The day started off easy enough, I had woken up and was helping repair fishnets when I heard it. A loud cracking sound. I looked up and saw the sky turn to a deep wine red and cracks appeared in the sky that looked like they reached the earth.
I got a very bad feeling when I saw this. That's when I saw the figures falling from the sky and landing near the village. I dropped my fishing net and quickly focused on my monk class pushing my Aether out and feeling it surround me.
Once I had shifted class I ran towards the entrance to the village where I saw some skeletons with swords running my way. I sprinted forward as the skeleton swung a rusty blade to my left side. I raised my left arm and blocked the blade with the one on my forearm then threw a quick right cross slamming my fist into its sternum cracking the bones.
I then swung my foot out and tripped the skeleton before I slammed my foot on the skull shattering it. Once the skeleton was defeated another two took its place.
I quickly and deftly deflected their attacks when one got a lucky hit on my side. The strike sent a sting through my body but I was used to pain. Acting quickly I sent a flurry of kicks to the two skeletons.
I easily dispatched the two monsters when I heard the screams of the villagers. I turned around and saw skeletons running after Raphtalia and Keel. I grit my teeth and rushed forward slamming my shoulder into the monsters.
"Raphtalia, Keel, find your parents!" I shouted as I threw the monsters into one another
Raphtalia and Keel ran off and I continued to fight the skeletons. Eventually a group of adventurers gathered and assisted in defending the village. However, the sheer amount of skeletons forced everyone into a small circle and that's when I noticed a large three headed beast bounding into the village.
'By the Twelve, if it's anything like Cerberus from the Void or that Lightwarden from Ratika we have a serious fight on our hands' I thought to myself as I started fighting harder.
The group of adventurers eventually helped turn the tide of the battle and I ran off to try and find the three headed beast. I ran past the woodcutter's house and grabbed his axe just in case I needed it.
I reached the outskirts of the town where a cliff overlooking the ocean sat. And there was the beast… standing over torn clothing and a pool of blood.
My hands gripped the axe tightly and I forced my aether to surround me as I focused on my warrior soul stone. The familiar aetheric light surrounded me as I felt my coat change into a black metal breastplate with a tail coat that was accented with red, my leather boots and pants were replaced with armor and my vambraces were replaced with gauntlets. The whole transformation made me breathless as my own Aether was starting to dwindle but that could be fixed with time.
I glared at the three headed beast as it turned around and growled. I just raised the axe and lowered my left shoulder ready to swing the axe.
The beast leapt at me and I stepped left while spinning counter clockwise. I brought the axe around in a large arc forcing it to dig deep into the center head before using the axe as a hook and throwing the creature into the ground. When the monster hit the ground the axe came loose so I followed through by bringing it around and with both hands brought it down onto the creatures stomach.
The axe bit into the hide but it didn't look like it did a lot of damage. I simply grunted and pulled the axe free as the monster stood back up. We then circled each other for a minute before it turned and bounded back into the town. I growled and charged after it my axe held back with the blade facing the sky.
I saw the monster land in front of a group of adventurers that were protecting the villagers. The sight made me furious, I won't let this beast take anymore life. I let my anger take brief control as I unleashed my inner beast and shot forward. However as I did, I felt what dwindling aether in my body slowly start to deplete. Knowing I had a very limited time I slammed into the monster axe first.
I knocked the beast to the ground once again as I reigned in my inner beast saving what aether I had left.
'I won't be able to rely on that for a little while, at least I stopped it, now just focus on me. I'm your biggest threat.' I thought to myself as I stopped protectively in front of the soldiers and villagers
The beast pounced again and I swung my axe down onto the middle head. However as I did that the other two heads reached out and clamped down on my shoulders digging through my armor and sending pain through my body.
"Gah!" I grit my teeth as I saw a green bar in the top left of my field of view drop into the yellow
Knowing I had to get this thing off of me before that bar ran out, I reached up with my right and and using every ounce of strength I had pried it off my shoulder before using the two heads I had under my control to flip the creature over. However in doing so the left head tore a large chunk out of my flesh and armor.
I gasped in pain but quickly recovered and pulled my axe out before driving it deep into the creature attempting to pin it. Then without looking back I yelled at the adventurers.
"Don't just stand there! I can't take this thing out by myself!"
Several men ran up next to me and started brutally attacking the monster while I used what strength I had left to keep it pinned.
It took a while but eventually we killed the creature and the sky reverted back to normal. The soldiers and I then cleaned up the remaining skeletons which had destroyed the village. When I was finished I collapsed against a collapsed building and was breathing heavily. My green bar was now red and more than three quarters empty. My aether was so low I thought I might just die on the spot, and I couldn't find some of the children, Raphtalia and her parents were missing but they were just some of the ones missing.
"Hydaelyn, please... if you can hear me… heal my wounds just enough so I can find those that are missing…" I said aloud despite the weird stares I got from the soldiers that had collapsed next to me
But as I expected nothing happened. I was on my own in this world, the echo that I had been blessed with seemed to be locked again which meant one of two things, either Hydaelyn using her power to protect me made it so the echo wasn't working, or an outside force was causing it to be restricted, like in the case of Midgardsormr. However I couldn't figure it out so I just sighed and closed my eyes wanting to get some sleep so I could recover my Aether.
"Hey, demi human, stay awake you hear! That's an order!" A voice yelled and I just ignored it "Medic! We need a medic over here God damn it! Stay with me! Don't you dare die!" The voice said as they started shaking me
I snapped my eyes open and stopped him.
"I'm not dead you chocobo smelling asshole! Let me rest, by the Twelve!" I said exasperated but I shook my head and sighed "I'm fine, just tired, but I'll stay awake until the medic seems fit I guess." I said or at least attempted to say, my words were very slurred as my body finally relaxed
Eventually a woman in a plain robe ran over and started chanting.
"As source of thy power, decipher the laws of nature and heal my target! First Heal!" The woman said and I saw my red bar turn yellow
I tilted my head to the side as a revelation hit me. There was healing magic, which meant there was attacking magic. Maybe if I could get some staves I could use my mage classes…
I put the thought out of my mind and accepted the healing as I stood up. The spell had healed my wounds but my Aether wasn't affected. However I had enough strength now to start helping the villagers.
"Sit. We need to bandage you up. You're not going anywhere until I approve, do you understand?" The woman said and I sighed and sat back down as they took off my armor
I heard a loud gasp and I saw both soldier and medic covering their mouths. The medic then kept using healing spells. I turned and looked at my left shoulder to see a large chunk of it missing.
"Don't worry too much about it, it'll just scar over." I said calmly and that's when she looked at my torso and her eyes widened
"I-I still have to heal it." she said determined
The process went on for about an hour until my wounds were healed. By then my Aether had started to slowly recover but I had to make sure I don't use any of it until it's fully recovered.
Once the wound was healed I stood up and walked around. That's when I saw her, Raphtalia was holding onto Rifanaand Keel, sobbing uncontrollably. I walked up to a villager who was looking at the small group.
"What happened?" I asked quietly and they turned to me
"Her parents were killed by the three headed monster, it was apparently right before you got to it." they said and I nodded.
I walked over to Raphtalia and knelt down. As soon as I did she turned and hugged me before sobbing harder. I winced I knew what that feeling was, something had just been torn out of her, something you couldn't bear to lose. I hugged her back as I thought about my own friend, the one that had given his life for me. I felt the tears but I didn't cry.
"Hey… I know it's hard, but they don't want to see you cry" I said calmly "They were always happy when you smiled right?" I continued until I thought about something
I had overheard Rifana and Raphtalia talking about heroes and the shield hero came up a lot. They both admired him so maybe I could use that to help.
"I know it might be hard, but what would the shield hero do? He wouldn't sit by and let the town vanish, that I'm sure of. So come on, smile. Smile for your parents, for your friends, and for the shield hero… a friend once told me that a smile better suits a hero, and I never forgot those words. Okay?" I said it calmly. I was never really good at calming someone down, however my words did seem to have some effect.
"O-Okay" she said sniffling still and kept hugging me
I slowly let her go and stood up. I then went around making sure everyone was okay before I started walking around the village to survey the damage.
"Well… this isn't the first time I've helped repair a place and compared to Ishguard… this place is pretty well off!" I said to myself as I started making plans to go out cutting wood
Over the next few days I asked the adventurers that had aided us to help rebuild and in return I'd make it up to them in some way.
Raphtalia had taken a leadership role despite how young she was so I just let her have it. If she needed something from me I was happy to oblige and get it.
It was during one of these requests that I had gone a decent way away from the village. I had told some of the adventurers that I'd be spending the next few days out in the woods to collect materials for rebuilding.
It was when I was returning with a cart of materials which ranged from logs to stones rope and other building materials that I noticed that the village was empty. Hearing the silence I dropped the cart and ran into the now deserted village to find Sadeena searching.
"Sadeena your back, what happened to everyone" I asked frantically and Sadeena turned to me
"Little Erebus! Knights apparently came and took the villagers into slavery" she said getting straight to the point
That was one of the things I liked about Sadeena, when she was talking to me she gave me everything I needed to know as fast as possible. Unlike a Dhalmel necked cloud sniffer of an elezen who took three months to speak something that could take a minute.
I clenched my fists and nodded.
"I'm going after them" I declared as I turned to tried to walk off
"It won't be that simple, melromarc has a history of being prejudiced against demi humans, you won't make it far" she said and I paused
"Then I just need to cover up my ears and tail" I said simply
I walked over to the destroyed house I've been sleeping at and pulled up a section of the floor. Once the floor was removed I pulled out a small chest and opened it up to reveal a dark grey traveling cloak with a hood, as well as a head wrap that I used to use back in Eorzea.
I grabbed the garments and walked back over to Sadeena and looked at her.
"Sadeena, look me in the eyes and remember what they look like. Just in case anyone should try to pretend to be me. Remember the color the shade, everything" I said Remembering that cloning in my world was something to be wary of
Sadeena looked at me and her eyes widened. Once they did I put the headwrap over my eyes then put the cloak on and flicked the hood up.
"I'll be back with everyone" I said as I then walked off leaving Sadeena in the village looking at me
As I walked I mentally went over a plan of action. I needed to increase my level as apparently that number had a correlation to the numbers of my 'stats'. I also needed to get equipment for my alchemy and my other artesian jobs as well as figure out if materia still worked in this world. I sighed to myself as I kept walking, I had a lot of work ahead of me.