Sand Chapter
Episode 5: Saving the Sandman
"Muahahahahahahahahaha..." Laughing while standing on a high up platform over us that looked like an oil tanker was Loki the Sand Mage. He was apart of Archadia but not in the Arcane 6 group. He stopped laughing and looked down at us while raising his hands up.
"Are you done yet?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Heh...Fun! I hope you will give me the experience of a lifetime. This is my first time in 5 years that I've been released from the Draklor labs...entertain me!!" Loki laughed manically with his pupils moving into all different directions of his eyes which was weird by the way. With that Loki clapped his hands together while staring down at us, that's when I noticed two huge hands made completely of sand attempt to close and slam us in.
Bruno grabbed Estar and I grabbed Baku and we both leaped straight up into the air. The huge hands destroyed the bridge where we had jumped and we were both headed down for quick sand. "Geppou!" I shouted kicking the air, I flew backwards hitting Bruno and Estar. The four of us went flying back and landed on a tanker aways back from Loki.
"There is no escape!" Loki said doing handseals like Gaara while laughing his ass off for some reason. An orange magical seal appeared at his feet and his body glen with a bright orange color. "Suna Rain!" Loki shouted slamming his palm down on the tanker underhim. Two huge snakes of sand flew up and exploded sending chunks of sand flying down at us.
Bruno and I both stepped up and clapped our hands together at the same time. As green seals appeared at our feet, it seemed like we were thinking the same thing. "Shell!" We both shouted. With that a red dome appeared over us and the rain of sand clottered down, hammering on the shield. The shield began to break alittle like glass.But it held up until the last sand rain blast fell hitting the shield and shattering it.
I took off running and jumped off the side of the tanker. "Geppou! Geppou! Geppou!" I used three massive steps through the air to fly alittle bit further towards Loki who seemed a far ways off. I got close with my right fist jacked backwards. I threw my fist forward punching him square in his face, my fist went straight through him as he turned to sand.
O.o- Me "Huh?"
Rising up from huge floating patch of sand with his arms crossed was Loki. "Fool, fighting a Sand Mage at close range is like asking to be slaughtered." He laughed as his body began to glow with a yellow aura. "Suna Darts!" With that from the patch of sand he was floating on needle shaped chunks of sand flew down at me.
"Rankyaku!" I shouted taking one heavy step forward and kicking up a blue energy wave that cut through acouple of the sand darts but the others over took the wave and canceled it out before it could even reach Loki.
"GRAVE!"
Flying out of nowhere was a huge stalagmite that stabbed through the patch of sand Loki was standing on causing him to go flying back. The darts stopped flying and I used the Kuromune to slash through the remaining ones before sheathing it again. Loki flew back and landed on the surface of the flowing sand like it was nothing. Bruno flew over and landed beside me while holding Estar and Estar held Baku.
" Thanks for the save." I said giving him a thumbs up.
" Hmph." Bruno nodded.
" What are Sand Mages weak against?" I asked.
" Sand Mages don't have too many weaknesses." Estar said finally.
"WATCH OUT!" Baku shouted.
" Hi Ougi: Suna no Tatsumaki!" Loki said getting done casting.
Flowing up behind him was a huge tornado of sand it gathered up as wide as an actual tornado. It spun up into the air and launched towards us falling over like a tower, the sky over us had covered with sand clouds and the tanker platform we were all standing on began to rumble. It was abit scary actually.
SACRED TOME TECHNIQUE GUIDE:
Suna Rain: A magic technique that can only be perfectly executed by Sand Mages. This technique to a normal mage would take years but for a Sand Mage would take only acouple of hours. This magic spell pulls two large masses of sand from the ground and casts them into the air breaking them apart into small chunks of sand that fall like rain on the opponent. This technique if held up can widdle away impossible defenses.
Suna Darts: This is the only close ranged sand attack that a Sand Mage has. This spell breaks apart the sand under the mage creating needle pointed darts made completely of sand that can eat through an opponents body. This technique is very fast and almost inescapable.
Suna Bushin: Suna Bushin or Sand Clone basically speaks for itself. Sand Mages aren't as mobile as most others and they rarely move or dodge from enemy attacks. This spell creates a dummy clone of the mage to lure in their opponents for a close range attack. The clone is completely identical to the user and only converts back to sand after being struck. If need be the Sand Clone can cast spells on it's own if the user inserts their own magic into the clone beforehand.
Suna Tatsumaki: Also known as Sand Tornado, this technique is one of the many Hi Ougi classed spells of a Sand Mage. This technique hurls a large tornado of sand turned on it's side at the opponent. The grains of sand often rips the opponent's body to shreds before the attack is completely over.
I could feel my body being pulled towards us as it flew crashing through the sand sending waves of save flocking into the air.
"We're boned." Baku said with a straight face.
"The only thing that can counter a Hi Ougi is another Hi Ougi spell." Bruno said stepping before everyone. The tornado was still a ways off but it seemed to be picking up speed. Estar held her white priestess like dress down as her rosary flickered. Baku was trying to look under Estar's dress and I held my forearm up visoring my eyes thinking of a Hi Ougi spell that can counter this. The only two Hi Ougi Spells I know is Rokuougen and Rankyaku:Firaga.
As I was pondering Bruno's body glen with an orange aura.
" Hi Ougi: Grave Lance!" He said as a huge orange seal appeared under all of our feet and spread out across the area even amongst the sand. Rising from the sandsea below us was a golem made completely of bedrock or what looked like it. It had no face and was built, it's lower body remained under the ground while it's upper body was free above. It raised it's huge left hand with a jaggering crunching earth sound and opened it's palm, appearing out of a orange aura was a long stone harpoon. Bruno raised his middle and index finger and pointed it at Loki.
With that as if given the signal the golem threw the Stone Harpoon and it flew like a jet cutting right through the sand tornado which broke apart into small hurricane spins that destroyed dune hills in the distance. The lance flew straight at Loki slammed into the ground infront of him with a large explosion sending rocks and heavy boulders plummeting through the air.
Loki was flying up in slow motion covered in blood with his head whipped back and his body spread out. He landed down like a shot duck unmoving.
SACRED TOME TECHNIQUE GUIDE:
Hi Ougi: Grave Lance: This technique harnesses the power of Titan the Earth Elemental Spirit. Only masters of the land can use this extremely high leveled spell. It is an unblockable technique that calls forth a giant stone golem that hurls a harpoon made of stone at the opponent. Since the weight of the earth is so massive it is an unblockable technique that can tear through any defenses. But the technique takes so long to load that's the only downfall, in the time it takes to get ready the opponent will have tried something to disrupt the spell. Other than timing and speed the spell has no flaws.
O.o- Me
o.O- Baku
"Holy hell..." I said.
" Had he pulled that shit on you awhile back you'd be dead." Baku whispered and with that I swallowed and nodded.
The sky over our heads cleared and Bruno dusted a touch of sand off of his shoulder. "Estar." He said and with that the cleric standing beside me suddenly remembered something with an "Oh." And pulled a little blue bottle from his bag that dangled at her waist. She ran up to Bruno's side and handed him the bottle, he politely took it and drank it.
"What was that?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
"An Ether. It restores roughly one full gauge of MP." Baku replied.
"After that shit he should drink one of those." I said rubbing behind my head.
"We've no time to sit around let us go." Bruno said walking off and jumping from the platform. He landed down on another bridge that led to another platform, Estar jumped down and landed safely and I landed down beside her. With both ran off behind Bruno who was taking large stomps around the platforms and through bridges. We made it to about the third platform before more armed Archadian soldiers showed up with their clinking metal armor.
There were about ten of them running at us six of them held swords and the remaining four were gunmen. Estar and Baku stayed behind Bruno and I as we both ran forward towards the soldiers. A soldier swiped horizontally as I was coming and I leaned back and kicked upward uppercutting him. He flew back landing into another soldier whom tossed him aside with a "Out of my way!" The hot headed soldier rushed my way and I leaned back and threw my fist forward jabbing him directly in the center of the face. His helmet flew off and landed on the floor behind him as he slowly leaned back hitting the floor himself with a bloody and broken nose.
Bruno clothslined four soldiers at once and stomped the ground with a magic seal under his foot causing four stalagmites to shoot from the floor of the bridge and smash back the gunmen soldiers.
"Let's go!" I said taking one full step forward before I noticed a guy dressed in a crimson red coat with a beige body suit standing infront me. He had live bullets inbetween the cracks of his fists with a belt made completely of bullets lashed across his chest. He was atleast 6'7 with blonde hair slicked back and scars all over his face. Pulsing through his body were yellow lightening sparks.
"Heh heh heh...where do you think your goin?" He asked. I looked up at him and he attempted a straight forward punch but I jumped back dodging the punch.
"Aww great! Another asshole to deal with." Baku shouted. "GOT DAMMIT!!"
" Heh...you wo..."He started with a grin before Baku spat out.
"YEAH YEAH YOU WON'T GET BY ME?! WE KNOW THE WHOLE FUCKIN' ROUTINE PAL SO SPARE US THE BULLSHIT!!" Baku cursed more. "KEL UNLEASH THE NEW HI OUGI YA LEARNED!"
"What?! This early?" I asked looking back at him.
"New Hi Ougi?" Estar and Bruno said at the same time.
"Yeah that's right NEW HI OUGI, whaddaya think your the only one that learned somethin' ya big bastard." Baku said directing his anger towards Bruno who rolled his eyes. "Now kid pull it off!"
" But...isn't it abit early? I mean we don't really know what's to come and..." I started before Baku slapped me over the head with his spine. "Ow!"
"JUST DO IT! Estar's got plenty of Ethers to get you back up to speed so just do it. We can get rid of this guy quick!" Baku said.
"Whatever...ok you guys stand back." I cracking my fingers.
Back in Bhujerda
Sitting at his desk was the Marquis and standing before him were three figures. The first was female, she was about 5'8 with red slitted cat like eyes, black hair with slightly tanned skin that glew in the sunlight. She wore a green tunic with a white shorts and no shoes. With an emerald embedded into a golden trinket that hung around her neck.
Standing to her left was a man wearing a white full body robe with the hood down and a dark blue japanese rope wrapped twice around his waist and tied at his side. He had spikey ginger hair with blue eyes and pale ghost white skin. His palms and hands were covered in white tape like gloves and at his side was a white wooden walking stick. Although he didn't seem old he held the stick as if he had it for years. Also sitting on his shoulder was a small foot long dragon like creature with small wings and a tiny snout that sat like a puppy.
And the last figure standing before the Marquis yet was another female. She had long brunette hair that stopped at mid back point with dark and light red highlights. Her eyes peered through the room and her pale complection matched that of the other two mages standing beside her. She wore a white suit top with an upper black vest and a white t shirt with a black plaid skirt and tall black thigh boots with buckles along the sides of them.
"Martina, Tiamat and Jamie. During your absence to Mt.Bur Ominsce, Phantom of Nalbina was captured by two members from Arcane 6. Kyuzeh and Exon." The Marquis explained.
"Oh really?" Martina the girl in the white suit coat asked with a straight nonchalant face. "I say good riddens I was sick of that guy's attitude!"
" Despite his attitude he gave us some valuable information. Archadia is keeping him alive until they get this information from him..." The Marquis informed and the three of them sort of made eye contact with him.
" As far as I see it, your saying you want us to rescue him?" Jamie the mage in white asked rubbing his chin.
" Yes, I've sent three mages into the Ogir Yensa Sandsea where Phantom is being held.You three will be dispatched for their backup." The Marquis replied.
Tiamat looked down as if she didn't want to do this then looked away accepting anyway while Jamie sort of shrugged it off. " Wait you said three mages? Only two are stationed here. Estar and Bruno? Whose the third guy?" Martina asked just remembering.
" A Million Magister." The Marquis replied. With that everyone sort of stopped what they were doing became alittle more engaged in what The Marquis was saying.
"A Million Magister? Are you kidding me?" Jamie asked narrowing his eyes. "A Mage with the ability to master and store over one million spells, the strongest mages alive? Your telling me one just recently joined?"
"If you got a fuckin Million Magister then why the hell do you need us?" Martina asked slamming her palms down on the desk.
" He is relatively new to the ways of magic, although he is a million magister he is still quite inexperienced." The Marquis replied calmly.
" Oh a noob huh?" Martina replied.
" We'll help with the operation in anyway possible." Jamie agreed.
" Wait asec James I didn't agre...ACK!" Martina started before Jamie pulled her by the arm out of the office.
Standing in the office still was Tiamat. "Tiamat is something the matter?" The Marquis asked. She turned around without saying anything and grunted while walking out of the room. "Hmm...It truly seems that her hatred for humes run deep."
At Ogir Yensa Sandsea
O.o- Bruno
o.O- Estar
I was standing infront of a tanker with a hole so huge Vegnagun looked like he had tunneled through. There was rubble falling from the edges of the hole and about a mile off laying six feet in a crater was the thunder mage that provoked us earlier. I was holding my arm which hurt so badly I could hardly move. "HOW YA LIKE US NOW MUAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA!!" Baku laughed aloud.
"Th-That was...That was..." Estar said she was so shocked that her hair was abit messy and her eyes had two shades of gray underthem like she had just saw a ghost.
"That was the new Hi Ougi you mentioned? And you happened to learn that in one day?" Bruno asked as his eyes broadened.
"Yeah..." I squeaked grasping my forearm. "Geh..." The pain was excrutiating.
" Ah...Are you alright?" Estar asked placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Oh yeah...it's just a side effect of the Hi Ougi, it makes my arm hurt really bad. It's ok really..." I said grasping my arm again.
" Here take this." Estar said handing an Ether. I took it and drank the little blue liquid, it tasted like blueberry soda for some reason which wasn't half bad. I drank it up and I could really feel my magic power return to me. My arm had stopped hurting and I stood up stretching abit.
"Ahhh yeah that hit the spot." I said rubbing my stomach. I turned back to see that Bruno had some sort of new found respect for me in his eyes. Bruno without saying much walked past me and Estar.
"Haha that's right big guy! If we knew back then what we know now, then you'd be toast!" Baku said and I slapped him over the spine.
"This isn't a competition man. Somebody's life is hangin' in the balance." I said with my arms crossed.
" SO!" He replied knocking me over the head. "Right baby?" Baku said cuddling with Estar abit who laughed alittle.
"You both are really strong and with your combined strength I believe we'll get Phantom back no problem." Estar said punching the air, then rubbed behind her head and stuck her tongue out playfully. With that she blushed and ran off behind Bruno.
"She got all red for me. Damn I'm so lucky and your so unlucky!" Baku said before I slapped him over the spine again out of jealousy. Seriously how can a book pull such a pretty girl?
After some couple of battles against soldiers later we finally found ourselves infront of a tall castle like building infront of us. It looked more like an old factory than a castle really. It had lots of pipes sticking from it and exhausting smoke from it and all of the bridges leading from the many points of the sandsea had all led to this place. IT seemed like the central building between everything in this desert.
The only thing blocking us from going inside was a huge steel door with zigzagging seperating cracks. I ran towards it alittle pulling the Kuromune from my back and grasping it with both hands while slashing upward. With one diagonal slash from right to left in an upperward fashion the door fell apart. I sheathed the Kuromune on my back after a Cloud or Zack like spin with one hand.
With that Bruno, Baku and Estar made their way in after me. This place was so dark and barren with cob webs all over the corners and along the sides of the walls. It was hard to believe the Archadians were protecting such a place. There was a flight of stairs as wide as a highway leading upward and curving into a spiral.
I started the run first up the stairs and Bruno, Baku and Estar followed. The stairs seemed to go on for miles I was actually getting alittle tired, Estar had fallen back and started walk up them alittle more slowly. Bruno and I stepped it up until we got all the way to the second level finally... This level seemed abit more up to date but still complete wreckage.
The room itself seemed about as big as a football field with lots of broken machinery laying around, some sand that made it's way in from the desert was all over the floor acouple of boulders from the ceiling had fallen onto the floor and there were cracks all over the walls sending in abit of radiance from outside that ultimately lit up the room and kept it to the point of vision.
Across the room from where we were standing was another flight of stairs.
"Theres another pair of stairs c'mon." I said rushing forward.
"Aww another...I can't take any more stairs." Estar complained.
"You can rest if you want snookums." Baku said turning to Estar. "HEY KID HURRY UP ALREADY!"
I was running across the room until my foot hit something weak in the floor. With my foot tapping the ground like that I set off some sort of trigger and spreading out like a blossoming flower was a crimson red seal.That glen with a powerful aura...with that an explosion took off under me blowing me straight upward. I flew up so fast I hit the ceiling and flew right through it with a POW!!
POW!!
POW!!
POW!!
I hit ceiling after ceiling feeling myself slowing down after every hit. I hit the last ceiling and flew off to the side flipping acouple of times before hitting the ground head first. "OW!!" I said with anime swirlies through my head. "Man I'm spazzin' out..." I said rubbing the back of my head seeing little chocobo birds dance around my head. "Dancin' chocobos...haha...funny."
"A babbling idiot? Is the foolish resistance so incompetent as to send you to the rescue of a comrade?" A voice said. I nodded my head shaking off the dizziness and stood up straight. This room seemed abit cleaner than the others, this one actually had a clean pearly blue floor with intact windows and walls. Standing infront of a large machine was a man dressed in a black cloak like jacket. It was one of those organization 13 kinds ya know. Cept this one had red runners along the sides with cargo pockets near the feet of them.
His hood was down revealing his long blonde hair, he turned to face me revealing his glasses and green eyes. That's when I noticed a number six on his chest. He must be one of the Arcane 6 guys!
Author's Note: Oops...accidently made this update too long. Well whatever you guys got the point. Next chapter Exon reveals himself to be the one who blew Kel up three stories in the warehouse and battles with Bruno. Who will fuckin win?! Although I'm pretty sure you all get what's gonna happen.
Chapter Trivia:
Who was the second character in The Marquis' office whom was introduced?
A.) Martina
B.) Jamie
C.) Tiamat