FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION

By Thomas Knapp

Act Two- Scene Four

Exactly at the time designated, eight somewhat weary adventurers met at the town square once again. Harmon chirped somewhat too happily, "I must prepare for my second presentation here, so you trade notes while I do this." He smiled ruefully, "I rather committed myself to a presentation in the town-square."

Harmon pulled the boxes that he had Creed had lugged around into position on the grand statue steps, and began to set up his displays once again, disappearing ever so often into the cart to pull out several other articles he would need.

"That's actually a good thing." Midas noted, "His… display might occupy the attention of the people of Moros for the most part while we go hunting around the summoner cavern."

Yura seemed to jump slightly, then replied in disbelief, "You found it?"

Midas chuckled, then replied, "Yeah… you could say Trigger and I stumbled upon it." Noting Yura's dazed expression, he added, "Is something wrong, Yura?"

Yura shook her head, then said, "No… nothing at all…"

Creed spoke up, and said, "As much as I'd like to join you on this crusade into the depths of the earth, I probably should remain here. Part of Harmon's cover was that I was a peasant he hired to be an assistant, and such it might draw some concern if it is noticed that I am absent."

"All right…" Midas acknowledged. "Anyone else want to stay?"

"No! I'm coming! I have to!" Yura replied, "No one else can actually get the crystal."

"I shall wish to accompany you as well." Tamara replied, "I'm rather curious as to these crystals myself. Besides, you are unaware as to what might be waiting in the depths."

"I'll stick around…" Borz admitted, "I'm kinda curious as to the sort of things Harmon has to show…"

"Trigger… you're coming too." Midas ordered. The ninja glared, obviously unhappy with the demand, to which Midas walked over to him, and muttered, "I have NO idea what you were after, but the last thing we need is you running wild up here."

Trigger started to turn away, but Midas caught the ninja by the shoulder. Midas then whirled Trigger around the face him, and said sternly, "NO! We need EVERYONE to focus for this to be a success. The LAST person I expected to lose their cool is you. I need you on the same page as us, Trigger."

The ninja took two deep breaths, then slumped forward, nodding passively. It appeared that he was going to at least put whatever personal issues he had aside for the moment. With a sigh, Midas decided that was all he could ask for.

"All right… then let's move before things start to get really busy around here." Midas finished, noting that large throngs of people were already beginning to congregate around Harmon, and the unusual displays he was unpacking.

West Business District…

"This is the place?" Fredros asked when they stopped before the strange rock sculpture that was on display.

"Yes… this is it." Yura confirmed, "I can definitely sense the wards that the my predecessors used to mask the labyrinth's location."

"We already KNEW this was the place, Yura. Now we just have to go in." Midas replied. And he took the initiative, walking forward then turning quickly to warn, "Careful though, that first step's a doozy."

Once inside, Midas took his first good look at the labyrinth. His mind quickly drew the uncanny resemblance to the gothic mazes of yore, complete with strands of ivy and tree roots clinging to the aged and chipped stone. Trigger took the lead, scouting ahead like so many times before.

"Yura… why don't you stay in the back with Fredros?" Tamara suggested, "We need to make sure that you stay safe. I mean, we can't have you getting hurt…"

"Yes…" Yura retorted, "I know how concerned you are for my wellbeing."

"Regardless, Tamara has a point." Midas stepped in before the exchange heated any farther. "Just be careful when shooting, this is a pretty confined place."

"I understand, Midas. I wouldn't want my arrows hitting the people in front of me." The summoner cast a smile of sugarcoated hate in Tamara's direction.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Midas finally erupted, causing Fredros to nearly have a coronary. The Red Mage turned towards the two ladies, and said in a voice so angered that even Trigger cringed, "I have HAD IT with you two! You ladies will start treating each other in a SEMI-decent manner, do you understand me?"

Yura and Tamara simply stood in shocked silence while Midas continued his tirade. "I have a hard enough time getting the job done with you two bickering. No more threats… no more arguing… no more jealous commentary, out of EITHER of you, or I shall show you just how unpleasant of a person I can be!"

Fredros was the one to break the silence, gasping, "Oh my… that is a side of you I had no idea existed."

Midas snapped, "Stress does remarkable things to people… and my stress right now could be attributed to two young ladies who shall remain nameless…" After all, his glare identified them more than adequately.

The Red Mage stormed off after Trigger who had disappeared down the darkened hall, leaving three traveling companions totally motionless. It was debatable if Tamara even blinked for the next two minutes.

Fredros tried to press on but found that he was unable to squeeze between Yura and Tamara without touching things that a priest was forbidden to touch. "Um… you do realize that Midas is NOT waiting up… we shall need to catch him up rather quickly…"

"Right…" Yura droned, "He's done it before, and I think he's pissed off enough not to backtrack this time."

At that moment, Midas reappeared holding a makeshift torch no doubt brought about by a small Fire spell. "HURRY IT UP!" He bellowed, "WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"

In a daze, Tamara took up step next to Midas, Yura and Fredros close behind. They had to stick close since the labyrinth took many unexpected twists and turns and branches that would quickly cause the group to be separated.

"This is quite the maze, isn't it?" Tamara muttered in controlled amazement.

"That it is… even Trigger is getting baffled at times." Midas replied, pointing up to the slight movement in the darkness ahead of them that seemed to stop and turn expectantly.

At that moment, Tamara decided it wise to note, pointing to just off Midas's right, "Um… Midas… I don't know how to break this to you… but… Trigger's right there."

The Red Mage turned his head, and found himself looking directly at Trigger, who shrugged as if suggesting that he had been walking silently at Midas's side for a good long while.

"Question…" Midas asked, "Do I even WANT to know what I've been following for the last half hour?"

Yura quipped, "If this was anything like the cavern in Cairos… probably not."

Unfortunately, the creature decided that it wanted to make itself known, and lunged into the light. It was a spider-like monstrosity about 3 meters in height, with red, wart covered skin, and a series of yellow eyes arranged in 3 v-patterns. It hissed, appearing to threaten anyone who tried to pass with certain harm.

"What is that?" Midas asked.

"That is the… guardian of the labyrinth." Yura answered, "It guards the crystal."

"Well… you're the summoner… doesn't it recognize you?"

"This is part of the test to see if I am ready to handle the power the crystal grants." Yura said grimly, "We shall have to overcome the beast."

Fredros added grimly, "Yes… it would HAVE to be a test, would it not?"

"Well… It doesn't appear to be attacking us…" Tamara observed.

"It won't" Yura responded, "But if we want the crystal, we have to defeat it."

Midas drew his sword slowly, and the spider-creature crouched in preparation of the upcoming battle. The Red Mage assumed a fighting stance, noticing Trigger quickly following suit, and then finished, "Well… if we need to go through this thing, then that is what we will do."

Tamara nodded in agreement, taking up battle posture. Yura nocked an arrow, and Fredros prepared for whatever spells would be required.

"Trigger, Epsilon maneuver on my mark." Midas ordered, and the ninja nodded in understanding. "Yura, do you have any Eidolons that can cast Haste?"

"I do..." Yura replied.

"Great, that saves me the trouble, and I can do something else. Have that Eidolon of yours gear up first thing, then lobby some arrows once all of us clear out. Tamara, I'll have you lead us off with your Armor Break. Hopefully that'll give us an easier time of this."

The Red Mage then turned to Fredros, and said, "Fredros, hit Tamara with a Protect spell your first thing, and just work it around when you're not healing. We'll attack in waves after that."

The creature still made no move to attack, clearly waiting for its adversaries to take the initiative. Midas noticed this, and thus made sure that his allies were ready before he shouted, "MARK!"

Tamara jumped forward as she felt herself being surrounded by Fredros's Protective energies. Soon later, a humanoid Eidolon appeared, with wings on his feet and head. Soon after, the adventurers felt the surging power that increased their speed by twice what was normal. A Blizzara spell from Midas hit just as Tamara connected with her Armor Break technique. Once done, Trigger tossed a shuriken that hit the beast right underneath the bottom row of eyes, followed by Midas's own sword swipe. Finally Midas jumped aside as Yura fired an arrow that struck its mark on the beast's underbelly.

The beast was definitely wounded, but not killed, as it reared back, and finally made an attack of its own, spitting thick strands of silk that entombed the five warriors, sticking them firmly in place.

"Oh… this is an unexpected twist…" Midas commented. Movement was near impossible in the web they now found themselves inside, noting the spider beast casually making its way forward, "This is not what would be called a positive scenario…"

"Hold on…" Tamara grunted, "I think I can… GOT IT!" She flipped one of the clasps on her field plate armor, and slid her arm out of the metal. Five clasps later, Tamara lunged out of her armoring, grabbing her sword in the process, and rolling to her feet, coming in on the attack.

Midas noticed this, and cast another Blizzara spell, this time focused onto Tamara's sword as she began to swing down with the weapon onto the creature that was totally taken off guard by the sudden counterattack. It looked up at Tamara, but was unable to bring up any sort of defense.

Tamara swung down, aimed at the creature's bulbous head, but the blade stopped its descent just a hair from striking. There was an eerie silence through the chamber as neither woman nor beast moved, and finally Tamara said with a triumphant smile, "Step aside."

With a movement that seemed like a nod, the spider ate the webbing it had just spit from around the warriors as well as Tamara's armor. While Tamara put the articles back on, the spider slid off into the darkness of the cavern, leaving the path onward clear.

"Well… don't that beat all…" Midas commented as it disappeared.

"From its actions before and during the conflict, I realized that it possessed a considerable intelligence… enough to realize that it was defeated. There was no sense killing such a creature, especially considering that it was merely doing its duty."

To see Yura's face at that moment would have revealed an emotion that she had never directed towards Tamara. Yura was duly impressed. "I never realized that… it makes me rather sad considering… what Karma and I did to the guardian in Cairos…" Suddenly, she flushed in embarrassment.

"Well done, Tamara. I would have never thought of that. It's a good thing you did, because I'd like to avoid killing as many people or things as possible during this quest. This world has seen enough of that for TEN generations."

Tamara smiled, agreeing for the most part. "Well… casualties are going to be inevitable, but I think I know what you mean."

Trigger tapped Midas on the shoulder, and pointed down the corridor, towards what must be the crystal chamber. Midas nodded, and addressed, "Yes… let's get the crystal, and book it out of Moros. Let's not overstay our welcome."

"You call this WELCOME?" Fredros cracked as he followed the Red Mage. After about 100 meters, they emerged into a large cavern that was bathed in a burning red glow.

"The Crystal of Fire…" Yura gasped, stepping forward slowly as if afraid that the light would singe. With trepidation, she grasped the crystal, and dropped it into a battered leather satchel at her side. "2 down… 3 to go!"

Back outside the Cavern…

Midas was expecting it to be night by the time they exited the labyrinth. They had left to find the crystal as evening began, and it had taken them several hours to FIND it, much less find the entrance to the cavern again.

What he hadn't been expecting was a full regiment of Moros soldiers waiting for them.

A full 100 Moros guards stood either with swords or some of the smaller infantry cannons as the five emerged, headed by a figure that Midas knew only through description; Gregorian, mastermind of the Rational Revolution.

It appeared that Gregorian recognized him as well, for the middle-aged man sneered, "Well… if it isn't KING Midas. I told that idiot king to keep his pants zipped, but no… he lusts after some magic girl…" As his eyes scanned the crowd, he paused, nearly gasping as his eyes fell upon Tamara.

"Tamara… I can't say I'm terribly surprised to see you here. I can see the rebellious nature that led you to run the first time has tossed you into this group of brigands." The Rationalist leader said.

"It has nothing to do with my 'rebellious nature' as opposed to your oppressive hand." Tamara shot back. "I will NOT be your little pawn, father."

"FATHER?" Midas gaped. "That… thing… is your FATHER?"

"Unfortunately." Tamara muttered.

"I will NOT have you talk about me that way." Gregorian snapped, "Unless you wish to join these… pirates in a formal execution, you will come with me. I am quite certain that North Landing would be willing to forgive your transgressions, and allow you to marry into the court…"

Tamara grinned (you know, the one that could cause even the most level headed man to cringe), and threw her arm around Midas's shoulder. With a sultry voice, she retorted, "I'm sorry, but I've already given myself to someone else…"

Gregorian let the implication sink in, and said nothing. He tried to open his mouth, but nothing came out. He tried again, but still nothing emerged from his throat. Meanwhile, three different expressions tried to impose themselves on Midas's face. Finally they all agreed to share, and bunched together in a jumbled mess.

In was in the ensuing awkward silence, a shrill voice shouted, "VANISH!"

There was sudden panic as soldiers whirled around, and Midas then realized they were looking for him and his friends. Glancing back towards the town limits, he saw Borz motioning frantically.

Midas bolted, and the rest eventually got the hint. Gregorian tried to organize the troops, but never seeing such spells before, were very unsure as what to do. The confusion led to the quick and harmless getaway.

Midas clapped Borz on the shoulder, and said, "You are a lifesaver, Borz."

"Thanks!" The Black Mage chirped happily, then turned an accusing finger towards Creed, "HE wanted to just leave you guys hanging when the soldiers started turning up."

Creed snorted, "I figured you five could handle it. Harmon and little man decided that they wanted to save the day."

"Laying low was probably the smart thing to do." Midas acknowledged, "But I'm glad you guys didn't. So… where to next?"

"We must return to Cairos." Harmon spoke up. "I have a ship prepared to take us to North Landing. That should be the next step in our plan."

Midas took a glance at Tamara, and the knight frowned slightly, but nodded assent nonetheless. The Red Mage then looked back, and said, "All right… North Landing it is. Now let's get out of here before this Vanish spell wears off…"

End Scene Four