21/11/08: Happy birthday, Chief. (:
Mhmm, this fic, as well as Moon Hill: Loss, is a collab written by me and Chief. You guys will probably be able to tell who wrote what, anyway, seeing that both of us having different writings preferences to begin with. Loss and Belief are interlinked, and they should bother be read one after the other, though you can start with either one.
I know it's long and might be a bit draggy, but bear with it, and take a cookie after finishing. Remember: I said "a". That's singular, not plural. -evil smile-
As always: read, review, and enjoy.
Faith is a shield, erected to protect love; Truth is a sword wielded to defend honour; Courage is the product of a heart that refuses to give into selfish fear; Hope is a beacon to all who still have reason to believe.
--
The yellow orb hung itself in the sky, wispy clouds adorning its edges as it stood out in the inky blackness of night sky. Julian's eyes focused intently on the silvery shape above him; he was well aware the night after would be the full moon. He smiled, brushing dirt off his Dark Linnex as he stood up. His fingers caressed the cool earth as he reached out for his bow, a Golden Hinkel, propped up against a nearby rock.
The ranger's looked around at the vegetation on the mountain top; he paused, placing a gloved palm on the tree's trunk, somehow thanking the tree for providing him with shade all those nights. Tonight would probably be the last time he would set foot here. No doubt the view was amazing: the mood's beauty enveloping the town below was breathtaking from that height, but he would have to finish what he sought out to do first.
He began his descent, ambling along the rugged mountain path, his line of vision flickering from left to right, trying to spot any impending creatures in his way. All was quiet, save for the bronze arrows bouncing rhythmically in his wooden quiver and his own footsteps treading along the dirt path.
A sudden rustling sound captured his attention: the sound of footsteps walking through sparse mountain grass; another adventurer was nearby. Julian turned his head in the direction where the noise came from, and for the briefest moment, saw moonlight reflect brilliantly off a gleaming blade-a Heaven's Gate, to be precise- before disappearing into the darkness.
Julian chuckled silently; that crusader had been following the mood phrases for the past month, just like he had been.
He never did return my smile, all these nights… And he's always positioned himself on that hidden ledge over there. Wonder why he wants to hide from others?
At that moment, he sensed another rustling in the nearby bushes, derailing his train of thought. He ceased his pondering, stopping in his tracks, hand reaching for an arrow. Unfalteringly, he took aim and fired; a cry of panic signaled that he had hit his target. The ranger relaxed, and started to hum as he continued walking.
Ah, yes. Moon bunnies are most active during the full moon period.
A sudden bout of thunder pierced his thoughts, alerting him to what was to come. Looking up, he spotted the dark clouds approaching, drifting quickly with the gusty wind. A storm was approaching, and Julian figured that he ought to head back.
--
It was way past midnight when Julian finally reached the town, the quaint straw houses welcoming him back.
"Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow," he muttered, as he weaved through the houses in the far end of the Korean Folk Town. "Tomorrow, it'll be all over."
But for now, he believed a good night's sleep would do him good.
--
Sunlight streamed into the room, bathing it in a warm glow as the owner aroused. He drew himself up from his bed slowly, stretching and yawning as the realization hit him. The day was finally here, but there were errands to run first. He grabbed his Hinkel with much enthusiasm, and left his house with spring in step.
Julian breathed in the fresh morning air as he strolled through town, carefully avoiding the puddles in his way. It had rained heavily the previous night, but at least it would be assured that it wouldn't rain tonight.
He strolled casually through the town, avoiding puddles with ease. The sun was shining in the clear blue sky, the very epitome of a perfectly-cliché good morning.
He walked along the town's common dirt path, snaking through what appeared to be an unending series of simple structures. Julian sense an aura of magic and mystic radiate from the biggest one there: a tower that seemed completely out of place. It was the Helios Library, connected to the childhood fantasy land of Ludibrium as well as the mysterious Clocktower, and he would stop by the building later to check up on something.
But first, he thought, feet brushing the gritty earth beneath, some breakfast would be nice.
Humming a tune, the ranger made his way to Grandma Yeon's stall, offering warm smiles to all that he passed, before settling down at a table. With his chin rested on his left palm, elbow on table, the fingers of his right hand began to tap a rhythm on the wooden surface while Julian watched as the morning market crowd jostled and mingled with each other.
A sudden thumping sound indicated that his food had arrived, and as he turned to thank the old lady, a blurry figure ran past. Even without getting a clear view of the person, Julian knew immediately that it could only be one guy who would be in such a rush: the crusader.
Judging from the swishing sounds that accompanied each thundering footstep, it wasn't hard to conclude that the warrior had spent his night out in the open, and Julian truly felt sorry for him. He was sorry that a fellow adventurer had to brave the storm while he enjoyed the comfort of his dry bed, shielded from the elements. Oh, it was pitiful.
With these thoughts in mind as he finished up his breakfast, Julian made up his mind to persistently render assistance to the crusader, even if he continued to ignore his attempts. He believed that one day, his kindness would certainly be repaid.
Smiling, he headed back towards the library, the place he knew the crusader would surely be at this time of day.
--
Cool air enveloped him as Julian entered the library, stepping through the magical door portal. He breathed in, delighting in the smell of both old and new parchment, tasting the faintest hint of knowledge and power present in the room. He enjoyed that tireless sensation, savouring it for a moment, before waving to Wiz, the old, bespectacled librarian.
He knew that bounds and bounds of magic and wisdom were stored in these books, gathered from all across the world. A gloved hand trailed the neatly-placed books on the shelves as he felt their spines, wishing he had the time to read them all and learn more.
She loved coming to the library with me, he pondered, remembering. She loved to read, at least until she became like that…
His eyes flickered to a small red book, partly hidden by the neighbouring volumes. Julian's hand reached for it, pulling it gently out of its place. He knew that the crusader was looking for it, just as he was, but without success. Calmly treading on the carpeted floor, he made his way towards the warrior, who was rummaging the shelves in a frenzy.
"It has to be here, it just has to…" he heard the crusader mutter to himself.
"Excuse me," Julian began, holding out the small hardcover book. "You're looking for this?"
The crusader refused to even glance at him; he simply yanked the book out of his hand and turned away, replying curtly, "I don't need your help, so just leave me alone."
Julian shrugged and strolled off cheerfully, deciding to give the crusader some space. It wasn't easy sleeping out in the open, and that could irk even the most patient of souls.
Furious flipping ensued, before it ceased; Julian cringed at the mistreatment of library property. To him, books should be treated with gentleness, with care, to ensure that their contents would be available to those that sought the same knowledge in the future.
After several minutes of silence, the warrior tossed the book carelessly onto the table nearby, before he left in a hurry. Julian shook his head, steering himself in the direction of the poor book. Opening it slowly, he carefully turned the pages, trying to smoothen out the countless creases on the pages.
She loved legends… He recalled, allowing his mind to wander. This book was her favourite.
She loved the story of Pianus, how he tried repeatedly to atone for his deeds, knowing full well he would never be able to succeed... She marveled at the Phoenix's Song, and its gift of fire and ultimate sacrifice… She was intrigued by the three divine beings of the Ludibrium Clocktower, their individual stories that were different, and yet, the same.
Clearing his mind, Julian barely remembered what he was out to do, flipping back a couple of pages to that which he was looking for.
Printed intricately in gold cursive font above a simple picture of a mage, a fox, and a full moon was a legend title: The Legend of Old Fox. He had practically memorized the entire story, but reading it again wouldn't hurt him.
--
The Legend of Old Fox
The legend of the old fox begins in the Korean Folk Town, the home of many other folk tales in itself. It all started with a bond between a Samiho, or three-tailed fox, and a human, a bond that extended far beyond that of plain friendship, but a bond of love.
The Samiho are famed for being an intelligent species, possessing the gift of magic and human-like emotions, though not all are aware of it.
Our tale begins long ago, with a priest by the name of Thedelia. She was raised in Korean Folk Town, and naturally, she returned there after her travels around the world. As a child, she loved to explore the areas around Black Mountain, and, when she returned after her journey, Thedelia set off to re-discover the grounds of her childhood, armed with nostalgic memories.
Since young, she had always revered the Samiho as the most astounding creatures in the vicinity, often spending countless hours watching them in awe from her safe spot at the fox ridge, hidden from view.
On one of her re-discovery expeditions, she was shocked to find a badly wounded baby Samiho lying on the ground, but healed its wounds, nevertheless. The Samiho recognized Thedelia as the one who had healed it, and for her subsequent explorations, it followed her around like a faithful companion.
Thedelia lived alone in the town's outskirts, having been abandoned when she was little. The Samiho seemed to understand her feelings when she ranted out to it; it seemed to be the only one that managed to comprehend her need for companionship. The two were virtually inseparable, and each held an increasingly important position in the other's heart.
One day, the town chickens began to disappear, one by one, and the villagers pointed the blame onto the Samiho. They claimed that the attacks only started after its arrival in the village, and wanted to eliminate the threat. Thedelia, of course, was convinced of her beloved fox's innocence, and defended it strongly.
Despite all her protests, the villagers had full intent of killing the fox when they stormed into her house one night.
Thedelia crouched on the ground, her arms around the fox, staring pleadingly at her own townspeople. They commanded her to move, and when she didn't, they did not care, attacking both her and the fox at the same time.
As both priest and fox braced themselves, she sacrificed her life by using the last of her mana energy to cast a protection over the Samiho, transporting him to the safety of the fox ridge.
The Samiho never forgot what she had done for him, and from then on, was filled with an immense hatred for those that had mercilessly taken her life: humans themselves. It vowed to exact revenge, beginning to train arduously, like no fox had done before. The protection that Thedelia had cast before her death enabled it to amass incredible amounts of mana energy, making it far larger and more powerful than any other ordinary Samiho, as well as rendering it the status of an immortal. The fox, even with so much power, bided its time, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Finally, by the light of a full moon, a party of adventurers entered the fox ridge. The Samiho immediately recognized them as the same few who had murdered his beloved, and unknowingly, its anger took control. In a mad frenzy, it slipped out of the darkness where it had been hiding, and used an ancient skill to steal their souls, leaving nothing but empty shells.
Later, as the fox began to reflect on its actions, remorse filled him: he knew Thedelia would never have wanted it to use her protection to harm others. It was far too late to regret though, he would never be able to die, being immortal, and would never get to join her after its death.
Stained with guilt and occupied with grief, the Samiho hid itself away in a secret clearing at the foot of a hill, located inside the fox ridge forest, not wanting to steal anymore souls. The elders named the clearing "Moon Hill", for its view of the astral body was simply spectacular. He locked his powers away in his tails to prevent himself from using them to harm others, even creating six extra tails to seal his mana energy. These tails, when used to tickle one who has had her soul stolen, can bring back their spirit and undo what the Samiho had done in the first place.
The fox still resides in that secret clearing with the other Samiho even after so many centuries, thus dubbed the Old Fox, but it never appears to anyone except under the light of the full moon. When the moonlight dims, the Old Fox will emerge, as if apologizing to Thedelia for its rashness.
Be warned however, that its temper is still just as unstable, still stealing souls in its outbursts of anger, especially during the full moon.
Nevertheless, their bond is strong enough to make the fox try and repent for its sins, and this in itself, is truly, truly, commendable.
--
A truly, beautiful tale, he pondered, placing the hardcover back onto the shelf. Though it may seem unbelievable, but legends have some basis in facts, and I believe, that all this did happen. So don't worry, you'll be fine in no time.
Julian felt his mouth curl upwards at both ends as he stepped out of the library, sunshine welcoming him back outdoors. Twirling his Golden Hinkel around in his hand, the ranger headed towards the town's residential area, eyes focused intently on his goal: the town hospital.
He came here everyday, and today would be no exception. Smiling cheerily at the receptionist, he took a left turn at the corridor, pushing open the door of the nearest room.
"Hey Paige, how're you today?" he questioned the girl seated on the bed. The ranger looked into her eyes; they were nothing but empty pools of grey, the same as ever.
"Well, I went to the library again today, and read through the legend about the Old Fox again. I wonder, really, if Thedelia and the fox will be reunited some day."
He paused, usual confidence shaking. Her vacant expression was troubling; she had once been such a lively girl. Well, before the most recent moonlit soul massacre anyway. He hoped that she would forgive him once her soul returned, forgive him for abandoning her at Fox Ridge that day due to his selfish whims, forgive him for not being able to protect her from harm, forgive him like how Thedelia forgave the fox.
Determined to succeed later, he continued talking, ignoring the fact that it was as good as talking to a wall.
"So yes, I've been following the moon phrases, and don't worry Paige, you'll be alright soon. Tonight's the full moon!"
Detecting the presence of another person nearby, Julian turned his head, noticing the crusader watching him with a skeptic expression. He smiled back, as warmly as he could, trying to break the awkward moment. The warrior simply stalked off, pretending not to note his friendly gesture.
What a loner…
Brushing the thought from his brain, he resumed the conversation, trying to avoid looking straight into those unfocussed eyes.
--
The sun was setting when he finally left the hospital, the fireball hanging on the horizon, halfway between visible and invisible.
The ranger believed that he had an ample number of elixirs, having restocked the day before, and was more or less ready to head off. But first, he approached the town well, wanting to make a wish. It wouldn't hurt to, seeing that he still had quite some time before nightfall.
Holding his meso coin in his palm, Julian shut his eyes, making his wish.
I wish… I wish for Paige to be happy.
With a flick, he tossed the coin into the well, believing that his wish would surely be granted by the gods. Spinning around, a glint of silver caught his eye. Sunlight was being reflected off the blade of a Heaven's Gate, strapped to its owner's back.
Ah, he's setting off too.
Julian took his time, being in no hurry to reach the clearing. The moon-dimming would only take place much later in the night, and it wasn't as if the fox would run away from its hiding place.
As he parted the bushes and set foot into the clearing, an involuntary gasp escaped his lips. He had ventured here before, but it was during the day and there wasn't much to see. At night, however, the area came alive. The moon loveliness was at its full height, the vegetation and ledges on the hill casting amazing shadows on the ground beneath. It was breathtaking, the ranger commented, finding the clearing's name very appropriate.
Propping both himself and his Hinkel against a large rock on a ledge, Julian stared at the wonders above, noting the silver ball's position. There were stars twinkling merrily in the background, easing the great moon's loneliness, keeping it company. He pointed an index finger at the specks of shimmering light, marking out the different constellations. Aquila, Bootes, Cassiopeia, Delphinus, Eridanus, Fornax… The list was endless.
The moon continued its movement in an arc across the sky, beginning to pale when it reached a certain angle. The ranger got up, alert, hopping down from his ledge, bow in hand and ready for battle. His eyes darted around, waiting for the fox to make its grand appearance.
A howl sounded through the clearing, and the other Samiho ran off, understanding what was going to happen. A dark shape appeared at the far end of the area: a big fox silhouette, with nine tails instead of the normal three.
The gigantic Samiho purposefully strode forward into the clearing, its stride graceful and fluid. Julian stared in admiration as he drank in the sight of a legend in the flesh, even though he was about to attack that legend in a few moments.
As he watched the nine-tailed demon fox slowly step forth into the center of the clearing, Julian adjusted his position, silently slipping next to a bush that was thick with leaves, and crouching down on one knee behind it.
The fox reached the center of the clearing, and serenely settled down on its hind legs, staring at the pale moon that hung high above the sky. It hadn't even sensed his presence – its attention was completely preoccupied with the silver orb in the sky.
Now. Julian thought to himself, narrowing his eyes. As silent as a ghost, he reached over his shoulder, pulling out a bronze arrow and settling it onto his Golden Hinkel. Azure tendrils of mana swirled around the body of his bow briefly as he cast Bow Booster. His senses honed down to a razor's edge and his vision sharpened like a blade as Focus took effect. He pulled back the bowstring and took a deep breath, calming himself.
The fox continued to sit there in the clearing, motionless, staring at the full moon that hung in the sky. Julian muttered the words of power, and mana flowed into his arrow, giving it an aqua-colored hue and aura. The ranger did not waste a moment – the moment it was ready, he pointed his bow straight into the sky, and launched it into the air.
The arrow streaked upwards, its minute whistling barely loud enough for even the fox's superior ears to register, but once it reached the apex of its arc, it suddenly multiplied itself hundredfold.
As if out of nowhere, a rain of arrows descended upon the unsuspecting Old Fox like a flight of screaming banshees.
The ear-grating sound finally registered on the fox's ears, and it abruptly spun on its hind legs, eyes wide with surprise. It barely managed to throw up a magical shield, a golden barrier that deflected a majority of the barrage, but the arrows that penetrated were more than enough to wound it noticeably.
Snarling at the sudden attack, the Fox began to throw attacks at random at the forest surrounding the clearing it was in. Energy claws scraped at bushes and trees, tearing off leaves and branches, and force beams lanced forward, throwing up soil and sending bark and wooden splinters flying whenever they hit a tree trunk.
Julian immediately threw himself flat on the ground, kissing the forest floor for all he was worth. The last blast had hit too close for comfort – the moment the dust settled and the dirt stopped falling on him, he figured there was no use hiding anymore, and burst forth from the bush he had concealed himself behind.
The giant Samiho greeted him with a ferocious roar of challenge, which Julian was sorely tempted to answer with his own. Still, such displays of strength were habits of warriors, not bowmen – instead, he took the opportunity to channel mana into another four arrows for a Strafe attack. Nocking all four arrows into his bow simultaneously, he drew the bowstring back as swiftly as he could while the fox was still roaring, and let loose as soon as he managed to draw a bead on the fox's head.
The fox barely managed to jerk its head out of the way in time – the four arrows buried themselves in its midsection instead, and it let out a roar of pain. Displaying intelligence and dexterity far above that of an ordinary Samiho, the Old Fox grasped each of the arrows in its paws and violently wrenched them out, breaking a few shafts free of their arrowheads in the process. But by the time it had done so, Julian had disappeared from sight.
Snarling in frustration, the demon fox began to circle around the clearing impatiently, its beady eyes scanning the forest around it for any sign of the ranger. It was certain that the attack couldn't possibly have ended so abruptly – no adventurer had ever dared its wrath and not stayed to fight to the death. The fight ended only when either the adventurer was dead, or the fox had been subdued.
As if to confirm the fox's suspicions, a pair of arrows streaked forth from the woods to its right in rapid succession. The old Samiho growled and batted aside the arrows before they managed to strike any vital spots, but the attack had only been a distraction.
As if appearing out of nowhere, Julian abruptly materialized out of the woods to the fox's left, briefly visible only as a blur for a split second before he came to a halt, squarely behind the fox's rear, with a bronze arrow nocked into his bow.
"Mortal Blow." The ranger murmured, and released his grip on the bowstring.
The impact was like unleashing a shotgun blast at point-blank range. The arrow plunged straight into the fox's back but didn't penetrate deeply enough – instead, the force of the blow sent the fox flying with a tremendous bang as the recoil of the hit lashed backwards at the same time, slamming into the ranger and knocking him sprawling.
Julian bit back a curse and scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, silently berating himself for attempting to use Mortal Blow before he had mastered its execution. Blood leaked out of a small gash on his forehead where it had slammed into the ground, but he paid it no mind. The fox had been thrown clear across the clearing, and a small trickle of blood flowed slowly down its back where his arrow had hit.
Growling, the old Samiho nimbly got back on its four paws, eyeing Julian balefully. The ranger met the demon fox's gaze squarely with his own narrowed eyes, silently placing another bronze arrow into his bow and drawing the bowstring back, aiming it square between the fox's eyes.
The Old Fox suddenly roared, and it violently slashed at the air in his direction with one of its paws. A series of fuchsia-colored energy claws shredded across the grass, ripping up soil and blades of grass as it streaked towards the immobile ranger. Julian's body blurred, and all of a sudden he was in the air, on another side of the clearing with a clear shot at the fox's unprotected right flank, his aim never wavering from between the fox's beady orbs.
He gave silent thanks to the effort his old mentor had made to train him in the use of Thrust until he had mastered it completely, and he released the bowstring. The arrow whizzed through the air, heading straight for the fox's head, and only a desperate last-second twist to the side on the Samiho's part saved it from certain death. The arrow sped past the demon fox and into the woods beyond it, where it detonated in a typical arrow bomb explosion.
Roaring in rage, the demon fox turned to him again and slashed its claws at him viciously from a distance once more. The energy claws burst forth again, but Julian easily avoided those with liberal use of Thrust, blurring from side to side and dodging the swipes of the claws effortlessly. He waited for a pause in the fox's assault, and when it came, he was more than ready.
Flames spread all over the body of his bow as he channeled his mana into it, and he immediately nocked a bronze arrow into it. The flames instantly transferred over onto his arrow as the arcane power flowed into the projectile, and Julian wasted no time in taking aim and firing.
"Inferno!"
The enflamed arrow blazed forth from his Golden Hinkel, rocketing straight towards the vulnerable demon fox. The Samiho could barely defend itself as the flames exploded over it, wreathing it in fire all over its lupine body.
The demon fox screamed in pain, but nothing stopped it from opening its maw and expelling another force beam in the ranger's direction before desperately trying to bat out the fire that was burning off its fur.
Julian's eyes widened as he saw the force beam head straight for him, and he barely shot up his left palm in time, calling out a Puppet to absorb the blast. The dummy abruptly materialized a few feet in front of him; the beam crashed straight into the puppet, protecting Julian from a direct impact at the very last moment, but the heat of the resulting explosion washed over the puppet and slammed straight into him like a physical wave, blistering his skin and causing his eyes to water from the sheer brightness of it.
When the smoke cleared, the first thing the ranger registered was that his left palm was in immense pain. Creaking open his bleary eyes, he realized that the puppet he had called out had been completely incinerated, with only a pile of smoldering ashes to mark where it had once stood. Even the upright palm of his hand was smoking, with the grey of the puppet's ashes streaked over it. He turned his palm around to see how bad the damage was, and noted with consternation that the entire front half of his glove had been burned off by the heat of the demon fox's attack. Beneath that, the skin of his palm had been badly singed, and was lobster red and blistering.
A loud roar brought his attention back to the fight, and he brought his gaze back up to see that the fox had been successful in extinguishing the fire his Inferno shot had inflicted upon it. Cursing, Julian clenched his fist and ignored the pain that the action brought, preparing himself for the fox's attack.
But nothing he expected could have prepared him for what the fox did next. Instead of sending another wave of energy claws or another barrage of force beams at him, the fox's body suddenly blurred, and all of a sudden Julian was flying backwards, with slash marks decorating his chain mail armor in three neat rows. Pain wracked his chest, as though someone had driven three red-hot daggers into his skin, and he knew that the strike had probably cracked a few of his ribs.
The ranger cursed and flipped back onto his feet the moment his hands touched the ground, doing his best to not let the pain hinder his movements, but the demon fox was relentless in its assault. Not content to let its magic to do the work, the Samiho now applied its brute strength and lethal speed liberally, and it was all Julian could do not to be sliced in two.
The ranger dodged another vicious swipe of the fox's claws with inches to spare, and barely had enough time to retaliate with a hasty Strafe attack directed at the fox's beady orbs. Unfortunately, Julian's aim had been sloppy, and the quadruplet of shots missed its mark by a mile. The demon fox, anticipating the attack, jerked its head backwards instantly. Half of his shots were clean misses, and the other two merely grazed against the sides of the fox's head, causing only a few light scratches.
The Samiho immediately retaliated, and Julian barely managed to save himself by throwing his entire body backwards and avoiding the fox's talons – the blow would have disemboweled him if it had landed.
Still, he hadn't managed to evade the fox's wrath completely. The tips of the Samiho's claws scuffed against his chain mail armor, and the demon fox's strength was more than enough to lift Julian into the air once more, sending him flying to the other side of the clearing.
Julian righted himself the moment he regained his senses, flipping back up onto his feet as nimbly as he could. The ranger knew this stalemate couldn't last for very long – he was going to run out of stamina sooner or later, and it seemed that the former was much more likely to occur. He was going to have to bring this fight to a decisive close, and soon.
He resolutely drew another bronze arrow from his quiver, and set it onto his Golden Hinkel, channeling every bit of mana that he could spare into it. The arrow quickly gained an aura with an aqua hue, the wood turning turquoise as well, and Julian raised it into the air as swiftly as it could, only to realize belatedly than in charging up for an Arrow Rain attack, he had left himself wide open for the demon fox to attack.
He didn't even have the chance to mentally chide himself for making such a beginner's mistake – a series of fuchsia energy claws slammed straight into him, and agony unlike anything he had ever experienced before consumed him.
The claws slashed and tore at anything they could reach on his body. Chest, back, arms, legs, face, neck, groin – nothing was spared. Julian could feel his blood flowing down his body in rivulets. Repeated slashes and impacts hammered into him as they continued to drive him into the ground, and Julian could do nothing but scream in pain as the onslaught continued.
After several agonizing moments, the assault finally stopped, and the ranger nearly broke into a huge, involuntary smile at the blissful silence that greeted him. He lay comfortably on a bed of warm earth – in fact, his pain had completely disappeared, and had been replaced with a comforting, soothing warmth. Perhaps the warmth came from his own blood, which he practically lay down in a pool of, but Julian didn't care; the warmth just felt so good.
Still, a persistent imperative seized his mind, refusing to let go. There was still the Old Fox – he had not defeated it yet. There was still one last deed left to be done before he could lay down and rest.
Grunting, Julian forced his battered, protesting body to its bloodied feet. A cloud of dust obscured the crater that the fox had attempted to turn into his grave, but Julian wasn't about to fall just yet. Mustering every iota of strength he had left, Julian painstakingly raised his Golden Hinkel, which had never left his grasp, level with his shoulder. Exhaustion weighed down his limbs like leaden weights, but Julian refused to give in. He had one last shot at this, to save Paige, and by the Wise Men he would make it count.
His quiver of arrows had been completely shredded by the onslaught of the fox's energy claws; instead, Julian raised his right hand, forming a single, golden Soul Arrow with what mana he had left, and nocked it into his bow. The golden glow of the Soul Arrow took on an azure hue as the ranger forced his body past its limits even further, dragging up a few more dregs of mana and channeling it into the Soul Arrow.
Unable to push himself any more without breaking himself in two, Julian released the Arrow Blow at where he was certain the Old Fox was. Indeed, his instinct was correct, and he heard the fox's answering snarl soon enough, batting aside the arrow he had fired at it.
But Julian wasn't done yet. He had placed all of his effort into forming the Arrow Blow – what came after that would be an automatic result of years and years of training ever since he had become a Hunter.
Operating completely on muscle memory, Julian's hand drew the bowstring back again smoothly, and his mind called up the leftover energies that the Arrow Blow had left behind in its wake, reforming them into a single, barely restrained bolt of pure mana. The backlash of the arte's forming kicked aside the dust cloud that surrounded him, and finally Julian could see the fox clearly.
Knowing that this shot would make him or break him, Julian thought briefly of Paige, prayed to the Wise Men that he would be victorious this night, and fired.
"Final… ATTACK!!!"
Julian didn't even get to see the results of his last strike. The moment the mystic bolt left the body of his Golden Hinkel, the ranger's legs gave out from beneath him, and he collapsed to one knee, breathing raggedly as exhaustion finally took its toll on his body. He only heard the Samiho roar in pain, but his vision was directed straight at the ground beneath him, panting irregularly as he watched his blood drip to the ground in crimson droplets.
A sudden shout of rage sounded, a human shout, and despite himself, Julian's head shot up. His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the one thing he would have expected the least to see tonight – the crusader, resplendent in all of his gleaming silver armor, the shining blade of his Heaven's Gate glowing iridescently in the moonlight, was charging forward into the clearing at the demon fox, bloodlust clearly in his eyes.
Had the crusader come to rescue him? Save his life perhaps? Julian might have pondered these things if he had the energy to do so; instead, fatigue took over, and his entire body collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, the ranger's vision was cloudy; the images he saw kept rotating from clear to distorted, and back to clear again. He couldn't make out the exact shape of the things around him, but he knew that the crusader was still there, fighting the fox with all his might. The very ground beneath him trembled from the sheer ferocity of their fight. His bow, his pride, lay a short distance away from him. If only he could reach it...
But no matter how hard he willed his muscles to move, his body simply refused to obey his commands. After what seemed to be a century later, the injured ranger saw the blurry image of the crusader turn away from the fox and walk towards him, apparently having been successful in subduing the Old Samiho, and he relaxed, before tensing up again. The warrior's pace wasn't slowing; he wasn't going to stop.
"Ple…Please… ta-take my body…ba-back… to… town… " Julian cried out, a desperate attempt for help as his hand tried in vain to reach for his bow again.
He saw the crusader cease walking briefly, before he picked up his pace and stepped over his body. The last thing he saw was the warrior crushing his beloved Hinkel with his shoe as he walked off, never looking back.
He'll come back, he can't leave me here…
Then, the darkness beckoned him, and he followed, soul detached. He drifted off, free and unbound, into a sleep in which he would never arise from.
The moon shone down on both of them, casting a heavenly, pearly sheen on the area and the two adventurers, a sight truly befitting to its name: Moon Hill.
A soul clinging on to Belief, till the very end.
A/N: The cookie jar's right there, next to the empty tissue box. I used up all the tissues 'cause I'm down with the flu now. D:
And remember to read Loss as well, if you haven't already done so. (: It's been uploaded by Chief.
-CrapPishh
A/A/N: Oh and Chief here, by the way, kudos to anyone who can spot the Bleach and Naruto references in both fics.