Chapter 4: Dragon Requiem

The fragrance of the night air drifted across Dragon’s nose, snatching him back to reality. His quest had put him in the natural labyrinth known as the Maze of Shakhrami, and he was resting by the entrance. The scars on the landscape in the ancient cavern told unruly tales of battles from long ago. The scattered skulls of the once mighty Wyrms gave undeniable proof of whom the final victory belonged to. The largest of the skulls stood several feet high and wide with slashes embedded deep. Drag paused a moment, removed his gauntlet, and placed his hand on the skull. Even as a child, he was enraged at the “heroic” stories of the dragon slayers. He knew good and well that most of them were destroyed out of fear or greed. With his homage paid, he pressed on towards the back of the cave. The cave was deathly quiet, without even the cackles from the Goblin diggers who usually roamed the caverns. He loosened the clasp on his lance as he scanned the area for any signs of a possible attack or way-ward beast. He continued slowly towards an area where the bones became less scattered, and more full skeletons could be found. Drag raised an eyebrow as he realized all the skeletons had been facing the same direction. He was moving opposite the flow of the skulls without even a second thought until now.
“Why? Hmmm, maybe because of the mouth of the cave?” he whispered aloud though no one was around to hear.

He quickened his pace as he moved following the increasing number of skeletons through the maze. Without warning he dropped four or so feet over a ledge and found him self in what appeared to be the mass grave of the Wyrms. Skulls of all shapes and sizes scattered without any sort of rhyme or reason. In this room were many human bones among the wyrm. The size difference in the larger skulls lead him to believe that not just wyrm skulls but dragon and wyvern skulls as well. Carefully climbing his way towards the back of the room he was struck by an epiphany. “Oh dear Altana …” the words fell from his mouth like drops into a bucket.
“They were protecting a nest- this is their hatchery.” Drag was floored by the hundreds of broken eggs and tiny wyvern skulls scattered behind what he guessed was a dragon’s skeleton. It appeared as if the dragon had curled around the nest as a last line of defense.

Drag kneeled in respect to the lives of all the creatures lost in the battle to protect the young just as he mourned the loss of most of this majestic race of creature. When he rose he moved silently in and out of the broken shells and bones looking for a sign that any of the eggs survived. Hours passed by as he dug and searched until he found something that would make his search was made worth-while. Not only did he find signs of hatchlings surviving but to his own surprise he found an unscathed egg. With the care a midwife would put into handling a new born he picked the egg from its resting place and secured it into his bag. Finally, his quest was over…

Chapter 3

Sul was face down on in the dirt, unable to move. That goblin had indeed shown him who was boss, just as he boasted he would when that first shot hit its mark. This was the first time Sul had been rendered unconscious. He was in a dream-like state for undisclosed amount of time. His thoughts went to the previous day's events and on his friends. He had seen them off as they left for their own adventures and to find themselves. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a warm light envelope his body. He saw a shape, a slender red form standing before him in the process of casting.

"You're alright now, the goblin is gone." She said with a smile. At least Sul thought it was a smile since his vision was still quite blurry. It quickly registered that the girl was a Red Mage and he bowed in thanks to her. His father had taught him that Red Mages were very powerful, having a mastery of white and black magic. They also had several spells that were unique to them alone. As she tipped her hat her golden ponytail fell from where it had been kept. Her hair was long and gorgeous; Sul had never seen hair so well kept from an adventurer before. His eyes followed her hair around her head until they met with hers, though she looked a bit confused.

"Are you alright? You still seem a bit dazed. Can you speak?" She leaned in with one eyebrow raised waiting on her questions to sink in.

"Yes Ma'am, I'm sorry. I just notice your pretty hair and I uh, thank you for helping me. That goblin surprised me and I couldn't take him." Sul seemed to be snapping out of his daze now; he continued talking at her almost babbling.

"My name is Sulmorko; I was trying to get from here to the Nation of Bastok when he jumped me." Sul sighed and realized that he wasn't just talking at her constantly he was also standing perfectly still staring at her; he quickly looked away. He wasn't sure why but he was very nervous.

The girl smiled softly and put her hand in front of her mouth to keep him from noticing the laugh she was holding back. He looked and acted as though he'd never met a female before and seemed quite shy. She put her hat back on and sheathed her sword before she spoke.

"I am Feyna, of the Nation of Bastok. I'm glad you weren't seriously hurt by that goblin. You know, you could have taken a chocobo and not had to worry about the goblins, right?"

Sul looked around trying not to stare at Feyna as she spoke. Her voice was soft but commanding and she looked very distinguished in her armor. Sul was awestruck when he remembered his father's description of the Warlock's Armor. She was indeed wearing the fabled Red Mage Artifact Armor. Her hat, he was sure, was her most treasured possession for it was a very rare and hard to obtain item. Suddenly, Sul realized that she was waiting on a response from him and he forced the words at her from an unready mouth.

"No, I'm sorry; I don't have a chocobo license. The chocobo renter said I'd have to get one before I could ride a chocobo or the bird might get away from me or hurt me." Sul's face dropped into a frown as he spoke these words but he continued on. "The man in San D'Oria always let us rent a chocobo from him but here they don't know us so I guess that's the reason. My friends and I came here by chocobo, actually."

"Yes, you are required to have a license here, silly boy. And please, just call me Fey, not Ma'am. You're making me feel old." Fey said with a smile and a small chuckle. She looked up at the sky for a moment and noticed the airship coming over their heads. She pointed and spoke, "That's the ship that goes to and from Bastok. Do you have an airship pass and 200 gil?" She was pretty sure the answer was no but she figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Sul frowned at her and spoke down, looking away. "I'm sorry Miss. Fey, I don't have a pass. They are 500,000 Gil and I don't have nearly enough for that." He was so new to the world but he never seemed to give up hope. She knew exactly what he was doing when the goblin attacked him. She lifted his chin and spoke to him in a very honest tone,

"You tried to walk, by yourself, to Bastok, didn't you? Tell me the truth now."
Sul looked into her eyes and felt almost compelled to be completely honest with her. He sighed and frowned again, like a scolded puppy.

"Yes, I was going to walk and I crossed the goblin's path. I didn't even make it out of eye-sight from the city." Sul looked at the Jeuno and then back at Feyna and spoke again, more triumphantly this time.

"I will make it to Bastok though. My future is there with Master Oggbi. He will train me to be the best monk there is and the name Sulmorko will be known throughout all three nations and Jeuno as well. Nothing is going to stop me, heh, except maybe a goblin here or there." Sul had gone and cracked himself up; he laughed for a few minutes and realized that Fey was also laughing. She very well could have been laughing at him though.

"You're an amusing fellow. Go stay the night in a rental Mog House and meet me by the guide stone in Lower Jeuno in the morning. I'm headed home and I have some extra time so I'll help you get there." Fey wasn't sure what she was getting herself into but she knew that at least the trip would be anything but boring. Sul seemed incredibly happy that she was willing to help him and hugged her then pulled back immediately. His face burned as he blushed uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, my emotions got the best of me" He bowed as he spoke. He was sure that this display would make her withdraw her offer but to his own surprise there was a slight blush on her cheeks as well.

"It's um, perfectly fine. Please remember to be on time tomorrow, if you aren't by the stone at Eight o'clock I'm leaving without you." Fey waggled her finger at him.

"Yes, I'll remember. Thank you again." Sul bowed again and rushed off back into the city, leaving Fey standing there with an amused look on her face.

"He's like a puppy; lovable and cute but so dumb." She said aloud though no one was around to hear her. She smiled and walked back into the city thinking about this oh so random encounter, not knowing what to expect upon tomorrow.

Chapter 2: Separation

The corner booth sat mostly empty when the end of the week rolled around, Kolev being the only occupant. His books were spread across the table as well as a map, which depicted several different areas. The map had a path marked from the kingdom’s gates to a hidden cave known as Ordell’s caves. This was his final task before he was a battle-ready, full fledged Paladin. Kolev sat, thinking back to his teachers words the previous day, “Kolev, my pupil, you are now ready for your final test. You have studied hard and persevered where others have failed. You are ready to join the ranks of many other Paladins. You must quest a sword, my son, Go to the Caves in La Theine Plateau. There you will see many dangers and you must overcome these. You may bring trusted friends to help you along your way but you and only you can obtain the answers you seek. You seek an Item that will alloy you to attain your sacred blade. Now go and may Altana’s blessing be upon you.”

Kolev’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. “Honey, where are the others? Are they running late?” He didn’t even turn when he answered Lotte in a solemn tone,

“They have all moved into their own paths, seeking things that they need and desire. I’m also leaving tomorrow to search for my future. Thank you for all of your kindness here. I will say that there is a chance that we may be less in numbers when next we meet.” He stopped and looked at the girl with a smile as he continued, “I’ll tell you what though, as long as you stay as pretty as you are, I’m sure we’ll all find our way back.” Kolev laughed a little to lighten the mood though he knew what he had said was true. He tipped the girl the usual amount, which was normally split among the four of them. He felt it polite to continue the tradition.

. . .

Sul, Drag, and Phen traveled in an uncomfortable silence. They knew that upon their destination, Grand Duchy of Jeuno, they would be split and on their own. They each tried to speak but their words fell from their lips like a lead weight. There was sadness in their eyes but they had all been preparing for this day for a long time. They had all wanted to visit Jeuno but under different circumstances. Jeuno was the central and neutral hub for the three nations. It was a prosperous city where all races and nationalities were treated as equals. The three traveled swiftly by Chocobo and knew that the city would be within site by nightfall. There they would continue traveling in different directions: Phen by airship to the Island of Kazham, Sul would be headed to the Nation of Bastok, and Drag would be off to Meriphataud Mountains. In the end, they knew that the trials ahead were going to be dangerous and difficult but the thought never crossed their minds that they would end in failure.

Chapter 1: Friends

The boy opened his eyes to look out on the water in front of him. He was no longer a boy for there were years between now and then but his meditations always brought back that night in particular. The boy looked out, lost in thought, thinking on the words Master Oggbi spoke to him before they parted ways, “Sulmorko, go and train your mind and body and make a name for yourself. I knew your father. He was a good man and a valiant warrior, I am sure you will be the same. Make him proud, my friend.” He would always remember those words. He lived like his father lived and worked as his father did. He would be strong like his father was and maybe one day, like Master Oggbi. Sulmorko was proud to be his father’s son; he wished to be no other. He indeed trained mind and body but he also learned valuable life lessons such as fun and humor. He learned a great deal from his three best friends: Phen, Drag, and Kolev. The four of them shared a bond that made them no less than brothers.

“Sul, have you seen my fishing pole? –Huff- I was fishing and I –puff- fell asleep and when I woke up –wheeze- it was gone” said familiar voice, which seemed rather out of breath.

“You lost another one? You, my friend, are hopeless.” Sul said with a smile before he continued, “I’m going to stop helping you get them if you keep losing them. Let’s see if we can find it though, heh”

They walked to where Phen had been fishing and in the tree they heard a sound. “Who’s there?” shouted Phen, pulling his dagger out.

“Put that silly thing away, Phen, It’s not match for my Mighty Lance! JUMP!” the voice called out as a shape jumped out of the tree and landed on one knee in front of them.“Oh mighty Dragoon Dragonbite, ‘Tis an honor.” Sul said mockingly with a bow. Phen laughed a little and noticed that the “Mighty Lance” was his fishing pole.

“Hey gimme that back, jerk. You’re gonna break it smacking it on the ground like that.” Phen said with an irritated sigh. The three laughed it off and headed back to town for a drink and a meal. There they would meet up with the fourth member of the group, as they always did at the end of each week. They liked to plan out the coming week, so as to leave time for relaxation and fun, in between their studies and training.

Upon entering the Lion Springs Tavern, the friends looked for the familiar corner booth in the back. They knew he always sat in the same place. The table was always covered in books and scrolls when they arrived and it was never any trouble to help get everything together and cleaned up. They wrapped the scrolls and packed the books into the bags without a second thought.

“Ah, my friends welcome to hell. Okay, it’s not that bad but still. If this is all I’ll be doing then I want your job, Drag. I wanna run around and hit things with a sword all day.”

Drag’s gaze never left the book bags he was trying to get closed. “You know I do more than that, its hard work and dangerous. At least you are learning magic and a real fighting style. I have to get the damned egg before I can even start my dragoon training.”

“Touché my friend, touché.” Kolev said with a smile. He knew that he was studying everything he’d need on the battle field as a paladin but he still hated it. Kolev pulled a book from beside him and tossed it at Drag. Not even seeing the book Drag’s face caught it with no trouble.

“Ouch, damn that hurt. What the hell is it?” Drag took the book and looked it over. He noticed that it was an older book but he slowly came to realize what it was. With an anxious smile he opened the book and started reading right away.

“That’s my old white magic book. I got a new one today and figured I’d let you have this one. Take good care of it; it’s saved my ass a couple of times.” Kolev had ordered the usual for everyone before they had even arrived. Lotte, the server, came to the table and gave them each their respective drinks.

“Hi boys, it’s good to see you again.” She walked over tray balanced between her hip and hand as she set the drinks down. She smiled and winked as she began to speak again, “You boys don’t ever order anything different do you? Not that’s any business of mine or that I’m complaining. It’s always a pleasure to serve drinks to four handsome guys like yourselves. You keep those nasty beastmen out of our town and I’ll gladly keep settin’ the drinks down.” She always flirted her way into good tips; her thin frame with not-so-subtle curves always got the men’s attention. She used her womanly charm to her advantage. She flipped her golden braid from over her shoulder as she turned around to wink at the four in the corner before heading off to attend to the other customers.

“Phen, you seem quiet today, usually you are talking up a storm. Is something up?” Sul looked over at his buddy just swirling his finger in his drink. Phen didn’t seem to hear him at first but then suddenly pulled his head up and out of the world he was in.

“Nah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about the future and what we all gonna do.” Phen said in a low tone almost not sounding like him self. Phen wasn’t one to let the world get him down but he seemed a little weighted at the moment. He pulled his drink back before he continued talking, “–ah- I just know that we are gonna be separated soon by our jobs and that we won’t see each other much. I like being able to hang out with you guys and just do stuff. It makes me wish these days could go on forever.”

Kolev sniffed and wiped a fake tear from his eye before throwing a book at Phen’s head. Phen knew it was coming, though, and caught it right before it hit him.

Phen flipped through the book and smiled but seemed confused. “Why do I need an atlas? Am I going on a trip that I didn’t know I was going on?” Phen asked questioningly. Phen was being facetious and everyone knew it. He wasn’t as dumb as he acted but it always got a laugh out of everyone.

“Check the back; it’s got a map of Kazham. That’s where Sea Serpent’s Grotto is. You know, where the Tenshodo’s headquarters is.” Kolev pulled the book down on the table and pointed to a map in the very back and continued explaining, “You head through the jungles and into the cave at this point on the map. Head down through the cave and you’ll reach a place called Norg- at least I think that’s what it’s called. Anyway, they can teach you to be a samurai there, Phen my friend.” Kolev knew that Phen’s ambition was to be a samurai. He always played one as a kid, with a broken flower pot on his head and a big stick at his side.

“Sweets, I had no idea where or how to get trained in that. Thank you, my friend, thank you. I’m so happy!” Phen’s entire mood had changed and seemed himself again. None of the friends liked to see the others down and would do practically anything to cheer them up, even if it meant being completely and utterly humiliated.

“Crisis avoided; at least everyone’s pants stayed on for that one.” Sul laughed reminding them of a situation they all laughed about from time to time.

“Oh great Altana, you had to bring that up again, Sul,” sighed Kolev; he knew it would have to be explained or poor Phen would be so lost. Phen hadn’t been around for the events of that day.

“Here Phen, let me explain: Kolev was told that tradition called for him to cleanse himself before he started his paladin training. He was instructed to remove all clothing other than his under garments and bathe under the waterfall in West Ronfaure…” Sul stopped and looked at Drag to let him know to finish the story.

“We went out with him to keep the Pugils away when we heard a yelp. The water was cold but it had to be done. Sul and I knew it would come down to us to get it done so we wore our swim suits under our clothes. We came behind Kolev and stripped his clothes off and carried him kicking and screaming under the waterfall. What a pansy,” Drag said with a chuckle.

“He would have waited for spring to start his training had it not been for us. We thought winter was a good time.” Sul laughed as he threw a San d’Orian bread roll at Kolev.

“Geez, I always miss the good stuff when I’m out on a job” Phen said with a laugh. The four friends laughed and carried on until the tavern closed and they headed to their homes. They all enjoyed their time together and in the end it is what they all wanted to remember.

Prologue

The night was quiet with no sounds around the camp. On a cool summer night when the crickets and cicadas alike would normally be singing a song to the world, tonight they were silent. The families were settled into a forced peace as they settled into their tiny make-shift tents. They laid and waited on sleep but it would not come for the silence was too great. The fields of La Theine Plateau were covered in lush green grass and soft dirt, which the travelers welcomed. They need not even lay down a floor for their tents because of this. Of all the travelers most were children and even more so orphans from the brutal attack on their homes. None who fought returned from the battle.

On this particularly quite night, the orphaned children were kept together at the back of the camp. All the children were close friends and the recent events did nothing but bring them closer together. The children from the village were trained in the arts of their parents. Some in the skills of crafting and others in the art of fighting, but they all had skills. In the eyes of the others, some of the children were far more skilled than others but all in all they are still very young.

Finally, what the parents had been anticipating happened, they were attacked again. This attack would not, however, be as successful. The travelers came across a group of seasoned adventurers in their journey. They talked with the leader of the group and offered gil and food in exchange for safe passage to the Kingdom of San d’Oria. As kindly as the adventurers seemed, they were far more wonderful than the travelers had expected. The adventurers helped in every aspect of the nights tasks: cooking, cleaning, washing, and even entertaining the children. The exhausted adults, who had up to this point done everything, had nothing to do but keep everyone company. It was a blessing more than the travelers would ever know.

The adventurers had with them a very special member. He was hailed as one of the few “masters” left in the world. He was a giant of a man, built like a mountain with hands of monstrous proportion yet his touch was surprisingly gentle. The Fighter’s soft demeanor was accompanied by a name that sent shivers down even a demon’s spine. The man’s name was Oggbi, Master Oggbi.

Oggbi, however, was a name unknown to the travelers. His deeds were well known in the cities but foreign to the villagers and nomadic tribes. His martial arts skills were matched only by the skills of two others: Zeid, the legendary Dark Knight, and Dalzakk, Oggbi’s closest and most trusted friend. On this night, the travelers would get to experience the legends that most only dream of seeing.

When Clan Night-raider attacked, everyone was ready. They all did their jobs, like a well oiled machine, as they had so many times before. Oggbi was the only one who didn’t loosen his weapon immediately. He instead moved everyone to a cave behind the children’s tent and sat in the opening, meditating. He moved not a muscle until his teammates called his attention, “Oggbi, Vatgit is moving towards ya. Get ready!” Oggbi merely nodded and continued sitting. “Death’s wha you gonna get, ah ha ha ha!” announced the monstrous figure named Vatgit. At his command several orcs came to his call and moved towards the cave. The orcs charged ahead, Oggbi simply smiled and with nothing more than a whisper three of the orcs flew back as if they had been hit by a speeding chocobo.

One of the children was mesmerized by the man. He sat in the similar position and made the same movements while uttering the same words. Oggbi turned slightly as he felt something push against his back. “You, young elvaan, aim that away from friends.” Oggbi said, with a smile. The master stood, turning as he did, and placed his hands on his weapons. The orcs came in one after the other, as fast as they came in they went down. “Hahaha, my formless Strike is unstoppable!” laughed Oggbi. The master had handled the grunts as easily as he expected. The only orc left now was Vatgit, who was slowly walking towards the cave. As he moved closer, the young boy’s attention was taken from the master to the orcs shoulder pad. It was being held by a belt at which the end was the same marks as the boy’s white belt. The marks indicated that the belt was from someone trained by the master who trained his father. With tears streaming down his face the boy suddenly realized it was his father’s belt.

With this knowledge the boy stood and ran straight for the monster. “Wait, Stop…Dammit!” Oggbi yelled as the boy ran past him. He reached for the boy but pulled his hand back quickly when we realized what was happening. He quickly focused and readied himself to chain his abilities along with the ability he doubted the boy even knew he had. The boy’s shoulder hit Vatgit with a force that shouldn’t have come from someone as young as he was. Vatgit's mouth drew back with fangs bared at the pain. The boy was thrown several yards back from the recoil as Oggbi performed his legendary move, shouting the name as if calling to the heavens for help. “ASURAN FISTS” was the last thing the boy heard from Oggbi before he passed out.

…