Alaia Skyhawk: Right, here's the next one.
I don't own Tales of Symphonia so please don't sue me. I do however own Krishka, Dallinius (Dalli), Aluran, the Alurannai and any OCs, except Sanaro and Annule, who belong to 2123, Mika and Fiuras, who belong to WingedWithFireyMana, and Gaea Silverleaf, who belongs to Sparkling Moon Phoenix, so please don't steal them...
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Chapter 12: Dynasty Ruins
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The trek was an easy one, even though the old road was buckled by encroaching grasses and long neglected. It was hard to believe the Royal Bastion of Kamisra had been so totally abandoned. During the later stages of the Kharlan War, despite it's small size, it had been the seat of Sylvaranti power; the best defended city in all of that country namely due to the three massive 'mountains' that had been built to make bombardment from the sea impossible. Those three peaks had risen from the horizon as they'd walked towards them, Emil and Marta both gawking a little when their true size became apparent as they got closer to Kamisra.
Three immense mounds of rock and earth, steep sided and flat topped, towering hundreds of feet into the air between ruined city and open sea. They were placed so that the gap between the inner two was blocked by the bulk of the third; the remains of extensive ancient gun emplacements still visible on their tops.
Staring at them, Emil could only gape in wonder.
"Those things are huge! And people really built those?"
Marta nodded, the two of them passing into the shadow of one of the three massive earthworks.
"Yeah. History says it took fifty years to complete them, and only then was the Bastion of Kamisra built behind them. It wasn't officially the capital of Sylvarant since it was so small, but up until it was abandoned it was in all but name. For thousands of years the three peaks kept Kamisra safe and untouchable, catapults mounted on the peaks later keeping even the Desians away, but in the end they were useless."
Emil frowned, Marta was looking decidedly uncomfortable.
"What happened?"
She sighed.
"Most people besides historians don't know this, but Kamisra didn't fall to a massive siege as propaganda at the time said... Desian assassins poisoned the entire population, all ten thousand servants, soldiers, the staff who maintained it, and the Royal Family. Just like the time the last of the Balacruft Dynasty were wiped out. Both countries lost their rulers and fell into chaos, and the Desians just lorded it over the people left picking up the pieces. Sylvarant was never the same after that, the small towns and villages were hit hardest, and the three main cities ended up becoming autonomous. All unity except from the Church of Martel vanished... we became the Desians' playthings to pick off as they wanted, because we just didn't have the means to defend against their own united structure. It's just like it is with the Tethe'allans now, they see us scattered and leaderless and think we're weak because of it, but truth is in most ways they're right. We don't have the resources or central leadership to stand up to them."
There was silence for several moments, before Emil realised something.
"Wait a second, is that why the Vanguard are trying to revive the Sylvarant Dynasty?"
Marta stopped in her tracks and stared at him.
"W-where did you hear that?"
"Richter told me... when I ran into him back in Palmacosta. Marta, what does reviving that dynasty have to do with saving the people of Sylvarant?"
She sighed, biting her lip before answering.
"The Vanguard's commander, Brute, thinks that the people need strong leadership in order to live in peace. He wants to be crowned King of Sylvarant... It's so stupid..."
"So you left the Vanguard because you didn't want to be part of their ridiculous plan, right."
She sighed again.
"Yeah."
Emil frowned to himself again, still puzzled.
"But why do they need Ratatosk's Core for that? Can't the Vanguard's Commander just use the Vanguard to take position as king that way? I mean, there's enough of them."
There was a shiver in the air as Tenebrae appeared drifting above them, the Centurion peering down as he answered in Marta's stead.
"Tethe'alla would just strike them down. They need the Core for a mana cannon, an ancient weapon used near the end of the Kharlan War. With it they could annihilate all of Tethe'alla and there would be nothing they could do to defend against it. They think it will make Brute's position as King unassailable... However, we cannot allow them to use such a weapon, to do so would be disastrous for Symphonia"
Both teenagers looked up, concerned, Marta speaking.
"Tenebrae, what do you mean? I remember the cannon being mentioned, but no one said anything about it being so dangerous."
The Centurion slicked his ears back.
"The usage of Mana Cannon, at the end of the Kharlan War, is the reason the Alurannai stepped in and helped Mithos the Hero to force the end of it. They broke their most longstanding political law by doing so, but they did it for good reason..."
"Spill it, Tenebrae."
Tenebrae actually whimpered, a sound so incongruous with his nature that Emil and Marta blinked.
"Humans fired the cannon twice, consuming vast amounts of mana with each... but twice was all that was needed for the mana consumption to be more than the Kharlan Tree could compensate for... The Tree harmed itself trying, and the Alurannai tried to shield it, but it fatally wounded itself in the process... Their efforts to save it proved futile..."
Marta looked horrified.
"The cannon was what killed... You mean, if the Vanguard get Ratatosk's core and use the Mana Cannon, it would kill the new Kharlan Tree just like it killed the old one?"
Tenebrae nodded.
"...Yes..."
She frowned in determination, nodding decisively.
"Then we're never going to let them get it. Isn't that right, Emil? Emil?"
She turned to the knight, who had gone strangely silent. He jolted from his thoughts, blinking for a moment before answering.
"Y-yeah, we won't let them get it."
She smiled and set off back down the road, Tenebrae following. Trailing after them, Emil paused after a few strides as he felt something trickle down his cheek. Touching it his fingers came away wet, his tear filled eyes widening. Why was he crying all of a sudden?
Hastily wiping away the tears and drying his face he hurried after her. He could figure it out later.
"Hey Marta, wasn't this place supposed to be deserted?"
They had reached Kamisra without trouble, the sun's light just beginning to wane in the sky. Everything had seemed normal at first, a scattering of ruins half covered with moss and vines, but closer inspection had revealed something more sinister. There were people here, and not just any people, they were from the Vanguard.
Cursing under her breath, Marta carefully eyed the collection of tents, noting that one of them had a guard on its doorway.
"Damn, I had no idea they'd set up here. I suppose I should have expected it after they were forced to stop meeting in Palmacosta, but still." She pointed at the guarded tent. "I'd bet anything Thomas is in there. He would have found all this when he came here, and there's no way they'd want word to get out about it. That's why he didn't come back to Palmacosta as he'd said he would."
Emil peered around the corner as well, both he and Marta ducking back into cover as more of the Vanguard here came into view.
"So what now? How do we get to him?"
"Perhaps I can help with that." Tenebrae appeared beside them, a hint of wicked humour in his tone. "It's starting to get dark, the time when my power is at its strongest, and there is so much one can do with shadows when one wants to scare someone, hehehehehe."
He disappeared again, his almost evil chuckle leaving the two teenagers a little unnerved beneath the smiles of amusement they both wore.
Marta suppressed a giggle.
"I think those guards are going to be in for a fright."
Two seconds later she got her answer.
"AHHHH! DEMONS!"
"RUN!"
Several Vanguard soldiers charged past the pair's hiding place, an immense blot of darkness, shaped like a winged beast with glowing eyes, chasing after them. From similar screams resounding from nearby, it appeared Tenebrae had created several of the apparitions to clear the entire area at the centre of the camp.
Emil just shook his head.
"He enjoys doing stuff like that way too much."
Marta grinned.
"Maybe, but works. Let's check that tent and see if Thomas is in it."
They darted from their hiding place and over to the tent, entering it and coming to a stop. The man inside was tied up hand and foot, his clothing that of a sailor beneath the dirt smudged across it.
Emil rushed to his side, untying him and lifting him upright.
"Thomas! Y-you're Thomas, aren't you?"
The man groaned, wincing a little as Marta used a First Aid spell on his collection of bruises.
"...Yeah I'm Thomas." He looked up at Emil. "Who are you?"
Emil frowned.
"I'm Emil, Reysol's son. We used to live next door to you. Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Thomas looked confused.
"You're Reysol's son? Really? That can't be right."
At Emil's hurt expression, Marta reached out and touched his hand.
"They beat him up pretty bad, he's probably just disorientated." She touched and healed a few more of the bruises. "Thomas, Governor General Clara told us you came here because you think you know what's causing the storms. Were you right?"
Thomas grimaced, still in pain.
"I found a Remora in the sea near Palmacosta, found it where none of them should be. They live around here, in the lake beneath Kamisra, but the Vanguard caught me before I had a chance to... check... it."
He passed out, probably from exhaustion and injuries both, Emil shaking him to try and rouse him.
"Thomas! Thomas!"
Marta stopped him.
"It's okay. He just passed out. Let's get him back to town."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about him." They both flinched, turning to see none other than Alice stood in the tent's doorway. She smirked at them sweetly. "How lucky am I. I was all set to use that man as bait, but you came here all on your own. These ruins will be the final resting place for you and your pet friend, my dear Martmart. Time to die! Hypnos, get them!"
The canvas of the tent was shredded by a massive paw, Marta grabbing Thomas and dragging him through the hole Emil cut in the opposite side. Outside the now collapsing structure, they saw what it was Alice had called up. A large wolf-like monster advanced on them, the metal collar on it glinting balefully in the light of the lamps that lit the camp.
Emil's eyes turned red as he drew his sword, a swift gesture with his hand calling up his three current main monsters... Time to see if Iarask's training had paid off.
An expression of dark amusement on his face, he gave them his orders.
"Caoul, blind it. Cadr, give it something to think about. Biigie, you're with me... Go!"
Emil's imp conjured a cloud of shadow, filling the centre of the camp with black mist so dense it blotted out almost all light from the lamps and also from the streaks of fire the Wolfren, Cadr, was using to pummel Alice's pet. Leaving them to it, Emil had Biigie create a blast of wind beneath the monster, sending it soaring helpless into the air above the cloud of shadow. Emil followed it, wind strikes from his sword propelling him into the air after it, where he slashed and sent it crashing into the ground.
Dropping down, he used one last wind strike to cushion his landing, panting a little from the effort but otherwise unfazed as his eyes returned to their normal green.
Alice's scorched and battered pet was not happy, and it wasn't Emil it was upset with... after all, Emil had aimed at its collar...
Seeing the broken device drop to the ground, and her monster turn to advance on her and not the knight, she began to back up in horror.
"Look what you've done. You broke Hypnos!"
Tenebrae appeared at Emil's shoulder, and spoke with distain.
"Fitting punishment for enslaving a once proud monster with a machine."
Hypnos continued to stalk towards her, growling as the tone of her voice rose up with a note of terror.
"No. Stop it! Stop it I say!"
Hypnos' ear splitting roar filled the air along with Alice's shriek, only to be suddenly cut off with sickening thud as the monster was sent flying into and through a nearby wall, instantly killed by the impact.
Alice slowly lowered her arms from where she'd been shielding her head, peering through the dim light at the shadow of her rescuer.
"Who... Who are you?"
A muttered spell created an orb of light, the white glow revealing the scarlet hair and elegant features of the man Emil and Marta had been saved by back in Palmacosta.
Zelos gave Alice a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes which remained cold as they regarded her.
"Well hey there cutie-pie. I'll let this misunderstanding slide, if you just run along."
Alice stared at him, calculating.
"Zelos Wilder, Tethe'alla's Chosen..."
Emil and Marta both gaped in shock, Zelos resting his hand on his sword.
"That's right, and the Chosen is saying he'll let you off this time. So take your cute face and scoot on back to the Vanguard, Alice."
The air shivered for a moment as orange-segmented wings appeared mantling threateningly at his back, his eyes narrowed.
Alice stared back at him. If she was intimidated, she was hiding it as she giggled and sauntered past him.
"Well, since you put it that way guess I'll leave this to you. Ta-ta, Mr. Big Handsome Chosen. I owe you one."
She disappeared into the shadows of the growing twilight. As soon as her footsteps could no longer be heard, Zelos turned slowly to look at them, a gesture bringing several members of the Palmacosta Militia out of the darkness to tend to Thomas.
Folding his arms much as he folded back his wings, he regarded the two teenagers thoughtfully.
"Governor General Clara asked me to come here and search for a missing citizen of Palmacosta. She also said that two kids, Marta and Emil, had already set out to look for him... That must be you two, right."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Whatever flirting and such he'd done in Palmacosta, he was doing none of it now... Now he was dead serious."
Marta frowned, Emil coming to stand beside her.
"You're Tethe'alla's Chosen and one of Lloyd's friends."
"Where's Lloyd?! Please tell us if you know!"
Zelos remained silent for a moment, before speaking in a casual tone.
"Why are you two looking for him?"
Emil gritted his teeth, anger rising.
"Because, he... that bastard killed my parents!"
Marta clenched her fists, also angered.
"Lloyd is nothing more than a thief! He stole a very important jewel from us!"
Zelos regarded them solemnly, before shaking his head.
"So it's about revenge, huh?" He dismissed his wings and began to walk away, heading after the militiamen who had departed back to the city with Thomas. "Hmph, well I don't have time for a couple of ignorant kids like you... Sorry, but I have nothing to say to people who swear revenge on my "bastard" kid brother. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go."
Both Emil and Marta gasped, the former stuttering.
"H-He's your brother?!"
Zelos paused and glanced back.
"'Family' aren't always related by blood, kid. Maybe if you'd been around a bit longer you'd understand that."
He faded into the shadows, Marta shaking her head as she watched him go.
"I'm afraid that he trusts Lloyd, too. Just like Colette."
Emil scowled.
"But he's different from Colette, I saw it. I saw it in his eyes, he doesn't believe us at all. If Lloyd were to slaughter someone right in front of his face he'd still worship the ground he walks on!"
Tenebrae drifted over, tapping Emil on the shoulder with his tail.
"Emil, I understand how you must feel, but please try to calm yourself. Don't forget about the storm in the ocean. If what Thomas said is correct, then the remoras living around here are to blame. We should head into the Bastion and descend to the lower levels. If Thomas is right, the lake that gave this place safe water during the Kharlan War and after should be down there, and the Remora's with it." He raised a feline eyebrow. "Also, Emil... I must say I am quite impressed with that fight just now... all your hard work practicing behind Marta's back so you could protect her has paid off."
Emil winced and began to blush as Marta stared at him, the girl smiling almost adoringly as she spoke.
"You did that for me? That's so sweet, Emil!" She grabbed him by the arm and led him towards the half crumbled towers of the Bastion. "Come on, let's go find that lake quick before the Vanguard come back.
Striding towards that building, Emil trying not to stumble as he was practically dragged, neither they nor Tenebrae noticed the figure watching them from high above, nor the faint sound of feathered wings as the figure followed after them.
"Wow, this thing is huge!"
Emil and Marta gawked from where they stood near the top of a long spiral staircase, those stairs descending through open air to the floor of the immense cavern beneath the Bastion. The Bastion itself had been almost totally collapsed, but with a little help from Emil's monsters they'd cleared the way to where Tenebrae had told them they could enter the 'well'. When he'd called it a 'well' they'd pictured a pool of water much like a large pond, what they got was an expanse of water so big that even with the light coming from the glowing fungi covering the cavern walls they couldn't see the far side of it.
Smirking to himself at their reaction, the aforementioned Centurion gave them a little history lesson.
"The Bastion of Kamisra wasn't just built here to be close to Palmacosta. These caves have existed since the time the elves came to this world, and have always been a haven for water monsters like the Remora. When the Kharlan War meant the Sylvarant Dynasty needed a more secure home, they chose this site because the real place of safety was not the castle above, but these caves below. Down here the Dynasty could sit out a siege in total safety, and even should the castle be breeched and invaders enter the caverns, there was another way out."
Emil tilted his head, intrigued.
"Really? How?"
Tenebrae continued, smug in his knowledge.
"They found an ancient teleportation device, which through trial and error they figured out how to use albeit a bit unreliably. While they couldn't guarantee the destination, it was still a way of escape should all other options fail."
Marta didn't look impressed.
"You mean it was as likely to dump the people it transported into the middle of the sea, or the middle of enemy territory, as it was of dumping them somewhere safe?"
Tenebrae tilted his head.
"That would about sum it up, yes."
Marta groaned.
"...The Sylvarant Dynasty were idiots."
Tenebrae chuckled.
"Well, debating the common sense of past monarchies aside, I believe I know why the ocean has been stormy." Both youths looked up at him, alert. "I believe it is a territorial war between monsters. Thomas said he'd found remoras in the ocean, but Remoras are freshwater monsters, so that is unnatural. Monsters hardly ever change their habitats, so an underground lake here and the surrounding ocean must be linked somehow.
Emil blinked.
"What? Can freshwater monsters live in the ocean, too?"
Tenebrae nodded.
"I believe the family of monsters that the remora belongs to can tolerate saltwater. The ocean is the domain of Centurion Aqua. Centurions must form connections with monsters of their own element in order to maintain balance in the world." He shook his head. "However, Aqua is infatuated with that man, Richter, and is neglecting her duties. So all the water-elemental monsters are left to their own devices. It's absolutely reprehensible."
Emil felt a twinge of anger well up inside, anger at Aqua, and a deep sense of betrayal. It was so sudden, and startled him so much, that he nearly didn't catch Marta's next words.
"He's like an angry old lady, isn't he?"
Emil jolted, nodding as he stammered a reply.
"Y-Yeah."
Tenebrae stared, Marta retorting.
"What was that?!"
"Hey, even old ladies know how to take jokes!"
Huffing to herself she set off down the stairs, leaving Emil and Tenebrae standing there. Before the Centurion could follow her, however, Emil's quiet words stopped him.
"...Tenebrae, can I ask you something?"
The Centurion blinked.
"Certainly. What is it?"
Emil took a deep breath, unsure and not a little unnerved as he whispered.
"Tenebrae, I keep feeling things, emotions, that don't make sense. When I saw Yasin was sad, back in Palmacosta, I just suddenly wanted to reassure him and I hugged him. When you talked about how the Kharlan Tree was killed, I started crying. Just now, when you talked about Aqua not doing her duty and turning away from Ratatosk... I felt angry, betrayed, but before all this I never knew about Aqua, and she's never been a friend, so why should I feel like she betrayed me?"
Tenebrae stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Emil, Knight of Ratatosk, you borrow power from Lord Ratatosk, correct?"
"Yes."
"Now, Lord Yasin is a dear and close friend of Lord Ratatosk, so if Ratatosk saw Yasin was sad, what would he do?"
Emil frowned.
"He'd reassure him."
Tenebrae nodded.
"Yes, now if he were to hear about the Kharlan Tree's death, the Tree that created him and which he protected, what would he feel?"
"He'd feel sad, and upset."
"Correct. Now, if he were to hear talk of the Centurion that had betrayed him, and who was causing natural disasters by neglecting her duties, what would he feel?"
"Angry and betra..." Emil's eyes widened as he realised what Tenebrae was implying. "Wait, I'm picking up on Ratatosk's feelings about things?"
Tenebrae nodded.
"That's right. What you're picking up is just echoes of his emotions. As he is still asleep he is not truly aware of what you see and hear, but through you he still picks up a subconscious sense of the meaning behind what you witness. To put it simply, he does not know what is going on since he is sleeping, but you pick up on how he would have reacted if he were aware. Just do your best to ignore it, you will learn to stop reacting to it given time... After all, Lord Yasin has no trouble preventing himself from randomly bursting into tears or hugging people who are practically strangers."
Emil blushed, shaking his head and stalking after Marta.
"Every time I think you can be a nice guy, you go and say something spiteful."
It didn't take Emil long to catch up to Marta, who had reached the bottom of the stairs and the buildings around it. It was almost like a miniature town arranged at the edge of the cave, placed on a crescent of rock that rose above the water.
A bridge reached out into the lake, lit by the eerie blue-green light of the fungi, and seeing it Marta sighed.
"What's the bets we have to go out there if we're going to figure out if the storms are caused by the Remoras or not. Come on, Emil, let's get this over with."
She stepped towards the bridge, getting less than ten yards before something dove at her with a shriek.
Emil didn't think, he just summoned his three main monsters and had them strike the attacker. Rushing in to deliver the final blow, he skidded to a stop when the downed monster bowed its draconic head in submission. He blinked at it for several seconds until Tenebrae stepped in and cast the pact magic. Realising that whatever the monster was it had surrendered to him, he formed the pact and backed up.
"Uh... Tenebrae... What did I just make a pact with?"
The Centurion appeared beside him, head tilted.
"That was a Sea Wyvern, a type of dragon. While a water monster by nature, they are comfortable in most environments so long as they can swim once in a while, and being strong flyers you most often find them nesting in cliffs overlooking lakes and seas. This cavern is ideal habitat for them."
Emil frowned, and called his new monster back from wherever Tenebrae had put it so he could take a closer look at is as Marta came over. The wyvern was almost seven meters long from nose to tail, with a six-meter wingspan, and coloured a blue so dark it was almost black above its pale white underside.
Patting its head, he wondered aloud.
"Could one of these carry a person?" In answer the wyvern grabbed his clothing, lifting him yelping to sit in front of its wings. Then, to prove its point, it took off, did a quick circle as he clung on for dear life, and then landed. Safe on the ground again Emil laughed, the idea formed in his head. "Let's find another one before we go check out the Remoras."
Seeing his grin, Marta caught on.
"Wait, you mean we can fly from place-to-place from now on?" She laughed as well. "Let's do it! Let's find another Sea Wyvern!"
She charged along the lakeshore, Emil's monsters following in escort as Emil himself endured another flight bareback... If they were going to use the wyverns for transport from now on, they needed to make some sort of saddle to make sure they couldn't fall off.
It didn't take long to find a second wyvern, although the new one put up more of a fight than the first. Two new impromptu riding mounts now in hand, Emil had Tenebrae send them to recover from the pact battles while he and Marta walked down the bridge across the lake.
The bridge was slippery, occasionally dotted with resting water monsters who either fled into the water or picked a fight. Emil got a handful of other water monsters to add to the wyverns, but he'd already decided it was the wyverns he was going to train to fight alongside him. There was no point in riding creatures not trained up to defend against attacks, in fact if he were to ask Tenebrae his opinion he was sure the Centurion would say to do such was suicide.
Eventually they reached a small island, an island with a ring of pillars surrounding a flat blue disk emblazoned with the three-winged-crest they'd seen at the Centurion Altars. A short distance from it was a raised rectangular block covered in symbols, and seeing it Tenebrae snorted.
"The first prototype of the now rather common and much more refined Teleportation Panels. It can send what is placed on it to anywhere in the world, but unless you know exactly what you're doing you could end up a long way from where you intended. The Chief Architect, who designed the Temples of the Forces, built this as a 'practice run' for his design to create easier access into some parts of those structures. He quickly learnt a single panel wasn't practical as it can only send one way, and even then it could send to the wrong place. The linking of set panels to other panels was the far more sensible result."
Marta stared at him, disbelieving as she pointed to the disk.
"This thing is someone's 'test run'? Why leave it down here?"
Tenebrae shrugged.
"Being in a cave full of water monsters he never thought anyone stupid enough to mess with it would find it. He wanted to keep it as a reference for later in case he wanted to try other variations on the design. To be honest until the Sylvaranti finding it by accident reminding him about it, I think he'd forgotten it was here. He decided if they were foolish enough to toy with it, he'd leave them to it. It's not like they knew it could teleport anywhere, and even if they figured that out there's no way they'd have figured out the coordinates system he used. That thing is positively archaic."
Marta rolled her eyes.
"So, long story short, unless they were spoon fed how to use it, they'd never have figured it out." She sighed. "Anyways, there doesn't seem to be anything out here in the lake. It looks like we wasted our time."
Tenebrae tilted his head.
"Not really, I can hear the sea. It appears this lake is indeed connected to it, which means the Remoras here are, as Thomas suspected, quite likely contributing to the storms."
Emil sighed.
"That's great and all, but how do we fix it?"
Tenebrae fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"...Actually, I don't think we can... There are far too many monsters involved in this for us to stop them fighting each other."
Marta cursed, waving her arms around in frustration.
"Meaning we just wasted our time coming down here! Tenebrae, why didn't you say we wouldn't be able to do anything to stop the Remoras?!"
Her yelling echoed off the distant ceiling of the cavern, reverberating into the distant darkness as Tenebrae slicked his ears back under the onslaught while she backed him across the island. Passing over the disk on the floor to the water beyond, she continued to shout until a sudden tremor across the surface of that water caused Emil to run to her.
"Marta, stop shouting! I think you're..."
"AHHH!"
Marta shrieked as a huge head on a serpentine neck loomed out of the water to lunge at her with fang filled maw. She stumbled backwards, landing on the disk beside Emil as the monster tried but failed to reach they between the pillars that circled the panel.
Emil started at it, stunned.
"W-what is that?!"
Tenebrae landed beside them, his voice urgent.
"It's a Manitou, the most territorial of all underwater creatures. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been clashing with the other ocean species and is the cause of the storms."
Marta staggered to her feet, looking around desperately. Right now they were safe inside the ring of pillars, but if they tried to leave the island and cross the lake to escape the Manitou would get them.
"Tenebrae, what do we do?!"
The Centurion looked back at her, helpless to offer a solution... It was the angered snarl of the Manitou that alerted them to the fact they were not alone.
The trio spun as they saw the monster lunge at something up in the air only to be flung backwards by a shuddering blow, a flash of light revealing magic had been used. Their defender dropped out of the air to land beside the controls of the panel, his blue eyes full of amusement beneath his dark blue hair. Folding back his blue dappled feathered wings, he grinned as he inputted coordinates a long-time friend had told him the day before, when the man had finally spilled his secret and asked for a helping hand.
Kaleian saluted, as the trio on the panel gaped in horror when they realised what he was about to do and where they were standing.
"Have a nice trip!" He slammed his hand on the appropriate symbol, and in a flash of light and a startled yell the trio on the panel vanished.
Looking up at the Manitou, who was now coming around the island to reach him, the half-elven Crystal User laughed.
"Time to fix the weather."
Launching himself upwards with a beat of his wings, Kaleian pulled from his ver a spell crystal kindly pre-charged by the aforementioned Yasin.
"Ok, throw the crystal at the Manitou..."
He threw it, the diminutive sphere hitting the monster right between the eyes before it exploded in a blaze of lightning.
Kaleian was flung backwards by the force, figuratively skidding to a stop in the air to stare blankly at the mess that thumbnail sized crystal had made of the Manitou... and the teleportation panel.
He blinked.
"So that's why you told me to teleport them first..."
Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehe! Yeah, Yasin has roped Kaleian in as a helper, and of course I've just removed the plot hole of Emil and Marta somehow surviving the 5 THOUSAND mile trip to the Iselia Region in the slimy mouth of Manitou. Hehehe, Yasin's 'test run' saves the day XD
