RANDOM SKIT!

This scene is something I had to cut out of the story but didn't want to cut out completely so I give it to you here. It has no place in the actual story.

We walked down the stairs into the temple of fire. It was even hotter down here than it was out in the desert. Ugh. heat. As we walked down people slowly began stripping off layers. Lloyd and Kratos were both down to their undershirts (who knew Kratos wore a purple undershirt?) and Raine had taken off her coat and was now in a white shirt. All the desert cloaks and jackets ended up in my wingpack.

Lloyd groaned. "Ugh... it's so hot..."

I mock glared at him. "Oh, man up you son of a-"

"DRAKE!" *smack*

"Blacksmith... ow..." I rubbed the back of my head from where Raine had hit me with her staff. "But he is the son of a blacksmith! He lives in a forge. He should be used to heat!"

Raine blinked at me for a moment before shaking her head and sighing.

Lloyd tipped his head in my direction. "Drake, why aren't you taking your coat off?"

I looked at him. "Do you remember that red thing I was wearing when we first met?"

"Yeah, so?"

"When Kratos stabbed me he destroyed my last shirt so all I'm wearing under this cloak is that."

Lloyd blushed and shut up.

Sorry, anyway. Back to the story!

Ugh... fight scene... I apologise in advance.

The seal room was not what I was expecting. I guess I was remembering it wrong or picturing something from Dawn of the New World since this bland, empty room with the altar at the other end, was actually a huge disappointment. Not to mention anticlimactic and unfitting of the Summon Spirit of Fire. I was expecting lava waterfalls at places across the walls or something.

The mana was heavy though. Almost unbearable. I walked forwards with the others. Raine stopped half way down the room to look around. "This place is also built with magitechnology! Absolutely fantastic!" She bent over to look at the floor.

I stood next to her and hummed quietly, speaking so only she (And Lloyd and Kratos) could hear. "To be honest... I was expecting something more... impressive. And dramatic. With more fire. and maybe some magma... this is supposed to be a shrine dedicated to worshiping Efreet."

Raine hummed and stood up and we jogged slightly to catch up with the others. We were almost to the altar when there was a bright light and I felt the mana shift. Genis jerked back. "Ah! What the-?"

There was a small explosion of fire mana welling up above the altar. I suddenly found it almost impossible to breathe. The others jumped back and I bent over to try and catch my breath. Black spots danced in front of my eyes and I felt dizzy. There was way too much mana in the air right now.

Kratos shouted "Be careful!"

The mana suddenly converged on one place and I felt the pressure receded a little bit, though I was still unbelievably dizzy and struggling to breathe. There was a thud and I looked up to be face to face with Ktugach.

Ah shit.

I rolled to the side as she slammed her paw onto the ground I had been on seconds before. I stood up and my vision swam. I dropped to the ground and sucked in a slow breath through my teeth. Damn I was dizzy. Stupid mana.

I felt something very hot and very solid slam into my side and I rolled across the ground coming to a stop at the other end of the room near where Raine had settled to cover us.

I felt more mana pouring onto my side where the skin was prickling and burning. The overwhelming amount of mana now present was difficult to cope with. I grabbed a hold of my necklace and pushed my mana into it. The more mana I stored the easier it was to breathe. Soon, I was able to stand up and ran back into the fray. Genis was throwing aqua edges at one Ktugachling but didn't have the casting time to use a more powerful spell. Colette was going toe to toe with the other one. Lloyd and Kratos were both trying to attack Ktugach but she was proving to be a handful, they could barely get a hit in before she turned to them.

I ran to help Genis first. I was vaguely aware of Raine casting from behind me and as I ran forward Genis ran back to stand by his sister. I leapt to one side as the Ktugachling lunged at me and spun on the spot, jumping after her. I leapt into the air as she started to turn and managed to stab her in the back of the neck. I was lucky and managed to get my blade in between two of the vertebrae. She dissolved into pure mana.

What happened next was one of those times where a thousand thoughts run through your head in a fraction of a second and you make a decision to do something you wouldn't have normally done.

When we fight other monsters they don't disappear. I'd been putting the wolves, rabbits and hawks into my wingpack. We could sell the wolf and rabbit skins and the rabbit and hawk could be cooked, though I admit I have never tried to eat wolf.

Why did these dissolved into mana? They were a magical construct, not a living creature.

Perhaps they had been made out of Efreet's mana. It would explain why the summon spirits didn't break their pact with Mithos right away. If I were them I would have broken the pact and attacked the fucker.

If it was made of mana it would dissolve once it was killed, like it was doing.

If it was made of Efreet's mana then it would take him a while to recover, allowing Mithos to control the mana flow for longer before he needs to do something to keep the spirits under control.

If I stored the mana and gave it back to Efreet would he recover faster? Maybe.

On a split second impulse I pulled the mana into the diamond on my necklace. I don't know why I stored it in the diamond as the garnet was the one I stored fire mana into.

Ktugach, Lloyd and Kratos were in the middle of the room so I flew up and across the room to get to the Ktugachling on the other side of the room. Colette was trying to fend it off while Lloyd and Kratos took on Ktugach. I dropped down and finished this one off the same way I did his sister. He didn't see me coming. Again I pulled the mana into the diamond.

I threw my tanto at Ktugach and she turned to me, absolutely furious. She dove at me but I jumped out of the way, spinning on my heel and slashing at her with my katana. She leapt back and swiped at me but was thrown off by three swords slashing her from behind. As she turned around to bite Kratos and Lloyd I blasted her in the side with a ball of water.

She turned back and glared at me only to get an icicle to the face courtesy of Genis followed by a chakram to the eye from Colette. Before she had a chance to do anything else she got a cross thrust to the neck from Lloyd and Kratos.

As soon as she dissolved into mana I pulled her mana into the diamond on my necklace. I still don't understand why I did it but a guess I must have had a reason. I had forgotten what it was as soon as I pulled the first kitten into the diamond. I say kitten since, to me, Ktugach looked like a sabre tooth liger (lion-tiger hybrid).

We all stood panting for a moment, hardly daring to believe it was that easy. We all relaxed when nothing happened for several seconds. I sighed. "That was... surprisingly easy."

Raine huffed. "Drake, hold still while I heal those burns." I looked at my hand and realised I had a few burns on it as well and my clothes being singed on that side.

I nodded and let her heal me.

Kratos looked appraisingly at me. "You struggle to take out a human opponent but you managed to take out two of those in very little time."

I nodded. "Well, I find it easier to fight monsters. Humanoid opponents are more difficult but I still fight them. I just find it hard to kill them if I don't really have to. Besides, I caught the second on off guard, he didn't know I was there."

Kratos sighed.

Lloyd looked me over. "Are you alright? You were kind of off at the start there."

I nodded. "Yeah. Too much mana in the air. It's making me dizzy. I just need a minute... or to get out of this room. Anyway, Colette? It's up to you now."

Colette smiled at me and stepped up to the altar. It hissed violently and we all drew our weapons ready for whatever was coming now. Clouds of steam rose from the sides like the vents of a pressure cooker. The entire flat surface of the thing started glowing and in a burst of steam a bright red ball of pure fire mana glowed above it for a moment before dissipating.

I frowned. That can't have been Efreet... even weakened by Cruxis' actions for the past four thousand years he still wouldn't be that weak. The mana dissipated into the air and a light shone from the ceiling.

Remiel's voice reverberated through the air. "You, the chosen of regeneration. Offer your prayers at the altar."

Colette held her hands in front of her chest. "Yes my lord..." She walked up and stood right in front of the altar, close enough to touch it. "Oh goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength."

The altar lit up. I saw a brief glance of gold chains holding something still for a second before I had to close my eyes. sometimes, seeing mana was painful.

I risked a glance and saw a gold sphere of light came down and burst in a flash. In its place was Remiel, in all his 'glory'. "Chosen one, Colette. You have done well."

Colette smiled up at him, her hands still clasped in front of her. "Thank you, my lord." I stepped up next to her and placed my hand on the small of her back. She glanced at me but since I was staring at Remiel she did the same. She seemed to relax though.

"The guardian of this seal has fallen and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon. In the name of Cruxis I shall grant you the power of the angels."

Colette smiled hesitantly up at him. "Thank you my lord."

Four balls of light shot down from the ceiling. They all hit Colette and flowed into her Cruxis crystal but to my eyes I saw some mana flow around the room and into Lloyd and Kratos. That's strange... why Kratos? I glanced at Lloyd and noticed him frown at his Exsphere before he shook his head and looked back up at Colette.

There was a bright flash of light and we all gasped as a pair of beautiful pink wings spread out of Colette's back.

Since my hand was on her back at the time I felt them. They felt like thick water or a thick kind of gas. My hand went right through them. I withdrew my hand quickly and placed it on Colette's hip instead. I didn't know if she could feel her wings and if she did it would definitely be strange.

I felt Colette start to drift upwards and gently held her down. She at least deserves to start trying to fly when she is ready to.

Remiel looked haughtily down at us. "The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet it is but for one night. Be strong and endure."

Colette took a deep breath. "I humble accept this trial."

Remiel nodded. "The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prayers at that altar."

Colette nodded. "Yes lord Remiel."

Remiel encased himself in light and shot up through the ceiling. "I shall await you at the next seal, the chosen of regeneration."

I sensed his mana disappear and turned to face Colette, my hand still on her hip. Colette smiled at me. "Thank you Drake. Why did you hold me down?"

I smiled and withdrew my hand. "I thought you deserved to try and fly for the first time on your own, instead of right after the ritual." I stepped backwards to give Colette a bit more space to examine her new wings.

Lloyd grinned. "Colette... has wings!"

Colette turned around. "Uh-huh, and look. I can put them away too." Colette closed her eyes and her mana flowed back into her, her wings disappeared as well. I took another step back and chuckled.

Genis jumped and fist pumped. "Oh, wow! That's so cool!" He grinned at Colette.

Colette smiled at him, "Here, look, look!" she took her wings back out again and started fluttering them. Genis started jumping.

Lloyd, Kratos, Raine and I all sweat dropped and I smiled at the two of them. So innocent. Lloyd grinned. "He said the next place is across the sea! That means we get to sail on a ship! Haha! I can't wait!"

Raine frowned. "A ship... hmm... I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now..."

Kratos nodded. "We should head to the coast to see what he can find."

I nodded and walked towards Kratos. "It's strange though..."

Raine tilted her head. "What is?"

I blinked at looked at her. "Well, that ball of mana that was on the altar before Remiel arrived... it was really weak. No way that was a summon spirit. Or, not a healthy one."

"You're right." We all turned around at the voice. The Wonder Chef was standing by the warp into the room. I gasped quietly and hid behind Kratos. Kratos frowned and looked the man over. Clearly he remembered him from Triet or they had met before. the chef walked over. "That was Efreet but he was only at a fraction of his power." he looked me right in the eye. "And you know how to help him." he pointed his fork at me and I cowered further behind Kratos.

I had no idea what it was about this man but he scared the shit out of me. I tentatively reached up and grasped my necklace. At his smirk I knew what it was.

He lifted his fork again and the ball of light appeared again. I took a deep breath and pushed the mana from Ktugach and her kittens into the ball of light. It flashed and Efreet stood in its place. He looked down at me, said, "Thank you." and disappeared again.

When we turned around the Wonder Chef was gone. I sighed and Kratos turned to look at me. "You can stop hiding behind me now."

The other's looked at me in concern. I sighed and stood straight. "Can we leave now?"

Lloyd stepped up to me. "Drake... Who was that? Why were you scared of him?"

I sighed. "It's a long and complicated story that even I don't know half of. Can we just leave? Please?"

The others nodded and we left the altar, and then the temple. As we walked I noticed Colette flush red before she went very pale and her lips started to turn blue. Just as we got out of the temple she collapsed onto her hands and knees on the sand.

What surprised me was when Lloyd dropped to one knee as well, his skin the same colour as Genis' instead of his usual tan. Genis gasped. "Lloyd! Colette!"

Lloyd tried to push himself to his feet and Colette smiled slightly, thought it looks strained. "I'm fine." Her voice was slightly hoarse.

Genis frowned. "You don't look fine. You're both completely white!"

Raine frowned. "Your lips are turning purple. We must get you to a doctor in the city immediately."

"No!" Kratos almost shouted. He pulled himself together. "It's best not to move them. Remember the angel's words. The angel transformation process requires her to overcome a trial, and Lloyd and seems to be experiencing the same thing. Rather than taking them to a doctor, it would be best to let them rest here."

Colette frowned. "I'm... okay... I'll be fine after a little rest. I'm sorry to cause so much trouble."

I shook my head. "Stop apologising all the time Colette. You can't help it."

Colette sighed. "You're right... I'm sorry."

I placed knelt down and put a hand on Colette's forehead and winced at the burning temperature. My eyes widened as I remembered the last time I felt someone with a fever like this. I looked up at Raine. "Raine, why don't you and Genis go and set up camp, get everything ready?" I passed her my bag with the wingpack and all of our belongings.

Raine looked like she was going to protest but I shot a pointed glance at Genis and then looked worriedly at Lloyd and Colette. Raine sighed and nodded. "Alright. Come on Genis."

Once the two of them left Kratos looked at me. "Why did you send them away?"

I sighed. "Wait for it. Lloyd, Colette, can you two lie down for me?" They looked at me strangely for a moment but complied. I took their weapons off them and sat on the floor. "Wait for it..." almost immediately after I said it Lloyd and Colette both seemed to seize up. Their backs arched and they shook violently.

Kratos gasped.

I looked at him. "Febrile Convolutions. A seizure. It's normal when someone's temperature spikes suddenly." I pulled out a cloth and wiped at Lloyd's mouth as it started frothing, passing Kratos a cloth to do the same with Colette.

"Watch out for flailing arms." Just as I said that Lloyd smacked me in the face. "Like that. Oww..." I sat back and rubbed the spot, sure it would bruise. I used my healing technique and felt the skin itch.

Kratos looked at me, clearly panicking. "How long does this last?"

I shrugged. "It depends on lots of things. If it lasts more than five minutes or there's no sign of fever, then we should be worried. This is fine so far. Look, their coming out of it." And they were. "Be prepared, they aren't going to know where they are or what's going on, they won't have much strength and will want to just go to sleep. We should take them to camp. Can you carry Lloyd? He's too heavy for me."

Kratos nodded and stood up, walking around to where Lloyd was while I walked over to Colette. We scooped the two fledglings up and carried them back to camp. We set them down on their sleeping bags, which Raine had put close enough to the fire to warm them but far enough away to be safe. I put Colette down on her sleeping bag and waved Raine over.

I spoke to her and Kratos. "We need to cool them down so can you two strip them down as much as you can?" Kratos stripped Lloyd down to his boxers while Raine left Colette's vest shirt on. Both of them were incredibly drowsy and Lloyd was trying to bat back at Kratos. Colette was just letting Raine do what she would and didn't seem aware of her surroundings.

I searched in our bags but I couldn't find anything that could help. Earth medicine was much more advanced. Rain cast some healing artes at them both. It seemed to help a bit. I looked over at our healer. "Raine, see if you can wake Colette up, get her to respond."

Despite the healer's best efforts Colette remained unresponsive. "That's okay. I was expecting that. Hers is a more severe case than Lloyd's." Within minutes Lloyd had come back around completely though he was still a bit sluggish. His fever had gone down completely and he sat up, leaning against Kratos, who sat behind him. Genis gave him a bowl off tofu curry on my gesture and Lloyd sat quietly, eating slowly.

After a few more minutes Colette came around enough for Raine to get some water into her. She fell asleep again and I gestured Raine to leave her to sleep. "It's best to let her rest for now. Lloyd too, once he's eaten."

Raine looked at me. "Doesn't Colette need to eat?"

I shook my head. "When Lloyd first started going through the angel transformation he lost the ability to eat completely. He would throw up everything he had just eaten. It took a while for it to settle down so he could eat again. It might be best to let Colette try food when she's more awake so if she throws up she won't choke."

Raine nodded. "So, Drake. how do you know what this is? How do you know what to do?"

I sighed. "I used to look after children while their parents were at work. A childminder. One of my charges used to have seizures like this frequently. His mum eventually quit work so she could stay home with him but I got used to dealing with these. I knew it was going to happen from the fever. It came on too suddenly."

Kratos nodded. "That explains it. I'm still curious who that man from the chamber was. You hid behind me when you've been avoiding getting too close to me since the renegade base."

I blushed slightly. "Sorry. I hadn't realised I was avoiding you." I looked down at the ground and bit my lip. "That man attacked me in Triet. I don't know what it is about him but he terrifies me. There's just something about him that makes me want to run and hide." I shook my head and stood up. "I'm going for a walk. Clear my head. I'll be back soon." The other's nodded and I walked off to the sea side. I sat on a log and watched the waves for a moment.

"You really have no idea do you?"

I shrieked and leapt off the log, falling onto the floor as I turned around to stare at the Wonder Chef. He was leaning on a tree and looking down at me. I sighed and looked at the floor. "No. I don't know how I got here. I don't know what I'm doing to the time line. I firmly believe that you can't break time."

"But you can cheat it. That's what you've been doing. You haven't made any big changes. You've made little ones that have a big effect later on."

I grimaced and closed my eyes briefly before opening them again. I didn't feel comfortable in this guy's presence. "I'm sorry. I've been here two years and it was a while since I played the game based on this world. I can't remember most of the details. And I only completed it twice."

The Wonder Chef sighed and sat on the log. I cowered at his feet and he frowned down at me. "You're that afraid of me?" I nodded and curled into a foetal position at his feet. He sighed again. He then explained about the multiverse. There were an infinite number of worlds in existence. Some were connected, others weren't. Some had a closer connexion than others and some only had a connexion for a short time before the connexion broke again.

There were worlds, like Earth, that had connexions to thousands of different worlds. Each connexion depended on how strongly the other world influenced mine. Every game, every book, every movie. They were all other worlds. Some, like star wars and Harry Potter, had very strong connexions while others which had less attention and were less known, had a weaker connexion. Tales games had a strong connexion because they were a genre on their own, like Studio Ghibli films. They held onto each other's connexions to strengthen their own.

Each world had a kind of vale over each end of the connexion. Usually it was impossible to cross into each world but occasionally someone, a Jumper, was born with the ability to travel between worlds. The Wonder Chef was one. He can't remember what world he was born into and he assumes a new identity in each one he goes to so he can't remember his real name.

He was also immortal. A side affect of being a Jumper.

Other times, a slight tear appeared in the vale covering the connexion. It was in no physical place so two people can disappear from different places in the world. Usually these tears go unnoticed but sometimes someone fell into them and wound up in another world.

I was lucky I had ended up in a world I knew something about. Those Desians would have killed me if I hadn't known anything.

The Wonder Chef looked down at me (I was still on the floor). "I can help you get back home. Since I'm a Jumper I can open the vale to your world. I can't send you there myself, you'll need Origin for that, but I can open the way."

I looked up at him through my hair. "Thanks..." I whispered.

He sighed and stood up. "But my help won't come cheap. And you need to repay me for the damage you've caused." His hand lunged forwards and just as he grabbed the front of my shirt I heard Kratos shout my name. My world exploded in a puff of smoke and when it cleared we were in the seal room again. The chef sneered down at me. "Since you seem intent on moving things faster than they should, you can help me free Efreet. Permanently."

I swallowed. "How?" I whispered.

He smirked. "Oh, you just hold still." He grabbed a hold of my head by my hair. "And try not to die."

Pain.

Pain was one of the few things I could register. There were images of a temple. Stone. Fire. Magma. Heat. They all flashed before my eyes and I got an overwhelming sense of earth and fire mana. It went on for what felt like days but could have been only hours or minutes. It was hard to tell.

It felt like I was there for ages before finally The Wonderchef let me go and I fell to the floor, gasping for breath. When I opened my eyes I saw the chamber had changed. We were now on a platform stretching most of the way across the room. There was a path leading from a door to a rounded area near an altar of some kind. There were red and orange gems shaped like flames rising placed at regular intervals along the edge of the walkway and the circle area. The altar looked impressive, though not as impressive as the summon spirit hovering just above it.

I gulped. "Efreet..."

Efreet glared down at us. "I hardly think you need to be so rough with the boy, Wonderchef. He did give me back the powers that Mithos took from me. He could have just let Ktugach and the Ktugachlings dissolve like everyone else had."

The Wonderchef scoffed. "He shouldn't be here in the first place."

Efreet huffed. He looked directly at me. "Thank you for all of your help. Now that my temple is back the way it was before Cruxis got their hands on it I am free from Mithos' control. I have already broken my pact with him. I can now go back to doing my duty as a summon spirit."

I smiled hesitantly. "You're welcome." Efreet nodded and dissolved into pure mana before disappearing. I looked back towards the Wonderchef. He sneered and disappeared in a puff of smoke. I lay on the floor for a moment before a creature came up to me. It looked like a Ktugachling but with four legs and slightly more canine in nature. It bower its front legs down and indicated to its back. I weakly pulled myself onto its back and it carried me out of the temple.

Just outside of the new front door I saw Kratos. The creature dropped me at Kratos' feet and disappeared into pure mana. I smiled. "Thanks Efreet."

Kratos looked at me. "That was Efreet?"

I shook my head. "One of his constructs. He made it to help me out of the temple."

Kratos nodded and scooped me up. "I've been meaning to ask. Why does everyone think you are male?"

I sighed and relaxed into his arms. "I prefer it that way. Lloyd knows, we live together, but the others don't. Please, don't tell them."

He nodded. "You keep my secret and I'll keep yours."

I sighed. "Thank you."

We soon got to camp and Kratos sat me on my sleeping bag. Raine rushed over and looked me over, asking me a thousand questions. I sighed. "No, Raine. I didn't know what he was going to do. I still don't know exactly what he did. He used me as some kind of medium to change the temple but I don't know how or why. It hurt like hell and I just really want to go to sleep right now. We can talk in the morning."

Raine cast another healing spell and nodded. I curled up in my bag and saw Genis do the same in his. Lloyd waved tiredly from his sleeping bag and I could hear Colette snoring softly. I was asleep in minutes.

i am not happy with this chapter.

i'm sorry.

anyway, please leave a review and if you want me to update faster then vote on the poll on my profile, The Power of Shadows has been added and the number of votes has been increased to two.

see you next month.