Chapter 1: Memories
Authors Note: I wrote the beginnings of a Story Known as Innocence lost which I later dubbed a failure and wrote myself into a corner. I will not continue that story, but this story's prevalent themes and some names will be near identical.
I do not own square-enix or final fantasy 11, all copyrights belong to their respective owners.
A little Background info about FFXI please skip if you have played the game as you will know all of this: In the world I am righting in Hume refers to what we would call a human. Tarutarus are tiny midget like creatures that excel in the ways of magic and often times crafting. Galka are large asexual bear like creatures. Elvann are similar to humes but stronger in general, taller, and yes have pointy ears. Mithra are more or less cat girls a mix between a cat and a girl, often seen in anime series, I say cat girls because no one but the most high mithra are aloud to see the male mithra because they are very rare in the species and are kept somewhere hidden that no one else knows of.
It was a quiet day in south Gustanberg a barren wasteland just south of the technologically advanced city of Bastok, where Humans, Galkas, and occasionally other races dwell. A man stood absolutely silent on a large rock waiting for his prey. This man was dressed in brilliant white armor fully adorned albeit slightly warn from many a battle. On his left arm sat a large white shield, and in his right hand a red sword with a jagged looking blade. On his ring fingers sat very expensive looking rings that gave off a brilliant yellow glow, and on each ear an earring that looked equally expensive and stunning. Passersby could immediately tell he was an experienced veteran adventurer, while only adventurers with some experience could tell you he was a paladin. He was a proud man with great ambitions who enjoyed protecting the innocent, but now was not the time for that he waited anxiously for a very rare monster that was known to inhabit these parts whose magically imbued hide could be made easily into powerful boots greatly desired by thieves and rangers. Being a paladin these boots would not help him, however he desired the money he could sell them for. Such a rare item however would not be left alone, he had to compete with another well equipped adventurer, a dragoon whose armor glowed with a purple sheen. He had slain this monster before and earned the money off of the boots so he was not worried, all he had to do was wait.
Days past and he was growing weary of the hunt when suddenly loud cries erupted from behind him. Immediately the paladin and the dragoon turned their heads to find the cause for the disturbance, and at first neither could see anything wrong. Seconds later however from around a nearby rock ran a rookie adventurer likely fresh from leaving Bastok being chased by a giant turtle like creature with a sword known as a quadav. The Dragoon seeing no threat turned back to the hunt for the money he wanted from the valuable boots. The paladin recognizing the danger to the young adventurer quickly unsheathed his red jagged blade, known as a Gluttony sword due to the vitality inducing magic it contained, and ran as fast as he could towards the endangered adventurer. The paladin immediately casts the fastest spell he has, flash, angering the quadav, and causing it to turn away from the helpless adventurer to fight the new foe. This causes the quadav to turn towards and charge the paladin flailing its sword. While this young quadav is quite a threat to the young adventurer it stands no chance against the battle hardened paladin. The quadav's sword doesn't even scratch the paladins armor, and in one swift movement the paladin hits the quadav in the face with his shield, and uses his sword to knock the quadav's blade out of it's grasp. The quadav not one to give up flails blindly until the paladin stabs it through the throat spilling its blood across the barren ground. With this completed the paladin sheaths his sword and smiles over a job well done. He turns to the adventurer who is wearing nothing more than standard issue clothes given by a country of allegiance to an adventurer when they swear allegiance to a country. Seeing this, the paladin quickly uses the spell Cure II to heal the bleeding and battered adventurer who is resting after the battle. He also casts Protect and Shell upon the adventurer to make sure he is safer in future conflicts. The adventurer is very grateful and offers him gil which the paladin immediately denies. He gives the adventurer a strong word of caution and wishes him luck on his adventures.
Happy with his recent good deeds the paladin turns around and remembers his original purpose in South Gustanberg. He quickly turns around and jogs back to his place on the hill only to see the dragoon thrusting his mighty spear through the animal he had been hunting for days. The paladin is angry at his loss but knows that the adventurer he saved will hopefully one day remember all of the good things that people did for him and in turn do acts of charity for others. He knows that all is well and decides he will try and find a party to fight stronger monsters and hone his skills. He is not worried about finding a party, because everyone loves having a paladin/warrior in their party and he is known by many as being a very skilled paladin/warrior. With these thoughts fresh in his mind he uses a scroll containing the spell of instant warp to bring him to his home point in Lower Jeuno, a very large city where adventures go to try to find people to gain experience with.
Everything is hazy I see a bright light surrounded by darkness, the light is slowly getting larger and forming into colors and shapes.
I hear a gruff voice repeating Hello over and over again. I realize I am laying on a table in Neptune's Spire a bar in lower Jeuno surrounded by fellow bar patrons of all shapes and sizes from the tiny tarutaru to the monstrous galka. I am not dressed in the most fashionable of clothes, wearing only a dirty tunic, with light chain mail concealed beneath it.
As I sit up uncomfortable position I had fallen asleep in on the hard wood table, I see a large elvann with blond hair looking down at me. "Hello" he says, "I have heard that the legendary mercenary known only as Viddion sometimes visits this bar, if you can give me information on where I can find him I will give you 100 gil." Still slightly dazed I am agitated by this request "100 Gil what do you take me for some sort of bum, don't you have any idea who I am?"
The blond elvann who identifies himself as Morkain seems extremely agitated at my attitude; he replies "Who do you think you are insolent peasant." With this I pulled a simple dagger from my belt in the blink of the eye and press it lightly against the skin of his neck. The elegant dagger was made specifically for extremely fast attacks. Balanced perfectly, and custom made for my use it has the two words bee stinger engraved on the handle.
Morkain recoils in shock and I can clearly see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
I swiftly reply "Do not move do not scream, who wants to know where to find Viddion and for what purpose?"
In an obvious panic, but smart enough to know that I meant what I said he replies, "I represent a very wealthy client who is interested in obtaining a very rare and valuable item from a traveling merchant."
"I do not wish to waste Viddion's time, how much would this mission pay if Viddion would be able to acquire this item" Taking his time to answer I began to apply slightly more pressure to the Elvann's neck.
Knowing his life is entirely in my hands he quickly responds to my question "My client will pay 100,000 gil upon successful completion of the quest, along with any travel expenses Viddion would encounter."
Upon considering this offer a stunning realization arose, if someone was offering that kind of money then they would likely have more then one person, especially if they were seeking Viddion.
Slowly I scanned the room looking for a threat, after a few seconds, satisfied, I take my dagger and once again place it in my belt.
"I agree to your terms on one condition that I receive half of the money up front,"
Visibly stunned by my request the man looked at me uncertainly unsure of what was taking place "I don't understand" he uttered.
Realizing what is going on I respond coolly, "If it isn't obvious by now I don't know what I have to do, I am Viddion."
Clearly shocked by my appearance he seemed unsure of this "What proof do you have that you are Viddion? He is a rich mercenary of legend, not one who wears the clothes of a beggar."
It never ceases to amaze me of how simple minded civilians are through all my days no one has ever realized why I dress as I do.
"I can provide you with proof if you wait here for an hour I will be back with all the proof you require." Without waiting for a response I rose and headed for the door to lower Jeuno knowing that after such an encounter he would stay, they always did.
Traveling through the door of Neptune's Spire I am once again greeted by the sights and sounds of lower Jeuno. People looking for mages to fight with them in their parties, people selling various items in small rickety bazaars, and most of all people asking around for a kind adventurer to help them.
As I admire a paladin in full adaman armor made from rare and valuable adamantium a young and astonishingly beautiful mithra approaches me she has a great body, perfect face and flowing red hair, the ideal woman, for a mithra anyway.
While most ignore me in the beggar clothes I am wearing she comes close to me, tells me her name is Kate, and asks me to help slay some sort of monster with her. I am shocked by this request how would she know that I am not but a simple beggar, I reach for my knife but there are far too many witnesses and a town guard not too far off.
So I try another approach, using a gruff somewhat drunk sounding tone I utter "How could a simple beggar like me help you kill a monster?"
Obviously convinced by my tone she replies timidly "I'm sorry to bother, but I have been asking people for days"
Greatly relieved by this response I reply in the same tone "I would help you if I could but I am but a simple beggar owning only a dagger, I wish you the best of luck."
Obviously upset and apparently quite angered by the situation she responded gloomily "Yea who cares about it anyway no one is going to bother to take their timeā¦"
I could tell she was talking still but by this time I had walked by her and still needed to get to my mog house to acquire the proof I needed. Finally after walking uneventfully through several large crowds of people I arrive at the residential area, and from there it was just a short jog to my mog house.
Upon arriving at my mog house I find the door is once again locked and I have no key, so once again I have to pound on the door until my lazy moogle I named Dryn was able to come out and open it for me.
"Hello master Viddion why are you home so early today?" the moogle inquired.
"Don't worry about it Dryn, just ready my standard equipment"
Pleased to hear I once again received a mission, and would be able to afford some decent food, Dryn quickly heads to my closet to gather my gear. While Dryn collects my standard mercenary equipment I decide to get my standard weapon from its hiding place.
Upon approaching my nobles bed I sink down to one knee and using the knife from my belt I pry a small wooden plate from the bed just beneath the mattress. Behind this plate lay the handle of my most prized possession my modified Ram-Dao Great Sword, it is extremely valuable to me not only because it is my primary weapon, but also because of what is engraved on the blade. "My gift to Viddion: Slayer of Behemoths." It also has 5 small notches on the handle, one for each of the behemoths I had taken down over the years, by just holding it in my hands I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
"Master I have collected your gear as you requested" exclaimed the cheery moogle.
"Excellent Dryn that's all I'll need."
Slowly I remove my beggar's rags and handed everything except my belt to Dryn to put away. Donning my Haubergeon armor for protection, strider boots for speed and agility, snipers rings to increase my speed and accuracy, earrings blessed with the ability to bestow the wearer with additional agility, royal knights chain mail pants and gloves for maneuverability, and finally an Iron musketeers helm which completely conceals my face. With all of my armor securely in place I place my Ram-Dao in the sheath already strapped to the back of my Haubergeon armor and head for the door.
Once through the door and residential section I once again walk a short ways from the lower Jeuno residential area through the usual sights and scenes of lower Jeuno. After an uneventful walk I arrive once again at Neptune's Spire.
Once Inside I see the same elf sitting at my table looking at me rather nervously. I approach my table and pull my sword from its scabbard on my back before sitting down, I turn blade so Morkain can easily read the engraving.
Clearly shocked at what he was seeing Morkain turns a ghostly shade of white and said, "The legends are true the great mercenary Viddion does exist." Great mercenary legend,
"Might I inquire as to who informed you of where to find me?"
Morkain replied "I was told by a powerful black mage known as Delius that you might be found here.
That was the most shocking news of all Delius alive, he was killed in a fabled quest at Xarcabard after he saved my life.
"Where did you see Delius?"
Not knowing what I wanted from the conversation, Morkain replied "I saw him walking around Ifrit's Cauldron when I was mining there a few months back, he didn't have any mining equipment he was just wandering and talking."
Hmm how strange well I will have to worry about Del later and focus on the task at hand.
"For this money I assume I have to steal the item you seek, what are the details?"
Smiling a little he replied, "Ok you have to head to the valley of sorrows where a wealthy merchant should be with a group of friends he has a very valuable piece of armor on him."
"What kind of manpower are you talking about"
"Well," Morkain replied almost too quickly "He is with some friends but they are not adventurers, but royalty. They have no weapons training, the merchant is the only one with any kind of training in combat"
"Ok is there anything else I need to know?"
he sat silently momentarily apparently deep in thought. "No that is all I have to tell you here is 50,000G as half of your payment and here is 5,000G for any expenses you may encounter, if you encounter more than 5,000G in reasonable expenses tell me and you will be reimbursed"
"ok," I reply coolly "I accept those terms and will complete the mission within the next 2 weeks"
A smile appears on Morkain's face "Then I will see you in two weeks with the armor in this pub"
With 55,000G in my pocket and a clear mission in mind I stood up and headed for the door.
Authors note (Please R&R and thank you for reading this story, I hope to write more in the near future if I have the time)
CHAPTER 2: The Journey
