The Biggest Sacrifice Part 4

The Ritual

By Husker Du

They are here? Already?

Do not worry my friend, Alaza will take care of them.

Ahh. Alaza is strong, he will do our bidding well.

Yes. Now, go get the candles.

Yesssss......

*****

As the party reached the castle via a run down, shipping boat they found at the docks of the harbor, the captain of the boat stopped about 200 feet from the shore of the land mass.

"Why are you stoping?" asked Chrono in a hurry. Marle and Robo joined him on deck, and also waited for the answer.

"Old sea legend says there's demons and witch rituals in there," said the captain with a shudder. "I'll not chance this boat by going any closer."

"Ok, thanks. Everyone off the boat!" Marle cried as they all headed off to the back of the boat.

The party piled into a small wooden escape boat, except Robo, who was too big and could have sank the small boat, so he floated along side of it as Chrono rowed.

"Doesn't the water hurt your machinery?" asked Marle.

"Negative, I am waterproof." exclaimed Robo. "The only thing that can penetrate this shell is magic and very sharp weapons. I hate magic......" Marla giggled. Then she sighed in awe of the castle, as she focused her view on it.

It was a very majestic castle, with turrets and a moat, and very old tattered remnants of flags still blowing in the wind. The moat looked empty from what she could see. The drawbridge was up, and there wasn't any signs of life. "Now how do you think we will get in there, Hero Chrono?" Marle said as she smiled. Chrono gave her a stern look. "I know what I'm doing......"

After they landed, they then realized that the castle was pretty far away, so they decided to spend the night in the woods. Robo gathered some wood, and built a large fire with Marle's magic. As the robot powered down for the night, Chrono and Marle stayed up and had a talk.

"So......do you think the king is in there?" Marle asked, shivering at the sight of the castle.

Chrono saw the shiver and cuddled up to Marle. "I think so, and I hope so. I hope he's ok in there, but I didn't like the omen that boat captain gave, as in 'rituals' and such. Well, if there's any trouble in there, I'll show em what the hero Chrono can do!" he cried as he put a fist up in the air. Marle burst out in laughing, and so did Chrono, as they fell asleep in a heap. Little did they know....

*****

Sire, the 'Hero' and his dumb companions are sleeping the night in the woods! Do they realize the danger in this action?

Yes, they do. Send out a greeting party for them.

Ahhhh....yes sire, I'll send them one they won't forget.

*****

Chrono felt Marle stir in her sleep. He awoke, still tired but awake for the moment. He covered up Marle with another blanket, and noticed how beautiful she was in that robe. Boy, he wondered, I hope something comes of our relationship, because I think I'm in lo...

Just then, a roar came from the woods to the left, a very inhumane roar. Chrono jumped to his feet and drew his Rainbow Sword, then ran to power on Robo. As Robo came to life, he immediately jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "3...no 4 objects moving this way!" Marle stirred and fell back asleep.

"Never trust this to a woman I suppose......." Chrono joked. Robo looked at him. with a questioning look. "Marle is perfectly able to defend herself, just not at this moment."

Chrono busted out laughing as 3 black knights, the same kind that he fought at the Guardia battles appeared at the edge of the fire. "Oh great, more of you guys......"

The first knight swung his dark blade at Chrono, and missed, as the Rainbow sword found it's mark right on the temple of the knight, who went down in a heap. Meanwhile, the 2nd knight ran for Robo. Robo calmly extended a hand, and it transformed itself into a gun, which shot a beam of yellow light at the knight, incinerating him instantly. Chrono, however, was having a hard time with the 3rd knight. The knight swung his massive axe and hit Chrono across the shoulder, shattering whatever bones were in there. As Chrono blacked out from the pain, the knight readied his axe for the final death blow, but suddenly a huge boulder came rolling through the trees, crushing the knight. Marle ran to Chrono's aide as Robo complimented her on her earth spell, then noticed that Chrono was seriously hurt.

"Chrono! Oh no.....get me an elixir Robo, and hurry!"

Robo ran over to the bag, uncorked an elixir, and poured it all over the wound. It slowly healed, and Chrono's dazed eyes opened.

"Wha......dead?"

"No silly, your'e alive!" cried Marle, hugging Chrono with a tear in her eye.

They spent the rest of the night sleeping except for Robo who stayed on watch.

*****

What happened knights?

The Chrono fool is tougher than we thought sir....

Enough of this. Leave them alone, until tomorrow...

*****

The next morning, Marle awoke to the smell of cooking food, which made her mouth water. When's the last meal I ate, she wondered.

She raised her head, and seen that Chrono was cooking some breakfast, and Robo was tending to Chrono's shoulder.

"How's your arm Chrono?" asked Marle as she leaned over and touched his wound.

"OW! Watch it! I can move it, it's just tender."

"Oh, hehe. Sorry about that. We eating now?"

"Yes, take all you want."

They ate in silence, and after they put out the fire, started on the move through the forest again. It was a pretty uneventful trip, although at one point, Marle pointed out some human skeletons against a tree. "I hope they weren't anyone we know," joked Marle.

Finally they arrived at the castle. It was about 3 times bigger than what they first thought of it. Marle stepped up to the moat, and staggered to her knees when she looked down. "My god......look at this......" Chrono and Robo stepped forward and looked over, and both wished they never did.

The pit was full of bodies. Dead bodies, rotting ones, any type of dead thing that could be mustered was thrown into this pit it seemed. Crows were eating whatever they could find, and some creatures looking like wolves were also feasting on the carcasses.

"Whoever did this..........." wondered Marle.

"Well, we will find out now," said Chrono, who nodded to Robo. Robo extended his hand again, and shot out of it a hook, which connected to the second tier of the castle.

"Hang on!" exclaimed Robo, as they all grabbed ahold of him and were propelled up to the tier. After inspection, Chrono found a stairway leading up, and they all followed. After about 2 flights, Marle bent over, grabbing her ankle.

"I'm sorry, I've twisted it......" Chrono carried her up another 2 flights, until she could walk again. Suddenly, they heard talking from a door on their left.

.

Yeeees........ Come forth.....

Shut up. This is serious.

Ahhhhh. I seeeeee....

.

The party stealthily walked up to the door, and kept listening....

.

Mentus Murrriiiii

Olama Lannnn

Evene Lavos....

.

"Wait......Did he just say LAVOS??" whispered Chrono.

Robo exclaimed, "I've translated it into.......my god.........he's going to slay the king, and revive Lavos with his blood!"

"Ok, plan is we bust in there and take em all out." Chrono drew his sword.

"That's a plan?" asked Marle?

.

Eeemmmmaa...una...

*CRASH*

WHAT??

Who are you guys?

.

Chrono sliced the lock off of the door and kicked it down. Inside was a horrorible scene. The walls, made of green granite, were red with the blood of many sacrifices and deaths, and skeletons hung from the walls, as some still moving bodies lay twitching about. On the altar, lay the King of Guardia, with a dagger already in his heart. A huge persona was behind the King's altar, the Summoner as we will call him. He had on a black silk robe, and the only thing noticeable about his figure was his bony hands and his very large nose. His companion was a talking snake, but this was no ordinary snake, it was over 3 feet tall.

"NOO! KING" cried Marle as she saw this scene. She dashed to the altar, unaware of the danger, as the king grabbed Marle with his arm and let out his last few words.

"Marle.....love..you.......sorcer..er....tri.ck..ed......me........he.l.p......"

"NOOO!" she cried as the king exhaled his last breath in his body, which was followed by manical laughing from the sorcerer and the snake.

Yeeesss.....now it has begun.....*gulp*

Chrono grabbed the snake by it's neck and with one swoop decapitated it. "You are next sorcerer!" he cried, brandishing his sword.

.

Ahhh...YOU think so? Well, now it's me who says, YOU are next!

.

Chrono lunged for the sorcerer, as Robo readied his arm to shoot, when the entire castle, roots and all, started to shake.....or was that the earth shaking? Chrono couldn't tell.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!!" yelled Chrono over the noise. A huge rock landed right next to Chrono, and he let go of the sorcerer, who jumped through a gate that appeared. "WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

Robo grabbed both Marle and Chrono as the castle started to fall down. They ran dodging huge slabs of granite all the way to the main gates, but they were shut. Robo told them to stand back, and he blasted the doors down with his gun arm. Grappling over to the other side of the moat, they stood in awe as the whole castle quickly fell down.

As they tried to compose themselves after what had just happened, from somewhere deep inside the planet, they heard a rumbling......

"Oh no.....this isnt good..."

A huge geyser appeared out of the ocean to the right of them, followed by about 30 others. Amazingly, the ocean seemed to bow outward as a HUGE shape began to form under the sea.

"What is that?!?!" Marle screamed.

The shape started to move toward their landing spot, demolishing the boat and the entire beachfront. It was moving at breakneck speeds, and would hit the party any second now.

"RUN!......wait....there!" Chrono said as a gate opened right next to them. Chrono shoved Marle and Robo through, and took one last glance at the monstrosity coming for them before he jumped in the gate.

.

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