Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"I wasn't expecting that," Grant admitted quietly as Savayna stepped forward, completely unharmed.

"I was hoping that...would do...something..." Nadeline agreed, though she would turn on Grant. "I've seen children put out more damaging spells!"

"I already told you, I can't--this is going to be extremely difficult for me, how the hell am I supposed to fight her without hurting her?!" Grant exclaimed, clearly conflicted. "I was counting on your attacks doing a majority of the damage!

"I...that is to say...I couldn't bring myself to do it..." Nadeline sighed. "We're getting nowhere, we must--" Her sentence was cut off at the appearance of Savayna's next attack.

"We should move," Shion suggested, eyeing the storm as she would take a couple of paces back.

"Grant, listen to me, we need to take care of this. We must be serious," She told him, holding her arm out as a red glyph appeared. "I can make an attempt to purify the influence, but it won't work until we at least manage to land a few hits." As her Firaja charged, she swung her rapier, the fire spell mixing with the tornado. Grant followed her lead, a gravity spell making quick work of the rest, leaving the tornado into little more than a breeze in the wind. "Can I count on you?"

As Grant looked at Savayna, something seemed to click in his head. Is this what it will be like for Jaakuna? He thought, the thought saddening him. He looked over at the unconscious Jaakuna, being protected by Lorenzo. I can't hesitate if that's the case. Deciding to go more physical, Grant clutched his gun tightly, Zeromus' own seal glowing, and it would look as it his gun transformed with its blade much longer.

Nadeline picked up the queue, her next spell in its cast as Grant would run forward. Here goes nothing... She concentrated on the ground around Savayna. "Scourge!" She called, the advanced magicks swarming the three of them, effectively trapping them together. Taking Grant's lead, she followed him through, her rapier charging up and together they would both go in for the attack.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Ah, so it reveals its true nature. Ultima mused to Nadeline internally. This should be a good test for you. You understand now, don't you? Mateus isn't the only thing in that woman.

She did. Nadeline exhaled sharply as she watched Savayna. Despite not outright saying it, Ultima was right. She almost didn't catch it, though as she looked at Grant, he seemed to have noticed it as well. Letting out a sigh, Grant shook his head. "You still consider me your fiance? Looks like I still have a chance, after all," He chuckled, his gun on his shoulder. "And here I was, thinking something had actually happened. Ah, well, no more moping around...although I have to say, darling, I wouldn't go underestimating me if I were you."

"Can't we talk this out?" Lorenzo asked hopelessly.

"Father, stay back," Nadeline said as she rose to her feet, her rapier in her hand as she joined Grant. "I'll do my best to back you up, Grant, though I have a feeling she's going to go straight for me. Ultima is telling me we'll have to wear her down before exorcising the influence."

"That...might be easier said than done..." He muttered, and upon closer inspection, Nadeline noticed he was slightly shaking. She threw him an exasperated look. "You're asking me to beat some sense into my future wife, do you realize how long she's going to hold this over my head?! I'm never going to hear the end of this!"

Nadeline rolled her eyes at him, though as she drew her weapon closer to her, a small, golden crown would materialize onto her head. Spinning her rapier, several small orbs of light appeared around them, and she poised herself ready. Grant would take in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he charged up his own weapon. At the same time, the two would send their magicks forward, a combination of Holy and Arcane.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant looked up, spotting the magic as they would fall. Letting out a sigh, he raised his gun, Arcane magicks gathering. He shot once, though the bullet would then split into several as each one would match every one of Savayna's daggers, dissolving them into harmless snow. As the snow fluttered around them, Grant turned to Savayna, letting out a sigh. "Whatever it is that you're trying to do...I've had enough of it," He told her, shaking his head. "But who cares, right? If it has nothing to do with Jaakuna, it doesn't matter to you, does it? Forget Wesley, forget Nadeline, forget Emiri--none of us matter to you, do we?!" He asked, his own Mist gathering around him.

"Grant, that's enough!" Nadeline protested. "None of that is true!"

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"Oi, oi, oi!" Lorenzo backed away, shaking out his hand that had been holding onto Savayna. What was wrong with her? Was her anguish so much she was just going to end up lashing out at everyone? He looked over at Grant, who was, understandably, still pretty pissed off, especially when Savayna managed to wretch her arm from him. As he moved to grab her once more, he could feel a coldness in the air. What the hell was she doing?! Admittedly, he was still mad, but why the hell was Savayna suddenly taking it out on everyone?

It was then that Savayna charged at Nadeline, catching them all by surprise. "NADELINE!" Lorenzo shouted.

As Savayna was about to make contact, a glyph formed, blocking her from proceeding further. The glyph disappeared, leaving Grant in front of Nadeline. "Want to try that again?" He asked her, his tone eerily quiet.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Nadeline's eyes widened as she hit the ground, though she was just as shocked as she would repeatedly hit it. One, two, three, four--though her head wouldn't hit the ground, Savayna still had her by the throat. She could see her father attempting to pull Savayna away from her, though he lacked the strength. As she felt Savayna's grip tighten, she looked straight at her, not knowing what to do or say. Pretentious? Was that what she was? Was this what she deserved for abandoning Wesley? It wasn't until Grant ran in, and together he and Lorenzo finally yanked Savayna away from Nadeline did her brain kick in what exactly had happened.

"]Are you alright?" Lorenzo asked his daughter worriedly. Her hand touched her neck, Savayna's nails leaving several scratches on it, though she didn't respond. "Say something, you're scaring me."

Grant glared at Savayna. "Savayna! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Grant yelled at her.

"Calm down, Grant," Lorenzo told him. "The last thing we need is another fight between us."

Another? Nadeline looked at Lorenzo, though it then dawned on her. She coughed slightly, though she looked at Grant. "It's...fine. I'm sorry..." She mumbled.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant was far, far away. His body was there, but his mind had gone somewhere else. His eyes looked around, but he wasn't even sure of what he was looking for. Scratching the back of his head, he let out a heavy sigh. If the circumstances were different, he would go to straight to the bar to drink his woes away, but that simply wasn't possible. Battling the thoughts in his head wasn't working out as well as he would have hoped, but it wasn't like he was going to help Jaakuna, either. He tried to focus, but after a while, nothing seemed to change even when he did pay attention. It was then that Shinto approached him--man the guy was quiet, he didn't even notice him until he started talking.

The truth was that Grant really didn't want to talk about Savayna. Not now, anyway. Shinto's words should have given him solace, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt hurt. It was almost as if he was afraid of her answer--but boy, did Shion hit the nail on the head. As Shinto smiled at him, Grant couldn't bring himself to return the gesture, though he nodded in understanding. Shinto probably had a point, but it didn't change anything on Grant's side. Why did he bother? He knew this had been an issue for some time, but he stupidly hoped that he would change her mind.

He was an idiot.

"Yeah," Grant mustered up some kind of response before turning away.

Vlyn peered at their surroundings, his ear twitching slightly. The air was heavy, leaving him unable to properly pinpoint Hamut's location. He could tell he was around, somewhere, just...where? He looked towards Shion, who seemed to have stopped looking, though she held her weapon in her hand. "He mocks us," She stated quietly, narrowing her eyes.

"Hamut?" Vlyn asked her.

"Zodiark," She said, closing her eyes. "He watches us from his castle, enjoying the chaos. What are you planning next?"

Nadeline would take her hands off of Jaakuna, letting out a short huff. "That's it. He's healed," She said, looking at Savayna somewhat disapprovingly. "Since when have you played the part of the bystander? That was quite the frantic burst of panic, considering you're...usually more composed."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"I'm working on it," Nadeline couldn't help but be annoyed at Savayna's question. He wasn't going to just jump up and run back into it after a couple of minutes. Granted, her magicks were better, but he was pretty beaten up. She could feel Savayna's eyes switching between her and Jaakuna, and she was getting increasingly annoyed. Her father was next to her, watching as Jaakuna's physical ailments slowly reverted themselves, but Jaakuna himself didn't show any signs of change. What had Hamut done to him? He squinted at Jaakuna, watching his chest slowly move as he breathed.

"I'm starting to think you're going to have to pick up the pace," He told Nadeline seriously. "Something's up, I don't like where this is going."

Shion narrowed her eyes, gripping her katana as she joined Grant in surveying the area. Why was it so quiet? Shouldn't Hamut have come to gloat by now? He never was the type to maim and run--he liked to rejoice in his victory. The only thing she considered was that perhaps he and Jaakuna had come to a standstill, and he was just as injured. She looked at Grant and Vlyn, the only two able bodied people. "We need to find Hamut," She told the pair.

Lorenzo looked at her. "If this is what he did to Jaakuna...do you really think you can take him on?"

"I can stall him for about five minutes. Though that's a fair assumption," She admitted, surprising Lorenzo. "The power of the Espers isn't something to be trifled with."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Nadeline nearly jumped out of her skin at Savayna’s sudden screaming. She had assumed the worst as she would run over, though it wasn’t until she got closer that she understood exactly what was happening. Savayna was holding an unconscious Jaakuna, bawling over him. Grant seemed to have put some distance between them, though he only watched as Nadeline would examine Jaakuna closely. A small breeze passed, and he watched as a thin, white circle formed around the group.

Shion looked disappointed, though she remained silent as Lorenzo joined the group. “Shit…” He didn’t like how Jaakuna had ended up.

The princess watched Savayna for a moment, though she then looked at Grant. He wasn’t even watching, instead looking around, likely for whoever had done this to Jaakuna. “You’re going to smother him if you keep that up,” Nadeline told Savayna calmly, turning her attention to the matter at hand. Lorenzo would act, gently prying Savayna off of Jaakuna—though he wouldn’t dare move her too far, and would come to a second realization. “He’s alive.” She informed them as she began casting her magicks. “This won’t be a problem to heal.”

That got Grant’s attention. “You’re talented, but he’s pretty beat up,” He said, though even as the words left his mouth, he could feel Nadeline’s magicks even though he was standing away from the group. “…Did something happen in Dalmasca?”

Nadeline gave him a brief look. “Yes,” was her only response, though she refused to go further, instead choosing to focus on Jaakuna.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant sat up in a daze, though he forced himself to his feet. He staggered quite ungracefully, but soon he was in a full on sprint, heading in the direction where Savayna had been thrown. He nearly tripped, though he spotted her not too far away. Immediately dropping down to his knees, he gently held her, shaking her. "Savayna! Savayna, can you hear me?!" He asked, unable to hide his panic at her unconscious form.

Lorenzo shook his head roughly, spreading dust and small debris everywhere as he stood up. He watched Grant run, though he figured that it was best to let Grant take care of Savayna. He chose to go the other way, where Shion had gone flying into a building. Despite her surroundings being nearly entirely destroyed, Shion simply let out a cough as she pushed herself off the ground to stand. The woman dusted herself off, mildly annoyed at the destruction of a majority of the clothing she had on. Lorenzo let out a laugh at her expression, scratching his head as she would continue to undust herself. "What the--are you alright?" Lorenzo asked.

She let out a sigh, placing her hands on her hips, her chest about a sneeze away from popping out of what was left of the shirt. "Peachy." She replied, annoyed.

Lorenzo let out a sigh of relief, letting out another laugh. "Father?" A familiar voice called out to him. He spun around, Nadeline watching him with wide eyes.

Vlyn sat up, unamused. "Goodness...ah, Your Highness, you have reached us," He greeted her.

"MY BABY CAME BACK FOR ME!" Lorenzo yelled, running to Nadeline, though he held up her arm to stop him. "My beautiful daughter, returned to me at last! All is right in the world!"

Nadeline crossed her arms, unimpressed. "I don't even want to know what happened," She dismissed her father, shaking her head, though she did notice something. "You...don't seem surprised at my arrival."

"I've caught most everyone up on the situation," Vlyn said.

Shion gave him a look. "Well...if that doesn't unlock a Seal, I don't know what will," She stated outloud, rubbing her hand. The darkness had all but vanished from her arm, leaving only a black ring around her index finger. "A formidable power, indeed..."

A Seal? Nadeline's eyes widened again. "Then that power just now...that was Savayna?"

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

“I haven’t seen magicks like those in some time. It reminded me of one of my flowers,” Shion admitted to Shinto. “I sincerely apologize for not getting here sooner, I would have gladly offered my mist as well.”

Vlyn opened his mouth, though his ear twitched, and he looked in the other direction. “Aloa has arrived. I hope she brought the prince and princess,” He commented.

Lorenzo finally released Grant, shoving him aside as he decided to confront Shion. “You talking about my Nadeline? What’re you doing, bringing her here of all places?” He asked, half annoyed and ignoring Grant’s glare. “Now that you mention it, the heck are you guys doing here, anyway? I thought you all split up for a reason?”

Grant rolled his eyes. “Circumstances change, Lorenzo. Clearly, you of all people should understand that, considering this was supposed to be the signing of a peace treaty,” He motioned towards the ruined buildings.

“Well, regicide has been used to accommodate peace from tyrants…”Shion said, though it was a quiet point.

Lorenzo chose to ignore her comment. “Shit happened, Grant, as you already saw kudos to Sam,” He said, referring to Shinto (Shion dryly noticed he didn’t seem to know anyone’s name). “If Aloa’s here with my beautiful daughter and her fiancé, am I to understand you left Elizabeth with Karolina? What happened to trying to seal her darkness?”

Vlyn sighed. “Zodiark seemed to have gotten to her before Aloa and Shion could, Your Highness,” He said.

“The hell you mean?! What happened—” He froze in place, eyes wide, though they would close. He looked at Shion, a look of realization on his face. “Something happened to Elizabeth, and you came here to tell Jaakuna.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Grant asked Shion. “Vlyn caught us up on everything.”

“That’s right,” She confirmed as much.

---

Stretching his arms above his head, Keiran let out a rather loud yawn. He then placed his hands on the back of his head, his mind far away, until he would see Sophia at the end of the hallway. Sophia, the ruler of ‘balance’ and doing what is just, not often what is right. She stared right at him, and he could feel a very unneeded conversation about to happen. It’d be too suspicious if he turned around, right? Not like he had anywhere else to go, though.

He chose to play ignorant, strolling up to her. “Look at us, running into each other over and over,” He said, raising his eyebrows at her. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had a crush on me!” She continued to stare at him, unamused. His smile faltered into a look of annoyance. “What do you want now?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “Your mind is in disarray. It would be wise to step back and find inner peace,” She would advise him. “Lest you end up angering Lord Zodiark further.”

“I haven’t strayed from my path,” Keiran dropped his arms to his sides. “I’ve followed my orders and done precisely what I’ve been asked of. I was even rewarded! Why would you think I’m doing otherwise?”

“No, you haven’t strayed. Yet you aren’t where our Lord would like you to be,” She stated simply, eyeing him carefully. “I cannot be certain, but I’m starting to think your influence on the Scion of Time is starting to go both ways. You use her sorrow to plant yourself in her mind, and in turn it’s beginning to affect you as well.”

“That’s not—” His response was a little too quick, though he seemed to catch himself, bringing a hand to his forehead. “I have it all under control, no need to worry yourself. Don’t take me lightly.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. I simply wanted to give you a word of caution,” She said. “The Scion isn’t simply here because of her power—she is also bait.”

Keiran was surprised. “Bait…?”

“She will draw those with the power of the espers here, to Lord Zodiark’s domain. And once they come, we will strike them down,” She stated, looking outside. “The Twelve Espers and the Twelve Scions…a clash of light and darkness, of good and evil. Only when they fall shall our Lord’s reign be absolute.”

Keiran didn’t respond, though he seemed to understand. Sophia deemed it satisfactory, as she would take her leave of him. Letting out a sigh, he couldn’t help but ruffle his hair. Yeah, it definitely sounded familiar, it was like a distant memory he couldn’t quite reach. A demon’s castle, a fair maiden waiting to be rescued, and the knight of light coming to face the darkness.

And then what?

---

Slumped against the bars, Emiri let out a frustrated yell. Her hands ached as she had tried repeatedly to bend the bars, or at least move one, but they wouldn’t budge. She let out a sigh, followed by another frustrated shout, and then finally, a small whimper of despair. Getting herself out of this predicament was going to prove harder than she thought. Still, for a moment, she had some influence over her own body, and that alone had motivated her enough to start trying to escape again.

Except now, she would rest.

Taking in a deep breath, she rubbed her sore hand, though footsteps would alert her that HE was here. She sat up proper, glaring at Keiran as he revealed himself. “Having fun?” He asked her, snickering. “You sure are a noisy one. And here I thought you were groomed to become the bride of a king? Your mother would be so disappointed.”

He’s trying to get under your skin, don’t let him win! She had to remind herself mentally, actually managing to keep calm. “I’m disappointed in you. I’m sure you noticed,” She threw a taunt right back at him. “When you tried to pull that little stunt of yours, I managed to say something, didn’t I?”

His eyes narrowed dangerously, much to her satisfaction. Ha! Though as he approached her cage, she noticed the rather dark expression he had on his face. “You did. You surprised me there…but I’m going to have to ask you to behave,” He said, his tone low. His usual playfulness seemed to be all but gone.

“I’m not going to let you bully me around anymore!” She stated. “I’m not afraid of you! Maim me, chop off my limbs, I refuse to submit to you! Do as you see fit! ”

“Do as I see fit?” He repeated her words thoughtfully. He then smiled, though it sent a chill up her spine. She felt herself backing away as he would let himself into her cage. “Do you really want me to ‘do as I see fit’, Emiri?” He asked her, his voice actually scaring her. “I don’t think you can handle that.”

Stay strong. “You’ve locked me in a prison of my own mind, you’ve forced me to attack my own friends—what more could you possibly do?!” She snapped at him.

“Next time you see them, I’ll make sure you finish the job,” He informed her as he advanced on her. “Ah, who should we kill first? Wesley? Nadeline? No, I’ve got a better idea—after all, you said to do as I saw fit, right?” He asked as her back hit the bars. “We can lure Jaakuna out on his own—he’s an idiot, he’ll go to the ends of the world if it meant seeing you again. We could play the wounded gazelle gambit, you can call out to him—‘Save me! Save me!’—and he’ll come running. Then, I’ll confront him, and while his back is turned, you draw your blade right through his heart.”

Her breath caught in her throat, though she shook her head. “If you think you can use my body to hurt him, you’ve got another thing coming!” She shouted, the cage around them shaking. “I’ll die before that happens!”

“Except…that’s not really up to you, is it?” He asked, tucking a hair behind her ear. His hand trailed down, though before she could react, he grabbed her by her neck, slamming her onto the bars of the cage. “I want you to watch as you kill him. I want you to cry helplessly as your own hands stab every one of your loved ones. What, you think this little outburst of yours means anything?”

Emiri looked at him, unwavering. “I won’t let that happen—” He managed to make her cry out in pain as he squeezed his hand tighter, and while her hands would fly up to his, she continued to glare at him. “I told you, do whatever you want to me, I’m not going to let you hurt any of them!”

Keiran seemed to understand, though his smile seemed to scare her. He loosened his grip, though kept her in place, pushing his body against hers. “How admirable. But I warned you, Emiri. If you don’t behave, you will be punished.” He said, his lips near her ear. “If asking threats won’t subdue you, I’ll have to try other methods.”

Other methods? Emiri watched him as he backed away, walking out of her cage. She watched him, confused, trying to think of what he could mean. No, it was another trick of his. She looked towards the path that led to Chaos. If she was going to break free, she would need help.