|
Chapter
3
"A Fly on the Windscreen"
page 14 - 'dark eyes, a dark heart, and a dark plan'
With the Duke's speech and the arrival of the Crimson Knights'
leader, Sebastian, the next day will prove to be very interesting
and eventful and with that in mind everyone went to sleep (meditate).
The next morning Mai, the maid, invited them to come to have a brunch
while listening to the Duke's speech. They all agreed and went to
the same room where they ate with Vichorn just two nights before.
After Cade realized that Dio was not just being very quiet but that
he wasn't actually there he got worried about what Dio might do,
that was until a large explosion was both felt and heard just a
few floors below them. "what has Dio done," was all Cade
could think about until they heard another half-dozen more explosions
on all three towers. That was when Enutrof saw a very large Wyvern
fly past the balcony that he was standing on, the same one that
they saw (page 11). The party decided
that even though they might be blamed for this that they should
leave and see what's happening, that was when they ran into Dio.
He explained that he went down to Vichorn's lab but since he didn't
find Vichorn he left. "The lab exploded beause some people
ran in and never came out. I had nothing to do with it."
That was when they saw Shageon who was warning them not to go any
farther because there was some fighting happening near the portacolis
that lead to the bridge. Dio, remembering that Shageon was one of
the two that he knew had Automail, wanted Shageon to know who first
created the Automail. To do this he pushed past Enutrof and plunged
his hand into Shageon and from that connection this darkness spread
accross Shageon with a black oil filling his eyes. However to Dio's
surprise a large arm grappled his head and threw him very far down
the hall to the connecting bridge room because with his interaction
with the Automail in Shageon's body he grew the purple puss at an
alarming rate. Shageon's flesh bubbled an grew and his eyes bleed
over red as his mind was lost in the void. The monsterous figure
that used to be Shageon was able to do tremendous damage, however
mostly to the surounding masonry because Cade was able to blind
him. The monster was taken down however the party found that there
seemed to be a new group on the scene who was taking responsibility
for all of the damage and explosions that and they were killing
off the Duke's guards left and right.
"All will bow before the might of Micheal," was their
chant as they slaughtered all they could before they sacrificed
themselves. "Micheal IS God, he cannot be defeated and all
you can do is join him or stand in the way and be destroyed by 'The
Hand of God'," was the last words of the one man they were
almost able to capture alive.
The Crimson Knights quarters were taken over by a few summonded
Dire Wolves who surpirsed the Knights and were able to take down
five of them, an Alchemist, and trap the rest in a room. The party
entered the area and was able to neutralize a Dire Wolf that was
clawing at the door where the remaining Knights, including Celine
were. Celine was thankful for the rescue but wanted to make sure
that the Alchemists were fine. However at the same time while Enutrof
and Allysia were feeding any food they found on the floor they heard
a loud lighting blast and bright flash. Dio was getting annoyed
that the party was stopping to help everyone and decided to move
on but was surprised by a lighting bolt flying in his direction,
he quickly took cover behind a pillar. The party split up with Allysia,
Cade, Elly, and Celine going to the Alchemist's workshop to make
sure they were doing fine while Enutrof and Myr followed Dio out
into the large open hallway.
The Alchemist lab was a mess with an Alchemist and three Knights
dead by the actions of a Dire Wolf that just then clawed its way
through the door to the last Alchemist, Violet. Celine took action
to protect the alchemist along with the others even Violet took
an action by throwing an explosive bottle at the beast. She was
so thankful that her friend Cade was there to save her that she
gave him some potions. Enutrof took cover along with Dio and the
rest of the Crimson Knights who were trying to handle a half-elf
who held a wand of lightning that she wasn't afraid to use. Myr
was able to Daze her just long enough for Enutrof and Kevrin to
cause her heavy damage to her, unfortunitally her last action was
to break to wand to cause all of its remaining energy to dissapate
as quickly as possible in a large explosion that took out a few
floors. However the party was still resolved to find the Duke and
Vichorn, or at least Dio was VERY interested in finding Vichorn.
Heading towards the final bridge Alminster trusted his robed arm
in front of the party. He looked wounded but told the party that
they had to dispatch Vichorn because of what he's been doing, Alminster
said that he Sebastion himself would be greatful if the party was
able to do that.
On the bridge to the Duke's Tower the Wyvern made a fly-by attack
on the party and then flew away because Myr delt critical damage
with his new crossbow. They then continued into the 3rd tower to
encounter animated Skeletons running around attacking everyone.
Enutrof and Elly chased down a group of skeletons who were after
a trio of servents of the Duke they then ran back at full speed
to catch up with the rest of the party. Enutrof was running up the
stairs that lead to the podium that the Duke was suppose to talk
from ahead of Elly he ran into the room just in time to see a fireball
that Vichorn created was flying at his, Cade's, and Myr's direction.
Everyone was able to get out of the way but the fireball struck
the door that they came from burying the exit.
Before Dio could do anything Cade fired a bolt at Vichorn and the
Duke turned around in surprise to ask what was happening and who
they were. Dio took that chance to approach Vichorn, "If I
can find who's behind currupting my sister's favorite thing [the
flow of magic]. She'll definatally forgive me for losing The Spear,"
he then trust his arm into Vichorn's body and asked only one question,
"Who?". Vichorn mouthed something that Myr was almost
able to hear and Dio answered, "Really? He was suppose to be
dead. My sister will be troubled by this news." Before anything
else could happen half of Vichorn's body started to ripple as the
purple puss took over and living tissue grew up around the left
half of his body mutating him like Shageon was, only worse. Enutrof
blocked the cowering Duke's view as he launched some arrows at Vichorn,
Cade got in close to fire some bolts, Myr controled a ball of fire
to burn the beast, and even Dio helped cut Vichorn down to size.
Vichorn's body seemed to be working in two parts with the human
side (right) was able to cast spells and summon a spine beast the
mutated side was able to use its currupted mass to destroy much
of the ground and to bash Dio accross the room into a pillar. Cade
was able to get a nice shot on the monsterous Vichorn and Dio stood
up near the column and said, "good now I now know who it is"
and the party asked who was it.
Before he was able to answer two claws grappled Dio and a large
spine burst through his chest, the Wyvern wasn't dead yet. Unfortunitally
for Dio he stayed attached to the Wyvern's stinger while it took
flight back up into the sky to avoid the party's attacks. Myr was
able to eventually Enfeeble to Wyvern down to less then four strength
and at that time Dio was able to break off most of the stinger so
he could get off. Though the Wyvern flung its tail around before
it was forced to land and Dio was dropped off, down the whole way
to the ground. With the Wyvern weakened the party was able to get
rid of it with minimal ammount of damage.
- Epilogue -
Later that day Sebastion, the leader of the Crimson Knights, arrived
at Port Drake in the largest Airship the party has ever seem. Celine's
dream came true when Sebastion, the Charismatic man with golden
locks of hair, walked off the ship to great the Duke. Alminster
stepped forward to inform him of the partys actions. Sebastion then
approached them and thanked them for their great service and offered
them a reward. Even though all Cade could think about was getting
a large sackful of platinum the party finally decided on a gift
to ask for during the ceremony. Many people like Celine and Kevrin
were given metals for their heroic efforts. The the party took the
walk down the red carpet and each one was presented with a golden
emblem that hung around their next. Even with all of their trophies
collected all of their leads to the man who created Automail were
dead and with them unable to find any signs of Dio, who turned out
to be much more evil then the party thought, all they had to go
on was the fact that all of the attackers called out the name of
"Micheal", who turned out to be a bandit except for the
fact that he possesed tremendous power, and they got the name of
a city where his men have been know to inhabit.
- END CHAPTER 3 -
|
