FFXI: Chronicles of Pandemonium

Chronicle 2

-Rescue: Part 1-

By: Nei

Eurik managed his way through the bustle of the Upper Bostok Market's District. Even in the early hours of the morning when adventurers were setting up their bazaars to sell their goods it was still busy. It almost seemed as if the markets never slept for the exception of the shops. Even some of the bazaars stayed open all night for the late night adventurer. Alas, through all the people in the Upper Markets he was unable to find Neena. As the young Red Mage descended the steps to the Lower Markets he wondered how the Mithran girl was feeling after yelled at by Orin last night.

The Lower Markets, while not as busy as its brother above, was busy as well, mostly populated by those who were either on their way to the Goldsmithing Guild or those seeking jewelry that was just made by a professional. Eurik had taken a guess that he might be able to find the girl he was looking for inside, practicing in her craft. While she tried to improve her skill, she barely had the money to fund for the expensive materials required for synthesis.

As he approached the heavy metal doors to the guild, the sounds metal banging on metal and explosions of a successful synthesis could be heard from inside. Pushing aside the doors and taking a quick glance around quickly gave Eurik the notion that Neena was not present. Reinberta, the master of the guild approached him and shouted over the noise in the background "Are you looking to join the Goldsmithing guild?!" He shook his head and covered his ears as another loud bang came from another room "No way!! It's too loud in here. I'm looking for Neena."

"Oh?! Neena? She doesn't hang around here for long." Reinberta pointed to the top of her head "Too much noise, it hurts her ears to hang around here anymore than she has to. She usually goes somewhere a little more quiet to actually synthesize items. You can probably find her near the water ways around here."

Eurik gave a small nod of appreciation and gladly left the noisy atmosphere of the Goldsmithing Guild. He could certainly understand why the Mithra would want to work in a quieter area, but it made him wonder why she decided to work with such a craft if the noise bothered her so much. As a matter of fact, why did she ever leave her home in Windurst to live in a place that was completely opposite of her own country. He barely could stand living there himself. While Bostok had plenty of technology that couldn't be found anywhere else and it was an industrial powerhouse it was also plagued with pollution.

He shrugged his question aside as he descended the steps to the bridge that crossed over the waterway to the entrance of the Mines District. It was on this bridge that he had finally found the Mithran girl in the middle of synthesizing an item of some sort. He gave her a small tap on the shoulder causing her to take her head off what she was doing to look at him. She gave him a small smile when she had realized him "Oh! Hey Eurik!"

The man pointed forward indicating that she should pay attention to what she was doing, unfortunately it was too late to restore her concentration on the synthesis and the project had lost its stability. Her eyes widened when she had realized what was happening and the fire crystal she was using shattered in an ear piercing CRACK. Several chunks of copper ore and a hot, silvery colored liquid lay on the ground amongst the scattered shards of what was once a fire crystal.

Neena blinked in shock, even speechless for a moment until she stared at the silvery liquid long and hard enough to cause the reality of what just happened sink in "OH NO!!! I JUST LOST MY ONLY CHUNK OF ZINC!!!" Eurik staggered a few steps as she unexpectedly screamed at the loss of her most needed ore. The girl turned to him with the copper ores cradled in her arms and tears streaming down her cheeks as she sulked "Eurik... I just lost my zinc ore..."

The girl raised an eyebrow as he started talking, but was unable to hear anything he was trying to say. She reached up and plucked the pieces of cotton she stuffed in her ears to use as make-shift ear plugs and asked quizzically "Say what? I couldn't hear you." Eurik chuckled lightly "So that's how you stand the noise in the Goldsmithing Guild. Ah... sorry for messing up your synthesis there." Neena shook her head as she put her remaining copper ores away in her pack "Nah... it's ok. I'm sure I can find another piece of zinc hiding in one of the mines or if I have to I'm sure to find one in a bazaar or at the Auction House."

Eurik shrugged carelessly "Yea, but why spend money when you can possibly mine one up from the ground. It's a whole lot cheaper that way." The girl nodded "Of course..." she blinked and placed her arms akimbo "You must have been looking for me to come all the way through the markets to find me. Did you need something?" The Hume made a big grin as scratched the back of his head "Ah well... yea I just wanted to make sure you were feeling better after Orin's outburst yesterday." He straightened his composure and donned a more serious expression "What he did was completely uncalled for." Neena merely waved a hand, dismissing the subject entirely "I'm not worried about him. If he's going to be so narrow-minded and take no heed to my warning then fine. He'll find out soon enough. Maybe he'll recognize what I'm talking about when he faces a Quadav face to face and run off scared. If he's lucky, they won't catch him."

Eurik chuckled and ruffled the girl's hair playfully "I'm sure he'll be sorry for not listening to you." He raised a finger telling her to hold on a moment "Anyhow, that's not all I wanted to see you for. I found a client that is in need of help. His job was going to take me off to the Palborough Mines and as you well know, Quadav's have taken that place over before you were even living here in Bostok. I was wondering if you were interested in helping me in the job. I'll split the reward with you of course." The Mithran girl made a thoughtful hum "Well... You know my services don't come cheap... I'll do it for 3000 gil." She answered slyly. Eurik recoiled in shock of the answer "W-what?! Aww... c'mon! You gotta be kidding me!" Neena let out a little giggle as she replied "Of course... I'm just kidding, sure I'll help. I need to go to a mine to find some zinc ore anyway, right?" The man let out a sigh of relief and gave her a small grin "Yea, of course. Our client is named Black Rock. He's waiting for us at the Bat's Lair Inn, so let's not keep him waiting."

After helping Neena gather stuff together they left together to the Mine District of Bostok. Unlike its neighbor next door, it didn't bustle with people, but there were certainly enough to make it look busy, perhaps due to the auction house that was near by. The sound of pick axes could be heard echoing in the distance from the Zeruhn Mines within the district. The trip through the Mines District was brief and they soon found themselves inside the Bat's Lair Inn.

Eurik lead Neena to a table that had a huge Galka waiting patiently, when they approached, the grey-skinned humanoid gave them both a friendly smile and greeted them "Ah... so is this your partner you spoke of, Eurik?" Hume simply responded with a nod and the Galka began giving the two freelance adventurers the situation "I'm sure you are both aware of the problem in the Palborough Mines with the Quadav. As one of the lead miners in there I understand the importance of getting it back in our control. The ore we can dig up in there is of better quality than the ore we dig up here at the Zeruhn Mine. Some of the other miners have doubled up as adventurers themselves when the Quadav took it over. I sent one of them to make an investigation about a day ago, but we have not yet heard from... I fear that the Quadav may have caught him..."

Eurik scratched his chin thoughtfully "So I assume that you want us to rescue him? What's his name?"

"His name is Gaerwyn." Black Rock answered.

"And what if he was killed?"

"Then bring back something that was his. He wears a unique medallion so if you find his body then look far that and bring it back to me."

Eurik gave the hulking Galka a reassuring smile "Don't worry, we'll find him. I don't think me or Neena will have any trouble taking on the Quadav's there together." Black Rock rose from the table and gave the Hume and Mithra a friendly handshake and the two adventurers exited the inn to start on their journey to the Palborough Mines.

Meanwhile... in the Palborough Mines Gaerwyn was still alive and well, but much to Black Rock's suspicions the Hume warrior was caught by the Quadav and was quickly overwhelmed. When he had come to his hand and feet were bound tightly in a tough rope. Gazing his surroundings he was able to judge that he must have still been in the Palborough Mines. The walls were rocky and some areas shined with precious minerals and metals. Wooden support beams could be seen among the walls and ceiling to prevent cave in. He squinted his eyes a bit as he saw a source of light moving in the only opening of the room, heavy footsteps echoed throughout the rocky confines of the mine and soon a Quadav had entered the room in which he sat.

"Urgh... let me go you bastard!!" he grunted as he strained against the binds. The Quadav that had entered the room approached him when it heard his demand to be released and it towered over him menacingly and asked in a gruff voice "What is that Hume coward?" The man answered again through clenched teeth "I said... let me go you scaly bastard!" The Quadav infuriated by the verbal jab gave him a hard kick in the side bowling Gaerwyn over onto his side. It then rolled him over on his back and forcefully stomped down the chest plate of the warrior "Those are awfully bold words for one who is tied up. Better thank your Goddess that my superior wants to question you otherwise I'd kill you now..."

Gaerwyn sputtered and coughed after the Quadav took it's foot off his chest and returned to it's post in the hall. After giving himself a few moments to recover his breath and sat himself upright again and tried moving his hands to loosen the rope a little. He turned his head a bit to examine the wall behind him as he muttered under his breath "I need to find a way out of here..."

After a few hours of traveling through Northern Gustaburg Neena and Eurik found themselves at the mouth of the Palborough Mines. Rusting carts and pick axes laid strewn about, long since abandoned. Ramshackle wooden structures housing barrels of gunpowder were starting to fall apart from the lack of maintenance and the only sound from within the mine was just a hollow wind. Neena's ear's flattened against her head as she approached the entrance "Wow... this place is creepy..." she muttered uncomfortably. Eurik stepped up beside her, drawing his sword from it's sheath as stared into the darkness of the mine "What? Surely you're not afraid?" The Mithran girl glanced at him and shook her head and answered with a confident "No way! We need to Gaerwyn and another chunk of zinc!" The Hume gave her a grin and stepped into the mine with her following shortly behind.

Railway for carts continued down the opening tunnel of the mine, an eery silence hung in the air. A dull light was cast from the glass lanterns hanging from the support beams of the mine. The tunnel soon widened a bit and opened up to a round room. A de-railed cart sat near the center of the room full of what appeared to be useless chunks of gravel. Several pick axes laid on the ground or leaned against the wall, a thick layer of dust suggested that they had not been disturbed in some time. Two more unexplored tunnels opened passage to other areas on the left and right side of the room.

Neena walked into the mine, gazing around at the sight in awe. She stopped at the cart in the certain of the room and started digging around in it, her tail twitching back and forth as she examined several chunks of gravel. Eurik on the other hand was a little less impressed by the sights. He has entered a mine on several occasions, but never had he been to the Palborough Mine. The fact that there were no workers, no noise made it feel very eery to him. As he looked at the wall he heard the Mithra behind him "Damn... I don't see any zinc ore in here..." He picked up a pick axe and looked it over for a moment then examined the wall once more catching a small glint of silver. The Red Mage hefted the pick axe and gave the wall a hard strike with it. Upon impact the pick gave way and the brittle metal shattered barely even putting a scratch into the wall. He shook his head as he tossed aside the ruined pick axe "Well I certainly wouldn't count any of the tools in here. Sitting down here for so long has caused either the pick or the handle weaken. I'm sure just about any of these will break on contact."

The girl made a disappointed look "Well..." Eurik snapped his fingers "Ah! I know, don't worry about that zinc ore Neena. Let's just concentrate on finding Gaerwyn. Trust me, I know how to get you a chunk of that ore. Ok?" The Mithran thief was about to respond when she heard footsteps echoing in one of the halls, no doubt a Quadav that probably heard the pick axe break and was coming to investigate. The Red Mage pointed at the tunnel that the footsteps were coming and ordered in a hushed voice "Hide near the opening of the tunnel. I'll distract him and when he comes after me sneak up on him and hit him as hard as you can."

Neena quietly hid amongst a few shadows in a corner near the tunnel and Eurik took his position in the middle of the room. When he caught sight of the approaching figure it was sure enough a single Quadav that had come to investigate. When the beastman caught sight of the red mage it ripped its bronze sword from it's sheath and dashed toward him. Eurik dodged to the side when the Quadav raised it's blade and took a hard chop at him. The turtle-like creature took a few steps before recovering it's balance.

After watching briefly the fight between her partner and the Quadav, Neena bolted from the shadows quickly clearing the distance between her and the beast. She sprung off the ground and extended one foot forward. Before it could react Neena's jump kick had forcefully landed its mark right into the back of beastman and with such power that her attack had cracked the backplate it was wearing. It stumbled forward towards Eurik who wasted no time in ceasing the chance. He thrust his sword forward, the keen edged blade finding a weak point in the hapless Quadav's armor and plunged it deep into the chest of creature. Its grip on its own sword weakened, eventually letting it slip from its hands and land with a loud clatter against the rocky floor.

Withdrawing his blade, Eurik eyed the fallen Quadav suspiciously with the little light he had. "That was too easy... it's like his armor just gave away the moment we touched it..." he muttered while prodding the Quadav with the tip of his sword. Neena kneeled down next to the corpse and examined its backplate "I think I know why... this backplate isn't made of their usual darksteel... this thing is made of iron... doesn't appear very well maintained either..." The Red Mage shrugged carelessly "Oh well... I bet this guy was probably some trainee or something. I doubt all the Quadavs in here are going to be this easy... Speaking of which... we'd better get a move on. They're bound to notice one of their own missing..."

Note from Author: Well... I thank those who are actually read and I thank my single reviewer. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, this is only a part 1. I do not wish to make a chronicle too long and end up boring you to death. As you noticed I might be a little slow to update as well... please don't lose hope on me ;. I'm just a little slow writing. I'm going to try and at least add a chronicle every month. Shorter if I can. I'm not an expert writer I know. I'm simply doing this for the fun of it so I hope that you readers at least enjoy it despite it's mistakes or short-comings. Thank you :).