Leo found the spot where the last, powerfully charged needle had broken the tough flesh. Eindon was at his side, squeaking as he finished coating the knight's sword with potent poison.
The Gnasher was no longer breathing as he somberly jabbed his blade into the opening.
"Now, the others," he began to mutter... when a rumbling was heard directly from the supposedly dead lizard. He spun on his heel to strike again and quickly ducked as a stream of fire burst forth from the same aperture in its skull.
Leo shrugged, still at the ready, and slowly backed away toward the front of the Gnasher.
Seeing Khalidah's bare leg, he stumbled over and nudged it several times. The limb was stuck between the teeth of the monster... and didn't respond to his touch.
He shook his head and moved back to his other fallen comrades, Eindon bouncing sadly beside him.
At the bottom of the crater, Frye was nudging and licking the faces of both Alisia and Jean, each of whom was unconscious. The fluffy Chirper soon rose and rolled over toward the Gnasher's body.
Leo's ears twitched as he descended into the hole with a sigh.
A small campfire (generated by Frye's breath) burned steadily near the form of the creature. Jean and Leo were sitting quietly, covered with the few medical supplies that they possessed. Frye was at the girl's side, glancing off in one direction at the source of nearby loud noises. Eindon was already sleeping within the light generated by the fire.
"I guess we should be glad that the Gnasher will hurt no one else..." Jean trailed off, shivering in the blackness which was only illuminated by the flickering flames.
Leo didn't say a response, breathing deeply and loudly with his armor sitting on the ground beside him. He stared up into the skies with a stern look.
"You're thinking about where all this trouble came from, Leo," the dancer spoke.
The knight nodded.
"So much evil, yet some good as well... all in the vastness of space," he answered cryptically.
Jean sighed and looked to the blackness above as well. The Blue Star shone with its usual brilliance.
"The Blue Star and beyond must hold some fascinating things and people... other than dark swords..." she spoke. She huddled what little remained of her dress over her shoulders as a brisk wind flew past their camp. Using just his good arm, Leo smoothly draped his cloak around her. She nodded in thanks.
"It seems so sad, doesn't it?"
Leo looked at her and responded, "Eh?"
Jean glanced at the fire.
"She had only just 'arrived' on Lunar in a sense... and died before she could have learned anything other than the evil that plagues us... I don't care if the Gnasher was from her home... evil HERE is what made it so potent... and deadly... an adversary. And Whisp, well, I know at least someone else is crying for him."
Deep inside, Leo was also mournful at the mention of the elemental. He had been a good travelling companion... and a friend in a sense.
They both sighed and looked at the cause of the commotion.
"C'mon! You two can't be dead!" Alisia cried out as she lifted Khalidah's foot again and watched it drop to the dirt as she let go.
The sorceress had not covered any of her wounds yet as her eyes started to emit tears. She didn't care about the pain...
"Whisp... even if you were swallowed by the monster, you could just give him heartburn till you made a hole to get out... you can't be dead in there..."
Alisia Dragoon yelled loudly, surprising Leo and the others. She reached into her shredded pack and took a small sip of healing potion... and promptly began tugging at Khali's appendage again.
Chirper warbled as he watched the display. Alisia was almost screaming as she assaulted the wall of teeth that blocked entrance to the Gnasher's head.
"Dragoon! Stop this futility... we should maintain some dignity in the honor of the deceased," Leo ordered. "Your attacks are doing nothing but wearing yourself out more."
Alisia dropped to her bruised knees and placed her hands on the ground. She closed her eyes.
She muttered, "I know... but I still can't believe it..."
Chirper moved over to the motionless leg and sadly climbed onto Khalidah's foot. He rested there for a moment, puffing his feathers out for warmth as the chilly air augmented the feeling of death.
Within the Gnasher's odorous mouth, Khalidah was slowly regaining consciousness. Whisp hovered close to her, apparently sleeping. Her blurry eyes slowly focused on the rancid surroundings around her.
The guardian's body felt very cold. She sighed softly and tried to raise her torso by pushing against the ground, finding the soil around her to be quite damp from the dripping saliva and blood of the maw.
Pained, she didn't try to move anymore. However, a new stimulation was being felt from her left leg... a sensation of being tickled...
She couldn't help but painfully laugh as what felt like feathers moved across her foot...
Chirper cheeped as he felt his perch lift slightly. The yellow-feathered bird hopped off the leg promptly.
The red-haired woman's eyes snapped open at the sound... then widened as she could barely make out what seemed to be a faint giggling from inside the dead lizard's mouth. She crawled closer to the sound and watched Khali's foot shift and her toes slightly wiggle, then abruptly stop.
Not believing her eyes (as she thought she could be hallucinating from being so tired), Alisia communicated with Chirper to rub his fluffy wing against the sole of Khalidah's bare foot again. The bird slowly did so...
Within the humid mouth, Whisp was suddenly awakened as Khalidah laughed long and hard despite her predicament and injuries. The little wisp of flame didn't understand what was going on.
Alisia jumped to her feet as Khali's leg wildly twitched and kicked amidst what definitely was laughter. She knelt again and moved her face as close to the leg-surrounding teeth as possible.
"Khalidah?!"
Khalidah responded in the middle of her wild laughing.
"Ha, ha... please... stop... tickling me! Ha, Ha, Ha!"
Excitedly, Alisia was about to tell Chirper to stop his wing stroking. Unfortunately for the strange bird, Khali's convulsing foot caught him in the stomach and launched him into the air. He bounced several yards away while chirping wildly.
Alisia yelled loudly, "Leo! Jean! Khali's alive! Come here quickly!"
The two heroes of Lunar were startled by the cry and leapt to their feet. Frye beat them to Alisia's side. The horned rodent groggily awakened and crawled over.
They found her tugging on Khalidah's clearly moving leg again.
"Is Whisp okay too?!" she shouted through the shattered fangs.
Khali's voice answered, "Yes, he's uninjured. Stop trying to pull my leg though... we're going to have to lift the head to get us out! I'll do what I can to help you from the inside."
Leo, Alisia, Jean and Frye took positions around the head of the Gnasher as the two small creatures from the ruins watched Khali's leg slowly turn over.
It took a little effort for her to flip onto her back within the mouth. She raised both hands and her right foot to the sticky wet roof and began to push upwards.
Outside, the injuries of the three humanoids were making the task more difficult, despite Khali's assistance. The lack of strength from Leo's left arm was a considerable obstacle to overcome.
Her teeth gritting, Jean groaned and pulled with all her might. Alisia toiled at her side, sweat beading underneath her hair band and dripping down her visage. Frye's wings beat rapidly to assist with his own hoisting.
As soon as the fangs of the beast finally left the holes that they had been embedded into when the Gnasher's head crashed, the labor became easier. The space between Khalidah and the pulpy roof above her body increased as the aperture in the teeth widened slightly. This unfortunately meant that as the others raised the jaw, her hands eventually could no longer reach the 'ceiling' and she had to rely on her long right leg to hold the gooey, grisly canopy.
As soon as Khali felt her left leg had room to move, Whisp flew through the space between the limb and the raised mouth. A few moments later, after an order was murmured by Alisia, Chirper and Eindon began to tug at Khalidah's left foot. The guardian slowly was dragged through the small opening, soon catching the lip of the deceased monster with her hands. Her right leg was pushed over her head and she had to do a flexible split before they finally yanked her out.
A few seconds later, the four weary lifters dropped the putrid jaw.
Khalidah shakily stood up as the others stretched their weary limbs and approached. Whisp had already floated over to Alisia (who was clearly very happy).
Leo reached out with his good hand and shook hers.
"You did quite a valiant and selfless thing when you pushed us out of the way. I am most grateful and am glad to see you are still alive," the beast-man spoke.
The guardian felt the urge to smile... and was surprised as Jean, Alisia and Frye each embraced her.
Alisia spoke with a smirk, "Valiant... but somewhat crazy too."
The dancer added, "I thought you said to avoid the mouth at all costs."
Khalidah shrugged.
"I thought that I should save you from it since the Gnasher is my responsibility... plus I don't know how any of you would have reacted in such a predicament..."
Smiling, Leo replied, "Probably by panicking... again, thank you." He bowed.
The strange woman bowed back in response.
"I must thank you for rescuing me as well... please, let us rest now... I've had enough horrors for my first day awake on this world."
The party shambled back to the campfire. The flames were still burning brightly. Khali had her first chance at sampling food of Lunar (albeit a small ration, as it had to be spilt amongst the two organic creatures as well).
As she ate, Leo conversed with all of his companions.
"I fear my arm is broken... and we are all rather seriously injured, except perhaps the animals. Takkar is in ruins and Nota's statue of Althena is quite a distance away. We also are completely out of herbs and medical supplies... food is low too."
Alisia reached into her own pack and pulled out one of her remaining healing potions.
"This may help with the pain, if you wish to try it... it's both a healing agent and food back home, but I don't have many left... and it won't help much with the bad wounds we have."
She passed the bottle to Jean first. The young woman glanced at it and took a small sip.
"Mm... that's surprisingly refreshing, Alisia. It's as smooth as water yet has a strange sweetness. It makes me feel kinda warmer, too," Jean spoke, "A lot easier to swallow than a Vigor Nut."
Alisia smiled in response, watching Leo sniff the contents and gulp down some as well. He nodded in agreement. Khalidah was next.
"The feeling of warmth seems akin to a Dimate's effects," she stopped as they looked at her strangely. "A Dimate is a medium-powered medicine from my world."
Leo stood up and groaned, feeling the pain from his chest wound.
"I wish my brother-in-law-to-be was around... a healing litany would be most helpful right now."
"Litany? Oh, a spell," Alisia responded, "I always wanted to learn some of those just for such occasions... wait a minute, Khali, didn't you say you had a healing 'technique' before?"
Khalidah shakily stood up and answered.
"Yes, but it's still a very weak technique... I shall try it, but I don't think I have the stamina left to use it more than once...who shall I attempt to heal?"
"Leo," Jean and Alisia said in unison, then stared at each other before grinning.
Jean continued, "His arm is probably our biggest handicap right now."
"Very well," Khalidah answered, raising one palm to the air above her head. "Res."
Leo felt the healing energy pass into his body. Some of his pain and weariness subsided, but few of his most harmful wounds were healed. His arm and chest were still damaged.
Strained, Khali dropped to one knee.
"I'm sorry... I just don't have enough experience in healing yet... I was raised as a warrior."
Frye lay next to Eindon and Chirper on the soil around the fire where Whisp now rested.
"You tried your best... you must tell us your full tale sometime, if you desire," Leo answered, again nodding in appreciation.
Khali suddenly clapped her head, startling the others.
"How foolish of me!" the guardian announced and reached for her shredded pouch. She removed a vial and sniffed its contents.
Alisia, who had just now removed her armor and waistcloth, tilted her head and glanced at the object.
"What is it?"
< "This is called Star Mist... an extremely valuable and effective medicine. I had forgotten all about it... a small pinch of it should be enough to cure some of our serious wounds and enable us to get to one of these healing statues that you have been describing."
Jean, petting Frye's green scales, asked, "A cure-all of some sort?"
Khalidah nodded and answered, "Yes... and even one little misting will be enough for all of us... I only want to use just a little amount though... it was very rare at my home and I only have one vial... we may need it for a later emergency."
She opened the container and removed a small pinch of the extraordinary medicine, then dusted a little upon all of them. Healing light surrounded all eight beings. Slash wounds almost completely sealed up, pain lifted and even Leo's broken bones partially mended themselves. Khalidah replaced the cap and placed the vial carefully back in her pouch.
"Wow. That stuff is amazing. I wonder what a whole misting would be able to cure," Alisia exclaimed.
They were all still very weary... exertion soon prompted them to try and sleep. The commotion of the battle surely had scared any wild creatures away... if the Gnasher had left any alive around the area.
The darkness of night surrounded them as they all lay on the grass, staring up at the stars. The fire was dim but still burning slightly, mostly due to the fact that Whisp stayed within it.
Frye lay between Alisia and Jean, nuzzled against both of their bodies. He was already asleep, as were the bird and rodent next to Khalidah. Leo was between Khali and Jean, his ears twitching slightly in the chilly winds that blew his light-blue hair about. Khalidah was currently lifting her right foot above her head and removing the blood soaked ankle band while the others talked.
"I imagine how it must feel to look up and see the Blue Star rather than Lunar in the night sky, Alisia," Jean remarked.
"Confusing... but both worlds seem similar in some ways... I still feel at home in the wild, even if it's on a totally different planet," the traveler responded.
"What is it like there?" Jean quested as she felt Frye turn over. "I've always been curious of the nature of the Blue Star, even after hearing tales of it."
"Well, I haven't been all over the Ea... Blue Star yet, but I do know that there are arctic wastelands as well as lush forests and mountainous terrain... a lot like what I've seen of Lunar so far, other than the wastelands that is," Alisia answered.
Khali finished wringing out her band and slipped it back on her ankle, then spoke.
"After so much space travel, I must admit that your world would've made a nice home for our people... so full of life and beautiful. You have seen what came with us though... I almost hope that the main ship and satellites didn't land here, if only it was to protect your planet."
Leo quested, "What created such beasts and machines on your ship?"
"A great war spawned them... one that split the peoples of the vessel into two factions: one who engineered the cyborgs as weapons, the other who created the organics. If only that fiend had not influenced us..." Khalidah replied.
"Fiend?" Jean asked.
Khali sighed, "Yes... a creature of unspeakable darkness... please, I don't want to think of it." She grew quiet.
"We won't persist unless you want to," Leo stated.
"Thank you, Leo."
Alisia yawned.
"I think you should come to the Blue Star at least once, Khali, if that Star Dragon character lets you. I once saw a metal 'building' that resembled your ruins... perhaps it's the other satellite."
"That sounds possible with these two worlds being so close... but first I must collect the rest of the cyborgs and organics released from Azura. I will continue to accompany all of you... there are more evils around that may be smaller than the Gnasher, but still very dangerous," she answered. "Speaking of which, I think I had better move the remains tomorrow... if I can't get them back to the ruins, they must be hidden at least."
The others looked at each other.
"I don't think we should worry about them," Leo started, "The monsters in this area will probably pick it clean of carrion in a day or two."
"It'll also be a little too heavy to drag, even for you," Jean finished.
Khali thought and answered, "I'll think about it... let's get some sleep."
Leo and Jean consented.
"Yes, we have quite a trek to the next town tomorrow... good night to all of you."
Each said a 'good-night' and wearily drifted off to sleep in the grassy wilderness...
...except for Alisia, who spent a few moments more quietly murmuring a prayer to the dragon gods back on Earth.