Chapter Nineteen
Final Challenge, Final Fight
Tessaih was definitely a curious city. The rich people who lived in the city often seemed to look down on the visitors, regardless of who they were. Many times, when trying to enjoy myself while not being taught by Meander, I would be glared at, kicked out of stores, or just basically hated. At one point, a rich warrior agitated me enough to fight; when he was creamed, Meander suggested that I not travel the city, lest I be arrested.
"I didn't do anything," I had growled angrily. "He—"
"Do you think I don't know that?" Meander had snapped. "These days, the Black Knights side with the citizens. So don't start trouble."
I decided to heed Meander's advice. From there on, I would go outside the city to practice my skills, yet things still weren't the same. Being sixteen, I wanted to talk to someone and have a good conversation at least once in a while, if not everyday. Meander, however, wasn't one for conversation. So, instead of talking with others, I would often be alone.
That was when I would start to think about my goal, and begin to remember what I had left for, and what I had left behind.
I knew my goal. I knew I wouldn't forget it. Beatrix was a danger to Burmecia. Her low voice, seeming-unforgiving attitude, and her quiet talk when I was around... Quiet threatening talk... It seemed like she was planning something ominous against the Burmecians... An attack. People around Alexandria had spoken of such things too. Attacks, suspicion all of it surrounding Burmecia. No doubt an attack on Burmecia was being planned. And, knowing I was the only one who even suspected such, I felt responsible for stopping or delaying it. Eliminating Beatrix seemed to be the best choice, but only this training would get me to her.
Yet all I had left... When with the Dari, fighting, or travelling, I didn't have much time to think about what I had left behind. Without anyone to talk to, or much to do, I got to do plenty of thinking. I thought about family, friends, and Freya, who was beyond a friend, yet not family.
I had almost forgotten about all of them, and what they had done for me. Rose, with her sarcasm and her wit, Aireff, with his good-natured temper and Dari past, Dan, with his understanding and good humor, and Freya, with her love and sweet heart – All of them had almost left me, but I began to remember. At first, I couldn't even hear their voices or see them – As the months crawled on, I could hear and see them just as I could when I had first left. And I missed them all. They had all done so much for me, including tolerate my leave.
Now, I knew. I wanted to accomplish my goal quickly now; correctly, but quickly. So, five months after the training had begun, I rose to my feet. I looked out into the distance, looking at the endless sea. Within a month, Eoroqu would rise, and I could return to the Mist Continent. I didn't want to be stuck in Eoroqu much longer.
It was beautiful, and it was unique, but it wasn't home.
I turned around and headed back toward the massive silver gates guarding Tessaih. I was rather shocked, however, when I saw Meander leave the gates. From what I had gathered in my few weeks of socialization, Meander only left the gates when out of supplies, and unable to buy more. I knew he had plenty of supplies, so I didn't understand why Meander was outside.
"Stop moving," Meander called.
Confused, I came to a stop, then asked, "Why?"
"Because you're a quick learner, and it's time you're tested," Meander said, beginning to slowly circle around me. "You've mastered the demon language, and you've learned the techniques – Or at least the important ones. You worked extremely hard, and now it's time you fight me."
"You said it would take a year to accomplish it all!" I declared, startled.
"What can I say? You cooperated more than I thought," Meander grunted, taking out a mysterious emerald-bladed sword with a silver hilt and rubies within the hilt. "Come on. Enough talk."
I stared at Meander curiously, surprisingly. He aimed his sword at my throat, watching me calmly, clearly waiting for me to take out my spear, which was safely by my side, lying on the ground. Swiftly I picked it up and held it out in front of me. Realizing I was all too ready, Meander suddenly rushed toward me, sword ready to strike. Quickly I leapt into the air and above him. I soared above the walls of the city, and took a deep breath. Holding my spear above me, I shouted demon words.
My spear "mutated", gaining two more blades, becoming sharper, and beginning to glow a red haze. I muttered "Meander" under my breath, then sent the spear soaring toward Meander. Meander slammed his sword into the spear to block it. The spear went flying backward, straightened itself, and then went soaring back toward Meander. I watched with slight amusement while Meander began to fight my spear without me even controlling it.
It was a perfect distraction. Keeping my hand in a throwing position, I muttered, "Power of the heavens, show the power of mighty warriors."
A dragon symbol appeared under Meander, who had just slammed my spear away from him for the fifth time. Soon he was engulfed in an explosion when a dragon spirit plowed through him. Meanwhile, my spear swerved around in the air and shot toward him.
A stream of fire shot came from out of the explosion and shot toward me. It slammed into me and sent me flying painfully to the ground. I leapt to my feet, but only ended up falling back over when my spear's wooden end slammed straight into my chest. Apparently, it had finally hit Meander, and had decided to return.
Groaning, I rose to my feet, steadying my spear in the process. Quickly, however, I had to get back on the ground and roll out of the way before Meander could skewer me with his sword. I leapt to my feet and blocked another attack he had coming my way. I then slammed my clawed foot into his boot. With a snarl and a curse, he tried to stomp my feet, but only ended up allowing me to shove him to the ground when he had only one foot on the ground. Meander went to rise, but I aimed my spear at his throat.
"When do we end?" I asked.
Meander disappeared into thin air, and I figured the battle didn't end then. Spinning my spear about, I waited patiently for the man to reappear. To my shock, he reappeared above me, landing on me and squashing me under his heavy body. Quickly I thought of teleportation, and soon I had appeared in the Space World of Teleportation. I gave myself a shake, then headed toward the star that contained the outside of Tessaih. I leapt through it, and soon appeared in the grass.
"You use all your skills well," Meander grunted, watching me land neatly on my feet.
"You taught me well," I replied calmly, spinning my spear about. "When does the fight end?"
"When one gives up," Meander said simply, holding his sword up. It began to charge with fire.
I stayed on the ground, sensing something dangerous about the attack. When Meander rushed for me, I leapt in the air. Then, the expected happened – Meander lifted the sword to the air, and the fire gathered on it discharged and slammed into me, sending me flying into the ground once more. I sent my spear backwards, then rolled backwards and to my feet, grabbing my spear on my way up. I avoided a fire attack from Meander in the stunt. Quickly I readied my spear and allowed it to charge with white energy. I then rushed forward, dodged a burst of demon energy, and stabbed Meander in the shoulder. White energy shot from my spear, making the wound larger. Cursing, Meander tried to smack me, but I had already grabbed my spear and leapt into the air.
I saw Meander mutter something under his breath. I was pretty shocked, however, when a demon spirit shot from the ground and charged toward me, red, hazy mouth open to reveal sharp fangs. Meander had not taught me that one! Then again, he didn't have to teach me everything, nor did he have to be "fair" in this fight.
Such was life, Relámpago would probably tell me.
I teleported in mid-air, causing the demon spirit to miss me by a half-inch. Swiftly I reappeared behind Meander. Grabbing him by the shoulders, I quickly flipped him over me and aimed my spear at his throat. I then held my hand toward him.
"Power of the heavens, send the cherry blossoms of hope," I muttered.
Gorgeous pink flower petals appeared around Meander. When a dragon spirit charged through them, however, they exploded in a viscous inferno. A few moments later, the inferno had cleared and, as expected, Meander had vanished into thin air. Having expected this, I whirled about, thinking he'd be behind him.
I was very shocked when I was tackled from behind after having turned around. I spun on my feet and stabbed Meander in the shoulder as I fell. I quickly noted that the man looked fairly hurt. I didn't have much time to think about it, however, because suddenly Meander slashed his sword across my knees. With a startled yelp, I rolled out of the way and to my feet, but I quickly realized what Meander had done.
He had disabled many of my agility techniques. Now, if I wanted to keep going, I would have to teleport, or try to cast Reis's Wind in five seconds. I preferred the second, but first I would have to distract Meander.
Meander rushed toward me, and I held out my hand.
"Power of the heavens, lend the power to vanquish!" I shouted, my words coming out in two seconds, making them sound like one word.
A star-shaped energy ball appeared in my hand as the moon appeared in daylight. The energy ball gained energy, and I shot it at Meander. Meander couldn't dodge nor teleport in time, and he was hit. He was sent flying into the air, doing fairly impressive loop-de-loops. While watching the show, I quickly held my spear in the air and muttered ancient words. Many white dragon spirits surrounded me, sending a soft wind with a pink haze over me. I quickly began to feel my wounds heal themselves – The Reis's Wind had worked.
Meander, meanwhile, had finally managed to rise to his feet. He looked over at me, and his black eyes widened while his fangs were bared.
"Ah, shit, you didn't," he began.
"Didn't do what?" I asked innocently, though I knew what was the trouble.
"Regen," Meander muttered, watching as my wounds continued to heal themselves. "Crap."
"You didn't leave me any restrictions," I said calmly, twirling my spear around dully.
"Well, that wouldn't have been a real battle," Meander grunted. He sighed, rising to his full height. "Well, I would give you this battle, but—"
Suddenly a Firaga spell shot from Meander's hands and slammed into me far before I could even notice the spell, let alone react. I fell to the ground and rolled a few feet before managing to rise to my feet.
"I still have many tricks," Meander grunted.
"As do I," I muttered. I decided to try something new – Something Ebon said was impossible.
"Power of the heavens, send the skill of mighty warriors!" I shouted.
Power of the heavens, send the cherry blossoms of hope, I did my best to think at the same time.
It worked. While a dragon symbol appeared beneath Meander's feet, he was showered by pink petals. Two dragon spirits rammed through him, and two explosions nailed him. I watched the spectacle with shock, wondering how useful this could be.
Soon the explosions cleared, and Meander was on his knees, panting. He looked over at me with surprise, and I stared at him coolly.
"Okay," he gasped. "Even I can't do that. You're the victor."
I blinked with shock. "You're not even going to try to retaliate?"
"And allow myself to get fried further, maybe with a Dragon and Demon ability? I'm not going to risk my hide," Meander grunted. I noted that his skin was peeling, revealing more skin. "If you want you can stay, but I'm sure you want to leave. So if you're leaving, go gather your stuff, and good luck against Julius."
"Thank you," I said quickly, heading back toward Tessaih casually.
"What are you thanking me for? I didn't let you win!" Meander spat.
I ignored him as I looked up at Tessaih's walls. The Black Knights didn't seem to care that Meander and I had just battled. It seemed that as long it didn't happen within the city walls, they didn't care. They let me in with no troubles. I quickly walked to Meander's shop, where I headed upstairs and to my private room. I quickly began to gather my stuff, and soon Meander appeared in my room.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Directions," Meander said. "Come."
I quickly finished packing my stuff and slung my pack over my shoulder. I then followed Meander downstairs and into his workroom, where he had set up a large map.
"Now, you're going after Julius, right?" he asked.
"Who?" I asked.
"The demon-hybrid, also my brother," Meander grunted.
"Well, yes," I agreed, a little surprised that Meander knew, and that Meander was half-demon.
"All right, you don't have far to walk then. Just northwestward, and you should come upon a stone building. You should also get attacked the minute you approach. I suggest teleporting inside, and into the back room. You'll meet Julius there – And be ready. Julius is no walk around the block," Meander grunted.
"Thank you," I said.
"Stop thanking me, and thank yourself. You're the one with the determination," Meander grunted. "Now shoo."
I nodded and quickly left the building. Tessaih was going about its normal business – Buying rare items, spending lots of money, glaring at "tourists" like me, and all-in-all, being snooty. With a sigh, I headed toward the gates, not caring about who I left. Many of them were behind me. I only had a month to go before Eoroqu rose.
I had to move on, quickly.
You could see the stone building from Tessaih – An ominous building that everyone warned of. The COL, they said, owns that building, and any territory within a mile of it. Be careful, everyone, particularly Burmecians. I didn't understand what was so dangerous about the COL... Even when I found out it stood for Collaboration of Leviathan, I still didn't understand.
Within a few days I had reached COL territory. It looked quiet, and relatively peaceful, except for the black-dressed men and women patrolling the territory. One of them took one look at me and aimed a crossbow at my throat. I was quick to move out of his gaze, and swiftly into the territory.
It was fight through it. The people in black will always hounding me, whether with questions or weapons. A few times, I even had to kill the person attacking me. They fell quickly, but the more I killed, the more that seemed to come after me. It was tiring, and I was getting exhausted.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I teleported to the Space World, and decided to spend a long night there. When I woke up, I was quick to explore the world, looking for a star containing the largest room in the mysterious COL Building. I found many stars containing rooms, but most of them held people in black uniforms. To my shock and anger, a few contained Dari and Burmecians. Despite my anger, I reminded myself not to get involved. I had to find Julius, not stop an organization that I had quickly figured out was very powerful.
Finally, after a full two days of searching – two very boring and confusing days – I found the star. Within it was a grand room, and within the room was a single man. Quickly I leapt into the star, and landed in the room.
It was a huge room, probably taking up most of the first story of the building. It was completely made of white stone, except for the floor, which was white marble. Black carpets covered various parts of the floor leading up to a small staircase. This staircase led to a small platform containing a stone table with two chairs. In a few places, the walls, carpets, and floors were stained with red blood. It was a haunting-looking place, and the man within it was no exception.
He wore almost all black except for his hands and head, which were revealed. He had short hair that looked like it was on fire, though it was only its fiery colors. His hands, which were behind his back, looked normal except for the slits that replaced his nails and clearly held claws. His back was facing me, but I could see that he looked powerful. When I approached him, my claws scraped against the marble, causing him to quickly turn around.
He had emotionless black eyes that looked like endless tunnels of cold emotion. His skin was completely pale, and he appeared to have no facial hair, unless you counted the fiery hair upon his head. He had sharp cheekbones, thin lips, and a smooth chin. I quickly noticed the crossbow he had strapped to his thigh, the arrows in a sack tied to his back, and a scabbard strapped to his other thigh. He regarded me coldly, then snorted.
"So you're the one Relámpago said would come – how pathetic. A rat," he spat in a cold, deep voice.
"Don't judge a book by its cover," I growled, immediately disliking the man's attitude.
"Why shouldn't I?" the man asked, slowly stepping down from the platform. "You're all the same, you rats – Cheating bastards, lying pigs... Doing whatever you can to get power."
"You lie. I don't want power," I snapped.
"Then why are you wandering around Eoroqu, fighting everything? Becoming a legend?" the man spat.
I stared at him, stunned by the retort. I then took a deep breath and managed to reply, "To gain strength to defeat General Beatrix."
"Strength is power. You're just like the rest of your God-damn species," the man spat, slowly taking out his sword.
"Who are you?" I asked, whipping out my spear.
The man chuckled, shaking his head. He spun his sword about and put it in a fighting position. He then looked up at me coldly.
"I'm Julius, leader of the Collaboration of Leviathan, the bastard Meander's brother," the man replied. "And you, are a sniveling little rat, with nothing to accomplish, who will officially die today."
Suddenly Julius rushed forward, throwing me completely off-guard. I managed to dodge the sudden rush, and I tried to stab Julius in the shoulder. My spear tore his clothing, but didn't break the skin, immediately startling me. Chuckling bitterly, Julius whirled around quickly, and I managed to leap out of the way of the attack. I once again tried to stab Julius, and once again didn't break the skin. Julius whirled around and slashed my shoulder open, moving so fast I could barely see him.
I quickly realized why Relámpago wanted me to see Meander, and learn Demon Abilities. It was clear that physical attacks were useless. Dodging another attack from Julius, I rushed backward, holding my spear out in front of me. I muttered demon words under my breath, but at the same time thought ancient words. While my spear "mutated", dragon spirits appeared and cast Reis's Wind upon me. I then threw my spear toward Julius, who watched me while cursing.
Julius lifted his sword and slammed it into my spear. My spear slammed into the ground and spun. Julius lifted his booted foot. I made a grab for it, seeing it in a vulnerable position. I managed to grab it just as Julius's foot came down on it.
Thus, Julius's foot slammed into my hand. Ignoring the pain, I wretched hand and spear from under his foot and rose to my feet. I received a powerful punch in the head, and it sent me spinning on my feet. Julius then moved forward to slash me in the chest. I managed to block the attack despite my dizziness. To my shock, Julius brought up an amazing struggle. It wasn't until I called upon demon energy to charge my spear that I began to win. I managed to shove Julius back, then rushed forward to slash him with my demon-charged spear.
Julius lifted his hand and shot a fireball from it. I ducked, but managed to run forward at the same time. I then stabbed Julius in the shoulder, hoping to weaken him enough so he couldn't use his sword. Julius's response was grabbing my spear and shoving it backward and away from him. The spear moved, though I didn't, and its wooden end slammed straight into my chest. Wincing, I backed away.
Power of the heavens, send the cherry blossoms of hope, I thought quickly.
Pink petals surrounded Julius, and soon exploded when a dragon spirit plowed through them. To my shock, Julius was hurt badly. Cursing vilely, Julius vanished into thin air. I stomped the floor with anger. He could teleport! This was getting aggravating, no matter how great of a challenge it was.
Suddenly a snap filled the air. Before I could react, an arrow had lodged itself into my neck. The arrow was so small, I could understand why I couldn't see it. Quickly I wrenched it from my neck, knowing Reis's Wind would help me out. I tossed the arrow aside, but was quickly knocked to the ground by Julius when he tackled my roughly to the ground. I quickly noted the small crossbow he held in his hands.
I rolled on the hard ground, and Julius's vicious kick didn't help my case. I managed to roll to my feet, only to be punched in the face. Getting extremely aggravated, I teleported in an attempt to escape. To my shock, Julius also teleported, and soon he was tackling me in the Space World.
Great, he teleports like me! I thought vilely. Why did Meander teach me this if Julius can do it too?
I spun my spear about, allowing it to charge with white energy. Julius rushed for me, but I simply leapt into the nearest star. By luck, I happened to land back in the room I had originally found Julius in. Julius quickly followed, and I took this opportunity to stab him in the stomach. Lancer's extra energy made the wound larger. Snarling, Julius grabbed me by the neck and shoved me into the wall. I punched him in the face, and he quickly let me go.
Julius backed a few feet away from me, and we stared at each other coldly. Then, suddenly, I realized that I wasn't the only one with Regen on. Julius also appeared to have it on, as his wounds were healing on their own! The fight was beginning to get very frustrating, and it was clearly for the both of us.
While I tried to charge my spear, Julius lifted his hand. A fireball shot from it, and I just managed to dodge. Meanwhile, I leapt into the air, hoping to not hit the ceiling. In the end, it wouldn't have mattered if I did, because Julius shot a fireball at me. It nailed me and sent me straight into the wall. I fell onto my knees, gasping.
"You're pathetic. Weak and pathetic," Julius spat.
"It's not over," I replied, whipping a hidden Hi-Potion out of my pocket and drinking the bottle's contents before Julius can respond. "I'm very prepared."
"Are you prepared for this?" Julius asked, snapping his fingers.
A few seconds passed, and as I rose to my feet, I wondered what Julius had in mind. The answer soon came when the door to the room suddenly burst open, revealing four more antagonists for me to deal with. I groaned, wondering how I would survive this one. This was not what I had in mind!
Suddenly all five people in the room charged for me. I lifted my charged spear and waited patiently for them to be on me. I then used my spear like a blade, slashing across them all. Unfortunately, I only slashed the throats of two of the people. Julius and the two still- standing henchman backed away, then rushed for me again. In a blur of words and thoughts, I said and thought words that didn't even make sense to me.
Suddenly a dragon head appeared from behind Julius and the two henchmen. It sent fiery breath onto them while at the same time, a dragon spirit made pink petals explode. The two henchmen fell while Julius vanished into thin air. He appeared a few feet away, drinking a Potion. The two of us then stared at each other coldly.
We both then fired a spell, mine a large star-shaped ball of energy, his a huge fireball. We were both hit, and slammed into opposite walls. We lied in place, panting and staring at each other coldly.
In a flash we met in the center of the room, my spear and his sword locked in a struggle. We stood there in a stalemate, trying to stare each other down.
"You can't make it," Julius spat at me, causing me to snort. "Like all of your race you have too much arrogance, too much confidence. You're going to be killed by that General... You'd be best to head on home."
"You seem to underestimate me," I spat, thinking demon words at the same time. Suddenly my spear charged with energy, and I used it to shove Julius back. I then kicked Julius hard in the stomach, causing him to fall over, though it didn't damage him. Swiftly, before he could react, I kicked his sword out of his hand, and I aimed my spear at his throat. Julius stared at me coldly.
"The road remains wide open while your dreams are alive. Only fear can block the way," I spat.
"And do you have fear?" Julius asked.
"Does it look like I do? And if I did, fear is used to bring forward, to give the strength to beat it back. My road is open. My dreams are awake. And there is no fear to stop me from accomplishing my goal! You can not stop it. Fear can not stop it. I will accomplish my goal," I growled, putting away from spear.
"Such arrogance is going to get you killed," Julius growled, rising to his feet. "You will get to your goal, but not be the same. Your arrogance will block your eyes from seeing the truth – That you are not strong enough, and that you should go home. Make a good choice, boy! Beatrix is not a simple girl who will allow you to go forward and fight her! If you want to go forward and be forever changed, so be it. But if you are smart, you'll remember my words."
I snorted, watching Julius coldly. "Your words are made to create fear. Haven't I already told you that fear should propel you forward, not away?"
"In this case, fear should be listened to. Now scram," Julius spat.
"Gladly," I growled.
With that, I teleported, leaving the building, and beginning a quiet walk through the Space World. Julius had angered me, but his words were all too ominous and predicting. It seemed as if he knew what he was saying.
Should I go home? I asked.
My mind replied with no. I nodded to myself. I couldn't let Julius think that I was a weakling, a weakling who had decided to follow his words and head on home. I couldn't let him get what he wanted. He would not ruin my dreams. He would not make me back down. I would keep on.
Soon I found the star I wanted – The star leading back to the Dari, where I would make my last stop before Eoroqu rose. Before I entered it, however, I looked around the Space World, wondering if perhaps I was being a little arrogant. I then shook my head. I just had confidence... It did not seem overpowering to me. Julius had to be wrong... Wrong about what he said about me, and the Burmecians.
With a quiet nod to myself, I leapt through the star.
----- So Fratley finishes much more quickly than Meander expected and creams him. Then he "defeats" Julius, though the battle was never really finished. And now Julius is predicting Fratley's end... Dun dun dun! Oh, and did you find Fratley's other quote? ;)
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.
Final Challenge, Final Fight
Tessaih was definitely a curious city. The rich people who lived in the city often seemed to look down on the visitors, regardless of who they were. Many times, when trying to enjoy myself while not being taught by Meander, I would be glared at, kicked out of stores, or just basically hated. At one point, a rich warrior agitated me enough to fight; when he was creamed, Meander suggested that I not travel the city, lest I be arrested.
"I didn't do anything," I had growled angrily. "He—"
"Do you think I don't know that?" Meander had snapped. "These days, the Black Knights side with the citizens. So don't start trouble."
I decided to heed Meander's advice. From there on, I would go outside the city to practice my skills, yet things still weren't the same. Being sixteen, I wanted to talk to someone and have a good conversation at least once in a while, if not everyday. Meander, however, wasn't one for conversation. So, instead of talking with others, I would often be alone.
That was when I would start to think about my goal, and begin to remember what I had left for, and what I had left behind.
I knew my goal. I knew I wouldn't forget it. Beatrix was a danger to Burmecia. Her low voice, seeming-unforgiving attitude, and her quiet talk when I was around... Quiet threatening talk... It seemed like she was planning something ominous against the Burmecians... An attack. People around Alexandria had spoken of such things too. Attacks, suspicion all of it surrounding Burmecia. No doubt an attack on Burmecia was being planned. And, knowing I was the only one who even suspected such, I felt responsible for stopping or delaying it. Eliminating Beatrix seemed to be the best choice, but only this training would get me to her.
Yet all I had left... When with the Dari, fighting, or travelling, I didn't have much time to think about what I had left behind. Without anyone to talk to, or much to do, I got to do plenty of thinking. I thought about family, friends, and Freya, who was beyond a friend, yet not family.
I had almost forgotten about all of them, and what they had done for me. Rose, with her sarcasm and her wit, Aireff, with his good-natured temper and Dari past, Dan, with his understanding and good humor, and Freya, with her love and sweet heart – All of them had almost left me, but I began to remember. At first, I couldn't even hear their voices or see them – As the months crawled on, I could hear and see them just as I could when I had first left. And I missed them all. They had all done so much for me, including tolerate my leave.
Now, I knew. I wanted to accomplish my goal quickly now; correctly, but quickly. So, five months after the training had begun, I rose to my feet. I looked out into the distance, looking at the endless sea. Within a month, Eoroqu would rise, and I could return to the Mist Continent. I didn't want to be stuck in Eoroqu much longer.
It was beautiful, and it was unique, but it wasn't home.
I turned around and headed back toward the massive silver gates guarding Tessaih. I was rather shocked, however, when I saw Meander leave the gates. From what I had gathered in my few weeks of socialization, Meander only left the gates when out of supplies, and unable to buy more. I knew he had plenty of supplies, so I didn't understand why Meander was outside.
"Stop moving," Meander called.
Confused, I came to a stop, then asked, "Why?"
"Because you're a quick learner, and it's time you're tested," Meander said, beginning to slowly circle around me. "You've mastered the demon language, and you've learned the techniques – Or at least the important ones. You worked extremely hard, and now it's time you fight me."
"You said it would take a year to accomplish it all!" I declared, startled.
"What can I say? You cooperated more than I thought," Meander grunted, taking out a mysterious emerald-bladed sword with a silver hilt and rubies within the hilt. "Come on. Enough talk."
I stared at Meander curiously, surprisingly. He aimed his sword at my throat, watching me calmly, clearly waiting for me to take out my spear, which was safely by my side, lying on the ground. Swiftly I picked it up and held it out in front of me. Realizing I was all too ready, Meander suddenly rushed toward me, sword ready to strike. Quickly I leapt into the air and above him. I soared above the walls of the city, and took a deep breath. Holding my spear above me, I shouted demon words.
My spear "mutated", gaining two more blades, becoming sharper, and beginning to glow a red haze. I muttered "Meander" under my breath, then sent the spear soaring toward Meander. Meander slammed his sword into the spear to block it. The spear went flying backward, straightened itself, and then went soaring back toward Meander. I watched with slight amusement while Meander began to fight my spear without me even controlling it.
It was a perfect distraction. Keeping my hand in a throwing position, I muttered, "Power of the heavens, show the power of mighty warriors."
A dragon symbol appeared under Meander, who had just slammed my spear away from him for the fifth time. Soon he was engulfed in an explosion when a dragon spirit plowed through him. Meanwhile, my spear swerved around in the air and shot toward him.
A stream of fire shot came from out of the explosion and shot toward me. It slammed into me and sent me flying painfully to the ground. I leapt to my feet, but only ended up falling back over when my spear's wooden end slammed straight into my chest. Apparently, it had finally hit Meander, and had decided to return.
Groaning, I rose to my feet, steadying my spear in the process. Quickly, however, I had to get back on the ground and roll out of the way before Meander could skewer me with his sword. I leapt to my feet and blocked another attack he had coming my way. I then slammed my clawed foot into his boot. With a snarl and a curse, he tried to stomp my feet, but only ended up allowing me to shove him to the ground when he had only one foot on the ground. Meander went to rise, but I aimed my spear at his throat.
"When do we end?" I asked.
Meander disappeared into thin air, and I figured the battle didn't end then. Spinning my spear about, I waited patiently for the man to reappear. To my shock, he reappeared above me, landing on me and squashing me under his heavy body. Quickly I thought of teleportation, and soon I had appeared in the Space World of Teleportation. I gave myself a shake, then headed toward the star that contained the outside of Tessaih. I leapt through it, and soon appeared in the grass.
"You use all your skills well," Meander grunted, watching me land neatly on my feet.
"You taught me well," I replied calmly, spinning my spear about. "When does the fight end?"
"When one gives up," Meander said simply, holding his sword up. It began to charge with fire.
I stayed on the ground, sensing something dangerous about the attack. When Meander rushed for me, I leapt in the air. Then, the expected happened – Meander lifted the sword to the air, and the fire gathered on it discharged and slammed into me, sending me flying into the ground once more. I sent my spear backwards, then rolled backwards and to my feet, grabbing my spear on my way up. I avoided a fire attack from Meander in the stunt. Quickly I readied my spear and allowed it to charge with white energy. I then rushed forward, dodged a burst of demon energy, and stabbed Meander in the shoulder. White energy shot from my spear, making the wound larger. Cursing, Meander tried to smack me, but I had already grabbed my spear and leapt into the air.
I saw Meander mutter something under his breath. I was pretty shocked, however, when a demon spirit shot from the ground and charged toward me, red, hazy mouth open to reveal sharp fangs. Meander had not taught me that one! Then again, he didn't have to teach me everything, nor did he have to be "fair" in this fight.
Such was life, Relámpago would probably tell me.
I teleported in mid-air, causing the demon spirit to miss me by a half-inch. Swiftly I reappeared behind Meander. Grabbing him by the shoulders, I quickly flipped him over me and aimed my spear at his throat. I then held my hand toward him.
"Power of the heavens, send the cherry blossoms of hope," I muttered.
Gorgeous pink flower petals appeared around Meander. When a dragon spirit charged through them, however, they exploded in a viscous inferno. A few moments later, the inferno had cleared and, as expected, Meander had vanished into thin air. Having expected this, I whirled about, thinking he'd be behind him.
I was very shocked when I was tackled from behind after having turned around. I spun on my feet and stabbed Meander in the shoulder as I fell. I quickly noted that the man looked fairly hurt. I didn't have much time to think about it, however, because suddenly Meander slashed his sword across my knees. With a startled yelp, I rolled out of the way and to my feet, but I quickly realized what Meander had done.
He had disabled many of my agility techniques. Now, if I wanted to keep going, I would have to teleport, or try to cast Reis's Wind in five seconds. I preferred the second, but first I would have to distract Meander.
Meander rushed toward me, and I held out my hand.
"Power of the heavens, lend the power to vanquish!" I shouted, my words coming out in two seconds, making them sound like one word.
A star-shaped energy ball appeared in my hand as the moon appeared in daylight. The energy ball gained energy, and I shot it at Meander. Meander couldn't dodge nor teleport in time, and he was hit. He was sent flying into the air, doing fairly impressive loop-de-loops. While watching the show, I quickly held my spear in the air and muttered ancient words. Many white dragon spirits surrounded me, sending a soft wind with a pink haze over me. I quickly began to feel my wounds heal themselves – The Reis's Wind had worked.
Meander, meanwhile, had finally managed to rise to his feet. He looked over at me, and his black eyes widened while his fangs were bared.
"Ah, shit, you didn't," he began.
"Didn't do what?" I asked innocently, though I knew what was the trouble.
"Regen," Meander muttered, watching as my wounds continued to heal themselves. "Crap."
"You didn't leave me any restrictions," I said calmly, twirling my spear around dully.
"Well, that wouldn't have been a real battle," Meander grunted. He sighed, rising to his full height. "Well, I would give you this battle, but—"
Suddenly a Firaga spell shot from Meander's hands and slammed into me far before I could even notice the spell, let alone react. I fell to the ground and rolled a few feet before managing to rise to my feet.
"I still have many tricks," Meander grunted.
"As do I," I muttered. I decided to try something new – Something Ebon said was impossible.
"Power of the heavens, send the skill of mighty warriors!" I shouted.
Power of the heavens, send the cherry blossoms of hope, I did my best to think at the same time.
It worked. While a dragon symbol appeared beneath Meander's feet, he was showered by pink petals. Two dragon spirits rammed through him, and two explosions nailed him. I watched the spectacle with shock, wondering how useful this could be.
Soon the explosions cleared, and Meander was on his knees, panting. He looked over at me with surprise, and I stared at him coolly.
"Okay," he gasped. "Even I can't do that. You're the victor."
I blinked with shock. "You're not even going to try to retaliate?"
"And allow myself to get fried further, maybe with a Dragon and Demon ability? I'm not going to risk my hide," Meander grunted. I noted that his skin was peeling, revealing more skin. "If you want you can stay, but I'm sure you want to leave. So if you're leaving, go gather your stuff, and good luck against Julius."
"Thank you," I said quickly, heading back toward Tessaih casually.
"What are you thanking me for? I didn't let you win!" Meander spat.
I ignored him as I looked up at Tessaih's walls. The Black Knights didn't seem to care that Meander and I had just battled. It seemed that as long it didn't happen within the city walls, they didn't care. They let me in with no troubles. I quickly walked to Meander's shop, where I headed upstairs and to my private room. I quickly began to gather my stuff, and soon Meander appeared in my room.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Directions," Meander said. "Come."
I quickly finished packing my stuff and slung my pack over my shoulder. I then followed Meander downstairs and into his workroom, where he had set up a large map.
"Now, you're going after Julius, right?" he asked.
"Who?" I asked.
"The demon-hybrid, also my brother," Meander grunted.
"Well, yes," I agreed, a little surprised that Meander knew, and that Meander was half-demon.
"All right, you don't have far to walk then. Just northwestward, and you should come upon a stone building. You should also get attacked the minute you approach. I suggest teleporting inside, and into the back room. You'll meet Julius there – And be ready. Julius is no walk around the block," Meander grunted.
"Thank you," I said.
"Stop thanking me, and thank yourself. You're the one with the determination," Meander grunted. "Now shoo."
I nodded and quickly left the building. Tessaih was going about its normal business – Buying rare items, spending lots of money, glaring at "tourists" like me, and all-in-all, being snooty. With a sigh, I headed toward the gates, not caring about who I left. Many of them were behind me. I only had a month to go before Eoroqu rose.
I had to move on, quickly.
You could see the stone building from Tessaih – An ominous building that everyone warned of. The COL, they said, owns that building, and any territory within a mile of it. Be careful, everyone, particularly Burmecians. I didn't understand what was so dangerous about the COL... Even when I found out it stood for Collaboration of Leviathan, I still didn't understand.
Within a few days I had reached COL territory. It looked quiet, and relatively peaceful, except for the black-dressed men and women patrolling the territory. One of them took one look at me and aimed a crossbow at my throat. I was quick to move out of his gaze, and swiftly into the territory.
It was fight through it. The people in black will always hounding me, whether with questions or weapons. A few times, I even had to kill the person attacking me. They fell quickly, but the more I killed, the more that seemed to come after me. It was tiring, and I was getting exhausted.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I teleported to the Space World, and decided to spend a long night there. When I woke up, I was quick to explore the world, looking for a star containing the largest room in the mysterious COL Building. I found many stars containing rooms, but most of them held people in black uniforms. To my shock and anger, a few contained Dari and Burmecians. Despite my anger, I reminded myself not to get involved. I had to find Julius, not stop an organization that I had quickly figured out was very powerful.
Finally, after a full two days of searching – two very boring and confusing days – I found the star. Within it was a grand room, and within the room was a single man. Quickly I leapt into the star, and landed in the room.
It was a huge room, probably taking up most of the first story of the building. It was completely made of white stone, except for the floor, which was white marble. Black carpets covered various parts of the floor leading up to a small staircase. This staircase led to a small platform containing a stone table with two chairs. In a few places, the walls, carpets, and floors were stained with red blood. It was a haunting-looking place, and the man within it was no exception.
He wore almost all black except for his hands and head, which were revealed. He had short hair that looked like it was on fire, though it was only its fiery colors. His hands, which were behind his back, looked normal except for the slits that replaced his nails and clearly held claws. His back was facing me, but I could see that he looked powerful. When I approached him, my claws scraped against the marble, causing him to quickly turn around.
He had emotionless black eyes that looked like endless tunnels of cold emotion. His skin was completely pale, and he appeared to have no facial hair, unless you counted the fiery hair upon his head. He had sharp cheekbones, thin lips, and a smooth chin. I quickly noticed the crossbow he had strapped to his thigh, the arrows in a sack tied to his back, and a scabbard strapped to his other thigh. He regarded me coldly, then snorted.
"So you're the one Relámpago said would come – how pathetic. A rat," he spat in a cold, deep voice.
"Don't judge a book by its cover," I growled, immediately disliking the man's attitude.
"Why shouldn't I?" the man asked, slowly stepping down from the platform. "You're all the same, you rats – Cheating bastards, lying pigs... Doing whatever you can to get power."
"You lie. I don't want power," I snapped.
"Then why are you wandering around Eoroqu, fighting everything? Becoming a legend?" the man spat.
I stared at him, stunned by the retort. I then took a deep breath and managed to reply, "To gain strength to defeat General Beatrix."
"Strength is power. You're just like the rest of your God-damn species," the man spat, slowly taking out his sword.
"Who are you?" I asked, whipping out my spear.
The man chuckled, shaking his head. He spun his sword about and put it in a fighting position. He then looked up at me coldly.
"I'm Julius, leader of the Collaboration of Leviathan, the bastard Meander's brother," the man replied. "And you, are a sniveling little rat, with nothing to accomplish, who will officially die today."
Suddenly Julius rushed forward, throwing me completely off-guard. I managed to dodge the sudden rush, and I tried to stab Julius in the shoulder. My spear tore his clothing, but didn't break the skin, immediately startling me. Chuckling bitterly, Julius whirled around quickly, and I managed to leap out of the way of the attack. I once again tried to stab Julius, and once again didn't break the skin. Julius whirled around and slashed my shoulder open, moving so fast I could barely see him.
I quickly realized why Relámpago wanted me to see Meander, and learn Demon Abilities. It was clear that physical attacks were useless. Dodging another attack from Julius, I rushed backward, holding my spear out in front of me. I muttered demon words under my breath, but at the same time thought ancient words. While my spear "mutated", dragon spirits appeared and cast Reis's Wind upon me. I then threw my spear toward Julius, who watched me while cursing.
Julius lifted his sword and slammed it into my spear. My spear slammed into the ground and spun. Julius lifted his booted foot. I made a grab for it, seeing it in a vulnerable position. I managed to grab it just as Julius's foot came down on it.
Thus, Julius's foot slammed into my hand. Ignoring the pain, I wretched hand and spear from under his foot and rose to my feet. I received a powerful punch in the head, and it sent me spinning on my feet. Julius then moved forward to slash me in the chest. I managed to block the attack despite my dizziness. To my shock, Julius brought up an amazing struggle. It wasn't until I called upon demon energy to charge my spear that I began to win. I managed to shove Julius back, then rushed forward to slash him with my demon-charged spear.
Julius lifted his hand and shot a fireball from it. I ducked, but managed to run forward at the same time. I then stabbed Julius in the shoulder, hoping to weaken him enough so he couldn't use his sword. Julius's response was grabbing my spear and shoving it backward and away from him. The spear moved, though I didn't, and its wooden end slammed straight into my chest. Wincing, I backed away.
Power of the heavens, send the cherry blossoms of hope, I thought quickly.
Pink petals surrounded Julius, and soon exploded when a dragon spirit plowed through them. To my shock, Julius was hurt badly. Cursing vilely, Julius vanished into thin air. I stomped the floor with anger. He could teleport! This was getting aggravating, no matter how great of a challenge it was.
Suddenly a snap filled the air. Before I could react, an arrow had lodged itself into my neck. The arrow was so small, I could understand why I couldn't see it. Quickly I wrenched it from my neck, knowing Reis's Wind would help me out. I tossed the arrow aside, but was quickly knocked to the ground by Julius when he tackled my roughly to the ground. I quickly noted the small crossbow he held in his hands.
I rolled on the hard ground, and Julius's vicious kick didn't help my case. I managed to roll to my feet, only to be punched in the face. Getting extremely aggravated, I teleported in an attempt to escape. To my shock, Julius also teleported, and soon he was tackling me in the Space World.
Great, he teleports like me! I thought vilely. Why did Meander teach me this if Julius can do it too?
I spun my spear about, allowing it to charge with white energy. Julius rushed for me, but I simply leapt into the nearest star. By luck, I happened to land back in the room I had originally found Julius in. Julius quickly followed, and I took this opportunity to stab him in the stomach. Lancer's extra energy made the wound larger. Snarling, Julius grabbed me by the neck and shoved me into the wall. I punched him in the face, and he quickly let me go.
Julius backed a few feet away from me, and we stared at each other coldly. Then, suddenly, I realized that I wasn't the only one with Regen on. Julius also appeared to have it on, as his wounds were healing on their own! The fight was beginning to get very frustrating, and it was clearly for the both of us.
While I tried to charge my spear, Julius lifted his hand. A fireball shot from it, and I just managed to dodge. Meanwhile, I leapt into the air, hoping to not hit the ceiling. In the end, it wouldn't have mattered if I did, because Julius shot a fireball at me. It nailed me and sent me straight into the wall. I fell onto my knees, gasping.
"You're pathetic. Weak and pathetic," Julius spat.
"It's not over," I replied, whipping a hidden Hi-Potion out of my pocket and drinking the bottle's contents before Julius can respond. "I'm very prepared."
"Are you prepared for this?" Julius asked, snapping his fingers.
A few seconds passed, and as I rose to my feet, I wondered what Julius had in mind. The answer soon came when the door to the room suddenly burst open, revealing four more antagonists for me to deal with. I groaned, wondering how I would survive this one. This was not what I had in mind!
Suddenly all five people in the room charged for me. I lifted my charged spear and waited patiently for them to be on me. I then used my spear like a blade, slashing across them all. Unfortunately, I only slashed the throats of two of the people. Julius and the two still- standing henchman backed away, then rushed for me again. In a blur of words and thoughts, I said and thought words that didn't even make sense to me.
Suddenly a dragon head appeared from behind Julius and the two henchmen. It sent fiery breath onto them while at the same time, a dragon spirit made pink petals explode. The two henchmen fell while Julius vanished into thin air. He appeared a few feet away, drinking a Potion. The two of us then stared at each other coldly.
We both then fired a spell, mine a large star-shaped ball of energy, his a huge fireball. We were both hit, and slammed into opposite walls. We lied in place, panting and staring at each other coldly.
In a flash we met in the center of the room, my spear and his sword locked in a struggle. We stood there in a stalemate, trying to stare each other down.
"You can't make it," Julius spat at me, causing me to snort. "Like all of your race you have too much arrogance, too much confidence. You're going to be killed by that General... You'd be best to head on home."
"You seem to underestimate me," I spat, thinking demon words at the same time. Suddenly my spear charged with energy, and I used it to shove Julius back. I then kicked Julius hard in the stomach, causing him to fall over, though it didn't damage him. Swiftly, before he could react, I kicked his sword out of his hand, and I aimed my spear at his throat. Julius stared at me coldly.
"The road remains wide open while your dreams are alive. Only fear can block the way," I spat.
"And do you have fear?" Julius asked.
"Does it look like I do? And if I did, fear is used to bring forward, to give the strength to beat it back. My road is open. My dreams are awake. And there is no fear to stop me from accomplishing my goal! You can not stop it. Fear can not stop it. I will accomplish my goal," I growled, putting away from spear.
"Such arrogance is going to get you killed," Julius growled, rising to his feet. "You will get to your goal, but not be the same. Your arrogance will block your eyes from seeing the truth – That you are not strong enough, and that you should go home. Make a good choice, boy! Beatrix is not a simple girl who will allow you to go forward and fight her! If you want to go forward and be forever changed, so be it. But if you are smart, you'll remember my words."
I snorted, watching Julius coldly. "Your words are made to create fear. Haven't I already told you that fear should propel you forward, not away?"
"In this case, fear should be listened to. Now scram," Julius spat.
"Gladly," I growled.
With that, I teleported, leaving the building, and beginning a quiet walk through the Space World. Julius had angered me, but his words were all too ominous and predicting. It seemed as if he knew what he was saying.
Should I go home? I asked.
My mind replied with no. I nodded to myself. I couldn't let Julius think that I was a weakling, a weakling who had decided to follow his words and head on home. I couldn't let him get what he wanted. He would not ruin my dreams. He would not make me back down. I would keep on.
Soon I found the star I wanted – The star leading back to the Dari, where I would make my last stop before Eoroqu rose. Before I entered it, however, I looked around the Space World, wondering if perhaps I was being a little arrogant. I then shook my head. I just had confidence... It did not seem overpowering to me. Julius had to be wrong... Wrong about what he said about me, and the Burmecians.
With a quiet nod to myself, I leapt through the star.
----- So Fratley finishes much more quickly than Meander expected and creams him. Then he "defeats" Julius, though the battle was never really finished. And now Julius is predicting Fratley's end... Dun dun dun! Oh, and did you find Fratley's other quote? ;)
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.