Hey, guys, I know, it's been like, a year. Sorry about the reeeeeeeally long Hiatus... Just so ya know, I started writing this chapter in first person, then i stopped, so, yeah.
The sun slunk toward the horizon, bathing the land in a rosy pink, and showering Me in a thousand different hued lights. My eyes fluttered open and I sat up, clutching my head. my armor had partially fallen off, leaving me in a beat up suit of chain mail. My great sword lay in a pile of shards, with only the hilt still intact. I stared at the pile, then grabbed the hilt and stood up. As I stood, I noticed that I had a pack on my back that wasn't there before. What the Heck?
I took it off and unzipped it. It was the book! I took it out and stared in wonder. How did it get here? How did I get here? An unseen power radiated from the book, telling me to open it. Even the cover made it look powerful. It was embossed with a large circle, and it said in long flowing script: The Grimoire. I gulped, and cracked it open. Nothing. I sighed in relief and examined the page. It was blank. My eyebrows met, and I flipped through the pages, starting at the beginning. I was in luck, on the first page was writing! It read:
Zack awoke on a bed, in a castle that was coming down around him. He scrambled through the halls, until he came to a balcony. The imposter lord's army was closing in, and the royal force was failing. However, Zack's arrival triggered new hope, even with the showing of a beast master. He fought with tooth and nail, and managed to hold off the forces. However, the castle was already lost. As scores of archers peppered the royal brigade, a lone woman stood on a hill. Calling forth her power, she summoned a meteor shower and sealed the old reign's doom. The mages under contract by the king understood that the end was near, so they combined their last dregs of strength to ensure hope for the kingdom. The fifteen Nu Mous gave their lives to transport the judgemaster away. Later, He awakes in a desert at sunset, and sets off to the west for the nearest town, Baguba Port…
Good idea. I closed the book, and started trekking toward the setting sun.
My first fifteen minutes in Baguba Port were not as good as I imagined. On my way in, a cart splashed me with water. "Hey!" I yelled, but the cart moogle stuck his tongue out at me and kept moving. Grumbling, I walked farther into town. I walked around, hopelessly lost, people-watching for something to do. The town was filled with moogles, but there were quite a few of other races too.
"great," I muttered to myself, "stuck in a weird world that looks exactly like final fantasy, I lost my armor and sword… and to top it all off, I've got no money! Things can't get any worse no matter-Oof!" I slammed into another human wearing a dark purple cloak and bandana. Oooooowwww!
"Whoa, sorry, buddy." he said sheepishly, with a grin.
"I'm ok." well that was a lie. My head hurt like hell. The guy looked at me curiously. "You're new around here, aren't you?"
"Yeah, why?" I said, still massaging my aching head.
"I figured," he said, taking out a cigarette and lighting it, "Where you from?"
"You've probably never heard of it, what with you being in a video game and all." Great. Now I've done it.
Now the man stared at me with concern, "How hard did I hit you?"
"I'm fine, really, just a little confused."
"Well, let's go to The Golden Gil then, I'd like to hear your story. Drinks are on me."
"Drinks?" I said, backing up, "but you can't give alcohol to people under 21!"
"What? Since when?" Now he just looked at me like I was crazy. Aren't I great at first impressions?
"It's a law!"
His face darkened, "no, the palace wouldn't do that to us, then they'd have a riot on their hands. Here, just come with me and I'll explain everything. I'm Will, by the way, nice to meet you." Horribly confused, I followed him into the pub.
A week later.
A fireball smashed into the ground, and Zack weaved around it as he ran toward the bomb. Slice! He slid out behind the bomb, and it fell, one half, then the other.
"Always so dramatic!" Will called, as he leapt around a lamia's claws. Zack grinned as he rushed over to help.
"Aw, come on," he said, as his battle instincts took over. Dodge, stab, cut, deflect, roll. "you gotta admit that was cool, I've always wanted to do that!"
"Still," Will replied, as he ducked just in time to avoid getting a new pair of nostrils from the enraged snake woman. "you're making me look bad!" Zack struck out with his Shortsword, but he missed, and staggered, off balance. Hissing in triumph, the Lamia plunged it's arm down. With a gleam in his eye, Will did a flying leap, cutting both the Lamia's purse and hand off. He grabbed the sack of Gil in midflight, and as he landed, he threw the knife.
With a sick breaking noise, the monster shriveled.
"And you're calling me dramatic."
"The winner is Clan Kupo!" The judge proclaimed. He raised his arm, and the judge points flew through the air. Zack rolled his eyes and caught his.
"Now that guy is dramatic."
"What have you got against judges?" Will asked him, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing much," Zack replied, as the judge vanished, "they just annoy me."
"Well, we'd better get to Cyril today, I don't relish the thought of sleeping in Aisenfield."
"And you're sure your buddies are there? We're not much of a clan by ourselves."
"Positive." Zack eyed him skeptically. "What? You don't trust me?" he said, adopting an innocent face.
"Of course not." Zack said with a grin. "cause you'd pick my pocket if I did."
"You know it!"
That night, Zack took out the Grimoire again. He'd made a habit of reading it, something about it was just so temping he couldn't put it down. He flipped to the third page.
After talking with Will, the thief, in the Golden Gil, Zack agreed to join his Clan, Clan Kupo. Little did he know, he was embarking on a journey that would change his life forever. Will told him that they needed to go to Cyril because the rest of the clan was there. So they set off, but their progress was hindered by monsters, and they had several engagements. However, they didn't reach Cyril that day, and had to camp in Aisenfield. Zack still lamented the loss of his full powers, because the castle had fallen, he could no longer be a judgemaster. For the time being, he would have to masquerade as a simple soldier. Still, Zack could feel himself becoming stronger every day, and not just because he was learning new skills. He wondered whether or not to stay here forever…
How does It know all this? It seems to know exactly what I'm thinking all the time! sighing, he closed the book and stuffed it back into his bag.
The morning sun was wonderful. Zack stretched, and began to pack up his tent. He walked over to Will's tent and yelled, "Hey! Get up!"
"mmm…I couldn't eat another bite….zzzzzzzzzz…"
"Good for you, now get up!"
"Schnnooooorrrr…."
"WAKE UP!"
He jerked upward, and stared at Zack, "Hi." then he fell back into his sleeping bag.
"Will, if you don't get up in three seconds, I'm lighting your tent on fire."
"Okay! Okay! I'm up!"
Later...
"What are your buddies like?" Zack asked Will while they walked along the field.
"Well, there's Lex," he replied, scratching his chin while he lit a cigarette. "He's a moogle who has both a crooked smile and personality, but he's fine once you get to know him. Nero, a Bangaa, he's a fierce fighter, fights with his fists too."
"No weapons?"
"just knuckle attachments."
"Wow."
"I know, it takes a lot of courage to punch a dragon, either that or stupidity." He grimaced, "Don't tell him I said that. He loves battle, almost treats it like an art. Deisel, another Moogle, he's the real sarcastic one, thinks he's the best joker that ever lived. Not that impressive, really. Then there's Hazel," his face colored slightly when he said her name, and he said it almost dreamily. Zack grinned deviously, and elbowed him. "So, Romeo, what's she like?"
Will glared at him and said, "she's a viera, a fencer. She's really good at it too. Shut up." He said as Zack chuckled. "Lastly, there's Gallahan, a nu mou, he's our main magic user. Unfortunately, he just started learning magic, hasn't been in Clans long. He's the best we could get though, and he gets the job done."
Cyril wasn't as loud as Baguba, which Zack was thankful for, but it was bustling, nevertheless.
"Come on!" Will started off in the direction of the pub, The Prancing Chocobo. Zack hurried after him, feeling drops of rain hit his face. Will shouldered open the door, letting Zack in, then moved on. Zack, however, held the door open for a bunch of moogles. He waited for a word of thanks, but received none. "Alright then," he grumbled, and let it swing shut. Zack scanned the crowd inside the pub, until his eyes fell upon Will's purple bandana. Slowly, he made his way through the crowd, stepping on a few toes and even running into a few moogle pom poms.
"Hey! Will!" he shouted as he finally made it to the table.
"Zack! There you are! Meet the gang!" One of the moogles stood up on the table to shake his hand.
"Kupopo! The name's Lex."
The Viera raised a hand and waved, "Nice to meet you, I'm Hazel." The other Moogle, Deisel, just smirked.
"Gallahan." The nu mou smiled at him.
The last one, Nero, looked him up and down. "He doesssn't look like much of a fighter."
"Nice to meet you too."
"Oh, come on, Nero," Will complained, exasperated, "after all the trouble I went through to find us one last member."
The bangaa grunted, "I ssssupossse he'll do." The windows lit up as a flash of lightning, then thunder, exploded outside.
"Geez," Will said, craning his neck to look out of the window, "there's a real storm tonight." no… Zack thought, It's more than that… the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
So did Gallahan.
"Everyone get down!" everyone in the pub dropped onto their stomach. The mage raised his hand and threw a bolt of lightning, at… Another one! They collided in midair and threw up sparks. Coughing, Zack tried to see around all the people.
Standing in the wreckage of the doorway were six figures, and they were all armed to the teeth.
The cry went up throughout the pub.
"Clan Borzoi!"
What is it with me and Cliffhangers? I just love them too much, don't I? :3