Note: Hello! Three days off from work allowed me to finish this, so here's hoping it was time well spent!
I will include the official descriptions for each of the classes from the official material, as I feel that it'll better exemplify what exactly transforming into their means. Though if I can't find one, I'll make it up.
Also, Koren's speech will tie into something later, yet that'll be later.
Also, the classes will reflect the character's current state of mind and indicate how they've grown throughout the journey. I'll also be showcasing each class's different abilities, mainly referencing the SNES version.
I've been playing through my copy of the remake and have gotten to finding Dryad, yet I'm also taking notes from playthroughs online to make sure everything is mostly in order as, yes, there will be deviations in some areas. But, of course, if you got this far, you should probably know that by now.
With that, here's part two of the Classes bit!
Classes Part 2
Duran's sense of hearing was beginning to return to him and his sight, and both were alerting him that his two companions were in danger. Both Angela and Charlotte had been knocked back away from Alma, Koren and the knight moving towards her. The blue-haired woman was still unconscious, blood staining the side of her head. The knight lifted her and brought her to the Stone, looking down at Duran and kicking him out of the way, the young man rolling to the side in pain.
"Now," Koren said, closing his eyes and placing his hands on the Stone. "Beast of ancient times, representative of the winds and skies of the first world, we present the blood of one of those that the Goddess had chosen over you." the knight held his sword at Alma's throat. "Take this, and release the power of your prison. For with this, you and your brethren shall find freedom."
They were going to kill her...they would kill them all if something wasn't done! Angela...and Charlotte...no. No, he wouldn't allow this to happen! He had sworn that the Crimson Wizard would fall by his hand, keeping him from harming anyone else!
Suddenly, Faerie felt energy begin to radiate from her host. "This...this power." she slowly began to realize. "I know this! It's from the Stone! It's Mana! Raw, pure Mana!"
Koren and the knight were utterly unaware of this, continuing with the ritual to release the Stone's energy. Finally, the sword's tip touched the amazon's neck, slightly breaking the skin, the blade soon to slice across her throat and end her life.
"PUT HER DOWN!"
Everyone turned to see that, to their shock, Duran had changed. Not only in appearance, but the look in his eyes also spoke of an unbridled determination that had seemingly been intensified to its maximum. The light around him died, revealing the young man had donned a silver helmet, right shoulder pauldron, gauntlets, and greaves, covering his bare legs from the knees down, his arms covered in bandages underneath the gauntlets. Upon his upper legs were dull, green pants, and he wore a red, sleeveless tunic with a dark leather covering with stitches all over.
And it wasn't just Duran's armor and clothes that had changed, but his mind. He still saw Koren and wanted to defeat him, but now it felt more than a matter of avenging his wounded pride. He saw Koren not merely as his enemy but also as an aberration in this world where the strong survive and all things are competition to see who will prosper and who will wither. So Duran felt the drive not only to avenge but to prove himself. Not just that he was strong enough to defeat Koren, but anybody else who sought to challenge him. And with this understanding came something he hadn't considered: the ability to charge his sword with elemental energy. Though far from a villain, he did find the selfless service of a knight becoming distant to him, along with his inclination to wear cumbersome armor. Instead, he sought victory through the raw power that could cut monsters in half with one blow.
A word sprang to his lips that acted as the summation for what he was now: "Gladiator."
Angela and Charlotte were at a loss for words, Lumina and Gnome also manifesting to see what had happened. "He did it." the Light Elemental said, shocked. "He did it."
"See? I told you." Gnome answered.
Koren and the knight looked upon the transformed young man, unsure what to make of him. He had somehow managed to channel into the raw Mana coming off from the Stone, and in turn, appeared to gain a new appearance and something else. Nevertheless, the wizard refused to give off the impression he was startled by this new development. "My, my," he began. "You look like you've grown up a little," he said with a smirk. "Only a little, though."
Duran tightened the grip on his sword. "I don't know what happened," he said. "And I admit, I don't entirely understand...but there's one thing I'm sure of." he narrowed his eyes, positioning himself to strike. "With whatever strength that's been given to me…" He sprung forward, leaping in the air. "I will use it to defeat you!"
Outside
What was happening? An intense wave came over her, yet despite her confusion and subsequent fear, she was willing to let it happen. Whatever it was, surely it would help combat Harcypete and rescue her companions.
Harcypete and Hawkeye looked at the young woman transforming, the light around her finally dying down and presenting her to the both of them. Nothing physical had changed, yet her armor bore a shiny, silvery sheen with golden trims, the armor consisting of a pair of pauldrons, a chest plate, and a tasset. A headband of silver rested on her head and lined the light blue wings on both sides, a gemstone of turquoise resting on her forehead that was attached to the band. She bore blueish-green gloves and boots with white fur linings, and her green ribbon appeared to be tied around her right wrist, a lilac ribbon holding her hair in a low ponytail. A teal cloth section hung at her midsection, a partial skirt covering her buttocks.
Riesz did not entirely understand what had happened, but for some strange reason, she did not fight it. Nor, for that matter, did she even question it. Instead, she found her thoughts turning back to tales of her mother, grandmother, and others who'd walked the earth even before Laurant was founded amongst the lofty peaks. In each, there were mentions of a realm to which warriors who'd died heroically went upon their deaths. And, according to some, the women who acted as the heralds of that afterlife were no less brave or skillful than those they guided to the hallowed halls. When the righteous were in dire need, these heralds would be sent not to guide dead souls to their repose, but to help them win, not only with spear and muscle but with the power to bolster their fellows' strength and stamina so they might prevail against evil. She now saw two warriors, righteous despite their flaws, who needed her. And, in this moment of need, the mantle of a herald of the realm where the brave may live forever settled upon her brow as it had for her sisters before her.
A word sprang to her lips that acted as the summation for what she was now: "Valkyrie."
Harcypete surveyed the transformed young woman, her predatory eyes widening slightly at who was before her.
Riesz looked at her opponent. "Release them," she commanded, lowering herself to a fighting stance. "This is between you and me."
Without saying a word, Harcypete tossed Hawkeye to the side, gathering the same type of Mana energy within herself. Riesz readied herself, and both dashed at the same time, ready to strike the other.
Inside
Koren ducked back, barely avoiding Duran's swing. His armor-clad comrade thew Alma to him; he produced a red, magical chain that whipped around her airborne form and brought it to him, Alma then resting in his arms. Duran rushed towards him, yet the knight got in his way. Raising his sword, the knight slashed down, the younger soldier blocking the dark weapon with his own. The two began to exchange blows with each other and dodge the others' blows; all the while, Angela and Charlotte looked upon the Stone.
"What just happened?" Charlotte questioned aloud.
"No clue," Angela replied, yet she then directed her attention to Duran. He was combating the knight, same as before, yet she couldn't deny that the young man had a different air to him—one of increased strength and power.
Then, the knight jabbed forward, Duran able to dodge, yet the blade nicked his left bicep. This caused Duran to stumble, allowing the knight to knock him off his feet and to the ground. The darkly armored figure raised his sword and was about to strike his opponent down, yet he stayed his hand just mere inches away from Duran's head. As if he wasn't able to bring it down any further. His body began shaking and spasming again, his armor rattling as he did so. Neither Duran nor anyone was sure why he was reacting like this again, yet it seemed Koren didn't take kindly to this. "What are you doing?!" he shouted. "Kill him, damn you!"
The knight tried to bring his sword down, the blade touching Duran's helmeted temple, yet still, he couldn't bring it down further. During these moments, Duran found himself remembering and reminiscing on what he had seen of the knight: his moves and his blade skills, all of which looked so familiar. Yet before he could dwell on them further, he noticed the knight's tension lessen, his form growing still. He raised his sword once again and swung down. Duran blocked it, yet it was then that another new development happened. His sword suddenly began to surge, as if it were being consumed by...lightning?! Everyone looked on as the young man's sword was engulfed in waves of electricity, the electricity traveling up the knight's sword and electrocuting him. The darkly armored figure backed off, not exactly in pain, yet more surprised by this turn of events.
"That guy's composed of pure darkness," Lumina noted. "Giving him a light shock will not do too much to him."
"And let me guess, I'm not exactly up to snuff as I am now, am I?" Angela questioned.
"What? No, I didn't mean to insinuate that-"
"Don't need to." the Princess then looked to the still trapped Sylphid. "Besides, I've made my mind up anyway."
Before the Light Elemental could ask, Angela grabbed Charlotte and went over to the massive, triangularly shaped rock, her green eyes looking it up and down. "You gonna do it?"
"Y-Yeah. Sure." Angela responded to Charlotte, yet as she reached, her hand stopped mere inches from its surface. So this was why she had come, let alone what she had wanted to do since she saw Duran's sword outright generate lightning, so what was she so hesitant about? Well, thinking it over, Duran DID look like he was in pain upon making contact with it. And there was the fact that Lumina mentioned something about something 'killing' them. Yet despite that, Duran was still alive, right? And had gained quite a boost too. Besides, this was what she wanted, what had been denied to her since birth in a nation of magic users. Fine. she thought. Come what may, I'll deal with it later.
She placed her hand on Stone's surface, not even noticing Charlotte placing her hand on it. The two were engulfed with energy surges, a burning sensation wracking their bodies. And finally, after what seemed like forever, they found the power to let go, both falling to the ground, sizzling as if burnt.
Outside
Slash, kick, slash, jab, stab, claw, dodge, rinse and repeat. This seemed to be the accepted pattern for Riesz and Harcypete, each exchanging blows with the other. Yet it was clear that the blonde human had gained quite a boost, much to her surprise.
Harcypete flew back and sent out several feathers, and Riesz felt her senses kick in; she whirled her spear around and deflected all those that came her way. She then leaped upward, springing up, and slashed her spear downward, able to slice at the harpy's stomach. The pink-haired, winged woman grimaced yet was determined to hold in her pain, diving down again and taking up Riesz in her talons, grabbing the handle of her spear. Hawkeye watched while trying to rouse Kevin, noting that Riesz appeared more robust than before while he didn't entirely understand. Then his mind returned to when she and Harcypete made contact with the Mana Stone. Could that have been it? And if so, what exactly did it do?
Regardless, whatever it did, it was working. Riesz delivered a brutal kick to the cut area of the harpy's abdomen, forcing her to release the young woman, the distance between them and the ground still at a reasonable height to where Riesz could land safely. Harcypete sent out several cyclones, some coming from Hawkeye and Kevin's direction. The thief lifted Kevin over his shoulder (pausing for a moment to adjust his weight) and dashed out of the way, yet to his surprise, Riesz brought down her spear, and in an instant, the cyclone seemed to dissipate, vanishing entirely. She, too, was shocked at this, looking at the thief in disbelief, yet nevertheless, she would take this new development and run with it. Harcypete sent more cyclones down; they surrounded and encircled the trio, tearing up the ground and creating a profoundly indented circle around them. Riesz raised her spear and performed a spinning maneuver; Hawkeye ducked out of the way, this move dispelling all of the cyclones.
Harcypete looked on from above, eyes centered on the three. The transformed amazon was her central target, yet the other two were distractions. If she could be rid of them, she could continue dueling her actual opponent. She began to concentrate, focusing on the raw Mana energy given to her from the Stone. Riesz and Hawkeye looked on from down below, unsure of what was going on, yet nonetheless, they could sense that something big was being brought upon them.
Inside
Just what was this guy?! Duran's sword had several attributes, ranging from being engulfed in flames to being covered in a thick sheen of ice. Yet very little, if anything, seemed to affect the knight. He had gained this boost, but what good was it doing him?! He was sent back by his opponent, both leaping away from each other and deciding what their next moves should be.
"Having trouble?" a voice asked, Duran not turning his gaze away from the knight, yet knew well it was Koren talking.
"Piss off." the gladiator snarled. "I'll slice off your head next."
"Assuming that yours won't be chopped off your shoulders first." he then began to conjure up a fireball, seeing a perfect place on the young man's back where it'd hit. "GAH!" Yet before this could be done, a hot beam struck his hand; he was surprised that it burned more than he expected. And upon being burnt, he dropped Alma to the ground.
"Chopped? How about blown off?" Everyone looked to see Angela, though it seemed the Stone's power had also affected her.
Her attire consisted of a black and green leotard stitching down the open section to her waist. Long, black gloves with frilly, white linings rested on her hands, golden bracelets on her wrists, and long, black boots with golden sections resembling high heels. Two golden bands rested on her left thigh, the rest of her legs bare. Dress-like areas akin to those on her previous clothing rested on her hips, dark in color with yellow, vertical stripes going down the fabric. A dark, ornate choker rested on her neck, and her crown had become orange and black, its shape similar to the one that previously rested on her head.
Though Angela's appearance had changed, one might find she had not changed inwardly. Well, instead, what she had been before was now amplified. Though she still valued Jose's lessons, the purpose and minutiae of magic held little allure. She was a woman of passion, of energy, and, above all, she was a woman who treasured the power that magic gave her. The shiver that ran up the spine when casting Ice Smash. The sizzle in the blood when Fireball crackled to life. The implacable cold drained away energy when Evil Gate was conjured. And the searing radiance of Lucent Beam. Now that she had the power, she wanted to test its limits, learn how to refine and perfect her skills, light and dark alike, and push them beyond the boundaries of what any book would prescribe. Magic was magic. It was a power given substance and meaning by whoever used it, and she would use it to conquer her enemies and, more importantly, her weaknesses.
A word sprang to her lips that acted as the summation for what she was now: "Mysticist."
Charlotte stood by her as well; she was too transformed. Her cap remained relatively unchanged, though it was lighter in color and had longer sections by her ears, blue orbs hanging by the ends in place of puffs on the back. A frill, white collar rested around her neck and a golden necklace with a sun-shaped charm hung from the chain. She wore a green tunic with four-petaled flowers embezzled at the bottom with golden trimmings, the middle section having flowers sewn into the blue cloth with golden trimmings. A pair of puff, green pants rested on her legs, and white, tighter-fitting stockings and sleeves underneath. She wore pink shoes with yellow ribbons on top, and pink gloves were on her hands.
Charlotte was frightened, yes. Only an idiot wouldn't be. But, she also knew a wounded woman nearby needed her help, just as Duran and Angela might soon enough. Charlotte knew she had to help them, but she also knew she was too small and weak to do so. At least, she would be if she was fighting alone. But she wasn't. All her life, she had believed in the Goddess, not only because she had grown up in a city dedicated to Her, but because she had seen Heath and her Grandpa perform miracles using powers the Goddess bestowed on them. Powers that relied on faith. Charlotte knew that Heath would've been strong enough to do what was needed; to heal the wounded, raise those who'd fallen, and support those fighting to stop evil. So, knowing that was the power she needed to help her friends, she asked the Goddess to grant her powers like Heath's. And, the Goddess answered.
A word sprang to her lips that acted as the summation for what she was now: Her speech impediment didn't make itself known for once. "Priestess."
Koren observed and looked over his Princess' new appearance but wasn't impressed. "I suppose you fashion yourself as a full-fledged sorceress now?" he asked, raising a brow.
"Don't fashion. Know." Angela retorted. Koren prepared to fire a blast at her, yet Duran got in front of her and Charlotte. "Thanks, big guy." the Princess thanked him. "Yet I think you should deal with my dear 'court magician' here," she smirked upon seeing his brow furrow. She then readied her wand, light glowing from its tip. "I'll deal with tall, dark, and not so handsome."
Outside
"What's she doing?" Hawkeye questioned, not liking this one bit.
"No clue," Riesz answered. "But prepare yourself."
Harcypete looked down, the blonde amazon in her sights. She would be rid of her companions first; then, things would continue as they should've. Now was the time. Throwing her head back, she released a loud, piercing sound that was a cross between a bellowing scream and a feral roar, her wings spreading out, her form casting a shadow below. Then, dozens of what appeared to be orbs of highly concentrated green and yellow energy came raining down, along with hundreds of feathers, all with the three as their targets.
"RUN!" Riesz cried out, Hawkeye picking up Kevin and following the amazon, the orbs and feathers reaching them.
It seemed that they touched every part of the ground that they ran to, in front, to the right or left, diagonally, all over. And when the orbs hit the ground, they created sizable craters that cracked and sunk in the hardened earth, the feathers stabbing the rock beneath them. Unfortunately, they couldn't have hoped to be fast enough; Riesz and Hawkeye (along with the unconscious Kevin) were struck down and assaulted by the orbs and feathers, the area below engulfed in light and waves of projectiles. Harcypete looked on from above, satisfied with her work. The blonde wouldn't die, not yet. All she needed was to get rid of those other two; then, things would return to how they should've been.
Inside
Koren looked upon Duran, looking him up and down. "Aren't you a little tired of this song and dance, boy?" he questioned, reveling in how the young man's fury was shown on his features.
"There won't be more singing OR dancing once I lob your hands off." Duran snarled. "Surely you've seen what I can do with this sword now, thanks to that Stone's power. Heh, no wonder you guys want them so bad."
"That's only one of its many wonders." the red-cloaked wizard said. "You have no idea of what these relics of the first world can do."
Duran raised a brow. "First world?"
"It matters not," Koren answered, readying himself, arms outstretched and hands generating magical spheres in them. "Let us see just whether or not your so-called 'boost' has done you any good!" With that, the wizard's tell-tale fireballs shot forth, Duran's sword becoming covered in an icy sheen and slashing at the incoming spheres of heat. Then, with the projectiles dealt with, the gladiator rushed forward, ready to slice clean through the wizard once and for all.
Angela ducked under the swing of the knight's sword, a whirlwind being shot from the place the blade made contact with the ground. "Diamond Shards!" the mysticist called out, diamond-shaped cuts of raw crystal forming above her and striking the whirlwind, slicing through and dissipating it. Then, the knight stabbed the ground, the earth beneath opening up, flares emerging from the cracks. Angela stepped back and jumped to the side, yet the cracks seemed to follow her, the knight continuing to twist his sword in the ground. Thinking for a moment, she began to develop a theory. It was somewhat a simple guess, yet if it was a chance that would stop this, she was willing to take it. Finding a place to stand, the cracks were inching closer and closer to her; she was already feeling the earth beneath her about to give way. "Holy Bolt!"
Meanwhile, Charlotte was tending to Alma, her palm radiating a soft, white light before she placed it on the place where the amazon's flesh was torn open on her head. The gash was quite deep, and, to her surprise, she sensed that the woman had more going on inside her head, something that needed to be tended to more than just a flesh wound. It was a new experience for her, being so close to something like this, let alone being in the hands of something other than her grandfather, yet he wasn't here at the moment to perform this. But, nervous and unsure as she was, the blonde knew she had to concentrate and be on the lookout for any attacks coming her way.
Outside
The numerous lights had died down, and Harcypete descended from above. Yet the scene that met her wasn't exactly pleasing.
Her rival had situated herself atop the violet-haired human and their beastman friend, essentially shielding them as best she could, her body wracked and torn in various places from the energy and feathers. The harpy found herself torn. On the one hand, her rival had up and incapacitated herself and should've focused on defending herself. After all, this was THEIR battle. And yet, she couldn't fault the human for it, not entirely. After all, when her people were being attacked, it was only fitting that she go down and put a stop to the slaughter. In her position, Harcypete would've done no different. Yet she was done playing around. This had to end here and now.
Swooping down, Harcypete went over to Riesz's still form, Hawkeye jabbing a dagger in her direction. She took the weapon and tossed it to the side, taking Riesz, who began to open her eyes. She was thrown back, the blonde stumbling around, yet she still managed to stand on her feet. Then, Harcypete seized her and lifted her, soaring up high until she slammed her opponent back against a rock wall. Next, she tightened her claws around Riesz's arms, pinning her against the hardened stone. Next, Riesz kicked the harpy in the gut, the pink-haired bird woman grunting, yet she still kept her hold. Then, she let go and allowed Riesz to fall a few feet before catching her by the ankle. She then threw her upward and saw her again, this pattern going on to where she would either let the young woman fall or be tossed up; the harpy would catch them before she hit the ground. Riesz's head was spinning; unable to focus on her next move, she reduced to kicking and swinging her spear wildly as she tried to get in a blow.
Then, Harcypete began to dive downward, holding Riesz close to her. Once she released her, her head would be smashed open, her death quick and painless. Despite her and her kind animosity for the amazons, the Princess had proven to be a worthy opponent. Despite her people's thoughts, the harpy didn't revel in unnecessary suffering.
Inside the Chamber
Balls of ice flew in his direction; he slashed through them with a flaming sword; he then continued to charge forward at the crimson wizard chasing the magical blasts. Finally, having gotten close enough, Duran managed to slice dangerously close to Koren; the flaming blade cut his cheek, drawing blood. He leaped back, narrowing his eyes. Indeed, it seemed that this annoying boy had gotten better since they had last met, though his power was not his own, it all being due to that Stone. No matter, his fate would be the same as before.
"How's that?" Duran asked; now it is his turn to smirk. "Not bad for just a 'boy', is it?"
Koren snarled. "Don't get your hopes up too high," he warned. "You may have gotten a good dose of raw Mana, yet my power comes from far more than that."
"And look what good it's doing you." Duran retorted, feeling quite pleased with himself. "Consider your cheek just a starting point. After that, I'll pierce this sword through your chest, and unlike his Majesty, I'll shove it right through your heart!"
"My, my, such bloodlust," Koren observed. "Such rage...be careful," he said. "Battles are rarely won without a clear head."
"Shut up!" the gladiator shouted. "I'll do more than just run you through! I'll cut out your heart and take that AND your head as trophies!"
"And you would make for a good ice sculpture." Koren then threw a blast of ice in Duran's direction, Duran, in turn, slicing through it with his flaming sword.
He continued towards the wizard, yet Koren came and, to Duran's surprise, took hold of the flaming sword; the gladiator then saw that the wizard had turned his hand to stone, yet his fingers were still able to move. The flames were useless against the stone hand, so Duran focused, and instead of fire, surges of electricity consumed the blade instead. This appeared to have some effect, to his and Koren's surprise. The electricity traveled up the grooves and cracks in the stone hand and to the flesh above the wrist, delivering stinging blasts and pulsing burns throughout the sorcerer's arm, forcing him to release the gladiator's sword. His hand steadily turned back to flesh, his eyes widening to see that the flesh of his arm had red marks, thin lines spreading and splintering off, resembling that of narrow, winding tree branches.
Duran looked upon the damage he had done with pride, yet he couldn't help but feel like he was steadily being drained.
Angela forced the knight back with another Holy Bolt, Lumina's magic having quite an effect on him. Yet despite having him from moving too close to her, the mysticist found herself growing steadily wearier and wearier. Finally, the knight slashed his sword down, several whirlwinds emerging with each slice of his blade, all coming right towards her.
"Diamond Shards!" she shouted, this strategy having been seen before, the hardened, shining pieces of crystal slashing through and dissipating the whirlwinds.
"Great job and all, hun," Lumina then said. "But focusing some attention on Sylphid would be much appreciated too."
"I'm working up to that!" Angela answered, dispelling another cyclone before looking at the still trapped Elemental. She went over to him, studying the swirling darkness surrounding his still, floating form.
"Remember, use my power." Lumina reminded her.
"Right." She raised her wand, and a beam of light came from its tip, making contact with the barrier. Immediately, the Elemental's power began to have an effect, splintering cracks forming on the surface. 'Yes!' the Princess mentally cheered. Indeed, she proved to be quite effective in her magic, especially after the Stone's boost. But, even now, it still didn't feel natural to her. Magic, actual magic. And not just that, powerful magic. All at her fingertips. What Jose and Victor would give to see this, I bet. And mother… she paused at the mention of the last one's name, her focus faltering. Honestly, she wasn't sure whether or not the woman would've cared. She seemed to never care about anything relating to the young sorceress. What difference would this make? In fact, would she have been more pleased if one of them were to be sacrificed to it to get said power? 'No!' Angela shook her head. Don't think that! She...she's not the problem. The problem is Koren! He's the one that put this all in her head! With that, she intensified her continuous Holy Bolt; the barrier was breaking further apart.
"No! Don't!"
Whirling her head around, she saw Charlotte being smacked back by the knight, then reaching for Alma.
"Get away from her!" Angela blasted another Holy Bolt in his direction, yet as she did so, she found her body began to ache. She paused for a moment before getting in front of Charlotte and Alma. Charlotte went to work in pulling Alma back, yet, to her surprise, the woman began to stir. "Holy Bolt!" the mysticist shouted, another bolt of light striking the knight, yet it was then that her knees began to buckle; she used her wand to support herself. "What…" she gritted her teeth. "What's...happening?"
"Oh no…" Lumina said, clearly worried. "It's started."
"What the hell?" Duran strained the last swing of his sword, lacking his previous energy.
You need to stop! Faerie cried out from inside him. You're overexerting yourself!
"What are you talking about?!" her host cried out, Koren sending fireballs in his direction, which he slashed through with an icy sword.
The Mana you received from the Stone is tied with your life energy! His "occupant" said. If you go any longer, you could cause irreparable damage! It could even kill you!
"Kill?! What-" he got no more out as he found his slashes and stabs becoming more and more loose and sloppy, his head pounding and everything feeling as if it were a hundred degrees. He could scarcely see Koren's smirking face, Duran still holding on to the rage that boiled up in the coherent part of his mind. He ran forward and maneuvered his sword in the wizard's direction, yet found it was in vain; he was knocked back by a tightly packed sphere of ice, the gladiator seemingly losing his appearance in a flash of light before he landed back on the ground, his former attire on his form.
Outside
She was dimly aware that they were moving downward and that Harcypete had intended this to be the finishing blow. At this rate, she wouldn't survive, even if the harpy crashed into the ground with her. She had to get her to slow down somehow.
Hawkeye watched on from above, unsure of what to do. Yet something had to be done. Otherwise, Riesz was a goner! Bringing out one of his daggers, he tossed it in the harpy's direction, the blade slicing her cheek. Harcypete suddenly stopped, Riesz being jerked in her grip, yet this momentary distraction gave the valkyrie what she needed. She jabbed her spear into the bird woman's side, Harcypete seizing her by the throat and throwing her upward, spreading her wings to zoom up and run her opponent through with her claws. Yet, in this, the harpy had given the valkyrie what she needed.
With a loud, piercing shriek, Harcypete's chest was run through with Riesz's spear, the sharpened end going through her ribs and coming out her back. Hawkeye watched as the two came down, crashing into the ground below. Riesz rolled off Harcypete, both struggling to get to their feet. Harcypete looked at the weapon that had pierced her and took hold of the spear's handle. Then, with one swift motion, she tore the weapon out of her, her sharpened teeth biting down so hard that she pulled through her lip. Blood poured out from the wound, small trails of red running down her body and beginning to pool on the rocky ground. She stumbled forward yet fell to her knees, essentially crawling towards Riesz, trying to use the last of her energy to lay one more scratch on her.
Yet she fell over, coughing and wincing in pain as her lungs burned and the world around her grew steadily hazier.
Riesz crawled towards her rival, her armor seemingly fading away and transforming into the familiar green attire she wore. She went over to her discarded spear and gradually stood to her feet with it as support. She maneuvered her way over to the fallen Harcypete, Hawkeye about to step in to help her, yet she urged him to stay back with a shake of her head. He didn't understand. As far as he was concerned, the battle was won; what else was there to do? If she continued on any longer, she wouldn't be standing, let alone possibly breathing.
Harcypete looked above her, seeing Riesz's blue eyes piercing her own. She appeared triumphant, yet there was an unspoken admiration and respect for the fallen harpy. And indeed, the harpy reflected the same in her own eyes. Regrettable as it was, this was it. The outcome had been decided. She looked on as the amazon raised her spear, ready to pierce the bird-woman and give her a swift end with as little suffering as possible.
"GAH!"
Suddenly, a pair of claws slashed at her side, sending Riesz flying back, Hawkeye catching her in his arms. Looking on, both of them saw, to their surprise, another harpy, this one appearing to be younger than Harcypete, yet she bore the same reptilian-like arms and legs, so she was at least a higher level than that of her other winged brethren. The violet-haired youth glared daggers at the amazon, yet she had no intention of making a move on her; she was just as spent as her leader. The younger harpy looked upon Harcypete, the older urging her to leave and allow her opponent to finish her rightfully. The younger shook her head, hoisting her leader up and wrapping her arms around her. It took some effort, yet eventually, the violet-haired harpy lifted her and her leader into the air, then flew off into the distance, leaving the three humans atop the mountain section.
Inside
Koren stood above the fallen soldier, gazing down upon him. "Looks like your little boost has worn off, huh?"
Duran clenched his fist, about to lift himself, only to have a foot planted firmly on his chest, the pressure already causing him pain. "Don't!" Faerie cried out. "You'll only hurt yourself more!" her host gave out a pained cry, the winged woman having had enough. "Leave him alone!" she shouted, spreading her arms as she flew in front of the wizard's face.
"F-Faerie, don't!" Duran protested.
"My, my," Koren was surprised at first, yet he quickly went back to wearing his confident smirk. "So, you're his little friend that's been giving him tips all this time?" He turned his eyes to Duran. "I knew we couldn't be running into each other by accident."
"Stop this!" Faerie demanded, even if she had to admit that she wasn't intimidating. "Stop this madness! Don't you realize what'll happen if you use that woman as a sacrifice?!"
"I'm more than aware of what'll happen," Koren answered. "That's why we're here, after all. Of course, that foolish harpy only believed that we wished to tap into its power, or perhaps she simply didn't care. After all, she had been fighting the amazons for her people for so long…" he then looked to Duran. "Surely a fellow soldier can relate, yes?"
"Bastard…" Duran hissed, groaning as more pressure was applied to his chest.
"Why?!" Faerie questioned. "What reason could there be for you to do all this?! Why are you trying to open up the Mana Sanctuary?!"
"You have one you serve, correct?" Koren asked. "It is the same for me and my...comrade," he explained, directing his attention to Duran. "Speaking of, he's told me so much of your dearly departed father."
"Angewa!" Charlotte cried out, the sorceress falling to her knees before the knight, who was ready to cut her down. "Howy Bowt!" the blonde cried out, a light beam shooting from her hands. The knight was distracted by this and ready to combat the girl that had struck him, yet a moan drew his attention.
Alma had opened her eyes, seeing the darkly clad figure before her. "Y-You…" She struggled to speak. "You...you remind me...of…" she got out no more before falling unconscious again. Despite this, the knight didn't strike any one of the three. Instead, despite his helmet concealing much of his face save for his vibrantly glowing eyes, he appeared to be, contemplating Alma's words. As if they had struck some chord with him. Then, he lifted a hand to his head as if suddenly struck with a terrible migraine.
'The hell's up with him?' Angela pondered, yet then looked to the still trapped Sylphid. While still on her knees, she lifted her wand and produced a beam of light, striking the dark barrier. And finally, at long last, it shattered, the Wing Elemental free from his encasement.
Suddenly, a loud shout was heard, and everyone was looking to see Koren standing over Duran. "Hey!" Angela hollered. "Get off him-" she was cut short when a dark blur went ahead of her, pushing her to the ground.
Duran's eyes widened. "What...what do you know about dad?" he choked out. "Who do you work for? Tell me!" he was answered with yet more pressure being applied.
"It soon won't matter to you, but I'll give you a hint," Koren said. "It's someone that your dear daddy was very familiar with. As well as his dear Prince…"
Prince...did he mean King Richard? "What...what is his name?!" Duran demanded.
"Duran, please!" Faerie pleaded. "Don't provoke him!"
"What is his name?!" the young man roared again.
Koren then knelt, displaying his open palm. Instead of a fireball or ice forming, what appeared to be a surging sphere of dark energy began to form in the center. "Have this one's dear Goddess tell you when you reach the other side." he sneered, looking to Faerie. "Or does your bond dictate that you two go together? That's fine too." the sphere grew larger and larger. "Whatever the case, I suggest that you simply let it happen. The more you struggle, the longer the blast will take to kill-"
Koren got out no more, for a fist slammed into his gut, knocking him back and dissipating the magical blast. Duran and Faerie looked on in shock as the culprit was none other than the dark knight; he then went over to the fallen Koren and kneeled by him. "The hell do you think you're doing-" he got no further than that as the knight's fist met his face, said fist continuing down on the wizard until he went still and silent. Then, the knight hoisted the now unconscious Koren over his shoulder.
Duran attempted to get up, yet only got so far as to sit up, a pain in his chest forcing him to stay down. The knight turned to gaze upon the young man, his violet eyes boring into Duran's own. The young man found his gaze both intimidating, at the same time, comforting. And familiar.
Yet before he could get a word out, the knight turned away, taking Koren with him and leaving the chamber.
Note: I admit that it does seem I'm making the guys sort of losing a lot to Koren and the Darkshine Knight, yet given they're end-game enemies, I feel that having them win or gain some victory too quickly would lessen that aspect of them. The same thing shall go for the other end-game enemies as well.
Also, Harcypete doesn't die, but that's because I'm saving her for something later that ties into events later in the game.
The next one will be a bit of a chiller chapter, though that's before the action starts again. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and please review, as they are the best encouragement to continue with faster updates!
