Start Date: March 16, 2022
Windwillow
Final Fantasy IV
Chapter Twelve
The prince of Eblan, Edge, has joined the party after besting his hated rival Rubicante. Finally, the crystals were within reach! Only to fall through a trapdoor and into a hornet's nest of soldiers.
With a new ally, a new airship, and an open schedule, the party will visit a magical realm that Rydia knows very well...
Scene One
The sight of the crystals didn't last long. After having fallen down a long shaft, the party came to in front of an airship terminal packed with soldiers. Golbez had thrown them headlong into a small army.
As he staggered to his feet Cecil drew his sword and assessed the situation. They were in an airship dock with several Baronian Red Wings, and had fallen onto a single ship isolated from the rest. A plan formed, one Edge picked up on immediately.
"Oh, yeah!" he grinned as he drew his daggers. "Let's bust some heads and get outta here!"
The Red Wing soldiers charged with swords in hand. In total there were about thirty of the brainwashed soldiers, scattered around and surrounding the party. As they lunged Rosa erected a shield that bounced them back.
Rydia drew a circle in the air with her fingers, and snatched the sigil. From a tiny blue speck the visage of Shiva emerged in all her glory, and as she formed the soldiers paused in shock at her beauty.
Wasting no time, Shiva swept her hands up, creating a tunnel of cold air. The soldiers were caught, flash-frozen. With a snap of her fingers Shiva shattered the soldiers to dust, leaving Rydia to fend off another group with a spell.
Edge and Cecil deftly worked their way through the crowd, and within two minutes the ship was clear. Running up to the helm, Cecil gestured to Edge. The prince severed the ropes tying it to the dock, and with a swift yank the ship detatched from the hangar and flew out away from the rest of the fleet.
"Thanks for the ship!" shouted Edge as they pulled away. "We'll take good care of it!"
Their new airship broke off and flew towards the ground. Edge examined the ship carefully, and cheerfully snapped his fingers.
"Let's call her the Falcon!"
Rydia sighed.
"Is a name really necessary...?"
Rosa shook her head.
"Not really... But it sounds nice."
The airship began to shudder. All eyes turned to Cecil, who at the helm turned the controls wildly.
"We can't fly over lava!" he yelled. "I've got to take her down somewhere!"
Rosa pointed in the distance, where a familiar building stood.
"The Dwarven Castle!" she said as the trembling worsened.
Cecil nodded and turned the ship to land nearby.
Scene Two
After landing the party explained the situation to King Giott. The Falcon had been landed gently with no damage, and the heroes had come to the castle bruised but mostly unharmed.
"I see..." said King Giott. "Without the use of an airship, we're in hot water. Or, maybe lava..."
Cecil nodded.
"We'll need to find someone to upgrade the Falcon, with Mythril. Are there any dwarves here that know how to work with it?"
One of the dwarves nodded.
"You can ask the old dude in the infirmary. He's the guy that brought that stuff in the first place."
Rosa gasped.
"Cid?! He's alive?!"
In the infirmary the party reunited with a wounded Cid, who lay bandaged in bed. The trauma from his fall was heavy, and if he weren't as sturdy as he was they would never have been able to piece him back together.
Cecil kneeled at Cid's bedside.
"Thank God you're alive! I thought you'd..."
"Of course I'm alive!" Cid shouted. "Said I wasn't gonna die, right?"
Rydia held her face in her palm. There's one thing to say that, and another to survive what he did. No normal man could have done it, nor a sane man. The old man was tougher than nails.
"I heard what happened," said Cid. "We still have enough Mythril for the new airship, but I'd have to get working immediately."
The doctor shook his head.
"Not a chance! It's a miracle you're not dead!"
Cid smacked him.
"And it's a miracle they call you a doctor! I'm just fine, thank you!"
He hoisted himself out of bed, in obvious pain. When Cecil's face dropped, Cid just laughed.
"Give me a day!" he said. "Then I'll take my medicine and lay down!"
Cecil nodded.
"Just don't overdo it, Cid."
Cid laughed.
"It's not a problem at all! Leave it to me!"
Scene Three
Cid and the dwarves finished the upgrades to the Falcon, so that now it could fly over lava. Afterwards he went back to bed - in more pain than he admitted - and the party was left to decide on another course of action. King Giott said that he had to recall his forces from the Tower before anything else could happen, so the schedule seemed open.
"What should we do?" asked Edge, placing his arms behind his neck. "I hate waiting for other people to get their act together. Any vacation spots you can think of trying?"
Rydia gasped.
"The Feymarch! I can take you all there to meet the King!"
Rosa cocked her head.
"So, normal humans can get there?"
Rydia nodded.
"On an island far to the southwest is the physical entrance. The King brought me here through the lava, but with the airship we should be able to go there!"
Kain folded his arms.
"And why would we go there, precisely?"
Rydia smiled.
"I want you all to meet the King and Queen. I'm sure they can tell us something useful!"
Cecil nodded.
"Given our present situation, it seems we have time. Let's go to the Feymarch, then."
Edge sighed.
"Any lookers like Rydia there? I'd like to have a drink with a hot fairy, if you know what I mean."
Rydia slapped him.
"Shut it, jerk. And they're called Fey."
Edge nursed his injury.
"Kidding! I was kidding!"
Scene Four
Far to the southwest corner of the underworld lay the Feymarch. It was concealed in an inconspicuous cave on a small island. After taking the Falcon the party entered, finding a strange cave indeed.
The walls and ceilings looked organic, almost pulsing with life. In fact they were, animated and occupied by minor elemental spirits drawn to the Feymarch because of its aura. Most caverns were clean, and there were arcane runes etched across the area.
Rydia smiled.
"Welcome to the Feymarch!"
Edge groaned.
"A king lives in this place?"
Rydia sighed.
"Well, this is the gateway. The actual Feymarch is just ahead..."
A shrill shriek sounded, and from behind a corridor came a horde of monsters. Most were humanoid, studded and scaled. They all were otherwise smooth, with wings behind them. They all carried various daggers and short swords.
"That would be the problem," said Rydia as she threw up her hands. "Not every Fey likes outsiders..."
Cecil drew his sword.
"Can we negotiate with them?"
Rydia shook her head.
"The ones that bring weapons don't negotiate."
The dark Fey gave a long shriek, before charging. Edge drew his daggers and Rosa folded her arms, ready to cast. Rydia put her hand on her hip, and with a flourish drew a long whip from what seemed to be nowhere - more like the flick of her wrist materialized it.
Cecil and Edge clashed with several at once, their weapons meeting curved and straight daggers alike. The paladin and his friend held a clear advantage, and were soon mopping up those that came close.
One of the dark Fey hurled a fireball at Rydia, who slapped it away with the back of her hand.
"Hey!" she pouted. "Show some respect!"
The dark Fey charged, and Rydia shook her head in frustration. As it approached with weapon outstretched, she deftly lashed her whip and slapped it with violent strikes, before wrapping it up, dragging towards her, and punching its lights out.
"Cool!" said Edge. "She's got some spark in her!"
He was growing more and more enamored by the summoner. To his credit, he didn't know she was techincally a seven-year-old. That might've cooled his affection. But her teenage appearance was alluring to him.
Rydia scowled.
"Oh, shut up. Worry about the Fey with a dagger at your neck."
Edge's instincts assessed she was right, and as he dodged he diced through the dark Fey with two deft strokes. Rosa had taken out several with arrows of light, and by then Cecil had finished the group.
Cecil sheathed his sword.
"How far are we from the Feymarch?"
Rydia put her whip away.
"There's a portal just ahead. I guarantee you'll find nicer neighbors there."
Scene Five
The Feymarch proper was a beautiful place. There were gardens and rivers covering the area, and its wooden houses were elegant in their design. All across the Feymarch various Eidolons moved about, ranging from fairies to werewolves and more on from there.
Rydia clapped her hands.
"See? Welcome to the Feymarch!"
Edge gasped.
"I see all sorts of creatures... We really are in a fairy-tale land if there are fairies dancing in the streets!"
One of the Fey cocked her head.
"I'm walking, buddy. We don't dance like ballerinas."
Edge bowed his head.
"My bad, my bad."
Rosa looked all around.
"These are beautiful buildings! I've never seen this type of wood before."
Rydia nodded.
"They've been raised and tended to with magic, so they're as supple as wood but sturdy as stone. Minor elemental energies are infused in them, so they're actually like living trees."
The party wandered about for a while, admiring the Feymarch. There were markets and theaters, entire districts dedicated to wood-working and schools of magic of all types. The Fey here lived better than the medieval folks up above did by a wide margin; in addition to better plumbing their homes were naturally air-conditioned.
As he looked around the place, Edge marveled. He'd expected to find elegant dancing fairies but, like the earlier Fey said, the picture of a prim and proper dancing hall was exactly the opposite: everyone lived like humans, with better living conditions.
After looking around the Feymarch, Rydia guided them to a large library, made from a mixture of wood and semi-biological material.
"This is the Grand Study," she said. "Scholars and historians with all sorts of specialities gather here to debate and research. There are schools for white magic, black magic, green magic..."
Edge cocked his head.
"Green magic?"
Rydia nodded.
"Medicine and abjuration, a more rustic type of white magic. Herbologists and apothecaries study it. Most are dedicated to everyday magic rather than the kind you use in a fight."
Cecil nodded his head.
"To think such a wondrous place exists!"
Rosa nodded.
"It's a paradise!"
Rydia paused, and clapped her hands.
"Oh, I forgot! Let me introduce you to the royal family!"
Scene Six
There was no castle in a traditional sense, but rather an ornate shrine at the top of the Feymarch's highest hill. Its halls were etched with runes and gorgeous artwork. When they reached the throne room, Edge expected to see two ogres in robes for their royalty.
Far from it, the two monarchs looked perfectly human. Neither wore a crown, but had on circlets and robes that differed from the other Fey.
"This is King Leviathan!" said Rydia cheerfully. "And that's Queen Asura!"
Cecil bowed.
"It is our honor, Your Majesties. But if I may, you look different than when we last met..."
Leviathan nodded.
"That's my true form. In our own realm I don't need to look like a titanic sea monster. And on that note, I must apologize for what I did to you folks. I didn't realize who you all were and just assumed you were pirates."
Asura bowed her head.
"And then he sensed you, dear Rydia. So, he departed with you to the Feymarch."
Rydia nodded.
"That seems like years ago... I learned a lot. How are my friends? Ifrit, Shiva, Titan, Ramuh?"
Leviathan smiled.
"Fine, fine! They're relaxing in their homes for now, but if you need them they're quite willing to pop in on you. Everyone here just loves being around you, after all."
Kain folded his arms.
"Well met, Your Highnesses. But I have a feeling this is more than a courtesy call."
Asura nodded.
"Indeed. The matter of Golbez must be addressed, and meeting you directly seemed appropriate."
Leviathan leaned back in his throne.
"Seven of the eight crystals have been seized. Only the dark crystal of Earth remains, in its sealed temple. It should be secure, but I'd feel better if we could bring it back to the Feymarch for safekeeping."
Cecil bowed his head.
"So, you brought us here to retrieve it for you. Indeed we shall. How do we access the Earth crystal? Where is it?"
Asura sighed.
"The daughter of King Giott has the only key. I advise acquiring it and heading directly to the temple. I don't know why we trusted such a young girl with such a key..."
Leviathan laughed.
"Who would think a necklace could be the key to a crystal? Even King Giott doesn't know what trinket of hers it is. Find her, ask her, and take the necklace to the sealed temple. That is why we've asked you here."
Cecil nodded.
"Absolutely. We will set off at once."
As the party turned, Asura grabbed Rydia's shoulder.
"Wait a moment," she said softly. "You may need our power."
Rydia gasped.
"Summon YOU?! Is that even allowed?!"
Asura nodded grimly.
"Yes. If you best us, it is."
Edge cocked his head.
"Beg pardon?"
Leviathan gestured and the room dissolved into a black abyss, reforming into a large open meadow with lakes and mountains in the distance. As the party startled, Leviathan rose from his throne.
"To summon us, you must prove yourselves. Fight us, and we'll aid you if you can survive our attacks. Is this acceptable?"
Rydia nodded slowly.
"What kind of trial is it?"
Asura's body began to glow.
"Trial by combat."
She burst into motes of light. As they reformed, her body rematerialized into a large humanoid ogre, wearing ornate robes, a crown, and carrying both a dagger and a sword. She had three heads that rotated from one to the other horizontally. One face was beautiful, but the others looked fierce.
Leviathan folded his arms.
"If you can defeat Asura, I'll be next to fight. Fail, and lose this chance forever."
Rydia swallowed hard. That was a big chance to take, but if she could summon Eidolon royalty their fight with Golbez may be winnable. She nodded, and lashed her wrist to draw her whip. Her friends readied to fight. They weren't throwing her to two wolves without backup.
Asura twirled her dagger and sword, four arms forming from her body.
"Let the trial begin, then..."