Post by Hayate on Jun 9, 2009 20:20:56 GMT -5
Tales of the Epitaph
Chapter 15: The Agony of War
~ Valley of Sif Berg, Kingdom of Mac Anu ~
~ Sayaday, Gorre-Lunae 30, AC2038 ~
*Kazuto and the party watch as Kyuzo and Hartz make their way onto the battlefield*
Kyuzo: Hehehe…
Hartz: …
*at the sight of these two, the party readies its weapons*
Kyuzo: Hmph. Talk about a discourteous welcome. You don’t seem too thrilled to see us.
Saber: …Not particularly.
Shiro: It’s usually never a delight to encounter your pursuers. Speaking of which, what are you doing here? Didn’t the kingdom dismiss you and your gang?
Hartz: Let’s just say… *looks at Kaeion* …the situation’s changed a bit.
Kaeion: …?
Kyuzo: Old hag Beatrice wants her money…and she’s damn sure gonna get it!
*then, brandishing his blade sword, Kyuzo dashes forward to attack Kaeion; Kaeion fires several gunshots at Kyuzo, but he swiftly evades them and brings his blade down upon Kaeion; at the last second, Kaeion substitutes for a blade sword of his own and defends himself against Kyuzo as he comes within range*
Kazuto: Atrum Neux’s after Kaeion too!?
Kaeion: Tch…!
Kyuzo: You should feel lucky! The boss lady doesn’t target just anybody without the proper red tape crap!
Kaeion: Is that so…? Too bad I don’t feel so “lucky”…!
*meanwhile, Hartz faces the party and draws his rapier from his cloak*
Ren: *readies staff* Hmph!
Hartz: So you’re still alive. I am relieved.
Ren: …
Hartz: …My fight is with the crown prince, Renanthera. If you back down now, I will not raise my sword against you.
Ren: Forget it. If your fight is with Kazuto, your fight is with me as well. *points staff at Hartz* I refuse to back down just because you’re a fellow Gadelican!
Hartz: …I see. Very well then.
*thrusting his rapier down into the ground, Hartz sends a bolt of black electricity towards Ren; Ren deftly leaps out of the way of Hartz’ attack; while hanging in the air, she casts a spell*
Ren: Rage, o violent storms! Zan Rom!
*conjuring a magical gale, Ren shoves Hartz back into a rock wall*
Hartz: Argh!
Ren: Be careful of his weapon, everyone! It’s driven by the power of AIDA!
All: Right!
Hartz: … *raises blade* …Hmph!
*meanwhile, Kazuto and Kaeion charge Kyuzo, each of them wielding a long sword; as they draw closer, Kaeion swings at Kyuzo with a horizontal strike while Kazuto lunges down from above with a vertical slash; Kyuzo successfully fends off Kaeion’s attack, but Kazuto’s slash cuts through his left shoulder, forcing him to back off*
Kyuzo: Arrrgghhh!!!
Kazuto: Heh! Gotcha! …Aah!
*turning into attention away from Kyuzo then, Kazuto notices Kaeion swinging his blade at him; leaping away, he avoids Kaeion’s out-of-nowhere attack*
Kazuto: H-Hey! What are you…!?
Kaeion: I’m your enemy. Have you forgotten that fact already?
Kazuto: Grrrr… (A three-sided battle… How do I deal with this…?) …Huh?
*just then, Saber plunges down from above and brings her broadsword down upon Kaeion, who reacts by defending with a broadsword*
Kaeion: Ugh…!
Kazuto: S-Saber!
Saber: I’ll handle Kaeion, Sir Kazuto! You take care of Kyuzo!
Kazuto: …Hmph!
Kyuzo: Hah! Sure you can take me on by yourself, pipsqueak? I’m completely outta your league.
Kazuto: *grasps sword* We’ll see about that! *dashes forward* Kyaaaaaaah!!!
*as Kazuto and Kyuzo’s blades meet once again, Kazuto’s improved swordplay pushes Kyuzo back several feet*
Kazuto: Grrrr…!
Kyuzo: Tch! Not bad, kid! You’re actually making me sweat a little!
Kazuto: Oh, please! Like your empty praise is of any value to me!
Kyuzo: Sheesh, why so serious, kid? You really gotta…loosen up!
*making a comeback, Kyuzo pushes Kazuto back with blinding-fast swipes of his blade, even dealing several small wounds to his skin*
Kazuto: A-Aah!
Kyuzo: Heh! Told ya I was out of your league!
Kaori: …Gan Bolg!
*summoning jagged rocks from all around her, Kaori flings the rocks towards Hartz; with his blade, Hartz deflects the majority of them, but some of them graze his arms*
Hartz: Ugh…!
*then, having used Kaori’s magic as cover, Shiro leaps out into the open and slashes at Hartz’ body a number of times*
Hartz: Gah!
Shiro: Heh! Is that all you’ve-- AGH!!!
*temporarily dropping his guard, Shiro fails to defend himself against the deep gash Hartz inflicts upon his back; Shiro collapses to the ground, effectively dropping his dual swords; Hartz stands above Shiro, poised to finish Shiro off*
Hartz: Now…to finish you!
Shiro: *gasp*
Ren: I don’t think so!
*leaping in, Ren positions herself before Hartz and fends off his attack with her staff*
Hartz: Argh…!
Ren: Well, Kenpachi…!? Will you afflict with AIDA a second time…!?
Hartz: …
*shoving Ren’s weapon away, Hartz inflicts a swift vertical slash to Ren’s chest*
Ren: GAH!!!
*like Shiro before her, Ren collapses and drops her staff*
Shiro: R-Ren…!
Hartz: …I warned you what would happen if you were to raise your hand to me, Renanthera. Now… *raises blade* …you will pay the price for that decision.
Ren: !!!
*just then, right before Hartz could deal the final blow, the instability of Sif Berg Valley triggers yet another earthquake*
Kazuto: W-Whoa!
Kyuzo: The hell…?!?
*at her feet, Saber notices the ground below the party was starting to crack*
Saber: *gasp* The earth is…! EVERYONE!!! GET AWAY!!!
All: !!!
*unfortunately, Saber’s warning fails to come soon enough, as the hollow earth completely gives way, resulting in a cave-in that drags everyone underground*
All: AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
*the only ones to avoid the cave-in’s field of effect were Shiro and Kaori*
Shiro: Kazu!!! Ren!!!
Kaori: Saber!!! What do we do, Shiro?!?
Shiro: …
Kaori: …Shiro?
Shiro: …Looks like there’s a whole cavern down there. We should try to find where the cavern empties out. Let’s hurry!
Kaori: Right!
*with that, Shiro and Kaori rush to find the entrance to the underground cave; meanwhile, inside the barely-lit cavern, Kazuto regains consciousness and awakens to the sight of rocks completely surrounding him*
Kazuto: Ohhhh… W-What… What happened?
: Good. You’re finally awake.Kazuto: …?
*turning around, Kazuto comes face-to-face with Saber*
Kazuto: Oh. It’s you, Saber. *looks around* Where is everyone?
Saber: We were apparently separated during the rockslide. …I hope they’re alright.
Kazuto: Yeah… Ah! Where are Kaeion and Kyuzo?
Saber: Kaeion is still unconscious…but Kyuzo is…over there…
*turning to where Saber was pointing, Kazuto’s eyes widen at the sight of Kyuzo’s arm jutting out from under a pile of large rocks*
Kazuto: H-He’s been…crushed…?
Saber: I was unable to detect a pulse. *looks away* Wicked as he was, not even Kyuzo deserved such a fate.
Kazuto: …
*focusing their attention away from Kyuzo now, Kazuto and Saber approach Kaeion’s lifeless body; reaching into subspace, Saber draws her broadsword and positions its tip above Kaeion*
Kazuto: W-Wait! Saber, what are you doing!?
Saber: Finishing the deed.
Kazuto: But he’s defenseless!
Saber: He’ll simply attack us again if given the chance.
Kazuto: He’s out cold! Ending his life while he can’t defend himself!? That’s cowardly!
Saber: If it were Kyuzo -- or any member of Atrum Neux, for that matter -- would you still feel that way?
Kazuto: …T-That’s…
*just then, while Kazuto had his back turned, Kaeion jumps up to his feet, restrains Kazuto from behind, and holds a dagger to his neck*
Kazuto: !!!
Saber: Sir Kazuto!
Kaeion: Lower your sword. Now.
Saber: … *places broadsword on the ground*
Kazuto: …Why…are you doing this…!?
Kaeion: I told you. That’s of no relevance to you. Just stay silent while I finish you here and now.
Kazuto: Tch!
*thinking quickly, Kazuto elbows Kaeion in the stomach*
Kaeion: Oof!
*while Kaeion’s grip on him was loosened, Kazuto rolls out of the way and draws his sword*
Kazuto: You think I’ll just let you kill me without putting up a fight!?
Kaeion: … *draws broadsword* Don’t waste any more of my time, kid. Just accept your fate. You know you can’t defeat me.
Kazuto: Yeah… I know… *dashes forward* …But I can still try!
*as soon as Kazuto and Kaeion’s weapons connect, the reverberations caused by the clash shakes the foundation of the cavern*
Kazuto: !!!
Kaeion: !!!
Saber: That’s enough. Both of you, stay your swords. If you fight here, you’re likely to trigger another cave-in, and we’ll all be crushed by the rocks.
Kazuto/Kaeion: …
*at Saber’s suggestion, Kazuto and Kaeion both put their weapons away*
Saber: We should try to find a way out of this place. Look. The cavern goes deeper in through this opening. You two can settle whatever vendetta you may have with each other once we’ve escaped.
Kazuto: …
Kaeion: This…is the only way I can atone…
Kazuto: …Tell me, Kaeion -- exactly what kind of agreement did you enter into with LeGable? What are you supposed to get out of killing me?
Kaeion: …Does being nosy come natural to you, kid?
Kazuto: I just want to understand the reasons behind your actions. You also mentioned something before about “atonement”. Atone for what? Something you did during the Coite-Bodher War?
Kaeion: …
*with Saber leading the way, the three-man group makes its way deeper into the caverns under Sif Berg, careful to avoid the occasional boulder that fell their way due to the area’s constant shifting; behind Saber, Kazuto and Kaeion walk side-by-side*
Kaeion: …War ain’t a pretty thing to go through, kid. Dozens of soldiers who fought in the war 20 years ago went mad after watching their friends die right before their eyes. I was no different. …I was assigned a simple task. Several researchers from Carmina Gadelica were taken alive -- as per the last Mac Anu king’s orders -- and I was to watch over them to make sure they didn’t escape…
Kaeion: …Get in there and shut the hell up! You can make things easier for yourselves if you don’t resist!
Gadelican 1: This is prejudice in its purest form! What on Earth could the king be thinking by inciting this war!? It’s complete genocide!
Gadelican 2: It’s because the king and his so-called “followers” fear us! We develop new forms of magic for the sake of science, and we’re labeled as heretics! LeGable’s throne is occupied by ignorant cowards! *is struck by the butt of a rifle* Agh!
Kaeion: I said shut the hell up!!!
Gadelican 2: *wipes blood away*C-Cowards! All of you! Nothing but hotheaded, thuggish cowards! And you’re the most cowardly of them all!
Kaeion: …
Kaeion: …
Kazuto: But didn’t you care about the people whose lives you and your fellow soldiers were taking? Call them heretics all you want; they were civilians of Mac Anu. Their own kingdom turned on them.
Kaeion: A soldier isn’t concerned about the integrity of the person he’s fighting. As far as I was concerned, Carmina Gadelica was the enemy.
Kazuto: …Tch!
Kaeion: You’re still young, kid. You haven’t yet experienced the pain and trauma war causes. …The pain…of watching those you care about die right in front of you…
: …Yo, ‘Kai’. You in here?Kaeion: Hmm? Oh, Hawke. Hey. How bad is it out there?
Hawke: *sigh* Hell in a hand basket, as always. I’m here to relieve you of duty. They could use some backup over on the western front.
Kaeion: Gotcha. Though I wouldn’t worry about things much here. It’s gotten pretty quiet now that those loudmouth researchers shut themselves up.
Hawke: Heh. I hear that. I could certainly use some down time after-- *gasp* Kaeion, behind you!
Gadelican 1: MAJ LEI!!!
Kaeion: !!!
Hawke: Look out! …AAAAAGGGHHH!!!!
Kaeion: HAWKE!!!!! …Grrrr… You sons of…!!!
Kazuto: …Frozen in stone…?
Kaeion: Before I realized what was happening, I drew my firearms. The captured researchers, as well as several members of my unit, were gunned down by my hand. The petrification magic eventually wore off, but Hawke’s heart had stopped beating for too long. …He was gone.
Kazuto: …
Kaeion: The war ended about a month later, and I was brought before several court officials. After being convicted of “first-degree murder of official prisoners of war” and “first-degree murder and/or reckless endangerment of fellow soldiers”, I was sentenced to life in prison -- a fitting punishment after what happened to Hawke. Letting him die -- that was my true crime. A crime I’d gladly serve 100 life sentences for.
Saber: …So quick to accept consequences for a false crime?
Kaeion: Say what you will. The fact of the matter is Hawke died because of my carelessness. When I first set foot in that prison cell, I was content with the fact that I’d never set foot outside again. …But then…
Sakaki: …I offer to you a chance at redemption. A chance to atone. I offer to you…freedom.
Kaeion: Sakaki came up to me offering a chance at atonement. A chance at forgiveness. After what happened to Hawke, perhaps that’s what I needed most of all. And Sakaki’s words had a strange…allure to them. Track down and eliminate Prince Kazuto of Mac Anu, and in return, I’ll be absolved of all my past crimes. I’ll be able to start over with a clean slate.
Saber: Take one life in order to be forgiven for the death of another? Hmph. You’re not just a criminal; you’re a hypocrite.
Kaeion: Tch! Figures a little kid and a knight of Lumina Cloth wouldn’t understand what I’m going through.
Kazuto: You’re right. We don’t. …But we know someone else who is.
Sakuya: Every single life he’s touched has been plagued by death, pain, and misfortune! HE’S the real threat to the world, not me!!!
Kazuto: I know you’re tormented over what happened in the war, Kaeion, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have wanted you to take his death this way. Besides, you’re a Mac Anu war criminal. Whatever promises Sakaki made to you will be all but forgotten when all’s said and done, and as soon as you return to LeGable, you’ll be going right back to that jail cell.
Kaeion: Yeah? What makes you so sure?
Kazuto: …Because it’s already happened to me. Sakaki vowed to serve the Mac Anu royal family, and he and the rest of the kingdom threw me to the lions without a second thought. And all over a stupid prophecy.
Kaeion: …Nice birthday present…
Kazuto: We’re trying to reach LeGable so I can speak with Father. If I can get him to listen to reason, maybe I can see about granting you an official pardon.
Kaeion: A pardon? I tried to kill you earlier, kid. Now all of a sudden, you wanna be buddies?
Kazuto: Earlier, I wasn’t aware of your situation. Now that I am, I want to help. You seek atonement. Forgiveness. I want to help you get it.
Kaeion: …
Saber: *smiles* (Sir Kazuto… Even now, in front of your would-be murderer, your untarnished virtue shines through…)
Kaeion: …I dunno if you’re overly innocent or just plain stupid…
Kazuto: Heh. Maybe I’m both.
Kaeion: … *sigh* So…which way out of here, “Miss Knight”?
Saber: Saber.
Kaeion: Whatever.
*elsewhere in the cavern, Ren and Hartz are seen doing battle in a spacious chamber, paying no mind to the occasional tremor*
Ren: *panting*
Hartz: *panting* You’ve…become quite powerful, Renanthera… A shame your brother Toshikaga is not here to bear witness to it…
Ren: Though my brother may no longer be amongst the living…his spirit lives on…within Kazuto’s sword…and this staff… As we speak, I can hear his voice calling out to me… It’s the divine force that drives me… And here, in this place, it will drive me to victory, Kenpachi!
Hartz: Hmph. More sentimental drivel. The powers of the supernatural hold no authority over science, Renanthera. You may come at me all you like; it will make no difference. I cannot be defeated. I, who has been cursed with this face for eternity. I, who has the world grow old all around him whilst he has not.
Ren: …!!! Your human immortality experiments…!!! You mean you…?!?
Hartz: I’ve not aged even a single day since that moment. The moment I’d waited for my whole life. The moment where the results of all my research had come to fruition. …And yet…it’s left me utterly empty. How ironic it was to be the last Gadelican alive, and to now be forced to live out my days as such. Alone… Isolated… Neither a full-blooded Elf nor a god… An immortal. …So you see, Renanthera, I cannot be defeated…for I cannot die.
Ren: …
Hartz: …Well?
Ren: “Well” what? So you have eternal life… *brandishes staff* …So what!? All that means is you can’t die! That doesn’t mean you can’t be defeated! I’m gonna personally see to that!
Hartz: …Hmm! Well said, Renanthera! Show me your resolve to live! Your resolve to win!
*Ren dashes forward at Hartz with her staff in hand; as a quake shakes another boulder loose, Ren casts her magic*
Ren: Zan Rom!
*curling a gust of wind around the falling rock, Ren hurls it down at Hartz; Hartz leaps away as the rock collides with the ground; then, pointing his blade at Ren, he shoots several bullets of condensed black energy*
Ren: Lei Zas!
*shooting a series of beams of white light, Ren counteracts Hartz’ bullets and the two’s magic cancel each other out; thrusting his blade into the ground, Hartz sends a bolt of black lightning Ren’s way; she defends against this by striking the ground with her staff’s base and letting it absorb the attack*
Ren: Grrrr…
*striking the ground with the staff’s base a second time, Ren reflects Hartz’ attack back at him; the black bolt surges across the ground and zaps Hartz*
Hartz: Gah!!!
Ren: Vak Don!
*not giving Hartz a chance to recover, Ren immediately rains fiery meteors down upon him; Hartz is forced to go on the defensive*
Hartz: Urgh…!
Ren: Once more! Vak Don!
*Ren conjures a second wave of meteors, but Hartz reacts with…*
Hartz: Suvi Lei!
*…causing the meteors to freeze in midair; then, with his own energy, he sends the meteors to fly towards Ren; Ren rolls out of the way, and the meteors strike the wall of rock behind her, triggering another tremor*
Ren: *panting* (His magic…is so much stronger than mine…) *looks at Hartz’ rapier* (…That sword… It must be the conduit for his Gadelican spells… I have to disable it somehow…!)
Hartz: Now then… *grasps blade* …ready for Round 3?
Ren: *raises staff* Just try to keep up with me!
Hartz: *smirk* Heh!
*meanwhile, above ground, Shiro and Kaori continue their trek across Sif Berg until they finally locate the entrance to the underground cavern*
Shiro: There it is. You ready, Kaori?
Kaori: Yeah! I’m worried about the others! Let’s hurry and find them!
Shiro: *nods* (Kazu… Ren… Saber… Hang tight! We’re on our way!)
TO BE CONTINUED…
