Final Fantasy XI: Prologue to Adventure Ch.2

Bastok was a city situated inside a valley of mountains and rocks. It was a very dry place, and the vicinity outside of Bastok was no different. Nico stepped foot out into the dusty landscape of Gustaberg. Nico traveled through the desolate region with nothing but rocks and hills to look at on his way to the creek. He found the creek and followed it down until it became a small river which then led into a waterfall known as Drachenfall. Nico stared down the edge of the cliff, looking for the best place to climb down. It would be a dangerous climb down, but Nico had done it a few times in the past. Werei told him to stay to the paths, and he would- once he got to the highlands, but he was very familiar with Gustaberg and this shortcut would save him quite a bit of time. Nico found a place away from Drachenfall where the rocks were dry and begun his descent down the cliff side. 

 Nico’s feet touched down on the ground. He had made it down the cliff with no problems and continued trekking through the parched land of Gustaberg until the ground begun to subtly change from rocks and gravel and dirt to shrubs and grass and soil. The cliffs and mountains that made up the boundaries of Gustaberg came together ahead of him, forming a narrow pathway that led Nico into Konschtat Highlands.

It was not the first time Nico had been to Konschtat, but without his father by his side, the mountains that loomed above him made the path ahead seem so much taller. Nico shook off his reservations and headed down the path. As high as the cliffs and hills were, the crag towered over them all, it’s white-trident shaped top crowned above the rocks.

The cliffs and rocks dropped away, leaving Nico in an open field of grasses and hills. Sheep grazed along the path and windmills dotted the landscape, but what completely dominated Nico’s view was the massive, bulb shaped, pale white structure- The Crag of Dem. Nico was only a few minutes away from reaching his destination, but a voice yelling out from his right took his attention.

Nico turned to see a mithra cresting the top of a hill, frantically waving her hands in the air and yelling something that he couldn’t clearly make out. Small tremors begun to shake the ground, getting stronger as the mithra ran down the hill, her cat-like ears perked back and tail swinging wildly behind her.

“Hey!” came the mithra’s first audible shout. The brown-haired mithra looked about Nico’s age, though he couldn’t be certain. There weren’t many mithra in Bastok so he didn’t have much for comparison. “Run!” shouted the mithra. “Go! You need to run!”

Nico’s eyes widened as he saw the head of a giant ram peaking out over the hill. The ground shook harder and Nico had to brace himself as the ram that was at least three times the size of the mithra picked up speed and it chased the mithra downhill.

“Run! Run!” she continued shouting as the ram gained on her. She would end up getting trampled by the creature if Nico didn’t do anything, so without a single thought or hesitation, Nico picked up a rock the size of his palm and threw it at the ram.

“Hey! Over here, you ugly beast!” The rock smacked the ram right above the eye. Nico grabbed another rock but the first one was enough. The ram was charging right towards Nico.

Running wouldn’t help him, the ram was much too fast. Nico clenched his fists and stood his ground as the ram closed in, lowering its head and pointing its horns right at Nico, horns that were easily half the size of Nico himself. Thundering hooves became a countdown as Nico calmed and prepared himself. Nico waited until the ram was right on top of him before he rolled out of the path of the ram. Nico exhaled out of relief as he quickly got back on his feet and pulled out his axe. The mithra was yelling something, but Nico was too preoccupied to listen. The ram circled back and charged at him again. Nico dove out of the path of the ram again but this time he swung his axe at the beast’s leg as he did.

Looking at the blood on his axe, Nico knew he could take down the ram, it would just take a lot of patience. If he messed up his timing by even just a second, he’d find himself skewered on one of the ram’s horns or trampled under its hooves. The ram circled back around again and charged. Nico prepared to dodge and attack again when a sudden burst of fire exploded in the eyes of the ram. The ram raised up its head and roared as it continued forward, blinded by the embers in its eyes. Taking advantage of the opening, Nico grabbed his axe with both hands and swung it as hard as he could into the leg of the beast. The axe’s blade sunk deep into the ram and the creature let out another roar as it blew past Nico. Nico’s arm tugged on the axe, but it had become lodged into the ram’s leg and Nico fell to the ground as it tugged him forward. Nico barely rolled out of the way as the back hoof came down.

The ram shook off the attacks and circled around and charged yet again. Nico’s empty hand twitched as he eyed the axe sticking out of the ram’s leg. “You don’t have anything stronger than that little fireball, do you?” Nico asked the mithra who was still standing at a distance.

“Sorry, no. Black magic isn’t really my strong point.”

“Well, just try and slow it down again and maybe I can get my axe back. Just don’t try the same thing you did last time. It might expect that.”

“Okay. I’ll try and bind it again.”

Again? thought Nico. “How long did it hold it last time?”

“It didn’t.” If the mithra was worried, she didn’t show it.

“Terrific,” Nico muttered under his breath.

The mithra released her spell on the charging ram. As its front hoof planted on the ground, a coating of ice instantly frosted over it and the ground and then crystallized. But the bonds of ice that fused the hoof to the ground shattered the moment the ram lifted its leg, failing to stall it for any amount of time.

Nico cursed as the ram changed direction towards the mithran mage. He grabbed more rocks and threw them at the ram while shouting at it, but the ram ignored him. Nico dropped the remaining rocks in his hand and sped towards the mithra, knowing he wouldn’t reach her in time, but trying regardless. Suddenly someone else was standing in front of the mithra.

Werei stepped in front of the ram and deflected its horns with nothing but his hands and followed up with a forceful shoulder tackle into its leg. The ram stumbled. Its leg gave out under it and it fell head first into the dirt. Its horns pierced the ground, immediately stopping the momentum of its fall, causing its body to rise up in the air and flip over. Nico stumbled backwards as the force of the ram’s body slamming into the ground shook the earth below him. The ram was slow to get up, but when it did, it just snorted, shook off its surprise and headed in the opposite direction of Werei, disappearing into the hills where it came from.

Nico frowned. The ram still had his axe in its leg.

“Are you okay?” Werei asked the mithra.

“Yes, thank you,” she answered as she dropped to the ground exhausted.

“And you,” Werei said as he walked towards Nico, “I told to stay on the path.”

“I did! I followed the road all the way through Konschtat until I saw that girl getting chased by the ram.”

“And in Gustaberg?”

Nico sighed as he realized Werei had been following him the entire time. “It… it was faster.”

“Praise Altana I actually made it here in time. I had to run back to Bastok to get a chocobo.” Werei motioned to the large yellow bird with two powerful legs that was grazing on some grass. “I wasn’t about to break my neck climbing down after you down that cliff.”

“But if I didn’t, I may not have saved…” Nico trailed off as the look on Werei’s face told him he wouldn’t get anywhere with an argument. Nico sighed and dusted the dirt and grass off his clothing and took notice of a hole in his pants below his knee. Nico rolled up his pants and examined the cut which was trickling out a small amount of blood.

Nico looked up to find that the mithra had approached him. “Hi. Thanks for coming to my rescue.” She smiled and held out her hand. “My name’s Myskah.”

Nico shook her hand. “Nico.” He blushed as he stared into her eyes and Myskah’s smile grew.

“You’re hurt,” Myskah said as she kneeled down and examined the cut on Nico’s leg.

“It’s nothing. It’s already stopped bleeding.” Nico sharply inhaled as Myskah placed her hand over the cut. Her hand had a light blue aura surrounding it that gave off a warm sensation.

“There.” She looked up, still smiling. The small cut was completely gone.

“You’re a white mage?” Nico asked.

“You think a white mage would be carrying around a sword?” Werei asked Nico. Nico hadn’t even realized she had a sword. Werei turned his attention to Myskah. “And do you think a white mage would be stupid enough to get into trouble like that?”

Myskah laughed nervously. “I was chasing a lizard. Wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and ran into that ram.” She scratched her head and grinned.

Nico tried to not look confused. “So, if you’re not a white mage, and black magic isn’t your strong point, as you put it, what kind of mage are you?”

“Well, technically, I’m a little bit of both. I prefer the healing aspect of magic, but I decided to spread myself out a bit. Learn a bit of everything.”

“A red mage,” Werei answered. “Are you from Selbina, Myskah?”

“No, I live in Bastok.”

Werei gave an appreciative grunt. “Must have been hard learning any sort of magic in Bastok. Not many people who live there with the talent to teach it.”

“I used to live in Kazham. I learned a little bit there, but my mom and I moved to Bastok when she thought she could get rich from mining. Of course, that didn’t pan out and she’s still working in the mines.  I spend most of my days home alone trying to teach myself more magic.”

“Which mine does she work at?” asked Nico.

“Palborough.”

“Really? My dad works there too! But not as a miner, he’s a guard. Keeps any bad news from getting into the mines and causing trouble.”

“Okay, you two,” Werei interrupted, “take a break and then I’ll be escorting you both back home.”

“But- But I have a mission to complete!” Nico said concerned. ”The crag’s right there, could I at least go there first before we head back?”

“Alright,” Werei said. “After you two rest up, we’ll go to the crag and then back to Bastok. Unless you really want to stay Myskah. I’m not responsible for you, so I can’t make you, but I’d prefer it if you came with after what just happened.”

Myskah nodded. “It’s fine. I’ll come with. I’ve had enough adventure today.”

  

“Good. Take a breather. We’ll move out shortly.”

Nico sat quietly, eyes closed, hands out a few inches from his chest as if he was holding a ball.

“Now,” Myskah began, “feel all the heat inside your body. Feel it grow inside of you.” She gave Nico a moment. “Do you feel it?”

“I… think I do…” 

            “Gather all that heat inside of you and place it into just your hands. Once you do that, imagine the heat pouring out of your hands into a sphere between your hands. Then release all that energy onto the pile of sticks in front of you. Imagine that the sticks are so dry, it would be impossible for them not to burst into flames.”

     Nico sat in silence, imagining himself holding a ball of fire, but nothing came. He dropped his arms, opened his eyes, and sighed. “I don’t feel it. Any of it.”

     Myskah stretched out a single arm towards the kindling and closed her eyes. The kindling burst into flames. “It’s easy once you know how to do it.”

     “Alright,” Werei said. “Time to get going.”

     “But I almost got it,” Nico complained.

     “Nico, you’re either born with the ability to use magic or you aren’t and neither I nor your father has ever noticed any magical talents from you before. Maybe you can, but the odds of you learning anything from her- no offense- is very small.”

“No offense taken.” Myskah stood up and stretched. “I’d rather learn from an actual teacher instead of myself, as well.”

Nico stood up and kicked dirt on the fire to put it out and the three of them walked to the crag, Werei walking the chocobo along by the reins.

Up close, the crag looked like it was made out of smooth white rock, with only a few cracks on its surface. The base of the crag was round with three platforms spread evenly around it. Each platform was made of the same white material with stairs leading up to it. On the floor of the platform itself was a glowing, purple, six pointed star design and floating just above it was a spinning, multi-pointed crystal, roughly the size of a galka. The crystal gave off a gentle, calming hum as Nico approached it.

Werei and Myskah watched silently as Nico took the fire crystal out of his satchel. The crystals clanked as Nico pressed the fire crystal against the Telepoint. The bright red color of the synthesis crystal slowly begun to fade until Nico held only a dull, dark grey crystal. Nico examined the crystal in his hand. “What happened?”

                “I don’t know,” admitted Werei. “It looks like all the energy in the crystal was used up. I guess… I guess the Telepoint absorbed the energy?” Werei’s voice was filled with uncertainty. “I guess that’s why Cid sent you here. Come on, let’s head back now.”

     “What about your chocobo? Where’d it go?” Nico asked.

     “They keep extra stable boys near the Telepoint Crystals. I handed it off to them already.”

     “Oh,” Nico sounded disappointed. “Wouldn’t it be faster if we each just took a chocobo back home?”

     Werei snorted. “And more expensive. You paying the rental fee?” Nico shook his head. “And so we walk.”