On a Cold, Windswept Isle - FFXI story

[Orfeo]

On a Cold, Windswept Isle

Word had spread, and the forces were gathered. Adventurers from all walks of life had made their way to the desolate outpost on Qufim Island to defend their proud kingdom’s hard-won land. Silently, they sat warming themselves by the warmth of the outpost fire, ignoring the distant cries of the Unquiet Dead, their attentions focused on the figure silhouetted before the flames.

The Royal Knight read through the intercepted message, the muscles in the jaw line of his lean face betraying the anger that his voice concealed. Closing his gauntleted fist around the Beastmen’s correspondence, the crudely scrawled characters on ram skin, he addressed his audience.

“The Gigases are readying an attack. Our efforts thus far have forced them to retreat into Delkfutt’s Tower, leaving only skirmishers on the island itself,” the Knight paced the line of men and women assembled for the battle. “If they regain this position, they will have access to Jeuno through the underground passage. This shall not happen. Defense of this island, our land, and the continued safety of the Duchy rests with us, and in the name of our King, we . . . shall . . . not . . . fall.”

There beneath the ancient and arcane Tower, the Knight went on to explain the strategy for the coming fight, detailing the enchantment that would limit the strength of the garrison forces, lulling the Beastmen into a fall sense of confidence and drawing them out of hiding.

“Fear not the diminishment of your strength,” he said. “It allows for your greatest strengths to shine through – your courage, your indomitable will.” He looked into the faces of his brave countrymen. “Now there remains one assignment to be filled. I will not lie to you. It is hazardous duty, but one that is essential to our victory. Who will volunteer to be our runner?”

“I’m not sure I follow,” said one young Elvaan Warrior amidst the throng. “What is required of one in such a role?”

Casting the missive into the fire, the Knight replied, “Such is the staggering overconfidence of the Beastmen - that they will withhold their reserve forces until there remains not one standing of the previous wave. We can turn this to a tactical advantage by having someone feign a retreat with one or more of the Gigases in tow, thus allowing our forces time to regroup before the next wave commences.”

The sacrifice that such strategy required gave pause to more than a few among them.

“Who will run this gauntlet?” asked the Knight, eyes searching the crowd for the resolve needed to shoulder such a burden.

“I will,” came a voice from outside the glow of the fire, and all heads turned to see.

At first glance, he appeared far older than many gathered there that night, but that was merely the frost of his frozen breath clinging to his Hume face, a face that spoke of the Wild, of deserts and jungles and distant lands. His garb had the faded look that only comes with countless seasons of sun and rain. For the first time in a very long while, he rejoined the company of his fellow Children of Altana. “With gladness shall I serve my King."

As the dawn approached, a thunderstorm descended upon the island, almost as if manifesting the tension that shot like a current between the outpost’s defenders. In a break in the thunder, they could hear the surf crash against the island’s northern face, its explosion reduced to no more than a gentle sigh by the distance.

Then the Beastmen were upon them.

Warriors and Paladins alike drew the enemy in and held their attention as they along with their companions laid waste to them with their most devastating attacks. From the shelter of the tower base, White Mages struggled to heal the wounded as their darker brethren rained nature’s wrath upon their attackers. In the fray, melee fighters of every class used all the training and skill at their disposal to dispatch their foes with lightning speed.

The Gigas approached the mages from the flank, unnoticed by all save one.

To draw the Gigas’s attention, the Beastmaster reached out and touched its hate-filled, chaotic mind, an act that never failed to send a shock of revulsion through him even after all this time. Momentarily immobilized by the Beastmaster’s telepathic intrusion, the angered Gigas rounded and hurled an uprooted boulder of island stone at him. The Beastmaster grumbled, “Thank what gods you have for the enchantment that limits me, fool,” and reached into his bag for the broth he needed for his simple ritual. Holding up his offering, he called forth one of the Spirits of the Wild.

Pointing at the Gigas, the Beastmaster said, “Take him my friend,” and the summoned crab spirit attacked at once.

Retreating a safe distance away to heal, the Beastmaster soon discovered that the Knight’s damnable enchantment had left his friend horribly outmatched, linked to his own spirit as it is. Heal me, it whispered in his mind. It may buy us time for your strength to return. Reaching into his bag once more, the Beastmaster sent what aid he could to his spirit-friend.

Not enough, he thought. I don’t yet have the strength to call him back. He cast his mind out across the Wild around him and found an old friend, a powerful ally.

The Kraken sat in her nest as always when the bloodied Beastmaster approached. Already he could hear the Gigas’s thunderous footfalls as it closed upon its cornered prey.

“I’ve need of you, Old Mother,” he said. “Many will die without your strength,” and with that he touched the Kraken’s mind. Stay with me, he thought and he prayed to Altana to grant him the Lasting Friend, a powerful bond between a Beastmaster and his ally. Altana smiled.

The Gigas wiped the sweat from his brow, and chuckled at the footprints leading down to the Kraken’s lair. “Are you dead down there yet, little man?” it bellowed. “Has Old Mother Kraken made a meal of you?” It began to lumber down to the cliff base. “If she has, I think I’ll go see to that little kitty-cat mage you were so worried about. Perhaps I can . . . comfort her in her time of grief.” The Beastmaster stepped into the open.

“Old Mother is still hungry, filth,” the Beastmaster said. “She hungers for you.”

After the rout of the Beastmen forces, his allies all marveled at the Beastmaster’s friend, she of the Sea who had sent the Gigases to whatever Pit that is theirs for reward. “She must go now,” he told them. “There are duties she must tend to and wounds she must heal.” That said, the Beastmaster turned and walked off into the wastelands of the isle. A few among the host followed him.

Back at her nest, the Kraken settled in atop her latest clutch of eggs.

“Rest, Old Mother,” said the Beastmaster. “None here will bother your brood.”

Astonished, the Taru asked, “You mean, all this time, she’s only been protectaruing her babies?”

“Yes, her kind only comes ashore to lay their eggs,” said the Beastmaster.

“I never knew,” said the young Elvaan, “And now I will never forget it.”

“Norr any of us, I think,” said the Mithra.

The Beastmaster reached down to pluck a bunch of flowers from behind the Kraken’s nest, and gave one to each of those who had accompanied him, the Taru, the Galka, the Mithra, and the Elvaan.

“Take these,” he said. “Remember. We are all Altana’s Children. This is the Way of the Wild.”

This is a great story written by ReaulandofGilead about BST taken from the alla BST forums. Just thought I'd share.

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/jobs.html ... 9528;num=6

[Mifaco]

melee fighters of every class used all the training and skill at their disposal to dispatch their foes with lightning speed

good thing it's a work of fiction

[Orfeo]

melee fighters of every class used all the training and skill at their disposal to dispatch their foes with lightning speed

good thing it's a work of fiction

Taking bets on how many RL friends mifaco has!

I'm guessing 0.

Brought on by another wave of him hating everyone but himself.

[royze]

really nice piece of writting i should say, terrific and i would like to read more..

thank you for sharing

[Alleya]

Some day I'll get around to writing a fanfiction that doesn't suck.

[Kuai]

where da gay taru/elvaan fanfiction shota at 8)

[Metah]

Hmmm... wasn't half bad. I like his take on Charm.