"Who are you?"
"I am one of the Dawn Maidens. Do thou seek my knowledge?"
"Yes…tell me of the Gate of the Gods."
"Very well, Elvaan."
-
A conversation Alain did not recognise flashed through his mind in between swipes of his Great Sword as he cleaved through a number of hulking crystal Golems. Zeid was nearby fighting off just as many with ease. A momentary lapse in concentration had created the strange sensation inside him and then he heard words being spoken. Afterwards his stomach was in knots and he felt sick. Because of the enemies incessant advances he could not stop to ponder on it.
While cutting another Golem clean through the stomach he heard a frantic voice call out. At first he thought he was imagining things again, and then he looked to Zeid to make sure it had not been him. Then he realized it was from the communication pearl hidden inside his chest plate.
On the other end Samuel was shouting with fear in his voice that the Blue Mage assassin had come on board. That was all he needed to hear before calling to Zeid and running back the way they had come. As he passed by crumpled remains of Golems they had already dispatched he realized that Zeid had not followed after him and had stayed behind. His mentor obviously believed he could handle it alone and decided to continue after the prayer.
-
"You're slowing down, old man!" Vessel called as her image flickered behind the Gentlemen Thief.
He did his best to try and get behind her, but his abilities enhancing effects were leaving him. After one last attempt he found himself vulnerable as the Blue Mage took the upper hand and appeared behind him. He turned fast enough to receive the hilt of her scimitar into the side of his face as she swiped at him deliberately avoiding a death blow. She then pointed the blade tip at his chest.
"My, my," he panted, "what was that spell? It lasted longer than any Haste spell I have ever seen. You Blue Mages are quite something!"
"Is that all you've got? I expected more. Before I kill you I want to satisfy my curiosity; how did you know about me? You aren't one of the Six Champions and I haven't met you before."
"The crew of this airship talk of many things…and I helped myself to books of mythology from the room up those stairs back there. I'd heard a rumour of a foreign assassin using Blue Magic…when was it now, I forget. Regardless, it seems that you have bettered me. Good show."
His form vanished as Vessel paused. As he had planned, she believed he had tried to move at speed one last time when in fact he had hidden his figure from natural site using his temporary camouflage technique. The Blue Mage twisted on the spot, expected another attempt to grab her. Pointing his dagger horizontally he got up from the ground and slashed across her back.
Her blue and white fabric ripped with ease from the razor sharp edge and blood trickled down. Vessel let out a gurgled grunt and swiped behind her, but by then he had moved positions. She felt along her back and then held a hand over the wound. Blue light was absorbed into her palm and then it turned gold as a soothing light was spread over the cut, sealing the blood loss. It was some form of Healing Magic. She then drew in more energy and recast whatever Haste spell she used.
"You should have killed me!" she cried out angrily. "I won't let you touch me again!"
From the spot the Gentlemen Thief had picked to hide he looked out, still camouflaged, and watched her pace about swiping her sword and then flickering around to different locations of the upper deck. She was trying to work out where he was hiding.
After a few moments she pushed one hand into the air and drew in a large amount of blue energy. It expanded into a thick circle before turning into purple flashing energy. It dropped around her form and then expanded in the shape of an explosion, but passing through inanimate objects freely. As the edge of the sphere crept along his arm he felt it tighten around his form and inflicting slowness on his joints.
Seconds later Vessel was in front of him on the other side of the propeller mast he had been hiding behind with a satisfied grin. The Gentlemen Thief jerked forwards as her scimitar blade struck straight through the mast and into his chest. It did not dig deep, but enough to hurt. She twisted it before pulling it out allowing the blood to flow freely and to cause even more pain. Then she was behind him and, with a closed knuckle, knocked him across the side of the head back down onto the deck.
Landing on his back, the Gentlemen Thief groaned and held his wound tightly. He then felt along the side of his head and found that his grey hair had been bloodied by the impact of the fist. The assassin was back in front of him again just moments later and pointed the blade right in between his eyes.
"I suppose you think I'll end it now? Not a chance. You'll suffer for making me look like a fool, old man."
"…We shall see…who has the last laugh…milady" he mumbled through a swollen lip.
A quick gathering of blue energy resulted in an invisible force battering his gut and knocking him into the back of the upper decks armoury door. It was as if he had been punched by a Galkan Monk. Vessel asked rhetorically if it hurt as she used the same technique again, this time aimed at his face. His head battered off the back of the thick wooden wall, splattering it with spots of his blood.
"Don't….don't move!" someone shouted from the stairs.
Through dazed vision the Gentlemen Thief saw the young Hume from before (that he had learned through his spying was called Samuel) pointing a weapon at the Blue Mage. He rested the barrel on his wrist while his other hand held the hilt tightly. It seemed to be a simple short range rifle. It was typical for a Bastoken to use a ranged weapon, but to use gun powder and bullets required very specific training. He was surprised someone so young even knew how to hold it.
"Obtained a spine from below deck, did you?" she asked with a smirk and turned away to face him. "What is that…a gun? How pathetic you are. Look at you shaking. Do you really think you could hit me even if I did not have a speed boost? I'm going to move instantly across this deck and stab you through the gut with this sword, you know? You are going to die."
"Sharp Shot!"
The elderly Elvaan watched Vessel's figure vanish as green light surrounded the Hume. He moved his arm swiftly and fired. He was not sure what happened at first because of his obscured vision. Then he saw the Blue Mage standing in front of the Hume. Looking up at the wall of the armoury, the Gentlemen Thief saw where the bullet had hit. Samuel had missed.
"A Ranger, huh?" she hissed and grabbed his throat. "What the hell did you do to me? Answer me!"
Her feet wobbled slightly as she almost lost balance.
"I…I didn't…I missed!" he winced.
She pushed him down the stairs in a rage and he lost sight of the young Hume. She started walking back to him and dropped to one knee. She was sweating quite badly and the burning hatred now directed towards him was probably the only thing keeping her conscious.
"You…bastard…" she cursed.
"My dear…" he retorted, "…you cannot win a battle with brute force alone. The mistake was yours… to presume that I had only lightly cut you. The poison in my attack…has taken effect…"
She began to hobble towards him.
"I'll take you with me…"
"So you wish to make it a draw?"
When she was only a meter or so away someone else appeared at the side of the deck. Someone had jumped back up the rope. They wielded a large weapon that the held close to their chest.
"Vessel!" a familiar voice shouted. "This time, I'll kill you!"
The Blue Mage dug into a pouch at the back of her belt and revealed a scroll. She broke the wax seal with two fingers and let the paper roll out. Just as it reached the end it glowed and surrounded her. It was a teleportation scroll that would bring her to safety. As the person he know recognised as Alain walked across the deck as Vessel vanished the Gentlemen Thief felt his eyes close themselves.
-
"So you know this Elvaan?"
"Yeah, I met him once before… he is a wanted criminal…"
"So are we."
"But still…"
"Alain… He saved my life and he's pretty beat up…"
"He will die without treatment. We have the prayer so get us off the ground in whatever shape you can manage. Alain and I will fight off any Demons that attempt to get on board. Head for Norg and alert them that we have a casualty."
-
Alain sat in the room they had found the Gentlemen Thief had been staying in. It was right at the back of the middle deck far from the other rooms he and his friends had occupied. It was filled with some scraps of food, books, and scrolls. He had collected an impressive amount without ever arousing their suspicions.
The seriously wounded Elvaan was in the bed he had been sleeping in since they had left Bastok so long ago after their prison break. It was a too short for him, but he was in no state to complain.
Sitting there watching him suffer from the pain even in a state of unconsciousness Alain tried to decide what to do. The Gentlemen Thief had hidden on board the Highwind to escape Bastok and probably did not care about them. Yet he had saved Samuel and he could not work out the reason why. Was it a true act of protection or a bid to save his mobile homes crew? Was there selfish emotions behind it or selfless? He had to know for sure.
There was many hours flight until they would reach the hidden town of Norg, especially considering the state of the airships propellers. They were flying at three quarters the momentum than before and at a far lower altitude. Now that they were past the Northlands they did not need to fight off anymore Demons, but they would be in plain view of anyone below.
A sudden flash blinded him. He held his eyes tightly closed and gripped his skull as images flickered inside his mind. The moving pictures were accompanied by a deep whirling sound that droned in and out. The whirling sounds became sinister whispers that sounded like a beast. Seconds later everything was as it was. The only sound was the weakened Highwind engine and the occasional groan from the Gentlemen Thief.
He was sure he felt the airship shift slightly to the left and then again. Had they turned? As he was about to stand up (while gripping his head) he heard someone approach the room. Zeid appeared in the doorway.
"There has been a change of plan," he stated. "Catherine and the Ninja bodyguard reunited with Gerdinus, who they had found to have passed out from over exerting himself. They teleported out into the jungle and met with Hanaa, Nokum-Akkum, and that Summoner. After a short visit to Norg they all went straight to the desert so we are heading there."
"…What about the Gentlemen Thief?"
"He can receive treatment from Catherine when we meet her in Rabao. There has been no communication with Rostairmar, something may have happened, so we must get there quickly. Since the Blue Mage seemed to know of our movements we must assume that the Zilart Brothers do also. He may have been attacked."
With that, Zeid left. Rost may have been attacked? He did not feel worried. It was not because he knew Rost could handle himself in a fight or was not stupid enough to get into a difficult situation, he just felt nothing.
It was strange, he felt things for other people, even those he did not like (such as Shadow) yet with Rost there was just emptiness. Zeid had claimed he did not suffer the infliction of apathy present in most Humes, but that was not accurate. There was one person he did not care about. The apathy was teetered on a knife edge however and could just as easily tip over and turn into hate.
A night went by until they were once more over the painfully hot desert. Samuel was able to land the airship on the same rocks they had used weeks ago making for a fourth successful landing. His friends were waiting nearby. A huge smile spread across his face as he saw Catherine, Hanaa, and Nokum-Akkum running towards him.
The Tarutaru wrapped himself around one of his legs as the Mithra leapt at him, immediately knocking him onto the sand so that she was sitting on him. Hanaa grinned down at him as he struggled to breath. Looking past her, he saw Catherine just smile from behind with both hands gasped in front of her stomach. Looking to the side, he was surprised to see another small body dressed in green toddle round and stare at him just a few centimetres away.
"Eh… Hello," he said to the Tarutaru in his face.
"Bigger Bro looks silly-willy with Big Sis sitting on him!" the Tarutaru exclaimed, then ran off out of sight.
A few seconds later he heard Nokum-Akkum squeal and felt his body get lifted away from his leg. The Tarutarus then proceeded to have a vocal argument about nothing in particular. Hanna got off him and then ran and jumped at Samuel, knocking him to the floor as well.
"You've got bruises!" he heard her cry out. "I'll heal you, sit still."
"Alain…" Catherine said quietly as he got up. "I'm glad you are safe. It's good to see you."
He smiled again, "You too."
"I'm needed on board to heal that Elvaan Thief… But…"
"Yes?"
"…No, it's nothing. Just, don't leave for the Quicksand Caves without me."
He nodded and she headed towards the Highwind. While they had all exchanged greetings Zeid had spoken with Lion and Shadow had gone on board the airship with Gerdinus. The two squabbling Tarutaru eventually stopped arguing long enough to also run on board. Zeid called him over.
Lion spoke first, "Alain, I was just letting Zeid know that I've had a look around Quicksand Caves already and I can't find any sign of your friend. Look, I know you might not care, but the others will want to go look for him… the thing is, we need to find that last prayer and the Chamber of Oracles so…"
"So you don't want to waste time trying to find him," he said coldly.
"Precisely," Zeid confirmed. "Lion and I will concentrate on finding the chamber. Leave your friends to try and find the Samurai and while they do so do your best to search for the Prayer Stone. Understood?"
"No arguments here."
-
Zeid and Lion watched Alain head to the airship to tell the others the plan.
"There's something strangely familiar about how Alain is acting all of a sudden," Lion whispered.
The Dark Knight stared at her.
"…Touchy subject…? Sorry about that. My father tells me a lot of stories about the war. But you can't deny it."
"He came into contact with a source of darkness and it has begun to take effect. He will have to suffer through the trial soon. It seems like Rostairmar is the catalyst for his negative feelings that the darkness is feeding off. If they meet now in the frame of mind he is unwittingly in I'm not sure what will happen."
"…Are you saying its better that we don't find Rostairmar because of what might happen between them?"
There was no reply.
-
Two hours later Catherine was happy enough that the Gentlemen Thief was stable and that they could leave. She had asked for Hanaa to assist in the healing to speed things up, but even then it was touch and go. There were broken bones that would take time to heal, but he would not die. They instructed Samuel to lock the unconscious Elvaan in his room and to check on him regularly. The young pilot agreed despite loud swearing from his father suggesting they he believed they had to concentrate on repairing the airship not guard a prisoner.
They had broken into their discussed parties upon finding an open chamber into the Quicksand Caves. There were ruins littered about the desert but not all of them were stable enough to use as a means to investigate the deeper caves. It created a sense of uneasiness to pass into a cave with walls made of sand and to see trickles drop from the ceiling. It was as if at any moment they would be enveloped by quicksand.
Splitting up had not been an option at first as the path they had taken was linear. Eventually however the walls of impacted sand gave way to ancient yellow stone signalling their true arrival in the buried city. Lion and Zeid went in search of the Chamber of Oracles and took the east path. The others headed west (them having come to the cross roads from the south).
On more passage stood before them; the one that went north. It seemed like there was more cave within and not stone ruins. It called to him. The sound was like the vision that had caused him pain back at the airship. It would not stop screaming in silence. He began walking towards it.
"Silly Big Bro!" Renene declared as he looked down to see her right in front of him. "Thataru is the wrong way!"
The others looked back.
Gerdinus spoke, "Alain, we have decided on this path."
"…I know, but I have to go this way."
Nokum-Akkum demanded an explanation with a confused look as he scratched his ear. Catherine walked back towards him in silence while Hanaa vocally joined in that she had no idea what he was talking about.
"I can't explain it… I just know I need to go this way."
"So be it," the Paladin said, "Then we shall all go."
He stood firm.
"I need to go alone."
They all stood in silence for a moment. Then his Tarutaru friend erupted in a furious sputter of words and utter refusal to let him wander off alone to go pick fights with monsters without him. Shadow spoke in a whisper and said that it was against his mission parameters to let one of them put themselves in unnecessary danger by travelling alone.
"I'm going to find the Prayer Stone for Zeid and Lion and then meet them at the chamber," he stated emotionlessly. "I know that you want to find Rost…I don't. To be honest I don't care if he's alive or dead. He isn't my friend or my comrade. Back then… he would have left you for dead all those months ago. Go find him and leave the stone to me if you like. Don't come after me."
They were all stunned by his cold tone and no one spoke as he ventured down the north hall into another enclosed sand passage. He heard someone following and before he could turn around two arms were wrapped around his stomach. He felt someone's head lean against his back. He felt them breath and then took the next in time with them.
"You didn't mean those things," Catherine said and held him tight.
"…Yes I did…"
"You're hiding behind those words. You aren't acting like you. What happened to you, Alain? What changed you so much in such a short time? You would never leave a friend behind even if you grew to hate them."
"…I…just, please, I know…just let me do this. I know I need to go this way. Don't ask me why or how I just do. Whatever is supposed to happen is going to happen on this route. I need to do this alone, Catherine. You're right that I'm changing and it's for the worst. I need to do this…to find out…"
"Let me come with you…"
"…I almost killed Naji."
She pulled away from him.
"What?"
"I wanted to admit it for so long… he found me…we fought…I won. I was so ashamed. For some reason, I just had to tell you that now. Go to the others and find Rost. I'll see you later."
He left her. As they parted she held his hand long enough for it to slip all the way to the fingertips before falling. As he walked into the darkness of the cave he could hear her sobs echo down after him.
Three passages on from the one he had left his friends behind in and he was already lost. All sense of direction vanished and he could no longer tell which way he had come from and which he had not. All that had happened thus far was a run in with a number of Antica all too eager to fight. He had worn himself down somewhat by fighting off four at once.
So is this all that was meant for me… a fight with these things?
The ground in the next room had been upturned. Beastmen blood was splattered in various sections and cuts travelled along sections of floor. It looked as though someone had released a weapon skill in the room recently. A sudden realization came over him as he bent over to trace a finger down one of the cuts.
He was not meant to find the stone.
-
Zeid pushed hard with both his mighty hands and used his whole weight against an ancient white door. Lion did her best to help and shoved as well. The door abruptly pushed in a few centimetres before rising out of sight.
Inside was a huge chamber bathed in unnatural light. It was not a part of some lost Galkan city, it was a building crafted by the Zilart. At the far end of the huge room was a thick white pillar and along each side of it smaller pedestals with glowing lights matching the elements present in the world.
"So this is the Chamber of Oracles," Zeid said as Lion whistled.
The room seemed aware of their presence and lit a walkway leading up to the main pillar that sported a strange insignia on its thickest point. The two explorers began to look around the upper section of the room. There were no enemies or signs of battle. It was as if the area had not been touched by any Beastmen at all.
"Zeid!" Lion called suddenly.
He ran to her as she pointed at one of the smaller pedestals. It was bathed in a light brown. In the centre floating just off the surface was a stone of matching colour that seemed to resonate with it. Someone had already found and placed the Prayer Stone of Earth into the ancient chamber.
-
Why did it have to be me…?
Alain sliced through the back of an Antica approaching Rost and greeted him with a sarcastic attempt at the San d'Orian salute. In response he looked at him angrily before returning to exchanging blows with an increasing amount of enemies.
"What did you do to get them so angry!" Alain shouted as they fought.
"They did not approve of me borrowing their stone."
He found it already? Then why did…
Each of them backed into one another and rested for a few seconds as more Antica surrounded them. Rost seemed badly fatigued from constant fighting and in far worse condition than him. Even though he could fight on longer they were quickly becoming vastly out numbered and he knew the best choice of action was to escape.
"Think you can help me blow a hole in this mass to create an escape route?" he asked as they stood back-to-back.
"Who do you think you are talking down to me like that? Stand back and I will clear the path myself. We will head west."
"And who do you think you are giving me orders?"
The first wave of Antica charged.
"Do what you like then! Meikyo Shisui!"
"Last Resort!"
Alain immediately appeared in front of three Beastmen engulfed in red energy and sliced clean through all of them, splitting them through the chest. He then met with the long sword of another and shattered the blade as they made contact before skewering them.
-
Rost charged up purple light inside his sword and sent a wave of energy smashing into four Antica before sweeping round and creating a small hurricane of wind. The two energies combined in a massive ball of dark green pulsating energy that wiped another six away as he leapt backwards to safety. The Samurai skidded to a halt and looked across to Alain as a large amount of sand dropped.
An improvement…but not enough.
The way was near enough clear by this point, but more enemies were still coming from the other hallways. Out the corner of his eye he saw something glisten and raised his Great Katana just quick enough to slice through an arrow. His Third Eye had saved him. A group of long ranged bow users had crept into the corner and were firing whenever they had a shot that would not accidentally strike one of their own.
He reached the west passage hall first and called to Alain to hurry after him. The Dark Knight broke into a sprint but still took wild swings at Antica as he went by, cleaving heads and taking off limbs. Just a few meters away from where Rost stood, Alain suddenly stumbled as the red aura around him vanished. He seemed to be stricken by illness all of a sudden. It appeared to be the after effects of his ability.
As he reached him he fell forwards as something struck into his back. He hit the floor and let out a gasp. An arrow extruded out of his upper right shoulder. Begrudgingly, Rost knelt slightly to help him, but his hand was pushed away.
"Like…I'd…need your…help!" he grunted.
"Get up then and run, we cannot stay here!"
-
Alain ducked as another arrow nearly caught his head and struck into the sand just beyond him. He then managed to get up using his sword as leverage and swiped ungracefully at an approaching enemy, narrowly catching them in the side and cutting them open. He spun with the blade and knocked into the wall. Being wounded while recovering from Last Resort had sapped all his strength. He glared sideways and saw Rost continue to fight off approaching enemies and deflect arrows.
The Samurai looked at him and everything seemed to stop. There was something going on that he did not understand. It was as if in that moment of time standing still he could tell what Rost was thinking. He was thinking 'he can't move in that condition, he can't run away' and believed it. Then he saw what would happen and tried to push the Elvaan away as he reached out and grabbed his arm tightly.
"Don't…!"
It was all he managed to say before Rost tugged him into the passage then threw him down the hall (with amazing strength for only using one hand). He rolled to a stop with his sword nearby and a snapped section of the arrow lodged in his shoulder. He started to get up as he watched Rost raise his blade towards him.
Rost leapt into the air as a triangle of pure light left his blade and expanded shattering the roof. The sand and rock gave way and fell upon the unstable ground, filling the area between them both. As the rock filled he saw Rost looking at him for a few seconds, but then turned to parry a blow.
He got to his knees and crawled towards the tumbling rock. Sand eventually stopped falling, but only after the passage had been completely sealed. He started to dig into the sand and rock frantically trying to clear even a tiny hole through to the other side but too much had fallen.
Fighting was still going on, he could hear it. He continued scratching, pulling, and ripping through the sand covering the bottom of his body in the loose dust he had managed to move.
"Rost!" he shouted, "Rost!"
There was no reply, but the sound of fighting continued. The ground shook.
"I can still fight! Open the passage! Open it now!"
The ground shook again and more sand fell. He had to roll backwards to avoid being drowned in it and winced as his wound had weight applied on it. The sound of fighting had stopped.
"Rost!"
There was no reply.
"I can still fight!" he reiterated and crawled towards the rock again. "…You…bastard! Why did you do that? I didn't ask you to help me! Why? Answer me!"
Silence.
Alain felt water dripping down his face as he fruitlessly clawed at the sand pile.
"I hate you," he whispered.
