Book II: Leaving the West

Chapter IX: Demons on the Ossa Trail

Sheena Fujibayashi was restless, to the say the least. She was almost always fully dressed in her attire, her gear ever ready. For several days now she had been tracking the Chosen’s movements. Reports of information jostled through an intercom next to the door. With each passing hour, the start of her mission came closer.

Her room in the base was made to look like her room at home, to make her more comfortable about the entire affair. Mats lined the floor, a simple bed of straw in one corner, with a number of furnishings brought over from her world to decorate the walls and other empty spaces. Aside from the intercom and disguised metal floors and walls, Sheena almost felt at home. That is, if it wasn’t for the homesickness, and the grief that came along with it.

They’re probably happy with out me to screw things up, Sheena grimly thought, laying her back in her bed. Or maybe they’re just waiting for me to mess this up too. She sighed. It’s not like I’m much welcome here either, the stupid soldiers in this base! Ugh, they’re nearly as bad as that stupid Chosen back in my world…

The speaker of the intercom system crackled to life. “The Chosen has left the Fire Seal, your Rheaird is prepped and ready for your departure Sheena.” It was Yuan. To Sheena, him and Botta were the only decent in the entire complex, even if Botta was a half-elf.

Sheena rolled her eyes. Sometimes both of them could be so uptight; they should act their ages, in Sheena’s opinion. Then again, how old were they? She got on her feet quickly and pressed a button next to the intercom to respond. “Yeah, yeah,” she said in a depressed tone. “At least I can get out of here.”

“If this is about my followers,” replied Yuan. “They’ve already been punished, although those jobs you did on their jaws were more then enough. How many times must I apologize for them? They don’t…” he paused for the right word. “Get out much, if you know what I mean.”

Sheena let out an annoyed breath. “Don’t you teach them manners?” she asked, temper steadily rising. “I’ve seen monkeys who don’t gape as much as they do!” She was really getting sick of this, every guy she came across, above the age of puberty always ended up staring at certain part of Sheena’s female anatomy; namely, her upper torso. I mean it wasn’t her fault that she looked like she was. That she was ‘gifted’ in some certain places then most girls her age. When the many troops under Yuan and Botta’s command tried to come on to her, she had responded by punching them in the face. In truth, Yuan and Botta were the only ones who could resist carnal urges. And she was thankful for them for not succumbing to said urges.

“Yes well…we try.” Yuan answered lamely.

“Well try harder!” she severed the connection. Sheena slumped against the wall, her eyes falling from frown, to pure sadness. “Dammit…” she cursed and she landed her fist on the wall. She could feel tears already welling up on the edge of her eyes. “Dammit to hell.” The nineteen-year-old girl cursed again and slid down the wall with her knees against her chest. She was sick of it all.

Until Botta strode in his office. “So, is she ready to leave?” he asked.

Yuan’s eyes fluttered opened. “Physically? Yes. Emotionally; no.”

Botta shook his head sadly. “Had another breakdown?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Botta gritted his teeth. “This is the fourth time this week. Why does she keep doing this?”

Yuan crossed his arms, briefly glancing at Yuan before staring at the wall. “Did you ever get around to reading the file on her?”

“No,” Botta admitted slowly. “I was going to, but got caught up in the mission to the Martel Temple.”

“She keeps doing this, because of what she’s been through already.” Yuan responded, giving the half-elf an angled gaze. “She’s failed things before, big things, and the consequences were dire. She doesn’t want to fail again. The closer the day of her mission came; I guess the old fears popped up more recently. Sheena took this mission to possibly redeem herself, although now doubts are blockading her mind.”

“I guess I shall have to read over her file.” Botta said hesitantly.

“Yes, please do so. In fact,” Yuan gave a sarcastic smile. “That’s an order. Oh, and slap around the soldiers that were harassing her. They’re listed in report #4705.”

“Yes sir.” Botta nodded. “Aren’t you going to get her and see her off?”

“Oh, she can get there herself.” Yuan smiled. “If anything, she’ll want to escape here, I can tell you that.”

“I trust you Yuan, let’s hope you’re right.”

“Of course I’m always right,” Yuan got up. “That’s the reason you trust me.”

She had recovered swiftly from her breakdown hours ago. Now she stalked the halls silently, passing under floating droids, tiptoeing by snoring rooms, and ascending and descending stairs. At last she entered the hangar, a large room that extended to almost forty feet above. The width remained at thirty even and computers and other technology cluttered up the room. Near the back was a large circle, and beyond that a round tunnel to the land beyond.

“Glad to see you’ve finally arrived,” Yuan said without taking his eyes from the console he was working on. “I was wondering when you’d come, you took long enough.”

“What, what are you doing here?” Sheena responded, thoroughly startled. She had expected to leave without notice.

“Waiting for you, and bringing up your Rheaird.” Yuan replied simply.

The circle rotated open and from a lift emerged a winged white machine with strips of purple along its sides and wings. For the most part, it resembled a metal bird.

“Seeing as you started later then previously assumed, you have more ground to gain in a short time.” Yuan said stoically. “On Rheaird, the Ossa Trail is only a half a day journey, however it will take at least four days for the Chosen’s group to come near the mountains.” He paused from his lecture, awaiting a reply.

And he received it. “Then what do I do until then?” The purple-clad ‘assassin’ protested.

The blue-haired leader shrugged. “I don’t know, what you do is your choice.”

Sheena cursed and muttered as she stumbled over to the Rheaird. She swung her leg over the side, and gripped the controls, two handles, one for each hand, with gray grips.

“Remember, don’t waste anytime on this,” Yuan neared the Rheaird and patted it, the sound ringing of the metal. “You aren’t going by Volt’s mana on this, but this world’s. We can’t risk this ‘country’ tumbling further into decline. That’s also the reason we didn’t give you a wing pack to store it.”

“Well how am I supposed lug this thing around then?” demanded Sheena.

Yuan shrugged again. “Hide it in some local brush, if some people from this world find it they won’t know what to do with it.”

“Fine, whatever.” Sheena rolled her eyes fed up with him.

“The right handle is the throttle, left is break. The entire handle support directs whether you go up or down. Down is for up, up is for down.”

“I know, I know!” She wished she could just fly the Rheaird right into Yuan right now. “As if you haven’t drilled it in my head by now.”

Yuan grinned a smile, a rare one to those outside the higher ups. “Well then, good luck Sheena.”

“I know,” spat Sheena. “I’ll need it where I’m going.” She mocked the last words straight from the blue-haired man’s mouth.

Her hands gripped the handles as she slowly lifted into the air, then she literally floored it, turning the right handle quickly and blasting off into the round blue tunnel.

Yuan remained behind, his cloak flapping from the force of the Rheaird.

“Why do I get the nagging feeling that I’ve just made a serious mistake?”

Nagging feelings are never wrong, and that always went double for Yuan.

So, she was alone then, and she sighed. Why did everything that could go wrong happen to her? What had she done; nothing, but been laid with responsibilities that few adults could barely handle, and that was over twelve years ago, when she was seven. Then she grew up, and developed as they called it. That’s when boys started noticing her, often staring at certain robust areas of her body. And she hated it. No guy in her world ever thought with their brain out of their pants. And their king was that stupid moronic Chosen jackass! How he pissed her off.

Sheena shook her head. I thought by maybe assassinating the Chosen of this world, I’d maybe get to a place where things would be better, even if this is the declining world as Yuan says. But his supporters weren’t much help, she thought bitterly. At all. Maybe if actually do succeed in this mission; maybe everyone will fully forgive me back home.

The sad would-be assassin gazed at the moon.

Maybe, just maybe…

The path now the Chosen’s group now traveled seemed to make a beeline straight into the green hillside. Then it went north, and curved around the hill leading the rest of the way across the mountains. Slowly, the small troop made their way up the path, and stopped at the hill, studying the path that went round and up.

“Wow, the Trail just goes on forever!” Lloyd said in awe as he rounded the bend in the road.

“Not really,” said Kratos, drawing up with Lloyd. “They are longer paths through the mountains.”

“Besides,” said Genis, coming up behind them. “Let’s see how long that en-,”

“Don’t say it.” Lloyd warned him.

“Fine, be that way.”

Colette however, agreed with Lloyd as she usually did. “Lloyd’s right! We get to see so many amazing things on this journey!” That was Colette, ever cheerful.

Raine and Aberos followed in the rear. Raine wanting a better look at Aberos’ arm, which was still in its sling. “It appears to have fully healed, abnormally fast as well.”

“Well, I guess my body just had to adapt to healing quickly with my life on the road,” Aberos said quickly.

“I don’t think that’s something you can adapt to,” Raine replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “Only pure blood of the elves can heal with such speed and efficiency.”

“Then perhaps it’s because I’m so attuned with magic most of the time?” Aberos suggested, biting his lip.

“I suppose so, mana has been known to act under unusual circumstances, but I’m still not entirely so sure…” her voice trailed off, but she soon regained it. “At any rate, this sling is definitely ready to come off.” Her steady hands reached for the not. “Keep your arm in that position,” she instructed. “Then slowly move it around, if there’s any pain, I’ll put it back on.”

The Wanderer replied with a grunt, making sure his arm as bent at his chest.

“I’ll go it at the count of three,” Raine said, giving Aberos a heads up. “Ready? OK, one, two, three!” She quickly released the knot and the handkerchief, which had been a sling, fell, but Aberos’ arm retained his rigor mortis.

Aberos did not immediately respond. The thought that a jolt of pain would be sent up his spine and to his brain instantly if he moved and the bone was still broken frightened him, hesitating his movements. The same would have happened to anyone. Slowly, ever so slowly he moved it, slightly to the left, then to the right. No pain yet, good. Now his arm rose and the folded skin merrily stretched out for the first time in days. The Wanderer had successfully undone the bended arm; it was healed. He breathed a sigh of relief and gave a light chuckle.

“Whew,” he breathed. “That was probably more scary then that giant scorpion.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” replied Raine. “But, it’s healed and I guess that’s all that matters.”

“For now anyways,” Aberos finished. “Martel knows what prowls on this road.”

“I hope legend remains legend.”

“Don’t we all…” murmured the Wanderer.

“Aberos! Raine! You guys are lagging behind!” Lloyd called. They were still some distance away from the hill.

“Coming lad!” Aberos replied, albeit a bit gruffly. “Learn a bit of patience! The seals aren’t going anywhere…”

Raine sighed and shook her head; her eyebrows tempted to frown. “That boy hasn’t changed in the five years I’ve been teaching Iselia.”

“Well, perhaps he’ll learn something on this great journey,” Aberos said, gazing forlornly at the teen. “Let’s hope it won’t tear him apart…”

“Hm? Are you still concerned about the fairy tales?”

“No, well, yes, mainly because there is a darkness hovering over this pass.”

“It’s been safe for travelers before.”

“No traveler ever had the company of the Chosen.”

“But there have been several other Chosen that have had to taken this path.” Raine combated.

“But no one remembers nor knows what happened on those journeys. We barely know where to go for the seals: just the cryptic advice from Remiel.”

“True,” mused Raine. She now looked upon Lloyd as he talked excitedly with Colette, Genis and Kratos. “But lets not spoil the truths of the journey, he’ll be rebellious then.”

“Agreed,” complied the Wanderer, nodding, fists on hips. “Let’s not, wait one second here.” His eyes snapped open and he looked to his side, but Raine had already walked away. Aberos grumbled. “Now I know how Lloyd feels.” He followed Raine and rejoined the group.

“Let’s not waste anymore time,” said Kratos as Aberos came up the path. “We’re already-,” However, Kratos never finished the sentence, for a new voice, feminine in nature, but cold as steel rang out.

“Is the Chosen of Mana among you?”

They looked upward in silence at the top of the steep rocky hill. They looked upwards at the purple swathed, black haired teenager in front of them. They look at her in silence and did not immediately respond.

“I’ll ask again,” the young woman said. “Is the Chosen of Mana among you?” She repeated the words with some vehemence, but there was also something else in her voice: fear, possible doubt.

Kratos spoke first. “And if she is?” he retorted calmly, giving the strange-clothed teen a curious look.

Colette, who had been staring, green eyes wide, at the young woman, came out of it wonder trance and spoke up. Her eyes closed for a few moments and she stepped forward. “The Chosen? Oh that’s me! Did you want to be friends?”

“Not exactly,” the teen replied casually, and she leapt down from the hill, landing nimbly on her purple boots. She flashed slim, long cards in her hands, giving a feint swipe at them like swords. “Prepare to die!” she shouted and charged at them.

Kratos gripped his sword tightly, his eyes squinting madly at their attacker. Why was she so familiar? Where had he seen her before? No one dressed like that in Sylvarant… He himself prepared to defend the Chosen, but something else beat him too it.

Colette, now realizing the possible threat in front of her took a few steps back, mouth agape, with her small hands covering it as if she was fighting back a scream. She tripped over something, a usual practice by now and common sight along the journey, but this one was different. This one virtually saved her life. The klutz tripped over a grey rod poking out of the ground and fell, her hands propping her up as she watched the assassin, and several pounds of rocks and dirt fall into a trapdoor she herself had activated. The assassin fell into the deepening depths and darkness, without as much as a gasp, no time for a shrill yell. And so, the threat on Colette’s life passed.

“That was anti-climatic,” Raine duly noted. “For an assassin, I would expect her to be not so clumsy.”

“Actually, the trapdoor thing was Colette,” Lloyd said. “Only this time she saved her own life.”

“We can only hope that was the worst on this Trail. It probably will be anyway.” Raine dismissed the topic. “Come on, chatter all you want about her on the way up, I’m growing impatient myself.”

“Right then,” said Aberos taking a hearty breath. “Kratos will lead the way in front, I’ll guard our rear?”

“Oh? Is that such a good idea?” the regular stoic protest came from the mercenary. “A spell caster in the back? Don’t you think that’s a bad idea?”

“Would you like Lloyd covering our backs? He nearly killed himself fighting some crows.”

Kratos did not reply.

“Your still concerned over fairy tales?” Raine crossed her arms.

“Humph, if we do find a Sword-Dancer, I will have the option of saying, I told you so.” The Wanderer stiffly answered.

“I think Lloyd is rubbing off on you.”

“Whatever let’s get going!” The group hastily complied, starting up the hill one by one. As the path continued to ascend, it ran narrower and the footing became poorer. In some places the makeshift paving had all but vanished, leaving tough going for the Chosen and her group. The sun slanted downwards, heading for slumber as they progressed. Day was waning; evening was coming, and all the earth around them cooled off. They talked as they walked, and conversation came around again to the mysterious, clumsy assassin.

“I wonder if that assassin is all right,” Colette voiced her thoughts.

“She probably is,” Lloyd smiled at her in comfort. “Even though she…tried to kill you, I do feel a bit sorry for her.”

Genis butted in, walking with his hands behind his head. “Even assuming her weight to be 45k, the hole to be 10m deep, and calculating the gravity constant to be 9.8, the impact shouldn’t have been fatal.”

“Uh…” the brief lecture stunned Lloyd; the information was out of his league. “She’s alive right?”

“Yes Lloyd,” Genis sides, his arms drooping at his best friend’s lack of intelligence. “She’s probably alive.”

“She still has some bad luck though,” commented Lloyd. “I mean, falling into a trapdoor, what are the odds?”

“It wasn’t a trapdoor,” Raine calmly replied. “It was a hidden maintenance passage for the mine, acting double as an air duct.”

“Hey Kratos, you have some psychic powers or something?” Lloyd asked innocently with a grin plastered on his face.

“No, why?” Kratos answered ahead of him.

“Because you warned us against assassins who dressed like the one back there.” Laughed the teen swordsman.

“That wasn’t the point of the subject,” Kratos said, slightly irked. “It simply meant not to see things as they appear. Hopefully you’ll learn that soon.”

The group followed the path to the rest area on the mountain pass. It was simply a clearing the rocky formations, carved into a circle, with clearing view to the west and east. There was a stump in the center, and a few rocks that made up a fire ring. The sun, now close to the horizon, was a brilliant orange, providing only a portion of the full light it could have brought.

“Hey this is pretty cool!” Lloyd exclaimed, running to the eastern cliff. “You can see the rest of the trail from here! We could make it down the mountain in like an hour!” Indeed, they could have. The rest of the path was clearly visible and defined as it ran down the mountain and again on normal ground. As it continued south down the coast, numerous little paths led to the other little fishing villages. The path led to the main one; Izoold.

“True,” said Kratos. “But the sun is about to set, and dangerous bandits roam the trail at night, looking for unsuspecting people like you. We’ll be safer here.”

Raine set down her large pack, and Colette and Genis lighted a fire. Aberos stood in front of the stump, looking at in quizzically. Lloyd, who had been exploring every inch of the area noticed and asked. “Something wrong Aberos?”

The Wanderer glanced at him, rubbed his chin and shook his head. “There is lad. There used to be a tree here: a mystical tree of bells. Most mistake it for a normal tree; hardly paying attention to the wondrous melody it produces. But, someone cut it down. It’s rather depressing.” He turned left, joining Kratos on the western cliff, viewing the sun’s setting.

Lloyd however, ambled to the south. He was leaning against the rock wall when his foot hit something.

A skull.

“The sun will set soon,” said Kratos. “We should be able to reach Izoold by noon tomorrow.”

“Kratos,” Aberos said warily. “Something is wrong.”

“Hm?” The Wanderer had caught Kratos’ attention. “What?”

“The sun always moves faster as it gets this low,” Aberos said, gazing at the orange orb. “It hasn’t budged at all sense we arrived in this little clearing.”

“You’ve probably just made yourself paranoid from the fairy tales,” the mercenary insisted. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s something,” said Aberos. “There is something here.”

“What?”

He turned and looked back at Lloyd and his doings. What he saw made his blood run cold and his face turn white. “Lad! Get away from there!”

Something stirred in the empty eye sockets, for they came to life with yellow orbs flashing. There was something about them, something filled with malice, something filled with hatred and cruelty from a world not spoken in the depths of time and space. But naturally, Lloyd, not aware of the dangers that still roamed the world wildly, had any notion or pretext to the danger he was in. Thus, the stage was set for the next set of difficulties.

The skull took the young teen aback and it’s glowing eyes left his mind shrouded in mystery. Again his child-like curiosity ignored his throbbing conscious and proceeded to hold the skull.

“Do you wish to challenge me?” It spoke flawlessly, and robotically, despite the lack of skin and tongue.

Lloyd nearly dropped the skull, but his mind regained control over his system quickly. “Huh? Challenge you?” He looked over his shoulder briefly to see if the others were watching. Aberos and Kratos were talking, while the others tended to the fire. No one was seeing was he was doing. He turned back to the skull, to find it now floating a few inches above his outstretched hands. “Yeah sure,” he said. “I could use a fighting bout.” The teen had been denied the chance to even practice his skills recently, what with the long trek across the desert, and lack of enemies along the trail.

“Lad! Get away from there!”

Lloyd looked back slightly to find Aberos and Kratos sprinting over to him. But what the skull said next instilled fear in him. Such a feeling he had felt in days as the glowing orbs turned red and the skull’s voice demonic. “Challenge…accepted.” A sinister bony laugh followed as the skull leaped from above Lloyd’s hands, and settled over the eastern cliff.

“Lloyd! What have you done?” someone shouted, Lloyd didn’t know who.

The skull now gave a thunderous roar, piercing the air with a terrible wail. A whirlwind was summoned from beneath it, and dust and rock swirled around it, growing in tremendous size, concealing the skull from view. For several eternal minutes the storm went on, it soon affected the entire clearing, vacuuming up rocks and other debris. The scream of the skull still echoed off the mountains, driving the storm to horrible heights. The group retreated and took shelter behind an inset that faced away from the skull. There were some inaudible words over howl from Kratos and Aberos. Raine was silent for the entire duration, attempting to come up for an explanation besides ‘fairy tales.’ Genis, Lloyd and Colette huddled together waiting for the tempest to end.

From the great whirlwind emerged two blue skeletal legs. They stomped down at the bottom of the cliff without much effort. Then six pairs of arms, three on each side, slid out, terrible swords, curved, hooked, jagged and more rested in each hand. Then the blue skull popped out, bigger and terrible then before. Curved horns jutted out form the top and the glowing red orbs flashed to life again. The whirlwind calmed, the roar ceased, and ended. Boulders fell everywhere, and the rest of the skeleton appeared. All that was left was the torso and waist; mainly ribs, spine and butt bone. The entire thing’s size might have rivaled the nearby mountains.

The Sword-Dancer had been challenged and awakened.

“Fight…” it hissed.

The group did not immediately respond, holding a speedy conference to debate on a course of action.

“Fairy tales eh?” Aberos gave Raine a knowing look.

“Now is not the time,” said Kratos, his sword had already been drawn. “We do not have the power to go up against a Sword-Dancer.”

“We can’t all very well escape either,” Raine peeked around the inset to look at the huge blue skeleton. “The best thing to do, is to get Colette and the others to safety, but that would mean one of us would have to go with them, while the remaining two hold off the demon.”

“We cannot let one of us not be here to fight,” argued Aberos. He looked at Lloyd. “Lloyd will have to lead them on from here?”

“Me?”

“Him?” Raine half-yelled. “But-but-but-,” she attempted to come up with reasonable doubt.

“Raine,” the Wanderer said firmly. “We don’t have a choice. It’s best that at least they survive at the very least. You, Kratos and I will fend off the Sword-Dancer while they make it to safety.”

“I was hired to protect the Chosen.” Kratos said defiantly.

“Kratos have some sense. You will protect her more by fighting the Sword-Dancer.”

The mercenary grunted, but consented to the plan.

“Lloyd,” Aberos turned to the teen. “You will lead Genis and Colette to safety while the rest of us fight off the Sword-Dancer. Stay on the trail; it will lead you down to the main road, which runs all the way to Izoold. Find passage across the sea to Palmacosta, if we can’t escape the Journey is all up to you.”

“Be careful,” said Raine, pulling her brother into a hug.

“You too sis…” replied Genis.

“Swordsman! I know your there!” roared the demon. “I can smell you! You challenged me! Come out and fight!”

Weapons were passed out, along with supplies, farewells and good lucks.

“Are we ready? The Sword-Dancer is losing his patience.” Kratos asked.

Lloyd’s face was notched and serious. “Yeah, let’s do this.”

“Remember, don’t look back, just run lad.” Aberos advised them.

“Right.”

“Swordsman! Come out and-,”

“Enough of your screaming, we’re ready to fight.” Kratos left the inset and faced the demon, brandishing his blade. Aberos followed, with Raine on his heels. The rest ran out from the inset, running for the eastern trail.

“Swordsman! Fight!” The demon made a move to go after the fleeing, but a swift bolt of lightning from Aberos halted it.

“You will be fighting us first, before you go after them.” Kratos said calmly.

“The one in red challenged me, it is HE who I should fight!”

“You will not get to them, before you get through us.”

The demon hissed, taking his eyes off Lloyd. “Fine! I will consider this a warm up, ready yourselves.”

Kratos looked back at the others. Raine looked unsure, but Aberos was definite.

“We are ready.”

The Sword-Dancer snarled as all six swords sliced through the air and came crashing down on the cliffs. Meanwhile in the west, the sun went down and all passed into darkness; in the east, salvation scrambled down the trail.

The path now curved back and forth, alternating north then south. Cliffs formed by the path itself flanked the sides. It was treacherous, especially with the steep incline and rocks litter everywhere that simply demanded to slide down.

They were halfway down when Colette spoke. “I hope the others are alright.”

Lloyd slowed briefly and let the Chosen. “They’ll be fine. They can easily hold their own against it.” His eyes scanned the ground for a few seconds. “I just wish I had never done anything so stupid.”

“I’m sure anyone of us could have bothered that great thing,” said Genis. “We should have listened more to the ‘fairy tales’ I guess.”

“Yeah,” his other two companions replied in unison.

The trail straightened out now after on last curve to the south where the path continued. They sprinted down this length, before skidding to a halt. An explosion burst through the nighttime silence, and a threat echoed through the entire range. “Swordsman! I grow tired of your feeble companions efforts! I will find you and we will fight!” Loud thuds followed, the Sword-Dancer was hunting them.

Colette gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh no! That means…”

“Try not to think about it, just run!” Lloyd surveyed the remaining road before them. The path declined in elevation and sloped downwards, veering sharply to the left at a large wooden boarded up cave. The road then sprawled through long flat lands of grass towards Izoold. “We’re almost there come on!” He shoved the others forward just as another explosion rocked the trail. One of the lower mountains, one that they had gone by at the top of the trail, smoked as the rock of it tumbled down below. When the smoke cleared, the glowing red eyes of the Sword-Dancer met him.

“Swordsman! Fight!”

Lloyd ran. Already Genis and Colette were nearing the boarded up entrance to the cave. They were almost home free, except the wooden boarding shattered and the assassin stepped out.

Kratos was the main unit of offense and defense. The limbs would loose sword blows strong enough to cleave a mountain in two; but Kratos was ready. He leaped and strafed to the side as the attacks came and nimbly avoided them. Then he would retaliate, giving the assailing bones one long cleave; but little to none damage was dealt, for the bones were strong. Thus, the Sword-Dancer simply shrugged off the blows. They could not stop it.

If anything, Aberos was the offense and Kratos was more a defense. His magic pounded into the demon’s skull. It had more of an effect then the sword slices did. But even still after a multitude of spells, and even still after the skull was knocked back a few times, the Sword-Dancer would not yield. They could not stop it.

Raine provided helpful spells that formed green shields around them when needed, spells that boosted and magnified attacks greatly and spells that healed. She supported for much of the battle, not having many assailing moves to help the other two. But even so, her support did not assist or turn the tide of the battle. They could not stop it.

Kratos was growing tired, but the Sword-Dancer was still going strong. Another blue hand lunged to attack, sweeping its sword down low. The mercenary leaped, and back flipped onto the hand. He then jumped off to the side and rolled, striking out at his assailant. The sword tip embedded itself into the wrist of the demon. It howled; an effective hit! But was it worth it? Kratos panted, and decided not as he removed his sword and retreated to the others.

“This is not working,” he growled. “There’s a slim chance we’ll make it. We’ll either die by the swords, or run out of room. The blows keep whittling away at the cliffs.”

A steady rhythm of sweat rolled down Aberos face. “We haven’t a choice,” he said tiredly. Cleary the casting of so many spells was exhausting his power. “We need to hold it off as long as we can.”

“We can’t!” Raine nearly yelled. She slowly losing strength as well, although she had done little compared to the others. “The situation is becoming futile as it is. If we can’t beat it, we need to subdue it somehow.”

They exchanged glances. Nothing came to mind, not even Raine, acclaimed Professor of Iselia could come up with a viable plan.

“As it is, we’re pretty much doomed.” Aberos stated obviously.

“I grow weary of this futile match,” said the Sword-Dancer. “This little ‘fight’ ends now.” His eyes flashed with increasing power, growing brighter and bigger.

“Aberos, what is he doing?” Raine asked rather timidly.

“I don’t…Quick! Run for cover!” yelled the Wanderer.

They barely had time to react before the Sword-Dancer shot a beam of red form his eyes and literally blew the entire rest area away.

“Why aren’t you running?” the brown-haired teen asked frantically.

“Running from what?” Sheena cynically replied.

“That!” he pointed towards the northern path where a huge blue skeleton wielding many swords was coming down the mountains.

Her eyes widened and she screamed. It Lloyd’s opinion, it could rival the Sword-Dancer’s, but there wasn’t anytime to pass jokes. He seemed to have forgotten that the person next to him had tried to murder his childhood friend. Instead, pure fear and fanatical terror replied the forgotten. “Run!” he said. And they sped off on the path, leaving the trail far behind and an angry demon ever farther.

“Weren’t there more people in your group?” asked Sheena. “Like, three adults?”

“There were, but they stayed behind to try and fend off that thing.” Lloyd answered solemnly.

“Ugh, they decided to be noble?” People like that always turn up dead later. The assassin added silently.

“Don’t talk about them in that tone of voice!”

“Yeah, yeah. Can we just find a way to get away from that thing? Chances are it’s going to be after me too now.”

The two ran on. Still some distance ahead were Genis and Colette, though it was difficult to perceive them in the darkness. Lloyd had lost track of the time they had spent running. It seemed like days, and fatigue plagued him, but still he fled, urged on by fear and the promise he made to the others before they parted.

“Lloyd, you will lead Genis and Colette to safety while the rest of us fight off the Sword-Dancer. Stay on the trail; it will lead you down to the main road, which runs all the way to Izoold. Find passage across the sea to Palmacosta, if we can’t escape the Journey is all up to you.”

Lloyd Irving was never one to break a promise, now wasn’t much different. However he needed to pick up more speed to escape the Sword-Dancer in time.

The cliffs inspired an idea in Lloyd. He and Sheena had long caught up to Genis and Colette, so he made quick work to voice his idea. “Hey guys! Run up the cliffs when they come by.”

“Are you crazy Lloyd?” Genis automatically protested. “It’ll give the Sword-Dancer time to catch up!”

“Exactly! We’re going to fight it!”

“Are you crazy?”

“You can’t be serious,” muttered Sheena.

“Well how else are we going to get away?” Lloyd offered.

“Well, we’re already at the end of our energy,” Genis replied. “We don’t have enough to keep up.”

“Didn’t Raine give us a few apple gels?”

“Yeah, but they don’t work like that Lloyd!”

“Fine, but I’m fighting it anyway.” The teen swordsman sprinted ahead, slightly turning to the right to ascend the cliffs.

“He’s a nut,” grumbled Genis. “But, if he wants us to get killed. C’mon Colette, guess we don’t have much else choice.” They both ran after Lloyd.

Sheena continued to run up the path. “You idiots can get yourselves killed by that thing, but not me. I’m getting out of here!”

That would be the last they saw of her for quite a while.

Genis took out a few apple gels. “I…don’t…see how…this’ll help…but here you go guys.” He passed them out, one to each of them. They ate them quickly and in silence. With great surprise, their breathing became regular, heartbeats returned to normal. The weariness in their bones vanished.

“Hey, what do you know? I was right about these things!” Lloyd grinned.

“Well I don’t feel tired anymore.”

“Neither do I!” piped up Colette.

“Good! Then let’s get ready to beat that thing!” Lloyd punched the air enthusiastically.

“But…Lloyd…” Colette meekly trailed off.

“If Raine and the others couldn’t beat it, what makes you think we can?” Genis said dejectedly.

“Because we know we can.” Lloyd smiled, putting a hand on their shoulders. “What’s a certain dwarven vow you guys love to nag me about?”

Their faces lit up and they giggled. “Goodness and Love will always win!”

“Right! So let’s go kick that demon’s bony ass!”

“Yeah!”

They were ready; but so was the Sword-Dancer. It loomed above them standing on the road, glaring at them menacingly. It took him many miles and foes to go through to get to his coward of a challenger. Now, they could fight.

“Well swordsman,” said the Sword-Dancer. “You have had me go well out of my way to fight you. Your friends fought bravely to the very end…” An evil chuckle resonated from the skull. “What fools, protecting a coward.”

“I’m not a coward!” cried Lloyd. He unsheathed it sword, its blade glinting in the rapidly rising sun. He pointed it at the Sword-Dancer. “If anything you are the coward!” he accused. “Fooling people into challenging you because you appear as a skull!”

“I cannot control my appearance!” growled the demon. “The laws of my appearance and such are set in stone. Much like a tree cannot become a rock, I cannot not change anything about my looks.”

“Then you’re just a damned soul who gave up salvation.”

The Sword-Dancer laughed. “Foolish mortal. You know not what your eyes can perceive. There is more about this world then you will ever know. Remember that if any of you survive this.”

“We plan to.” Lloyd retorted.

“Then fight!”

Lloyd ran towards the edge of the cliffs, swords unsheathing, at the Sword-Dancer. When he reached the edge he leaped off and sailed under on of the numerous arms on the demon. He swung upwards, and both swords cut clean through the wrist of the Sword-Dancer. The hand and the jagged sword it held fell to the ground, as did Lloyd.

“How?” spurted the demon. “Even the adult swordsman could not separate my limbs.”

“I’m just good like that,” Lloyd grinned smugly, one of his swords resting on his shoulder.

“You are not totally out of the frying pan swordsman,” said the Sword-Dancer far above him. “You have just entered the fire!”

The hand, still wrapped around the sword hilt, rattled and shook. Then it sprung from the sword hilt, onto the ground, standing on the ring and middle fingers, very much human-like. It seemed to growl as it lunged itself at Lloyd, using the fingers it wasn’t standing on to punch and sometimes kick. Lloyd suffered a punch to the gut and an uppercut to the jaw. But he fought back, despite the pain and bloods the leaked from the side of his mouth. He dove to the right just as a hard down kick came hurtling for his head. The teen caught the finger in-between his two swords and snapped it in two. The hand, unbalanced as it tried to use another finger to stand, fell. Lloyd finished it by driving his blades through its center.

Meanwhile on the cliffs, Genis began slinging spells. A rock blast here, a lighting strike there helped keep the Sword-Dancer away from crushing Lloyd. Colette went on her own campaign. She sprouted her angel wings and took to the skies where her chakrams proved to be very effective against the demon. They cleanly sliced off two more hands leaving the Sword-Dancer with only half its arms left.

The hands dropped below to an ever-ready Lloyd. This time, he was prepared for the tactics of the hands. As soon as the sword sunk into the ground, useless, the hands leapt forth and assailed him. They pounced on him like a cat on a mouse, but he narrowly evaded them. This time as they fired a barrage of punches and kicks, he was ready. As a finger tried to punch his face he ducked. It was like everything was in slow motion then, as the hand was surprised that it missed, and Lloyd stabbed upwards, jabbing it in the palm; that too ended quickly.

This is too easy, thought Lloyd.

Now the second hand attacked him. He once again blocked and parried. Lloyd twirled swinging his blades wildly and slashed upwards. The hand was thrown onto it’s back, whereas Lloyd ended the battle by stabbing down without mercy.

The Sword-Dancer now was aware of his limbs. Three had already perished, and his multiple arms were part of his advantage in battles. They had been known to strike quickly, but here some kids are chopped them off and slain them! He was thoroughly angered now and his eyes darted to the ground. Where was the red swordsman? He had been just there a few moments ago.

“Looking for me?” Lloyd asked. The Sword-Dancer looked up. Lloyd had removed himself back to the tops of the cliffs. Genis and Colette rejoined him now filled with renewed vigor and confidence to defeat the demon.

“Luck boy…” hissed the Sword-Dancer. “Pure luck is how you managed to defeat my hands…but I grow tired of your futile fight. I wish to end it: now!” Its eyes glowed with a fiery red color, a chuckle sounded from the skull. “Prepare to meet your maker…” It fired three short bursts of the beam that it had fired at Raine, Kratos and Aberos the previous night. They were about to hit and obliterate Lloyd, Genis and Colette when…

“Protection!”

Green orb shields popped up around them. It deflected the beams back at the Sword-Dancer. Two smashed into its skull while another hacked off another one of its limbs.

The three looked to the north to where the spell had come from, to look at their savior.

“Raine!” They shouted in unison as the elf woman came up over the cliff. Her hair was a bit unkempt, and her clothes a bit ruffled, but she ran to them.

“Is everyone all right?” she asked.

“Yeah, we’re fine. We’ve been holding out on our own against this guy for sometime now.” Lloyd answered.

“So we’ve been able to see…”

“Blasted healer! Playing the role of mother are you?” mocked the Sword-Dancer with two arms left. “I don’t know how you survived the first blast, but you won’t survive a second!” It’s eyes glowed again, ready to fire the horrible beam.

“Lightning!”

A tremendous bolt of lightning skirted up from the way of the cliff and crashed into the skull of the Sword-Dancer. The beam misfired, high into the sky, and once again the three (now four) were saved. But who had saved them this time?

Aberos the Wanderer came over the slope of the cliff, hurrying to the top with great speed.

“Aberos!” Now the spell caster joined them, bringing fresh hope and more power into the fray, although now the demon was thoroughly enraged. Once again something saved; the Red Challenger and now the other supposed two from pure devastation. No matter, they could not summon enough mana to prevent the next attack. The Sword-Dancer now swung down with both swords, threatening to permanently end the Chosen’s group once and for all. The blades near the cliff now, contact was about to be made when…

Blade sounded against blade and a voice rang out. “Your path of pathos and destruction ends here demon!”

It was Kratos, holding off both swords with his own.

“Kratos!” The entire group was now once again reunited and the Sword-Dancer’s efforts reduced to a pile of cinders as the sword retracted. There was only one matter to complete now, the slaying of the Sword-Dancer. And, as a group, they could accomplish just that.

Aberos rubbed his chin as he stared at the Sword-Dancer. “I’ve got an idea…lad, I hope you don’t fear heights too much.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Oh, best not to tell you, less anxiety that way.”

“Less what?”

“Quick Kratos!” called the Wanderer. “Grab his sides!”

Lloyd now dangled helplessly, his hands virtually useless, as Aberos and Kratos held him by his sides.

“Getting the idea Kratos?” Aberos raised an eyebrow. “The skull is the weak point after all.”

Kratos looked from Lloyd, to the Sword-Dancer, to Lloyd again. “I get you, but how are we going to throw him that high?”

“Throw!” Lloyd gasped.

“An Air Thrust should propel him the rest of the way.”

The mercenary nodded. “Should work. It is our best course of action.”

“Right then, let’s get to it!”

They moved Lloyd back and forth, back and forth, gaining momentum for the throw. Lloyd screwed his eyes shut, preparing for the eventual part where he would be soaring through the air.’

“One,” Aberos and Kratos counted together.

Lloyd crossed his arms, his hands preparing themselves to quickly unsheathe his swords.

“Two.”

Butterflies floated wildly in his stomach. This is worse then having to do an oral presentation, Lloyd grimly thought. Or a book report.

“Three!”

The teen was thrown and there was a flap of robes as wind whooshed passed his ears. Aberos had already unleashed the spell and he was flying higher and higher, until he surpassed the Sword-Dancer. He lost the upward force then and the spell faded away. At some point during the time where the throw reached its climax his swords popped into his hands. He looked at the Sword-Dancer directly below him and put on a face of pure seriousness. Then Lloyd hurtled down from above, picking up speed as he went. His swords were pointed down, towards the demon. And just as it looked up, Lloyd connected.

His swords were now mounted into the Sword-Dancer’s head. The red eyes faded and a dying black breath escape from the bone jaw as the bone in the legs exploded and shattered. The explosions started in the feet and worked its way up, through the spine, the arms and then: the skull. The debris scattered in dust and smoke and was scattered away by a passing wind. So ended the threat of one of the world’s greatest demons: a Sword-Dancer. Never again would it be called a fairy tale by skeptical travelers.

Lloyd and his weapons were tossed back on the cliff when skull exploded. He coughed briefly before groggily staggering to his feet. The entire group rushed over.

Everyone was happy and thankful. Kratos, more stoic then ever, just breathed a sigh of relief. The rest passed out thanks as needed.

“You did it lad!” said Aberos, beaming.

“No Aberos,” replied Lloyd, smiling in return. “We did it.”

Return to fan fiction directory?