Chapter Text
"Mist, I know we're headed for the Blade Drifts of Zopheir...but is it really necessary to pack all of that?" Flynn asked, pointing to what Mist had packed. The two had returned to Zaphias Castle to prepare for the trip to Zopheir. "What about your armor?"
"I'm leaving it behind. Last thing I want is to have freezing armor on me," Mist replied. "It'll be hard enough to keep warm as it is." She hoisted her bag over her shoulder. "Let's go then."
"What all do you even have in there?" Flynn asked as the two headed outside.
"A camping set, medical kit, food, and a few blankets," Mist replied. "Plus the coat I'm wearing. I just hope we find Undine quickly."
"If she's even there," Flynn pointed out. A boat on Zaphias's shore was waiting for the two Knights. The ship set off, heading north for the drifts.
"The sooner we get this done, the better," Mist said as they went past Nor and Torim Harbor. "I'll flip if Undine has no idea where Origin is."
"Just please try to stay calm," Flynn replied. The ship was forced to dock at the beginning of the ice floe chain. Flynn and Mist got off, heading for the center where the Blade Drifts would begin. Icy wind howled around them and the temperature seemed to drop with each passing second.
"D-damn it's c-c-cold..." Mist gritted out, her teeth chattering. She focused her gaze straight ahead. "W-we'd better be almost th-th-there." She glanced over at Flynn, who was wearing a cloak over his armor. He wasn't showing many signs of being cold. "I d-don't get how y-you're d-d-doing s-so well..."
"T-trust me, I'm just as c-cold as you are," Flynn replied. He paused, drawing his sword. "Get ready."
A Lupice was dashing at them, teeth bared and snarling. Mist quickly drew Last Fencer, she and Flynn leaping out of the way of the wolf. They finished it with a combination of Demon Fang and Dragon Claw.
"There's more!" Mist warned, noticing three more Lupices heading in their direction. She performed Hornet Sting on the first one that leaped at her and followed it up with Sonic Thrust to kill the second. Flynn finished the last one with Sword Rain: Alpha. Continuing on, they encountered several swords stuck in the ice.
"Looks like we've reached the Blade Drifts," Flynn said.
"About time, too," Mist replied.
"Just be careful," Flynn warned. "This is the area where most of the monsters are gathered."
"I know," Mist said. "Looks like there's a Predafish just up ahead. I wonder if there's a way around it." The shark monster was ambling around on two fins, looking around for prey. It didn't seem to notice Flynn and Mist as they snuck around it, keeping close to the ground.
Right when they thought they were in the clear, a Teethee sprung out of the icy waters, a fish clamped in its jaws. It took one look at the two Knights and let out a cry. The Predafish spun around, locking its beady eyes on the two. The Teethee dropped its prey and ambled over, brandishing its weapons. A Boost Merfish noticed the commotion and joined in, hooks raised for an attack. The three monsters surrounded the two Knights, ready to strike.
"What horrid luck!" Mist growled, throwing her bag off and her grip on Last Fencer tightening.
"Now's not the time for complaining," Flynn replied. He held his sword up to block one of the Boost Merfish's hooks. At the same time, Mist struck out at the Predafish, the monster using one of the anchors it held to parry. The Teethee lunged at her from behind. Mist broke the parry and blocked the attack, pushing the monster back.
'I won't have any time to cast spells with the way they're attacking' Mist thought with a scowl, using Dragon Fang to knock the Predafish into a gigantic snow drift. She spun around quickly to see the Teethee charging at her with its horn pointed at her. She blocked the attack of the narwhal-like monster and pushed back.
Flynn sidestepped to avoid the Boost Merfish's hooks as it brought them down. He took this chance to use Demon Fang to throw the monster off balance and finished it off with Sword Rain: Alpha. He went over to assist Mist, who was trying to hold off the Teethee. The Predafish dug itself out of the snow drift and launched itself at her, swinging the small anchor. Flynn slid in between the two, deflecting the attack with his sword and counterattacking with Sonic Thrust, knocking the monster into the water.
The Teethee began backing away, realizing it was the only monster left. Mist shot forward, raking her sword across its face, red splattering the ice. Before it could retaliate, Flynn plunged his sword into the monster.
"What a hassle..." Mist sighed. A splash sounded behind her and a sharp pain pierced her back. She stumbled forward, letting out a cry, and turning her head. The Predafish had leapt out of the water and swung the anchor at her. Mist fell to the ground, gritting her teeth.
"Demonic Chaos!" Flynn shouted, firing off two consecutive Demon Fangs. The attack stunned the monster long enough for Flynn to deliver the killing blow. He ran over to Mist, crouching down next to her. "Are you okay?"
"Before Mist could reply, a nearby Limewreath let out a roar, scurrying away, followed by several other monsters.
"What's...going on?" Mist panted, lifting her head. Her eyes widened when she saw the reason. "Oh shit... A Baitojoh!"
"Can you stand?!" Flynn demanded. Mist hauled herself to her hands and knees before the intense pain in her back made her fall back down. The Baitojoh was coming closer, it's yellow horn flashing in anticipation.
"This is bad!" Mist exclaimed. Flynn moved in between her and the flying monster, sword at the ready.
"Mist, you need to get out of here somehow," Flynn said, not taking his eyes off Baitojoh. The monster opened its mouth, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth.
"And leave you to get killed?! Are you out of your damned mind?!" Mist exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"I'll be fine. Just get outta here!" Flynn insisted, charging at the monster. Baitojoh spun around, whipping its sharp tail at the Knight and sending him into the same snow drift the Predafish had gone into. He pulled himself out, gripping his stomach where the tail left a bloody gash and blood dripped from his mouth. Mist struggled to stand, only to slip on the puddle of blood that had formed underneath her.
"Dammit...!" Mist spat as she fell facefirst back on the ice. Flynn jumped out of the way when Baitojoh shot out at him, jaws wide open. He struck down on the horn with his sword, making the Baitojoh roar in pain. The horn glowed, a large crack on it visable. The monster dove through the ice and resurfaced underneath Flynn, sending the blonde into the air. Baitojoh did a midair flip, its tail smacking into Flynn's back and launching him back down, the ice cracking from the impact. Blood flew from his mouth as he let out a cry of pain.
Mist managed to finally stay on her feet, though her legs shook, her sword primed to strike. When the Baitojoh came back down, Mist leaped up, swinging her sword at the monster's horn. The horn broke in half, Baitojoh thrashing about in agony. It calmed down after a few seconds and turned its attention on Mist. It shot out, jaws open and ready to clamp down. Before she could react, a flash of blue and blonde appeared in her vision accompanied by a splash of red.
Flynn had gone in between the two, plunging his sword into the Baitojoh's gaping mouth. At the same time, the monster clamped down on the Knight's arm. Baitojoh fell to the ice, blood running from its mouth and struggling a bit before slamming its tail down, the ice below shattering and dragging Flynn down with it into the icy waters.
"Flynn!" Mist screamed, diving in after him. Coldness greeted her like an electric shock, but she reached an unconscious Flynn. The dead Baitojoh's jaws had slackened and she was able to get his arm and sword out of the monster's mouth. Despite his weight and the freezing waters, she was able to haul him back onto the ice before pulling herself out. The wound on her back had gone numb, but she could still feel the blood running down it. However, she needed to treat Flynn right away.
She reached her stuff, pulling out the medical kit and a couple of blankets. She wrapped one over herself, shivering violently, and made her way back to Flynn. Like her, he was completely soaked but he wasn't shivering as hard. Dread began creeping into her and she quickly wrapped a blanket around him, hoping to get him warmed up. She carefully half carried, half dragged him over to the large snow drift, pain begining to creep into her back again. After a bit of digging, she made a hole large enough to shelter the both of them from the wind and carried Flynn into it.
She unwrapped the blanket from Flynn, already soaking up blood. The teeth from the Baitojoh had torn up the gauntlet covering his right arm. Mist shivered as she thought about how bad the damage would have been if it hadn't been there. She took his cloak, armor, tunic, and black shirt off, laying them out to dry faster. To her relief, Flynn regained consciousness as she finished wrapping the bandages over his right arm.
"I'm...glad you're awake...If you had died, I dunno...I dunno... I..." By then, she was starting to feel lightheaded from blood loss and the cold.
"Mist...?" Flynn murmured, sitting up slowly. The next thing he knew, Mist collapsed onto his lap. A gigantic red spot had formed on the blanket she had wrapped around her. Flynn took it and the equally soaked coat off her uniform. He lifted her shirt high enough to see the wound on her lower back. He grabbed the blastia on his shirt a little ways away and cast First Aid.
The spell was weak, but he managed to stop the bleeding and clear the wound of infection. He worked on bandaging her wound and grabbed a blanket from her bag that wasn't blood soaked and wrapped it around the two of them, holding Mist closer. Her clothes were freezing, but Flynn held her even tighter, trying to warm her up.
"That was reckless, jumping into the water..." Flynn murmured softly, his breath stirring her silver hair and pressing a kiss to her forhead. Before long, his eyelids began drooping and he fell asleep.
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Mist began waking with a groan, shifting her body a bit. She was instantly alert when she realized something was holding her tight. Looking up, she saw it was Flynn. He was asleep, oblivious to Mist's stirring.
"Flynn...!" Mist hissed. "Flynn! Wake up!"
"Huh...?" Flynn groaned, shaking his head to wake himself up.
"We need to keep moving," Mist prompted. "The aer krene is just up ahead."
"Oh, right." Flynn released Mist, who gathered up her belongings. Her back ached, but she ignored it, and her clothes were damp now, but still cold. Flynn put his shirt and tunic back on, ignoring the busted armor, and put the cloak back on. The two stepped outside, the sun shining brightly in the clear sky.
"We wasted an entire night," Mist observed.
"We should hurry then," Flynn replied. The wind that howled around them seemed to be keeping the monsters away, making the trip easier. A couple of Penguinists were sitting at the ice's edge, ignoring the two as they crossed the Blade Drifts. Within a short amount of time, they reached the aer krene.
"Undine?" Mist called out. "Are you here?" After a moment of silence, a twister of water appeared and Undine was in front of the two.
"You called?" Undine said.
"We wanted to ask you something," Flynn said. "Do you know anything about an Entelexeia named Jennuir?"
"Jennuir?" Undine murmured. "I feel I've heard that name mentioned before, but I can't recall where exactly."
"Then do you know where Origin is?" Mist asked. "He may know something."
"Origin, you say," Undine replied. "I believe he has made Zaude his domain. Perhaps if you go there you will find him."
"Thank you for your help, Undine," Mist said. Undine nodded and vanished.
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"This must be Relewise Hollow," Kluke said, looking over the edge from the path going down the canyon of Weccea. The river below looked like a thin blue line from the height she and the Shadow Wielders were at.
"I wonder what would happen if you say, slipped off the edge?" Bouquet said.
"Don't say things like that!" Kluke exclaimed with a shiver.
"You scared, Kluke?" Shu teased.
"Of course not!" Kluke retorted, punching Shu in the face for emphasis.
"Let's just go down there and get this over with," Jiro sighed.
"Who died and put him in charge?" Bouquet huffed, crossing her arms.
"Let's just go," Andropov replied, following Jiro.
"Yeah, yeah," Shu grumbled, he and everyone else following. The path down Relewise Hollow was long, full of twists and turns as well as forks in the path. A couple of times, they went down the wrong one and had to turn back around when it became a dead end. And the wind blew strongly through the canyon, threatening to blow the group over the edge. After a bit, Andropov halted.
"A rock just moved!" he exclaimed, pointing ahead of them.
"Right. And pigs fly," Jiro scoffed.
"No he's right! It really is moving!" Kluke exclaimed. Ahead of them, a Roctus was stirring, It turned its rock body toward the group and began sliding toward them, bits of rock circling it.
"It doesn't looks so tough!" Shu said, summoning Blue Dragon. "Crushing Nail!"
However, the atack didn't even scratch the Roctus's body. Instead, it just made it angrier. The rocks floating around it were launched at the dragon Shadow, sending him and Shu onto their backs.
"He's tough...!" Blue Dragon snarled.
"Stop fooling around Shu!" Kluke scoldied, summoning Phoenix. The others did the same as Shu and Blue Dragon got back up. "Eternal Breath!"
As the fire attack flew at the monster, it conjured up more rock shards, forming a shield in front of it to deflect the attack.
"Now look who's fooling around," Shu mumbled, casting a sidelong glanced at a baffled Kluke.
"Sh-shut up!" she exclaimed angrily.
"Waves of Rage!" Jiro shouted. The rapid punches cracked the shield, Albiheim's Dark Shine shattering it. The Roctus's eyes widened and everyone swore they saw it sweating like crazy.
"Poison Claw!" Bouquet shouted, she and Hippo already transformed into a Gattusso. The attack sent the Roctus flying into the air.
"Blue Explosion!" The attack caused the Roctus to explode into thousands of little rock shards. Phoenix suddenly snapped her head around.
"Kluke! Behind you!" she exclaimed. Kluke spun around just in time to catch a Tiredillo rolling into her at top speed, Phoenix vanishing and Kluke flying off the edge. She grabbed onto the edge just in time, but she was losing her grip. The armadillo-like monster uncurled, losing its tire-like shape and roaring. Albiheim used Crystal Square, but the Tiredillo rolled up again and rolled away from the attack.
"Someone help me!" Kluke screamed. Jiro, who was the closest, shot out and grabbed Kluke's hand just as her grip slipped, Minotaur vanishing.
"Just hold tight, Kluke," Jiro said through gritted teeth. He began hoisting Kluke back onto the path.
"Jiro! Heads up!" Shu shouted. Jiro snapped his head around. The Tiredillo had leaped into the air and was falling right to the area he was. Grabbing Kluke, Jiro leaped back as the Tiredillo made impact, the ground beneath the group shattering. Before anyone could react, they all began plummeting toward the river below.
"Hippopon Hippotama Transform!" Bouquet screamed, she and Hippo vanishing in a giant cloud of pink smoke. "Ba'ul!" Below the rest of the group was a pink version of Ba'ul, on which they landed.
"Wow!" Shu exclaimed, standing up. "You did it, Bouquet!"
"Y-yeah..." Bouquet's voice said nervously. "We need to land right now... Hippo and I can't stay in a giant form like this for very long!"
As Bouquet began descending, Shu snapped his head around when he heard Andropov growl. The silver haired boy's eyes were narrowed at Jiro, who was still holding on to Kluke, as if the two didn't realize yet that they've landed, their eyes stil squeezed shut.
"What are you doing, Jiro?" he snarled. Kluke and Jiro's eyes shot open and they broke apart, blushing.
"I...uh..." Jiro started, but was cut off by Bouquet.
"I can't hold on any longer!" she cried out. A puff of pink smoke and everyone began plummetting again. However, they reached the ground sooner then any of them expected. Shu got up first, rubbing his back.
"Owww..." he moaned, then looked around. "Hey, I think we're at the bottom now!"
"If you're joking, I'll kill you," Jiro grumbled, getting back up and dusting himself off, everyone else doing the same.
"It's not a joke! Look! There's the river!" Shu exclaimed, pointing. Sure enough, the river running through the bottom of Relewise Hollow was surging in front of them. Kluke walked along the path and stopped, turning back to the others.
"Here's a cave!" she shouted. Everyone ran over, standing at the entrance of thr cave.
"I hear water..." Bouquet murmured.
"Let's go see if this is the place," Shu said, everyone entering the cave. A yellowish glow at the end showed them where to go. They at last came upon a giant cavern. Moss grew all over the floor and aer had pooled in a crack in the center where the aer krene was situated. Tiny particles of aer were floating above the spring before vanishing.
"This must be it," Kluke said. "That crystal in the center looks like an aer krene all right."
"But why does it sound like there's water in here?" Bouquet asked.
"Don't you remember what Rita said that aer krene were? They're springs of aer. That sound is probably aer pouring out," Kluke replied. Shu glanced over at her.
"You know, Kluke. You're starting to sound like you were born on Terca Lumires."
"Let's just find Sylph and get this done and over with," Jiro interrupted. Andropov glared at him.
"Hey, you don't have to say it like that. We have plenty of time, you know?"
"Sure didn't look like that when Jennuir appeared," Jiro retorted.
"Enough, you two!" Kluke exclaimed, rushing to stand in between the two boys. "Fighting'll get us nowhere. Let's just do what we came here to do!" The boys stared in astonishment, but said nothing else.
Shu stepped forward. "Sylph! Are you here? We need to talk to you!"
A whirlwind appeared in front of the group and Sylph came from it. "What is it that you need?"
"We need to know where Origin is," Kluke replied. "We think he'll have information on an Entelexeia named Jennuir."
"Jennuir... Where have I heard that name before...?" Sylph murmured, closing her eyes in thought.
"Do you know something about him?" Jiro asked. Sylph opened her eyes again.
"I'm afraid I can't help you," she replied. "If you seek Origin, head for Zaude. At the top of the arch is where you will find him."
"Hey, didn't Yuri and the others mention Zaude before?" Bouquet asked the group.
"Come to think of it, they did on a few occations," Kluke replied. "We should head for Aurnion and meet with everyone else, then."
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"It's...so...hot...!" Rita complained as Ba'ul flew them through the Sands of Kogorh on the way to Phaeroh's Crag.
"C'mon! It ain't that bad once ya get used ta it!" Raven chimed. Rita shot a glare at him.
"I will never...understand...how you handle this so well...!" Rita panted, though anger was evident in her voice.
"Enough already," Yuri called over. "We're almost there, so stop arguing."
"Whatever..." Rita huffed, looking back over the edge of the Fiertia. Estelle came over to Yuri, who seemed to be staring off into space.
"What's wrong, Yuri?" she asked. Yuri seemed to snap out of his trance at the sound of her voice. "Are you worried about the others?"
"Kinda," Yuri admitted. "Those Shadow Wielders are still unfamiliar with Terca Lumires, so I'm afraid they'll get lost or run into trouble."
"You aren't worried about Flynn or Mist, though?"
"Flynn's tough. He can handle it," Yuri replied. "And Mist is there to back him up. So no, I'm not worried too much about them."
"You say that, yet your eyes say something different," Estelle pointed out. "It's almost like you're trying to convince yourself. Just tell the truth, Yuri."
Yuri let out a long sigh. "Okay, you got me. Yes, I am a bit worried."
"And why?" Estelle asked.
"I've just...got this feeling that something happened," Yuri replied, glancing to the north. "I just hope they're alright..."
"I know what you mean," Estelle said. "I've known Flynn for a few years, so I'm worried if he got hurt. I don't know what I'd do if anything serious happened to him. And Mist is his wife. He loves her so much, so I think I'd be heartbreaking for him if anything happened to her."
"Flynn's so stubborn..." Yuri murmured. "He'd gladly die if it meant saving her. And I'm afraid that's what he'll do someday."
"I see..." Estelle said. "And I know it would hurt you too, since you and Flynn have been friends since you were kids growing up in the lower quarter. I...I've never had a special friend like that back in the castle, so I don't have the slightest idea for just how deeply you and Flynn feel for each other's safety."
"The guy can be a real pain in the ass most of the time, but he's always determined to protect those precious to him. Just like his father," Yuri said. Estelle perked her head up at that.
"His father?" she asked. "Isn't his father Finath Scifo?"
"That's right," Yuri repled. "Flynn doesn't exactly like talking about him."
"That explains why I haven't heard much about him," Estelle said. "The only thing I heard was that he was a Knight who died disobeying orders. That must be why Flynn doesn't talk about him."
"It's true his father disobeyed orders but if he didn't, Flynn and several people in the lower quarter wouldn't be alive today. He died saving all of them," Yuri explained. "Back when I was in the Knights in Shizentonia, the only thing Flynn ever talked about was following orders. Talking about Finath around him was taboo. We even came to blows when I teased him about it. He believed what his father did was a mistake and he wanted to do everything he could to not do the same thing."
"What happened to make him change, then?" Estelle asked. "Was it connected to the increase of monsters around the town? I remember him begging Alexei to send reinforcements when he arrived in Zaphias to attend the ceremony in place of Niren Fedrock."
"That's right. The captain wanted to investigate the ruins where he believed to be the source of the increasing aer. When Flynn reported that Alexei wouldn't send reinforcements until after the ceremony, the captain decided to take the entire brigade to investigate. Flynn, of course, objected to it but came along anyway. At the end we found a blastia Garista made to be the source of the increased aer, but the captain died as the ruins began to explode after we deactivated it. During his funeral, I told Flynn what the captain told me: that Finath left behind a legacy when he died. Just as the captain did."
"So that Garista creep was abusing blastia?!" Rita shouted, startling Yuri and Estelle.
"Do you know him?" Karol asked.
"Hell yeah! I had met him in the capital a few years back! He took the cores I found and turned them into weapons. I'd heard from your captain that he was your brigade's strategist. What happened to him?"
"I don't know if I should respond to that," Yuri said.
"Let me guess; you killed him," Rita said bluntly.
"Sorta. It wasn't just me," Yuri replied.
"You don't mean..." Estelle gasped.
"Wait a moment," Raven interrupted. "I'd heard the man died in a blastia explosion there in Shizentonia. Yer sayin' that's not the truth?"
"Was... Flynn the other person?" Estelle asked. Yuri turned his head away.
"Yeah."
"But why?!" Estelle demanded. "I know he's not the type of person to kill criminals without them having a fair trial!"
"..."
"Well?" Estelle prompted.
"Garista had pushed Flynn's button big time," Yuri replied finally. Everyone was staring intensly as Yuri continued. "Garista had been experimenting for some time to create a blastia that didn't need to run on a core. However, these experiments lead to casualties..."
"You mean that..." Estelle gasped.
"One of those experiments sent the monsters near Zaphias into a rampage, ultimately killing Flynn's father," Yuri finished. "This sent Flynn into a rage and we ended up killing Garista before Flynn could realize what he'd done."
Everyone was silent for a moment before Rita spoke up. "Garista had it coming, though. Abusing the poor blastia like that is unforgivable! Period!"
"Hey, come to think of it, I seem to remember seeing you and Flynn when I visited Shizentonia to apply to join the guild there[1]," Karol piped up. "You were with a pair of twins with red hair and a puppy I'm pretty sure was Repede. You were talking to two other Knights who had a warhound looking just like Repede with them."
"I was probably too busy getting chewed out to notice," Yuri grumbled.
"Yeah, you stormed after them and Flynn and the twins had to restrain you. I think you were shouting 'Come back here and say that again!'" Karol continued.
"What did they say to make you so upset?" Judith asked, a smile on her face.
"Yet's just drop it!" Yuri grumbled, waving one hand dismissively. Tokunaga eventually announced they reached Phaeroh's Crag and they landed, getting off the ship. They walked up the winding path to the dried-up aer krene in the center of the crag.
"Efreet. You are there, aren't you?" Judith asked. Fire swirled in front of them and Efreet appeared.
"What do you want now? This had better be important," the fire spirit growled, his eyes narrowed.
"Nice to see you, too," Yuri said.
"Efreet," Estelle said, walking over to the spirit. "We need to know where Origin is. We believe he'll know more about Jennuir, an Entelexeia that appeared on the Ilyccian continent."
"Jennuir, hmm?" Efreet said.
"Do you know him?" Judith asked.
"I'm afraid not. Although, his name had been whispered among the senior Entelexeia, back when Alrodoh was our leader. Eventually, his name vanished into legend and no one spoke of him since," Efreet replied. "The only thing I know was that he was leader before Alrodoh, before I was even born. You will find Origin residing in Zaude."
"Zaude, huh?" Yuri said. "Sounds fitting."
"If that is all you need to know, please go and leave me in peace for once," Efreet grumbled, vanishing.
"Is it just me, or has his personality not changed one bit from when he was Phaeroh?" Karol asked.
"Nah, he's changed," Raven replied. "He answered our question without threatenin' ta kill us first, so that's a big improvement if I do say so myself."
"We should head back to Aurnion for now," Yuri said. "We have to meet up with the others." He added silently in his head, 'And they'd better be alright!'