Ragnarok Fan Fiction ❯ MVP Anthology ❯ Haati ( Chapter 5 )

Once again, the Bard that has serenaded the community of Payon exits his tent, which is now surrounded by gifts and a small vegetable garden, and makes his way to the town square. The Bard is known as Brioche, after the crusty, hearty baked good that he enjoys so much. On his way to the square, Brioche encounters a group of small children playing with a ball. One of the children looks up and laughs upon seeing the young bard.

“Master Brioche! Are you going to tell another story today?”

Brioche smiles. “Yes, I am. Now that the rain has stopped, I can finally tell another of my tales… will you go tell your parents for me, little one?”

The child shouts gleefully and dashes off to his dwelling, and the others do the same. Soon, the same sizable crowd gathers to hear the Bard’s story, which is as follows…


“As you all may know, there exists a small town in the North called Lutie. This town is always blanketed in thick, white snow, and is such all year-round. This, however, was not always the case. A long, long time ago, Lutie experienced season changes just like everyone else, and the town was much livelier than it is today…”

“On the outskirts of this town, there lived a single Rocker. Rockers, as you know, love music, and sing and play their little violins as often as they can. This Rocker, who had been among humans his whole life (and he was a very old Rocker, though he did not look it), loved to sing and dance for the little children, and would make amazing stunts just to see them laugh. Every night in the warm months he could be heard making his sweet violin music, serenading the town to sleep…

“Now, usually, Lutie had a mild winter, and the Rocker, being an insect, could manage it. One year, however, a blizzard blew in from the frigid Northland, covering the mountain town in a quilt of snow. The people of Lutie feared the worst for the Rocker, and brought him blankets and hot tea, so that he could survive the harsh winter… Every night, even in the gusting winds, the Rocker’s sweet violin could be heard, reassuring the people that their patron spirit still existed…”

“One particularly harsh night, however, the Rocker was not heard. The people of Lutie, though worried, reasoned that the Rocker had sought shelter, as he did when the weather was too unbearable. The next morning, however, the Rocker was nowhere to be found. Upon arriving at the kindly grasshopper’s makeshift residence, the people of Lutie were horrified to discover the Rocker’s violin smashed to pieces! Evidence of a struggle was present, and what appeared to be paw prints dotted the fresh snow leading out into the fields… So the men of Lutie grabbed their torches and swords, and set out to find the Rocker…”

“The men searched all day, and soon set up camp for the night. In the middle of the night, under a full moon, a nasty blizzard set in, blowing the frail tents of the search party this way and that, and threatening to freeze them all… Suddenly, from somewhere in the blackness, soft violin music was heard… The men rushed towards the melodic sound, but found nothing…”

“The men were just about to give up and go home when, all of a sudden, the storm ceased. Then, from the deep blackness about them, a low, deep growl was heard… Fearing that it might be a bear, the townsmen drew their swords, staring defiantly into the inky night… Then, a massive paw, encrusted in razor-sharp icicles, came whistling out of the night, cleaving a full-grown man in two! The party panicked and scattered, their cries halting abruptly as something took them down, one by one…”

“After the search party failed to return, more men were sent into the frozen wilderness. What few DID return told horrible tales of a giant lupine shape, one that was so cold that anyone who went near it was frozen instantly, and that its mere presence caused the blood to chill… Tales sprang up of a beast released from the far North, from an icy prison designed by the gods to contain a beast that would ‘swallow the moon’ if left unfettered… And, to this very day, Lutie has never known anything but ice and snow… Without the protection of the Rocker’s song, the mountain town of Lutie has become permanently entombed in Winter’s icy grip, never to feel the warm embrace of Spring again…”

The bard bows, smiles sadly, and returns to his tent. Even though the tale has not been a happy one, the citizens of Payon feel strangely warmed, as though the bard’s story has kindled a tiny fire within their souls…
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