A/N: Don't let me hold you up, let's get to the Sealed Island!


Moments: Boost in Morale

How can a group remain united when they are separated? This single, seemingly simple, question plagued Yuri Lowell as he fixed himself for the ascent to Hod. He had shrugged off confused questions of Fen's whereabouts from the young Karol. The young man seemed to figure he was outside stretching or something. Yuri knew better, and he feared how he would handle breaking the news to the others. Fen had left, gone ahead on a virtually suicidal run for the purpose of vengeance and closure. It was hard enough reasoning it all to himself, let alone a group of people with colorful personalities.

When the men left the room and descended the stairs, they were shocked to see the ladies helping out with the loading for the King's Bane. Caleb and Judy were directing the heavy lifting, while Estelle made final checks on everyone's health. Rita, obviously displeased by the early hour of her awakening, barked at the mages as they perfected some of their formulas.

"You guys packed and ready?" Caleb looked away from the groups of black knights carrying the large supplies, and focused his attention on Yuri and the others. "We should be heading out within the hour, so stock up on anything you think you'll need now." He stopped, eyes moving as he counted only four of the five males of Yuri's party. "Where's Fen?"

Flynn seemed a bit taken back, "Isn't he here, helping out?" He took a quick look around. As feared, Fen was nowhere to be seen. "Do you think he went for a run or something?"

Though far from the case, Rita thought she felt eyes turn to her for answers. She stopped verbally assaulting the poor mages and looked outwards, to the shore. If she remembered correctly, it didn't take Fen long at all to get a good run around the island. If he had left for a jog, then he would be back by now. "I don't think so, he would be back by now."

"Maybe we should go look for him?" Estelle offered the idea, receiving a few agreements from the others.

However, before a search party could even be mentioned, Yuri stepped past everyone. "He's gone, forget about it." It came out colder than he wanted, but he really couldn't think of any way to put it gentler.

"Gone?" Karol repeated, a bit confused. He suspected what Yuri meant, but he didn't want it to be the truth. Fen is no coward, so why would he run?

Picking up one of the last remaining boxes, Yuri started towards the King's Bane. "He left, as in he's not coming with us." He looked around carefully, "Seems Ba'ul's missing too."

Judy straightened suddenly, then tried to sense for her friend's presence. Usually, she can guess Ba'ul's location based on the intensity of their link. The fainter it is, the farther he is. Even if he is on the other side of the globe, she should still be able to sense him somewhat. However, after moments of concentration, she sensed nothing. "I can't sense him." Her voice was filled with a mixture of worry and outrage. She couldn't promise anyone that she wouldn't strangle Fen if he got Ba'ul hurt.

"Yuri, did Fen tell you where he was going? I don't think anywhere sensible would prevent Judy from sensing Ba'ul." Caleb asked Yuri when he stopped to listen to Judy.

Thankfully, Raven answered in his stead, "He went ahead to Hod, didn't he." He slowly shook his head when Yuri said nothing. "Now that's a bone-headed move." A strange gap of silence left everyone feeling strange. Usually, another person would fill this gap with some sort of reaction. Whether it be physical expression, or a loud yell of anger or frustration.

Estelle, knowing why the gap was not filled, turned to the only one who had yet to say a word. "Rita?" All eyes turned to the bewildered mage, all but one.

Unsure of how he'd handle such a situation, Yuri thought it best to leave it to Estelle and Judith. After all, he had figured Rita's reaction would be the worst out of all of them. He did, however, catch a glimpse of how hurt she was, but only for a fraction of a second. For all of Yuri's sharp insight and wit, he never learned how to deal with a girl who just suffered an internal injury. Unlike most things, sarcasm and reckless examples do little to buffer a strike to the heart.

"You look like your puppy just died." A familiar, low voice broke Yuri from his thoughts. Looking up from the sand of the shore, Yuri spotted his father. Joseph had posted himself just beside the airship's storage bay, observing the loading of troops and supplies. "Something happen?"

The older man's eyes were focused on the other members of Yuri's party. Like a hawk, he spotted every piece of body language, and read every movements of the lip. It seems the main focus of the group was to calm the mage girl, at least for now. "That guy with half of Durandel, he left didn't he."

"I'm not really concerned about that to be honest." Yuri handed the box in hand to another knight. He walked over and leaned against the side of the King's Bane, mimicking his father's posture. "I'm more worried about what's going to happen to the rest of my friends."

Joseph immediately understood. "Ah, morale, the factor that troubles all leaders."

Yuri nodded. "This might cause everyone to lose focus, perhaps even lose courage." His eyes dropped to the ground, recalling their latest quest. "We've grown used to having Fen here. He's one of us. His leaving has already caused problems."

"Hmph," Joseph chuckled, "you seem to have little faith in your bond." He saw Yuri look to him out of the corner of his eyes. "From what little I've seen of you and your friends Yuri, you are all very close." He looked upwards, "From experience, I can honestly tell you this: even fate cannot rip the bonds between people apart."

Yuri pondered his father's words for a few seconds before looking to his friends in the distance. "Geez old man," He let his usual smirk take its place, "that was surprisingly corny, even for you." He chuckled when Joseph lightly elbowed him in the head, making him stumble out of his leaning position.

"Don't go thinkin' you're grown, just because you can swing that toothpick of a sword around." Joseph rolled his eyes. However, when Yuri brandished his sword in challenge, Joseph obliged. His blood-colored sword now shining in the early morning light. He held it up proudly. "Don't be ashamed to bow to its glory son, it is to be expected."

Yuri scoffed, "Give me a break you geezer, that thing is a gaudy piece of crap!"

"Gaudy, how dare you deny this masterful piece of flesh-ripping art!"

"It's still gaudy."

"Not nearly as gaudy as that girly hair of yours. Have you even seen a razor in your life?"

"At least I have hair."

"You take that back, Lowell men have never lost a single hair to balding!"

"Tell that to the spot just above your left eye."

"You lie!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the exchange go on for another five minutes. Estelle slowly shook her head, giving in to her inability to stop those two from bickering. Karol and Raven couldn't stop laughing, even Rita watched with amusement as both parties verbally ripped one another a new one.

Sodia, poor girl, was left speechless. Though pleased to hear someone return Yuri's "charming" taste in humor and direct it at him, she couldn't help but note the man beside her. "Uh, Flynn," She smiled awkwardly, "why are you taking notes?"

Between scribbling down some solid insults, Flynn shrugged, "I need ammo against Yuri. I'm sure he's going to always be up to his old tricks. I have to be equally sharp to keep up."

Amongst the Black Brigade, the prepped men and women were also enjoying the display. It wasn't so much the antics, as it was what the antics did for everyone listening. Just like that, morale was back up, and everyone was calm once more. They all took comfort in how the people that would lead them into the heart of danger, now laughed as if everything will work out just fine. Laughter certainly remedies a lot for any fighting force.



Chapter 29: The Sealed Island: Part 2


Alright, we'll go over the plan once more before we deploy into Hod. Remember, we will begin the battle against Demigog after the King's Bane executes a full bombing run. That attack should offer us a hole to enter the island in a good place.


Once more, they all peered outwards into the open blue sky. Amidst the fluffy, white clouds, the eerie web of chains and links levitated, never moving an inch. At its center, there is an eye-like mechanism that slowly opens as they draw near within the King's Bane. From within the reinforced glass of the bridge, they look on with held breath as they enter into the abyss.

Almost instantly, as the light that flooded their vision faded, the airship was rocked by a mighty explosion. Everyone looked into the expanse of the abyss, shocked by the sheer scope of their new surroundings.

In place of the clear blue sky of Terca Lumireis, there was a mixture of blacks, browns, and deep purples. Amidst this twisted sky, golden clouds swirled with the fury of the winds, though within this sphere, the maelstrom seemed calm. As if to bring this hellish scene to life, ash seemed to rain down constantly, some still alight with fire. From where the burning embers came, no one could see.

Another explosion shook the King's Bane, as a large figure flew by. When its form could be clearly seen, everyone shared equal feelings of awe. The Krityans, both acute to the presence of such a creature, were struck speechless. Not only had an unfamiliar Entelexia just flown by, but there was a handful more filling the skies around a single, floating island.

"Entelexia, how are there Entelexia here!?" One of the black knights voiced the question everyone held.

To answer, both Rem and Ebon appeared out of a single flash of light. The small fox Spirits rushed to the edge of the bridge, paws pressed against the glass. "I cannot believe it, they still live!" Rem breathed, "Have they been battling for all of these centuries? They must have been!"

Ebon shared his brother's shock, "I knew that time passes differently within the abyss, but to see allies from so long ago is baffling." His eyes snapped to one Entelexia as it passed underneath them, weaving between shots of golden energy, "There, it's Phelix, of the Northern Flame!"

"Nilrog, of the Southern Plains, he is alive too!" Rem looked to a larger Entelexia as it let loose a goliath-sized tempest, aimed for the island itself. It outstretched its large wings and took off into the expanse once more, turning to repeat the attack elsewhere.

The humans and Krityans listened as the Spirits listed off their old friends and companions. At least a dozen names were listed in total, an amazing number, more than anyone's ever seen. All but a select few had ever witnessed such a gathering of Entelexia, but none have seen them engaged in fierce combat against a single foe.

The center of this battlefield, the island of Hod, could hardly be called an island at all. Looking to the Shepherd's Journal, Judy watched as the pages filled themselves with a diagram of the Sealed Island. From a bird's eye view, it appeared to resemble a tree. There was a large center to the island, with smaller platforms that branched off in a carefully constructed network of bridges. At the end of each branch was a ring, and out of this ring came more foes for the Entelexia to battle.

"Look, that one that's circling around!" Karol pointed to the far side of the island, towards the root of the tree-like design. With eyes glued to the spot, they watched an Entelexia fly over the area, unleashing a heavy stream of flames. Whatever servants of Demigog were caught in the blaze, were instantly reduced to ashes.

At the sight of this Entelexia, Judy's eyes brightened, "It's Ba'ul!"

"How fortunate for us." Joseph closely examined the entire scene and adjusted his commands, "Fly in through the battle, we'll use the Entelexia as cover! Prep all units to deploy, the King's Bane must remain still for as little time as possible!"


We will approach the island from the front, giving Demigog as little time to calculate a defense as we can. The King's Bane's cannons will blow an opening into the core of the island, where the demon itself resides. From there, we will deploy all available units and proceed to the citadel.


Weaving through the fearsome arial battle was a great task. Many times, the attacks of the Entelexia would miss their target, only to skim the outer-shell of the airship. Every explosion, every quick pass by these massive creatures rocked the King's Bane like a toy. Peering through the canopy of the bridge brought everyone to edge of their seat, especially when a downed servant of Demigog would spiral by.

Joseph broke the nervous silence when they grew closer to the island, "Everyone to the deployment deck, we'll need to hit the ground running so the King's Bane can give us air support." He looked from Yuri and the others and to the crew handling the monitors, "What can we see on the island's surface?"

Eyes focused on the monitor, the crewman robotically responded, "As expected, there are enemy units occupying the surface. We'll need to cut a path to the entrance sir."

"Sebastian," Joseph looked back to the silent leader of Pollux Legion, "I'll leave command to you." He walked past him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you recovered in time to join us."

At hearing this, Raven's head perked up, eyes wide. "Hold on, weren't we supposed to meet up with Duke before we came here?" He spotted a few people slap their foreheads. What a time to remember that somebody was missing.

Yuri groaned, "Oh man, right when you need him too."

"Forget it." Joseph's strong tone broke the lax mood. "We'll continue without him." He nodded towards the door, signaling for Yuri and the others to follow his lead to the deployment deck. Along the way, a few other knights joined them, as well as Caleb.

The moment all of them set foot in the large deployment deck, they felt the airship slow to a hover. A metallic sound filled the deck, silencing the chattering Black Brigade. Joseph made his way to the front of the large number of troops, placing his black helmet securely over his head. He cracked his neck before snapping around to look at those who will be fighting both beside and behind him. "There aren't any words I can say that can still your hearts."

His eyes expertly picked out those who were on the verge of wetting themselves, but he pressed on. "All that we've done, amounts to this battle." He repeatedly pointed downwards, "Here, we will end this demon's existence, here, we will end centuries of evil." He nodded towards the heroes who defeated the first Adephagos, "We've been given a chance for a fresh start, a new life in our world. On this day," He drew his crimson sword, "we will put our past to rest!"

A thunderous hiss was followed by a rush of light and wind, as the large gates of the deck opened to reveal the awaiting battlefield. As any leader should, Joseph was the first to leap down from the low-hovering airship. Following the gleam of his red sword, the Black Brigade followed, the young heroes amongst them.

Though some had experienced the otherworldly atmosphere of a mass battle, others are new to the feeling. The seconds felt like hours, as sound seemed to die in the sheer density of the atmosphere. On this ancient island, they could feel the ages of combat that was waged to seal the demon they hunted today. And with the frailty of glass, the moment was shattered with a roar of a battle-cry.

"Crimson Edge!" A familiar crescent of red light tore into the approaching masses of Demigog's minions. They looked to be former humans, their rotted corpses encased in shadow with random portions glowing eerily. Amongst the hordes of Drones, Sword Dancers charged the ranks of black knights.

Unfortunately, the more skilled members of the force could only cover so much ground. Already, casualties were beginning to pile up. However, for every black knight felled, three of their enemies were defeated. Any commander would be thrilled with the odds, however, Joseph and the others knew that the situation was still grim. Within seconds, the Sealed Island gave birth to more spawn of the Adephagos, making the battle everlasting.

"Leave the outside to the others, we have to push forward!" Caleb sent a wide Weeping Moon ahead of him, blowing a hole in the ranks of the opposing force. Systematically, Yuri and Flynn would surge forward with an Azure Edge combo that would cut any even deeper path. Finally, Karol would take the lead and carve a monstrous addition towards the center of the island, where they knew Demigog would be.


When we reach the citadel, we'll need to move quickly. I doubt our limited forces will be able to withstand Demigog's endless hordes of minions. As you can imagine, our knowledge of the center facility's layout is small. It'll be a shot in the dark, but I have confidence that we can do it.


Judy and Raven fired off another round of artes, finally taking a breather after reaching their goal. Slamming the large doors of the building shut, they managed to escape the pursuing horde, at least for now.

"I didn't," Raven stopped to catch his breath, "get a chance to look at the building. Anyone know what this place looks like?" After seeing a few blank stares, he turned to the holder of the Shepherd's Journal.

Still a reliable source, Judy looked to the once blank pages to see a full diagram of the citadel. It was circular in shape, and very large. Just by looking upwards, Judy could tell that the building was as tall as three stories. Its true size, however, was below the surface of the island. The only way to get there, was through a single entrance. Going around the large structure, there was another part that went into the center of the circle. From there, one can descend to the lower level. Judy explained the layout to the others, receiving confirming nods in response.

"So right, or left?" Estelle looked both ways, seeing they were still within the entrance hall of the structure. On both sides, there are large double-doors. Both were encrusted with various designs and decorations. The design reminded her of Zaphias Castle strangely.

"I vote left." Yuri shrugged, not really caring which way.

Sodia snorted, "I think we should go right in that case."

"Hey, you're looking at the guy that outwits you Royal Knights on a daily basis." Yuri proudly boasted, "Perhaps you should listen to me."

"The Schwann Brigade is hardly a fair comparison." Sodia pointedly looked to Raven with an amused smirk.

Raven shook his head, "Ouch,"

"Think of it this way Raven, it's an insult to Schwann, not you." Caleb added with a copy of Judith's usual, smooth smile.

Joseph slowly shook his head and walked to the left door of the entrance hall. Soon, everyone followed, preparing themselves for the trek towards their main target. They foresaw a plethora of enemies, and a mountain of challenges, but together...

BAM

The party's train of thought buzzed when the large doors slammed open, a cluster of Drones flying through it. With a chorus of crushing bones and pained screeches, they hit the ground dead. Eyes wide, they looked into the next room, only to gasp at who they saw.

Turning to them, he let another Drone drop to the floor, lightly putting a strand of white hair back into place. "You're late." His deep, calm voice didn't match the chaotic scene around him. There were Drones, parts of Drones, and some random pieces of flesh scattered around. The floor at his feet was black with their blood, and the interior of the chamber was utterly destroyed.

What originally could have been a place of worship, was now a complete mess. Benched chairs were shattered on the floor, statues were toppled to the ground, crushing the poor creature below it. Unaffected by his surroundings, Duke met the shocked gaze of Yuri and the others, Dein Nomos held at his side.

"D-Duke?" Raven gawked, "How did you get up here?"

The old hero swiped his sword, flinging off any chunks of flesh that built up on the blade. "I was picked up by your friend and the Entelexia," He looked to Judy, "Ba'ul was it?"

Yuri was slightly surprised, "So that's what he meant." He had to hand it to Fen, he didn't leave them without insurance.

"We should move, this place isn't safe." Duke didn't hesitate to start ahead, going deeper into the room and towards another pair of doors. He calmly paused, waiting for the others to recover from their shock and catch up. When they did, he pushed the door open, leading them into the next room.

"Baahahaha, this is too easy!"

"Rending Drop!"

Aside from the two battle-cries, and the large roar that thundered from the third person in the room, the chamber was surprisingly orderly. Unlike the room Duke had been fighting in, all the statues were in place, and the various pillars supporting the structure were in one piece. Yuri noted that it wasn't too bad for the trio of Hunting Blades.

"Nan. Clint, Tison," Karol rushed into the room, ducking under a tossed Drone, "what are you guys doing here?"

Tison snorted, "The Hunting Blades always go where the monsters are." He drove his point by slamming his fist against a twitching Drone's skull. "Can't say we enjoyed riding that flying monster, but a guy's got to do what a guy's got to do."

"You guys rode on Ba'ul?" Yuri tried not to laugh, happy that they have the help of the monster hunters. Their strength will be an insured advantage.

Clint grunted, turning his eyes to the next door. "Your friend is in the next room, we need to go." He shot a look to Nan before slowly making his way to the door. She had until then to greet Karol.

"Nan," Karol quickly hugged the young girl, "I'm glad you're here."

"Hmph," She leaned away from him, "who do you think I am?" Quickly, she returned the embrace, but shoved him away after a few seconds, "Now hurry up, I won't forgive you if you chicken out on me."

Joseph watched as Karol picked up his sword, filled with energy. He rolled his eyes and followed Clint. After giving the pair admiring looks, (well, some did) everyone proceeded to the door.

When the doors opened, everyone looked away, taken surprise by the difference in lighting. Unlike the other rooms, this one had glass walls in place of the white marble of the others. Because of this, streams of hazy golden light flooded the room, giving it a hazy atmosphere. Much to everyone's surprise, it was spotless, absent of any Drones, and only occupied by one person.

He was seated on one of the dark-wood pews that filled the center of the chamber. His arms were placed behind the pew, leg folded over the other calmly. His posture was different from what they'd seen before.

"You," Rita growled when she saw him. Like a bull seeing red, she rushed forward until she was within striking distance. "You jerk!" She yelled down at his blank expression, furious that he hadn't even opened his eyes to look at them, at her. "What were you thinking, just coming here without us!?" She watched him like a hawk, waiting for a reaction. Estelle swore she saw a vein pulsate on Rita's forehead when Fen raised a hand to point to the door behind him. He still hadn't opened his eyes.

"The next room is clear, go on ahead. I'll cover your backs." He dropped his hand and reassumed his former position.

"Look at me." Everyone knew better than to move when they heard Rita bark at him.

Estelle bit her lip, hearing the slight bit of hurt in her harsh tone. "Rita," Her heart twisted sympathetically, worried for her friend. If anyone knew how fragile Rita is in these situations, it was her. Her emerald eyes looked to Yuri when his hand slipped to hers.

With a nod, Yuri released her hand and looked back to the scene in front of them. It was rare to see Rita do this in front of people. Either she's really mad, or too emotional to care.

"I said look at me!" Rita leaned forward, gripping Fen vest tightly. If she wanted, she could force him closer, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. When his eyelids twitched, she was suddenly afraid of what she'd see. She blinked hard, swallowing the mysterious fear. When her eyes opened, she ws struck by the murderous shade of ice-blue his eyes had taken on.

Ashamed by the fear in her eyes, Fen shut his eyes once more. "Go on ahead."

Yuri decided now was a good time to step in, "Come on Rita, we've got an Adephagos to kill." He tapped her on the shoulder and continued to the door. The older members of the party followed, but Estelle and Judy hung back to make sure Rita was alright.

The mage felt her chest contract, but she started to follow anyway. However, right when her eyes were about to leave Fen, she spotted a strange splash of yellow on his arm. She stared at the out of place color until it finally hit her. He was wearing the ribbon she had given him. She couldn't say why, but the sight made her anger cool a little. "Fine, but when I get back,"

"Feel free to 'zap' me all you like." Fen finished. He allowed an amused smirk, but still kept his eyes closed.

Leaving Fen to his business, the party moved into the next room, Hunting Blades following. Again, the room was bright like the one before, but it seemed to be focused around a large statue. It was an angelic woman with flowing robes. Again, Estelle thought of the statues in Zaphias Castle.

Duke glanced around sharply, "It's empty, just as he said." He took a step forward and froze. No sooner had everyone's guard dropped, a distortion appeared at the base of the statue.

Out of the distortion, a strange, humanoid creature stepped into the room. It remained motionless for a few moments before opening its black eyes. Looking around slowly, it calmly stopped to peer at the faces of the people aiming to stop the Adephagos.

"Who's that?" Nan and Karol said at the same time.

Joseph's eyes widened, a fierce scowl forming on his aged face. "Demigog."



A/N: Hoohoo, we finally come face-to-face with the big guy himself. What will happen next? Be assured, plenty of fights lie ahead. Don't forget to review!