A Thief's Story

Chapter 7-First Light

"I don't know if I want to go back in there again." Tiffany just shrank at the thought of going back in the Cave of Waterfalls.

"Well, we have to get in there eventually. It's the only way to reach Jad. Besides, we have to hurry and find Wisp before the Priest of Light puts up the barrier or else we're stuck in there. We also have to get to Jad before sunset or else the ship will leave without us and we'll have to wait 'til the next sunset tomorrow." Hawk said confidently.

"Besides, what's the worst that can happen to us?" Carlie said.

A list of highly leveled monsters which gotten stronger by absorbing Mana is one of the worst things. Carlie and Tiffany almost were knocked out by the time the group reached the gap by the middle of the waterfall. Carlie almost had a hard time trying to use Heal Light on the whole group. Luckily, Hawk had some pretty powerful offensive magic that proved handy against all the monsters.

Just a question, Faerie. Why in the damn hell are monsters still here in this world? And why are they getting even stronger? Hawk was irritated by the strength of the Myconids, which would have taken him out if not for his agility.

Mana hasn't disappeared yet. Faerie responded in his head. Monsters depend on the Mana, so they still exist. And they have gotten stronger by absorbing the burst of Mana when I was forced to release it. After the burst, Spiratin managed to get a hold on it, regulating the flow to himself.

Crap. That means other monsters around the world are stronger, too. More effort from me, I guess. Hey, let us get across this gap.

Faerie flew from the inside of Hawk's head toward the middle of the waterfall.

"All right, everyone! Get ready!" Faerie said out loud.

Tiffany just looked confused when Faerie said that.

Faerie, using the might of the waterfall, concentrated her energy on the group. Brilliant flashes of light surround her as she started to cast her spell. In an instant, the whole group, with the aid of Faerie's power, "ran" toward the other end of the gap. Tiffany freaked when she saw she was "running" over the gap.

"You all right? Don't worry about a thing. Faerie wouldn't let us fall anyhow. She needs a host to survive." Hawk looked at the heavy breathing girl.

"A little of not what I expected, but I'll be okay."

The three encounter strong Zombies, Battums, and Goblins that made real trouble of the group. They managed, however, to get into the room where Wisp would be.

"This is where Wisp should be," Hawk looked around the room, "but where is he?"

"What does he look like?" Tiffany asked.

"A flame of light with two eyeballs."

"Uh, Hawk? Does Hawk feel something?" Carlie put her hands on the floor.

"Hmm? Now that you mention it…" Hawk knelt and put his hands on the floor, "What the…?"

He felt the rumbling. In fact, the rumbling caused the small rocks on the floor to shake. He looked up, sensing the source from above.

"Oh, shit."

A red gigantic, metallic, spider-looking creature was crawling on ceiling. Every time each one of its legs hits, a rumble echoes through the room and is felt through the ground. The thing was eyeing them.

"Wh… what… what is that!" Tiffany pointed at it.

"Ful… Full Met… Full Metal Hugger!" Carlie stuttered to answer Tiffany.

"Get ready. He's about to attack!" Hawk drew his daggers.

WHOOSH! THUM! Everybody was ready as soon as Full Metal Hugger slammed the ground. Hawk struck first, dealing a preemptive strike on it. Carlie and Tiffany rushed in, dealing in their blows.

Full Metal Hugger moved side-by-side, waiting for a moment to strike. Seeing an opportunity, it spitted out green saliva at Tiffany. Tiffany screamed as she realized the green saliva was acid and was burning into her skin. She felt derived from her energy, because the green saliva got into her blood and poisoned her. She wobbled a bit, then held up her hammer and struck Full Metal Hugger in the eye.

After a while, Full Metal Hugger, figured that its spit isn't enough to take care of the group, decided to turn it up a level and cast Holy Ball on everybody. Two circles of holy ball hovered around the group, then exploded into a nova of light, causing pain to the three. However, Hawk, Carlie, and Tiffany got up and again started pummeling it. It closed its eyes to protect itself, building up energy to release one of its unique, devastating moves. It opened up its eyes, then with a vacuuming of the air into its body, it started to use Bubble Blast. Bubbles spewed out of its mouth, filled with Light magic, giving great damage to the three opponents. They flew back, injured with all the damaged they received. Carlie started chanting her famous Heal Light spell, and in a moment, bright lights surrounded the group, healing wounds in an instant and leaving them feel refreshed, except for Tiffany, who was struggling with her status. Her body felt like it was dying from the inside. She panted and knelt to the ground.

"Tiffany!" Hawk yelled out. "Carlie, cast your Twinkle Rain on her!"

Carlie nodded, then lifted her wand and started chanting. Hawk moved back from Full Metal Hugger, then started to cast his Fire Jutsu. Carlie finished off with a wave of her wand, causing a blue light to be shone on Tiffany. Rain of light dropped from the sky, splashing on her body. Light sparkled where the raindrops fell. As Tiffany shone from the light, she felt relieved as she felt the poison being removed from her body. She took a deep breath, then stood up and picked up her hammer. Just when she did that, Hawk finished his casting and a wave of fire quickly headed toward Full Metal Hugger, using the ground as a platform. The fire dispersed and surrounded Full Metal Hugger, burning it, and lowering its magic power and defense. The fire soon disappeared, revealing an angry Full Metal Hugger. Its eyes soon started to glow, making the eyes disappear behind yellow coat. In a split second, the yellow energy that covers the eyes condensed itself into two beams that criss-cross themselves onto Hawk. Hawk yelled out, being 'burnt' by Eye Beam. Carlie, seeing this, immediately cast Heal Light on Hawk.

Blow after blow, the three kept on fighting until one of Full Metal Hugger's eye started to spill out yellow blood from a slash wound. It retracted in its damaged eye in itself, then cast Heal Light, repairing all its wounds. After a few more hits, it closed its eyes again, storing up its energy. Once again, it opened its eyes, but instead of performing Bubble Blast, it jumped up five stories, hanged in the air for a split second, then came falling down like a meteor.

THUM! With its Dive Attack, the ground shook with utter violence as it threw Hawk, Carlie, and Tiffany against the wall with such force that it felt like bones were cracking in every part of their body. They barely got up to face their opponent. Carlie, once again, cast Heal Light, despite her pain, as is her duty as her group's healer. The group, refreshed from the recovery, charged in for the last assault on Full Metal Hugger. After some damage to it, Hawk decided to go for one final blow.

Hmm, Shadow Dive, or Dance of Roses? I know. Eni mini minie moe… Hawk started but was forced quickly to use Shadow Dive.

Hawk dived into his 'ninja' hole just in time to evade the green saliva. Reappearing, he, with all his might, slashes Full Metal Hugger so quickly, so powerful, so much, that his blades turned into fire and he floated in the air as he inflicts wounds into its face. When he got exhausted, he back-flipped onto the ground and jumped forward. Full Metal Hugger's left eye popped, splashing yellow blood all over the room. It retracted its eye, then shuddered. Explosions then were heard inside of it. Light started to spill out of its body. In an instant, Full Metal Hugger exploded, vaporizing its body parts as they fly.

"Hah! Evil has nothin' on me." Hawk smirked as he pulled out a cloth and wiped yellow blood off his blades.

"We beat it! We beat it! Carlie think that was the third time." Carlie yelled out loud, jumping up and down.

Tiffany was panting, amazed that she destroyed such a monster.

"Wow. So exciting, even though I risked my life." Tiffany took a deep breath, then smiled. "This is what heroes do?"

"Yeah, and much more than this. I forgot how many 'supers' I fought against. This is your first. I guess for me and Carlie it was the first a long time ago."

"You mean you fought this before?"

"Yeah. First was in here, second was in the Dark Castle, and the third is here again. Which reminds me."

Faerie? Why has Full Metal Hugger come back? Hawk mentally asked.

I guess the spirits revived their guardians and maybe use them for guardianship. Faerie hypothesized.

"Hey, guys!" a voice came from where Full Metal Hugger used to be. "Who knew, me being trapped in the same monster twice, needing to be saved?"

A bright light filled the room as the spirit of Light, Wisp, hovered toward the group.

"Wisp! Are you okay?" Faerie flew out of Hawk's head.

"Like always. Like last time, I was trapped inside Full Metal Hugger."

"You were trapped in there, again?"

"Yep."

"Did you revive it?"

"For protection. I heard my buddies revived theirs as well. But after some time, mine turned against me and got me trapped inside. Don't know why."

"My guess is that Spiratin corrupted the Mana that feeds these guardians."

"Spiratin? Who's that?"

"A new evil that drove me out of the Mana Holyland."

"Well, that'll explain why you're here and not becoming the new Goddess."

"Wisp, we need your help again to open up the gate."

"Again? I hate doing this!" Wisp rolled his eyes. "Just kidding! I'll be more than willing to join all of you to fight off this Spiratin!"

Faerie, now accompanied by Wisp, hovered toward and inside Hawk's head.

"Elemental spirit collecting? What haven't I seen?" Tiffany said with a grin.

"This coming from an amnesia affected person, eh? Now that's good to hear. Let's get out of here." Hawk grinned back.

"If Carlie remembers, an opening would be over there." Carlie pointed to the right.

At the far end of the room, an opening is where Carlie said it would be.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Tiffany shouted out loud.

Hawk and Carlie nodded in unison.

A little fighting here and there, but they made it outside on the other entrance.

"Finally, some fresh air!" Tiffany breathed in.

"No time to stay here and rot. We got to get going." Hawk started to walk.

"Hey, behind us!" Carlie pointed at the entrance.

A flash of light was all they saw. Hawk went up and put his hand out. He soon felt the priest's barrier, as the Priest of Light promise earlier.

"Well, your grandpa certainly did his part, Carlie. Now let's get moving." Hawk resumed his travels.

With Hawk in the lead, they fought their way through the Rabite Forest, and managed to get to the bridge where Jad is.

"Hurry up, ya scurrybags!" a voice came in front of them.

"Quick, hide behind those bushes!" Hawk pointed out quietly.

Just a second later after the three hid in the bush, pirates came out of the city and toward the Rabite Forest. A pirate (caller, perhaps?) was apparently bringing them onto the path.

"There they go. Hope your Grandpa can repel them off." Hawk said as the last pirate left.

"Ah, Grandpa knows what he's doing. Carlie knows!"

"Well, we better get on that ship before that sun hits the horizon." Hawk looked toward the sun, which is almost close to the horizontal line.

The three ran out of the bushes and went past the city gates. Hawk looked around, then spotted the port on his left.

"Right there!" Hawk pointed.

The three sprinted toward the opening into the port. A sailor on the ship was pulling up the bridge.

"Hey, wait up! Think you can spare three more?" Hawk yelled out.

"Hmm?" the sailor looked down toward them. "Well, hurry up! We have to escape from the pirates while they occupied the city! We can't wait forever!"

The sailor lowered down the bridge. The three ran toward and up the bridge and onto the ship. The sailor again pulled up the bridge and closed the opening.

"Anchors away!" he yelled out.

The ship started to move from the port and out toward ocean. Passengers stood out on the deck to watch the sunset.

"Hey, where's this ship headed?" Hawk asked the sailor.

"Fishing Harbor Palo."

"Right on track, then."

"Rolante is where we're going then?" Tiffany asked Hawk.

"Yeah. Fishing Harbor Palo is on the foot of the mountain where Rolante's at."

"And when we get there… you'll show me the… meadow?"

Hawk checked if Carlie was listening. Carlie was looking at the sunset from the opposite side.

"Yeah. I'll show you pretty much everything."

"Thanks, Hawk." Tiffany smiled and nodded, then walked toward Carlie to join her.

I hope I could take her there. But there… are things that might stop me. Not the evil crap that's going on. But what Lise would think if she knew about this. Maybe she wouldn't. She is a friend. (Sighs) Luck is really kicking my ass now. Hawk shrugged.