11:42 AM - Duke Bardorba's Secondary Residence - Graylands
(Duke Bardorba stands in his study, speaking to the audience.)
Duke Bardorba: I would like to take you, if I may, on a strange journey.
Random audience members: He's got no nose!
Duke: What? I most certainly do have a nose - you must be mistaking me for one of the characters Akihiko Yoshida designed for Final Fantasy Tactics. ...At any rate...
(The Duke takes a book off the bookshelf behind him, and opens it, flipping through a few pages, revealing pictures of Ashley and Callo fighting the fire. He finally settles on one closeup picture of Ashley.)
Duke: It seemed to be a fairly ordinary day when Ashley Riot...
(He turns another page, showing a closeup picture of Callo.)
Duke: ...and Callo Merlose set out towards the ruined city of Leá Monde, in search of one Sydney Losstarot...
(He turns another page to show a picture of Sydney.)
Duke: ...the leader of the Müllenkamp cult which had beseiged my manor early that morning and abducted my son...
(He turns another page to reveal a picture of Joshua.)
Duke: ...the aptly named Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Fic.
Random audience member: Wrong movie parody, moron!
Duke: It's true there had been many reports of strange happenings in the area. It's true, also, that they found the bodies of both the VKP's men and of the Crimson Blades - the Cardinal's knights - at the stairway leading down into the wine cellar, the only entrance to the once-great city-
Random audience members: Booooring!
Duke: Ahem! Anyhow, Agent Merlose had been investigating the Müllenkamp sect for quite some time, and Agent Riot was an experienced Riskbreaker who had beaten the slim odds of survival on many a mission in the past. They weren't going to let a few mysterious deaths scare them away, were they? On a difficult mission... a mission they were going to remember... for a very long time.
11:42 AM - Wine Cellar of Leá Monde
(Ashley and Callo are walking through the Wine Cellar entrance, which is littered with corpses.)
Callo: This is the third body we've seen so far. Perhaps our superiors should be more cautious with our men.
Ashley: Yes, Inquisitor - life's pretty cheap to that type.
Callo: (pauses) Did I just hear voices crying out?
Ashley: Just your imagination.
Callo: Some say that in Leá Monde, the dead do not stay dead.
Ashley: We'll find out, I suppose.
Callo: Hmm. You don't seem concerned.
Ashley: I'm not. The mission is to infiltrate Leá Monde and find Sydney, not speculate on what else may be inside. You stay here, and I'll go check it out.
(Ashley opens the portcullis, and starts to go inside.)
Callo: Oh no, I'm coming with you.
Ashley: No you're not. As an untrained fighter, you'd only be a liability.
Callo: I'm coming with you! I've heard many strange things about this city, and I want to see it with my own eyes.
Ashley: (sigh) If you must.
(Callo and Ashley enter Leá Monde, slowly making their way through the coffins and wine casks. The music starts as they enter one room and come upon a man slumped down against the wall.)
Dying man: Help... me...
(The man's head drops, and Ashley kneels beside him.)
Ashley: No use. He's gone.
Callo: Agent Riot, look!
(A strange glow seems to emanate from the body, and rises slowly before disappearing.)
Callo: What was that? A spirit?
(Ashley and Callo, still staring at the point where the glow vanished, don't immediately notice that the body behind them is moving, until it rises to its feet with a groan.)
Ashley: What in the world...?
Callo: It's true! The dead do walk within the bounds of Leá Monde!
(Ashley dispatches the zombie, and they warily go deeper into the city. Callo begins to sing.)
Callo:
Callo & Ashley:
Ghostly Chorus:
Callo & Ashley:
Ghostly Chorus:
Callo & Ashley:
(Elsewhere, Tieger and Neesa are regarding the undead Grissom with sadness.)
Tieger:
(Back to Ashley and Callo, who stand before a large door.)
Callo & Ashley:
Ghostly Chorus:
Callo & Ashley:
Ghostly Chorus:
Callo & Ashley: