The Century Corps are now on the water, sailing down the river. The entrance into the riverbank is rocky, but soon, the Century Corps are in sailing form, and Boone and Marmin have went along as the navigation of this river requires an expert, however, it appears the boat is having trouble moving.
Boone: Marmin, what gives?
Marmin: It does?
Boone: I’m asking why we aren’t moving?
Marmin: Well the breeze is dead and we need a solid breeze to not be stuck here as something is preventing us from moving
Marmin points to the blackblood in the water as it’s sticking to the bottom of the ship like a tether of some kind, it is also in the engine of the boat.
Boone: How is it doing that?
Hudson: It appears that when removed from their host, the crests have trouble latching onto something
Vivuhal: That’s why it pinning down the boat?
Hudson: It’s what I think anyway
Griay: Well if only we had someone who could generate a strong gust of wind
Wadah: Hi
Griay: Hi
Wadah: So?
Boone: Yeah do the thing please
Wadah: Yes sir
Wadah begins using their wind powers to propel the boat down the river, freeing up the engine to help move the ship on its own.
Marmin: Boone, are you sure you want to continue going?
Boone: I must, I must
Hudson: Again, mind letting us in on the situation?
Boone: Yes…I do…
Hudson: Your choice
Griay: I have a feeling we’ll find out sooner rather than later
Silence permeates around the group for a bit, before they see the Hollowed Orphans lining up on opposite sides of the Riverbank
Marmin: What the hell? What’s going on?
Vivuhal: The Hollowed Orphans?
Wadah: Wait guys…
Hudson: Prepare to fight
The Hollowed Orphans begin jumping off the riverbank, throwing themselves at the water and at the boat, not caring about what happens next to them.
Wadah: I’ll stop this
Wadah begins blowing wind to repel the Hollowed Orphans but enough of them melt into the water to immobilize the boat again as they begin boarding the ship.
Marmin: I’m just the navigator…I can’t fight that well
Boone: Don’t worry friend, I’ll protect you from the hollowed
Hudson: Hey Griay, send a message to Indica and Atlantic telling them to come and find us
Griay: You want me to send a message instead of fighting these guys?
Hudson: Yeah you have the communicator thing
Griay: Ok fine
Vivuhal: So that leaves four of us?
Wadah: Four is enough Vivuhal
Boone: Let’s give these poor souls the mercy they deserve…
Hudson: I’m sorry for what I’m about do
Fight against The Hollowed Orphans long enough for Griay to send the message
After One Minute of fighting
Hudson: How do we do this in a humane way?
Boone: This is the humane way
Around the ship, pools of black blood begin forming, and from it the party can hear lingering thoughts of the Orphans before they became the empty shells coopted by The Buzzard
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Lingering Voice #1: I just want to be loved
Lingering Voice #2: We didn’t deserve this
Lingering Voice #3: I don’t want to be your puppet…
The Party has trouble focusing on the fight when these voices begin crying out
Boone: I…
Vivuhal: Hudson how is this happening
Hudson: I…don’t know….
Vivuhal: But…we need to know
Hudson: I don’t know everything and this..is new to me
Lingering Voice #4: Why can’t I get my happy ending
Resume
After Two Minutes of fighting, Griay finally manages to get a signal out from her hologram and begins recording
Griay (Recording a message): Hey, Indica and Atlantic, we’re in some deep territory here and there are threats greater than we thought in here, we’re turning our location on so you can find us but the foes we’re facing here have us out of our depth. We will need your help to put an end to the madness. It’s The Buzzard, and your mom, they are both causing chaos here, so please, get to us as soon as you can
Griay finishes recording and send the message, it will reach Indica and Atlantic on time.
Hudson: Thanks Griay
Marmin: Can she join the fight now? I don’t feel comfortable with my boat being barraged by these Hollowed Orphans
Boone: Marmin, I know this isn’t your strong suit, but why don’t you fight?
Lingering Voice #5: Beaten, blacked and bruised, my whole life is nothing but misery
Marmin: Well I’m not brave like you
Boone: What do you mean not brave?
Marmin: Well, I’m a coward, I run from the first sign of danger
Griay: We’re all scared but we should all make an effort to help our continuous cause
Marmin: Uhm…
Marmin moves backwards and knocks over a Hollowed Orphan, sending them into the water below
Boone: Good job Marmin
Resume
After three minutes of fighting The Hollowed Orphans mostly dissipate
Hudson: Ok, that was…an odyssey…
Lingering Voice #6: We used to play in the woods
Boone: Why are they still here
Lingering Voice #7: I’m just the scraps my parents didn’t want
Griay: The suffering of the Hollowed Orphans looks like it’s damaging the ship’s structure
The various pieces of splintered wood are breaking
Marmin: Well brace yourselves, The Black Blood Rapids are up ahead
Hudson: What do you mean by “Black Blood Rapids”
Marmin points upahead as they are approaching the rapids
Griay: Oh boy
More Hollowed Orphans begin lining up on the rocky cliffside
Vivuhal: Is there anyway we can save them
Lingering Voice #8: Nothing good ever happens to someone like me
Hudson: I don’t know, but we have to not die on the way through the river
Marmin: I’ve got this
Marmin begins steering the ship, while being protected by Griay but the Hollowed Orphans begin jumping again
Vivuhal: I will try to save you
Vivuhal begins channeling Aether Energy through their body
Hudson: What are you doing?
Vivuhal: I think by using Aether, I can save at least one of them
Vivuhal blasts a concentrated sum of Aether at one of the Orphans
Hollowed Orphan: What is…this warmth…I feel
The Hollowed Aether begins eating at the hollowed corpse
Vivuhal: I will save y-
The hollowed orphan bursts open like a grenade as black blood and liquid aether alike are dispelled in one major blast
Vivuhal: I…
Wadah: You tried, everyone deserves a second chance, like I did, but the circumstances these hollowed orphans seem to be beyond saving
Black Blood begins to pile up on the decks
Lingering Voice #9: I wish I could have had a loving family like everyone else, instead I was given hell
Lingering Voice #10: Thanks for trying to help us, but we often disappoint, that’s why we’re thrown away
Fight against The Hollowed Orphans as Marmin steers the ship through The Black Blood Rapids
When you are 35% through The Black Blood Rapids
Hudson: Marmin? Do you think we’re going to capsize any time soon?
Marmin: No, despite the deck being filled with that black blood, we should be fine
Boone: …
Wadah: Boone, why can’t you speak
Boone: I’ve been quiet, because, I can’t..
Boone falls to the ground in what looks like pained agony.
Boone: I can’t take this anymore…
Lingering Voice #11: I forgive you dad, you’ve always done the best you could for me
Resume
When you are 65% through The Black Blood Rapids
Hollowed Orphan: I just want to feel alive again
Vivuhal: I wish I could help you in that endeavor
Hollowed Orphan: Just let me die
Vivuhal hesitates before firing a surge of Aether at the Hollowed Orphan, watching as they explode
Lingering Voice #12: Mercy, thank you for mercy, young hero
Vivuhal: …
Hudson: We all have to make hard choices
Vivuhal: I just wish…wish we could do more
Wadah: You do all you can
Boone: But still…I wish I could have done more
Resume
When you are through the Black Blood Rapids, a waterfall appears on the horizon
Hudson: You’ve gotta be kidding me
Marmin: Well…this was coming
Griay: Looks like we’re gonna be going overboard soon…
Marmin: If I can steer my ship away from the waterfall, we can dock on the riverbanks, pull the ship ashore
Suddenly, another aspect of Darkness appears on the Horizon
Vivuhal: More poor souls?
Boone: No
Boone begins firing rounds into the shadow of darkness approaching, indicating who it is
The Buzzard: Hello wayward travelers, how was the reception?
The Buzzard lands on the boat
Hudson: Bastard, tell us what your goal is
The Buzzard: My goal
Griay: What do you GAIN from this?
The Buzzard: I feed, feed off all the hate and malice left over from the empty shells leftover from removed crests so that they can’t feel any emotions at all
Boone: You BASTARD
Boone fires a shot at The Buzzard and The Buzzard swoops down and lands on Boone, The rest of the party tries to intervene but The Buzard creates a field of darkness that prevents them from interfering
The Buzzard: Oh Boone, you and your need for revenge, I haven’t felt this excited since devouring your family in cold blood
Boone: I HATE YOU
Hudson tries to swing one of his cleavers at The Buzzard but is once again blocked
The Buzzard: Their souls were so yummy but you, you seem like you’d taste bad
Boone: I H-
The Buzzard then rips off Boone’s right leg, digging his claws deep into their flesh
Boone: AAAARGH
Griay: Dear god
The Buzzard then proceeds to examine the torn leg
Boone: AAAAARAGAHAHAHHAHAA
All Boone can do while The Buzzard rips off their other leg is laugh uncontrooablly, and the field of Darkness then begins to dissipate
Vivuhal: YOU DON’T DESERVE TO LIVE
Vivuhal begins to shoot blasts of Aether deep into The Buzzard
The Buzzard: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH
The pained shriek of The Buzzard causes him to fly around in agony and tear off part of the ship, causing it to veer towards the waterfall
Boone: Hehehe, I’m a joke…
Lingering Voice #11: Our family is a joke dad, A sad pathetic joke
Hudson: Uhm, looks like we’re about capsize
Marmin: Hold on for dear life!!
Lingering Voice #12: As if life was ever dear
The ship begins to careen down the waterfall into the abyss
