Kingdom of Vacuo, Unknown Location
"Dear Ari," began a deep, gruff voice.
"I don't know if any of these messages are reaching you. I hope they are, but…"
A large, muscular figure with scarred, suntanned skin was idling near the edge of a sandy mesa. His long white hair, reaching down to his waist, flapped in the wind like a cape. A labrys nearly as tall as him was embedded into the rock beside him. He was staring down, near the base of the mesa, at a bandit encampment. He adjusted his heavy cuirass and pteruges as lines engraved into the armor began to glow a faint yellow.
"I still have hope."
He pulled the axe out of the ground and stepped off the cliff.
"I know that doesn't count for much these days."
He swung the axe around and implanted it into the cliff face, slowing his descent. As the bandits camped out nearby emerged from their tents to find the source of the crumbling noise, the large figure reached the ground and stepped towards the camp, yanking his axe out of the cliff wall in a spray of pebbles.
"It's been six months since you disappeared. I've gone through nearly every bandit camp and back alley in Vacuo trying to find you. I'm at my wit's end here."
The bandits shouted in alarm as the large figure approached them. The ones with guns began frantically shooting at him. The few shots that did connect were negated by his Aura.
"But I still have hope."
As he neared the bandits, the figure broke into a sprint, a menacing gleam in his eyes. He reached the nearest one and grabbed him by the neck. He swung his unfortunate target around before throwing him at another foe, knocking them over.
"Hope that you're still alive."
He swung his axe at two bandits, knocking them away. As more joined the fray, he roared like a beast and took off towards them. He slammed his shoulder into his targets, flooring several and knocking the rest back several feet.
"Hope that I'll find you again."
There was a rustling from the large tent near the center of the camp, and from it emerged a man wearing a black trench coat with gray accents and a chestplate over it. His face was hidden by a dome-like silver mask and hood. There was a rattling sound as the apparent leader of the bandits brought out his weapon, a chain whip.
"Scratch that. I know I'll find you."
The leader lashed out with his whip as the remaining bandits approached the axe-wielder. They piled on top of him, hitting and kicking and slicing, until the larger man erupted in a dark crimson light, blasting the bandits away.. He screamed as horns burst forth from under his matted hair, which then began to float and crackle, akin to a fire. His eyes lit up with a similar energy, and his teeth were elongated and sharpened. He stood up, pulling himself to his feet with his now claw-like hands, as the red energy covered his entire body like a second skin.
"And when you're safe, and I've found the people that took you…"
The leader laughed, and attacked again with his whip. The beast simply grabbed the chain and yanked the bandit leader towards him. The leader tried to kick the beast from the air, but the monster caught his foot and slammed him into the ground so hard he bounced back up, and the beast followed with an uppercut to the gut. The leader was sent flying, but as he flew, he righted himself in midair just as several chains erupted from underneath the beast and wrapped around his legs, torso, and arms. He struggled against the chains as the bandit leader landed on his feet and dusted off his coat.
"Well, I'll save you the details. You were never one for blood and gore. So let's just say…"
The leader approached the beast and immediately kicked him in the jaw. As the beast continued to struggle, the leader mercilessly beat him, laughing as he did. When the bandit had to pause in order to catch his breath, the beast finally surged forth and headbutted him, staggering the leader enough for the beast to break free of the chains that held him. The leader, realizing the risk of continuing the fight, decided to cut and run.
The beast, in a renewed fit of rage, mutilated the entire unit of bandits, and, when he had regained his senses and his regular form, set the camp ablaze to remove evidence of the massacre. He walked into the sunset, taking his Scroll out of his armor.
"There's gonna be hell to pay."
Minutes later, the large man sighed and put the Scroll away.
"Yours truly, Niko Asterius." The Beast said, signing off.