Ch. 3: The Great Plains of Sacae
"So, where are we going?" asked Hugh.
"Well… I suppose that I do not know…" I answered.
"What? You don't know?"
"You see, I'm on a journey for… knowledge," I said. The true reason for this journey was none of his concern.
"Dammit, I can't believe I'm traveling with a drifter… Geez, where are we going to travel to, all of Elibe?"
"That would be quite preferable, including Valor, the Dread Isle…," I replied. I remembered when I was lodging in a village of Badon, the Port City, and met Lord Eliwood…who also happened to be searching for a ship to sail to the ill-omened island. That incident changed my life forever…
"Oh St. Elimine!" complained Hugh, "Begging to be hired by a lunatic for merely 5000 gold is the greatest mistake I made in my life!"
I turned around and smiled, "Did you say something?"
Hugh frantically reacted, "No, never! Ididn'tsayanythingatall! Forgive me! Uhh…What was your name again?"
I realized that I hadn't told him my name, "It's Ca…rybdis…"
"Carybdis, huh?" said Hugh, "That's a bit odd sounding, but it's a good name… Have you been to Sacae before, Carybdis?" asked Hugh.
"Ah…the plains of Sacae… How long has it been since I've viewed the vast oceans of grass…," I dreamily remarked as I recollected the past.
Hugh stared at me as if I was insane.
"Grass? Did you just say…Grass?!" said Hugh.
"Sacae's biome is considered to be "grassland", or "plains", is it not? I asked.
"Are you crazy? Where've you been man? You better see this…" said Hugh.
When we finally descended from the mountains, I knew what he meant… The plains of Sacae…were gone. There was nothing left of those "oceans" that I once saw, instead ashes and a barren wasteland was all that was left…
"Who…who did this?" I asked.
"Bern… Prince Zephiel suddenly attacked Sacae without warning…" said Hugh in a serious tone, "The nomads were killed, the clans were scattered if there were survivors, and flames engulfed what was once known as the plains… Banditry, pillaging, and larceny increased…significantly…," then he cheerfully added, "But it does have a positive result… The jobs given to us bounty hunters and mercenaries have gone off the roof!"
"That is a poor excuse for humor…," I sarcastically added…
I was worried about the fates of my companions so I asked, "Do you know what happened to Lady Lyndis Caelin Lorca and Rath Kutolah?"
"I've heard of Rath, the Kutolah tribe leader's son, but who's this Lyndis?" asked Hugh.
Then it hit me…Lyndis had abdicated the rule of Caelin to Ostia… It wasn't very surprising that he had not heard of Lady Lyn… She had returned to the plains with… Hmmm…was it Florina, or Rath…? Wait…wasn't she wed to Lord Eliwood or Lord Hector? Or was it Sir Kent? I cannot remember…
"Watch out!" yelled Hugh.
An arrow missed my head by a hair's breadth.
"You should be more careful, you idiot!" shouted Hugh.
Bandits…they never give up do they…
"Well, we've found ourselves in quite a predicament have we not?" I asked, "Bandits seem to be quite attracted to me…"
"How can you stay so calm in a situation like this?!" exclaimed Hugh, "Grr… I guess it can't be helped…"
Hugh took out an Elfire spell tome; I did likewise…and took out a tome that was titled, "Roland, the Champion of Lycia." Everyone, including Hugh fell to their heads...
"How can you be reading at a time like this?!" Hugh exclaimed.
"I believe it's time for some light reading…," I answered.
"Light?" Hugh dryly asked as he began chanting the incantations.
Several of the bandits underestimated the small fireball and simply attempted to block it, but regretted it when the ball of fire exploded into a giant flaming pillar of combustion.
"Congratulations," I said, "You have succeeded in enflaming an already exceedingly scorched area…"
Hugh was too focused in the battle to respond…
"Ah…might as well…," I took out a Flux tome and chanted, "Seiras Revdaes Kirtsdnad Nuorgred Nursediht Aaht Erehpsk Radt Naiga, Flux!"
Once again, I summoned the dark orb that sunk into the shadows…and well…all that was left of them were…a pile of cadavers…
"Ugh…," a voice cam from the pile. It appeared that one of the bandits had survived.
As he came out, I extracted a dagger from one of the corpses and held it at the survivor's neck. He was a youth…most likely he joined the bandits because he was in a need of money…
"You know perfectly well that you can't escape from us... If you leave us now, You will still have your head," I told the bandit.
"Run away? What an insult! That's the last thing I'll do…," the bandit said as he took something out from his pouch.
When I realized what it was, I was too late… I rapidly stabbed him, but he had already blown in the signal whistle to summon reinforcements…
The bandit's last words were, "Even as a bandit, I have my honor… I was born as a bandit; I will die as one…"
After I had removed my dagger, his helmet fell from his head, only to reveal a cascade of long flowing dark hair. I ultimately had a revelation that the bandit was in fact, a female…
"So," said Hugh, "even women have turned to banditry…"
I wordlessly took out an scroll as the reinforcements approached.
I began chanting, "Delliflu Febilli Wisrede Enylha Traeruo Yceno Tihfira Eppasi Dilliwu Oyhague Hetlae Dilliflufe Benacrono Hafodee Niruoyta Hatos Nevae Hegnipa Casesuh Tecalpyl Drawshtota Kacabe Mocelt Tabefoel Dedime Hetinella Fesahoh Wecitsu Jeforoirraw, Summon!"
"That's one long and complex incantation…" commented Hugh.
A mysterious light in the shape of a circular rune formed not too far away from me, then a huge pillar of light burst forth from the magic emblem. Not long after, the light dispersed…only to reveal…a Sacaen nomad. Yet, the nomad was luminous and phantasmal flames surrounded him…
"What is that thing?!" exclaimed a bandit.
"It is a phantom," I answered.
Hugh asked, "By phantom, you mean ghost right?"
I responded, "Yes, on my travels, I discovered this most peculiar scroll, which contains the secrets of the summoning arts. It allows me to temporarily resurrect a warrior who died in an area of close proximity to the location in which I cast the spell. Thus it is preferable that I cast this spell on a battlefield… Although this nomad is in spirit form, he is still capable of spectral attacks… I wanted an axe-wielding soldier, but he will do… "
The nomad silently strung his bow and began shooting arrows at the terrified bandits. The nomad was a skilled marksman, it was over in a few seconds. Hugh was astounded and tried to touch the apparition. Instantly it dissolved into nothingness…
"What the heck?!" Hugh cried…
"Oh, I forgot to warn you…," I said, "They disappear if you touch them…"
"Next time say that earlier…you almost scared me to death!" yelled Hugh, "But how did you know that the phantom wouldn't stab you in the back? I mean, it could have attacked you!"
"This spell does not revive soldiers with an evil heart; it only revives uncorrupted warriors of justice."
"Yeah…yeah…whatever…," said Hugh…, "Wait, can you do me a favor?"
"What is it?" I asked, but I would soon regret that I even bothered.
"Can you…even if its temporarily…resurrect my mom and dad?" asked Hugh.