Chapter 9 / The Legendary Sword
The Zenan Bridge was well built for a wooden bridge. It had certainly stood the test of time but would eventually be turned into a stone bridge in our time, four hundred years from now. The fact that so much fighting had happened on this bridge was a testament to the craftsman of the Guardia kingdom. This was hardly what I should be thinking about as I was charging into battle on the Zenan Bridge. My katana was drawn and I kept my pace steady, not too fast but not slow as I made my way and watching for any incoming projectiles. Each step traveling further over the bridge. It was strange that the Mystic army didn't use any sort of projectile weapons. That just indicated to me that all of this was simply to gain time. Marle, Lucca and I were approaching the front line of the battle quickly. I hadn't realized that the Mystic army had made such a push across the bridge. If the Mystic Army broke through now, there would be nothing stopping them to Guardia castle. No use in thinking too much on it. We would simply have to stop them here.
We had allies ahead, but they were losing ground. Then things happened too quickly. Two approaching... skeletons? Wait, the Mystic army was using skeletons? They had a necromancer? Before I could register what happened the last of our allies were quickly cut down. We were all that was left of the defenses. We could not let them get past us.
"No!" Marle yelled but I came to a stop and grabbed her.
Then up above us was a being... or was it a creature? Whatever he was he seemed to have green skin much like an imp or goblin. He was short, stout and wore a white robe but the immediate thing that stood out was how he effortlessly floated in the air. No doubt he was capable of using magic. He must be one of Magus' Generals. He looked down at us and cocked his head to the side with a sadistic grin.
"More fools come to the flame. You seem different but it won't make any difference," The green being lifted his arms and the allies we had just seen fall in front of us, shed their armor... and bodies and joined the other skeletons. Unlike the others they were bloody and still somewhat attached to their flesh and bones. It was a sight that would make anyone want to run. The smell also made me want to gag but I gritted my teeth. I would not allow the remains of our soldiers to be controlled like this.
"You two just back me up with magic. I'll do what I can to hold them back," I said as I charged forward and towards the skeletons. The one floating above us seemed to just enjoy watching it, as if our actions were nothing but futile gestures. The Mystic army had gotten to the Zenan Bridge and were maintaining stable pressure, but using Necromancy meant that refreshing troops just meant that thy had to ensure our allies died. Then the one we really need to target wasn't the undead, but the Necromancer himself. And there was only one person present that could be. "Lucca!"
"Already on it," came a swift reply.
Leave it to Lucca to figure it out faster than me. Not that I was surprised. All I needed to do was keep the skeletons thoroughly distracted before the floating green being figured it out. Yeah, super simple.
These skeletons were using spears as weapons. Not the most ideal of things to be against with a sword. The reach and numbers put them at an advantage, but I had to wonder how well they could use them. Or if the Mystic General relied on the tenacity of it being undead to overcome the lack of skill. That seemed to be incredibly likely. Being undead made their skills questionable. Perhaps their effectiveness was determined by their controller? If so, did having so many undead also limit the complexity of his orders? Well, there was an easy way to find out I suppose.
The first pair of spears came towards me and I quickly ducked under the incoming attack and spun to break off the spears before jumping up and hitting the skeletons to send them tumbling back and without weapons. However, more skeletons were quick to replace the ones I defeated. I could tell that the intention was to quickly overwhelm me. I take it that was just the basic tactic of using Necromancy skills in general. The benefit of using undead was that what they lacked in strength they made up for in numbers and tenacity. Not to mention they didn't stop when taking injuries. They kept moving until they were incapable of moving. They were dead after all... and the dead need no rest, food or water. They only needed to follow the wills of their master.
I couldn't stop now. As easy as it was for me to knock skeletons down, there were more always more to take their place. One down, two would replace. Fortunately for me I was pretty fast at compensating for the increased numbers. All I had to do was stall for time. Though my stamina wasn't that strong to be able to maintain my reaction time for too extended of a time. But I wouldn't need to.
"Consume and Shiver!" The voices of both Lucca and Marle could be heard over the noise of battle. "Antipode!"
Thanks to my distraction the levitating green skinned being that floated in the air was hit by the combined fire and ice attack from Lucca and Marle and sent spiraling onto the bridge with a crash and even cause part of the wooden boards of the bridge to crack and nearly break. The moment he slammed against the bridge the rest of the skeletons I had been fighting collapsed. Just as we had thought. He was controlling the undead. All we needed to do was focus on him, if his concentration was broken, his control over them was gone.
"Who are you? You three are different than the rest of the Guardia military. And how are you able to use magic? Human's like you should not be able to use such a gift," Ozzie glared at us as he got up from the ground and started to float up into the air. "It is of no consequence if you believe you can change the fate of you and your pitiful kingdom. Magus' preparations are nearly complete."
"And yet here you are with a pointless attack simply to buy time. And why is that? Worried that humans will be able to halt his plans?" I replied as I stood ready to attack.
His glare was full of anger, but he must have realized that I was baiting him. He instead calmed himself before speaking again, "I will admit I underestimated you. But that ends now. Even with your magic, you will have no hope winning against this undead. Come forth, Zombor! Crush them underneath you!" Then a collection of bones from the skeletons swirled around in front of Ozzie then began to form into something else entirely. The bones began to form, into a giant sized skeleton, the bones now seemingly fused together with Ozzie's necromancer magic. He was easily three... maybe four times taller than myself. And being undead didn't help the situation. I was still able to fight but having to fight all the skeletons before on my own was going to catch up with me. I just hoped my stamina would last long enough to finish this fight.
"You might as well give up," Marle said as she stepped to my side her crossbow in hand and ready to fire. "Nothing is going to stop us from achieving our future."
"You're future?" Ozzie scoffed as the gigantic skeleton took full form. "Your lives are meaningless, but if you believe you won't be stopped here, then make your way to Magus' castle. I'll allow you to get a glimpse of true greatness before the end of your pitiful lives. So struggle all you can, pathetic humans."
Ozzie rushed off away from the fight. I guess he intended to use Zombor to make his escape. I tightened my grip and took a more aggressive stance now. That was fine by me. "Quite the bravado for someone that just ran away," I couldn't help but laugh. "You two spread out and give me support. Call out when you want me to back out."
"Right," both Lucca and Marle confirmed. I didn't waste any time and charged towards Zombor. This had certainly turned out to be an interesting way to start our time in the Middle Ages. King entrusting us with a mission to find some kid with the Hero Badge and Frog has disappeared. And then the Mystic Army holding the bridge. I was curious as to why they would even do so. The decision to hold the bridge was an odd one. I guess that could wait until after this situation.
Zombor came at me and much faster than I was expecting. He swung wide but it was swift. I rolled backwards as it somehow barely missed me. As soon as my feet was back to the ground I pushed up to spring towards Zombor and brought my katana around and this time met his other hand with all my strength. Using both my hands the dense skeleton forearm connected with my sword. The force of the blow made me slide back but I was able to dig into place and stop.
"Shiver! The bite of winter! Ice!" Marle let loose a spell against it's arm causing it to weaken just enough for me to push back and make him go off balance.
"Consume! Leave nothing behind! Fire!" Lucca immediately followed up with her own magic but this time against the legs of the skeleton and hitting it in such a way that it caused the skeleton to fall back onto the ground.
I pushed forward as I activated the technique, Wind Slash, causing a blade of energy rush along the ground and through the downed skeleton. I didn't stop there and charged the down skeleton. It was hard to tell if my blade was damaging it, as it was a skeleton. There was not time to second guess my actions and continued to attack Zombor. I quickly was able to get two solid strikes in before I jumped back as the monster recovered. But not all of him got up. No his lower body was gone. Somehow his upper body was floating in the air!
"If it's not one thing it's something else," I muttered as I solidified my stance and tightened the grip on my sword. I guess I could hit it with magic as well. Marle and Lucca moved forward with their weapons in hand and began firing at the floating skeleton body. It screeched high into the air as it turned to attack.
There wasn't time for me to switch to magic. Despite Marle and Lucca giving a barrage to try and cover me, the floating upper half of Zombor turned it's attention to me and then slowly opened its mouth. Like something out of a nightmare a beam of energy, or light of whatever it was came at me. I had no time to react so I instead met it head on with my katana. I swung and met the attack and somehow I managed to stop the attack in its tracks. No, I hadn't. This power was magic and it wasn't mine. It was Lucca's... she protected me somehow?
"Crono!" Lucca called out to me. "Now's the time!"
"I have an idea, we can combine our attacks, Crono!" Marle followed up. She had already started chanting, "Encase his blade with the bite of winter!"
Instinctively I jumped towards Zombor and extended my katana above my head. The moment I did I felt a power coarse through it's blade. "Ice Sword!" I yelled out in unison with Marle as I brought my blade down and buried it into the head of Zombor. The moment I did the skeleton was suddenly caged in ice and fell to the ground. The ice shattered, turning the remaining part of the skeleton to be splintered and fall apart. The skeleton stopped moving.
A quick survey of the area showed that Ozzie was long gone by now. Moving away from the remains as the magical ice disappeared, I sheathed my sword. "Looks like he ran off," I commented as I walked over to the girls. "The two of you alright?"
"All things considered, it went rather well," Lucca pushed up her glasses as she was putting her own weapon away.
"Yeah we got him- Crono, look out!" Marle's eyes went big as I looked back the remains of Zombor's skeleton, it was glowing.
Suddenly, that same glow appeared on the ground around me, trapping me. I tried to jump away but the light followed me. It came from the ground and felt like something had pierced my body. It gave me a sensation that hurt... it hurt a hell of a lot. I collapsed but the pain was so intense that I couldn't make a sound. And then suddenly it was gone, but now I felt drained. My eyes were widened still shocked by the attack.
"Crono!" Lucca and Marle were both by my side.
"O gentle waters, remove these wounds! Cure!" Marle cried out and a wave of something comforting washed over me and quickly nulled the pain, but I still felt drained, as if my spirit had been taken from my body. "Why isn't it working?"
"Hold on," Lucca was reaching into her bag and pulled out a small bottle. She pulled off the top and put it into my hands. "Crono, drink this."
I sat up and did my best to drink it's contents. It was kind of sweet tasting, and yet didn't have a distinct taste. But the moment it hit my lips I felt as if my energy was coming back and I started to breathe easily again. I took a few deep breaths. "What was that Lucca?"
"It's called an Ether. Spekkio gave me some after we had woken up at the End of Time. He told me it would come in handy. It seems it is able to refill our magical energy. So I suppose that attack just now forcefully drained yours." Lucca quickly thought of what it could have been.
"Glad he did," I sat up and Marle threw her arms around me.
"Don't scare me like that," she said in a low whisper.
"Sir Crono! Lady Lucca! Lady Marle!" It was Commander Fredric coming with soldiers behind him. "Are you alright? Should I call for the medic?"
I pushed Marle away so I could address the Commander, "No, I'm fine. I just lowered my guard. I didn't think that creature would have some sort of last attack upon his defeat." I had only heard stories from my Father that some of the more powerful monsters in the world were capable of such a last attack. If they were going to die they would take the one that defeated them with me. Then again... would draining my magical energy be...
Remember, your heart is the source of your magic.
Spekkio's words came into my mind. That's right... he said our hearts was our magic. More than that it was like a muscle, and it would get stronger with more use. Which meant... I probably needed to rest to properly recover.
"I'm glad to see you are unhurt, Sir Crono. It seems thanks to you and your companions victory is ours," The Commander stepped forward and offered me his hand. I shook it.
"A win, but it isn't over until we get to Magus," I turned from him and towards Marle. She came to my side and put her arm around me.
"You look like you could sleep for a few days," Marle giggled.
"I certainly feel like it," I let out a long sigh.
"Do we head back to Truce to rest?" Lucca came up to my other side.
"If I may, Sir Crono. My troops are heading to the town of Dorino, which isn't far from here. They could escort you to the Inn there for you to rest. We heard reports that the Mystic army had ignored the village but we wanted to reinforce the their defenses anyway," The Commander lifted off his helmet. "Thank you, Sir Crono. For all you and your friends have done."
I chuckled, "I think you thanked me before but I understand. I'm sure you and you're men have work to do securing the bridge. At the very least I don't think the Mystic army will try for the bridge any time soon." I turned to see that the Commander had dark hair much like his brother back at the castle. Though he certainly was more stout. Guess it comes when one becomes the soldier and the other a cook. Still, both brothers worked for the Guardia Kingdom. I wonder how many families had remained loyal to the Guardia line over the centuries.
"Commander, can you inform the King that we will return to the Castle once we've learned more about Magus. Though first our goal is to catch up with The Hero," Lucca must have seen how exhausted I was and decided to take the reigns of the conversation.
"Of course, I plan to send a messenger to inform the King of our success of reclaiming the bridge. I'll pass along that you are heading to find The Hero," The Commander nodded.
With Lucca and Marle urging our escort to move out for my benefit we made our way to the small town of Dorino.
Laying down on the bed at Dorino Inn felt more amazing than it probably should have. Guess it just goes to show you just how draining that last ditch attack of Zombor had been. Though the usefulness of such an attack seemed somewhat perplexing. Normal humans didn't have the ability to use magic. So why would a monster have that kind of attack to begin with?
I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Was there a reason to know? Actually, maybe I could ask?
I sat up and reached into my pocket and pulled out Marle's Pendant. We didn't really determined how this would work, but I tried anyway. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Greetings, Crono. I do hope you and the others are doing well," the voice of Robo came through.
"We are. We're just about to rest for the night. Thought I would check in and let you know we're doing good so far," I was being a bit too vague. "Actually, is Spekkio around?"
"Do you require the God of War?" the laugh of Spekkio himself came from the pendant. He was a God of War so if I had to say he was likely aware of our fight. "You want to know why such a creature would have a power like that."
"Yeah, if it is was a creature created by Ozzie, then wouldn't it's powers be influenced by him? A move like that seems pointless against humans when the majority don't know magic," I elaborated on my concerns.
"In some forgotten ages that type of attack was known as Mana Buster. A way to strip your opponent of their ability to cast magic. Seeing as you have never experienced being completely drained of your mana, it was quite a shock to you. Though it pulls from a source from within you that is not exactly a magical energy of sorts. As I told you, your heart is the source of your strength. The term Mana simply comes from an ancient time where magic was prevalent and it was the only known thing that used that internal strength. But your own family line uses techniques, correct?" Spekkio's answer was somewhat surprising.
"So my techniques and magic both pull from the same source?" I blinked, unsure of what to think of his answer.
"Is it that surprising?" Spekkio laughed seemingly amused by my reaction. "Although, I do not believe your line of thought is wrong. You managed to overwhelm the General Ozzie. No doubt the enemy Zombor was not intended for you to fight. And as it seems, I would not believe that Zombor was meant to be anything other than a tool. His defeat was likely a part of his strategy. Though you were not the intended opponent."
"I see," I scratched my head for a moment. So Ozzie had someone else in mind when creating Zombor? Someone he intended to defeat Zombor and then be subject to the Mana Buster attack? Curious. "Thanks, Spekkio."
"You are all still new to magic. So I am sure you will all have questions. I also sense that both Marle and Lucca have awakened to new magic as well. Cure and Protect. It seems their desires to protect you have led them to it. You have strong companions my friend," Spekkio seemed proud. That was how he sounded to me.
"Yeah, I know," I thought back and remembering when Lucca's protect magic had stopped what would likely been a more devastating blow on me. And then Marle's Cure had definitely been a step above her Aura ability in terms of healing power. After a moment I realized that Spekkio seemed like he was gone. "Still there Robo?"
"Indeed, is there anything you require of me?" Robo's voice still had the obvious mechanical aspect to it, but the communication through the pendant gave it a more ethereal quality. It was definitely odd.
I took the chance to bring Robo up to speed with the events that had occurred so far. Then telling him that tomorrow we would be starting our search for the boy that had been called The Hero. All because he had something called the Hero Badge. While I was having this discussion was when Marle and Lucca came in.
"I'm unsure of how the possession of one item would be enough to deem an individual, especially a young boy as a Hero," Robo seemed to call the whole idea into question.
"Robo?" Lucca blinked and then crossed over to me. "You're using the pendant to talk to him?"
I nodded to confirm her question before responding to Robo, "It is a desperate time for the Kingdom of Guardia. An old legend coming to surface can do wonders for morale for the troops."
"I'm not sure I quite understand," Robo seemed to have difficulty with the concept.
"Sometimes, just the idea that someone is there to protect you can do wonders. Another way to think of it is... oh I know. You remember the Enertron's of your time?" Lucca spoke up.
"Of course, Lucca," Robo replied.
"That technology put a lot of people at ease didn't it? Even if they had a famine and their food stores began to deplete, they never panicked because of the Enertron's presence. Although the possibility of it breaking down is always there, it became something they could put their faith in and rely upon," Lucca was attempting to give an equivalent to the situation.
"I see, it provides peace of mind to humans," Robo seemed to finally understand it.
"How are you doing, Robo? I hope you aren't lonely over there," Marle spoke up as she sat next to me.
"Negative. The older gentlemen has conversed with me from time to time. And even the one known as Spekkio has come out to speak with me," Robo supplied. Spekkio did seem like the type to be easily bored.
"Anyway, we should be resting for the night. We'll contact you again in the future," I said and lowered the pendant and then sighed as I felt the wave of exhaustion hit me again.
"Lay down, Crono. You need to rest," Marle said and pulled me onto the bed so I was laying down. I wasn't about to fight her, I knew she was right.
"Looks like there really was no Mystic army presence near Dorino. Either way the villagers weren't exactly about to leave their homes and test if the Mystics were truly ignoring them," Lucca said as she moved over to the other bed and sat down. Marle was instead ensuring I was laying down properly and then took the moment to pull off my shoes which I had forgotten I had left on. I really was exhausted.
"Can't blame them," I mutter as I put my left hand over my eyes. I could feel myself already on the verge of falling asleep. A small village like this made it difficult to be bold against enemies... especially an army. And when the army had been pulled back initially to find the queen it had left the village unprotected. But something didn't add up... Why did the Mystic Army ignore the village? Dorino was clearly close to the bridge. Even if it didn't have any soldiers... how would the Mystic Army know that?
The easy answer, the enemy had been informed of the current happenings in the Kingdom of Guardia. They were at war so maybe a spy? Yakra? No not him. His followers though. It could have easily been an underling that used Yakra's own ambitions as a way to feed information back to the Mystics. That made the most sense. And if our history was right then Magus was busy in his Castle preparing to summon Lavos. There was still too much we didn't know. Lavos doesn't actually appear until the year 1999 AD. But we're currently in 600 AD. So is Magus stopped? Or does the summon truly take that long to come to fruition? Either way, from the future we saw the Mystics no longer even existed. Only the remnants of humanity that seemed to barely be living. Well, I don't know that to be completely true, it isn't like we saw all of the ruined world.
I closed my eyes as I heard Marle and Lucca moving around the room. Just how much more crazy were things going to get? Time travel, magic, spies, misinformation, but also legends, hero's and undead monsters. The more and more we learn, the less I feel I have a grasp on the situation. I felt myself falling inevitably into sleep with the comforting sound of Marle and Lucca's voices as they continued to talk in the background.
"The item I seek is the mythical Rainbow Shell," I heard an older gentlemen speak as Lucca and Marle entered behind me. We were entering the Elder's House in order to inquire if The Hero had come through the town and spoke with them. But it seems the Elder was meeting with someone already. "Here's some money to cover your expenses. You'll have the rest when you've retrieved it. I am counting on you, Toma."
The young man gave a light chuckle but took the bag of money from the older man, "Worry not. They do not call me a legendary explorer without reason. I will not disappoint." Toma said this with a good amount of gravitas that seemed a bit more cocky than what most people would probably do. I mean, who calls themselves a legendary explorer anyway?
The village elder must have thought the same thing as he seemed to give a cautious look to Toma before a light sigh, "I'll be awaiting good news."
"I can't say how long it will take but one way or another I will succeed," Toma moved towards us. He had a bandanna in his hair and seemed to be well worn. He had a short sword at his side and definitely gave the feeling of being well versed with it. He also had a bag that no doubt had an assortment of supplies. He stopped in front of me. "That is some pretty unique hair."
"Yeah, I've heard that a lot," I comment. "Are you really a legendary explorer?"
"You've never heard about the exploits of Toma?" he gave a fake mocking look but then just starting laughing. "Honestly it isn't much of a title when there aren't many people willing to explore. Go out and explore a few dark places and make a discovery and well, people notice. Ask me again about it sometime. I'm sure we will meet again."
I couldn't help but laugh as he left out the door. He was brave, I could give him that.
"It's somewhat surprising in a time like this and the threat of the Mystics attacking that anyone could venture out into unknown regions. I imagine what he said is probably true. While everyone stays where they know is safe, he takes a chance and it paid off for him. I am curious as to what this Rainbow Shell is that the Elder was speaking about. Though it isn't relevant to us," Lucca spoke her thoughts to our encounter with Toma.
"He seems pretty lively at least. He was smiling while most of the residents of the village here have been generally depressing," Marle added.
That had certainly been true. The Elder's house seemed to have a number of people here but we came for information. We hoped the Elder could provide it.
The old man acknowledged us with a smile, "You seem to be looking well, Sir Crono. I heard from the soldiers about what you did. You have our thanks. Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Gregory, and I'm the Elder for the village of Dorino."
I had expected this actually. I figured the soldiers would have spoken with the village Elder and likely scouted the surrounding area to ensure there was no Mystic presence. Although it was a good idea to stay on guard in this time period because there was no telling if another Mystic would have an ability like Yakra and be able to disguise themselves in plain view. I stepped forward and shook his hand, "Thank you. I hope you aren't too busy."
"We certainly do have a lot to do around the village since the threat of the Mystics is gone. At least for the moment," he chuckled a bit.
"And that guy that left? Something about a rainbow shell?" I couldn't help but ask.
"It's been a legend in Guardia for generations. But supposedly the Rainbow Shell was something that was on it's way to our Kingdom but never made it. If it is truly a thing of legends then I was hoping it could be used by the King to better equip our troops and finally finish off this war," the Elder had no qualms displaying his displeasure with the ongoing conflict.
So even if it's a long shot... at the very least he can feel more at ease that he is helping in someway to find a solution. When you lead a village there isn't much action you can really take. His priority was still his village after all. "We could certainly use everything we can get. Which is part of why we're here. I wanted to ask if the boy with the Hero Badge came through the village. The King told me he had met him, and that in one of the pushes before we defeated Ozzie that the boy had managed to cross the bridge. I was hoping you could tell us where he was."
"That young lad, huh?" The Elder paused for a moment. "He was on his way to Denadoro Mountains. He intends to find the Masamune. The only sword capable of defeating Magus."
I blinked. A sword? Capable of defeating Magus? Huh? "Wait, what do you mean?" I asked.
"You've never heard of the Holy Sword Masamune? It's said that some of the strongest warriors in the Kingdom of Guardia have always used that sword in times of trouble. Wielding its Holy powers to strike down the enemies of the Kingdom," the Elder tilted his head as if I should have heard this story before.
I looked to Marle and Lucca.
"It's true. The Masamune has been a story and constant presence in the history of our Kingdom," Marle supplied. "It's said that the power of the blade is stronger than any machine, magic or any other weapon. A blade that can be used to dispel any darkness."
Normally I would have dismissed such a notion, but the truth of it was magic did exist. Hell, I could use magic and everything we've seen only went to show how little of the world I really knew. I couldn't just dismiss the possibility of such a sword existing. "Denadoro Mountains is to the east of here, right? How long was the boy been there?"
"He left for the mountain this morning," Elder Gregory answered.
"Then we should be able to catch up," I then bowed to the Elder. "Thank you."
"Sir Crono, you said you had talked with the King?" the Elder asked.
I stood up and nodded, "That's right. The King has charged me with ensuring that Magus is dealt with. One way or another."
"Then I shall pray for your success," The Elder gave a light smile as I turned to leave.
"We should hurry. If that boy is as young as everyone has said he is then there is no telling what kind of danger he might be in," Lucca said as all three of us quickly left the Elders house and made a quickly lined towards the east, towards the mountains in the distance.
"I double checked our supplies and equipment last night so we don't need to wait. How do you feel, Crono?" Marle asked me. Likely about my recovery from that attack from Zombor.
"One hundred percent, if not more," I felt my resolve strengthen as I picked up the pace. I don't know why but I suddenly felt nervous. No, nervous wasn't the right word. I picked up my pace once more. Marle and Lucca didn't say anything but kept my pace as the three of us raced towards the Denadoro Mountains. The uneasy feeling didn't go away.
As we rushed into the valley entrance of the Denadoro Mountains we were greeted by the screams of a young boy. The three of us sprinted forward and saw a young boy, being chased by two monsters with large wooden hammers. They weren't very tall, but were certainly not lean. They had grayish-green skin and seemed to have yellow colored fur on its head that made it look like a mohawk of sorts. Were they fiends?
I pulled my katana free from it's sheath and jumped forward with a burst of energy just as the grayish-green creatures aim to swing at the boy with their hammers. Moving past the boy I clashed against one of the hammers while avoiding the other. Thankfully my charge in had put the boy out of their range. Still, whatever the fiends were, they were strong. I pushed back but I jumped back to give myself space.
They both screeched at me, "Die, human!"
With no hesitation I quickly executed one of my techniques called Cyclone. With it I spun with my sword in hand giving them no way to navigate around me.
"Crono, back up," Lucca called out. I did so as Lucca threw an object at the feet of the fiends. It erupted and covered the two in fire, and caused the wooden hammers in their hands to be covered in flames. The fiends quickly discarded the hammers in response.
I readied another attack and used Wind Slash. The attack was more than enough and the two fiends fell to the ground with one last cry of pain. But they both stopped moving.
"O gentle waters, remove these wounds! Cure!" Marle casted a spell on the young boy who was standing in front of her.
His eyes widened as he looked over his body, "I'm better? Was that magic?"
"It was," I answered. "Are you alright?"
He nodded, "Th-thank you for saving me." This young boy had a cape that was impressive in a way that he wasn't tripping over, a shield that was way too big to be practical for someone so young and then a sword that basically dragged on the ground and hung on his side. I doubt he has even used it. He was too young. Did everyone just allow him to go because he carried the Hero Badge? I saw it hanging on his tunic. The badge had an image of a warrior showing the helmet as well with an inscription.
"It really is the Hero Badge," Marle commented as she moved next to me but said it in a whisper.
"My name is Crono. I'm here at the behest of the King to help you get the Masamune," I was curious as to why such a tradition about the Hero existed. And for some reason I feel that there was something this kid wasn't saying.
"I'm Tata. It's nice to meet you," he bowed to us. He has manners, which is more than I actually expected.
What should we do? I had serious doubts that he should be some hero of legend. But maybe I was wrong. Either way it seemed going up the mountain and looking for the Masamune was our next step. "Allow us to escort you up the mountain to find the Masamune," I offered him.
"But there could be more Ogans," Tata's eyes widened.
"Don't worry. We'll protect you," Lucca backed me up.
He shook his head, "No. You see... I'm no hero. Truth be told, I plucked this badge from the floor of the tavern. Some besotted froggish fellow dropped it as he stumbled out. I was selfish and thought I would try and sell it. But then everyone started calling me the Hero when they saw it. I had no idea it was something so significant."
Lucca and I shared a look for a moment as thoughts of Frog obviously came to mind. If he had the badge originally then it made some sense. Frog definitely had significant swords skills. Much better than my own. However, Frog still blamed the Queen's disappearance and his inability to keep her safe on himself. It seemed along the way he had visited a tavern and dropped the hero badge, something he likely had in his possession all this time. And likely felt he no longer deserved it.
Tata took the badge off his tunic and extended it out towards me. "Please, take it. I let all the talk of being a Hero go to my head but I can't. I don't think I could ever fight creatures like that. I don't have the talent or skill to hold a sword like the Masamune." His head hung, ashamed of the facade he had kept up while everyone had called him a hero.
I squatted down and took the Hero Badge from his hand, "Still, it takes a massive amount of bravery to even try and come this far. You also gave people hope when they didn't have any. So, Tata, you should be proud."
Marle moved next to me and affectionately patted the boys head, "You've done a great job, Tata."
The boy who looked like he had been holding back a lot of emotion, began to cry. Marle got to her knees and pulled the young boy into her arms as the young Tata let out an outpouring of emotion.
I stood back up and looked at the Hero badge.
"So this belongs to Frog then?" Lucca asked as she looked at the badge from my side.
"More than likely. It seems like he is still affected by his failure to keep the Queen safe. But he really doesn't have time now to feel sorry for himself," I sigh and then look towards the mountain path.
"What are you thinking? We retrieve the sword and then find Frog? It might be a good motivator for him," Lucca pointed out.
I nodded, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking." I looked back to Marle who was holding the young boy Tata in her arms. Even if this was a different era, I don't think Marle viewed people any differently than she would in our time. Maybe it was because she was royalty that she felt some sort of obligation or desire to protect people. She had such a big heart, I could only imagine it was Marle's Mother, Aliza, that had taught her such compassion. Or perhaps that was just the nature of the girl I was dating.
"What do you want to do, Tata? The three of us are going to keep going and retrieve the Masamune. Will you head home?" Marle asked the boy as he seemed to have recovered.
"Wouldn't I get in the way if I came with you?" Tata asked and looked to me.
"I think what is important is what you want. Don't you want to see the sword that everyone wanted you to get?" I asked him.
He nodded, "At the very least I want to see this part to the end."
"Then it's decided. Just be careful, and be on the lookout. There is likely a lot of creatures to be seen on this mountain pass," I warned him.
"Thank you, Crono," the boy bowed.
I turned towards the path that led further up the mountain, "Shall we then?"
"You sure about this Crono?" Lucca asked in a low voice from my side.
I simply smiled, "The path forward is not always the safest one. I think if anyone knows that, it's us."
"He'll be fine with us," Marle added her support to my decision.
"What do you think we'll find?" Lucca asked as I started walking.
"Who knows?" I shrugged. "A legendary sword, I hope."
I chuckled as I started down the path, with Marle, Lucca and Tata in tow.
The journey up the mountain had been filled with encounters with enemies. More of the same Ogan's we had seen threatening Tata before. And then there were plenty of flying beast and even thieves along the way. One particular fight had brought a lot of enemies and all while next to a steep edge that would have likely ended in the loss of life if any of us fell. Tata had been brave throughout. And while he never attempted to fight (thankfully), he had been able to keep up with us. Though that was likely more out of fear of being left behind.
Eventually it led us to a cave and at the end of the path was a single ray of light that shone onto a single spot. When we got closer we found... not a whole sword... but a broken blade. Shattered free from it's hilt, but the hilt itself was nowhere to be found.
I squatted down and picked up the broken blade and inspected it. "This is no ordinary blade," I comment as I look to its edge. It was still sharp, despite it's hilt being nowhere nearby.
"Have you come to take it? The Masamune, I mean," a voice of a child came from behind us.
So it was part of the Masamune? A magical holy sword... such a thing could explain the sharpness of the blade still being maintained. But what could cause a blade like this to break?
"Yes, we came to retrieve the Masamune," I answered as I looked towards the kid.
"I thought so. Wait just a second, all right?" the kid then looked past me. "Oh, Big Brother... Where are you, Masa?"
Then another kid, nearly identical to the other walked past us, "What is it, Mune?" Then he eyed us. "Oh? More coming to try and claim the sword? Did you think you'd make a name for yourself as a Hero by grabbing the Masamune?"
"No, we're here so we can give it to Frog," Lucca told them and was on the defensive. I knew why. Something about this pair of kids felt off. They were likely here guarding the sword.
"Frog?" the kids tilted their heads. "Oh, that guy? Yeah if anyone could wield the sword it would be him. Still we can't just let you take part of the holy sword that easily."
"Okay, Mune. Let's give them the usual test. They might be able to keep us entertained for a while," The one named Masa grinned. The two then changed. They were no longer kids. Much larger in size the two had light bronze like skin, along with pointed ears that pointed upward and a beak like nose. Both Masa and Mune wore a simple white tunic with the only thing distinguishing them was that Masa had a green collar and Mune a violet one.
"Tata, stay back," I say as I pull my katana from it's sheath. It was no mistake that these two were named Masa and Mune. Perhaps the sword itself was sentient? Maybe originating from a time when magic among humans was common. Testing us... to see if we were worthy to take the blade... a show of strength. No doubt the one that wielded the Masamune needed to be able to have the prowess capable of using the sword. In that case, holding back would be an insult to this pair. "Marle!"
She must have anticipated what I wanted, "Encase his blade with the bite of Winter!"
I jumped into the air at Masa as Marle's magic met my katana, "Ice Sword!" We both yelled as I brought my attack down on Masa. With a single hand he met my blade. I did not pierce him. And the Ice erupted out from my sword and around Masa. But in that same instant the Ice had formed, it shattered and I was sent flying back. I flipped backwards through the air and came sliding to a stop.
"Consume! Leave nothing behind! Fire!" Lucca hit Masa with her own magic which caught him off guard just enough to make him be pushed back.
Masa smiled, "How long has it been Mune? Since we've seen humans with the power of magic?"
"Hundreds of years, if not longer," Mune said standing next to his brother. What an odd pair of siblings. "If they have magic, they must be strong."
"Even Cyrus did not have the power of magic. Impressive," Masa actually did seem impressed with us. "In that case, let's give them the real test."
"All right, this is it!" Mune nodded.
Masa then turned to his brother and took a stance, "With Masa's bravery-"
"And Mune's brains-" Mune mirrored Masa's stance across from him.
The two then charged towards each other and bathed in a intense light causing us to avert our eyes as we heard the combines voices of Masa & Mune, "We're unstoppable!" The light faded and what was left was a singular, massive and bulky creature. It had two massive horns that extended from his head and had muscles to spare. They flexed in a menacing way, "We're going to start off things big!"
"Okay, not what I expected to happen," I mutter and take a step back.
"He's casting something!" Marle yelled out a warning.
"Come forth turbulent winds! Hurricane!" The thundering voice of Masa & Mune combined echoed in my ear as his magic filled the area. A violent swirling wind manifested around us. I quickly stabbed my katana into the ground and then reached and grabbed Marle by the waist with my off hand and pulled her to me. Lucca moved close and put her arms around my waist. I didn't even have time to check to see if Tata was okay.
As the spell caused the winds to grow more chaotic and violent I struggled just to keep in place. However, there was an intense pain that came with it as I felt the wind beating against me. It was like being hit with beanbags at high speeds. I gritted my teeth. Marle and Lucca were subject to this as well and heard both of audibly groan in pain. Fortunately the spell finally relented. The girls quickly moved away from me. But that spell had definitely taken its toll. And the combined Masa & Mune was grinning.
A thought came to me, "Marle, use Aura on my sword!"
She looked to me than nodded. Extending her hands towards me I could feel her healing power fill the sword. I then spun in place, "Aura Whirl!" I directed the energy of Aura to all three of us, which did exactly as I hoped. Instead of Marle having to heal each of us individually I was able to accomplish this for the group. Granted it was likely a diluted effect but the pain from the hurricane spell was gone. Masa & Mune seemed impressed.
"We aren't finished yet!" Lucca pulled out her gun and open fired, as Marle brought her crossbow to do the same.
"Resound! Cry from the Heavens! Lightning!" I casted my own magic as we continued to bombard Masa & Mune. It was hard to tell if we were doing anything at all. The whole time the combined creature just smiled.
The fight continued, with us landing every hit we could, switching between magic and physical attacks, and while sustaining Masa & Mune's large scale attacks.
"Encase his sword in tempered flame!" Lucca called out as I jumped in the air. Similar to how Marle had done I felt her magic go through the sword and brought it down onto Masa & Mune. They stopped the blade mere inches from their face but then the magic in my sword released. "Fire Sword!" I yelled as the fire engulfed Masa & Mune causing him to jump back and me to land back on the ground. For a moment a bright light appeared and then Masa and Mune apeared back in their pre-merged forms.
"They beat us, Masa," Mune seemed concerned.
Masa, however, was beaming, "That was fun! You guys are good."
"But Masa, do you think they can fix us?" Mune pressed.
"What is your intentions?" Masa turned to me.
"We don't know. Take you to Frog for now, and then figure it out from there," I answered honestly.
"Masa-"
"It'll be all right, Mune," Masa smiled. "We leave our care and future in your hands."
The two then moved to the blade of the Masamune and in a bright light seem to disappear into it. I approached it and picked it up. Lucca came to my side and put a cloth over it so I could wrap up the blade and place it in my bag.
"That was rough," Marle sighed. "They're in the sword now?"
I nodded, "Seems that way. I guess all we can do is go to Frog."
"Umm... then you should head to Porre. If you ask the Tavern owner, I'm sure he would have a good idea how to find that Frog person. And I want to say thank you. For letting me come this far. But it's clear that I'm no where near ready to become a hero. I had no hope of fighting any of the monsters we saw," Tata looked like he was unharmed. He must have hid behind a rock... or Masa and Mune had been aware of the boy's presence and ensured he would not be harmed. Even if we beat Masa and Mune... it had clearly been a test and no where near the real strength of those two.
"The world is not a safe place. If you want to be a hero, then you know just how far you have to go. At the very least if you want to be strong enough to protect the ones you love, you know what you need to do," I say, trying to be encouraging but unsure of how my message came across. "You understand now, right?"
Tata nodded, "Just having the badge doesn't mean you're a hero. It requires training and hard work. I know that but... I just got carried away. But I can at least lead you all to the tavern in Porre. Then... I'll go home. I have to apologize to everyone."
I turned to Marle who was smiling at how Tata was acting now. "Something you want to say?" I asked her.
"When I was younger, your Father, Sir Lazarus, did all he could to tell me if I wanted anything I would have to work hard for it. I was just a little girl at the time. I didn't know what I wanted to the future. But it was your Father that convinced me that no matter what it was, I would need strength in order to obtain it. That was when I started to train. Both fencing and with crossbows and ranged weapons," Marle giggled a bit recalling the memory.
"That sounds like my Father alright," I scratched the back of my head. "Though my Mom gave him crap for his training being too easy."
"From what I've learned about your Mom, that sounds about right. Sir Lazarus always said he had a long way to go to catch up to his wife. I thought he was just joking," Marle was smiling, likely remembering discussions with my Father. It was odd to think about the fact that she had more than likely spent as much time or even more time with my Father than I had. "So next we find Frog, right?"
"Well, right now we have to take it a step at a time. We don't know how to get to Magus' lair and what we could be against. Frog has worked with us before, so if anyone would be able or willing to help us, it would be him. But I am concerned as to why he disappeared," I shook my head.
Either way, we certainly had our work cut out for us.
Finding Frog had not been too difficult. He lived in a place called the Cursed Woods. A name that seemed to get it's name from Frog himself. I'm not sure how that was connected to him, but his place had been easy to find. Simply hidden behind a bush and down a later to find a home dug out from the ground. It was actually impressive to be able to make something like this, not to mention tedious and a lot of work.
Now standing in front of us was Frog. However, it quickly became apparent that he had no intention of doing anything.
"Do you have any idea what has been going on?" Marle was getting frustrated. "While you've been here, feeling sorry for yourself, the King was injured protecting his people from an attacking Mystic Arm at the bridge of Zenan! We managed to break through and push them back, but what do you think will happen if the Mystic's push again?"
"Marle, it isn't like it is his responsibility," Lucca tried to calm her down.
"But if he had been there then his Highness wouldn't have been in danger, right? And now the Queen has been worried sick not just for the King but for this idiot too!" Marle glared at Frog. And Frog looked to the ground, ashamed of it.
"I know you have your reasons, Frog. We don't know much about you. However, we do need to get to Magus' castle. We have to stop him, no matter what the cost. Here, we got this from the boy named Tata. He said you dropped this when you were in Porre. He wanted us to return it to you," I held out the Hero Badge, hoping that it may inspire him in some way. But, I didn't keep my hopes up.
He looked at the badge, "I am such a fool. But even with such a thing, there is not a thing I can do against Magus." He turned away. "To fight him would require the legendary Masamune, which is.. no, it matters little. Even had I the blade, I've no right to wield it."
"Frog, what happened?" I asked, knowing that this was a much deeper issue than I had realized.
Frog then moved away from us and towards the exit. "I'm sorry, Sir Crono, Lady Marle and Lady Lucca. There is naught a thing I am capable of doing." Then he leaped up the ladder and out of his home. Leaving us alone.
I scratched the back of my head and sighed, "That could have gone better."
"What a selfish frog," Marle muttered.
"He's doubting himself. He doesn't believe he can help anyone. Not even himself," Lucca commented softly.
"Why do you think he is a Frog?" I asked as I started to look around the home.
"Why?" Marle echoed the question. "Does that have something to do with this?"
"I dunno," I shrugged as I moved over to a strange case on the floor. I opened it and my eyes widened as I reached in to retrieve its contents. "My guess, Frog would know exactly why the Masamune is broken." I turned and showed them what it was.
"A broken sword hilt?" Lucca walked towards me and inspected it. "This is part of the Masamune!"
"Frog had the hilt?" Marle was putting the pieces together now that I had just a moment ago. "The one who has the Hero Badge was always the one who held the Masamune in our history."
"Can I see that, Crono?" Lucca asked, and I complied. She started to look over the hilt.
"Frog was likely meant to have the Masamune... or he was close to the person that used it before him," I suggested to Marle. "And if it's the latter then it likely is a rough subject for him."
"He is someone the Queen is fond of, so there is likely some sort of connection there. He isn't a Knight though, so why does he feel responsibility to the throne?" Marle was trying to think about the connection as well.
"Guys! There is an inscription on the edge here. It's engraved with archaic letters. I think I can make it out. Umm... M...E...L...C...H...I...O...R... Wait, Melchior? That can't be right." Lucca shook her head.
"That older gentlemen that lives outside of Medina Village?" Marle added her own questioning tone.
"How can the name of a sword smith from our time be on a sword from the past?" I ask the question that we were all thinking.
"Well, we know Frog has no intention of joining us. Our only option is to find out what we can. I think it's obvious. We should go speak to Melchior," Lucca then handed the sword hilt to me.
"Well, sorry Frog but we'll be taking this. But we'll return it to you eventually," I say as I put the broken hilt into my bag next to the broken blade. "Looks like we have a walk to get back to the Gate."
"Who would have thought we'd find two pieces of Guardia's history though. The Hero Badge and the legendary Holy sword, Masamune!" Marle grinned, a bit more energetic than before. She was smiling again.
"Yeah, a legendary sword. And if it really is needed to face Magus, then I guess Melchior is our best bet," I sighed and then smiled at Marle and Lucca. "I guess saving the world isn't as easy as just beating up the bad guy."
Marle giggled, "It might be, but you have to have the right tools for the job."
Maybe so... but if we had to get the Masamune repaired, what would that cost us? And even if we do restore it... would Frog even listen to us? No, there was no time for doubts. The only thing we could do, is keep moving forward.
A/N:
I had zero intention for it to be so long between updates. By real life has a tendency of getting in the way. With a combination of work, a crap ton of overtime as well as a bunch of not needed drama in my life... it prevented me from spending the time I needed to properly write a chapter. Likely this chapter needs a bit more revision and editing, but I also unsure when that would happen so I figured I would release it for people that have been waiting so patiently (or impatiently). I'll probably come back and more thoroughly edit it later. Either way, I want to say I'm sorry, I didn't intend for it to take so long to get here.
Apologies aside, this chapter is more transition for the big events to come. We defeated Zombor but we also learn that maybe Crono and crew wasn't meant to be the one to fight him. If you understand Ozzie's character you might be able to put together who the intended one is. Anyway, we learn about the Masamune and Crono is starting to realize that the world isn't as simple as he thought. And with the presence of magic he has to re-think about what he knows to be real.
I think it's easy to forget when you play the game, but for the characters it had to sound absurd that a sword could be used to defeat an individual person. Or that you would need a particular sword for such a task. I mean there is a reason as to why the sword affects Magus but at this point in the story it seems weird that such a thing existed. Those that have played the game can likely put their own conclusion and likely be right as to why, but obviously the characters wouldn't know. And a lot of times I have to remind myself that I'm writing it through Crono's perspective. But I think I've gotten better at it recently.
Next Chapter we will be meeting Ayla, and I am super pumped about it. I'm pretty sure I touched on it before, but there will be more deviations from the game the further into the story we go. The core problems will still be the same, but Crono and the crew might solve them a bit differently as I go through it. I hope you all look forward to it! I haven't given up on this story, and will definitely finish it. It might be a while between updates but I hope you are able to stick with me along the way.
