Holmcross Project Deep: Crimson Heaven
Somewhere, in the icy cold fields of the Northern Continent near the ruined kingdom of Arctica, another birth was slowly taking place. Something that required three 'pieces'. Already, with one of the 'pieces' gently set into place, its birth had gone through one stage of gestation in the glass tube that was its 'womb'.
The ironclad and taciturn Demon Zeikfried stood silently in front of the glass 'womb', searching his feelings and trying to get some answers. The sudden explosion of Hiades…the fiery blaze that enveloped the planet just before that calamity…what happened? Why did the people of Hiades all have to die so violently and so suddenly? What had caused this terrible occurrence to manifest itself in the form of an all-consuming, all-enveloping fire? And then…an explosion that rocked the very core of the universe…why? All of these thoughts and feelings rushed through his body as he stood in front of his 'mother', hoping that some way…somehow…she could provide answers. Zeikfried stepped forward slowly, placing his right hand on the cool glass. He wanted to be her 'child' again so desperately.
"Mother…Mother, I'm here for you. You mustn't worry, fret, or cry anymore…I will always be by your side as a devoted son and warrior in your majesty and grace. Mother…I…need you, I…want you. I cannot live without you in my life, nor can the others. Mother…where are you? Where are you in our time of unbridled disarray and lacking charisma? Mother, we…no, I need you. Your eldest child needs your love."
Rays of sunlight entered in through the glass casing directly behind the tube housing the cocoon that Zeikfried's 'mother' was imprisoned inside, illuminating the large room that he was in. The knight, in a fit of dull, suppressed desperation and loneliness, took this as a sign that fate would shine in the Demons' favor. Perhaps his mother's awakening was more imminent than he had hoped.
"The sun," Zeikfried said, looking upwards. "The glorious, beautiful sun. The ultimate giver of life, warmth and prosperity. Mother, the sun is shining upon us, as if to say that we will be victorious in claiming this world as our own. Mother, this will be our new home…our little Hiades. Once you awaken, you will see this world for its splendor and majestic, breathtaking beauty. We will populate this world with our own and wipe out the humans." All of a sudden, Zeikfried's mood got somewhat sinister. "This world doesn't deserve to be inhabited by Humans and Guardians. We will crush them for you, Mother…slaughter and cripple all of those vermin for what they did to you. And we will reign supreme afterwards. Mother, this will be our era. Now and forever, it will be…with you as our Queen as us as your precious children, eternally swearing unwavering fealty to you."
In the middle of his thoughts, A white orb of light materialized from thin air, taking shape of a familiar entity. Alhazad had entered Zeikfried's presence unannounced, and the knight was not too pleased.
"What do you want," he asked angrily. "Do you not know any better than to not interrupt my private, tender moments with Mother?"
Alhazad's eyes gently lit up, indicating that it was amused with what he had said. "Sss-sss-sss…Zeikfried, my dedicated, somber sibling. Come now…you of all people should know that obsessions are purely unhealthy and self-destructive to the point of madness. Why must you occupy yourself with our…comatose…maternal unit nearly every waking moment of the day? There is much to be done, as you should know…"
"I do not have to answer to the likes of you. What do you want, Alhazad?"
The monstrosity let out what sounded like a lifeless sigh, lowered the brightness of its eyes, then continued on. "A thousand pardons, Lord…forgive me, for I do not know the error of my ways. Getting to my point, I would like to…"
"…Hmm, yes," Zeikfried agreed, knowing that it was going to suggest. "The attack on our next target. I would like to awaken our mother as soon as possible. Then, we can enact our next plan…"
"…And I can play with all of the humans I see fit!"
"You're like a child sometimes, my dear brother. It would seem that you have an 'unhealthy' obsession. With humans, at that."
"Sss-sss-sss," the mechanical machine hissed. "I've been found out."
"Hm. Well, do whatever you want. But remember, take out the Guardian quickly. We can't have that meddlesome witch from Aldehyde getting in our way anymore. That time at Zenom was too close for comfort."
"Ahh, our now-defunct brother Belselk," Alhazad chimed in. "He was always a renegade. And a show-off as well. But then again, that was what got him taken out of the equation, was it not?"
"…I suppose," Zeikfried replied, turning his back on his brother.
"Well, I am not like him. I'm smarter and resourceful, which makes me superior."
"Gloat all you wish when you take back our mother's life."
"Sss…you never had a sense of humor. Oh well, I suppose I'll do this."
After the agreement, almost as if it were timed, another figure entered into the bridge where the two Demons were discussing strategy. This one was different, however; he was a lot smaller, was outlined in a light violet aura and wore a twisted look of wickedness on his facade. His eyes were the color of darkness- -black as the night without a moon- -and his clothing the same hue. The features that once were had all changed into black, with the exception of one sole, solitary trait.
The blue, cropped hair.
This form walked passively up to Zeikfried, his boots clacking against the steel floor of the bridge of the Photosphere. Directly past the now amused and giddy Alhazad, and straight for Zeikfried…the head Quarter Knight was speechless as the man stopped and stared upward at him in deafening silence. After a few brief moments, the white-cloaked Demon spoke up.
"Can I take him with me? I want to give him a little…test-drive."
Zeikfried tore his stare from the man. "Do whatever you want. Just get back our mother's life."
Alhazad's eyes lit up yet again. "Sss-sss-sss…perfect, perfect! Yes, this will be so much fun! I'm going to get to play with my new toy…and it'll be so much fun!"
"…" Zeikfried turned his back on both of them again, staring at the encased cocoon.
"Okay, okay…Holmcross #3…let's go! To Saint Centour!"
Alhazad disappeared from the room an a globe of light, but the man stayed behind for a moment. Giving the unaware Zeikfried a cold and calculated stare from behind, he too left, dematerializing in a heavy cloud of black haze. Zeikfried immediately felt his heavy presence leave the room…and he felt a little relieved.
"That…power," he thought to himself. "It's malicious. I've never felt such a wicked power in my life." He placed his right hand on the glass casing again. "Mother…the light of the sun has drenched us in its light…but now I'm not so sure. That man…what is he?"
Zeikfried, after a few moments, took his hand off the glass and walked away, but not before stopping to look back upon his slumbering mother. Offering one more thought, he spoke aloud.
"We will awaken you, mother. By the grace of Hiades…it will happen."
With the sound of a sliding door opening and shutting, the knight had left. The room sat in a calm quiet, with the hum of the machinery sustaining the life of the cocoon breaking the calm gently. In the stasis capsule the cocoon shifted a little…
"I…can speak. I may speak out. My heart…is broken. My will is not, however, broken. I know my children are…working diligently to free me from my bonds. I know in my mind…my beautiful, beautiful children are trying to rescue…me."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ha-ha-ha! That was some lunge!" Jack had laughed as he scraped a dazed and befuddled Hanpan off the ground. "You just bounced off thin air, like you threw yourself headfirst into a wall or something!"
The three had attempted to enter the housed city of Saint Centour, which was surrounded by brick-and-stone walls extending 25 feet into the air. Cecilia and he walked directly through the main entrance without encountering any trouble. But their mousy ally had tried unsuccessfully three times after them with no success. Each time he attempted to stroll in a bright blue protective barrier had pushed him backwards, keeping him from entering. After a period of frustration, the mouse tried diving headfirst through the portal, but that just knocked him for a loop.
Jack looked around behind him to hear footsteps approaching. A short, portly man of age wearing a brown and black poncho strolled over to the three who were just outside of the city walls, smiling happily. "Whoops, looks like we raised a ruckus," he said to the man.
"Oh, no no no," he responded. "But, this gate works like a charm. Your 'pet' there just ended up bouncing off of our monster-rejection system that the city installed a few weeks ago, is all." With his red nose and chubby cheeks, the elderly man squinted his beady little eyes. "That…IS your pet…right?"
"Huh? Oh, uh….no. He's a companion of mine. Name's Hanpan." The tall blonde prodded his friend with one of his fingers. "Hey, say hi."
"Uhhh….oh, um…yeah. Hi, mister."
"W-W-What?! What in tarnation…" This man in the poncho looked like he was going to have a heart attack. "That darn thing can TALK?!"
"Hey, he's not a thing," Jack corrected him. "…And he's not a monster, either! So…"
"Oh, if you say so," the old man said. Jack could hear him mumble a few words under his breath, but was unable to hear the words clearly. He spoke up this time. "Well, you can't bring 'em in here. The gate says so."
"Whaddya mean 'I can't bring him in here'? It's not like Hanpan is dangerous or rabid or anything!"
"Heh, of course I'm not," the blue mouse interjected, sitting up and crossing his tiny front legs. "I'm cuddly and stuff!"
"Yeah, yeah…if you say so." Jack turned his attention to the man again. "So we can't enter unless we leave him out here?"
"::ahem:: Well…he doesn't look like he would harm anyone. Maybe…"
"Come on…he's not gonna kill anyone."
The fat man paced back and forth, eventually coming to a stop and rubbing beads of sweat off his forehead. "Aah, well…I guess it wouldn't be too bad if he came…but…"
"..Yes," Jack asked, not really caring what he would say.
"Just…just control him, y'know? I don't want any sort of panic here in the city; the citizens are already scared of the beasts around here. Something is making the monsters in this region stronger than usual, so~~"
"Of course," Jack stopped him in mid-sentence. "Yeah, we wouldn't do anything like that."
"All right then. I'd advise you to put him in one of your coat pockets…and tell him to hug up against you so that the barrier won't recognize him. If he is close enough to you, the wall will only pick up your wavelengths--not his--and let you both through. Granted that you yourselves aren't monsters as well…" After he explained to them the process, the man went back into the city.
"Monsters?" Cecilia was offended by the very thought. She followed directly behind Jack and entered slowly through the gate, a little weary that it would malfunction on her. After the both of them officially entered the large city, Hanpan hopped out of Jack's coat pocket.
"Geez, Jack! Have you been smoking again or something? I thought you quit!"
"Never you mind, whisker face," he said, looking down at him. "You got in, so don't complain."
"I'm not complaining! I just hate the smell of it!"
"Yeah, whatever." Jack turned around to Cecilia, dug into another one of his coat pockets and pulled out a small off-brown bag. The girl took it, not knowing what to do with it.
"Jack? What's this?"
"That's 200 gella," he told her. "That is the money for our stay at the inn here. Could you go and make our reservations for us?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess. Were you going somewhere or something?"
"Not really. I was just going to look around the city…you know. Scout around for any suspicious happenings or something."
Cecilia knew. Whenever Jack started acting like this, he was up to no good. She had gotten relatively used to his secrecy, so she didn't think twice about what he was off to do. Taking the money and walking ahead to the inn, she obeyed him. Hanpan followed, needing to rest his weary legs a little. Jack saw them go into the brick building, then turned to a local to ask around about the city. The man who had just helped them get into the city sat in front of the inn on a barrel.
"Thanks mister. We really needed to get in here."
"Oh, it doesn't matter. But we are just scared of the monsters here…that's why this city has this type of security and defense."
"I can understand that," Jack said sympathetically. "Hey listen…is there anywhere around here where I could get a drink?"
"A drink? You mean you aren't tired, even after walking all the way here? Travelers to this city usually go straight to bed once they get here."
"Nah, not me. But you look like the type to down a few, if you know what I mean." Jack was obviously referring to his reddened nose and cheeks. That, and the bottle of red whiskey he had resting beside him on the edge of the barrel. "So, how's about it…?"
The portly gentleman chuckled. "…Well! I can see you aren't just some young braggard who thinks he knows liquor!"
"Yeah, I'm not."
"Heh! Okay, I'll tell you. Down the street a couple of buildings and to your left. The saloon sits in the middle of town right there, right across from the big statue. You can't miss it."
"Thanks."
Jack walked off northward in town, hoping to get himself a couple of drinks. If there was any one thing that could put this user of the Fast Draw to sleep quickly, it was a nice glass of intoxicating beverage.
~~~~~~~~~~
The lobby of the Saint Centour Inn had a modern atmosphere, decorated with many small oil paintings and silver candleholders. Two mahogany circular tables sat side by side under bright red carpeting for patrons to eat dinner or breakfast at. The lighting wasn't dark nor bright, yet held a certain quaint mystique to it. Cecilia felt it once she entered inside; it felt like she had gone back home to Aldehyde. Even days after she left on her journey for the Tear Drop the homesickness kicked in, growing more and more potent as time slipped by. But the girl had a sworn duty to amplify the Guardians' wishes and to destroy the encroaching evil that would settle upon Filgaia if not confronted. Cecilia always pushed her longing to be home back into the deepest recesses of her being, but it suddenly came rushing back out.
Cecilia walked up to the front counter and was greeted heartily by the clerk working there. A short man with trimmed black hair, dressed down in black slacks, white button-down dress shirt and suspenders, gave her his attention with a wide smile. She thought he was sort of attractive.
"Hello miss," he courteously said. "Welcome to the Dream Upon Dreams, the famed inn of Saint Centour."
"Ha-ha-ha," she laughed back, not exactly in a derogatory manner. "It's the only inn, mister."
The young clerk blushed in embarrassment. "Ha-ha, yeah. I'm supposed to say that, though."
"Ah, I see. Well, this place looks very nice."
"Oh, well thank you. This business has been in my family for five generations. My father and my father's father were very talented innkeepers. Our family is renowned here for our consideration and hospitality. We also like to make the guests feel comfortable…like they were at their own home."
"Hmm, that would explain it." Cecilia thought out loud on purpose.
"Explain what, if I may ask?"
"That wave of homesickness that came over me when I entered."
"Oh, I am sorry, miss. Please, don't feel bad about being away from home."
"Oh, I'm not. You mustn't worry about me."
"But I do worry. You must have been away from home for a long time to feel homesick."
"Yeah, I have. Too long, it seems sometimes."
"Oh, I see…"
Cecilia had completely lost the reason of why she came here in the first place. Getting back on track, she inquired about the rates of the rooms that were being offered.
"We have a compact suite. One room with two beds, complete with dinner and breakfast for 40 gella a night. Or I could offer you a deluxe suite with the trimmings of the latter with extra benefits for 100 gella a night."
"Hmm," Cecilia said silently under her breath. "Jack did give me 200 gella…and it wouldn't hurt to splurge a little…"
"…Miss?" the clean man inquired.
"Ha, I'm sorry. I…think I'll take the deluxe suite. Yeah, the deluxe."
"All right…and do you have someone else with you?"
"Yes, but he isn't here. He'll probably be here in an hour or two. Can he stay?"
"Certainly, miss."
Cecilia dug into the small bag and pulled out 100 gella, giving it to the young gentleman behind the counter. Afterwards, he gave her a key to her bedroom, gave her the room number and showed her the way there. When he stepped out behind the counter, however, he noticed Hanpan already heading down the hallway.
"Um…is that…your pet?"
"Oh…him? No, he's a good friend of mine."
"A friend…?"
"Yes. He's not harmful or anything, and he doesn't have fleas." Cecilia looked at him strangely. "Say, you do let pets stay, right?"
"A pet? I thought it was a monster at first…"
"Nah, he's not. We did get through the gate, so he couldn't be a monster." Cecilia chose not to tell him about sneaking Hanpan in and to let the lie slide. "So, is it all right?"
"Err, well…I guess it couldn't hurt. I mean, it did get through."
The wind mouse shook his whiskers at him, offended at being called a pet. "Hey, I am NOT her pet! And I'm a 'he', not an 'it'! Sheesh!"
Cecilia smiled at the clerk and drifted off to her room, where she opened up the door for her mousy ally. They both entered and let the door shut with an almost silent click, leaving him standing in the lobby dumbfounded.
"W-What? It can…talk?" The innkeeper didn't know what to think.
~~~~~~~~~~
Cecilia immediately climbed into bed, not even bothering to remove her gear to get undressed. Hanpan climbed onto a chair that sat near the door, curled up and closed his eyes, resting his tiny body on the crimson pillowed seating. After what seemed to be a few minutes, Hanpan got back up to see Cecilia lying there with the covers hanging off of her.
"…Cecilia," he asked her. To no avail; she was fast asleep at the moment. "Gee…she was really exhausted; she's out like a light."
Hanpan hopped off the chair and jumped on the bed. He began to pull the covers up over hr body, making sure she was comfortably tucked into bed. This task took him a minute or so, but seeing her sleeping comfortably made it well worth the effort for him. After Hanpan finished he silently jumped off of the bed and back onto the chair to sleep himself. Curling up again, he shut his eyes and drifted into a deep slumber.
~~~~~~~~~~
Under covers she slept blissfully, unaware of was about to take place. A subtle flapping in the wind tickled the window curtains next to her bed, becoming stronger and louder with each passing second.
Now it was quite loud, rousing Hanpan out of his slumber. Long and drawn out gusts of wind made their way into Cecilia's room…unnatural winds that couldn't have been caused by any weather. The wind mouse say upright on hind legs in the chair, wondering what it could be.
At that moment…it hit.
A shrill howl like that of a monster shattered the window pane, shocking the girl out of her sleep. She sat up and looked out of her window to see something frightening- -a gray dragon-like beast wreaking havoc on the city outside. It was unbelievable…truly frightening to the both of them. Cecilia rubbed her eyes and pinched her cheeks just to make sure this wasn't some sort of nightmare. Something else had caught her attention apart from the onslaught.
"…What?" she asked herself in shock. "Wait a minute…"
As she stared on, the beast decimated a distant building with its tail. Scores of children and adults emerged from the ruins overtaken by horror as this foul entity laid the structure to waste. The magic user never even saw Hanpan hop up next to her onto the windowsill.
"Cecilia, what in the world is…!" He never got to finish the sentence when he finally got a glimpse of what was happening. "…Oh…my goodness."
"…" The girl didn't even hear him.
"…Cecilia? Jack isn't here. He may be~~"
"Hanpan…do you see what I see?" Cecilia asked him in a slight stupor. "That…isn't…"
"…Isn't what?"
The girl hesitated to move then, but after a few moments she grabbed her scepter off of the nightstand and ran out the entrance of the room, leaving her small and furry companion wondering what was going on. He looked out the window once more, watching the destruction of the city by this flying menace…when it hit him. Hanpan saw what Cecilia was dumbstruck about right then.
" ::gasp:: No way!" he practically screamed in his high-pitched voice, shaking his head in disbelief. "That isn't right! It can't be!" The creature hopped off the windowsill ledge in a hurry and ran outside after Cecilia.
~~~~~~~~~~
In the middle of Saint Centour a lone swordsman stood, defending himself from this monster. His enemy- -a mysterious white-robed Demon that wore a golden mask and had eyes of crimson- -stared him down as the dragon did the damage to Saint Centour. The flying beast made circles around the town, blasting the occasional fireball at random targets and buildings. Many of the houses were severely burned or crushed. Groups of hysterical citizens ran past Jack, only wishing to escape from this hell inflicted upon them. But the warrior didn't care; it was his job to fight the ones who would destroy the Guardian Statues. With saber in hand, Jack Van Burace gritted his teeth and emitted a primal yell at his foe.
"Aaaaaaaagh! You! You monsters! Have you no shame?"
The white-robed one paid him no heed. Hovering directly above the statue in the center of town, it probed and prodded the stone image with its metal tail. Jack was becoming quickly annoyed at its lack of response.
"Hey! You! Get away from that statue, or else!" Jack took his sword in both hands, gripping the handle tightly. "I can't let you do that. If you don't stop, I'm gonna have to get rough!"
Still, the cloaked one said nothing. It ceased the jabbing with its tail and instead took a different approach by ramming it with its head from the side. The statue moved a little but did not break, much to the vexation of the Demon.
"Goodness me," the thing said in a metallic voice, void of any emotion. "This just will not do. Maybe I would do well to take that annoying man's advice and get rough with it."
"…What? Hey…wait a minute! You can't do that!" Jack charged toward the monster near the Guardian Statue, almost making a connection with his weapon. But his attempt was struck down by a nearby explosion that knocked him off course and straight into the wall of a nearby building. He warrior rubbed his head, took the saber back into his hand and got up slowly. The first thing he saw was Cecilia and Hanpan running toward him from the inn. Once they made it over to him, the girl cast a quick healing spell on him just in case.
"Aah…thanks Cecilia. That one really hurt right there."
"Jack, what is that thing near the statue?" she inquired curiously.
"It's trying to destroy it, Princess! And it's taking its sweet time in doing so as well!"
Cecilia stood up, scepter in hand, and walked toward it with determination, Jack got to his feet and called out to her, but was unable to stop her purpose.
"…Damnit, Princess…why are you always like this?" Jack sighed, then went along with her for the upcoming battle. "Here we go again…"
Cecilia ascended the steps of the Guardian Statue holding garden to battle against the one who would hope to destroy what she would seek to save. The royal had a plan already in motion- -she was silently chanting an incantation for a thunder spell that she hoped would catch it off guard. Hiding her face by hanging her head to the ground would shield her from being found out…or she hoped it would.
"I only need one good shot," she told herself in her mind as she neared. "One shot…and it's all over."
Still ramming it with its head, this creature stopped and acknowledged her presence closing in. It turned to her and narrowed its blood-colored eyes in disgust.
"If it isn't the one chosen by the Guardians to destroy us. Welcome, little girl."
Unexpectedly, Cecilia finished her spell chant and released the energy from the skies. A bolt of thunder came roaring down to hit its desired target. This violet shock pounded down on it, stunning the Demon into submission and dropping it immediately to the cobblestone ground in one large metallic heap. She waited a few minutes while prodding the beast with her scepter, making sure it was properly dispatched with her powerful magic. After that time had passed, she began to celebrate her victory. Jack couldn't believe what had just transpired here.
"Yes! I did it," Cecilia exclaimed victoriously. "Ha-ha-ha! It worked!" Turning away from her foe and to her allies before her, she let them know. "Jack, Hanpan! I think my plan worked!"
"…How in the…what?" Jack stammered.
"No worries now; it's all done for. Hee-hee, that was relatively simple, if I do say so myself! So much for being 'the Innocent One' after all!"
Joyously, this proud girl jumped and danced with joy at her accomplishment. However, she never saw the crystalline blue eyes of her friend down below widen in horror. For you see, something large, hulking and crimson-eyed had risen from the ground and begun to hover directly over her.
"…! C-Cecilia! Cecilia, get away from there!" Jack screamed, pointing at her. "Damnit, look behind you! That thing is still alive!"
Her smile faded with his response to her victory. "What?"
As soon as she whipped around to see what the man was talking about, the creature's metallic tail struck her directly in the face, knocking Cecilia some 15 feet away. "Ceciliaaaa!" Jack yelled as he sprinted over to where she lay unconscious from the blow. He shook her and patted her head in an attempt to revive her, but the girl was out cold. With an angry façade, Jack raised his head slowly and glared at his enemy.
"….You monster. You monster! I hate you!"
"Kkkkkk, shkkkk," it hissed, mechanically writhing in pain from the lightning strike. "That little witch packs a mean punch, I see. Shkkkk…now…it ends. I am Alhazad, you imbeciles! Demon scientist extraordinaire, and master of your ultimate fates! I am the one who makes the decision of whether you live to see tomorrow or suffer the trip to an early grave! Kkkkk…I…I hate you humans! That is why I will kill you. You get no second chances; you get no opportunity to oppose my will…you get~~"
"Will you SHUT UP already?" a familiar voice resounded from a place in the skies. "Alhazad, or whatever your name is. All of what you now said is but a mere opinion! In truth, I am the one who controls others' futures!"
The one called Alhazad backed away in shock at the mystery voice's denial of its power. "Who in the hell do you think you are…Holmcross? I am your master and maker! You do not deny your master the pleasures he desires!"
With that statement, the dragon from before descended from the skies. However, someone else had appeared with it, straddling the back of its scaly neck while closing in on ground level of the destroyed city. The gray wined animal flapped its wings, keeping it aloft in midair while the rider grinned evilly at Alhazad. Jack took one look at who it was and dropped his sword to the street in mixed emotions of incredulity and denial.
"N-N-No way…no. That can't be right." Jack shook his head back and forth lifelessly. "How can it be you? you're dead; you went into the sea in Aldehyde!"
The man ignored his words and instead stared down the shaken one called Alhazad. "So, how would you care for your demise to come forth, milord? Shall it be from the scorching hellfires of purgatory down below? If you wish, I may smite you down with purity from the heavens, therein defeating you to the point of death by extensive shock."
Alhazad approached the man and his dragon with wicked intents. "Holmcross, you have no idea who you are~~"
"The flames of Hell it shall be then," he ascertained for the robed one. "Goodbye forever."
The blue-haired youth raised his right hand into the air, rapidly beginning to gather flames into one large orb. As it had finished, he offered one last insult towards his 'master'.
"May the Guardians bless you in your descent into obscurity."
The flaming orb hurled itself towards Alhazad and connected, which ignited its body ablaze. "Kkkkk, shkkkk," it moaned as it fell to the ground and convulsed erratically. Jack picked Cecilia up and backed away as it inched its way over near their presence in desperation. "Ple…ase, help me…I need release…shkkk…"
"…" Jack ignored its pleas for mercy and continued to back away.
Alhazad, after a minute or two, slowed in his wrenching and writhing as it neared the demise that had been inflicted my the mysterious yet familiar man on the dragon. Eventually, the round Demon who had worn white had been reduced to a blackened and charred hulk of smoldering scrap metal as a thick black liquid oozed on the ground from beneath its remains. Jack said nothing and stared as he and the other man watched him die a horrible death. Silence ensued afterwards, with the exception of a few straggling villagers fleeing from the city stifling their screams, and the swordsman turned his attention to this person who he seemed to know somehow.
"…Rudy?"
The one he referred to as Rudy glanced down at him sporting a sneer. "I don't know who you are."
"…" Jack couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Do I?"
"It's me, Jack! How can you be alive when I saw you go into the ocean? You drowned!"
"…"
Jack stepped toward him. "…Listen, let's get out of here. We can catch up on what happened after you left once Cecilia comes to. The Guardians have given us our help, and now once we release the Demon Queen's essence and destroy it, we can~~"
"…Ha…ha-ha-ha."
"…What? Rudy, what is so funny?"
"Gah-ha-ha-ha! Destroy the essence of Mother, you say? How utterly…naïve of you."
Jack didn't understand what he meant. "Rudy, what are you saying?"
"What I am saying is that Mother's heart will be released. But it won't be destroyed."
Rudy ascended back into the air, and the dragon let out a thunderous cry as it made headway on its set destination. Raising his hand into the air once more, he started a chant that Jack had heard somewhere before.
"Warrior of Filgaia, protector of the eternal all-consuming flame of mightiness and divinity! Heed my commands and release your fury onto the world! Moa Gault, Guardian of Fire…I command thee! Waste this blight of a hamlet to charred stone and ashes!"
Jack stared into the sky, shaking his head. Then he noticed a slight motion moving in his pocket, combined with a red glow. A small egg-shaped stone had risen up out of there and ascended rapidly into the air over the city.
"The rune? But how.."
"Release…now!" Rudy yelled. "Go, destroy it all now!"
The stone engulfed itself in an orb of blinding light, causing Jack to shield his sight. The rune exploded and took the form of a large flaming bird that circled his master in anticipation of his command.
"One who controls me as he sees fit," said Moa Gault. "Do with me what you will."
"…Go," Rudy simply said. "Burn it. Burn it all."
"Yes, my master."
Mao Gault did what he was told and circled again, flying around the city while dropping flames in every direction. Houses were practically assaulted by small flaming rocks being hurled by this supposed protector of Fligaia- -the one who was to aid in the quest to destroy Mother and the Demons.
"Good lord…this is horrendous," was all the Jack said at the sight of the Guardian wasting the city.
With Hanpan close behind him, the swordsman ran as quickly as he could to the entrance without dropping Cecilia, who rested unaware in his arms. He saw Rudy approach the Guardian Statue as he began to exit; he unhooked a large cannon on his back, fired upon the figure and blew it to chunks in two swift maneuvers.
"Nooooooo!" Jack bellowed. "The statue!"
Rudy grabbed a small piece of black material that appeared after the statue's destruction and flew off immediately into the skies, while the berserk Guardian eventually slowed and ceased his rampage on Saint Centour. It flew just outside the boundaries of the city and reverted back into a rune in a cloud of dust, causing the slab to fall directly at Jack's feet. Not thinking twice about it, he picked it up and ran to the exit of the village to exit before the flames killed him and Cecilia. As he made it just outside of the gate, he quickly observed a man in a long dark-brown trench coat holding someone else in his arms as she lie there on the ground motionless. Jack slowed down just enough to warn them about the flames, since they seemed completely oblivious to the destruction.
"Hey, you! This city's gonna be burned to the ground, so I'd get out of here if I were you!"
"Leave me alone, sir," the man moaned deeply. "God, just leave us be!"
"Come on; you want to doe here or something? You have a death wish? Get the lady out of here before she fries to death!"
The kneeling fellow whipped his head around to Jack and addressed him eye-to-eye this time. "She IS dead! Goodness, man…she got killed by a monster!"
Jack barely even had time to think before he responded to that. The flames were closing in on them unnaturally quickly, like they had a mind of their own. "Carry her out of here; maybe I can help her."
"You can't help her. Can you snatch back the deceased from the other side?!"
"Come on," Jack begged. "Damnit, get up and let's go!"
The other man took a look at the approaching line of fire inside of the city as it weave its way towards them. He decided to follow Jack's advice and leave before he himself suffered the same fate as his friend had. He picked up the pale woman in pink who had curly blonde hair into his arms, and with Jack, fled the city of Saint Centour forever.
Somewhere, in the icy cold fields of the Northern Continent near the ruined kingdom of Arctica, another birth was slowly taking place. Something that required three 'pieces'. Already, with one of the 'pieces' gently set into place, its birth had gone through one stage of gestation in the glass tube that was its 'womb'.
The ironclad and taciturn Demon Zeikfried stood silently in front of the glass 'womb', searching his feelings and trying to get some answers. The sudden explosion of Hiades…the fiery blaze that enveloped the planet just before that calamity…what happened? Why did the people of Hiades all have to die so violently and so suddenly? What had caused this terrible occurrence to manifest itself in the form of an all-consuming, all-enveloping fire? And then…an explosion that rocked the very core of the universe…why? All of these thoughts and feelings rushed through his body as he stood in front of his 'mother', hoping that some way…somehow…she could provide answers. Zeikfried stepped forward slowly, placing his right hand on the cool glass. He wanted to be her 'child' again so desperately.
"Mother…Mother, I'm here for you. You mustn't worry, fret, or cry anymore…I will always be by your side as a devoted son and warrior in your majesty and grace. Mother…I…need you, I…want you. I cannot live without you in my life, nor can the others. Mother…where are you? Where are you in our time of unbridled disarray and lacking charisma? Mother, we…no, I need you. Your eldest child needs your love."
Rays of sunlight entered in through the glass casing directly behind the tube housing the cocoon that Zeikfried's 'mother' was imprisoned inside, illuminating the large room that he was in. The knight, in a fit of dull, suppressed desperation and loneliness, took this as a sign that fate would shine in the Demons' favor. Perhaps his mother's awakening was more imminent than he had hoped.
"The sun," Zeikfried said, looking upwards. "The glorious, beautiful sun. The ultimate giver of life, warmth and prosperity. Mother, the sun is shining upon us, as if to say that we will be victorious in claiming this world as our own. Mother, this will be our new home…our little Hiades. Once you awaken, you will see this world for its splendor and majestic, breathtaking beauty. We will populate this world with our own and wipe out the humans." All of a sudden, Zeikfried's mood got somewhat sinister. "This world doesn't deserve to be inhabited by Humans and Guardians. We will crush them for you, Mother…slaughter and cripple all of those vermin for what they did to you. And we will reign supreme afterwards. Mother, this will be our era. Now and forever, it will be…with you as our Queen as us as your precious children, eternally swearing unwavering fealty to you."
In the middle of his thoughts, A white orb of light materialized from thin air, taking shape of a familiar entity. Alhazad had entered Zeikfried's presence unannounced, and the knight was not too pleased.
"What do you want," he asked angrily. "Do you not know any better than to not interrupt my private, tender moments with Mother?"
Alhazad's eyes gently lit up, indicating that it was amused with what he had said. "Sss-sss-sss…Zeikfried, my dedicated, somber sibling. Come now…you of all people should know that obsessions are purely unhealthy and self-destructive to the point of madness. Why must you occupy yourself with our…comatose…maternal unit nearly every waking moment of the day? There is much to be done, as you should know…"
"I do not have to answer to the likes of you. What do you want, Alhazad?"
The monstrosity let out what sounded like a lifeless sigh, lowered the brightness of its eyes, then continued on. "A thousand pardons, Lord…forgive me, for I do not know the error of my ways. Getting to my point, I would like to…"
"…Hmm, yes," Zeikfried agreed, knowing that it was going to suggest. "The attack on our next target. I would like to awaken our mother as soon as possible. Then, we can enact our next plan…"
"…And I can play with all of the humans I see fit!"
"You're like a child sometimes, my dear brother. It would seem that you have an 'unhealthy' obsession. With humans, at that."
"Sss-sss-sss," the mechanical machine hissed. "I've been found out."
"Hm. Well, do whatever you want. But remember, take out the Guardian quickly. We can't have that meddlesome witch from Aldehyde getting in our way anymore. That time at Zenom was too close for comfort."
"Ahh, our now-defunct brother Belselk," Alhazad chimed in. "He was always a renegade. And a show-off as well. But then again, that was what got him taken out of the equation, was it not?"
"…I suppose," Zeikfried replied, turning his back on his brother.
"Well, I am not like him. I'm smarter and resourceful, which makes me superior."
"Gloat all you wish when you take back our mother's life."
"Sss…you never had a sense of humor. Oh well, I suppose I'll do this."
After the agreement, almost as if it were timed, another figure entered into the bridge where the two Demons were discussing strategy. This one was different, however; he was a lot smaller, was outlined in a light violet aura and wore a twisted look of wickedness on his facade. His eyes were the color of darkness- -black as the night without a moon- -and his clothing the same hue. The features that once were had all changed into black, with the exception of one sole, solitary trait.
The blue, cropped hair.
This form walked passively up to Zeikfried, his boots clacking against the steel floor of the bridge of the Photosphere. Directly past the now amused and giddy Alhazad, and straight for Zeikfried…the head Quarter Knight was speechless as the man stopped and stared upward at him in deafening silence. After a few brief moments, the white-cloaked Demon spoke up.
"Can I take him with me? I want to give him a little…test-drive."
Zeikfried tore his stare from the man. "Do whatever you want. Just get back our mother's life."
Alhazad's eyes lit up yet again. "Sss-sss-sss…perfect, perfect! Yes, this will be so much fun! I'm going to get to play with my new toy…and it'll be so much fun!"
"…" Zeikfried turned his back on both of them again, staring at the encased cocoon.
"Okay, okay…Holmcross #3…let's go! To Saint Centour!"
Alhazad disappeared from the room an a globe of light, but the man stayed behind for a moment. Giving the unaware Zeikfried a cold and calculated stare from behind, he too left, dematerializing in a heavy cloud of black haze. Zeikfried immediately felt his heavy presence leave the room…and he felt a little relieved.
"That…power," he thought to himself. "It's malicious. I've never felt such a wicked power in my life." He placed his right hand on the glass casing again. "Mother…the light of the sun has drenched us in its light…but now I'm not so sure. That man…what is he?"
Zeikfried, after a few moments, took his hand off the glass and walked away, but not before stopping to look back upon his slumbering mother. Offering one more thought, he spoke aloud.
"We will awaken you, mother. By the grace of Hiades…it will happen."
With the sound of a sliding door opening and shutting, the knight had left. The room sat in a calm quiet, with the hum of the machinery sustaining the life of the cocoon breaking the calm gently. In the stasis capsule the cocoon shifted a little…
"I…can speak. I may speak out. My heart…is broken. My will is not, however, broken. I know my children are…working diligently to free me from my bonds. I know in my mind…my beautiful, beautiful children are trying to rescue…me."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Ha-ha-ha! That was some lunge!" Jack had laughed as he scraped a dazed and befuddled Hanpan off the ground. "You just bounced off thin air, like you threw yourself headfirst into a wall or something!"
The three had attempted to enter the housed city of Saint Centour, which was surrounded by brick-and-stone walls extending 25 feet into the air. Cecilia and he walked directly through the main entrance without encountering any trouble. But their mousy ally had tried unsuccessfully three times after them with no success. Each time he attempted to stroll in a bright blue protective barrier had pushed him backwards, keeping him from entering. After a period of frustration, the mouse tried diving headfirst through the portal, but that just knocked him for a loop.
Jack looked around behind him to hear footsteps approaching. A short, portly man of age wearing a brown and black poncho strolled over to the three who were just outside of the city walls, smiling happily. "Whoops, looks like we raised a ruckus," he said to the man.
"Oh, no no no," he responded. "But, this gate works like a charm. Your 'pet' there just ended up bouncing off of our monster-rejection system that the city installed a few weeks ago, is all." With his red nose and chubby cheeks, the elderly man squinted his beady little eyes. "That…IS your pet…right?"
"Huh? Oh, uh….no. He's a companion of mine. Name's Hanpan." The tall blonde prodded his friend with one of his fingers. "Hey, say hi."
"Uhhh….oh, um…yeah. Hi, mister."
"W-W-What?! What in tarnation…" This man in the poncho looked like he was going to have a heart attack. "That darn thing can TALK?!"
"Hey, he's not a thing," Jack corrected him. "…And he's not a monster, either! So…"
"Oh, if you say so," the old man said. Jack could hear him mumble a few words under his breath, but was unable to hear the words clearly. He spoke up this time. "Well, you can't bring 'em in here. The gate says so."
"Whaddya mean 'I can't bring him in here'? It's not like Hanpan is dangerous or rabid or anything!"
"Heh, of course I'm not," the blue mouse interjected, sitting up and crossing his tiny front legs. "I'm cuddly and stuff!"
"Yeah, yeah…if you say so." Jack turned his attention to the man again. "So we can't enter unless we leave him out here?"
"::ahem:: Well…he doesn't look like he would harm anyone. Maybe…"
"Come on…he's not gonna kill anyone."
The fat man paced back and forth, eventually coming to a stop and rubbing beads of sweat off his forehead. "Aah, well…I guess it wouldn't be too bad if he came…but…"
"..Yes," Jack asked, not really caring what he would say.
"Just…just control him, y'know? I don't want any sort of panic here in the city; the citizens are already scared of the beasts around here. Something is making the monsters in this region stronger than usual, so~~"
"Of course," Jack stopped him in mid-sentence. "Yeah, we wouldn't do anything like that."
"All right then. I'd advise you to put him in one of your coat pockets…and tell him to hug up against you so that the barrier won't recognize him. If he is close enough to you, the wall will only pick up your wavelengths--not his--and let you both through. Granted that you yourselves aren't monsters as well…" After he explained to them the process, the man went back into the city.
"Monsters?" Cecilia was offended by the very thought. She followed directly behind Jack and entered slowly through the gate, a little weary that it would malfunction on her. After the both of them officially entered the large city, Hanpan hopped out of Jack's coat pocket.
"Geez, Jack! Have you been smoking again or something? I thought you quit!"
"Never you mind, whisker face," he said, looking down at him. "You got in, so don't complain."
"I'm not complaining! I just hate the smell of it!"
"Yeah, whatever." Jack turned around to Cecilia, dug into another one of his coat pockets and pulled out a small off-brown bag. The girl took it, not knowing what to do with it.
"Jack? What's this?"
"That's 200 gella," he told her. "That is the money for our stay at the inn here. Could you go and make our reservations for us?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess. Were you going somewhere or something?"
"Not really. I was just going to look around the city…you know. Scout around for any suspicious happenings or something."
Cecilia knew. Whenever Jack started acting like this, he was up to no good. She had gotten relatively used to his secrecy, so she didn't think twice about what he was off to do. Taking the money and walking ahead to the inn, she obeyed him. Hanpan followed, needing to rest his weary legs a little. Jack saw them go into the brick building, then turned to a local to ask around about the city. The man who had just helped them get into the city sat in front of the inn on a barrel.
"Thanks mister. We really needed to get in here."
"Oh, it doesn't matter. But we are just scared of the monsters here…that's why this city has this type of security and defense."
"I can understand that," Jack said sympathetically. "Hey listen…is there anywhere around here where I could get a drink?"
"A drink? You mean you aren't tired, even after walking all the way here? Travelers to this city usually go straight to bed once they get here."
"Nah, not me. But you look like the type to down a few, if you know what I mean." Jack was obviously referring to his reddened nose and cheeks. That, and the bottle of red whiskey he had resting beside him on the edge of the barrel. "So, how's about it…?"
The portly gentleman chuckled. "…Well! I can see you aren't just some young braggard who thinks he knows liquor!"
"Yeah, I'm not."
"Heh! Okay, I'll tell you. Down the street a couple of buildings and to your left. The saloon sits in the middle of town right there, right across from the big statue. You can't miss it."
"Thanks."
Jack walked off northward in town, hoping to get himself a couple of drinks. If there was any one thing that could put this user of the Fast Draw to sleep quickly, it was a nice glass of intoxicating beverage.
~~~~~~~~~~
The lobby of the Saint Centour Inn had a modern atmosphere, decorated with many small oil paintings and silver candleholders. Two mahogany circular tables sat side by side under bright red carpeting for patrons to eat dinner or breakfast at. The lighting wasn't dark nor bright, yet held a certain quaint mystique to it. Cecilia felt it once she entered inside; it felt like she had gone back home to Aldehyde. Even days after she left on her journey for the Tear Drop the homesickness kicked in, growing more and more potent as time slipped by. But the girl had a sworn duty to amplify the Guardians' wishes and to destroy the encroaching evil that would settle upon Filgaia if not confronted. Cecilia always pushed her longing to be home back into the deepest recesses of her being, but it suddenly came rushing back out.
Cecilia walked up to the front counter and was greeted heartily by the clerk working there. A short man with trimmed black hair, dressed down in black slacks, white button-down dress shirt and suspenders, gave her his attention with a wide smile. She thought he was sort of attractive.
"Hello miss," he courteously said. "Welcome to the Dream Upon Dreams, the famed inn of Saint Centour."
"Ha-ha-ha," she laughed back, not exactly in a derogatory manner. "It's the only inn, mister."
The young clerk blushed in embarrassment. "Ha-ha, yeah. I'm supposed to say that, though."
"Ah, I see. Well, this place looks very nice."
"Oh, well thank you. This business has been in my family for five generations. My father and my father's father were very talented innkeepers. Our family is renowned here for our consideration and hospitality. We also like to make the guests feel comfortable…like they were at their own home."
"Hmm, that would explain it." Cecilia thought out loud on purpose.
"Explain what, if I may ask?"
"That wave of homesickness that came over me when I entered."
"Oh, I am sorry, miss. Please, don't feel bad about being away from home."
"Oh, I'm not. You mustn't worry about me."
"But I do worry. You must have been away from home for a long time to feel homesick."
"Yeah, I have. Too long, it seems sometimes."
"Oh, I see…"
Cecilia had completely lost the reason of why she came here in the first place. Getting back on track, she inquired about the rates of the rooms that were being offered.
"We have a compact suite. One room with two beds, complete with dinner and breakfast for 40 gella a night. Or I could offer you a deluxe suite with the trimmings of the latter with extra benefits for 100 gella a night."
"Hmm," Cecilia said silently under her breath. "Jack did give me 200 gella…and it wouldn't hurt to splurge a little…"
"…Miss?" the clean man inquired.
"Ha, I'm sorry. I…think I'll take the deluxe suite. Yeah, the deluxe."
"All right…and do you have someone else with you?"
"Yes, but he isn't here. He'll probably be here in an hour or two. Can he stay?"
"Certainly, miss."
Cecilia dug into the small bag and pulled out 100 gella, giving it to the young gentleman behind the counter. Afterwards, he gave her a key to her bedroom, gave her the room number and showed her the way there. When he stepped out behind the counter, however, he noticed Hanpan already heading down the hallway.
"Um…is that…your pet?"
"Oh…him? No, he's a good friend of mine."
"A friend…?"
"Yes. He's not harmful or anything, and he doesn't have fleas." Cecilia looked at him strangely. "Say, you do let pets stay, right?"
"A pet? I thought it was a monster at first…"
"Nah, he's not. We did get through the gate, so he couldn't be a monster." Cecilia chose not to tell him about sneaking Hanpan in and to let the lie slide. "So, is it all right?"
"Err, well…I guess it couldn't hurt. I mean, it did get through."
The wind mouse shook his whiskers at him, offended at being called a pet. "Hey, I am NOT her pet! And I'm a 'he', not an 'it'! Sheesh!"
Cecilia smiled at the clerk and drifted off to her room, where she opened up the door for her mousy ally. They both entered and let the door shut with an almost silent click, leaving him standing in the lobby dumbfounded.
"W-What? It can…talk?" The innkeeper didn't know what to think.
~~~~~~~~~~
Cecilia immediately climbed into bed, not even bothering to remove her gear to get undressed. Hanpan climbed onto a chair that sat near the door, curled up and closed his eyes, resting his tiny body on the crimson pillowed seating. After what seemed to be a few minutes, Hanpan got back up to see Cecilia lying there with the covers hanging off of her.
"…Cecilia," he asked her. To no avail; she was fast asleep at the moment. "Gee…she was really exhausted; she's out like a light."
Hanpan hopped off the chair and jumped on the bed. He began to pull the covers up over hr body, making sure she was comfortably tucked into bed. This task took him a minute or so, but seeing her sleeping comfortably made it well worth the effort for him. After Hanpan finished he silently jumped off of the bed and back onto the chair to sleep himself. Curling up again, he shut his eyes and drifted into a deep slumber.
~~~~~~~~~~
Under covers she slept blissfully, unaware of was about to take place. A subtle flapping in the wind tickled the window curtains next to her bed, becoming stronger and louder with each passing second.
Now it was quite loud, rousing Hanpan out of his slumber. Long and drawn out gusts of wind made their way into Cecilia's room…unnatural winds that couldn't have been caused by any weather. The wind mouse say upright on hind legs in the chair, wondering what it could be.
At that moment…it hit.
A shrill howl like that of a monster shattered the window pane, shocking the girl out of her sleep. She sat up and looked out of her window to see something frightening- -a gray dragon-like beast wreaking havoc on the city outside. It was unbelievable…truly frightening to the both of them. Cecilia rubbed her eyes and pinched her cheeks just to make sure this wasn't some sort of nightmare. Something else had caught her attention apart from the onslaught.
"…What?" she asked herself in shock. "Wait a minute…"
As she stared on, the beast decimated a distant building with its tail. Scores of children and adults emerged from the ruins overtaken by horror as this foul entity laid the structure to waste. The magic user never even saw Hanpan hop up next to her onto the windowsill.
"Cecilia, what in the world is…!" He never got to finish the sentence when he finally got a glimpse of what was happening. "…Oh…my goodness."
"…" The girl didn't even hear him.
"…Cecilia? Jack isn't here. He may be~~"
"Hanpan…do you see what I see?" Cecilia asked him in a slight stupor. "That…isn't…"
"…Isn't what?"
The girl hesitated to move then, but after a few moments she grabbed her scepter off of the nightstand and ran out the entrance of the room, leaving her small and furry companion wondering what was going on. He looked out the window once more, watching the destruction of the city by this flying menace…when it hit him. Hanpan saw what Cecilia was dumbstruck about right then.
" ::gasp:: No way!" he practically screamed in his high-pitched voice, shaking his head in disbelief. "That isn't right! It can't be!" The creature hopped off the windowsill ledge in a hurry and ran outside after Cecilia.
~~~~~~~~~~
In the middle of Saint Centour a lone swordsman stood, defending himself from this monster. His enemy- -a mysterious white-robed Demon that wore a golden mask and had eyes of crimson- -stared him down as the dragon did the damage to Saint Centour. The flying beast made circles around the town, blasting the occasional fireball at random targets and buildings. Many of the houses were severely burned or crushed. Groups of hysterical citizens ran past Jack, only wishing to escape from this hell inflicted upon them. But the warrior didn't care; it was his job to fight the ones who would destroy the Guardian Statues. With saber in hand, Jack Van Burace gritted his teeth and emitted a primal yell at his foe.
"Aaaaaaaagh! You! You monsters! Have you no shame?"
The white-robed one paid him no heed. Hovering directly above the statue in the center of town, it probed and prodded the stone image with its metal tail. Jack was becoming quickly annoyed at its lack of response.
"Hey! You! Get away from that statue, or else!" Jack took his sword in both hands, gripping the handle tightly. "I can't let you do that. If you don't stop, I'm gonna have to get rough!"
Still, the cloaked one said nothing. It ceased the jabbing with its tail and instead took a different approach by ramming it with its head from the side. The statue moved a little but did not break, much to the vexation of the Demon.
"Goodness me," the thing said in a metallic voice, void of any emotion. "This just will not do. Maybe I would do well to take that annoying man's advice and get rough with it."
"…What? Hey…wait a minute! You can't do that!" Jack charged toward the monster near the Guardian Statue, almost making a connection with his weapon. But his attempt was struck down by a nearby explosion that knocked him off course and straight into the wall of a nearby building. He warrior rubbed his head, took the saber back into his hand and got up slowly. The first thing he saw was Cecilia and Hanpan running toward him from the inn. Once they made it over to him, the girl cast a quick healing spell on him just in case.
"Aah…thanks Cecilia. That one really hurt right there."
"Jack, what is that thing near the statue?" she inquired curiously.
"It's trying to destroy it, Princess! And it's taking its sweet time in doing so as well!"
Cecilia stood up, scepter in hand, and walked toward it with determination, Jack got to his feet and called out to her, but was unable to stop her purpose.
"…Damnit, Princess…why are you always like this?" Jack sighed, then went along with her for the upcoming battle. "Here we go again…"
Cecilia ascended the steps of the Guardian Statue holding garden to battle against the one who would hope to destroy what she would seek to save. The royal had a plan already in motion- -she was silently chanting an incantation for a thunder spell that she hoped would catch it off guard. Hiding her face by hanging her head to the ground would shield her from being found out…or she hoped it would.
"I only need one good shot," she told herself in her mind as she neared. "One shot…and it's all over."
Still ramming it with its head, this creature stopped and acknowledged her presence closing in. It turned to her and narrowed its blood-colored eyes in disgust.
"If it isn't the one chosen by the Guardians to destroy us. Welcome, little girl."
Unexpectedly, Cecilia finished her spell chant and released the energy from the skies. A bolt of thunder came roaring down to hit its desired target. This violet shock pounded down on it, stunning the Demon into submission and dropping it immediately to the cobblestone ground in one large metallic heap. She waited a few minutes while prodding the beast with her scepter, making sure it was properly dispatched with her powerful magic. After that time had passed, she began to celebrate her victory. Jack couldn't believe what had just transpired here.
"Yes! I did it," Cecilia exclaimed victoriously. "Ha-ha-ha! It worked!" Turning away from her foe and to her allies before her, she let them know. "Jack, Hanpan! I think my plan worked!"
"…How in the…what?" Jack stammered.
"No worries now; it's all done for. Hee-hee, that was relatively simple, if I do say so myself! So much for being 'the Innocent One' after all!"
Joyously, this proud girl jumped and danced with joy at her accomplishment. However, she never saw the crystalline blue eyes of her friend down below widen in horror. For you see, something large, hulking and crimson-eyed had risen from the ground and begun to hover directly over her.
"…! C-Cecilia! Cecilia, get away from there!" Jack screamed, pointing at her. "Damnit, look behind you! That thing is still alive!"
Her smile faded with his response to her victory. "What?"
As soon as she whipped around to see what the man was talking about, the creature's metallic tail struck her directly in the face, knocking Cecilia some 15 feet away. "Ceciliaaaa!" Jack yelled as he sprinted over to where she lay unconscious from the blow. He shook her and patted her head in an attempt to revive her, but the girl was out cold. With an angry façade, Jack raised his head slowly and glared at his enemy.
"….You monster. You monster! I hate you!"
"Kkkkkk, shkkkk," it hissed, mechanically writhing in pain from the lightning strike. "That little witch packs a mean punch, I see. Shkkkk…now…it ends. I am Alhazad, you imbeciles! Demon scientist extraordinaire, and master of your ultimate fates! I am the one who makes the decision of whether you live to see tomorrow or suffer the trip to an early grave! Kkkkk…I…I hate you humans! That is why I will kill you. You get no second chances; you get no opportunity to oppose my will…you get~~"
"Will you SHUT UP already?" a familiar voice resounded from a place in the skies. "Alhazad, or whatever your name is. All of what you now said is but a mere opinion! In truth, I am the one who controls others' futures!"
The one called Alhazad backed away in shock at the mystery voice's denial of its power. "Who in the hell do you think you are…Holmcross? I am your master and maker! You do not deny your master the pleasures he desires!"
With that statement, the dragon from before descended from the skies. However, someone else had appeared with it, straddling the back of its scaly neck while closing in on ground level of the destroyed city. The gray wined animal flapped its wings, keeping it aloft in midair while the rider grinned evilly at Alhazad. Jack took one look at who it was and dropped his sword to the street in mixed emotions of incredulity and denial.
"N-N-No way…no. That can't be right." Jack shook his head back and forth lifelessly. "How can it be you? you're dead; you went into the sea in Aldehyde!"
The man ignored his words and instead stared down the shaken one called Alhazad. "So, how would you care for your demise to come forth, milord? Shall it be from the scorching hellfires of purgatory down below? If you wish, I may smite you down with purity from the heavens, therein defeating you to the point of death by extensive shock."
Alhazad approached the man and his dragon with wicked intents. "Holmcross, you have no idea who you are~~"
"The flames of Hell it shall be then," he ascertained for the robed one. "Goodbye forever."
The blue-haired youth raised his right hand into the air, rapidly beginning to gather flames into one large orb. As it had finished, he offered one last insult towards his 'master'.
"May the Guardians bless you in your descent into obscurity."
The flaming orb hurled itself towards Alhazad and connected, which ignited its body ablaze. "Kkkkk, shkkkk," it moaned as it fell to the ground and convulsed erratically. Jack picked Cecilia up and backed away as it inched its way over near their presence in desperation. "Ple…ase, help me…I need release…shkkk…"
"…" Jack ignored its pleas for mercy and continued to back away.
Alhazad, after a minute or two, slowed in his wrenching and writhing as it neared the demise that had been inflicted my the mysterious yet familiar man on the dragon. Eventually, the round Demon who had worn white had been reduced to a blackened and charred hulk of smoldering scrap metal as a thick black liquid oozed on the ground from beneath its remains. Jack said nothing and stared as he and the other man watched him die a horrible death. Silence ensued afterwards, with the exception of a few straggling villagers fleeing from the city stifling their screams, and the swordsman turned his attention to this person who he seemed to know somehow.
"…Rudy?"
The one he referred to as Rudy glanced down at him sporting a sneer. "I don't know who you are."
"…" Jack couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Do I?"
"It's me, Jack! How can you be alive when I saw you go into the ocean? You drowned!"
"…"
Jack stepped toward him. "…Listen, let's get out of here. We can catch up on what happened after you left once Cecilia comes to. The Guardians have given us our help, and now once we release the Demon Queen's essence and destroy it, we can~~"
"…Ha…ha-ha-ha."
"…What? Rudy, what is so funny?"
"Gah-ha-ha-ha! Destroy the essence of Mother, you say? How utterly…naïve of you."
Jack didn't understand what he meant. "Rudy, what are you saying?"
"What I am saying is that Mother's heart will be released. But it won't be destroyed."
Rudy ascended back into the air, and the dragon let out a thunderous cry as it made headway on its set destination. Raising his hand into the air once more, he started a chant that Jack had heard somewhere before.
"Warrior of Filgaia, protector of the eternal all-consuming flame of mightiness and divinity! Heed my commands and release your fury onto the world! Moa Gault, Guardian of Fire…I command thee! Waste this blight of a hamlet to charred stone and ashes!"
Jack stared into the sky, shaking his head. Then he noticed a slight motion moving in his pocket, combined with a red glow. A small egg-shaped stone had risen up out of there and ascended rapidly into the air over the city.
"The rune? But how.."
"Release…now!" Rudy yelled. "Go, destroy it all now!"
The stone engulfed itself in an orb of blinding light, causing Jack to shield his sight. The rune exploded and took the form of a large flaming bird that circled his master in anticipation of his command.
"One who controls me as he sees fit," said Moa Gault. "Do with me what you will."
"…Go," Rudy simply said. "Burn it. Burn it all."
"Yes, my master."
Mao Gault did what he was told and circled again, flying around the city while dropping flames in every direction. Houses were practically assaulted by small flaming rocks being hurled by this supposed protector of Fligaia- -the one who was to aid in the quest to destroy Mother and the Demons.
"Good lord…this is horrendous," was all the Jack said at the sight of the Guardian wasting the city.
With Hanpan close behind him, the swordsman ran as quickly as he could to the entrance without dropping Cecilia, who rested unaware in his arms. He saw Rudy approach the Guardian Statue as he began to exit; he unhooked a large cannon on his back, fired upon the figure and blew it to chunks in two swift maneuvers.
"Nooooooo!" Jack bellowed. "The statue!"
Rudy grabbed a small piece of black material that appeared after the statue's destruction and flew off immediately into the skies, while the berserk Guardian eventually slowed and ceased his rampage on Saint Centour. It flew just outside the boundaries of the city and reverted back into a rune in a cloud of dust, causing the slab to fall directly at Jack's feet. Not thinking twice about it, he picked it up and ran to the exit of the village to exit before the flames killed him and Cecilia. As he made it just outside of the gate, he quickly observed a man in a long dark-brown trench coat holding someone else in his arms as she lie there on the ground motionless. Jack slowed down just enough to warn them about the flames, since they seemed completely oblivious to the destruction.
"Hey, you! This city's gonna be burned to the ground, so I'd get out of here if I were you!"
"Leave me alone, sir," the man moaned deeply. "God, just leave us be!"
"Come on; you want to doe here or something? You have a death wish? Get the lady out of here before she fries to death!"
The kneeling fellow whipped his head around to Jack and addressed him eye-to-eye this time. "She IS dead! Goodness, man…she got killed by a monster!"
Jack barely even had time to think before he responded to that. The flames were closing in on them unnaturally quickly, like they had a mind of their own. "Carry her out of here; maybe I can help her."
"You can't help her. Can you snatch back the deceased from the other side?!"
"Come on," Jack begged. "Damnit, get up and let's go!"
The other man took a look at the approaching line of fire inside of the city as it weave its way towards them. He decided to follow Jack's advice and leave before he himself suffered the same fate as his friend had. He picked up the pale woman in pink who had curly blonde hair into his arms, and with Jack, fled the city of Saint Centour forever.