The Muffin Man
11th January 2004, 07:25 PM
PG/M15+
FF-based fic!
Plastic Existence
Chapter One
Precursor to a Legend
He crept through the streets of Baron castle city. ‘What a decrepit place’, he thought. People cried out in hunger and fear, as the troops stomped by on their massive chocobo mounts. Children were literally tossed aside, and almost trampled under the large beasts’ razor-sharp talons, and only one hero stood among them...
“STOP, THIEF!”
Of course. He wasn’t it. Nor was this town as bad as he made it out to be. Mike, cousin to the famed Ereptor Furs, was a simple thief. No famed stolen goods, no huge treasure troves of gold and jewels. Hell, he barely had 50 gil in his pocket at once. But Mike exaggerated quite a bit. While Baron city WAS decrepit and run down, people ate well and soldiers were kind and honest. They would give the local children rides on their friendly chocobo steeds, and even give them a few gil to buy a stuffed moogle toy. Mike just hated how they ALWAYS caught him and his cousin was ALWAYS bailing him out, and Mike ever so HATED being in Ereptors’, or Eerie as the young thief so affectionately called him, shadow. He WAS kind, and Mike DID love him like a brother, but sometimes, even BROTHERS quarrel..
“Mike,” my cousin said, with that “father” tone, “I can’t keep bailing you out. The people of Baron aren’t too thrilled with their pockets lightening so I can get your punk-*** outta jail!”
I rolled my eyes. He always was there for me, but did Eerie REALLY need to remind me EVERY TIME? It was always the same thing, as I followed along in my head.
“Mike,” he began again, and I mouthed the words, “I’ve been your brother, cousin, AND father, and we’re not even from Narshe!” I had to snicker. Narshe was the ultimate hick town. Anymore backwater than Narshe and you’d end up in the Lete river. He continued, and I mouthed, “You can’t keep getting into LITTLE jams! I mean seriously, how hard is bread to steal?”
Finally, he ended his lecture and my ear and I were free to go. I was handed my daggers, 50g, and my fathers gemstone, all I had left of his memory...I could remember the day I lost him so clearly...
“Mike!!” my father yelled. It was all such a blur. I heard my name so much throughout my life, it seemed...”Go now, my son!! Get out of here!”
I refused to budge. He shoved me harshly, but all I did was stumble.
“Dad, I’m not leaving!!”
He pushed me again, and threw his most precious pendant to me.
“RUN I SAID!!”
My fathers voice was filled with urgency. It was all happening so fast. To this day, I could hardly remember what happened, but at the same moment...it all seemed so clear...
“FATHER!!!”
The vicious chitinoids tore their sharp claws into the soft flesh of my father, dragging him into their cliff-side homes. I shuddered to think what they would do to him...
“Father...”I muttered. The chitinoids readied to pounce on me next. Even beneath their armor-like hides, I could see their muscles bunching up, the putrid green plates shifted upon yellowed skin. Their disgusting, fungus-like armor was more of cracking skin than anything else. It covered the chitinoid so absolutely --- It went from the base of their stubby tails, all along their backs, covering their flanks, and up to the teeth --- that it was considered more of a second skin than anything else. I clutched my dagger tight, and held my head down...I was almost sure I would be torn to shreds by the canid creatures...Yet somehow, I stood up, energized with a will to fight off the chitinoids. I unsheathed my twin daggers and...I cannot recall what happened. All I remember is waking up in a bed, with Eerie standing over a sink, with a wet washcloth. When I went to tell Eerie I was fine....is when I found that he wasn’t using a washcloth to keep my head cool...it was a handkerchief he was using to dry his tears. He turned to me slowly, eyes welling up with tears, and spoke softly...
“Mike...your father...he’s...gone...”
I looked out over the desert that was the Prison colony. The deserted hell-hole was about 10 miles all around, with no grass or any sort of life around it aside from the prisoners, and any of them who “escaped” usually didn’t last too long. What with the Sand Worms all over the place. Yeah, yeah I know I said no life, but the Sand worms didn’t dwell ON the deserts sands, they burrowed deep below the ground into subterranean colonies, and only came to the surface to feed.
“You ok now...?” Ereptor asked. Sighing heavily, I tucked away the gem back under my shirt and continued to gaze across the endless expanse of desert. The chocobo-drawn carriage made an abrupt stop, right outside the Black Mages academe. Eerie let out a slight grumble and muttered under his breath.
“Oh great...some black mage initiates I bet...Greaaat...”
Eerie was never fond of black mages, but I recognized one of them who walked on. Her slim figure was hidden well by the robes, but I could tell when she pulled up her sleeve to find her gil bag, from the slender build of her arm. She was obviously a mage. Her body didn’t look built for physical combat. Her hair was black, and cut short, but framed her graceful features gently. She sat next to me and smiled.
“Hi Mike,” she spoke softly, with a bit of relief.
“Hey, Ashley,” I smiled back, then tilted my head, “I didn’t know you were training to become a black mage.”
She looked a bit irked, “Neither did I...”
I winced a bit and looked at her, waiting for the story.
“Well,” Ashley began, “I was SUPPOSED to be a White Mage academe initiate, but someone was relocated, I guess as a last minute change, and took my position — The LAST position. So I was sent here, because, by some twist of fate, they had an opening. On the upside, I learned some pretty cool spells!”
“Such as?”
“Well...I still don’t know anything beyond Ice or Fire or anything like that...The most advanced spell I know, actually...is Poison...”
I nodded, understanding totally, that black magic takes time to learn. Eerie elbowed me, but I shot him a quick glare. Ashley was more of a sister than anything.
“Jerk...” I grumbled at Eerie.
“Weenie,” he shot back with a smirk.
“Would a weenie do THIS...!” I said, as I sprung up and held the knife to the carriage drivers neck.
“Put the knife down...”the man said calmly. Glancing to the side, I saw a glint of steel, as his sword was sheathed.
“Make a move for that sword and you’re finished...” I growled.
The man pulled back from my blade and ducked, drawing his sword, and attacking me. The carriage came to an abrupt stop as the chocobo felt the reigns tighten. I back flipped away, taking a quick stance with my daggers out.
“Dammit,” he muttered under his breath, “I thought I could at least get the black mage off the carriage before I was found out.
Eerie raised an eyebrow, confused, and went for his dagger. The man held his long sword as far out as he could reach it, only a quick flick of the wrist away from beheading me AND Ashley before he could act to save us...
“Any of you move, and I’ll sever their heads CLEAN OFF!”
I looked into the mans eyes. He was no man...no woman, either...it was a sand-hag. I hoped all I learned about this sand amphibian was true.
“Sand-hag, eh?” I said calmly, “Don’t you have webbed hands, making it nearly impossible to hold a sword?”
He narrowed his eyes at me, “No need for this facade I suppose...” And with that, he used his free hand to peel the false skin from his slick, pink scales, revealing something resembling a pink-ish Creature from the Black Lagoon. I looked closely at his right hand, clutching the sword tight, and noticed...
“The webbing’s been torn clean off!!”
“Not THAT clean...” the sand-hag growled. This horrible site of bloody scales and flaps of dead skin on his hands made me forget my entire plan. I only had milliseconds to act to get my daggers between Ashley’s neck and the sand-hags blade. I turned to make sure Ashley hadn’t been cut yet, and saw a small orb of blue in her palms.
“You made a big mistake, picking up a black magic initiate...” she nearly growled out, “Especially one who’s been there more than a couple days...ICE!!” she cried out, and the blue orb blasted the creature with a frosty wave of energy before he could react. I noticed his movements slightly more lethargic as the cold began to slow his blood flow down. This was my moment to act, and quickly, I did, drawing my daggers and lunging forward, cross the blades across his neck.
“Who sent you to hijack this carriage?” I interrogated the beast.
He spat a sandy wad of saliva at me, “I will not tell you! Disgusting river-sippers!!”
I should probably explain. Sand-hags believe the only good creature outside the desert is a Sea-hag, their cousins in the waters of the world. Anyone else is a “River-sipper”, which is anyone who needs water to live, especially humanoids, such as humans like myself; the saurian Bangaa; graceful, rabbit-like Viera; and even the small, familiar Moogles. So therefore, it’s quite an insult to be called a river-sipper by the Sand-hags...
“I’d rather sip a river than be coughing up blood...”I threatened, pushing the blades in close, “NOW TELL ME!”
I was confused. Sand-hags gained nothing by disturbing human life, and they had a very loose honor system. They’d usually spill the beans before they’d spill their guts. This Sand-hag being so secretive was baffling. I let him go, and kicked him out the door, soon realizing the carriage was beginning to move!
“Why is the Chocobo running!?”Ashley asked, shocked.
“It must have been given orders to run if it saw its’ rider thrown out!” I cried out, and swore under my breath.
“We can’t stop it! And we can’t get out...! We’re gonna die!”
I hated to admit it, but it did seem hopeless. Ashley was right. We were doomed...
Cocking my head slightly, I looked at her. I had to be strong...I had to tell her and Eerie it’d all be OK...but how could I lie to them?
“We’ll...We’ll...” I tried to squeak it out, but my voice cracked and I put my head down, “I can’t lie...Eerie, Ashley...We’re going to die...”
Ashley looked horrified. Her face, although normally pale, looked even whiter than ever.
“Mike...No...we...you’re kidding! I...don’t want to die...” she said, softly. I nodded, as she sat on the floor, hugging her knees. I looked out the window, just as we hit the cliff and went flying off...This was it. The end of my adventures. My life flashed before my eyes quickly.
“The boy possesses the Limit ability,” a strange voice said.
“NONSENSE!! The Limit ability has been told to only appear in chosen fighters! No common street urchin...” A second voice said.
”SHUT UP! He is no street urchin! He took out a pack of chitinoids! ALONE!” A more familiar voice burst out.
“Now, now, Ereptor...” Another man said, “Your cousin is a mere boy. You cannot actually believe he was bestowed with the Limit ability...”
The Limit ability? Whatever it was, it made no difference. My life was coming to a literally crashing end. In mere seconds, all I felt was the crushing wood planks smashed around me, and intense pain. It faded quickly, and I know...I knew...
I was no more.
Chapter 1!! If ya wanna know how Chapter 2 starts, just look at who I said there would be in the ideas topic and who hasn't appeared.
Don't spoil it if ya figure it out. PM me your answer. Winners get a guest appearence in the fic :-P
OH And be gentle ^_^;; First fic in a while.
Finally(I know I know, "Shut up and write Chapter 2!"), the original fic is attached, since the board messed up the Formatting. It's Wordperfect, so be warned.
FF-based fic!
Plastic Existence
Chapter One
Precursor to a Legend
He crept through the streets of Baron castle city. ‘What a decrepit place’, he thought. People cried out in hunger and fear, as the troops stomped by on their massive chocobo mounts. Children were literally tossed aside, and almost trampled under the large beasts’ razor-sharp talons, and only one hero stood among them...
“STOP, THIEF!”
Of course. He wasn’t it. Nor was this town as bad as he made it out to be. Mike, cousin to the famed Ereptor Furs, was a simple thief. No famed stolen goods, no huge treasure troves of gold and jewels. Hell, he barely had 50 gil in his pocket at once. But Mike exaggerated quite a bit. While Baron city WAS decrepit and run down, people ate well and soldiers were kind and honest. They would give the local children rides on their friendly chocobo steeds, and even give them a few gil to buy a stuffed moogle toy. Mike just hated how they ALWAYS caught him and his cousin was ALWAYS bailing him out, and Mike ever so HATED being in Ereptors’, or Eerie as the young thief so affectionately called him, shadow. He WAS kind, and Mike DID love him like a brother, but sometimes, even BROTHERS quarrel..
“Mike,” my cousin said, with that “father” tone, “I can’t keep bailing you out. The people of Baron aren’t too thrilled with their pockets lightening so I can get your punk-*** outta jail!”
I rolled my eyes. He always was there for me, but did Eerie REALLY need to remind me EVERY TIME? It was always the same thing, as I followed along in my head.
“Mike,” he began again, and I mouthed the words, “I’ve been your brother, cousin, AND father, and we’re not even from Narshe!” I had to snicker. Narshe was the ultimate hick town. Anymore backwater than Narshe and you’d end up in the Lete river. He continued, and I mouthed, “You can’t keep getting into LITTLE jams! I mean seriously, how hard is bread to steal?”
Finally, he ended his lecture and my ear and I were free to go. I was handed my daggers, 50g, and my fathers gemstone, all I had left of his memory...I could remember the day I lost him so clearly...
“Mike!!” my father yelled. It was all such a blur. I heard my name so much throughout my life, it seemed...”Go now, my son!! Get out of here!”
I refused to budge. He shoved me harshly, but all I did was stumble.
“Dad, I’m not leaving!!”
He pushed me again, and threw his most precious pendant to me.
“RUN I SAID!!”
My fathers voice was filled with urgency. It was all happening so fast. To this day, I could hardly remember what happened, but at the same moment...it all seemed so clear...
“FATHER!!!”
The vicious chitinoids tore their sharp claws into the soft flesh of my father, dragging him into their cliff-side homes. I shuddered to think what they would do to him...
“Father...”I muttered. The chitinoids readied to pounce on me next. Even beneath their armor-like hides, I could see their muscles bunching up, the putrid green plates shifted upon yellowed skin. Their disgusting, fungus-like armor was more of cracking skin than anything else. It covered the chitinoid so absolutely --- It went from the base of their stubby tails, all along their backs, covering their flanks, and up to the teeth --- that it was considered more of a second skin than anything else. I clutched my dagger tight, and held my head down...I was almost sure I would be torn to shreds by the canid creatures...Yet somehow, I stood up, energized with a will to fight off the chitinoids. I unsheathed my twin daggers and...I cannot recall what happened. All I remember is waking up in a bed, with Eerie standing over a sink, with a wet washcloth. When I went to tell Eerie I was fine....is when I found that he wasn’t using a washcloth to keep my head cool...it was a handkerchief he was using to dry his tears. He turned to me slowly, eyes welling up with tears, and spoke softly...
“Mike...your father...he’s...gone...”
I looked out over the desert that was the Prison colony. The deserted hell-hole was about 10 miles all around, with no grass or any sort of life around it aside from the prisoners, and any of them who “escaped” usually didn’t last too long. What with the Sand Worms all over the place. Yeah, yeah I know I said no life, but the Sand worms didn’t dwell ON the deserts sands, they burrowed deep below the ground into subterranean colonies, and only came to the surface to feed.
“You ok now...?” Ereptor asked. Sighing heavily, I tucked away the gem back under my shirt and continued to gaze across the endless expanse of desert. The chocobo-drawn carriage made an abrupt stop, right outside the Black Mages academe. Eerie let out a slight grumble and muttered under his breath.
“Oh great...some black mage initiates I bet...Greaaat...”
Eerie was never fond of black mages, but I recognized one of them who walked on. Her slim figure was hidden well by the robes, but I could tell when she pulled up her sleeve to find her gil bag, from the slender build of her arm. She was obviously a mage. Her body didn’t look built for physical combat. Her hair was black, and cut short, but framed her graceful features gently. She sat next to me and smiled.
“Hi Mike,” she spoke softly, with a bit of relief.
“Hey, Ashley,” I smiled back, then tilted my head, “I didn’t know you were training to become a black mage.”
She looked a bit irked, “Neither did I...”
I winced a bit and looked at her, waiting for the story.
“Well,” Ashley began, “I was SUPPOSED to be a White Mage academe initiate, but someone was relocated, I guess as a last minute change, and took my position — The LAST position. So I was sent here, because, by some twist of fate, they had an opening. On the upside, I learned some pretty cool spells!”
“Such as?”
“Well...I still don’t know anything beyond Ice or Fire or anything like that...The most advanced spell I know, actually...is Poison...”
I nodded, understanding totally, that black magic takes time to learn. Eerie elbowed me, but I shot him a quick glare. Ashley was more of a sister than anything.
“Jerk...” I grumbled at Eerie.
“Weenie,” he shot back with a smirk.
“Would a weenie do THIS...!” I said, as I sprung up and held the knife to the carriage drivers neck.
“Put the knife down...”the man said calmly. Glancing to the side, I saw a glint of steel, as his sword was sheathed.
“Make a move for that sword and you’re finished...” I growled.
The man pulled back from my blade and ducked, drawing his sword, and attacking me. The carriage came to an abrupt stop as the chocobo felt the reigns tighten. I back flipped away, taking a quick stance with my daggers out.
“Dammit,” he muttered under his breath, “I thought I could at least get the black mage off the carriage before I was found out.
Eerie raised an eyebrow, confused, and went for his dagger. The man held his long sword as far out as he could reach it, only a quick flick of the wrist away from beheading me AND Ashley before he could act to save us...
“Any of you move, and I’ll sever their heads CLEAN OFF!”
I looked into the mans eyes. He was no man...no woman, either...it was a sand-hag. I hoped all I learned about this sand amphibian was true.
“Sand-hag, eh?” I said calmly, “Don’t you have webbed hands, making it nearly impossible to hold a sword?”
He narrowed his eyes at me, “No need for this facade I suppose...” And with that, he used his free hand to peel the false skin from his slick, pink scales, revealing something resembling a pink-ish Creature from the Black Lagoon. I looked closely at his right hand, clutching the sword tight, and noticed...
“The webbing’s been torn clean off!!”
“Not THAT clean...” the sand-hag growled. This horrible site of bloody scales and flaps of dead skin on his hands made me forget my entire plan. I only had milliseconds to act to get my daggers between Ashley’s neck and the sand-hags blade. I turned to make sure Ashley hadn’t been cut yet, and saw a small orb of blue in her palms.
“You made a big mistake, picking up a black magic initiate...” she nearly growled out, “Especially one who’s been there more than a couple days...ICE!!” she cried out, and the blue orb blasted the creature with a frosty wave of energy before he could react. I noticed his movements slightly more lethargic as the cold began to slow his blood flow down. This was my moment to act, and quickly, I did, drawing my daggers and lunging forward, cross the blades across his neck.
“Who sent you to hijack this carriage?” I interrogated the beast.
He spat a sandy wad of saliva at me, “I will not tell you! Disgusting river-sippers!!”
I should probably explain. Sand-hags believe the only good creature outside the desert is a Sea-hag, their cousins in the waters of the world. Anyone else is a “River-sipper”, which is anyone who needs water to live, especially humanoids, such as humans like myself; the saurian Bangaa; graceful, rabbit-like Viera; and even the small, familiar Moogles. So therefore, it’s quite an insult to be called a river-sipper by the Sand-hags...
“I’d rather sip a river than be coughing up blood...”I threatened, pushing the blades in close, “NOW TELL ME!”
I was confused. Sand-hags gained nothing by disturbing human life, and they had a very loose honor system. They’d usually spill the beans before they’d spill their guts. This Sand-hag being so secretive was baffling. I let him go, and kicked him out the door, soon realizing the carriage was beginning to move!
“Why is the Chocobo running!?”Ashley asked, shocked.
“It must have been given orders to run if it saw its’ rider thrown out!” I cried out, and swore under my breath.
“We can’t stop it! And we can’t get out...! We’re gonna die!”
I hated to admit it, but it did seem hopeless. Ashley was right. We were doomed...
Cocking my head slightly, I looked at her. I had to be strong...I had to tell her and Eerie it’d all be OK...but how could I lie to them?
“We’ll...We’ll...” I tried to squeak it out, but my voice cracked and I put my head down, “I can’t lie...Eerie, Ashley...We’re going to die...”
Ashley looked horrified. Her face, although normally pale, looked even whiter than ever.
“Mike...No...we...you’re kidding! I...don’t want to die...” she said, softly. I nodded, as she sat on the floor, hugging her knees. I looked out the window, just as we hit the cliff and went flying off...This was it. The end of my adventures. My life flashed before my eyes quickly.
“The boy possesses the Limit ability,” a strange voice said.
“NONSENSE!! The Limit ability has been told to only appear in chosen fighters! No common street urchin...” A second voice said.
”SHUT UP! He is no street urchin! He took out a pack of chitinoids! ALONE!” A more familiar voice burst out.
“Now, now, Ereptor...” Another man said, “Your cousin is a mere boy. You cannot actually believe he was bestowed with the Limit ability...”
The Limit ability? Whatever it was, it made no difference. My life was coming to a literally crashing end. In mere seconds, all I felt was the crushing wood planks smashed around me, and intense pain. It faded quickly, and I know...I knew...
I was no more.
Chapter 1!! If ya wanna know how Chapter 2 starts, just look at who I said there would be in the ideas topic and who hasn't appeared.
Don't spoil it if ya figure it out. PM me your answer. Winners get a guest appearence in the fic :-P
OH And be gentle ^_^;; First fic in a while.
Finally(I know I know, "Shut up and write Chapter 2!"), the original fic is attached, since the board messed up the Formatting. It's Wordperfect, so be warned.