Whee...now that all Cecil and Porom fans hate me- time for Palom's chapter! Here's whats really going on outside of the previous two chapters...so I proudly bring you- Sorcerer vs Wizard part II - sorta. ^_^

When we first entered this place- I'd had a bad feeling about it...or, rather, a bad feeling about how well Porom and Cecil were going to handle this. They both looked so..hopeless. I've never seen them like this...but there was no choice. We had no way to turn around and try to rethink our strategies. We'd even lost one fourth of our group- the only one who had any idea of what was even really going ON.

Isn't it just so funny how life really loves to pull these little jokes on you?

But now...this simply made no sense. We had walked forward into the darkness- and now..Porom and Cecil have simply stopped. We aren't even half way to the end- I can just barely see the light of another room far at the end now.

So why did they stop?

"Cecil? Porom? Uh- this isn't a good time to take a nap you know..."

Neither one responds to me. I step in front of them and wave my hand before their faces- not that they're likely going to see me anyway in this dark room-and still nothing. Then Cecil suddenly moves- drawing the crystalin sword he'd recieved on the lunarian moon, holding it before him in a guard stance- and nearly skewering me in the process.

"HEY! what do you think you're-"

"..I should.. have realized you'd..betray us...."

Why am I suddenly feeling like I'm in a great deal of trouble? He advances a step towards me, sword held at the ready- but his eyes aren't seeing me. I can tell by how they just stare ahead- past me.

"Hey- snap out of it! I didn't betray anyone!"

The paladin continues to advance, muttering things that make no sense. I'd almost swear he was holding a conversation with someone- but there's no one save me and Porom here. Apparently whomever he's talking to he's having quite the nasty argument with too- only I'm the one who's going to be getting hurt!

He raises the sword for a strike- but he's moving very slowly. It'll be easy to dodge- if Porom hadn't just suddenly grabbed onto my arms from behind, clinging and murmuring into my cloak...it's hard to make out what she's saying though...save for one disturbing phrase...

"..you...you killed him...."

Now just a damned minute- I haven't betrayed OR killed anyone..there was certainly going to be a killing though if I couldn't get away from Porom. Cecil swings the sword, barely missing me as I throw myself and Porom aside- but she's still clinging, a dead weight that won't let go.

Come on, come on- think! Confusion spells can cause an friend to attack another friend- but never with this kind of organization. They simply drove the person out of their mind for awhile...logical thinking just wasn't possible. Certainly not organization between two affected beings. Should I try the same cure, though? Attack them?

Cecil I'd have no problem with attacking- my little dagger wouldn't do more than give him a mild scratch with all that armor he wears. But I can't attack Porom....I can't attack my sister! I roll as Cecil swings again- faster now. He's no longer talking...this is not giving me a good feeling. Porom suddenly releases me midroll- but when I stop, she's immeditally after me, reaching for my throat.

Both are moving much faster now, not talking, and looking directly at me with eyes that don't seem to acknowledge me at all.

A nice little dilemma here....a young black wizard going against an equally young white wizard....and a powerful swordsman.

Like I'm going to stick around for this. I grapple with Porom a moment as Cecil charges- then push her in his way and do the smartest thing any wizard in this kind of situation could do. I simply start running as fast as I can. they're not far behind me- until I realize one simple thing. They aren't acknowledging obstacles. the rubble of this old ruin gets in their way whenever I dodge around it.

Those broken pillars just became my new best friends. Since my old ones appear to have become a bit on the homicidal side, I could use a few.

The mad relay ends when I suddenly find myself stumbling into the central room - startling someone standing before an old, crumbling altar- Golbez?!

"What the hell are you do-"

"Palom? How did you-"

When he turns- clearly no little surprised to see me there- I can see precisely what he's up to. Two glowing white globes- one holding an image of Cecil and one of Porom- both encased in black sand. There's a third globe there- but it's quite dark, to his apparent frustration...

Control spells. He was actually controlling the people he BROUGHT here? What the hell was going on?

A problem for a few moments in the future- I can hear the clanking of Cecil's footsteps approaching. Nice thing about armored opponents- they're easy to keep track of. Golbez is raising his hands in my direction- not a good sign- so it's time for splitsecond descions. I should thank the Elder for putting us through that training- provided I survive this.

My dagger clumsily tumbles through the air- I imagine if that ninja had been here, he'd be laughing- but it accomplishes it's goal all the same. I hope. Golbez is concentrating on me since my throw apparently missed.. something I'm certainly regretting as I find myself feeling as if I'm burning from the inside out, fire racing through vien and muscle....all I can do at this point is scream and hope the dagger had landed where I wanted it to.....

"Cecil!! Porom!!!"

(Continued in: The Final Battle)

And here's hoping I'm contining my proud tradition of confusing people yet still making sense. ^_^v

and on a purely side note- I just love writing Palom's sections. A little more straightforwardly sarcastic than Golbez. ^_^