Brilliance: A Legend of Mana Story
Three -A Sound Like Nothing-
Elleira scowled, staring out over the field, watching the army of mercenaries as they went about whatever they were doing down there. It hurt her to think of her friends, trapped inside the Bejeweled City after so much had been done to save them. But of course, human couldn't be expected to change their ways. People were just as greedy for Jumi cores as they were decades ago. If no one acted, the Jumi would be hunted into extinction again.
She held Kiishin's hilt in a white-knuckle grip, grinding her teeth, barely managing to restrain her fury. She had not been the one to strike the final blow against the Mana Goddess, but she had been present. Riven had slain a goddess, forever marking himself in the annals of history. Elleira had fought long and hard, competing with him the entire way, and she had defeated just as many foes as he had.
She had stopped Irwin from destroying the world with Lucemia. She was the one who plunged into the Underworld to fight Drakonis. Where had Riven been during that? Running around with the rabbit guy. What was his name? Niccolo.
Elleira glanced over at Escad, who was practicing blade forms, and felt another twinge of jealousy. They had fought each other over the fate of Irwin and Matilda's love, and she had defeated him, severing his arm in the process. No one had thought he might survive. As he worked, twisting and moving along with his blade, she could only wonder at how much better he had gotten. The fury was gone from his style, replaced with an unbreakable coolness of character. His hatred of Irwin still burned deep, but he no longer let it consume him. He had changed, after all.
And Elleira was no longer certain she could beat him. Kiishin was a sacred sword, given to her by her mentor the day he had finished training her and Riven. It was the only thing holding her to her past, the only thing she had kept at her side constantly since that day. Ever since Saiga - their teacher - left, she found it impossible to live in a house, to sit still for longer then a few days. She wandered, training, fighting, and doing odd jobs for money or for the hell of it.
Riven sat at home, tending his garden and Rabites, and he was still as strong as she was. And Escad . . . all of her rivals were so strong now, and she felt so weak by comparison. She hated feeling like she had something to prove, but she did.
"You still love me, don't you Sephiroth?" she asked, stroking the black Chocobo's neck. It was only more infuriating that Riven didn't seem to notice she was competing with him, and Escad had never felt like a true rival. If only . . .
Something exploded nearby, showering her with rock. She hit the ground, and barely had time to blink before something else exploded. She slapped at her sleeve which had caught fire, and rolled into a crouch, trying to see where the attack was coming from, and when she did, she swore loudly.
"What was that?" Escad said, coming up beside her. "What's going on?"
"The mercenaries saw us. I don't know how." She looked around, and scowled. "We don't have time to wait for him."
"If you say so." Escad leapt up, slashing through a large flaming boulder that had been launched at them. "Then let's go quickly."
"Sephiroth!" Elleira shouted, jumping onto the chocobo's back. "To the Bejeweled City! And grab Escad!"
The black chocobo 'warked', and seized the back of Escad's cloak as they took off. It twisted as they flew, avoiding fire from everything the catapults launched at them. Elleira dug her boots into its side, urging it to go faster, and it complied eagerly. It had been a long time since she'd been in a massive aerial battle, and even though she knew she didn't have time, she wanted to enjoy it. Sephiroth was always willing to show off, and he did so now, adding flourish to every dodge and dive, avoiding every arrow and spear thrown at them.
Suddenly, Elleira became aware of a loud humming sound, swelling in her ears over the sound of rushing wind. She looked around, trying to find its source, until the hum turned into a shriek, and she clapped her hands over her ears in agony. Sephiroth became swerving, shaking its head violently, trying to escape the noise.
"UP!" Elleira screamed. "GO UP!"
Sephiroth complied, flying straight up, and the sound seemed to lessen. Sighing with relief, Elleira let her hands drop. "What the hell was that?" she asked, stroking Sephiroth's neck. She felt something trickling down the side of her face, and brushed it, stunned to realize it was blood. Her ears were bleeding. She quickly checked Sephiroth, sighing in relief when she found his were not.
"Ack! Escad!" Elleira twisted, trying to peer past Sephiroth's flapping wings. "Escad?!"
"Did we lose him?" she asked Sephiroth, just before her words were drowned out by the shrieking sound again, a hundred times louder then before. She screamed with it, shaking her head, her hands tightly pressed to her ears. She was starting to black out, but Sephiroth beat her to it.
The black chocobo shuddered violently, and fell from the sky. Elleira fell from his back, and her vision left her as she fell unconscious.
Riven rolled over his fence into the pasture, landing on his back, gasping for air. (I'm out of shape,) he told himself wryly. (Some kind of hero I am.) As he lay on the ground, collecting his thoughts, various animals wandered over, nudging him, trying to discover what was wrong with him. Suddenly, they froze, and scattered. Riven frowned, starting to sit up, when a black sword made of bone stuck itself in his face.
He gaped at the Skeleton Knight for a split second before it was on him. It jumped on his chest, beating him in the head with the blunt bone, and he yelped, trying to throw it off.
"Damn it Vincent, this is no time to spar! Lay off!" The monster ignored him, continuing to smite his head with its blows. Finally Riven threw it off, rolling into a crouch and rubbing his head. "OW! Damn, why did I save you from the Bone Dragon? Goddess!"
Vincent turned away, and probably would have sniffed disdainfully if it had had any lungs. Riven shook his head, getting to his feet. "Its time. We've got to fight a war."
The Skeleton Knight tilted its head to one side, considering. Then it nodded, gripping its bone sword tightly. Riven patted it on the head, and leapt over the fence.
"Dammit!" Elazul snarled. "That WAS Elleira, wasn't it? Damn these stupid things!" he shouted, throwing the binoculars to the floor. Emeralda yelped and went quickly to check it over. Blackpearl scowled at Elazul.
"We're all concerned, Elazul, but that is no reason to go smashing Emeralda's invention." She offered half a smile to the woman sympathetically. "He gets worked up sometimes. We wouldn't have even seen Elleira if it wasn't for your invention."
Emeralda blushed, shaking her head. "I can try and figure out a way for it to see farther, but if I could get my hands on a telescope again . . ."
"I don't think the Pirates are coming back while this is going on," Duelle said, entering through the doorway. "And we are seriously undermanned. We could use some more Knights."
"Elazul almost died in the last exchange," Blackpearl said softly. "Their arrows can somehow seek out our cores. And I might change into Pearl in the middle of a battle," she said in disgust.
"Pearl isn't so bad," Elazul said defensively.
"She's weak, and right now, we can't afford weakness!" she snarled.
"I'm worried for Florina," Duelle said. "I heard her mention that she might not be able to keep crying."
"They're draining us. Fatigue and starvation are wearing down morale. Pretty soon Duelle, you'll look good enough to eat." Blackpearl said.
"Ahem, yes, well, I sure hope that help comes soon. But I don't think that Elleira will be with it."
"JUMI! ARE YOU NOT TIRED OF SEEING YOUR FELLOW WARRIORS FALL?!" a voice boomed, drowning out Elazul's response to Duelle. "GIVE US THE FLOURITE, AND WE MAY CONSIDER LETTING ALL THE NON-JUMI GO FREE!"
There was silence in the Bejeweled City as everyone listened to the mysterious voice calling out to them. Blackpearl motioned for everyone to prepare the cotton or bits of cloths they had handy to stuff in their ears in case they played that terrible sound again.
"IF THAT IS HOW IT IS TO BE! THEN YOU CAN ALL WATCH AS THIS HERO DIES FOR YOUR COWARDICE!"
Blackpearl rushed to the edge of the wall, staring down. Sure enough, the soldiers had built a mini-gallows, and were already preparing Elleira for hanging.
" . . . oh goddess . . ." she whispered.
"What? What is it?" Elazul hobbled over on his makeshift cane with help from Emeralda. "What's happen . . ."
He trailed off, watching as the soldiers held the young hero up long enough to get the noose over her head. Then in a moment that nearly stopped his heart, they dropped her, laughing as her unconscious form struck the ground because the rope had not been secured tightly enough. They reset the rope, and the voice boomed out one last time.
"SURRENDER YOUR CITY, JUMI, OR WATCH YOUR HERO DIE!!!"
Elazul put a hand on Emeralda's shoulder as she lowered her head and began too cry. Blackpearl and Duelle forced themselves to watch, as warriors do, to honor their friend's sacrifice.
They dropped the girl again, and in the same moment the stage was blasted apart by a giant shard of ivory. Elleira flew through the air, until the massive Bone Dragon caught her in its talons. It landed on the ground, sliding, crushing hundreds of men. They all screamed, firing arrows, throwing spears, all of which bounced harmlessly off of it.
The Bone Dragon lifted its head, and roared, spreading its skeletal wings. It was the very incarnation of death, and no one in the Bejeweled City knew whether to cheer or shriek in fear. There was utter silence as the Deathbringer appeared beside its master, and together they stared down the army. Utter silence, as a massive green snake descended from the clouds, revealing itself, dwarfing the army, the city, and even the dragon in size.
"Lucemia . . ." someone whispered, though Blackpearl didn't know who.
The Bone Dragon raised up, baring its fangs, and roaring its defiance. And Lucemia began to sing. Blackpearl forced her numb hands to react, putting the bits of cloth in her ears. She did not get the chance to see if anyone else had before the jeweled stone beneath her feet began to resonate with the sound of Lucemia's song, and the city began to crack and break.
"Our brother is calling us," the Sky Dragon said.
The White Dragon tilted its head listening. "Lucemia has already begun its song." It shook its head sadly. "Our strength is weak. It shames me to admit, we need you with us. Are you not going to fight?"
There was a sound from the dark, a chuckle perhaps, or possibly a snarl. "Oh yes. I'll be fighting. Only fitting that the dead should retake the skies from the dead."