The Eternal Hymn: Prelude to Silence

B.

(Continued)

You plummet downwards like a falling meteor, towards the demon's head, just as it opens its gaping maw once more. At the last second, you push off the demon's shoulder and let yourself fall, narrowly dodging another giant blast. You slam your blade into the demon's chest, piercing and cleaving through its skin, slowing your descent as you fall. The demon roars in agony, an earsplitting, bloodcurdling roar, and from such a close range, it nearly blows out your eardrums, deafening you.

Your ears are only ringing for a few moments, but those few brief seconds of vulnerability prove more than enough for your opponent to capitalize. The demon swipes at you before you can recover, and its massive fist slams into you with the force of a mountain, sending you flying. You land dozens of yards away, rolling to a rough stop, and even with the soft grass of the meadow, the landing still hurt like hell. You stumble to your feet as the demon roars again, surprised to find you aren't that injured.

Huh... I guess I still have some resilience left.

You spy your blade several feet away, stuck in the ground, and make a mad dash for it. You grab your sword and yank it free, just as the demon fires yet another blast of eery purple light. This time, you effortlessly dodge. Then, you do something you shouldn't be able to do without the Scrolls. You vanish.

Enough is enough. I don't have time for this.

For a brief moment, you regain your old speed, and close the gap between you and your opponent in the blink of an eye. The demon is too slow to react immediately, and you slash clean through the demon's foot. It screams and wobbles, and you leap out of the way, just as the demon begins to topple. It crashes to one knee in a titanic impact, and you barely manage to keep your feet. Before it can recover, you leap onto the demon's knee, and vault back onto its shoulder, plunging your blade into its neck, where you think its vocal cords should be. Sure enough, the demon tries to roar, but only emits a loud, harsh gurgling sound.

It tries to swipe at you, one last feeble attempt to survive, and once more you easily dodge, leaping back. Your magic blade hums with power and you slash in mid air. A wave of blinding white energy bursts from your blade in a wide arc, decapitating your opponent with a single strike. The demon disintegrates into purple mist, and you land softly on the grass below, well, like a cat.

Immediately, the world around you fades, and you find yourself back in the Crossroads of Time.

"Well done, gentle one. That is the thousand and first time I have watched you succeed. Tell me... Do you know what is different this time around? Can you discern what the truth is? I have a hunch that, this time, you can."

The voice fades, and a brilliant light illuminates the area, revealing a beautiful woman bathed in blinding light. Your eyes widen in shock, when you realize you recognize her.

"I-Impossible... You... You're!"

She smiles, a warm, gentle smile, and your vision goes dark.

A.

Jus because I'm bored as heck.

A. Ask that b**** about her life, b****es love you asking about their lives.

"You're really into that book, aren't you Ena?" You ask abruptly, mostly out of boredom. Neither your Captain nor the General has returned yet, so you're stuck here with a very quiet, albeit beautiful dragon. Not that you're complaining, mind you. It could be much worse.

Ena's pointy ears twitch slightly, probably in annoyance, and you can't help but grin. Hey, if she's going to ignore you- which she's been doing for the past five minutes- then teasing is fair game, in your opinion. Besides, her reaction is priceless. Her ears twitch, she bites her lip, likely to stop herself from saying something really nasty, her eyebrows twitch... If she had a tail, it would probably be swishing right now. Oooh... Does she have a tail?

"Ena, do you have a tail?"

She suddenly closes her book and looks up, now clearly annoyed. Aww man... She really is adorable. "No, Ghost King. I don't. Dragons don't have tails in human form. Is there anything else you'd like to ask? Or may I read?"

You think about that for a long moment, grinning devilishly. "Hmm... Let me see... Do you like cats?"

Ena simply stares at you for a moment. You can't tell whether she's surprised or impressed. "No. I find them annoying. Anything else?"

You chuckle a bit. "Aww, don't be like that... I just want to talk. You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together, you know. And you already know some of my deepest secrets, while I know next to nothing about you. That's hardly fair, is it?"

Ena merely shrugs and returns to her book. "Life isn't fair, Ghost King. You should know that, at your age."

Ouch... That's a tad bit harsh. And you aren't going to lie... It stings a bit. For the first time in decades, you can safely talk to someone, without looking over your shoulder. You don't have to watch what you say... You can just talk. She already knows you're one of the Grand Three, she already knows you're a Laguz, and she doesn't appear to have any connection to Grace... It would be a win-win situation, save for the fact she won't talk to you. Does she think you're trying to interrogate her? Surely not.

"What happened to that nice girl who saved my life?" You ask rhetorically, sighing.

A long moment of silence ensues, and you close your eyes. Well, if she's going to continue ignoring you, then you may as well get some sleep. Another moment passes, and suddenly, you feel a gentle hand on your forehead.

"How's your fever?" Ena asks softly.

You open your eyes in surprise, to see Ena leaning over you. Well... That's a nice change, if a little sudden. "Better, I think. I feel better at least."

Ena nods approvingly, and leans back in her chair. She gives a small smile. "Good... That's a relief. I apologize if I seemed overly harsh... But you did interrupt me while I was trying to read. Several times, I might add."

You give a small smile of your own. "Sorry... I couldn't help myself. I won't do it again, I promise."

You sit up in bed and swing your legs over the side. Ena gives you a questioning look, but she doesn't try to stop you. "Where did Zarvael and Rei go?" You ask suddenly.

"Master Zarvael left to scout the area, in an effort to find your assailant. General Rei... Well, he's um... Gathering information."

Gathering info, huh? Why does that sound so devious? You walk over towards the dresser, where your equipment lies in a heap in the corner. Most of it is ruined... Your long black cloak seems to be in wearable condition, though it's torn in several places and awfully ragged.

"There's a new shirt and leggings for you in the top drawer," Ena says quietly. "Um... I'll turn away so you can change."

You incline your head in thanks, and open the drawer. Inside is a black silk shirt, black leather leggings, and... A white mask? "Did you... Buy all this for me?" You ask in disbelief.

Ena shakes her head. "Not all of it, no. Master Zarvael bought the shirt and leggings. But... The mask is from me. I figured you'd need a new one."

"Again, I would ask why you're doing all this for me... But your reasons are your own. I believe you'll tell me in time. Until then... Thank you, Ena."

She blushes a bit and looks away, while you change into your new clothes. You hesitate briefly before slipping on the mask. I really hate this thing... But, at least for now, it's necessary.

And lastly, you pick up your Scroll... The Ninth Scroll... "This was the only one you were able to recover?"

Ena nods. "Yes... There was no sign of any others."

Well, that probably shouldn't come as a surprise... This is the same Scroll you had in that dream... If it even was a dream. You may not have the power you once did, but this new power... It's definitely real. The Timekeeper wasn't kidding... And that reminds you... You can't seem to recall how the vision ended... You distinctly remember the fight with the demon, and the creepy meadow, but after that... It's all one big blank. Well, no use worrying about it now. You still have a mission to complete... And that brings up a good point. Just how long were you out cold?

"Ena, how long was I unconscious?" You ask, turning to her.

"Oh, almost two days," Ena states matter of factly, completely unconcerned.

"Two... Days?" You repeat quietly, your voice practically dripping with disbelief.

You have got to be kidding me...

Sure enough, you find Zarvael out back behind the Armory, speaking with the town Blacksmith at his forge. You notice several golden shards laid out on a nearby table, and suddenly it dawns on you. Zarvael must be trying to reforge Alondell...

The Blacksmith is the first to notice you and Ena, and his eyes widen. Zarvael turns as well, and his eyes widen too, albeit for a different reason. He snaps to attention as you approach. "My Lord! I did not expect you to be out so soon. Should you not be resting?"

Ena smirks, just a bit, and you resist the urge to sigh. Why does everyone think you need rest? "Remember to whom you are speaking, Zarvael."

He pales a bit, and inclines his head. "Y-Yes of course... Forgive my insolence, my Lord. I've been trying to have your blade reforged but... According to our friend here, that's quite difficult."

"Not just difficult, but impossible!" The Blacksmith says quickly, giving a shaky bow. "I've never even seen materials like these, milord. I'm just a humble town Blacksmith. You'll need one of the legendary Gracian Smiths to forge something out of this."

No, you don't say... "Do not fret, good man. I am already aware of that. I can reforge the sword myself once I reach the capitol. Until then, I will need to purchase a blade from you. Do you have anything... Unique?"

He gives a subtle nod, clearly torn between excitement and nervousness. "I do have something that fits the bill, milord... But well... It might be better just to show you, milord. This way."

You incline your head in approval and follow after him, with Ena and Zarvael close behind. The Blacksmith leads you into the Armory itself, and into a backroom, where you find three ornate weapons. Two are in glass showcases, and one is displayed on a plaque on the wall. All three were swords, and all three radiated a kind of ancient power. Interesting...

"These were my father's," the man says proudly, a hint of regret in his voice. "They were his masterpieces. He was a travelling Blacksmith you see, and he found the old things abroad, in some ruin or other. He brought them home, reworked and reforged them into what you see now. Unfortunately, he passed on before he saw anyone wield them. It would honor me greatly milord, if you were to wield one. But see... No one's been able to draw the blades from their sheathes, not since my Pa. But if anyone can, it's the strongest Swordsman in Canaan."

Is that so... You step forward and examine the three blades. All three seem tempting... And you don't intend to refuse the man's generosity but... "And how much would one of these cost?" You ask curiously.

The Blacksmith quickly shakes his head. "No, no milord. I can't place a price on these. I'd much rather see someone use these than watch them gather dust. I'm sure my father would feel the same."

You nod, and point to Ena. "In that case, I would like my Tactician to have one as well."

Ena's eyes widen and she quickly gives a polite bow. Not to you, which is just slightly ungrateful in your opinion, but to the Blacksmith. "No, it's fine. I couldn't possibly..."

"The man just said it's what he wanted," you reply, a little annoyed. "And besides," you continue, pointing to the Iron Sword resting at Ena's belt. "I will not entrust the life of my Chief Tactician to a mere Iron Sword."

Ena simply stares at you, speechless, and the Blacksmith does a double take, looking between you and she. Then he shrugs. "Milady, your Master is right. I don't mind in the least. In fact, this would be the happiest day of my life if I could give two of these swords to worthy owners."

Ena bites her lip, but nods. "All right... In that case, I have no objections."

Good. Now all you have to do is choose your new weapon. Easier said than done...

-----
(Choose which sword Kryian receives)
A: Dyrnwyn, the Sword of Fire
B: Caliburn, the Sword of Wind
C: Solais, the Sword of Light

(Choose which sword Ena receives)
1: Dyrnwyn, the Sword of Fire
2: Caliburn, the Sword of Wind
3: Solais, the Sword of Light

Note: You will not receive the stats of the weapons until after you make your choice. All three are the 'Sealed Versions', much like Falchion and Lionheart. These three swords have the most potential out of any weapon in the entire story, as once you gain access to a certain Forge in Act II, you can combine the weapons with a Shard of Alondell, in order to create the three Ultimate Weapons: Excalibur, Alondite, and Ragnell.

Nope. All the Ultimate Weapons have the same attack power, but different effects. The only exceptions are True!Alondell and Ragnarok, which are secret Postgame only weapons. However, Excalibur has slightly better effects than the other two, but Ragnell and Alondite have much better potential, because Excalibur cannot be forged with any other weapon.

Ah, my bad. See my last post in the discussion topic.

Also, bump! Gimme more votes, people!

B1.