Author's Note: I was not expecting to get a chapter out this fast. o.o But yeah, there's lots of plot in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Legaia franchise.
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Chapter 28: Cloudburst
"Well, I can't say I was expecting that." The four of them had gotten a single room at the inn, with the girls' beds behind a screen. "Poor Eliza, though. Having to go to the palace when all the other girls that were taken there haven't even been heard from since?" Vahn was laying with his arms crossed under his pillow, eyes closed as he listened to Noa speak.
He couldn't get the look on Shera's face when they found out about the Seru Brides out of his head. There had been surprise, yes, they were all surprised that Saryu had demanded such a thing of his people, but then she'd gotten her thoughtful look directly afterwards. He was afraid to ask what she was thinking, in case the answer was something he didn't want to hear.
"Get some sleep. We'll talk about what we'll do about it in the morning." There was rustling, Vahn figured it had to be Shera rolling over to get comfortable. He still felt uncertain about what the morning would bring. It wasn't a comfortable feeling, even though he must have encountered it many times before while traveling. It just wasn't normally caused by Shera. They all slept fitfully.
The next morning, though, his anxiety and worry proved to be well-founded. He hadn't been expecting that particular suggestion to come from her, though. He'd half expected it to come from Noa.
"No. Absolutely not." The brunette set her jaw, and leaned on the table, meeting Vahn's eyes. Her spoon was still idly scraping along the inside of her bowl. The innkeeper's family were watching them with wide eyes.
"Why not? I've got a similar body build to her, if there's danger, I can fight unarmed, and if not, and she's actually the one that they specifically wanted, I can speak to Saryu. There's a veil to cover the face and hide facial differences. The sleeves are wide enough all the way up to the shoulder that Mule won't be noticed, nor will he catch on any of the fabric. I can fight multiple targets with only a little trouble, and the soldiers carry spears. If I need to, I can grab one of those." Neither of them dared to look at Noa or Gala to see what they thought.
"I'm not letting you put yourself in harm's way. Out of the four of us, yes, you can fight better physically. But there was something off about Saryu when we met him. I wouldn't put it past the soldiers there to have things we've never seen before. And if you go in alone, we can't back you up!" Someone cleared their throat, breaking the staring match. The innkeeper's wife was sitting stiffly, though there was a gleam of hope in her eyes that hadn't been there before.
"The guards are always lax when a Seru Bride comes to the palace. It would be possible for you to break through if need be. But...I don't see how a message could get out." Eliza had her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with a hope that Vahn felt guilty about. Shera was trying to give her a way out, and he was arguing against it.
"Our Seru communicate mind-to-mind. Getting a message out is as simple as thinking it." That was Gala, his voice quiet. He had his face pointed down, though he was still glancing between Shera and Vahn. Normally, they agreed. Vahn didn't think that the two Rim Elm natives had ever argued like this in front of him, besides the time when he had to talk her into staying behind while they went to the Mist Generator. And that had been a pretty easy answer. The only reason the argument had happened was because of pride. This was different.
"So. The only reason you're saying no is because there's the possibility that the guards in the palace have equipment we aren't familiar with." There was a smug smirk in her voice, though she kept it off of her face. Her eyes were set on Vahn's face, though. She was ticking off points on her fingers. "We've got the ability to rescue me if the need arises, my ability to fight. Though if I do have to fight, that dress may be ruined," she added in an aside to Eliza.
"I hate that dress anyhow. It was delivered with the notice, and I look ill in purple." Eliza had a fierce look in her eyes, all but breathless in the face that this was actually happening. "I'd burn it myself if there wasn't a need for it." Shera smiled faintly, and nodded.
"My fitting in the dress shouldn't be a problem. There's little danger that I'll be identified as not being Eliza, thanks to the veil. I can fight barehanded, and my weapon of choice is all over the place, in the hands of soldiers that won't be expecting a woman in a dress to fight. I can call on the power of the Ra-Seru if I have to, even if it'll make me tired at the end of the day. And on top of all that, we don't have any other options to get a message to Saryu that we need to get through the gate to the Mist Generator." She leaned back, staring at Vahn in a challenging manner. He couldn't help but grit his teeth.
"...Fine. But if things go sour, remember that I tried to talk you out of it." Shera beamed, and Vahn got up from the table, taking his dishes with him. A few breaths later, Gala followed him.
"If Shera wasn't going to, Noa was." Vahn glanced at the ex-monk, who waited his turn to wash off the dishes he'd used and stack them to dry. "I overheard them talking about it." Vahn sighed and ran his hands over his face, leaving water and suds on them that he then had to irritably wipe off with his shirt sleeve.
"If they'd just wait, I'm sure we could talk the guards into letting us in." Gala crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. "I know. It's a matter of emotions, and they don't want to let someone who can't fight go face potential danger on her own, but neither Shera nor Noa are used to fighting alone anymore." Vahn had to concentrate to keep his voice down. Gala patted him on the shoulder after drying his own hands. "And why aren't you as upset about it as I am?" The ex-monk chuckled.
"I think you've got a bit more emotion invested in the situation than I do. Or rather, in the person in the situation." Vahn stared at him for a moment. Gala simply shrugged. "Anyhow, the guards should come by after noon. We'll train until then, keep your mind off of things." Vahn let Gala guide him outside, sparing only a glance for the women, who were now hovering around Shera, hiding her from view.
Both of them had managed to work up a sweat in the courtyard by the time the soldiers arrived. Some of them eyed the young men as they halted their sparring, though Vahn pretended to ignore them, dumping a ladle full of water over his head from a bucket next to the well. The leader of the soldiers stepped forwards to bang on the inn's door.
"We are here for the Seru Bride! Open the door! Don't disobey!" Gala's eyes flicked to Vahn as he tensed, though he stayed near the well, crossing his arms to hide how his hands were curled into fists. The women of the inn, minus Noa and Eliza, stepped out. Vahn honestly couldn't tell that it was Shera under that veil, she was holding herself so differently. For a moment, he thought Shera had backed out of it, and then he caught a glimpse of blue under one of the sleeves. The soldiers obviously hadn't seen it. "You seem to be all ready. Eliza! We are here for you, under orders of Saryu." Shera stepped forwards with a smooth grace that didn't dislodge so much as an inch of her veil.
The soldiers stepped into a box formation around her, and led the way out of the courtyard and into the street. Gala grabbed hold of Vahn's arm to keep him from chasing after them. Only after the last soldier was gone did Eliza step into view of the door, her eyes wide and horrified.
"What have I done? I let Shera take my place." Eliza's mother moved to comfort her and sweep her out of sight, in case anyone reported that the Seru Bride claimed by the guards hadn't been the woman they had intended. Vahn looked pale, and was shaking. It wasn't from the sweat cooling on his skin, though.
"What's done is done. All we can do now is wait." Gala led Vahn back into the inn. "Let's wash up and rest for now, Vahn. If Shera needs help, we'll need to be rested to do any good." Noa nodded, her eyes worried as she agreed with the ex-monk.
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Shera had a sinking feeling that she'd stepped in a puddle of water, only to find that it went up to her neck. Mule didn't dare ease her mind for fear of the glow showing through the cloth covering him. She kept her face calm, though, and kept walking at the pace Eliza and her mother had taught her. She was starting to sweat under the wimple that was part of the ensemble, and wanted to itch the back of her neck, where the strands of hair that had escaped her braids were tickling her skin.
Still, there was no need to call for help just yet. They'd only just entered through the gates to the palace, and there was no sign that she was heading towards danger, just her gut instinct telling her she'd stepped wrong.
The palace's silence as they walked in was possibly the largest clue that she'd underestimated the danger. The soldiers didn't stop, and any servants that she saw past the purple veil hurried away the moment they saw the clump of soldiers. Shera was led into part of the palace that she hadn't seen when she and the other three had wandered through the palace in the Mist. There were lanterns in the shape of the Orb Seru, though Shera was pretty sure they weren't actually the Seru.
The soldiers paused in front of a pair of doors Shera hadn't seen before, and they swung open. She didn't even budge at the loud groaning that the doors made, though she did as the soldier behind her prodded her with the butt of his spear. She blinked from side to side as she realized that the soldiers that had brought her there were staying put. More soldiers were waiting on the other side of the door, strange weapons in their hands.
Only two of the soldiers from the other side of the door flanked her, the rest staying at the door. Shera continued to walk calmly, though she was glancing around, both curious about this part of the palace, and making notes for Mule to send to the others if she needed the help. It was a great deal darker in this part of the palace than it had been on the other side of the great doors, so there wasn't as much that she could see.
The air felt a lot more moist, and there was a smell not unlike overly damp flesh coming from every direction. It was quite a change from the dusty scent of the rest of the city and palace. There was a faint noise that seemed to get louder the longer they walked.
Eventually, there were bits of light that started to peek out of the darkness. A silhouette caught by one of the sources of light made Shera stop. The soldier behind her made an irritated noise, which stopped the other one as well. Shera didn't pay attention to them, looking up at what had caught her attention.
It was a young woman in a dress not dissimilar to the one that she was dressed in, hanging limply in some sort of translucent sac that was hanging from the ceiling. Every once in a while, bubbles rippled through the liquid surrounding her. Mule started to glow slightly, reading the woman's mind and transferring the information to Shera's. It was little more than a whisper, pleading for someone to help her, and how she couldn't see or hear. Shera realized that the woman's body was paralyzed.
It was like ice had been dumped on her head, when she realized this was one of the Seru Brides. The reason why no one had heard from them was because they were brought here and...turned into this. She started to tug her sleeves up, spreading her feet from the ladylike stance she'd been keeping the entire time. There was a click, though, and Shera turned her head a little to see that both of the soldiers were pointing their weapons at her. Her hands clenched a little, but she straightened, dropping her hands to her sides to show that she wasn't going to fight them.
They walked along again, though the soldiers were keeping an eye on her. She didn't bother to walk ladylike anymore, as it had been kind of hard for her anyhow. She fisted her hands in the skirts to make sure she didn't step on the hems and walked normally. As she did so, Mule glowed, sending the information she'd gathered so far to the others. She wasn't in immediate danger just yet, but she was definitely heading that way.
Their destination was a platform at the end of the walkway, with another woman wearing much the same thing as Shera was and two gnarled men that looked like researchers. The soldier in front of Shera stopped, and turned around to look at her. Her skirts hid the fact that her hands curled tighter out of instinct, but he didn't point his weapon at her.
"Here we are. Now wait here for Saryu to arrive!" The soldier started towards her like he was expecting her to step aside. She simply raised her chin and stayed where she was, forcing him to edge around her. Only after the soldiers had started on their way back did she step forwards to investigate what she had been brought to.
The men were too absorbed by what they were doing to pay her any mind, so Shera shoved the veil over her head irritably, and went to see to the other woman. She'd expected the stranger to react to the presence of another woman arriving, but she hadn't even twitched.
Shera took the woman's hands as she peered past the veil, but even that didn't get a reaction. She was staring straight ahead, mouth slightly slack and eyes glassy. Something Shera didn't notice before caught her attention. Behind the young woman, there was a gap in the railing, as though the platform led to something.
That led her eyes to a shadowy figure under a dim light source. Shera stumbled backwards a few steps, her mind screeching at her to run before the beast in front of her wiped her and the entire castle out, the way it had wiped out Rim Elm. As she watched, frozen in horror, a pod of some sort lifted from to the left of the giant monster, and almost gingerly sucked up the woman she'd been trying to snap out of a trance.
She didn't even notice Mule glowing brightly, sending the message to the others that Shera needed help immediately. Nor did she hear the footsteps of someone walking up behind her. Because in front of her was Juggernaut, the horror that haunted her dreams and destroyed the wall of Rim Elm.
"Magnificent, isn't it?" A voice right behind her was what eventually shocked her out of her stupor. She turned and slid into her fighting stance automatically, her eyes moving from Juggernaut to Saryu, who had snuck up behind her. "The pride of Ratayu, fueled by the young maidens of Ratayu, the Seru Brides. I had heard from my guards that you were waiting, Seru Bride, so I came."
Shera tightened her stance as her eyes flicked from Saryu to the two guards that were flanking him, blocking off her escape. If she wanted to run away, she was going to have to take all three of them out, and she was not only hindered by her dress, but didn't have a spear to hand with which she could possibly level the playing field. Of course, it didn't help that Saryu apparently didn't recognize her, just the dress she was in.
"You'll find more happiness as Juggernaut's flesh and blood than living your own wretched life. So consider yourselves lucky to be brides of Seru. Now be quiet! That's an order!" Shera tilted her head to the side. Not only was there only one of her, but she hadn't said a thing. Shera shifted a little, readying for a lunge forwards. The guards, the ones that had escorted her there, saw the subtle movement and pointed their weapons at her.
"You are absolutely despicable, Saryu." That was the only warning she gave before she lunged at him, wide sweeping movements of her legs to knock the fabric of her dress aside so she wouldn't step on the hems as she struck at his outstretched, pointing arm.
The guards grabbed her then, not wanting to use their weapons on her when she was so close to their ruler. If there was one thing that Tetsu had taught her specifically, it was how to fight when someone had grabbed her. He'd spent an entire summer teaching her all the different techniques, which he himself had learned from a woman that had come up with them specifically for self-defense.
One hand grabbed the wrist of the hand that was covering her mouth, the other grabbed the arm that had wrapped around her waist. She lifted her legs up and kicked the other guard in the gut as soon as he moved in reach of him, knocking all the air out of him. Once she'd gotten him on the ground, she shifted her attention back to the guard that was struggling to hold onto her, and dug the tips of her fingers between the bones of his arm, pushing on a nerve there that numbed his hand in the most painful way possible.
He dropped her with a yelp, and she backed away down the path a little, one hand grabbing the skirt of her dress and yanking hard, tearing the fabric so that she could drop it on the walkway. Saryu was between the guards and the weapons they'd dropped, though one of the guards was reaching into his belt pouch for something while the other rubbed at his arm.
"Mule, think a Seru would do any good? Do we have any wind Seru that would help to knock them over?" As soon as she thought it, the information flooded into her mind. The only wind Seru she had were Nova and Swordie, and both of them sliced more than they pushed. They didn't have any Seru that would do the job she was looking for.
The soldier that had grabbed her before lunged towards her, and she threw him over her hip before she even realized that she'd made a mistake, placing herself between the two soldiers. She wasn't calm enough to use the technique for fighting multiple people, either. She stood side on to both of them, her eyes flicking back and forth. She couldn't quite see what the guard she'd kicked was doing, not without turning her back on the one that had rushed her. And she couldn't deal with that one without turning her back on the other.
The soldiers made her decision for her, with the one that she'd thrown over her hip rushing at her again. She turned to deal with him, striking at his elbows and chest to knock him back. The other wrapped his arms around her from behind, one hand pressing a damp cloth over her nose and mouth. Her hands scrabbled to press at his fingers and wrist to try to force him to let go of her.
Too late, she realized that the dampness on the cloth was not water. It smelled too sickly sweet for that. Still, she struggled and tried to fight him off, holding her breath as best she could. Even after she'd had to breathe in whatever fumes came off of the cloth, she struggled, until finally, the black that had been swimming around the edges of her vision consumed her.
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Gala sighed as he watched Vahn learn how to throw knives from the innkeeper. It hadn't been long since Shera left, but already Mule had sent some worrying details, including the fact that Shera was going to need help shortly. Noa was checking their things, and Vahn and Gala had put their armor on and made sure their weapons were to hand, ready for when the call for help came.
Vahn jerked suddenly, his throw going wide and embedding in the wooden wall. His face paled, and everyone frowned at him. Then the echo of the message that Vahn had just received reached Noa and Gala, and they too paled. It wasn't words, it was a mix of terror, scents, and an image that could give anyone nightmares.
All three rushed for the door, Noa shoving a packet of healing supplies into Gala's hands so that he could push them into his belt. Vahn was already out the door, buckling his sword belt around his hips without even slowing.
People darted out of their way as they ran down the road towards the palace. Noa caught up with Vahn and paced him while Gala took up the rear, forced to ignore the people that shouted in his ear as he tried to catch up to the other two. He was pretty sure that a few individuals tried to throw things at him, but they all missed.
Luck was on their side when they reached the palace. Their friend from the Letona Gate was there talking to the guards. He frowned at them as they skidded to a stop, panting. It was the work of a moment to notice who was missing.
"Where's Shera?" Vahn pointed at the palace. The soldier frowned. "How did she – today's the day the Seru Brides go to the palace, isn't it." Vahn merely nodded, doing his best to catch his breath. The soldier straightened and turned to the guards he'd been talking to. "Open the gates. They're the ones I was talking about." The guards hesitated, looking over the travelers, but a second look at the captain got them moving. The gates groaned open, allowing Vahn and the others through. The captain came with, dressed in civilian clothing rather than armor.
Vahn gave him an odd look as the man gestured for them to follow him. A few glances and messages via the Ra-Seru later, and they followed him, dashing through the palace to the shouts of alarm of guards and servants that barely managed to step out of their way.
"I was sent to guard the Letona gate when Saryu changed, Some of my men followed soon after, and told me which part of the castle was cordoned off. That should be where the Seru Brides are taken." Vahn didn't seem to even notice the guard's words, just following him. The farther they ran, the more guards there were, and the less inclined they seemed to move out of their way.
"Halt! You are not authorized to be here!" The captain decked a man in armor that stepped in their way, sending the man clattering to the ground. He grinned almost ferally, shaking out his hand as he continued to run.
"Been wanting to do that for a while." Gala lifted an eyebrow at that, and slowed as the captain did. They were all a bit out of breath, though the captain panted longer than the other three did. There was no sign of soldiers following them, not even any clattering of their metal shoes on the floor. "There's the door. There's usually soldiers guarding it these days. But...I don't recognize those statues." The man gestured towards the strange statues on either side of the door.
"That's because those aren't statues! Move back!" Gala pushed the captain back as the statues shifted, leaping at them. Noa swung the tonfa she was using to catch the mouth of one before it bit her, and Vahn ducked as the other tried to take his head off. "Ozma! What type of Seru are these?!" Gala yanked his mace out of his belt as he made sure that the captain was still backing up.
"They're called Kemaro! They're earth elementals!" Ozma swore, and bashed the one that had noticed the captain, getting its attention back on him. Hopefully the man would realize that his presence complicated things and run.
"Of course, the time we really could use Shera and Mule, they're not here." That was an echo of Vahn's thoughts, laced with strong enough feelings of worry and aggravation, to carry the way the Ra-Seru's thoughts did. He didn't take his swords out of their sheathes, not wanting to dull their edges on the stone of the Serus' bodies.
Noa yelped as the Kemaro she was trying to distract headbutted her. She stumbled back, only to have Vahn punch it with Meta, the Ra-Seru wreathed in flames. It seemed to do a great deal of damage. Noa darted over to help Gala for a moment, smacking that Kemaro over the head. Gala tried to use Ozma the way Vahn had used Meta, but the beast simply shrugged off the electric charge.
Another couple of blows, and Vahn's target shattered, leaving the other Seru to follow suit under a barrage from three individuals. They panted as they allowed the adrenaline fade, and Gala pulled his packet of healing things out to hand them to Vahn, nodding towards the Rim Elm native's blood knuckles.
"Well, any doubts that you three are as good as you claimed were dispelled." The captain of the Letona Gate stepped back into the room, with a few soldiers following after him, their eyes wide. "Don't mind these fellows, they're still loyal to me from when I was captain of the King's Guard." He waved a hand at them.
"We're hoping you can change His Majesty back to his old self," one piped up, nervously gripping his spear. Vahn didn't even glance up, his attention on his hands and the healing leaves he'd used to plaster the broken skin there. He knew why Gala hadn't simply healed him using Vera. They were bound to need that energy for the fight that was still ahead. Using Meta as he had hadn't affected that energy at all.
"I don't see how, but if it happens, it happens." Gala was putting the packet of healing things away, and flexed his hand around his mace, stretching them without releasing his weapon. Noa stretched her arms, eyeing the soldiers in an assessing way.
"Stay here, we don't know if there are more Seru past here." It wasn't a complete lie, they knew the Juggernaut was there, but it was big enough that it wouldn't be as much of a problem, unless it decided to bring the palace down on all their heads.
Vahn hauled the door open, the spent healing leaves dropping from his hand with the movement, along with the scabs attached to them. Gala stepped through the door as well, rolling his shoulders.
Like Shera's information had told them, past the doors was a very dark chamber. They trotted along anyhow, hurrying to where Meta and the others could feel Mule. Vahn sped up as he saw purple under a light ahead, and only slowed when he saw that Shera wasn't alone. Two men in white, and one with a strange but familiar hat were as well.
"Soon, very soon. The brides of Seru will give you life." Saryu's voice carried a fair amount, and even though he faced the swaying, kneeling Shera, he seemed to be addressing Juggernaut instead, over her head. One of the researchers in white turned to face him.
"Hee hee! Juggernaut is nearly full of life force." Gala tried to call out to Shera as he raced after Vahn, and Noa was bringing up the rear for once, casting nervous glances at the women in pods that they passed by.
A similar pod was already hovering over Shera's head, starting to descend over her head. Gala leapt and struck it, and it jerked up and retracted back into the pulsing goo that surrounded the immobile Juggernaut. As Gala landed, the researchers fled, leaving Saryu alone against the three intruders. Vahn reached Shera first, pushing past the ruler, and shook her shoulders gently, trying to get a reaction out of her. None came.
Meta glowed, and Mule glowed weakly in return, but Vahn couldn't overhear their conversation. Shera continued to stare blankly ahead, eyes unfocused and glassy as she swayed. Noa was at Vahn's side, an arm held out behind Shera to ensure that she wouldn't waver and fall backwards into the pit that Juggernaut was held in.
"She won't be in any condition to fight for some time yet. One of the guards forced a drug-soaked cloth over her face, and it will be quite a while before it wears off." Vahn bit back a curse and scooped up the brunette. Like a puppet with its strings cut, she slumped against him her eyes sliding closed.
Vahn turned, saw who was standing between them and escape, and set Shera down against the railing, where she would be safe from falling. Gala looked where the leader of their little group had looked and grimaced.
"I knew there was something odd about you. No matter what any of the townspeople said, I couldn't help but believe that there was something no one could really explain." Noa scowled at Saryu as well, standing between Vahn and Gala, blocking Shera from the man's view.
"You can't 'believe' anything! I haven't ordered you to believe!" The man's voice sounded just a touch shrill, but there was still a sort of distant quality to it that had been present the last time they encountered him as well. "You have done something I have not ordered. I don't like you! You must die! Die! That's an order! I will kill you!" The three conscious fighters shifted closer together, standing as a barrier in front of Shera, who was still in the tattered purple gown.
Oddly, though, Saryu turned away from them. They saw why shortly, as his shadow surged up from the ground to cover him. It solidified around him, creating a hard grey shell in the shape of him, but with longer arms that ended in scythe-like claws.
Vahn drew his swords and flexed his hands around them, stepping forwards to keep the fight away from Shera. Noa spun her tonfa around once before sliding into her ready stance as well, eyes hard. Gala edged in front of the redhead just a little, his fingers clenching around the handle of his mace.
Saryu lunged towards them quickly, claws swinging at Gala's head. The ex-monk ducked, and lunged towards the Seru-covered ruler, swinging his club up at the armored elbow joint. It connected, but didn't have much of an effect on the armor.
Noa ducked under the claws and thrust her tonfa up in an uppercut. She didn't notice that she'd gotten grazed until she felt the blood trickling down her cheek as she rolled out from under the enemy to a safe distance. She simply wiped the blood to get rid of the sensation as Vahn slid one of his swords up between a claw and the armored sheath into its joint.
The screech was cut short as Gala smashed Ozma down onto the circular hat that had been the only part of the Seru they had seen previously. There was a loud crack, and Vahn yanked his sword free, nearly falling over backwards with the force that had been required.
The grotesque Seru moved towards them now that they were all out of its range by planting its two arms and swinging its fused legs ahead of them. Vahn and Gala worked together to try to get it to back up again, seeing as they were too close for comfort to the unconscious Shera.
The Seru slammed both arms into the ground hard, making the entire platform shake as though it were threatening to break and dump them all into whatever lay at the bottom of the darkness. Gala darted over to Shera to keep her from falling over as Noa and Vahn both crouched to keep from falling over themselves.
Vahn summoned the Seru Orb to heal them a bit as Noa stepped in for the dangerous task of distracting the Seru that was controlling Saryu, ducking under swipes and jumping onto the arms to throw hits at its head. Gala ensured that Shera wasn't about to fall off of the platform before rejoining the fight.
The next time someone landed a hard blow on the circular 'hat', there was another loud crack, and the Seru froze. The fighters paused, glancing at each other to see what the others thought of it. The Sim-Seru started to dissolve, leaving the form of Saryu wobbling before he fell to his knees, hatless and unconscious.
Noa turned to pay attention to Shera as Vahn sheathed his swords and Gala moved to check on the ruler. Vahn turned his head to stare at the giant Seru that had nearly taken Shera from them. It was a terrifying sight, certainly, but it had taken no notice of them.
"He's still alive." Noa and Vahn turned to look at Gala, whose fingers were still on the ruler's neck. "Noa, run and get our friend the gate captain, would you?" The redhead nodded and ran down the long hallway, stretching her legs out as Vahn moved to scoop up Shera.
"Here's hoping he's not angry at us once he wakes up." Gala smiled grimly at Vahn's quip. There was a great deal that an angry ruler could do to them, but if he wanted to avoid having his town overrun with Mist again, he had to let them into the Mist Generator.
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End Notes: This was another of those things that I had in mind from near the beginning. I never did like this sequence, it was ridiculous how Noa, in the game, was magically unable to fight just because she was in a dress, and then required the boys to give her 'the will to fight' back. But of course I wasn't able to just cut it out altogether, the group had to fight Saryu to progress with the plot. So I just cut out as much of the sexist bullshit as I possibly could.
