Agenda
It took a little while for the others to return because they had to both revive Igtenos and create the device to destroy the Mirror Shield. But by the time they did, they saw Stahn feeling much better and eating some rations from the pack.
-If you're doing ok,- Clemente said, -Then let's go to Cloudius. We're almost to our destination.-
"Yes, I feel fine. Thanks for your concern, everyone," Stahn replied.
He and Rutee were introduced to Garr's Swordian and Dymlos and Atwight welcomed their comrade back. With that over with, the team headed onwards towards the entrance. From there, they returned to Ignasa to take the next Warp Gate forward.
S...S
Stahn traced his hands over the carvings on the Sacred Skill monument. Clemente and Igtenos were debating how to solve the puzzle in the next room, so he and Rutee had stayed behind to look this over. The boy whispered, "Flare Tornado…Force…Hellfire." Then, just like all the others, a book appeared and granted him the knowledge to use the technique.
Rutee looked up from where she was standing against the wall. "That makes four tablets you've decimated. Plus, that one skill they said was of this caliber that you learned while fighting Lydon." She blushed when she thought about how he had discovered it; he wanted to avenge what turned out to be a minor injury she had been inflicted with.
"The more the better," Stahn told her, "We need all we can against the enemy."
"I know. Promise me you'll come back safely. I'd hate to lose you most of all," she replied.
While mystified by her words, he didn't get the point. But he agreed to the promise all the same; he too would hate to lose Rutee. Just then, the others returned from the other room and they were unable to complete their conversation.
Leon stated, "We're moving on. As in right away. No dawdling, lovebirds."
Rutee fumed at him. "We're not lovebirds; how many times do I have to tell you that!?"
S...S
Stahn didn't know what to expect in the last room. He realized he should have deduced who they'd meet in the control room, but he didn't. But there, blocking the way to the switch, was Baruk.
"I thought you were a good person!" Stahn exclaimed, "You do so many wonderful things."
"Sorry, this is who I am. The world is deplorable. No matter what I do, I can never make a difference. There will always be starving orphans and people living in poverty. Disasters will always occur on the surface. Wiping it all out and starting over is our only option," Baruk replied.
Rutee yelled, "It is not! You'll get blood on your hands, the blood of innocents. I could never live with myself if I killed an innocent, especially a child, for my own ideals. Or if I deserted one who was in danger. That's why…that's why I'm fighting; I fight to protect those that can't defend themselves and I fight for my family most of all!"
Baruk laughed. "It's a ridiculous statement coming from you, Miss Katrea. Or, should I say, Miss Gilchrist; whichever name you prefer. You and your brother could never understand where I come from. I was born into poverty, whereas you were born into wealth. My type of person suffers daily trying to come up with their next meal or if they can pay to keep a roof over their head. Some live on the streets and scrounge for food. But you…you two brats were raised with everything you ever wanted. Your father could get you anything you asked for. You could never see how much poverty hurts."
"Leave them alone!" yelled Stahn as he unsheathed Dymlos and put himself between Baruk and his friends, "They can't help where they were born just as you couldn't. I'm sure, if he'd been a poor man, Hugo couldn't have loved those two any more or less than he does now. And they didn't have everything the way you think. I know that both of them are still struggling, still unable to fully come to terms with losing their mother. No matter how much money you have, death and loss of loved ones hurts."
"Stahn…thank you…for defending our honor; he would never listen if I did that," Rutee whispered.
Leon added, "Mother, the one thing we could never have. The one thing that money couldn't buy. Even if our father brought us every toy in the world, we'd have traded it all for a chance to see her again."
Stahn looked at them with a smile. "Family and friends are way more important than money. If you support one another, you can get through even the roughest times. For though the poor have troubles relating to daily survival, they're not the only ones who must deal with these issues. Death is not particular, he takes everyone equally."
"Still," Baruk stated, "They could never envision the horrors I've seen."
"We witnessed the Eye of Atamoni's atrocities firsthand, and I lived through an invasion of my homeland. So you shouldn't write us off just yet," Garr told him.
Baruk said, "A man like Lydon who can't control the Eye's power is not equal to daily suffering. For his order was toppled quickly without that peg to stand on."
Garr looked to him. "And this Kronos, is he any different? He too seeks power from the Eye."
"He will become a god," Baruk replied, "Then, he can control it directly."
"That's heresy! Nobody can become a god! Atamoni will not allow it," Philia yelled.
Baruk informed her, "You're a fool for relying on such a pointless lie. People made up the goddess for their own gain and for their own comfort. But now we will actually have one when Master Kronos is done. I guess I couldn't expect any less from a priestess."
Philia readied her Swordian. "Atamoni is not a pointless lie! She is the comfort in all of our hearts. I will not stand and let my goddess be insulted like that. Indignation!"
Thunder began streaming in a funnel around Baruk. Stahn signaled to Rutee to make a run for the self-destruction switch while he was occupied. The girl did just that, blowing the Guardian Draconis to smithereens. She smirked; now the path was clear to head to Dycroft.
Garr rushed forward and added a Cyclone spell to the mix. The wind, combining with the remaining thunder, began to push Baruk backwards until he smacked into the stairs. He tried to stand, but found he was injured so all he could do was kneel.
"We will prevail, Baruk," Philia stated, "By working together, we can do anything. And that goes for both our group and humanity as a whole. Maybe, you will see that in the afterlife."
"Humans are foolish…they'll never succeed. I can only hope that Master Kronos is better able to handle you brats than me. He'll destroy you…then…he'll fill the world with darkness and revive…this long lost utopia," Baruk sputtered out.
The man fell to the ground, never to speak again. All five Swordian Masters looked down at his body with sorrow. Why were such good people being led astray?
Stahn whispered, "I'll get Kronos for this! He'll pay for playing with the ideals for a better world." He didn't notice his sister leaving the group to pilfer a strange, large egg on the back of the throne.
Leon nodded. "Yes, he took advantage of their insecurities and got them to play along with his little plan. I'll bet he would've thrown them away in the end whether or not we followed; there's something in the back of my mind telling me that."
Suddenly, they heard Belcrant begin to fire again. The Aeropolis shook for a moment, then was still. But when the Swordian Masters, Lilith and Chelsea returned to the outside, they saw the sky was nearly covered completely; only a few holes were letting light through.
-We need to recover,- suggested Igtenos, -Return to Radisrol so we can get our bearings. If we walk about blindly looking for the Sky Cruiser and then head to Belcrant, we will just waste our energy. So we must find one of the Aeropolis with a teleporter or the base itself, then return to report to Raiker.-
Everyone agreed with that plan. So they walked for a time until they found the way back to Deimos. From there, the team teleported to Ignasa and returned to Radisrol. After giving Raiker their report, he allowed them free time to themselves before bed that night; they all knew the next day was going to see them through to their destiny.
- - - -
Teefa's Last Words...
Next chapter…a big one. It's a night before the fight in Belcrant and our star couples get to have time alone. That is, both of them; I've got scenes planned for both Stahn and Rutee as well as Leon and Marian.