Note: Hello! I'm informing you that I have just completed two days on the job I got! It's an adjustment, yet I hope to at least stick with it for a few months.

More references to Heroes of Mana. The official Wiki doesn't have any official summary of the game, so I have to look on character profiles to see what exactly happens.

The Gusthall

She had to stay high up to avoid detection. Yet, as she soared, she spotted a group of humans down below, immediately recognizing the blonde and blue-haired individuals despite her altitude. Landing atop a pillar of rock that overlooked most of the mountain range, Harcypete continued to observe the humans traveling up the mountain path. She looked to her darkened claws, pondering whether or not she was willing to go through with this.

"This is your opportunity." that wizard had told her. "For the sake of your people to finally lay claim back on what is rightfully yours."

She pondered these words, reciting them in her head repeatedly. The harpies that had been spared the dark knight's wrath seemed to consider this proposal as well, and from the chittering and trills that many had given, it appeared that it was unanimously agreed that this would be an avenue that was worth looking into. Save for one. The one that would be her successor looked at her with wide, pleading eyes, begging her not to go. She didn't trust the two strangers; she was hanging on her and trying to stop her from leaving with them.

"Don't you want to take back your land?"

Harcypete let out a heavy sigh. What she was about to do, many before her, would consider such an act dishonorable. To allow strangers, let alone humans, to do such a thing, and outright lead them to the resting place of the Stone, she knew well what lay within its stony confines. And what would happen if it was released. Yet it was just one. And it was for the good of everyone.

It was just one, she told herself. It would just be one.

And do you think that they'll just stop there?

She ignored the inner voice. Besides, if it came to that, then she would simply kill them. There was no need to worry. And even more, she thought, tracing the scar across her midsection, she would have a chance to settle the score between her and a specific blonde.

Far Down Below

"So, it's around this way?" Riesz questioned Alma, answering with a nod. Currently, everyone was climbing the steep mountain path to get to the sacred grounds.

"Shouldn't you already know the way?" Kevin asked. "Oh, uh, if that is...well...sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No, no, it's fine." The amazon answered. "Truth be told, I've never been there before. Up until now, I had no reason to go. My mother and father once had to trek here during the Peddan War, and when…" for a moment, her gaze turned to Hawkeye, and she averted her eyes. "When Nevarl had first invaded this area."

Had first invaded? So this had happened before, Hawkeye thought. Riesz then went silent, the thief lagging behind the group. But then realized that Alma had decided to linger slightly behind him. "The Nevarlan general, Olbex, had killed Galura," she said, adjusting her spear.

"Galura?"

"Yes." the two began slowly catching up with the others, though they kept their conversation quiet. "Before recent times, Laurent had yet to be established. We were merely different tribes of people that lived in the mountains. Living off the land, avoiding natural dangers such as harpies and Needlebeaks. But, then, one amongst us, a young woman with a skill for diplomacy, Galura, brought us together." Hawkeye listened intently. "She united us all, intending to build a nation of our own. And it was through her dream that I, Joster, and Minerva, her daughter, found the will to fight for that dream and all that Pedda threatened." the blue-haired woman gave a passing glance to Riesz, who was leading the group. The same long, flowing blonde hair...Had she not known better, she would've assumed that her dear Captain was the outright reincarnation of Galura herself.

"And...what happened then?" Hawkeye asked, albeit he was hesitant.

"After her death at the hands of Olbex, Nevarl's general and ally of Pedda, a young man by the name of Roget came to the area, along with allies of his own. Olbex and his troops moved onto the tribes, yet he relented only when Galura's daughter, Minerva, my Queen and Riesz's mother, offered herself as a hostage. See, a man by the name of Quacas was with us, yet when we tried to set up diplomatic relations with Nevarl, before the invasion, mind you, Butcher, Olbex's younger brother, disrespected Minerva and attempted to start a riot. In his haste, Quacas killed him. This snuffed out any hope of diplomacy, and Quacas was forced to leave, lest war would break out." Alma sighed. "Unfortunately, it seemed that effort was in vain."

"Well...where were you in all this?"

"I was just a soldier then," Alma explained. "And I joined Roget hoping to take back my kingdom and preserve Galura's dream." Hawkeye continued to listen. "Eventually, we went to the Gusthall, where he demanded our people in exchange for her as enslaved people for Nevarl and Pedda. Thankfully, the Elemental Sylphid used his magic to protect her. Oblex then attempted to kill Qucas, yet he was mortally wounded in the battle. Finally, he tried to take Qucas out with a suicide bomb, yet Sylphid's magic protected him and all of us, leaving him to go to the other side alone."

Hawkeye lowered his head. "So...your people don't exactly have a good relationship with mine."

Alma shook her head. "Unfortunately, no." she noticed his downcast face. "But," she continued. "One amongst them fought for Laurent's freedom and against Pedda with us."

The thief's head rose, clearly interested. "Who?"

"Falcon was her name." the blue-haired woman said. "She was a member of Roget's group and the only one that dared to fight against her homeland." she continued. "Disowned by her father, she fought for our land against Olbex and several other allies of Pedda."

Hawkeye didn't know why, yet a sense of familiarity came to him. "What was she like?"

"She was a down-to-earth woman, knowledgeable about the situation, but she had the eagerness to take on any challenge that came her way. She abandoned Nevarl when they joined with Pedda for world domination. Yet despite that, having a price on her head by all that she once called friends, she never wavered in her convictions. It was through the combined efforts of her and everyone else that Olbex was defeated, and Laurent could finally be established."

The thief absorbed and contemplated all that had been told to him, for honestly, he knew none of this. None of this information had been told to him before. Not by Eagle, Jessica, and certainly not by Flamekhan. He knew that Nevarl had some role in the Peddan War, but as an ally to the invading country? Never did it cross his mind. After all, everyone he had known was so cordial and kind. Not one of them could be a killer, especially Eagle and Jessica. Yet their father? No, he shook his head. Flamekhan wouldn't. He couldn't have. The man took him in, for Goddess' sake! Besides, as Alma said, Olbex was the one that had done all this, not the old, bearded man. Still, Hawkeye found that he couldn't keep the head of the guild's face out of his mind when pondering Alma's words.

"Hey, what are you lagging for? Hurry up!" Duran called out from the front, Alma and Hawkeye quickening their pace to catch up to everyone else.

"You know, it's just come to me." the blue-haired woman said. "It's just occurred to me...you remind me a lot of her."

Meanwhile, up at the head of the group, another conversation was taking place.

"You know," Angela began. "That friend of yours,"

"Alma," Riesz said plainly. "She is Alma, and she is to be addressed with respect."

"Whoa, hey. I didn't mean anything." the sorceress said.

"I apologize." the amazon sighed. "This whole thing should've never happened," she murmured under her breath.

Kevin looked back to see Hawkeye and Alma catching up, though they noticed something particular about the blue-haired woman. "She has a limp," he noted, then growing concerned. "Is she hurt?"

"Not exactly," Riesz answered. "It's simply how she walks. Although, this wasn't always so."

Duran studied her as well. While he knew little about her, how Riesz spoke of her indicated that she had nothing short of the Princess' admiration. But, nevertheless, there was a burning question on his mind. And after a bit of debating whether or not to do it (Faerie not being much help, as she remained neutral on the matter), the soldier came up and decided to come out with it. "How'd she get like that anyway?"

It was then that, while no one could see it, he could've sworn that Riesz's features grew somewhat stony, more so than the usually serious expression she always wore. "It's somewhat of a long story," she began, pausing to look at the winding trail they were traveling. They'd probably make it by late afternoon or evening, so time wouldn't exactly be a problem. "But I suppose I can tell you," she said, trying to find a place to begin her tale. Perhaps, she thought, a bit of history was in order. "Before I was born, and long before Laurent or Palo or any humans were here, this place was under the dominion of the harpies," she explained. "And when the earliest humans began migrating here, they predictably had problems with the local...inhabitants."

"So...what did these harpies do exactly?" Angela asked. "Did they eat people or something?"

"That's...hard to say." Riesz explained. "I've never seen it, yet stories of the harpies date far back. I know that they're effective killing machines, with talons as sharp as daggers, and they have dominion over the winds and skies." she continued as they traveled along the path. "With that, rumors began to abound about them, as while they were a constant and prevalent threat, no one had the time to discover much about them. Some said that their dens were littered with the bones of those they caught and feasted on. Some said that many of those bones were those of children." a sudden chill overcame everyone, Charlotte giving a light whimper. "They became something of a boogeyman for everyone. When Palo was being built, as well as Laurent, parents would tell their children that they needed to be good, not stay out too late, or go outside on their own, lest the harpies snatch them up." she went silent for a moment. "At least, that's what I was told. And what I told Elliot." She felt pretty guilty about it now, yet she hadn't intended to mean anything by it. She just viewed it as a cautionary tale to keep children in line. And he did sometimes inch close to the kingdom's border when he tried to explore the grounds in his younger days. Yet since she told him about the harpies, he didn't set one foot out in the open fields again. Perhaps she had gone too far in telling him such things. Then again, it wouldn't have been the first time.

Duran noticed the amazon's silence. In truth, he could relate to her situation, that damned Crimson Wizard was causing more than enough damage to Valsena twice now. And both times, he had failed to defend his King and country properly. He could also relate to the stories of the harpies, as Aunt Stella told them that instead of harpies, dragons would be the ones to come and eat them if they weren't good. Of course, Duran would counter with how his father would come and save them and slay any dragon that tried to take them. His Auntie didn't appreciate this, trying to come up with various reasons that the dragon would have its way with him before Loki could do anything to save him, yet the young boy was undeterred in his convictions. Of course, after his father had…' left,' any tales of dragons coming in the night went with him. Especially after the nightmares about one particular dragon came to him in his youth. "So, how'd you manage to deal with them?" he questioned. "And what's it got to do with your friend's leg?"

This seemed to snap Riesz out of her stupor; she continued with her tale. "Well, thanks to the support of Sylphid, we managed to claim some of the lands for ourselves. As a result, Palo was established as a port town, and the Kingdom of Laurent was founded by the different groups of humans that resided here, my father and mother from two separate groups respectively from the north and south sides of the mountain."

'Sort of like how Ferolia was said to have united together….' Kevin thought, though truthfully, what he knew of his own country's founding paled in comparison to the amazon's regarding her own.

"After my mother's...departure, Alma became Captain of the Guard, and thus, maintained the border, keeping the harpies and any other potential dangers out of bounds of the kingdom."

"So, what changed all that?" Duran asked.

Riesz's voice grew low. "Harcypete."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. "Harcy-what?" Angela asked.

"Harcypete," Riesz repeated. "Granted, that's not her real name, as if harpies have names, they speak them in their language. Yet it's a title that's been given to her. She's the current head of their clan, distinguished from the others as she has 'arms,' unlike the others who only have wings. In some ways, she appeared more 'human,' yet for us, it only makes her look all the more like a beast." she continued. "I knew of her when I had just entered the guard at the same age my mother had, around thirteen." Riesz remembered well the first time she saw the fabled 'monster woman.' And indeed, much of her was woman, but that only further contrasted with the animalistic portions. She and her hoard of those under her clawed and swooped down upon the grounded troops, slashing and tearing the skin on some, while others were lifted several feet off the ground and dropped back down, she still remembering the sound of cracking bones ringing in her ears. "I just joined but a short time then. And Alma was combating Harcypete…."


Three Years Ago

She looked on in horror as her fellow sisters fell all around her, some moaning in pain while others didn't move and remained silent. Riesz looked up from her place on the ground, a harpy having seized her and attempted to make off with her to drop her like the others presumably, yet she luckily managed to slice its side before the bird-woman got too high up off the ground. The young preteen watched as her Captain was currently dealing with the more prominent, pink-haired leader, each blocking and thrusting their weapons in their direction, though Harcypete's were more natural. Alma slashed and jabbed her lance in the creature's direction while the harpy spread out her talons and claws and swiped in the blue-haired Captain's direction, hoping to gain some hit on the human. Suddenly, a harpy with one of their fellow amazons dropped the woman; she landed atop Alma and effectively pinned her to the ground.

"Captain!" Riesz shouted, rushing to protect her Captain.

"Riesz, get back!" Alma commanded, yet the young amazon didn't heed the woman's words, getting in between her and Harcypete.

The bird-woman appeared confused and, after a few moments, leaned down and gave her a small sniff to take in her scent. Riesz bit her lip, backing up to create space between them. Then, seeing the creature's golden eyes turn their attention to her Captain, the Princess jabbed her weapon in the harpy's direction, yet Harcypete ducked to the side and seized the younger scout by the neck, hoisting her up off the ground.

"Riesz!" Alma cried out, trying to get up while being mindful of the unconscious soldier atop of her. Suddenly, Harcypete flew up in the air, dropping Riesz until her wrist was caught in the bird woman's left set of talons, flying upward with the young girl in her grasp. "RIESZ!" Alma rose and charged, yet more harpies came before her to prevent her from moving forward.

Riesz uselessly kicked her legs, her head spinning as she and the bird-woman flew higher and higher until she felt herself being dropped, landing on her stomach on a flat, rocky surface. Harcypete's wings flapped as she brought herself downward; she then walked over to the young girl, observing and studying her closer. The blonde amazon only looked on with terrified, wide eyes, the harpy taking in everything about her: her scent, her looks, the feel of her skin against her claws as she gently dragged them over her flesh. She didn't know why, yet this particular human interested her. The small scout didn't appear to be anything special, yet her instincts sensed that there was some sort of potential in her. Was she perhaps born into some kind of class as Harcypete was? Maybe she was a young, fledgling member of one of the higher castes, or perhaps even the offspring of a leader. Regardless, if that were the case, it'd be best to deal with her now to set an example to the rest of those humans. Throwing Riesz down, Harcypete towered above the downed scout, raising her claws, aiming for the soft, tender flesh of her throat.

"Damn monster! Stay away from her!"

Harcypete turned to see Alma charging at her, having climbed the rocky wall that led up to this platform. Her spear sliced the harpy's side, causing Harcypete to stumble back, yet she countered with a thrust of her opened claws, taking a hold of the spear and struggling with the Captain in who would get it. Riesz struggled to get to her feet, watching as the two leaders fought against each other. "Alma!" she cried out, though she would soon wish she hadn't.

This moment of distraction allowed Harcypete to gain the upper hand, getting a hold of the lance and tossing it off into the distance. Alma then went to using her fists and legs to combat the harpy, yet the blue-haired woman was outmatched, the harpy sinking her claws into the woman's fists whenever she caught them in her grasp. Then, she flipped Alma over; her leg caught in her claws. And with one swift twist,

CRACK!

Releasing a piercing scream, Alma's leg was bent horribly out of place; it had broken. Riesz sat there, petrified. What was she going to do?! As far as she was concerned, their fate was sealed! She and her Captain were going to perish at the hands of this monster! But something had to be done! Yet what?! She still had her spear; it was a few feet away, yet could she...no. No, she couldn't. There was no way she could go up against Harcypete! Yet if nothing was done, then Alma would surely…

She was brought out of her stupor by a cry of pain from Alma, who was still struggling and fighting back against her captor with whatever strength she could muster. Yet it did no good. Harcypete managed to seize all of the Captain's limbs and hold her down, wincing in pain as her broken leg was being roughly treated. Then, the harpy opened her mouth, her once human-looking mouth stretching out wide and presenting rows of sharpened teeth, all aiming to chomp down and rip out the human woman's throat.

Despite herself, she couldn't stand by and watch anymore. She had to do something! Grabbing her spear, Riesz bit her lip and, albeit with a reasonable degree of hesitance, charged forward, releasing a cry that gained the harpy's attention. Harcypete turned her head, releasing Alma upon feeling her side being slashed by the spear. And then,

SLASH!

Riesz didn't know how she did it, let alone when it happened. All that registered to her was that Alma had to be protected; to do that, she needed to land a decent enough blow to the enemy. Yet when the world came back to her, she saw Harcypete stumbling around, a deep slash running from the top of her left breast to her lower stomach, blood flowing freely from the wound and trailing down the rest of her body, covering her legs and the ground beneath her claws. She released a loud, pained cry, garnering the attention of her other harpies; they all rushed to her aid and looked on in shock at what had happened to their leader. Harcypete attempted to move forward, yet a searing pain stopped her; she fell to her knees, several of her fellow harpies holding her up. Then, she stared Riesz down, taking in every feature of the young girl before she flapped off, the rest of her 'troops' following suit.

"Alma!" Merci shouted, rushing over to her Captain. "Are you all right?!"

"Of course, she's not! Look at her leg!" Gertrude gestured to the blue-haired woman's broken limb. Several other amazons climbed up and surrounded their leader, Riesz kneeling beside her Captain.

"I...I'm sorry." she apologized. "I'm so sorry. I...I should've acted sooner."

"Princess…" Riesz then noticed everyone looking at her, or the blood on her weapon, putting the pieces together as to what had happened. "You were fantastic."


"Her leg healed, yet I suppose it didn't heal right," Riesz told those listening. "Ever since then, she's had a noticeable limp. But don't mistake this as she's incapable." the current Captain knew that well; otherwise, those twin ninjas would've had their way with her back when Laurent was first invaded. She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind.

"So that's when you became Captain?"

"Yes," Riesz answered. "Yet again, Alma is competent. She simply said she wished to relinquish the position to me," she explained. "Since that day, however, the harpies have gotten more aggressive. Especially Harcypete. She's set her sights on me."

'I know I would.' So Duran thought, being reminded of that night at the castle. And that damned wizard.

'Well, don't get too worked up.' Faerie urged from inside his head. 'After all, that's what you wish for, right? Get the Mana Sword; you'll become the best swordsman in the world.'

That made him feel somewhat better, yet still, any reminder of that red-cloaked man made his blood boil. "Nice story and all, but…." Angela cut in. "How much further do we have to go." she groaned. "My legs feel like they're gonna fall off."

"Not much further," Alma said from the back of the group. "Just a couple more miles."

"A few miles?! Ugh…" Angela fell to the ground, her legs giving out. Then she laid her eyes on Kevin and Charlotte, the latter having taken to being carried on the beastman's back. Then, Angela turned her attention to Duran. "Hey you," she said. "Carry me."

"...what?" Duran asked.

"You heard me," Angela replied. "Carry me."

"Wha...no!" the soldier shot back. "You can walk!"

"Not anymore." Angela groaned. "Any more, and my legs are going to crack!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic! You've made it this far, haven't you?"

"And it's as far as I can go." the sorceress complained. "So I need YOU to carry me!"

"I'm NOT carrying you," Duran answered.

Angela huffed. "Kevin's carrying Charlotte."

"I don't CARE what they're doing, Charlotte could be carrying him for all I care, and I STILL wouldn't care. Or hell, he could be carrying EVERYBODY else; I STILL won't carry you."

Angela folded her arms. "You know, you STILL owe me that favor for what you said to me on the bridge."

"What?! You're still on that?!" Duran asked.

"Yes, I am." Angela retorted. "And besides, it's only manners that a man takes care of a fine young lady."

"Where? I don't see any."

Angela's cheeks puffed out, her face growing red. "H-How dare you!"

Riesz sighed. "Either come on, or we'll go on without you."

"W-What?" before Angela knew it, everyone was passing her, and she was soon the only one. "H-Hey! Wait! Don't you leave me behind!" she got to her feet (she wasn't lying about the pain in her legs) and dashed off after everyone else.

Upper Mountain Caverns

She didn't like this. She didn't like this one bit.

Since her leader left her, the violet-haired harpy was beside herself with anxiety, pacing back and forth in front of the massive egg. Those men, or rather, were a man; the other was nothing natural; they were up to no good. They were merely using Harcypete, yet, upon hearing the prospect of finally gaining back what was rightfully theirs, how could she not see that this was all part of their scheme? Not that the young harpy was worried that those two could take her leader out, goodness no, yet still, it wasn't precisely them that she was worried about.

If she was going to the Mana Stone and, in turn, the Gusthall, then she couldn't simply stay here any longer. Something had to be done.

Giving a slight glance back to the egg, she spread her wings, lifted herself with a few tentative steps, and took to the skies, hoping that she could at least find Harcypete in time.

Heavensway

The sun had begun to set over the expansive towers of rock and stone from afar, bathing the whole area in a deep orange. The party of seven currently stood at the mouth of a giant cave, already feeling a light breeze on their flesh.

"So, this is it?" Angela questioned.

Riesz nodded; she then turned to Alma. "I suppose you still know where to go?"

Alma nodded. "Yes. I'm not an old woman yet, mind you. And don't any of you think otherwise." she gestured to the younger people around her.

"Someone will have to stand guard outside, however." the blonde amazon said. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll stay," Angela said, sitting on one of the flatter rocks nearby. "I can't walk another step."

"Um, it looks dawk in thewe." Charlotte answered.

"I can stay out with you." Kevin offered, yet the blonde girl seemed to think this over, noticing how everyone was sort of looking at her as if she were five years old.

"Oh, second thought…" Charlotte puffed out her chest. "I'ww go in. I'm not scawed."

"Then...do you want me to go in with you?" the beastman questioned.

"I think that you'd best be suited outside." Riesz then said.

"Fine then, I'll go in." Duran stepped up. "This could maybe use a sword."

"All right, that's three, myself and Alma included." she then looked back at the cave entrance. "I suppose we best get this search underway." she then looked to Hawkeye. "You shall stay out here with…" she then paused. "On second thought," she then turned to Duran. "You stay out here." then to Charlotte. "As well as you." then to Kevin. "You'll also come with us."

"Huh? Why can't I go?" Charlotte asked.

"If there's anyone you'll need in there, it's me." Duran attested.

"I'm sorry, but I think that you'd be better suited out here." she then turned to Hawkeye. "And I want you where I can see you."

"As you wish." the thief gave a slight bow, only making Riesz roll her eyes.

Kevin went to Charlotte. "Will you be ok out here?"

"Y-Yeah! Of couwse I wiww!" the blonde girl attested. "Wike I said, I'm not scared!"

The beastman chuckled. "Well, if you're sure." he then turned to the cave entrance, the coveted Gusthall lying inside. "Well...I guess we better get going."

"Agreed," Riesz said, motioning for the beastman to go on inside. "You wait. I don't want you going off too far on your own," she told Hawkeye, who, despite himself, just took the command in stride. She then turned to Alma, unable to keep her concerns down any longer. "You can stay out here with those three, you know. There's no need to strain yourself."

"With all due respect, Captain, I held that position before you for years, so I think that just a few years out of service hasn't done that much to me."

"That's not what I'm referring to, and you know it." the blonde amazon looked down at the blue-haired woman's bad leg.

Alma then looked dead serious at her, actually putting Riesz on edge. "Your grandmother had a dream for this kingdom, as did your father and mother after her. So long have I fought, both then and now, to preserve that dream, and I don't intend to stop now, no matter what may come." she gave her leg a slight tap with her weapon. "And if I cannot serve as a simple guide for my Queen, how shall I say that I helped preserve that dream?"

Riesz froze upon hearing her handmaiden say that, especially at the title given to her. And indeed, it seemed Alma herself wasn't too comfortable in using it either. Hawkeye made himself look uninterested and directed his attention elsewhere, yet he heard every word they had spoken.

"Hey, you ok?" Riesz heard Kevin ask, the amazon shaking her head.

"It's nothing," she replied. "Now come. We must not delay." She stepped forward, going past everyone first while, somewhat confused as to why she was suddenly in such a hurry, followed suit, leaving Duran, Angela, and Charlotte alone outside, the other four disappearing into the cavern.

Gusthall

The cave's interior wasn't all that well lit, rays of the sun able to come down via openings in the ceiling. Moss and some small pieces of flora were present here, the ground covered in a small layer of grass. Yet the most distinguishable feature that everyone could pick up on was the steadily growing winds that played with everyone's hair and clothing, the tunnel they were standing in opening up and displaying the cause of said winds. Several statues that resembled giant heads with opened mouths expelled gusts of powerful air, the figures covered in thick layers of moss and ivy, clearly having been here for quite some time.

Riesz looked to Alma for direction. "There are switches built in the walls." the blue-haired woman said. "Turn them, and the head will turn with it. Though you must be careful in which direction you send the winds, the builders of this place made sure that the pits here were quite deep."

Riesz nodded in understanding, looking to Kevin and Hawkeye. "Watch yourselves." she urged; they soon approached the first statue, its ever-open mouth pouring forth strong winds that threatened to blow everyone back. And had they been standing directly in line with it, they would've been. Yet nearby, there rested an angular-looking gem in the rocky wall, blue and wedged in just enough to where one could place their hand on it. Approaching it, Riesz gave the gem a slight turn to the left, everyone then noticing how the head turned in the same direction, the two of them linked. Then, carefully turned it to where the head was merely blowing at a stone wall, then stepped away and joined everyone else. "Come on. We have more work to do."

Alma and Riesz went ahead, leaving Kevin and Hawkeye behind, though they quickly caught up, albeit sticking to the back. Riesz kept looking back to track where the thief was at all times, yet a slight touch on his shoulder drew Hawkeye's attention to Kevin.

"So…" the beastman began, unsure how to start. "I don't know much, but…" he paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about your friend. Eagle, right?"

The thief was caught off guard. What was with this all of a sudden? Nevertheless, he thanked Kevin for his gesture. "Thanks. And it's fine. Besides, once we get to the Mana Sword, all of that will be dealt with." While his main objective was to remove Jessica's curse, avenging Eagle was a goal he shot for.

"What was he like?" Kevin then asked. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Hey, relax. It's cool." Hawkeye said. "Let's see...Eagle." he pondered. "Well...he was sort of a blowhard." the thief began. "He was always a bit of a nag; that armor he always insisted on wearing only made jobs more difficult, so he rarely went on them, and if he did, it was just as a lookout, oh, and not to mention, his laundry was always the worst to do. Seriously, that guy could sweat up a storm under that chest plate." Kevin was puzzled, not exactly understanding. Why would Eagle be saying all this about him if Eagle was his friend? Should not a friend mainly focus on the good things about them? Yet then, Hawkeye said, "And I wouldn't want him any other way." The truth was, there was no other way that the thief could get this out without lacing it with humor. Any other way simply couldn't be done. It helped lessen the pain, at least somewhat.

"If I can ask, how close were you two?" Kevin questioned, yet then noticed the thief's face scrunch up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No. It's fine." Hawkeye assured. "Me and Eagle...heh, I guess you could say that we were like brothers." a small smile came to his face. "And Jessica, our little sister."

Kevin remembered this 'Jessica' and how she was the main reason the thief was on this quest. Indeed, the beastman felt his heartache for the other young man. "They sound like nice people."

"They and the guild are the nicest you could meet. Rough around the edges, and not everyone appreciates our line of work, but once you get accustomed to them, they're fine folks." Hawkeye explained. "Without a mother or father, you have to make a family out of what's around you."

Kevin was silent. Indeed, he could relate, though from what he heard, these thieves were much better company than the 'fine' people back in Ferolia. Save for that one girl with the Chocobo he met in Mintas. What was her name? Anati, right? She was nice. And sort of cute (did he just think that?), but nothing could compare to Karl. Had it not been for that wolf pup coming into his life, he wasn't sure what would've happened, let alone how he would've turned out. And frankly, he didn't wish to think of it.

How he stood at the cliff's edge, viewing the ground far below…

Kevin shook his head, banishing the memory from his mind. Now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. Besides, Karl's absence wouldn't be an issue soon. Soon, everything would be right again. Well...he couldn't go back to Ferolia, not after everything that had happened, yet when Karl was back...Kevin was confident that everything would be fine.

"You know...even if no one else trusts you, I do." the beastman said.

Hawkeye was still for some time before he was able to respond. "Thank you."

Despite keeping the conversation calm, Riesz could pick up some words and piece together what the two were saying. And yes, it didn't make her feel much better. It wasn't as if she simply chose not to give Hawkeye her complete trust; indeed, there was a reasonable degree of her that wished she could. Yet she couldn't deny that there were too many questions in the air. And it certainly didn't help that her people added to the conflict. They were calling for blood and justice, while another, even if it were just one person, would surely call for mercy upon those that invaded her home. And frankly, she wasn't sure which to follow, or perhaps that there was some middle ground.

This was too much. How was she going to be a Princess if she couldn't even...no. Not a Princess. Now, she was a...she couldn't say it.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Alma looked at her with a small smile. Riesz tried to present one back yet ultimately found herself unable to do so. Besides, she needed to focus on getting through here and getting to the Mana Stone and, subsequently, to Sylphid.

Though she couldn't help but feel that these stones weren't the only obstacle they would have to face.

Outside

Though she didn't exactly feel much better, at least she didn't have to walk anymore. Still, she didn't exactly like that it was getting dark, a sentiment seemingly shared by Charlotte and Duran, while he didn't openly display it.

"Do you think they'we ok in thewe?" Charlotte asked, the blonde beastman coming to mind, though this wasn't to say that she wasn't concerned about the others.

"They're fine," Duran assured. "For now, we need to remain at our post." his eyes traveled around, surveying the area, centering on the setting sun.

"I don't see any of those creatures from last night around," Faerie noted, popping out of the soldier's ear.

"Why do you always pop out of there?" Duran asked. "It looks like you're living in there."

"Well, technically, I do." the blonde, winged woman. "At least I don't have to crawl through all the wax, though." she grimaced.

"Hey!" Duran shouted. "I take perfectly care of myself, thank you very much!"

"Well, if you had to, at least you'd have plenty of room in there, as there wouldn't be much brain matter," Angela smirked.

"Says the girl who can't walk a few extra miles up a hill." Duran shot back.

"Hey, getting up here too nearly all day! And we didn't have any breaks! And if you're so big and strong, surely you could give some help to a lady like me!"

"Lady? What lady?"

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Duran's neck raised. "Shh."

"Don't 'shush' me. I'm not done talking to-"

"Shut up." the soldier interrupted, Angela was miffed about his command, yet soon, she felt something was off.

Charlotte and Faerie looked around yet soon found themselves engulfed in a large shadow, looking above to see a humanoid shape with wings. "What the-" the blonde girl got out, yet that was all, a flap of the giant creature's wings knocking her off her feet and sending her tumbling head over heels back, smacking right into Duran's legs.

The soldier stumbled back and fell over; Angela got off her rocky seat (her rear end now somewhat sore) and studied the creature approaching them. Then, suddenly, without a word or seemingly any care for them, the bird-like woman passed over them and dove through the mouth of the cave their other companions had entered, leaving the three alone.

It was as if, despite being out in the open, she hadn't paid them any mind. As if she weren't here for them. But that would only leave…" My, my." a familiar voice suddenly spoke, the four turning to see a blonde, young man garbed in a red cape and a new, unfamiliar figure, a knight dressed in the blackest armor, standing but a short distance away. "We keep running into each other, don't we, boy?"

Inside

Finally, the last stone head spewing out gusts of wind was maneuvered out of their way, and the group of four turned to enter a giant chamber of Stone, stopping in shock and awe at what lay before them.

Nestled in the most northern corner of the concave chamber rested a massive, monolithic rock, triangular and a pale teal. Yet, it radiated with energy, the air feeling electric all around it. No one was sure why, yet they all found a strange urge to approach the ancient relic. Its surface was rough in several places yet smooth in others. And those soft areas appeared to have an appealing texture. Steadily, everyone approached the Stone, eyes wide and taking every aspect of it. Then, to her surprise, Kevin stepped out in front of everyone and began to reach for it, eyes wide and fingers outstretched.

"Overwhelming, isn't it?" a mellow, wispy, and fluctuating voice said. Everyone looked around to try and find the source, yet all they saw were the same rocky walls surrounding them. "Hm? Oh! Yes, that's right." the voice then said. "I forgot. I have to do some 'adjusting' for you all to see me." then, gusts of wind were found coming from all directions then the clear air began to seem to have color added to them. Mainly consisting of blues and yellows with splashes of orange, the colored winds joined together and turned pink, forming a misty collection of dust.

A stout figure formed from the blues, yellows, oranges, his small, blue eyes opening to see his 'guests.' He was a round, chubby thing with blue skin and rosy cheeks, his ears pointed and long. Poofy, yellow pants, and slippers that dipped and curved upward on his feet were upon his legs. Around his waist was a silver belt, an angular section in the center, and around his neck and wrists were bands of the same metal. A hat of yellow was on his head, the top seeming to be the source of the pink clouds that had now formed underneath the floating spirit. No one said anything for a good while before Kevin found his mouth opening. "You...are you?"

"Yes, I am the one you seek." the small, vaporous creature answered. "I am Sylphid, the Mana Spirit of the Wind, and protector of the Stone." he then stood on his cloud and gave the three a slight bow, though upon doing so, he flipped head over heels and spun around in the air until he managed to force himself to come to a stop. "Ooh! Oh my...I hate when that happens. So," he looked at the four humans. "How do you do?"

"Oh! Um...well enough, respected Sylphid." Riesz said hurriedly, trying to come up with a better title for the immortal figure. So respected wasn't good enough in her eyes. So...casual. Not befitting a Spirit. "Though I must admit, we have come to you in troubled times."

"Indeed." Sylphid nodded. "The beast sealed inside is very anxious to get out," he said, turning to the Stone. "And thus, its energy is seeping out. Said energy tends to attract many unsavory things here. And it's not just the Nevarlan invaders." he then noticed Hawkeye. "Yet it matters not to me where you're from," he assured as if he were about to sense what the thief would be thinking. "It was, after all, one from your country that assisted me and my fellow spirits against Pedda."

One from his country? Then, Hawkeye's mind returned to his and Alma's conversation. Falcon…

"Hello." Alma then greeted. "Surely you remember me, right?"

"Hmm…" Sylphid pondered for a moment. "Oh, yes! That's right! Dear Alma, one of Roget's allies!" the blue, genuine spirit chuckled. "It's been only...nineteen years? I can't even keep track of the time." He turned to Kevin. "What's this? You bring a beastman…" he then turned to Riesz. "And Minerva and Joster's daughter? Quite an ensemble you've brought me!"

"It seems that, in a way, history is repeating itself sooner than any one of us would've hoped," Alma told Sylphid. "That's why these three need…" it was then that Alma stopped.

Sylphid nodded. "I noticed." he then looked towards the chamber's exit. "Your foes have already arrived."

Suddenly, footsteps were heard, yet these steps were flat. It sounded like, with each step, something was being slightly raked through the earth, like something sharp was being dragged along the ground. A small amount of light from the Stone and small bits of the moonlight pouring down from the cracks above allowed everyone to see a pink-haired woman. Tall, yet young looking, and with skin as tan as Hawkeye's, yet had it not been for her features of bird 'hands' and 'feet,' they wouldn't have been able to figure that she was in no way human.

Note: The little bit with Kevin when talking to Hawkeye will be addressed later, as it's peeking into how Karl was so important to him.

Also, here's hoping that I ensure that Harcypete is adequately portrayed in the next chapter. I don't want to represent her as just a monster.