Dharen, along with each of his companions, froze in place. They became statues, unwilling to so much as twitch. When it seemed that Keljier had not reacted to their presence, they slowly eased themselves and inched backwards out of the Hall. When they felt that they had gained enough distance from the foreboding creature, they finally let out breaths of relief.

With the immediate danger in the past, they began to discuss their plan to defeat the Orbel Knight. In the end, it came down to starting off the battle by deploying the Pulser in the hopes that the device could either weaken or outright defeat the creature, though that did not hold out much hope that things would be so easy. Then, after deploying the device, Ozen and Dharen would approach as the vanguard, drawing the target’s attention. As they did so, Erik would sneak around to the flanks so that he would be more able to utilize his speed and maneuverability. Meanwhile, Serah would stay in the back and attempt to pick at the creature from range.

Unfortunately, she had already previously used her Second Chance ability on Dharen and her pool of Spirit had yet to refill enough to allow for another cast. Though, normally, they might be less hesitant about waiting so that she would be able to employ her life-saving ability once more, the group was still filled with a deep sense of urgency. They knew that each moment they spent completing their objective was yet another moment that their friend Tomas had his life slip more and more away.

With a general battle plan in place, the group prepared themselves. Dharen cast Challenge upon Ozen once more, causing the man to give him a grateful nod as his strength inflated. With no other preparations to be made, Dharen gripped Restraint loosely with both hands, flexing his fingers nervously. Though he had willingly caused himself to die previously, the simple fact that he had been required to do so had caused him to stand face to face with his own possible mortality; somehow, despite everything that had recently happened - or perhaps because of it-, he had grown ever more confident in his ability to scrape through harrowing situations. Each time his attributes had increased, he had felt his body separate from what he had previously thought to be possible for himself. He was far from that now.

Name:

Dharen

Race:

Faceless Human

Affiliation:

The Faceless One

Spirit:

41

Strength:

56

Agility:

38

Vitality:

39

Endurance:

27 (28.35)

Wisdom:

1

Charisma:

1

Luck:

1

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

Tower Tokens:

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

7,500

⥫⥬⥫⥬⥫⥬

He knew, both intellectually and through the sensations of his own body, that he had experienced rapid and immense growth. He was now as strong as eleven unawakened men. He was nearly as agile and sturdy as eight. He even had nearly six times the stamina of the unawakened. All in all, his strange circumstance of double Seeds had caused him to become extremely well-rounded. That balanced nature had led to a certainty and assurance within himself - possibly a fatal one. He knew that, had he been alone, he would never have escaped from the horde of Orbels with his life intact.

Yet, despite his trepidation, he knew that he had to forge onwards. Only through challenging himself and becoming ever more powerful could he become who he wished to be - discovering who he had once been in the process. Though he still did not understand who the Faceless One was, it was clear from encountering his touch within the Tower that it was not an entity to be trifled with. The Tower was a creation of the Progenitors, the five godlike beings that stood at the apex of humanity; somehow, the Faceless One had inserted himself into their machinations. And that should not be possible.

With growing resolve, Dharen began to walk forward. Ozen followed just behind him. Though they were both chosen for the vanguard, it would be Dharen’s duty to take on the brunt of the damage: he would be both shield and sword, taking and dealing death in turn. Should he become overwhelmed, Ozen would attempt to intervene.

The party’s boots padded across the stone floor, back in the direction from which their final enemy awaited. Though slow and hesitant at first, the sounds of their steps became more resolute as they trod onward. Dharen knew that each of them were finding their own courage, their own resolution. They were not foolhardy people; in fact, he knew that they were each very aware of their own mortality. They had no other option; one friend lay at death’s door, and they willingly stepped closer to that demesne of darkness to save him. It was duty, yes. But it was also love.

Maybe it was not the love of passionate suitors, but it was surely love. It was the love of battles fought and shared. It was the love of finding one’s limits together. It was the love of companionship, of reliance and trust. It was the love of unbreakable bonds, of unwavering admiration.

Though they had not told him as much, Dharen knew it to be so. He could see it in Erik’s nervous tics, his clear anxiety as time marched onwards. He could see it in Serah’s quiet duty to the others, her desire to protect them - even though she had been unable to protect Tomas. He could see it even in Ozen’s belligerence, his anger and irritation a mask for the pain of seeing his leader fallen - and the guilt of not having fallen for him instead.

Their tumultuous emotions lent a heaviness to the air, a solemnity that held its own power. Dharen drank it in, immersing himself and then falling into his own contemplations. He steeled his determination, his need to discover himself and his past. He bolstered his courage, his willingness to throw himself into danger again and again to achieve his goals. He strengthened his very being, enveloped by the surrounding aura of duty, of desire, and of need.

As if an eternity later, though in reality only moments, the group had arrived at the threshold to the Great Hall once more. Dharen recovered the skeleton’s hand and the Pulser from within the safe confines of his spatial ring, slinging his giant warhammer against one shoulder to free up his hands. He placed a skeletal finger upon the Pulser, and pressed down.

He felt as his hair began to stand on end, and the device burst forth with a wave of powerful energy. It blasted outwards in every direction, occasionally manifesting as a sparking in the air itself. Then, it slammed into the Orbel Knight Keljier.

The dangerous construct seemed to shudder under the energy’s assault, shaking and vibrating violently as it fought off the effects. As it did so, it began to fall apart, the orbs that formed its body separating and slamming to the floor. Yet each time it came apart, it brought itself back together anew. It flitted through a frighteningly wide array of formations as it continually slipped apart under the Pulser’s assault and then reasserted itself: one moment it was a Ferran, the next a kind of worm. Then it was a Khargen, a Jankere, a Liutal. Finally, it seemed to gain a semblance of control over itself. It almost looked to grow angry, before falling apart once more and slipping into the form of an undulating serpent. It was likely an easier form for the creature, as the orbs each rested against the floor and it thus had less trouble holding against gravity in its weakened state.

Knowing that this was the best advantage they would achieve, Dharen readied himself. He had already used the time that the creature was being assaulted by the Pulser’s wave to return the device to his spatial ring and swing Restraint against the threshold four times, preparing it for battle. The hammer glowed with power, its arcane lines thrumming. He walked forward, Ozen quickly following. Slowly, he began to break into a trot. Then, after the others had a chance to trail him, he let out a Warcry. Strength and vitality flooded his body, and he allowed himself to tap into his power fully. He pushed deeply into the stone floor and, in what felt like the blink of an eye, flashed across the Great Hall. Restraint came down in an overwhelming surge.