Alir Raj kneeled down to the grave at his feet. The small town of Aldeae far to the north of this continent was desolate except for a few wandering priests and warriors searching for meaning. The sky overhead began to gray, and cloud cover eclipsed the sun.
Alir turned to survey the village around him. A man in white robes and a hood stood by the gate kneeling low, a small band of warriors sat by a fire chatting frivolously. A guard strolled by, and called over to his companion, "Aye! Bad weather coming, should we secure these gates?"

The other guard, seeming to be of higher rank responded gruffly, "We aren't closing these damn gates, you hear me?... hmph... secure the gate... because of a little rain... you must be joking..."

The former speaker only shrugged and headed off in his own direction.

A flash of lightning, a strike of thunder, and without warning a deafening crack shuddered throughout Aldeae, and it could be clearly seen why. An ogre's club tore into the wall, and a gigantic violet beast could be seen on the outside furiosly smashing the wall.

Alir reached into his interior coat pocket and removed his infamous shades, polishing them ever so slightly with his sleeve, and placing them over his eyes. He dropped a gold coin where he stood, that landed smoothly onto the tombstone, and he strolled off towards the gatehouse.

The town guards were in frenzy, two trying to secure the gate, three heading towards the source of the crack in the wall. It only added to the frenzy when another ogre in full charge burst through the gate house and trampled the guards to the ground. From the shops and constructs came the visitors to this town, and the citizens. The shout, "To arms! To arms!" rung out among the persons. Alir continued along the small stone path. He observed from afar, a young white mage kneeling to heal a guard, and much to his disgust, an ogre leering overhead. Without cause or provocation, the ogres club met the young clerics head, and with a sickening crack the lifeless body of the cleric rejoined the earth that had spawned it.

Alir raised continued his walk, with a bit harsher steps now, towards that very ogre. He drew closer, closer, and closer yet still, until he shouted, "Villanous Beast, rot in hell!" and with a wave of his arm a flame ignited the beast in an infernal show of flame.

Alir could only see the hoplessness in the situation as he turned to see the gate house over run and damaged.

He sighed, setting his decanter down. It had been too long since he'd done anything, since he'd found himself in these lands as well. The sheer number of people he'd found here, the droves of those that were eager to go out, and die for whatever meaningless cause they felt was worthwhile.

The boy grumbled softly, pulling a small gem from his pocket, looking into its soft blue glow. He didn't know if it held any importance, but whenever he looked at it, he always felt...calmed. Like some paternal entity was watching over him. "Whatever," he spat, trying to reclaim whatever cool he had, stashing the gem in the tattered robes he'd always worn, as far as he knew. Slowly, he stood, leaving a few coins beside the mug, before heading out of the Boar's Tusk, looking about the rather prestine city of New Bania.

"Hey, you ready?"

"What?" he asked, pausing suddenly, looking about himself.

"Yeah, let's go. Just got my blade sharpened. I'm sure this baby could cleave a tree now," a young mage chimed happily, brushing past Garet as though he didn't exist. The boy stood there, watching him, before seeing a couple rogues join him, alongside a cleric. "They won't stand a chance now!"

Garet sighed softly. "Maybe I don't exist," he whispered, before he checked his bag. "Perhaps, I'm just a figment of some cruel entity's imagination." With a clucking of his tongue, he started after them, making a sharp turn toward the great wood to the north. "Or...maybe I'm just thinking too damn much," he finished, ignoring the wolves that were racing about him, growling at him. Those that tried to attack him seemed to only meet air.

The boy paused, looking about the beautiful wood, seeing the sunlight dapple through the treetops, the few creatures of the forest doing their sorts of calls. Someone who did not frequent this place would think it lovlier. "Perhaps if it didn't have that insect problem," he chimed, a slight smile upon his lips as he held his hands before him, drawing various symbols in the air, matching their existance with their name. Feeling a bit safer, he started to preceed on, the moist underbrush crackling with a slight electric charge.

The moment he stepped deeper, breaking a twig with his footfall, he knew what was coming. The boy paused, his eyes closing, the glow that had been about him growing stronger. "Creatures of these woods...you are out of your place...you do not need to be here..." his eyes opened as he looked up, seeing a great wolf leaping at him. The boy lifted a hand, charging mana in it, the energy becoming instantly charged with electricity, the charge arcing through the air, before he drew it up in a slicing motion, "you belong in hell," he spoke calmly, watching the wolf land just short of him, fully fried. "I hope you were the pack leader," he whispered, wiping a bead of sweat away before he started to walk on. "Cause I do not want to deal with any more of you buggers..."

Alir prayed over the dead body of the small fallen white mage.

"I... why does this world warrant such senseless death and hate? What did this young one do to deserve this death? Did he offend you oh great and cruel gods who believe our lives to be too easy or too dull for your entertainment?"

Alir swishes his right hand, while his head was buring in the left, still kneeled on the ground, he spoke softly, "Disgusting..."

and a column on flame ignited and dropped the next oncoming ogre to the ground, charred and black.

Moonlight: it governs all in the dread of the night. Monsters seem only to calm at the light of a full moon. But this "night" came from moon blocking the sun itself. Does the moon envy the sun itself? A rustling is heard in the nearby forest and a shadow suddenly popped out of the forest. Covered by a familiar red cloak and hat, the object appeared to merely rest. It rose to unveil a white furry puff from beneath it. "Whew! The monsters seem only to grow more restless. What could be the cause of it?" the small creature spoke to itself.

Upon the distance, a loud crackling is heard. "Kupo!?" said the creature. "That sounded like it came from Aldeae!" The creature started to step forward, only to hear great footsteps around it. It did not need to wait around to know that ogres were closing in on it. "Damn! Sounds like five of them this time! I don't have this kind of time!" The pink wings of the creature began to stretch. "Time to kick it into overdrive!" It began flapping its wings quickly, and soon began to fly forward.

Darkness only makes flying more treacherous, since a clear path cannot be obtained. Two ogres ahead of the creature saw it flying towards them and began to lift their massive clubs. "Heh, not this time, pals." It flew up over one of the ogres and landed on its head. "Come on! You're gonna have to do better than that!" The other ogre began swinging its club overhead to the white creature, only for it to jump off at the last second and consequently pounding the ogre it was on top of. One simple blow was all it took to take that ogre down. "Ooph! That's gotta hurt! Now if you don't mind my leaving." The creature turned and headed towards the sound of greater calamity. Its wings were to tired to continue by flight, so it mustered its feet as quickly as they could go. It was not long before it could see the chaos that spread around Aldeae...

Alir stepped over the burning, charred corpse of the fallen beast, spitting to the side as he did so, he removed his gloves from within his coat pocket and sealed his hand within them, leaning forward, he snapped his fingers and could feel the rush of the mana in his body - his favorite spell, aptly referred to as the "Fast Spell" by the people of this land, Alir found its name to be reasonably fitting.

With a burst he lunged forward, leaving a trace after-image from his motion. He could clearly see in front of him, the small party of warriors ahead, who had been chattering and showing off their recent finds in the world, turn in horror as a horrifyingly tall, beastly looking ogre trudged in through the gate. They backed off in fear.. it as a champion ogre, one of the few over-evolved species that wandered the lands. Alir picked up his pace, getting closer, closer...

The spiked club was raised, the eyes burned with blood and hatred and senseless rage...

The club began to fall, with such force and power, and one particularly frail looking warrior was under its path.

Time slowed down for Alir... he could envision its path, he raised his arm and with a downward motion, summoned a powerful bolt of lightning... the bolt's motion, proportional to the club, both falling towards the earth, both an absolute means that would decide this instance... The club neared its target, the bolt neared faster...

Time regained its prowess near instantly, and the bolt collided with the club, shattering its form and sending thousands of volts of electricity surging through the beast's body... It fell to the ground twitching violently, not killed. Alir skidded to a halt at its feet, and thrust both palms forward, a surge of flames tearing through the beast, sweat forming on his brow, he lowered his palms, and aided the warrior in standing and regaining his senses.

The boy grumbled, dispelling and otherwise destroying what had once been harmless wildlife. "What on earth could possibly make these creatures...make these things go insane?" he asked himself, trying to summon more electricity to destroy those that were assaulting him.

He leaned against a tree, gulping quietly, panting heavily with sweat beading obviously upon his brow. "God...I...I can't keep this up..." he groaned. Slowly, the boy slid down the tree, rifling through his robe before pulling out a spell book. It was old, it was dusty, but it had all the teachings of Mysidia within its covers.

Slowly, he opened it, looking through the grand archanum, flipping through the pages. "Fear? They need minds for that. Invisibility? They could smell me out. Hmm..." The boy flipped through the pages further, before landing upon a spell that seemed like it would help him then. After reading it a few times, he closed the book and put it away, standing slowly.

His eyes closed slowly, hands lifting to the air. "Goneh Scerin Modikai gahn Molduuk!" he chanted. The boy looked around. Nothing was different. He looked at himself. Still nothing. Did he say it right? It didn't matter, he'd used the last of his mystic energies trying this. Calmly, he exitted the wood, looking about him. That was when he saw the strangest thing.

All about him, the Ogres, the wolves, undead, as well as more fearsome beasts. They were all going incredibly slow. How was that possible? Unless... The boy quickly withdrew his book, flipping back to that page. "Koria burr Malan-cik. What? [Incite (the) spell, Haste]? Haste?! The time warping spell?!" He blinked a few times, putting the book away. So that was it. The spell had done something. It had warped the fabric, the laws of time and space for him to move swiftly through it.

Whatever. Now was his chance. He saw a city in the distance, and as long as this spell was in effect, he was certain nothing between him and the city could possibly stop him. Given the way some of his spells had been, he was not about to waste the time given to him. With a hand slipping beneath his robe, he withdrew the gleaming whip that had been handed him by an old friend in the past, before starting to dash.

A flick of the wrist, and the length of chains extended from his hand, moving like the tendril of an Ocho beast, slicing cleanly through limbs of undead, tearing through flesh with incredible ease. Making himself a straight path to Aldeae. A flick of his wrist, and the whip was back in his hand, nicely coiled up, and set back into his belt as he calmly walked past the gate, in time to see himself fall back into real-time.

Drained of energy, Alir panted heavily, crouched over, one hand supporting his weight upon the ground of Aldeae. Reaching into his coat pocket, he removed the small crystal vial he used to hold his ether. He drank the sweet substance down, wiped it from his mouth, and waited for a moment, to feel the rejuvenation.

He bowed his head, and stood up with a start... he could feel the rush, a faint arau surrounding his hand... Another crack and the east wall crumbled, an ogre bursting through with a host of wolves following. The situation was turning into a greater disaster than Alir could have imagined.

"This town will fall, perhaps I should just fall with it..." he spoke aloud.

Without a moments warning, an arrow soared past Alir's head, planting itself firmly in between the eyes of the gigantic ogre that had just torn through the wall.. and a barrage of arrows followed through that pierced the bodies of the wolves...

Alir turned to see the face of an elf woman behind him, and behind her a crowd of elvish huntresses. Alir recognized her.. Cati she was called, short for Catalina. She nodded to Alir, who nodded back and spoke, "Catalina, correct?" She nodded once more, and took off before he could introduce himself. It was just as well he did not burden himself with conversation, for he turned just in time to roll to the right of a falling ogre club. In a fluid motion, Alir rolled, twisted, raised his palm, and cried out an incantation, the beast ignited in flame a flame that changed it into an unrecognizable mess of embers.

Alir rose from his position, and peered out into the Aldeaen plains out past the gate house... He could see the movement of ghouls and shadows... not a good portent... the undead were beginning to stir, the fallen warriors of the day, unable to pass on, struck with vengeance and the forces of hell slowly spiraled inwards towards Aldeae. As one came particularly close, he prepared to engage it, a good freeze should handle it, he reasoned in his mind.. As he prepared to cast, he noticed the grim face muttering, and before he could react, he was plunged into darkness, unable to see past three feet in front of him...

"Blast! I am blinded by these demons!" he cursed aloud, stumbling around in confusion.

Racing as fast as the little creature could go, he saw a lightning bolt strike the ground. Seems like Aldeae is not totally helpless. Good, it thought. Soon after, searing fire blasted forth setting ablaze all those that in its path. Maybe helpless is the wrong word here. The creature pulled out its bow and prepared to aim. Though it was short, its condition was perfected by the New Banian blacksmith. A shot is almost guaranteed. A blinding flash blew past the white fluff and knocked it over. "Kumape Mapemomo!?" it yelled while it looked up from the ground and pushed its hat up. There was no trace of whatever it was, but the creature was in trouble now.

A pack of great wolves surrounded it quickly, leaving no place to escape. "Guys, listen," it said as it rose. "I'd love to play, but now's not a good time." Electricity, a mage's favorite offensive elemental, began to surge from its small hands. Although seemingly impossible, it closed its eyes and placed its hands on its cheeks whiling chanting, "Levitas vadum...Levitas vadum...." Taking its chance, one of the wolves began to charge forth. "Cado!" spoke the white creature as it grabbed hold of its cape. Lightning fell down from the heavens and struck the entire group. Left standing were eight burnt remains, and one capped creature. Ugh! Let's not try that one again. It arose and dusted off the ashes on it, while summoned energy to restored its injuries. It turned to face Aldeae and sees the calamity continuing...

Alir stumbled for a moment longer, in blindness, when another shadow crept up close behind him. He turned to the sound of it's evil demonic breathing... It was undead, it needed no breath to live, but instead, it exhaled death... a poisin, although impotent, that took the life out that around it... He could hear the fluctuation creeping around him, the ethereal monstrosity hovering close to his person... He turned with a start, and rounded about with his arm, in a circular motion, as a twirl of flame formed around the shadow, it screeched in horrible pain, casting yet another blind spell... the already blind Alir felt the effects of another searing pain on his eyes, and the weight that held them down increased...

He brought his hands to his eyes and cried out in pain... "Wretched Shadow! Return my eye sight!"

The sky grew darker, although Alir was unable to tell this... the increased number of the Shadows wandering the Aldeaen plains became apparent. Alir fell to his knees, unbeknownst to him, he was being surrounded by a crowd of the shadows... moving in for the kill.

Alir could feel the cold chill that followed them, he knew that he had been careless and doomed himself to die with this vague town, to become another unmarked grave and forgotten name...

These shadows had no mind... they aimlessly casted their blinding spells upon an already blind man... Alir tore at his face with his fingers... the pain in his eyes...

It was in this manner he became permanently blind, from the incessant blind spells the shadows casted upon him... Unable to see for the rest of his life, he now awaited his death at their hands.

The boy froze, looking skyward, watching the precious rays of light fading away, falling away, gone to a different point of existance. Outside the apothecary, beyond the town walls, he could hear the cries of a poor adventurer in the field, the writhing groans, the swarming flesh that held it to be from an undead source.

"I-It doesn't sound like...he...needs help..." he tried assuring himself, collecting the bundle of flasks, dropping a bag of gold on the counter. He pulled one of them, looking at the emerald liquid with disdain, before flicking off the cork, and tossing it back. Almost immediately, the boy cringed, holding his sides, shivering involuntarily. It was as though he were left in the arctic wastes of Irendi.

Slowly, he recovered himself, returning to the gate, watching the spectres the locals called Shadows started to cover, to consume some poor victim. "No..." he spoke to himself, pausing, his book dropping from his robes. "I...I won't let that happen to another person..." he stated, before flipping a few pages, finding a spell of flame. Quickly, his gaze turned, seeing a small, fluffy looking creature doing what it could to destroy the monsters swarming nearer.

"You, Stuffed Toy! Can you bring back those who have recently departed?" he asked, his gaze locked upon the groaning mass of Shadows, his hands shifting through the air, drawing arcane symbols. The ground beneath the group started to glow, a massive circle being drawn beneath them, glowing brighter with each arcane symbol that drifted through the air, from his hands.

((Your move, Akai))

Alir cried out in pain... the shadows converged in one quick burst and he could feel his body and soul seperate...

For a moment he saw the grave he had been visiting, the tombstone in the northern corner of Aldeae, with his name upon it.

"Stuffed toy!? I'll have you know I'm a moogle!" it protested.

"Now's not the time to argue, moogle," the boy merely continued his arcane doodle. The moogle, though agitated, knew the boy was right. There were few options left.

"I'll need some cover. Such a spell requires concentration."

"Don't worry! I'll fry these buggers off of you!" said the blonde elf.

Without further hesitation, the moogle began to pray on a corpse next to a giant hole. The spell itself takes so much concentration, a prayer is almost necessary unless one is skilled enough with it. Now calmly composed, the moogle began to chant, "Soul, return to this body! Death, this being's time is not at hand. Poor creature, return to LIFE!" A saintly aura emanated from the corpse, and a big breath came from him. The miracle of the spell, while can restore the dead, their injuries still remain and the returned are always on the brink of death...again. "Bright aura of light! Surround this person and let his injuries be CURED!" So what was said has indeed been done.

The moogle doubled over, its mental energies drained. "Are you okay now?"

"Yes, thanks," said the cleric, though still a little woozy from the experience.

"Come, we need to help the others." and the moogle began to depart.

"Wait!" said the cleric, and the moogle stopped to turn around. "My name is Sinsie. Who are you?"

"Akai," said the moogle, "Now we don't have time for this! Let's hurry!"

Sinsie stood there for a second, But what are you...?

Akai started to grab its head as it started to walk to the next corpse that was surrounded by shadows. It had forgotten to restore its mental energies. It looked into its cape's pockets only to find nothing within it. Crap. I forgot to restock some. It looked around for some help. "Does anyone have a magic draught with them?" A shadow monster approached Akai with heinous eye. Great, now what am I going to do?

The shadow began flying east for seeming reason. What stood where the monster was is now a tall bulky man. It had no hair on its head save for a fine line below its nose. "Here you go little guy." He soon literally jumped into the nearest crowd of monsters and they soon started flying like the previous shadow. Akai looked down to see five small containers with green liquid n them. They were the magical draughts it had asked for. It quickly consumed one and stored the others in his cape pocket. It could feel its concentration being restored immediately.

"Levitas vadum cado!" it said, and the group of shadows covering the corpse disintegrated as a huge lightning bolt struck them. Akai knelt before the corpse and began to pray once more. The calamity around it seemed to grow louder than usual, but it had to focus its thought. Soon, the same saintly aura appeared and restored the corpse to life. What arose was a dark man wearing broken shades. Akai drained too much of his energies reviving this one.

As it gulped down another draught, the man spoke, "I can't see. Damn it all! I STILL CAN'T SEE!"

"Calm down. Let's take care of these injuries first," and the bright aura surrounded them. "Okay, now let's do something about those eyes." Akai began to chant, "Gods! Show your child the light with your LAMP!" A light emanated in front of the man. "Well?"

"No... I still see nothing." The moogle looked through the broken shades and saw the problem. His eyes had been scared. Though magic can heal injuries, little can be done about the scarring that can happen.

The last symbol drifted away from his hands, the boy's fingers shaped in a sort of triangle, focus locked upon one of the other groups of Shadows now. One palm shot forward, fingers folded back, the other drawing near his lips as he finished the spell.

"Almighty beast of the truer life, he who is beyond death's grasp, I call out to you! Phoenix, come to these lands, and quench them of death!" he called, pulling a plume of phoenix down, and launching it over the arcane circle, in time for a bolt of lightning to strike it.

As the energy waned, the circle seemed to explode skyward, the door between the realm of man and the realm of Esper opened, for this need, the familiar bird of flame launching from the portal, its flames bringing the light of a second sun to the plains.

"Everybody...behind the walls! Now!"

"Why?" the befuddled plush toy asked, helping one of the recently revived back to town.

"That bird's flame will sear the flesh off even a Bomb! Now GO!" the boy yelled, collecting his book and running.

Almost in perfect time, Phoenix screeched to the heavens, the area about them growing brighter, before a river of flames shot through the gates, domed overhead, and, indeed, flooded the fields of Aldea.

As the stench of burned, rotting flesh reached their nostrils, the creator of those flames dove back into the gateway, in time for it to seal itself, the boy falling against the wall, energies drained to maintain the beast.

About the fields, those that had fallen, beyond their notice, slowly stood, looking about themselves, wondering what all had occurred in their absence, and why they were in an empty field with charred Ogre bones and the ashes of what may have been undead.

Alir rose to his feet slowly... feeling around for the gentle person who had saved his life... He could find nothing.

He continued to grasp air...

"Savior of my life... where are you...? I wish to bless you..."

but he finally gave up and fell back to the ground... his arm swiping the small, furry savior... Alir stopped for a second... He felt around again... Furry, but a few short feet high... wearing a small hat and cloak... Alir continued to feel around until finally stopped by the shout of a meek voice... "Alright alright! that's enough of that! I feel blessed thank you!"

Alir spoke, "I do not know what you are, nor where you came from, but this is not important to me... thank you for saving my life... I fear a nameless death at the hands of these beasts... a death where you simply join the earth eternally... more than I fear anything else..."

Alir stumbled around... "I am... blinded... I am now cursed... this is surely for my wrongdoings"... Alir broke into prayer in the middle of the chaos, removing his black shades and bowing his head.

The boy paused, keeping his gaze locked upon the scorched battlefield for a time. Assured of its newfound safety, he approached the mage upon his knees. "You, mystic one," he spoke rather sharply, bluntly, resting a hand upon Alir's shoulder, "I am in need of your assistance. We need to close the city gates, and it would take the guards here a good ten minutes to do so under their man-power."

The man looked up to him blindly, wondering what he was speaking about.

"Look, it's simple, if you stand to one side, I stand on the other, we can use our wind spells to seal and lock the doors in place. Then, and only then, will this place even be halfway safe...what say you?"

"Just one moment!" said the moogle. "First, we're not through with them? Second, if you could have done that fire bird thing in the first place, why didn't you?"

The boy spoke, "To answer your second question; that was the first thing I did. I had arrived only momentarily before you. As for the first; the eclipse is far from over. We are all at risk until it's done."

Akai stood there. That gale...could it have been him?

The blind man slowly rose, "I... shall assist you. Please, lead the way." The boy supported the man and they began leaving the inn.

"Wait!" responded the little one has they reached the door, "Let me help." The boy turned and merely nodded as they left the inn. Akai simply followed.

The three lined themselves in front of the gates; the guards still pushing with all their might. "You do know how to cast a wind spell, do you not?" The boy turned to the moogle.

"Errr...well..." Akai grinned as he rubbed the back of his head.

The boy merely shook his head. "Just follow after us. Ready?"

Alir spoke to himself quietly... "Winds of the ancient and foreign desert... I am calling you to assisst me now..."

He held his hands together, index fingers pointed together to form a triangle... and chanted in a language none could translate... A small breeze rustled his trench coat and his hair waved slightly. The breeze picked up, to a weak gust, that gust to a powerful gust, until a weak wind was circling Alir... It strengthened with each moment, his coat now flailing viciously. The wind encircled him. He spoke to the boy who had helped him thus far, "Alright.. my spell is ready. you give the word"

The boy nodded, helping the blind mage to one side of the gate as he took his position upon the other. He held his hand up, a sphere of mana charging in his palm.

"Greatest mystics of the then and now, those who have since faded unto the elements, I call out to you. I, Garet Durine Archanus, one of the final twelve from Mysidia, request your elemental magics, those of the spell Aero!" he chanted, the sphere shifting into a glowing tornado in his hand.

His gaze shot over to the moogle. "You...can you at least freeze the gate shut after we've closed it?" he called to the plushie.

"No, no. You're just calling the elements themselves, right? I can do this." Akai began chanting his own wind spell, "Winds of the sacred earth, I call for your help. Please, grant me the use of your powers. Allow me to wield your voice for others' sake." Suddenly, the moogle's hat flew off his head. "Ah shit!" he yelled as he ran after his hat.

Garet merely sighed. He extended his arms forward as did Alir in perfect synchronization. Wind purged from their finger tips toward the door. The guards, in shock, quickly withdrew from the door. Cloud-like apparitions came from their hands, and these forces pushed on the door. As though child's play, the door quickly closed, and yet no sound came from the closing. The door quickly became encased in ice. Garet and Alir looked at each other for a moment. Neither of them casted an ice spell.

They looked behind to see the small toy with his arms stretched out. Akai fell to the ground. "You guys really need to teach me these spells."

Alir turned to where he believed Garet and Akai to be, "Thank you... Your help here is greatly appreciated" but within a moments notice, a sound of cries and screams wrung out from within the town market, a place where many of the citizens gathered.

Unfortunately for Alir, he was unable to see that the doors had been smashed down, that corpses littered the ground in front of the market. He heard the screams and turned to rush off towards the market... he stumbled forward, his feet reaching the moogle, who did cry out with his own small scream, as Alir tripped over his persona and landed face first into the soft ground.

"WOULD YOU GET OFF ME!?" cried the moogle, and the two separated.

"My apologies, kind sir. I am still unable to see."

"Hmph. It's too chaotic here..." Akai pondered for a second. "Guess I have no choice then."

"Excuse me?"

"No time to argue. My name is Akai, and it looks like we going to have to know each other for a bit." Alir merely stared where the voice emanated. "I'm going to need your cooperation. Will you let me enter your mind?"

"What!" exclaimed, Alir.

"Yes or no? I can't do this without your full cooperation."

Alir appeared reluctant. Enter my mind? He could hear the ever increasing calamity grow. Sounds of screams, explosions, and swords rattled the air itself. "...Y...yes. I accept."

Akai removed his hat and a faint glow surrounded his pom-pom. It disappeared shortly after, and Akai replaced his hat. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Alir did so, but was confused as to what he saw. It was himself. Fuck the gods! What is this!? Suddenly, he went seemingly went blind again.

Agh! Not so loud! Akai eyes were closed. I can hear your thought too, you know. It was clear to Alir now, the furry one formed a telepathic link with him. He was seeing through Akai's own eyes.

"My apologies," responded Alir.

Akai opened his eyes, and Alir could see the grass this time. "Less talk, more fight! ...I'm afraid this time things will not be so easy..." Akai's jaw dropped as he turned to see what was making the biggest noises.

Alir spoke to the moogle, not aloud, but within their channel. "Listen... whatever you see inside my head.. stays between us... understood?"

Akai's little voice resounded, "Of course... of course... you think I have no conscience?"

Alir stumbled around, trying to follow himself walking in front of his own eyes. It was all terribly disorienting. Alir pondered for a moment. "Akai, I apologize, nothing personal but I am breaking the link. I am going to need to learn to survive without my eyes, may those ears of mine suffice..."

Alir broke the link between he and the moogle, and was plunged into blackness once more. He stopped, taking paced breaths, concentrating thoroughly. He could hear sounds all around him, so many... so loud and voracious. He could not distinctly make out the location of anything... Then he heard one sound that was unmistakably a short distance to the north of him, a terrifying roar that shook the foundations of the town - a howl that sent one into a cold chill and a violent shiver... Alir could not see what was ahead of him, he called back to the moogle, "Akai... what.. what manner of evil is to my north?"

A huge monster showed itself from the north. It stood on two legs with its hairy body, and its large tail swept back and forth, almost cleaning the ruble it created from charging through the walls. The menacing dual horns on its head protruded into the heavens, and the guards eagerly poked at it with their weapons and arrows. Its breath seems to ignite the air itself as it and stared at the three mystics before it. Akai stood there in fear, his face locked into horror.

"What is it?" asked Alir, but he got no response from the small thing. "Akai! Answer me!" He reached out with his hands and felt a feather and followed it down to Akai's hat. As he knelt down, he grabbed the plushie's shoulders and shook them. "Akai, what's going on!?" Alir worriedly asked.

"Oh...my...god.... We need to get out of here," Akai responded with a quiver in his voice, and tears seemed to readily form on his eyes.

He struggled to free himself from Alir. "Calm down, Akai! Now, tell me what the fuck is going on!" responded Alir, ignorant of what laid before them.

"No!" as the panicked moogle cried, "Let me go! We're all going to die!" He was on the brink of tears. How should one react, after all, when you see Death knocking on your door? The creature began swiping the guards away from it, like the fleas they were.

Garet outstretched his right arm and said, "Don't move another muscle!" as guards flew past him, crushing the walls of Aldeae as they hit. "It's a behemoth! They see motion better than anything!"

Akai froze in place, whimpering under his breath. The horrified look on his face still vividly showed how fearful of death he was. Alir paused as well, still grasping the moogle's shoulders. His eyes, though nonfunctional, still widened due to his disbelief. "No way..." he said under his breath as he slowly lowered his head. “Great!" he sarcastically said. He turned his head over to the voice and hollered, "Any bright ideas?"

The moogle shivered, shook, and quivered more like an Imp with three Knights standing over it than the mystical being it was. "B-B-But why? That thing's gonna EAT us!" Akai pleaded, looking to the black-robed boy. Almost immediately, he met Garet's gaze, his sable eyes seeming to peer through him.

"Because, munchkin...if you move...if you run...you're going to become big Behemoth bait...and that monstrocity will snap you up like a little white flesh tater tot...got it?" He looked up to the demon, sweating himself as he fought his own flight urges. At this moment, he envied the mage beside him to no end. Without sight, he didn't fear this creature, at least beyond the fact that it was making a number of wretched sounds.

"What do you propose we do, young one?" the man asked, not moving, wishing he could trace the boy as he had the moogle.

The boy pondered a moment, struggling against his own flinchings and urges as the Behemoth stomped into the town, blowing plumes of utterly noxious poison toward the people that were running through town. Garet nearly vomitted when he watched a child dissolve with pained cries before them, like it were acid. The stench was enough to make him gag.

And that was what brought its gaze upon them, Garet doubling over, and displaying his ill-feelings toward the entire event. The boy looked up, eyes widening as its maw opened up, his chest expanding at it prepared the same sort of death for them. "RUN!!" he finally exclaimed.

"I thought you said not to run?!" the panicked moogle shot back.

"That was before we were about to experience a thousand years of disease! Now go!! Take the blind man with you!!" The moogle lifted a finger to try and go against the command, but the look the boy gave him goaded him on.

"C'mon!" he squeaked, taking Alir's hand and leading him away quickly.

The Behemoth's gaze followed them, before it felt something plink off its muzzle. "If you're eating anybody!! You're gonna eat me!!" the boy yelled at it.

The rocks had failed as a distraction. The boy held his hands forward, chanting something quietly, before a ray of flame fired toward the beast. Without a look in his direction, the horns sprouting from its head glowed, causing the magick to reflect aside, incinerating a nearby building. It did, however, get the Behemoth's attention. Garet yelped as he turned, and began to run as well, hoping it wouldn't go after the others.

His life, however, was forfeit.

After seeing monsters head toward Aldeae, and soon after witnessing the total eclipse, Aramis instantly headed towards the town. They would have trouble, and he should be there to help, for it was his home for now.
Nearing Aldeae, he could hear the screams of people, the pillars of smoke revealed by the last rays of sunlight, now recovered from the eclipse, but quickly setting. And above all, the colossal hole in the town's northern wall. He dashed into it, spotting the raging beast, the size of a small house, chasing after a mage, whose firebolts are harmlessly deflected.
Aramis gets an urge to rush and help, his mind creating possible ways to stop the rampaging monster. In a small distance, the mage begins to run towards the hole in the wall, failing to see the grey-maned figure of Aramis there.

"Have to act quickly, now...with precision..."

Aramis gets on his knees, resting his hands on the ground, beginning to release as much energies as he manages to a single spell. The ground begins to rumble, causing the fleeing mage to stumble a little. He keeps running, nevertheless. The ground then splits right behind the black-robed one, catching almost all of the monster into the newly-formed snare. It is confused, and even though its massive body doesn't look able to climb, it begins to struggle itself out of the hole.

"Was it hoping for too much, casting this chantless against such an opponent?" He thinks to himself. "No matter, must finish the spell...inconsistency brings defeat..."

Aramis channels his remaining mana for the second part of his spell, causing the ground to shake more violently, returning the earth to place, closing the snare he made, hoping the crush the monster inside.
The spell strikes true, mud, sand, and rocks covering most of the behemoth, trapping it further. Edges of stone strike into its flanks under the ground. The beast lets out horrible howls and roars, and still continues to try and break loose, sending all kinds of debris around. Aramis stands up, just about exhausted.

"So it wasn't enough?! Still, I must follow up...it's still trapped in there. I haven't lost yet. It's just a monster...I'll show how they are slain..."

The sorcerer withdraws his sword from it's holster and dashes to the trapped monster. It's head is now completely free from the snare, and it's dilligently ramming itself free with it's massive claws. Aramis approaches from the side of it's head, shielding his face from debris with one hand, holding his sword, that develops a faint blue glow on itself, with the other. His eyes meet the monster's left eye and it's malevolent gaze. It roars in fury at the closing attacker, but is still unable to turn to face him.

Aramis repeats the mantra of his fighter training in his head. Retreat, and you will age. Hesitate, and you will die. With all his strength, he thrusts his glowing blade into the eye of the monster. In stabbing pain, it rises it's head violently, sending Aramis few feet in the air and then on the ground, also taking the sword with it. It's front legs break free from the snare, and it claws in horror at it's own eyes, only managing to sink the sword deeper in it's brain.

The beast enters a blind rage, completely freeing itself, ramming it's head at random buildings, crumbling their walls, breathing fire and poison to random directions. Aramis crawls behind a wall, drained of power, some of his bones cracked in the fall. He mumbles quietly.

"Give it up, beast...you are dying...death shall banish the wicked.."

Alir halted his position. The moogle carried on, losing his grasp, turning with a start, "Hey you! don't stop now!" he cried.

"I... I can hear it... the bloody bastard is right behind us..." Alir noted calmly.

"Yes, that's why we're running genius!" Akai shouted.

Alir folded his hands and concentrated thoroughly, as if in prayer. His hands formed a triangle, and a thick bolt of lightning extended towards the enraged beast. With poor accuracy, and a complete lack of precision, it collided with a construct, igniting it in flames.

Another shot, and ... CONTACT! Alir could tell of his sucess. A howling roar indicated to him that his bolt had made contact with the horned monstrosity.

"Aye... help me out here... we almost have it!" he called to his comrades.

Amidst the shadows came forth a tall figure. Bald, shirtless, and mustachioed, it was the same one who has assisted Akai earlier. He hollers aloud, "Oh! It's a big one you got there! Let me at 'em!" With those words, he began charging the half-blinded monstrosity. At about a foot's distance, he jumped the purple beast and landed on its knee. Without hesitation, he smoothly climbed it to behind its head, and began pounding it. "Who’s yer daddy? Tae’s your daddy, that’s who!" Tae grinned though despite the intense rocking of the Behemoth's head. He grabbed on some the creature's hair and yelled, "Yeeehay! Giddy up!" and began whirling his other arm around in circles.

Frustrated and unable to grab Tae, the Behemoth landed on all fours and began concentrating. "Eh?" Tae said and the monster began shaking until it lifted it head up high with a huge howl. The air around Tae began moving violently, and its increasing circular motion began to lift him. "What the devil!?" exclaimed Tae raised into the air but still grabbing on the Behemoth's hair. Eventually, it was too much for Tae, and he was ascended into air, taking some of the beast's hair with him. Spinning around the Twister, Tae was beginning to lose his constitution, and turned green around his face with an ill expression. The Behemoth snickered as it gestured its head to the west, and Tae flew in that direction, much like a flying disc.

He landed twenty feet in front of the moogle and blind man. “Foolish man,” commented Alir, “He should have known better than to charge it.”

Akai ignored Alir and rushed over to Tae worriedly. He knelt over and asked, “Are you okay?”

Still flat-faced on the ground, Tae looked over to Akai, hurt, “I…think I got carried away. Can’t…seem to move now.” The Behemoth began spouting calls desperately, and the earth suddenly began to rumble.

Alir concentrated another lightning bolt, and with a satisfying rush and a loud crack, the smell of burnt flesh and electricity filled the air.

The behemoth's vicious and angry howls continued.

"For Christ's Sake.. someone kill this bastard..." he muttered to himself as he relaxed his arms. It was a mistake for Alir to let his guard down, the Behemoth stomped the ground, shaking the foundation of the very earth beneath him. Being blind did not help the fact that Alir could not maintain balance, he crashed to the ground, and could not regain his stance before the beast was upon him.

A scaly, rough, jagged tail came crashing down onto Alir, who let out a thin gasp and a soundless cry. It would be repetitive in Alir's case to say that "it all went black" but it is the best way to describe his condition thereafter.

The behemoth continued its rampage, gaining speed it burst through the wall of a pub, and tore down the construct from within.

The boy shifted backward, sliding to a stop, watching the other warriors assaulting the Behemoth, his eyes widened some. "Those fools...it's going to destroy this place, going to obliterate this city, and they feel they can stand a chance?" he spoke to himself, pondering quickly. It would have been a moment longer both if the creature wasn't parading through town, and if its horns hadn't glowed a deep crimson. As the others continued their magicks, their swipes, the sky above them managed to grow several shades darker, blocking out even the moonlight as clouds grew thick above them.

In the same instant that dozens of tornados crashed down, started tearing through Aldeae, an emerald fox appeared beside the boy, growling at the beast, a glimmering field appearing about him in time to prevent the effects of the rarely seen spell, 'Storm'. Garet gulped quietly, watching with awe and worry as the others were thrown aside, as though worthless creatures. Something snapped in the boy, his robe shifting colors, becoming something more dark, more tainted by hate.

"Carbuncle," he spoke softly, the fox with the ruby in its forehead looking over its shoulder to him. "You have proven a good familiar for me, all these years...but I don't think we can stay together. Go, protect the town, everybody else in this place."

Carbuncle's eyes widened some, looking up to the boy, the mage it had followed since he'd hatched him at the school in Mysidia. It murred, barking at him, only to get Garet's stern look in return.

"I didn't tell you to argue with me, Carbuncle! Go, protect them! You couldn't keep me safe if you tried, and I don't want to see you die!" The boy held his hand to the side, watching Carbuncle bark a few more times, yipping, murring, before ultimately teleporting away, knowing it couldn't sway his mind when he'd made it up. As the field about him shattered, Garet shot a hand into the air.

The Behemoth looked about, before seeing the mage, his hand in the air, robes whipping in the winds about him. With a nefarious glee, it stomped toward him, its horns glowing, encouraging the storm, enhancing it even, wanting to watch this boy's bones shatter, to see it shredded to pieces to feed its insatiable hunger.

That wasn't going to happen. Garet's other hand shot into the air, a sphere of mana appearing in his hands, his robes shifting through various colors. "You, foul beast! You have destroyed several races, obliterated whole societies!! All in the name of some pathetic hunger! I cannot allow you to go any further! I do not care if I live any longer, I have stopped wanting to press on if it means another fucking beast like you gets to devour everything it wants!! You want to know what these people mean? You want to know what true pain feels like?!! FINE!!" he yelled, before looking up at the growing energy, before a beam shot up into the storm clouds.

"You're going to feel the wrath of Mysidia, of Narche, and of every other city you've ever tasted!!" he spat. Above the city, the storm clouds shifted, glowing, crackling with newfound energy. Suddenly, lightning bolts began to rip through the town, digging trenches where they hit. The winds started growing more fierce, tornadoes replaced with something more devastating. "Inantum Mercurious Alzarie!! I draw upon the blade of blood, MERTON!!" he screamed, before the air grew thick about them, whipping harder than even the twisters, than hurricanes past.

The sensation of daggers slicing through the air could be felt by everybody there, the wounds appearing across their bodies as though it were actually weapons instead of the spell of the boy. He cried out in pain, fighting to maintain the spell, the Behemoth that had been charging him screaming in something worse. It was apparent that the two were feeling this spell worse than the citizens, than the warriors that had come to help.

It was as the storm died, as the boy had lost all the energy he had trying to maintain it, that he fell to his knees, looking up to the thing, the behemoth seemingly unscathed save for its god-awful amounts of pain. "You...won't be...killing another...ever......again," he spoke softly, before hundreds of cuts would open across his body, blood spraying free as the boy fell face-forward into the dirt.

The behemoth hardly moved, frozen, staring straight ahead. Its evil gaze, which burned so brightly with hate, with hunger, with the urge to destroy slowly grew glassy. With a last roar, the creature slammed into the ground, letting out the last of its noxious breaths. Those citizens that had seen the last torrent, the deadly gas heading for them saw the bubble that deflected it, the emerald vulpin curled in a ball in the center of town, its gem glimmering.

Silence. Everyone was too puzzled by what happened. The people began to slowly rise up from their slight injuries. The little moogle looked around to see if everyone was okay from the oddity.

"Hoo boy. What a mess," Akai commented. He took hold of his hat to dust it off. Shredded. The hat had cuts all over it and the feather on it was ruined beyond repair. His eyes widened at the display. He looked down at his own body, and sure enough, his slight cuts began bleeding. He looked at his cape; it was in no better condition of his hat with ragged cuts throughout and pieces missing. He immediately grabbed his head and searched his scalp with his hands. A bump. Good, his pom-pom was still there, as Akai sighed in relief.

A loud barking is heard at a distance. Akai looks toward the sound and sees Carbuncle barking and yelping at the boy who saved them all. The boy did not move an inch.

"This is bad," Akai said as he rushed over, dropping his hat as he ran.

"The monster's dead!" some random guard yelled. Cheers rang throughout the land, though none seemed concerned of their savior. Carbuncle noticed the moogle's fast approach and growled at him.

"Easy boy. I'm here to help him, not hurt him," as Akai stretched out a hand for offering. The emerald fox only growled louder. "Hmmm?" he mumbled, and began concentrating as he lowered his head. He soon looked up in shock. "Oh, sorry. Girl. I'm going to help him. Please let me take a look at him." The fox stopped growling and titled her head to the side as she wagged her tail. She soon backed away.

The moogle knelt down beside the boy. A small pool of blood began forming around the body. Mustering what strength the plushy had, he turned the boy on his back. He didn't look like he was breathing. Akai nodded in confirmation and chugged down one of his last tinctures. He began concentrating in prayer until he chanted, "Soul, return to this body! Death, this being's time is not at hand. Poor creature, return to LIFE!"

Nothing happened. The boy did not raise up and was as motionless as ever. "What?! How can this be?!" Akai exclaimed. The emerald fox approached the moogle whimpering. "No, this can't be right. Why hasn't he been revived?" Something small began rising from the boy's mouth. It was small and grew bigger. What rose was a bubble of blood. "Damn! No wonder! He never died!" Akai concentrated again as he placed his hands on the boy's body. "Bright aura of light! Surround this person and let his injuries be CURED!"

Aramis leans on the piece of wall that is now the only thing left from the building, tapping into his ether reserves and healing the worst of his injuries. Looking around, no single building was undamaged. the walls had collapsed, and bodies with their lungs burned by the poison decorated the rubble.
Nearby, Aramis could see a moogle trying to revive the wizard he helped out earlier. Many thoughts raised.

"So that person cast Merton? That's my first time actually seeing the spell...Well, he beats me at recklessness. How'd he live long enough to master something like that, I wonder?"

Aramis gets up, the pain more bearable than he would have thought. He takes one last look around the ruins before heading out through what used to be the south gate. Aldeae had died this night, and he would have to move on.

Alir stumbled across the ruins of the town, towards where he thought Garet to be, tripping over rubble, and the occasional body that he was blind to see. It did not take eyesight to know the town was in ruins. Without knowing, he had stumbled into one of the larger markets, where a crowd of people, including the governor of Aldeae huddled under tables and behind counters. The walls were adourned with relics and rarities from throughout the dungeon of the armored impaler, the spider caves within the forests, the muck swamps, the mountains, and from lands even far beyond those. Alir could not see the items, but he could feel an aura of prestige in this room. The tables and chairs were orderly and neat, it was warmly lit, the floor did not creak, and the scene was not covered with random drunks and brigands.

Alir made his way over towards one of the counters, behind which stood the governor and a number of civilians.

Alir knew he had closed the door behind him, which is why he could tell something was terribly wrong when he heard it crack and splinter behind him. He turned to the sound, waiting with anticipation. Another crack and splinter, and the door burst down. Bones... The name given to the skeletal warriors, revived by the foul necromancy of Garland. Alir could distinctly hear the rattle of the loosely affixated bones that made up their person. The number? Alir estimated 4 of them... But one walked with a heavier stride, and was obviously affited with more than the average bone plate and bone blade.

The governor shouted from behind the counter... "You.. foreigner! Flee while you are able bodied!!!" Alir did not respond. He heard the footsteps and the rattling of the bones. The ribs.. the rattling rips, it was the distinctive laugh of the skeleton. Alir had heard it before. A grin on his face, and his hands glowing a faint green, Alir waited in the forming circle. The governor cried out and turned away, as did all present as the skeltons leapt forward to kill Alir, with a quick motion of hands, and a word, a green cloud consumed and melted the bones into a fluid subtance. Thus the power of a well placed poisin spell.

The young wizard opened his eyes. His eyesight was hazy, but he could make out two distinct shapes before him. "Are you okay?" Akai asked of the boy. He turned to the voice and still saw haziness, so he blinked a few times and he rubbed his eyes. He groaned due to his physical and mental fatigue, and Carbuncle took this opportunity to lick his face.

"Carbuncle, please stop," spoke the boy as he resisted the vixen. "I'm still sore here." It was no use; Carbuncle couldn't resist her joy and Garet kept trying to push her aside while smiling. Akai chuckled softly to himself as he rose from ground and took a few steps back. Garet finally manages to free himself and rises. "Thank you, furry one. You saved my life."

Akai merely smiled as he placed both of his hands behind his head. "Hehehe, don't mention it. It's what I do."

"Still, this night was no ordinary one," Garet shook his head while lowering his head and wrinkling his brow. "What could have caused this chaos?"

Alir stumbled over to the mayor of the town, who proceeded to catch him in midfall and spoke to him thus,

"you... you have performed a great civic duty... Our treasury has been smashed to pieces i fear, or else i would gladly pay ten times your weight in gold..."

Alir's eyes would have widened with intrigue had they not been shocked into uselessness by shadows. He choked out the words through the dust and debris that hovered through the room.

"I, I ask for transport to New Banian and payment in what items you can find..."

The mayor replied, "why... of course." He turned to the closest citizen, apparently a civil servant, "fetch this man as many valuables as you can find remaining in our shops and estates, have a wagon prepared and an escort." The strapping young lad hurried off to perform the task, Alir limped outdoors once more, the mayor close behind. Alir pointed to the southeast, where Garet and the moogle, Akai, stood together. "Those two... in that direction... the furry one and the young one, they both helped as well... Make sure that the payment suffices for them as well. They saved my life, which in turn allowed me to save yours, if you reason so..."

The mayor nodded and rushed off.

Alir proceeded to the boy and moogle.

"I have secured us a reward for our civic duties... the mayor of this town agrees to assure us transportation back to New Banian, with as many rarities and items of value as can be found. New Banian is a metropolis of young adventurers with full pockets, I think we could pawn off most of it for a handsome profit if you're both interested," Alir explained to the two.

"If you're going to New Banian you'll be needing more then whatever the mayor can provide for you. He won't be givin' you much more then a couple farmers with swords. In fact, I think you'd be safer just bringing me along!"
Tae walked over to the group. His muscles ached and he could not stand at his full height, which he found dissapointing since this was his heroic entrance. He held out his hand in the group's general direction, not really expecting anyone to shake it.
"My name's Tae. That's pronounced T-A-Y. Don't get it wrong, or I'll bash your head on a rock. You three did good. I would have helped more but I lost my nunchakus. This is the first time I've gone full hand to hand. But anyways, I heard you were headed to New Banian and figured you may need some help. Some of them beasts won't fall to your magic and no offense but none of you look too strong! This is normally the part were I tell you how much the trip will cost but I think we should skip that part for now. We'll talk my profit after you all sell them items the blind feller was talking about."
Talking hurt, but Tae can't help himself. He could talk on and on. He plopped himself on the ground next to the group and was debating on telling them the story of how he got to Aldeae. It was very interesting and he liked to share the story. Luckily for the group he decided to wait, he had to see what they thought of him coming along first!

"That's awfully rude of you to say!" squeaked the moogle. "Rewards shouldn't be expected, but accepted!" Akai crossed his arms and put on a stern face as he looked at Tae on the ground. "Yeah, but I remember you," Akai looked away to the side, still having that stern face. "You did help me back there when I ran short of magical draughts."

He uncrossed his hands and eased his face as he stared at the ground. "I suppose we could use your help," Akai admitted. He looked up at Tae with widened eyes, pointed one of his little fingers at him and said, "But don't think I won't keep an eye on you! I can't trust you just yet!"

He wobbled, listening to their discussion, holding his head. Although the furred one had healed him of his wounds, there was not yet a way to remove the pain of what had happened here this night. Only part of him listened, the other pondering just what sort of hell had caused these beasts to rise. His gaze lifted to the moon, its aura glimmering in a soft blue. It was his telling tale that they were safe, for now.

Garet looked about the trio, the blind mage, the headstrong monk, and the mystic moogle, before he knelt, petting Carbuncle's soft fur. "We do not need their rewards," he spoke. "Garnering goods simply from doing what we are able for is no better than stealing..."

"What?!" Alir shot, turning his 'gaze' to Garet, looking over his head. "But there could be a~"

"~lot of useless trinkets that other adventurers have sold here, because they were no longer of use." he interrupted. "Mage, do you honestly think we would have been needed if this town had anything worthwhile in the way of weapons and armor?"

The vulpin murred happily under the boy's petting, enjoying the feel of his soft palm across her cheek. Akai looked between Alir and Garet, blinking a couple times, before he lifted a little hand. "The boy has a point," he squeeked.

"Well, what do you propose," he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"For now?"

"Yes."

"For now, I think we should rest the night. If we saw a Behemoth here, then it is more than likely that there are much fowler beasts wandering the darkness..."

The starry night...such grand beauty is often unnoticed in the human's town. Akai had missed this sight having slept in a bed inside for about a year. The stars had reminded him of his home in the forest. There were some he had recognized, but the others were new to him. He knew now he was far from home.

The furry one rose from the ground next to the camp. The fire was extinguished and no one else was awake, it appeared. He silently made his way past the gates of Aldeae. "Where do you think you're going?" Akai froze in place, a little startled. Some time had paced, Akai not sure if there was actually some one there. "I said where are you going?"

Akai turned to the sound and sees the shape of man leaning back on the rubble wall of Aldeae, looking towards the heavens. He had his hands in his pockets and his shades were fixed now. Moogles are quite capable of seeing in the dark, whether the full moon was there or otherwise. "Alir," spoke the moogle. He turned back to the forest at Aldeae's South. "It's nothing, really. I'm a little homesick."

Alir looked where the moogle had spoken. "I can imagine. You're obviously not from around here. Can't say I've ever seen one here on this island."

"Yes," Akai spoke as he looked back to Alir, "there are no other moogles around here. I come from the south, where almost no humans have ever been."

Alir took his hands from his pockets and approached him. "What are you doing here anyways?"

Akai began walking forward as he spoke, "Well, humans have made their way to my home recently. We don't know much about them, but strangely, you seem to know about us. I was sent to learn about you humans."

"Oh?" Alir asked as he followed him. "And what do you say about us?"

"Hehehe," Akai softly chuckled, "We're not so different, actually. You humans are, however, more violent and serious. You need to learn to lighten up and look and the better things in life."

"Such as?"

Akai stopped and turned to Alir. "For starters, you should stop going after each others throats."

Alir paused for a moment - "Tell that to the people of the desert lands to the east... One man may not show the right respect to the noble of the estate, and his family will suffer the punishment... A land of thieves, assassins, bandits and fugitives, and of course mages who draw from the abyss and not from their hearts... The throat.. you say? The primary location to strike in the desert, they die and cannot let out a scream, not that it would carry over the dunes in any other condition. I... I am surprised i still live after all that has happened in that forsaken territory."

Alir reminisced back to when he had arrived in Aldeae, standing next to the graveyard. He peered down onto a tombstone, the writing faded and distorted, obviously not kept up with. Alir could see then, and the image was burned into his head, he felt as though he could see it again through his eyes.

--- Here lies the remains of Elyk, executed for crimes against New Banian, hero to few, villian to many ----

Alir could remember speaking to himself, "So it's true, he's dead... I travelled so far... and he is dead. It is as though my purpose is extinguised, and my soul now wanders an earth that no longer offers a cause... Elyk you bastard, couldn't have survived a bit longer could you..."

Alir bowed his head in front of the moogle and muttered a prayer in the speech of the desert. "My apologies for that, a brief reminisce".

"So moogle, Akai was your name if I heard correctly?--- What is the purpose of life?" Alir spoke airily, obviously a question he didn't ask just anyone.

Akai blinked a few times. Such an odd question; he never heard of it, let alone thought about it. "...why do you ask?" he answered, looking quizically at Alir.

"Humor me," Alir says as he places his hands in his pockets.

"Well..." Akai begins. He looks away from Alir, deep in thought. "...to live, I suppose."

"Is that it?" Alir looked disappointingly at the moogle.

"What else is there?" Akai turned back to Alir. "There's life all around us. None of them question their existence. We are given life, such a grand gift, to live it. Once it is gone, it's gone. We should all cherish the life we have before we are returned to Mother Earth."