Navigation Four
Heraldric Sorceress
When they get to Cross, Rena and Claude decide to visit the king. It has been a long time since he and Rena have met and he asks of Regis is still as stubborn as ever. Jokingly, she tells the king that he is.
The king tells them that on the continent of El, where the Sorcery Globe lies, the battles with the monsters it has spawned still go on. There are no reports of the battles yet, but if there are any victories, he expects that they will hear of it. He asks if they are certain that they want to go, and they tell him yes, so he gives them a passport to go from there to El.
Outside, while eating, Claude thanks Rena. He doubts that he may have gotten the passport without her. Then their lunch is interrupted when they hear a woman, Celine, nearby arguing with three guys. She wanted bodyguards, and these three stepped up. But, she doesn't like them, and they start threatening her.
Rena steps in, saying that three on one isn't fair. But, when Claude attempts to restrain her, Celine eyes him, considering. Then she decides that he should be her bodyguard and doesn't give him much of a chance to say no.
When the guys sttempt to hurt her, Celine dodges the first one and tells everyone to stand back as she summons a firebolt and singes the men harassing her. Everyone around claps and cheers as Claude is left astonished. Celine and Claude introduce themselves to each other and Celine drags Claude away, leaving Rena to catch up.
While on the way, in the wrong direction, Celine tells them she is a treasure hunter and they are going to Cross Cave to find the Cross treasure. Claude asks what it was she did back in the town. Celine is surprised to find that Claude knows nothing about Heraldric.
Celine tells them that by marking one's body with symbols, one can transfrom one's own spiritual energy into other kinds of energy. Usually, the crests invloved controll air, water, fire, earth, and sometimes the heavens; these are used in Heraldric Sorcery. The fire spell she cast earlier involves a triangle, which controlls fire.
Celine goes to show him the symbol, but Rena interrupts, asking why Celine even needs Claude if she can do all that amaxing stuff. Celine does't have an answer and Rena begins to drag Claude back in the direction they need to go.
Once Celine hears where they are going she does some quick thinking and tells them that she heard a rumor that Cross Cave has some connection with the Sorcery Globe. That is affects the Sorcery Globe, or something like that. If they don't believe her, they can go back to the village and ask anyone.
After a moment's conversation with Rena, Claude decides that it is better to go ahead to Cross Cave and find out they are wrong than to go back and ignore the cave and find out that it actually does have something to do with the Globe.
When they enter the cave they discover that there is already a fork in the path. Celine take out a map, but finds it is too dark to read. Claude asks if he should go find a light, but Celine just summons one. While they look at the map, Rena questions if it is even a real treasue map.
Celine is quick to point out that she had a tough time winning it at an auction and it came with a certificate of authenticity. Rena is quick to point out that it is odd there should be a certificate of authenticity with a treasure map. Tired of talk, Celine leads them left. Not long after, they are swarmed by bats, which scare Rena. She tells them that she has never seen bats before. One last bat comes out and lands on Rena, scaring her and causing her to faint.
They push on, Claude carrying Rena on his back. Claude takes this time to ask Celine if there is really something affecting the Sorcery Globe. She is surprised by the question, but tells him that indeed there is.
Rena wakes a little while later and Claude asks if she is okay and offers to carry her a little more if necessary. She says she is okay and wants to walk herself, so Claude lets her down.
A little ways further and the tunnel comes to a dead end. The seventh, to be exact. Rena suggests again that the map is probably a fake. Celine gets mad and turns back, telling Claude and Rena to follow. But, as she walks away, a caterpillar like bug falls on her shoulder and she freaks almost as bad as Rena with the bats.
Rena removes the bug from Celine and immediately Celine tackles Claude and tells them that she hates bugs. Rena states the obvious: This is why Celine wanted a bodyguard. But the serenity doesn't last long as they hear something coming.
They stand and watch for a second before they see that it is another bug. But, no small caterpillar. This bug is big enough to fill the tunnels in the cave. Big enough to swallow them whole. Celine faints into Claude's arms and the light they had goes out. And they run.
After sharing cookies (sort of), Celine leans against the wall and begins to study the map again. The wall suddenly collapses and Celine goes sliding down a tunnel and into some kind of courtyard with a temple. Claude and Rena slide down after and help her up.
Claude begins to scan the temple with his device and discovers that there are no Sorcery Globe signatures nearby and that Celine tricked them, just like Rena thought. When they look up, Celine is not to be seen, but calls to them from somewhere.
Claude and Rena go over to find that Celine has found the treasure of Cross Cave. Sitting on a platform is a wooden box. Rena wonders what is inside, but they don't have time to find out as they are attacked by what they thought to be stone gargoyles. Celine tells them that in ancient times Heraldric sorcerers infused sould and armor and created guardian statues.
One statue attacks Rena and knocks her down. Claude draws his sword, but has no effect. One goes to attack Rena again, but is pushed away by Celine's firebolt, though not hurt.
Celine gives the treasure box to Claude and tells him to distract the guardians for awhile as she casts a spell. She cannot be interrupted while casting the spell, otherwise it is useless. Claude takes the box and runs, leading the statues on a chase.
After a minute, Celine casts RAY, a spell that engulfs the statues in light and destroies them. Exausted, Celine collapses to the ground. They then open the treasure to find that it is just a book. Celine thumbs through it and they ask her what it says, but she can't read it.
After making their way back out of the cave, Celine tells them that she is going with them. Then she jokes that there is a nice restraunt at the edge of town with a nice romantic view, making Rena jealous.