NENGO 327年11月20日 1:22 PM - 41 Days Until Culmination
With the Dragon Trials now over, the party gathers in the backstage area for the after-party. Danika, Anri, Adeth, Elric and Kuta meet TRITHAL, THRAX and AXEM near the buffet table. The rest of the room was occupied by the stunt spotters, stagehands and everyone else who was involved with the show. Off in some corner are Myhk and M'oh making out. TRITHAL is sitting down... still flying pretty high.
AXEM: "That was stomp! We kicked ass out there!"
THRAX: "Yeah, it was fun, alright. I can't believe they would actually give away a Dragon Crystal as a prize for this sort of thing, though."
Janxion: "We don't. It's just for show. I'll be taking that back from you now, Axem. You can keep the medals, though."
AXEM: "I don't understand... What's the point of winning something you can't keep?"
Janxion: "Like I said, the crystal isn't a real prize. It's only for show. Only someone who can prove that they are a true Draconian may leave with this."
The party looks at THRAX as AXEM hands the Dragon Crystal to Janxion.
Janxion: "What? You actually think that HE is a true Draconian? Don't make me laugh! He is an insignificant hybrid at best. My guess is, he's nothing more than a powerful human with a few tricks."
Anri: "Then why would Gwharlihim train him at all? And how do you explain the fact that he can almost transform into a full dragon form?"
Janxion: "First of all, Gwharlihim is an old fool who will train anyone willing to attempt it. Second, all I've seen Thrax do is change his eyes into the likeness of a dragon. There have been many human sorcerers over the centuries with that ability. But, if he is willing to prove his draconian heritage, then bring it on!"
THRAX: "You're saying I should fight you for the crystal? Are you mad?"
Janxion: "Last time I checked.... YES! I am mad! So let's get on with it, shall we?"
BATTLE MODE ON
THRAX (LV 32; 105/105 HP; 159/159 SP; 10045 EXP)
The area surrounding THRAX and Janxion suddenly becomes devoid of people. Janxion charges his power and transforms into a full dragon. Janxion attempts to knock THRAX back with his tail. THRAX jumps over it.
THRAX boosts his power to where his eyes change into the likeness of a dragon, and the red markings on his body turn black. THRAX runs up to Janxion and uppercuts him in the jaw. Janxion's jaw shatters. Janxion loses 453/5000 HP. THRAX uses 22 SP.
Janxion swipes at THRAX with his claws. THRAX dodges and then counters by grabbing one of Janxion's wrists, draws his DragonSaber and chops off Janxion's arm. Janxion loses 816/4547 HP.
Janxion (voice slurred due to blood loss): "Perhaps you've got some Dragon in you after all... but you're still not getting my Crystal!"
Janxion breathes fire on THRAX. THRAX's power is boosted further. His skin has been replaced by black scales, and his hands replaced with talons. The DragonSaber begins glowing.
Janxion: "Impossible! The only way you could've absorbed that attack is if you are of the line of Xanatos! That family has been extinct for centuries! Xanatos never left the Badlands. He died here!"
THRAX: "That is just a rumor. Just like it is only a rumor that I COULD be his descendant. The truth is not public knowledge for a reason."
Janxion: "Okay, Mr. Wise guy! What IS the truth? Hmm? Don't know do ya? Ha!"
Janxion uses his remaining arm and grabs THRAX's head in an attempt to crush his skull. Blood can be seen trickling out of THRAX's ears.
Anri: "Come on, Thrax! Kill the bastard! I know you are more powerful than this!"
THRAX let's out a roar worthy of Xanatos, cuts off Janxion's remaining arm then impales him with his DragonSaber. Janxion collapses.
BATTLE MODE OFF
THRAX GAINS 915 EXP
THRAX (LV 32; 19/105 HP; 137/159 SP; 10960 EXP)
THRAX RECEIVES FireDrake Dragon Crystal
THRAX returns to normal and faints for a moment, but is soon revived. Janxion summons the last of his strength and attempts to speak:
Janxion: "So, it is time. You have come back. ... Stop .... Van ... kar ... He wants the. ... crystals .... weapon..... ..... "
Janxion dies.
THRAX: "That sounded worse that Trithal trying to speak when he's totally blitzed out of his skull. What the hell did Janxion just say?"
Xaklafor: "Sounded like he was saying he wanted to stop so he could trade his van for a car, and he wants to crystallize his weapons. Not sure what all that is supposed to mean... and given that Janxion is dead now, we can't ask him to clarify."
Jarsar: "Well Thrax, I was wrong about you. You are worthy of the title of Myrmidon Warrior. I hope you someday finish your training and gain that title for real."
THRAX: "I appreciate that. But right now we've got to get going. The whole reason why we're even here in Okreman Territory is to find out what Vankar is up to. We need to get to Okremafort and investigate. No one seems to have any idea what, exactly, is happening there."
Kuta: "There's so many random clues, like the letter he sent to the Draconians and the Macha, and what Janxion just tried to tell us. All of these clues are substantial... but we have no idea what they all mean! We need to figure out what Vankar is doing as soon as possible, before he unleashes Armageddon in the Land of Fantasy."
Jarsar: "You are right about one thing, your friends do need to get going... but you, Thrax, can't leave."
Danika: "And just why the hell not?"
Elric: "It's simple. Janxion was the leader of the Grynak tribe. By killing him, Thrax has become the new leader. He can't leave without taking the tribe with him."
Anri: "The whole tribe? That's like 80 Dralani! Someone's gonna notice that large of a group marching toward Okremafort."
Kuta: "I agree with Anri. Also, having a Dralani tribe accompany us could be both useful and harmful at the same time. Aren't these tribes full of disaffected people and outlaws? While they'd probably be great in battle, they'd probably cause more problems than they solve in the long run."
THRAX: "I suppose we could leave the civilians here and just take the soldiers. They could march on Okremafort as a distraction while we sneak in undetected."
Jarsar: "That's actually not a bad idea... Make Vankar think we're answering his call, then change it up at the last minute and keep his army so busy that they don't noticed your small band climbing over the wall. Can I help?"
Xaklafor: "Hey! Don't you dare try to sneak in without me, Thrax! I'm coming too!"
Lt. Jarsar of the Wind AND Gen. Xaklafor the Aquatic Wave JOIN THE PARTY
TRITHAL (LV 30 DIVINE WIND; 125/125 HP; 121/121 SP; 9480 EXP)
AXEM (LV 27 STONE PILLAR; 107/107 HP; 105/105 SP; 8039 EXP)
THRAX (LV 32 HELL-FIRE; 19/105 HP; 137/159 SP; 10960 EXP)
Danika (LV 30 FOREST NINJA, CLASS III; 105/105 HP; 100/100 SP; 8538 EXP)
Anri (LV 30 ICE FLAME; 102/102 HP; 102/102 SP; 9632 EXP)
Adeth (LV 19 PALADIN; 62/62 HP; 28/28 SP; 3360 EXP)
Kuta (LV 32 RED CRYSTAL; 101/101 HP; 112/112 SP; 9876 EXP)
Elric (LV 28 LIGHTENING WIZARD; 108/108 HP; 255/255 SP; 7467 EXP)
Jarsar (LV 42 WIND; 146/146 HP; 202/202 SP; 12436 EXP)
Xaklafor (LV 61 AQUATIC WAVE; 234/234 HP; 420/420 SP; 26122 EXP)
-------------------------
By this time, TRITHAL had come down from his high enough to where he could carry on a coherent conversation. Danika and Kuta ask him about what happened on Mount Death.
Danika: "Tsutaru, what happened on Mount Death? Why did you stop before you got to the top?"
TRITHAL: "I felt it."
Kuta: "Felt what?"
TRITHAL: "The Shoukanjou."
Danika got a confused expression, having never heard that word before. Kuta got a shocked and surprised expression, having not heard that word in centuries.
Kuta: "The Shoukanjou? Are you sure that's what it was?"
TRITHAL: "Positive. It was coming from the direction of Okremafort."
Danika: "Okay, you'll have to fill me in on what you're talking about."
Kuta: "The Shoukanjou is a type of 'gathering call' that was used by the Macha during the first 2 or 3 centuries of their existence. It was used primarily to summon the scattered Macha to wherever the annual Macha Counsel was being held... but a general Macha Counsel hasn't been convened in over 700 years... and no one has used the Shoukanjou since then. If Vankar is using it, he must be dead serious about gathering all the remaining Macha. What we still don't know is why. What is there to gain by gathering the Macha?"
TRITHAL: "It felt like it was trying to draw the very soul from my body. I've never felt one like that before! Usually it's just like an instinctive draw to wherever the call was being generated from. That's why I climbed down and started smoking that KB - to try to keep my Macha ESP dulled and my Mahriac energy from tearing me apart."
Danika: "Did it work?"
TRITHAL: "Well, I'm still here in one piece, aren't I? Although I had to kill off the last of our kine bud."
Adeth: "eauWHAA?? You mean to say you smoked the last of that awesome kill? You suck!!"
Stoner Stephen: "Yeah, man! That was my favorite part of this job!"
TRITHAL: "Relax! I'm sure we'll find more. The last batch I found was growing wild on the side of a hill somewhere."
Kuta: "I want to see this Shoukanjou for myself. I'm gonna go climb up Mount Death."
Danika: "Be careful! Don't let your soul burst out of your handsome new body!"
In response to that statement, TRITHAL flashed the same dirty look to Danika that she gave to him after the encounter with the female elf Kyra in Episode 23. In response to TRITHAL's response, Danika responds with a "What?" expression, similar to TRITHAL's from the same episode.
TRITHAL: "So, it's NOT ok for me to admire/be admired by the opposite sex, but it IS ok for you?"
Not wanting to to get into an argument about the matter, Danika says "Fine. Whatever! You caught me the same as I caught you. We're even now, so let's leave it at that and drop it."
Not sure why his wife is all-of-a-sudden so moody and, based on past experience, decides he might not want to find out why, TRITHAL says, "Eau-kay. Fine, then."
With that, Kuta walked out of the backstage area and made his way up the staircase going up the side of Mount Death, the same staircase THRAX, TRITHAL and AXEM used to get down off of the mountain after the competition. Curious, the rest of the group followed him outside and watched him climb the stairs.
When Kuta reached the top of the mountain, TRITHAL whipped out his trusty walkie-talkie phone and beeped Kuta's phone and asked, "Well, do you feel it up there?"
Kuta (on phone): "Yeah, but not as strong as you did, Mugen. It feels like a normal Shoukanjou. It is strange, however, to feel it coming from Okremafort of all places. I'm coming back down now."
Danika: "Then, I wonder why Tsutaru found it so powerful?"
TRITHAL: "Maybe because I'm only partially assimilated. Maybe whatever steps were skipped when Macha-Rei jumped from Minako to me caused my sensitivity to the Shoukanjou to be increased."
THRAX: "In that case, we have a potentially serious problem. We're headed towards Okremafort... and this 'gathering call' thing poses a danger to Trithal. One can only assume that the closer we get, the worse it will be. So, how are we gonna deal with this?"
TRITHAL: "I guess I can stay buzzed the whole time. That seemed to help earlier."
AXEM: (sighs) "Does this mean I have to smell you toking it up all the rest of the way?"
TRITHAL: "You can stand up-wind from me and not smell it. Since winter is almost here, the wind is more from the north, so if you walk ahead of me, you shouldn't have to smell anything except your upper lip."
By this time it's the early evening... and TRITHAL, THRAX and AXEM are all weary from the day's activities... so the party decides to wrap up the events of the day, have dinner, and call it a night. They plan to finish dealing with the consequences of the day's events the following morning.
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