The Myth of Crystaelius:
Chapter Nine: A Weapon of Steel II
Ileana examined her father's blade closely, searching for any scratches or damage. Her first attempt at the Soaring Eagle technique went smoothly, and it did not drain as much of her energy as she expected. However, her brother was skilled; he had been able to fend off the attack for quite a bit of time, but his weapon was destroyed in the process.
She sighed and brushed a strand of hair from over her eyes and left the small room.
While most of Orion had been encased with the Onakasa gem, some of it remained the same; the central hall for example.
Ileana rubbed her head and began to make way for the second rightmost staircase, which lead up to the hall with her room before a voice stopped her.
"Hold on, Ileana, I'd like a word with you." She quickly turned to see Zane standing in the center of the hall with his arms crossed. "What is it Zane? I am not in the mood for mindless chat," she stated before approaching him. He merely grinned.
"Do you really have that much faith for your grandfather? That old man is just using you."
She ground her teeth. "What are you talking about!"
He cocked his head to the right. "You know what I mean; his lust for power has mutated his intentions. You should've clearly seen it by now."
"No, he only wants to do what is right for Filgaia and its people. That's why he is going through all the trouble of creating Crystaelius."
He chuckled. "Please, don't give me that rubbish. He's already sacrificed two loyal servants for his plot, and soon you will be next. Besides, I've discovered a few secrets about the man; one is that he's trying to awaken Urien."
"Urien! He would never do such a thing! Its power is too great to control!" Zane closed his eyes and smiled. "He's lied to you; he aspires to control the new world he searches for. I'm sure he's willing to do anything for such power."
Ileana scowled. "Zane would never cross my grandfather; what are you, what's happened to him?"
Zane laughed merrily. "It took you long enough. Destroying the boy's spirit and possessing his body was so easy. All he could do was welcome my essence."
Ileana unsheathed her blade and readied it. "You haven't answered my question, what are you? I won't hesitate to attack you."
He yawned. "Of course, you should know that you'd only be doing damage to Zane's body; I could easily escape this now empty shell."
The woman raised her sword and began to rush at him. "Fine then, I'll force you out!" She executed a series of slashes, but he effortlessly avoided each of them. "Now, now, what did your grandfather teach you all those years? I'm not surprised Aaron held back on you," he remarked, only increasing her anger.
"Be quiet!" she shouted and swung horizontally at his face, but he only raised his right index finger and stopped the attack.
"You should have listened to your brother. You think he turned his back on your family? Huh, such an interesting thought; he was the one who wallowed in pity and sorrow for sixteen years! But, I wouldn't expect a stubborn and obnoxious brat like you to understand."
He then held out his hand a fired a small burst of invisible energy. Her body suddenly froze and hovered in the air.
"You Dragio's have always been the type to aspire for power. Your brother, the exception, paid for it by having his life played with by fate. You, on the other hand, will only realize your foolishness the hard way!"
He then thrust his hand forward, causing her to crash into the wall.
The smoke cleared from the explosion as the Drifters stood in wait, only to see the huge figure of Onerog remain in the same stature as before.
"Oh yes, did I forget to mention that your measly weapons can do no harm to Onerog or his armor; you cannot win!" Guile exclaimed as Jet closed the hatch on his weapon.
"It saves us bullets," he remarked as the golem readied for another assault.
"No, it has to have a weakness; there must be a way to penetrate its armor," Aaron thought aloud as their opponent leaped into the air and crashed down with its sword striking the ground. "Watch out!" Enrique yelled as they all jumped aside to avoid the ensuing shockwave. The golem then swung his sword around and pierced the floor, causing pillars of energy to erupt from the floor and chase the Drifters.
They quickly rolled and jumped, but Onerog held out his hand towards Aaron, who barely stopped before the blasts of energy collided with him and sent him sailing into the corresponding wall.
Enrique raised his ARMs and shot at the golem, issuing a battle cry. The bullets merely hit the armor and fell to the floor.
Onerog swiftly rushed at Enrique, and with his free hand, grasped his throat and slammed him into the ground, causing a small crater. It was about to attack the others, when Guile ordered, "Stop!"
He scratched his forehead and continued. "You can finish them later on, as for now, we must retreat back to Orion, something unexpected has occurred."
The golem willingly nodded in agreement before they both disappeared.
Virginia and Todd rushed over to the others as Jet examined his gun. "Not even the Magnum could put a dent in it; this might pose a problem."
"Ileana! What has happened!" Guile demanded as he helped the woman up. "Grandfather… Zane, he is-," But He quickly stopped her.
"So then, that boy has betrayed me, but it doesn't matter. Now that Onerog is at my disposal those Drifters are nothing! We shall crush them, Ileana, and pave the way towards the new Crystaelius!"
She glanced at the armored humanoid behemoth standing straight for a moment. Its eyes were centered on Guile, but they were empty.
Aaron stared meekly at the Tower of Osiris before glancing at his companions. "Everyone, I don't want to seem like a burden, but could I please be dropped off at Little Twister?" he asked.
Virginia glanced at him. "For what?" He scratched his head. "I… I need to speak with an old friend about a weapon. If I'm lucky, he and his wife still reside there."
Virginia smiled. "Of course! It should be okay with everyone, right?" Todd and Enrique nodded in unison as Jet closed his eyes. "Yeah, could I go with you Aaron?" the Drifter asked. Aaron thought for a moment. "I don't see why not, so, sure."
"So then," Jet began as he followed Aaron through the small town. "Who is this friend of yours, just out of curiosity, though."
Aaron smiled. "He was my former master ten years ago. He assisted me in completing my training with a sword."
He then turned a corner, and after a few more minutes, led Jet to a small home. To the side of it, was a small workshop, but the house seemed in much better condition than the other buildings.
Aaron cleared his throat and gently knocked on the door. After a few moments, it opened, revealing a young man with slightly dark brown hair.
"Can I help you, sir?" he asked in a polite tone as Aaron nodded. "Yes, would a man by the name of Ruben Rodrick live at this house? If not, is it possible for you to tell me where he is?"
The man thought for a moment and sighed. "My father currently resides in Claiborne. He entrusted this house to my sister and I."
Aaron smiled slightly. "I see, so you and Veronica sustain this place, I'm glad."
The man glanced at Jet for a moment but went back to Aaron. "Sir, if there is anything I can help you with, please hurry and tell me."
"Oh yes, your father once forged swords. Does he still? At this time, mine was shattered, and if possible, I would like him to repair it."
The man scratched his ear. "I'm sorry, my father no longer makes weapons such as those, and he did not teach me. We do, however, have his last sword, it was his best creation, but, he wishes for us to keep it in his memory when he ever passes."
Aaron frowned slightly and nodded. "All right then, thank you, and send me regards to your father."
Before he turned back however, there was a great shock.
(Okay, you guys will find out more about Ruben, his wife, and his daughter in the next chapter of 'A Blade of Courage'. Besides that, the idea of this chapter came to me from an episode of 'Rurouni Kenshin'.)
