It's SANGOCHAN again! Sorry if this took ages but I am working on another fan fiction at the moment for Lord of the Rings. It's called Rings of Power the first few chapters are up now. But let's get to our story…our heroes are about to set out for The Seal of Fire….
Chapter Seven: The Seal of Fire
"LLOYD!"
Someone threw a pillow at him, waking him up abruptly.
"Wuh?" Lloyd sat bolt right up. In the door was Genis, looking highly exasperated.
"Lloyd…you're still in bed?" Genis asked rolling his eyes, "Everyone else is done with breakfast and what about an early start to the Fire Seal?"
Lloyd leapt out of bed and got dressed in the space of thirty seconds, his collar very lopsided. He hastily strapped his Knight's Saber swords to his belt and crashed downstairs with Genis at his heels.
"Now you're awake." Raine said.
Kratos made no comment.
"Better eat breakfast Lloyd." Yoku said, "You're going to need your strength today."
Lloyd sat down at the table and started eating the eggs and bacon; he finished it in five minutes flat.
"Ok let's go." Lloyd said choking on his orange juice.
"You ate pretty fast Lloyd." Colette said; her face etched with worry.
"You're gonna regret that later. Sooner or later, the hiccups will come to get you." Genis said smirking.
Lloyd ignored him. After buying some supplies and customizing Colette's Charkem into a Duel Ring the party left Tiret Village and headed north.
"Man…" Lloyd said, "I hope it's cooler in Tiret Ruins because it's HOT out here."
"You sure complain a lot." Kratos said.
Lloyd grimaced and said nothing. Meanwhile Raine was rambling on about Tiret Ruins.
"Tiret Ruins are the remains of the ancient Tiret City. But it was destroyed by Efreet the Summon Spirit of Fire."
"Why," Genis said, "Did the seals have to be at ruins?"
Lloyd, Yoku, and Colette exchanged glances and looked away trying not to laugh.
"And, I read that there's a chamber full of Magitechnology." Raine said excitedly, "Ooooh….I must see it up close."
(A/N: Imagine if Raine saw the Great Wall of China)
The trip to the ruins was only hampered slightly by an attack of several sidewinders and giant scorpions. Thankfully, no one was poisoned. Within a half hour they arrived at Tiret Ruins.
"OOOOOHHHH!" Raine squealed like a kid in a candy store, "I can't wait to see what's inside!"
She kept rambling on and on. Suddenly Noishe gave a frightened howl and ran and hid behind a pillar.
"What's wrong Noishe?" Lloyd asked.
Kratos loosened his sword in its sheath, "It's too quiet here, even with Raine rambling."
"Yeah…" Yoku said loading her bow, "AH!" Her skirt had suddenly caught fire!
"PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!" Lloyd shouted rushing over to help. What looked like a levitating scarlet orb hung in the air somewhere above Yoku' head.
"Fire Elements!" Yoku said, "Be careful everyone or you'll get barbequed."
"AQUA EDGE!" Genis shouted. Jets of water extinguished the Fire Element.
But it had friends. Four more flew out from behind several pillars.
"Yoku, try using 'Rain of Fire' on them." Lloyd said.
"Bad idea." Yoku said shooting at a Fire Element, "That attack would heal these monsters."
"DEMON FANG!" Kratos shouted. The Fire Element cart wheeled backwards vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"AQUA EDGE!" Yoku shouted. More jets of water extinguished the last two Fire Elements, "Well…that could've been worse."
"Yoku's right," Kratos said, "We won't get very far if we're constantly attacked by surprise. You're going to need to learn techniques to block attacks."
"Like…self defense training?" Colette asked.
"Close," Kratos said, "What I meant was techniques to lessen damage. I use my Guardian technique for that."
"Hmmm…sounds like that would come in handy." Lloyd said, "Ok, how do we do it?"
In a matter of minutes the rest of the party-except Yoku who already knew Guardian-learned how to block damage from an attacking foe. Now, they had more important things to think about; how were they going to get inside the Ruins?
"Ooooh…" Raine gasped running a hand over the stone slab sealing the entrance, "This door…it's made from Magite-technology-used to defend against magic in The Ancient War. Feel how smooth it is!"
(A/N: Bit of a history "otaku" isn't she?)
"Is she always like this?" Kratos asked Lloyd.
"Is she?" Lloyd asked Genis.
Genis sighed heavily, "I tried to hide it from you…but…" He waved his hand hopelessly at Raine who was obsessing over the door.
Colette's attention was turned to a stone shaped like a podium. It had a strange engraving set into it.
"This is my family's crest." Colette said, "I think this might be an Oracle Stone."
Raine's head snapped to her left to look at the Oracle Stone, "Yes...this is an Oracle Stone. Colette, put your hand on it; if I am correct, an Oracle Stone will only react to the genuine Chosen of Mana."
Colette placed her hand on the Oracle Stone. The stone slab sealing the entrance quivered violently and slid back to reveal some stairs.
"Wow!" Colette squealed, "I really am the Chosen of Mana after all!"
"Well," Lloyd said, "What are we waiting for? The Fire Seal isn't going to break itself."
"Yeah," Yoku said, "Let's go!"
XXX
"Whoa…it's like an oven in here." Genis said.
"How big is this place anyway?" Lloyd asked.
"I'm guessing 'big'." Yoku said shrugging her shoulders.
Raine meanwhile was darting this way and that way dusting off soot to examine carvings on the walls. Highly oblivious to the monsters that made the ruins their home now.
"This place is HUGE!" Colette said her eyes widening after the party went through a door into the remains of an ancient city.
Raine scrambled over the threshold to examine an indent in one of the walls, "Interesting…Lloyd, try firing The Sorcerer's Ring into this torch."
"Ok." Lloyd said taking aim. The torch lit and one of the platforms rumbled and rose.
"I see…" Raine said, "We have to light the torches to reach the Alter."
Lloyd dashed over to the next torch and lit that one too, "Ok…we might need to make a few trips…so this might take a while…"
"Oh, don't worry about that." Yoku said pulling something out of her pocket, "I happen to have one too, but this one's ages old…I'm not sure if it'll work. Well only one way to find out." A fire ball shot out of Yoku's Sorcerer's Ring.
"Looks like it still works." Genis said grinning.
"Ok, we'll split up and light the torches," Lloyd said clapping his hands together, "We'll get it done quicker."
Yoku, Genis, and Raine ran out the door an reappeared minutes later on a higher ledge. Lighting the torches took about fifteen minutes.
"Ah, there's the warp pad." Lloyd said running over to it.
Colette stepped into it first vanishing. Lloyd followed her. Next came Yoku, Kratos, Raine, and Genis.
"AMAZING!" Raine shouted, "This whole chamber is made with Magite-technology!"
"Is that the Alter Colette?" Lloyd asked.
"Y-yes." Colette said gulping.
Red sparks danced over the Alter.
"Guys, I sense a powerful wave of Mana coming from the Alter." Yoku said.
"Me too." Genis said.
"So do I." Raine said gripping her staff.
A large lizard like creature materialized in thin air followed by two of its young.
I am Ktugach and these are my Ktugachlings. Defeat us to pass the Trial of Fire!
They leapt off the Alter and at the party. Lloyd reacted quickly, "GUARDIAN!" He shouted. A jade green bubble appeared around him, it popped when Ktugach struck him.
"AQUA EDGE!" Genis shouted. Jets of water cut through the two Ktugachlings that were bearing down on him.
"MANA ARROW!" Yoku shouted firing an arrow at Ktugach.
"DEMON FANG!" Lloyd shouted cutting through one of the Ktugachlings. It keeled over and vanished in a wisp of smoke.
"DOUBLE DEMON FANG!" Kratos shouted slicing at the last Ktugachling, it too vanished in a puff of smoke.
"RAY THRUST!" Colette shouted throwing her Duel Ring as hard as she could. It hit Ktugach hard on the nose. A scarlet glyph appeared around Ktugach.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Raine shouted.
BOOM! The explosion sent everyone flying in every direction.
"Oww…" Lloyd groaned from beneath Colette.
"FIRST AID!" Raine shouted. But it had no effect on Yoku.
"I think she's been knocked out." Genis said trying and failing to revive her. He pulled out a violet bottle from his pack and poured the contents down her throat. Yoku coughed and blinked.
"DUAL RAY THRUST!" Colette cried.
"DOUBLE DEMON FANG!" Lloyd shouted.
"RAIN OF MIST!" Yoku shouted firing four mist shrouded arrows into the air.
"AQUA EDGE!" Genis shouted.
"DOUBLE DEMON FANG!" Kratos shouted.
"PHOTON!" Raine shouted.
The resulting explosion was deafening. A bright light blinded them and a voice said: Well done Chosen One…
Light filtered through the roof and Remial descended from the ceiling, "Colette, my dear daughter…thou hast fought well. Now, offer thy prayers to goddess Martel at the Alter. Efreet is sure to awaken."
Colette bowed her head and clasped her hands and said, "Oh goddess Martel, great nurturer and protector…grant me thy strength." Colette rose a few feet into the air and a glow of golden light surrounded her. When the light faded sparkly pink wings rested on her back. She descended back to the floor.
"The Angel Transformation is no without pain my daughter, so bear it well."
"Thank you…Fa…ther." Colette said.
Remial rose up into the air and faded in a flash of light.
"Wow! You have wings Colette!" Genis cheered, "Maybe at the next seal you'll get a halo or glow!"
Colette giggled and said, "I can put them away too." The wings vanished.
"Again! Again!" Genis cheered. Colette and Genis laughed while Colette flapped her wings at a fast clip.
"Ok, you two, I think that's enough," Lloyd said chuckling.
"So that was Lord Remial," Yoku said, "Is it true that he's Colette's real dad?"
"That's what the rumors back in Iselia said." Genis said.
The party left the ruins then, very suddenly; Colette collapsed.
"Colette!" Lloyd cried, "Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine…" Colette said trying to get up, only to collapse again.
"Colette," Raine said, "Your lips are purple and you're so pale…We have to get you to a doctor straight away."
"No." Kratos said.
Everyone else's heads snapped towards him; all staring at him in disbelief.
"Do you remember what Lord Remial said? 'The Angel Transformation is not without pain.' This must be what he ment."
"Now that you mention it…" Yoku said, "I don't think Colette should be moving around for the time being. We should make camp here."
XXX
"That tofu curry was good." Lloyd said.
"Is there something wrong with your taste-buds Lloyd?" Genis asked slightly concerned, "I didn't have all the ingredients."
"Oh, you made it?" Lloyd asked, "I thought the professor did."
"You should try my cooking sometime." Raine said.
"Lloyd, if you want to live don't touch Sis's cooking." Genis said.
Colette coughed loudly. Lloyd went up to her.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, just a little cough, I'm sorry…" Colette said.
Lloyd tried hard not to roll his eyes, "Don't apologize when you don't have to."
"You're right, I'm sorry." Colette said.
"Aren't you going to have any dinner?" Yoku asked Colette, "You could use a decent meal after today."
"No, I'm not hungry." Colette said, and then coughed again, "I'm going to take a walk, see you in a bit."
Colette left the party she turned her head up to the star filled sky, "What's happening to me?" she asked herself coughing.
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SANGOCHAN: I know, a bit short but bear with me please! Chapter Eight: Osasa Trail will be coming hopefully soon. Happy reading! MWAHAHAHA! MILDLY EVIL CLIFFHANGER!