The Rise Of Ex-Death

[06.04.00] » by Michael Collins

Ex-Death's Entombment

Ex-Death, a black mage with a power of unspeakable measure, watched the four creatures, watched, waited, and watched again. He was trapped within a force field that was powered by the one remaining crystal on the planet, the Crystal of Earth. Once the crystal was destroyed by his minions, he would be free at last, free to take back the planet that was once his and pay veangeance to the old fool, Galuf, who had helped put him in this miserable state.

Galuf was one of the four creatures he watched now. They had managed to travel through the world, narrowly missing the destruction of each of the three doomed crystals, aqcuiring different vehicles along the way, one of which was the adamantine-reinforced airship that had allowed them to reach the floating Ronka Ruins. He had a feeling that they might possibly reach the Crystal of Earth before his minions, or one in particular, would be able to finish the deed he had started eons ago. Galuf was indeed a feisty soul, and one to watch out for, but Ex-Death would not overestimate him.

The four were strong, considering their weak ancestry. The sorcerer intensely watched them battle through the Ronka Ruins, slaying monster after monster almost effortlessly, as if they were born to do it. The one fellow, the one with the winter hair, was very strong indeed, nearly as strong as Galuf, but lacked the skill and training one needed to be a proficient warrior. All in all, they were no match for Ex-Death, and once he escaped from the abominable prison powered by the crystals, he would be free to kill each and every one of them.

*****

"Watch out!" cried Galuf, the ninja, and, pulling a Fire Skean from his equipment pack, dodged in front of Reina and threw the Skean at the four-armed monster who threatened to rip her head off. The Skean, which looked a lot like a Shuriken throwing star, soared toward the monster, and seconds before it hit, lit up with a blaze that incinerated the monster in a single instant.

Reina, the white mage, sighed in relief and, seeing Galuf was heavily wounded from all his fighting, casted a Cure spell on him to revitalize him. Some of the scratches and wounds on Galuf's body closed up, and the old warrior gave her a word of gratitude before rushing into battle once more.

Bartz, Reina, Galuf, and Faris were inside the Ronka Ruins, searching to protect the Earth Crystal, the only crystal left to seal Ex-Death in his tomb. Bartz, a white-haired wanderer who had somehow become the leader of the group, was in the front lines valiantly fending off the monster's attack. Reina, the daughter of King Tycoon, a quiet, shy girl who disliked fighting, was in the back hurriedly casting heal and status spells on the other three to help them in battle, since she was loath to fight herself. Galuf, an old man who had only recently recovered from amnesia and discovered that he was from another planet, was behind Bartz, furiously throwing knives and Skeans at the horde of monsters that seemed to be pouring from the Ruins. Faris, a daring pirate and, unknown to the world, daughter of Tycoon and sister to Reina, was in front of the Princess protecting her while she healed the party.

Reina, after noticing no one needed healing right away, decided to end the battle and used her Ramuh summon. The summoned wizard suddenly appeared and, with a rush of electic thunder, obliterated the field, wiping out all of the enemies. When the wizard disappeared, Reina was drained and collapsed to the ground. Faris helped her back up.

"Ay, matey, that was good work. Yer has a right to be tired."

Bartz looked up the stairs the monsters had come down from. "We're almost there. I can feel it. We'd better hurry, and hope there's no more monsters up there."

"Do you think Father's up there?" Reina asked quietly, gazing up the steps. The King Tycoon, having been gripped either by mid-life crisis or an evil entity, had gone unexplicably wandering the planet, appearing here and there, until Reina had spotted him in the Ronka Ruins before the ruins had been lifted into the air by the Earth Crystal.

"I don't know." said Bartz gravely. "I hope so, but either way, we're still going to have to find the Crystal."

"What 'er we gonna do if Papa's bein' controlled by that scurvy dog?" said Faris.

"Scurvy dog?" asked Galuf, still unaccustomed to pirate slang.

"Ex-Death!" Faris snapped irritably, one who never liked to repeat herself, as she was used to giving orders and having them done.

"If Ex-Death's controlling Tycoon, we might have to fight him." said Bartz.

"Fight...my own father?" said Reina. "I...I couldn't!"
"Aye...me either...." said Faris, and her voice drifted off. "Maybe we won't have to."

Bartz looked again at the stairwell and said, "Yes. Let's hope for the best. No matter what happens, we have to keep our hope."

Galuf nodded. "Right...Still, one has his doubts..."

"Come," Bartz said, his voice having an edge of hardness and command, "Let's hurry. Time may be running out."

The others followed him up the stairs, into the unknown.

"King Tycoon!" Reina yelled in shock. "Father!"

The King was standing in front of a large green serpent, gripping a sword in his right hand, his left covering his chest. Tycoon seemed to be fighting the monster.

"Hello, Reina dear," he said in a weak, old voice. "Please...help me..."
"Father, are you alright?" Reina asked, running over to his side, thinking him to be fatally injured.

"It's...only...a small wound. But I need help fighting this....thing..."

Blood seeped through the fingers of his left hand, where he held the wound. He started to say something, but his knees fell from under him and he collapsed on the ground with a thud. "Father!!" Reina screamed, and knelt down by his laying form.

The green serpent raised its head and attacked...