Wild ARMs: Last Ignition
Chapter 3 The Guardian Pillar
"Zack. Zack it's time" his father, Cyrus Walker said as he entered his son Zachary's bedroom.
"OK Dad" Zachary said "Just let me get my Staff and my Faux Medium and I'll be down in a minute"
Zachary Walker. Zack to his friends and family. 5' 9" with a tan complexion, piercing aquamarine eyes, deep blond hair framing his face and tied in a ponytail by a red leather cord
(A\N Think Tim in Wild ARMs 2)
Wearing a cream long sleeved shirt, with brown and red embroideries at the wrists and collar, a pair of loose dark brown shin length shorts, pale brown leather walking boots, a pair of brown gloves, a pair of white gauntlets, a white headband tied around his head to keep his hair out of his eyes, and a light brown sleeveless suede coat that reached down to his thighs.
From the table at his window Zack picked up the grey crystal tablet of the Faux Medium of the Guardian of Water, Schturdark, and his Guardian Staff.
The weapon, a bo staff, six feet long, black, made of strong oak, wrapped in Iron for defence. A silver dragons head at each end. And coming from the mouth of the dragons heads, were sapphire orbs.
Today was Zack's 18th birthday. The day he proved his worthiness to become the Pillar of the Guardians. The one who in times of need, would stand with the warriors chosen by the guardians against the threats to Filgaia.
Zack Invoked the Faux Medium as he went down the stairs from his room. In his mind Zack felt the power of the water and healing Arcana Magic within the Faux Medium.
He had his coat over his left arm, while his right hand held is staff.
"Ready to go son?" Zack's father asked as he came down the stairs.
"Almost" Zack replied as he shouldered his brown leather pack carrying his supplies, the put on his coat"
Then he picked up his staff and nodded "Ready Dad"
"OK Zack" his father said as walked out of the house.
They passed various people on their way out of Baskar Colony. Friends, Priests, but mostly just residents wishing them well on their trip to the Fallen Sanctuary.
As they stepped out into the open planes of the Zenom Range, Zack took a deep breath of the mountain air and smiled.
"You remember what you have to do when we reach the Shrine" Alex said "Right son?"
"Of course I do Dad" Zack replied "You wait at the Elemental Towers while I work my way past the temples defences and traps to get the Arc Sceptre. Then come back past the temple guardian and perform the summoning ritual"
"Correct" Alex said as they came upon the shrine.
The entrance was as always blocked by a wall of large blocks.
Zack nodded as he raised his hand and swung at the crumbling wall with a large green leaf.
This released a blast of wind at the blocks. Blowing them inwards.
Inside the main hall of the shrine, was a set of stairs leading up. And beyond that was a passage leading into the shrine.
Without a word Zack picked up his staff and moved towards the passage
"Good luck son"
"Thanks Dad" Zack said as he disappeared through the arch.
The chamber was identical to the last one. Pillars of pale grey, almost blue stone lined the walls. The tiles were the same colour. And every few yards the walls were lit by blue torches of magical flame.
At the far side of the chamber. Next to a large stone panel in an arch, was a stone block and a pressure switch.
But before he could move towards it a pair of Pillbugs moved out from behind a pillar.
Zack held his staff ready as the first Pillbug attacked.
He slammed the staff into the creature's head when it came into range, then spun the staff and slashed it across the Pillbug's face. Throwing it into a wall. Where it lay, and died.
The second Pillbug charged him.
He spun the staff in his hands to deflect the attack and thrust out his left hand as he yelled "Refrigerate"
The Arcana magic took effect immediately. The Pillbug was frozen to the ground beneath it and several spears of ice thrust up from beneath it.
The Pillbug convulsed for a few moments before it stopped and died.
Zack nodded as he moved on. He had chosen the Faux Medium of Schturdark for this very day. Because the Faux Medium contained the elemental magic of Water, Ice, and Healing. And the monsters kept within the Fallen Sanctuary were weak against both.
As he approached the stone block he saw that it was too heavy for him to push on his own. So he took out the Air Leaf and used it to push the block onto the switch.
Almost immediately after the block made contact, the stone slab slid away to reveal his exit to the chamber.
Over the next few hours Zack navigated his way through the traps and monsters of the Sanctuary.
Up to a trap that he had no idea how to get past.
"I don't get it" he thought "I pushed the blocks onto the pressure switches. And the door is still closed"
He was standing in the middle of a square shaped chamber, the final trap he was to navigate. With four differently coloured blocks in the room. Fiery red, forest green, ocean blue, and a bright yellow similar to the shade of the sun.
There was a tablet in the centre of the chamber which read 'Pnehk vuindr dra rynsuho uv dra Vuin Buehdc yht dra fyo crymm ubah'
"Bring fourth the harmony of the Four Points and the way shall open"
Four points, some people called the Fallen Sanctuary the Four Points.
The Harmony of the four points
"Can only be one thing" Zack said "Water, Fire, Earth and Wind. North, South, East and West"
He had been mapping out the sanctuary as he went. And from the entrance to the chamber he was in at the moment. The opposite wall was west.
Using the four towers he saw when he had been practicing for the Evocation with his father he said to himself
"OK so we have, Water to North, Fire to South, Earth to East, and Wind to West"
Using that plan Zack moved the blocks and was on the way to the final chamber within five minutes.
The Arc Sceptre floated in the centre of an energy field.
But before Zack could reach for it the chamber was filled with four high toned shrieks.
The four guardians of the Arc Sceptre appeared in a flash and swarmed Zack. The Kesaran Pasaran.
Zack ducked out of the way as three of them swept overhead.
The fourth tried to attack Zack after he ducked. But he spun around and swept the staff upwards across the creature's face. Then he thrust his left hand out and said "Pressure"
In an instant a sphere of water surrounded the Kesaran Pasaran. And it began to get smaller and smaller. The water pressure crushing the creature.
Zack's father had told him that the Kesaran Pasaran were weak against water magic. So he capitalised on that and released another Pressure spell on one of the other creatures.
But before he could use the Pressure spell a third time.
The two remaining Kesaran Pasaran's began to glow. And after a moment. Instead of two creatures there were six.
"Dammit" Zack thought "Dad told me about this. They can replicate. Which means that I have to get all of them at once"
Which in turn meant that Zack would have to use the Extension Technique he had been learning from his Grandfather.
Zack closed his eyes and let the energy flow through his body.
And released it all at once as he roared "EXTENSION…Pressure"
A moment later a blue aura surrounded him and he held his staff above his head and released the spell.
In an instant six spheres of water surrounded the creatures. And within a few moments they were gone.
Taking a moment to collect himself Zack stood up and took the Arc Sceptre from the field.
Almost as soon as he took the Arc Sceptre in his hands Zack felt the power of the Guardians in his mind.
But he had more pressing concerns so Zack turned and jogged back through the Sanctuary to the entrance.
Once he reached the Vestibule of the Sanctuary Zack took the stairs at the centre of the chamber
Waiting for him at the top Zack found his father sitting on the dusty ground of the top of the Sanctuary.
"Any trouble son?" his father asked
"A little with the last puzzle" he replied "But I figured it out"
"Good" his father said "Are you prepared to perform the ceremony?"
Zack nodded as he held the Arc Sceptre in his hands and closed his eyes as he raised it above his head
"Ryem du dra Kiynteyhc uv dra fydlrdufanc uv dra Hundr, Cuidr, Aycd yht Facd" he began.
"Po dra Bufanc uv Fydan, Vena Ayndr, yht Feht" the Arc Sceptre began to glow in time with the pulsing of the four Monoliths "E ehjuga draa Kiynteyhc… Schturdark, Moor Galt, Grudiev, Fengalon… E cissuh draa vuindr"
A few moments later the Arc Sceptre and the four pillars flashed in a blinding white light.
When the light receded the four Guardians sat atop their monoliths.
Schturdark the Turtle Guardian of Water sat atop the Northern Monolith. Moor Galt. The great Phoenix of the fire sat with his wings folded atop the southern monolith. Grudiev the blue Dragon of the Earth sat atop the Eastern Monolith. And Fengalon, the Wind Tiger sat upon the western Monolith.
As one the four Guardians of the Elements spoke into Zack's mind.
"The time of Battle is almost upon you Priest" they said "Seek the fallen City of the Light if you wish to learn more"
As Zack frowned the four guardians began to glow until they shrunk into four grey stone tablets which rested in Zack's open palm
"What did they say?" his father asked
"Was Adlehyde called the City of Light?" Zack asked as his Faux Medium appeared in his left hand
"Yeah that's right" he replied
"Then I need to go to the fallen City of the light"
"Blue Ridge" his father said as they left the shrine "There's an excavation going on in the ruins of the old City of Adlehyde… Schturdark has always been fond of the city maybe there's something they want you to do there"
Zack nodded silently as they walked back to Baskar. It had been a while since he had been to Blue Ridge…it was on the far side of Cyprus forest. Which meant that he would get to stop in Cyprus springs and get some good food at the Swords Edge Inn before he crossed the forest.
The sun was well into its descent towards the eastern Zenom mountains as they neared the village.
But Zack stopped briefly as he looked towards the west. And saw a star fall towards the rising moon.
"A sign from Rigdobrite of good things" he thought as he moved for home
Authors Notes: done.
Not bad I think.
Next time we encounter the forth warrior of out little band. The Crest Sorceress.
For those of you who want to know what the chants Zack said were. Go to the Unofficial Final Fantasy X site and use the Al Bhed Translator