Agrias opened her eyes and looked around. She saw the others in Ramza's troupe lying around her, all unconscious. They were on a high plain surrounded by water on all sides. Agrias was sure that she had seen something like this before
"Deep Dungeon!" she yelled, and a few people near by snapped out of their seemingly enchanted sleep. Ophelia and Mustadio sat up and looked at her. They had also realized where they must be.
"But where in Deep Dungeon?" Mustadio asked, and Agrias gave him a look that said 'What am I, Deep Dungeon scholar?' and Mustadio turned to Ophelia.
"Well," Ophelia said. "Let's look at what we know. We know that the Deep Dungeon has ten floors, and we know that on each floor there is an exit. So, we don't even need to know what floor we're on, we just need to find the exit that goes up to the previous floor. That way, we'll make it out of here without standing around figuring out where we are."
"Sounds like a plan," Agrias shrugged, and stopped moving for a bit. She listened carefully to her surroundings, and was sure that she wasn't imagining it this time.
"Agrias, what is it," Ophelia asked, but Agrias shushed him and then she and Mustadio heard what she must be talking about. A low growl, barely audible, was growing louder by the second.
"You don't suppose that's Reis is it?" Mustadio asked although he already knew the answer. Out of the shadows crawled a wicked looking Red Dragon. It snorted, and electricity crackled out of it's nose. Behind it followed a bluish, bird-like Jurvais and a purple, horned Behemoth.
"Okay, Mustadio," Agrias said. "You take the bird. Ophelia, take the dragon. The behemoth is mine."
The dragon charged at Ophelia, but she teleported out of the way before it got to her. She reappeared behind it and started to cast a spell. Meanwhile, the Jurvais took off throughout the cave, screeching all the while. Poor Mustadio couldn't hit it no matter how hard he tried. The bird flew in a circular path, and Mustadio shot at where he thought it was, but he kept hitting just behind it. Then he got an idea. He spun around the other way, and when the Jurvais flew by, he shot at it and hit. Unfortunately, he only wounded it. Agrias was just far enough away from the Behemoth to use her Stasis Sword, so she swung the Defender, and clear crystals fell from the sky, crashing down on the monster. The gargantuan creature merely shook it off and charged at her, and Agrias was forced to fall back. Ophelia finally managed to gather enough energy to cast her spell, and the immense firepower of Flare exploded around the unsuspecting dragon. This injured it, but it still kept coming. The three warriors were forced back to back in a circle as the creatures continued to bear down on them.
"Okay," Agrias said, looking at her companions. "On the count of three. One, two-"
"Destiny lies in my hands! Stop movement! Galaxy Stop!"
The three monsters advancing on them stopped cold. The three human's looked near where the voice came from, and saw eight pairs of eyes glittering in the darkness.
"See?" another voice piped up. "I told you they'd be here."
Agrias's mind snapped back to the battle, and she plunged her sword into the heart of the Behemoth. It gave out a cry as it fell dead to the ground. Emboldened by her move, Mustadio and Ophelia moved to their respective monsters. Mustadio shot the Jurvais in the head, and it fell to the floor dead. Ophelia decided to forgo her spells and gripped her Mace of Zeus with both hands and brought it down on the Dragon's head. The sickening sound of cracking bone resounded through the cavern, and the Dragon fell, dead.
At that moment, Masahiro and Ramza awoke. Seeing the peril that his friends were in, they ran over to meet them. Seeing the monsters dead on the floor of the cavern, he walked up to Agrias.
"What happened here?" Ramza said, although he could just assume what he thought happened.
"Well, these things came and attacked us out of nowhere," Agrias replied and pointed to the place where she saw the other people enter. "And then they showed up and saved us." They had since climbed over to Ramza and Agrias. One of them had a lamp, and it illuminated the first three people in the group: Olan, David, and Balmafula.
"Ramza," Olan asked, squinting through the darkness. "Is that you?" Then the body of the Behemoth began to crystallize, and it shed a dim, eerie blue light across the small band of adventurers. Then, Ramza saw that Daniel, Aeris, Pamela, Chris, and Rush had accompanied Olan to their rescue.
"Masahiro!" Pamela yelled, and ran into his arms with tears in his eyes. "I thought you were dead. Don't ever leave me like that again."
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her close into his body. Then, over in the still dark area, another of Ramza's group woke up. It was Alma. She brushed the dirt out of her red skirt and walked over to Mustadio.
"Hey Mustadio," she said to him. "How'd you get down here?"
"Same way you did," he replied. "I just woke up here. It must have something to do with that weird dream I had."
"Did someone dead come to you and try to tell you that you died too?" Alma asked, wide eyed with fear and excitement.
"Kind of," Mustadio said, confused as Worker 8 flickered to life. "Balk appeared and told me that I had this mysterious destiny. Although I don't think I should have believed him."
"Mine was Simon," Agrias declared. "He told me how Rad, Alicia, and Lavian died."
"Ours was Gafgarion," Ramza said. "He fed us this line about a female mechanic named Claudia who was killed by Vormav."
"It was the saddest thing I had ever seen," Alma added. "I cried like a baby."
"Worker 8's was me," Worker 8 said in a fairly human voice. "Horacio Bunanza."
"Wait," Mustadio said. "Are you my grandfather?"
"Yes Mustadio," Worker 8 replied, still sounding like Horacio. "And I've integrated myself into my creation's programming so I can watch over my son and grandson from here on the surface instead of limbo."
"What was yours Hiro?" Alma asked curiously. "Who was your spirit guide?"
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," Masahiro replied curtly, squeezing Pamela's hand.
"What about you Ophelia?" Alma asked again. "Who was yours?"
"My brother," she answered as the Byblos woke up. "His name was John. John Kaishou. He died when I was young."
"Pentecireia," the Byblos said gruffly and pointed to itself.
"Your spirit guide was named Pentecireia?" Ramza asked as Kletian got up.
The Byblos shook its head and pointed to itself again. "Pentecireia!" it cried.
"Oh I get it," Ophelia realized. "It's you. You're Pentecireia aren't you?" The Byblos nodded.
"Boy," Kletian said, rubbing his eyes. "That's a mouthful, can't we just call you Pent?" The Byblos nodded.
"Pent it is then," Ophelia said congenially as Worker 8 walked over and picked up Orlandu. Everyone looked over at it and Agrias stepped forward.
"Um, Horacio," she asked. "Or Worker 8 or whoever you are? What exactly are you doing with Orlandu?"
"My systems detect more monsters moving on our location," the machine replied. The voice of Horacio Bunanza had been replaced with the standard robotic computer voice that Worker 8 had when it was first programmed. The rest of the gang realized he was right when they heard the whooping battle cry of a band of goblins in the distance. "It would be prudent for us to get out of here soon."
"Good idea," Ramza said as Aeris was picking Cloud up and carrying him all by herself. She really was a remarkable young woman. "Olan, Bal, Ophelia, Musty, Agrias, you stay here with me in case anything gets here before we're out. The rest of you, grab someone and get the hell out of here."
Pamela grabbed onto Alma's hand and began to drag her out of the cavern, and the others followed. Ramza and his five supporters backed towards the exit. Ramza stopped when he felt a presence behind him. The others stopped as well.
"Ramza, what is it?" Agrias asked, and he pushed her to the ground. "Ramza what the-" and she saw a shiny samurai blade where she had just been. Everyone else jumped out of the way.
"So, you sensed me," the mysterious samurai said, still shrouded by darkness. "But no matter. I'll just kill you now."
The samurai gripped his blade with both hands and charged right for Bal. She dodged his sword swipe, and Ramza and Agrias got up. She hit him with a blast of Fire, less to damage him and more to knock him backwards. Then, Ophelia charged for him holding the Chirijiraden. In the chaos she had changed into a blade-wielding Samaurai herself. He met her blade with his own Kikuichiimoji. The two samurai's blades moved away from each other as they faced off to strike again.
Mustadio and Olan were arming themselves to get into the battle when a bullet graced in front of them. Startled, they both jumped back. Looking to where the shot came from, they saw the small form of a female Chemist with short, black hair.
"Care to catch me?" she said to them, and disappeared up the entrance to the next floor.
"That's where everyone else went," Olan said, looking at Mustadio. "We've got to go after her!" Then he noticed that Mustadio and Balmafula had already started after her. He ran after them.
Meanwhile, the mystery samurai turned his attacks against Agrias. He swung the Kikuichiimoji her way, but she got out of the way just in time. The sword only graced her right arm, slitting a thin, red line on her bicep. Ophelia and Ramza both came at him at the same time, weapons drawn.
"Kikuichiimoji!" the samurai yelled, and a stream of energy shot underneath the earth towards the two warriors, and they were knocked to the ground. Agrias let go of her arm and summoned her sword techniques.
"The devil's spirit of restlessness, Split Punch!" she yelled, and a ghostly purple sword of gargantuan proportions erupted from the ground underneath this mystery opponent, severely wounding the samurai.
"Damn it!" he yelled standing up. "You're good. For your victory, I leave you a name. Rivonick. Remember it. Fear it."
Then he backed into the shadows and disappeared. The cry of the goblins seemed awful close. Ophelia, Ramza, and Agrias all looked at each other and immediately sprinted after the others to the exit.
Olan ran out of the exit to the Deep Dungeon. They had lost the Chemist. She had disappeared. Maybe it was just her intention to lead them out. Whatever the reason, Olan now saw the vessel that he had sailed here on pulling back into the desecrated port that had once been bustling with workers for the lighthouse, but was now neglected. Olan wondered why the ship had left at all.
"I told you we shouldn't have left," he heard the soft yet commanding voice of Strawberry yell at their poor ship's captain, who was terrified of the Deep Dungeon. He kept walking towards to docks, and he saw the others waiting for the ship's return. Strawberry, the Robe of Lords itself swishing in the winds, Daniel, a steel knight's sword resting in his hands just in case, and Alma, crying profusely as usual, walked off the boat and towards the people left on the island.
"Sorry about that," Strawberry apologized. "Let's get back to Warjilis now, shall we?" The cry of goblins was heard again inside the dank caverns beneath the lighthouse.
"Yes, let's," Olan responded. "And quickly." And with that, the nine people got back on the boat and sailed away to Warjilis.
Chris looked out over the waters of the Burgoss Sea, and thought about the battle with Ajora. Not that she was in it, she had just wanted all those involved to come back alright. Especially Malak.
She had been wild and dangerous like her sister, and Malak had changed her into the productive member of the team that she was today. He saved her life, and she could never possibly repay him for that. And she could never tell him that she loved him.
"I just don't know," she thought out loud. "What should I do about this?"
"About what?" All the blood drained from Chris's face. She quickly composed herself and turned around to face Malak. "What should you do about what? Hello, Chris, anyone home?"
"Hi Malak," she said congenially. "How're things?"
"Chris, Chris," Malak said, leaning on the railing next to her, looking out towards the sea. "What have I told you about being vague?"
"Don't be vague because no one will ever know what you're talking about," Chris dictated. "And then no one will respect you. I remember."
"I'm glad SOME of my advice is sinking in with someone," he exclaimed, tracing his finger on the rough, wooden edge of the boat.
"Who's not taking your advice?" Chris asked as she turned around to lean her elbows against the railing. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Promise to keep it a secret?" Malak asked, and Chris drew an 'X' with her right index finger across her heart. Malak smiled. "It's Rafa. She's developed a little crush that might be dangerous."
"On who?" Chris asked. Despite her best efforts, she could never pass up an opportunity for some new gossip. "How could it be dangerous among these people? I mean, I know some of them have problems, but-"
"It's Sir Beowulf." Chris was astounded by what Malak had just said. "If she acts on it, I don't know what will happen to Reis. I mean she's unstable now, when she's in a happy, healthy relationship. Her years as a dragon did quite a number on her psyche."
"I promise I won't squeal on her," Chris said, and looked him in the eyes. "But I want you to promise me something."
"Anything," Malak replied. "I mean, that's what friends do isn't it? They look out for each other."
The word 'friend' cut deep like a knife in Chris's heart. But her years of emotional deadness when she was with the Bull Demons paid off, and it didn't show on her face.
"Promise me that if something is bothering you," Chris finished. "That you'll come and talk to me about it. I'm here for you. Don't ever forget that." They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, then Chris decided to move in for a kiss. As she got closer, she felt a tug from behind her pushing her closer to Malak. Her head shifted to the side, and she realized that she had been caught in one of Malak's patented hugs.
"I'm so glad I have friends like you Chris," Malak said, shaking his head and rubbing her back a little. He had once again said the magic word that made Chris's eyes well up with tears.
"About my name," she said, swallowing the tears she felt forming in her eyes and broke away from the hug. "Can you call me something a little more feminine? Like Chrissie, or Christine?"
"Wow, I had no idea it bothered you so much Chris, I mean, Chrissie" Malak said, correcting himself. "From now on I will try to call you Chrissie."
"I'd appreciate that," Chris replied. "See you around Malak."
"Same to you, friend" Malak said. He waved back at her, smiled that smile, and went into the cabins. This was the moment when Chris broke down and began to sob.
On the bow of the small ship, Kletian Drowa stood and looked at the cracked wood on the prow. It made intricate, almost arcane, designs, and was very interesting to him. He was staring so intently at it that he didn't notice a presence beside him. Thinking it a foe, he whirled around with his Mace drawn, and then he saw it was only Meliadoul.
"Do you try to kill everyone who stands behind you or just the hooded ones?" Meliadoul asked sarcastically.
"No, just the ones who attacked me before," Kletian said, and turned back to the prow of the ship to look at the cracks in the wood.
"Kletian," Meliadoul began. "I want to apologize to you. After all, we did try to kill you twice."
"Is this apology from just you, or is it from all of Ramza's little flunkies?" Kletian asked, still focused on the cracked wood. "Or is it from the head puppeteer himself?
"Listen to me Kletian," Meliadoul said frankly. "I'm going to be honest with you. The only ones here who can even tolerate your presence are myself because I knew you before anyone else here, Daniel because you're a noble, and Aeris because she loves everyone. You would do well to get along with us because you will most likely get stuck with us for a little while longer anyway."
"Your master is having a meeting to discuss this mysterious Rivonick person in the captain's cabin," Kletian said. "As one of those on his front line, and his little fan girl to boot, you should be there."
"Fine," Meliadoul said angrily, turning around and heading for the cabins. "But if everyone on board abandons you, don't come crying to me about it!"
"Don't worry Melly," he said, using a nickname from her teen years that he knew she hated. "You will never see me cry. Not over you, or over any of Ramza's little mercenary group."
Ramza had assembled the four people that he typically used on his front lines, plus Olan and a few others in case they needed backup. These people included Ophelia, Orlandu, Beowulf, Agrias, Meliadoul, Strawberry and Mustadio.
"So," Ramza began. "Any ideas who the hell this new player is or what he wants?"
"Well, let's go over what we know about him so far," Ophelia said, always wanting to look at things from an analytical perspective. She had now changed her clothes again, and was wearing the slightly vampiric outfit of a Calculator. "He's obviously powerful, not in a 'nullify all existence' way like Ajora, but still a major threat. He seems very old to me for some reason, and the name Rivonick sounds familiar. Not a lot of concrete stuff to go on."
"Wait," Olan chimed in. "What about that book you found underneath Orbonne? What was it called?"
"The Germonik Scriptures?" Beowulf offered.
"Yes, that one," Olan said. "Germonik, Rivonick, they sound similar. Maybe there's some sort of… connection." He instantly realized the foolishness of his suggestion.
"Well, that may not be as foolish as you may think," Ophelia thought out loud.
"It's more than we have to go on now," Mustadio said darkly, and counted his points off on his fingers. "I mean, we know he was in the Deep Dungeon, he 'seems old' to Ophelia, his name is Rivonick, and he's powerful. And that's it."
"Well, that's not all we know," Agrias spoke up, and everyone looked at her as if to imply she should explain. "Well, while we were fighting, I noticed something. He had the crest of Virgo on his helmet."
"Now that you mention it," Ramza remembered. "I do recall a Virgo sign on his forehead. Perhaps he's allied with Altima."
"Perhaps he's a member of a new generation of Zodiac Braves," Beowulf ventured.
"Perhaps he's a servant of His Majesty Delita," Orlandu suggested. "After all, we know the truth about the Church's corruption, and Delita might be willing to do much to hide it."
"Perhaps he's a coconut sent here in human form to take over the world," Mustadio said sarcastically. "These are an awful lot of 'perhapses'. We still don't know anything about this guy."
"The Acolytes of Ajora." Everyone looked over at Strawberry. She took off her Summoner's horn and placed it neatly in her pocket and stood. "My spirit guide was Rush's sister Vanessa, and she told me several times to be careful of this group called the 'Acolytes of Ajora' if I remember correctly. Maybe he heads that."
"Well, did Vanessa tell you anything else about these 'Acolytes'?" Ramza asked. "Like names or anything more concrete to go on?"
"No," Strawberry replied, taking off her cloak. "Just that they're dangerous and that we should avoid them."
"Strawberry," Ophelia asked. "Why are you taking off your cloak?"
"Well," Strawberry replied, fishing through the pocket of the black undercoat for something. After a few moments, she pulled out Virgo. It was the stone she had been charged with taking care of after they left because she had no contact whatsoever with Alma. "Here. Something's happening to it."
Virgo glowed with a dim, blue light, and it kept flashing brightly. Ramza had to shield his eyes from it.
"What does it mean," he asked. "Why is it doing this?"
"Perhaps it really is these 'Acolytes'," Orlandu contributed. " We should endeavor to find them."
"I agree with Cidolfas," Meliadoul said, using her mentor's first name. "But I would like to make a small change. Perhaps we could send a few people to investigate the Murond Holy Place, a few more to the lighthouse over the Deep Dungeon, and some to the Nelveska Temple."
"Why Nelveska?" Agrias asked. "We got what Worker 7-new was guarding, it was the Cancer stone. Why go back?"
"No, the Cancer stone was its power source," Meliadoul corrected. "I believe that there is still something there."
"Sounds plausible," Ramza said. "Orlandu, you take Mel, Ophelia, and Cloud and go to the Murond Holy Place. Beowulf, you take Reis, Kylie, and Strawberry and check out the lighthouse over the Deep Dungeon. Musty, Olan, Agrias, you'll come with me to Nelveska Island. Tell everyone else to go back to Jack's mansion in Warjilis. We can't risk putting them in danger. You all have your assignments, now go."
The members of Ramza's inner circle left the captain's cabin and informed everyone of their plan. And soon, they docked into the port at Warjilis.
At the docks, they got off their boat, which belonged to Jack O'Bannon, and saw lying on the ground a very injured Gene and an unconscious Besrodio. Ophelia ran over to him.
"Oh my god," she said worriedly, throwing his arms around him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm alive, but still in a great deal of agony," he winced, and Ophelia let go. "It's Melissa. She betrayed us, and she took the coach to Nelveska. But it's not normal anymore. She enchanted it somehow, and now it goes much faster."
"Dammit," Ramza said. "Why is everyone always one step ahead of us? We'll never catch her now."
"Actually," Mustadio said. "I know of a way we could not only catch her, but maybe even beat her to Nelveska. Goug is only a day's journey by boat, so we'd better pack up Jack's ship and head out."
"Okay, if you say so," Ramza said. "Can you drive that thing?"
"Yes, but it would probably be a better idea if we let Father operate it so we don't have to warm it up in case we need to get off the island in a hurry," Mustadio answered.
"Alright," Ramza replied, and then he turned to his group. "Beowulf, you're still be going to the lighthouse to see if you can come up with anything. Orlandu, you come with us as far as Goug, then take the ship to Murond. Take Pent with you just in case. Worker 8 will come with me and mine to Nelveska on this new mode of transportation Besrodio invented. Everyone else, head back to the mansion. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"I don't take orders from a heretic," Kletian snapped at Ramza. "I won't go to this mansion, and I will go wherever I damn well please."
"Fine, whatever," Ramza shrugged. "I don't care. As far as I'm concerned Kletian, our partnership ends here."
"Fine with me," Kletian replied, and set off by foot for town. Rush and Christine led those not boarding Jack's ship or the ferry to the Deep Dungeon back to the mansion, and everyone went on their respective quests.
Meanwhile on Nelveska island, the samurai Rivonick knelt before a shadowed throne, his head bowed in veneration.
"It is begun my Mistress," he said, smiling maliciously. "The wheels have been set in motion for the rise of Ajora."
"Good," the female figure on the throne said, uncrossing her black leather boots and walking into the light. "Soon our Master will rise, and we will destroy this world.
A/N: Oh god, not Ajora again! I know, but I promise, other better villains will follow. And she'll be better under my control than she ever was in the game. At least there's a plot now.