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Old 05-02-2005, 07:20 PM   #33
 
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Zerlina
Chocobo Jockey
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Canada
Age: 35
Posts: 293
Far from the deliberating demons, far from the walls of Gracia, far from the endless lines of enemy soldiers, and far from the remnants of the fallen Nidogg, the wind warrior still sat, slumped against a tree, his mind still consumed in a hazy confusion.

“It will make you stronger.” Titania explained, though she was sure that he already knew.

Shifting his head to try and regain his focus, Malice stood, shakily, having been sitting for so long that he was momentarily unused to his legs. Seeing this, Titania’s cheekiness evaporated, and she tenderly tried to assist her friend.

“We’re not going to get out of here without a fight.” Malice said, once he was steadied.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were happy about that.” Titania muttered, only to receive a grin in reply.

By now, the commotion had caused a reaction that had spread through the camp like ripples in a pond. Coming to the aid of their fallen comrades, nearly the whole battalion of demon soldiers surrounded the two former captives and prepared for what they thought would be an easy battle.

Drawing his daggers, Malice looked to Titania, his figure still glowing with the magic aura.

“Alright, ready?” he asked, and she nodded.

A mischievous grin on his face, Malice looked at the surrounding army and began to count down to the attack “3… 2…”

*

“…so what are we going to do…?” Nichi asked the two demons, though he wasn’t too pleased with having to do so.

“Shhh!” Belial snapped at him before resuming his council.

Taking advantage of the uncharacteristic lapse in the battle, Nichi turned to Magus “I guess we’d better start by getting that gate repaired and fortified so no more of those things can bust in.”

“What the hell were they, anyways?” Magus asked.

“…I think that they were summoned, which means that calling so few of them was only an experiment.”

“A successful experiment.” Magus added, eyeing the areas that the juggernauts had broken through.

“…what we need is to buy some time and then figure out a way to block their portals.” Nichi mused out loud.

As if he had heard nothing that his comrade had said, Magus cleaned his scythe with the purple fabric of his cape, and then slowly began to walk away, the mud pulling at his large strides.

“Wait- where are you going?!” Nichi exclaimed.

“Keep thinking! I’ve got some things I have to do!” Magus shouted back.

Nichi watched as the tall man disappeared up the ramparts, and then he turned his gaze to look at the two demons on the ground.

“Uh…you two done?”

There was no answer.

Sighing, Nichi moved toward the wreckage left by the fallen Nidogg. Carefully picking through the armoured debris, the warrior searched for anything that might have held interest.

“Alright.” Belial said, standing and adjusting his black chapeau “We’ve come to a resolution.”

“And what’s that?” Nichi asked, his voice dripping with annoyance.

“We need is to buy some time and then figure out a way to block their portals.”

“Why does that sound familiar?”

Belial disregarded the inquiry “Legend has it that there’s a stone that can be used to temporarily block demon portals.”

“What do you mean by ‘temporarily’”

“Who knows? Maybe ten minutes. Maybe ten years. The point is that it’s some kind of a hope.”

“…where can we find this stone?”

Belial grinned; his smile made Nichi shiver.

“In a forest locked by mountains and ocean. I’ve passed by there before, and I’ve seen a cavern in the southern part of the ridges. If I’m right, then that should lead to the internal forest…”

*

Meanwhile, atop the ramparts, Magus wandered aimlessly, his safety somewhat ensured by the retreating action of the current line of demons.

Finding a spot to himself, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the glass ball that Nichi had given him. For a while he stared at the object, as if expecting something miraculous to happen. When the ball lay still and produced no image, he sighed and returned it to his pocket.

The news of his sister’s death still hanging over his head like a noose, Magus wandered hopelessly back to the group.
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Last edited by Zerlina; 05-11-2005 at 04:31 PM.
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