1 Heraldic Mage
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Thank you for explaining the Prince of Cross PA. I had seen the first part of it, but I never went back to finish it. I may do that as a separate story, but for this one I am trying to keep it more in a novel form, which means the PA's won't show up much. But thanks again.
Story:
The monsters are getting more and more aggressive. By the time we finally reach Mars, Claude is completely exhausted. I am beginning to think that Rena was right, we do need another fighter to relieve Claude's burden. We enter the village, ready to hit the inn. But something is not right. I can't quite put my finger on it though. We head to the Elder's house to ask him to look at the writings we found in the cave. He is very intelligent, and knows many languages. He may be able to read it, at least more than we can. But when we enter, my heart sinks. My mother and father are both there, as are the village Elder and a Master of Heraldy. There is also another man I don't recognize.
"Mother?" I ask. She looks over at me.
"Celine!" she shouts. Father and the Elder also turn to look at us. "You're just in time!"
"What do you mean?" I ask. Rena and Claude look at me.
"Mother?" Claude asks.
"Yes, I am from this village." I respond. Father waves us over.
"Please sit down. We have a crisis right now." He explains. I sit next to my mother, while Claude and Rena sit on the other side of the table.
"This is indeed the worst crisis in our history." The Elder begins.
"Mr. Elder," I begin, "I'm afraid that we still don't know what is happening."
"Allow me," Father says. The Elder nods to him. "A few days ago all of our children went missing. A little after sunset on that same day, the Master over here came back with a terrifying message." All eyes turn to the Heraldy Master.
"I had been training in the forest," he explains, "when a most awful demon bandit came in front of me. I was prepared to defend myself, but all he did was make an announcement and leave." He pauses as if he is remembering. "He said, 'If you wish your children alive, bring us 10,000,000 FOL and the Book of Secret Seals'. Then he vanished." My eyes went wide at this. The Heraldy Forest is home to very powerful magic. For someone with such an evil mind to break that magic…
"So are the children safe?" Rena asks. Father looks down. This won't be good.
"According to a second messenger, they are deep in the Heraldy Forest with no intention of leaving until their demands are met." Father says. "They have also stated they if we make a wrong move, the children will die." I grind my teeth. Kidnappers are always low on my list.
"Then we can do nothing…" Rena says. I am forced to agree with her. There seems little we can do. Father looks up like they have already made a huge stride.
"Well, we did find out where they are holding the children. Now all we need to do is go rescue them." I light up. Claude and Rena do also. Father continues. "We were unsure how to go about it, but a swordsman was passing through…"
"Dias?" Rena asks. Who is this Dias she speaks of? I've heard the name, some hotshot swordsman with an attitude problem. But the way she speaks, you would believe they were best friends. The Elder looks over at Rena.
"So young lady, you know Mr. Dias?" he asks. Rena nods.
"We are from the same village." She explains. I see now. I wonder if he was always the way I heard him to be. Rena turns back to the group. "Will you ask for Dias's help?" she asks.
"We did," Father explains, but the Master of Heraldy cuts him off.
"But I am opposed." He states. "Rather than someone we cannot be sure to trust, we should step in ourselves." Rena is fuming.
"HE WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT!" she practically shouts. "I can vouch for both his skill and trust."
The Master is fuming as well. "My DEAR lady," he says with gritted teeth, "even if you should vouch for him…"
The Elder sighs. "Well, this is also the problem of our village. We may be irresponsible for hiring someone who was just passing through." I come up with an idea.
"Well then," I begin, "Why don't you let us take care of the problem."
Father looks at me shocked. "Celine?"
"I am from the village," I remind him, "and we most assuredly have enough power. They are just bandits after all."
The other man there, who I just realize has not spoken once yet, finally opens his mouth. "If you are giving me the boot, I don't care." He says. "But if you fail because of this woman, don't come running to me."
"I can't believe the rudeness of this man." I say. He looks me straight in the eye.
"You are the one being rude." He says. "You come in and mess up the operation. I'll have no more of this. I'm returning to the inn." As he is leaving, he turns to Rena. "It's been a long time, Rena, I didn't even recognize you." He walks out the door. I'm still fuming.
"Father, you can't really be considering hiring that man. They are just bandits, we can easily crush them." Father begins the list of 'why we shouldn't underestimate people'.
**I'll spare you the really boring lecture**
We finally get outside. The Elder asked Rena to take a message to Dias, so it is just Claude and myself right now. Claude is finding the ground very interesting at the moment. I don't really understand the fascination.
"Find anything good down there?" I ask him. He looks up at me.
"No… not really…" he says turning red. I smile.
"Are you ready for this?" I ask him. He nods. I get an idea. "Let's show off a little." I say. He looks at me strangely.
"Huh?" he says. I just sigh.
"You are such a bore. And I already convinced Father." At that moment, Rena comes running up. We give her a moment to catch her breath. "You're late." I comment. Rena looks right up at me.
"I know this is sudden, but I want you to allow Dias to come with us." I resist the urge to step back. I try to imagine traveling with that man… it is not coming out pretty.
"Well," I say plastering a smile on my face, "since this is a request from his cute girlfriend, he will surely accept."
Rena shakes her head. "No, you don't understand. His skills are really top rate." I look over at Claude.
"Well?" I ask him. He shakes his head.
"He said he could go with out us. So let him." I am shocked that Claude would say something like that. Apparently, so is Rena.
"How can you be so cruel!?" she asks. Claude doesn't even flinch.
"I'm not lying. We have no use for that man." I can't believe what I am hearing. Claude… I can't even think of it.
"Fine then." Rena turns away. "I'm going with Dias." She runs off back to the inn. I shake my head. Guess it is just us now.
"Come on Claude." I say. We head to the shops in town for supplies. Looks like we will need more than usual with our healer gone…
Will continue soon.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Thank you for explaining the Prince of Cross PA. I had seen the first part of it, but I never went back to finish it. I may do that as a separate story, but for this one I am trying to keep it more in a novel form, which means the PA's won't show up much. But thanks again.
Story:
The monsters are getting more and more aggressive. By the time we finally reach Mars, Claude is completely exhausted. I am beginning to think that Rena was right, we do need another fighter to relieve Claude's burden. We enter the village, ready to hit the inn. But something is not right. I can't quite put my finger on it though. We head to the Elder's house to ask him to look at the writings we found in the cave. He is very intelligent, and knows many languages. He may be able to read it, at least more than we can. But when we enter, my heart sinks. My mother and father are both there, as are the village Elder and a Master of Heraldy. There is also another man I don't recognize.
"Mother?" I ask. She looks over at me.
"Celine!" she shouts. Father and the Elder also turn to look at us. "You're just in time!"
"What do you mean?" I ask. Rena and Claude look at me.
"Mother?" Claude asks.
"Yes, I am from this village." I respond. Father waves us over.
"Please sit down. We have a crisis right now." He explains. I sit next to my mother, while Claude and Rena sit on the other side of the table.
"This is indeed the worst crisis in our history." The Elder begins.
"Mr. Elder," I begin, "I'm afraid that we still don't know what is happening."
"Allow me," Father says. The Elder nods to him. "A few days ago all of our children went missing. A little after sunset on that same day, the Master over here came back with a terrifying message." All eyes turn to the Heraldy Master.
"I had been training in the forest," he explains, "when a most awful demon bandit came in front of me. I was prepared to defend myself, but all he did was make an announcement and leave." He pauses as if he is remembering. "He said, 'If you wish your children alive, bring us 10,000,000 FOL and the Book of Secret Seals'. Then he vanished." My eyes went wide at this. The Heraldy Forest is home to very powerful magic. For someone with such an evil mind to break that magic…
"So are the children safe?" Rena asks. Father looks down. This won't be good.
"According to a second messenger, they are deep in the Heraldy Forest with no intention of leaving until their demands are met." Father says. "They have also stated they if we make a wrong move, the children will die." I grind my teeth. Kidnappers are always low on my list.
"Then we can do nothing…" Rena says. I am forced to agree with her. There seems little we can do. Father looks up like they have already made a huge stride.
"Well, we did find out where they are holding the children. Now all we need to do is go rescue them." I light up. Claude and Rena do also. Father continues. "We were unsure how to go about it, but a swordsman was passing through…"
"Dias?" Rena asks. Who is this Dias she speaks of? I've heard the name, some hotshot swordsman with an attitude problem. But the way she speaks, you would believe they were best friends. The Elder looks over at Rena.
"So young lady, you know Mr. Dias?" he asks. Rena nods.
"We are from the same village." She explains. I see now. I wonder if he was always the way I heard him to be. Rena turns back to the group. "Will you ask for Dias's help?" she asks.
"We did," Father explains, but the Master of Heraldy cuts him off.
"But I am opposed." He states. "Rather than someone we cannot be sure to trust, we should step in ourselves." Rena is fuming.
"HE WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT!" she practically shouts. "I can vouch for both his skill and trust."
The Master is fuming as well. "My DEAR lady," he says with gritted teeth, "even if you should vouch for him…"
The Elder sighs. "Well, this is also the problem of our village. We may be irresponsible for hiring someone who was just passing through." I come up with an idea.
"Well then," I begin, "Why don't you let us take care of the problem."
Father looks at me shocked. "Celine?"
"I am from the village," I remind him, "and we most assuredly have enough power. They are just bandits after all."
The other man there, who I just realize has not spoken once yet, finally opens his mouth. "If you are giving me the boot, I don't care." He says. "But if you fail because of this woman, don't come running to me."
"I can't believe the rudeness of this man." I say. He looks me straight in the eye.
"You are the one being rude." He says. "You come in and mess up the operation. I'll have no more of this. I'm returning to the inn." As he is leaving, he turns to Rena. "It's been a long time, Rena, I didn't even recognize you." He walks out the door. I'm still fuming.
"Father, you can't really be considering hiring that man. They are just bandits, we can easily crush them." Father begins the list of 'why we shouldn't underestimate people'.
**I'll spare you the really boring lecture**
We finally get outside. The Elder asked Rena to take a message to Dias, so it is just Claude and myself right now. Claude is finding the ground very interesting at the moment. I don't really understand the fascination.
"Find anything good down there?" I ask him. He looks up at me.
"No… not really…" he says turning red. I smile.
"Are you ready for this?" I ask him. He nods. I get an idea. "Let's show off a little." I say. He looks at me strangely.
"Huh?" he says. I just sigh.
"You are such a bore. And I already convinced Father." At that moment, Rena comes running up. We give her a moment to catch her breath. "You're late." I comment. Rena looks right up at me.
"I know this is sudden, but I want you to allow Dias to come with us." I resist the urge to step back. I try to imagine traveling with that man… it is not coming out pretty.
"Well," I say plastering a smile on my face, "since this is a request from his cute girlfriend, he will surely accept."
Rena shakes her head. "No, you don't understand. His skills are really top rate." I look over at Claude.
"Well?" I ask him. He shakes his head.
"He said he could go with out us. So let him." I am shocked that Claude would say something like that. Apparently, so is Rena.
"How can you be so cruel!?" she asks. Claude doesn't even flinch.
"I'm not lying. We have no use for that man." I can't believe what I am hearing. Claude… I can't even think of it.
"Fine then." Rena turns away. "I'm going with Dias." She runs off back to the inn. I shake my head. Guess it is just us now.
"Come on Claude." I say. We head to the shops in town for supplies. Looks like we will need more than usual with our healer gone…
Will continue soon.