RETURN
Tsi took his bath, and settled into bed. He felt exhausted from his travels and was able to fall asleep quite easily. He awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of a swinging window smacking up against its sill. He got out of bed and took hold of the window, but did not close it. Instead, he found himself leaving it open as he climbed out of the window and onto the roof.
Meanwhile, Mina had Tsi's outfit, fully restored and neatly folded, next to her bed. She too was asleep until she heard a noise coming from the roof and decided to investigate. When she got to the roof, she came to find Tsi, sitting by himself with Stratos propped up against his shoulder and his arms around the sheath.
"Tsi?" she said, curiously, "What are you doing up here?"
"I'm sorry," answered Tsi, sadly, "I was just thinking about Myet."
Mina crawled up to him, settled onto her knees, and crossed her hands in her lap.
"For so long," Tsi continued, "I had always imagined what it may have been like to return to my village after completing my pilgrimage. The looks on my friends' faces when I came walking back into town. How I might have felt seeing my house again after being away from it for so long. Now, it's not even there anymore. All my friends, everyone I ever knew, everything that made me call that place home is all gone now."
"What about your parents?" asked Mina, "Were they killed in the attack, too?"
"No," answered Tsi, "my parents were dead long before the attack on Myet."
"Oh!" exclaimed Mina, covering her mouth as she did, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright," said Tsi, reassuringly cutting her off, "I don't really remember them. I lived at the orphanage for most of my life, until I began my training in the art of Terria, and I had to start living on my own."
"Why's that?" asked Mina.
"Well, you see," explained Tsi, "not everyone can become a Terrian. You have to be born with a certain gift that will let you undergo the four-year training course, and that includes supporting yourself. Once you have finished your training, you are allowed to enter a tournament that, if you win, will let you become a full-fledged Terrian warrior, and begin your pilgrimage to become one in its prime."
Tsi looked up at the moon with a gaze that left a feeling of pity in Mina's heart as she looked into the sad eyes of the young Terrian. His blank, blue eyes were illuminated in the light of the moon. As Mina stared into those eyes, she felt the pain of one who had lost everything that proved that they had lived, as if her very soul itself was dieing.
"Gill," began Tsi, "we had been best friends since the day I came to the orphanage. We always dreamt of growing up and becoming the greatest Terrian warriors who ever lived. When we became friends, it was almost like I'd found a long-lost brother, and it made being alone a little bit easier for the both of us."
Tsi looked back down as his eyes began to tear up.
"Gill..." he said, "He died in my arms that night. How am I supposed to become a warrior if I can't even save my best friend?"
"Tsi," said Mina, sympathetically, and then the two stood in complete silence.
As Tsi dried his tears, Mina noticed a group of men, their lanterns burning brightly, approaching the house. Mina and Tsi quickly made their way to the bottom floor. Mina opened the front door to discover that the men, surprisingly, were miners.
"Mina," began one of the miners, "we need to speak with your father. It's an emergency."
"Hold on," answered Mina, "I'll go get him."
Mina ran into the house, and came back with her father.
"What's going on, men?" he asked.
"Sorry to wake you, Chief," began the miner "but something's happened down at the mines."
"What's happened?" asked the old man.
"It's the miners working the late shift, sir," began another miner, "they've been attacked by some kind of monster."
"It was huge!" exclaimed another, "It devoured an entire mining car before it had even been emptied! On top of that, it's already killed many of the night-shifters!"
Tsi thought, "That doesn't sound like a natural creature."
He stepped forward and asked the miners, "What did this thing look like?"
The miner who first spoke stepped forward to describe the creature, "It was big, at least ten feet tall. It walked on all fours, and its feet were covered in these enormous claws. It also had these tentacle-looking things growing out of its head that were strong enough to pick up and throw one of our mining drills."
"That's definitely not normal," said Mina.
"No, it's not," replied Tsi, sternly.
"What should we do, Chief?" asked another miner.
"I'm not sure," answered the old man.
"Let me go, sir," asked Tsi, "Whatever that thing is, it's dangerous and needs to be dealt with."
"Are you saying you can kill it?" asked Mina's father.
"Yes," answered Tsi, his face showing his determination.
"No!" exclaimed Mina, "You haven't fully recovered, yet. It's too dangerous! Let the armed forces handle it."
One of the miners spoke up, "They already tried. It completely wiped them out!"
Mina's face told that she was very worried at this point.
Tsi looked at her and said, "Look, if this thing is anything like what attacked Myet, then I may be the only one who can stop it."
Tsi looked at Mina. He could tell that she didn't want him to go.
Tsi then turned to Mina's father and asked him, "Where are these mines located?"
The old man answered, "At the base of the eastern cliffs, on the edge of the forest."
Tsi turned back to Mina and asked, "Where did you put the Green Elixir?"
Mina reluctantly answered, "In a glass vile, in the spice rack up above the stove."
Tsi recovered the vile, changed into his old cloths, and then started down the road.
As he ran from the house, Mina ran out after him.
"Tsi!" she called out, "Be careful!"
Mina looked on as Tsi slowly began to disappear from sight.
"I hope he comes back, alive," she thought, and then Tsi was gone.
Tsi quickly made his way through the forest to the mines. When he arrived, there was no site of the creature that the miners had spoken of. However, the bodies of its victims were clearly visible, as well as scattered all over the mining site. Tsi could smell the stench of dead flesh all around him, and it nearly made him gag. He tried to ignore the wreaking odor and looked around for the beast that he was hunting.
He said to himself, "Gees, you'd think when something's ten feet tall, it'd be easy to find."
Then, as if to answer Tsi, a hideous roar erupted from the inside of the mine. Tsi heard the wicked sound and ducked behind a wrecked mining drill. He looked deeply into the tunnel, and could see the creature as it slowly emerged from the darkness to reveal itself.
The beast shook the earth as it walked out onto the mining site. Its skin was as black as night, and it shimmered in the light of the moon. Its head was triangular and seemed to be completely devoid of eyes. The two portions of the head were curved inward and sharpened at the ends, almost like a turtle's beak, and its mouth opened up to reveal a layer of bright yellow internal tissue.
Tsi examined the creature further and noticed a pod-like structure located in the center of the creature's back. A mass of what could only be described as fluid-tentacles protruded from this structure, wrapped themselves around a large mass of the ore that had been dug out from the mines, and placed it into the beast's mouth where it was swallowed whole.
"I don't believe it," Tsi said to himself, "It's actually eating the minerals that had been mined here."
As curious as Tsi was, it was time to stop studying this creature, and start fighting it. For while he was examining this bizarre being, Tsi could hear a rustle in the grass behind him that let him know something was approaching him at a speed that his instincts told him wasn't friendly. He quickly turned around to find two of the black tentacles going straight for his face. He got out of the way immediately after they tried to strike. Tsi was now out in the open, and that's when the beast directed a roar toward him.
"That's impossible!" Tsi thought, "That thing doesn't even have eyes! How was it able to launch a sneak attack like that?"
Tsi then found himself dodging another attack from behind as the creature attempted to ensnare the young warrior in its tentacles. He used an energy wave to fend them off, and when he did, they began to thrash around, wildly.
"That's strange," he thought.
Tsi then turned around to see the creature stomp one foot into the ground. He felt the earth tremble beneath his feet as the beast 'looked' at him, and then shot more black tentacles his way.
Tsi ran toward the monster, slashing the tentacles as he made his way through the protruding mass. He came face-to-face with his opponent for a moment before it shot another tentacle at Tsi. Tsi jumped up into the air, performed a 180 flip over the creature, and then came down with his sword slashing the back of one of its hind legs. However, his attack proved useless as the sword merely emitted a series sparks off the creature's skin, as if it were made out of solid steel.
In Tsi's state of surprise, the creature took three of its tentacles and knocked him across the clearing into a mineral transport, indenting its armor on impact. An intense pain shot through Tsi's body, but he had no time to dwell on it. Instead, he dodged the three tentacles used to throw him as they shot straight for him. They pierced the armor of the transport, and then flung themselves upward, tearing through the armor as if it were made of paper. Tsi turned to the side, dodging the tentacles with just enough room between them for him to feel the breeze come off of them as they swept by his face.
The three tentacles swiped at Tsi. He dodged the first two attacks, and then slashed all three tentacles. He jumped out of the way as more were shot toward him.
"If I could just figure out how it's following me," he thought to himself, "then I might be able to find a way to beat it."
The creature shot more of its black tentacles at Tsi.
"How the hell can this thing have so many?" he asked himself.
As they were about to strike him, Tsi launched another wave of energy form his blade. Again, once it collided with the deadly mass, the tentacles thrashed around aimlessly before retreating into the pod on the creature's back. Tsi noticed the beast stomp its foot into the ground again.
"That's it!" he thought to himself, "It must be able to sense the vibrations I make when I move, and when I use my energy attack, it gets confused and it can't find me!"
Now things were starting to look up.
"Alright," Tsi said to himself, "since I can't penetrate its hide, it looks like that pod is my only option."
The beast shot its tentacles at Tsi. Tsi immediately countered with a wave attack and began to run toward the beast.
"Wait for it..." he thought to himself, and then, when the creature stomped its foot into the ground, Tsi leaped high into the air. He positioned himself over the pod, and then came down with the blade of his sword pointed downward. He drove it into the opening in the top of the pod, and the creature cried out in pain as its legs quickly grew weak and its body began to give way.
"Gotch'a," said Tsi, but his moment of triumph didn't last long. As soon as he attempted to extract his sword, it was ensnared in the beast's tentacles, along with himself.
"Uh oh," he said to himself, nervously, "I'm starting to think this wasn't such a good idea."
Tsi struggled to escape the creature's hold, but it was too strong. The tentacles had cocooned his entire body and began to take hold of his face.
"Oh no," Tsi thought, "Is this it? Am I going to die?"
Suddenly, an illuminated, orange sphere shot out from among the trees and shredded the cocoon, allowing Tsi to dislodge his sword and jump to safety. He turned around to see a woman. She was tall, blonde, and had elf-ears.
When Tsi saw this woman, she was charging another blast between her hands. She launched it directly at the creature, and when it hit, sent it flying backward, landing near the entrance to the mine.
"Hurry!" shouted the elf, "The top of the shaft!"
Tsi looked up above the shaft and realized what she meant. He immediately launched another wave at the rocks above the shaft, dislodging a series of boulders that came crashing down on top of the beast, burying it. It let out one last roar, and then lay dead beneath the rocks.
Tsi turned around to face his new ally.
"You saved my life," he said to her, "I don't know how to thank..."
Tsi's words were sharply cut off when the elf smashed her fist into the top of his head, leaving a giant lump.
"Stupid!" yelled the elf.
"What's the big idea, lady!" responded Tsi, angrily, "I almost bit my tong off!"
"Because, dumbass!" responded the elf, pointing in the direction of the town, "While you've been sitting here, LOSING, that town's been under attack!"
Tsi looked on to see a red glow rise up over the forest.
"Oh no!" exclaimed the Terrian, "Mina, Shu, they're all in trouble!"
Tsi then started to dash toward the red glow.
"Hey!" shouted the elf, "Wait for me!"
The two of them made their way back to Loru to discover that it was overrun by a demon horde much like that which attacked Myet. These demons were very similar to the ones from Myet, but their bodies had definitely been altered since last Tsi encountered them. They also seemed more organized than the others, not so out of control. They hunted in groups, and also seemed to be able to communicate with each other.
Amidst the flames that were now Loru, Mori, as well as a small group of children, had been backed into a corner. Mori stood strong, as he showed no fear to these monsters. He was holding a large object, wrapped up in a beige tarp.
"Foul creatures!" Yelled the old walan, "I will not let you harm these innocents! Leave this place at once, or I promise you, I will deal you all a bitter demise!"
The demons simply snarled at Mori as the walan lowered his gaze.
"Then you leave me no choice," he said.
Mori took to the large object wrapped in the tarp. He removed it to reveal an enormous axe. In size, the weapon rivaled him. He threw the tarp to the side, and with a roaring battle cry, and a look in his eyes that would make even the devil shudder, he charged toward his demonic quarry.
Mori took hold of his mighty axe, and with a single swipe, cut three of the demons completely in half. Two more of them tried to pounce on Mori from behind. The mighty walan killed one of them, simply by smashing it with the side of his axe. He then grabbed the other by its neck, exhaled, and then snapped it.
Mori turned to the other three demons that were left out of the group. They took one last look at him, and then ran off.
Afterward, Tsi and his Elven friend came to Mori's side.
"Mori," began Tsi, "I'm glad you're alright. Do you know where Mina and the others are?"
"Yeah," answered Mori, "They and the other townspeople are inside the shelter."
That's when the group was startled by a great voice that echoed through the sky.
"Tsi!" shouted the voice, "I know you're here, Terrian! Stop hiding like a coward and face me!"
"That's the hooded man that attacked Myet," said Tsi, "How did he find me here?"
"Tsi!" shouted the hooded man, "You will not escape me again, boy! I will find you, and when I do, I will show you no mercy!"
"He's not going to stop until I show myself," said Tsi.
"Tsi," replied Mori, "I want to help you, but I have to get these children to safety."
"That's ok," answered Tsi, "You take care of them, I'll handle things here."
"Alright," answered Mori, "Good luck, Tsi. Don't get yourself killed."
"I won't," answered Tsi, and then Mori took the children away.
Tsi turned to his Elven friend.
"You ready for this?" he asked.
The elf nodded and the two departed for the center of the town.
Tsi and his Elven companion made their way into the town's square. Tsi jumped up onto a pile of rubble and drew his sword.
"Hooded man!" he shouted, "I'm here!"
The hooded man was suspended in the air as he looked down upon Tsi.
"Ah," began the hooded man, "Finally, you have decided to show yourself."
"Who are you!?" asked Tsi.
"My name is none of your concern, since you are not going to live long enough to remember it!"
The hooded man used the same technique as he did in Myet. This time, however, his attack did not go through, for as it landed, Tsi was unharmed and surprised to see his Elven friend emitting a barrier around them both.
"What!?" exclaimed the hooded man, "Elven witch! What have you done!?"
"The name's Celcia," responded the elf as she showed a confidant grin, "and I believe I just kicked your ass to the curb!"
The hooded man growled at Celcia before composing himself.
"Alright," he began, "If it is the last thing you wish to know, before you die, I suppose I can grant you your request. I actually don't have a birth name, so you may simply call me Talon."
"Talon," uttered Tsi, "Why did you attack Myet?"
"Foolish child," answered Talon, "you're barely worthy enough to even be a part of my actions, let alone receive an explanation for them."
"PLEASE tell me he didn't just say that," replied Celcia.
"'Fraid he did," responded Tsi, a sweat drop appearing over both of their heads.
"Silence!" shouted Talon, "You've escaped me once, but mark my words, it will not happen again, Terrian!"
"Trust me, Talon," replied Tsi, "I'm not running away, but when I get threw with you you'll wish you would have!"
"Well then," responded Talon, "why don't we get started!"
The battle started off with a bang as Tsi and Celcia dodged a wave shot from Talon. Talon's assault was answered by one of Tsi's energy waves, which was blocked, and then countered by another of Talon's attacks. The battle raged on in just the same manner as the roaring fires burned their skin, threatening to feed on the dead corpses of those who would fall in this battle. One fighter's attack was countered by that of another in a seemingly endless chain of events.
Talon directed another wave shot at Celcia, which she managed to narrowly avoid. This gave Tsi the opening he needed in order to make his move. He jumped up onto the top of a house and ran along the edge of each building's rooftop until he was at the same altitude as Talon.
Tsi leaped off of the top of the building toward his air-borne adversary. Talon turned around, surprised to see the Terrian flying toward him. Tsi looked into Talon's eyes, and then lifted his sword onto his shoulder.
"Now you DIE!" Tsi shouted, and then he slashed Talon, the sword, Stratos cutting cleanly through the hooded man.
All that was left of Talon after the final blow was dealt was his head, his left arm, and the half of his chest that connected them. But even those few body parts were able to stay alive, if even just barely.
Tsi and Celcia stood over the dieing Talon. The half-dead assassin that had destroyed Myet could only manage to cough out the words as he spoke.
"This isn't over, Tsi," said Talon, "Mark my words, you're going to pay for this."
"Excuse me?" replied Celcia, "I don't know if you've noticed, but half of you is lying half dead on the ground with no more of your little demon friends to come to you're rescue. If you asked, I'd say you look pretty done to me, pal."
"Foolish girl," replied the dieing Talon, "I hate to disappoint you, but I am not the center of this campaign. I have a master whose power makes mine look like a mellow breeze."
"What!" exclaimed Tsi, "Who? Who's your master!?"
"Oh, don't worry," answered Talon "you'll find out soon enough, and when you do, you're going to wish you were lying here instead of me, Terrian."
Just then, Talon's head made a motion that signaled a dramatic change in his vitality. He began to gasp as if he was choking, and then fell silent as his mask became completely black, and his body turned to dust before it blew away into the wind.
"Wow, Tsi," said Celcia, "just who did you piss off anyway?"
"I don't know," answered Tsi, "but I have a feeling this all has something to do with the sword, Stratos."
Tsi turned to Celcia to confront her.
"Which reminds me," he began "who are you? Where'd you come from? How did you find me? How do you know who I am? And why are you helping me?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" exclaimed Celcia, "Calm down, pal, and I'll tell you!"
Celcia cleared her throat before speaking.
"My name is Celcia," began the elf, "and I am the elder of all elves. I know who you are because you were shown to me through a spell in an ancient book I possess."
"A book?" asked Tsi.
"Mmm hmm," answered Celcia, "You see, Tsi, that sword your wielding has a lot more significance in the world of magic than you might think, and since neither me, or anyone else wants to end up back in that little Hell hole that the second guy who had that sword put us all in, I've made it my personal responsibility to follow you around and make sure you don't screw up, or die along the way."
A sweat drop appeared over Tsi's head as he answered plainly, "Gee, thanks Celcia. You're so caring."
Both Tsi and Celcia looked up at the towering flames and a sweat drop appeared over both of their heads as they realized that they had surprisingly forgotten about them.
"You wouldn't happen to have a spell to put this fire out handy, would you?" asked Tsi.
"I'm an elf, not a genie," answered Celcia, and then they both sighed as their heads sunk in unison.
The next morning, when the fires had all been put out, Tsi stood before the town's people after he and Celcia prepared to make their leave.
"Everyone," began Tsi, "I can't begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. You're town was destroyed and It was all because of me."
"Don't worry about it, m'boy," said an unfamiliar voice.
Then, a very short man wearing a suit and a top hat stepped forward from the crowd.
"I'm sorry," began the short man, "Where are my manners? My name is Milo, and I'm the Mayor here in Loru."
"Sir," began Tsi, "I don't know what to say..."
"It's quite alright, Tsi," continued Milo, "We know that those demons were here for you and that they attacked our village because you were here."
The entire assembly fell over on its face.
"But," continued Milo, "we also know that you are the one that got rid of them. Because of you, our children were kept safe, and for that, we are grateful."
Tsi smiled when he heard those words. Celcia smiled as well.
"Thank you," said Tsi, "But I had a lot of help from the friends I made here. For that, I am grateful."
"And as for Loru," continued the Mayor, "we are a strong town. We will rebuild the homes destroyed in time."
Tsi nodded in acknowledgment and looked over at Mina and her family. Mori was there as well, standing next to their father. Tsi walked over to the shorter girl and looked down at her.
"Mina," began Tsi, "I especially owe a dept to you. If you and your family hadn't taken care of me, I probably wouldn't even be here right now. Thank you, Mina."
"Hey!" exclaimed the young Shu, holding his mango, "What about me? I helped too!"
Tsi laughed in amusement. "Thank you too, Shu. You were a big help."
Shu smiled as Tsi put his hand on the young boys head.
"Are you sure you can't stay a little while longer?" asked the glossy-eyed Mina.
"I'm sorry," answered Tsi, "but it's not safe for me to stay here anymore. You understand, don't you?"
Mina reluctantly nodded her head.
"Well then," she began, "make sure you come back when it is safe, ok."
"It's a promise," said Tsi, smiling.
"Take care of yourself, Tsi," said Mina's father.
"I will," answered Tsi.
"Here," said Mori presenting Tsi with another vile, "make sure not to use it all up too soon. Green Elixir isn't easy to come by."
"Thank you, Mori," said Tsi, and the two shook hands.
Tsi turned away from the Cheng family, gestured to Celcia that it was time to leave, and then they both disembarked on what was without a doubt going to be a long journey. The town's people gave Tsi and Celcia the grandest farewell they possibly could as the two of them walked away, and though it didn't completely take his mind off of what was actually happening, it did give Tsi a slight moment of peace.
The Terrian warrior and the Elven elder walked away from Loru with a new mission. Dark powers were after Tsi. They would seek out those powers and ultimately destroy them. No matter how long it took, Tsi made a vow to seek revenge for the death of his friends, and when a Terrian makes a vow of revenge, that is one vow that never goes undone.
Tsi took his bath, and settled into bed. He felt exhausted from his travels and was able to fall asleep quite easily. He awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of a swinging window smacking up against its sill. He got out of bed and took hold of the window, but did not close it. Instead, he found himself leaving it open as he climbed out of the window and onto the roof.
Meanwhile, Mina had Tsi's outfit, fully restored and neatly folded, next to her bed. She too was asleep until she heard a noise coming from the roof and decided to investigate. When she got to the roof, she came to find Tsi, sitting by himself with Stratos propped up against his shoulder and his arms around the sheath.
"Tsi?" she said, curiously, "What are you doing up here?"
"I'm sorry," answered Tsi, sadly, "I was just thinking about Myet."
Mina crawled up to him, settled onto her knees, and crossed her hands in her lap.
"For so long," Tsi continued, "I had always imagined what it may have been like to return to my village after completing my pilgrimage. The looks on my friends' faces when I came walking back into town. How I might have felt seeing my house again after being away from it for so long. Now, it's not even there anymore. All my friends, everyone I ever knew, everything that made me call that place home is all gone now."
"What about your parents?" asked Mina, "Were they killed in the attack, too?"
"No," answered Tsi, "my parents were dead long before the attack on Myet."
"Oh!" exclaimed Mina, covering her mouth as she did, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright," said Tsi, reassuringly cutting her off, "I don't really remember them. I lived at the orphanage for most of my life, until I began my training in the art of Terria, and I had to start living on my own."
"Why's that?" asked Mina.
"Well, you see," explained Tsi, "not everyone can become a Terrian. You have to be born with a certain gift that will let you undergo the four-year training course, and that includes supporting yourself. Once you have finished your training, you are allowed to enter a tournament that, if you win, will let you become a full-fledged Terrian warrior, and begin your pilgrimage to become one in its prime."
Tsi looked up at the moon with a gaze that left a feeling of pity in Mina's heart as she looked into the sad eyes of the young Terrian. His blank, blue eyes were illuminated in the light of the moon. As Mina stared into those eyes, she felt the pain of one who had lost everything that proved that they had lived, as if her very soul itself was dieing.
"Gill," began Tsi, "we had been best friends since the day I came to the orphanage. We always dreamt of growing up and becoming the greatest Terrian warriors who ever lived. When we became friends, it was almost like I'd found a long-lost brother, and it made being alone a little bit easier for the both of us."
Tsi looked back down as his eyes began to tear up.
"Gill..." he said, "He died in my arms that night. How am I supposed to become a warrior if I can't even save my best friend?"
"Tsi," said Mina, sympathetically, and then the two stood in complete silence.
As Tsi dried his tears, Mina noticed a group of men, their lanterns burning brightly, approaching the house. Mina and Tsi quickly made their way to the bottom floor. Mina opened the front door to discover that the men, surprisingly, were miners.
"Mina," began one of the miners, "we need to speak with your father. It's an emergency."
"Hold on," answered Mina, "I'll go get him."
Mina ran into the house, and came back with her father.
"What's going on, men?" he asked.
"Sorry to wake you, Chief," began the miner "but something's happened down at the mines."
"What's happened?" asked the old man.
"It's the miners working the late shift, sir," began another miner, "they've been attacked by some kind of monster."
"It was huge!" exclaimed another, "It devoured an entire mining car before it had even been emptied! On top of that, it's already killed many of the night-shifters!"
Tsi thought, "That doesn't sound like a natural creature."
He stepped forward and asked the miners, "What did this thing look like?"
The miner who first spoke stepped forward to describe the creature, "It was big, at least ten feet tall. It walked on all fours, and its feet were covered in these enormous claws. It also had these tentacle-looking things growing out of its head that were strong enough to pick up and throw one of our mining drills."
"That's definitely not normal," said Mina.
"No, it's not," replied Tsi, sternly.
"What should we do, Chief?" asked another miner.
"I'm not sure," answered the old man.
"Let me go, sir," asked Tsi, "Whatever that thing is, it's dangerous and needs to be dealt with."
"Are you saying you can kill it?" asked Mina's father.
"Yes," answered Tsi, his face showing his determination.
"No!" exclaimed Mina, "You haven't fully recovered, yet. It's too dangerous! Let the armed forces handle it."
One of the miners spoke up, "They already tried. It completely wiped them out!"
Mina's face told that she was very worried at this point.
Tsi looked at her and said, "Look, if this thing is anything like what attacked Myet, then I may be the only one who can stop it."
Tsi looked at Mina. He could tell that she didn't want him to go.
Tsi then turned to Mina's father and asked him, "Where are these mines located?"
The old man answered, "At the base of the eastern cliffs, on the edge of the forest."
Tsi turned back to Mina and asked, "Where did you put the Green Elixir?"
Mina reluctantly answered, "In a glass vile, in the spice rack up above the stove."
Tsi recovered the vile, changed into his old cloths, and then started down the road.
As he ran from the house, Mina ran out after him.
"Tsi!" she called out, "Be careful!"
Mina looked on as Tsi slowly began to disappear from sight.
"I hope he comes back, alive," she thought, and then Tsi was gone.
Tsi quickly made his way through the forest to the mines. When he arrived, there was no site of the creature that the miners had spoken of. However, the bodies of its victims were clearly visible, as well as scattered all over the mining site. Tsi could smell the stench of dead flesh all around him, and it nearly made him gag. He tried to ignore the wreaking odor and looked around for the beast that he was hunting.
He said to himself, "Gees, you'd think when something's ten feet tall, it'd be easy to find."
Then, as if to answer Tsi, a hideous roar erupted from the inside of the mine. Tsi heard the wicked sound and ducked behind a wrecked mining drill. He looked deeply into the tunnel, and could see the creature as it slowly emerged from the darkness to reveal itself.
The beast shook the earth as it walked out onto the mining site. Its skin was as black as night, and it shimmered in the light of the moon. Its head was triangular and seemed to be completely devoid of eyes. The two portions of the head were curved inward and sharpened at the ends, almost like a turtle's beak, and its mouth opened up to reveal a layer of bright yellow internal tissue.
Tsi examined the creature further and noticed a pod-like structure located in the center of the creature's back. A mass of what could only be described as fluid-tentacles protruded from this structure, wrapped themselves around a large mass of the ore that had been dug out from the mines, and placed it into the beast's mouth where it was swallowed whole.
"I don't believe it," Tsi said to himself, "It's actually eating the minerals that had been mined here."
As curious as Tsi was, it was time to stop studying this creature, and start fighting it. For while he was examining this bizarre being, Tsi could hear a rustle in the grass behind him that let him know something was approaching him at a speed that his instincts told him wasn't friendly. He quickly turned around to find two of the black tentacles going straight for his face. He got out of the way immediately after they tried to strike. Tsi was now out in the open, and that's when the beast directed a roar toward him.
"That's impossible!" Tsi thought, "That thing doesn't even have eyes! How was it able to launch a sneak attack like that?"
Tsi then found himself dodging another attack from behind as the creature attempted to ensnare the young warrior in its tentacles. He used an energy wave to fend them off, and when he did, they began to thrash around, wildly.
"That's strange," he thought.
Tsi then turned around to see the creature stomp one foot into the ground. He felt the earth tremble beneath his feet as the beast 'looked' at him, and then shot more black tentacles his way.
Tsi ran toward the monster, slashing the tentacles as he made his way through the protruding mass. He came face-to-face with his opponent for a moment before it shot another tentacle at Tsi. Tsi jumped up into the air, performed a 180 flip over the creature, and then came down with his sword slashing the back of one of its hind legs. However, his attack proved useless as the sword merely emitted a series sparks off the creature's skin, as if it were made out of solid steel.
In Tsi's state of surprise, the creature took three of its tentacles and knocked him across the clearing into a mineral transport, indenting its armor on impact. An intense pain shot through Tsi's body, but he had no time to dwell on it. Instead, he dodged the three tentacles used to throw him as they shot straight for him. They pierced the armor of the transport, and then flung themselves upward, tearing through the armor as if it were made of paper. Tsi turned to the side, dodging the tentacles with just enough room between them for him to feel the breeze come off of them as they swept by his face.
The three tentacles swiped at Tsi. He dodged the first two attacks, and then slashed all three tentacles. He jumped out of the way as more were shot toward him.
"If I could just figure out how it's following me," he thought to himself, "then I might be able to find a way to beat it."
The creature shot more of its black tentacles at Tsi.
"How the hell can this thing have so many?" he asked himself.
As they were about to strike him, Tsi launched another wave of energy form his blade. Again, once it collided with the deadly mass, the tentacles thrashed around aimlessly before retreating into the pod on the creature's back. Tsi noticed the beast stomp its foot into the ground again.
"That's it!" he thought to himself, "It must be able to sense the vibrations I make when I move, and when I use my energy attack, it gets confused and it can't find me!"
Now things were starting to look up.
"Alright," Tsi said to himself, "since I can't penetrate its hide, it looks like that pod is my only option."
The beast shot its tentacles at Tsi. Tsi immediately countered with a wave attack and began to run toward the beast.
"Wait for it..." he thought to himself, and then, when the creature stomped its foot into the ground, Tsi leaped high into the air. He positioned himself over the pod, and then came down with the blade of his sword pointed downward. He drove it into the opening in the top of the pod, and the creature cried out in pain as its legs quickly grew weak and its body began to give way.
"Gotch'a," said Tsi, but his moment of triumph didn't last long. As soon as he attempted to extract his sword, it was ensnared in the beast's tentacles, along with himself.
"Uh oh," he said to himself, nervously, "I'm starting to think this wasn't such a good idea."
Tsi struggled to escape the creature's hold, but it was too strong. The tentacles had cocooned his entire body and began to take hold of his face.
"Oh no," Tsi thought, "Is this it? Am I going to die?"
Suddenly, an illuminated, orange sphere shot out from among the trees and shredded the cocoon, allowing Tsi to dislodge his sword and jump to safety. He turned around to see a woman. She was tall, blonde, and had elf-ears.
When Tsi saw this woman, she was charging another blast between her hands. She launched it directly at the creature, and when it hit, sent it flying backward, landing near the entrance to the mine.
"Hurry!" shouted the elf, "The top of the shaft!"
Tsi looked up above the shaft and realized what she meant. He immediately launched another wave at the rocks above the shaft, dislodging a series of boulders that came crashing down on top of the beast, burying it. It let out one last roar, and then lay dead beneath the rocks.
Tsi turned around to face his new ally.
"You saved my life," he said to her, "I don't know how to thank..."
Tsi's words were sharply cut off when the elf smashed her fist into the top of his head, leaving a giant lump.
"Stupid!" yelled the elf.
"What's the big idea, lady!" responded Tsi, angrily, "I almost bit my tong off!"
"Because, dumbass!" responded the elf, pointing in the direction of the town, "While you've been sitting here, LOSING, that town's been under attack!"
Tsi looked on to see a red glow rise up over the forest.
"Oh no!" exclaimed the Terrian, "Mina, Shu, they're all in trouble!"
Tsi then started to dash toward the red glow.
"Hey!" shouted the elf, "Wait for me!"
The two of them made their way back to Loru to discover that it was overrun by a demon horde much like that which attacked Myet. These demons were very similar to the ones from Myet, but their bodies had definitely been altered since last Tsi encountered them. They also seemed more organized than the others, not so out of control. They hunted in groups, and also seemed to be able to communicate with each other.
Amidst the flames that were now Loru, Mori, as well as a small group of children, had been backed into a corner. Mori stood strong, as he showed no fear to these monsters. He was holding a large object, wrapped up in a beige tarp.
"Foul creatures!" Yelled the old walan, "I will not let you harm these innocents! Leave this place at once, or I promise you, I will deal you all a bitter demise!"
The demons simply snarled at Mori as the walan lowered his gaze.
"Then you leave me no choice," he said.
Mori took to the large object wrapped in the tarp. He removed it to reveal an enormous axe. In size, the weapon rivaled him. He threw the tarp to the side, and with a roaring battle cry, and a look in his eyes that would make even the devil shudder, he charged toward his demonic quarry.
Mori took hold of his mighty axe, and with a single swipe, cut three of the demons completely in half. Two more of them tried to pounce on Mori from behind. The mighty walan killed one of them, simply by smashing it with the side of his axe. He then grabbed the other by its neck, exhaled, and then snapped it.
Mori turned to the other three demons that were left out of the group. They took one last look at him, and then ran off.
Afterward, Tsi and his Elven friend came to Mori's side.
"Mori," began Tsi, "I'm glad you're alright. Do you know where Mina and the others are?"
"Yeah," answered Mori, "They and the other townspeople are inside the shelter."
That's when the group was startled by a great voice that echoed through the sky.
"Tsi!" shouted the voice, "I know you're here, Terrian! Stop hiding like a coward and face me!"
"That's the hooded man that attacked Myet," said Tsi, "How did he find me here?"
"Tsi!" shouted the hooded man, "You will not escape me again, boy! I will find you, and when I do, I will show you no mercy!"
"He's not going to stop until I show myself," said Tsi.
"Tsi," replied Mori, "I want to help you, but I have to get these children to safety."
"That's ok," answered Tsi, "You take care of them, I'll handle things here."
"Alright," answered Mori, "Good luck, Tsi. Don't get yourself killed."
"I won't," answered Tsi, and then Mori took the children away.
Tsi turned to his Elven friend.
"You ready for this?" he asked.
The elf nodded and the two departed for the center of the town.
Tsi and his Elven companion made their way into the town's square. Tsi jumped up onto a pile of rubble and drew his sword.
"Hooded man!" he shouted, "I'm here!"
The hooded man was suspended in the air as he looked down upon Tsi.
"Ah," began the hooded man, "Finally, you have decided to show yourself."
"Who are you!?" asked Tsi.
"My name is none of your concern, since you are not going to live long enough to remember it!"
The hooded man used the same technique as he did in Myet. This time, however, his attack did not go through, for as it landed, Tsi was unharmed and surprised to see his Elven friend emitting a barrier around them both.
"What!?" exclaimed the hooded man, "Elven witch! What have you done!?"
"The name's Celcia," responded the elf as she showed a confidant grin, "and I believe I just kicked your ass to the curb!"
The hooded man growled at Celcia before composing himself.
"Alright," he began, "If it is the last thing you wish to know, before you die, I suppose I can grant you your request. I actually don't have a birth name, so you may simply call me Talon."
"Talon," uttered Tsi, "Why did you attack Myet?"
"Foolish child," answered Talon, "you're barely worthy enough to even be a part of my actions, let alone receive an explanation for them."
"PLEASE tell me he didn't just say that," replied Celcia.
"'Fraid he did," responded Tsi, a sweat drop appearing over both of their heads.
"Silence!" shouted Talon, "You've escaped me once, but mark my words, it will not happen again, Terrian!"
"Trust me, Talon," replied Tsi, "I'm not running away, but when I get threw with you you'll wish you would have!"
"Well then," responded Talon, "why don't we get started!"
The battle started off with a bang as Tsi and Celcia dodged a wave shot from Talon. Talon's assault was answered by one of Tsi's energy waves, which was blocked, and then countered by another of Talon's attacks. The battle raged on in just the same manner as the roaring fires burned their skin, threatening to feed on the dead corpses of those who would fall in this battle. One fighter's attack was countered by that of another in a seemingly endless chain of events.
Talon directed another wave shot at Celcia, which she managed to narrowly avoid. This gave Tsi the opening he needed in order to make his move. He jumped up onto the top of a house and ran along the edge of each building's rooftop until he was at the same altitude as Talon.
Tsi leaped off of the top of the building toward his air-borne adversary. Talon turned around, surprised to see the Terrian flying toward him. Tsi looked into Talon's eyes, and then lifted his sword onto his shoulder.
"Now you DIE!" Tsi shouted, and then he slashed Talon, the sword, Stratos cutting cleanly through the hooded man.
All that was left of Talon after the final blow was dealt was his head, his left arm, and the half of his chest that connected them. But even those few body parts were able to stay alive, if even just barely.
Tsi and Celcia stood over the dieing Talon. The half-dead assassin that had destroyed Myet could only manage to cough out the words as he spoke.
"This isn't over, Tsi," said Talon, "Mark my words, you're going to pay for this."
"Excuse me?" replied Celcia, "I don't know if you've noticed, but half of you is lying half dead on the ground with no more of your little demon friends to come to you're rescue. If you asked, I'd say you look pretty done to me, pal."
"Foolish girl," replied the dieing Talon, "I hate to disappoint you, but I am not the center of this campaign. I have a master whose power makes mine look like a mellow breeze."
"What!" exclaimed Tsi, "Who? Who's your master!?"
"Oh, don't worry," answered Talon "you'll find out soon enough, and when you do, you're going to wish you were lying here instead of me, Terrian."
Just then, Talon's head made a motion that signaled a dramatic change in his vitality. He began to gasp as if he was choking, and then fell silent as his mask became completely black, and his body turned to dust before it blew away into the wind.
"Wow, Tsi," said Celcia, "just who did you piss off anyway?"
"I don't know," answered Tsi, "but I have a feeling this all has something to do with the sword, Stratos."
Tsi turned to Celcia to confront her.
"Which reminds me," he began "who are you? Where'd you come from? How did you find me? How do you know who I am? And why are you helping me?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" exclaimed Celcia, "Calm down, pal, and I'll tell you!"
Celcia cleared her throat before speaking.
"My name is Celcia," began the elf, "and I am the elder of all elves. I know who you are because you were shown to me through a spell in an ancient book I possess."
"A book?" asked Tsi.
"Mmm hmm," answered Celcia, "You see, Tsi, that sword your wielding has a lot more significance in the world of magic than you might think, and since neither me, or anyone else wants to end up back in that little Hell hole that the second guy who had that sword put us all in, I've made it my personal responsibility to follow you around and make sure you don't screw up, or die along the way."
A sweat drop appeared over Tsi's head as he answered plainly, "Gee, thanks Celcia. You're so caring."
Both Tsi and Celcia looked up at the towering flames and a sweat drop appeared over both of their heads as they realized that they had surprisingly forgotten about them.
"You wouldn't happen to have a spell to put this fire out handy, would you?" asked Tsi.
"I'm an elf, not a genie," answered Celcia, and then they both sighed as their heads sunk in unison.
The next morning, when the fires had all been put out, Tsi stood before the town's people after he and Celcia prepared to make their leave.
"Everyone," began Tsi, "I can't begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. You're town was destroyed and It was all because of me."
"Don't worry about it, m'boy," said an unfamiliar voice.
Then, a very short man wearing a suit and a top hat stepped forward from the crowd.
"I'm sorry," began the short man, "Where are my manners? My name is Milo, and I'm the Mayor here in Loru."
"Sir," began Tsi, "I don't know what to say..."
"It's quite alright, Tsi," continued Milo, "We know that those demons were here for you and that they attacked our village because you were here."
The entire assembly fell over on its face.
"But," continued Milo, "we also know that you are the one that got rid of them. Because of you, our children were kept safe, and for that, we are grateful."
Tsi smiled when he heard those words. Celcia smiled as well.
"Thank you," said Tsi, "But I had a lot of help from the friends I made here. For that, I am grateful."
"And as for Loru," continued the Mayor, "we are a strong town. We will rebuild the homes destroyed in time."
Tsi nodded in acknowledgment and looked over at Mina and her family. Mori was there as well, standing next to their father. Tsi walked over to the shorter girl and looked down at her.
"Mina," began Tsi, "I especially owe a dept to you. If you and your family hadn't taken care of me, I probably wouldn't even be here right now. Thank you, Mina."
"Hey!" exclaimed the young Shu, holding his mango, "What about me? I helped too!"
Tsi laughed in amusement. "Thank you too, Shu. You were a big help."
Shu smiled as Tsi put his hand on the young boys head.
"Are you sure you can't stay a little while longer?" asked the glossy-eyed Mina.
"I'm sorry," answered Tsi, "but it's not safe for me to stay here anymore. You understand, don't you?"
Mina reluctantly nodded her head.
"Well then," she began, "make sure you come back when it is safe, ok."
"It's a promise," said Tsi, smiling.
"Take care of yourself, Tsi," said Mina's father.
"I will," answered Tsi.
"Here," said Mori presenting Tsi with another vile, "make sure not to use it all up too soon. Green Elixir isn't easy to come by."
"Thank you, Mori," said Tsi, and the two shook hands.
Tsi turned away from the Cheng family, gestured to Celcia that it was time to leave, and then they both disembarked on what was without a doubt going to be a long journey. The town's people gave Tsi and Celcia the grandest farewell they possibly could as the two of them walked away, and though it didn't completely take his mind off of what was actually happening, it did give Tsi a slight moment of peace.
The Terrian warrior and the Elven elder walked away from Loru with a new mission. Dark powers were after Tsi. They would seek out those powers and ultimately destroy them. No matter how long it took, Tsi made a vow to seek revenge for the death of his friends, and when a Terrian makes a vow of revenge, that is one vow that never goes undone.