A/N: I'll save some time and skip the note. Please enjoy the chapter.
Moments: Curious Solitude
No matter how badly the situation came to allow it, she treasured this little bit of solitude. Sure, she was cold, tired, and soar, but she was loving every moment of this. All of her worries, however few yet heavy they were, seemed to take a break and allowed her mind to enjoy this moment. Her limbs may be shivering slightly, but her heart felt like it could melt the entire northern regions of Terca Lumireis.
Oh, there she goes again. Her thoughts always ended up being so flowery when she allowed her imagination to get involved. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed or proud of this little quirk of hers. Certainly a woman of her stature has no real use for such an imagination. After all, women of her class were taught to act polite, be obedient, and quietly lay on their backs and open their legs. Estelle was never one for such an idea. In fact, it was one of the few things that made her angry.
Estelle has always been proud of her imagination. It was the greatest gift her deceased mother left to her. She clearly remembered her mother reading her one particular fairy tale. It was about a knight and a princess. They met under strange circumstances and ended up going on a short adventure. During the journey, the princess and the knight fell in love. Later on, they got married and lived happily ever after. It was a simple, yet very adorable, story.
In the beginning, she always imagined herself with a knight like the one in the story. Her first real romantic interest was, in fact, Flynn Scifo. He's handsome, brave, honest, and has a very good heart. He was the perfect image of a knight, the perfect "prince charming" to come and sweep her off of her feet.
She didn't know when, but Estelle soon found herself falling further out of love with Flynn over time. Don't misunderstand, she still adored him, but more like a brother than anything else. She found it strange at first... until she got to know Yuri Lowell.
Their meeting was indeed unusual, but Yuri was far from the normal "knight in shining armor". He has an edge, a rogue's mentality, and a sense of justice that can't be written in a book. He was the man that shattered her mold she had made for the world and everyone in it. In a sense, they did go on a journey together. It was a journey of the mind and heart, a journey only they were on despite being surrounded by friends. During this journey, she fell in love with him.
"Ow," Estelle whined when a finger flicked her in the forehead, "that hurt." She pouted up towards Yuri. She was a little unhappy about being taken from her thoughts, but she would rather he do it than anyone else.
A familiar head of long, black hair tilted to the side as he shrugged. "I thought you were falling asleep." He smirked when her expression grew even more displeased. Regardless of Rita's "training", Estelle looks cute when she tries to be angry.
"Yuri," Estelle continued to rub her forehead, "It's not cold enough to be dangerous for me to sleep a little." Her angry expression softened when Yuri kissed her forehead gently.
"I know," He placed his forehead against hers, "but I'd be bored if you fell asleep." He could help but laugh when Estelle's pout-slash-glare returned in full force.
"You're impossible." Estelle rested her head against his chest again, enveloping herself in the warmth he provided. She could easily take the rough floor of the large tree trunk they were in, and the cold winds howling outside, as long as she had Yuri to keep her warm. She closed her eyes as Yuri started to calm down from his chuckling, enjoying how his chest slightly moved with every contraction.
Yuri kept a slight smile on his face as he gently ran his hand through Estelle's hair. It was strange, being this affectionate towards another person. He never really gave relationships much thought before Estelle made her mark in his life. Sure, he was an experienced man when it came to sex, but he never really loved another person like he did this princess lying against him.
So, out of sheer curiosity, Estelle and Yuri decided to explore the feeling of comfort that came from being together in solitude. Despite the fact that Pollux was just outside in the blizzard, despite the possible danger of the friends, Yuri and Estelle felt calm in being alone together. They certainly do make an odd pair.
Chapter 25: Creeping Dancers
For any adventurer, it was always unsettling to revisit the place that decided the fate of their world. The memories of the desperate struggles, near loss of friends and loved ones, and feeling of ones own blood boiling haunted the mind. Few would've stood up to face the challenge they did, and even fewer would dare set foot inside the once dark and looming tower. However, they never did conduct themselves normally to begin with.
The inside of Tarquaron was lifeless, and surprisingly lacking in color. Without the goliath apatheia, the tower was left powerless and dark. The impact of having fallen from the sky shattered most of the platforms suspended just inside the entrance Ba'ul had first flown them to. However, because it was now grounded, they were able to scale the side of the ruins and enter through the city level of the tower.
A certain mage felt the corners of her mouth tug downwards at the sight of what was once Aspio. The old buildings were cracked and on the verge of falling apart, the strange crystals that had grown inside of the tower now swallowed whole buildings, and a thick layer of dust and debris covered all recognizable characteristics of the city. Worst thing of all, monsters still lurked around, and they didn't seem any more tame than before.
After a bit of time exploring the current condition of the ruins, Raven asked where they should begin looking for an signs of Demigog's influence. Flynn informed them of what Caleb had mentioned about the whole mission. They were supposed to head towards the tower itself and look for anything resembling a "core" of some kind. They were to set up the charges and detonate the core, cutting off Demigog's "supply line" you could say. Basically, they were going in blind.
Keeping the idle chatter to a minimum, Yuri's group and the small band of Imperial Knights and Black Brigade members advanced towards the tall tower. It wasn't long before they found the small bridge that would take them to the seemingly endless steps that ascended higher up. Everyone stayed alert as they crossed, feeling strange in the thin, lifeless haze that seemed to hang over the ground.
"Hold it." Fen stopped suddenly. The sudden bark of his voice made some jump, including Karol. He sniffed the stale air carefully, bypassing all the monsters he could clearly smell. Among the scents was one he never smelled before, save for a massive amount of familiar aggression. "Everyone off the bridge!" Since he was closer to the city side of the bridge, Fen directed everyone back. Yuri, on the other hand, pushed everyone on his side towards the tower.
In moments, a pack of strange creatures leaped onto the bridge, barely missing one straggling knight. The sight of these creatures made everyone freeze in both shock and disbelief. They were unlike any monster they ever laid eyes on. The overall body was thin and spider-like in posture. Their limbs appeared to be human-like, save for the impossible angles they were bending at. Their faces were masked by pure white masks, adding to their demonic appearance.
The strange creatures remained still, as if deciding how to divide in order to best hunt down the split number of intruders. In the stillness, Estelle took out a Magic Lens and peered through it. "Dancers?" She said the name the Magic Lens gave to them. The lens said they're weak against light-based artes, giving her a specific advantage. She looked across the bridge and at Yuri, who was busy watching the Dolls closely. Just when Yuri's eyes met hers suddenly, Fen broke her line of sight. The Dancers were staring at her.
"Estelle, slowly make your way backwards, it seems they know you're a Child of the Full Moon." Fen clenched his fists and slowly crouched into a ready stance. He could practically feel the fight about to come their way.
Yuri felt his blood grow hot when he saw how the Dancers were staring at Estelle. He knew they'd go after her specifically, and it angered him to know that he'd have a hard time protecting her from across the bridge. On top of that, Flynn and Raven were on his side, while Judy and Repede were with Fen. Luckily, Judy would look after Estelle, and he wasn't complaining about having Rita and Karol to watch his back. "Rita,"
"Already on it." Rita readied her sash, a flame-based arte planned in her mind's eye. She planned on using a Spiral Flare spell to burn all of the Dancers to ashes. Just before she went into her rhythmic incantation, she heard the sound of shifting joints and popping bones. The organic, and disgusting, sound threw her off as she watched in awe.
The Dancers, finally ready to engage the intruders, shifted their entire bodies to stand on two legs. Their other four arms shifted to go outwards like arms while their spines shifted to counter act the shift in balance. To make things worse for their gaping foes, they each flicked their wrists, swords flipping out of their forearms to arm all four of their limbs.
"Oh shi-" One knight didn't get a chance to scream before the Sword Dancers charged into both parties at either side of the bridge. The first, wide swing of the front most Sword Dancer downed Imperial and black knights alike as if they were mere wheat in a field. Blood painted the colorless tower as they made their way through the ranks, depleting their numbers by the chunks.
Fen rolled through a barrage of sword strikes from the single Sword Dancer that zeroed in on him. His heart skipped when he felt the passing wind of a swipe that barely missed his scalp. "Not good, not good," He chanted as he continued to flip, summersault, and weave around strikes. The Sword Dancer's thin, fluid motions allowed it to keep on attacking and left no openings for an counterattack of any kind.
A sudden flash of light stunned the Sword Dancer and made it stumble to the side from the damage it had taken. Its head swirled around to glare at Estelle just before she struck it with another Photon spell. The spell knocked the creature off its balance, giving Fen a chance to attack himself.
Nearest Estelle, Judith was also struggling with a Sword Dancer. She was locked under two of its swords as it tried to press her into the ground, or shatter her lance if it came first. Realizing the Krityan's strength, it pressed the other two blades down on her lance. Despite Judith's strength, she couldn't hold up against all four swords. Estelle accurately fired another Photon before concentrating for a Nightingale and Holy Rain combination.
"Oh angelic princess, grant us your magnificent embrace, Nightingale!" Above Estelle, an angelic woman of pure light spread her wings, healing the injured around her. The moment she felt the spell fade, she focused for Holy Rain.
Meanwhile, Fen managed to keep his enemy from getting him into a corner. While it was still stunned from the Photon, Fen kicked out both of its legs. When it had fallen on its back, he jumped into the air and slammed his open palm against its chest, "Demon's Palm!" He twisted his wrist and pushed off of the Dancer with a tremendous force. Flipping in the air, he managed to land on his feet and take advantage of the short stop in the fight. He knew the Dancer wasn't dead, only because he couldn't find the monster's heart. Demon's Fist was only an instant kill if he could apply right above an opponent's heart, virtually crushing it.
"Oh holy waters, rain down your power on us, Holy Rain!"
Judith took a short rest as a rain of light fell to the ground, striking the Sword Dancer's multiple times. A thick veil of dust and debris from the surrounding buildings obscured her vision, but she could sense the Sword Dancers caught in the attack fall dead. "That was close." She looked at the severely injured knights, and then to the person who caught Estelle when she lost strength in her legs.
Sodia quickly caught the exhausted princess, amazed by the amount of power she just displayed. Any normal person would've gone dry three artes ago, but Estelle had managed to cast much more than she expected. Without the aid of blastia, doing such a marathon of artes was virtually incomprehensible. "Gather up the injured, we need to join up with the others on the other side!" Sodia ordered.
Her eyes dropped to Estelle. She was still conscious, but out of breath. There was no way she could repeat such a combination of attacks safely. Without her, however, the remaining Sword Dancers will prove difficult.
On the opposite side of the bridge, the fighting was indeed proving to be difficult. Aside from the obvious lack of solid footing, Rita and the other mages could only do so much in place of light spells. Combinations of Fireballs, Freeze Lancers, and a periodic Thunder Blade kept two of the three Sword Dancers at bay. The third, on the other hand, was making quick work of the weaker knights.
Yuri coughed roughly when he was thrown into the towering stairs not too far from the bridge. He and Flynn had drawn the third Dancer further away from the others, hoping it would make it easier to take it down. That was far from the case.
"Azure Edge!" Flynn launched their signature arte, forcing the Sword Dancer to cease its advance on Yuri. While he passed Yuri, he pulled him up on his feet and placed his shield in front of him, "You're slowing down Lowell," He paused to catch his breath, "getting tired?"
Lowell threw a smirk right back at Flynn, "Are you kidding? I live for this kind of stuff." He rolled the opposite direction of Flynn when the Sword Dancer charged. "This too different from your stuffy Commandant desk job?" He fired an Azure Barrage and defended to quickly parry a sword strike.
"Always with the jokes." Flynn quickly charged in to strike at the Dancer's legs before he swiftly backed away. All the poking and prodding did little to the Dancer's body, but he could see the frustration in the monster's body language.
This frustration reached a boiling point when the Dancer drove two of its swords into the ground, freeing two of its four hands. With the two empty hands, it plucked Yuri and Flynn of the ground and viciously threw them apart.
Flynn grunted sharply when he landed on the ground and slid towards the very edge of the paved pathway. "Y-Yuri," He painfully slurred, ignoring the pain in his shoulder. Flynn staggered to his knees, the world still spinning around him. He could see the Sword Dancer making its way over towards Yuri. "Yuri, you've got to move!"
Much like Flynn, Yuri was stunned by being tossed. He forced his dark eyes to open and almost puked at how much everything was spinning around him. "Oh man, that did not feel good at all." He groaned and rubbed his head. He groaned again, but stopped suddenly when he felt something rub up against his knuckles. There was a loud, strange sound, and it made his think of Repede fro some reason.
hiff, hiff hiff... snort hiff, hiff
Yuri's eyes widened, finally recognizing the noise and why it reminded him of Repede. It sounded like a dog sniffing something. He looked at the thing that was sniffing his hand and almost jumped again. It was a black colored shadow in the shape of a dog. It had no eyes, only a nose to look around with. Out of sheer curiosity, Yuri looked around. "This is... strange." He saw at least four other dog-like creatures.
Everyone, including the Sword Dancer, stopped everything they were doing and watched the strange dogs. They systematically sniffed each rock, each person, and even the Sword Dancers. The remaining knights looked to eachother in confusion, unsure of what to do about this whole thing. Across the bridge, Repede watched the nearest beast closely as it made its way closer to Estelle. Protectively, he stood between it and his pink-haired friend, shifting his pipe.
The black dogs kept walking around, thoroughly sniffing around. Finally, after what felt like hours, the dogs came to complete halt. They lifted their snouts to the air and sniffed once more before melting into pools of inky blackness. The pools moved freely through the immediate area, some joining the large shadows that were littered around either side of the bridge. Again, everyone exchanged looks of confusion.
Weakly, Estelle looked to the shadows and saw them shift ever so slightly. At that very moment, she heard Rem yell for her to tell everyone to get away from the shadows. Only problem was that she didn't have the strength to yell. "Please... away from the..." Her lips barely moved, fracturing her cry to move.
Raven, perched atop a higher set of stairs, could hardly believe his eyes when it all happened. In the blink of an eyes, what appeared to be columns of pure darkness shot out from the shadows. They impaled the Sword Dancers, and shattered their bodies on impact. The Sword Dancer that was fighting Yuri and Flynn was split clean in two, the top part of its torso shattered to pieces. The other two Sword Dancers were thrown back to the bridge, each bitterly shattered. "What... just hap-" He was viciously interrupted when more strange columns of darkness shot out to slam down on the remains of the Dancers on the bridge, obliterating the stone bridge with ease. "Happened?" The older man finished weakly. Just as quickly as they had appeared, the dark columns slipped back into the shadows.
Karol nearly dropped Bravior at the spectacle he had just witnessed. "Wow, what was that all about?" He looked around to see if anyone else had the slightest clue. Unluckily, no one else seemed to know either, even Rita was at a loss for words.
"No, no, no!" Yuri rushed to the edge of the now shattered bridge and looked across it. He saw Estelle's weak state and felt something inside him twist anxiously. The very sight made him want to jump the impossibly large gap between them. His eyes snapped to Repede when he heard him bark. Years of being with the hound gave him the ability to see what Repede's intentions are. Right now, Yuri could clearly see that Repede was already planning on watching over her personally. He nodded his thanks to the dog.
Judy looked to Yuri, noticing everyone else gathering around him. "Go on ahead," She shouted across the large chasm between them, "we'll find another way up the tower!" She offered them a confident smile before turning to tend to Estelle. A few healers were already starting to gather around her, but she wanted to give Sodia time to speak with Flynn.
Grateful, Sodia left Estelle in Judy's care and walked to the edge of the chasm. She cast a sympathetic glance to Yuri, seeing through his attempt to hide his concern for Estelle.
"Sodia," Flynn yelled from the other side, "try to find another way inside! If you can't find another way, take everyone back to Aspio!"
Sodia nodded and saluted, "Got it." Her face relaxed a little, "Be careful Flynn!" Her gaze shifted when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Fen. He gave everyone on the other side a confident nod and started ahead in search of another way across. He decided that it was best to go back towards where they came in. The opposite direction reeked of those Sword Dancers, meaning more lurked around Tarquaron. "Any ideas?" Sodia asked towards Fen's retreating back.
"Yeah," He looked back at her, "stay up front with me, leave Estelle to Judy and Repede. I think I can sniff out a good way to get across, but it'll take us awhile."
"This is going to be fun." Judy's smile made it hard to tell if she was being sarcastic or serious.
The decision to continue up the tower was made with heavy hearts. There was no telling how many more Sword Dancers lurked about, and their harshly decreased numbers made the situation even more dangerous. On top of that, nobody knew anything about those strange dog-like creatures that were sniffing around, or those dark wisps that shot out from the shadows. Tarquaron is now twice as dangerous as it was when it was fully active.
"So," Karol broke the silence that hung amongst the small company, "any guesses on where that 'core' thing is?" His question was met with a tense silence. Few were in the talking mood. "Ow," Karol yelped when he felt an elbow knock against his head, "what was that for?" He looked over to see Raven walking just behind him.
Raven glanced around, "Take a look kid," He nodded towards everyone else, especially Yuri and Rita.
Yuri was near the front of the group, so Karol could only see his back. In comparison to a more calm Flynn, Yuri clearly looked anxious. He was without his trusted "side kick", Repede, and Estelle was in the most danger. At the thought of Estelle, and perhaps Judy at that matter, Karol looked to Rita cautiously. To his surprise, the mage was walking with her eyes focused slightly downwards. No doubt she was concerned about Estelle, as well as Judy and Fen by extension.
Karol knew Raven was trying to make an alternate point, but he came to a different realization. Their group had grown very close over the course of their first journey. In light of their second journey, and the addition of a new friend, they've grown even closer. Throughout the course of their travels, the group has only been separated like this one other time. It was when they had run into the Ghost Ship that travels the sea. That experience was more comical than this by far, but it did show how different their strength is when they are fragmented than when they are together. Now Karol felt a tug in his chest.
"Everyone's on edge, let's give them a bit of time before we lighten the mood." Raven continued on their brisk pace, alert for anything strange.
"That still doesn't solve the problem though." Raven looked at the young lad in mild surprise. Karol was looking ahead absently, "I mean, the sooner we destroy that 'core', the safer everyone will be." He looked down, "We can't let something like this force us to drag our feet, right?"
"Well said," Flynn spoke from up ahead. He turned, a light smile on his face. He too felt worry tug at his mind, but he managed to display a confident face. "We need to press on. They said they'd catch up, and I believe they will." He looked at the faces of the few knights and Black Brigade members around him, "We have to have faith in our friends, or else we have nothing." His focus turned to Yuri, "Right?"
The dark-haired swordsman allowed this to sink in. It was true that he felt deeply concerned for his friends, but since when was he so frail? He knew better than anyone that Estelle and the others were perfectly capable of handling themselves. "Heh," Yuri aura of worry broke with a light chuckle, "I'm getting soft." He muttered to himself. He turned suddenly and continued up the steps of the tower.
"Yuri?" Flynn looked after him, not catching his softly spoken words.
Lowell shrugged his shoulders flippantly, "I'm honestly not in the mood for any more cheesy speeches." He turned back and smirked down at those behind him, "Now, Commandant, I think we have a job to do."
"Good point kid." Raven suddenly appeared next to Yuri, slowly stroking his chin. "There's sense in dwelling on how bad things are. We just need to press on to the future."
"I thought we were skipping the cheesy speeches old man." Rita folded her arms and tapped her foot at Raven's antics. "Honestly, you'd think you'd grow up by now."
"Look who's talking." Raven glared down, "You can still land the King's Bane on that chest of yours." Needless to say, Raven's vision went black after his comment, courtesy of Rita Mordio's famous right hook. Aside from the disgruntlement of having to drag an unconscious Raven along, the mood was lightened greatly.
Hearts lightened, the group pushed onwards until entering the tower once again. It was a glad change from the stairs, and it was interesting to see how different Tarquaron had changed. Much like the lower levels, it was colorless but lacked any monsters to speak of. Luckily, the puzzles they solved in their first visit were still solved, so doors were already unlocked. The teleporters, on the other hand, were dead.
"I have a feeling that we're getting closer." Flynn stated as he reached out to open another door. They followed the path Yuri's group had taken on their way to confront Duke, but it was proving to be of little use. Other than the small group of Sword Dancers they had encountered, there was little sign of anything else being around... until they stepped outside that is.
Everyone stumbled back a few steps when they saw another one of those canine shadows sniffing around. However, this one had glowing eyes. It sniffed the air before turning to look at the stiff humans. With another snort, the shadow continued on towards the summit of Tarquaron. "Great," Yuri sarcastically said, "at least now we know the Commandant's instincts are correct."
"How long will you insist on mocking me about that?"
"Until it stops being fun." Yuri smirked in satisfaction as he started out. If his guess was right, that beast would lead them to where they needed to go. He had noticed how it bypassed all of them and only seemed to aim for the Sword Dancers. It was a guess, but perhaps these things were hunting after the Sword Dancers. So, in silence, they followed the beast as it explored the upper regions of the tower with its snout and sharp eyes.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rita suddenly peaked around the corner under Yuri, watching the beast sniff the corpse of a dead monster. She naturally hated dogs, but these things freaked her out. Compared to these, Repede was the average house pet.
Yuri placed his elbow on top of her head and leaned against her, "I think we'll be just fine." He grunted when Rita punched him in the gut to get him to back off, "Heh, good to see you're not too broken up."
"Hmph," Rita straightened, still watching the dog search for any trace of his target, "you're a jerk." She bit sharply. She remained silent for a few seconds, her face visibly sobering. "Hey Yuri," She waited until she could feel his eyes on her, "I didn't tell you this before but," She turned slightly to look at him, "make sure you take care of Estelle. Okay?"
Yuri was slightly surprised at her expression and timing. Aside from the inappropriate time (which just happens to be her style), he was taken back to see the absence of a harsh expression. In place of her glare, Rita had a sincereness to her face that shined in her eyes. It was a rare moment, and it made Yuri smile in admiration. He was proud of Rita, proud that she has come so far in expressing herself, and proud of Estelle for bringing it out. "Rita, I promise I will."
"Good," Just like that, Rita was back to her usual self, "because I'll skin you alive if you make her cry." She snapped her head to the side and folded her arms.
Never one to be too serious, Yuri crushed her against him with his open arm, "Ah come 'ere you!" He smiled widely when he felt her try to pry him off, a deep blush on her face. It was always fun to embarrass Rita every now and again.
Flynn and the others shook their heads and moved on, following the beast that seemed to ignore the commotion behind it. The shadowed dog led up another case of stairs and to a familiar pair of double-doors. They were slightly unhinged, leaving enough space for the beast to force open one door and step inside the darkness.
One by one, they followed closely and were unsettled by what they saw beyond the doors. It was the very same chamber that Yuri's party had engaged Zagi in a final fight. However, the old stones were completely covered by a thick layer of ink black crystal. In the midst of the crystal formation, on the platform that the fight with Zagi had taken place, was a single orb of white light. Unlike the white light of Luminus and Rem, this gave off an eerie and evil glow. The light reflected off the black crystal, giving the entire chamber an eerie appearance.
"I think we found the 'core'." Flynn blinked, astonished by the sight. He looked beside him to Yuri, "Yuri?" He saw the sharp look in his friend's eyes, a look he hadn't seen since he fought Alexei in Zaude.
Yuri drew his sword and tossed away the sheath, "I'm hoping I'm just being paranoid." He muttered and continued to glare into the center of the room. However, just as he was about to lower his sword, Yuri saw movement. A humanoid form stepped out from around the dark crystal and stood beside the glowing orb of light. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the two daggers in the mysterious enemy's hands struck a familiar cord in Yuri.
Though separated, hearts will continue to be connected through fate. Even hearts that have turned black as coal are powerless to the will of destiny.
A/N: Wow, this ended up being longer than I first anticipated, but I am pleased with this chapter. Changing up the groups allowed me to do a bit more character work, so that was fun. Again, the Moments takes place next chapter.
If you would, please allow me a small word concerning YurixEstelle. I tend to hear a "chemistry problem" when people discuss this pair. I disagree. Estelle is a good person who, in whatever small way, agrees with Yuri's form of justice. She spends a good part of the game's middle portion deciding on whom she wishes to support: Yuri, or Flynn (it's a minor plot device, so you really have to read into facial expressions and small conversations). She chooses Yuri not only to find her own answers, but to explore this new view of the world Yuri introduced to her. Their relationship is hard to put into words, but I think it is surprisingly interesting for a video game. Most of the Tales pairings are interesting and, in a way, not too common with most RPG relationships.
Anyway, thanks for allowing me a bit of your time; that felt wonderful. Please remember to drop a review!