Chapter 4

The skies were very cloudy and dark on my way back to Jeuno. It was getting extremely nasty out as I rode back. Rain from Pashow Marshlands followed me back and it felt like it was following me with a purpose in mind. I made it through the gates of Jeuno and returned the Chocobo unharmed. The Chocobo did me well and I was happy that it did. Smiling at the chocobo as I left, a thousand thoughts raced through my mind. Something just didn't feel right. It just hit me in my stomach and raced up to my throat making me ill. Walking up the stairs from the Chocobo stables at Port, the faces on the crowds of people walking by me weren't glamorous as usual. Their faces were blank and nasty. I didn't know if this was the after effect of the Airship change, or it was just something in the air that gave you a bad taste in your mouth. Either way, I didn't like it. Also the Mithra who passed me gave me an even more ugly look then usual. To tell you the truth, even that spooked me. Like if I should just die and let it be. Great... Just what I need. More hate. Grey Wolf came running to me with an urgent face.

"Fox! There you are!" He came running to me then came to a complete stop. Trying to catch his breath he hands me a note. "This ambassador of Jeuno wants to talk to you."

"What for?" I asked with a questionable face.

"He just said he wants to speak with you. Honestly I don't know why he wants to speak with a young fighter such as yourself. Just be careful... I don't have a good feeling about this at all."

"Yeah, I haven't had a good feeling since I've walked through the gate. Something just feels... You know, like if something bad is gonna happen. I just have that feeling." I said looking at the floor.

"Fox, if you need more weaponry just ask me. I can get you a couple more Kunai's if you want them."

"I'll let you know what I need. For now let's just focus. Something is about to really seriously mess us up..." I looked at my hands for a brief moment. "Go to the Boss, tell him what I said. We need to be focused today. I just have a hunch. After I beat that snake... It just feels like it was placed there."

"I'll tell the boss everything. Good luck Fox. Watch your back."

"Yeah, if I had eyes back there..." I walked off to Ru Lude Gardens. Fancy looking place all the way on top of Jeuno. All you see is fancy looking tiles on the floor and fancy looking buildings. It's kinda sickening how rich these guys are but you can't stop envying how pretty the place looks. On my way to the Ambassadors office on the east side of the map I was holding, I walked inside and talked to the receptionist patiently waiting for my arrival. She looked busy trying to adjust her nails in place.

"Um. Excuse me miss? The ambassador wants to speak with me?" I asked her.

"Oh yes. Please hold on for one minute while I inform him that you are here." She gently gets up and gives me a cute smile. She walks over to the left side of the room and opens the door and quietly closes the door behind her. As I waited for her to let me in I gazed around the room for a couple of minutes. There's a lot of pictures on the walls of heroes long forgotten with legendary weapons, legendary stories, legendary everything. One of those proud bastards who had slayed demons bigger then themselves or Notorious Dragons across Vana'diel. Looks like these guys are told in childhood fairy tales that involve the damsel in distress, Knight must save her, they kiss and live happily ever after. But of course keep the X rated part out. You don't want any word of a penis in the story of course, kids will get curious and look at their wang all day. "The Ambassador will see you now."She leads me into the Ambassador's office. The long hallway has more dipstick Knights and Warriors on the walls. Kinda gives you a history of Z's. She opens the door and gives me the hand signal to walk in. As I walked in I saw the Ambassador looking at a rather large scroll on his desk.

"Oh yes. Mr. Fox. Please come in and have a seat right there." He points to the seat in front of his oak desk. The guy looked humble enough. Hume, red clothing, old dude with a beard and mustache, glasses on. His room had some expensive looking possessions everywhere. Had golden picture frames, a really big sword with a golden handle and groove, an oak desk that looks like it costs more gil then a normal Adventurer wishes they could carry, and a whole lot of stuff that I couldn't describe without saying a swear word. "Do you know why I called you in here on such short notice?" He asked me.

"No, I don't."

"Well, it's time that you faced your first real mission." He said.

"I was just on my real first mission sir."

"No no, that was only practice. That snake wasn't really a real threat to Jeuno. That was only one more training exercise to see how you handle yourself in battle."

"Wait, the Boss issues my missions. You own the Freedom Fighters?"

"I am like a shadow. I look over Vana'diel with an eye no one could ever possibly imagine possessing. I am the shadow that watches the world my young warrior."

"Interesting."

"You should be interested. Because I am about to put you on a mission that will definatly suit your talents. An important mission that only you and I know about."

"So it can't leave this room."

"Your quick Fox. Very quick. That's why we need men like you."

"I'm only fourteen."

"And a young man you are. You are the first of young men that can take down a giant snake. And I must express how impressed I am from seeing such a Mithra taking down such a thing. A giant creature such as a snake usually squeezes one such as yourself with great force and die a slow, terrifying death."

"I'm not afraid of death."

"And am I? No no, death is only the beginning while many think it's the end of their excistance. Are they fools? Well, that's probably the best answer to label those people."

"Ok, enough of the chit chat. What do you want of me?" The ambassador grew silent for a moment and gave a big sigh.

"I need you to gather 3 items of great importance. These three items cannot be found by anyone and I mean anyone. Who ever knows about these 3 pieces must die."

"I don't kill innocent people."

"You will have to if someone finds out."

"Then I won't take the mission." I get up and head for the door. I hear a click from behind me. I turn around.

"You leave Mr. Fox then I have no choice but to shoot you." He has a gun in his hand ready to pull the trigger.

"What do you want?"

"I want the Pieces of Time. There are 3 pieces and if you don't collect them it could mean the end of Vana'diel."

"Pieces of Time?"

"Yes. You must collect them. And if you do not, I will order my warriors to hunt you down and kill you without any hesitation." I thought about what he said for a minute. I didn't want to die since I still wanted to find my revenge for my mother. So I couldn't let up his asking.

"Fine. I will accept this mission. And... Kill anyone who finds out."

"Good. You are a smart child. Now come here." I walk over to him by request. He shows me his scroll. It looks like he was deciphering this scroll. It was an ancient map of Vana'diel. And it has locations to where the pieces were located. "The first piece shall be found here." He pointed at the Sanctuary of Zi'Tah.

"There? It's dangerous in that area."

"You must go and find the first piece. Or unless you rather die here." I clinched my fist wanted to knock his ass out. If I did I would have all of Vana'diels best on my ass.

"Yes sir." I said with a careful voice.

"Now go and good luck. And becareful."

"Yes sir. I'll do it as soon as possible." I bow and leave the room. I leave quickly and punch the hard wall. "Son of a bitch!" I was angry. I knew I couldn't ignore the mission he gave me. He also put me into a situation where I didn't know what to do. I had no choice but to go to Zi'tah. Swallowing my tongue on the way to Port Jeuno I saw an old man preaching on the side of the street. He seemed insane.

"My people of Vana'diel! Our end is near! The great one will kill us and we will perish! My people, we must be prepared, be prepared to be sent to our gods who had abandoned us long ago! The ones who threw us into the era of war and death! My people we will suffer a great amount! So repent for you sins! Repent for your hate and lust among you! We shall see the end in 4 days! Oh our heavenly wrath bestowed upon us please set us free! Set us free from this incursed land of hate! Oh we shall deal in the great bowls of the true demon himself!"

"What the hell are you talking about old man?" I asked him.

"He is the one! HE IS THE DEMON!" He screamed in my face poking his stick in my face. "He is the one! He is the one! Kill him! Kill this vile demon!" He kept hitting me with his stick and I acted on it.

"Get this fucking stick out my face!" I hit him in his face. He fell to the floor and started to whimper. Then he gazed at me looking crazier then he did before.

"You will not see it. You will not see the end..." His skin started to lump. Then his skin started to rip. He was mutating in front of everyone. Green vines started to rip through his skin as he rose up from where he fell. His eyes popped out from his sockets replaced with some really ugly, slimy black eyes. His feet started to grow long black nails a foot long. "YOU WILL DIE!"

"Holy shit. You must be joking." He leaped in the air and was ready to pounce on me. I jumped back avoiding his deadly blow. His blow cracked the Jeuno floor into pieces. "Damn, you can sure hell hit the floor old man." I unsheathed my sword and he lunged right at me. He knocked me down on my back and I was trying to keep his claws from reaching my face by defending myself with the blade of my sword. I kicked him off backwards. I got up and turned around quick waiting for him to lunge at me again.

"Look around you Fox. Does this feel natural to you?" He asked me.

"The hell are you talking about!?" I yelled. He didn't answer my question and lunged at me. "Bad mistake!" I hit him on target, right in his gut and swiftly went by. He turned around one last time and split in half. At that moment he disappeared.

"Wierdo!" A Hume shouted at me.

"What a weird Mithra."

"Idiot" People where throwing insults at me and I didn't know why. A guard came up to me.

"Sir, I'm afraid that you must sheath your sword please."

"But did you see that demon there?" I pointed at the spot where I killed the crazy demon.

"Sir, I am sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about. Please put your sword away." I was confused. I sheathed my sword and the guard walked away. Everyone was staring at me like if I committed a crime. I didn't know what just happened and I started to doubt myself. I walked slowly to the Chocobo stables in Lower Jeuno looking at the palm of my hands.

"What the hell just happened?"

To be continued.