Author: Ok, now that the unnecessarily long prologue is over, I can get on
with the story. Enjoy.
Chapter 1: A Bleak Reality
"Come on dad, you can do it." A young boy thought to himself hiding amongst the ashes of an already burnt down building. "You can beat this guy, you're the best swordsman I know."
The young boy watched from the sidelines as he watched his father fight with the warrior that had the power to make even the city of Furni begin to burn to the ground. He looked around once more to see the dried river bed that once was the source of transportation throughout the city and nearly cried. He began to watch again as the mysterious warrior flew around in circles on dead and skinless wings.
To his shock and dismay he watched with a sickening stomach as his father uselessly attempted to ward off the predator that had ruined his city. He then watched in horror as the warrior struck his father down without any problem. All he could make out of the warrior as it flew away was the total lack of health that it showed, it's skin seemed dull and it's bones could be seen through it's skin. The 9 year old boy was paralyzed with fears he watched the heartless warrior just fly away, he then ran to his dying father and heard his last words.
"Take care of yourself, remember what I taught you, you will be okay." The boy's father whispered his last words and handed the charred sword to his son, with that he shut his eyes, and fell to the sleep that had claimed so many in the city already.
"Daddy NOOOOO!!!!!!!" The boy screamed out and began to weep like never before, he knew now that he was alone.
Rey awoke in cold sweat, he sat up on the pile of hay he had been sleeping on. It seemed that no matter how many times he experienced that dream, it never got any easier to bear. It had been ten long years since the day Furni had burned to the ground by the hands of the mysterious warrior from his nightmare. For the past ten years, Rey had been among the few survivors of the attack and had been living underground for the time being. No one dared to come to the surface except to hunt for food, anyone that had lingered had never come back, and those who had seen what happened to those who lingered came running back. There wasn't much to see at the surface anyway, the once great city of Furni with it's ever flowing river had coincidentally been burned to the ground. All there was up there was ash, ruins, and Kamuy. No one knew why the wolf that had once been a cuddly pet to a town kid, suddenly went nuts, grew to a large size and gone berserk. As far as he knew, it had happened once before but the Dragoons from before were there and had dealt with it.
"This is no good" Said Rey to himself "I'll never go back to sleep now."
Rey stood up and dusted off the hay that held on to him. He stood at about five feet and nine inches and wore some frayed jeans and an old red tee shirt, both in bad condition because they had once belonged to one of the older men who outgrew it. Rey wasn't of a very large build but it worked to his advantage because his enemies underestimated his skill due to his size and youth. He walked over to the end of the room careful not to step on any of the others that slept in this crowded room. When he reached the edge of the room, he grabbed his sword and navigated his way through the catacombs of Furni into the training hall.
Rey stood in the middle of the room, and unsheathed his sword. He took a moment to marvel at the blade his father had handed down to him during his last breaths. The blade was steel and very sturdy showing that it had been well made. The hilt however was the interesting thing, it was made of a chrome metal that was laced with warm burgundy linings twisting into designs all up and down it and at the center of the crosspieces, lodged in place was a circular red ruby that looked like the eye of a serpent. Whenever Rey gazed into the ruby, his soul lit with a burning passion that ignited his will to fight. The origin of the jewel was unknown to Rey, the ruby had been there since his father wielded it, he had also never really held it, being partially intimidated of it yet Rey had no desire to remove it.
Rey firmly grasped the hilt of the blade and begun his practice session. He was truly experienced and very skilled for his age. He wielded a sword almost like a true master of the craft, however it seemed that way only to the eye of one untrained in the art of combat. Rey himself knew that he had much to learn, every swipe, stab, strike, and evade he did with the full intent of someday avenging his father.
Eventually the dim light of the surface found it's way into the catacombs and people began to awaken, the sun was up and it was time to begin the daily routine of survival. Rey went back to his room and placed his sword in the corner almost unable to actually let it leave his grasp. He went out into the cafeteria for breakfast early to avoid waiting in line, he had never been fond of it and he didn't ever plan to be.
Rey made his plate and went to sit down as all the other survivors of Furni began to file into the room. Along with the herding masses, came Cid, Rey's best friend since even before the attack ten years ago.
"Cid" said Rey as Cid sat down beside him with his plate of morning meat. "You look like crap dude, did you stay up too late again?"
"Shut up" Cid replied, the bags under his eyes made his whole face seem to droop.
"I guess being allowed to drink is both a blessing, and a curse huh?" Joked Rey, since Cid was 20 he had been permitted to drink, however, he was also obligated to become a hunter.
"Shut up" Replied Cid, even though he knew Rey was right. Cid took a bite a bite of his breakfast and his body shook with dislike. "I can take the hardest liquor we blend here, but I'll never get used to the taste of this stuff in the morning.
Rey laughed, he felt the same way but also knew that it was the only way to make sure that there was food in the morning. Monster meat had been known to rot fast, the hunt of the afternoon was sure to rot over night if not kept in the Inide Chamber even though it made the food taste really bad.
"Well, better it tastes like inide than rotten" Sadi Rey.
The two got back to their food and began to eat. After breakfast Cid and Rey met at the door prepared to go their separate ways, Cid to the surface with the other hunters, and Rey to the advanced training courses.
"I heard that someone is going on their first hunt today" Rey said to Cid.
"Yeah, he turned twenty just this morning" Replied Cid "I don't think he is a good fighter though, he seems very paranoid about going to the surface"
"Well, just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Rey said, and with that the two went to their everyday jobs.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH" Rey heard a deafening scream coming from the catacombs and out of instinct rushed out to find it. Rey ran and ran hearing even more carnage and screams as he traveled. Eventually as he got closer to the ladder to the surface the walls began to be covered in blood. Rey ran faster and faster trying to figure out what was going on, but he knew it was not good.
As he got closer to the entrance, his worst fear was confirmed. Laying in a gathering pool of his own blood lay Cid. Rey was faced with the grimmest thought that made up his worst fear as he ran through the hall. Rey began to feel weak but managed to make his way over to the body of his friend. He placed his forehead on his friends chest and began to weep.
"Hey Man" Cid was able to make out, though he was weak, he was still alive. "Stop crying, your 19. Plus I'm not even dead."
"Cid?" Rey pulled his head up in disbelief "Y-you're okay!!!" Rey embraced his friend and began to weep even harder. After a while he came to. "What happened, who or what did this?"
Cid's expression changed to anger "You know that new hunter we were talking about earlier?"
"Yeah"
"Well, while we were hunting for food for the day we got attacked by Kamuy." Cid explained "well, that sissy moron panicked right away, and instead of fighting him to ward him off before returning down here, he ran straight for the entrance and brought Kamuy with him. The stupid kid got what he deserved, Kamuy pounced on him right as made it inside and, he knocked him to the ground and started ripping his spine out from the back. When we got here, he was already on rampage, we tried to fight him but he easily overpowered us."
Rey was speechless at this point, the horror of the story was almost too much to bear, he didn't know what to do. He looked back down on his friend with pity.
"Where were you wounded?" Rey asked.
"My right shoulder" replied Cid. "He took a big bite from it and the only reason it's still there is because he went to chase someone else."
Rey proceeded to remove Cid's shirt to examine the wound. He gasped when he saw it and began to check to see if he could repair it with his little knowledge of medicine. His shoulder was lined with small circles all about ¾ of an inch in diameter. Blood leaked from all of them and the pool steadily grew.
"You'll be alright" Rey lied, he knew very well what was next and so did Cid.
"Quit lying" Cid replied, he had now calmed down "You and I both know that I'm about to die, quit denying it."
Rey swallowed the reality of the situation and tried to stop weeping.
"You've been a great friend, I'm gonna miss you" Said Rey
"Don't worry, not even death can break the bonds of our friendship...or some junk like that" Cid joked. They both laughed for a while and then got serious again. "No, but seriously, I'm sure you'll be okay, just get out of here before Kamuy finds you."
"Okay, my friend" Rey
Rey looked on as his friend drew his last breath and went still. He grabbed Cid's sword and placed it in his hands and crossed his arms over his chest. (Like Aragorn did to Boromir)
"Good-bye"
Rey stood to his feet and took his last look at his friend. He turned around and his heart skipped a beat. There, not five feet away stood the beast that had caused the deaths of so many. Kamuy stared at him with his pale blue eyes, a sick mix of blood and drool dripped from his mouth as he bared his teeth. The possessed once-wolf creature braced itself for battle giving Rey a chance to draw his sword.
Rey unsheathed the blade his father passed down to him. He stared deeply into the crimson serpent eye ruby, the jewel seemed to stare back at him but into his soul. Rey took a fighting stance holding the blade out vertically in front of him.
Rey knew he was in for the fight of his life. None of the other hunters had been able to take Kamuy even in groups, but now he had no choice. Rey faced true fear and the possibility of death, but he felt he couldn't have been more ready.
Chapter 1: A Bleak Reality
"Come on dad, you can do it." A young boy thought to himself hiding amongst the ashes of an already burnt down building. "You can beat this guy, you're the best swordsman I know."
The young boy watched from the sidelines as he watched his father fight with the warrior that had the power to make even the city of Furni begin to burn to the ground. He looked around once more to see the dried river bed that once was the source of transportation throughout the city and nearly cried. He began to watch again as the mysterious warrior flew around in circles on dead and skinless wings.
To his shock and dismay he watched with a sickening stomach as his father uselessly attempted to ward off the predator that had ruined his city. He then watched in horror as the warrior struck his father down without any problem. All he could make out of the warrior as it flew away was the total lack of health that it showed, it's skin seemed dull and it's bones could be seen through it's skin. The 9 year old boy was paralyzed with fears he watched the heartless warrior just fly away, he then ran to his dying father and heard his last words.
"Take care of yourself, remember what I taught you, you will be okay." The boy's father whispered his last words and handed the charred sword to his son, with that he shut his eyes, and fell to the sleep that had claimed so many in the city already.
"Daddy NOOOOO!!!!!!!" The boy screamed out and began to weep like never before, he knew now that he was alone.
Rey awoke in cold sweat, he sat up on the pile of hay he had been sleeping on. It seemed that no matter how many times he experienced that dream, it never got any easier to bear. It had been ten long years since the day Furni had burned to the ground by the hands of the mysterious warrior from his nightmare. For the past ten years, Rey had been among the few survivors of the attack and had been living underground for the time being. No one dared to come to the surface except to hunt for food, anyone that had lingered had never come back, and those who had seen what happened to those who lingered came running back. There wasn't much to see at the surface anyway, the once great city of Furni with it's ever flowing river had coincidentally been burned to the ground. All there was up there was ash, ruins, and Kamuy. No one knew why the wolf that had once been a cuddly pet to a town kid, suddenly went nuts, grew to a large size and gone berserk. As far as he knew, it had happened once before but the Dragoons from before were there and had dealt with it.
"This is no good" Said Rey to himself "I'll never go back to sleep now."
Rey stood up and dusted off the hay that held on to him. He stood at about five feet and nine inches and wore some frayed jeans and an old red tee shirt, both in bad condition because they had once belonged to one of the older men who outgrew it. Rey wasn't of a very large build but it worked to his advantage because his enemies underestimated his skill due to his size and youth. He walked over to the end of the room careful not to step on any of the others that slept in this crowded room. When he reached the edge of the room, he grabbed his sword and navigated his way through the catacombs of Furni into the training hall.
Rey stood in the middle of the room, and unsheathed his sword. He took a moment to marvel at the blade his father had handed down to him during his last breaths. The blade was steel and very sturdy showing that it had been well made. The hilt however was the interesting thing, it was made of a chrome metal that was laced with warm burgundy linings twisting into designs all up and down it and at the center of the crosspieces, lodged in place was a circular red ruby that looked like the eye of a serpent. Whenever Rey gazed into the ruby, his soul lit with a burning passion that ignited his will to fight. The origin of the jewel was unknown to Rey, the ruby had been there since his father wielded it, he had also never really held it, being partially intimidated of it yet Rey had no desire to remove it.
Rey firmly grasped the hilt of the blade and begun his practice session. He was truly experienced and very skilled for his age. He wielded a sword almost like a true master of the craft, however it seemed that way only to the eye of one untrained in the art of combat. Rey himself knew that he had much to learn, every swipe, stab, strike, and evade he did with the full intent of someday avenging his father.
Eventually the dim light of the surface found it's way into the catacombs and people began to awaken, the sun was up and it was time to begin the daily routine of survival. Rey went back to his room and placed his sword in the corner almost unable to actually let it leave his grasp. He went out into the cafeteria for breakfast early to avoid waiting in line, he had never been fond of it and he didn't ever plan to be.
Rey made his plate and went to sit down as all the other survivors of Furni began to file into the room. Along with the herding masses, came Cid, Rey's best friend since even before the attack ten years ago.
"Cid" said Rey as Cid sat down beside him with his plate of morning meat. "You look like crap dude, did you stay up too late again?"
"Shut up" Cid replied, the bags under his eyes made his whole face seem to droop.
"I guess being allowed to drink is both a blessing, and a curse huh?" Joked Rey, since Cid was 20 he had been permitted to drink, however, he was also obligated to become a hunter.
"Shut up" Replied Cid, even though he knew Rey was right. Cid took a bite a bite of his breakfast and his body shook with dislike. "I can take the hardest liquor we blend here, but I'll never get used to the taste of this stuff in the morning.
Rey laughed, he felt the same way but also knew that it was the only way to make sure that there was food in the morning. Monster meat had been known to rot fast, the hunt of the afternoon was sure to rot over night if not kept in the Inide Chamber even though it made the food taste really bad.
"Well, better it tastes like inide than rotten" Sadi Rey.
The two got back to their food and began to eat. After breakfast Cid and Rey met at the door prepared to go their separate ways, Cid to the surface with the other hunters, and Rey to the advanced training courses.
"I heard that someone is going on their first hunt today" Rey said to Cid.
"Yeah, he turned twenty just this morning" Replied Cid "I don't think he is a good fighter though, he seems very paranoid about going to the surface"
"Well, just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Rey said, and with that the two went to their everyday jobs.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH" Rey heard a deafening scream coming from the catacombs and out of instinct rushed out to find it. Rey ran and ran hearing even more carnage and screams as he traveled. Eventually as he got closer to the ladder to the surface the walls began to be covered in blood. Rey ran faster and faster trying to figure out what was going on, but he knew it was not good.
As he got closer to the entrance, his worst fear was confirmed. Laying in a gathering pool of his own blood lay Cid. Rey was faced with the grimmest thought that made up his worst fear as he ran through the hall. Rey began to feel weak but managed to make his way over to the body of his friend. He placed his forehead on his friends chest and began to weep.
"Hey Man" Cid was able to make out, though he was weak, he was still alive. "Stop crying, your 19. Plus I'm not even dead."
"Cid?" Rey pulled his head up in disbelief "Y-you're okay!!!" Rey embraced his friend and began to weep even harder. After a while he came to. "What happened, who or what did this?"
Cid's expression changed to anger "You know that new hunter we were talking about earlier?"
"Yeah"
"Well, while we were hunting for food for the day we got attacked by Kamuy." Cid explained "well, that sissy moron panicked right away, and instead of fighting him to ward him off before returning down here, he ran straight for the entrance and brought Kamuy with him. The stupid kid got what he deserved, Kamuy pounced on him right as made it inside and, he knocked him to the ground and started ripping his spine out from the back. When we got here, he was already on rampage, we tried to fight him but he easily overpowered us."
Rey was speechless at this point, the horror of the story was almost too much to bear, he didn't know what to do. He looked back down on his friend with pity.
"Where were you wounded?" Rey asked.
"My right shoulder" replied Cid. "He took a big bite from it and the only reason it's still there is because he went to chase someone else."
Rey proceeded to remove Cid's shirt to examine the wound. He gasped when he saw it and began to check to see if he could repair it with his little knowledge of medicine. His shoulder was lined with small circles all about ¾ of an inch in diameter. Blood leaked from all of them and the pool steadily grew.
"You'll be alright" Rey lied, he knew very well what was next and so did Cid.
"Quit lying" Cid replied, he had now calmed down "You and I both know that I'm about to die, quit denying it."
Rey swallowed the reality of the situation and tried to stop weeping.
"You've been a great friend, I'm gonna miss you" Said Rey
"Don't worry, not even death can break the bonds of our friendship...or some junk like that" Cid joked. They both laughed for a while and then got serious again. "No, but seriously, I'm sure you'll be okay, just get out of here before Kamuy finds you."
"Okay, my friend" Rey
Rey looked on as his friend drew his last breath and went still. He grabbed Cid's sword and placed it in his hands and crossed his arms over his chest. (Like Aragorn did to Boromir)
"Good-bye"
Rey stood to his feet and took his last look at his friend. He turned around and his heart skipped a beat. There, not five feet away stood the beast that had caused the deaths of so many. Kamuy stared at him with his pale blue eyes, a sick mix of blood and drool dripped from his mouth as he bared his teeth. The possessed once-wolf creature braced itself for battle giving Rey a chance to draw his sword.
Rey unsheathed the blade his father passed down to him. He stared deeply into the crimson serpent eye ruby, the jewel seemed to stare back at him but into his soul. Rey took a fighting stance holding the blade out vertically in front of him.
Rey knew he was in for the fight of his life. None of the other hunters had been able to take Kamuy even in groups, but now he had no choice. Rey faced true fear and the possibility of death, but he felt he couldn't have been more ready.
