Hm. After some thinking, I figure I should wrap up the grotto subplot during the chapter after this one.
Disclaimer: Dragon Quest is the work of Squaresoft.
Chapter XXXII: Fowl Play in the Lair of Gloom
Arianna slept for six hours that night as she pondered what may happen as a result of her and her friends' actions. When she woke the next day, the Celestrian went to the parlor to get some coffee when she met Trent, Alicia, Conrad, Sasha, and Raymond there.
"Hey, how did you sleep?" asked Alicia.
"Barely got enough, I was dueling with some unpleasant thoughts. Trent, where does the map we just got say where the Lair of Gloom is?" responded the Celestrian.
Trent studied the map, glancing carefully at the terrain"I can't quite make it out, but this one might also be in the Gittish region, southeast of Gittingham Palace. Man, those grottoes get a bit redundant, apart from the monsters."
Sasha shrugged"At least we know where the next one is. I wonder what terrain the Lair of Gloom is comprised of."
"Won't know until we find out, right?" remarked Conrad.
The group went out to the lobby after a rousing breakfast. Erinn was waiting for them"Good morning, everyone."
"Morning. Would you and Patty be interested in coming?" asked Alicia.
Erinn smiled"Sure, I'll just leave Ginny in charge while I'm with you."
"Count me in" piped Patty.
The eight stepped outside the Quester's Rest. Arianna readied to cast Zoom"We're on our way to a hidden grotto, it may be dangerous."
"No sweat, I've done dangerous stuff before" assured Patty.
Trent shrugged"Well, guess we can't really talk you out of it."
Arianna finished casting her Zoom spell, transporting herself and her group to the entrance to Gittingham Palace. Conrad glanced at the old building"Reckon the place is creepier since the Triumgorate and Godwyn were defeated."
"It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't. So where exactly is the next grotto?" stated Sasha.
Arianna headed southwest"Somewhere nearby, I just need to locate it."
"So what's in the grotto you mentioned?" asked Erinn.
The Celestrian replied"The grottoes are actually a network of tunnels and ruins of some sort, each of the grottoes I've been to so far had a guardian beast. They supposedly have some connection to the Almighty, but that is uncertain."
"I've been to one with you guys, so I know what to expect. Erinn, you might want bring up the rear with me" chirped Patty.
The Innkeeper nodded"Great idea, and I have to say, it all sounds interesting. But I'm not so sure I believe that bit about the Almighty having something to do with the underground grottoes."
"I don't blame you" said Arianna, calmly.
They headed down the passageway, keeping alert for monsters. Trent looked around the ruin"Dreary place, no wonder this is the lair of gloom."
"Who would name such a place?" wondered Erinn.
Trent stopped and glanced ahead as he saw several bug-like monsters appear. Trent drew his sword"Looks like we've got company."
"Cyber Spiders, I've heard of these monsters. And look!" cried the Celestrian, spotting a Golem which lumbered towards them.
Raymond threw a spell at the approaching monsters"Kaboom!"
The blast killed two Cyber Spiders and singed the Golem, which swung its powerful arm at Trent. The Gladiator dodged and charged with a thrust, cracking the monster. The Golem countered by swinging its arm downward. Trent jumped back just as Conrad shot an arrow at the monster's chest.
Two Cyber Spiders advanced on Patty, who was darting and jabbing her dagger when she got the chance. Erinn nervously cast a few fireballs, which barely dented the bugs. Raymond quickly blasted the spiders with a Boom spell.
Trent dodged another attack from the Golem and countered with Falcon Slash. Arianna cut in and slashed her sword multiple times at the Golem's chest. The monster crumbled from the combo.
The remaining Cyber Spiders advanced on Sasha, who had managed to kill one. Erinn, Conrad and Patty rushed to the Paladin's aid. Before the monsters could do any damage, Erinn and Patty managed to finish off the monsters.
"Nice one" smirked Conrad.
"Well, we know these ruins are guarded" said Trent, leading the way to some stairs leading downward. The group headed downstairs to find a single, narrow corridor. Arianna took the lead.
"Hey, Erinn. Think we'll see those guys... Jessica, Angelo, and Milly again sometime?" asked Trent.
Erinn paused to think for a moment"I don't know, and again, I'm not supposed to divulge customer information. But apparently, they came from some kind of parallel world as Milly put it."
"I've heard of these 'parallel' worlds in lore and legend. No one in our world has ever set foot in one, supposedly. I only wish I could enter another dimension, but I'd rather not be taken in by such foolishness, as my teacher would've put it" chimed the Celestrian.
The tunnel led to one more set of stairs, which took them to a hallway that led to a large chamber, similar to the other grottoes. Trent readied himself"Let me guess, another guardian awaits us."
"Erinn, Patty, you might want to sit this out" said Arianna.
"No, its okay. We'll keep our distance if we need to, but we're going to help you anyway" smiled the Innkeeper.
The group entered the chamber to see two golems accompanied by a dark bird-like figure holding a staff with a beak at its end. Arianna gasped"This one looks like Hootingham-Gore. But that's not him."
"Hoot, you got that quite right" said the bird-like monster.
Arianna readied herself"Who are you?"
The monster chortled as ten Cyber Spiders entered the room"Fowleye, that is what I am. Hoo, hoot. Like Nemean, Equinox, and Hammibal, I am an essence of the Almighty. Do you dare challenge me? Hoo, hoot."
"You're really part of Celestria's father?" asked Arianna, slowly realizing that Fowleye and the spirit of her father couldn't both be lying.
"Hoot, indeed. When the light storm struck, Zenus was splintered into separate entities. I am one of them, I assure you, hoot. Thank you for the lengthy delay, you are doomed" sneered Fowleye.
With that, the ten Cyber Spiders descended and advanced on the party, one of them lunging with a bite at Erinn. The Innkeeper dodged and shot a fireball, frying it. Patty finished the monster with her dagger.
"You're a coward, Fowleye" remarked Trent as he cut down two Cyber Spiders and cut down a third.
"Kaboom!" Raymond blasted several spiders while Sasha, Conrad and Alicia tackled one of the Golems.
"Kazam! Tornado!" Fowleye's wind spells knocked the party back.
Arianna got back up"Big mistake" and lunged at Fowleye. The monster blocked her sword with its staff and the two of them began to clash. Fowleye swung his staff at Arianna, who blocked each swing successively and stabbed at the monster bird. Fowleye jumped back and let loose another Tornado. Arianna was thrown back.
Conrad let loose arrow after arrow at the Golem while Sasha stabbed at it. Alicia backed her comrades with healing spells and an occasional Boom spell. The Golem swung a fist down at the female sage, who rolled out of the way. Conrad shot it in the chest, staggering it long enough for Alicia to cast Boom, causing the golem to crumble into dust.
Trent toyed with his opponent as he slashed and jumped back until he used a Falcon Slash to finish it off. Nearby, Raymond managed to defeat the remaining Cyber Spiders with his strongest spell.
Arianna managed to get back up and jump back as Fowleye cast Zam. The Celestrian jumped over it and came down with a slash at her opponent. Patty joined Arianna by catching Fowleye off guard with a slice of her dagger. Fowleye staggered and countered Patty's attack with a swing of his stave. Arianna took advantage and slashed Fowleye again. The bird-like monster irritably let loose another wind spell at the two.
"I've had enough of this buzzard" said Trent, charging into the fray with a Falcon Slash. Fowleye blocked and was about to cast another wind-based spell when Arianna surprised him with a thrust.
Staggering, Fowleye groaned"Hoo... I underestimated you... Hoot. But I'm not about to admit defeat yet!" With that, he cast another tornado, which Alicia helped her allies recover from with Multi-Heal. Trent darted forward and stabbed Fowleye. The monster collapsed and disintegrated into thin air.
"That was too close. Not bad for a first adventure, right?" remarked Patty.
"I suppose so... In a hair-raising way" said Erinn.
Trent glanced ahead"The Final Treasure map must be up ahead."
"And with it, the location for the final battle with a Grotto Guardian. Hopefully, King Zenus will be able to regain his true form and sanity after this" nodded Arianna.
"Who's King Zenus?" asked Patty.
Trent shrugged"The Almighty's true name, he has a daughter called Celestria, an ancestor of Arianna. Arianna was a Celestrian, which were the guardians of our world until they returned to the skies. Arianna remains the only Guardian of the world. Supposedly, they had halos and wings."
"So the Celestrians are like Protective Angels? Amazing" smiled Patty.
"They were, and I'm the last one as far as I know. The last Celestrian... It is kind of lonely to think of it that way... But I know I'm not alone. I have many good friends, here. And maybe a family if Trent and I marry" acknowledged Arianna.
"Yeah, that's pretty much for sure" blushed Trent at the thought of possibly having children with Arianna in the future. Another thought crossed his mind as he addressed the Celestrian"Have there been any Mortal/Celestrian couples besides us?"
"Not that I know of, Serena and Corvus don't really count, but at least they're together in the afterlife. Apus Major and Master Aquila would be in for a shock if that ever happened" smiled Arianna.
"Hey, I think the treasure chest is up ahead" said Conrad, heading to the end of the room.
Arianna walked over to open the chest, revealing a map. Inspecting it, she said"This one leads to the Water Crypt of Glee. I wonder what the final Grotto Guardian will be... I'm not sure I dare hope its not another Triumgorate look-a-like."
"Even if it is, we'll send the monster packing" grinned Trent.
Erinn smiled"Well, shall we return to the inn?"
"Good idea" said Arianna, casting Evac to get herself and the others out of the grotto and Zoom to return to Stornway. The group went into the Quester's Rest to have a late lunch, consisting of some curry and a salad.
Trent stood after he was done and said"Arianna, could we take a walk outside?"
"Sure" replied the Celestrian, who had finished her portion. The two headed to the bridge between Stornway and Coffinwell overlooking the river which extended into the ocean.
Trent breathed"I wonder how long it was since we first met."
"About a month, give or take, I don't pay much attention to the number of days gone by. I was determined to find my way back to the Observatory at that time and managed to help protect Stornway and Coffinwell. Sure, the Wight Knight was no real threat compared to the demon who destroyed Brigadoom, but everywhere we went has been an adventure" smiled Arianna.
The blond Gladiator glanced at the sky for a bit"Think after we finish the grottoes... We could build a house close to Stornway?"
"Maybe, I wouldn't want to be too far away from town, though. The plains are no safe place to raise a family if we do marry and get to that point. Perhaps Angel Falls or Stornway itself would have a place for us" mussed Arianna.
The pair continued to gaze at the sky, unaware that Conrad and Sasha were spying on them. The Ranger shrugged"Those two certainly are getting it together."
"Yes, I believe so myself. Let's get away from here before we're caught" said the Paladin. The Ranger and the Paladin retreated back to Stornway. The Celestrian and the Gladiator returned to the inn themselves shortly after the sun began to set.
These grotto chapters are just not very long, are they? Maybe the next one will be longer. I know there are more than six grotto bosses, but I'm not covering all of them. The next chapter will feature the last postgame party member.
Feel free to review if you want.