II
The Wings Of Valmar
It had been a few months since Ryudo had worked with San to defeat the bandits, and they had not run across each other since then. Sometimes, Ryudo found himself thinking back to that job. Even more refined, he found himself thinking back to San. He wanted to know more about her. Though he knew that would never happen if they never saw each other again.
He forced his mind to stop wondering about such pointless things. He had to focus on the task at hand, and not let himself get distracted. He would have wiped the sweat from his brow if he was not hanging onto a rope for dear life. The breeze provided some comfort as he tried to shift his weight. Some rocks beneath his feet began to loosen, and he immediately stopped moving.
"Don't let me down, Skye," he whispered.
Exhaling slowly, he looked down to what lay beneath him. A giant dragonoid monster was standing below him, not taking notice to the young man...at least not yet. Ryudo grimaced when his hold on the rope slipped a little, and he fell down an inch. The few rocks from before were dislodged completely and they began to tumble down. He grimaced when they landed not too far away from the monster, and the creature noticed.
Sniffing the air, the green-skinned beast was about to look up when five more of the monsters joined him from the nearby woods. A sigh of relief escaped Ryudo. That was a close one! he thought, greatly relieved that the monster did not look up. The monsters proceeded to talk in a series of hisses, growls, and snaps. They were cut off by three large explosions in the forest. The original dragonoid roared, signaling to the woods with his club. Roaring in response, the five ran back to the forest they had just come from.
Ryudo's lips curled in a smirk. Now was his chance.
He completely let go of the rope, jumping down to the ground. He landed just to the side of the seven-foot tall beast, drawing his sword before it even noticed him. Yelling out a battle-cry, Ryudo jumped up and sliced the monster, nearly cleaving it in two. The tall monster cried out in pain, falling to the ground before it had even risen its club. After sheathing his sword, he rummaged through the loot the beast had been carrying. Finding what he wanted, he tossed the item up and down several times in triumph. Yet another job easily accomplished.
Or so he had thought.
Five spears pierced the ground inches away from him. The other dragonoids had returned, and they did not seem happy. They roared from the edge of the forest, dust swirling up behind them as they ran. Thinking fast, Ryudo ran for the edge of the cliff he was now on. When he got to the edge, he brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. "Skye! Over here!" he called out as he jumped off the cliff.
The eagle-like bird, Skye, zoomed past the monsters, diving down over the edge of the cliff and Ryudo jumped off. When the beasts reached the cliff edge, they stopped running and peered over. Ryudo had grabbed onto Skye's legs, and was now being carried away by him.
Flapping a great deal more than usual, Skye was straining to keep both of them aloft. "Ryudo! I cannot take much more of this," he told his friend as his altitude was slowly decreasing while he flew over another part of the woods.
"Quit your bellyaching and fly, dammit!" Ryudo yelled up at him. An evil thought passed through Skye's head. Jerking in his flight slightly, it was enough to make Ryudo's grip slip. "WHOOOAAHHH!" he cried out in surprise as the tops of the trees came up at him at an extremely fast rate. Branches broke beneath his weight for a while before they began to break his fall. Skye continued to fly leisurely, watching the incident with amusement. Suddenly, a loud crunch was heard when Ryudo finally hit the ground.
:::
Events like that happened fairly often between Ryudo and Skye, so it was nothing too un-ordinary. No matter how many times it might have happened, Ryudo always got many bruises at the least. With the little incident behind them, Ryudo had met his client on a road, like the man had requested, once he got out of the woods. It had taken a while to get back, and the sun was already beginning to set.
"I finished the job, didn't I?" asked the Geohound, a hand on his hip. The old man glared at him, while his young daughter stood with no look of malice on her face.
"Yes, in your own crude fashion!" he snapped back, "Here... Take your money!" The crippled man tossed the bag to the ground between them.
"Father!" interjected the daughter, placing a hand on her father's arm. "Don't be rude..." She turned to face Ryudo and bowed her head in apology. "I'm so sorry..."
Ryudo waved his hand in dismissal. "Don't bother. I'm used to it."
"I won't have you speaking to HIS kind! Come. We're leaving." The old man stamped off before anyone could say otherwise. The daughter bowed once more in apology and thanks before trailing after her father. Walking forward, Ryudo picked up the bag of gold that had been left behind. He tossed it up in the air several times, feeling its weight.
"I cannot stand him. What a pompous fool." Skye ruffled his feathers up slightly in annoyance.
"It's work. Not a barrel of laughs," commented the young Geohound.
The bird cocked his head at him. "Well, well. You're growing up, Ryudo." A smirk could be heard in his tone of voice.
"Ugh. If it weren't for work, I'd have nothing to do with that guy! But...business is business," he muttered the sad truth. Turning around, he began to walk down the forest path.
"She was a fine looking girl, though," said Skye after a moment of silence between them.
Ryudo gave a one-sided smile. "I don't care for her, or the kindness of strangers."
"Right. You only care for that San from before."
The brunet shot an immediate glare at the bird. "Shut up."
:::
The sound of running water was heard not too far away. Off in the distance, a small waterfall flowed smoothly over short cliff. It had gotten slightly darker since they entered the woods again. From his shoulder, Skye looked ahead of them to a dead tree that was at the side of the path. Ryudo stopped walking, looked at his friend and asked, "What is it, Skye?"
"Ryudo, looks like we have another job." Jumping off his shoulder, Skye flew over to the branch of the tree that hung over the path. Ryudo followed where Skye was looking to and saw a note tied to the tree. He walked ahead and stood beneath the branch.
He sighed, running his hand through his hair, "Hey, not already... I'm still sore from that fall, no thanks to you." He shot a quick glare at Skye who registered his disapproval. The bird suddenly swooped down from his perch and began to peck at Ryudo's head. Nearly doubling over, Ryudo brought his arms up to protect his head. "OUCH! Okay! Okay! Skye, alright already!" he cried out in pain and surprise. He relaxed slightly, sighing, "It's good to have work, right?"
Content with the remark, Skye stopped harassing Ryudo and flew back to the branch. Rubbing his aching head, he walked up and retrieved the note. Being careful not to rip it, he opened it up and scanned what was written. He exhaled slowly. "It says...'The Church of Granas wants to hire you as a bodyguard.'" He rolled the letter back up, then he ran his hand through his hair in annoyance. "So, working for Granas, huh... Now I REALLY don't wanna do it."
Skye's expression was as close to a smirk as he could get. "A job's a job, right?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right. That's what it means to be a Geohound."
Following the instructions in the letter, Ryudo continued on his way along the path towards a village at the end. Along the way, he had to kill several spider monsters, but compared to previous encounters, they proved to be easy battles. Eventually, he made it to the peaceful village of Carbo.
When he entered the place, he saw something that he did not normally see every day. A small group of Sisters were gathered around the entrance. There were six in total. One was a blond who was wearing a slightly different outfit than the rest, a redhead, one with green hair, a violet-haired girl, another blond that wore glasses, and the final one had pink hair. All but the blond with no glasses were standing in more of a group, talking to her. An older-looking woman was standing not too far behind the more isolated one.
The redhead spoke first. "Bye, Elena. See you later."
The one called Elena had a sad look on her face as she looked at the other five. "I am sorry, Tessa," she apologized to the redhead. "I would join you if I could. I wonder why I'm not permitted to leave with you..." she trailed off, bringing her hand up to her mouth in thought.
The redhead, Tessa, brushed some of her bangs to the side. "I guess your role is more important than ours. Don't worry, we'll do all the preparations for the ceremony."
Another of the four Sisters stepped up, the one with pink hair. She looked over at Tessa. "Tessa! We have to get going!" she reminded the young woman.
The redhead looked over her shoulder at the girl. "Oh, all right! See you later, Elena!" With a quick wave, she faced the three girls behind her. "Let's go."
The pink-haired girl quickly looked to the blond. "Elena, it's time for the service. You ought to return now."
She nodded. "Yes, you are right."
"Don't worry, we've hired a bodyguard. You'll catch up with us safely," informed the pink-haired girl.
"Please, take care of yourselves... And Tessa." She looked at the redhead. "I will see you later!" she said with a smile on her face. The five women smiled at Elena before waving farewell and leaving the village.
The older woman walked beside Elena and spoke up. "Now, Elena, let's go back." She ushered the young woman further into Carbo. A passing villager greeted them when they passed him.
"Thank you for all your hard work," he thanked the Sister, bowing his head in gratitude.
Ryudo and Skye continued to watch what was going on in case anything else happened. "Probably none of our concern," Skye finally said.
The Geohound turned to address the villager who had greeted the sister and was passing by him. "Are they collecting tithes? There's enough...what do they do—storm through your door and beat charity out of you?"
The villager stopped and looked at Ryudo. "I understand they're off to a tower outside the village to drive away evil spirits. We're very fortunate to have the Sisters."
His eyebrows rose in question. "Evil Spirits?"
"Yes. Things are fine around here during the day...but when the sun goes down, all kinds of terrible monsters are about."
"What about the girl who stayed behind?"
"Oh, Miss Elena? She's a Songstress of Granas. She sings such pretty songs for us. Maybe she will join after the service."
Ryudo cupped his chin in his hand, not really liking that prospect. "Hmm..."
The villager tilted his head, soaking in Ryudo's style of clothing. "You don't look like you're from around here. Word of advice: don't venture about at night," he warned the young man.
"Huh? They need a bodyguard? What's this about driving out evil spirits?"
"The Sisters will exorcise the Devil at the tower outside the village. How fortunate to have Sisters like them..."
Ryudo scowled, not liking all the talk about religion. "This isn't part of the deal... Agh, whatever. Let's see what they have to say at the church."
Skye nodded. "Yeah. There seems to be no other way." He looked over to the villager, and asked, "Excuse me, where do we find the church?"
He smiled softly at them. "That's easy. Just go straight. You can't miss it. It's the large building at the end of the road." He pointed off down the road. Sure enough, past the fountain in the middle of the village, was a large church at the far end of the place.
With a curt nod in thanks, Ryudo headed off down the dirt road at a brisk pace. Carbo seemed like a nice place. Most of the villagers had smiles on their faces. As nice a place as it seemed, Ryudo still did not like the church that probably played a big roll in the village.
Traveling past the fountain—a statue of an angel with a sword as the centerpiece—and through the arch, he came up to the large green doors of the church. He was about to open the door when he stopped with his hand outstretched. A sweet melody was faintly heard on the wind. The woman singing the song had a beautiful voice, one that some people would probably call a voice of an angel.
"A song?" questioned Ryudo.
"Maybe it's that 'Songstress'..." muttered Skye.
Ryudo quickly brought up a hand and shushed his friend. "Shhh!" He strained his ears and listened to the song for a few more moments, letting the melody wash over him. "Strange...it's...calming."
"Sounds like it's coming from inside."
"Let's take a look!" Eagerly, he pulled open the doors and walked in.
The light from the setting sun flooded in through the stain glass windows. Rows upon rows of wooden pews were leading up to the head of the church. A large stone statue of the same design as the fountain one was behind the pulpit. In one of the pews near the front, a person wearing black was, Ryudo assumed, praying. The melody of the calming song filled the room, and the woman singing was none other than the Songstress Elena.
She was completely oblivious to the person in black and Ryudo, who was quietly walking up the isle. He sat down in an empty pew, silently listening to the sweet hymn. He glanced over at the person for a moment, there was something vaguely familiar about him or her.
Elena's singing faded off. "Ohhh. I should have known that I needed more practice," she said aloud, most likely thinking she was the only one inside.
"What's the matter? Is that all?" asked Ryudo, his arms crossed.
The Songstress gasped and turned around, seeing her two-person audience for the first time. "Who said that?" Her warm, brown eyes fell upon the brunet.
Calmly, Ryudo stood up and walked towards her. "Don't mind me. Continue." He did not sound very soothing.
Her eyes stayed wide as she continued to stare at him "...Were you listening...to my singing?"
Shaking his head, he gave small smirk. "C'mon. If you're that tense, you won't be able to perform at all."
She suddenly gave him a suspicious look. "Who are you? I haven't seen you around... What are you doing here?" she asked quickly.
"Whoah now! What am I doing here? You're the one who hired me." Little did he know, for he could not see, the person in black looked up at that remark.
Elena's look went to one of shock. "I...hired you?" she asked in confusion. Not remembering anything like that, she became defensive. "I-I do not remember anything of the sort! You look awfully suspicious! Leave right now, or I'll scream!"
The young Geohound laughed, "Are you for real?" He placed a hand on his forehead when he put it all together. "Oh, wait a sec... I bet no one told you!"
Elena opened her mouth to say something in return, but was cut off when a door behind her opened. A tall, saintly man wearing glasses walked in. A thick, leather book in hand, he closed the door behind him. "Elena, is something the matter?" he asked. Then he noticed the person who was talking to her, and nearly glided over to them. "Ah, you must be the Geohound, yes? We've been waiting for you." He smiled warmly at Ryudo.
The Songstress looked back at Ryudo, a look of light fear on her face. "A Ge-Geohound?"
Ryudo raised his hand in a quick greeting. "Hey. I'm Ryudo. This here's Skye. Quite a warm welcome for someone you're hiring." He gave a slight scowl to the young woman.
"WHAT? Why are you being so rude!" she questioned, getting defensive again.
The Father, Carius, looked to her with displeasure for her actions. "Elena!" he warned. Looking back to Ryudo, he dipped his head slightly. "Please excuse her. Allow me to apologize on her behalf." Turning back to Elena, he held out his arm to indicate the door he had just entered through. "Elena. You must get ready to leave."
"Ah, yes...Father. I am very sorry for interfering. Please excuse me." She bowed low to Carius, her demeanor returning to that of a gentle person. Acting as though her outburst never happened, Elena left the main room.
Sighing, Ryudo ran his hand through his spiky hair. "Excuses and women are equally tiring."
A disapproving look crossed Carius' face as he cleared his throat at Ryudo's comment. "...Ehem. This is not the place. May I ask you to wait at the inn? I'll try to be along shortly, but I must wait for the other Geohound we've hired to arrive."
Eyebrows rising suddenly, Ryudo opened his mouth to say something, only to have someone else to speak instead. "Don't worry, he's already here," came a familiar voice from behind them. Turning around, Ryudo gasped lightly when the person in black rose. He dusted off his pants before looking up at them. His sharp, amethyst eyes locked for a moment with Ryudo's before moving onto Carius.
"Sa-Satoshi!" He had to stop himself from saying San. As Satoshi walked up towards them, the little gold dragon, Hisashi, flew down from one of the windows and perched on his shoulder.
"Hey." He raised his hand quickly in greeting.
"Ah, are you the other Geohound? Satoshi, was it?" asked Carius.
"You can call me that. And this is Hisashi." Ryudo could not help but smirk. There he went again, not lying about his real name.
"Wonderful. Will you two please wait at the inn? I still have a few more things to take care of, so I shall be along shortly." With a bow of his head, Carius walked away from them.
"So, looks like we meet again," commented Ryudo, crossing his arms in a smug way.
"Yeah, yeah. You were right. Now let's just get this over with," muttered Satoshi, waving his hand lazily before heading down the isle.
It was one thing to have to work with a partner once, but another to work with them again. In the past, both of them had always worked alone, completing jobs in a breeze. But then they both ended up working for the same job. That one made sense, since it was a large group of bandits, but the one they had to do now? It did not make much sense to either of them. What was so important that the church had to hire two bodyguards? None of them had the answer to that.
"Nice to know what you think of women," commented Satoshi as they passed the fountain, placing his hands behind his head.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"'Excuses and women are equally tiring'? Thanks." He rolled his eyes a bit.
"Nice one, Ryudo," whispered Skye.
"Well, I didn't mean you! Obviously," he tried to correct himself, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. "You're not like a woman at all," he whispered, making sure no one else was around. "I mean, of course you're really a woman, but then, it's like you're not at the same time. And that's not just because you have to pretend to be Satoshi."
Satoshi blinked a few times, trying to make sense of Ryudo's ramblings. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment, or as an insult."
"Best to take it as a compliment. Probably the best you'll ever get out of him," remarked Hisashi, sleepily.
Ryudo sighed. "What I mean, I guess, is that even though you're a girl, I still like you." His eyes went wide when he realized what he said. "N-not like that, though! It's just- what I mean is—I can stand being around you. You don't annoy me or anything like that."
Beneath his mask, Satoshi smirked when they stopped by the door to the inn. "You're mincing your words, Ryudo. Better be more careful. Most of the time, the way you say something tells the person more than what you're actually saying." He laughed softly, leaving a stunned Ryudo standing outside as he entered.
"What...just happened?" asked the Geohound, not being able to soak in what Satoshi just said.
"Amazing. Satoshi's only met you once before, and yet he's already able to read you like an open book," commented Skye, tilting his head to the side.
That brought Ryudo out of being stunned. With an quick glare at the bird, Ryudo marched into the inn. Inside, Satoshi was leaning against the wallpaper-covered wall near the main desk. When he saw Ryudo enter, he stood up straight. They walked up to speak to the man at the front desk, most likely the innkeeper.
"The priest told us to wait here..." muttered Ryudo.
The man looked between them. "Oh yes, he'll be along shortly. Why don't you take a seat over there?" He pointed over to the side where there was a small flight of stairs leading down to the main waiting area. Hisashi, not waiting for them, flew off of Satoshi's shoulder and glided over to one of the chairs at an empty table. At the moment, the place had no one else there.
The two Geohounds glanced over there before looking back at the innkeeper. "Tell him to make it quick." Finished, the two of them walked down the steps to the table Hisashi had picked out. The two humans had just sat down when the door to the inn opened again. The man who entered was none other than Carius.
He walked up to the innkeeper. "I believe there are two Geohounds waiting for me..."
The inn master gasped. "A...Geohound?" He stared at the Father in confusion for a moment. He glanced over where the two men were sitting. "There are two men over there. Geohounds... Father, what need have we with their kind?"
"Ah, they have come. Peace, my son. It is not appointed to us to judge our fellow man. Granas alone reserves that power." He raised his hand as he said that. Walking down the few steps, he came up to the two Geohounds and bowed. "I apologize for our rudeness earlier. You must be Ryudo and Satoshi the Geohounds, correct? I am sorry to have kept you waiting."
"So, what business does a noble Priest of the Church of Granas have with lowly Geohounds like us?" asked Ryudo.
"I believe that was stated in my letters... You can...did read the letter, did you not?" he asked, giving nervous glances between the two.
"Come now, Father. For a priest, your lack of faith is most disturbing."
"Easy now," warned Skye.
A quick glare was sent at the bird. "Enough, Skye. So, Father, you need a bodyguard. Talk." Both of the Geohounds gave their undivided attention to the priest.
"There is a tower outside of town—Garmia Tower. We will hold a ceremony there tonight, under the light of the full moon. I want you to take one of our Sisters there. And once the ceremony is over, I want you to bring her back here."
Both of them gave him skeptical looks. Ryudo was the one who spoke. "I don't buy it. The church has never sought help from outside before, and this is a job for a choirboy, not a 'murderous Geohound'."
The priest sighed. "Not all are against you, lad. You need not always walk in anger and pain. All troubles can be resolved with prayer and..."
Ryudo and Satoshi immediately stood up. Neither of them were the religious type, and neither of them had patience for those who were and did not keep it to themselves. "Then I suggest you start praying your sister over to your tower."
He sighed again when he realized the situation. "I am sorry... I did not mean to offend... Please..." Pulling forth two bags of gold, he placed them on the table between the Geohounds. They stared at each other for a moment, smirks playing on both of their faces. Giving reluctant sighs, they each took their bag of gold.
"...Fine. Fine. Looks like we'll do the job. But save your sermons. Gold has a finer voice."
"The Sister whom you will be protecting is waiting in the church. Please ready yourselves and come along."
"Don't worry about the girl. I've never botched a job. And I don't plan to start," reassured Ryudo. With a quick nod in thanks, Carius left the inn. Satoshi's flying companion flew up to his shoulder. "Talkative, much?" questioned Ryudo, glancing at Satoshi.
He shrugged lightly. "You actually said most of the things I wanted to. So what would be the point in being redundant?"
Skye was the one who spoke up next. "Good point. At least there's one Geohound around here with common sense." Satoshi and Hisashi laughed softly while Ryudo, naturally, glared at his friend. Skye's expression was quite a smug one for him.
With no more comments to be said, the two of them headed back for the church.
"Go to the church. Wait at the inn. Return to the church..." Satoshi began to list where they had to go that day just to get hired for the job. He slouched over as he gave an exasperated sigh. "You'd think they'd just pick one place and get it over with." Hisashi nuzzled his golden head against Satoshi's face to try and comfort him.
Ryudo chuckled softly. "What'd you expect from them? They always try and make people's lives more difficult," he remarked.
Satoshi muttered a quiet agreement, placing his hands behind his head again. Eventually, they came up to the arch in the fence that led to the grounds around the church. Carius stood with the Sister they had to escort at his side. And the Sister was none other than the Songstress of Granas, Elena.
"So, Father, you want us to escort Her Fussiness here? Fine. Then come along, princess," said Ryudo.
Elena stared between Ryudo and Satoshi in confusion. She had only known of Ryudo as the only Geohound. To suddenly have yet another one escorting her came as a bit of a shock. "Father. Am I the only one with Geohounds for bodyguards?" she asked, politely facing him.
"Yes. Your role is very important..."
"Oh, why can I not just go alone? Please, Father!" she begged, clasping her hands together.
Stepping forward, Ryudo broke up the little disagreement. "Hey hey! What are you trying to do? He already paid us in advance!"
Pursing her lips tightly together, she shot a disgusted look to Ryudo and Satoshi. "I do NOT want to go along with those boars!"
"Sure a Sister should be saying such rude things?" whispered Satoshi, amused, an eyebrow rising.
"Hey, now... Who are you calling a boar?" asked Ryudo, slightly offended.
Carius gave the Songstress a stern gaze. "Elena, your role is very important. Were something to happen to you, we couldn't hold the ceremony. Thus, the bodyguards."
"It's not fair that I'm the only one who has to go with a Geohound... Two, no less."
The brunet grumbled something under his breath. "I don't care one way or the other. Look, are you coming or not?"
"Elena, please do not forget your role. We are depending on you, I beg you." The priest placed a hand on her shoulder.
The young woman stared up at him. With a slow nod, she cast her eyes back down apologetically. "Yes...Father, you are right. I ought not to make Tessa and the others wait. I shall perform my part."
Pleased, Carius faced Ryudo and Satoshi. "Well then, Mr. Ryudo, Mr. Satoshi, please take Elena to Garmia Tower."
Satoshi nodded while Ryudo said, "Fine. Let's go, princess."
She shot a quick glare at him. "My NAME is Elena."
He gave a mock bow. "Princess Elena, then, move it."
The blue-haired Geohound sighed, rubbing his temples softly. "This is gonna be a long trip..."
:::
The forest to the north-west of Carbo was extremely dark. Even though night had not fully settled in, it felt as though it had when they entered the place. And the forest was so rightfully named the Black Forest. Many of the trees were gnarled, twisting in odd places, and many of the branches seemed like claws. Only one of them was afraid of the place, and that was, of course, Elena.
Not long after they had entered the place, she stopped.
"Hey!" called out Ryudo. The two Geohounds watched her as she nearly jumped at his sudden talking.
"Wha-! What is it?"
The brunet walked up to her while Satoshi stayed in his place. "This is your first time walking in the woods?"
The look that came to her face showed how unsettled she was. "N-No, not at all. It's just that...at night..."
"Keep your head down and watch your step." Turning his head to look at an area off the path, all of a sudden he pointed and shouted, "LOOK! OVER THERE!" Elena jumped to look, while Satoshi snapped his head around in case he was serious. Nothing out of the ordinary was where Ryudo pointed to. He sighed, "Nice reflexes, princess. Unfortunately, we're not out here to pick berries or nurse hurt shrews. Next time, you might want to duck and cover. Most bad guys won't stop killing you if you're trying to kiss their ouchies... Hey. You frozen there or something?" He waved a hand in front of her face.
Elena fell to her knees while Satoshi began to walk up to the two of them. Her voice shook as she said, "Ryu—Mr. Ryudo! Mr. Satoshi! There's something ahead!"
Around where Ryudo had pointed, two large, monstrous bird-looking monsters—Dodos—swooped down from the canopy. Their bright-blue feathers and blood-red beaks stood out in sharp contrast to the dark forest. The two Geohounds immediately drew their swords and moved to shield Elena.
A devilish grin, bordering on the edge of blood-thirsty, graced Ryudo's visage. "Yeah. Back off!" he shouted back to her as the birds dove for the Geohounds.
Satoshi dodged to the side and Ryudo jumped the other way. Almost synchronized, the two of them sliced through the two monsters, making quick work of them. Blood and feathers littered the ground beneath the now dead birds.
Not even worth the effort," grumbled Satoshi, sheathing up his sword.
Ryudo did the same and looked back at Elena. "You okay, princess?"
Exhaling slowly in attempt to calm her nerves, she slowly stood up. "Yes, Mister Ryudo. How are you? ...Are you two all right?"
"Just peachy," muttered Satoshi, putting on a fake smile beneath his mask.
"I'm fine, as long as I'm getting paid. But...one thing," he began sternly, placing a hand on his hip.
Elena swallowed nervously. "Yes?"
"Drop the 'mister' stuff. I'm not your teacher, your baby sitter, or your damn butcher. Just 'Ryudo'." To his side, Satoshi nodded in agreement. Neither of them liked all the formalities. Satoshi even less since he was really a woman passing as a man.
"All right..." she whispered.
A scowl crossed Ryudo's face. "Bah. At this rate, we won't make it till dawn. Step on it!" he commanded.
:::
After several more fights against the bird-like monsters, they finally made it through the Black Forest. When they came out into the small clearing where Garmia Tower stood, they slowed down for a moment. The two Geohounds looked around their new surroundings. Night now blanketed the area in darkness, making the full moon the only source of light to walk by. A ruined stone path led up to the main doors of the tower, and various broken pillars were to the side of the path. Up ahead, waiting for them, were the five Sisters from earlier.
As previously, when they reached the awaiting girls, Ryudo was the one who did the talking. "So I take it you're the ones who've been waiting for the princess here."
The pink-haired girl nodded, not making eye-contact with either Ryudo or Satoshi. "We are. You must be the Geohounds. I thank you." It was obvious she forced herself to say then when she bowed.
The blond girl with glasses leaned over to the one with green hair, and whispered, "So that's a Geohound... They give me the creeps."
The green-haired girl nodded. "The rumors speak truly..."
The girl with her long, violet hair pulled into a braid, standing to Tessa's left, made a disgusted face. "Yuck... They're looking this way."
The redhead finally yelled, "SILENCE!" Her voice nearly made the four Sister quiver in fear.
Ryudo and Satoshi ignored their comments. "Come on, get to it," he nearly hissed to Elena.
She stepped forward. "My Sisters...I am ready. I have Mister Ryudo and Mister Satoshi to thank for bringing me here safely."
The brunet gave a smug smile at their flawless work. "Not even a ding or a scratch on her." His look became serious. "Now, I don't suppose you'll tell us what this is all about..."
"Please wait outside until we have finished the ceremony, when it is concluded, you will escort Elena back to the Church," informed the pink-haired girl, not giving anything to answer Ryudo's request.
"How long you ladies going to take?" asked Satoshi, speaking up for the first time in a while.
The girl cast a quick glance in his direction. "It will take some time. This is all I may say. One more thing." She gave a stern look to Ryudo and Satoshi. "Do not enter the tower under any circumstances. The ceremony must not be disturbed by your kind...er, you."
A sigh escaped Satoshi and Ryudo ran his hand through his hair, saying, "'Our kind'. Right. I'll just sit over here and think filthy, unclean thoughts then."
"...Please do not come inside."
The green-haired girl turned around and opened the large, elegantly carved doors to the tower. All but Tessa and Elena filed inside. Satoshi watched them enter cautiously; he had a bad feeling about what they were doing.
Tessa came up to Elena, pulling her to the side slightly. "Elena, did they do anything to you?"
She got immediately flustered, and slightly angered. "TESSA! They kept their hands to themselves! Though Ryudo did see fit to share his foul mouth."
The pink-haired girl came back to the entrance of the tower. "Come, we must begin the ceremony!"
The two Geohounds watched as the remaining girls entered the tower, the doors firmly closing behind them. Tilting his head back, Satoshi frowned in thought as he stared up at the tall tower. Something was stirred from deep within his memories when he looked at it. Glaring softly, he did not notice Ryudo saying his name until he snapped his fingers in front of his face.
"San!" Ryudo called out.
"Huh?" Satoshi immediately looked over at Ryudo. "What is it?"
"Mind helping me start a fire?"
"Sure. No problem." He began to head off towards the edge of the woods to gather firewood when Ryudo grabbed his arm.
"Hey, since it might be a while before they finish...whatever the hell it is they're doing in there, do you mind at least lowering your mask? It gives me the creeps seeing you wear it all the time like you got something to hide."
He sighed, "We'll see."
:::
The small fire flickered in front of them. Not far behind where they sat was the side of the ominous tower. Hisashi lay curled up by Satoshi's feet, soaking in the warmth from the bright flames. Skye sat atop a piece of rubble, and opposite him sat Ryudo and Satoshi, leaning against another piece of the ruins. Acquiescing to the brunet's request, Satoshi had lowered his mask, but was ready to raise it back up the second someone else came.
Exhaling in annoyance, Ryudo finally spoke up. "Man, how long is this gonna take? We've been waiting for, like, hours!" He brought his hands up in exasperation.
Skye clicked his beak. "Oh, stop your whining. This is part of the job."
Looking over his shoulder, Ryudo glanced back towards the door to Garmia Tower. "Man, what're they doing in there? This is why I hate church—everything takes foreeever."
"I heartily agree," muttered Satoshi, opening his eyes.
"What's eating you, Ryudo?" asked Skye, cocking his head to the side.
"I just got a bad feeling about this..." Not being able to stay sitting still for much longer, he stood up and walked over to the tower wall. Ornate designs were carved into the seamless stone. Even though they were expertly carved, they did not appear very pleasing. Stylized, bat-like wings acted like borders to the several grotesque monsters with wings. And this tower too... Don't you think it looks like a strange place for a holy ceremony? Check out the mural." He brushed a hand over the cool stone. "What's the deal with these weird wings?"
"It's an ancient ruin... I figure it dates from the Silvery White Light Age," commented Skye. For a bird, he sure did know a lot of information.
Ryudo turned around to look at them, and Satoshi nodded in agreement. "You're right. It is from that Age. From that...horrible time..." he trailed off.
"You mean the Battle of Good and Evil?" asked Ryudo. "Why would they do their exorcisms or whatever in a place like this?"
"Who knows what they're doing in there. All I know for certain," Satoshi's right hand tightened into a fist," "is that this place, it holds a great evil within it..."
"Wh-what do you mean?" stammered Ryudo. He was about to get a reply when something cut Satoshi off.
A high-pitched scream pierced through the still, night air.
In a flash, Satoshi bolted upright and the two Geohounds looked towards the source of the scream, the top of the tower. A dark-purple cloud was beginning to form around the top of the tower. Barely visible behind the sudden phenomenon, Valmar's moon seemed to pulse for a moment before returning to normal. Purple lightning began to flash within the purple cloud, some strikes reaching outwards. Not hesitating a moment longer, the two Geohounds dashed for the double-doors.
"Wait!" cried out Hisashi, zooming over to them.
"Hey! Where are you going?" asked Skye, a second behind the little dragon.
"Something funny's going on! Best check it out!" replied Ryudo, reaching for the handles.
"But didn't they say not to go in?"
"Look, if anything happens to that Elena chick, it's our rep on the line. I'm not gonna blow this job."
"And neither am I," added Satoshi, his mask back in place.
The two fliers sighed, and Skye said, "True enough... And this IS out of the ordinary..."
Satoshi grunted, "Quit stalling! Let's go!"
Ryudo pulled open the doors and the two of them dashed inside. They barely got in a few feet before they suddenly stopped.
"...Huh? Great...just great... Where did all these damn monsters come from?" asked Ryudo, drawing his sword when a spider—one that was around as high as their waists—crawled ahead of them in a hall.
"We had better get an explanation for this."
:::
The fight up through the many levels of the tower took longer than they expected. Many monsters had barred their path, many more than they had first expected. The job they had been hired for may have started off a simple task, but it did not appear like it would end that way.
Breathing hard, and getting tired, the two of them finally reached the tallest point in the tower. When they crossed the final step, they immediately readied themselves for a fight.
Two gargoyles were standing in front of an injured Tessa, like they had been waiting for them.
Their wide maws opening to emit a ferocious howl, the battle began. The two Geohounds waited for the awakened monsters to make the first move. With their gray, bat-like wings outstretched, the two beasts flew straight for them. Sharp claws raised, they kept howling, trying to intimidate the two humans. As before, the two of them jumped in either direction, but it did not go exactly as they planned this time. The two gargoyles quickly changed course, and each went to one of them.
A dangerous claw swiped down at Ryudo, who barely brought up his sword in time. Coming to the rescue, Skye zoomed in and pecked out the monster's eyes, who howled in pain. Regaining from the recoil, Ryudo brought his sword up then down, slicing straight through the monster's thick neck.
Satoshi took a slightly different approach. Barely caught off-guard by the monster's sudden change, he jumped further away from the beast. As if right on cue, Hisashi soared in, clawing ferociously at the gargoyle's face. When the monster reared up at the sudden pain, Satoshi dived forward, shooting his sword up and piercing the thick hide and right into its heart.
Nearly at the same time, the two gargoyles fell to the floor, completely dead.
Wiping the hot blood off their faces, they quickly sheathed up their swords before they ran over to Tessa. Both kneeling down beside her, Satoshi was the one who cradled her injured body in his arms. Her own blood flowed from a wound in her head. Coughing, even more came up from her mouth.
"What happened?" asked Ryudo, placing a hand on her shoulder.
A weak hand, shaking slightly, was brought up and pointed. "The ceremony...failed... Sa...save Elena..." She coughed again.
Satoshi shook her slightly, trying to keep her awake. "Hang on. We'll get you out of here." Her green eyes closed, a response did not come. Her hand fell limply to her side. "Dammit! She's dead..." Laying her softly down, the two of them stared at her with remorse.
"Hey! No time for sentiment, guys! Search for the others!" scolded Hisashi.
The two Geohounds nodded at each other. "Yeah. We're in waist deep here..." muttered Ryudo. Quickly turning to where Tessa pointed, they walked over to the door she indicated. Reaching out, Ryudo tried to push it open normally. Nothing happened. He stared at it confused and tried again. Still nothing happened. Satoshi joined in, and the two of them pushed their full weight onto the double-doors.
They did not move the slightest amount.
Ryudo sighed in anger. "This stupid door! It doesn't budge!"
"I'll look for another way in!" said Skye as he flew off down the hall.
The brunet punched his fist into an open hand. "Dammit!" he cursed.
"Ryudo! Satoshi! This window!" yelled Skye from down the hall. Running, they reached a hovering Skye. A stain-glass window was in the wall between the hall and the ceremonial room. Bringing his sword up, Ryudo smashed through the small work of art, allowing for easy passage into the room beyond. All of them entered in through the window.
Glass crunching beneath their boots, they looked up...and gasped when they saw the hellish scene before them.
"Holy...!" gasped Ryudo.
Nearly everything lay in ruins in the room. A giant blue orb with a golden symbol on it floated above a small alter. Clouds of purple smoke swirled violently around it. Sprawled on the ground around it lay the bodies of the four other Sisters. None of them were moving, ans so they were assumed for dead. Finally, off to the side, they spotted Elena floating in another eerie cloud of the purple smoke.
She cried out in pain.
"What IS that?" yelled Ryudo, automatically reaching for his blade.
Dark wings suddenly materialized from Elena's body, barely visible through the dark smoke. Their bodies going nearly going numb, both of them stared at the smoke swirling around her, eyes wide in fear. Memories that they had long wished forgotten resurfaced. Memories that had for many nights had given them nightmares.
"No...it can't be...! Not again!" whispered Satoshi, shaking his head in attempt to deny what was in front of them.
"That Darkness! ...I know that Darkness!" came Ryudo, still caught in a grip of fear.
"There is...no Darkness inside me. You cannot... I forbid you... Aaahh..." Elena's weak voice barely reached them.
"Ryudo! You there? Snap out of it!" commanded Skye. They were suddenly brought back from their memories, not only by Skye's voice, but also by the roars of monsters. Spinning around, they saw more gargoyles through the broken window, coming straight for them. Satoshi drew out his blade and got in front of Ryudo, pushing him back.
"You go get Elena! I'll hold these guys off!" he ordered. Ryudo stared at him for a moment, unsure whether or not to follow his advice. "GO!"
Stumbling backwards for a moment, Ryudo eventually turned around and dashed for Elena. When he neared her, several of the gargoyles smashed through the stone wall and the battle between them and Satoshi began. The brunet jumped up into the purple cloud swirling around Elena, and grabbed her out of it. He could have sworn the darkness did not want to let her go, like it clung to them, attempting to keep them in place.
After he landed back down, Elena in his arms, the cloud of darkness behind him dispelled. Suddenly, tremors began to shake the room. Sparing a glance to the center, Ryudo saw the blue orb crack violently, dark lightning and more of the purple smoke spewing from the cracks.
"Ryudo, we've got trouble!" yelled Skye over the noise.
Not arguing, Ryudo ran for one of the open windows. With some difficulty, he managed to get a long rope suspended between the tower and the forest below. Grabbing onto Elena again, he reached up onto the hook he had placed onto the rope so they could get down. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Satoshi was still taking care of the gargoyles. There seemed to be no end to them!
"Satoshi!" he called out.
The blue-haired Geohound had just killed another when he glanced over his shoulder at Ryudo. "Get going!"
"No! You're coming with us!"
Hisashi snapped his jaw at the neck of a gargoyle, clawing frantically at the leathery skin. Bringing his sword up, Satoshi barely blocked a pair of claws in time. "Just GO!" He was pushed further back.
Ryudo could not bring himself to leave Satoshi behind. "Look! We're all getting out of here! So stop being heroic and get over here!"
"You're the one that has to stop being stupid!" yelled Satoshi. "Take Elena and get the hell out of here! I'll be fine!"
Both of them were proving to be quite stubborn. Grunting in anger, Ryudo glanced down at Elena. Still unconscious, she seemed like she would not wake up in any time soon. He looked back up at Satoshi, who had been pushed even further back. "SAN! Come on!"
Satoshi faltered for a moment when Ryudo had called out his true name. Another gargoyle fell before him. "Look! I don't care if you haven't trusted me up to this point, and I don't care if you ever trust me again, but, please, trust me now!"
He glanced over his shoulder at Ryudo, their gazes locking for a moment. The pleading in Satoshi's eyes was clearly seen. Unable to find his voice, Ryudo nodded. Against everything in his body that was telling him to stay, Ryudo jumped from the ledge and glided down the rope, Skye right at his side.
A wave of relief washed over Satoshi when he saw Ryudo leave. Looking back at the gargoyles, anger flashed in his violet eyes. "Now you'll pay," he growled. Jumping back, he brought his sword back. His eyes closed, he chanted some words he had not spoken in the longest of times. Snapping his eyes open, he swung his sword in a crescent motion, a wave of energy coming from it. Everything in its path that was of the Darkness was dispelled by the sparkling, silver light. A smirk played on his face beneath his mask. "Hisashi! Let's get going!" he called out. He knew that attack had only bought them some time.
The rumblings grew worse as even more of the purple smoke spewed out from the cracked orb. Running towards the ledge Ryudo had jumped from, Satoshi began to unfasten his cloak. He looked over the edge, then back to the orb that he knew was a Seal of Granas. One more tremor shook the room, and even more lightning and darkness came from it.
It was now or never.
:::
The rumblings from the tower did not cease. Looking over his shoulder, Ryudo saw the top of the tower being consumed by the dark smoke. A bright, silver light suddenly appeared from within the ceremonial room. He could not take his eyes off if it. A small gap in the smoke was made, and he could have sworn, just before the branches of trees blocked the tower from his view completely, that he saw a glowing blue light fall from the top of the tower.
"San..." he whispered, nearly landing face-first when he reached the bottom of the rope.
Rushing to more of a clearing in the Black Forest, he lay Elena on the ground. Ryudo stood up and kept glancing around, trying to spot any signs of danger, and of the blue-haired Geohound.
Skye landed on the ground next to Elena and examined her. "Anyway, she looks alright. Let's head back to town as soon as possible." Skye looked over to Ryudo, who had come back to check on Elena. "Say are you feeling okay? You were acting a little strange back there in the tower."
Ryudo looked over at Skye confused for a moment before he recalled what he was talking about. "...Yeah. Just some bad memories..."
"Oh..." Just then, the trees behind them began to rustle. Drawing his sword, Ryudo spun around to face whatever it might be. He sighed in relief and sheathed his sword when he saw who it was. Satoshi walked out from the tree, fiddling with his black cloak as he did.
"There. We should be fine for now," muttered Satoshi, coming up to Ryudo's side to check on Elena.
Ryudo was about to say something to Satoshi about what he did, but was cut off by Elena moaning softly.
"Hey, she's waking up," said Hisashi, landing on Satoshi's shoulder.
Ryudo bent down and shook the Songstress' shoulder. "Hey, wake up!"
Stirring, she moaned in pain. "...Ooohhh. Stop it...! STOP IT!" She bolted upright, clutching her head as she screamed.
"Hey. It's alright now. Hey!" Ryudo grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at them.
Her bright, brown eyes blinked a few times in confusion. "Where am I?"
"In the woods, near that Tower," answered Satoshi.
"Huh? Why am I in such a place...?"
Standing, Ryudo pointed over to Garmia Tower. "Look over there."
Everyone looked past the trees to the tall, black tower. The entire structure was being engulfed in a sea of the purple smoke. Lightning flashed within the large cloud, sending forth a feeling of great dread to them.
Elena gasped, bringing her hands up in fear. "That is...the power of Darkness..." Looking around, she finally noticed that they were the only ones there and gasped sharply. "Where is everyone? Wh-where is Tessa!"
Both of the Geohounds looked at each other, then to the ground. "You were the only survivor. Sorry." muttered Satoshi. He then held out his hand to her. "Come on, we've got to get moving."
She pushed him away, shaking her head in denial as she stood up. "NO! I'm...is...is everyone... ...Everyone... I am going back! They must have..."
"Hey! HEY! Princess!" snapped Ryudo. "The power of Darkness isn't coming this way to tell us about the neighborhood bake sale. We need to leave!"
Terrified glances from her were switched between Ryudo and Satoshi. Her voice quavered with fear and sadness as she whispered, "Are they really...gone...?"
The brunet nodded numbly. "Yeah, they're dead. You nearly didn't make it yourself, you weren't looking so hot, never mind those wings you sprouted..."
Tears began to build up in the corners of Elena's eyes. "We lost to the power of Darkness... To the power of Valmar..."
"You still with us, Songstress? Hey, time to snap out of it! The dead won't be joining us anytime soon..."
On the verge of tears, Elena sank back down to her knees. "The ceremony has failed. All have perished. Why should I alone have lived? Why should I alone keep living..."
"It's pointless to ask such questions," muttered Satoshi, grabbing onto one of Elena's arms.
Ryudo gave a different answer: "Because we've got a job to do." He grabbed onto her other arm, both of them pulling her up. "Now get up and get your butt in gear!"
Her tears ending, Elena wrenched her arms from their grasp and glared at the Geohounds. "You...you... monsters! You cold, unfeeling BRUTES!"
Ryudo and Satoshi smirked at the naive girl. "Geohounds. Cold, unfeeling Geohounds." Skye flew up to Ryudo's shoulder, and the two Geohounds walked off.
Elena stared after them, wondering if she should have said what she did. Something made a noise in the woods next to her, making her almost jump. Frightened, and getting more frightened each passing moment, she reluctantly ran after the Geohounds.
:::
Once they got back into the safety of Carbo, they stopped. Ryudo looked back out towards the forest, several more gargoyles had attacked them while returning.
"Looks like we escaped. I don't think they'll follow us this far," he thought aloud. Placing a hand on his hip, he stared over at Elena, as was Satoshi. "Well? You calmed down a bit?" Elena looked away from them like she was feeling guilty. "Anyway, we'll bring you back to the priest. That's what we were hired for, after all..."
Elena suddenly looked up at the Geohounds. "Ryudo, Satoshi, how can you kill so indiscriminately?" She snapped her mouth shut when she realized the what she had asked. Apologetically, she looked to the ground. "...I'm sorry... You are doing it to protect me..."
The Geohounds glanced at each other. Satoshi waved a hand in dismissal and said, "...Don't worry. Part of the job."
Their quick walk to the church was in silence. Carius was pacing around nervously when they spotted him. Upon seeing him, Elena suddenly dashed forward, bowing her head low when she got to him.
"Father Carius... I...I..." her voice showed she was on the verge of tears.
The priest placed his hands on her shoulders, and that seemed to calm her down slightly. "Elena... Are you the only one to make it back? Where are the others? What has happened?"
"During the...ceremony... Oh, Father..."
"Oh, child...you have said enough for now. Rest, and speak on these things a later time."
Ryudo scraped away some of the blood that had dried onto his cheek. "Well, anyway, our job here is done. You've paid us enough—we weren't exactly the most successful bodyguards." Satoshi nodded numbly in complete agreement. "But what the hell was that ceremony about?"
The tall man dropped his hands, and stared grimly at the two Geohounds. "Mr. Ryudo, Mr. Satoshi... You must be tired. We shall prepare some warm food for you. Come, please. Come inside... Elena, you as well..."
Inside the church, Ryudo and Satoshi sat in the front pew, both of them slinging their arms over its back. With Elena standing to Carius' side, he asked the Geohounds what they knew.
Ryudo answered, "I can't tell you much about the ceremony. But the last I saw—and this sounds odd—Elena had grown these black wings. Anyway...we cut out of there pretty damn fast."
The Songstress bit her bottom lip, still clearly upset. "Father, I...I had 'wings'..."
"Hush now, Elena. You are tired. Go to your room and get some rest. Understood...?" He almost sounded like a blood father when he spoke to her.
"...Yes, Father." Bowing to the priest, Elena exited the room through the back door.
Sighing, Carius looked up to the angel statue. "So the ceremony was a failure... And Elena possessed...by the 'Wings'..." he muttered with remorse in his voice.
Eyebrows raising, Ryudo asked, "You mind filling us in, chief? Try finishing your sentences."
The priest turned to face them, holding his hands behind his back. "I knew it would be dangerous. Yet...even so, we had to do it. The Wings had to be sealed. The Wings of Valmar, young men. The Wings of Darkness."
"WHAT?" Ryudo nearly shouted as he stood up. The remaining Geohound remained surprisingly calm.
"As Granas is the God of Light, so Valmar is the Devil of Darkness. Long ago, the two met in battle, as was ordained."
Calmly, Ryudo sat back down while asking, "The Battle between Good and Evil, right? Everyone knows the fairy tale."
"Valmar was defeated, yes. But not destroyed. Even now, the foul one prepares for the coming of eternal night."
"This is new..."
"Valmar grows in power with each passing day, seeking to break the seals which for a time, have kept the Darkness bound. As is foretold in scripture, the Day of Darkness is at hand. The world groans with the heaviness of Valmar's rebirth. The Devil seeks again to blot out the light of Granas. Valmar will return our world to Darkness. Then, destroy it. Sadly, even the power of our Pope, Zera Innocentius, is not enough to ward the Seals against the very Darkness itself. Yet, it is the work of myself and my brethren to prevent the advent of that day, when all light shall fade away. Were it not so...I would not have sent my daughter to that doomed ceremony..."
"Your daughter...?" He blinked a few times in question, then realized the answer. "Tessa..."
"The Sealing Ceremony failed. And if what you say is true, not only did it fail, but Elena has become possessed by Valmar's accursed wings as well."
"What happens next?" asked Satoshi.
"The Pieces of Valmar devour the soul of those they possess...our dear Elena. Once she is...emptied...the Wings will move on. On to another host. This is how Valmar feeds, gathering strength to re-enter our world. The fetters will be loosed... Ryudo. Satoshi. Will you lend us your services again? Will you help Elena—be her bodyguards?"
Both of them rose their eyebrows in question. What was it they could possibly be needed for now?
Carius sighed, and continued, "These sad events may yet be made to work in our favor. I wish to send Elena to Granas Cathedral immediately. It is rumored that his Holiness, Zera, knows of an ancient sacrament which has the power to cleanse the soul of Darkness. The rite would free Elena and shield others from the taint of evil. We may again be able to seal the Wings away. Such an act would delay Valmar's return. However, those that follow Darkness will not sit idly by as our plans come to fruition."
Ryudo shook his head slightly. "...I'm sorry, were you waiting for me to give a damn?"
"No, Ryudo. I wait for you to recognize an opportunity. For your services, you both shall receive...say...a statue of gold? It belonged to the church, but needs outweigh vanity. I believe it would make a pretty enough prize..."
"...Let me think about it. I can't stand God or women..." Satoshi nodded in agreement to Ryudo's comment...rather, half of his comment.
Suddenly, the room they were in was rocked by a large explosion. The Geohounds immediately rose up.
"What was that!" questioned Ryudo, asking no one in particular.
"Something outside?" reasoned Satoshi.
All of them rushed outside to investigate what was going on. Met by the pure light of the full moon, and the red glow from Valmar's moon, they saw what had happened. The statue in the fountain had been obliterated. Standing atop the rubble was a sassy-looking girl with long red hair, an interesting fashion sense, and large, bat-like wings on her back.
Stretching, she said, "Mmmm. Ahh. This feels so good. I feel so free, so filled with power. Ahh, I feel EXCELLENT."
The Geohounds stared, baffled at the young-looking woman. "What? That-that girl did this?" asked Ryudo, completely surprised.
"It would appear so," commented Satoshi, staying quite calm.
Carius walked ahead of the Geohounds, glaring at the redhead. "What have you done...? You foul Dark One!" He raised his hand, a ball of green energy gathering just in front of it. "LEAVE AT ONCE!" As he shouted, he sent the magic shooting towards the girl.
With a lazy wave of her arm, the woman deflected it like it was nothing. Placing her hands on her hips in a huff, she glared down at the three men. "What do you think you're doing? What do you mean by Dark One!"
Ryudo smirked. "Huh. She has a fair hand with magic." Off to his side, Satoshi shook his head at Ryudo's comment.
The redhead, upon hearing Ryudo's comment, placed her attention on him. A smile forming on her face, she jumped down from the ruined fountain and landed in front of the brunet.
She giggled softly. "And other fair parts besides. Tell me,do I look like a Dark One to you? I mean really..." She gave him a smile that seemed to contradict what Carius had called her.
The Priest suddenly said to the Geohounds, "Beware! Evil takes forms far from foul..."
The brunet crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the woman. "Are you. really one of the Dark Ones?"
Her eyebrows rose in confusion. "Huh?" Bored with the three of them, she glanced around the village and sneered. "Eww, just the sight of this place disgusts me! This filthy statue," she made a gagging sound, "this church!" Glancing back to the Geohounds and priest, her sneer became a look of pure evil and malice. "And the scum who live here too!" Flapping her wings, she jumped into the air. While cackling, she sent bolts of purple lightning—the same kind that they had seen in the Tower—raining down upon the village.
"Careful, Ryudo, she's dangerous!" warned Skye.
Cracking through the night air, a large bolt of lightning hit the church.
Falling to his knees, Carius cried out, "The church! Ahh! What have you done?"
The redhead landed on the destroyed statue, stretching once again. "Ah, now I feel better. Heh. What's the big deal? It was just a rickety old church!" Turning around to face the rest of the village, the evil look returned to her face. Holding out her arm, she began to gather a ball of dark energy in her hand. "Now, how about I obliterate this town for you?"
"You're crazy! You really are one of the Dark Ones; you look like it too!" shouted Satoshi.
Ryudo quickly added, "Hey! What do you think you're doing! Are you out of your mind? Or are you as sick and twisted as you look?"
After being greatly offended by the comments, the redhead dropped her arm and turned back around. She brought her hands up in disbelief. "You- you're terrible! What an awful thing to say! I thought you..." Her moment of acting innocent was over. "Ah well. This will tame your tongue!" She jumped for Ryudo.
"Satoshi, stay back. I'll take care of this girl," ordered Ryudo, drawing his sword to meet the woman head on.
Satoshi was about to argue, but it was already too late. Out of the three strikes Ryudo sent out, none of them even scraped the woman. Moving away, the redhead gathered up energy for a magic attack. Dashing towards her, Ryudo tried to reach her in time to break her concentration for the attack. No sooner had he started running than he was struck down by purple lightning, paralyzing him.
Falling to his knees, he could hardly accept such a defeat. "Dammit. Such intense power!" he strained to say. Struggling, he tried to get out of the binding magic.
With a sway in her step, the redhead walked up to Ryudo. "Well, well, my dear... You make a rather nice plaything..." she said with a smirk.
The brunet grunted in anger. "Don't toy with me!"
She giggled softly. "I like you. My name is Millenia. Next time we meet, I'll make you mine." She suddenly smiled at him. "Well...practice up! I'll be back, toodles." Waving farewell with her fingers, like a little girl, she jumped up into the air. Cackling again, she flew off into the night.
With her leave, the magic binding Ryudo dissipated and he was able to move one more. After dusting off his pants, he sheathed his sword, muttering, "She can fight...for a girl." The priest and other Geohound walked over to him. "Satoshi, think you're going to take the job?"
The blue-haired man nodded. "As much as I hate religion, I think I need to do this. Something odd's going on, and I need to know what."
The brunet nodded in agreement, looking over to Carius. "Father, we'll take you up on your offer. I want to find out for myself just exactly what is going on..."
:::
Back at the inn the following morning, the small company of four sat at a table. They were waiting for the priest to come with Elena. Still troubled by the events of last night, Satoshi was remaining as silent as ever, while Skye was the one who struck up a quick conversation.
"Ryudo, are you fine with this? Didn't you say that you don't like getting involved in matters of religion?"
A smirk crossed the brunet's face, his blue eyes sparkling. "He said I'll get to meet that Pope Zera at the Cathedral. Think about it, Skye! The Pope! If we can get in good with him, we could get our hands on some ungodly amounts of loot." He rubbed his hands together eagerly.
The eagle-like bird clicked his beak skeptically. "I'm not a newly-hatched 'chick', Ryudo. I suspect you have other reasons for your 'broad' change of heart..."
Ignoring what Skye was hinting at, Ryudo looked past the seat Skye and Hisashi were taking up and watched Satoshi. "How about you, Satoshi? Eager for a chance to get some good gold?"
The Geohound glanced up and shrugged. "I don't really care. True..." A smirk played on his face beneath the black mask. "The chance of gold does sound rewarding, but I have my own reasons for taking this job."
The other Geohound chuckled to himself. "Hard to believe that we're on the same job, again." He stretched his arms up, sighing. "Ah well. This should prove to be rather interesting." He was about to say something more when he inn doors opened, allowing the two followers of Granas entrance.
The priest walked down the steps, Elena in tow, while the two Geohounds rose.
"Mr. Ryudo, Mr. Satoshi, sorry to keep you waiting. Here is your payment." He handed Satoshi a fair-sized statue of an angel—much like the angel inside the church—made completely out of gold. The Geohounds looked at it approvingly as it sparkled in the light. "...Please take good care of Elena."
The Sister walked forward. "Thank you for your help. Shall we go?" Once again, she masked her hatred for Geohounds and acted as a proper follower of Granas would.
The blue-haired Geohound handed the statue to Ryudo. After placing it safely in his pack, he smirked at the Songstress. "Granas Cathedral is a bit of a hike, princess. Better leave your silk slippers behind. Sure you're up to this?"
Her look became sorrowful as she recalled the events of the night before. "I must go. I do not want the others to have died in vain..." Turning to the priest, she bowed to him. "Farewell, Father. Please take care..."
The middle-aged man smiled warmly at her. "Elena, be careful during your travels. I shall pray for your safety..."
Almost instantly, a smirk crossed Ryudo's face. "And I'll pray for the patience I'm going to need..."
Anger towards Geohounds returning, Elena gave him displeasing look. "I will not be a burden. I am quite able to fend for myself!"
Satoshi sighed behind Ryudo while he ran his hand through his hair. "So the Songstress has spunk... Good. Let's move."
"I must get to Granas Cathedral...no matter the cost."