Chapter LXV: Shell Game

North took a deep breath, eyes hooded as his muscles went taut.

"So we're playing that game," the Beastmaster murmured, watching the Adamantoise herd advance on him.

Bongo nocked an arrow, a glare reflecting off the flawless steel point. The lumbering monsters would be upon them in moments. The sheer scope of their size was staggering. The Ranger had seen fully-grown wyverns not as large as the Adamantoise. Each of their innumerable scales looked thicker than plate mail, and the massive legs which carried them wide as tree trunks. The tortoises bellowed an angry, threatening cry as they came forward, reptillian eyes flashing red. It was the same color as the ruddy mist rising off of the gleaming axe in Keftenk's hand.

The other Beastmaster was grinning insanely, his tongue lolling out as he basked in the power of his stolen weapon. His shabby, blood-stained furs were ill-fitting over his wiry frame. This Keftenk character, Bongo observed, was the near opposite of North. The Elvaan stood straight backed, arms crossed, while Keftenk was hunched over, arms drooping at his side like an ape. His hair was wild and shaggy, face unshaven, clothes soiled and ragged, as opposed to North, with his meticulously well-groomed appearance and pristine garb. Where North was a stalwart bastion of unnerving calm, Keftenk was the picture of insanity. One stood broad and stocky, the other lean and tall. Bongo surmised the two were destined to battle it out the moment they were born. His rotten luck just caught him in the middle of it.

The Adamantoise were practically on top of them when a hand wrapped around his wrist, forcing his bow down. He turned sharply, and anger flared when he saw November holding him back.

"Let go!" He demanded, shaking the Summoner off.

"Hold your fire!" She hissed back at him, swinging her arm out. "Look!"

Violently, November shoved Bongo's arm, forcing him back around. The Ranger resisted, then stopped when he caught a glimpse of North.

The air around the Beastmaster was crackling with raw energy as it rose from his skin. North's eyes had gone steely white as he bared his teeth at the wall of Adamantoise. The furs coating his leather armor were curling in the heat rising from him. The air around him was shimmering, and his muscles bulged as he stood before the advancing monsters. A shout burst out from his throat as he threw his arms upwards. There came a roar of raw power as a wave of North's chi swept across the Adamantoise pack, washing across them with a fury that made Keftenk howl in protest, shielding himself with his arms as it struck.

North's roar trailed off with a fading growl. His shoulders heaved as he breathed out, staring hard at the titanic beasts. They all glared back at him, red-glowing eyes focused intently on the regal Elvaan. North met their eyes, scanning the massive turtles with a deadly intensity. They began to cry out again, their haunting and ancient song rising from one to the next, sand spraying up from the ground as they stomped their tree-trunk limbs. One of them shook its house-like shell, emitting a cloud of dust and debris, and sending a number of tiny birds flying off in a panic.

The lead Adamantoise gave a snort, steam bursting forth from its nostrils. Bucking up on its hind legs, the monster reared to an astonishing height. The sun became an intense blot behind the Adamantoise as it stood up over North, fit to crush him. Then, twisting its gargantuan bulk sideways, the monster turned around, crashing down to the ground, back facing North. Emitting a series of low grunts, it began lumbering away, and when it briefly swung its neck to the side, Bongo could see the glow had faded from its eyes.

One by one, the Adamantoise began to shake off the effects of Keftenk's charm, overpowered by North. The Beastmaster stood facing the herd, stony faced as they began breaking off. They milled about where they stood, confused, glowering left and right before giving a grunt of disinterest the likes of which only hundreds of years in Vana'diel could spawn. The entire herd, over a dozen strong, strayed from where Keftenk had directed them, returning to their wanderings of the Valley of Sorrows.

"No!" Keftenk snarled, flecks of spittle flying from his mouth. "No no no no no no no no no no!"

North exhaled slowly, directing his gaze at the raving lunatic. "Now drop Guttler and leave. I'm still willing to forget this ever happened."

The other Beastmaster brought up Guttler. The silver axe emitted a noise as if it were fiercely gnashing feral teeth. Bongo raised his bow, and in the blink of an eye had an arrow in the air. Keftenk's arm jerked sideways, seemingly of its own accord, and Guttler smashed down on the ground with a crushing blow. The shockwave from its strike made Bongo's arrow splinter and shatter in the air, the pieces falling harmlessly to the ground. The Ranger was already reloading, but Keftenk swung the axe up again. A bloom of red appeared around the blade, electric force crackling off of it. Guttler howled with bloodlust, a cry mirrored by its wielder.

A bolt of the energy rising from Guttler struck one of the Adamantoise. Almost instantly, it swung its head back around towards North, opening its cavernous mouth as its eyes burned a brilliant and baleful red. North grimaced, and lanced a burst of his own chi into the monster as it began charging. His energy was dispelled almost immediately. With an oath shouted in surprise, the Elvaan leaped clear of the rock upon which he stood. A moment later the gargantuan turtle smashed into it, turning and roaring as its eyes followed the nimble Beastmaster.

"I can't break it like this," North growled, bringing his club up in defense. He snapped his head towards the others, giving them the briefest of appraisals.

"You'll have to weaken it before I can set it free," he told them, leaping to his feet. "I'll keep Keftenk distracted. Get to work."

"You must be kidding," Hubby sighed, giving a flat stare at the monstrosity before them. He gave a heavy sigh, hefting his great katana into position.

Luma laughed, drawing out her own weapon and crouching down. Even as she did, North turned, eyes locking onto Keftenk. Guttler was burning red, matching the color blazing from the Adamatoise's gaze. Bongo realized that as opposed to spreading his control out to over a dozen of the monsters, the other Beastmaster was now focused specifically on this one looming over North. It stomped the ground where the Elvaan stood, and he had to leap frantically to the side to avoid being crushed. It was focused entirely on him, as, Bongo noted, was Keftenk.

"It doesn't see us yet," Bongo shouted to the others, bringing up his bow. "November, call out that old son of a bitch Ramuh and get ready, we're going to do something."

The Summoner's eyes flashed. "Ramuh the Olduum will be addressed with the reverence due, and furthermore, as this territory lies closest to the realms of Garuda and Titan, you would do well to - "

Bongo didn't wait for her to finish. Instead, he did what he'd been waiting weeks to do, and grabbed the raven-haired Summoner by her slim wrist, holding her arm up over her head. The Ranger was almost a solid foot taller than she was, and her slim figure would be completely invisible were he to stand in front of her. "You listen to me, missy," steel was in his voice and his eyes, "I've followed that sweet can of yours around for all this time because it's a treat to walk behind you. Now that we're actually in combat? Your stuck up "king's" life on the line? You're going to do everything I say and you're going to do it with a smile on your face, understand me?" He released her arm, and she stared up at him incredulously. "Get the old guy ready and hang on, this is gonna get loud."

She sputtered something in defiance, but he was already moving on. "Dantrag buddy, you keep an eye on Keftenk. That's a bad ass axe, I'll admit, but you're no slouch yourself." The Elvaan nodded, hefting the bulky weapons he bore in each hand. "Qwid," he turned to the Red Mage, "you're our back-up. Throw whatever will stick over that turtle to make sure we hit it, and be ready when this goes off to help out November." Finally, his gaze settled on the two Samurai. Luma fingered the hilt of her great katana impatiently, already bouncing up and down in place with anticipation.

"Alright you two," he slung his bow down over his shoulder, nocking an arrow in place as he gave them a nod. "Set me up."

Hubby clapped a hand over Bongo's shoulder, giving him a grim smirk. "Whatever anyone else says about you, Demyn," he said, using Bongo's battle honorific, "we can always count on you in times like this."

Bongo smiled appreciatively as the Samurai released his grip and walked past him, then spun around. "Hey, wait a minute," he shouted, "what do people say about me?" But the Samurai was already leaping down from the tunnel where they stood, drawing in close to the Adamantoise.

North was darting back and forth, playing cat-and-mouse with the monster. Keftenk laughed with malevolent glee as the Adamantoise chased him through the sand, slowly forcing him towards a rocky cliff wall which would trap him. The Beastmaster broke right, making a dash for Keftenk himself, but the tortoise bellowed, and a spray of water flew from its maw with force enough to pierce flesh. North froze, flipping backwards to avoid the breath attack. The monster followed him, saturating the ground with its aqueous haze. Trudging through the deep sand as best he could, North ran from the beast.

Bongo had seen North fight. He had fought him personally. He knew the Beastmaster was faster and more fearless than he was letting on. North was trying to keep Keftenk's attention focused exclusively on him. He was giving them an opening.

The dust at Bongo's feet stirred as he began gathering his chi and focusing it into the point of his bow. His eyes narrowed as the tip of the arrow he had drawn back starting glowing hot. The details of the world around him came into sharp clarity. He could make out each individual grain of sand sweeping across the Valley of Sorrows, every rock on the ground of the tunnel he stood in. He could see the feathers of a bird flying off in the distance rippling as the wind sifted through them. His gaze settled on the Adamantoise, driven into a rage by Keftenk. He saw the nicks in the edge of Hubby's katana as the Samurai rushed towards his target. The Adamantoise itself has a shell he could see each line and groove of, every divot and care the years had worn into it.

Hubby's feet kicked up sand behind him as he drew his arm back. Bongo could see the chi rise from Hubby's core and flare into his arms. He made out the veins in the Samurai's arms as they pulsed with power, blood surging through them as he drew back the great katana he held. With a burst of speed, he charged out ahead of Luma, and the air crackled around him as he thrust his weapon forward.

The Adamantoise barely noticed as the blade made contact, even as an explosion of chi crystallized the air around it. Hubby pulled back, his Tachi: Yukikaze manuever finishing the first part of their assault. Now it was Luma's turn.

Gripping the curved great katana she wielded firmly in both hands, the Mithra leaped forward, spinning in the air. Her blade caught the sun, reflecting brilliantly as she released her chi through the tip. It screeched as it scraped along the Adamantoise's shell, and the rush of Luma's chi collided with the remnants of Hubby's. The release of the Mithra's power left a moon-shaped image in the air as a ring of chi burst from around her body.

The combining flows of energy, slamming together violently in the air, created an outward burst, sending a visible fragmentation of power exploding off of the Adamantoise's shell. The monster now turned, its attention shaken. North skidded to a halt, turning towards Keftenk. The other Beastmaster realized his situation, and furiously swung Guttler in the air, commanding the Adamantoise to obey him.

Bongo felt the tingle of electricity in the air as Ramuh's shadow fell over him. He looked down briefly at Qwid, the Tarutaru practically binding the monster in place with his magic. The Red Mage looked back up at Bongo, a crackle of lightning sparking from his fingertips, and nodded. The Ranger peered out over the tip of his arrow, now almost blinding with the power being focused into it, and saw the exact point where Hubby and Luma's energies combined. Clenching his jaw, he released.

The air itself was cut as Bongo's arrow arched across the Valley of Sorrows. There was an almost inaudible clink as the Ranger's arrow tapped harmlessly against the turtle's shell.

And then, a shimmering sphere of three combined chakras flared to life, shaming the sun with its brilliance. The Adamantoise gave a bellow as the intense energy, far greater than the sum of its parts, showered down upon it. The other tortoises in the Valley began rapidly moving away, their panicked song filling the air. Keftenk was shouting something that couldn't be heard over their calls. The malevolent sphere of Guttler's power, however, still rose the hackles on the back of Bongo's neck.

So to then, did the spark of thunder which rained down from the heavens at the command of Ramuh, guided by November's hand.

Magic combined with the chi thick in the air, and the ground burst open at the feet of the Adamantoise. Sand flew up into the air in a great wave, sweeping across the Valley of Sorrows and crashing down in front of Bongo. He shielded himself as best he could, feeling the sting as the sand tore across his flesh. Qwid through up a protective ward, keeping them safe as best he could as the sea of sand sprayed across them. Luma and Hubby crouched together against a cliff wall as the sand swept over them. The howl of the Adamantoise was lost in the deafening boom of the explosion the combined assaults birthed into existance.

Finally, the sweeping waves of sand subsided. Bongo slowly dropped his arms down, blinking against the fading residual energy hanging in the air. Then he quickly shielded his eyes as a glare pierced his vision.

The sand where the Adamantoise stood had been fused together into a solid sheet of glass, glittering in the high sun raining down upon it. A reflective shine made it blinding, and Bongo could just barely make out the silouhette of the enormous beast now lying on its stomach in the middle of the scene. The Adamantoise was down.

Wings rapidly beating filled the air, and Bongo looked up quickly to see North, standing steadily upon the back of Panzer Galahad as it descended from the sky. The Beastmaster leaped down without hesitation, landing directly upon the glazed sheet of sand. A cascade of fissures burst open as he did, splintering the glass and sending reflections of light shooting off in every direction. North laid a hand upon the Adamantoise, its breathing dry and ragged. Its eyes darted to him as he touched its shell, and he Bongo could see him whispering to it as Galahad touched down at his side, hissing threateningly at Keftenk.

Guttler was glowing blood-red, and Keftenk leveled the axe at the monster. Bongo could tell he was preparing to charm it again, siezing control and making the monster fight to the death if need be. He stared at North, licking his lips as the Beastmaster stood by the Adamantoise.

He then gave an exclamation of surprise as Guttler jerked almost out of his hands, pulling him sideways. There was a clash of metal and a shower of sparks, and another axe ricocheted off the cliff behind Keftenk, deflected by Guttler. Bongo turned and saw Dantrag, arm still extended, preparing to throw his second axe Keftenk's way. The Beastmaster's eyes shot back and forth amongst the others whose existance he had barely registered before, realizing his peril. He then quickly turned back to the Adamantoise, remembering North was there, with his charmed monster.

The Adamantoise's eyes showed not a trace of red. North's gaze was hard enough to make Keftenk's knees quake as it fell upon him.

"You can't, you can't, you can't!" he shouted, flailing wildly. "Guttler is mine!"

"Let him go, Guttler," North said, addressing the axe directly. "I have need of you once more. Do not try my patience."

The axe growled, snarling at the Beastmaster. Keftenk gripped it in both hands, holding on to it with no intent to let go. North swung his club towards the axe, white eyebrows knitting together.

"This is your final warning, Guttler," North snapped, "come with me."

"I control Guttler!" Keftenk roared, smashing the axe on the ground. A wave of energy sliced through the air where he swung, sweeping across the desert sands. North sidestepped it with a sigh, even as Bongo leaped aside in surprise as the wall beside him burst apart upon impact. The Ranger grabbed for an arrow, hurriedly trying to get a shot off, but North stepped in his line of fire.

"You can't handle Guttler, whelp," North spat out disdainfully. "It found you, fool, because it knew you would be easy to manipulate. Now hand it over. It belongs to me."

Keftenk stared with unadulterated hatred at the Beastmaster, cradling Guttler to him like a child. "Never, never, never!" he moaned. North took a step forward, and Keftenk reared back, hissing like a wildcat.

"Guttler wants blood," Keftenk growled, "I will give Guttler blood! Blood to drink! Oceans of blood!" Bongo heard Guttler's voice clearly in Keftenk's words. North was right. The hand that held the axe was not the one which controlled it.

Without warning, Guttler swung down, sinking into the sand. North paused, assuming a defensive stance, but after a moment had passed, nothing happened. Keftenk stood with his arm sunk up to the wrist in sand, Guttler completely buried beneath. His eyes were downcast, and he breathed heavily, as if overcome with exertion. North took another step towards him, extending his hand to take Guttler away.

November shrieked as an eruption of black and red lightning blew up from the ground at North's feet. The Beastmaster was blown back through the air, coming down yards away in the sand, flat on his back. The Summoner ran to his side, even as a ring of Guttler's energy started tearing apart the ground beneath them.

"I've got to getaru to Hubby and Luma!" Qwid called out, breaking free from the tunnel. The Tarutaru darted out as the air darkened with Guttler's power, casting his hands forward. A silver sheen of protective force crystalized over the two Samurai, desperately shielding themselves from the onslaught as Qwid came to their side.

Bongo and Dantrag stood in shocked silence as the ground burst upwards. Both Ranger and Warrior lowered their weapons, raising their heads up in the air.

Shaking off sand that fell from it in waterfalls, lifting up a head the size of a house towards the sky, another Adamantoise rose from beneath the sand. An Adamantoise ten times bigger than the others had been, like a sleeping island stirred from slumber. It gave a bellow that shook Bongo's bones, bubbles of stored water dripping down from a cavernous mouth large enough to swallow a man whole. The shell on its back was thicker than the ramparts of Bastok. It stood before Bongo and Dantrag, turning its head to one side and then another, searching out surroundings it had slumbered beneath for untold centuries.

"Guttler," Keftenk's lips moved, but the beastial voice of the axe came from his throat, "will drown the world in blood."

The eyes of the legendary Aspidochelone fell upon Bongo, and they were glowing a fierce and evil shade of red.