The Fate of the First Hero of Light
Estonix and Geir are travelling through the thick jungle of Golmore.
There is a magical barrier barring their way.
"Claurilly here, hold Poogles while I unbind this magical barrier."
Geir is handed a small black creature it has a wooly puff for a tail and has four large colourful petals coming from its body. It is called a vorpal bunny.
"Estonix please, you know we cannot take this beast back with us."
"CLAURILLY! POOGLES IS NO BEAST! He is adorable and a handsome creature full of love and magical joy."
Geir wants to put his hand to his face to sigh, but he is carrying the little beast.
"Estonix will you be able to remove it?"
"Claurilly look." Estonix extends his hand towards the complex glowing glyphs that obstruct their way.
As if you could imagine a giant spiderweb woven so tightly you cannot see through, if you were to light it, so too does the barrier disappear almost instantly melting away.
"Let us find this Eruyt Village." The men start moving again, Estonix is handed his little beast.
Estonix and Geir slowly move through the jungle facing many undead warriors, panthers and other fantasy creatures.
"Estonix in one of the other worlds I had been, this would be an excellent location to cultivate for exp points."
""Exp points" Claurilly?" asks Estonix.
"Yes, it is a reduction of the words "experience points", it is a very tedious system that they had developed into their amusements."
"Are these amusements card games?"
"No, they are entertainments, that you can interact with on a device that projects images."
"AMAZING! What type of wondrous amusements could they have designed."
"Most of these "games" tasks you with fighting in a military campaign or where you believe yourself to be a violent criminal."
"Unbelievable! What a dreary world!" speaks Estonix.
"I agree, when in the other world, I had played one of these entertainments, it was called an RPG. I would spend much time in areas such as this where dangerous beast live."
"RPG?" asks Estonix.
"It is an acronym for Role Playing Game."
"What role can you play?"
"Some you could design your own avatar but most have the stories lead to be a young person or a similar low ranking individual."
"That seems to be reasonable." says Estonix nodding his head.
"Estonny why would you say that?"
"If you had started as the strongest avatar, then there would be no challenge to these "games"."
"I had never thought of that, but regardless I would spend many times in these dangerous areas defeating the same foes again and again."
"Claurilly why would you do such a thing?"
"When you gain enough of these experience points your avatar would develop new abilities or become stronger."
"If only the real world was as effortless as that." says Estonix.
"I agree." says Geir.
"What would you do then when you have enough of these experience points?"
"You would then attempt to enjoy the complex stories written into one of these "games"."
"Could you not start immediately to end the campaign?" says Estonix while stroking Poogles.
"No, they would prepare tedious battles for you to halt your progress. That is why the experience points were invaluable for you to continue. The stronger your avatar was, the less ordeals you would face in the future."
"Unbelievable that something so inane could exist!" says Estonix.
"I agree, there were even parents and guardians of children, who would blame these entertainments for when tragedies would occur."
"How is that possible?" asks Estonix even Poogles is surprised.
"They cannot use magics like ourselves, so they developed handheld bows that could fire small metal projectiles. Often times persons would take these "guns" and kill many people. It was then that these entertainments would be blamed."
"What nonsense! It would seem those perpetrators to be disturbed! How could interacting with images lead to such an outcome."
"I am not certain, but the guardians of these disturbed individuals would often times blame these amusements, while hiding from their own responsibilities as the parents or caretakers."
"Claurilly what do you mean?"
"Children were often times abandoned, abused, lonely and shunned. They would then commit these acts and the guardians would then tell these falsehoods to escape the blame or take the responsibility for failing to take care for their children."
"Claurilly what a terrible world."
"I agree, I could never finish that RPG."
"...ugh..."
Estonix wants to put his hand to his head but he is carrying his adorable Vorpal Bunny.
They reach a wooden bridge in the far distances they can see lodgings in massive trees spanning hundreds of paces into the sky.
As they move closer, a beautiful tall woman is seen, she has the ears of a hare, the Viera runs towards the lodgings.
"Estonny do not take these Viera lightly we might be killed if we speak the wrong words."
"I understand Claurilly."
They move slowly on the bridge, in front of them Viera warriors fall into formation they have bows.
"YOU THERE WITH THE SPECKLED EARS." screams Geir.
"Claurilly what are you doing!" screams Estonix.
"Estonny be still for one moment please."
"Still Claur..."
"NOT YOU, CAN YOU NOT HEAR? I TOLD YOU THE SPECKLED EARS, NOT THE SPOTTED EARS, USE THOSE LARGE EARS OF YOURS!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU STINKING HUME!"
One of the Vieras drops her bow and cracks her knuckles.
She runs towards Geir.
Estonix grins...
After brawling for quite some time, the spotted ear Viera has a blue eye and has calmed downed. Geir did not escape the battle unharmed, the many scratches the spotted ear Viera inflicted, still fresh on his face blood pouring down.
"Please let me assist you." Estonix extends his hand to the injured Viera.
She looks to slap it away but relents and takes his hand.
She is helped up.
"SISTERS!" All the Viera assemble they have their bows drawn and stand ready for combat.
"I am taking them to Jote." says the spotted ear Viera.
She is the tallest and strongest among them.
"Vral we will not let them pass!" says the speckled ear Viera.
Vral looks at her, they are immediately intimidated. The bows are withdrawn, they clear out of the way.
The two men are lead through the village of Eruyt.
As they travel through the village, they draw looks of confusement, disinterest, scorn and bewilderment.
Finally they reach the largest tree.
A beautiful Viera stands in front of them, her hair and ears are as white as the finest snow.
She stares with distain at them.
"You must be Jote, Mjrn's elder sister." says Geir.
"Hume man how could you know this?" asks Jote the Viera.
"She works for me."
"Mjrn would never fall for the charms of a man."
"Mjrn and myself are kindred spirits."
"How could one as close to the wood possibly have anything similar to a Hume."
Geir's eyes shine brightly, you can almost see the Zenny sign on them.
"We both love money."
"My sister would never fall prey to this evil."
"You are exactly as she said you would be, presumptuous. That she left the woods is proof that you do not know her. But I did not come to sing the praises of my foreman..."
"FOREMAN!?"
Geir rubs his evil hands together.
"Yes, she is hard at work mining my precious stones, ohhhh how precious you are, my Nethicite."
"Leave now Hume I will not let you insult my sister any longer."
"She told me to give you this." Geir hands her an envelope with many hearts printed on it, similar to what little girls use when playing the fool.
Jote opens the letter she reads it, she is deeply distressed.
"Please leave this place evil god of schemes."
"WHAT DID SHE WRITE? GIVE THAT HERE!"
Geir goes to claim the evidence, before he can it is destroyed.
"Geir leave please, I must mourn my sister's loss and corruption."
"That she could fall in love with money and a Hume man. I must pray to the wood."
Geir elbows Estonix in his side. Estonix's eyes are open wide, he understands instantly.
"Claurilly really?"
"Yes, Estonix."
"Please take your leave evil one." says Jote.
"We are looking for Fran." says Geir he has a very stern look on his face.
"..."
The Viera that have been listening in the shadows appear.
They have their weapons drawn, standing ready to fight.
"We are not leaving here. Tell me where Fran is." Geir looks with cold eyes at Jote.
"Hume I will never..."
Geir's intense bloodlust fills the woods, all the younger Viera have run away and escaped.
Only the Elders are still standing they are breathing heavily.
"This evil presence and rage were does it come from?" asks Jote.
"She killed someone very dear to me. Tell me where she is."
"Claurilly we do not know that." says Estonix.
"Estonix she was present, her party killed the Doctor. There is no difference."
"We will not give up our sister." says some of the Elders still standing ready.
"Not even if I kill the man that always accompanies her in exchange for her life."
"A man?" asks Jote.
"Yes, her partner."
One of the elder Viera explains to Jote.
"His name is Balthier, did we ever meet?"
"He is the one that kisses the hands of females." says Geir.
"THAT WAS HIM! YOU PROMISE ME YOU WILL SPARE MY SISTER FRAN'S LIFE!"
"Yes, I promise you, tell me where they are."
"Let me pray to the woods, that all the Viera in Ivalice can be rid of that fool. Please spirit of the wood seek for my sister."
Jote leaves to pray at the temple.
Geir waits outside of the temple in the trees, one of the "salve makers" approaches Estonix.
She asks him of the vorpal bunny.
"Do you know of Poogles!" Estonix starts talking to the Viera, he is lead away.
Geir sits down on one of the benches outside the temple.
Geir feels a calmness that he has not felt for many years, he stares upwards at the trees tops which gently swing side to side from the gentle breeze.
He closes his eyes, he starts to slumber.
Long moments pass...
Geir wakes up there is a face almost upon his own, he is so shocked he wants to withdraw his weapon, he calms himself. It is the Viera Jote she is looking at him very closely and intensely.
Jote speaks.
"Fran is heading towards a city that is called Balfonheim. Please evil one free us from the curse that is this Balthier. Many of our sister's hands have already suffered at his kisses."
"I understand." Geir jumps up and moves to escape this awkward encounter.
Jote instructs him in the way to leave the woods.
He walks on the bridge joining the trees.
"I wonder where Estonix is."
He sees him, the Viera surround him they are clamoring for his attention.
He is smiling while talking to them.
"He is up to his tricks again."
"Estonix we are leaving you can only have so many lovers."
"CLAURILLES! I AM NOT LIKE THAT!"
"I know and they know too. Let us leave."
After many long times.
Estonix greeting every single Viera with a formal goodbye. Which they enjoyed thoroughly, the men finally leave.
"Claurilly where are we going?" asks Estonix.
"The port town of Balfonheim."
"Will we see her there?"
"I do not know but one thing is certain." says Geir.
"Claurilly what is that?"
"I will have my revenge."
"Claurilles..." says a sad looking Estonix, Poogles is also disheartened at this news.
They move towards the ocean.
Finish.