By the time they reached Takkar, Jean, Leo and Alisia were all panting heavily.
The strange woman who claimed to be from another world was running ahead of them, seemingly with endless energy at her command. The two creatures (which Khalidah had identified as a 'Chirper' and an 'Eindon') were both holding tightly onto her shredded cape as she surged across the track-laden landscape with powerful strides. The fluffy Chirper sheepishly looked back as Frye and Whisp tried to keep up the pace behind them.
The two pairs of foreign animals had simply stared at each other while the four humanoids were within the cave. Frye, apparently, had licked his chops a couple of times while glancing at the bird-like creature. Whisp had convinced him otherwise, considering the reaction Khalidah may have exhibited would probably not be pleasant. It seemed that Chirper was not quite over it yet though.
When the beast-man and his friends had finally stumbled into Takkar, they found a horrible sight...
...the city had been devastated.
"What happened?!" Alisia blurted out as they hurried over the remains of the southern gate.
Nearly the entire village had been smashed. Just about every home, shop and tavern was lacking its roof and walls. The statue and temple of Althena were about all that was left unscathed.
But it wasn't the buildings that made the three heroes and their animal companions nearly start vomiting... it was the dozens of corpses that littered the landscape.
Many ex-citizens of Takkar were torn apart and ripped open by apparently tremendous forces. The 'luckiest' corpses seemed to have only suffered an impaling through their chests by some sharp instrument.
Other bodies were severely lacking parts... limbs, heads and torsos were all missing from a large percentage of the dead.
Some were even unidentifiable as being human...only crimson scars slowly spreading across the green landscape.
"What... could have done such... horrors?" Jean stammered, nearly in tears. The area around her was littered with the remains of small children.
Leo, quite fazed at the carnage, picked his way through the devastation toward the still-standing temple. The emblem over the entryway, which was once colored white, was now immersed in scarlet smears.
The statue of Althena was hideous. The coating of blood was nothing compared to the sight of human limbs still groping it... with no bodies attached to them. It appeared that whatever had killed those citizens had ripped them to pieces as they held onto the icon and hoped for divine assistance.
The former White Knight's eyes narrowed as he saw the sculpture's defacement and the hideous remains around it. He tightly shut them for a moment and approached the temple's door, one hand on his sword's handle.
He found it locked and barred against him.
A pale-faced Alisia found Khalidah and her 'organics' near the northern gate. The wall had been smashed as badly as the southern one. The purple-haired woman was kneeling on the ground, staring down at a huge footprint in front of her.
Before Alisia could open her mouth (hopefully not to empty her stomach), Khalidah spoke.
"It was the Gnasher... I have failed in my duty... I only hope I can incapacitate it before this act is repeated elsewhere," she muttered. Both Chirper and Eindon were silent.
"That thing," Alisia slowly started, "It was responsible for ALL of this?! This entire village was wiped out!"
"Jean! Alisia! Quick, give me some assistance over here!" Leo interrupted with a yell.
The thunder mage's head snapped in his direction and she promptly dashed through the death toward the beast-man.
Jean, who had been too shocked to do anything but stare at the carnage with Whisp at her side, quickly woke up and also ran over.
Leo had his large, pointed ear pressed against the door of the temple. Both women and the little dragon did the same to hear deep breathing and soft crying within.
"Survivors," he spoke. Then, loudly, he called out, "Please let us in! It is Lord Leo of Althena's Guard!"
There was no response, only an increase in the volume of the wailing.
Leo started to push against the door and was unable to budge it with the barricade behind it. He planted his shoulder against it and motioned for the others to do the same. The collective strengths of Leo, Alisia, Jean and Dragon Frye were not enough to get it to move. Whisp also rammed against the heavy portal many times to no avail.
"Let me," a familiar voice spoke. Khalidah stood in front of them.
With a quick nod, Leo made room for her. She took one short charge at the door and slammed her shoulder into it with a short grunt.
A loud snap marked that the barricade had broken. The door inwardly flew open.
Despite the huge amount of destruction in the village of Takkar, the two quartets of humanoids and creatures found a sizable amount of survivors within the large main chamber of Althena's temple. They found primarily women, children, wounded men and old people huddled closely to the statue of the goddess. A few guards were scattered amongst them.
One pale guard, whom they recognized as the one who had greeted them at the gate before, shakily stepped forward, his spear at the ready.
"What happened here, soldier?" Leo asked sternly. "What was responsible for this city's destruction?"
Khalidah looked at her feet.
"Lord... Leo... where were you..." the guard stammered. "It was... horrible... a gigantic beast... we locked ourselves in... to save as many as possible."
"But what of those still outside?!"
He slowly replied, "We... couldn't open the door again... for anyone. It was too... devastating..."
"They were left to die." Leo shook his head as he turned to look at his allies. Both Jean and Alisia had approached the scared children and tried to comfort them.
"It's gone now... there's nothing to be scared of," Jean softly spoke to one little boy.
"B... but what if it comes back?" the child responded.
Alisia broke in. "We'll prevent it from doing so... I won't allow it to create anymore death and anguish here... there have been enough broken families and orphans already..."
Jean glanced at Alisia... first with an inquisitive look and then possibly a realization.
Then another thought crossed her mind about what caused the release of the Gnasher in the first place...
Leo and his three female companions stood at the north gate. Both Jean and Khalidah were glancing back as the survivors began to sift through what was left of their village.
"I told them that we will send help from Nota as soon as we reach it... many of them will probably move there until their homes are rebuilt... but I don't know how we can forget the cost in lives here," Leo spoke.
"Please, let us get away from here. I can't handle this sight anymore," Alisia blurted out.
Leo silently nodded and the party began to walk toward the north.
A few hundred yards away from Takkar, Chirper began to softly chirp. Khalidah looked at the bird, then at her allies.
"I'm sorry... I don't understand a word he's saying," she spoke dejectedly.
"He said he was hungry before but the mess probably removed his appetite forever," Alisia replied.
All except Frye and Whisp stared at her.
"What?" she quested, "You already know I can speak with animals. What's the problem?"
"Oh," Khalidah replied, glancing at Eindon who squeaked a bit.
"He just said basically the same thing, Khali," Alisia continued.
The guardian of the satellite that was at one time known as Azura nodded.
"Please... let's hurry again. I can't let what just occurred repeat itself in another of your cities," Khalidah said softly.
"Wait a minute here... it's about time we got this all cleared up!" Jean interrupted, her tanned face somewhat flushed with anger. The images of both the crying children inside Takkar's temple and the twisted corpses around the town were foremost in her memory.
"Yes, I agree," Leo added.
Alisia, Khalidah and the animals stopped their rapid walking.
"Clear up what?" Alisia questioned.
"I want to know just what your real story is, 'traveler'. We already know that your little dragon here is not from Lunar... and Leo told me that Whisp 'landed' in a similar fashion to Frye."
"And how would you come to those conclusions, Jean?" Alisia answered with her face now stern.
"It doesn't matter... we'll say that the dragons of this world detected something special about Frye's aura that definitely doesn't place him on this world... and we think that YOU are also not of Lunar," Jean responded in a tone of rage.
"Calm yourself, Jean," Leo spoke, but the image of the destruction of Takkar was also in his mind. "Where is the Dark Scimitar, Alisia?"
"The dark what?" Alisia retorted.
"I'm not playing any games here... you're from the Blue Star and you know where the accursed sword that started this whole mess is!" Jean angrily returned.
Khalidah suddenly interrupted.
"Please! I can't fail my mission again... can't your hostilities wait until we discover the whereabouts of the organic? I'm lost on a strange world without your assistance," she spoke.
Alisia, slightly in shock, bent down and listened as Frye hurriedly whispered to her while Jean turned at the strange woman and glared. The redheaded sorceress' eyes opened wide as she listened to what Frye recounted.
"And you! You're responsible for bringing a massively destructive monster to Lunar... plus you admit you're definitely from another world, so who's to say that you're also not related to this whole Dark Scimitar mess?!"
"I know nothing of a 'Dark Scimitar'... though I am partially responsible for the Gnasher..." Khalidah responded.
"No more denials... if you won't talk we'll FORCE you tell us just what's going on here," Jean loudly finished.
"Wait, I think I under-" Alisia started.
Leo interrupted, "She is right, Dragoon. Your ability to speak with animals that could be from another world... plus the exhibition of talking with Khali's creatures which are DEFINITELY not from Lunar... marks you as a possible danger." The beast-knight unsheathed his sword and moved to Jean's side.
The dancer was already holding her fans at a ready position.
The air seemed quite a bit colder than it had been just a few minutes ago. A strong wind blew through the grassland that they were currently standing in.
Alisia moved to Khalidah's side quickly.
The tall woman only shook her head, "This delay could be costly... I have no qualms with any of you-"
"But it seems they have hostilities with you, Khali. I would appreciate if you'd give me a hand in trying to tell them the truth," Alisia interrupted.
"How?"
"Take Jean. I'll probably have an easier time talking to Leo... she seems a bit too hot for me right now. But don't hurt her... I don't have any reason to fight with them either, based on what Frye has said to me," Alisia responded.
Frye growled at Alisia.
"What?! You're not going to help EITHER them or us?! Why?!" Alisia blurted.
The little dragon growled again.
"He likes Jean almost as much as me... great... it was your mouth that got us in trouble after all, Frye. You know that I'm not going to hurt either of them... just tell them the holes in what you've already told that Star Dragon."
Frye nodded and moved out of the way. Whisp was already floating at Alisia's shoulder while Chirper and Eindon moved behind each of Khalidah's legs after hearing Alisia speak something to them.
Jean and Leo looked at the two 'travelers' and their 'pets'. Vivid memories of the tragedy from before were still etched in their subconscious.
High atop the Mystic Ruins, Kuyo had her eyes tightly shut as she knelt on the dusty stones.
KOMUSHA and the Blade Wizards were at one edge of the tower, seemingly waiting for her. Gwyn was still visible and deeply asleep.
A vile smirk crossed the midnight colored face of the female warrior as her eyes slowly opened. She rose to her feet and walked over to her allies.
"Tragedies make so vivid memories sometimes... and it's amazing how daydreams can invade the consciousness of those Lunarians with simple minds and large hearts," Kuyo said with a slight giggle.
KOMUSHA nodded. The twin mages looked at each other and shrugged.
"Alisia... if you need it, I have a single healing technique in case you are harmed," Khalidah whispered. "I did not get a chance to redistribute its energy before I went to sleep... so it's weak... but better than nothing."
Alisia Dragoon only understood a little of what her partner had said... 'healing technique' was about it... as her vision was focused on Leo as he was also whispering to Jean.
"Jean, if she starts pestering us with lightning bolts, I picked up something along the journey that may make the battle a little more even," the beast-man said and motioned to his pack.
The dancer nodded and cradled her fans, moving toward Khalidah. Leo took a few steps toward the thunder sorceress.
Frye just watched in interest as Khali and Alisia separated and moved toward their respective opponents.
"Please listen to me Leo... this is all a misunderstanding... I think..." Alisia pleaded with her hands in front of her.
Leo shook his head.
"Dragoon, I don't know if we can fully trust you... the amount of damage that the blade has done so far is too malicious..."
His rapier was pointed toward her chest.
Alisia sighed and cast a Thunder spell... straight up. In the second that Leo wasted in looking at it as it flew gave her the chance to manifest LightningFang.
With a slight sneer, she raised the shimmering blade.
"What's wrong with you, Leo? You normally seem so cool-headed and practical... a knight of justice... it's like you're not yourself."
The words seemed to be penetrating the images in the knight's mind... but he shook his head and glared at her.
A large boulder erupted out of the ground and floated in front of Leo. He pointed his sword at her and the rock flew surged forth.
She leapt back and yelled, a bolt of lightning flying from her open palm. It shattered the earth-based spell and continued on to collide with the ground near Leo's boots.
Whisp took the opportunity to circle Leo rapidly as Alisia glanced at the other battle.
Jean pulled back one of her arms to fling a bladed fan at the strange woman... until Khalidah bowed to her. The green-haired girl paused momentarily as Khali spoke.
"As I have no hostilities with any of you, I will not use hand-to-hand combat... it would prove too dangerous to use my skills... and I don't want to rely on the past anyway..."
The words seemed strange to Jean... why would someone with such strength want to handicap herself in a fight... the comment on the 'past' totally confused her as well.
For a moment, the dancer though to herself of the recent past... beyond the strong memories of the bloodbath in Takkar... then the words of Khalidah struck hard...
She looked down at her hands... and recalled events from far in the past that she had strove to forget. Jean realized that during the course of the latest adventure she had relied on the hated karate skills not once, but twice. Both at the Haunted Mansion and at the secret cavern she had displayed the cursed powers that had been 'taught' to her.
Old memories die hard...
Jean looked back up at her adversary and briefly thought that she was staring at a mirror.
She found herself bowing as well.
"And I will also restrain from using such skills... may this battle go will well for both of us, worthy opponent," Jean said and finished her original action.
The fan flew fast... but Khalidah was faster.
With a quick motion, the purple-haired guardian placed on hand on the green gem on her belt. She pulled it off, depressed a stud on it and let it fly.
The bladed gemstone spun rapidly and collided with the fan. Both projectiles deflected and returned to their owners.
Eindon squeaked loudly as Khalidah stepped backwards in a defensive position. She looked down and noticed that his tail was now under her heel. She muttered an apology and hopped backwards as Chirper shrieked and bumped her other leg. Khali looked up and saw Jean spinning in place with her arms in strange positions.
"She's... dancing?"
Khali began to concentrate her energy into a Foi technique as Jean stopped spinning, leapt straight up and spread her fans.
Frye rumbled on the 'sidelines' and smirked, then glanced at his other best friend.
Alisia parried Leo's saber and responded with more bolts. The knight received a glancing shock and vanished from her sight. She recognized the attack from before and moved out of the way, chanting to summon her TandleLash.
Whisp didn't remember it... the Flash Blade slammed him to the ground... but Leo had performed the strike using a strange staff rather than his Silver Sharion.
Alisia cried out as her elemental friend dazedly collided with the grassy field, breaking her concentration.
It gave Leo the chance to use the Shaman Staff... first pointing it at Alisia and then at Khalidah as Jean leapt away from the strange woman's latest fire spell. Both of his opponents shuddered and looked dumbly at their hands.
Short 'bolts' fizzled out of Alisia's hand. She glared at Leo.
"Making the fight more 'balanced', Leo? Kinda unfair now, isn't it... not something I'd expect from you."
The words bit hard into Leo's subconscious... it did seem like he wasn't thinking straight for once...
Alisia ran up to him and thrust her electric sword in a wide arc. He brought his sword up to block and the two of them stared eye-to-eye as the blades were locked.
"Listen to me...I AM from Earth, I mean, the Blue Star... but the sword you're probably thinking of is NOT in my possession," she growled, her eyes flashing.
She shrieked as he tripped one of her sandal-clad feet. LightningFang dropped and fizzled out of existence.
Leo stood with his sword at her throat, trembling slightly.
"Talk..."
Khali cursed as a bladed fan scratched one of her arms. She glanced at the Mystery Star, still embedded in the body of one of the huge butterflies that Jean's dance had conjured. She was not feeling so well either... the bites of the other insects must have been poisoned.
Speaking of poisonous creatures, Eindon was currently keeping the dancer busy. He had already nicked Jean with a pointed claw and sprayed purple liquid at the wound. Jean wearily tried to bat him away with her fans as he tugged on her dress from behind.
Khalidah felt defenseless as she stood there... she had no weapon or magic left to rely on. She looked at her hands and promptly shook her hands, refusing to go back on her word.
She felt a slight tickle at her right foot as Chirper excitedly bounced next to her leg. An idea formed in her mind...
Jean had just finished knocking the rodent away and then checked Leo's position.
The guardian of Azura grabbed Chirper by the antenna and began to spin the bird around like a bola at high speeds. The bird chirped loudly (and dizzily).
With a smirk, the dancer raised her fans again to throw them at the weaponless Khalidah... and heard a wild screech a second before the fluffy bird smashed into her face at quite a clip.
The force of the blow sent both Jean and Chirper to the ground... on top of Eindon... leaving all three of them dazed and stunned.
Slightly pleased with her ingenuity, Khalidah walked over to the shaky Jean.
"Is that enough for now? You are quite a worthy warrior... even without the skills you exhibited before. Please say that we don't have to fight anymore."
"HOLD!"
The strange woman glanced over at Frye, then at Alisia and Leo. The beast-man was slowly helping the girl to her feet. Whisp was floating nearby.
Khali shrugged and offered a palm toward Jean.
"I don't know what has transpired but it seems that their battle has ended as well," she said as she pulled the dancer to her feet.
"I hope so... I feel so light-headed now...you're a good shot with a, uh, bird," Jean muttered with a slight grin. "Why was I so angry before?"
"I don't know," Khalidah answered. "Perhaps the destruction made your emotions control your actions."
Frye flew over to the pair of them and motioned with his tail toward the others. Chirper and Eindon were just getting over the 'impact' of the collision as they walked over, Jean supported on Khali's shoulder.
Alisia finished her sentence, panting slightly.
"...those wizards who stole the Destiny had a sword with them... that was probably the one... we only followed to stop whatever they were up to..."
Leo looked at her, his blade still raised. He promptly sheathed it.
"Your story seems like it fits... but I would like the dragons to confirm it if possible... you've shown no ill will toward this world yet as far as I can tell. If you are telling the truth and are not here for destructive purposes then the dragons will be able to clear this up for all of us."
He glanced at Jean and Khalidah as they approached.
"I'm not sure what to say about you, Khalidah-" he started.
"Leo," Jean interrupted and stumbled over to his side. His ear twitched as she whispered into it.
"Very well... you seem of the same alignment as Ms. Dragoon in that you aren't out to kill us... but you seem like a wild card in all these events... your 'organic' terror must be dealt with though and you probably are the only one on Lunar who knows anything about its powers or how to defeat it... I'd request that you accompany us to the dragons as well," Leo spoke.
Alisia sighed as Frye grinned.
"I wish I knew what was wrong with my head... I usually never let my emotions take over so strongly..." Leo muttered.
A loud, demonic roar erupted in the vicinity, followed by a vile call.
"MORE THAN YOUR HEAD WILL SOON HURT, 'LORD' LEO!"
The four heroes and animals turned to face the voice... and stood deathly quiet as they saw another horrible sight.