Knight Chronicles: Gigas Awakening

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

A castle guard rushed up to the three of them and looked at all of what had happened. "What are these people?" he thought to himself as he surveyed the damages and injured civilians near the three fighters. "You three, please come with me. We'll need your eye witness accounts and I couldn't help overhearing that you'd like to make an audience with the king," he voiced aloud and with an air of authority as he motioned for two other guards to take the unconscious fat man and for the rest to tend to the wounded. Joseph thanked his lucky stars that things would fall into place this easily and thought that maybe for once his luck was changing. Then again, maybe it was just getting worse. "Only one way to find out," he said under his breath as he began to walk behind the guard towards the grand castle.

[Damion Strife 130]

"What a nice day it was. Here I was thinking I'd be in Parma, able to give my brother my Albana winnings, and help him pay his taxes. I'd even have enough to give him and his new wife the honeymoon they always wanted, but no. I lost most of that money to damages in a Gigas fight, and now he has only enough for taxes and a trip to visit our Aunt in Greede..." ,Brutus said with a sigh. Then he shot back up and said, "I don't mean to sound selfish...that's just what happened....I tend to think out loud."

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

Joseph looked down at the gold in the bag at his waist and felt guilty. "You know, if this works out like I hope we might be able to get some good work out of this whole situation, and a lot of money to boot. I'll admit, you're good, so as a good faith payment in agreeing to join me to handle whatever situations the good king of Balandor sets us on, I'll cover the amount you had to pay the street vendor," he said. They were already inside the castle, but the throne room was still a bit ahead. "Same goes for you too Geneviève, what do you two say?" Joseph had to make sure everyone was on board with this as soon as he could. An offensive mage, no matter how powerful, never lasts long flying solo on dangerous quests.

[Damion Strife 130]

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned you've already paid your debt to me by giving up your game. As for your offer, my brother would not want me to take another's money, but I will go with you and venture out in the world. Who knows, I might find something even more interesting out there!" ,Brutus said with a huge smile.

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

"Glad to have you on board. How about you, Geneviève?" he asked as they were getting closer and closer to the throne of the king.

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

"Only if you honor my request." She glanced at guards as the gorup passed them. The conveniences in this country seemed as rampant as the danger. That was never a good sign. "Do not allow anyone to take me. It sounds silly, I know, but please."

 

Traveling was probably the best thing for her right now. It was harder to find someone globetrotting than someone who was hiding in a hole in Balandor.

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

"Take you?" Joseph responded. Uh-oh. That means she's probably in some sort of danger, which could put US​ in some sort of danger, he thought. Then again, she can clearly take care of herself and it'd definitely be more safe for her with me and Brutus. "Sure, I promise," he decided quickly. "Welcome to the crew, I guess."

 

"Welcome to the throne room," echoed the guard as he held the door open and motioned for them to enter, evidently alone, with the king and his most trusted guard waiting inside.

 

OOC: For simplicity's sake I'm going to basically bring in all of the rulers of each kingdom from White Knight Chronicles as the current ruler as though they never had children or got sick or were assassinated and were all on decent terms with one another. Basically the king of Balandor is Cisna's father, but Cisna doesn't exist.

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

OOC: So Faria's cool? There's no trouble there?

 

"Thank you." But that look in Joseph's eyes betrayed him. She wouldn't be a burden, she would promise him that.

 

The throne room was brilliant. The crimson and gold shone in the sunlight, which poured in through the elegant windows. The castle here was much more beautiful than the one back home. Geneviève stopped a few feet from the throne, kneeling, her gaze to the floor.

 

The last time she had done that...

[Damion Strife 130]

Brutus bowed as well. He dropped to the floor and landed on all fours. It was the most humble jester he could offer the king, and he felt severely insignificant since he was just a wanderer. He knew the king was fond of his family's brand of vegetables, but that still didn't bring him any kind of comfort...

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

Out of the three of them, Joseph probably felt the most awkward. He had never tricked the King or anything like that of course, but to see his smiling face full of warmth and acceptance of the three of them felt worse than any death glare he could have given. Joseph was abruptly struck by his insignificance and corruption, and to see the King blindly accepting of him made him feel even worse. He bowed deeply as the King addressed them.

 

"I take it that you are the three who managed to defeat the Gigas I was informed about?" he asked.

 

Nervously, Joseph answered. "Yes, your highness."

 

"Come now, do lift your heads! I would be blessed to view the faces of those who managed to assist in saving the kingdom. In case you did not know it, there were two other hooded figures within the city, also a part of the mysterious organization called the Magi. My soldiers managed to restrain one but the other escaped," he said to the trio. He then paused as if considering his next words carefully. "I am in a great debt to the three of you, however I find myself in a position which makes it necessary that I at least ask for your assistance once more. You can of course refuse. You have already gone above and beyond the call of duty for a citizen, and if I'm not mistaken none of you are even citizens here. However, I promise to repay you for your efforts if you agree. You see, it has become of the utmost importance to find and detain the Magi that escaped. Having made a pact with a Gigas he is a force more potent than most. I'm afraid that sending a party of soldiers out for him would be too conspicuous, however we can't simply allow him to escape. The three of you have already proven yourselves more than capable of defeating a Gigas, and as such I was hoping to employ your assistance in tracking and defeating this foe. If you can detain him before he transforms then all the better. He was last seen crossing the Balastor Plains, headed to Parma. Of course you will be allowed access to all of the provisions of our guard before undertaking your quest, should you accept. So what say you to the pleas of an old man, worried for his kingdom and it's neighbors?"

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

OOC: Oh, and yeah, there's no war between Balandor and Faria. There was, but the conflict was resolved. I'm thinking about having Miu be the ruler there, her decision for peace being one of the major contributors to the truce between Balandor and Faria. If you'd like, however, we could change things. I just know that Joseph's Ark and therefore his Knight are located in Faria. Brutus's are located in Parma, our next location, so if everyone's okay with him getting his Knight at this point then that's what we'll do. If not then we'll think of a reason to return to Parma. Damion, if you wouldn't mind messaging me I have an idea about your Knight and Ark and such. If you wouldn't mind, AnsemTheWise, I'd like to know where your Ark and Knight are located. Also, Joseph won't always be this way. I'm trying to do some character progression with him, making him better over time. I haven't had much experience in that, however, but I'll try my best.

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

Geneviève's insides twisted into knots. Simply being in this room was enough to make her feel sick. And the King. He was so trusting...

 

"Yes, your Grace." Gen spoke quietly, almost afraid that her words would carry her emotions with them. "You can trust us to take care of this Magi."

 

OOC: I actually haven't thought about my Ark much, but I'll let you know when I do. And Miu sounds good for Faria.

...there isn't a lot I can do right now but talk. And I said it. Sorry for short posts.

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

OOC: Gonna wait for Damion to post, then I'll move the story forward.

[Damion Strife 130]

Brutus bowed low and said, "King, it would be an honor to serve you in any way shape or form." He stayed still as if frozen, and tried to hold in his breath until he heard the King's response. Never before had he felt so odd, or out of place.

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

"Of course, your Majesty," responded Joseph with a deep and humble bow.

 

"Very good," said the King with a smile. "Cyrus here will lead you to the armory where you may pick the items of your choosing for use in the quest." Then, turning to Cyrus, continued. "Son, if you would be so kind."

 

"Father, please allow me to go with them and fulfill the duty I failed in before," implored Cyrus.

 

"Do not fret over such things, son," answered the King. "Besides, your place is here, protecting the kingdom. What would come of us should we be attacked and my men have no one on whom to rely on wise commands?" Reluctantly, Cyrus nodded and led the three of them into the armory.

 

OOC: This is the section in which you can describe clothes, items, or weapons your character gets. They can either be from the game or original. Make note of when you are ready to depart.

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

OOC: I'm actually working on that right now. I finished my rough sketch and am working on the color draft before class today. I'll edit this post with it tonight.

 

Weapons

'Actually,' Geneviève thought. 'I'm fine with what I have. I hope I don't offend anyone...'

 

Items

Heal Potion I

Mana Potion I

Revival Powder

Antidote Grass

Antiplegia Root

(We're at the beginning, so I figured keep it simple.)

[Damion Strife 130]

Dress: Same.

 

Weapon: Same.

 

Items: Health Potion I, Mana Potion II, and Revival Powder (3).

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

Dress: Same

 

Weapon: Oak Staff

 

Items: Health Potion I, Mana Potion I (2), Revival Powder, Inspecticals (5)

 

When the three had finished gearing up for the task set ahead of them they stepped through Balandor's gates and headed across the Balastor Plains towards Parma in search of the escaped Magi. Joseph wasn't sure exactly what the future had in store, but he was confident that with these two by his side, it would be much better than the past he'd come from. If nothing else, it would sure as heck be interesting. "So, guys," he asked to pass the time, "what're your stories? And I'm not talking bedtime stories here, I mean your life experiences and all of that jazz."

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

"My country is torn by war." Geneviève said flatly. "And my people oppressed for their beliefs. I am a refugee in your country, and that is all I wish to say on the matter." She had only grazed the surface, but it was all she was willing to put out. If they knew any more...

 

She instead turned her attention to Balastor Plains, a rolling, verdant expanse littered with small trees and the occassional stream or two. This was what home had looked like once before, and it was with a heavy heart that she prepared for their journey to Parma. Gen turned to Brutus. "And you, big guy? I am sure that your story include severing things from other things, does it not?"

[Damion Strife 130]

"Actually no. You see, I was the son of a man whose father had the audacity to name his son Beatrice. My father, Beatrice, grew to be called 'The Best Farmer in Parma.' He currently stands at six foot eleven inches tall, and if you can imagine his temperment...well lets just say he isn't the most polite man in Parma. My mother, rest her soul, died giving birth to me, and since my father knew nothing of child-care I was raised by a herd of cattle until I was able to walk. Then my belly was filled with mead every night, and I was forced to carry an axe head around that was as big as I was. Then one day when I was about six, my father stranded me and my older brother in the Balandor Plains, and all we were left was my axe head and his compass. Needless to say we were terrified, it took us thirteen months to find our way back, and we survived by killing the wild boar in the area and eating their meat. Wild boar tastes like crap to some people, but after thirteen months of it I grew fond of the taste. Upon our arrival home, our father made us begin working in his field, and after another ten years I made my axe head into a full axe. The same axe you see today, and I decided to run far away from home. Just last year, my brother married, and my father died. I was in Albana, then the government raised the taxes on my brother's farm, and so I tried to get money quickly for my brother. I've been gambling ever since, " he said cooly. Then he smiled and said, "But I am known as 'The Great Troll Killer of the East.'" He then started to laugh, the girl had him pegged. He knew his role as a killer would always over shadow his role as a great brother.

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

"Alright then, 'Great Troll Killer'." Gen crossed her arms, quickly eyeing Brutus over. He was so open about his past, seemingly unafraid of anything that anyone might find out. Maybe he had nothing to hide.

 

Maybe he had nothing to be ashamed of.

 

Geneviève ran her hand over her jacket, checking her knife supply; all eight were there. She wasn't going to be caught unprepared this time. "So, what is Parma like?"

[Damion Strife 130]

"Parma is horrible, I know it seems like its happy, but when all the visitors leave the real Parma comes out to play. For example, there's the town drunk and then there's everyone else who is constantly drunk, but that one guy gets it for being even more drunk than anyone else! There's an idiot Poptart who thinks he's gonna be the best lumberjack ever, but he can't even pick up an axe. All the mothers treat their kids right, except for this one woman who has scared her child into bed wetting with her scary stories, and there is a family that has built their home as close to the cemetary as possible so they can be near their dead father and husband. But it feels like home!" ,Brutus said smiling, and then he looked at Seph, "So, what's your story?"

[Not-with-a-whimper 144]

"I had a decent childhood. My dad was a train conductor and my mom was a shopkeeper in the city of Greede. Dad and mom both died in a train derailment when a group of radicals from another country, insistant on taking Greede for their own, attacked the monster's leg and made it shift the entire city. Feeling powerless to do anything, I trained to become a mage. I did some freelance questing, but didn't really get anywhere with it and fell on hard times. I used my knowledge of magic to, well, cheat my way into money. I'm not proud of it, but I'm hoping I can redeem myself and maybe even help those whom I've taken from. While I only know a small amount of Divine magic and a fair amount of Elemental magic, what I really excel in is utilizing a rod to it's full potential. Many people fail to realize just how potent a weapon it can be, and I plan to take full advantage of that," Joseph responded, glad to get everything out and in the open.

 

Hearing a loud thud over and over getting progessively closer, Joseph got on his guard. "Hey guys, I think that we might have a problem here. Treant at 2:00, with a couple of Vespids to boot. We take care of this, though, and we should be set."

[AnsemTheWise 1,114]

Gen ahd heard of the attack on the Demithor before, although she couldn't remember who the rebels actually were. It had been too long. But either way, there were more pressing matters at hand.

 

Geneviève pulled two of the knives out of her jacket. She could use them like kunai against the vespids, but the treant would be a whole other problem. Daggers against a tree? Yeah, that would help. "I can take care of the vespids. You two just take that tree down." She drew another knife in a flash, throwing it with one swift motion. IT lodged itself between the eyes of one of the vespids, the insect falling to the ground as the others swarmed toward her. Gen broke away from the other, intercepting the attackers. If she could distract these, that treant would be a whole lot easier.

[Damion Strife 130]

A gleam appeared in Brutus's eyes, and he immediatly pulled the axe off his back. He swung twice, then finished up with a thrust into its leg. Splintered wood flew from the Treant, and Brutus yelled, "I'd like to see that stupid Poptart see this!!!"