Damn it, 3 months of inactivity! Or nearly around that long...This is getting ridiculous but...I did finally manage to finish writing another chapter in the Valnitus storyline. I hope that those who followed the previous 3 chapters will understand the delay and enjoy.


Valnitus chronicles and it's characters belong to me.

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Valnitus 4 – Clear tydes





Toshiro was sitting at his desk in Mr. Hiroshi's classroom. It was a relatively uneventful session, just a run down of what they've learned so far this semester in preparations for their finals. Vaguely, he could sense Virtue's disdain at being stuck in Pendant form for 8 hours a day, but while they were in school nothing could be done. After Sunday's disaster in Shinjuku park he knew he couldn't afford to drop his guard for even a moment.


For now, he trusted Virtue's ability in sensing his fellow valnitians when they were in the vicinity, and so far that only consisted of Synn, and the faint presence of the being sealed within Liz's earring so he allowed himself some time to relax. He was confident that he knew most of the material for finals, so he looked through the window that was situated at his left. “Wait...is that-”


What he saw outside was a young school girl. She only looked to be a year younger than himself so he figured, 9th grade. It wasn't until he noted her Turquoise colored dress and blond flowing hair that he realized who this was. He rolled his eyes at her Turquoise colored sun hat and raised a hand to Mr. Hiroshi. “Uhm excuse me sir. May I be excused?”



Mr. Hiroshi turned to Toshiro, text book in hand as he looked thoughtful. “Hmm? We're in the middle of a lesson, can't whatever it is wait?”



“Normally it could.” pulling himself off his desk, he jerked his thumb towards the window beside him. “But our 9th grade wonder seems to have gotten herself lost again.”



Mr Hiroshi sighed softly, tapping the book spine against his forehead. “Again? Alright go ahead.”



Inside of the Sunstone Pendant, Virtue was aware of everything going on around Toshiro, so when his host started moving, he decided to add his own two cents. [Hey kid...Who is this 9th grade wonder you spoke of? Is it someone who knows of our race?]



“No.” Toshiro replied flatly, while walking down the halls. The fact that class was in session meant that he could speak to the raptor freely, but he wanted to get down to ground level as quick as he could. “I don't think she has any relation to your kind. She's a European transfer student that's been in japan for six months now. She was part of a foreign exchange program so she's not at all accustomed to being here. She's sweet, and intelligent,more so than I am. She's a grade below me but don't let her appearance fool you. She's smart, but she one big problem...”




[Stop with the theatrics kid...what's her deal?] Virtue roared out the question. The Pendant around Toshiro's neck glowing bright.




“Well...She's the absolute worst with directions...” As if to prove his point, he was just about to step out of the school's front entrance, when he saw her trying to shortcut her way through the garden. “That leads to the soccer field...She's not going to get to class that way.”



With a sigh, Toshiro walked around the flowers so that he didn't ruin anything, following her as quickly as he could so that he didn't lose sight of her. “Ugh...this girl is an odd one.”



Just as Toshiro was turning the corner, he felt something odd getting caught in his pants leg. It turned out to be a red thorned vine. It definitely stuck out like a sore thumb, and he couldn't recall any sort of plants that had such a crimson coloration in the school garden. But he had more pressing matters to attend to.


Just as he started catching up to the transfer student, he gave a gentle tap on her shoulder. “Excuse me...You're Claire right?”



The Sun hat the girl had been wearing dropped to the floor when she jerked her head back to look at Toshiro. “Oh! Actually yes I am. You're...Toshiro right? You gave me a hand during my first month of class!”



“Yeah.” He casually replied, though he felt awkward by the whole exchange. “Listen, you're going the wrong way. Class has already started...and knowing your homeroom teacher I don't think she'll be pleased.”



The thought made Claire cringe. She didn't particularly like her homeroom class. But there was nothing she could do about that. “Well then...I suppose since someone as smart as you is accompanying me, I think we can get right back on track!” it was without warning that Claire grabbed hold of Toshiro's arm and started pulling him forward. “Come on! I think it's this way!”



Toshiro could do very little against her guidance. He was dragged along with her and knew he was now along for the ride. “H-hey! I already told you! We can't get to class this way...”



[Heh...I think between Liz and this girl, you've met your match kid!] Virtue barked out each word word in laughter, but just as quickly as it came, his face suddenly grew dire. [Kid! Look out!]



The two kids were strolling through the school grounds, well...Claire was, but Toshiro was trying to get her to come to her senses. That was when he heard Virtue's word of warning and quickly shoved himself and his junior to the ground and not a second too soon! A large thick vine sprouted from the ground where they'd been standing and was flailing about as if trying to grab onto them. “OK. Claire now would be a good time to run anywhere but here!”



Inside, Toshiro was thinking how he could diffuse the situation. If Virtue sensed the danger before hand, it could only mean that whatever caused this vine to appear, belonged to an inhabitant of Valnitus! If he could get Claire to safety... but his thoughts were interrupted when several more vines sprouted from the ground, chasing the two teenagers as they ran. {I can't just summon Virtue into the world with Claire nearby...she might think I'm some kind of sorcerer! But if we can get to Axel, maybe we can cast an illusion on her.}



A shrieking cry pulled him out of his thoughts, and when he looked up, he saw several vines encompassing the school building and breaking in via open windows and cracks. “It's...breaking into the school!”



[Kid, forget about subtlety! This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better! You have to release me!]



Clenching his teeth, Toshiro grabbed the pendant on his neck and pulled it off with a growl. “Virtue!” With his anger rising, Toshiro threw the glowing sphere towards the vines extending towards them. With a flash, the pendant began to expand and grow as Virtue flared to life and slashed at the writhing vines, cutting them down in seconds and searing their roots with a breath of fire.


“Annoying weeds. Your school isn't very good at maintaining your garden.” Virtue spat out, looking towards both Toshiro and Claire. “Well? Both of you climb on! We have to get into that classroom and save your teachers and fellow students!”



Claire was in a clear daze. There was a giant raptor...easily the height of two or so people, and was right here talking to them! She looked into those big blue eyes, seeing a sense of protectiveness from them. She knew he wouldn't cause her harm. “There's like...totally a raptor in front of us. I'm not just dreaming am I?”



As Toshiro was climbing onto Virtue's back, he held a hand out for Claire. “You're not dreaming...He's a friend though, don't worry. The issue now is retaking our school.”



Snapping out of her daze, Claire took his hand and held on as Virtue started storming into the school. “So then you both have a plan then?”



“Find the creature that's causing this and put a stop to it.” Toshiro explained, keeping his eyes ahead so that he could spot anything that Virtue might miss. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you...” He trailed off.



As they banked a turn into the incoming hallway, Virtue slashed through many vines while trying to sniff out the source. It wasn't easy. Each vine and body of plant gave off the same scent, leaving him unable to rely solely on his nose, but to stay alert with his hearing and eyesight. “Toshiro! You're intelligent enough...If you were a massive killer plant where would you set roots?”



“If there were giant killer plants native to earth I could answer that more definitively. But plants require nutrition just as much as you or I. IF it's a killer plant...” Toshiro started thinking on it in his head, and felt sick to his stomach when he came up with a conclusion. “The Classroom.”



Claire's eyes bugged out when she heard Toshiro's statement. “Plenty of students to feed on...but where would we even know to start looking?”



With a low growl, Virtue ran down the corridors and up the stairs as fast as he could to the third story classrooms. There he found the words 3-B etched into one of the doors and pried it open. There was a snapping sound from the other side as he did so, and when the door came free he noted there were several red thorny vines wrapped around it's hinges. “Three valnitians are in this classroom every dang day.” Virtue started, snorting at the vines and looking irritated as several more were wrapped around each student, everyone appeared to be asleep, save for one empty desk which happened to be Liz's which came as relief to the big dinosaur. “I had a feeling our foe would use this place to set up roots.”



“OK that wasn't a bad guess.” Toshiro praised with a smirk. “I didn't think about that. But now the better question is why Liz is the only seat unattended.” Taking a good look around, he caught sight of Axel laying in his seat, head pressed against the table while red thorny vines encased him. He made no comment on his friends situation, but noted how the moonstone bracelet he'd been wearing was missing. “Did he release Synn but was too wrapped up to release himself...?”



Taking another look around the classroom yielded no more answers, but that in itself was suspicious. “Virtue...I think Hiroshi might be ticked off but I can't see him in the room...mind smashing his desk?”



The request caught both Virtue, AND Claire by surprise but the former simply helped the girl off his back, not wanting her to be jerked around. “You're asking me to break something? Sure but you're the one that'll serve detention!” With that, Virtue jumped forward, flames enveloping his claws as he smashed the work desk to pieces, only seconds later would he roll back as a mass of writhing vines came surging from the blasted remains with what looked like a large red rounded plant at it's center with razor sharp teeth protruding from what was obviously it's mouth. . “Well would you look at that...I knew Terrarius had some strange creatures but never anything this repulsive.”



Toshiro remained at a safe distance, watching the writhing mass of tentacles that were coming from the plant.




“It's different from the bull... There's no telling if it's as intelligent as you or Synn. but we can't just attack it head on.” Toshiro muttered,



[Start a fire and the building is gone, and slash through the vines, the monster plant could kill a few of it's hostages before you manage to exterminate it.]



“Right! So we need to- wait...where did that voice come from?” Toshiro asked, looking at Virtue who shook his head as if to say 'it wasn't from me'

“Ibara aka...” Claire spoke out, pulling her hat off and revealing a broach with a jewel made of lapiz sitting atop the head of what looked like a seal. “That's the name of the creature that took hold of our school. That's what my partner says.” She pulled the broach out of her hair and held it at arms length. “Tydal.”



the look on Toshiro AND Virtue's face was nothing short of humorous. They both stood back on full alert as a large monster seal formed itself into reality, knocking back a few desks and freezing the vines that had been encasing the students within those said desks. The monster seal turned it's head to look about but it's eyes never opened. Upon closer examination the creature's body was of the same turqoise coloration as Claire's outfit, save for it's underbelly and chest, which shown a brilliant yellow. “The Ibara Aka are ravenous plants indigenous to Valnitus's tropical forests. They aren't as intelligent as a valnitian...but they're deadly even to the strongest of our kind if they have enough food in their vicinity.”



Listening to the aliens deep regal voice, Virtue couldn't help but turn his complete attention to the newcomer. “Lord...Tydal. We'll talk later...but how do we save these children?”



Tydal took a deep breath, then with a smack of his twin tails which echoed across the ground, the frozen vines snapped apart, revealing the children that laid within. “Tropical plants can't thrive in cold environments.”



Claire braced herself by clinging to Virtue, which startled the flame raptor. Not a second sooner, the rooms temperature started declining rapidly. Even Toshiro who was dressed warmly huddled up to his partner as ice started forming and consuming the floor, quickly crawling along the remaining tendrils of vines as well as it's source. The monstrous plants thrashing went still in mere seconds, but the classroom itself now looked like the inside of a snow globe. With a deep voice, Tydal turned his head to Virtue. “Now would be a good time to smash the Ibara Aka while it's defenseless.”



“You don't have to tell ME twice.” Once his two human charges pulled away, he leapt at the man eating plant with sharp talons and immediately smashed through it's frozen body, leaving splintered shards of what once was. His eyes had an almost feral look to him as he committed the deed, and looked on as the temperature began rising once again, the flames of his body having an effect on Tydal's earlier attack while the remaining vines broke apart to release the remainder of the human hostages who all lay slumped over their desks. “It's finished...”



Tydal's only response to Virtue was a nod. He turned his attention almost immediately to the two kids and smiled. “I should have known that Virtue was one of the creatures lurking in the school. But the Virtue I knew wouldn't have let this situation get out of hand as quickly as it did.”



“I don't remember my time on Valnitus. But I remember you. Lord Tydal, or if you'd prefer your honorary title as king of the arctic.” Virtue grumbled.



Toshiro scratched his head, but when a pure white crown formed over Tydal's head he had no doubt about what his partner was saying. “King of the arctic? So does that mean-”



“Yeah. He's one of the six kings of Valnitus. If Terrarius has half of our world in their clutches, you could say the entirety of the oceans belongs to Aquarius. In other words, you're face to face with royalty.” Virtue remarked, crossing his short arms.



Tydal shook his head and chuckled. “I was the king. It's just as you said before...an Honorary title of my deeds on Valnitus. But your earlier remark confirms my suspicions. Virtue, Toshiro...I think the two of you are in need of an explanation. You see, it wasn't a coincidence that Claire transferred here in Japan. Or in Shinjuku in particular. I advised her to do so in hopes of finding three key figures that are imperative to the war.”



“hold on. You just said War. I'd say after a strong word like that you better tell us everything. Why you guys are on earth, and why you are talking about war in the first place.” Toshiro growled out, standing beside Virtue who slowly started forming back into a pendant, wrapping around the human's neck. “But we should do this someplace the kids here WON'T eavesdrop on. They'll wake up soon.”



Tydal nodded. “I agree, Take us someplace where we can converse in peace. This is a matter of utmost importance.”



With that, Tydal took the form of his lapiz broach which Claire quickly placed in her hair and set her hat back on. “Now! Let's get going!” She replied cheerily, grabbing Toshiro by the arm as she lead him back out of the school grounds, it was only once they were out of the building that she let go of his arm. “So...which way do we go?”


A sweatdrop formed on Toshiro's forehead. “Just...follow me okay? I'll bring you guys to my place. I live by myself so we should be able to talk in peace.”


[sounds good.] Lord Tydal's voice echoed through both children's minds. That would be another question that Toshiro would have to ask Tydal, but for now it was more important to get back home, it was apparent that both of their respective creatures would be a beacon for more alien activity and he didn't want innocent bystanders getting involved again.



(To be continued)