Altered Tundra

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Both Jaakuna and Wesley didn’t even know what hit them. There was first a drenching of some water-based magick flowing from the sky and ontop of them. That was nothing but a very unwelcomed shower. Then, to their very obvious surprise, in came a Thundaga spell. Both of their faces had the expression of being shocked. First, they felt no sensation like before. Any pain they felt was just ten-times that, well at least for Wesley. Jaakuna remembers what this feeling felt like as he remembers getting electrocuted by his cousin, Ixion just the day before this one.

As they both were shocked and laid out, they could still hear and with little bursts of grunts, they could speak, but they couldn’t move. As much as they tried, both Jaakuna and Wesley were both paralyzed at the spot they laid on. As they laid in that very spot, Jaakuna watched Aloa get Zalera and Wesley only heard the bits of it. Using Manufactured Nethicite, Aloa absorbed Zalera’s instant-kill attack and used it to deflect it back at him, thus giving Aloa the services of the Angel of Death.

“YOU STUPID BUNNY BITCH! JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! YOU’LL BE SORRY YOU WENCH!” Jaakuna roared and roared at Aloa, but that wouldn’t do him any good. He was paralyzed in the spot he laid.

Wesley wanted to say something, but he knew that it would be in vain. As that would happen, Jaakuna would hear Emiri scream out. Jaakuna couldn’t see what was happening, but Wesley could cause he’s facing the direction in which Emiri’s screams are originating from. That wasn’t all. Wesley also could see that Nadeline was in a cage, literally. If he could move his face, it would be lit up with anger.

“Wesley, tell me what’s happening?”
“You won’t like it.”
“Just tell me.”
“The male Viera is cuffing Emiri and taking her to some black-haired fellow.”
“Who can that be?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Jaakuna.”

As both Wesley and Jaakuna pondered on that, soldiers of both Rozarria and Archadia picked both Jaakuna and Wesley up as they would also be cuffed. Not able to move on their own, Wesley and Jaakuna were dragged by the soldiers and they would both be brought to the area where this black-haired dude would call Emiri by Emelia. Jaakuna hadn’t heard anyone call her by that name since Nadeline did the first time that he met her. Jaakuna would be silent for a few moments as he thought about everything, but most importantly the man that called Emiri by her ’real’ name.

“Wait a minute..” Jaakuna said.. ”You, in the fancy clothes!” All Jaakuna could do was speak. He couldn’t point or do any kind of movement. “You’re---” Before Jaakuna could finish his sentence, he would see Savayna, someone who he hadn’t seen since Lowtown. Jaakuna’s eyes widened. He was both angry, confused, and just overall shocked.

“Oh my dear Jackson.”
“IT’S JAAKUNA YOU BITCH!”
“My, my, why so angry? Oh that’s right, you’re in fucking cuffs, that’s why.”

Jaakuna and Savayna exchanged words — nasty words — and nasty looks. This would prompt Savayna to look around the room and she definite saw that it was a full house. The crown prince of Dalmasca and Archadia were here, and the princesses of Rozarria. Truly it was a rare sight. When she would smirk, Savayna had her gaze upon Emiri. “So this is the bitch that has caused me so much trouble.” She said looking angry, bitter, and just livid with jealousy.

Savayna would just control herself. “Grant, be useful and take these guys to the Airship. I’m growing tired of this place already.”

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

As Emiri gave Jaakuna a smile, it would soon turn to determination and concentration. The two of them would face the enemies as their gaze from each other ceased for the time being. As they did, Nadeline and Wesley joined them and it would soon proceed into Nadeline giving them an order — wait no, a friendly suggestion, as she so rightly put it. Whichever the case, Jaakuna and Wesley charged forward, each crossing each other’s path, like a zig-zag sort of deal, smashing any skeletons that would appear in front of them.

Going with each other’s momentum, they both jumped. Jaakuna’s blade was flowing with Fire Magick. It was like his entire Demonsbane was amplified from the mist and considering that under normal circumstances his blade is always amplifying magick, here within the mist, it’s almost quadruple. Still, Jaakuna found it under his control. The same was with Wesley, but his sword was laced with the bright whiteness of Holy. Glowing like the heavens’ light, he would strike as Jaakuna would strike as well. Both of them releasing the light of fire, if you will. As the two swords were motioned vertically downward, Jaakuna’s white and red fire went forth and followed by Wesley’s white light of the heveans, it would surround Jaakuna’s fire. The end result was a brightness at the head of the fire. This was just ten feet away from Zalera.

As the fire came near the esper, Zalera would scream and as that would happen, a wall of black and purple magickal energy would pop around the esper of death. This wall of flame-like substance just had a weird feeling. Jaakuna and Wesley would both feel it as they would land on the ground. It was like decaying flesh or something like that.

“Dammit!” Jaakuna yelled.
“This is truly troubling.” Wesley admitted.

Their combined attacks would have done a lot more damage if it wasn’t for the fact that they saw that Zalera was not only immune to whatever effects was left over from their attack being held off by that decaying black and purple magick wall, but the holy aspect of the attack seemed to be absorbed into her, as if it healed her. This what was truly troubling Wesley. He knew that his form of attacking wouldn’t be the best course of action. Jaakuna just didn’t know what to do either. Looking at each other, Jaakuna and Wesley were just going to try their best and hopefully something good would come out of it..

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Was It cause Wesley was clueless? No, it wasn’t that. He just never had that kind of relationship with someone, not like hoe Jaakuna and Emiri seemed to have it. Wesley wasn’t jealous, not in the negative sense. He was indeed jealous, but also happy for them. He smiled when Nadeline told him that Jaakuna realized that Emiri was the one. “Aren’t you younger than her?” Wesley chuckled as he said that. And again, he makes jokes. He’s making a habit of doing that and thus far his jokes have been pretty bad.

While Wesley joked about what Nadeline had said, Jaakuna and Emiri were at the front where they saw that the Esper was coming. Jaakuna looked on and saw that the beast itself took the form of a male(it looked like) that had nothing but his own skeleton and around his arm a woman, fully-skinned and all. It looked hume. Jaakuna didn’t recognize the woman, but he did remember when Wesley read about it and that the Angel of Death had some kind of Shamaness attached to him. That woman must be that very person. Either way, as he looked further on, Jaakuna saw — well sensed — something about this Esper. It had nothingness about it. It was like death was its existence and as such, so shall it be its nature.

When the beast revealed itself in all of its deathly glory, skeletons started to rise from the ground. At this point Jaakuna saw that Emiri was slowly stepping back, no doubt that she was a little frightened by the esper. Jaakuna grabbed her arm just gently, preventing her from walking any further backwards. “Don’t worry Emiri, as long as you stick by me, and we‘ll be fine..together.” He said turning his gaze to her. “Remember, we promised each other?” He said smiling goofily, yet somehow there was a reassuring aspect to his smile.

As Wesley saw the esper appear before them all, he drew his Platinum Sword. He raised his shield too. He would join Jaakuna and Emiri on the frontlines, his sword just boosting with magickal power from the mist and also his own amplification of his magick into the sword.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

The influx of monsters had prompted all four of them to go at the monsters swinging. For the most part, it was really successful. There were a few instances where the group were each having their own difficulties killing the enemies in front of them in one blow, but that didn’t stop them. Each swinging their respective weapons at almost every foe that came at them, it wold get to the point that the monsters would stop coming in large numbers. However, they didn’t stop completely. That was until Wesley would utilize Holy into his sword and the undead enemies would stop and it was only a matter of time before the Steelings would stop coming at them.

When it seemed like they were able to move on, they did and Emiri would go on to say that something was there and that she can feel it. It took both Wesley and Jaakuna a few moments to realize what she was alluding to, but then they caught on. She must be referring to the Esper. They definitely were getting close, as the amount of mist in the air was getting more and more thick. It was getting to the point where Jaakuna nor Wesley couldn’t see five feet in front of them. Or at least, they couldn’t see the path. They saw their reflections as it faded from the mist.

When Emiri would ask if they were ready, Jaakuna spoke. “Am I ready? Of course I’m ready cause baby, I was born this way!” Jaakuna said in a very energetic tone.

Wesley looked towards Jaakuna and he couldn’t help but grin. He liked Jaakuna’s energy. “Well then Jaakuna, Emiri — after you guys.” Wesley said, offering to follow the two of them, while he and Nadeline hung back, but he sort of leaned towards Nadeline. “Is it just me or is Jaakuna acting different?” Wesley said as he could put his finger on it, but he definitely saw something different in Jaakuna’s attitude. “It’s like he went through a change, though I can’t place it.” Wesley would say quietly to Nadeline.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

As they went through the entrance, the feeling that Wesley and Jaakuna both felt was something weird. Both of them would exchange looks as they knew something was off. Perhaps it was just the mist and that they were just feeling the overload of their magicks. Who can say for sure, but Jaakuna just knows that this feeling is going to take a little while to get used to while Wesley will continue to wonder about what makes the mist so strong in these kinds of areas.

The group would trek through the area more and more until the beasts and monsters would appear more often. Of course, they would slay said beasts and monsters whenever they would encounter them. When Emiri would see a Steeling, she would then use Stop. Wesley looked on as Emiri did that, wondering why she did. Jaakuna was shocked that she did it all of a sudden. Nonetheless, the bat-like beast was killed due to the slowed moments from the spell.

When Nadeline would make the note that the group must be wary of using their spells as the mist can amplify them, she would turn her gaze to Jaakuna as soon as she would say they could go astray. Jaakuna looked back to Nadeline with a confused look. “What are you looking at me for?” He said.

When Jaakuna was sort of defending himself in some sort of manner, Wesley just looked forward, eyeing the mist. He was intrigued. Wesley never really saw such a thing so close. He really didn’t get the sense of mist back in the caverns, but here, he could see all the colors. Added to the colors, there even seemed to be a mirroring aspect to the mist as Wesley could see his reflection slightly in the greenness of the mist. When he would go to touch it, he didn’t feel nothing physically, but he felt something inside — it was weird, but it was definitely something.

When the group headed even deeper, the aspect of the mist was getting thicker and thus was the number of monsters. The influx of Steelings, Zombies, and the Mimics was rising and rising. The group would have a difficult time to get through it, but they would with the power of friendship and togetherness.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

No doubt that Emiri was surprised at Jaakuna as she probably thought he was going to talk to her about something about him being sad for himself. Well, as it turned out, that would not be the case. As Jaakuna would just watch her surrender her longtime friends that were the Longsword and Shortbow, he would see that she would then pick how first, the Diamond Sword. Jaakuna nodded as that was a wonderful choice. She would swing it a couple of times to test it out and she seemed satisfied. Next, was the Burning Bow. Jaakuna nodded at that as well, nothing that it was a wonderful choice as well.

As she would put her previous weapons in the place of the new ones she picked out, she would go onto say that the weapons she picked out will do. Jaakuna just smiled at her and they would go out from the Armory and head to the central part of the ship, specifically the beaming station. As they would, Wesley and Nadeline would be waiting for them there. Jaakuna would wave to them and alert them that they are here. Wesley just smiled to Jaakuna and Emiri. He would make a note of Emiri’s new weapons, which would lead to Wesley do deduce that was the reason the two of them went off.

“Okay, well shall we get going?” Wesley offered up.

Jaakuna nodded. “Yeah, let’s do this shit.” Jaakuna said as he took his red and white bag that had his share of supplies. He also had his Demonsbane sword along with his Iga Ninja Sword. Jaakuna was wearing his usual wear, as well, so he was all ready to go.

Within the moments that they would all get into the beaming station, Wesley was wondering how it worked. “So, how does this thing--” When he was about to say that, the magickal particles would surround the four of them and they would touch down to the entrance of Barheim Passage. “--work” Wesley said as the seconds that it took for him to complete his sentence, they would already be on the ground. The heat would be the first thing that they would feel, as it is when anybody goes from a cooling airship to a desert. “Truly remarkable!” He would say, complimenting Jaakuna further on his ship.

Jaakuna touched the left side of his jacket. “Iris, initiate Invisible Cloak!”
“Yes Master Jaakuna.”

When she responded, the huge ship that was about seventy yards up in the air suddenly was out of sight. Or at least, to the normal eye. Jaakuna knew of where the ship was. “Now, let us be off to the dark passage.” Jaakuna said lightheartedly.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

While Nadeline and Wesley would head off, Jaakuna and Emiri would go off on their own. Jaakuna knew that Emiri would have her reservations about going off alone with him. The last time that he requested to speak to her in private, it wasn’t a very good reason. However, this time around, Jaakuna wouldn’t want to talk to her in that sense. Indeed, this time around it was something of a very positive way.

Hearing Emiri asking what he wanted, he would just remain silent up until the armory. There was several kinds of weapons that Jaakuna has bought, found, and collected over the past couple of years. Jaakuna would stop, and turn to Emiri. “This is it.” He said. “I figured you would want to upgrade your equipment. So, take your pick. I have almost everything of every kind of weapon— axes, bows, maces, hammers, swords, crossbows, bombs, measures, armor, accessories — take your pick.” Jaakuna said, offering Emiri any weapon that she would want.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Wesley couldn’t believe his ears. First the realization of the joke he said and how bad it was and then how everyone busted out into laughter. Jaakuna laughed and the girls would just bust out into a fit of giggles. This would proceed for Wesley to appear red in the face. He was so embarrassed and he didn’t know what to do at this point. Surely the joke would have been something that would be silent, but alas here it was at Laughing Central.

Just when Wesley was about to die from the embarrassment, Iris would speak. “Master Jaakuna, Master Wesley, Lady Emiri, and Lady Nadeline. We will be arriving at the Barheim Passage in ten minutes. Please prepare everything for the arrival.” She would say as her voice cut off at the past bit.

When that happened, the laughter would cease after a few minutes. That would then make everyone get up, but Jaakuna would avert his attention from what Iris said for a minute. “Emiri, I need you to come with me.” Jaakuna said as he would beckon her to follow him. Wesley looked at Jaakuna, and Jaakuna would simply say. “We’ll meet you guys at the Beaming Station.” Wesley was intrigued by Jaakuna’s behavior, but he would acknowledge it.

“Shall we go Nadeline?” Wesley said.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

When Emiri came back to planet Ivalice, she seemed to be a bit confused on what exactly happened. She truly was out in some other land that wasn’t where everyone else is. Jaakuna just let out a little laugh about her cluelessness. That’s when Nadeline would make the comment about how while everyone else was talking about the journey into Barheim Passage, she was off daydreaming. She would then wonder what she was daydreaming about. Jaakuna was wondering the same thing, but he decided against the notion of asking.

Nadeline had poked Wesley when she would say what she had to say to Emiri. Wesley smirked. “Worry not Emiri, we were just conversing on how dangerous the journey ahead of us will be and the likelihood that we might not make it out.” Not realizing, Wesley made a joke. He actually made a joke. After a few seconds of saying it, he’s realizing it and it came out bad — really, really bad.

Jaakuna couldn’t believe the joke that Wesley made. It was a horrible joke, but Jaakuna was laughing. He didn’t know why he was laughing, but he was and he couldn’t stop. Granted it wasn’t no burst-of-laughter kind of laugh, but it still was noticeable.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

When Nadeline would ask what Wesley meant by what he said, he still was in a state of deep thought. He knew that the Barhleim Passage would be a dangerous trek no matter where they would enter in or how lucky they would be. Wesley knew of the Passage itself and how dangerous it would get the deeper they went in. Wesley also knew that if an Esper was there, which there is one in the underground passage, then it would make it all the more dangerous for anybody to trek through it, even the group of Jaakuna, Emiri, Nadeline, and Wesley.

As Wesley took a cheese slice and bit onto it, he would answer Nadeline. “I’m only meaning that since there is going to be a lot of mist right off the bat, the deeper we will go into the Barheim Passage, the difficulty of getting through without opposition will be more dangerous and not as easy.” Wesley truly was troubled by all of this.

When Wesley and Nadeline would talk about that, Jaakuna would see that Emiri seems out of it, like her mind is somewhere else. “Ivalice to Emiri! You there!” Jaakuna said raising his voice slightly, but nothing happened. He would then clap his hands in front of her face, the noise most likely brought her back to planet Ivalice.