Wind and Water Chapter III: Release! An Unspeakable Evil; Dreams and Memories
Disclaimer: Mabinogi belongs to Nexon and whoever else developed it... enough said.
A/N: I had been hoping for some reader feedback by this chapter, but nothing helpful has popped up thus far, so meh. I've decided on my own to get rid of the time difference between Milettians and the indigenous people of Erinn, but Milettians are still unable to die, able to reincarnate themselves, etc. If for some reason you're reading this and you haven't played Mabinogi, I suggest you either try the game out (it's free to download and play), or look up whatever you feel you're missing out on at the Mabinogi World Wiki. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see Aeria's skills.
Unspeakable Evil is the song that plays in Albey (not Alby- that's 'May the Blessings of the Lord be With us!) dungeon. Dreams and Memories is one of Aeria's character songs. Release! is the into song for every character of Aeria's... class in the RP she comes from.
Fair warning, I'll deviate from canon in the following chapter. But hey, this is Fan Fiction. I might even make up my own generation to precede G1 involving the dungeons (G1 would start when Aeria reaches adulthood, as Nao states 'until she reaches adulthood' in the letter (word for word). Review and tell me what you think, if you don't I'm going to proceed with my own plans without taking your opinion into consideration... because you didn't give it.
And... it gets kind of graphic toward the end. If you have an active imagination, I'd suggest you skim.
To Taeniaea: Seeing as you know Aeria's background, I'm pretty sure you're not surprised that the story's getting a bit darker.
Ne?- Right?
"Speaking" "Reading Aloud"
Narration- Describing off-screen events (When it appears in story)
Exposition- Restating the most recent events of the last chapter.
'Thinking' 'Telepathy'
Underlined text is written on paper/wood/etc.
Flashback, Memory, and Similar.
"While in flashback, this is speaking."
'While in flashback, this is thinking.'
Days passed quickly for me, as one blended into the next. Already, it had been a year since I arrived here in Erinn. Today was my birthday... or at least the anniversary of the day I came to exist as I was now. There had been no rain yesterday, but that was hardly my biggest concern. I had noticed more and more dark shadows moving about in the field at night, and occasionally I could hear the dogs in barking. The fomors were growing more active... Fortunately, with a little help from Piaras and Duncan (in which I helped clean and maintain the inn, as well as run errands in exchange for just enough money), I was able to take lessons in sword mastery from Ranald, and basic magic lessons from Lassar. When the fomors made their move, I was determined to be ready... I didn't want to let Nao down. My birthday, which turned into the first flake of snow to a mighty avalanche, began with a dream.
The girl in front of me, her features blurred and impossible to make out, save for her brilliant red eyes, sat across the room, fumbling with a ribbon that matched her eyes.
After a while, I couldn't take it anymore and stood up, walking to her and taking the ribbon from her surprised hands. Without a word, I knelt down behind her and started tying the ribbon into a blind-fold around her eyes.
"What're you doing?" She asked, her voice curious and surprised at my small act of kindness... worried, even.
"Is it not obvious? I'm tying the ribbon for you." I spoke, restraining a sudden rush of anger and replacing it with compassion and regret.
"But.. you don't have to do that.. and I can tie it myself..." She continued, trying to dissuade me from assisting her.
"Do not worry... this is the least I owe you."
"Owe me... what?" She asked, and her words seemed to echo into the distance. Suddenly, there was a shout that I couldn't make out, and the sound of glass shattering. I picked the girl up and ran down the great hallway to an open door in the back...
I awoke suddenly and stared around, in a daze. I could remember the dream... I could remember it perfectly...
Eiry chose my moment of revelation to float in front of my face, "Good morning master!" I nodded to her stiffly still dazed, and surveyed my room. It was no longer so empty-looking, as various drawings covered the walls- none of them a place, or sometimes person, I (or Piaras, Nora, and even Duncan) had ever seen before. Duncan had theorized they were places and people from my memories when he and I talked in private about them. It made sense, seeing as not even Piaras recognized them, and he knew more about the world than any other villager of Tir Chonaill except perhaps Duncan.
As far as my memories went, I had continued to have dreams, but I could remember brief moments... seconds at a time. The longest memory I had was pulling the child out of the water. But my memories didn't seem to matter so much anymore, now that I had a few friends and settled into life in Erinn; that is, until I had the dream I had this morning. But I put dreams out of my mind and stowed my curiosity and foreign nostalgia standing from my bed and dressing. I took the time to update my diary and placed it on top of the dresser. I picked Eiry's blade up and sheathed it in the loop on my side. Outside, the sky was turning gray. And, for a moment, I looked at my reflection in the window.
I had long, white hair that was kept in a single ponytail and cool, gray eyes that, with the way they were shaped, and the shine in them, seemed to reflect my near-constant state of insecurity, but they could also be interpreted as showing my determination to improve myself so that I didn't end up failing Erinn. My outfit no longer consisted of the summer dress I had worn before, but was instead a short, brown, leather dress that reached to my knees with several pockets in the front and matching boots that reached about half-way up my shins. Around my shoulders was a gray shawl that had a buckle holding it together at my neck... it reached to my wrists and about halfway down my torso.
I turned from my reflection, moving downstairs to see Piaras manning the counter as usual, "Hey Aeria!"
I smiled and waved at him, before motioning to the door to inform him I was going out. At his confirmatory nod, I started for the door, but paused when he spoke up once more, "Hey, catch!" He tossed a pouch of coins to me, "Would you mind picking up some paper from Malcom for me? That should cover two hundred sheets."
I nodded, and set out, before hesitating in front of the door a brief moment; Nora wasn't standing outside the inn, which was odd. Shrugging, I continued on my way, and it wasn't long before I reached Malcolm's shop, as it was just up the hill from the inn. As I stepped through the doors, Malcolm turned and greeted me, "Good morning Aeria. What can I do for you today?"
I placed the pouch of gold on the counter and pointed to the paper. Malcolm nodded, smiling, "Here we go, how much do you want?" I made a gesture with my hands reminiscent to tracing a large circle, 'As much as that will buy.'
He took the bag, counted the coins (which were in rolls of ten), and handed me two stacks of paper, "There you go."
I nodded my thanks and carried the paper back down to Piaras, noting that Nora was still missing as I stepped inside. I handed the paper and empty pouch to Piaras, "Thank you, Aeria." Then he noticed my expression was a bit more worried than usual and asked me what was wrong, to which I responded by pointing outside.
It took him a couple of seconds to figure out what was probably bothering me, but he and Nora had grown rather good at interpreting me. "Ah! Nora's out running some other errands for me..."
I nodded, and moved to the door. When Piaras waved me out, I set out to the school. The school was a bit further away than Malcolm's store, but all I needed to do was cross the bridge to Alyssa's windmill and turn right. And so I did, waving to Alyssa who was hard at work with some unknown gear or other. Eiry trailed behind me, unusually quiet. I suppose that she just didn't have anything to say for once.
Just as the school gates came into view, I received an owl. It flew overhead and dropped a small letter in front of me. It was from Ranald. I opened it up and, after noticing the subject, skimmed through it,
'One of my less experienced students went to Alby a while ago and hasn't come back, could you track him down for me and help him out?' Even though I wasn't that old myself, I knew why Ranald sent me the quest. It was because I had been training in Alby Dungeon as much as possible, and knew it very well. Eiry, who was hovering over my shoulder, gave her own opinion, "Oh, that's not good. But master will rescue him right? Because master's gotten stronger."
I didn't respond and hurried into the courtyard where Ranald was taking a break from his, and was supervising several of his students as they ran drills and sparred. "Ah, Aeria, good! Did you get my letter?"
At my confirmatory nod, he continued to speak, "Great, that saves time. Here's a copy of the pass he used."
Once more, I nodded and hurried up the hill to Alby, passing Trefor who gave me a simple nod as I did this often. When I stepped inside the dungeon lobby, it had started to rain. Inside, the lobby was dismal and gray; a stark contrast to its usual vibrant gold, and the torches to either side had been put out. Behind the alter, the sealed door was shut, as usual, but now it had a large, noticeable crack running through its center, whereas it had been a single, smooth slab before. I frowned; what could have possibly put a crack in the large, thick stone slab?
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and walked up to the alter, offering it the pass so I could hurry and find Ranald's student. With the small white flash I had come to associate with divine transportation, I found myself in the first room of Alby dungeon. But, again, something was off. The room wasn't lit, as all the torches were out. Perhaps stranger, but not as immediately worrying, was the fact I could see in the dungeon without a source of light. Once again I cleared my head, praying to Morirghan as I passed her statue, 'Please grant sanctuary to my passage.'
I proceeded down the stairs and came upon a straight hallway. After a while, I came to a room with an open chest. Entering it, I spotted the exit on the right wall, and started off again. And so it went, passing through empty rooms and long hallways without any light or warmth until I came to a closed door. I had caught up to Ranald's student. I placed my hand on the door and, with a bit of focus, found myself on the other side.
Alby dungeon typically spawns four types of monsters when you drop a basic pass: Spiders (usually white and red), Rats, Bats, and Mimics.
It does not usually spawn giant red-spiders before you enter the boss room. And it most certainly never spawns goblins (1).
But apparently Alby decided to deviate from the norm today, because lo and behold, in the center of the room was a giant red spider, and surrounding it was a trio of goblins, one of which was noticeably injured. In the center of the room, a few feet from an open chest, was Ranald's apprentice, unconscious on the ground. He was still struggling for breath, but apparently the goblin he had injured was about to fix that. Without a thought I ran in and smashed I, sending it flying across the room, but its compatriot nearby (and thankfully not the spider- yet) noticed me and turned to attack, even as I prepared to counterattack.
The second goblin charged, and it was sent flying after it overextended itself for a smash attack, but I wasn't given a chance to rest as the first goblin returned, no doubt attempting to smash me as well. I charged an ice bolt and fired it just as the goblin arrived, stunning it just long enough for me to strike it with Eiry across the head, then the torso, and with a final, heavy blow to the side, it was sent back as well. This time it didn't get back up, but the second goblin returned again, and caught my side with its club. Grunting from the pain as it hit me twice more and sent me flying, I stood up, preparing to counterattack it.
And, of course, it didn't charge. Instead, it raised its shield to defend and started circling me. About that time, the final goblin noticed me as well and shifted into a combat position. It was now a waiting game, and I couldn't wait forever, or I wouldn't be able to defend against the final goblin. The goblin circling me dropped its stance and charged, having grown impatient, and I sent it to the ground in turn. This one was down for the count as well, which left the spider and the final goblin, who decided to charge me as well.
But, as with the last time I counterattacked and was charged, I charged an ice-bolt and fired it into the incoming goblin before attacking it with my sword. A vicious blow to the face, then one to the right shoulder, and a final blow to the left shoulder, and it fell. With the goblins taken care of, I shifted my attention to the spider, charging a lightning bolt and then chain-casting(2) another lightning bolt before striking it with the spell and rushing it. I smashed it and sent it flying, but it recovered quickly and returned before I could raised Eiry to counter attack. I was sent flying this time, impacting the dungeon wall with a heavy thud, and Eiry made her presence known by shouting, "Master!"
I struggled to a defensive position just as the spider came in with its follow up. With a heave showing my wounded, fatigued condition, I blocked the spider's attack, and countered with my blade, slashing its forelegs, once, twice, and now it was on its knees. I finished it off with a blow to the head (3). I turned to the wounded apprentice, who was trying to struggle to his feet. A charged heal spell, and he was in much better condition. He reached to pick up his sword, but didn't follow through with the action. His sword had been broken... All that was left was a small segment at the hilt, and a plethora of shards of various shapes and sizes.
The apprentice was wearing a leather vest with iron shoulder pads and pants done in a similar fashion. There was a large red stain on the right side of his vest and a cut in the fabric to match. On his right arm lingered the remains of a shield's strap, and the shattered remains of it lay nearby. "Ah... this is embarrassing." He spoke scratching the back of his brilliant red hair with his right arm to emphasize his words, then wincing and lowering his arm. "I was saved by someone five years my junior." Indeed he had good reason to be embarrassed; he was sixteen, I was eleven, and I had just defeated the monsters he failed to, however he had also cleared all the previous rooms and was in a much worse state. "Anyway... I'm Sert, short for Sertelein(4). You're... Aeria, the girl who never says anything, but shows unexpected talent in practice, right?"
I nodded as I charged another heal spell, curing more of the various bruises covering his body and closing his cuts, though a few, such as the one on his side, didn't heal completely. "Ah... Ranald's going to be mad at me. Not only did I fail to complete the dungeon he assigned to me... but you got beat up saving me." I shrugged, charging one final heal spell and curing the few bruises the spider had given me.
Eiry appeared beside my head, "Master, that was more difficult than usual..." I nodded to the spirit, much to Sert's confusion, before I pulled out my conversation journal and began writing, showing the text to Sert when I finished. He squinted as he read the text.
'This is not the usual Alby dungeon... The torches have all been extinguished, and Alby never spawns goblins... On top of that, a giant spider is a bit much for the pass you were given.'
"What? You mean this isn't the dungeon Ranald assigned me?" He asked incredulously, "I killed all of those goblins, spiders, werewolves, and mimics for nothing then?"
I nodded.
"Then... we should probably leave, right?" He asked.
That was when I noticed the locked doors hadn't opened when I killed the spider. Well, I noticed because a trio of gray werewolves spawned... not because of Sert's question. "Seriously!" The teen exclaimed as he pulled a dagger from his belt. Without a word, not that I could produce one anyway, I charged a lightning bolt and fired at the werewolf closest me, which had shifted into its own battle posture and began moving to me. It recoiled from the strike, but it didn't seem anywhere near as fazed as it should have... but thanks to the lightning, I had time to counter the blow of a second werewolf, sending it flying into the air, only for it to flip and land on all fours before standing up (5), obviously ignoring my attack.
'This is shaping up to be a long, hard fight.' I thought as the third werewolf charged Sert, only for the teen to flip it over his shoulder and into the wall (5), stepping back as he did so. My attention was drawn back to my own fight when the first werewolf got tired of waiting and charged me. It made a swipe, but I side-stepped it (5) and hacked its neck from behind, knocking it to the ground. Even though my opponent fell, though, it was barely wounded... Saw its ally coming from the side and Evaded... to end up behind the werewolf Sert flipped as it charged him from his position against the left wall. I got to my feet as quickly as I could and stepped in front of the werewolf, blocking its first blow with Eiry, before taking the second blow and being knocked back, a vicious, bleeding gash in my left arm.
With a cry of rage, Sert moved in and shoved his dagger as far as he could into the werewolf's forehead as it pulled back. But, this meant Sert was weaponless, even though one werewolf was dead; I was nursing a grievous wound, and the other two werewolves were advancing on us slowly, knowing that we were incapable of fighting back... or so they thought as I charged a fire bolt, and then chain-cast two more painfully as the werewolves bid their time. The first reached striking distance of Sert who had shifted into a defensive position, and I fired the bolt at it, knocking it back and giving it a nice, second-degree burn on the chest. It howled painfully, clutching its wound as its companion, enraged, charged Sert. Sert, who couldn't dodge its attack because I was heavily injured, prepared himself to act as a human shield for me when I did something I never thought I'd do.
I shouted, though it was more of a scream with no syllables, so deep that it gave even the werewolf pause. Sert turned to me, and I motioned to Eiry as I charged a lightning bolt. Comprehension dawned on Sert's face as he hurriedly crouched down and lifted Eiry, turning around just in time to see the werewolf be struck by my lightning bolt while it was mere inches away from carving several canyons into his face. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Sert pushed Eiry between the werewolf's ribs, stabbing its heart. The second werewolf approached, and Sert tore Eiry out, her victim sliding to the floor in a bloody mess, just in time to slit the final werewolf's throat. As the werewolf fell to the ground, clutching its throat, Sert impaled it, as well, to make sure it died before it could do any more damage. As he, covered in blood, turned to me, I blacked out. This dream held none of the warmth I felt from the first.
"Who did this? Not only kill but mutilate the bodies, that is no way to fight. Only a beast, a monster or an oni would do such a thing." These words echoed in my ears, as if from a great distance, as I spoke, thinking only of what the small girl in front of me had just said, "You smell like blood... are you okay?"
"You can smell blood?" The girl, wearing a red ribbon around her eyes, unkempt blonde hair a mop on her head, and dressed in tattered clothing nodded. And I looked guiltily to my armor, which was stained in several places, and my blade, which dripped precious life-mercury.
"Why do you owe me?" She spoke, and I felt glad that she could not see me.
I responded, my voice holding none of the regret and sorrow I felt, "Because I did not find you sooner..." I turned from the girl's covered face and surveyed a horrible scene... before me were the broken windows of a church, annd beyond them lay a small army of brutalized soldiers that two men were working to bury, one of which was glaring at me fiercely.
"I have shed blood in the house of My Lady... I have fallen to their level." My heart held such bitterness... such anger... that I wanted to explode. Anger toward the soldiers, anger at their commanders, at their country... anger toward myself.
I awoke, shivering, to find Sert sitting across a campfire from me, his tunic still stained red, and his eyes regretful... but instantly they recovered the innocent enthusiasm I had seen before. "Ah! You're awake! Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?"
I nodded hesitantly, still shivering from my dream. Unlike most of my other dreams... I remembered that one vividly. As vividly as I remembered the one from this morning... In fact, it was the same girl in both dreams... My attention was drawn from my dreams to Sert as he spoke, "Hey... did you have a nightmare?" At my small, reluctant nod, he leaned back, "Geeze, you're really a kid after all..." He paused, "You want to talk.. er... write about it?"
I shook my head, trying to push the dream from my mind, but it still hung there, like an ever-present cloud on my thoughts. I stood, and noticed that my left arm was stiff. I looked at it to find that it was wrapped in bandages. "Ah! I patched your arm up as best I could, but I'm no expert..." I shook my head before looking for Eiry, as she was not at my side. I found her hovering around her medium (6), which was lying between Sert and I, the blood wiped off. I blinked, and suddenly Eiry was right in front of me, "Master!" she exclaimed, hugging my nose, "I was so worried! You were so hurt... and there was blood... and you've never been hurt that badly before... and... and... You're alright... right?"
I nodded, smiling slightly at Eiry's antics, before looking to Sert who was watching with amusement. Wait, what? I looked at him and tilted my head, before looking to Eiry.
"Ah!" he spoke, "I've been able to see her since I picked up the sword... She's been bugging me about your condition this entire time." Eiry seemed to take offense to this, "Of course I would Second! Master was really, really injured!"
"Hey! Second? My name's Sert!" The teen replied indignantly, and Eiry elaborated. "You're my second master, since you took the sword from Master. I can't call you both Master, so I call you Second." As reasonable as that sentence sounded, Eiry said it in such an annoyed, bratty manner it sounded insulting... and her sticking her tongue out and giving Sert the red-eye didn't help any. "Why you-!" He started, only for me to clap to get their attention.
"Hm? What is it Master?" Eiry asked me, her demeanor doing a complete one-eighty as Sert watched me right in my journal. I lifted it up and Eiry read it aloud, 'Shouldn't we be leaving the dungeon?' I tested my left arm experimentally as Eiry read... it was stiff, but that was because of the tightly-wrapped bandages. I stowed my book in the pocket on my chest as Sert explained, "Well, I would have carried you out but... Only one of the doors opened, and- Hey! What are you doing?" He shouted and pointed at me accusingly.
I paused from unwrapping my left arm and tilted my head in confusion, before finishing and allowing the bandage to drop off and reveal my unmarked arm. "Wha-what? That's impossible!" He said, "You should be recovering from something like that a week... a month from now!"
I shrugged, I had always healed this fast, and Eiry spoke my thoughts aloud, "Master has always healed this fast!" She said proudly. "She's the strongest Master I've ever met!"
I shrugged again, it wasn't as if Eiry had met many Masters of spirit weapons (7). "But-but-but..." Sert stammered before sighing and accepting it, "Ah, whatever. Just be careful... Just because you heal fast..." He left his sentence hanging, "Anyway, as I was saying, I would've carried you out but..." He gestured to the right, and I turned to see the door we entered from, shut and locked.
Without another word, I stood and started for the other door. "Hey, what are you doing?"
I wrote in my journal as I passed through the door, Sert close behind me. Eiry read it aloud for me, "If we can't leave the way we came, we have to finish the Dungeon. Master says."
"But... Ah, man, I suppose you're right." Sert slumped his shoulders in defeat, "We don't have enough food and water to last until Ranald sends someone else in... if he doesn't come himself after both of us went missing."
I simply nodded and came to a stop in front of a large door with a giant padlock on it. To either side of it was a switch.
"The boss room! Who'd have thought it was this close? Now all we have to do is kill the boss..." It was then Sert took note of his battered armor and lack of weapons. "But then again... that might be easier said than done in this state."
I shrugged again, what choice did we have? I placed my palm on the switch to the left, and it lit up a brilliant crimson. To the sound of heavy wood grating across stone and thick steel chains hitting the floor, the door opened inward. I squinted my eyes, as apparently the interior of the room was much brighter than the hallway. When the light cleared, I sighed.
The boss room was gold and lined with lit torches, with another large door on the opposite end. In the center of it was a platform housing a statue of Morrighan... that was missing its head. Clinging to the statue was a lean, black figure with long claws, horns, and a tail housing a cruel looking blade protruding from behind it. It roared at us and unfurled long, black wings that were wide enough to block entrance to the door if it were standing in front of it. The creature yanked the stone sword from its place in Morrighan's hands and took to the sky, hovering above the statue and holding the large, stone blade that was as large as it with one hand (8).
'This is just one of those days, wasn't it?' I remember thinking as I shifted into a defensive posture.
That was when the boss let out a blood curdling screech and charged a Fire Bolt. With a soundless cry, I was sent flying back into Sert, who caught me and set me down as I pulled a health potion from my bag and drank it.
"Aw geeze." He spoke, helping me to my feet and drawing his dagger. "How are we going to hit that thing?"
In response, I sent a lightning bolt into it. The creature bent over, stunned, and fell to the ground, where I rushed toward it. Unfortunately, it recovered before I reached it and spun on its hand, knocking me off my feet with a windmill kick. Sert ame in from behind and charged it with his dagger as it was recovering, but its tail lashed out lightning-fast and knocked Sert back. This was not going well. I stood and began charging an ice bolt as the monster took to the air. It started to charge a spell of its own, but mine was faster and I pelted it with the icebolt, charging another one immediately afterward and pelting it again as it persisted in trying to charge its spell. The creature gave up on its spell and dived toward me instead, sword out in a stabbing position.
I evaded the attack, but barely, and Sert dashed onto the creatures back as it recovered and took to the sky once more. I watched, charging an ice bolt and chain-casting two more as Sert clung onto the monster as tightly as he could while the monster attempted to shake him off. The game ended when Sert slammed his dagger into the thing's right temple, and the creature screeched again, shaking its head with the dagger stuck into it and finally dislodging Sert who fell to the ground with a mighty 'Ooph!' I fired my ice bolts into the distracted monster as it fell before charging a heal spell and rushing to Sert's side, healing him. My spell barely healed anything, and I charged another, restoring some color to his face. His eyes cracked open and he gave me a lopsided grin, "Ih dead Aera?" He spoke, his voice slurred. No doubt he had a mild concussion (at the least), but at the time I was just happy he was alive. I looked to the monster, where it lay on all fours, writhing in pain as it clutched wildly, its tail lashing out at random.
The small I gained after seeing Sert was still alive when the monster pulled the dagger out and smashed it into the ground, breaking it. The boss stood up to its full seven feet, five inches height and roared at me, grabbing the stone sword from nearby and hefting it with its hands. Eiry summed up my feelings nicely, "Aw come on, that's not fair!" she shouted in dismay as I raised her blade into a defensive position, standing in front of Sert who was watching the fight, shock and horror clearing his mind.
That was when something unexpected happened. Ranald and Trefor charged into the room, both holding a claymore nearly as long as they were. Ranald spotted us quickly and shouted out, "Trefor, see to the young ones." The stoic appearing guard nodded and hurried over to us.
"Are you alright?" He asked, keeping a wary eye on Ranald as he charged the monster, which turned at incredible speed and parried the veteran swordsman's blow. I nodded and pointed to Sert, and Trefor understood quickly, pouring a health potion down Sert's throat and offering a phoenix feather to the goddess to save him. Sert recovered, getting to his feet, though he was still dizzy and Trefor needed to support him.
The entire exchange, however, was barely noted by me. I was watching Ranald and the boss battle with apt fascination. The monster knocked Ranald back, but instead of being sent flying, Ranald parried the blow and jumped, allowing the blow to push him. He landed on his feet and charged the monster again, meeting cold stone with cold steel in a furious exchange. The monster pushed Ranald back again and hovered in the air, before crashing to the ground and shaking it. Ranald didn't fall over, but he had to lower himself into a crouch and use his claymore to steady himself.
The monster rushed Ranald and the swordsman brought his blade up to parry the monster's strike, but he was at a disadvantage. The monster, with its own significant weight and height, had even more leverage on the human who was kneeling on the ground.
I couldn't take it any more. The fomor continued to press Ranald, but Ranald held on. I charged a fire bolt and fired it at the monster, which was struck and knocked back, allowing to Ranald to recover. He sent a brief look my way as he charged the monster, but I didn't notice as I was already concentrating on charging a lightning bolt. The monster tried to kick Ranald, but I struck it with my lightning bolt, and Ranald sent a vicious blow to the things neck as it was stunned, but its tail blocked the blow... and cracked Ranald's sword in half.
The swordsman backed away in shock at his blade being broken, and Trefor charged in, parrying a blow that would have put an end to Ranald. I hit the fomor with another charged lightning bolt and it recoiled, giving Trefor time to hand Ranald his secondary weapon, a bastard sword.
Ranald took the weapon gratefully and stood, blocking the fomors retaliatory strike. The monster was at a disadvantage now, and it knew it. With two well trained swordsmen in front of it, and me providing support with my magic, it was fighting a losing fight.
It did something we never thought a fomor would do in a fight... It ran away, vanishing in a cloud of black mana.
I collapsed, my body quivering from exerting itself, and Sert put a pair of comforting hands on my shoulders as Ranald and Trefor turned back to us, cursing at the creature's escape. Before they could even take a step toward us, I blacked out again, exhausted both physically and mentally.
The last thing I heard was a chorus...
"Master!"
"Aeria!"
"Aeria!"
End Notes: I don't care to calculate her level, and it wouldn't really be used that much anyway. Please let me know if T is too low, by the way.
1:) Alby Beginner and Normal do not spawn Giant Spiders outside the boss room. A few other passes do. However, Alby never spawns goblins. The closest it does come to spawning goblins is the humanoid spiders.
2:) Chain-Casting: Essentially, it's charging another bolt again. You can chain-cast up to 5 bolts.
3:) No, this doesn't actually happen. But realistically speaking, slashing the tendons of the spiders legs would cause it to falter, and stabbing the head would kill it, making this a very efficient way to take it down. On that note, Aeria shifts from 'Stun' to 'Kill' whenever someone's in danger other than herself.
4:) As far as I know, his name is absolutely meaningless. Aeria, on the other hand, comes from the Latin word Aer, meaning Air (curiously, this is the name of the Water Spirit NPC in the game. That's not why the story's called Wind and Water, by the way). Most Mabinogi NPCs are named after characters from the Celtic Mabinogium, as well (go figure). And he's a made-up NPC (Tuatha da Danin, or something like that) based loosely off the 'troublemaker'.
5:) Again, as far as I know, this doesn't actually happen.
6:) For those who can't guess, her medium is the short sword.
7:) Aeria's the first Milettian to enter Erinn.
8:) This is a made-up monster. Its stats are below.
Aeria's Skills
-Combat Mastery
-Evasion
-Dash
-Sidestep (Made up skill. Self explanatory)
-Smash
-Defense
-Counterattack
-Whirlwind
-Magic Mastery
-Icebolt
-Firebolt
-Lightning Bolt
-Heal
-Rest
-Play Dead, but it's technically not a skill.
Sert's Skills
-Combat Mastery
-Smash
-Defense
-Counterattack
-Dash
-Rest
-Play Dead
Demi
HP- 15,000
MP- 20,000
Damage per Hit- 50-100
Speed- Very Fast
Detection Range- Very Far
Aggro- Multi
-Heavy Stander (Level Two)
-Magic Deflector (Level One)
-Natural Shield (Level One)
-Instinctive Reaction
-Smash
-Counter Attack
-Fire Bolt
-Lightning Bolt
-Windmill
-Flight
-Battle Dive (Made up skill. You can guess what it does.)
-Stomp