Trinket in the Maze [Tag: Shaizen]

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen could tell that Mikhail was not happy with his decision, and knew that he needed to find his bag fast. They needed to go deeper, which would mean Heartless in greater numbers and probably strength. He knew he might have a rather limited time before the poison set in if it did get into his system. With just a little scratch like that it was unlikely it did. The Pot Scorpion was powerful, however, and he was unsure how its poison worked. 

"I will be fine, trust me. I am going to finish this. I am not one to leave another warrior alone in such a place"

He watched Mikhail looking around and would also glance around. He had completely forgotten about the noise they had heard until just now, realizing that none of the Heartless they took out made such a sound. It was odd and unnerving. Despite that additional sound there were no other Heartless around as far as he could see. Did the unknown enemy run when it saw its allies being struck down? Doubtful, yet possible. 

He would follow closely behind Mikhail, making sure to stay alert so as not to be surprised by anything that might try to sneak up on them. It was getting darker as they went down, both physically and in power. The Darkness only grew the farther they went, making him wonder if some source of Darkness was down here, possibly at the deepest layer? He decided to ask Mikhail about it and see what he though

"The Darkness is deep down here. Anything down here that is causing it? Or is it just natural here?"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Shaizen’s perceptual skills were definitely sharp. They descended not one but two levels into the maze, and, for some reason unknown to them, it seemed to be getting and feeling darker. Mikhail waved his sword around, eyes squinting. It made no sense to him. They were already underground, past the point where the faulty flickering lights would guide them on their way. They’d been relying on his fire as a makeshift torch, but as the pair continued to go down its reach was rapidly diminished. A burning sword wasn´t going to cut it anymore.

”Darkness is a given when you’re underground but… definitely not like this.” The former knight retrieved one of his lighters, concentrating to once again manipulate its generated fire. Two spheres the size of a basketball were created out of the flames and sent hovering ahead, each further illuminating a specific side of the path. ”I’d say something down here is generating it… but what?”

His first thoughts went to the rattling Heartless, but the man didn’t want to dismiss any other possibilities right away. He had a feeling there was something going on down there… something definitely worth investigating although quite against his survival instincts.

The pair would eventually find an exit to another level; Mikhail stopped, sending both of their elemental guides ahead through the semicircular arch. If they were going all the way down in search of this bag, it’d be wise to cover as much ground as possible while they descended. When he finally stepped into the area, however, the pyromancer realized this one was vastly different from the rest. The walls were severely damaged, more than those found in the upper levels. Some of them were still covered by posters and all sorts of advertisements. Struggle. It had been a while since he last heard that name.

Lights both neon and white laid shattered on the ground, but no other sighs of debris remained visible. The most impressive part of it all, however, was the rather crowded center of the area. A vast array of objects covered the zone, neatly stockpiled as if someone or something had deliberately collected them. Swords, rods, gems and amulets seemed quite abundant at first glance, but there were some bags thrown into the mix.

Mikhail leaned down, immediately drawn to a star-shaped item. It had a faint glow of white to it, though it seemed to be part of its passive state. After a few moments he was able to identify it as a light materia. How odd. If the Heartless were truly behind this, it didn’t seem sound of them to gather that which could hurt them.

The more he thought about it, however, the more sense it made in his mind. If they took all the light attuned objects in town, the survivors and refugees wouldn’t be able to use them to fight. Perhaps the plan wasn´t as foolish as he initially believed.

”Well, this is quite the gold mine. People could really use these up there... I’ll probably take a few of these items. Any luck finding your bag?

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would keep his eyes peeled as they ventured further into the ruins, the Darkness becoming harder to hold back. He was gad he had all that training to keep himself balanced between the Light and Darkness. If not for that, it just might have taken over him while he was here. The only time he had ever felt a deeper Darkness was when he had visited the center of Darkness'es Domain on Luniel. He didn't like to think about that though

Entering this new area, Shaizen would stop and stare at the odd stockpile of items that was in front of them. Weapons in all shapes and sizes, many he had never seen before, were scattered through out the pile. Armors that looked as though they had been through hell and back, others in pristine condition could be seen sticking out. Materia, potions, augments and even items that looked as though they were made for a specific person lay half buried and waiting. The part that got Shaizen though was the fact that his bag was indeed there, laying at the base of the pile completely uncovered. 

It was to easy, an almost guaranteed trap

"Yes... my bag is right there. In plain sight. This is too easy. We fight through all that just to find my bag and all of this unprotected? I don't like it"

He looked around the room, wandering around the pile but not getting too close to it. He was looking for anything that might show evidence of hidden enemies or maybe another entrance to this area. The area was large and ruined, yet still remained intact enough to be standing with obvious activity from Heartless. The area was completely filled with Darkness, enough to make him feel a significant pressure from it. It was unnerving

"What do you think, Mikhail? Should we risk it? Or would you rather check around for enemies first? It seems odd that my bag is just sitting there"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

“It’s obviously a trap,” Mikhail nonchalantly quipped, his eyes still lingering on the Light Materia. His others senses, however, were attentive and ready to detect any external complications. The darkness in the area remained thick and heavy, difficult to maneuver even for one touched by it such as him. A pile of treasure like the one resting before them seemed like the perfect bait, although one requiring sufficient sentient thought to pull off. That itself was troubling enough. Sure, these denizens of darkness had been acting in a more organized fashion as of late, but nothing compared to a complex maneuver of that sort.

They’d have to be ready, as well as keep their eyes on an exit path in case things got a tad too hairy.

“Still, I think whatever gathered these items probably plans to strike whether we take the bait or not. Might as well take advantage of it if that’s the case.”

Mikhail allowed the floating fireballs to multiply, feeding off his energy as they increased their intensity and spread out throughout the area. People used to say “the brighter the light, the darker the shadow”. If something visible decided to approach them, the pair would immediately be alerted by this makeshift security system. That cloaked rattling Heartless, however, would take far more than that to be noticed.

The former knight proceeded to grab the star-shaped object, storing it next to his Reflect Materia. He took whatever other items he deemed both portable and useful: potions, ethers, augments, materia… he’d bring all of them back to the shelters in Market Street. The man, after all, could think of some that desperately needed a bit of extra help to survive.

After a few seconds of snatching and sorting, he finally heard it.

A rattle. A vigorous rattle… and it was getting closer.

Mikhail drew his sword, unable to pinpoint the exact location of its source. Attempting to sense its aura was his first instinct, but detecting darkness within a habitat of darkness? It wasn’t the easiest task, and they needed to act fast. He adopted a defensive position as he waited for a slip-up, an additional sound… anything that could help them find their foe and fight.

Suddenly, the rattle stopped.

Before he could even react upon it, the pyromancer felt a sharp blow against his back. The attack’s force sent him flying through the room until he collided with an opposite wall. It wasn’t enough to knock him out, but…

”That’s gonna leave a bruise.”

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen walked around the pile one last time as he listened to Mikhail, looking at all the items and wondering how long it took to get it all down here. It was certainly a treasure trove, filled with rare materia and augments. The spreading of the flames would catch his eyes before he was able to respond, swearing he saw a slight shimmer as one flame grew closer. Shrugging it off for now, he would take a few steps closer to his bag. The white fabric with the golden Key and magic orb design facing up so that he knew as a fact this was his bag. That made him very happy. Not just because of the metals, but because of a few items that would make this trip a little easier

"Alright then, if that's what you think. I'm going to go ahead and grab my bag then"

He would walk up to his bag, picking it up and looking around before opening it to look inside. Lifting the flap, he peered inside the bag and counted the items. He would release a sigh of relief upon seeing that all the items were there, including the metals he so badly needed. He closes and latches the bag, swinging it over his shoulder and across his chest, the strap running from his left shoulder to his right ribs. Afterwards, he reaches into the side pocket of the bag and takes out the shielding device, hoping its not damaged and smiling upon inspection.

That was when he heard the thud of Mikhail getting struck, turning to see him fly across the room. As he watched this, he caught another shimmer out of the corner of his eye. He would duck down and roll away from the danger as the pile seemed to explode, items flying everywhere. Seemed his time hunting in the Dark Domain on Luniel paid off. There was definitely something there with them, and it didn't want to be seen. The fact that it seemed naturally hostile wasn't very good either. 

He jumped back up and sprints over to Mikhail, helping him up before turning back and looking into the seemingly empty room. 


"Uh... mind telling me what that was? All I know is that they are uh... invisible? Or cloaked... maybe just very well camouflaged"


He would keep the sword Mikhail had loaned him up and ready. He wasn't sure what was there, but he knew he didn't want to be caught off guard by something that could throw a full grown man across the room. He keeps the shielding device in his hand as well, making sure to keep it ready, just in case. In the last moment, he remembers to take off its teleportation twin piece, sticking it in his pocket so that he can use it to reclaim the device later

As he does this, he hears the rattle of one  of the creatures within the room before his sword is knocked to the side, almost out of his grasp. Realizing the enemy is right in front of them, he swings his blade back up and cuts into its next attack. Seeing his swing is a success when he hears the creature react to the wound, he smiles a little. At least he knew they could damage this thing without TOO much trouble. Unlike that Pot Scorpion, this creature didn't appear to have a tough outer shell or pot. 

"Whatever it is, I think I made it angry"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail let out a groan as he stood, shaking off the ache that slowly threatened to spread throughout his lower back. Fortunately nothing seemed to be broken nor was he feeling any serious injuries at the moment. Still, it would be wise to make sure that wasn’t the case… once they had dealt with more pressing matters, of course. “Probably the one we ran into earlier, though I can’t say I’ve faced one like it before.”

The man resumed the defensive position he’d held moments ago. Flame’s End, tightly gripped by his right hand, remained ready to block and slash its way through the cloaked mystery Heartless. The flames coating the blade had lost part of their intensity due to the pyromancer’s brief loss of concentration, but once again they began to liven up as he recovered.

He watched as Shaizen moved and slashed at their opponent. A sharp unfamiliar cry echoed through the area, clear proof of the Tirealian’s success. Regular attacks seemed to be able to damage it as well. That was good. Mikhail still didn’t know what kind of Heartless they were fighting but knowing it was vulnerable to both sharp weapons and fire was enough of an advantage to him.

Deciding to exploit the opening generated from his partner’s swing, Mikhail rushed forward. The burning longsword sliced through what he assumed was the creature’s leg, hopefully dealing a considerable amount of damage. Once again, the Heartless cried. Shaizen had made it angry, but Mikhail’s follow-up attack seemed to have worn its patience thin.

A pair of energy orbs would suddenly emerge a few feet above, glowing larger and brighter as the seconds went by. It didn’t take long for the former knight to realize these weren’t just airborne projectiles.

“Dodge!”

The cloaked Heartless would shoot a pair of lasers from its eyes, one for each of the warriors it intended to feast on that night. Mikhail moved around, attempting to dodge and stay out of the attack’s target area. But alas it just kept tracking his position and following him.

Stopping and raising Flame’s End before him, the former knight managed to activate his Barrier Materia just in time to generate an additional defensive layer. The burning longsword ultimately absorbed the projectile.

It was then that he remembered: Light Materia.

“Try to keep it busy! I’ve got an idea.” Searching through his pockets, Mikhail attempted to fish out the object he sought. He’d just need a little more time to get a hold of it and prepare his next move.

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would hear Mikhail's warning, looking towards the source of the new attack as it was charged. The energy was rather new to him, one he had never seen despite it being originated from a Heartless. The energy would launch at him as he would study it, forcing him to move. He would roll off to the side, surprised as he saw the attack turn and home in on him. He moved away from it again only to find that it would still follow him, seemingly tracking him until it hit its target. 

Hearing Mikhail's warning gave Shaizen an idea. A crazy idea, but one none-the-less. He would first need to know the location of the unknown Heartless. As he began looking around, he would see it begin to charge up for another set of lasers, smiling as he would begin to rush towards it, the laser from before following him. Before reaching the creature, he ducks and slides under it. Successfully doing so, he would look back to see the laser return to its owner and damage it. 

The damage the laser did was greater than that of their blades, enough to cause the creature to uncloak and reveal itself. The sight of it was rather confusing at first. Large and reptilian in appearance, the beast had large eyes that looked in different directions. It was as though someone simply made a gecko over sized and gave it the power of the Heartless. The lasers did more than reveal it, however. The creature was obviously even angrier, turning and looking at him while making an angry rattling noise

"Whatever you are gonna do, please make it quick"

The heartless would rear back on its hind legs, its eyes trained on Shaizen. It lurched forward with its claws extended. While it was a large Heartless, it was very quick and seemingly agile. Shaizen jumped of to the side, trying to get away from the claws. He would grimace in pain as he would feel the claws tear into his arm, cutting deep. He kneels in pain, grasping his arm where it was cut and scowling before standing and staring at the Heartless. 

"Damn... bastard has claws like a razor"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

The moment the Heartless was rendered visible to the human eye, something inside Mikhail clicked. Back at Elona, tales of giant lizard-like creatures lurking in the shadows were occasionally passed on from soldier to soldier. They were cunning and patient, unlike most of their wild brethren, but nonetheless still carrying an insatiable hunger for hearts. The descriptions were definitely vague and lacking in detail (the originators at Firmus clearly had communicative issues), yet they seemed to match the Heartless the former knight now faced in the dark.

All the more reason for taking a risk and exposing their foe to its very own poison by nature.

It didn’t take long for the Light Materia in his grasp to activate. The glow immediately caught the Stealth Sneak’s attention. It hurriedly backed away from an injured Shaizen, seemingly recoiling at the sudden burst of energy in the room.

A long hiss proceeded to echo through the area. It needed that light to go, and it needed it to go right in that very instant. The creature quickly stood on its hind legs, claws shimmering with the same kind of energy used on the homing projectiles. Its arms were spread wide open, building momentum for what Mikhail assumed would be a propelled shockwave or orb at him.

Of course, the Heartless wasn’t the only being affected by the display. The pyromancer found it hard to keep a straight face as pure light channeled through his arm. It burned, sharp and aggressive. He knew the warmth of a flame, sure, but this… it was a different kind of inner cautery. The materia’s energy naturally gravitated toward the deep darkness swirling within Mikhail’s heart. It sought to eradicate it, to violently cleanse the man’s heart if necessary. Despite his noble intentions, such affinities had taken a toll on him and ultimately altered his elemental balances. He was still a child of fire through and through, one of Zaithar’s knights and champions… but now he also held a darker edge than the norm.

The conflict and the subsequent energy kickback were thus an unsurprising side effect of being an unsuitable host for the element. Even so, Rutherford found the pain and discomfort bearable enough. He had to. He had chosen the path of darkness in order to understand and turn the enemy’s own nature against it. Everyone had a part to play in the ongoing conflict whether they liked it or not. Sacrifice was a given.

A sudden brightness filled the area, drowning the flames' modest illumination. This definitely hurt more than what he initially expected. Letting out a battle cry, Mikhail managed to redirect enough of the materia’s energy to generate a beam of pure light. It hit the Heartless square in the face, blinding and scorching before gradually going down across its figure. It couldn’t move, it couldn’t attack… it couldn’t even defend nor free itself from the elemental attack. Light itself was arguably enough to send the Stealth Sneak back to the darkness it had come from, but he just had to be certain…

“Shaizen! Finish it!” he managed to groan, wincing as he focused to keep the source materia active and in place.

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would be kneeling on the ground as the Light from Mikhail's materia would activate. The burst would react with his own Light, strengthening him and allow him to recover enough to be able to fight again. Mikhail's words would ring in his ears, letting Shaizen know that the Heartless was almost done for. He had something he could use, but it was costly, and with only one chance. He knew he would have to act fast, and so he would jump back as best he could away from the Heartless. He would then sheath the blade Mikhail let his borrow, holding his right hand out, his left hand gripping his right hand's wrist as he began to charge his natural Light into his palm

"Mikhail! I need you to keep it distracted if you can. This will take a bit to charge"

He hoped this wasn't asking much of Mikhail, knowing he was not in the best condition either. Even if he wasn't, however, he needed at least a few seconds to charge his Light in order to use it. And so he focused, like he was trained on Luniel. Words of his former mentor rung in his head, words encouraging him to focus his Light and make it into a weapon.

As he remembered these words, a small orb of Light would begin to form in his hand and slowly get bigger. The Light was compressed, as though in a shell and only increased in pressure as he continued gathering this Light. This was his power, put into an attack he was told only to use in order to banish a menace or in a last resort effort. He knew his might hurt him, make him useless even. But then again, this Heartless seemed to be the last one, and he was fairly certain they could make it out against the smaller ones

"Get ready Mikhail, I'm almost ready. Move when I say"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

[Wrapping this up, as it was long overdue!]

A distraction, he’d said. Mikhail barely acknowledged the Tirealian’s request, his focus fixated solely on maintaining his Light Materia active and channeling. The attack had already drained a considerable portion of his stamina, and he wasn’t sure of how much longer he’d be able to withstand its kickback. The burning, while bearable at first, was proving to be too much of a pain to simply be ignored and casted aside. Still, he held on, his arms slightly beginning to shake as a steady beam of pure light continued to paralyze the Stealth Sneak.

The man had never attempted anything similar before, at least not with light as a base. Fire? That he knew, and he knew it in a dozen different ways. Arguably more. The Elonian Wars had taught him well, and his off-world experiences had only enhanced his skill with the element. The flames were with him, and he was one with the flames. But this… this wasn’t something Mikhail saw himself getting used to anytime soon. Most likely not ever.

“Shaizen!” he barked through gritted teeth, the materia’s strength suddenly beginning to falter. The Heartless, while still in great pain, took note of the opening and slowly moved to push against its aggressor. It took one heavy step, and then another, and then another…

Mikhail’s vision grew blurry. He tightly gripped the materia, grasping for any sort of stability. He was losing control. His mana was practically depleted, his body severely weakened. There wasn’t much left for him to do. For the briefest of moments, the beam of light flickered. The Heartless let out a roar, taking the cue to press even harder. It was just mere feet away now, preparing itself to lunge for a fatal attack.

It couldn’t end like this. He had work to do, a duty to fulfill. Taly, the Mender. Leo, the Mystic. Senya, the Shield. Mira, the Guardian. Rubix, the Innocent. Erika, the Selfless. Jack, the Apprentice. Jadis, the Mentor. Max, the Comrade. Antique, the Maiden. Their faces flashed before him; a reminder of what had already been lost to the conflict. So many people had laid down their lives to protect the worlds from the darkness. Nothing remained of their legacy, of their memory… nothing but himself. He had a duty to fulfill, yes. He owed it to them.
It would take more than a sly lizard to take him down.

Gathering enough strength through sheer will, Mikhail darted to the side and away from the beast. The Stealth Sneak, realizing the attack had ceased in its entirety, was quick to lay eyes on the fleeing pyromancer. It crouched…

…Just in time for Shaizen’s light beam to hit it square in the back.

The Heartless, severely weakened by their previous attacks, couldn’t resist an even stronger light attack, dissolving back into the dark depths it had come from.

Both warriors were clearly exhausted from the ordeal. Fighting another group of Heartless, minor or not, would at the very least be a debatable course of action. They’d stagger more than a couple of times on their way up the stairs, silently thanking they weren’t ambushed under such conditions. Miraculously, they’d be able to escape the depths of the underground maze without any further confrontation… trinket in hand, of course.

As for Mikhail, a pair of Hi-Potions and a sixteen hour rest awaited him back at his little cottage.

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen had worked on this attack for years while he was within the Phoenix Guild, working to perfect it and its form. To focus one's own Light into such an attack took focus, determination and a rather extreme control of Light itself. Years of watching the Light merely detonate in front of him, and now he watched as the results of his hard work paid off. The energy would flow through his arms, gathering into the palm of his hands before he would release the gathered Light into a condensed beam. The smooth flow of energy would push the beam forward, straight for its target until it would strike the beast. 

Such relief would flow through Shaizen as he watched the beast fall to the attack, his beam piercing straight through it and tearing its very form apart. The sound of the Sneak's roar fading as it died was one that Shaizen was glad to hear, and one that he never wanted to hear again. These things were quite the pain to fight; agile, tough and able to turn invisible. They were an opponent that could easily take someone out, so long as they didn't have someone watching their back. 

Shaizen would hit the ground on one knee, breathing heavy as he tried to recover from using that beam. It took a lot out of him, but the payout was worth it this time. He would stand and head over to the pile of treasures, grabbing his bag from the trove of treasures. Upon inspection, he would see that everything he had placed within was still there, including the metals that he needed to repair his swords. He would smile upon seeing this, glad to be able to fix them and rather eager to use them once again.

He would follow Mikhail out of the underground passages, glad to see the outside once more and bidding farewell to the other warrior before heading off on his own. His next destination was a smithy, or to find a blacksmith. He needed to fix his swords, and soon, before the creatures of Darkness took his life.