Andomiel was the first to speak, “I guess we have a quest ahead of us.”
“....” Pharda was silent.
“Pharda, we need you, you have more courage than any of us.” Urd admitted, which was quite a lot.
“I don’t even know where to start…”
“We could start,” Andomiel suggested, “by getting those weapons out of the house after the fire’s out.”
“…this was…not what I had in mind…for a quest…” Pharda commented flatly.
“Pharda, I know this is a sad day for you…,” Fenris said, words an attempt at comfort, “but it’ll be even sadder if those weapons fall in Altima’s hands.”
“That…name…,” Pharda spoke it like a curse, “Promise me we don’t mention her name ever again…I hate that name.”
The group spoke in unison, “We promise…”
“…then…let’s go get those weapons!!!”
It was a good half hour before the flames died down, the group didn’t have the slightest idea where to look.
“Man, this is going to take days!!” Urd grumbled.
“Hey, I thought you liked hunting for treasure,” Andomiel replied wryly.
“Not when it takes this long…”
“…I…think I found one…,” Pharda said, “But for some reason, I can’t touch it, it’s like it has a seal of some kind. Only one of us can use it.”
“What is it?” Urd ask, “What weapon is it?”
“It looks like a large spear dressed in feathers of some kind, and a golden chain with an inscription on the spearhead, ‘He who bears the heart of a dragon, and the soul of Strength, shall bear the Spear of Longinus, the Holy Lance.’”
“Only person I know that bears some resemblance to a dragon....,” Andomiel said, “Hey, Fenris, come here!”
“What’s up?”
“Do us a favor and grab that spear, we can’t seem to reach it.”
“What do you mean, it’s just sitting there?”
Andomiel glared at Fenris, and he happily, albeit fearfully, obliged.
As soon as his claw got near the weapon, it glowed with a strange light, he drew back at first, but then pressed on. As soon as he had a firm grasp of the weapon, the glow subsided and the writing was gone.
“Congratulations Fenris, you just got yourself a weapon.”
“Well, thanks but I have no clue how to use it.”
Pharda scratched his head, “Well I guess you’ll have to just learn how, huh?”
“Um, alright…I think.” Fenris just wasn’t the type to argue anything, but the strangest feeling came over him, he abruptly grasped the golden chain laced about the spear, and almost without thinking of doing it, spun the spear in place and sheathed on his back.
“I thought you said you didn’t know how to use it?” Pharda said wide eyed.
“I, uh really don’t, it was as if someone else was doing it.”
“There’s a lot here we can’t explain so let’s just find the other two weapons.” Andomiel urged.
A few moments later, they found another one, and again, they didn’t know who could touch it. It was a steel, dual bladed sword-like weapon, seemingly designed with speed in mind.
“I’ll read it this time,” Andomiel said, “ ‘She who bears the spirit of love, and the heart of chivalry shall bare the blade, Tower.’”
“It mentions a ‘she’ so it must be me!” Urd said and quickly grabbed the blade which glowed for a moment subsided as its inscriptions vanished, “Huh? It’s like, I’ve known how to use this thing since before I can remember…?”
She abruptly swung the blade expertly and sheathed in its proper place.
“One more to go…,” Andomiel answered, “And since all you have yours, I get this cool Paladin sword!!” But as soon as he reached for it, it repelled him.
“Huh???” Andomiel couldn't believe it.
“It says,” Fenris began, “My blade cannot be touched by normal hands, I, Legend, must pass through hands of grief to awaken.”
“I’m not quite sure what it means.” Urd said.
“I…do…,” Pharda finally spoke, he reached down and touched the blade, and the most brilliant of lights flashed about what was left of the house.
He grasped the blade, and it began to glow a deep white silver, then he passed it to his friend Andomiel, who shed a light tear of sadness for what Pharda had just gone through for him.
Just as Andomiel grasped the hilt of Legend, 13 rune markings appeared upon it, as if just forged, but no heat was felt.
“It…still feels cool to the touch…?” Andomiel said, “And yet I feel as though I’ve known this blade for as long as I’ve lived.”
“Heh, looks like you got your Paladin sword after all, Andy.” Pharda laughed, it sounded somewhat off-key and bitter.
“…Pharda…” Andomiel spoke tears showing in the voice, “She was like my mother too, we’ll both miss her…brother…”
And the two newly born warriors hugged.
“Sorry,” Pharda said between sniffs, “for calling you Andy, Andomiel.”
“I’m really starting to get used to it,” Andomiel said to his chagrin.
“I feel as though we need to do one last thing…” Pharda said, no sadness in his voice now, only a sense of…hope?
“What’s that?”
“We need to find a good place for mom to rest…but more than that, something very important, it’s like I’m hearing something in my memory that wasn’t there before…”
The group quickly and quietly buried Mrs. Deanna Beolve under the sycamore tree in the back of where the house had been. It seemed fitting, as that was where she had met Pharda’s father. As much as Pharda hated to admit it, he both hated and respected his father.
“…Something…, what was it?” Pharda said trying to reach for words that wouldn’t come, Andomiel stepped forward and looked now at his Legend sword, which was strangely glowing again.
“What is it, Pharda?” Urd said, rather confused.
"......Drop down to one knee, Andomiel, like me, and...swear..," Pharda said abruptly.
Andomiel did so, as did Pharda, then opening his mouth, which felt suddenly dry and parched, "I...do so swear...."
Then words came like a mantra wave, washing over the two souls transforming them even further.
"I do so swear--to God and to my compatriots that I shall uphold his word and his orders, should the church betray me or hell destroy me--I shall love my God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and by this sword I drive into his earth I make my oath of fealty, I shall love and protect my neighbor as my own soul--I so swear this..."
And the two simultaneously drove their blades into the ground in front of Deanna Beolve’s grave. And when they stood, the blades were strangely equal in height in the ground.
“It’s finally done…,” Pharda said after the moment of silence.
“So…what exactly did we do…?” Andomiel asked.
“Took a vow to destroy…her…I think.”
The party was once again overcome with several moments of silence, and something strange and powerful happened. All four warriors were suddenly engulfed in a strange light.
“Wha….?” Andomiel's senses were shaken.
A voice calm and peaceful flowed through their minds, like a warm wind.
“Hello, Braves, I am Gaia, the essence of this planet, you have a great quest ahead of you, much greater than that of your predecessors, know this: you are not alone in this world, there are many who would help you in your cause, and allies who have yet to know that they are indeed braves. I ask of you these two requests, find the 13 Zodiac Stones and their Bearers, of which you are among. To help you on your quest I have given each of you the four elements in your hearts, minds, and armor. Pharda, to you I give Fire, the Element of Courage, Andomiel, to you I give Earth, the Element of Hope, to Urd, I give you Water, the Element of Kindness, and to you, Fenris, I give Wind, the Element of Quest. These are not just spells that grant you magic, they also provide you with armor, strength, vitality, and spirit. Use these to your advantage. When you find those who would be fellow Braves, I will awaken them to their elements as well. Until then, fare thee well…”
“What a minute!!” Pharda yelled, “What about the Zodiac stones!! Where do we find them??”
“The essences of the Zodiac were sealed away from evil long ago, they will only appear in your hearts when you need them most, for now, trust in yourselves, and find the others…”
The group opened their eyes as if awakening from a dream, only this dream was completely real. Pharda now wore real Samurai Armor, as did Andomiel his Paladin Armor, while Fenris wore new Dragon Knight armor, both on his body and his wings.
“Cool…” Fenris said, looking at his wings.
“Well, I don’t have as much armor as Dragon-boy does…,” Urd said, “But this suits me just fine.”
The little thief was correct. Her new armor was most accommodating for stealth and speed, yet very durable. Another thing that the group noticed was that each piece of armor seemed to have an elemental symbol emblazoned on it.
Each warrior now bore a crest of two symbols engraved in their armor, and something in their hearts told them that these symbols were the essence of who they were.
For Pharda, he had the Zodiac symbols Leo and Capricorn, engulfed in Fire.
For Andomiel, he had two symbols: one was Virgo, the other he didn’t recognize, something similar to a cross, all encased in what seemed to be a rock shape, symbolic of Earth.
For Urd, she had the two symbols Scorpio and Pisces, oddly enough water creatures, with deep watery markings surrounding them.
And finally Fenris, who bore the Wind-engraved symbols of Sagittarius and Taurus.
The four weren’t quite sure what to do next, so they sat down near the tree and discussed their next move.
“We could head back to the city?” Fenris suggested.
“That is an idea, considering Urd said awhile ago she had found something important in that old building we found you in.” Pharda replied.
“Yeah, but I lost it…,” she fumbled.
“Doesn’t matter, it might be able to be recovered,” Andomiel said.
