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Chapter Six: Magnitude of Metal
There were many extravagant tastes to find in the freezing metal contraption in my new home. Who knew what kind of dishes Lowen would make with such ingredients as these. I was starting to find it easier to eat now that I was doing it on my own. The tastes definitely helped. There was no reason I could think of for why I hated tastes in my mouth. Surely the food my real parents fed me was detestable enough to give me a loathing for food in my mouth. But there is no need for concern. I have finished eating and now I should get back to work... but maybe I'll just read this book here instead. I sat down on the couch in the central lobby of my home away from home. I just picked it off a stand with books. This was the strangest book though. It was... the pages were slick, and many colorful images were in it. It was a magazine. It said so on the book. It was strange. It was no more then thirty pages by looking at it. I flipped through it. It was mostly articles about peoples opinion of the Ragol explosion. I put the magazine away and took out a hard cover book from the rack at my side. It was called "Composition of the Human Brain." This was a book that Canas would find interesting! He was curious about how the brain worked. I decided that I would read this book later. The day was going into its 14th hour. 2:00 PM. I had to know go back to the Guild.
Before I could leave my house the PTV began to beep. I walked over to it and it turned on. Principle Tyrell's form appeared on the great flashing box.
"Erk! I'm glad I caught you!" he seemed to have something important to say. "The council has decided to allow me to give you a grant! I will send your Meseta to the bank. Pick it up there. I am sending 24000 Meseta. It will be enough to last you awhile. But I have to warn you. If you fall in defeat on Ragol, your money will be lost. I don't know how you will lose it but it will happen. So whenever you go down to Ragol it's a good idea to put the money in the bank. Understood?"
"24000..." I muttered. I heard him. Keep the money in the bank unless you need to buy something. But I was more concerned with the Meseta. It was far too much!
"Surely I don't merit you going through the trouble!" I said. "That is far too much money. I don't need that much!"
"You don't need it," said Tyrell. "Yes I know that. However, I NEED you to have that much. My dau- erm... Well I need you to get this mission done as soon as possible and therefore you will except the money."
I recalled my discussion with Irene. I must find Rico.
"Well thank you sir," I said with a bow. "I must now be off to the Guild. Though I now have enough money for this mission, I need the experience."
"I wouldn't have it any other way Force Erk. Oh, and I want to know if you have any information on a break in at a... facility. It was the same place you were found. A man impersonated a researcher and stole information concerning Ragol's surface for real-estate reasons. Do you know of the matter?"
"So that is why Racton was in that facility!" I commented. "Well milord...sir...I don't know anything else other then his name is Racton."
"Thank you Erk. Now be off and God Speed!" The PTV shut off. What did he mean by that. The Gods will give me speed? Maybe...or is it good luck? Or both? It didn't matter. I walked away from the room and towards the door. I waited for the MAG to land on my shoulders, and proceeded out.
I arrived at the Guild. I walked up to the lady at the desk, preparing myself for her usual speech.
"Enrich your life! This is the..." she stopped. "Say where did you get the dye for your hair!? I keep on forgetting to ask you!"
"What do you mean dye?" I asked her.
"Where did you find the hair dye for that color in your hair!" she said.
"My hair is naturally this color," I explained. "I haven't used a foreign substance to alter the color of my hair. It has been this way since I was born."
"Your tripping!" said the clerk. I looked at my feet. What did she mean? I wasn't falling? I asked her what the phrase meant.
"It means that your pulling my leg," said the clerk. "Getting my goat. Talking nonsense."
"Believe what you want," I said. "I need a job."
"Oh right. Ahem... Enrich your life! This is the Hunter's Guild, welcome! We can assist you in finding a job if you're registered."
I created the Photon documents and gave them to her.
"Only one mission for you today," she said to me.
Magnitude of Metal
A valuable commodity on Ragol was lost!
Client: Garon, trader
Quest:
Retrieve items that were stolen on a trip back from Ragol.
Reward: 500 Meseta.
I agreed to the mission. The clerk began operating the computer.
"Your client will be here in ten...nine...eight...seven..."
What was she doing? Counting? My client was going to be here in-
"Five...four...three...two...one..."
The entrance doors to the Guild flew open as a man rushed in. "Are you the Force from the Guild?" shouted the man, stepping in front of me.
"I'm Garon, a trader. I want you to go...hold on a second."
He stopped to catch his breath.
"Hooohhh... I want you to go down to Ragol and retrieve my lost items. It's really important!"
"And that is why you were here so quickly?" I asked.
"Yes. A business opportunity the likes of which no one has seen before!"
"Not as big as when Lord Pent releases shampoo and toothpaste into Elibe!" I thought.
"I'm sure I'll become a zillionaire when I get it all back."
A Zillionaire? Is it possible to have that much money?
"That useless Ranger said that an android took them," said Garon while pointing out the doors.
"Find that android and get back my items! Understood? If you need any more info, ask that stupid, incompetent Ranger. He should be around here somewhere."
I nodded and exited the Guild.
I looked outside. This place still was amazing to me. I noticed a Ranger near the doors of the Guild. I walked up to him and asked him about Garon.
"Garon's commodity? Ah, they're just Mags."
"Mags? Isn't it MAG? M-A-G?"
"Mag is easier to say. Garon happened to find out that Mags could be found on the ground. He asked me to collect some for him. I accepted it for the Meseta. I collected enough Mags on Ragol to make everyone happy, but then, I thought about the Mags and the hunters who used them before. Mags are just protectors invented by a scientist. But we're given one when we become hunters. It's kind of a tradition. Mags are an essential piece of equipment for hunters, right? When I was thinking this, an android appeared. and... It was right, thought. Garon shouldn't use them to get Meseta."
His words stuck me with thought. Was I serving a client I shouldn't be? I decided I would find out soon enough and left to the transporter for Ragol.
I landed on the surface of Ragol. I noticed my surroundings. I was near a stream in a shady section of the forest area. I also noticed that a Booma was near me. But it didn't seem evil, nor was it attacking me. I walked up to it. It was only a child Booma. It wasn't aggressive like the other Boomas. Perhaps that the aggressive behavior of Boomas was taught? The young Booma saw me and ran off into the woods, over the mounds of dirt that I couldn't climb up without falling back down. That was more of... Hawkeye's job. Hawkeye... I didn't know him that well. Lord Pent and Lady Louise knew more about him then I did. He was extremely strong. To the point he seemed impervious to attacks. He was the defender of the Nabata desert. Many called him the "Mad Beast Warrior." He seemed more of a nice guy to me. Guy had a more fearsome look to him then Hawkeye did. Hawkeye was just tall and well built. This at least told me something about the Boomas. They were strong enough to be berserkers. Though they are fearsome beasts who seem to be blood thirsty as adults, I have a new advantage. The ice spell Barta and the healing spell Resta.
I opened various boxes I found near me. I found something called a handgun in one of the boxes. I held it in my hands. The wristband I had told me it was only usable to those with great accuracy. Though I had good accuracy in magic, I didn't think I had enough for this handgun. I put it in my satchel and left to the next area of the forest.
I found three Booma's in the next section of the forest. They were feasting on the vary baby I found earlier! This wasn't natural behavior! They were being controlled by some force! I felt the fire of Foie in my hands. The fire left me in the form of six fire balls, which hurdled down upon the Booma's. They began to burn. I knew that I wasn't ever going to get used to the burning smell of flesh. I had first experienced it when I was with Lady Lyn. We were going to save her grandfather in the land of Caelin. Her grandfather was the Marquess of Caelin. I was well acquainted with the smell of burning flesh, but I still haven't gotten used to it. But these Booma's were eating their own kin. This was something that I found intolerable. Still, I will morn for their souls, but later.
I left the area, going around the big tree I noticed earlier today. Entering the next area, I noticed something pink in another area overlooking the one I was in. My first thought was Serra, but I dismissed the idea. I noticed that a wolf was coming towards me. I closed my eyes and concentrated for the Foie spell. It felt strange casting spells without the necessary chant. I launched the fire ball at the Savage Wolf, creating a burning wound in it's side. I ran forward and struck it in it's wound. I lifted the staff up and crashed it down on it's neck. The Wolf fell. Pity began to rise in me again as I looked down at the poor beast. I caught two Boomas from the corner of my eye. At that moment I felt a rush of power. Was I having another Photon Blast? I prepared my spell. I burned the first Booma with my spell. The other one I decided I would fight with my cane. I rushed forward at the Booma.
"Lets see what you've got cannibal" I thought to myself. I first gave it some burns with Foie, then brought my cane down on its shoulder. The Booma recoiled. I drove my cane into it's gut, and up into it's jaw. It countered with a swipe of its claw. The attack was beginning to seem less painful. I was getting stronger, but it didn't change the fact I was injured. I swung the cane to the side of the Booma's head, and down on the back of its neck as I spun around for another assault. I grimaced at the cracking of it's spinal bones. More Booma's were coming out of the ground. Two more. Is it worth it to attack these beasts? Was it worth to do that just for greater knowledge? To get stronger by killing them? That was what Nergal did! I then remembered what Kireek said. That the beasts were being possessed by some evil entity. Maybe it is best to...
"Arrrg!" Pain rushed down my side. The Boomas attacked me while I was thinking! The burning of pain down my left cheek and most of my left side was replaced with the warm feeling in my arms as I summoned Foie. The fire flew from my arms and burned one Booma from both sides, and another fire ball flew down on the other Booma's head. The first Booma burned, while the other howled. I clenched my fist and watched it glow with more magic. I put my hand to the last Booma's entrails and burned its body away. I was getting tired of using so much magic and took out some Monofluid. I opened the capsule and put the opening to my lips. The fluid was somewhat fruity in taste, with a bitter after taste... I felt the rush of magic flood back into me... I don't know why I still called it magic but it was the most familiar term and I continued to use it. I began to feel pain again. I closed my eyes. I felt another warm feeling flood into me as I prepared to use the Resta spell I learned while on my lunch break.
"Serra...can you see me now?" I don't know why I asked that question to myself. The image of her in my mind, and the warmth of the Resta spell. I felt my wounds close and the pain fade away. I looked towards the door to the next area.
The next area had three Rag Rappies in it. This was the area with the gate of lines in it. It was strange how I kept on ending up in different areas when I came down to Ragol. The Rag Rappies stood up, and fell down at the force of my magic. I began wishing I had my Excalibur spell Tome. Excalibur the wind spell. It was very powerful. But I didn't have it with me. I had to make due with Foie. Two Boomas crawled out of the ground away from me. It was fine. I would defeat them with the same Fire that I would use to defend others.
"But who am I defending besides myself?" I asked myself. It was obvious. I had to find Red Ring Rico. That was one of my main objectives. I had to fight and get stronger to find her.
"Foie!" The burning spell fled from my arms in the form of four fire balls. The Boomas fell. I was beginning to think I would need earplugs so that I wouldn't have to listen to their howls every time I defeated one. I sensed a presence behind me. Just what I needed. More Boomas to burn. I turned around and burned one of the Boomas. I rushed at the next Booma. I rammed my cane down on its shoulder, rammed the tip of the cane into it's face, and finished with a blow to the skull. I jumped out of the way when its claw came at me. I proceeded to cast a Foie spell, burning and injuring the beast, but it hadn't fallen just yet. I attempted two hits to its sides, missing both times. I managed to dodge a claw from the left, and blocked it's slash from the right. I spun around, with the cane close to my body to spin faster, and my cane collided with the Booma's head. Victory, and I heard the doors unlock. I went through another of the giant doors, and proceeded down a path. The path turned left, and up a path. The next set of doors opened.
I saw the pink thing again. It was a RAcaseal. A female Android Ranger. I walked up to her and greeted her. She didn't seem to listen to me and began talking to herself.
"Well...one's still missing..." Her attention then finally turned to me.
"I was surprised...Ah....excuse me, but have you seen a Mag around here?"
"I'm looking for that very Mag or Mags milady," I said politely with a dull smile.
"What?" she said. "You came here to retrieve Mags? No, no! I didn't mean to take them from the Ranger. But they all looked so sad, so I just started talking to them. And... they looked very happy. I just wanted to say hello."
"So they DO have emotions," I thought to myself. The Tailor I met when I arrived on Pioneer 2 was wrong. Mags have emotions, they are not just for show.
"But..." The RAcaseal began to talk again. "They all wanted to come with me, and they chased after me. Then everyone returned to their master's place. They aren't here now. Only one Mag was saying that it would come with me, but it disappeared. Sorry about that..."
"That's okay," I said to her. "At least your sorry."
"Are you going to look for it? Let me join you. Maybe it didn't stray too far from me."
"That's okay," I told her. "I don't need your help. No need for us both to get hurt. Don't trouble yourself with a burden like myself."
"I want to be with you when we find the Mag..." she replied. I conceded to her will. "By the way, I'm Elenor. Elenor Camuel. I'm an android."
"Nice to meet you Lady Elenor," I told her. "I am Force Erk of Etruria."
"That gun of hers is as long as I am tall!" I thought secretly with fear.
"Are you tired?" she asked me.
"Wha...? No I'm fine, just thinking." It was the truth, but I wouldn't tell her what I was thinking.
"Are you mad because I let the Mags run away?" she asked me. "I'm sorry."
"No no no," I told her. "I'm not mad at you at all. But you should have kept an eye on them instead of letting them scurry away!"
"But please listen. I don't know if you're aware of this, but... Mags are intelligent. When a hunter equips a Mag, it recognizes him or her as its master. Some Mags are clever. They can protect or heal their masters!"
"Really?" I asked her. "You mean this little guy?" I looked over my shoulder and at my Mag.
"Moreover, some can do a lot of photon damage. Doc told me, but... I forgot..."
"Doc?" I thought to myself.
"Aaa...anyway! Mags'll try to help you if you're nice to them. Mags feel very sad when they lose their masters."
"Very well, I will chew upon that as we continue forth."
We went down a path, turned left and came to another area. It was the sandy one. We went about half way up the area. I heard a sound behind us and turned around. Boomas had crawled out of the ground near the door. Elenor shot at them. She was able to do more damage them me. She slew them each with two projectiles to each Booma. To my left I heard the sound again. Another group was coming upon us. I launched Foie at one, and Elenor shot it. I ran forward and rammed it with my cane. The beast fell. The other one was coming. Elenor took two shots at it and I finished it off with Foie. Up the sandy field appeared another Booma, and a Rag Rappy fluttered out of the forest. Elenor shot down the Rappy, and I attacked the Booma. I hit it, and Elenor helped by shooting the beast after every time I hit it. The beast fell after three strikes from me and two from Elenor. We proceeded out of the area, when she stopped me.
"Excuse me," she said. "I don't know if I should tell you this... but... Erk, your Mag is hungry..."
"...What?" I asked. Hungry? How could I not feed it!
"It's true!" she continued. "It's alive. It needs something to eat. And it's best to give a Mag it's favorite item."
"Item? I feed it items?"
"Each Mag has it's own characteristics and its own favorite items. Some like Monomate, others like Dimate... To feed your Mag just pull out an item you think it may like and give it the item. That's it. It's easy. Try to 'know' your Mag. It grows as it's Master gains experience."
"Fascinating," I said. "I knew it was alive, sort of. I got the impression. You hungry little guy?" I turned to my Mag. I gave it three spare Monomates. I didn't need them any more. The Mag began to glow as it ate.
"Wha?"
"It's growing Erk!" said Elenor happily. "It has strengths. Defense, offense, mind... When it gets stronger, it's abilities will also grow. Depending on how strong your Mag is, you will get stronger as well when near it."
"Really?" I asked. "Thank you Mag! We should get going now Lady Elenor."
"Umm Erk?" Elenor began to say. "Why do you call me Lady Elenor?"
"...It's a long story," I said. "Lets just say that I'm more of a foreigner then anyone else you'll meet."
"Okay...you can still call me that okay?"
"Yes milady...I mean well...uaur..."
She gave me a puzzled look. I turned around, and we walked into the next area.
Walking into the next area, I carefully looked around me to make sure that we weren't being stalked by roving beasts. I looked around and distracted myself with nature. Every tree and bush... every blade of grass was rich in beauty. Why was it that this planet seemed...evil. I turned around and looked at the pink android. It was amazing how a being of metal had beauty... Though not a natural being she seemed like she helped express what was natural on this planet. All the life on it seemed to teem with foreign life in it. The planet itself seemed possessed. And yet here is this unnatural being that seemed the most natural thing around this beautiful yet eerie place.
"Erk," she said.
"Oh sorry," I began to say. "It was rude of me to stare."
"Your Mag is very cute."
"OH!" I said surprised. "Yeah... I like it too."
She smiled at me. Despite that her face was metal, it could shape itself like my own could.
"It likes you a lot, Erk!"
"Say Lady Elenor? How is it that you know so much about Mags?"
She just stared at me... did I offend her?
"...Huh?" she said.
"For example you can speak to them. How is that?"
"How can I communicate with Mags?" she asked to make sure she got it right. "Well, because... ???. I'm so sorry... I just don't know."
"That's okay, many things cannot be explained."
We walked out of the area, and into another. We came to the place where I first spotted her over the hill. I walked up to the stream to my left.
"Oh, I just remembered!" Elenor said to me. I turned around to face her.
"When Mags get hurt, they charge energy to endure the pain."
"Sounds like an adrenaline rush," I thought to myself.
"The charged energy can be converted to a Photon Blast!" she told me.
"I heard that the Mag Photon Blast was different from the one you or I would have. When I have one, I get stronger. What is it like for Mags? Would you please tell me?"
"...but I'm not sure... When the energy is fully charged, your Mag tells you to use the power!"
"Do they get hurt otherwise?"
"...I think they get hyper...?"
She seemed a lot like Ninian. So distant... We continued over the stream and into the second area I came to. The body of the young Booma was still there. I formed a fire ball in my hand and blew a hole in the ground. I walked up to the creature, picked it up, and placed it in the hole. I proceeded to put dirt over it. I drew the pattern of life of Elibe in the dirt. A large circle, with a smaller circle in it. Between the two circles I drew several symbols, and a cross in the center of the smaller circle. One part of the cross I drew the picture of my world, a modest map of Elibe. The other side was a crescent moon. On another side I drew two circles and a symbol in those. To the last branch I drew a square with the Elimine prayer. I got up. I said nothing to Elenor, and she said nothing to me, but understood. We continued to where I landed on Ragol.
While going into the area I saw something scurry on the ground a little near the telegate back to Pioneer 2. I wasn't sure where it was exactly.
"Hey! There it is!" announced Elenor.
"Where?" I asked.
"There! Over there! Can you see it?"
"I can now," I said spotting it.
We walked over to the little Mag.
"Hi again..." she said to it. Her eyes suddenly became entranced with the Mag.
"What's wrong?" I asked her. She didn't respond. "Elenor what's wrong?"
"I see," she said. She looked up at me. "It visited it's ex-master to say bye-bye. Now it's done. It says that it wants to have a new master. See? Mags prefer a master that loves them. Erk, please take care of your Mag. Even if you can't hear it's voice, know that it understands you."
She handed me the Mag.
"Mags are good partners to hunters. I 'know' my Mag. I can feel my Mag because I'm very close to it..."
"Where is your Mag?" I asked. I didn't see a Mag with her except the one she handed me.
"...? I don't know...? I don't remember..."
I chuckled lightly.
"Your a funny woman Lady Elenor," I said. "You sort of remind me of my foster mother Louise. Please take care of yourself Lady Elenor."
She smiled lightly.
"Bye," I said with a modest bow and walked into the telegate.
Arriving back on Pioneer 2, I walked up to the Ranger on the other side of the street. I told him about the Mags.
"I'm happy to hear that," he said. "The Mags would be much happier going back to their masters."
I nodded. Looking further up the street I saw the Chaotic Bar. I decided to go there and sell my unwanted items. I walked down the street and into the Bar. I walked up to the green booth and sold the various items I didn't want. I found that I had picked up several additions of the same items, and yet some handguns and barriers were more powerful against certain things, like the Weapons Triangle taught to mercenaries. I sold what I didn't want. I found that one of the Frames I found was the same strength as my current one, but it had two slots in it. I asked the clerk what their purpose was. The female clerk said that Frames and Armors, which materialize under ones cloths, can have slots. The various programs one might find could be put in slots. She also said that it would be more useful then having a Frame with no slots but a fair defense. She said that some of the programs could increase ones defensive abilities more then the Frame with no slots in it. I decided I would keep the Frame with the slots. With better armors, more Meseta, and more knowledge, I decided to leave the Bar. I was going to go to the bank and pick up my new Meseta, so that I would have enough to buy what I needed at the Chaotic Bar. While on the way I fed my Mag three Monomates. The Mag began to glow and I felt it's new power. It was such a fascinating animal. I wonder if I can take it back with me when I go back to Elibe?
"If you go back," a dark voice said in my mind. It was familiar. I stopped in my tracks.
"That wasn't my own thoughts," I said to myself.
"Who are you?" I thought.
"Don't recognize my voice do you?" laughed the voice. "Hahahahaha.You will suffer! I'm getting stronger! I can now talk to you with my mind and not just in dreams. Soon I will be powerful enough to defeat you! I will smite you like the cur you are! There is no protection against me! I will have you!"
"Who are you!??... Nergal?"
"Surprised? How fortunate that you are my only worry though! The Archsage is dead! I cannot only use magic now, I can do a large assortment of other things!"
"I killed you though!"
"No. You failed just as the Archsage did. Fate is on my side. It doesn't let me keep my flesh, and I continue to deform with every encounter I lose, which is two so far. But fate doesn't let me die. Fate will protect me. I have lost some of my body, but I now have a new body. I can use magic, and other things. You will suffer! The Master will defeat you if I fail. It defeated this worlds heroes... or will shall we say? They are still here, but I have seen the future. The Master will consume you all. Zoke, Donoph, Heathcliff, Rico, yourself. You will be consumed. You don't have a choice in the matter!"
"You've said such things before. Your only an empty threat."
"Oh really? I can't do anything to you right now, but the Master can!"
I suddenly became light headed. I felt a pain on my forehead. I put my hand to my forehead. I found that my hand was covered in my blood. I had been inflicted a cut.
"Is this your Master's doing?" I asked Nergal.
"Yes. It can do a lot more. The Master is everywhere. In the plants... in the animals."
"Nergal!!!"
"Don't worry what the Master is doing to Ragol Erk. You should be more concerned that I have penetrated your mind! I know the spells to Elibe, and I can perform that spell more fluently then Pent."
"You will refer to him as Lord Pent! You may be powerful, and had a great army! But you are still a commoner!"
"You didn't get it did you? I read your mind. I know where all of Eliwood's band of misfits are. I can go to your friends as much as is needed by the Master. But you can't be there to protect them!"
"What does it matter to you? What happened about dragons?"
"You'll find out about that yourself! But I personally want to get back at Eliwood, and he will just happen to need the others to help fight. I will smite them all!"
"Why waste your time? I'm the one that defeated you!"
"Your not strong enough to stop me anymore! Not after my transformation!"
"What is this transformation?"
"Once again...you'll see..."
"Nergaaaaal!!!" I shouted. How could it be? Nergal had returned? How did he get here?
"I must be going now. So many things to do."
"Nergal!"
There was no further answer. I thought it would be best to concern myself with this later. I had to finish my mission before I began a new one. I would warn Lord Pent and the others later. I decided I would just deposit my new money and the items I couldn't use. I continued back to the Guild.
Arriving at the Guild I walked up to Garon.
"I apologize Garon but this is all that could be found of your commodity," I explained, handing him the Mag.
"Whaaaaat?" he shouted. "This is the only one?" He started to growl under his anger. He calmed down and looked at me sternly. He sighed.
"Their masters were already ...dead..." He closed his eyes and sighed again. "Anyway, you can get your Meseta at the Guild! Your job is finished. Ahhh.... I lost so much Meseta! I could've been a... zillionaire..."
"Well that answers one question," I thought to myself. "Why the previous masters of the Mags didn't stay with their masters. But why didn't Elenor tell me?"
I walked up to the clerk at the Guild desk.
"Enrich your hair-I mean life! This is the Hunter's Guild, welcome! Very good! You have completed the job! This is the reward! 500 Meseta. Please come again. The Hunter's Guild helps you to enrich your life!... I wish I could enrich my life into a cool hair style like yours though!"
I started rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment, lightly grabbing at my hair. With that I took my Meseta and left the Guild. I went to the transporter and continued to my home, and warn them about Nergal's boast.
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The pattern that Erk drew into the sand at the burial of the baby Booma is not mine. It is the pattern you see at the bottom of the screen when you start the Fire Emblem Rekka no Ken game. The white one when you choose to either continue a game, start a new one and that stuff.