Let the Light of Admonishment Shine Upon the Fools

On their joint venture to claim the Ultimate Power, the group have secured themselves a sea vessel and a crew, whom are being entertained by Galuff's claims that the potion he holds in his hand will, when used, attract every woman within immediate range and require some serious force to remove, if you know what I mean, having supposedly used it himself. Everyone doubts any woman would dare lust over such a swindling git. Down below, Fam and Rasha are attempting to cook a meal for Lyle, but are refusing to set aside their desires for his love and mocking each others' dishes, fighting in the manner they do best.

Ihrie, having only woken up, gets some chatting done with Galuff, who comments a ruin explorer such as her has little to do on the open sea, but his conman antics can be done anywhere, though he at least attempts to play it safe. While the merchant is called by the captain, Ihrie laments that everyone seems to be taking it easy despite the fact they'll be encountering Rugudorull soon enough, and none of them are really making themselves prepared. She does note that Lyle is standing alone at the side of the ship, and goes to join him.
 

They make small talk, Lyle envying Ihrie's travelling nature and her commenting that this is probably the only time she'll get a comment like that from a prince. They cut it short after they're both aware that they want to talk about Rugudorull, Ihrie desiring to know the dude's history. Lyle complies.

Lyle's father, King Lyon, resided over the land of Rehbart, which other countries in the northern continent were resided under, and he made it his primary duty to make peaceful relationships without war whenever possible.

There were rockin' festivals, comrades one could place complete faith in, and of course, women for young princes to fall in love with. However, Lyon had other plans, and desired for Lyle to venture beyond the boundaries of his country just like he did, so he had to leave his lady love Meria behind. Still, he had to do what he was told, and he believed the land would be in safe hands during his absence.
 

Whoops! Rugudorull got himself some magic, set the place on fire and cooked anyone who escaped, including Meria.

By the time Lyle returned, it had gone to the pits. Not a single structure remained standing, and the sole being that remained alive, even barely, was the chamberlain, trapped to the roof of a tattered building.

He explains that Rugudorull had gotten hold of the magic that the king had sealed away and wreaked havoc upon the city, and the citizens were "dissipated like the morning fog," Lyle's family and Meria included, though he was spared for the sole sake of telling Lyle this. Rugudorull is after the Ultimate Power, and after being instructed to stop him, the chamberlain, just as he described, crumbles to dust and ash in the prince's hands.

What he had to learn himself was that the neighbouring nations were totalled as well, and by following the trail of destruction, Lyle seeks to find this murderous bastard and end him once and for all, no matter the cost.

Ihrie's a bit bummed about this tale, but comments that before Lyle's departure, Rugudorull was said to be a man of peace, an archbishop, but the prince has no answer to his change. His theory is that the magic drove him mad - precisely the reason it had been sealed below the castle in the first place. Lyle apologises for having dragged her and the others along like this, his desire for revenge against Rugudorull being a personal oath that no one else needed to be brought into, but she's got no problem with it, believing it'd just be assholish to drop out at this point in the game. Lyle is impressed with Ihrie's partnership...

While Fam and Rasha are miffed that Ihrie was hogging the prince to herself, the latter labelling her a shameless hussy, but any further arguments are toned down as they take Lyle below deck for lunch. And boy is everyone impressed! The orgasmic gourmet meals set out are visually loved by everyone, prompting Galuff to comment one can't judge a book by its cover. Rasha isn't pleased.

As they debate Galuff's credability that their next target, the Mirror of Truth, is on the island of Selageo, they find Gill pinching one of the cake slices and gobbling it down, frustrating Rasha to no end on the amount of time she spent on all this, but her frustration is cut short by the poor mutt belching god-knows-what and falling unconscious. The others, finally sampling their meals, do comment that it is just a little bit ever so slightly spicy, leaving Rasha in despair.

Then it turns out Fam had spiked the meals. That minx!
 

Ihrie has trouble sleeping, knowing that trouble is brewing ahead, and decides that there's no other option: In the morning she asks Migel to teach her and Lyle better sword fighting techniques, while Rasha to supply Fam with better magic. Neither can believe it, but hearing that Lyle is also encouraging the education, they go along with it, after Rasha convinces Migel to oblige.
 

Of course, it was desperately needed as Ihrie happens to suck quite horribly, and is getting her ass kicked by Migel, who moves onto training Lyle and suggests she fight the crewmen, as at least she'd be evenly matched. Neither party takes that well. While Galuff is given the task of laundry and floor waxing, Rasha sets out reluctantly helping Fam out with magic, but the Wiccan isn't too willing to go with it either, knowing that using destructive magic too much will sever her connections with the spirits, but she follows through upon being reminded that it'll help out Lyle.

Cue montage!

Having finally gotten the training to best Migel in combat, Ihrie's victory celebration is drowned out by the fact that the clouds are suddenly turning overcast and none too pleasant. Without warning, a light shines down from the sky upon the ship...

And freezes the bloody ocean! This is the work of Rugudorull, of course, who mocks the group's fruitless travel by displaying the Mirror of Truth before them, having gotten it himself, and he'll be making off with the two they have soon enough. Migel's not one to let that happen without a fight, and charges forward, ripping through four puppets that the fiend generates, and embeds his sword in the villain's shoulder...

Which just seals back up again while Rugudorull blasts him away. Having exposed the swordsman's maximum power, he proceeds to demonstrate his own strength, and summons three serpents from beneath the ice! The beasts muck about the ship, tearing it up and nearly squashing the crew into mush against the floors, prompting Rasha to use some generic magic to stop them in their tracks. But to no avail!

As the three head straight towards her and Lyle, Ihrie steps in with her own brand of magic, which not only defeats two of them, but puts the sole survivor under her basic command! Of course, she's turned into a mouse in the process, but it allows her to make one of the serpents snatch up Rugudorull in its fangs and flail about the sky, leading the crew to believe they've won this match.

Rugudorull disappears in a colossal explosion, destroying the serpents utterly and defrosting the sea once more. Floating downwards onto the mast as a man in tatters, rags and missing an arm, he regrows his missing limb and heals his injuries, surprised that such magic could make him feel pain once again. As payback for this, he steals the two items on the ship and tells them to meet him at his castle for a real manly fight, and zips away into the mist.

Fam laments that Sargus said he was willing to help Lyle, but without the Sword of Sargus they're kind of screwed, not to mention their enemy's got everything he needs to achieve the Ultimate Power. Ihrie isn't willing to let that put them down, and even losing all visual credibility by making an uplifting speech as a mouse, she suggests that they still march onward to Rugudorull's castle and show him what true pain really is. After all, Sargus promised to help out Lyle, and when was the last time a spirit let down on his or her word? He may have the sword, but without the spirit's consent he hasn't got the full potential of it!

Lyle's all in favour, and Migel is more than happy to get even with him after today's mishap, not to mention that Ihrie observed there being a connection between her magic and Rugudorull's, so surely there's plenty of reason for them all to have confidence!

Next stop: Rugudorull's castle. And victory!

No nudity in this episode, I'm afraid.

Galuff's reaction to Ihrie talking in mouse form is hilarious.