Hiya everyone. OMG, September was the month from Hell! Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Sorry for the long wait, My computers back, the datas here, it's Broke-tober, lets just consider last month a Hiatus and we'll get back to work and get momentum flowing agin for the story!
(Also, I'll get back to the Sorcerer weekly Interviews next chapter once I find out what happened to my flash drive...)
Review Below, Let me Know ^_^
Just outside the town of Coral, Reo was waiting with Shinra at the perimeter of the town with a small force of Rune Knights blocking off any way into the town.
"I don't understand why you don't just charge in a save everyone." Shina said to Reo.
"The Black Fang was clever." Reo explained. "They have taken everyone in Coral hostage, That's about 800 people. They spread them out in groups and rigged self destruction circles to each group. If a single person is seen they blow everyone up. I can't risk those all those lives."
"They think they can hold all those people forever?" Shinra asked.
"I'm sure they've made demands to the Rune Knights that haven't been disclosed to me. I just pray they don't figure out Shin is among them."
"How do you know they haven't?"
"Shin is important to whatever deal Infinity made with Xarvus. If they recognized Shin, they wouldn't have left this group behind when the airship departed." Reo laid down on his belly and waited. "That lieutenant said he had a plan. He better not screw this up."
Meanwhile, back into the forest...
Asharu kept moving backward as Ina swung her large hammer. She kept over swinging and smashing up the trees. The splits of wood that would crumble around them, obstructed their vision and the falling trees falling around them, made it hard to maneuver.
"Don't runaway!" Ina shouted. "I just wanna be your FRIEND!"
"Well you're off to a terrific start." Asharu quipped back as one of Ina's swings hit a tree and ripped it out of the ground from the roots. "Only half of my friends already want to to kill me."
Asharu requiped his Ecreture Staff. "Enchantment: Ecreture Box!" The Staff lit up a light blue color and an enchantment surrounded Ina in the shape of a square. "Got'cha!"
"Oh Damn!" Ina sneered looking around. She waited a moment looking at the circle. "...Umm... what did you do?"
"Well obviously I...umm..." Asharu looked at his staff and then at his enchantment. After thinking it over he pulled out a handbook that was entitled, 'Ecreture Enchantments'. "Give me a sec."
"YOU NEED A FREAKIN HANDBOOK?!" Ina shouted.
"I'm new to this." Asharu turned a page. "Just got this magic and haven't trained with it yet-OK got it! You just can't step out of the box. It's impossible for you to physically pass through."
"Oh ok then." She held out her bare palm and Asharu's Ecreture staff disappeared. Once it was gone the enchantment disappeared as well.
"Aw damn...forgot about that."
Ina threw the hammer down on Asharu's head. He side stepped the weapon, and stomped his foot on the back of the hammer head preventing Ina from lifting it back up. Asharu swung his arm and pushed Ina, forcing her to lose her grip on her hammer and fall backward.
"Can you stop?" Asharu asked. "You gonna let the guy get away."
"YOU ALREADY DID THAT!" Ina said. "I had him and you had to interrupt. He got away because you wouldn't let me do my job!"
"If I let you do your job then I wouldn't get my reward." Asharu said with a chuckle. "One of us had to make that sacrifice."
"This is why you guild wizards disgust me!" Ina replied. "Money! MoneyMoneyMoneyMoneyMoney! That's all you care about! You people care nothing about the harsh reality most people live through. All you do is take money, go home and drink yourselves dead! You're willing to let a murderer escape justice just so you can catch him yourselves! You greedy Selfish PIGS!"
Asharu flipped his hair and closed his eyes. "You don't understand a thing about guild life if that is what you think about us." he replied.
Ina let her hammer disappear and requiped two longswords in each of her hands. "And I don't care! All I care about is revenge! Revenge for my Friends! Revenge for My Daddy! And Revenge for me!" She charged head first for Asharu, Swinging both of the swords only to have Asharu grab them by the exposed hilts and plucked them out of her hands. Ina's continued momentum caused her to trip and fall face first into the ground.
"Oh these are nice." Asharu said looking at the swords. "I'm gonna take this."
Ina got to her feet. "NO! THOSE ARE MINE!" She requiped a flail, spun it around and tried to strike at Asharu.
In a flash, the ball was cut from the chain, went flying into a tree and the two longswords were right at her neck.
"Damn you!" Ina said.
"Now if you could just fall unconscious right now, I'd really appreciate it." Asharu said.
"Fu-"
Asharu headbutt Ina before she could finish what she was saying and she fell down unconscious.
Asharu put the longswords in his pocket dimension. "Thanks for the swords, by the way." He then turned to leave, stopped and looked back at her then toward the woods around him. "You know, you can come out! I know you're following me!"
There was no response and Asharu couldn't sense any movement around him, though he knew a presence was there.
"Look, this is getting really creepy!" Asharu said. "If you're just a fangirl, please, just leave any questions, complements or gifts with my secretary at the guild hall! You'll know her when you see her, she wears an eyepatch!" He hoped for some kind of response. "Again, nothing." He groaned and looked at Ina. "Well, I can't just leave her here with that stalker. Up you go."
Asharu picked Ina up and was giving her a piggyback ride.
"I'll leave her by the riverside or something." Asharu said to himself. "Come on Clawdaw."
…
Asharu looked around. "Clawdaw?" he called out. "Where are ya?"
Elsewhere in the forest...
"Heeeelp...anyooooone?"
Clawdaw was trapped between two tight branches hanging from about a meter off the ground.
(Flashback)
Asharu and Clawdaw were walking through the forest when the sound of fighting could be heard.
"I think We found our guy!" Asharu said. "Hold on!"
"Okeeeeeey!" Clawdaw nearly fell off as Asharu ran in a hurry toward the fight. During the rush, Asharu had to duck under the tree branches, but he wasn't low enough, and Clawdaw got caught in the tree.
"ASH HELP!"
The crab's cries fell on deaf ears as Asharu had ran along.
(End Flashback)
Clawdaw looked down at the ground and tried to wiggle himself out, but no luck.
Snap.
Clawdaw tried to turn his body as he heard the snap hoping it was the branch. It was just a twig on the ground as someone approached.
"Who's there? HELP! Help me down!"
Three sets of foot prints approached. And came around Clawdaw.
"Aww it's a poor wittle crab."
"What should we do with it?"
The three people were Nione Wrasu Esti, Jewul Eko Rubii, and Abigail Envai Sin of the Obsidian Heart Dark guild.
Nione glared at Clawdaw and his fear drained all of the red from his shell and turned him pale white.
"...You're scary..." Clawdaw whimpered.
Down by the river, the fighting intensified between the Rune Elites and the Lunar Knights.
"Leaf Blade Magic: Green Whirlwind!" Roman moved his fingers to call forth thousands of bladed leaves to swirl down the river.
"Wildfire Incinerate!" Gloria Palburn had red fire released from her hands and every single leaf was burned to a crisp with no effort at all.
Roman took a step back. "Dammit!"
"WoooH You got this Roman!" Ivo cheered sitting down on the river bank. He clapped his hands with condescension.
"You can HELP ya know!" Roman snapped.
"I would, but no animals are listening to my magic whistles." Ivo explained. "I can't fight without backup."
"You are useless!" Roman replied.
"YOUR MOM IS USELESS!" Ivo snapped back.
Gloria just glared at their argument. Her attention was drawn to her comrade Shay Tide being confronted by Raul.
"Nerve Shred Magic: 1000 Needles!" Raul cast a magic circle where one thousand needles shot out of it.
The needles hit Shay, causing him to fumble back with every hit.
"Gotcha!" Shay said.
Shay's body fell apart and turned into a cut-up tree trunk. A few meters to the left, Shay was waving his hand.
"Over here." Shay said.
"Grand Torrent!" Raul threw a punch with a needle drill on his arm.
Raul punched Shay in the chest, but his arm buckled and he could feel the bones in his hand breaking. Looking up at Shay, he figured out it was just a gigantic rock. Shay was now on the other side of the river.
"What a maroon." Shay said.
"How are you doing this?" Raul shouted.
"Hypnosis magic." Shay said pointing to the magic seal over his eyes. "I've evolved this magic beyond simply putting people to sleep and I'm able to create simple illusions on my opponent. For example I'm over here..."
Shay than appeared right next to Raul. "Now I'm here..." Then he turned into a Bear. "Now I'm a Bear!"
"So what?" Raul asked. "An Illusion can't hurt me!"
The Bear swung its paw at Raul and a large cut wound appeared on his shoulder. He fell to his knees as Shay appeared behind him.
"Maybe not, but my Dagger can." Shay said wielding a small blade.
"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"
Mist blasted her mighty roar across the banks of the river. Kallie Formant blocked the attack with her shield and it's light blue glow blocked the water's attack with no effort.
"You can attack till you're blue in the face." Kallie said. "But this is an Element Shield. Water isn't going to break through this baby. It's one of the many magic Items I possess."
"I really don't care." Mist replied. "I'm just gonna kick your ass!"
Mist charged Kallie, slamming her fist against the shield. Her punch just bounced off and Kallie slammed the shield forward into Mist, pushing her back. Mist ducked down, and kicked at Kallie's feet, knocking her off balance. Kallie rolled over, still brandishing the shield against Mist's physical attacks. Kallie had to take a few steps back and the back of her heel stepped onto a Magic seal.
"Trap Magic: Golden Rope!" Henrick casted his magic, which ensnared Kallie with magical golden ropes at her wrists and ankles.
"Ha! Got you now!" Mist said cracking her knuckles as water surrounded her fingers. Mist threw a punch right at her face, but a light screen appeared in the way and cracked on contact with her fist.
"Not so fast Babe!" Sanford Harces arrived on the scene and rushed to Kallie side. He used a magic mid air keyboard just on the edge of the magic circle. "Analyzing Magic...deconstructing circle...GOT IT!"
The golden rope loosened and released Kallie resulting in the magic circle dispelling.
"Sanford. Braces." Kallie swiftly ordered. Sanford gave her two small arm braces that fit over her wrists. She snapped them on they began to glow a light green. "Alright. Everyone! Wrap this up! We're wasting to much time!"
"No Way!" Mist snapped she charged at Kallie once more, punching the shield repeatedly hoping to at least crack it.
Kallie reached out and blocked one of Mist's punches. The green glow from the bracelets moved onto Mist's arm and it immediately fell limp.
"What the hell?" Mist wondered. While she wondered what happened, Kallie punched her in the chest with her other hand and the green glow spread to Mist's entire body and she collapsed onto the ground.
At that time, Anne was hiding behind a tree.
"Oh, Misty!" Anne panicked and flew away.
Kallie turned toward Henrik and generated energy into her hands, released a green beam of energy. The beam struck him head on and he collapsed.
"Shay, take care of them." Kallie said.
"Yes, ma'am." Shay complied.
Shay placed a finger underneath each of his eyes and sonic waves emitted from them. The waves struck Raul and his eyes slammed shut and fell over unconscious. The sonic waves then struck Ivo and Roman, who were still arguing.
"Well you're mother was a Vulcan breeder!" Roman shouted.
"My mom is dead, asshole!" Ivo yelled.
After that back and forth, the two just collapsed.
Gloria scratched the back of her head. "Man, that was getting uncomfortable."
"Now that they're done, Sanford, where's Rhysander?" Kallie asked.
"Not that far that way." Sanford answered. "We got a bit of a problem though. I lost track of Ina."
"What do you mean you lost track of her?" Shay questioned.
"Her magic power must have hit 0 or something." Sanford said. "She was fighting Rhysander right before I lost her."
"You don't think Rhysander..." Shay surmised.
Kallie just clenched her fists. "Oh, he is so going to pay. Let's go after him!"
"What about them?" Gloria asked, referring to the Lunar Knight wizards.
Kallie looked down at Mist, still immobile but her expression clearly showed that she was pissed.
"Sanford, you stay here and tie them up." Kallie ordered. "They are under arrest. Once we're done, we'll take them back to Era and lock them away for a long time."
"Yes, ma'am." Sanford saluted.
When he did that, his jacket opened to reveal his chest and the spotlight hit him with sparkles everywhere.
Kallie just glared. "Don't show off, asshole."
"Sorry, I can't help that I'm so pretty." Sanford's salute turned into a sweep of his hair.
Meanwhile across the island, Lt. Scills was standing against the building in a trance. His trance and he opened his eyes.
"It was a mistake getting those children." Lt. Scills said to himself. "They lack the killer instinct to get the job done. I need a killer... No... I need a monster..."
Scills snickered to himself.
Back in the forest near the rock passes, Rhysander was walking ahead of Ceceline at a brisk pace.
"Hey, can you hold on a second? I can't keep up." Ceceline said.
*That's kind of the point.* Rhysander thought.
As if she could sense his thoughts, she puffed up her cheeks and pouted. She created a portal right underneath her and as Rhysander was walking, she came out of another portal in front of him, pointing her finger at him.
"Slow down." Ceceline said.
"I shouldn't have to." Rhysander said. "And you shouldn't even be here."
"I wanna help you." Ceceline said.
"Why? It makes no sense. I'm a criminal! A murderer, all right? I have done nothing to prove otherwise."
"But you saved my life and-"
"Saving one person doesn't make up for all the terrible things I've done! For all you know, I'm just using you!"
"But you are a good person."
"How can you possibly know?"
"I just know."
"Just like you knew that Allen guy was a good person?! That was a great call back there!"
Ceceline just stared at him.
*I'm sorry I went there.* He thought. *But you need to leave. Get angry and stomp off. Please.*
"Well... I'll just have to make up for it by helping you."
Rhysander took both of his hands and smacked his face. "What is your deal?"
"Rune Ecricture: Collapse!"
A rune inscription appeared on a pile of rocks above them and they started to collapse and fall toward them. Ceceline quickly made a portal, grabbed Rhysander, went right through the portal and closed it before the rocks crushed them. They came out on the other side and before they had a moment to catch their breath, they were about 10 feet away from Lenalle who had just caught up.
"Rune Ecriture-"
Ceceline quickly created another portal behind them. "Quick!"
"Seal!" Lenalle finished.
Ceceline tried to jump through the portal, but hit an enchantment wall that blocked her. Rhysander quickly turned to Lenalle and released a shadow that went to strike her. As the shadow approached her, a barrier of runes started glowing around her and it stopped the shadow. The runes began appearing on the shadow, breaking it down and using it to track back to Rhysander. When the runes became engraved onto his skin, he froze up and couldn't move.
"You're coming back with me!" Lenalle said.
Rhysander's body started to glow, one half light and the other half dark.
"No way!" Rhysander shouted as he broke free from the runes.
Lenalle's eyes showed her startled feeling, but she quickly regained her composure. The runes on her clothing began to glow as she stared down Rhysander.
Back at the riverbank, Sanford was left alone with the Lunar Knights and used some Sealing Magic to trap them within a magic circle. Sanford was busy using Archive, typing in midair with a picture of the island in front of him.
"Okay, Kallie, there was a spike in magic about a kilometer from Tarjan... Don't backtalk to me, I'm giving you the information! … North! A kilometer north! Okay?! That's where he's at! Now get going! … You leave Mr. Snuggles out of this, Shay!" Sanford closed the Archive and rubbed his head. He turned to see that the wizards were all glaring at him.
"Mr. Snuggles?" Mist asked.
"Hey, shut up!" Sanford put two fingers up.
The wizards could feel their bodies tightening.
"Keep sassing me and it'll be more painful!" Sanford threatened. "I can make it as tight as I want!"
"That's what she said!" Asharu said, arriving on the riverside accompanied by Anne flying next to him and he was dragging Ina. "... I'm sorry, but you set me up for that."
"Ina!" Sanford shouted. "She looks beat to hell. YOU did that to her?"
"Actually, when I beat her she wasn't so bad." Asharu said. "Most of these injuries came from me dragging her across the forest. I tried carrying her, but damn, she's heavy."
"Give her back now!" Sanford ordered.
"Trade you!" Asharu said. "Her for the guys in that circle."
Sanford put his hand out to the left and activates Archive again. The pictures pop up in midair as he begins talking.
"Your name is Asharu Skyler, right?" Sanford asked. "You realize you've broken 21 laws against the Magic Council since you arrived on this island?"
"Wow, only 21?" Asharu asked.
"Honestly, you would have been arrested months ago." Sanford said. "But apparently you know some people up the chain of command that are looking out for you."
"I'm sorry, do you have a point?"
"Well, a lot of these laws aren't that bad, so I wouldn't call you a criminal. But did you know that your four of your companions here are wizards of the Black Fang guild?"
"Yeah, I recognized them back when we met in the forest. So?"
"Aside from them being the same wizards that attacked you here and threatened to kill you, they purposely acted out the orders of a dark guild, making them dangerous criminals, yet you want to do an exchange for their freedom?"
"Well, I'm sorry, I just went under the assumption that you cared for your friend here."
"That's not the point. You're willing to help out these criminals."
"Okay..." Asharu groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I want you to take a look at them. You see the mark branded on their skin?"
Asharu was referring to each of their Lunar Knights guild marks.
"That means they are members of the Lunar Knights guild." Asharu stated. "That means if they did wrong in the past, you can now make up for it by doing good in the present and the future. Everyone who comes through those doors and sits in our hall deserves a second chance."
Sanford just looked at him for a second before he started laughing.
"Heh... Haha... Hahahahaha!"
"What the hell's so funny?" Asharu asked.
"Haha! Oh my goodness, that's got to be the most hypocritical creed I've ever heard!" Sanford said. He brought a series of Archive images about the Lunar Knights guild. "You see, the Lunar Knights guild hasn't been approved by the Magic Council to be an official guild. Yet you and your friends went on jobs and collected money without the Council's approval. By law, your guild has defied the Magic Council and that makes the Lunar Knights a Dark Guild! It may be a loophole, but you and everyone else are Dark Guild wizards! So whatever 'good future' you're talking about or whatever, it's all just a hypocritical standpoint. And no matter what, you guys are going to remain an illegal guild. You are under arrest and going to spend a long time in prison!"
Asharu looked down at the ground and scratched the back of his neck. "Okay... If that's the way you want it..."
Asharu threw Ina right in front of him, requipped the two swords he took from her and crossed them over her neck.
"I'M GOING TO CUT OFF HER HEAD!" Asharu screamed.
"WHOA, WAIT! HOLD ON!" Sanford shouted.
"RELEASE MY FRIENDS NOW OR THIS IS GOING TO BE A MANTLE FOR MY NEW FIREPLACE!"
"Hey, hold it! You don't want to do that, man!"
Asharu looked up at Sanford. "... You're right..." He requipped the swords away and stepped off Ina's back. "THAT'S what a Dark Guild does." He started walking up toward Sanford. "They care absolutely nothing for human life. You want to brand us together with them because of some stupid loophole?" He grabbed Sanford by the collar of his jacket. "You better understand something. We are nothing like that. And no matter how many stupid laws I break, I will never step over the line and become something like that. Now, would you kindly let my friends go?"
"Promise you won't beat me up?"
"I'll punch you once in the face."
"The stomach."
"Deal."
The magic seal around Mist, Henrik, Ivo, Roman and Raul disappeared, freeing them from the tight grip. Asharu set Sanford down, let him go and brushed off his shirt.
"Thank you, you've been very supportive." Asharu said before punching him in the stomach.
Sanford fell to his knees, held onto his stomach and collapsed onto the ground.
Asharu turned to the other wizards. "Are you okay?"
Mist punched Asharu in the stomach and he just held onto it.
"I had it under control!" Mist shouted.
"Misty!" Anne hugged Mist's face, crying. "I was so scared! You fell over, so I just ran to get help!"
Mist smiled and patted Anne's head. "It's okay, I understand. Thank you."
"Oh, man, I think I'm gonna throw up in a second." Asharu groaned, still holding his stomach.
"Mr. Skyler." Henrik spoke.
Asharu looked up at Henrik. Him, Roman, Ivo and Raul were all standing with their heads down.
"On behalf of these three, I just want to apologize for all the trouble we've caused you in the past." Henrik said.
"Yeah, like when we attacked that diamond caravan and I nearly cut your nerves apart." Raul said.
"That was you?!" Asharu exclaimed, pointing at Raul. "That means all three of you guys were the ones who attacked the diamond caravan?!"
"We're so sorry!" All three of them kneeled, bowed and apologized.
"Get up, don't worry about it." Asharu said. "Just, you know, do as I said. Do good things, that'll make up for it."
"Thank you, again." Henrik said. "I think the four of us should return to the guild hall. We are in over our heads here."
"Are they really that tough?" Asharu asked.
"Yeah, these guys aren't playing around." Mist said. "They have it in for this guy."
"Mist, you still going after them?" Asharu asked.
"Yeah!" Mist answered. "I gotta make that bitch pay for paralyzing me!"
"And Lenalle's still out here somewhere." Asharu said.
"Before you showed up, that guy did talk about a spike in energy." Ivo said. "Maybe that was her."
"Okay, okay." Asharu put his hand on his chin, closed his eyes and thought for a good minute.
The five wizards stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
"What's he doing?" Roman asked.
"I think he's coming up with a plan." Mist whispered.
They continued to stare at Asharu.
…
"Oh my God! I left Epsil alone at the guild hall!" Asharu shouted, grabbing his head. "I knew I forgot something!"
"No, he's just being an idiot." Mist said. "By the way, where's Clawdaw?"
"Oh, I lost him somewhere in the forest." Asharu answered. "No big deal. I'm sure he'll turn up. Anyway, Henrik, was it? When you get back to Harbor Bay, there's something I need you to do for me."
Meanwhile back outside Coral, Reo was enjoying the calm peace of the perimeter, lying down on his belly. Shinra was sitting next to him making a flower crown. Reo stood up when the Rune Knights there standing at attention. They saw Lt. Rizzo arriving with a large box cage.
"See, Reo?" Lt. Rizzo asked. "I told you I had everything under control."
"I immediately don't like this." Reo said.
"Okay, everyone!" Lt. Rizzo said, stepping back and activating two magic seals in his hands. "Open the cage!"
The Rune Knights cast some magic and the cage fell open on all sides, revealing a coffin with rune-inscribed chains around it. The two magic seals on Rizzo's hands began spinning and glowing azure. The runes all disappeared from the chains, they fell off the coffin and it opened. What stepped out was an eight-foot man in prison rags. The man was ripped, the muscles on his forearm were the size of a bowling ball with an iron man fit chest. He was a large individual with a large, dark brown mullet that went down to his back. He had a five o'clock shadow, but the goatee was prominent and full and he had grey, murderous eyes. He also had a thick collar around his neck with a single rune right above his throat.
"Oh my God, is this fresh air?" He asked with a deep, somewhat scratchy voice. "I forgot what this feels like."
The man looked around at all the Rune Knights ready to cast magic on him. He then looked over at Reo, who was in a battle stance, ready to strike.
"You even brought out one of the Ten Wizard Saints out for me." The man said. "Oh, I am honored."
"Who the hell are you?" Reo asked.
"You haven't heard of me?" The man asked. "How long has it been?" He looked over and saw Lt. Rizzo.
"Oh, uh, uh, about 20 years." Lt. Rizzo said.
The man sighed, then stretched out his arm. "What's the occasion?"
"Don't ignore me!" Reo roared. "I sense an ungodly amount of dark magic in you! I have to know! Who are you?"
The man took his tongue and licked his teeth. "They call me the Great Devourer, Veniczar Almada (Age 59)."
Reo's eyes widened and his stance became more intense.
"So you HAVE heard of me!" Veniczar said.
Reo looked over at Lt. Rizzo. "He's going to kill you..."
"Hey, I told you." Lt. Rizzo said. "We have him under control."
"Not who I am talking about." Reo replied. Then he thought, *Franklin is going to be furious about this.*
(To be continued...)