.hack//EVA: Catharsis
Disclaimer: In this universe in the quantum foam, I do not own or in any way shape or form hold a claim to the .hack series or Neon Genesis Evangelion.
" " denotes speech
'italics' denotes thought
'bold' denotes location names
'bold italics' denotes skill use
Δ Server Eternal City Mac Anu
Golden spirals of light descended near the Chaos Gate, vanishing to reveal the form of a still shaken Skari. In spite of the Shadow Warlock's reassuring words, he still felt bad about having to kill Eris, even if the alternative was—
"WHAT? THE BAKA HENTAI RETURNS? Has the invincible pervert monk Skari come back to gloat? Or are you just stalking me, hentai?"
Having only skimmed the manual, Skari had overlooked the fact that characters defaulted back to the root town or their last save point after being killed. Thus, it came as quite a surprise (and a rude one at that) that he found himself face to face from an extremely irate Edge Punisher, namely the self-proclaimed PK Eris.
"BAKA—because of you I'll have to start over from level 1!" she raged, muttering something under her breath about pesky intervening Shadow Warlocks, and spineless wimps who fought like they had a stick up their collective asses (in German, of course).
And of course, in such a short time, Skari had not had time to ingrain within his personality the value of strength in The World, so he tried to do the only thing he could think of to do: apologize again (though really, apologizing to someone who tried to kill you is just bad form).
"I—"
"Save it for someone who cares," Eris hissed. Her voice dropped to a deadly whisper that was almost deafening in the silence. "Just be warned…next time we meet, you're dead."
With that, she flounced petulantly out of the area, joining the teeming masses wandering the streets of the Eternal City. This was just another part of the game that Skari would have to get used to, he supposed, though he fervently hoped that his next field adventure would not involve someone charging at him with a chainsaw sword that made him want to run away as fast as his feet could carry him, irrespective of what his mantra normally was.
"That was well handled," came a cool musical voice from the shadows, sprinkled with just a hint of sarcasm.
Skari whirled about to see who it could be, eyes widening as he noted the presence of a statuesque blond, an expression of amusement on her face. Her features were stern and severe, though her eyes were hidden behind a red visor trimmed by gold. She was a Harvest Cleric to be sure, outfitted in a flowing white dress with purple triangular designs and what resembled a matching queen's helm, though she resembled nothing as much as a regal sorcerer-queen.
The Harvest Cleric looked at him, sizing him up. This was slightly unnerving to Skari, who didn't want anyone to think of him as a pervert or useless, though after the display (or lack of one) that he had just put on, he would be hard pressed to argue the point. Then the Cleric spoke again, in the calm but slightly scornful tone of one accustomed to command:
"You should have more confidence in yourself, Skari the Adept Rogue. Or you will only attract more PKs like that one, and next time…you may not end up as lucky."
She said this with an enigmatic smile playing across her lips, and then turned to the Chaos Gate, as if waiting for someone. At least it wasn't a case of waiting for Godot, though, as another spiral of golden light soon flared into existence, dimming away to reveal another Harvest Cleric, this time a small boy dressed in dark blue robes fringed with what looked like depictions of ocean surf.
A note played.
A in C Major, Skari thought, from his musical training. Odd, I don't remember any notes chiming in when I gated in or out.
He tried to surreptitiously study the new arrival, trying to see why there was a hint of oddness about him. At first glance, the new Cleric didn't appear threatening, with a friendly smile set in an honest face with tousled gray hair, big blue eyes, and a small teardrop shaped tattoo on his left cheek. But looking again, one would invariably note that he held in one hand a staff like a frozen whirlpool, and in the other a glowing green-blue diamond with a small pulsating sphere inside, both of which seemed to reek with the smell of rareness, if such a thing existed.
But where are Arano and Asuna…they said that they'd be right behind me. Maybe they just abandoned me like everyone else will in the end. Not even my father wanted me, so what's the chance that someone I just met would stick with me. After all, I'm just a beginner…I'm…useless, compared to them.
The new arrival walked up to the regal queen-like Harvest Cleric, who simply turned to regard him with something approaching amusement as he greeted her with a half bow.
"Greetings, my Queen."
"And greetings to you as well. I see you too have been reborn into this World, unlike the Twilight."
"Yes, mi'lady," spoke the young boy, his voice lowering to a hushed half-whisper. "Rumor has it that a new class of being is coming into existence, a new mystery after the Last Puzzle was solved and the God of The World returned to the wind. Rumor says that there are black spots seen in the darkness of shadows, watching and learning."
Her smile faded, replaced with a carefully neutral expression. She was, of course, intimately familiar with the Twilight Incident, and all involved in it, including AIs, and this bit of information put her on guard. Being the master of Net Slum (or perhaps Net Slum Tartarga would be more appropriate now), she knew well of AIs, as that place was the home to many vagrants…and having fought against Morganna, she knew the dangers posed by an powerful and malevolent AI, both to The World and to the world offline.
"Is this something else of the black box?" she asked, interested to see if something else was growing from Harald's old system.
"No. Rumor has it that these are born of errors, of voids in the system since the Goddess left. To quote the Epitaph: 'From deep within the void arrives Corbenik. Perhaps then the Wave is just a beginning as well.'"
The Queen of the Dark rubbed a finger along her chin for a moment, tilting her head in consideration of that bit of the Epitaph.
Perhaps there is something more I must investigate. I suppose that that means I'll be back to my old hobbies.
At that a small smile made its way to her lips, even as she flicked her left hand and a staff materialized within her hand, very similar to the one she had used as a Wavemaster in the last incarnation of The World. It could be said to almost literally hum with a power of old, from before The End, and to any who had known her then, she would have been instantly recognizable.
"Yes, and on the subject of the Epitaph, we have more to discuss in private, Rumor. Take me to the place where you have witnessed this."
The small boy nodded, and seconds later, a ping sounded in the ear of the Sorceress in White. She turned to the Adept Rogue, who had been standing to the side and watching, coolly regarding him once more.
"I am called Tsukinoki. I have the feeling that we will meet again, in due time…slayer of the divine."
With that the two Harvest Clerics gated out, vanishing in spirals of golden light. Skari repeated Tsukinoki's last words, coming to the title she had given him before freezing, his eyes wide with shock, mouth still half shaping a "How?" before he closed it, setting his jaw in a firm line.
Is that just a nickname? Or does she know who I am? And if she knows who I am, does that mean…?
Then his shoulders slumped, as he was beginning to think that waiting was pointless. Why bother anyway? No one would ever come for him, except to cause him pain, or to use him for their own purposes. No one—
As if fate just had it in for him, it was then that two more spirals of light flared into existence, revealing a very disgruntled Shadow Warlock and Tribal Grappler: none other than the long awaited Arano and Aruna. The Shadow Warlock spoke first:
"Sorry about taking so long. The connection dropped and we had to sign in again."
Skari sighed with noticeable relief. So that was why they were late. That they were late was nothing worse than Misato had been on the first time she'd come for him, and at least they had a good reason for it. Misato, on the other hand, couldn't find her way around NERV, much less a full size city. So he hadn't been abandoned….that was a start.
"So. You actually came," he said in an almost toneless voice that still managed to convey a trace of annoyance.
To his surprise, it was the rather reticent Tribal Grappler Aruna who replied, using the speed inherent to his class to get Skari into a headlock and give him a noogie, causing the Adept Rogue to wince in annoyance.
"Don't give me disrespect. Didja think we wouldn't? We said we'd be here, man, and here we are. Come 'ere," said Aruna as he administered his rough treatment.
Shadow Warlock Arano coughed disapprovingly, looking pointedly at his partner.
"Aruna, stop that. What have I told you about not thinking before you act? Remember when you punched out someone who ended up saving us from…that gang?" he admonished. Then, a sly glint appeared in his eyes, reflected quite well in his voice. "Besides, I thought you said you wanted to change…what would the Class Rep say if she knew you were picking on people again?"
As if struck by lightning, Aruna jumped back and waved his hand frenetically in front of him, laughing nervously. His face betrayed no trace of actual mirth though, seeming pale and vaguely fearful of something yet to some.
"Sorry, man. Its all harmless fun, right?" he voiced nervously, "No need to tell anyone, least of all the Class Rep."
It was strange how there was almost a pleading quality to his voice as he said that, carefully putting his arms behind his back, where they couldn't be implicated in any further incidents. And in spite of still being shaken, Skari couldn't keep himself from laughing at how a few words could make a seeming tough-guy like Aruna back down from his rough-housing so easily.
Ah, so the mysterious Aruna is not quite as strong and silent as he seems. Something to keep in mind for the future…maybe some in real life are this way too.
"It's alright," he chuckled, "lets just say you owe me one."
He managed to keep a straight face as Aruna's tall, built frame sagged with relief. This was not true of the other member of the duo though, since the sound of smothered sniggering could be heard. When Aruna whipped around to glare at Arano, though, the Shadow Warlock was simply whistling, looking up in the "yeah, I did it, what are you going to do about it" sort of way that caused the Tribal Grappler to advance threateningly towards him.
It certainly made for an interesting display, as Arano waggled a finger at the Tribal Grappler and said rather manner-of-factly: "And if you try to turn on me in a field, I'll fry you," before waving an arm in the direction of the shops. "Lets get what we need and go. We want to level up some more, right?"
Aruna relented with an indignant huff, and turned to follow the Shadow Warlock to the various shops. He paused just long enough to look over his shoulder and call out:
"Yo, you coming, Skari?"
The Adept Rogue nodded, and the three went off as a trio into the bustling streets of the Eternal City, where more embarrassments were sure to wait.
...
Half an hour later
...
The three were back at the Chaos Gate, laden with enough supplies for a journey. Apparently, someone had made a gift of a Spin Kouga (a level 4 Twin Sword) and some healing drinks to Skari, and both Aruna and Arano were teasing him about who it could be, half-admiringly for having been noticed so early.
"Got yourself a secret admirer in The World, eh? You got all the luck, man. Wonder who it could be?" went Aruna.
To this, Skari only shrugged, only to turn red enough to put a tomato to shame when Arano continued the train of thought, waggling his eyebrows for emphasis:
"Yeah, maybe it's some cute stranger who has a crush on that bishi PC of yours, that, or the PK you met wants to see you privately againand needs you to be more…vigorous."
Consulting his mental catalogue of actions (of which the two most often used were "Run Away" and "Apologize"), Skari found himself choosing a verbal equivalent of the first, one that most people used well: Change the subject.
"Um…Lets just choose a field to go to before it gets too late."
Sly, knowing expressions came over both of his companions' faces, but they relented, for as fun as teasing could be, they did need to choose a field or they'd be standing at the gate all day.
"Eh…how about Δ Submissive Love's Puddle?" suggested the Tribal Grappler, causing Skari to want to melt into the floor, blushing beet-red once more as his thoughts wandered off to a quiet place.
"Nice," smirked the Shadow Warlock, "but since our friend Skari is obviously uncomfortable even with the thought of the name, and a bit lower than us in level…why don't we let him choose? Meanwhile, I'll send the party invite."
Ping! The sound of arriving Flash Mail. Though he had only skimmed the manual, Skari remembered how to use this feature, and gratefully accepted the party invitation.
So let's see. I'm level 2…and they're both level 5. Maybe a level 7 area for challenge? I'll show them I can do this, even if it's the death of me. After all, that's what Ayanami would do, right?
"How about Δ Adoring Dusk's Generation?" he suggested, with more confidence than he really felt.
Arano looked skeptically at the area name as he tried out the combination for himself.
"That's a little on the high side. We shouldn't push our luck that much, as our average level is 4"
This, of course, inflamed Aruna's competitive tendencies.
"What do you mean 'push our luck?' We're already level 5, and our level 2 friend PKed a level 4…well, with a bit of help, but still not bad for the first day, eh?"
Skari felt crushed at having his suggestion turned down, and it must have showed, for Arano turned to look at him, and seemed to pity him enough to relent.
"Well, fine, then its settled. I guess seeing the way you fought against that Edge Punisher PK, you fight with more skill and aggression than most people your level. You obviously have some experience with this kind of fighting. We'll gate out first this time, just in case there's anything threatening nearby."
With that, the Shadow Warlock and Tribal Grappler raised their hands, calling out Δ Adoring Dusk's Generation, and spirals of golden light spirited them away. After waiting a moment to make sure they had gone, Skari did the same, leaving Mac Anu in the hands of the all those others wandering the streets.
Δ Adoring Dusk's Generation
The first thing that Skari saw upon going to the field was that the Grappler and Warlock duo had wandered forward a little, so he broke into a run to catch up with them. Not really looking where he was going, he tripped over something, sprawling out onto the floor.
As he picked himself up, he looked behind him to see what he had stumbled over, only to see an animal wandering around that was either black faced monkey, or a lamb standing up on two feet. In front of it, a silvery-blue vortex appeared, summoning a…golden Easter Egg? No, on second glance, it was just a creature that vaguely resembled an Easter Egg…with a crown and four legs.
This commotion naturally brought the other two running, and Aruna looked down at the little critter, dumbfounded.
"Dude, you do have all the luck. That's a King Chim Chim!" shouted Aruna, running up and kicking the creature enthusiastically. "Come on, help me…we have to kick it 'til it gives up its Chim Sphere!"
Arano jumped in, knowing that Aruna usually knew what he was talking about when it came to games, but Skari was a bit puzzled as to why this display of violence was necessary.
Kick it 'til it drops something? What in The World…? I'd be just like father if I was needlessly cruel…
But in spite of his reservations, he did need some relief from his frustrations, and any thoughts of his father definitely tended to trigger great anger. Even now, as his fist clenched and unclenched, he began to realize why he had been so shaken by Eris' death: it had felt good to be able to resist someone trying to use him, to ruthlessly destroy instead of running away.
Was it really the EVA that went berserk that first time? Or was it me? Maybe I can learn to control this rage for my own use…
Skari joined in the kicking frenzy, letting his anger take over as he stuck again and again. It was a pleasant release, a catharsis of sorts, made all the more pleasant by the thought that he wouldn't be hurt by this. Obviously, he hadn't counted on the King Chim Chim swelling up with each blow, until it became bigger than him. The enraged creature leapt up into the air, trying to crush Skari under its massive bulk.
He dashed away from it and it leapt again. He ducked under it, and it leapt again. He tried to circle behind it…and was smashed face-first into the ground.
This is it. The end has come…why bother resisting?
Skari squeezed his eyes shut tight and waited for death to come, only to open them a few seconds later to find that he was still alive. And not only that, but he had taken no damage at all. Meanwhile, his party members continued to pummel the ever-expanding King Chim Chim. With each blow, it puffed up larger and larger, until with a thunderous BOOM, it swelled too large and burst, showering the ground nearby with 50 Chim Spheres and a rare item called the Chim Crown.
The Adept Rogue had gotten up from the ground just in time to be crushed against it once more by the explosion, and bopped on the head by the Crown, to add insult to injury. Down he went once more, an bit of annoyance nagging at his mind.
It would almost have been comedic if it weren't happening to me. Why me?
This time, Aruna helped him up and presented him with 20 Chim Spheres and the Crown, with a grin.
"Here. Your share of the spoils, since you found that thing and it…uh, trampled you. Chim Spheres, basic power source of The World, for things like Steam Doors, Warp Points and something called a Mecha Grunty. Don't ask me what that last one is, I don't know. Knew there were Chim Chims in the field, but I didn't expect to run into a King so soon …you must have some pretty good luck."
Pretty good for getting myself into situations that I can't get out of, maybe. Oh, and for getting people to notice me when I don't want them to and abandon me otherwise. As for anything else…we'll see.
The Adept Rogue muttered his thanks with a weak smile, taking the Chim Spheres and putting them away. Movement caught his eye, and he turned to see light glinting from something in the distance. He narrowed his eyes, and could jut barely make out… a swarm of upright walking swords? Arano looked in the direction that seemed to have Skari so enraptured and ended up looking back at his comrades with a thin, nasty smile that promised great pain to come.
"Perfect, some Vak Bezels, basic creatures, really. Ready to do some damage?"
With that he took off into a run, rushing towards the mob of creatures, and chanting under his breath.
"Last one to land a blow gets none of the spoils from this swarm. Rue Kruz!"
Orbs of water manifested themselves out of the aether and hurtled towards the foes to soften them up for the melee attackers, the Tribal Grappler and the Adept Rogue, eliciting shrieks of pain as they caused pandemonium in the ranks. Water was, after all, strong against fire, and their magical defenses were none too good. Then the melee members closed ranks, charging into the fray with frenzied war cries, decimating the low-leveled opponents' defenses.
At least, that's what happened at first, before a group of monsters that had remained relatively unmolested unleashed a few Flame Dances at the hapless Adept Rogue, which would have done him in, except that the Tribal Grappler Aruna leapt to take the blow, defending himself against it with only a grunt issuing from his lips. Nodding in gratitude, Skari took the moment to strike at his otherwise preoccupied foes, scattering their data across the field with a few well-aimed strikes of his blades. When the battle was finished, he had leveled up again.
Almost high enough to use those new Twin Swords…
Looking around the battlefield, the trio picked up a few "Fire Storm" scrolls, which could be used even by the non-magically inclined to cast fire spells. The Tribal Grappler and Adept Rogue each took one, but left the majority with the Shadow Warlock, who could best put these to use, as he had the best magic bonus…and the monsters would get harder from here.
And they did. The next mob managed to blindside them instead of the other way around, and the trio was caught unprepared. Fortunately, it was just a bunch of Goblin Rookies that were easily enough dispatched…or would have been had it not been for sheer numbers. Skari found himself literally having to beat them off from jumping at him, doing a few somersaults here and there to avoid thrusts and slashes.
His feet beat out a tap dancing rhythm as he jumped up to avoid a sword aimed low and then kicked one of the goblins into another one, with Aruna joining him in that strategy until they were all clumped together.
"Vak Don!"
A massive fireball fell from the sky, crashing down into the clump of goblins and incinerating them with pitiful ease. The three congratulated each other, healed and kept going. For the most part, they were able to continue with contemptuous ease due to their strategy…until they came to a mob of Goblin Guards, much tougher foes, though still shaped much in the same way as the rookies, execeptthat they had shields.
Skari gulped, knowing that these creatures were a little—well, more than just a little—above his level, with about 3x the HP of Goblin Rookie, but raised his blades (now the Spin Kouga) anyway, just as Arano stretched out his hand.
To be honest, Skari was beginning to have a few second thoughts about choosing this field, even as, as—
"Zan Rom!"
Well, no time to worry about that now.
A tornado of wind burst forth from the Warlock's hand to strike at the mob, scattering them and leaving those that remained in a daze as the melee fighters rushed in. Skari thought it would be much like the other times, and spun about to attack the enemies about him…only to realize, to his dismay, that the Goblins had learned how to block and do combo attacks of their own.
One of them seemed likely to be using a summon spell to get help, and Skari dived at it, interrupting its casting, only to be slammed by the shield and hit by a blurred flurry of moves that shaved off a third of his HP.
Oh just great…I'm going to die here. There's no way I can beat all of these, and I didn't save, either.
"Zan Rom!"
Normally, Skari would have been grateful for the help, but not this time. This time, he was the victim of those oft-cursed words "friendly fire", as the tornado's fierce winds knocked him to the ground and battered him to within a sliver of his character's death. Muttering angrily to himself, he took a health drink to restore HP and then let himself go.
His frenzy was a thing of beauty to behold, his twin swords carving circles in the air as his long blue hair streamed out behind him, robes fluttering in the wind. Another Goblin rushed at him, but Skari leapt up this time, somersaulting forward and striking with left-right-left to carve the foe in twain. With Aruna at his side lashing out at anything that got past him, the tension meter soon filled. Looking at one another, they unleashed the feared Beast Awakening, during which their power and speed were increased, enough so that all could cause "Rengeki" where damage was heightened, EXP and GP were gained, and they were pretty much invincible.
"King Hammer!" cried Aruna, divine fists slamming Goblins left and right, herding them carefully towards Skari.
"Sword Dance!" was Skari's contribution to this affair, his blades a shining windmill of death and carnage, causing his foes to shrink backwards, until they were in between him and the Grappler, at which point—
"Gan Bolg!" chimed in Arano, the signal for Aruna and Skari to dive out of the way, as thin needles of earth lanced out, riddling the last remaining Goblin Guards with so many spines that they resembled nothing as much as pincushions.
Yes, they raised their shield-arms to block…with the result that those were pierced and broken, rendered useless for long enough for Skari to dance in and hack at the leftovers precisely in a cold fury. Even with a small remnant charging him one last time, they could not endure the maelstrom he brought to the field, crackling energies whirling about him, Spin Kouga spinning round and round, trapping opponents between blades and slicing them into submission.
Obviously, that voice in his head (the one that went: 'Center the target, pull the switch.') had guided him, and the other party members stepped back as they watched him rhythmically disembowel every last goblin to come his way, with Arano doing only required intervention with an occasional "Repth" skill to ensure their berserker didn't die.
Finally, it was over, and Skari was breathing hard, grinning insanely in the middle of the mob of mutilated goblins. It was a long and somewhat tense few seconds before the light in his eyes gradually returned to normal, with his glowing battle aura lingered for a few moments before turning golden and receding. He was finally level 8, almost on par with his battle companions, and it was about time too…the boss was next.
Aruna looked at him with a new measure of respect. Anyone who could fight like that was no doubt formidable in real life as well (and just a little terrifying). Obviously, he needed to stop underestimating people. He'd already done it twice now, once with…the kid he'd hit, and now with this Adept Rogue.
I guess that Arano's a little better at reading people, even if he is a geek.
"Onwards," intoned Skari in a surprisingly commanding voice. "We just need to face the boss, and then we'll be out of here."
A moment later he dropped to his hands and knees, having exerted himself a tad too much in that last battle. He could not speak, his breaths coming in short, shallow gasps as he remained there, prone. Arano had to pat him on the back once more, and try to talk him out of it.
"Calm down…breathe, just breathe. I can tell you're into this game, enough to frenzy yourself, but pull back for a moment, will you? Geez, you'll give yourself a heart-attack."
He said nothing more. There was nothing that could really be said, and for many minutes, the only sound to be heard in that field was labored breathing, before that finally faded back to a normal rhythm.
Eager to be of some use while his comrades recovered, Aruna decided to scavenge the field for anything of use from the last battle. He grunted to find only a few health drinks and a single Spin Corpse, a Twin Blade weapon that he handed to Skari. The health drinks he would need himself, since Tribal Grapplers were notorious for low HP.
When the breathing returned to normal, each member of the party restored themselves with what potions they required, whether HP, SP or otherwise. Thus fortified, they sought out the last boss: the Crumple Tree, a notoriously difficult monster in The World: R2 for anyone under level 10. Some might think it strange that a group of three would seek the last mob so fervently, but they were tired, and simply wanted to finish this.
Wandering through the field, they searched through the low places before finally climbing a hill to gain a better vantage point. Almost immediately, they spotted their quarry.
"There," said Arano, pointing at a trio of creatures at the bottom of the hill. "That's the Boss Mob."
These last creatures were gigantic walking tree stumps with faces on the side, lumbering about on four massive feet and capable of inflicting terrible damage to an unguarded party.
"That's a Crumple Tree?" hissed Aruna incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me. How the heck am I even going to damage that thing?"
He looked over at Skari to see his reaction, only to see the Adept Rogue brandishing his blades, an eerily intent look on his face.
"Lets finish this," was all that he said in the low, menacing tones of a man who means business.
Arano sighed and threw up his hands.
"As you wish, then."
He handed out a Fire Storm scroll to each of his compatriots, and signaled both of them to raise their hands much as he was doing, hopefully for the last time that night.
"Vak Don!"was the resounding cry from all three, as great balls of fire fire rained down from the sky to fall upon the giant walking trees.
An ear splitting roared of pain erupted from the monsters a moment later, as they retaliated in kind with a skill of their own, one known adequately as "Forest Rage!"
Battle had been joined, and without an alternative, it was either win—or die. Though their HP meters dropped quickly, Aruna and Skari charged in, attacking for all that they were worth. While Skari kept them all at bay with "Saber Dance", his Twin Swords glowing blue with power as they attempted to slice into the ever-resisting wood, Aruna used his speed and athleticism to get in close.
The Tribal Grappler dived to avoid a blow, rolling beneath one of the creatures and unleashing the "King Hammer" skill on its relatively unprotected underside. A fireball hit that one a moment later, and Skari followed up with a focused series of slashes that unleashed the wind itself to his aid. It turned an ashen gray and vanished, leaving two to defeat.
It was then that Aruna was trampled by one of the remaining Crumple Trees, his form unable to wriggle out from one of the massive feet. Point blank, a skill was unleashed on him, once…then again, and his character died. At least they were in a party, so there was still hope, even if not much. Even Skari and Arano, slashing and casting for all they were worth, could not hope to defeat two bosses on their own.
To their credit, they managed to defeat one with a "Triple Strike" and a "Rue Kruz"but that was truly the end. They were on the edge of death, with no more SP left, and still one boss. Still, they could not run away, so there was no alternative but to attack. They looked at one another grimly, in the manner of men knowing they were about to die, raised their weapons and—
"OrAni Zot! HuaRip Maen! LaHua Repth!"
Claws erupted from the ground and dragged the last Crumple Tree into a shadowy pit, from which it could not return. The three were stunned into stillness by shock and puzzlement, as that skill had NOT issued from any of them. Then a light flared first over Aruna's fallen form, reanimating it with vitality, and then shimmered over all of the party members, restoring their HP to max.
It was Skari who first recovered enough from his shock to look to the source of the shout. To his surprise, it was the small Harvest Cleric that he had seen earlier in Mac Anu, with the tousled grey hair, big blue eyes, and a small teardrop shaped tattoo on his left cheek.
"You…" he began, before words failed him.
"Rumor has it that PKs are headed this way. Best be leaving soon, before you encounter them."
With that, the mysterious spellcaster turning to go, though the Shadow Warlock Arano called after him, hoping to satisfy his curiosity,
"Wait. Who are you, and how did you know we needed rescuing?"
"You'd be surprised what you can learn from rumors. And I am merely one who revels in them."
Ignoring any further attempts to speak to him, Rumor walked onwards, vanishing from sight behind another hill. Warily, the three members of the party looked at each other, trying to figure out how the diminutive Harvest had found them…and how he had gotten so powerful. Shaking their heads, they collected the spoils in silence, deciding that rumor or not, they should get out of the area before PKs reached them.
"Thanks for having me, hope I wasn't too much of a burden," said Skari at last.
"You did well for your first time. Certainly better than Aruna here," quipped Arano, which earned him a noogie from the aforementioned player.
"Why you—?"
Skari intervened at that moment, his voice like a frozen blade of ice, causing the two to involuntarily take a step back and look at him.
"Enough. There's been enough fighting for one day, and we certainly don't need to fight one another as well. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't want to be here when the PKs get here."
Aruna grunted in assent, and released his hold on Arano. The Shadow Warlock rubbed his head and turned to Skari.
"Lets meet again in Mac Anu sometime soon then. You have our member addresses. Just this time… pick something a bit more manageable, alright?"
Skari rolled his eyes, chuckling at his own folly earlier in the day.
"Alright. Well, good night, guys."
"Good night."
The comrades in arms dissolved their party, and moments later, each of the three was encased by a spiral of golden light, whisking them away from the field and back to reality.
The note A in C Major was heard, a faint ripple appeared in the field, and then Δ Adoring Dusk's Generation returned to stillness once more.