In Pursuit of Order
Chapter 3: Bringing Chaos to Order
By: Novalon
As the wind whipped by his hair, Futch began to reminisce as he gazed upon the fleeting clouds beneath him.
He watched as Sharon, Milia's daughter had been given her own set of armor, and her own weapon.
"Know this, young Knight, that the rules shall be upheld wherever you may go. Always be reminded of them throughout whatever journeys life sets you out on."
He grimaced, knowing that whatever assignment she received as a knight would be supervised by him… he thought he had been rid of her, but realized that it was only the beginning…
"Your next assignment, will be to investigate the recent activities noticed in the grasslands. It seems a group known as the 'Fire Bringer' has risen, yet we know not what it's purpose is. If it's intentions are good, if you can discover their intentions, by your honor, you will need to assist them in any way possible."
A bird narrowly missed him, and he cursed, realizing he shouldn't think about such things as he was flying around.
Pesmerga nodded to him, motioning of a place that would be good to land at.
He recalled his first meeting of the man almost instantly.
The loss of Black was a change that was difficult to prepare for. The dragon had been a creature that gave meaning to his life, as a knight, and as a protector of dragons. The dying fall of Black had left him with many injuries and he would not have survived had it not been for his immediate teleportation to the castle's medical facilities, courtesy of Viki.
After finally healing from his injuries, he had wandered the halls, a piece of him somehow missing.
"Your thoughts weigh heavily upon you, young one."
He turned, looking eye to eye with one of Master McDohl's odd recruits from a trip to Neclord's castle.
"Sir Pesmerga… I don't think anyone else would know what it feels like…"
The other man grimaced, turning his back. As Futch turned to walk away, thinking the man had ended the conversation, suddenly his voice was heard again.
"In my many years of life, I have seen many hardships… at a time before I had basically killed my emotions, I had dealt with enough depression to send ten men to despair… but I fought it, in pursuit of the one man who stands between me and my destiny…"
Futch saw as he turned, that the man's dark eyes had some semblance of sadness in them.
"Yuber took away one of the few things my people treasured, along with a weapon that should not have fallen into his hands. The Eightfold rune should only be given to those who have great power in their mind to handle it, otherwise, those who have already fallen to madness will only fall worse. He practically slaughtered every single person I have ever felt any sort of companionship to…"
All fell silent…
The stoic glare added a tinge of sadness.
"You could take your depression, and quadruple it… and it would be the closest thing that I've found to happiness in two thousand years…"
The man really knows how to put life in perspective, doesn't he?
Bright's rough landing awoke him from his trance, as he suddenly could feel through the rune the reason for which Pesmerga thought they should land here.
The power of Order, in the hands of a madman draws near.
"He's here, isn't he?"
Pesmerga nodded, "We should exercise caution… he is deep within this area it seems… perhaps it is yet another resting place of a true rune… or perhaps this is the seal in which the True rune of Balance had been placed long ago…"
Futch drew the Muramasa, pointing to a small path near the mountains ahead of them.
"It is best that we hurry then, who knows what kind of plans Yuber has with this place."
Pesmerga silently followed him as they slowly made their way down the path.
They followed the winding path, nearly running full on into a group of Troll Dragons that had previously been unseen.
Pesmerga went to the offensive, his rune flickering into action, as several images of him quickly attacked the neck of the first dragon in front of them.
The creature's body fell and disintegrated, as it's head was severed with a sickeningly loud slice.
Pesmerga wasted no time attacking the next one, finding himself surrounded with blue fire as he leapt up once more.
The next dragon was resilient, tearing it's claws into Pesmerga and throwing him back to Futch's position. As the Black armored warrior fell to the ground with a light metallic thud, he quickly leapt up and brought King Crimson to a defensive position.
He nodded to Futch as the two crossed swords and slashed at the dragon with a vicious X-cut attack.
Four sections of the beast fell, and promptly hit the ground, disappearing on impact.
The next dragon was at least twice the size of a normal one, Futch grimaced as he realized the severity of the situation.
"Pesmerga… distract that thing… I'm going to see what I can do with my rune."
The warrior nodded, leaping up once again to ensure that the beast would be promptly distracted, though he was thrown down as a wave of blue fire washed over him. Leaping back to the offensive, he used his sword to cut through another wave of blue fire, coming up to the midsection of the beast and giving it a slight cut.
No effect…
Damn the luck they had to run into one of the strongest monsters either of them had ever seen.
Futch slowly brought his right hand up, a bright light enveloping it.
"Power of that which binds the planet with the majesty of Dragons, I call upon you…"
Pesmerga was thrown into the side of the mountain, recoiling and dodging another blast of fire.
"Strike down this one that has forsaken your honorable ways…"
Several rocks began to fall down the mountain as the fire that had missed Pesmerga had lurched into it with full force. He called upon the power of his Ninefold rune once again.
"Ninefold rune… that which brings chaos, I call upon you…"
Futch pointed at the dragon, as energies began to cascade around him.
"I call upon the power to fell this beast with that of the greatest power known to this planet…"
Their calls became intermixed, as they suddenly found that the powers of their runes interweaved within each other.
"By the power of the Dragon's honor…"
"By the power of Chaos…"
A runic unite attack… with true runes…
"Power of the ages, power of the darkest night, unleash with your power to aid my fight. Unleash with your fury, and destroy, no less. Combine the powers that our runes both possess… Bring out the power, to strengthen the loss… Combine the Dragon with the wrath of Chaos!!! DRAGON SLAYER!"
A beam of black power suddenly slammed into the massive creature causing it to crash into the mountain, roll several hundred feet, and finally slam onto the ground, where it was covered in rocks that had been knocked off during it's fall.
Futch breathed heavily as suddenly, he felt a powerful presence near.
"Do you… feel that, Pesmerga?"
The other warrior nodded, clutching his right hand in exertion.
"Yes… I'm glad it's not Yuber…"
The far off power suddenly made Futch have a sort of flashback again.
Standing in the courtyard of Gregminster's castle, he let out a sigh of discontent.
"General McDohl's boy is late for his assignment… why do I even bother going on missions like these?"
Suddenly, he saw them, a small entourage with a young man about Futch's age stepping up wearing a green bandana around his head. With him, a man adorned with a green cloak that carried a dangerous looking axe, a man who was decked out with gigantic muscles, and a woman who possessed superior marksmanship with what looked to be a bow, and a young boy who also carried a bow, but there was something about him that didn't seem right, the look in his eyes carried a far more adult knowledge than any child he had ever met…
But he took them to the Magician's Isle as promised, surprised that they had taken care of whatever dangers had awaited them, and returned safely through teleportation, courtesy of the seer's apprentice, Luc…
He watched Luc's angry glare as Hugo called his final entourage to him… Sir Geddoe, Lady Chris, the teleportress Viki, Luc's brother: Sarsarai, and finally… himself.
As Luc's body became the catalyst for the unleashing of power, a runic beast, much like what the previous stars of destiny fought, roared to the challenge of the living in the area.
To say it was monstrous was an understatement, the multi-segmented runic parts were considered nigh-omnipotent, and the creature itself had the power to practically take out everyone with one fell swoop. Viki had been put to work as the healer, her practice in Shield magic being very high allowed her to use Great Blessing (very remnant of Riou and his Bright Shield) to it's fullest extent, and Futch used his knowledge of various support runes to aid in the battle.
Once the Water section of the beast fell, it's resurrecting capabilities soon were destroyed, and the beast fell after, though not before causing considerable damage to the party.
Futch was sure this battle would have been proven easier had Riou, Jowy, and Tir given their assistance, but alas, during the time they were unable to be found… he was one of the few original stars of destiny who joined the Fire Bringer.
He had remembered when Riou had stormed L'Renouille along with Viktor, Flik, Tir, Humphrey, and Pesmerga. The team had been considered due to a very defensively sound front line, along with a reasonably magical powered rear line, with Flik adding his own magical capabilities through his Thunder Rune that he had picked up during the battle against Emperor Barbarossa. They had battled the Beast Rune, True rune of the Feral spirit of Lycanthropy, into submission…
That in itself was reminiscent of even the very first battle that Futch had recalled, where Tir had told the account of a horrible battle against a 3 headed dragon powered by the Sovereign Rune, True rune of a Ruler's protection… the team there being Tir, Flik, Viktor, Alen, Grenseal, and Cleo. The 'pretty boy attack' done by the team of Flik, Alen, and Grenseal was considered to be the most powerful attack in their arsenal, and they used it until it was nearly perfect…
He cursed himself for not paying attention to what was going on around him, for soon he felt the power of the runes that had been far off suddenly so close to him. He turned to Pesmerga, who nodded.
"I can sense the presence of the runes around the corner… when they get close enough we should be able to…"
Devourer of souls… Truest power over Life and Death…
"Tir?" Futch practically croaked, looking over at Pesmerga.
"If I look around the corner, they may see me… perhaps it is not Tir, because even a rune's power can be taken…"
His eyes seemed to show sadness before they returned to their stoic glare.
Shield of Light…Truest power of Defense…
"Riou?"
Sword of Darkness… Truest power of Attack…
"His friend… Jowy?"
Spirit of Bushido… Truest power of Support…
His face displayed a frown.
"Well… that's certainly a new one…"
Pesmerga nodded, "I have heard rumors of there being a True Warrior rune… but I never thought it would actually be unsealed…"
Futch grimaced, "Let us turn the corner and face what is coming to us."
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"I thought Joshua had died…"
"Well, I never met him… so your guess is as good as mine…"
"But the other rune… I've… felt it's presence before… thought I can't quite…"
Futch leapt in front of them, brandishing the Muramasa and bellowing a war cry.
"Those who stand before me, state your allegiance, and be recognized!!"
Pesmerga followed suit, but merely brought out his King Crimson.
The one in front, adorned with a green bandana, and carrying a well made staff calmly responded.
"Well met, Dragon Knight… you've grown much since I last saw you, Futch… and don't worry, your goal is the same as ours… we're here to help."
Futch looked over the entourage that had joined him. In front, were two sides of what seemed to be the same coin. Both Riou and Jowy calmly brandished their weapons, though Riou was the only one who smiled. Nanami, who he was sure had been dead, had a look of lovestruck awe in her eyes… and with her was Lilly of the republic of Tinto, and a girl who reminded him of Lady Chris… but also had a face he remembered from somewhere but couldn't place…
"Well guys… I don't know about Pesmerga here, but I'm grateful for the help…"
Pesmerga nodded, "Fill us in with a plan… and tell us what has transpired with you…"
And thus, the battle against Yuber was joined.
Don't fret, Runes and Revelations: Chapter 3, will speak of what the others experienced! The next chapter will deal with a split up group (as will the 3rd chapter of the other story)… and as always… Read and Review!
- Novalon