PART 6
Mirage finished fixing the ship up. She stood back her eyes showed a small bit of admiration in her final work. It did not look any different but it was now clean and the power turned on. She wiped her forehead with her arm, letting out a breath she had been holding. With fatigue had finally catching up to her and she didn't want to stay stuck in the ship that was extremely uncomfortable. She felt that now she was on the planet, she could finally get a comfortable rest. There was a brief smile on her face as she started to travel through gravel caves to get to Peterny, a place she would stop a night before meeting the others the next day in Aquois.
Peppita's attention was divided between the action before them and something or other that always distracted her.
Sophia watched nervously in the background, fumbling with the hem of her shirt, watching.
Fayt and Maria did return, Fayt's idea to follow Cliff and travel with the others like the old times. Fayt and Maria watched, wide eyed.
Sophia took a small note of Fayt holding Maria not paying attention but to her gaze.
Maria saw this out of the corner of her eyes and there was a smug glint in her eyes but it did not show over the worry in her face.
The four couldn't quite understand the situation-taking place, Cliff's anger getting the best of him at this moment.
Albel stood there, his cheek merely bruised from the single blow force of a Klausian.
Nel glanced between he and Cliff. She tightly gripped the Blades of Ryusen of her Father, her face tied between worry and awe.
Albel rolled his eyes, speaking clearly and loudly, "Worm, are you so stupid to have your idiot woman walk alone? Why hit me if she came to I? I did nothing of the sort to convey her to visit me but if she wants a better man, I do not see why you should stand in her way, like I care for this weak maggot next to me. See to her as you wish but if it is a fight you seek then I shall be quite content in taking your life. Be it your choice."
Cliff glared between him and Nel. His voice trembled into a forced calm, to speak in a mild mannered tone as was possible to this current point, "See here, she's mine and she won't come to a stupid guy like you. She probably only came to tell you that you need to get a life other then wasting time and fighting. Tell 'em Nel."
She finally found her voice, which was a bit nervous at first, "I…I came to speak to Lord Nox of only trivial matters. It only dealt with a bit of the subject and I only needed to speak with him about him meaning very little to me, that I do not care what he does or what he says any longer." She realized she had nothing to hide any longer, "Nox, you're someone of whom I wish not to ever deal with again."
Maria whispered to Fayt, "Fayt I think we should get out of here. This is not our business any longer, we don't need to interfere."
He barely paid attention to her words but complied. He called out, "Peppita c'mon."
Peppita pouted for a moment, more interested in watching the rest.
He called out to her again and finally she turned to follow Fayt and Maria.
"Are ya coming Sophia?" Peppita's shrill voice spoke to her.
There was a murmur from her lips and she did not move from her spot. Peppita shrugged leaving her, glancing back to look at her, just standing there every so often.
Albel glared at Nel, finding it stupid that she would demean him like this. Cliff saw this look of malice and took this chance to punch Albel again, just on his cheek. Two blows were not going to stay well with Albel. He could speak his way out of one but he would not sit still now. He quickly jumped back, his upper body, low to the ground. Her fingers held on to his Crimson Scourge tightly. He unsheathed the blade, running at him with intense speed and slashing him across the belly.
Nel put her hand up to her mouth, gasping in surprise.
Cliff took a step back, his arm, masking the full blow of this attack but the force could be felt to his body, which made him fall. He stood back up, looking at Albel, angrily, "Asshole."
Cliff pushed Nel away so that she would be safe from the aura of his attack as he placed his fists up together, ready to fight. There was a brief glowing period were his gauntlets were emitting the yellow color before he rushed an attack of pure physical force at Albel. His hits were fast and crazy, some not hitting their target but there were so many it did not matter.
Albel's speed out matched the first punches that Cliff produced but Cliff had thrown so many his chance of hitting the target increased so that the last and hardest blow was struck to his head.
Albel staggered for a moment, regaining his balance quickly with a dark crimson glow in his eyes. He put one claw in the air, calling a pool blood colored water around them. Dragons of the same color rose from the depths, their bodies too large to fit through the portal created. Their long necks rushed at Cliff, their bodies looking to have just fazed right through him looked to cause great pain. This was hard on Albel's injured body, his mind dazed by the blow from Cliff's original punch.
Cliff's body swayed back and forth for a moment, Nel looking horrified that Albel called this attack and even in his physical condition. She rushed to Cliff's aid, trying to call a healing spell as fast as possible. Cliff fell back, his breathing ragged and the attacks just kept consuming him.
Cliff's body ached and he couldn't move but his eyes were wide open and able to see all before him. He saw Albel starting to shake and he knew he only had to wait a bit longer before Albel got what was coming to him. There was a small smile on his face just before he fell into unconsciousness with Nel over him, murmuring, "Healing."
Nel rose to her feet, her eyes glaring at Albel. Her voice quivered, "I can't believe you Nox, so low as to use that attack. You live up to your name, Albel the Wicked. You truly are what they all say." Her hands gripped the daggers and she quickly unsheathed them. Her style similar to Albel's yet more balanced then he.
She had no smile but a cold glare in her eyes. Electricity powered in her, sparks already starting to fly and her molecules speeding up. She ran quickly at him, her blades out, slicing through the air. She tried to push him backwards but no avail, even the lightning blasts she called and used did not seem to hurt him for he stood like nothing even touched him, yet he looked in pain.
The dragons were high and growing in strength, relying on the power of Albel. They rose to meet Nel's attack; growing from the fight and power she gave off. The snarled and snapped at her but Nel was quick herself. She could not evade all three-dragon heads rushing at her from all sides and was pained.
She started to hobble, knowing there would be no chance for her to escape. She couldn't see a way out so she took Cliff's body with her own in an attempt to escape.
Sophia found her feet and ran towards the two, Nel being grateful that she stayed. She placed her hands together her staff out stretched, taking a few moments for it to charge. She feared there very little time remained but just before the dragonheads hit small glowing lights swirled around them all. The little spheres of light glowed and giggled as fairies do.
Nel was able to sprint now, holding up Cliff's body, nodding at Sophia as the dodge the impending attack.
Sophia murmured to them, "I'm going to try to stop him so nobody else gets hurt." Her voice trembled in fear but the conscience within her told her to keep going and that she had to try to help.
She could run now to get Fayt to help her like she always did, she had to do this all on her own, otherwise she would never be able to accomplish anything by herself.
Nel could do nothing to stop her, knowing that she had to find Cliff a real place to rest and find something to help his condition before she or he could rush back into battle. She could only nod one more time to her, wishing her all the luck she could give as well as being humble enough to speak of a small thanks. Then the two disappeared in the direction of Peterny.
Sophia stood at the tiny stature she had, trying to muster up all the courage she had to stand there. She bit her lip, watching the ominous power emitting from Albel that she could feel was not his own any longer. She revealed her staff, holding it high, summoning power she had to combat him hoping that she had enough time and that it would suffice to stop him, not to kill him.
Albel was laughing, laughing only more so by the second. His hand was arisen in the air as the dragons encircled him, doing his bidding, feeding on his power.
Albel had certainly gone out of his mind and no he was about to lose it. The blow to his head from the Klausian had finally started to take its toll, making it harder and harder for him to focus his power and control the dragons that were let out from exile. He couldn't take it and he let it go, falling back, his body exhausted from keeping the power this long. The dragons were still feeding on his power, sure to take his life if this kept going and he couldn't stop it for he was not in the right mind to do so.
The dragons turned on him, their own master, with power in mind. They wanted that power, their master's so they could escape their prison and into reality. The rushed at Albel's body, trying to devour him, making dents into his armor and clothing, his skin scratched and bruised.
But then a small voice called out; drawing their attention from the flesh of Albel, "How dare you!" Sophia felt suddenly scared of the dark piercing gaze of the dragons so high above her, their shadows and bodies looming over her small figure. She gripped her staff tightly finding more stamina to be there. She murmured her strongest healing spell, calling it out to Albel for she saw he had finally lost control. It was not nearly enough to heal his wounds but it brought him back to consciousness, returning a small amount of strength to him.
A groan came from his body and he could barely move. He was able to watch the scene from the corner of his vision and almost laughed, a small girl against three large dragons. He made the conclusion she had no chance. His vision was blurry and didn't recognize anything and his memory failed him to this point.
He heard her voice call out to him, "Open the portal up again!"
He wondered what she was talking about and his voice did not speak and he wanted to tell her how imbecilic she was to ask him such a thing. A brief though flashed across his head, "Dragon Roar…"
He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking, "How could I have lost control?"
Then the memory of a blond haired man and fists rushed at him.
He tried to remember more but was abruptly called back when she said, "C'MON!"
He saw the dragons currently contained in a weak sphere of lightening that damaged them very little but stopped them from moving. He just wanted that voice to shut up so he pressed his hand to the ground, the large pool of blood colored water, surrounded the area.
The Dragons realized what was happening and struggled with all their might to escape but they couldn't move. Lightning did not constrain their bodies anymore. Two symbologicial patterns encircled them over head and below. Red streams, laser like, fell from the top circular pattern, several times over. Again they could not move. Slowly the top closed in upon them, about to disappear, pressing them back into portal and dimension from which they came.
She called out, "SEAL IT!"
He rolled his eyes thinking of what nonsense this is, wanting to say, "Shut up stupid girl!"
But he complied and just lifted his hand from the ground and the water dissipated. His head rolled to the side as he used up all the energy he had, his vision losing what sharpness it had gain. Blackness started to consume every inch that he could see.
The voice was the same but softer now and closer, calling out "Albel!"
He couldn't understand why she would say such words but realized that it was his name. Blurred flashes of meaningless light and colors passed through what he could see. His mind had little reason and understanding. Briefly he lost all sense of wickedness and memory because he was left with only confusion scared by only pain that pulsed through his now numbing body. His breathing slowed, and his eyelids started to fall, creating a veil of darkness curtaining the surroundings when he saw more colors that didn't flash just stay in place. He tried making out what he saw but found nothing to try to decipher what was going on, his mind cleared and blank.
In the last of his moments with sense he heard a murmured voice and a brief burst of relief. He fell into a deep sleep rather then the final darkness he might have been, while he murmured, "Finally you shut up…you…you…"
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