Ragnarok Fan Fiction ❯ MVP Anthology ❯ Eddga ( Chapter 7 )

Day breaks on Payon. Spring has fallen upon the mountain town, and everywhere signs of new life are appearing. Buds glisten with light dew, deer race about in the meadows, and everywhere the citizens of the archer village drink in the pleasures of a mild spring. Even Brioche, the traveling bard, considers (if only for a moment) giving up his nomadic lifestyle to relax in the luxury of Nature’s gifts. Humming and walking about the town square, Brioche gathers fragrant herbs and flowers, stringing them together absentmindedly. The children watch him, waiting for what they know will come: Another tale.
Finally, the young bard produces a small instrument from his satchel, one that the children of Payon have never seen before. It resembles a flute, but is wooden, and ends in a bell-like opening… Brioche sits on the steps of the Chieftain’s residence, producing a few deep, earthy notes from the strange instrument. The people of Payon know that it is time for another story.
“Today I will tell a very old story,” Brioche begins, “In celebration of such a wonderful spring. It is a fairy tale I am sure you have all heard.” With that, the bard commenced his tale, accompanied by the sweet, hearty tones of his instrument…

“Once, long, long ago, much of the mountain on which Payon now stands was covered in dense, lush bamboo forest. This forest was full of wild animals, and they all thrived in the dense underbrush. The bamboo forest also housed a number of the mountain’s spirits, who watched over the mountain and its animals.

“One such animal was a proud tiger, with a regal coat of golden-oranges and onyx-blacks. The tiger was master of the animals, and took his post very seriously. Not a single event went unnoticed by the noble animal, and this was especially so when Man visited the mountain.

“Upon learning that Men had intruded upon his mountain home, carrying swords and bows, the tiger was furious! ‘They have come to kill my brethren, and to defile the ancient home of the mountain spirits! I shall have none of that!’

“The tiger dashed down the mountain in great leaps, the wood sprites following him the whole way. The great Mountain Spirit granted him the gift of human speech, so that he would be able to peacefully turn the humans away. But the proud beast had fire in his heart, and resolved that if the humans resisted, he would kill them as an example.

“Upon finding the humans, the tiger stood upon a fallen log, his coat shining in the sunlight. ‘Leave this place, at once! It is not for you to ravage!’ The humans merely laughed and taunted the tiger, dismissing it as no threat. One of the humans, however, hesitated. ‘This animal can speak our language. It must be a message from the gods… I will escape with my life while I can!’ With that, the man broke his bow over his knee and left it laying on the fallen leaves, as a token of his surrender. The tiger saw this and nodded sagely, for he was a very wise tiger, if not a bit brash. ‘Your comrade made a wise decision. I suggest you do the same.’ The other humans did not shrink away so easily. ‘Hmph. He was a coward. We are not afraid of the gods anymore, for we have mastered Nature. See, beast: We have fire!’

“With that, one of the men drew a red-hot blade, one that made the air shimmer with incredible heat. The man grinned and lunged at the tiger, charring a wide black scar into his luxurious hide. The tiger howled with pain and rage, and swatted at the man with one of his massive paws. The man was hewn from head to heel, and his blood spattered the green of the forest… The other men of his party saw this and were very afraid. They dropped their weapons and fled from the forest, and from its mighty lord.

“The tiger, however, had been stained by the men’s avarice and lust for power. He slinked off into the forest, nursing an assuredly fatal wound and mulling over the power of the humans… He grasped the fiery blade, now cooler than morning dew and as black as night, in his teeth.

“‘These Humans… have mastered the element of Fire, as exemplified by their weapons… Surely they are fearsome foes indeed… I will speak with the mountain spirits, and ask them what can be done to prevent the destruction of my land…’

“The tiger made his way to the shrine of the mountain spirits, created by the great god Midgard to watch over the mountain… But he could not hear the voices of the spirits any longer. The tiger’s fascination with the power of Men had tainted his mind… He wanted that power badly, so badly that every moment he did not have it buried him deeper and deeper in an inconsolable rage… As his rage intensified, the blade in his teeth burned brighter and brighter, scorching everything around it…The tiger howled in frustration, tearing the beautiful earthen shrine asunder, and leaping into the forest, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake…

“Over time, the tiger, once noble and proud, became twisted and savage. To become more like humans, which he hoped would grant them their power, the beast began to walk on two legs instead of four, and wore an old hat that he found while dashing through the forests… The all-consuming rage of defeat, however, robbed the tiger of his wisdom, along with his ability of speech. Over time, as humans eventually settled in the area, the tiger retreated to a secluded part of the forest, where he remains to this very day. The villagers named him ‘Eddga’, meaning ‘fiery rage’, and rightly so, for any adventurer that happens upon this beast is savagely attacked. As for the sword that started all of the trouble…”

With that, Brioche draws a long, jet-black blade from a bag he had kept concealed… the children grow wide-eyed and grown men blanch at the sight of the blade that all thought to be made-up… Brioche smiles his usual curious smile, and mutters the child’s song that every boy and girl in Payon was taught from birth:

Brioche returns to his tent as usual, leaving the crowd mystified. No one ever asks about the flaming sword, and many of the townspeople of Payon never look at Brioche the same way again. They all agree on one thing, however… This bard is not as normal as he had first appeared.