Chapter 9: First Fight and Flight
Iselia Temple
"Wow the light really is coming from the temple!" Lloyd exclaimed
"Then an oracle is going to be conveyed. Colette's going to become the Chosen of Regeneration." Genis said
Colette was still looking and then said. "It's really bright,"
Lloyd and Genis shook their heads smiling.
"Say, Colette...when the oracle is conveyed, you'll become the Chosen who will save the world, right? You are going to be like the hero, Mithos!" Lloyd was almost too excited about this. "Could you try and act a little more… well Chosen like?"
Colette stands up straight and agrees enthusiastically, "Yeah! No problem. No problem."
Genis shook his head again and then heard a noise. He looks up to the temple once again. "There's a lot of commotion at the temple."
"Damn it…!" Lloyd said hearing the sounds of battle "The Desians are here already… Lets go guys!"
All three of them went up with Colette falling over again before she even started moving.
"Are you alright!?" Lloyd asked rushing back down
"Yes, I'm okay." Colette answered.
Temple Entrance
"I won't ask again… Where is the chosen…?"
"Never…!" The old lady responded
A tall short bearded man with several guards stepped closer to the old lady. But before they could ask once more she noticed some kids coming up…
"Chosen One!" the woman exclaims "Run!"
"Grandmother Phaidra!" Colette says seeing her
"There she is Lord Botta!" one of guards says turning his head.
The bearded man or now Botta draws his weapons with his guards doing the same.
"Chosen One." He said calmly "Your life is mine…"
Lloyd drew his wooden swords "I won't let you Desians get away with anything!" stepping in front of Colette.
"Desians?" One of the guards laughed
"Whats so funny huh!?" Genis said nearly about to cuss.
"Well then die by the hands of the Desians you hate so much!" The guard explained, by the time he finished Colette had already thrown one of her chakrams at the Desian landing on his face.
"Fireball!" Genis cried hitting another Desian and causing him to burst into flames and run off the cliff. Yep he was dead.
Lloyd was dealing with the other two Guards. Too the Desians two to one were good odds. Except that Lloyd took one out with a well placed Sonic Thrust.
Knocking the last guard away Lloyd shot a Demon Fang several times. With no defense the Desian was soon defeatedby the flurry of attacks.
But a much larger one took their places. He was huge, with a giant cleaver of a sword and a huge flail with a head almost as big as Genis.
"Don't get in our way!" The big one said swinging the flail around his head.
Genis and Colette were about to react when the flail head came down knocking both of them several feet. Lloyd went in for the attack but he met the Desian's giant sword.
He barely kept his footing and was able to shove off the swing but his chest was then bunted by a large foot sending Lloyd right next to the others.
"Arg this guy is really tough…" Lloyd said having trouble getting up.
"He's too strong…" Genis said still on the floor seeing the Desian wheeling his flail for another attack.
"Heh heh heh…" The giant Desian said and let his flail head fall down upon the kids but…
CLANG!!!
A man in purple had blocked the blow and sent the large man backwards. Lloyd took this opportunity and got the others up.
"Genis now! Demon Fang!" Lloyd cried sending a white wave with Genis casting another Fireball
Both attacks landed but the Desian wasn't done yet… "No… inferior beings." His words were cut short as Colette sent both her chakrams into the Desian's face knocking him down and out on the floor.
The tall red haired man in purple walked forward towards what's left of the Desians.
"I never thought you would show up…" Botta said "Retreat!" and they fled with Genis and Colette cheering.
"That guy is really strong!" Genis said
"Amazing!" Colette said with Lloyd shaking his head a little. "Yeah I supposed so…"
"Is everyone all right?" He asked sheathing his sword but the large Desian quietly got up behind him, cleaver in hand.
"Look out!" Lloyd said pointing behind him.
At that moment someone jumped over Lloyd, passed the man and sent a high vertical kick onto the Desian's chin, knocking his head back with the rest of the body following suit with another large thud.
"Oh Shane!" Genis said recognizing him right after.
"Sorry I'm late…" Shane said sighing "What's new?"
The mysterious man looked at this new child. He's older yes, but he didn't even unsheathe his weapon…
"And you are?" Shane asked since the man was looking straight at him.
"I am Kratos, a mercenary" he said
"A mercenary?" Shane said "Let me guess, I have to pay you for anything else right?"
"Correct…" Kratos said "This is the Chosen am I not correct?"
"Yes…" Phaidra said quietly "Would you protect the chosen?"
"As long as you can pay me…" Kratos said
Oh sure… Kratos… Shane thought Wait until the end of this little trip…
"Oh! I have to see the Oracle now, sorry Genis, Lloyd."
Kratos turned his head on hearing the name "Your name is Lloyd right?"
"Yeah but who are you to ask for my name?" Lloyd was acting a little too defensive but hey its… well Lloyd
"Nevermind…" Kratos said "I think its best that the Chosen and I head inside, you kids just stay here."
"Wait a minute were coming too!" Lloyd said
"Be a good boy and stay here Lloyd" Kratos said back coolly.
"What did you say!?" Lloyd was now clearly insult and angry.
"Did I not make it clear? You are all a burden, head back home." Kratos was obviously not in a good mood so to speak.
"I can handle myself sir…" Shane said "And so can the rest of them…"
"Preposterous…" Kratos said but Colette jumped in. "Um …Mr. Kratos, would it be okay for Lloyd to come along, too?"
"But…" Kratos said not wanting anyone else in the group. Colette begged even more now
"Please." She said "I get nervous when Lloyd's not around."
Kratos sighed for a moment and grunted "Do as you wish."
Lloyd then smiled, and he turned around to his best friend "Let's go Genis"
"What I'm coming too!?" Genis asked
Shane smiled jokingly at the two partners with Kratos saying "This isn't a field trip you know…"
"Get used to it." Shane said back smiling "You'll like it soon enough"
Kratos gave him a cold look for a second but Shane didn't flinch
Don't start with me… Shane said in his head. Good enough Kratos continued inside.
Inside the Temple
"Are your moves self taught?" Kratos asked Lloyd
"Yeah, that's right. Why you ask"
Kratos reached into his pocket and brought out a small book, and placed it in Lloyd's hands. Lloyd asks, "What is this thing?"
Kratos smugly replied "If you are going to use a sword, then at least learn the basics. You want to protect the Chosen One, don't you?" He walked off.
"You think you know so much…" Lloyd grumbled
Shane was looking for the right passage way when Kratos walked next to him and asked the same question he asked Lloyd.
"No, I had training before Kratos." Shane said not bothering to clearly explain.
"Really?" Kratos said "How come you didn't draw your sword?"
"I'll do it when I need too…" Shane said walking off deeper into the temple
What's he hiding I wonder… Kratos thought
A few minutes later they found themselves in a large room with a small pedestal wielding a tiny glowing item.
"Wow something is glowing!" Colette said
Lloyd said "Let's go see it!"
"Wait there is something here…" Colette said again. The group turned around to see a large walking mass of rock about to smash her.
"Colette move!!!" Genis cried as the rocky hands came down, but Shane blocked the blow with a staff which apparently came out of nowhere.
"Where did you get that?" Lloyd asked seeing the long weapon in Shane's hands
"Long story short!" Shane said out loud "I can summon weapons!" Shane repelled the blow and pole vaulted himself upwards and knocked the golem onto the floor with a strong kick.
It came down with a large crash and reformed itself into a block.
"Wow it turned into a rock!" Colette said looking at it closely
"It was kinda a rock to start out with." Genis said
Lloyd however was more interested on how Shane could do something like that. Kratos included.
"Where did you learn that?" Lloyd asked
"A while back…" Shane said unsummoning the staff
"Then why is that sword of yours still here?" Kratos asked eyeing the blade Shane had.
"This is a real weapon of mine. I can pull out weapons with my mind and bring them into corporeal form. I can pull nearly any specific type of weapon but I'm only limited too one at a time."
"What?" Lloyd tilted his head
"It means…" Genis explains walking into the conversation "He can create solid weapons just by thinking Lloyd."
"Oh cool!" Lloyd was now more amused
"OOPS"
Colette had tripped AGAIN but this time she knocked the block into a pit making in fall into position, filling a hole in the level beneath.
"Well what do you know?" Shane said scratching his head too look like he had just learned something. This was the easiest spot in the game. And it should be… its just the beginning.
"Oh that's how it works!" Genis said with Kratos nodding "Mm-hmm"
Lloyd however being himself was stumped. "…What?"
"If I'm right then it should come out again…" Genis looked around "Ah-hah!"
Another golem had just popped out into view and looked almost exactly like the last one.
"Oh great another one…!" Lloyd said
"Here we go" Shane replied
After a few short fights of hitting solid rock, the entire maze was filled out and they arrived where the pedestal was. *There is not much to say… No really*
"What is this thing?" Lloyd said picking up the item from the pedestal before anyone could look
"Is that the Sorcerer's Ring?" Genis said looking at it
"Yes it is. With this, we should be able to deal with most traps and obstacles." Kratos said
"Let me try it!" Lloyd said putting it on before someone could reject.
"If were lucky, you won't break it…" Genis said shaking his head
A little bit later, heading back up and down the Temple…
"This must be the top floor where the altar is." Kratos said warping in
Colette came in "Yes and there it is."
"Then that shining thing there must be a Cruxis Crystal." Lloyd said entering the room
"That's right; they say I was born with that in my hand." Colette said
Genis's attention was drawn to the roof, where the light from the outside began to shine. "Look at that light."
Soon after the light revealed a blonde haired man with white feathered wings.
"What is that?" Genis asked in awe.
"An angel, I would assume," Kratos answered
"I am Remiel" The angel spoke out "I am an Angel of Judgment. I am here to guide Colette: Daughter of the Mana Lineage on her journey to Heaven as the Seventh Chosen,"
The Cruxis Crystal began to rise and shimmer
"The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel who sleeps at the center of the world."
Genis's eyes widened with enthusiasm "Awaken the Goddess Martel... It's just like the legend"
The Cruxis Crustal began to rise and float slowly towards Colette, who closed her eyes and accepted the crystal as it entered into her chest in a flash of bright light. As it faded away, a necklace with the crystal embedded in the middle was bestowed around her neck.
"From this moment, Colette becomes the Chosen of Regeneration. We of Cruxis bless this event, and hereby bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant." Remiel announces
Lloyd looks outside the window, to see a rising tower in the distance, stretching upwards into the sky and into the clouds so high it seems to hit the heavens "So that's the Tower of Salvation!"
"Now the world will be saved!" Genis cried
Remiel spoke once more "Colette, the Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to Heaven in distant lands."
Colette nods her head and clasps her hands together like in prayer "I humbly accept this task."
"Very good. We of Cruxis shall grant you the power of the angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded world shall be regenerated again."
"Thank you, I swear on my life I will regenerate the world." Colette said with her hands still grasped together
"First head south to the Seal of Fire and offer your prayers in the Desert lands."
"Yes, Lord Remiel." Remiel began to arise higher, but Colette called out to him "Oh wait! Please wait! I have a question I wish to ask of you. Are you really my…"
Remiel spoke to her smiling, "First head to the Seal of Fire. My beloved daughter, Colette…"
"F… father!"
"We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." And Remiel vanished with the light.
Some time later after porting out…
"Well that was fun…" Shane said sarcastically
"I can't wait to see the Tower myself!" Lloyd said excited
"I wonder if he'll still be like this when we get there…" Genis said with his head down
"Marvelous!!!" The three boys noticed Raine in the temple.
"Professor?" Lloyd asked alerting her of their presence.
Lloyd! Are you daft!? Shane said to himself.
"What are you boys doing here!?!" Raine yelled "You're supposed to be studying!"
"Raine I'm sorry…!" Genis was almost about to cry but Raine had already picked him up and started to spank him.
After dropping him on the floor, she looks at Lloyd and Shane.
"Who's next?" She said almost devil like
"Whoa wait no…!" Lloyd said but was kicked in the gut by Raine
She was going to do the same thing to Shane but before anything thing happened he said "That's a bad idea"
Raine stopped for a short second but soon proceed to do the same anyways but Shane moved out of the way.
"Hey wait a minute…!" Raine said
"I told you it was a bad idea! I have the right to protect myself!"
She grunted obviously frustrated "Did anyone else go with you?"
"No one else."
She sighed "Good, if you all learned your lesson you can all go home now…"
Lloyd and Genis picked themselves up off the floor.
"Yes… Raine…" Genis said in pain and left with the others
MUHAHAHAHAHAHA
"Hmm?" Shane looked puzzled for a moment and then…
Oh yeah…
"What was that?" Lloyd asked
Genis just dropped his head down "Your better off not knowing… How come she didn't hit you?"
"I just dodged it." Shane said
"How?" Lloyd asked
"You guys hesitated, it's not that hard." Shane said smiling "Wasn't this YOUR idea to go to the temple Lloyd?"
"Shut… up…" Lloyd said with Genis saying to himself "Told him so…"