Chrono Trigger: The Lost Force Chapter 4
A Meeting With the Dark Wizard
By Dragoon Taryn
701 A.D.
The Epoch blasted into 701 A.D., right above Guardia Castle. "Wow, I wonder which of my ancestors is living there now?" Marle wondered.
"Well, why don’t we go find out? Maybe they have seen the wizard," Crono suggested.
"Oh, that’s great! Thank you Crono!" Marle exclaimed as she gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
Crono blushed. "Cut it out Marle, I’m trying to drive!"
They landed in front of the castle and went inside. "Halt, who goes there?" the guards demanded, then had stunned looks on their faces. "Queen Leene! We are very sorry! Please enter."
"That is quite all right, just be sure that it doesn’t happen again," Marle said, trying to sound like royalty.
"Of course your Highness," the guards replied.
As they walked into the throne room, Marle giggled. "I had them fooled, didn’t I?" Marle asked the others.
"You certainly did," Robo agreed.
In the throne room, King Guardia and Queen Leene were discussing the recent destruction of Dorino Village.
"How could this have happened?" Leene sobbed.
"I have no idea, dear Leene. All I know is that some man wearing a hood burst into the Inn, demanding to know where their most powerful wizard was. When they said they didn’t have a wizard, he completely totaled the town," King Guardia calmly told her.
They then noticed that they had company. "You! Who are you, and how did you get in here?" King Guardia demanded.
Marle stepped forward. "We’re very sorry for busting in on you like this, but we’re looking for a wizard with a lot of power."
King Guardia sighed. "That would be the wizard who destroyed Dorino Village."
"We heard. Do you know where he went?" Crono asked.
"Some survivors told us that he headed East, either to Porre or Choras," Leene informed them.
"Thank you, your Highness. We’ll be on our way now," Lucca said as they left the castle.
Once outside, Marle exclaimed, "Did you hear that? The wizard is heading right towards Glenn and the others!"
"Don’t worry Marle. They’re all strong, they can handle him," Crono soothed her.
"In the meantime, we should call them with the communicator," Lucca suggested.
"Good idea," Robo agreed as he pulled out the communicator. "Robo to Taryn, Robo to Taryn. Are you there Taryn?"
A bunch of static answered, followed by Taryn’s voice. "Yeah, I read you Robo. What’s going on? Did you find the wizard?"
"We didn’t find the wizard, but we know where he is," Robo replied.
Taryn voice came on again. "That’s great! Where is he?"
"He’s heading your way, towards Choras," Robo informed her.
"Really? Thanks Robo, we’ll let you know when we find him. Taryn, over and out."
Robo put the communicator away. "Well, we should check out Porre first, then head to Choras."
"Agreed," Marle, Lucca and Crono said together.
So they started towards Porre.
* * * * *
Magus, Glenn and Taryn emerged for the Gate to end up on the North Cape where Toma’s grave was. "Well, we’re here. Where should we start looking?" Taryn wondered.
Glenn looked out at the ocean. "Probably Choras."
"I agree," Magus told Taryn.
Suddenly, the communicator beeped. Taryn pulled it off her belt and turned it on.
"Robo to Taryn, Robo to Taryn. Are you there Taryn?" Robo’s voice asked.
"Yeah, I read you Robo. What’s going on? Did you find the wizard?" Taryn asked.
"We didn’t find the wizard, but we know where he is," Robo’s voice answered.
"That’s great! Where is he?" Taryn demanded.
"He’s heading your way, towards Choras," Robo’s voice replied.
"Really? Thanks Robo, we’ll let you know when we find him. Taryn, over and out." Taryn said, then she turned the communicator off.
"Okay guys, Robo said that the wizard was heading towards Choras, so we should look there," Taryn told the group.
"Sound like a decent plan," Magus agreed, so they headed towards Choras.
Once in Choras, they went into the Inn and asked the people if they had seen a strange man who looked like wizard.
"Oh yeah, I saw a guy like that," one man told them, "He was looking for a wizard or something, then headed towards that knight guy’s grave. Does that help?"
"Yes it does, thank you," Magus told the man.
They exited the Inn and headed towards Cyrus’ grave. "Why on earth would the wizard want to go to a grave?" Taryn wondered.
"We shall find out," Glenn responded.
They got to Cyrus’ grave and enter the building. "Oh, I’m getting goose bumps," Taryn shivered, "Shouldn’t we call the others?"
"Good idea, we should do that before we go any further."
Taryn quickly called the others and told them to come to Cyrus’ grave as soon as possible. "Okay, let’s go."
As they ventured deeper into the building, Taryn could sense an evil force. And it was getting stronger with each step they took. "Uh, guys? I’m getting a really bad feeling about this."
Suddenly, a figure appeared and slashed Glenn across the chest. "Ah!" Glenn screamed in pain, then fell to the ground.
"Glenn!" Taryn shouted as she tried to run to his side, but Magus held her back.
"No Taryn! If you try to help him, you could be injured as well!" Magus told Taryn, then to the mysterious figure, "Who are you? Show yourself, you coward!"
The figure stepped out of the shadows. Taryn gasped. It was a man who had long white hair, and a scar running down the right side of his pale face. He wore a long, hooded cape, and was holding a staff encrusted with a crystal on the tip.
"Hello good sir, dear lady. I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Zovak, a very powerful wizard. You are no match for me," he told them.
"What makes you think so?" Magus demanded.
Zovak laughed. "I have gathered the energy from every powerful person in the world. Well, almost every person. There is one person I cannot find, and they have the most powerful energy ever, even more powerful than all my combined power. But soon I will have their power, and no one will be able to stop me."
"Want to make a wager on that?" a voice asked, then Crono came out of the shadows and swung his sword at Zovak. Zovak blocked the blow with his staff, then shoved Crono aside.
"Fools! You think you can stop me? Don’t make me laugh!"
As Marle ran to help Glenn, Magus started to cast Dark Matter. He then hurled the Black magic at Zovak, which struck him in the chest. Zovak fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
"You," Zovak gasped, "It’s you! You have the most powerful energy!"
"Uh-oh, this guy means business. Come on Magus!" Taryn shouted.
Robo picked up Glenn, then they all ran out of the building. "You cannot escape me!" they heard Zovak yell.
"Quick Marle! Cast Ice2 and block the entrance!" Lucca urged.
Marle quickly cast Ice2, and sealed the entrance with a thick sheet of ice. "Phew, I’m glad we escaped," Marle sighed.
"That wizard means business. Hey, is Glenn okay?" Taryn asked Robo.
Robo shook his head. "I managed to heal his wound, but he’s still in bad shape. Perhaps we should bring him to the End of Time."
"All right. Magus, Taryn and Marle, you can use the Gate Key. The rest of us will use the Epoch," Crono told them.
So as Crono, Robo, Glenn and Lucca boarded the Epoch, Taryn, Magus and Marle headed towards the North Cape.
.