Start Date: July 2, 2023
Windwillow
First Fantasy: Z-e-r-o
Chapter Four: Releasing the Water Crystal
"Uh... What just happened?" asked Zephyr lamely. The four warriors had now appeared inside of a wondrous, icy wonderland. The Ice Cavern, an immaculate realm of frost with amazing crystals and stalagmites littering its beautiful caverns, was next up on the list of objectives. The problem was, where the hell did they come from?
"Oh... Quite simple, really. It's not too hard to summarize, so allow me to do so..." explained Owain. He adjusted his glasses and smiled, knowing well the reaction that he was likely to receive. "We skipped ahead to the Ice Cavern. The author cut out the part where we return to Crescent Lake, because the plot line for Erik is finished and it wouldn't contribute much," he said flatly.
"Oh... Gotcha!" chirped Erik and Zephyr. Erik was just happy not to have to relive his encounter with his ex fiancees, and Zephyr was pleased because the scene ended with her triumphant defeat of Marilith. As far as cool goes, hey, it could be worse. Rosetta, however, was unconvinced.
"Again with the script?! Stop leaping around plot points and focus on the damned journey!" snapped Rosetta. "Tell me what just happened. Now!" she demanded. Although somewhat disgruntled, Owain tapped his gauntlet and activated it so it could answer.
"The Warriors of Light fought their way through Mt. Gulg and defeated the Fiend of Fire, Marilith," explained the gauntlet. "And a bunch of other crap happened to Erik. Now, leave it be. There isn't any further point in fighting this, got it?" it boomed. Although it was against their better judgment, the party had little choice but to relent.
Scene One
Traveling through the Ice Cavern was quite uncomfortable. The near subzero temperatures and the warriors' lack of heavy clothing led to quite a few nasty words being uttered. Eventually, however, they navigated their way through the cavern's frozen chambers until they reached a dead end. There were four walls and a floor ahead of them, along with a large, mysterious plate of solid ice. There wasn't anything left for them to search for, it seemed.
"Well, that can't be right..." muttered Owain.
He tapped his gauntlet and testily scanned its information. No matter where he looked, the flowchart that passed as a script mentioned nothing about a large sheet of ice. As he pondered hard, however, he heard a loud noise behind him and turned to find Zephyr engaged with some sort of monster. Comprised of a series of jagged spikes of ice, Ice Elementals seemed like stitched together scarecrows except made of ice rather than straw. They used no weapon but their own sharpened claws, though this would be enough for most adventurers. Now nervous, Owain activated his gauntlet again.
"Ice Elementals are the very essence of ice, the most potent solidification of frost magic," explained the gauntlet. "You're presently surrounded by them... plus the big one that's about to come out of that wall of ice," it said plainly. True to form the large sheet of ice at the back of the room immediately shattered and reformed into a larger version of the other Ice Elementals.
"Well, we found our way out!" snapped Zephyr. She snatched up her sword and slid into a ready position, standing back-to-back with Rosetta as Owain and Erik similarly positioned themselves.
With that the Warriors of Light engaged with the Ice Elementals in a frantic free-for-all of a melee. They exchanged blows, their weapons clashing against the mighty, hard-as-steel claws of the Ice Elementals. Rosetta laid her hand over her saber and swiped it along the blade, causing bright red runes to emerge that burst into a long sword of fire that emerged from her weapon. She took her saber and swung it in an arc, and as the others ducked she swiftly decapitated the oncoming Ice Elementals, leaving her friends free to destroy the remainder of their bodies.
That left the big Ice Elemental. Its claws, massive as they were, were unlikely to be manageable by the party's normal weapons. As the party split up Rosetta was the target of the boss's claws as it swung down with monstrous force. Erik, thinking quickly, shoved her aside and slashed at the elemental with a single stroke. From his Serpent's Tail a titanic column of flame burst from the blade. The resulting storm of fire instantly incinerated the Ice Elemental, leaving no trace of it behind but a few drops of melted ice. Although Erik was at first flabbergasted, he quickly realized that he'd just spent the last of the Fire Crystal's boon.
"To think... We're a stone's throw away from being able to do that at will!" remarked an astonished Owain. The inevitable appearance of the fabled script immediately put Erik and Rosetta's blades to Owain's neck, but before they could demand an answer the three vaguely noticed that Zephyr had gone missing.
Zephyr quietly navigated the frozen halls of the Ice Cavern, each step coming closer to their objective. By the time the others had caught up to her she'd palmed a large, shimmering white rock that seemed to vibrate at an incredible frequency. Even Rosetta's sword had never let out so much energy. While the three others marveled, Owain smilingly adjusted his glasses, breathless in anticipation for what would come next.
We have the Levistone... meaning, next is the airship!
Scene Two
With the Levistone in hand, the next step was indeed raising the fabled airship. The Warriors of Light rode their ship far to the northeast, where the Lykion Desert lay. By the time they'd braved the antlions and other desert beasts, the party had fought their way through the desert until dusk. Even so, there was no sign of any kind of airship. Perhaps they'd all been walking to their own deaths the entire time?
"Ugh... This is endless..." groaned Zephyr. They'd been out in the hot desert sun until it went down, but they still had nothing to show for it. Had Owain lied to them? "At this rate, we're gonna die out here!" she screeched. A winded Owain couldn't help but nod.
"Didn't I say a while back that the results aren't predermined? At any given time, we might succumb to everything from a troll attack to a disaster at sea to... well... this..." muttered Owain shakily. Even if he had said it the entire time, Owain had never expected living it out would be so terrifying. He had nothing left, no tricks and no intel. The gauntlet had already retreated into silence, so maybe it really was the end.
An exhausted Zephyr staggered about the dimly lit desert, her limbs and spirit weary. As she finally dropped to the ground in despair and exhaustion she quickly realized that she wasn't hitting the ground. The other party members watched as Zephyr plummeted down into a huge sinkhole and, against all logic, they followed her. Several minutes later Zephyr was the first one to awaken, and found that they'd entered a large metal chamber. There was only one door leading out, but it had strange sigils etched on its body that didn't even vaguely resemble a doorknob. As Owain came to, however, he couldn't help but smile. This was it.
Owain staggered to his feet and unsteadily hobbled towards the strange door. He withdrew the Levistone and laid it against the door and, to the shock of his friends, the door slid open with a loud clack. Once through the door the party was stunned to discover that they'd found a large ship, complete with helicopter blades and wings that indicated that this could only be the legendary airship. Owain quickly hurried to the bridge, his friends just behind him, and they found a large indentation in the center of a strange console. With a smile on his face a weary Owain laid the Levistone into the slot. The result was immediate: great rumbling, the quaking of earth and the roaring of rock and sand splitting open. As the Warriors of Light stared up at the ceiling the night sky came into view, the sea of sand splitting apart as they lifted up high into the air. Once at a proper elevation the airship's wings extended, and they now had their newest mode of transportation at their beck and call.
"This is unreal..." gasped Rosetta.
She could feel the crisp night air tickle her skin, and smelled the burning sand beneath her. This was far beyond anything she could have ever imagined or even dared to dream of! Zephyr stumbled about the bridge and dropped to her seat in one of the four chairs that had been set up on the center of the airship. They were comfortable, even had arm rests.
"Now we just need to name it... How 'bout we call it the Falcon, guys?" tittered Zephyr.
When no one seemed to object, Zephyr wiped the sweat from her brow and clapped her hands on the arm rests tightly. They had their airship: the Falcon. What came next? Owain quietly sunk into his chair, felt the comfort it provided, and smilingly activated his gauntlet.
"Our next task is to head to the Dragon Caves," said the gauntlet.
"You mean we're going to get to see a dragon?! Cool!" gasped Zephyr.
What began as fascination turned to terror, however. What would happen if they had to fight a dragon? She'd always heard legends of the mighty beasts, and didn't relish the idea of having to battle one. They would almost certainly die! As Zephyr continued to panic she felt a firm hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to see Rosetta smiling down at her. Somehow, someway, they could handle it together. With a grin on her face, Zephyr pumped her fist and shouted out a cheer.
To the Dragon Caves!
Scene Three
The Dragon Caves were a collection of underground strongholds situated in the central northern area of the world map. There the dragons, proud warriors who were often tamed by dragoons and used as steeds, resided and nurtured their young. One of the caves in particular led to the personal throne room of the Dragon King, Bahamut, who now stood in front of the warriors. The King of Dragons lived up to its title. It was equal in size to the other, greater Fiends, with thick purple scales ridged with black muscle. When it unfurled its massive wings, the sheer force nearly uprooted them from where they stood. While the others stood in mute amazement, Owain silently knelt before Bahamut and bowed his head.
"Your Majesty, we request your help... a Class Change," said Owain respectfully. The way Bahamut looked at him was enough to make the hair on his neck stand up, almost as if he were being considered lunch.
"Meh, whatever. You guys are a pain in my neck, coming calling at all hours of the night!" snarled Bahamut menacingly, which caused the warriors to flinch. After he'd calmed down, Bahamut folded its wings across its massive body as if it were using them as a cloak. "The Citadel of Trials, which lays to the east, contains a treasure we call a 'Rat's Tail.' Don't ask me why we named it that, I have no idea," he said flatly. "Bring it here and I'll jazz you four up something fierce."
"Um... What do you mean, jazz us up?" wondered Zephyr pointedly. The way Owain had been describing it the so-called Class Change would bring their power to new heights. What kind of power would she unlock? With a scowl on his face, Bahamut sunk back into his throne with a sharp, pointed breath.
"In addition to a spiffy new suit of armor, the abilities that the crystals you've unlocked become permanent," explained Bahamut. He narrowed his eye at Zephyr, something that caused her to flinch. "Not that you have to worry about that. No one's seen the Wind Crystal in millennia. Good luck trying to find it..." he muttered darkly.
Although Zephyr inwardly questioned whether she'd be eaten if they failed, the warriors took the Falcon to the east and landed near a magnificent stronghold known as the Citadel of Trials. Its architecture was far more inviting than the Temple of Chaos, far fewer skulls and several more torches rather than eerie candles. As they did wind through the withered catacombs, however, they reached a hall filled with statues of knights with their swords raised. The problem was that they were golems that raised their swords against them.
The four warriors were each forced to fight their own golem, unfortunately. Although the others, with their combat training, had the edge over him Owain steadily managed to hold his own. Blow after blow was exchanged between blunt stone swords and sharp steel weapons, and within a few minutes the Warriors of Light emerged victorious. They did, however, take a few heavy blows that required Owain's healing. Of the four Zephyr had done the most fighting and was far more winded than her comrades. After a few more empty chambers the chest contained the Rat's Tail came into view, complete with two Dragon Zombies to guard it. Again the four warriors split up, one being Zephyr and Owain and the other Erik and Rosetta.
Rosetta quickly charged her saber with lightning and slashed at the Dragon Zombie, and Erik did the same with his Serpent's Tail. Both blows chopped off several dead scales from the beasts, but they were forced to split up when the dragon swung down with its mighty claw and separated them. When it swung its tail Rosetta braced herself and took the blow full force, blocking the appendage with all the strength in her body. In the meantime Erik leapt atop the Dragon Zombie, twirled his weapon, and plunged it into the beast's "heart," such as it was, and it fell to the floor inert. Just to be sure Rosetta decapitated the damned thing.
Zephyr and Owain struggled more. Although Zephyr parried the Dragon Zombie's claws with ease Owain only narrowly evaded when the dragon swung its tail at him. As it turned it lifted up its claw and swung, forcing him to take the blow full force, and he was immediately slammed to the ground with incredible force. Owain struggled to move inside the crater he'd landed in, though as the Dragon Zombie readied a breath attack Zephyr took her sword in both hands and split the beast from head to tail with a single, massive slash of slicing wind. As the Dragon Zombie dropped to the ground in two pieces, Owain finally managed to lift himself up and returned his mace to his gauntlet with a gruff grunt.
"I was... an impediment... Damn it!" snarled Owain. As he spoke he slammed his fist into a nearby wall, which both bruised his wrist and created a small crack in it. Because he'd been left prone Zephyr could well have been targeted next, something that he found unendurable to deal with. Although he was angry, Zephyr quickly clapped her hand on the White Mage's shoulder and whirled him around to see her shining face. She wasn't angry in the least, which finally assuaged Owain's guilt.
As she approached the chest with the Rat's Tail, however, Zephyr was suddenly forced to leap backwards as a broadsword split the ground where she'd been standing open. What wielded the broadsword was oddly handsome. Although it was clearly a specter and thus undead, it had no scars or blemishes that you'd expect to find in a zombie. The specter withdrew its weapon and shouldered it, although Zephyr raised her own sword in preparation to fight.
"You are the leader, yes?" asked the specter in a rasping voice. Zephyr silently nodded and the specter reared back and swung at her, forcing her to block the strike and she finally managed to parry it. As the specter leapt back it again shouldered its weapon and smiled. "Then, I shall be your final challenge. Show me that the mightiest among you is worthy of that honor, and the Rat's Tail will be yours," it said gruffly. Zephyr could only muster a sheepish smile in response. She wasn't entirely certain she could manage the fight after being winded in the two previous encounters.
"You've got this, Z!" shouted Rosetta.
"You can do it... I know it!" exclaimed Owain.
"I want to see you pull this off. Dunno if you can do it..." growled Erik, as usual unable to show any real politeness. He was also, as usual, battered over the head by Rosetta.
She couldn't believe their confidence in her. The way she'd acted since the first time they'd met had been less than impressive, falling victim to simple tricks and falling flat on her face on more than one occasion. If they believed in her, however, she had to deliver. A smile etched itself on Zephyr's face as she faced off with the specter, and as it lunged she quickly blocked its sword with her shield and thrust at it, forcing the ghost to narrowly evade the blow. She delivered blow after blow, traded slashes with the specter, until finally it disarmed her and her weapon was forced from her hand.
Scenting victory the specter charged, but Zephyr had one final trick in her arsenal. She reared back her left arm and swung, and her buckler hurled itself like a boomerang towards the specter and disarmed it. Zephyr quickly drew back the shield's chain, tucked and rolled, and snatched up her sword, then put it to the back of the specter's neck with enough force to crack its armor. As her sword lifted from the warrior's neck it smiled, sheathed its sword, and bowed to her. In response the chest with the Rat's Tail cracked apart and flew wide open. While Zephyr dropped to one knee in exhaustion, the other three were unable to hide their amazement at her performance. Owain was in awe and Erik finally impressed, and Rosetta quietly stepped towards Zephyr with great celerity. As Zephyr struggled to stand Rosetta snatched up her hand and dragged her to her feet, and as they exchanged a warm smile they quickly gave each other a high five.
Scene Four
"Well, it's hard to argue against results... Good job, kiddos. You've passed the test with flying colors," said Bahamut smilingly. He knew that to have defeated the ghost swordsman in particular the leader had to be a step above average, and it etched a grin on his grumpy maw that he was unable to hide. Bahamut took in a deep breath and lifted his head, then screamed out a massive roar that nearly toppled the warriors. A blinding light obscured their vision, though when the brightness faded the Warriors of Light became aware that their attire had changed drastically.
The effects of Bahamut's magic were drastic and immediate. Zephyr's breastplate turned silver, her gauntlets and boots a cerulean blue. As the change began a thin sheet of light emerged from her shoulder guards, finishing as a long, flowing red cape that accentuated her new helmet, decorated in silver and red. Her hair was unchanged, still silver as metal with her bangs hanging over her right eye. The sword she wielded had also changed, from a simple long sword to an elegant broadsword decorated with arcane runes along its silvery blade, and Zephyr's shield had extended past her forearm almost to her elbow.
"Awesome!" choked Zephyr. She examined her new blade and ran her hand along its edge, realizing that it had a word etched on it: Excalibur.
Erik's simple green tunic darkened as dark as the night sky, growing into a larger, leather striped plate that also coated his mouth in a shroud of dark fabric that clung tightly to his face and concealed his lips and mouth. The Serpent's Tail's segmented blades became bright red, the sheath no longer extending down Erik's lower back but instead tied to his shoulder, tipped with a golden protrusion on the tip of the weapon that stretched out like a long spine all along it.
"Heh... Do I look as spiffy as I feel?" boasted Erik. Even if he was as cocky as before he could back it up now; the element of fire was now fully under his command, and the daggers that he'd previously wielded had been upgraded to shuriken.
Her cap became more of a hood, a blue feather running along its brim, like a beautiful peacock. Rosetta's red cloak darkened and became almost plated with a deep, red leather that fastened around her chest and extended into two sleek gauntlets and red leather boots to match. The shining brooch she wore remained unchanged, though her saber sharpened into a sleek, steel blade that rounded into a samurai sword's edge.
"I can hardly believe it..." breathed Rosetta. With her new powers she now boasted the strength not of a Red Mage but a Black Mage, her magical powers enhanced to a level far greater than she could ever have imagined. Fire, cold, electricity - all had been elevated to the level equal to a more potent Black Mage.
Though Owain's glasses remained the same, the same couldn't be said of his clothing. Rather than alternating in patterns of white and black his robes became as white as ivory, and a cloak formed around his shoulders that also confined his head with a red-rimmed hood. His gauntlet's symbols twisted and turned into gnarled, spike-tipped runes that almost looked like the rays of the sun, and a long wooden staff formed between his fingers that he gripped tightly as it formed.
"Now we're talking..." grinned Owain. Even if he still wasn't a trained warrior, he could feel enough knowledge inside his skull to know that he could now hold his own, even against the Dragon Zombies. Finally, he thought; he was no longer a burden.
Now decked out in their new outfits, new weapons, and armed with their new skills, the Warriors of Light departed the Dragon Caves and returned to the Falcon. They then navigated it to the far northeastern part of the world, where the city of Gaia lay. It was here that Owain claimed their next adventure would begin. As the four of them split up to cover more ground, Owain slipped inside a small alley. He stared longingly at his new gauntlet, and with a sense of great apprehension he tapped it. When it activated, however, it was still the same grumpy gauntlet as before, which disappointed him.
"The Water Crystal will be coming up soon. But, to get it we need to retrieve a faerie that was kidnapped from its home here in Gaia," explained the gauntlet. Skeptical, Owain lifted his eyebrow.
"Who the hell kidnaps a faerie?" he deadpanned.
"It's in the part of the script you never read. How do you like them apples?" laughed the gauntlet. Although Owain scowled, the gauntlet's strange apprehension set him ill at ease. "And the reason I never read you into this part is because I didn't want to upset you too badly... If you'd gotten emotional too quickly you might not have done as good of a job as you have been."
"And that means what?" snapped Owain.
"The Water Crystal resides in the Sunken Shrine... in Onlak," said the gauntlet darkly. At the mention of his home town's name Owain immediately froze solid, doubt piercing his heart like an arrow. There was a good reason he hadn't gone home in so long: he couldn't forgive himself and face his father. The last time they'd spoken was at his mother Elayne's funeral, and back then he didn't have it in him to tell his father the truth. It was never his to take.
"Guess I'll have to return it, eh?" chuckled Owain. The gauntlet returned only a stony silence, and for the first time not being read in on the script aggravated Owain as well. "What aren't you telling me? There's something you aren't telling me, you piece of-"
"You'll have more to apologize for," said the gauntlet plainly.
Scene Five
Although confused and shaken, Owain rejoined his companions in the central square of Gaia to discuss what they'd learned. The others had discerned that a faerie from a nearby faerie pond had been kidnapped by a wandering caravan to sell to the highest bidder, and that the faeries would trade a priceless treasure for the faerie's return. After a bit of research and investigation they found the trade caravan deep in the desert of the northwestern continent, where they'd bottled the faerie in preparation to sell her. The caravan owner was more than happy to sell them back the faerie, for the meager price of fifty thousand Gil.
"You greedy son of a... There's no way we can come up with that much money! I'd rather beat it out of your sorry carcass!" snarled Erik. As Erik prepared to attack Zephyr caught him in a grapple and wrestled him away from the merchant. Although he struggled hard, Zephyr's own physical abilities surpassed his own and he was unable to break away.
"Get a grip!" snapped Zephyr. When at last Erik broke free, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently. "Get violent and I'll have to step in! If you lose your head and start a fight we might never get the faerie back!" she growled.
"We need the faerie, but we ain't got the money! How else are we supposed to get the little bugger?!" Erik shot back. As the two of them prepared to come to blows, they watched as Owain brushed by them and walked towards the merchant. Although it took a few moments and a harsh grimace to do so, he tapped his gauntlet and a sapphire necklace appeared in his hand. It was truly beautiful, shining like a star on a calm and snowy night, as if the jewel itself was made of stardust.
"Will this suffice to trade?" asked Owain quietly.
"Hmm... Deal," said the merchant cheerfully. He snatched up Owain's necklace and reached for the bottled faerie. As his fingers gripped the bottle the faerie continued to frantically resist, but when she saw the grit in Owain's eyes she quietly stopped fighting. Seeing the pain he was going through convinced her that he hadn't bought her to use her. The four Warriors of Light promptly returned to Gaia and deposited the faerie in her tribe's pond, and after a brief moment of waiting she returned with four rings. Each of the rings was blue and had an aquamarine gem that had a strange rune inscribed on it.
"These Water Sigils will let you breathe underwater," explained the faerie. After the faerie smilingly winked and disappeared back into her pond, the party silently marveled at the four rings and quickly donned them.
"It's beautiful!" breathed Zephyr as she examined the stone carefully. As Rosetta nodded and the pair exchanged smiles, Erik remained much more solemn. He silently stormed towards Owain and grabbed onto his shoulder tightly, and clenched it as hard as he could. Although Rosetta and Zephyr were confused, Owain made no attempt to fight back. It didn't take much for Erik to deduce that Owain was in pain, and it characteristically pissed him off.
"Tell me why you're so shaken up that you traded that necklace," demanded Erik. "I don't want any 'it'll be fine' and 'don't worry', give us the damn truth and be done with it. Seeing you hurt... I ain't gonna just let you suffer. I kind of like you at this point."
"You... I..." stammered Owain frantically, the pain in his eyes crystal clear. He bowed his head and brushed Erik's hand away, then walked towards a nearby house and leaned on its wall. He was right; they deserved to know why he was so bothered. And they deserved to know the truth, after all they'd done by fighting alongside him. Even so, it wouldn't be an easy thing to say. "The necklace belonged to my mother Elayne... she died three years ago."
"You gave away your mother's necklace?!" snapped Rosetta. Owain sadly nodded.
"It's a family heirloom. My father never knew that I took it..." sighed Owain. "My father, Cayenne, had always said that he'd wanted to keep it in the family... but I couldn't just leave town without a memento of her. So... I stole the necklace and started wandering as a mercenary."
"And you gave it up, just like that?! Pull your head out of your ass!" snarled Zephyr. She grabbed onto Owain's shoulders and grappled them tightly, then shook him back and forth. None of the other three could fathom Zephyr's motives, as all the mischief and sheepish grins had quickly turned into sheer rage. "Do you mean to tell me that the last thing you have to remember your mother by... you just sold to some hack of a sleazebag for jack?!" she growled. Owain refused to resist, though he did stare deep into Zephyr's eyes and saw the same pain he felt, the same regret.
"You seem to have the same kind of pain I have..." murmured Owain, stunning Zephyr. He brushed her hands aside and clapped his palms on her own shoulders. "We're all equals here. I told you my story, now you tell me yours," he said flatly. Her teeth gritted, Zephyr quietly reached into her pouch and withdrew a ruby red brooch. It was easily just as beautiful as Owain's necklace had been, and the shimmer it held contained the same strong emotions as the necklace had possessed.
"... I lost my mother to disease three years back... Just like you," said Zephyr quietly. She lifted the brooch to her chest and laid it against her heart, and even through the solid steel armor on her breast she could still feel her heart beating. "It was her final gift... Now, I said what I've got to say..." she growled. Zephyr silently grit her teeth and snatched up Owain by the collar, lifting him up into the air. "Go get it back. Now!" Zephyr snapped. Owain shook his head, and in fury Zephyr slugged him in the face. As Erik broke up the fight, Owain quietly laid his hand on his cheek and pulsed his healing energy through his face to ease his wound's pain.
"You're really putting this ahead of saving the world?" asked Erik pointedly. Her teeth gritted, Zephyr nodded emphatically with a tear forming in her eye. Her emotions - the loss of her mother, Owain's actions - were too much for her to endure. A mother's love is priceless, and to throw it away was a slap in the face to everything she held dear. Disgusted, Erik shoved her away and clapped a hand to her shoulder tightly. "Don't be a selfish child. You're in charge of all of us, and you ain't got the right to be childish. If you ain't got the guts to fight the way you need to fight, I'm out..." he snarled.
"And I'll return to Melmond as well," interjected Rosetta, causing Zephyr to freeze. "Z, we've given you our trust. We can take it back if you let your own emotions win out over fighting to save the entire world. If we don't respect you, how can we actually trust you to lead us? You'd better make your own value judgments here. Remember that we trust you. If you don't trust us... then we're better off going our own separate ways, here and now. So, decide."
Rosetta was right. That was really the be all and end all of it. Zephyr knew that if she wavered, the Warriors of Light would split up and depart to the four corners of the earth. Losing her mother had nearly killed her spirits. Even living with her father hadn't eased the pain, so she'd decided to set out and become a mercenary-for-hire. Right here, right now, she had to decide whether her own pain would justify breaking up their friendship over something she had no right to involve herself in. She shut her eyes tight and took in a deep breath, and by the time she'd opened her eyes a soft smile had formed on her face.
"We'd better do this right and kick some ass. If we fail, and we somehow survive... I'm going to kick your sorry ass and make you apologize. Hell, even if we die I'll drag your dead body back to your father and tell him what you did... and that you regret it. Better make sure you get to apologize yourself," Zephyr said sharply. After a few brief moments of thought, she threw her arms around Owain and embraced him tightly, her grip tightened with her own regret and her own failures, and the resolve to accept them and fight for what she believed in: her comrades. Erik and Rosetta shared a brief smile before they joined Zephyr and Owain in a tight hug.
Scene Six
Onlak lay on the same continent as the merchant's caravan, far to the southeast. They took the Falcon there and landed on a nearby plain, then headed towards the pier where they'd find the Sunken Shrine. Before they could go there, however, Zephyr made it clear that Owain had somewhere to go first. Against his own wishes Owain agreed, and the four warriors departed to Owain's old home. There his father, Cayenne, sat by the fireplace sharpening his sword. He'd been an old retainer to a long-since-fallen family, something that he and Owain were both proud of. As Owain slowly approached his father, Cayenne laid his sword against the fireplace and rose to meet his son.
"It's been too long. What brings you back here, son?" asked Cayenne softly. He was well aware that Owain had stolen Elayne's necklace, but he'd believed that his son had just as much right to it as he did. So, he didn't hold anything against him. Seeing the reluctance in Owain's eyes, Cayenne laid his hands on his son's shoulders and narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you not telling me?" he asked, sternly this time. Owain was unwilling to meet his father's gaze, and instead averted his eyes.
"You may have guessed already... but I stole mom's necklace before I left. And now... for the sake of this damned thing... I sold it," said Owain darkly. He lifted his eyes to meet Cayenne's, and narrowed them in silent contempt. The contempt was against himself. "I want you to punish me," he said flatly, the amazement and horror of his friends. He didn't want absolution, he wanted punishment and felt he deserved nothing less. "And this might be the last time we meet. I won't bother you ever again."
Owain was certain that his father would scold him, disown him, even strike him, and he was prepared for that. It had been his own choice to sell his mother's necklace, and like Zephyr had said he wanted more than anything to return to the caravan and wring it out of the merchant's cold, dead fingers. The idea that he wasn't doing that weighed on him as if he were being held down by an iron blanket. Against all his expectations, however, Cayenne silently embraced his son tightly, tight enough that Owain's pain was pressed away as if his father had wrung it from his body.
"Memories are worth more than gold, son. As long as we still have those memories of her, and each other, then I consider the matter done and over with," Cayenne said brusquely. Unsatisfied, Owain brushed his father away and narrowed his eyes at him. Did he not understand the situation? Her final memento he traded for nothing more than a bottled faerie. How could that be forgiveable?
"But I sold it! You're telling me you aren't the least bit affected that I sold it?" exclaimed Owain. Cayenne shook his head. His son just didn't understand how his father truly felt about both his mother and his son. Fathers don't need a reason to love their sons... It's the kind of love without end. And, they don't need a reason not to hate their sons, either.
"You sold it to help save the world. She'd be more proud of you for doing that than she would have been for you to keep it and brood over it... Let it go," his father said sternly. As Owain's anger and regret began to fade into an entirely different emotion, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he whirled around to see Zephyr's smiling face staring back at him. It was the kind of smile that was infectious; seeing her own pain lessen eased his own, somehow.
"We have an archfiend to bust up. Let's do it for both of them," said Zephyr smilingly. Owain silently forced a smile on his face, shut his eyes tight, and took Zephyr into his arms for a tight embrace as both his father and friends looked on.
Scene Seven
The Sunken Shrine was situated several meters below the waters of Onlak, far beyond the reach of any normal human, but with the four Water Sigils the party was able to pierce the depths and soon arrived at the Sunken Shrine. They found that there was oxygen once they entered, so the Water Sigils were no longer necessary. The inside of the Sunken Shrine consisted of a long-forgotten civilization's chief temple. The thought was that, below the waves, no one could ever reach the Water Crystal to cleanse it. Thankfully the Water Sigils conveniently existed, as if they were programmed in to pull off a deus ex machina. Then again, they were.
Exploring the Sunken Shrine took over an hour, given the sheer size of the complex. The Warriors of Light searched high and low for the crystal, but found only a myriad of empty treasure chests and a heap of disappointment. One chest, however, yielded a large tablet inscribed with unreadable script that they presumed was the fabled Rosetta Stone, so Owain stored it in his gauntlet and the four warriors continued on their way. That path, however, was soon barred by a slight obstruction: an army of monsters. Abominations; that was the only way to define these beasts. Shaped like a crude imitation of a human with reptilian features and tortoise shells, the Sahaguin each carried a thin spear that they used to pierce their prey. The higher ranked instead wielded tridents.
"Well, ain't this a pickle..." muttered Zephyr.
She turned her eyes to her newly enhanced comrades, and as her hand inched towards Excalibur her excitement began to build moment by moment. With a single flourish she snatched up her sword and brandished it, laid it flat over her chest, and swung her palm across the blade. Just as Rosetta had done several times before a series of golden runes coated the sword's edge, and a smile etched itself on its master's face.
"Let's cook 'em, guys!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
The Warriors of Light lunged forward and into the mass of Sahaguin, ready and willing to do battle. All four of them wielded their new weapons with flawless precision and neatly parried, countered, and slashed at the Sahaguins' spears. As the group approached they split up into the four corners of the room, ready to test out their new abilities. The Sahaguin, each led by a single commander wielding a trident, would be their opponents.
Zephyr tapped the blade of Excalibur to her shoulder for a moment, then swung it with enough force that a good half of the enemy was instantly decapitated. The ones who ducked immediately charged. With a smile on her face Zephyr drew back her hand and stretched out her fingers, all five of them spread wide. She then swung her arm with all her might, and the resulting vacuums of air butchered the rank-and-file. The commander approached and they prepared to clash. All it took was a single swipe from Excalibur to slice the abomination in half, followed by a series of slashes that rent it neatly into pieces.
Stretching out his hand, Erik shut his eyes tight as the Sahaguin approached. From each of his fingertips a tiny ember formed, each of them streaming towards his palm like they were guided by a wire. Once the five embers had connected Erik clenched his hand tight and a maelstrom of flame burst from his arm. The titanic mass of fire was incredibly hot, but it failed to burn Erik. He reared back his arm and thrust his fiery fist forward, sending a huge burst of flames out that incinerated the Sahaguin. When the final enemy, the commander, approached Erik drew his new weapon and lifted it high into the air. White hot flames engulfed the blade and as he swung it down the resulting force severed the sahaguin straight down the middle and caused it to burn into ashes.
Rosetta ran her hand along the blade of her katana, and the usual series of multicolored runes coated it. However, she then lifted her left hand palm-up and shut her eyes tight. A tiny pin prick of light slowly formed between her fingers, then burst into a massive storm of electricity that expanded into an orb the size of a basketball. When she slung it at the sahaguin, the orb broke open and a monstrous wave of lightning shot forward to incinerate the monsters. The lone commander reared back its trident and prepared to lunge, and she did the same. As their weapons connected the sheer vibrations from Rosetta's katana severed the sahaguin's trident and cut a gash straight through its body, and then she promptly decapitated it.
Owain twirled his quarterstaff in front of him, spinning it like a pinwheel, before he finally caught it and slammed it into the ground. A shock wave of holy energy burst from the weapon where it struck the floor, and the tidal wave of sacred magic engulfed the majority of the sahaguin, leaving only the single commander as the lone survivor. Owain stretched out his index finger and aimed it at the beast, narrowed his eyes, and snapped them open. When he did so a thin ray of light shot from his finger and pierced the sahaguin's head, immediately turning its brain to mush and dropping it dead to the floor.
"Holy freaking crap! We're bad asses now!" cheered Zephyr. As she sheathed Excalibur a tiny spark of lightning crackled as the hilt touched the scabbard.
"I must admit that I'm impressed..." remarked Rosetta as she stared at the still shimmering blade of her sword. She'd never even seen a katana before, but the sheer cutting force she'd been able to exhibit put her old saber to shame.
"Clearly, I was the coolest!" boasted Erik, storing his new Serpent's Tail behind his back. When Rosetta roughly thwacked him in the back of the head he bared his teeth and stuck out his tongue at her, but by now he knew better than to force the issue.
Of the four only Owain remained silent. He was never a trained warrior like his companions were. To see his own abilities grow to the point where he could wipe out a small army on his own was so satisfying that he was unable to hide the wide grin that crossed his face. As Owain stared out at the ocean of sahaguin corpses he smilingly returned his quarterstaff to his gauntlet and patted the dust from his pants. What lay ahead could only be the Fiend of Water, Kraken.
We'll do it, mother... and you too, Dad... Whoever deals the final blow, it's all for you two.
Scene Eight
Leaving behind the mound of dead monsters, the four Warriors of Light continued on through the next door and into the final chamber. There they found, at the far edge, four indentations that corresponded to the four Water Sigils they wore on their hands. Though Erik confidently approached he was abruptly thrown back by Zephyr, who immediately brandished her blade and prepared to fight.
"The hell was that for?!" snarled Erik.
"'Cause if we'd taken one more step," Zephyr replied, "then they would have gotten the drop on us."
From the final chamber's back four strange creatures began to form, finally bursting from the ground in pillars of water. Again the embodiment of one of the four elements, like their fiery brethren the Water Elementals were vaguely humanoid. Water Elementals were composed of compressed liquid that was more like acid than water, and each carried two daggers shaped like spears of ice that shimmered in the dark corridor with a snowy sheen. The lot of them charged the warriors, though as Erik tried to attack he was held back by Zephyr. While Erik stewed Zephyr lifted her left hand and held it palm-up. A tiny distortion began to form between her fingers, shimmering like a mirage in the desert. This was her improvement.
The distortion began to warp, strangely forming into an amorphous mass between Zephyr's fingers. As the four Water Elementals continued to approach, she clenched her hand tight and caused the distortion to break open into a sphere the size of a soccer ball that encompassed her entire hand. Taking that hand Zephyr drew it over her shoulder and then hurled it at the monsters. The sphere zoomed forward and suddenly broke apart into a series of vacuum blades that diced through the Water Elementals like a hot knife through butter. As the final elemental's remains dropped to the floor, Zephyr satisfyingly sheathed Excalibur and was promptly smacked by Erik in the back of the head.
"You took all the action, idiot!" growled Erik as Zephyr nursed her wound.
"Fine, fine! You guys can take the archfiend! God!" croaked Zephyr.
After placing the four Water Sigils into their respective slots, the way to the crystal room opened and the four of them were encompassed in a massive wave of light. When their vision returned to them they were unceremoniously greeted by a mortifying sight. It was the stuff of nightmares. With eight titanic limbs, each ending in a curled tentacle, the Fiend of Water resembled a mutated octopus that had taken to wearing violet robes like royalty. Its head was even uglier, if that was even possible. Kraken, the ultimate aquatic fiend, loomed high above the Warriors of Light with a sneer on what passed as its face.
Rosetta and Erik wasted no time in lunging. The two slashes they delivered each severed one of the Kraken's tentacles, and a bolt of holy light from Owain cut through a third. Angered, Kraken lashed out with its remaining limbs and curled its tentacles across the three party members, lifting them high into the air. Now prone, it opened its hideous maw and three long spears of compressed water formed between its teeth. It intended to skewer the three Warriors of Light with the lances and then turn its attention to Zephyr.
The Kraken was never granted that chance. As the three spears formed they suddenly shattered apart, diced to pieces by a series of vacuum blades. Before the Kraken could even realize it a thin white line split it from top to bottom. The archfiend only vaguely had the time to turn its eyes to Zephyr, whose sword was now firmly embedded in the ground. Once it had struck the floor the line split the Kraken from bottom to top, and the beast was bisected neatly. As the two halves dropped to the floor and dissolved in a haze of unholy flames Zephyr sheathed Excalibur, and she was again smacked over the head by Erik, much to her fury.
"God damn it! You said you'd leave it to us!" Erik snarled. In response Zephyr angrily produced her middle finger and stomped her foot.
"Well, it looked to me like you were gonna be dead in three seconds!" retorted Zephyr. "Hard to kill something when you have a hole in your head!" she snapped.
The two of them nearly came to blows before Rosetta somehow managed to separated the pair. Even then they attempted to attack each other, leaving Rosetta no choice but to whack them both over the head and drop them to the floor. As Owain returned his quarterstaff to his gauntlet, he stared into the light of the now-shimmering Water Crystal and cracked a smile.
Mom... Dad... Even if I didn't kill it, this one was all for you two.
