Put Aside Your Fears...

I made my way to the Water Palace. The Path was treacherous. I found myself facing down even more rabites than before, but the rabites were not my only problem. I came across Mushbooms and poisonous Lullabuds as well; creatures I believed only existed very far away from my home. These creatures seemed drawn to me. Even as I tried to avoid them, they somehow knew I was near and attacked viciously. Luckily I am becoming more and more comfortable with this strange rusted Sword and was able to fend them off.

I made a short stop at a nearby shop/inn run by a cat-like merchant named Neko. I rested for a while before continuing my journey. I don't know why, but I feel like I will be running into Neko more than once on this adventure.

I followed the trail to the Water Palace where just before the palace I discovered a small regiment of soldiers preparing for some sort of covert operation. They seem unimpressed with my presence and marched off in a tight formation. With my curiosity getting the better of me I followed after them only to discover that they had disappeared. The only thing in sight was an arrangement of three stone totems. I felt it best not to investigate the matter further and continued towards the Water Palace.

Jema was outside waiting for me at the palace entrance. He welcomed me warmly and escorted me inside. Once inside he was silent and moved with purpose. When I caught up to him in the central room of the palace I saw that we were not alone. A beautiful young girl was tending to what looked to be a shrine which held a grand seed. My excitement getting the better of me, I called out to the girl asking for the location of Luka. I was a little more than surprised when Jema chastised me for speaking to Luka in such a manner.

Time had certainly treated Luka well. For being 200 years old, she didn't look to be a year older than twenty.

After the awkward introduction Jema and Luka got straight to business. Somehow Luka had already known that I had pulled the Sword from its place. She shared with us that the moment I freed the Sword the balance of Mana shifted and revived many dormant and evil monsters. These beasts sought out the Sword which I carried hoping to steal away its remaining power for themselves. Some of these beasts already had retained some power of Mana which they retained in magical orbs like the one I had found with the Mantis Ant. She believed that if I could find someone who could forge the power of the orbs back into the Mana Sword I would be able to restore the Sword to its original glory.

Luka continued on warning Jema of the Empire and its plans to revive the Mana Fortress. I was dumb struck. "The Fortress that destroyed the world in that old fairytale?" I asked. Jema interjected that it was indeed no fairytale. The Mana Fortress was very real and there were those who sought to steal the Mana Seeds in order to awaken the lost fortress. According to legend the Fortress nearly destroyed the world as Men tried to control Mana once and for all. The legendary Sword of Mana was the only thing that stood in its way.

Luka instructed Jema to head towards Pandora to seek out the king's aid, and then instructed me to head towards Gaia's Navel where the dwarves resided. The dwarves were renowned for their weapon crafting, and she felt that perhaps someone there would be able to forge the orbs back into the Sword.

This was all too much. I was being swept into something greater than I, and I didn't know if I was capable of doing what they were asking me to do. Luka asked what it was that I feared. To be honest...everything. I was an outcast, an orphan, a no one, and they wanted me to somehow restore this great and magnificent Sword? Yet the only words I could utter were "The Sword."

Luka reassuringly informed me that the Sword was a bane to all evil. The Empire itself feared the Sword. And for what ever unknown reasons the Sword chose me. Then Luka charged me with the greatest challenge that has ever been impressed upon me:

"Put aside your fears and doubts. You must become a hero who is worthy of the Sword!"

The Sword.

This Sword.

This Sword saved the world once, and it desired to save it again. The Sword chose me according to its own purpose. I don't know why I have been called out, but who am I to place myself before everyone else. If the Fortress was to be revived then life as we know it would end. I had to accept this call of Fate.

"I'll do it, Luka. I'll restore the Sword of Mana."

Luka led me up to the shrine and asked for me to hold the Sword up to the Mana Seed (so that is the Mana Seed they spoke of.). For a moment the Sword and the Seed embraced one another and joined as one. A bright light shone throughout the palace in that moment as the Seed was sealed and its energies were attuned solely to the sacred Sword which was now my burden to bear.

Luka charged me with going to Gaia's Navel once more, and then charged me with finding the eight palaces which contained like Seeds. She told me to seal up the Seeds so that only the Sword of Mana could channel their power.

Before I left she gave me a spear. She told me that the spear once belonged to the Mana Guardians and there were bound to be similar artifacts throughout the world. I was to find them for they would aid me on my journey.

Refresh and renewed I parted ways with Luka heading towards Gaia's Navel. May the Mana Goddess be with me.