Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia or any of the characters contained therein
It was a plea for help, a plea desperately crying out for love and affection. It cried out in pain, calling for someone, anyone.
Martel's eyes flew open to find Yuan looking down at her worriedly from beside her. To her other side, Mithos sat, just as worried as the other half-elf. Kratos stood near her as well, his eyes closed in concentration as he cast a healing spell on her. Looking around at her companions and at her surroundings, she tried to reorient herself.
Below her was Yuan's leather cape on top of the shining, white metal floor. To her sides rose glass walls looking out onto the ocean floor. Both walls curved towards each other and met at the top, where the light of the sun streamed in from, filtered and tinted a clean blue by the water. Martel could not remember ever being in such a place and found herself confused. She rose slightly only to have her brother gently push her back down. Looking at his face, she reached back into her memory and tried to recall all that she could.
Palmacosta. They'd been staying in Palmacosta when they decided to head to the Thoda Research Facility by ways of the passageways across the ocean floor. In order to get to one, they had been traveling through the sewers when it had happened. Martel shuddered as her thoughts returned to the cry that had torn through her. She realized that she must've fainted, and it seemed that her companions had carried her out of the sewers and into the causeways.
Smiling at Mithos to reassure him that she was alright, Martel sat up again. Kratos had completed his "First Aid" spell and was watching her as the spell took effect, causing her to feel much more refreshed.
"We must help!" Martel stated to her companions, sure that they would understand what she meant, but she was met by empty stares. "That plea for help… we must answer it!" She tried again, looking around at them, but the result was the same.
"Martel, what are you talking about?" Mithos asked.
"We were walking through the sewers and then that cry… don't you remember?" She stared at her brother wondering how he couldn't know.
"All that happened was that all of us felt pain, Kratos less than the three of us, and then you collapsed…"
"Oh…" Martel looked down, stunned. So it had only been her that had heard. "That pain… I heard a cry for help and that pain was coming from whatever it was that was calling for help."
"No time for an explanation right now," Kratos broke in, coming closer and reaching his hand out to Martel. "Can you run?"
"Y-Yes," she muttered, wondering why he was asking.
"Then let's go," Kratos simply stated as he grabbed Martel's hand and helped her up, "before those causeway patrol guards back there come close enough to spot us."
Suddenly alert, Mithos and Yuan stood up too, the blue-haired warrior grabbing his leather cape and slinging it around his shoulders. Quickly, they picked up the packs they had placed on the floor and silently moved off after Kratos and Martel. They continued on down the underwater tunnel, with Mithos turning his head from side to side to stare out through the glass at the fishes swimming outside until the tunnel veered back towards land and went underground. The sunlight no longer lit up the passageway, but magitechnology bulbs had been placed every few meters providing ample light.
A slight distance ahead, the tunnel took a sharp turn. As the four travelers approached the turn they were too absorbed in keeping a watch out for the guards coming up behind them to notice the noise from ahead of them. Kratos was the first to arrive at the bend. He turned and found himself rushing right into the drawn swords of six guards, one of whom had an exsphere proudly showing on the back of his right hand. Eternally prepared for any such moment by his time spent in the dangerous lands outside of towns, Kratos reacted without hesitation, drawing his Crystal Sword and blocking Martel from rushing into the guards. However, his reaction speed was outmatched by the exsphere-wielding guard as a sword swept out and left a light cut across his arm.
Yuan and Mithos arrived just behind, alerted to the danger by Kratos' actions. Mithos immediately set to casting a spell while Yuan drew his double-blade and rushed right at the obvious leader of the guards. While Yuan and the empowered guard dueled, the other five guards passed beside them and attacked. Kratos stepped forward and quickly stabbed into one with his sword. Drawing it back out, he spun around and struck at another, only to find his sword blocked by a shield and another blade rushing for his arm. He jumped back, evading the blow, and countered it by quickly slicing across the guard's throat as his arm swung wide.
Martel raised her Ruby Wand and intercepted a sword swing from one guard. She tried to throw the strike off and ready her weapon for the other two guards approaching her but found her current opponent overpowering her. As her Ruby Wand was pushed closer to her head, she quickly hopped back, bringing the weapons apart as the guard stumbled forward due to the sudden loss of balance. It was this exact moment that Mithos chose to launch his "Stalagmite" spell, catching all three guards after his sister in the attack. Martel took the temporary respite to begin casting a spell of her own as Mithos rushed forward and drew out his Ether Sword.
Yuan swung his double-blade in dizzying circles with speed too fast to keep up with as he approached his foe. The leader of the guards was empowered by an exsphere and was too proud of his newfound powers to consider anyone a danger. Ignorant to the fate that awaited him, he stepped into the half-elf's range swinging his sword in pride. In a flash, Yuan had spun his weapon around thrice, cutting first through the man's sword, then through his shield, and finally through his body, before reversing his double-sided weapon and turning back to the ongoing battle.
Having witnessed what happened to their comrades, the three guards left facing Kratos, Yuan, and Mithos found themselves recognizing their situation. One of them immediately grabbed a device from his belt and yelled into it, calling for help while another dropped dead beside him, struck down by a ray of light. The third turned to see the "Ray" spell cast by Martel just in time to be felled by it as well. Yuan and Mithos stepped forward to deal with the final guard left standing, but stopped as a slight shuddering sound echoed through the tunnel. Both of them stared at each other, then looked upwards to see that Mithos' spell had damaged the roof and the weight was forming cracks in the rocks above. Seizing his chance, the guard threw himself at the young boy, tacking him. Martel jumped forward to save her brother, only to find the guard push off of Mithos with his sword in hand, rushing in at the healer. However, he stopped just before he reached her and stared on with blank eyes as Yuan's double-saber found a resting place in his back.
With a sudden rumble, the roof crumbled and rocks rained down from above. Mithos scrambled aside, barely missing a huge boulder. Dust rose and blinded everyone as crashing noises blocked all sound. During the confusion, the soldiers approaching from behind arrived at the group and struck in, catching Kratos with a slice across his chest. The human noticed the attack just at the last moment and stepped back, only able to lighten the cut and not avoid it. He replied by swinging his own sword wildly and heard a hard crack as it's hilt struck his opponent on the head, knocking him out. Knowing that a single guarding wouldn't be alone, he turned and barely managed to spot the attacker's partner. With a clean slice, he ended the man's life before he could drive his sword through an unknowing Mithos. Kratos quickly chanted a "Wind Blade" spell and blew away the slowly settling dust, revealing a third guard who he immediately felled.
Having taken care of the guards, Kratos turned to find Mithos on the floor, his leg pinned under a rock. Behind him, the entire passage had collapsed, blocking any access to the other side. Yuan and Martel were nowhere to be seen.
"Kratos!" Yuan's voice called out from beyond the rubble. "What's going on over there?"
"A few guards," Kratos replied. "Taken care of."
"So what're we going to do about this pile of rocks? I'll get rid of them with a 'Spark Wave,' ok?"
"Stop," Kratos commanded. "If you try to blow the pile away, all that'll do is cause a bigger portion of the ceiling to cave-in."
"Is Mithos okay?" Martel's worried voice came over.
"He's got a broken leg, but he's okay," Kratos replied, having already moved the rock off of the unconscious boy's leg. "He should be fine after a 'First Aid.'"
"So what do we do now?" Yuan asked as Martel sighed with relief.
Searching along the top of the rock pile, Kratos found a small opening and gingerly climbed up to it. Peering through it, he found Yuan standing against the rocks while Martel stood against the wall, cleaning the dust from her dress.
"Yuan," Kratos called. "Can you see a small hole up here?"
"Yeah," Yuan replied as he finally spotted the hole that Kratos was referring to. "I can barely stick my hand through this hole. How is this going to help us?"
Kratos took out the maps of the tunnels and passed them through the hole.
"Use these to get to Thoda. Get the ring that they use to contain Undine there and bring it to Ozette. You should be able to use the maps to find your way there through these tunnels. Once Mithos recovers a little, we'll cause a disturbance here so that the guards come after us, giving you two time to head off undetected. We'll get back to Palmacosta from here and leave for Ozette. I'll meet up with you there at the westernmost inn on the outskirts of the city."
"Alright then, we'll meet up there. What do you think, Martel?"
"Sure," Martel replied. "Kratos, please watch over Mithos…"
"Of course."
Yuan and Martel set off down the tunnel, walking silently, intent on not getting caught. Martel's thoughts were focused on Mithos, worried about his wellbeing. Yuan, on the other hand, was having a hard time keeping his eyes, much less his thoughts, off of Martel. On the other side of the boulders, Kratos sat next to an unconscious Mithos, silently chanting a "First Aid" spell.
Another chapter completed. I've set another date for the next chapter as well (7th of July). Anyway, for all those in the US, Happy Independence Day on the 4th!!.
Don't forget to review! And chapter name suggestions are welcome as always. Until the next chapter!!