Hey, I'm back! Hope ya didn't miss me too much.
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I did a double-take.
"Die like...die die? Like straight death? Kaput!", I made a downward motion with my hand.
She nodded. "Yes, we die"
"Well, we can't let that happen can we!? We better get a move on then.", I said.
"Yes, but...what if we can't defeat him?", she sighed.
"What do you mean? He was defeated before, he can be beaten again"
"Yes, but...we don't know how powerful those other people were. What if we don't even match up? You saw what he did in the tower.", she turned and began to walk back towards the inn.
"Hmm...it's worth a shot.", I concluded, "If even only for you and Kaorin's sake"
"Yes.", she opened the door to the inn with a smile. "What do you think will happen to that man you fought tonight"
"I think he'll be back...maybe with a different mindset.", I said as we ascended the stairs.
Sakaki nodded and opened the door to our room. I placed Azura on the floor beside my bed as Sakaki and I silently said good night to one another and settled into our own beds. Trying to stay calm despite the various pressures on my mind was killing me. Not only is Kaorin a captive, now Sakaki is in danger. A time limit is imposed on us. Problem is, the time limit isn't very specific. I tried to sleep, yet it was a restless sleep. Eventually dawn broke and I rolled over with a painful sounding moan. Like always, I was the last one awake.
Upon reaching the dining room downstairs it was evident that everyone decided to begin eating without me. Bastards. I pulled up a chair next to Tomo who was already diving deep into her scrambled eggs. Greetings and waves were passed about the table. Even a few mumbles of "Hi, Mr. Prior." were heard through mouths filled with breakfast foods. Yomi tossed me a bagel to nibble on.
"C'mon guys, we gotta hurry up. Time's wasting.", I prodded.
Tomo thrust her fist into the air. "Yea, let's go"
Everyone else agreed without question. Even the Soulforged gave a nod. They all felt the same as I did...well...sort of. Sure, I care about Kaorin and all, but now that we have a time limit, I'm all for rushing. Just like that we were up, paid for our stay in a few coins, and out the door into the street. Already, even this early, the streets were bangin'. Acres of people jostled their way through crowds. We were but a few of these.
"Where to?", I asked Azura over the din.
"Sauromugue Champaign, straight ahead.", he answered.
The gates that we had originally entered Jeuno through loomed over us as we passed through them and across the massive, water-spanning bridge. We stepped foot once more on the familiar purple dust-covered landscape that was dotted with ruins and pinnacled mountains.
"Is Tu'Lia close by?", I asked Azura.
"Hell nah. It's quite a walk through the mountains, a forest and an ancient Zilart temple to get to it.", he said.
"Super.",I mumbled.
So along the path we went. This was about the most desolate place in the history of creation. There wasn't much to be seen besides stonemasoned ruins, mountains and a few emaciated looking birds here and there. That was until I caught a glimpse of something far different out of the corner of my eye. A wispy black shadow amongst the ruins. As my eyes focused on the decimated building the sight was gone. Shrugging it off I continued my walk, yet a few moments later I noticed it once more. This time I was ready and caught sight of the jet black head of a feathery being. It was a birdman peering at me with small googly eyes that glared down it's downturned beak. Suddenly, it dropped out of sight amongst the rocks once more.
"Is something wrong?", Leslie broke me from my reverie.
"Yea, I saw something.", I said still looking at the structure. "Over there.", I pointed.
"Hmm...", she stared at the old ruins. "Maybe it was just a trick of the eye"
Suddenly her explanationw as interrupted by Yomi and Tomo simultaniously screaming bloody murder.
"AH! The hell!?", Tomo yelled.
I turned to see three of the bird-beasts standing before us on the dusty roadway.
Leslie put her hands to her mouth in fear. "Yagudo"
The three beasts stood the size of an average man and were covered from head to toe in slick, black feathers. Two Yagudo carrying staves and wearing a red mask with an extended beak flanked a taller, unmasked one that clenched and unclenched it's three-clawed hands.
We all stood frozen in place for fear of what could be in store. Suddenly, though, Tomo stepped foward to confront the beasts.
"Hey! Get outta the way ya bastards!", she called.
The tall Yagudo clacked it's beak. "Wait, smoothskin.", it cawked in a high lilting tone.
"What did you call me!?", Tomo began before Yomi was forced to drag her by her frock back to the assembled group.
The Yagudo was silent for a moment. "Smoothskins look for Zilart man? Kaw!", the being croaked.
"How...?", Leslie said in an awe-filled voice.
The Yagudo cackled it's tinny voice. "Yagudo no like Zilart man either. Spies in Jeuno send word to Oztroja. Kaw! Say smoothskins want kill Zilart. Kaw! Kuu Teja offer help. Kaw"
"We don't need any...", Tomo began but Leslie interrupted her violent temper.
"I thought Yagudo hated all of the creatures of Altana?", Leslie asked.
"Kaw...", Kuu Teja shook his feathered mane, "Yagudo no like smoothskins because they unbelieve. Yagudo no like Zilart because they destroy Yagudo with no reason. Much worse than smoothskin. Zilart danger. Much danger.", he answered.
"So, let me get this straight.", I said," You want to help us kill Eald'narche"
Kuu Teja simply nodded. "Yes, Yagudo know where Zilart man go"
"There has to be a catch.", I said quickly.
Kuu Teja seemed to grin even though beaks don't really do that sort of thing. "Yagudo want Zilart man shiny ball"
"Shiny ball?", I asked. Everyone else looked just as confused as I was.
"The Astral Candescence.", the Soulforged answered.
"No...", Leslie said, "No, it's too powerful. It has to be returned to it's rightful place in Al Zahbi"
The Yagudo cocked a feathery eyebrow. "Do smoothskins wish to die?", he cawed non-chalantly.
Every member of our force, save the Soulforged, looked nervously at each other. "We'll do it.", I answered without hesitation.
"What!?", came the outburst from the remaining members of the assemblage.
"I'll explain later. Trust me.", I whispered.
"Good.", Kuu Teja said. "The Yagudo wish luck for smoothskins. You fail to keep promise and Yagudo kill. Remember.", he snickered and gave a few cackling orders to the two masked Yagudo beside him. A rushing sound and the sharp stink of mana overcame me as I, and the rest of my travelling coupe, was engulfed within a black portal. Not even a second later I found myself, and the rest of the party, standing in the shadow of enormous trees that covered a vast expanse around us. Except the view in front of us that is. What stood before us were ascending tiers of white cermet. At the pinnacle of these 'steps' was a tall visage, a stout tower with a wide entrance.
My companions, along with me, stared in awe at this massive complex.
"Ro'Maeve", Azura whispered almost reverently.
"Huh?", I asked.
"Yea, what is that?", Tomo said.
"Ro'Maeve, the Temple of Desolation. The Hall of the Gods sits atop it. This is the way to Tu'Lia.", Azura answered.
"Wow..", Tomo and Yomi looked totally amazed at this.
A moment passed. "You're not really gonna give the Astral Candescence to the Yagudo are you? Cuz if you are I'm gonna have to kill ya.", Azura said.
"No, no I won't. Don't worry. I'm a master of escape.", I grinned.
"If you say so.", Azura answered. Yomi sighed.
We stepped our first careful steps onto the cermet of Ro'Maeve. The place was oddly beautiful. "Ah goddammit.", Tomo cursed. "Stupid stairs are broken"
Looking to where she was I noticed that the stairway that led directly to the temple at the summit was broken away, leaving a huge hole in the ground.
"There are other stairs.", Sakaki said. Apparently there were. A set of stairs were positioned on either side of the entrance platform that we were upon.
"Which one?", I asked no one in particular.
"They both lead to the same place.", Azura said.
"Ok, then!", Tomo yelled. She held out the index finger of one hand and spun herself around in a circle until she fell flat on her face.
"Geez, Tomo.", Yomi said, picking her up.
"Left!", she announced, pointing to the left-hand stairway.
Carfully, we descended the stairs, watching for danger, should it approach. Passing through a crumbling gateway Tomo was the first one to spot the tramping monstrosity'
"Ah! It's one of those...those things!", she alerted us with her incredibly detailed description.
"Ah, piss.", I cursed once I realized that it was one of those unfriendly doll things that we had met in the tower. It happily clomped through the passageways seemingly oblivious to our presence.
"Don't worry.", said Azura,"They won't hurt you unless you hurt them"
"If you say so.",I said before we began walking again. Even though we were told they were harmless, we still walked on eggshells. Passing a few more dolls and through a massive gateway we reached a set of ascending stairs. Climbing them we realized that we had reached the temple atop the complex.
"The Hall of the Gods.", Azura said as we stood before the immense archway into the hall.
"Well, let's go!", Tomo prodded us into the tremendous hall. Everything within it seemed alight from within. The cermet of the walls seemed to be almost alive. Blue crystals were set into a small archway as we passed through it. A slight hum came from these wonders, making the hall seem even more foreign.
"Try it again...no, push that button!", a voice echoed through the vaulted chamber ahead.
"I did, Sir. Oh, this one.", came a second voice.
And damn, those voices were familiar.
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Hope ya liked it. Comments and such are very much welcome
-peace-