History of Brin Ahlrine

(( I can never seem to find time to write now-a-days, lol. I promise though....the next chapter will be coming out before you know it. ))
 
CHAPTER 18

In Lower Jeuno, in a simple home, lived "Iron Fist" Kao. This elvaan monk was a hero during the Crystal Wars, but there are only a few who still remember his great deeds. At the age of 63, Kao now spent his time training Brin and Anayia for his own personal reasons.

Inside his dojo, Kao sat....meditating. It had been almost a week that his two students had been gone, but he was not worried. He knew they would do well on this task, just as they have done in the past with other training excersies. The elvaan had hair white as snow, which was kept short and well-groomed. His face was clean shaven, and the elvaan himself looked as if he were actually in his 40s. Wearing a comfortable gi, Kao couldnt feel more serine in his meditation then at this point, with the sun beaming through the window.

Earlier that day, Maat had came by to talk to his old friend. The two had sat down in Kao's living room to have some tea. Maat, wearing the same clothes he always wore (It was the only style he seemed to have in his wardrobe), smiled at Kao and said, "So....how are your students coming along old friend?"

Kao took a sip of his tea before replying kindly, "As well as I had hoped. Brin will become a great warrior, and Anayia......she reminds me alot of myself. She is on an obscure path which will be difficult to follow, but I believe she'll get to where she wants to be eventually."

Maat smiled and said, "Well....that's good to hear. Perhaps one day they will even be stronger than both of us? I would much like to see more heroes emerge in Vana'Diel. With the war long over.....many people believe they can relax, but I feel a cold shadow on the horizon."

Kao chuckled a bit and said, "Perhaps they will be stronger than me, but you my friend.....you have long past exceeded me. I can only vaguely remember a time when I was actually stronger than you.

Growing more serious, Kao continued, “But you are right about one thing. I too, sense something….coming. This world will most defiantly need to be prepared. Luckily, this is the Age of Adventurers.”

Maat asked, “So…you plan to sign up Anayia and Brin as an adventurer?”

Kao nodded as he said, “Yes…..once they return from their training. Their talents would be wasted in the military. They would become stronger….but would only become “so” much stronger. Traveling the world…..helping those in need…….that is what they need to truly grow.”

Setting down the empty cup of tea, Maat stood up and said, “You truly are an inspiration to me, Iron Fist. It was a pleasure to be in your company on this beautiful day.”

Kao stood up, setting down his cup of tea next to Maat’s. The old monk bowed to his friend, and Maat returned the gesture.

The two said their goodbyes, and that was that. Kao retreated to his dojo for meditation and sat there……..till his expected visitor arrived.

Kao did not hear the door open…….he did not hear any footsteps……he even did not see the red mage standing in front of him, but he knew she was there.

Still sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, Kao said, “So you’ve finally come. I suppose it is time then eh?”

The red mage, Rama, removed her cloak of invisibility, revealing herself to Kao, as she said, “You’ve hidden from us for a very long time. But now, your betrayal can finally be dealt with. It is because of you that Brindalo escaped our grasp. Even when we found out that he had been living in Norg, neither him nor his son, Vide, could be found there.”

“You have caused the Holy Trinity much frustration.”

Kao, still sitting down, said, “Well then…..where I am honored to be visited by one of the six rumored members of the Trinity, I would love to see you try to best me. You came alone…..and that will be your last mistake.”

Rama chuckled slightly as she held her hand over her mouth. Wearing red mage artifact armor, Rama held a certain air about her which was that of an expert assassin. The red mage said, “I have not come here to fight you Kao. I have come here to confirm your death.”

With a puzzled look, Kao stood up and said, “That makes no sense. I….”. Stopping dead in his tracks, he felt it……a poison, which had just began to take effect. The poison brought Kao down to his knees as he coughed and said, “P-poison!? But how?”

Rama laughed and said, “You were poisoned yesterday by one of our operatives. It is a unique poison which goes into effect twenty-four hours later. It attacks the heart….making it seem as if the victim is having a heart-attack. As I said before…..I am here to confirm your death Kao.”

The monk could no longer speak, for the pain was too great. Finally, while he grasped his chest where his heart would be, Kao fell to the floor……dead.

The red mage spoke in a soft voice, “Time of death……14:32….Firesday.”

Without saying another word, the red mage warped away leaving no trace of her ever being there.
 
Well I wasn't expecting that O.O Can't wait to see what happens next.
 
CHAPTER 19

ODE TO KAO

19 years before the death of the great monk, Kao……the powerful “Iron Fist” had something happen to him which would change his life forever.

For years, Kao had served a group of assassins known as the Holy Trinity, for he believed in their aim. Not much was known about the Holy Trinity…..and in fact, most people have never even heard the name “Holy Trinity”, even though this organization had been around for hundreds of years. To be exact, the Holy Trinity formed roughly four hundred years ago during the beginning of the “Age of Power”. This was a time that San d’ Oria had truly rose to power after learning the ancient secrets of magic which had only been known by Windurst in the past.

At that time, a select few members of the church in San d’Oria took this as an opportunity to create a secret group of warriors who would keep the planet clean of Darkness. They would be there to eliminate figureheads who were tainted with the Shadow, but due to their status, were usually safe from being taken into custody.

The Holy Trinity took law into their own hands……and over the years, much blood has been spilt by their hand without leaving a trace of their presence. It could be believed that the Holy Trinity had Vana’Diel in the palm of their hands more than anyone else…..and not a soul would ever know. Not even the king would know of the Holy Trinity.

One priest…..be it an archbishop, bishop, or high priest, was chosen to lead the Holy Trinity. This one person leads the Holy Council……the council is in charge of choosing their next leader. The Trinity itself, is made up, always, of one paladin, ninja, red mage, white mage, thief, and dragoon of pure elvaan blood. They are the ones who carry out the Holy Council’s work.

The council also chooses assassins to work under the Holy Trinity. These select elvaan only know that there “is” a Holy Trinity, but nothing more. Kao…..had the pleasure of being one of these individuals. His orders came from people with no faces……with no name. But never the less, he followed his orders no matter what, without question. He felt that what the Holy Trinity did was just…and right. Well…..that is…..until he was given the order to kill the Ahlrine blood line.

The Ahlrines were a respected high class family in San d’Oria. They made up some of the more well known nobles. One day though….a curse was place upon their bloodline. This curse…over time…..darkened their hearts and they became very corrupt. This disease was easily cleansed by the Trinity. In fact, Brindalo’s brother, Videigh Ahlrine, fell at Kao’s hands. The monk thought his job to be over but then he got the order that he had been dreading…….the order to kill Brindalo Ahlrine.

Kao had known Brindalo ever since the beginning of the Crystal War and had fought beside him in many battles. Kao had been friends with Brindalo even before Brindalo had met his future wife, Lilith.

Brindalo…..he was the last Ahlrine to be killed, mostly because, he had kept the curse at bay for the longest. Brindalo Ahlrine was a great warrior, and fought quite valiantly throughout the Crystal War, but eventually the evil in his heart began to take hold. Brin dalo had a good idea why the rest of his family had been killed…..and he figured he would be next. Before Kao even had a chance to confront his friend, Brindalo took his wife and baby boy, Vide, out of San d’Oria.

Eventually, Kao tracked them down in Mhaura. At first, Brindalo was surprised to see Kao but did not know why he was there. The tense meeting took place in the room they were staying in at the Sailor’s Stay.

Lilith sat on the bed as she held her baby boy Vide who was only two years old. Brindalo and Kao stood face to face. Brindalo, with his short black hair a mess, said, in a voice that had grown cold as of late, “Why are you here Kao.”

Kao, while looking upon his friend with sad eyes yet kept his guard up, said, “You have changed my friend. I wish everyday that you had not had that curse placed upon you. I wish everyday that things could be as they once were, but sadly…..that can not be.”

Brindalo began to grow suspicious of his friend, and so his hand slowly made its way to the sword on his belt, as he replied, “What has become, is. There is no stopping fate. To see how you approach me…..I must say, that you mean to kill me…..”friend”.” Brindalo said the last word with a heavy accent of sarcasm which made Kao feel uncomfortable.

Before Kao could reply, Brindalo continued, “I shall tell you right now…..that I will not be stopped. I wish just as much as you do……….to not walk down this path, but it doesn’t seem I have much choice in the matter.”

Kao said with dire frustration in his voice, “There is no other way! You know just as well as I, of the people you will be endangering. Even your son is in danger of the curse…..so….what am I to do? I was sent to kill you my friend, and I must do….what I must do.”

For the first time, Brindalo’s face seemed sad as he said, “No Kao! I will….I will leave Kao….this is my plan. I realize that my son is in the same position as I, and so my plan was to take him with me far, far away from here. Lilith and I…..we…..we talked it over for quite a bit.”

Kao, feeling the regret in his stomach, said, “I can not just let you go free Brindalo. I have specific orders to kill you.”

Brindaolo asked curiously, “From who?”

Kao replied, “I can not tell you that. Already, I have told you too much.”

Kao….brought his hands down to his sides and retrieved his spiked knuckles which were known as “Avengers”. As he put them on, Lilith pleaded with Kao as she held her baby in her arms, “Please Kao! Don’t kill my husband! He has not become so far gone yet. Let him isolate himself from the rest of the world, and never again will you hear from him again.”

Kao was conflicted as he brought his fists up to begin the onslaught. Brindalo unsheathed his sword and prepared himself as he said, “You know you owe me……for the time that I saved your life. I ask you…..please spare mine. I wish not to fight you Kao.”

Just before Kao was about to attack, he brought down his fists and sighed with a feeling of defeat as he said, “Go Brindalo. Run…….and never return again.”

Brindalo sheaved his sword and turned to his wife, then said, “I must leave now Lilith……and I will do what I can to find a cure, for both me and our child.”

As Brindalo bent down to take Vide, his wife, Lilith, shied away. “Swift Blade” Brindalo said, “There is no time for this Lilith. We already agreed what must be done. If I leave Vide here, then he will be hunted next.”

With must hesitation, Lilith finally handed Vide over to Brindalo. The warrior took his child down to the docks where Lilith followed. Brindalo walked past Kao without saying a word.

As Brindalo got in the boat at the docks, Lilith wept heavily as she watched her husband and son prepare for their journey across the ocean. Brindalo’s pack already held any belongings that he would need on the trip. All that was left now, was to say goodbye. It was a hard goodbye…..even for Brindalo who, despite the curse which took hold of him more and more each day, still felt an intense love for his blonde haired beauty known as Lilith.

The boat took off into the horizon as the sun set in the sky, and all that could be heard was Vide’s crying. As Lilith waved goodbye to her husband with a face covered in tears, something amazing was happening within her body. Lilith was pregnant with a boy that neither she nor anyone else knew of at the moment.

At that moment, nobody had noticed Kao leave. The monk would report that he had killed Brindalo, and then….he would disappear, from his friends, from the Holy Trinity, from the world.

Eleven years later, Kao is walking through the streets of San d’Oria on a dreadfully rainy day. It is at that moment that Kao sees a young boy crying and holding onto a woman who appeared to be dead in the alleyway. As Kao approached and asked if the boy was alright, he noticed that the woman was Lilith Ahlrine.

The young boy looked back at the monk, with his blonde hair in his eyes, as he said, “My mommy want wake up! She wont wake up!”

Kao noticed that this young boy was the lad who had tried to steal his deft ring from his pocket the other day. It seemed as though this was Lilith’s son. The monk asked, “What is your name young man?”

The boy replied, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes, “B-b-brin….Ahlrine.”

Kao knew what he had to do then……..it was only right that he took this boy under his wing. It was the least he could do for Lilith and Brindalo. So, Kao took Brin to Jeuno to live….and to train the young elvaan to be as great as a fighter as his father had been.

From what Brin had told Kao, it had seemed that Lilith had let Brin believe that his father had died in the war. Kao did not have the heart to tell him the truth, and so……he let Brin believe this. The poor boy had been though so much as it was.
 
(( I'll have the next chapter out sometime this week ))
 
(( Bah.....I've been so busy lately, its hard to get this next chapter out. Dont worry though....i'm planning on doing it once I get a chance to. ))
 
Thanks Trizzip i would hate to see this one run the path of alot of the great stories in the travelers tavern. So many unfinished stories that were just cut short in the middle with nothing to complete them. so take all the time you want the ones like me that are drawn in will more than surely wait for the next chapter.
 
Agreed, tonicfly. /cheer trizzip
 
CHAPTER 20

For the next three days, Anayia pushed Brin to the limit as they jogged all the way from Windurst to Jeuno. Amazingly enough, the two young adventurers were able to avoid hostile aggressions from the local animals and beastmen.

The days were long and filled with jogging, while the nights were short-lived in the comfort of their tents. Anayia thought that four hours of sleep was more than enough and at the same time, Brin thought she had lost her mind. But regardless, thanks to Anayia’s determination, the two were able to make it to Jeuno in the three days they had aimed for.

Brin huffed and puffed as he held his knees, looking down at the ground, standing in front of the stone gates which stood in front of the bridge to Jeuno. The sweat on his face dripped down to the ground as he attempted to catch his breath. Anayia walked up behind him with her hands on her hips as she breathed a bit heavy herself. She nodded toward the gate and said, “We did it. We’ve made it back to Jeuno.”

Brin fell down on his butt and chuckled as he said, “I never thought….I would…..be so happy to….be home.”

Anayia looked to Brin and said, “C’mon now…..don’t get lazy on me yet Ahlrine. We still have a bit more distance to cover, and I don’t mean for us to stop running now.”

Brin groaned as he picked himself up off the ground. After he stood up, he looked back at Anayia and asked, “So…..were still running eh?”

Anayia nodded and said, “To the very end.”

It was at that moment that Brin noticed a goblin sneaking up behind Anayia. Brin pointed toward the goblin digger and stammered, “A-a-anayia! Run!”

Anayia looked at Brin with a confused face, but eventually turned around to see a goblin digger staring her in the face. Anayia was so surprised that she nearly fell backwards, but instead, she caught herself and began to run forward toward the gates, following Brin.

The goblin digger cackled as it said, “I love it when they run! It makes the meat taste that much tenderer!” The goblin quickly gave chase as it swung its knife back and forth through the air.

Normally, Anayia would have attempted to fight, but even she knew that she was no match for a goblin digger in Sauromugue Champaign. Their only hope would be to make it to Jeuno before the goblin digger was able to catch up.

Anayia began to slowly pass Brin as she ran. Looking at the elvaan, she noticed that his fatigue was already so great that he would not be able to keep up at this pace for long. She couldn’t simply leave him to the dreaded fate which lay before the both of them. So, Anayia took hold of Brin’s hand and pulled him forward as she told him urgently, “Brin! You must give it everything you have! We’ve come to far to just die at the hands of this goblin.”

Brin, too exhausted to even respond, simply nodded his head as he tried to keep up with Anayia. His sweaty blonde bangs stuck to his forehead as he tried to keep his focus on the goal…….on the bridge to Jeuno.
 
CHAPTER 21

Brin was so close to Jeuno, that he could smell the city air. The goblin digger behind him was so close that Brin thought he could almost feel the goblin’s knife lightly grazing his clothes. The whole tenure of the chase, the goblin laughed maniacally as he said, “Young children always taste so sweet! And I am sure you have plenty of shiny goodies on you!”

Even though it slowed Anayia down, she kept hold of Brin’s hand as she tired to pull him forward to go faster. Her red hair danced about wildly on her head as she ran against the wind. They were so close……it would be such a shame to fail now.

They both passed underneath the stone gate, but they had yet to arrive at the bridge. Anayia could make out the two guards at the bridge. All they had to do was make it to that bridge.

Brin almost thought that they would make it, but then……something very crucial happened. The elvaan tripped and fell forward. His hand was ripped free from Anayia’s hand as gravity pulled him to the ground. Anayia…..as much as she wanted….couldn’t stop. She knew that there would be nothing she could do for Brin, and that she would only get herself killed. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she left Brin behind.

Somehow though, as Brin fell, the goblin wasn’t quick enough to stop before running into the elvaan and tripping over him. The goblin digger fell over Brin and landed face first into the ground. Brin had his eyes close…..expecting to feel the cold hard steel of the goblin’s dagger penetrate into his soft flesh. When the pain never came, Brin opened his eyes to see a dazed goblin slowly stand up. Brin then figured out what had happened, and wasted no more time. The elvaan quickly stood up with dirt covering his face and clothes. Behind him was the stone gate…..in front of him was the goblin and even further was Anayia, heading toward the bridge. Brin had to decide what to do and how to do it, quickly.

Finally, Anayia made it to the guards, crying out to them, “Please! Save Brin! A goblin digger is after us!” Anayia pointed frantically toward Brin and the goblin.

The two hume guards in their shining white armor, didn’t know who Brin was, but knew that this person certainly need their assistance. As quickly as they could, they rushed over toward Brin.

Now, had Brin waited for the guards to arrive…..he wouldn’t have survived. It was for this reason, which Brin decided to jump up with all his might and grab on to the top of the stone gate. The elvaan dangled above the goblin digger, as the beastman jumped up and down, swiping his knife hysterically about and cried out, “Get down here you filthy elvaan, so that I might use your bones to pick my teeth of your remains!”

The stone was rough against Brin’s skin, as he slowly began to lose his grip. Luckily, the guards arrived before Brin fell. The goblin was surprised when the two guards unleashed their swords upon the vile beastman. It didn’t take long for them to dispatch the evil foe.

Just as one of the guards brought their sword down upon the goblin for the last time, Brin finally let go and fell abruptly to the ground. Anayia rushed over to him to see if he was well. When Brin slowly opened his eyes, he saw the beautifully concerned face of Anayia. Her hair slightly brushed against his face, and he could fell her breath from her sweet lips gently caress him. For a second, Anayia’s mouth was moving but no words seemed to escape. It was at that point that Brin realized that it was him who was incapable of hearing. As his hearing returned and the ringing in his head ceased, he could hear Anayia continue to say, “Brin! Are you alright?”

Brin rubbed his head as he slowly sat up and grunted, “A-aye…..I’m alright. I’m just a bit out of it I guess. How about we get back to Jeuno now eh?”

Anayia stood up as she helped Brin stand up, and replied with a slight smile, “Sounds good to me.”

Turning to the guards, Anayia said, “Thank you so much for your help.”

One of the two guards brought his hand up in protest after sheaving his sword and said with a Jeunon accent, “No need to thank us miss. We’re just doing our job.”

Brin, feeling battered and bruised, walked with Anayia toward the bridge and away from the bloody corpse of a goblin which now littered the ground. At least, now their journey could finally come to a close.
 
CHAPTER 22

When Brin and Anayia entered Port Jeuno, the same hustle and bustle littered the streets. This city was always vibrant with life, and was thought to be the heart of Vana’Diel by many. Adventurers, nobles, common folk, and the occasional civilized goblin walked the streets constantly.

The two young adults made their way through the crowd, all the way to the central spine of Jeuno. Taking the stairs up to Lower Jeuno, they noticed that everything was just as they had left it…..not that they had expected anything to be different.

Brin and Anayia were both anxious to finally see their master and show him how far they have come. Without stopping once, the two made their way through Lower Jeuno to the house of the “Iron Fist”, next to the jewelry store. The door was, of course, unlocked, and the two entered with ease.

Once inside, Brin held his nose and exclaimed, “What’s that awful smell?”

Anayia’s nose crinkled up as she smelled it as well. The young woman felt a pain in the bottom of her gut and knew that something was wrong. Brin noticed her face fill with worry as he asked her, “Are you alright Anayia?”

Anayia didn’t reply. Instead, she walked toward the dojo. After she opened the door, she dropped to her knees. Brin was shocked at her behavior and rushed over to see what was wrong with Anayia. What Brin saw brought him to his knees just as quickly as it had brought Anayia down. The elvaan starred in disbelief at the dead body of Kao as he said, “No….how could this have happened? Im…impossible. Kao was so strong…..nothing can kill him….nothing.” Slowly, the tears began to form….and ever so softly, they ran along the bruses on his face and down to the ground. Anayia did not shed a single tear though. She did not say a single word. Anayia looked at her fallen master in silence.

Finally, Brin picked himself up and ran out to get the help of one of the local guards. When Brin returned with the authorities, Anayia continued to just sit there and stare. One of the guards tried to get her up away from the scene of the crime. Anayia tried to fight it, but she was much too weak to resist. The guard tried to comfort her as the other guards looked at the corpse. Brin and Anayia were then taken outside to wait.

A few guards stood with Brin and Anayia as they waited outside for more of the Ducal knights to arrive. Brin was trying to compose himself as he wiped his tears from his face while Anayia just stood there…..quietly. The wind blew against her red hair, but cold and emotionless she stood.

Over time, more and more people began to gather around, curious as to what had happened. This seemed to irritate Anayia, even though she didnt voice her opinion.

It seemed like hours had passed as they waited for the investigators to arrive and do their business. Once they were done, one of them, a male hume in somewhat-regal clothing with black clean cut hair, approached Brin and Anayia and asked, “So you said you found him like this right?”

Brin knew that Anayia wasn’t going to be talking anytime soon, so he answered for the two of them, “Yes sir…..we just came back from a long journey.”

The man nodded and said, “Yes, it seems the body has been there for about two to three days. Was he your grandfather?”

Brin, still feeling saddened by the loss of his master, answered, “No…..he wasn’t. Master Kao trained us. He was one of the greatest warriors I had ever known. I don’t know how anyone would have been able to kill him……I just don’t understand.”

Once Brin was done talking, the investigator continued, “I see. Well….from what we can tell, it doesn’t seem as if Kao was murder. It seems that he was just too old. He suffered from a heart attack.”

Brin tightened his fist in anger and in sadness. Somewhere in his head, he had thought that Kao would always be there. Now, his mortality was painfully clear.

Anayia didn’t believe the investigator though. She said her first word since she had seen Kao dead, “No……this wasn’t a heart attack.” At first she spoke very calmly.

The investigator shook his head and said consolingly, “I’m sorry miss, but he was just too old. There is no evidence at all that anyone else had been inside this house for a very long time, besides Maat. It seems as if they had some tea….but that was all. There was no poison in the tea, and more importantly, Maat would never murder one of his best friends……there is no motive. It seems as if sometime after Maat had left, Kao simply had a heart attack.”

Brin and Anayia both knew of Maat. In fact, they had both personally met and spoken with Maat numerous times. Maat and Kao were very good friends. The monk would visit Kao usually once or twice a month. Brin and Anayia knew that Maat would never have killed Kao, yet Anayia persisted, much more loudly than before, “He was murdered! You are all fools! My master’s death will not go unpunished!”

Anayia then tore away from the guards and ran off into the crowds. Brin called out with his arm up flailing back and forth, “Anayia, wait! Come back!”

The investigator grabbed Brin by the shoulder and told him, “Leave her be. She just needs some time to get over the shock, I’m sure. I have some documents I need you to sign, and then we’ll be done here. I have word that Kao’s funeral will be taken care of by the Duchy. He was a great hero and he will be treated as such, you have my promise.”
 
(( Next chapter coming up soon ))
 
CHAPTER 23

The days in Jeuno seemed to pass slowly for Brin. Without a word from Anayia, the elvaan sat alone in his master's house.....meditating in the dojo. The elvaan was dressed quite well as he sat cross-legged on the floor, with his hair combed back. The clothes he wore were the clothes that Kao had brought for him to wear on special occasions. Today was surely a special occasion..........today was Kao's funeral.

The clothes that Brin wore were already dark, so it would not make him seem out of place. Wearing black seemed to be the general consensus when it came to funerals. Well....it did seem to match Brin's mood.

In his hand, Brin held a very familiar flask. He caressed it slightly as he let his mind wander. Ever since he had obtained the flask in Windurst, he had never opened it. This was the last thing that Kao had wanted......and so shall it be buried with him.

One of the Ducal knights knocked on the door. Brin reluctantly got up to answer it, holding the flask in one of his hands. Opening the door, the Ducal knight greeted Brin with a nod as he asked, “Are you ready? The funeral will be starting soon.”

Without saying a word, Brin nodded as he walked outside to join the knight. Together, they walked up to Ru’Lude Gardens. The streets of Jeuno were still just as packed as usual, with most of the people walking on as if it were just another day, and for them…..it was just another day. Many knew of Kao…..but there were still many who didn’t. Many people lived in Jeuno, and Brin didn’t expect them all to stop and give their respects to the great monk.

It had been finally ruled that Kao’s cause of death was a heart attack. Brin knew that these people knew how to do their job, and so he trusted in their judgment. However, Anayia seemed to not trust in them at all…..for Brin has not seen her since she ran off. This bothered the elvaan, because he cared for Anayia very much. He couldn’t believe that he may never see his best friend whom he grew up with for most of his life.

As Brin entered Ru’Lude Gardens, he noticed that most of the guests had already arrived. Everything seemed to be set up quite beautifully. Up front…..the casket sat, opened. Brin took his seat in the back.

The ceremony was quite pleasant, but Brin couldn’t keep up with most of it, as he was distracted by his thoughts within. It seemed as if only a short time had passed when people began to line up to pay their last respects to the old “Iron Fist”.

Brin made his way over to the casket very slowly. Looking down, he noticed that someone had cleaned Kao up and put him in respectable clothes. The old elvaan seemed so peaceful there in the casket. His old white hair looked just as vibrant as it had when he was alive.

Brin whispered a few words, and then set the flask inside the casket. Once he was done, Brin walked away from the ceremony and headed back down to Lower Jeuno. As the elvaan walked toward the stairs, one of the guests asked Brin, “You’re not going to stick around a bit longer boy?”

The elvaan didn’t even here the man as he left the funeral. There was no use in mourning for a man who had lived his life to the fullest. As sad as it made Brin, the elvaan still understood that perhaps…..it was Kao’s time. Now, his old master could finally rest in the afterlife.

------------------

The next chapter will be coming in around 2 weeks. I'm going on vacation :) Everybody have a great Spring Break!
 
(( lol, sorry sorry, with the release of the new expansion its kinda been sucking up my time. A new chapter will be coming out really soon :) ))
 
CHAPTER 24

The day after the funeral was a quiet one for Brin. The elvaan had heard that after he left, the funeral continued on in a great and honorable fashion. Brin was glad that his master got the respect he deserved in death, but still…..his sadness always came back to him. Slowly, yet calmly, Brin got dressed in his race specific equipment that he was given after submitting for Adventurer status. There was still no word of Anayia, yet Brin thought perhaps he should take her lead and make his own mark in the world. It was time for Brin to become an Adventurer. Perhaps one day he would run into Anayia again….perhaps.

Taking hold of his onion sword and sheathing it, Brin took one last look around the home he had grown up in for a better part of his life. It seemed so empty and dead without Anayia and Master Kao. The dust had already begun to accumulate on the furniture. With a heavy sigh, Brin took hold of the doorknob before taking one last look back and saying, “I’ll make you proud father……and you as well Master Kao. It’s time for me to return to my homeland……its time to return to San d’Oria.”

Brin thought had thought about selling Kao’s home, but in the end, he couldn’t do it. The elvaan knew he would be back in Jeuno one day. So, for now, he’ll take a few personal belongings, enough gil to travel to San d’Oria, and his wits.

Heading up to Upper Jeuno, Brin planned on meeting up with a group of travelers going to San d’Oria who would let him come along for a bit of gil. A safe ride in a caravan would be just the thing to travel through the Norvallen and Zulkheim regions before finally arriving in the Ronfaure region. There was always safety in numbers.

Meeting up with one of the merchants of the caravan at the home point crystal, the grimy faced hume asked Brin if he was ready to depart, and the elvaan, standing proud in his armor with his onion sword at his side, nodded as he said, “Aye…I’m quite ready.”
 
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(( next chapter will be the last of this story. I'm gonna make sure it'll be really good and really long. So, dont worry...its coming, its just gonna take me some time. Once this story is done, i'm gonna start a story on the life of Brin's father. It'll all be connected to this story.....a prequal I guess you could say. ))
 
CHAPTER 25

It was a chilly afternoon as the sun hung low in the sky. On the other side of the bridge leading to Upper Jeuno, the group of travelers set the caravan up, making sure everything was set to go for their journey to San d’Oria. Each wagon had three chocobos attached to it by a harness. This was a journey that these folks were quite used to. It was often that they delivered supplies from Jeuno to San d’Oria and from San d’Oria to Jeuno. This was how they made their living. This group was made up of mostly elvaan with a few tarutarus and mithra.

Brin was quite lucky that he able to catch a ride with these folks. It was mostly thanks to one elvaan that Brin was able to come along. This elvaan’s name was Feighlameuh and he had been good friends with Kao in the past. In fact, Feighlameuh was around the same age that Kao had been before he had passed away. His wrinkled leather-like skin and worn gray hair most defiantly showed that age. This particular elvaan was actually a part of the original group who had begun this ‘venture’ to transport supplies. It was a business that has made them quite a bit of gil over the years. Transporting supplies was usually done by other merchants when their nation was in control of the region so that they could have the escort of the Royal Knights. However, this crew would travel to deliver their supplies not only when San d’Oria wasn’t in control, but also when beastmen were in control. It was a dangerous job, but fortunately, most of these travelers were well versed in combat. This was a journey that had been taken for over forty years now.

Due to great fortune, Feighlameuh was more than happy to be able to help out a pupil of Kao. He understood Brin’s yearning to return to San d’Oria and make his mark as an Adventurer. No matter how well Kao had trained Brin, the journey from Jeuno to San d’Oria was never safe for any man to take alone.

Wearing his race specific equipment and wielding his onion sword, Brin got comfortable inside one of the wagons. Those pieces of equipment had been issued to him when he had signed up to become an Adventurer. It was certainly not as capable as the gear that was in Kao’s house, but Brin wished to do this without any help what so ever.

Brin looked out over to the horizon of Batillia Downs while he sat in the wagon underneath the canopy, and was lost in thought as he was encompassed by the beauty of the land. Feighlameuh walked toward Brin once he was finished talking to the other elvaan who was leading the caravan. The old elvaan nodded to Brin as he approached, and Brin nodded back.

Feighlameuh said in that warm voice which held untold wisdom that many elders possessed, “So you’re ready?”

Brin nodded without saying anything, and kept on nodding ever so slightly for a bit longer until finally bringing the motion to a rest. It was as if he were so lost in thought that he had forgotten that he was nodding in the first place.

The old elvaan crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow as he said, “You have nothing to worry about. These men and women are quite capable at crossing Norvallen and Zulkheim with little to no trouble.”

Brin replied with a smile that almost seemed forced, “Oh, I have no worries. This is….just a big step in my life. I thank you again for all the help you have given me”

Feighlameuh nodded and said, “I understand. Well….this was the least I could do for an old friend. I only hope you find what you are searching for.”

Brin looked a bit confused as he asked, “Searching?”

With a nod of the head, Feighlameuh said, “We all are searching…..in one way or another. Sometimes you won’t know what you’re searching for. Sometimes…..you won’t know that you’ve found what you’ve been searching for.

Brin replied, “Well…then how will I ever know I’ve found it?”

Feighlameuh smiled, “Don’t worry……you seem like someone who knows how to find what their looking for.”

With a wave, Feighlameuh bid farewell to Brin as he headed over to his own wagon. Brin felt scared but excited at the same time. For the first time in his life, he was truly on his own. This would be his true test. A test….that would push him to the limit, but Brin was ready to go there.

The cold wind danced along Brin’s face and brushed through his blonde hair. The elvaan found a stray blanket within the wagon and decided to take advantage of it to keep warm as the sun began to set on the horizon.

The caravan usually left earlier in the day, but there had been come complications, and now they are faced with meeting the deadline, so waiting until tomorrow was out of the question. It was nothing new though. They had traveled at night many of times before.

As the caravan made its way through Batillia Downs, rangers and warriors of the group accompanied the troop of wagons on chocobo. They kept vigilant and watchful as the caravan traveled onward through the Coveffe Bartows. The tigers and beastmen knew to keep their distance from the large numbers of elvaan and mithra with their weapons at the ready.

By the time they arrived in Jugnar Forest, night was truly upon them. This forest held many dangers and even with the torches aflame, it was hard to tell what waited in the shadows beyond the light. In this forest…..some of the trees had a mind of their own, and if you weren’t careful, you would find yourself in an early grave.

Sitting next to Brin was a tarutaru who sat still with his eyes closed. At first Brin thought that he was just resting, but now the elvaan suspected the taru of meditating. Yearning for conversation, Brin almost wished that the taru wasn’t so deep in his meditation. It had been hours since Brin had talked to anyone, and the elvaan always thought that conversation helped time to by a bit more quickly. With a simple sigh, Brin kept his eyes to the dark woods before him.

Without any notice, a pack of tigers attack the caravan from both sides. These beasts obviously knew what they were doing. Brin didn’t even know what was happening until the taru sitting next to him jumped up and began casting a spell. Shocked, Brin poked his head out of the wagon to see dozens of tigers emerge from the shadows. The light of the torches seemed to make the tigers look more menacing then they actually were.

When the mage was done casting his spell, many of the tigers stopped moving. It seemed as if they strained to move…..but couldn’t. Brin then realized that this mage, and probably the others, all casted a spell of Bind on the tigers. Now they would be easy targets for the rangers.

Immediately, a volley of arrows rained down on the tigers, killing them quickly. The few tigers that hadn’t been caught in the spell of Bind were dispatched by the warriors, who had leapt from their chocobo and brought their axes and swords forth to meet flesh.

The whole ordeal was over more quickly than Brin had expected. Once all the tigers were dead, the warriors skinned a few tigers and set them in one of the other wagons that didn’t have any people in it. Once again, the caravan was on the move. Brin brought his head back in and looked back to see the tarutaru display a sense of satisfaction on his face.

Brin asked the taru, “You all must be quite accustomed to this, eh?”

The tarutaru nodded and said, “It hastaru be that way. Otherwise, this wouldn’t be a very wery profiting business.”

Finally, Brin had his chance to talk to someone and that’s exactly what he did. Brin spoke to the taru about his experiences with his old master, Kao. The taru was surprisingly pleased to hear such an interesting story. He had thought that Brin was just another worthless mercenary trying to make a name of himself as an Adventurer in order to keep his stomach full and a roof under his head. They had such a good conversation that by the time they were done, they were already in La Theine Plateau.

By the time they reached the Crag of Holla, Brin felt so tired that he could barely hold his eyes open. The taru told Brin that he should go ahead and get what sleep he could. “If anything happens, we won’t need your help anyway”, said the taru. So, Brin fell into a deep slumber, all the while thinking of one thing……”Anayia…where are you?”

The elvaan’s dreams were troubled as always. And of course, there were those odd images of the future which Brin could never decipher. By the time Brin woke up, the sun began to shine on the horizon of West Ronfaure.

Brin sat up and rubbed his eyes as he yawned and said, “Where are we?”

The taru, who seemed to be as alert as before, replied, “Were in West Ronfaure, approaching the gataru into Southern San d’Oria as I speak.”

The air was much colder here then it had been in Batillia Downs, which made Brin glad that he had fallen asleep with that blanket. His breath, in this cold air, was visible and his feet felt slightly numb from the cold. By the time Brin had composed himself, the caravan came to a stop in front of the gate to Southern San d’Oria.

The blonde haired elvaan crept out of the wagon and stretched. Looking about, Brin noticed that many of the travelers he had rode with were already unloading supplies into smaller wagons being pulled by single chocobos.

The ground felt moist as Brin walked around looking for Feighlameuh. He asked others if they had seen them, and they merely shook their head “no”. All that was left for Brin now, was to head on into San d’Oria. He would help unload supplies but this group of folks was quite particular about who handled their supplies. As Brin began to walk toward the gate, the familiar voice of Feighlameuh called out to Brin, “Young man! I hope you fared well on the journey.”

Turning around, Brin saw Feighlameuh approach him. The elvaan smiled and said, “I’m glad I got to see you once more so I can thank you, Feighlameuh. The journey was quite well indeed.”

Feighlameuh returned the smile and said, “I’m glad to hear it. Let me be the first to say, ‘welcome home’.”

Feighlameuh performed a san d’orian salute…….and Brin returned the salute.

Welcome home indeed.

THE END
 
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