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-Terra-
The first thing I was aware of was that I was lying in a bed. How I'd gotten there, I didn't know. I opened my eyes, which was a mistake, because the next thing I was aware of was that I had a splitting headache. In spite of this, I looked around. The room I was in was rather plain -- the bed was the only piece of furniture -- but it was warmly lit, and very welcoming. There were two heavy wooden doors in the room, opposite each other. Suddenly, one of them opened, and an elderly man entered. He looked as if he belonged there; his clothing was plain, but comfortable- looking, and his face was worn and wrinkled, but his eyes were kind. Though older, he had the build of a man who might have been a worker in his youth. As he came near the bed, I pushed aside the covers and sat up. This was an even bigger mistake, because it made the room spin. After a moment, my head cleared a little, and I looked over at the man.
"Where am I?" I asked
"Whoa!" he muttered. "And I only just removed the Crown!"
I pushed aside the covers and stood up, and immediately felt woozy again. "Head...hurts..." I whispered, swaying slightly. The old man put his hand on my arm to steady me.
"Easy!" He walked across the room and picked up what looked like a metal headband. "This is a Slave Crown," he told me. "The others had complete control of you while you were wearing it."
I tried to think, to remember, but in vain. "I can't remember a thing," I said.
"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "It'll all come back to you...in time, that is," he added.
My mind seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog. But I realized that I did remember one thing.
"My name...is...Terra..." I said. The old man seemed surprised.
"Impressive! I've never heard of anyone recovering so fast...!"
He was about to say more, but never got the chance, because at that moment, a loud rap came from the other room. He rushed out of the bedroom, alarmed. I followed him, more slowly, to see what was going on. The front room was just as sparsely furnished as the bedroom, except there was a beautifully woven rug on the floor. A fire was blazing cheerfully on the hearth. The loud knocking sounded again, like someone was trying to break down the front door.
"Open up!" a rough, male voice called. "Give us back the girl and the Empire's MagiTek Armor!"
The old man went softly over to the door and stood listening, but didn't make a move to open it. The voice called again.
"Open this door! We want the girl! She's an officer of the Empire!"
Empire...? MagiTek Armor...? I thought. What were they talking about.
The old man turned to me, a look of panic on his face. When he spoke, his voice was urgent. "Look, I have to get you out of here!" he said. "I don't have time to explain! Over here!" He rushed back into the bedroom, and I followed him, completely puzzled. He practically ran to the other door and opened it. This door led outside; a blast of cold air came in, and it was very dark. I looked at him, not understanding.
"Make you way out through the mines," he said. "I'll keep these brutes occupied!"
"But what's going on?!" I asked. Now I was starting to get upset. "What is it?"
"There's no time," he replied. "If those men catch you, it'll be trouble. Go through the mines. Hurry!" He pushed me out and closed the door. I was still confused, but his last warning had made up my mind. I spotted a bridge leading away from the back of the old man's house, toward the mountain, so I started across. Below me were the lights of the town, and the smoke that came from the chimneys.
I was about halfway to the mines when I heard the rough voice again.
"She's up there!" Startled, I looked down, and saw a group of soldiers on the street below. They were wrapped in heavy garments to protect them from the cold, but there was no mistaking the weapons they carried. A few of them were pointing in my direction. They had spotted me! I sprinted across the bridge as fast as I could, heart pounding, and heard more shouting from the men. "Don't let her get away!!"
I made it to the opening of the mine and went inside. It was dark, lit only by lamps here and there, and very quite. I could see the tracks that the mine carts followed when the miners brought coal and ore out of the tunnels. I decided to follow them, hoping they led to another exit. As I hurried through the tunnels, I could hear rustling and squeaking from the shadows. Once I thought I saw a pair of glowing red eyes, but when I looked more closely, there were gone. I shivered, but not from the cold. What kinds of creatures are in here? I wondered. I made my way more cautiously, praying that I wouldn't meet up with one of those unseen Things.
As I rounded a corner, I heard even louder squeaking and chattering, and then a low growl. Something large and gray rushed out of the shadows toward me. I turned, almost too scared to move, and saw what resembled a large rodent, only much, much worse, with huge, yellow teeth--a Were-Rat! It was joined moments later by several of its friends, and they were all looking at me through wicked, hungry eyes. Just as one of them started moving toward me, I snapped out of my terrified trance and held up my hands. I concentrated, willing the energy in my body to flow outward into flames. The Fire spell engulfed the creature, which disintegrated immediately. The others looked on, surprised, then let out loud squeaks and took off into the shadows again. I took a shaky breath, relieved that I had scared them off. I continued through the mine, but the Were-Rats didn't return; they had obviously decided to look for easier prey.
I had just entered another branch of the tunnel, when I heard even louder noises behind me. Thinking that some other monsters were going to try their luck, I turned, ready to use my Magic again. Then I heard the voices.
"Got her!" A group of Narshe guards came rushing out of the tunnel that I had just left. My heart almost leaped into my throat. I whirled around and took off for the adjoining mineshaft, but was stopped by more soldiers. Of course they knew the tunnels better than I did; they must have taken different routes in order to head me off. I was trapped! I backed up against the wall, trying to decide whether I had a chance of fighting them. Then I heard a new sound; a low, ominous rumbling. The last thing I saw were the surprised looks on the soldiers' faces as the part of the mine floor that I was standing on gave way.
-Locke-
The Narshe guards didn't see me as I slipped past them in the shadows. They were busy keeping warm, and keeping a lookout for Imperial soldiers. Apparently, there had been some trouble already that evening, and as a result they were on high alert. I'm not from Narshe, and I don't come here very often; therefore I'm not what you would call a familiar face. I didn't want too many questions being asked by soldiers whose nerves were already at the breaking point. I'm a member of the Returners, a group secretly working against the Empire, and, since Narshe is doing its best to remain neutral through all of this, I figured my presence might not be completely welcome. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's sneaking around, so I did.
It seems like it's been ages since this war started, but in reality, it's only been about a year. The Empire, ruled by a man named Gestahl, seems to be trying to take over the world by using a force called "Magic". This has people really scared, because of what supposedly happened 1,000 years ago. The "War of the Magi", as it's called, was a horrendous battle that all but wiped out the entire planet. According to the stories, Magic was used by powerful beings in their struggle to control the world. But this power was so destructive that things quickly got out of hand. After the smoke finally cleared, it seemed that this force had mysteriously disappeared...
But now, the Empire has somehow managed to revive it, and they use it to construct powerful weapons of war, called MagiTek Armor. These are huge machines infused with Magic, and just one or two of them can wipe out an entire town in about 5 minutes. The Imperial Army is both feared and hated, and the Returners are working as hard as we can to put a stop to this war.
As I snuck through the snow-covered streets of the small mining town, my thoughts turned to what had brought me here. Arvis, a fellow Returner, had sent me a message, telling me to get here ASAP. Said it was a matter of life and death. So I had had to interrupt my latest excursion (I'm a treasure hunter by trade), and head for Narshe. I figured it was something important, something having to do with the Empire's movements, so of course I hurried.
Arvis lives at the north end of town, so I made my way toward his house and went around to the back door, so as not to attract any attention. I entered the house, and walked into the main room, where Arvis was waiting. He looked up.
"Took you long enough. How goes the robbing and plundering trade?"
"I prefer the term 'treasure hunting'," I shot back, insulted.
Arvis snorted. "Ha! Semantic nonsense!"
"There's a HUGE difference!" I told him. "Anyway, were you the one who sent for me?"
"Yeah. There's a girl I'd like you to meet."
"A girl?" I repeated distractedly, still miffed at his insult of my occupation. But his last words had called to mind something that I had heard the Narshe guards talking about. When the Imperial soldiers had come to Narshe, they had brought a girl with them. She was piloting MagiTek Armor, like the others, but had also used some kind of mysterious power. From the bits and pieces I had heard of their conversations, they had seen her raise her hands and seem to chant something, and whoever, or whatever, she was fighting would suddenly be in flames. I had heard the fear in their voices, and several times the word "sorceress". Could she be a magic user? I looked sharply at Arvis. "This better not have anything to do with that MagiTek-riding, Imperial...witch everyone's talking about?" I demanded.
Arvis nodded. "Imperial troops are pursuing her even as we speak."
"So why should we care?!" I shouted at him. "She's one of them!".
Arvis walked over, picked up an object that was lying on the table, and tossed it to me.
"Is this what I think it is?" I asked, examining the thin metal band. It looked a Slave Crown, a mind-control device used by the Empire. When placed on a person's head, it robs them of all conscious thought, so that they'll follow any order given. Arvis nodded again, looking grim.
"This town is no match for the Empire!" he said. Our independence can only be assured if we join forces with the Returners. That girl wasn't responsible for her actions. We must get her to understand our dilemma!"
I was still doubtful, but decided it was worth a shot. "Alright...I think we'd better help her."
"I sent her out through the mines," Arvis told me, "but I'm afraid they'll catch up to her before she has a chance to get out of Narshe. You've got to find her before the soldiers do. Then go to Figaro, and talk to the king."
I nodded. "Right. Wish me luck."
With that, I hurried out of the house and headed for the Narshe mines.
-Terra-
The first thing I was aware of was that I was lying in a bed. How I'd gotten there, I didn't know. I opened my eyes, which was a mistake, because the next thing I was aware of was that I had a splitting headache. In spite of this, I looked around. The room I was in was rather plain -- the bed was the only piece of furniture -- but it was warmly lit, and very welcoming. There were two heavy wooden doors in the room, opposite each other. Suddenly, one of them opened, and an elderly man entered. He looked as if he belonged there; his clothing was plain, but comfortable- looking, and his face was worn and wrinkled, but his eyes were kind. Though older, he had the build of a man who might have been a worker in his youth. As he came near the bed, I pushed aside the covers and sat up. This was an even bigger mistake, because it made the room spin. After a moment, my head cleared a little, and I looked over at the man.
"Where am I?" I asked
"Whoa!" he muttered. "And I only just removed the Crown!"
I pushed aside the covers and stood up, and immediately felt woozy again. "Head...hurts..." I whispered, swaying slightly. The old man put his hand on my arm to steady me.
"Easy!" He walked across the room and picked up what looked like a metal headband. "This is a Slave Crown," he told me. "The others had complete control of you while you were wearing it."
I tried to think, to remember, but in vain. "I can't remember a thing," I said.
"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "It'll all come back to you...in time, that is," he added.
My mind seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog. But I realized that I did remember one thing.
"My name...is...Terra..." I said. The old man seemed surprised.
"Impressive! I've never heard of anyone recovering so fast...!"
He was about to say more, but never got the chance, because at that moment, a loud rap came from the other room. He rushed out of the bedroom, alarmed. I followed him, more slowly, to see what was going on. The front room was just as sparsely furnished as the bedroom, except there was a beautifully woven rug on the floor. A fire was blazing cheerfully on the hearth. The loud knocking sounded again, like someone was trying to break down the front door.
"Open up!" a rough, male voice called. "Give us back the girl and the Empire's MagiTek Armor!"
The old man went softly over to the door and stood listening, but didn't make a move to open it. The voice called again.
"Open this door! We want the girl! She's an officer of the Empire!"
Empire...? MagiTek Armor...? I thought. What were they talking about.
The old man turned to me, a look of panic on his face. When he spoke, his voice was urgent. "Look, I have to get you out of here!" he said. "I don't have time to explain! Over here!" He rushed back into the bedroom, and I followed him, completely puzzled. He practically ran to the other door and opened it. This door led outside; a blast of cold air came in, and it was very dark. I looked at him, not understanding.
"Make you way out through the mines," he said. "I'll keep these brutes occupied!"
"But what's going on?!" I asked. Now I was starting to get upset. "What is it?"
"There's no time," he replied. "If those men catch you, it'll be trouble. Go through the mines. Hurry!" He pushed me out and closed the door. I was still confused, but his last warning had made up my mind. I spotted a bridge leading away from the back of the old man's house, toward the mountain, so I started across. Below me were the lights of the town, and the smoke that came from the chimneys.
I was about halfway to the mines when I heard the rough voice again.
"She's up there!" Startled, I looked down, and saw a group of soldiers on the street below. They were wrapped in heavy garments to protect them from the cold, but there was no mistaking the weapons they carried. A few of them were pointing in my direction. They had spotted me! I sprinted across the bridge as fast as I could, heart pounding, and heard more shouting from the men. "Don't let her get away!!"
I made it to the opening of the mine and went inside. It was dark, lit only by lamps here and there, and very quite. I could see the tracks that the mine carts followed when the miners brought coal and ore out of the tunnels. I decided to follow them, hoping they led to another exit. As I hurried through the tunnels, I could hear rustling and squeaking from the shadows. Once I thought I saw a pair of glowing red eyes, but when I looked more closely, there were gone. I shivered, but not from the cold. What kinds of creatures are in here? I wondered. I made my way more cautiously, praying that I wouldn't meet up with one of those unseen Things.
As I rounded a corner, I heard even louder squeaking and chattering, and then a low growl. Something large and gray rushed out of the shadows toward me. I turned, almost too scared to move, and saw what resembled a large rodent, only much, much worse, with huge, yellow teeth--a Were-Rat! It was joined moments later by several of its friends, and they were all looking at me through wicked, hungry eyes. Just as one of them started moving toward me, I snapped out of my terrified trance and held up my hands. I concentrated, willing the energy in my body to flow outward into flames. The Fire spell engulfed the creature, which disintegrated immediately. The others looked on, surprised, then let out loud squeaks and took off into the shadows again. I took a shaky breath, relieved that I had scared them off. I continued through the mine, but the Were-Rats didn't return; they had obviously decided to look for easier prey.
I had just entered another branch of the tunnel, when I heard even louder noises behind me. Thinking that some other monsters were going to try their luck, I turned, ready to use my Magic again. Then I heard the voices.
"Got her!" A group of Narshe guards came rushing out of the tunnel that I had just left. My heart almost leaped into my throat. I whirled around and took off for the adjoining mineshaft, but was stopped by more soldiers. Of course they knew the tunnels better than I did; they must have taken different routes in order to head me off. I was trapped! I backed up against the wall, trying to decide whether I had a chance of fighting them. Then I heard a new sound; a low, ominous rumbling. The last thing I saw were the surprised looks on the soldiers' faces as the part of the mine floor that I was standing on gave way.
-Locke-
The Narshe guards didn't see me as I slipped past them in the shadows. They were busy keeping warm, and keeping a lookout for Imperial soldiers. Apparently, there had been some trouble already that evening, and as a result they were on high alert. I'm not from Narshe, and I don't come here very often; therefore I'm not what you would call a familiar face. I didn't want too many questions being asked by soldiers whose nerves were already at the breaking point. I'm a member of the Returners, a group secretly working against the Empire, and, since Narshe is doing its best to remain neutral through all of this, I figured my presence might not be completely welcome. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's sneaking around, so I did.
It seems like it's been ages since this war started, but in reality, it's only been about a year. The Empire, ruled by a man named Gestahl, seems to be trying to take over the world by using a force called "Magic". This has people really scared, because of what supposedly happened 1,000 years ago. The "War of the Magi", as it's called, was a horrendous battle that all but wiped out the entire planet. According to the stories, Magic was used by powerful beings in their struggle to control the world. But this power was so destructive that things quickly got out of hand. After the smoke finally cleared, it seemed that this force had mysteriously disappeared...
But now, the Empire has somehow managed to revive it, and they use it to construct powerful weapons of war, called MagiTek Armor. These are huge machines infused with Magic, and just one or two of them can wipe out an entire town in about 5 minutes. The Imperial Army is both feared and hated, and the Returners are working as hard as we can to put a stop to this war.
As I snuck through the snow-covered streets of the small mining town, my thoughts turned to what had brought me here. Arvis, a fellow Returner, had sent me a message, telling me to get here ASAP. Said it was a matter of life and death. So I had had to interrupt my latest excursion (I'm a treasure hunter by trade), and head for Narshe. I figured it was something important, something having to do with the Empire's movements, so of course I hurried.
Arvis lives at the north end of town, so I made my way toward his house and went around to the back door, so as not to attract any attention. I entered the house, and walked into the main room, where Arvis was waiting. He looked up.
"Took you long enough. How goes the robbing and plundering trade?"
"I prefer the term 'treasure hunting'," I shot back, insulted.
Arvis snorted. "Ha! Semantic nonsense!"
"There's a HUGE difference!" I told him. "Anyway, were you the one who sent for me?"
"Yeah. There's a girl I'd like you to meet."
"A girl?" I repeated distractedly, still miffed at his insult of my occupation. But his last words had called to mind something that I had heard the Narshe guards talking about. When the Imperial soldiers had come to Narshe, they had brought a girl with them. She was piloting MagiTek Armor, like the others, but had also used some kind of mysterious power. From the bits and pieces I had heard of their conversations, they had seen her raise her hands and seem to chant something, and whoever, or whatever, she was fighting would suddenly be in flames. I had heard the fear in their voices, and several times the word "sorceress". Could she be a magic user? I looked sharply at Arvis. "This better not have anything to do with that MagiTek-riding, Imperial...witch everyone's talking about?" I demanded.
Arvis nodded. "Imperial troops are pursuing her even as we speak."
"So why should we care?!" I shouted at him. "She's one of them!".
Arvis walked over, picked up an object that was lying on the table, and tossed it to me.
"Is this what I think it is?" I asked, examining the thin metal band. It looked a Slave Crown, a mind-control device used by the Empire. When placed on a person's head, it robs them of all conscious thought, so that they'll follow any order given. Arvis nodded again, looking grim.
"This town is no match for the Empire!" he said. Our independence can only be assured if we join forces with the Returners. That girl wasn't responsible for her actions. We must get her to understand our dilemma!"
I was still doubtful, but decided it was worth a shot. "Alright...I think we'd better help her."
"I sent her out through the mines," Arvis told me, "but I'm afraid they'll catch up to her before she has a chance to get out of Narshe. You've got to find her before the soldiers do. Then go to Figaro, and talk to the king."
I nodded. "Right. Wish me luck."
With that, I hurried out of the house and headed for the Narshe mines.