Tides of Twilight - Chapter 8: Steffan the ImmaculateA Chapter by Jobyn Why am I being trapped in the middle of all this? Check items. $: 1,500G Currency. Just like that, the coliseum had become filled with disarray. Monsters coming from nightmares; Dreams falling from the skies... What does it all mean? ~*~
*Buddha has located a hidden pearl!*
Bonus content was sent to your inventory. You have unlocked: Concept Art - Steffan 1 You have unlocked: Concept Art - Steffan 2 The Inventory function is now available! *Info: You may now access your backpack's inventory freely. Use this option to view acquired items and bonus material in your inventory, as well as information regarding your equipment. Click on the Inventory option on the upper-left corner of each chapter to view your items. **This function is subject to changes in the future. ~*~
You reach up and grasp the hilt of the young man's sword. Upon doing so, he hauls you up with it to your feet and releases its grip. Young man: Hehe, a brave one... I like that! You: Okay... You have acquired: Seiryu Description: One of two blades belonging to a legendary sword. A glow emanates from your body and synchronizes with the glow coming from the mysterious young man. Your abilities have temporarily increased. HP +3000 (3350/3350HP) All stats +20% You: Whoa... What in the world is this? (Looking at yourself, feeling absolutely amazing) Young man: (Grins and makes his way, casually, to the monsters) Let's keep your show rolling, friend. (Holds out the second of the two blades) Fenrir here, is all I need. This mysterious enigma of a person dashes forward with a speed you have not yet seen a mere man move in, engaging the strange creatures. Swift movements; bouncing the blade up and around his hands as he goes from creature to creature, leaves you in awe. You: He makes it look so easy...! Huh? (You lift up your gaze, but don't look back) You hear it... As clearly as a grown man walking up behind you... The sounds one of the creature's pointed appendages makes as it slices the air behind you, intending to cut you apart from behind. You turn, heart beating fast, clashing the edge of your borrowed sword with the monster's sharp leg. Your eyes remain wide as you marvel at the speed and perception of your own being. "I can see it!" You think to yourself as you shove away the creature's razor sharp limb with your sword and thereafter run it through the glowing core stationed around the monster's mid-section. Your attack hits the creature for 1402 points of damage! Critical hit! The creature takes 1793 points of damage! (0/????HP) It shrieks and dissolves almost immediately into a mound of dust-like matter. Even among its piercing, humanoid shriek, you still make out the tearing sound of another incoming appendage coming at your side. "I-I can hear it!" You think to yourself upon lowering your body and listening to the incoming edge surfing the air above your head. Bringing one foot outward, you drive your other foot's heel into a spin and sweep the attacking creature's legs, dropping it right onto the floor. It lets out a harsh, whispering hiss as it flexibly swings a separate bladed appendage upwards at you, attempting to slice you in two there and then. But, with ease, you hurl yourself backward into the air, watching the world turn briefly upside-down before your feet meet the floor once again. A backflip? That was a backflip. Something you've never even attempted up until now... You can't help but smile at your own actions in delight. Young man: (Glances over his shoulder at you and smirks) Someone's enjoying themselves. You like that, huh? A creature runs up behind the young man and hurls an appendage towards his shoulder. However, the man leans slightly to one side and avoids the attack. Without turning back, he gives one good kick to the creature and sends it tumbling over another. Young man: Ever heard of a "nailgun"?
Reaching into a thin pouch set on his belt behind him, he pulls out a handful of needles made of some strange metal and slides them into the nooks between his closed fingers. Turning to his side and facing the creature he had just kicked towards another, he begins shooting the needles in a manner that you can't process. All you see is his index finger pointed at whatever target, the trigger of his thumb, and the shooting of a needle in which he shortly "reloads" another with slight movements of his fingers and palm. With a single accurate "nail", he manages to take out a target. You: Whoa! Young man: (Gives a slight chuckle as he playfully blows on the end of his index finger) I'll come back to ya after I've thought of a better name. You: How in the world did you do... that? Young man: (Perks his brows up) If you've got three years, I can teach ya the basics of the nailgun. (He says that half-jokingly before jumping into another group of strange creatures to... mingle) You: (("Who is this guy?")) Huh? Great, more of them... Another one of those odd creatures makes their way towards you, but just as before, you dispose of it with a level of precision and acrobatic maneuvers you never thought yourself able to do. Not to mention, they fell rather easily with your strikes. You: Scratch the nailgun thing, how the hell am I doing all of this!? Is it the sword? (You look down at Seiryu) Young man: (Shakes his head as he finishes with the last of the creatures on the platform) The sword? That's not it. Actually- Roki: WUAAAAAAH! Young man: Oh? (Turning towards the entrance) Sounds like we've got trouble outside. You: Wait... that sounds like... Roki! (Running towards the entrance of the stadium) I think he's in trouble! Young man: Ah, darn that Roki! (("Whoever that is...")) Hm? The young man stops as he hears screaming coming from the audience's aisle. Apparently, not everyone had escaped the Coliseum stadium yet. There had been civilians attempting to hide, but more creatures that were staking out the upper offices had found them and were now in pursuit. Young man: That's... not good. (Cupping his hand over his mouth) Hey, friend! You might want to get back here! That power up you got only- You: (Unable to hear the man by now, you proceed to run thinking the sword will continue to aid you) Young man:  ... work when... I'm near you... (("I've done it now.")) ~*~
You make it outside the Coliseum into the walkway leading into the entrance, where a much larger one of those freaky creatures was going around tormenting civilians and guards. This one was tall and bipedal, using its long thin legs to move around and also able to use them as if they were giant hands, due to its feet resembling some double-jointed sort of claws. Other than the glowing core in its mid-section, there was no other way to describe this thing. Roki: Help meeee! (Struggling in the grasp of one of its "claws") What the heck are these things!? You: Hang on, Roki! (Running up to the creature and whacking its chicken legs with your borrowed sword) Let him go, you ugly freak! For whatever reason, you just don't seem to be doing the damage you were doing before. In fact, you realize now that you feel a bit more weighted than you did in the coliseum. You: What the...? Where did all of my power go? (Eyes widening as the creature turns to you) Roki: Gah! I think you just made it angrieeer! (Flailing his arms)  The large creature gives a drawn out, humanoid groan as it swings its one leg holding Roki aside and sends him flying into the bushes some thirty feet away. Roki: (Screams like a little girl)  You: Roki! Roki has been defeated... The large creature raises the "claw" it just used to hurl Roki and swings it down towards you. You just barely manage to roll out of the way, avoiding its attack directly but being caught amid the rumbling tremors. You take 170 points of damage! (180/350HP) You: Guh! (Stumbling back up to your feet) That really hurt... and it didn't even touch me! Where did he go? (Scanning the area for the mysterious young man, who hadn't followed you) Before you even see it coming, you feel the vicious claws of the monstrosity wrapping around you and holding on tight. A little too tight. It drops its own body to the floor and wraps its other claw around you, clearly aggravated by your actions earlier. It gives another rasp groan as it begins to constrict you incredibly hard. You: Ahh! (("It hurts!!")) L-Let... Let me g-ugh! (Too constricted to speak. You can feel your bones preparing to break) Nnnngh! You take 30 points of damage! (150/350HP) You take 30 points of damage! (120/350HP) You take 41 points of damage! (79/350HP) You take 78 points of damage! (1/350HP) Your vision begins to blur and your heartbeats become slowed... ???: Let go! (You hear the sound of tough metal cutting through something) The constricting of your body finally ceases, shortly before you feel yourself fall against the solid ground. While things remain a blurred and tunneled for the most part, you can make out a familiar figure standing before you, wielding a great sword. You: (("Ngh... That voice...")) ???: If anyone's going to beat Greenback through the floor, it's going to be me! (Snicker) Once Greenback is strong enough, anyway... You: (("Raines...?")) You hear the sounds of a struggle, just barely able to make out Raines' shape going around slashing at the thing. Your vision keeps flickering to black, and it seems as though each flicker means a minute has gone by based on what you see. Eventually, after many more flickers, you see the shape of the creature hit the ground. Not long after, both your mind and vision begin to stabilize. After that last flicker, you see Raines standing before you with a smirk, leaning over to hold his hand out. Raines: Get up, you fool. You're not dying here. You: Raines...? You saved me? Raines: Pitifully, yeah... You: (Looking up, allowing the world around you to stop spinning) Thanks... (You take his hand, but grunt in pain as you attempt to stand) My body is so sore. Raines: Pfft. You'll be alright. Walk it off. Come on, get--! You hear the morbid sound of soft flesh being pierced through, though you don't know what the source is from at first. When you look up, you see Raines just standing there with his eyes widened and a grim expression on his face. He lowers his reached out hand to his side and inhales sharply. You: Raines...? Raines! Raines: (He shuts his eyes tight, then opens them once more as he chokes out a bloody gasp, looking down at the thick nail poking through his chest. At this point, he is lifted up off the ground and flung like a ragdoll against a tree, flying off the large claw of the monster thought to be vanquished.) You: No...! Raines! (Scrambling to get up, but unable to because of your weakened body) The creature pushes itself off the ground, now only standing on one leg as the other was sliced off by Raines' great sword. It begins to approach Raines, who doesn't appear to be moving at all. You: Stop... STOP! (You begin dragging yourself towards it) Don't touch him!--- Something strange happens. Like before, back in Eden Forest, your vision becomes clouded in white. But it isn't long until it comes back... However, you are no longer struggling to drag yourself towards Raine. Your vision is grainy, and you realize you are now in a large body of water surrounding some deserted highlands. You struggle to swim through the water, towards the small surface of a hill poking out of the water. In it, you see a small group of four people. A man, two boys sprawled on the ground, and a young girl on her knees beside one of the boys. "Don't touch him!" You hear yourself scream in a voice that you are absolutely sure isn't yours as the man reaches for the other boy. It's a young girl's voice, ever so familiar to you. In fact, it is not so much you screaming as it is the point of view of someone else screaming. "If you touch him, I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" It's that voice again... why does it sound so familiar? Another flash of white. Now, you appear to be on the small surface of land poking out of the water. The man, the young girl, and one of the boys are gone now. You hold the remaining boy in your arms, bloodied, lifeless, dried blood plastered and trailing under one of his closed eyelids. As the final round of white blankets your vision, you hear another set of words before returning back to reality. "....You promised..." The Autumn Frigicite begins to react within you. Your health and energy have been restored. You are no longer disabled. Immediately, you jump up to your feet and run towards the creature with all your might. You: HEY! (Grabbing its attention) The creature stops and turns to look at you. You tackle the creature's remaining leg hard. The creature stumbles back and falls! You: (Pulling out the young man's sword, you hurry up to the creature) Without giving a second thought to what just happened, you take Seiryu and thrust it through the large creature's glowing core repeatedly, making sure to completely dismantle it from the depression in the monster's body. You: Damn you! (You continue to thrust the blade through it recklessly, even though its no longer moving nor is the core glowing) You ignore the sound of a dragon's roar not many feet behind you, and even ignore the calls of a young woman directed at you, who approaches you. You wanted to stop, but you just couldn't. It was like you had a strange source of pent up anger within you that wasn't yours. ???(Young woman with red hair): Whoa there! Easy, easy! (Running up to you and taking a hold of your arms. She has a surprisingly firm grip) It's dead, kid. No need for that. You: (Blinking) What? Who... Oh, no, Raines! (Jumping off the creature's molding body and hurrying over to Raines, who was up against a tree) Red-haired woman: (Frowning regrettably as she hops off the pile of mold) I hate to break it to you, but... Raines, was it? It appears he was tagged fatally... He's not going to wake up. You: What? (Shaking Raines) No, you don't understand. Raines... can't be dead. I know for a fact that he was tougher than that! He was the one who saved me, after all... (Shaking him some more) Hey, you fool, get up! Raines: ... (No response) Red-haired woman: (Looking down for a moment before going over to you and dragging you away by the collar) Come. It's not safe here. Civilians are to be evacuated from the area and rookies like you are to be sent back to headquarters for safe keeping. Oh, and my friend is going to be needing this back. (She plucks Seiryu from your hands) Seiryu has been unequipped! You keep your gaze on Raine's body as you are pulled back into the coliseum and rounded up with the other recruits into a small airship parked inside the stadium platform. There is just so much going through your mind right now that you don't have time to stop and think, let alone ask questions. What was the significance of the vision you just had? Why now did the strange stone react within you? Who was this mysterious young man and the red-haired woman acquainted with him? Why did they bring dragons with them? Where and how did those strange creatures invade the Coliseum? Why? Why was all of this happening? And above all else, why, to you? It was all too much. You could only sit there, unable to answer questions directed at you. ~*~
Aboard the smaller airship, you and the other team of young recruits sit around wondering just what the hell is going on. The majority of the initiates and recruits were rambling on and on about a man called "Steffan", speaking of him as if he were some revolutionary. Others, only wondered whether they gained credit from their Coliseum matches or not. Roki: Um... (Looking troubled, fiddling with the fist weapons on his lap) Did... Did you guys hear about what happened to Raines? (Looking at you and Naaj with a grim look in his eyes) Naaj: (Nods silently, lowering her bunny-like ears) I overheard talk from some of the veterans guiding the initiates into the ship... Roki: ... I'm actually going to miss him. He was a great fighter. Naaj: (Nod) Agreed. Roki: Anyway... did you guys see those fricken' dragons!? It was amazing! I heard... Steffan the Immaculate has finally returned! You don't think those rumors are fake, do you? Naaj: (Shrug) I know not, but if they are... then it was certainly the time to apply for the Brigade. The winds are different, now. It is time for change. You: ... (("Raines...")) (You lower your gaze)
It was bewildering to you, how they could accept the death of a comrade who just a day before, shared a room and a table with them. ~*~
You and the other initiates as well as a few recruits were forced to wait at Brigade Headquarters while the higher ranks swept the Coliseum. However, the few morsels you received via a public radio pearl based around live coverage from the Tribune hinted that things were taken care of rather quickly. While there were quite a few wounded civilians and officers, there was only one death; one that you were well aware of. No one seemed to be aware of your strange encounter with the mystery man, or the happenings with the creature that had killed Raines. You were left alone to ponder the series of erratic events. Also, they reported that a suspect involved with the emergence of the strange creatures had been arrested. ~*~
Atlus Coast Makalin Village Okina giggled as she threw a cardian ball around with Pocki, a little girl she was well acquainted with who was a resident living in the small coast village of Makalin. At this point, Okina and her team's mission had been put on hiatus and was ordered to lie low in Makalin Village. She didn't mind, however. Okina liked quieter villages like this, and she couldn't deny she absolutely loved the beach. This was like a mini vacation to her. Pocki swam around in the water near the pier, where Okina sat and tossed the ball back and forth with her. Pocki: (Popping out of the water and spitting some out of her mouth) Over here, Keena! Throw it really really high again! (Waving her hands in the air) Okina: Huuuh? Again? (Holding the ball and twisting her lips in thought) The cardian ball twitches and shakes in Okina's hand, not wanting to be thrown so damn high again. Pocki: Pleeeeaaase? I'll keep a look out so I know when she's not looken'! Pretty please, Okina? (Swimming up to the pier's edge and pawing at Okina's knees with a pouting face)  Okina: Aww, how can I say no to that kyoot face... Okina hops up to her feet and and begins winding her arm up, holding the cardian ball. Okina: You'd better be ready for this, Pocki! Here... (Pulls arm back) I... (Aims).. GOOOO! Just before she has a chance to actually launch the ball, Lillian's voice tears through the air as she calls Okina frantically. Lillian: OKINA! OKINA! OKIIINAAAA!!! OKINA!!!  Okina: WAH-! Still, the cardian ball flies through the air, nearly creating a sonic boom at the speed it was going. Cardian ball:  !!!!!!!!!Pocki: (Happy, high-pitched scream)  (Starts to swim after it, hoping to catch it before it lands)Okina: (Drags herself back onto the pier) Lillian! You scared me! (Coughs out water) Lillian: (Running over to the end of the pier, out of breath) I'm sorry... I'm sorry!  But I was just listening to Nael's live coverage of the Coliseum! And there was big trouble going on but then it was taken care of quickly! Because- but it was because-Ben: (Walking up to the pier drinking a tropical beverage) So, Stiff has come back I hear. Pretty crazy.  Lillian:  .... BEN!  I was going to tell her!Ben:  Fine, jeez... Forget I said anything. (Walks away) Okina's face suddenly becomes hard to read. She grows silent, crawling out of the water and looking towards the west, towards Eden. For whatever reason, it was hard to choose how to react. Memories began to flood her mind. Even though he had only been gone for nary three years, it felt as though she hadn't seen him in ages. The memories of the young, obnoxious and ambitious little thief began to fill the void that had secretly been emptying her from the inside. Okina: ... Stiff... is back? ~*~
To be continued...
© 2012 JobynAuthor's Note
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