Episodes 40-52 are finally complete

With an entire volume behind, I made time to finish volume 4 and will start focusing on volume 5.
Work has been very busy during the holidays but I am taking a break from videogames. Therefore, for any free time I have, I will dedicate it to The Obsidian Tale.

Updates will speed up a little more!

For now, see y'all! Take note of any recent updates as from now on, things will be concluding.

Episodes 40-65 + the next story information

With time FINALLY being spent on every weekend for this story, I will be able to finish the entirety of episodes 40-52 by the end of tomorrow. So far, I have posted the story text itself.

These volume 4 episodes still need:

1. Optional scenes
2. World map images
3. Character levels
4. Preview to next episode text
5. music

My next goal is to focus on volume 5:

1. Draw both Gunther and Igor
2. Make final drafts for episodes 53-65
3. Post all episodes online
4. Do all of step 1-5 from the first list above
5. Update ALL character lists
6. Unlock ALL information in the About/Extras tabs

The last thing to prioritize is drawing Opening 5. I prefer to prioritize content rather than artwork, and I can go back to that any time anyway. Episode contents have a deadline whereas the artwork is not as crucial to the story.

This is going to be one VERY long end process but after all of this, the website will be complete.

Possible extras for the future:

1. There are five animation videos on queue that I want to work on, however, there is no deadline for this and will take months or years to develop.
2. Start on my next story - Draco's Legend
1. Plot - The story will revolve around the history of dragons. As it was once no more, the 12 zodiacs that sealed these dragons have been unsealed, and rumors state that four element dragons have let loose. Meanwhile, the main character, Quinn, wakes up one day and has no clue of his history. How will these two major plots connect?
2. Character info - Unlike Fires of the Sky and The Obsidian Tale (which both have 8 main characters), Draco's Legend will only have 6 main characters (+1 talkative mascot). This will make characters easier to develop. The number of characters in this story will be about 30% less than The Obsidian Tale and will hope to improve developments that my previous stories did not excel in.
3. More information will be provided as weeks and months go by. This story is set to start as late as Fall of 2016 and may be presented as video/visual episodes instead of text.
3. Create a universal library of my story collection. It will include a list of main characters from each, compare their stats (strengths, magic, intelligence, etc), and also the tropes of each of them. The story plot will have stats of their own (level of development, characters, personal ratings). This will be fully HTML-based.

Anyway, aside from that, I will and always will be busy from now on. With college over and now having a full-time job, I will try my best to continue my dedication to story writing. It will be difficult to manage, but not impossible!

Hiatus

It's late at night and I really want to say this now.

The Obsidian Tale will be going on a several week hiatus. The reason is because I only get to see my nieces once every several years, and they came for an entire month and a week (5 weeks total) which started last week.

For this reason, I have come to a complete stop for my opening 4 drawing. Without opening 4, I also can't post episodes 40-52. Therefore, I am forced to stop.

Now, there are two outer reasons why I have to stop even more. My nieces told me the entire story of my sister who is dealing with a domestic violence relationship with a misogynistic second husband who would physically and emotionally hurt her and take away every freedom she and her daughters have. So, my mom and I are trying to find ways to bring her back to California from Philadelphia, away from this man. I will be really occupied with this plan.

The second reason is because I am currently doing self-proclaimed research on economics. Doing undergrad studies doesn't really help much in the real world field. I need to do my own research on what's worthwhile for a BA in Business Economics. The upside is that my major is highly versatile in the industry but the downside is that I have many options, meaning that I can either play the right or wrong cards. For someone who barely knows much about the real world, I may be pulling the wrong card more often and I want to avoid that by doing this self-proclaimed research.

I really want to spend more time being socially intelligent, and finding the best optimum ways to maximize the use of a BA in Economics.

The hiatus will go on for over 4 weeks, possibly much longer. But I promise that the story will go through its completion ON TIME by its end on December, 2015. It's just slow right now, but I will definitely catch up.

I have much to do, and the end of college was hardly the finish line of my life.

I have many dreams, hobbies, and aspirations that are only a spec of completion. There is just WAY too much to do and I have the entire future to thaw it out. I will update more on what's happening.

Thank you for reading!

Episode 39 - The Obsidian Tale

The Obsidian Tale

Episode 39

[Opening 3 music]

[Click here for a larger image resolution]

~ City of Celestia – lower entrance ~

            The group of eight made their way to the City of Celestia after their small talk at the temple of Mishu. They were in a hurry but at the same time, they didn’t think too much of their pacing mostly because they enjoyed each other’s conversations that pretty much had no limits. The group was able to talk about anything and everything they felt like as they needed to pass time until they arrived at Celestia. At least now, they finally had a full group of eight, and they were all able to trust each other. Conversations were much easier to make without arguments and fear. [Music 39.1]

            Reaching closer to the entrance, they could see the potential positive atmosphere that would have existed if Celestia was still alive. All they could see now were destroyed buildings, even worse than Loomin. All of those who have fallen, have been buried. Some under buildings and some under dust that piled up after seven years.

            Forrest and Lydia closed their eyes. Felix tried to ignore this as best as he could.

            “This is horrible…” Lydia said. The only thing she could hear was the running water by the water mill. Suddenly, a spark of reminiscence occurred in her mind. She saw herself running past the roads as a young girl where she stood today. She was running for her life. She remembered exactly what it was like. “Celestia was on its way to destruction. I just ran away. I was weak.”

            Hazel squeezed two fingers together after touching a building’s brick wall. “I can sense the fear that happened seven years ago.”

            “Yeah. It was really terrifying.” She made a gasp, quickly running towards a certain path down the road.

            “Wait, Lydia!” Felix called out.

            The group followed her for countless minutes, asking her where she was running to. It seemed she was following the same exact path that young Lydia had taken on the way out of the city, but backwards.

~ City of Celestia – Lydia’s house ~

            The moment they finally reached a small plaza for those living in the rural side of Celestia, Lydia came to a stop as she dropped to her knees.

            Rina paused the moment she saw a completely trashed building in front of Lydia. “What the heck is this place?”

            Lydia was shaking. She wanted to cry. “This was… where I lived with my mom and dad.”

            Viola looked away in shame.

            “I remember,” Viola said. The group turned to her. “I remember standing at this very spot with Lieutenant Floir. We followed orders from Master Magnus who we thought was a positive leader at the time. He told us false facts about the Obsidians, claiming that they have been hogging all the energy, causing Rhadessia to fail. Lieutenant Floir was quite angry. Her parents did not live very long due to a mix of Obsidian energy with certain chemicals from all over the world. Master Magnus blamed the Obsidians that their objective was to procreate a mass number of beasts. Me being the follower, decided to go with here. I watched her destroy house after house, human after human. I could tell she didn’t want to, but she only sought revenge. It’s hard to control yourself when you lose loved ones. Then, we arrived at this building.”

            Lydia took a step onto the center of the clattered bricks. “The living room.”

            Viola pointed at her, “And that is where I stood with the lieutenant before she decided it was best to expose of the entire house.” [End music]

            Lydia continued the story, “My parents pushed me in the room and they tried to lock the door. I could hear them screaming, ‘No! Please, stop it!’ and their hands were moved away from the slightly opened door. I had no idea what was happening. Then, it happened…” She closed her eyes. “I-I heard… gunshots. Two of them. Their voices stopped, and then ‘boom’, two bodies fell to the ground.” She turned to the blue stuffed animal from below. [Music 1.1]

            “Yes, mommy?”

            “Your daddy and I want to give you something for doing well in school.”

            “How do you know of my grades?”

            “We asked your teacher about your grades but it looks like we can trust you now.”

            “Mommy, I’ve changed. I’m trying harder in school now!”

            “We know, we know,” She smiled. “Anyway, we want to give you… this!”

            Her mother swished her hand forward and Lydia saw the most beautiful, fluffy, blue teddy bear that she had always wanted for her birthday. Lydia screamed and she began to jump in tears.

            “Mommy!! Mommy, I love it!!”

            “And come outside to the kitchen! Your daddy made your favorite breakfast!”

            Lydia’s father placed a plate of strawberry pancakes with rich honey syrup. “Your mom and I remembered how much you loved watching the plays about the friendly bigfoot. What did they call him, the blue-horned monster of the swamp?”

            “Something like that…” Lydia felt embarrassed, knowing that he was way off.

            Lydia grabbed onto the blue teddy bear, dusted and slightly burnt from the fire. “I’m surprised it hasn’t completely burnt away.” She sighed. “I was holding onto this with my life. I quietly took a peek into the living room and I saw my mother’s hand on the floor. I didn’t want to look at the rest, so I ran into the closet. My parents tried to lock the door and protect me, but it was too late.”

            Viola added to her story, “I watched as Lieutenant Floir felt a suspicious presence from the bedroom, and so she went in. It was a good minute until she came back out and said to destroy the entire house.”

            “I heard them, and I ran out as quickly as I could. I jumped out the window and I fell onto the floor, all wet from the garden that we just watered. As soon as I stood up and ran, the house exploded. I fell again, turning around… and watching as my house was set on fire.”

            “And that’s when you ran…” Felix concluded. “Lydia…”

            Lydia dropped the teddy bear onto the ground. “The teddy bear should stay here,” She claimed. “I don’t want to think about my past again. It was horrible.”

            Rina gasped. “But that’s!”

            “I’m too old for this kind of stuff, right?”

            “I mean…”

            Hazel glared into Lydia’s eyes. “I want to look into this city more. Should we take a look around?”

            Warren scratched his head. “Erm, I think we should be careful. Maybe pair up.”

            Viola agreed. “Master Magnus could appear at any second. It is best you be careful. I suggest we come back to this area within an hour.”

            Forrest tugged onto Warren’s pants. “Protect me!”

            “Fine, but don’t make fun of my bunnyphobia!”

            Leo stood close to Viola. “Care to accompany me?”

            “Sure.”

            “Yes!!”

            Rina rolled her eyes. She noticed that Felix looked concerned for Lydia’s sadness, so Rina chuckled. “Hazel, let’s go look around. I kinda want to know more about Celestia, and I assume you know something about this place, yet again.”

            “Hah. You’re on,” She responded.

            Lydia turned to Felix, “I guess we’re going to look around too.”

            “Oh- Uh, um, sure!”

            As the two of them walked away, Rina snuck behind a tree and onto the fallen house. She took off her backpack, grabbed the blue teddy bear, smiled at it, and then placed it into her backpack. [End music]

~ City of Celestia – central park ~

            Warren was taking a straight path down a narrow street with Forrest. Forrest, however, ran all over the place. He ran left and right, past Warren several times, pretending he was shooting enemies with his BB gun. [Music 9.2]

            “Pew pew! Take this! Take that!! Nyahahaha!!” He began choking on his own saliva.

            “Mister Winter, are you alright?!”

            “Aiy… agh… I’m okay! I was um, pretending that the enemy got me!”

            “That is a relief. I thought you were choking.”

            “This hero never chokes!” He laughed. “Hehe! I remember the last time I played ‘hero’ with my friends… It was back in Kyrie before any of this happened.”

            Warren stopped the moment he saw the park. “What was it like having to play with friends at a young age?”

            “Huh? Um… It’s fun. Well, for me, I didn’t have any parents. None of us did. We just played when we felt like it, but Jess sometimes forced us to read from the libraries. She thought ‘normal’ kids had to study and go to school. Still, it was really fun with them!”

            “Don’t you wish you could do that all the time?”

            “I guess, but I’m getting older. I have to take care of bigger things in the world like stopping Master Magnus.”

            Warren looked away. “Mister Winter, it is best to cherish your moments and elongate your time with your childhood friends as long as you can. When you grow older, you will find that having the amazing child life would be impossible to return to.”

            Forrest shrugged. “Eh, it’s okay! I’d rather be an adult!”

            “But…” Warren did not want to argue with him.

            “Don’t you feel the same?”

            “I…” Warren looked up into the sky, “wish I could be a child again.”

            “When did you start your adventure with Hazel??”

            “When I was nine, almost ten years old.”

            Forrest grinned. “That’s three years younger than me.” He noticed that Warren seemed to lack a childhood compared to Forrest. “Oh, I get it!”

            He ran towards both the sand and a swinging airship for children to ride. “Warren, come here!”

            “What? Why?”

            “Have you ever tried riding these?!”

            “N-No. I have never seen such machinery.”

            “It’s not a machine! It’s just made of… um… something I don’t know of and I don’t care. Come sit on it! This is a child’s favorite ride!” [End music]

~ City of Celestia – Old Damascus’ Bar ~

            Leo and Viola headed to the closest intact building they could find. Leo checked the sign at the top. ‘Old Damascus’ Bar’… [Music 33.1]

            “Do you drink?”

            Viola shrugged. “Not much.”

            “I wonder if the wine here is good. If you don’t want to drink, you don’t have to.”

            “I will drink. However, is the alcohol here any good after seven years?”

            “Some are still good! I hear the Golden Banana Steams last for over a decade!”

            Viola yawned. “Alright. It’s time I needed a relaxation anyway. The Gammel army never lets you rest.”

            Leo laughed. “You’re on!”

            Ten minutes later, Leo began spinning around the chair inside the bar.

            “Another, another!” He said. He pushed the cup onto the table but it leaned over. Viola paused, unsure if she should pour another shot into his cup. “It’s okay. This is only our eighteenth one! Are you feeling dizzy yet?!”

            Viola grinned. “I don’t feel anything. I think we should have you refrain from anymore alcohol intake.”

            Leo placed his chin onto the table. “Awwww… Don’t be such a meany weeny…”

            Viola chuckled. “You are a silly man.”

            “This reminds me of the time when I started drinking… Bahah…”

            “Oh?”

            “Yeah…” Leo started frowning as if he was almost bi-polar. “My parents, even royalty, argued almost every day. My dad never had time for his wife nor for myself and my mom thought he was too busy focusing on his job to protect the city. I was only a young teenager at the time and I started drinking early.”

            “How illegal of you,” She joked.

            “Heh… Well, I drunk my heart out until they were not in my mind anymore. I couldn’t stand their bickering.”

            Viola looked into her shot cup. “But no matter how much they argue, there must be a reason why they stayed.” Leo stopped and listened as she went on, “They argue for a reason – to compromise and find the best optimum way to love each other. There is a reason why they have not separated yet, and that is because they love is strong enough to connect the strings that they banded together.”

            “Yup. I wonder what it’s like to have parents when you are an adult… I sure wish they were here, you know? I still had lots to ask them.”

            Viola chuckled. “Teenagers and young adults have the most amount of curiosity, I presume.” [End music]

~ City of Celestia – Celestia’s Research Center ~

            Hazel clapped her hands together. [Music 17.1]

            “Yes! A library from the Celestian city!!!” She began to squeal.

            “Geez, old woman. I’ve never seen you so high-pitched before. It’s kind of disturbing.”

            Hazel turned around. “You don’t understand. You get to learn about the world’s society even through ancient history! And the science behind what people call ‘Obsidians’ and their connection with the Avians is just purely stimulating!”

            “YAWN. I still don’t see what’s so fun about research.”

            “What I’ve learned about the Avians… is that they’re born with the ability to use magic.”

            “So what?”

            “You grew up with magic, so it feels like nothing interesting. From a regular human like me, it is fascinating to see magic being used.”

            Rina shrugged. “You’re just like Professor Nell. She’s so nerdy about these kind of things, you know?”

            “I took an interest to these kind of these when I finished my journey. I began asking myself questions like ‘why did this happen?’ and ‘why did that happen?’ I started to put the pieces together and realized all of the artifacts that led to my adventure twenty years ago. Having to learn about what the Celestians learned must be breathtaking.”

            “Celestians?”

            “The proper and polite term of ‘Obsidians’.”

            “So Lydia is actually a Celestian… That’s pretty interesting.”

            “Right?! Now, help me find the section about the Avians! There must be a reason why they co-existed with the rest of the world before and why they started hiding themselves in the floating city!”

            Rina thought about it carefully. “Hm, that’s true. I’ve never really thought about why we started living in a floating city or how it even came about. Maybe it’s time I should look into my history.”

            Hazel giggled. “I knew you liked research!”

            “Sh-Shut up!” Rina blushed. “It’s not research. It’s ‘learning about my own history’.” [End music]

Mysterious Artifacts

Hazel: Ah! Here it is.
Rina: What did you find?
Hazel: This book takes us back to 1000 years ago.
Rina: What makes you think that?
Hazel: There are a lot of things in this picture that I don't recognize.
Rina: What the heck are people even wearing?
Hazel: There are these large brown pole with strings attached.
Rina: And their names? What do they do?
Hazel: The caption says... unidentified.
Rina: Er... Do you think Celestia is hiding something?
Hazel: I believe all major cities are hiding something.
Rina: Really...
Hazel: Or at least, the ones that have lived for 1000 years.
Rina: We need to find out what this means.
Hazel: Right!

~ City of Celestia – Seablue’s Eatery ~

            Lydia held out her hand towards a building in front of Felix and herself. “Behold! My family’s favorite restaurant!” [Music 35.1]

            Felix gasped. “A restaurant?! Whoa!”

            “What’s wrong? It’s like you haven’t seen a restaurant, silly!”

            “I-I know. I’ve seen plenty on our journey. We barely had any at the village so it’s interesting to see an actual place where people can just sit and eat stuff that other people make for you.”

            “Oh… I’m sorry.”

            Felix laughed. “N-No, it’s fine! What’s it like inside?”

            Lydia held his hand. “Come on, let me show you!”

            They ran inside. Felix was blushing at the fact that she grabbed his hand instead of his arms.

            Inside the restaurant, Felix picked up a glass cup. “You know, we just drink out of wooden bowls in the village.”

            “That sounds really nice actually. Living in a village, you all must know each other well.”

            “It’s not that great, really. You do something wrong and then…” He began to mock an old man’s raspy voice, “They all come to git ya!”

            Lydia began to giggle. “Hehe! That’s so funny, Felix. City life isn’t that great either.”

            “But you have money to eat at a restaurant like this?! That’s so awesome!”

            “Well, when a family is too lazy to cook, they just come here and eat together. We go almost often, with this place being the one we go to most. It’s just not as satisfying having to eat food made by others than by your own family, you know? You get more of that home feeling when families are closely related. Dinner at home – you get to bond with your family with the food you all make. In the city… it’s less personal.”

            “Were your parents close to you?”

            “Oh yeah. The times when they’re not talking to me is when I’m at school for seven hours per day.”

            “Whoa! School lasts that long here?!”

            “Of course! Lucky you though. You get to stay with your family and bond with them more often… You must have… loved them so much by now.”

            Felix tilted his head. “What? Don’t you love your parents too?”

            “I do. But, I wanted to love them more. I wish I could love them as much as I could before it was too late. But, I know they wouldn’t want me to dwell into that too much. I bet they want me to find new things to love, you know?”

            “I get what you mean, heh.” There was an awkward silence. “H-Hey, Lydia?”

            “Hm?”

            “I just… well…” Felix stumbled and Lydia stared at him.

            Lydia suddenly realized what he was thinking. “UH- UM, AHAHA! Let’s go! I think it would be an hour by the time we get back! HEHEHE.” She ran out the restaurant and Felix gasped. He followed, hoping she didn’t realize anything. [End music]

~ City of Celestia – Lydia’s house ~

            After said hour, the entire group made their way back safely. Well, Leo was busy vomiting in the bushes nearby. Everyone else looked happier than when they split apart. [Music 4.2]

            Forrest and Warren were the last to return due to the fact that there was no clock nearby to alert them to return within an hour. It’s interesting as to how these clocks lasted seven years considering they required batteries.

            “Hi!” Lydia waved. “Did you two have fun?”

            Forrest opened his arms. “Yeah! There was this huuuge park, and, and, and! It was amazing!! There were rides like space ships, giraffes, and even a giant bunn-“

            “Don’t speak of that part!!” Warren shouted.

            Lydia and Felix began to laugh together.

            Rina smiled as well, but it was more of a smooth and warm smile. “I got to learn about the Avians’ history. My parents… have gone through more than I had ever imagined.”

            “It was nearly fantastic!” Hazel said with her jumpy voice.

            “Excuse me?”

            “The learning process, not what happened!” Hazel corrected herself. “We even took a few books if that is okay.”

            Lydia nodded. “Well, I’m sure our people would love to educate others from all around the world, so they wouldn’t mind a few borrowings.”

            Viola patted Leo’s back. “I suppose we had an amazing time too.” She continued to smile while Leo kept vomiting and emitting disturbing noises.

            “How is she so calm?” Rina said with disgust.

Unidentified Islands

Forrest: Hey, hey! Guess what I saw.
Felix: What?
Forrest: Underwater islands!
Hazel: Hm, that is quite normal. Just, in Celestia, you see it more.
Lydia: It is said that Celestia used to be ten times larger.
Hazel: Over the centuries, the tide risen.
Lydia: Exactly. I heard there were very interesting treasures buried there.
Forrest: Why haven't people dug them out?
Warren: I assume we do not have the right equipment to dig underwater.
Hazel: This could be connected to the strange objects from 1000 years ago.
Felix: That sounds really creepy. What could have existed that we don't know of?
Hazel: You would be surprised at how much we don't know.
Warren: Perhaps we have lost some information along the way.

Hazel: Perhaps. But, I am prepared to find it again.

A Pre-Victory to the Success

Felix: I just want to say that it's great to talk to you all again.
Forrest: What do you mean??
Felix: We are like one big family when we journey together.
Lydia: Mmhmm! We separate a lot so it's hard to bind together at once.
Viola: I thank you all for allowing me to join the conversation.
Rina: Nah, don't worry about it. You are a part of us now.
Forrest: Yeah! It takes a lot for Rina to trust people.
Leo: I knew Viola was trustable all this time.
Hazel: Oh shut it. You just want her.
Leo: Wh-What?!
Warren: One important thing to know is that we work together.
Lydia: Right! We are going to stop Magnus, whatever it takes.
Leo: The final battle must end here!
Felix and Forrest: Yeah!

            Lydia turned to Hazel, “So, we’re pretty much done here and there is no sign of Magnus. What is next?” [End music]

            Hazel checked the map. “I guess Phar-“

            “No, no, no, perfect timing actually,” A voice said from afar. There was laughter following his statement.

            Everyone turned to him. [Music 39.2]

            “Magnus!” Everyone yelled besides Viola.

            “I cannot let you soil my own research on the Obsidians!” He yelled with a demonic voice, a voice that sounded as if two people were talking. He appeared to have semi-long, spiked out hair that flowed down to his shoulders. One eye was a normal black color, but the other was highlighted in red as if he wore brand new contact lenses. Magnus' face was covered in black scars, shaped like tattoos. He had wings, but they were dried and bat-like, some scathed in visible bones. He had a torn cape and light armor.

            The ground began to crackle. The aura around him caused him to float upwards and slide everyone back. Rina tried to cast a lightning magic but it just bounced out of Magnus’s aura. Hazel tried to attack with her bow and arrows but it only broke her arrows.

            “That man… He has gotten too powerful!” Viola shouted.

            “Duh! Since the time I left Lament, I had the ability to teleport here in an instant and intake as much Obsidian energy as I could from the remaining corpses and waters! By the way, I kept some with me. I guess I don’t really need… THIS anymore.” He took out the half-broken red shard.

            Lydia gasped. “The last shard!!” She tried to step forward.

            “Nuh-uh-uh! I’m not going to be like those dumb people who use it as a hostage and hope you do what I say. I’m going to…” He squished the shard and it shattered. The pieces fell to the ground and he stepped all over it. “Soil it! Disintegrate to pieces!”

            Rina tried to remember what ‘red’ meant. “The Love shard!!”

            Lydia’s eyes opened widely.

            Forrest was on his bottom. He frowned. “You mean Lydia can never love again?!”

            “HOW DARE YOU!!” Rina tried to cast earth magic, followed by wind, water, and fire. Nothing was working at all. They all just bounced off his body. Rina tried to save her lightning magic, or else she would have been exhausted sooner.

            “What are you going to do now, Obsidian?” Magnus scoffed at her. “You are weak without all the shards!”

            Lydia closed her eyes. “Why… Why?” She wanted to cry. “This can’t be happening! Why on Rhadessia would you do such a thing to people like us?” She suddenly thought about it carefully. “I can’t take it anymore!” She covered her face for seconds, tearing up. Master Magnus only watched with a smirk on his face. “No…”

            Instead of having trouble standing, Lydia stood tall and proud this time.

            “You’re wrong. I’m not weak.” She said angrily. “I’ve made it this far. I got six shards with the help of my friends, but I didn’t really need the shards to be who I am. I realize that I have been the original Lydia all this time ever since I left Bafuul. All my friends, the people standing here, Ekaja, and everyone else…! They taught me what love is all about!”

            “What?!” Magnus shrieked.

            “Love comes from the heart, not from the mind. What you just shattered was my mind’s interpretation on what love should be. However, all of that was taken away and I had to learn love through a fresh start. These friends… they taught me what love is really about. Love happens when you would go out of your way and sacrifice yourself to save your friends. Love is when friends laugh together, journey together, trust each other! If your bond is strong enough, then…!”

            Everyone began to smile, except for Magnus of course.

            The entire ground below Magnus began to crackle apart. “You are starting to piss me off! You think the power of love can fix anything?! Then take THIS!!!!” He opened his palm and shot a large ray of light towards Lydia.

            “Lydia, NO!!!!!” Felix shouted. He used all of his might to stand up. This time, he didn’t think about blood, gore, nor death. All he wanted, no matter how painful it took, was to protect Lydia from the ray of light. With barely any time left, he quickly made his way to stand in front of her. [End music]

            “Felix?!”

            Felix had his arms open in front of her. He turned around to smile at her, “I’m sorry, Lydia… It’s just that I…”

            The ray of light struck Felix and both he and the light disintegrated.

            Lydia could see him vanish quickly, but it seemed so slow in her eyes. She could see his tears before he had disappeared.

            “I’m sorry…” She heard him one last time.

            From what Lydia saw, everything else around Felix became pitch white. She could see a teardrop run down his cheek with a condescending, sorrowful smile. She could tell he was disappointed in himself for not being able to protect her without sacrificing somebody along the way. And just like that, he vanished. She blinked again. “Felix? Felix!” She looked around. “No…! FELIX!! Where are you?! NO, NO, NO!!!”
            “Mr. Felix...?" Forrest's heart sank. "Mister... Felix???" [Music 39.3]

            “Hahahaha! Did the power of love save him? I don’t think so! Now, is it going to save the rest of you?” Water began to appear from between the ground. Some other parts looked like the abyss. Water poured in and Forrest could barely see that the stream of water was leading into an eternal nothingness.

            The ground began to split between the remaining seven group members. Lydia fell to the ground. “No…!” She watched as Celestia was being obliterated to pieces this time. It felt like a rewind to her, only this time much worse.

            Forrest began to cry and Rina panicked. Warren tried to grab Forrest but the ground below himself was pushed upward by several feet above. Viola grabbed onto Lydia, the person sitting closest to her while Hazel held onto Leo. The rest were isolated into their own little island of dirt. They all began to call for each other, but it was too late. They were being sent too far apart from each other. Lydia was crying as well. She only sat upwards, not knowing what to do anymore.

            “Face eternal damnation, little runts! My true strength begins now! Gyahahaha!”

            The entire ground around them shattered and everyone was slowly making their way, falling into either the abyss or the ocean.

            “SUFFER! SUFFER, LITTLE KIDDIES! HAHAHA!! AAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!” [End music]

[Ending 3 music]

~~~

On the next episode of The Obsidian Tale, everyone separates completely. This is by far a lot worse than the two separate groups of volume 2. Now, we will have to deal with everyone living on their own after a whole month timeskip. The story will shift to Lydia alone, as the main character. She questions if she is able to handle the future on her own without her friends. Will she be able to do it on her own? Find out next week!

~~~

<- Go to Episode 38 - A Reason to Live

Go to Episode 40 - Solitude ->

Website is now ahead of schedule!

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

Today, I went to the memorial to visit my dad's grave and send him my wishes. We will have steak, to remember the times when he enjoyed it most.

As of last night, I decided to post episode 38 almost on time, and episode 39 a week ahead of time! Some characters have been updated for episode 39 so there are spoilers here and there if you read the last paragraphs. The music list shows spoilers as well. My next duties for this website is to finally draw Magnus (revealed as of episode 37) and Opening 4!

Anyway, see you all next time!

Episode 38 - A Reason to Live

The Obsidian Tale

Episode 38

[Opening 3 music]

[Click here for a larger image resolution]

~ Lament – castle’s throne room ~

            The main group of six, along with Lionel and Professor Talbot were the only people remaining by the throne room as requested by King Nora. Queen Nora also stood next to him. There was a moment of silence in the room after the other civilians left.

            “Rina Nora, daughter of the royal kingdom of Lament, you are subject to dismissal, permanently.” [Music 34.1]

            Everyone was startled by the blunt statement. Felix opened his mouth. “What are you saying, sir?!”

            Rina said nothing in return.

            “Rina had yet again made another promise to fulfill her mission and save the city. The only result was partial destruction and the death to our beloved daughter.”

            Felix gritted his teeth. “She was only trying to help! You can’t blame her for everything. Blame me instead! I didn’t stop Clyde in time!”

            “It’s okay,” Rina interrupted him without having to yell. “I deserve this punishment. I already told him to trust me while the battle was still going, and I clearly messed up, again and again. I’m going to do what he says and leave for good.”

            She turned around.

            “But you’re their daughter too!”

            “We no longer have a daughter,” the Blood Raven said in disappointment.

            Rina was facing the ground, but she did not cry. She continued to walk towards the exit and the rest of the group followed along. Felix wanted to yell even more, but he knew now was not the time.

            By the exit, Rina stopped. Without turning around, she began to speak, “The battle against Magnus is not over, King Nora.” She did not even say ‘father’ this time. “I will SHOW you that I can stop him and keep my promise. While you sit back and selfishly protect your own little kingdom, I’m going to continue journeying through the world with my friends- no, my family, and stop this man once and for all!” [End music]

            She raised her left arm, clenching her fist with pride. Everyone in the group gave a light smile. With that, she finally took a step out of the castle. King Nora made a slight gasp at how she gave no respect at all. He watched her feet step out of the doorway, as if he would never see her again.

            Queen Nora watched with partial guilt, but like usual, she did not speak up against the two of them. Rina was being exiled, but she accepted it.

~ Mirror Lands ~

            Throughout their walk down the pathway of the Mirror Lands, the group made sure not to say much. They wanted to respect Rina’s space on their way out of the city. Lionel and Professor Talbot continued to walk with them.

            As the pathway began to disappear, Rina looked up at the fading city of Lament. The gate was disappearing and the wind blew past her face. 

            “Hey Rina?” Felix tried to grab her attention. She did not turn to him yet. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for yelling at you when we were going into the city.” She still said nothing. “I should have never called you self-centered nor should I have blamed you for burning my backyard. In a way, you saved my mom actually. I was just angry, that’s all…”

            “Suspenders,” She said sternly. “You really are a dumbass.” She turned around with a laughter. The group wanted to laugh with her. [Music 5.1]

            Felix scratched his head. “Hah, I’ll take it!”

            As the nine of them arrived at the shore towards Taujiko, they noticed that the two ships were still there. One for the main group, and one from the Gammel army’s arrival after them. Two people were also by the ship: Viola and Floir.

            The main group made an abrupt stop and Lionel gave a smirk. “Heh, so you decided to come back down with us, eh?”

            Floir turned around. “Yes, it appears you all made it safely.” She gave a cold eye towards the group, especially Forrest. “Don’t think just because half of the lieutenants have turned away from the army, that we can be friends.”

            Forrest stuck his tongue out. “Bleeeeh, I don’t want to anyway! You kidnapped my friends before!”

            Floir felt guilty, but she said nothing about it. “Lionel, Talbot, we are leaving!”

            Viola said to her, “You three go first. I will find you in Taujiko.”

            “Oh?”

            “I need to speak with the others for a bit.”

            Floir stared at her for a while, and then she suddenly whispered something into Viola’s ear. Viola constantly nodded which made the rest of the group slightly nervous.

            Lydia gasped. “Wait, why can’t we journey together? Aren’t we going after the same goal now?”

            Lionel had his scythe ready for combat. “Nah! I mean sure, but I’d rather not have you guys get in my way from all the glory.”

            “Master Magnus is our responsibility. You must stay out of it at this point. If you would like to request the return of the last shard, just know that only half of it remains. There is no point in getting the shard.”

            Professor Talbot fixed his glasses. “We’re not going to turn a blind eye against it, however. It’s just no longer our priority. This battle is no longer about the Obsidians. It seems they have a newer source of energy to branch out of.” [End music]

            “Branch out of?” Hazel repeated.

            “Think of the chemical Obsidian energy as a little sapling within Clyde and Bailey’s bodies. Eventually, they will sprout and become unstoppable demons. With just these two, they are easily capable of tampering with the world of Rhadessia.” [Music 14.2]

            Felix panicked. “What?! This is my business too. I need to stop Clyde.”

            “M-Me too! Bailey is still out there somewhere.”

            “Do what you wish to do,” Floir said with her stern, strong voice. “However, you must not interfere with our mission.” She headed into the ship with Lionel and Professor Talbot.

            Rina glanced over at Viola. “Where were you this entire time?” She asked with suspicion.

            “Just helping around the castle during the battle, that’s all,” Viola replied calmly. “Now, are we going or not?”

            Leo ran up to her. “Of course we are!”

            Warren ignored Leo’s excitement while the rest of them rolled their eyes. “So,” Warren said, “where shall we go next?”

            Viola giggled. “So far, we have no leads at all as to where Master Magnus is, but it would deem obvious to go to the original source of Obsidian energy.”

            Hazel checked the map and Lydia spoke up, “That would be the Holy City of Celestia. It’s closely west from here but we would have to walk across a few more shorelines past Mishu.”

            “What’s Mishu?? It sounds like yummy mashed potatoes,” Forrest commented.

            Lydia giggled. “It’s just a holy church for those who decide to pilgrimage between Taujiko all the way to the cold lands. It hasn’t been used in decades ever since the segregation between the tribal community of Taujiko, the Avians, and the Obsidians. Not that many regular humans from the outer areas of the world walk through here.”

            Rina looked slightly uncomfortable, but she was not in the mood to complain this time.

            With Felix noticing, he decided to speak for her. “Um, wait… Viola disappeared without telling us when we needed her in battle, and then she comes out of nowhere down here?”

            Forrest followed along. “Oh yeah, that’s right! She could be a meany liar!”

            “Felix!” Lydia said with surprise.

            “Er… I’m just saying!”

            Viola shrugged. “I’m going to walk to the city of Celestia either way. We’re just taking the ship back together.”

            “I believe Viola. I’m going with her too,” Lydia claimed. “I don’t know when she left while she was with you all, but it doesn’t matter now. Floir’s quest is the same as ours, so Viola should have no obligations against it.”

            Hazel and Warren said nothing. Leo easily agreed with her. [End music]

~ Taujiko – southeastern area ~

            Returning to Taujiko, the tribal village, the members there began to feel uneasy again. The chief had rudely thanked them abruptly right before ordering them to leave in an instant. [Music 34.4]

            Lydia was in front of the group. “Chief, I would like you to keep watch after your villagers. There is a dangerous man on the loose and we don’t know where he is.”

            “He’s probably sneaking up on you right now,” The chief said. “So get out before you start affecting us too!”

            Lydia grinned. “I just wanted to suggest some help.”

            “We don’t need your help! I’ll do things myself.”

            “I’m tired of this place,” Forrest complained. “It’s filled with mean people. Everywhere is filled with mean people on these islands…”

            The chief rolled his eyes. Lydia dragged Forrest along.

            “Come on. We don’t need to spend more time here, okay?”

            As the group of eight went along their journey, the chief noticed both Hazel and Warren. Hazel gave him a glance and the chief panicked a little.

            “We saved your village once before, so show some respect,” Hazel said before leaving. The entire little village was silent after the parents had recognized her face.

            “Bleeeeh!” Forrest stuck his tongue out. [End music]

~ Taujiko – western shoreline ~

            In between Taujiko and Mishu was the shoreline but the water was about four feet high. Both places were almost out of their eye range now, so they were stuck by a land of nothing but nature. [Music 38.1]

            Rina took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air around her. Hazel suggested that they should wait until the tide cleared so they could walk further.

            In the meantime, Leo and Warren helped search for food while Rina quietly worked on the campset’s fire. Felix and Forrest kept watch all around the camp. Hazel was busy with her mapped-out tactics sheet.

Guard Duty

Felix: *Sigh*
Forrest: I can hear you from all the way over here.
Felix: Oops... It's just so boring standing around.
Forrest: I think so too. I remember when we would always run away.
Felix: The eastern continent made my heart race every time.
Forrest: Remember when we used to run from the Gammel army?
Felix: It's different now. Now WE are the ones chasing after somebody.
Forrest: Hey Felix...? Do you think our group changed?
Felix: What do you mean?
Forrest: Is Rina going to be sad forever?
Felix: Hm... I doubt it. She just needs more time.
Forrest: The old Rina was scary, but I miss her...
Hazel: You two are talking too much! I cannot plan our trip like this!
Felix: I-It looks like we have another Rina underway...

            Lydia watched everyone take on their own roles. Viola sat by a tree furthest away from the group.

            “Viola?” She said, walking closer to her.

            “Hello.”

            “Why are you sitting way over here?”

            “I wanted to give Rina some space.”

            “How thoughtful of you, hehe. Well, it’s only a bit longer until she will be back to normal. Things are a little rough right now for her.” Lydia watched as Viola began sharpening her lance with a nearby rock. “Can I ask where you were at Lament?”

            Viola paused. “After hearing the announcements, I ran off to look for Lieutenant Floir. I wasn’t sure what she wanted to accomplish, so I had to find her without telling anybody.”

            “That’s it?”

            “You thought I left to worsen the Obsidian energy effect with Clyde?”

            “For a second after hearing you left without telling the group, kind of. Eheh…”

            “Reasonable claim,” She said. “I would have done so if the lieutenants have not talked to me sooner.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “After the incident in Bafuul, the three lieutenants you saw earlier talked to me about Master Magnus’s suspicious plans. From then on, we pretended to help him in order to find out what he really wanted. Now, things have been made clear.”

            “Why don’t you tell the group about all this?”

            “They believe what they believe. If they do not trust me, I will not force my voice upon them by arguing. If I tell the truth, they wouldn’t believe me either way.”

            “I mean… you’d be telling the truth though.”

            Viola chuckled. “Yeah.”

Skin Versus Armor

Lydia: So how are you feeling?
Viola: It's too hot by the fireplace.
Lydia: You're literally barely wearing anything though.
Viola: It's armor. Makes things very hot.
Lydia: I-I don't know if it could be called armor at this point.
Viola: Why not?
Lydia: The point of armor is to protect yourself from wounds.
Viola: And?
Lydia: But you're showing so much skin. You could get hurt!
Viola: My willpower is good protection. Is my personality an armor?
Lydia: I mean, if you put it that way. I just-
Viola: I will put it that way. Thank you for the suggestion.
Lydia: Eheh... You're so kind yet you always think outside the box.
Viola: There is no box.
Lydia: ...

            “About what you told me back at Bafuul…”

            Viola suddenly looked uncomfortable.

            “I’m sorry. I’m going to check if Rina is alright. Stay safe, Viola!”

            “Will do.” [End music]

            After nightfall, the group of seven banded together and Viola was still sitting by the tree. Lydia asked Viola to sit closer, but she hesitated. Instead, Lydia grabbed a few lettuce-wrapped chicken and headed over there herself. [Music 20.1]

            Forrest raised his hand. “Let’s play duck, duck, goose!”

            Warren frowned. “I never liked that game! I always lost.”

            Leo glared into Forrest’s eyes. “Truth or dare?”

            Forrest shivered. “N-No… You look like you are gonna ask some mean questions or make me do something really bad.”

            “How about a survey-themed game?” Felix asked. “Something that can help us get to know each other a little more.”

            “Like what??” Forrest turned to him.

            “Hum… Our greatest fears?”

            Hazel pointed at Felix. “If you want to play that game, then you start.”

            Felix sighed. “Darn it… Fine.” He thought about while the rest of the group began eating their dinner filled with chicken, carrots, and potatoes. It was almost like curry, only without the base…

            “I would say seeing people die. They try their best to live on every day, but there is always that one day when-“

            “Ahem,” Hazel said, turning over to Rina.

            “I-I mean… uh!”

            Hazel interrupted him. “I personally do not like disorganization, just like how Warren was when he was younger.”

            Warren gasped. “Hazel, please do not bring that up!”

            Forrest laughed. “Bahah! And you are scared of bunnies, huh!”

            Leo nudged Forrest by the arm. “I bet you’re afraid of Rina the most, right?”

            Rina suddenly gave a small chuckle. She knew he was right anyway.

            Hazel said to Leo, “And you’re afraid of unsanitary things. How expected.”

            “H-How dare you!”

            Forrest licked his finger and then he poked it into Leo’s hear. “I gotcha!”

            “That’s dirty! Stop that!”

            Hazel snapped her finger. “Exhibit A!” [End music]

            Felix, Forrest, and Warren all laughed together. Felix noticed that Rina was trying to laugh as well. “Hey, what’s your greatest fear?” [Music 1.4]

            “I dunno, really,” She shrugged. “I guess… when people touch my backpack? Heh.” She still had her backpack on even though there was nothing to hide anymore. “I have it close to me because it was the only remnant I had left when I snuck out of Lament the first time. Now, I have this necklace too.” The necklace’s reflection glimmered with the moonlight above.

            “Ooooh… It looks cool!” Forrest ran up to her. “Can I see it?!”

            “Get away,” She panicked. “It’s Faris’ necklace!”

            As Lydia returned, she said to them, “Viola prefers to stay over there.”

            “Oh, well um…” Felix said awkwardly. “Is she okay with that?”

            “Yeah. That’s what she told me.”

            Leo stood up. “I shall sit next to her!”

            Hazel pointed her arrows at him. “Sit down. We must give her some space.”

            Forrest and Leo began to hug each other in fear.

            “She’s really gonna do it!” Forrest cried.

            “I second that assumption!” Leo added.

            With further laughter, the group of seven sat together around the campfire, telling humorous an adorning stories about their past. It went on for a few hours, and Forrest and Warren fell asleep first. The rest of them continued to talk about random discussions about the world along with their opinions and such. It was a night for them to finally bond and get to know each other a little more. The only person missing from this group was Viola who still sat by the tree.

The Cold Attempt

Leo: It's cold out here.
Hazel: I know what you're trying to do.
Leo: Huh?
Hazel: You're hoping Viola would offer herself to help warm you up.
Leo: What?! N-No! I wouldn't manipulate her that way.
Rina: Right.
Leo: Rina?! Why are you agreeing at a time like this?
Rina: What?
Hazel: I knew it! You just want Viola all for yourself!
Warren: You scoundrel! The horrid!
Leo: Now you two are just messing around.
Felix: When Forrest is getting sleepy, they pick on someone else.
Leo: And I am runner-up?! I thought you were next!
Felix: What's that supposed to mean?!

            Late at night, the entire group fell asleep. Lydia sat up after Forrest accidentally pummeled his hand onto her back. He must have been sleep-punching. Rubbing her eyes, Lydia noticed that Viola was gone. [End music]

            She quickly stood up and headed over to the tree. There were footsteps leading close to the shore behind several other short palm trees.

            Following the footsteps, she noticed a small waterfall connected to a tiny lake with abandoned wooden bridges that have been cut down from decades ago. There Viola was, showering herself in the lake.

            “V-“ She stopped the moment she heard sniffling. [Music 23.1]

            “Mother… father…” She said to herself. “Why did you leave so soon? Why did you leave me with gruesome decisions at such a young age?”

            “Is she… crying?” Lydia thought to herself.

            “At the same time… I thank you. I have finally found my people.” She began to look up at the sky as if she was speaking to her parents, “I know what to do now. Like that young, kind girl told me, I have to decide my own path.”

            Lydia could barely remember what she had told Viola back at Bafuul.

            “There is clearly a distinction between right and wrong, regardless of who you side with. You should know the difference and decide your own path.”

            Then, she thought about what Viola had said.

            “You side with those who have been there for you since the day you started becoming lonely, and that’s because you feel like you owe your life to them.”

            “It doesn’t matter if the group does not accept me,” Viola said. “Being around them and watching people like them put on a smile even through the vilest mission makes it all worth it. The lieutenants in the Gammel army treated me well, but I felt as if they only did their job of taking care of me, rather than love me for who I am.”

            “Love?” Lydia repeated in her head. She had to ask herself over and over: what is love?

            “The biggest thing I feared throughout my entire life is now over. I am no longer alone, mother, father!”

            Lydia made a gasp. She had no idea that this was her sole reason for joining the group. It wasn’t because half of the lieutenants began to work on the same goal as the main group here. It was because Viola took a liking to what Lydia had told her in Bafuul, and considered joining the group instead. Having Lydia trust in Viola no matter how much has happened between the army and the main group must have triggered Viola.

            Lydia gave a smile as she quickly headed back to the campfire. By the next morning, the group planned to head over to Mishu once the tides lowered, and that it did. It was only a partial distance to Mishu now. [End music]

~ Mishu – temple entrance ~

            The group of eight finally arrived at Mishu. The only thing in front of them was a large temple, two times the size of an average church. The building was about three stories high but it was just made as one large room. Mishu’s temple still looked fine and unchanged, except for the dust that has been piling up for the past several years. [Music 21.1]

            “Cream-city brick,” Forrest mentioned. “Just like Ouli Brye!”

            Leo patted Forrest on the head like a young pup. “Looks like someone did his homework.” He yawned. “It may be using the same material as Ouli Brye, but it’s not my kind of place. Where are the bars?”

            “Well, at least we know what kind of person you are,” Hazel commented.

            Warren shivered. “Did Mishu have bunny monuments just like those from Taujiko?”

            Lydia pointed at two of them at the front. “It’s like these central islands pray to their sacred bunnies.”

            “Ergh…” He said, feeling uneasy.

            They began heading into the temple.

~ Mishu – inside the temple ~

            Inside was a large tree that had grown from the center. All around it were broken chains that used to bind the tree together. Usually, these trees would be shaven periodically, but due to its abandonment, it grew too much and struck through the temple off to the sides and windows. Sunlight peered through the broken glass windows and a few birds flew in, chirping.

            “It’s so soothing in here…” Lydia commented.

            “Why was Sushi created?” Forrest asked.

            “Mishu,” Rina corrected. “You could at least be close to the name.”

            Hazel knelt down, touching the old cement. “From what I remember, Mishu was a place for those who believed in their own religion and prayed for prosperity between the Obsidians, Avians, and humans. It was probably abandoned after people had lost hope from the genocide.”

            “Correct,” Viola finally spoke by her own will. “The Temple of Mishu was deemed as one of the most sacred places in the world. Due to the genocide… people in the central lands have stopped their pilgrimage. The people of Taujiko already disliked other humans, but it worsened after realizing what we have done.” [End music]

            Forrest hid behind Leo, pointing at Viola. “You killed those Obsidian people??” [Music 30.2]

            “I was supposed to,” Viola said quietly. “Seven years ago, I was only fifteen. They tried to force me into the battle as my first mission of the genocide.” She headed towards the tree, watching the birds feed their babies up above a nest. “I couldn’t get myself to kill a human being. My parents always nurtured me as a regular girl, but the poison that expended out of the Village of Saradeli twenty years ago caught them. The virus was within them and they were slowly dying, much like a death sentence.”

            “That’s horrible…” Lydia said.

            “Twelve years after that, I turned fourteen. Both my parents had passed away at almost the same time interval, and that’s when I found the Gammel army in Vector. They trained me for a year and thought it was appropriate to test me in a battle against the Obsidians. Professor Talbot had a sensor and claimed only one Obsidian was alive, and that she could have either gone north towards Phardia, or southeast to Taujiko.”

            Felix was most interested in the story. He began putting the pieces together from what Rina and Lydia had already explained about their past.

            “Lieutenant Floir was like my step-sister. She ordered me to search for her. She knew this mission was too much for me, so she decided I had to chase the easiest target – a little girl. I knew Lydia was the Obsidian the moment I saw her in Taujiko, but I pretended I saw nothing and went back to my quarters to claim I saw no Obsidian. It took seven years, and them finding out about the Obsidian living in the Meadow was out of my control. I could have lied back then and claimed that I slain the Obsidian, but they had a tracker. As those seven years passed by, Lieutenant Floir went on the search without me, partially looking down on me throughout those years. Still, I stayed loyal to her because the Gammel army took me in as their own, and fed me as their own.” [End music]

            Rina gave a sigh of relief. [Music 38.2]

            Lydia turned to the group. “See? She never meant to kill anyone. She only did what she could do. She didn’t tell us this sooner because you all would have thought the story was bogus during the time when all of the lieutenants were against us. Nobody would listen, so she saved her breath until a moment like this.”

            Hazel laughed. “Hah. I had a feeling she was trustable, but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. Sometimes, Viola, you don’t need a reason to join a group. You do it because you enjoy company.”

            Viola gasped. “How did you know…?”

            “I sense everything and know everything. Do not underestimate my deductions.”

            Viola began to cry. She covered her mouth, surprised that she was being accepted at last.

            Even Rina shrugged it off. “Eh, I guess I was wrong about you after all. If what you say is true, then I see you have subtly protected Lydia all this time. You deserve to be a part of us as another guardian angel.”

            “Everyone…” She could barely speak. She had tears of joy, uncontrollable for her to stop.

            The rest of the group gave a smile. The mother bird from above a tree bark continued to feed her children. [End music]

[Ending 3 music]

~~~

Next time on The Obsidian Tale, the group of eight make their way to the City of Celestia. At least, they will enter the city that was once the prologue from the first episode. We will learn the full story and experience of what happened to the Obsidians seven years ago. As the group splits into pairs, they will bond and learn more about each other. However, a terrible fate may be coming soon...

~~~

<- Go to Episode 37 - Angel Wings

Go to Episode 39 - The Obsidian Tale ->