Tsumikiri-J
By: William Baker
It was the October 7770, 20 years after the defeat of the horrible monster named Olga Flow. Vernon, our hero who aided in the defeat of the monster, has settled down and is living in Inner Ragol, the city. Living the life of a normal person has been rather nice to him. If it weren't for the fact that he is still a Hunter, basically an elite version of the National Guard who is called to solve any violent problem of the city, he would really enjoy his normal, easy life.
Not to say his duties as a Hunter are boring though. Vernon still loves protecting Inner Ragol from the Outer Ragol, the slums of the city, raiding bands. He is also called on to destroy wild creatures that seem to spawn from the swamps and marshes a couple miles south of the city.
It was a day like any other, Vernon had waken up, taken a shower, eaten breakfast, and was reading the newspaper, when a beautiful young girl slams open his front door.
"V! Come quick!" she gasped as she tried to catch her breath.
"Delilah, haven't I asked you to knock before you kick down my door!?" asked Vernon with a scornful look on his face as he put on his boots.
"Sorry V but I didn't kick- aah there is no time for this we have to go!" she replied obviously very agitated. "Don't you watch the news? I thought it would be all over it by the time I got here!"
"You know I don't have a TV." He calmly reminded her as he slung his sword, the Dark Flow, over his shoulders. "What's going on?"
"A huge monster has come from the swamps and is in Inner Ragol causing some massive damage to the downtown area."
"Why didn't our radars catch it before it got to the city?"
"I'll tell you on the way." She said as she ran out the door and hopped onto a shuttle bus.
"Delilah wait!" Vernon exclaimed as the bus drove away. "I.Have.. A…Car…. You know if she would just wait and calm down, we could make plans and we wouldn't have a problem taking down these monsters." He mumbled to himself as he walked to his car. "Oh well, she'll learn."
Five minutes later Vernon has to stop the car because a whole skyscraper is lying on the road.
"It's that big huh?" he asked to no one in particular as he got out of his car.
"Yeah that big." panted Delilah as she ran down the road.
"Whoa! Where did you come from?" a very surprised Vernon asked
"I had to run three miles because the shuttle bus took a detour." she replied as she caught her breath.
"Oh, well, so, where is it?"
"The monster? I don't know. The authorities and the other Hunters have lost it."
"How do you lose a monster that is big enough to knock down skyscrapers?" he asked incredulously.
"From the reports I heard it came up from the swamps, ignored Outer Ragol, destroyed some buildings in the area and then, with much ferocity, destroyed this building in particularly. Right after, it disappeared."
Suddenly, as if on cue, the road in front of them began to shimmer and shake as though it were hit with a sudden heat wave. Then, a giant, dark mass began to take form. The form went instantly into chaos as though it changed its mind and disappeared. All was silent.
"OOOOK. What was that?" asked Delilah looking around very puzzled.
That's when the "mud-hit-the-fan". A freakishly huge creature with four, blocky legs spread spider-like around the humanoid torso, giant claws growing from the back of where the hands were supposed to come from on the arms but instead, they were replaced by, on one, a giant, sword-like appendage, and a huge spike grew from the other, appeared on the spot where the dark shape was. Once there, it began ripping up the area around it.
"That, would be our creature!" screamed Delilah.
"Run! Get out of here!" yelled Vernon.
It was to late, the creature had heard her. But, before it moved any closer it saw Vernon, more importantly, it saw what sword he was carrying. It let out a shriek of horror and actually fired the spike off its arm and at a rather high speed towards Vernon.
The spike came at him from above, there was nothing he could do to avoid it, so he stood with his sword ready and braced himself for the impact that would surely kill him. He was then jerked from his feet, he saw the world pass by in a blur, and then he stopped very suddenly. He was behind the monster! He moved so fast, the spike still hadn't hit the ground when he stopped.
"How did I do that?"
"Wasn't you, was me." gasped Delilah.
"How did you get that fast?"
"There is no time to talk we must kill this thing before it kills us."
A loud explosion was heard as the spike hit the ground. The creature made a sound as if it were chuckling to itself.
"It thinks it killed us. So, it is one of those creatures that delight in the destruction of the lives of others."
Without even checking to see if Vernon or Delilah were still alive, the monster resumed its destruction of the city.
"Well, that means we have the clichéd 'element of surprise'." Delilah said as she whipped two, long wickedly curved daggers from their sheaths in her belt.
It used its claws to destroy a building near it.
"Wait! Don't do anything!" Vernon yelled in warning.
It stepped on another building.
"What's wrong? Isn't this a copy of that creature, Olga Flow? The one you destroyed twenty years ago when you had the much less powerful Solaris Blade?" she asked exasperated.
The monster rammed another building.
"No, this one is bigger and Olga never had claws and it couldn't fire its spike like that." He explained, worried.
The monstrosity "punched" yet another building in with its stump of an arm.
"So what? This is bigger and better than Olga so let's kill it before it kills us." she replied, getting bored with Vernon's arguments.
It bit the top off of a building.
"But, Olga was nearly impossible to beat." Vernon stated still worried.
Another building fell to its sword-like appendage.
"Well I'm here, I can help!"
"There were three of us last time," said Vernon starkly, ending the discussion.
The creature suddenly seemed to lose all interest in destroying the city and headed straight for the swamps.
"Well it doesn't matter now."
"Why not?"
"'Cause there it goes." Delilah pointed out.
"Oh, well that gives us a chance to find HIM." Vernon explained.
"Who's that?" she asked kind of confused.
"Balthazar."
"OK I'm still confused."
"I'll tell you on the way there." Vernon said as he got in his car.
Once they were on their way, Vernon began telling her what was going on, "you remember that I destroyed Olga Flow right?"
"Right."
"Well, there is more to the story than is told. This is mainly because he doesn't want to be part of it. I told you there were actually three of us that were there the day Olga Flow was destroyed. Well actually there ended up being two of us who really destroyed it, one gave his life so that Balthazar and I could live. His name was Rafael; he was a close friend to the both of us. Olga actually captured him and gave him a choice; help it destroy us both and it will surrender or die and leave the possibility that Balthazar and myself may die also. Well, Rafael believed in us so; instead of making sure it would die he chose to die so we may destroy it. Now, Balthazar still hasn't forgiven himself for the death of Ralph and has become a reclusive hermit. But, I know where he is hiding."
"If he has become a hermit then why do we need to bother him and get his help?"
"He was actually the key to destroying the creature last time, maybe he can do it again. You see, Olga Flow was weak against fire and fire type attacks."
"Yeah, and?"
"Balthazar is the master of fire type techniques. And maybe this creature is weak against it also."
"Wait you mean he can actually use black magic?" she asked skeptically.
"Yes. Well, we're there."
"Where? I don't see anything but the plains to the north and the city behind us." she said looking around.
"Exactly."
"Wait. Is he dead?" she questioned, her eyes getting wider.
"NO! Here, let me show you. BALTHAZAR! SHOW YOURSELF!" Vernon bellowed loudly.
"Is that? No, it couldn't be." A gruff Scottish voice sounded from underground. Suddenly, a hole appeared in the ground in front of them and the head of a middle aged man bobbled out. "It is! It is! Vernon! Me old friend! Come in! Come in! And bring your loively young friend wit ye!"
Once inside, the greetings and reunions began.
"Aah Balthazar you were always loud. It's good to see you again."
"Aye and 'tis good to see ye, boot who is this loively vision of beauty wit ye?"
"Hi my name is Delilah. So, you're the legendary Balthazar."
"Oh oi wudent say legendry. Doncha know, V 'ere is ta won dat beet 'em"
"This may be true Bal but, without you, the Solaris Blade would not have been made and empowered enough to defeat Olga Flow." Vernon reminded him.
"Aye kerful now, yur getten mey all floosh-loike."
"Floosh-loike?" Delilah looked to Vernon for a translation.
"Flushed, you know, embarrassed, you'll get used to his accent."
"Oim serry m' loidy if'n you coin't understand moi. Um, V, oi goitta arsk, why er ye 'ere"
"Ah, I knew that was coming. Well, it's back but it's different." Vernon said.
"Deffrent 'ow?"
"It's bigger, it can actually launch its spike, and it has claws."
"Clers eh? Oh, and Deloiler, pleaz dernt toich da tings on da shelf." Balthazar said very seriously.
"Uh, why?" she asked with her hand hovering just inches away from a strange orb on the shelf.
"'Cers most o' dem is bombs."
"Oh, darn." She said quickly snatching her hand from the shelves. "Man, how did he know I was reaching for the shelf?" she mumbled to herself.
"Didn't V tell yer? Oi ken tell exactolly whoot is goin' on in the soime foifty foit oi'm lercoited."
"No he didn't." she glared at Vernon.
"What? It wasn't important." Claimed Vernon, trying to defend himself. "Really, it wasn't important."
"Oy, V is gud at not tellin' aboot da unimpertant parts o' a stery."
"OK fine whatever let's just get going," demanded a defeated Vernon.
Once in the car and well on their way, Balthazar couldn't help but to ask, "oi know it moight boi rud o' moi ter arsk boot, are you two an oitem?"
Delilah leaned forward from the backseat and gave Balthazar an incredulous look, "Me and V? Yeah right! He's more like a dad to me."
"Well just make me feel good! And I thought I might still be attractive."
"Ha! Gud 'un V! You? Attractive? Oy dat does make moi ribs 'urt!"
"So betrayed by my own friend is it? Well!" exclaimed Vernon in mock exasperation.
"Oh, Deloiler opoligize ta 'em ye 'urt 'is feelins."
"I hurt his feelings? You're the one who said he wasn't attractive."
"So you do find me attractive?"
"NO! I mean Yes! NO! Aah I give up!"
Vernon and Balthazar just chuckled the rest of the way south. Finally, after traveling through the slums of Outer Ragol, they reached the swamps, the source of all the monster attacks.
"While we are here we may want to look into trying to find the area where the creatures actually come from," suggested Vernon as he parked, then exited the car.
"Er, moibe we cud joost kill da beastie and get outta here?" said Balthazar as he clambered out of the car himself.
"Yeah I'm with Bal, this place gives me the heebie-jeebies," stated Delilah as she gracefully removed herself from the vehicle.
"All right, fine, I get it, neither of you want to be here, so, let's find this thing and destroy it."
"Find what thing?" asked a dark, but familiar voice that seemed to come from all around them.
"Who's there? Bal, start concentrating on your strongest spells, Delilah, get ready to help me defend Balthazar, he is defenseless when he is concentrating. Show yourself! NOW! OR I'LL—"
"Or you'll what?" the voice seemed mocking now, "swing your big sword and destroy everything in front of you? You were always barking orders to the others in your team, Vernon," it said with particular hatred.
"Woit! V! Oi remember that voice!"
"Bal! Get back to concentrating!"
"Aah I see you brought Balthazar with you. Yes, I remember you too, old man, you power hungry old fool. You couldn't stand being in Vernon's shadow but what are you doing now? You're letting him order you around. So the Leader, the Shadow, but wait where is the third? Oh! I remember! HE DIED!" Vernon, Balthazar, and Delilah stood, mouths agape, in shocked silence. "You are probably wondering how I know all of this, I'll tell you, but first who is that with you, I sense another being there."
"My, my, my, n-n-n-n-name is-."
"Calm down and think it's really not that hard of a question."
"My n-name I-I-I-is Delilah."
"See, that wasn't so hard now was it? It is a shame though, I sense you are young, and have not much experience in life but I will have to destroy you. But as promised, I shall now reveal myself," suddenly the swamp in front of them began to bubble, then it exploded and the giant monster from the city became fully visible once out of the swamp. "It is I, Rafael!"
"But I thought Rafael was a human and dead!" asked a very bewildered Delilah.
"He is, look on the beast's left shoulder."
There, on its shoulder stood the half-rotten carcass of a Spanish looking man in his early twenties at the time of death. Stooped over and hunched it's clothing hung off it in rags and it carried what looked to be a rather thick book.
"You are correct, I am dead, but a kind necromancer revived me into the strongest type of undead, the Lich. After killing him I found this tome in his library and set about making a better, stronger, Olga Flow. Much to my delight, I found I was quite adept to using necromancy and created my ultimate creature on the first try. And now, I can get my revenge, and be rid of Olga Flow forever."
"What do you mean, 'be rid of Olga Flow forever' we killed it twenty years ago?"
"Well you see, destroying its physical form wasn't enough, you must destroy it spiritually for it to be truly gone or it will find a new host and create its own creature."
"So how do we destroy it?" asked Delilah who has gotten very bored with this long, drawn-out conversation.
"You destroy the Dark Flow and anybody who has ever had possession of it." Suddenly, Balthazar is engulfed in flames. "Wait you have been distracting me this whole time to let Bal charge his fire techniques? How funny! To think that you would believe that trick would work twice! I'm sorry but I covered all my bases there, my old friends, I made sure that this one is not weak against anything."
"Well, ye still 'ave a prublem theer, I moiself 'ave been getten strunger tu. Moi fir balls ken take down anyting."
"I'd really like to see that." Rafael sneered. "I doubt that old fire ball of yo- aaagh!" he was cut off short because he and his creature were incinerated instantly.
"Woo! OK! Oi didn't tink it would do Dat much agin' 'im"
"Wow! Balthazar! How much DID you train?" Vernon exclaimed. "I mean, that was crazy, that thing was stronger than Olga Flow but yet you burned it and Ralph into nothing."
"Hold On!" Delilah yelled still trying to take in all that just happened, "Stop everything! And tell me what is going on here!"
"Well, we haven't really been telling everybody the truth, Olga Flow didn't kill Rafael, we did."
"Aye boot we 'ad tu, he was gonna turn on us and we knew Olga wouldn't surrender so we tuuk dem both out in one shot while Ralphy was tryin' ta decide."
"But how did you know he was going to turn?"
"Bal can read the minds of his closest friends, and Ralph WAS one of our closest friends so, Bal read and found treacherous thoughts with no good in them."
So, with his job done and the truth revealed, Vernon took the others to their respective homes and went home himself.
Fin.
Note: I am truly sorry if you got lost during this story, this may be due to the fact it is not intended for publishing and relies heavily on Phantasy Star Online: episodes 1 and 2, and "Flow: a story of loss and sacrifice", another short story by William Baker, as backgrounds and not many have read the short story and Phantasy Star is a video game.