Chapter 50
Cid was pushing the Blood Rose to the limit. It was all Ifrit and Maduin could do to shovel coal in the furnace fast enough. Cyrus stripped off his cape and shirt.
"I'll take over for a bit," he said.
Ifrit nodded and handed the shovel to Cyrus. He slumped on a bench next to Cid.
"How you doing Red?" she asked.
"I'm doing okay," he said, looking up, "How about you?"
She started reading the steam pressure valves. "Oh, I'm fine."
"That's good.." said Ifrit.
They sat there for a while, the sound of digging accompanying them.
"How much longer to Jidoor?" asked Ifrit eventually.
"We should be able to see it anytime," she replied.
He stood up and squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks Cid, I owe you so much, but.."
She couldn't look up. "Just be happy Red."
He sighed and walked to the window. He peered at the darkened city coming into view.
"It looks okay," he said, "No sign of new damage."
Cid frowned. "Magus Balthazar wouldn't lie."
At that moment a bright white beam of light streaked across the horizon and struck the bell tower of the temple, reducing it to rubble.
"Alexander!" said Ifrit.
He ran over to the hatch and swung it open. The wind blew his hair behind him as he leaned out.
"I'm going down!" he yelled.
"Wait its a hundred foot drop!" said Cid.
She turned to see him already gone.
Ifrit had just transformed into his Esper form when he hit the ground. The noise caused the nesting birds in the trees to flap away in a panic. The dust eventually dispersed, revealing him imbedded in the forest floor. Once he was sure nothing was broken he climbed out and ran toward the source of the light. He reached Alexander and a small unit of Eboshi soldiers at a clearing near the edge of town. Alexander was firing off another beam that struck Ballant's mansion dead center. It exploded, scattering debris all over town.
"Enough!" bellowed Ifrit.
Alexander turned and scanned Ifrit.
"Impossible," said Alexander, "Compatible organic was terminated."
Ganamede came forward. "You're the Esper we killed!"
"I'm back!" shouted Ifrit, "Now stop this attack!"
"We'll deal with him," said an Eboshi soldier, "Alexander, continue the attack!"
The soldier drew out his sword. He was about to leap forward, when Ifrit saw a flash of red and black and then he saw the man was slumped over, with blood flowing from his mouth. Cyrus landed next to Ifrit.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Colonel!" said Ifrit.
"Cyrus is fine," he said, straightening his helmet.
"Golgatha!" exclaimed Ganamede, "Didn't you guys attack Jidoor?"
"Consider this my penance Mage Knight," said Cyrus twirling his lance and then shouldering it.
Ganamede and Ifrit began to cast as Cyrus leapt into the air.
"One thousand needles piece your heart.Blow Fish!" cast Ganamede.
A volley of needles flew out of her palm and struck into Ifrit like pins. He roared in pain.
Cyrus landed on Alexander's shoulder with his lance, shattering part of its shoulder guard. He rebounded backwards and landed next to Ifrit.
Maduin joined them, out of breath. "You guys should have waited for me!"
Cyrus glanced to him quickly. "Apologies."
"Jahannam Naar!"
Ifrit launched himself into the air and wrapped his arms around his legs and curled into a ball. He began to furiously spin like a top, shooting off a volley of flames that engulfed the soldiers.
"Holy Light!"
Alexander's faceplate lowered, exposing a white-hot beam of light. It swept amid the trees, incinerating them into ash. Cyrus held up his gauntlets to block his face and was thrown backwards into the forest.
Maduin disappeared in an orange glow and emerged with long white hair, pointed ears and an orange loincloth. Metallic spikes protruded from his shoulders.
"Arctic winds, blow through and freeze the blood of my foes.Ice!" he chanted.
Ice shards rained down on top of the Eboshi troops. Alexander hovered over Ganamede, shielding her from most of the damage.
By now most of the Eboshi soldiers had fallen back to let the Mage Knight handle them. A large shape appeared in the moonlight, lumbering slowly into view.
Ifrit was stunned. "Golem?"
Golem stood in the clearing halfway between the combatants. It calmly took in the situation.
"You are hard to locate fire Esper," it said eventually.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ganamede.
"I want to know if I am truly obsolete," it replied, glancing up at Alexander.
"I have desired to meet you Golem," said Alexander.
"I propose we fight one-on-one," intoned Golem, "The winner gets the town."
"Wait!" shouted Ifrit, "That's nuts!"
"Why?" replied the machine, "It will minimize bloodshed."
"That is logical," added Alexander.
"That's noble of you Golem," said Maduin, "But we can help you."
"I am not fighting for you or your kind," countered Golem, "I am fighting for a purpose."
"I accept on behalf of the Eboshi Confederation," stated Alexander.
Golem looked to Ifrit and Maduin who reluctantly nodded.
"I accept on behalf of the Kingdom of Asgard," said Golem.
Cyrus limped out of the forest, clutching his shoulder.
"What'd I miss?"
Cid was pushing the Blood Rose to the limit. It was all Ifrit and Maduin could do to shovel coal in the furnace fast enough. Cyrus stripped off his cape and shirt.
"I'll take over for a bit," he said.
Ifrit nodded and handed the shovel to Cyrus. He slumped on a bench next to Cid.
"How you doing Red?" she asked.
"I'm doing okay," he said, looking up, "How about you?"
She started reading the steam pressure valves. "Oh, I'm fine."
"That's good.." said Ifrit.
They sat there for a while, the sound of digging accompanying them.
"How much longer to Jidoor?" asked Ifrit eventually.
"We should be able to see it anytime," she replied.
He stood up and squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks Cid, I owe you so much, but.."
She couldn't look up. "Just be happy Red."
He sighed and walked to the window. He peered at the darkened city coming into view.
"It looks okay," he said, "No sign of new damage."
Cid frowned. "Magus Balthazar wouldn't lie."
At that moment a bright white beam of light streaked across the horizon and struck the bell tower of the temple, reducing it to rubble.
"Alexander!" said Ifrit.
He ran over to the hatch and swung it open. The wind blew his hair behind him as he leaned out.
"I'm going down!" he yelled.
"Wait its a hundred foot drop!" said Cid.
She turned to see him already gone.
Ifrit had just transformed into his Esper form when he hit the ground. The noise caused the nesting birds in the trees to flap away in a panic. The dust eventually dispersed, revealing him imbedded in the forest floor. Once he was sure nothing was broken he climbed out and ran toward the source of the light. He reached Alexander and a small unit of Eboshi soldiers at a clearing near the edge of town. Alexander was firing off another beam that struck Ballant's mansion dead center. It exploded, scattering debris all over town.
"Enough!" bellowed Ifrit.
Alexander turned and scanned Ifrit.
"Impossible," said Alexander, "Compatible organic was terminated."
Ganamede came forward. "You're the Esper we killed!"
"I'm back!" shouted Ifrit, "Now stop this attack!"
"We'll deal with him," said an Eboshi soldier, "Alexander, continue the attack!"
The soldier drew out his sword. He was about to leap forward, when Ifrit saw a flash of red and black and then he saw the man was slumped over, with blood flowing from his mouth. Cyrus landed next to Ifrit.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Colonel!" said Ifrit.
"Cyrus is fine," he said, straightening his helmet.
"Golgatha!" exclaimed Ganamede, "Didn't you guys attack Jidoor?"
"Consider this my penance Mage Knight," said Cyrus twirling his lance and then shouldering it.
Ganamede and Ifrit began to cast as Cyrus leapt into the air.
"One thousand needles piece your heart.Blow Fish!" cast Ganamede.
A volley of needles flew out of her palm and struck into Ifrit like pins. He roared in pain.
Cyrus landed on Alexander's shoulder with his lance, shattering part of its shoulder guard. He rebounded backwards and landed next to Ifrit.
Maduin joined them, out of breath. "You guys should have waited for me!"
Cyrus glanced to him quickly. "Apologies."
"Jahannam Naar!"
Ifrit launched himself into the air and wrapped his arms around his legs and curled into a ball. He began to furiously spin like a top, shooting off a volley of flames that engulfed the soldiers.
"Holy Light!"
Alexander's faceplate lowered, exposing a white-hot beam of light. It swept amid the trees, incinerating them into ash. Cyrus held up his gauntlets to block his face and was thrown backwards into the forest.
Maduin disappeared in an orange glow and emerged with long white hair, pointed ears and an orange loincloth. Metallic spikes protruded from his shoulders.
"Arctic winds, blow through and freeze the blood of my foes.Ice!" he chanted.
Ice shards rained down on top of the Eboshi troops. Alexander hovered over Ganamede, shielding her from most of the damage.
By now most of the Eboshi soldiers had fallen back to let the Mage Knight handle them. A large shape appeared in the moonlight, lumbering slowly into view.
Ifrit was stunned. "Golem?"
Golem stood in the clearing halfway between the combatants. It calmly took in the situation.
"You are hard to locate fire Esper," it said eventually.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ganamede.
"I want to know if I am truly obsolete," it replied, glancing up at Alexander.
"I have desired to meet you Golem," said Alexander.
"I propose we fight one-on-one," intoned Golem, "The winner gets the town."
"Wait!" shouted Ifrit, "That's nuts!"
"Why?" replied the machine, "It will minimize bloodshed."
"That is logical," added Alexander.
"That's noble of you Golem," said Maduin, "But we can help you."
"I am not fighting for you or your kind," countered Golem, "I am fighting for a purpose."
"I accept on behalf of the Eboshi Confederation," stated Alexander.
Golem looked to Ifrit and Maduin who reluctantly nodded.
"I accept on behalf of the Kingdom of Asgard," said Golem.
Cyrus limped out of the forest, clutching his shoulder.
"What'd I miss?"