Morroc was alive with celebration. People of all classes were
gathering in party, enjoying the festivities that Morroc was known for.
Friends and lovers danced with smiles on their faces, town guards put down
their weapons and just enjoyed themselves. Tonight was the New Year's
celebration.
"Kawaii-Yuki-chan, I got us a room at the Morroc Inn," A thief was guiding his mage girlfriend through the streets. He was sober, and a somewhat smug look of happiness was growing on his face. Yuki-chan was supporting herself in his arms, she was exhausted. Mages weren't known for throwing down and partying, but anyone living in Morroc waits for the celebrations. It would be a waste to not join in festivities of this caliber!
"Oh, Battosai..." she lifted her head up drearily to see her lover, she was red-faced from drinking, and her eyes were only half open. She still looked into Battosai's eyes with deepest affection. She smiled a little as they walked, embraced in one another's arms.
"Hello, you here to take a room?" An old bearded man behind the counter glanced at the flirtatious lovers and turned to take a key from the shelf, "Your name?"
"Battosai; I made a reservation," he supported Kawaii-Yuki-Chan as she stood up, dusting herself off slightly. She wrapped her arms around Battosai. Their flirtatious manner didn't bother the innkeep, but it was really enough to make some cringe.
"Alright, here's your key. Room number... 13" The innkeep handed Battosai the key.
Battosai raised an eyebrow at the innkeep as he continued reading his book, never changing his expression. Battosai knew he was on top, he was going to a quiet, romantic room with a beautiful young lady to whom he'd earned the highest regards. They walked off, feeling on top of the world.
"So..." Kawaii-Yuki-Chan was nervously bouncing her feet while sitting on the bunkbed in their hotel room. The night was still alive, firelight spilled into their room illuminating their blushed faces in such a romantic manner than they were struggling to resist giving in to their passionate urges. Battosai moved near to the bed, taking a seat next to her. She was trembling slightly.
"Yuki-Chan..." Battosai wrapped his arm around her body, and moved his face ever slightly closer to hers. Yuki's eyes were closed, and she awaited the kiss from Battosai, nervously. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, looking slightly confused.
"What was that?" she spoke softly.
"I don't know..." Their romantic encounter was suddenly broken with a loud thud at their window. Battosai leaned over to get a better view of the window, "Pssh, probably some perverts who wanna peak in on us."
Irritated, but arrogant, Battosai stood up and drew his knife. Muttering threatening comments to himself to impress Yuki-Chan, he moved to window.
"Alright, you peeping-tom, show yourself, huh?!" He threw open the window and stuck his head out, brandishing his knife before his face in a threatening pose. Yuki-Chan stood up hearing a struggle and called out to Battosai.
"Hey, Battosai? Who's there, huh?" stepping as softly as she could, she moved to the window. There was still too much noise outside to be fully aware of what was happening. She spoke his name again, before she tripped on something lying conspicuously on the darkened floor. She bent down to see what it was, and just before her hand reached it, a passing citizen with a torch briefly illuminated the room. What she saw on the ground was Battosai's severed head, looking back up at her in a petrified glare of death. Her screams were muffled as a large and burly hand was wrapped around her mouth. Horror gripped her soul, her eyes widened as she struggled to turn around and see what was grabbing her face. She momentarily broke free of the grasp and saw before her a man seven feet tall if he was an inch; His body sheathed in shadows, his massive axes stained in his new victims blood. He looked down at her with a slight smile. Yuki-Chan had never felt such fear in her life, she was shaking uncontrollably, she grasped her chest, wanting to scream, and just as her mouth opened, she could see the glint of steel moving through the darkness.
"I just handed him his key and he left with his girlfriend..."
"I don't know. I don't think I heard any screams, it was really loud last night..."
"You expect us to hear anything in that party last night?"
Talk was about the town of Morroc the next day. During the grand celebrations, two brutal murders had taken place, and a suspicious man in a business suit was asking people if they had heard anything.
"Thank you for your help... and may the Tribunal protect you," the man shook his head with a smile at a villager sitting under a merchant tent.
"Yeah... right back atcha, pal..."
Unbeknownst to the visiting Northman in the business suit, murder was not an uncommon occurrence in Morroc. Though it only happens to the right people, in a town full of thieves, assassins, and distant travelers, some people will get involved in the wrong trades, and turn up dead during the night. Something this time was different, and only this Northman was suspicious about it. To everyone else, it was just another mob-land assassination. But how many mob-land assassinations involved brutal decapitations and the violent removal of the corpse's bones?
"Hmm..." The Northman was inspecting the hotel room, "This can only mean one thing..."
"Hey! Hey, Calendula... I'm glad you're still here."
"Yes?" A beautiful pink-haired acolyte woman sat laying up against one of the stone doorways in the center of Morroc town. Her eyes moved up to the approaching stranger that stood before her.
"I've gotta get a warp out of here. Could you get me to Izlude?" The stranger spoke in a youthful voice, brushing his long hair out of his face.
"Sure," she smiled a sweet smile as she stood up and reached for her memo-book, "Just let me check if I have it memo'd"
"Okie-dokie," she said, "That'll be 800 zenny please."
The young man handed her a pouch full of 800 zenny, and she started to cast her spell. But before she could finish casting, a large hand grasped her shoulder.
"I have to get to Geffen. Now." The large man's booming voice echoed forth. Calendula smiled nervously, tilting her head at the large man. The other young man just raised a curious eyebrow.
"I'm sorry... I have to warp this young man to Izlude first."
"I care not for this young man, I demand you take me to Geffen, now!" The large man was practically yelling at the poor acolyte, and she started to quiver a bit.
"Um... I'm sorry, but I was here first... Could we just...?" Before the young man could finish his sentence, a throwing axe was buried in his skull, and he stumbled backwards and fell with a heavy drop to the ground. In utter shock, Calendula was frozen, as wide eyes turned to the large man looming over her.
"Geffen... NOW!" the large man, with a throwing axe in hand, was demanding Calendula. She only trembled before she clutched her arms to her chest and let out a tremendous scream. Passerbys all stopped and watched the respected Calendula at this man's mercy, but fearing that their fate would be similar to man's whose skull was currently split open with a throwing axe, they only stopped and watched.
"Useless...!" The man grabbed the wailing Calendula by the collar of her robe and lifted her up. She struggled as tears ran down her face, but she was powerless to this man's large burly grip. As he lifted his axe above her head, she closed her eyes and awaited her violent fate.
"Stop!" A whirling hammer flew at tremendous speed and crashed into the assailants right hand. He dropped his axe and lowered Calendula to the ground, turning to the source of the hammer. There, standing against the sun, was a man equal in size to his own. Clad in a business suit, his blonde hair blowing against the wind. Two great swords were drawn in his hands, and he stood in a readied stance.
"Drop the girl, Golrath," His heroic voice inspired hope in the watchers. A large crowd had gathered now, and they all waited in perfect stillness.
Golrath, still holding onto Calendula's collar, grunted and his face contorted into a fearsome grimace. His rumbling voice, in sharp contrast to the other man's, was full of anger. He pushed Calendula to the ground and she scurried off into the crowd, crying. Golrath reached to his back and drew two great axes.
"Damn you, Xantor... You're always in my way!" Leaping into the air, Golrath dropped down on Xantor with his axes, but Xantor easily deflected the attacked. The immense force of their weapons crashing into each other knocked nearby watchers to the ground. They were in awe as the two Barbarians battled one another in plain view.
"Golrath! You were the one responsible for murdering those two in the hotel room, weren't you!" Xantor swung his mighty swords at Golrath, but no attacks connected. Golrath too, had no luck in landing a single hit. As their weapons smashed into each other, and nearby tents were knocked down by the mere power emanating from their galactic battle, they yelled threatening lines to one another.
"I knew you'd figure out sooner or later," Golrath said, still gnashing his teeth and whipping his axes about, "And I almost got away with it, too!"
Golrath brought an axe down full force into the ground, and Xantor leapt backwards to avoid it. Golrath looked back up at Xantor, trying to pull his axe from the now caved in road.
"You... will be punished, Golrath!" Raising both swords above his head, he quickly brought them down on Golrath, but Golrath lifted his other axe and blocked the attack.
Roaring, Golrath dropped both weapons and leapt backwards. This stunned Xantor long enough for Golrath to get away, but now he was without a weapon.
"Well, Xantor... You've won this round, but we will meet again!" Golrath knelt down, as Xantor held his hand out to him.
"Golrath! Stop, no!" But by the time Xantor had reached him, Golrath had already leapt with large burly legs up onto the roof an apartment building, and began leaping away over the horizon.
Xantor still stood, in a heroic posture, staring over the landscape in which Golrath had just fled. The crowds were beginning to recover, as various people picked themselves up and started to speak again. Several people approached Xantor as he stood, taking in the image of his awesome force. Before them stood Xantor the Barbarian, champion of Justice, foe of all the evil in the world! Calendula, as she wiped the tears from her eyes, stood back up and adjusted her robe. She cautiously stepped forward to Xantor.
"I..." her voice was still weak and trembling, and she couldn't face her shame to look eye-to-eye with Xantor, "You saved my life... How can I..."
Xantor slowly turned around, his eyes full of duty and purpose. He looked down at the embarrassed Calendula and spoke.
"There, there. Serving justice repays itself. You are in no debt to me," Xantor smiled as he spoke, and Calendula raised her head.
"Th-thank you!" Calendula's face lit up as she looked back up at Xantor. At that moment, everyone's hopes were uplifted. They knew they had Xantor on their side. Still, everyone was silent, and Calendula spoke again, "I'm sorry but... I didn't catch your name..?"
Xantor looked back down at Calendula, and then raised his head to the skies. The setting sun illuminated his face as a sudden gust of wind picked up his hair. His voice was valiant, and courageous. "I am Xantor..." his words echoed off the walls of the houses lining Morroc's busiest street. There was a pause as everyone gazed at Xantor.
"The Barbarian!" With these final words, cheers rang up amongst the people. Citizens threw their hats into the air, others called out Xantor's name in a chant of fanaticism.
"God Bless you, Xantor the Barbarian!"
"Xantor! We love you!!"
Though Xantor smiled a hearty smile, and welcomed everyone and shook their hands, his mind was full of a deeper purpose. Golrath was still loose, and he had to be stopped.
"A mage? Really?" Two novices were walking together through the thick Payon Forest. They were tired out from their experience quests so now they were taking it easy with a peaceful walk down Payon's more tranquil areas.
"Yup! I'm gonna have to go all the way to Geffen, but when I do, I'll be a powerful mage!" The female of the two walked with her arms crossed behind her back.
"Well, I'm thinking that I'm going to become a merchant. Alberta's not too far from here and I can make a ton of money as a merchant!" The two continued talking in their enthusiastic manner. Most novices were excited to get out and enjoy the world of Rune Midgard, and these two were no exception. Their energy was unmatched.
"Wanna sit for a sec, Arwwyn?" TidusFFX, the male of the pair stopped at an old tree stump. His friend Arwwyn nodded and they sat next to one another. They inhaled the humid air as the forest animals livened up the environment with their calls. The setting was peaceful, the sounds of the forest created a relaxing scene for two friends to spend some time together. There was a rustle in a nearby bush, but neither of the two paid it any notice.
"This sure is a wonderful day!" Stating the obvious, Arwwyn took a deep breath smiling to herself and closing her eyes. TidusFFX glanced back at her with a grin while setting up the food he had brought. There came another rustle in another direction.
"Payon's forests are a great place to let off some steam," TidusFFX continued to search through his bag full of the spoils he had collected in his experience time. He turned his head when he heard leaves being disturbed directly behind him.
"Did you..?" When he looked back at Arwwyn, he noticed she too was facing the bush right behind them. She curiously raised an eyebrow as she shifted her eyes to TidusFFX.
Both of them slowly unsheathed their knives and glanced about nervously. The forest had gone strangely quiet, with only very distant sounds of frogs and crickets reaching their ears.
TidusFFX called out as he jumped up from his seat and pointed at a distant tree. Arwwyn leapt closer to TidusFFX, unsure of the situation, and grasped her knife with both hands.
"Look out!" They both ducked as shurikens pelted the stump they were previously sitting on. From three different bushes sprang a trio of ninjas, clad in black, with only their angry and intense eyes showing through a hole in their masks. The three surrounded Arwwyn and TidusFFX with their swords drawn, staring the two novices down in nerve-wracking suspense. The two novices still clutched their knives, Arwwyn shivered slightly, and cold sweat ran down TidusFFX's back. The silence and stillness was broken when TidusFFX let out a tremendous war cry and leapt at one of the ninjas.
"Haaaiii, YA!!" TidusFFX's dagger connected straight into a ninja's neck, and a fountain of blood momentarily sprayed out as the ninja's lifeless body collapsed in a heap at TidusFFX's feet. The other two ninjas unleashed a barrage of ninja stars, but TidusFFX's adrenaline was pumping, and his feet were carrying him at unprecedented speeds in a tight circle around the last two ninjas. Arwwyn, afraid of the violent fighting, leapt into a bush and watched with frightened eyes as TidusFFX took wild swings and stabs with his dagger. The ninjas were clearly at a disadvantage to the raging power TidusFFX was letting loose. One ninja leapt over TidusFFX as he preoccupied the other, and tried to stab at his back. However, TidusFFX dropped and rolled, and watched as a ninja was impaled by his comrade's sword. Blood ran down the blade of the sword, and a sickly gush sprayed out when the surviving ninja pulled the sword out of the other's body. Now TidusFFX was facing down one ninja. Arwwyn silently cheered TidusFFX on she watched him deflecting the ninja's attacks. At long last, TidusFFX stopped the ninja's sword with his shield, and with the ninja's blade raised over his head, TidusFFX jabbed right for the heart, and twisted his blade 90 degrees once it was sunken into his victim's chest.
At his feet lay three ninjas, drowning in pools of their own blood. TidusFFX cleaned off his knife blade and helped Arwwyn out of the bush from which she was hiding. Blood was splattered on his clothing, but to him it was a sign of victory.
"Wow! That was great!" Arwwyn was ecstatic to see TidusFFX survive the ordeal without a scratch.
With a smug smile, he tried his best to keep his pride from surfacing, "Yes, well..."
While they stood in their victorious glamour, a deep voice echoed from the forest.
"Ah hah hah hah!" Arwwyn and TidusFFX stopped and once again glanced around nervously, knives drawn.
"What an excellent show!" The voice, seemingly coming from nowhere, continued on, "But it was all just an opening act!"
"C'mon! I'm not afraid of you, show yourself!" TidusFFX called out to the forest.
"If that's what you want, so be it!" From the tops of one of the highest trees, leaves were shaken loose and fell towards Arwwyn and TidusFFX. Before the leaves even touched the ground, a large and burly man with two tremendous war axes in his hands crashed down on the novice pair. TidusFFX was thrown heavily to the ground about 20 feet away. His vision was blurred when he saw a gigantic man menacingly hanging over him. On the ground behind this man, leaves shaken loose from the tops of the highest trees fell on the decapitated body of Arwwyn. A look of horror grew on TidusFFX's face as the sudden realization of his own mortality became incredibly apparent. He could do nothing but stare helplessly at the large man standing before him. His vision came into focus at the precise moment of seeing an axe blade rapidly advancing towards his face.
That's the end.
"Kawaii-Yuki-chan, I got us a room at the Morroc Inn," A thief was guiding his mage girlfriend through the streets. He was sober, and a somewhat smug look of happiness was growing on his face. Yuki-chan was supporting herself in his arms, she was exhausted. Mages weren't known for throwing down and partying, but anyone living in Morroc waits for the celebrations. It would be a waste to not join in festivities of this caliber!
"Oh, Battosai..." she lifted her head up drearily to see her lover, she was red-faced from drinking, and her eyes were only half open. She still looked into Battosai's eyes with deepest affection. She smiled a little as they walked, embraced in one another's arms.
"Hello, you here to take a room?" An old bearded man behind the counter glanced at the flirtatious lovers and turned to take a key from the shelf, "Your name?"
"Battosai; I made a reservation," he supported Kawaii-Yuki-Chan as she stood up, dusting herself off slightly. She wrapped her arms around Battosai. Their flirtatious manner didn't bother the innkeep, but it was really enough to make some cringe.
"Alright, here's your key. Room number... 13" The innkeep handed Battosai the key.
Battosai raised an eyebrow at the innkeep as he continued reading his book, never changing his expression. Battosai knew he was on top, he was going to a quiet, romantic room with a beautiful young lady to whom he'd earned the highest regards. They walked off, feeling on top of the world.
"So..." Kawaii-Yuki-Chan was nervously bouncing her feet while sitting on the bunkbed in their hotel room. The night was still alive, firelight spilled into their room illuminating their blushed faces in such a romantic manner than they were struggling to resist giving in to their passionate urges. Battosai moved near to the bed, taking a seat next to her. She was trembling slightly.
"Yuki-Chan..." Battosai wrapped his arm around her body, and moved his face ever slightly closer to hers. Yuki's eyes were closed, and she awaited the kiss from Battosai, nervously. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, looking slightly confused.
"What was that?" she spoke softly.
"I don't know..." Their romantic encounter was suddenly broken with a loud thud at their window. Battosai leaned over to get a better view of the window, "Pssh, probably some perverts who wanna peak in on us."
Irritated, but arrogant, Battosai stood up and drew his knife. Muttering threatening comments to himself to impress Yuki-Chan, he moved to window.
"Alright, you peeping-tom, show yourself, huh?!" He threw open the window and stuck his head out, brandishing his knife before his face in a threatening pose. Yuki-Chan stood up hearing a struggle and called out to Battosai.
"Hey, Battosai? Who's there, huh?" stepping as softly as she could, she moved to the window. There was still too much noise outside to be fully aware of what was happening. She spoke his name again, before she tripped on something lying conspicuously on the darkened floor. She bent down to see what it was, and just before her hand reached it, a passing citizen with a torch briefly illuminated the room. What she saw on the ground was Battosai's severed head, looking back up at her in a petrified glare of death. Her screams were muffled as a large and burly hand was wrapped around her mouth. Horror gripped her soul, her eyes widened as she struggled to turn around and see what was grabbing her face. She momentarily broke free of the grasp and saw before her a man seven feet tall if he was an inch; His body sheathed in shadows, his massive axes stained in his new victims blood. He looked down at her with a slight smile. Yuki-Chan had never felt such fear in her life, she was shaking uncontrollably, she grasped her chest, wanting to scream, and just as her mouth opened, she could see the glint of steel moving through the darkness.
"I just handed him his key and he left with his girlfriend..."
"I don't know. I don't think I heard any screams, it was really loud last night..."
"You expect us to hear anything in that party last night?"
Talk was about the town of Morroc the next day. During the grand celebrations, two brutal murders had taken place, and a suspicious man in a business suit was asking people if they had heard anything.
"Thank you for your help... and may the Tribunal protect you," the man shook his head with a smile at a villager sitting under a merchant tent.
"Yeah... right back atcha, pal..."
Unbeknownst to the visiting Northman in the business suit, murder was not an uncommon occurrence in Morroc. Though it only happens to the right people, in a town full of thieves, assassins, and distant travelers, some people will get involved in the wrong trades, and turn up dead during the night. Something this time was different, and only this Northman was suspicious about it. To everyone else, it was just another mob-land assassination. But how many mob-land assassinations involved brutal decapitations and the violent removal of the corpse's bones?
"Hmm..." The Northman was inspecting the hotel room, "This can only mean one thing..."
"Hey! Hey, Calendula... I'm glad you're still here."
"Yes?" A beautiful pink-haired acolyte woman sat laying up against one of the stone doorways in the center of Morroc town. Her eyes moved up to the approaching stranger that stood before her.
"I've gotta get a warp out of here. Could you get me to Izlude?" The stranger spoke in a youthful voice, brushing his long hair out of his face.
"Sure," she smiled a sweet smile as she stood up and reached for her memo-book, "Just let me check if I have it memo'd"
"Okie-dokie," she said, "That'll be 800 zenny please."
The young man handed her a pouch full of 800 zenny, and she started to cast her spell. But before she could finish casting, a large hand grasped her shoulder.
"I have to get to Geffen. Now." The large man's booming voice echoed forth. Calendula smiled nervously, tilting her head at the large man. The other young man just raised a curious eyebrow.
"I'm sorry... I have to warp this young man to Izlude first."
"I care not for this young man, I demand you take me to Geffen, now!" The large man was practically yelling at the poor acolyte, and she started to quiver a bit.
"Um... I'm sorry, but I was here first... Could we just...?" Before the young man could finish his sentence, a throwing axe was buried in his skull, and he stumbled backwards and fell with a heavy drop to the ground. In utter shock, Calendula was frozen, as wide eyes turned to the large man looming over her.
"Geffen... NOW!" the large man, with a throwing axe in hand, was demanding Calendula. She only trembled before she clutched her arms to her chest and let out a tremendous scream. Passerbys all stopped and watched the respected Calendula at this man's mercy, but fearing that their fate would be similar to man's whose skull was currently split open with a throwing axe, they only stopped and watched.
"Useless...!" The man grabbed the wailing Calendula by the collar of her robe and lifted her up. She struggled as tears ran down her face, but she was powerless to this man's large burly grip. As he lifted his axe above her head, she closed her eyes and awaited her violent fate.
"Stop!" A whirling hammer flew at tremendous speed and crashed into the assailants right hand. He dropped his axe and lowered Calendula to the ground, turning to the source of the hammer. There, standing against the sun, was a man equal in size to his own. Clad in a business suit, his blonde hair blowing against the wind. Two great swords were drawn in his hands, and he stood in a readied stance.
"Drop the girl, Golrath," His heroic voice inspired hope in the watchers. A large crowd had gathered now, and they all waited in perfect stillness.
Golrath, still holding onto Calendula's collar, grunted and his face contorted into a fearsome grimace. His rumbling voice, in sharp contrast to the other man's, was full of anger. He pushed Calendula to the ground and she scurried off into the crowd, crying. Golrath reached to his back and drew two great axes.
"Damn you, Xantor... You're always in my way!" Leaping into the air, Golrath dropped down on Xantor with his axes, but Xantor easily deflected the attacked. The immense force of their weapons crashing into each other knocked nearby watchers to the ground. They were in awe as the two Barbarians battled one another in plain view.
"Golrath! You were the one responsible for murdering those two in the hotel room, weren't you!" Xantor swung his mighty swords at Golrath, but no attacks connected. Golrath too, had no luck in landing a single hit. As their weapons smashed into each other, and nearby tents were knocked down by the mere power emanating from their galactic battle, they yelled threatening lines to one another.
"I knew you'd figure out sooner or later," Golrath said, still gnashing his teeth and whipping his axes about, "And I almost got away with it, too!"
Golrath brought an axe down full force into the ground, and Xantor leapt backwards to avoid it. Golrath looked back up at Xantor, trying to pull his axe from the now caved in road.
"You... will be punished, Golrath!" Raising both swords above his head, he quickly brought them down on Golrath, but Golrath lifted his other axe and blocked the attack.
Roaring, Golrath dropped both weapons and leapt backwards. This stunned Xantor long enough for Golrath to get away, but now he was without a weapon.
"Well, Xantor... You've won this round, but we will meet again!" Golrath knelt down, as Xantor held his hand out to him.
"Golrath! Stop, no!" But by the time Xantor had reached him, Golrath had already leapt with large burly legs up onto the roof an apartment building, and began leaping away over the horizon.
Xantor still stood, in a heroic posture, staring over the landscape in which Golrath had just fled. The crowds were beginning to recover, as various people picked themselves up and started to speak again. Several people approached Xantor as he stood, taking in the image of his awesome force. Before them stood Xantor the Barbarian, champion of Justice, foe of all the evil in the world! Calendula, as she wiped the tears from her eyes, stood back up and adjusted her robe. She cautiously stepped forward to Xantor.
"I..." her voice was still weak and trembling, and she couldn't face her shame to look eye-to-eye with Xantor, "You saved my life... How can I..."
Xantor slowly turned around, his eyes full of duty and purpose. He looked down at the embarrassed Calendula and spoke.
"There, there. Serving justice repays itself. You are in no debt to me," Xantor smiled as he spoke, and Calendula raised her head.
"Th-thank you!" Calendula's face lit up as she looked back up at Xantor. At that moment, everyone's hopes were uplifted. They knew they had Xantor on their side. Still, everyone was silent, and Calendula spoke again, "I'm sorry but... I didn't catch your name..?"
Xantor looked back down at Calendula, and then raised his head to the skies. The setting sun illuminated his face as a sudden gust of wind picked up his hair. His voice was valiant, and courageous. "I am Xantor..." his words echoed off the walls of the houses lining Morroc's busiest street. There was a pause as everyone gazed at Xantor.
"The Barbarian!" With these final words, cheers rang up amongst the people. Citizens threw their hats into the air, others called out Xantor's name in a chant of fanaticism.
"God Bless you, Xantor the Barbarian!"
"Xantor! We love you!!"
Though Xantor smiled a hearty smile, and welcomed everyone and shook their hands, his mind was full of a deeper purpose. Golrath was still loose, and he had to be stopped.
"A mage? Really?" Two novices were walking together through the thick Payon Forest. They were tired out from their experience quests so now they were taking it easy with a peaceful walk down Payon's more tranquil areas.
"Yup! I'm gonna have to go all the way to Geffen, but when I do, I'll be a powerful mage!" The female of the two walked with her arms crossed behind her back.
"Well, I'm thinking that I'm going to become a merchant. Alberta's not too far from here and I can make a ton of money as a merchant!" The two continued talking in their enthusiastic manner. Most novices were excited to get out and enjoy the world of Rune Midgard, and these two were no exception. Their energy was unmatched.
"Wanna sit for a sec, Arwwyn?" TidusFFX, the male of the pair stopped at an old tree stump. His friend Arwwyn nodded and they sat next to one another. They inhaled the humid air as the forest animals livened up the environment with their calls. The setting was peaceful, the sounds of the forest created a relaxing scene for two friends to spend some time together. There was a rustle in a nearby bush, but neither of the two paid it any notice.
"This sure is a wonderful day!" Stating the obvious, Arwwyn took a deep breath smiling to herself and closing her eyes. TidusFFX glanced back at her with a grin while setting up the food he had brought. There came another rustle in another direction.
"Payon's forests are a great place to let off some steam," TidusFFX continued to search through his bag full of the spoils he had collected in his experience time. He turned his head when he heard leaves being disturbed directly behind him.
"Did you..?" When he looked back at Arwwyn, he noticed she too was facing the bush right behind them. She curiously raised an eyebrow as she shifted her eyes to TidusFFX.
Both of them slowly unsheathed their knives and glanced about nervously. The forest had gone strangely quiet, with only very distant sounds of frogs and crickets reaching their ears.
TidusFFX called out as he jumped up from his seat and pointed at a distant tree. Arwwyn leapt closer to TidusFFX, unsure of the situation, and grasped her knife with both hands.
"Look out!" They both ducked as shurikens pelted the stump they were previously sitting on. From three different bushes sprang a trio of ninjas, clad in black, with only their angry and intense eyes showing through a hole in their masks. The three surrounded Arwwyn and TidusFFX with their swords drawn, staring the two novices down in nerve-wracking suspense. The two novices still clutched their knives, Arwwyn shivered slightly, and cold sweat ran down TidusFFX's back. The silence and stillness was broken when TidusFFX let out a tremendous war cry and leapt at one of the ninjas.
"Haaaiii, YA!!" TidusFFX's dagger connected straight into a ninja's neck, and a fountain of blood momentarily sprayed out as the ninja's lifeless body collapsed in a heap at TidusFFX's feet. The other two ninjas unleashed a barrage of ninja stars, but TidusFFX's adrenaline was pumping, and his feet were carrying him at unprecedented speeds in a tight circle around the last two ninjas. Arwwyn, afraid of the violent fighting, leapt into a bush and watched with frightened eyes as TidusFFX took wild swings and stabs with his dagger. The ninjas were clearly at a disadvantage to the raging power TidusFFX was letting loose. One ninja leapt over TidusFFX as he preoccupied the other, and tried to stab at his back. However, TidusFFX dropped and rolled, and watched as a ninja was impaled by his comrade's sword. Blood ran down the blade of the sword, and a sickly gush sprayed out when the surviving ninja pulled the sword out of the other's body. Now TidusFFX was facing down one ninja. Arwwyn silently cheered TidusFFX on she watched him deflecting the ninja's attacks. At long last, TidusFFX stopped the ninja's sword with his shield, and with the ninja's blade raised over his head, TidusFFX jabbed right for the heart, and twisted his blade 90 degrees once it was sunken into his victim's chest.
At his feet lay three ninjas, drowning in pools of their own blood. TidusFFX cleaned off his knife blade and helped Arwwyn out of the bush from which she was hiding. Blood was splattered on his clothing, but to him it was a sign of victory.
"Wow! That was great!" Arwwyn was ecstatic to see TidusFFX survive the ordeal without a scratch.
With a smug smile, he tried his best to keep his pride from surfacing, "Yes, well..."
While they stood in their victorious glamour, a deep voice echoed from the forest.
"Ah hah hah hah!" Arwwyn and TidusFFX stopped and once again glanced around nervously, knives drawn.
"What an excellent show!" The voice, seemingly coming from nowhere, continued on, "But it was all just an opening act!"
"C'mon! I'm not afraid of you, show yourself!" TidusFFX called out to the forest.
"If that's what you want, so be it!" From the tops of one of the highest trees, leaves were shaken loose and fell towards Arwwyn and TidusFFX. Before the leaves even touched the ground, a large and burly man with two tremendous war axes in his hands crashed down on the novice pair. TidusFFX was thrown heavily to the ground about 20 feet away. His vision was blurred when he saw a gigantic man menacingly hanging over him. On the ground behind this man, leaves shaken loose from the tops of the highest trees fell on the decapitated body of Arwwyn. A look of horror grew on TidusFFX's face as the sudden realization of his own mortality became incredibly apparent. He could do nothing but stare helplessly at the large man standing before him. His vision came into focus at the precise moment of seeing an axe blade rapidly advancing towards his face.
That's the end.