Chapter Eight - Rescue?
"S***!" Dante growled as we ran to the doors to see a fleeting glimpse of a jumping Nelo holding the squirming form of Maria. "Look what she's done now! I knew I shouldn't have trusted any of you.Why didn't I listen to gut instinct! I've never trusted anyone before! And you!" he said as he pointed to me. "How do you know about Virgil? How?! Does Mundus has something to do with this?!" I could tell he was in a rage, and I backed up against a wall. Alca was right behind me. "It doesn't matter! I'll kill him first, and then I'll come back for you. Discusting demon puppets!" he yelled as we watched in horror as he jumped off the balcony that was right outside of the doors. All I could do was whimper out a measly, ".....what have I done?"
After a moment of silence after we had seen the last of the fleeting figure of Dante, I heard Alca finally move over to me.
"Are you alright?" I could sense the growing concern in her voice. She knew how much I admired Dante. I practically worshipped him.
"I'll be fine... just give me a minute to soak this all in." I responded, trying to keep my voice steady and not break down. I heard a rustle of cloth as she moved away from me to the doorway where our friend had disappeared. She sighed tiredly.
"Can you believe this?" she seemed to be talking to herself, so I didn't dare interrupt. "It happened... so... so quickly. Well, what do you suppose we do now?" She was still by the window, looking out at the horizon. The sun had begun its descent, and she knew it would be unsafe to stay here when it got completely dark.
"Well, do you think we should go after her, him, or both?" I responded, gathering myself and standing up. I strode over to where she stood and we both looked out at the horizon.
"I hate to say it, but this is the truth. Maria is much more important, she doens't know how to fight. Dante can surely handle himself. But she can't. And who knows what that guy'll do to her? I mean.... we don't even know why he took off with her! Geez..... this puzzle is racking my brain!" she said, her face mixing into one of concern and irritation.
I turned to her and sighed. "Well, I'm all up for finding Maria, but where to start?"
She giggled. "Isn't it obvious by now?"
"Of course! I'm so stupid" I slapped my forehead. "The underworld!"
"Ding-ding-ding! Two points!"
"Well, lets get going already!"
She nodded. "Alright! We need to find Maria before something really bad happens!" she said somewhat happily, for the situation we had just gotten ourselves into. "Let's just hope everyone stays out of our way!"
"Yeah, really! Screw following the rest of the missions! We're on our own now. Let's stop by the nearest Statue of Time to stock up on Holy Water, I can bet we're going to need it."
"There's one over there," Alca said, pointing next to the bed.
"I don't see how I missed it!" I said, laughing and walking over to it.
"What is it that you desire?" I heard a voice say in my head as I reached the statue.
"Hmmm, I'll take 10 Holy Waters," I said, placing the required orbs in front of the lion-like rock. I watched them dissipate into a reddish mist, and soak into the statue. In their place the Holy Waters appeared. I handed 5 of them to Alcapacien. "You ready?" I said as she finished sticking them into her side-pack. She walked over and picked up the Melancholy Soul, the yellowish ball that had dropped out of the woman statue earlier.
"Always," she said, and we left the room where our adventure really began.
As we reached the Pride of Lion room, we were instantly shocked. I had to jump back to keep from falling. Falling in a pit that is. The previous area where the Phantom had escaped destruction by creating a hole in the floor, there was now, instead, a large black pool in its place. I could dimly see something below the surface, but I couldn't yet make it out. The pool seemed to have a gooey consistency, since it neither rippled or ebbed. It gleamed an evil purple as me and Alca scurried up to its edge.
"Tisk tisk, someone made a BIG mess when they created an exit." I said playfully.
"Very funny," Alca said as she brushed past me gruffly.
"Whats with you? Someone's gotten PMS quickly now haven't we?"
"It's... nothing. There's just something over here I wanna check out."
"Like what?" I inquired, for I had been growing curious every second.
"There's something glowing over here..." I watched her move gracefully around the pull and to the opposite wall. "And it happens to be a pair of... flaming gauntlets?" she said with question as she picked up the said gloves with curiousity.
"Ahh, the Ifrits. I was wondering if we would come across those suckers. Well... I guess since you found 'em, you can keep 'em." I said, a little disappointed.
"So, what do they do?"
I leaned up against the wall. "Well, thy increase your power... but... there's something odd about this. I know for a fact that the Ifrits should not be in this room. It's as if the game's making it easier for us. So many things out of place... what could it all mean?" I asked more to myself then to my companion.
"I dunno. But these thing make me feel stronger. More dignified, if you will. And I believe we need to hurry on, or something might happen. Without us... or ya know, it could also be a bad happening. Anyways, let's just get going!" she said, and with that, she launched herself straight into the pool and out of my sight.
"Finally!" I yelled in excitement, "Time for some action!" and I followed Alcapacien into the abyss of the underworld to look for our lost friend.
"S***!" Dante growled as we ran to the doors to see a fleeting glimpse of a jumping Nelo holding the squirming form of Maria. "Look what she's done now! I knew I shouldn't have trusted any of you.Why didn't I listen to gut instinct! I've never trusted anyone before! And you!" he said as he pointed to me. "How do you know about Virgil? How?! Does Mundus has something to do with this?!" I could tell he was in a rage, and I backed up against a wall. Alca was right behind me. "It doesn't matter! I'll kill him first, and then I'll come back for you. Discusting demon puppets!" he yelled as we watched in horror as he jumped off the balcony that was right outside of the doors. All I could do was whimper out a measly, ".....what have I done?"
After a moment of silence after we had seen the last of the fleeting figure of Dante, I heard Alca finally move over to me.
"Are you alright?" I could sense the growing concern in her voice. She knew how much I admired Dante. I practically worshipped him.
"I'll be fine... just give me a minute to soak this all in." I responded, trying to keep my voice steady and not break down. I heard a rustle of cloth as she moved away from me to the doorway where our friend had disappeared. She sighed tiredly.
"Can you believe this?" she seemed to be talking to herself, so I didn't dare interrupt. "It happened... so... so quickly. Well, what do you suppose we do now?" She was still by the window, looking out at the horizon. The sun had begun its descent, and she knew it would be unsafe to stay here when it got completely dark.
"Well, do you think we should go after her, him, or both?" I responded, gathering myself and standing up. I strode over to where she stood and we both looked out at the horizon.
"I hate to say it, but this is the truth. Maria is much more important, she doens't know how to fight. Dante can surely handle himself. But she can't. And who knows what that guy'll do to her? I mean.... we don't even know why he took off with her! Geez..... this puzzle is racking my brain!" she said, her face mixing into one of concern and irritation.
I turned to her and sighed. "Well, I'm all up for finding Maria, but where to start?"
She giggled. "Isn't it obvious by now?"
"Of course! I'm so stupid" I slapped my forehead. "The underworld!"
"Ding-ding-ding! Two points!"
"Well, lets get going already!"
She nodded. "Alright! We need to find Maria before something really bad happens!" she said somewhat happily, for the situation we had just gotten ourselves into. "Let's just hope everyone stays out of our way!"
"Yeah, really! Screw following the rest of the missions! We're on our own now. Let's stop by the nearest Statue of Time to stock up on Holy Water, I can bet we're going to need it."
"There's one over there," Alca said, pointing next to the bed.
"I don't see how I missed it!" I said, laughing and walking over to it.
"What is it that you desire?" I heard a voice say in my head as I reached the statue.
"Hmmm, I'll take 10 Holy Waters," I said, placing the required orbs in front of the lion-like rock. I watched them dissipate into a reddish mist, and soak into the statue. In their place the Holy Waters appeared. I handed 5 of them to Alcapacien. "You ready?" I said as she finished sticking them into her side-pack. She walked over and picked up the Melancholy Soul, the yellowish ball that had dropped out of the woman statue earlier.
"Always," she said, and we left the room where our adventure really began.
As we reached the Pride of Lion room, we were instantly shocked. I had to jump back to keep from falling. Falling in a pit that is. The previous area where the Phantom had escaped destruction by creating a hole in the floor, there was now, instead, a large black pool in its place. I could dimly see something below the surface, but I couldn't yet make it out. The pool seemed to have a gooey consistency, since it neither rippled or ebbed. It gleamed an evil purple as me and Alca scurried up to its edge.
"Tisk tisk, someone made a BIG mess when they created an exit." I said playfully.
"Very funny," Alca said as she brushed past me gruffly.
"Whats with you? Someone's gotten PMS quickly now haven't we?"
"It's... nothing. There's just something over here I wanna check out."
"Like what?" I inquired, for I had been growing curious every second.
"There's something glowing over here..." I watched her move gracefully around the pull and to the opposite wall. "And it happens to be a pair of... flaming gauntlets?" she said with question as she picked up the said gloves with curiousity.
"Ahh, the Ifrits. I was wondering if we would come across those suckers. Well... I guess since you found 'em, you can keep 'em." I said, a little disappointed.
"So, what do they do?"
I leaned up against the wall. "Well, thy increase your power... but... there's something odd about this. I know for a fact that the Ifrits should not be in this room. It's as if the game's making it easier for us. So many things out of place... what could it all mean?" I asked more to myself then to my companion.
"I dunno. But these thing make me feel stronger. More dignified, if you will. And I believe we need to hurry on, or something might happen. Without us... or ya know, it could also be a bad happening. Anyways, let's just get going!" she said, and with that, she launched herself straight into the pool and out of my sight.
"Finally!" I yelled in excitement, "Time for some action!" and I followed Alcapacien into the abyss of the underworld to look for our lost friend.