"Be cautious," Cecil commanded, "This is no ordinary enemy."
In front of Cecil and his party stood the earth elemental archfiends 'Scarmiglione'. His new form was larger and more threatening than his last one, which looked more like a human dressed in a brown cloak. Now he looked like Death taken physical form. A distorted and torn face with dry white strands of hair coming out of its sculp. It's huge bulky body, covered in mold and mildew, slouched exposing where pieces of flesh were missing. The monster stared at them with its black lifeless eyes and grinned with its toothless smile.
"Right!" The twins said together, holding their staves.
"Just tell me what to do, and consider it done." A more feeble voice said.
"Tellah, you focus on making sure Palom and Porom are in fine form." Cecil order the old sage to do.
The three had met up with the sage as they trekked up the mountain. He was looking for the seal on the spell 'Meteor'; so he could break it and gain the boon of the spell.
"Porom, cast protect and then shell." Cecil ordered holding his sword up to his chin, "Palom, make sure to strike him with fire magic."
"Okay!" The said, nodding their heads.
"There's no need for shell, Cecil." Tellah chimed in, "I sense no magic energy coming from this beast, unlike his last form. "Porom, just focus on protect."
"Right!Protect!" Porom cheered, throwing her arms out, cast protect on everyone. The familiar warmness fell over them all as their natural defense tightened.
"Fira!" Polam screamed, throwing his hands out, and a small twister of fire rose from the earth below, burning the archfiend in it."
"Hahaha!" The monster laughed, its voice raspy and cold, "It'll take more a little fire to defeat me! Now breath this and die!"
The monster opened its mouth and a purple fog flew out of it. As he breathed it his in, Cecil fell to the ground as his body began to burn; as if the inside of his body was on fire. His body felt weak, as his movements slowed down and the enters began to drain out of it.
Cough cough! Cecil looked behind him, seeing the two young Mysidia mages on their knees, coughing violently, and gasping for breath. He could see tears fall down their faces.
"Haha! Look at what you've done, foolish dark knight!" The monster said, "Not only will you die here, but so will they thanks to you!"
No! Cecil thought to himself. If anyone dies here, it'll be my fault!
It was almost too much to think about. All the people in Mysidia that he had killed, then he had the gall to come crawling back to them; taking two apprentice mages up the monster filled plains, forest, and mountain, just to have them die at the hands of some undead monster.
"No!" He snapped, his body pulsing as in pain as he stood up, "No more innocent lives shall be lost because of my doing!"
"There's still a little fight left in you." The monster sighed, " It'll be gone soon enough. But for now, let's start with the children."
The monster flung its arms back behind its body, and sent them flying forward at Porom, who couldn't do anything but watch it happen.
"No!" The dark knight cried, using the last of his physical strength to jump in front of the attack. The monster's claws digging into his purple armor , and destroying it, showing the marks where the monster's nails scraped his chest.
"R-run!" Cecil's commanded the two young mages, as he faced the monster.
"Esnua!" Someone yelled, as a yellow veil covered Cecil.
"Huh?" He asked, standing up and looking behind him.
"There!" Polom said, holding the stem of a echo herb, " Now we have a chance!"
"Cura!" Tellah yelled, as a blanket of warmth fell on Cecil; his energy returning.
"Okay," He said, putting his sword back to his chin, "Let's finish this."