Tales of Link I: The Beginning

Forest of Narcia- Kaze

We make our way through the dark magic filled, blighted forest in silence, save the couple times Remi trips over a rock and Rita’s constant nagging. I smile at the scene. Even though Rita acts like she hates Remi, she actually cares for the healer. Kind of like… someone I know. I think. Who? Who acts like this?
“Kaze.” Sara places her hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay? You kind of spaced on me.”
I nod. “Yah, I'm fine. Thanks.”
Obviously, I did not look fine, but Sara decided to not press the issue.
“Lady Rita, Lady Remi.” Lippy says. “Why are you exploring these forests.”
Rita glares at the sprite from over her shoulder. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“Rita is a researcher from Euraia.” Remi blurts. “She was sent here to study the Seeds of Ruin and how to prevent them.”
“Remi!” Rita blushes and knocks the healer on the head. “There's no need to tell them that!”
“Why?” Remi asks. “You've got nothing to hide. It's not like it's top secret.”
“There really isn't a way to prevent the Seeds from spreading their destruction.” I say, the information pouring from my mouth. “The Seeds feed off of power and malice of monsters and humans alike. They evolve and “sprout” in response to their environment to cause maximum damage. Only power of the Heavens can purify them.”
When I'm done explaining, Lippy, Sara, Rita and Remi are all staring at me like I just swallowed my Hero Stone. What did I do?
“Would you mind repeating that one more time?” Rita asks, whipping out a pen and paper.
“That's amazing, Great Savior!” Lippy cries. “The Seeds have only been out for a short time! How do you posses such knowledge?”
I shake my head, the information I'd just shared already fading into my mind. “It just came to me.”
Rita’s eyes glint. “You, adventurer.” She points at Sara. “Let me borrow him.”
I don't like where this is going. I feel like I'm being examined like a lab rat and even with amnesia, that's terrifying. What is even more terrifying, is the sick churning I’m getting in my stomach.
“Kaze, are you okay?” Remi asks. “Do you need me to heal you?”
I shake my head. “I’m okay. I just feel a little nauseous.”
Sara and Lippy both look at me with concerned expressions.
“I’m fine, really.” I say with a soft smile. “I guess I am sensitive to negative energy.”
“My smartphon is indeed picking up the Seed.” Lippy remarks. “We are getting closer to it.”
Rita and Remi look at each other, but stay silent. Rita’s hand it twitching like she wants to say something, but keeps her mouth shut. Remi’s eyes are darting all about the place open and alert. Everyone is feeling the heavy atmosphere in the air. Lippy leads the way, until we arrive at a clearing with a huge seed in the middle, ready to hatch into a ruinator.   
“It’s huge.” Rita mutters.
I’ve seen bigger…. I think. But nonetheless, it’s something we have to purify.
“Great Savior, Lady Sara! Incoming!” Lippy yells.
Sara and I leap out of the way right as a sword lands right where we had been standing. Looking up, Caesar is floating above the seed, blades drawn.
“Sara, why are you interfering again?” He growls. “Stay out of my way!”
“No! I can't!” Sara yells back. “Please, brother, snap out of this!”
“He’s not going to listen.” Rita says, readying herself for a fight.
Caesar simply laughs. “You think you can best me?”
Rita leaps at him, ribbons fully drawn. She and Caesar are locked in a battle of steel and artes. From what I can see, Rita is focusing more on evasion and keeping Caesar distracted than fighting him. Remi casts her healing artes to support Rita when she gets injured. For a clumsy girl, she’s very diligent about her healing. Meanwhile, Sara, Lippy and I are focused on the Seed. Webs of cracks spread across the Seed before it shatters. A furry, large, beast emerges from its shards and roars.
“It’s here.” Caesar says in extacy. He kicks Rita away and grows his wings once again. Remi rushes over to help the researcher.
“Brother!” Sara yells. “Wait!”
“Goodbye, Sara.” Caesar growls. “You have a long way to go before you can even fight me. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Wait!”
I grab Sara’s arm before she can run after her brother. “We have other things to worry about.”
She takes a deep breath and nods, before drawing her switchblade.
“I'll back you up with artes.” I say, drawing my knives. “Just fight the way you always do.”
Sara nods and charges at the beast. She slashes at its right flank then at its head. She rolls left, slashing out at the ruinator with her sword as the ruinator turns angrily, lifting a paw to strike her. But I’m already in motion, casting three blinding balls of light that smacks it in the face momentarily distracting it. Sara glances behind her, smiling a little at me. I smile back, before dashing to the other side of the ruinator and casting an ice arte. Remi is off the the side healing Rita and the ruinator follows my eyes to the defenceless girls. I curse in the ancient language  (the cussing kind) and begin stonecanting.
“Oh, Heroes of the world hear my call. I call you from past, present, and future. You from, Tales of Vesperia! Dark Lion Yuri!”
Almost instantly, a dark haired man appears from nowhere and slashes at the creature’s face, momentarily distracting it from Rita and Remi. That gives Sara the opportunity to kick the ruinator’s head away and stab into its neck. The ruinator slashes right through the dark haired man, who just disappears in a puff of light.
“Tilt Ray!” Lippy casts his own light artes to compile the damage.
“Lippy!” I yell. “Sara! Buy me time!”
A pang hits my gut as a sinking feeling hits me like a brick. I've said that line before, many many times. I shake my head to refocus myself. I can't get distracted with a momentary amnesia headache. The sounds of battle are blurs in my ears as I focus on my task. Out of pure muscle memory, I start drawing a magic circle in the dirt.
“Ready!” I shout.
I throw a knife at the beast’s back and its head whips around angrily. I throw another knife, nailing it in the forehead. It charges at me, kicking Sara and Lippy away.
“Kaze, look out!” Sara yells.
I leap out of the way and trigger the magic circle on the ground. Ropes of light lash out and bind the beast head to tail.
“May your soul find light.” I say, infusing my knives with purifying power.
The warmth of the purifying light ripples across the blighted land and restores the forest to its natural green hue before the ruinator can even groan out its death wails.
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“I want to thank you.” Remi says, bowing to me.
It's been a few days since I'd purified Narcia’s forest, enough time for all of us to recover and resupply for our next leg of our journey.
“Hey, Remi!” Rita knocks the healer in the head. “Stop wasting time.”
“You could stand to be a little nicer!” Remi cries back. “Anyway, if you have anything you need help with, please let us know.”
Sara hikes the travel back further up her back. “Actually, I was wondering if you knew anyone to specialized in memory loss.”
I look at the adventurer in surprise. “But aren't we supposed to help your brother?”
Sara smiles at me. “We can afford a little detour. Besides, Seeds of Ruin are scattered about the world, so I'm sure we’ll come across one no matter where we go.”
I feel my heart flutter in my chest. “Thank you!”
“I don't know anyone personally.” Remi says. “Rita, do you know anyone?”
Rita rolls her eyes. “It's a rumor, so I don't know if it'll be of any use to you. Every October, a vampire is said to visit the Deijil region. I believe his name is Saleh. He's a vampire rumored to be able to see one’s past if he drinks their blood.”
“Even if it's a longshot, I'll take what I can get.” I say. “Thank you, Rita. Thank you, Remi.”
Remi giggles. “No problem! Oh! And if you ever end up in Euraia, stop by and say hello.”
Rita knocks Remi in the head again. “Stop wasting time. Let's go.”
“We’d better head out too.” Sara says. She grabs my hand and points west. “Onward to the Deijil region! It's time we cure your amnesia!”
The sky is so blue and the sun beats down on us like an angry stovetop. Her smile and laugh as we start a new leg of our journey, is setting I'll never forget.
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A moment of silence for the loss of a wonderful game I'd poured my blood sweat and tears into for four (?) Years. Maybe five, I don't know. Anyway, just because the game is gone, doesn't mean my writing is going to disappear. It'll take me some time to break out the first part, but after that will be smooth sailing. To be honest, I don't really like this recent chapter. It was hard to write and the story itself if very loose intil the Sarian Arc. I know I derailed from the game at the end, but I wanted to add a little more... kick to it. I has plans, yes I to. Hehehe. Enough of my rambling. I hope I made some people happy by updating. Please look forward for more chapters!
-Nayami