EPISODE THIRTY-SIX: Leave the past behind you.....

NENGO 327年11月23日 7:00 AM - 38 Days Until Culmination

The party began to wake up as the sun rose the following morning.... with no sign of TRITHAL anywhere nearby. AXEM and THRAX stoke the fire and start preparing a half-assed breakfast, while Danika hides in her sleeping bag, and Kuta and Anri continue to cuddle in their zipped-together sleeping bags.

About 45 minutes after sunrise, TRITHAL walks into camp from the south. Kuta and Anri are the first to spot him approaching.

Anri (feeling nervous and awkward): "Uh, Trithal-san..."

TRITHAL (nonchalant): "Good morning, Anri; Kuta."

Kuta (groggy): "Oh, hey Mugen."

THRAX notices TRITHAL holding something in his right hand.

THRAX: "What's that?"

TRITHAL tosses the object to THRAX and says, "That's the second of the three Javian amplification crystals."

AXEM: "Is that the one the fake Nashira had?"

TRITHAL nods.

By this time, Danika has sat up to see TRITHAL standing by the campfire.

Danika: "Tsutaru--"

TRITHAL: "Danika, (says something in foreign language)?"

Danika: "Okay."

Danika gets out of her sleeping bag and stands up. The two of them walk over to the edge of the lake and sit down, then engage in heavy conversation in the weird language that no one present seems familiar with -- not even THRAX.

AXEM (to THRAX): "What are they saying?"

THRAX: "Hell if I know. I don't know that language."

By this time, Kuta and Anri have emerged, and Kuta joins AXEM and THRAX.

Kuta: "It kinda sounds like Kureganese."

AXEM: "What's Kureganese?"

Kuta: "It's one of the many regional languages that have all but died off. Tsutaru said his mother is from Kureganu, right?"

AXEM: "Oh yeah! That's right! She is from Kureganu!"

Kuta: "Well then, there you have it."

Anri: "I wonder what they're talking about?"

THRAX: "Probably how gay it was the way you went and screwed everything up last night."

Anri: "Oh, drop it, Thrax!"

After about 15 minutes of conversation in Kureganese, TRITHAL and Danika return to the campsite, both in much better moods, and join the rest of the party for breakfast. Of course, no one there could keep from wondering what happened the night before.

Kuta: "So, Mugen, what did you do last night after you left?"

TRITHAL: "After Anri shared the wonderful news with me, I needed to go clear my head. I followed my senses to the castle where Edita, or Macha-Sumi, was. Unfortunately, when she sensed that I was outside, she interrupted a hot, passionate, 5-way Lesbian make-out session between her and the Saibots to come out and talk with me."

AXEM: "Well shit, Trithal! Why did you go and do that?"

TRITHAL "I didn't mean to! Anyway, she came outside and we talked for a while. We were finally able to air out our regrets over how everything ended 400 years ago, and forgive each other. I must say it feels good to finally get all that shit off my chest."

THRAX: "So how did you end up with her amplification crystal?"

TRITHAL: "She insisted that I take it as a way to at least try to make amends for what happened. She also said we can call upon her help if we need it during our quest."

Kuta: "So then I assume you've told her about what we're doing?"

TRITHAL: "Yeah, I did. She tends to agree with the fact that Vankar would be too dangerous if he were able to complete his weapon with the Dragon Crystals."

Kuta: "Well that's encouraging... knowing we have at least one ally out here."

Adeth (to TRITHAL): "Hey Sensai, is it true that you used to be the real Nashira of Darkness?"

TRITHAL: "Yes, Dude, that's true. Of course, it wasn't me as the way you see me now, but in a previous life I was. When Nashira died all that time ago, her name and legacy died with her."

Adeth: "Woah... so that means you know how she became so powerful, right? Then, you can teach me how to be that strong! Awesome!"

TRITHAL: "Y-eah, sure. Whatever, Dude."

After the party finished their breakfast, they loaded up and proceeded down the path going around the lake to the location of Xanatos' house. While they traveled, TRITHAL became bombarded with questions about what happened 400 years ago between him and the girl calling herself Nashira of Darkness.

AXEM: "So Trithal, what happened between you and the fake Nashira 400 years ago?"

TRITHAL: "Well, it was as Kuta said last night. Nashira and Edita were, in fact, lovers back then. As I mentioned in Episode 23, Macha-Rei prefers the female form... in all aspects. For a long time I liked to be, and liked to be with females, at the same time. This has led to my downfall on more than one occasion.... and this business with Edita is a perfect example of which."

Anri: "Wow! So, what happened back then with Edita?"

TRITHAL: "Our 'relationship' went on in secret for years. When Lord Doman was out of town (which happened quite often), Edita would escape from her bedchamber at night and meet me at whatever predetermined place we decided to meet at. Obvious to me even if to no one else, Macha-Sumi preferred the female form as well... only she preferred being female more than being with females. She was perfectly happy being the bitch in any relationship... which is why she married Doman."

THRAX: "That sounds like a sorry way to live. Why would anyone want to be that way?"

TRITHAL: "Well, take Christianity for example. Most followers of the faith today believe that God will reach down from heaven and wipe their ass for them if they pray hard enough. They believe that God will do everything for them, so they don't have to do anything for themselves... and that's the way they prefer to think. Pretty much the same basic subservient 'bitch' mentality applies here."

Kuta: "Damn! Such animosity! Obviously you feel very strongly about stuff like that."

TRITHAL: "Of course I do! I've felt that way for a very long time... especially after the events leading up to the execution of Nashira."

Adeth: "Didn't Kuta say that happened a few years after I got stuck in Mori-Kami's temple?"

TRITHAL: "Yeah it did. I remember it vividly.... Somehow Doman was tipped off to the fact that I was making my way East through his section of Atheria, and sent his whole army out to ambush me. When they caught me, they dragged me to Doman's castle. I remember Doman forcing Edita out to watch them execute me. Of course, I broke free and harnessed my then-powerful Darkness element magic and killed every soldier around.... but not before someone could inflict a fatal blow on me. After it was all over and I was laying there dying, I saw Edita look in disgust and turn away. From that point forward, I went on believing that Edita sold me out to Doman... being the subservient bitch she was. After the survivors left the scene, I made a daring escape and disappeared. I never knew what became of Edita or Macha-Sumi... nor did I care. It wasn't until many years later that I heard she died a couple of years after Nashira's execution. That didn't phase me at all, since I felt like that's what she deserved for betraying me."

Danika: "So, I'm guessing during your meeting last night, she gave you her side of the story, right?"

TRITHAL: "Yes, she did. She told me that Doman found out from a servant that she was sneaking off to fool around with the bandit queen while he was away. When he confronted her, he threatened to kill her then 9-month old baby if she wouldn't tell him where to find Nashira. This, of course, crushed her heart. Plus, having to watch the execution crushed her soul as well. She spent the last few years of her life in grief, and died in her bed with a very sad expression. Of course, she jumped ship and took a servant's body... then traveled as far away as she could from there. She eventually ended up in Banidori with Macha-Chet. Macha-Chet took her in and taught her everything she knows about being a warrior, and how to conquer the Dralani. And now, she reigns over the lands once ruled by the Windia and Balio Dralani tribes, and calls the combination of the two the Dralani-Sunder."

THRAX: "So then I wouldn't be the first human to conquer a Dralani tribe. And to think that I had done something original! Shit!"

TRITHAL: "And so, now that all the air has finally been cleared, me and the current Nashira are on friendly terms, and we can call upon her if we need help."

Danika: "So I guess that means you let her keep the name?"

TRITHAL: "Why not? Macha-Rei let the name Nashira die that day in the 93rd year of Doschat, so I don't have any rightful claim to it. She's used it up until now, so I saw no reason to keep her from continuing to do so."

The conversation continued on with random discussion of this and that, and whatever else they decided to talk about. At a little past mid-day, the party arrives at the site of Xanatos' home.