The Nightrose Chronicles I: Broader Horizons

Childlike Faith

Tessa's POV

Gizamaluke groaned, "What happened?"

"He can talk!?" Tessa asked.

Freya smirked, "You didn't know?"

"No."

"You were brainwashed. Lailah saved you," Zidane said motioning to the sleeping angel. He perked up when he heard his name, "I used up almost all my energy in the process too..."

"Thank you, Lailah," Gizamaluke said. "For your help I'll give you something in return," He dove under the water and was gone for a few minutes before coming back up. He burst out of the water and into the air before settling by Lailah with a large pearl in his mouth the size of Tessa's fist. He dropped it in Lailah's hand. "It is a Holy Pearl, it has three uses, if your kind ever get weakened it will heal them and strengthen them, or if you need a boost of power it will give it to you for a short time, use it wisely."

"Thank you. I will." He said growing in strength.

"What are you?" Tessa asked.

"Me?" Gizamaluke asked, she nodded in reply. "I am the protector of this Grotto and couples wanting to be wed, in your terms, I would be a priest, I have the power to speak with The Great One."

"Oh. Cool!" she smiled, he nodded in reply.

"Wait what do you mean his kind?" Zidane asked.

"Yes, I'd like to know as well," Freya agreed.

Gizamaluke laughed, "Some things are better left shown than said. He will show you soon enough, when you are all ready. Go now, protect Burmecia. I will protect the Grotto."

"Yes, master Gizamaluke, you have my word," Freya said. The party ran through the rest of the grotto and onto the plains, going in the direction of Burmecia but stopping at North Gate.

As they approached they smelled an acrid mixture of fire and blood. Tessa trembled as she gagged. "It's alright," Lailah told her. "I'm here."

"I---it smells l---like b---burning flesh!!" She said hugging him.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"The smell of fire... And blood!" Even the blue flowers along the road seemed to weep as smoke rose beyond the gate. "There must have been a huge battle on the other side of that gate..."

Quina ran forward "Something smell bad. I get bad feeling!" She ran to a flower, "Flower smell good! You smell flower!" She pounced on it and smelled it.

"... Quina does whatever she feels like doing. I must learn from her ways."

"Me too..." Tessa said.

"I don't think it's intentional, you guys," Zidane said.

"No, if I had done as I pleased, I would've been..." Freya said kneeling down.

"Zidane, this flower taste good!" Quina shouted.

"See what I mean?" He said.

"But still..." Freya said. "Let's go! Burmecia is just ahead!"

Zidane ran to the treasure box before they left; finding kupli and a hi-potion as well as a few bits of ore that he passed to Tessa, "Here, you like making stuff."

"Huh?"

"That thing you've been working on, what is it?"

He pointed to the machine in her hands, "Oh..." she finally remembered she held it, "Um... Not sure yet... I've just been dabbling..."