Golden Sun: The Sands of Time

Chapter 6: Blood Battle

Felix slumped, leaning his torso backwards over the railing. He was bored. Really bored. He wished that something would happen. Sooner that they get to Jorgmund the better, he decided. Then at least we can start questioning people about the raiders that Alex told us about.

Alex, for his part, was staring at the helm of the ship, unmoving. His watery blue eyes pierced the air, staring in the direction of the beleaguered town. Felix shrugged. Alex had all the properties of a block of ice at times, right down to his frosty demeanour. And that particular trait didn't look like it was going to get changed anytime soon…

Suddenly, from high above, he could hear Garet's voice. "Hey! Guys! We've got company! A group of… thingies are heading this way!"

Instantly, Alex whirled. "Garet, can you describe them?"

"Sure." Came the distant voice. "They've got… uh, red skin. And their riding things that look a lot like wolves."

Alex's eyes flashed. Turning to Felix, he stated. "We're going to get paid an early visit by those raiders. Get everyone to the deck!"

Before Felix could move, however, he heard a dull thudding noise. Glancing to the right, he noted a long arrow had embedded itself into the wood. A second later, more arrows whizzed through the air, ever higher, to the point where Garet was.

"Garet!" Felix yelled. "Get out of there!" Before he could finish his sentence, however, Garet had already fallen to the deck, the shaft of an arrow sticking out through his arm.

Alex knelt down beside Garet, and after pulling the arrow out and raising his hand, began whispering words in an arcane an ancient language. Afterwhich the wound began to close, doused in the pure light of Ply. Realizing that Felix was still standing, Alex turned to him. "What are you waiting for? Go!"

Felix turned, and headed for the door.

A few minutes later, everyone had assembled, and agreed that fighting on the ship would be a bad idea, lest it get damaged during the tussle. Climbing down the side of the ship, they awaited the coming of the raiders. They did not have to wait long.

Before they even neared the humans, the raiders had halted, and began pouring arrow afer arrow at their ranks. Even as they neared, Garet raised a single hand, and cried out "Flash!" Immediately, a wall of fire sprung up, causing the arrows to simply smash into the firewall, and break harmlessly.

Grisnakh stared at the strange travelers. All the arrows had been spent, and they were still unharmed. What was that all about? Shaking his head, he swept his blade out and raised it high into the air,

"We engage them in single combat!" He cried. "Let's see whatever skills they possess allows them to block swords as easy as they block arrows!" A deafening cry went up around the raiders, and they began to charge.

Isaac readied his Sol Blade for battle. Beside him, he could feel Felix focusing his energies, ready to cast Quake sphere the instant the raiders entered the range of that spell. He did not have to wait long.

Almost before he knew it, the raiders were upon them. One lunged at Isaac with a low slash that would have separated his head had he stood still. Opting instead to jump into the air, he brought the Sol Blade down on the enemy's head, splitting it into two.

Around him, the shouts and cries of battle raged. Felix had casted Quake sphere and knocked the majority of the riders from their mounts, but that did not change the fact that the wolf-like creatures seemed perfectly capable of fighting with or without their masters on their backs. He could see Ivan darting in and out, to stab at one enemy, and slash the next. His speed startled and confused the raiders, causing most of them to waver.

Seeing movement from the corner of his eye, Isaac twisted and managed to parry a blow meant to sever his arm, then kicked at the brute that bore the sword. The huge, blood-red creature merely shrugged off the blow before returning to the offensive, slashing and stabbing at Isaac with speed that belied his huge bulk. Dropping back several paces, he then raised his sword into the air. Time to show exactly what he was capable of.

"Flint!" With a warcry, Isaac leapt forward, his sword glowing yellow as it smashed into the warrior he faced. Screaming the warrior fell back, only to stand again and snarl at Isaac angrily. Isaac shook his head. This might be a bit tougher than he imagined.

Felix stabbed Excalibur straight into the throat of one of the wolf-like creatures before turning to face his next trio of opponents. The three circled him warily before charging the same time. With unimaginable skill, they slashed and swiped at him, never allowing him to fall back, forcing him to go on the defensive. Obviously they weren't going to go down easy. Spotting an opening, he ducked under the swing of the largest of the three brutes, before stabbing his foe in the knee. He howled and fell to the floor, leg still spurting blood. Jumping back, Felix felt a sudden surge of Jupiter psynergy and raised his sword high in the air. "Legend!" He cried.

The sword itself seemed to scream to the air as three ghostly blades, seemingly forged from psynergy itself, materialized and smashed down onto the remaining two warriors, the crashes of the swords drowning out their cries of pain. And around him, the battle continued.

Jenna and Sheba stood in the center of a raging maelstrom. With a blast of lightning, one raider was driven away, and with a storm of fire, another crumbled into ash. Jenna threw a quick glance at Sheba's direction. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine." Was Sheba's curt reply. "These guys can take quite a beating, huh?"

Jenna nodded. "Quite." Another one charged at her, and she raised her staff, reading to bring another psynergy attack into play. But before she could begin, searing pain shot through her leg. Dropping to a crouch, she spotted an arrow, fired at close range, through the thigh. Damn. Dodging, she was able to evade the blow of the warrior's axe, before the pain overwhelmed her. Crashing to the ground, she glared at the warrior above her. Murmuring strange words that sounded almost ritualistic, he slashed downwards with enough strength to split her from crown to waist.

Had it landed.

The Fire Brand intersected an instant before her doom came, and then, raising his hands, Garet cried " I summon the sixty-fourth Auroch, lord of thirty-six legions! He who commands the earth, and baths it in blazing fire! ZAGAN, to me!"

From the air, a strange minotaur-like creature flew down towards them, an enormous axe in hand. With a roar, he smashed his axe into the ground, a fiery blaze emerging from the point of contact that consumed foolish ones who had dared approach the great beast. Then, just as swiftly as he had come, Zagan flew away to lands unknown. Jenna nodded her thanks to Garet, and grasped the shaft of the arrow, slowly pulling it out, and letting out an involuntary cry of pain as she did so. Then, casting Aura on herself, she stood, surveying the rest of the battle. And so it went. The casualties mounted.

Isaac dodged the whip-like weapon of his current foe, and slashed upwards. His enemy jumped back, and retaliated with another crack of the whip. Isaac, having no time, to dodge, stood his ground, and grabbed the whip, then, with a cry of pain, released it. The damned thing had been coated in metal shards, and if it struck home, it would do a damn good job of ripping through the flesh. Snarling, he raised his hand to the air. "Odyssey!" Two swords, forged of pure psynergy, materialized, and stabbed clean through his assailant. A third, larger sword appeared as well, and Isaac lunged to strike his foe at the same time. The screeching thing fell back, and struggled to his feet. His chain-whip had been shattered. Snarling in anger, he swept out a sword, and raised it at Isaac in a symbol of challenge.

Isaac's eyes narrowed. Then, charging, he stabbed, parried, riposted, and slashed at his opponent as fast as he could . Apparently, his foe was no slouch either. He blocked all of Isaac's strikes with amazing skill, and had even managed to score a glancing blow on his shoulder. Staggering back, Isaac raised his hand, and called out to the air "Geode!"

Instantly, the djinni he summoned swirled the sandy ground into a large, solid sphere, then directed the mass towards the oncoming raider. The raider snarled again, then stabbed at the clump of earth with his sword.

There was a smashing sound, and the blade fell in two pieces at the raider's feet. The sand mass dispersed, but it had already done its job. Isaac's smug grin evaporated as the raider unsheathed two long daggers and once again advanced on him.

"How many weapons does this nut have anyway?"

Isaac readied the Sol Blade in preparation, but he never got a chance to use it. Abruptly, there was the siren sound of horns, horns, horns blowing in the distance. And from North-east a hail of arrows was poured into the raiders. A company of a dozen men stood on the ridge, firing arrow after arrow.

Isaac's assailant cursed in a strange tongue, before bellowing something to the air. This, apparently, was a signal for retreat. Jumping onto a stray wolf beast, the raider turned to Isaac. "You may have survived today, little one. But I'll remember you and hunt you down. Remember the name Grisnakh, boy. It'll soon be your greatest fear."

And with a cry, the raiders fled to the south, leaving a dust-cloud that grew ever smaller with their passing.

Alex turned to the dozen men, ever nearing. Even from this distance, he could tell that they were no threat to him, and the rest of Isaac's party. Felix however, wasn't quite so sure of that. Raising his sword, he called out to the fast-approaching warriors. "Speak! Are you friend or foe?"

The tallest of the men sped up, running ahead of the rest. Then, slowing to a stride, he glanced at Felix. "Nay, true-heart. Lay your sword. We are your friends, if you are people who oppose the Karan."

Felix, looking at that man, started with surprise. "You- You're an Elf! You are no true man!"

The elf laughed, and a merry sound it was. "Yes, I am. And all my companions, indeed, all my countrymen are also elves. Fleet footed, and sharp of eye. But I have never seen swordplay as fine as yours in all of my realm!"

At this, Alex strode forward. "I assume you still remember me, Davion."

Davion's smile grew even wider, and throwing his arms around Alex, he laughed. "Ha! If you return to Anthis at last, why, then this is truly the best news I have heard for ages!"

"Anthis?" Ivan questioned, the first to break the silence that had enveloped the rest of the party. "I had thought the town was named Jorgmund."

"Indeed it is." Davion nodded. "If you speak of the town that lies on the Southern border. That was where I first met Alex. But Anthis is the name of my entire kingdom, as well as the name of our great fortress."

Then, clearing his throat Isaac spoke up. "I believe we should have some introductions. After all, we've just met. My name is Isaac, son of Kyle. And I come from Vale."

After the others had introduced themselves, Davion stepped forward. "And I, am Prince Davion. My father leads the kingdom of Anthis. He has sent me out with a regimen to protect the town of Jorgmund. It was chance that led me out here with my scouting party."

Alex smirked slowly. "I don't believe in chance."

Just then, one of the elvish archers spoke up. "Lord Davion, I believe we should return to Jorgmund. These travellers can rest there."

Davion nodded. "Of course. Well then, my friends, shall we?"

Isaac grinned. "I'd love to. However, let's take our ship with us."

"I had never expected to see this marvel! A ship that glides through the air as smoothly as if it were water!" Davion laughed. He seemed to do that a lot, Isaac noted.

"Yes. This ship is unique in our lands too. One of a kind." Alex replied, sounding distracted. On closer inspection, Isaac realized that Alex was poring over a rather large map, that showed the kingdoms in strange language. Alex, however, seemed to have no problems understanding it. Walking over, he settled himself next to Alex, inquiring what hew as looking at.

Alex made a reply about seeing how long it would take to fly to Anthis, and Isaac was about to ask if Alex had ever seen Anthis before, when he heard Davion's call.

"We have arrived."