>>5902941“Anacharsis sought you out after the war.” Hoff rasps. “He merely intended to tell you that your father died bravely, hand over to you his pay, and be done with it. But when he saw you alone, huddled in your shack, something inside him moved. He confided to me then that you reminded him of Bronte. His daughter and only child, who perished waiting for him to return from his duties as a Sage.”
>“…I was a substitute daughter for him.”Hoff nods. “Perhaps. The love he carried for you was far from fictitious though. He treated you, and even Rex, as if you were his true children.”
As the platform reaches the top, you are knocked violently to the ground. The castle is viciously shaking, even worse than before. From up above, you hear men screaming, and a strange droning noise is hanging somewhere you can’t pinpoint.
>“What was that?!” You question Hoff, drawing Gungnir closer.“It sounded almost like an explosion.” Anemone groans, standing up from the floor. “Could the Blackwings have started their attack without you?”
Hoff’s face has turned pale white, and his eyes seemingly stare elsewhere. “W-we must hurry above! It’s Wedge!”
The old man moves with a speed unbecoming of his form, and you and Anemone hurriedly follow behind him, not letting him out of your sight.
>“Wedge?!” You shout. “What do you mean? What does he have to do with this?” You run up the stairs, leaving the basement and returning to the first floor of the castle. Now that you are above ground, you can hear the noise outside far more clearly. It isn’t the sound of battle though. There are no weapons clashing. What you hear are the screams of terrified men, coming from every direction.“The platform below!” Hoff yells. “That was to be Wedge’s signal! If he heard it descend, then it meant negotiations had failed, and he was to act accordingly!”
“That Agarthium down in the cavern!” Anemone gasps. “What were you using it for?!”
The ground shakes violently once more as you arrive at the vestibule of the castle. Windows shatter, and stones from the ceiling begin falling to the ground in tattered pieces. Struggling to regain your balance, you push your way forward and open the doors to the outside courtyard.
You’re unsure of what you are looking at.
Where the castle courtyard once stood now lies a gaping hole. There are no signs of the soldiers that were standing on guard, save for the agonized screams you can hear from down below.
And floating just above it all is what at first glance looks to be a stone statue. Though it is far too ginormous for that. It is made in the image of an armored knight and carries a shield and blade. You quickly realize that this thing wasn’t made of stone at all. This was a being made of pure Agarthium.
>A): Fight (How?)>B): Run 