Tales of Eylisia R

Past Life Finale

Part One

Despite their pleas not to, Zephyr joined the group to the last temple: Lucrecia's. He kept his back to Katherine and Blake, even when they tried to talk to him. Their attempts were fruitless as he didn't want to listen to what they had to say. Katherine had spent the entire night trying to apologize and Blake made up more excuses for their behavior, two things Zephyr couldn't stand from people. He believed that those who could not accept their mistakes and try to do better weren't worth his time. Madeline attempted to talk to him about it, however, he ignored the subject. The only person he really allowed talk to him about it was Allen, who tried his best to get Zephyr to let it go.

Sophie soon stopped them when they found the temple. It was covered in vines and sealing crystals with a terrible stench to it. There were signs that the monster hunters attempted to go in, only to be killed off by whatever monsters guarded it. Just as Sophie took a step closer to the temple door, monsters surrounded them, all of who seemed to rise from the ground in a black mist. The party did their best to fend off the monsters, yet it wasn't enough; when one was defeated, two more took its place. At that rate, they were about to be defeated before entering the temple.

Zephyr took a glance away from the monsters to see that the sealing crystals glowed each time a monster was defeated. With the others busy, he stood firm and started an arte pointed right at the crystals. Allen figured out what Zephyr was doing and stood with his back to Zephyr's to protect his friend. Zephyr cast his arte and in a beam of light, the crystals shattered, and the monsters disappeared into oblivion, most likely back to the prison they were summoned from.

Allen had his hand raised to his shoulders just as Zephyr was catching his breath. Zephyr looked up and hit Allen's hand with his. He was exhausted, the arte took away most of his energy, and any more would have been too much for him. Sophie waited a few minutes before she opened the door carefully as to not alert anything of their presence and moved forward with the others behind her; all except for Zephyr, who was stopped by someone. The woman with a black kimono was back, and on her face was a disturbing smile. Zephyr drew his sword and just as he swung it down on her, she caught it with a firm grasp on the blade.

"You've made it this far." She said in a quiet voice.

"What are you doing here?" Zephyr asked before he started to turn to warn the others.

"No, no, I don't think getting them involved is smart." She grabbed onto his neck with her other hand, "stay quiet."

"You..."

"Quiet. I'll meet you at the bottom of the temple and you'll have until then to decide if you want to join me or not."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll kill your little friends and make you. I look forward to this." She disappeared in a black mist, the same that summoned the monsters from the fight.

"You've gotten yourself into some trouble, haven't you?" Zephyr turned around to see a man in a long cloak next to him, the same one who gave Sophie the letter about an upcoming threat.

"And you are?"

"Don't give your hopes up too soon, caster, you can still beat her."

"How?"

"You need the savior's power to take her down, make her lower her barriers, and go for the kill when you see she's not protecting her heart. And be careful about what you say, she'll be able to hear you once you step foot in that temple."

"You make it sound like you've fought her before."

"Once, not too long ago...she's powerful, don't ever let your guard down, or you'll be dead."