Three realms down, three to go. Here the companions chat with Scyllor and have an encounter with a creature of the deep. After the riddle is solved, Norris has an intimate reunion with someone he had missed dearly. Love truly is blind, but it also has a way of leading one down the true path.
Blue Realm – Orlha (Blue Champion)
When Leena thought of the blue realm, of course she thought of water, like a lake or a river or something. Nothing could compare to what she now saw, though. The group was standing on a small beach, but they were standing beside an endless ocean. The sight was truly awesome and relaxing to the weary Schala.
"It's beautiful," she noted. There was a sunset turning the gentle waters to liquid gold, and the waves were gentle, washing against the travelers' feet. They couldn't help but remove their shoes and take a moment to catch their breath and strategize, with the cool waters washing against their well-worn feet.
"I wish we could stay here for a time, but we've got a mission to do," Leena said, to bring the princess back to reality. Schala nodded a bit sadly, and Leena couldn't help but feel sorry.
"Aww, shucks," Miki frowned. She knew she had to leave, but just like Schala, she wanted to stay.
Norris was explaining, through copious flirting, the situation to Miki.
"All right. I thought it was weird to be here, but I'm with all of you. I'll help as best I can." She altered her costume a little, and walked over towards Kid. The thief shot aversive and angry looks towards Schala, who was holding her white shoes in her hand while splashing water playfully at Norris.
"Are you alright, Kid?" Miki asked comfortingly.
"Yeah, I just am not sure what to do, ya know," Kid responded quietly. This was the first time the dancer did not hear Kid with her boisterous attitude, and it made Kid seem gentler and quiet, just like, well, Schala herself.
"Kid, I can't say I really know about yours and Schala's relationship. But I just want to tell you not to worry about it," Miki said, placing her hands on Kid's stiff shoulders.
"Kid, we can't see into tomorrow," Leena said, looking in the distance and squinting, trying to make out something on the horizon. "We have no clue what will happen, but things always have a tendency to work out in the end. Take me, for instance. I'm just a village girl who wants to save her boyfriend, and here I am, champion of the gods themselves. The title of a champion doesn't interest me in the slightest; I just want to save Serge, yet I'll brave the evil Atikon's influence, the guardians of the realms, and even FATE itself to do just that. It's dangerous and I might lose my life, but I stand to lose so much more if they win. Does this help?"
"Yeah, it does. Thanks, mate. Ya love him, don't you?" Kid asked, her sapphire eyes sparkling and even getting a little misty.
"Yeah," Leena acknowledged. "It may be a little obvious, but my caring for him is more than what's on the surface."
The figure Leena was looking at was getting bigger, so it was almost assuredly a person. When it came close enough to make out the details, the girls of the group were astounded.
"So, it's a god. Guess Norris can't flirt," Kid cracked quietly, which caused Leena to snicker a bit. The god himself was a man with short blonde hair similar to Norris'. He was clad in an ocean blue robe that was sleeveless, showing off his muscular physique. He had an air of unmistakable intelligence and magic; his entire figure just smelled of enchantments. He was barefoot, yet he walked on top of the water as if it was dry land.
"I am Scyllor." The god spoke in a voice that reminded the group of waves crashing against the cliffs. "I am the god of water and magic. I congratulate you, champion, traveler of dimensions, and allies; you have defeated half of the guardians."
"Thank you, sir." Leena found herself staring and blushed a little, averting her gaze to hide her face, which was as red as Kid's blouse.
"It is quite alright; I am quite used to this," Scyllor said comfortingly. That made Leena feel better, and she turned to face him.
"Look out that way." Scyllor stretched out his hand, pointing a golden rod with a sapphire on the end towards the ocean.
"What's out 'dere, Scyllor?" Kid added boisterously. Norris smacked his hand to his head. Only Kid would belligerently talk to a god! Then again, Schala had wasted no time admonishing the soldier on flirting with the gods, so he wisely kept his mouth shut.
"There is an island out there; an island with your friends. You must get to that island to continue," Scyllor said, bowing his head slightly at the end.
"Well, we might be able to swim," Miki said. "Everyone can swim, right?" Kid, who had saved Serge from drowning once, Norris, who swam to keep in shape, and Leena, who grew up in a village where the sea was everything, nodded. Schala, however, looked a bit nervous, and Razzly shook her head and looked at the ground.
"Well, I know a few things or other, but Zeal was in the sky. We were not knowledgeable when it came to this skill," Schala said.
"Well maybe-hee..." Razzly giggled and moved towards the water, but she wasn't two feet out before a giant whale-like creature poked its head out of the water and nearly swallowed the little fairy whole. Kid, who had walked into the water as soon as Schala exited, grabbed the fairy by the cape and yanked her toward the shore. Both of them fell backward. The fairy was drenched, but she was still alive.
"I should have anticipated that," Schala noted, her mouth pursed into a frown.
"Please," Leena requested. The girls and Norris leaned in.
"The endless sea is home to dry land. The answer lies where waves cannot crash, and where two halves do not make a whole. Best of luck to all of you." He turned around to go.
"Sir Scyllor!" Leena called out to him.
"Yes?" the god asked.
"Why do we need to pick a blue champion? Can't I fulfill this duty?" Leena asked. Scyllor came up to her and held up his hand. Although he didn't touch her, Leena almost got the feeling of him stroking her cheek.
"Listen to the voice in your heart. You will know when the time comes," he said kindly. Then he turned around and walked away, his feet barely touching the water. Leena could only stare in bewilderment at the god's parting comment.
"So, the endless sea is home to dry land," Miki started. "Well, land is obviously the ground underneath, but it's not dry."
"Perhaps we can create an air bubble?" Schala wondered.
"That won't work," Norris said. "We'd still be submersed in the water, and the Leviathan could just body slam us, assuming the bubble even holds long enough considering the pressure of the water."
"Two halves make a whole!" Kid shouted. "That part seems like a bloody waste o' time."
"I do not think so, Kid," Schala said. "Two halves can make a whole, but if the two halves are not connected, then they do not."
"Well, if the ocean had a dry path, then we'd have the dry land part," Miki said, sitting on the ground and hugging her knees. "But what could stop an ocean's waves from crashing?"
Leena thought for a second more.
"I think I have the answer," she said, walking towards the ocean. She stepped in the ocean, letting the water run over her bare feet, and clasped her hands together.
"Leena?" Norris asked. Leena bowed her head slightly and shut her eyes. There was energy charging in her hands. A second later, Leena broke the clasp of her hands and spread her arms out in a "T". There was dark energy collecting around her hands, getting steadily bigger as the seconds passed.
"Gravity spells! That is it! We can part the ocean with gravity!" Schala shouted. The gravity caused the wind to whip up; Leena's hair flew around her like a demon was living in the crimson tresses, her hair band scarcely holding it in place. The ocean itself rose up into the sky like a building, as if hailing their champion to create the path. Gradually. a line of sand began to emerge through the center of a raging sea.
"We've got to help her!" Miki said, running towards Leena. The champion started to walk on the path, her hands still in a T-like formation, with gravity magic on each hand. Miki and Kid followed Leena, each of them facing one side of the ocean, and used their own gravity magic to help keep the raging sea at bay. Norris followed, carrying the unconscious Razzly, who had fainted ever since the fish tried to eat her. He cradled the small thing in one arm, keeping a gravity spell ready in his mind in case something went wrong. Bringing up the rear was Schala, magic flaring from her hands in rivulets, stopping the ocean from merging a third time. The group walked in the fissure, which was surprisingly cold and windy considering the gentle warmth that was present before.
They walked until the island became visible, and soon they were on its briny shores. The magic stopped and the ocean came together. Leena, quite exhausted, sat down to rest for a moment while Norris went over to the bubbles.
"Are we gonna let him pick again?" Kid asked. Miki grabbed Norris by the ear.
"Pick Orlha," she commanded.
"That's who I was planning on picking," Norris said, touching the bubble around Orlha's body. He extended his arm towards her and helped the beautiful barmaid to her feet. Feeling a little disoriented but all right, the rest of the group sat down to rest and regain their energy used in keeping those gravity spells up for so long.
"I heard you killed Lynx for me. I heard from Miki," Norris said. The two of them were far enough away from the group so that they were more or less alone.
"Yeah, but that bastard Atikon got me," Orlha said. Norris moved a stray tress from Orlha's hair out of her eyes.
"You...avenged me, though. I'm honored," he said. Orlha then faked a trip to hug Norris. She did this just in case Razzly was watching. The fairy was too young to see something like this.
"You really..." Norris started, but he let Orlha hug in him in silence for a while longer.
He missed not having her around too.
By: Matt620