Disclaimer: All FF8 characters are courtesy of Squaresoft Enix
OMAKE TIME! Tales of the Surly Knight
Dramatis Personae
King Cid Kramer, Ruler of Balamb Kingdom
Queen Edea Kramer, Ruler of King Cid
Martine, Lord Chamberlain of Balamb Kingdom
Sir Seifer Benedick Almasy, young lord of Balamb
Sir Squall Claudius Leonhart, young lord of Balamb
Sir Irvine Kinneas, young lord of Galbadia, fostered in Balamb
Sir Zell Dincht, young lord of Balamb
Lady Quistis Beatrice Trepe, shieldmaiden and a ward of the Royal House of Kramer
Lady Selphie Tilmitt, shieldmaiden and a ward of the Royal House of Kramer
Lady Xu, Captain of Balamb Castle's Guards
Lady Margaret Dincht, mother to Sir Zell (known by all as Lady Ma)
King Titus Caraway, Ruler of Galbadia Kingdom
Princess Rinoa Hero, daughter of King Caraway
Count Vinzer Deling, Chief Advisor of King Caraway
King Laguna Loire, Ruler of Esthar
Sir Ward Zabac, King Laguna's attendant
Baron Kiros Balthasar Seagill, King Laguna's attendant
Shumi Elder, Leader of the Shumi People
Sir Raijin, a loyal retainer of the Almasy family
Lady Fujin, Master of Arms at Dincht Keep and Sir Raijin's Lady
King Gluck the Great, Ruler of the Northern Goblin Kingdoms
King Östark the Magnificent, Ruler of the Goblin Kingdoms in the South
Messengers, attendants, etc…
Invictus Ignis Pectoris
Unconquerable Fire of the Heart
(Almasy Crest)
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Prologue
In the battlefield somewhere in Northeastern Galbadia...
Hyperion neatly sliced the head of the white goblin. A thick liquid, blue in colour and disgusting in its smell, sprouted out of the severed body which gesticulated wildly in the throes of death, before falling lifeless over the knight's steel clad feet…
"Fucking shit! These things stink!"
With another powerful swing of his blade, he sliced another of the goblins neatly in the middle, more of the blue liquid splashing over his suit of armour.
"How many of these littl' fuckers did that prick Gluck send! Ah!…Fuck it all! It'll take me ages to get this stuff off!"
The foul smell of white goblin blood was reaching his nostrils.
"So… Almasy, who's the lucky femme tonight? Anyone I know?"
Kinneas, their archer, had dropped down from the tree where he'd been targeting their prey, to ask his friend and fellow carouser the question. However, his friend, already pissed, answered sourly.
"Who else, but the fair Lady Tilmitt…"
"Almasy, you asshole! If I knew that to be true, you would be gettin' now a taste of my Exeter!"
He slashed with the aforementioned blade an intruding goblin who had had the temerity of trying to skewer him with its pointy sword. In seconds, he was splashed with the smelly blue fluid as well…
"Aw, shit!"
"What a wonderful perfume, Kinneas, where'd ya get it!"
"Shudup, Almasy! You're drenched with the shit yourself!"
Another swift stroke of his Exeter blade, and another goblin went down. The archer knew that once on ground, it was strictly bladework. Valiant, his longbow, would be taking a break... besides he was flat out of arrows.
"Hey, Leonhart! What's your count?"
A knight clad all in black, answered succinctly as was his way.
"Thirty-four."
However, there was a wealth of satisfaction contained in that voice.
"No fucking way! I'm only at thirty!"
He rushed two more goblins with his Hyperion blade, and then swung it in a powerful wide arc taking down another.
"Ha! Thirty-three! I'm catching up to ya, Leonhart!"
The other knight just smirked behind his dark helmet, as he swung with both hands his Lionhart broadsword, taking down two more.
"You gotta do better than that Almasy!"
"Can you guys talk some less, and fight some more! It's gettin' friggin' late!"
This was said by the shorter of the four knights. Unlike the other three, he was not wearing heavy armour, but clad in a fluid red hakama with black trimmings. He used his fists, and feet with lethal results.
"Aw, Sir Wuss wanna be home in time for dinner…!"
"Shudup, Almasy! I'll have you know My Lady Ma's serving roast tonight…! An' she asked me to invite you guys…"
"Excellent! … … … Forty, Almasy!"
"Oh, yeah! Like we're so there!"
"Meh! I guess I can cancel my fair lady for another night … … … Thirty-nine, Leonhart!"
"Fifty."
"No fucking way!"
"Tsk, tsk… I guess your win this time, Leonhart!"
"Hey, Sir Wuss! This ain't over until it's over! Forty-seven!"
"WHY…! YOU! … DON'T FRIGGIN' CALL ME THAT!"
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