by Jack Crosby
::Alyssa left the party::
As both women left the keep, Rico stayed firmly on my back. “If you think it’s doom and gloom, I believe you,” he assured me.
“Pathetic,” the Shadow Lord responded. “To think, I was worried you were the Skylonian to kill me. All this proves is you are just a child.”
“Go away,” I murmured.
“I will, but my last act will be this. The Nagano Nation warrior was right; there is something in this old keep that will save this world. This crystal which claimed my soul is made from a fragment of dark matter. Should you grow up, child, the rest of it can be found in the middle of the ocean, at an ancient Skylonian research facility. The ancient ones of your people were very much intrigued by the material…”
As he finished his final words, the mysterious Shadow Lord drifted away as a cloud of smoke.
“Dark matter, huh? That stuff will get you killed.”
“How do you know about this stuff, Rico?”
He looked at me funny. “All animals know dark matter is what the core of Alfheim is made of. Didn’t humans know that?” he asked.
“Apparently not.”
I went over and picked up the fragment.
::Obtained shard of dark matter::
With this in hand, Rico and I left the keep to see the girls half way up the hollow. We hustled to catch up and were successful just before leaving. “You’ll want this,” I told Kira.
“What is it?”
“That’s dark matter!” Alyssa squealed.
I didn’t even need to ask her how she knew what it was. When she took it from my hands, she told us about Victor’s fear of the material, that it would be the greatest threat to Gibraltar. Victor had heard rumors of a secret research facility that had once been used to mine dark matter from the heart of Alfheim. No one had ever found it and eventually he brushed it off as a rumor not worth his time. It was a rumor no more.
“Victor was scared of this for a reason,” Alyssa implored.
“We don’t even know what it does,” I responded.
Kira pointed to the airship off in the distance. “We have a way to find that facility. What does it hurt to see?”
She was right. I’d regret it for whatever was left of my life if I didn’t try with all of them.
**Cut Scene**
Doomengard Citadel
“There is no sign of Dante or the other rebels with him, God-King Victor,” Scorpious said as he approached the throne
I was not surprised; the Skylonian would curl up like a cockroach and hide until death came his way.
And Death was coming.
Still, why let him enjoy his final days on Alfheim? I was no longer feeling lenient, as I had been so foolishly in the Star Temple. “Scorpius, tell Ifrit and Shiva that the time has come to hunt. Bring me back Dante’s head before the time of the Uprising begins.”
Scorpius, the ever-loyal summon saluted me and marched off to find the temperamental elemental summons. With everything in place, the last stages of preparations could commence.
****
Two days went by flying in aimless directions. Kira had found enough fuel to last us for a while in the remnants of her former country, but even with it all, there was no telling where this dark matter research facility could be.
It felt like a needle in a haystack.
That is until the third morning and the dark matter shard began to vibrate.
“It’s reacting to a bigger chunk,” the informative bearcat said.
“Are you sure?”
“Dante, who knows about this stuff and who doesn’t?”
Being chided by Kira felt embarrassing. She was no longer the innocent and waif like companion I’d first met. She was headstrong and decisive. She was the leader we needed.
Alyssa pulled me back. “You know she wants you to be the one leading this, right?”
“Someone with my lack of faith doesn’t need to be anywhere near a leadership role.”
As the morning grew, the dark matter shard began vibrating faster and with more gusto. It was clear that was why Victor hadn’t been able to find this place. Without some sort of guide, it would’ve been a useless trip filled with nothing but blue water and sky. Victor didn’t seem like a patient man, either.
We followed the trail we were being led until the sun fell behind the horizon. It was only then that a tiny spec appeared in front of us. Radar hadn’t picked it up, but Rico’s sharp cat eyes had. He shouted out instructions to Kira as she piloted us closer and closer. As we approached, the tiny spec filled out into a pretty good-sized platform with plenty of room to land an airship. As Kira made the descent, the dark matter shard broke from the frenzy it had been in.
“That can’t be a good sign,” I offered.
“We won’t know if it is or isn’t until we go in,” Kira retorted.
I was afraid of that.
**Exit Airship Dauntless**
**Enter Oceanic Station Five**
As we entered the abandoned station, the briny smell of seawater filled my nose. Overturned work stations, walls covered in aquatic plants, and a very bad feeling greeted us as the heavy metal door that led back into the sun closed. It appeared we were stuck here for the duration.
The room wasn't very big. At the back of the room was another door, this one not as menacing as the original entry. As I walked over to it, I realized there was a word etched in it, written in Skylonian - DANGER.
“I don't know if this is the best of ideas,” I cautioned.
Alyssa was handing Kira a weathered old journal by the time I turned around. “I'm not one hundred percent sure what's being conveyed,” Alyssa said. “But the drawings are pretty clear to me.”
Kira opened them up for us all to see. “These are pictures of monsters,” she shuddered.
I only needed to see the hammerhead shark type beast to agree. “Just what in the hell was going here?”
“Dark matter corrupts, Dante,” Rico answered.
Hmmm. There was a sneaky suspicion that as soon as we crossed beyond this door, we would be hunted by the creatures that still lived here. Either way, it seemed going forward was our only option. To me, it was a terrible option; to the rest, I couldn't tell if they were having reservations or not.
The door needed a good hard push to jar open. I didn't even have time to react before the first monster jumped at us.
Uppercut
Claw of the dragon
Only two of us were able to attack the crab-scorpion hybrid before it flung its tail at Rico: Stinger
Between the hard shell that added to its defense and the power behind the tail attack, it was quite clear the creatures living here would be tough nuts to crack, but crack we would.
After a few turns of trading attacks, we finally brought the creature down and finished it off. The experience and gold we got was quite a bit; it spoke volumes to the level of the monster itself. Speaking of which, it may have been a rather prudent time to use a tent. We'd need all the strength we could muster for the encounters ahead.
::Used tent::
Thank the Maker we used that tent. We fought our way forward through a menagerie of hostiles that the dark matter had mutated. I did notice something though, the further we got into this dank, dark, facility, the more aggressive Rico was becoming. As we walked by an area that looked as if ages ago it was used as a place for experimentation, I decided to pull the bearcat aside and check on him.
“The dark matter is beginning to influence you, isn't it?” I asked.
“Don't tell them,” Rico whispered.
To me, there was a simple fix. “Why don't you wait for us? There's no need for extra heroics today.”
“You need a full party to survive this place,” he answered.
There was a simple stubbornness to his answer that made me understand his mind was made up. I didn't say it out loud, but if it came to it, I wouldn't let my friend do anything dumb. With a nod to the waiting Kira and Alyssa, we moved on.
We fought by two more groups of enemies, leveling up one more time to boot, before we reached a save point. At the end of the dreary corridor we'd been fighting by was a barred door. I could hear light dripping on the other side.
Save Point 1; Disc 3
Dante (lvl 30), Kira (lvl 30), Rico (lvl 30), Alyssa (lvl 32)
After saving, Kira kicked the door down and revealed on old engine room. The green and rusty old components looked as if they were long useless, but drips of water splashed off pieces here and there. It was completely silent as we entered.
Something was very wrong here.
All exits slammed shut and the room began filling with water, fast. It stopped once it was waste high on me; Rico took a perch on my head to avoid being in the dark blue, choppy waters. Then the situation went from bad to worse. A great big fun broke the water and swam a few circles around us. As it breached the water, we were in for a very tough fight; it was the dark matter influenced hammerhead shark.
“This water is going to slow us down,” Alyssa stated.
And seeing how fast our large shark friend was, this was going to be a problem. He swam up hard and fast: Hammer bash
He used his head as a weapon and hit Alyssa with gusto. Fortunately, she was able to counter: Backhand
As the shark backed away, it was time to get serious.
One-two punch
Bearcat power
Gungnir
Rico charged my up with his booster right before I channeled Odin's power. The shark howled in rage and the giant spear pierced him, causing a critical hit. He counted me right away: Thrashing tail
His tail launched out of the water; it was a nasty looking weapon that was covered in spines. It made full contact, delivering its own critical blow. It drained about a third of my HP bar.
That wasn't the biggest problem. The shark’s next attack came right back to me: Water tempest
Son of a inbred! The creature knew magic! The water based elemental attack formed a wave off the shark's body and broke right on top of me. Hey, I'd used the critical status before!
“The shark is too quick and we’re drowned rats,” Rico reminded me.
Hmmm, we'd need a better strategy. The problem was I couldn't think of a good one, not right in the moment. What we needed was some sort of insight into our enemy.
“Use scan, you dope.”
“Oh right, thanks Rico!”
The two girls just sighed as Kira got the next round of opportunity started: Superior heal
With my HP bar recovered a little over two thirds, I felt better about using my turn for: Scan
Turns out using your skills wisely gives you far better insight. Our enemy, Ancient Hammerhead, was weak to holy of all elements. Holy! Not fire or anything else I would've assumed.
“The dark matter powering him, that's the cause of the weakness,” Kira hypothesized.
“I know what to do.”
Cat burglar
Grab n stab
Rico swiped Kira a cool piece of equipment, shark skim, and Alyssa dealt some good damage. The Ancient Hammerhead wasted no time in executing his turn, targeting the bearcat on top of my head: Water pistol
It stuck its ugly head out and the water and shot a straight line of the dark blue water at the bearcat. As soon as it made contact, Rico fell off my head and into the water. None of us were prepared for what happened next.
Dark matter rage
Rico launched out of the water line a rocket. This wasn't normal Rico, this bearcat looked as if he caved to the dark matter influence. With his claws and teeth bared, the feral creature attacked the shark over and over again. The boss's HP bar drained as Rico's endless assault kept putting on the pain.
Once it subsided, the Ancient Hammerhead flipped upside down, in a prone position. Without fear of retaliation in this round, Kira went right to work: Uppercut
With the shark being in a prone position, the Uppercut sent our foe from the water and into the air. It was time to finish the job: Blessed Revelations
The holy light of the Maker filled the room as Alex's powers were unleashed. The Ancient Hammerhead didn't have a prayer; the skill finished him off, his body disintegrated before it fell back into the briny pool.
Before we even received our experience and gold, an item surfaced on the choppy water. With Rico still in his feral, ready to keep attacking. Something told me whatever had been left behind was vital. I quickly swam over and retrieved it.
::Recovered Dark Matter Deamplifier::
I tossed the device to Kira, who Rico was slowly encroaching with his teeth bared. She took the small spherical gadget and as Rico lunged, Kira was able to place it against his front paw. Metallic arms sprung forward, wrapping around his leg.
Within moments, our buddy was back and the battle was officially over.
::Acquired shark skin armor::
::Acquired hammerhead gauntlets::
Kira equipped both the armor and gauntlets for a huge boost in defense and strength. Together, they have our fastest party member a speed bonus. She was probably more useful than me at this point.
We each jumped another level after the battle and another spoil, the old cache master key. All of that was great, but we were all more concerned with how our bearcat companion was holding up.
“You okay, Rico?”
He shook his head violently. “I've never felt anything like that before.”
Kira scooped him out of the water. “It's okay, friend. It seems the device that creature left behind is countering the effects of the dark matter.”
“Can we finish this discussion somewhere else?” Alyssa asked. “This room is giving me the creeps.”
That was a reasonable request and the four of us waded to the exit. The moment we opened the door, the room began draining, quickly. We all held on tight as the water rushed towards an unknown drainage point. The moment the water was completely gone, we could move on.
It wasn't a room we entered, it was an elevator… I think. As Kira got on, the door closed and the creaky old gears began to spin. Slowly, we descended deeper into the research station.
“This place is awful,” Alyssa squealed.
It wasn't a picnic, that was for sure. “This is our last shot. A long shot, but we either die here or out there if this turns out to be a dud,” I sighed.
“Have since faith,” Kira said.
That was easy for her to say, this was her adventure. We were in some old Skylonian death trap, getting attacked by mutated sea life. My faith pretty much ended the moment I lost it all at the Star Temple.
The elevator slammed to a stop, jarring us all. When the down opened, a soft white light was our only guide. We slowly got off, unsure of what to expect. As my eyes slowly adjusted, this floor appeared to be some sort of library. It wasn't like any library I'd ever seen (not that I had seen many), but the shelves were all skewed and oddly angled.
As shelving lined the circular walls, the middle of the room was set up as a possible think tank area. The rotten remains of chairs and small tables were littered across the slick, green floor. I could almost imagine my ancestors sitting around, rattling off ideas and conjecture. I felt connected, strangely enough.
“Dante, you should see this.”
Kira was holding a book with a curious expression on her face. Curiosity etched its way in and I joined her. She motioned for me to take it, but didn't say a word.
She had her moments.
The few pages that were actually legible were in the ancient language. But it wasn't the words, it was the pictures. They were all very familiar to me as it was what the Star Temple showed me. It wasn't complete, but it gave a decent summary from what I remembered.
“Skylonian history,” I said, closing the book.
“I don't know much, but the Skylonian who was depicted standing beside some of the summons looked an awful lot like you, Dante.”
Kira wasn't going to let this go. As Rico and Alyssa moved in to see what was happ
ening, I decided to fill them in on everything. As I went into great detail, I could see their perspectives changing almost instantly. Information few knew was freely being shared; information that had changed the scope of the world.
As my tale finished, no one said a thing. “Our world has been ruined by a mad man. A mad man my people had a hand in both creating and giving the tools to do his work.”
“And maybe your people gave us the means to stop him,” Kira interjected.
Maybe.
That's when the research station shook and the floor beneath me broke open. Kira jumped forward to try and catch me, but ended up falling down the hole as well. The fall seemed to go on forever before we crashed into the ocean. With our wits about us, we swam quickly to the part of the facility that hadn't been taken by the sea. Only the Maker knew what horrors lived beneath this.
Soaking wet, we flopped down. “I thought we were goners,” I huffed.
“The Maker has a better plan for us.”
I was afraid that plan was an even worse death, but I bit my tongue. Instead, I just laid there and let my body calm itself. We would be on the move soon enough, to where I didn't yet care.
“There's an ominous, dark hole behind us. I think it's the only way we can go unless we want to jump back into the ocean,” Kira informed me.
The ocean wasn't an option. With nothing left to lose, we looked down the hole. “Maybe the Maker will pity us one more time,” I joked.
Kira giggled as we set out on yet another suicidal adventure. This time, the wet hole acted as a slide, letting us ride all the way to the final secret the research station had - the dark matter containment chamber.
It looked like a planetary core. “That is the biggest rock I've ever seen,” I said in awe.
“It’s both beautiful and scary,” Kira agreed.
The dark matter blazed to life. A giant shadow leapt from it and landed behind us. With our weapons drawn, a familiar foe was ready for us - The Shadow Lord.
“Siphoning off the energy of this magnificent crystal will bring me back into this world,” he proclaimed.
