Zanu Sat starring up at the sky holding a green pearl looking through it as the sun's light passes through it.
"So anything interesting happening?" He speaks into the magical pearl
"Nothing out here." Kiary says
"The beastmen seem to be quiet today out here." Kadak says.
"Why does it have to be boring out here?" Zanu asks
"Well why don't you go to the orc's outpost and rustle some things up?" Ziggeraut asks
"You know I think I might just do that." Zanu says
He hops up and walks through the open field of Ronfaure forest. He does a running leap and jumps from one tree to another. He passes over a few adventurers out hunting or fighting with the goblins. As he nears the entrance memories flash through his mind.
"Come on if you were to be surrounded by enemies you have to always have an escape plan." He told her
Angel was trying to follow him as he ran through the woods.
"Always keep and keen eye around your surroundings. Use everything as a possible means of cover or a weapon." Zanu continued to speak
Quickly he snapped out of it. Zanu landed before a tunnel. Through it he walked and found a small beaten trail. He sneaked up to find a large group of orcs converging at a center point. Slowly he snuck up and found they were having a meeting.
"For too long we have been stuck in this dead wasteland. I say we stop this once and for all." He hollered
Cheers came from all of the orcs.
"Our time has come. We will have our day."
As the orc finished talking the orcs all filed out cheering and yelling. Up in a tree Zanu sat motionless.
"This is not good." He thought to himself
He watched as more and more orcs came out of the tunnels and hills. He climbed up the tree and moved swiftly trying to get a better view. He found a very tall tree and got to the top. Zanu looked in horror to see an ocean of orcs piling down from the mountain.
He took the pearl out and slowly talked into it.
"Hey guys. We have a bit of a situation down here."
"What do you mean?" Artemis asked
"There is a very large amount of orcs that are coming down from the outpost."
"How many like a few dozen?" Kadak asked
"More like a few thousand." Zanu answered, "I am heading back to Sandoria to alert the Royal Knights."
Zanu climbed down the tree and stared running for the gates of Sandoria. Running into the city he started yelling
"THE ORCS ARE COMING!"
He kept running till he got to the kings castle in Northern Sandoria. Running to the guard he told him all he saw. With his report filed he called all the groups members to come to Sandoria now.
He and Elnroth already were at the gates waiting for the rest of them.
"You said there were how many orcs out there?" Elnroth asked
"I just saw so many I just ran."
The whole group of the Shadow Riders approached the two Elvaans.
"What's the current situation?" Artemis asked
"Well it looks like there are a whole lot of orcs coming this way." Zanu said
"Wonderful. Well I need a group of our best warriors to assist me in quelling this situation. Seeing as they are only orcs this shouldn't take long. The rest of you will be here and assist the rest of the people in defending the town." Artemis declared
He read off a list of names that would accompany him. Kiary, Ziggeraut, Wiicloud, Lageato, and Kassi. The group quickly dispatched and ran for the outpost.
"So what is the plan anyway?" Zanu asked
"Well in theory if the general or who ever is leading the orcs dies then all the orcs will be lost. If there is no one leading them they should fall pretty quickly." Ginryu said
"So until that happens we are here to just slaughter the opposing force." Kadak spoke
Up in the outpost the group of six was moving swiftly. They were trying to get to the top of the outpost quickly before getting noticed. The plan of attack was to find the leader and slay him before the orcs launched their attack. And by looking at the surroundings it would be fairly soon. They kept running past a few scouting orcs but they died by Kiary's arrows before the group could ever be seen. On they ran. Up hills and pathways and across rope bridges till they found it. A dank cave with a slight illumination was the only path left for them with out going through the main paths of the orcs. Silently they crept to a very large room in the cave. Stone pillars were holding the ceiling up over a pool of water in the middle. In the center held a throne with torches illuminating the room.
"Well this is odd. He should be here." Artemis said
"Who ever could you looking for?" A voice speaks out from ahead of them
A flying eye came floating into the room.
"Oh its just a bunch of travelers. Well be off with you, I have more important matters to attend too."
"Hold it." Ziggeraut speaks. "Are you the one leading the orcs?"
"Ha ha ha, you could say that. But how would you know about that?" The eye asks
"Give it up we are going to stop you before this mess even starts." Artemis speaks
The floating eye blinks and widens. A flare shines the entire room rendering the group paralyzed. It flies off out of the room. A few minutes later they unfreeze.
"What the hell was that?" Ziggeraut said
"I don't know but it's going to die." Artemis spoke
He ran after is and quickly the rest followed. As the group found the exit they didn't care if the rest of the orcs found them they had to finish their mission fast. Running corners they found an exit to the back of the orcish encampment. Moving behind the tents they moved to a large arena. Torches were lit and flags were waving everywhere but there was only a giant building and nothing more. It looped around to the entrance with a dozen doors on either side, and one very large gate in the middle. The six cautiously walked in scanning their surroundings.
"I don't think we should be here." Kassi said
"What could possibly go wrong?" Lageato asked
As he finished his words all the doors swung open. A horde of orcs came rushing out. They threw themselves at the party but were slaughtered. The combined might of the six easily fended off the rampaging orcs. Soon the group stood in the midst of a field of dead orcs. The stench of death and blood ran through the room area.
"Ha. Very good. Seeing that you can easily dispatch of these mindless minions of mine there is no reason for you to fight more of them. So I have something more in use for you to deal with." The eye said as it floated down from a window above the large gate.
"What are you?" Artemis yelled
"I should ask you the very same question. Coming in with out announcing your selves. Have you no tact?" The eye lectured
Kiary took aim and fired a arrow at the beast. It flew through the air striking one of its wings. Its yelps in pain and drops a few feet in the air. It regains momentum to land on the ground.
"Is that how your going to play? Very well." It speaks
It turns around and shouts a call to open the door. It slowly creaks open then the doors fly out and a huge black dragon busts the doors down. It roars out into the sky and sees food. Six morsels of food.
"HOLY HELL! WHAT IS THAT?" Kassi yelled
Her fright landed her right in the dragon's rage. The floating eye was back up and flying about the dragon. Kiary shot arrows at the beast. Each one hit the creature but did not defer it at all. The huge hide took the arrows but he did not notice the pinch of the arrowheads. Kassi tried casting magic upon it but the floating eye flashed its eye again leaving her speechless. She tried to cry out for help but couldn't speak. The dragon acted quickly and came down on her with a claw. One swipe and she was drug back to the awaiting beast. The party screamed at it but to no use. It bit down and she was gone.
Lageato was angry. He stormed out with a large sword drawn slashing at the creatures face. Each hit smacked it around. They eye faced him trying to hit him with another flash. An arrow struck it dead in the eye. It falls to the ground screeching in pain. Ziggeraut and Artemis rush over and destroy what is left of the floating eye. Each slash coming down in furious anger. They beat it to a pulp not even letting it move again. Then with another roar their attention quickly changes. Lageato is swiping his sword at the dragons face but is pushed aside by one of his claws. He shakes off the hit and goes back swinging. Artemis backs him up striking the beast around its neck.
Wiicloud and Kiary stand in the back doing what they can to keep the dragon's attention unbalanced. A strike of an arrow scars its eye. It screams in pain and anger. It looks through its one good eye and rushes at Kiary. Quick on her feet she strafes around drawing its attention away from the rest of the group. With its back turned Lageato runs under the beast stabbing at its chest. With a firm grip he rips his sword around trying to do as much damage as possible. The dragon stands up and whips its tail around slamming him into the ground. It keeps slamming its tail on him until Artemis and Ziggeraut slash its tail away. The two try to get the large Galka out of the way but they cannot pick up his hulking frame.
"This is not going to end well." Artemis thought to himself "I have lost one to this beast and soon maybe another. I wont let it have any more."
He shouts to Wiicloud to prepare and teleportation spell to get the remaining group out of the area. She stands with her arms coupled straining at the power she must muster to cast the spell. Artemis and Ziggeraut try to get Lageato back within range for her spell to have power over him. She nears completion of the spell and the dragon focus attention back on them. Artemis didn't think twice. With all his strength he pushed Ziggeraut out of the way back to Kiary and Wiicloud. She finished the spell and the three of them disappeared. He turned to Lageato as he regained consciousness.
"Hey where is everyone?" He asked
"I sent them away. We have to stop this beast or it will climb down this mountain and attack Sandoria and the rest of our friends." Artemis declared
"Well give me my sword. I wont go back down with out a fight."
The group of three reappeared at a large gate crystal in the middle of La Theine.
"Where are Artemis and Lageato?" Kiary asked.
Ziggeraut looked down in lost hopes. "They are still up on that mountain."
A voice came over the pearls.
"Lageato and I are sorry that we cannot come back down to see the rest of you guys." Artemis speaks "We have found a large amount of explosives the orcs have been stockpiling. And I refuse to let this abomination live to attack others."
"Sorry Kiary." Lageato spoke
An explosion rang through the fields. The sound carried on the winds to the group of three running back to Ronfaure forest. The rest of the group stood at the gate of Sandoria with falling debris raining down. They all looked to the sky seeing black smoke and nothing over the pearls. The silence sank into the group. Wishing, hoping that their leader would speak back into it telling them he was alright. But only silence rang, bringing some to tears and others to bow to the ground to respect the loss of their leader.
For the next few weeks the royal knights spent cleaning out the orcs outpost. They found the giant crater where the explosion took place. But all they could find were the burnt armor of the two warriors and the decimated corpse of the giant dragon. In service a funeral was held for the three fallen comrades. The group was depressed and torn. Without a leader moral was low. People had been leaving but this struck a blow that left the rest remaining wondering how long they could keep this going. One night Ziggeraut called them all together and announced the falling out of the group Shadow Riders. He will reconstruct a new group of adventures. He declared a search for new members. The original members were told to scatter and find warriors of great strength and mages of kind heart. That is where I came in. I proposed a search for a fellow former member. She had been gone for three years. If not to just ask her to come back. But to tell her the horrid news of what transpired.
Zanu talked to the bartender.
"So you have traveled from Sandoria to Bastok. And now you are here in Windurst looking for whom?" The bartender asked
"A mithra by the name of Angel." He answered
"Well if you want to find a mithra this would be the place. But can you be a bit more specific?"
"She has dark brown hair and has a eye patch covering her left eye."
The bartender paused.
"I think I remember seeing her a while ago. She used to come in every now and then but that was a year or two ago."
"Great another dead end." Zanu thought to himself.
"Well thank you for your time." He puts some gil on the table and walks out.
"I have searched all three nations. The only one left is Jeuno."
A call came other his pearl.
"Attention all members. We are having a grand meeting in Ronfuare forest this evening. All are expected to attend."
Zanu hurries off to catch a airship back to Sandoria. He arrives in time for the sun to set and the moon to arc in the sky. He rushed out of the port and to the port area. Through the forest he ran looking for the rest of the group. A good thirty people stood around a large fire. All laughing and talking to one another. Zanu arrived to see them all cheer as Ziggeraut stood and began to talk.
"It has been a long month. We have searched long and hard for you all. But I am glad to announce we have once again have a wide arrangement of fellow adventures to be proud to have. We will be in battles beside one another. Fighting to keep the rest of us safe and alive. Tonight I propose a celebration for our long lives together."
He finishes talking as a loud cheer arises from everyone.
As the night carries on the fire dies down. The group settles up and sleeps the night out in the forest. A few yards to the south a large tree holds one on looking the group. Stalking through the trees it watches the group silently. The night goes on but it stays still on watch.
Legal disclaimer. I do not own FFXI. It is under full ownership by Square Enix. All i own is the main character and the story. All other characters have thier respective owners.
