The origins of Curjos

[.Curjos.]

Since I am banned off FFXI (by my parents, not SE ), I decided to write a role play story. I hope you like it!

An epic story of Revenge...

Prologue

My name is Curjos Leonhart, and my journey began 17 years ago, when I was only a few months old.

The story starts in Bastok, my mother a Hume Paladin from San d’Oria and my father a Hume Dark Knight born and raised in Bastok. My Mother had migrated to Bastok as a child to flee the Elvaan capital to a place where Hume’s could live without prejudice. My Father, however, had always lived in Bastok, and had been raised by a Galkan miner, as his parents – my grandparents – had tragically died when during a Quadav rebellion on Zeruhn Mines. My mother and father met at the Metal Works, looking for positions in the Bastokan army. My parents fought together in many great battles, including the second battle of Konschtat, and soon become elite members of the Bastokan army. This is the night my father proposed to my mother. Just as the crystal war aroused, my mother became pregnant with me, and my Father was called away to the Marquisate of Tavnazia as part of the allied forces of Altana, in order to help defend the proud nation from the Orcish forces who where allegedly planning to attack. My mother objected to this completely as she feared for her fiancés life and also dreaded the fact of raising a child by her self. She suggested that they flee to Windurst to where they could be safe and away from military activity, but my father being the patriot that he was declined. The next day, he got on a Chocobo, and left Bastok to Jeuno where the allied forces would rendezvous. That was the last time my mother saw my father. 3 months later, my mother got notification that he had perished in battle. Naturally, she took her rage out on Bastok, and left for Windurst the day she heard the news, and 6 months later, she gave birth to me.

When I was only a baby, Windurst was attacked by the Yagudo and destroyed, many died, my mother among them…

 

[.Curjos.]

Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Exam

I remember the day I sat my exam for a White Mage Adventurer Certificate like it was only yesterday…

It was a usual Windurstian day; the sun shone in the sky over the city, the birds in the sky sang in perfect rhythm with one another, and butterflies danced in the air, looking like flowers being carried softly the wind. I woke up as usual by Larroh Jakobah, the Mithran mercenary that took me in and raised me after the death of my mother. She prowled into my bedroom and yanked the sheets off my bed, and said
“Get up! Yourrr exam is going to starrrt soon!”
I buried my face in my pillows; I distinctly remember not being ready for the exam at all. I got out of bed and pulled on my robes, before leaving the room and sitting down at the table with Lorrah and her daughter, Sephectja. Living with Mithra meant that fish was my main source of food, not one of my preferences but I was and still am grateful that she even took me in, I don’t know where I would have ended up if she hadn’t. Anyways, Sephectja was around my age. She too, was sitting her exam today, but unlike me, she was training to be a Red Mage. Sephectja and I had always gotten on, like brother and sister. We occasionally argued, but we never really fell out. We often got into a lot of trouble together; I remember the time that we wandered out into Giddeus and got captured by Yagudo, but Lorrah always kept a close eye on us, and, well, after the incident with the Yagudo, the Yagudo learned not to mess with her, and after the beating we got, we did too.

“You ready, Curjos?” Sephectja asked
“I guess so, still haven’t got the knack of the ‘Dia’ spell though…” I replied nervously
“Hmmm… It’s quite easy if you know what you’re doing” She said, scratching her chin
“Easy for you to say, last time I tried casting it, I nearly killed myself…”
“You obviously don’t have the timing right, you must be over powering the spell” She replied, smartly
“I guess we should get going” I pointed out, as the exam would begin in an hour. With this, I picked up my Maple Wand, and Sephectja picked up her Wax Sword, before we left the apartment, and began running towards the Aurastery, Lorrah calling “Good Luck” and “If you don’t pass these exams they’ll be hell to pay!” behind us.

10 minutes later, we arrived at the Aurastery. We climbed to the roof class room, and sat down in our seats. I began practicing my Cure spell, as I new I could do this and I didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of everyone. I looked at the clock, and saw it was nearly time to start, and Zendra hadn’t shown up yet, which didn’t really surprise me one bit, he wasn’t usually on time. Zendra used to be a Warrior; he was raised in Norg, and moved to Windurst when he was a few years old to train as a Black Mage. The Minister of the Aurastery, Sedjal-Godjal appeared in front of the class in a cloud a magical energy, some kind of enhanced Warp spell most likely. Just as he began talking, Zendra came running around the corner, he had obviously just woken up. Zendra and I had always been friends, ever since school started. We kinda bonded, being the only Humes in the school.

“Ok class! The exam is going to starty-wart soon! I hope you’re all ready!” He bellowed, enthusiastically.
He looked as though he had expected us to jump in the air and dance at the prospect of the exam, but nobody did.
“Okay…” he said, the enthusiasm gone from his voice “I guess I can tell you all your groups now…”
“Groups?!” called some random Mithran Black Mage.
“Yes! We decided for a changey-wange this year!” Grinned Sedjal-Godjal “This year, you and your group will enter a room, and get a list of instructions!” He called, revelling in the horror on the look of our faces.
The following words would now change the course of my life.
“The group 1 will be led by Sephectja. The members of her group will be Curjos, Rasputen and Zendra!”
“Rasputen, eh?” whispered Zendra in my ear
“Yeah… He’s a Black Mage I think” I remember whispering back.
With this, we all stood up, and entered the room in front of us.

 

[Ruffy]

XD when is chapter 3 coming out?
Will there be any steamy scenes? Mhuahaha

 

[Rasputen]

Cool!
But did you have to make me a BLM
Anyways, cool story, looking forward to see how it turns out

 

[.Curjos.]

All will be revealed soon! Plan on getting chapters 3 and 4 out tonight so stay tuned!

 

[Cleofis]

I remember Curjos being a white mage in the dunes. Back when I was on Cleo and levelled RDM.

 

[.Curjos.]

Chapter 3

The test… How could I ever forget…?

Sephectja entered the room, and casually sat on the table opposite the door, and picked up the piece of Parchment on it. I followed her through, and was tailed by Zendra and Rasputen. Rasputen was a quiet Tarutaru; I don’t really remember him, well, at least not before the exam. After we had all entered the room, the door closed, leaving us in the darkened room with only a tiny lamp for illumination.
“What have we gotta do then?” Zendra said promptly
“It says we have to locate a crystal with the Windurstian emblem on it, and bring it back here and place in the receptacle on the door to unlock it.
I then walked over to the door to inspect it
“That must be it then” I explained, running my hands across it.
“We need to get out of this room first” added Rasputen
“Hmmm…” Sephectja said, scratching her head in confusion.
I then noticed something “Hey! A goblet!”
All of the group members walked over to it.
“What do we do to it?” Zendra asked mysteriously.
“We fill it with water?” Rasputen replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“And how do you propose we do that? We weren’t allowed items here”
Rasputen sighed and said “Bloody hell, move over”
Rasputen walked through and cast water on over the goblet. Within seconds, it was full, and the stone arms holding the goblet lowered, revealing an entrance.
“I knew that” Zendra quickly added, causing us to laugh, and Rasputen to sigh dejectedly. We then began down the tunnel. The tunnel began to get narrow, and was getting hard for us to get through, so we were relieved when we made it to the end. We dropped off a small ledge, and into another room, this one was slightly bigger, and had better lighting. On the wall opposite, there was another list of instructions. I remember reading them, and the cold dread that swept over my body. I don’t really remember whether or not it caused by the shear dread of what I had just read, or the force of energy which had just shot by me, but that’s not important. What is important is that we had just been confronted by an Ice Elemental.
“WHAT THE?!” Zendra screamed as it launched a spear of ice at him, which hit him square on the chest, causing him to fly backwards, while Sephectja ran forwards and slashed at it, causing it to send shards of ice in her direction. Unlike Zendra who I had just cured, and was now getting to his feet, Sephectja carried on slicing it, and the spikes continued to attack her causing her to occasionally yelp. I cured her before she shouted
“We’re not damaging this thing! Nuke!”
Rasputen and Zendra obviously didn’t need telling twice, they attacked it with Aero. I then shouted
“Use fire!”
Zendra did, which caused an eruption of crimson flames to engulf the elemental, but seemed to be over powered as its singed his eyebrows off. Rasputen muttered “Amateur” before casting it himself, perfectly targeted, and caused the elemental to fall to pieces. Left on the ground, was a key, which I picked up and handed to Sephectja, which she pocketed and began towards a locked door at the other end of the room. She then opened the door, and a Tarutaru came bursting through, his robes on fire. Zendra cast a quick water spell on him, which made me laugh – which caused me to get dirty looks off the Tarutaru who had nearly been roasted alive – and I cured him up while Rasputen helped him to his feet.
“Sooo! Who are you?” Zendra asked, but before the response, the Tarutaru walked over and booted him in the shins. Once again, I couldn’t contain my laughter.
“Don’t pour water on me again!” He said, shaking his head at Zendra. “And I’m Blabj!”
“What happened to your party?” I asked him.
“Hehe, they died and I ran off!” Blabj replied, mischievously. Sephectja stood on the spot, deep in thought; I knew what was coming next.
“Sooo, can I join you guys?”
I began to say “Of Cou…” but was abruptly interrupted by Sephectja.
“No… I have orders; you had best go back to the entrance.”
“Awww…!” Moaned Blabj
“I’m sorry, rules are rules. Now, we better get going!” Sephectja proclaimed.
The rest of the party followed Sephectja down through the ruins, but I waited at the back.
“I’m sorry, she’s like that sometimes” I told Blabj
“Yeah well, I better be off” He replied indignantly before hoisting himself up to the ledge we had originally dropped from, and running up the tunnel. I waited for a second, before returning to the party.

When I got there, they had already encountered another enemy, a Cardian gone berserk this time. It was flailing its staff at Sephectja, and knocking her about like a rag doll. I quickly healed her, and the next thing I knew was that I was being battered senseless. Sephectja used Chain Spell and began nuking it down with petty Elemental Magic, whilst Zendra and Rasputen where under the sleep effect. Sephectja pulled hate back with the nuking, and I cured her, again pulling hate for a second time, but this time it cast Sleepga. Naturally, I was woken by the attacks, and just as I thought I was dead, it exploded into flames, its screeching bouncing off the walls in the room, being feebly lit up by an eerie green crystal. Blabj was at the entrance, I was safe. At least I thought I was. Blabj went down in one hit being a, Tarutaru Black Mage and all. I tried casting Banish, and I had no MP… Sephectja woke, and the Cardian cast Bind and Silence on him.
“DIA!” Sephectja screamed.
I began casting. The result of it had not been as I hope, a mini explosion inflicting the Dia status on all of us, but the Cardian dropped to the ground in a pile of Rubble. Blabj then burst into a flurry of white light, and rose to the ground.
“Re-raise potion!” Blabj said through a large grin. Sephectja’s status effects wore, and helped me wake the Sleeping Zendra and Rasputen. Zendra opened his eyes slowly and said through a long yawn “did I miss something?”
Sephectja shook her head at him, and picked up the Crystal, marked with the Windurstian Emblem on the wall, and began back up the tunnel.

 

[Blabj]

Haha I loved reading all of them curj ^^ I can't wait for the next installments!!

<3

 

[Rasputen]

^.^ Sarcasm

 

[.Curjos.]

Chapter 4

A week had past since the exam, and it was graduation day. I can still remember how nervous I was. It was a fine day again, it always like this as I remember. I remember that I had a nightmare that night… I dreamed that a Hume Dark Knight was watching me, and as I graduated he said “You have disgraced me, your nation and your mother”, that’s the part where I would wake up in a cold sweat and that man turned out to be… Wait, I’m rambling again… Anyways, back to the story. I woke up and went downstairs, and joined Sephectja who judging by the look on her face, was more nervous than me. Lorrah seemed upset that day, I didn’t know why at the time, but now being older, I realise she was sad that we where about to leave to become adventurers, if we graduated then we would get our Mog House key, automatic rank 3 and an Adventurers Certificate, Chocobo License, as well as an offer to join the War Warlocks military training program, which was my original intention. It had been my dream to be the first Hume to enter the ranks of the War Warlocks since I was a child. Oh how people change…

Since the exam, Blabj, Zendra, Rasputen, Sephectja and I had gotten very close. When we finished, we packed our bags and went to Valkurm Dunes for 4 days and trained up, we must have been around level 20 then, can’t really remember exactly. As I was saying, before graduation we all sat outside Windurst in Eastern Sarutabaruta, staring out over the Pamtam Straits, the sea was still and soft, it looked like melted Jade. Little did any of us know that this would be the last time that we would hang together by Windurst. The events which follow this scene will change everything.
“I can’t believe it’s so close…” Muttered Zendra. We all just stared into the distance, the sun setting making everything glow in a crimson light.
“What’re we gonna do when we graduate?” I asked everyone
“Hm… I wanna stay in Windurst and join become a Tactician Magician, hopefully.” Was what Rasputen said, if I remember right.
“Me? I wanna go back to Norg I guess. I’m thinking of stopping Black Mage, but I like the nuking, but hate the physical weakness. I guess going to Bastok and training up Warrior a bit couldn’t do any harm.” Is what Zendra wanted to do.
“Well, I wanna be the best Black Mage Vana’Diel!” Is what Blabj wanted to do, and still does. We never got an answer off Sephectja…
“I guess we should go…”

We turned up at Heavens Tower within the hour. I remember that we where all instructed to stand in a line. We where stood in silence for about 10 minutes, the atmosphere was very tense. The parents of all the candidates where sat at the back, who seemed as nervous as the children. Then Kuppipi stood up with a scroll of parchment.
“I will now read out your group name and leader, you will then follow your leader up to the Vestal Chamber, where you will receive your report. First up is group 1.”
With this we all went towards the door, other than Blabj.
“Good Luck guys” Blabj muttered, looking down at the floor.
I then looked Sephectja in her eyes. She turned to Blabj and smiled.
“Blabj, you where the person who won our fight, you come too.”

When we reached the top, Sephectja, was called into the room. After about 10 minutes she was escorted out of the room, and down the stairs, with a silence spell put on her. We all exchanged nervous looks, before we too, where called into the chamber.

Once inside, we saw nothing, until Sedjal-Godjal appeared in a cloud of Magical energy again.
“Hm… I was watching your progress in there, and it wasn’t good I’m afraidy-waid…” He said, disappointedly
Zendra couldn’t contain himself and blurted out “Wha?!”
Sedjal-Godjal turned around and said “For a start, you couldn’t even get a fire spell right, Curjos couldn’t manage a simple Dia spell and Blabj didn’t even follow his correct group! Rasputen, how ever has passed with honours, you lot just scraped the grade…”
“We passed?!” Zendra said, the anger in his voice had turned to ut-most joy
“Don’t get cocky-wocky! If it had been up to me you would have all failed!” He said in a frustrated voice.
We all jumped for joy, laughing. I couldn’t believe that 13 years of hard work was over, and it had all payed off! This, I thought at the time, was the happiest day of my life. But when I got home that night, it would all be ruined…

 

[.Curjos.]

Currently working on next chapter! Hoping for it to be ready asap!

 

[.Curjos.]

Chapter 5

I remember getting home with Sephectja late that night. We’d just had a celebration party in Zendra’s new Mog house, so it was late. Me and Sephectja returned and entered the house, the door had been left wide open. We walked in, all the lights off, and the fire hadn’t been lit like it normally was on in an evening. We both knew something was wrong.
“Mom!” Sephectja called, her voice worried echoing through the house as though it was a cave. No Response. She shouted again, and again once more, but we didn’t get an answer. We exchanged nervous looks, and headed up stairs. When we reached the top, we saw the light on in her room. Sephectja cautiously walked over, and pulled open the door. The silence was night was soon interrupted by Sephectja’s scream. The next thing I new, was that a jet of fire shot from the door way, hitting Sephectja in her face, causing her to go flying backwards and the fall unconscious on the floor. I stood there, frozen on the spot. I heard foot-steps coming from the door. They where getting louder. I was paralyzed in fear, and then I saw him. A man came out of the room; his build was that of a Hume. I didn’t see his face; he was covered from head to toe in Black Armour, with purple markings on in some places. He had a menacingly black and shining scythe hanging from his back. His helmeted face pointed towards Sephectja’s unconscious body. It then slowly turned to me. At first, I expected him to whip out his scythe and maul me, but he walked over to me, and looked at me. I stared at his face, or his helmet, and he stared back. He shook his head at me, before raising a fist and smashing me in the face.

The next thing that I can remember was that I was lying on the floor, it must have been 1 or 2 hours later, and Sephectja was still unconscious on the floor. I walked into the room, stepping over Sephectja’s body. I walked over to the bed, and it was as though my worse nightmare had come to life. I realised now why Sephectja had screamed. I wish I couldn’t see what was before me, but I couldn’t turn away. I was rigid. Larroh Jakobah lay there, massacred on the bed. Crimson blood clung to the walls of the room and her bed sheets, and her stomach had been ripped open, her eyes wide, yet the spark of life had gone from them. I couldn’t see the rest of her face, it had been mutilated. I fell on all fours, I couldn’t believe what I had just seen. I whimpered, before dragging myself to a corner in which I vomited. I didn’t know what to do. I was dazed, I didn’t believe what I had just seen. Events from the day where whizzing through my head, and then I screamed. All I could do was scream.

I got to my feet and staggered out of the room, my head throbbing from the blow I had taken earlier, or was it from the shock? My legs felt like led, I dragged myself downstairs, not knowing where I was going or what I was going to do. I just walked into the street and collapsed on the floor…

 

[Rasputen]

Poor Larroh Jakobah :'(

 

[tonicfly]

more more i must read more this story is great

 

[Grem]

I missread the title as "the oranges of Curjos"

 

[Brin]

*added thread to the Tavern's Library*

 

[.Curjos.]

Chapter 6

I woke up the next morning the vestal chamber. Sephectja was lying next to me, the burns on her face had gone and she was sleeping softly. My head ache was blindingly painful; I guess my wounds weren’t bad enough to attract the attention of the medics. I cured my face, and the puce bruise faded into my skin without a trace and my head ache faded with it.
“Oh well, that’s you sorted then!”
I jumped, and looked behind me. Semih Lafinah was sat upon a desk. I new that I was going to be interrogated about what happened last night, and I really couldn’t be bothered. The Mithra who had raised me, the Mithra had taken me in when nobody else would was dead.
“Have you seen the message beforrre?” She asked, holding out a piece of parchment. I took the sheet. The sheet read “Curjos, this isn’t over. Return to Basto...” The rest of the parchment had been torn, I couldn’t read any more.
“No” I replied, truthfully, although she wasn’t convinced.
“Hm… I’m confused about why some one would leave this” She blurted out suspiciously.
“They obviously didn’t leave it on purpose; you can see that it’s been torn!”
Rasputen shouted, as he entered the room with Zendra and Blabj.
“I don’t rrre-call asking forrr you to enterrr this questioning!” Semih scowled and Zendra added “Look, the closest person he has to a mother has just been murdered, and it’s bad enough that you’re trying to shove the blame onto him!”
“I’m not trrrying to shove the blame onto anyone!” She cried
Sephectja began to awake at this point. She rubbed her eyes, and looked around. She sat there for a moment. She hadn’t remembered what happened.
“Currrjos, you should leave”
I did, I couldn’t bear to see Sephectja, or break the news about what had happened to her.

I was at my new Mog House within the hour. I stormed in and began rummaging through my Mog safe which I had filled the night before. I began pulling out robes, potions, weapons and spell scrolls. Zendra, Rasputen and Blabj stood at the entrance, silent and staring at me. I then checked my Delivery Box, 40k had come through from the Silk I had sold earlier, I was set to leave.
“Where are you going?” Blabj asked, timidly.
“Bastok” I said, my voice trembling with anger.
“Why Bastok” Zendra asked in a confused manor.
“Because, this note reads ‘Return to Basto’, where else could it mean?” I muttered through gritted teeth.
“And how exactly do you intend on getting there?” Rasputen asked. He seemed angry at me for some reason.
“I’ll take a Chocobo to Mhuara, and get the boat to Selbina and walk the rest of the way.”
Zendra began saying “This is ridi…” But I just stormed out, leaving them standing there.

When I reached the Chocobo stables, I saw Sephectja sitting in the corner, sobbing. A sudden rush of guilt flooded me, I was going to leave her for the first time ever. I didn’t want to say goodbye. I opened the door, and stood in the entrance, I couldn’t bring myself to talk to her. It was my fault her mother was dead.
“You’re not going alone” she called behind. I turned around, and she had stood up.
“Its not safe” I replied
“Well, I have more chance of surviving than you…” She added “And I was leaving anyways”
“Where?” I asked, curiously
“Anywhere, I just need to leave for a while."
Then, Blabj came shooting around the corner, and leapt right for my legs, causing me to crash to the ground.
“Oi! You’re not going without us!” He yelled. I looked up and Rasputen and Zendra had come running around the corner. I sighed, but this was a mask. Deep down I was so happy that they where coming. It was time to leave Windurst, and this is where my life and adventurer began.

 

[.Curjos.]

The good stuff is about to start now! Stay tuned for more chapters ^^

 

[Blabj]

Curjos your story is amazing! I'm so happy to be in it! Now all you need to do is kill yourself off and make me the star of the show... :3

 

[Cleofis]

Curjos your story is amazing! I'm so happy to be in it! Now all you need to do is kill yourself off and make me the star of the show... :3

NEVER Cleofis needs to save you all from the evil perils of something.