FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION
By Thomas Knapp
Act Five- Scene Two
Cid sighed as Midas awoke once again. There was little doubt that Midas had been successful in the trial… the gleaming white horn protruding from the young man's forehead was enough proof of that.
Midas noted Cid's less than pleased body language, and was somewhat confused. "What's wrong, old man? I passed… didn't I?" Midas felt his forehead, affirming that he had indeed passed the summoner's trial.
"Yes, Midas… you achieved the desired results." Cid replied, "And… that is part of the problem."
"How so?"
The Outlaw elder shook his head, and said, "I had trained you as a Red Mage in the hopes that you would never have to explore this aspect of your heritage. Being a Summoner, especially now… is not an easy task. Yura, I'm certain, would have attested to that. The weight of this world is on your shoulders now, a burden I do not envy you."
"But if I had failed…"
The elder raised his hand in resignation, "I know… this is the only chance we all have. But it isn't easy watching the person who has been closest to a son to me walk off on this perilous journey. It's totally irrational… but I somewhat wanted you to fail."
The Red Mage turned Summoner smiled slightly, and said with a hint of sadness, "I know. Your guidance wasn't necessarily the most supportive." With that, the blonde man sat up on the cot, then stood. "Well… I am off to see my mother. Wish me luck."
As Midas started to leave, Cid began to chuckle, "In your current state… you'd need an awful lot of luck."
This caused Midas to pause, and glance in Cid's direction, "Excuse me?"
The chuckle burst forth into an amused laugh, and the elder took several seconds to calm himself. "First… Karma can use all the energy she has drained from this world against you, INCLUDING your seven comrades in arms. Are you particularly keen on fighting all seven of them at once?"
Midas cringed at that prospect. With that realization, Cid added, "Second… how do you expect to summon Eidolons when none are aligned to you?"
Midas blinked. Talking to Yura had placed him under the impression that Eidolons immediately aligned to a Summoner upon passing the trial.
Catching onto this confusion, Cid explained, "You must disregard anything Yura told you about summoners at this point in time. When Karma fused with Alexander, she instantly monopolized every Eidolon that has ever been summoned."
Midas simply kept blinking, letting this recent news mull about in his brain. Finally he exploded, "Then what is the point in becoming a Summoner if all the Eidolons are under Karma's control?"
Cid waved a finger to correct Midas. "Young man… I never said ALL Eidolons were monopolized by Karma." Then the elder said dejectedly, "Which is one of the reasons I do not envy the burden you must bear."
Midas dropped to one knee in front of Cid, gripping the elder's shoulders. "Out with it! Where are there Eidolons that I can use?"
"They won't be easy to align with you… as a matter of fact, I'd wager it would be outright impossible."
"I've done some supposedly impossible things before, Cid. You're are worrying me so far." Midas snorted, unimpressed.
Cid raised an eyebrow, and retorted, "Well, I haven't even explained anything yet." He pursed his lips thoughtfully, as if trying to remember the story. "When the world was still in its infancy, the creator god charged the Eidolons to work with the earth, and be one with the summoners that he had chosen to rule creation."
The elder looked down at his hands, and continued, "Many of the Eidolons did as the creator god beckoned. Their powers tended to work along the lines of healing and beneficial effects, and they were called Light Eidolons."
Midas nodded. Yura had explained countless times, getting quite frustrated after a while, that her summons had very little offensive capability.
The elder then added, "However, there were a select few Eidolons that did not wish to align themselves with mortal kind. They felt it was an affront to their incredible power. These Eidolons possessed frightening destructive capabilities, and were called Dark Eidolons."
Cid looked in concern at Midas, and warned, "The leader of these Dark Eidolons was called Hades, and his power rivaled that of Alexander himself. To nip any potential problem in the bud, so to speak, the creator god cursed the Dark Eidolons to a physical form, and cast them onto a secluded part of the world, far out on the Great Outer Sea. To this day, the Dark Eidolons resided on that secluded island, waiting for the chance to strike back at the one who banished them."
"THAT is your first quest, dear Midas, and it is not an easy one. You must travel to the Dark Eidolon Isle, and somehow convince the proud Eidolons there that they should align with you. It will likely be an impossible task. However, if you can get Hades' power… it is feasible that you can break Karma's hold on your friends, as well as counter the scrambling of your magical abilities. It is quite likely that Hades' power is the only thing that could challenge Alexander at this point."
Midas shrugged, "Well… if that is our only option… then I guess it has to be done. How do I get to this Dark Eidolon Isle?"
Cid pointed to the caves that lied just east of the Outlaw's camp. "In the deepest part of the cave, is a warded portal, visible only to summoners. It will take you to the shore of the Dark Eidolon Isle."
Midas rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "If these Dark Eidolons were so dangerous… why create a portal to their island?"
Cid flushed, and answered, "I made that portal… when I was young and stupid. I thought I could convince the Dark Eidolons to join their brethren in aid of the summoners. I barely made it out alive."
"Sounds wonderful." Midas mused, "Well, before you freak me out too much, I better get this crazy adventure underway."
Dark Eidolon Isle, Great Outer Sea…
Midas was unceremoniously dumped onto a blacked beach, and he stood, looking out to the ocean. The sea surrounding the scorched sand was a deep navy blue, as if a dark infection was plaguing the waters.
Turning to face the interior of the island, he noted the dark, foreboding thunderheads floating completely stationary over the center of the island. The island itself was almost a uniform shade of black. The trees were stripped totally barren, all signs of life burned away.
He quickly found one possible source of the devastation. From the thunderheads emerged a large metallic colored dragon, it's powerful wings crunched close to its torso as it plunged to the island. As it reached the tops of the seared trees, the wings thrust out, catching an updraft of wind.
The dragon flapped twice, its immense body blocking out what little light forced its way through the clouds. The mighty beast let out an ear-splitting roar of anger and frustration, then spit a screaming ball of blue-white energy above Midas. The flaming orb struck the surface of the water, burning a steaming swath into the ocean that took a half-second to settle to normal.
Midas, in awe of the display, suddenly felt very uncomfortable proceeding. Cid had not been exaggerating the frightening power of these Dark Eidolons. It became painfully obvious to the former Red Mage that there would be no way he'd be able to use force to overcome them… he'd have to be cunning.
Stepping forward off the beach, he felt the ground become firmer, and even more black than the beach. Lifeless, burned trees lined what looked to be a haphazard path. Midas wasn't even sure if he was heading in the right direction, but his instincts were leading him towards the center of the island, and his instincts had proven to be quite correct in the past.
Movement in the devastated forest drew Midas's attention, and he whirled to his right, sword at the ready, at the same time wondering if it would do any good. Fortunately, whatever it was didn't appear to be after him, disappearing with disturbing speed towards the island's center. Midas couldn't be certain, but he had the nagging suspicion that whatever it was had three heads.
Midas continued once again, when he felt a slight shift in the movement of the wind. He turned about to see a strange translucent figure approaching him rapidly. He charged, swinging out with his sword in the process… and cut right through the phantasmal shape.
The apparition continued on its way, totally ignoring Midas, not the least bit harmed or bothered by his attack. Somewhat perturbed by this, Midas started off towards the island's center once again. Another figure emerged on the side of the path, a green skinned, decaying humanoid figure. It lurched slowly, each step releasing a plume of greenish smoke. Taking a page out of Trigger's book, Midas threw his sword at the strange being.
His toss wasn't nearly as accurate as Trigger's would have been. Rather than the sharp blade sinking into the foe's flesh, it was the hilt that would have connected, had it not passed through the creature and thudded against the tree next to it. The green humanoid lumbered ahead towards the center of the isle, appearing to not even notice the Red Mage's attack.
Now Midas was getting angry. So what if his attempts to attack the strange beings were totally ineffectual? They could at least ACKNOWLEDGE his existence. So it was a rather upset Midas who finally emerged into a large clearing marked with a bonfire.
All the strange creatures that he had seen were waiting. They were all standing before looming stone obelisks (or in the case of the dragon he had seen earlier, behind it) each adorned with a saucer sized black gem imbedded into the obelisks at about eye level.
At the far end of the clearing, sat a large throne that shined with golden hues and red velvet seating, clashing drastically with the bleak colors of the rest of the island. In the throne sat a normal looking man. Well, maybe not so normal with his pale skin and black armoring, but as things have been going, the man was more normal than most everything else as of late.
"So… the would be conqueror of the Dark Eidolons has arrived." The man said slowly, rolling to his feet. Midas merely followed with his eyes as the pale skinned man walked in a tight circle around him. The man fingered Midas's robe, and drawled, "Did you think dressing as a Red Mage would hide what you truly are?"
The armored figure stepped away, through the bonfire, and back to his throne. Turning about, he lifted his hand, and Midas's blonde locks suddenly flared upward, the horn on his forehead glimmering pale blue. The Eidolons circling the clearing began to jeer as the pale man shouted. "DO YOU THINK YOU CAN FOOL US SO EASILY?"
"You must be Hades." Midas answered simply.
"That is LORD Hades to you, mortal." Hades scoffed, "The only reason I can think that a Summoner would come here is because he is either desperate or stupid."
Midas smirked, and said, "I've been accused of being both, and right now I suppose I am. I am sure you are aware of what is occurring. To be quite frank, I need your help."
The jeering Eidolons only became louder, and even Lord Hades found it had to keep his composure. This approach was obviously not something he heard every day. Midas decided this was good. The more he kept Hades and the other Eidolons off guard, the better chance he had.
Finally Hades scowled sadistically, saying, "And why should we help you?"
"Well, because as I understand the story, you and your little buddies here have been cursed with a material form. If this world goes down… all of you go down with it."
The jeering paused. It didn't appear that the Eidolons had thought of that. The silence was replaced with a series of incomprehensible concerned murmurs. Midas smiled, realizing that he at least had their attention, and lent some gravity to the proceedings.
Hades, on the other hand, didn't seem particularly concerned. "Oblivion might just be favorable to this accursed existence."
Midas motioned to the circle of Eidolons, and their now hushed whispers. "I don't think they share your positive outlook." Then, with a bolt of inspiration, Midas decided to add a little more to the pot. Cid implied that the Dark Eidolons were a proud lot, and Midas decided it might be a good idea to play on that pride. "Besides, I understand that your power equals Alexander's, Lord Hades. I can't imagine that you'd be willing to sit this out without trying your hand at the Guardian of the World. Unless… all the myths of your power were just that… MYTHS."
The Dark Eidolon Lord's eyes narrowed, and his scowl became even more pronounced. It was evident he did not like what Midas had just implied. "Are you calling me a coward, foolish Summoner? That's not a particularly wise thing to do."
Midas raised an eyebrow, and shrugged rather smugly. He had definitely hit a nerve. "I called you nothing. However you wish to take my words is not my concern. However… I am not the one moping on a desolate island far away from the action."
That DEFINITELY got to Hades. He jumped up from his throne, fists clenched in rage. "IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THIS! DO YOU THINK I WANT TO BE HERE?" The other Dark Eidolons started to howl and scream, adequately relaying their dislike of their current accommodations.
Midas smirked. The more disconcerted Hades was, the more likely the Eidolon would make a mistake. Midas finally stated, "Well then… if you want to get your chance at Alexander, and don't wish to be here, I suppose you only have one real option."
Hades blinked, realizing the corner that he had been backed into. Hades fumed, apparently not liking how he had lost control of this meeting. No doubt the humiliation of being outsmarted by a mere mortal was not the most pleasant thing he had to deal with recently. Finally, Hades' features softened, and he smiled in a way that Midas did not like.
The Dark Eidolon Lord lifted his hands, extinguishing the flames of the bonfire. The clearing didn't darken any, suggesting that the fire itself probably was as bound to the material plane as the Eidolons themselves.
"We'll need an open playing field for this, you see." Hades explained; a black blade dancing with purple flames magically appearing in his hand. "Perhaps you are right, maybe it is time that we align with mortals to achieve a mutual goal. However, I am not going to give control of our powers to just any mere Summoner. You're going to have to prove you are worthy of us."
Midas decided that he definitely did not like the path of this conversation. Hades had once again taken control of the issue, and was going to take full advantage. "And how do I go about that?"
Hades once again manipulated the surrounding air, causing the scabbard holding Midas's sword to flap against Midas's side. "I see you have a sword there. Why don't you use it? First one to yield is the loser."
Midas paused. While he was more skilled of a swordsman than just about everyone (those countless duels with Tamara counted for something), he had no delusions that his experience paled in comparison to the near eternal existence of Lord Hades. Added to the fact that he doubted he had as much of a chance at wounding the Eidolon Lord as he had with any of Hades' little cronies, Midas knew this was a test he couldn't hope to win. No doubt Hades knew this.
Midas refused to let any of his doubts show however. Almost passively, he shrugged, "Very well, I suppose I have no choice." The former Red Mage drew his sword, and the two combatants readied themselves.
Hades gave no warning to start the duel, nor did Midas expect one. However, ready as he was, the Eidolon's first strike sent shivers down Midas's sword arm, the sting so bad that he barely deflected the second blow enough to prevent it from severing limbs that he particularly wanted to keep. As it was, the blade bit into Midas's forearm, drawing a thin gash.
The other Eidolons' cheered at the sight of the mortal's blood, and that caused Hades to smile viciously, continuing his attack. The blade started low, then feinted high, moving so quickly that Midas couldn't block the blow, settling with merely leaning back, the flaming blade slashing a shallow red line in Midas's cheek.
The wounds stung like they had been injected with acid. Through the pain, he reacted merely through instinct, jumping away from another swipe that promised a world of pain had he happened to be in its path. However, he stumbled on a rock, falling to one knee before Hades.
The Dark Eidolon Lord smiled victoriously, and he said condescendingly, "Perhaps you aren't the right one for us after all. A bit of a pity… I rather liked your courage."
It was at that point that Midas noticed the shining black jewel resting in the stone obelisk behind Hades' throne. Cid had said that the Dark Eidolon's had been cursed with a material form, but from what he had seen he highly doubted that the shape they were showing him were it.
It was a desperate gambit, but one he had to take. It seemed odd that the Eidolons appeared very protective of the jewels mounted in the stone, and if that wasn't it… well, he was rather up a creek anyway.
Focusing the rampant magical energies, and hoping to the creator god that he didn't kill himself in the process, he shouted, "Blizzard!"
The icy energy leaped from Midas's hand uncontrollably, but that wasn't Midas's concern. He had no intent of harming Hades with the energy even if it was possible to do so. He did discover that it had the intended effect. Hades had assumed that Midas had worn the Red Mage robe as a disguise, and so when the Blizzard spell, even as mucked up as it had been, flashed before his eyes, he had been taken completely by surprise. This gave Midas the split second he needed to jump to his feet, and take off full speed at his target.
At first, Hades had thought that Midas was running away, so he didn't immediately pursue, content on laughing derisively. Once the Dark Eidolon caught on to Midas's plan, it was simply too late for Hades to react. The Eidolon was so overcome with disbelief that he couldn't even speak as Midas sword plunged for the jewel, then stopping a centimeter short of the target.
The clearing went dead silent, the other Eidolons not even whispering anymore. Midas clearly heard Hades exhale in relief. It became apparent that the Dark Eidolon Lord was not NEARLY as keen about the concept of oblivion as he had let on earlier. With a resigned sigh, he said, "All right. I yield."
Midas wasn't about to show how frayed his nerves were, but his heart was pounding so hard he was almost certain the Eidolons could hear it. The only thing that comforted him was that Hades was probably just as unnerved.
The Eidolon Lord pushed Midas aside, and slumped into his throne almost dejectedly. However, Hades voice didn't indicate any sort of negative emotion. As a matter of fact, he seemed… excited.
"It's about time we got off this rock. And you were right, I've been wanting to lock horns with Alexander for a while, but I needed to make sure that I aligned with the right person. You've got all the tools, together we'll be unstoppable."
The sudden change of attitude took Midas aback. Sensing this, Hades pointed Midas to one of the crystals imbedded in stone, and ordered, "Touch the jewels, let the Eidolons align with you, and let's get out of here. I've been cooped up in this hellhole for too long."
Midas only partly heard what the Eidolon Lord was saying. As if on autopilot, Midas strode up to the stone obelisk, placing his hand on the onyx crystal. An image of the green skinned human-like creature flashed before his eyes, and the phantasm sitting before the stone tower disappeared.
"Ghoul." Hades explained, "He has a tendency to cause rather ill effects towards opponents that happen near him. I think it's because he smells so bad."
The next obelisk bore the ghostly apparition that Midas WOULD have sliced in half had it been a normal being. Hades stated, "That is Phantom. If you need to get in somewhere without being easily detected, he's the one to call… his invisibility enchantment can't even be dispelled."
Midas nodded appreciatively. His recent adventures had given him newfound respect for what he had previously deemed dirty tricks. It was not going to be at all easy from this point on, and he was going to take any advantage he could get.
The next jewel was the physical form of the three-headed canine-like monster that had basically left Midas eating dust earlier. "That is Cerberus. He can either give you a significant boost in your reaction time, or he can bite your adversary's head off. Depends on his mood." Hades finished that line of thought with a shrug.
From there the massive hulk of a dragon loomed behind the stone obelisk, the dragon towering over even that large tower of rock by a good 20 meters. "Bahamut. He is one nasty character when he's irritated, which lately has been about all the time. Ever tried to duck boulder sized streaks of energy that are as hot as the sun for about 10 thousand years?" When Midas shook his head, Hades replied, "I don't recommend it. It isn't fun."
"I'll bet." Midas quipped. Finally he stood before Hades, but then noted that the jewel corresponding to Hades' material form was no longer there. The Dark Eidolon held out his hand, and Midas noted that it looked exactly the same as all the other jewels, only this one was roughly a centimeter in diameter.
Hades offered the small object again, and as Midas examined it carefully, stated, "Well… I had to make it something you could ingest after all."
Midas blinked. "Did you just say… ingest?"
Hades frowned, "Why? Was I unclear?"
"You want me to EAT this?"
"That's generally what ingest means." Hades seemed to be growing increasingly concerned with where this conversation was going.
"WHY?" Midas finally asked incredulously.
Hades was FINALLY getting the gist of Midas's query. It wasn't sheer stupidity, just lack of knowledge. "Right… you Summoners aren't taught about that anymore. Sorry. Well, if you think that you'll be able to oust Alexander by merely summoning my essence every so often, you're more of an idiot than I initially assumed you were."
Now Midas was catching on. He remembered Karma and Alexander, what had happened. Alexander's essence had went into Karma's mouth, and then…
"You want us to fuse like Karma and Alexander did." Midas concluded.
"It's the only way." Hades answered, "You'll need every ounce of my power, as well as a considerable amount of luck, to turn the tables at this point. I'm putting my power in your hands. I'm not fond of the idea, but I think you'll do all right."
Midas regarded the tiny crystal suspiciously one more time, then with a shrug popped it in his mouth. It hurt like all hell going down, and for a moment, he wondered if anything had happened.
At that moment, a pang of searing pain ripped through his body, and he fell to his knees clutching his stomach. It was so agonizing the fact that his robe tore to shreds barely registered. It felt like something was trying to seep out of his pores, and he wasn't far from the truth. A black metallic substance oozed over every part of his body from the neck down. When the pain subsided, he quickly realized that he was clad in a suit of armor that looked exactly like what Hades wore. He also noted that Hades phantasmal projection had disappeared.
It looks good on you.
"Hades?" Midas asked, whirling around.
I'm part of you now. You're hearing me in your own consciousness. And by the way, it's probably a good idea not to talk to me. I can hear your thoughts perfectly well, and talking to something that no one else can detect is not a good way to keep a good reputation.
'I understand.' Midas thought. 'It's going to be interesting, won't it?'
Indeed it will. As I mentioned, I'm not too keen about being the pawn of a mortal, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, you have guts. Not many people would be willing to go to this island, much less duel me to gain my power.
There was a moment of silence, then Hades asked, Okay boss… where are we headed?
Enhanced with the abilities of the Dark Eidolon Lord, Midas could suddenly feel seven life forces that he quickly tagged as his captured allies. He already knew where Borz was, and it probably made sense to free him first, but his attention was turned towards Cairos. He really wanted to go there first. Besides, he doubted Borz was going anywhere anytime soon.
Meanwhile, in Alexander's Tower…
Tarsis had noticed some pretty random mood swings from Karma, especially after fusing with Alexander, but when she suddenly burst out laughing spitefully, it came across as odd even under the circumstances.
"I can not believe this…" Karma howled, but her tone carried no cheer, "My own SON has banded the Dark Eidolons against me!"
Tarsis appeared to analyze the news thoughtfully, then said, "Maybe he took offense to you stealing the very life out of his friends, milady."
"But WHY, Tarsis… WHY?" Karma demanded, grabbing Tarsis by the collar. "Why do people STILL try to revolt against those with power? WHY must mortals continue to fight, even when they the chances are stacked totally against them?"
Tarsis was never sure just how much Karma was in control of Alexander, and moments like these did not particularly comfort him. "Perhaps it is merely the human condition, milady."
"Yes… the human condition." Karma sighed, leaning back on the luxurious bed that had been basically slaved over for her by several dying craftsmen. "Leave me, Tarsis. I grow weary of contemplating mortal fallacies."
The mercenary nodded, and excused himself from Karma's chambers. "Humans will always rail against anyone that they think is dominating them." He hissed softly, "And milady, you are the most dominating wench that has ever graced this world." Tarsis strode down the steps to the servant rooms with a cheerful whistle. He could count on plenty more battles in the future, one of the few things that gave him any amount of joy as of late.
End Scene Two