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Suikoden III - Sextain of Destiny	By : Streti Category: +S through Z > Suikoden Views: 7006 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Chapter 9 - Richard, the Undead
by Streti, thestreti@gmail.com
On the morning of St. Loa's Eve, everyone was finally gathered in the Lightfellow mansion. Hugo, Geddoe, Chris, Percival, Salome, Nash, Sierra, Edge, Alanis and Melville sat or stood around the spacious main salon, as sparsely decorated as the rest of the house.
"So what you are saying is that you are sure it was the same vampire that attacked Budehuc castle four months ago?" asked Salome.
"Yes," replied Hugo.
"How certain are you?" asked the tactician Knight.
"As sure as I can be."
"What does that mean?" muttered Edge under his breath. Nash shushed him quietly.
"Who was thought to be destroyed by the runebearer?" continued Salome.
"I-- I thought so," answered Hugo. "But now, it shrugged off our magical attacks."
"It caught us by surprise," said Geddoe. "We were not able to use the strongest powers of our Runes." Hugo nodded in agreement.
"I wonder..." said Sierra, "If that runebearer really was Tir McDohl, whom I have met briefly in Dunan, and the Soul Eater, then that Rune is not the most powerful True Rune against the lost of my kind."
"Ahem," started Nash, "She means that the Night Rune and Moon Rune are more powerful against vampires."
"And we have both of them," said Salome.
"Both are in our company," said Sierra and nodded at Edge and his holstered Star Dragon Sword. He gave her a look which seemed to consider something other than her Rune, and she gave him a wry smile.
"You mean..." gasped Melville suddenly, "That in this room, there are now five True Runes?!"
"Your looks belie you," said Sierra with a smile. "Or perhaps you've had a good teacher?"
Melville blushed, but Alanis continued. "Is it true?" she asked the gathered warriors.
"Yes," said Chris, and held up her right hand, where she felt the constant influence of the True Water Rune. "Whether that was your implication, I agree. It's a fearsome power in one place. It is also power removed from elsewhere. We must not dawdle. With the assistance of lady Mikain, and the swordsman Edge and his sword, we should be able to--"
"YOU ARE FORTUNATE TO COUNT UPON MY ASSISTANCE," came a voice from Edge's scabbard.
"Great," the redheaded swordsman muttered.
Suddenly, the massive sword unholstered itself, and floated in the air, to the astonishment of most in the room.
"Wow!" uttered Percival, gazing upon the sentient sword.
"NOW THAT IS THE KIND OF RESPECT I DESERVE," the sword said. "I AM NOT MERELY HIS SWORD, NOR ANYONE'S."
Nash stood up, and gave the sword a quick bow. "We truly are grateful for your companionship and assistance. Without you, our undertaking of this mission would be doubly as hard."
The sword stayed silent for a moment, floating eerily in the air. Then it said, "YES. FINALLY YOU HAVE GATHERED YOUR DULL WILLS TO PROCEED WITH IT. AS THE BEARER OF AN INCONSEQUENTIAL RUNE SAYS, LET US MAKE HASTE."
Chris felt a tinge from her Rune, like the clashing of tides, all inside her hand.
"But, are we sure about it?" asked Hugo. "It's just one vampire, just the one named Richard?"
"All the reports on our end never indicated more than one," said Salome.
"I have thought about it," said Sierra. "This name, Richard Cervantes, it's not familiar to me. If he is from the coven, he is going under a false name."
"Oh yes," said Salome. "I received word from Camaro that there lived a nobleman by that name there. His mansion was razed to the ground."
"One of yours, who put that nobleman through a very bad day, then took his name?" said Nash, looking at Sierra. "Or even the nobleman himself?"
"If he is just a blood vampire, he should not have the kind of powers Hugo and Geddoe told of," thought Sierra out loud. She looked distressed.
"We need to find out more about that," commented Hugo to Salome. The Knight nodded sternly.
"All the more reason to visit Northern Cavern, and see what we can find out," said Chris, with resolve in her eyes. She looked at Alanis and Melville. "Remember, you are welcome to join us, but not bound by any duty. It will most likely be dangerous."
"I'm coming," said Melville. "Yeah!" affirmed Alanis.
* * *
The snowy streets of Vinay del Zexay were filled with people, busy making their final preparations for St Loa's. As the group made their own preparations, Chris, Percival and Salome got plentiful seasonal greetings from the citizens, with some for the rest of the group as well, and some curious glances at Sierra. But most paid them no heed as they headed out from the city. The three fully armored Knights rode on their own horses, while Melville and Alanis shared a loaner with a chestnut coat. Geddoe caught a ride on Nash's rented gray, with the hopes that it wouldn't be exhausted and he wouldn't have to ride with Edge, behind the Star Dragon Sword in his scabbard. Sierra had insisted on riding with Hugo on Fubar, and she hugged his muscled frame tightly even when they were on the ground.
There was a neatly trodden path through the snow from Vinay del Zexay to Zexen Forest, but when they turned to the Northern Cave, they had to slow down. There was a path of sorts, but narrower and less used than the one leading to the city, and it wasn't quite even. There were trails in the snow beyond the path, and some trails crisscrossed over the path, from one side to the other, some too far to see if they turned back or continued further away.
The bright sun of the winter day illuminated their journey from a blue sky, but they knew the day would be short. Yet before the end of daylight, they came to the entrance of the Northern Cavern. There was a beaten up wooden board barely covering the opening.
"Mmm... you're so warm..." purred Sierra into Hugo's ear, then let go of him and got down from Fubar.
"Wonder if you'll need an invitation," said Edge, looking at the wooden board and Sierra.
Sierra looked at him, then at Nash as Geddoe dismounted the horse. The blonde Harmonian rolled his eyes.
"Let us find out," she said. "Men! Get down and open the way!"
Nobody moved. Percival looked at Chris.
"Should we really take orders from her?" he asked.
"Just do as she says," replied Chris.
With that, Percival and Salome dismounted and moved the wooden board aside. They could see light flickering in the tunnel.
"Be prepared," said Geddoe. "There are monsters in the vicinity, and the vampire that attacked us on the lake was fast and resistant to magic."
"PROOF THAT SOME RUNES ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN OTHERS."
"The sword has a point. At least in this case," commented Nash.
"I ALWAYS DO," the Star Dragon Sword replied.
The group tied their horses and entered the Northern Cavern, weapons at the ready.
"Weird... It's warmer here than outside. At least a little bit," said Alanis.
"And the torches by the walls," continued Melville. "Why would monsters keep them lit?"
"Vampires often live by different rules than other monsters," explained Nash. "Errr... Poor choice of word. Right, missus?"
"Still you cling to the human idea of 'living', dear," commented Sierra, as they ventured deeper.
"Quiet!" hissed Geddoe. "Skeletons ahead!"
In the narrow tunnel, they had no chance of avoiding the skeletons if they wanted to proceed. They were wearing scraps of armor and held worn axes, swords and other weapons, some obviously rusted.
"It looks like they're waiting for us," whispered Melville as the group moved forward.
"Our opponent seems to be more intelligent than the average monster," affirmed Salome.
Then the skeletons noticed them. They scrambled down the corridor towards them, and Geddoe lifted up his hand. A small sphere of electricity built up over him, and from it, smaller magical spheres burst forward and hit the skeletons. They seemed to take some damage, but didn't stop advancing.
Hugo summoned the power of the True Fire Rune, while at the same time trying to contain it, and a wall of flames spread over the skeletons. But it wouldn't stop there, and the flames also spread on the walls into both directions, and even though the magic didn't reach them, they could briefly feel its heat before the magical fire dissipated.
"They're getting too close! No more magical attacks!" shouted Chris, and rushed forward with her sword held behind her. As she met the first skeleton, she brought the sword against it in a powerful swing, and could see the steel crushing the creature's damaged bones. It collapsed into a pile on the floor, but another came right behind it. From behind her, Salome rushed at the creature, and swung hard with his mace, crushing the inhuman skull and snuffing out the evil glint of its monstrous eyes.
Melville moved ahead and swung at another skeleton. It made a strange growl, and turned its unnatural eyes at him, but Percival rushed in, stabbed his sword into the skeleton's ribcage and and swung up with force, scattering its bones all over the floor of the corridor.
"That's it for now," said Geddoe. "Keep your eyes peeled!"
They moved ahead in the corridor, and soon met a group of zombies blocking the way. Edge moved into the vanguard, but the group slowed down and let the zombies shuffle towards them. Alanis clasped her staff, her Fire Rune flashed, and a wall of fire much like Hugo's spread between the zombies, scorching most of them, but the flames did not spread on the walls. Still they kept coming, even the burned ones, their stench spreading in the corridor, Hugo's True Fire Rune Flashed, and another wall of flames appeared into existence, licking the walls and spreading more heat into the corridor. Several of the zombies burned to a crisp, or stumbled to the floor. Two more still headed for them, but Edge rushed forward and cut one of them in half with the Star Dragon Sword, and Chris attacked the other, bringing it down with a heavy slash.
"Phew..." said Alanis as they moved past the stinking zombie corpses.
"Huh... it's not even warm, after all those flames," commented Melville. "Is it always this way with magicians?"
"That's right," said Alanis. "You couldn't keep a house warm with runes, unless you set fire to it."
"Or the firewood?" he asked.
She giggled. "Yeah, that'll work, if you work at it."
"Hold!" came Chris' sudden shout.
"What the... snakes!" said Nash.
A flurry of snakes sped towards them on the floor, slithering with incredible speed. Geddoe's electric balls erupted all over them, but they just kept coming. A quick spell from Hugo sent a trail of fire across the approaching snakes, but it only slowed some of them down. Nash stopped one dead in its tracks with a dart, but the rest drew closer. Edge swung at them, but missed, and gasped as one of them bit his boot. Percival managed to stab one as it uselessly attacked his armored feet, but more rushed past him towards the less protected party members.
"Chris!" exclaimed Hugo. "Get ready to heal!"
Sierra slashed at the air with her magical powers, and cut down a snake before it could bite Nash. At the same time, another dug its poisonous teeth into her poorly protected shins, and she moaned with pain. Then Hugo's Rune flashed again, and suddenly a blazing sphere surrounded them and the snakes that were all around them now, and they felt like they were burning, grunting and grimacing with the pain. But the snakes got it worse, literally being grilled by the magical fire, until suddenly it was gone, as quick as it had come. Salome bludgeoned one remaining snake with his mace, even as he grimaced from the sensation of burning.
Then Chris' True Water Rune flashed over her, and seemingly from the ceiling, a calm rain fell on the party. The fresh scent of water drowned out the stench of charred snakes, and gentle raindrops smoothed out the burning feeling from their bodies. Somehow the water magic also cleaned their clothes and armor of the grime of battle.
However, Chris wasn't calm or gentle.
"Hugo!" she exclaimed. "What do you think you were doing?"
"Uhh... saving us from the attack?" the Karaya chief said.
"Next time, try to do it without scorching us with your Rune," the Knight Captain replied.
"Hey," said Geddoe. "You worked well together. This could have gotten ugly." Chris and Hugo grumbled their acceptance.
"It's not over yet. Guess there are a lot more monsters where these came from," said Nash.
"Agreed. Assuming the vampire is here, it might be trying to tire us out," added Salome.
"Great. More zombie stench and grilled snakes on the way?" commented Percival, and headed forward.
"Do you also command all kinds of nasty creatures?" said Edge to Sierra.
"No. Just one very handsome one," she replied and giggled.
Alanis and Melville looked at each other silently, then followed the rest of the group deeper into the corridor.
They came to a vertical shaft, and fought their way through a group of zombies and skeletons, quickly making their way up, then descended another shaft, without incident. But when they got into another narrow corridor, there were more of the undead blocking their path, and even succubi commanding them. They were humanlike in figure, with long flowing blonde hair, dresses that hugged their feminine curves, and their ample breasts completely bared, but the sickly blue tint of their skin and their inhuman red eyes stripped them of all further likeness to humanity. The combined force of the ten warriors, the Star Dragon Sword and their runes overcame their opponents every time, but after every confrontation with monsters, they were becoming more tired.
Another batch of frenzied snakes attacked them. Their teeth dripped with poison and their eyes gleamed red, and they lunged at them with incredible speed, but swift spells from their runes dispatched most of them, and quick followup attacks from the rest stopped the remaining snakes before they could do any real harm.
"Huff... are we there yet?" asked Melville, panting.
"Did you have too much wine last night?" asked Alanis with a wink. Melville looked at her and grinned.
"We are near the end of the Cavern," said Chris and lifted up her hand. The image of the True Water Rune flashed briefly in the air again, and another gentle rain soothed their wounds and tiredness.
"Why hasn't it attacked yet?" asked Percival.
"It probably knows we're near," said Hugo. "It's like it has some connection to the other monsters. I think that's how it found us so quickly last night."
"If it's still here," commented Geddoe.
"Let's go see," said Nash.
"Yes, let us. And when we get there, remember my guidance," emphasized Sierra. There were nods and affirmations, and they moved towards the end of the Cavern.
A cold chill permeated the large chamber at the end of the Northern Cavern. There was an opening out to the lake, and the golden light of the early winter sunset already shone through. Around the chamber, there were haphazard piles of supplies, and even some paintings resting against the piles or the walls. But in the middle of the chamber, there was a chair that could once have been called luxurious, and on it sat Richard the vampire, watching them.
Richard was wearing clothes similar to when Hugo had fought him at Budehuc, a black cloak, a green vest, a shirt, and darker green pants, but they and the chair were covered with dark red stains. Around the chair were a number of dead snakes, and he was holding another in his hands and draining it of its blood, and continued as they approached, only throwing it aside when they got closer. His canines dripped with fresh blood, and his eyes gleamed red.
"I remember you," said Richard, looking at Hugo. Then he saw Sierra. "What's this?" he asked.
They ignored his question. "How did you return? And why?" demanded Hugo.
"Hah! The power of that Rune cannot keep me away from this world!" the vampire replied.
Sierra tilted her head to the side, looking perplexed. "Who are you?" she asked.
"I - AM - ME! I AM RICHARD CERVANTES!!!" the vampire suddenly shrieked, and jumped up from the chair. Richard lunged at them with incredible speed, and Hugo and Sierra could only barely avoid him.
"Now! Move!" shouted Sierra, and retreated behind Edge, Nash, Salome and Percival.
Geddoe lifted his hand, and a massive black sphere of electricity crashed down from the ceiling onto Richard, and the party jumped back from the sphere's vicinity as one. Not one to guess, Hugo also summoned the power of the True Fire Rune, and a sphere of fire appeared around Richard just as the electric sphere vanished. Richard was stunned for a second, but then dashed out from the fire without any sign of harm, right into Percival's sword. The vampire just laughed maniacally, lunged at Percival and managed to sink his teeth into him.
"Grh, arg, aaah!" grunted Percival, in agonizing pain.
"Sorry!" shouted Alanis, and cast a wall of flames straight over Richard and Percival, making the vampire back off from the Knight, but the creature quickly recovered.
Just then, Nash finished reading a Charm Arrow scroll, and pulses of dazzling light crashed into Richard, stunning the vampire for a moment. "Sierra! Ready?!"
With Richard off from him, Percival grasped the spot where he had been bitten, an intense pain spreading all over him, and suddenly he was no more, collapsed onto the ground.
"No!" shouted Chris, and called upon the True Water Rune. From nowhere, a massive vortex of water sprung around the collapsed Percival, and pushed Richard further away. Walls of water circled around him, and suddenly he regained consciousness, just enough to lift himself up to one knee when the waters vanished. Richard was still close to him, but the vampire was held in place by something. With his arms spread, Richard tried to resist the magical force around him, appearing as wispy gray words floating in the air around him, but then they vanished - and Richard fell to his knee.
Sierra looked at Richard with eyes wide, stunned. "The Song is not working!"
"What?!" gasped Nash.
"Ugh... What have you done to me?!" rasped Richard, and stood up. He tried to circle around Salome, Nash and Edge to get at Sierra, but he moved slower now.
Sierra and her protectors moved as one, keeping Richard away from the coven mistress. Frustrated, the vampire stood back, lifted his arms in the air, and suddenly a black energy gathered between them. With a sudden motion, he flung the dark magic at them, and they were powerless to stop the attack, only Sierra somehow evaded it. Pain spread in their bodies and clouded their minds, but it passed away quickly, even when it left them feeling weak.
"Try to hold him still for just a moment!" Sierra called out. "Oh Moon Rune..."
Salome supported himself with his mace, gritted his teeth and sought out Chris, Hugo and Geddoe with his eyes. "Get into formation! Do as she told!"
Edge rushed at Richard.
"UNHOLY ABOMINATION!" shouted the Star Dragon Sword, as Edge swung and hit the vampire, and it was as if Edge had hit a tumultuous torrent of water. A ball of energy erupted from Richard, and its force shook Edge as he held on to the Sword. Richard stumbled, but as Edge readied another strike, the vampire clawed at him, only to receive the Star Dragon Sword to the side and hiss.
Suddenly darkness fell upon the chamber. The golden light of the sunset was gone, and so was the ceiling, replaced by a starry night sky where the Moon shone with radiant brilliance. Richard looked around, and tried to step back, but the light of the Moon enveloped him, and he was powerless to move.
"Edge! Get back!" shouted Nash.
From further back, Alanis and Melville saw that Chris, Hugo and Geddoe were on three sides of Richard now, each equally distant from each other. They all raised their right hands, and their three True Runes flashed in the air above them.
The Moon was gone, but so was everything else. They were floating in nothingness, and in the center of nothing, there was Richard, standing on nothing. From far behind Chris, Hugo and Geddoe, something approached fast, and after a fraction of a moment, they could see that they were pairs of dragons, flying through the nothingness with a speed that seemingly defied the senses and the understanding of those who observed them, until they were right above them, two serpents seemingly made of pure flowing water, two serpents of pure fire, and two serpents crackling with electric arcs. The serpents circled and danced over them, wrapping into each other, and suddenly they crashed down onto Richard, an endless rope of dragons coiled together, and from where Richard had been, a sphere exploded, flashing blue, red and yellow, and just as quickly, imploded, collapsing down with a crash, and vanishing. And then all that was just an illusion.
Chris was on all fours on the floor. Hugo was on his knees. Geddoe was panting heavily. They were in the chamber, lit by the last rays of the sunset, and where Richard had been, there was nothing.
"There's no body! No nothing," said Edge.
Nash came next to him. "Did we destroy it?"
"WE VANQUISHED THE CREATURE, I AM SURE OF IT."
Just then, they felt the chamber start to rumble and shake.
"The Cavern is collapsing! Get out! Get out now!" shouted Salome.
They got out as quick as they could, making their way through the opening in the chamber to the ice of lake Budehuc. But then the tremors stopped, and there were no obvious signs that the Cavern had collapsed.
"Huh," commented Geddoe.
Chris cast another Kindness Rain on them, and despite the freezing cold around them, the magical rain felt warm and pleasant, and left their clothes and armor dry and clean.
Hugo looked at the frozen cove, which looked more welcoming now in the last rays of the winter sun.
"Maybe--" he started.
"I hope you're joking," Geddoe interrupted him.
They returned to the Cavern, and went through it, finding that there were no monsters of any kind left in there for the time being. Darkness had already fallen long ago when they made it back to Vinay del Zexay, but they were still early enough to celebrate their victory over the vampire with a St. Loa's feast in the seaside inn.
And of course, there was some sex.
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Suikoden III - Sextain of Destiny