Legacy of Hope

By: Chibi-chan

Chapter 7: “The Devil You Know”

*

Moments earlier…

“He’s WHO?!? And he’s WHERE?!?” Bernard exclaimed. “You can’t be serious!”

“He is, and I am. You must seek him out, Bernard. I only hope you’re Elw enough to get there; I had heard rumors about the seal on the device can only be broken by the willingly-given blood of an Elw,” Elmire told him dully. “If you wish to protect the world and atone for what happened at Ellison, you must do this.”

Before Bernard could protest, a commotion was heard from outside. “What on Filgaia…?” he muttered to himself.

*

Outside, Bernard and Elmire saw a terrible sight. Harpies had somehow gotten in and were terrifying the populace. One of them was gifted with the power of speech, for it said, “Bring us the Child of the Seal and we will spare this place! Do not bring her to us in twenty of your minutes and all will perish!”

“Her work, has to be it…” Bernard growled. He drew his sword and told Elmire, “Gather together anyone who can fight and work on getting those who can’t out of here. I wouldn’t trust her word any more than I’d trust a fox to guard a henhouse. I’m going on to find my companions; with luck, Ron’s caught up with Mira and won’t let anyone turn her in…”

*

Five minutes later…

“Are you sure we shouldn’t go out looking for him, Ronnie?” Mira asked, careful to keep her voice down lest any of the monsters outside hear her.

Ron was still looking out the window cautiously. “He knows he’ll find us here; leaving means we could possibly miss finding one another. It’s better to wait here unless something happens that makes us have to leave,” she said, quickly pulling back to avoid notice when a harpy looked in the window. She breathed a sigh of relief when it moved on. “Good, it didn’t see me,” she muttered.

The glass in the window on her the other side shattered. Glass does that when a harpy puts its fist through it. The gunner swore and said, “Guess I was wrong.”

Mira jumped to her feet. “Time to move on?”

Ron nodded. “This is no place for a fight, that’s for damn sure. C’mon, Montoya!” She took a look back to the harpy, that was now screeching and forcing itself head-first through the broken window. “Shit, it’s going to get in…” she grumbled. She shot it in the head, then turned back to Mira. “OK, now let’s go before its friends arrive!”

The door to the outside opened when they were a couple of feet from reaching it. Ron pointed the revolver at whatever was coming in, but found there was no reason to fire it. “Illych! Montoya was beginning to worry about your sorry hide,” she said, lowering the ARM.

“Are you all right? Not hurt badly or anything?” Mira asked.

The bard leaned against the doorway and was breathing heavily, but he didn’t look hurt aside from some miscellaneous scratches. “Sorry… I’m late… But there was a large group of those foul things in the way…” he explained. “And I’m fine, Sunshine. Just got scratched up a bit, that’s all.” After finishing taking a moment to catch his breath, he said, “So, shall we hit the road, ladies?”

Ron nodded in agreement and smirked. “Thought you’d never ask, Illych. Let’s all get the hell outta here before anything else happens…”

*

“Leese, don’t go!” Leti cried, clinging to the pink-haired Metal Demon’s arm.

Alicia tried to pull away from the small Elw woman’s surprisingly strong grip. “But I gotta, Leti! People’s lives are at stake! Go with the others; go somewhere safe!”

Leti was insistent. “Not without you!”

With her free hand, “Leese” brushed Letis’s bangs aside and kissed her on the forehead. “You worry too much. Don’t, I’m more than capable of taking care of myself; you know that. I’ll be back, I promise,” she said. She added with a wink, “Besides, there hasn’t been this much excitement here in ages; I’d better enjoy it while I have the chance!”

The Elw woman released her grip. “You’re crazy, you know that? Just don’t get hurt, or you’ll never hear the end of it, got it?”

“Got it. Wish me luck!”

*

Five minutes to go…

With a cry of “Vortex!”, an exclamation of “Die, you thieving, disease-ridden mother-fucker!”, and the accompanying mini-tornado, shot, and display of swordsmanship, the last of the harpies that were blocking the nearest way out of town were eliminated.

“This way,” Bernard said, pointing in the proper direction. A short walk in that direction took them to where they came in the previous night. They were not alone when they got there. A person who none of them had seen before, draped in robes from head to foot stood in the way, staring intently at Mira.

“So, you brought her to me. You are smarter than you look,” the figure said.

“That voice…” Mira whispered. “It can’t… It shouldn’t…”

Ron blinked. “‘Brought her to you’?! Fuck, you’re the…?!”

“I am,” the figure said, walking to Mira. “Come, Mira, we have much to discuss…”

The gunner intercepted the figure’s path and pointed her ARM at the figure’s head. “Like hell you do! Come any closer to Montoya and I’ll blow your fucking brains out, sister!”

Bernard took a step toward the gunner. “Miss Derringer, be careful; you’ve seen what she’s capable of!” he warned.

“No, no, please, go ahead, shoot, if you think you can…” The figure, the Seal Sorceress said, slowly, deliberately taking steps closer to Ron. “Go ahead, kill me and release three very angry Guardians into the world, go on…”

“I warned you…” Ron growled. She squeezed the trigger of the revolver and…

*click!*

She did it again.

*click!*

She tried a couple more times and still only got a click each time. She swore and mumbled, “For Solus Emsu’s sake, don’t tell me I used the last bullet in this thing on that damned harpy…”

The Seal Sorceress smirked and hit Ron hard with what can be best described as a “psychic bitch-slap”, knocking the gunner some distance away to the ground. “Be happy I don’t kill you for that; if you hadn’tve protected Mira back in Adlehyde, I would have,” she said coldly. Now, Mira…” she said, strolling calmly in Mira’s direction once more.

This time it was Bernard that intercepted her, sword drawn and ready to strike. “Why are you doing this? Why do you wish to cause the loss of countless lives, the deaths of innocent people?!”

“No one is innocent, least of all you…” the sorceress said, “… you, ‘Destroyer of Ellison’.”

The bard lowered his sword a little. “How…? I…”

“I have my ways,” the Seal Sorceress said. She “psychic bitch-slapped” him further away and in the opposite direction of Ron and resumed her walk to the researcher. “You, on the other hand, live for now simply because I do not wish to invoke your powers that may activate in your dying moments so close to Mira, ‘Destroyer of Ellison’. Next time, neither of you will be so lucky.”

“Claudia…” Mira whispered. “You’re… Claudia, aren’t you? Why?! Please give me an answer, a reason for you to be doing this!”

“Humans… mankind is a petty, spiteful, inherently evil collective which must be stopped…” the Seal Sorceress said slowly. That was as far as she got before a shot rang out and a bullet pierced the flesh of her upper arm, eliciting a cry of pain from her. Her head turned back to the gunner. “You… you…”

“You must think I’m an idiot. What kinda ARM user doesn’t carry extra ammunition, jackass?” Ron said, getting somewhat unsteadily to her feet and holding the smoking gun. “And what right do you have to try to wipe everyone out anyway? You’re a human too, or did you forget that? You ain’t perfect or a Guardian or anything!” She grasped the revolver with her other hand to steady it since the hand that was originally holding it was shaking slightly. “This time I’ll hit something more important… I’d try for the heart, but I’m not sure you have one to start with.”

“She’d have to have a physical one to live, Miss Derringer,” Bernard’s voice said from the other side of the Seal Sorceress. She turned her head and found that not only he had gotten very close to her very quickly, but also had his blade very close to her throat. “But your figure of speech is not lost on me.” He said to the sorceress silkily, “I do not fancy the thought of causing a woman injury, but I could make an exception for you.”

The Seal Sorceress put on an innocent expression and looked at Mira. “Mira… sister… You can’t let them do this, can you?”

“I… I…” Mira stammered, reaching for a Crest Graph.

“Yes? Yes?” the Seal Sorceress asked.

“I’m afraid… I have to…” Mira said. “I have to… ESCAPE!” she cried, drawing out the appropriate Crest Graph. She, Ron, and Bernard were teleported just a step or two away from the portal out. “Byeeeeeeeeee!” she said with a wave before dragging her companions through the portal.

The Seal Sorceress, wounded and dumbfounded, just gaped at that display. “What… the… hell…?!”

*

On the other side of the portal, they group discovered the limp form of the guard sprawled on the ground. “Marcus?!” Bernard exclaimed. He knelt by the fallen man and checked for signs of life.

“Is he…?” Ron asked solemnly.

He responded with an equally solemn nod. “Damn. Marcus. I don’t see a mark on him either. Damn. So she can use them to kill in addition to warping monsters to do her bidding. Damn. Judging from his expression, it wasn’t exactly peaceful either. Damn. I’m sorry, Marcus; I shouldn’t have led us here…” He silently closed Marcus’s eyes and rose to his feet. “There’s nothing else to be done here; we must leave before she decides to pursue us again. Follow me; There’s an Elw Pyramid not too far from here…”

Ron took a moment to look at Marcus. “I know we didn’t get off on the right foot, but damn, I don’t think I would wish what I think happened to you on anybody…” she said before following the bard.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you, Mister Marcus,” Mira said, also pausing to say something, “I only wish I had an answer as to why she’s doing such things…”

*

Meanwhile, in Adlehyde…

Rudy and Zed entered the throne room, where Cecilia and Fluffy greeted them. “Rudy, Zed, you’re back! Did you find out anything else about what we’re dealing with?” Cecilia asked.

“Not much, I’m afraid,” Rudy replied. “Mariel confirmed it was a true story, but she didn’t know much about the details and we couldn’t just go to the Elw Dimension to ask…”

“She just didn’t want me either in Rosetta alone or in their little dimension either,” Zed added, petting Fluffy. “Not that I’d want to go there anyway; I’d probably be lynched or something for what I am.”

“That sounds logical; they were about ready to let me die when I was taken there…” Rudy said softly. “Anyway, did you find out anything new, sis? And where’s Jack? I thought he’d be here too…”

“Jack is off in Milama about ‘personal business’, and I think we should go somewhere more private to discuss what I discovered,” Cecilia told him. “One question first, though… Did you happen to see any of those Dream Chasers who helped out the other day in Rosetta? They got teleported somewhere else and I’m a little worried about them…”

Rudy shook his head and looked to Zed. “I didn’t see them either. They’re probably OK, tho’. The feisty one with the guns looked like she could take care of herself and the other two when push comes to shove,” the green-haired swordsman said with a smile.

“I think the little Crest Sorceress is the one who can do the most damage,” Rudy said. “I mean, she’s seen so many of the attacks, so much of the horror they bring… Sooner or later, she’d going to snap, and I for one don’t want to be there when it happens.”

Cecilia bowed her head slightly. “My concern is with their strange storytelling associate. There’s something very odd about him…” She raised her head back and moved closer to Rudy. “Could you do something for me when you head out? I want you to give Anje at the Curan Abbey a note about something I’d like researched. You don’t have to leave right away; I have to write the letter first, but if you wouldn’t mind…”

“Hm? Oh, well, sure, sis,” Rudy replied. He smiled a little and added, “Anything for you, sis.”

The queen smiled back. “I knew I could count on you, Rudy. Now, to discuss what I discovered somewhere more private; please, this way…”

*

Somewhere in the Saint Centour region…

Ron seemed to be having some trouble walking straight. “Whoever designed those things needs a swift kick in the ass! I still feel funny after using that damned thing!” she complained loudly.

“Amen, sister!” Mira agreed, not exactly looking like she enjoyed the trip either. “I wonder if Cecilia and her friends felt like this afterwards…”

“I don’t understand why it affected you two so,” Bernard said, “I feel just fine.”

“That’s because you were put on this planet to annoy everyone, Illych,” the gunner remarked. “By the way, just where the hell are we headed, anyway?”

Mira whipped out the Magic Map and looked at it. “According to this, the pyramid took us to somewhere north of Saint Centour, so I guess that’s where we’re headed.”

“Heh, ‘Home of the Two Sacred Beasts’, huh? Well, it should be interesting to find out if she can get through the famous Dimensional Barrier there,” Ron said. The memories of what just happened prompted her to ask, “Unless… uh… Sylik wasn’t protected by one of those things, was it?”

“Yes and no; yes, it was a dimensional barrier, but it was raised by just as much by magical means as it was by mechanical ones, whereas the on in Saint Centour is largely run by machines,” Bernard answered. “Whether that’ll make a difference or not, I don’t know.”

“So in other words, we still gotta be on guard. Fabulous,” Ron groaned. “How did I get mixed up with you people and why haven’t I tried to get away yet?”

“Because you love us?” Mira suggested.

“No, that can’t be it. Everyone I love goes away, and you two are still here,” the gunner answered dryly.

The researcher pouted. “That’s cold, Ronnie. Don’t you at least like us?”

“I think it’s sad, myself,” Bernard said before the gunner could answer. “To lose those you care about, unavoidable as it may be; after a certain point, one distances themselves away from others to protect a fragile heart…”

“Guardians, he’s started again,” Ron grumbled. “First harpies, then psychobabble… what more could happen?”

*

Somewhere in Saint Centour…

“I don’t get why we have to stick around here for another day, Trent,” a fat blue-striped purple Wind Mouse complained to a young man with clearly-dyed blue hair. “It’s a total dead end here. We really should look in Rosetta again; your mother-“

“I have no mother,” the young man coldly told the mouse. “If she hadn’t… Then I wouldn’t have been taken away…”

“I see your point,” the mouse said. “If you hadn’t been taken away, you wouldn’tve met that blonde tomboy you’ve got the hots for.”

“Hey, ‘Fancy’ may be a tomboy, but she’s a very nice girl, once you get to know her,” Trent countered. “Anyway, we’re staying another day ‘cause my instincts say we should, Miriam. Have my instincts ever let us down before, Miri?”

“No, but they’ve led us to that blonde chick one too many times for my tastes,” Miriam told him. “If I never see her again, it’ll be too soon! She always gets us into trouble whenever we meet her!”

Trent patted the mouse lightly on the head. “Hey, this is the town of the Sacred Beast; what could go wrong?”

Miriam wasn’t paying attention this time, or she would have bound to have pointed out the fact that most of the town’s original inhabitants were turned into monsters a little over seventeen years ago. Instead, she focused on the Elws and other strange people who were filing into town. Elws? Where did they come from?!

*

In a house in Sylik, the Seal Sorceress was nursing her wound. “That… that lunatic blonde was really going to kill me!” she growled, not quite believing it herself as she dressed the gunshot would Ron had inflicted on her. “I can’t tell if that was being brave or being stupid. If they get out, all life will be in danger, not just the terrible people…”

I like her myself; she’s got moxie and there is so much beautiful despair coming from her… the voice of Pirio Tria, Guardian of Loss and the ensuing despair cooed.

“I didn’t ask you,” the woman spat. “Mira… How are you still able to care? Why are you not afraid when such people are around you? Not only are they flawed, they’re extremely dangerous. Do you ask yourself why your male ‘friend’ was in hiding? Why your female ally was willing to kill your only sister?”

I think she was trying to kill you to protect your only sister, Claaaaaaudiaaaa, Fontira, Guardian of Pain, drawled, the one you hurt by going on your silly crusade.

“IT IS NOT A SILLY CRUSADE! They… THEY DESERVE IT!” the Seal Sorceress roared.

Temper, temper, little girl, Daeus Los, Guardian of Hate, chided. You’ll only get yourself killed giving in to your anger, and you know what would happen then… Since the Seal Sorceress said nothing to this, he went on to say, I find it ironic that you are fighting against the ‘Destroyer of Ellison’; the results of you both giving into negative emotions are quite similar. In both cases, many were killed; in his case, the one he never wanted to hurt died as well. Will the same thing happen for you, little girl?

“Shut up! All of you, SHUT UP!” the woman ordered. “I know what I am doing! I know… And I will not let her get hurt! I WON’T!”

*

On the road, Mira shuddered for some reason she couldn’t figure out. “Ronnie, Bernie? Could we move a little faster? No reason, I just want to get to town soon…”

*

End Chapter Seven

Chibi’s notes:

What? Babylon 5 refs? In this story? Why, noooooo, of course not…

(Spot the REALLY obscure one and you win… uh… the good feeling you get for finding it?)