Star Ocean: Wraith of Heaven

Chapter 7: Return of the Dragon God

There was a cold and bitter chill that had settled upon the command bridge of the Diplo, an ominous air that had taken hold within the bones of every operative who frantically pressed the various command codes of their designated station, alerting the rest of the ship of the hostile vessel that entered the system via means of Gravitic Space. The unregistered vessel moved with steady ease toward the planet of Elicoor II, seemingly paying little attention to the Quark flagship.

"Damn," Cliff muttered as he rubbed his chin with his hand while leaning forward in the captain's chair. "What the hell's going on?"

"Cliff," Marietta said, her hyperactive fingers effortlessly implementing numerous command codes as she gathered information on the approaching ship. "We haven't received any information on the ship's registry…"

"Meaning it's not listed in the Federation Database, not that it matters much, if they've come this far there's only one thing they're looking for…" Sighing deeply as he measured the projected trajectory of the vessel, the muscular Klausian estimated it would only take two hours for the unknown ship to enter Elicoor's atmosphere. "Do we have a visual?"

"Yes sir, on screen."

Cliff's eyes narrowed in uncertainty as he judged the markings of the craft. "That looks like a Vendeeni ship, but it must be a newer model. Damn, this is really going to complicate things," the blond-haired man replied, leaning back in his chair as he kneaded his forehead with his knuckles as if trying to dislodge a particularly unpleasant thought. "Have there been any recent transmissions from Maria?"

"None since Steeg's last communication about 15 minutes ago."

Rubbing his hand through his hair in obvious frustration, Cliff brought the hammer of his fist against the armrest of his chair. "Dammit…alright fine. Marietta, put a hold on the attack squad going down to assist Maria, we're going to need all the hands we can get. Since there's no use running from that thing, divert 50 percent of our thruster power to our port shields and prepare Gravitic Torpedoes and Plasma Cannons. Then advise Steeg on the ground of what's happening. See if he can't get Maria and the others out of there fast."

"Yes sir," the nervous yet dutiful operator replied, punching the various commands that would initiate the orders given.

Closing his eyes in deeply rooted regret, Cliff bit off the numerous curses he felt rising within him before his mind fell upon the planet he and his crew currently orbited. "Maria, Fayt, I'm sorry, but looks like you guys are going to have to handle this on your own."

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Fayt gripped the hilt of his sword as he stepped forward, his eyes leveled upon the being that held the Sacred Orb within his hands as the former tried to gauge the power he felt emanating from the unknown invader. "You have no right to take that…put it back now!"

The would be thief merely surveyed the party, shaking his head in mild amusement. "How do you propose to stop me?" He chided, allowing the force of energy to illuminate his hand before unleashing the devastating gust of wind that buffeted the three companions. The warriors were shaken but otherwise braved the attack well, thanks in no small to Clair who had the foresight to cast a protection spell on them.

Fayt quickly cleared his head as he moved rapidly towards the unnamed attacker, bringing his sword in a downward arch and cleanly slicing the air as his intended target had moved out of reach faster than the blue-haired warrior had anticipated. Unfazed by the failure of his attack however, Fayt planted his left foot and quickly turned, pivoting his body and bringing his sword along the horizontal plain of his opponents waist, only to have his wrist snagged by the powerful hand of his adversary, the being using the momentum of the skilled attack to fling the sword master the length of the chamber.

Maria took advantage of the momentary distraction, firing a quick salvo of ammunition into the back of thief while Clair began launching spell after spell, not to defeat the opponent so much as to keep his staggered and off-balance. The tactic worked well, until the sneering figure sent a ripple into the ground itself that knocked the two women off their feet. Fayt, however, moved quickly toward the man, driving the bulk of his elbow into the small of his back. The attack sent a shock of pain up Fayt's arm, but he ignored the sensation and continued pressing his attacks.

In but a few moments, Maria had joined the fray, abandoning logic in the face of the desperate measures that seemed to follow. Her weapon had little effect against him, thus she joined her companion in the physical attacks that she hoped would eventually slow him down.

Clair summoned the great fire demon Efrit, ordering the beast to slash at the near-invincible being as Fayt drew blood, slicing the blade of his weapon across the back of his enemy. A cry, more of surprise than pain exited the man's throat as Maria drew her weapon and pressed the barrel against the man's cheek before pulling the trigger.

The mistake that followed was the result of believing they had won the battle before realizing it was far from over. The mysterious figure narrowed his eyes in unmistakable fury as he grabbed Maria by the throat and threw her aside like a discarded piece of unwanted garbage. With speed not yet revealed to the three combatants, the god-like being quickly turned and grabbed Fayt by the top of his head, lifting him off the ground before driving the bulk of his fist into the ribs of the young man. The punch itself had been brutal, but not as much as the burst of energy that followed to the young man's midsection, the force of it sending Fayt once more across the length of the room as he landed in a heap.

"Fayt?" Maria choked as she struggled to her feet and ran to the side of her unmoving companion. As she reached his side and turned him to his back, her eyes widened in unmistakable horror. Though he still lived, it seemed only a miracle, the apparent conditioning of his body and his own latent powers absorbing much of the attack, but still, he was just barely alive. His head sagged limply as his blue eyes swam in and out of focus, yet the heavy flow of blood from the young man's lips showed the extent of his injuries.

"Fayt, listen to me," Maria said, her voice breaking as she begged the young man to stay conscious. "You can't die on me Fayt…do you understand. I won't let you die…" Maria prided herself on her ability to exert emotional control over any situation, yet at this exact moment, she felt herself begin to drown in fear as the life steadily slipped from the young man in her arms. "Don't do this Fayt, don't leave me…"

To her surprise, Fayt's fingers gripped Maria's wrist, as if trying to gather her attention. His mouth moved awkwardly, as if he no longer had the power to work his lips, yet he managed to choke out a single word to her before the gagging on the blood that filled his mouth. "Power…"

Coughing and spitting the blood out of the way of his words, Fayt's quickly fading eyes locked onto Maria's, "Use…power to heal…"

"I…I've never used it on another living being before…I don't know what will happen," yet the irony quickly became relevant to the sapphire-haired captain, for doing nothing would surely mean his death. Closing her eyes and praying to whatever deity might listen, Maria summoned her power and placed it upon the injured man's chest, hoping she could control it enough to mend his wounds without causing his death.

Clair withdrew her weapon, brandishing the bladed staff and spinning the weapon in her hands at a near invisible pace. She knew she was now alone fighting this intruder, but she could not allow him to escape with the Sacred Orb. Even if it meant her life, she would not abandon the artifact to this being. Launching herself to her left and rolling in Somersault to avoid the burst of energy directed at her before rising to her feet, Clair summoned her own spell, encasing the figure in a dome of electricity that seemed to lock him in place before moving forward and slashing quickly with her blade, staggering the villain with her skillful attacks.

She spun quickly, bringing her weapon up and over her head before bringing the blade of the staff down towards the head of the mysterious man, only to have him stop the attack with his hand, catching the weapon effortlessly. Eyes growing in shock and disbelief, Clair tried to pull the weapon from the man's grip, only to learn how strong the figure was despite appearances. Before she could summon another spell however, the man's fist connected with her face, sending her flying several feet.

As the Shield Legion Commander struggled to her feet, she watched fearfully as the figure hurled the staff at her. Unable to summon the strength to dodge, Clair waited for the impact that would send her to her eternal reward, until the spear was knocked from its path by the short sword that effectively knocked the weapon from the air. "Nel," Clair whispered as her strength faded and she sagged to the floor. As she turned her eyes to the entryway however, she noticed not her beloved friend standing in the doorframe but rather the tall form of the otherworldly visitor.

The intrusion had an even more alarming effect on the attacker however, as his eyes fell upon the robed form of the enemy of his past. "You?"

"Indeed," Ashton replied, his tone neutral as he quickly surveyed the condition of his companions before turning his eyes once more towards his former and present foe. "It's been a long time Cyril."

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The planet Midgard was a continued reminder of the death and destruction brought about to the once serene world by the eight intruders that sought the power of the artifacts. And thus, when the hand crawled from under the debris, it was give witness to its owner of the loss of life that had come. As she emerged from the rubble, the white and blue garbed goddess let loose a bitter scream of anguish that shook the heavens. Dropping to her knees and raking her fingers through the charred soil, she was quickly drawn from her depressive state of mind by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Quickly rising to her feet and drawing the Demon Sword Levantine from its scabbard, the maiden lowered her guard at the sight of the approaching warrior. "Arngrim? You survived?"

"As it seems have you Lenneth…though I fear we are the only one's left. I'm sorry I couldn't do more," the appointed God of War replied, his deep voice rumbling within his chest.

Taking the several steps that closed the distance between herself and the greatest of her companions, the goddess rested a hand upon the powerful shoulder of the towering warrior before shaking her head with repressed regret. "You have nothing that needs to be forgiven old friend. I was not powerful enough to stop them either."

"So what do we do?"

"For now, we will need to rest. I am too exhausted from the battle to enact the Crest of Creation and rebuild Midgard to its former glory. Give me a few days and I will have enough power…then I will hunt down those who destroyed my people and my friends…and make them feel the wraith of a goddess."

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"Despite the fact that you are on this planet, how is it you are still alive?" the being named Cyril demanded, his eyes wide with fury and confusion at the unexpected intrusion.

"Odd, I was going to ask you the same question," Ashton replied, moving gradually into the room and retrieving his fallen dagger before checking on the condition of the exhausted Shield Legion Commander.

"Even seeing you here with my own eyes, I want to deny my senses and refuse to accept that you and the others have somehow returned. I've heard the tale of your rebirth, have felt the emergence of your presence and now see you standing before me, and still deny it all."

"Maybe you'll come to believe when you feel death's hand," Cyril snarled, his hand glowing ominously as he glared at the cloaked man. "After all, last time I was defeated, you had powerful allies supporting you. Look around you abomination…you're all alone."

"Have you forgotten so quickly Cyril?" Ashton remarked, clutching the folds of his cloak before tearing the fabric away from his body. "I'm never alone."

The twin heads of the Dragon God of Expel emerged from the shoulders of the black-robed warrior as the source of the terrible curse of his shared body roared in defiant fury. "So then, are you ready Gyoro and Ururun?"

Maria took her eyes away from the struggling Fayt for a moment to watch in startled realization as the often withdrawn ambassador of Expel saved Clair's life. That, however, was a minute surprise to her compared to the two dragons' that seemed to emerge from his body as he stared down the attacker. The roar was deafening and a shudder of shocked fear coursed through her body. It took all of her willpower to tear her attention away from the unexpected scene before her and continue with the slow process of healing Fayt's body.

"I have a question however, Cyril...why are you after the Sacred Orb? What could it give you?"

Shaking his head as if the warrior had overlooked the obvious, the wise man smirked as he lowered the Sacred Orb to his feet in preparation for the battle. "I doubt your primitive mind can comprehend our true plans…but if you feel the need to carry on with our history, then so be it."

"Cyril, I will have no regrets sending you back to hell." The robed warrior remarked, brandishing his twin swords as a sudden gust of wind encircled him, a few out of place leaves twirling within the breeze. Then, without warning, Ashton disappeared before Cyril's eyes as the wise man gauged his opponent's probable plan of attack. A single leaf fell from the space above him, causing the godlike being to look up and jumping quickly to the side as Ashton reappeared, swinging both swords in a combined jab and slash motion.

Cyril spun his body, twirling out of the line of attack and brought his elbow around, connecting to the back of Ashton's head. Yet as quickly as the strike landed, the maul of the blue dragon snatched at Cyril's arm, capturing the appendage just above the elbow as the head of the red dragon clamped down upon the opposite shoulder of the ageless enemy. Ashton ducked his head beneath the necks of his friends and turned to face his foe, driving the blades of both swords into Cyril's chest.

A scream of mixed pain and fury escaped the man's lips as he reached his free hand forward and grabbed the throat of the twin sword wielder and threw him aside, the dislodging of the fangs of the dragons ripping the flesh of his body. Ashton flipped and spun his form, landing perfectly on the balls of his feet but was unable to move in time to avoid the blast of energy that collided with his chest and sent him flying into the far wall.

Weakened and hurt, Cyril bent to retrieve the Sacred Orb he had dropped during the battle, only to be bathed by a light of unknown origin. A smile creased his face as it soon turned to a laugh of triumph as his injuries healed, the orb increasing his already advanced powers. "So, this is truly the artifact we are seeking? Incredible."

"We will meet again Ashton, and next time, I will not hesitate to slaughter you and your precious freaks, but for now…" Cyril smiled, the image of his body fading by the blinding light that formed within him. In but a heartbeat that stretched the length of eternity, the unmatchable thief had vanished, taking the Sacred Orb with him.

"No!" Clair screamed, her head dropping as clutched her fists in silent frustration. "I failed to protect it. The Sacred Orb is gone…"

"You didn't fail Clair," Fayt said, his voice hoarse and raspy as he struggled to move towards the Shield Legion Commander, his weight partially supported by Maria who moved with him in an effort to maintain his balance. "We failed…"

"Regardless," Maria replied, her eyes turning to gaze upon Ashton who hid his own frustrations behind a mask of indifference as he put the cloak back on to again hide his curse. "We need to speak with her majesty and advise her of what's happened. I fear things have just gone from bad to worse."

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The Vanshenoble sped through the length of open space, trying to outdistance the Vendeeni battle cruisers that continually fired at the weaving space ship, its crew hoping to make it to the Gravitic Warp before being incinerated by the cannons.

"This is brilliant!" Lieber replied, jerking hard on the control and dodging the volley of fire that exploded against the nearby meteor the pilot was using as cover. "I fall asleep for ten minutes and what do you do? You find the first Vendeeni ship you come across and open fire. You're an idiot…an absolute idiot."

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," Lancar replied, punching a series of buttons on his control panel and initiating the sequence to warp to Gravitic Space.

"It's like those old stories…about poking a giant in the eye or something like that, only to be stepped on. Yeah, I'm sure that sounded like a good idea at the time too," Lieber replied, rolling the ship to avoid the most recent salvo.

Pausing a moment to consider the idea of what his fellow officer said, Lancar turned his attention to his friend. "You know, I don't think I've ever heard that story, how's it go?"

"The idiot gets stepped on by a giant, how do you think it goes? Aaahhh!" the pilot replied, pushing forward on the controls and causing the craft to dive sharply. "How much further till we can enter Gravitic Warp?"

"Another three minutes, unless you keep weaving. You know, if you just held a straight course we'd make it quicker."

"Yeah, tell that to the fish heads chasing us. And whose bright idea was it to open fire on them in the first place?"

"Hey, you said you didn't mind a little detour…"

"You call this a little detour?" Lieber asked, the frustration seeping from his pours. "What the…we're losing speed, have we been hit?"

"Uh…no, I had to divert some of the auxiliary thruster power to the Cloaking Simulator," the officer replied, a sheepish grin on his face as he was greeted by the bemused expression from his fellow shipmate.

"You idiot, its taking everything I've got to keep them from launching a missile up our vents and you decrease the engine power. You know…I…I swear to God, we make it out of this alive and I'm going to shoot your ass."

"Don't worry, we'll make it. We're almost at Gravitic Warp as it is."

As expected, the space around the Vanshenoble elongated and merged with the surrounding environment, indicating the quickened pace the ship now traveled on its intended course. Additionally, the two Vendeeni battle ships followed as well, yet neither fired within the unstable space lest the fabric itself be torn.

"Why exactly are we doing this?" Lieber asked, shaking his head as he watched his friend monitor the course on the consol.

"In a minute," Lancar replied, measuring the distance to their target. "When we leave Gravitic space, take a hard left."

Shrugging his shoulders and resigning himself to the fact that he was going to die, Lieber gripped the handles of the steering module. As instructed, within the moment the ship and its crew were pulled from the alternate space, Lieber took a sharp angle away from the location the Vendeeni were to emerge as Lancar punched a series of numbers.

Two things occurred that caused Lieber no end of distress, the first being that the space around the ship shimmered and seemed to waver in response to the vessel's appearance. The gunner had no time considering the events however as the sudden loss of engine power sent him into a panicked state of mind.

"What did you do?"

"I activated the Cloaking Simulator, remember? I had to link the power directly to our engine's energy source but the Vendeeni can't see us now." As if the mention of the name warranted the emergence of the demon being summoned, the two Vendeeni ships tore from Gravitic Space.

"So what, you plan on hiding here and hoping they'll go away?"

"Well, not really," Lancar replied, a smug grin on his face as he reached for the floor panel once more and removed the stashed bottle of liquor. "This ship isn't powerful enough to maintain cloaking for more than 20 minutes, so that's about all we got."

"Great, if they see us we're dead."

"Oh ye of little faith…don't you recognize where we are?"

Truthfully, Lieber hadn't. He had been so preoccupied with trying to avoid the Vendeeni that he could have flown to the other side of the galaxy and not known it. Yet taking stock of the surroundings, the Binary Star Lazerian's eyes landed upon the familiar blue-green planet situated not ten minutes from their position. "Klaus?"

"That's right," the officer said, handing a glass of the intoxicant to his companion. "They refused to provide more help because they felt they were under no threat from the Vendeeni, so, we've just orchestrated the events a little to manipulate a potential invasion scenario for our friends on our home planet. I figure by now, the Civil Defense Corp will be alerted to their presence and I imagine they're scrambling their attack ships. All that's left is to sit back and watch the show."

"So that's why you attacked those ships…they're Vendeeni Cruiser Class Scout Ships."

"That's right, and the Klausian government knows it too. If Scout ships arrive in this sector, how much longer before a full invasion comes to their door. They'll reevaluate their stance on non-aggression in this war and viola, new allies."

Stunned into the admission of how intelligent the plan was, Lieber shook his head as the first of the many Klausian ships entered the visuals. "You know, remind me to never piss you off."

"Heh…well, my old man is a politician, you can't grow up around that without knowing how to manipulate events to your favor," Lancar replied, raising his glass to toast himself before filling it once more. "You can remember this and tell my children how their father saved the Klausian home world and became a hero of Quark."

"Piling it on a little thick aren't you?" Lieber said, his words slightly slurred as he took the bottle from his friend's hand and filled his own glass. "Besides, people like you shouldn't breed."

"You know, I remember a time when I was five, my mother said the same thing to my father…" Lancar began what his regretful companion could already tell was the beginning of a long and sordid tale of his past exploits.

"Sometimes", Lieber mused, "maybe it would have been easier getting blown up."

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The news of the theft of the Sacred Orb sent a shiver of uncertainty and fear around the throne room, as a great weight seemed to have befallen the leaders of Aquios. "I see," the Queen replied, her words measured and controlled, as if she fought to contain the bubbling fear of the theft from overtaking her. "So the Orb has been stolen…"

"Forgive me your majesty, sadly, we were outmatched." Clair replied, her head bowed and her posture giving away the extent of her injuries suffered during the battle. "I take full responsibility for the loss…"

"That is not necessary Commander Lesbard, you have all done so much for the sake of our kingdom and our world, that we should have had the foresight to initiate a tighter security. That error falls on my shoulders."

"Your majesty, I promise you…we will get it back." Fayt said, standing rather weakly as he still leaned against Maria for support.

"Indeed, we will find the thieves and return the Sacred Orb to you," Maria replied, supporting Fayt's response.

"In the mean time," the Queen replied, rising from her throne and addressing her subjects. "We should take steps to prepare for the fallout of the theft. Clair, if you are feeling well enough, dispatch a messenger to retrieve Nel from Greeton. But before you send them, come see me, as I will prepare a communication to advise them myself of what has transpired. Seeing the loss of the Sacred Orb by outsiders will certainly stir their desire to assist us as they too receive the blessings of the Orb.

"Lasselle, prepare a communications for Arzei of Airyglyph and advise him as well what is happening. He will most certainly be displeased with the information. I only hope our alliance is strong enough to endure this."

"Your majesty," Maria replied, bowing slightly as she stepped forward. "I believe we can be of assistance where that is concerned. As you know and as we were discussing before the theft of the Sacred Orb, we've come to seek your assistance against the Vendeeni. But we can give you something to show our good faith in this matter as well."

Retrieving the flexi from Steeg, Maria walked the several steps to the throne before bowing to the Queen and handing the blueprints to her majesty. "This is our gift to you your majesty. It's a design for a planetary defense shield. This may be a bit beyond your level of technology to construct, but after seeing the Thunder Arrow hold its own against a Vendeeni battle cruiser, I'm certain you have the means to construct this…and it will protect your planet and the Sacred Orb from ever being stolen again."

The Queen studied the blueprint, not at all understanding the complicated calculations but interested none-the-less in the possibility it may bring. Nodding in gratitude to the captain, the ruler handed the flexi to Elena for her evaluation.

The scholar was immensely impressed and even a bit lost by many of the components of the design, but felt her inventors spirit rise to the challenge of building the shield. At the very least, this technology would advance their culture by centuries.

"And to further show our willingness to equally support you, I'm leaving our engineer Steeg in your care. He should be able to help in any problems with the planetary shield."

The Queen leveled a smile of consideration as she surveyed the young captain before her. "I have one question for your Miss Traydor, if you don't mind. What do you think we can offer you to show our equal support for this alliance?"

"If I may be blunt your majesty," Maria replied, "We are at war with the Vendeeni, and your planet is a planet of constant war. We will need advise and guidance in how best to win this conflict, and we will need the advise of those versed in war."

"And there are no better worlds you can ask?"

"None that we are familiar with your majesty, and none that I would rather have the support of."

Closing her eyes for a moment to weigh the value of the statement and the request made, the Queen looked upon the young woman and smiled a sad, yet accepting smile. "Then we accept your offer of alliance, Captain Traydor."

"But your Majesty…"

"Lasselle," the Queen spoke; interrupting the pending protest of her advisor. "What we have learned from these visitors has forever changed our way of looking at the world. Our sacred object has been stolen by forces none of us are familiar with and we are virtually defenseless against such threats should they come here again. Our only means of survival, is to evolve, and to do that, we must seek the help of others where necessary. You have our trust, Maria and Fayt…and I trust you will retrieve our Sacred Orb," the Queen said, turning her attention to the two members of Quark.

"I do however, have only one condition."

"Which is?"

The Queen turned her attention to Clair who stood and bowed before leaving the chamber to fulfill her duties. "When war does break out, come seek our aid. We may not have the Celestial Ships to assist you, but we have, as you say, skilled and talented warriors. We do not at any time wish to be considered a hindrance."

"Oh, of course your majesty, we would be honored," Maria replied, nodding her head in agreed affirmation.

"Then since our final condition has been met, we have an accordance. I am pleased to be entering into this alliance with you Maria, and hope that we will both benefit from our mutual treaty. Now, I am sure you are all busy."

"Indeed your majesty, and thank you again" Maria bowed again before turning to walk from the chamber, followed by Fayt, Steeg and Ashton. As they left the large assembly, Maria turned a sad eye towards her engineer.

"Steeg, do you still have a communicator?"

"Yep, right here," the large Klausian said, removing the hand held device.

"Good, I want you to take mine as well, so you'll have a spare in case yours stops working," the cerulean-haired young woman replied, handing her device to him. "I'm sorry to ask you to volunteer for this but we need to show that our support is not…"

Steeg waved off any pending apologies before shaking his head. "No worries captain, I may not have been stranded here with you guys, but listening to all the stories, its sort of come to mean something special to me too. Anyway, tell Marietta I'll be thinking of her and…I guess I'll see you guys later."

"Yes, keep us informed," the captain replied, again smiling sadly at the man before turning and leading Fayt and Ashton from the castle.

Despite having confirmed the alliance with Aquaria, none among the entourage could feel too pleased with having allowed the Sacred Orb to be stolen. It would become a priority to retrieve the artifact, yet one more mission Maria would have to file away as priority behind the other half-dozen earth-shattering priorities. It was becoming increasingly more difficult for her to find a stable level for her to balance the countless responsibilities she had undertaken, and it was slowly driving her to her limit.

"It's amazing how peaceful this city seems, almost as if our war with the creator never happened," Fayt remarked, gauging the collected inhabitants who bustled their way about the city streets. He had never thought it possible, but despite all the conveniences and comforts technology had given them, life seemed infinitely more peaceful on the underdeveloped planet.

"So, its true…you scum really have returned?" The voice intruded upon the three warriors, the taunting remarks doing little to hide the identity of the speaker.

Turning quickly out of reflex, Fayt and Maria cast a searching glance at the man leaning against the wall. "Albel?" Fayt said, finding his voice at last, shocked that the Black Brigade Captain was standing in the midst of Aquaria territory. "What are you doing here?"

"Fools, why should I not be here? Since you've left, the war with this pathetic waste of a country ended. There's no where I'm not permitted to go." Sighing slightly as he picked up the long, thin object wrapped in a crimson cloth, the warrior turned his head to gaze at the three travelers. "I suppose we should be going."

"We?"

"Did you not hear me worm?" The blade master replied, his impatience doing little to ease his temper. "The war is over with Aquaria and there is no place for a warrior like me…I'm needed else where it appears so I'm coming with you."

"Wow, that sounded like Adrai for a moment," Fayt said in a half-joking manner, yet immediately regretted it as Albel drew his sword and held the blade against Fayt's throat.

"Watch your tongue maggot, I am nothing like that old fool. Now lets go," he replied, sheathing his blade and walking from the city gates.

As the retreating form of Albel moved further from the party, Fayt turned a curious eye towards Maria who replied only by shrugging her shoulders. Shaking his head slightly, the young man followed the wicket sword master from the city. At any rate, the adventure would become more colorful.

To be continued

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A/N: Okay, a couple of points.

First: thanks so much to all of my reviewers who've inspired me to continue this story. Writing isn't easy when no one reads it, so its always great to know your thoughts on it.

Next: I know I left out the part about the Vendeeni ship approaching. You'll find out next chapter but its not really a big deal. Lets just say Steeg didn't bother to tell Maria because it had already been resolved.

Another point: I was a bit leery about adding Lenneth to the story. I'm not sure how many people know of her but she was the main character in Valkarie Profile and a hidden boss in this game. Anyway, there are reason's I'm bringing her in, but you won't need to know the story of her to understand it.

And Finally: Next chapter will be sort of a cool down, as a lot of the suspense and action took place in here. But I'll be doing a retelling of the Ten Wise Men so those who aren't familiar with the game will know about them. Though I may get some facts mixed up, it's been ages since I played SOII.

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading.