AN: next chapter will be a while. I have to write a fight scene that isn't crap.

Chapter 6

Richter carefully guided Aster along the narrow ledge, keeping him from stepping off the sheer cliff to either side while Emil ranged ahead, quickly dispatching several monsters in succession nearly without help from his own minions. He managed to make a pact with one of the earth creatures in the temple, which was good as well. At the bottom of the path, they entered a large open space, at the back of which was the place where the Summon Spirit Gnome used to dwell.

"Your turn again," Richter said when he got onto the warp glyph beside Emil.

On the other side, Emil took Aster's arm as Richter moved away.

"I'm sorry," Aster said.

"I'm actually getting used to it," Emil admitted, then stopped as he saw what had caused Richter to pause a few steps ahead.

Turning its head around on a strangely elongated neck, the demon fixed its eyes upon them. "You," a strangely familiar voice said, "You!" It pointed as the creature's entire body swiveled on a tail made of black oozing smoke. "You shouldn't be here!"

While the voice hadn't been immediately recognizable, the scent that snuck past Aster's skunk-stink caused Emil's eyes to widen in shock. "Decus..." he whispered as he, and thus Rattatosk, realized what they were looking at. "Decus has merged with a demon!"

"It's possible that he was able to break time and go back seven years, though I'm not sure how," Ratatosk added.

Decus glided forward, grotesquely large claws clicking together. "Richter I was expecting, but Emil? And who is that? Never mind, I'll kill them. For Alice!"

Richter swept his axe and sword out and blocked Decus's lunge towards Emil. Shoving Aster backwards, Emil sent the younger man sprawling on the ground just shy of the warp glyph. Unable to pay any more attention to him, Emil called two of his battle monsters and darted in to catch Decus from the side while he was busy with Richter.

Shoving the half-elf aside, Decus turned his attention on Emil again, swiping with large claws.

Emil leapt backwards to avoid taking the strike while Richter slammed his axe through Decus's exposed back. "Demon Fang!" he called, sending out a slash of energy to intercept Decus's continued advance.

Leaving a trail of oozing smoke, Decus ducked sideways to narrowly avoid Emil's Arte. He turned abruptly, swinging a large blade at Emil's head.

Unable to avoid the blow, Emil grunted as he was knocked backwards. His sword flew from his hand. The blade slammed into the rock floor as Emil rolled away.

Richter shouted, "Blessed Drops!" and a large bubble of water slammed into the demon, distracting him from his continued chase after Emil.

Scrambling to his feet, Emil dashed for his sword. He was ready just as the demon recovered and launched into a series of swings that knocked Decus into the air several feet. Leaping up, he slashed several more times before finishing with an Arte that slammed Decus into the ground.

Black smoke oozed and twisted, lifting Decus's demonic form back upright. "You'll never defeat me with such weak tactics!" He lifted his hands into the air, a third supporting the giant sword Emil recalled him fighting with the last time they had interacted. "Now die!"

Energy began building in the room. Emil's gaze met Richter's. They both ran, scooping Aster up by his armpits and dragging him bodily to the warp just as the floor began to crumble. Their warp out was interrupted as the whole room collapsed around them.

Aster desperately clung to them both as they fell and slid down a steep path. Emil winced as he hit several sharp rocks with his back and gulped as the floor suddenly dropped out from under him again. A few seconds later, water closed in over his head. Aster's grip on his arm tightened as Emil desperately held his own breath in panic.

Suddenly the water parted and he felt earth beneath his feet. Emil collapsed to his knees, coughing and gripping the rocks.

Light suddenly brightened the area and Emil wiped water from his face and looked around to find a cavern with a swiftly flowing river rushing just to his left. Aqua hovered nearby, hands clenched in front of her. "Lord Richter, Lord Emil, Lord Aster, are you all right?"

Sitting back on his feet, Emil looked up at the dark opening they had apparently fallen through. "Decus undoubtedly has Solum's core," he said with a sigh.

"It's my fault, isn't it?" Aster asked, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"We'll figure something out," Richter said.

Emil nodded. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt that the creature they had just fought was a demon, but also the man Emil himself had killed in the final events to prevent Richter from opening the Ginnungagap.

"I have a feeling that Decus and Alice are responsible for what has happened," Emil told Ratatosk.

"Undoubtedly. Focus on awakening the other cores for now. Perhaps try to find Maxwell, he might know something useful."

"You're nodding," Richter said. "Ratatosk have anything interesting to say?"

"He's suggesting we find Maxwell, Lord of Summon Spirits. He and I think the demon we saw was Decus, from the timeline in which I killed him and Alice. They might have been possessed while there were demons wandering and survived to find a way to get a second chance... Except they seem to just be up to the same plots as before."

Perking, the younger blond wiped at his eyes again. "Oh, I think I came across where Maxwell's domain might be while I was researching Ratatosk," Aster supplied.

Richter pushed his glasses up his nose as he looked away. "Let's awaken the other cores first so Ratatosk can fully secure the Ginnungagap. We'll keep an eye out for anyone causing havoc outside of their nature in the meantime. Though I'm a little insulted that they think they can just use my plan like that."

"Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery," Aster quoted. "The bigger question, though, is where are we and how do we get out?"

"Aqua, can you follow that river and see where it leads?" Emil asked.

She nodded and dived into the water.

...

Sweaty and tired from alternately walking fast and jogging, followed by two more fights with minor monsters, Marta came to a stop near the entrance of the Tower of Mana ruins and set down her bag to pull out a bottle of water and greedily drink from it before sitting down. She hadn't made her time, but she had achieved her destination and that was what mattered in the long run.

"I'm just going to take a lunch rest here," she decided, "then head in." Getting something to eat out of her bag, she made a sandwich and sat cross legged on a warm boulder to eat.

She was down to the last two bites when the bushes nearby shuffled. Drawing her spinner, Marta got to her feet only to sigh in irritation when Castagnier pushed through, panting and sweaty. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he accused.

"What?" she demanded.

The underbrush parted again, this time Hawk pushed into the small clearing next to the Tower and turned a glare on her.

"What are you doing here?" Marta demanded.

"I was going to ask the same thing, Lady Marta," Hawk said, scowling at her.

"I told you she was up to something," Castagnier said.

"Lady Marta! Just shopping? Do you have any idea what Lord Brute would do to me if you got hurt?" Hawk waved both his hands as he nearly gave in to pulling out his hair.

Marta straightened. "I... I... planned to go shopping eventually. Look, Hawk! I'll be fine!"

"Fine! Fine she says! Look here, little Missy, going into monster infested ruins does not count as being fine! We're going back to Luin right now!" Hawk stomped over and grasped her wrist, pulling her down from the rock.

She twisted her arm free of his grip with a sharp tug and backed away. "No! I have to check something, Hawk. Please! Please!" She caught his hands. "Escort me!" she begged. "Then you'll know I'm all right and I can do what I wanted to do here."

"What do you think you're even doing? Lady Marta, this place is dangerous!" Hawk tried to pull her arms again.

Easily twisting out of his slack grip, Marta backed away again. "I know, but it's important!" Marta stomped her foot. "Hawk, please believe me! And if you can't believe me, then you'll just have to follow me anyway because I'm not going until I find out the truth!"

"The truth of what?" Hawk waved his hands again. "No, Lady Marta, you're going back to Luin right now!" He reached out to grab her only to miss as she turned and ran deeper into the ruins, snagging her bag as she dashed past it.

It was with great relief she found the entrance to the cavern exactly where she knew it should have been. Hawk and Castagnier caught up to her as she had to slow down in order to traverse the slightly slick stairs just inside. Further in, the tunnel turned pitch dark and she had to wait even longer for her eyes to adjust to the soft glow of the crystals sticking out of the walls.

"Lady Marta," Hawk growled.

"Oh come on," Castagnier said, moving a head to roam past Marta a few steps. "What's it going to hurt anyway?" He linked his hands behind his head as he gazed up at a stalactite.

"Us," Hawk said firmly. "All three of us if we get into trouble."

"Hawk," Marta said firmly. "I'm not ashamed to run away from any monsters I can't defeat. Though I doubt anything we face here will be of any consequence. We will avoid monsters whenever possible. I'm not here to fight them and I'm not here for the fun of it."

"Then why are you here?"

Marta clenched her fist and teeth and turned away to begin walking, heading down a path she knew would lead to the lower chambers of the ruins. Or hoped at any rate. "If what I'm looking for isn't here, we'll turn around and pretend this never happened. Okay Hawk? Does that sound fair?"

"Not really," Hawk muttered but had fallen in to walk behind her.

Castagnier slowed to fall in beside Marta, though she kept catching him glancing at her, then looking away quickly.

She wasn't sure if it was the weak light, or if he was blushing. Either way, it irritated her. 'You think you're strong enough to be my Knight? You've got a long ways to go, kid.' Marta was just glad that she had managed to bully Hawk into going along with her plans. She had been afraid he would actually throw her over his shoulder and carry her back. Though he had to already know the futility of such a move. He couldn't restrain her the whole way back to Luin. "It should take us about an hour," she said and bit her lower lip nervously.