Brave Seal

*Virginia,* calls Raftina, *I can feel Justine down there. Down near that cave on that little island. But a Dragon is unable to land on ground like that. You've got to find a way there. That cave might hold a hint, if only we can find another opening to it somewhere and use it as a tunnel.*

"Clive, what's that cave down there?" I ask my companion, shifting in my seat to accomplish this. Lombardia seems to be wondering what exactly is my reason for moving around at a time like this.

He tells me, "Well, I believe it's the other exit out of the Gemstone Cave. Rumor has it that the old mine is actually a tunnel to an inaccessible island out in the middle of the ocean. Is there any reason that you wish to go down there? Raftina sending you another message or something?"


I nod. "She says that the Guardian of Courage, Justine, is down on that island. We've got to go and find him. Then we'll be almost finished with our mission to find the High Guardians, and will be able to head to that ruin you were talking about the other day. After all, we can't be too careful."


"Virginia's right," admits Gallows, "Luceid seems to be giving me the same message as well, we've got to get to that island. If she was in her physical form, I swear she'd be biting my ear."

We turn Lombardia around, and head towards the Gemstone Cave near Humphrey's Peak. Once there, we enter and begin searching for an opening we might have missed. It is found sometime after entering, behind a cracked wall. Clive applies a bomb to the wall, and we use the new exit. There, we manage to find some new treasure chests that were missed last time while we were trailing Maya and searching for gems. Soon, we find another exit, and are back outside once more.

*He's somewhere around here, I can just feel it. We'd better start looking,* Raftina reminds me. I signal to the others that it would be wise to split up in order to cover more ground at once. Each one of us begins to scour the ground around us, hoping for some sign of the missing Lion Idol.

Before long, I manage to find what appears to be a statue wedged between two rocks. But when I go to retrieve it, the ground drops out from under me. Just my luck, now I'm stuck. How will I be able to get out of here now, and return to the others? Will I be trapped here forever?

But before I can scream, I see a rope fall down into the hole. I stash the Lion Idol into my pack, and grab hold. Then, using the sides of the hole as a place to put my feet, I begin to climb out of the hole. When I arrive at the top, I am relieved. I give a sigh of relief, and then look at my rescuer. No surprise this time, it's Jet again. While before I would have wondered why, I now accept that he always seems to turn up whenever I need his help the most. I see him offer his hand, with a scowl on his face.

He mutters, "Why am I the only one who has to baby-sit for you? When are Gallows and Clive going to take their turn?" He turns his back, but not before I see the blush on his face.

We walk back to the others, and use the Teleport Orb to head to Baskar. The four of us get on our horses, and ride towards the Fallen Sanctuary. I always feel real secure when I'm riding on my mare. I've called her Hikari, meaning light. Jet's is Kin'iro, meaning gold. Gallows calls his Yami, meaning darkness. And Clive's is named Shinamon, meaning cinnamon.

At the Fallen Sanctuary, we get off the horses. I give a carrot to Hikari, so she has something to munch on while she waits. She's a bit spoiled sometimes. But I can't blame anyone but myself for that one. After all, I'm always bringing her treats, hoping to keep her calm after I nearly fell off the first time I got in the saddle. Then, Jet had to help me get back on, and was pretty upset about babysitting again.

Justine's pillar is to the southeast. As usual, I head there right away, without having Raftina telling me. Luceid tells Gallows, who is not too far behind. Jet and Clive follow close behind.

When we arrive at the top, after jumping with Jet's help, I pull out the statue. I hear the voice of Justine in my mind, and then the armored lion that is his physical form appears before me. We all pull out our ARMs, while Gallows Extension and Shields the whole party, knowing about his great strength.

I can hear the voice of the Guardian in my mind. *You want a fight, then I'll give you a fight.

Shaman, show me the courage in your heart. If you are unable to defeat me, you will be unfit to fight with our enemies. Only the strongest can stand tall and take on those that threaten our planet.*


*I agree with your terms, Guardian,* I reply, *We shall fight one another. My friends and I will come out victorious, and go on to fight and defeat the demons before it is too late.*

*Good, then prove it to me. I don't rely on words alone, only actions,* Justine tells me.

I aim my Refrigerate spell at the High Guardian of Courage. Jet Gattlings, as does Clive. Gallows tries his new Dark Matter spell, that he got from Invoking Luceid. But Justine is not down yet, and attacks with an instant death type skill. It misses all of us, for some reason. Usually, instant death spells are practically 100% effective when used on us, unless a guard is on.

I concentrate, and use the power of Schturdark on Justine. The Summoned Guardian of Water comes forth, splashing his brother with the great force of a tidal wave. He is knocked back, apparently out of the fight. Justine then kneels in front of us with great reverence.

He tells Clive, *Your courage is great. Take my powers, they are necessary to destroy the scheme of Sigfried. But no matter what happens, you must always be careful when fighting the demon lord. I remember him from long ago, he is a deadly enemy if one does not watch their back.*

Then, he too turns into a Medium. Justine comes down before us, into Clive's outstretched hands. Only Zephyr is left now, and he only has Jet to chose from. But how can someone like him call on the Guardian of Hope? For although he seems to have some hidden feelings that tell him to protect me no matter what, I have yet to see one glimmer of hope in this boy's heart.

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words…

It might be somewhat weird for Jet to call Zephyr. Well, me giving him Zephyr is more symbolism than anything else. Being the Filgaia Sample, he is the hope that the group has if they are up against a system that needs rewiring (like at Yggdrasil or Deus Ex Machina). Besides, in the final chapter, he gains hope for a future where he can create memories of his own, and live a normal life.