(Before we start, I have to commend the continued support of Teefa and her
pals, as well as everyone else who decided to review. Even though readers
have been lost, it is the support and non- flaming which has fueled me to
write this story. The first Wild Arms fic I posted was greeted with nothing
but flames, so I wasn't too optimistic about how this story turned out.
Well, amazingly, this story has gotten nothing but positive reviews and has
already passed the thirty- chapter mark, which surprised me the most. I
hold the option for a sequel high, but it is also highly questionable.
Whether or not there is a sequel, I thank everyone who even glanced at the
summary.)
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twenty- Six.
The demon leaned against the cold, stone wall, breathing heavily. "Finally, my body has finally compressed all of the power. Every one of the demon's souls inside of me, always there, but without the power to be utilized. Funny though, I expected Mr. Enduro and his companions to be here by now."
Haruko began to laugh as he stood up. "Perhaps they were destroyed by the tower's guardian?"
"Uh, are you guys sure it's up there?" Gallows asked. Clive nodded. "We have ridden as far east as it allows. Besides, I feel a strong pressure, the atmosphere is not right here."
Jet scratched his head. "Yeah, but how do we get up there?'
Clive smiled. "I believe we should ride the steam up."
Gallows stared at Clive for a moment, fear growing within his eyes. "Are you insane?! We'll all get incinerated!"
Clive closed his eyes. "True, but it seems you've forgotten a very important fact. We can use the mediums to protect ourselves, and then ride the steam up."
Jet nodded. "That sounds like a sure fire way not to get us killed. Let's do it."
Clive nodded. "All right then. Virginia, Gallows, prepare yourselves."
Virginia nodded and walked up to the crater. Gallows still felt uneasy, barely skidding to the crater.
"Get a move on! We don't have all day." Jet suddenly kicked Gallows, landing his head dangerously close to the edge.
Gallows watched in horror as the temperature rose, the steam was rising.
Virginia quickly pulled him away, barely saving his face from being burnt.
Gallows turned to Jet with anger in his eyes. "You stupid idiot! You could've killed me!"
Jet just shrugged, seeing no urgency.
Virginia then pulled him near the crater, creating a shield around them.
"Okay, here we go!" Virginia exclaimed as she hopped on the crater just as the steam grew.
The speed was incredible, Virginia struggled to keep her footing. However, even with the Arcana protecting them, the heat was intense.
Clive nodded. "Good, now, let us travel."
Jet rotated his neck. "You sure they're up there?"
"They must be, the steam has stopped."
Todd walked up to the crater. "We should get a move on." Clive nodded as he and Jet followed.
Virginia quickly grabbed Gallows and jumped off of the steam. She landed shakily, dropping Gallows, who grasped his face in pain.
Virginia glanced around, the air stopping. There was no chill; all was... still.
"What is this place?" she muttered as they stood before a massive gate.
Damp puddles were scattered across the black, rocky floor. Dark clouds surrounded the complex.
"How could a place be so gloomy?" Virginia thought aloud as Gallows stood up. "They don't have a nice interior decorator?" he suggested.
Clive, and Jet, and Todd hopped on the plateau as thunder roared.
"I don't like the way this place feels," Todd stated, glancing around nervously.
"I agree, it is quite unnerving," Clive replied.
Jet glanced around, his ears suddenly picking a faint, but growing noise.
"Listen," he suddenly sputtered, causing everyone to grow quiet.
Hissing, that was the noise. Hissing and staggering.
Todd felt something brush against his leg. He quickly glanced down, seeing a tentacle grasping hold of his leg. He only gasped, as the tentacle pulled him through the right wall.
Virginia readied her pistols as Gallows glanced around.
Suddenly, a beast jumped down upon Gallows, attempting to attack.
Clive quickly shot it down, the bullet hole suddenly healing.
"It can self- recover!" he exclaimed as another tentacle grasped hold of his throat.
"There's more then one!" Virginia cried out as she shot repeatedly at the recovered beast.
The beast was wolf- like in appearance, a dark gray color covered its fur. Mounds of crystal were wrapped around its neck, while four silver tentacles sprouted from underneath the crystal.
The beasts were larger than Virginia, deadly claws stuck from its paws.
Jet leapt through the hole and down the small passage. "Todd, you down here?" There was no reply.
He glanced around, taking notice of shuffling of some sort.
He readied his ARMs as the shuffling became louder.
Another tentacle shot out, but Jet quickly shot at it, tearing it in half.
Dust fell from the ceiling as the beast roared, leaping off the top.
Jet gritted his teeth as the beast struck at him. He evaded the assault and circled around the beast, his bullet hitting their mark.
He jumped back, awaiting the beast as it slowly advanced.
"No effect, it didn't do anything. That sucks."
The wall to the left suddenly crumbled as the separate beast knocked Clive down.
Two tentacles had grasped hold of his left leg, while one remained firm on his throat.
Jet prepared to assist, but his weapon was swiped away. The beast forced him down, striking with its claw. Jet quickly grabbed hold of the claw and fought with all of his might to stop it from searing his throat.
Clive struggled with the creature as it leapt upon the corner wall. Clive let loose a bullet attempting to hit the beast, but it quickly sprung into the next wall, which lead into a pit full of murky water.
Clive smashed the blunt end of his rifle against the beast's head, causing it to loosen its grip on his throat and leg.
He forced one more hit, knocking the creature away, barely shooting it once before it began to fall upon him.
However, Clive was already falling straight into the water.
The Demon Lord, Haruko- Chapter Twenty- Six.
The demon leaned against the cold, stone wall, breathing heavily. "Finally, my body has finally compressed all of the power. Every one of the demon's souls inside of me, always there, but without the power to be utilized. Funny though, I expected Mr. Enduro and his companions to be here by now."
Haruko began to laugh as he stood up. "Perhaps they were destroyed by the tower's guardian?"
"Uh, are you guys sure it's up there?" Gallows asked. Clive nodded. "We have ridden as far east as it allows. Besides, I feel a strong pressure, the atmosphere is not right here."
Jet scratched his head. "Yeah, but how do we get up there?'
Clive smiled. "I believe we should ride the steam up."
Gallows stared at Clive for a moment, fear growing within his eyes. "Are you insane?! We'll all get incinerated!"
Clive closed his eyes. "True, but it seems you've forgotten a very important fact. We can use the mediums to protect ourselves, and then ride the steam up."
Jet nodded. "That sounds like a sure fire way not to get us killed. Let's do it."
Clive nodded. "All right then. Virginia, Gallows, prepare yourselves."
Virginia nodded and walked up to the crater. Gallows still felt uneasy, barely skidding to the crater.
"Get a move on! We don't have all day." Jet suddenly kicked Gallows, landing his head dangerously close to the edge.
Gallows watched in horror as the temperature rose, the steam was rising.
Virginia quickly pulled him away, barely saving his face from being burnt.
Gallows turned to Jet with anger in his eyes. "You stupid idiot! You could've killed me!"
Jet just shrugged, seeing no urgency.
Virginia then pulled him near the crater, creating a shield around them.
"Okay, here we go!" Virginia exclaimed as she hopped on the crater just as the steam grew.
The speed was incredible, Virginia struggled to keep her footing. However, even with the Arcana protecting them, the heat was intense.
Clive nodded. "Good, now, let us travel."
Jet rotated his neck. "You sure they're up there?"
"They must be, the steam has stopped."
Todd walked up to the crater. "We should get a move on." Clive nodded as he and Jet followed.
Virginia quickly grabbed Gallows and jumped off of the steam. She landed shakily, dropping Gallows, who grasped his face in pain.
Virginia glanced around, the air stopping. There was no chill; all was... still.
"What is this place?" she muttered as they stood before a massive gate.
Damp puddles were scattered across the black, rocky floor. Dark clouds surrounded the complex.
"How could a place be so gloomy?" Virginia thought aloud as Gallows stood up. "They don't have a nice interior decorator?" he suggested.
Clive, and Jet, and Todd hopped on the plateau as thunder roared.
"I don't like the way this place feels," Todd stated, glancing around nervously.
"I agree, it is quite unnerving," Clive replied.
Jet glanced around, his ears suddenly picking a faint, but growing noise.
"Listen," he suddenly sputtered, causing everyone to grow quiet.
Hissing, that was the noise. Hissing and staggering.
Todd felt something brush against his leg. He quickly glanced down, seeing a tentacle grasping hold of his leg. He only gasped, as the tentacle pulled him through the right wall.
Virginia readied her pistols as Gallows glanced around.
Suddenly, a beast jumped down upon Gallows, attempting to attack.
Clive quickly shot it down, the bullet hole suddenly healing.
"It can self- recover!" he exclaimed as another tentacle grasped hold of his throat.
"There's more then one!" Virginia cried out as she shot repeatedly at the recovered beast.
The beast was wolf- like in appearance, a dark gray color covered its fur. Mounds of crystal were wrapped around its neck, while four silver tentacles sprouted from underneath the crystal.
The beasts were larger than Virginia, deadly claws stuck from its paws.
Jet leapt through the hole and down the small passage. "Todd, you down here?" There was no reply.
He glanced around, taking notice of shuffling of some sort.
He readied his ARMs as the shuffling became louder.
Another tentacle shot out, but Jet quickly shot at it, tearing it in half.
Dust fell from the ceiling as the beast roared, leaping off the top.
Jet gritted his teeth as the beast struck at him. He evaded the assault and circled around the beast, his bullet hitting their mark.
He jumped back, awaiting the beast as it slowly advanced.
"No effect, it didn't do anything. That sucks."
The wall to the left suddenly crumbled as the separate beast knocked Clive down.
Two tentacles had grasped hold of his left leg, while one remained firm on his throat.
Jet prepared to assist, but his weapon was swiped away. The beast forced him down, striking with its claw. Jet quickly grabbed hold of the claw and fought with all of his might to stop it from searing his throat.
Clive struggled with the creature as it leapt upon the corner wall. Clive let loose a bullet attempting to hit the beast, but it quickly sprung into the next wall, which lead into a pit full of murky water.
Clive smashed the blunt end of his rifle against the beast's head, causing it to loosen its grip on his throat and leg.
He forced one more hit, knocking the creature away, barely shooting it once before it began to fall upon him.
However, Clive was already falling straight into the water.