(Note: I don't own Final Fantasy 9. All I own are the fan
characters in the story.)
The Storyteller of Burmecia
by Ian Jenkins
The man in the dark blue cloak smiled as his presence in Burmecia was made known by the children. Their shouts of joy and happiness reached his ears as he neared the gates. The two Burmecian guards on duty were hesitant as this mysterious stranger approached. However, the children's urging pressed on.
"Let him in!" one boy shouted, "He's not a bad guy! He's Garahan, the Storyteller!"
"Yeah, he's a good guy!" another joined in.
Finally, the guards opened the gates of the great city to let the stranger enter. As he passed through the gates into the city, Garahan was met with a small throng of Burmecian children, very eager to see the man again. He laughed lowly upon seeing them rush to him, embracing him. They were as if his own children...
"Hello, my little ones..." he said, smiling gently, "I trust all of you are well?"
The children gave affirm responses to his question. He chuckled again. He knew what most of them came here for. Actually, he knew what all of them came for.
"You wish for a story?" he asked with a slight grin.
"YEAH!!" the children all yelled at once, to which Garahan laughed.
"Then, what are we waiting for?" he asked, continuing onward into the center of the town square and took a seat before a statue of a great Burmecian warrior. The children followed and sat before him on the soft grass, their tails gently waving in anticipation.
"The story I bring to you today is unlike the others that I have told." he said softly, "For this story, my dear little ones, is a true story. This actually happened."
A murmur spread through the crowd of curious children. Garahan smiled and began his story, "The story begins thirty years ago... when Burmecia had fallen under attack by the neighboring country of Alexandria..."
~*~
DUEL WITH A DRAGOON KNIGHT
~*~
Commander Talyn Resscal paid no heed to the rain that fell from the sky on that dark and dreary day. In fact, he welcomed it. Often, he felt that if it was raining before a great battle, he would be victorious. He was travelling to Burmecia to assist Queen Brahne and General Beatrix in destroying the nation and mercilessly killing its people. He didn't know why he was called to assist Brahne and Beatrix to destroy Burmecia. He didn't care. This was an opportunity to not only gain face with the Queen and her most trusted General, but also to gain a promotion! Little did he know that the Battle of Burmecia would change his life forever...
It was dark with storm clouds when he came within ten miles of the once-proud city. However, as he neared the city, he saw a lone figure standing to face him, a lancelet in hand. A Burmecian Dragoon Knight. As soon as he saw him, Talyn drew his sword and pointed it at him.
"Burmecian vermin!" he spat out, "Your doom is at hand!"
"Is it so?" the Burmecian asked with an air of calm, "And what, sir knight, shall be my doomtrain?"
"The great country of Alexandria, rodent!" Talyn shouted, "Prepare yourself!"
The Burmecian took a fighting stance as Talyn leapt to attack. A terrific battle ensued between the two combatants, thunder booming as their swords clashed. However, the fight was soon over as Talyn was pointing his sword down at the fallen Burmecian warrior, who still had that look of calm on his face.
"Something else, Burmecian vermin?" Talyn stared down at the Burmecian.
"Just a question, sir knight..." The Burmecian said, "...why did you join the army?"
Talyn raised and eyebrow at this question. 'Who,' he wondered, 'would ask such a question in their moment of death?' However, he answered, "I joined the army to protect Alexandria."
The Burmecian soldier nodded, "...you did not join to murder innocents?"
Talyn's brows furrowed, "...no..."
"You did not join to destroy their homes?"
"No."
"You did not join to slaughter their children?"
"NO!" Talyn was starting to become angry, "Why would you ask such horrid questions!?"
"If you did not join to kill innocents, their children, or destroy their homes, you should not be in the Alexandrian army." the Burmecian replied softly.
Talyn stared down at the Burmecian, "...what do you speak of?"
The Burmecian slowly rose to his feet, "Tell me, sir knight. Have you ever been to Burmecia before?"
"...only as a child."
"Imagine this, if you will. The once-proud city of Burmecia as it was. Peaceful. Thriving. Productive. Then, imagine that peace shattered as demons with pointed hats enter, destroying the city with their destructive magic. The innocents brutally killed. Their children watch in horror, weeping for their dead parents. Their cries are cut off sharply as, just as quickly as their parents had been killed, so too are they. The demons continue their assault, slaughtering and destroying. Those whom you serve are causing this destruction."
Talyn stared at the Burmecian, silent.
"I suggest you think carefully about the purpose of your trip to Burmecia before you continue on." the Burmecian Dragoon Knight said before turning and slowly beginning to walk away.
"Wait!" Talyn took a step forward, "Who are you!?"
The knight stopped and glanced back at him, "...you may call me Fratley." And, with a sudden leap into the rainy air, he was gone. Talyn looked up, trying to follow the knight with his eyes... but failed to do so. Finally, he looked down, stopping all movement. His mind raced with thoughts. His queen, responsible for all this destruction? Impossible. But...it was true that she had started becoming more and more aggressive against her neighboring countries lately.
Talyn shook his head and turned back toward Burmecia. A choice had to be made. He just wasn't sure if he was going to be making the right choice...
characters in the story.)
The Storyteller of Burmecia
by Ian Jenkins
The man in the dark blue cloak smiled as his presence in Burmecia was made known by the children. Their shouts of joy and happiness reached his ears as he neared the gates. The two Burmecian guards on duty were hesitant as this mysterious stranger approached. However, the children's urging pressed on.
"Let him in!" one boy shouted, "He's not a bad guy! He's Garahan, the Storyteller!"
"Yeah, he's a good guy!" another joined in.
Finally, the guards opened the gates of the great city to let the stranger enter. As he passed through the gates into the city, Garahan was met with a small throng of Burmecian children, very eager to see the man again. He laughed lowly upon seeing them rush to him, embracing him. They were as if his own children...
"Hello, my little ones..." he said, smiling gently, "I trust all of you are well?"
The children gave affirm responses to his question. He chuckled again. He knew what most of them came here for. Actually, he knew what all of them came for.
"You wish for a story?" he asked with a slight grin.
"YEAH!!" the children all yelled at once, to which Garahan laughed.
"Then, what are we waiting for?" he asked, continuing onward into the center of the town square and took a seat before a statue of a great Burmecian warrior. The children followed and sat before him on the soft grass, their tails gently waving in anticipation.
"The story I bring to you today is unlike the others that I have told." he said softly, "For this story, my dear little ones, is a true story. This actually happened."
A murmur spread through the crowd of curious children. Garahan smiled and began his story, "The story begins thirty years ago... when Burmecia had fallen under attack by the neighboring country of Alexandria..."
~*~
DUEL WITH A DRAGOON KNIGHT
~*~
Commander Talyn Resscal paid no heed to the rain that fell from the sky on that dark and dreary day. In fact, he welcomed it. Often, he felt that if it was raining before a great battle, he would be victorious. He was travelling to Burmecia to assist Queen Brahne and General Beatrix in destroying the nation and mercilessly killing its people. He didn't know why he was called to assist Brahne and Beatrix to destroy Burmecia. He didn't care. This was an opportunity to not only gain face with the Queen and her most trusted General, but also to gain a promotion! Little did he know that the Battle of Burmecia would change his life forever...
It was dark with storm clouds when he came within ten miles of the once-proud city. However, as he neared the city, he saw a lone figure standing to face him, a lancelet in hand. A Burmecian Dragoon Knight. As soon as he saw him, Talyn drew his sword and pointed it at him.
"Burmecian vermin!" he spat out, "Your doom is at hand!"
"Is it so?" the Burmecian asked with an air of calm, "And what, sir knight, shall be my doomtrain?"
"The great country of Alexandria, rodent!" Talyn shouted, "Prepare yourself!"
The Burmecian took a fighting stance as Talyn leapt to attack. A terrific battle ensued between the two combatants, thunder booming as their swords clashed. However, the fight was soon over as Talyn was pointing his sword down at the fallen Burmecian warrior, who still had that look of calm on his face.
"Something else, Burmecian vermin?" Talyn stared down at the Burmecian.
"Just a question, sir knight..." The Burmecian said, "...why did you join the army?"
Talyn raised and eyebrow at this question. 'Who,' he wondered, 'would ask such a question in their moment of death?' However, he answered, "I joined the army to protect Alexandria."
The Burmecian soldier nodded, "...you did not join to murder innocents?"
Talyn's brows furrowed, "...no..."
"You did not join to destroy their homes?"
"No."
"You did not join to slaughter their children?"
"NO!" Talyn was starting to become angry, "Why would you ask such horrid questions!?"
"If you did not join to kill innocents, their children, or destroy their homes, you should not be in the Alexandrian army." the Burmecian replied softly.
Talyn stared down at the Burmecian, "...what do you speak of?"
The Burmecian slowly rose to his feet, "Tell me, sir knight. Have you ever been to Burmecia before?"
"...only as a child."
"Imagine this, if you will. The once-proud city of Burmecia as it was. Peaceful. Thriving. Productive. Then, imagine that peace shattered as demons with pointed hats enter, destroying the city with their destructive magic. The innocents brutally killed. Their children watch in horror, weeping for their dead parents. Their cries are cut off sharply as, just as quickly as their parents had been killed, so too are they. The demons continue their assault, slaughtering and destroying. Those whom you serve are causing this destruction."
Talyn stared at the Burmecian, silent.
"I suggest you think carefully about the purpose of your trip to Burmecia before you continue on." the Burmecian Dragoon Knight said before turning and slowly beginning to walk away.
"Wait!" Talyn took a step forward, "Who are you!?"
The knight stopped and glanced back at him, "...you may call me Fratley." And, with a sudden leap into the rainy air, he was gone. Talyn looked up, trying to follow the knight with his eyes... but failed to do so. Finally, he looked down, stopping all movement. His mind raced with thoughts. His queen, responsible for all this destruction? Impossible. But...it was true that she had started becoming more and more aggressive against her neighboring countries lately.
Talyn shook his head and turned back toward Burmecia. A choice had to be made. He just wasn't sure if he was going to be making the right choice...