A Paladin's Promise

Chapter 16: The Sea of Silence

Before we can even begin exploring the frightening depths of the Moon, I need to update the party on what's to come.

"All right, everyone. Let's talk. We have reached the end. The Moon houses deadly creatures capable of destroying all of us. We must be careful if we wish to reach Zemus."

"What kinds of monsters?" Edge asks, his swords in his hands.

"Warlocks and FatalEyes, just to name a few. Many of them will pop out of the chests we open." I pause, reflecting on what other creatures lurk in the icy depths. "We could also face six deadly monsters that, once defeated, will drop some of the strongest weapons and armor we could ever have. We do not have to, but the rewards are impressive."

"Sounds dangerous," Kain says.

"Yes. Quite. Once we reach the lowest level, we will face Behemoths, Dragons, Evil Masks, and even shards of Zemus' mind."

"Scary..." Rydia says.

"I have faith in us."

"What about Zemus?" Rosa asks.

"...FuSoYa and Golbez are currently battling him. We'll help them when we arrive."

"Are you ready, Adrienne?" Cecil asks.

"Yes."

"All right. I trust you wholeheartedly. Lead the way."

Cold seeping into my skin, I start walking. Almost immediately, we run into some warlocks. We quickly dispatch them and continue. When we reach the first chest, I immediately draw my sword. The others follow suit. A pair of warlocks and women warriors leap out at us. Luckily, I have an ace up my sleeve. Gathering my magic, I call on Bahamut, who incinerates our enemies to ash within a split second.

"Impressive!" Cecil says.

"Excellent work, Adrienne," Kain says.

"What's inside the chest?" Edge asks. I reach my hands inside and pull out an intricate golden staff humming with energy. I twirl it in my hands.

"A Life staff. Either of you want it?" I ask Rosa and Rydia.

"I'll take it, Adrienne," Rosa says.

"We should go," Rydia says. I nod. We continue wandering through the icy cave system. We battle a couple more monsters as we navigate the treacherous terrain. The Moon is like a massive maze. Luckily, I don't lose my way. After all, I know this game like the back of my hand. Moments later, we turn a corner and find a sword floating in the air.

"Careful," I warn. "We can only obtain this weapon by defeating its keeper."

"What should we do, Adrienne?" Kain asks.

"Rosa, cast Float on the party. Trust me; we're going to need it."

"All right." She does so and then we approach the floating sword. A voice speaks to us when we reach out to the weapon.

Go to the eternal gloom of the Dark World before you can touch this blade!

And so the battle begins.

A white lindworm erupts from the blade and coils around itself. Edge is first in the turn order, so he takes shurikens in his hands and throws them at the dragon. Kain is next. He pushes off the ground and leaps into the air. The lindworm opens its mouth and bites down hard on Rydia. She yells out in pain. I command Rosa to heal her while I prepare to summon Bahamut again. Cecil swings his sword against the beast, drawing silver blood. Just then, the lindworm attacks with the very spell I have prepared us for; Quake. We are unaffected by the spell. I guide the others as the dragon casts Slow on each of us. We may be slowed, but our determination is fierce. Cecil, Kain, and I attack with our swords, drawing enough blood that our enemy collapses and finally dies. Edge reaches out and grabs the sword.