After over three to four weeks of lagtime, I managed to get everything done this week. Next week may be another post-poned week due to having an exam on Thursday, then taking a trip to Berkeley up north. It's possible to do my updates up there when I have the time, but we'll see how much alone time I get with my laptop.
At any rate, Opening 3 took two times longer than the first two Openings. You might notice a sliiight art change which is a lighting effect and background enhancements. Yeah, it happened. You can also find this image under the Extras tab. Anyway, here you go!
Episodes 27-33 will have a lot more talking than fighting, but it keeps the plot and character development going. I will admit that starting here, the updates will get more complicated. The reason is because as we are nearing having a full party of 8 people, I need to do a lot of character switching in the level grid and optional scenes. Enjoy! This is almost considered the second-half of the series where it gets REAL dark.
Forrest grabbed onto the greyish
fence. The rest of the group continued to examine the crisped harvest in
Felix’s backyard and Rina felt slightly disappointed that she ruined Mrs.
Wolfram’s hardworked garden.
“Umm, is there an entrance to this
thing??” Sydney rudely asked.
Forrest leaned over to check, but
the fence in front of him fell over. He took a step back. “Uh, I think I did.
Heehee…” He said to the group with a sudden frown, “It’s okay, right? I mean
the whole place is already messed up to begin with, so…”
“Forrest,” Jess interrupted him, “let’s
not talk about that.”
Hazel had her hand on her chin. “Hm,
so this is Felix’s natural habitat?”
“If you say it like that…” Lydia
sighed.
Felix and his mother appeared from
the back door.
Forrest ran up to him. “Mr. Felix!
Hi!”
Mrs. Wolfram was surprised to see
more than just Lydia and Rina. “Oh my, a whole party of friends. Felix, they
all traveled with you?”
Felix shook his head. “Yeah! I told
you everything about dad earlier, and the people involved in the story are all
here.” He noticed that Rina looked a little disappointed. “Hey Rina, you
alright?”[Music 2.2]
Lydia pointed at the burnt trees
nearby them. She tried to show Felix before he could speak any further.
He waved at Rina, “If you’re worried
about that, it’s fine! Although it sucks to have a ruined backyard, I’m just
glad to see my mom is alive and safe. I should thank you for stopping Lionel
back there.” Felix tried to cheer her up, but Rina still turned away.
“I would make a nice meal for
everybody, but it looks like I don’t have enough ingredients.”
Rina changed the subject, “Can I ask
you something?” Mrs. Wolfram waited for the question, but Rina stumbled a
little. “How did you get set free from that crazy guy? Lionel, right?”
“Oh, that boy! He is very precious
and kind.”
“What.” Felix and Rina said at the
same time with a disgusted taste in their mouths.
“After you two left the village, the
tree was collapsing from the fire. Instead of running for his life, he grabbed
onto my arm and forced me to run away from the tree with him. At first, I
thought he was going to take me hostage, but he checked if anybody was around
first. After no one was nearby, he let go of my arm and suddenly stormed off.
In a way, he protected me.”
Rina gasped. “No way. You mean he
set you free?”
Felix felt a little uncomfortable.
“How can someone so crazy like him act like that?”
Warren laughed. “Ah, it seems not
all Gammel lieutenants are bad.”
“You’re only saying that because you
used to be one,” Hazel slapped his head. Warren immediately gave a puppyish
frown.
Rina noticed that the tree and the
crops were somewhat interconnected. “So that collapsing tree was on fire, and
it fell on your crops… I apologize, Mrs. Wolfram.”
“It is fine, deary. The D’Alonzos
returned and are now probably fixating a nice amount of ingredients for the
surviving families. They have already completed a grave for those who have
fallen and our next goal now is to build a large crop field that is shared for
everyone instead of having our own individual fields.”
Forrest jumped. “Oh boy, those
people are here?! Leo, let’s go find them!”
He began tugging onto Leo’s coat
again. Leo waved to the group, “I guess we will be on our way for now.”
Sydney whined. “Aw, why do you two
get to go? I wanna go!”
“Me too, me too!” Spencer yelled.
Jess held onto Leo’s hand. “May I
join?”
“Of course! The D’Alonzo parents
would be glad to see you all!”
Hazel said to Warren, “Aw, it looks
like Leonardo is being a great father. Warren, aren’t you older than him? What
are you doing with your life?” She joked.
“Hazel, please!” Warren whined.
Felix scratched his head as he began
discussing a more important matter now that the children were gone. [End music]
“Hey everyone, I need to talk to you
all about the four kids traveling with us.” The group became serious as he
continued, “I’ve had a great time with them all, and it has been the best when
they were around. But, I feel that it won’t be safe for them if we take them
with us.” [Music 26.2]
Lydia remembered their conversation
back at the Grandine Hillage’s bridge. “So, this is where we part ways with
them…”
Felix nodded. “Yeah, and I think it
would be for the better. They originally didn’t have a home, and the Village of
Saradeli can be a safe place for them now that nobody would be here to
infiltrate. There is nothing to infiltrate after all. And, they’ll be protected
under the D’Alonzo parents. At the same time, they can do normal productive
things like helping the village instead of going on an army-war at such a young
age.”
Warren thought about it carefully.
“I did like them around.”
“Tsk, tsk,” Hazel followed, “one
thing about having an orphan of children, I would have to agree with Felix.
They may brighten up the mood, but in the long run if they are not protected,
there will be no more of that.”
Lydia was disappointed. “It would
hurt to say goodbye, but I’m sure they would understand.”
Rina shrugged. “Bummer. Kinda wanted
at least that little runt to come along especially because he’s easy to pick on,
but I guess you’re all correct here.”
“When do you think we should tell
them?” Felix asked.
Mrs. Wolfram answered him
immediately, “I believe it would be best if they all got comfortable here first.
It is almost noon, so let’s give them a whole day to relax and see what’s
better for them. I would give them longer, but I know you have to leave as soon
as possible to find your best friend, Clyde.”
“Right, that would be a good idea,”
Felix said. “Thanks, mom. For now, I think we should all just wander around and
relax. I’m sure a day won’t hurt.”
“An entire day?” Hazel questioned
him.
“Erm, yeah… It seems a bit long and
hopefully the Gammel government doesn’t get much done, but this is for the childrens’
sake.”
“And the last shard?” Rina added.
“With that extra day wasted, it would be enough time for Clyde to give it to
whoever is next to do research on it. Furthermore, the shard will be used too
much, just like what happened to the sixth shard at Troiya’s laboratory.”
“What about the sixth shard? What
happened it?” Lydia wondered.
Rina jumped. “Oh- Uh, nothing!”
“That’s also true though…” Felix was
stumped now. “We need to hurry and get that shard.”
Lydia giggled. “It’s alright, Felix.
We can wait for that. I feel fine!”
“Are you sure, Lydia?” Rina began
examining Lydia’s facial expressions. “Are you sure you feel fine?”
Lydia blushed. “Um, yes?”
Hazel waved goodbye to them.
“Alright, let’s not make this anymore awkward than it is. I will check out the
village. From what I remember, it was very different, no?” [End music]
Warren followed her. “That’s right!
We traveled almost everywhere. It’s time to see what is new here.”
Hazel stopped. “Mrs. Wolfram, care
to join us?”
“That would be absolutely wonderful!
Having to wander the village with nice people my age - oh how I’ve missed
that.”
Lydia said to Rina and Felix, “Let’s
go our own way too. Just like the original trio!”
Rina pointed at Felix, “Since when
was he a part of our group?”
“Hey!” Felix pouted.
“Relax, Suspenders. I was only
joking.” [Music 5.2]
Lydia began to giggle. “I miss the
bickering between you two.”
“It’s all her fault!” Felix yelled.
“Oh quit your whining and let’s go,”
Rina concluded.
City Activities
Rina: This place really gets uglier every time we come back. Felix: We've only come back once. Lydia: Don't worry! The D'Alonzo parents will patch things up, right? Rina: Eh, villages were never my thing to begin with. Felix: What is your thing? Rina: A city, so I can blow stuff up. Lydia: I think a town would suit me better... Felix: I prefer a quiet village... Rina: Come on, in a city, you can do all sorts of things. Lydia: That's true... Rina: Setting trees on fire, splashing water on people, and with ground magic- Lydia: That's not what I was thinking about!
The Enticing Woman
Hazel: This village has all sorts of vintage and other intricate things. Warren: The beauty of it comes from the natural heart. Mrs. Wolfram: Why thank you. However, it lost its glory over time. Hazel: All you need are more tenants. I know just the thing. Mrs. Wolfram: What would that be? Hazel: You need some sort of enticing woman. People buy things easier that way. Mrs. Wolfram: Goodness! I don't think that would be right. Hazel: I know just the perfect person~ Mrs. Wolfram: Mrs. D'Alonzo and Ekaja are not available! Hazel: I'm talking about someone else~ Mrs. Wolfram: M-Me? *blushes* Hazel: Warren Oxner! He would make such a beautiful lady. Warren: Miss Hayashi!!
~ Village of Saradeli – central district ~
Remember the markets from the very
beginning? At the moment, the entire district was being renovated by only two
people, and those are the D’Alonzo parents. There were many wooden planks
sitting all over the ground from about a half to a full mile apart. Leo and the
four children finally made their way to the market district to find the
D’Alonzo parents working together to build a wooden rooftop that was halfway
finished.
“MISTERS!!!” Forrest called out.
Mr. D’Alonzo was astonished as he
fell from the rooftop. His face fell flat on the ground and Mrs. D’Alonzo
laughed without feeling any concern for his safety.
Forrest patted his head while the
poor middle-aged man was covered in dust.
“It’s nice to see you again,
mister!”
Mr. D’Alonzo looked upward and he saw
both Forrest and Leo, along with the three other children.
“Whoa there! Why are you two back so
soon?! I was hoping you would pay a visit after
we have finished.”
Ekaja was also there. She gave
Forrest a welcoming hug. “It is nice to see you, young one.”
Spencer and Sydney wandered off to
the side, admiring an unfinished fountain of a beautiful stone woman, almost
representing Lady Pria.
Mrs. D’Alonzo jumped from the
rooftop as she landed on her husband’s back.
“Agh!!” He shouted as Mrs. D’Alonzo
strutted her way to Forrest and Leo.
“You two seem healthy still,” She
complimented them. “So, where is Lydia?”
Leo shrugged. “Eh. Behind us
somewhere. The entire group stopped by to visit Felix’s house. We heard you
came here safely and decided to rehash the entire village.”
“Correct!” She shouted. “It’s going
to be wonderful. Look at our blueprint of the whole village.” She handed them a
rolled-up sheet. “Ekaja is also going to make a bunch of awesome tribal stuff
for us. As you can see, this village will be a free space for everyone.”
Forrest stole the blueprint as he
opened it, not knowing that it was going to be several feet long enough to
accidentally cover his whole body in paper wrapping.
“Uhm,” Leo stared at the blueprint,
“I had no idea it would be this long.”
“Oh please, this is nothing! The
both of us are well-known carpenters of the village. This is the exact reason
why we went out on a voyage! We wanted to find the most pure material we could
find, and somehow extract it and bring it back to the village. We had hoped to
build lots of great monuments with new material outside the village, but I
guess we have to start all over.” [End music]
Sydney tried to carry a ten-pound
slab of brick in front of her. “These are… so heavy!!”
Spencer began touching a few. “There
are so many different kinds!” [Music 4.2]
Mr. D’Alonzo finally stood up,
pampering his pants from the dirt. “As most of the brick is made of clay, we
have gathered different types of material from all over the world.” He carried
one and placed it close to both Spencer and Sydney’s face, “This one here is
considered the cream-city brick. It’s light-beige and works well for cities as
bright as Ouli Brye and a few temples far west from here.”
Sydney poked it a few times.
“Heehee, it looks a lot like the brick buildings from Ouli Brye!”
Jess knelt down as she tilted her
head closer to one of them. “This one looks as if it belongs to Kyrie.”
Mrs. D’Alonzo added to her
assumption, “Ah, yes. That is the classic Clinker brick.”
Mr. D’Alonzo carried another, dark
blue brick, “This is the Staffordshire Blue brick! It’s one of my favorites. I
think I will rebuild my home with it.”
Leo walked towards the wooden planks
that they first saw when entering the district, “How come you have these wooden
pieces after having such great material to build homes?”
Mrs. D’Alonzo answered him, “Well,
we wanted to keep parts of the village authentic and organic as possible while
bringing in new stuff.”
Forrest ran over to the female
figure by the new water fountain. “Who is in the middle? She looks familiar!”
Mrs. D’Alonzo laughed. “Oh really?
We do not know of her name, but she is this mysterious spirit that my husband
and I constantly saw throughout our journey. She is everywhere but only in
holy-like areas such as the Aria River and even when we toured to the Frolix
Volcano.”
Mr. D’Alonzo began jumping around.
“OH, I made her with copper material! Isn’t she beautiful?!”
Mrs. D’Alonzo ran towards him while
holding up her hand to slap him. They began running in circles. Ekaja held onto
a wooden piece, thinking about building a tipi. She was not concerned about the
D’Alonzo’s fighting as it was common and hysterical at this point.
Leo glanced closer at the statue.
“This quite resembles Lady Pria… I’ve seen her in a recent book.”
Forrest gasped. “Now that you
mention it, she looks the same as the lady I saw at the forest south of Kyrie!”
Mrs. D’Alonzo stopped and her
husband continued to run, thinking she was still chasing him.
“You two have met such a spirit as
well? And here I thought, she was rare to find. We wanted to make this statue
as a special gift to her. If she only appeared in holy areas of the world, then
she must be a spirit from above, giving Rhadessia hope for the future with
nature and love.”
Jess picked up the lightest brick
nearby. “Mr. and Mrs. D’Alonzo, may I request to try and help?”
Forrest grabbed a piece of wood and
the other two children followed. “I wanna make houses too! This looks cool!”
Spencer tried to carry the lightest
brick but it was too heavy for him. Even Sydney could carry one.
Leo carried a wooden slab. “We can
spare a few minutes. The rest of the group is probably still wandering around.”
Mrs. D’Alonzo was amazed. “Goodness,
you want to help a bunch of carpenters?! That would be marvelous!”
Jess bowed to them. “Anything for
amazing parents who vowed to recreate an entire village. You deserve a lot of
support and care.”
Mrs. D’Alonzo squealed. “Awww!!
Ain’t she a sweetheart, hubby?!” She turned to her husband and he was still
running in circles with fear. “Er…” [End music]
Lack of Safety
Forrest: Leo, Leo! Catch! Leo: WAH! Don't throw that! Forrest: It's just a giant rock... Leo: JUST? Ergh, at least throw something smaller. Forrest: I'm sorry... I just want to play. Leo: Oh alright. Just this once, since you weren't given this kind of childhood. Sydney: Spencer, catch!! Jess: NO, no, let's not copy them. Sydney: Why not? I want a childhood too. Jess: Let's just draw on the floor or something. That's safe. Spencer: Ouch! This crayon snapped and it flew against my glasses. Sydney: Now both your lenses are broken! Jess: Okay, I guess nothing is safe...
Past an hour, the four children were
becoming exhausted from their labor work. Leo stopped halfway through the hour
and Forrest questioned his laziness, but Leo complained more about the
dirtiness that came with labor work. After all, he was used to royalty and
staying the most sanitary as he could back in Ouli Brye’s castle. [Music 5.1]
Sydney pulled onto her sticky
sleeves. “Aw… I’m getting sweaty all over. Is there a place to wash our
clothes??”
Mrs. D’Alonzo was on top of the roof
again with her husband. She continued to hammer in a nail to the wooden rooftop
while Mr. D’Alonzo held onto the plank nearby.
“You want to find a place to wash?”
She asked as she continued to hammer without looking.
“OW!” A voice yelled right next to
her.
“I have an idea,” She ignored the
voice. “how about I come down there and show you to what was left in the
marketplace? They have new clothes for you all, and it looks a little fancier
than those clothing sacks that you have on.”
“Honey, stop!”
“Right after I’m done hammerin’ this
stuff, I’ll come down right now!” As she stopped hammering, she turned to her
husband, “Whoa,” She noticed his red, bruised hand. “You need to stop messing
up on your job or else you’re going to hurt yourself even more.”
Mr. D’Alonzo clenched his teeth.
“Damn it! It wasn’t my fault!”
In the meantime, Jess was at the
edge of the market district to find more places to create new buildings. While
thinking carefully about what to do next, she heard a few steps from nearby.
Jess had her hand close behind her as if she had a weapon, but she never really
had one to begin with – or so it seemed. [End music]
“Who is there?”
The bushes began shaking and Jess
focused her eyes on it. “Come on out!”
A small rabbit began bouncing out.
Jess sighed. “Phew… Wait until
Warren sees this, heh.” [Music 30.1]
Suddenly, a larger figure flew out
of the bushes and Jess quickly pulled out her rapier from behind her cape. Both
the figure and Jess clashed swords with each other.
Jess almost fell on her back, but
she was leaning as far back as she could. “B-Bailey?! What are you doing?!”
Bailey was struggling with her.
Quickly, Bailey jumped away and the child tried to keep control. “I’m sorry.
I’m sorry…!”
Jess gasped. “Wait a minute. Did
you… consume Obsidian energy?!”
Bailey knelt down, coughing. “I
didn’t want to… but I was forced to take some while I was asleep.”
Jess tried to run up to the child,
but Bailey gave a slash with a sword in mid-air. “Don’t come any closer. I
don’t need your help!”
She noticed that Bailey was in more
pain than what was already shown back at Bafuul. That grim face was more
demented than usual, and you could almost see the darkness in between Bailey’s
eyes.
Bailey began to calm down. The poor
child began to smile awkwardly. “I’m fine, see? Nothing is happening to me, so
it doesn’t matter.”
“No… There was something in you just
now. You need to have your inner wounds mended, Bailey!”
“I said I don’t need any help!”
Tears ran down Bailey’s eyes but Bailey was laughing hysterically at the same time.
Jess gave the most disappointed face
she had ever given since leaving Kyrie. “It was my fault. I decided to respect
your boundaries by leaving you at Bafuul since you wanted to stay, but instead…
your body worsened with Obsidian energy. What have I done?”
Jess began walking closer to Bailey.
“Will you let me at least talk to you up close?”
“Wh-Why?”
“Because I prefer not to talk
several feet away if we’re going to have a normal conversation like this.”
Bailey looked away. “I-I didn’t come
here to talk.” Jess stopped. Bailey continued, “I was asked to spy on the
village. Master Magnus saw a ship flying northeast of Bafuul and he wanted
soldiers to check all the places that were northeast from the prison.”
Jess was getting really close to
Bailey. “So they asked you to spy on us?”
“Y-Yeah. Yeah they did, they did!” [End music]
Jess suddenly hugged Bailey, “I
appreciate that you are telling me the truth.”
Bailey gasped out loud. “A hug? What
are you doing?!”
“We are friends, and this is what
friends do. I am glad that you are alive.” Jess used her other hand to sheath
her rapier weapon. “There was no need for this weapon.”
Bailey frowned. “You had a weapon
with you this whole time while at Bafuul?”
“It is true. I never wanted to use
it in front of our friends because I didn’t want to be a bad influence. I
wanted them to grow up with a normal life as best as possible.”
“Our
friends?” Bailey repeated.
“My friends are your friends,
Bailey.”
Bailey had nothing more to say,
except the child returned a smile.
~ Village of Saradeli – east district ~
Minutes later, the two youngsters
sat by a water mill that helped flow water in between two broken buildings. The
two of them could see water soothingly flow down a stream, the same stream that
Lydia and Rina first saw atop a hill when they visited the village for the
first time. They were also nearby Felix’s secret abandoned stash room when he
first saw Rina. [Music 30.2]
“I saw one!” Bailey pointed at a
fish flop out of the water and back in.
The two children began to giggle
together.
“It’s nice that you chose to spend
time and sit with me, Bailey.”
Bailey turned to the village market
district, “Are you sure they won’t get mad at you for slacking off?”
Jess shook her head. “They never get
mad at me. They always think I’m doing something responsible, and I still am.”
“You are?”
“Talking to you is really important,
Bailey. I’m sure the group would understand if I wanted to get to know you
more.”
Bailey blushed. “Me? Why me?”
Jess turned her head upward to feel
the cool breeze pass her face. “Because, the group really likes you. Forrest is
concerned about you just as much as I am, but it’s different with him. He
constantly wants to take you with us, but you keep disagreeing.”
Bailey said slowly, “I need to serve
the Gammel army. No, I want to. They adopted me as their own when I had nowhere
to go.”
Jess grinned. “What was your life
like before meeting the army?”
“Not much. Every day, I wander
around and hope to find leftover food at Lake City Prima. It was a smart idea because
there are a lot of rich people there who just waste and waste! I never had
these things you call ‘parents’, so I had to do it all by myself.”
“Do you know what happened to these
parents of yours?” Jess kindly asked.
“Not really. I had trouble figuring
out how people are even born. I had to read children’s books at public
libraries just to find out. At first, I thought we were like chicken and that I
came out of an egg. Hehe!”
Jess laughed along. “That is so
funny.”
“I know. It’s even weirder that… I
couldn’t remember anything much seven years before today.”
Jess’s heart skipped a beat.
Somehow, she started sensing that Bailey could have been involved in the same
incident as herself and her friends’ group back in Ouli Brye.
Bailey turned to her, “Huh? Are you
okay?”
Jess coughed. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”
“There you are, Jess!” Forrest
called out from behind.
Bailey quickly stood up, noticing Forrest was standing in clear sight.
“B-Bailey?!” He shrieked. “Cool!!
You’re here too?!”
“N-No I’m not!” Bailey quickly
stormed off. “I have to go, Jess!” [End music]
Jess tried to reach out for Bailey.
“Wait a minute, Bailey!” As Bailey disappeared, Jess stood up in anger.
“Forrest!”
Forrest took a step back. “Wh-What?
I didn’t do anything!”
Jess clenched her fists, trying to
control herself. “Never mind. Next time when you see Bailey, make sure to greet
that child with kindness instead of surprise. You made a surprise big enough to
scare Bailey off.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… But, what
was he doing here?”
“Bailey came here as a spy, but it’s
okay. We had a few talks and Bailey made sure to keep this a secret.”
“That doesn’t matter!” Forrest said.
“I have to think about the fortune of mine. It’s no fortune at all, but more of
a for-sure prediction on what will happen. I have to stop Bailey from staying
with the Gammel army!”
Jess remembered when Bailey told her
about consuming Obsidian energy. In time, Bailey could turn into a…
Jess shook the imagination out of
her head. “Felix can take care of Bailey. He will find Bailey. You can stay
here. It’s dangerous for you to go.”
Forrest stomped his foot. “NO! I’m going to save him! He’s the person
that I care about most. I realize that now!”
“Forr-“
“You just don’t understand!” He
suddenly ran off.
“Forrest, wait!” Jess stopped. She
made a panicking expression which she had never given before. At this point,
even she did not know what to do next in order to soften the situation…
[Ending 3 music]
~~~
Rolling onto the next episode of The Obsidian Tale, Felix's plan is now beginning. As the adults along with the teenagers begin to talk about their next phase against the Gammel government, they decide it would be best to leave the children behind where it's safe in the village. Meanwhile, Forrest is constantly complaining about how he must save Bailey. Will Felix be able to pull through with the plan? Find out next week!
Lydia and Rina returned to the
entrance of the Hollow Cavern, and Forrest also made his way back to the group
with Jess. When the group banded together, Spencer and Sydney begged to see the
upper cape at the other side of the short cavernous walkway. Everyone agreed as
a few minutes would not hurt Leo and Hazel. [Music 8.2]
Sydney pointed at the bed of purple,
pink, and yellow flowers in front of them. “Hey Forrest, Spencer, race you to
that field! Hehe!”
The three children made their way to
the flower bed. Felix took a step forward. “Jess, you’re not going to join
them?”
“It sounds fun to, but I like the
view up here already. I want to look over at the ocean a bit more. Care to join
me?”
Felix laughed. “Sure thing!”
Lydia and Rina stood next to Warren.
Well, Rina had to limp around actually.
“Lieutenant, you’re not going to
view the ocean?” Lydia asked.
“That would be wonderful, but my
duty is to protect all of you from anybody outside of our group. I will stand
here and watch the entrance to the cape, anything for those who have set me
free from the Bafuulian prison.”
Lydia examined the cavern. “Hm, we
don’t always need to protect ourselves from people outside of our group. You
should have fun and relax too, lieutenant!”
“Then I will. I already enjoy the
breeze out here anyway, madam.”
A Game of Tag
Sydney: Tag, you're it! Spencer: You always go for me! That's not fair!! Sydney: Because you're slow! Spencer: How mean! Forrest: Jess, Mr. Felix, join us! Jess: That is alright. You may play without me. Felix: You don't want to join them? Jess: I'm too old to play tag. Forrest: Isn't it because the last time you played, you- Jess: No, no! That's not it. Sydney: Are you sure it's not because you fell? Spencer: Face-flat on mud too, right? Felix: Really? Jess: Uh, um, I can explain...
By the edge of the cape, Jess said
to Felix, “Remember when I first saw you, I thought you were an enemy towards
my friends?”
“Yeah, eheh… You almost tackled me.”
“You’ve become much braver since
then,” Jess complimented him. “I think Forrest has grown a bit too, and I thank
you and the others for that.”
“No problem!” The two of them
continued to look at the ocean. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”
“Hm?”
“How come you’re very mature for
your age?”
Jess sat down at the edge with her
legs swinging in the air in front of the hilltop. “It’s simple. No one else is
willing to take care of them. I was subtly forced to become the leader of the
group. I knew I had to do something to protect them all for the next few years,
so I went ahead and snuck into the library every morning to read books and
learn civil lifestyles. I have to tell you, it was easy for me to learn because
I was quiet and already calm seven years ago when I met them all. My parents
offered to do yoga with them almost every day, and it certainly helped.”
“Where are they now?”
“That, I do not know. All eight of
our parents disappeared during the same event seven years ago, and I doubt that
they are alive. I just never wanted to tell my friends, and I never spoke of
it.”
Felix sat with her. “Why would you
think they are gone for good?”
Jess turned to him, “They are not
like your father. Our parents were incapable of fighting on their own. During
the event of their disappearance, I saw a few Gammel soldiers in South Ouli
Brye. Wouldn’t you find that a bit strange in a Lennox territory? I don’t think
the kids here remembered or noticed it. They haven’t put the pieces together
yet.”[End music]
Felix gasped. “Wait a minute, if
they took your parents…”
“Yes. I believe the Gammel
government had abducted as many parents as possible to make them test subjects
on Obsidian energy. The reason why I think they are gone from this world? It’s
simple. We have yet to meet any civilians like them who have turned into
ravaging beasts.”
Felix thought about the scientists
who turned into monsters back at the Troiyan laboratory. “O-Oh… I’m sorry to
hear about what happened to them. You are right. If they were alive, we would have
at least seen them as monstrous beasts…” [Music 20.2]
Jess closed her eyes. “But, that was
all seven years ago. It’s okay now, but I am afraid to tell the truth to the
children. They will find out someday if they keep meddling around with the
Gammel army.”
“Don’t worry. On the way to Vector,
we will take a visit to my hometown and I can ask my mother if she can take
them in. Are you also good with this idea?”
Jess agreed with him. “Why, of
course! I would take Spencer and Sydney along with myself. I can be the
supportive daughter to your mother if she ever needs help. Mrs. Wolfram was her
name?” She began to chuckle.
“Yeah! That’s awesome! But what
about Forrest? I wanted to bring him back to the village too.”
“I mean… you can try. He’s just hard
to persuade. I wanted Forrest to find Bailey.”
“We can persuade that Bailey kid to
come with us the next time we find him!”
“Are you sure about that?”
“It’s worth a shot. I just don’t
want Forrest to get into more trouble, and I promised him he would only join us
until we find a place for him.”
“I see… then I cannot fight back.
Safety is stronger than pushing the matter.”
Felix thanked her for being
accepting of his offer, and the two of them sat quietly together, still looking
out at the ocean.
Lydia's Inner Demon
Rina: Look at those annoying children having fun. Eugh. Lydia: Doesn't it remind you of us at the Meadow? Rina: No, because I don't throw shit like that damn broccoli head. Lydia: That's mean! Sydney's hair is not the shape of broccoli! Rina: What? Lydia: You insulted a little girl for the way she looks... Rina: I was talking about the broccoli heads lying on the floor. Lydia: O-Oh! *blushes* Warren: If you thought it was an insult to Sydney, surely you have thought it? Lydia: N-No, I don't! Rina: Wait a minute, Lydia. Is there something you're not telling us? Lydia: What do you mean?! Rina: Deep down, you're judging little girls! Lydia: I-I need to take a breather! Please let me be!
Meanwhile, Sydney began throwing
dandelions at the two boys. “Hehe! If I were to fight in an army, I’d use
daggers! Hiya!” She threw another flower at Spencer.
Spencer began crying. “Stop it,
meanie!”
Lydia stared at them. “Umm… is this
a good influence for them?”
Rina shrugged. “Who cares. We’re
never getting them involved in the government again.”
Lydia shook her head. “That sounds
like a better idea. Felix told me he wanted to take them to the village.”
“For once, I would agree with
Suspenders.”
Warren also agreed. “It is certainly
nice to have them around, but it is quite dangerous.”
Rina nodded. “Let them have their
fun for now, and then we can tell them later.” [End music]
~ Grandine Hillage – inn - lobby ~
After about thirty minutes, the
group made their return to the inn at the Grandine Hillage. By then, Rina was
feeling a lot better and more energetic to pick on Forrest in particular. Hazel
gave a slight knock onto Felix’s forehead, blaming him for taking their time at
the Hollow Cavern. [Music 4.1]
Leo came last to the inn and two
women were giggling behind him.
“Oh my, see you later, Leonardo~”
Leo blushed. “Um, sorry!”
Hazel turned to him. “What the hell
is this?” She gave a threatening glare.
“What the hell just happened?” Rina
questioned him with her snarky personality.
Leo laughed. “I see you’re feeling a
lot better, Rina! I assume you were at the Hollow Cav-“
“Don’t change the damn subject with
me! Those girls were flirting with you, weren’t they?!”
Leo scratched his head. “Ah… You
see, what had happened was that I went to look for you and I ended up trying to
find you in a bar. Then I asked this drunk group if they’ve seen you, and the
women ended up following me.”
“A ladies’ man?!” Sydney yelped.
Suddenly, a thought bubble appeared above her head, imagining Forrest becoming
a ladies’ man. Well, in her imagination, Forrest’s body was a lot taller,
built, but with the same exact childish face he has now. The thought bubble
suddenly popped and Sydney turned red. She hid behind the couch while
whispering to herself, “I will never let that happen!”
“Hazel,” Forrest said, “you didn’t
show us the bar yet.”
“Yeah, and it’s clearly because I
was touring a bunch of children.”
Warren panicked. “H-Huh?! Even me,
madam?”
“Yes, you too.”
Rina interrupted them. “Hold on,
hold on, hold on! What the heck? If you were looking for me, and then you
somehow ended up at the bar, that means you thought I would be resting up in a
bar! Just who do you think I am?!?!”
Felix began laughing out loud.
“Haha! It’s great to have the old Rina back!”
Rina blushed. “Wh-What? Oh shut it,
Suspenders!”
Lydia began patting Rina by the
shoulders, indicating that it was their way of appreciating her presence. Rina
tried to calm down. [End music]
Hazel tightened her bandana.
“Alright then, shall we head to Vector?”
“Wait,” Felix commanded. “I have a suggestion
first.” The group became quiet. “Can I take a visit to my hometown? It’s on the
way and it’s just southwest from here.”
Hazel unraveled the Rhadessian map.
“Sure, but you do realize that we have to go through a tunnel called the
Mago’Ria Fey, right?”
“Yeah, but what’s it like there?”
“Not much but a dark tunnel. It’s a
bit hard to see, so I advise some light with us.”
Rina smiled. “Sweet, I got fire
magic for this. I’m strong enough to use a small light sparingly throughout a
huge tunnel if I could!”
“Are you sure?” Lydia asked with
concern.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I
know my limits this time.”
Hazel headed towards the exit to the
village. “Good, then it is settled. We will pay a visit to the village south of
the Mago’Ria Fey. I have already said my goodbyes to the elder at the inn
earlier, so we are ready to leave. Any objections?” The group nodded their
heads left and right. “Alright then, let us go.”
~ Mago’Ria Fey – entrance ~
It was almost over an hour
throughout their walk after waving goodbye to the crashed airship. For the time
being, they had to leave the airship at the Opel Plains since nobody was able
to clear it out of the way, but in time, they could someday make a request to
take it away so that the animals would have more room to prosper. [Music 29.1]
Halfway through their walk, the
plains were no more and this time, there were more streams and rocky roads in
comparison. There were a lot more trees than there were earlier, causing a
sound of monkeys and other strange birds calling out to each other. It was
definitely noisier than the plains, just like any other place they have
traveled to before.
“Gee,” Forrest said, “it’s kind of
weird having to leave that quiet village after such a long time, huh?”
Sydney was walking next to him. “I
agree!”
Spencer coughed. “I’m so tired…”
Hazel placed one leg on a giant rock
in front of her beside the entrance to the Mago’Ria Fey. “We are almost there.
After this, we just have to cross a small river and we are at the village!”
As she reached the cavernous
entrance, Jess began to speak.
“Might I ask why this place is
called the ‘Mago’Ria Fey’?”
Spencer held onto Jess’s shoulder in
fear. “It’s such a weird name too…”
Forrest pointed at the strange moss
all around the cavern. “But how can you say no to a blue cave?!”
Hazel answered them, “Many years
ago, there was once a huge dragon that lived here with its babies. Soldiers
have killed the parental dragons and left the blue-blooded stains all over the
cavern to show their victory. But, nobody has ever crossed through this cavern
because rumors have it that their ghostly figures still exist within.”
The three children shrieked as they
hid behind Jess.
“I-Is that really true?!” Forrest
panicked.
Rina rolled her eyes. “Now hold on a
minute, dragons were never real. That story is crap.”
Hazel shrugged. “Alright, you got
me. I was just kidding.”
Lydia and Felix sighed together.
Warren had his arms crossed. “The
true story is that this cavern was used as an escape route for the village
twenty years ago. Do you know about the rumors of the poisonous goods being
shipped out of the village?”
Hazel added to his story, “We
eventually found out that the village was smuggling out poisonous crops, so
every city ended their trade with the village. The only open spot left was the
Mago’Ria Fey in which we stand on today.”
Leo also chimed in, “From the books
I have read at the royal castle in Ouli Brye, the Mago’Ria Fey is a type of
special blue-like poison used to ferment crops. It was spread throughout this
cavern, and someone with the power of magic helped seal it all away. You cannot
inhale the poison as the blue essence is blocked by a very thin shield of ice
that can never be melted away.”
Rina gasped. “You said someone could
use the power of magic like me?”
Hazel glared at her. [End music]
“I forgot the reason why,” Leo said,
“but there used to be a lot more magic users just twenty years ago.”
“Where did they all go?” Felix
wondered.
Hazel interrupted them, “Well, that
remains a mystery.” She gave an abrupt wink towards Rina. In return, Rina made
a quick gasp. “But,” Hazel continued, “I’m sure you want to head to the village
as soon as possible, no?”
“That’s true… I guess we should
hurry. I can’t wait to see my mom again!”
Lydia, Warren, and Jess gave a
smile, happy by the fact that Felix still focused on his mother. After that,
they decided to finally go through the cavern which was only about a good
thirty minutes of peace and quiet - kind of... Nothing went wrong, as expected from a
sealed cavern.
Too Many People!
Lydia: These flowers are so pretty!! Forrest: I wonder if we can eat them?! Hazel: Don't eat them!! Warren: RAAARGH! A bunny!! Leo: HAHAHA! Felix: There they go again... Rina: It's too damn noisy. Forrest: Let me go! I want to try it!!! Hazel: NO! Those flowers may be poisonous!! Lydia: But I touched one! Am I in danger?!?! Warren: Get them away from me!! Leonardo, support me!! Leo: But this is hilarious! HAHA! Felix: Should I just leave them alone...? Rina: Suspenders, you're too noisy!! Felix: ME?!
~ Mago’Ria Fey – southern exit - riverbed ~
Warren sneezed behind everybody else.
He usually found caves bothersome, but at least not as bad as bunnies. This
wasn’t just a cave to him, however.
“Did anybody else sense some weird
energy coming from that cavern?” Warren asked.
Forrest and his friends were totally
not listening because they were in awe from the riverbed in between the cavern
and the village. Felix was excited, already seeing a windmill behind a bunch of
trees.
Hazel turned around. “It must have
been the blue poison that is plastered all over the cave from the outside.”
“My mistake,” Warren said, “that
must be it then.”
Lydia crouched down closer to the
water. “Rina, remember when we were washed up into the village from the Meadow
using this riverbed?” [Music 5.1]
“Yeah,” Rina responded in a
nostalgic manner, “it was before we met everyone else.”
“Hehe, and look how far we’ve gone!”
Lydia said happily.
“Back to where we are, you mean?”
Lydia pouted. “I don’t mean
literally. I mean the adventure and the shards we’ve received!”
“Well, we still need one more
shard.”
Lydia stood up and then she shook
Rina’s shoulders. “Don’t you worry about that. We will get it in time!” She
giggled. “You know, I remember you used to be in such a hurry for those shards
and you always got mad at Felix for being so slow.”
Rina blushed. “Wh-What? I’m still
like that! I just got tired of complaining because he never leaves. And
besides, we have a bigger group now, so I can’t just easily ditch them all at
once.”
“I see,” Lydia continued to smile.
“I believe you~”
“No you don’t. I can hear it in the
tone of your voice!”
Forrest tugged onto Leo’s coat. “Hey
look, Leo! That ship is from the Donzo parents!”
Rina said from the other side of the
group, “It’s D’Alonzo.”
Forrest continued while ignoring her,
“I really wanna see them again! They were so cool!!”
“I’d have to agree. They are quite
some characters.”
Felix jumped on a few rocks up
ahead. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go! I can’t wait to come back
home!!”
Forrest followed him after. “I’m
comin’ too, Mr. Felix!!”
Sydney squealed. “W-Wait for me,
Forrest!” Spencer followed as well, and Jess took her time.
Once Rina, Lydia, and Leo headed
over, Felix became impatient to see his hometown. Warren insisted that he
should go ahead first and Hazel followed up with his suggestion.
Felix turned around as he hasted
towards the village. The closer he got to the village, the miniature fog
cleared and a few more trees were in his sight. Forrest, being his usual
energetic self, was right behind Felix throughout their race. Sydney and
Spencer were already tired.
“I’m home!!!!!” He yelled out.
Suddenly, he made an immediate stop.
Forrest crashed into him, falling on
his back. “Hey, what’s the big idea?!”
“What… what is this?” Felix question.
He was shaking and his eyes were wide open. He couldn’t move his body.
From what he saw, the entire upper
village (from where the group came from) was covered in ashes. Most buildings
had shattered rooftops and you could probably see the sunlight from inside the
house. It was quiet. It was like the eastern portion of the village when Felix
left: abandoned, just like how he remembered it.
“Mom, where’s mom?!” What if Lionel
really did murder her? He ran up ahead and Forrest pleaded him to slow down.
His shorts have gotten dusty from the fall.
Hazel, being the last of the group
to arrive at the sight of the village, said to them, “Oh my, is this what the
poisoned village has turned into?”
Lydia took a step forward to defend
the village’s honor. “No. Felix’s village was happier than this. When we first
got here, there were people proud enough to live here and they traded their own
crops with each other. Where is all that noise?”
Rina sighed. “The Gammel army. They
took over right before we left. It sucks to find out that this had to be the
result.” [End music]
Forrest turned around as he called
out to everyone, “We should follow him! It could be dangerous here for Mr.
Felix!”
~ Village of Saradeli – north district ~
“Mom!!” Felix arrived at the
backyard of his home. The trees nearby were charred down and totaled. The
entire garden was already in ashes and all you could see was dirt and blackened
vegetables. “No… Mom, please be okay!”
He jumped over the short three-foot
fence and then he rushed into the back door.
Entering his home, he noticed that
his mother was lying in bed. Felix barged into the living room and his mother’s
eyes opened in surprise. She had just finished taking a nap. [Music 14.1]
“You’re okay!” Felix was almost in
tears. He hugged his mother who looked slightly sicker than before. Her brown
hair had a few gray strands and it looked as if she barely had any sleep,
despite her having to take a nap a few seconds ago.
“Oh, dear! Felix, is that really
you?! Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine, mom. I’m just glad you’re
okay. What happened after I left?!”
Mrs. Wolfram gave a familiar giggle.
“Oho, you would not believe it. Half of the villagers… perished, and the other
half is still moping in their homes like I am, dear. We have lost the will to
grow our crops anymore and it seems most of us have given up. We are living off
of the remaining crops that we had before the intrusion.”
“I’m sorry for leaving. I’m so, very
sorry!” He started to wail into her small coat.
“Felix, it is okay. I wanted you to
leave, away from the dangers of the Gammel army. Halfway through the time you
were gone, two precious neighbors came for a visit.”
Felix quickly sat up. “Wait, the
D’Alonzo parents are here?!”
Mrs. Wolfram laughed. “You would be
surprised! They dropped by after the end of their voyage with some food and
material that they were willing to share with the rest of us. They… became
furious that we lost the will to work hard, so they’re somewhere in the village
right now, probably still thinking of ways to restore the village on their own.
I was the only one to try and help them, but I fear I have used too much
energy. So, they told me to take a rest for a few hours, and here you are.”
Felix stood up. “I want to help too!
We have to fix the village!”
“That would be wonderful now that
you’re back and staying.”
“W-Well, actually…”
His mother interrupted him,
“Speaking of the D’Alonzo parents, where is Clyde and the two beautiful young
girls that were with you?”
“M-Mom!” He blushed. “Those girls
are my friends, and they’re on their way here. I just ran off because I
couldn’t want to see you. As for Clyde,” He began talking slowly, he’s not with
us. He is still with the Gammel army right now.”
Mrs. Wolfram frowned. “It is a
shame…”
“Apparently, he has turned his back
on me and my friends, but I really feel that he has consumed Obsidian energy. I
learned so much on my journey, mom! The Obsidian energy is a risky source that,
if not mixed with chemicals properly, can mutate your mind and even your body!”
“Is that so?! Then Clyde…!”
“That’s what I’m worried about! That’s
why I feel like I shouldn’t stay for too long as I need to find him and then I can come home.” [End music]
Mrs. Wolfram was silent at first,
but she had to make a rough decision. “Felix, if you feel the need to go
especially to save your best friend, then you must. I want to stop you, but I
feel that I can trust you now. After all, my dear boy survived throughout a
long journey.”
Felix raised his fists. “Thanks so
much, mom! I promise I will come home in one piece!”
“I really hope so…?”
“Hehe, OH YEAH! There is something I
need to tell you about dad!”
~ Village of Saradeli – road to north district ~
After several minutes, the group
made their way to the homes at the edge of the village. Lydia tried to remember
which house was Felix’s, but most of them looked similar and Rina could have
cared less about his home when they first arrived, so the both of them could
barely remember.
Forrest pointed at one of the larger
gardens nearby. “Whoa, look at that land!”
Jess grabbed onto the grayish fence
that was once a lot whiter. “The harvest seems quite harsh. What exactly
happened to this village?”
Sydney agreed with her. “Yeah, it’s
like this place got burnt down. Look at those trees!”
Rina made a loud gasp as she
remembered back when she first left the village with Lydia and Felix.
A
large ball of flame flew past Lionel and it hit the trees behind the garden.
“Oh
crap!” A girl screamed from the rooftop. “I missed.”
Rina examined the harvesting field
with a grim face. She said to Lydia, but loud enough for the group to hear, “I…
did all of this.”
[Ending 3 music]
~~~
Next time on The Obsidian Tale, it's great to be back in the village! In this new mini-arc, we will have lots more character bonding. This time, we will get to see the revival of the village, at least the beginning of it. Felix, Lydia, and Rina seem to be doing well. Hazel and Warren continue to feel nostalgia about their past journey. And lastly, Leo, Forrest (and his three friends) are helping the D'Alonzo. But wait! There is a surprise character making a return? Find out who it is on the next episode!
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