor!”
“We'll never know, because we'll never open it!” Encountering magical phenomena beyond his understanding always put Gilles in a poor humor “Now let's go!”
***
“Any good swag in that one?” Maduin stood outside the northwest dungeon expectantly.
Kelga had returned with an armload. “Must have been a storeroom of some kind. I mean, yeah, it's a dungeon, obviously. But archaeologists must have left this here, since it isn't the kind of stuff goblins would use or undead would need.”
“What is it?”
“I found a disposable tent and a bottle of healing potion. There wasn't anything else of use.”
“What's that all over you?”
“Oh, this?” Kelga handed the goods to Maduin and started brushing himself off furiously. “Cobwebs. There was a huge freaking web in there. Kind of gross, really.” He frowned as he glanced at Duane, who was standing there pointing at him. The red mage's mouth was agape and his eyes were wide. On top of that, his face was flushed of all color. “What's with you?”
Duane didn't say anything, he just started walking backwards.
Kelga and Maduin both turned to follow his gaze. Slowly descending from the ceiling was the largest spider any of them had ever seen. Its spindly legs were at least three meters in length and its bulbous, black abdomen was adorned with a fiery red spot in the shape of an hourglass. Eight red eyes focused on the three humans. The arachnid's primitive ganglion had concluded that they were full of delicious juices.
“Fry it,” Maduin commanded in a hushed tone. “Duane, fry it now!”
Before the giant black widow touched down it was greeted with a large fireball. The spider made a rattling noise like broken glass as it fell to the ground. It thrashed briefly as it burned alive. Eventually, it folded up into a ball of legs and stopped moving. The spell completed, Duane spun around and vomited all over the temple floor.
“He really doesn't like spiders,” Kelga explained.
***
“What took you guys so long?” Argus chided, good-naturedly.
“A better question would be how did you guys get here so quick?” Kelga looked genuinely confused. “I thought I was pretty damned efficient. I had to clean out the dungeons, you know.”
“You mean you could get inside yours?”
“You mean you couldn't?”
“The southeast and northeast dungeons were sealed tight,” Sarina explained. “We got here so quickly because we couldn't get inside. Not much to do in that case, you understand.”
“Well, that does explain it,” Maduin agreed. He nodded to Gilles. “I never thought a petty lock would stop you. You said both of them were sealed?”
“Maybe I should go have a look at them.” Kelga offered.
“No, you don't understand.” Sarina sighed. “They were sealed with magic. It wasn't Garland's doing, either, so the princess isn't there.” She gestured down the south corridor. “That leaves one place we haven't looked.”
“Yeah, I suspected as much,” the white monk concurred. “Damn it, I don't like this. We didn't encounter anything but animal type monsters. Where are all the guards?”
Sarina nodded. “Yes, it does seem like Garland has entrusted temple security to dumb beasts. We ran into a pack of zombies and a couple of skeletons.” She turned to Maduin and shrugged. “Maybe the bulk of his forces are at the front?” She offered hopefully. The sentiment was meant to be reassuring, but she didn't sound like she believed it herself.
“Or maybe we're waltzing into one big trap.”
“Whatever!” Argus threw up his arms in exasperation. “We know where she is now. Let's finish this job and get out of here!”
Maduin rolled his eyes. “Does the prospect of facing Cornelia's greatest swordsman really make no nevermind to you?”
“If we have no other options, standing around and moaning about it isn't going to do any good. The six of us can take him!”
“Oh!” Kelga removed his pack and thrust an arm down into it. “I almost forgot! I found something for you, Gilles.”
“What?” The wizard looked mildly interested, but none too hopeful.
Kelga produced the wadded up leather hat and shook it open. “It looked like something a black mage would wear, so I got it for you.”
Gilles' eyes had widened slightly. “Why... thank you.” He accepted the article from Kelga. “This is very nice indeed. Yes, I think I'll use this.”
“You have to put it on right here!” Kelga grinned viciously. “In front of us!”
“Not a chance,” the wizard shuffled off to change hats safely behind a pillar.
“Okay,” Maduin announced. “We'll be splitting up one more time. Same groups as before. We'll circle the central chamber and look for an alternate way in.” He scratched his head. “To tell the truth, I'm not all that hopeful, but I'm also not going to use the main entrance unless there really is no alternative. Keep your eyes peeled.”
***
None of the six had found a weakness in the central chamber's very solid wall. The two groups had reunited in front of the large, heavy double doors that stood between them and the almost certain location of the princess. They were now closer to their objective than ever before, but each of them were filled with an intense anxiety. Because although Princess Sarah was definitely beyond that massive portal, so was Garland.
“Don't worry,” Kelga tried to reassure the defeated monk. “We can still sneak inside. We have that invisibility magic, after all.”
“What's the point?” Maduin sighed, swiping a hand towards the huge doorway. “There's no way we can open that without whoever's inside noticing. No, this is it. Every one of you, get ready. Remember your training. Remember everything you've learned on the way here. If we're at all lucky, it will just be Garland.” He hung his head. “I did everything I could to avoid this, but it looks like we'll have to confront him after all.”
“It's not your fault.” Argus was having a hard time containing his excitement. “Like you said, you did everything you could. Now it's time to show them what the Warriors of Light are made of!” He jerked on the right hand door and swung it open with a loud, rusty groan. Once there was a large enough opening he immediately stomped inside. “Let's kick some ass!”
The Chaos Shrine's central chamber was shaped like the inside of a sphere. The center platform was a cross-shaped pathway connected to the walls of the vault. The bridge spanned a deep abyss, the depth of which was anyone's guess. This room had the best lighting in the entire temple. On the north end of the room a green haired girl in a filthy dress lay sprawled on the cold, tomb-like floor, unconscious. In the center of the chamber was a golden altar that sported a large, black crystal. The spherical gem seemed to distort the air around it. Several bats shrieked and flapped about the ceiling as the Warriors of Light entered the sanctuary. Brooding over the huge, black crystal was a tall man in wicked, darksteel armor and purple cape.
As the six resigned adventurers filed in he whirled around to face them. “Who's there!?” Garland demanded, his voice reverberating inside his helmet.
Argus clutched the hilt of his broadsword with both hands. “We're the Warriors of Light. We've come for the princess.”
The dark knight snorted contemptuously. “Hmph! The king's lapdogs! Do you have any idea who you're messing with?”
“Yes, General, we do.” Sarina brandished her cudgel and closed ranks with Argus. The remaining four fanned out into their preferred positions, weapons drawn.
“Oh, ho! It's that snooty little bitch from Prontera! Lady... what was it? Alexander?”
“Alexandra,” Sarina corrected coolly. “Sarina Alexandra. On behalf of the gods I'm going to see to it that judgment is served!”
“Whatever,” Garland shrugged. He glanced back and forth between the others. “I'm afraid I don't know the rest of you...” His electric, glowing eyes settled on Duane. “You! Albino! Have we met before? You seem familiar.”
Duane didn't feel like correcting Garland's assessment of his complexion. “My name is Duane Sorel,” he stated simply.
“Ah! AH HAHA! Wonderful! It's Anton's little brother! I'm going to enjoy killing you!”
“You won't be killing any more people!” Argus exclaimed. “Not without getting through me!”
Garland cocked his head. “You really think you have what it takes to cross swords with ME?”
Argus didn't so much as blink.
“...Very well. I, Garland, will... KNOCK YOU ALL DOWN!!”
Argus didn't get a chance to mock that last very pathetic line, because the dark knight was upon him instantly. Garland's steel longsword crashed against Argus' iron broadsword, again and again. Argus had never before encountered such a fast and ferocious onslaught. He parried what he could through sheer luck, but in mere seconds he had sustained several vicious slash wounds that had penetrated his armor. The young fighter fell backwards, the momentum kept his body rolling in a decidedly awkward position. When the warrior stopped rolling, he didn't get up.
“Argus!” Sarina rushed to his side.
Garland hissed and leveled his sword at the vulnerable healer. He knew better than to allow the mages to sit back and cast with impunity. If he eliminated the white mage here and now, the remaining 'warriors' would be at a terrible disadvantage. He charged, but before he could penetrate the frail healer the white monk swept in with a blur and snatched her away to safety. Garland abruptly changed direction and charged for a very terrified Duane who didn't have time to cast any spells. Rather than parry the strikes with his flimsy rapier, the red mage leapt to safely. Garland growled, looking for all the world like an enraged, metal minotaur. That anger certainly didn't subside when three throwing knives crashed harmlessly against his back. He whirled around to face Kelga, who tossed another three, deftly aiming for the opening in his visor. The daggers would have made their mark too, had Garland not deflected them with an impossibly precise swing of his sword.
Having ensured Sarina's safety, Maduin leapt down directly in front of Garland. Despite his fierce opponent, the black belt's demeanor was as calm as ever. Surprisingly, the dark knight didn't charge immediately. He apparently knew what he was dealing with, and didn't want to give the deadly fighter the slightest advantage. In that instant of hesitation, Garland was struck by a black haze which bound his shadow in place and burdened him with a terrible, illusionary weight. From his relatively safe vantage point, Duane had nailed him with a Focus spell. The dark knight's movements wouldn't be quite so blindingly fast now.
That was all the opportunity Maduin needed. Exploiting Garland's enfeebled state, he delivered an impossibly powerful roundhouse kick to his opponent's face, sending him flying backwards into the Black Crystal. The impact was punctuated by the cacophonous crash of metal against crystal. No sooner had Garland righted himself then had Kelga dashed in and snatched the steel longsword right out of his hand. Unarmed, he lunged after the thief with an irate roar, but had little hope of catching him.
“Everyone! Get down!” Gilles shouted. “Thunder!” A vicious, blue bolt of lightning shot forth from both of his outstretched hands. The spell snapped and hissed as it arced toward Garland's very metal armor, which drank up the electricity eagerly. Garland stopped instantly, making no sound at first; just shuddering violently while standing upright. But as Gilles continued to pour more energy into him, he began to wail in agony and rage as his flesh was welded to the inside of his mail. The runes on his armor glowed with indigo light and smoke poured out from between the joints. The air stank with burning flesh, hair and ozone. After the screaming stopped, the black mage finally relented, allowing Garland's body to darken and cool where it stood locked in place; that is until a recently-revived Argus crashed into it with his shoulder, sending it careening into the abyss like a cast iron rag doll. After the count of three, a sickening crunch echoed up from the bottom of the pit, proving that there was, in fact, a bottom.
“We... we did it,” Maduin gasped, dropping to his knees on the temple floor. “We actually did it.”
“Well, there are six of us,” Gilles pointed out. “A general isn't much good without his army.”
“But that was Wyrmkiller Garland,” Duane seemed as astonished with himself as Maduin. “The man who single-handedly felled the Red Dragon of Lariat!”
“Yeah? Well we're the Warriors of Light,” Argus beamed, jubilantly. “The men- er, and woman- who felled Wyrmkiller Garland!” He strode over to where the young woman lay sprawled. Eyes open, but staring blankly at nothing in particular. Argus knelt down next to her and and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “Hey there, are you alright? Can you hear me?”
The green-haired girl was incredibly beautiful, but that beauty was grievously marred by weeks of illness, malnutrition and inadequate hygiene. Somehow, her emaciated body still retained enough moisture for her eyes to well up with fresh tears. The raw skin around her eyes testified that these were not the first. “You... you've come to rescue me?” She croaked weakly, her voice all but nonexistent.
“Yes, we have,” Argus took her frail hand in his. “I'm Argus. We're the Warriors of Light. You're safe now. It's all over.”
The girl managed a smile and laughed with a mixture of joy and disbelief. “I don't know how I could ever repay you. I am Sarah, Princess of Cornelia.”
“We surmised as much,” Duane removed his hat, kneeling down alongside Argus. “It is good to see you again, Your Highness, even under these most dire circumstances.”
“...Duane?” Sarah was stunned, “Duane, you're alive! You had us all so terribly worried! You are one of the Four? I don't believe it!”
“Ah, no. Well, not exactly... Milady.” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, rare color forming on his face.
“There are actually six of us, Your Excellency,” Sarina explained. “You have already met Argus Baron, warrior and bearer of the Earth Crystal. I am Sarina Alexandra, Priestess of Light and bearer of the Water Crystal.” She gestured toward two more of her comrades. “Gilles Arkham, black mage and bearer of the Wind Crystal and Kelga Vasquez... um, 'adventurer' and bearer of the Fire Crystal.”
“It's okay. Thief. You can say it,” Kelga grinned. “It's nice to finally meet you, Princess. Duane and Maduin may not have Crystals of their own, but they're helping us out just the same. In fact, we probably couldn't have done it without them.”
“Maduin...” Sarah seemed to mull the name over.
“Maduin Vargas,” the monk nodded amicably. “My-”
“Reputation proceeds you,” Sarah was agape.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Er, no... not if you are in my father's employ, anyway,” she chuckled. “As seems to be the case.”
“Oh yeah, Argus!” Kelga called. “I still have this. It' better than the one you've been using, but too heavy for my tastes. You should take it.” He handed Garland's ornate, steel longsword to the fighter, who promptly dropped his old sword in exchange for the vastly superior weapon.
“Oh, Awesome!” Argus exclaimed, testing the near-perfect balance of the mastercraft longblade in his hands.
“That sword...” Sarah's voice grew quiet. “Where did you get it?”
“Right out of Garland's right hand!” Kelga sometimes had trouble containing his pride. This was one of those times.
“And Garland is...”
“Dead.” Gilles grunted, speaking up for the first time.
“Very dead,” Maduin elucidated. “Or he should be, anyway. I don't know how anyone could have survived everything we put that poor bastard through.”
“He's a pile of human bacon coated in molten slag at the bottom of this really deep shaft!” Kelga cackled with glee, pointing to the floor below him. “You should have heard the noise he made when he hit the bottom, Princess!” He shuddered involuntarily just thinking about it.
“I... I see...” Sarah hung her head.
“Is something wrong, Your Highness?” Duane asked.
“N-no. That's the first time anyone's ever defeated Garland.” She sat in silence for another moment. “You must allow me to show my gratitude. Please, accompany me to Castle Cornelia!”
“That's easier said than done,” Maduin said. “My apologies, but you're in really terrible shape, Princess. We may need to stay here a few more days so that you can recover. It's a pretty rough track back to the capital.”
Sarah shook her head. “That won't be necessary, sir. With Garland dead, his wards that contained my powers and bound me here have also fallen. My magics can take us as far as the Temple of Light in nearly an instant.”
“Teleportation?” Sarina stammered, visibly humbled. “That's very impressive, Your Majesty. Such spells are as yet beyond even my abilities.”
“It is one of the few spells I do know, Milady.” Sarah reassured her with all genuine modesty. “Shall we be off then, my valiant champions?”
“Wait,” Gilles interjected. “Are you in any condition to use such a difficult spell?”
“I will be fine, sir. Do not worry.” Sarah struggled to her feet on weak and wobbly knees, braced against Argus' sturdy, mail-clad frame for support. “Are you all prepared?”
The six adventurers all mumbled their agreement and Sarah began casting. In a few moments' time, the entire party was enveloped in a brilliant, white light and then promptly vanished into nothingness.
***
“Your Holiness! Your Holiness!” Healer Etoh barged into the office of Cardinal Vias, streaked with sweat and gasping for breath. “Your Holiness!”
“What is the meaning of this!?” The pontiff demanded, scrambling to fully conceal the choir girl beneath his desk. “Why must I suffer such indignity!?”
“A thousand apologies, Your Holiness!” Etoh wheezed. “I have come from the palace, courier pigeons bring news from the front! The undead hordes have all become as dust in the midst of battle! The goblin armies are retreating on all fronts!”
“Impossible...” Vias couldn't believe what he was hearing. “Any word as to why?”
Etoh shook his head, sending droplets of sweat in all directions. “The development came completely without warning, Your Holiness! Entirely unexpected! The Leinhoffen front was on the verge of collapse!”
“It must be them,” the cardinal mused. “It must have been Miss Alexandra and her motley band of heretics and traitors. To think they've actually gone and accomplished their mission...!”
“But sir, are they not the Warriors of Light?”
“Apparently they are, Etoh. Apparently they are.”
Suddenly, a whirl of commotion sounded from outside the office doors. Templars clacked down the marble corridor in their steel boots, some could be heard shouting for healers. Etoh stepped outside to see what all the fuss was about. “What's going on?” He demanded of the nearest temple knight.
The templar beckoned for him to follow. “Word 'as it the princess and her entourage 'ave just arrived in the Goddess Shrine. It's said she's in grave condition. Please follow me, sir!”
Etoh looked back at Vias, still fidgeting uncomfortably at his desk. “Go on and tend to them, Etoh. I'll be right behind you!”
WOW! After a full year, you finally finish it? LOL!
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
And, I almost thought you've just stopped writing this. Although I wonder if the chapter was just the end of story; or if you're going to complete the entire saga. As it stands, this chapters did nicely to wrap up the story-arc.
Once again, I'm impressed by the little details you take from the game (like the treasure found in the temple) and add those touches of bring the setting more to life. I also like you describe the spell-casting and the fight scene was well written.
Nice work indeed.
Once again, I'm impressed by the little details you take from the game (like the treasure found in the temple) and add those touches of bring the setting more to life. I also like you describe the spell-casting and the fight scene was well written.
Nice work indeed.