Falling....falling...
I open my eyes. All I can see is the azure sky and a big, bright sun straight above me. I stare at it for a while. It doesn't hurt my eyes. It starts to get smaller and smaller, shrinking all the time.
I flip over and watch the ground speed towards me. Scattered bands of travelers can be seen walking on the meandering roads. I'm almost to the ground. I close my eyes.
I wake up. I'm face down on the dusty ground. I can hear people coming toward me. I hope they're nice people. I stand up.
"Hi there!" I shout at the arriving travelers, "would you mind lending me some cloths?"
The apparent leader, a knight with blonde hair and blues, cautiously approaches. "Hail, you don't speak as those from around these parts. What is your name?"
"Pau...um...Janua, Janua Kukri."
"An odd name as well, Janua. Well, I get a good feeling from you. All right, we'll give you some clothes, but we have no other supplies that we may spare."
"That's quite all right. Everything else I need I have right here," I say, extending my right hand.
"Are you a monk?"
"No, but I have something better. I have decided to call it my Copy Skill. I can use this power to copy anyone's powers. It's a very useful skill."
"I've never heard of this 'copy skill' before, but you're welcome to join us on our journey."
"A lot of good that'll do 'im!" a voice says, popping out from the tall grasses of the Mandalia Plains. "You'll all be dead soon, anyway, and us a little richer." His comrades one by one pop out of the grasses, already surrounding the small group.
"Thieves! I knew we should have been more careful! Beja, Sheron, get to our front and defend us from the front. I'll get our backs. Make sure you give the summoners enough time to cast their spells."
A young man and a young woman run forward. "Yes sir!" they shout.
"I feel like I should help," I say. "What do you want me to do?"
"What can you do?"
"Hold still for a moment." I step towards him and hold out my hand. A blue beam shoots out and connects with the knight's forehead. Interesting, I think, he has mastered the monk job as well as the knight. This should do. Red streaks flow up the beam back toward me, traveling into my hand and spreading like veins. Once all the red is gone, the beam retracts back into my hand. The knight looks dazed for a second, then snaps to attention.
"What happened?"
"I just used my copy skill. Don't worry, you're fine. You had better get into your position." I turn around to face the lancers and summoners. The summoners have started to chant and the first thieves are almost to the lancers. I run forward, past both the summoners and the lancers, and clenching my left hand into a tight fist. When I'm almost to the thieves I dash the right, getting the two into a straight line. I slam my fist into the ground and shout," Earth slash!" A wave of energy breaks through the ground and rushes toward the thieves, hitting both of them and knocking them out. The lancers look toward me, nod in thanks, then simultaneously jump high into the air. I turn to more pressing matters.
The knight is having trouble fending off the blows from two monks, using both his sword and shield for protection. The summoners are almost done casting, but won't make it if the thieves reach them. I rush to help.
I approach the closest thief from behind and punch him in the back of the head. He flips over, head first, crashing into the ground. He jumps back up and draws a mythril knife. He dashes toward me, but I anticipate his attack and block it, initiating one of my own. I punch him dead center in his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him, and beginning a "repeating fist." I continue to pound him until he falls, screaming in pain. I dash forward again. The other thief, the leader, is almost to the summoners.
I need not have hurried. One of the summoners opens his eyes and shouts, "Shiva!" Out of the sky came the nymph-like ice queen, sprinkling diamond dust as she flew by. The thief doesn't realize he has been attacked until it is too late, the dust cutting him into several pieces. I turn to help the knight, but the lancers have already come down upon the two monks, knocking them out.
The part starts to convene in the middle of the battlefield to split the gil and equipment gotten from the battle, but I turn and walk away. As I pass by the leader, I see he has a coral sword and take it. Not bad for my first half hour in Ivalice.
I open my eyes. All I can see is the azure sky and a big, bright sun straight above me. I stare at it for a while. It doesn't hurt my eyes. It starts to get smaller and smaller, shrinking all the time.
I flip over and watch the ground speed towards me. Scattered bands of travelers can be seen walking on the meandering roads. I'm almost to the ground. I close my eyes.
I wake up. I'm face down on the dusty ground. I can hear people coming toward me. I hope they're nice people. I stand up.
"Hi there!" I shout at the arriving travelers, "would you mind lending me some cloths?"
The apparent leader, a knight with blonde hair and blues, cautiously approaches. "Hail, you don't speak as those from around these parts. What is your name?"
"Pau...um...Janua, Janua Kukri."
"An odd name as well, Janua. Well, I get a good feeling from you. All right, we'll give you some clothes, but we have no other supplies that we may spare."
"That's quite all right. Everything else I need I have right here," I say, extending my right hand.
"Are you a monk?"
"No, but I have something better. I have decided to call it my Copy Skill. I can use this power to copy anyone's powers. It's a very useful skill."
"I've never heard of this 'copy skill' before, but you're welcome to join us on our journey."
"A lot of good that'll do 'im!" a voice says, popping out from the tall grasses of the Mandalia Plains. "You'll all be dead soon, anyway, and us a little richer." His comrades one by one pop out of the grasses, already surrounding the small group.
"Thieves! I knew we should have been more careful! Beja, Sheron, get to our front and defend us from the front. I'll get our backs. Make sure you give the summoners enough time to cast their spells."
A young man and a young woman run forward. "Yes sir!" they shout.
"I feel like I should help," I say. "What do you want me to do?"
"What can you do?"
"Hold still for a moment." I step towards him and hold out my hand. A blue beam shoots out and connects with the knight's forehead. Interesting, I think, he has mastered the monk job as well as the knight. This should do. Red streaks flow up the beam back toward me, traveling into my hand and spreading like veins. Once all the red is gone, the beam retracts back into my hand. The knight looks dazed for a second, then snaps to attention.
"What happened?"
"I just used my copy skill. Don't worry, you're fine. You had better get into your position." I turn around to face the lancers and summoners. The summoners have started to chant and the first thieves are almost to the lancers. I run forward, past both the summoners and the lancers, and clenching my left hand into a tight fist. When I'm almost to the thieves I dash the right, getting the two into a straight line. I slam my fist into the ground and shout," Earth slash!" A wave of energy breaks through the ground and rushes toward the thieves, hitting both of them and knocking them out. The lancers look toward me, nod in thanks, then simultaneously jump high into the air. I turn to more pressing matters.
The knight is having trouble fending off the blows from two monks, using both his sword and shield for protection. The summoners are almost done casting, but won't make it if the thieves reach them. I rush to help.
I approach the closest thief from behind and punch him in the back of the head. He flips over, head first, crashing into the ground. He jumps back up and draws a mythril knife. He dashes toward me, but I anticipate his attack and block it, initiating one of my own. I punch him dead center in his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him, and beginning a "repeating fist." I continue to pound him until he falls, screaming in pain. I dash forward again. The other thief, the leader, is almost to the summoners.
I need not have hurried. One of the summoners opens his eyes and shouts, "Shiva!" Out of the sky came the nymph-like ice queen, sprinkling diamond dust as she flew by. The thief doesn't realize he has been attacked until it is too late, the dust cutting him into several pieces. I turn to help the knight, but the lancers have already come down upon the two monks, knocking them out.
The part starts to convene in the middle of the battlefield to split the gil and equipment gotten from the battle, but I turn and walk away. As I pass by the leader, I see he has a coral sword and take it. Not bad for my first half hour in Ivalice.