Part 18: Chapter 5-5: Michele

Chapter 5-5: Michele

All right, everyone, this update is going to be huge. But with it, we'll be closing out chapter 5! So let's get to it.



First, our AA rank went up, so we've got a couple new AAs to use.



Jump Attack sounds pretty useless right now, but maybe it'll come in handy later. I'll showcase it another time.



Sweep Attack, on the other hand, has the opposite problem. It sounds good, but it's not that powerful. Basically, it's a mini-Rush. If you have a really long front line of enemies, for example, you can use all three of your own front line personnel to hit them all at once. Great if you need your back row open for spells, but still. Individual attacks are currently much stronger.

The Guild has a couple new AAs for sale as well.



Not entirely sure what it's talking about, but it sounds badass.



Now this is an AA. Great for smacking around the weaker back row without waiting for your spellcasters.



Anyway, on to the stories. First, we'll be taking care of Fawn's Quest.





- We makes music with our weapons, but she don't get dat!!



- And we haven't shields here either! Also, I've never sung or heard any songs to march to before. But if you would still like some assistance, please feel free to ask!

With furrowed eyebrows, Lucida stared at you.

However, after you told her what you had heard from her younger brother at the Tavern, she became friendly.

- Ohhh, okay! So you know my little brother! I am so sorry. I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression... That was the 10th Orc today!

Lucida let out a small sigh.

- They were asking for armor that makes fun sounds when you run, or weapons that make a pretty sound when you hit someone. I told him we can't make anything of that kind, but he just didn't get it. That's why I was getting irritated. I'm really sorry.

You asked Lucida about the music she heard in the Deep Forest.

- The song I heard that time? Yes, of course I remember it. That voice I heard at the Forest of No Return... If I had not heard that song, I would have died within that Deep Forest.

- I was about to die in that forest, aptly named the Forest of No Return. I was being chased by bandits, and I had no choice but to enter it. At the time I did not realize the true terror of such a place.

- It was completely silent... A light like that of a sunset shone from above the canopy of trees, and made me lose my sense of time. No matter how much I walked, nothing around me ever changed. I had no idea just how much I had actually walked. The fact that I was still sane was in itself a miracle.

- When I came to, I was lying on the ground. I didn't even want to take another step, even if it meant I'd die there. It was then, just when I was about to give up... I heard a beautiful voice that would cause the soul of anyone who listened to tremble. It wasn't anything like the rigid songs I'd heard before. It was a kind of song that pulled at your heart... It was a song that was filled with feelings for a loved one.

- I started walking, being led by that lovely voice. And then... I encountered her. At the edge of the spring, surrounded by animals of the forest, she was singing.



- And when she first saw me, she did seem to be acting prudently. But she saw that I needed help, and after I told her my situation, she smiled at me gently. And most kindly, she said to me, "Please come to my village."

- To this day, I cannot forget the song I heard then. I've chosen to become a musician because I am hoping to encounter that music again. I don't know if I would be of any help to that Elf who was abandoned by music, but... I am eager to do whatever I can to repay the Elves.

After she learned that the leader of the Elves was at the Tavern, Lucida packed up a few of her things and prepared to go.

- I will go ahead to the Tavern and wait for you.

This is going to be a bit unusual, but we're going to hop back to the Tavern briefly to wrap up Fawn's and Geese's Quests. Yeah, turns out that helping the Pixie was Geese's quest.

http://blip.tv/file/5063368





It was Fawn, the chief of the Elves.

- This sacred town used to be filled with joy under the Queen. But now they speak of the future like it is just a memory. I feel the sorrow of the past in their words. It is like they are trying to say that it's impossible to struggle against fate. Then again, I can't say much, since I hired you.

He wanted you to bring back music to him.

- I'm sorry it was such a difficult quest. How did it go?

Lucida stepped in.



- It may be imprudent, but I wanted to repay you... Waiting for death, deep in the forest, a song gave me hope and life... Would you let me sing the song that "she" sang?

Fawn seemed to have felt something from her words. He was quietly listening to Lucida's voice.

- Your voice sounds like hers.

Fawn said that as he looked at Lucida.

- You sound like a girl that we all loved. They say that the voice is the melody of the soul. Yours must be a gift from the heavens. Could you give life to my dying heart?

Lucida nodded. She then took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

The noisy Tavern became silent.

The beautiful voice that echoed from Lucida's lips moved the soul of anyone who heard it.

You could sense her feelings, the sad, trying feelings...

The song had power, that of a person who believes in love even in times of despair.

Fawn listened to the melody for a while, but suddenly his face clouded and he looked up to the heavens.

- Thank you... It was a wonderful song. I didn't realize it. It's not the music that's disappeared, it's the beautiful world that has left us...

Fawn turned to Lucida and bowed.

- Thanks to you I have been saved. I appreciate it. I just did not want to know the truth. We must forever live in the darkness.

Fawn smiled feebly and left. Reality is always such a bitter thing.

You got a Mitral Ornament.

You got 12000 Exp!

- I guess I wasn't able to help him... But I understand how he felt... Ever since the Flash, any song sounds heartwrenching. It feels nostalgic, like a song yearning for the past. Funny, isn't it? But it's true.

Lucida smiled as she said that, but her smiled looked sad.



Right then. And for Geese...

http://blip.tv/file/5063261



Geese was surprised when you gave him the Green Earrings.

- Oh, what's that? Those were the earrings I gave her... I'm definitely not mistaken. I went through a lot to get those! I had to beat a Lesser Demon just to get the money to buy those. But... why do you have them?

You told him the details of how you got them.

- She's a Pixie!? Hahahaha, I get it. That's a funny joke. So you're saying... I've been dumped. Otherwise, she wouldn't give back the Earrings. Well, I'm satisfied. I was worried there, but as long as she's safe. She probably found a better man than me.

You got a Knight Wrist.

You got 21000 Exp!



You ever feel like the townspeople here really have issues with repression?





In case you wanted to see what those do. Actually, let's just show off all the new equipment I picked up in B5 this time around. I put them all on Warren and let him identify them so I wouldn't have to pay Vigger. I may have a lot of money, but I didn't earn it by spending it!





The only two items of note are these. The rest are fairly low-grade and good for selling.

Anyway, back into the dungeon.



Another pearl of wisdom from Odom. I think he's trying to say that crazy shit happens when you try to make magic stones during a red moon.



The hole left by the gondola leads to the final layer of B5. It also leads to plot development!

http://blip.tv/file/5063124



- We need to rest.

- Are you serious, Michele? You would call this disgusting place our home? This dump that is full of beasts such as Orcs and Kobolds.

The girl Elf whom you had met previous was talking with someone.

- Kaza, you understand too, don't you? Since we lost our forest, no one has the will to live, and some have taken their own lives. And... even our leader Fawn has lost his sight from this despair. We should be more concerned with ourselves than about the Flash.

The two seemed to have noticed you.



The young man who was called Kaza turned around slowly.

His fiery red eyes widened with shock.



He was speechless. He stared without even blinking. His eyes were filled with confusion.

- Is this the work of the Demon's? Or has his visage been ethced into my eyes by the flame of my hate...?

- No, Sagoon is... still alive...

- What do you mean alive? A ghost would have been better. If so, I could accept that he came back to finish something undone.

- But I'm sure that Sophia is glad that at least he was saved.

Kaza reacted to those words.

- Yes, I'm certain that she's glad, too. That's the kind of person she was. More reason for me not to forgive him... is the mere fact that now she is dead and he's still ailve!

Kaza exploded with rage he had held back all this time.

- Why didn't you come to our forest after the Flash? Could you not even be troubled as to bring flowers to her grave? Are you deaf to the wails of the souls of those who lost their loved ones? This may not be our real forest, yet, how dare you step into our land once more!

- Please forgive him... Kaza got upset because he loved Sophia like a sister, since childhood. Of course, I am just as saddened, but... The Sophia in my memory holds no grudge towards you for some reason.

Michele fell silent and looked towards the lake.

- Sophia... used to love the view from here. Above ground, this place is but a faded dream. But it can always be seen in this accursed Labyrinth... It's alright... if you can't remember it now. But please, for her sake, do remember that there was someone who loved you most dearly.



The stairs to B6 are here, but when we try to use them...

http://blip.tv/file/5063242



You tried to move forward, but something stopped you.

As if beckoned by the sound of the spring, you drifted off.

When you stood at the edge, the water splashed onto your face.



A gentle voice and the sound of the water blended together and echoed.













You reached out, as if trying to grasp the vanishing mirage.

A joy that made you want to cry and a despair that made you want to laugh stung your heart for some reason.

- S... Sophia...!

Michele, a young Elf, came running over.

She put her hands out to the spring, where the illusion disappeared.

- Wait, Sophia. Please tell me......

- Even after being torn away from your love, being cursed with death... How can you stay so strong...

- I want... to see you... once more...

After saying that, Michele looked down sadly, and then gazed at you.



- ...it would be so much easier for us. All we would have to do is rue Him... And then, someday, the merciful Lord will recover from what ailed his heart. But our hearts will never recover from our sorrow. Because of the Flash that has fallen upon us...

Michele looked down. As if she were in fear, her face was pale and her lips trembled.

- That Flash... it was the doing of a Human. The same goes for the black spirit that you call the Reaper. Of course, nowadays so few are aware of its existence... But I have no doubt that it had been created through the Elves' traditional Rite of Darkness. It is one of the ancient knowledges that we could not abandon for the sake of our silly pride. Someone with a malevolent heart must have caused it... but for it, we are guilty for all eternity.

Michele became dispirited. This was a painful confession for her to make.

The Elves were a proud race, and they would never admit to any mistake they may have made.

- You must be wondering why I am telling you this... It is because I want to trust you the way Sophia had trusted you. So... even if I were hated because of that sin... I just wanted you to know the truth. Will you allow me to see what will become of this tragedy? I will go back to the town. If you will allow me to join you, please come to the Tavern.

Michele has been registered. She can now be added to your party at the Tavern.

You learned Michele's Allied Action, Spell Shell.

(Which, for some reason, is not in my AA list at this time)



- They say that most of the spells known to us come from there. Its powers could defy even death, and the civilization had the ability to realign the stars. It's also said that our myth of Eden is actually about that city of Elves. Nobody knows why such an amazing civilization vanished. Some say they were punished by Heaven for indulging in the Black Arts.

Sara frowned and concentrated, trying to sort out everything she knew.

- But the truth about who caused the Flash comes as quite a surprise... This would meant that the Flash and the Reaper were both born of those ancient methods... But who? For what purpose? Those would be the biggest questions, right? I guess that's the reason for the Elves always being so arrogant.



- My parents were already dead, so they never saw the Flash. But guys I knew from when I was a kid, and folks I saw every day... I lost them all.

Ricardo looked downcast. The faces of those who had died raced through his mind.

- I didn't believe that God caused the Flash, like everyone was saying... I thought it was just something inevitable, like a natural disaster. But... maybe it's just that I wanted to believe that someone could want that.



- It was far too big to be a spell, but too evil to be even God's will. That girl Elf said that someone caused it to happen, but... I still can't believe it. How is it possible to completely reduce a town to ashes? But most of all... I can't believe that anyone was insane enough to actually do it.

Saying that, Kyo scowled.

- Whatever the reason, whoever did it should never be forgiven. We must find that person soon and make them pay for their sin.



- Particularly, ancient relics so extraordinary that they're priceless. You can buy an entire kingdom with what it's worth. Because, if even one were to be made public... magic as we know it would be forever changed. But as far as I know, there shouldn't be anything that's been taken in the past few years. If something had been taken, there's no way I wouldn't have heard about it.



And with that, B5 is complete. After going back to town, turning in quests and resting, we have a couple new level-ups.





Here are the stats for Michele and Daniel:





Who do you guys think we should take with us? Leave behind? Should we make any changes at all? We've still got a few characters down the line, so this is by no means a permanent configuration. Let me know what you think in the replies.

Oh, and if anyone suggests we use Daniel, I will go insane. I'm not even kidding you. He's barely a step above Helga as far as I'm concerned...

And on that pleasant note, chapter 5 is complete! See you next time!

Videos:

Fawn's Quest - http://blip.tv/file/5063368

Geese's Quest - http://blip.tv/file/5063261

Michele and Kaza - http://blip.tv/file/5063124

Michele Joins - http://blip.tv/file/5063242