Final Fantasy: Rise of Despair
When we last left off; Matt, Monty, Mendoza, and Gilbert wound up in Ahli, an abandoned town under the protection of the fair and just Seth. Seth, concerned over the well-being of the four strangers offered them permanent refuge from the danger of the Black Army. Even though he gave it a thought, Matt turned him down, wanting to protect all of Ivalice. Now the four of them head for Materia Woods, what dangers will await these four?
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: Tactics Advance, I do own the characters and plot.
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Lost Art
The four of them had been walking for a while before arriving in a desert. "Man… which desert is this? This is hotter than the Eluut sands…" Monty panted.
"This is the Gotor sands. It's pretty expansive and easy to get lost in since it merges with Deila Dunes to the Northwest from here, but as long as you guys stick with me everything will be okay." Matt said.
"How close is the Materia Wood from here?" Mendoza asked.
"Not to far, almost due north from out position. But we still have a ways to go." Matt said.
"How long?" Gilbert asked.
"Well, we'll probably get there by noon tomorrow if we keep walking." Matt said.
"Well, the sooner we get there the better, I'm thirsty." Monty said.
"Oh here, I have some water." Matt said. He offered some water from his canteen to Monty, he happily took it and drank it. Before he finished it he handed it back to Matt, who shook it to see how much of it was left.
"Thanks." Monty said.
"I said you could have some water, NOT THREE-FOURTHS OF IT!!!" Matt shouted.
"Is that a problem, I thought you Racemasters didn't need food." Gilbert said.
"I guess Casey told you that. We may not food, but we still need water sheesh." Matt said. "Although we can go far longer without water than most people can."
The day went on, the sun never getting any cooler as it hovered overhead.
"Man… this sun is… making me… so relaxed…" Mendoza said.
"Ah man… don't fall asleep!" Matt shouted as he caught Mendoza and tried to gently slap him awake.
"He was so energetic in Eluut sands." Gilbert said.
"It's just hotter here than it is in Eluut to the point that his body is relaxing." Matt said.
"Does it feel like… we're being followed?" Monty asked.
"I don't feel anything." Matt told him while slapping Mendoza harder to keep him awake.
"I guess it is my imagination then." Monty said.
It was now nighttime. Matt kept watch while the other three slept by the fire. "Man… I hate deserts… I never understood why Casey enjoyed them so much." Matt said.
"Hey you…"
"Hm?" Matt turned to the side and found a bunch of rugged looking figures looking at him menacingly. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm keeping watch?"
"Give us your valuables if you want to live." One figure threatened.
"Big words from a bunch of people who can't even dress themselves properly." Matt teased.
"Why you little… UGH!" Matt suddenly rushed him and stabbed him with his gunblade.
"Get him!"
"Thundaja!" Matt cast a spell that caused monstrous lightning bolts to strike the area in front of him and cause all of the thieves approaching him to go flying backward. Matt noticed several more figures leaping out from under the sand. Matt quickly slid open two vents on his gunblade and rapid fired on each and every thief that leaped out of the sands.
"Don't move!"
"Hm?" Matt turned his head to see three thieves holding knives at the throats of the miraculously still sleeping Monty, Mendoza, and Gilbert. "Oh great, they HAD to be heavy sleepers." Matt thought.
"Move and these punks die." One of the bandits said. "Now… drop your weapon." Matt stood still. "Drop it!"
"Grrrrr…" Matt let go of his gunblade and let it hit the sand.
"Now we're getting somewhere. Empty your pockets." The thief continued to demand.
"Tch…" Matt reached for a pocket, but then stopped. "I think not."
"Why not?"
"Secret art! Soil veil!"
"Huh?" The three thieves were suddenly knocked backward by a gigantic wall of earth that was expanding over top of them. "What is this!"
"Boss it's closing!"
"What?" The thieves looked around them and noticed that a large dome of earth was forming around them until it finally sealed them inside. "We're trapped!"
"Wait… that technique… that technique is still around?" Matt asked himself, clearly surprised.
"Secret Art! Deluge Veil!" A figure shouted. After a while, shouting and the splashing of water could be heard from the inside of the dome before the shouting finally stopped. "Whoa!" The figure made a countless number of gestures with his hands. "Secret art! Prominence veil!"
"GAH!!!" Came some screaming from behind Matt.
"Hm?" Matt turned around and notices several leftover bandits attacking each other out of confusion until all of them were dead. "Whew…" Matt said very very quietly.
"GAH! Who's there!" Monty and Mendoza shouted.
"They slept through all of that but woke up when I breathed a sigh of relief?" Matt asked himself.
"Whoa… I don't remember sleeping next to a mildly large dome made of rock." Monty said.
"And I certainly don't remember hearing water swirling around inside of it." Mendoza said.
"You have our friend up there to thank." Matt said while motioning towards some shadow standing at the top of the dome.
"Huh?" Monty and Mendoza looked up to see someone dressed in blue on top of the dome. "Hey… isn't he that guy from that town?" Monty asked.
"Hello everyone." Seth said.
"Seth? Why'd you follow us?" Matt asked.
"I… listened to what you said about protecting the people of Ivalice." Seth said. "And… it made me realize something."
"What?" Mendoza asked.
"That… there are more people to protect, than just the ones in the town." Seth said. "I… want… I want to help everyone!" Seth said.
"Well, it's a pleasant surprise." Matt said. "…" Matt then looked at Seth. "Uh… Seth, where did you learn that technique?"
"What technique?" Seth asked. "Oh… you mean my Secret Veil techs?"
"Yes." Matt said.
"Well… you see I was taught it at a very young age by an old teacher."
"A teacher?" Matt asked.
"I'm feeling left out of this conversation Monty." Mendoza said.
"So am I." Monty responded.
"Yes, the secret veil techniques were created over one hundred years ago, then they were passed down through three generations before me." Seth said.
"You don't say…" Matt said. "What do you think of that Gilbert?" No response. "Gilbert?" Everyone turned to find Gilbert's sleeping bag empty. "Hey what the heck?"
"There's a note here." Mendoza said. Monty snatched it and read it aloud.
"If you want to see your friend alive again, you are to travel to the spire formation west of here by tomorrow before noon with all of your valueables." Monty read. "Well damn it."
"They must have nabbed him while I took care of those thieves behind you." Seth said.
"Augh… come on." Matt said.
"Come on?"
"I know where that spire formation is, and if we don't leave for it now we won't make it there in time." Matt said. The other two didn't hesitate; they packed their things and were ready to go in the next minute.
"Wait… I said that I'd help you. So… I'll help you." Seth said.
"Well, come along then." Matt said. As they walked on, Matt was going over a few things in his head. "Well that's just great, Gilbert got himself kidnapped, and now I'm also dealing with the fact that I lost a bet. Oh well, at least he'll never know that I lost. But now… I've got to focus on saving Gilbert."
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Wow… these chapters really are turning out to be shorter than I thought they would be. Oh well, read and review.