Part 41: Prep: Desert Of Death

Update 25: Desert Of Death

Steve's Journal
Date: Still no idea. Nobody will tell me.
Mood: Okay

It has been 3 days since we left Khadein Palace after murdering the same man roughly 10 different times as he giggled like a maniac. Prince Marth described the incident as "the weirdest fuckin' thing he had ever seen".

He then asked me to never mention it again. That was fine with me.



This morning I awoke to nearly the entire army moaning or swearing angrily. Luke was in tears. Because of this, the heat, and the fact that I used my echolocation to feel the ground, I can only come to one conclusion.



We were in the desert again.



I heard the telltale sounds of axes and bows. Barbarians and Hunters were about.



There was also a weird shrieking noise. Hopefully that's nothing bad. Hopefully whatever it is, it can't fly. Unless it's Lady Minerva practicing her war cry.



Sir Na(Translator's Note: The remainder of this name is obscured by dirt stains)'s ellipsis seemed extra intense today. He must have been excited.



Lady Caeda also seemed surprised. She whispered something to Sir Cain, and he replied "Didn't that guy used to have a Ballista? Also why is he in this desert that noone has stepped into in years that really doesn't seem to make any sense. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was just here to right the wrongs of some previous alternate reality where he never came back, and also Sir Frey and Steve never existed."

Sir Cain is a silly person.

Afterwards I decided to embark on my favorite hobby, eavesdropping on everyone else as they did mundane things!





I forgot who this child was.





I am fairly sure some of my gold was missing this morning. I'm sure Prince Marth simply needed it to buy something from the desert store.





Sir Draug seemed unable to notice me staring at him as he talked to himself. I suspect my new mask makes me invisible.









So many of these things are just lying around. This desert is full of litterbugs.

I will slay them.



Lots of people wanted to talk to me today.



Sir Jagen does this thing where he recaps everything that just happened a lot.

: Do you remember what Lord Gotoh said? We have to save Hardin, now a slave to the Darksphere, if we hope to bring salvation to our homeland. If we reach the Ice Dragon Shrine beyond Anri's Way, we'll obtain the Lightsphere, and then we'll be able to neutralize Hardin's Darksphere... But to do that, we first have to cross the Desert of Death.

Prince Marth says that after the war they might have to send him to a retirement home.



Lady Caeda also seemed concerned. About this, not Sir Jagen.

: I saw someone who might have been an ally from the previous war. I can't be certain because I saw him from afar, but I think it was Jake.

: Jake?

Somehow Caeda knew everyone on the continent.

: Yes. Jake used to be a Grustian ballistician, and had a girlfriend named Anna. They were really close, and Jake did his best for Anna's sake.



She also keeps doing this thing where she holds up her hands and does these little puppet recreations of conversations she had like 2 years ago. It's a little horrifying, but I'm friends with Malicia, so I can't judge. Prince Marth does it as well, so it must be a royal tradition.

: Steve, I'll try and talk to Jake. Perhaps he would fight alongside us again.

Whenever she says that she seems to come back with new allies. I'm okay with that. Prince Marth needs more defenders, because we always seem to get outnumbered.



I thought Merric would be a good authority on deserts, as he lived in one, and seemed to be one of the few people not in complete hatred at their existence. Also Elrean scares me.

: I don't know it in detail, but it seems to be a land ruled by mighty dragons and barbarians. I've heard that among them, the wyverns are particularly dangerous.

: Wyverns...do they have any weaknesses?

: Yes. Wyverns are weak to wind magic, like Excalibur, as well as arrows. Myself included, it would be a wise choice to prepare a number of people with those.

I felt like some of Merric's words were being emphasized as important by some strange omniscient force. I think I need to get out of the heat.

: I see... You have my thanks, Sir Merric.

I later heard the sounds of fighting coming from the Drill Grounds. There was a telltale thunk of coins dropping into that weird eyepatch guy's pocket. Sir Merric came out a few minutes later.



For some reason I felt a surge of jealousy at Merric...



Prince Marth entrusted me with the vital task of taking some of the bullion he had legitimately taken from Khadein Palace, and making sure Merric, Wendell, and Elrean never saw it for some reason.



This mustache man gave me 10, 000 gold for it!

On my way back, a piece of paper got stuck in my sweet hat. It turned out to be a map.


(thanks to Serenes Forest.net, again)

I showed it to Prince Marth. He started cackling with joy and wringing his hands together.

That means it worked!