Part 44: Thus began a terrible tragedy

> Let us stay, just for tonight...

Inn Master: So you want to stay? You damned pariah.



The scent of Melfice hangs heavy in the air. He is in this village - of this I am certain.

Inn Master: MELFICE! Y- you brought Melfice HERE?

Ryudo has nothing to do with Melfice being here. Why must you persecute him? What has he done?

Inn Master: ... This village is doomed, I fear... Our destruction is at hand...

Why do you say this?

Elena... forget about it...



Why then do they permit another to trample them underfoot as so many stones along a path?

Mareg... their wounds do not pierce their flesh, but rather their hearts...

Inn Master: I'll let you stay tonight. But you better leave in the morning...

Fade. Essentially the whole update is voice acted and included in the following VIDEO: Skye's Reminiscence (search "Video ends" to skip screenshots)





Miss, do you really want to know what happened to Ryudo?

Who are you!?

It does not matter. Do not look outside. Look and I will leave.

One more thing. Do not repeat this to anyone... Understand?

All right. Just tell me... What happened?







Melfice and Ryudo were raised by the Village Chief, after they lost their parents when they were young.

The two began combat training and soon showed incredible progress. Melfice in particular became the greatest swordsman the village had ever seen.







*CLASH*

















The good-natured Reena was already like a sister to Ryudo...







MUSIC: Rain...

Then, one day, a terrible storm beset the village.







The sword was believed to protect the village from harm.

Reena went to the Altar, to quiet the angry Idol.







No one knew what happened to Reena. Thus began a terrible tragedy...



Yet the storm and rumblings only grew worse...





Ryudo silently trailed Melfice... and witnessed...









Melfice...!



Melfice disappears behind the dust cloud.



Uh, AAAAaaa!

. . .











Ryudo wept at the side of the dead Reena. Her body lay as it were, impaled upon the sword of Melfice.

The villagers searched the island but found neither hide nor hair of Melfice...

"Murderer..." "Idol-Thief." This is how Melfice was now known...

... Because of his brother, Ryudo could no longer live in the village. So, he came to live as a Geohound. That was about three years ago.



Betrayed by the brother he trusted most, he became leery of ever trusting anyone again.

It must have been hard. Being driven into exile... Living all alone...

Your understanding that will make it all much easier on him.

Video ends.

MUSIC: Silence.



I glossed over a pair of bugs during that cutscene in the interest of not ruining it; someone in the thread mentioned that even the port coders realized that they shouldn't screw this up, but, well:



That little graphical artifact on the right (which I think has shown up a few times before without me taking note of it) makes 28 -



- and particle effects are hard, bringing us up to Bug Count: 29.

(also I don't approve of that choice of punctuation)



Oh, and the rumbling sound that's supposed to play during the above scene cuts off abruptly. Thanks to Shei-kun for noticing that one and rounding us out to Bug Count: 30.



Then let us move with the silence and certainty of day passing to dusk.

Inn Master: You goin' to Grail Mountain? It's become so ugly that no one goes there anymore.

We'll go to the place where the Horns of Valmar are sealed. And then we'll settle this.


Official Art: If you've been jonesing for a whole bunch of it, you'll enjoy this update and the next.
- Captain Bakala, Gatta, Reena and the Village Chief
- Young Ryudo, Melfice and Reena