RECESSION
The Terrian warrior, Tsi sits under a tall tree in a lush, green field that stretches out as far as the eye could see. The light breeze blows over the grass, making it move in a wave-like pattern. Tsi lifts his new sword and points it toward the clear, blue sky. This sword helped him win the battle with the giant demon that attacked Myet, and Tsi looks up at it with the curiosity of a child. He wonders where it came from, how it got to him, why it waited till now. Then Tsi hears a sound coming from behind him and looks back to see. It's the village Shaman, and he's smiling. He walks over to Tsi's side and looks out into the open fields.
"Tsi," the old Shaman begins, "that sword that you now hold in your hands gave you the power to win a fight you could not of won on your own. Do you know what kind of a weapon it is, Tsi?"
Tsi answers, "The sword, Stratos."
The Shaman responds, "That is correct. The sword, Stratos is a legendary weapon, wielded through the ages by only a chosen few."
"Was this sword wielded by the hero, Moore as well?" asks Tsi.
"Yes it was," answers the Shaman.
"How is it that I know all this?" Tsi asks the Shaman.
The Shaman responds, "Because now you are the wielder of the sword, Stratos, Tsi. Stratos has chosen only three others before you, and now, it is your time to lead the world into its new era."
"New era?" Tsi asks.
"Yes," the Shaman continues, "You see, Tsi, the sword, Stratos has the power to bring great prosperity, or great ruin. The other three warriors that wielded Stratos before you, the first led the world into the light of piece and good will. The second, led the world into an age of darkness, where chaos ruled and destruction plagued the land. The third, the hero, Moore, led the world out of the darkness and back into the light. Now, it is your time, young Tsi, to wield the sword, Stratos, find your destiny and lead the world into its new age. Whether that age takes us back into the darkness, or further into the light, that will be entirely up to you."
"Why was I chosen for this?" asks Tsi.
"That, I cannot tell you," the Shaman answers, "that is something you are going to have to discover on your own. But be wary, Tsi. Though your destiny may be yours to find, that does not mean that the decisions you make while seeking it cannot be influenced by outside forces. No matter what path you choose, it will always intersect with that of another and when that happens, you will have to make a choice. Make sure that you never lose sight of your goal as you seek out your destiny and you will always find your way."
Tsi looks blankly out into the fields as he listens to the Shaman's words. The Shaman looks down at Tsi and continues.
"Tsi," he begins, "what is it that you wish to do now that you have found some of the answers you sought?"
"Well," answers Tsi, "Myet's been destroyed. I certainly can't stay there. Technically, I still have a pilgrimage to embark on, so maybe I'll start there and see where that takes me."
The Shaman narrows his gaze.
"Well then..." he says, and then, without warning, the Shaman grabs Tsi by his shirt, lifts him up, and with a furious look in his eyes shouts, "Wake up you fool!"
Tsi's eyes shot open as soon as he heard the Shaman's below. He quickly sat up and realized that he was not well as his entire body spasms in pain. Tsi forced himself onto his feet, and as he looked around himself, he was nearly brought to tears. The happy little mountain village, once known as Myet, laid in ruins under a blackened sky. Everything had been destroyed by the demon horde. Tsi walked through his home village with an unbearable pain in his heart as he looked on to see the people he once knew dead on the ground, mothers lying next to their children as they were crushed under the wreckage of their homes, and his old orphanage, scorched, broken, and laid entirely to waste. There was absolutely nothing left of the village that Tsi, for his entire life, had called home.
Tsi tried to get a hold of himself.
"Maybe..." he thought, "maybe they're not all dead."
Tsi made his best effort to summon a shout. "Gill!" he cried out, and to Tsi's relief, he was answered. He could hear Gill's voice, off to his right, calling out to him.
"Tsi..." Gill faintly called as he lifted his hand out from underneath the debris.
Tsi caught eye of his friend and held his side as he tried to run over to him. Once there, Tsi cleared off the debris to find Gill covered in blood. The young Terrian had been badly wounded and was bleeding rapidly. Tsi looked at the gash in Gill's side and tried his best to stop the bleeding. He ripped off what was left of his shirt, placed it on top of the wound, along with Gill's hand, and held it there. Tsi also propped Gill's head up onto his knee, making him sit up. As he did, Gill coughed violently and blood could be seen spurting from his mouth. Tsi couldn't help but wonder if his friend was going to make it.
Gill lifted his head and looked at Tsi.
"Tsi," he began, his voice strained, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Tsi replied, "It's okay, you did all that you could, Gill. We all did, so don't be sorry."
"I know," Gill said, "but that's not why... I'm sorry... for leaving you alone."
Tsi's eyes began to tear up as he spoke, "Come on, Gill, don't talk like that. I'm not going to let you die, not like this."
Gill replied, "It's ok. I don't mind. Because at least I'm not alone. At least you're with me. With you here, my friend, dying doesn't seem so scary anymore."
Tsi could barely control his voice, "Gill... Gill please... please, don't die."
Gill's breathing became narrow as he said, "Don't cry, Tsi. You'll be all right. I believe in you. I always have."
Gill looked up into the sky, widened his eyes, and smiled.
"Oh," Gill said, "Tsi, look, it's my parents. They've come to see me. I'm so glad they're here. Can you see them... Tsi? Can you..."
And at that moment, Gills hand loosened its grip, his breath drew short, and with a smile still left on his face, he passed away.
Tsi couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. He had no reason to. He held his head low, hugged his lost friend, and with a heart full of sorrow, started to cry.
Then, as if to ease his pain, the sword, Stratos appeared before Tsi once again. Tsi reached out and took the sword, and when he did, could feel his vitality return to him.
Tsi wiped away his tears and stood up. He looked down on Gill's body and said, "I promise you, Gill, I'm going to find whoever did this and make them pay for it. Your death, nor those of any of the others who once lived in this village, will not be in vain, I swear it."
Tsi looked at his sword and gave it a silent command. Then, an elongated series of sparks stretched diagonally across Tsi's back, and then a sheath appeared in their place. Tsi sheathed the sword, Stratos, and then looked out onto a clearing that was spread out next to the orphanage.
He said to himself, "That's where I will bury them," and then picked his friend's body up off of the ground and carried him over to the clearing.
All night Tsi endured the pain of loss as he scoured the entire village, gathering its lost people, burying them, planting grave markers, and praying for them. He never once stopped to rest until the light of dawn turned the night sky red.
With the last villager buried, and his last prayer said, Tsi looked out into the surrounding mountains. He decided to head east toward the town of Loru. He only hoped that it hadn't been attacked as well.
Tsi found a still usable carrying case and filled it with what little provisions he could find. He then stood at the end of the village, and looked back onto the silent wasteland that was once known as Myet. Tsi began to remember his entire life in that quiet little village, the day he began his training as a Terrian, the games he played with the other children when he was living at the orphanage, his first kiss, everything, and now it was all gone. That thought overwhelmed Tsi, and he shed a single tear. He wiped it away, turned around, stood silent for one last moment, and then began his long journey East.
The Terrian warrior, Tsi sits under a tall tree in a lush, green field that stretches out as far as the eye could see. The light breeze blows over the grass, making it move in a wave-like pattern. Tsi lifts his new sword and points it toward the clear, blue sky. This sword helped him win the battle with the giant demon that attacked Myet, and Tsi looks up at it with the curiosity of a child. He wonders where it came from, how it got to him, why it waited till now. Then Tsi hears a sound coming from behind him and looks back to see. It's the village Shaman, and he's smiling. He walks over to Tsi's side and looks out into the open fields.
"Tsi," the old Shaman begins, "that sword that you now hold in your hands gave you the power to win a fight you could not of won on your own. Do you know what kind of a weapon it is, Tsi?"
Tsi answers, "The sword, Stratos."
The Shaman responds, "That is correct. The sword, Stratos is a legendary weapon, wielded through the ages by only a chosen few."
"Was this sword wielded by the hero, Moore as well?" asks Tsi.
"Yes it was," answers the Shaman.
"How is it that I know all this?" Tsi asks the Shaman.
The Shaman responds, "Because now you are the wielder of the sword, Stratos, Tsi. Stratos has chosen only three others before you, and now, it is your time to lead the world into its new era."
"New era?" Tsi asks.
"Yes," the Shaman continues, "You see, Tsi, the sword, Stratos has the power to bring great prosperity, or great ruin. The other three warriors that wielded Stratos before you, the first led the world into the light of piece and good will. The second, led the world into an age of darkness, where chaos ruled and destruction plagued the land. The third, the hero, Moore, led the world out of the darkness and back into the light. Now, it is your time, young Tsi, to wield the sword, Stratos, find your destiny and lead the world into its new age. Whether that age takes us back into the darkness, or further into the light, that will be entirely up to you."
"Why was I chosen for this?" asks Tsi.
"That, I cannot tell you," the Shaman answers, "that is something you are going to have to discover on your own. But be wary, Tsi. Though your destiny may be yours to find, that does not mean that the decisions you make while seeking it cannot be influenced by outside forces. No matter what path you choose, it will always intersect with that of another and when that happens, you will have to make a choice. Make sure that you never lose sight of your goal as you seek out your destiny and you will always find your way."
Tsi looks blankly out into the fields as he listens to the Shaman's words. The Shaman looks down at Tsi and continues.
"Tsi," he begins, "what is it that you wish to do now that you have found some of the answers you sought?"
"Well," answers Tsi, "Myet's been destroyed. I certainly can't stay there. Technically, I still have a pilgrimage to embark on, so maybe I'll start there and see where that takes me."
The Shaman narrows his gaze.
"Well then..." he says, and then, without warning, the Shaman grabs Tsi by his shirt, lifts him up, and with a furious look in his eyes shouts, "Wake up you fool!"
Tsi's eyes shot open as soon as he heard the Shaman's below. He quickly sat up and realized that he was not well as his entire body spasms in pain. Tsi forced himself onto his feet, and as he looked around himself, he was nearly brought to tears. The happy little mountain village, once known as Myet, laid in ruins under a blackened sky. Everything had been destroyed by the demon horde. Tsi walked through his home village with an unbearable pain in his heart as he looked on to see the people he once knew dead on the ground, mothers lying next to their children as they were crushed under the wreckage of their homes, and his old orphanage, scorched, broken, and laid entirely to waste. There was absolutely nothing left of the village that Tsi, for his entire life, had called home.
Tsi tried to get a hold of himself.
"Maybe..." he thought, "maybe they're not all dead."
Tsi made his best effort to summon a shout. "Gill!" he cried out, and to Tsi's relief, he was answered. He could hear Gill's voice, off to his right, calling out to him.
"Tsi..." Gill faintly called as he lifted his hand out from underneath the debris.
Tsi caught eye of his friend and held his side as he tried to run over to him. Once there, Tsi cleared off the debris to find Gill covered in blood. The young Terrian had been badly wounded and was bleeding rapidly. Tsi looked at the gash in Gill's side and tried his best to stop the bleeding. He ripped off what was left of his shirt, placed it on top of the wound, along with Gill's hand, and held it there. Tsi also propped Gill's head up onto his knee, making him sit up. As he did, Gill coughed violently and blood could be seen spurting from his mouth. Tsi couldn't help but wonder if his friend was going to make it.
Gill lifted his head and looked at Tsi.
"Tsi," he began, his voice strained, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Tsi replied, "It's okay, you did all that you could, Gill. We all did, so don't be sorry."
"I know," Gill said, "but that's not why... I'm sorry... for leaving you alone."
Tsi's eyes began to tear up as he spoke, "Come on, Gill, don't talk like that. I'm not going to let you die, not like this."
Gill replied, "It's ok. I don't mind. Because at least I'm not alone. At least you're with me. With you here, my friend, dying doesn't seem so scary anymore."
Tsi could barely control his voice, "Gill... Gill please... please, don't die."
Gill's breathing became narrow as he said, "Don't cry, Tsi. You'll be all right. I believe in you. I always have."
Gill looked up into the sky, widened his eyes, and smiled.
"Oh," Gill said, "Tsi, look, it's my parents. They've come to see me. I'm so glad they're here. Can you see them... Tsi? Can you..."
And at that moment, Gills hand loosened its grip, his breath drew short, and with a smile still left on his face, he passed away.
Tsi couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. He had no reason to. He held his head low, hugged his lost friend, and with a heart full of sorrow, started to cry.
Then, as if to ease his pain, the sword, Stratos appeared before Tsi once again. Tsi reached out and took the sword, and when he did, could feel his vitality return to him.
Tsi wiped away his tears and stood up. He looked down on Gill's body and said, "I promise you, Gill, I'm going to find whoever did this and make them pay for it. Your death, nor those of any of the others who once lived in this village, will not be in vain, I swear it."
Tsi looked at his sword and gave it a silent command. Then, an elongated series of sparks stretched diagonally across Tsi's back, and then a sheath appeared in their place. Tsi sheathed the sword, Stratos, and then looked out onto a clearing that was spread out next to the orphanage.
He said to himself, "That's where I will bury them," and then picked his friend's body up off of the ground and carried him over to the clearing.
All night Tsi endured the pain of loss as he scoured the entire village, gathering its lost people, burying them, planting grave markers, and praying for them. He never once stopped to rest until the light of dawn turned the night sky red.
With the last villager buried, and his last prayer said, Tsi looked out into the surrounding mountains. He decided to head east toward the town of Loru. He only hoped that it hadn't been attacked as well.
Tsi found a still usable carrying case and filled it with what little provisions he could find. He then stood at the end of the village, and looked back onto the silent wasteland that was once known as Myet. Tsi began to remember his entire life in that quiet little village, the day he began his training as a Terrian, the games he played with the other children when he was living at the orphanage, his first kiss, everything, and now it was all gone. That thought overwhelmed Tsi, and he shed a single tear. He wiped it away, turned around, stood silent for one last moment, and then began his long journey East.