Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo

Part Eleven- True Sight

(The Luveno, en route to Palma)

Okay... Lutz is still talking... Tairon thought, looking at the Luveno's instruments, doing his best to ignore his friend's lecture on the history of space travel. Let's see... I hope we land soon... hope... hope... Hope... likes that stupid Time Gal show... actresses who played her: Janice Hendrix, Rebecca Mirault, Lauren Koyama started her run in the movie, then Nicole Carson, Karen Milene, and the new series has Paula Freedin, I think...

"Paulina Freedin, actually," Lutz said, suddenly.

Tairon's eyes widened in shock, and he turned towards Lutz, spinning around in his chair as he did so. "You heard me?!" he said, very surprised.

"The ability to pick up surface thoughts is one of the first things Espers are trained to do," Lutz replied, closing his eyes. "I apologize if my discussion bothered you, Tairon."

"Oh, uh..." The large man sweatdropped. "No problem, I guess?"

"Hey, is the dissertation over yet?" Myau asked, slinking back into the ship's common area. "I heard Lutz shut up, so I figured he was done, ya know?"

Lutz nodded as the Musk Cat leapt into Tairon's lap. "Yes, I'm finished, Myau," he said. "Unless there's another subject of interest you wanted to know about?"

"No, thanks," Tairon interrupted, perhaps a bit too hastily. "We're going to land in a few minutes. Hapsby, let's get the landrover and hydrofoil ready as soon as we get back in Camineet."

"As you wish," the robot said.

As the ship accelerated towards Palma, its three flesh-and-blood occupants tensed. The thought of another fight with LaShiec crossed their minds, as well as the possibility that Sage Damoa might no longer be in the castle at Baya Mahlay. If that were true, then, the three reasoned, they might not be able to save Alisa from LaShiec's clutches.

And that was not a possibility they wanted to consider further.

-=-=-

At that moment, Alisa stood in LaShiec's arms, locked in his embrace- one of her rewards for being infused with the magical equivalent of a tactical nuclear strike. Sighing happily, she gave LaShiec's chin a gentle stroke, whispering, "I feel so powerful."

"Because you are," LaShiec replied.

"You flatter me, Reipard. When I traveled with that rabble, I was always so jealous of the spells they knew. But..." Her lips pulled into a smile, as she chuckled quietly. "Now, Lutz and Myau will be jealous of me. Now I have the powerful magic. And it's all thanks to you, Reipard."

"It was you, too, Alisa. Lutz was holding you back- he feared your power."

The smile was still present on Alisa's face as she kissed LaShiec. The red spark in her eyes flared briefly as she told him, "And rightly so."

"You're right. Now, Alisa, the good doctor's getting ready to greet our guests- I think we should do the same." LaShiec released Alisa, then approached his throne, retrieving his staff from its sconce. He saw Alisa draw her sword, then told her, "Just in case they see us again."

"Let them. They need to see for themselves just how powerful Algo's king and queen are," Alisa replied. "Though... I did have an idea... a special surprise for Tairon. A reunion with a face from his past."

"An interesting idea, Alisa." LaShiec chuckled. "So, who shall we see dragged into the ever-restless undead?"

Alisa winked at LaShiec, then spoke two words. As she spoke, the red shimmer in her eyes again grew more intense, before returning to its usual tint.

"Nero Landale."

-=-=-

They hadn't bothered to adjust the ship's transponder codes- Tairon, Lutz, and Myau agreed to land on Palma as the Luveno, conveying the message to LaShiec that they were back.

A beautiful green-haired woman greeted the three as they left their ship, cheerfully saying, "Welcome to Camineet Spaceport on the planet Palma! Will you be needing any assistance today? ^_^"

"Yeah, actually," said Tairon. "We have a hydrofoil and a landrover on board our ship, and we could use a hand un-assing them."

"But of course, Sir! They'll be unloaded presently. Will you be needing anything else?"

The group looked at each other, then shook their heads. "No, thank you," Lutz told the woman. "That is enough."

"As you wish. By order of Reipard and Alisa LaShiec, Lord King and Lady Queen of Algo, you must have a pleasant day! ^_^"

With that, the green-haired woman skipped off to greet another group of travelers. Myau sighed and said, "Guys, that was bizarre."

"Totally, lil' buddy."

"Think the robots took over the space travel industry?" Myau asked.

"Naah." Tairon started walking towards a moving walkway, while Lutz and Myau followed him. "She's a Palman, just like me and Lutz. Only difference is, she's cute and we're not."

"May I respectfully remind you, Tairon, that Miss Rainy finds me very attractive," Lutz rebuffed. "To use the vernacular, 'cute.'"

"Welll..." The giant of a man turned to face the Esper. "Maybe if she were blind in one eye, and had cataracts in the other."

"Funny, 'cause that's what Lutz said about your mama!" Myau taunted, laughing. "Right, Lutz?"

"....."

"Hey, Lutz, I didn't mean it. I'm sure Rainy thinks you're cute. Maybe Janey too."

Lutz shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said. "That feeling I had the other day in Paseo... I'm having that feeling again. It's much worse."

"Again?" Tairon repeated. "You don't think Rainy's in danger, do you?"

"Not just Rainy." Lutz's eyes closed, and he sighed. "Her sister, brother, mother, and father, too."

"Huh. Think we should go check on 'em?" Myau asked Tairon. "Make sure LaShiec didn't... you know?"

"Probably, yeah," Tairon said, kneeling down to pick up the Musk Cat. "I'm sure they're all right, Lutz, but... you haven't been wrong about this before."

"I can hope I am about this, though," Lutz explained. "I-"

Suddenly, he winced in pain. Clutching his chest, Lutz sank to his knees, dropping his Psycho Wand on the moving sidewalk. He cried out, tears starting to run down his cheeks as pain wracked his entire body.

"Holy crap, Lutz! Are you okay!?" Myau asked. "What's happening?!"

"What is it, Lutz? What's going on?!" Tairon joined in, kneeling down next to the Esper.

"GyaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHH!"

A crowd started to gather around them, murmurs coursing through about whether or not to call a doctor, a psychologist, one of the ever-present POLEZIs. Lutz collapsed into a fetal position, gasping for breath, his eyes widened in shock.

"You okay, Lutz?" Myau asked. "No, don't answer that. Hang on a second... Gi Heal."

The now-familiar corona of healing light surged through Lutz, but if it had any effect, the blue-haired Esper didn't acknowledge it.

"Lutz, what the hell happened?" Tairon asked. "Did you see-"

"I... I saw Alisa," he replied after a few seconds, his voice quivering and uneasy. "She... oh, God."

"Lutz, what was happening to Alisa?" Myau asked. "You can tell us."

Lutz took a second to compose himself, then started, "She has broken the seal on the Megid magic. And... she has created her first undead."

"She did what?" Tairon wondered aloud. "I'm sure it's just LaShiec acting through her."

"No, Tairon... things just got a lot more worrysome. We need to find Sage Damoa- quickly."

"I know, Lutz. I know." Tairon offered his hand and shoulder to Lutz, who took them, trying to balance himself. "We just have to get to Baya Mahlay first."

"I know you're worried about Alisa, Lutz- we all are," Myau added.

"Yes, but... if Alisa has the ability to animate undead, combined with the destruction incarnate of Megid, then..." Lutz hung his head. "Alisa might be irreversably corrupted by LaShiec."

End of Part Eleven

Who or what could possibly harm Rainy and her family? Will even Sage Damoa be able to help save Alisa from LaShiec's taint?