(To all, read only if you wish to see a tale of a hero.)

“Welcome to my reliquary” said a cloaked figure in the darkness of a small room.

A small child peering inside of the room at the figure with hopes of one day becoming recognized by the world. Ambitious and impatient, his wants were his physical desire. Having already come to a land that he knew nothing about and taking steps against all odds. He stood in the doorway with a sword in hand and a wooden shield that looked like it was made of pieces of a broken fence. Standing vigilant in his blue shorts and a gray t-shirt, his brown hair waved in the menacing gushes of wind that shot from the room every so often. His green eyes peering at this figure, curious and unknowing.

Slowly moving into the blackened room of midnight, he spoke to the figure, “Who… Who are you?” The child shaking with a feeling of un-want, a feeling of terror. The air grew stagnant with must and chill with every step deeper into this room of midnight black.

The figure moving the cloak apart and revealing a shining white orb to the child and letting it levitate in front of him. His hands old and frail began to slowly orbit the shining white orb. In an eerie voice, the figure spoke out to the child, its voice deep and felt through every pore on the child’s body, “Child… There was once a man like you who came to me ages ago with the desire to become the most powerful of all. His eyes holding fear of not knowing what is to come, but never once did he let it show in his actions. As close as he came to death, he fought harder and harder, proving only to himself that he was the best. Though in his conquest of proving that nothing had the ability to beat him, he became renowned as one of the greatest fighters around.”

The child looked at the figure and nodded without anything to say.

Continuing with the tale, the figure spoke again, “It all started in this land. He proved himself and his worth by defeating enemy after enemy, building his strength and ensuring that his ability to fight was that of people higher than himself. His wrath being invoked upon the menacing snails, mushrooms stumps, a tree stump possessed with evil, and slimes that plague these lands. After years of training in his younger years, he finally made his way to the long forgotten city of Perion. There, he became a warrior, one of unparalleled might. His ability to fight and slay creatures was only met by his want to become more and more powerful. He took his time to train without hesitation, resting only when his wounds became too serious for him to continue. He rested for only a day when those times came around before he had gone back to fighting in his weakened condition to aid in the building of his strength and his undeniable desire.”

The child stood there, getting a smile to slowly creep across his lips and his eyes glued to the figure and the orb in front of him.

The figure did not stop for the kids reaction and continued to tell the tale of the warrior, “His strengths and ambitions grew more with each day. Finding harder and harder creatures to take on, he fought his way through every situation, keeping to himself and never letting people get too close to him. Never giving up and only taking his time to rest when he had to sleep or when his wounds were too serious for him to continue on. He frequently went to town to sell all his plunders and gather his potions for healing and helping him stay out in the wilderness longer.”

The child grew still, he loved the city and people and hated being alone. His gaze was cold and still.

The old figures hands began to tremble a little as he continued to speak, taking time only to catch its breath. “It was only a few months before this warrior had come of the status as a Fighter. His love of swords and his want to be in a creatures face while butchering it were undeniably unmatched. His face that once held emotions, now cold and without a flinch of emotion.”

The child shook in fear as he heard more about this man that crept from the figures throat.

“It was a while before this warrior became strong enough to begin to face his fears. Hiding all he feared in his fighting and urge to succeed. His drive to become great had easily overpowered any and all fears that he had. Not once falling to any foe, not once backing down from any fight.” The figure had said.

Slowly opening his eyes, he looked forth, having remembered how his life was before he had entered this world and let his ambitions take over his wants. Yes, he was once that small helpless child, alone and scared. Sitting on the highest point of El Nath, watching all of the new warriors begin their journey, their own tale. His eyes only glancing back, to a friend he had made, a Priest, Ikizen, who had helped him become the greatest Warrior, only offering his aid to heal the serious wounds that were inflicted upon him.

“So Nodaku… Are you ready for the final tale in your journey..?” The soft and angelic tone of Ikizen’s voice had rang out. Nodaku, the Warrior that was to become a legend, turned his head and looked back at the Priest and smiled, giving a nod.

Slowly standing up, Nodaku’s armor shifted and gently ground together. Giving a slight stretch, he yawned and said in his deep voice, “Yes Ikizen, I am ready for the final tale in our journey… So off to El Nath we go.” Slowly leaning down and grabbing his trusted sword, The Devil’s Sunrise, he lifted it with one hand and slung it over his shoulder and let it rest there. His Dark Commodore armor adjusting to the weight of the sword on his shoulder. His Dark Commodore Pants giving head to his legs as the weight was slowly distributed to his knees and ankles. His hands held within his Dark Korben gauntlets had gripped the hilt (handle) of the sword firmly to keep it in place. His feet pressed firmly into his Dark War Greaves clanged against the hard rock ground as he tapped his foot lightly on the ground, awaiting his friend to get dusted off and to stand up so they could head off. Tilting his head from side to side, he cracked his neck and raised his free hand to adjust his Dark Dragon Babuta to fit on his head a little better.

After Ikizen had stood up, they both walked to Ellenia, catching the next boat to Orbis. After the boat had set sail, Nodaku had climbed the mast of the boat and sat on the decline near the top. Ikizen, being a playful Priest had teleported to the top of the mast and sat in the Bird’s Nest. The flight was long, and on the way, the many little warriors and thieves had hid inside from the ‘Pirates of the Sky’ or as Nodaku and Ikizen had come to know them, The Crimson Balrogs. They had paid a visit and were taken out nearly as easily as they had come. The fight was fairly painless and within several hits, were dropped at the same time. As much as Ikizen was playful and childish, he was in truth, one of the most powerful Priests, though, he only spent his time healing. Now that the end of their journey was coming, Ikizen was now showing that he too wished to protect Nodaku’s ambition. Nodaku was one of few Crusaders around, and with how he was; he would make himself known easily.

Once they had been set down in Orbis and everyone rushed off of the boat, Ikizen and Nodaku took their time walking towards it. Once they were there, they went to the tower, not bothering with the teleporter, seeing that it would take them too long to get down that way. Jumping down with Ikizen, Nodaku hit the ground firmly and stood right back up. Ikizen had hit the ground but quickly bounced up and laughed about the jump. “Ikizen, I hope that you don’t mind, I wish to take out a couple of Yeti’s and possibly these Lycanthropes if it isn’t too much…” Ikizen laughed and nodded and strolled behind Nodaku.

Upon their entering the Tower, they both used one of their many tower scrolls to get to the bottom of the tower. The Jr. Pepe’s had been running around and squawking loudly. Ikizen jumping down in a rush had made a prayer before hitting the first platform, his prayer calling an angel to appear and spread it’s wings and with it’s wings spread, beams of light shot down and made the once small crowd of Jr. Pepe’s vanish. Nodaku dropped down shortly there-after and nodded, “Impressive Ikizen, I didn’t know you had the want to get through here so quickly…”

Ikizen laughed and blushed, “I just wanted to get to El Nath so that we can relax for a little while.” Nodaku nodded and smiled, “In that case…” And with his words ended, he jumped down to the last level of the tower to the what looked like an army of Jr. Pepe’s, “Slash Blast” he had yelled out as he removed his sword, The Devil’s Sunrise, from his shoulder and swung it down in an ungodly attack that had chained through every one of them on the ground. Everything it hit died and vanished with the sheer force of the blow. Lifting his sword up and slinging it across his shoulder once again, he looked up and yelled, “Ikizen, get your butt down here, it’s clear.”

Down came Ikizen, teleporting like a child who just learned how to. Stopping next to Nodaku, Ikizen arched a brow at all of the emptiness, “How the…” dumbfounded and not knowing how the lot of them were dispatched shortly after he was called, he shook his head and shrugged and ran off to the Door to El Nath with Nodaku.

“Almost there Nodaku,” Ikizen had said with an abundance of glee. Nodaku shrugged and walked behind Ikizen. Their walk was short as there were plenty of Fire mages having at the Letty’s and Jr. Pepe’s that roamed the road before El Nath. Upon reaching El Nath, they walked to the center of town and sat down on a bench. Nodaku, for the first time in over a week, had fallen asleep on the bench and rested there. Ikizen smiled and watched his friend sleep; making sure that people wouldn’t come around and steal his items.

[To be Continued…]