Chapter 52: Return to Form

Several hours pass while the group indulges in a buffet. Cyrus currently carries the sleeping form of Fae in his arms; he elected to escort the child home after she finished eating, leaving the others to continue without them. The lass wears a content smile, and occasionally rubs her stomach in her sleep. She does so at this very moment, exhaling a sigh in turn. As he approaches the front door of Jenetta's Inn, Cyrus thinks to himself, 'All things considered, that was good training.' He looks up to the sky above to gauge the time; 'I should consider buying a watch…it should be close to 4PM, so I have time to forge that weapon.' Stepping into the inn, he is greeted by Lissa, who wears a warm smile as she silently looks upon him. "Afternoon, love; how are you feeling?"

"My legs are feeling better." She sighs, resting a hand on her hip. "Honestly, between the head on your shoulders and Gwenivere's magic fingers, I don't think I'm going to survive this marriage."

"You're a strong woman; you'll be fine."

She laughs at this. "You're just saying th-" It is at this moment she takes notice of Cyrus' left arm. Pointing at it, she asks, "What's that about?" He explains the endeavor he and Valerie undertook this morning; "So you can keep your arm now?" He nods to her, which brings a joyous smile to Lissa's face. She steps over to place a kiss on his lips, giggling as she pulls away from him. "That's wonderful to hear, Cyrus; I'm happy for you."

"Do you think you'll be up for exploring tonight? I wish to get started on the 24th floor." She nods to him, to which he replies by offering Fae. As Lissa takes the child into her arms he follows, "Thanks. That puts my spirit at ease."

Tilting her head, Lissa asks, "Were you worried about something?"

"Just the usual. It's a new floor, so I feel comfortable with you at my side." She blushes at this, eliciting a chuckle from Cyrus. "I praise you like this in front of the others all the time; why the sudden embarrassment?"

"I- I don't know; it's just something about the way you said it." She glances down at Fae, who is currently busy nestling in her grip. "So why'd you pass the little one over to me, exactly?"

"We won't explore until nightfall; I need to make a run to the marketplace to make a purchase. This will take a few hours."

She shades her eyes at him. "You're forging this purchase too, aren't you?" His reply is an awkward chuckle. "Figures. Try not to overwork yourself; I won't let you go into Yggdrasil if I suspect you're lacking."

"Yeah, don't I know it." He steps away from Lissa to make his way upstairs; when he returns, there is a large sack slung over his right shoulder, one that is presumably filled with ental. Though he knows what Lissa intends to ask through her shocked countenance alone, he says nothing. He approaches the door, but before opening it, he looks back to her. "I won't be gone long, love."

"Just how much are you buying?" She takes a moment to think on it, trying to recall where and when this sort of scenario occurred in the past. "You're buying an ultimate weapon, aren't you?" He dons a grin; "Whose is it?" When Cyrus claims that such information is a secret, she frowns at him. Before she can think of a way to reprimand him, Diana steps into view. "Oh, hey there, Mum."

"Good day, Lissa." She looks to Cyrus and offers a similar greeting, only to stop short of finishing as she takes notice of his left arm. Grabbing hold of it, Diana stares in disbelief before looking Cyrus in the eyes instead. "Cyrus…what might this be?"

He grants her a wide smile. "I planned on surprising you, but I synthesized a new item that both stabilizes and maintains my left arm, even in this world."

"How is this achieved?"

"I used Cecidium as the base for the healing bandages; the item is used in the creation of Hamao, so it acts as a gradual energy restorative. Purple and white neutralizers were combined to establish balance; the purple keeps the darkness supplied and stable while the white keeps that darkness from slipping out and immediately dissipating." Diana releases his arm, taking a step back to look over his form. "I suppose this won't really change much in the grand scheme of things back home, but I'll be able to take better care of you and Valeska again."

Diana smiles at this before stepping over and wrapping her arms around him. "You should let me take care of you for a change…but thank you, son. You've regained another lost piece of yourself; I'm glad." She pulls away and places a kiss upon his forehead, causing him to blush and eliciting a snicker from Lissa. "You're ascending Yggdrasil tonight, yes? I would like to join the party."

"Sure. The party setup I have in mind is sound." He opens the door, taking a single step outside. "I'll be back in a few hours, so you still have time to make preparations." She nods to him, wishing him a safe trip. Cyrus then departs, passing Clarisse and the others by along the way.

As they step into the inn, Clarisse takes note of Diana's pleased expression. "Hm, what has you in such a good mood, Spirit Mama?"

"I got to see my son's smiling face again."

"The Chief was smiling? What about?"

"I'm not certain, now that I think on it. I had assumed it was the act of having reclaimed his left arm in this world, but perhaps it instead has to do with the large bag of ental that was slung over his shoulder."

Valerie shrugs at this. "He's probably buying Fiona's birthday gift." She takes a few steps farther inside, thinking on how next to proceed with the free time she has suddenly obtained. "Anybody up for reading some 'Crystal Maiden' with me?" Fae instantly jolts awake, raising her hand and cheerily proclaiming her desire to join, to which Valerie chuckles upon seeing Lissa's startled countenance. She assembles a reading group to pass the next few hours with; the group remains downstairs to read its material, rather than congregating to a room upstairs. By the time Cyrus returns, the group is mere moments away from starting Volume 11. Without looking to greet him, Valerie says, "Welcome home, Chief; we're about to start the Siege of Castle Gokuhara."

"Ooh, you lot are starting Volume 11? Hm…perhaps I should join soon." He quickly shakes his head, trying to remain on task. "Before that, Valerie, I need to you at my side for a moment." She warps to his side without bothering to face him, figuring he needs her for another presentation. Her assumption proves true as he removes a scythe from his back and hands it to her. "Hold this, please."

Valerie takes the scythe in hand, thinking nothing of it until she actually takes a moment to study its features. The weapon in her grip has been fully forged, and emanates a faint trace of power contained within. The purple snaith of this scythe sports a reflective polish; a single handle extends from the middle, where the snaith has been bent to boast a curve. At the top of this snaith is a spherical cut of amethyst with liquid resting within; 'That would explain why my dark magic feels stronger all of a sudden; he probably energized the crystal, too.' Instead of transitioning into a skull ejecting a blade from its mouth, as the case was with Solor's scythe, this weapon's snaith transitions into a depiction of a woman clad in a flowing nightgown gently holding onto a cradle. The "cradle" is the curved black blade of this scythe. 'This is a damn good scythe. Wait.'

She looks to Cyrus, who has called for the attention of everyone on this floor, including the members of Aria's Guild, Freeblade, the Nomads, Jenetta, and the Seekers who had joined Valerie's reading group. The man drops to one knee as he holds his arms out to present Valerie before the onlookers. Her face turns red as she instinctively assumes a reserved and timid stance, hiding behind the new scythe in her grip. "Behold! My beauteous and most wondrous apprentice has attained a weapon befitting both her grace and strength!"

Valerie's voice is notably flustered as she glances at him. "Ch- Chief! What the Hell are you doing? This is embarrassing!"

"I have bequeathed unto her the pinnacle in scythe craftsmanship that Iorys has to offer! With the help of Syrik, the Seekers' ever trusted item supplier, Valerie now wields the Cradle Edge."

Valerie's blush disappears. "OK, that name is actually pretty cool." She sighs before striking a more dynamic pose, showing off both her dexterity as well as how the scythe's design makes its use seamless. Letting out a whistle, Valerie says, "Damn, that felt pretty good, too; you two outdid yourselves with this one." She secures the weapon to her back and helps Cyrus to his feet. After placing a kiss on his cheek, she backs away and smiles at him. "Thank you, Chief; I'll be sure to kick enough ass for the both of us." He nods to her before the others give a round of applause. 'Guys, it's not like I just accepted a marriage proposal.' She sighs. "Even Lady Mayrune would be impressed with this."

"You honor me, truly." He looks to the right to find that Evelyn is standing in front of him. Her eyes are focused on his left arm, a notion almost immediately confirmed by her gently grabbing hold of it and raising it to get a better look. "I suppose now is as good of an opportunity as any." He then explains to everyone present the endeavor he and Valerie undertook this morning, as well as the results. 'I was lucky that Prince Ramus and the Guildmaster were at the marketplace today; I think I've explained this to everyone now, save for the remaining members of my Guild.'

Pressing her hands together, Amy says, "Now you can practice archery again." When Lissa presents a look of confusion, she follows, "Hm? Did nii-chan never tell you he can use a bow? He was trained pretty early on, too."

Lissa looks to Cyrus for confirmation, but receives it from Gwenivere instead. "What she says is true. My cousin Annabelle desired a practice partner, someone with whom she could establish a rivalry." Giving a dismissive wave, she follows, "The bow and I do not mix well, but Cyrus took a swift enough shine to the craft." Looking to the man in question, her countenance reflects concern; "You are out of practice now, darling; you haven't taken up your bow since you…"

He nods to this. "Yeah, three whole years. While I plan to incorporate my practice sessions again, I certainly won't be enlisting as an archer in our Guild any time soon." He then directs a grin at Clarisse. "That aside, I'm fairly certain Reese wouldn't take too kindly to Balto taking orders from me."

Crouching down to hug Balto close, Clarisse directs a strong glare in Cyrus' direction. "You can't have my puppy, Co; no one can."

"Mistress, this is embarrassing."

Nuzzling her cheek to his fur, she immediately dismisses his remark. "Hush now; we'll be together forever. That's what I promised." Glancing back up to Cyrus, she asks, "Lissa and Spirit Mama said you're heading into the Labyrinth tonight; I'm going with you."

A smile forms on Cyrus' face as he nods in approval. "I was hoping that would be the case." Looking to Valerie, he follows, "Are up for joining us, Valerie? We have room for one more." She nods to this. "Excellent. We can all set out after I get changed." He changes into his Masurao gear before departing with Lissa, Valerie, Clarisse, and Diana accompanying him. As the group walks to the great tree, a crisp evening breeze passes through, carrying with it the pleasant scent of the floral garlands decorating the banisters of the nearby bridges. "This is a beautiful city." Looking to Diana, he dons a look of concern as he asks, "Hey, Master?" When she looks to him, he follows, "Are you going to be alright up there? Your Skills are all incredibly taxing, and the floors of the Untamed Garden are quite large."

"I've made a few changes as of late." When Cyrus tilts his head at the notion, she continues, "I'm currently acting as a Spirit Evoker; I've been meaning to sit down and speak with you on this."

"What's your current focus?"

"I have nearly perfected the use of Grave; if we can focus enemy aggression on one unit and bolster that ally's defenses, the Wraiths under my command will lash out in an effort to protect them." Cyrus gives her a blank stare, to which Diana simply chuckles. "Yes, I did rummage through your journal; your ideas can be delightfully mean-spirited sometimes." Ignoring his persisting stare, she continues her explanation. "Rather than rely on Hell's Lure, I have taken to simply making our fallen enemies serve me; this will sustain my supply of Wraiths while minimizing manual upkeep."

Raising a finger at the notion, Clarisse asks, "What happens if one of us falls in battle?"

"I can summon a Wraith using a small fragment of your soul." Clarisse shivers in response. "You have nothing to fear, Clarisse; you can survive without the fragment, but I'll return it to you all the same."

Valerie asks, "Outside of Grave, what do you have for offense?"

"Flame Bomb and Ice Bomb are two Skills that I have nearly perfected." She frowns as she follows, "I am a tad upset that I had to give up Wraith Explosion; I did not get to demonstrate the full extent of its power. At any rate, I've also maximized my chances of immediately recalling a Wraith after dismissing one via the aforementioned two Skills."

Fiddling with the new shining bracelet on her left wrist, Clarisse absently says, "I wonder which one influences the other…" When Cyrus and Diana immediately point at each other, Clarisse can only chuckle. "Yeah, I figured as much." Glancing at Lissa, she asks, "So why did you buy this Glow Brace for me?"

"It's a free use of your whistle so you needn't tax yourself so much." Crossing her arms, she says, "I worry about you." Clarisse blushes at this, but makes no effort to reply. Looking to Cyrus, she says, "Before I forget, I've decided to suppress the need to preemptively use Dragon Roar. It clashes too heavily with your role as a Fencer, and enemies have recently been making use of attacks with large effect areas." Letting out a huff, she follows, "Pisses me off."

"By suppressing Auto Roar, that means you can't activate Dragon Force, correct?"

"Unfortunately, yeah."

"Hm…that is a significant loss, but we'll work it out. We'll take this trip to acclimate." When the party reaches the 24th floor, Cyrus takes a moment to survey the immediate area. The region is well-lit thanks to the light of the moon; the exit-end of a shortcut sits within this clearing, and there is only one proper exit. A thought occurs to him. "Mom, have you ever been to space before?"

After summoning two Wraiths, she looks about to see the curious faces of her comrades. "I have traveled among the stars, yes. I was given the chance four iterations ago, when the denizens of Erdboden had evolved to a point where interstellar travel became possible." Everyone expresses shock at this. "Humans are greedy creatures; their curiosity is never satisfied. When their home ceased to yield wonders, they sought another." She chuckles. "Of course, there were other reasons; in that particular iteration, there were far too many countries whose inhabitants lived in perpetual poverty. We colonized other planets in the solar system to alleviate this issue."

Raising a finger, Valerie asks, "Does that mean those people are still on those planets? Wait…no, they'd be reset too, right?"

"The gods of Erdboden maintain the entirety of the universe, but Erdboden is the only celestial body in our solar system that actually gets reset…OK, the sun gets reset as well, and I believe Shinryu recently granted Aquaria's request to reset the moon's distance as well. I am unaware of other solar systems where planets get reset, though they could exist."

Scratching at her chin, Lissa asks, "Why would he need to do that?"

"The sun is not infinite; it will one day exhaust its fuel supply, and through a process that I am ill-fit to explain will ultimately expand and engulf the inner planets, including Erdboden." The people present adopt horrified countenances. "This will not happen in your lifetime; the process will take roughly 5 billion years." She shakes her head. "5 billion. I'm only six thousand years old; there's no telling if I'll even be around when that happens. Regardless, the gods reset the sun's fuel, extending its lifespan. I am told that, even without this system in place, the sun would still have a great deal of fuel remaining, and wouldn't expand for a few billion years."

Fear is present in Lissa's eyes as she asks, "A- And the moon?"

"Ah, the moon moves away from the planet at a rate of a few centimeters every year." She shrugs at this. "Aquaria only recently revealed this after the War of Erdboden came to an end, so I don't know the long-term ramifications. To answer the original question, the people who moved to other planets are still there…their descendants anyway."

"You didn't wish to join them, Mom?" She looks to him. "I imagine you had friends you didn't want to lose from four iterations ago; my Mom and I were never under the delusion that she was your first friend."

"In my six thousand years, I've never felt as strong a bond as what I had with Denise. I had acquaintances back then, yes, but none of whom I was fond enough to consider permanently leaving Erdboden behind." Crossing her arms, she follows, "I left the planet to temporarily live on Mars while I waited for the gods to finish resetting Erdboden. I've gotten into the habit of vacationing far during the resets; Mars is lovely, by the way, though it's not nearly as saturated with magic, so the denizens rely primarily on technology." A smile forms as she follows, "Should the Coelistis family decide to leave for the stars, I think I might join them; should its members decide to ultimately be reset with the planet when next that occurs…I think I may join them in turn, and finally be reborn as someone new."

"You sure you wish to do that, Mom?" She nods to him. "What changed?"

"I see myself as your family's guardian now, Cyrus. I'll get to personally bear witness to you and your wives rebuild the bloodline. Though I have made many acquaintances over my millennia, yours is the first family I was ever a part of. Eternity will be far more bearable knowing I have the descendants of my son and daughter-in-laws to look after." She giggles. "Looking after you for the last 21 years was worth suffering through my past woes, even if the early years were harsh on you." Cyrus motions to make a reply, only to relent as his words fail him. Diana can see the expression he wears, and can infer what he wishes to say. "Denise granting me the honor of your custody was one of the best things to ever happen to me. If I were to meet my end with this family, I could certainly die happy." She motions away from the group, leading the exploration as she gives a parting word. "I love you, son; thank you for letting me into your world."

'I'm the one who should be thanking you, Mom.' As the exploration properly begins, the party finds a batch of Forest Wheat to reap; Cyrus and Valerie both take the opportunity to do so, noting that the Guild's supply is almost empty. Another shortcut's exit-end is discovered en route to the farthest edge of C7. The Seekers arrive at C1 as a result of the Stratum's wrap effect, being greeted by a door. This door is passed up in favor of exploring the immediate area. Beyond this door is a moderately sized clearing hosting a selection of herbs. "Ah, the Take Point of this floor." After marking this location on the map, he senses the automatic activation of Valerie's Miasma Armor. Furling the map, he says, "Prepare for combat, everyone."

The party is beset by a trio of enemies. At the center is a gelatinous creature with a single horn jutting from its form. Its color scheme consists of varying shades of purple, along with yellow; it evokes the visage of a starry night sky. At its flanks are two Bladed Phasmidae. Balto pulls a stretch of rope from the bag near Clarisse as his mistress nocks an arrow. Lissa readies Counter Guard, knowing that the Phasmidae are more than likely going to attack the entirety of the front row. Valerie's scythe takes on a green glow as she slips into an offensive stance.

Diana looks to her Wraiths, both of whom are knights clad in regal armor. "Be a pair of dears and watch Lissa's back." The two nod to her and take their places at Lissa's side. Valerie charges in with a wide swing of Toxic Reap, though she only manages to poison a single Phasmid. Cyrus charges in immediately afterwards to cut a tendon of the non-ailed Phasmid's leg with Haze Slash. The creature stumbles before dropping to one knee and falling asleep. 'I should ask Cyrus how he does that.'

Clarisse and Balto seal the limbs of the Horned Gel, delaying its action. The poisoned Bladed Phasmid musters enough strength to perform a sweeping slash at the shins of the front row. Though the damage they sustain is marginal, Lissa and Valerie both take a knee from the pain they feel. In accordance with Diana's command, one of her Wraiths rushes to bash the Phasmid in the face with his shield. "You will advance no further, ruffian!"

The impact of the shield is enough to completely overwrite the effects of poison, completely paralyzing the creature. This does not last, however, for the second Wraith charges in to deliver a shield bash of her own. "You're goin' down, scumbag!" True to her word, the Phasmid succumbs to its wounds and breathes its last. Even though the target responsible for her damage was just slain, Lissa fires a round from her use of Counter Guard to finish off the Phasmid Cyrus just put to sleep. The Horned Gel attempts to attack, but is unable to free its legs from the rope securing them. "I don't like what you just tried." As punishment, she floats over and kicks the gel. Though the damage is small, the Wraith believes her point gets across. "Don't do it again."

Cyrus charges in to unleash Bolt Slash upon the target, and is surprised to find that it survives. This does not last, for the creature's state of helplessness allows the Seekers the opportunity to end the encounter quickly. Opening the Monstrous Codex, Cyrus flips to the entry of this new creature. "That Horned Gel is immune to three of your ailment swings, Valerie; no need to waste any energy trying to shut them down. Curse is the only ailment that will work from your repertoire, which isn't worth it."

"You serious? Panic, Paralysis, and Poison are all negated?" He nods. "Damn."

"Hunter Shot is quite effective, Clarisse; we'll be counting on you and Balto."

"Sure. Leave it to us. It didn't drop anything, right?"

He shakes his head. "Nope, but I think its Conditional Drop is related to Stab damage. It resists all physical damage so we're going to need a plan for that; I'm thinking Armor Pierce and Target Arrow."

She nods to this. "Sounds good to me. I'll follow your lead."

Lissa looks to the pair of Wraiths and thanks them for their assistance. The male knight nods in silence; the female knight gives a thumbs-up as she replies, "No thanks are necessary, friend; us knights gotta stick together." She looks to Cyrus with an inquisitive expression, though no one can see this since her entire head is contained within a helmet. "Still though, that Masurao of yours is surprising; he was moving faster than the Therian." She steps over to him and tries to discern his features. "You look Earthlain."

"I am indeed Earthlain, fair dame; I've done a fair bit of training to bolster my action speed. Assuming Valerie's Miasma Armor isn't active, I should be the fastest person in the party now."

"Huh, you don't say? Takes all kinds. You're not even wearing heavy armor and yet you took those hits like a champ. Ever consider bein' a Dragoon or a Hoplite?" She floats about to view him from a few additional angles. "Yeah…you'd look real good in a suit of armor, too."

"My health is on the frail side, but maybe I'll get better in the coming years."

"Ah, a fighter who relies on speed and wit; gotta respect that." She floats back to Diana's side along with her companion. "Guess I'll see what you all are capable of while we're still here."

With nothing left to do at this Take Point, the party departs. Stepping through the door they previously skipped places the Seekers in a great expanse. To the right is the spiky bird FOE, which the Guild has yet to engage in combat. There is no reason to engage this creature, either, given the space to move around it. Though the bird is aggressive, it quickly loses interest once the Seekers exit its line of sight. A gravity console is located in the northern corner of this expanse, tucked away in C2. Cyrus elects to activate the terminal, but not before giving everyone a chance to find a partner. Valerie speeds over to Balto and takes him into her arms, leaving Clarisse seething. Cyrus steps over to take Clarisse into his arms, smiling at her as she blushes and silently nestles in his grip.

This leaves Lissa with Diana. As she picks up her mother-in-law, she looks to the Wraiths. "Are you two going to be alright?"

The male knight nods. "We are unaffected by the properties of that machine."

On this note, Cyrus activates the console, causing everyone to float. Diana expresses surprise. "How quaint; it truly is a zero-gravity effect. I haven't experienced this since my trip to Titan." When asked about this location, she says, "Titan is one of Saturn's many moons. I took a trip there to see how its colonization process was coming along; last I checked, we were dealing with the gravity issues." Her explanation is left at this as she gives Cyrus the signal to lead the way. The party proceeds south, noting along their flight path that the bird FOE is forced into a similar predicament. "Hm, unlike the grounded FOEs, the bird can travel in much the same way we can. How curious."

The group loops around to reach the bottom-left corner of this expanse, which provides a straight shot to the other side of the console. Cyrus elects to interact with the console to bring everyone back to the ground. "We could go through this next door while suspended in the air, but I'd rather know what lies beyond, first." This proves to be the right call, for though the door opens into a small path that wouldn't impede a fixed flight path, turning the corner reveals a forest stretch that would have forced the party to return to the ground anyway. 'Good show, Cyrus.' He steps through the next door with his allies as the hour strikes 9PM. To the left is another gravity console. "The path ahead looks to be filled with many twists and turns. Let's chart a course, first."

Lissa nods to this. "Good plan; I saw some FOEs on the map while we were in the previous area. It would behoove us to scout them." This process runs the course of two hours. Lissa finds herself fleeing with the others after drawing much too close to one of the three bird FOEs. The creature chirps angrily as it tries to catch the Seekers. "You need to calm down!" The angry chirping persists. "Cyrus, don't bother translating!" She catches her breath along with her comrades as they wait for the bird to return to its formation. "Honestly, what the Hell?"

Cyrus furls the map as he says, "I've devised a solution, but we'll need to bait two of the birds."

The plan is enacted, with two birds being drawn from the left side of the trio's patrol route. From here, the party loops the pair around the bottom cluster of trees located in B2. They arrive at the gravity console, quickly pairing up as before so that Cyrus can activate it. The plan doesn't flow as smoothly as intended due to the birds' penchant for losing interest in the chase quite quickly. The Seekers pass over the eastern pit to traverse a narrow corridor. It is here that they learn why the FOEs get stuck in one spot for a period of time; their extended spikes dig into trees, forcing them to waste time freeing themselves.

After reaching the other side of the console, returning the gravity to normal, and proceeding through the next door, the party exhales a sigh of relief. Clarisse picks out a few quills embedded in Cyrus' body, sighing to herself. "You didn't have to take every hit for me while we were flying, Co; I can handle a bit of damage." She removes another quill, one that managed to pierce quite deeply into his right arm; an unpleasant sound reaches her ears as this quill slowly emerges from his flesh. "Goodness." She looks to him, finding a straight face upon his countenance. "Doesn't that hurt? You can't tell me this doesn't hurt."

"I'm just glad you're alright…this hurts like Hell, though, at least three of them." Once the party's wounds are treated, the exploration continues. Now that the hour has rolled over to midnight, Cyrus is asked if he has any idea of what his gift to Fiona might be. As he draws the map of this new area, he replies, "I've already bought it, actually. I had a free moment awhile ago, so I warped home to Erdboden."

Valerie tilts her head at this. "I wonder what it is." As she and her comrades step through the door that lies ahead, the party is beset by a Horned Gel and a Battering Boar. The battlefield is narrow, granting the boar a distinct advantage. "Well that sucks…my armor didn't activate, either; dammit."

Cyrus calls for the party to take refuge behind the surrounding trees; he and Valerie are granted the high ground as they prepare to counter the boar's assault. Valerie manually prepares her Miasma Armor, leaving Clarisse and Balto to seal the legs of the Horned Gel. The battle is intentionally stalled so that Valerie can slay the boar with the effects of poison while reducing the damage it can deal to the party. Though the party's efforts are successful, and the battle is ended with none of the Seekers taking too much damage, the male knight Diana summoned is close to fading out of existence.

"You have done well, Sir Knight; I-"

Holding up a hand to stop her, he says, "A knight fulfills his duty until the end, Milady. When the next battle ensues; make use of my essence as you will."

She nods to him, saying nothing, but giving silent assent to his request. The party reaches another gravity console just lying along the path; a bird FOE patrols beyond. Diana offers a suggestion as she steps over to Lissa. "Let us activate the console now instead of waiting." Cyrus nods to this and waits for the party to partner up again before taking Clarisse into his arms and triggering the console's effects. Observing the path, Diana says, "We have two choices. We can proceed through this door with the gravity as is, or we can loop around to that corner in A6 and proceed south through that opening." Valerie comments that she's leaning towards the latter option. "As am I."

"South it is." Cyrus then leads everyone down this course, causing the party to stop in front of another door. Instead of proceeding through this door, he motions to the bottom side of the gravity console to return his party to the ground. As the group makes its way back to the southern door, he realizes something important. "The bird FOEs will remain stuck to the trees for a short time, even if gravity is return to normal. This information might be useful for a puzzle later." The southern door opens into a large clearing. Here lies another door leading to the western interior of the 24th floor; a path rests off to the side. Pointing to this path, he says, "The shortcut back to the staircase lies beyond this path, but let's explore the dead end it will lead to first."

After a series of many turns, the party reaches the dead end Cyrus speculated on. Here, they find a cat sprawled out on the grass. It sports a patchwork coat comprised of white, black, and brown fur. Diana says, "A calico cat from the looks of it." The cat ceases its rolling once it notices the party. It looks to them, curious of their intentions. "I believe it wishes to play." When Cyrus grabs hold of her hand to direct her away from this place, she expresses confusion. "Son? Whatever is the matter?"

"It's a bit late to play with a kitten." En route to the shortcut's entrance, the group locates the Mine Point of this floor, which is marked on the map. "Good." Looking to the Wraiths, he follows, "We're going to depart from here now that the shortcut is unlocked; we'll be back come the morrow, so if you wish to travel with us again, please get some rest." The two knights nod to him before disappearing from sight. Cyrus pulls a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket. "Alright, now to prepare for that birthday…"