By Mikaa
Chapter 1 - Igori
Author's Note: Wow. I SO ticked off a few people with "The Insanity," no? Wonder if Kyarorain will even speak to me now... Hopefully, this fic will represent enough of a change to get people to trust my works again. Assuming they will read anything I write, anyway, given the last thing I did...
So! "The Hunted!" To be blunt, it's a crappy title, but it was the most fitting that I could come up with for a chaptered work, and I am trying to keep to simpler titles these days, so as to be slightly more memorable than some of my other works (ie - War of the Heroes, to me at least, sounds like "Legend of Heroes"). Do note that the genre is Angst/Action/Adventure, so no mass-executions of characters this time around. Also be aware that the rating is tennative at PG-13, subject to be changed if I choose later to alter a few details. As per the requirements of a PG-13 rating, this fic does/will contain strong language, violence, minor sexual themes, and death and/or dying. Again, I might later choose to upgrade to "R" rating if I so choose, and will alter all prior chapters (and this paragraph) to reflect any changes.
Also, I DO NOT OWN GOLDEN SUN, NINTENDO, CAMELOT, AND AM NOT MAKING ANY CASH OFF OF THIS. IT IS JUST AS WELL THAT I DO NOT MAKE MONEY OFF OF MY WORKS, AS "THE INSANITY" WOULD HAVE COST ME QUITE A BIT...
And now, with fourty-five minutes to Family Guy, let us begin!
He shook his head, bewildered at the sight before him. He had been told to not expect the once-beautiful village of Vale as it was recorded in the archives, as the Emperor himself had been quite specific as to the destruction of the mountain before him. No, what puzzled him was the scurrying of bodies trying to rebuild a town right next to a demolished mountain. Neverminding the fact that the village was so far removed from normal trade that getting supplies would be tricky, the loss of the mountain (Mt. Aleph, according to the archives) apparently caused sufficient changes in the weather to hurt the crops for food.
Fools. That was what they were; fools. No, that was not fair. Fools would be trying to complete such a task without some outside aid. These people were fellow Adepts, not unlike Igori himself. Though most were notably lacking in skill (given how much work appeared to need completing, verses how many were there), one notable face caught Igori's eye, a face that every soldier for the Tolbibi Empire knew all too well:
Isaac.
Igori reached into his brown-green cloak, pulling a small flask out and consuming a small sip. Isaac's participation in the Collosio games years ago had started a chain reaction, one that nearly helped destroy the then-decaying empire. The year after Isaac won the tournament, numerous combatants competed, but the finalists were not the average soldiers that normally won; they were Adepts, Igori amongst them. Such a fuss was started, It almost seemed that the army would try to kill off the winners.
In fact, civil war was narrowly averted with the arrival of the Emperor and his General. With the reformation of the Tolbibi Empire, the Emperor made numerous changes, the first of which was to alter the policies of the army: there was the traditional branch, the Elite, and then there were the Masters, made entirely out of winners of a seperate Collosio populated with scores of Adept participants.
Years passed as the Empire absorbed various territories, including a rather rebellious bunch near the Tolbi Lighthouse of old and a tribe of primitives in southern Gondowan. Igori had served under the General during those times, awed at his skill and power.
But then, that was years ago, when he was younger, before that damned attack that scarred him for life. His once clean, strait blonde hair was nothing more than a frazzle, his skin shriveled and wrinkled. The wench that had attacked him was some Adept calling herself Sheba, leader of an anti-Tolbibi Empire group. Igori had been lucky to live after that attack, never quite knowing if it was Sheba's wish that he be left alive, or if the (delayed) arrival of more troops forced her hand. Either way, he was never quite the same again.
Coughing and wheezing, he sipped more from his flask, then pocketed it as he began towards the rebuilding. There was no questioned as to whether or not they saw him; the fact that most of the work had ceased was enough of a sign to tell. He made his way past several villagers, sensing the tension in the air. Had he seen them use psynergy? their minds worried. Would he bring doom to our village like the other visitors of old? one seemed to say with his eyes. Igori was no Jupitarian, but it did not take much to see their faces and know what they thought of him. The fact that most seemed to reguard him as older than he looked only played into his hand. And the Emperor's mission. Who knows? They might even think him as actually an aid (as his cover was) than a soldier. His condition and wrinkled skin probably landed him this job faster than anything.
Coughing agian, he looked strait at Isaac, only giving the persons beside him a brief overlook. Isaac was notably older than the old images showed in Tolbibi, probably in his late twenties (or even thirties, who knew?). Not looking a thing like the weakling that caused such a stir at Collosio, Isaac was apparently being looked to as the leader of the town, given the fact that the rest of the town seemed to be staring at him.
Igori wheezed, but ended up breaking into a coughing fit instead. He had thought that playing on his apparently aging old man who is sick routine would benefit if he over did it a bit (after all, most old people seemed to overreact anyway, at least in Igori's view), but ended up almost choking on his own lack of breathing.
A hand grabbed him to steady him, and when Igori glanced up he nearly passed out from the sheer beauty before him. Long crimson hair, an attire that displayed her curves moreso than almost any decent being's in Tolbibi, and the face of an angel, Igori almost fainted again just by staring at Jenna.
Trying to end another bout of coughing, Igori waved his right hand, signaling that he was ok to stand on his own. Reaching for his flask again, he spoke to Isaac, "You are the warrior Isaac, I believe?"
A nice touch adding the description "warrior," Igori mused; their bemusement at his choice of wording would be helpful (and amusing). "Yes, I am. And you are...?"
"A faithful servant," he paused, a light cough that broke into another brief coughing fit, "servant to the Emperor of Tolbibi. Igori, the General's Hand." He sipped from his flask, almost wimpering at the soothing chill of the liquid. "I have come on the behest of my masters to seek your presence before the Emperor." He turned to face Jenna. "And yours as well, m'lady. The emperor wishes to thank both of you for your efforts for saving the world. And you especially, Isaac," another wheeze, "for helping our Empire."
The puzzled looks on their faces were almost too much, and Igori could only thank the Elements that he began coughing again. Shaking his head, he looked at them, pretending to offer Isaac and his assocates some privacy, but listening in.
"It has to be a trick of some kind," argued a tall, muscular red head. Garet, had to be, though he looked notably taller than the paintings indicated in the archives.
"But it might be genuine," said Jenna, earning a scoff from Garet.
"Sure it is. And I am sure you know what "TolbiBI" is, don't you?"
"Garet, remember what Kraden said? Empires tend to rename themselves after so many years. It is not exaclty odd," Isaac earned a deadly glare from his taller friend for that comment.
"So if they really want to thank us, why doesn't the old man ask me to come along as well?"
They all turned to face him, not catching Igori's brief smile at being called an "old man." "Is Garet invited as well?"
Igori pretended to ponder this, then shook his head. "I have orders to simply invite Isaac and Jenna, and to escort them to a rendevous with two other 'heroes' before moving to the Empire." He broke into another coughing fit, and almost spat up the elixer as he saw their faces at the mention of two other "heroes." Igori did not know much about these two, except that another Master was to get them from further north.
"And if you don't mind," Igori's voice was becoming hoarse, even with the elixer's help, "it is a day's walk from here to meet them, and I would like to not anger the Emperor." He paused for effect. "My wish would not be to end up like my predessor."
Their looks were one of doubt, but they obviously were willing to buy it. Amusing.
As the crowd started dissipating and Isaac and Jenna went to say good-bye to their children, Igori felt a slight twinge of guilt at their trust in him. True, he had told the truth for the most part, even his status as a servent of the Emperor. But that did not mean that he could not feel sorry, especially for the beautiful Jenna.
Twould be a pitty that the Emperor would invite them in to thank them, only to exact his revenge. Whatever it was he wanted revenge for. Not that Igori really cared; it was not like any of these people gave a damn about him.
Not thirty minutes later, they set out, Igori wishing that he knew just what the Emperor wanted with these two (or four, counting the others) anyway.
End of Chapter 1
Yep, a brand new original character. And one that will play a key part. Or will he? I'm not a huge fan of OCs, but I couldn't exactly have Ivan walk up like this, could I?
Anywho, more plot and chapters coming your way soon, assuming that anyone is actually reading this... Feel free to review and leave your thoughts, to the two of you who are actually reading this...
Mikaa, Lord of the Flypaper
