Chapter One: Runefuast Invasion
As I stare at the flickering flames of the campfire I notice
that the flames have grown dimmer and dimmer as the hours pass it's probably
near dawn by now. Everyone is asleep and I'm alone. Just a few days ago I was
just an apprentice, now I've shed blood and have my friends lives in my hands.
The first battle was really rough, I didn't really know what I was doing, but
then again I don't think anyone did. Luckily, Luke had the strength to finish
off the last Rune Knight before anymore of us had fallen. I hate to think what
would have happened to us if he hadn't. Tao and Ken are better now, but for a
while I was really worried. Not everything turned out OK. My home is burned,
along with who knows how many of my friends. I've realized that the only
friends I'll have for a while are my troops and I don't know any of them really
except Lowe and Mae, Yes-lovely Mae, so strong and beautiful, my heart will
always belong to her. I should know better than to fall in love at a time like
this, I can only hurt myself more. But I can't help it. So many things have
happened in the last few days, I really should record them but some of them I
don't want to remember, like the sight of my friends being butchered around me.
I will though, hoping that someday can I look back at them and laugh at my
foolishness, if I live that long. It all started when Varios and me were
training in the gardens. I think he knocked me out cold, but I can't really
recall much. I ran out in a huff because I was mad, at being knocked out and
all, when I ran into Lowe. He and I talked for a while when we were interrupted
by one of the huge centurion castle guards. He wanted to speak to Varios
urgently it must have been something about the King, but I'll get to that later.
By the time I got back into the garden Varios was leaving. After that I
wandered around the town for a bit talking to everyone. When I got tired of
that I headed to the castle, when I got there the King had some shocking news.
I, Dirk was to lead the attack against Runefaust. I went out and was confronted
by my troops. Ken, Hans, Tao, Luke, and Lowe. Foolishly I decided to keep the
coins the King gave me for future use. Now I know not to go into battle
unprepared. We were also foolishly jubilant while we rode in the chartered cart
to the gate of the Ancients; I think that we thought a soldier's life would be
full of spirited adventures, that we would never meet tragedy. I can't believe
that I was ever so naive just a few midnights ago. We've all aged passed our
childhood in these days of eye opening battles and death, even the youngest of
us lively Tao is solemn. To think our journey has just begun! The first battle
was terribly unorganized on our part, as I've already recorded it's amazing we
won. I know this seems like nonsense, but I can't help but feel regret for
being a killer, even though those I slayed would have had no problem sticking
their daggers through my own heart. I should have been prepared for this, after
all, and then what is the point of dedicating your life to the art of
swordsmanship if you can't bear to use it. I felt heartless as I looted
my first victim's dying body to find 12 coins in gold, and when he died I had
to leave him there on the ground, far away from home where his children would
never call him "Papa" again. It is confusing, since I can tell this
to no one but you, Log because no one else would understand. Maybe Lowe, but he
probably would faint at the sound of the name "goblin" and that would
be the end of the conversation. After we defeated the last of them at the gate,
we thought it might be done for the day, but our ordeal wasn't over yet. There
was a mighty earthquake and a landslide blocked the road. There were a lot of
monsters in our way around so we decided to retreat to a small hamlet. We met
some interesting characters there, one of which joined our force. He is a
healer half giant whose name is Gong, he's the quiet type and none of us has
got a chance to get to know him yet. I also met another strange character, a
dog like creature that just said that he had "been waiting for me"
maybe we'll meet them again in our travels. I'll tell you a bit of what
my hometown was like when we returned. A hellish burned out hole in the
ground was all that remained of my once beautiful childhood playground. I can
still picture the happy memories I had there running about with my friends,
most of them dead by my best guess. After surveying the damage, my heart heavy
in my chest, I headed towards the castle, where some things happened which are
hard for me to think about right now. First is the death of the King and
Varios, my childhood idol, I watched him die right before my eyes, his blood
soaking into the carpet on which I stood. Second is Darksol, damn his
name, I cannot imagine a being more evil, more vile then he. I hope some day I
can avenge their deaths. I will feel no remorse for bludgeoning his evil frame
until it is a lifeless corpse, like that of my friends. I'm not sure what
to feel on the third item, I am glad that Mae joined the Shining Force, but not
the circumstances on which she decided to do so. Someone's death is
nothing to celebrate. Maybe now our relationship can move on, past just holding
hands and walks in the park. But I'll save that for some other time, it's
getting late. . .
Dirk set down the Log, and pulled his blanket around himself. It was almost dawn, but at least he could get a few hour rest. The fire's warmth had deteriorated considerably and he shivered, longing for his own warm bed. Eventually he drifted off into a deep sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Ken awoke to find a bad taste in his mouth. I
shouldn't have ate those sausages so late last night. He realized that he
was the only one awake, but the day was already getting late, he guessed it to
be almost 10 o'clock.
"Wake up!!! Don't make me drag you out of your
beds! I'll eat all the breakfast, and you'll go against Runfaust
hungry!" The others replied with anguished groans. But to Ken's
surprise they actually listened to him. Out of their blankets came Tao,
Dirk, Gort, Gong, Luke, and Hans.
"Hey, have you got a little snack started yet, I could
eat a horse!" Gort bellowed.
"Hey what's this talk of eating horses?" Ken
asked taking great offence; he was half horse after all!
"Nothing, nothing at all just a figure of speech
that's all. But you didn't answer my question about the food old
buddy." Gort retorted
"Well actually I mentioned food just so you'd wake up,
to be honest with you."
"Well thanks for volunteering, since you seem so
eager, I like my eggs scrambled." After that everyone else chimed in with
their own requests. Ken groaned, he didn't like cooking very much.
He noticed that they all weren't here yet.
"Where's Mae and Lowe? They should be up by
now!" Gort shouted hoping to have them awaken.
"I'll get them." Ken volunteered jauntily as he walked
over to Lowe's sleeping form. He put his hoof on Lowe's back. "Get up Guardania
wimp!" he commanded in the booming voice of a Rune Knight. Lowe screamed and
writhed under his friend's heavy hoof.
"LET ME GO!! I"LL JOIN! I"LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!"
Lowe shrieked.
"Nice to see ya old buddy," Ken picked Lowe up by his
hood and brought him up to eye level, he was only a half-ling after all.
"K-K-Ken! It's you! D-d-don't d-d-do that to me!" Lowe
was trembling.
"Then don't make me," he said, trying to control his
laughing as he dropped Lowe to the ground, where he lay panting. Gong walked
over and helped him up. Most wouldn't think that very nice way to treat your
friends, but Ken had a strange view on things, and he enjoyed playing practical
jokes.
After dealing with Lowe, Ken walked over to where Mae
was sleeping. She gives us centurions a bad name he thought hatefully.
"Rise and shine!" he tore the horse blanket off her
head.
"AHHH! Morning already! Let me sleep some more, I
really need my beauty rest"
"You'll need to hibernate for years before your even
remotely beautiful"
"Ken! How dare you!
"Easily, now get up."
"Fine," she said curtly, "But don't expect any favours
from me!" she got up and stormed towards the campfire.
Lowe, who had been listening, approached Ken.
"W-w-why d-d-do you two f-f-f-ight all the t-t-time?"
"She's lazy, pompous and vain, and I can't stand her!"
"O-o-oh,"
"She always tries to take advantage of me just because
we're both centurions and because her father just died, well no way!" and with
that Ken stalked away.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I did one goblin in one shot," Luke boasted.
"Lair! I helped! It was my blaze that weakened him to
your level!" That was Tao, the mage of their company.
"Be quiet, both of you! Can't a person eat their
breakfast in peace?" These were the usual sounds of breakfast at camp.
"ERGH! My hair's a mess!! It'll take me weeks to get
it back to normal!!"
"Stop your bellyaching! I don't want to hear it
anymore"
"Sir, that is no way to talk to a lady!"
"Who's a lady?"
"How dare you!"
"HEY!! QUIT FIGHTING! At this rate we won't have to
worry about Runefaust we'll destroy ourselves first!" that was Dirk, always the
peacemaker, well most of the time.
Lowe noticed that everyone was staring at him. "W-w-what's the
m-m-matter guys?"
"Lowe, I want you to walk slowly towards me, without
looking over your shoulder, or behind you."
"W-w-why?" he said turning around.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!"
And with that, the third battle began.
* * * * * * * * * *
Dearest Log,
We fought our hardest on the way to Alterone, but we had to retreat several
times. I found this battle preticulalary hard because it took place on the very
road where my parents were butchered. I can't remember very much anymore, but
that's for the better. I remember we were on the way to visit my aunt; I was
maybe 3 or 4. We were almost there when a band of snipers came out of the
bushes. Luckily my mother, an apprenticed healer managed to put a shield
spell on me before I suffered the same fate as them. Time has managed to
erase scars and fade memories but on the road to Alterone they were more
powerful than ever. I defeated many enemies that first time, but I was
too foolhardy for my own good and was defeated soon after that myself. But
eventually we did make our way into Alterone. There I met a woman who
threatened me with an ominous reckoning of my future and told me to go back
home. What home? I don't have a home anymore. (new) I
shouldn't fret over it though, things have to change. Alterone is such a
confusing town!!! I got lost many times, I did gaiin plenty of booty
though. I met a healer named Khris there, she let me out of the jail
which I was thrown into. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Alterone
had already surrended under the rule of the vile villioness Kane, they wanted
no part of the trouble Gaurdania has found itself in. So when I went to
seek the King's help I was thrown into the jail for being an
"enemy". Which I actually find very amusing because my troops
and I saved their town! Funny. The battle wasn't that difficult, it
was a little confusing cause the town is confusing, but that was all. I
think Lowe and the new girl Khris are getting to be good friends, which is good
because I admit, I havn't been that nice to him lately. I think it's just
the constant traval that's getting to me. And all the fighting that goes
on. If we keep on fighting within ourselves how can we ever defeat Runefaust?
My fortune from that strage witch lady keeps coming back to me, what she spoke
the truth? What if, what if this journel entry is to be my last? I
must stopp thinking in what ifs, they can only drag me down, and I need to stay
on top of things. Especially since we are travalling into strange lands
tomorrow. Alterone is the farthest I've ever ventured out of Gaurdania, I
admit that I'm scared to go where the terrain is unformilur. I should try
to sleep like the others, I'll need my energy for tomorrow. Gort and Nova
told me that it is a long way to Rindo, that's our next destination.
Dearest Log, I bid you farewell for the night.