Tales Of Pristinia

We started searching for the staff somewhere in the mystic marsh.

"Do you remember any of these paths?" I asked Marze.

"I forgot all of them," she replied. "All these trees look the same to me."

"No they are different!" The Drey disagreed. "Each tree has its own life force and each life force has its own unique characteristic, we fairies can feel the trees life force and distinguish them from each other."

"Cool!" I exclaimed.

"Thanks," he replied. "As long as I'm here we're not going to get lost."

"We'll a fairy sure is handy over this marsh," Marze said.

"By the way," I added. "How come you're not in miniature size?"

"You mean this?" The prince shrank down to minish size then grew back to our size. "All fairies can do that, I'm more comfortable being in this form, since I don't have any wings."

"I see," I answered.

"Let's keep looking for the staff," Marze went on.

We searched every area that we stumbled upon and looked at every suspicious-looking nook and cranny. We also took some breaks. On one of our breaks, we ate fruits that Drey found during our search.

"I thought there was only one type of tree here," I said.

"There is only one," Drey replied.

"How come there are so many types of fruit?" Marze asked.

"Well I don't know the answer," Drey replied. "It was like that since I was born and not a fairy has known the mystery behind this marsh."

"I see," I replied. "Well time to get going."

And so we continued our search. Suddenly, we came across dead trees in the marsh and dark pools of water.

"What could have happened here?" Drey wondered.

"Marze!" I called out to her.

"Right," she understood and wielded her trident. I also prepared the Magus Regalia and the Regesta.

"Be alert Drey!" I warned him. "Something dangerous is up close!"

We continued on and a thicket of dead trees surrounded us. Then suddenly, dark clouds appeared and went towards us.

"Lance!" Marze shouted.

"Tailwind," I blew the dark clouds away and behind them was the fairy that controlled it.

"A dark fairy!" Drey was astonished. "Never in my entire lifespan as a fairy have I seen a dark fairy."

"Really?" Marze nearly laughed.

"What's so funny?" Drey asked.

"You were a dark fairy before and we lifted you out of the darkness."

"What!" Drey was dumbfounded. "I was a dark fairy?"

"Yep," Marze agreed. "A wingless one, who looked like a barbarian with tattered clothes and a muscular body, that is."

"Do you really have to include the fact that he is muscular?" I turned red with jealousy.

"Anyways," Marze continued. "Do not let that dark cloud touch you or you will be like the trees around us."

"All right," Drey prepared for battle. He stood straight and put his hands in front of him. He closed his eyes. Then bluish rays came out of his hands, then runes were written in his hands. "I'm ready," he said.

"What's our plan Lance?" Marze asked.

"We will rush him from three directions. I'll take the left, Marze go from the right, and Drey, you take the center. If those dark clouds get close, retreat back to this spot immediately and give support."

"Got it!"

We went as planned. I ran from the left and cast Lightning Strike to divert all of its attention to me. It sent all of the dark clouds but Marze used Concentrated Pierce to attack it from the side. So the dark clouds that were sent to me headed back to Marze. Thankfully, Drey cast Haste, which increased Marze's speed that led to her evasion from the dark clouds.

"Retreat!" I shouted and we retreated back to the spot.

"That thing is difficult to defeat!" Drey said.

"Gee, you should've seen yourself," I replied.

"You were insanely strong when you were a dark fairy, Drey," Marze replied.

"Anyways, let us plan for the next skirmish. This time let us all attack from the center. Marze will be the vanguard, I'll take the center and Drey will be the rear. I'll blow away the clouds using Tailwind. Drey will use Enhance and Haste to me to increase my speed and magic attack and Edge and Haste to Marze to increase her speed and attack. We will break through we have to. If we fail, you two must quickly retreat, I will be the rear and blow away the clouds of death."

So we tried that strategy, Marze charged first, I followed and Drey was the rear. The clouds met with us as predicted and I cast Tailwind as planned. Then Marze shouted, "Concentrated Pierce" as she used that skill.

Drey meanwhile started an enchantment: "O heaven, earth, and sea that encompasses all, listen to me as an enchanter and increase the strength, magic, and speed of my allies: Edge, Enhance, Haste."

Marze's attack landed and the dark fairy was somehow hit. "I hit it," Marze said.

"Retreat," I shouted and we retreated back.

This time the dark fairy seemed even more powerful. After we retreated, it charged towards and the cloud of death came to embrace us. I cast Tailwind but they kept on coming.

"Run," Marze screamed. And so we ran away from the battle. Not far from where the dark fairy was, was a pristine teal pool that kept still and in there we saw it. In the water's reflection was the Staff of the Four Winds. We looked above and saw the four winds gathered into one point, where the staff's crystal was.

"Drey," I said. "The staff is yours to wield."

"What?" Drey reacted. "I'm not fit to wield it. It should belong to you, Lance!"

"Even if I wanted to, I cannot because the staff rejects me. Only someone of royal Aenian blood can equip the staff."

"Yes," Marze agreed. "Lance is right, which means only you can wield it."

"But I am wingless," Drey continued his excuse. "I don't have a fairy's identity, I can't wield the staff!"

Then suddenly, the dark fairy appeared from a distance still pursuing us. It saw us and anything it passed died and any teal water became as dark as the darkest night.

"Marze," I prepared for a spell.

"Right!" Marze replied.

We both used Lightning Strike at the same time and managed to repel the berserked fairy.

"Equip it Drey," I said. "I believe in you, we believe in you. Just be who you are, wingless or not, you were perfect the day you were born. Don't let others define who you are because you define yourself!"

At that moment, the whole area lit up and before us Ancandrey emerged with the staff in hand. He lifted it and said:

"Heavens, earth, and sea, which encompasses all, bow down before me and bend the elements, follow my command and bring us victory: Edge, Haste, Enhance, Fortify."

Marze and I were enhanced in strength, defense, and speed.

He continued chanting:

"Heavens, earth, and sea, which encompasses all, bow down before me and bend the elements, follow my command sap the strength of thine enemy: Weaken, Slow, Break."

Ancandrey fainted, perhaps his magic energy ran out because of all the spells that he multicasted. The dark fairy seemed to be worse though.

Using the Staff of Four Winds, Ancandrey created an opening in this battle. Will we have the strength to defeat all of the darkness in Aenia?