Author's Note: At least, I think that's what we say! Hi everyone! I hope this story goes over moderately to super well! I always wanted to do a self-insert, and minus the one by, erm, I forget the name but the main character is Razz, I think! But anyway other than that I didn't see any/many starring guys! Maybe it's a thing? Either way, I enjoy criticism (Or try to, unyuuu) and I will do my best to update this story as I work on it in school! (Because I have games to play at home w) My only probable issue is I may have rushed in the opening quick. There's a time gap in this chapter of my writing, I wonder if it's noticeable?
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Chapter 1 - Why Yes, Chains DO Mean Keep Out!
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Today, I am tired. Way too tired. None of what's happened is making any sense, and I think my brain is about to break.
Let me go back a bit, so you understand.
I was walking home from school yet again. Dad doesn't really want to pick me up ever, it's wet, and it's just really, really cold. Bleh. I never minded rain as long as it wasn't cold, but it was just freezing! What a perfectly lovely way to spend a birthday, really. It's the first day of spring, goshdarnit! Maybe I was trying too hard to get noticed for it, but I wouldn't mind if someone just ran up to me and said something like, I dunno, "Hey Ethan, happy birthday, have a peanut!" Or something like that. I hadn't had the time recently to worry about my birthday because I've had so much stuff on my mind, like practicing driving and catching up in French and doing my projects as well.
I don't even like peanuts.
Anyway, back to the part where it was really cold. Because it is! I just checked my phone, and it was like, thirty-seven degrees! Fahrenheit, mind. I think that's cold, more or less. I'm not really good with time or temperature. Ick, my shoes are getting soaked. Normally, I like to just walk straight on home, but it takes a half hour, and on a day like this…
At the crosswalk, I made a right today. That would be where I messed up. I should have gone straight ahead, but my wishes to not be utterly drenched overrode my thoughts.
I crossed the bridge on the way to the library, seeing as it's the closest public structure that wouldn't kick me out. Passing through downtown on a day like this is annoying, since none of the shops will let you stay if you don't buy anything. And let's just say that I have no money, and leave it at that.
The courtyard on the way to the library was nice, though. At least, it usually is. The rain had made all the plants sort of soggy and their vines and leaves are hitting the sidewalk. I know the past few days were sunny and all, but you really don't have to make up for it. Gosh darned rain. I walk under the little roof thing in the middle of the walk that connects the library and the…other building. I think it's some sort of board of education type thing, but I can't say I've ever bothered to look. I barely leave my own house, as is. Yuck, my hair is all wet. I really should have brought my hood today, but I didn't think it would be raining the whole day, so I'm just left with my fluffy coat that also hates the rain. It's sort of like, right where my elbow is, it's not padded and I just feel the wet, and, just, euuuurgh. Enough of that, I may as well go inside at this point.
It's warmer in here, and I sort of have to shrug off my coat and bag to make sure I don't start sweating. I just drop the stuff at a table and decide to look around while I dry off. There's a section of the library I've never really gone to, and I figure I may as well go find it at this point. It's in the way back, and hard to notice if you're not right next to it. And…hey, it's locked up. There's this silly chain across it. Then again, isn't it always there? Wait…was it ever here at all? My memory is all fuzzy. I want to go in, but I guess I should go back…
I looked both ways and ducked right under it when no one's looking. What? I just want to see what's there! Besides, I never get to do stuff like this, like, ever. I feel like I'm in an action movie, it's so exhilarating!
…And now I'm bored. It's sort of dusty, and, um, dark. What, did they just give up on lighting the place? Bleh. Well, I may as well poke around the books while I'm here. Gosh, it's really quiet all of a sudden. And really creepy. Euuuugh, just pick a book and get out of here, Ethan. Huh. None of these books actually have titles. They're all just…blank. I think I'll just, uh, grab the biggest one. It's a red book, and really dusty, like all the others. I blew on the top, and a bunch of the stuff just flies off and away. I nearly sneezed, too. I never liked dust. It's so…dusty! Anyway, I took a peek inside, flipping through it. All the pages are blank. At least, I think so.
Yep. All of them. I had flipped through all the pages three times now. Just empty parchment. It's not even paper. How old is this thing? I turned the book upside down and shook it a little, just to see if anything was in there, and, as if on command, a small, tiny slip of paper fell out and gently floated down, somehow seeming ominous in the way it fell. I think the atmosphere of the place is starting to get to me. I mean, think about it! I'm in a back corner of a library, full of dusty books terrible lighting, and no one else is here. I sort of really just want to hightail it out of here at this point. I'll go home, blow off my homework, and nag Ryan to play Tales of Symphonia with me. Or Vesperia. Maybe Blazblue, but we only have one Xbox controller. He's probably home by now, too, jerk.
I bent down to pick up the blank slip of paper. It's really small, sort of like the tabs you put in dividers. At the same time…it isn't dusty at all. Not even a little bit, which makes no sense, seeing as my fingers were now caked in the dust of the pages. Let's see, anything on the other side? Nope. I flip it over one more time, and my heart jumps a little, seeing as words have just appeared on the page. Well, not words. Just one.
Welcome.
My mind barely had time to even think of anything before I felt myself feeling light as my head reeled, and my senses blacking out. I think the last thing I heard was a thud as my body hit the floor, book at my side.
Ugh, my head…what happened? Oh, uh, right, the library…I'm at the library…I think.
I took a look around my surroundings, rubbing my head. It still hurt a little, regardless of the library's carpeted floors. I'm still there, I think. It's a lot brighter, though not too much so. The books on the shelf are lined up pretty nicely, and there's a space in between two of them where the book I took out should be, I think. I feel around for my glasses, which probably fell from my face when I took my own fall. Instead, my hands meet the blank book in question. I tch slightly, before realizing I can see just fine, anyway. The first words out of my lips as my hand touches my face are, "What…?" I'm nearly blind without my glasses, so I'm kind of confused right now.
"Hey there."
"Holy-!"
I'm pretty sure my heart jumped up to my throat right then, and I grabbed my chest with one hand while balancing myself with the other. My eyes meet the speaker, who…looks rather odd, to be honest. He…er, she? I can't tell, whatever. I'll go with he for now. He looked human enough. He had his hair back in some ponytail, and wore some ripped vest with some undershirt underneath, and had shorts and shoes on. There were also like, all these weird belts around him. The part that made me freak out was that he had chains on his wrists, like handcuffs, but they were broken. They jangled sort of casually as he waved a hand in front of my face.
"Uh, yeah, you. Hi. You awake?" Even his voice was ambiguous. It could pass as one for a girl or boy. Either way, I backed up a little, seeing as he's probably some escaped convict come to take me away. Urrrgh, so confused.
"Uh, s-stay back!" Yep, great way to sound confident, Ethan. I actually think my voice cracked a little. Handcuff-sheman over there just frowned and put his hands on his hips, speaking more to himself than me, and what he said shocked me further.
"Tch, way to go. We needed someone who wasn't an idiot, and," He spared me another glance, looking me up and down with a piercing stare. Yikes, those eyes are scary. They're like, staring at my soul. "Someone who wasn't from an entirely different world all together." And then my brain broke. He just shook his head, placing his fingertips on his forehead. "Oh well, we'll have to make do, I suppose. The spell only works once." He paused for a moment. "Argh, what a pain…"
"H-hey, wait a second…" I stuttered again, and got to my knees. We were about the same height, although I think he was a few inches taller. "Another world? W-Where am I?" Oh dear, I'm feeling a little woozy. Come on, Ethan, don't faint. The supposed criminal regarded me with another look, and I think my confidence may have broken. "I-If you could, um, tell me, please…"
Another sigh. God, this guy is a dick. "You're certainly not where you were." He smiled. Ugh, I hate cryptic crap like that! "Why don't you just look around yourself? That should answer it."
Now that I notice it…other than the bookshelf, nothing else is the same! I'm on this like, round circular platform, and everything beyond it is sort of…mucky, you could call it? It's like, just some swirly red and black stuff, like it's some gas. It looks solid, but I'm pretty sure I'd fall if I walk off this little area. "Ummm…" I think that's all I manage. I mean, I know I was no longer in New Jersey, but all this is just confusing. I can't tell where I am from a bunch of colors with no shape. I look back at the terribly impatient one, who seems to have applied his palm to his face.
"Idiot." Jerkface. "Have you heard of a place called Niflheim? Cause you're here." Niflheim? "To be more specific, you're in a subsection of Niflheim, Nibelheim. They sound similar, but they're different, okay?" I had heard the name before, I just forget where. I nodded anyway, seeing as causing this guy more aggravation probably won't do me any good. "Good. Well, since you're the lucky guy who activated the spell, you are now contracted. To us."
"Wait, what…?" Is this some kind of joke? "Um…what do you mean, contracted?"
"It means," He had this aggravated tone in his voice, making it pretty obvious he didn't want me around. "That you are coming with me to fulfill a mission for our master." Our master? I…really don't like the sound of this.
"…What kind of mission?" My heart was starting to beat faster now. I don't like not knowing where I am, and I think shock is settling into my system. This is probably just a dream, but…it feels so real.
"My master has need of…a set of weapons, only found in a specific land. We are to travel there, search for, and retrieve all ten of them. They have been lost to time, yet they were once his. Right now, he is currently powerless without them." He looked at me for a while, seeming to stifle a yawn. Was he waiting for me to ask the obvious? I guess so.
"Well, uh, what land are we going to? And what are these weapons?" I don't like the sound of weapons. I don't want to go around retrieving atomic bombs from foreign places.
"You're taking this rather well. Much better than the others." He pointed out idly, seeming to place his interest in his chains, jangling them around with one hand. I didn't like the sound of others. It makes It sound like people have died doing this. Suppressing a shiver, I manage to respond.
"Trust me, I'll probably start freaking out if I found out I'm not dreaming." I grin, releasing any tension I had. It doesn't seem like he's going to hurt me, so I think I'm alright in that regard. Not that it would matter, seeing as I'd wake up just fine. "I repeat my question, too, um…"
"Micah," He finished for me, answering my unspoken question. "The name given to the collection of weapons happens to be the Devil's Arms." I think the feeling of realization spreading from my heart reached my eyes now. That's where I had heard Niflheim from! "And we will be going to the land of Sylvarant." Holy crap, Sylvarant! It's like I'm somehow in Tales of Symphonia! As long as I'm unconscious, at least. I may as well make the most of it.
"Alright, let's go!" I pump one fist in the air, showing my excitement. I can go meet the main cast, and get gald from monsters, and beat things up with a weapon, and…
Oh. Right, I need a weapon. I'm no elf, so I can't cast magic. Then there was the part where this might be before the events of the game, or even after! But, um, let's not worry about that one just yet. What would I use, though? I mean, I don't like swords, they're heavy and, um, I don't like to be hit.
"You're certainly excited." Micah cut into my thoughts with that hard-edged voice of his. It's sort of grating. "Do you even know where, or what Sylvarant is?" Crap, time to start lying.
"Uhhh…" I rubbed the back of my head halfheartedly. "Not really…but it sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Micah allowed himself a smile. Am I really that amusing?
"Sure. Here." He strode over to the bookshelf and pulled a book from it. It certainly wasn't as big as the one I had looked at, yet it was still somewhat sizable. He shoved it in my arms and walked back to his original standing point. "That'll teach you everything you need to know about the world and its geography. Now then…the next thing to do is get you a weapon." I think my eyes lit up right then, because I think Micah smirked again. Eheh…
"Well, aren't you excitable." It looked like he was fiddling with that weird murky stuff, although it was hard to tell; his back was to me now. "We'll see how excited you are when we get to fighting. Now, let's see…" The noise lasted on his tongue for a while, and I think he was talking to himself at this point. "It would be a bad idea to give a newbie like you a sword, and as far as I can tell, you're no elf…" He turned his head and fixed me with a stare. "What are you, anyway?"
"Uh…" That was sort of a tough question. I mean, I know I'm human, but being from a whole different world and all, would I be Earthling or something? Let's just go for the former. "I'm a human, if that's what you call it here. I dunno if I can do magic and stuff, but that's about all I can say." He sort of just frowned at me in return. I guess he was hoping for something more detailed, but…really, what else can I say? I'm not going to say I'm from a really big planet with no magic and am pretty much useless. He'd probably kick my ass out of here.
"Whatever. Right, since we don't know if you can use magic…" He finally turned around, holding a… bag. Am I supposed to fight with that? What am I going to do, beat people with it? I'm not some old lady with a purse and pepper spray. "We'll make do with magical weapons." He tossed it at me, which I caught, although not so gracefully. It was getting tiring, holding all these items! I kneeled down to the floor, and put the bag and book down, next to each other. The bag itself looked fairly normal. It had a shoulder strap and was mostly blue in color, with a sort of flap as a makeshift zipper. I opened it up and looked inside. It was empty enough; in fact, it didn't look like it had a bottom! So I put the book inside it, closing the bag once more. And then Micah was suddenly next to me, which scared the crap out of me.
"This will be your weapon. From what I can tell, you have an abnormally low amount of mana, so," He pointed at the bag. "That is what will store any mana you may come in contact with. Mana is essentially the life force of everything in Sylvarant, by the way." He added the last bit before continuing. "I can't say I know what would happen if your mana-deficient body comes in contact with the amount in Sylvarant, so just keep it around." I nod, subconsciously pulling the bag closer. I dunno, what if I explode or something?
"So, um…" I put my hands on my hips, asking the question. It's a habit. Dad says it makes me look girly, but he's not here now, is he? "What now?"
"Now…" Woah, he's back on the other side of the room. "We fight." Wait, what!
I backed up a bit right there, seeing as how Micas started cracking his knuckles. I hate that, and it's sort of foreboding. "Wh-what do you mean, fight?" I manage to get out. I don't like pain. It hurts!
"I mean fight. How else are you gonna practice?" Oh god he's coming at me. "Don't worry; I won't hurt you too badly." Did I mention I don't like fighting? I'm not very strong and I don't even know what to do with a bag! I mean, I can swing it, but uh, yeah. I doubt that'll knock him unconscious or do much at all.
"Oh right. Uh, just use your mana to perform artes with it." Easy for him to say. And didn't he just say himself that I was mana deficient! What a jer-Oh crap he's coming at me. Micah threw a punch right at my face, which I not so gracefully fell backwards to avoid. Grabbing my bag, I swung it at his legs, which he much more easily dodged, and with an infuriating grin on his face. "Come on, I'm sure you can do better than that! Use an arte on me, it won't hurt." But I don't know how to use an arte! Nor do I have the time to say that, cause he's rushing at me again, pulling back a fist. I turn around and run and oh gods he's gaining on me please don't hurt me don't hurt me don't hurt meeeee-
Gack.
I clawed at my neck uselessly while Micah had a firm grip on it. His previously broken chains seemed to have reformed into one, now wrapped around my neck. He started speaking in a tone I could consider to be confused. "Hey…don't you know how to fight?" He hadn't released his grip, and my face is starting to get rather red as I shook my head violently. I think I'm getting dizzy.
A gasp of breath could be heard in all of Nibelheim when he let go, I bet. "Well. This is certainly a setback. I suppose I'll have to teach you then." He turned slightly, running his hand through the front of his hair.
"No." I said bitterly. "No, no, no, no! I don't know how to use artes, or mana, or any of that other crap! I can barely avoid attacks and you just start punching me out of nowhere, you asshole!" I was getting all red again. "And NOW you're going to TEACH ME after you GIVE ME THE MOST USELESS ADVI-" I held my face as a red mark appeared at my cheek, and my assailant stood over me, a grim look on his face.
"Quiet." I already am, thanks to you. "There is no reason for you to be so loud. If you do not know how to fight, I will teach you. Through force." He wound back once again, and oh god he's aiming for my face I don't want to bleed I don't want to get hurt. I hold my arms in front of me, looking away to avoid seeing the punch connect, but…
Ow. Ow ow owwww. My arms bite back with a terrible pain spreading through it, and I'd call them broken if I heard a crack. Micah wound back another punch, and I sort of clamber backwards, hoping he'd miss. Instead of that happening, however, his punch flew straight down as it broke the ground below is, sending shrapnel from the floor at me-augh, my arm! A shard of the floor stuck in it, and I cried out. It hurts, oh god it hurts so badly. "Fight. Or die." Micah said once more, watching me get up. I'd remove the bit stuck in my arm, but I'm sure I'll start gushing blood or something, so I settle on gritting my teeth and running towards him with bag in hand. I'm sort of hoping I'll manage to bludgeon him or something. He simply sidestepped my vertical swing, which I turned into a spin to try and catch him in the side.
His arm simply catches the strap of the incoming weapon and pulls, causing me to fall forward at his strength. Ugh…I turn myself around, clutching my head now, which had met the floor first. Oh god he's walking up to me I'm going to die but then I'll wake up right yeah that's how it works oh go-
Micah's hand is shoved awkwardly in front of me, and when I looked up at him he had this sort of disappointed face going on. I took the hand and he pulled me up, at least.
"Well, I can't say you were terrible," I narrow my eyes at him. Meanie. "But let's try not to be so clumsy." He gave an infuriating grin, which I scowled at. What, did he expect me to be perfect from the start? He reached into one of his pockets and produced a vial, I think of plastic. It had some red liquid in it, which grossly reminded me of the shard in my arm, which I finally decided to remove, first of all. I closed my eyes and looked away, tenderly grabbing the piece and pulled it out as quickly as I could. Augh…it hurts! I return to clutching the wound, and I could feel the blood stick to my fingers. We didn't even fight that long and I'm reduced to this…god, I'm pathetic. Ah, he's still waiting for me to take it. I gingerly grab it with my wounded arm hand and examine it as best I can. I feel like I know what it is. It's red, and is sort of like jelly when I look at it, because while I can tell it's not solid, it's not sloshing around or anything. What was it again…?
"That's an apple gel. Get used to them." Oh, that was it! An apple gel…this should be able to fix me up just fine, if I can go by the games. I always wondered how they were stored, so I guess this made sense instead of throwing a mess of jelly in your bag. I can't say I've ever liked gelatinous stuff, but as long as I don't have to swallow it… "Since you're not badly injured, simply uncork it and rub some on your arm. You should be fixed up in no time." He watched as I fumbled with the cork for a moment, wincing as I let go of my arm to handle it. I tipped the container upside down, and the gel slid out smoothly, although I shuddered while watching it. I hate the way jelly and stuff moves. It feels odd in my hand, like…yeah, like jelly, but more compact. I slapped it to the wound, rubbed it in, and let the gel do its work. Woah…it's like the wound just stitched itself up completely! It felt sort of weird, too, like, invigorating. I feel much better, and it looks better too. I touch where it sealed experimentally, and it felt softer than the rest of my skin. I was about to give it another poke when a hand stopped me. Gosh, Micah is rather physical.
"Don't do that. The wound is still regenerating; it just stopped the blood flow. Give it a couple minutes, and then do whatever you want."
"How kind of you." I quipped back at him. He's sort of annoying, but it's nice to know he cared. And that he's not beating me to death.
"I'd rather you not be a whiny, bleeding mess before we even begin." Tch. Jerk. "Still, that was rather disappointing. I suppose you'll have to learn as we search, because I'm not going to spend a month teaching you everything you need to know to survive." That made me think a second, and I raised a question that was nagging at the back of my mind for a while now.
"Why do you need me, anyway? You're certainly capable enough to do whatever without me." He blinked a second, as if I were stupid, and then caught himself.
"Oh, you wouldn't know about that, would you…" He trailed off, probably thinking about to how to explain whatever he was going to say. "Let's put it this way. Have you ever seen a demon?" I gasped as he brushed the fringe of his hair aside, revealing a small…protrusion in his scalp. I guess it could be called a horn. So he was a demon, then? Suddenly, I'm a lot less comfortable. It's not like I should have been expecting different, but seriously…gosh.
"Normally it's much more prominent, signifying me as a demon. Not all demons look like this, but my kind generally does. Obviously, we can't travel around others with a big horn sticking out of our head. As such, we form a bond with another being. Essentially, we draw off your mana signature to appear more like your race. The problem is," He sighed. "Your mana signature is so pathetic it won't do the full job. I'll simply have to be a little careful.
"So…" I responded slowly, because it's sort of confusing. "You need me so you can travel this, uh," I pause. I gotta make it believable that I don't actually know just about everything in Sylvarant, you know? "Sylvarant place, right?" He nodded back at me, and elaborated.
"Yes. As long as you exist within Sylvarant, I may travel unimpeded by my physical characteristics. However, until I can trust you…" He came up to me and slung his arm around my shoulder. He smelled…fruitier than I imagined. Never mind me, just being weird. "I'll have to keep you with me so you don't go off and get yourself killed." Well, he's certainly tactful, isn't he?
I hate watching conversations die, so I thought something up on the spot to ask next, since it wasn't an entirely stupid question to ask. "So, um, where are we going to go first?"
"Hm. I hadn't thought about that. Take out the book I gave you."I complied, fumbling with the bag's flap for a moment before producing the material in question. He took it and sat down, so I did the same, watching as he flipped through the book. He stopped near the end, at which a map was located. I could vaguely guess it was Sylvarant, although I hadn't played the game itself recently, so I couldn't be sure. Micah confirmed my thoughts, and then placed his fingers at a point in the middle of the left end of the map, labeled Iselia. I think my heart exploded there because OH MY GOSH I CAN BE IN THE PLOT YESSSSSS.
"We will start our search over here, at the town of Iselia. We will search the surrounding area, keeping away from the Human Ranch," His finger moved to a point nearby Iselia, and traced downwards. "After which, we will travel south, to the Triet Desert. We will probably take some time to gather information from the citizens of Triet, lest we get lost in the desert beforehand." I nodded, showing that I got the point. "After which, we will cross the mountains of the Ossa Trail, and then we reach the fishing port, Izoold. That is all we will need to focus on for now." He looked straight at me then, with those darned piercey eyes yuuuurgh. "You should be prepared. This part of the search will likely take quite some time. The continent may not be all that large, but we must search everywhere we can." I gulped, and then nodded. Jerk! If we do that, I'll miss the whole journey thing! Although, I wouldn't mind waking up soon, either.
"Alright then. Now…I am not particularly experienced with this, so you should hope I do this correctly." Micah got up, using his knee as leverage, and held out both his arms towards the lonely bookcase. He started chanting some weird…words, as a sort of magic circle formed under his feet. I couldn't catch what he said, so I'll just chalk it up to something like, he said, "Oook ik om nom nom bop boop beep…" Of course, he said nothing of the sort, but regardless.
The room started shaking, and the bookcase seemed to split itself in two, and…it was all very dramatic, honestly. I wouldn't be surprised if an ominous chorus started playing, but that's beyond the point. From behind the bookcase was…an equally ominous door. Gosh, how expected. Micah lowered his arms, looking a little fatigued, if nothing else. …He's really strong.
"Alright, that should do it." He breathed, seeming a little out of breath, before looking at me. "Once we enter this door, we should be transported somewhere on the outskirts of Iselia's boundaries, and hopefully nowhere near the ranch." I shuddered, hoping he was right. I didn't know his reasons for not wanting to go there, but I'd rather not watch all that scary stuff go down. And oh gods he's next to me again. "Come on. You'll need to hold onto me if you want to make it through in one piece." He roughly grabbed my hand, his handcuffs chafing against my own wrist. Now that I think about it…he seems much more like a demon of Japanese origin, like, an oni or something. You know, with the broken chains and stuff. I'll have to see if his weakness is beans, or whatever it was. It would be pretty funny. Anyway, I am busy being uselessly dragged over to the overdramatic and silly door.
As we got closer to the door itself, it didn't look…real, oddly enough. It wasn't like a normal door you would see every day, because this one just looked…not there. It had this eerie glow about it, and I swear it was shifting in and out of view. It was sort of terrifying, to be honest. It didn't look all that reliable. Of course, I didn't have time to examine it for more than a few seconds when we [i]ran through the door[/i]. I'm not even kidding. Micah just ran straight through it and took a great leap down; as he cried out, "Hang on!" I think I might have shrieked a little, since we were suddenly falling down a swirling vortex of impossibility. As poetic as that sounded, I had no idea what it was because I screwed my eyes shut and gripped Micah's arm with more force than I've ever held anything in my life.
My body thudded against something with surprisingly less force than I thought, but regardless, I felt myself losing consciousness. Oh well, I guess this is where I wake up. It's too bad, too, because I can sort of hear voices yelling at me…or was it for me? It doesn't matter much, I suppose. I'll just wake up and it'll be morning, and I'll have to drag through school again.
Boy, was I wrong.
Ugh…where am I? Everything's all fuzzy…did I lose my glasses? Wait, no, everything's getting clearer now. I rose out of bed tiredly, rubbing my eyes. What a dream that was. If only I was so lucky to actually end up in a game. I didn't even get to see any of it, either! What a ripoff! I pouted slightly before my eyes widened.
This is not my bed. It's not my room, either. Did I actually get kidnapped! I leapt out of the wooden bed and ran to the window. It's…a lot of forest. How am I going to get home from here! I turned around, examining the room I'm stuck in. It's wooden, like everything else. I guess someone built it. There's a lot of plants growing out of cracks and spots too. They're everywhere. Other than that, it looked like a regular room. A dresser for clothes, a small nightstand…nothing a kidnapper would have, I don't think. There are two doors, so I may as well try one. I walked over to the one closest to me and opened it.
As I stepped outside, I realized that this was a sort of veranda. Peering down, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. There was a sort of barn stall to the side, some clothes hanging on a, er, clothesline, I think it was called. There was also a grave to the side, which caused me to frown slightly. I hate depressing scenes like that. Then again, isn't this familiar? I swear, I've seen something like this before…
…Wait a second. This is like, that house! Ugh, no Ethan, snap out of it. That was a dream. Someone must have taken me from the library when I passed out. I don't know why, seeing as I'm not exactly attractive, but still. Either way, I have to get out of here as soon as possible. I don't know if whoever took me is through the other door, but I can't simply jump down to the ground from this height. It makes me woozy thinking about it. I turned away from the railing and went back inside, striding towards the other wooden door.
A staircase downstairs stood in front of me. I took a step down the first, and winced as it made, and I swear it, the loudest creak I had ever heard. It was creepy, despite how bright and sunny it is outside. There are noises further down, too. I can't hear them, but it sounds like a lot of clinking and grunting. Unyaaaaa, I want to run back upstairs now. I get so jumpy when I don't want to! Regardless, I steel myself and take another step, wincing. I didn't realize how much my foot was hurting; I was so overcome with anxiety. I examine it momentarily; it looks like my ankle is pretty bruised, and now that I'm paying attention to it, I noticed my arm hurts a bit too. It's all like a dull ache, so I guess I really did take a fall, like I had felt at the end of the dream. But…was it really a dream? Argh, it's all so confusing! First, Ethan, focus on going down the damned stairs!
I think I may have yelped as I reached the end of the stairs and saw who was making the noise. It was a small man. He looked really gruff and mean, and wore like, blacksmith's clothes. Overalls and all that. Maybe I'm being stereotypical, but regardless. In fact, you could even call him a dwarf…no Ethan, that was a dream. He looks really busy, so maybe I can just sneak by him…
"And where do ya' think yer goin'?" Gack. I froze and turned around, seeing the short man give me a steely gaze. Argh, he really does look like…no, he doesn't. "Dwarven Vow Number Forty-One: Haste makes waste." My mind blanked. "It's plain rude to leave the person who provided you with shelter and have nary a word to say to him." He crossed his arms, probably to seem more authoritative, but…
He IS a dwarf? Oh, crap, what if it wasn't a dream! What if I'm stuck in Symphonia? Oh god oh god oh god. I guess the only way to affirm it is to answer him. "Um…well…sorry." Was all I could think of to respond as best as I could. I started rubbing my wrist with one hand. It's a habit I tend to do when I'm nervous. The short, tanned man smirked and waved one arm as if to dismiss my apology.
"Don't pay no mind to it. I'd rather if ye' didn't wander off and pass out again, is all. It seems ye took quite a fall." He motioned to a slight wooden table with two seats to the side. "Why don't ye' jus' sit a spell and tell me what happened." I nodded, and then decided to ask the question that was on my mind for a while, dreading the answer.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Call me Dirk. An' yours?" Oh. Crap.
A few minutes later, I was sitting across from Dirk, staring at this pot of…something in between us on the table. I swear there's a boot in it! He had called it Dwarven Potluck Surprise. I could recall the name, but…well, it's certainly surprising. I wasn't feeling all that hungry…or thirsty, so my own bowl of oddities was left untouched. I had given Dirk my name, and then sort of felt dizzy and sat down. So, the dream…was real? As fun as it seems, I…I'm scared. I miss Mom and Dad already, and who's going to take care of Brendan? Ryan can't alone. I hope that they're alright. The memory is still fuzzy, but…how did I get here again? Maybe I could go back.
…No, I remember. I can't go back the way I came, can I? That…demon…thing, he brought me here. But where was he? Did we get separated when we went through the door? Well…I know I have to get to the Temple, that's the closest thing to a meeting place as I can think of. Ah, but first I should probably talk to the dwarf in front of me, shouldn't I? I'd hate to offend him.
"Ah, um, right…"I began, but where to begin? "As I said, I'm Ethan, and um…" I paused, trying to think a moment. I needed a cover story, like, now. "I'm from Hima, more or less. I've been living at the inn for a while. Or at least, I had been." I stopped again, furrowing my brows once more. "The last thing I remember was a really sharp pain in the back of my head, and then nothing else." The dwarf nodded. Although my pauses were to create lies, they were believable in context as well. Although in reality I was abducted by a book by a demon and then thrown into a game world, but, uh, yeah. "Um, what happened after that, then?" I finished off, with, rather uncertain myself. I doubt Dirk was randomly wandering about and then my body fell on him from a tree or something.
"Ah, right, lad. According to my son, he was going to school in Iselia when he saw you, unconscious on the ground. Apparently, ye' were about to be attacked by monsters." Oh! Lloyd found and saved me? That's actually really cool! …Or it would be if I was awake for any of it. "He brought ye' back here and ran off. I bet he's late, already." He finished, adding the last part knowingly. He turned back to me with a more serious look. "Ye' were pretty banged up. Wasted a lot o' our gel supplies." Oh, gosh! Now I feel like I have to repay him. Curse you, conscience.
"Um, well, I'd be happy to repay you in full, if you want. I don't really have any money, but…" In truth, I don't even know how I would find any money. In fact, my current objective is to get to the Temple, but how am I going to manage that? I only have a bag to fight with, and…
Wait, no. No bag. I felt my sides frantically before Dirk got up and moved out of my line of vision. "Ah, right. Yer probably lookin' for this, ain't ye'?" He came out, holding the object in question. Thank heavens! If Micah wasn't lying, then losing that may well have turned me into a grotesque thing, or something. Maybe I'd grow an extra limb. Regardless, I took back my bag with glee.
"An' don't ye' worry about paying me back or anything. However…" He turned around again, this time heading towards his pile of, er, blacksmithery on the other side of the room. After some rummaging, he turned back at me, a pouch of some sort in his arms. "I hate to ask someone who is still sufferin' injuries, but if ye' could run down to the village and pick me up a few things, ye' can consider us even." …I don't want to betray this man's trust, but it looks like taking the pouch and going to the Temple is the only way I'll get going anywhere. I avoided looking at the dwarf as I nodded, holding out my hand, where he placed the pouch of what I could only assume to be gald in my hand.
And so, I set out from Dirk's house, giving the dwarf a wave before he was obscured by the many trees now surrounding me. He had said the way to Iselia was just straight down the hill his house was built upon, and told me to avoid the human ranch. Pssh, like I'd be going there anyway. I'll have my hands full just battling what monsters I might run into. Oh, crap, monsters! I clench the strap of my bag tighter, keeping my eyes peeled for sudden movement. Wait, that bush! I jumped back, and steeled myself for what was to attack me.
…A small rabbit hopped out of the shrubbery, and then bounced away, in search of food. I relaxed and felt my face grow hot as I realized how embarrassing I must have looked. It's not like every animal is a monster! I continued down the path, keeping myself alert, either way.
Before long, I came across a fork in the road. But I knew one of them I would never go on. To my right loomed the ominous, oppressive building sealed by walls of steel and barbed wire. I winced; I could hear the crack of a whip and a yelp of pain from even here. It's all too disgusting, and I might just pass out if I stick around much longer. Keeping my head down, I briskly continued on my way.
The rest of the trip through the forest was rather silent. Atleast, I wished it was. A slow buzzing hummed from behind me, and I froze. Oh god. I ran the monsters you could find here through my head again. There were mushroom things, pink rabbits, and…" My mind blanked out as the uncomfortable buzzing grew ever louder. I hate bugs. You have no idea how much I hate bugs. I think they're nice when they're where they belong, but…
I don't want to turn around. It just…I bet it's so disgusting. But I have to. I have to, or I could die. There were two sets of buzzing now. I closed my eyes for a moment, and forced myself to turn around.
There they were. Huge, disgusting, hornet things. Seriously! They were about as tall as the length from my feet to my waist, and….ugh. They're /hairy/. I don't want to fight these things! But, they decided to fight me as the first of the pair dived straight at me, stinger ominously large and pointed. I dove out of the way before rolling across the ground to avoid the second one, which seemed to have launched itself at me with such force that it had embedded itself in the ground. If I recall, bees and stuff can detach their stinger as they wish, but…Oh god, I want to vomit. I remove my bag from my wrist, and…
I smashed the bag straight into the bug's side. The bag actually moved with much more force than I anticipated, and I swear it glowed slightly. Could it be using mana? Regardless, I had no time to dwell on this as it smashed the bug's top half clean from its lower end, as a disgusting liquid spewed out of it and got on my pants and bag. If I wasn't so fueled by fear and disgust, I would honestly be vomiting right now. The half-a-hornet twitched and futilely moved its feelers before becoming still. I had no time to watch the whole spectacle, however, as the other bug flew straight at me. I tripped to the side to avoid it, but I felt its body graze my arm. If that was any closer, its stinger would be stuck in there. I don't think I was bleeding, but I had no time to think, only react.
I raised my bag and struck out at the insect, but it buzzed just out of reach. I followed by swinging sideways at it as it shot its stinger at me. Fortunately, my inability to have any balance saved me as the weight of the bag caused me to waver to the side, just missing the projectile as my own weapon did its job of utterly blasting that thing away. It didn't explode or get ripped apart like the other one, since it wasn't attached to any immobile item. I sighed. If this was what all battles were like, maybe I should lay down and wait to die right now.
…Yeah, you should know I'm too fond of living to do that. I am tired, though, and I worry that those bugs had friends. I'm not sure if hornets in Sylvarant have hives and stuff, but I can't be too careful. I'm not too sure I can get through another scrape with a bunch of bugs, because I got really lucky there. Ah…I think I see the exit. I descended the pathway to see a clearing in the trees, and I soon found myself in the wide open plains of Sylvarant. Wow…it's so pretty. And I think it only took me, like, a half hour or so, I think. I'm no good at time, and I'm shaky on the whole method involving your shadow. It seems to be around midday though, maybe about noon? Assuming that I was convenient enough to land in here at just about the time the game takes place, then it should be about noon, I suppose. I didn't see any blinding white light, so the oracle didn't happen. And Lloyd is still going to school, apparently, so it should be before or about when the game begins now. Either way, Dirk said I should be able to see the village from here…ah! There it is.
The village gates seemed to be a good while away yet, but it wasn't too far if it was in sight. I'd estimate about…ten to twenty minutes? At the same time, urgh, my legs are already aching! I have a newfound respect for Lloyd, to be able to traverse this every day. …Wait, doesn't he have an exsphere? Cheater! Argh, whatever. Keeping my eyes peeled for any monster wolves or whatever, I trudged towards the village gates. Not too far in, I noticed the corpse of a wolf, strewn on its side, ahead of me. Or rather, smelled it first. The smell of blood is so depressing. It looked like it had been stabbed, from the looks of it. I know this is an everyday occurrence, but, ugh. I covered my nose and looked away, focusing instead on the village gates.
After some more walking, I finally stood in front of the gate. It was closed, with a sizable Noishe waiting patiently in front of it.
…
Noishe! Ahhhhhh, so adorable! His ears are so floppy and sticky-uppy and, uuuuuu! I stopped my advance towards the dog when it emitted a low growl. Oh, yes, he doesn't like strangers. Oops. But he's soooo cuuuute! Either way, I look up when I hear a voice calling at me.
"You would do best to avoid that one." Ah, right, it's those two village guards. They don't really look all that scary, even with their pointy spears, but it would be rude to ignore them.
"Ah, really? But he's such an adorable doggie!" I replied, with a smile. The first guard grimaced, and shook his head. They both looked sort of similar, although he was taller, and I think his brown hair was shorter than the other one.
"Not you too…" He shook his head and placed his palm on his forehead. I think he might have a headache. "I'll tell you now, that is not a dog, no matter what that boy says." The other guard nudged him with his elbow. I bet he's heard that one too many times.
"Come off it, Clayton." So that was his name. Clayton mumbled something under his breath before the other guard turned back to me. I think they're related. "Anyway, who would you be? We don't often get many visitors out here." Oh, dear, well, at least I don't have to lie to people about this.
"Ah, the dwarf up in the forest helped me out, so now I'm repaying the favor." I pulled the shopping list and pouch of gald out of my bag. "I'm grabbing a few things for him. Although it's my first time here…" I trailed off. Although Iselia seemed smaller than other places, it still was a pretty big village. I don't want to stumble in a house, looking for a shop and finding a bewildered family. The second guard smiled.
"Oh, yeah, Dirk! He fixed up some of the older weapons a while back. Well, either way," He stepped back, pulling Clayton with him. "Any friend of Dirk's is a friend of ours. Just come on through and-Clayton! The dog, Clayton! The dog!" He gestured wildly as Noishe started to make a break for the town, but was shortly repelled by the guard in question, brandishing his spear. The protozoan emitted a whine and stepped back once more. The supposed crisis averted, he turned back to me.
"As I was saying, come on through." He made a gesture with his spear down the village, and continued. "The general shops are in the center of town. Follow the path and you'll get there in no time." I smiled and thanked him, waving as I passed by. The people here sure are animated. I thought they'd be as static and boring as all the other NPCs. It made me uneasy, as if affirming this wasn't a dream. I shivered a little, despite the lovely breeze blowing by me.
The town really was beautiful, though possibly a bit too pleasant. It's an odd feeling. The air is beautiful and clean, and you can smell the crops from the other end of town. It was mostly the people. They seemed to be pleasant, but you could sort of feel this tension on them. I could bet it was the ranch. Living in fear of people who might decide to burn down your village at any time is pretty scary. Regardless, the village was really nice. The stores were set up in sort of a circle. One had a sign out front of a sword and shield, another, a bag, and the last, some fruit. I took a step inside the one that seemed to be the general store, and saw I was correct after seeing all the boxes and seemingly random supplies stacked on shelves. The shop clerk seemed to have been polishing some object or the other, and looked up as the bell on the door rang, signifying my entrance.
He looked like a nice man. I can't really say much about him, he wasn't very memorable. He was, however, nice enough to welcome me and show me his wares. The store was pretty cozy, itself, if not cramped. I could tell there was a huge mess in the back from peering to the side, but I was more interested in the wares on the shelf. I glanced down at the list again. It was something of a bunch of hasty scrawls on paper, but if I squinted…Ah. I think Dirk needs Apple and Orange Gels, a Panacea Bottle or two, and… I think that says Holy Bottle or something. I think it's that thing you use to keep monsters away. After realizing all these bottles and jars looked the same to me, I wordlessly shuffled over to the clerk and passed him the list. He went to the back and starting looking through the mess, I think.
After some awkward silence, he returned to the front with what Dirk needed. Why am I even doing this, anyway? It's not like I'll be going back…
I feel terrible.
After essentially pushing the pouch of gald on the clerk and taking leave with a thank you, I exited the store. It was just as quiet out here as in there. I absentmindedly stored my newly purchased items in my bag and continued down towards the school in the distance. It was the only building I really remembered, and I knew it was on the outskirts of town.
The smell of spring was nice, I admit, but I was still feeling really tense. I mean, how am I going to get home? I brushed the hair out of my eyes and continued, trying to ignore that nagging thought. It was a habit I had. I really needed a haircut, simply because it always got in the way and bothered my ears. I wonder if they have barbers in Sylvarant…
Unimportant, Ethan. Get to the temple. But…I really want to see if they're there! You know, them! The protagonists! It would be really creepy though, so maybe it's not the best idea. In the end, I turned away towards the dirt road and…
Ran straight up to the school's window. I am such a creeper.
Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I ducked down a little and peered through the blotchy glass as best I could. I don't think it's been cleaned for a while, but that's not the point. Luckily, I don't think anyone noticed me, seeing as all the students seem to be looking straight at the board. I can't recognize most of the kids, but…!
It's her! And and him! Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh-
Ahem. Excuse me for my fanboyisms, but they're like, right there! Colette, and and Genis! I think Lloyd is outside of my vision, seeing as this window is in the back of the class. But but, there they are! I feel like a total stalker, but I can't help staring at Genis' hair. It's so weird and like, white! But regardless! The room looks pretty, er, wooden, and…ah! This means that I'm right before the main plot of the story! I think so, atleast, since they're all in there. I hope I'm not too far back. I glance one more time to see if I can find the Professor…
Oh my god. She's staring right at me, and I think she has a chalkboard eraser in hand. I quickly remove myself from the window and take flight down the path. I, for one, do not want to meet my end by way of school supplies, more so those toted by an angry professor. After a few minutes of movement and looking over my shoulder, I slow down to catch my breath. I can see the Temple in the distance, as it's fairly large.
…But it's still so far awaaaaaay! This is stupid! My legs hurt again already, moreso because I haven't taken much of a break. Which I should probably do now to collect myself. I really should take the time to assess what's happened to me before I do anything. I gingerly removed my bag and placed it on a nearby patch of grass off the main dirt road before sitting upon it. I can't stand sitting on grass, mostly because…I just don't. It's weird. My stuff will be fine, anyway, I'm only sitting on the book in there. I should get around to reading some of it. I should get around to a lot of things. As I gazed at the ocean farther in the distance, I went through what has happened thus far in my head.
Okay, so, I opened some book that put me in a freaky dimension devil thing from Tales of Symphonia. That's understandable. Well, not particularly, but I get the gist of it anyway. Then some demon asshole guy told me I was now employed to said devil dimension to go and locate crap from a sidequest in the game because they can't do it alone. Which, might I add, is highly doubtful, but regardless. After which, said demon threw me and himself through some portal he made and I was knocked out. Assuming Dirk wasn't lying, Lloyd found me in the forest, and with his characteristic compassionate self, dragged me back to his house, where Dirk put me in his bed. Actually, he probably just lifted me up. I'm embarrassingly light. Anyway, I woke up, realized that I'm not dreaming, or I might still be, but anyway, I decided to go shopping for Dirk, and…am currently running off with his things.
Maybe if I can hitch a ride on the plot, I'll be able to return them. If the plot is even starting anytime soon. I'm sure it hasn't, as, if I recalled, after the game, the party all went their separate ways, so Raine wouldn't be teaching. Or would she? I think she was doing so in the sequel. I played the sequel, yes. Then again, Genis and Colette wouldn't be students, so I'm pretty sure this is B.P, B.P. being what I will now call Before Plot. I'm so witty. Regardless, the whole blinding light thing hasn't gone off, and I still have to get to the Temple if I want to go home and find those Devil's Arms.
…Argh, if only I remembered where all of them were! I know one is in some big worm thing, and another is in those mines on Tethe…Alla. Aw, crap. We're really going to have to hitch a ride with the plot if we want to get all the Arms.
…
I'm thinking too far ahead. Standing up, I slung my bag of stuff over my shoulder again and continued onwards. I'd prefer avoiding any scary zombies and bees, so I kept my eyes peeled. Best to be cautious. Actually, can't I be more than cautious? I could always use one of those Holy Bottles I bought somehow to keep monsters away. But…that would be using Dirk's stuff. Argh, moral dilemmas. I can see the Temple anyway, and the stairs now, as well. It should be fine.
And I was fine. Luckily, I wasn't hit by that whole irony thing and the monsters just kept to themselves, I suppose. I saw a few wolves and freaked out a moment, but they were intent on chasing a poor rabbit. Better it than me, I suppose. Now to just…climb those stairs. Argh, there's a lot of them, but I can probably rest in that little house up there next to the building once I get there. Using that motivation, I trudged upwards and along, keeping that end goal in mind.
"Welcome to Martel Temple, home of the Oracle! How may I help you today?" I was shortly greeted by a chipper young priest who looked about as, if not older, than me. His attitude was somewhat irritating, like that woman who really wants you to buy something from her stand. I simply smiled weakly and took a moment to catch my breath. Being frail is sort of depressing sometimes, as I have a weak constitution. The priest in question made a noise a bit like 'Oh!' and moved closer to me.
"Ah, let me help you with that," He reached for my bag, but I pulled away best I could. He frowned, but continued. "Well, at the least, why don't you come inside. I'm sure Phaidra won't mind one more visitor for the day." At this point, I gave in, allowing him to sort of hoist me onto his back and bring me inside. He was pretty strong, at least. He didn't look it, but maybe under all those robes he was some sort of extreme wrestler or something! I mean, I look light, but I do weigh about one hundred and sixty pounds or so. Both ways, it seems that we've arrived in some sort of hovel. I think I recall it from the game, but regardless, I find myself in front of a glass of water and hastily gulp it down.
Looking around, I noticed the place was not as small as it first appeared. Maybe the rest of it was built on the other side of the hill? I can see some other rooms, which I can assume to be akin to a kitchen and bedroom, although currently where I am, there's just a simply round table with some chairs around it. The floor was covered mostly by a large rug, the rest revealing the floor was simply the ground itself. I guess you can't use all that much when you live in the declining world.
"Thank you." My voice sounded a bit hoarse, but honestly, even I know I didn't walk horribly far. I'm just really pathetic, is all. I looked up, and found myself staring face to face with a wrinkled old hag. Gah! I jumped a little, which I hope she didn't notice, but all the same, she smiled. I think this is Phaidra!
"Good day, dear," She began. I couldn't help but notice how short she was. At least half my height, if not more. Terribly wrinkled as well. I do wonder how old she is. "It seems you have come a long way. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? Did you come to offer your blessings to Martel?" Hah, no. I certainly wasn't about to say it in her face, though as funny as it would seem. "I'm Phaidra, by the way, and I am the head priestess at this place of worship." Ah, I knew it!
I smiled, feeling better. "Oh, yes, hello! Um, nice to meet you, Phaidra!" I extended a hand, which she kindly took into her own. She sort of felt like an old beanbag. Gosh, I'm mean! "My name is Ethan, and I came from Hima. I suppose you could say that I came here to do such a thing."
"Hima? That's quite a ways from here. Well, I do admire your dedication to such a pilgrimage. Not many civilians I know of would take such a trip, especially one so young." Her smile seemed genuine, and I returned it. She then turned to the side and gestured with her cane. "Oh yes, the young priest who brought you here is Gabriel." Oh, like the angel. Funny how that works. "And if he would be so kind as to show you to the altar…?" She left the question hanging in the air, looking at the man in question patiently.
He bowed in return, replying with a short, "I would be honored to, Phaidra. Follow me, Ethan. Can you walk?" He asked, coming closer as if he was going to pick me up again. I hold my hands up defensively, standing up from my sitting place on my own.
"I'm fine, thanks! Just don't go too fast, I get lost easily." Phaidra released a chuckle out of that one.
"Well then, you must be quite lucky you didn't end up in the Triet Desert!" I laughed at that, and then headed out the door, where Gabriel was patiently waiting. Taking a look around, I noticed there wasn't nearly as many priests as I thought there should be outside. Maybe they're within? I posed the question to Gabriel, who smiled and said they were in the middle of prayer for the Oracle. I guess that made sense.
Gabriel himself looked a little silly in his outfit, in my opinion. The way it swayed while we walked to the entrance and how his hat bobbed every step made me think of a little boy trying on his father's clothes. I mean, don't really old people normally do the priest thing? He slowed his pace to catch up with mine, short black hair cut to a point where it would not get in the way of his priestly duties. That's not all that important, however. I have to find that Micah and…I don't know what next. But it would help to have someone who could beat the crap out of anyone nearby.
The Martel Temple loomed ahead of me. It made me uneasy, going into a place of angels when I had a deal with devils. I hope Remiel doesn't come out of nowhere and smite me where I stand. As we walked inside, it came to me that Botta might come here soon. That is, if what I believe is right and the Oracle is today. In which case, I cringe at the thought.
I never liked the sight of blood.