timeandtides_backup | [Thread] Earth Shrine

Current Location: Earth Shrine

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[Thread] Earth Shrine

Characters: Leonora, Yuffie, Zack, Frimelda
Progress: Incomplete
Summary: Taking the Earth Crystal to the shrine.
Location: Earth Shrine
Date: June 11th
Warnings: Violence, stubborn white mage, potential theft

To say Leonora was still uncertain about taking the Earth Crystal to the shrine, and using it in such a way, would be the understatement of the year. Uncomfortable and quite convinced there was something sacrilegious in the doing. The entire flight to the shrine, she cradled it against her body, pleading with it to please forgive her if she was doing the wrong thing. There was more silence from it, and that disturbed her greatly. No sign of the fear or anger that she felt from it before. No, this time, there was resignation, although she couldn't help wonder if that was the crystal or herself.

Even before the airship touched down, she could see the earth quaking and roiling below them. "That looks very dangerous." She glanced to her companions on this trip, and then cast Float on all of them as a measure of protection. It would help them keep their footing and avoid unnecessary injuries from being jolted about.

With one final intense look at the crystal for its approval, she lifted her head, steeling herself to the task. For good or ill, it was time.

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The trip had been quiet, for Frimelda. It was not so much anything out of the ordinary for her, at least: she always the quiet type, and it had also helped that there was much on her mind. She had tried to rest, at least somewhat, as the airship had made its way to their destination - being nomadic was all well and good, but after several weeks of living on the move and being on constant watch for monsters, any few minutes of rest she could grasp, she would take it, even if it was to only close her eyes and listen to the distant strum of the engine beneath them once the trip was underway.

Now that they were here, though, she was all business, looking down to the shuddering earth beneath them. "We best watch our steps from here on," she agreed with Leonora, giving a nod of appreciation to the Float spell. She was wearing a lot of armour - if she lost her footing, she would end up falling. A long way, would be the likely result. She gave another look to the violent earth. "... And get through this as quickly as is possible."

Zack was actually pretty excited about the whole thing. He wanted to help make things right. And he hadn't had any reason to go back home, except for Cloud, and...well, Cloud would understand. Wouldn't he? He tried not to dwell on that.

Anyway, there were things to do.

He looked down at the ground for a minute. "Whoa, that's seriously unstable, you're right!"

Hopefully the spell Leonora had cast would really help them walk.

He glanced at Frimelda, and then at Yuffie. "Any of you girls need a hand?"

Once again, Yuffie had found a corner away from everyone during the ride to the Earth Shrine. She had been huddled around a bucket just in case. Why did she have to be so prone to motion sickness? Ugh. The moment they neared the shrine, the sickly Princess of Wutai came from her hiding spot, determined to not let it bother her anymore.

"We'll be fine. We need to get in and out quickly before any of us lose our balance."

She turned to Leonora. "You okay with this?"

Leonora stopped mid-step and turned to face Yuffie. "I'm not sure. It hasn't told me what it wants." Not being sure if that meant it approved or disapproved troubled her, but she took a deep breath and nodded anyway. "We should go. I'll stay behind with the crystal."

Just as an added precaution, she layered on more buffs, Blink, Shell, Protect, Haste. Not knowing what lay ahead other than a nebulous threat of a guardian made it too risky to go in unprepared. "Who's leading?" Because it certainly should not be the squishy one in the group.

Frimelda nodded in agreement with Yuffie in answer to Zack. At Leonara's question, though, she gave a more vocal answer. "I shall?" she offered. She was the paladin; it would take a lot to get through her and her armour. Plus there was the added bonus of duel wielding. That could never be underestimated in situations like these. She looked to Zack, and Yuffie. "Though, there is also last, to protect from any surprises."

"I'll take the rear, then. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you guys!"

He had no idea about the class system of Gaia, but he knew how to use a sword, damnit. And he'd protected Aerith from monsters, so how would this be any different?

"I'll stay in the middle, with Leonora. Let's head out then."

The Earth Shrine was different than anything in her world, but it reminded her of the Temple of the Ancients, but with less earthquakes. Going into a place like this, it awed her. She knew there was a monster waiting for him, and they'd be ready when the time came.

The walk in was impressive and despite the constant quaking, Leonora found herself admiring the shrine. It somehow seemed an ideal and sacred place to house a crystal, and that itself was a relief to her. She hugged the precious bundle to her chest all the tighter, and good that she did. Within a few steps, the floors began to jump up at the group, walls closing in, with large chunks of earth, flying at their heads.

"Whaaa-?!"

Perhaps it was a good thing Ursula and Porom had insisted she give up her formal robes for attire more suited for running.

Frimelda, as she walked, had one sword drawn, the other still sheathed, though her hand always lingered near to it, whilst her eyes scanned every nook and cranny. She wasn't taking time to stop and admire or really appreciate the surroundings; she was more preoccupied with what could suddenly come thundering towards them.

Like, those chunks of earth? Instantly both swords were drawn and the closest two were cut into smaller pieces, reminiscent of rubble, showering over them. But at least that was better than being knocked out by them.

"The walls!" she looked to them, blocking some more earth that was trying to knock them to the floor. "We've little choice. Run!"

She followed her own advice, dodging flying chunks of earth as she went, battering away others to the ground or to the walls, and sometimes resorting to the slashing.

Zack took his cue from Frimelda, following the group along, and keeping flying earth from buffeting them from behind.

"What the hell? Who builds these things, anyway?!"

He ran along behind them. The running wasn't really building a sweat; he was a SOLDIER, he could hack it. The walls closing in, though, that was new, different, and totally unwanted.

"You ladies okay up there?" he called.

The moment the chunks of earth started flying, Yuffie grabbed Leonora's arm and started running. They were not going to get knocked out by some stupid rocks. The princess would not have it. They had to get the crystal to its resting place.

Rocks were stupid anyways.

"We'll be better when there aren't rocks flying at our faces, Zack!"

Leonora took off to keep pace with Yuffie, now very grateful indeed for having given up her robes. Granted, she still felt exposed to some degree but nothing near like what Yuffie was. A funny detail to notice when running for your life.

"I- I think we'll be okay!"

Well, maybe. Because just ahead a looming undead monstrosity lurked that looked very very dangerous indeed.

In all honesty, part of Frimelda would take the monster over the flying rocks. She knew how to fight them and not be caught off guard by pieces of earth suddenly being able to turn corners. Despite that, it met the same end as the others, even if she was off balance for a few more steps.

Still, the... thing that was looming ahead was becoming clearer. "I think that the walls and the earth have become the least of our worries..."

She kept running, though. The best they could hope for would be that whatever was causing the rocks and the walls to move would stop once they reached the undead guardian. She did not fear death, in any form it took.

Zack wasn't as able to keep rocks away as he wanted to be, what with being at the back and running and trying to look in all directions at once. He managed well enough, but...

He turned back around to the front, just to make sure, and his eyes went wide.

"W-whoa, we have to fight that?!"

"Holy Leviathan-"

What in the world was that thing? It obviously wanted them dead. Yuffie would not have that though. They came to place the crystal, and that's what they were going to do

"Any brilliant ideas, guys?"

Leonora's response to Yuffie involved using Libra to see what if anything the creature would be weak to. She was fortunate the spell worked at all and most of what she got from it was weaknesses. "Try anything fire, wind or holy."

Most undead would succumb to healing magic so that was of course her first course of action, only to find it healed the monster instead. Leonora frowned, concentrating her efforts on preparing Holy instead, and did not catch that Lich countered her magic with Doom for herself.

Frimelda dropped her blades to her side, nodding to Leonora's advice. She could use Holy, but, it was decidely weak, when compared to the other techniques availiable to her.

At the failed white magic, she took the option she'd pondered, sheathing one sword and pulling up the Fallen Angel in front of her face, concentrating... and dashing forward, unleasing Saint's Cross. It was a holy ability, and her sword struck true, causing Lich to hiss at her as she returned back to the line of her companions.

She was focused on her attack, and she too did not notice Doom being cast, only a strange change in Lich's attentions that she could not pinpoint as a counter to Leonora's spell.

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[Thread] Earth Shrine

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