Arcane Tales

*Kentaro sidesteps the cobra's attack. Catching his gun, he slashes the cobra across the face with it.*

"Are you okay, rabbit?"

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*Kari cringes and ducks to avoid the incoming gun. Collecting it off the floor she stares at.*

[I want to rescue them, but wouldn't this be a better choice? I'm sure Kentaro or any of them would agree? It probably won't work, but I should at least try, right?]

*Raising the gun, she fires three shots at Crone's back.*

Derek: <Hnn....>

*He looks over and notices Kelphy, then realizes he's tied.*

Derek: <Princess! Are you alright!?>

Alto causes light to pour from his body forming a layer around him and the grasps while he attacks them, "The Light shell won't last long..."

---

Creed catches his sword and in one movement he breaks the ice shard with it before returning fire with one of his own.

---

"Yes, lets" Lucien says.

*She walks out of the cave, which is hidden among a few rocks facing the beach behind the mansion.*

Allina: <How did you end up becoming Kelphy's bodyguard? I always thought you didn't look very soldier-ish.>

=====

*The serpent hisses loudly and tries to bite his gun hand off as the rabbit gasps for air after nearly suffocating between his body and the cobra's.*

Jade Rabbit: <..Great, just great.>

*The one Creed attacked takes the shard in one of the eyes, turning around and abruptly slamming him into a wall with its tail. Olympe impales its body on the ground with both swords.*

=====

*A rectangular light barrier rises from the floor, stopping the attacks. He turns around and walks out the door, glancing at her over his shoulder. For a moment, it almost seems he has an expression of sadness on his face.*

Crone: <Go help your friends. (You don't have much time left to be with them.)>

=====

Kelphy: <I... I could be better.>

*She chuckles awkwardly and sighs.*

Kelphy: <Do you think the others are all right?>

=====

*After all of the monsters are vanquished, the King sits back on the sofa again.*

Alto: <General... what happened since we last met? Since Aldanian General Eldi died and you set off to find Crone's tutor?>

"Might want to cover your ears."

*Kentaro steps back and fires at the cobra.*

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"...What?"

*Kari runs out of the room.*

"We were transported back to the other world and fought monsters... about the story of our lives at this point. From what I can tell they went to the Aeldi Shrines to break some barrier around Crone's island."

---

"I'm an exile from one of the island's inhabited by the elves. An assassin for hire at the time who grew bored of the kill and decided to rally a gang of brigands and bandits together. I made a bold attack against an Aldanian caravan which my men were slaughtered in and I was forced by Kelphy herself to travel back to the kingdom in disgrace. The king put me to use as a butler at first, and at first, I still wanted to kidnap Princess Kelphy to extort her for gald and jewels. However over the time I spent with her I slowly..." he chuckles and looks upwards, "Fell in love with her. Thats when she was attacked by one of her maids who had been hired to kill her. I killed the assassin with my wakizashi. It terrified Kelphy to the point where she was catatonic. That day I made a promise that I would never draw them again, against anyone. I never wanted to see her cry again..."

---

Creed is slammed into the wall.

Derek: <I don't know...>

*He looks at their bindings.*

Derek: <Do you think these are flammable?>

Allina: <Nasty. You know, I...(You know Derek likes her, right?)>

*She glances at him with a somewhat sad smile.*

=====

*The rabbit's bends his ears over themselves and frowns as Kentaro shoots. The cobra shrieks as its head is showered with bullets. It starts whipping its head around in a final attempt to hit Kentaro. Olympe steps in between Creed and the other serpent and slashes at its head.*

=====

*Running outside, Kari's in a hallway with several doors similar to the one she just came out of. At the right end of the hall she sees the first couple steps of the stairway leading to the entrance hall and to the left end is a door slightly larger than the others. Crone is nowhere to be seen.*

=====

Kelphy: <Well, they look like regular linen ropes to me...>

*They hear a familiar voice inside their heads.*

<Sorry to have you kept you waiting... I had other matters to attend to.>

Kelphy: <C-Crone! Master Derek, can you hear him too?>

=====

King Arthos: <I see...>

*An armored man runs in and salutes them.*

Sephiran Soldier: <Your Majesty!>

King Arthos: <Yes?>

Sephiran Soldier: <We just heard the Aldanian and Toran airships were attacked by monsters on their way here. They're having trouble, and the monsters won't stop coming. There just aren't enough of us!>

King Arthos: <How bad is it?>

Sephiran Soldier: <It's particularly bad around the palace. Many citizens have been killed and houses are being broken apart without us even having time to go in and help people escape!>

King Arthos: <Oh no...>

*He turns to Alto.*

King Arthos: <General... I'm sorry to ask this of you but... we need all the help we can get. And you're one of most skilled knights I know. Please help our men.>

*Though he has a serious look on his face Alto can see his eyes are watering, if only because he's nervous.*

"I'm at your command King Arthos" Alto stands and bows. "I will help where I can."

---

Creed grunts and shakes the cobwebs loose before standing.

---

"If that is what Kelphy wants, I will not object. I... had a fiancée back before I was exiled... arranged but still... if things do not work out I... might be able to return home some day..."

*Kentaro stabs at the cobra's head.*

=====================================================

*Kari looks around and runs downstairs.*

Derek: <I do, and I'd rather not stick around to see what he's going to do.>

*His pact ring glows as a small flame burns through their bindings.*

Derek: <Let's go!>

*Allina smiles as they walk through the mansion's front door (again).*

Allina: <Home is good. But don't just disappear, we're all friends now, right? I like having you all around.>

*Entering the entrance hall, they find the floor to be back to normal, like the hole was never there. Kari is running down the stairs from the floor above.*

Allina: <Kari! Are you all right, where are the others?>

=====

*The cobra dies and turns into a sphere of light that drifts upwards and fades away. Olympe points her blades at the remaining cobra and shoots dark lightning bolts at it. The Cobra whips her into Kentaro and proceeds to bite at Creed's head.*

=====

Kelphy: <T-Thank you.>

*She gets up and looks around, examining the circular doorless, windowless stone wall. She then looks up at the crossed sets of prison cells.*

Kelphy: <All right then, but how?>

*A circular area at the center of the room about 1/3 its total area starts glowing and disappears, Kelphy having to jump back to avoid falling. She peeks down to see a bottomless pit.*

<I don't like it when my guests sneak out and I like it even less when they touch my Aeldi. That's why you two royal birds get to die quickly, unlike the others. But then again, I guess that's a good thing.>

=====

*The King nods, smiling.*

King Arthos: <We'll meet again very soon. Please do your best to help my people!>

*The guard salutes Alto again and runs out.*

Alto nods, "Lead the way!"

---

"I wouldn't just disappear, no worries there Allina" he gives her the V for victory sign.

---

Creed dodges and swings his sword at the cobra's mouth in a movement that would cut the thing's jaw clean off.

Derek: <Leave us be, Crone!>

*His hand takes the form of Efreet's claw.*

Derek: <We're leaving. Now.>

*He slashes the wall.*

*Kentaro catches Olympe.*

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"Yeah... They're in some kind of dungeon."

*Allina points at a wooden door to their right/Kari's left.*

Allina: <Kelphy said the dungeons were through that door.>

*A humanoid figure appears right behind Kari out of nowhere. It is fully covered in strips of black linen, like a mummy, except for its eye area, which is pitch black except for the two circular glowing red eyes. It wields two dark ninjatos and has a long piece of black silk tied around its waist whose ends wave behind it. It holds a sword over her shoulder, preparing to cut her throat.*

=====

*The Cobra dies and Returns. Olympe looks at Kentaro over her shoulder.*

Olympe: <...Thank you.>

*She runs out of the cell again and looks down the hall both ways.*

Olympe: <It gets darker to the left. The exit must be to the right.>

=====

*He tears a part of the wall apart, but only to find more stone. An area around the previously formed hole disappears too, and 2/3 of the room's floor is now bottomless pit. Kelphy stands against the wall, trembling.*

Kelphy: <Oh, no...!>

<Well, I must go now... It was nice seing you again. One last time.>

=====

*Soon, they're running out of the palace to a city crawling with monsters. Many of the houses are falling apart or are on fire. A woman runs by them carrying a little girl that is around 4 years old. A Brute Canupus jumps off of a roof and lands right in front of them, snatching the little girl and running down the street as she and her mother scream.*

Alto is quick to reached shooting several chains of light out from his hand at the brute canupus latching on to it. Alto's strength is surprisingly formidable as it seems like he's holding the thing in place.

---

Lucien reacts with surprising deftness and strikes the shadow being with his own shadow claws.

---

Creed follows, "Hopefully it is the exit."

"No problem."

*Kentaro follows them out.*

=====================================================

*Kari freezes up.*

"Hel... Help."

*Derek's hand returns to normal, albeit a bit singed.*

Derek: I've gotta protect Kelphy!

*He grabs the Princess, and jumps down into the pit with her wrapped arouns his arms on top.*

*The monster steps back, slashing at the claws, and Allina takes the chance to step in between it and Kari and hurl it back with a light barrier. As it its standing up with a growl its body blends into the background and they stop seing it.*

Allina: <Where did it go?>

*It reappears halfway through a leap over them, holding its hands out and shooting shurikens at them.*

=====

*After some minutes of following the light down a couple hallways they reach a wooden door sided by two torches. A Restless Pride appears in between them and the door, hurling a barrage of kunais at them.*

=====

*She hugs him tightly. They fall into the darkness until, what feels like an eternity later, they abrupty stop midair and slowly float down a few inches to the ground. Kelphy slowly opens her eyes and lets go of Derek. Luna is standing in front of them, enveloped in a dim aura of light. They're in pitch dark space space and all they see besides the Aeldi of the Moon is a tiny bright dot far above, the hole they fell down through. Luna shrinks to become a small orb of light that drifts down the dark hallway in ruins with several empty cells.*

Kelphy: <(I... I think she's guiding us out.)>

=====

*An Undead Searaptor falls down from a crumbling house onto the chains, accidentally freeing the Brute Canupus, which takes a left into an alley.*

*Kentaro hurls himself against a wall and fires at the monster.*

=====================================================

*Kari grabs Allina's hand and ducks, dragging Allina down with her. With her free hand, she fires at the monster.*

"SHIT!!" Alto swears and runs after the Brute Canupus.

---

Lucien forms a protective wall of shadow hands which sharpen into claws and push forward into the Restless Pride.

---

Creed returns fire with a barrage of ice shards.

Derek: <Let's follow then.>

*He steps towards the Aeldi and instinctively puts his hand to his waist, then remembers he doesn't have his sword.*

*The Restless Pride lands in front of them and dashes towards Lucien, slashing at him. They hear gunshots and a loud shriek coming from the other side of the door to the dungeons.*

Allina: <Thanks, Kari!>

=====

*The shots and some of the shards pierce into its body but never exit it. It shrieks loudly and hurls shurikens at Kentaro before slashing at Creed and Olympe with its twin blades.*

=====

*The light disappears as they arrive at a door of prison bars that leads to a place with a little more light, one quite familiar to Derek: the dungeons. They hear a shriek and gunshots coming from down the left side of the hallway of cells beyond the door. Kelphy pushes it to realize it isn't locked, while looking at Derek like "Did you hear that?".*

=====

*The Brute Canupus runs past two white two story houses with red roofs to the third and last, and jumps onto its roof with the girl, roaring.*

Alto follows it and launches himself on to the roof with light chains before moving in to attack it.

---

Lucien blocks with an sheathed wakizashi.

---

Creed dodges deftly.