The Six Flames of Virtue

An Original Fanfiction by KidKourage

Introduction

        It’s time to start Part 4!  I know I haven’t written anything for a while, but it’s because I’ve been thinking up a lot of new ideas to make you guys smile.  I hope you’ve liked the story so far; it’s been a blast to write it.  I’m hoping to buckle down and get a lot done in this chapter.  Let’s hope so, all right?

Part 4: The Sage asks, ‘Swear Which Oath?’

          When last we saw our heroes, Eric had met and befriended a mercenary named Nadeshiko.  After Celia bested her at cards, the decision was made that they would leave for the Temple of the Gods, where one of the legendary Six Flames of Virtue was rumored to be hidden.  However, Lydia and Robertson-Taylor were also making their way to the same temple, in search of a legendary magician called the Archmage.  Who will get there first, and who will attain the powers of the jewel?

**

          Robertson-Taylor enjoyed camping out.  It gave him a chance to look inside himself and reexamine the events of the past few days.  It seemed hard to think when there were too many people around.  That’s why he despised going to cities.  But he would do anything if it would mean that he was pleasing the Lady. 

‘Wait,’ he thought to himself.  ‘Would I really give up everything I had to make that woman happy?  I used to be content just to live for myself, but since I met Lydia, all I’ve been able to think about is that Lady.  Who is she?  What are her motives for trying to take over the continent?’  His only answers were the sounds of the animals as they walked about the forest.

Suddenly, a voice could be heard from somewhere in the woods.  ‘You would question the supreme Lady?’ it asked.  ‘She has given you everything you have hoped for, and yet you ask what her reasons are for doing the things she does?  Do yourself a favor; leave it up to the cards of fate.  You’d be better served that way than in trying to strike out on your own.’  With that, the voice stopped, and, no matter how many times Robertson-Taylor called out into the forest, never spoke again.

**

          While Rob was questioning his faith in the Lady, Lydia was having her own problems.  It seemed as though the cost of a room at the inn had increased in her absence, and she hadn’t brought the funds to cover it.

          ‘It would be so easy to wipe out the innkeeper and his family, but where would that leave future travelers?’ she thought.  ‘I want to bring change to the land, but I don’t want to hurt innocent people.’  With that, she entered the inn to ask for a room anyway.

          ‘Good evening,’ said an old man behind a counter.  ‘Are you looking for a room, little lady?’ he asked.

          ‘I’m hoping to find one here,’ Lydia responded, ‘but I’m not sure that I have enough money to do so.’

          ‘Let me see.  The usual rate here is five pennies.  Do you have that much?’

          ‘The only currency I have is in old gold coins.  Will you accept them?’ she asked.

          ‘That cur Lord Mercott is trying to wipe out all that has to do with the old kingdom, including the old currencies used in the cities.  I’m afraid that I would be placing myself in danger if I took your money.  You understand, don’t you?’

          ‘Of course I do.  I will continue my search elsewhere then.’

          ‘I’m afraid that this is the only inn in Blete.  You won’t find another in fifty miles, and I’m not going to let a sweet girl like you get lost in the dark.’

          ‘But I have no way of paying you, sir.  It would not be fair to impose upon you with no method of payment.’

          ‘Think nothing of it.  I have an idea.  Would you be willing to hear it?’

          ‘If it means getting a warm room, I’d be willing to do almost anything.’ Lydia responded.

          ‘You’re a good girl.  Here is my idea.  It so happens that I have three guests staying with me for the evening.  If they would be willing to, would you like to spend the night with them?  I’m sure that they would be happy to cover the cost of your night’s board.’

          ‘I’d love to have their company, but I don’t think it would be right to ask strangers to share a room with me.  It would not be fair to impose upon them in that way.’

          ‘I don’t know about that.  The one girl has been staying here for some time.  Are you sure you wouldn’t like to ask her?’  The innkeeper walked to the stairs leading to the guests’ quarters.  ‘Nadeshiko?  Could you come down here for a moment, please?’

          ‘Oh, but sir!  I don’t want to disturb these people in the middle of the night,’ protested Lydia.  ‘Wait…did you call one of them Nadeshiko?’

          ‘That I did.  But she’s taking forever coming down the stairs.’  Suddenly, a girl with dark hair walked into the inn from somewhere in the night.  She caught sight of the innkeeper, and began to give her excuse for being out past her usual curfew.

         

‘I’m so sorry, sir, but I had some business to take care of before turning in for the night,’ she said.  She then saw Lydia, seemingly for the first time, and said, ‘…Miss Lydia?  What are you doing here at a time like this?  I wasn’t expecting you for some time.  I’m afraid I have little new information for you in regard to the assignment you’ve given me.’

          ‘It’s not a problem, my girl,’ answered Lydia.  ‘I just have a bit of business here in Blete, and I wanted to check up on you.  However, I have no place to stay for the night, and it would be dangerous to set out for home in this darkness.’

          ‘By all means, Miss Lydia, please allow us the pleasure of your company this evening.  I’m sure my companions would be happy to meet you.’

          ‘Oh, I’m sure they would be…’ was all she said.

**

          Meanwhile, there was a knock on Eric’s door.  When he opened it, Celia was waiting with some interesting news.

          ‘Eric!  There’s some strange lady downstairs who seems to know Nadeshiko.  What’s worse, I sense that she’s a magic-user, and her power is like that of that Robertson-something guy we fought before,’ she said.

          ‘I’m sure you’re just imagining it, Celia.  After all, you said you didn’t have the power to see visions like the rest of your people.  Besides, if she’s a friend of Nadeshiko’s, we have nothing to fear from her.’

          ‘No, you dimwit!  That means that we have that much more to fear from her!  I didn’t tell you before, but that girl also gives off a strange aura.  If I’m any judge, she’s in cahoots with this Robertson.  We’d better get out of here quickly.’  With that, she began to pick up various articles from around the room.

          ‘Stop that right now!’ cried Eric.  ‘You’re being foolish.  I just think you’re jealous that Nadeshiko’s prettier than you are, and now that you see yet another pretty face, you’re getting even worse.’

          ‘What are you talking about?  You think that that Nadeshiko girl is beautiful?  Ha!  You’ve got to rethink your judgment on that one.  She may look good on the outside, but she has too many secrets.  I wouldn’t trust her if I were you, Eric, and I wouldn’t even go near this other girl.’

          ‘Maybe you’re right, Celia,’ responded Eric.

          ‘You mean you believe me?  That’s so sweet!’

          ‘No,’ answered Eric.  ‘I just mean that I trust you more than Nadeshiko.  I mean, I’ve known you for a bit longer than her.  Besides, you may be wrong, too.  I’ll keep an eye on the both of them.  How’s that?’

          ‘…Fine.  But don’t blame me when you end up in danger, because I’m not going to be the one to help you out!’  With that, Celia left Eric’s room and walked back to her own.

          When she got there, she found Nadeshiko and Lydia already there.  ‘I’m not going to get any sleep tonight,’ she thought.  ‘I’ll be examining the nature of that girl’s power, and I’ll be thinking up a whole list of ways to torture that Eric.

**

          The next morning came soon, and Celia hadn’t discovered anything about this mysterious Lydia.  While she could sense that the woman had magical power inside her, she couldn’t tell what kind it was, or from whence it came.  Tired, confused, and angry at her own lack of information, she descended the stairs to eat the morning meal with her companions.  Eric was seated across from Nadeshiko and Lydia, and there was an empty seat next to his.  She sat and told the innkeeper’s wife what she wanted to eat:

          ‘I’ll have a pomegranate and some water this morning, please,’ she said.

          ‘Is that it?’ asked Eric jokingly.  ‘You usually put away the whole pantry.  Are you feeling all right?’

          ‘I’m fine,’ she answered, ‘but I’m just not in the mood for a large meal this morning.’

          ‘It’s not good to go for too long without food, Celia,’ put in Nadeshiko, who herself was eating only bread and cheese.  ‘If you do, you may faint from malnutrition.’ 

          ‘That’s easy for you to say,’ responded Celia.  ‘Look at what you’re eating.  Surely you aren’t asking me to eat more than you?’

          ‘It seems, girl, that you want to eat less than Nadeshiko in order to impress the young man,’ said Lydia suddenly.

          ‘What would you know about it, may I ask?  Who do you two think you are, lecturing me about my eating habits?’

          ‘I’m just someone who knows how to take care of herself.  And, despite what you think, I’m better at it than you, I may add.  Take my advice, girly, and eat while you can.  You never know when your next meal will be,’ said Lydia.  ‘Nadeshiko, it was nice to see you again.  Thank you for sharing your room with me.  I hope to hear of your progress soon.’  With that, Lydia left the inn and went on her way.

          ‘What a terrible woman she was,’ commented Celia.  ‘What do you think, Eric?’

          ‘I think she had a good point.  Suddenly changing your diet may damage your system.  I think you should eat more as well,’ he responded thoughtfully.

          Celia sighed, and then said, ‘Fine.  I’ll eat more food.  But you’ve got to pay for it, since I don’t want to eat it in the first place.’

**

          Robertson-Taylor had reached his destination while Celia and Nadeshiko were arguing.  The Temple of the Gods was an imposing sight against the background of trees, with its statues of the four holy beasts guarding its entrances.  It was said that they were the keepers of the gate of heaven, and indeed they did their duty well; the building looked as though it hadn’t been disturbed in centuries.  The ancient stones seemed to fuse together, and vines grew up all sides of the building.  ‘It’s a very interesting building,’ thought Robertson-Taylor.  ‘It seems like the kind of place that the Archmage would live.

When he approached the structure, it was from the west, so Phoenix, the bird-like spirit of fire, was the statue to greet him.  As he circled the temple, he passed the ancient sculptures of Phelos, the horse protector of the winds, Phlanga, the water dragon of the east, and finally came to Phynaeus, the lion who watched over the earth.  Each was made in perfect detail and proportion, so it seemed as though they were about to strike down any who dared venture too close. 

Robertson-Taylor, however, did not heed the warning of the guardian creatures, and walked right into the inner sanctum of the holy temple.  As he was walking, he began to hear strange noises, like those of animals looking for prey.  Just as he was about to reach the main chamber of the sanctuary, he turned to see what was pursuing him.  However, he was a bit too late…

**

          ‘How much farther is it until we reach the temple, Nadeshiko?’ asked Eric.

          ‘It shouldn’t be too much longer,’ she answered.  ‘We’ve been traveling all morning, so we should be getting there soon.’

          ‘I hope so,’ remarked Celia, ‘because I’m starting to feel tired.’

          ‘It’s because you’re not used to traveling long distances.  Would you like to rest for a bit?’ asked Nadeshiko.

          ‘Of course not.  I’ll bet that there’s a spring at the temple, so we can rest when we get there,’ she responded.

          ‘If that’s what you want, Celia,’ said Eric.  ‘But don’t work yourself too hard, all right?  You never know when an enemy may approach.’

          ‘He’s right, you know,’ added Nadeshiko.  ‘Even someone you trust may turn out to be an opponent at some point in the future, so you must be careful.

          ‘Does that mean you don’t like us anymore, Nadeshiko?’ asked Eric amusedly.  ‘I don’t think I like that idea.’

          ‘Don’t worry, Eric.  I wouldn’t ever harm you, so don’t worry,’ she responded as she kept walking.

          As she said this, the trio came upon a huge building surrounded by statues.  ‘Is this the Temple of the Gods?’ asked Celia.  ‘It seems so old!  Nobody could possibly be in there.’

          ‘All of my research points to this location, and there is a building within our range of vision.  Do you see any others?’ asked Nadeshiko cynically.

          ‘You don’t have to say it that way, you know.  I can take a hint.  You think that the stone is here, right?’ 

          ‘That is what my sources say.  Anyway, even if we don’t find anything here, this will be helpful to my research.  I think that we should take a look inside,’ answered Nadeshiko.

          ‘I agree with Nadeshiko.  We won’t ever know unless we go in, right, Celia?’ said Eric.

          ‘I suppose so,’ she responded.  With that, she began walking closer to the temple.  As she did, however, she began to feel a strange sensation, like she did when she met the boy, Arch.  ‘Can you feel that?’ she asked her companions.  They told her that, no, they didn’t feel anything, and asked what she meant.

          ‘It’s subtle, but I feel a vibration very close to my own.  It’s like the one I felt while I was talking to that boy from yesterday.  You remember, don’t you, Eric?’

          ‘Ah, the one that wore strange clothes like yours?  I remember that you said you met him, but I don’t remember anything about a strange vibration.’

          Celia nodded.  ‘I may not have, but the feeling is the same.  Perhaps he, or someone like him, is already here,’ she said.  ‘Nadeshiko, do you know anything?’

          ‘I’m afraid that I know nothing about a young boy ever venturing into the temple.  However, it is possible that he was meant as a sacrifice of some sort, so that the researches would not mention him in their records.’

          ‘That makes sense,’ said Eric.  ‘What do you think, Celia?’ 

She simply nodded, and began to walk farther toward the structure.  As she did, she noticed the statues of the four beasts.  ‘What do you make of these?’ she asked of Nadeshiko.  ‘They look so realistic that they may jump out at you at any time.’

‘I agree.  Whoever made them kept the secret of his talent with him until the grave, because I’ve never seen sculptures of this type before,’ she answered.  ‘They’re statues of the holy beasts, right?’

‘The holy beasts?’ asked Eric.  ‘What are they?’

Celia laughed to herself.  How could the legendary Eric Lumier know nothing about the four elemental beasts?  ‘At the beginning of time,’ she answered, ‘the gods created four elements--fire, water, wind, and earth.  To help keep them in balance, they gave the elements physical forms, like the ones you see here.  The beasts were then sent to the four corners of the world to watch over the planet.  So says the legend of my people.’

‘That’s a strange way to keep the elements in balance,’ remarked Eric.  ‘Why wouldn’t the beasts try to run away from the gods?’

          ‘That’s a good question, Eric,’ answered Nadeshiko.  ‘Why wouldn’t they attempt to escape?’

          ‘Because,’ answered Celia, ‘they are held under the influence of the Six Flames of Virtue.  It is the power of the stones that keeps the holy beasts from leaving their posts.  Now, I think that that is enough talk for now.  Why don’t we go into this temple and start looking for the jewel?’  With that, she entered the building from the eastern side.

          ‘Now you’re talking, Celia,’ answered Eric.  ‘I can’t wait to see if we have to fight any enemies while we’re here.’

          ‘What are you saying?’ called Celia from inside the hallway.  ‘This place is ancient.  Like I said before, there’s no way that anything could…’  Her voice was cut off somehow, and she didn’t continue.

          ‘Celia?  What happened?  Where are you?’ asked Eric when he noticed that she had suddenly stopped speaking.  He ran toward the entryway that she had taken, and was about to enter through it when someone pushed him out of the way.  ‘Nadeshiko?!  What are you doing?  Celia may be in trouble!’ he exclaimed.

          ‘I agree with you.  That’s why I had to push you out of the way before you were crushed underneath the rocks!’ she responded.

          ‘Rocks?  What are you talking about?’

          Nadeshiko pointed to where the entrance to the temple once was.  Instead of an opening, however, there was a huge stone slab in its place.  ‘Where did that come from?’ asked Eric.

          ‘It started falling as soon as Celia stopped talking,’ answered Celia.  ‘Tell me.  Celia is a magic-user, right?’

          ‘Yes, of course.  Why else would I keep her around?’ he said as he laughed sadly.

          ‘What kind of magic can she do?  I remember you telling me that she can perform some kind of fire spell.  Is that right?’

          ‘Yes.  It’s called “Firebird,”  and it’s beautiful to see her launch it off,’ he answered.  He then realized what Nadeshiko had been worried about.  ‘We have to help her quickly!  Let’s go in through another entrance!’  With that, he ran toward the northern entrance. 

         

          ‘Wait, Eric!  We should go in through the southern one!’ cried Nadeshiko.

          ‘Why is that?’ he asked as he came around to the other side of the temple. 

          ‘You’ll see when we get inside,’ was all that she answered.

**

          ‘Eric?  Nadeshiko?  What happened to you guys?’ asked Celia to the void of the temple.  Naturally, silence was her only response.  ‘What’s going on?  I was in the doorway to the Temple of the Gods, and now I’m suddenly stuck in this dark hallway,’ she thought to herself.

          Suddenly, a bright, blue light started to shine from the far end of the corridor.  Celia began to walk toward it, drawn to an unknown source by a mysterious feeling in the pit of her stomach.  ‘This sensation,’ she thought aloud, ‘is what I felt when I met Arch on the beach in Blete.  Is it possible that he’s here?’

          She continued to walk down the long hallway, never seeming to reach its end.  The light seemed to get brighter and more intense with every step she took, until she could no longer see.  However, she kept walking toward its source, its warmth a refreshing alternative to the coolness of the forest behind her.  Finally, she put her hand to the wall to steady her stride.  She could go no farther because of the energy of the light.

          ‘Eric, help me.  Please.  Someone, please help me,’ she thought to herself.  ‘I can’t do anything like this.  I’m…I’m worthless in this light.  I need to get out of here, but I don’t even know where the exit is anymore.  Eric…’

**

          Nadeshiko and Eric began to run down the southern hallway toward the center of the temple.  As the continued to run, the tunnel seemed to get darker and darker until it was almost impossible to see. 

          ‘Where are we, Nadeshiko?  Why is it so dark in here?  It seemed like we’ve been running for ages, and yet we haven’t reached the end of the corridor,’ remarked Eric.

         

          ‘We haven’t been running for a long time, Eric.  It just seems that way to you because you’re falling prey to the illusions of Phynaeus.  The powers of the earth are harder for you to combat because you’re not of the clan of the winds,’ answered Nadeshiko.

          ‘Clan of the winds?  What is that?’

          ‘From the time of my childhood, I’ve been told that I run with the wind, that Phelos watches over me.  That is why I decided that we should enter the temple from the southern entrance, the one guarded by the earth elemental.  My influence over the wind gives me an edge against the earth.  By the way, Eric, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.  What element are you guided by?  It can’t be the wind, since you are vulnerable to the earth.’

          ‘I’d never heard of the elements before today,’ answered Eric.  ‘Therefore, I have no idea which of your deities is meant to watch out for me.’

          ‘I have a theory.  Please allow me to test it out when we get out of this situation.  Would that be all right?’ she asked.

          ‘Of course.  But we have more important things to worry about at this point, don’t we?’ answered Eric.

          Nadeshiko paused for a few moments.  ‘I suppose so, Eric Lumier.  May the gods favor us in the future.’  With that, she took off down the hallway at full speed.

**

          When Robertson-Taylor came to, he was alone in a large room.  ‘What happened back there?’ he asked himself.  ‘I know I couldn’t have been beaten by any man, but perhaps it was the elemental beast?  No.  It couldn’t be.  They are said to be at the corners of the world.  What would they be doing at an ancient sanctuary such as this?’

          ‘A good question,’ responded a voice.  ‘One that only the gods could ever answer truthfully.’

          ‘Who’s there?  Come out at once and face me if you dare,’ said Robertson-Taylor tauntingly.  ‘Or are you afraid of me?’

          ‘Ha.  What would I have to fear from a magician with so weak a power?  And in such a useless art.  Possession, is it?  I could find a hundred better uses for all of that potential of yours,’ it responded.

          ‘What do you know about my power?  Who are you?’ asked Robertson-Taylor nervously.

          ‘It’s simple, my boy.  It was obvious for someone like me.  Though you wouldn’t understand.’  With that, a shadow appeared on the wall of the temple.

          ‘There you are!  You thought you could fool me by hiding behind a pillar, did you?  Prepare for my greatest strike!’

          ‘I told you before, you little whelp, that you could never hope to best me in magic.  Perhaps your sister would know better than you about that?’

          ‘I have no sister, or any family for that matter.  I’ve been alone for my entire life, so why do you say such things?’

          ‘Because,’ said the shadow as it moved from the wall and became a figure cloaked in purple, ‘I know all about you…’

**

          Suddenly, the blue light surrounding Celia faded and she began to see once again.  When her vision came back completely, she saw that she was in a large, open room.  The only other thing in the room was a large table in the chamber’s center.  It was a large stone slab suspended by six wooden slabs.  As Celia walked toward the table, she could make out six indentations in the table’s surface, each one the corner of a large hexagram. 

          ‘What would something like this be doing here?’ she thought to herself, ‘And why are there depressions in the stone?’  As she continued to think, she began to understand.  ‘Perhaps this table was meant to store the Six Flames of Virtue?  It makes sense, then, that there is a notch for each one.’ 

As she thought this, the red bead in her earring began to glow and become hot.  It grew more and more unbearable for Celia, until she had to take off the earring to free herself from the pain.  ‘The earring has never done that before, so why is it reacting in this temple?’ she wondered.  Her curiosity got the better of her, and she starting moving the earring towards the circular groove in the table.  As she did, it began to make a ringing sound which got louder the closer the jewel became.  Just as she was about to place it in the indentation, she felt a presence behind her.  She whirled around and drew out her weapon--a wooden staff she and Eric had purchased a few days before. 

‘Who’s there?’ she asked aloud.  ‘What do you want from me?’  As she said this, she became aware of a carving in the wall of the chamber; it was a huge relief of a dragon floating above the sea.  As she turned around the room, she noticed three other such carvings.  They seemed so lifelike, each blue scale perfectly formed and textured.  ‘Wait,’ she thought.  ‘Blue scales?  Why are the carvings…?’

Suddenly, each of the ‘carvings’ moved away from the wall and started walking toward Celia, whose only thought was to run away.  ‘What can I do?’ she said aloud.  She then got a better idea.  ‘What am I thinking?  I’m a magician!  I can take care of this in a heartbeat!’  With this, she replaced the earring in its place, and placed her hands in front of her.  ‘Firebird!’ she shouted as searing flames jumped out from her hands.  They flew directly toward the target, the dragon on the left, and…were stopped before they could even touch it. 

‘What happened?’ Celia said.  ‘Why didn’t the Firebird work?  It always works!’  She fell to the ground, defeated, and began to cry.  ‘Why?  I couldn’t do anything to help.  I’m a failure…’

‘Don’t give up quite yet, Celia!’ cried a familiar voice.  Coming into the room from another hallway was Eric.  As he entered, he drew his sword and stabbed one of the dragons.  Celia took that opportunity to escape to his side.  ‘If I had known that that power of yours was so worthless, I would never have agreed to bring you along!’ he said with a grin.

‘Eric!  Remind me to whack you when we get out of this!’ she responded with a smile.  ‘Can you lend me a hand?’

‘We both will!’ exclaimed Eric as Nadeshiko came bounding into the room.  ‘What took you?’

‘I had something else that I had to quickly take care of.  Those demons we faced in the corridor were harder to fight off than I thought,’ Nadeshiko responded.

‘Enemies?  Here?!’ asked Celia.  ‘But this place is so old!’

‘Look around you, Celia.  You’ve got monsters on all four sides.  I suggest you rethink your ideas,’ said Eric skeptically.  ‘Nadeshiko!  What can we do to get her out of this?’

‘Celia, have you tried your magic yet?’ asked Nadeshiko.

‘I did, but it’s useless.  It’s like these dragons are made of pure water.  Is that possible?’ she answered.

‘It could be true.  We’ll have to think of another way to fight them off.’  With that, Nadeshiko took out a small rawhide bag, which she tossed into the center of the circle of dragons.  ‘You horrid demons, shed your disguises and return to your true forms!’ she cried as it fell. 

As she did, the dragons began to glow.  They changed shape, became smaller, until they were human-height and figure.  ‘There are your dragons, Celia!  The ones in the hall were made to look like Phynaeus.  We’re just lucky that I had some of my potion with me.’

‘What is that stuff?’ asked Eric.  ‘It looked like powder, but it changed into a liquid.’

‘That’s what it does, Eric,’ answered Nadeshiko.  ‘It’s a strong serum meant to dispel illusions and promote good vision.  I used it to allow us to see the true nature of our enemies.’ 

As she said this, the glow from the creatures faded, and it was easy to see what they were--daemons sent by the gods to protect their sacred temple.  They were humanoids with small horns protruding from their foreheads, and crimson wings sprouting from their backs.  They were the color of night, and their only weapons were large hammers, which they hefted and wielded at their opponents. 

‘Now that we know what they are, we can defeat them easily,’ said Nadeshiko.  She drew her own weapons, a pair of Shuriken, which she threw at the enemy.  They hit two of the daemon and exploded on contact, causing them to scream in pain.  Antagonized, the other two jumped and lunged at Nadeshiko and Eric and began to swing their weapons furiously.  Eric barely had time to draw his sword again before he was hit in the shoulder.  He fell to the ground.

‘Eric!’ shouted Nadeshiko as he fell.  That single moment of inattention was all that the daemon needed.  It proceeded to sweep its hammer behind her knees, knocking her off balance and onto the floor of the chamber.

‘Nadeshiko!  Eric!  Get up, please!’ cried Celia.  However, both were knocked out from falling onto the stone floor.  Tears began to form in her eyes as her anger built up into torrential rage.  ‘You there!  Prepare to die!  How dare you attack my friends?!  You’re going to pay for this!  You will!’  As she said this, the other daemons rose from the ground and began to fly toward her.

‘A single Firebird would never take out all four,’ Celia thought.  ‘I’ll have to try something else if I want to get out of this.’  She placed her hands in front of her as usual, but in a different position; she moved her arms into the shape of a cross, and a small fireball formed in each of her palms.  ‘Fire…’ she said as her opponents came closer.  ‘Storm!’  She swept her hands together and compressed the two balls of flame together.  The force of this caused it to fly out at her enemies and grow in size and power.  It quickly grew large enough to wipe out the two closest daemons, and singed the wings of the others.  ‘Phew.  That was tough.  But I got their attention, at least!’ she said to herself. 

The attack had the desired effect, and the last two opponents stopped their assault on Eric and Nadeshiko.  They tried to fly toward her, but their burnt wings granted them no lift, and their assault came slowly.  Celia just stood there with a grin on her face.  ‘What do they think they’re doing, challenging me in their condition?  This is going to be so simple,’ she thought to herself. 

Just as they got close enough to be able to hit her with their hammers, Celia picked up her staff and swung it at them, hitting them squarely in their throats.  They stopped immediately, choking for air, and fell to the ground, unconscious.  Celia then moved them towards the far wall, where they would be less able to attack quickly should they wake up.

**

‘What do you mean by “I know all about you?”’ asked Robertson-Taylor.  ‘We haven’t met, have we?’

‘No, I’m sure we haven’t.  But I still know all about you and your sister.  You see,’ said the purple-clad stranger, ‘I have been waiting for your arrival for some time.’

‘But how can that be?  You can’t be saying that you could see the future.’

‘And why not?  As I said before, boy, I have much more skill than you.  However, that is not your fault.  In fact, you’ve done well with what little you have been given.’  As he said this, the mysterious figure removed a hood from his head and revealed his true appearance.  A look of pure shock came over Robertson-Taylor’s face as he realized that he was speaking to a child about his own age.

‘Why are you calling me “boy?”  You don’t look much older than me, if we aren’t the same age,’ commented Robertson-Taylor. 

‘This is just the appearance that I’ve assumed for the time being.  I can look however old as I please.  It’s another of the skills that you, sadly, do not yet possess.’

‘Stop saying that!’ exclaimed Robertson-Taylor.  ‘You haven’t displayed any of your own talents, you know, and yet you still tell me that you’re better than me!  You have no proof to show for it!’

‘Proof, you say?  I’ll be happy to prove to you that I’m more skilled, if you don’t believe me.  However, you have no hope of a victory here in the Temple of the Gods, where I have lived alone for centuries.’

‘Shut up and attack!’ Robertson-Taylor cried as he drew his blue-shaded sword from its hilt.

‘Why are you doing that, boy?  Surely there is no need for weapons.  I could wipe you out with my hands bound behind me, but you need a weapon to pull off a successful assault.  I’ll show you what a real wizard can do.’  With that, he began to move his hand around in front of him.  As he did, a thin line of yellow light could be seen, each pass of his hand creating a new shape until the boy stopped, the final design a hexagram. 

When he finished, he put his hands, palms out, in front of the symbol.  ‘Beast of the winds, arise unto me!  Grant me your strength to strike down my enemies!’  Robertson-Taylor could see a small shape coming forth from the hexagram--a horse with a horn protruding from its forehead.  Suddenly, he began to feel the same presence that he had just before he was knocked out.  It had been this creature that had attacked him, he realized.

‘What?  But isn’t that Phelos?  How could you be controlling the holy beast of the wind?’ he asked, shocked.

‘It was simple, really.  For me, the one that tried to ascend to heaven and almost succeeded, summoning the ancient holy beasts is a simple task.  Phelos, attack that stranger!  He is not welcome here in the temple!’ 

The unicorn began to grow in proportion, becoming larger and larger until it was almost ten times its original size.  After it stopped its sudden spurt, it began to charge at Robertson-Taylor, its head lowered and its horn poised to strike.

**

‘Blessing!’ Celia called out as the familiar silver mist encircled Eric and Nadeshiko.  ‘I hope that you two wake up soon.  I don’t want to be all alone again.’ As she said this, both of them stirred and began to awaken.  ‘Eric!  Nadeshiko!  I’m so glad that you guys are all right!’ she cried as she embraced them.

‘What’s this all about, Celia?’ asked Eric.  ‘We were only asleep for a few minutes, right?’

‘But all of the daemons have been defeated.  What happened here?’ asked Nadeshiko.

‘It…it was me,’ answered Celia.  ‘I used my magic to defeat all four of them.’

‘With that Firebird spell of yours?’ asked Nadeshiko.  ‘It seems unlikely that a spell with that amount of power could have utterly destroyed the servants of the gods.’

‘I didn’t use that power.  After you were knocked out, I felt a strange sensation run through my body, and I used a different skill.  As I attacked, I shouted the words “Fire Storm,” and the daemons were gone before I could do anything else.

‘Well, no matter what it was, you did well, Celia,’ said Eric.

‘Do you really think so, Eric?’ Celia asked with a smile. 

‘Of course.  I mean, without the two of us around to save you, you had to finally do some work.  I’m proud of you.’

‘But…oh, never mind.  Eric, you aren’t very bright.  Did you know that?’ commented Celia as she turned bright red.  As she said this, Nadeshiko walked over to the table with the six indentations.        

‘What do you make of this, Celia?’ she asked.

‘I don’t have any idea what it is,’ she responded.  ‘I was about to place my earring in the circular groove when those dragons attacked me.  I think that they were stationed there to keep us away.’

‘That makes sense, since there is a groove for each of the Six Flames of Virtue.  Why don’t you try to place it now, after the guards have been defeated?’

‘I guess that there’s no harm in it,’ responded Celia.  She took off her earring and walked to the table.  She moved her hand closer to the indentation, and once again began to feel a strange sensation.  However, just as she was about to place it down, she heard a scream from another room.  ‘Did you two hear that?’ she asked.

‘Hear what, Celia?’ asked Eric.  ‘We’re the only people in here, and we haven’t said a word.

‘But I could have sworn that I heard a child’s scream.  It was almost like…’ her voice trailed off.

‘What is it?’ asked Nadeshiko.

‘Eric,’ Celia said, ignoring Nadeshiko, ‘Do you remember that boy we fought before?  The one that hypnotized that man into hurting you?’

‘Yes.  I think you said his name was Robertson-Taylor, or something.’

Celia nodded.  ‘After I hit him with my Firebird, he screamed.  It was such a sad sound, like a child being betrayed by a friend.  I’ll never forget the sound.’

‘What does that have to do with this?’ asked Nadeshiko.

‘As I was placing the earring into the table, I heard the same sound again.  I think that Robertson-Taylor is somewhere in this temple, and I won’t let go of my jewel until he is found.  After all, he may come and try to take it away from us.’

‘That makes sense.  Where was the sound coming from?’ asked Eric.  Without answering, Celia took off running down another hallway.

**

          Robertson-Taylor let out another scream just as the unicorn lunged at him again.  He had been able to dodge the first time, but the beast was picking up speed every instant.  ‘Where is it getting its power from?’ he thought to himself.  ‘If I can stop that, I could easily defeat this monster.’

          ‘Unfortunately for you, boy, my friend here is taking his power straight from me, and unless you can overpower me, you can never hope to destroy Phelos.’  With that, the unicorn made another assault.  It came straight at Robertson-Taylor, and was about to strike when…its horn hit against a staff made from Cedar wood. 

          ‘Thought I would let you get away, eh, Robertson-Taylor?  I thought I told you that I would be the one to defeat you.  What are you doing letting some horse kill you before I can have any fun?’ Celia said.

          ‘What are you talking about, you stupid girl?’ shouted Robertson-Taylor.  ‘This is no ordinary horse!  Look at its horn; this is the legendary wind beast, Phelos!’

          ‘Wind beast, eh?  A piece of cake!  Hold this!’ she cried as she gave her staff to Robertson-Taylor.  ‘Keep it from getting any farther, and I’ll take care of this!  Firebird!’

          The usual flames surged forth from her palms and flew right at the unicorn, who screamed in pain on contact with them.  ‘I’ll bet that you didn’t think I could do that, did you, kid?’ she said triumphantly. 

          ‘But…how?  I couldn’t even make a dent in its power.’  Just then, Eric and Nadeshiko ran into the room.

          ‘What is that thing?’ asked Eric.  ‘It looks like a horse, but it has a horn!’

          ‘That is Phelos, the legendary guardian of the four winds.  But why is it in such pain?  Surely you could not have hurt it so badly, Celia?’ responded Nadeshiko.

          ‘Oh, but I did!  Don’t you know about the relationships between the elements?  Wind-related creatures are scared of fire!  Just a single Firebird did this much damage.  Aren’t you guys proud?’

          ‘I am, for one,’ said Eric.  ‘I’m happy that you let that Robertson-Taylor live long enough for me to be able to deal with him.’

          ‘Before you do that, Eric, I have to ask something of the boy,’ said Nadeshiko.  ‘Robertson-Taylor, was it?  My name is Nadeshiko.  I’m a researcher.  Can you tell me where this beast came from?’

          ‘It came from the hands of a young boy,’ he responded.  ‘He didn’t appear to be much older than me, and yet he said that he’s been here for centuries.’

          ‘Do you know where this person went?’ asked Nadeshiko.

          ‘Unfortunately, I lost track of him after the monster started attacking me.’

          ‘Truly regrettable, boy, that you can’t even figure out the location of your opponent,’ said a familiar voice.  With this, the purple-clad boy walked out from behind a pillar.

          ‘Arch?!  What are you doing here?’ asked Celia in disbelief.

          ‘Ah, Celia Plymott.  I’m glad to be able to see you again.  I’m surprised that you didn’t realize who I am.  You see, in reality, I am…’

**

          Lydia had had some trouble getting into the temple.  There were those guardian statues to examine, and she was surprised when they suddenly came to life.  But she had dealt with them in her own way.  She had been smart, and had traveled down the water tunnel.  When she got through it, she had passed an interesting-looking table with six indentations carved in it.  Nadeshiko could tell her what they were meant for.  She also saw the remains of four guardian daemons, two burned to cinders and two knocked unconscious. 

‘But wait,’ she thought as she was just about to enter the opposite tunnel, ‘Was one of those things moving?’ She turned around just in time to see them rise from the ground.  ‘What do you two want?  Don’t say that you want to fight with me.  You’d never win,’ she said.  However, they started to walk toward her as though they didn’t hear her warnings.

‘Fine,’ she said.  ‘But just remember; you asked for it.’  With this, she swept back her black cloak, revealing a small wooden staff with many carvings on it attached to her belt.  This she removed and took in both of her hands.  As she did, the green orb at its tip began to glow.  ‘Acid Vapor,’ she whispered.  A small cloud of green gas started to form above the staff, which she pointed at the daemons.  The cloud then flew toward them, suffocating them in seconds.  ‘See?  What did I tell you?’  She then walked down the hallway toward the center of the temple.

**

          ‘You’re what?!’ cried Celia in disbelief.  ‘How could that be?  You’re just a boy!  He’s supposed to be old and wise, not young and rude!’

          ‘Believe what you want, Celia Plymott, but what I am saying is the truth,’ answered Arch.

          ‘But it can’t be true!  How am I supposed to ask you to grant me more power?  You’re not even my age!’

          ‘Is my appearance all that is bothering you?  As I said before, I am able to look any age that I wish.  Do you want to see my real form?  I’ll show you.’  With that, he made a few passes in the air and hugged his arms to himself. 

His entire body then began to glow, and his exterior shape began to shift.  This continued for a few moments, and then the glow faded, revealing the body of an old man with a long beard.  His face looked tired, though his eyes were bright.  His back was hunched slightly with age, and his robes now seemed to be too large for him.  On his head there had appeared a large hat in the style of an ancient priest’s--round and plain, but with a large gold symbol attached to its front.  ‘There,’ he said in an old, sad voice.  ‘This is what I really look like.  Say what you will, but I can still defeat every one of you.’

‘But that’s just it, Arch.  None of us want to fight with you.  I acknowledge your skill; I am taken aback by it, so I would never challenge you,’ said Celia.

‘They why?  Why would you come here, to this abandoned temple?  There is nothing here for you,’ he responded as he turned.  ‘Go.  I do not want to see you further.’

‘I don’t think that that’s a good idea, Archmage!’ cried Robertson-Taylor.  ‘Now that I see your real self, I’m even more convinced that I can defeat you!  Turn back around, unless you’re scared to fight with a real magician!’  As he said this, he ran forward and pushed Celia out of the way, knocking her to the floor.  ‘Come on, old man!  Show me your best!’

The Archmage slowly turned around, taking in what had just happened.  ‘You would harm a Plymott?  How dare you, you worm of a boy.’  He then whisked out a staff of his own, one that glowed in gold.  ‘Fine.  I will fight with you, but you will be the one to lose.’

‘Don’t make me laugh, old man!  Here we go!’  He placed his hands out in front of him and formed them into a bowl shape.  A small snowflake appeared in the space, which he then gripped in his right hand.  ‘Snowflake!’ he cried as he threw it at his opponent’s throat.  However, just as it was about to hit its mark, it struck against the Archmage’s upheld staff. 

‘Is that the best that you’ve got, boy?  You’ll have to do much better than that if you hope to best me.  Now it is my turn,’ he said.  He held up his staff, and reached his free hand out as far as it would go.  ‘Force Wind,’ he said calmly as a huge current formed in his palm.  It then raced out of his hand and straight toward Robertson-Taylor, who fell to the floor in fear.  It looked like the end for him, until…

‘What are you doing, Robertson-Taylor?  You say that you want to be treated like an adult, but then you act like a child.  Unforgivable,’ said Lydia as her staff broke through the wind.  ‘I don’t know what to do with you.’

‘Lydia!  Where have you been?  These people; they’re all so strong!  I can’t believe how much power the Archmage possesses!  Will you give me a hand?’ he asked hopefully.

‘I would like to, Robertson-Taylor, but, unfortunately, the Lady has other plans.  I was told that, if you didn’t succeed, you were to be eliminated.’  Her staff’s jewel began to glow.  ‘Surely you understand.’  She then forced her staff against Robertson-Taylor’s forehead.  ‘Acid Vap..’  Her voice was cut off painfully.

‘Really, Lydia, I thought that you had grown up a bit.  But I guess I was wrong about you,’ said Nadeshiko after her shuriken had hit Lydia’s cheek.  ‘I’m sorry to know that you’re such a weak person to kill someone as an order.’

‘What would you know about it, you stupid girl?’ asked Lydia angrily, brushing the blood from her cloak.

‘I know that you have no guts, Lydia.  You never did.  However, that is about to change,’ she said.  She turned to Eric and smiled.  ‘Will you excuse me for a bit, Eric?  I have something to take care of back at home.’

‘What do you mean, Nadeshiko?  I don’t understand,’ he responded.

Nadeshiko rolled her eyes as she said, ‘Eric, you’re truly a good person.  You’re a bit naïve, but your heart beats true to your cause.  That’s why I hate to do this.’  She pulled another small sack from her pocket, which she tossed into the midst of the group.  ‘Goodbye, Eric,’ was all that they heard before they fell asleep.

**

          ‘Ugh…what happened?’ asked Eric tiredly a few hours later when he awoke.

          ‘Isn’t it obvious, Eric?’ asked Celia cynically.  ‘Your little girlfriend is working for Lord Mercott.  All of that “research” of hers was just meant to be a ploy to catch you off guard, and you fell for it easily.’

          ‘But that’s not possible,’ he responded.  ‘Nadeshiko is a good person!  She would never do something like that!’ 

          ‘Unfortunately for us, she did just that.  Not only did she make off with Lydia, but she also stole my earring.’

          ‘You mean the one that lets you use your magic?’ Eric asked in horror.  Celia nodded solemnly.

          ‘Without it, I’m no better than any other magician.  I’d just be a burden if I came with you now.’  With that, she turned and started to make her way back toward the entrance to the temple.  However, she hadn’t gotten far before she heard a familiar voice.

          ‘Ah, but I wouldn’t say that, Celia Plymott.  You have more skill than you let yourself believe,’ came a tired voice.  ‘Not only that, but you are worth much more than you think.’

          ‘What do you mean, Archmage?  I can’t use any magic, and I can’t even foresee the future.  I’m worthless as a magician.’

          ‘Do not lose hope, Celia.  For…,’  He removed a necklace from around his neck, ‘You may have something yet to offer.’

          ‘What is that?  It’s a beautiful necklace, but I can’t accept it from you.’

          ‘Take it, take it,’ responded the Archmage.  ‘It’s something that you’ve been looking for, I believe.’

          ‘You mean,’ Celia asked in disbelief, ‘that this is one of the Six Flames of Virtue?’  The old man nodded.

          ‘Though it has a different power than the one that you once held.  I’m not yet sure whether you can use it, but it will be of help to you regardless of that.’

          ‘You’re really letting me take it?’ asked Celia hopefully.

          ‘Well, I’m not really letting you have it.  I’ll let you borrow it until you regain your own from that thief.  What’s more, I have to make sure that it’s safe.’

          ‘Does that mean that you trust me?’ she asked.

          ‘No.  I don’t think that I’ll ever trust you,’ he answered with a smile.  ‘I mean that I’m going to come with you on your quest.  That way, I can keep my jewel safe from robbers, I can run with the young ones once again, and I can finally get out of this stuffy place.’  With that, he again hugged his arms to himself and began to glow, removing the strain of age and recovering his youth.

          ‘Why did you do that, Archmage?  I thought that you were more powerful in your true form.’

          ‘I am, but not by much.  I think I’ll survive well enough in this guise.  Besides, I’ll be better able to keep up with you children with this body,’ he answered.  ‘Also…’

          ‘Also?’ asked Celia.

          ‘Women take to younger men much more than they do with old men.  This will help with that, too,’ Arch responded with a smile.

          ‘What?  You mean that you want to find a girlfriend?’ she poked Arch in the stomach playfully.  ‘I didn’t know that the legendary Archmage was such a pervert!’

          ‘Not so loud, Celia,’ he responded.  ‘I don’t want them to know that, either!’  He grinned as Eric ran up behind Celia.

          ‘Oh, Archmage?  What are you doing looking like that?’ he asked.

          ‘The Archmage has decided that he wants to join us on our mission, for…various reasons,’ said Celia with a smile.

          ‘That’s wonderful!  It will be such a big help now that Celia’s more worthless than ever,’ said Eric.

          ‘What do you mean “worthless?”  You went unconscious a few times today alone!  Who destroyed the daemons, may I ask you?’ she exclaimed as her face turned red.

          ‘Oh, that,’ Eric said simply.  ‘I guess everyone has their lucky days.’

          ‘Come on, you two!’ said Arch.  ‘We need to be on our way if we’re to catch up to that beauty, Nadeshiko.’

          ‘You’re right, I guess, Archmage.  Wait.  Did you call her a beauty?’ he said as Arch blushed.  He then ran out of the temple and out toward the forest. 

          ‘I’m going to leave you two alone if you don’t come on!’ Arch said.

          ‘We’re coming!’ Celia called out as she grabbed Eric’s arm.  ‘Come on, Eric!  Let’s find our way to our next destination!’

          Phew!  That was a long one, but I hope that everyone enjoyed it!  Who would have thought that Nadeshiko was really working for Lydia?  And what of Robertson-Taylor?  Is he going to escape, or face his cruel fate?  Find out next time, on…wait.  This isn’t television, silly!  Oh, well.  Read the next exciting installment to find out!  …hopefully it’ll be more manageable.  Let’s hope so, shall we?