The Mysterious Book (Quest)

[Eno Vale]

Every time, every single time. It never fails for Eno, the worlds somehow manage to thrust him into the unforgiving torrent that almost always pours from the sky. Rain, rain, and even more rain. Just like in Traverse Town and Twilight Town. The giant can't seem to escape this common occurrence. It may be his luck, or his lack of knowledge of the world's weather patterns, but either way it's always around to  turn his mood sour. Especially when he has to perform the same ritual he's done the last few months.

Munny, it's a necessity, but there is never enough. Eno knows that more than most, and yet it continues. It didn't matter the place, or the time, a hungry belly must never remain so. The images of the little girl still play in his mind two months later, giving him all the incentive he needs. But, like every other time he's hunted, there's not much to behold. They give him nothing but five to ten munny at a time, and unless the heartless fight him in droves, the spirit will earn nothing. Five thousand would get a day at the beach, but the measly one to two thousand might get a few cheap meals, and some thread, other than that, good luck.

It hardly covers the upkeep of the giant's clothes, leaving them to get torn from the various hunts. The patches Eno has sewn in are able to do the trick, but half the sleeve is missing on one of his arms, and that's something that can't easily be fixed, not with the amount he's getting. His skin shivers from the exposure, the freezing wetness coating his pale forearm. While it's a sign of his struggle, it's also one that will never fail to bring a smile on Eno's face. He still has freedom, a dog released from its cage.

And because of that, the spirit is able to forge onward.

Weak soldiers and even weaker shadows. None with a hint of forethought while charging him head-on. They didn't realize what it was they'd be walking in to. Their little feet, so full of energy, kick up bits of water from the grass as they move, their desperation and fear driving them to do so. It is as both Hades and Februus said, the ones who bathe in darkness fear the weapons of light, and will seek to destroy the wielder, drawn to the unlucky few like moths to a flame. It's even forcing them to endure the aura that's stripping their frames of their life-force. None are aware just how brittle they become until the keyblade strikes, breaking them down into nothing with barely a hint of effort.

Six shadows rush Eno in a line, all of them having to cover dozens of meters to close in on their target. When in range, a single, wide swing is all that's needed to add another layer of dust to the air. An unenthusiastic blow to be sure, but effective. It does its job in unlocking the hearts once trapped within the dark. But, where they go, is a mystery. Not even Februus would give the ex-hand that information. In fact, after what it took to get her, he's surprised she wants to speak with him at all. Willing or no, this keyblade had no intention of switching masters, but, it's not as though everyone on the worlds will have the freedom of choice. Esoteric weapons aren't above it either it seems.

Two soldiers, ones a bit more tenacious than the others, do present a little fun for the warrior. Every time they try their little acrobatic kicks they're met with the side of his warped weapon. But, just like all the others, his aura of life would slowly drain them of theirs, the darkness managing to age to a point to where the shell it made naturally started to crack and split off into thin splinters.In spite of being untouched, their helmets bore deep recesses running along the surface, as though a hammer had struck. So sad, to experience fear to such an extent.

But, Eno holds no mercy. Once their balance fails, he goes in for the kill. Two swings later and more hearts fill the sky, but the sweet twink of those golden orbs catch his attention. Orbs of munny now liter the ground from that brief exchange, and the ex-hand wastes no time in gathering them up in a greedy, hungry fashion. Ten, ten, five, two spheres representing one, and a few dark shards. In spite of getting a rather nice pull, all it does is slightly shrink the gap. The ex-hand will have to continue this little venture of his for a few more hours before he can call it a night. So, with his keyblade in hand he walks off further into the city, the bright neon glow of the signs lighting his way.

It isn't until he comes across a rather peculiar site does Eno find pause. A quick turn of his head shows a pair of heartless down a nearby alleyway. The spirit's eyes widen in shock at what he sees.

At first he couldn't believe it. When the life user first took on that quest, Eno didn't think the heartless would actually be here. A world that shouldn't exist, on the edge of darkness, you'd assume that there would be so many monsters running around that it'd be useless to find any particular ones. Somehow, fate has given him an opportunity. A castor class holds the object he seeks. Though, it doesn't seem to be that simple. It's not working with this nearby fellow. Instead, it's trying to keep the neoshadow at bay. It's clawing at the book, as though it were trying to tear its way in, yet the castor is blocking the way? Odd.

With the duo being distracted, Eno slowly makes his approach, hoping that the splashing caused by his shoes when they hit the puddles don't alert them.

[Eno Vale]

Unfortunately, it's not going to work out that way for Eno. Regardless, he managed maybe two feet before their little scuffle dislodges the neoshadow from the tome. His beady yellow eyes fall on Eno, along with the blade, and the Castor is forgotten. From there it starts its approach towards the giant, its long, slender claws easily visible in the neon lighting of the signs from nearby.

Meanwhile, the little heartless watches on, its arms wrapped tightly around its prize. It glances Eno's way, then back to the shadow, before it glides away in a panic.

“Shit,” Eno sprints after a moment, but he doesn't ignore the Neoshadow, he can't afford to let it slow him down, so it's better to either make it move, or go through it. The former of the two proves easier to put into action. To the ex-hand's surprise, it leaps in an attempt to swipe at his face. Instead, he's met with Eno's immediate action. All it took was the heartless leaning back for him to act, grabbing hold of the wrist before its strike can pick up the necessary speed. Without so much as a second thought, Eno tosses him to the left, not bothering to see how far it went.

It lands on its back a few feet away, the disorientation from the short trip does well to keep it occupied just long enough for the spirit to round the corner and run out of sight. Soon his rapid footsteps become lost in the echo of the deafening rain. However, even should he dismiss his weapon, the Neoshadow can still feel its light. So, it presses on, its instinct the driving force, and it's not alone in that venture.

Little did the giant know, he'd only been targeting stragglers. Ones that sought to hunt alone rather than with the rest.

Shadows of varying size, ones that have been dormant, react. Only now do they realize that a keybearer has entered their midst. The real threat, is the rather sizable hive he had the mishap of entering. He'd only broken through the outer area, but his presence is known. The shadows of nearby buildings erupt with activity, having been irritated by a fearsome enemy. And so they move, to snuff out that one hint of light with their overpowering fear.

And so the problem grows...

“Good God, why is this one running?” Eno mutters as he pumps his arms. He's since dismissed his keyblade in hopes of concentrating purely on chasing his target down. Even in the rain he can clearly see his goal being held tightly in its little grubby hands. Sadly, due to the nature of the Castors, it's able to fly faster than Eno can run, but it's not able to shake the ex-hand so easily. While they can sense his light, he can do the same for their darkness. It's how, despite the magic based heartless' speed, he's able to find him and continue to pursue.

That is, until it takes to flying up, along the front of a nearby . Eno, believing he has a shot, leaps with all the might his body can muster. His outstretched fingers meet air, rain, and nothing else. Cursing to himself, he hits the soaked streets face first, and for a few moments he doesn't move. What an embarrassing mess, victory was in his grasp, yet it slips right through his fingers yet again. It's a never-ending cycle, and it's starting to take its toll.

With a curl of his fingers, and a low grunt, he gets to his knees. Looking up finds that the Castor is lingering, its little yellow orbs watch him curiously, the fear it held obviously gone. Not only that, it's even waiving the book around the edge of the building, as though it were taunting him. The giant responds with his own motion, raising his middle finger high enough for the heartless to see in spite of the large distance.

“You know, you'd be absolutely screwed IF I COULD STILL FLY!” he screams, his frustration being powerful enough to rise above the torrent pouring endlessly. Anything else is cut off by the water cascading off his face, and into his eyes. A quick shake of the head, followed by a few rubs, and his eyes now gaze upon: nothing. The Castor appears to have moved on, at least that's what he thought at first.

“Great,” he sighs, “just great.” His one chance foiled by his body's adaptive nature. The giant didn't have a clue as to how his body managed to create this aura, or how it was able to rid him of his other abilities, but the end result has foiled this particular venture. Without flight he'd have to scale the building himself, and with that heartless nowhere in sight, the only thing he can do is use his sense of the darkness to find where it is.

Using that ability proves to be a hassle, as he is on the edge of darkness itself. The element surrounds him, only increasing the already sizable load on his mind. Yet, despite that, the giant is sure it's staying on the roof, or perhaps it's unable to leave. There are others that have joined it, and upon further inspection, the ex-hand comes to find that there's a bit more than a small number.

In fact, he may need to work on that particular skill of his...

With actions akin to a mummy, Eno stiffly cranes his neck to the right, and finds that his luck has gone through a complete one eighty. Like a deer caught in the headlights, he views the multitude of black creatures now staring him down. An eerie silence falls over the city block, as the one warrior faces down dozens of potential foes. Neoshadows and their smaller counterparts all line up in a giant mass of black, and yet more join the block party. As the seconds pass more neon signs lose their color as bodies cling to them for support, and the street lights start to dim as more pour in.

Even with his aura burning away at the weaker foes, there are clearly heartless with a higher tolerance to the pain. Those will prove to be a hassle as the fodder throws themselves at him. If only they didn't come out in such numbers, Eno felt as though he could have been rolling in munny. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, wasn't it?

Without so much as a second thought, Eno summons his keyblade and strikes at the nearby window leading into the skyscraper he'd been standing in front of. The glass shatters easily from the desperate blow, the noise acting as a signal for the dark monsters to charge. His shoes crunch on the slivers as he moves in, and immediately he breaks out into a full blown run. The once dead man doesn't have the luxury of taking in his surroundings, already having found a door sporting a symbol of a set of stairs near the back of the lobby.

With the heartless breathing down his neck, he moves as fast as his feet can carry him.

[Eno Vale]

One, two, three, the shadows fall one by one as they try to overtake the large man, each being done in by the corrupted keyblade. Unfortunately, it means nothing in the face of things. For each one that is slain, another three take their place, and regardless of numbers replacing numbers, the amount still grows with each passing second. More windows shatter from the sheer weight of them pressing into the glass, causing a multitude of dark bodies to pour into the lobby.

Eno, the poor soul, ends up surrounded twenty meters from the door. Immediately one of the Neoshadows leap, their jagged claws. The giant, however, is ready for it. He answers with  horizontal swing. Regardless of it ending in a deadlock, the ex-hand's aura has done its job in weakening it during the chase, resulting in the heartless losing its entire arm in the trade. Though, like it's brethren, it shows no sign of injury in its body language, opting to rush him yet again. However, the giant is able to grab it by the wrist as it lunges. With such an obvious attack, such a task proves easy.

After all, every knight in the Tyrant's Military had unarmed combat training under their belt, and with him being that dark man's second, Eno had a bit of an edge above the others, having to train for significantly long periods. A sword and shield can only help you along until you're disarmed. If there was any knowledge he'd gained during those countless days of fighting, it's that there's always someone on a higher skill level. You have to prepare for it by any means necessary.

Tossing the little bugger into its allies proves to be a better idea than most he's had that night. The resulting impact knocks a few of the smaller ones off their feet, while others opt to morph into their flattened forms to avoid their comrade. The ex-hand takes this opportunity to move a few feet closer to the door, cutting away at approaching shadows as he does so. And that's when ten of them strike at once from all sides.

The once dead man's eyes widen at the sudden unity. Cold sweat joins the fray as the first needle like appendages pierce his calf, thighs, and back. Those that tried to attack from the front, however, meet Eno's unforgiving blade. It'd seem as though the left side of his body would be open to carve into, if it weren't for the armored sleeve he wore. Moon's Bulwark hums to life as the little heartless close in, the section of the forearm morphing into its shield counterpart. Those claws now ping off of the metal rather than adding to the wounds.

Now, with sword and shield, the once proud knight gets to work.

With Moon's Bulwark taking those blows, the element spreads warmth throughout his body. That, coupled with the energy his aura was drawing, would completely heal the wounds done by the weakened shadow class heartless. Little did they know, that gathering up into such a big group, would be a huge mistake for the starving, monster filled vagrant. In fact, despite the odds stacked against him, a smile can be seen on his face.

While he wouldn't dare to admit it, his fight with Februus awakened something within him. Like a switch being flipped his personality changes. The adrenaline rushing through his veins takes on a warmth, dispelling those thoughts of fear. No matter the amount, and while he may lack equipment, what he has is enough for him to survive this encounter. With that in mind, his body visibly relaxes, and the shield returns to its gauntlet form.

It's been a while since he's done this. Not since his days fighting in Tartarus, or as Hades' Second Cerberus. The memories come flooding back as his steel cleaves through dark hide. Sand upon bare feet, carving into the worn soles, leaving bloodied footprints upon the horrid surface. The stench that permeated the field of corpse flowers, the very earth rotting from the corruption. The vein like roots are clear as day despite the events being almost six months behind him. That and more join in a muddled mess of torment and loneliness.

As more fall before Eno, others take advantage of his lack of strategic placement, not knowing that their efforts are in vain. The giant tanks each and every shot he's unable to block, parry, or dodge. He cares little about the damage being caused, as the options he had at his disposal are capable of undoing the harm done.

One half step to the left, and he evades a swipe from a Neoshadow. With the momentum comes an underhanded swing from the Moonlight Blade, one that doesn't finish the target, but causes them to stagger back into its comrades, creating a domino effect. He follows up with an overhanded swing of Februus, one that slides through a Shadow's hide effortlessly. A grimace follows once an unknown heartless takes advantage of his open back, but it doesn't slow him down. An even amount of health from a dozen neoshadows and heartless would fix it almost immediately.

Did the amount really make such a difference? He'd never seen such an event play before his eyes. His white flames, the ones that lap at his skin, have started glowing brighter. The color was vibrant as is, but this, its as though the aura itself was alight with the same fire. Months ago he couldn't hope to hold such strength in his shell, but now, with this evolution, the benefits far outweighed the sacrifices.

Damn flight to the deepest pits, watching these monsters wither and die like raisins is far more entertaining.

An overhanded swing from Februus would grant Eno the relief he needs. A silver ring of light appears around his body on cue with the blow, forcing the surrounding creatures back that weren't slain by the moon's power. That single strike did more for him than his longsword ever could, but it's not as though watching the torment wrack their poor little bodies didn't have its own brand of fun. It's been too long since the War on Olympus, the dog must get its walks in from time to time.

But, even this number will threaten to overtake him in seconds should he linger, even a fool having his fun can realize that. The claws are coming in at numerous strikes and angles, the AoE isn't having as much of an impact anymore. The regenerative effects can't seem to keep up with the rapid blows anymore, forcing the ex-hand to come up with a new plan, one to separate himself from his foes.

If he can't get to the stairs, he'll find his way up the building another way. Climbing, walking, flying, these are three of many ways to get from one place to another, and Eno has an option. A quick glance shows him the white tiled roof of the skyscraper. So long as he ascended, it didn't matter where he ended up. And with that final thought, he creates his entry and exit points. In a brilliant flash of white light, Eno, and the subsequent light, disappears from sight in the blink of an eye.

Now, five floors up, the giant is allowed a momentary pause. The massive swarm can sense him still, no doubt about it, and it wouldn't take too long for them to climb their way up. Knowing this, he looks from left to right, finding long, narrow corridors lining each side. Dozens of white mahogany doors run face to face with one another down both ends. A residential area of the building perhaps?

Spoiler:

[Eno Vale]

No, this world has nothing of the sort, at least not anymore. It may have offered protection from the outside world, for a time at least, but now the darkness reigns supreme. There is no bastion for the swarm he's awakened, the giant knows that full well. A giant treasure trove of munny, and it proves to be too much for him to handle, his extremely limited abilities would see to that. But, it's not as though he has the time to learn. Everything he knows now, he's forced to use day to day.

His Medieval Wrestling, Sword and Spear Fighting, Shield Techniques, Disarming Techniques, and other similar skills may be given more attention than is necessary, a hundred and fifty years of having nothing but sticks and your own bare hands does that to a person, but physical skills will work for only so long against enemies that use magic, and ones with long range weaponry. Those particular types have been giving the ex-hand issues over the months, making chances at obtaining munny that much smaller. They'd fly out of his reach, or they'd disappear into the darkness before he got close. Not every heartless is a slave to instinct, some know how to think and plan around their prey, and this little Castor Heartless is no different.

However, this one may be foolish enough to stay on the roof.

A few minutes before he lost contact with its darkness, it'd been interacting with others of its type. Like back in that alley it was fighting off other sources similar to its own. How odd that such a puny creature would defend an item from others of its kind. Could he communicate with it perhaps? No, after that intro its obvious that it will run before it ever tries to listen. The thought of a low class heartless like it understanding the giant and helping him out is laughable. In spite of that, it never hurts to hope, so Eno holds on to it as he walks down that long, narrow hallway.

With each step he takes, the weight echoes back to his ears, the sound of his breathing being the only thing that accompanies it. It's times like these Eno can't help but be reminded of his time wandering that endless desolate expanse. Having only himself and his thoughts to keep him company during those brutal days and sleepless nights. A maddening experience the once proud knight would do well without reliving, but as his days in this new universe continue to unfold, the memories just keep coming back.

There is no master to listen to, no armies to lead, nor enemy to destroy, or even a farm to tend. Instead, all Eno has is his own existence. Nothing more, nothing less. He doesn't even have that loud mouthed reptile to keep him company anymore, wherever she is. Eight months of searching now, and still not a single hint of a clue has turned up. Los Cite, Twilight Town, Wonderland, Olympus, Traverse Town, Halloween Town, and here, there's nothing. So, what's a solitary man like Eno supposed to do without any sort of direction? The only option that seems to rear its ugly head is self destruction.

Maybe, it'd be better to just stop searching. It's proven to be fruitless, and it won't be long now before a year passes. If Eno wants to survive he'll have to find a world and stick to it, then he'll have to join whatever military force that world possesses. It's one of the few talents the sham of a knight still has left in his body, and he'll be damned if he spends the rest of his life using it to kill heartless for table scraps.

Eno breaks into a small jog now, having seen the end of this snaking expanse. A single set of doors, a slit running down the middle is there to greet him when he arrives. A quick glance of the sides reveals a single, rectangular plate. Two buttons lie on top of one another, each showing an arrow indicating the direction the elevator beyond would take him. Pressing the one on top, he watches as a little light illuminates it, and the system on the other side of the doors grinds to life. From there, he's forced to wait on his ride. Hopefully, it shouldn't be a long one, who knows if that castor managed to find its way off the roof or not. If those shadows are still attracted to that book, it'd prove hard for that single heartless to escape.

In fact, as that large metal box makes its way to Eno, he can't help but put some thought into the situation to pass the time.

First off, his target is in the clutches of a heartless that has some form of cognitive thought. It knew to escape rather than blindly attack. While it's a long shot, the possibility of things ending on a calmer note still looms, creating a rather comforting embrace to balance otherwise hopeless situation.

There's a pissed off a nest of heartless for starters, that takes a pretty high rung on his priority ladder. Next is that his target is at the top of a building that same nest is swarming. If he puts himself on the roof he'll be cutting off his means of escape. If Februus couldn't get the once dead man far enough, he'd wind up a meal for the swarm. Already he can feel faint pulses rushing towards his position. If his ride didn't hurry up, he'd be subjected to another brutish fight. In these tight quarters, it'd be impossible for him to swing his weapons effectively.

At this moment, a sharp ring signals the arrival of his elevator. Once the door slides open, Eno slips right on in. However, the metal box seems a little slow to close. A quick glance down the hallway is anything short of a welcoming sight. An almost literal wave of heartless are barreling down his path, destroying the lights one by one. A little miffed by this, Eno turns to the elevator's array of buttons, finding one resembling a set of closing doors he presses it. When nothing changes, the giant couldn't help but sweat. He presses it again, the darkness lurches forward, he starts pressing it rapidly and the hoard's eyes aren't the only thing he sees...

And, as though it were a cruel joke, the doors finally slide shut. As soon as the elevator ascends, the dull thuds of shadow heads hitting the wall could be heard in rapid repetition. A rather relieving noise to hear given the circumstances. The ex-hand even has a relaxing track to accompany him on his journey to the top. So, with a sigh, he sets about his hastily chosen path.

“Eh, I'll wing it and see what happens.” He thinks to himself.

Spoiler:

[Eno Vale]

“I definitely should not have tried to wing it,” Eno's response is anything but discernible, as the metallic screech of the elevator covers it. The occasional shift from within is thankfully mitigated, as one of his forged trinkets were created just for this very purpose. There are many things that can put a person at a disadvantage, and shifting floors is a killer. At least in this case, the giant is able to find use for the Pendant he kept around his neck.

The heartless couldn't get enough of the pale shell of a man. They turned to spawning in the shaft around him. At first the small metal box would rumble as it ground a few of the shadows to dust from underneath the gears. Eno could of course defend himself without moving, so the issue was nothing for the first few minutes of his ascent. However, superior numbers, along with stronger shadows, came to join the hunt. With the weaker members all but food for the spirit, the stronger members of the hive would have to take up the mantle.

Which they are sure to do.

Eno being at one hundred percent isn't enough to quell the multitude forcing the elevator to come to a screeching halt. A death sentence to be sure given the situation. Were it not for the top-hatch, Eno would have given up hope. The giant reaches out, grasping the mechanism in the center of the hatch. A quick twist, click, and it gives way with a single push. With a grunt, the spirit pulls himself out of the slender, metal box.

He hardly gets both feet out before the elevator drops a bit, putting the giant on his stomach. But, a lift of his head shows the nearby set of doors leading to the next floor. Once he's standing, Eno sees he's eye level to it. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he tries to squeeze his fingers into the gap. There's only a momentary wait before the giant is able to get a good grip. With a growl, he forcefully pulls against the sliding doors.

As he struggles against this, his hunters continue to pull. For every pull, the metal box lowers bit by bit.

“Come on, come on,” Eno strains to force them open, “are you stuck, open up!” His motions have hit a level of frantic only saved for a special few, or in this case just one. “Oh my god hurry hurry hurry!” Unfortunately, his words do nothing to make the transition any easier. However, something does cross his mind, and that's enough to get him to stop.

He has something that can unlock any lock, and since the building is still operational, that might mean that the mechanism keeping these doors shut would be as well. How could Eno let himself waste so much time? No matter, a momentary lapse of judgment and no more. While chances are slim, he has no choice but to stay on his course. If his venture leads to failure, he'd have a view of the city from the top of this building. Maybe the glowing lights below will give it away? Unlikely, the storm would mask the little creature well.

With his keyblade back in his hands, it takes nothing at all for the weapon to open the sliding doors, and lead the giant through. Once his boots cross the threshold, the heartless give one final tug, bringing the elevator down with them. It's too bad that none thought to climb around the object, instead riding it all the way to the bottom of the shaft. The ex-hand doesn't bother to look down, opting to make his way down a very similar hall to the one he left behind. Unlike the first, however, this one happens to sport a door a few yards away, one showing access to a set of stairs.

No more elevators for this somebody. A gentle twist, push, and soon enough he's taking the significantly safer route, and with each flight of stairs, a mix of emotions stir. This gamble, the angry heartless horde, was it all worth it for this little book? What could it offer the buyer? Who posted the quest in the first place? It didn't even have a name on the sheet, the giant just grabbed one at random, it's not as if he knew things would get this complicated.

Why was Eno going after this book in the first place? If he wanted money he could have beat up those thugs, or escort those kids, or cooked. So many other means of monetary gain, and here he is walking up hundreds of stairs for one monster that could torch, electrocute, or freeze him in place. A normal human would have seen the suicide pact to signing off on this quest from a mile away. No wonder there wasn't a soul to take on this quest other than the hobo.

This better be worth the headache...

Having finally reached the top, after many minutes of incredibly repetitive and downright uninteresting movements, the prize is at hand! However, if the Castor is there, then the giant may be walking into an ambush, or its not there at all and Eno has been wasting his time trapping himself at the top of this monumental structure. It's not like the heartless are quiet, he can hear them slamming their little clawed hands at the walls keeping them at bay. Seems like they can't find the access doors to slip under as shadows, lucky him.

With only the rooftop access door separating the spirit from the last known location, he wastes no time in opening this particular portal to the torrential downpour. What awaits him on the other side, causes Eno's jaw to hang limply in shock.

[Eno Vale]

Neoshadows completely cover the rooftop, shrouding it in a mass of darkness. The rain pours steadily, the torrent that it once was having abated. In that instance, the giant is able to see their beady little yellow pearls clearly as they all stare up at him. However, the entire horde doesn't appear to be focused on just the fallen knight, they've taken to his target, surrounding it as they do him. An eerie silence falls over the crowd, their eyes never leaving either.

Of all those out there in the night, it's the Castor that makes its, or better to say his, first move. With a mighty cry the little heartless points to the sky, and a few sparks coalesce in the clouds. Four bolts come crashing down from the clouds, eliminating a few of the unfortunate souls that we too close. The force of impact causes those in the immediate area to lose their footing, flying back and becoming sandwiched between the slew of others still alive.

The sky lights up as more energy gathers, and on impulse Eno brings up his bulwark. He barely has time to steady himself before the Castor repeats the spell. Boom, crash, bang, the giant, unable to cover both ears, cringes from the noise expelled on contact. Though, the sound is the least of his problems as the clouds glow above him rather than the other creatures.

“You!” The Castor cries in its polyphonic voice, “you really followed me?!” A quick glance back to the sky shows the clouds coming alight with electric energy. Is there more power behind this spell, definitely. Even if Eno can't sense the darkness after a certain distance, magic was definitely in the ex-hand's forte. He knew just how much power was put into this attack, and this amount of mana should not be able to be utilized by such a weak class.

Back when he served under Hades, the giant was ordered to fight creatures like this. Most couldn't cast a spell before they fell to his blades, but this one is capable of doing so much more in a faster time frame. How could a heartless like this find so much strength?

Before the once dead man could come to an answer that made sense, a small flash forces him to put his shield up. Barely a second passes before the bolt crashes into the bulwark, forcing Eno to kneel. His whole form shivers from the contact, and the nerves in his left arm stop functioning all at once. The arm, and his shield, hang limply at his side. It would pose a problem, if he didn't have something for it.

The heartless, the ones unlucky enough to be in close proximity, are what that something is. The effects of his healing is almost instantaneous, allowing Eno to get to his feet unscathed. It isn't long before the air starts a cooling trend, signaling another magical attack. The giant is able to raise his shield for this one as well, clenching as each misshapen javelin of ice pounds into his protection.

The others participating in this little party end up unfortunate victims to the icy wrath. One by one they're pierced and subsequently taken down. Drawing the Moonlight Blade, Eno leaps into the sea of black he's unlucky enough to have found. Within seconds of swinging, another round of screaming rises above the patter of feet and claws.

“Get away from me,” this time five spheres of fire comes from an open palm, “I won't let you near them!” The dark creature's mighty cry gives Eno pause, more so due to the castor than the enemies around. With it slinging magic everywhere, the heartless seem to be focusing on that rather than the keyblade wielder standing before them. Could it be because it isn't around for them to see? The Ex-Knight was under the impression such a thing didn't matter. Sight or not the keyblades are tools that bring their destruction, it shouldn't be something ignorable.

This and many other surface, ones that only rise due to the nature of the Castor's speech. It may sound like an unholy amalgamation, but the general lightness to the tone would indicate a child, or at least someone close to their preteens. Perhaps a kid with some semblance of his past? Could that tome be involved somehow? He's speaking as though he isn't alone, odd considering Eno sees nothing but shadows stalking their way every closer to the lone creature.

But, at least it'll be spared the pain its brethren must be feeling. With Februus working in tandem with Eno, the range of his aura has increased, nearly encompassing all on the rooftop, the Castor included. No matter how weak or strong these particular ones are, they'll be worn down in no time, leaving them to die via magic. Whether this particular heartless will pick up or not doesn't matter. If things don't go Eno's way he can plan accordingly.

The giant will have that book by any means necessary.

[Eno Vale]

An opening, a single opportunity to strike.

A few of the neoshadows fell to the aura, leaving a path for Eno to take. A few wild swings of Februss cut down those unfortunate enough to get in his way. This was it, just a few more feet and the giant would get his prize. But, fate has a tendency to get in the way of how things should be. It's in these moments, that the Castor makes his final move. Desperation clear in its movements, it shifts its gaze in a circle. Shadows surround him, and the one thing that isn’t like this sea of black is after the book, and that man is gaining ground.

In one motion, the heartless opens its maw, and slides the book inside. Eno, dumbfounded, skids to a stop, kicking up a wave of water as he does so.

“Wh-what?!” Eno looks on, his jaw agape. It ate his prize, now there’s no way around killing the creature. At the very least the life user could have stunned it and stole the book. No, instead another obstacle has to block his path. But, this particular wall won’t be broken through. Within moments, the object of pure light radiates within the dark shell that is the Castor. The heartless itself vibrates madly, parts of its body falling away, revealing a brilliant display. A single beam shines through from within, the heat of is burning away at any neoshadow in its path.

Another brings Eno to a knee, narrowly avoiding the attack. As more of it starts to peel away, the remaining shell starts to expand. The once undead man takes this is a signal to move on, and that this book really wasn’t worth the trouble it’s causing. It definitely wasn’t worth his life. So, with a single turn Eno moves as fast as his legs could carry. Unfortunately for him, he managed about ten feet before a thunderous noise erupts behind him. The following shockwave knocks him off his feet, forcing him near the edge of the building.

The keyblade wielder manages to turn for a moment, witnessing the blinding show of light, darkness, and the elements the heartless wields, culminating in an area around the book.

And, hovering just a few feet above it, a solitary heart. For a few moments, it seems like the two objects join together, and the resulting connection causes another wave of light to fan out from the center. The fallen knight brings both arms up to block, only to have the magic easily move through him. It’s an intense sensation, holy fire that completely consumes his visage.

The once dead man screams in agony, the sound carrying miles from the top of the skyscraper.

And its in this moment, his vision blurs to pure white, until not a single object is visible. The last fleeting moments are spent in a freefall before all is lost to him…


QUEST FAIL

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