"TARSIS!" Karma bellowed
from her chambers in Alexander's Tower. With all due haste, the mercenary rushed up the flights of stairs to
where she waited.
"You
summoned me, milady?" Tarsis asked genially.
"My son has freed all but one of his allies! Sacred and Minotaur can no longer do your dirty work!" She complained, "I wish to know what you plan to do to make sure Midas goes NO further!"
Tarsis
grinned evilly, "Lady Karma, let me assure you… Midas WILL NOT free
Fredros. I have waited TOO long to see
the former High Priest getting what he deserves. I will not fail you."
"You
better not!" Karma warned, "The time for my ascension draws near. We cannot allow ANYTHING to go wrong as the
critical moment approaches. I must
prepare for my greatest triumph. I
leave all events on this… crude, physical realm in your hands."
"I
give you my word. You shall succeed, I
will INSURE it."
Karma
did not reply. Instead, she pushed by
Tarsis, and strode up the steps swiftly to the roof of the tower. Tarsis frowned, trying to think of a way to
back up his brave words…
Midas silently peered over the deck as the airship continued to try and find a decent place to land. Finally reaching his limit, he asked, "Harmon, this thing looks like a ship… Why can't we just take to the water, and pull up on a shore?"
Harmon
regarded the former Red Mage like Midas was the foremost idiot on the face of
the earth. Slowly, Harmon said, "This
vessel is designed to handle high wind speeds. This means that there are tiny cracks in each plank of the hull to allow
air to move through rather than make its own way. If we were to touch down on the surface, we would take on water
in a frightening hurry."
"All
right!" Midas threw up his hands in frustration, "Forget I said ANYTHING!" He then slouched against the rail again,
visibly sulking.
"You
said something?" Harmon asked quizzically, scratching his head.
With
an anguished howl, Midas retreated below decks, his booted feet loudly echoing
through the corridor, and to the deck above.
Perturbed
by Midas behavior, he quickly spoke to Creed. "Why has Midas been acting so agitated all of a sudden?"
Creed
scoffed, "What do you mean, all of a sudden? He's been like this for a while."
Borz
nodded, "You shoulda seen what he did to those two beast men Eidolons before we
rescued you. He was not himself at
all. True, he was under Trance, but
even then…"
"I've
never witnessed him THAT violent." Tamara finished, striding over to the
impromptu meeting. "Midas has a lot of
things on this mind, and he obviously isn't too keen on discussing what's
bothering him with us." She looked across the deck to the staircase leading
down, and added to herself, 'But I think I can guess…'
Micho finally found a place to set the flying craft down, but Midas didn't seem particularly pleased even with that, mumbling something about letting every possible adversary on the entire set of islands know they were there.
As
it was, they had to land far on the other side of the island from where Fredros
likely was, and it was very likely that Karma would have EVERY available
defense ready. No one doubted that the
Dragoon was going to sit back idly anymore.
"What
is your problem, Midas?" Tamara finally demanded, "You've been completely anal
ever since we saw Wodensland on the horizon."
Midas
whirled about, fist clenching impatiently, "Because I don't think we should be
here!"
The
ensuing silence said a lot. No one
could honestly believe what had just been said. "That's utterly preposterous." Harmon finally noted, "If we
challenge Karma while she has possession of Fredros's white magic, we might
NEVER succeed in defeating her."
"Hold
on, guys." Borz interrupted, "Midas SORTA has a point."
Now
the stunned attention was turned to the moogle mage. "I mean… Fredros had dedicated his life to Alexander. Now… it turns out that Alexander was the one
responsible for all the trouble we've had. I don't know if it is fair to drag Fredros into a world where everything
he's ever stood for… was a lie."
This
put a new scope onto the discussion. It
was evident that only a couple people had thought of that. Midas decided to let them think that was his
main reason for hesitation.
Your hesitation is… understandable. Hades stated simply. To
complete your goal, you must…
'I KNOW what I must do, Hades.' Midas
interceded with a mental hiss, 'Even if I don't like it. My personal desires must take a back seat to
the many.'
Speaking
up, Midas said, "Regardless, Borz… we have to at least try. HOWEVER, I think all off us will agree not
to put as much pressure on him as we have on each other."
The
rest of the party nodded in agreement. As they prepared to press on, the sound of a screaming moogle came
closer and closer to their position. From the underbrush to their north, the moogle in question burst into
the clearing at full speed.
Coming
to a surprisingly agile stop directly in front of Borz, it began rapidly
chattering, mouth moving so fast that quickly Midas wasn't able to tell which
"Po" went with which "Ku".
Finally,
Borz flipped out, and he began panicking just as violently as the moogle
talking to him. "NO! This isn't true! It simply ISN'T!"
"What
isn't true?" Creed asked suspiciously.
Borz
went from crazed to anguished in the bat of an eyelid. Suddenly sobbing, the Black Mage managed to
squeak out. "The matriarch… she's…
fading away."
"Fading
away?" Tamara queried, "You mean she's dying?"
"Sorta
like that." Borz affirmed, but went further with an explanation. "Moogles are in essence sprites. Our life forces are inescapably bound to the
magic forces of the planet. With Karma
draining all power from this world… the moogles will start to disappear. The matriarch was weak and somewhat frail
even when I was really little… no doubt she'd be one of the first to fall."
"Where
is the matriarch now?" Midas queried.
"At
the moogle village." Borz answered after querying the messenger. "But it's totally out of our way…"
"We
can spare a day or so to visit the matriarch. Tell your friend to deliver a message that we shall soon be there, and
that she better not give up yet." Midas ordered. After all… he was for anything that postponed the inevitable…
"You
need not have come, little one." The Matriarch commented weakly.
With
tears flooding his vision, Borz replied, "How could I not… knowing the mother
of my kind was in her last hours?"
"There…
are more important things… that you could be doing."
"We
have time." Midas announced from the entrance to the cave.
The
aged moogle lifted her head slightly, and said, "The new summoner… Can you come
to me? I feel we need to talk…
immediately…"
Midas
didn't immediately proceed with her request. He didn't like the aged sprite's uncanny ability to strip bare what lied
in any being's soul. Nonetheless, he
didn't want to appear disrespectful, so he approached tentatively.
"Borz,
could you… excuse us for a moment?" The matriarch requested. Midas swore he saw the elderly moogle almost
flicker like a candle a second later. Reluctantly, Borz slid out of the cave, glancing back one last time at
the matriarch.
Once
alone, the sprite quipped, "Hades… I see you are… doing well."
Yes… The Eidolon Lord answered slowly. As
well as can be expected anyway…
"Midas, I see that you did indeed… embrace the forces that are needed to topple Alexander. However, the turmoil… in your heart prevents you… from using it to it's fullest."
"I… don't think I can do it." Midas admitted.
The matriarch sighed, "I… suppose I can… understand… But, you must perform the destiny granted to you… by the great god above, and then… just have faith…"
The aged moogle coughed twice, then said, "My time… grows short. Please call Borz back in. After you do that, I have something for you."
Midas complied, and when the Black Mage reentered, the Matriarch directed, "On the second carved cubby… on the west wall, you will… find a box that had been sealed for use… by the Dark Summoner only."
Midas went to fulfill this task, the elderly sprite turned to Borz, "Little one… I am so… proud of you. Thanks to… Hades' influence… you will not suffer… the same fate as the rest… of our kind."
Feebly, she clenched a weak fist over Borz's hand. "You… cannot fail the rest… of your kind. For all the moogles… nay, for all… the world… fight for the future of… us… all."
Gasping for breath, her physical form was now flickering rapidly, and she had to force out the last words, "Take… care… of them… little one… in… my… stead…" With those final words, the great moogle matriarch, and her eons of experience, vanished from the world.
Borz didn't even have the energy to cry. When Midas returned, Borz lifted his head, and asked softly, "What's in the box?"
"I'm not sure yet." Midas admitted.
"Then why don't you find out?" Borz suggested.
With a sigh, Midas placed his finger on the small clasp. Without any pressure, the buckle fell away, and the top flew open, revealing a familiar, gleaming black jewel.
Oh… this is VERY good. Hades noted. This is another Dark
Eidolon, Gilgamesh. His power can be
somewhat… random, but with luck, he can put even the most powerful of foes in a
world of SERIOUS pain.
Midas felt Gilgamesh align with him, and the incredible boost of power that came with it. Now all that had to be proven was if he could use it when the time came.
Without further contemplation, Midas said, "Borz, there is nothing more that we can do here. Let's see what we can do to convince Fredros that his life is still worth living."
The Ruins of the
Temple of Alexander, South Capitol City…
Like in all the other towns and cities of the world, the tropical realm of Wodensland suffered from the effects of Karma's treachery. By this point, the party had no longer paid the lifeless bodies any significant notice. To do so would probably have driven them insane.
As Midas strode through the crumbled remains of the once proud establishment, he motioned for Borz to follow. "If ANYONE can get through to him, it would be you." Midas explained.
"All right… I'll do my best." Borz replied.
Midas prepared to touch his hand to the shell that contained the priest, and then felt Borz slap a furred palm onto the Dark Summoner's shoulder. With a slight frown, he allowed his fingers to contact the shell.
"Midas… I… can't say that I'm happy to see you." Fredros began almost immediately.
"I don't suppose I can blame you." Midas replied, but was interrupted.
As soon as Borz had recognized where he was, the little moogle broke into an absolute tirade. "You stubborn coot! What do you think you're doing? Moping about while this entire world is reduced to a lifeless rock!"
"Borz… I wish it was as simple as that…"
"Well, Fredros… it IS as simple as that. But you're too worried about how your entire life has been based on teachings of a corrupted Eidolon!"
"Alexander WAS my life, Borz." Fredros explained, "How can I face the people now that they KNOW that I contributed to the… current state of this world?"
"That's a burden we ALL share, Fredros." Borz responded, his voice finally settling to a normal volume. "Without us… we would never be in this mess. All we can do now is try and fix the damage we made."
Fredros tried hard not to be convinced. "I did all things through Alexander. I am sullied, and condemned for eternity. How can I EVER be forgiven…"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Borz shouted, his squeal causing Midas to cringe. "Who was it that took me in when I was about to be skinned, you, or Alexander?"
"I did, but…"
"And who ALWAYS stood by me, convinced of my worth, even when no one else did?"
"Me… but…"
"Get this in your skull. Just because Alexander turned out to be a lying piece of filth DOESN'T make the good you have done any less noble. You are defined by the beliefs of your heart… not the name of the entity you serve."
For a moment, Fredros faltered, his mind wrapping about the concept. However, Midas never got the chance to hear the White Mage's response. The link between the three adventurers was unceremoniously severed, his mind ripped back into the real world.
"Sorry about that." Creed apologized, "But we have a bit of a problem here…"
The Dark Summoner turned his head in the direction that Creed pointed to. Tamara had a menacing stiletto hovering less than a millimeter from her throat. An arm that led to a disgustingly familiar face was holding the weapon.
"Move away from the shell… NOW." Tarsis ordered, clutching the thin blade tighter to accent his order. Or your little woman gets another breathing hole." Gingerly, Midas and the group complied, forming a nice little aisle for Tarsis to drag his hostage to in front of the cocoon.
Keeping one eye on his adversaries, Tarsis pulled a small object out of his pants pocket. Harmon nearly jumped out of his shoes, "Oh my…" The Blue Mage gasped, "That's…"
"A remote timer." Tarsis smirked, "I've rigged this whole wasted away city with explosives. Once I hit this button, there will be five minutes before this whole place goes to hell." To emphasize the point, Tarsis pushed down the red trigger with his thumb. There was a slight beep, then eerie silence.
Tarsis then hissed, "You people have gotten in my way one too many times. Even if I go with this bomb… I am happy to say that I'll take you with me…"
His words were cut off when from behind him, a white sleeved hand, covered in a green slimy substance suddenly clutched the back off his neck, digging in just in front of the tendons connecting to the shoulder. Tarsis dropped the stiletto and the detonator after the surprising flash of pain. Taking advantage of it, Tamara rushed out of Tarsis's reach, joining her comrades.
From inside the cocoon, Fredros appeared quite well aware of what was happening outside it. His eyes flashed with a fury that Midas had seen reserved only for Tarsis.
Slowly, the priest forced his way out of the translucent shell, keeping his death grip on Tarsis's neck. "If you are what Alexander represents now, Tarsis… I am more than willing to expedite our trip to hell." In pain, Tarsis dropped to his knees, and Fredros addressed his friends, "I shall make sure that Tarsis doesn't leave Wodensland. The rest of you must get out of the city now."
"No." Borz answered.
"What?"
The moogle turned his head, and snorted, "If you think that we're just gonna run off and save the world while you depressingly commit suicide… you've got another thing coming."
The rest seemed about as inclined as Borz to leave their ally. "Agreed." Midas stated simply, "If you aren't going to be with us until the end, then none of us will be."
"Don't waste your life on Tarsis." Tamara requested, "The time just isn't right for that."
Tarsis gasped, "Don't listen to them. They don't understand you… I'm the one that you've ALWAYS longed to take out. Now's your chance… you won't have another…"
Fredros glared angrily down at the mercenary, just before releasing his grip. "No… perhaps Alexander was not what I imagined him to be, but I refuse to allow that change who I am."
He then regarded the seven adventurers before him, and with a smile added, "Besides… they have a duty to fulfill. And if they won't do with without me… then I guess I have no choice."
With a growl of frustration, Tarsis rushed to the limits of the city, and Midas saw fit to comment, "As much as I am loathe to say this… Tarsis kinda has the right idea. We better get out of here in a hurry."
Harmon thought for a second, then added, "We only have a couple of minutes before the explosives begin to detonate." Seconds later, the ground shook and a bright plume of fire shot up from the far side of the city, followed by a second and a third.
"Then again… I could be wrong." Harmon said sheepishly, just before taking off in a full sprint with the rest of his friends.
Midas saw how far they had to go… and realized they weren't going to make it. 'Unless…"
Tamara was so stunned to see Midas stop that he nearly ran him over. Soon, the rest of the group also paused confusedly. Midas then motioned to the fiery inferno behind them, a smile on his face. From the sky above the flames and explosions, a dragon emerged, landing suddenly on the ground just ahead of the party. "All aboard, everyone." The eight quickly secured themselves on some of the bony ridges of the dragon's immense body. "Hang on tight, we're off!" Midas called, willing Bahamut to take flight once again.
They quickly discovered that with its enormous size came incredible speed, and the growing destruction behind them quickly lost ground. When the titanic dragon finally landed again, the burning city was far off in the distance.
"Thank you, Bahamut." Midas said in thanks. The titanic Eidolon emitted an ear-splitting roar, then disappeared back into the astral plane.
There was eerie silence for several moments, until Fredros did a head count, and said, "Well… that appears to be everybody."
"Not quite." Midas replied, his eyes turning instinctively out to the sea. He wasn't sure how, but he KNEW that he was turned in the direction of Alexander's Tower. "That's why we have one more thing left to do."
End Act Five