Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Javarr: The Azure Scourge of Bastok ❯ Chapter 1: A Young Warrior's Trial ( Chapter 1 )

Let it be known that this story is based upon the MMORPG known as Final Fantasy XI, which is a copyright and Trademark of Square-enix incorporated. The author clams no ownership of names of places, characters, abilities, jobs, organizations, religions, or any other material that is protected under international copyright laws.

 

/em sighs and lights a Roll of Bastokan Tobacco +1

 

Now with that out of the way, lawyers happy, and the risk of getting sued by a multi-million dollar company avoided, on with the story.

 

 

Chapter 1: The Young Warrior's Trial

 

My story doesn't start on some distant battlefield, or some epic battle against some terrible evil. No, it starts right here in Bastok; the Marketplace to be exact. I was only about sixteen at the time and was running through the streets of the Markets, heading towards the “Dragon's Claw”. If you are not familiar with it, it is the only armory that is open to all citizens of Bastok. My father, Valear, then the current leader of the Gold Musketeers, fourth division, decided that it was time that I could actually have a weapon of my own. See, I had been training with the wooden swords that could be gotten (or branches pulled off a tree and used with a little creatively.) sense I was about twelve. He told me several months before that if I saved up enough gil, that he would allow me to have it in the house. Well, I figured that I should have enough to get a sword of my own, so back to my running.

 

Upon reaching the “Dragon's Claw”, I pushed open the door and walked in. The large Galka shopkeeper looped up from whatever it was he was doing and gave me a hearty salute. (The only way Galka do salute unless they are angry. Trust me, you do not want to see that.)

 

“Javarr, it is good to see you my young friend!” His voice was deep and very masculine.

 

Sense I am not sure if you ever met a Galka before, I'll give you a good mental image of one. Most Galka stand anywhere from six and a half to seven foot tall and their shoulder about as wide is a long sword is long. When it comes to feats of strength, they are unmatched. Considering their arms are about as big around as a Hume's head. Anyway, back to what I was saying.

 

I looked up (way up I might add) at the shopkeeper's smiling, bearded face. “Father finally gave me permission to get my own sword.”

 

The Galka looked at me with a touch of caution in his features.

 

“I remember last time you told me that. I also remember that chewing out I got over that dagger incident.”

 

Well, let's just say in regards to that, I decided that I wanted a weapon of my own when I was fourteen. Needless to say, father found out and I ended up with a sore ass and the poor shopkeeper got it from my father.

 

“This time, I've got a note from him.” I said as I withdrew a piece of folded parchment from my pocket and handed it to the weapon dealer. Taking it from me, the Galka unfolded it with care not to rip it and read what it contained, and then he nodded.

 

“Well, it seems you have permission to buy whatever it is you can afford. What type of weapon would you like to get young master?” The last part was said with a joking chuckle attached.

 

I turned about the room and noticed all of the weapons that hung from brackets on the walls. There were swords of all shapes and sizes, from the small rapiers to the huge great swords, hand and great axes, daggers, pole arms, scythes, hand-to-hand, bows, and crossbows. Looking around in the sword section, I looked more closely at the prices and nearly felt myself drop! I looked back at the Galka and before I could even say anything, he spoke.

 

“How much have you saved up for your weapon?”

 

Slowly, due to a touch of embarrassment, I withdrew my money pouch and emptied its contents onto the counter. After I looked up and met the Galka's eyes, I could see a thought forming behind them. He held up one hand and said that he would be right back and disappeared into the back storage room. After a few minutes, his large form emerged from the back room, carrying a small sword in a matching leather scabbard. Upon returning to the counter, he set the weapon on the shop counter.

 

“I'll make you a deal. If you can take this blade outside of town and slay a creature with it and bring back proof of your deed, I'll give you this sword.”

 

I looked to the huge bear of a man and smiled. “I'll take that challenge.” When I reached out and picked up the blade by the hilt, the Galka smiled.

 

“I look forward to your return then.”

 

 

* * * * *

 

After strapping the sword to my side, I left the armory and headed for the gates of town. I paused only long enough to give a wave to the gate guards and went out.

 

Every time I head out into Gustaberg even now, I am still taken back by what to me is the beauty of the land. Some would call it desolate, I personally call it home. Gustaberg is mainly a lot of rocky cliffs and hills, sandy soil, and rolling winds. The day I went out on my “hunt”, it was a cloudless day and was already threatening to be a hot one. Taking a deep breath, I started walking along the rock faces, trying to keep the sun behind the rocks as much as possible. After walking for about an hour, I thought I heard a noise around the other side of a rock that was nearby and to my left. Moving up behind it silently, I peered around it and saw a light brown tube looking creature waving back and forth in the ground. There were rings going all the way up its body of a darker brown color and at the top were three small tentacles. I smiled to myself as I freed my sword from its scabbard.

 

I came around the corner and shouted as I ran towards the worm, hoping to startle it long enough for me to get to it without it trying to attack me . . . Well let's just say it did not work the way I had planned. As I was rushing at it, I felt the impact of several good sized stones smacking me in the side and back. I still remember getting hit with that Stone spell for the first time. It sent me staggering and I almost lost my footing, but I was able to maintain my charge. I was in close now and swung my sword at the head of this thing, only to miss as it swayed to the side and then tried to whip it self right into me. Taking a quick back step, I was able to avoid the blow, but the worm would not be so lucky. As I back stepped, I spun my sword to where its own attack would bring it right into the arch of my swing. The first time I actually felt my weapon cut into something other then a wooden pole it felt weird. Instead of the dead stop that you feel when you hit a piece of wood, all I felt was a drag of resistance against the edge, then after a few moments, the drag stopped and I knew I had finished the cut. Looking down at the two pieces of the worm on the ground, laying motionless, I fell to me knees, my sword acting as a brace to prevent me from going all the way to the ground. Looking down, the body began to vanish. The first time you see that, it's weird. Creatures in the wild and Beastmen are the only ones that do it, but after it had vanished, all that was left in its place was a small glowing stone. I reached out with my free hand and picked it up. The glow was a light brownish color, but the glow is not what held my attention on this small object. My hand felt as though sand was cascading through my fingers." or "It felt like there was sand cascading through my fingers.

 

Slowly I got to my feet and with my proof in hand (as if all the dirt I was covered in wasn't enough), I started to make my way back to the gates (Which if I might add, took me about twice as long as it did for me to get there.).