AN: Alright here we go, another chapter. Thanks to Akein, my first reviewer, and I hope I managed to keep all of what you said in mind. Okay, on to the story, oh and: Disclaimer: I do not own MapleStory (I wish) nor do I own any towns, monsters, items, or places related to MapleStory. Revision: Heres we go! Um, A note: I'm probably gonna, like, write a whole new chapter and maybe and epilogue. I'm gonna go off on tangents and stuff I didn't really explain much about in the original... But, anyways, here's another revised chapter!
Akuji floated in his self-concious, unaware of anything going on outside his own mind. His memories were blank, he could feel nothing of his past. An archway floated into view. It had a gothic architecture, though a dark presence seemed to lurk behind the threshold. He floated towards it, his curiousity aroused, as well as a deep primal fear of what dwelled beyond the arch. A menacing voice broke through his thoughts. 'That is not of your concern!' Akuji was thrusted backwards, spinning away from the arch. He slammed into another door, this one somewhat familiar. He reached toward the doorknob when an image flashed through his mind. A creature with wings outstretched walked towards him, a limp body hanging from its vice-like grip...
Akuji woke with a jerk, rubbing his eyes feebly in the sunlight. He started to get up, when a fierce pain in his side forced him back down. He drew a sharp breath and looked down to see where the injury was. A bandage was wrapped around his chest. He groaned and carefully sat up. He looked around in order to get a clear view of his surroundings. He was laying in a small hammock, which was tied between two trees in the middle of a clearing. A small pile of herbs lay to the side of the clearing. There was a small pond near the center. An old woman sat mumbling as she cleaned some bandages. Another person, an elderly man, sat with his eyes closed in the center of the clearing. "Ah, good, you're awake. I am Druce, and this is my wife, Alda." The woman looked up quickly, mumbled something then turned back to the bandages.
Akuji attempted to stand but the pain shot through his sides and he fell back down on the hammock. "Wh-where am I?" he asked quietly. The old woman mumbled something again. "A-and what is she saying?" he asked, bewildered.
Druce laughed. "She says you are a fool to have fought that Crimson Balrog on your own, and you are lucky to be alive. And that you are outside of Sleepywood. In what we call 'home'." Druce laughed again. "But, you are lucky to be alive. That balrog could have destroyed the whole town. But it didn't. Alda and I think you might know why that might be." Druce stood up and gathered some herbs. "While we boil these herbs and make dinner, you can tell us what happened," Druce scooped water from the pond into a pan and quietly built a fire.
Akuji gathered his courage and delved back into his mind. The same doorway stood before him, blocking him from the rest of his memories. The same image appeared in his mind and he left his thoughts, shaking. A raking fit of coughs took him and he waited until they had abated before he looked at Druce and Alda. "I... remember nothing..."
Druce sighed. "I was afraid of that. When the villagers and I found you, you were blood-stained and ragged, your bow lying in pieces beside you. The footprints of a Crimson Balrog wove around you. We found the corpse of a girl lying nearby."
"W-who?" He asked, afraid to get an answer.
"A member of our party recognized her. She said she was staying in her inn for the night, but had disappeared around midnight. She said her name was Tatum..." Druce paused, expecting a remark from Akuji. His face was blank, so the old man drove on. "Crimson Balrogs haven't been seen in this area for hundreds of years. Whether we like it or not, I believe something of importance is about to happen..."
Akuji looked from him to Alda, who was still stirring herbs in a large pot. Akuji thought back, trying to make a connection from this girl, Tatum, to his past. His search drew up nothing, so he resigned himself for another question. "But what does this have to do with me? I just want to find my memories and get on with my life! I don't want to have to go on an epic quest to stop this balrog! I'd rather leave Victoria Island, maybe go to Ludibrium or Orbis and live in peace!"
Druce frowned. "Wouldn't we all... But I'm afraid the situation is far more complicated than that! If all the heroes from the past decided they didn't want to fight, and ran away from their battles, where would we be?"
Akuji shook his head. "I don't care! From the fragment of a memory that I have, that... that... beast is far beyond my power to stop!"
Druce's face contorted in fury. "So you would leave us all to die at the hands of a beast?"
"Yes!"
Druce sighed. "Apparently I was wrong about this generation, Alda. It appears that the true qualities of a hero have been lost to time..."
Alda babbled something Akuji couldn't hear, which only infuriated him more. "Dammit! I can't take this anymore! I'm leaving!" He stomped over to the pile of his armor, enraged further that he found it in shreds. He pulled on the tattered remnants of his armor and stalked off towards Sleepywood.
Druce frowned. "You did not tell him of the marking on his back. The one that singles him out as a demon... The one placed on him by the Balrog, Kronos."
She quickly turned around. "There is no need. He is already ladened by too many burdens. If he knew what he might become... It might kill him." As she said this, far away in the distance, the Mark of the Balrog upon Akuji's back gleamed evilly in the darkness
AN: Another chapter done. Who are Alda and Druce, and do they know more than they show? What is Akuji's fate? I don't know! Well, actually I do, but I'm not telling! -Sticks toungue out- Please R&R! I really appreciate it! Again, kudos to Akein for his helpful review. 'Til the next we meet! Muahahahaha! Revision: Here's the dealio my peeps, I'm gonna delete all the other chapters that I haven't revised yet, and totally rewrite the whole story! Won't that be fun! Yeah! More work for me, but hey, for you its nothing. Just sit and read, then write a two-sentence review about how awesome it was! Well, I'm off to find sugar! It's my anti-drug! No, wait... Sugar is my drug! Muahahahaha! Review please!
