The Beast That Carries Mountains

Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Armory of the Forgotten Hero! First off, minor apology on the lateness of this chapter as I've been busier than expected the last two days. But here it is now for you all to enjoy. So, last thing, to answer DCDGojira's question: unfortunately, I think they can. Now then, onto the story!

Castle In the Capital of Siltvelt

'Damn that Werner,' thought the old man as he walked down the halls of the castle assisted by his wooden cane that possessed a curled end near the top, 'intentionally keeping news of the Armory Hero's arrival from me and some of the others. No doubt he was attempting to gain sway over him.' Not that he could put all of the blame on Werner. Even in his youth he was never the fastest to respond to situations such as these, it was in his and his species's nature.

Though as he entered one of the main chambers a blinding light stopped him as he was forced to cover his eyes. It lasted only a couple of seconds and when he could look again, he noted five figures were now standing where there had been none before. "Alright," said the apparent leader who had two distinct bands with white jewels on them, "let's check the progress in the archives and then get out of here."

"That was….the teleportation ability," said the old man as he readjusted himself, "tell me young man, are you the Armory Hero?"

"Who's asking," said one of his companions, a blond-haired weasel girl.

"Oh, it's the Genmu," said the blue-haired girl that the old man now recognized as Melty Melromarc, "I was starting to think you'd never make it."

"Ah, Princess Melty," said the now named Genmu, "so you are here, and apparently with the Armoy Hero."

"Yes," said Melty as she held her hand out to indicate each one, "This is Rifana, Johann, Izumi and the newest Armory Hero: Darius Saxon. Everyone, this is the representative of the Genmu people."

"Pleased to meet you, I think," said Darius as he took in the newcomer's appearance. The old demi-human could've easily passed for Dragonball's Master Roshi with his long white beard and bald head, or at least he assumed it was bald under that striped cap he wore. The cane didn't help much either as even with his Chinese style robes on, the University Student was having a hard time not picturing the old man in sunglasses. One feature that did stand out on him, though, was the presence of a turtle shell on his back and a tail resembling a snake. "You aren't here with a small army of women who want to make babies with me, are you?"

"Another time, perhaps," said the Genmu Representative, "I much prefer being of service to the Shield and Armory Hero's as opposed to using them as tools for my own ends."

"The Genmu are actually part of what's known as the 'moderate faction' here in Siltvelt," explained Melty, "they believe relying too heavily on the Shield Hero is a mistake and that likely extends to the Armory Hero as well."

"It's not that I don't appreciate all the previous Shield and Armory Heroes have done," said Genmu, "I just believe in being practical. Powerful as Cardinal Heroes are they are not invincible nor are they capable of solving every last problem in the kingdom. There are at least some problems we should be able to solve ourselves and the better we are at that, the less weight we'll put on the shoulders of our protectors."

"Well I got a question," said Johann as he raised his hand, "if you really want to help, do you know why there are a bunch of tortoise monsters running around?"

"You are basing all of that on the fact that he has a turtle shell on his back, aren't you?" Quipped Rifana.

"I mean he looks like a turtle, tortoise, or whatever kind of expert to me," said Johann.

"He's not entirely wrong," said Genmu with an amused smile, "and I am in fact here with some news I'd been meaning to give to the Armory Hero."

"I hope it's something along the lines of good news," said Darius.

"It might be," said Genmu, "I stopped by the archives on my way up here and there were several people there, both Siltvelt shadows and Yama Clan members if I'm not mistaken. They told me that they'd discovered a possible identity to the one responsible for all of this before rushing off to the village where you were headed too."

"We'd best send word that such a trek is no longer necessary," said Izumi, "in the meantime, what information do you have for us, Mr. Genmu?"

"The pattern the monsters, or rather familiars are following is very similar to an old story that references a battle involving some of the previous cardinal heroes," explained the Genmu, "It's one my own species are quite fond of: The Legend of the Spirit Tortoise."

"'Spirit Tortoise'," repeated Rifana, "this would have to be an awfully old story because I followed quite a few of them when I was growing up."

"There are countless stories about the exploits of previous Cardinal Heroes," said the Genmu, "you could probably fill at least a bookshop with stories of exploits that have been lost to time or just weren't told. But this particular one has been around for quite a while, so I'd advise a bit of double-checking."

"We'll get right on that," said Darius, "but first we need to gather the rest of our things. As soon as the teleport ability recharges, we're out of here."

"Already," said the Genmu, "but you've hardly been here two days if that."

"And now we need to head back," said Melty, "the situation is likely far more dangerous than even we know at this point."

"Too bad for that Werner guy," said Johann, "he's probably gonna lose it when he hears we're leaving."

A Short Time Later: Room of the Armory Hero's Party

"But you've hardly been here two days if that!" Exclaimed Werner, "I was under the impression you'd be here much longer."

"Pretty sure I wasn't giving off that impression," said Darius as he stored the last of his and a few other belongings in his inventory, "I am sure I told you we were just here to look into the problem of the mysterious monsters and a bit of diplomacy. Turns out it didn't take long to get an idea of what we're dealing with and it's a doozy, so we need to be heading back."

"Surely there's something else you can accomplish while you're here," said Werner, "Siltvelt and all of its resources are at your disposal. Even our armies can be yours to command if you simply say the word."

"If that's the case," said Melty, "then tell them to start sending regular patrols to as many villages as possible. The bat familiars need to be killed and the monster corpses burned. You'll also need to send a few healers with medicine to treat and remove the purple egg the bats have been implanting into both people and monsters. That should serve as a good preventative measure to keep future monsters from emerging and it goes without saying that you should exterminate any monster you come across with a strange tortoise shell on its back as it's likely a familiar."

Werner looked to Darius as if asking for confirmation. "Do what the lady says," he ordered with slight impatience.

"Of course, right away," said Werner as he had a quick word with a pair of servants before sending them off. "But if I may ask, where are you going in such a rush?"

"That should be fairly obvious," said Darius, "we're going to back up the Shield Hero. I imagine you wouldn't want to impede him in defending the world now, do you?"

"That would be the last thing I'd want to do," said Werner, "in which case, do make haste and tell the Shield Hero that Siltvelt awaits his arrival with bated breath. And next time we'll be prepared with even more extravagant food, service and the finest of our women."

"Don't feel the need to go overboard on our account," said Darius, not really wanting to argue the point with everything else going on. "Just make sure your people are ready because this is probably gonna get a whole lot messier before it gets better."

"Then we shall pray to the Shield Hero for both his and your success, Sir Armory Hero," declared Werner, "farewell for now, and return to us soon!" Darius's answer to that was a simple shrug before taking one last look to make sure everyone was set before activating the teleport function. And in a flash of light, Siltvelt was far behind them.

Melromarc: The Royal Castle

"Thank God," said Rifana as the familiar courtyard and architecture of Melromarc greeted them, "I never thought being so readily accepted could be so stifling."

"That's how it is for some countries," said Melty, "they find all kinds of uses for cardinal heroes and do whatever they can to keep them happy so things can stay that way. Mother was right to send you and your party. I doubt the other three heroes would've returned at all if we'd sent them."

"Which is still one of our most pressing problems," said Naofumi as he, Raphtalia and the rest of his party came walking into the courtyard. Also accompanying him was Figneria, recently returned from Koteraan. Naturally the first thing she did was pull Darius in for a kiss, more than a little happy to see him.

"I'd heard you were sent to Siltvelt," she said after they separated, "you didn't have to fight your way out to get back here, did you?"

"I did have to put up with a few fights," replied the Armory Hero, "but thankfully the current state of emergency and my need to help the Shield Hero was enough to convince them not to try keeping me there."

"And is this the help you mentioned you'd be bringing?" Questioned Naofumi as he caught sight of his new party member.

"Yeah, everyone," said Darius as he stepped back and held a hand out towards the Horned Girl, "this is Izumi Yama of the Yama clan. She's a terrific fighter, believe me, and quite adept at monster killing."

"And it is an honor to meet you, Sir Shield Hero," said Izumi with a bow, "you also seem to have a wonderful party. And you must be 'the' Figneria, master of weapons and the second woman to capture Darius's heart. It is my sincerest hope that we shall be able to get along."

"It's difficult to say who captured whom's heart first," said Figneria, "but we have most certainly gotten it to work."

"Yeah but is this gonna work," said Naofumi as he eyed Izumi with mild suspicion, "we had the Queen to vouch for Éclair and Granny, but who did you get to vouch for her? Are you sure we should be trusting someone you've only known for a day?"

"According to multiple sources, the Yama clan is more than a little devoted to the Armory Hero," explained Darius before rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment, "and according to her, she's also my fiancé of sorts." That got everyone's attention, who didn't already know, as they all stated the following reaction: HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHH?!

"I mean she looks kinda nice but I'm not sure I'd call her fancy," said Filo with a tilt of her head.

"No, fiancé," explained Rapthalia, "it means she's promised to marry him."

"Huh, but I thought you were just gonna marry Rifana and Figneria," said Filo as she turned her attention to Darius, "she must be extra special if she's gonna marry you first."

"Could you just give us the condensed version," said Naofumi to his fellow hero in mild annoyance.

"Long story short, her clan raised her to be the wife of the Armory Hero," said Darius, "so I don't think we need to worry about being backstabbed by her. That usually happens after the wedding."

"And with that out of the way, could we please get back on track," said Rifana before turning to Naofumi, "what's the rundown on how bad things are right now?"

"Based on what the Queen's shadows have managed to gather, the ones we still have contact with anyway," began the Shield Hero, "in several of the smaller Eastern countries the appearance of the monsters is causing deterioration of public order, leading to riots basically everywhere in that corner of the continent. Some of them are even on the verge of collapsing and Melromarc is starting to head that way as well."

"Well good news is, despite all the annoyances," said Darius, "there's a lead we might be able to investigate."

"Any leads at all are welcome at this point," said Naofumi, "what've you got?"

"Before we left," said Darius, "we ran into the Genmu representative. He pointed us in the direction of something called-."

"I FOUND IT!" Exclaimed the voice of Rishia as she came running out to the courtyard where they were at. Though she looked a little ridiculous now given that she was dressed in a costume greatly resembling Filo in her bird form while waving a book in the air. 'Guess Earhard can alter character costumes too,' noted Darius. "It's right here, the Legend of the Spirit Tortoise. I just reread it and it had familiars with tortoise shells on their backs!"

Naofumi glanced at Darius. "Yep, that was pretty much what we were told. Good news is Rishia just saved us both a lot of time trying to find the thing."

"Then we'd best report these findings to the Queen at once," said Figneria, her professionalism keeping her from shooting questioning glances at Darius and Izumi. At least for the moment.

Melromarc Castle: War Chamber

If there was one thing the Queen of Melromarc was good at it was discretion. The moment she heard they had a lead she led them into a smaller, round stone chamber lit with torches. It had a table in the center with a map of the continent on it, though everyone's attention was currently on Rishia as she explained the ins and outs of the sacred beast known as the Spirit Tortoise. "It's referenced in books like these that detail stories of past heroes," explained Rishia, "the tortoise is described as being big enough to carry mountains on its back and the description of the familiars matches the ones we've been seeing up to this point."

"It actually sounds like a legend from my world," said Naofumi with a hand on his chin, "I forget its name but it was said there was a tortoise or turtle capable of carrying Mt. Penglai on its back."

"Guess your Chinese mythology and mine are pretty similar on that point," noted Darius, "though the ones I know about are legends of giant turtles carrying islands on their backs."

"If I recall the tale of the Spirit Tortoise correctly," said the Queen, "it was sealed away by the heroes of the past." She pointed her fan at a certain spot on the map. "And where it was sealed, a country was born which beared the name of the mythical beast, Reiki. It just so happens that country lies East of here."

"If we consider everything we've seen so far and how it all seems to be occurring in the East," said Grilaroc, "a connection is undeniable. It is likely the Three Heroes also had a similar legend to this in their worlds and that is where they are heading."

"To get themselves killed on…purpose?" Said Naofumi before noting that everyone was staring at him. "At least that's what Fitoria seemed to be saying."

"In the story," said Rishia, "the Spirit Tortoise is sealed by the cardinal heroes. Do you think any of the three know a sealing spell?" A quick look around the room was all anyone needed to know that the possibility was highly unlikely.

"We'd best work on getting the other three heroes back here," said Éclair, "their enemy carries entire mountains on its back, after all. If we're lacking even one of the heroes in the coming wave…."

"It probably wouldn't be all that different from the last wave," said Rifana, "we'd be dealing with the major threats while they'd work at picking off monsters of a much lower level. And that's assuming they didn't get their asses handed to them in some embarrassing manner."

"But now that I think about it, there was something else Fitoria said that was curious," added Raphtalia, "'for the people's sake, or for the world's sake. If everything goes well, another wave will never come.'"

"If I might suggest a possible explanation," said Izumi as she raised her hand, "I believe she may be referring to a great sacrifice that will be made by the people in one case, while the other involves potentially putting the entire world at risk."

"Now that you mention it," said Filo, "Fitoria's voice didn't sound all that well, even though she was telling us to give up."

"That's kind of how she is," said Darius, "even though I've only interacted with her for technically less than two weeks, I got a pretty good idea about her feelings on a few things. She says she doesn't care about what happens to the humans but that doesn't mean she's jumping for joy when something bad does happen to us. More than likely, she's keeping the true purpose of the Spirit Tortoise to herself because a whole lot of people are going to die if and when that thing awakens."

"Well we haven't received confirmation of the main body of the tortoise yet, though that country is likely in chaos," said the Queen, "and that's not even considering the coming Wave will arrive in less that four days."

"In the story," read Rishia, "it says that the the heroes of that time took the way to unseal the tortoise to their graves. Maybe it means that it won't be all that easy to revive."

"But if all that's needed is to break something to undo the seal, you better believe the three stooges will find it," said Darius, "if there's one thing they've proven adept at, it's inadvertently making things worse."

"Guess that means there's no choice," said Naofumi as he put his hands on the table and leaned forward with determination in his eyes, "we've got to chase after them. Even if there's little to no chance they might break the seal, those three still might wind up getting themselves killed. With everything going on right now, we can't afford that."

"You are right," admitted the Queen, "and we've no time to lose. I'll send word out to the shadows about where you're headed. Request anything you might need through them. I'll also have them report any new information on the three heroes or the Spirit Tortoise. Take care on your mission and may good fortune guide you."

Later: On the Way to the East

"Might I ask a question," Said Izumi, having to raise her voice to be heard over the rushing air and the beat of Johann's wings. She sat just behind Rifana who was holding onto Darius as Johann carried them through the sky, their eyes peeled for anything that looked even remotely like their quarry. "From the sound of it, the three heroes are incompetent in many areas, including combat. Would the four of us not be enough to take them on?"

"If it was just the three of them I'd be more than willing to make the attempt," replied Darius, "but they got their parties with them. We could probably still take them despite that, but it'd be pretty difficult. Best to have Naofumi and his party with us when we find 'em, especially if they happen to reach the Spirit Tortoise before we do."

"Of course, we have to take the sacred beast into account with everything we do right now," agreed Izumi, "I'll remember that from here on out."

"You might get your wish if we can't find them before the Wave starts," said Rifana, directing her next question to her boyfriend, "do we have a plan for that?"

"If the Wave starts before any of us reach the Spirit Tortoise, we'll all be teleported to the location of it," said Darius, "the Queen should've already had the other heroes register with the dragon's hourglass, so in theory if we're lucky every one of us will pop up at the Wave. But I highly doubt we're going to be that lucky, especially given the estimation that the other heroes will reach the Spirit Tortoise, give or take, two days before the Wave."

"So basically if we have too, we're gonna need to fly ahead and take 'em on ourselves," surmised Rifana, "either way I'm going to enjoy whooping their asses when we find them."

"I believe you and I have found something we agree on," said Izumi with a small smile as they flew on.

Two Days Later

The trip was expectedly, eventful, to say the least. Even using one of Darius's teleport points only got them so far and then they needed to slow down to keep pace with Filo. Even at her full speed, they quickly determined that it would take them three days to reach the location where the Spirit Tortoise was supposedly located. On the upside, the promised Shadows were on hand to provide them with both supplies and information, however fleeting it was. On the downside, the bat familiars and other familiar monsters were slowly growing more and more frequent.

And Darius went the extra mile whenever they encountered the bats, burning them into little more than crisps with whatever fire weapon or ability he had at the time. His thoroughness left him drained on more than one occasion. And he wasn't the only one to get tired out. Thanks to Filo having to pull some new members in the royal cart given to them by the Queen and the fast pace she was setting, the Bird Girl eventually wore herself out enough that they had to stop for the night.

Yet even with all of the built-up tension over the last couple of days, it didn't quite balance out the awkwardness the two parties were feeling right now. The reason being that instead of Naofumi cooking, Izumi had insisted on cooking the meal, only allowing help with the preparation of the ingredients. "So getting the full explanation," whispered the Shield Hero as they waited on the food, "she really was groomed to be your wife?"

"She says she was trained in numerous tasks to fulfill all of the Armory Hero's needs," replied Darius, "that seems to include cooking, cleaning, fighting, magic, basic first aid, numerous forms of etiquette, wilderness survival and navigation, sewing, and I quote 'the art of love'."

"That's because not just anyone can travel with the Armory Hero," said Izumi, having heard them anyway as she handed Darius the first bowl, "only the most skilled will be able to remain by his side throughout the entire journey. Through the Waves of Catastrophe and beyond."

"Oh, have you sworn to be Darius's polesword?!" Asked Filo, bouncing up and down excitedly as the food was being passed around, "Big Sis Raphtalia did something like that for Master!" Naturally this made the Raccoon Girl look away in mild embarrassment.

"We call it a naginata in my homeland," replied Izumi with a smile, "and I have sworn to be that and more for Darius. A weapon to strike down his enemies, a shield to help protect him from harm, a gentle hand for when he is wounded, an ear to hear any and all of his grievances, a shoulder for him to cry on, and a warm body to help him stay comfortable on even the coldest of nights."

"And not a half bad cook," said Johann as he scarfed down his food next to Rifana, "this is nearly as good as Naofumi's cooking."

"If there is any way I could improve it, please let me know," said Izumi with a slight bow before sitting down between Darius and Naofumi. Naturally the Shield Hero was a little confused by this while the two women on the Armory Hero's left had expressions ranging from slightly annoyed to irritable.

"I'm certain you've been told already that you don't need to be so formal with us," said Figneria, her ability to keep her composure shining through as her voice remained even. The Warrior Woman had been riding behind Filo and the others with a contingent of soldiers she'd brought from Koteraan. They were without a doubt professional, but Darius was still thrown off by the fact that they were all dressed up in squirrel and penguin costumes. That had been Rishia's idea.

'I don't think it'll matter what I achieve here if I become known as the one who introduced the nightmare known as furries to this world,' Darius mused before Izumi spoke again. "I have, it's just been…difficult," she said, "my training began, as is customary, when I was ten years old. At that time, I hadn't been selected as a potential candidate and was merely learning the basics of fighting and survival around our mountain home. When I was fourteen, though, it was obvious I was among the more beautiful of my clan members and was chosen as one of the five girls who, along with five boys, began training specifically to be a potential party member and life partner for the Armory Hero?"

"They were training boys for that too?" Said Rifana with a raised eyebrow.

"Some past Cardinal Heroes, including the Armory Hero, were women," replied Izumi, "we thought it best to have our bases covered. And once our training began, we were encouraged to be competitive with the idea being that we'd all work as hard as possible. I wanted to be selected as badly as any one of my chosen clan members, but unlike them I worked a little harder on my fighting skills instead of the art of seduction or a silver tongue. The Armory Hero, no, Darius needs someone who can fight by his side and a helpless maiden who is only capable of keeping his bed warm at night will not do. Though, I still hope you will find my performance in the art of making love to your liking, Sir Darius."

"And we come right back around to you wanting in my boyfriend's pants," said Rifana as she rolled her eyes.

"I'd be more than honored if you and Lady Figneria wished to join us," said Izumi, "truthfully, it is I who should be asking permission from the two of you. You both know the way he makes love the best and anything I could learn would be most helpful."

"Could we please talk about something else," groaned Naofumi, "I already know more about Darius's lovelife than I'd like to know and you talking so openly about it isn't helping."

"My apolo-err sorry," she said, "let's pick a different topic then. Might I hear about some of your adventures together, Sir Shield Hero?"

"Where would we even begin on that," said Naofumi as he scratched his head.

"Wanna tell her about the time we got attacked by those monster fish while we were in the river," Suggested Darius.

"You mean when we were looking for rare minerals?" Said the Cardinal Hero as his face twisted into a slight grimace, "we got our asses bit that day. We were running around like morons for a solid five minutes."

"Only because Johann and Filo were planning on hitting us with full force attacks," reminded Darius, "didn't quite know their own strength back then."

"Not our fault those fish looked so tasty," said Johann, "next time get bit by something that looks nasty."

"I don't think that would be the best approach to that problem," Rishia pointed out, "or any problem involving a small monster biting into them."

"We still got 'em to come off," said Filo, "and those fish weren't near as bad as the first time we ran into slimes."

"Why did you have to bring up that headache," said Rifana as she rubbed her temple, "it took us hours to clean our equipment after that job."

"I personally thought our worst job was the sewer cleanup," said Raphtalia with a hand to her chin. A collective bout of groaning and laughter was the response to that little memory.

Later That Night

'This is a feeling I am not accustomed to,' thought Figneria as she sat sharpening one of her daggers. She was currently one of the ones on watch as, despite their best efforts, the threat of monsters attacking at night was still present. Since it was a large group, one of the soldiers Figneria had brought from Koteraan was also currently on watch on the other side of camp with everyone rotating in shifts as was normal. Though even if she hadn't been on watch the former assassin doubted she'd be sleeping well.

'I know that girl, Izumi, isn't lying when she says she'd be willing to accept an arrangement where we can all share Darius, but still.' It was likely the thought of marriage that was confusing her most of all. She'd thought up numerous different contingencies for if and when another woman would come looking to try and steal Darius away for either his fame, his seed or both. She'd even planned for the possibility of a stranger saying they wanted to marry her lover.

But something about Izumi and her situation just, threw her off. "I wonder what Darius would say," she mused aloud, "if I asked him to marry me?" But before she could ponder much more, the sound of footsteps approaching caught her attention as she turned to see Rifana approaching. "It seems I'm not the only one having trouble sleeping."

"Let me guess," said Rifana as she crossed her arms and sat down next to Figneria, "you're thinking about this Izumi issue too, aren't you?"

"It is proving difficult to keep it off my mind," admitted Figneria in her usual calm demeanor, "I can tell she desires to have Darius's child some day, but she goes about it differently from other harlots."

"She told me she really wants to try falling in love with him," said Rifana, "she's entirely certain, actually, that it's going to end with her falling for him."

"And naturally neither of us are in the best position to say that won't happen," said Figneria before sighing slightly, "ah, the downside of having such a desirable lover."

"You know he still thinks he's not quite good enough for either of us," said Rifana with a small smile, "and he probably thinks the same about Izumi. I'm wondering when that's gonna stop. Does he think he has to make it through the Waves to prove that he's good enough?"

"He was raised to be humble," said Figneria, "and his world made things where it was better not to stand out. No doubt it still feels somewhat, surreal, for him to be in the spotlight as a defender of the world. So many things are new to him and he's trying to put on a brave face until he can process it all, much like you and I have been learning new things. That's probably why he hasn't seemed too decisive on the issue of Izumi, if you can call it that."

"I don't know what else I'd call it," said Rifana, "I don't hate the idea of her being a party member and a friend because she seems nice and is a really good fighter, but her being so insistent on marrying him." She groaned in frustration at it the situation.

"It was a problem we were going to have to face sooner or later," said Figneria, "Darius is a Cardinal Hero and the offspring of Cardinal Heroes have often gone on to accomplish at least a couple of great things. The numerous women who attempted to lay with Darius while you were in Siltvelt, and Izumi, are only the beginning. In due time I wouldn't be surprised if nobles, generals, royals, and other members of high-status start offering their daughters, or in some cases themselves, as potential suitors for our Armory Hero. There will even be those who create a situation in which Darius will have to marry for political reasons, some of which could start or end wars."

"Mirellia is already trying to hook up Melty and Naofumi as a possible way to peace," commented Rifana, "and she's not being as subtle about it as she thinks. And after our visit to Siltvelt it's even more likely people will be trying to set up stuff like that for Darius. The big question is what do we do about it?"

"I've been wondering that for some time myself," said Figneria, "and I've come up with a possible solution, though you might not like it all that much."

"I doubt there's gonna be a solution to this mess that I'm gonna like one hundred percent at this point," said Rifana, "so may as well tell me every idea you've got for this."

"To put it simply," said Figneria, "Darius is going to wind up with a harem, as in more women than just you and me."

"And how is that solving anything?" Groaned Rifana.

"Because we are going to make sure the ones wanting to be with Darius actually want to be with him," said Figneria, "I'm good at spotting when people are lying and you know what Darius likes better than anyone. So long as we work together, we should be able to keep out any undesirables who just want to use him."

"Which means still letting other women get close to him," said Rifana, "which, if we're all able to get along and Darius is happy, isn't the most terrible thing. Though I got to wonder: shouldn't Darius have some sort of say in the matter?"

"Of course," said Figneria, "I just want to make sure he doesn't let himself get seduced by a crafty harlot. Princess Bitch isn't the only one of those roaming around this continent, after all."

"Guess we may as well get started then," said Rifana with a sigh, "what's the vote on letting Izumi have her time with Darius?"

"Yet another answer I doubt you'll like," said Figneria, "I think…we should let her try and see how compatible she is with him."

"You're right, I don't like that answer," said Rifana as she rolled onto her back with another sigh.

"Are you that fearful that she'll become Darius's new favorite?" Questioned Figneria, "you know he tries to divide his time equally between us already even despite the obvious difficulty."

"I know I just can't help it," said Rifana, "it's just that you have to be away in Koteraan half the time and I'm, well, I'm a warrior girl. But Izumi, so much about her is beautiful. The way she speaks, the way she fights and even the way she carries herself, it's like the definition of warrior maiden. She said so herself she was selected because she was among the most stunning girls in her clan and her drive took her all the way to the top of that. In comparison, I'm just a lucky girl who got a second chance and made the most of it."

"And you think that means you have less drive than Izumi," said Figneria, "you weren't ever in a position to know Darius was the Armory Hero and that cannot be helped. But I remember the day you asked me to train you, the fire in your eyes when you picked up that mace for the first time while still possessing the body of a ten-year-old. Perhaps you'd already started falling for Darius then and perhaps not, but either way you were determined to find Raphtalia as a member of his party. And you have stood by Darius's side through thick and thin, never once running or cowering away from danger, always ready to stand firm against any threat that tried to harm those you cared for. I've little doubt that Darius thought of you as a warrior maiden then and he still thinks of you that way now."

"Huh, and here I was thinking it was weird that Darius still thinks he's not good enough for us," said Rifana, "while I've gone right back to being insecure about my own womanly charms. Guess I've got a bit more growing up to do than I thought."

"Old insecurities have ways of popping up when we least expect them," said Figneria, "but we can't let them stop us. Especially not when the one we love still needs us."

"Guess with a thought like that in mind I'd best be getting back," said Rifana as she stood up, "oh and I'll take over watch after you. Can't let you miss your opportunity for Darius cuddle time now, can I?"

"I appreciate that," said Figneria with a smile. Rifana gave a happy nod before turning and heading back. Her boyfriend hadn't stirred from where he'd been, though the Weasel Girl noted with more than a little delight that he reflexively pulled her in for a cuddle when she laid down next to him.

"I love you, Darius," she whispered before pecking him on the lips. She received a contented hum in response, leading her to wonder if the Armory Hero might actually be awake. But she realized she didn't care as she snuggled up to him, now more content with the choice that had been made. And she'd also find that come tomorrow, it'd be the least of her worries.

On the Path to Reiki

"It looks like Filo is slowing down," noted Darius as he glanced back towards the ground, "guess even with time to rest she can only go full throttle for so long."

"It's times like these I wish I was a full-grown dragon already," said Johann, "I'd be able to carry everyone and we'd cut way down on travel time. Heck, we probably would've been there by now if I was flying at full speed."

"And as we've explained to you, numerous times, we wish it were that simple," said Rifana, "but since we don't know what to expect, it's just safer to stick together for right now."

"Speaking of arrival times," said Izumi, "I believe the other three heroes were scheduled to arrive in Reiki today."

"If they haven't already," said Darius, "either way the only thing we can do is keep going until-." A sudden jolt seemed to flash through the Armory Hero's mind as he saw the image of a glass shattering. "SHIT! Johann, everyone, heads up!" His party members readied their weapons as their eyes darted around their surroundings for any sign of a threat. But for some reason, there appeared to be nothing of note happening.

"Darius, what are we looking for?" Asked Rifana as she strained her eyes and ears for anything out of the ordinary.

"I just felt, the Wave," he replied while also looking around. But the sky was the same color it had been before and there were no monsters in sight.

"That's not supposed to be for another two days," reminded Izumi, "are you sure there isn't something else wrong?"

"There, is actually," said Darius as he looked back at the timer which signified the countdown to the next Wave. The number had stopped moving at 47:15 and the number next to the blue hourglass symbol on his HUD had changed from 6 to 7.

"The timer stopped?" Said Rifana as soon as Darius relayed the information.

"Yeah, and it looks like I'm not the only one having this issue," noted the Armory Hero as he looked down to see Filo stopping. "Johann, land next to Filo and the others, it's time you both had a break anyway."

"Got it Boss," said the Dragon Boy as they landed on the path near Naofumi and the others. While Johann would deny it, he was pretty exhausted too from having to keep himself suspended in the air for so many hours, so it didn't take long before he was curled up and sleeping like Filo. As for the Armory Hero, he joined his fellow Cardinal Hero next to a drop off on the road that offered quite a good view of the surrounding mountains.

"I take it you felt that too," said Naofumi without looking over in Darius's direction.

"Something's happened on the scale of a Wave," replied the Armory Hero as his eyes scanned the landscape, "give you two guesses what it is."

"I personally hope we're both wrong," said Naofumi, "but it looks like, the Spirit Tortoise has awoken." And as if on cue, several miles away, a mountain moved.

The monster that controls the familiars has been revealed and now, likely thanks to some idiocy, it appears to have awakened. Now our heroes must figure out how best to deal with a moving mountain. So while they do that, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as our hero's battle with the Spirit Tortoise truly begins! 'Til then.