the Crusader
His name was Bit. His full name was actually Bitonanimus Nuebe Uno Quesadilla Tequila Pachecho Rodriguez Navarro Juarez de la Taco Angelnuts Grande McSackface the IV. Junior. Everyone just called him Bit Angel the 91st for short. And prior to becoming a Crusader, he ran a potato stand in Prontera with Pierciel, the future Mrs. McSackface. Or Mrs. Angel, depending on whether or not Bit would actually change his surname. He had everything he wanted in Prontera; a loving family that consisted of him, his mother and ninety brothers, a dog named Zebra and his affianced. Life was humble for Bit- he didn't care for material things and he held everything precious to his heart. Hell, he even had a dream to become the best potato farmer Prontera ever had. That all changed, however, when Prontera came under attack.
It was a normal day for Bit. He woke up to a beautiful sunrise where even the birds greeted him. Hell, he even broke out in a Disney-style song-and-dance routine until one of his brothers threw a potato at his head. He saw his mother had prepared a cart for him to take to Prontera and went on his way. The road to Prontera was rough but he enjoyed the travel nonetheless.
"I love life," Bit said to himself. Almost every vendor in Prontera knew who he was for his gentle nature so he was treated fairly but it was mundane. He just never saw how mundane it was. Setting up his usual stand, he noticed some of Prontera's military personnel entering the city wounded. He was about to approach one of them with questions at hand but he was stopped by Pierciel. "Hey! Good morning!"
"And a good morning to you!" Pierciel greeted Bit.
"What happened to those guys?" Bit asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Prontera came under attack before you arrived but the Pax guard managed to force them out."
"Anybody died?"
"I think so. I saw one Stalker die, though..."
"Who was it?"
"I don't know. It was a girl, too."
"It must've been horrible."
"Yeah, it was..." Pierciel suddenly looked gloomy. Maybe the events witnessed made her that way, but Bit knew exactly how to make her happy.
"You know what I was thinking?" Bit grabbed Pierciel's hand as she returned a smile to him.
"What was that?" Pierciel laid her head on his shoulder.
"I think I'm going to become the best potato farmer not in just Prontera but I'll be so great even the gods will want them!" Bit exclaimed, his body language emphasizing his enthusiasm.
"... You're going overboard again, Bit." Pierciel laughed at the dreams the young man had. But it's all Bit needed to get the cart going and that's what made Pierciel happy about him.
"Nobody else is selling potatoes like I do! I think it can happen!" Bit exaggerated. Of course, he didn't really want to be cursed by Odin but it made everything less depressing during harsh times.
"YOU SUCK!" someone shouted at Bit. Pierciel turned around to see a couple of stooges mocking Bit; one even threw a rock at him but Pierciel caught it with her hands before launching two rocks at them. The rest ran away, obviously feeling intimidated by her.
"Losers!" Pierciel shouted after them.
"Eh, it's okay. I'm used to it," Bit said to her, shrugging his shoulders lazily.
"It doesn't mean you have to deal with it everyday, you know." Pierciel held his hands with hers as he stared into his eyes not filled with just love but determination- a look saying she means what she says.
"Yeah, well-"
"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. Both of them looked to see someone clad in heavy armour. "How much are your potatoes?"
"Ten zeny each," Bit replied.
"I'll buy them all. Double the price." This was a complete shock for Bit but he saw the man was not joking when he tossed him a pouch filled with more than double the amount.
"Yes, sir!" Bit excitedly filled the man's bag with potatoes. It was confusing for someone to actually buy potatoes since nobody really wanted them in the first place but who can judge him?
"Thank you... errr..."
"Call me Bit!" Bit stood proudly as he pointed to his chest and the name-tag he wore. It was scribbled poorly with crayon but he wore it proudly nonetheless. It was made from his niece so it sort of excused him.
"Right. Thank you for the potatoes, lad." The man threw the rather heavy sack over his shoulders as he walked away, and as Bit continued to watch the man, he noticed he was heading straight to where the rest of the army was going. He was a knight.
"Wow, I can't believe a knight actually bought all of our potatoes." Bit stared in disbelief.
"You're not having doubts about it, right?" Piercield asked, her head tilting to the side.
"No," Bit replied. He looked at Pierciel and thought of something. "I think I'm going to get you headphones that looks like bunny ears."
"WHAT! Those are costly!" Pierciel was taken back with astonishment as she blushed wildly.
"I'm serious! With this amount of money, if I can sell more batches of potatoes to that knight, I can get them!" Bit grinned.
"Or you can sell them to anyone who has the money for it," a voice spoke up. Bit and Pierciel looked up to see someone wearing black and white fur. He looked like a rebellious person. "And that was no knight. That was a Paladin."
"What's the difference?" Bit asked. The man smirked at Bit's curiosity.
"Knights are a class that may become Lord Knights. They're key offensive players when you want to demolish things. But a Crusader that transcends into a Paladin... well, you have both offensive and defensive warriors. And they're never afraid to take a beating."
"I still don't get it," Bit said.
"If you're not interested in it, you don't have to get it. It's not meant for everyone to comprehend." The man turned as he began to walk away.
"Who was that?" Pierciel asked.
"I don't know but that Paladin thing sounds interesting." Bit began to rub his chin thoughtfully at the idea of him being clad in armour. He even imagined himself saving Pierciel from zombies one day and they'd whisk away into a castle far off into the sea. Or something.
"Bit?" Pierciel poked the daydreaming man.
"I know! I'll do it!" Bit jolted back to reality. Pierciel jumped back slightly at his sudden explosive outburst.
"Do what?" Pierciel asked, gasping for air.
"I'll become a Paladin and I'll be the hero!" Bit smirked.
"You're crazy, you know that?" Pierciel grinned as Bit began laughing excitedly.
"I'm going to take the trials and become one! Watch out, Prontera! I'm becoming a Paladin!" Bit shouted to no one in particular but all of the vendors in Prontera were watching him. Some even shook their heads but respected his motivation.
"Aye-yai-yai, something tells me you're going to get yourself in deep trouble," Pierciel said to herself.
The two of them began making their ways to sign up for the trials. However, only Bit became the Crusader while Pierciel became something else.
Two months later...
Bit and Pierciel were stuck in a cave as a storm brew. The rain trapped them both to a cave where they had to rely on body heat and the thought of surviving just to live the next day. Bit had just recently become a Crusader while Pierciel became a Hunter. They were previously trying to take down a few monsters that were lurking in a nearby defenseless village and Bit thought it'd be a good way to get some recognition and some money. The good news was they still had food to last them a couple of days. The bad news would be that it was too cold.
"It's freezing," Pierciel shuddered. Bit looked at her and although he wasn't visibly bothered by the temperature, he was still freezing yet he placed his cape over Pierciel to give her warmth. "Thank you," she said softly, laying her head on his shoulder.
"You're welcome." Bit wrapped his arm around her to give her more warmth as he began thinking when the rain would stop. He looked at his sword, nearly damaged but not yet deteriorated. He thought how reckless he had been by endangering his and Pierciel's lives by fighting monsters they could not take on their own. "Sorry," he said after a few minutes had passed.
"For what?" Pierciel looked at his face. She noticed Bit didn't carry his usual smile; the smile that made everything okay.
"I nearly got us killed. It was my fault, I should've known better," Bit started to say, berating himself for the traumatic events. "Had I known the dangers, I would've never put ourselves in this position."
"Bit," Pierciel whispered to him calmly as she placed a palm on his cheek. Bit sighed as he looked into her eyes. "STOP COMPLAINING!" she yelled as she slapped him.
"Wha'..." Bit rubbed his cheeks as he looked at Pierciel standing with her fists on her hips.
"Are we in this together or not?" Pierciel bent forwards at him, their faces dangerously close.
"Yeah, but..."
"Not buts! Unless you regret this choice, then we're in this together! So we keep going, yeah?" Pierciel grinned. Bit smiled as he began to remember why he was even here in the first place: it was for her.
"You're right. We can do this! Grand Cross!" Bit shouted with renewed vigor.
"WAIT, NO!" Pierciel screamed but it was too late. He accidentally caused a tremor where the entrance to the cave sealed them in.
"... I'm an idiot."
"Yes, you're an idiot. You're lucky we can still escape."
"Oh, you're right!" Bit looked up to see a way out of the cave. It was a small opening but still manageable.
"I'm tired," Pierciel yawned, stretching her arms. "I think we should wait for the morning."
"Good idea!" Bit agreed. Pierciel leaned against his chest as Bit gulped. It was rare the two of them even got this close. And the entire situation would have been completely awkward if they weren't familiar with one another at all.
"I can hear it," Pierciel mumbled quietly to Bit.
"Hear what?" Bit replied as sweetly as he can to her. My heart beating, he hoped she would say.
"You fapping," Pierciel snickered. Bit let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to secure his masculinity as much as he can but something caught him off-guard.
"What's fapping?"
After completing their task, Bit and Pierciel travel to Morroc...
"This place is a desert." Bit looked around to see a few vagabonds staring at them.
"I don't like they way they're looking at us..." Pierciel notified Bit of her uncomfort.
"You kind of stick out. They're probably thinking we're from Prontera," Bit suggested.
"I hope that's what they're staring at." Pierciel followed Bit closely as he led the way.
The two made their way over to the center of the town where a small crowd had gathered. Bit approached a Kafra lady but before he could even ask anything, he saw something he'd never think he'd ever see. There was a Monk in a battle stance squaring off with a Lord Knight as a Rogue was officiating the match. The Monk begun several incantations, giving him some buffs for the battle whilst the Lord Knight brandished two spears. The Monk then slammed the ground as a crimson aura surrounded his form, his musculature slightly increasing. The Lord Knight wasn't threatened at all, no. He seemed to be amused. The Rogue raised his arm, then brought it down as a signal that the match had begun. Almost immediately the Monk rushed towards the Lord Knight with spiked knuckles worn on his fists, lunging one towards the abdomen section of the Lord Knight who didn't even bother to dodge. The Lord Knight took the fist to his stomach as he felt the heavy impact somewhat crushing his armour. As he slid on the floor with his hand trying to grip the ground beneath him, the Lord Knight looked up to see the Monk had taken flight into the air, a warcry breaking the sound barriers comparable to a sonic boom filled the center of Morroc as he descended rapidly. Upon his descent, the Lord Knight managed to quickly dodge the assault attempted on him though the Monk did create a minor fissure on the ground, a crater forming as a result. The Lord Knight grabbed one spear, energy accumulating the entirety of the weapon as he throws it at the Monk, fluctuating waves of energy forming behind the spear as an invisible force slightly pushes everyone within the parameter. Pierciel grabs onto Bit's garments as she watches the fight, nearly falling to the ground as the Monk simply grabs the spear's blade with his bare hands. Bit was seemingly amazed by this but notices the Monk's hands are now bleeding. Before the fight could continue, a loud roar could be heard throughout Morroc. The citizens began bickering amongst themselves as the fight was put to a halt.
"What's going on?" Bit asked no one in particular.
"Satan-Morroc. Rumors has it that the fell beast was just resurrected," the Kafra employee replied, tilting her glasses upwards.
"Is he powerful?" Bit asks almost naïvely.
"Is he powerful? He asked is he powerful, ahahaha," the Monk laughed. Bit turned around to see the trio had approached Bit and Pierciel.
"Well, is he?" Bit asked.
"I'll tell you this, Crusader. That hole in the center of Morroc wasn't natural. That was created by Satan-Morroc," the Lord Knight answered, pointing at the deep chasm behind them. Bit looked down as far as he could but a blanket of darkness prevented him from looking down further the ravine.
"How?" Pierciel asked.
"I stole his candy," the Rogue replied. He had a scarf wrapped around his mouth so you couldn't tell whether he was serious or not.
"So he wants to destroy you three because you stole his candy?" Bit looked at them expectantly.
"Us three? No, he wants to destroy Faust here because he's a sneaky bastard!" laughed the Monk as he pointed at the Rogue. Evidently, his name was Faust.
"But on a serious note," came another voice, although this time it was female. Bit and Pierciel turned around to see a Priestess followed by a Blacksmith. "He was destroyed by a legendary band of heroes. This crater was said to have been formed because of him, but the exact nature of how it was created is ambiguous."
"Hey, Asaka," the three greeted simultaneously. "Jinx. Fuck. Double jinx. TRIPLE! Oh yeah?" The Monk, the Lord Knight and Faust all leaned backed with their arms folded, each of them rubbing their own chins as they caught themselves saying the exact same things at the exact same time.
"What do you mean by ambiguous?" Pierciel asked.
"Meaning there are many variants to the story, and nobody knows the truth. The truth died with the heroes and nobody knows if they truly existed or not," Faust simply stated.
"Exactly," Asaka agreed. "What's true is Satan-Morroc, and if he can be bested once, he can be bested again."
"How many people did it take to beat him?" Bit asked. The Monk looked at Bit as if it was simple to answer.
"Strength isn't in numbers. It's in here," the Monk pointed at Bit's chest.
"Heart?" Bit gleamed with hope but the Monk, the Lord Knight and Faust looked at each other for a brief second in confusion.
"I guess but what Ibuki meant was your gears," the Lord Knight cleared up for the Crusader. That set Faust and Ibuki into fits of laughter, and Asaka couldn't help but laugh herself.
"Oh..." Bit felt defeated but Pierciel placed a reassuring hand on his pauldron.
"Don't get too worked up. At least you have a positive mind-set, kid." Faust approached Bit, holding out his fist but Bit just stared. "You bump your fist with mine. It represents a symbol of respect amongst warriors."
"Oh!" Bit pounded his fist with the Rogue and even though the Rogue wasn't covered in steel, he could tell the man's flesh was harder than his shield's. And how he presented himself was a good factor to that theory. "What do you mean by symbol of respect, though?"
"Think of it this way, Crusader. You're in the middle of a battle and you think you and your fellow comrades are going to die, right? So you can't hesitate, but you want to wish each other well. You have an option; waste more precious seconds doing ridiculous handshakes or just bumping fists. Your pick," Faust replied. Ibuki and the Lord Knight smirked at Bit, waiting for him to absorb the information.
"I see. Well, that settles it! My hat is off to you, fellow warrior!" Bit gave the group his best award-winning smile and thumbs-up. If it wasn't for the fact the group was neutral, they would've mocked him for it, he thought.
"Well, you already know my name as well as Faust and Asaka's. I want you to meet the big daddy cacktus," Ibuki pointed to the Lord Knight.
"Call me Sigma," the Lord Knight stated with confidence, greeting them both.
"Greetings! I'm Bit!" Bit fist bumped Sigma.
"Hey!" Pierciel curtsied.
"Who is he?" Bit pointed at the Blacksmith.
"Him? That's the Black Guy," Faust said as bluntly as he could.
"What?" Bit and Pierciel looked at him in confusion. They both looked at the Blacksmith who was in fact... black.
"What?" the Black Guy asked, slightly offended. "It's my actual name."
Bit and Pierciel stared at the Blacksmith while everyone else stared at the two lovebirds. A few minutes passed by and a tumbleweed rolled in between them.
And so... the journey began for Bit and Pierciel after the duo had been integrated into their group. This was the beginning for the Crusader on his epic adventures as a part of the Cacktus Crew!
TO BE CONTINUED...
AN: The Ragnarok Adventure Team and the Cacktus Crew are one and the same. Please request more information regarding them as I will not divulge too much. Read and review, stay tuned!