Disclaimer: Own nothing
A/N: Okay, this chapter may get a little confusing as my plot veers from that of the game. Also, the first part (from my OC Agatha's point of view) was written after the rest of chapter four, so her origins are very unclear in that part. They are explained in the second part though. And thanks to my first (and only, though we'll not dwell on that) reviewer, Sorenfangirl04.
Agatha's (OC) POV
The second that monk walked into my village I instantly distrusted him. He reminded me of all the things I hated about the church, the horrible church that had been my home for all those years. And even worse, he was corrupting that perfect young girl, the one who had wanted to learn the theory of light magic from me. But of course she had stopped visiting me, now that he was here.
And he had reported he was here to protect us from the monsters! How dare he call the sweets monsters! But of course this is a legitimate threat, he too is a user of light magic, a horrible power if in the wrong hands, like his own. I had to go warn my sweets. I quickly grabbed my cloak and snuck out of the village through my own secret exit. Nobody else knew of this. No.
I quickly made my way into the heart of the Za'ha forest, where I knew my sweets hid. Upon my arrival they would show themselves, however, they always did. I sat at the base of my favourite tree, an old apple that had lived here far longer than I. It resembled my sweets, and I it.
Suddenly there was a rustling nearby. They were here. "Come out, darlings. It is your Agie, I have important news for you." I called out to them. The first to come out was the entombed, the strongest of my sweets. He made his way over to me, followed by a few of my other sweets. Now they did not attack me because they knew me so well. But when we had first met, I knew it was due to my lack of any of the emotions they so often fell victim to, fear, anger, revulsion, hatred. No. I accepted them as they were, and thus they accepted me. When my darling had finally reached me, he held out his hand. Between two claws he held a sheet of paper.
"Oh. Now what have we here? A note from my dear Riev? Why thank you, my darling." I took the note, holding my sweet's hand where it was. Slowly I placed a couple kisses upon it, enjoying the sweet aroma of his flesh as I did, the origin of my pet name for them. A much more endearing name than monsters or fiends, I thought. My sweets. I leaned back against the tree, and opened the note, wondering what news it could contain.
To my dear, dear Agie.
Rumors have started in the heart of Renais that her Princess has escaped the fate of her father. On top of this, she has founded a small band of fighters to try and locate her brother. My king believes this to be a trivial matter, but I do not. I believe if the princess were to succeed it would mean the end of our sweets. I implore, seeing as how you are currently taking residence on the border of Grado and Renais, a place the princess must cross to reach her brother, that you inform me if their group is sighted, and of their whereabouts.
Until death do we conjoin
Riev
I held his closing statement in my mind for a moment. What a sweet day that would be. But I could not dwell on that at the moment, for now my sweets were in danger from two separate sources. Now, to warn my sweets to stay hidden until I could find and destroy this group, and the heretic Artur.
Artur's POV
"Artur!" the panicked cry disrupted my meditation. Realizing that this was a fairly urgent matter, however, I quickly snuffed the incense, and hurried out of my room. Out in the hall was the innkeeper, Tom.
"Artur! They're here again, this time you'll see them, we're not crazy. Come, hurry."
Not the revenants again. This whole village had seemed to go crazy at once, pestering the church about these creatures until it was forced to send me over, lest it be deemed uncaring. I had lodged at this inn for two days before the first incident. The guardsman had reported seeing a revenant. Not believing I had prepared myself fully anyway, just in case.
Upon reaching the gates I had seen what had appeared to be a revenant, a hunched figure draped in ragged cloth. Disbelieving, I had started the chant to draw lightning unto the fiend. The lightening materialized, and began closing in to strike the fiend, when it raised its hand. The lightning dissipated as fast as it had appeared. Suddenly the figure removed the hood of it's cloak, revealing the one of the villages healers, crazy old Agatha.
I had never before been so embarrassed, though I hoped the guardsman was even more so. I was just lucky she too was a user of light magic, and had been able to ground the forces before being harmed, as that would have been difficult to explain to the church. Beside me the craziest person in the entire village, though she was the one person that kept my mind from evaporating in this setting, stated, "I could have told you that wasn't a revenant. Where would a revenant be able to locate that amount of clothing?" Of course, leave it to Lute to tell me after I shot lightning at the thing.
Anyways, the point being, I simply couldn't believe that the legends of old were once again walking this earth, not with the Demon King trapped within the sacred stones anyway. Yet here I was, a whole week later, responding once more to what was probably just another calling of wolf. I suppose the part that disturbed me most, however, was the fact that part of me actually believed the people still, probably a part addled by Lute, no doubt.
We reached the gates, and the innkeeper eagerly pushed me through the small opening left by the guards, out into the forest. I turned to the innkeeper, wanting to tell him off for such rude behaviour to a brother of the light, but could not find the words. Tom just pointed. I decided to amuse the townsfolk once more, and turned to look.
What I saw caused me to take an involuntary step back. It was clearly not human, though it appeared as if it might have been, once. Luckily its back was turned to us, and was too far away to hear us, assuming it didn't have enhanced hearing that is, I would not have been able to call my lightning at that moment. Afraid, I turned a little more, seeing that there were quite a few more monsters, all faced away from us, appearing to be facing something else. I followed their collective gaze to see a group of people entering the area.
"Of all that is holy" I muttered softly. I turned back to Tom, seeing that Lute was now with him.
"Very well, I believe you now. I am grateful for your persistence in addressing the matter. I will go out to meet these creatures, our texts say the powers of the light have always been especially effective against these creatures, in the time of the Demon King. I will return soon." I gripped my tome hard, hating the knowledge that I must fight these dirty things, but I could not just allow the travelers to get ambushed. I turned to leave.
"I will fight with you, too." Lute said, gripping her own tome, though I suspected it was more with excitement than fear. She was crazy like that. I had no clue of how powerful Lute was, however, and did not want to get distracted worrying about her. Upon seeing Tom's face the fear that two of the few magic wielders would be leaving, the solution occurred to me.
"Lute, you have to stay and protect the village." I answered, before turning and running for the group, not allowing her a response. I prayed she would listen.
There was only the one revenant between the group and me. As I came running up behind it, I began my chant, focusing my will and disjoining myself from my revulsion. I was lucky to have just come out of meditation, as it simplified these tasks greatly.
When I was near enough to count the sores on its back (which, by the way, I completely avoided doing. I just have no other expression for this.) I unleashed my magic. The holy lightning consumed the fiend, filling the air with a scent much worse than burning hair, the sickly sweet aroma of burning, unconsecrated rotten flesh. The fiend fell to the ground, though still undead. The parts of it not completely burned by the holy magic were still moving. I cringed and continued towards the group.
Colm's POV
The farther and farther we went into this place, the uneasier I felt. The numerous trees were beginning to seem more ominous, and rather than providing protection from the harsh rays of the sun, as they had at the beginning of the journey, they were now cutting us off from the sun's warmth and protection. It was obvious the rest of the group was feeling it as well, though each was trying to hide it, whether it be for pride, or to not scare others by showing fear themselves. Each, that was, but for one.
"Colllllm. This place is really scaring me." Neimi whined from behind, wrapping her arms around my midsection even harder. This group had had only one spare horse, and they were in a hurry, Neimi and I rode together.
"Shh, Neimi, you might attract their attention." I whispered, deciding it would be fun to scare her a little. But that wasn't the whole truth, I may lie to others, but I wouldn't to myself. I also did it because I… enjoyed the fact that Neimi went to me for protection, even if I was the one that was scaring her. And sure enough, she squeezed tighter, though now it was beginning to hurt. Wow, she was strong for a girl her size.
"Colm, don't say that. You're really scaring me." She said, burying her face into my back.
"Don't worry, Neimi, even if there were a 'they' I wouldn't let them touch you." I said, not wanting to go too far and spook her badly, seeing as how everyone, including myself, was already on edge. Some more than others, however. The kid, Ross, on the horse riding beside us started to make gagging noises at my last sentence, sticking his fingers in his mouth and pretending to retch.
"Don't choke." I tried to cover, embarrassed that someone may have seen how much I truly felt for Neimi.
The kid only grinned, then burst into song, "Neimi and Colm sitting in a tree-"
My anger instantly flared. Forgetting I was on a horse, I lunged at the boy. "Why you little-" Bam. I made contact with the ground. Above me, on his horse, Ross continued, "k-i-s-s-i-n-g"
"Silence" Seth yelled from the front. Ross shut his mouth.
"Someone's approaching us." Erika explained.
I got back up from the ground and jogged over to where the horses had stopped in a line, standing beside Neimi's horse. Indeed a robed man with orange hair was approaching our group, and quite rapidly at that.
Erika was no longer watching the man, however, she was looking beyond. "And who are they…" She muttered.
Seth too was looking in that direction, frowning. "Perhaps the question is, what are they?"
By then the robed man had reached us, stopping to catch his breath. Erika filled the silence. "May we help you, father?" she asked.
"Not…Father…Not yet, anyway." The man panted, though smiling at being called father.
"Brother, then. What can we do for you?" Erika continued.
"I've come to warn you of, the revenants. They fill the forest of Za'ha. I implore you stay back, until I have finished with them." He seemed to have caught his breath back.
"But surely you can't take them all on your own?" Erika questioned. "Surely there is something we can do, these… revenants, they can be harmed by weapons, no?"
The orange haired monk seemed to be considering something. "Perhaps you could help, I was rather worried about having to fight them all myself. You must be careful, though, they will not die from mortal wounds, you must dismember them completely, then burn them. That is, according to the old texts."
"Then let's go, they are beginning to close in." Seth chipped in.
"Very well." The monk agreed. "But I will lead this battle." Everyone nodded solemnly and readied their weapons. Except Neimi, of course.
"C'mon Neimi. How're we going to fight if you stay back here?" I prodded, though I wasn't too keen on fighting the monsters myself.
"But Colm, what if one gets me? They don't look that nice" she pleaded.
"Neimi, Neimi, Neimi" I muttered, turning to face her completely. "Remember what I said earlier, I wouldn't let them get you, not in a million years." Neimi nodded, though she made no move for her bow. "You don't even really need to fight them, just stay with me and cover my back, okay?"
"But…But, you promised no more dangerous stuff." She pointed out.
"No more dangerous stuff 'alone'. I won't be alone, I'll have you." I countered. "Just c'mon. I promise nothing bad will happen."
"Promise?" she asked.
"Promise." I confirmed. She smiled a little, grabbing her bow. Now that was the Neimi I knew, with a little prodding she could be brave as anyone.
Artur POV
I felt horrible for drawing the group into this fight, but it was clear that many were veteran fighters, and I was sure all were skilled. With that I knew also that I couldn't face them all alone.
I headed for the only other village occupying this section of the Za'ha, hoping to warn them to close their gates. I was followed by the two axemen of the group. Just as I was about to reach the gates to the village one of them yelled to me.
"Monk, watch out!"
I changed my focus from the village gates to the path directly in front of me, suspecting to see a revenant. Instead I was attacked by something else, a flying eyeball. If memory served, a mogall. I felt the rings of dark energy it began to cast around me, and I quickly sectioned off my thoughts into two parts.
Through my left hand I absorbed energy, creating a void snaking out to my side. According to theory the void would attract the dark energy and channel it away from me. To balance this action, I channeled the energy I absorbed into my right hand, readying a bolt to fire at the creature. I released my bolt milliseconds before the dark energy came into being. And it probably saved my life.
I wanted to smack myself; dark energy itself was a void, and worked by destroying the most immediate large source of energy within its range, usually the person it was being cast at. Luckily this time my energy bolt was the most immediate source of energy. I felt it as the dark energy worked its way down the bolt, which itself was an projection of my own energy. My sudden adrenaline rush helped me in channeling even more energy into the bolt, and I prayed it would be enough. The dark energy continued working its way down the bolt, weakening as it progressed, though I sensed my bolts energy would not be enough to stop it. I braced myself to be hit by the remnant of dark magic that would make it through, not knowing exactly what to expect.
First came a sharp pain in my right hand, followed by a complete loss of feeling in the affected limb. Just as suddenly I felt the energies in my body shift, rushing to that hand, much as blood would for a physical wound. The feeling returned, and I was only slightly more tired than I had been. Of course I had suspected it would turn out this way, the dark energy being a void and all, it made sense it would steal a person's life energy away, until death it there was enough.
Readying myself for another attack, this time a double strike meant to negate the enemy's magic, then strike them; I suddenly heard a strange whirring noise. I looked up to see a hatchet flying through the air, to strike with a revolting squishing noise straight in the pupil of the floating eyeball. The mogall reared back silently, though I had half expected to hear a screech emit from the creature, and I released the first bolt of energy I had prepared into it, returning the power of the second to help fill the void it had created.
Upon the impact of my bolt the mogall half exploded, half evaporated. The boy to whom the hatchet belonged ran up to retrieve it.
"Thank you for your aid." I said, happy to see the group may be able to handle the revenants better than I had hoped.
"You're welcome, it was fun. Eh…Eye goo." Was his response.
Suddenly a thought hit me, did Lute know how to deal with dark magic? Because of the state of her magic of choice, a perfect balance of void and energy, dark energy would be able to pass through any protection she might put up, and strike her. And I couldn't allow the village the church had placed under my protection to come to harm.
I ran in the direction of the village, seeing that two others had already headed that way, a knight and a cavalier. The dismembered parts of at least two revenants were strewn behind them. As they came into calling distance, I shouted to them.
"I've got the ones by the village, follow your leaders to the other section." I realized how utterly horrid my wording was, for the supposed leader of this battle, but I couldn't dwell on it. At least the two actually listened to me.
I continued on, hurrying to the village. By the time I had reached it I was extremely glad that physical training was emphasized along with the mental in my sect, though I could have stuck to that particular part much better. I found the gates to the village completely closed, and sitting next to them was Lute, reading. Next to her was a pile of ashes I assumed was once a revenant.
"Lute! The group we saw, they're helping in the fight." I said, approaching her. She looked up from her book, appearing none too pleased at being interrupted. I suddenly felt a little sympathy for the pile of ashes.
"Your flesh shows no signs of putrefaction. It seems you're not a revenant." She observed.
"Well, I should hope not-" I started, before being interrupted.
"You're the same old Artur." Was I hearing things, or did she sound disappointed?
"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you we will have the revenants finished in no time, please be patient a while longer."
She shook her head. "No, no. I insist on joining you in combat. I have been reading up on them, and the yare simply no match for me. I am superior after all. It's just too sad we must destroy them, they are rather cute, you know, the revenants."
I shook my head in disbelief, she thought they were cute! Oh well, I had known since I had met her that she was strange. I considered whether or not to let her into the fight, then remembered the pile of ashes.
"Fine then. Let's hurry though, I don't want to leave all the fighting to the newcomers." I said, then noticed that she was already gone, running towards the river. I quickly went to follow.
Lute stopped right at the waters edge, clearly focusing on a spell aimed at the revenant across the river. This action confused me. "Lute! What are you doing? You know running water grounds magic." I asked, catching up to her. She smiled and nodded.
"Says the lightwielder." She said, then shouted an incantation. I recognized the first piece, the simple calling of fire from the balance of energy around her, the simplest spell in a mage's arsenal. Sure enough, I sensed the small trace void creating the changes in the air to make fire. And also as I had guessed, the energy was pulled in by the running water. After a second of silence she shouted another incantation, this one longer, more complex. Even more than that, however, it was accompanied with a sudden sweep of her arm. Adding a physical gesture was a sign of a new user to a technique in magic, this must be complex.
Suddenly the water that had absorbed the catalyst of her first spell rose a few inches, but only the top half-inch. The effect was a very glasslike appearance. Suddenly the water was swung through the air, much as a sword would be. It swung a full one hundred eighty degrees, cutting straight through the revenant, then hanging horizontally across the river, like a bridge. With a final word and closing gesture from Lute, it turned to ice, creating a bridge.
I was completely awestruck, never before having seen anima magic beyond that of the average fireball or lightning bolt. "That was amazing." I muttered.
"Of course it was. I am a prodigy." Lute said, walking over the ice bridge. I quickly pushed down my wonder, refocusing my thoughts to attain my best spell casting form. The fight was not yet over.
Lute continued right on by the halved revenant, dodging aside as the upper half attempted to grab her ankle and leaving me to finish the thing. After it was truly dead I ran to catch up to Lute, noticing that the entirety of the group was now in the clearing ahead. Near them was a true monster of a revenant, much larger and ferocious looking. It was clearly the leader of the small undead army. Perhaps it was one of the entombed.
"Stand back" I heard Lute yell, followed by the incantation for fire. Once again I felt the tracer void, the largest I had ever before felt from one who was not a bishop or sage, then was blinded as a fireball formed. I had to blink several times, and after my sight had returned it was clear the entombed was now no more, just a pile of ashes. No one knew quite what to say, excepting the boy with the hatchet.
"Wow" he muttered.
I walked up to the group. "Thank you all very much for your help. The village owes you much, as do I." I said to the groups leaders, though I now doubted that claim. After having seen Lute battle, I was sure the village had been safe regardless of what showed up.
"You're very welcome." The Paladin answered. "but perhaps now you can help us-"
"Seth, no! That is asking too much of them." Interrupted the girl beside him.
"No, lady, I must do what I can to help, as is the doctrine of the church." I recited on reflex.
"Very well. You see, Renais has fallen. It's last hope lies in the locating of its prince. This is our group's duty, but the road is lined with many foes, and our group is small. We could use power such as yours" he inclined his head to Lute with these words "to aid us in this."
I was ready to protest, seeing as how the odds were phenomenally against them, but the paladin's complements to Lute had caused her to become a participant to the conversation.
"Of course we will, I cannot remain holed up here if I am to increase my power. And this seems a very good way to travel." She looked as excited as I had ever seen her, though I supposed that meant nothing. She looked over to me. For some reason that look changed my mind.
"Very well, I shall join you as well. Perhaps on our journey we will find the cause of these fiends and put a stop to it."
"Just allow us to grab our things, and we will be right with you." Lute said very quickly. I stopped her as she made to run past me.
"Lute, stay and help burn all the revenants, or they will reform themselves. I will grab our things. Yours is the room directly across from mine, no?"
"Yes, it is." She answered, turning back to the group. "If one single book is missing when you bring it."
"Yes, don't worry." I interrupted, not wanting to hear what gruesome threat was to follow. Coming from one who thought revenants were cute, it could be anything.
Agatha's POV
I walked among the streets, in the open, yet hidden, listening to the general buzz of the people, and deciphering it. Today I had a feeling I would not enjoy the garnering of news as I so often did however, and was soon proven correct.
"Artur, he discovered the truth of the matter," They whispered. "Yes, yes, and I hear he's run off, along with the mage Lute, couldn't handle the truth I bet."
No. No. It couldn't be. My sweets can't have revealed themselves. They had known not to. I stepped up behind the girl that had spoken, and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her around. The girl screamed.
"Is it true!" I demanded. "Artur saw my- the revenants?"
"Y-yes" the girl stammered, very afraid. I noticed her friend made no move to help her. Their friendship would be terminated soon, I felt.
"How went the battle?" I asked, afraid to hear the answer. If Lute had joined, my sweets would have stood little chance.
"I-I don't know." The girl sobbed. I scoffed in disgust, pushing her away, and running out the gates, which were now left wide open, probably due to the false sense of security. This alone proved Artur had won.
I continued as fast as my old, tired limbs would allow, searching for signs of my sweets. Perhaps some had made it away. I was to the center clearing all too soon, without a single sign of my sweets. I hobbled a few more steps, considering stopping a while to take a rest, when a large black patch caught my attention. I walked up to it, realizing what it was when I reached within twenty feet of it.
They had burned my sweets! My anger suddenly flared, and I wanted to shout my fury to the world, but it felt as if something large had caught in my throat, stopping it. I continued to try yelling, harder and harder, sending my chest into waves of agony, tears of pain and frustration freely running down my face.
He would pay. I vowed silently. That Artur would pay. I knelt beside the ashes. Looking down I saw two things through my tear-blurred vision. The first was a hoof print. He had had help. And I knew who had done it, that wretched princess my dear Riev had warned me of. The second was a finger. I slowly, gently picked up the finger and held it up to my face.
"It's okay, my sweet. We will find those who have done this to you and you will be avenged" I whispered, happy to have found even such a small companion. "Now my sweet, if you could, point the way to your brethren. I have a note I need delivered, and an army to raise."
A/N: Wow, I'm finally done typing it. This chapter took the bulk of the first second and third altogether, and doubled the total length of my story. Anyway, it was fun to write the magic scenes and I hope you enjoyed reading it.