Ivanna and Belgger stand outside the Ostorean Crypt.
◊
"Is Rictor in there? Ivanna, what is this place?" Belgger asks.
"It's a crypt for members of the Batraal family. Our ancestors are sleeping here. However, Uncle Naris ordered the place sealed after my father died." Ivanna pauses. "That was... my sister, Malicia."
"That girl!? I thought I noticed a resemblance..."
Ivanna shakes her head. "But, it's impossible... my sister... Malicia... passed away 7 years ago. I didn't believe my eyes at first. But, I know that couldn't have been her."
"This is where the Sacred Spear is hidden? Let's hurry. I'm worried about Rictor." They walk in.
"Malicia" stand before a crouching Rictor.
◊
"That's right, Commander Lasanti," Malicia says. "That summer we were..."
"...That summer... a black fragment... on the beach... with you..." Rictor mutters.
"Commander... please remember. Please think back to the surroundings... everything you saw back then..."
"In the castle... I dropped... it..."
Blue flame starts to engulf "Malicia" as her eyes grow red. "It was you... all this time, I was searching for it... HUMAN... THE SACRED SPEAR IS MINE. RETURN IT TO ME AT ONCE." The illusion holds out her hand as an unknown glitter falls into it.
Belgger walks in. "Who are you!?" he shouts at Malicia. I was really tempted to make a Deus Ex joke here, by the way.
Malicia starts to glow. Her body breaks apart as her spirit floats into the air. It becomes an unidentifiable whisp that flows into Rictor. Rictor turns purple, a sign of the undead.
"Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!" He falls. As he does so, his cape turns red. Belgger walks closer.
"Rictor! Are you alright!?"
The new demonic Rictor stands up. "I AM SHAHER.
◊ I DWELL IN THE DARKNESS OF THE HEART, PROJECTING ILLUSIONS FROM WITHIN. LONG HAVE I WAITED IN THAT GIRL'S BODY. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING... FOR THE BLACK FRAGMENT ON LONGICOLNIS, WHICH HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM MY BODY."
"Part of your body...?" Belgger mutters in disbelief.
"WITH THE BLACK SPEAR, I WILL BE RESURRECTED. HUMANS, I SHALL MAKE A TOAST WITH YOUR BLOOD."
Rictor summons some Angle Knights, and some regular troops join him.
Our position.
◊ Belgger starts away from us.
"What can I do...?" Belgger asks. "...Rictor!!!"
I spend my first turn moving units forward.
"What have you done to Rictor!?"
"I HAVE RELEASED THE PAIN IN HIS HEART... THE PAIN OF JEALOUSY. WHILE YOUR HEART HAS BEEN UNCONSTRAINED, HIS HAS BEEN BURDENED BY THE OBLIGATION OF STATUS."
"Nonsense! Rictor... jealous of me?"
"PATHETIC HUMANS... SO MUCH DIFFICULTY EXPRESSING YOUR FEELINGS."
The units in this battle aren't actually a big problem. Most of them have low HP. The problem is Rictor. He has the light spell in the "large range" series, Ignis Fatuus. The warlock will use Fluid Magic on him so he can use it sooner. Atropos is nice to have here. It can deal up to 100 damage (!) on Rictor, and has unlimited uses (!!). It damages the wielder too, so keep your health high. I suggest you kill an Angel Knight to get a Needle of Light and then take out Rictor.
We get a Needle of Light and Ignis Fatuus. We get another book for Quest Mode. Whoopde-shit.
Rictor crouches, alone. He starts to glow.
THE HEART DENIES ME...? Shaher screams. SUBMIT TO ME! RETURN WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE!
◊
Rictor pulls out his sword in a moment of freedom. "I won't let you... control my body..." he growls.
Ivanna and Belgger run up to him. "Rictor!!!" Belgger screams.
Rictor stabs himself with his own sword.
The spirit leaves his body and floats above his body.
"SUCH FOOLISHNESS.... WORTHLESS HUMAN, IF YOU HAD ONLY ACCEPTED ME, YOU WOULD HAVE GAINED IMMORTALITY AND UNIMAGINABLE POWER... AN END TO SUFFERING... I AM NOT BOUND BY THE LAWS OF THIS WORLD. TRY AS YOU MIGHT, YOU CANNOT EVEN SCRATCH ME."
"Who are you!?" Belgger shouts.
"LET US SAY THAT I AM NOT FAR FROM GOD. SON OF MAN, I HAVE A TASK FOR YOU. MY BODY IS STILL BOUND BY AN ANCIENT SEAL. TAKE THE BLACK FRAGMENT TO THE NORTH AND BREAK THE SEAL THAT BARS MY ACCESS TO THIS WORLD."
"Are you mad? Do you think I'd ever do that for you!?"
"WHY NOT? I KNOW THE TRUTH... I CAN FEEL YOUR YEARNING FOR POWER... I CAN GRANT WHAT YOU DESIRE... MOST MEN DIE WITHOUT SEEING THEIR DREAMS REALIZED. IS THERE A REASON TO DENY YOUR FATE? YOU SHALL BE FREED FORM THAT PERSON YOU CALL A BODY... WHATEVER YOU DESIRE SHALL BE YOURS, AND WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE REGAINED... YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE!"
"I... want nothing given by you. If there's something I want, I'll find it on my own. Now leave my presence, foul demon!!!"
Suddenly, Naris and one of the Twins materialize.
"I will accept this mission," Naris says. "...So this is the fragment of Longicolnis. I never imagined it would be here."
"Uncle Naris!!!" Ivanna yells.
"He's lord Naris Batraal?" Belgger asks.
"Welcome to my castle. Ivanna, welcome home... but how could you be a part of such foolishness in this castle?"
"WHEN THE TIME COMES, I SHALL WELCOME INTO MY FAMILY THE ONE WHO DOES AS I ASK. ALL WILL BE CONSUMED IN DARKNESS." Shaher fades away.
Naris bows, which reminds me of Lans Tartare. Naris is like Lans Tartare Lite. I wish Lans Tartare was in this game. "Have faith in me. I won't disappoint you." He grabs the shard from Rictor's body.
"If I may, Lord Batraal, allow me to..." Cirvante begins. Naris nods. They teleport away.
With everyone gone, Belgger and Ivanna run over to Rictor. "Rictor!" Belgger holds Rictor in his arms.
"I knew you'd become stronger..." Rictor whispers.
"Don't force yourself..." Belgger pleads.
"Listen, Belgger... one summer, 15 years ago, I came to Rananculus with my father... I used to play with a girl named Malicia, the daughter of the lord who lived at the castle. One day, we found a black fragment in the sand inside a small shrine on the beach. I kept the shiny piece as my treasure. But, a few days later, I dropped it in the castle. I watched it disappear into the darkness below, but because she said it had fallen into a crypt, I was too afraid to go after it. The summer ended and I returned to Felis with my father. Soon, I had forgotten about it entirely..."
"What's so important about the black fragment?"
"It's a piece of the sacred spear Longicolnis. When Shaher possessed my body, I learned of his purpose. He has only hatred in his heart, enmity towards humans, and he wants to return to this world. But, his body is resting in a wall of ice. The Sacred Spear is the key. Please, find his resting place and kill this evil demon before he is resurrected."
Belgger nods. "Alright. Leave it to me. Don't speak... save your strength."
Rictor reaches up to him. "Belgger... I wanted to live like you... freely... as friends..."
And with that, Rictor Lasanti passes away, dying in the arms of his best friend.
Next time: we continue to the last few battles and pursue Naris Batraal!
