Pilgrimage: A Summoner's Tale

[Lord High Summoner]

Amal slowly walked around the busy village of Kilika as the afternoon sun rose high into the sky and cast down its imense heat upon all the inhabitants who lived on the island. The blitzball season had just ended and it had left the Kilika Beasts victorious, thanks in part to the efforts of Amal's father. It had been a time of great celebration for the village of Kilika, with the Kilika Beasts taking home the cup and the defeat of Sin by Summoner Gandof. But Amal knew that it was all for naught, Sin would return and with it a great new blight upon the world of Spira and her people. That is why he devoted himself to Yevon and took the path of the Summoner, to take up arms against Sin and save Spira from this creature.... At least for a moment they would have hope.

Amal stopped and leaned against a support beam for one of the shady rest areas around the village and gazed out at the majestic blue ocean that stretched out before him. The beauty of the sea was unmatched in Spira and it had captured the hearts of all its denizens for as long as one could remember. With a small breeze the water sprayed the edge of the walkways and cooled Amal from the heat of the day. Knowing that lazy days like this could come at an end at any time Amal took a few extra moments in order to soak it in so he could enjoy it thoroughly. As he closed his eyes and felt the cool spray of the water his thoughts turned to the task he had at hand, He only needed to pass the cloister of trials and he was a full fledged Summoner. But before he could do that he would need to choose his party of Guardians in which he would entrust his very life to while on his journey.

With a sigh Amal turned away from the sea and turned his gaze on his Village, it was quite tranquil at the moment with the exception of the smaller children running around with the blitz balls. It was funny to watch the children try and emulate the moves of his Father, Drake Leradine, it gave him a sense of pride to be the son of the greatest blitzballer of the time. Just as he let off a smile a stray blitzball came flying at his head and with quick reflexes Amal caught it bare handed.

"SORRY ABOUT THAT MISTER!" Shouted one of the young lads.

"Don't worry about it, you've done no harm but try and keep control of the ball so someone who isn't as fast as I am does not get hurt by it alright." Called Amal as he tossed the ball to the children who quickly ran off to continue their little game.

"Amal, you know the importance of your current task don't you?" Came a voice that was oh so familiar to his ears, it was the Temple Elder Karth Monaco. He was a noble man of great stature and even though he was up there in years he was still not one to be pushed around.

With a almost instictive turn Amal performed the prayer which was returned by the elderly man.

"Yes my Elder I do realize the importance of my task but I think it equally important to enjoy this while it lasts, we both know how fragile this peace is. I have been contemplating who my Guardians shall be but I'd rather not rush this choice, my life and those of spira are at stake here."

"Well I'm glad to see that you are giving this the appropriate amount of thought, even the best of Summoners cann fall because they made brash decisions about their Guardians."

With that Karth walked on and left Amal to finish mulling over this grave task set before him, if he chose wrong it could mean his life, as well as those of many people of Spira. But no pressure....

 

[Bullfinch]

The ocean was truly beautiful, especially with the island of Kilika in the distance. That was what most would think, but truthfully, Eratosthenes just wanted to be off of this boat and on dry land. Every wave made his nausea stir, and he clutched the side of the boat with claws dug into the woodwork, vaguely aware that the other passengers had scooted as far away from him as they could, some clutching their young to their sides as if he would snatch them away at any moment. The bench beneath him felt like granite, and was just as smooth, the boat being a ferry used often and of small stature. It wasn't private by any means, and the others on board were a practical rainbow of ages, genders and species. A Gaudo here, a Human there, even a Hypello snoring across from him, head lolled back and bouncing every time a new wave rocked the small ship.
He held his staff across his lap, being able to seeing as all the others had given him quite a distance. He supposed he did look a bit fearsome, orange eyes scrunched up and ears pressed back against his skull. Still, when he left home he'd never imagined how different the world would reveal itself to be. The Ronso sighed, focusing on balling his paws up into fists before splaying them out in a rhythm. With every pulse of the water, spray hit the back of his head, having accumulated into his blond hair dripping and his light blue coat gleaming with the ocean's breath.
Finally, after what seemed like forever to the Guard, the boat docked in Kilika, and he was the first one to land. Dropping a few Gil in the ferry owner's hands, he started off, wobbling at first and then regaining himself as he stood tall and proud, tail swishing behind him and he crossed the busy streets, spear tapping the ground with every other step. What he wouldn't give for another of his kind right now... but no. Better to shake those thoughts off, for now.
"Should have never left," he muttered, scratching the back of his head as his ears flicked in a different direction with every new noise. "This place much too strange." The land was crowded, and there was not another Ronso to be seen, so he headed off down the edges of roads, taking in the elegant view of the ocean from Kilika's shores. It didn't look so menacing from this angle, Eratos thought, passing by a mother and her child. He jumped when he felt a small hand pull his tail, whipping around only to find the mother shielding her son as if waiting for him to attack.
He only bowed his head to her by way of greeting with a low grumble of "Miss," before continuing on in his quest. There had to be something interesting here, right?

 

[Jaccer]

Near the forest's entrance in Kilika stood a young boy in a robe holding a staff. His hair was brown, and gently flowed with the air's light breezes. He took in a deep breath and started to speak to himself. "Alright, I have to do this." he said trying to reassure himself. He started to walk into the forest. Every step he put his staff to the ground like a cane. He walked calmly, and at a steady pace. "Must train." He said.

As he got about half-way into the forest he stopped in an open area. He looked around, and waited. He readied his staff, and was preparing his spells to cast. Finally, after a few moments a yellow elemental flew out into the open. With sparks coming out as it spun around it readied an attack. "Today's forecast is rain." Jaccer said with a smile, as he rose his hand, and quickly brought it sown. Water came around the elemental, and the Elemental broke into several pieces. As fell to the ground pyreflies flew out of it. Jaccer walked off looking for another monster to test his abilities with.

 

[Lord High Summoner]

As Amal walked through the small island town, he noticed a young man on the edge of town. He was facing the entrance of the forest, which led to the temple of Yevon. The man was dressed like that of some sort of mage, complete with a staff and robes. It was not an unusual sight to see people entering the forest, especially since there were many devoted Yevonites within the village who made a daily trek through the dangerous path in order to pray. However, it was not only the religious who entered, many who sought to join with the Crimson Blades were found going off into the fiend infested jungle to train. For those who were not meant for military service, it was usually Amal's job to fix their wounds... if it were possible.

A small sigh disturbed the air around Amal, "Looks like I better get my staff ready for some healing and wards."

With a single, flowing motion, Amal brushed the hair out of his face, turned around to leave the rest area that he had been occupying. For the longest time he had merely stood there watching the waves, waiting for the slightest sign from Yevon on what he should do. All of Amal's closest friends were not the kind to be taken on a long pilgrimage, he had discounted them as an option long ago. That, and he did not want to see his closest friends hurt by his life path. He was never the kind to jeopardize those closest to him, which made him a poor summoner if you thought about it, but he chose to look at it like a positive trait.

After a few moments of trudging through the streets, Amal came upon his humble shack and within it, his prized staff. While it was not the most powerful or even the best looking staff in the world, it was a solid one. Upon grabbing it, he turned his attention to a pack of potions sitting on a dresser top, Amal grabbed a couple and put them in the pockets of his robe, just in case. Then, before entering the forest, he cast the usual spell upon himself to nullify any lightning magic that might happen to strike out against him. A slight yellow aura descended upon him and his skin buzzed with a slight electrical hum, making goosebumps appear upon his arms.

"Well, best not to linger any longer, should something happen to the young lad. Might as well make a trek to the temple as well, consult the statues upon what to do next..."

Amal said to himself, walking out of his door and heading out towards the expanse of wilderness that stood at the end of the village. It was only a short walk, but Amal made every stride count, going over escape plans and what to do in an emergency situation. While still a summoner without an Aeon, Amal was not without his own offense. Quickly, the jungle grew closer and almost instantly stood directly before him.

"Well, here goes."

Without a word more, Amal stepped into the jungle and readied himself for anything, the Jungle of Kilika was a dangerous place if you weren't careful. Between the numerous small fiends that scurried across the ground floor, there was the ever present danger of facing an Ochu Lord, the foulest creature of the jungle. It was said that even a hundred crimson blades could lose against such a beast, which made it a force to be feared. In all the time Amal had spent on the island and traveling to and from the temple, he had only encountered an Ochu Lord twice, each time only narrowly avoiding conflict.

It was only a matter of moments before Amal found the young man who had entered the forest alone, around him were the pyreflies of several felled beasts. A surprised look came over Amal's face, he had not expected to see to see such a sight. After a slight bow to the young man, Amal swept his staff along the ground in a circle and performed a small ritual known as the Sending, allowing the spirits of the fiends to find rest and peace with the farplane. Since the size of the spirits were quite small, the ritual only consisted of a few motions and was finished fairly quickly. As his staff finally fell into a stoic position, Amal turned to the young man and smiled.

"You can never be too careful around here, fiends can smell the pyreflies of fallen bretheren, can cause things to get a little ugly at times. But it looks like you were handling yourself quite fine before I showed up. Oh, I'm Amal." He quickly performed the prayer of Yevon and regained his former position as if nothing had happened. "I followed you here just to make sure you wouldn't get yourself killed, you'd be surprised how quickly things can turn sour here."

Suddenly, the ground shook. Birds flew from trees all around them, and a slight earthy aroma filled the air. The next sound was heavy footsteps and a cracking noise. Two trees to the near and upper left exploded into a shower of splinters. A piercing shrill sound reverberated across the jungle: The Lord Ochu had smelled the pyreflies.

"FOLLOW ME AND RUN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!"

Amal bolted towards the other direction, making sure to head towards the thickest section of the wood, trying to cause the bulky body of the giant plant some problems. However, Amal knew that if the Ochu wanted his prey bad enough, the trees would pose little in the way of a difficulty. The biggest thing in the two fleeing men's favor was Amal's knowledge of the area, if he could reach the main road and then reach the village, they could escape with their lives; for some reason the Ochu can't stand the open water of Kilika. Without hesitating for a moment, or even looking back to see if the other man was following him, Amal ran for his life, twisting and turning here and there, with the occasional wiff of a tentacle cracking overhead.

The entire view ahead was covered with thick vines, and the only sound that came from behind was the shrill voice of the Ochu and it's heavy footsteps as it gave chase. With a last push of speed, Amal broke through the last part of vine cover, crashing onto the main road. Without skipping a beat, Amal retreated towards town, allowing himself to slow down as the sound of chase died down. As he reached the main entrance, Amal bent over to catch his breath, convinced he had outrun the foul beast. Then with a sudden thunderous explosion of trees the Ochu violently appeared before him, knocking down two trees at the main entrance, making it very difficult for both Amal to escape and for help to arrive from the village.

"Well, looks like this is it Ochu. For my dream of a peaceful spira to come true, you are the first on my list to die."

========================


OOC: Basically this is where we will all meet up and establish a connection between all of us in Kilika. We will all fight together to defeat the Ochu, then commence in the introductions. For Now I want to keep it just Jaccer and Bullfinch. MoP, you can come in once we reach Luca or Besaid.

 

[Heroic Sociopath]

Meanwhile, Edgar, as he should really have known would happen by now, is facing something almost as bad: An angry innkeeper. After Ed foumd no gil had miraculously appeared out of thin air into his wallet, the businessman called the guards. Though fully confident he could beat quite a few, he was unsure about a whole squad, and thus, wine bottle still in hand, he was chased into the forest. It was then that they heard a stomping noise. The guards, having learned to recognize it from living on the island, had given up pursuit and ran.

Edgar, however, didn't know what it was, and, disregarding it due to his mild drunkenness, continued running...And nearly collided with the beast. "Holy crap." He said, drawing his nodachi. The sword, named Air-Render, sparkles in the sunlight. It's one of the few things he takes care of more than his stomache, having been given to him by his late master. "Hmm...Maybe I can kill this thingy and milk some cash off the villager's for it." He said to himself, jumping back. "Alright, beasty, bring it on!" He yelled, grinning in a not entirely sane way, jumping at the Ochu King and slashing with his master's sword. "When they talk about the world's greatest mercenary, that's me! Edgar Natas! Never! FORGET!!!" He roars, his eyes bulging.

 

[Bullfinch]

Eratos had since traveled along the roads, finally reaching the gates with a tiny, relieved sigh, his ears slowly relaxing from their pinned-down state. However, they soon shot back again, and he crouched down in a purely instinctual defense pose as a man - for he was surely human, with the slight chance of being an Al Bhed - came running out of the forest like death was on his tail. The Ronso relaxed back into a standing form, surveying the woods before he heard the tell-tale screech and heavy footsteps pounding the ground.
He managed to get out an "Oh..." before a gigantic beast ore through the forest, knocking down two tall trees and blocking the entrance. Eratosthenes narrowed his vividly orange eyes, preparing himself before running and jumping towards the trees, climbing up their girth with black claws helping to gain traction and vaulting over the other side. The man was still there, and he seemed fearless, as if this large beast was merely an obstacle. It set his warnings on edge, but he pushed it back and readied himself, gripping his spear tightly and balancing it in his paws. He spared a glance at the other with a twitch of his ears and a flick of his tail. "Eratos help. Won't let beast destroy more of forest."

 

[Fwee~]

OOC: So should I wait in Luca as well?

IC: A shadow lingered upon the walls of a small back-alley, the shape somewhat resembling a young woman, a sack upon her shoulders. The shadow ducked into a crack in the wall, following the path down into the ground, ending in an old celler, long abandoned. The ceiling was adorned with spiderwebs, the walls sharing the same fate. All that remained in the room was a tattered couch, a few pillows, a soft blanket, a few nick-nacks, a few torches, and an old side-table. The shadow plopped down upon the couch, revealing itself in the torchlight to-indeed-be a girl.

The girl-Briar, as she was called-set the sack full of jewels down upon the ground, her face expressionless. Briar pulled down her dark brown cowl, revealing her lips to be pulled slightly upward in a small grin.

"Another small victory. As soon as I pawn this off, I should be able to cover my traveling expenses." Briar mused, her voice not unlike honey. Standing up, Briar walked over to the wall and put the board up against it, giving the impression that it was sealed off. Plopping back down, Briar took out an old katana and started studying it, hoping to figure out just how to use it.

 

[Jaccer]

Jaccer hadn't even caught his breath from the running. He was panting to get his breathing patterns correctly. 'Alright, this is an Ocha. That means it should be weak against fire.' Jaccer thought to himself. He rose his hand to the sky as he started to say an incantation to himself. He swung his arm to the ground he yelled "Burn in hell!" as Fire scorched the Ocha lord from the spell. He knew that defeating the Ocha wouldn't be that easy.

 

[Lord High Summoner]

As the rampaging Ochu grew nearer to the cornered lad, Amal grimaced as he smelt the bittersweet scent pouring off of the gigantic plant. It was said that the aroma produced by the Ochu lured in it's prey, enabling it to feast without having to use it's store of energy. However, the Ochu was also a fiend filled with rage and at the slightest provocation, would attack relentlessly. Never one to be caught at unawares, Amal stamped the end of his rod against the ground and embers shot out from the bottom. Though he was a white mage, he knew ways to manipulate the elements found with the cores of special rods, such as the one he was wielding right now.

Just before he could strike out at the fiend, he was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. From behind the beast came a shrieking man who waved his sword sporadically, yet with an air of skill, and A ronso who looked very capable of handling these tough situations. The young man who he had followed into the forest was also here, casting his magic upon the foul creature. As the fire tore through the Ochu, the swordsman's blade slashed deeply at the skin, only causing to further enrage the Ochu. While Amal had only encountered the beast twice, now three times, he knew how dangerous it could be and looked for any signs of it's special attacks, if one left their guard down they would find themselves in a bad spot in a short amount of time.

Quickly, Amal raised his rod and a white light descended upon it, and then spread to each of the fighters, "Aid Us!" With a sudden white flash, each member of the group felt a surge of strength and vigor, but the surge did not evaporate, it stayed with them, constantly giving them health. "There, that should help give you all some strength against this foul beast. However, be careful of it's spores, it has the power to poison."

As soon as the words left Amal's mouth, the attacking Ochu went on the offensive and unleashed a barrage of tentacles upon each person. Amal, not quite expecting the attack to come at his direction, barely had time to raise his rod and deflect the incoming tentacles. If he were a slower man, it would not have gone so well; He could feel the poisonous sap dripping from the tentacles.

 

[Bullfinch]

The Ronso braced himself, smirking as a wave of power rushed through his veins, warming his fur and making his tail twitch and his back paws stretch and tap the ground. He was caught off guard by the sudden movement of the Ochu, eyes widening as tentacles flew at him. Eratos jumped over one that barely missed his toes, managing to deeply scratch another that replaced it. However, the last one hit him in the left shoulder, and he grunted in pain, gritting his teeth as he readied himself for a counter-attack.
He steeled himself and ran forward, stabbing the Ochu in the base of one of it's tentacles and quickly jumping back to dodge the monster's enraged swipe. It screeched in pain, and Eratos felt a surge of satisfaction go through him at the sound.

 

[Jaccer]

Jaccer acted as quickly as he could, holding up his staff trying to block the tentacles. 'How many fires am I gonna have to cast?' He thought to himself. He rose his hand to the sky gain, getting ready to cast a spell. He chanted the words to himself as he focused on the Ochu. With a quick swipe he dropped his hand to the ground as fire burnt the Ochu.

 

[Heroic Sociopath]

"Kid! Get out of here!" Ed says to Amal. As the beast attacks him with a bombardment of tentacles, he jumps on them, and runs up them lightning fast to slash at it's head. "Let the grown ups handle this. Wait, where'd you guys come from anyway?" He says to the fire-throwing magician and the spear-wielding Ronso.

 

[Lord High Summoner]

OOC: Sorry to do this, but I won't allow over powered characters in battle, even if it is just with a small fiend boss. Everytime you do something incredibly brash or drastic, you have a higher chance of the monster doing direct retaliation, which will be done through my post. I will roll a die upon seeing a display of power, or when you are in battle and never take any damage, or any other suchlike event. MoP, you lost the roll to the die. Plus, remember to consider stats guys, the summoner is going to have the highest Agility and can thusly avoid more. The Mage is going to have great magic resistance

IC:
Amal gave a scowling look upon the brash swordsman, his haughty attitude toward this battle was sorely needed on this field. He rushed in blindly to attack the great Ochu, without a second though; the man was clearly insane or stupid. As the swordsman slashed at the head of the Ochu, he was quickly met with a plume of poisonous gas, instantly infecting him with it's deadly sting; then through the cloud of poison a tentacle shot out and struck the man squarely in the chest which caused him to fly back and hit the ground with a large thump.

The aspiring summoner simply shook his head at the scene, quickly returning his attention to the task at hand: the defeat of the Ochu. Another round of battle had ended, and each of the member of the group felt a surge of energy within their body as the summoner's spell continued its magic. Amal then smirked at the Ochu, with it's attention turned it was the perferct moment to strike.

"Alright you two, now! Mage, aim for the right side, Ronso, aim for the middle, I'll deal with the left."

Amal's words flowed strongly out of his mouth and the others nodded, with a sudden confidence running through his veins, Amal twirled his staff slowly and then smacked the bottom of it upon the ground, causing a great eruption of flames to shoot fourth from the ground and swarm toward the Ochu, the advantage of living in Kilika was firebased weaponry.

 

[Bullfinch]

Eratos nodded, fur standing on end as he steadied himself and rushed forward with a mighty roar, ears back to his head and spear at the ready. He skidded to a stop right in front of the Ochu, stabbing his spear into it's slimy body with a mighty blow. The magic rushing through his veins made his reflexes better, but not quite good enough, as he dodged one tentacle and was tapped by another, making him growl in pain. Valiantly, he kept his grip on the spear, not willing to give up his hold on it.

 

[Heroic Sociopath]

Combined with the alcohol already in his system, the poison takes hold. He convulses the slightest bit, but otherwise faces death with dignity through sheer force of will. "Master...I'm sorry..." He laments, a single tear rolling down his cheek, saddened at being unable to avenge his master, as his breath slows and his eyelids fall, and he dies.

 

[Jaccer]

((Poison doesn't kill you instantly, does it?))

"Got it." Jaccer replied to the summoner's plan. He aimed for the Ochu's right side. He rose his hand to the sky again, getting ready to cast another spell. He chanted the words to himself as he focused on the Ochu's side. With a quick swipe he dropped his hand to the ground as fire burnt the Ochu.

 

[Heroic Sociopath]

OOC: If you're alreafy drunk and have liver problems you don't know about, it can.

 

[Lord High Summoner]

With a mighty bellow, the giant Lord Ochu tumbled to the ground as the force of the combined attacks met their marks. The beast was left scorch marks upon both it's sides and a gaping wound amongst it's mid-section. Knowing that the beast was moments away from being defeated, Amal moved closer to the body and threw every bit of mana he had behind a final fire based attack, with a large crack, almost like thunder, the large Ochu erupted into flames and was no more. Pyreflies began to fill the air, and without skipping a beat, Amal began to perform the ceremonial ritual of the Sending, enabling the soul of the beast to rest. After he had dealt with the beast, he turned his attention to the fallen swordsman, the fight had cost him his life. Amal bent down and closed the man's eyelids, taking a moment to say a small prayer to yevon, even though he did not know who the man was or where he came from. As he stood up, Amal was silent, but he quickly performed another Sending for the swordsman, allowing his soul to find peace in the farplane.

Amal turned, around after a moment of respite and silence in order to mourn the lost soul, and placed his attention on the two beings who he had just met. His face, serious and conveying a tone of respect for the dead, had a slight hint of welcome and friendliness.

"My name's Amal, it's nice to meet you. I thank you for the help in defeating this foul beast, even if we were unable to protect the lives of everyone involved..."

 

[Bullfinch]

The Ronso nodded back, having gotten his spear and himself out of the way before the final attack. The tip of his tail was a bit singed, but it didn't seem to bother him as he wiped off the blade of his spear with a paw. "Eratos. Sword-wielder should have been more careful. He knew the risks." Eratos' ears flicked as he let out a long breath through his nose, flexing his claws in and out in an effort to calm the adrenaline rushing through his veins. "He will rest now," he muttered as his eyes glanced towards the corpse. The orbs rolled back to Amal quickly, and a tiny smile twitched the Ronso's lips. "You are powerful mage. A Summoner?"

 

[Lord High Summoner]

Amal smiled at the ronso, "You are a credit to your race M'lord Ronso. I am indeed an aspiring summoner, not yet learned in the way of the Aeons, but I am in the process of my final tests. If it were not for you guys, I may not have lived to see my dreams come true. I owe you both a large debt, you eternally have my gratitude and my knowledge should you ever find yourself in need of it."

Amal quickly performed another prayer gesture and turned his attention to the unusually silent mage. "Are you alright sir? I know this all happened a bit suddenly, but I do hope you have not suffered any sort of mental or physical injury. You are unharmed, are you not? I suppose I could give us all a little pick me up to heal us of any wounds sustained from the foul beast."

Amal raised his staff into the air and closed his eyes, allowing a white light to slowly form at the tip of the magical conduit. The magic began to flow from his body and into the rod, causing it to pulsate with a white aura and radiate brilliantly.

"Aid us!"

A sudden flash of light surrounded each of the living members, making them surge with energy and power, restoring their sore bodies to full vigor. The ronso and mage both looked their bodies over quickly, surprised at the sudden surge in bodily well being, a common reaction to this type of magic. Which always caused a smile from Amal.

"Now, I do hope we are all at 100 percent."