Note: Hello guys! First part of the Gova battle here!
Some updates going on in my personal life: I'm quitting my job at a retirement home. I don't work with those there, as I help prepare the meals and clean up the dishes when they come back. I've been there since November of last year, and my last day will be by the end of May. Personally, I think they're trying to keep me there as long as they can, as, while I don't want to toot my own horn, they say that they like me and don't want me to go.
I'm also now doing freelance commission work to gain some dough. I used to do it in the past, yet I got burned out and took a break, and me taking the job at the retirement home prevented me from going back to that. Yet now that I'm leaving, I'm starting up again. I mainly work through Deviantart, yet I do work outside of the site too.
Now, I'm not going to lie, I had a bit of difficulty deciding how this battle would play out, as I want it to be dire, but also reference future events. Not saying when those events take place, but I want there to be some correlation between these chapters and that one. It'll also be delved into more when the group gets on Beuca Island. And I want to explore the dilemma that'll be introduced at the end of this chapter and how Duran's decisions lead to what will take place later.
Special thanks to Falchion1984 for pointing out all the corrections I needed to make. I do want this to be something special. And thank you all who have and continue to review this!
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Gova Part 1
"Where is he?" Duran asked Faerie, looking around, sword at the ready.
Everyone attempted to try and tap into the same energy they had used before upon visiting the Mana Stone, yet found no change occurring.
"It'll do no good." Gova then spoke, yet still kept himself hidden. "Those timers are tied directly into your very souls. Thus, unless you want the sand to fall even faster, you'll just have to make due with what you have now." he then chuckled. "Or don't. Be daring and wager your remaining time amongst the living against one who has collected souls for centuries!"
"Damn you…" Duran snarled. "Faerie, what part of this guy do we hit first?"
"It won't do you any good." the winged woman told him. "He's not a physical being. Normal weapons will be useless against him."
This was far from news her host wanted to hear. Everyone was darting their eyes all around for any sign of the specter. "Ok. So now what?"
"You have the power of Lumina at your fingertips!" Faerie answered. "Use it!"
Hawkeye heard this and looked at Charlotte. "Hey, you mind giving us a little light there, little lady?"
"Oh, wight!" Charlotte realized, forming a ball of energy in her hands.
Remembering how Eliza was able to transfer the energy from Duran's sword to her spear during the battle with Zehnoa, the soldier dipped his weapon in the light, it was enveloped by a white glow that trailed up the blade and he felt a subtle, yet comforting warmth from it. Yet with that also came a knowledge that this light was the advantage they needed.
"Well? Don't just stand there! Get your stuff in here!" Duran said, everyone coming and touching their weapons with the light, careful not to potentially nick or cut Charlotte's palms. Soon, all of them were glowing, Kevin thankful that the light was able to transfer to his claws and fists.
But still, that only solved half of the problem. The other half still remained hidden from view. The still silence of the ghostly vessel surrounded them on all sides, everyone waited for something, anything, to shatter it so they at least had an idea of where to strike. A creak here, a creak there, the sound of a light howl in the air as a chilled wind blew, the skin of the mortal youths were covered in goosebumps.
"Damn it, where are you?" Duran growled, eyes ever vigilant, looking for anything out of the ordinary (for a haunted ship at least). "Come on out, coward!"
"Don't provoke the enemy," Riesz warned. "We don't know what else this fiend is capable of." her blue eyes then caught sight of some sort of dark shadow trailing itself along the deck, bending and shaping itself until it reached Kevin, sliding underneath him. Riesz was unsure of whether or not to mention it, yet from the dark space, she saw the tips of white, ghostly claws peeking out. "Kevin, underneath you!"
The beastman's gold eyes looked down and saw the claws, yet he managed to only back up just enough to avoid being split in two. The hand shot up and slashed at its target, Kevin finding his chest stinging as his flesh was torn, long, diagonal gashes made from his upper left pectoral to his abdomen.
"Kevin!" Charlotte shouted, running over to the injured beastman, yet it was then that the shadow moved underneath her.
Thankfully, Angela saw this and conjured up a Holy Bolt, blasting at the white claws that poked out, the tips being sliced off by the beam of light. A loud cry was heard and soon, Gova materialized again, his hands forming from the mist, one of them having torn up fingers that were slowly reforming.
"Very well," Gova said, voice even, yet it was clear Angela's maneuver on him enraged him greatly. "I was originally going to ease up the difficulty to test your limits, but you all are big boys and girls." he then dove forward, red eyes centering themselves on the six. "You should be just fine stepping up to the challenge!"
He then dove down towards them all, everyone forced to jump out of the way to avoid the incoming specter. His hands then disappeared again, the shadows moving underneath all of them, each trying to either claw or impale them on the wispy, yet sharp, white claws. Unfortunately for Gova, the weapons empowered by Lumina's light proved to be quite effective against his appendages, solid swords, daggers, and spears now able to pierce through them as if they were made of flesh. Gova withdrew his hands, fingers missing, palms and backs pierced and run through. Though his injuries, to the youth's horror, healed up, the damaged fingers and areas seemingly being coated in white vapor until the hands looked as if they hadn't been struck at all.
Duran gritted his teeth. "If he can just heal up, then what worth is this magic?" he asked, looking at his still glowing sword.
"This isn't enough damage." Faerie said to her host. "His outer form is corporeal, but its mainly used as a decoy to keep you from striking the real target."
"And...that means…?" Angela questioned.
"It's like this, hun." Lumina interjected. "We spirits can be both physical and not. We can manifest in this plane of existence, yet we are ultimately of a different world."
"Is this leading anywhere?" the violet-haired princess further pried. "Because we're kinda pressed for time here." she then gestured to her hourglass. "Literally."
"Patience, dear. It IS a virtue." the Mana Spirit said. "We all, spirit or mortal creatures, all have a center to our existence. A core if you will."
"A core?" Kevin asked. "Wait, I'm confused, I don't understand any of this."
Lumina was about to continue, yet saw the shadows moving along the deck again. "Looks like he's not done yet with his hands, huns! Get out of the way!"
No one had any trouble obeying that, everyone combating against the incoming claws that threatened to slash and tear at them. Yet as they did so, they saw that the white light around their weapons was beginning to grow weak and fade.
"Hey, Charlotte!" Hawkeye called out, cutting off a white finger that was aiming for him. "You mind giving us a little boost over here?"
"Huh?" the blonde girl looked over to see that the glow was fading. "Oh, yeah! Suwe!" she rushed over and raised her hands to the thief's daggers.
"Don't be selfish! Let us in too!" Angela called out, she and everyone else coming over to be re-energized.
"I was going to share, of course," Hawkeye answered. "There's no limit on magic, right?"
"Not as long as you're breathing," Angela answered. "At least, that's what Jose says. At least, I think that's what he said. I'm just assuming, I was half asleep during that lesson." she and everyone else then returned to their positions, the shadows having disappeared, along with any signs of Gova. "So, Lumina, you were saying about a core or something?"
"Yeah, yeah. That." the Light Spirit said. "The Mana Goddess breathed life into all things, those in this world, those in mine, and even those that reside in Mavolia and beyond. All sources of life tie back to Mana, and thus, to Her," he explained. "Essentially, think of it like this: a tree grows from a seed. It can grow tall, taller than the clouds, but if you dig in the dirt, you can still find traces of the seed it came from."
Even if everything was quiet at the moment, no one was at ease, continuously looking for any signs that their host was still lurking about somewhere near.
"Her Worship essentially did that." Lumina continued. "She put her seed in everyone and everything. And whether dead or alive, everything has that little seed."
"Oh, I know that stowy!" Charlotte declared. "It's one of the wessons the nuns teach the young ones! Thewe's even a song too!" she then cupped her hands together. "Wittwe seed gwow, gwow big and stwong-"
"Yeah, we don't need all the lyrics." Angela interrupted, then turning her attention back to Lumina. "So what? We find the seed? In case you didn't notice, this guy here is no tree."
"No, no, I mean...well, I'm sorry, but I don't know of any other way to explain it." Lumina sighed. "Everything has a source of Mana from the Goddess inside them. Even spirits. Destroy it, you can destroy them. Including us."
He finished that rather grimly, Duran thought, and the answer did little to calm his nerves. He knew that Lumina was trying to help, yet his explanation made little sense to any of them. 'I don't suppose you can explain it any better?' he asked Faerie.
'...ultimately, no. I'm sorry.'
She could feel his frustration, and while he didn't mean to, she knew some of it was directed at her answer. They needed to do something though, otherwise, this battle would never be over. Or even worse, she thought, looking at all the hourglasses, it would be over soon.
Charlotte found the song from her childhood still playing in her mind. "Wittwe seed gwow, gwow big and stwong," she muttered. "Gwow and gwow aww day wong." ok, the first part she remembered. She could only hope for the rest to come to her. "Fow the wains wiww come, and they wiww feed, that tiny, wittwe, itty bitty seed." Why was this song on her mind anyway? It seemed unimportant (at least to Angela), yet still, it continued in her head. "Yet as you gwow taww and thick, to be the best is not the twick. You must wemembew, even if you wise to the cwouds, you stawted wife in a mound." she also remembered Lumina's words, slowly beginning to tie the two together. "Because whiwe youw voice and wiww they heed, we aww came fwom a wittwe seed."
Wait a moment...of course! Why couldn't she see it before?!
"Guys!" she shouted. "I've got it! I know how to beat this guy!"
"Shh!" Riesz shushed her. "Quieter please."
Why would that matter? Gova already knew they were here. Nevertheless, she obeyed and spoke in a whisper. "I know how to beat this guy."
"Really? How so?" the amazon asked. Everyone was listening at this point, ready to really take any suggestion?"
"It's the seed!" Charlotte whispered. "The souw within the souw! The innermost being!"
Everyone still found the answer made no sense.
"Wook, it's wike this." Charlotte began. "We have to get to his middwe. The vewy middwe."
"Again, what's that even mean?" Angela asked.
"His middwe!" Charlotte retorted, raising her voice. "His centew! His souwce of-" Charlotte then stopped, as if she suddenly forgot how to speak.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. She could feel it in her own innermost being.
And said something made itself known by the sound of cracking glass.
The other five looked on in horror as the girl's hourglass had finally run out of sand, the glass containing it beginning to develop cracks in its surface. Charlotte tried grabbing at it, yet her hands phased right through it. Her movements became more frantic, and she looked up at everyone else with wide, frightened eyes.
The eyes of cornered prey before it was killed, Kevin thought. She then directed her gaze towards him, silently asking for help. He went over and tried to grab at the hourglass too, yet his hands phased through it as well. He knew that it would do no good, yet some part of him felt he had to try, even if it was out of blind desperation.
Then, he looked to see the shadow had returned. "Charlotte!" he was about to jump and grab her, yet he never got that chance.
Gova's claws shot forth and seized the blonde girl, Charlotte crying out in shock and fear. She then felt the fingers increasing pressure on her trapped form, the grip cold and feeling as if she were being stung repeatedly. The hand continued to squeeze and crush her until the sound of glass shattering was heard.
The hourglass had broken, and from it rose a tiny, iridescent orb of light. The orb rose slowly and steadily, yet it was quickly snatched by the wispy fingers after the ghostly hand tossed Charlotte away as if she wet some broken toy. The hand then sunk into the deck, leaving the motionless girl behind.
"CHARLOTTE!" Kevin dashed over and took the girl in his arms, everyone else coming soon after.
Kevin winced as he turned her over, not liking how limp her body had become. Her blue eyes were glazed over and lifeless, her skin cold, and her face frozen in a cross between sleep and fear.
No. She couldn't...she couldn't be.
The beastman placed his fingers on where her jaw met her neck, pressing in to feel for any small pulse of a beating heart.
He found none.
She...she was dead. Charlotte was dead.
"You...you killed her." Kevin stammered. Gova then manifested before them. "You killed her!"
"I did no such thing! She's right here!" he then gestured to the orb in between his fingers. "It's always fascinating to me that no matter how large some of you living things can get, the soul is always the same size."
That tiny thing was Charlotte's soul? The five remaining youths were puzzled by what they were seeing, yet all instinctively knew that what had just happened was in no way good.
"Put it back!" Kevin demanded, holding the girl in his arms. "It...she's not yours to keep!"
"All that board this ship are mine to keep!" Gova answered, casually tossing the orb to and fro. "Rest assured," the specter then opened his mouth, plopping the soul down his throat as if it were a bonbon. "She's in good hands."
The beastman turned and placed Charlotte in Riesz's arms, then ran and leaped forward, fists glowing and ready to strike. Gova flew back, disappearing again, Kevin snarling in helpless rage and his claws cut through nothing. The specter manifested again behind the blonde youth, Kevin whirling around to see him. He was about to perform a spin kick, yet realized that it would do little good. It was then though that he realized his fists were still glowing with Lumina's light. Perhaps that would work. He decided to give it a try anyway, taking hold of his right foot and seeing the light transfer to the lower appendage. He did the same for the other, and now both were embuded with the same magic.
Gova simply floated there, waiting for the beastman to make a move. He then opened his mouth and stuck nearly his entire arm down his throat before pulling out a small, glowing orb. Kevin stared at it, still not entirely able to grasp that the little thing was, in essence, Charlotte. "Here." Gova stated casually, holding the little thing in between two fingers. "She's right here. Take her."
Kevin stood still, not entirely sure on what his next move should be. And looking back, it seemed that was generally the same for everyone else. No one knew just how fragile the small orb was, let alone whether or not it could be snuffed out, if such a thing was possible. If so, what then? What if Kevin possibly struck the soul and it was damaged in some way? Argh, this was too much! He couldn't do anything and this spectral bastard knew it!
"Kevin?" suddenly, a small voice called out from the orb. "Kevin!"
"Charlotte?" the beastman's eyes widened upon hearing the girl's voice. "Charlotte! Are you ok?!" he mentally slapped himself upon saying that. Of course she wasn't ok!
"Kevin...I'm scawed." the girl's voice emitted from the glowing orb. "It's cowd...it's so cowd…"
Kevin bit his lip, clearly at a standstill. "Well?" Gova asked. "She's quite terrified. Aren't you going to save her?"
Despite knowing how unpredictable the situation was, Kevin reached forward, only to have the soul drawn back from him at the last moment and promptly popped back into Gova's mouth, Charlotte disappearing down his throat. He then decided it was time to get physical (as much as he could with a ghost, he supposed). Running forward, Kevin leaped up and performed a spinning kick, yet it only served to either barely graze the ghost or he teleported away at the very last second, leaving a small trail of vapor as a parting gift.
The others went over to help, yet upon seeing them come, Gova fired a mass of dark energy their way, the spherical orb pulsating with what appeared to be lightless ripples pouring out from the center. It actually very much resembled those the black mages had cast back in the siege on Valsena. Kevin continued to strike against the ghostly being, though Gova's retaliation was unpredictable. Sometimes he would simply vanish or fly away, yet other times, he would actually engage Kevin, swiping and trying to catch the beastman with his claws as he had caught Charlotte. High kicks, uppercuts, jump kicks, and forward punches: all these and more were used to combat the corporeal soul stealer, yet despite all his blows and attacks, Kevin simply couldn't reach the blonde girl, Gova keeping her firmly within himself.
Then, he reached in and took out the girl's soul, holding it in front of Kevin. He tossed it to and fro, rolling it in between his fingers, allowing it to travel all across his hand. And when it attempted to escape, he quickly plucked it from the air and held it in his grasp again. "Here." he then held it out right in front of Kevin. "I'll make it easy for you, seeing as you're somewhat pressed for time."
Pressed for time? Oh no. Kevin looked down and saw that the hourglass had just, to his horror, run out of sand. The glass began developing cracks, the beastman's wide eyes watching, caught in a sickening dilemma between not looking and observing how much the glass began to break. He could wait no longer. Duran dashed forward and sliced through the specter when his back was turned, slicing off his hand. The spirit's fingers released Charlotte's soul, but it then began to roll along the deck as if it were a ball. A ball that was inching closer and closer to the railing, and in turn, the edge of the ship. Without missing a beat, Kevin leaped forward to grab at the orb, yet his fingers phased right through it, Charlotte's essence continuing to roll further and further away.
Duran was about to follow, yet something in the corner of his eye got his attention: one of Giva's fingers was stretched out as if it were gesturing towards something far away. Or something nearby.
"He's controlling where Charlotte's soul is going!' Faerie alerted her host.
And Kevin was going to go overboard if he wasn't stopped! "Kevin! Kevin, wait!" Duran called out, reaching to grab at the beastman, managing to snag at his vest and pull him back, the blonde having just climbed into the railing to make a grab at Charlotte.
"Let go!" Kevin protested. "Let go! I have to-" then, with wide eyes, he saw the tiny soul go over the edge of the ship. "CHARLOTTE-ah...ah…" he screamed the girl's name, yet his voice was cut off by the sudden arrival of an overwhelming, stinging cold overtaking him. It was then that both he and Duran saw the beastman's hourglass break, sand spilling and then dissipating into nothing. Then, Duran felt his companion grow stiff and chilled to the touch before a small, glowing orb exited the now still beastman.
The soldier turned him over, wincing as he saw once vibrant, golden eyes become dull and, quite literally, lifeless. He felt a presence behind him, and sure enough, Gova was the source. The specter held Kevin's soul atop of one finger while his disembodied hand made a beckoning motion, Charlotte rising from below. The hand reattached itself and Gova presented the two souls to the Valsenan soldier, holding them out as if to dare him to take them before subsequently devouring them.
"Sorry," Gova said. "I would've waited to see if you wanted them, but it isn't fair for you to waste everyone else's time."
Duran grinded his teeth. "Bastard!" he shouted, leaping forward to slash at the entity, yet found a white hand seizing him and throwing him back, his back slamming against the lower section of the mast, his body then dropping unceremoniously to the ground. Everyone else ran over to the fallen soldier, though they knew that it was only because Gova allowed them to.
"Well, look at that," Gova remarked. "You seem to be getting the others in trouble because of something you started."
Duran growled, about to retort. 'Don't bother.' Faerie said. 'He's playing with you. Don't give in to his game.'
Despite this, however, Duran simply couldn't contain himself. He rose up and got back into position. "The only one in trouble is you. And you're going to be in even MORE if you don't give back Charlotte and Kevin's souls!"
Gova smiled. "Goodness me, you sound serious." he then flew back out of reach, yet in his palms, pulsating, dark, round masses of energy began to form, none of the remaining four needing to be reminded what this meant. "Well then, let's give you a real challenge!"
The dark forces flew in the direction of the young people, everyone forced to split apart to avoid being hit. The powerful magic ate and consumed all in their path, tearing into the already rotten boards that composed of the deck, leaving large gashes where they landed. The light from their weapons began to fade again, Angela lighting up her staff and allowing everyone to dip in and recharge. They only just barely had enough time for that, however, as the pulsing orbs of energy kept them from staying in one place for too long. True, Lumina's power proved quite useful in deflecting and dissipating the spheres, a stab through it taking it out on the spot, but the sheer number of them made even that advantage small.
Currently, while she knew everyone was doing their best, Riesz was somewhat compromised, she still holding Charlotte with one arm while the other continued battle against Gova's magic. She saw Hawkeye making a move towards her, rolling out of the way of an incoming dark force and going by her side. "Here," he said. "Give her to me!"
"Then you'll be left defenseless!" Riesz argued, adjusting her grip on Charlotte. "I'm quite fine! You need to tend to Duran and Angela!"
"And who's going to tend to you?" the thief asked, the amazon robbed of speech at what he had just said. He didn't mention it, yet he saw her sand was getting low.
Yet there was no time to exchange any more between them, Gova having focused his attention on the still body of Kevin. A perfect target.
Seeing this, Riesz immediately took Hawkeye's suggestion and tossed the unmoving Charlotte into his arms, racing over towards the fallen beastman. The swirling orb of pure darkness shot forth, the amazon grabbing ahold of Kevin and jumping out of the way, the spot they'd been standing on moments before seemingly devoured, crushed to splinters by unthinkably powerful forces. The blonde young woman caught sight of how little sand she had left, yet she shook her head and focused on Kevin, hosting him up and carrying him on her back. Gova continued to send blasts of dark force in her direction, Riesz barely able to keep a minimum distance away from the blasts, all the while carrying Kevin.
The others were kept occupied by the specter blasting them with his other hand, yet Hawkeye watched as Riesz continued to run from the incoming projectiles. The amazon was driven to the very edge of the ship, Gova abandoning the rest of the group and approaching her, the young woman's forced up against the railing, the sound of the waves hitting the ship from below not making her any more confident. Bringing both hands together, the white entity conjured up a massive sphere of darkness, the spectral, wispy appendages separating as the sphere grew larger and larger. Riesz looked on, her terror growing. There was no way that she could simply roll out of the way of this one. And the light on her spear was beginning to dim. Perhaps she could...yet did she have enough energy for that? Let alone enough time?
Finally, Gova released the heavily concentrated dark force, Riesz's decision having been made for her.
With no other option, Riesz lifted her free arm up and threw her lance, the glowing end tearing through the pulsating sphere of energy. It wasn't enough to dissipate it, yet just enough space was created to allow her to pass through. Taking a leap forward, Riesz ducked down, the energy blast making contact with and destroying the bow of the ship, the intense gravity tearing and ripping everything it touched apart. Soon, the entirety of the forepeak was crushed to dust, and then even less than that until air was all that remained, an important portion of the ship practically obliterated. Somehow, however, the boat didn't dip forward, it stayed in the same position as before.
Riesz landed and was about to rise, but she never got the chance. The sound of breaking glass filled her ears. Hawkeye was the first to make a dash towards her, Duran and Angela following close behind.
"Riesz!" the thief handed Charlotte over to Angela while he knelt down and took the older blonde. "Riesz…"
Riesz shivered, the cold that had been overtaking her now unbearable Still, she had something to say. "H-Hawkeye…" she choked out. "I...I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it." her chest felt as if it were being ripped apart, already feeling her essence leaving her. "I'm ashamed I must thrust this on you, but...please…save Elliot." She then arched her back, trying in vain to keep her soul from leaving. "Please...save...him."
A familiar glowing orb rose out of her, then being pulled towards Gova, who held and analyzed the small object. "Ooooh, this is a good one," he said aloud, glancing at Hawkeye. "I can see the appeal." The thief said nothing, yet he was trembling with fury, wanting nothing more than to find any sort of vulnerability the specter had and run his daggers right through it. "Though now that's there's only three of you...you're looking somewhat lonely." he then produced a horn of silver, intricate patterns that resembled screeching faces and howling spirits. "I hope you don't mind if I welcome some friends of my own!"
Gova then blew into the horn, a thunderous, low moan echoing throughout what one could've assumed to be the entire ocean, the sound stinging the living humans' ears as the bellowing, low tone of the horn continued on and on. Then, manifesting from below, easing their way up from underneath and rising through the floorboards of the deck, several balloon-shaped ghosts emerged. More and more continued to be summoned, the entire deck filled to the brim with them until Gova ceased blowing the horn. All of the ghosts then directed their stitch-like eyes on the three remaining humans.
They wasted no time in surrounding the three, clawed hands shooting out from their wide, abyss-like throats separated the three from each other, allowing the ghosts to circle them individually. Seeing that the glow from their weapons was beginning to die again, Angela rose her wand and shot forth Holy Bolts at both Hawkeye and Duran.
"Hey, watch it!" Duran shouted. "Even if it doesn't hurt as much, that stuff still stings pretty bad!"
"It wouldn't if you would hold still!" Angela shouted back, trying to aim. "Raise up your sword! I can't get a clear shot!"
The soldier tried to do so, yet the specter's hand seized his arms and kept him bound, holding his arms and legs, effectively leaving him immobile. Hawkeye fared no better either, twisting and turning to try and break free, yet there were just too many. Angela was about to fire at the thief as he was keeping his arms high to keep the ghosts from grabbing his limbs. Yet just as she was about to do that, the magician found herself being sent to the ground, several ghosts essentially dog-piling her until neither Duran nor Hawkeye could see her underneath the swarm of spirits. Yet despite their best efforts, they were powerless to stop them. And, as Hawkeye saw, his time was nearly spent.
He noticed Gova approaching him, looking down with satisfaction at the work his 'friends' had accomplished. "I don't understand why you're angry," Gova remarked, gesturing to his chest. "You'll soon have all the time in the world with your friends!" he then narrowed his red eyes. "Especially that one you seem to fancy."
Whether it was because that comment pushed him over the edge or he had finally garnered the strength to do so was unknown, yet ultimately, Hawkeye didn't care. The results were the same. He managed to wrangle one of his arms from the clutches of the ghosts and, knowing that Lumina's light wouldn't last much longer, he aimed and, with the flick of his wrist, flung the dagger towards the specter.
And, to his delight, it had struck where he had intended it to.
Duran and the rest of the ghosts were drawn from their current struggle against each other when they heard, of all beings, Gova, release an echoing, bellowing howl of agony, the dagger having passed through his corporeal form before something clearly stopped it, having made contact with something from within. IIt was then that a wave of light burst forth, smashing into the ghosts that had toppled Angela. The now shrieking specters were sent flying and then dissipated out of existence. She blasted back the ghosts accosting Duran, allowing both of them to go to Hawkeye. A Holy Bolt made quick work of the spectral beings, yet upon reaching the young man, he lost his footing, Duran rushing up to catch him.
"I...I get it." Hawkeye coughed, already feeling the cold grip him.
"Get what?" Duran questioned.
"What Charlotte said." the thief said, knowing well he didn't have much time left. "The seed...a soul within a soul."
"I...I'm sorry, but I STILL don't get it!" Angela answered. "Just….just say it in a way we can understand!"
Hawkeye took in a breath, glass cracking ringing in his ears. "Strike him in the chest. You'll see it then." he then smiled, much to Duran and Angela's shock. "Looks like it's up to you two now. Don't let Riesz down."
Then, his hourglass broke, his soul emerging from his body and being drawn to the one that had cursed him, joining the others he had taken.
"And then there were two…" the soldier and princess looked up at the ghostly figure, sneering as the humans gazed back with rage. "While you've provided me with an ample amount of entertainment, I feel somewhat impatient at the moment." Gova scratched his chin. "Matelo!"
The visage of a young man that was no longer of this world manifested before the specter. "Yes, my master?"
Gova centered his eyes on Angela. "Take care of that one." then, he turned to Duran. "This young man's clearly been dying for a duel with me," Gova directed his attention to Matelo. "And to present this young lady with her own...dance partner." he then winked. "Present her with what gifts I've bestowed to you."
Matelo's eyes brightened. "Oh, y-yes! Of course, Master!" He then turned to the Altenan princess.
Angela scoffed. "You can fly and phase through walls. Ooooh, wow. So special." she mocked. "Like every other creep on this rotten hunk of wood."
Matelo's eyes then grew dark, his hands trembling. Then, from his hand, a dark force began to form. "I shall show you that the Master's gifts are more than simple party tricks!" he then lunged right at her, forcing the concentrated darkness into her abdomen. This caused Angela to lose her footing and Matelo to fly her into the small space of wall that resides near the hatch that led to the decks below.
Duran was set to run to her aid, yet a white hand stopped him from going any further, gnarled fingers snatching him up off the ground. Before Duran could protest or retaliate, he was unceremoniously dropped, the young soldier finding rotten, but very hard, planks underneath him. Rising to his feet, he looked around and saw nothing but mist and dark, endless clouds overhead. Yet when he looked down, he saw that he had been taken up to the crow's nest.
"I thought a change in location would serve as a better challenge for you." Gova's voice echoed from all around Duran. "Especially since you're the one to wield the Mana Sword."
Duran gritted his teeth, looking for any sign of the ghostly menace. "Faerie, can you TRY explaining to me what this whole 'seed' business is? Nearly everyone else seems to get it.'
'It's the innermost being. A soul within a soul. A piece of the Goddess Herself.'
'Is that really the best you can give me?'
'I'm sorry, but it seems unless you see it yourself, you won't understand.'
"Indeed." turning around fast, Duran found himself face to face with the larger being. "Yes, you and the little woman have been having rather interesting conversations since you arrived on the ship." Gova smiled at the young man's disturbed features. "I've known the whole time. When I felt her presence in Palo, I suspected that something was amiss. And lo and behold, here you are. The sign of hope, but also of terrible times."
Faerie then emerged. "You say that as if it doesn't concern you." she remained close to Duran, not wishing to be any closer to Gova than she had to be. "You know of how the world is at risk, and yet you still threaten our lives? Why?"
Gova was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "Because life holds no meaning to me."
Faerie was flabbergasted. "What are you saying?!"
"Long have I served under my master, the Element of Darkness, and it was long enough to see that life, no matter how it is lived, doesn't matter, for death will always claim them." he then stroked his chest, feeling the souls inside trying to escape. "They no longer have claims to their lives, you do. So why not do with them as you please? Make use of them! Make them respect and worship you!" He then clenched his fist. "He never understood that. All that balance talk of his…care and time, all things that keep one from reaching their true potential. He said wanting more was wrong." Gova then chuckled. "So...I decided to show him my way of doing things. And so far...I believe it's working out rather well." he looked down at Duran again. "I see you're bridling with anticipation." he then lengthened his claws. "Well then, I shall keep you waiting no longer!
Note: I'm going to cut it off right here, for now, as if I went on, this chapter would be running a bit long and I would have to rush through the later part of the fight, which would sort of make things feel a bit forced. I want to keep a steady pace with how things happen, and while I admit I can go slower, I don't want to completely glance over something that needs attention drawn to it to give it weight.
We get another class change shown next though, so there's that to look forward to! Also, thanks to everyone that's been supporting me since the beginning! Thank you, and I hope to see you soon!