"Road to Mhaura" Part 1

Daybreak.

Icon was waiting for me at the gates of Windhurst Woods when I arrived.

"You look mysterious wearing a hooded robe." Icon kidded me as we went outside the walls of Windhurst. Both of us wore hooded robes so that we would look like normal travelers. I turned back to look at Windhurst, I wondered when I would return to the place I called home for the past 18 years.

"I wish we could ride chocobos, those birds are so damn hard to ride." I said

"Actually Tiny Heart you need to go to Jeuno in order to learn how to ride them. There is this chocobo trainer who will teach you the secret of how to ride them."

"Jeuno huh? Where is that place?"

"It is a great city at the crossroads of the three kingdoms of Vanadiel. They invented the airships which you see in Port Windhurst. The city itself is magnificent. If you think Windhurst is beautiful because of its old and ancient look, Jeuno is the quite the opposite of Windhurst. You will be awed by the breathtaking architecture of the new and modern. A four leveled city People of all races converge there. It really is the center of Vanadiel. Anything you want in this world they sell at the auction house. Even goblins do business there. "

"Goblins doing business in a city? Now that's news to me."

"You have a lot to learn about the world of Vanadiel. By the way here take this."

Icon handed me a sack full of green colored pearls.

"If ever we get separated, hold the pearl and focus your mind as if you are speaking to it. You can communicate with me using the pearl. I also have one of those pearls."

"This is so cool. Sorry everything is so new to me."

As we reached entrance of Tahrongi Canyon. We suddenly noticed something weird. Rabbits, bees and carrions seem to be running away from the entrance to the canyon.

"Icon..."

"Yes I noticed. Be ready for anything"

Suddenly we heard a strange sound over the horizon. It was music from a harp. There were squawking sounds also and it grew stronger each passing second.

"Yagudo!" Icon exclaimed.

It was the sound of Yagudos no doubt. Yagudos, the bird like beastmen who roam these parts of Vanadiel. There was a large pack of them headed towards us.

I didn't believe what I was seeing. I had never seen such large a pack of Yagudos in these parts before. I quickly got my great axe and crossbow out of my sack. My palms where sweating from the tension I was having.

The Yagudos quickly encircled us. There were around 15 of them by my count. Most of them had great katana as weapons. About 5 of them look like mages.

One of the Yagudo mages mumbled something and a shining fire pooped out of nowhere.

"What is that Icon?" I asked.

"That is a fire avatar Tiny Heart. That Yagudo is a Summoner, he can summon different avatars to fight by his side."

"So we are in deep shit right now?"

"Two against 15 isn't the odds I like."

Suddenly the music we heard awhile ago started playing again. The Yagudos seemed to react as the music played. They were moving strangely as if they were in a trance. Two of the Yagudos holding great katana suddenly charged towards us.

"I'll handle them Tiny Heart. Watch my back." Icon said

Icon chanted a magical spell and the Yagudos froze in their tracks. They couldn't move forward and seemed stuck to the ground. Icon chanted something again and a wave of magic streaked across towards the two Yagudos. A gust of wind pounded both Yagudos and both fell down.

"Wow Icon I'm impressed."

Icon smiled and replied. "My training in Windhurst must have paid off. I didn't expect they would be defeated that easily."

The rest of the Yagudos charged towards us. With weapons drawn they slashed and hacked at us like as if they were possessed. I could only parry and deflect their attacks and had no chance to fight back. Icon was equally having his own problems. The Yagudo mages were engaging him in a fierce magic battle. Waves of magical energy streaked back and forth between them.

"Tiny Heart! I don't know how long I can hold them back!" Icon shouted as he staggered back from the onslaught of the magical energy he was receiving. He tried his best to cure himself but I could see he was losing mana fast from expending all that magical energy.

I swung my great axe hard and the Yagudos attacking me leaped back to avoid it. This gave me a chance to shot a bolt from my crossbow at one of the Yagudo mages.

My crossbow bolt hit its mark as one Yagudo mage fell. Suddenly felt I could not move. I was paralyzed. One of the Yagudo mages must have cast a spell of paralyze on me. This was the end I thought.

With me paralyzed I could only watch helplessly as the Yagudos turned their focus to Icon and moved in for the kill. Blood was spilling out from the wounds he received. He was cornered at last behind a wall of rock when I noticed something swish across me. Star shaped pointed things hit a Yagudo in the head and it died instantly.

The rest of the Yagudos turned around to see who was attacking them but could not see anyone. I also could see no one but notice a blur here and there. Those flying stars kept popping out from nowhere. It was all over in seconds as the Yagudos fell one by one.

Finally I could move and rushed to Icon's side as he lay lying on the ground.

"Are you okay Icon?"

"I will survive. We should thank our friend for helping us."

"I don't see anyone. i just saw those flying stars pop out of nowhere."

"Those are shurikens Tiny Heart. Only Ninjas can have the skill to use those. You can come out now I know your invisible my friend"

A figure appeared out of nowhere in front of us. A tiny Tarutaru! He was wearing all black and had two short katana around his waist. Imagine a Tarutaru single handedly saving a Galka and a Hume. This world has much to offer me I thought.

"Are you okay both of you? Don't tell me you were trying to farm Yagudo beads to sell?" said the Tarutaru ninja jokily.

"Thank you for saving us from those Yagudos. We would have died if you didn't arrive." replied Icon. They ambushed us at the entrance of the canyon."

"It's strange those Yagudo's seemed to be working as a group which shouldn't happen in these parts." The Tarutaru ninja replied.

"I think they were controlled by someone. We heard strange music when they appeared and when they started attacking us." I replied.

"Strange, strange. I didn't know anyone or anything could control beastmen. I must report this to Tenshodo headquarters. Where are you both going by the way?" said the Tarutaru ninja.

"Going to Mhaura to take a ferry boat to Selbina. We are on our way to Bastok." answered Icon. "Sorry about my manners I'm Icon by the way and my Galkan friend here is Tiny Heart."

"You can call me Twinki. You must be that Galkan the Tarutarus found near Giddeus years ago."

This tarutaru seems to know something about my past. "You know about me?"

'I've heard of you. you were the talk of the town when you were found. I haven't been in Windhurst for quite awhile, been away training for several years now so that's all I know about you." Twinki replied.

At this point Icon seemed to have recovered enough mana that he was curing his wounds using magic.

"Are you okay to continue on Icon or should we head back to Windhurst?" I asked.

"Am alright but I think this isn't the end of our troubles." Icon replied.

"I can escort you to Mhaura. My return to Windhurst can wait a bit longer." said Twinki.

"Thank you very much Mister Twinki. We both are indebt to you for your assistance." I said.

"Nonsense what debt, come come before it gets dark."

As we continued on our journey with our new friend, little did we know someone was hiding in the shadows watching.

"Master they still live. Someone saved them."

"Come back. I have other plans for them."

"Yes Master" said as the mysterious figure warp away.

To be continued in Road to Mhaura part 2