Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Vindictus. Vindictus belongs to Nexon. I only own the rights to Shana. Thank you and have a nice day.
Text in italics usually is a character's thoughts.
Bold text is usually the text on a sign, or when a powerful creature is speaking
Bold italics : These are telepathic thoughts usually spoken by creatures of high intelligence, such as Wenshardt, (The Giant Spider)
Tales of Insurrection
-Off the coast of Colhen-
"So, this is Colhen?" A hooded woman holding twin swords asked the ferryman as they docked.
"Yeah. You said you were looking for work, right?" The ferryman asked, wondering if he'd see her again.
The woman nodded in response.
"Then you'll want to meet up with the Crimson Blades." "Talk with Aodhan or Marrec."
"The Crimson Blades? What do they do exactly?" She asked. She figured she might as well figure out what she'd be doing exactly.
"They're a mercenary group, and the people you wanna go to for work. Especially if you plan on using those blades. If you need help on using those, I recall there is a dual wielder amongst them, he might be able to help you."
Another duel wielder, huh? This might be interesting. The woman thought to herself.
The hooded woman turned to the ferryman, "Thanks for the ride, mister…" It suddenly dawned on her that she never asked the ferryman his name. "What is your name exactly?"
"The name's Matt! You take care now!"
The woman thanked him and entered the village of Cohen.
Upon entering the village, she saw a sign to her left reading: CRIMSON BLADES HQ, MERCENARIES WELCOME! In bold letters.
Time to meet the locals, I suppose… The walked in the building to see it was mostly empty.
"Where the hell is everyone?" She thought to herself, but noticed a redheaded girl wearing a brown robe approach her.
"You the new recruit?" The redhead asked.
"Something like that. Where is everyone? I was told you needed some new blood." A slight tinge of annoyance in her voice.
The redhead pointed to the giant bell tower. "Go there! Now! They need all the help they can get!"
"Why?" The hooded one asked.
"Because they need some help killing a giant spider" The redhead stated in a "matter-of-factly" tone
"Please tell me that was a joke…" The hooded one asked.
"Nope!"
"Shit! Where do I go?" She asked in urgency.
"Soon as you leave, go straight! You can't miss it!"
The hooded woman bolted out the door almost letting her hood fall.
-At the Weathered Bell Tower-
As the hooded woman looked up at the giant spider, only one thought ran through her head.
"You have GOT to be fucking kidding me…"
She was about to start mentally ranting to herself when a man brushed up against her shoulder.
"Keep it together rookie." He told her.
As she looked around all she could see were men. She assumed there were no female members in the blades, at least, none that actually fought.
"Well, this isn't awkward at all!" She thought to herself
"Ballistae, take aim!" A gruff voice ordered, the woman assumed this was Aodhan.
"STOP!" A blonde woman exclaimed and got in the way of the ballista on the front lines.
"Tieve, it's dangerous, get out of the way!" A younger man wearing a helmet and a red tunic moved to her side.
She replied "Marrec, don't you trust me?"
So that's Marrec… The hooded woman thought to herself,
She decided to just let things play out, seeing as how Marrec seemed to know Tieve well.
"Blades, advance!" She followed suit.
-Inside the Weathered Bell Tower-
Aodhan decided to kick the door open. After detecting no threats, he pulled the visor on his helm up, allowing him to see his surroundings better. He spotted something on the ground, and decided to pick it up.
Something isn't right here. Both the hooded woman and Aodhan thought to themselves at the same time.
Suddenly, a hail of arrows came from nowhere and hit most of the Blades in the front, the hooded one ducking behind some cover and waited for the hail of arrows to stop.
She saw Tieve out there like a sitting duck.
"Rookie…protect…the oracle." She heard Marrec say before he seemed to pass out.
"I will." She said, much to Marrec's surprise right before he lost consciousness.
As the gnolls started running towards Tieve, only one thought was running through her mind.
I don't want to die!
The next thing she saw was the rookie in front of her, with blood running down her right hand, which was gripping the club tightly. Her hood had also fallen off her head, revealing long black hair going down to the middle of her back. The raven-haired woman turned to Tieve and asked her one question:
"Are you alright, Oracle?"
"Y-yes… I'm fine, but what about you? You're wounded!" Tieve's made a mental note to learn the Raven-haired one's name later if they made it out alive.
Tieve's blue eyes met her protector's red eyes and the raven-haired one smiled to her, and reassured her.
"This will take just a moment, don't blink." In a flick of her wrist, the red-eyed woman swept the gnoll of its feet, grabbed it by the throat, and slammed it into the wall, snapping its neck instantly.
Wait, those red eyes…and that hair, theres no way…it can't be her! Tieve noted in her mind.
When the red-eyed woman offered her hand, Tieve took it and once she was on her feet. She thanked her.
"Wait!" The oracle exclaimed. "I need to give you first aid!" She directed her friend to an area and they sat down.
What the hell came over me back there? Why did I just…snap? She looked at the Oracle with curiosity in her eyes. There's something familiar about this girl. But what? I felt like…I HAD to protect her.
The Oracle looked at her once she finished bandaging her hand, and watched as her protector flexed her right hand, and looked at her with a smile. "Thanks, it feels better." As she went to pick up her sword the Oracle noticed her stance and that this friend looked extremely familiar… but she couldn't remember why.
As they continued up the tower, the Oracle asked her guardian, "Have we met before? I feel like I know you from long ago…But I can't remember why…" She looked down.
Her guardian replied "You too? It's weird, but I felt the exact same way." She held out her arm in front of the Oracle. "Hang on" She put her hand to the ground and felt for a tremor, but it was gone...
The Oracle looked at her with concern. As they ascended the tower
"Hey…Oracle?"
"Yes?"
"I think we found your pet spider."
In the blink of an eye, the spider slapped Tieve with one of its legs and knocked her into a wall, unconscious.
"ORACLE!" She dashed over to her fallen friend and shook her as the spider approached…
When the spider was mere feet away, it felt some type of ….magic? No… Suddenly, it felt a torrent of killing intent emanating from the Raven haired girl.
"You...BASTARD!" The Raven haired girl turned around, wind picking up around her and beginning to cover her blades, her normally calm red-eyes became filled with rage as the pupils distorted into slits.
With a mighty scream, the fallen Oracle's protector lunged at the spider with amazing speed and landed a severe blow that was rewarded with a scream from the spider.
"Come on you son of a bitch! I know that you're stronger than that!"
It was at this point the Oracle awoke, and watched in fascination, and in horror, as her friend fought like a demon against the spider that had injured her.
The protector began raining blow after blow on the spider, not paying attention to the wind building up around her blades from her own rage. Then, she just stood there, waiting for the spider to attack…
…it took the bait.
Seeing her opening, she crouched down, and positioned her blades, behind her as if she was about to spin, then, she dashed forward, cutting clean through the giant beast's abdomen… and also breaking her swords.
"FUCK! Not now! Goddess dammit give me a weapon!"
Her prayers were answered when it began raining ballistae bolts….literally.
"Well, not what I had in mind, but it'll do!"
While the giant beast was pinned down, the young protector began to stab the spider, only to jump back as the ballistae turned the spider into swiss cheese.
She finally calmed down, thinking the battle was over. But she heard a voice…
"Kill…Me."
"Who's there!?" The girl spun around and realized the spider was trying to talk to her.
Before the voice could respond, a giant bell landed on the great spider, followed by the Oracle rushing to the spider's side.
As she was listening, the adrenaline rush faded from her body and she fainted, faintly aware that she was being carried…
-Colhen-
After sleeping for most of the day, the Oracle's protector woke up to see Tieve staring at her…
"Good morning to you too, Oracle."
Said Oracle giggled lightly and wiped her eyes.
"Thanks for saving me" the Oracle said. "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"What's your name?"
"It's Shana,"
"Ugh, my freaking head…. What happened…?" "I remember seeing you get knocked out, then I just…snapped."
"You probably blacked out after the fight, my guess is that your adrenaline and desire to defend Tieve were the only things keeping you standing."
Shana's head turned to the source of the voice, a man who looked to be in his early thirties with brown hair cut very short. A name tugged at the back of her mind. Perhaps this is Aodhan?
"Aodhan, I presume?" Shana asked, her red eyes scanning his gray ones.
"That I am, and you must be Shana, the new recruit, and an odd one at that."
"Sorry for stealing your thunder captain" She hopped out of bed to shake his hand only to notice that she didn't have her gloves or her old armor at all,
"Oracle?" Shana asked, "Where is my armor?"
"Well, it kinda got...destroyed in the fight"
Shana looked down at her new attire, the Premium rookie set. "I see, so I'll be wearing this for now?"
Aodhan nodded.
Shana sighed, "Ah well." Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. "Umm… Aodhan, sir? What time is it?"
Aodhan chuckled, "You've been out for at least a day, and it's about midnight now."
"Midnight huh? Damn, I've been out for a while haven't I?"
"You can come by the HQ in the morning…"
"Will do. Good night Captain." Shana said as she fell back to sleep.
"Sleep well Shana" replied the captain as he walked back to his room.