That was some fun mocking of Lufia II. Okay, so those puzzles weren't THAT bad, but that third one had me at it for a while. Mostly because I fail at puzzles. Brace yourselves, people, this one is long.
Side-Story #3
Catriana stepped off of the boat slowly, a bit unsteady after their long trip over seas. They had set out from the Cadenza port and traveled all the way north to the port town Porting. Aerynne was still on the boat, 'bargaining' with the captain about their price to cross. As she argued with the stubborn man, Cat looked around the harbor a bit. There really wasn't much to see, aside from all the boxes and barrels that harbors always have. She chatted with a few sailors, who gave her some insight as to the local area from a foreigner's eye. Porting was not a very large town, being the only city on a fairly desolate continent, but the people who lived here were strong people who were used to the harsh conditions.
The northernmost continent was made up of a large plateau area, with varying levels of height and depth; the rest was all desert. The area where Porting was built was the only green area, and even that was slight - grass had a hard enough time growing here that little green showed.
And yet, to Cat, it all felt so calming. The desert, the plateau, it all seemed so...right, was the only way she could think of it. It seemed normal for her, the harsh desert and nearly impassable plateaus, just like being in a place you knew well...
Or home.
Catriana wasn't sure if she could say it felt like home - the only home she had known was the orphanage she and the others had grown up in, and even that didn't feel very homely, since they had to work to stay alive. But here, there was a feeling of rightness, of calmness. Serenity. She could almost soak in it, it felt so good. She stood there, letting the soft breeze bring hints of the desolate land that lay ahead and smells to her mind. She closed her eyes, relaxing in the feeling.
"Alright, Cat, let's go, I don't think that the captain wants to be around here to much longer." Aerynne said, coming over. Cat didn't respond, still relaxing. "Cat?"
"Let him leave," she murmured. Aerynne raised an eyebrow. "I doubt we'll be needing him to get back to the castle. We can catch a ride with another ship."
"Whatever you say, but I don't like it." Aerynne sighed and walked back to the ship, a purposeful glare in her eye. Cat leaned against a crate, sighing happily. This place felt good. She looked at the town, built strong and thick to protect against nature, rather than please the eye. For some reason, that also felt good. Safe.
Something fast caught her eye and she lazily followed it as it zipped across the square. It stopped for a moment, and Cat's eyes widened. It was a man, dressed in all blue, his hair almost completely white from age. But his clothes were the same style as Seniana's. That in itself was suspicious, but she also vaguely recalled those from another time. She didn't know when that was, but she recognized that type of clothing. She started to run to the old man, but he suddenly jumped on top of a building and was gone. Cat jumped up to follow, but there was no trace of him. For an old man, he was fast and very skilled.
"Cat!" Catriana glanced over her shoulder. "What are you doing up there? Let's get going! Stop horsing around!" Aerynne had her large halberd slung over her shoulder and had their bags at their feet. Cat gave another quick glance for the old man, but there was still no trace of him. She hopped down and picked up her bag.
"Sorry about that," she said with a cheerful smile. "I was just...getting a look of the town." Aerynne gave her a look that almost seemed sad. Was there something wrong with what she said? Cat couldn't understand.
The moment was forgotten as they entered the center of the town. Chatting happily, they explored the area, talking to the inhabitants and searching for all the shops. After finding the item shop with some difficulty ("I thought ALL item shops had the same symbol on the building," Aerynne grumbled), they stocked up on necessary items, since neither of them could heal with magic.
As they stepped outside the item shop, Cat glanced over and blinked in surprise. The old man in blue was there again, sitting on top of one of the nearby buildings. Cat wasted no time in dropping her belongings and sprinting towards him. Aerynne's voice called after her, but she didn't listen. The old man noticed her immediately and darted across the rooftops. Cat scurried up the walls of a nearby building and gave chase.
The two practically flew across the rooftops, their feet seeming to barely touch the tiles. The old man was in incredible shape for his age. As they ran, the old man gave a flick of his arm and something small shot from his hand. They looked like pebbles for a moment, but then Cat realized that they were explosives. She jumped over them as they exploded, the force of the explosion knocking her off-balance. She managed to catch sight of the old man just as he threw something at her. Cat twisted in midair to avoid a dart, but two more caught her left arm. She shook them off and tried to manage a safe landing. However, a critical failure in her roll to land gracefully (despite the fact that she had a level 18 in gracefulness and balance) resulted in her slamming straight into the roof.
Hoping nothing was sprained or broken, Cat forced herself to stand quickly - only to find that her left arm wasn't moving. At first she was afraid that she had broken it, but there was no pain - it simply felt like it was gone. She could feel it with her other hand, but couldn't feel her hand touching her arm. She realized that the darts must have had some kind of tranquilizer in them.
Cursing her own hindsight, Cat fished into her pouch for any projectile weapon. The old man was drawing more darts - she knew that if any of those struck her now, she would be helpless. She came up with three tack stars and prayed that they would be enough. The old man had three darts in each hand. Things didn't look too good.
He threw one set of darts right at her. Cat judged quickly where they would go and dove to her left to avoid them, simultaneously throwing one star. The old man spun and threw the second set, drawing a third even as he did. Cat twisted to allow herself to hit the roof back first, kicking at the same time to get herself back on her feet. Even as she did so, one of the darts struck her already numb left arm. Still off-balance from her rather excessive move, she threw a second star, which went a bit wide. The old man was still cautious of it and stepped to the side. Even as he did, Cat regained her footing and ran right at the old man, throwing her third star even as she did. The man spun again and threw his third set of darts.
Cat rolled and grabbed the dart lodged in her arm. In a quick, desperate move, she pulled it out and threw in the same movement. The dart struck home right in the man's leg. After only a brief moment, he toppled to the side, unable to support himself. As he tried to stand, Cat drew one sword and pointed it at his throat. "Don't try anything," she said, breathing a bit heavily. There was a tense moment in which the man eyed her and her sword, then raised his hands in defeat. Around then, Aerynne came scrambling up the side of the building, rage in her eyes.
"Damn it, Cat, don't you EVER do that again! I don't care how skilled you are, don't make me worry like that!" She stabbed her halberd into the tiles and began to inspect Cat. "Are you hurt badly? Anything broken?"
"My arm is numbed." Cat gestured to the old man. "Something in his darts."
Aerynne looked at the old man still lying on his back and at Cat's arm. "Neurotoxins, of some sort. Relaxes the muscles to the point where you can't even move them, and puts all the nerves to sleep. Fairly dangerous stuff to be running around with." Aerynne knelt next to the old man. "You have any cure or antidote for this? I'm sure you do, in case of situations like these."
The old man said nothing. He sat quietly, waiting. Aerynne looked at him crossly. "That's not very helpful. Perhaps if I give you a reason to tell me, you will?" She hefted her halberd, but Cat stopped her.
"Don't, Aerynne. He won't tell us if he doesn't want to, and he's expecting death right now. Don't give it to him." Aerynne sighed.
"I suppose so. Damn you and your logic."
Cat knelt in front of the old man. "I need to ask you something. I think you might be able to answer some of my questions. Can you do that for me?"
"What is it you wish for?" he said simply. Cat was a bit taken aback.
"You'd just answer me, like that? No refusal?"
"If your request is not too extreme, I will help as per the honor code. You defeated me in combat...your skills are truly remarkable. No one has ever defeated me in over fifteen years." The old man sat, still waiting.
"Then tell me," Cat pleaded, looking into his eyes. "Why do I feel like I know you? Know the outfit you wear, know this area, know these skills that I never remember learning? Who are you? And who am I?"
The old man looked at her for what seemed to be a long time. Finally, he said, "Everything you wish to know you already know...you just have not yet realized it yet. In time, you will know yourself."
"That's not an answer! What do you mean, I already know?" The old man sat quietly for a moment, then jumped up suddenly. Cat realized that she could feel her arm again - the neurotoxin must have worn off. The old man threw a smoke bomb on the ground in a flash - when it cleared, he was gone without a trace.
Aerynne coughed, waving the smoke away from her. "I don't like that method of escape. Smells horrible." Cat didn't respond; she was still staring at the spot where the old man he last stood. "Cat?" Cat stirred and looked at her sharply. There was something in her eyes that shone brightly now - ambition? Hunger? To know who she was? Aerynne could practically hear Cat's thoughts as they spun through her head.
"Let's go, Aerynne," Cat said briskly, a bit of a smile on her face as she sheathed her sword. "We have a long journey in front of us."
* * *
Catriana blinked at the glaring sun and looked around suddenly. "What did you say, Aerynne?" she asked, her mind already wandering before she finished the question. Aerynne sighed. There was no way to talk with the girl now, she decided finally. Ever since they had met with and fought that strange old man, Cat had spent most of her time deep in thought
The route the two had taken brought them across the Corbett Lake and into the Wenstrom Plateaus. They were camped out on a ledge overlooking most of the area, watching the sun slowly set. Aerynne sat cross-legged next to the fire, her halberd lying across her legs. The weapon rarely left her side. Cat sat on the other side of the fire, staring into it idly, her eyes far away. The sunset was harsh and very bright, which made making out any details difficult. Fortunately, few creatures came out at this time.
However, the reason for that made Aerynne worry. There had been talk in the town that a dangerous creature prowled the lands at night, killing travelers in their sleep. It wasn't so much that she was worried about the monster - unless it was from a different plane, she had little to worry, and most of such creatures were easily banished by Astarael. What she was worried about was whether or not Catriana would be able to defend herself if they had to fight it. They hadn't had to fight anything yet, for which Aerynne was concerned of. She would rather something attack them to get Cat to realize what danger they might be in.
Aerynne sighed and poked the fire a bit. "Nothing, Cat...just an idle question." She shifted her sitting position to a more comfortable one. "You should get some sleep. We have to cover as much distance as possible tomorrow. I'd rather get out of here as soon as we can."
Cat nodded halfway in agreement, her eyes never leaving the fire. Aerynne let the silence rest for a while, glancing at the sun. "Cat, did you hear me?" There was no response. She wasn't asleep, and from the looks of it, wasn't going to anytime soon. Aerynne cursed slightly. That left one option. "Sorry about this, Cat...Sleep."
The spell washed over Catriana like a balm of healing, relaxing her muscles and easing her mind. Her eyes flicked, trying to stay open, but eventually gave in and closed, bringing her to a soothing sleep. Aerynne spread out a blanket and gently lay her on it, covering her with her cloak. "Sleep well, now. I'll stand watch." With the, the Valkyrie sat herself in a place to be able to keep watch over everything, and waited for the sun to set.
* * *
Dawn came.
Cat blinked at the piercing sunlight and rubbed her eyes. She realized she had slept through the entire night, without giving Aerynne a chance to sleep. "Oh, shit," she said, looking around, quickly trying to think up an apology for her, though she didn't know what excuse she could have for it.
As Cat looked around, however, she realized that Aerynne was nowhere to be seen. Briefly she wondered if something had happened to her during the night, but there was no sign of a scuffle or even of anything passing by. The only footprints were their own. Cat threw on a spare shirt and began to make a short area search for the Valkyrie. She had gone several yards from the campsite when she realized that she was unarmed. That was odd, since she couldn't remember when the last time was she had gone without some kind of weapon to protect herself with, and here she was, in a strange land, without even a shaving razor to defend herself with.
A sound came from behind her, and Cat immediately whirled, automatically reaching for her swords that weren't there. Aerynne stood a few feet away, her arms crossed lazily. "It's about time you got yourself up and about. I thought you would sleep forever."
Cat lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry, I didn't even realize it when I went to sleep. You could have woken me up to take the second watch."
"It's not needed," Aerynne said, dismissing the subject with a wave of her hand. "I don't need to sleep anyway. I'm dead, remember? I don't need human requirements anymore."
Cat felt some color rise to her face. It was odd, traveling with someone who didn't require normal human support like food and sleep. Cat wasn't sure how to act around Aerynne because of it. Aerynne seemed to read her thoughts, since she looked at her and laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it. I've grown used to this, so it's not like you can do or say something that will offend me somehow. Besides, we're in this together, so we might as well get used to each other. Okay?"
Cat blinked. "O-okay! Why not? We may as well be friends!" The two shook on it, then both burst into giggles at the strangeness of the whole thing. The rift between them already being filled, they walked back to the campsite, both in much higher spirits. They gathered everything up, buried the fire, and set out again, heading east.
The days were long and the sun beat down almost constantly. The two were saved by the multiple valleys and overhangs that blocked the sun out for even a small amount of time. They had plenty of water, but in this heat Cat had to be cautious, drinking sparingly. Aerynne drank nothing, but still carried several canteens with her.
The plateau were filled with the sound of creatures howling and barking, birds chirping, the wind blowing and rocks occasionally falling from their perches, as well as the constant sound of the gravel under their feet. It was a mindless, dulling march, seeming to be nonstop.
As they walked, Aerynne noticed that there was something wrong with the feel of the place. Cat walked on, barely even paying attention to where she was going, lost in her thoughts. As they walked farther east, the wind died down more and more, until it was a slight breeze. However, there was the feel of uneasiness in the air, and soon the only sounds were that of their footsteps. There was something out there, hunting them.
"Cat," Aerynne called, hoping to warn her, something that should have been completely unneeded, but Aerynne wasn't about to take any chances. Cat didn't respond, just kept walking forward. "Cat," Aerynne called louder, starting to get worried. Still no response. "Cat!" she shouted then, halting in her steps. Cat still kept going. "Catriana! Wake up!"
Cat stirred slightly and glanced behind her. When she saw that Aerynne had stopped, she paused and turned slightly. "Aerynne...? What is it?"
Aerynne crossed her arms and looked at her crossly. "You're what's wrong here. What is wrong with you? Why aren't you paying attention? Do you even realize what's going on around you? The danger we're in?"
"What do you mean," Cat protested weakly. "I've been paying close attention to everything that's been going on. There's nothing to worry about."
At that point, the ground behind Cat shuddered and churned. Behind her two giant claws thrust out of the ground and anchored themselves. Up from the sand rose up a huge insect-like beast - the Antlion. Aerynne froze where she was, staring in shock. From her knowledge, the Antlion had been dead for centuries, slain by Tijuana Tanzor when she was only a baby. Either the beast had been laying low for all these years, or this was its offspring...either way, things didn't look good. If Tijuana had had difficulty defeating it, then they didn't have a chance in hell.
Aerynne then realized Cat wasn't reacting to the monster. "Cat! Move!" How could she not notice it? The thing was enormous! Cat looked at her a bit oddly, almost dismissing the warning. Aerynne swore and dropped her bags, drawing her halberd. However, a failure at doing both at once resulted in her halberd being tangled in the straps of her bags. Aerynne swore and tore it free, even though she knew she shouldn't, but right now saving Cat was more important than her bag straps. Aerynne charged forward.
Cat was looking right at her, but didn't seem to really see her. She glanced around a bit, then looked a bit behind her. She regarded the Antlion without much reaction, just staring at it lazily. The Antlion looked right at her, then raised on giant claw. Aerynne knew that she was never going to make it in time. As the claw descended, time seemed to slow.
Cat was still staring at the Antlion even as the claw neared her. She didn't seem to realize at all how much danger she was in, or the painful death that was nearing her. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to focus, and she blinked in surprise at the beast that reared before her. Her hands instinctively went to her swords, but before she could draw them the Antlion's claw slammed down like a hammer. Aerynne threw up an arm to block the shockwave from the attack.
She looked up to see the claw embedded deep into the earth. "No...Cat! CAT!" Rage and emotion filled Aerynne. She held her halberd before her and chanted quickly. "Barrier!" A protective shield appeared around her. With that in place, Aerynne rushed forward, her halberd poised to strike. She jumped onto the Antlion's arm and thrust deep, trying to remove the arm in its entirety. The Antlion roared and shook it's arm vigorously, but Aerynne held on tightly, refusing to let go. The monster slammed its arm against the ground, the force of that ripping the halberd free and slamming Aerynne against the ground. The Antlion raised its other arm up to deliver the finishing blow.
The claw came down hard on her, the top half of the claw stabbing into her chest, tearing through her barrier and chain mail and pinning her to the ground. The pain Aerynne felt was minimal, but even her abilities were being pushed to the limit to keep herself alive and moving. She kept a tight grip on Astarael, praying that she would have enough power to heal herself and kill the beast. The Antlion raised its claw up high, Aerynne still impaled on it.
Quite unexpectedly, the arm that the claw was attached to simply fell off. Aerynne had almost no time to remove herself from the claw before striking the ground again. The Antlion was so surprised that it just stared at the stump blankly, not even sure what had happened. Huge gashes suddenly rent themselves in the monsters torso area, running up to the head. A huge gash was rent into the side of its face, and one of its eyes suddenly gushed blood as it was bisected. The blood landed on something that was definitely not part of the Antlion, and Aerynne suddenly could see again with her magic-enhanced vision.
It was Cat. The two ninja swords in her hands were making her invisible, and completely immune to the Antlion's attacks. Aerynne could also see a bright glow coming from both weapons - Cat must have paid whatever the price was for the light saber enhancement. Aerynne tried not to think about what that price must have cost her - she had known many such deals to take parts of the human's soul or worse. Aerynne concentrated hard, and cast the most powerful healing spell she could manage in her condition. Her flesh and muscles reformed and regrew.
Painfully, Aerynne stood. Cat continued to dance along the Antlion, tearing it apart with her dual swords. Knowing that she had little chance in this fight using her weapon, she fell back onto magic. "Vigor!" she shouted, casting the spell on Cat. Cat's physical abilities were significantly enhanced, and the Antlion took more damage from each powerful blow. It flailed about helplessly, unable to find Cat or even hit her. "Slow!" The Antlion's movements slowed down, though whether that was the spell or lack of strength, Aerynne didn't know. Whichever was good, since the beast was weakening. Soon, it would be dead-
The thought had barely crossed Aerynne's mind when the Antlion suddenly surged with power. Right before their eyes, it evolved into a bigger version of itself, with eight arms now and a huge teethy mouth: a Desert Kraken. The slow spell shattered off it and it batted Cat out of the air. Cat came up quickly only to be knocked back down again by another arm. A third came down on her to crush her, but Aerynne impaled it on her halberd. The Kraken retreated its arms for a moment, giving Cat the time to stand.
"Give me some kind of distraction!" Cat yelled at her, not taking her eyes off the beast. Aerynne thought quickly and chanted another spell.
"Illusion!" she shouted, and several versions of her appeared and rushed at the Kraken. It ignored them completely, staying focused on the two. "Damn! It can see right through illusions."
Cat swore. "What do we do then?" she asked, tightening her grip on her swords.
"Have to just use the real thing then!" Aerynne shouted, rushing in. The Kraken's arms surged around her. "Freeze Barrier!" she cried, creating a shield of ice around her. The many arms struck repeatedly, but each time they did so, they also took damage. Aerynne kept her guard up, blocking as best as she could.
Cat rushed in and ran up along one of the arms. Another arm shot at her, but she cut it off and kept going. She leapt up high and brought her swords over her head. "Flight Skill! Falling Albatross!" Her swords shone brightly with the combined power of Darkness and Holy. She plummeted down, straight towards the Kraken's mouth, seeming to have wings. The blades tore through the Kraken, rending flesh from bone and cutting the whole thing in two. It shuddered loudly, then lay still forever.
Cat rose to her feet somewhat unsteadily. She had used a lot of strength up in that fight, and prayed that they wouldn't have another one any time soon. She turned and gave a thumbs up to Aerynne, who was leaning on her halberd for support. "I think we won," she said a bit hesitantly. Aerynne smiled.
"Though not without a bit of worry there. I thought you were dead for sure." Cat looked away, a bit ashamed.
"I'm sorry...I don't know what was wrong with me. I wasn't thinking straight, I guess." She sheathed her swords slowly. "Maybe the rest of the trip will go a bit smoother." The words were hardly out of her mouth when Aerynne suddenly collapsed. Cat gasped and rushed over, kneeling next to her. "Aerynne? What's wrong?" When Aerynne didn't respond, she asked again, starting to get a bit afraid. Cat dug into her pouch and pulled out a potion, which she sprinkled on her. Aerynne stirred slightly.
"Sorry..." she whispered, grinning painfully. "I used too much power...and I have nothing to feed on out here...just my luck, as always." Cat looked confused and worried at the same time.
"What do you mean, feed? I thought you said you don't need to eat..." Aerynne laughed slightly.
"Not in the way humans feed...I need souls to live...souls of the dead, of warriors, of emotions to keep myself still in this plane." Aerynne winced painfully as she tried to move. "Out here, there's nothing but the still violent soul of the Kraken...hardly a meal I can deal with right now."
Cat was silent, thinking hard. "Aerynne," she said slowly. "Could you use my soul?"
"Not on your life," Aerynne said immediately. "You already paid a price for those sabers, I won't have you paying another."
Cat looked a bit abashed. "Um...I forgot to tell you...the price is five thousand GP."
Aerynne stared at her, wide-eyed. "What?"
"The price...is just that. It's money." Cat looked almost ashamed. "I didn't want to say anything, because it seemed so stupid at the time...sorry about that."
Aerynne just sat there, staring at her. Then she laughed. "I can't believe it...and here I thought you were paying with your soul. I guess demons are getting more modern these days." Her laughter turned to a violent cough that doubled her over. Cat put her hands on her shoulders, trying to steady her.
"Aerynne," she said again. "Can you use my soul? Can you feed off me?" Aerynne took a moment to compose herself, not looking at Cat.
"Your soul still exists within your body, so there's no way I could gain strength from it." Aerynne paused. "However, I can still draw off your will to keep myself alive for a while. It will cost you your own strength, however."
"If I can keep you alive long enough to find something, that doesn't matter. What do I have to do?" Aerynne was a bit taken aback by Cat's determination, but she knew that this was the only was she was going to live.
"Open your mind to me...I need to establish a link between us to do this." Cat closed her eyes and relaxed. Aerynne reached a visibly shaking hand to touch Cat's temple, her thumb running along her forehead. She traced an ayin on her forehead, and the Hebrew symbol shone brightly for a moment before vanishing to the naked eye. To Aerynne, it still shone, but much dimmer than before. "There...that should do it."
Somewhat painfully, Aerynne stood with help from Cat. She could already feel strength returning to her. Cat looked a bit dazed, and was likely feeling the effects of the spiritual connection to her. "Don't worry about it - you'll get used to it soon enough. Let's go, before we both run out of strength."
* * *
Cat pulled her veil tighter around her face and squinted into the distance. They had been trekking across the desert when a sandstorm had picked up around them - as time passed, it had only gotten worse. The wind howled around them, making conversation impossible, and no matter how tightly they tied the veils around their faces, the wind still found a way to loosen them. If they didn't pay close attention for even a moment, the wind could tear the veil off, leaving them unprotected and very vulnerable.
Cat glanced back at Aerynne. The Valkyrie was struggling to keep up with Cat, and Cat could feel her strength slowly depleting along with her own. Aerynne would pause occasionally, resting on her halberd, then would pick up again, moving in short, rapid bursts. Cat knew that it wasn't helping anything, but she didn't know what else she could do.
"Aerynne!" she shouted, stepping closer so she could hear. "Do you know if there's any shelter around here?"
"What?" Aerynne shouted back weakly. Even her voice was weak right now.
"Shelter!" Cat shouted again, making some kind of gesture to represent what she meant. "Is there any nearby?"
"I don't know!" Aerynne shouted back. "I don't know this area very well!"
Cat swore. There was nothing they could work off of. She wracked her memory, trying to think if she knew this part of the world at all, thinking hard. She knew, deep down, that there was something about this place that brought back memories...but she couldn't think of what they were.
The wind picked up violently for a moment, and Cat's veil was torn from her face. She made a desperate grab for it and felt it slip from between her fingers. Quickly, she threw up an arm to shield her face from the harsh wind and went down on one knee. She turned away from the wind and tore off part of her sleeve, quickly wrapping it around her face. This wasn't the first time that had happened - her sleeves were tattered now from how many times she had been forced to make a new veil.
Aerynne coughed and leaned on her halberd again. "Cat, I don't know how well I'm going to fair against this weather...nature is working against us today."
"We have to keep going!" Cat shouted, standing again. "C'mon, lean on my shoulder. We'll make it through this." Cat put Aerynne's arm over her shoulder and helped her along, supporting her with her own failing strength.
However long they walked, neither knew. The wind beat at them, the biting sands stinging every step of the way. Slowly, they plodded along, both fighting to keep going. Eventually, the sandstorm lessened, the wind slowly dying down. Cat finally allowed herself a moment to breathe normally, relaxing for just a moment-
And then everything went to hell again. The sands burst upwards, something huge coming out from right in front of them. When the sand cleared, they saw a large black mecha standing before them. It stood around three times their height, roughly humanoid, and two machine guns on it's shoulders pointed straight at them.
"What...is that...?" Aerynne asked weakly.
"The Gun-MSG..." Cat responded quietly, trying not to look threatening. Aerynne rolled her head up to look at her.
"The what...?" she whispered, her voice barely able to make sound.
"Gun-MSG...the Giant Ninja Mecha Soldier Guard." Cat tried to keep herself relaxed, but it was hard not to, with two large machine guns pointed right at her. "It's a mechanized patrol guard. This isn't something we want to have to deal with now..."
"Too...late for...that..." Aerynne whispered. Before Cat could respond with a query, Aerynne pushed her away and let herself fall to the ground limply. No sooner had she done so than the Gun-MSG opened fire on the spot where they had been.
"This isn't what I wanted to have happen," Cat moaned as she took off into a limping sprint. She wasn't in any shape to fight, especially not this thing. She drew her swords and vanished, even though she knew the mecha could still see her. "Blitz!" she shouted, a bolt of lightning striking the mecha. It hardly did any damage - she was far too weak right now to cast any powerful magic.
"Shock Barrier," came the weak cry. Cat was surrounded with a barrier of lightning, thanks to Aerynne's support skills. She whispered a silent thank you and ran right towards the Gun-MSG. Thanks to the barrier, the bullets were ineffective; seeing this, the mecha stopped firing and took a stance, a blade coming out of each arm. It charged, bringing one arm back.
"Dual Skill - Heaven Above, Hell Below!" Cat made three rapid swings straight on towards the mecha, removing one arm and tearing open it's core. The Gun-MSG thrust it's other arm at her, but Cat was no longer there, now high up in the air, both swords poised. With a scream, Cat came down on the mecha, stabbing both blades into its head and tearing down. The Gun-MSG fell apart, unable to withstand the blow or the shockwave that followed.
Even with the victory, the strain was too much - Cat fell to her knees, drained of every last bit of strength she had. It took every bit of her energy just to keep her on her knees, though she didn't know what doing so would accomplish now.
"I guess...this is it..." she whispered. "Everyone...I'm sorry..." She closed her eyes, letting her last memories soak up before she fell. "I couldn't keep my last promise to you..." With that, Cat let herself fall limply.
She felt herself falling into oblivion, and for a while, it wasn't so bad. The pain slowly left her, replaced by a soothing glow that clamed her fears and kept her still. She wanted so much to just loose herself in that glow, letting it wash over her and let her sink quietly into eternal sleep-
And with a jolt, she came back.
Her first attempt to breathe sent shooting pains through her chest, and she coughed violently. Strong arms held her, and when she regained control of herself she looked to see whom they belonged to.
A man was supporting her, clothed in all sandy brown with his face hidden by a mask of the same color. A sword peeked over his shoulder, and he held a water canteen in one hand, which he offered to her. She drank from it greedily, nearly drowning herself in the water. Cat allowed herself to breath a bit easier and looked around. There were several people here, all dressed like the man: full brown that blended in with the sands around them, with faces covered. Not all bore swords, and some had weapons hidden on them so well Cat couldn't begin to understand how they were hidden. They were ninja.
Cat felt a surge of relief when she realized this. If there was anyone who they would be safe with, the ninja were the ones to hide them. Relief turned to confusion almost immediately - she couldn't understand how she knew of this. Unsure of herself suddenly, she watched as two ninja knelt next to Aerynne's still body. One traced a symbol in the air with two fingers, and a yellow glow emerged from his fingertips. He pressed his fingers to Aerynne's forehead, and the glow encompassed her entire body. When the glow faded, Aerynne gave a soft moan, and Cat could feel like returning to her.
Relieved, Cat turned to the man who still knelt near her. "Th-thank you, for your help." She wasn't quite sure what she should say. "Um...I'm really sorry about what I did to your mecha...I didn't really want to break it, but..."
"There's no need to apologize," the man said in a deep voice. "The fact that you could even defeat the Gun-MSG is worthy of praise. In all my years here, not a single warrior, alone or accompanied, was ever able to defeat it." He bowed respectfully. "You are truly a warrior with great skill." The others were also bowing. Cat was a bit embarrassed by the praise.
"Oh, well, um, please, you're flattering me," Cat forced a laugh. "Really, I was so weak from the long walk I didn't think there was any way that we would have a chance to beat it. I mean," Cat looked to Aerynne, who still lay on her back, for support. "C'mon, Aerynne, how long were we walking for, anyway?"
"Since we beat the Kraken, it's been three days and seventeen hours," Aerynne said in a monotonous voice.
"And yet, even still you were able to defeat our greatest guardian?" The man took a step back, then went down on one knee. "I misjudged you...your skill is beyond even our wide understanding."
"Jeez, cut it out!" Cat moaned. "More importantly, can you provide us with some food and shelter? We're both worn out..."
"Certainly. Asaki! Raiun!" Two of the ninjas appeared at his side. "Go ahead and tell the others we are returning with guests. Tell them to prepare rooms and a meal."
"Ha!" both said simultaneously, then vanished as they darted off into the distance. The man turned back to them and bowed again.
"Forgive me, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Hiro. This is Hitai, my second in command, Eisaburou, our communicator, Daisuke, our healer, and Butou, a warrior. Asaki and Raiun are our scouts." They all bowed as he introduced them. Cat nodded to each one, a bit lost at the moment. After a moment of silence, she realized that she had to introduce themselves.
"Oh, um, this is Aerynne, a Valkyrie, and my name is Catriana. You can call me Cat, though." For some reason, her name caused a stir among the ninjas. They all exchanged sideways glances, and some kind of exchange took place between Hiro and Eisaburou. Whatever it was, Cat wasn't about to find out right now, because he was bowing again.
"Will you follow us, then, Lady Catriana, Lady Aerynne? We will be expected soon." Without even waiting for a reply, he turned and began to jog off, Hitai and Butou right behind him. Daisuke offered a small hand to Aerynne, and Eisaburou watched them with careful eyes.
"Don't worry, it's not far from here," Daisuke said in a light voice that had an aura of calming to it. "There's no demons or such in this area, so you'll be quite safe. Not like you wouldn't be anyway, but this place is sometimes crawling with monsters, and we haven't had a cleaning in quite a long time now. Best for you to hurry." Daisuke turned and peered at Cat. "I can heal your physical wounds, but there's nothing to be done about mental strength. Only rest can restore that. Come, now, let's go." With that, he took up a light jog, motioning them to follow. Cat took up a stiff jog, her muscles still stiff and sore from the long hours of walking. Aerynne seemed to be doing fine, but her head was down and she seemed empty to Cat through the link they now shared.
It really wasn't a long run to where they were going. In just a few minutes, it loomed up in front of them - an enormous black castle, sitting in the middle of the desert, it's towers and walls gleaming in the sunlight.
"The Data Haven," Hiro said, appearing at their sides. "The home of our Ninja clan for hundreds of years. This is where we watch the world in secret."
Daisuke stepped before them and bowed eloquently. "Won't you please be our guests?" he said as Hitai and Butou pushed the gates open wide.
Cat walked in slowly, looking around in awe. It was like stepping into a dream, the entire compound a huge open area surrounded by thick towers that reached to the skies. People walked about almost carelessly, some dressed in the ninja outfit, but in varying colors, and some dressed in casual clothes, but each one was, without a doubt, a ninja. Cat stared in dazed amazement, unsure as to what to do or say.
Cat was saved when Aerynne, who had been leaning on her shoulder, suddenly collapsed. Cat was at her side instantly, trying to get her back on her feet. "Aerynne! We need to get you to a doctor or something, quick! Hiro-" She had only begun to turn when three new ninja were at her side, gently lifting Aerynne onto a stretcher and silently carrying her off, leaving Cat very alone in the vast courtyard. She knelt where Aerynne had fallen, still a bit surprised, before coming to her senses and standing.
As she looked around, she noted that people were having an odd reaction to her. It was different from the fact that she was a stranger - people would exchange looks over her, or quickly whisper a message to a friend nearby when they saw her. She turned to see Hitai standing a few feet away, his arms behind his back. "I have been asked to lead you to the throne room. Please, follow me if you will." With that, he turned and walked towards one of the larger buildings. Cat followed, still a bit overwhelmed.
After leading her through a series of hallways, Hitai pushed open one last door and motioned her in. Inside, the enormous room was fairly empty, save for a large throne that stood empty. In front of the throne stood several ninja, each one clothed in a different color for a total of ten. It seemed that every sect of the ninja clan was represented here. As she entered, each ninja respectfully removed their mask. Of them, there were three women and seven males.
The man in sandy brown stepped forward from the semicircle and spoke to the others. "My friends and comrades, I have gathered you together to witness what may be a miracle for us." It took a moment for Cat to recognize the man's voice as Hiro's. He was surprisingly handsome. "I have reason to believe this girl is one of the two we have been searching for for all these years."
This caused a stir among the others. "You can't mean...one of the Princesses?" one exclaimed loudly.
"I mean just that." Hiro said. "Though she herself may not even know it. She has not expressed any remembrance, but I have no doubt that she is one of our missing Princesses." Hiro turned to face Cat. "Forgive me for being so bold, but there have been far too many signs of this. Your very coming here was the most prominent one. Your victory over the Gun-MSG. The traces of many secret or forbidden skills on you. Do you know of your past, Lady Catriana?"
Cat stared a bit blankly. After all those days of walking, all that horrid fighting, and now this - what was going on? "I...don't really know what you mean, I mean...this is all..."
"Lady Catriana?" Cat turned to see an elderly woman, supported by a much younger ninja, enter the room. She hurried over to Cat and grabbed her hands, inspecting them. "You ARE Catriana! Thank the gods you're alive! When we never heard from Gilgamesh, we all feared the worst, but now...!"
"You...you know Uncle Gilgamesh...?" Cat whispered, almost going into shock.
"Of course I did. I was his assistant as one of your caretakers. But during the attack, the Queen feared for your lives, and sent him and Enkidu out with you two to try and spare you."
Cat, unable to take all of this in her state, slid to her knees in a daze. Everyone rushed around her, all with concern on their faces. "Princess! Are you alright?"
"Please..." Cat whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "Please, tell me! Everything about my life! I've never known anything beyond what I could guess...please, tell me about my life!" Her tears were flowing freely now, but Cat barely noticed them.
"Let us retire to a more suitable room for this," the ninja in blue said calmly. There was a general agreement, and in a few moments they were in a room with several couches and chairs. Servants and maids went around offering tea as the whole story was told to Cat.
"You are Princess Catriana, one of the Princesses of this clan. You were taken from us when we were attacked by a demon army many years ago. The Queen Camille ordered Gilgamesh and Enkidu, your personal servants and bodyguards, to take you as far from the castle as possible. Gilgamesh must have made it. Your twin sister, Seniana, has not reported to us either, so we feared that you both had been lost. It is clear from your equipment and bearing that Gilgamesh passed his warrior soul on to you when he died. You know many skills and techniques that you never learned from someone, correct? That is from the warrior souls passed on for many generations."
Cat sat quietly, staring at her cup. "Uncle Gilgamesh was...my guardian?"
"Correct," the ninja in red, Kaidou, said. "Gilgamesh's clan has always had their strongest warriors as the Royal family's personal guard, and the strongest of them was the personal guard of the sons and daughters of the King and Queen."
"The personal guard...so, he wasn't my uncle at all...?" Cat felt empty from the news - Gilgamesh had been her only family she knew, and now to find he wasn't even related to her... "Then, what about the rest of my family? My mother and father...?"
Kaidou shook his head sadly. "Your father passed away not too long after you were born from an illness. Your mother...died defending you two when the demons came."
"Mother...died..." Cat whispered. "Defending...us? Wait, what do you mean, 'us'?
"You and your twin," Hiro said calmly. "Your twin sister, Seniana...don't you remember her?"
Cat's cup slipped from her fingers at the mention of Seniana's name. "Sen...Seniana...is my sister...?"
"You know her? Do you know where she is?" Kaidou asked earnestly. The others all leaned closer, their faces intent.
"Sen...no, I can't believe it. It can't be! If she's my sister, then why..." A single tear escaped from Cat's eye. This tear opened the path, and more followed as Cat stared in disbelief at the floor. "If she's my sister, then why doesn't she recognize me?! Why did she try to kill me?!" Overcome with grief Cat ran from the room, blinded by her tears. She could hear the shouts of the others following her, but she refused to listen. It was all too much for her to bear right now...
When Cat's grief had run its course, she found herself outside the castle, near a cliff that overlooked the ocean. It had started raining at some point, and Cat was beginning to get soaked, but she barely noticed. She unsteadily walked to the edge of the cliff to look out at the raging waters. The sun had already set, but you could barely tell through the think storm clouds. Cat stood on the edge of the cliff, letting the rain pour down on her, trying to wash away her sadness.
"Sen...why don't you remember me either? I forgot you, and you forgot me...and now we're enemies. Why did this happen?" Cat felt her knees beginning to weaken - she had been on her feet so long without any rest that her last bit of strength was leaving her. As she slipped from the cliff edge to fall to the raging seas below, she whispered, "Maybe now I can be with mom and dad..."
* * *
Cat felt extremely sore as she tried to open her eyes. The dim candle that burned next to her was searing to her eyes, and she winced as she saw it. She tried to raise a hand to block the light, but her arm was so sore she couldn't move it.
"Don't try to move, please," said a soft voice. It sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put a name to it. "You've pushed your body far beyond its limits, and it will take a while for it to heal. Even with my powers, you will likely be bed-ridden for a few more days."
Cat tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't work right at first, and all that came out was a whisper. She swallowed painfully and tried again. "Who...?" was all she could manage at the time.
"Ah, forgive me. My name is Hikarida. You've never met me, but you have met my son Daisuke. Our healing skills run I our family, but he still wanted to be on Hiro's team instead of here, in the infirmary. Well, I suppose I can't hold him against his wishes, can I?" There was a chuckle, and the sound of movement. The door opened silently and another person entered the room.
"How is she?" came a deeper voice.
"She's regained consciousness, but it will be a while before she's on her feet yet."
"I see. Thank you, Hikarida. May I speak with her?"
"She can barely speak right now...but then, you don't need words, do you? Go ahead, just don't push her mind too hard."
"I know." Someone walked over to where Cat lay and a chair was pulled over. There was a moment where the person sat, and then silence for bit. Cat was going to try to ask who was there when she heard someone say, Can you hear me?
Cat was nearly jolted from her sleeping position. "What...who...?"
No, don't speak. Use your mind. I'm speaking to you telepathically. Cat managed to control herself and tried to form the words in her mind.
Who are you? She asked.
Eisaburou, from Hiro's squad. I'm a telepath, as you can see.
What happened to me? I remember I was talking with the others...then I ran...and there was a cliff...
We found you washed up on the shore after the storm passed. From what I could gain from your memories, you lost all your strength and fell into the ocean. The shock from everything you learned that day must have also been overwhelming.
Cat didn't say anything to that. Her thoughts wandered to Seniana, and the grief of those memories brought tears to her eyes. She felt a rough hand wipe them away.
Don't cry, Princess...I know it must be hard for you. But there are always reasons for everything, no matter how bad they may seem. I know you will find a way to bring our princess, your sister, back to us, they way she used to be.
Cat forced a weak smile to Eisaburou. "Thank you..." she whispered as she fell back into a dreamless sleep. Eisaburou sat by her bed for a few minutes just looking at her face, his hands folded. He then stood and left the room silently, closing the door without a sound.
* * *
Cat was bed-ridden for several days, but she quickly regained her lost strength. Each day, she would try to get onto her feet, and each day she would get a little bit closer before her legs gave out beneath her. Hikarida seemed to always be there, keeping her physical strains at a minimum and always testing her strength. When she could finally stand on her own, it was like being reborn again, with Hikarida as her father, helping her learn to walk.
When Cat was walking without much trouble, Hiro came to give her small tours of parts of the castle. He showed her the different areas of the castle, letting her get reacquainted with her home. Everywhere she went, she was treated with respect and kindness, and it was obvious that everyone was glad to have her home.
A few days after her recovery, Cat allowed herself a moment to really relax and took a warm bath. It felt good to get all the grime and sand that had accumulated over time. As she washed, she felt the presence of someone nearby. She reached over to her robe that Hikarida had provided and silently drew a throwing knife.
From behind the divider near her bath came an arm that waved calmly. "Don't mind me, princess," came Daisuke's voice, "I'm not here to spy on you. There are just some people who would probably like to, even against their better judgement, so I'm here to make sure they don't."
"Daisuke..." she said, relaxing. "Thank you. That's reassuring." She replaced the knife and sank back into the warm water. There was a moment of silence, then Cat spoke up. "Hey, Daisuke?"
"Hmm?"
"Why...did you want to join Hiro's squad instead of following your family profession? I mean, I can see why it's useful for you to be on the field, but..."
"But it doesn't make sense. Why not make your power available for everyone instead of just a few?" Daisuke finished her sentence calmly. "I've been asked that many times. A long time ago, I had a good friend who was a part of Hiro's squad. One day, they went out, and he never returned...he had died of wounds from the Antlion while they were bringing him back. It had snuck up on them, and he had just been the unlucky one." Daisuke took a long breath. "I know it doesn't make sense. But I just didn't want his death to be an accident that was written off. I wanted to keep him alive, somehow, in my heart. So I joined with Hiro to make sure that things like that didn't happen again. I know that some people think I should be put back into the infirmary, but Hiro understands me, at least. Besides, my younger sister is developing her own healing powers, so there's no real need for me to be there as well." Daisuke gave a soft laugh.
"And your friend...do you think he would have wanted you to do this?" Cat asked softly. Cat could see Daisuke shake his head.
"I don't know. Maybe he would have wanted me to stay where I was. I don't pretend to know the wishes of the dead. But this is what I want to do to remember him, so this is what I will do."
"Daisuke..." Cat murmured. "You really are such a nice person. It's too bad that you're put in such a battle-filled life."
"Battle is our nature. We don't try to hide it. But sometimes, even the best of us are overwhelmed from loss."
"Overwhelmed from loss, huh...?" As Cat whispered his words, she looked out into the courtyard. The moon was shining down on it, and Cat could see a part of the castle she had never seen before. It was a garden, of all things, with rows upon rows of flowers and plants growing in abundance. "Beautiful...Daisuke, who's garden is that?"
"The Queen's old garden...we've tended to it ever since she died, but we can't seem to make things grow quite well." Even as he spoke, Cat saw something unnatural happen. Right before her eyes, a figure materialized in the middle of the garden. It was of a woman, dressed in a long robe, with long hair. Cat stared in amazement - the woman was obviously a ghost, but it was still a shock to see her appear so suddenly. Cat could hear the faint sounds of weeping. "Daisuke...did you know that garden is haunted?"
Daisuke sighed. "Everyone knows...the Queen has haunted her garden ever since her death. Camille feels she could have done more to save you two, but no matter what we try, she won't go to her rest."
"The Queen...you mean, that's mother?" Cat whispered. Almost instinctively she reached out through the window to the figure below. "Mother...mother, it's me! It's Cat! I've come home, see? And Sen...she's alive, too! I'll make sure she comes home, too...so please, go to sleep. I don't want to see you suffer!"
Her words echoed through the garden, but they didn't reach the ghost below. The ghost continued to weep, her sobs cutting straight to the heart. Cat felt an overwhelming pity for her, and stood to go down to her when a biting cold wind reminded her that she wasn't wearing anything. She automatically dropped down back into the warm water, shivering from the unnatural cold.
Then the sound of a bell rang.
Cat peered out the window again to see what was happening. There was another figure walking through the garden. It was Aerynne, her halberd over her shoulders, her back to Cat. Cat was going to call out to her when she saw that Aerynne, like her mother, was becoming transparent. Cat couldn't understand what was happening, and could only watch in amazement.
Aerynne walked up to the weeping ghost of the Queen, stopping a few feet away. "Why do you still weep?" she asked coldly. The Queen turned to face her, her ghostly face ragged and full of pain.
"Because I wasn't able to save them. My children...I left them to die. My life was given for nothing! And now my poor children have no future..." With that, she fell into weeping again, her cries echoing through the desert. Aerynne watched her calmly, not moving. Then she spoke.
"Do you really believe that?"
Camille paused in her sobs to stare at Aerynne. "Do you really believe that your sacrifice was for nothing? Had you done nothing, your children would have died in fear, without any knowledge of why. And why do you believe they are dead? If they had died, would their first thought not have been to return to you? To their own mother for comfort in their death that they were not ready for?" Aerynne closed her eyes. "Your daughters are alive, Queen Camille. One of them has even returned home after so long, and the other...will not be far behind. So go to your rest in Valhalla, or whatever you like to call your afterlife. I will take care of them."
"They're...alive...?" Tears escaped from Camille's eyes, but they were from joy. "My little angels are alive...you mean, they survived?"
In response, Aerynne reached out a hand and placed it inside the ghost. There was a long pause, and after a few minutes, Aerynne removed her hand. "I see...that's what happened, then..." Camille smiled. "Thank you...please tell Cat not to give up, and to bring her sister home..." With that, the ghost faded away until it was nothing more that a small ball of spirit. Aerynne took the spirit with one hand and pressed it against her heart, absorbing the spirit into her body. Cat could suddenly feel the presence of Aerynne through their link, now that her strength was returning. And with the soul of the Queen put to rest, Aerynne walked from the garden, another soul resting inside her.
* * *
"Hiro, me and Aerynne need to join the rest of our friends. We promised them we'd be back in two weeks, and those two weeks are up. There's no way we can make it back to them in time as it is, so we can't stay here any longer." Cat sighed. "They're going to be worried sick about us. They have no idea where we went to, so they couldn't even search for us if they tried to."
"There's no need for worry, Princess," Hiro said. "We have eyes everywhere in the world. And those eyes need to get to the rest of the world somehow, don't they?"
"So how do the ninjas travel about the world?" Aerynne asked. "Even the gods are curious as to how you people do it."
"Well, it's all a matter of careful planning and some help from some friends. Come, follow me." Hiro led them to the basement of the castle to a large sealed door. He pressed his hand against the door and it began to glow. After a moment, the door swung open to show a large room with a glowing apparition in the middle on a dais.
"What is this...?" Cat asked wondrously.
"This is a rayth, different from the wraiths you know. It comes from a different plane of existence, so there is no power on this world that can harm it - but at the same time, it cannot harm us. It uses a special kind of magic that allows us to travel through space instantaneously."
"Higher planer magic..." Aerynne murmured, rubbing her chin. "It's no wonder the gods had no idea how you did it. They can't even see this kind of being, much less detect its power. I can only see it because I'm partially human." She turned to Hiro. "How do you control this thing, then? If you can't even touch each other, why should it obey you?"
"It's not so much that it obeys us...more, we obey it. It simply allows us usage of it's powers for our services to it."
"And those services would be?" Aerynne asked, narrowing her eyes.
Hiro smiled to her. "Well, if I told you, that would spoil the mystery wouldn't it? Rest assured, Valkyrie, it is nothing that would anger the gods you serve if they knew. But let us hurry." Hiro pulled out a small amulet and handed it to Cat. "If you need to contact us, just use this. This will connect you to Eisaburou's mind. He will be able to track you with it as well. Good luck, Princess."
As Hiro turned and began to speak with the rayth in a bizarre tongue, Cat turned to Aerynne. "It looks like things went a little sloppily," she said bashfully. Aerynne shrugged.
"Not everything goes as planned. But you found your home, at least. Isn't that enough for you?"
Cat sighed and looked back to the stairs up. "I would have liked to speak with mother...but she's already dead. I can barely remember her, even after seeing her."
"Then you should treasure those memories of her the most." Aerynne leaned on Astarael. "She cherishes her memories of you two the most. So you should do your best to fulfill her last wish."
Cat gazed up. "Yeah...don't worry, mom. I'll bring Sen back here. No matter what it takes." The rayth was glowing brightly, and Hiro now stood in the doorway. "No matter what..." The light became blinding, and Cat felt herself taken away by the planer power.
The Plot Continues in Part 12...but we have one more story.
Side-Story #3
Catriana stepped off of the boat slowly, a bit unsteady after their long trip over seas. They had set out from the Cadenza port and traveled all the way north to the port town Porting. Aerynne was still on the boat, 'bargaining' with the captain about their price to cross. As she argued with the stubborn man, Cat looked around the harbor a bit. There really wasn't much to see, aside from all the boxes and barrels that harbors always have. She chatted with a few sailors, who gave her some insight as to the local area from a foreigner's eye. Porting was not a very large town, being the only city on a fairly desolate continent, but the people who lived here were strong people who were used to the harsh conditions.
The northernmost continent was made up of a large plateau area, with varying levels of height and depth; the rest was all desert. The area where Porting was built was the only green area, and even that was slight - grass had a hard enough time growing here that little green showed.
And yet, to Cat, it all felt so calming. The desert, the plateau, it all seemed so...right, was the only way she could think of it. It seemed normal for her, the harsh desert and nearly impassable plateaus, just like being in a place you knew well...
Or home.
Catriana wasn't sure if she could say it felt like home - the only home she had known was the orphanage she and the others had grown up in, and even that didn't feel very homely, since they had to work to stay alive. But here, there was a feeling of rightness, of calmness. Serenity. She could almost soak in it, it felt so good. She stood there, letting the soft breeze bring hints of the desolate land that lay ahead and smells to her mind. She closed her eyes, relaxing in the feeling.
"Alright, Cat, let's go, I don't think that the captain wants to be around here to much longer." Aerynne said, coming over. Cat didn't respond, still relaxing. "Cat?"
"Let him leave," she murmured. Aerynne raised an eyebrow. "I doubt we'll be needing him to get back to the castle. We can catch a ride with another ship."
"Whatever you say, but I don't like it." Aerynne sighed and walked back to the ship, a purposeful glare in her eye. Cat leaned against a crate, sighing happily. This place felt good. She looked at the town, built strong and thick to protect against nature, rather than please the eye. For some reason, that also felt good. Safe.
Something fast caught her eye and she lazily followed it as it zipped across the square. It stopped for a moment, and Cat's eyes widened. It was a man, dressed in all blue, his hair almost completely white from age. But his clothes were the same style as Seniana's. That in itself was suspicious, but she also vaguely recalled those from another time. She didn't know when that was, but she recognized that type of clothing. She started to run to the old man, but he suddenly jumped on top of a building and was gone. Cat jumped up to follow, but there was no trace of him. For an old man, he was fast and very skilled.
"Cat!" Catriana glanced over her shoulder. "What are you doing up there? Let's get going! Stop horsing around!" Aerynne had her large halberd slung over her shoulder and had their bags at their feet. Cat gave another quick glance for the old man, but there was still no trace of him. She hopped down and picked up her bag.
"Sorry about that," she said with a cheerful smile. "I was just...getting a look of the town." Aerynne gave her a look that almost seemed sad. Was there something wrong with what she said? Cat couldn't understand.
The moment was forgotten as they entered the center of the town. Chatting happily, they explored the area, talking to the inhabitants and searching for all the shops. After finding the item shop with some difficulty ("I thought ALL item shops had the same symbol on the building," Aerynne grumbled), they stocked up on necessary items, since neither of them could heal with magic.
As they stepped outside the item shop, Cat glanced over and blinked in surprise. The old man in blue was there again, sitting on top of one of the nearby buildings. Cat wasted no time in dropping her belongings and sprinting towards him. Aerynne's voice called after her, but she didn't listen. The old man noticed her immediately and darted across the rooftops. Cat scurried up the walls of a nearby building and gave chase.
The two practically flew across the rooftops, their feet seeming to barely touch the tiles. The old man was in incredible shape for his age. As they ran, the old man gave a flick of his arm and something small shot from his hand. They looked like pebbles for a moment, but then Cat realized that they were explosives. She jumped over them as they exploded, the force of the explosion knocking her off-balance. She managed to catch sight of the old man just as he threw something at her. Cat twisted in midair to avoid a dart, but two more caught her left arm. She shook them off and tried to manage a safe landing. However, a critical failure in her roll to land gracefully (despite the fact that she had a level 18 in gracefulness and balance) resulted in her slamming straight into the roof.
Hoping nothing was sprained or broken, Cat forced herself to stand quickly - only to find that her left arm wasn't moving. At first she was afraid that she had broken it, but there was no pain - it simply felt like it was gone. She could feel it with her other hand, but couldn't feel her hand touching her arm. She realized that the darts must have had some kind of tranquilizer in them.
Cursing her own hindsight, Cat fished into her pouch for any projectile weapon. The old man was drawing more darts - she knew that if any of those struck her now, she would be helpless. She came up with three tack stars and prayed that they would be enough. The old man had three darts in each hand. Things didn't look too good.
He threw one set of darts right at her. Cat judged quickly where they would go and dove to her left to avoid them, simultaneously throwing one star. The old man spun and threw the second set, drawing a third even as he did. Cat twisted to allow herself to hit the roof back first, kicking at the same time to get herself back on her feet. Even as she did so, one of the darts struck her already numb left arm. Still off-balance from her rather excessive move, she threw a second star, which went a bit wide. The old man was still cautious of it and stepped to the side. Even as he did, Cat regained her footing and ran right at the old man, throwing her third star even as she did. The man spun again and threw his third set of darts.
Cat rolled and grabbed the dart lodged in her arm. In a quick, desperate move, she pulled it out and threw in the same movement. The dart struck home right in the man's leg. After only a brief moment, he toppled to the side, unable to support himself. As he tried to stand, Cat drew one sword and pointed it at his throat. "Don't try anything," she said, breathing a bit heavily. There was a tense moment in which the man eyed her and her sword, then raised his hands in defeat. Around then, Aerynne came scrambling up the side of the building, rage in her eyes.
"Damn it, Cat, don't you EVER do that again! I don't care how skilled you are, don't make me worry like that!" She stabbed her halberd into the tiles and began to inspect Cat. "Are you hurt badly? Anything broken?"
"My arm is numbed." Cat gestured to the old man. "Something in his darts."
Aerynne looked at the old man still lying on his back and at Cat's arm. "Neurotoxins, of some sort. Relaxes the muscles to the point where you can't even move them, and puts all the nerves to sleep. Fairly dangerous stuff to be running around with." Aerynne knelt next to the old man. "You have any cure or antidote for this? I'm sure you do, in case of situations like these."
The old man said nothing. He sat quietly, waiting. Aerynne looked at him crossly. "That's not very helpful. Perhaps if I give you a reason to tell me, you will?" She hefted her halberd, but Cat stopped her.
"Don't, Aerynne. He won't tell us if he doesn't want to, and he's expecting death right now. Don't give it to him." Aerynne sighed.
"I suppose so. Damn you and your logic."
Cat knelt in front of the old man. "I need to ask you something. I think you might be able to answer some of my questions. Can you do that for me?"
"What is it you wish for?" he said simply. Cat was a bit taken aback.
"You'd just answer me, like that? No refusal?"
"If your request is not too extreme, I will help as per the honor code. You defeated me in combat...your skills are truly remarkable. No one has ever defeated me in over fifteen years." The old man sat, still waiting.
"Then tell me," Cat pleaded, looking into his eyes. "Why do I feel like I know you? Know the outfit you wear, know this area, know these skills that I never remember learning? Who are you? And who am I?"
The old man looked at her for what seemed to be a long time. Finally, he said, "Everything you wish to know you already know...you just have not yet realized it yet. In time, you will know yourself."
"That's not an answer! What do you mean, I already know?" The old man sat quietly for a moment, then jumped up suddenly. Cat realized that she could feel her arm again - the neurotoxin must have worn off. The old man threw a smoke bomb on the ground in a flash - when it cleared, he was gone without a trace.
Aerynne coughed, waving the smoke away from her. "I don't like that method of escape. Smells horrible." Cat didn't respond; she was still staring at the spot where the old man he last stood. "Cat?" Cat stirred and looked at her sharply. There was something in her eyes that shone brightly now - ambition? Hunger? To know who she was? Aerynne could practically hear Cat's thoughts as they spun through her head.
"Let's go, Aerynne," Cat said briskly, a bit of a smile on her face as she sheathed her sword. "We have a long journey in front of us."
* * *
Catriana blinked at the glaring sun and looked around suddenly. "What did you say, Aerynne?" she asked, her mind already wandering before she finished the question. Aerynne sighed. There was no way to talk with the girl now, she decided finally. Ever since they had met with and fought that strange old man, Cat had spent most of her time deep in thought
The route the two had taken brought them across the Corbett Lake and into the Wenstrom Plateaus. They were camped out on a ledge overlooking most of the area, watching the sun slowly set. Aerynne sat cross-legged next to the fire, her halberd lying across her legs. The weapon rarely left her side. Cat sat on the other side of the fire, staring into it idly, her eyes far away. The sunset was harsh and very bright, which made making out any details difficult. Fortunately, few creatures came out at this time.
However, the reason for that made Aerynne worry. There had been talk in the town that a dangerous creature prowled the lands at night, killing travelers in their sleep. It wasn't so much that she was worried about the monster - unless it was from a different plane, she had little to worry, and most of such creatures were easily banished by Astarael. What she was worried about was whether or not Catriana would be able to defend herself if they had to fight it. They hadn't had to fight anything yet, for which Aerynne was concerned of. She would rather something attack them to get Cat to realize what danger they might be in.
Aerynne sighed and poked the fire a bit. "Nothing, Cat...just an idle question." She shifted her sitting position to a more comfortable one. "You should get some sleep. We have to cover as much distance as possible tomorrow. I'd rather get out of here as soon as we can."
Cat nodded halfway in agreement, her eyes never leaving the fire. Aerynne let the silence rest for a while, glancing at the sun. "Cat, did you hear me?" There was no response. She wasn't asleep, and from the looks of it, wasn't going to anytime soon. Aerynne cursed slightly. That left one option. "Sorry about this, Cat...Sleep."
The spell washed over Catriana like a balm of healing, relaxing her muscles and easing her mind. Her eyes flicked, trying to stay open, but eventually gave in and closed, bringing her to a soothing sleep. Aerynne spread out a blanket and gently lay her on it, covering her with her cloak. "Sleep well, now. I'll stand watch." With the, the Valkyrie sat herself in a place to be able to keep watch over everything, and waited for the sun to set.
* * *
Dawn came.
Cat blinked at the piercing sunlight and rubbed her eyes. She realized she had slept through the entire night, without giving Aerynne a chance to sleep. "Oh, shit," she said, looking around, quickly trying to think up an apology for her, though she didn't know what excuse she could have for it.
As Cat looked around, however, she realized that Aerynne was nowhere to be seen. Briefly she wondered if something had happened to her during the night, but there was no sign of a scuffle or even of anything passing by. The only footprints were their own. Cat threw on a spare shirt and began to make a short area search for the Valkyrie. She had gone several yards from the campsite when she realized that she was unarmed. That was odd, since she couldn't remember when the last time was she had gone without some kind of weapon to protect herself with, and here she was, in a strange land, without even a shaving razor to defend herself with.
A sound came from behind her, and Cat immediately whirled, automatically reaching for her swords that weren't there. Aerynne stood a few feet away, her arms crossed lazily. "It's about time you got yourself up and about. I thought you would sleep forever."
Cat lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry, I didn't even realize it when I went to sleep. You could have woken me up to take the second watch."
"It's not needed," Aerynne said, dismissing the subject with a wave of her hand. "I don't need to sleep anyway. I'm dead, remember? I don't need human requirements anymore."
Cat felt some color rise to her face. It was odd, traveling with someone who didn't require normal human support like food and sleep. Cat wasn't sure how to act around Aerynne because of it. Aerynne seemed to read her thoughts, since she looked at her and laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it. I've grown used to this, so it's not like you can do or say something that will offend me somehow. Besides, we're in this together, so we might as well get used to each other. Okay?"
Cat blinked. "O-okay! Why not? We may as well be friends!" The two shook on it, then both burst into giggles at the strangeness of the whole thing. The rift between them already being filled, they walked back to the campsite, both in much higher spirits. They gathered everything up, buried the fire, and set out again, heading east.
The days were long and the sun beat down almost constantly. The two were saved by the multiple valleys and overhangs that blocked the sun out for even a small amount of time. They had plenty of water, but in this heat Cat had to be cautious, drinking sparingly. Aerynne drank nothing, but still carried several canteens with her.
The plateau were filled with the sound of creatures howling and barking, birds chirping, the wind blowing and rocks occasionally falling from their perches, as well as the constant sound of the gravel under their feet. It was a mindless, dulling march, seeming to be nonstop.
As they walked, Aerynne noticed that there was something wrong with the feel of the place. Cat walked on, barely even paying attention to where she was going, lost in her thoughts. As they walked farther east, the wind died down more and more, until it was a slight breeze. However, there was the feel of uneasiness in the air, and soon the only sounds were that of their footsteps. There was something out there, hunting them.
"Cat," Aerynne called, hoping to warn her, something that should have been completely unneeded, but Aerynne wasn't about to take any chances. Cat didn't respond, just kept walking forward. "Cat," Aerynne called louder, starting to get worried. Still no response. "Cat!" she shouted then, halting in her steps. Cat still kept going. "Catriana! Wake up!"
Cat stirred slightly and glanced behind her. When she saw that Aerynne had stopped, she paused and turned slightly. "Aerynne...? What is it?"
Aerynne crossed her arms and looked at her crossly. "You're what's wrong here. What is wrong with you? Why aren't you paying attention? Do you even realize what's going on around you? The danger we're in?"
"What do you mean," Cat protested weakly. "I've been paying close attention to everything that's been going on. There's nothing to worry about."
At that point, the ground behind Cat shuddered and churned. Behind her two giant claws thrust out of the ground and anchored themselves. Up from the sand rose up a huge insect-like beast - the Antlion. Aerynne froze where she was, staring in shock. From her knowledge, the Antlion had been dead for centuries, slain by Tijuana Tanzor when she was only a baby. Either the beast had been laying low for all these years, or this was its offspring...either way, things didn't look good. If Tijuana had had difficulty defeating it, then they didn't have a chance in hell.
Aerynne then realized Cat wasn't reacting to the monster. "Cat! Move!" How could she not notice it? The thing was enormous! Cat looked at her a bit oddly, almost dismissing the warning. Aerynne swore and dropped her bags, drawing her halberd. However, a failure at doing both at once resulted in her halberd being tangled in the straps of her bags. Aerynne swore and tore it free, even though she knew she shouldn't, but right now saving Cat was more important than her bag straps. Aerynne charged forward.
Cat was looking right at her, but didn't seem to really see her. She glanced around a bit, then looked a bit behind her. She regarded the Antlion without much reaction, just staring at it lazily. The Antlion looked right at her, then raised on giant claw. Aerynne knew that she was never going to make it in time. As the claw descended, time seemed to slow.
Cat was still staring at the Antlion even as the claw neared her. She didn't seem to realize at all how much danger she was in, or the painful death that was nearing her. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to focus, and she blinked in surprise at the beast that reared before her. Her hands instinctively went to her swords, but before she could draw them the Antlion's claw slammed down like a hammer. Aerynne threw up an arm to block the shockwave from the attack.
She looked up to see the claw embedded deep into the earth. "No...Cat! CAT!" Rage and emotion filled Aerynne. She held her halberd before her and chanted quickly. "Barrier!" A protective shield appeared around her. With that in place, Aerynne rushed forward, her halberd poised to strike. She jumped onto the Antlion's arm and thrust deep, trying to remove the arm in its entirety. The Antlion roared and shook it's arm vigorously, but Aerynne held on tightly, refusing to let go. The monster slammed its arm against the ground, the force of that ripping the halberd free and slamming Aerynne against the ground. The Antlion raised its other arm up to deliver the finishing blow.
The claw came down hard on her, the top half of the claw stabbing into her chest, tearing through her barrier and chain mail and pinning her to the ground. The pain Aerynne felt was minimal, but even her abilities were being pushed to the limit to keep herself alive and moving. She kept a tight grip on Astarael, praying that she would have enough power to heal herself and kill the beast. The Antlion raised its claw up high, Aerynne still impaled on it.
Quite unexpectedly, the arm that the claw was attached to simply fell off. Aerynne had almost no time to remove herself from the claw before striking the ground again. The Antlion was so surprised that it just stared at the stump blankly, not even sure what had happened. Huge gashes suddenly rent themselves in the monsters torso area, running up to the head. A huge gash was rent into the side of its face, and one of its eyes suddenly gushed blood as it was bisected. The blood landed on something that was definitely not part of the Antlion, and Aerynne suddenly could see again with her magic-enhanced vision.
It was Cat. The two ninja swords in her hands were making her invisible, and completely immune to the Antlion's attacks. Aerynne could also see a bright glow coming from both weapons - Cat must have paid whatever the price was for the light saber enhancement. Aerynne tried not to think about what that price must have cost her - she had known many such deals to take parts of the human's soul or worse. Aerynne concentrated hard, and cast the most powerful healing spell she could manage in her condition. Her flesh and muscles reformed and regrew.
Painfully, Aerynne stood. Cat continued to dance along the Antlion, tearing it apart with her dual swords. Knowing that she had little chance in this fight using her weapon, she fell back onto magic. "Vigor!" she shouted, casting the spell on Cat. Cat's physical abilities were significantly enhanced, and the Antlion took more damage from each powerful blow. It flailed about helplessly, unable to find Cat or even hit her. "Slow!" The Antlion's movements slowed down, though whether that was the spell or lack of strength, Aerynne didn't know. Whichever was good, since the beast was weakening. Soon, it would be dead-
The thought had barely crossed Aerynne's mind when the Antlion suddenly surged with power. Right before their eyes, it evolved into a bigger version of itself, with eight arms now and a huge teethy mouth: a Desert Kraken. The slow spell shattered off it and it batted Cat out of the air. Cat came up quickly only to be knocked back down again by another arm. A third came down on her to crush her, but Aerynne impaled it on her halberd. The Kraken retreated its arms for a moment, giving Cat the time to stand.
"Give me some kind of distraction!" Cat yelled at her, not taking her eyes off the beast. Aerynne thought quickly and chanted another spell.
"Illusion!" she shouted, and several versions of her appeared and rushed at the Kraken. It ignored them completely, staying focused on the two. "Damn! It can see right through illusions."
Cat swore. "What do we do then?" she asked, tightening her grip on her swords.
"Have to just use the real thing then!" Aerynne shouted, rushing in. The Kraken's arms surged around her. "Freeze Barrier!" she cried, creating a shield of ice around her. The many arms struck repeatedly, but each time they did so, they also took damage. Aerynne kept her guard up, blocking as best as she could.
Cat rushed in and ran up along one of the arms. Another arm shot at her, but she cut it off and kept going. She leapt up high and brought her swords over her head. "Flight Skill! Falling Albatross!" Her swords shone brightly with the combined power of Darkness and Holy. She plummeted down, straight towards the Kraken's mouth, seeming to have wings. The blades tore through the Kraken, rending flesh from bone and cutting the whole thing in two. It shuddered loudly, then lay still forever.
Cat rose to her feet somewhat unsteadily. She had used a lot of strength up in that fight, and prayed that they wouldn't have another one any time soon. She turned and gave a thumbs up to Aerynne, who was leaning on her halberd for support. "I think we won," she said a bit hesitantly. Aerynne smiled.
"Though not without a bit of worry there. I thought you were dead for sure." Cat looked away, a bit ashamed.
"I'm sorry...I don't know what was wrong with me. I wasn't thinking straight, I guess." She sheathed her swords slowly. "Maybe the rest of the trip will go a bit smoother." The words were hardly out of her mouth when Aerynne suddenly collapsed. Cat gasped and rushed over, kneeling next to her. "Aerynne? What's wrong?" When Aerynne didn't respond, she asked again, starting to get a bit afraid. Cat dug into her pouch and pulled out a potion, which she sprinkled on her. Aerynne stirred slightly.
"Sorry..." she whispered, grinning painfully. "I used too much power...and I have nothing to feed on out here...just my luck, as always." Cat looked confused and worried at the same time.
"What do you mean, feed? I thought you said you don't need to eat..." Aerynne laughed slightly.
"Not in the way humans feed...I need souls to live...souls of the dead, of warriors, of emotions to keep myself still in this plane." Aerynne winced painfully as she tried to move. "Out here, there's nothing but the still violent soul of the Kraken...hardly a meal I can deal with right now."
Cat was silent, thinking hard. "Aerynne," she said slowly. "Could you use my soul?"
"Not on your life," Aerynne said immediately. "You already paid a price for those sabers, I won't have you paying another."
Cat looked a bit abashed. "Um...I forgot to tell you...the price is five thousand GP."
Aerynne stared at her, wide-eyed. "What?"
"The price...is just that. It's money." Cat looked almost ashamed. "I didn't want to say anything, because it seemed so stupid at the time...sorry about that."
Aerynne just sat there, staring at her. Then she laughed. "I can't believe it...and here I thought you were paying with your soul. I guess demons are getting more modern these days." Her laughter turned to a violent cough that doubled her over. Cat put her hands on her shoulders, trying to steady her.
"Aerynne," she said again. "Can you use my soul? Can you feed off me?" Aerynne took a moment to compose herself, not looking at Cat.
"Your soul still exists within your body, so there's no way I could gain strength from it." Aerynne paused. "However, I can still draw off your will to keep myself alive for a while. It will cost you your own strength, however."
"If I can keep you alive long enough to find something, that doesn't matter. What do I have to do?" Aerynne was a bit taken aback by Cat's determination, but she knew that this was the only was she was going to live.
"Open your mind to me...I need to establish a link between us to do this." Cat closed her eyes and relaxed. Aerynne reached a visibly shaking hand to touch Cat's temple, her thumb running along her forehead. She traced an ayin on her forehead, and the Hebrew symbol shone brightly for a moment before vanishing to the naked eye. To Aerynne, it still shone, but much dimmer than before. "There...that should do it."
Somewhat painfully, Aerynne stood with help from Cat. She could already feel strength returning to her. Cat looked a bit dazed, and was likely feeling the effects of the spiritual connection to her. "Don't worry about it - you'll get used to it soon enough. Let's go, before we both run out of strength."
* * *
Cat pulled her veil tighter around her face and squinted into the distance. They had been trekking across the desert when a sandstorm had picked up around them - as time passed, it had only gotten worse. The wind howled around them, making conversation impossible, and no matter how tightly they tied the veils around their faces, the wind still found a way to loosen them. If they didn't pay close attention for even a moment, the wind could tear the veil off, leaving them unprotected and very vulnerable.
Cat glanced back at Aerynne. The Valkyrie was struggling to keep up with Cat, and Cat could feel her strength slowly depleting along with her own. Aerynne would pause occasionally, resting on her halberd, then would pick up again, moving in short, rapid bursts. Cat knew that it wasn't helping anything, but she didn't know what else she could do.
"Aerynne!" she shouted, stepping closer so she could hear. "Do you know if there's any shelter around here?"
"What?" Aerynne shouted back weakly. Even her voice was weak right now.
"Shelter!" Cat shouted again, making some kind of gesture to represent what she meant. "Is there any nearby?"
"I don't know!" Aerynne shouted back. "I don't know this area very well!"
Cat swore. There was nothing they could work off of. She wracked her memory, trying to think if she knew this part of the world at all, thinking hard. She knew, deep down, that there was something about this place that brought back memories...but she couldn't think of what they were.
The wind picked up violently for a moment, and Cat's veil was torn from her face. She made a desperate grab for it and felt it slip from between her fingers. Quickly, she threw up an arm to shield her face from the harsh wind and went down on one knee. She turned away from the wind and tore off part of her sleeve, quickly wrapping it around her face. This wasn't the first time that had happened - her sleeves were tattered now from how many times she had been forced to make a new veil.
Aerynne coughed and leaned on her halberd again. "Cat, I don't know how well I'm going to fair against this weather...nature is working against us today."
"We have to keep going!" Cat shouted, standing again. "C'mon, lean on my shoulder. We'll make it through this." Cat put Aerynne's arm over her shoulder and helped her along, supporting her with her own failing strength.
However long they walked, neither knew. The wind beat at them, the biting sands stinging every step of the way. Slowly, they plodded along, both fighting to keep going. Eventually, the sandstorm lessened, the wind slowly dying down. Cat finally allowed herself a moment to breathe normally, relaxing for just a moment-
And then everything went to hell again. The sands burst upwards, something huge coming out from right in front of them. When the sand cleared, they saw a large black mecha standing before them. It stood around three times their height, roughly humanoid, and two machine guns on it's shoulders pointed straight at them.
"What...is that...?" Aerynne asked weakly.
"The Gun-MSG..." Cat responded quietly, trying not to look threatening. Aerynne rolled her head up to look at her.
"The what...?" she whispered, her voice barely able to make sound.
"Gun-MSG...the Giant Ninja Mecha Soldier Guard." Cat tried to keep herself relaxed, but it was hard not to, with two large machine guns pointed right at her. "It's a mechanized patrol guard. This isn't something we want to have to deal with now..."
"Too...late for...that..." Aerynne whispered. Before Cat could respond with a query, Aerynne pushed her away and let herself fall to the ground limply. No sooner had she done so than the Gun-MSG opened fire on the spot where they had been.
"This isn't what I wanted to have happen," Cat moaned as she took off into a limping sprint. She wasn't in any shape to fight, especially not this thing. She drew her swords and vanished, even though she knew the mecha could still see her. "Blitz!" she shouted, a bolt of lightning striking the mecha. It hardly did any damage - she was far too weak right now to cast any powerful magic.
"Shock Barrier," came the weak cry. Cat was surrounded with a barrier of lightning, thanks to Aerynne's support skills. She whispered a silent thank you and ran right towards the Gun-MSG. Thanks to the barrier, the bullets were ineffective; seeing this, the mecha stopped firing and took a stance, a blade coming out of each arm. It charged, bringing one arm back.
"Dual Skill - Heaven Above, Hell Below!" Cat made three rapid swings straight on towards the mecha, removing one arm and tearing open it's core. The Gun-MSG thrust it's other arm at her, but Cat was no longer there, now high up in the air, both swords poised. With a scream, Cat came down on the mecha, stabbing both blades into its head and tearing down. The Gun-MSG fell apart, unable to withstand the blow or the shockwave that followed.
Even with the victory, the strain was too much - Cat fell to her knees, drained of every last bit of strength she had. It took every bit of her energy just to keep her on her knees, though she didn't know what doing so would accomplish now.
"I guess...this is it..." she whispered. "Everyone...I'm sorry..." She closed her eyes, letting her last memories soak up before she fell. "I couldn't keep my last promise to you..." With that, Cat let herself fall limply.
She felt herself falling into oblivion, and for a while, it wasn't so bad. The pain slowly left her, replaced by a soothing glow that clamed her fears and kept her still. She wanted so much to just loose herself in that glow, letting it wash over her and let her sink quietly into eternal sleep-
And with a jolt, she came back.
Her first attempt to breathe sent shooting pains through her chest, and she coughed violently. Strong arms held her, and when she regained control of herself she looked to see whom they belonged to.
A man was supporting her, clothed in all sandy brown with his face hidden by a mask of the same color. A sword peeked over his shoulder, and he held a water canteen in one hand, which he offered to her. She drank from it greedily, nearly drowning herself in the water. Cat allowed herself to breath a bit easier and looked around. There were several people here, all dressed like the man: full brown that blended in with the sands around them, with faces covered. Not all bore swords, and some had weapons hidden on them so well Cat couldn't begin to understand how they were hidden. They were ninja.
Cat felt a surge of relief when she realized this. If there was anyone who they would be safe with, the ninja were the ones to hide them. Relief turned to confusion almost immediately - she couldn't understand how she knew of this. Unsure of herself suddenly, she watched as two ninja knelt next to Aerynne's still body. One traced a symbol in the air with two fingers, and a yellow glow emerged from his fingertips. He pressed his fingers to Aerynne's forehead, and the glow encompassed her entire body. When the glow faded, Aerynne gave a soft moan, and Cat could feel like returning to her.
Relieved, Cat turned to the man who still knelt near her. "Th-thank you, for your help." She wasn't quite sure what she should say. "Um...I'm really sorry about what I did to your mecha...I didn't really want to break it, but..."
"There's no need to apologize," the man said in a deep voice. "The fact that you could even defeat the Gun-MSG is worthy of praise. In all my years here, not a single warrior, alone or accompanied, was ever able to defeat it." He bowed respectfully. "You are truly a warrior with great skill." The others were also bowing. Cat was a bit embarrassed by the praise.
"Oh, well, um, please, you're flattering me," Cat forced a laugh. "Really, I was so weak from the long walk I didn't think there was any way that we would have a chance to beat it. I mean," Cat looked to Aerynne, who still lay on her back, for support. "C'mon, Aerynne, how long were we walking for, anyway?"
"Since we beat the Kraken, it's been three days and seventeen hours," Aerynne said in a monotonous voice.
"And yet, even still you were able to defeat our greatest guardian?" The man took a step back, then went down on one knee. "I misjudged you...your skill is beyond even our wide understanding."
"Jeez, cut it out!" Cat moaned. "More importantly, can you provide us with some food and shelter? We're both worn out..."
"Certainly. Asaki! Raiun!" Two of the ninjas appeared at his side. "Go ahead and tell the others we are returning with guests. Tell them to prepare rooms and a meal."
"Ha!" both said simultaneously, then vanished as they darted off into the distance. The man turned back to them and bowed again.
"Forgive me, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Hiro. This is Hitai, my second in command, Eisaburou, our communicator, Daisuke, our healer, and Butou, a warrior. Asaki and Raiun are our scouts." They all bowed as he introduced them. Cat nodded to each one, a bit lost at the moment. After a moment of silence, she realized that she had to introduce themselves.
"Oh, um, this is Aerynne, a Valkyrie, and my name is Catriana. You can call me Cat, though." For some reason, her name caused a stir among the ninjas. They all exchanged sideways glances, and some kind of exchange took place between Hiro and Eisaburou. Whatever it was, Cat wasn't about to find out right now, because he was bowing again.
"Will you follow us, then, Lady Catriana, Lady Aerynne? We will be expected soon." Without even waiting for a reply, he turned and began to jog off, Hitai and Butou right behind him. Daisuke offered a small hand to Aerynne, and Eisaburou watched them with careful eyes.
"Don't worry, it's not far from here," Daisuke said in a light voice that had an aura of calming to it. "There's no demons or such in this area, so you'll be quite safe. Not like you wouldn't be anyway, but this place is sometimes crawling with monsters, and we haven't had a cleaning in quite a long time now. Best for you to hurry." Daisuke turned and peered at Cat. "I can heal your physical wounds, but there's nothing to be done about mental strength. Only rest can restore that. Come, now, let's go." With that, he took up a light jog, motioning them to follow. Cat took up a stiff jog, her muscles still stiff and sore from the long hours of walking. Aerynne seemed to be doing fine, but her head was down and she seemed empty to Cat through the link they now shared.
It really wasn't a long run to where they were going. In just a few minutes, it loomed up in front of them - an enormous black castle, sitting in the middle of the desert, it's towers and walls gleaming in the sunlight.
"The Data Haven," Hiro said, appearing at their sides. "The home of our Ninja clan for hundreds of years. This is where we watch the world in secret."
Daisuke stepped before them and bowed eloquently. "Won't you please be our guests?" he said as Hitai and Butou pushed the gates open wide.
Cat walked in slowly, looking around in awe. It was like stepping into a dream, the entire compound a huge open area surrounded by thick towers that reached to the skies. People walked about almost carelessly, some dressed in the ninja outfit, but in varying colors, and some dressed in casual clothes, but each one was, without a doubt, a ninja. Cat stared in dazed amazement, unsure as to what to do or say.
Cat was saved when Aerynne, who had been leaning on her shoulder, suddenly collapsed. Cat was at her side instantly, trying to get her back on her feet. "Aerynne! We need to get you to a doctor or something, quick! Hiro-" She had only begun to turn when three new ninja were at her side, gently lifting Aerynne onto a stretcher and silently carrying her off, leaving Cat very alone in the vast courtyard. She knelt where Aerynne had fallen, still a bit surprised, before coming to her senses and standing.
As she looked around, she noted that people were having an odd reaction to her. It was different from the fact that she was a stranger - people would exchange looks over her, or quickly whisper a message to a friend nearby when they saw her. She turned to see Hitai standing a few feet away, his arms behind his back. "I have been asked to lead you to the throne room. Please, follow me if you will." With that, he turned and walked towards one of the larger buildings. Cat followed, still a bit overwhelmed.
After leading her through a series of hallways, Hitai pushed open one last door and motioned her in. Inside, the enormous room was fairly empty, save for a large throne that stood empty. In front of the throne stood several ninja, each one clothed in a different color for a total of ten. It seemed that every sect of the ninja clan was represented here. As she entered, each ninja respectfully removed their mask. Of them, there were three women and seven males.
The man in sandy brown stepped forward from the semicircle and spoke to the others. "My friends and comrades, I have gathered you together to witness what may be a miracle for us." It took a moment for Cat to recognize the man's voice as Hiro's. He was surprisingly handsome. "I have reason to believe this girl is one of the two we have been searching for for all these years."
This caused a stir among the others. "You can't mean...one of the Princesses?" one exclaimed loudly.
"I mean just that." Hiro said. "Though she herself may not even know it. She has not expressed any remembrance, but I have no doubt that she is one of our missing Princesses." Hiro turned to face Cat. "Forgive me for being so bold, but there have been far too many signs of this. Your very coming here was the most prominent one. Your victory over the Gun-MSG. The traces of many secret or forbidden skills on you. Do you know of your past, Lady Catriana?"
Cat stared a bit blankly. After all those days of walking, all that horrid fighting, and now this - what was going on? "I...don't really know what you mean, I mean...this is all..."
"Lady Catriana?" Cat turned to see an elderly woman, supported by a much younger ninja, enter the room. She hurried over to Cat and grabbed her hands, inspecting them. "You ARE Catriana! Thank the gods you're alive! When we never heard from Gilgamesh, we all feared the worst, but now...!"
"You...you know Uncle Gilgamesh...?" Cat whispered, almost going into shock.
"Of course I did. I was his assistant as one of your caretakers. But during the attack, the Queen feared for your lives, and sent him and Enkidu out with you two to try and spare you."
Cat, unable to take all of this in her state, slid to her knees in a daze. Everyone rushed around her, all with concern on their faces. "Princess! Are you alright?"
"Please..." Cat whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "Please, tell me! Everything about my life! I've never known anything beyond what I could guess...please, tell me about my life!" Her tears were flowing freely now, but Cat barely noticed them.
"Let us retire to a more suitable room for this," the ninja in blue said calmly. There was a general agreement, and in a few moments they were in a room with several couches and chairs. Servants and maids went around offering tea as the whole story was told to Cat.
"You are Princess Catriana, one of the Princesses of this clan. You were taken from us when we were attacked by a demon army many years ago. The Queen Camille ordered Gilgamesh and Enkidu, your personal servants and bodyguards, to take you as far from the castle as possible. Gilgamesh must have made it. Your twin sister, Seniana, has not reported to us either, so we feared that you both had been lost. It is clear from your equipment and bearing that Gilgamesh passed his warrior soul on to you when he died. You know many skills and techniques that you never learned from someone, correct? That is from the warrior souls passed on for many generations."
Cat sat quietly, staring at her cup. "Uncle Gilgamesh was...my guardian?"
"Correct," the ninja in red, Kaidou, said. "Gilgamesh's clan has always had their strongest warriors as the Royal family's personal guard, and the strongest of them was the personal guard of the sons and daughters of the King and Queen."
"The personal guard...so, he wasn't my uncle at all...?" Cat felt empty from the news - Gilgamesh had been her only family she knew, and now to find he wasn't even related to her... "Then, what about the rest of my family? My mother and father...?"
Kaidou shook his head sadly. "Your father passed away not too long after you were born from an illness. Your mother...died defending you two when the demons came."
"Mother...died..." Cat whispered. "Defending...us? Wait, what do you mean, 'us'?
"You and your twin," Hiro said calmly. "Your twin sister, Seniana...don't you remember her?"
Cat's cup slipped from her fingers at the mention of Seniana's name. "Sen...Seniana...is my sister...?"
"You know her? Do you know where she is?" Kaidou asked earnestly. The others all leaned closer, their faces intent.
"Sen...no, I can't believe it. It can't be! If she's my sister, then why..." A single tear escaped from Cat's eye. This tear opened the path, and more followed as Cat stared in disbelief at the floor. "If she's my sister, then why doesn't she recognize me?! Why did she try to kill me?!" Overcome with grief Cat ran from the room, blinded by her tears. She could hear the shouts of the others following her, but she refused to listen. It was all too much for her to bear right now...
When Cat's grief had run its course, she found herself outside the castle, near a cliff that overlooked the ocean. It had started raining at some point, and Cat was beginning to get soaked, but she barely noticed. She unsteadily walked to the edge of the cliff to look out at the raging waters. The sun had already set, but you could barely tell through the think storm clouds. Cat stood on the edge of the cliff, letting the rain pour down on her, trying to wash away her sadness.
"Sen...why don't you remember me either? I forgot you, and you forgot me...and now we're enemies. Why did this happen?" Cat felt her knees beginning to weaken - she had been on her feet so long without any rest that her last bit of strength was leaving her. As she slipped from the cliff edge to fall to the raging seas below, she whispered, "Maybe now I can be with mom and dad..."
* * *
Cat felt extremely sore as she tried to open her eyes. The dim candle that burned next to her was searing to her eyes, and she winced as she saw it. She tried to raise a hand to block the light, but her arm was so sore she couldn't move it.
"Don't try to move, please," said a soft voice. It sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put a name to it. "You've pushed your body far beyond its limits, and it will take a while for it to heal. Even with my powers, you will likely be bed-ridden for a few more days."
Cat tried to speak, but her voice wouldn't work right at first, and all that came out was a whisper. She swallowed painfully and tried again. "Who...?" was all she could manage at the time.
"Ah, forgive me. My name is Hikarida. You've never met me, but you have met my son Daisuke. Our healing skills run I our family, but he still wanted to be on Hiro's team instead of here, in the infirmary. Well, I suppose I can't hold him against his wishes, can I?" There was a chuckle, and the sound of movement. The door opened silently and another person entered the room.
"How is she?" came a deeper voice.
"She's regained consciousness, but it will be a while before she's on her feet yet."
"I see. Thank you, Hikarida. May I speak with her?"
"She can barely speak right now...but then, you don't need words, do you? Go ahead, just don't push her mind too hard."
"I know." Someone walked over to where Cat lay and a chair was pulled over. There was a moment where the person sat, and then silence for bit. Cat was going to try to ask who was there when she heard someone say, Can you hear me?
Cat was nearly jolted from her sleeping position. "What...who...?"
No, don't speak. Use your mind. I'm speaking to you telepathically. Cat managed to control herself and tried to form the words in her mind.
Who are you? She asked.
Eisaburou, from Hiro's squad. I'm a telepath, as you can see.
What happened to me? I remember I was talking with the others...then I ran...and there was a cliff...
We found you washed up on the shore after the storm passed. From what I could gain from your memories, you lost all your strength and fell into the ocean. The shock from everything you learned that day must have also been overwhelming.
Cat didn't say anything to that. Her thoughts wandered to Seniana, and the grief of those memories brought tears to her eyes. She felt a rough hand wipe them away.
Don't cry, Princess...I know it must be hard for you. But there are always reasons for everything, no matter how bad they may seem. I know you will find a way to bring our princess, your sister, back to us, they way she used to be.
Cat forced a weak smile to Eisaburou. "Thank you..." she whispered as she fell back into a dreamless sleep. Eisaburou sat by her bed for a few minutes just looking at her face, his hands folded. He then stood and left the room silently, closing the door without a sound.
* * *
Cat was bed-ridden for several days, but she quickly regained her lost strength. Each day, she would try to get onto her feet, and each day she would get a little bit closer before her legs gave out beneath her. Hikarida seemed to always be there, keeping her physical strains at a minimum and always testing her strength. When she could finally stand on her own, it was like being reborn again, with Hikarida as her father, helping her learn to walk.
When Cat was walking without much trouble, Hiro came to give her small tours of parts of the castle. He showed her the different areas of the castle, letting her get reacquainted with her home. Everywhere she went, she was treated with respect and kindness, and it was obvious that everyone was glad to have her home.
A few days after her recovery, Cat allowed herself a moment to really relax and took a warm bath. It felt good to get all the grime and sand that had accumulated over time. As she washed, she felt the presence of someone nearby. She reached over to her robe that Hikarida had provided and silently drew a throwing knife.
From behind the divider near her bath came an arm that waved calmly. "Don't mind me, princess," came Daisuke's voice, "I'm not here to spy on you. There are just some people who would probably like to, even against their better judgement, so I'm here to make sure they don't."
"Daisuke..." she said, relaxing. "Thank you. That's reassuring." She replaced the knife and sank back into the warm water. There was a moment of silence, then Cat spoke up. "Hey, Daisuke?"
"Hmm?"
"Why...did you want to join Hiro's squad instead of following your family profession? I mean, I can see why it's useful for you to be on the field, but..."
"But it doesn't make sense. Why not make your power available for everyone instead of just a few?" Daisuke finished her sentence calmly. "I've been asked that many times. A long time ago, I had a good friend who was a part of Hiro's squad. One day, they went out, and he never returned...he had died of wounds from the Antlion while they were bringing him back. It had snuck up on them, and he had just been the unlucky one." Daisuke took a long breath. "I know it doesn't make sense. But I just didn't want his death to be an accident that was written off. I wanted to keep him alive, somehow, in my heart. So I joined with Hiro to make sure that things like that didn't happen again. I know that some people think I should be put back into the infirmary, but Hiro understands me, at least. Besides, my younger sister is developing her own healing powers, so there's no real need for me to be there as well." Daisuke gave a soft laugh.
"And your friend...do you think he would have wanted you to do this?" Cat asked softly. Cat could see Daisuke shake his head.
"I don't know. Maybe he would have wanted me to stay where I was. I don't pretend to know the wishes of the dead. But this is what I want to do to remember him, so this is what I will do."
"Daisuke..." Cat murmured. "You really are such a nice person. It's too bad that you're put in such a battle-filled life."
"Battle is our nature. We don't try to hide it. But sometimes, even the best of us are overwhelmed from loss."
"Overwhelmed from loss, huh...?" As Cat whispered his words, she looked out into the courtyard. The moon was shining down on it, and Cat could see a part of the castle she had never seen before. It was a garden, of all things, with rows upon rows of flowers and plants growing in abundance. "Beautiful...Daisuke, who's garden is that?"
"The Queen's old garden...we've tended to it ever since she died, but we can't seem to make things grow quite well." Even as he spoke, Cat saw something unnatural happen. Right before her eyes, a figure materialized in the middle of the garden. It was of a woman, dressed in a long robe, with long hair. Cat stared in amazement - the woman was obviously a ghost, but it was still a shock to see her appear so suddenly. Cat could hear the faint sounds of weeping. "Daisuke...did you know that garden is haunted?"
Daisuke sighed. "Everyone knows...the Queen has haunted her garden ever since her death. Camille feels she could have done more to save you two, but no matter what we try, she won't go to her rest."
"The Queen...you mean, that's mother?" Cat whispered. Almost instinctively she reached out through the window to the figure below. "Mother...mother, it's me! It's Cat! I've come home, see? And Sen...she's alive, too! I'll make sure she comes home, too...so please, go to sleep. I don't want to see you suffer!"
Her words echoed through the garden, but they didn't reach the ghost below. The ghost continued to weep, her sobs cutting straight to the heart. Cat felt an overwhelming pity for her, and stood to go down to her when a biting cold wind reminded her that she wasn't wearing anything. She automatically dropped down back into the warm water, shivering from the unnatural cold.
Then the sound of a bell rang.
Cat peered out the window again to see what was happening. There was another figure walking through the garden. It was Aerynne, her halberd over her shoulders, her back to Cat. Cat was going to call out to her when she saw that Aerynne, like her mother, was becoming transparent. Cat couldn't understand what was happening, and could only watch in amazement.
Aerynne walked up to the weeping ghost of the Queen, stopping a few feet away. "Why do you still weep?" she asked coldly. The Queen turned to face her, her ghostly face ragged and full of pain.
"Because I wasn't able to save them. My children...I left them to die. My life was given for nothing! And now my poor children have no future..." With that, she fell into weeping again, her cries echoing through the desert. Aerynne watched her calmly, not moving. Then she spoke.
"Do you really believe that?"
Camille paused in her sobs to stare at Aerynne. "Do you really believe that your sacrifice was for nothing? Had you done nothing, your children would have died in fear, without any knowledge of why. And why do you believe they are dead? If they had died, would their first thought not have been to return to you? To their own mother for comfort in their death that they were not ready for?" Aerynne closed her eyes. "Your daughters are alive, Queen Camille. One of them has even returned home after so long, and the other...will not be far behind. So go to your rest in Valhalla, or whatever you like to call your afterlife. I will take care of them."
"They're...alive...?" Tears escaped from Camille's eyes, but they were from joy. "My little angels are alive...you mean, they survived?"
In response, Aerynne reached out a hand and placed it inside the ghost. There was a long pause, and after a few minutes, Aerynne removed her hand. "I see...that's what happened, then..." Camille smiled. "Thank you...please tell Cat not to give up, and to bring her sister home..." With that, the ghost faded away until it was nothing more that a small ball of spirit. Aerynne took the spirit with one hand and pressed it against her heart, absorbing the spirit into her body. Cat could suddenly feel the presence of Aerynne through their link, now that her strength was returning. And with the soul of the Queen put to rest, Aerynne walked from the garden, another soul resting inside her.
* * *
"Hiro, me and Aerynne need to join the rest of our friends. We promised them we'd be back in two weeks, and those two weeks are up. There's no way we can make it back to them in time as it is, so we can't stay here any longer." Cat sighed. "They're going to be worried sick about us. They have no idea where we went to, so they couldn't even search for us if they tried to."
"There's no need for worry, Princess," Hiro said. "We have eyes everywhere in the world. And those eyes need to get to the rest of the world somehow, don't they?"
"So how do the ninjas travel about the world?" Aerynne asked. "Even the gods are curious as to how you people do it."
"Well, it's all a matter of careful planning and some help from some friends. Come, follow me." Hiro led them to the basement of the castle to a large sealed door. He pressed his hand against the door and it began to glow. After a moment, the door swung open to show a large room with a glowing apparition in the middle on a dais.
"What is this...?" Cat asked wondrously.
"This is a rayth, different from the wraiths you know. It comes from a different plane of existence, so there is no power on this world that can harm it - but at the same time, it cannot harm us. It uses a special kind of magic that allows us to travel through space instantaneously."
"Higher planer magic..." Aerynne murmured, rubbing her chin. "It's no wonder the gods had no idea how you did it. They can't even see this kind of being, much less detect its power. I can only see it because I'm partially human." She turned to Hiro. "How do you control this thing, then? If you can't even touch each other, why should it obey you?"
"It's not so much that it obeys us...more, we obey it. It simply allows us usage of it's powers for our services to it."
"And those services would be?" Aerynne asked, narrowing her eyes.
Hiro smiled to her. "Well, if I told you, that would spoil the mystery wouldn't it? Rest assured, Valkyrie, it is nothing that would anger the gods you serve if they knew. But let us hurry." Hiro pulled out a small amulet and handed it to Cat. "If you need to contact us, just use this. This will connect you to Eisaburou's mind. He will be able to track you with it as well. Good luck, Princess."
As Hiro turned and began to speak with the rayth in a bizarre tongue, Cat turned to Aerynne. "It looks like things went a little sloppily," she said bashfully. Aerynne shrugged.
"Not everything goes as planned. But you found your home, at least. Isn't that enough for you?"
Cat sighed and looked back to the stairs up. "I would have liked to speak with mother...but she's already dead. I can barely remember her, even after seeing her."
"Then you should treasure those memories of her the most." Aerynne leaned on Astarael. "She cherishes her memories of you two the most. So you should do your best to fulfill her last wish."
Cat gazed up. "Yeah...don't worry, mom. I'll bring Sen back here. No matter what it takes." The rayth was glowing brightly, and Hiro now stood in the doorway. "No matter what..." The light became blinding, and Cat felt herself taken away by the planer power.
The Plot Continues in Part 12...but we have one more story.