Hello again! Last time, Marta and Tenebrae has just escaped the Blood Purge, avoided capture by Richter and death by Alice. However, the two were exhausted and wounded from the battle. How will they go from here? Let's find out after seeing everyone's reaction.
Grass Field Outskirts [Present Day]
Everyone stared in shocked surprise that Marta and Tenebrae went through such a stressful and difficult ordeal. They knew Alice had something against Marta, but they never thought she would restrain Richter and try to kill Marta in cold blood like that. However, Richter's actions back then make everyone feel uncertain, yet added merit that Emil may be right in the sense that he wouldn't sell the world to demons, implying that he probably didn't intend for the Vanguard to get this bad.
"It must have been hard for the two of you to go through all of that." Regal said as he believed that no child should have to deal with all that stress and pain.
"It was. I don't even know what Alice has against me. It's possible that Solem's Core made her violent considering what it did to Decus and Daddy, but I knew she'd be dangerous after seeing what she tried to do to me and even though Richter would pursue me later on, I was still thankful he tried to keep Alice from killing me back then." Marta said as she looked at Emil. After reflecting on that day, she got a good understanding about why Emil looked up to Richter.
"What is it?" Emil questioned Marta as it was his turn to blush at her gaze.
"I know the circumstances were different, but I can see why you look up to Richter now. Sure he was trying to capture me and tried to kill me later on, but I can at least tell that he didn't intend for the Blood Purge to happen after recalling how he looked and when he tried to protect me back than. He's nowhere near as cool as you, but I can understand why you think the is now." Marta admitted sincerely, as it gave her another thing in common with Emil.
Sure, Marta had every right to be angry at Richter for what he did to her father and wanted him to face his crimes for what he did, but at the same time, she understood where he came from. He lost his best friend while she lost her mother, but while Marta had time to grieve and eventually became friends with the person she blamed and is slowly coming to forgive her, Richter gave into revenge and didn't want to see that Emil has changed since losing his memories. Marta at least hoped his other half Ratatosk, even though he was sealed away, had a change of heart about destroying mankind as she loved him just as much as Emil. They are after all, the same person. Two sides of the same coin, sharing the same heart and soul. Besides, don't people deserve a second chance to atone for thier crimes? It was funny, originally Marta saw the world in absolute black and white, but now she's beginning to see the world in grays without losing that strong sense of right and wrong. It makes sense as Emil and now Lloyd are rubbing off on her.
"Marta, thank you. I just wish we weren't enemies with him." Emil said, still knowing that they'll need to face Richter and make him face his crimes. However, the two stared at each other a little too long, not noticing the others smiling at their little bonding moment.
*Ahem* "Lady Marta, I hate to interrupt, but our story has just begun." Tenebrae snapped Emil and Marta back to reality, leaving the two slightly embarrassed.
"Hehe, sorry Tenebrae." Marta nervously laughed as she got herself off track this time.
"Right, so Marta what happened when you... passed out?" Emil asked nervously, as the mere thought of seeing Marta unconscious made his heart ache.
"I'm not sure... everything went black for me. I was dreaming about the past I guess, but..." Marta trailed off. While she's willing to tell Emil and Tenebrae the contents of her dreams, she wasn't comfortable sharing this with the others yet.
"If you don't feel comfortable talking about that now, don't push yourself, okay?" Emil reassured Marta as she and the others nodded, understanding her dreams are a private matter.
"I'll explain this next part, Lady Marta. You see, we adrift on the ocean for at least a three days. While Lady Marta was comatose, I made sure to keep the boat on course, hoping to find land." Tenebrae mentioned as he recounted what happened after the Blood Purge.
"What!? You and Marta were out at sea for that long!? Wouldn't have Marta starved to death!?" Sheena exclaimed as she showed concern for Marta's well being at being unconscious for that long without the proper care.
"I understand your concern, but people who are comatose can survive without food and water for a while as thier bodies use less energy during that time. Fortunately the boat had fresh drinking water and some food on board, so I planned to give her some once she woke up. I also made sure she was in a good resting position so she wouldn't suffer ill health effects from being out for that long..." Tenebrae noted as he began recounting what happened three days after the Blood Purge. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Marta also recalled the dreams she had during her three day coma, dreams that occurred long before this, while also focusing on Tenebrae's part of this story.
Marta's Dream [Palmacosta, Lualdi Residence - two years ago, before the Journey of World Regeneration]
It was a bright afternoon in Palmacosta. Inside a little household, there was a young thirteen year old girl sitting on a couch by herself. She seemed to be downcast and frustrated, looking like she wanted to cry. Some tears came out, but these did go unnoticed by her mother, who walked into the living area.
"Marta? Darling, what's the matter?" Said the woman, who resembled an older version of the young teen. This woman is Marta's mother, Lily Lualdi. While Marta wore her hair in twin tails, her mother wore her long maple hair in a single ponytail. Lily wore a long white dress and white flats in comparison to Marta's outfit, which is compromised of a white shirt, a brown skirt, black leggings, high heel boots and detached sleeves. Needless to say, Marta had more of a tomboy side to her as opposed to Lily's more feminine appearance.
"Oh, hi mom. I'm just... not feeling great today, that's all." Marta said, not wishing to talk about what happened at school today. Lily however had a good feeling what that was and sat next to her dismayed daughter. She was better as these discussions compared to her overprotective husband, Brute. Contrary to his name, Brute is without a doubt a big softy, especially when it comes to their precious little girl. He even went as far as to stomach their daughter's less than stellar cooking to keep her happy. Lily had a feeling that Marta one day improve with her cooking, but for now, she wanted to focus on her daughter's current problem.
"Marta, you've overdid it with another boy again, haven't you?" Lily said in a calm, yet understanding tone with a flat smile as this is the fifth time this happened, yet Marta would probably exaggerate it with a high number like 200 or something.
"I guess I can't fool you, huh? I honestly don't know what I'm doing wrong mom. The first few boys said I'm too serious for some reason, but they never tell me what that means though." Marta said as she admitted what happened. Lily figured Marta must have gotten carried away again. If there's one thing Lily had in common with her daughter, they are both huge romantics on top of being headstrong. Lily even had a bump in the road in regards to having two boyfriends that didn't work out until she met Brute, who accepted her who she is and vice versa. She figured it might be best to bring this up to help her daughter.
"Marta, you're probably seeing them for someone they aren't or are giving them too much credit for something. However, if they're willing to break your heart over something like that, they aren't worth your time." Lily said in a calm as she comforted her little girl before continuing, rubbing her back to comfort her, easing her as some tears escaped Marta's eyes. It saddened Lily, but she knew Marta needed to vent, but she also needs to know that she can't keep doing this.
"Regardless, you shouldn't be trying to rush into a relationship so soon or push your views onto others, Marta." Lily continued as she doesn't want to see her little girl try so hard to find love, only to end up disappointed every time or treat other boys unfairly. Marta didn't know how to answer her mom as she may have a point, but why is it that they don't say anything and just dump her right on the spot with going into anything more than just "You're too serious!", "You're annoying me!" or "You're too much!". Those words always hurt her and she didn't understand why. Granted, she remained on speaking and amicable terms with them after making things right with them, but she never got together with them again as she learned they were just crushes she had on boys who looked handsome or were just being nice to her. Marta honestly didn't know what to look for in a boy...
"Listen, my little flower, I'm not angry. I'm just worried that you may be looking at boys from the wrong angle. I can speak from experience. Before I met your father, I was a bit, well actually a LOT like you. The two boys I met when I was your age, I believe it would be like those stories I read to you, but than I realized that it's not the case." Lily said with a fond smile in regards to her teenage years as Marta looked up at her mother in surprise.
"You went out with other boys before you met Daddy?" Marta inquired to her mother as Lily broke into a slight giggle. Marta always thought her father, Brute Lualdi, was the only boy her mom fell in love with.
"Yes. Sure, some relationships work out right away, but not everyone is compatible. The first boy I dated, it ended because it wouldn't work out, but the second boy i dated... it just ended in heartbreak. When I met your father, most people tended to avoid him due to how he was descended from an ancient dynasty from long ago and that frightened them. I took the first step to know Brute first and saw past that ancient ancestry to see that underneath his rough exterior, he's a good hearted person and after spending enough time, we truly fell in love and we got married when we reached adulthood." Lily explained to Marta, recalling her life with Brute up to this point, their marriage still going strong, with no doubt that it will last till the end of their days.
"Listen, I can understand that you want to find the right person to trust your heart with, but you must know that love at first sight happens more in stories than in real life. You must take the time to know the person and understand them first. You both must take time to learn about each other before you can take the next step together." Lily continued as she shared her wisdom with Marta, who understood her what her mother is trying to say, but perhaps it's a little complicated to get right now.
"But, how will I know mom? When will I know?" Marta asked, as she doesn't know how or when she would be able to do so.
"You'll understand when you meet someone who'll stand by your side and accept you in spite of your quirks, just like when you accept them for their quirks as well." Lily said as she got up from the couch and brought over a little white box with a red ribbon on top. She than handed the box to Marta, who pointed to herself with Lily nodding. Upon opening it, Marta saw a pair of barrettes in the shape of white flowers.
"Mom? Aren't these...?" Marta exclaimed in awe as she saw Lily wore them before when they and Brute went out on a picnic together once.
"Yes, these are the same barrettes I wore on my first date with your father. I would like you to have them now." Lily said as Marta looked up in surprise.
"Mom! I... I couldn't! Didn't Grandma give you these for your birthday?" Marta said as she recollected that Lily received these as a birthday present from her mother long ago. While Marta got to meet her grandparents, they unfortunately passed away two years ago, which left the Lualdi family saddened as there are currently no other relatives to turn to now. It worried Brute and Lily as their parents have passed away and they have no siblings to turn too either so they didn't know what would become of their little girl if something were to happen to them and with the threat of the Desians over their heads, they had to be careful despite actively rebelling against them with along with the rest of Palmacosta.
"And I would like to give you them now, as an early Birthday present, my little flower." Lily said as she placed a barrette on each side of her head. Marta looked in awe after being shown her reflection in a mirror.
"Mom... thank you. I love them, but I love you even more." Marta said with happy tears as she hugged her mom. Lily returned the gesture, happy she was able to relieve Marta of the sadness in her heart.
"I love you too Marta. Listen well, it may be hard to understand now, but one day, you will find someone who'll love you for who you are. Just try to be fair and understanding toward them. Get to know who that person really is." Lily said with a warm smile and tone, hoping that Marta will understand the wisdom of her words someday. She hoped that she would meet someone she could truly love and be happy with.
Marta's Dream [Palmacosta Ruins - Two Years ago, during the Journey of World Regeneration]
"Ugh..." Marta moaned as she slowly woke up to find a frightening sight. Palmacosta, her hometown, had been ravaged and torn apart. How did it get this way?
It had been some time sense Colette Brunel and her companions destroyed the Desian Human Ranch in Palmacosta, effectively freeing them from the threat of being taken away by the Desians. For the first time, Marta and her family breathed a sigh of relief as the human ranch prisoners returned safely and slowly got treated of their Exspheres. This meant they would no longer be in danger of the Desisans for a long time, or even ever again. However, sometime later, while on her way home from school, a giant tree like monster attacked Palmacosta in it's wake, not caring what got in the way. It appeared that the monster either left or was killed as the rampage had stopped. Marta was lucky to have survived after being out for this long, but than a terrible thought came to her mind, which sent the now fourteen year old girl into a panic.
"MOM! DADDY!" Marta shouted as she got up and immediately ran back home to see if her parents are okay, all the while hearing things about how The Chosen Colette brought this tragedy upon their city, but she didn't pay them any mind for the time being. All that mattered was that her parents were okay, however she saw her home broken down into rubble, that small hope began to crumble.
"No... no... no..." Marta whispered in sadness as she ran into the broken building, hoping to find her mom and dad. While losing her home was sad, houses can be replaced. Lives on the other hand, could never be replaced no matter what.
"MOM! DADDY! Where are you!?" Marta yelled as she searched the ruins for her parents, but after a while of searching and digging through the debris, she found Lily lying on the floor, covered in dirt. Worry instantly filled her heart as Marta rushed over to her mother.
"Mom!" Marta shouted as she rushed over and turned her over onto her back and began to shake her shoulder, hoping to wake her up.
"Mom!? Are you alright!? You have to get up! A horrible monster attacked Palmacosta! We have to get out of here!" Marta shouted, but Lily reminded unresponsive. Marta was confused initially, but she kept trying to wake her mother.
"LILY! MARTA! Where are you!?" Yelled a loud masculine voice. Marta realized that it was her father, Brute Lualdi. She was glad that he was alive. He must have came searching for them too after surviving the tree monster's attack.
"Daddy! Over here! I found mom!" Marta cried out for her father, hoping he would wake up Lily. Marta in the meantime kept shaking Lily and tried to talk to her. At this point, tears began to fall from her eyes as she unknowingly realized what happened to her mother, but she didn't want to admit it, clinging on to the small hope that she was just unconscious.
"Mom, it's going to be okay, *hic* Daddy's coming. We'll get you to a doctor and *hic* you'll be alright..." Marta said through her own tears as she was hoping that Lily would be alright, not yet understanding the sad truth in front of her.
"Marta! Lily!" Brute shouted as he finally found his daughter and wife, but he froze upon seeing his wife motionless and his daughter in tears. He could only stare and shake his head in disbelief as he walked over to Marta, who turned to her father.
"Daddy! Mom's hurt! We have to get her to a doctor fast! Mom, Daddy's here now! Please, wake up!" Marta shouted as Brute pulled his frenzied daughter toward him, hugging her tightly while he began crying, much to Marta's confusion.
"Marta... your mother... is not here anymore..." Brute said as he understood what happened here. He knew that the moment he saw that Lily wasn't breathing and that the color from her face is gone, Brute understood what that meant. Lily, the love of his life, was dead.
"What? What do you mean she's gone!? Daddy, she's right here!? We have to help her!" Marta angrily yelled at her father, still not wanting to believe the awful truth before her.
"Marta... she's... she's dead..." Brute sadly said as he cried with his daughter. He didn't want to admit it either, but the terrible fact is that the monstrous tree that rampaged through here not only killed countless innocents, but also took his wife from him. Marta's eyes widened as she shook her head in disbelief and broke away from Brute's arms. She knew deep down the moment her mother didn't reply, but wanted to believe otherwise.
"No... no... your wrong... mom... please... tell him he's wrong... tell Daddy you're just sleeping... please..." Marta weakly turned to and asked her mother as the cold truth began to set in for her. Her mother, her father's wife, was dead. Everything hurt, but the pain her body and mind felt was nothing compared to the pain her heart was feeling.
"NO! MOM! WAKE UP! PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE US! NOOOOOOO!" Marta cried to the heavens above her as she broke down into her father's arms. Everything was just improving for them and Palmacosta, only for tragedy to strike down upon them, shattering the world as she and Brute once knew.
Sometime later after the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla were united, Marta and Brute would give Lily a proper burial alongside the other victims of the Giant Tree Attack and after giving their repects and goodbyes to her, the two would travel the world for a while hoping to find peace from all of this. While Marta and Brute would regain their happiness again with themselves and with each other months later, the pain of losing Lily would forever haunt their souls and scar their hearts. Marta would blame Colette for what happened that day, but she wished to confront her to see if the rumors of her running away from her duties as the Chosen of World Regeneration were true or not, hoping it would bring her and her father some closure. Upon returning to Palmacosta, they would start a charity, hoping to rebuild Palmacosta and help the people of Sylvarant defend their rights as people from Tethe'alla, who looked down on them. That... was how the Vanguard was founded... and that the father she once knew began to change for the worse.
Tethe'allan Boat [Open seas, three days after the Blood Purge]
Sometime after escaping the Blood Purge, the boat Marta and Tenebrae took sailed and drifted on the open waters. Marta was currently resting at the front of the ship on a bed. She slowly awoke to the sounds of the waves and the birds flying high above the ocean.
"Where...?" Marta questioned as her mind was foggy. She than remembered everything that happened after a few moments of groggyness passed. Meeting Tenebrae, escaping that horrific attack and dealing with both Alice and Richter. The last thing she remembered was blasting the two Vanguard officials off the boat in a blind rage after seeing Tenebrae protect her from Alice's murderous attempt on her life. As consciousness began to leave her, she faintly heard Tenebrae's voice as the boat began to move again, which meant that Tenebrae's alive, which brought a sense of relief to her when she finally blacked out. She than felt what appeared to be water going down her face, but...
"Tears? I see... I haven't thought about that happy moment... and that awful memory in a long time..." Marta said to herself as a mix of happiness of her mother comforting her and giving both advise and her barrettes that day in addition to the sadness on the day she lost her to that terrible creature well up inside her heart. Suddenly, a puff of smoke appeared and manifested into Tenebrae.
"Lady Marta, you are awake." Tenebrae exclaimed as he floated above her. Marta snapped out of her trip down memory lane and slowly sat up to look him in the eye.
"Lady Marta, you shouldn't be pushing yourself like that. You need your rest." Tenebrae said as he advised Marta to lay back down only for Marta to suddenly pull him in and hug him tightly, letting her tears drop.
"Tenebrae! Tenebrae! I thought! I thought you died protecting me!" Marta cried being sobs as she expressed relief that he was alive. Tenebrae didn't expect this as they didn't know each other for that long, but he understood that this must have been hard for her to witness a display of sacrifice like this and he used his hand like tail to comfort her until she calmed down. After all, Tenebrae knew that he was the only one Marta can turn to now.
After a few minutes of crying, Marta was able to calm down, but laid back down to avoid getting motion sickness, which she planned to tell Tenebrae about later.
"I'm terribly sorry for making you worry like that." Tenebrae apologized to the girl who rescued him and Ratatosk from Richter and the Vanguard.
"You don't need to apologize. I'm thankful you saved me, but I don't want you throwing yourself in harm's way like that again, okay?" Marta said while also the Centurion to not risk his life that again.
"I can't guarantee that, but I will try too for your sake, Lady Marta." Tenebrae replied to Marta. While she didn't like that answer, she respected his words and didn't say anything further on the matter.
"By the way, Lady Marta? During the three days you were sleeping, I couldn't help but notice you were crying while you rested. Is everything okay?" Tenebrae questioned Marta as after she passed out, he made sure she was resting well to recover from that tense encounter while resting himself. He did notice Marta cry even though she was sleeping, which made him wonder what that meant.
"Oh right, you don't know. I guess since you told me about yourself, I should explain myself to you.." Marta said. While she was unsure about sharing her personal life with Tenebrae, she thought it was fair to talk to him about her past and figured that it might get this sad feeling off her chest. She proceeded to explain to him about her dreams, including when she lost her mother during the World Regeneration. The only thing she left out for the time being were the Desians and the Human Ranches, but she felt he didn't need to know about that at this point in time. This filled in some things for the Centurion.
"I see, that explains why the world is so different now from the one Lord Ratatosk and I remember." Tenebrae said as he processed everything Marta told him.
"And if it means anything, I'm sorry that you lost your mother on that dreadful day." Tenebrae continued, expressing his condolences for Marta. While he didn't know what it is like to have parents, he knew that all life on this planet are usually close to their parents, so losing one parent in such an awful way must have been hard for her.
"It does, thank you Tenebrae. But, I don't feel like I can let this go, not until I confront the Chosen of World Regeneration." Marta said with determination. While she hated the Chosen for what happened, she doesn't wish to feel this way over speculated rumors and would need to face her at some point.
"By the way? Why is Ratatosk's Core on my forehead?" Marta asked Tenebrae, hoping for the explanation he said he'd give. Tenebrae cleared his throat before explaining himself.
"Well, you told me you asked for Lord Ratatosk's help and so a bond was formed between you two. While Lord Ratatosk would rest on your forehead, regaining his energy through you, he has given you his blessing and a fraction of his power." Tenebrae explained, hoping this would help her understand the situation she's in.
"I see, that would explain why I did all that to Alice and Richter... Wait, are they okay!?" Marta said as she realized that she DID send them flying off the ship.
"Why are you so concerned about them? Need I remind you that Alice was trying to kill you and that Richter was trying to capture you, in addition to trying to kill Lord Ratatosk?" Tenebrae asked, as he thought Marta wouldn't care so much about her would-be-killer and would-be-captor respectively.
"I just didn't want to... kill... anyone. Besides, Richter wasn't trying to kill me, which makes feel confused about him." Marta admitted, sure she's not fond of them right now, but Tenebrae respected Marta's value for life.
"They are okay if that is what you're wondering. Besides, I doubt Aqua would let Richter drown." Tenebrae said, mentioning a name that is unfamiliar to Marta.
"Aqua? I believe heard a voice speaking to Richter, calling him master. You told me she's a Centurion, but what do you know about her and why is she with Richter?" Marta questioned Tenebrae in wonder, wanting to know why they're against each other.
"As I said in out first meeting, Aqua is a Centurion like myself. While I'm the Centurion of Darkness, Aqua is the Centurion of Water. There are eight Centurions total, including me and her, but Aqua has forsaken her duties and betrayed Lord Ratatosk to aid Richter in his goals, which includes killing Lord Ratatosk." Tenebrae said with a mix of sadness and anger. Sure, he and Aqua don't get along, but not to the point of this. He wondered why Aqua would side with a human like this over her master. Marta seemed surprised, but she was looking for more questions that needed answering.
"Before we continue, what I did on the ship was magic, right? Healing Artes. I thought only elves and half-elves could use magic. Plus, there was that strange glow that wasn't magic." Marta inquired about the sudden use of magic and whatever that white glow was.
"You'd be correct, but it is possible for humans to use magic through either Aionis being injected into them or having distant elf blood in them. It's possible that Ratatosk's Core may be the only reason you can use magic or maybe it unlocked that dormant elf blood inside you, because it may be possible that one of your ancestors was an elf or half-elf. Regardless, I do not know the details at the moment." Tenebrae explained as he was trying to figure out the reason himself. Marta took this in stride. Originally, she once thought all half-elves were evil, but slowly realized after the two worlds were united that she shouldn't judge them based on their race and while she is still cautious about half-elves, Marta wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt first. After all, Marta knew that there are bad humans too, not to mention that two of Lloyd and Colette's companions are half-elves. Marta knew that even if she had an elf or a half-elf for an ancestor, that won't change her for who she is.
"And that white glow?" Marta continued as she wondered what that was.
"That would be chi, a life force that naturally exists in all life forms. I heard that certain Martial Artists can utilize this life force and weaponize it. I think Lord Ratatosk's core allowed you to tap into your chi and considering how strong it is, you must have plenty of it inside you." Tenebrae explained, surprising Marta that she has a power similar to those who practice martial arts. Sure, it may be Ratatosk giving her it, but the possibility still surprised her.
"Okay, now back to you, what about the other six Centurions? Are they awake too?" Marta inquired, wondering if they're awake too, like Tenebrae and this Aqua.
"Unfortunately, they aren't. It would appear only me and Aqua woke up on our own accord. While we went to Lord Ratatosk, Richter has slain him and turned him into a core. Aqua decided to help him and I ran off with him. While I was traveling to Lord Ratatosk's domain, I saw that the weather is out of order. Lord Ratatosk is the only that can wake them if the other Centurions can't do so themselves, but with him like this..." Tenebrae continued his explanation, while also adding in why the weather's been off in both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla lately.
"He can't wake them..." Marta finished his sentence. While Richter's behavior toward her is an enigma, she knows that he can't be trusted with Ratatosk. It scared her, but someone has to help the Lord of Monsters somehow.
"Yes, and since Aqua is adding Richter, water related disasters cannot be resolved yet..." Tenebrae added, concerning Marta. Granted, they had a smooth ride so far, but what of the boat got struck by a random huge wave?
"However, with Lord Ratatosk's blessing, you can help wake the Centurions." Tenebrae added in, causing Marta to look in curiosity.
"Me? How?" Marta wondered, snapping out the gloomy what if scenario. First Ratatosk gave her or unlocked latent powers within herself and now this?
"Indeed. Normally, with the exception of Lord Ratatosk's core, dormant Centurion Cores would drive any person to the point of insanity as they hold the core. However, with Lord Ratatosk's blessing, you can pick them up and hatch them with no ill effects. Once hatched, the Centurions will be awakened, which will than restore the flow of mana and undo the abnormal weather conditions." Tenebrae continued. Marta was amazed how this important responsibility fell onto her small shoulders.
"Any more questions?" Tenebrae asked his charge.
"No, I'm think I'm good for now." Marta said. Whatever questions that may pop into her head later, she can ask them once they're on dry land.
"By the way Lady Marta, what about the boy who saved you?" Tenebrae asked in response about her savior.
"Oh, I'm not sure. I don't know his name or if he got out okay, but if he did, I would like to thank him for saving me." Marta thought back to the boy. She thought for a moment about how cool he looked, but that wasn't important right now. She wanted to give him her thanks first and make sure he's okay.
"If we do run across him, why not make him a Knight of Ratatosk?" Tenebrae offered Marta, causing her to look back at him.
"Knight?" Marta asked out of curiosity.
"Yes. While those new abilities and what little you know about fighting are useful, they won't mean much until you master them. However, it would be suicide to be on your own. As I mentioned, unless I form pacts with monsters, I can't fight myself. So, maybe making this boy your Knight of Ratatosk might help." Tenebrae explained as Marta listened. While she was pondering about what he said, to her, it sounded like a fairy tale come to life. Her own knight, fighting tooth and nail to protect her. How romantic would that be? Suddenly, she found herself all aflutter with butterflies in her stomach. But, a part of her remembered what her mother said and she tried to calm herself down before replying back.
"If we do see him, and only if he wants to help, I would like the extra help and protection." Marta replied back. Besides, she needs to remember that love at first sight isn't always the right thing and if she can, she would like to be this boy's friend first. She only hoped she wouldn't fall back on those old habits.
"Understood. To recap for reflection, he has blonde hair and green eyes, correct?" Tenebrae asked for a recount of the boy's appearance with Marta nodded slightly. Soon after, a small growl came from Marta's stomach, causing a slight blush to appear on her face.
"Heh heh, sounds like it's about time for some nourishment. Fortunately, there's some fruit and water on this vessel, shall I get you some?" Tenebrae responded as Marta's body functions came back now that she's out of her deep sleep. While Marta felt bad for eating the food and drinking the water on the boat that belonged to it's owner, Marta knew she needed to eat and drink something or she'll die of salvation and thirst.
"Sure Tenebrae, I'll have some." Marta said after burying her feelings of guilt. As Tenebrae went to get her some fruit and water, she peeked outside the ship's front window.
'To think I got myself roped into a new journey. I have a feeling this will be a very long one...' Marta thought to herself as she watched the clouds and birds go by.
Beach [Three hours after waking up]
After having an apple, a banana and some drinking water, Marta decided to rest a bit longer while Tenebrae, who's still hovering this entire time for some reason, was navigating the boat. After three hours of sailing, the boat landed upon a beach. With this, Tenebrae woke up Marta and the two got out onto the beach.
"HMMMMMM!" Marta let out as she stretched her whole body, feeling completely refreshed with no signs of a headache, which was likely caused by the core attaching itself to her forehead. Tenebrae finally decided to walk on the ground, with him stretching his body out too.
"Feels great getting off that boat, right Tenebrae?" Marta said optimistically as Tenebrae finished stretching himself.
"Indeed. Why the cheerful attitude all of a sudden?" Tenebrae asked, why would Marta be happy after that tragedy?
"To be honest, I'm still sad about what happened back at Palmacosta and with what happened in the Vanguard, but I can't be depressed forever. Besides, Mom would want me to look to the future and try to be happy, no matter what. Not to mention it's been a long time sense I've been out like this ever since Daddy changed." Marta answered truthfully. She hadn't gone anywhere much since Brute became overprotective more then usual, while also recalling that during her travels with Brute, being sad all the time doesn't do any good for anyone. After she grieved for her mom, Marta was able to enjoy life again. Maybe Brute changed the way he did to cope with Lily's death? She didn't know, but nothing justified murdering thousands. She did hope that Brute got out of that terrible massacre too and reflected on how he was acting.
"Your mother sounded like a wise woman. It would have been a pleasure to meet her." Tenebrae complimented, as Lily sounded like a great person based on what Marta said.
"She is, and I'm sure she would feel the same." Marta responded with a great sense on fondness for her departed mother. She silently wished for her to watch over her as she was ready to take the first step on her new journey.
"Anyway, what do we do first?" Marta asked, because as much she wants to help him revive Ratatosk and wake the Centurions, they needed a plan before going ahead.
"First things first, we need to know where we are, than we need to get some supplies and begin your training." Tenebrae sated as he laid out the first note of business. Marta can handle the first thing just fine and she has the 500 Gald she saved up in her pouch, so she should be fine as long as she managed it until she can earn some more money. Plus, she also took the remaining fruit and drinking water from the boat with her, so she'll be fine in regards to food and water for a while. The third thing however...
"Training? You mean with the magic and chi you mentioned?" Marta asked about the training bit.
"Indeed. But not just that, but also in regards to that weapon you have. The Iron Spinner, is what Alice called it?" Tenebrae added as Marta pulled out the unusual weapon.
"Yes. To be honest I thought this weapon was unique, not to mention it looked like it was easier to use as opposed to a sword or lance. It wasn't until I used my acrobatics and my knowledge of dancing that I was able to use it more efficiently. However, I lost more stamina compared to Richter and Alice..." Marta noted her thoughts on why she chose the Spinner as well as expressing her concerns of her first battle.
"Well, you held out pretty well and it was clever to take what you knew. After all, that weapon seems to work more effectively when you use your entire body movement in conundrum with the Spinner, so you had a good idea going there." Tenebrae added and praised Marta for her quick thinking, earning the young girl a small blush of embarrassment.
"Thanks, I look forward to working with you Tenebrae." Marta said as she got on one knee and held her hand out, prompting Tenebrae to tilt his head.
"You've heard of a handshake, right? I know we just met, but I would like you to be my friend, if that's okay with you?" Marta explained and while Tenebrae seemed surprised by the notion, he wasn't against it either. With his tail hand, he grabbed Marta's hand and shook it.
"Very well, Lady Marta. I would be proud to call you my ally and friend." Tenebrae said as he and Marta smiled for the first time sense they escaped. With that, a new journey has began. The quest to revive Ratatosk, awaken the Centurions and save the now unified world is now set in motion!
To be Continued...
With that, Marta's journey has now begun! Where will she end up? How will she master her new magic abilities and her weapon? Tune in next time as we find out!
Please feel free to leave your thoughts and reviews, especially in regards to Marta's new powers.
Update: Grammer and Spelling errors fixed, along with fixing certain pieces of dialogue for better cohesion.