Chapter 8: The Sands of Time and Anger
As the group began to trek through the sands of Solm, they noticed how arid the terrain was.
"So, this is Solm. It's very… sandy." Alear remarked.
"That's Solm in a nutshell for you. Sandy as a beach, and much drier." Zendara remarked. "Luckily, I've wandered these sands a lot, so I can tell you a little bit. The area we're in is called Tullah, and, as you can see… pretty much desert wasteland as far as the eye can see." Zendara explained.
"Truly hotter than Elusia…" Ivy panted. "I fear I may melt."
"Whoa, don't end up fainting, big sis!" Hortensia exclaimed, before she used her own tome to fan Ivy's face, despite being hot herself.
"I can see that we are in need of the cool shade." Alear remarked, seeing the hot conditions getting to several members of the group. "I simply hope that the Hounds have not managed to get ahead of us."
"Trust me, I would know if the palace was in danger. I have a unique little danger sense, ya know." Zendara smiled.
"During my time in Elusia, the Four Hounds did pay a few visits to Solm." Ivy remarked, as Hortensia's frantic fanning helped keep her collected. "But they came back empty-handed each time. So yes, much like our Solmian ally, the palace is intact."
"And which Emblem Ring was entrusted to Solm?" Alear asked.
"The Radiant Hero, said to be among the most powerful, even compared against the Hero-King himself." Ivy answered back.
"Then his power will deny the enemy a powerful asset, and us a powerful ally." Alear stated. "Let's get going. Zendara. You have a good idea of the lands itself, from what it seems. I think you should lead us to wherever you believe is a proper place to either rest or gather information.
"Right. Follow me everyone." Zendara smiled.
Richard then looked around, as he had a strange feeling that caused him some concern.
"...Say, Siege, if I felt like that this felt like deja-vu in a sense, would you believe me?" Richard asked.
"Desert land, nothing around, perfect opportunity for Cataclysm to muddle things up? Uhm, yeah, I believe ya." Siege remarked.
Siege's eyes suddenly darted off to the west, as his gaze narrowed. "...Yep. I was afraid of that." He growled and dashed off to the west, unbeknownst to the rest of the group until Mirai noticed.
"Hey… where did… dad go?" Mirai asked.
"Siege…" Alear remarked, before she then began to look around. "...What could have caused him to suddenly run off… Don't tell me…"
"I'm going after him." Richard answered back, as he prepared to rush off after Siege. "If something isn't right here, Siege can't handle this alone. I have a responsibility to keep by his side if things go wrong."
"Then let me come with you! I have to make sure dad is okay!" Mirai exclaimed. "I'm not gonna lose him again for another thousand years!"
"Alright." Richard nodded, before he huddled Mirai beside him. "Alear, I trust that you will keep watch over the others. If danger comes, I'll make sure that I create a way to make a quick rendezvous for all of you with all three of us."
"...Alright." Alear stated, as she felt fairly concerned, although she knew that Siege had a clear reason for running off so suddenly, as Richard used a Rewarp Staff to transport himself and Mirai closer to Siege's position, as they then continued the rest of the way on foot.
Meanwhile, with Siege…
Siege found himself in an area that wasn't wide open per se, but what did concern him was the energy he felt, and the fact there was so much metal in the rocks around which made him think a familiar enemy had come back… and sure enough, as two Corrupted stragglers were taken out, Siege saw the weapons, magnetic bonds linking hands holding sais to a body, as Siege growled.
"Monsoon…" Siege growled.
"Miss me, Siege?" Monsoon asked with a grin as his hands reconnected to his body. "You know, you didn't give me a proper chance the last time we met. Pinned me down and took me out before the fight even got good."
"Why the hell are you here." Siege asked bluntly as he pulled out his Crimson Katana.
"I'm here to pass a message along to you! From the old boss himself. He's surprised, you know! He thought you might have been reckless enough to get yourself or someone else you hold dear killed by this point. Color him impressed. Not to mention how fast you got your memories back." Monsoon cackled as he dropped down. "That's a glorious meme in of itself, if it wasn't for how detrimental to the boss it was. The celebrating too early kind."
"Hah, I thought he might do that after taking my memories away." Siege chuckled slightly, but had a bitter tone to it. "But let's cut the chatter. He sent you down for something else, didn't he."
"Of course. He wants me personally to gut you! And I'm allll for it. That would make a wonderful meme, me, gutting you, when the last time you cut me up. I'm gonna enjoy the look on your wife and daughter's face when I confront them and tell them I killed ya!" Monsoon laughed.
"Not gonna happen." Siege growled. "Get ready to die!" Siege yelled, katana at the ready, just as Mirai and Richard arrived, as Mirai saw Monsoon.
"What… who is… who is that!?" Mirai exclaimed.
"Someone who badly needs to be put down." Richard growled. "...I should have known that we have a clean streak of interference, that is about to end now."
Cue: The Stains of Time - GO! Light Up! Cover
Siege braced, just as Monsoon threw down smoke bombs to cover his vision, as well as made Richard and Mirai unable to see the fight happening within.
Only for suddenly, Monsoon to appear out of the smoke cloud, and charge Richard and Mirai! "Peek-a-boo! I saw you!" He quipped with sais ready to gut.
"The hell!?" Siege exclaimed before seeing the clearing in the smoke Monsoon made and saw him charge Richard and Mirai. "Damnit! Not my daughter!" Siege yelled as he got out of the smoke to pursue Monsoon.
Richard quickly summoned a astral blade, before using it to jam both Monsoon's sais with it, before he then kicked Monsoon back enough to create a cyclone of wind to create a sandstorm that obstructed Monsoon.
"Alright, seems we got to fight." Richard remarked. "Word of advice, he can split himself apart, and it won't affect him. Go for the head, that's the only way you can actually hurt him."
"O-okay!" Mirai exclaimed, pulling out Siege's previous sword to fight, just as Siege kicked Monsoon with a lightning kick to the head that caused him to split apart violently. "Dad!"
"Mirai, you should have stayed with your mother!" Siege shouted, before sighing. "Not like we can do much about it now. Show him what you got, kiddo!" Siege exclaimed as Monsoon soon levitated up, pulling up metallic rocks, large ones, to throw at the group.
Richard quickly deflected the rocks with the blade, even though it was taxing on his strength to do so, before he then used a rock pillar to slam the largest and last of the metallic rocks away, as it bounced beside them. Richard then fired off a massive arc of lightning right towards Monsoon, which caused him to be stunned for a moment.
"Now! While he's stunned!" Siege exclaimed.
"Got it! HRAHH!" Mirai yelled, striking Monsoon hard in the head to make him split again, only for him to reform as Mirai tried to attack again, only for his body parts to split open enough to avoid hits. "Huh!?"
Richard then immediately began to fire a rapid barrage of magic arrows to force Monsoon to keep dodging, as the cyborg kept on shifting his body parts around to avoid taking damage, although Richard maintained it enough to give Siege time to prepare his own attack.
Siege would unleash a torrent of lightning, overclocking Monsoon and stunning him for a devastating one-two blow from Mirai's sword and Richard's magic! Monsoon reformed yet again, as he seemed to be getting irked.
"This is becoming irritable! Just die!" Monsoon exclaimed, as three parts of his body split off, his legs, and both his hands, as his legs rushed at Richard, while one hand with sai equipped lunged at Siege, the other at Mirai.
Richard reacted by moving back, and kicking up some sand, and then making it extremely thick, and using fire to make a massive bulk of glass that Monsoon's legs slammed into, reducing its impact, before Richard quickly followed up with a barrier, as Monsoon then kicked on it. With a press of his hand, he sent the legs flying into the air. Mirai and Siege easily dealt with the hands, parrying the sais easily and slashing the hands down, as Monsoon retracted the limbs and soon formed a giant wheel of metallic rocks.
"DIE!" Monsoon yelled, sending the giant wheel of metal at the trio, as Siege quickly got Mirai out of the way, even as Monsoon was steering it towards them.
"How about no, and you die!?" Siege yelled, blasting Monsoon out of the air with another heavy shock, as Monsoon reformed yet again, as he growled and took to the air, suddenly forming a large spear of rocks and pointing it down at the group.
"What will you do now, Radiant Savior!?" Monsoon laughed as he chucked it at the trio.
"Richard, I need a boost!" Siege exclaimed as he looked ready to jump..
"You got it!" Richard remarked, before he then immediately created a channel of energy, before giving it to Siege, as a yellow aura formed around him. "Go get him!"
Siege would launch up, before kicking Monsoon with the extra help, as he quickly sunk Monsoon into one of the large rock formations, burying him deep enough he couldn't split apart.
"Wait, no, please-!" Monsoon pleaded before Siege began rapidly slashing him with his crimson katana, before ending with one final kick, as Siege landed on the ground, just as Monsoon exploded behind him, as Siege sheathed his blade after the battle was finished.
End Theme
"Dad… Uncle Richard… that wasn't a normal enemy, was it?" Mirai asked. "He didn't even look like he was from Elyos…"
"Nope, not at all… This is the kind of people we face outside." Richard answered back. "He is only a lesser foe compared to the real top dogs that we have to face. The kind that Sombron would find very much worthy company with the level of strength they have, which either are close to his own or even beyond."
"That's terrifying… so… do you mean…?" Mirai would start to ask.
"I'm afraid so. His presence means our journey ahead just got a lot more difficult… come, let's get back to your mother, and we'll have to explain to our group about the new threats." Siege stated.
"Do you know how to find them?" Mirai would ask.
"I do. I can sense their energies." Siege stated, before his eyes narrowed. "...And they're currently in a scrap with Corrupted. Let's go!" Siege exclaimed, as the trio rushed back to the group.
Meanwhile…
The main group had recently met up with a few friends of Zendara that she had properly introduced to them, being a trio of individuals called the Sentinels, which was led by a man with raven-black hair, brown sparkling eyes and dark skin, dressed in purple pants, a white feathery tunic, that was fluffed at the sleeves and collar, a orange ribbon tied to his belt, and a golden head-band, with a bow and two men by his side, one with fluffy orange hair and yellow eyes, dressed in a white and orange priest robe and pointed orange shoes, and the other a man with frilly blonde hair that was styled to one side, a white buttoned coat, and purple boots, riding a horse with axe in hand.
The battle had started a few turns ago, currently with Zendara, Alear, and Lumera leading the charge against the Corrupted, although many were coming in from the south direction.
"Reinforcements are flooding in like crazy… I wish Siege and the others were back already." Zendara stated.
"Be careful what you wish for!" Siege called out as he, Mirai, and Richard ran in from the South and took out the incoming wave of reinforcements!
"We've made it back!" Richard exclaimed.
"Took you long enough! We've managed to keep the Corrupted attracted enough to avoid targeting the villagers." Mokou remarked. "But now we're stuck with not many avenues to move, thanks to the damn quicksand pits slowing our advance! And while that's happening, the Corrupted are moving towards us from all sides!"
"We can help you all finish them off. But there's more dire matters to discuss after the fact." Siege sternly remarked.
"What do you mean?" Alear asked, concerned about Siege's serious tone.
"We'll talk later." Richard answered back, before turning to the orange priest of the Sentinels. "You! What is your name?"
"Pandreo." The priest introduced himself. "I merely wish to be of help, and to rack up a real ruckus on the enemy."
"I know you got the potential with staves. You bone-dry with your Warp staff?" Richard asked, before he then tossed Pandreo one. "Here, take a spare. We need it to help get everyone moving around the quicksand."
"Yes… Yessir!" Pandreo exclaimed.
"While we're on formalities, you, the leader of your merry trio, why not tell me about yourself?" Siege asked the raven haired man.
"Well, I-" The leader of the Sentinels was about to start.
"Allow me to expedite the process." Lumera offered. "He is the Prince of Solm, Fogado. He is here to keep the peace around here. He is also quite the entertainer, cracking a few jokes here and there. He even offered to help us out."
"Oh come on, you could have made it more splendorous than that…" Fogado stated with a soft smile.
"Well, your help is welcomed." Siege stated. "And you, the man who looks the sort for culinary intellect. You are?" Siege would ask.
"Ah yes, the Radiant Saviour. Truly a feast to the eyes." The knight remarked. "My name is Bunet. I am barely saved by your own kindred from becoming a fine meal for these monsters. You truly are a lean figure, a strong flavor of power and influence. I look forward to working with you, Radiant Saviour. Use me however you shall, I shall do my best to whip up my best skills to batter the enemy apart."
"Well, all his talk got a bit hungry." Hitomi joked. "I like the way he prefers to be on the culinary side of things."
Victory: Rout the enemy
Defeat: Siege, Richard or Alear fall
PLAYER PHASE
Richard and Pandreo immediately got to work, getting both Framme and Jean out of the danger zone, due to the fact that both of them were healers, before Ivy and Hortensia, both on their flying mounts began to rush the enemy down, as they used their magic to bombard several enemy soldiers, while Fogado and Alcryst launched a salvo that took out a pair of mages hanging across a quicksand pit.
Siege and Mirai, meanwhile, began making their way to rendezvous with the main group, as they were sort of pincering the Corrupted with the current formation that was being had between both separate groups, as Alear understood, as the part of her own force that was on foot decided to move in conjunction to finish the pincer formation, as Alfred managed to swerve around one of the quicksand pits to land a powerful blow that sent one of the Corrupted swordsman into the quicksand pit nearby to sink to its doom.
ENEMY PHASE
The Corrupted began to advance as Ivy was targeted by an archer, as she got hit by it, causing her flight to be disrupted slightly, before she then fired a Arcthunder spell that fried the archer attacking her, while Hortensia got a surprise attack from a Corrupted with a Levin Sword, as she dodged the thunder.
"Try to hit me, will you!? Now you've done it!" Hortensia growled, before she then fired a concentrated cyclone right at the Corrupted, tearing him apart limb by limb.
The rest of the Corrupted weren't so lucky, as their attacks were blunted by either the Armors defending against their attacks, or the others being nimble or durable enough to shrug off the attack with a few minor scrapes, and get hit badly as a result of the possible counter-attacks.
PLAYER PHASE
With that last reckless Corrupted assault thinning their numbers down to a mere few, the group made easy work of taking out the rest of them quickly and easily.
STAGE CLEAR
MVP: Lumera and Sigurd
"Sweet! That's all of 'em taken out, just like ya wanted, Fogado!" Zendara stated proudly.
"Awesome! Thanks for helping us Sentinels again, Zendara." Fogado said with a smile.
"Any time!" Zendara beamed.
However, the elation only turned to concern as Alear and the others approached Siege and Richard.
"What happened over there?" Alear asked both of them.
"Allow me to preface this. By now, I'm sure you all have understood that Richard and I aren't exactly from Elyos, right?" Siege would ask.
"That much was made clear when you went on that whole warrior from another planet talk." Zendara remarked.
"Well, let's just say there are enemies from other worlds that have relentlessly pursued Richard and myself. One of them was the reason I lost my memories in the first place. We ran into one of his subordinates when I went to investigate." Siege spoke plainly.
"That guy was so weird… he could split apart to avoid our attacks and it didn't even look like it bothered him…" Mirai stated, still a little freaked out by how Monsoon worked. "Add on to that his weird ability to levitate, throw things… everything about him was weird…" Mirai added.
"It's the norm in other worlds." Richard answered back, before pulling out his astral sword. "After all, I acquired this blade through means that I suppose are not possible in this world."
Richard then withdrew his blade. "But I digress. Divine Dragon Alear, for your sake, for Siege's sake, and for everyone who has followed us here, I ask that you be cautious about what moves you make." Richard answered back. "The fact that our assailant is mostly aware of what is going on, even if he doesn't have a full picture, means that we got another competitor to the race for the rings. If they get it, even assuming they don't ally with Sombron out of a mutual enemy, it will be disastrous for everyone, even more so with each Emblem Ring they acquire."
"I understand." Alear stated. "Is it possible to fight them as we are now?"
"Much so, assuming that you fight smartly." Richard answered back. "But that rule gets thrown out of mind if the leaders themselves appear before us. In that case, the priority is not to try and defeat them, but to stall them until either of us find a way to drive them off as long as possible. Fighting them will be extremely dangerous, and something that only Siege and I, and to a much lesser degree, our own cohorts, can be able to achieve without any severe risk of being blown apart. I'd assume you as part of those who can hold your own against them… but for Siege's sake, I ask that you take caution."
Alear remained silent, before she then nodded.
"I'm glad that you're taking this all well." Richard responded back. "If worst comes to worst… we'll keep you safe."
"Nice going!" Fogado remarked, as he walked up to the three of them. "You really showed 'em what the Divine Dragon and the Radiant Saviour can do. Now then, I should take you through a shortcut to Solm Palace. Hate to have to deal with this kind of trouble."
"Your kindness is appreciated, Prince Fogado." Siege said. "Though I have to ask, Zendara… did you know the way to the palace?"
"No. Despite living in Solm, I only wander the land. I only ever made it to the palace three times doing that." Zendara remarked honestly.
"I see… in that case, glad we found Fogado to lead us." Siege stated. "Anyways, let's not waste time. To Solm Palace!" Siege declared.
"This ought to be interesting. It's been years since I visited the palace." Alfred remarked as soon as the entire group joined up to follow Fogado.
"Oh? That's a surprise, considering that Firene and Solm had a great relationship with each other, unless…" Mokou remarked.
"Well, brother and mother only meet Queen Seforia out of the entire Solmian Royal Family." Celine explained. "It's because while our nations are closely-knit, our royal families are not so much, due to a lack of ability to communicate with each other with ease."
"Come to think about it, Prince Fogado…" Morion remarked. "You never showed up when I met your mother, did I? She did say that you were all gone somewhere. What a shame though, Diamant here could use some proper company that could help loosen him up."
"Father!" Diamant exclaimed, slightly embarrassed, as Morion belted out a light-hearted laugh.
"Well… about that…" Fogado answered back. "Actually, I think it's better that the Queen explains."
"...Strange one, this prince." Alfred commented. "To think that he would usually patrol outside to handle problems like this. He must truly be a lively one with a thrill for action. Explains why his mother covers for his fancies…"
"Either way, it would be rude to distrust them." Alcryst stated. 'The villagers were thankful for our aid, and Fogado and his Sentinels are willing to stick along us, despite having little obligation to do so. I think that we can be more trusting of Solm in general."
"As much as I feel otherwise, I must agree." Diamant nodded.
Eventually, the group made it to the gates of Solm Palace, a desert citadel, as Fogado smiled, and raised his hands.
"We're here, Solm Palace. Now all that's left is asking those guards to open the gate." Fogado declared. "Let me just do that."
Fogado then walked forward, before waving an arm in front of the guards. "Hey! I'm home!" Fogado stated.
"Welcome back, Prince Fogado." One of the guards stated, before noticing the large gathering behind him. "Are these your guests?"
"Yes they are, now would you just let us through? Mom needs to know who's coming!" Fogado stated.
"Yes, Prince Fogado." The other guard stated, before the gates into the palace opened, as the group trekked through the entire court-yard, before entered the palace proper.
"Mom! Visitors!" Fogado shouted, as if he was greeting his own mother from coming back home.
"Hm, he seems to be quite the jumpy child, ain't he." Quency remarked. "I suppose that he fits Solm's motto for freedom down to the T. I feel like we're talking to some out-going youngster rather than some majestic royal… Not that I'm trying to be offensive here."
Soon, Fogado then returned with his mother, the Queen of Solm, who had short black hair that was styled into short locks, with brown eyes, a large orange-blue scarf wrapped around neck and shoulders, golden bead earrings, and a feathered white cap, and a white tunic.
"Divine Ones, both past and present, the Radiant Saviour, royals of the three kingdoms and company… Welcome to Solm Castle." Queen Seforia declared. "I'm Seforia, Queen of Solm."
"It's an honour to meet you, Queen Seforia." Alear declared with a bow.
"As am I." Lumera said, as she repeated the motion herself.
"It is a treat and surprise beyond imagination to hear that Fogado brought not one Divine Dragon, but two, and in addition, the Radiant Saviour himself." Seforia remarked lightly. "Out of everything he's done in his outings, this is the most impressive, and will remain so until the end of time it seems."
"I was just doing what any prince would do for their queen." Fogado humbly declared.
"That's 'Mom' to you… My son… Tries to act so cool, so detached." Seforia remarked, shaking her head slowly. "Anyways, that is quite the gathering. First you three, the Divine Ones and the Radiant Saviour, then the Firenese, Brodian and Elusian royalty… and speaking of Brodia, how nice it is to see the King well and alive."
"Believe me, I would bet a pretty pound of gold that if what was before wasn't enough to tip you off the throne, then my own arrival would!" Morion remarked with a teasing tone.
"Oh, I did fall, you hard-headed rascal!" Seforia laughed at Morion's attempt to tease her. "So glad to see you again."
"As I am to you." Morion responded back. "My sons have grown quite a lot, and the recent few days have made them stronger than before."
"While I enjoy the light-hearted pleasantries, Queen Seforia, we have a request. May we have Solm's Emblem Ring?" Siege asked.
"Oh, I would oh so kindly fetch it myself in a jiffy if I could." Queen Seforia remarked. "However… I seem to have misplaced the Emblem Ring. Fogado, do you have an idea where it could be?"
"No clue. Maybe it's in the doodad drawer?" Fogado shrugged.
"Hm. Please, wait here a moment." Seforia answered back. "Forgive me, our lineage tends to be fairly forgetful."
"It's alright, we can afford to wait for a while." Richard remarked, before Seforia and Fogado disappeared into the palace's inner halls.
"The 'doodad' drawer." Ivy stated in a dead-pan tone.
"Geez, what is with them?" Hortensia pouted. "Did they seriously make the Emblem Ring seem like some sort of standard ornament?"
"The Emblem Ring… inside a simple drawer…?" Alfred asked almost in appalment.
"I'm gonna be honest, I enjoy royals with a change of pace, and let's be honest as well, there are far worse places the ring could be. Not to mention, it's highly tactful as well." Siege remarked. "I mean, who would think to look for an Emblem Ring in a 'doodad drawer?'" Siege added.
"You make a fair point… it's actually a very strategic gamble for the better odds." Diamant remarked at the revelation of Siege's words. "But still… the strongest Emblem Ring…"
"Exactly." Siege remarked, before Fogado came back. "So quickly?"
"Yeah, but… not with the Emblem Ring you're looking for. But! I have something else!" Fogado remarked, procuring an Otherworld Emblem ring. "Found this one in the doodad drawer!"
The Ring of Bravery was shown as Siege's eyes lit up.
"Fogado you are a fortune to behold, my good man! That's the seventh Otherworld Ring in our possession!" Siege cheered.
"Really!?" Fogado exclaimed. "Wow, that means that we got lucky in putting that Otherworld Emblem Ring somewhere that simple."
"...People like this." Hitomi sighed with a chuckle. "Alright, Siege, get to making this bad boy shine. I'm sure everyone would like to see who's tucked away in this one."
"Right. Here we go. Encourage us, Emblem of Bravery!" Siege exclaimed.
From the ring shone a girl who was dressed in a purple modernized outfit, seeming to have purple hair and dark red eyes as she brought out her sword, mimicking her signature art, Mother's Rosario, before taking her stance.
"I am Emblem Konno Yuuki! You may all call me Yuuki. Let's charge forth no matter the danger and win for our future!" The young girl said with a bright smile.
"Fitting that someone like Yuuki would be in this ring. Such a brave soul, even in her challenged stance." Siege smiled. "That leaves us with only one Otherworld Emblem Ring to collect, and we'll have all 8. The Ring of Justice is still not in our grasp…"
"Still, we'll have to be careful not to lose any of them." Richard reminded Siege. "...I have a feeling that Sombron will ramp up things the closer we get to completing either set… and who knows what could happen when he could taste both sets within reach."
"We won't let that happen." Lumera declared firmly, with resolve. "Sombron will not be allowed to make use of the nigh-infinite power granted by the combined rings."
Just then, Seforia returned, as if she had a revelation of her own.
"I just remembered! Timerra has our Emblem Ring. Oh, but I see you found the Otherworld Ring Solm was given, Fogado!" Seforia exclaimed upon seeing Yuuki.
"Gonna be honest, a drawer was not my ideal place for a resting spot buuuut, I won't complain! I was well hidden!" Yuuki said with a bright smile.
"Queen Seforia, do you know where Timerra may have gone?" Siege asked." Siege asked.
"Towards the southern desert, in which case, she'd set up camp in the oasis." Seforia stated.
"Alright then. We'll head there." Alear stated.
"You know, a trip to the oasis is just what I need! I'll pack my things." Seforia declared.
"Actually, Mom, how about you stay put?" Fogado quickly said, as if he was frantically stopping something.
"The little fire-cracker is right, you know." Morion stated. "I much rather you don't let yourself get in danger. Heard that there's a lot of trouble out there. Don't worry, we'll get that plucky daughter of yours and the Emblem Ring too. You just lay around here, and let us do all the hard work. After all, I laugh in the face of any adversity that the sordid lot that are bandits out there could give to me. In fact, I'd be impressed if someone among them actually could handle the might of all of us!"
"Bah, alright. You kids, and your battle-hungry caretaker go on without me." Seforia relented, not avoiding making a jab towards Morion. "If you find Timerra, do summon the Emblem, will you? I'd love to meet him."
"Come on everyone, we better get going. I know exactly the oasis my sis is going to be at." Fogado gestured out, as he walked ahead of the group.
Meanwhile, in the sands of a nearby desert…
Veyle was currently panting, her good self doing her absolute best to hold off her evil self as she was clutching her head.
"You're… not gonna stop me! I have to find… the Divine Dragon, the Radiant Savior… and that kind man… who gave me all this power!" Veyle exclaimed as she was trying to hold off her evil self.
"Insolent, futile wretch! You've drained me completely… you've won this round, I have no strength to fight you at this point… but when Zephia blesses me with her magic, you'll be sorry! I'll smite you to oblivion!" The evil Veyle cried out as Veyle hunched over, as the evil Veyle dissipated, leaving the good Veyle as both her eyes were now blue, as she panted.
"I… I need to get to them… Alear… Siege… everyone…!" Veyle exclaimed as she ran as best she could to find the group.
Back with the main group, the sun was going down as night time began falling over the desert, Siege and Richard providing light with their magic as they led the group forwards.
Eventually, they saw the light of a bonfire in the distance, nearby a isolated village.
"There, a bonfire! That's gotta be her!" Fogado remarked.
Before the group could move, Richard then heard a few voices in the distance, as it sounded like some off-vocal singing, before it then turned into a heated argument. However, Richard noticed that there was an additional voice that seemed familiar.
"Siege, you hear that?" Richard asked Siege.
"Yeah, I hear it loud and clear." Siege stated, looking at Richard. "If that's who I think it is…" Siege added, pulling out his Spell Card of purification. "I just pray it's who I'm thinking of, and not something worse."
"Wait, what did you hear?" Alear asked both of them.
"You must be hearing Timerra and her friends singing. There's a reason she's called the 'Racket of Solm' after all." Fogado suggested.
"Yeah, we could tell. No, through all of the shouting in the distance, we hear someone that we've been looking for." Richard stated. "Alear, it's Veyle. Veyle somehow managed to get here, and she doesn't sound like she's hunting us… no, it's more like she's looking for us."
"You heard that over Timerra's singing? I gotta say, I'm impressed!" Zendara exclaimed.
"So you're saying right now… she's in control of herself right now?" Alear stated. "Then we have to get to her!"
"The sooner we do, the sooner I can purify Sombron's control out of her!" Siege exclaimed. "Let's go!"
Speaking of that, over at the campsite…
Instead of the usual double bandit boss, a different set of foes was confronting Timerra and her retainers, as it was two very familiar figures who were still being their usual, typical, thorns in the side: Goku Black and Zamasu.
"Allow me to repeat myself." Black would speak, folding his arms. "Give. Us. The Emblem Ring. Or you will force the judgment of gods upon you!" He yelled in slight fury at Timerra's refusal to hand over the Ring of the Radiant Hero.
"Well, you seem to have a really bad vibe coming from you." Timerra, who was dressed in a vibrant pink bra, and skirt, with tints of white, and black armbands, as well as brown sparkling eyes like her brother, and a ponytail that was tied with a colorful mix of bulbs, which could be seen on her sides and around her wrists as well, as she had a lance in her hands. "I mean, I don't know what gods you worship, but I have the real hunch that if I gave you that Emblem Ring, I REALLY don't think that things will end well."
"Lady Timerra, I doubt that these people are planning to negotiate." Panette, one of Timerra's retainers, remarked, being a woman with stitches on the corner of her mouth, long orange hair and yellow eyes, with a flowery ornament, and a black dress and bandaged arms, with an ax in her hands. "They stink of blood, a lot of it. They are serious about the threat. You need to run."
"The girl is smart, but not smart enough." Zamasu spoke. "For you see, we don't worship gods, you insignificant mortals." Zamasu spoke as he chuckled, before Goku Black and Zamasu summoned their ki, as the force of it was so strong, it knocked the trio back a bit!
"Foolish girl, we ARE gods!" Goku Black laughed evilly as he held his usual smirk, before raising his hand. "And you have forced our hands. Feel honored, for today, you die by the power of a god!" Black yelled as he formed a ball of small, yet powerful energy to blast Timerra and her retainers to bits, firing it off…
Before Siege suddenly dropped in front of them, firing his own energy ball as it collided with Black's, causing a powerful explosion between the two sides as Zamasu and Black's smirks immediately turned to fury.
"Cursed-! You're supposed to be dead, or powerless at the least!" Black yelled.
"Unfortunately for you, that plan never sailed, thanks to the Great Goddess Magina, and Richard." Siege spoke to Black sternly.
"Tch, of course you had a contingency…" Zamasu growled.
"What… What are these beings…?" Lumera remarked, sensing the very presence of both Goku Black and Zamasu, as it put her off greatly.
"The kind of gods that deserve to stay buried." Richard answered back, before he then created a massive space rift, before firing a twin beam that sent Goku Black and Zamasu through it, creating a large amount of distance between the two groups. "Much like a certain mercenary company, we have to fight them over and over again, no matter how they are destroyed. An apt metaphor is an unrelenting adversary to us."
"You… You have to fight these kinds of people time after time, Siege!?" Alear exclaimed with dismay.
"Unfortunately, yes." Siege stated, looking at Alear. "Constantly. They are obsessed, these two anyways, with a 'no mortals' policy. And Richard and I are their prime opposers."
"When you get big enough, your pond will always be swarmed with small fishes." Richard answered back. "It's a good thing we constantly keep our training in action, to make sure that no matter how our enemy grows in power, we are on their level to counter them, no matter what it takes."
"Timerra!" Fogado exclaimed, rushing over to his sister. "Are you hurt?"
"Oh! Hey, Fogado. Other than a close shave with that green-skinned alien deity and his partner, we are mostly alright." Timerra answered back. "Now then, I assume Miss Blue-And-Red is the Divine Dragon here right?"
"That is correct. I would introduce myself more detailed, but I will introduce myself as Divine Dragon Alear, nothing more." Alear stated. "Do you have the ring of the Radiant Hero wth you?"
"Of course!" Timerra stated, producing a golden ring with a silver engraving along the circumference of the ring, and a blue octagonal gem on top. "It'd really help if you could use your summoning powers on this ring! I've always wanted to meet the person who lives in there. Can you make it happen?"
"Alright." Alear answered back, as Timerra clapped in response. "Fight on, Emblem of Radiance!"
Emblem Ike then manifested himself, as he stood proud.
"I'm Ike. Make sure you use me properly." Ike answered back.
"Thanks for your help, Ike. You'll be fighting alongside Princess Timerra in this battle." Alear declared.
"And not a moment too soon!" Richard exclaimed, hearing rumbling in the distance, "There's going to be a lot of Corrupted attracted by the commotion, and we can't afford to assume that they're going to be hostile towards Zamasu and Black." Richard remarked. "And then there's the matter of finding Veyle in the dark night… Hopefully it's we who find her first, rather than Zamasu. I do not like to imagine what could happen if that happens."
Victory: Siege, Richard, or Alear escape
Defeat: Siege, Richard or Alear fall
Special Condition: Reach Veyle before Zamasu or Black does
Special Condition II: Defeat Black or Zamasu
PLAYER PHASE
Veyle suddenly ran in on the scene, on the south end of the map, as she was panting. "Corrupted… and… they're led by people I haven't even seen before… I have to find my friends! Quickly!"
Siege then noticed Veyle as his eyes widened. "Veyle's here! And she's deep in enemy lines!" Siege exclaimed. "Tch… and Black and Zamasu won't likely leave her alone…"
"What should we do!? We're no match for them!" Alear exclaimed.
"Not unless you have help." Siege spoke. "Richard, remember the Spell Cards Magina gave us, the one time users allowing us to copy our strength to another individual?" Siege asked.
"Of course." Richard answered back. "And if I can find Zamasu and Black first, better if they're both bundled up, I can use my own Engage to buy time for us to search the premises for Veyle."
"Copy your strength to Lumera, I'll copy mine to Alear. I have a feeling Veyle will be plenty strong without our aid." Siege wagered, before turning to Alear. "Hold still, Alear. Declare Spell: Shared Sign: Hero's Blessing!" Siege exclaimed, as suddenly, an ethereal vision of Siege appeared, and surged into Alear, raising her power and giving her unique transformations to match Siege's physical prowess, as well as her own set of unique spell cards.
"Whaa…!? This strength! This… this is how much power you have!?" Alear exclaimed.
"Yes. And now you do as well. No better time to get you used to how we fight our otherworld foes than now." Siege spoke.
Alear Promoted!
Dragon Child - Radiant Dragon
"Right, my turn." Richard remarked, before he then whipped out his own spell-card. "Declare Spell: Blessing Sign 'Defined by Arcana'."
Suddenly, Lumera was surrounded in an aura of multiple colors, as it slowly seeped into her, as her hair finally returned back to its blue color, and she even grew slightly, although not back to her original figure, but it was a massive improvement.
"You… You are capable of all of this!?" Lumera exclaimed, as she examined her new appearance and powers, as elemental energy sparked from her fingers.
"Consider it a gift in advance for fighting so well for us." Richard answered back. "You are a great ally, Lumera the Divine Dragon Empress, and I believe that a part of my power lent to you is a boon that will benefit everyone."
"...Richard, I thank you for your kindness." Lumera answered back.
Lumera Promoted!
Divine Dragon - Draconic Arch-Magi
Battle Note: Goku Black and Zamasu each have Personal Skills that protect them from most attacks. However, they can be bypassed if attacked by Siege, Alear, Mirai, Richard, Lumera, or Veyle.
"Now, let's move out!" Siege exclaimed. "Vander, take charge of our main unit, lead them to the nearby villages and save as many people as you can! Richard and I will take Alear, Mirai, and Lumera to try and save Veyle, and perhaps fight off Goku Black and Zamasu!" Siege ordered.
"As you will it, Radiant Savior!" Vander nodded firmly.
Siege would rush due south, Alear by his side as they were heading straight for Veyle via the direct route, while Richard and Lumera moved east, in order for Richard to apply his Shine staff to illuminate the surroundings, as Lumera quickly attacked anything that wasn't either Zamasu or Black with her newfound magic, as she was casting high-level spells thanks to Richard's boon, as Seraphim proved useful in cleansing the Corrupted out of existence, while Mirai took the middle ground in between to eliminate other Corrupted.
"I'm fairly surprised that Siege and Richard were able to ascend the Divine One and even the Divine Dragon Empress…" Framme remarked.
"I think we just witnessed a miracle before our eyes." Clanne could simply say, before he then used an Elsurge tome to immediately obliterate one of the nearby Corrupted, in a blast of pure magic energy.
"Truly, my fellow Stewards and friends, that we may see this day is a true sign of glory and blessings for these times. Let us not dawdle at it for too long, we must rescue the civilians!" Vander exclaimed.
"I may not be as great as these heroes." Morion grunted, before he then cleaved his blade right through one of the Corrupted nearby an unguarded house. "But that won't stop me from pulling my weight! I'm a Brodian King, after all!"
"I may not ever get as strong as them, but this witness is gonna push me harder than ever! It should do the same for the rest of us!" Zendara exclaimed as she cut a Corrupted in two. "Come on! Let's do our part, for the Radiant Savior, the Divine Dragon, the Divine Empress, and their ally, the Great Spellsword!" Zendara exclaimed, using the last term to describe Richard.
ENEMY PHASE
"Blasted mortals… they've rallied just in the presence of Siege and Richard! Confound it!" Black growled.
"Not to worry, we still have our trump card." Zamasu remarked.
"Right, of course." Black growled, as he would decide to take his anger out, moving in the same row as Richard and Lumera. "FEEL A GOD'S WRATH! KAAAAA…. MEEEE… HA… ME…!"
"Shoot! Richard! Lumera! Get out of the way of that!" Siege exclaimed as the attack range of Black Kamehameha, the entire row centered on three columns, appeared.
Black Kamehameha: A black beam of destruction, reducing all units' HP who get hit by it to 0. Even on Casual mode, any unit hit will be unable to fight in future maps. Takes one turn to charge. Hits enemy units as well.
"Oh, that doesn't look good." Richard remarked, before he then quickly used a Rewarp Staff to get out of range, while Lumera immediately used her own speed to barely get out of range, as she could feel the energy build-up with how close she was in the path of the beam.
"HAAAA!" Black yelled, shooting a beam that obliterated a few Corrupted in the line of it, and destroying one of the villages in the path of it as well. "Cursed…! I'll get you yet!"
With no Corrupted in range to attack, there was nothing else that occurred on that turn.
ALLY PHASE
Seeing Siege and Alear, Veyle's heart leapt for joy as she immediately dashed in range of them, waving about in greeting.
"Siege! Alear! Over here!" Veyle exclaimed.
PLAYER PHASE
Siege immediately ran to Veyle, as a smile was on his face. "Veyle! You're alright! Thank goodness we got to you before Black and Zamasu did!" He exclaimed in joy.
"I'm glad that I managed to find you…" Veyle remarked, as she was relieved. "I truly do not wish to run into the Hounds or the Corrupted in the middle of all of this… and speaking of which, what is that horrendous power over there…"
"Threats from beyond Elyos, even the realms themselves." Alear answered back. "Right now, Richard is occupied in fighting them both with the help of Lumera."
"Lumera…" Veyle remarked, as there was a hint of melancholy in her voice.
"Here. You'll need me to do this first before we start. Declare Spell, Purify Sign: Cursica Erasus!" Siege yelled as white light surged into Veyle, splitting her apart from her evil self, as her evil entity manifested as a version of her with black hair and clothing, growling as Veyle got to keep all the strength she had.
"Damn you, Radiant Savior! Ripping me from a powerful vessel such as this!" The Dark Veyle exclaimed with a growl. "You'll grow to regret this… Sombron and Zephia will restore my strength… and then… and then you will be shown NO MERCY!"
Dark Veyle warped away, leaving behind the other Veyle, who was panting heavily, as the split caused a lot of exhaustion from her.
"...I… I don't feel anything anymore…" Veyle remarked. "Is it… Is it really…?"
"You're your own person now, Veyle." Alear answered back. "Even though we can't bring your sibling back right now, you can call me one of yours for the time being, since we're going to be walking forward from this point on."
"Thank you…" Veyle softly whispered, as tears of joy ran down her cheeks.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the map, Richard managed to catch Zamasu right in the range, as he immediately Engaged himself.
"You got a lot of nerve following after me, Zamasu." Richard declared. "While I do not have my full repertoire of powers with me, I still have power enough to send you once again back into the void."
"You're just as insufferable as always. You weren't even supposed to exist anymore after Echo cast you into that forsaken place!" Zamasu exclaimed in anger. "How… how do you and that damned soldier always spit fate in the face and not receive proper repercussions!?"
"Because you underestimate our powers, time and time again." Richard scoffed. "We might not be able to do everything we can, but our powers are enough to make sure that there will never be a time where you will truly win. A few small victories here and there, but not a single world bent to your whim. And it will stay that way as long as you and I exist."
Richard then charged magic into his hand. "Begone!" He cried, before creating a cyclone of dark energy that surrounded Zamasu, before constricting the fallen Kai inside of it, and exploding it with a massive force of energy that sent Zamasu flying back.
"Well struck. But I'm far from done, mortals!" Zamasu yelled, having multiple HP bars this fight as he suddenly transformed, gaining a fuller head of spiked hair, and gaining his holy aura and halo over his head as he laughed.
"Figures." Richard growled. "Lumera, take care of Black, I'll keep this one busy!"
"Understood!" Lumera remarked, before she then rushed over to Black, who was charging up his energy. "Such a foul being… to utilize such destructive power with no care for those in its path… My existence is necessitated by those like you!"
"Tch. Insolent beings like you should learn their place. You possess the power of a God, I see that much. But tell me, O Goddess, how is it you can tolerate filthy and insufferable mortal scum with such good nature towards them?" Black snarled at Lumera.
"Because I have seen humankind for more than a thousand years. I would understand far better than someone who proclaims that the only purpose for mortals is to perish! Enough talk!" Lumera remarked, before she then readied a Thoron Spell. "For the sake of all!"
She then fired a critical attack right onto Goku Black, as the force of the lightning beam caused him to skid across the sandy ground.
"Tch. This fight is far from over!" Black yelled, his first of two HP bars expended as he soon smirked, merely raising a singular hand up as he summoned the power and form of Super Saiyan Rosè. "What do you think of this color, is it not beautiful?" Black mocked as he transformed, laughing as his power sent out another powerful shockwave similar to Zamasu's transformation.
"I now see why you are truly dangerous…" Lumera growled, as the rest of the allied force began to clear their way through the Corrupted numbers, as it was dwindling rapidly, thanks to the group's work.
"Time to party!" Fogado exclaimed, as he leapt from his horse, and back-flipped while firing an arrow right through the head of a Corrupted Mage.
"That's my bro!" Timerra exclaimed with glee.
ENEMY PHASE
Zamasu laid his eyes on Alear, changing targets from Richard to her as he moved to engage against her sword with his ki blade.
"You're an interesting mortal… mortal in all your ways except for the wretched divine blood that you taint with your mortal flesh! You disgust me to the core!" Zamasu yelled at Alear.
"I will not let the judgment of a god who believes himself the pinnacle by the slaughter of the masses sway me." Alear stated. "You will not take another life, I shall not allow it, as you would broker no peace with me as long as you slaughter."
"You insufferable, insolent, hideous mortal! You will die with all other mortal refuse!" Zamasu yelled as he charged to slash at Alear with his ki blade, as it managed to hit her, before she then hit him with a double slash that almost finished him off.
Black would then charge at Mirai, as he was preparing to pelt her with a ki volley.
"To think that soldier would decide to have such an offspring… how it infuriates me, that you walk around with the power mocking of a god, in a mortal body!" Black yelled.
"I don't know who you are, nor do I care. All I know is that I want to defeat you! Here and now!" Mirai yelled.
"Tch. Spoken as if it was your father. DIE, PEST!" Black yelled, before launching a barrage of ki blasts, as Mirai countered with a Hadoken that hit true, before following it up with a palm beam that did a good amount of damage to Black.
PLAYER PHASE
Richard then immediately began to attack Zamasu again, in order to take him down, using a Bolganone tome in order to seal Zamasu's defeat in a massive spiraling conflagration, while Alear decided to finish it off, engaging with Marth in order to finish off Black with a Lodestar Rush, powered by her own anger at Black for trying to harm her and Siege's child, as Black was torn badly by the barrage of slashes.
"Damnit… DAMNIT!" Black yelled in fury.
"Tch. I suppose we must retreat. You mortals will know your place soon enough!" Zamasu exclaimed as he and Black retreated.
STAGE CLEAR
MVP: Richard & Leo
"Is everyone okay?" Siege asked the group after Black and Zamasu were finished off.
"I'm alright, and so is Mirai." Alear remarked, patting Mirai's head. "Good work in handling that fight well, daughter of mine."
"Heh, thanks mom." Mirai giggled.
"I'm truly glad that everything has ended well." Veyle remarked, before a part of the group turned to her with suspicion. "...Oh, I forgot, the last time they saw me… I was still under control."
"But that's no longer the case." Richard assured the group. "This Veyle is the personality that we have known, 100 percent. However, that comes with the drawback that the other Veyle is back in Sombron's hands, and she will hesitate at nothing to have us all dead."
"Well, that was quite unexpected." Timerra remarked. "Sorry for roping you into the scuffle, Divine One and Radiant Saviour. I'm thankful that we got out well enough, considering what we were facing…"
"That's alright. It would have been best to defeat them before more trouble rises." Alear declared. "But I should explain why I have come for the Emblem Ring in your hands… The Fell Dragon has been released. He's back. It's sudden, I know-"
"I already knew." Timerra answered back, as Alear and the others were surprised. "And so did Mom and Fogado. We've all known for a while now."
"Wait, why did you pretend that this was recent news then?" Mokou questioned.
"Sorry, it was a necessary measure to make sure that you're the REAL Divine Dragon and Radiant Saviour. No offense, but I really don't want to hand any of our Emblem Rings to the Fell Dragon himself, or to whoever those murderous people were." Fogado admitted. "We all had to take steps to protect our country."
"The palace had scouts all over Elyos, keeping an eye on the three kingdoms." Timerra continued. "When Elusia brought back the Fell Dragon, we learned about it early on. But it's clear why we couldn't go and fight him, since we need you both for the Emblem Rings. So we decided to shore up our defenses and pray that you'll come to us."
"Ah, now I get it." Richard remarked, slapping a fist on his hand. "Queen Seforia commands the royal guard to make sure that no intruders get inside the Palace, Fogado leads the Sentinels to do a patrol in order to ease the burden of the countless villages against the Corrupted. And he also looked for anyone who claimed to be the Divine Dragon or the Radiant Saviour. And Timerra was a part of it, the private holder of the Emblem Ring, to prevent it from being found out."
"Huh, you actually got it on the dot. You some tactician?" Fogado remarked, impressed at Richard's explanation.
"You could say that." Richard faintly smiled. "And on the same vein, asking for help is out of the question, since it invites more trouble while threatening the fragile balance that you have maintained."
"Well, on top of that, it helps that I already came into contact with you guys." Zendara added. "During times I was absent, I conversed with Fogado and Timerra through spies that came to check on me. So, it's not like you guys had a bad foot to stand on in Solm." Zendara stated.
"And I gave that Otherworld Emblem Ring to sweeten the deal." Fogado stated. "After all, because of Zendara, I had a lot more trust in you than I initially would have had. But let's get to the point. Since we know that you're certainly the two heroes we're looking for, we have something to tell you."
"That there is a second Emblem Ring in Solm." Lumera stated. "I am well aware. The Ring of the Crux of Fate. The Emblem in there is a compassionate soul, she would be helpful in our fight."
"That's right, and we know where it is, it's-" Timerra remarked.
"Your Highness! A message from Solm Palace!" A Solmian spy reported, as she rushed to the group.
"Tch… I think I know the message…" Siege growled.
"Huh, what is it?" Timerra asked.
"There are unknown intruders inside Solm Palace. And they have taken Queen Seforia and what remains of the royal guard hostage." The spy explained. "They demand the presence of the Divine Dragon, the Radiant Saviour, the Divine Dragon Empress, and the man known as Richard."
"...Into the fire we go…" Richard remarked, as he turned to both Solmian heirs, who were shocked. "We don't have time to waste! We must head to the palace."