The Valiant

Zac let out a small sigh, then shrugged. "If this is what you want, far be it for me to go against your wishes. So, what kind of helmet were you thinking about getting?" Zac asked, walking towards the shop.

--

Mortal smiled, and hugged Euryale. "Touching as this sight is," Noct said, "Perhaps we should get moving again."

~Zeltennia~

L"The best and most expensive, of course."
======================================
E"Oh, alright."

~Riovanes Castle~

E"There are no guards at the gate. I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe we should take the extra time to stock up before we go in. I mean, we have no idea when we'll be able to get back out."

"So, how do we go about helping Ramza anyway?" Sab asked.

--

Zac smiled and nodded, "Of course." And so Zac bought this gold digger two Muramasa, two Osafune, and a Crystal Helmet.

~Zeltennia~

*Lilith also purchases Reflect Mail.*

L"Thank you. The rest of my money can be used for emergencies."
================================
~Riovanes Castle~

*In town, Euryale reluctantly purchases a barrette.*

E"He has to be in the castle. Let's just go in & look for him. Who's going to stop us? The guards?"

"Don't mention it," Zac said, still sittin' pretty with six figures, "Just glad I could help."

--

Noct laughed at that, "They could try, but I'm starting to realize you two are quite a fighting force. You're like two warrior goddesses, or something."

"Hey, I'm not too bad with a blade either," Iliad said.

"True, but those two are just beasts. One literally, and one with the power of one," Noct said, "No offense Mortal."

"None taken, I think..."

~Riovanes Castle~

"That fight would not have gone anywhere near as smoothly if we didn't have your dancing on our side. We're just lucky that Vanessa doesn't have the authority to command high-level troops like Dancers or Aritheticians."
======================================
~Zeltennia~

L"Hrm...most of the recent activity has been reported along the Limberry-Zeltennia road, but we didn't see anything on our way up. Then again, it is possible they're hiding in Sal Ghidos. Unlikely, but possible. But I'd rather not start an investigation just to find out that I'm going the wrong way."

Reiter; <So what do you want to do?>

"You'd think after being sent back to the church defeated time and time again, she would be demoted, or fired or something," Noct said.

--

"Perhaps we should ask around," Zac suggested, "See if there are any new rumors at the inn, and find out where they were last seen."

~Riovanes Castle~

"Maybe it has something to do with Wiegraf? She did imply that he was now a Templar."
=======================================
~Zeltennia~

"I guess that's all we really can do."

...

Tavernmaster<The last time I saw anyone by your description, he was heading down Finath River.>
=======================================
~Bervenia~

R"I haven't figured that out yet, obviously. I do know there are some caves down that way that my dad used to use as a base."

Noct shrugged, "Perhaps. All I'm saying is that if I was running something like that, I would not be okay with constant failures."

--

"To the Finath River it is then."

Parker: <Well, that sounds like a plan to me.>

Rhea: <Is there anything we should know about Fort Besselat?>

~Bervenia~

R"Are you retarded? You want to go to Fort Besselat & you don't even know what it IS?"

S"It's where teh guv'ment sticks people they don't want to take the time to kill."
==================================
~Finath River~

"If they passed through here, it was some time ago, and the rain has probably washed away their trail. But that also means they definitely have not been back this way in a few days."
====================================
~Riovanes Castle~

"Are you guys ready? Because I thought we were in a hurry."

Reiter: <Woah, calm down dude.>

Parker: <We know that, what we're asking if you know anything about their defense and what not.>

Rhea: <Fort Besselat played a major role during the 50 Years War, and you mentioned Seraph fought in it...>

"Perhaps we should see what we can find out in Bervenia," Zac said, figuring that they wouldn't be heading towards Zeltennia.

--

Everyone nodded, and Noct said, "I thought we were walking and talking in all honesty."

~Riovanes Castle~

*Peeking inside, they can see that there are dead Gryphon Knights everywhere, & Wiegraf is in fact in a Templar uniform. He is swordfighting with Ramza, whose burns suggest that he was on the receiving end of a Hallowed Bolt.*

Ramza<I pity you, Wiegraf. More than you can know...What must Milleuda think, to see you now? You would sell your soul to the Lucavi to slake your thirst for revenge.>

*Ramza rushes at him.*

Wiegraf<Revenge? You think that is what drives me? I have no such petty
concerns anymore. I merely sow the seeds of chaos in the world and reap the anguished cries of the weak.>

*Wiegraf blocks with his shield & makes a stabbing motion towards Ramza, sending beams of light down from the sky to pierce him. He then takes several steps back up the stairs, but Ramza keeps chasing him.*

Wiegraf<What of you, Ramza? Can you claim to be free of weakness and fear?>

Ramza<No, but I endeavor to be so!>

Wiegraf<Your endeavors are soon ended!>

*As Wiegraf goes in for another slash, Ramza cuts through his sword. Wiegraf changes his slash to a punch, but Ramza runs him through. Wiegraf then teleports away.*

Ramza<You cannot run, Wiegraf! Show yourself!>

*Wiegraf reappears atop the stairs, pulling out his Zodiac Stone & going through his fancy transformation sequence.*

Belias, the Gigas<This has gone on long enough.>
==============================
~Bervenia~

S"I don't remember trivial crap like that."

*Rhea can see that a female Southern Sky Samurai with red hair & some other dude have entered the city.*

*Rhea discreetly glances at them and whisper to the others.*

Rhea: <(Guys, look, over there.)>

Zac stretched a bit, "Alright, lets head to an inn and find out what we can."

--

Sab rushed to Ramza's side, "Ramza, are you alright?"

The rest of them followed after Sab. "Perhaps you should worry more about the lucavi at the top of the stairs," Noct suggested.

~Bervenia~

R"Oh, those two guys, I know those two guys."
-----------------------------------
L"They're right there. I can see Roatha's red outfit."
===========================
~Riovanes Castle~

Ramza<I will be alright. We've bested one of these beasts before.>

*Agrias also charges in because I have a thing for her.*

Belias<You brought reinforcements? Then so shall I!>

*Belias flexes his four arms & four pillars of light shoot down around the area behind him, each becoming a tall, thick-bodied, stereotypical armored demon.*

Rhea: <You do?>

Parker: <Who are they?>

"Roatha had a red outfit?" Zac asked, then looked closer, "Oh yea, that is Roatha."

--

"Well, this is just great..." Noct said, going into her Forbidden Dance, wondering if it would at all be possible for Belias to become a frog.

Mortal began to change one of the demons, aiming to double slash him. Iliad threw a lightning bomb at another one, and Sab began charging Meteor on Belias.

~Bervenia~

R"Some people I was travelling with when I inadvertently started this whole Evil Eye nonsense."

*Lilith starts towards him, only for Seraph to blast her with a fireball. When it does nothing but rustle her jimmies, he looks...intrigued.*
================================
~Riovanes~

*Both are still quite far away. Euryale runs to accompany Mortal while an Archaeodaemon moves across the walkway towards them. Another does the same for Illiad. When they are in range, both point towards their targets, calling down a blast of powerful white energy discharge. Belias begins to charge something & moves back. The other Archaeodaemons move to the sides of the chamber. Agrias joins with Ramza & both make a beeline for Belias.*

Zac furrowed his brow, "What the hell was that for?"

--

Noct is dancing, Sab is charging, Iliad is throwing a thunder bomb, getting closer so he can stab the thing later on, and Mortal is still rushing down her bad guy, aiming to double slash the fucker.

~Bervenia~

R"Don't look at me, HE did it."

L"Has he been doing that often since we parted ways?"

R"Unfortunately, he hasn't left my sight, so...what are you getting at?"
===============================
~Riovanes~

*A two-slash combo, a block of ice, & a punch to the face. The poor bastard didn't even know what hit him. Seeing this, the other Archaeodaemon wisely decides to back away from the girls, charging a spell. Illiad is not so lucky, the bomb does moderate damage to the demon, who lashes out with another Gigaflare. Ramza & Agrias both slash at Belias, swords of red & blue emerging from the ground to stab him. In return for their efforts, a Cyclops emerges from one of the doors, blasting beams of light at them from its eye before vanishing. Belias, in turn, is hit by an enormous space rock that falls out of a warp in the ceiling. It emerges from the explosion with singed hair.*

E"What IS that thing? How is it unharmed?"

Ramza<Wiegraf made a pact with the Ares Stone to turn him into a Lucavi. I don't think he is unharmed, rather I think it does not show its wounds, and that it is much more durable than you or I.>

~3~

"It seems you have new friends," Zac said, looking around.

--

Mortal turned and began running after the one that backed away. Iliad stabbed at the bastard that hit him with a gigaflare. Noct was dancing, and Sab shuffled around a bit to get more mana, then began charging another Meteor.

*Reiter waves awkwardly and the girls smile to them.*

Reiter: <I'm Reiter, the blonde is Parker and the brunette is Rhea.>

Rhea: <Hello.>

Parker: <Hey, Roatha's friends.>