Note to whomever decides to read this:
None of these characters are mine. I did not invent these characters. I am merely interpreting the character's thoughts through intution and character portrayals in the video game. This is my first attempt at a truly serious fic, so please let me know how I am doing. That all said, enjoy the story.
Chapter 1
They were almost through Althena's fort. Royce had made the trip a little harsher, but it hadn't stopped them. The fourtune teller's curse had made it so that at the begining of every battle, two of the adventuring group would fall asleep. It was a rough journey, but Alex, the Dragonmaster, Nash, the apprentice from Vane, Mia, the next in line to be guildmistress of Vane, Jessica, the priestess, and Kyle, the thief, had finally made it to where the fourtune teller Royce was waiting.
"So, you fools actually made it up here. How very impressive", she said with a mocking tone in her voice. "Just as a final present before you all die, would you like to see a glimpse of your futures?"
"You don't scare us, witch!! Show us what you like, but we know it's just an illusion! Your end is near!" Jessica practically screamed as she prepared for battle.
"Very well... believe what you like. But here is a glimpse of your futures..."
Suddenly, reality shifted and the heroes all saw a vision of them, lifeless and bloody on the floor. Royce was standing over them, laughing triumphantly. Reality began to return and Royce showed a sneer on her face. "The future never lies, dear children, and it shows your end..."
"Ha! You think some stupid little picture you showed us is gonna make us cry for mommy?! Please! Let's go, you blonde bimbo!" And with that, Kyle drew his sword and smiled.
Alex glanced over at Nash, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Normally, he would have been throwing over arrogant comments along with Jessica and Kyle, but he only had a stern, pained look on his face. Silently, he drew his bow and took a battle stance. Suddenly, his face softened, and he began to get drowsy. Alex watched in horror as Nash practically collapsed asleep on the floor. He suddenly remembered Royce's curse, just in time to feel sleepiness kick in on him self. He saw faded images of Mia casting a spell on Kyle as Royce began to charge just before it all went black...
"Alex and Nash are out! Jess, cast some kinda wake up spell on them!" And with that, Kyle dashed at Royce, using the added power of Mia's power drive spell, slashing at her, trying to keep her occupied while Jessica attempted a spell to awaken the two sleeping heros.
Going toe to toe with Royce proved to be difficult for the barbarian, and even with Mia's help, Kyle still began to lose ground to Royce's scythe. "Hurry up Jess! I could really use an extra sword and some lightning right about now!"
"All right already! I'm working on it!" She yelled back, and then smiled. The spell began to take effect. Nash sat up grogily, and then jerked upright as he realized where he was. He picked up his bow and rushed to aid Kyle. But Alex didn't get up. Jessica realized that Alex was the biggest threat to the fortune teller and therefore the spell casted on him was probably more powerful. She began to chant another spell to wake him.
"Oh no you don't! You think I'm dumb enough to let you wake that Dragonmaster?" Royce slashed hard at Kyle, catching him off balance and slashing into his left arm. Kyle cried out in pain as Royce used the free moment to cast a spell at Jessica. The spell smashed into Jessica, knocking her out and destroying the waking litany Jessica had been prepaing. She laughed and dashed with her scythe toward the wounded Kyle.
Nash shot a bolt of thunder at her, but her defenses were simply too powerful for his thunder magic. She came prepared, he thought as he loaded an arrow into his bow and aimed.
But Royce was too fast. She slashed in an arc at Kyle, catching him in the leg and further wounding him. He fell to the ground in agony and it was fairly clear that without Jessica's healing spells, he was out of the fight. With that, she turned to Nash and feigned shock at the sight of him aiming the crossbow. "Oh Nashy... you would really shoot me? But what about what we shared?..." And she evily smiled.
That was too low! Nash thought. I was weak then, but not now! And just as he was about to fire the bow, he suddenly stopped as Royce casted a fire spell that began to creep up around him. Ughh, this fire... I can't... I ca...I... and with that he began to give in to the pain of the magical flames and sagged to his knees. How fitting... to die by her hands...I don't deserve much else, it's probably best this way...He began to close his eyes to succumb to the fire.Goodbye...Mia... ... ... Mia!! He heard Mia scream as Royce turned her onslaught toward the young mage. No... you can have me... but not her!!
Nash lifted his body, and with a rush of magical rage, destroyed the blazing barrier around him. Picking up his crossbow, he loaded it and walked slowly toward Royce. "You may have broken me... you may have claimed me... but you will NOT harm her!!" And with that, Nash fired the bow. The arrow struck her in the shoulder, and she winced in pain.
She gave him a pouting stare. "Please don't, Nashy... you can't do this to me..."
But Nash was relentless. "Save it." He fired another arrow. "You won't do it to me again." He fired another arrow. "I won't leave my friends for you." He fired another arrow. "I won't lose my pride for you." He fired another arrow. "And I won't lose Mia for you." He shot more and more arrows into her already dead body, blindly giving into the pain and rage she had caused him. She had slept with him, broken his so called innocence, just to get him to betray his friends. He continued firing for what seemed like an eternity, when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Nash."
He turned to look at the face, his rage subsiding. It was Alex. He looked around and saw his friends, all recovered and fine, and then he looked down. Royce's lifeless body was laying at his feet, filled with arrows from his bow. He looked back up at the Dragonmaster and saw worry in his eyes. It was then that he noticed he was crying. Him, the powerful mage of Vane, crying? He looked at the worried faces of Jessica, Kyle, and Nall, and then saw Mia. She had an expression of fear, horror, and saddness at the sight. He tried to say something to them... anything to explain... "I... I..." But he was too overwhelmed with emotion to say anything. Instead he turned and ran.
He eventually found himself, sitting by the statue to the Goddess Althena. He looked up to find some sort of condolence in her eyes, but then remembered that she wasn't there. Even my Goddess isn't here for me... He almost laughed. He buried his head in his hands and began to cry. He had been used so many times, by the people he looked up to. They were going to fight his mentor, the once hero, Ghaleon. He had used Nash too.He had been manipulated into betraying his friends by him, and by Royce, and he wasn't entirely sure he was able to live with himself for that. He idly thought of what would become when they confronted him. What would happen? Ghaleon was surely very powerful, could the Dragonmaster stop him? And could he himself keep his cool? He didn't want another scene like that. It would be hard enough to explain to everyone about that little incident...
None of these characters are mine. I did not invent these characters. I am merely interpreting the character's thoughts through intution and character portrayals in the video game. This is my first attempt at a truly serious fic, so please let me know how I am doing. That all said, enjoy the story.
Chapter 1
They were almost through Althena's fort. Royce had made the trip a little harsher, but it hadn't stopped them. The fourtune teller's curse had made it so that at the begining of every battle, two of the adventuring group would fall asleep. It was a rough journey, but Alex, the Dragonmaster, Nash, the apprentice from Vane, Mia, the next in line to be guildmistress of Vane, Jessica, the priestess, and Kyle, the thief, had finally made it to where the fourtune teller Royce was waiting.
"So, you fools actually made it up here. How very impressive", she said with a mocking tone in her voice. "Just as a final present before you all die, would you like to see a glimpse of your futures?"
"You don't scare us, witch!! Show us what you like, but we know it's just an illusion! Your end is near!" Jessica practically screamed as she prepared for battle.
"Very well... believe what you like. But here is a glimpse of your futures..."
Suddenly, reality shifted and the heroes all saw a vision of them, lifeless and bloody on the floor. Royce was standing over them, laughing triumphantly. Reality began to return and Royce showed a sneer on her face. "The future never lies, dear children, and it shows your end..."
"Ha! You think some stupid little picture you showed us is gonna make us cry for mommy?! Please! Let's go, you blonde bimbo!" And with that, Kyle drew his sword and smiled.
Alex glanced over at Nash, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Normally, he would have been throwing over arrogant comments along with Jessica and Kyle, but he only had a stern, pained look on his face. Silently, he drew his bow and took a battle stance. Suddenly, his face softened, and he began to get drowsy. Alex watched in horror as Nash practically collapsed asleep on the floor. He suddenly remembered Royce's curse, just in time to feel sleepiness kick in on him self. He saw faded images of Mia casting a spell on Kyle as Royce began to charge just before it all went black...
"Alex and Nash are out! Jess, cast some kinda wake up spell on them!" And with that, Kyle dashed at Royce, using the added power of Mia's power drive spell, slashing at her, trying to keep her occupied while Jessica attempted a spell to awaken the two sleeping heros.
Going toe to toe with Royce proved to be difficult for the barbarian, and even with Mia's help, Kyle still began to lose ground to Royce's scythe. "Hurry up Jess! I could really use an extra sword and some lightning right about now!"
"All right already! I'm working on it!" She yelled back, and then smiled. The spell began to take effect. Nash sat up grogily, and then jerked upright as he realized where he was. He picked up his bow and rushed to aid Kyle. But Alex didn't get up. Jessica realized that Alex was the biggest threat to the fortune teller and therefore the spell casted on him was probably more powerful. She began to chant another spell to wake him.
"Oh no you don't! You think I'm dumb enough to let you wake that Dragonmaster?" Royce slashed hard at Kyle, catching him off balance and slashing into his left arm. Kyle cried out in pain as Royce used the free moment to cast a spell at Jessica. The spell smashed into Jessica, knocking her out and destroying the waking litany Jessica had been prepaing. She laughed and dashed with her scythe toward the wounded Kyle.
Nash shot a bolt of thunder at her, but her defenses were simply too powerful for his thunder magic. She came prepared, he thought as he loaded an arrow into his bow and aimed.
But Royce was too fast. She slashed in an arc at Kyle, catching him in the leg and further wounding him. He fell to the ground in agony and it was fairly clear that without Jessica's healing spells, he was out of the fight. With that, she turned to Nash and feigned shock at the sight of him aiming the crossbow. "Oh Nashy... you would really shoot me? But what about what we shared?..." And she evily smiled.
That was too low! Nash thought. I was weak then, but not now! And just as he was about to fire the bow, he suddenly stopped as Royce casted a fire spell that began to creep up around him. Ughh, this fire... I can't... I ca...I... and with that he began to give in to the pain of the magical flames and sagged to his knees. How fitting... to die by her hands...I don't deserve much else, it's probably best this way...He began to close his eyes to succumb to the fire.Goodbye...Mia... ... ... Mia!! He heard Mia scream as Royce turned her onslaught toward the young mage. No... you can have me... but not her!!
Nash lifted his body, and with a rush of magical rage, destroyed the blazing barrier around him. Picking up his crossbow, he loaded it and walked slowly toward Royce. "You may have broken me... you may have claimed me... but you will NOT harm her!!" And with that, Nash fired the bow. The arrow struck her in the shoulder, and she winced in pain.
She gave him a pouting stare. "Please don't, Nashy... you can't do this to me..."
But Nash was relentless. "Save it." He fired another arrow. "You won't do it to me again." He fired another arrow. "I won't leave my friends for you." He fired another arrow. "I won't lose my pride for you." He fired another arrow. "And I won't lose Mia for you." He shot more and more arrows into her already dead body, blindly giving into the pain and rage she had caused him. She had slept with him, broken his so called innocence, just to get him to betray his friends. He continued firing for what seemed like an eternity, when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Nash."
He turned to look at the face, his rage subsiding. It was Alex. He looked around and saw his friends, all recovered and fine, and then he looked down. Royce's lifeless body was laying at his feet, filled with arrows from his bow. He looked back up at the Dragonmaster and saw worry in his eyes. It was then that he noticed he was crying. Him, the powerful mage of Vane, crying? He looked at the worried faces of Jessica, Kyle, and Nall, and then saw Mia. She had an expression of fear, horror, and saddness at the sight. He tried to say something to them... anything to explain... "I... I..." But he was too overwhelmed with emotion to say anything. Instead he turned and ran.
He eventually found himself, sitting by the statue to the Goddess Althena. He looked up to find some sort of condolence in her eyes, but then remembered that she wasn't there. Even my Goddess isn't here for me... He almost laughed. He buried his head in his hands and began to cry. He had been used so many times, by the people he looked up to. They were going to fight his mentor, the once hero, Ghaleon. He had used Nash too.He had been manipulated into betraying his friends by him, and by Royce, and he wasn't entirely sure he was able to live with himself for that. He idly thought of what would become when they confronted him. What would happen? Ghaleon was surely very powerful, could the Dragonmaster stop him? And could he himself keep his cool? He didn't want another scene like that. It would be hard enough to explain to everyone about that little incident...