Author's note : Thanks for all support :)
Chapter 9
Wet and Salty
The King Ioder was having a relax morning tea while reading at some reports. There were not any changed things within the kingdom and everything seemed to be stabilized. The other reports showed the current state of another republic, empire and kingdom at wars. The other was a bit informative, they informed him about the presence of another mysterious darkness monster and any damage they caused.
The King drowned himself in a full thought. Few months ago, war started between so many neighboring countries. Due to the damage caused by those darkness monster, life supplies getting vanished little by little. He closed his eyes and recalled back the voices he heard at the conference when some neighbours Kingdom wanted to form alliance with Euvoree.
Fine, go cocoon yourself in your wet and salty little kingdom with its small life source! We won't ever help you when finally you're in need. Die like a stupid salty dog.
Sounds stupid. You're basically staying in a damaged ship. It will sunk just in few hours. Just like your Kingdom, in few years.
No matter what they said, he believe that there is something beyond a simple "Life supplies vanished, go monopoly it as many as you can". It was like someone was playing a chess and the darkness creature was part of their pawn.
He was glad that Esperion people had the same way of thinking as him. Slowly they can work together and solve the problem for real.
"Excuse me, King Ioder—"
Ioder was startled when one of his minister knocked his room. He quickly walked to the door and opened it.
"There is a serious issue here"
Ioder's face turned to be tense.
Yuri lifted his arm as he noticed the blond walked from the other direction where he came. There the blond showed up, with a certain familiar little tempered mage with him. Yuri himself was with Estelle. They were separated with their own destination to rest last night, so of course they have to re-assemble. However, the Old man was the only one who still being unknown whereabout his nose stick was.
Of course, due to Yuri's official engagement status within his empire's importance, it was rather usual for them to get hang out together on a camp. With Flynn and Rita, that was something that new.
"Yo~ loverbirds" Yuri greeted them. It was still morning and he was already with his teasing manner.
To his amusement, the two people he called "loverbirds" both formed same reaction of awkwardness. They twitched to each other and fastened their pace, stiff enough to be foretold.
"What's with that greeting?" Flynn lifted his palm and coughed. When he talked though, his voice was set really low almost whispering. It was like he was really embarassed—or something.
"You second us, loverbirds!" Rita's pride of not wanting to lose Yuri raised. She pointed bold to him and Estelle. Estelle giggled and Yuri, out of her expectation did not show any awkward reaction or denial things.
"Us second? Then you two are already.. Wait, considering of what happened in the hot spring, I might not surprised at all" Yuri rubbed his chin and talked with high tone and hyperbolic one. He purposely pressed at the sentence of hot spring. Rita was sent into red pepper burst brain world after he said that.
"Wait-! Were you peeping on us—" Rita stopped as Estelle stared at her and she realized that she was making an innuendo clarification. "—IMEAN why the heck you babble those things out"
Flynn wanted to stop those two from any further argument, but hearing their conversation itself made him gone into confusion. The same goes with Estelle. Talking about innocent..
"Hello, hello. What's the big idea here? It is still morning" suddenly a voice heard. The old man came down the glasses stairs as she scratched his hair lazily.
"You're late. You don't have the right to comment on us," Yuri replied, he joked rather cruel.
"Good morning," Estelle smiled and greeted him politely. Thanks to the old man, Yuri and Rita has stopped from their daily useless argument and relationship tease.
"Sorry for being late, but I saw that the palace have been in ruckus since dawn, and they're like preparing armies. Something might have gone wrong, just to tell you" Raven said as he yawned. He looked like he was pulling an all out drink party last night.
"What?" Yuri turned some level more serious now. The gag air of their group has completely gone as they heard some canons being shot. It exploded in ear piercing wave. People who were on the street suddenly got startled and they quickly ran away, or got into their houses and buildings. Few moments later, footsteps heard. A large number of knight troops has been sent out. They formed a neat line and advance toward the outter gate. Some of them were on Lizaquas, the tame monster which both Flynn and Yuri ride on yesterday.
Not only that. When they looked above, some knights also driven out riding upon some seagull alike monsters. It seemed like they were the air force.
"Even the Aerogull Knights," Estelle gasped with clammed mouth.
"Pretty serious business, eh?" Yuri tapped his sword upon his shoulder as he watched the Aerogulls flew.
"Shall we go back to the palace? The King might tell us something" Flynn suggested to Yuri.
Yuri nodded. He quickly stepped forward, heading to the palace with his group following him behind. This time they didn't have hard time dealing with guard and smoothly entered the castle. Ioder looked distressed as he stood upon a window and gazed outside. He got distracted as Yuri and the other came toward him.
"What's the matter? Any declaration of war from a stupid neighborhood Kingdom?" Yuri said blatantly.
Ioder shook his head.
"My seamen had reported that 25 mil from here, an enormous, 32 feet dark monster detected approaching this Kingdom. it destroyed everything on its way. The details weren't so clear since..their ship got crushed by the monster once they just reported in" Ioder explained the chronology thouroughly.
"Dark monster, Phobos" Flynn stated firmly. He remembered very well his recent fight with the kind of dark creatures before. The larva monster wasn't that enormous, but already gave them out of handicap. This one is far bigger.
Yuri did not comment any. He just looked outside with a sharp glance. the entire troops of Euvoree had assembled in front of the sea borderline, which is also their defensive line.
"It is like it appeared so sudden..out of nowhere." Ioder continued in tremble.
The air got more tension. The sky suddenly turned gloomy and dark, it was the same like when they fought a birdie monster back then at Dhuran Woods. They thought that the weather was cloudy but it was actually caused by them, the dark creatures. Monsters.
"It is coming" Raven said as he sharpened his eyes, watching how suddenly a big silhouette crept closer and grew larger and larger. When it was close enough, they can see that this Phobos has the form of an enormous octopus.
"Ew, it's gross" Rita said as she gazed at the monster. "But it seemed stupid. I bet some wide range attacks will wipe it away" she commented in haughty tone.
"Not really," Yuri replied terse and cold.
"But..why?" Estelle was curious. She agreed with Rita that the kind of gigantic monster usually pretty lame at speed, and although they are destructive powerful, they aren't that smart.
Flynn gazed to Yuri. He suddenly realized of what Yuri actually meant. He hissed.
As they looked outside the window, an epic battle scenery showed. The dependable knights and skillful troops were doing an all out attack with their sorcery and weapon. Some beams decorated the greyish sky and flashed out in fancy when a strong blow performed. They believe that if one country got attacked like that, it will be vanished in just a second.
They already expected that much, sadly, not the entire things will run as it was predicted.
The monster did not disappeared. At all.
All the epic battlefield sounds, suddenly turned into doomed screams. The neat lines that had been formed by the knights turned into an abstract indirectly messed up, the growl of Lizaquas and Aerogulls resonated together, crying in sore tone.
"How come.." Ioder gasped in despair as he saw his entire mighty armies easily got wiped out like that. Though they were still struggling to battle the monster, it seemed that they didn't stand a chance. And the monster was getting near and near to the Kingdom.
"It can't be..no...I don't want this...beautiful kingdom...destroyed" Estelle said, trembling as she started to cry. She knelt down and tears fallen from her face, attracting the attention of King Ioder and the others.
"Estelle.." suddenly Rita felt something hurt in her chest. Damn, It was so painful to see her crying. The mage patted the Eldress' head, wanting to comfort her.
"Still, it is not like we can do anything.." Raven stated. it was not comforting at all. He merely just pointed the fact.
"Raven," Flynn glanced to him. He agreed that the situation seemed hopeless, but he disagree to bring the topic now when all the people there were in so much pressure.
Yuri didn't do any action at all, despite him already watched the entire battle progress, and that Estelle had broken down like that. After Raven said that, though, he tossed his sword above and snapped the scabbard away.
"Your highness. Is there any Aerogulls left? Please lend them to me" Yuri said as his foot stepped on the window's edge. He was about to go outside. Ioder was put in a shocked state, he gasped with an unbelieving face. However, he nodded. He quickly rushed out of the room.
"Wait—Yuri! What are you thinking? You're not going to face the monster right?" Rita barked toward him. Yuri just scratched his hair with a bored look.
"Yuri.." Estelle muttered in the middle of her sob.
Ignoring the girls, Yuri turned his attention to Raven, and primely to Flynn.
"We're gonna do something, old man" he declared to him. That phrase was getting a bitter respond from the old man, though.
"A minute, your highness. There is no way you could risk your life fighting a monster like that. Pardon me if I said things at the wrong place. But there is no way you can stop the Eldress' tear by going out and throw yourself away to the monster" Raven declared. His sentences has made Estelle's heart pounded. Could it be that Yuri was moved because he didn't want to see her cry?
Yuri shook his head and snorted. "The heck you babbling about? I am not gonna play the hero role and die worthless," He claimed boldly. He then stared straight to Flynn, the blond caught what Yuri actually intended to do the moment their eyes meet.
"I don't believe in legend," Yuri muttered as he lied down perching on the window and talked forwardly to Flynn. "But your power—no, the Holy stone power seemed the only one who can pierce though the monster. Come with me" Yuri gave command.
Flynn nodded surely. His aqua blue eyes has fired up in determination. He could actually do something. So he will do it.
Raven scratched his hair. "Then? Why do you put me into the risk as well?" he pouted.
"Oh come on, some trick can only be done by the attractive old man," Yuri praised, at the same time mocking him sarcastically. He grinned as the old man put more sour face on him.
"Noja! Patty here noja! I've brought the Aerogulls, noja!" Suddenly Patty entered. Ioder was behind her, panting. The door opened wide as they brought inside the seagull monsters. All of them growled as they entered the large room.
The group was a bit startled to see the monster. They looked epic and brave. Yuri patted one of them and they seemed tame enough. He quickly hopped on it. Raven followed him at a moment later, leaving Flynn alone still patting his Aerogull. Flynn had gotten used to riding, so he thought that he won't get any trouble. Raven was kind of in the question.
"Old man, you never ride, noja?" Patty thought as she observed around the old man.
"Erm—four legged buddy, often. But not some winged beak beast" he growled. His Aerogull was the only one who didnt seem to get along with the rider.
Patty huffed. "There is no way. I'll ride it for you, noja" she said as she hopped on the old man's Aerogull. This time, the Aerogull suddenly turned nicer.
"Wha—are you okay? It is the battlefield we're heading about" Raven said, much concerned with the little girl.
Patty nodded surely. "Hm! It's alright! I got used to battles, noja" she quickly pulled out a gun. "Don't screw with me" she pointed it at the old man, making the old man nervous. Yuri and Flynn chuckled when they saw them.
"Yuri..be careful" Estelle stood up and walked toward him. She knew she cannot stop him when he already deciding, so she at least wanted to wish him good luck, and come back to her side safely.
Yuri showed his thumb to her without any words, but assuring smile. Estelle smiled back to him.
"Alright, time to go," Flynn was about to step on the saddle. At the same time, he suddenly got stopped by a certain brunette.
"Wait! Take me with you all!" Rita ran to them, she wanted to catch up before they managed to depart.
Yuri blinked for a moment, but then he just huffed and turned away with a slight smile. Raven wiped his face, loss of words and Flynn stared at her with a confused look.
"Don't be dumb! You guys!" Rita knocked some sense.
Flynn hissed. He inhaled for a moment to make himself relaxed, then he gave her some bold stare.
"No, I cannot allow you" he stated clearly. His word and his unusual glare had shaken the little brunette for a while. But she kept on being stubborn.
"Why?! I can fight!" she insisted. Deep in her heart, she cares a lot about them. About Yuri. About Raven. And about Flynn. somehow she felt she wanted to be any help, for them. Though, she never able to confess it.
"You can't" Flynn said in almost cold tone. It was true. despite having strong blow attack from the strange symbol she got, it was all the only thing she can do. it's not really that dependable."Please, don't get yourself into danger anymore"
Rita stunned. She hissed to him with somehow emotional looking face. The air had gotten more tense than before.
"..you don't want a burden right? If that the case.." she inhaled. "..then you don't need to concern anything about me. If I die, then let it be. That way I won't be burdening you, right?!" she roared.
SNAP.
The expression of everyone there changed dractically as they saw the scene. The polite and nice blond young man had just slapped the brunette mage. Right in front of them. The brunette got stoned for a moment. She caressed her cheek slowly.
The hand of the young man trembled. And the blue eyes of him indicated some pain.
"...You don't understand" He said, almost whispering, trembling. A moment of silence, before finally Flynn stepped toward the insecure little mage. He knelt down as both of his hands caressed her.
" I am sorry," he apologized. "You can fight. That's why, Please take care of King Ioder and lady Estellise and leave the big matter one to us. We'll come back safely" he said gently to her as he smiled.
He could feel a drip. That was not raining, for the first time he saw the haughty and stubborn little mage cried like that. She finally broke her wall. The blond pulled her to his hug and patted her back. Her tears wet down his shirt, he could feel it upon his chest.
"Alright, I hate to say this, but the monster is getting closer" Yuri suddenly interrupted. His Aerogull growled as if it sensed something dangerous incoming.
Flynn released her and stood up. He gazed to her and patted her head, before finally he turned back and hopped on his Aerogull. Estelle instead came and hugged the littled mage from behind. Both of them, with Ioder watched the three Aerogulls as they departed of from the window. The battle has started.
Pretty much ugly. As they flew above the sea borderline Area, they could see how the Octopus monster wiped the less than half armies of Euvoree that left. It howled, surprisingly, as if it gained power everytime it smashed an army.
The three of them felt so small when they faced the enourmous monster. It giant feelers moved indirectly, crushing those near enough its reach area.
Yuri lead the two of them. He turned to the back of the dark creatures. Obviously, there is no effect even if he did some sword attack to the monster, however, he wanted to give a handicap test. Maneuvering a lot to avoid the feelers, Yuri did not lost balance. As he got the chance, he snapped the Aerogull to form a sharp turn near the flesh, and Yuri thrust his sword as powerful as he could, with two hands. A black liquid—seemed like the blood of the monster spread out.
"Ah—yuck" Yuri coughed as he steered his ride, getting away from the creatures.
The result was as expected. The black blood drained and its new body part regenerated.
"Pretty much useless huh," Raven commented. He was already in the steady position to shoot, along together with Patty. She raised her guns. Some amount of elemental shoots released. It got its hit, however, the dark creatures did not even moved.
"Oh crap" Raven snorted. He did not look panic at all, although his shoot was useless to it.
"Aww...no effect" Patty growled. She quickly did the same thing like Yuri, maneuvered away from the monster's reach area.
There was no choice at all. Want it or not, they had to rely everything to Flynn's hand. He was the only one who can use the mighty weapon. The sacred Holy Stone, though it was still being unknown in identity.
"Looks like you got the spotlight today, pal," Yuri flew away avoiding the feelers. His tone got somehow bright and he seemed to enjoy tha fight like a game, instead of pressuring battle. Couldn't be helped. Most likely he and Raven gave trust a lot to Flynn, who once witnessed to easily blasting any Phobos creatures easily with his light elemental attack.
"I got it," Flynn clenched his rein tight as he accelerated. He rushed toward the monster all alone while in reverse, Yuri and Raven sticking together made some distance to him.
"See? We're pretty useless here actually" Raven cynically commented. "We shoulda let the hero went here by himself, watch him blast the monster and go home. After, we have some tea"
"Sarcasm isn't your thing, old man" Yuri mocked him. One can never protest to him, since he pretty much able to back-off any words addressed into him. Raven knew that. The old man rested his head on his palm with a bulbed cheek.
"Please, make it" Flynn held his sword upside, in position like a prayer. The Holy Stone once again gave him a warmth sensation as he concentrated. When some light flashed in a snap to his sword, he quickly thrust it toward the dark creature.
"Holy Lance!"
The cloudy grayish sky brushed in white as light torched from above, thousand of light particles. Each of their particle reformed themselves into an elegant sharp blade form. All of them directed their way to the creature.
"Alright" Yuri whispered. Not only him, everyone who witnessed the battle hoped a lot to his attack.
Those thousand lances rushed toward the monster and thrust themselves into it. There was a big light flash when all of them landed at the same time. the light was so strong that none of any people and tame monsters there could open their eyes. Not for long, the light reduced itself.
"Is it over..?" Flynn opened his eyes slowly, wanted to know whether he managed to do the final attack successfully. The same thought was in everyone's mind. They were really sure that the monster should be vanished. The elemental atack of Flynn was different, somehow it was a lot stronger and powerful, much to amaze the user himself. It probably due to the Holy Stone power.
"Shit," Yuri was the first one who cursed when he realized that...the monster was still there, much to surprise every of them.
"It can't be, Noja!" Patty followed.
"Ouch... Now we're doomed. The Legend is a lie" Raven surely sounded a lot more panicked.
Flynn stunned there with an unbelieving face, head lifted staring at the monster which was right in front of him. The monster was protected in a barrier-like canopy. His Holy Lances must be vanished when they hit the barrier. This monster was actually protecting itself. But how come? Isn't this Holy Stone, the one written in the legend is invincible, mighty, and was fated to wipe away the darkness creatures. Even if he didn't believe in the legend.
Or..was he too weak to act as the stone mediator?
"Noja! Watch out noja!" Patty suddenly shouted.
Much to his shock because his attack failed, Flynn had been unaware that he was still standing at the enemy territory. The monster's feelers had been targeting at him and he was too late to realized that. One of them caught the blond young man and wiped his Aerogull away. He was too late to realize and dodged.
"Argh—" he got succumbed. He couldn't even move his hand to swing his sword nor to touch the Holy Stone.
"Flynn!" Yuri snapped his rein when he noticed that his friend was in danger. He flew at full speed to the blond's direction.
"Not quick enough, pal!" Raven was faster than Yuri. He already aimed at the feeler and released a shot, followed by Patty. They assured with that, he could be released in no time. however, once again the monster formed a barrier which neglected their attack.
"Hey what?!" Raven shouted in surprise.
"Tch! I hate an Idiot who is actually smart" Yuri said as he kept on avoiding its feelers, still wanting to save the endangered Flynn.
"Your Highness! Your attack will do nothing!" Raven warned him. Still, Yuri had gone deaf for a moment and kept on being stubborn to save the blond. He finally reached him and ready to cut the monster's damned feelers and save his buddy.
"Dragon Swarm!" he performed an acrobatic attack despite being upon an Aerogull. One of his hand attached to the rein, so he could keep his balance okay. He managed to cut the other feelers, but only one who held Flynn was being protected by barrier. As strange as the barrier was, it was proved really powerful.
In return, Yuri got wiped by one feeler altogether with his Aerogull. He splashed down the sea water in total defeat, but luckily Patty had maneuvered to his direction, so they could pick him up and brought him into their Aerogull.
"Are you alright, noja?!" Patty looked worried.
Yuri coughed heavily before he managed to answer. "It's fine. We've got to save that air head blond" he said, still insisted.
"Yeah, but what could we actually do, tell us" Raven asked. Or more accurately, he actually answered.
There was a moment of silence. None of them has the Idea yet of how. They couldn't even stagger the monster.
The monster rampaged once again. With its feeler, he swung Flynn up ahead in the air indirectly, and bumped him into the other feelers. The poor blond had to endured some real pain. Not enough of that, whether it got bored or anything, it splashed him down to the sea, like it wanted to make him die breathless.
Flynn struggled at his maximum effort to release it s feeler, but it just gotten tighten and tighten. His chest and his head felt pressured a lot. He almost couldn't bear the pain any longer. He could just die there.
" ..I can't..breath.." he muttered in mind. His vision started to get blur. The salty water made his eyes burnt in irritation, but as much as his body endured the pain, that meant nothing. Though, he managed to see the lower body side of the monster. All dark and gross. But one spot was different, he could see something glow. However, he wasn't sure.
The three comrades at the palace watched the scene in horror. They have seen all of what happened. Every of them felt both horror and pressured.
"We're at pinch," Ioder muttered. His voice indicated that he was already hopeless. He saw Flynn, who Yuri said to be the only one who probably can stop it being incapacitated. And the Emperor himself was actually failed to retrieve him—just a little longer he'd receive the same fate with the blond knight.
"Raven...Flynn..Yuri.." Estelle whispered slowly. She clutched her dressed, holding her emotion.
"..He couldn't be die, could he," Rita, out of the usual, hissed. Rather than sad, she looked pretty angry, or even worst, raged. "As haughty enough he said he'll come back safely, he will!" she continued to shout. Part of her lips bleed out, probably she was bitting it to held her emotion. They couldn't really do anything.
"Rita.." Estelle gazed to the little mage. The pink haired lady noticed that there was something unusual. Her strange tattoo—the symbol she had been drawn upon her hand glow. Rita didn't realized that.
As he observed closer, he was pretty sure that there was something that really glowing inside the gross creature's buddy. It glow even stronger everytime he gazed at it. And its form looked like..the Holy Stone!
Suddenly he realized. The barrier which the monster had used few times back then—their form was not something from the dark element. It gave its shine, much like barrier artes from an elemental of light. Then it all concluded that..the monster swallowed one Holy Stone and with the help of it, the monster was able to use a barrier. Though he was rather confused of how the Holy Stone can be used by the Phobos themselves, there was none of other found a way to defeat this whacky monster.
Ignoring the pain he endured, he flailed as hard as he could, wanted to break loose from its feeler. He could feel that his muscle might be torn nor his bone cracked inside, but he couldn't care. He had to get free and retrieve the other Holy Stone. As crazy as it could be, he bit the feeler which held him. Dark blood spread.
With his final struggle, he managed to somehow hurt the feeler and made it loosen it tight. Using the energy left, he swam to the direction of the Holy Stone. No more wasting time, he cut through its body and retrieved the second Holy Stone.
With that one action, everything changed. He was underwater but he could feel the monster got unbalanced. At the same time, the second holy stone glow in his hand. This is his final chance. Even after this he'd die, he'd have no regret.
Yuri and the other was surprised when suddenly, from the bottom of the sea, a strong, beautiful beam light pierced through the enormous monster's body, making it slowly vanished.
"Mi-miracle noja?!" Patty said as she closed her eyes due to the strong elemental attack.
"For the spirit bless!" Raven commented in awe.
Yuri did not commented at all. He observed the whole thing thouroughly. He wondered if that blond knight was actually doing something. If he did, it was a really epic action. He couldn't even tell how he managed to pull that kind of sudden blow.
Yuri noticed other thing. As the monster vanished, it didn't disappeared, rather, a small black hole-like thing opened near it and it's messed up body was drained into it. Another mystery he'd take into his note.
Not only them in the battlefield. Estelle, Rita and King Ioder stood in amazement as they saw the light. The cloudy atmosphere slowly turned back into a bright blue as the light pierced through the sky.
The monster had disappeared.
"It's..a miracle" Estelle muttered. She smiled with teary eyes.
Rita gazed to the sea battlefield without words. However, she suddenly knelt down, proving that she was actually endured herself to watch the entire battle. As the burden gone, she felt relieved that her body submitted.
However, it was not really time to stare longer. Yuri took over Patty's Aerogull and made it fly to the spot where the monster were. They had to look for the hero.
It was not hard, they found Flynn floated in unconsiousness at the sea surface. His body bleed out in severe injuries. The three of them picked him up and flew back to the palace. The battle was over.
