Arcane Tales

Lucien shakes lose the cob webs and Creed stands and pick up Alto. "He's wasted a lot of mana. He feels lighter now..."

"What's that suppose to mean Creed?" Lucien asks.

"Alto normally has such a fearsome presence. Those who are especially sensitive to the arcane can sense it. There's something restless in him waiting to break loose. Now though, it feels like that fearsome presence is gone... or sleeping. We should take him to Fahren."

*Kari holds the rabbit close to her, petting it.*

"It's... okay."

*Allina tilts her head, staring at Creed like she thinks he doesn't make sense. The Jade Rabbit smiles and sighs. When they arrive at the top of the tower, they find Olympe and Fahren drinking some tea. She gets up and runs to Creed, helping him put Alto down on Fahren's bed. Allina sits down on the carpet and yawns, stretching her arms. Their headaches start getting better.*

Fahren: <Welcome back. I assume you paid the magic world another visit, considering what the Captain told me.>

=====

*She nods and, when they're right under the sphere, she puts her hands together in front of her chest. Her whole body glows blue and a flash of light blinds them momentarily. Next thing they know, they're inside of a room in the airship, standing on a small circular platform suspended by iron bars above the inside of the blue sphere. Up a staircase they find the bridge. It's very dark inside but, as they step in, the ceiling divides in two and opens up, revealing them to be standing inside that metal dome at the front part of the airship. A circular blue light barrier springs around them, closing up over them in a dome and replacing the metal one. The barrier is transparent, and serves as basically the airship's windshield, except all around them. Kelphy finds yet another blue sphere, this one the size of a basketball, embedded on the central control panel. She lays her right palm on it and an hologram of a map of Verte appears in front of them, within an area of the light dome.*

Kelphy: <How do we fly it? More importantly, how do we take it out of the sea?>

"We did, Alto pulled off some powerful Aeldi Arte that destroyed this giant snake spawning thing... and by powerful I mean I am in sheer shock that it didn't blow up the entire chamber he let it loose in as well" Creed informs.

Derek: <We use your magic to power this. And hopefully, we'll have enough juice to make it out alive.>

*Fahren, now tending to Alto's injuries by waving his hands over his back and casting several healing spells, clears his throat.*

Fahren: <He shouldn't have. This wound...>

*Allina stands up and toddles to the bed, widening her eyes as she looks into the now clean wound.*

Allina: <...I hadn't realized it was-->

Fahren: <He should be all right now. He shouldn't take too long to wake up, but he should probably be careful for a while... It wasn't very clever to do something like this.>

Allina: <Well, in his defense, we were about to be eaten alive.>

Fahren: <Hmm. Did you speak to Luna?>

*He glances at the Jade Rabbit and widens his eyes before smiling to Kari and nodding lightly, as though congratulating her on finding such a rare creature.*

Allina: <Not really. Which is actually pretty weird, considering she's supposed to be the one summoning us there. There's also the fact we never really know what we're there for.>

Olympe: <This isn't the time to discuss these affairs. The Aldanian princess is still with Crone, as you might recall.>

Allina: <Oh yeaah... there's that too.>

Fahren: <I'll make it quick and we can further discuss these flash trips to the magic world after you save the princess. Kari, do you still have that crystal I gave you?>

=====

*She closes her eyes and focuses on channeling her magic into the sphere. For a moment, Derek sees the image of a boy about their age appear next to the map, much like in a plasma TV or something like that. He recognizes him as the one trying to save the princess from Crone when him and the others arrived, right before the kidnap. The whole ship starts glowing, illuminating the room. They realize the metal ceiling is divided in two parts that can be split apart, like a giant gate. The ship floats upward a few yards, now nearly grazing the ceiling, and Kelphy opens her eyes and looks back at Derek over her shoulder. For a moment, the ship trembles. The boy disappears.*

[Can't lose focus...]

Kelphy: <...We need to find a way to open the ceiling, and hope the ocean doesn't swallow us when we do.>

*Now that there is a lot more light, Derek can, through the magic wall, see a small panel at the entrance of the room with a few buttons that would probably open the ceiling, as well as a large lever with a sign that reads "emergency" on the ceiling itself, near the shut fissure that separates its two sides. Because it's convenient, there is a ladder leading to an exit hatch to the airship's roof just a step away from him.*

"Y... Yes."

*She takes the crystal out of her pocket and holds it out to Fahren.*

Creed goes over and looks at the wound himself. "That... doesn't look normal..."

Derek: <Princess, go out that escape hatch.>

*He points to the ladder.*

Derek: <I'll keep the ship steady until it's time for us to go.>

Fahren: <Ah, perfect. Everyone, look at this. You can fill sleeping beauty in on all of this later.>

*He quickly glances across the group with a slight smile as though he actually expected someone to laugh of the joke.*

Allina: <...Okay.>

*He clears his throat and points at the marble-sized red sphere in Kari's hand.*

Fahren: <...All right, take a good look at this. That's an Arte Crystal--I know, I'm still working on that name. I started developing these little treasures quite a few years ago, and though they have finally started being commercialized lately, they are yet to acquire the popularity I wish them to. I don't want to bore you too much, so I'll try to make this as simple an explanation as possible. These crystals can be made of several different raw minerals with magical properties, some better than others, though that isn't really relevant as so far I have mostly limited my experiments to the kind you see in her hand, which is commonly sphere-shaped. Through the use of a chain of somewhat complex spells, one can, so to say, record a certain ability, a battle spell, in one. And by owning the sphere, pretty much anyone with enough magic talents to withstand using the specific ability can use it as though they've naturally learned it. The one you hold in your hand, Kari, contains the Valkyrie ability, which allows you to physically strenghten yourself or an ally by casting a red aura upon them. I'm sure you'll make good use of it. Now, these raw minerals are currently quite precious, being such an unexplored and thus scarce resource, are quite expensive. Both because of that and because I believe acquiring these should be a part of training like any other, you'll have to buy them.>

Olympe: <The pilot, Aera, I'm sure you've all met her, will be selling these.>

Fahren: <I will make sure to call her back here to pick up any new Arte Crystals I acquire or produce myself.>

Allina: <Is that it?>

Fahren: <Hmmm... I believe so. Before you go, any questions on this?>

OOC: And because I forgot to do it earlier, everyone gets 1000 Gald from the snake battle, even though it was--you know--fast.

=====

*She nods and runs to the ladder. Just as she removes her hand from the small sphere, the ship's glow begins to fade, as does the dome cockpit, and the map on it. Knowing this is the ship shouting "Hurry before I crash and you both die", she makes haste up the ladder, out the hatch and onto the ship's roof, pulling the lever. The ceiling quickly starts to open apart, and they see a large tunnel leading upwards that the airship can just barely fit through. Dim rays of light break down from the top. She hurries back to the sphere and has the airship slowly start hovering up the tunnel.*

Kelphy: <...Great! Thanks, De--Master Derek...!>

OOC: Because I forgot for these two too, 1000 Gald acquired for defeating Undine.

"O...kay."

[This means I can be of assistance to Kentaro, right?]

*Derek sighs in relief and slumps into a wall.*

Derek: <Princess, are you alright? Allow me to see your hand.>

*He takes it and examines it in case the use of magic damaged it at all.*

"So what's up with the wound on Alto's back?" Lucien asks.

"These will prove to be useful. What kind of materials should we gather for them Master Fahren?" Creed asks.

Fahren: <Like I said, he should be all right.>

*Just as he says this, Creed sees the wound close up a bit more.*

Fahren: <I'll take care of finding the materials myself. I have some contacts that have been helping me with my research. In any case, if you happen to come across any time of unusual crystalline mineral, bring it to me and I'll see if it can be used. Now, we wouldn't want to keep the princess or Crone waiting. ...Good luck, everyone. And thank you. It was good having friends around for the first time in many long years.>

Allina: <Thanks for your help! We'll come back for a visit after kicking Crone's ass.>

*She heads out and back to the airship across the beach.*

=====

*She blushes lightly. Though she can feel her magic weakening from powering the airship, she is currently still very much all right. After a few seconds, the ship trembles as they hit some rocks that were blocking the tunnel that hadn't been used for hundreds of years. The rocks start falling down around the airship, blocking the access back down and probably damaging the hangar. The ship flies into the blue open sky, and just ahead they see a large white mass of land.*

Kelphy: <That's northern Verte... That's Alda!>

*She abruptly hugs Derek with her free arm, trying her best not to tear up.*

Kelphy: <Finally!>

*A blinking spot appears on the map on coastal Alda, near their location and an image of Undine smiling and slowly waving her hair appears where the boy's did before.*

"I have a feeling... that princess Kelphy is doing fine on her own" Lucien says suddenly as he follows the others out.

Creed turns to Fahren, "Alto should stay here for the time being Master Fahren."

*Kari and Kentaro walk out after saying their goodbyes.*

Derek: <Huh... how strange.>

*Derek looks at the map carefully.*

Derek: <It's got some sort of waypoint programmed into it.>

Fahren: <If you think it's for the best.>

*Alto stays with Fahren. The ship takes flight with Aera reminding them she'll be selling Arte Crystals to anyone interested.*

Allina: <So, let's do this.>

Olympe: <Aera has the map Fahren gave us with the location of the shrines. I suggest we split up to make things faster. With me, Kari, Kentaro, Allina, Creed, and Lucien we're six. Not enough for four pairs, but I'd prefer going alone anyway.>

Allina: <It's just talking to an Aeldi, it shouldn't take that long... I wanna go with Kari!>

*She wraps her arms around Kari's right arm and holds on to her tightly.*

Allina: <We need some girl time to talk and... talk. Or something. (Pleaaaaase.)>

Olympe: <Either way, one of you will have to go alone as well. Make up your mind, we're almost arriving at the Earth Shrine. I'll take that one.>

Aera: <After that is the Fire Shrine.>

=====

*Derek remembers reading in the manual that the ship can detect sources of magic based on the pilot's mind.*

Kelphy: <Is it marking Undine on the map? She told us she'd be waiting...>

"Wha... What?"

*Kari stops moving as if being completely petrified.*

"I'll head to the Ice Shrine" Creed says.

"I'll go to fire" Lucien adds.

Derek: <I think so. It's her magic reaching the airship.>

Allina: <Awesome, then it's settled. Kentaro can choose to go with Creed or Lucien.>

*Olympe walks over to Aera and gets something from her. Walking back over to the group, she gives Allina, Creed and Lucien a silver ring. Each of the three has a different gem, with Allina's being an emerald, Creed's a sapphire and Lucien's a ruby. She keeps one with a brown agate to herself.*

Olympe: <A gift from Fahren. I'm sure you all know this already, but, just in case, Pact Rings work like Arte Crystals, sealing the magic bond between Summoner and Aeldi within a gem. Each group is to form a pact with the shrine's Aeldi and have it release its part of the barrier around the island. Whether to keep the pact or break it after doing so is an individual choice.>

Aera: <Earth Shrine! I'll be back to pick you up after dropping the last group.>

*Olympe nods and walks out of the airship when it lands in a Torosian desert. Next, they head towards the Sephira-Toros border.*

Aera: <We're very close to the Fire Shrine.>

Allina: <So, Kenta, Fire or Ice?>

=====

*Kelphy orders the ship to fly to Undine and the ship bursts into the horizon, rocketting towards the marked spot at high speed, and causing a bit of turbulence inside. It only takes them a few minutes to arrive at the place. A large lake. As the ship lands and they walk outside, the lake starts glowing and becomes more transparent for a second. Underwater, they see what remains of an ancient temple.*

Kelphy: <So this means we swim?>

Kentaro:<I'd rather not go with either of them.>

"I don't think you have a choice" Lucien says.

Derek: <I suppose so. Luckily, I have time to ready myself.>

*He throws off his trainee uniform, revealing azure swim trunks and a white vest.*

Derek: <After you, Princess.>