The Stranger
By Xenomorph666
Disclaimer: I own only the characters of Wraith, Skalla, Perf, Captain, Birch and Beano. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and all related artifacts are owned by Square-Enix
Summary: He arrived with no knowledge, no family, no way of knowing that the miasma should kill him. Now the strange young man journey's with the caravan that has welcomed him as they collect their myrrh, while he journey's for the truth of his past.
First day on the job
After Birch and I went our separate ways I was finally able to retrieve my new weapon. Apparently though it was not as original as I had thought and several tribes used them long ago, they called them boomerangs. I have no clue why they called them such, but it must have had some meaning.
The weapon though was impressive in it's performance and look. It looked typical of the other boomerangs I was shown. Most were made of wood though, mine was metal, the metal of the Excalibur and running down it's middle was a blue streak that Perf's father had no clue as to where it came from. Strangely though Perf and his father had a hard time using it, they complained that it was to heavy, yet every time I picked it up it was light and handled beautifully.
After I had satisfactorily acquainted myself with my new weapon, I snapped it in between two straps that I had around my back. The feel of the boomerang was comforting, like I had a new constant companion I could rely on. I then thanked Perf and his father and went to leave for my first day. Before I left though, Perf's father handed me an "eyeglass" and showed me how to use the interesting tool and again I thanked him. After that I left for my first day as the patrol officer of Tipa.
As I walked along the outer border of the large crystal's field, I noticed a second caravan leaving. I noticed the second caravan of the year on it's way over the bridge. At the same time I noticed a large bush ahead of them shake violently. As the caravan got closer I noticed the flash of steel from the bush and in my own flash, I was off to their aid.
As Zip Whitecloak and his newly enlarged caravan team were leaving the safety of the village, the selkie noticed a shifting bush far ahead. As he playful and often over zealous selkie balanced on the edge of the caravan's beast of burden he saw the bush shake even more. It didn't take much for the experienced caravan leader to realize it was a trap.
"Ready yourselves guys, someone or something's about to spring a trap ahead." Zip grinned as he noticed the two newest members look at each other with a cross of worry and anticipation.
When the group was finally over the bridge that secured the town from invading monsters they were all quite shocked to be accosted by fifteen goblins. Zip quickly counted ten foot soldiers, four shamans and their chief. Even for this group of six it would be a rough battle. As Zip grinned with anticipation though a green flash leaped in-between the caravan and the attackers. It took a few seconds for Zip to realize that it was the new citizen of Tipa, if he remembered correctly the new guy's name was Wraith.
"Defend yourselves if any get by me." Wraith said, with only a slight turn of the head as two of the spear wielding goblins charged forward.
Zip watched with fascination as the two charging goblins went to spear the green hooded fighter, only to clash their spears together. Then the two goblins cast a confused glance before looking upwards just in time to catch the heels of Wraith right on their face. Wraith then flipped forward off of the two unconscious goblins and landed with his hand as a support. His face was still not visible to Zip and the others, but the goblins did back off when he lifted his head.
As I landed from my leap, onto the strange red monsters I felt the warping effect of my anger. I knew my face was cast in the strange darkness. When I flipped of the creatures and looked at the rest of the group though, I did not expect them to back off. Then one of the robed ones spoke in a strange language. I didn't understand a word of what it was saying, but I got the feeling it wasn't happy with my face.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of the smallest red ones charge, a sword and shield in it's hands. When it closed on my position, it went to land a sharp blow, but it's sword was caught by the heavier of my daggers and deflected off. The shock of the deflection left me ample time to strike and with several quick slices I made my mark. The creature however acted un-fazed by my actions, then it's neck sprayed a gooey black blood and it's organs fell from it's stomach. Again one of the robed ones yelled and this time even growled at me.
Then the rest of the small ones poured in on me. I dodged all the blows the threw at me with ease. They were all very poor and untrained fighters and worst of all they lacked any form of talent or latent knowledge like I had. Most fell with a quick slice across their neck. When their charge was through however, two more remained and they did not look pleased. One with a sword and shield, the other held a spear.
The two charged me quickly as I sheathed my daggers and grasped a hold of the one creature's spear and flipped over the red monster. When I landed, the creature was with out it's weapon and searched in panic for a replacement, the one with the sword however was again charging me. As he approached and closed, I dodged to the side and quickly jammed the "borrowed" spear straight into the pit of it's arm. It slumped to the ground quickly and jerked before it finally gave it's death rattle. The last remaining one looked at me and then the larger ones before deciding to flee. Then the larger ones rattled at me in their odd language as the four robed monsters stepped into an odd formation.
As they continued to speak I realized that they were chanting, and the members of the caravan must have as well, because the next thing I heard was a warning to get out of the way. But it was to late and a blistering and immense heat engulfed me from no where.
Zip watched in horror as the goblin shamans cast the devastating Firaga spell upon the green fighter. Even though Zip had yelled out a warning, it was to late and the blaze of fire engulfed the newest citizen. The goblin shamans were grinning manically as the fire dispersed and the smoke began to clear.
Miraculously though a voice range from the smoke. "That… HURT!"
The next thing Zip saw was the yellow flash of a blazingly fast weapon, strike every last shaman. He could even see the cuts the weapon left, but he could not identify the weapon itself. Of course after that weapon had flown from the smoke Wraith was out and actively striking the shamans down with ease, the weapon from earlier having knocked them into a strange stupor.
Then Zip noticed the goblin chief, easily the largest of the goblin castes, the brute was not happy to see his army taken down. Zip just knew that Wraith would have a hard time with the large monster. But much to his surprise he was wrong.
As soon as Wraith had finished with the shamans, he turned his head to the chief as it lumbered forward with it's oversized scimitar. The green cloaked fighter managed to dodge every lethal blow that the chief tried to land. Always dodging to the side as if he as leading it in to a trap. Then when the two combatants neared the caravan Wraith pulled a new trick, instead of dodging to the side he ran up the dull edge of the goblin's blade and kicked it squarely in the jaw with enough force that it went reeling back in pain.
That wasn't the end though, the chief was angered by the attack and quickly struck back with it's fists. But for some reason it stopped in the middle, and then Zip noticed the hilt of one of the goblin's sword planted deep in the monster's back with Wraith pushing it further in. The chief even tried to reach back and strangled his attacker, but it just fell to the ground with a final roar.
For the first few seconds after the battle ended the entire caravan was quite in awe. No one had ever seen anything like the display of speed and aptitude that they had just seen. For them it was like watching an artist paint a masterpiece.
"That… was… AWESOME!" Zip finally said as Wraith turned to acknowledge them for the first time since the start of the battle.
Despite Zip's enthusiasm regarding my fighting style and capability and the obviousness of my victory, I was disturbed. Beano had theorized that I was completely immune to the effects of magic, and although I know I did not receive anywhere near the full brunt of the powerful explosion, I did feel pain from it. Although it was more or less the pain from being plowed into the ground by a sudden explosive force. Still the fact disturbed me, even after the second cycle caravan introduced themselves.
Why could magic hurt me, but not heal me? I would learn only later the answer to that very important question and along with it the secrets my mind would never relinquish.