Chapter 6
Cecil, Cloud, Tifa, and Kain were watching a woman trying to seduce them with her slow movements. Apparently the Paladin has been affected while the others stayed cautious as if it were some sort of an odd trick. As he became more intrigued he walked closer to it and reached out a hand.
In a matter of seconds the woman dissolved and a wolf appeared in her place. It lunged onto him with its strong teeth, biting on his flesh. He struggled to break free until Kain jumped onto its back.
"Cross the heavens...Bow down!" The Holy Lance impaled its body. He grabbed the blade next to the lifeless beast, but he fears that it could bounce back at any second. It let out a howl and three Lobos appeared.
Cloud and Tifa rushed in to help. He and Cecil diced the two, while Tifa sicced onto the third one. They dissipated but they appeared again!
"I thought we defeated them." Tifa said in horror. "
The main wolf is what summons them, we should destroy her first." Cloud strategized.
They alternated between the Lobos and the wolf, and after a while she faded along with her colleagues. After the battle, the Paladin learned Shell, Protect, and Raise. He cured everyone and the team went.
As they headed back to the banquet they heard the cries of Firion and Luneth as they were fighting a horrid beast from above. At the turret, a fearsome blue dragon appeared. The wounded warriors continued to fight until they collapsed from its menacing blows.
Luneth dropped the star and Cecil casted Raise on each of them. Kain jumped onto its back and it screeched as it tried to shake him off. He pierced the Holy Lance into its flank and he immediately jumped back onto the cement as he started to lose his grip.
Cloud casted Meteorain, Luneth used Comet, and Firion threw the star. Instantly the wyvern exploded into smithereens. Luneth took the talisman and they were on their way.
Back at the balcony the storm raged on. Luneth took out the rod and placed it on a stand at the right corner. Suddenly lightning struck it and, for an instant, the sky appeared to be on fire. When it cleared a wand was laid next to the boy's feet.
The comrades heard tiny footsteps and looked down to see Shantotto. "Aha! There you are. I never knew you would go this far."
"Shantotto, where have you been?" Firion asked.
"Oh, haven't you heard? This may seem to be quite absurd. Why Prishe has finally crossed the bridge."
"She did it!" He said with glee. "Thanks, Shantotto."
"Don't thank me, thank Prishe. Although you can appreciate me if you wish."
They headed all the way back to the chasm where the two bridges were. Suddenly Luneth drank a bottle and...he started to float, it was quite starnge since he was never able to use Float on himself!
"Come on, damn you! Come and get me!" Prishe threw her tantrums at the green snake. Her frustration was so great that she didn't realize it was only a statue.
"Hey! You looking for me?"
"That little runt...How did you get here!?"
"I was light enough to cross the bridge. Perhaps you need some help." Luneth waved his wand and the snake began to shrink. As it disappeard, it became a long crimson staff. "See. It was real easy, too."
Prishe hugged and squeezed him tightly, nearly smothering him "Oh, you rascal! I can't thank you enough! I can surpass Doc using this."
"Urrgh...Please don't kill me." Luneth pleaded under his breath.
"Epor, Terrakk, Motari, Ilumina!"
"Will you please stop saying that!" Firion scolded the child.
"I'm sorry I just can't stop saying them. They all sound like powerful spells that may defeat the warlock. I so can't wait to face him."
"You? Excited to face the real enemy!? Since when are you so determined?" Prishe asked in shock.
As they touched a stone corner where the Epor sign was, they ended up in a stone room with a dripping ceiling and a pedestal with a hole in it.
"Could this gem do the trick?" He placed the blue gem on it and an image of a wizard appeared in the back wall.
"Is that...Lakmir?" Firion asked with astonishment.
"Listen, warriors! The warlock lord can only be defeated by thy courage and the staff of ages. Remember, five to find. Three for the staff, one to be the key, and one to be the pathway. Have your wits about thee, warriors! Farewell!"
The image vanished and Luneth was grateful that he found the staff for Prishe.
But five to find... he thought. "Could it be the gems?"
He looked down and a scroll appeared, he opened it and it said "As the shadow of the wind, thou shalt be! Humana!"
Firion decided to head back to the place they previously stopped at.
As they headed back to the chasm, the troll appeared. He demanded for one gold coin.
"Eat this, you rotten geezer. Humana!" Luneth chanted and everyone turned invisible.
Its head turned as he attempted to figure out where his 'friends' went. They were able to slip by without any hassles with Float from Prishe.
Firion, Luneth, and Prishe stood before a skeleton wearing a gold crown sitting on a throne. The strangest thing was that it didn't seem to move or speak. Firion gave the specter to it and the right pillar lowered. A small hole was seen and he used the ring which lifted the skeleton, revealing a secret passage.
The gang descended to a hallway with large granite slabs. They headed straight and saw a gargoyle on each pedestal guarding a small passageway.
With a strange feeling, Luneth told Firion and Prishe not to go straight, as they would awaken the beasts. So they decided to go right instead.
They saw a statue made of all types of metal holding a basin of coals. About twenty feet below, lava started to bubble. They can feel the heat from it.
Luneth was busy contemplating. "Fire, metal, mortar. Hey! That's it!" He took a deep breath and cried "Motari!"
The statue lowered and a skinny passage rose from the lava. They went straight across to a room full of stalactites.
They surrounded this room as if they were in a mouth of a huge beast. A wooden handle was located on the right wall Luneth started to play around with it. At first he pressed down the second handle, then the first, then the third. Nothing happened.
He played with the handle some more. This time, he tried the right one, then the middle...
"Oops!" Realized he might've made a mistake he raised the right one and suddenly the cylinder lifted and there was a loud screech. The hole in the center must've been a resting place for a gigantic monster. A silver orb appeared next to his feet.
Prishe was all agog. "Luneth! I'm so sorry I underestimated you! You're brilliant! Hoho!"
"I'm so clever I amaze myself." he boasted.
When he headed back to the gargoyles he chanted "Illumina!" A blinding light burned their eyes and Luneth and the others ran without detection.
They came across an old, sealed well.
"Hey, you know when you drop a coin into a well you make a wish?" Luneth said.
"That's just baby stuff. No one believes it anymore!" Prishe pouted.
"Geez, you're such a downer." The Onion Knight dropped the big coin after he made a wish to himself.
Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind erupting from the well. It blew Luneth back on his bottom and Firion decided to jump.
"Ready?"
He grabbed Prishe's and Luneth's hands as they gently descended to the bottom. They stood at a beach approximately fifty miles high from a river. A gong stood to the left. Luneth hit it and an unfriendly spectre on a wooden raft appeared asking for a fare.
"I guess these gold coins are good for something." Firion said. It spoke to quickly board the raft.
On the opposite bank they saw a skull on the far corner, screaming silently. They had a strong feeling they were standing on hallowed ground and the enemy was near.
To calm his nerves, Luneth opened a scroll. "Five to find, three are one. One gives access, the bladed sun. The silver orb, to banish below. The staff of ages to vanquish the foe. Joining the two. the golden blade. The last to invoke, the platinum horn."
"Platinum horn, silver orb, staff of ages. I got 'em all!" Luneth cheered.
In the first slot, Firion placed the talisman, the bladed sun. Then Luneth played the horn, the sound echoed loudly in his ears. When they stopped ringing, he heard a grinding sound and the skull's jaw started to drop. Hot wind whooshed toward the comrades as if it was breathing.
"Well, looks like you finally did it." Zidane said as he walked to the little group.
"Don't ask, but we managed to get here thanks to a good friend of ours." Bartz pointed to the wounded phantom.
"What're we waiting for? Let's go after the warlock!" Vaan chirped.
"Not until we get some rest. We should face the warlock later." Lightning added.
A/N: That chapter with the she-wolf and the Lobos, it was inspired by my visit to Great Wolf Lodge. Whether you're at home or away, you can get inspiration wherever you are, how awesome!