Constellia, a land of wonder and fantasy, where the eighteen tribes given life by the Great God settled and became the Constellian Empire so many thousands of years ago. At the twilight of the Second Age, the great Darkness swept over the land, only to be driven back by the one known as the Hero. At the end of their work, when the Era of Reconstruction had concluded, and most of the scars of the Era of Ruin were healing, the Hero left, leaving behind a prophesy that their successor would appear to avert the next Era of Ruin. That was over eight hundred years ago. The Era of Peace in this Third Age has lasted long, save for the occasional stumble here and there.
The Imperial Capital city Deos was abuzz. Word had spread over the past several months that the Battle League had a new champion, and she was a rare breed of calm but deadly, not the usual hot head who traditionally won. The annual Idol competition had concluded as well, with the young beauty Lilliana Perre defending her title for the fifth year in a row. Elsewhere in the city, the rumor mills and gossipers whispered of the dark dealings of the organization known as "Underground", claiming that several of them seemed to be plotting schemes and designs upon the Imperial Thrones themselves. While others spoke of the group calling themselves Ragnarok and their heretical belief that the End times would soon arrive and sweep away the corruption of the Empire.
A full moon shone down upon Gena sighed wearily as she walked the streets, munching on a small strip of jerky. "Guess I have to wait a whole year before anything actually interesting happens again..." She lamented to herself, watching various civilians go about their business, while squads of Imperial Army guards marched through the streets, officially 'maintaining the peace', but Gena knew that it was more likely they were on the hunt for Underground operatives.
Turning a corner, she found herself in the city's entertainment district. Looking around, she finally shrugged, "Eh, why not. I have enough..." She said, making her way into one of the small gambling houses that the local government allowed to operate, provided of course a significant percent of the profits were given to the city as a 'License Tax'. Pushing open the fabric that acted as a barrier to the outside world, Gena smiled thinly and nodded to the hostess standing at the front of the house, "How's business tonight Sammi?"
Sammi smiled brightly, her blue tinted, blonde hair flowing luxuriously over her shoulders, "No worse or better than usual Miss Gena. Your usual spot I assume?"
Gena's smile warmed slightly, "Am I really that much of a regular these days?" She asked, chuckling as she followed the hostess into the lounge like main area.
"Not at all," Sammi's smile never wavered as she answered without hesitation. "However the Master of the House left clear and explicit instruction that such illustrious patrons as yourself must always be made welcome, and a seat is always open for you at our tables."
Gena chuckled again as she sat, nodding to the other players and receiving several in return. Accepting a cup of tea from another hostess who seemed to materialize out of thin air with the drink, she finally openly laughed, "Careful or I may actually become a regular." She said good naturally. Taking a sip, she nodded to the dealer, "Deal me in," She pulled several bills from a small pouch at her belt, "I'll start off with a thousand in chips."
"Bill exchange; One thousand." The dealer announced, drawing the attention of the pit boss. At the boss's nod, the dealer exchanged the currency and passed out the cards to the various players at the table. As the game began, Sammi bowed before backing away from the table to return to the entrance to continue welcoming potential gamblers.
Hours passed with smooth and practiced ease as Gena allowed herself to simply relax. Her tea was kept filled, and by either the machinations of the House, or simple luck, she never seemed to lose substantially. And even when she did, she was able to recoup her losses within a couple of hands. For the young adventurer, the time was a wonderful distraction from her otherwise monotonous life recently.
Eventually, she found herself chatting amiably with another man playing at the same table, "-Wait a minute... aren't you the Battle League champion?" He asked, smiling widely.
"Yeah, that's me." Gena sighed, swirling the contents of her cup about as she glanced at her cards absently. A growl appeared in the back of her throat as she continued, "Don't tell me; 'You're my biggest fan.' 'You saw me fight in the finals, and were so inspired by it that you decided to throw away whatever boring ass life you had to take up the League Challenge.' Am I getting close?" Silence greeted her as she finished. Looking up, she noticed that many of the others at the table seemed nervous, but the man with whom she had been speaking simply looked amused.
"Well I certainly did witness your victory in the Finals," He chuckled, leaning back and taking a small sip of sake wine, "But I cannot say that I felt quite so moved as you describe." He smiled at her, raising an eyebrow.
Gena felt her cheeks redden, looking back down she coughed lightly. "Sorry..." She mumbled, "That's basically all I've heard for eight months since winning... It just get's annoying. I shouldn't have snapped like that." The man let loose a bellowing laugh. As he motioned for a hostess to refill his cup, Gena noticed that the others at the table seemed to relax ever so slightly, as though a storm had just been avoided by the narrowest of margins. Strange... She thought, Just who is he anyways?
"I can understand your frustrations completely Miss Gena," He said with a smile, "Fame and renown can be as much a burden as they are a blessing." As he spoke, he reached over to where his jacket sat on the floor beside him, the coat matched his slacks and tie in it's pale green color with strange red 'zigzag' details in various, seemingly random locations, and dispersed across the space were also odd little spiral designs all over. He chuckled once again, draining the freshly filled sake swiftly, collecting his chips, and rising to stand. "Well, this has been an enjoyable evening." He said as he produced a pair of dark sunglasses from a pocket, "Gentlemen, ladies, I must regrettably bid you all adieu. Business and work unfortunately await once more." As he was about to pass Gena's spot, he paused, "Miss Gena, if you ever feel the need to take a vacation, feel free to visit my establishment. I guarantee complete anonymity during your stay." As he spoke, he produced a small, embossed business card and handed it to her. "Until then, it was a pleasure."
Gena watched him go, frowning slightly. What a weird guy... She thought to herself as she glanced down at the card. Reading the name however, she felt the color drain from her face. "Hebrew Nor..." Snapping her eyes back to the doorway he had just exited, Gena felt a mix of terror and excitement course through her. "Holy shit... I just played poker with a fucking Warlord..." She said quietly, "Nevermind that..." Looking around, she noticed that none of the other players at her table were looking at her, in fact they all seemed desperate to avoid eye contact at all. "I just insulted one..." The realization slowly began to sink in. "Oh shit..."
Swiftly collecting her chips and leaving several behind as a tip, she cashed them in and rushed out into the night. Her eyes flickered up and down the street as her breath came in short, swift gasps. The eighteen Warlords of Underground were generally not well known for their kind or forgiving natures. And the influence they each wielded was obscene. Even though Hebrew Nor was well documented as a businessman first and a crime lord second, he was still one of the most feared men in all of Constellia for a very good reason. If he decided that she had offended him with her little outburst, it would be likely that she would not survive the night, even this far from Casino City where Nor ruled. Making her way towards the small inn she had been staying at, she tried desperately to stay on populated streets, hoping that the witnesses would stay the hands of whatever assassins Nor may have sent.
As she traveled, she forced herself to calm down once more. It wasn't like she didn't have options after all. Even if she hated to boast about it, she was still the Battle League Champion, and that position did come with a couple of perks. She could easily seek asylum with the Imperial Military, no doubt the Army would love to get its claws on a talented fighter such as herself. And if all else failed, she could probably offer her services to one of the various other Warlords that made up the massive criminal organization 'Underground' in return for their protection. Or perhaps she was genuinely overreacting and Nor wouldn't actually send somebody.
She turned the final corner, bringing her onto the boulevard where her inn was located feeling slightly better. That feeling vanished however as a pair of figures detached themselves from the shadows of a nearby alley. "God dammit..."
"Master Nor was quite impressed with your audacity little miss." The first hitman said. He stood slightly shorter than Gena herself, but seemed to be more solidly built. He wore a white tunic with a red thunderbolt design down one side of the chest. His hair was similarly white with red tipping the ends of a single long bang that came down over one eye.
"Unfortunately for you," The second sneered, "Master Nor dislikes audacity when it is directed at him." This one was dressed in black, with small concentric diamonds of various reds and yellows decorating his garb. His long black hair came down in front of his face along the opposite side as his companions, and also ended in a shock of vibrant red. He produced a wickedly shaped dagger from a sheath at his hip, pointing it at the League Champion, "He sends his warmest regards, and regrets that you will be unable to accept his generous invitation.
"Look guys... this is all just a big misunderstanding." Gena held up her hands, taking a small step back. "I had no idea that was Mr. Nor, and I swear that I never would have snapped like that if I had."
"Unfortunately, that is far too little, and much too late." Whitey said, holding up his hand as the nails elongated into wicked claws. "An example must be made. Even if said example is such a highly public figure as yourself." He smiled cruelly, "Farewell Miss Champion, I had been looking forward to betting on you this year. But alas."
With that, the assassins rushed forward, almost vanishing with the speed of their movements. No option left but to fight, Gena felt the world slow down as her well honed instincts kicked in. Snapping her hand up while at the same time whipping her leg around, she caught the claws of the White assassin inches from her neck, and entangled the Black assassin's arm by wrapping her leg around it and stopping it's momentum.
"Wha-?!" Black's eyes widened in shock as his strike was stopped, but his surprise was short lived as Gena's foot snapped back around and connected solidly with his nose, forcing him back violently in a spray of blood. She then set her foot down, chambered a strike, and drove it violently into White's side. The assassin coughed out in pain as the strike easily fractured several ribs.
"Come on guys... We don't need to do this." Gena pleaded, taking a step back. "I honestly don't like fighting all that much, so I'd rather not have to hurt you guys any more..."
This seemed to be the wrong thing to say, as both assassins let out angry cries and lunged at her once more. This time however, they approached with more caution, now understanding that the woman's title wasn't just for show. They began alternating their strikes, forcing Gena onto the defensive, and slowly getting closer to landing a telling blow with each passing moment.
They're good. She thought quietly as she dodged under a knife slash from Black, only to be forced backwards by a swift low slash by White, by which time Black had recovered enough to strike again. They've trained together. Probably most their adult lives. They cover each other flawlessly and I'm almost positive that knife is poisoned... Finally, she let loose a snarl. "Fine then. If that's how it's gonna be..."
Gena hurled herself backwards into several backfliping cartwheels until she finally had a bit of distance between her and her attackers. Coming up into a stance, she let out a huff of breath, a small portion of which ignited into flame on the air. Then, locking eyes with a slightly confused looking White, she raised one hand, palm outward towards him, and chambered another blow.
The Assassin never realized what hit him. One moment Gena was glaring at him from several yards away, the next thing he realized, her fist had buried itself in his solar-plexus with bone shattering force. White slid from her fist down to his knees, his eyes blank and unseeing as his consciousness faded. However, Gena quickly realized that her other opponent was apparently made of sterner stuff, as he didn't even pause as his comrade fell and swept his blade up and around towards her eyes.
I can't dodge it! Gena realized, a strange sense of calm suddenly descending upon her here at her end.
CRACK
The assassin blade froze, millimeters from cutting into her eyes as a loud noise ripped across the night sky. Gena forced one eye open, and noticing that Blacks eyes were locked onto something above and behind her, she slowly stepped back and turned her own gaze towards the source of the noise.
CRACK
The sound echoed across the city once again, as everywhere, people's eyes were drawn to something truly strange happening in the night sky. There seemed to be a fissure ripping open the moon.
CRACK
The fissure threw itself open, showing an empty void beyond. Men and women began screaming as panic suddenly gripped the city.
Gena stood frozen in shock as the moon seemingly ripped itself open before her very eyes. The assassin in black dropped his knife, the weapon suddenly seeming so unimportant before the event happening before him. He fell to his knees, silently whispering prayers to the Great God. Prayers that he hadn't uttered in decades.
All across the city, pandemonium gained sway as people lost their selves to fear and panic at this unknowable occurrence. So consumed by fear were they, that almost none saw the object fly from the tear in the sky. Those that did, saw a flaming figure rush towards the ground with a terrible speed.
Gena saw it. She saw it as it flew directly at her, growing larger, and larger, and larger, until she could actually make out what was within the flames. However she was unable to consider what it was, as she was forced to throw herself to the side to avoid the comet's path. It struck the street behind her with the force of a Precipice Blade attack, shattering the cobblestone and hurling Gena and the assassins away forcefully. As she recovered, Gena vaguely noticed that the tear in the moon was gone.
Turning her gaze back to the smoking ruin of a crater, she pushed herself to her feet and staggered towards the edge of the strike zone. Peering through the smoke and dust, Gena felt herself gasp as she saw the man. He lay on his back, naked save for a pair of plain looking black shorts. His figure seemed fairly average, if well defined in its musculature. But what truly caught her eye was the sigil that glowed golden across his chest.
Hearing a cough off to her side, Gena turned and moved over to the assassin. "Coat, now." She demanded, her voice allowing for no argument from the still slightly dazed man. As he handed her his coat, she pulled him to his feet, "Tell Mr. Nor that I will gladly apologize to him in person, he need only name a time and place. Now go, you and your comrade need to get out of here before the Imperial Guard show up."
With that, she turned him on his feet and pushed him towards White. The assassin slowly regained his senses and cast a strange look back towards her as he moved, but he was wise enough to recognize the wisdom in her words.
Gena immediately turned back to the crater and moved down into it's base. Hauling the unconscious man up, she worked to pull the jacket onto him and pull it closed over the strange marking on his chest. As the coat closed, the glow dimmed, and Gena managed to haul the strange man over her shoulder and begin moving towards the inn she had been staying at. "Great God above, I really hope that I can convince the innkeep that you're my friend..." She said quietly to the man, "Because everyone's going to be looking for you... and maybe not in a good way."
Tex moved quietly, unnoticed through the busy streets of the Imperial Capital Deos, her tiny frame easily slipping between the various legs of the adults around her and allowing her to squeeze through the small gaps in fences to enter and exit otherwise blocked alleyways. She tried desperately not to cry, but the tears fell silently anyways.
It had been three days since she had last eaten properly. A week since she had seen her 'family' of other orphans. Coming to a stop in one alleyway, the small child sank to her haunches and let the tears fall freely.
Two weeks ago, Sister Aroma of the Little Woods Orphanage had told the children that they were being allowed a very special treat. They had been all loaded onto a beautiful carriage and had gone to the Capital to see the wondrous and fantastical annual Idol Contest! Sister Aroma had said that the trip had been generously donated by a wonderful person who had wanted to give something truly special to the children. He had even been the one to escort them from Little Woods to Deos.
Tex shuddered slightly as she recalled the man. He had been nice enough, and his clothing spoke of possible nobility. And his wife who had been with him was the very image of beauty and grace in the eyes of the children. But there was something about him that made Tex nervous. His charming smile never seemed to reach his eyes, and he always seemed amused by some silent secret joke that only he knew, but the others were all a part of.
The trip was relatively uneventful. The 'nice' man had chatted idly with Sister Aroma, always smiling. His wife always seemed to chime in at just the right time, as if she always knew what to say and when. And the children tried desperately to behave while in the carriage.
Then they had arrived in Deos, just in time for the Idol Contests. The man had taken them all up to a privately reserved booth that he claimed he had purchased when his wife had declared her love of the contests years before. And from there, they watched the glamour and splendor unfold. The children were utterly captivated.
Far too quickly for Tex's tastes, the show ended, with Lilliana Perre managing to hold onto her title for another year. Many of the kids were disappointing that the show had ended so quickly after they had just arrived. Then the man had smiled widely, "Would you kids like to meet miss Perre?" He had asked. The cheers from her fellow children had stunned Tex like a physical blow.
The man led them through the passages of the Contest Hall, always seeming to know just where to go. But then, disaster struck for young Tex. A massive group of Contest fans came around a corner, nearly running into the group of Orphans. In the ensuing crush, Tex somehow found herself swept away by the tide of people like a leaf in a flood. By the time she was able to regain her bearings and try to find her family once more, she found herself under the open night sky, and the Contest Hall nowhere in sight.
Tex's mind came back to the present as her tears and sobs finally quieted once more. Looking up and around, she once more found that she recognized nothing. However, she saw a discarded box sitting on a nearby trash can. Moving to it, she opened it, finding a half eaten pizza. Her mouth immediately began to water and she grabbed the thrown out food and began eating with almost reckless abandon.
Some time later, with her stomach no longer swearing bloody vengeance against her, Tex once more looked around. Nothing caught her eye, so she began to wander along the alleyway.
"-ine then. If that's how you want to play it." An angry woman's voice reached Tex's ears from just passed an exit to the back road. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she found herself shuffling to where the alley let out onto a small street just as a Woman viciously smashed her fist into a man in white's chest. Tex gaped at the violence unfolding before her, even as another man brought a wicked looking knife up and in towards the woman's eyes.
She was about to call out when the hairs on the back of Tex's neck all stood up at once.
CRACK
Tex froze, looking directly up at the moon.
CRACK
The massive celestial orb seemed to be shattering before the girl's very eyes. She knew that she should run, but she found herself frozen in fear.
CRACK
The moon split open as the hole in the sky tore through the fabric of reality. Tex watched, terrified as something flew out of the wound in the sky, before the anomaly closed itself once more. However Tex only barely registered that fact as the object that had been ejected from it smashed its way into the street not ten meters from where she stood. The impact struck Tex like a physical force, throwing her bodily into the wall behind her and knocking her senseless.
Tex slowly clawed herself back to life. Raising her head groggily, she slowly blinked the spots and pain from her eyes to look around.
As she finally forced herself fully back to the waking world, the ten year old orphan looked into the street just in time to see the woman from earlier emerge from a smoking crater with a body slung over her shoulder. Tex felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw the man. He was moderately handsome, but more than that, he seemed to glow with a soft gentle light to her eyes, even as he lay unconsciously slumped unceremoniously over the woman's arm.
Something in the man's features called to Tex, bidding her to follow slowly behind as the woman swiftly jogged up to a small onsen inn and managed to pull open the door. "Hey old man!" The woman called as she entered, "My friend's really drunk, mind if he crashes in my room for tonight?... You're the best grandpa." The door slid shut behind her, leaving Tex outside.
The young girl quickly shuffled around to the side of the building and with her small frame, was able to shimmy her way along the gap between the Inn and its neighbor. With a small grunt of effort, she was able to maneuver herself up over the fence and into the Inn's yard. Finally, after almost an hour of very slow, stealthy searching, she was able to locate the room that the woman was lodged in. Sliding the door open silently, she found herself gazing at the unconscious form of the man once again. His short black spiky hair stuck out at all angles, and that strange ethereal glow she had seen earlier seemed even stronger.
"Oni-san..." she murmured, so quietly that it could have been mistaken for the wind.
He remembered falling. Brief flashes of light behind the lids of his eyes, and a terrible noise. Then, open sky. He managed to open his eyes for the briefest of moments, just in time to see the tear in the sky close. Then nothing. A heavy, painful impact, and nothing.
As his mind slowly swam back towards the surface of wakefulness, he began to become aware of the world around him. It was quiet, sort of at least. And he himself was warm. Perhaps I'm inside...? He thought to himself, instantly regretting it as the thought sent a spike of pain through his mind from the effort. Oh son of a bitch... ow there it is agai-OW!
Slowly, he managed to regain control of his own thoughts, forcing them to quiet so that he wouldn't be crippled by the migraine. After some time, he finally felt that he could try again. Ok... I think I'm inside... He listened patiently, slowly registering the various sounds around him. He could make out the rhythmic click of a water feature, Maybe some kind of inn? Where the hell am I? He then froze as he realized that there was a weight pressed against him. What the...?
As he was about to try and open his eyes, a new sound approached him. A set of footsteps padded up a wooden floored hallway, pausing to his right, and a panel door was slid open. "Hah..." A female voice sighed contentedly, "Hot Springs really are the- What the? Hey! Who the heck are you?!" The question was met by the presence pressed against him stiffening and then scrambling to escape it's discovery.
Figuring now was as good a time as any, he forced his eyes open, looking towards the smaller form as it scurried away, and swearing violently as the light hit his cornea for what felt like the first time in an age. His voice caused both other figures in the room to freeze in place. Forcing himself to open his eyes once more, he looked first at the small girl who had apparently been tucked in beside him. She was a waif like thing, almost bone thin from hunger and a terrified look occupied her eyes. She seemed to be dressed in dirty brown rags, but the oddest thing about her was the strange animal skull she wore on her head like some form of grisly helmet.
Looking away from the girl, his eyes sought the other person in the room. She was a young woman, appearing to be in her mid twenties. Her hair was two-toned, white shifting rather drastically to red at the bangs, she also had a long length of red hair that flowed down her back. He tried to restrict his visual investigation to her face and head, as he quickly realized that she was only wearing a white towel, tied around her generous bust, and barely managing to keep her modest from the angle at which he currently lay.
The young woman was staring at him in open shock, her mouth agape. However, when he raised his hand to cover his eyes and maybe preserve her dignity, she let out a fairly feminine scream. "Oh shit!" She clamped one hand over her breasts, the other one practically flying to push the towel closer to her body, "Oh shit! I thought you weren't gonna wake up for ages! Shit I am so sorry."
She ran into the room, passing over him and giving him a perfect, momentary glimpse beneath her towel, before zooming past and into another room and slamming the door shut. "I figured I had time..." She said, more to herself than to anyone in particular. "Needed to relax after all the crazy crap that happened tonight..."
As her voice continued muttering, accompanied by the clatter of what could only be drawers and clothing racks, the man on the futon found his eyes once again drawn to the little girl. She hadn't moved from where he had first seen her, but her eyes seemed to have calmed slightly. Slowly, he reached out a hand and gestured for her to come closer. For several seconds, nothing happened, then she ever so slowly began creeping forward, as if frightened that he would rescind the offer at any moment.
She slowly reached out a hand, setting it in his comparatively massive palm just as the older woman slammed the door open once more. This time, she was fully clothed, wearing a pair of tight jeans and a white button down shirt whose sleeves were covered in brown cuffs that reached up to her elbows. At the sudden appearance, the little girl pulled her hand away and scurried around his head, putting him as a buffer between her and the older lady.
"Right." The elder girl said with a huffed breath, "Let's just forget that ever happened and start over shall we?" Without waiting for a reply, she stepped up and knelt beside him, holding out her hand, "Hi. I'm Gena, nice to meet you."
"Hi..." He said slowly, shaking her hand. His voice sounded raspy and foriegn in his own throat. "Where am I...?"
"You're in the Fresh Deos Osen." Gena said with a smile, "I've been staying here for a while, and the innkeep let you crash here in my room."
He tilted his head in obvious confusion. "O...k... And how did I get here?"
"Oh..." She paused, her smile faltering. "I was really hoping that you would be able to tell me. All I know is that you fell out of the sky and nearly took my damn head off."
"I... fell...? How could I have fallen out of the sky?"
"I dunno, maybe you're one of them Flying types?" She shrugged, "Or maybe it has something to do with that tear that appeared in the sky just before you did. And that mark on your chest."
"What mark-?" He asked, moving to sit up and causing the blanket to fall from his body, revealing the shining golden sigil seemingly engraved on his chest. "What the hell is this?!" He asked startled.
"Great... so you don't know either..."Gena sighed in defeat. "New question; who the hell are you?" She suddenly directed her gaze passed his shoulder to the little skull wearing girl. "And how the hell did you get in here?!"
The girl looked like she was about to break down and cry, run screaming from the room, or both. He felt his heart soften in sympathy for the poor kid, so turning away from Gena to face the child, he asked gently, "Can you tell me your name?" His voice was suddenly so soft and filled with kindness, that the sobbing girl froze and slowly met his gaze, her eyes filling with hope.
"Tex." She said quietly, almost so much so that he had to strain to hear her from less than two feet away. "My name's Tex."
"Hello Tex," He smiled warmly, holding out his hand, "I'm not really sure what my name is just now, but it's very nice to meet you." As they shook hands, he gently ushered her forward to sit on the pillow his head had been occupying a few chaotic minutes ago. "How did you get here Tex? Would you tell me please?"
Tex nodded, seemingly bolstered by his gentle encouragement. "I saw you fall out of the sky. When I saw the big lady take you inside I followed, cause you seemed to shine like a star."
Gena found herself looking back and forth between Tex and the man, somewhat shocked at how well he was able to speak to the timid child. "That's probably the mark on his chest." She supplied helpfully.
However Tex shook her head, "Uhuh. It wasn't the glowy mark, that was all covered up. It just felt like he was someone who needed to be followed..." She lowered her gaze, clearly embarrassed, "That probably don' make much sense..."
The man smiled warmly, tucking his finger under her chin and lifting her gaze to once more meet his, "No more than anything else that I've heard tonight." He said, wiping away the vestiges of tears that had been about to fall from her eyes. "If you say that you needed to follow me, then I'll accept that."
Tex's face lit up in the first real smile she had worn in weeks. It was so beautiful, that even Gena felt her heart melt at the sight. "Dammit." She sighed, wiping tears away, "Fine, you can stay." She said, trying to sound tough. "We still need to figure out what we're gonna call you though." She said turning her attention back to the man. "Can't call you Starboy. That's just stupid. And that mark's gonna attract a lot of attention, not all of it the good kind."
He sat up, crossing his legs and closing his eyes in thought. He tried to recall anything about himself, however for an agonizingly long time, there was nothing. Only flashes and glimpses. Finally, after several silent minutes, his eyes snapped open. "Ziek." He said suddenly.
"Eh?"
"I think that's my name." He explained quickly, "Ezikiel. But everyone always just called me Ziek." He nodded, more certain with each passing second, "Yeah, That's my name; Ezikiel. We can call me Ezikiel Star if I need a last name."
"Ziek huh..." Gena nodded to herself. "Yeah, that works. I can see you as a 'Ziek'."
"What did you mean about this mark?" Ziek suddenly asked. "Why would it attract so much attention? I mean I know it's shiny and all but-"
"It's the sigil of the Great God who created the world." Gena cut him off and tapping a knuckle against his chest. "And not like just 'some holy hoodoo' mark. I mean it's the Great God's personal sigil."
Ziek paused, looking down, "Oh..." He said, examining the mark with a renewed interest. "So why the hell is it sitting pretty on my amnesic chest?"
"I have honestly no idea." Gena shook her head as she pushed herself up and turning to the other room again. "But to be honest, it's probably some big auspicious Holy with a capital 'H' reason."
"Yeah screw that." Ziek said suddenly standing up as well. He briefly noted that he was clad in a black pair of shorts and thanked whoever that 'Great God' was for the small miracle. "I don't know much about myself, but I can tell you this for free. The idea of me being some hopped up Holy Man gives me the willies and the heebygeebies all at the same time."
Gena laughed as she made her way into the other room, pulling a dresser open. "I can respect that." She said, pulling a simple black button down shirt from it and tossing it to him. "Here, so you can at least look semi-presentable. Sorry Tex, I don't really have anything in your size."
"Tex is fine..." The child siad, her gaze falling to the floor once again. "Used to not having good clothes at the Home."
Ziek paused as he was buttoning up the shirt, "What home?"
"The Little Woods Home for Orphans."
"Oh... oh man. Tex... I'm so sorry." Ziek knelt down, scooping the girl up into a hug, which she instantly returned tightly. "I should have realized that there was some reason for a little girl to be out alone at night. I promise, I will get you back to your home, Ok?"
Tex nodded silently, tears now falling freely from her eyes.
Gena felt her own heart about to break again. "Ok. Here's what we're gonna do. You two stay here. I'm going to go get some actual pants for you, and some real clothes for Tex. We can probably leave by noon. Sound good?"
Ziek nodded, gently rocking the sobbing girl back and forth. Gena nodded back and grabbed her money pouch before heading to the front desk. The old man who ran the Onsen was still at the desk, slowly leafing through a newspaper. "Hey old man, could I get you to send some food back to my room? My friend woke up and looks like he could eat a whole heard of animals." The old man didn't even look up, he simply nodded and continued reading. "You're really the best Grandpa."
Gena set a few Pokebits on the counter to pay for the food before poking her head out the front door. Looking back towards where she had fought the assassins, she was unsurprised to see several uniformed soldiers of the Imperial Army investigating the crater that Ziek's arrival created. With a final nod to the old innkeeper, she stepped out into the street making her way in the opposite direction of the guards.
She swiftly made her way towards the primary road of the merchant district, soon finding herself in various clothing outlets. "Hmm, Ziek's got a pretty average body... nothing to complain about, but definitely nothing to write home about either. So..." She quickly selected several outfits for him to wear before making her way into the children's sections, "Now... Tex... she's a bit more difficult to shop for... especially if that skull she's wearing is something she'll want to keep. Probably is knowing my luck..." She grumbled silently to herself as she continued selecting various outfits for the young girl.
As she finally made her way to the front of the store with her selections, she thought she felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise. "Now what...?"
Ziek tensed slightly as a knock sounded at the room's door, however he calmed slightly when a gruff old voice sounded through it, "Room Service."
Setting Tex down on the futon gently, he went to the door and cracked it open. The old innkeeper stared at him with hard eyes before motioning to the cart of food in front of him. "The kid said you're hungry." He then nodded once, turned and began slowly making his way back towards the inn's front desk.
Ziek watched him go for a few moments before pulling the food cart into the room. "Hey Tex, Gena decided to take pity on us. You hungry?" His answer came in the form of a seemingly rocket propelled child throwing herself bodily at him, landing in his arms and gazing down at the food with shining eyes and just a little bit of drool forming at the edge of her mouth. "Alright now, steady on." He laughed, somehow managing to maneuver the cart and the squirming child further into the room. He set Tex down and began piling some food onto a plate for her.
The two ate in relative silence. Tex proved to be utterly voracious and consumed everything that appeared in front of her, almost as if she was afraid it would be her last meal. After about an hour however, a commotion out in the hallway caught his attention. "Stay here." He said, as Tex continued nibbling on a sandwich.
Moving to the door, Ziek opened it to look out into the hall just as a young man wearing a black cloak was about to knock. "Good morning," The young man said smoothly, "My name is Imperial Protector Vex. Are you the one registered to be staying here in this room?"
Ziek felt his eyes narrow as he considered the young man. "No." He answered slowly, "My friend is the one who's name is on the registry. She's letting me and my little sister crash here for the night while we were passing through the city."
"Hmm." Vex barely seemed to register that Ziek had spoken, "Please stand aside and let me through. Imperial Protectorate business." Without actually waiting for an answer, Vex placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed his way into the room. As he recovered, Ziek saw several other people out in the hallway, each of them seemed to be armed.
"I'm sorry, can I actually help you? Or are you just here to throw some weight around?"
Vex chuckled, something about the sound instantly put Ziek on edge. "Your understanding is not required little civilian. Merely your obedience." He continued into the room, pausing to look at Tex as she glanced up from her food. "However, I am nothing if not just, so I will explain. The true occupant of this room is currently being sought by the Imperial Protectorate for questioning regarding an incident last night. I'm sorry to say that a... vagrant... and whatever that is," He gestured dismissively at Tex, "Are not necessary."
Ziek felt an icy calm descend over him. "Ok... I will thank you now for apologizing to Tex."
There was an edge to his voice that caught the Protector's attention. Turning back to face the strange man, he forced himself to smile, "I'm sorry... did you just threaten me?"
"I'm sorry, did I give you the impression that I give a shit? Apologize to my little sister. Now."
Vex chuckled before snapping his fingers. Several armed men and women pushed their way into the room, surrounding them. "It's not a wise choice, threatening the Imperial Protectorate. But I will give you one chance to apologize before I have you arrested."
Ziek glared at Vex through the line of soldiers, "Oh you're a fucking treat..." As he spoke, he felt Tex hug herself into his leg.
"Take them away." Vex said, gesturing to his soldiers, "The charge is interfering in an official Protectorate operation."
The soldiers closed in on Ziek and Tex, who began struggling against them as they were dragged out first into the hall, and then into the street. As he was pushed out the front door, the shirt that Gena had given him to wear ripped open from the struggle. The soldier beside him noticed the glow first, and when he saw the symbol, made a strange choking, coughing sound in surprise.
Others quickly took notice of the glowing sigil, and they all began backing away from him as if suddenly unsure of what exactly they needed to do. "What's going on out here?" Vex demanded as he soon came storming outside. However even he paused with a shocked expression on his face when he noticed Ziek's chest. "Is this a fucking joke...?"
Ziek looked around, now even more confused than when he had woken up. "What? You guys like my tattoo?"
Vex's expression darkened to a look of pure hatred. "This? This is the legendary Hero?" Ziek blinked in surprise, "Some nobody hack with no concept of who his betters are?" Vex began pacing back and forth, looking as though his entire worldview had just been shaken. "No, no, no... that can't be possible. It's a trick. Besides, the world is at peace, there's no need for the Hero to be here now. We don't need some useless layabout piece of womanizing trash that does none of the work but get's all of the credit..."
Ziek watched the young man storm about and couldn't help but chuckle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were taking this personally."
Vex froze, then suddenly seemed to shudder. His eyes slowly tracked back to the other man, and Ziek saw a fire of pure hatred burn in them. "Ok... new plan." Vex's eyes took on a manic glint, "Kill the child." Several of the soldiers looked back at him in genuine shock, "We can pin it on our precious 'Hero' here. That should deal with the situation nicel-"
Vex's words were cut off at roughly the same moment as the sound barrier broke, and Ziek's foot smashed into the side of his head. The young protector was hurled down the street, landing in a crumpled mess just as Gena came running around the corner. However no one noticed her as all eyes were now on Ziek as he seemed to exude an air of pure malice and rage. "Any one touches Tex, I do worse to them."
The silence and stillness lasted for several seconds. Then, to Ziek's surprise, several of the soldiers seemed to shudder similarly to how Vex had, their eyes also taking on the manic, hate filled glint. Drawing their weapons, the soldiers rushed forward, attempting to either gut Ziek or otherwise kill Tex. Several were suddenly knocked aside as Gena appeared placing herself between them and Tex, and Tex between herself and Ziek.
"What the hell did you say to these guys?" She demanded as she kicked a sword aside allowing her to deliver a brutal punch to the man's stomach.
"I have honestly no idea." Ziek replied, working to keep their formation. "We were eating, and then that slimy asshole showed up at the door." He took a moment to point at where Vex lay, "Son of a bitch was throwing his weight around, as if I had any idea what he was talking about. He insulted Tex, and I guess me too... when I asked for an apology, he decided to arrest us!" As he spoke, he dodged a sword strike, grabbing the offender's wrist and turning to throw him towards several others. "Then all of a sudden he's going on about some 'Hero' thing, and the next thing I knew, he was ordering the others to kill Tex!"
"Shit." Gena swore as she dodged another soldier's attack, retaliating to knock him away. "Ziek, we can't stay here. These guys aren't just soldiers, they're Imperial Protectorate. They are not people who will take this level of resistance very kindly." She grabbed another soldier, hauling the man over her head and bodilly throwing him at a group, "We need to get the hell out of this city. Now!"
"Alright," Ziek nodded, turning to try and dodge another strike, however the soldier's attack seemed to speed up at the last second to smash into his chest with full force.
"ZIEK!" Gena screamed in horror as the blade struck. The Protectorate soldiers paused, all eyes on the hunched over man.
"Huh..." Ziek straightened, his face extremely confused as he looked down at his chest. Where there should have been a large bleeding cut, there was nothing. Only the shining golden sigil, unmarred. Everyone's attention was suddenly called to a strange noise, as the blade that had struck him seemed to shatter from the point where it had hit.
Ziek's lips twisted into a sadistic grin. "Alright, new plan." He said as he grabbed the soldier who had hit him by the face. Turning and hauling with all of his strength, he began using the man as a club as he continued speaking. "I'll hold the gestapo here," He smashed several soldiers out of the way, clearing the path for Gena, "You head inside and grab anything you think you'll need. Take Tex with you, and when you're done, we'll get the fuck out of here."
Gena stared at him, unsure what exactly she was seeing. Ziek seemed to have completely lost any semblance of fear, no longer even bothering to dodge. Not that it did any of his opponents any good, as they achieved no more impressive results as the first one had. Blades seemed to just glance off of him, almost as if he himself was made of steel. After a few moments of dumbstruck staring, she suddenly realized that his recommendation was probably for the best. "Come on Tex." She said, stooping to scoop the young girl into her arms and making a break for the Inn door.
Ziek smiled as the woman entered the building. Positioning himself just outside of the onsen, his grin widened into a predatory one as he faced the soldiers who were still able to stand. "Who's first?"
Gena almost laughed as she pushed her way into the inn's lobby. The old man that ran the place seemed to not have even moved from behind the counter, he simply set his newspaper down and glared at her as she entered. "Really kid?" He asked with an exhausted sigh, "Fighting Protectorate soldiers on my fucking doorstep?"
"Sorry grandpa." Gena said, her expression turning genuinely remorseful. "The guy in charge was ordering them to kill this kid." She nodded to Tex in her arms, who looked to have basically gone into shock in response to the whole ordeal.
"Vex did?" The old man seemed genuinely surprised as Gena nodded. "That don' make no kinda sense... Vex is an arrogant prick to be sure, but he ain't one to order a kid's death." He came out from behind his counter, "I take it your friend is somehow coverin' you out there?"
"Yeah." Gena nodded, "Weirdest thing I've ever seen... He took a sword to the chest, damn thing didn't even leave a mark. Then the sword shattered!"
The old man blinked in surprise, turning his gaze back to the entryway. "Interesting..." However he quickly shook himself out of his stupor and turned back to the girls, "You'll be needing some food then I suppose. Go and get yourselves all packed up, and I'll get you some provisions."
"Wha-" Gena seemed shocked by the man's sudden generosity. "Why would you offer us something like that?"
"Hey now, I may be a grouchy old goat," He grinned wickedly, "But I'm not about to let a prime customer like the Battle League Champion run off with any kind of reason to badmouth my establishment. Not to mention that child looks like she hasn't had a proper meal in years. I'm not about to let it be said that I let children starve!"
Gena's smile widened as the man spoke, when he finished, she grabbed him up in a massive hug and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You really are the best grandpa!" With that she bolted from the lobby towards the room she had been calling home for the past several weeks.
The old man chuckled mirthfully, and glanced over his shoulder towards the sounds of battle which had continued unabated outside. "Heh. So the Great God's champion was that skinny little punk. Never woulda pegged him for that level of greatness." He chuckled again as he moved into the kitchen set up in the back room, "Hmm... not enough time to really cook something fresh..."
Ziek panted, his breath coming in hungry gulps as he maintained his line in the sand. His only real consolation at the moment was how haggard and exhausted his enemies seemed to be as they glared at him. "Come on guys..." He panted, "This... is getting us... nowhere..."
Nobody replied. Instead, one of the soldiers let out a snarl and stumbled forward to swipe at him again. Not for the first time since the fight started, Ziek was struck by how unusual the soldiers he had been fighting against had been acting. However, unable to move from his spot lest they make it into the inn, and unable to see anything or anyone else around them, he put it out of his mind as he brought his foot up and smashed it into the man's face. The momentum continuing backwards, driving the soldier pack and down until the back of his head crashed solidly into the pavement, to be held there by Ziek's foot.
"Jeeze Ziek..." Gena's voice sounded behind him, drawing his attention away from the now unconscious soldier, "You look like shit." She stood with a pair of backpacks, one of which was slung over her shoulder, while Tex stood beside her with a small pack of her own.
"Yeah..." He gulped in another breath, "Well... that's what fucking happens... when you have to wait... fifteen minutes... for your friends to get ready..." He smirked, turning back to face down the remaining soldiers, "What'd you guys do? Stop for a dip in the hotsprings?"
"Nah, the old man wanted to give us a going away present." Gena stepped up to stand beside him, cracking her knuckles. "Let's get out of here so we can enjoy it, yeah?"
"About fucking time..." Ziek's grin widened, accepting the backpack that Gena offered him and slinging it over his shoulder. "Tex, can you keep up with us if we run?"
The young girl nodded, grinning as well. At that, the older two lunged forward, smashing the soldiers aside and breaking into a full on sprint down the street with Tex running right behind them.
The soldiers who remained standing attempted to follow in pursuit, however at the end of the boulevard, Gena spun and let loose a sudden roar. From her mouth erupted a wave of fire which flowed forward and then spun upwards into a massive pillar, successfully blocking off the soldiers path.
"Oh come on!" Ziek shouted as he continued running, "You breathe fucking fire and you never told me?! We coulda used that like ten minutes ago!"
Gena laughed as she caught up to him, "Sorry handsome," She giggled, "You looked like you were having so much fun on your own. Besides, my fire abilities aren't actually very well developed. I'm more comfortable with fighting type abilities."
Ziek smiled, chuckling as he turned his attention to the horizon as they ran. "Fine, have it your way. But as soon as we're able to stop for a rest, you're explaining this world to me." He shook his head with another chuckle. "I have no fucking clue what's going on..."
Atop a building nearby the Onsen Inn, a pale skinned woman watched as the flame pillar began to die down. She smiled thinly as she turned away from the scene of the battle to walk along the roof, her silver hair and shimmering veil catching a morning breeze as she moved. "Hmm... so the Hero had such a peculiar defense..." She said to herself as she held the dark sleeve of her exquisite black, purple and white dress up to shield her eyes from the sun's light. "I suppose I should continue to aim more difficult opponents at him."
She stepped down to the edge of the roof and then off of it, seeming to float along on the air for a few meters while she descended, eventually touching down on a street which was located several blocks from the battle that she had witnessed. Moving along to the main street, she found a stall which sold umbrellas and purchased one to better shield her from the harsh light and heat of the sun.
She then turned and began moving casually through the morning crowds of the mighty Imperial Capital of Deos. She smiled as she moved, and once more spoke quietly to herself. "I hope you will continue to entertain me young 'Hero'. Work hard, and prove my fears about you correct so that my lord can finally end your threat to Ragnarok." Her grin widened as she thought of her master, "Lord D... I shall not let the Hero interrupt your great work."
The woman began to giggle and then outright laugh musically as she continued on through one of the most densely populated cities in Constallia, no one seeming to notice or even really care as she accidentally would bump into others, as she seemed to pass right through them.
So, I'm a fan of CYOA's, (well written ones mind you.) The kind that make you think, that help you creatively design a fascinating world or character. This fic is a sort of experiment that I decided to throw together after being inspired by a CYOA that I found, (this one; /channel/cyoa/Pokemon+personified+cyoa/yxguLlk/) I really liked the world that the creator describes and the various characters that it introduces.
This may, or may not develop into a full blown story, or it may end up as a one shot. But regardless, let me know what you guys think. Should I continue, or should I just leave it as is?