PART VII

"……………..Sensei? Sensei?"

"Ah, funny….you're….back…"

"What happened?"

"Some….are….more….powerful…..than… you…..might…know…."

"What? Nobody could take you. I've seen you fight!"

"Consider this…..a final lesson. No matter….who you are….there's always….somebody better."

"What kind of talk is that?"

"Last words."

"Ha. A joker, even now…….Sensei? Sensei?…….Goodbye."

Even Bootus was moderately impressed as San D'Oria emerged from the mist before the unlikely (is there any other kind?) band of adventurers. The gigantic stone structure ran as far as the eye could see, and the towering entrance seemed huge even to the galka.

He let his disapproval be heard through an angry groan as the two elvaan guards murmured under there breath something about 'outsiders'. Voldos shot them a fierce look, but they just laughed. He shrugged this off and the party entered San D'Oria.

Silently, each of the party turned to Voldos to lead them to the Bastok consulate that could guide them further. Voldos shrugged and decided to lead the way. The elves just turned away, or stared in disgust at the latest band of foreign outsiders to tread into their fair city.

"I hate elves." Vivli grumbled, before catching an angry glance from Voldos. "I mean, present company excluded." She nervously added. "But their always looking down on me!" Bootus let out an aggravated sigh.

"Vivli. It's difficult for any race to not look down on you." The galka took a step closer to remind her of her height issues.

"Not any race! I'll have you know amongst the tarutaru population back in Windurst I was considered quite tall!" She let out a smug smile.

"When your considered only quite tall by tarus, you know you're short." Zinkata injected, wiping the smile from Vivli's face.

"Curses." Vivli mumbled due to the fact she had no sufficient comeback.

"I'm not going to ask how you guys came together." Commented the guard at the Bastokian consulate.

"Then don't and tell us where we have to go." Bootus tried to cut down the chit-chat as much as possible.

"Talk to the ambassador." The guard motioned to the room at the back. "But all he'll tell you to do is head to the chateau and talk to an elvaan guard there."

To their surprise, this information was accurate.

"I hate elves." Vivli commented again as they walked into the gigantic castle structure, named, for fancy purposes, a chateau. The others sighed irritably. An elvaan guard walked up to the party before they made it very far.

"Halt." He announced. "I suppose you're either a travelling circus, or that band of useless adventurers from Bastok."

"Depends on which one pays better." Zinkata joked before Voldos could reply.

"The second." He managed to interject moments after.

"Ah, yes. The adventurers sent to our job." He paused. "A brute, a furball, a semi-evolved ape and a disgrace."

"HEY!" Vivli screamed, making her offence more vocal than the others.

"Settle down." Whispered Bootus, restraining her by pulling on her tail.

"Ow!" She yelped, not settling down.

"Insults aside," Voldos snarled, "Give us our task, and we'll do it to the best of our ability."

"Look. I don't want you to be here. Yet the Bastokian government keeps sending you. So I'll continue to dispose of you." He paused for a weary sigh. "The orcs are gathering again, probably to attack. I want you to kill their leader, the war chief Vatgit. That'll slow them down." He paused again. "Of course, in actuality you'll just be killed. Either way, solves my problem."

"He seems fairly confident in us." Voldos whispered to Zinkata.

"Now get the hell out of here." He physically pushed Voldos, who stumbled back, knocking Vivli over completely. Of course, had Bootus kept hold of her tail, she would have remained standing. Some would suggest it was coincidence that this was the exact moment he let go. Other, more sane people, would not.

"I don't know about you," Voldos said to Vivli, "But even I'm beginning to hate elves."

"I can't believe he called me a fur-ball!" Vivli complained.

"Get over it." Bootus instructed her. "We need to get moving."

"Oh no, not until I get another staff." Vivli warned. "You owe me!" She angrily pointed to Voldos.

"Urm, well, I did break it to save the town." He said in his own defence. I wonder how I can get out of this, were his more specific thought patterns. What would the others do? "I'll get you a new one though. Just for you." He smiled and wondered off.

"Yeah, you better!" Vivli was slightly startled her complaining had worked, and so didn't quite know what to do.

"So, where's the tavern?" Asked Bootus, clasping his mighty hands together.

Sadly events at the tavern didn't go quite as well as Bootus had intended. Zinkata's knife trick didn't go down nearly as well, and Vivli refused to drink, thus quelling any humorous instances. And to make it worse, there were no tarus. Bootus grumbled miserably. The only highlight came upon Voldos's entrance.

"Hey! Vivli!" He cried. The mithra ran over, excited that somebody actually wanted to talk to her. "I got you a staff." He held it out to her, an offer. She took it happily at first, until she examined it.

"This is a stick!" She protested.

"No need to disgrace your weapon like that." Voldos responded. "Sure, staffs may look like basic sticks, but they have-"

"I mean it's a stick!" She cried. "You picked it up outside!"

"I am shocked and appalled you would ever level such an accusation at me!" Voldos gasped.

"It's still got leaves growing from it!" Vivli screamed.

"So they went for that natural look. Don't come crying to me!" The elf responded.

"Grrr." Vivli grumbled.

"Oh! Good! She's got a weapon!" Bootus marched towards the duo. "Come on, then. We've got a mission to complete."

"But-" Vivli began.

"Move it!" Bootus grabbed her by the tail and dragged her out of the tavern before she could finish. She let out a high pitched yelp, but was forced to follow. "I swear mithra evolved this thing just for this purpose." Bootus laughed as Vivli was helplessly dragged along behind, whining in pain.

They had soon left San D'Oria and headed towards the orcish camp. Every adventurer knew it was there, and several used it to hone their skills, and the few that ventured in further never returned.

"OW! LET GO!" Screamed Vivli, destroying the peaceful ponderings of Zinkata. "I'm going with you now, you can let me go!"

"I could, but that wouldn't be as much fun." Bootus smirked, pulling hard on Vivli's tail for emphasis. She yelped again.

"Let her go." Zinkata grumbled. "We don't need to attract any more attention with a screaming mithra."

"Aw, that's no fun." Bootus noticed the scowls he got from all three party members. "Fine." He let go, and Vivli instinctively pulled her tail back and around into her hands, where she rubbed it to ease the pain. She also put plenty of distance between herself and the galka.

"CHARGE!" Came a cry from the hills around them. Three orcs stampeded down the slope, spears drawn.

"Aw nuts." Voldos murmured as the orcs attacked.

Bootus, Zinkata and Voldos charged the orcs, meeting them head on. Vivli determinedly pulled out her staff only to see it was still a stick. She slipped it back in her belt with a grumble and prepared to cast healing magic.

Voldos got to the first orc that thrust his spear directly at the elf. Voldos dived aside, slicing across and cutting into the orcs leg. The orc stabbed downwards, scratching the elf's side. Voldos rolled away, and came up behind the orc. The two turned in confusion, almost losing their bearings. Voldos held his sword up, crossed across his body. He stared into the reflection of his blade, watching his back as well as the orc in front of him. He was determined to wait for the orc to make the first move.

The orc pulled out a bow and shot him.

Elsewhere Zinkata was proudly smirking at the orc he was engaged in combat against for he had just cut the orc's spear in half. The orc let out an angry scream and charged the human wildly. Zinkata extended his sword and effortlessly stabbed him.

Bootus had wrestled the final orc to the ground, and two were grappling. Bootus landed powerful blows, dazing the orc. He reached across, grabbing the spear of the monstrous beast, and drove it into the orc. The creature went limp.

Ow thought Voldos, as he rose to his feet, arrow lodged in his chest. I want one. The orc reloaded its bow to fire again, but Voldos leapt at it. The orc fell to the ground, kicking Voldos over its own body. Voldos slammed down, but felt a warm magic dispose of any pain. Vivli smiled from the sidelines. With new determination, he rose to his feet, and ran for his sword. The orc raised, firing another arrow. He sliced it out of the air and swung his sword again, slicing off the head of the creature. It dropped down, dead.

"I call the bow!" He cried, bending down and picking it up.

"I hope you can use that." Came a deep angry voice. The party spun in all directions, but couldn't see the speaker.

"I'm scared." Vivli commented after sometime.

"Shut the hell up." Bootus told her.

"I can't believe you never even made the orcish camp." The voice told them.

"What?" Voldos snapped. "Give us half a chance."

"Your chances are over." A robed figure stepped out of seemingly nowhere.

"No. It can't be." Cried Zinkata. "Signot!"

"Your journey ends here heroes. Sorry to cut it short." Signot told the party. He held out a smooth metal hilt, on either end was a short jagged blade. The blades suddenly jumped out into full length swords, extending from both directions. A double bladed sword for duelling multiple opponents. Vivli let out a yelp as the blades jumped out, and Bootus followed this up with a groan. Signot held out the blade in a challenge.

"You can't take all of us!" Zinkata spat. "I almost beat you alone!"

"Ha. You can't be serious." Signot spun the blade and attacked. Zinkata blocked once, but was cut across the leg with a second spin while Signot brought the blade over his head to block Voldos. Voldos attacked a few more times, but Signot effortlessly drove him back before kicking him square in the chest and knocking him down. Bootus ran at him, but was flung back by an unseen force. "I've grown more powerful than you can possibly imagine!"

"You haven't won yet!" Bootus snarled as he leapt with full force. Signot flung him aside, again with an invisible power, sending the galka tumbling into Zinkata, who was just beginning to stand up. Voldos fired his newfound bow, but Signot stopped it, hovering it just before him.

"You are no match for the power my master has offered me." He dropped the arrow to the floor. He looked to Bootus. "You know I did a lot of training to become this powerful. I even killed this ridiculous crazed sensei. Some kind of galkan monk." He focused his burning red eyes on Bootus. "Ever heard of him?"

"You killed my master!" Bootus charged Signot, and Signot effortlessly drove his blade right through the galka. Bootus dropped to the floor.

"And his pupil." Signot said with a smile.

"I don't think so!" Came a sudden defiant cry.

Vivli healed Bootus, and the galka rose to his feet.

"I wondered when you'd get involved." Signot spat at the mithra. "You're just prolonging their pain you know?"

"Signot!" Zinkata was back on his feet. "You're the one that's going to experience pain!" He rushed him, and Signot began to parry him, driving him back. Voldos ran in on the left, and Signot fought the two of them off, bouncing between them but unable to get the finishing blow. Bootus charged Signot, slamming the robed man off his feet.

There was a pause before Bootus rocketed up into the air and slammed into the ground. He didn't move anymore. He fought back Zinkata and Voldos now with relative ease, slicing them to pieces despite the attempts to heal them coming from Vivli. Eventually, she collapsed to her knees from the exhaustion of the casting, and Voldos and Zinkata were left without help.

Signot backstabbed Voldos, causing the elf to drop. A lucky hit in the heated duel. He turned to face Zinkata.

"Just like old times, friend." He snarled.

"I'm no friend of yours." Zinkata snarled back.

"You're not?" Signot exclaimed, surprised. "Shame." He sliced with his blade, knocking Zinkata's sword aside. He pulled his double bladed sword back, slicing the ex-thief down the face. This gave him the distraction to finish him off with a stab.

"NO!" Vivli struggled to her feet, running towards her fallen comrades. Signot clicked his blade away and grabbed her as she did, throwing her to the ground.

"You've caused enough trouble." He told her. Tears streamed down her face. "Now let's see how you do without oxygen." Vivli began to choke, as if something was gripping her throat. She had heard of rasp, but never experienced it. It was a Black Magic spell, a spell designed only to kill.

"I….can't…..breath…." She gasped desperately.

"Yes. That's the idea." Her vision blurred and faded away, and she dropped down defeated.

Bootus opened his gigantic eyelids. A fat orc was stood before him, dressed in tribal armour.

"And so all three are awake." The orc announced. Three? Vivli's gone? YES! Bootus's mind screamed. He tried to move, but found himself chained to a post. He looked to his left and right to see Zinkata and Voldos, equally chained.

"Damn." He managed to say.

"I am War Chief Vatgit." The orc told them. "Chief of this camp, and soon to be, your executioner."

Vivli came too and started gasping for oxygen. She bolted upright, and tried to move. She was sat, but tied to a post just like the fate of the other adventurers. Except she was tied with a single rope. Great, they're mocking me she decided, knowing that any able adventurer could escape easily. A survey of her surrounding area revealed she was in the back of a caged cart, not unlike what was used to store circus animals.

"Don't worry, you will meet your fate soon enough." The voice of Signot sent a chill down her spine.
"Fate?" She whimpered.

"My master will see to it that you are dealt with." Signot told her.

"Dealt with? What can I do?" She screamed hysterically.

"Call it a pre-emptive strike. My master knows some things you do not. He knows some things you are that you do not." Vivli struggled to comprehend this, but listened all the same.

"What? What do you mean?" She cried, but was met with nothingness. Her entire body shook in fear. She didn't know what was going on, or what Signot had meant, but she wished he would have explained fully or not at all, and not left her puzzled like that.

"I will return shortly with the instruments of your demise." Vatigt walked out of the tent the heroes found themselves in. They watched him go.

"Right. Time to plan our daring escape." Zinkata decided.