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Thread: Trailblazers (vignette)

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    Hitai de Bodemloze's Avatar 避世絕俗
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    Default Trailblazers (vignette)

    ~ Author's Note ~
    So I was kicking around an idea for a series of short stories and something potentially longer. I had been writing some Final Fantasy fan fiction, but I kind of wanted to do something original. I love world building and I've always wanted to get a
    steampunk-y/fantasy project off of the ground. So I thought a collection of vignettes might be a good way to do this. Introducing people to a fantasy world of your own devising is always difficult, so I thought I'd take small steps at first. This first story works towards that end. I'd love to write some more in the future, but we'll see what happens! I hope y'all enjoy


    ~ Trailblazers ~ The ship swayed gently in the calm waters, tracing an idle route towards Mhaun-kol. Long and flat, the wooden boat creaked in protest for every knot it sailed, spurred on only by a raggedy aft sail and wheezing steam motor. Few ships made the journey across the archipelago connecting the port of Mhaun-kol to the frozen northlands. A bitter cold would cut through even the most powerful engine, whilst navigating the unmapped and inhospitable island chains was a treacherous endeavour in and of itself. Only the maddest or poorest captains would attempt such a voyage, often only for the maddest or poorest passengers.

    Peering out over the edge of the port side bulwark, such a man stood upon the aging wooden deck. A feeble sun breathed through the dark clouds above, casting a faint shadow behind the lone figure. His countenance wore a sour expression as he watched the icy waters part before the ship’s hull. Clad in an ill-fitting leather jerkin and mismatched cloth undergarments, he seemed not to care for the cold air about him, nor for the sea spray that regularly soaked his dishevelled brown bangs. Something else troubled him.

    “Hail stranger,” purred a voice. The young man turned to see a lithe Kyato making her way out on to the deck towards him. Graceful and as equally feminine as she was feline, the cat-woman lounged forward to stand by his side, her tail bouncing energetically in the wind behind her. The man eyed the newcomer suspiciously. He was still unused to the Kyato peoples. They shared the shape and form of humans, yet bore distinctly cat-like features. A thin furry skin, protruding ears and twitching whiskers set them apart from humans, alongside some more eccentric feline traits.

    Rather than reply, the man simply nodded towards his new companion, before turning his attention back to the rolling waves. Catching a glance at his stony expression, the Kyato laughed. “What’s that look for?” she asked, tones thick with mirth. “The northlands weren’t what you expected them to be?”

    The young man raised a suspicious eyebrow. He thought better than to retort too hastily. In his line of work information was power. To give too much away to a complete stranger could be potentially dangerous for him. “I’m not sure I follow you,” he responded eventually, keeping a level voice.

    “Oh come on,” the Kyato cried playfully, edging nearing to him. “No one goes north unless they’re looking for something special. No one comes back south with an expression like that unless they didn’t find it.”

    The human snorted contemptuously. “Is that so?” he inquisited. He turned to look at the cat-woman properly for the first time. Her trigonometric ears poked through two cut holes in a dusty tricorne, silhouetting wild, yellow eyes beneath. Her whiskers twitched bashfully as she studied him, framing a wide and vicious smile. “Then I guess you found what you were looking for?”

    “Oh I did indeed!” she fawned, taking her eyes off him to swoon to herself. “A very productive adventure all told. Right up into Zahl Castle itself!”

    Her words finally peaked the man’s curiosity and a hint of interest finally tinged his tongue. “You were up at Zahl Castle?”

    The Kyato shot him a seductive wink. “I was indeed,” she purred in excitement. “Would you care to hear my tale?”

    As he was about to answer, the man caught sight of something at the cat-woman’s hip. Attached to a set of leather belts that ringed her garish, yet revealing robe was an exotic looking musket. Whilst a regular musket might measure the span of a man, this one was compact, resembling much more a pistol than a rifle. However, its wooden frame had been modified by a strange metal contraption fixed upon where the breech might usually reside. It was a type of weapon the man was very familiar with. “No need,” he spoke eventually, finally returning his gaze to meet hers. “I see you’re a bullet mage. A bullet mage returning from the north lands… I guess that makes you a rare monster hunter?”

    Beaming at his intuition, the Kyato squealed in delight. “Ding, ding! Ten points for the correct answer!”

    The man couldn’t help but let a smile cross his features. The feline’s good nature was almost intoxicating and he felt himself being swept up in the slipstream of her joviality. However, the answers as to her person and her profession were beginning to unravel themselves before the questions regarding them could even be asked. “If you’re a rare monster hunter travelling to Zahl Castle…” the young man started.

    “That’s rrright!” the feminine feline gave him a thumbs-up. “I fought Ysyr the One Eyed!”

    Eyes widening in shock, the human didn’t know what to say. That this plucky Kyato had fought the mythical dragon of Zahl Castle was almost too much for him to comprehend. In his exploits in the world, he had grown to specialize in the trafficking of information amongst other things. Throughout all the gossip and whisper that passed through the back streets of Mhaun-kol, Ysyr the One Eyed was only a ghost of a rumour; a legend and myth all rolled into something completely unbelievable. Had this wily cat truly braved the frozen northlands and the treacherous corridors of Zahl Castle to face such a beast? If this was true, his superiors would want to know immediately. They might even forgive him for having failed in his own mission.

    After a few moments of silence, the young man finally snapped out of his reverie as a final question poised to dance on the tip of his tongue. “You say you fought it…” he began tentatively. “Did you…did you win?”

    The Kyato smiled slyly and merely patted the pistol strapped to her waist. The young man found his eyes locked on the weapon once more: a Spiral Punisher, a select type of gun used exclusively by bullet mages. Rather than utilizing gun powder or actual bullets, a Spiral Punisher could absorb the spells of monsters and fire them back as a form of magical bullet. The man couldn’t fathom the sorcerous science that allowed such a frightening weapon to exist, yet it served as the basis for every bullet mage’s career. He knew the basics though. After the weapon had absorbed a spell, it stored the magic’s signature in the metal contraption fixed above its handle, allowing it to innately ‘learn’ the spell. The spell could then be fired in the form of a bullet any time after this. So long as a bullet mage could slay their pray, they could master any of their opponent’s magic.

    This wasn’t all there was to bullet mages though. Whilst most bullet mages were content with only learning the magics of the numerous monsters roaming the fields of the world, some sought out more. Driven forward by a lust for adventure, a desire to defeat monsters or even a mad quest to learn all the magic in the world, some bullet mages hunted rare and mythical beasts. These bullet mages were known as rare monster hunters and such a specimen was standing right before the young man’s eyes now.

    Before he could question the Kyato further, she interjected with a query of her own. “How about you then? I got what I was looking for in Zahl Castle. Are you returning empty handed?”

    The excitement the man had felt at meeting a rare monster hunter dried up in an instant. Taught to steer clear of potentially dangerous questions, he pursed his lips and tried to think of a non-committal retort. Before he could reply however, the cat-woman spoke again: “Not many people travel to the north lands,” she mused half to herself as she looked him up and down. “You don’t look like a bullet mage… A chaos rogue perhaps?”

    Frowning, the man didn’t like the turn the conversation had taken. The more she could discern about him, the more trouble he’d be in. Aside from the captain, there wasn’t meant to be anyone else on this ship. Just how had this woman stowed away on board? Reasoning this to be a decent topic with which to deflect her questions, the man hastened to reply, but he was cut off once more.

    “Oh I know!” the Kyato cried gleefully, jumping in the air as she finally pieced together the puzzle of his profession. “You’re a rare item hunter aren’t you?”

    The man finally admitted defeat. Aside from sightseeing, no one would dare travel to the treacherous northlands lest they had a secret agenda. A rare item hunter; a trader and a trickster who searched far and wide for hidden treasures. These treasures could range between anything from a dusty old tome to a golden necklace. Any item was viable, so long as it was rare. Like Ysyr the One Eyed, there were equally mythical and legendary items scattered across the world. They could have multiple uses or no use at all, no one could know until they found them. Yet, they all shared one thing in common: they would all fetch a pretty price on the market. That was his job, to hunt down rare items for his guild so they could reap the profits.

    “My guess was right?” the bullet mage asked sweetly. The rogue nodded in defeat and the cat-woman clapped her hands together in joy. “My my, a rare monster hunter and a rare item hunter on the same ship; how great is this? What’s your name by the way?”

    The man blinked a few times, not sure he had heard the question right. “My name?” he repeated dumbly. Had they really talked for this long without introducing themselves?

    “Yes, your name silly,” the feline tittered, her whiskers twitching playfully as she did so. “I’m Mihli.”

    As she spoke she proffered her furred hand. The man shook it nervously, before returning to grip the side of the ship. The dark clouds overhead had cleared somewhat and the afternoon sun was finally providing some warmth against the cold winds. The rogue didn’t recognise their watery surroundings, but they had been travelling for so long now that Mhaun-kol had to be close.

    “I’m Taozu,” he muttered finally. He turned away from the woman as he did so, eager to be done with the conversation. Not only had he failed in his mission, he had let this strange Kyato learn far too much about him. He wasn’t even sure if the information he had about her defeating Ysyr would be enough to assuage his superiors.

    Mihli frowned as she saw his sullen expression. “Hey there Taozu, don’t look so glum,” she cooed in his ear. “When you say your name, you should say it loud and proud! You’re Taozu, the chaos rogue and rare item hunter!”

    Taozu winced reflexively upon hearing his name be shouted out, before remembering that the two of them were alone. There was no one else around to learn his identity and he took some comfort in that – although not a lot. “And why should I?” he asked dully, hoping to tire the Kyato of conversation with pure inanity.

    “Because,” Mihli spoke proudly, “we’re trailblazers!”

    “Trailblazers?” Taozu repeated in a bored tone. He rested his head in his hands as he bent over the side of the ship, trying to see if he could spot any fish swimming below the icy waters.

    Besides him, Mihli gave another laugh. “But of course! We’re the first, you and I; the first rare hunters to depart to the northlands and make it back alive. People will be singing songs about Mihli and Taozu for years to come, rest assured of that!”

    Taozu gave another snort as he watched the waves ripple against the hull of the boat. However, Mihli’s words refused to cease ringing in his ears. Trailblazers… Maybe there was something to that…
    Last edited by Hitai de Bodemloze; March 14, 2014 at 07:46 PM.

  2. #2
    Hitai de Bodemloze's Avatar 避世絕俗
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    Default Re: Trailblazers (vignette)

    In before 'Road to Kyato' jokes. Shush.

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