Chapter 2: The grand escape
"Don't even think about it!" Sync said, and I opened my eyes to see him fighting Legretta. "Wake up, Legretta! He's using us all!"
The female God-General grunted as her enemy's fist hit her in the stomach, but her body was strong and resilient, and she recovered too fast for Sync to land another blow. With a yell of pure rage, she fired off a bullet right into his left leg. He let out a scream of pain and crouched, clenching his wounded leg. "Damn you!" he muttered.
This had given me enough time to cast another of my spells: "Hammer of light, Limited!" I cried out, hitting Legretta head-on. This time, she seemed to actually recognise me. "A-Arietta?" she asked and her eyes widened. So she was hyponotised by Van! I thought and crouched down to my wounded superior.
"You must leave... now... my orders are to eliminate the both of you."
She glanced at Sync, "I am sorry... but please escape... Otherwise, I'll have to kill you..." her eyes showed remorse.
"Escape Daath... live a free life, Arietta and Sync. I hereby... relieve you... of your duties as... God-Generals..." she said and threw me a small object which I at the time was too confused to identify.
"Legretta! Why do you hesitate? Kill them!" Van's voice boomed through the forest and I knew that in a matter of minutes, he would be here.
"Commandant... They are too strong! (Escape now!)" she said, the last part being a whisper to me.
With tears in my eyes, I took the wounded and protesting Sync in my arms and ran for the forest. I knew that soon Legretta would be forced to chase us again, and now with Van hounding her actions, she would have to kill us.
"Shut up and be of more use!" I snapped at Sync. To my surprise, he actually shut it, probably realising the danger he had got us into.
"You won't escape!" Van yelled and from the corner of my eyes, I could see him chasing us alongside Legretta. But where was Largo?
I did not have time to think, because that instant, Van cast one of his spells and knocked us both down to the ground.
"Now, I have no more use for you two. You shall die like the dreck you are!" Van's voice was directly above us.
"Die! Imperial sla-" he did not finish his sentence as just then, something big and solid rammed into his body, knocking him away. Regaining my movement, I opened my eyes and stood up, helping Sync as well.
"Go! Now! I'll hold them off here!" Largo had intervened with the execution and was fighting off Van. Legretta had seemingly been knocked out by the blast, but I knew she was faking... or, I wanted to believe.
"Largo! No!" I yelled, hot tears dripping down from my eyes and making their way down my cheeks, "Please stop! You'll die!"
The colossal man smiled a fatherly smile, "I shall not perish here. I have survived many opponents more worthy than him!" he said. Largo was on our side, I knew. He was wearing his battle armor and was fighting for the two of us. As I was on the brink of my indecision, Sync spoke:
"Are you stupid? He's letting us escape!"
Van had recovered from the attack and turned to the offensive. Largo was an excellent warrior, and had more experience and skill than the commandant, but his foe was much smaller and nimbler. Every time Van slashed, Largo could predict where he would strike and block with his scythe before pushing Van away, but Van had agility on his side and avoided Largo's more deadly blows. Both men were fighting to kill; the only time I had seen Largo fight like that was when we'd fought Luke's group on Mt. Roneal.
Van growled like a monster – oh wait! He was one! "I'll destroy you, Largo! Imperial Slaughter!"
"Brimstone Tempest!" Largo shouted and executed his Mystic Arte at the same time as Van.
The impact of two attacks of such immense strength was too much for Mother Nature to handle, and in a split second it looked like the ground itself had joined the battle. It felt like time itself was standing still. Largo blinked to me, saying some words I could not hear. Then, the two moves collided, causing an immense explosion, and the rest I don't remember.
I woke up in a wide field filled with flowers. Surprisingly, I had no wounds from the blast and not even a single fabric of my clothing had been damaged. As far as I knew, the mythril infused in my dress had softened the impact. That was the only logical explanation until I saw Sync. "Oh Lorelei!" I uttered; unlike me, he was a complete mess. His whole body was covered in bruises and wounds and part of his face had been charred. His shirt had been burned to a crisp, but other than that he was fine. No! He was NOT fine. He was barely conscious of his surroundings and with all the blood he was losing, I knew he would not survive to see the end of the day unless I did something to help him... but where could I find the necessary help? All I had – what WE had – were our clothes and my monster doll which Legretta had thrown me. Sync moaned something inaudible, perhaps delusional dreams. I checked his forehead and realised he was burning up. "Hang in there, Sync..." I whispered in his ear. I would find a way to save him, no matter how difficult it wouldn't be.
First I needed to know where we were. I called out to Hresvelgr, but my trusted bird did not come. She might not even be alive, stupid, I thought. I had to scout the area somehow while maintaining what was left of Sync's health. I felt like such an egoist: so many people had died or suffered because of my own weakness these few past days, my Liger, Sync, Largo – I doubted he would survive the encounter with Van, and Legretta would be punished for her indecision.
I looked down at Sync and screamed when I saw his mask had fallen off.
"N-no! This is impossible!" I screamed when I looked down at... Ion? No, the body was Sync's, but the face... Why did Sync have the same face as Ion?
My yell had not been the wisest choice of action, as it had attracted a monster: a big wolf with beautiful silver fur.
"W-wait! I am not an enemy!" I said. The wolf didn't care, apparently. I could communicate with him, but he was hungry and needed food. Neither of us looked like formidable opponents, he thought, so he had targeted us as his next meal. I was shocked to see a monster I could not befriend, that I was forced to kill. I knew it was either him or us, and if I did not defeat him, he would surely bite over Sync's throat.
"How can you kill someone who is unconscious and cannot defend himself?" I asked the wolf, but he took my words for provocation and lunged at me, saying that if I cared so much for "my boyfriend" I could die first.
That made me snap. "He-is-not-my-BOYFRIEND!" I yelled in pure rage, and without thinking about it, cast a Negative Gate. However, unconsciously, I'd entered into a state of overlimits from my rage and followed up my spell with a Mystic Arte; "Feel mommy's pain! Big Bang!" In a matter of seconds a wave of pure energy hit the monster, which then fell like a wooden plate.
"I... I give up! Please, I beg you... don't kill me! Please!" he whimpered when he came to and saw me. My attack had been hesitant and thus it had not killed him, but merely knocked him out for a brief while. Within that time, I had found the strength to kill some lesser monsters. They all were hostile, not like my friends.
The poor wolf must have been scared silly when he woke up to see me cooking something in a pot which I had produced through magic. "You not gonna eat me, are you, girl?" he said worriedly when he saw my smile. Honestly, I must've looked like a real devil with that grin.
"Maybe, maybe not... Depends on what reasons you have to stay alive." I bluffed, of course I was not going to eat him. He probably knew the area much better than me, and besides, I wanted to be his friend. I never was a big fan for mindless slaughter, which was Sync's role. Over the time, I had cast a few healing circles on Sync to stop his bleeding and heal his wounds. I had gotten some herbs with healing properties that I had put over his wounds. Now all I had to do was deal with the illness he was afflicted with. That seemed like a good place to start.
"Hey, monster!" I said in an intimidating tone, "My friend here is suffering from some kind of illness. Do you know what it is?"
The wolf walked up to Sync and sniffed him.
"Indeed. This young one must have contracted Mandragora Illness. 'Tis rare to see, but once one gets affected, they often die. He must have got it when he got to close to one. Their petals are said to cure any illness and fully heal a person's wounds."
Realisation struck me like a Thunder Blade out of the blue. Sync had woken up first and caught a Mandragora to strip it of its petals to... help me? During the process, he must have been afflicted by the disease.
"Say, fiend, would a Mandragora petal heal the disease?"
The wolf did not know, but I saw he was hiding something. He was starting to get on my nerves, it would be nice if he could become more helpful just about now, so I threatened him again, claiming if he did not tell all he knew, he would be obliterated by my Mystic Arte again. Of course, I knew that should I cast it after such a short interval, the fatigue would knock me out and I would lose my only opportunity to save Sync.
"Ack! Okay, okay! I will tell you all I know! Here, in the Tataroo Valley, there are many of these Mandragoras. Well, you know what? Their petals heal everything, and I mean everything – except from death of course, nothing heals that unless you're a very strong Seventh Fonist, that is." The wolf bared its fangs to smile.
"Those fiends are dangerous. I doubt a little girl like you could defeat them."
"Humph! Such impudence! Just because of my petite size, it does not mean I am weak!" I said, "I am going to save Sync, and not only that, but you – monster, are coming with me!"
"What? I, Fenrir, serve only myself!"
I smirked, "I can always show you what other Fonic Artes I have."
"Eep! Okay, okay! I promise, I will serve you, mistress... eh... what are you called again?"
"Arietta, and you?"
"Fenrir, the scourge of wolves!" The monster said proudly. I wanted to laugh at its naivety. It had no idea who I truly was, and yet it was helping me.
And thus, I got the beast's aid. But please, Sync... Please survive. For Largo's sake and for mine too.
Author's Notes: OK, there is a lot of action going on now. Soon the real story is going to begin. In our next chapter, we'll meet Asch.
From there, it will be much better!