Legend of the Berserkers
"Thousands of years ago, there was a powerful demon," began the elder, "He had been sealed underground until being released by some foolish miners trying to dig for diamonds. Immediately he began to seek out places to bring death and destruction."
"So where do the armors we wear come into play?" asked Bit.
The elder told him, "Have patience young one. You know the world wasn't built in a day."
"Sorry, I'm just curious," he replied.
"Well, now where was I? Ah, I know," the elder continued, "Well, there were these two youths from a small human village named Lesalia and Gabriel. They were best friends and always went everywhere together. One day, they saw a Berserker caravan that had been destroyed by the demon. On closer inspection, they saw two pairs of Mythril armor as well as a sword and wand. Somehow, the Mythril accepted them-usually it would only let Berserkers wear it. They then returned home to find their entire village destroyed by the demon. Lesalia and Gabriel vowed from then on to fight and rid the world of the demon so others wouldn't have to feel their pain."
"What a monster, slaying innocent villages," commented Bit.
Leena said, "Bit, it wouldn't be a demon if it didn't do that. All their race does is go around killing innocent people and torching villages to the ground."
"Well excuse me for living a sheltered life as a slave," he quipped back at her.
The elder didn't look too pleased at their bickering. "May I continue with my story, or is this argument much better entertainment to you both?" he inquired.
"No sir," they chorused, "It's not very interesting."
The elder looked at them. "That's better. Well, Lesalia and Gabriel journeyed far and wide in search of the demon. Along the way, they faced his minions, who also were out destroying things, just on a much smaller level of power than their master. Eventually, they found him disguised as an advisor for the emperor of the Chitian Empire in the far north. Using the demon's strength, the emperor was able to invade territory after territory of his enemies. Using the empire's army, the demon was able to gain the pleasure he craved of slaughtering innocent lives."
"How was he eventually stopped?" asked Naomi.
"He betrayed the emperor," said the elder, "When they acquired an ancient fortress capable of destroying the world, he killed the emperor and took the power for himself. But Lesalia and Gabriel followed him onto the fortress with the help of their dragon companion Diana-the silver dragon-as well as the Tiger Berserker Liger, and the elf Florinda. Eventually, the four friends found the demon's inner sanctums, and the fight began. It lasted for five hours. In the end, the demon was killed. But the fortress crashed to the ground. Diana wasn't able to get her friends out on time, and all four of them passed away in the end."
"So what does that have to do with us anyway? I've certainly never handled a demon before, and I'll bet that everyone in this room hasn't either. There isn't even any running around, just a crazy Vilyane emperor who wants to take control of the whole world," commented Leena.
"That may be for now," reminded the elder, "But whose to say that one of his advisors isn't a demon in disguise. I think you should really look further into Vilyane's actions, and try to find the motives between the emperor's violence."
Bit told him, "We were going to do that anyway."
"So you were. Well, then I have a proposition to make. Why don't you take Julianna along with you on your journey? She's quite a competent fighter, and can keep a strait head no matter how much panic is occurring around her."
"But grandfather." began Julianna, but the elder silenced her.
"Julianna," he told her, "I know you've never left the mountain in your whole life-like most Berserkers-and have no desire to ever do so, but these are dire times. As my granddaughter-and the next elder of the village-you'll need these experiences in order to lead our people through any tough times. So you are to go with Bit, Leena, and their friends on their journey. And there will be no more questions asked of it."
"Ok I'll go, but I don't have to like it," pouted Julianna.
Her grandfather noticed it, and chided, "And no pouting either young lady. Jeez, couldn't you be more like your brave mother instead of your whinny little pansy of a father? I guess you can't expect miracles to happen when it comes to these things."
Julianna sighed. "Just let me take Liger instead of the little ax I always use. I promise to take good care of her, and bring her back undamaged."
"Ok Julianna, just bring it back safely. You know it's a family heirloom and was used by the great Berserker Liger himself in the ancient war," replied the elder.
Julianna went to a small cabinet. She pulled out another diamond and Mythril ax, and put her old one back in the cabinet. This one looked the same as her old one, only it was much bigger and sharper than the other.
"It's cool," commented Leon, "Where'd you get it?"
Julianna told him that after the war, the armor and weapons of the heroes were recovered along with their bodies. Their families were given the bodies for burying. Liger's brother, who was the village elder, took his ax and put it in a glass case for safekeeping. It had stayed there until the present day, when she was going to bring it into battle once more.
"Are you guys ready to go?" asked Bit.
Julianna told him to spend the night in the Berserkers' village and get an early start in the morning. Although Bit wanted to get going immediately, he saw her reasoning. It was getting pretty late, since the elder had talked so much. And he'd been wanting a warm bed ever since leaving Marika. So he agreed and they returned to Julianna's house for the night. Again, Bit and Leena had the strange dreams. The two warriors were fighting monsters, and in the background lay a scene of utter carnage that could only come out of a horror film.
- - - -
Well, I came up with the idea for the Berserkers from two places. First, Final Fantasy V. There was a class called Berserker, and it looked like you were wearing animal skin armor over your body. Then in the Breath of Fire series, there's a race of people called the Woren that are humanoid tigers. The legend of the demon is basically a bunch of RPG cliches thrown together into one story (evil advisor, flying animal/ship, floating fortress level, ect) and then added in a depressing ending. The names of the two ancient heroes are supposed to sound like holy names. They also appear to be variations of Lina and Gourry from Slayers-like I said before, I've just gotten hooked onto that anime after ordering a video that arrived on the sixth of July.
"Thousands of years ago, there was a powerful demon," began the elder, "He had been sealed underground until being released by some foolish miners trying to dig for diamonds. Immediately he began to seek out places to bring death and destruction."
"So where do the armors we wear come into play?" asked Bit.
The elder told him, "Have patience young one. You know the world wasn't built in a day."
"Sorry, I'm just curious," he replied.
"Well, now where was I? Ah, I know," the elder continued, "Well, there were these two youths from a small human village named Lesalia and Gabriel. They were best friends and always went everywhere together. One day, they saw a Berserker caravan that had been destroyed by the demon. On closer inspection, they saw two pairs of Mythril armor as well as a sword and wand. Somehow, the Mythril accepted them-usually it would only let Berserkers wear it. They then returned home to find their entire village destroyed by the demon. Lesalia and Gabriel vowed from then on to fight and rid the world of the demon so others wouldn't have to feel their pain."
"What a monster, slaying innocent villages," commented Bit.
Leena said, "Bit, it wouldn't be a demon if it didn't do that. All their race does is go around killing innocent people and torching villages to the ground."
"Well excuse me for living a sheltered life as a slave," he quipped back at her.
The elder didn't look too pleased at their bickering. "May I continue with my story, or is this argument much better entertainment to you both?" he inquired.
"No sir," they chorused, "It's not very interesting."
The elder looked at them. "That's better. Well, Lesalia and Gabriel journeyed far and wide in search of the demon. Along the way, they faced his minions, who also were out destroying things, just on a much smaller level of power than their master. Eventually, they found him disguised as an advisor for the emperor of the Chitian Empire in the far north. Using the demon's strength, the emperor was able to invade territory after territory of his enemies. Using the empire's army, the demon was able to gain the pleasure he craved of slaughtering innocent lives."
"How was he eventually stopped?" asked Naomi.
"He betrayed the emperor," said the elder, "When they acquired an ancient fortress capable of destroying the world, he killed the emperor and took the power for himself. But Lesalia and Gabriel followed him onto the fortress with the help of their dragon companion Diana-the silver dragon-as well as the Tiger Berserker Liger, and the elf Florinda. Eventually, the four friends found the demon's inner sanctums, and the fight began. It lasted for five hours. In the end, the demon was killed. But the fortress crashed to the ground. Diana wasn't able to get her friends out on time, and all four of them passed away in the end."
"So what does that have to do with us anyway? I've certainly never handled a demon before, and I'll bet that everyone in this room hasn't either. There isn't even any running around, just a crazy Vilyane emperor who wants to take control of the whole world," commented Leena.
"That may be for now," reminded the elder, "But whose to say that one of his advisors isn't a demon in disguise. I think you should really look further into Vilyane's actions, and try to find the motives between the emperor's violence."
Bit told him, "We were going to do that anyway."
"So you were. Well, then I have a proposition to make. Why don't you take Julianna along with you on your journey? She's quite a competent fighter, and can keep a strait head no matter how much panic is occurring around her."
"But grandfather." began Julianna, but the elder silenced her.
"Julianna," he told her, "I know you've never left the mountain in your whole life-like most Berserkers-and have no desire to ever do so, but these are dire times. As my granddaughter-and the next elder of the village-you'll need these experiences in order to lead our people through any tough times. So you are to go with Bit, Leena, and their friends on their journey. And there will be no more questions asked of it."
"Ok I'll go, but I don't have to like it," pouted Julianna.
Her grandfather noticed it, and chided, "And no pouting either young lady. Jeez, couldn't you be more like your brave mother instead of your whinny little pansy of a father? I guess you can't expect miracles to happen when it comes to these things."
Julianna sighed. "Just let me take Liger instead of the little ax I always use. I promise to take good care of her, and bring her back undamaged."
"Ok Julianna, just bring it back safely. You know it's a family heirloom and was used by the great Berserker Liger himself in the ancient war," replied the elder.
Julianna went to a small cabinet. She pulled out another diamond and Mythril ax, and put her old one back in the cabinet. This one looked the same as her old one, only it was much bigger and sharper than the other.
"It's cool," commented Leon, "Where'd you get it?"
Julianna told him that after the war, the armor and weapons of the heroes were recovered along with their bodies. Their families were given the bodies for burying. Liger's brother, who was the village elder, took his ax and put it in a glass case for safekeeping. It had stayed there until the present day, when she was going to bring it into battle once more.
"Are you guys ready to go?" asked Bit.
Julianna told him to spend the night in the Berserkers' village and get an early start in the morning. Although Bit wanted to get going immediately, he saw her reasoning. It was getting pretty late, since the elder had talked so much. And he'd been wanting a warm bed ever since leaving Marika. So he agreed and they returned to Julianna's house for the night. Again, Bit and Leena had the strange dreams. The two warriors were fighting monsters, and in the background lay a scene of utter carnage that could only come out of a horror film.
- - - -
Well, I came up with the idea for the Berserkers from two places. First, Final Fantasy V. There was a class called Berserker, and it looked like you were wearing animal skin armor over your body. Then in the Breath of Fire series, there's a race of people called the Woren that are humanoid tigers. The legend of the demon is basically a bunch of RPG cliches thrown together into one story (evil advisor, flying animal/ship, floating fortress level, ect) and then added in a depressing ending. The names of the two ancient heroes are supposed to sound like holy names. They also appear to be variations of Lina and Gourry from Slayers-like I said before, I've just gotten hooked onto that anime after ordering a video that arrived on the sixth of July.