Freedom
The next day, Lina and Gourry went over to Lumina to tell Mina how well the experiments in teleportation had worked out. But she wasn't at home. Instead, they found Imperial soldiers in the residential district of town. It turned out, they were looking for Mina because they wanted to find the Siren who sank the ship.
Lina and Gourry hightailed it to Polpota on the double. They figured that if she had been the one to sink the ship, she'd have to have a place nearby to go to. Near the café, they finally found her standing as if she was waiting for someone.
"I came to see my friend Dies and my cousin Nina," she told them, "But I can't find either of them. Dies lives by the beach, so I could see why she isn't around, but Nina resides here in Polpota. She never leaves town unless I invite her over to my place."
Suddenly, a pair of soldiers came over to her. "We've got you now. You'll pay for sinking one of our ships you rotten Sea Hag," they said, using the derogatory slang for Siren.
Mina yelled, "Excuse me! I haven't sunk any ships. In fact, I haven't even been in Polpota for several months. What's going on here?"
At that time, another soldier entered. He informed the others, "We've already got the Siren who sank the ship. So just leave her be for now."
"Dang, I won't get my reward," one of Mina's tormenters groaned.
"Punishing one Siren is enough," the third soldier reminded them, "It sends a clear signal to the others that we won't tolerate our ships being sunk. We've locked her in a birdcage lighthouse out at the Mandora Beach. Tropacallo's guarding her to prevent escapes."
"Won't other Sirens hate us?" inquired the second.
The third shook his head. "We're not killing it, just giving her a place to sing without harming the ships. Besides, this all happens because they go around sinking ships. We always can win if we chase them to dry land." With that, the soldiers left.
* * *
Lina, Gourry, and Mina ran strait away to the lighthouse. At the door was the mermaid Gourry had seen at the harbor. Mina flew up high and saw the Siren being held prisoner inside. "Nina, so it was you who they captured," she exclaimed, "No wonder I couldn't find you. And Dies is gone because she came to keep you company."
"I deserve it for sinking the ship. Here, I won't harm anybody and can sing to my hearts content. Besides, I'm not going to be hunted in here," Nina replied.
Mina begged, "You can't stay in there forever, you've got to free yourself. Dies, let her go outside. She can't just live like this."
Dies shook her head. "There are too many soldiers out there. I can't let a friend face danger like that. Besides, You, Nina, and I are no match for Tropicallo."
"These people can help," Mina told her, "They mastered the Dudbear language just to help me sell my lamps. They're strong and can protect Nina."
"No, I still can't trust them no matter what. People who have shown to be friendly in the past may turn on you in the future," she replied.
"I won't try to convince you anymore. But it's pretty hot out, so don't get too much sun today Dies." With that, Mina flew behind the cage.
Gourry and Lina also hid behind the rocks. Lina had figured out Mina's plan from the start. If Dies thought they were all gone, she'd go to cool off in the ocean. Then they could sneak in and rescue Nina. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Dies teleported off.
Gourry and Lina charged the door of the lighthouse. Inside was a plant monster much like the one Lina and Jared faced in the mines. But this time, Lina couldn't just Blast Bomb it. If she tried that, she'd probably burn the whole cage down along with herself, Gourry, and Nina.
So she told Gourry, "Just keep out of the way. I'm going to freeze it with my Ly Briem spell. Then, you rush in and cut it right in half."
So Gourry began to run to the back of the room. Lina then cast Ly Briem on Tropicallo, and he was instantly frozen. Then Gourry rushed in and cut the monster in half. It was almost amazing to watch as a blade was able to cut solid ice right in half without shattering it.
The beast began to moan from within his icy prison. Suddenly, the earth shook as it began to convulse. Finally, it shuttered and died.
* * *
They went up to the next floor to see Nina. Sure enough, the Siren was uninjured. Lina could see that she had long blond hair and blue eyes. Her dress was long and white and she had on golden high heels. Gold bands adorned her arms, as well as a golden tiara. On her back, was a pair of flowing golden wings.
"Nina, you're free now," Mina exclaimed.
Nina told her, "Yes, I can see. But I'm just fine staying here. I'm afraid of what the soldiers will do to me. I guess I'm a coward."
Mina shook her head. "You're not a coward. You can stay in here and sing as much as you want. And you can come out to visit you friends too. You're free Nina."
Suddenly, Dies appeared. "I knew it was a bad idea to leave my post," she grumbled, "You planned that all along, didn't you."
"It's ok Dies. I can go out now to do things, but can still come back here to the safety of this cage to sing. That way, I won't sink ships, but can still have fun," Nina replied.
- - - -
Well, we've rescued another poor soul from torment. Nina, if you were wondering, is the main heroine of the Breath of Fire series. And Dies (or Bleu in the first two games) is a woman with a snake's body who either helps fight for the party or has some other connection to them.
The next day, Lina and Gourry went over to Lumina to tell Mina how well the experiments in teleportation had worked out. But she wasn't at home. Instead, they found Imperial soldiers in the residential district of town. It turned out, they were looking for Mina because they wanted to find the Siren who sank the ship.
Lina and Gourry hightailed it to Polpota on the double. They figured that if she had been the one to sink the ship, she'd have to have a place nearby to go to. Near the café, they finally found her standing as if she was waiting for someone.
"I came to see my friend Dies and my cousin Nina," she told them, "But I can't find either of them. Dies lives by the beach, so I could see why she isn't around, but Nina resides here in Polpota. She never leaves town unless I invite her over to my place."
Suddenly, a pair of soldiers came over to her. "We've got you now. You'll pay for sinking one of our ships you rotten Sea Hag," they said, using the derogatory slang for Siren.
Mina yelled, "Excuse me! I haven't sunk any ships. In fact, I haven't even been in Polpota for several months. What's going on here?"
At that time, another soldier entered. He informed the others, "We've already got the Siren who sank the ship. So just leave her be for now."
"Dang, I won't get my reward," one of Mina's tormenters groaned.
"Punishing one Siren is enough," the third soldier reminded them, "It sends a clear signal to the others that we won't tolerate our ships being sunk. We've locked her in a birdcage lighthouse out at the Mandora Beach. Tropacallo's guarding her to prevent escapes."
"Won't other Sirens hate us?" inquired the second.
The third shook his head. "We're not killing it, just giving her a place to sing without harming the ships. Besides, this all happens because they go around sinking ships. We always can win if we chase them to dry land." With that, the soldiers left.
* * *
Lina, Gourry, and Mina ran strait away to the lighthouse. At the door was the mermaid Gourry had seen at the harbor. Mina flew up high and saw the Siren being held prisoner inside. "Nina, so it was you who they captured," she exclaimed, "No wonder I couldn't find you. And Dies is gone because she came to keep you company."
"I deserve it for sinking the ship. Here, I won't harm anybody and can sing to my hearts content. Besides, I'm not going to be hunted in here," Nina replied.
Mina begged, "You can't stay in there forever, you've got to free yourself. Dies, let her go outside. She can't just live like this."
Dies shook her head. "There are too many soldiers out there. I can't let a friend face danger like that. Besides, You, Nina, and I are no match for Tropicallo."
"These people can help," Mina told her, "They mastered the Dudbear language just to help me sell my lamps. They're strong and can protect Nina."
"No, I still can't trust them no matter what. People who have shown to be friendly in the past may turn on you in the future," she replied.
"I won't try to convince you anymore. But it's pretty hot out, so don't get too much sun today Dies." With that, Mina flew behind the cage.
Gourry and Lina also hid behind the rocks. Lina had figured out Mina's plan from the start. If Dies thought they were all gone, she'd go to cool off in the ocean. Then they could sneak in and rescue Nina. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Dies teleported off.
Gourry and Lina charged the door of the lighthouse. Inside was a plant monster much like the one Lina and Jared faced in the mines. But this time, Lina couldn't just Blast Bomb it. If she tried that, she'd probably burn the whole cage down along with herself, Gourry, and Nina.
So she told Gourry, "Just keep out of the way. I'm going to freeze it with my Ly Briem spell. Then, you rush in and cut it right in half."
So Gourry began to run to the back of the room. Lina then cast Ly Briem on Tropicallo, and he was instantly frozen. Then Gourry rushed in and cut the monster in half. It was almost amazing to watch as a blade was able to cut solid ice right in half without shattering it.
The beast began to moan from within his icy prison. Suddenly, the earth shook as it began to convulse. Finally, it shuttered and died.
* * *
They went up to the next floor to see Nina. Sure enough, the Siren was uninjured. Lina could see that she had long blond hair and blue eyes. Her dress was long and white and she had on golden high heels. Gold bands adorned her arms, as well as a golden tiara. On her back, was a pair of flowing golden wings.
"Nina, you're free now," Mina exclaimed.
Nina told her, "Yes, I can see. But I'm just fine staying here. I'm afraid of what the soldiers will do to me. I guess I'm a coward."
Mina shook her head. "You're not a coward. You can stay in here and sing as much as you want. And you can come out to visit you friends too. You're free Nina."
Suddenly, Dies appeared. "I knew it was a bad idea to leave my post," she grumbled, "You planned that all along, didn't you."
"It's ok Dies. I can go out now to do things, but can still come back here to the safety of this cage to sing. That way, I won't sink ships, but can still have fun," Nina replied.
- - - -
Well, we've rescued another poor soul from torment. Nina, if you were wondering, is the main heroine of the Breath of Fire series. And Dies (or Bleu in the first two games) is a woman with a snake's body who either helps fight for the party or has some other connection to them.