Sorry for the wait; school drama production stuff. I was an extra.
Anyway, last time, we fought the mermaid Aerial over a misunderstanding.
Belgger talks with the defeated Aerial.
"Finish it! Kill me now!!!" she shouts. "You may have defeated me, but I'll never reveal the location of our sanctuary. I'll endure any disgrace."
"...I have no intention of killing you. Please, tell your leader that I wish to speak with her."
"You keep me alive out of pity?"
"I'd like it if we can resolve things peacefully."
"You're too soft! Are you truly a knight? By leaving this unfinished, it may come back to haunt you. Have you ever thought of that? You may one day find your spear protruding from your back. Your sympathy is nothing but a liability."
The mermaid we saves wades through the water.
◊
"wait," she says. "Our leader has agreed to speak to you."
"You can't be serious!" Aerial shouts.
"She also asked that they be welcomed as guests and treated with hospitality. Aerial, you are to recieve treatment for you wounds and meet with us later."
She bows her head. "...Alright."
"Are you the leader of these soldiers?" the mermaid girl asks Belgger.
"Yes, I am. My name is Belgger."
"Welcome, Belgger. Please follow me." She starts to walk into a nearby cave.
We walk into a place. "Please be courteous to our leader," the mermaid girl says.
I'm Chloeri, leader of the mermaids in this part of
◊ the ocean. Please share what you have to say."
"I...I promised someone that I'd help them find the Sacred Spear."
"...The Sacred Spear? I see... for you humans, those events are long passed. I don't blame you, though. Your time on this earth is limited. For that reason, you can easily forget the mistakes of the past. Forgetting permits hope to return and strength to be rebuilt. In that sense, I envy you. Everyone has their own perspective. I won't blame the people of this generation for sorrows of the past. Please understand... the flow of time is different for our kind."
"I'm from Lodis. I thought you might know something about the spear. That's why I'm here." How blunt. "I've read that the Sacred Spear is a treasure of god which was bestowed upon all mermaids, but that's all I know."
"That's correct. It was ours."
"Please tell me... what is the story of the Sacred Spear?"
She nods. "Alright. I'll tell you everything I know." It goes into a flashback.
"400 years ago, mermaids lived peacefully around this island.
◊ That changed when people arrived. They burned forests and built villages. Conflicts erupted when they disturbed our quiet ocean. The quarreling never ceased, and finally a battle began for control of the island. I took up arms alongside the other mermaids."
The image fades back into color.
◊
"Commander, the humans have entered the southern sea..." the blond soldier says.
The other one, the leader, turns and says, "If I surrender, do you think the war will end?"
"No. Even with your life in their hands, they'd continue to attack. They are blood-thirsty goblins. They think everything in the world is theirs for the taking. Why?! Why does god allow such beings to exist?! Don't do anything rash. We'll stand by you and protect this ocean."
She shakes her head. "Chloeri, that kind of thinking will get us nowhere. What will remain when the fighting is over? Instead, we must find a way to survive."
"Are you saying that we should let the humans win, that we should endure that kind of humiliation?" She turns away. "God! Do you only take sides with humans?! It is we who are the soul of the sea. As such, we will eventually become one with the water and the wind. Are we so insignificant? Tell me!!! Is there no place for us on this earth? Will you turn your back on us and let us fade from existence?!"
The flashback become sepia-toned again.
"Later, when I returned from battle, our leader was gone, but instead I found a spear. It was a beautiful black spear, bestowed upon us by god. It drew on the power of thunder and lightning, and could pierce mental armor. The war started anew, and ten years passed..."
Color returns.
◊ The mermaid stabs the knight, who blocks, and kills her. Chloeri emerges, holding her spear high and sending lightning toward the knight. It envelops him, and he dies. It starts to rain as Chloeri approaches him and bows her head.
Sepia time.
Color.
◊ "We can't find it anywhere," the blue haired one says.
"Look once more," Chloeri commands. "I doubt any human could have entered the sanctuary. Who took the spear? And why?"
"Has someone betrayed us? They may have conspired with the humans..."
"Impossible... why would anyone want to risk their life for the enemy?! Our leader sacrificed herself for our sake. The spear is the key to our victory!"
Another mermaid runs in. "We're being attacked!!!"
"Protect our ocean! I'll be right there," Chloeri tells her.
Sepia.
"During the lengthy war, there was a mermaid who fell in love with a human. But such love was forbidden. She hoped hostilities would subside if the war ended, and so, one night, she entered the sanctuary and stole the Sacred Spear for her loved one."
It fades back to present day. "The war was over. We were tired of fighting. After losing the spear, we could no longer withstand their attacks. So we escaped to the west. Complicated tides, thick forests, and swampy lands... these natural barriers have protected this small sea. You see, we don't have the spear anymore."
"And what happened to her?" Belgger asks.
"I don't know. Both her and the spear disappeared. But, I received no words that the humans had obtained it."
"There's no other clues to their whereabouts, are there?"
"Well... I have a feeling... that the mermaid is still alive somewhere. If you can find her, she may lend you the spear."
"What's her name?"
"The mermaid that disappeared... her name is Berevra. She was a beautiful mermaid with golden scales. She is my sister." A small silence falls. "If you find her, please tell her that we are no longer angry, and that we await her return." She bows her head. "...Will you do this for me?"
"Can you so easily forgive someone who betrayed you?"
"Because of the power of the spear, we continued to fight and lost many more of our kind. As our former leader said, self-preservation should have been more of a concern."
Just as an aside, I like how this game portrays both sides as wrong, while most works that have humans vs. another race tends to portray humans as totally evil and the other race as peaceful and flawless *cough cough Avatar cough cough*
"If you find the spear, keep it. It's no longer of use to us."
"Why is that...?"
"We recognize the futility of war," one of the mermaids says. "Allow me to see you off. Where are you headed?"
"I guess I'll return to Urodela first. There's someone waiting for me... if she believes me, that is."
Out fades the scene.
As we leave to the Arena... Aerial meets us.
◊
"Are you going back?" she asks.
"Yes. I have to decide what to do next. Don't worry, I won't bother you again."
"I've heard of the spear, but I didn't know the story behind it. Even if you loved someone, how could you sacrifice one of your own kind? I don't understand... what was she thinking?" She pauses. "Is there someone who you'd protect... even if it cost you everything?"
He shakes his head. "I'm not sure... I don't think that that can be answered by someone who hasn't faced the circumstances."
"I must thank you for saving Minerva. I think I misjudged you. I never thought a mermaids' life could mean so much to a human." She pauses again. "I'm going with you. Our leader has already given me permission. With your words and actions... I want you to prove that there are humans we can trust."
- Alright.
- I appreciate it, but...
Why not? I pick the first one.
"Alright. If that's what you want..."
"Remember, if you don't stay true to your word, I won't think twice about putting my spear into your back." ...That was a joke, right?
