Part IX - Oh How The Mighty Fall

A cacophony of noise blasted through the seventeenth floor as the battle between the Goliath and the man continued. The Goliath offered no mercy upon it's trespasser as its deafening roar disoriented the man. Using this time it swung its mighty fists down to the ground.

The ground bubbled upwards from impact, then shot up and out with tremendous force. The man lept to the side to dodge, after finding a gap in between the debris that rocketed towards him. Crossing his arms in front of him, he closed his eyes and prayed.

In the darkness of his sight he heard a sound. It was wind. Opening them, he found his prayer was answered. He threaded the needle and landed safely on the other side of the passing debris. He looked up with a grin.

"Still got it even with being half blind.."

Gripping the sword in his hand he leapt forward and up. His blade struck the dark skin of the Goliath, driving it into it's flesh with all of his strength. Jumping back and clear of the monster, he looked up to where he struck. The Goliath had what appear to only be a paper cut for the thing.

"What the hell are you, buddy?" He sighed as his legs began to feel weak. Not from fear, but utter exhaustion.

"Just this one floor boss, then moving up will be a piece of cake. Maybe after this I should do a prayer.. That could help.."

As he gazed back up, he saw all of the spots he struck had healed as if they were none existent. So far his plan was falling apart. It shouldn't be this difficult, it never has been. He couldn't count how many times he fought this thing. What followed was an unfortunate thought. The beginning of doubt.

"Am I getting weak?"

Though he was too stubborn and blind in two senses to understand what it was that was preventing him from defeating this monster. He was exhausted, operating with one eye barely functioning, and the left side of his body fried. Though if he could see clearly he would see that what was before him was not the Monster Rex Goliath that he's known. What stood in front of him was an Irregular.

A formidable force that once nearly brought ultimate destruction to Rivira.

Still unknowing of the dire straits he ventured into, he leaped forward once more. Aiming for the tendons of the Goliath's knee the blade struck and blood gushed from the wound. The Goliath howled and dropped to one knee, slamming its fist where the man landed.

Again he narrowly dodged the fist and then the debris. It was dance that followed a pattern. One that he performed many times before. There were variations to the song and partner but in the end it remained the same. Or at least he thought it would.

The Goliath slowly rose after having it's tendons cut. The blood seized to flow and the wound closed. The man was dumbfounded, exasperated. Still blind to see what truly was before him. Never had he witnessed one having regeneration. He glanced to the sword in hand, sure it's blade was dull from the fight as the Goliath's skin was tough, perhaps tougher than usual. But he knew that there was no way that thing should've risen as it did.

"What are you-...?" He stopped, the words caught in his throat. As the Goliath rose his eye caught the image of someone standing at the far end of the floor where the entrance lays. At first it was a light so faint that he thought it was from the last time he got hit. But on the other side of the floor was a woman.

"..."

Her features weren't visible, all that was was a faint twinkling light like a star far away. But after a second, his focus narrowed and her light became bright. His heart ached as he gazed upon her seemingly familiar light. All that was returned was a plain gaze, one completely indifferent, but also patient. As if she was waiting. Following the rule of not taking someone else's kill. But none of that mattered. The grief he felt disappeared, replaced with a bittersweet relief.

"Sis.." He took one step forward to her. Then a sound of thunder clapped through the space of the floor. Met with the force of a thousand suns, the Goliath slammed it's fist straight into him from his blind side. His body ragdolled to the wall and the monster howled in victory.

As his body came to a stop, his consciousness barely remained. The only thing he could see was that familiar light as he struggled to hold his head up. Reaching for a hold on the dungeon wall, he pulled himself to his feet. His legs were weak as the adrenaline faded and the pain startled to shoot through his body. Everything looked red as he stared at the floor.

"This isn't good.." He mumbled, in placed of words was a gurgle and a hack as he spit out a clump of blood. "Oh that's really not good."

"Sere-..."

He tried to call out but the blood clogged his throat. He looked up to the spot and the light was gone. In that one second his heart sank.

The Goliath roared with new vigor, the man knew what that meant. It was preparing for another strike. With the light gone, he turned back to the monster as it swung its fist down to him, though all he saw was a blur of wind that blocked the attack. It roared in anguish as it was sent to the middle of the room.

Not even a second later, there she stood with her back to him and sword drawn and ready. Long blonde hair swept up with the wind as it whipped around them.

"You can stay down. I'll take it from here." She said as she focused on the monster in front of them. "This one isn't like the rest."

But as he struggled to stay on his feet a storm of thoughts and emotion swept through his mind as he gazed upon her. There he saw a light so faint, shrouded by something so dark, there was no doubt in his mind who this was before him.

"Sis.."

He tried to call out, but the words got stuck. He couldn't understand why or whether he actually said something. And it dawned upon him that he didn't have long before he'd collapse after that last hit he suffered. All he knew is that within that darkness he saw a light not flickering like a star, no it was trembling.

"No." The man said, as the single word escaped his lips only one word came to Aiz's mind. Guttural.

"Huh?" She stared back at him in confusion only to find his hand gently hovering over where her hand wields Desperate.

"It's ok." He said gently. "I'll do it."

Slowly she lowers her sword. With a straight face that looked as calm as could be, she couldn't help but ask a torrent of questions in her own mind.

"Why? You look like death. Do you want to die?"

Taking a few steps forward where his sword landed, he gingerly bent over and picked it up. Holding it vertical to his chest he closed his eyes as the Goliath in the distance began to return to it's feet.

It's roars filled the floor in anger. It's feet thud against the ground causing the floor to shake.

Aiz stood in silence. She sought clarity in this violence, to slay a beast to move on and slay the next. But before her stood a man who seemed to have a death wish.

"Is this your last wish? Is it right to let you?"

The Goliath stepped forward closer and closer preparing to strike the two.

"I promise to be your light to ward off the darkness. The sword to slay all of the monsters who seek you harm...I pray.."

The Goliath roared as it's fist broke through the air with such force it was as if the air itself screamed with the monster.

Holding the sword out the man spoke softly.

"... -Morituri."

There came to be a light so blinding and sound that rivaled thunder all Aiz could do was close her eyes and shelter them with her one free hand. Though the pressure in the room grew that she could feel it in her ears as they gave a sudden pop.

The sensation was overwhelming, it was immense. Bathed in light and sound. Posing no harm to her, and as the light faded she felt warm. At peace. It was something that she never experienced before.

Lowering her hand and gazing where she last saw the man, he still stood with his right hand drawn out and just beyond him laid the magic stone embedded in the ground. The man's arm sunk to his side, then his head. Then he began to fall.

Without thinking or entirely knowing why, she dashed forward catching him as he fell. His back pressed against her, he kept falling. He was heavy. Yet she didn't let go. So they sunk together as she held him. Once they reached the ground he opened his eyes to her, fighting the mind down.

"See, sis? I kept my promise.." He spoke weakly with a smile on his face.

"What are you talking about? Why did you do that?" Her voice to this stranger was tense, confused.

"Why would you risk your life like that? Don't you know who I am? I'm-.."

"So that way you don't have to be afraid anymore.." His words began to fade as his consciousness retreated. His one good eye closed, and slowly the smile on his face began to fade. All that remained was the faint sensation of his breath. The barely noticeable rising and falling of his chest.

"What?" She said in a voice so quiet, so innocent. As if her younger self broke through. That single word shivered.

As she looked down upon him, she slowly noticed what looked like snow beginning to fall around them.

"That's not snow…"

Small specks of light fell from the ceiling, slowly drifting down to them. Carried by the faint breeze that circulates around the level. As they fall, some shine all the way down, others slowly die out on their journey. But for the specks of light that graced her skin she could only stay silent as there was a rush of that feeling from before. She felt warm and at peace.

As she looked up, she couldn't help but be confused.

"What kind of ability was that?"

"Ahh man! You took it down already!?" Tiona shouted in disappointment after seeing the room was basically empty.

The Amazon trotted into the massive roam groaning. Her hand wielding Urga sunk to her side.

"Huh, what's with all of this shit?" Bete growled as followed in a slow pace behind her. Swatting at the specks.

"Ohhh.. Wow. It's like snow but not." Tiona said as her mind switched gears to focus on the 'shiny things.'

"Hey Aiz, what happened? Who's that?" Tione said as she rushed past Bete who was taking his sweet time.

They slowly made their way over to Aiz, with the twins leading.

"I don't know." Aiz said as she looked down on him, even though her tone was consistent, the confusion in her voice despite being so faint was readily noticeable.

"Huh? He's kinda cute. You know him?" Tiona added spotting the good side. Aiz only shook her head, which was enough for Tiona. Though as she circled around her interest suddenly changed into a gag upon seeing the left side of the man's face caked in blood and swollen. "Oh geez.."

Saving herself from retching, she made her way over to the remains of the Goliath. Recomposing herself she began to Nudge the drop items with her bare feet.

"Huh.. These aren't the normal things that get dropped from a Goliath. Like this is some pretty good loot guys."

"But uhh-... Are you ok?" Tione asked as she pointed to her armor that was soaked in blood.

"Oh.." Escaped from her lips, though not at all in surprise as she gazed upon armor. Shifting her arm around the lower half of the man, she cradled him in her arms as she lifted him up. "It's fine. It's not mine. How far is the Captain?"

"Uhh, not far?" Tione said in confusion upon seeing her carrying someone. "... -What are you doing?"

"I'm taking him to Rivira for care. Is that wrong?" Aiz tilted her head slightly, wondering if there was some rule she was breaking. "The Captain said only to clear the levels, not to wait."

"I mean, if that's all he ordered you to do, we can't really do anything about that." Tione said as she scratched her chin. "But I'd-"

"-If you wanna carry all that deadweight fine. Just get it out of here, it reeks." Bete said interrupting Tione, as he turned and attempted to put some distance between them. Tione fell quiet and gave Bete a stern look as she puffed out her chest and placed her hands on her hips as if to say "excuse me I was going to say something."

Aiz nodded and turned to the exit, slowly walking away with the man in her arms leaving her companions with the . Despite the weight that she physically carries, she felt light. The storm in mind seemingly calmed. With the last steps on the seventeenth floor a single speck of light fell in front of her face onto the man.

Her shoes tapped against the stone steps and after a short while she could feel the change in temperature in the passageway. And as the light faded and changed to a more natural blue, she noticed a long red streak painted on the wall. Taking a brief moment she looked down to the floor, where she found drops of blood.

"He must've been making his way up.." She took a glance at the man resting in his arms and silently reassured him. "It's going to be ok."

They were the final steps to Rivira, which was still out of view. She didn't know the condition of the safe point. Whether it was devastated by monsters or not. The adventurers who fled the dungeon didn't know either. They didn't dare travel deeper to find out. So she continued to step forward.

As she descended she see the light becoming brighter and the smell of plant life filling her nose. There was no smoke, no sounds of distress. And as Rivira came into view she simply said one thing.

"Good."

Rivira stood intact. Whole. No signs of attack from the distance. Her adept senses acquiring all the information she needed to know that it was safe from this distance.

Aiz made quick work to enter the town. Though people stared upon her in confusion. Wondering who it was that she was carrying. Evidently no one recognized him. As she walked down the main street she searched for a clinic, a dedicated healer. Before she could get far into his search, a man approached her.

He stood two heads taller than her, and his hair was greyed and spiked as it rested high on his head.

"I guess he didn't get too far then.. You know him?" The stranger asked in a solemn huff. Aiz shook her head.

"No, but he needs help."

"Come with me then, I know a place." He said as he scratched the back of his head internally berating himself. Aiz gave him a nod and followed, absolutely unconcerned with who the man in front of her was.

"Do you know him?" She said in her calm voice, expression never changing.

"Nah, not personally. He saved my ass though in the dungeon. Damn near killed us though too thinking we were that monster down there. If it weren't for him, we'd probably be like the last crew that went in there."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you once we're at my place. It's just over here." The stranger said guiding her alongside the street passed the people who tried to pretend that everything was normal. The ones who weren't in denial carried bundles of material down specific routes. With such coordination it seemed like the place was a little livelier than usual.

"Hey Jai! Wait up man!" A gruff sounding dwarf shouted out of breath as he darted out of one of the stores through the traffic of the workers in an attempt to catch up to him.

"Watch it, dude!" A worker shouted as he had to stop suddenly carrying a load of wood.

"Ahh come on!" Another shouted as he had to dropped his.

"Damn it, Peyton, watch where you're going." Jai said once he saw who it was who caused the commotion.

"Yeah, sorry." Peyton said as if he could care less. "Morg's needin' to talk with you."

And finally Peytons eyes noticed the glimmering hair behind him.

"Woah, it's the Sword Princess.. And that guy again.. He still alive?"

Jai glanced back at her then at the man, noticing his chest ever so slightly rising and falling.

"Barely. Tell him to stop by in thirty minutes or so. I have to take care of something first." Jai said firmly, ignoring anything else Peyton would have to say as he continued to lead Aiz to their destination.

A few turns down the narrow streets they approached a wooden building much like every other one in the town. Though it was two stories tall, and long with multiple smoke stacks out of it. Opening the front door for Aiz, he gestures for her to go in as he opens the window for the main room.

"It's a little smokey in here. Hope ya don't mind. It's from my furnace. By any chance, you didn't happen to find a sword out with him did you?"

The room was long with swords, shields, staffs, and armor lining the wall as a layer of smoke floated in the room from one of the doors.

"I did, but it was beyond repair." Aiz plainly stated.

"Ahh.. No matter, I wasn't expecting it back, none the less seeing him again.. This way." Jai said as he led her up a flight of stairs. The hallway was well lit with windows on one side and four doors on the left. "I got a spare room for him over here. That way he won't get ripped off by the inn's here."

Jai opened the door to a well kept room with a bed just big enough for one person. Placing the man on the bed, she reached and undone the straps to his pack. Setting it to the side of the bed, then she reached into her pouch and grabbed one of her healing potions. Carefully lifting his head, she poured it into his mouth. Just enough at a time for his body to naturally swallow the contents. Setting the vial on the nightstand she turned to find Jai leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"I'm sure you noticed something's going on down here. And I bet your team isn't that far behind and you all plan on going further into the dungeon.."

Aiz only stared back at him, not at all concerned with his sudden ominous tone. Knowing all too well that with her strength she could defend herself and the man.

"But I'm warning ya. Your team isn't the only one to make that decision. None of the others came back. Hell, me and my crew only got half way through nineteen to look for the others until we ran into him. Even then we lost a guy without knowing it. So if you're going in there, don't. I don't care how strong you are. I'm level three, and I barely made it out of there it wasn't for him."

He gave a nod to the man laying, covered in his own dry blood.

"He's the only one who managed to walk out of there one his own two feet. Bloodied and all. I have to say he must've felt really lucky having you come in and save him though."

Aiz tilted her head.

"No, I didn't save him. He wouldn't let me. I think he wanted to save me.."

"Huh?" Jai cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What could he possibly save you from?"

Aiz cast her eyes down to the man. Coming to the only reasonable conclusion that she could after recalling his words.

"So that way you don't have to be afraid anymore…"

"From me.." She said quietly, innocently. Completely unaware whether her words were heard by Jai.

Part X - Tremblings of Days Past

In the center of the city of Orario stood Babel tall above all else. On the highest level a woman peered out the window from her chair like a throne. A silent benevolent queen. With silver eyes that could captivate an army, they scanned the city. Searching for some form of entertainment for her times often brought her boredom. And the people below provided the greatest form of entertainment. Even from afar. She'd spend hours a day peering through this window. Overlooking the denizens of the city she called home.

But today was different. The amount of light she saw down on the streets was a fraction of what was the norm. She knew of the Guild's advisory warning, but she also knew of the people's resilience.

"Perhaps something exciting is actually happening in the dungeon?"

It was a thought she was eager to dismiss, not out of ignorance but from experience. She could peer down all day if she so chose, but she could not see what happens below the surface. All her eyes could lay witness to was the surface, all the while knowing there were going to be days of highs and lows. Today was evidently a low, a realization she came to as she continued her scan of the city.

"How unfortunate.."

Then there was a trembling that met her. A deep rumbling that seemingly reached up through the tower and to her domain. Was it a foretelling of coming destruction? No. Standing up and walking to the window, she placed her delicate graceful hand upon the panel. The vibrations tickling her fingers as she stood there with closed eyes. There was a familiar feeling of it, and accompanying it was a longing. A mournful essence. But as she stood there, the trembling stopped. How much time passed, she could not tell. But it was the sound of one of her most loyal members who brought her back to the present.

"Lady Freya?"

Her eyes shot open as she turned to the Ottar who stood at an angle from her chair. Completely unaware of the trembling that Freya felt.

"Is there something wrong?" His deep voice which was often plagued with sounding boarish and plain was tainted with concern.

Without realization, she understood why he asked. There was the faintest of sensations in the most unusual of places. Her hand rested upon her stomach. When she placed it there, she didn't know, though she casually removed her hand and held it at her side.

"Everything is fine, Ottar. Thank you." She tried to reassure him, and such as the loyal aid that he'd become he stood there in silence. Well aware of something being amiss. Regardless, he gave a courteous bow.

"Of course."

Resuming his silent guarding, she turned back to the window with the tips of her fingers gently touching the plane of glass once more. Her eyes lost their sharpness, instead replaced with something solemn.

There was only one time in which she recalled such a feeling. One so specific that it was hard to forget. So she turned to her bookshelf, and strode across the room with grace and elegance for no other reason than it being something so natural for her. As she reached the bookshelf she closed her eyes with one hand reaching out to the shelf nearest her heart. The tips of her fingers sliding across the spines of the books that she had collected.

Then her hand stopped on a leather bound book that was worn more than the others. A personal favorite. Opening her eyes she guessed right. Gently grabbing the book as if it were the most important thing in the world, she swiped off any dust from it's cover. Though there being dust was impossible as everything was well kept, she ran her hand over it anyway. Everytime feeling the grain and texture of the cover, it brought a sensation of regret. That this was the closest she'll ever be.

Taking the book back to her seat, she opened it up and read a book she read quite possibly more than a thousand times. Starting at the beginning, time and time again. A moment to live beside these people once more.