3.3.19.7 The Juggernaut - Part Three

A Centaur Lord from Parthenia, the land Quazar Gykkos-Assis lived.

However, the troubles are far from over. After the Paladins bailed out safely from the crashed Aurora, they still have to land as close as possible to the gates of Kraal’Thragon.

            CRASSH! ‘Nghieeh!!’

            One pegasus got shot on the neck with an arrow, and falls straight to the ground along with the rider and passenger: Hernan.

            ‘Eleviant!’ Iris immediately catches Hernan with the Levitation spell, but the rider falls too far for any wizard to catch and joins his steed in death.

            Chris and Dejan relay the order to the others by speech and signs, and they all descend at once to follow Iris and Hernan. The goblin, orc and skeleton archers shoot more arrows at them. The Paladins block the arrows and shower the enemies with Fireballs, Frost Arrows, projectiles and the like, and they finally touch the dry ground again.

            ‘AAAGH!’ This time a griffin rider gets shot and falls from his steed. Chris immediately dismounts and pats Acavela, his partner. ‘Thank you, my friend. I think I must walk from here on. Go home safely with your mate here.’

            And then, he shouts to the riders, ‘All riders, go back now and assist our friends in Crypton! Tell Rael’charon about our progress! Now, go!’

            ‘Aye, Sir!’ Acavela the red griffin and the riders on the ground immediately take off and withdraw with their comrades on air.

            Now It’s eleven against eleven thousand, and the Paladins fight so fiercely like they never did before. They’re outnumbered, but the brutes are clearly outmatched.

            Desmond breaks five skeletons, a ghoul and two goblins with a Megaton Impact, earth-reinforced blow, shouting, ‘We must push forward! We can’t stay on like this!’

            Agustina the ‘statue-faced’ only responds with ‘An Jokul’me Fyasch!’ and sends a huge wave of Blizzard towards the gate. The enemies are swept away and the Paladins charge through, but soon they’re surrounded again.

            Robert sends a horizontal Dragonfire Slash, splitting a group of enemies by the torso, saying, ‘Spells and attacks alone won’t be enough. We must conjure something extra powerful to open the path for us.’

            ‘Conjure, you say?’ Hernan responds, ‘Oh, I know! An Petra Aschi!’

            A hexagram portal appears in front of the Escudian fencer, and SPLASSH! A huge creature comes out from it as if a dolphin jumps out from the sea. The Paladins immediately recognizes it at once as the blue-scaled sea serpent-like Ancient Blue Dragon, the Leviathan Petra.

            ‘HARRR! How dare you summon me just as I’m halfway across the Petravia Ocean?’ The Leviathan sounds and talks like Eidos, but it’s all coming out from his ego fulfillment and his human counterpart’s past as the Old Man of the Sea, the strangler, the legendary menace of the Petravia Ocean.

            Hernan, of course, practices his courtesy as Petra’s ideal partner by responding, ‘Pardon me, O’ Great One. We’re in dire need of your help. Please lend me your strength, because before you now stand the enemies that will surely satisfy you – throngs of them!’

            Arrows and weaons start raining on the dragon. He doesn’t get hurt even a bit, yet it’s enough to make him aware of the situation around him before seeing it with his one huge eye in the middle of his face.

            ‘This big a challenge... And all I need to do is to protect you and your friends until you all go safely into that castle, right? You read my mind and I yours, partner. Shall we begin?’ Petra’s eye flashes with excitement.

            ‘Ready, fellow Paladins?’ Hernan shouts.

            ‘Lead the way, Great Petra,’ Cristophe answers, slashing through three ghouls and two goblins with the Ten-Point Chain Slash skill.

            Naturally, Petra wastes no time. ‘FHHOARHHH!’ From its mouth comes a huge Tidal Wave that sweeps all enemies frontally. And then he moves, encircling the group of Paladins, forming a Dragon Wave that serves as a protection field, covering their advance.

            ‘Move as one, push forward to the gate! Watch out for attacks from above!’ Chris leads the small group that walks step-by-step with an accurate, uniform timing. Hence they go too fast or too slow, they will be trampled by the one who should’ve been their shield.

            As a living being, the Leviathan doesn’t depend on the aura contact with his partner. He just moves on and on like a whirlpool, and the group soon comes to a halt.

            Iris stares at the gate with awe, saying, ‘So, the Dark Gate of Kraal’Thragon is really the last line of defense at all. Look at those carvings on the black wall and the gargoyles – they’re not just for decoration.’

            Carol nods, adding, ‘And the guards: dracolichs, trolls, abomies, lichs... and of course, a demonic general. Looks like we have to use maximum force even to get past this gate alone.’

            ‘...Or, we can get an extra help. An Algaban Aschi! Robert holds his Dragon Saber Grimlock up. A hexagram portal appears out of the blue and an enormous, eagle-beaked red dragon comes out from it. The Ancient Red Dragon Algaban stares down at her rival and peer.

            Petra looks up at her, saying, ‘Well, well. Looks like we’re fighting side-by-side this time.’

            FWOOM! Algaban immediately gets into action by scorching a dracolich that attacks her, and then she says, ‘Or rather, up-and-down. You break the gate and I’ll burn all enemies around it.’

            ‘Why can’t it be the other way around?’ The Leviathan protests, and is answered with a fire breath from above. ‘Okay! Okay! I got your point! Sheesh, what a pain!’

            ‘I heard that!’ says Algaban with a roar. She then burns some more guards, a task more important and urgent than continuing her dispute and argument with her perfect opposition. The Paladins, of course handle the enemies from the back.

            BAAMM!! BAMMM! BAMMM!

            The blue serpent rams into the massive, gigantic gate one, two, three times, leaving barely a single dent on the ultramassive barrier.

            And then he stops as though an idea just struck him, turning towards his partner, saying with telepathy, Hernan, I need your help on this.

            Hernan looks puzzled, responding, Huh? Me? Breaking the gate? But how?

            I’ll transfer my full power to youand the Albatross. You only have to concentrate that popwer on the tip of your sword and hit that gate one time on one point. Hurry, we must try this!

            Hernan quickly comes between Petra and the gate. A streak of blue light shoots from Petra’s enormous eye, surging into Hernan’s body like electricity. He never feels this much energy before and as a medium, his body has limits. So, he channels this excess force into the tip of his rapier as instructed, aims, and...

            ‘HEEAAAHH!!!’

            The Escudian fencer swings his sword with all his might and thrusts straight at the gap between the left and right doors – seemingly the only weak spot on the gate.

            BLAAAARSSHH!! The blow goes in forcefully and accurately, but the door still won’t budge!

            Hernan is sweating hard with desperation. Just as he’s about to push himself over the limit, suddenly he feels two hands on his shoulders transferring energy. The fencer turns his head back and sees Robert!

            ‘We can’t rely on Petra alone. We, the Paladins must lend a hand,’ says the white-haired man with a smile of a newborn soul. Behind him comes his soulmate Carolyn, also supplying mana energy, smiling the same way as Robert is, as though they’re two of a kind.

            ‘Vadis gave my life back, and I’ll help as much as I can as a token of gratitude.’

            Tina comes behind Carol without a word, and Desmond behind her, saying ‘We’ve come this far, and we’ve got to move on.’

            Kyflynn presses his hands on Desmond’s shoulder, his face looks serious but relaxed. ‘So, we’ll be damned if we just sit back and sweep the critters, while our friends are doing their best.’

            Two cold gauntlets rest on the night elf’s ahoulders with a stream of non-elemental energy. A cold, dignified voice comes, ‘If we stop here, all we’ve worked on will be for naught and we’ll lose the things we want to protect.’

            Another stream of power comes from the Heir of Vadis, Cristophe with a face full of determination, saying, ‘Glad you understand, Lord Adler. We humans cannot change fate. We can only do our best to find our destiny. So, here we, go, the best of our combined forces. HEEAAAHH!!’

            FWOOSSHH!! Chris transfers a huge mass of energy through Adler, and the Viscount amplifies it with his own. The force gets stronger and stronger through the other five Paladins, and as it reaches Hernan it gets compressed, concentrated and...

            BLAA-DAAAMMMMM!!!!

Sample Image: Chiron the Centaur from Greek Mythology

End of Chapter 19

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http://fireheart-vadis.blogspot.com/2014/04/33197-juggernaut-part-two.html

Next Page: Chapter 20

Image Sources: 

Centaur Lord: http://art.alphacoders.com/galleries/by_sub_gallery/1050/Centaur

Chiron the Centaur: www.superstock.com

Note to author: Script   pg 300/313 chapter20

3.3.19.7. The Juggernaut - Part Two

 

A similar, yet bigger Sylvanian Giant Scorpion -like Juggernaut from Paizo.com

The airship immediately turns twenty degree to the left in top speed, and BLAAAMMM!! The three crystal beam cannons blast! Three streaks of red, gold and green shoot straight at the target – Aurora.

CRACK! CRAACKLECRACKK!! The leftmost red blast grazes the portside hull. A few unfortunate souls got shot or thrown overboard. The blast hits the tip of the left wing. The airship tilts a bit, yet it still flies and maintains balance.

The gold and green beams miss the target completely, and the green one blasts into a dracolich instead, breaking it into pieces!

Eidos is thrown and bumps into the wall. He egts up with his hand on his hurting back. Suddenly, he hears a very loud, mechanical, yet familiar voice,

‘WELL, let’s see who’s coming to the party! Seems the welcome drink didn’t give you much of a kick, eh? Anyway, shall we proceed to the main course?’

Eidos’ face turns pale. That voice, I recognize it! And that’s a talk of a man who’s fond of parties... The once dignified and powerful benefactor of Project Aurora...

‘Nikanomikos Paliades,’ says the curly-bearded centaur, clenching his fist and baring his teeth. His hind horselegs step excitedly. ‘Either he survived the explosion in Enia’s Sanctum, or he has been reanimated with necromancy and implanted in that thing.’

‘Either way, that former master of ours wants to destroy us once and for all. The question is, how can we destroy him?’

Quazar and Eidos are thinking hard to find a sure-fire method to destroy a gigantic scorpion two times larger than a behemoth when Paliades’ voice reverberates again.

‘Feeling nostalgic, eh, Eidos, Quazar? After you betrayed me, you still care about me so you didn’t return fire?’

‘Amplisonor!’

3.3.19.7. The Juggernaut - Part One

 

Example of Juggernaut Giant Machina on Final Fantasy XIII

3.3.19.7. The Juggernaut

The Airship Aurora picks up the Paladins one by one from ever side of the wall. Some of them, including Adler demand explanations first, so the process takes a long time and the airship becomes a target for enemy flyers and archers.

‘... And that’s the Grand Marshal’s orders, Lord Adler. So, just climb up and let’s get going!’ shouts Eidos as he tries to convince the proud Borgian to join the infiltration.

‘NO! This is a suicide mission! That elf is out of his mind, I say! And you, I forbid you to put the Aurora on risk!’

‘With all due respect, this airship is already on risk! Anyway, the Grand Marshal is Rael’charon, not you. Besides, there’s no turning back now. The enemies know about our move now because of you stalling. And you’ll be punished with the martial law for sure unless you climb up and join us now.’

Hearing this, Adler frowns, grunts and snaps, ‘Grr... all right! You got some nerve to talk to me like that, old man. You’ve changed much since you got that Ring of Courage. When this war is over, you and I have lots of things to discuss.’

That’s the last Paladin to pick up, and now the airship is good to go. Cristophe, of course becomes an escort on griffinback, along with the griffin riders and pegasus riders. The dragon riders and the gyropters opt to stay behind to assist the ground units in Crypton. The Ancient White Dragon Hazmat and the Behemoth King Barudan also stay and fight, of course.

Just before heading out, all Paladins on board the airship salute solemnly towards Crypton. Iris says, ‘Friends in Crypton: Ney, Rael’charon, Ivor, Dar’gum, Genilda, Sir Vincent, Sir Mallard, Lady Irene and all brave Knights and fellow Crusaders, please hold out until we take out the Dark Heir.’

BUMMM! The airship rocks a bit, and this alerts Quazar the centaur, Captain of the Aurora. His curly, long black hair and beard and brownish dark skin are as though emitting a radiant glow.

‘Paladins! Spread out and defend the airship! We’re under heavy attack!’

The ten heroes immediately go to the port and starboard, repelling the incoming monsters. Soon, the enemy comes in swarms, great and small.

With the Ring of Courage re-activated, Eidos Crydias snarls, ‘Bring it on, foul beasts. Megalon Zathr!’

FWOOM! FWOOM! The Meteor Shower is raining upon the incoming monsters, killing about thirty of them in one blow. The rest of them immediately spread out and the winged demons attack frontally.

‘Fire the grand cannon at the demons!’ Quazar shouts his horder in the bridge. ‘Target, twelve o’clock, about three hundred meters ahead!’

The weapons officer responds, ‘Aiming... Target locked!’

‘FIRE!’ Quazar shouts. A big light glows inside the main cannon below the dragon head figurehead, and BLLAAAMMM!!! A big rayblast shoots forward and hits the group of demons, killing four out of five.

The last one, the blue-furred demon with its head resembling a goat with big horns got his left foot disintegrated by the rayblast. ‘GRRHOOAAA!’ It growls furiously and is about to shoot a Hollow Blast at the airship – until a streak of light goes through its back and stomach!

‘Don’t ever think about it,’ says Chris with his helmet on. Chris has administered the Singular Voice of Truth to that minion of hell and wipes away impure demon blood on him with his holy aura.

A squadron of giant bats does an acrobatic maneuver and attacks the airship towards the port, aiming at the left wing.

‘Oh no you don’t.’ Seeing that, Iris casts Wind Shear, and CRASH-CRASH! The razor-sharp wind severs several bats on the group. The other five bats escape the wind and instinctively attack the one who broke their formation!

Iris quickly draws her bow, shoots three arrows at once and kills two bats. The other three dart like arrows, and Iris evades them without much effort. An archer cannot avoid the bats! Just when a bat is about to bite his head off, a sword thrusts into its ear. ‘KRIII!!!’ and the bat falls dead on the floor.

3.3.19.6. Clash of the Brainiacs - Part Two

 

Brog'lac the Arch- Orc Shaman

so the courage actually comes from his own confidence. Like the saying, I feel so young even though I’m so old.

He stares straight at the big-headed, narrow-minded orc and says loudly and clearly, ‘Wrong. If Rael dies, I will be the cleverest man in Aurelia, and you must defeat a thousand, no, a million more clever men to become the number one. Brog’lac, the King of Fools: that suits you more.’

The orc grunts, saying, ‘Tchah! And you, old man deserves that title for fooling yourself by acting high and mighty. I’ll teach you the last lesson of your life: Don’t mess up with me, old man, whatever your name is, ‘cause I’m way too clever for you!’

‘The name is Eidos Crydias, you scantily informed scum! You might want to remember that on your way to fool’s hell!’

Brog’lac points his bident at Eidos, challenging, ‘Before that, I’ll see what you got besides a flying chakram and a big mouth, Kudos.’

‘Eidos!’

‘Whatever. Now for the first lesson – dodge this! An Voltar’me Shuryv!’

CRACKLLE! A Lightning Bolt travels in super speed towards the target, and Eidos already prepares a defensive counterspell!

‘Chrono Langst!’

The Time Slow spell actually works on other spells too! The bolt travels much slower, slow enough for Eidos to dodge it fully, pump his aura and cast!

‘Megalon Zathr!’

FWOOM! FWOOM! Like rain comes the Meteor Shower, a threat so powerful even for those with wings. Brog’lac runs here and there, trying to dodge the falling fire-rocks and tries to block one. CLUUNK! The electrically reinforced bident blocks the meteor, and the impact is so hard that the bident almost falls from its master’s grip.

Brog’lac grits his teeth in pain. His hands feel numb and shaky altogether. Still, he forcefully boosts his aura to the max and...

‘Vare Voltar’me Tyral!’

CRACKKLE!! CRACCCKLEE!!

Now comes an attack similar to Meteor Shower direction-wise wtih a different element and intensity: Thunderstorm. The lightning bolts are more numerous, faster and harder to dodge, though each has a lesser force than a meteor.

The seasoned chronomage, of course, casts a quick counterspell: ‘Chronoblitz!’ on himself and his movements become considerably faster.

SWISH! SWISH! Eidos dodges each and every bolt gracefully like a dancing ballerina – well, not exactly, because it will make him look silly – and his face stays calm and focus. One mistake, and he’ll get the shock of the lifetime.

The orc’s eyes are bloodshot with anger. With a roar, he adds some more force into his spell, ‘Amplifor!’

CRRACKKKLEEE!! CRAC-CRAC-CRACKLEE!!

The Thunderstorm bolts get thicker, faster, stronger than before. The impact area gets wider and wider, hitting friend and foe alike, though they have tried to stay far away from the dueling magicians.

ZAP! One thunder bolt hits Eidos’ chakram. The electric current spreads through the chakram on Eidos’ hand, so, ‘Eeowch!’ the chakram falls from his hand.

‘Haha, who’s the cleverer one now, huh?’ Brog’lac’s smile widens with glee. ‘You are defenseless, and now you die! HEAAHH!!’

The orc shaman withdraws the Thunderstorm by absorbing the excess mana with his bident and points the weapon again at the old Parthenian!

‘An Voltar’me Fyasch!’

Again, Brog’lac shots a Lightning Blast at his opponent. Without his chakram, Eidos can’t block ant the blast is too quick for Eidos to evade, even in a hastened state, and...

TCHWIPPP!! The old vanishes before the lightning touches him! The orc’s face changes like, he can’t believe his eyes.

‘H-how come?’ says Brog’lac to himself.

‘Think fast!’ Suddenly, Eidos reappears behind him, grabs the chakram on the ground next to the orc and spins it horizontally to split the mean, green geezer’s torso in two!

CRRASSH!!

‘AGGHKKK!’ The orc shaman steps back reactively, and the chakram grazes his robe and stomach! Brog’lac touches his stomach to check. The wound is not deep, but blood keeps coming out. Without a proper treatment, he will die from loss of blood. He has lost his arm, his pride, and now all he got is his life – he can’t afford to lose it. With a life, he has a chance to restore his honor with his one hand. He can’t die here and now.

‘You’ll pay for this next time we meet, Kudos Phidias!’ The orc runs away.

‘The name’s EIDOS CRYDIAS!’ The chronomage protests and chases him, and abruptly stops in his tracks.

‘Whatever!’ Only Brog’lac’s voice comes as he is lost fro Eidos’ sight in the heat of the battle.

The old Parthenian takes out a spirit potion, drinks the whole vial in one gulp and murmurs, ‘That’s the last of it. What a troublesome orc, the reason why I hate to be in this war from the start. Ooh, my poor old bones...’

It seems the effect of the Ring of Courage has already been deactivated, and it must ‘self-recharge’ again before it can come into any use. 

3.3.19.6. Clash of the Brainiacs - Part One

 

An Orc Shaman

3.3.19.6. Clash of the Brainiacs

Back to the front of the southeast wall, the pressure from the Dark Forces is still on, and the Crusaders still hold on. Even the Grand Marshal, Rael’charon the elf tactician is engaged in a fierce duel against the Commander of the orcs, Brog’lac the shaman.

C’TAANGG!!

The orc deflects the elf’s flying dagger and instantly thrusts! The quick-on-foot Rael dodges the thrust almost without effort, and he strikes back with a lighting-speed kick.

SOKKK! The elf’s foot lands on the orc’s chin. The one-handed shaman gets a bit groggy, and the crafty tactician doesn’t give him even a second to breathe. He always do hit-and-runs so the mage-type orc can’t get the time he needs to cast a spell.

‘So, is this what you elves can do? Running around like timid little rabbits?’ says Brog’lac with a mock smile.

Rael’s face stays calm, answering, ‘That’s what we call ‘agility’. A Commander-in-Chief like you should’ve known that ‘agility’ is a form of defense, just like ‘skill’ to block and parry. What a shame, Dar’gum handpicked you randomly, maybe?’

SWISSHHH!! The green-skinned brute responds to this by swinging his bident so forcefully, yet misses the target! He snarls, ‘DAR’GUM!! Don’t you dare speak my archenemy’s name in front of me! We, the TRUE sons of Gremion will not bow to the one who made a laughing stock out of our glorious culture! So, we fled from Bresconnor and sought help from our ally, the Dark Forces.

We help them in their campaign, and in return they will help us reclaim Gremion and Bresconnor from that separatist scum!’

The elf adds a smile on his calm face and says, ‘And you actually think that your allies will keep up to their promise after you helped them? Seriously, I think Hagnorj’s move was cleverer by using the Dark Forces to conquer Bresconnor first before he helped them with anything.’

‘Huh! Hagnorj? Cleverer? No, ‘twas I who advised him to use that tactic.’

‘Really? Well, that’s great. But seeing you here, I think you’re losing your touch – or your arm, more like – I warn you, better choose your friends wisely before you drive your people towards destruction! Go back to Dar’gum. He will embrace you and your people will prosper.’

‘Going back, you say?’ Now the old orc reaches the boiling point. ‘Back to the traitor who killed the rightful Khan, his father-in-law to step up to power? No way! Not in a thousand lifetimes! And now, I must silence your meddlesome mouth permanently! Eat this! An Voltar’me Fyasch!’

CRACCKLEE! The Lightning Blast from Brog’lac’s bident bursts! The elf moves quickly and avoids being hit by the full blast, and DUASSH!! A bit of fire hits his left arm!

‘UNNNH!’

Frowning in pain, the elf throws another dagger, yet it’s so slow that the shaman deflects it easily and thrusts his bident to finish the elf off!

‘Die, and I’ll replace you as the cleverest being in Aurelia!’ The tusked green brainiac curls a maniacal smile. The injury slows Rael down, he can’t dodge the attack. His face turns deathly pale, and death is certain...

CLANKKK!!!

Suddenly, a chakram hits the bident so hard, deflecting it! Brog’lac’s mouth widen in disbelief. He looks to the direction of the attack and there he is, the old chronomage Eidos Crydias, catching the flying chakram with such power as if he’s still in his prime.

His eyes gleam radiantly, so is the Ring of Courage on his left middle finger. He used to be a cowardly opportunist, and now the ring strengthens his body, mind and heart 


Image Source: 
Orc Shaman by Saturnoarg ( http://saturnoarg.deviantart.com )
http://saturnoarg.deviantart.com/art/Orc-Shaman-304256070

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