I do not own Dragon Quest VIII or any of its characters.
Failed
"I'm so sorry," Jessica repeated for the millionth time, holding Kane as he sobbed.
It had been hours since they'd been locked in the cell. Dawn would be coming soon.
"I'll kill him," Kane said through gritted teeth. "I'll rip him apart piece by piece!"
Jessica held him tighter, then looked to the door. "Someone's coming!"
"It had better be Marcello," Kane growled, pushing himself to his feet. "I'll stick that sword up his-"
"Good evening, everyone," Angelo greeted them. "Glad to see you're all looking so well."
"You son of a bitch!" Kane snarled. "This is your fault!" He lunged at the bars, shoving Yangus aside, but Angelo narrowly escaped his grasp. "They're dead because of you!"
"Dead?" Angelo frowned, doing a head count. "Who's dead?"
"My friends!" Kane snapped, fresh tears falling down his cheeks as he sank to his knees. "My friends."
"Your friends?" Angelo asked, looking to the others once more.
"The Hellhound and Slime that Marcello killed were Kane's pets," Jessica explained, glaring at him. "Because you got us locked up, they died."
"Those monsters were your...pets?" Marcello asked, eyes wide. "How on earth did you manage that?"
"They're not monsters!" Kane shouted, glaring at Angelo. "They trusted me! And I wasn't...there for them."
Angelo watched him for a moment before bowing. "I'm deeply sorry for your loss. I never meant for anyone to be hurt." He straightened up. "I must apologize for before, as well. Perhaps you'll consider this as conciliation?"
"Yes, we will," Kane nodded. "Unlock this door so I can go ram Marcello's sword up his prick!"
"No, I can't let you do that," Angelo said coolly. "I can help you, but I cannot allow you to kill him."
"What are you up to?" Jessica asked.
Angelo unlocked the door and opened it, Jessica keeping a hand on Kane's shoulder to stop him from going after Angelo or Marcello. Yet.
"What are you up to?" Jessica asked.
"The guard upstairs might hear if we talk now," Angelo warned. "I'll explain later. Come on!"
"No," Kane growled. "I'm going to rip that smug bastard apart with my bare hands!"
"Kane!" King Trode snapped. "I order you to calm down! You will have your chance for revenge, but not right now! For now, we need to focus on getting out of here and finding Dhoulmagus! After that, we can bring that ruffian to justice!"
Kane grit his teeth, trembling with rage, but finally, he managed to suppress it, nodding. "Yes, Your Majesty. As you command."
"The monster is your king?" Angelo asked.
"We'll explain later," Kane snarled. "Lead."
Angelo nodded, leading them silently to the interrogation room, finding the guard there fast asleep. He explained he'd drugged the guard's food with sleeping powder, then led them into the torture chamber, stopping in front of an Iron Maiden.
"Right, we're safe in here," Angelo nodded. "You can talk again, now. Who is this monster?"
"King Trode," Marik explained. "Ruler of Trodain. Dhoulmagus placed him and Medea under a powerful curse, then placed another on our entire kingdom. It's why we're hunting him."
"I see," Angelo nodded, then glanced at Kane, who was on his knees, staring at the wall lifelessly. "What are you...Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know he'd...done that." His gaze followed Kane's to where Ripper's head had been mutilated, then mounted on the wall of the torture chamber.
"Oh...Oh, Kane," Jessica breathed, kneeling beside him and wrapping her arms around him, forcing him to turn away from it.
"Tell us what's going on!" King Trode ordered. "What ordeal do you intend to put us through next, hm!?"
"Like I said, I'm sorry about before," Angelo said. "If I hadn't lied about the ring, Marcello would have been onto me like a shot! And I haven't got anywhere else to go if I'm chucked out of here. But I came to get you out, didn't I?"
"And led us to the torture chamber," Kane said. "Where Marcello has that waiting for me!" He pointed to Ripper's mounted head.
"I didn't know about that, I swear," Angelo said. "But...alright, I'll be straight with you. I brought you here because this Iron Maiden has a secret door in the back. It leads outside of the abbey. Watch." He opened the Iron Maiden, then pressed on the back of it, a section swinging away from him and forming a doorway. "If I'd known Marcello had...well, I'd have taken it down. Or at least warned you, first. I'm truly sorry."
Kane glared at him. "Where are our things?"
"Oh, here," Angelo nodded, picking up their belongings from beside the Iron Maiden, beginning to pass them out.
However, Marik once again chose to wield his newer sword. However, in light of everything that had happened, Kane no longer cared. Marik could use what he wanted. Kane only cared about two things. Stopping Dhoulmagus and making Marcello pay.
"Wot's your game, eh?" Yangus asked as they followed the secret passage. "First ya grass on us for somfin' we ain't done, and then ya come an' 'elp us."
"Sorry if I've confused you," Angelo apologized. "The people here have a bit of a trust issue with me. I couldn't stick up for you before. It would have backfired. The man who interrogated you, Marcello...He hates me. That's why I had to let him put you in the cells before I could help you."
"That's all well an' good, but ya still don't know us from Adam," Yangus pointed out. "Ain't you worried about us bein' friends wiv this old monster, eh? You'll just accept our story just like that?"
"True I don't know anything about you," Angelo admitted, turning back to them and stopping, holding his torch aloft. "And I wasn't there when you were caught. But I do know you saved the Abbot's life. And as for your story, your friend was completely sincere about caring for the two...uh...the Hellhound and Slime that Marcello killed, so why shouldn't your other friend be equally sincere about what that jester has done to Trodain and its king? And besides that, just before you were brought to the interrogation room, the sinister feeling that's been lingering in the air went away. I must thank you for that. I'm not so ruthless that I'd hang you out to dry. And besides, I couldn't stand by while there was a lady in trouble. Marcello's a rather talented inquisitor, you know." He turned, holding his torch higher, and illuminating a ladder. "We're here. This leads outside."
"Good," Kane said. "Then you can go first."
Angelo nodded and climbed up the ladder. At the top, he pulled a hatch to the side, revealing a pile of hay. He climbed through it, paused for a moment, and then climbed out. Kane followed, finding they were in a stable, and Medea was the only other occupant. He smiled, bowing to her.
"You're bowing...the princess?" Angelo asked.
"Yes," Kane nodded as King Trode ran over to hug her. "And before you ask, she refused to let us have a normal horse pull the wagon. She was determined to help somehow, and this was her choice."
"Fair enough," Angelo nodded as the others climbed out of the hay.
Kane frowned, sniffing. "Fire!"
"What!?" Angelo asked, following Kane as he rushed outside.
Before them, the bridge to the Abbot's residence was burning.
"The bridge!" Angelo gasped. "Is the whole abbey on fire!? Surely that jester didn't come back again!?"
"Yes, he did," Kane growled, drawing his sword and slipping his shield on. "He's focused on the Abbot. Until one is dead, this won't end."
"Oh no!" Angelo yelped. "I've got to save the Abbot!"
"Let's go!" Kane shouted, already sprinting for the abbey.
The others followed, racing for the abbey's front door at a dead sprint. Angelo led them through the abbey and out back, then barrelled past a trio of Templars and onto the burning bridge. Kane grabbed Yangus and hurled him across the bridge, which was creaking and groaning, beginning to buckle as Marik charged onto it. Kane swept Jessica into his arms and jumped hard, sailing over the mote around the Abbot's residence off to the side of the bridge, where the air wasn't superheated. Then, as he landed lightly in a lunging squat, the bridge collapsed behind Angelo and Marik. Kane straightened up once more and set Jessica on her feet, then pulled his shield on and ripped his sword from its scabbard turning to the locked door.
"We'll have to brute force it!" Angelo announced. "There might just be enou-"
Kane grunted as he push-kicked the door at the lock. The door around his foot exploded apart, and Kane and Marik flowed into the residence without a second's hesitation, Yangus and Jessica following a moment later, then Angelo behind them. In an instant, Angelo rushed to the wounded Templars scattered around the bottom floor. Kane glanced around, but just as Angelo asked one of the Templars what had happened, another Templar bounced down the stage. Kane growled, charging up the stairs with Marik, Angelo barely two steps behind them. At the top of the stairs, several more Templars lay scattered, and Marcello stood protectively before the Abbot. And there, hovering before them, was Dhoulmagus. Dhoulmagus wore knee-high, black, leather boots, orange pants, and a Jester coat with red balls at the ends of the tails, thick, vertical, purple stripes on the body and the puffy shoulders, tight, red sleeves from just above the elbow to his wrists, and his dark scepter in his hand, its spiked back end held behind him and raised, the red jewel in the bird head's beak glinting maliciously. Dhoulmagus's skin was a pale, green-grey, except for red triangles above and below his eyes.
As Kane reached the top of the stairs, Dhoulmagus's scepter glowed with power, and he swiped a hand upward. A moment later, Marcello had shot backward so hard his back cratered the wall, and he crashed to the ground, barely conscious. Kane snarled angrily, leaping at Dhoulmagus, but he turned sharply, swiping his scepter down at Kane, and a beam of violet energy exploded into him, sending him exploding to the ground.
"Kane!" Jessica shouted, sprinting for him as Angelo ran to Marcello.
"It was all...that...jester!" Marcello grunted. "I...couldn't...stop him! He's...strong!" Marcello coughed up blood. "But you can't...let him..." He sucked in a rattling breath, and Angelo set a hand on his arm to help him up, only for Marcello to shrug him off. "This is an order! Templar Angelo! Get the Abbot to safety!"
Dhoulmagus swung his scepter, and Marcello and Angelo both sailed across the room, black magic swarming across their bodies as Marcello bounced across the floor and Angelo cratered the wall, the same way Marcello had a moment before.
"Just...die!" Kane snarled, pushing himself up and lifting his fallen sword. "You damn monster!"
He leapt at Dhoulmagus once more, Marik charging as well, but as Dhoulmagus swung his scepter once more, both exploded through the railing and plummeted to the ground floor once more, crashing down hard.
"He's...too...strong!" Marik wheezed, having landed on his back.
"We don't have...that option!" Kane growled, pushing himself up and holding his head, where the ground had cracked his skull and split his scalp. "We have to...kill him!"
Just then, King Trode sprinted into the building and charged up the stairs.
"No!" Kane yelped. "Your Majesty!"
He staggered toward the stairs, Marik shoving himself up and following.
"If it isn't King Toad!" Dhoulmagus was saying, bowing mockingly to King Trode. "Looking as small and ugly as ever!"
"Shut up!" King Trode ordered. "Return my daughter and I to normal at once! Do you realize what you've done to my castle!?"
Dhoulmagus scoffed, raising his scepter as raw, evil, magic power began to erupt from it, forming a ball of violet light around Dhoulmagus. Kane grunted, leaping forward. But there wasn't time. He hadn't even moved a single foot before Dhoulmagus had hurled his scepter. And a moment later, it was over. The scepter had impaled the Abbot as the Abbot moved to shield King Trode, being the only person close enough. Dhoulmagus curled his hand as though beckoning, and the scepter flew back to him, hovering before him as wicked magic writhed within it, swelling.
"W-What!?" King Trode gasped.
"Such a pity," Dhoulmagus said mockingly, taking the scepter, its raging magic spreading through him, forming a dark aura around him. "It seems fate and your benevolent Goddess are both on my side." He cackled madly. "Yes, such a pity. Poor Francisco!"
Suddenly, the magic in the staff spiked, a ring of magic seals appearing around it, spiraling for a moment, then burst apart, the magic around the staff turning a deep, bloody red.
"The power!" Dhoulmagus hissed, cackling. "My work here is done!" Then, he pulled his arms and legs to his chest before throwing them outward, a pulse of his power flashing out, shattering a window behind him. Then, he bowed dramatically. "Parting is such sweet sorrow!"
Then, he floated backward out of the window, his insane laughter echoing even after his body had vanished into thin air. Rain began to fall, thunder and lightning cracking in the clouds. Jessica rushed to Kane, helping him bandage his head. More Templars arrived, using a temporary bridge they'd set up, and the wounded and dead were gathered and seen to. The rain held up. It fell, unabated, throughout the Abbot's funeral, throughout the smaller, joint funeral for those Dhoulmagus had killed. Of those who'd been guarding the Abbot, only Marcello survived. He'd escaped serious injury, miraculously, as had Angelo and Marik, and Kane used magic to heal his own head, something he was decidedly lacking in skill for, and which took several repeated attempts to get the spell to work properly. Finally, at dawn the next day, the rain had finally let up.
"I would like to formally apologize for killing your...uh...pets," Marcello said.
"A formal apology won't make things right," Kane growled. "I'm going to make you pay. Somehow, someday, some way, you're going to suffer."
Marcello narrowed his eyes. "Very well. I look forward to that day. I'll be waiting."
Kane narrowed his eyes, then turned, walking away from Marcello, leaving the Abbey and finding Medea in the barn where the escape tunnel had led, though King Trode was missing.
"Where's your father?" Kane asked.
Medea whinnied and threw her head, nodding in the direction of the Abbey.
"The Abbey?" Kane asked, Medea nodding. "Got it. Well, I expect we'll be leaving soon. I can't wait to be gone."
Medea lowered her head, watching him with large, sad eyes, and he smiled, shaking his head.
"I'll be alright, Your Highness," Kane assured her. "It's just fresh now." He glanced at the wagon. "Well, shall we get you hooked up?"
Medea snorted and nodded, and Kane set to work securing her to the wagon. Then, he climbed into the front and picked up the reins. Medea didn't need to be driven like a horse, but the reins made for quick instructions in the case of monsters chasing them at a sprint, as had happened a couple of times. Medea pulled the wagon over to the abbey, and after a few minutes, the others joined them, including Angelo.
"Wasn't sure you'd be coming with us or not," Kane nodded to him.
"Captain's orders," Angelo shrugged. "It's fine with me, of course. I'm happy to track down Dhoulmagus and avenge the Abbot's murder."
"You say that like it's going to be easy," Kane said.
"Wiv five o' us-" Yangus began.
"We just fought him with six and we couldn't touch him," Bran pointed out. "We can't beat Dhoulmagus as we are now. We'll need to work hard, very hard, to get strong enough. All of us."
"How?" Yangus asked.
"There are ways," Kane said, narrowing his eyes. "There are always ways."
Yangus frowned, but Kane didn't explain any further. Instead, Kane moved to the back of the wagon, allowing King Trode to take the reins.
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