The Price You Pay
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY! PLEASE LET ME BE!!!!
Author's Note: After a near disaster of my fic being taken over and horribly altered by the evil not-so-mastermind Cloud Tribal, my story was saved and he was returned to the proper authorities! ANYWAYS! Thanks to Hurricane Hilda, Mitochondria Eve, Cloud Tribal (Even though you did sabotage my fic…and if they have computers where there keeping you…), Kawaii Mimi-Chan, Spekkio, Lord Gaerdin, CouchPotato, and Janus Ashtear.
The sun was just rising in the horizon when Ashton, Celine, Dias, and Rena left the Inn in the castle town of Lacour. A few birds flew overhead and glided into the distance. Ashton was leading the group out when the pain returned. This time it was worse than before. Ashton took several deep breaths and kept the cry of pain inside.
"I feel that we have less time than we previously thought," said Ashton as he got back on his feet. "It is highly important that we continue now!"
The group made their way back to Hilton in silence. Upon their arrival they noticed a rather large ship docked there with a sleeping soldier standing outside. Ashton walked up to him and gave him a slight shake. The soldier slowly opened his eyes and muttered something that was not understandable. Ashton sighed impatiently. The soldier suddenly snapped to attention. "Dragons!? What I…I…" he looked around nervously for anyone to provide support but found none.
Dias approached the two. "Excuse me but are you the one who will be providing our transportation to the Hoffman Ruins? We have no time to waste here."
The soldier swallowed nervously. "T-then you are the ones who I am supposed to transport…I…I don't want that…that…whatever it is on my boat!" stammered the soldier nervously while pointing to Ashton.
Celine walked forward in a rage. "Excuse me?! That is a living, breathing person, not some creature for you to point at and insult so blatantly! He is coming with us whether you care for it or not so it is best for you to just mind your own business!" she snapped.
The formerly sleepy soldier rather quickly ran out of the way. The quartet boarded the boat and less than a minute later it started to sail. For the first time Ashton considered the feelings of Gyoro and Ururun. He was starting to feel guilt when he realized that they didn't have such issues. He started to become overwhelmed…maybe he was wrong. Maybe it wasn't the dragons fault. "Well guys…what's the deal? Did you know? Is this wrong what we're doing? Or is this whole case another thing totally?"
The dragons started their normal "awroo" sounds but in his head Ashton heard them. " We knew…but we live longer by doing this…it's a matter of survival," said Gyoro. "Yes…of course we consider what you're doing wrong…but then it is a matter of survival for you too," said Ururun.
Ashton remained silent for a moment then asked another question. "So then why have you not yet tried to stop me from doing this?"
Again the dragons talked in his head. " We have tried…but then again sometimes ones will is too strong to stop. We are sorry that it has to be like this."
Ashton became grim. "Now is not the time for apologies. You knew this would happen and the pain it would cause. What's more was that you would continue this if we don't stop you now! You are not the creatures I thought I knew!" he yelled. This earned him a confused glance from one of the ship's crewmembers but he did not care. Soon it would all be over…soon….
A few hours later the ship arrived on a patch of beach a little ways away from the Hoffman Ruins. By the time they reached the Ruins it was well into the mid-day hours.
Dias looked up at the ruins in an impressed way. This was his first time to visit the site and it was something that would normally stun a newcomer. "What an intriguing place. I only wish that I had seen it sooner," he commented as he climbed the stairs up to the entrance of the crumbling stone structure.
The door had been sealed since their last visit but it was not a problem. " I wonder if we'll be able to open it in two seconds without the great Master Leon with us?" Celine said jokingly. Rena giggled slightly, however Ashton remained quiet while Dias was left generally confused, as he had hardly known the child prodigy.
Ashton stood on one side of the door ready to push the button nearest him. "Rena push that button when I say so. Ready? 1…2…3…PUSH!" A moment later the two huge steel doors rumbled and opened, revealing the interior of the cave. Ashton, Celine, and Rena walked in as if there was nothing special but Dias looked around in amazement at the ancient interior. " Dias! We must hurry!" Ashton shouted from the elevator that would bring them into the "basement". Dias quietly walked aboard with no trace of a recognizable emotion.
As the doors opened the four quickly piled out. Celine took out the map that she had found in the book, and began to plan out their route. "Well, it looks like that we need to go left…and continue forward… and we should come to a room with a door way that leads to the relic," she said after several minutes.
Ashton immediately began to walk without saying a word or even waiting for his friends. Dias also began to walk when he noticed Ashton leaving, as Rena waited for Celine to fold the map. Rena looked up in time to see Dias disappear around a corner. "Celine! THEY'RE LEAVING!" she screeched.
"Oh really now you're such a drama queen. I mean honestly, they can't have…HEY! THEY LEFT US!" shouted Celine as she stomped her foot. The two distraught women ran after Ashton and Dias.
The four adventurers where presently in a large cave area of the ruins. However, there was no trace of a door or entryway to the room depicted on the map.
"Well this is just great," said Celine flatly. "Where exactly are we supposed to be?"
Ashton did another quick check around the room, this time noticing a small box near a wall. "Hey guys! Look at this! Maybe this has something to do with the secret room," said Ashton curiously as he pushed the button on the box. Suddenly the room reverberated with enormous explosion, and a wave of super-heated air and flame, along with flying shrapnel came upon in a huge force upon the room. Many seconds later, the room quiet, and dust began to settle. Ashton got off of his knees and brushed the dust of his clothing.
"Well...is...uh…is…everyone all right?" said Ashton shakily.
"Oh yes! We're perfectly fine!" said Celine sarcastically "What the in God's name were you thinking!"
"How was I supposed to know? I mean honestly…" started Ashton before Dias interrupted him.
"I do believe that we have discovered something that may be of use to us," Dias said, while pointing to a now present crater in the wall, leading farther into the ruins.
Celine grumbled angrily, while Ashton smiled at the possibility of this being the entrance to the needed room.
In the room that was now open to them, was a pedestal with a glowing crystal object atop it. The object was a figure of a dragon, with its head reared back and it's left front claw held up to its chest.
"FINALLY! Now I can be relieved of this torture," said Ashton as he ran up to the pedestal. Suddenly, the relic light intensified and nearly blinded the four. When their sight had returned, an old man, with a long beard, and black robes stood before them. He looked down at Ashton and smiled evilly.
"So…then you wish to free yourself of the dragons, boy? Then you must overcome their power,' said the sorcerer, as he began to glow a color that was a mixture of black and purple.
The dragons, too, began to glow, this time their respective color. Ashton was blown back by a wave of power that the sorcerer sent forward.
"What is he doing?!" shouted Rena. "We have to help him!"
Dias held her back. "This is his fight. We mustn't interfere," he said calmly.
Celine watched in a mixture of shock and horror. "He's…he's...magnifying the power of the dragons to hold him back," she said. "He has to overcome them to win."
Ashton slowly made his way to the pedestal again. The sorcerer smiled slightly and began to add his power to hold back Ashton. "Well boy, if you cannot overcome my power, then you cannot gain the relic," he sad with a cackle.
Ashton finally made his way to pedestal and unsheathed his swords. "I will win. You'll see. Then I will be free!" he shouted. The sorcerer only added more power.
"Oh? Is that what you think, boy? Then suffer!" he shouted.
Ashton made a deep-throated growl, and with amazing speed slashed his swords across the sorcerers' stomach. "I WILL LIVE! YOU WILL NOT STOP ME!" Ashton shouted. The dragons stopped glowing and Ashton collapsed to his knees. The sorcerer, who now had two large gashes in his stomach, also fell, and then disappeared. Ashton made a small laugh as he pulled himself up. "Well…who would have expected that?" he said weakly. " I suppose that this is mine now."
Ashton picked up the relic and peered into it. "It's so beautiful…" he commented as his voice trailed off.
Celine walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations, dear. Now, according to this, we must return to where the possession occurred."
Ashton's face became one of grim determination. "And we must hurry," he said. "I'm afraid that I have over-estimated my time left. I believe that I only have a day, maybe two at most."
Well! Thanks for stopping by! See you soon! Review if you want.
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY! PLEASE LET ME BE!!!!
Author's Note: After a near disaster of my fic being taken over and horribly altered by the evil not-so-mastermind Cloud Tribal, my story was saved and he was returned to the proper authorities! ANYWAYS! Thanks to Hurricane Hilda, Mitochondria Eve, Cloud Tribal (Even though you did sabotage my fic…and if they have computers where there keeping you…), Kawaii Mimi-Chan, Spekkio, Lord Gaerdin, CouchPotato, and Janus Ashtear.
The sun was just rising in the horizon when Ashton, Celine, Dias, and Rena left the Inn in the castle town of Lacour. A few birds flew overhead and glided into the distance. Ashton was leading the group out when the pain returned. This time it was worse than before. Ashton took several deep breaths and kept the cry of pain inside.
"I feel that we have less time than we previously thought," said Ashton as he got back on his feet. "It is highly important that we continue now!"
The group made their way back to Hilton in silence. Upon their arrival they noticed a rather large ship docked there with a sleeping soldier standing outside. Ashton walked up to him and gave him a slight shake. The soldier slowly opened his eyes and muttered something that was not understandable. Ashton sighed impatiently. The soldier suddenly snapped to attention. "Dragons!? What I…I…" he looked around nervously for anyone to provide support but found none.
Dias approached the two. "Excuse me but are you the one who will be providing our transportation to the Hoffman Ruins? We have no time to waste here."
The soldier swallowed nervously. "T-then you are the ones who I am supposed to transport…I…I don't want that…that…whatever it is on my boat!" stammered the soldier nervously while pointing to Ashton.
Celine walked forward in a rage. "Excuse me?! That is a living, breathing person, not some creature for you to point at and insult so blatantly! He is coming with us whether you care for it or not so it is best for you to just mind your own business!" she snapped.
The formerly sleepy soldier rather quickly ran out of the way. The quartet boarded the boat and less than a minute later it started to sail. For the first time Ashton considered the feelings of Gyoro and Ururun. He was starting to feel guilt when he realized that they didn't have such issues. He started to become overwhelmed…maybe he was wrong. Maybe it wasn't the dragons fault. "Well guys…what's the deal? Did you know? Is this wrong what we're doing? Or is this whole case another thing totally?"
The dragons started their normal "awroo" sounds but in his head Ashton heard them. " We knew…but we live longer by doing this…it's a matter of survival," said Gyoro. "Yes…of course we consider what you're doing wrong…but then it is a matter of survival for you too," said Ururun.
Ashton remained silent for a moment then asked another question. "So then why have you not yet tried to stop me from doing this?"
Again the dragons talked in his head. " We have tried…but then again sometimes ones will is too strong to stop. We are sorry that it has to be like this."
Ashton became grim. "Now is not the time for apologies. You knew this would happen and the pain it would cause. What's more was that you would continue this if we don't stop you now! You are not the creatures I thought I knew!" he yelled. This earned him a confused glance from one of the ship's crewmembers but he did not care. Soon it would all be over…soon….
A few hours later the ship arrived on a patch of beach a little ways away from the Hoffman Ruins. By the time they reached the Ruins it was well into the mid-day hours.
Dias looked up at the ruins in an impressed way. This was his first time to visit the site and it was something that would normally stun a newcomer. "What an intriguing place. I only wish that I had seen it sooner," he commented as he climbed the stairs up to the entrance of the crumbling stone structure.
The door had been sealed since their last visit but it was not a problem. " I wonder if we'll be able to open it in two seconds without the great Master Leon with us?" Celine said jokingly. Rena giggled slightly, however Ashton remained quiet while Dias was left generally confused, as he had hardly known the child prodigy.
Ashton stood on one side of the door ready to push the button nearest him. "Rena push that button when I say so. Ready? 1…2…3…PUSH!" A moment later the two huge steel doors rumbled and opened, revealing the interior of the cave. Ashton, Celine, and Rena walked in as if there was nothing special but Dias looked around in amazement at the ancient interior. " Dias! We must hurry!" Ashton shouted from the elevator that would bring them into the "basement". Dias quietly walked aboard with no trace of a recognizable emotion.
As the doors opened the four quickly piled out. Celine took out the map that she had found in the book, and began to plan out their route. "Well, it looks like that we need to go left…and continue forward… and we should come to a room with a door way that leads to the relic," she said after several minutes.
Ashton immediately began to walk without saying a word or even waiting for his friends. Dias also began to walk when he noticed Ashton leaving, as Rena waited for Celine to fold the map. Rena looked up in time to see Dias disappear around a corner. "Celine! THEY'RE LEAVING!" she screeched.
"Oh really now you're such a drama queen. I mean honestly, they can't have…HEY! THEY LEFT US!" shouted Celine as she stomped her foot. The two distraught women ran after Ashton and Dias.
The four adventurers where presently in a large cave area of the ruins. However, there was no trace of a door or entryway to the room depicted on the map.
"Well this is just great," said Celine flatly. "Where exactly are we supposed to be?"
Ashton did another quick check around the room, this time noticing a small box near a wall. "Hey guys! Look at this! Maybe this has something to do with the secret room," said Ashton curiously as he pushed the button on the box. Suddenly the room reverberated with enormous explosion, and a wave of super-heated air and flame, along with flying shrapnel came upon in a huge force upon the room. Many seconds later, the room quiet, and dust began to settle. Ashton got off of his knees and brushed the dust of his clothing.
"Well...is...uh…is…everyone all right?" said Ashton shakily.
"Oh yes! We're perfectly fine!" said Celine sarcastically "What the in God's name were you thinking!"
"How was I supposed to know? I mean honestly…" started Ashton before Dias interrupted him.
"I do believe that we have discovered something that may be of use to us," Dias said, while pointing to a now present crater in the wall, leading farther into the ruins.
Celine grumbled angrily, while Ashton smiled at the possibility of this being the entrance to the needed room.
In the room that was now open to them, was a pedestal with a glowing crystal object atop it. The object was a figure of a dragon, with its head reared back and it's left front claw held up to its chest.
"FINALLY! Now I can be relieved of this torture," said Ashton as he ran up to the pedestal. Suddenly, the relic light intensified and nearly blinded the four. When their sight had returned, an old man, with a long beard, and black robes stood before them. He looked down at Ashton and smiled evilly.
"So…then you wish to free yourself of the dragons, boy? Then you must overcome their power,' said the sorcerer, as he began to glow a color that was a mixture of black and purple.
The dragons, too, began to glow, this time their respective color. Ashton was blown back by a wave of power that the sorcerer sent forward.
"What is he doing?!" shouted Rena. "We have to help him!"
Dias held her back. "This is his fight. We mustn't interfere," he said calmly.
Celine watched in a mixture of shock and horror. "He's…he's...magnifying the power of the dragons to hold him back," she said. "He has to overcome them to win."
Ashton slowly made his way to the pedestal again. The sorcerer smiled slightly and began to add his power to hold back Ashton. "Well boy, if you cannot overcome my power, then you cannot gain the relic," he sad with a cackle.
Ashton finally made his way to pedestal and unsheathed his swords. "I will win. You'll see. Then I will be free!" he shouted. The sorcerer only added more power.
"Oh? Is that what you think, boy? Then suffer!" he shouted.
Ashton made a deep-throated growl, and with amazing speed slashed his swords across the sorcerers' stomach. "I WILL LIVE! YOU WILL NOT STOP ME!" Ashton shouted. The dragons stopped glowing and Ashton collapsed to his knees. The sorcerer, who now had two large gashes in his stomach, also fell, and then disappeared. Ashton made a small laugh as he pulled himself up. "Well…who would have expected that?" he said weakly. " I suppose that this is mine now."
Ashton picked up the relic and peered into it. "It's so beautiful…" he commented as his voice trailed off.
Celine walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations, dear. Now, according to this, we must return to where the possession occurred."
Ashton's face became one of grim determination. "And we must hurry," he said. "I'm afraid that I have over-estimated my time left. I believe that I only have a day, maybe two at most."
Well! Thanks for stopping by! See you soon! Review if you want.