~Chapter 55~
Void of Trust
"Blimey, I can't believe it!" Swaine sputtered, as Mr. Drippy handed the Azen to Oliver. "You mean, after all we went through to get her that damn necklace, she leaves it behind?! What the hell is wrong with that wretch?!"
"I knew something was wrong- I just knew it!" Esther whimpered. "Those Senkradists must be behind this! They must have cursed her, or something!"
"But she had the Azen- wouldn't its power protect her from them?" Oliver asked, tucking the Azen into his Bottomless Bag.
"It would… if her heart were strong enough," Mr. Drippy replied, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "That's th' whole problem- in her broken-hearted state, she can't trust herself to handle its power, perhaps thinkin' her lack o' trust would corrupt it if she continues to wear it. That's probably why she left it behind wit' us,"
"But if she's lacking trust, why would she leave such a powerful gem with us?" Esther questioned.
"I don't think it's about trust- it's out of wisdom… somewhat." Swaine answered. "She probably believes its power will be stronger if one of us carries it- that, or she's just dumping the responsibility on us,"
"But she can't! We can't go into Kaninesas, remember? Only people who used to live in the city can," Oliver pointed out. "Even if we pass the sentinel's test, the spirits that guard it wouldn't let us in since we're outsiders,"
"That's right! …She must be so distraught, she's not thinking clearly!" Esther replied, and suddenly gasped. "Oliver… she left me her familiars, she left us the Azen- you don't think she's thinking… to…?"
"I don't think she'd be that stupid- but with those undead rotters out there, she might as well be," Swaine said, looking towards the entrance of the city. "C'mon, enough talk! We need to find her- AGAIN."
They raced out of the city, following Swaine's light in the direction the drifter had gone, seeing it was leading towards the coast. It was easy to guess Abyssa might try to get on board a ship and sail away...
…That is, until the light seemed to curve, just as they reached the mine-tracks that lead across a chasm. "Huh? Where is she going?" Oliver wondered aloud.
"Probably to find another route," Swaine guessed, looking down the chasm. "With her fear of heights, she probably didn't want to risk falling off the tracks,"
"But, there's no other way around the chasm- unless she's just looking for a place to hide," Esther pointed out.
"Well, keep followin' Mr. Search-Light here, an' we'll find out!" Mr. Drippy piped up.
Swaine gave him a look. "Watch it, Lantern-Face!" he sneered, and they continued to follow the light. It seemed to go on forever, leading towards an old mine up the hill on the way to Tombstone Trail. Running as quick as they could, the rushed to the old caves, hoping and praying Abyssa was alright.
They were stopped short, however, by a blast of smoke that sent them sprawling back. "What… what was that?!" Oliver stammered.
There came cackling, as Kyani and Leon appeared. "Going off to find that little brat of ours? Don't waste your time," Leon taunted. "The wretch is probably dead already,"
"You! You're the cause of all this, aren't you?!" Esther snarled- and Swaine then noticed she was holding Marcassin's imperial scepter.
"Please. Dalia would have screwed up even without our interference. Have you've not noticed how weak her heart is?" Kyani sneered. "She may be full of confidence, but even in her pride she knows that she was never able to handle such power. The Azen is powered by the heart of its Keeper- if the heart is weak, so is its power."
"We will never understand why the last Keeper chose a mere child to carry such a burden… Of course, perhaps it was because she reminded him of his darling daughter- such a sentimental fool." Leon scoffed. "Makes me glad we never chose to bare any children,"
"But… Abyssa's your daughter!" Oliver replied. "How… how could you- how could any parent not love their own child?!"
"We expected such words from a boy who was so close to his mother… But have you've considered your own father?"
"What do you mean?!"
"Did your mother ever speak of him? Was he ever around? …Or did he abandon your family, not wanting a child?"
"Don't change the subject!" Swaine snapped, having his gun out. "Just get out of our way, otherwise you're going to die all over again!"
"And I suppose you're going to fulfill that threat?" Kyani scoffed. "That wouldn't surprise me- you already killed a man, your thirst for blood must be peaking,"
"You cannot kill what is already dead, you stupid bastard!" Leon laughed. "It's as pointless as your quest for redemption- do you really believe everyone would forgive a thief …Or even a murderer?"
"Enough talk! Lets end this!" Oliver snarled, and cast the spell, 'Astra', blasting both Senkradists.
"Aiiieee! You little brat! You'll pay for that!" Leon screamed.
And so the battle was on. It wasn't the first time the trio had to face off against zombies- after the 'manna' incident, they were hoping they would never have to relive such a fight- but this time, their foes proved to have a few more tricks up their sleeves. For one thing, they weren't just 'mindless monsters' looking for a fight- they were resurrected-heartless fiends with powers they were not familiar with.
Powers that they were willing to show off. "Eternal Flames!" Kyani chanted, and suddenly fire enveloped the group- not like any 'Hot Huff' or 'Firewall' tricks ordinary creatures used. No, this fire didn't disappear after a quick blow- it remained around them!
"AGH!" Everyone screamed, the flames hotter than Old Smoky itself! They could feel their faces blistering, their skin possibly melting-
Suddenly it rained- Mr. Drippy was using his Tidy Tears! The trick not only doused the flames, but also restored the group to their health! "Crikey, watch out for their tricks, mun!" The fairy exclaimed. "If ye see them getting ready to cast something- BLOCK IT FAST!"
He shouted that last part as Leon cast his spell- "Spears of Darkness". Similar to Oliver's 'Arrow of Light' spell, it shot spears out at the group- black and sharp and no doubt able to kill them in seconds. They managed to dodge, though Oliver's side was grazed- and a single slice of the spell practically took away 90 percent of his health! "Ow!" he cried, holding his wound.
Esther was doing her best to keep everyone's health up, but the attacks kept coming quicker than she could strum her harp! Kyani cast a spell called 'Stream of Blood'… and tendrils of blood shot out of her fingertips, wrapping around her and Swaine, strangling them for a second before 'bursting' and splattering on the ground. The spell resulted her and the thief at a loss for breath, and apparently poisoned heavily as they felt their health dropping by the second.
Oliver cast 'Draw Poison' to help them- but his move was cut short by Leon. "Rotting Heart!" he shouted, summoning a black orb with red crevices from the ground, striking Oliver with it!
Oliver gasped, his chest feeling heavy, and he could practically feel his heart slowing down! "OLLIE-BOY!" Mr. Drippy cried, and prepared to use 'Tidy Tears' again, but a black tendril shot out and bound him, slamming him to the ground!
"You will not interfere this time, Fairy! You fools… did you think that, without the Azen nearby, you could defeat us?!" Leon chided with a cackle.
The… Azen… Oliver thought, looking to his bottomless bag. With his health slowly draining, and as painful as it was to move, he slowly reached into the pack, gripping the gem inside. The pain increased, and his vision was growing dark. Please… help…
"O-Oliver!" Esther grunted, and waved the imperial scepter, casting 'Healing Touch' on the wizard, but it didn't seem to do anything.
"None of your healing spells will work!" Kyani cackled. "Did you honestly think that you could master any spells, just because you're a daughter of a sage? Look at the fool next to you- he's the eldest son of a Great Sage, but he doesn't have any magic!"
"But I do!"
"What the he-?!" Kyani gasped, and suddenly an 'Arrow of Light' hit her! "AIIEEE!"
Esther and Swaine looked, seeing Marcassin running towards them. The young sage then used 'Healing Hand', mending their wounds- but Oliver remained on the ground, unable to move due to the pain. He then turned to Swaine. "Brother, go find Abyssa and the Azen! I'll help everyone here!" Marcassin ordered.
"The hell if I leave you here!" Swaine snapped, taking out another gun- his Cad's Cannon. "I'm not leaving any of you lot to fight these damned zombies alone!"
"It is all hopeless- unlike you, our magic is unlimited!" Leon declared. "And our spells are incurable- watch, as even your Pure-Hearted One dies of the poison within his heart!"
They looked at Oliver, who was now curling up tight, his skin paling and turning cold. "G-Guys…" he whimpered, but tried to keep his tone strong. "Keep fighting… I'll be okay…!"
"Such strong words- from a boy on the verge of dea-"
*BANG!*
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Swaine screamed- now shooting with two guns, and having summoned a Dinocerous to fight alongside him. He continued to shoot at their two foes, while having his familiar use every fighting technique it knew, from Slingstone to Earsplitter to War Cry in order to boost their strength.
Marcassin summoned a dualynx to use 'Mighty Light', while he cast 'Mornstar' on the foes; Esther focused on trying to heal everyone, but Oliver still seemed to be struggling. "Hang in there, Oliver! We'll help you! You're not going to die!" she cried, praying her words would be true.
"Enough games!" Kyani screamed. "Leon! 'Eternal Damnation'! NOW!"
Leon and Kyani both summoned all their powers- the spell they were conjuring would result in the death of the entire group for sure. "Oh, knickers! Knickers knickers knickers! SOMEBODY BLOCK THAT SPELL OR DEFEND!" Mr. Drippy screamed.
Black-and-silver flames then shot out at the group- seething pain could be felt, as if their souls were being ripped right out of their bodies as slowly and painfully as possible.
"SELAH!"
A bright light then shot forth- brighter than anything anyone had seen before, that it could have blinded everyone. But it didn't- instead, it extinguished the dark spell. Kyani and Leon screamed in agony, falling to their knees, whereas the rest of the group was restored to full health…
And Oliver was back on his feet, whatever poison in his heart gone! His hand, hidden under his cape, clutched the Azen, which glowed brightly in his touch. "No… that… that's impossible! How…?!" Leon stammered.
"Swaine. Go find Abyssa- make sure the Azen is safe," Oliver said to his friend, with a wink.
Swaine, understanding that the undead fiends couldn't know the Azen was within their reach, nodded. "Fine- if it'll keep these bastards from casting another spell from hell!" he exclaimed, running towards the mine, following the light. "ABYSSA! WE NEED THAT GEM! GET OUT HERE, DAMMIT!"
Crikey, what a bad actor. Mr. Drippy thought, but focused his attention on the two living-corpses. "Alright, ya rotting… rotters! Youe're in for it now!" he shouted.
"Don't claim… victory yet… you bastards!" Leon snarled, and he and Kyani began to summon 'Eternal Damnation' once more-
"DUST!" Marcassin shouted- and a silver-light shot from Mornstar, striking Leon!
The blood-curdling scream the undead man emitted was loud enough to shake the earth. Everyone watched as his hood fell, revealing the face of an aged, pale-skinned man with sunken-eyes… slowly rotting away down to bones, which crumbled into ashes. Marcassin, in the meantime, fell to his knees, as if the spell he cast cost half his strength.
"LEON!" Kyani screamed, then looked at the group- seeing Oliver and Esther there with their wand and scepter, as if preparing to cast 'Dust' next. "Do not think this is over, Wizard- I shall find a new ally, and Senkrad shall be unleashed!" With that, she disappeared.
"AN' GOOD RIDDANCE!" Mr. Drippy shouted.
"Marcassin!" Esther gasped, kneeling beside the youngest prince, who was breathing heavily. "Are you alright?"
"Yes… that 'Dust' spell just took a lot of my magic- and was quite powerful to cast. I'm surprised I didn't pass out!" Marcassin replied, carefully standing. Esther helped him to his feet, as he rubbed his head. "Cassiopeia was right- it will take a great source of power to cast it again… Speaking of which- Oliver, that spell you used… where did you learn it?"
"It… it wasn't a spell. At least, I don't think it was- it didn't take any of my magic," Oliver replied, then held up the Azen. "After I was poisoned, I grabbed the Azen, and the word just appeared in my mind. I would have used it sooner, but… it was restoring my health." He looked at the group. "I don't think it just shows the power of the heart- I think it does something more."
"Interesting…"
"How did you know where to find us, by the way?" Esther asked the young sage.
"I was looking around the palace for Abyssa, when I found this," He reached into his pocket, pulling out a letter, reading…
'Dear Oliver, Esther, Marcassin, Swaine, and Mr. Dropkick,
("Flippin' heck! I swear she mistakes my name on purpose!" Mr. Drippy scoffed after reading the first sentence).
'I am leaving the Azen in the care of the young wizard, Oliver, and his friends. In the present condition my heart has fallen, I cannot trust myself to carry such a powerful gem, for I may drain it of its power in my negative state, or my wrath will darken it and I will end up abusing it.
'It is not loss of confidence I have, because I know I can use it well- but that's just the problem. Even if you are to restore my heart, I will only end up using its newfound abilities at my disposal. To misuse the Azen is the most common downfall of all Keepers. I never noticed it as a child, but the last Keeper was urgent to have it passed down since his heir was exiled- as if he knew it would be disaster if it wasn't passed down soon.
'Given the fact that I was the youngest child in a city of self-centered, nonchalant bastards who preferred to shut out the world, I suppose I was the only likely candidate… any young child still innocent and kindhearted would be.
'As years passed, I was forced to grow up fast- any child's play or innocent nature dwindling the longer I had to face the cruel world… but, of course, you lot already know enough of my life-story. After my heart had hardened, I lost any ability I had to properly handle the Azen, and thereby any trust in myself.
'I'm sorry I've wasted your time. Perhaps you can sneak into Kaninesas somehow, or show the spirit-guards the gem to assure you only mean to keep it safe. If not, hide it somewhere in Oliver's world, where not even Senkrad can go.
'By the time you've found this message, I'll be going my own way, trying to forget the trouble I've caused.
'Farewell,
'Abyssa.'
"I saw this note on her nightstand," Marcassin explained. "Something in her heart is truly troubling her, if it would just cause her to leave us with this task, without her help."
"Then let's go in the mine and find her!" Oliver declared, running ahead.
Marcassin went to follow, but stumbled. "Not you- you've used up a lot of strength. You need to rest," Esther said to him, having him sit down on a rock.
"I suppose…" the young sage sighed.
"We'll go find Abby 'n' Thief-Face. Be back in two shakes of a Baabie's tail, we will!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed, and he and Oliver ran into the mine.
Marcassin and Esther looked at each other, hoping the worst of the night was over.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Swaine followed the light down the mine, being thankful for it for once as it was the only thing aglow in the dark tunnel- it didn't help that it was nearly the middle of the night, making the shadows as dark as ebony. She just had to go somewhere dark, didn't she? He thought, keeping two of his most powerful guns close. He knew ogres liked to roam about in the mines, especially after dark- a lesson he and Marcassin learned when they were kids.
He smirked, finding it funny- he had to help save himself. He chuckled, thinking about how he never realized his place, until after Oliver restored his heart… Much less, how he couldn't have noticed it sooner as he grew- surely he would have recognized himself as the 'stranger' he had followed up the Tombstone Trail as a boy! But, living life as a thief, he didn't have time nor the mind to check his reflection- not until after he looked into the water at Castaway Cove, where the waves were still and clearest, and everything dawned on him, and he figured his place was with Oliver and Esther, to help them in their journey in any way he could.
Another reason he wanted to travel again- with Oliver and/or Esther around, he felt he had some purpose. True, he also had purpose in Hamelin alongside Marcassin, especially when helping the mechanics with upgrades to weapons and tanks… but he had a feeling his travelling days were not yet over.
Or, at least, hoped they could continue. Well, you got your wish, didn't you? He commented to himself. On another life-endangering journey with your friends- only now you're the caretakers of a girl who wants to stab you repeatedly, and some hell-sent demon is sending cronies out to kill you all. …Facing Shadar was a lot easier compared to all this.
Might as well make it last, while you can. Came another thought, as he sighed. Once you save the world again, everyone will be going back to their own lives. Sooner or later, you'll have to do the same…
"Where is that girl?" Swaine muttered to himself, to distract himself from his thoughts of the inevitable. The glow continued on, curving around a bend into an open cavern.
He paused, hearing footsteps, and turned around to see Oliver and Drippy coming up behind him- the young wizard pausing to use his 'Magic Lamp' spell to ignite a lantern. "Any sign of her?" Oliver asked in a whisper.
"Around the bend here, I think." Swaine answered.
They entered the cavern, the light shining forth- but seemed to hit a dead-end. "Huh? What th' flippin' heck?" Mr. Drippy sputtered.
Suddenly, Abyssa stepped out of nowhere- and they noticed behind her was the inside of a tent. "Dammit… I didn't think you'd be back so soon," the drifter groused.
"Save the attitude for later. We need to talk," Swaine said, sternly. "We just had a run-in with your parents,"
Her eyes widened. "Did they get the Azen?!"
"No. I have it," Oliver replied, holding up the gem- shining brightly. "Abyssa… you shouldn't have left it with us. We still need your help-"
She scoffed. "Oliver, I'm about as helpful to you as a cat is to a wounded canary. You can't trust me around your friends- and I can't trust myself. Why do you think I've gone it alone for so long? Anywhere I go… trouble always follows. It's been that way for as long as I can remember… I'm like a jinx!"
"But… you haven't caused us any trouble! You've been making sure we did everything alright- keeping our locations secret, helping us in battles…"
"I started a quest that jeopardized the fate of the world! I should have let the Azen remain hidden… but in my stubborn pride, I ended up endangering everyone," Abyssa shook her head. "I almost killed your friends just by trying to find it, I ended up getting Swaine and I cursed… hell, Esther wouldn't have ended up a victim of the Shadow Wolves if I didn't start this whole mess. If I only trusted that the Azen was safe…"
"Oi, enough with th' self-pity, bach!" Mr. Drippy shouted. "We get it! But we can mend youer heart now- youe've opened it up, ye did, otherwise ye wouldn't be doing so much to make sure this little gem stayed safe, would you?"
"Because I'm corrupting it! …The heart is the key-power to the Azen. But, my heart is full of sin. It's better in the hands of your Pure-Hearted One." She looked at Swaine, wincing- and they suddenly noticed her eyes went from brown to violet. "…hell, it was probably safer with the thief…"
"M-Mr. Drippy…!" Oliver gasped, noticing the black mist beginning to rise from the drifter.
"I see it, mun- and it's gonna be a big one!" The Lord High Lord of the Fairies cried out.
"You've gotta be kidding me- after the fight we just got out of?!" Swaine sputtered.
Abyssa groaned, gripping her head. "Oh… DAMMIT!" she screamed, as the black mist exploded out of her, and she passed out on the ground. Oliver, Swaine, and Mr. Drippy once again found themselves in a Void.
Out rose one of the largest Nightmares Oliver had ever seen; almost the size of Swaine's, but with a little more muscle in the arms. It growled a low growl, sounding almost like a laugh, before launching itself at them. Dodging, they went into their battle positions. Oliver, though limited on magic since the last fight (and using 'Magic Lamp' to light his way through the tunnel), used 'Mornstar' a couple times to reduce its health; when his magic ran so low that all he could use was 'Healing Touch' if needed, he summoned Mitey to attack the fiend.
Swaine summoned his Aye-Aye Sir to fight, while using his 'Deadshot' technique. The Nightmare's health was only half-low.
Cackling, the Nightmare cast its own attack move- "Tears of Agony". Black rain then fell from the sky to induce physical damage to its foes- thankfully, the thief and the wizard managed to defend themselves in time. The moment they were ready to fight back, however, it launched another attack- "Piercing Shriek", an ear-shattering scream that caused them to go deaf! Thankfully, doing two moves in one go managed to weaken it, giving them a chance to get some heavy blows in.
"There's some blue glims! Grab 'em!" Mr. Drippy shouted, pointing at some glims that appeared on the ground.
"WHAT?! DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?!" Swaine shouted, his hearing damaged from the Nightmare's last move.
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?" Oliver called, still deaf as well.
"What're you talking about flaying?! Agh, just attack that thing!" Mr. Drippy shouted.
"This is no time to sing! This is serious!" Swaine snapped at the fairy, shooting at the Nightmare with 'Tri-Shot'.
Oliver managed to get the blue glims, earning enough magic to cast 'Thunderstorm'. The spell did damage to the Nightmare, but it was still strong enough to fight. It then went into another attack- 'Winds of Terror'- spinning all around them at a great speed, making a tornado form around them. As they began to lift off the ground, the young wizard clung onto Swaine, both of them bracing for impact.
*WHAM!*
Once the Nightmare stopped its spin, the duo found themselves high off the ground, hitting the stone-floor so hard, Swaine thought every bone in his body shattered- he felt paralyzed, and he could tell Oliver felt the same way, as his body ached too much to move.
The Nightmare then loomed forth, preparing for another strike-
*ZAP!*
A bolt of electricity struck it just then, the blow strong enough to finally cause it to weaken and disappear. A blue mist swirled around Swaine and Oliver, healing them of their wounds, and they looked to see Esther entering the cave. "Esther! Thank God…" Oliver sighed with relief.
"Marcassin and I heard Abyssa scream- he sent me to make sure everything was alright," Esther stated.
"It's lucky he did- that Nightmare nearly had us!" Swaine panted, exhausted from the battle. He and Oliver summoned their equally-tired familiars back. He then cleared his throat, coolly spinning his Cad's Cannon. "…'Course, we weakened it quite a bit. One punch would've sent it packing,"
The familiar-tamer scoffed. "You were sprawled on the ground! Don't be ridiculous," she then looked over at Abyssa, who was slowly getting up. "So… that was Abyssa's Nightmare?"
Swaine nodded, solemnly. "Yeah…"
"Abyssa! Are you alright? How do you feel?" Oliver asked the drifter, rushing over.
"…like I got run over by a herd of ulk and they were on fire…" Abyssa groaned, leaning against the wall. She then glared at the group. "I'm telling you, it's suicide to keep me around! Get the Azen somewhere safe… before I do something else that could kill you…"
"We need to find some trust- fast!" Mr. Drippy whispered to Oliver. "The pooer dab will unleash another Nightmare real quick!"
"But where can we find-" Oliver began to say, until he noticed Swaine pass by.
Abyssa waved them back. "I told you, you can't trust-"
Swaine stepped forth, firmly putting his foot down- the movement made the drifter pause. "Stop putting yourself down." He said, firmly. "Trust isn't easy to come by, especially in yourself- but that doesn't mean you can give up trying. A while back, I didn't trust anyone, and no one trusted me- all because the world was a mess, and I stooped to thieving." He then nodded at Oliver. "…Until someone decided to give me a chance. I thought travelling with two kids to fight Shadar would be crazy… but I learned it was a role I was meant to find, and we looked out for each other- protected each other, healed each other, confided in one another… and soon I found someone I could put my trust in. …I agree with your decision to leave the Azen with them, Abyssa- because there's no one else any better." He then stood up tall, crossing his arms. "But, that doesn't mean you should turn your back on us- it doesn't matter what kind of trouble comes our way. As long as you have our backs, we'll have yours."
She looked at him, wincing. "But… after all I've done to you…"
"The past doesn't matter." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "We all still worked together after that- and don't forget our 'detour' through Old Smoky. We helped each other out back there, remember?"
"I… I guess… but-"
"'But' nothing. I managed to trust you back in there- hell, I even trusted you when we had to share a tent! ...And I don't always trust people who threaten the lives of my friends, keep that in mind."
She rubbed her arm. "Still…"
Swaine opened his mouth to try once more to convince her to drop her mellow attitude, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked beside him, seeing Oliver standing there- his locket aglow. "Swaine, I don't mean to interrupt, but… I think you have what we're looking for," the young wizard said with a grin.
"Proper shockin', en't it?" Mr. Drippy commented. Esther sternly shushed him.
Swaine gave a nod. "Alright. Have at it," he said, facing Oliver, allowing him to cast 'Take Heart', catching the bit of trust in his locket. It left a warm feeling in his chest, and it took all his restraint not to allow a chuckle to escape.
Oliver then turned to Abyssa. "I have the trust you need, Abyssa. Are you ready?" he asked.
Abyssa trembled a bit- possibly nervous. "I-I don't really know about having someone cast a spell on my heart…" she muttered. Esther suddenly ran forth, hugging her around the shoulders. "H-Hey! What the bloody hell?!"
"Oliver! Now!" Esther exclaimed. Oliver then opened the locket towards Abyssa, casting 'Give Heart', the small glow of Trust floating towards the drifter's chest, being absorbed.
Abyssa gasped, as if someone knocked the wind out of her. The violet-glow in her eyes disappeared, and she began to breathe heavily as Esther let her go.
Everyone paused, watching her. Esther had her fingers crossed in hope, Mr. Drippy was muttering a quick prayer, and Oliver took a step back beside Swaine, all of them wondering what sort of change would become of the drifter now that her heart was mended.
"Huh… so that's what a mended heart feels like…" Was all Abyssa said… before passing out.
"Not again…" Mr. Drippy sighed, shaking his head.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A/N: YES! Abyssa's heart is finally restored! …And yeah, I decided to write in a twist where Swaine (surprisingly) had enough Trust in his heart to lend. (she owes him XD)
I hope the battle-scenes were satisfying enough as well. Also 'Selah' is an undefined term that comes from the Bible. I figured something holy would be more than enough to stop dark-spells. And it seems Kyani is the only Senkradist left- unless she has a back-up plan. 0_0
And, Note: A bit of the whole 'Swaine knowing his place' bit is a reference to EAD13's story, "Filling In The Blanks". It's a great story, and gives a lot of insight (and entertainment) to those who read it.
The journey can only get more interesting from here…
Reviewer Thanks (and glad you're still reading!)
Sage McGavin: Yup- he's been hanging around with Swaine too much XD
The Demon of Sloth: I am building it up to something. And never imagined the picture that way- interesting.
Please review, send some constructive criticism- but no flames or you shall suffer worse than a Nightmare attack!
