Episode 8: The Grieving Cleric
After restocking on supplies and guiding the hero out on the main road, she started down the winding path to the southern checkpoint, fighting off red jellies and Loveslugs all the while. Then, she turned south down the checkpoint's road, noting the destroyed bridge on the way down the path. She had barely gotten halfway across when she ran into a Sandshrew with a tiny bow and a mushroom-like being.
More easy peasy enemies... Maya sighed. Evil Shrooms aren't too bad if you don't let them put you to sleep. But she gasped as the Evil Shroom sprayed a pink mist at her party, putting the mage to sleep. Great--the mage is the only one with a permanent Pokeflute, and one use ones are expensive... she grumbled as she selected "Flute of Waking" from the hero's item list.
"Wake up, sweet prince!" the hero commented as he retrieved a small flute-like instrument make of blue crystal and played a short little melody, waking the mage. The Sandshrew archer fired an arrow at the hero, followed by the evil shroom attacking. The mage then knocked both enemies down, defeating them.
"Vul pix." Raye growled at the TV screen as the scene of the hero on the overworld returned.
"That's right, Raye, good riddance." Maya smiled as she grappled with fuzzballs. Once the fuzzballs were defeated, she took a left down another path when she saw a small village in the distance That must be Kyndale... She took a moment to admire the simple stone houses with thatched roofs and a large ornate house dotted around the area, with shops clearly marked with their respective icons.
Just then, two boys surprised the hero and the mage as they walked inside town. "Halt! Who goes there?" one demanded.
"We're--" the hero started.
"Don't waste your breath! I can sense bandits coming a mile away!" the boy bragged.
"But we're not--" the mage started to protest.
"This is for Lord Lucas!" the boy called before motioning to the other boy. "Come on, Jefia, let's get'em!"
"Yessir!" the other boy replied.
"I hope they realize we're stronger than they are..." the hero sighed as he drew his blade.
Just as the scene swirled into battle and the battle music began, it was suddenly cut off by a record scrape as an older female voice interjected "What on earth are you two doing? Stop this at once!"
The scene returned to the two boys whirling around to notice an older woman standing behind them. "Have you forgotten your manners? That's no way to welcome travelers!" she scolded as she whacked the boys on the head, sending them to the ground in a swirly eyed daze.
Annoying brats are unable to battle! Old lady wins! Maya smiled over the shot of the two swirly eyed boys.
"Furthermore, didn't Lady Dawn ask you two to do something for her? This is no time to play!" the woman continued.
"I forgot!" Rubei protested.
"Then you'd better run along before Dawn finds out!" the woman replied.
"Yipe!" Rubei whimpered as he and Jefia hurried away.
The old woman then approached the hero and the mage. "My deepest apologies, both of you--those two don't mean any harm...yet our village has been through a lot as of late. Ask around and you'll see."
"Strange...it looks perfectly fine to me..." the mage noted.
The old woman smiled. "There's nothing wrong with this place, mind you...please, make yourselves at home."
"I thank you for your kind offer of hospitality." the hero smiled as he sheathed his blade and motioned for the mage to follow him, putting Maya back in control.
That big house must be where the clerics of the village live... Maya thought as she guided down the hero down the path south to the large house, passing some shops and a save point by the inn. Let's go in there!
With that, she breezed past what clerics were milling about on the first floor and wound up the house's ornate staircase and up to the second floor. The cleric nearby began "This village is always led by two high clerics--and with Dawn recently losing her partner, Lucas, I am having to serve with her and the other clerics until a new partner for her can be found."
Ooh, plot point! Maya smiled as she approached a sage clad in an elaborate white robe with gold and silver woven among the blue and green trim. "I am Sage Nikeru, leader of the Order of Hikari, the highest ranking order of clerics in Feras. I came when I heard Lady Dawn's partner Lucas had been called home by the Goddess."
Oh come on--what's wrong with just saying Lucas died? Maya thought.
"How well is Dawn coping?" the mage asked.
"She's taken the loss very hard--she loved Lucas almost like a brother." Nikeru replied. "In fact, she has confined herself to her chamber to grieve, and asked two boys to guard her door. I can only pray that the Goddess wrap her in the comfort only She can give."
The hero gave a respectful bow. "If you can speak to her, tell her she has our deepest sympathy, and that we both are willing to support her in her time of loss." The mage nodded in agreement, ending the cutscene.
Maya suddenly noted Rubei and Jefia guarding a door to a room across the hall. That must be Dawn's room. she thought as she approached the door.
"I'm sorry about before, but that won't be enough to let you in here." Rubei explained. "Lady Dawn explicitly told me not to let anyone inside." Maya sighed as she began exploring the house's other rooms, picking up what items she could find. Yet when she entered the food storehouse, she saw a Rattata skitter across the floor, surprising the hero and the young cleric shuddering atop a chair.
"Eek! Don't scare me like that!" the young cleric gasped. "There's a Rattata in here! I hate Rattatas!"
"Shall I set a trap for you?" the hero offered, seconds before the Rattata ran into a hole in the wall.
"Oh...Lady Dawn's room is on the other side of that wall! I dread to know what would happen if she discovers that Rattata!" the young cleric shuddered.
Geez, it's only a Rattata... Maya sighed as she guided the hero to the hole in the wall and examined it.
This hole is just large enough for a small Pokemon to fit... the game began. Send Pikachu into the hole?
Oh yeah, the mage has a Pikachu! Maya smiled as she selected YES. Let's see what's in this little hole!
"Okay, Pikachu...go see what you can find!" the mage cooed as he set Pikachu on the ground, where he skittered inside the hole.
Once Maya was in control of Pikachu, she guided him down the stairs, through a maze of human feet, up a broomstick, and across a stack of books before she noticed a piece of paper on the dask by the books. This letter seems to have Dawn's writing on it--take it? Maya selected YES, then retraced her path back to the hole.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu smiled as he offered the letter to his master.
"A letter?" The mage was piqued.
"What does it say?" the hero asked.
The mage carefully unfolded the paper and began to read. "To whoever finds this letter...please understand that I am sorry to cause even more strife and suffering on top of that which we have already suffered. I am going to the Diamond Tower in the East to pray over Lucas' remains, and from there, find and punish the fiend that took him from me far too soon. Nikeru, I understand that the village needs me in this time of mourning, but this journey is meant to give me some closure as well. As a High Cleric, I must listen for and obey the will of the Goddess--and I feel She has called me do this. If I have strayed from the path of light, forgive me. And to Rubei and Jefia, I'm sorry for lying to you and beg your forgiveness too. With Her blessings, Dawn."
"Oh my..." the hero sighed as the mage folded up the letter. "I hope that her journey is a safe one."
"At any rate, the sage and the other clerics deserve to know what has really happened here." the mage added before the game put Maya back in control.
Maya retraced her steps downstairs back to Dawn's chamber. Rubei is adamant about not letting anyone inside...show him Dawn's letter? the game asked.
Cut the shocked reaction in three seconds... Maya thought as she selected "YES".
Sure enough, Rubei got a shocked look on his face as the mage read the letter again. "Funny...how could her Ladyship give you a letter if she's been in her room the whole time?"
"It sounds like the real thing..." Jefia added.
"Okay...I'll check her room...and if she's inside, leave this place and never return!" Rubei challenged.
"Deal." the hero smiled. He watched as Rubei gingerly opened the door and peeked inside.
A few seconds later, Rubei sputtered "Wha...she IS gone!" He raced back to the mage and the hero. "Lemme see that letter!" The mage handed the paper to Rubei, who studied it for a moment. "This is definitely Lady Dawn's writing...but if she really did go to the tower to pray, she might end up like Lord Lucas! This is bad...the tower's overrun by monsters now, and we have to do something!"
"If it makes you feel any better, would you ask Nikeru to open the way to the Tower?" the hero offered.
Rubei thought for a moment. "Okay...I'll ask the sage to open the tower door, but I hope you know what you're doing."
"Relax, I'm a professional." the hero smiled, ending the cutscene.
So next stop: save our third party member! Maya smiled as she made her way outside and back to the overworld, where she guided the hero down the left fork from the village.
To Be Continued....
