Tommy, teh Ranger

[Taterz]

This story is going to be a multi part story (yais, just like my old one) and there are plenty of tidbits from the older stories placed into it. Lemme know if you wanna be a part of the story, I like to include people in it.

“It looks like this is where we part ways, Tommy.”
Puzzled, I just stared at Mahn. However, he recalled the fight with Vallatio and remembered afterwards that Mahn was going off to traverse the Death Mountains. I wanted to go, but first I wanted to figure out what it was that I had within me.
“Seems so, I wish you luck in your journey good friend. “
“I’ve seen your strength,” he said. “And I’d like to test it against mine someday. Don’t die ‘til then.”
I simply nodded, and that was the last I saw him for a long time. His brown cloak seemed fluid to the winds that stroked it, conjuring a certain majestic quality. Anyways, I began to wander around Dainan town. It’s such a quirky little town, everyone here is well-mannered and they all respect honor. I can settle quite nicely here, the Dainan girls are pretty cute. It was on this thought that I stumbled into the closed gate of Dainan Castle, and fell back.

“You there, what order do you have with the Castle of Dainan?”
Didn’t he just see me a day ago? Not many people in this town wear green, ya know. I replied by saying I wished to see the king about a creature called Vallatio. For some reason, everyone became astonished. Opening the gate, I sensed a strong fear emanating from each soldier as I proceeded to the king.
I explained the tale of Mahn and I when we encountered Vallatio. He did not seem oversurprised, but he was glad that the cause of trouble for Dainan has been put to rest. He granted me permission to access the Death Mountains.
“One word, milord, but what exactly was Vallatio? He seemed to recognize me and was glad I finally showed up.” The king’s eyes flickered.

“….He said he knew you? I..I honestly do not know, young traveler. We have recently just met, you and I. I know nothing of your past.”
He was hiding something, and we both knew it. Everything around me felt familiar, and yet this was my first time here.
“I strongly suggest you work your way to Lirea, as you are a very promising Investigator,” the king said with minor agitation.
After bowing, I decided not to push the subject further, as I did not want to make an enemy of the Dainan people.


Once back at my room in the Dainan Inn, I began to pack my stuff. In the room next to mine, I heard someone yelling out.
“Give that back you thievin’ bastard! That’s my 30 gold!!”
Curious, I walked over to the room and knocked on the door. I could not let a thief run loose in times like this.
The door bolted open, and I got a mouth full of wood. I staggered back to see a thief in what seemed to be a pirate’s outfit bolt by. Instinctively, my leg shot out and tripped him. He fell with a pretty hard thud, he musta been carrying a lot of loot. Seizing the opportunity, the other person in the room jumped on him. He was fully decked out in blue armor, that looked as if he was wearing a dragon.

“You’ll learn to play fair when I ram my spear up your-“
“I’m sorry, did I interrupt something here?”
“Yea,” said the thief. “You interrupted my escape you bastard.”
“My apologies for the door hitting you, sir. My name is Kain, and this here thief is known as Bolt. He has a knack for getting people out of tough situations, and as so, he charges money for his skills. He is the best, but he tried to cheat me out of my money this time.”
The thief just layed there, and then replied: “Ya know I am not made of steel, so GET THE HELL OFFA ME!” With this, Kain took his 30 gold back and got up.

“Bolt and I are investigators, may you introduce yourself to us?”
“The name is Tommy, and I am a Ranger, or training as one. I, along with Mahn, happened to be able to take out Vallatio…”
“Mahn!? Ya mean that guy in the brown cloak an’ stuff? He’s such a hardass, literally.”
“I am training to be a Dragoon, and Bolt is a master thief. We’ve heard about a young investigator taking on Vallatio, but didn’t expect him to win. We are honored to meet you. Please spend the night with us, as we can share our tales of triumph together. And perhaps, journey through the Mountains together.”

And so it began…

[Taterz]

Morning broke, and I awoke with a start. It was that dream again. It was as though I lived before, and….no, it was just a dream. Kain was already awake, and saw me troubled.

“Something on your mind?”
“Well….its more than that and…..I just don’t know…”
“Perhaps we should leave it-“ He was cut short by a violent slam by the Thief’s entrance. He seemed agitated, and began to speak.
“Guys, it’s been nice and all, but I gotta jet!” With this, he busted through the window and took up with lightning speed. I was shocked, I mean that door hit Kain pretty hard, I was surprised he still sat there. My thoughts got interrupted as a couple Dainan Knights rushed in, slamming into Kain again. Poor guy.

“Damn! He’s not here, where the hec…the window!” The knights seemed to be after Bolt, and took off again. Geez, did that guy steal from the king himself? I began to draw the inscription for the spell of healing, and then cast it upon Kain.

“Thank you, that makes me feel a lot better. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to use a potion after something like that.” With this, we both had a laugh. Kain and I talked and formed a friendship that entire morning.

“Good friend, I hope you and I meet again in our travels. I too am off to discover the reason behind the chaotics, but there is another matter I must attend to. It involves…” Whoa whoa whoa, the honorable dragoon blushed! This guy was after some girl!! What a go-getter.

“I understand, but let’s at least have a nice lunch together. I am hungry for some of Dainan’s famous soups.”

“I hear their meat is delicious! The best of all kingdoms.” I shuddered at this remark, as the forest critters were my friends in my younger days. I’d always stay away from people as much as I could, because I hated their thirst for power and being the strongest. The thought of eating one of my friends…

“I apologize, I shall not eat meat should it cause you displeasure.”

Man, Dainan has some awesome soup, no wonder it’s famous. Kain and I departed that day, along with Bolt I should also mention, and I wonder when I shall see them again. Bolt’s…well he is unique, and Kain is very honest. I just hope that the Chaotics won’t-

“HALT! Oh, it’s you, Investigator Tommy. The king has allowed you to pass and traverse up the Death Mountains. Be wary of the cliffsides, for no one knows if it even ends. May Nexus bring you protection.”

I simply nodded, and saluted them out of respect. They have some guts to stay here, but why won’t the monsters attack them? Surely 5 guards cannot hold back an army of denizens? Bah, focus…I need to focus on the task at hand: surviving the Mountains of Death.

[Taterz]

Man, this place sure got the right name. It’s like death to your stamina! I only made it to the first summit, when I heard a piercing scream. The voice was female…I ran up to check it out, and there I saw….well it was just mist, I couldn’t see my own feet to be honest. I held out my hands, a dangerous move on my part, and moved forward. They came in contact with something soft, followed by an immensely painful slam to the side of my head. I fell down, barely able to function for a few seconds.

“You PERVERT!” Ok, worst fears confirmed: I had violated a stranger on accident, and met her shiny, iron staff. Damn, that thing hurt.

“My apologies, miss, but I was unable to see anything. I ask forgiveness.”
“Well, I accept. But we have no time to chit chat, we must hurry out of this spot-“ She was interrupted by a ground-shaking footstep. Something grabbed my hand and yanked me into the room I was just in. The footsteps above made the entire cave shiver. It was frightening, to say the least.

“Ok, now what were we running from?” I began to prep my spell of healing, but was interrupted by a large gush of white light and felt unbelievably awesome. Turns out, she was a White Mage with extraordinary healing powers it seemed.
“That thing was an Iron Golem, a chaotic formed by the metals from the armor and weapons of dead investigators. How it was created, I do not know. By the way, my name is Sirena, what’s yours?”

I looked up, and finally got to see what she looked like. She was stunning, and my jaw kinda just hung there for a moment. I’ve seen many beautiful girls before, but this one made me feel different…

“Need me to wipe that drool off your face, kiddo?” My attention was brought to my left, where I saw the hooded brown cloak I’ve seen not too long ago.

“Mahn!!”
“Don’t mind him, Sirena, his name is Tommy. I think the boy has the hots for you.”
She simply blushed and smiled a little.
“Listen, Tommy, Sirena, we have to get past that Iron Golem or else we cannot investigate. However, that hulkin’ piece of metal is the only problem. I do not know magic, and I doubt either of you are strong enough to even dent it.”
“I dunno, she hits pretty hard,” I said while rubbing my cheek.
“Fortunately for us, that thing is slow as hell, even I can outrun him. We are going to wait for him to come towards us, and make the mist as our cloak. You can tell how close he is by the strength of the vibration. If you cannot focus, chances are he’s right in front of you. Sirena, lure him out by casting you Spell of Harm and focus it on the side of the mountain. That light will buy his attention.” She nodded at this.
“Tommy, you and I will sneak by him.”
“Do you mean to tell me we are going to leave her alone out there!! No way am I going to do that!”
“Its no bother really,” she said. “I can handle it alone…as long as he wont notice me.”
The footsteps became worse than an earthquake.
“We have no time, let’s GO!”
It’s as though we charged into battle, with a weal strategy. I prayed to Nexus to keep her safe. What if…

The bright light pierced the mist like nothing. It was impossible NOT to see it. She’s good, really really good. The footsteps intensity increased. Well, uh, isn’t supposed to decrease if he is moving away? I mean, all waves are grounded by the inverse square rule. The larger the distance, the-

I got hit by a freaking brick wall, and passed out immediately. I guess physics is bad for you. I awoke after I don’t know how long by her Spell of Healing.

“Are you alright, Tommy?” I just gazed, and saw a big shiny thing to my right. I yanked her down beside me, and the wall to her right vanished into thin air, with a violent shaking.

Wasting no time, I grabbed her and began to dash for the safety. I could barely make out Mahn’s brown cloak, thank Nexus he stuck out like a sore thumb (so much for stealth), and ran towards him. The earthquakes seemed to increase in intensity, and I couldn’t focus. No way this thing can actually run! He was barely walking a moment ago. I heard some kind of whispering behind me, and saw a blue aura suddenly appear in front of me and Sirena. She seemed to have cast a Spell of Shielding. I began to prepare my Spell of Ice, when I was violently interrupted by a deafening slam. The shield barely held, and then finally gave way and Sirena passed out.

“Damn you! I was hoping to get to know her you bastard!” Mahn decided to come in and help us. He seemed to have a lot of trouble seeing through the mist. Then it began again. Mahn gazed up at me, as he could somehow feel the power growing. He picked Sirena up and made his way to the entrance.

It began again, just like it did that day in the Cathedral.
“Surprised to see you here again, I’ve been waiting.” (Just who are you? What the hell is this strange power I feel?)
“You don’t remember me? I am saddened.” (Answer me dammit! I do not understand!!)
“What, that you were born with a unique power?” (I do not know, please tell me…please…)
“I think you should concentrate on your…situation at hand…”

The golem swung, but this time I managed to dodge it. I landed on all fours…what the hell, four!? It’s happened, I seemed to have morphed into an animal, I feel like…like I am a wolf. I can consciously think, but I cannot make movements. It’s like its on…uh-oh, I hope I jump to the right.

Swing. Miss.

I…how the…I cannot stay awake…so…t..red…

Everything went black after that…

[Taterz]

Why are you so glum? (What is this voice?)
You mean you do not remember? (No, cannot say I do. Should I?)
Of course you should…(Tell me who…please)
You are almost there, just a little more…(What do you mean?)
We shall meet again…in that world. (…That world? How macabre, wait! Don’t go!)
Awaken, Tommy.

Ugh, what the hell was that? A dream? I cannot remember anything that happened….what the, this pile of iron…no way, no way! I know I do not possess such a power that could destroy such a creature. But, here is proof of it’s destruction. How could I…

“Your alive, that was pretty intense Tommy.”
“Mahn…what the hell happened…”
“You did it again, you somehow transformed into a beast…”
“Wait! Why are you bleeding!!?”
“Well, someone had to protect our local whitemage. It seems that her magic took a lot out of her during that strike.” My hands began to cast the Spell of Healing on its own. In a few moments, Mahn was no longer bleeding. I tried to heal Sirena, but it was having little affect. I began rapidly casting it upon her, only to be slammed back by the broad side of Mahn’s giant axe. The wind was blown right out of me.
“Stop, if you overdo it you will die. I cannot allow you to die. She will be alright, we just have to let her recover on her own.”

I knew he was right, but I did not want to admit it. Trying was futile, he obviously had more physical strength than I did.

“What do you suppose we do, then? Resting here is not an option, the chaotics seem to have a thing for us. No doubt they know we’re here.”

“There’s a small cliff on the side of this mountain. We can access it, and it’s rather safe given its location. I was looking for another possible escape route during your…encounter, and I happened to spot it. We will rest until she awakens.”

So we rested there for the night. I needed Mahn to tell me what happened. I needed to know what the hell this bizarre power is. If I could control it…

“Well, you turned into a wolfish canine of some sort. Your fur was entirely white, as if you were one of those legendary wolves I used to here about from investigators from far east clans. You managed to dodge many of the golems attacks, although he did get a couple of hits in. Out of nowhere, you pounced on it’s head, or what I though was a head, and began to claw maliciously at it’s eyes. The golem just shrieked in pain, and you kept at it. Soon, your fur was covered in some strange goo that spurted out from the Golem. Once you rendered him useless, you clamped your jaw onto its arm, and began tugging at it. The golem began to panic, and you tried to pull it off. I guess you gave up, but you destroyed it’s arm and then went for it’s leg. You did the same to all four of its limbs, and then you began to circle it, as if mocking it. After toiling with it for a bit, you just went wild on it’s chest. I swear, I never thought bone could cut up metal like that. Then after it was done, you looked in my direction, then gazed onto Sirena. You dashed for the kill and I jumped in the way. I decided I’d try not to harm you , so I slammed your face with my axe. It did the trick, as you flew back to the pile of metal, and then returned to normal.”

How the hell did I do all of that? I’d never toy with an enemy like that. This power is evil, how could I do such a thing?! I tried hard to remember what it was that the voice told me when I was unconscious. The voice sounded familiar, and sounded male…But who! Who dammit, who was he, assuming it’s a he!? What was this power I was given! How did I get it! Damn it all, damn it all! I don’t want this power, I cannot-

“You ok man? You’re to pop veins in your forehead.”

“….Is she awake?”
“She’s conscious, yes. But now she managed to fall asleep. I suggest you and I do the same.”
“I’d like to stay awake for a bit more, but goodnight Mahn.”
“Night night, Mr. White Wolf.”

Should I take that as an insult? Perhaps not, it’s what I am, but I just cannot control it. I will discover the truth, as long as I can breathe and stand. The Death Mountains will not hold me back from the truth.

[Taterz]

He appeared before me. He was dressed in blue, with spiky blue hair. He did not tell me his name, but I knew who he was. We began talking. I couldn’t make out what it was we said, but we were in this strange town with a bunch of blonde haired folk.
“Well, it was fun talking to you again. I’ll see you later Tommy.”
“Alright, likewise to you T-“

“Tommy wake up!! There is serious trouble!!” Mahn awoke me with a start.
“Damn it, damn you! I was about to find out who he was!”
“We have to leave here Tommy, I cannot hold it together much longer. Please hurry,” came the forced response from Sirena. Taking no chances, Mahn grabbed us both and shoved us onto the top of the mountain side. Soon after, he climbed up after us. He motioned us to follow him, and we both obeyed. I saw what was the problem: the side of the cliff had collapsed.

“Thank me later,” Mahn said grimly. “The exit is up ahead, across the bridge.”

We walked up to the room right before the alleged bridge. It was a giant cave, almost as if it was another world. You could practically hear a storm brewing. I heard someone up ahead, a new voice. Mahn seemed to know this guy, so we went ahead to meet him.

“Ryan, why are you here…You’re still new to the Brotherhood, why would they send you here?”
“I didn’t make it in by being weak. Who are they?”
“These two have amazing potential within them, especially the Ranger here.”

“The name’s Tommy, pleasure to meet you.” I looked over him. He was dressed in green robes, similar to the ones Mahn had. He had red eyes, so I figured he might hail from Hassen, but I couldn’t tell for sure.

“Seeing as how we’re one big happy group, let’s cross that bridge. Safety in numbers, right?” Wrong. The rule is reversed: death comes in numbers. Or so I have been told. But, its much safer to have protection.

We began to cross the bridge, but then the bridge began to shake. I figured it was going to collapse, so I pushed everyone off the bridge. They caught on, as they ended up pushing me off the bridge on to solid ground. And sure enough, the ropes snapped off its post and fell straight down, landing vertically against the wall on the other side.

“Great…now how will we get out,” mumbled Ryan.

Then we heard him, an insanely loud roar that shattered the whole cave. Then it began. Ugly creatures appeared from all sides, I guessed that they were trolls, given the nature of the scene. Then a giant one appeared from the depths. This thing was huge, at least 3 Mahns tall. Here I thought the iron golem was bad news, this guy was death himself. However, he just stood there watching us. Or was he watching me?

The trolls wasted no time on us. Sirena put up a shield to protect us all, then Ryan piped in and amplified the power. It was a surprising boost, even the trolls felt it’s strength.

“How are you so strong?” Sirena asked.
“I train in magic power, but I lack the endurance. So take them out fast.”

Mahn wasted no time. The first troll lunged at him, but he struck it first. His aim was deadly, and then there was a troll head rolling by. Another troll caught him by surprise and lunged on his back. Taking advantage, I ran in and took my knife into the back of the troll’s neck. He (she?) shrieked in pain, and fell limp. The other two trolls backed up, and looked as though they were thinking of something. Mahn went up to Ryan and Sirena, and told them to move back to where I was. It was here he planned a strategy for us.

“Here’s the plan. Tommy, you and I are going to be bait.” Bait?! Sounds insane, I don’t like it. “It’s simple: we walk out, and pretend to be ready to strike. Then Ryan and Sirena will pretend to strike up a conversation with us, making us throw off our guard and turn around. The trolls will rush us to hit us from behind, where you two will set up a shield to block the hit. Then they will let the shield down as the trolls are confused, and we strike. We will only have one chance, so let’s get it right.”

Well, irony sure does love me. As we discussed, those bastards rushed us. Barely in time, the mages set up the shield saving us all. I turned around, and saw another head roll by. And then it hit me. No, not like some amazing thought to save the world, the bastard hit me. I fell to the floor, dazed and confused. Then I heard her scream.

“No, I will not let her die! Not ‘til I get my way with her!” I don’t know why I said that, but I got strange looks from everyone, including the troll and the giant troll. I got up, and lunged after the troll, but it smacked me aside again. Mahn tried to strike him from the side, but the troll noticed and slammed his needle fingers through his chest, splattering blood all over the wall. He withdrew his hand, and Mahn collapsed onto the floor. He was gasping violently for breath.

Ryan cast a strange spell, and the light blinded the troll temporarily. The troll shrieked in fear it seemed, and I decided to strike back revenge. I drove my dagger into his spine, and tore through all the way up to his cranium. Wait, did I just do that? That doesn’t seem like me…They all stared at me, in fear?

I felt something looming over my shoulder, and turned around to see the giant troll staring me back in the face. All I could see was…intense anger. This thing was pissed, but why? His gaze suggested he knows me. I tried to run back to the others, but he grabbed me by the neck. Desperate, I bit his hand. Fortunately something worked, and he shrieked in annoyance, again shattering the walls. I fell to the ground, and he advanced. I tried backing up, but eventually ran into the wall. This time he decided to punch me into the next room, but luckily the wall was there to stop me. Man, that hurt.

He seemed pissed that I wouldn’t die on him. He saw I was incapacitated, so he decided to head after the White Mages. They were desperately trying to revive Mahn. But it didn’t seem to work. Ryan put up a shield immediately, and the troll began to bash it repeatedly. Ryan looked like he was tiring out. Sirena then put her shield up to protect them both, but they began to show signs of wear quickly.

Damn it, they were going to die and there was nothing I could do. I can’t stay awake, damn it not now!

“His name is Kaug, and you know this.” (Who is Kaug?)
“The giant troll you face, Tommy.” (Who are you?)
“No time for that. Awaken, Tommy!” (What? But-!)

It happened again. Only this time, I had full control over it, it seems. I ran over to the two defenseless White Mages, who were now unconscious. The troll, or Kaug as I was told, was raising his hand as if to deal the mortal blow. I clamped my jaw into his upper arm, and he howled in pain. While I hung there, I clawed at his arms too. He smacked me off with his other hand, and I let go. It seems I rendered his arm useless, and boy was he pissed. He ran after me and smacked me a good one across my nose. I felt unbelievable pain, and I couldn’t stop sneezing. Then my body moved toward him in anger. Oh no, I was losing control again. This was a dire situation, I couldn’t lose control, not now!

[Taterz]

Noticing something was off, Kaug began to run towards me. He threw a mighty punch, that left a giant hole in the ground. Fortunately, I somehow dodged it, and ricocheted off the wall and landed on Kaug’s dead arm. I sunk my teeth into his shoulder this time, but I was unable to dig deep into it. This thing was harder than steel. He picked me up again, and threw me towards the cliff by the bridge.

Am I going to die? No, not now! I was able to cling to the edge, and desperately tried to climb back up. I got back on solid ground, but he charged after me. Deftly I moved aside, and Kaug stopped, barely on the edge. My body took control again, and I went straight after his…leg? What the, I could easily knock him down, I think.

Kaug showed no signs of pain, as though the bite had no effect. He was desperately trying to not tip over, and was doing pretty good for a giant thing. The teeth ran deeper into his calf, spurting some green ooze all over my mouth. He winced, I knew he did. His leg began to tremble violently. He threw himself back, back to where I was standing, about to be crushed.

I moved to the side again, taking control for a split second. Once he hit, he saw me to the side, and lunged his hand towards me. Right into the jaw. I bit his hand as hard as I could, trying to break what seemed like bones in his hand. Again, he showed no signs of pain, just violent anger. His hand just wasn’t going to break, and things just got worse.

The bastard grabbed my tongue and held me in the air. To ease the immense pain, I sunk my teeth into his palm. He tried to fling me off, but to no avail. I wouldn’t pry loose, but I did get very dizzy. I was starting to black out, and I had no idea if it was me or my entire body. This feeling came over before, and Mahn saw the results.

I had to stay awake, I couldn’t let my control weaken. He began to prep another launch to the pit below. As he swung, there came a blinding light that hit his face. This was brighter than the last one. He immediately let go of my tongue (thank Nexus) and covered his eyes. I too, was temporarily blinded.

It seemed like ages I couldn’t see. Kaug had it worse off than me though. I looked back to see Ryan collapse. I guess that spell took a lot out of him. Sirena wasn’t looking to good either, she was trying to stop all that blood from coming out of Mahn.

I lost control again, but I still managed to keep it in check. I sunk my teeth deep into his neck, thank Nexus it was like real flesh, and tried to get his jugular (if it was anything like us). Kaug tried to scream, but his voice was severely strained. Maybe it was the 190 pound Wolf on his neck? I dunno, just a guess.

He flung himself around wildly, this time even more pissed off. Just how angry can this thing get? The blood just ran like rivers all over the cave floor. Pretty soon, Kaug had turned a deep crimson color. How much blood does this thing have? He flung himself about wildly, as if trying to strike an unseen enemy. I jumped off, and retreated to the wall. Kaug’s vision was restored, and he stared at me. His gaze…I suddenly lost control and went straight for him. Luckily, he was slower than before. He swung, and missed. I ducked below, and bit his side. His arm retracted and slammed into the side of me, throwing me off once again. I got up quickly, to see him coming after me. He struck, and I tried to dodge. He bashed into my shoulder, and it forced me back down again. I was beginning to lose consciousness. I moved out of the way in time for his second strike, and I jumped onto his neck again (but how? I could only use 3 limbs, and this thing was huge).

Trying hard to fight it, it eventually beat me. The last thing I saw was another bite into his neck.

Tired already? I figured you’d last the whole fight. (What…?)
This is like, the third time, and already you begin to take control. (Just who are you?)
Well, I’ve had my fun for now. I must leave you once again. (Tell me who you are!!)

The blazing sun shined from above. I awoke outside next to a river. I have no idea what happened back in the cave, and I have no idea where I am now.

“Stranger, are you alright?”

I looked back to see a blonde, female dressed in dragon-type armor, similar to Kain. I guessed she was a dragoon of sorts.

“Ugh…where the hell am I?”
“Well, this is Skure, and you are near Lirea,” she said as she pointed east.
“How long have I been out?”
“Roughly 2 hours. Did you come through the Death Mountains?”
“….Yes!! Where is the Mountains from here?!”
She pointed north, and that’s where I ran.

“Wait, you cannot go in your condition right now!!”
I turned back, and said, “my apologies, but my friend’s lives depend on me going back. I must bid you farewell.”

As I left, I heard her mumble something.
“He sounded like Kain just now…”

I did not look back as I headed back up the trail.

[Taterz]

I ran back up the trail as fast as my legs could take me. I knew something really bad happened up there, and I intended to find out. I cannot believe I ended up outside, away from the danger. Did they live? I hope I did not kill them in a blind fury. How the hell would they have stopped me? Dammit, can’t I run any faster than this?!

The cave was just ahead. My vision was beginning to fade, but I had to last. A bright red streak landed in front of me, and something hit me from the side. I was knocked out. I had no idea where it came from, but can swear I heard it say forgive me in a woman’s voice. So familiar…

Then it appeared in front of me. It was a graveyard of sorts, and I saw a figure in blue, followed by a figure in black as well as another figure in red. I was high off of the ground, higher than I should have been. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and I was awake with an oozing sore on the side of my head.

I woke to see all of my companions passed out, and Mahn seemed to be barely breathing.
“Forgive me for knocking you out earlier, I had no choice.”

It was her again, the female dragoon I saw by the river.
“Just who are you miss, if you do not mind my asking?”
“The name’s Silvia, I am a dragoon that hailed from Hassen. However, I was adopted, as you can tell by my skin color and eyes. My true ancestry most likely lies here in Lirea, which is why I came to this area in the first place.”

This woman, she seemed familiar, as if I knew her. No, more like someone told me of her….that little stud muffin!

“Why are you staring at me like that? That’s very rude!”
“Oh! My apologies, I was just thinking of a friend I met in Dainan.”
“…”
“I take it you know who I am referring to…”
“…Please let’s not discuss that here and now. We should take refuge in Lirea, the folks there are very friendly.”

So once we reached Lirea, I was astounded by the sheer amount of people there. You’d think that the chaotics would do numbers on a group of people, but this place…was really something else. We found an inn, and they quickly took my 3 companions into the nearest bed to be watched over by a couple of Lirea’s finest whitemages.

“I have matters to attend to, I suggest you visit the leader of this town, and get acquainted with her.”

Her?! Man, this place is really different from Dainan. I asked a few people which way to the leader, and they all pointed to the giant castle in the center of town. Gee, I wonder how I could have ever found her without asking.

Once I entered the castle, I saw her talking to a man in a black robe. This guy was also a member of the Brotherhood it seemed. Why are they all out and about? Something was definitely not right here. They all noticed me walk in, and I could swear I saw a look of shock on the man in black. The leader was also a bit shocked. Did they know me?

[Taterz]

So I strolled into the giant castle and walked around as if I was in some kind of dream. I walked into the back and saw a giant table with a load of people sitting around discussing something. I noticed one man in black robes, just like Mahn. I know I’m gonna need to talk to him later. Then they all stopped and stared at me for a second. Yeah, that was an awkward situation.

“Hello, I am Advisor Mickale. I currently see control over the lives of our people in town.” He had this intimidating aura around him, I suppose that’s something unique to red mages. It must be that feather in the hat.

Confused for a moment, I asked, “Silvia said this town was run by a woman?”

A stout, green haired woman stood up. “Ha ha, don’t mind her. She’s one of the top dragoons under my command. I am Commander Jorias, granddaughter to the house of Vaselle, leader of the army here in Lirea.” To be quite honest here, I barely figured out she was a woman.

I noticed the entire time I was here, the man in the black robes was concentrating on me the entire time. He looked a little uneasy when I looked his way. I pointed to him and asked,

“Who is he?”

Mickale glanced over, and then said, “why him? He is known as Kija, one of the top members to the Brotherhood.” Kija stood up, and began to address to me.

“Hello. I am Kija, heir to the Brotherhood. I am a black mage and am currently investigating matters here in Lirea. You look very familiar to me, but am unable to discern from where I have seen you. Currently, the undead have risen in the graveyard to the east of here. There seems to be a connection with the grave found at the very bottom of the catacombs and the recent, risen dead. Would you mind coming outside with me for a moment for a chat? I can answer any question you may have, as well we can let the leaders here continue with their discussion.”

Damn. This guy can freakin’ talk. Wow. I did not know how to respond really, so I just nodded my head with my jaw open trying to say yes. So he lead me outside to have…a chat. Yeah, I highly doubt that.

“Ok, well first off you mentioned you felt like you knew me from somewhere? I kinda got the impression you were lying and knew exactly who I was. Please tell me anything you know that could connect myself to the past.”

“…You’re very perceptive, I indeed was lying. You see, the Lireans here are not too open to suggestions. They will listen, but they won’t listen. I didn’t want them to see you as some kind of demon.”

Wait, what the hell did he mean by that?

[Taterz]

“I see you are confused by what I am telling you. Very well, I shall explain to you the events that have happened on that day years ago.”

(The following section is in the eyes of Kija, not Tommy. So don’t get confused =P)

Each member of the Brotherhood was assigned the task of overseeing a town. I was assigned to Lirea, Mahn was assigned to Dainan, Ryan was assigned to Hassen, and Thorg was assigned to Anara. The other members we have not heard from in a long time.

Mickale told me that a pair of investigators came to snoop around the graveyard to the east. So I went to go meet these two investigators. I was told that they would be waiting near the entrance of the graveyard. I went over to meet them. This was where I met you for the first time. The other was your friend it seemed. It was as if the two of you were raised together since birth.

We trekked down the catacombs, and didn’t receive mush resistance from the undead. Every time we went near one of them, they just stared and did not seem to want to engage us. There was a strange aura coming from your friend. But without anything to stop us, we managed to reach the bottom and deepest grave hidden away from the rest. The grave was that of Zathar. You went down to wipe off the dust to read the inscription.

It was at this moment, the dust you wiped off reappeared, along with these huge floating eyeballs. We have come to name these eyes as Demonic Eyes, and avoid them for many reasons. Panicking, I sent a fire bolt straight into the eye. It screeched in pain, but came after you and your friend. It did not seem interested in me at all. Your friend took out his dagger and began swiping furiously at the eye, but he was unable to land any blows. You rushed to help me, but I told you to help your friend. There was a sinister voice I swore that I heard laughing.

It was then, that I still to this day cannot explain. Your body transformed into a majestic white furred wolf. Your friend, he turned into a black furred cougar. After the eye was viciously destroyed by the two of you, you both looked at each other, and then looked at me. I was scared, I could not tell if you wanted to kill me or not. Your eyes, they had a sense of peace within them. I somehow felt that you would protect me and not kill me. I could not say the same for the other. His eyes screamed pain and anger.

He lunged after me, saliva all over the ground. Gnashing his teeth at me while running at a frightening speed, you jumped in front of me. He stopped for a moment, slightly shocked it seemed. I had to do something. The undead began to stir, and I did not want to fall into their legion. I had to do it. I used my strongest lightning on the both of you, knocking the both of you out. It did not seem either of you had much control over yourselves, I only saw primal rage in the both of you.

I grabbed the both of you and ran out of there as fast as I could go. The undead were chasing us, wanting to claim both of you for their own. I set up lines of fire, as I knew they were afraid of fire. Rotten flesh and bones seemed susceptible to fire, and we knew that.

I managed to get us both back out of there. Both of you regained consciousness, however, and that made me worried. I did not know how this was going to end. As he was about to lunge again, he stopped. His tail shot up, and then he ran south to the desert. You did not chase him. Instead, your ears began to twitch and you ran back west. It looked as though he was heading to Anara, or maybe Hassen. You seemed intent on running back to Dainan.

I did not know what to do at the time, I prayed that Mahn would be able to handle you should you end up there. I returned to Lirea and explained the events to the leaders. They did not want to allow you to return here to Lirea, as they felt you would threaten their peaceful lifestyle.

Several months later, Ryan appeared. He told me he saw the black cougar run into the ice caves. It was then I knew exactly where the beast was headed. Ryan began to set out to find you after I told him the story. I received word from Mahn that he had found you, and told me about your strange encounter in the fallen cathedral.

I decided to consult the advisors about your current whereabouts. Mahn mentioned that you would be heading this way, so I warned them in advance. Jorias prepared the army to take you down, should you decide to wreak havoc. A single dragoon offered to wait at the end of the mountains. You are already acquainted with her.

She witnessed the entire fight with the troll demon known as Kaug. You were passed out and your friends were bleeding. She drove her heavy polearm and sliced off Kaug’s neck with a carefully planned jump. Not wasting time, she quickly shoved his body into the cavern below. Albeit slow, Kaug has natural regenerative powers it seems. She took the woman, Mahn, Ryan and yourself to our local infirmaries. And that is the story of my past with you.

[Taterz]

“…you keep mentioning him as my friend. What did he look like!? What was his name! I must know!!” I couldn’t bear the thought that he is a key player, but he refused to mention the name.

Kija just stared at me, or at least I think he did. “I do not recall his name, no matter how hard I may try. Something seems to be blocking that detail. I’m sorry I can not answer you.”

Well…damn. He mentioned a gravestone in the deepest section of the catacombs. I had to go there.

“I have to go down and visit Zathar’s grave. Some answers will lie there.” I bolted to the graveyard, not knowing where I was going. And because I didn’t know where I was going, I didn’t know what hit me. I could have sworn I heard a voice say, “please do not bypass my authority.” I was out cold.

So yea, once again I’m back in their little hospital, what a surprise. I’m really getting sick of this magic crap. As usual, Kija was right next to me. He explained that he did not want to risk me going into berserker mode and slaughtering everything. He feared that I would replay the events of that day and head back west. So he explained to me the story of Zathar.

Kija told me I should head to Anara next. Sirena, Mahn, and Ryan would be accompanying me on this journey. It seems as though the Brotherhood is taking interest in my life now. Nothing beats having a hot white mage bringing up my rear…er. I met up with them at the Vorison Mountain Pass.

So let me recap the facts of Southern Skure:

1. Sand Worms in the desert, very large and hungry
2. Giant reptilian creatures that are also hungry
3. Walking rocks
4. Walking razor blades

Now, if that isn’t suck then I don’t know what is. I swear I heard those guards citing an elegy.

“Hey, why are you so worried? Those gigasaurs can’t top my axe” exclaimed Mahn.

What the hell, did he just say GIGA?!

“Psh, you couldn’t take a hit if it wasn’t for my powerful shield.” Ryan started flailing his arms about.

I felt a tug on my side, I glanced over to see her staring back at me.

“How are you feeling, Tommy?”

“Well…seeing as how I can go to the brink of psycho and possibly kill you by mistake, not so well.” Who was he? I know he was the man from my dreams that one time. Did that rock just move…?

“I still got my trusty mace, remember?”

“Yea, I still got the bruise. I promise I will never hurt you.” What the f-

“Guys,” Mahn said, agitated. “We’ve got company.”
Son of a….that rock is ALIVE! And for some reason, he was pissed at us. Ryan wasted no time by setting up a Spell of Shielding to block his bum rush. Sirena quickly rushed in to amplify his spell. Hell, even Mahn jumped in to stop it.

Let’s do some math here folks. 3 ton rock running at a speed of 30 mph. Well, luckily math was our friend here because his rush just temporarily stunned us. He basically ran into himself, and was stunned as well. I quickly regained control, and jumped on his back and began to stab my way into him.

I almost broke my sword. I figured magic would be the best course of action here. I told Ryan to toss some of that flashy magic he used back at Kaug. No use, he was totally knocked out. Sirena was dazed, but she was coming to. Mahn was wildly slashing at the rock’s leg, and something snapped. Whether it was Mahn’s touch on reality, the creature’s leg, or his arm, something broke.

I cast a Spell of Ice onto the leg that Mahn was obliterating. The leg froze, and Mahn managed to smash it into pieces. The rock fell over, and I lost balance and keeled over as well. As I got back up, I cast again at his other leg. Broked into a thousand pieces as well. As I cast again, I noticed some blue blur out of the corner of my eye. Blur? That was definitely not a good sign. Ryan was barely getting up now, and Sirena was healing him completely unaware of the blur coming towards her.

The rock managed to toss Mahn aside, and knock me back as well. I quickly got up, and froze his head to Hassen. Mahn smashed it. The rock has fallen, do you smell what I cooked?

The blue blur was closer now and would impact in a few seconds. Ryan, noting the blur as well, tossed up a weak barrier over the two of them. Mahn rushed over as well. Hurling the axe as best he could, the blur fell faster than the rock. He managed to score a hit on the running razor blade’s skull.

Frightened, she turned around to see what we were all panicking about.

“I think its best we hurried on before any more of those things decide to come after us.”

“But…the next area is the desert…”

[Taterz]

“What are you so worried about? You got the Brotherhood’s best whitemage helping you.”

Not wanting to think about the blue razor that almost slaughtered us, we hurried on. I figured it was best we stuck directly to the path laid out before us. The desert was extremely hot.

Did I mention it was hot? Yea, it was pretty damn hot. It was windy as well, so sand got down into the deepest cracks in us all. Very unpleasant. Now, deserts have these things called mirages. They also have Sand Worms. Perhaps I was scared to hell, or I just saw one in the distance.

“Did you guys freakin’ see that?”

“It was just a mirage, Tommy. Don’t worry about it.” Mahn said as he re-holstered his axe. Figuring he knew best, I decided to ignore it.

About 5 seconds later, it’s rather freakin’ hard to ignore a giant, 15 foot giant staring you right in the face. At this point I would have urinated on myself, but I was already dehydrated from the desert. Did I mention it was hot?

Then this bright light appears right in front of me. Did I die? No, some whitemage behind me just decided to blind me and the giant in front of me. Few seconds later, I was yanked aside.

“What the hell were you just standing there for?!” Big Red was mad at me again.

“If I could pee myself, I would have.”

Wasting no time, both Sirena and Ryan threw up a protective shell for all of us. Giant Worm versus 4. No, blind and angry Giant Worm vs. 4. Did I mention he was flailing about wildly? He went back underground.

“Don’t just stand there, run to the Desert Camp out ahead! Some Anaran soldiers have an outpost in the middle of the desert. We can take cover in there for a while.” Ryan said, urging us to run.

So we decided to gun it. The ground started to shake again. Why is that beginning to feel normal? Sure enough, the big bastard appeared in front of us again, a few steps away from the outpost.

Bright white light, lost my sight. Again. Seriously, that guy needs to learn how to tone down his power. Blinded and angry, the giant decided to come after us and decided to stop playing defense. Next thing I knew, Mahn smashed the worm’s teeth with his axe. Unfortunately, the teeth were made out of something far stronger than metal. That, or Nexus just hates me.

Remembering earlier, I tried to concentrate my magic on the monster’s teeth. Watching it turn a bluish hue, I told Mahn to smash it to pieces. He swung. That looked very painful, although blue sand looks a lot better than this brown stuff.

Satisfied he had blood on his axe, Mahn swung at the body of the beast. That looked like a heart, and sure enough the monster fell and stopped moving. Freaking out, we decided to reach the outpost a bit faster before more showed up.

Once at the outpost, we decided to stop in the food area. Inside, I noticed a knight and blackmage sitting at a table together. Something odd about these two, the blackmage was wearing familiar robes, similar to that of Kija. But, he had purple gloves.

“Reap! Die! What’s up guys?” exclaimed Mahn and Ryan.

“Long time no see, how has the Brotherhood been?” Was this blackmage a member before?

Confused, I noticed he called him Reap and the other guy Die?

“Yea, Reap is short for Reaper. I have a thing for casting spells that make things, well, die,” said the blackmage.

“And they call me Die because whenever something crosses me and my sword, something dies. And it ain’t me.”

Interesting.

“So where are you guys headed? We’re headin on up to Anara to go see the king about Ruoze,” said Die.

“Yes, I was also told that I should go to Anara. Would you guys like to come with us? I’m sure with names like that worms won’t stand much of a chance,” I said.

“Yup, fine with me. Reap you up for it?”

“I’d be delighted.”

[Taterz]

“You guys look pretty tired. There are pillows and blankets on the second floor. I’m pretty sure they have a couple to lend ya,” said Die.

Exhausted, I went upstairs and asked a guard for a pillow and blanket. Finding a good spot, I decided to sleep.

“Hey, long time no see bro. How’s life been treating you?”
Pretty good I suppose, but there’s something I need to ask.
“Anything, you name it.”
I…what’s your name?
“I see…I can’t believe you forgot…”
It’s there…but I can’t reach it. Please help me out here, it’s driving me nuts.
“My name…I go by T-“

Darkness, outside, very cold. Surrounded by Anaran guards, I’m standing here on all fours.

Wait, four?! Looking at my hind paw…paw? Confused, I just looked at the guards. I could tell they were confused to see a wolf inside a desert. Weapons drawn, they were afraid to strike.

“How the hell did this monster get here?!”

“Sir, he was found in the spot that the ranger was sleeping at, sir.”

“Something doesn’t seem right, I can’t tell if he is hostile or not.”

I tried to speak, but all I could do was howl. I walked slowly to the right, trying not to rouse the soldiers anymore than they already were. I handled a troll easily, these 5 guards would be pushovers.

As I walked past the guard, I looked at the captain. I just ran into the desert night. Cacti started to move towards me. Wait, walking cacti? And how come I’m having conscious thought here when I’m a freakin animal? Something is changing within me, and somehow I don’t know if it’s a good thing.

And then it hit me, 1000 needles all along my right side. Pain doesn’t even begin to describe it. White fur in the desert must have made that an easy shot. Touché cactus, touché.

Pissed off now, I let out a growl to warn him. It, whatever. Then it charged after me. That thing was fast. I noticed a pain. This pain was unlike the needles, it kept hurting in bursts, each time making me slightly weaker.

Great, one of the needles must have had either a sedative or poison.

Getting weaker each moment with a lightning needle running around, I decided it was best to find cover. Running up north, I noticed a cave. I quickly tried to run towards it when a massive wall shot up in front of me.

3 worms decided to avenge the death of their father tonight, it seems. I saw a blue blur to the east, how did a razor manage to make it into the desert? I’m seriously screwed now. The blue blur ran closer, but he circled around and appeared behind the worms. He shot up into the air and drove some shiny metal into one of the worm’s skull.

Attack? From behind? Dirty trick, but it then made the worms focus their attention on him. Just like he appeared, he disappeared. 5 seconds later, one more blade into one more skull. 2 down, one left. This guy is seriously good.

Then I saw the bright flash again. I felt stronger, and saw the needles fall from my side. This time I wasn’t blinded, so I looked back to see the others. I saw Die charging towards the cactus, although I couldn’t see any color in his eyes. Reap was glowing, and so was Die’s sword, both a bright red color. In defense, the cactus fired his 1000 needles again, only to be blocked by Sirena’s protective shield.

Man I love whitemages.

Seeing a worm going for the blue warrior’s back, I rushed at it. Sinking my teeth into it’s body, I tore out a good chunk of flesh. It flailed about in terror, and I hurled myself into the portion right below his mouth. Stabbing my claws deep into it’s neck (I think that’s the neck), I tore out more flesh. Falling to the ground, I couldn’t stop tearing out flesh.

Soon, my fur turned a red color, and I couldn’t stop ripping it to pieces. The blue warrior stared at me, and started to run away. I started to chase after him. I don’t know why, but I just started to run after him. For a biped, he ran pretty damn fast. I couldn’t catch up to him.

“Damn, I think I like that kid’s style,” said Die.

“What can I say? He’s been around me for a while,” joked Mahn.

“You guys are monsters,” said Ryan.

“I hope he’ll be alright…” said Sirena.

He led me into a cave. I could feel him above me, watching from the darkness. I could feel myself reverting back into a human. Once I got my voice back, I asked him to show himself.

It was him, the blue clothed man from the dreams.

“You! You never got to telling me your name!”

“Well, how can you forget the name of your best friend? Don’t you remember the adventures we had so long ago?”

“I can’t…I don’t remember a thing from my past. I just remember waking up on a shore in Dainan and meeting a Brotherhood Fighter named Mahn.”

“Ah yes, I’m sure he remembers me as well.”

“Please tell me your name, it’s driving me insane.”

“My name…they used to call me…Tate.”

[Taterz]

That name…he was the one Kija told me about. He was the guy in my dreams. He was my friend from old.

“You seem surprised, bro. Although, I am pretty sad that you couldn’t remember me. But to be honest, I can’t remember your name either…”

“It’s Tommy…”

“Ah yes, now I remember the name. Sadly, I cannot recall why.”

“You, somehow you led me here. Kija mentioned-“

“Kija, he’s still alive? That guy’s a machine!”

“You know of him?”

“Who doesn’t? He’s the leader of the Brotherhood ever since that Dagolar guy was killed mysteriously.”

“Someone is killing the Brotherhood members off?”

“No, I just thought it was suspicious. He always kept to himself, rather hard to tell. Sometimes I don’t even think Kija is human, he seems like a robot.”

“Enough derailment, I need to know.”

“Shoot.”

“You…can turn into a black cougar?”

His body began to contort, and he fell down on all four. Onyx fur, dark red eyes. Something is not right…I felt my body rising with some kind of majestic power, and then it happened. White fur, down on all fours, staring him in the eyes.

“Haha, you still cannot control your own power. Power descended from the god himself!”

“What are you talking about? Nexus did this? Tell me damn you!”

“You should know exactly what happened, Kija told you everything didn’t he?”

“He mentioned the graveyard, and the tombstone.”

“That’s it? He didn’t talk about us dying?”

Wait, I died?

“We were ambushed by a bunch of floating eyes from all sides. We fought and swung wildly, magic coming from all sides. It was then, when the eye struck the final blow to us both, that I saw him. He asked me if I wanted to live. Desperate, I told him yes. He then said that he’d give me the power to rip the entrails from all my foes and drink the blood of the fallen. He had power, power that I wanted. He asked me about you. I told him that I wanted him to give you power as well. It was then, that I was enveloped in a dark, black emptiness. Then I had this.”

“So you…sold you soul to Voleron to stay alive?!”

“In a sense, I did. You on the other hand, somehow did not.”

“What? Am I free?”

“Sorry, it’s time for you to wake up now.”

Wake up? What the…

“Rise and shine big guy,” said Die with a grin on his face.

“What the hell? Where am I? Where the hell is Tate?!”

“You were talking in your sleep, and kept mentioning that name,” explained Reap.

“C’mon, we got a king to talk to.”

By the way, I suggest you go take a look in Ruoze. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

“You ok Tommy? Me and Ryan have to part ways. He’s off to Hassen and I have some business in Dainan to take care of. Maybe we’ll meet again someday,” said Mahn.

Dazed, I just nodded. Somehow, I think we’ll all meet again.

Wow, Grand Hall is an understatement. Anarans know how to build castles. We went up to the king, and he gave us permission to enter Ruoze and investigate. So we began our trek back to the destroyed city. Somehow we did not encounter much, if any, chaotics. Sure, there was that one dust devil but nothing serious.

And that’s what scares me.

[Taterz]

Damn. This place was a mess. Far worse than Dainara, I would wager. Huge holes in the ground, that seems to suggest that more worms in this area. Great. That’s just what I need. Surprisingly, there was one building that was fully intact.

“Let’s go check that building,” suggested Die, noticing I was eying it.

Once inside, we were greeted to the sight of a blackbelt trying to fight what seemed to be another building. So this is what a dinosaur looks like? I’d hate to meet the parents that made that beast.

“Greetings, fellow investigators. Would you be so kind as to help to strike down this beast?” This guy was pretty big himself, long beard, dark complexion. He couldn’t be Anaran though, he wasn’t golden haired.

“Gladly, anything for the Legendary Brown Bear,” chuckled Reap.

Bear was an understatement. Unfortunately for us, the minute we decided to help so did a bunch of the running razors. Something shook the ground. That giant thing Bear was fighting couldn’t possibly be doing that. No, it seemed like the world was falling in on itself.

A rock whizzed by my head. Somewhat confused, I turned around. Reap was covered in a black mist, and then more rocks began flinging my way. I turned my head towards the onslaught and noticed the razors were covered in tiny explosions. I turned my head to the giant the Bear was pummeling and notice the head was a little flimsy, and that he seemed to be missing a leg…or two.

And he was falling right onto me. Luckily I managed to jump out of the way. I noticed the shaking grew more violent.

“Guys, I don’t think its very safe up here. I think we should take cover in that cave,” Sirena said nervously.

We went down the dark cave. Although cave is putting it mildly; this place was bigger than the building we were just in. I looked on the floor, and all I saw were bones. That bone looked like a toe. That toe was bigger than my chest.

“I appreciate the help back there, guys.”

“Anything for the Brown Bear,” nodded Reap.

“Brown Bear?” I asked, curious to know.

“Yes, he is a well known blackbelt with great skill. He’s been nicknamed the Brown Bear because of his strength, and his beard,” explained Reap.

“His beard is one of the 7 wonders of Darlow, and they say it’s strong enough to cut through solid stone!” Die chimed in.

“While I appreciate the compliments, we need to be careful. They say that this is the nesting grounds for Grygasz.”

“Grywho?”

“They say he’s a giant dinosaur tremendous strength. I was told that he lives deep in a cave below Ruoze and spawns these beasts we encountered.”

“But those ones seemed rather weak.”

“Those ones were still young, and not fully developed,” explained Bear.

“Those were…babies? I’d hate to see the adults…”

The minute I say something that could possibly endanger my life, something decides to endanger my life. Remember those giant toes I saw? This time I saw one in the corner. Only, this one had flesh, and seemed angry.

“Speak of the Voleron…”

This one easily is ten times the size of that other one. But this guy seemed rather slow. Only problem is, there were 4 of him…