Post by King Roxa Hiaten on Dec 18, 2009 18:41:19 GMT -5
This is it folks, the last piece of the saga!
Part III
"Ahh but Roxa... that is the thing, although you fail to admit it, you do know me"
Roxa was wandering through Ignis, he had spent another few month's hunting down a man who's name he did not even know, the man who had killed his mother. He grew more and more irate every day and his anger and hatred festered and grew like a plague in a close knit community, spreading and growing with each passing day. Somewhere in this small nation of fire he believed the man who murdered his mother was resting his head, sleeping some blissfully peaceful sleep with no idea that a fury that was no doubt out looking for him.
He had constantly pondered this thought until he walked into a small village, pulling up the hood of the large black overcoat that he was wearing, he hid his face from view and reminiced on the time he had killed the bandit leader Derezza and taken this jacket from him. A girl around the age of seventeen walked through the village, a lot of the local's bowed down to her as if she were some form of goddess which made Roxa somewhat curious. All of a sudden she lept in front of him with a smile playing across her face "You know, a man your age should smile more" she gave him a bright smile "What brings you here, if I may ask?" she said, Roxa seemed somewhat stunned and stopped moving, he could certainly see a particular reason why they might worship her, she was a very pretty girl, but then again now that he thought about it he had spent six years without even casting a thought to anyone but his family, he glanced down at the floor somewhat nervously "I am looking for someone" he said resting his hands against the outside of the overcoat, he knew he could have his sword out in a split second. The girl simply nodded "Oh really? I know everyone in this village so I can help you" it appears that she had not yet noticed the two swords hanging from his waist under the coat, she looked at him with a sense of interest that worried Roxa slightly "Of course if you want my help that is" Roxa nodded slowly "The man's name is a mystery to me" He said quietly, his face still shrouded in shadow's behind the hood "All I know about him is that he is the reason that my mother's ashes rest in the smouldering remains of my home" In an instant his left arm flashed underneath his overcoat and came back out gripping a glittering silver blade adorned with a blue heart shaped jewel in the hilt "And I need to make sure that this does not move by"
The girl simply blinked a few times "Revenge for your family...? I'm sorry to hear..." her voice seemed to grow smaller with each word "How long have you been looking?" Roxa took a deep breath "Six years..." he said his gaze moving upwards slightly, the blue iris' of his eyes seemed to suddenly leap from the dark shadow's of his hood "I spent three years hunting the man who killed my father, and now I have spent another three hunting the man who killed my mother" She looked aghast "Six years!?" She gasped "No wonder, you look tired. Tell me you at least stop to eat and sleep!?" She seemed to try and look underneath the hood and see his face. Roxa's nerves rattled at her concern, the last thing he wanted was to become emotionally
attached to anyone "Every two or three days" He said sheathing the weapon back under his overcoat "In fact that is why I'm here, I plan on resting tonight and then head out again in the morning" again the girl looked somewhat worred "Two or three days...? I can't last five hours without eating something" She snapped her fingers "I got it! You can eat over at my house, I mean sure you act scary but I'm sure you're just a nice guy on the inside... I think" well she didn't plan on waiting for an answer, she grabbed hold of Roxa's hand and somewhat reluctantly dragged him towards a small house made of stone with a few plant's surrounding it, Roxa noticed that it stood alone "Here it is" she announced "Small I know, but I like it"
Roxa simply shrugged slightly "I have seen worse places..." He said The girl simply nodded slightly "Right" she said opening the door, inside it wasn't much just a bed and a kitchen and that was realy it "So what's your name?" she asked, Roxa raised his eyes slightly behind the hood "Roxa Sairen" he replied "And may I ask yours?" the girl simply smiled across at him "Alessia, so you've been tracking a man all the way to Ignis?" He nodded "Alessia..." He muttered quietly as if testing saying the name "But yes, I spent three years hunting a bandit lord named Derezza, then I've spent the most recent three years hunting a mystery figure who is the reason my mother is dead" he pulled the hood of the overcoat down and the blonde spikes of his hair pointed in every possible direction "And I will find him" as he spoke she started to heat up some water on a fire, she seemed to be listening intently before pouring out two cup's of hot tea "So all of these years alone... Do you ever get... lonely?" Roxa started to worry slightly before a small voice chimed in his head "Don't let her know how lonely it can get, the long day's and freezing nights with nought for a companion because then you may end up having to care for her as well as yourself! Roxa simply shrugged "When you have revenge as a companion their isn't much time for being lonely" He crossed his arms across his chest before smiling to himself "Strange, I've spent the past two weeks without saying a word" He chuckled slightly. She simply laughed along with him "Right, right" she sat down opposite him, she seemed to be thinking of something to say, was all of this doom, gloom and revenge getting to her? "So" she started "This guy named Kain came into town awhile ago asking me to join a group called The Saints, I actually thought you were with him judging from his power. I guess I was wrong... am I?" Roxa had heard the name before but he had not yet met the man Roxa shook his head lightly before drinking from the cup he had been given "I have heard of him but I have never met him" he looked across at her "Although I hear their are certain... Restrictions, did you accept his offer?" She placed her cup onto the small table "I have not, I see no reason to join, But... What restrictions do they have...?" Roxa simply shrugged "I'm not sure myself" He placed his own cup onto the table "All I hear are rumours" She seemed to fade off "Oh..." She said drifting off into thought, with a quick shake of her head she seemed to get back on subject "Well I don't believe I saw anyone you mentioned come into town, and I'm in the guard so I see everyone who comes here, So sorry about that" Roxa simply nodded and finished off the tea before standing up straight "Well I think I'd better be off..." He said his stare resting nowhere in particular "I apologise for any trouble I may have caused" "Y-you're leaving?" Roxa could notice the clear sound of disappointment in her voice as he stood up. She soon however gave him another smile "Well, uh, you didn't cause any trouble. Actually if you ever come around this part again I would... like...like to see you again sometime" She quickly drank the rest of her tea. Roxa paused for a moment and looked back, his expression seemed torn slightly, it had been so long since he had stayed in a town properly yet he still had his revenge to exact. He made his decision "I...I guess I could stay in town for the night..." He said "You are an idiot my friend" that little voice sighed "Now you are emotionally attached to the girl, you will never get rid of her from your mind now!"
Alessia's face seemed to lighten up slightly and Roxa found himself smiling at her "That's great! If you don't want to stay in those Inns I have an extra bed around here I'm sure, if you'd like to stay here" Roxa smiled again, he had not taken an interest in someone other than his family since Grain and his family and that was six years ago "Sure...! I guess..." and again the voice chimed in "Did you have to sound so enthusiastic? At this rate your going to be driven off track for this girl!" Roxa scratched the back of his head "Erm... Thanks for this..." he said quietly "Alright, I'll go get everything ready!" She yelled running into a small room, "Okay! I found something and- Whoa!" a loud thudding noise reverberated from the room as a small silence fell over the house "I'm okay... I just tripped" she moved around setting up a second bed whilst Roxa moved into the doorway and simply watched... feeling somewhat sheepish and unsure on how he should help, it seemed that in all his years of travelling, life skills had disappeared slightly. In the end he decided the best thing to do would be to simply say "Erm... A-Are you okay?" she tripped over again as she brought out a pillow "No, I'm fine! Just trying to get everything ready for you" Roxa seemed uncomfortable having her do so much for him, she stopped eventually and took a deep breath, it seemed she tripped more and more when she was nervous "So, uh, anything else you need?" Roxa shook his head smiling "No" he said starting to chuckle slightly "I think all I'll need is the bare essentials" She smiled back before moving over to her own bed and sitting atop it "Well I don't know about you but this is my first time having someone sleep over, what about you?" He scratched his head before sitting at the foot of the bed she had set up "I think other than sharing a room with my sister I've never slept in another person's house or room" Alessia rested her head against her pillow staring upwards at the roof "You loved your family a lot huh? All this time and you still look for the ones who... well you know. I think that's pretty nice that you live up to their memory but I'm sure there are other ways to do it than revenge..." She quietened down after her little monologue, it seems she was afraid she may have angered him yet he simply frowned in thought "How many times I've wished to simply be able to walk away from my revenge..." He sighed and rested his head against the pillow "Yet something draws me back in..." she nodded "I see..." she closed her eyes "You should watch out, they said that Duo became what he is because of revenge. I don't think a guy like you could become a monster like him but still, it sure seems that revenge consumes the soul" He stared up at the roof as her words rang through his mind "If I ever become like Duo..." he said quietly he said closing his eyes "Get any soldiers or warriors you can and kill me" He smiled grimly before drifting off to sleep "Right... Kill you..." those last words tasted sour in her mouth but still she drifted to sleep.
Roxa opened his eyes and turned to face Alessia in the other bed, she was asleep and Roxa could not help but watch her for a few minuites before concentrating on the task at hand, sitting up he fished around for some paper and pulling a small home-made pencil from his pocket he scrawled onto the paper
Alessia,
I apologise for not being able to stay long enough to say goodbye, but it appears that my revenge calls for me to be elsewhere. Maybe once I have avenged my family and this passion for the murderer's death is gone I may be able to return, but I am afraid that until then I must be gone for a while...
Roxa
He left the note on Alessia's pillow next to her head before heading out of the small house and towards the edge of the small village with nought but a quick glance back.
"Awww, I'm touched Roxa I really am, but I must admit you did well to turn your back on her, she would only have become a distraction and a waste of our time" the velvet voice said with sarcastic sympathy "Who are you?!" Roxa growled through his teeth, the voice simply laughed at him "Ahh but Roxa... that is the thing, although you fail to admit it, you do know me" Roxa furrowed his brow in thought "No that is not true at all" but yet again the voice laughed "Oh but now you have a clue don't you? You have this little feeling who I am but one thing stops you believing it" Roxa shook his head as if to relieve himself of the voice "No, you cannot be that person, your voice is not right!" Roxa hissed praying no-one was nearby listening to him talk to himself "See now I am not exactly that person, I am more a mental embodiment of that person's hatred and rage, and I believe you know now don't you, It all makes sense" Roxa blinked a few times, his stare lingering on the floor ahead of him. He parted his lips and uttered a single word "Eva..."
Yes now it made sense to him, when the arrow punctured her throat and she turned to him... it was not a look of sorrow and helplessness that she had shown, it was a look of anger and rage... When she had reached out to him so that he could help her, she was signalling for him to kill those who did this... When she had collapsed the small glitter in her eyes which he had believed was a tear, was in fact a look of fury which had not suited her young features. Yes, now it all made sense...
Roxa opened his eyes slightly and did nothing to wipe the warm tears that were now streaming down his cheeks "So this is what you've become?" He asked scouring his mind in the hopes of finding Ave... or Eva... "Yes Roxa, this is what I have become" the voice replied although it was softer this time around, the voice of a girl. He sat on the floor cross-legged and buried his face in his hands "Do you have a physical appearance?" He asked trying his best to halt the sobs racking his body "While no-one will ever see it yes I have an image of what I should look like if I were to have a body of my own... Would you care to see?" before Roxa could even answer his mind was filled with images of a pretty blonde girl about his age with sapphire blue eyes that were eeriely similar to his own, he simply gasped slightly and was pulled back into the real world "Shan Melshan" the voice whispered, now back to it's hostile male tone "He is just south of our current position, please just go and finish him" Roxa stood up with a fresh resolve and headed southwards towards the man who now had a name.
Shan Melshan sighed outwards as he looked across the swamp which was spewing magma all over the plain's, he looked across at the other nine men with whom he travelled and shook his head. Yes they were able warriors but all the same they were hired mercenaries and he couldn't help but worry they may stab him in the back, he pulled his large two handed sword from his back and scanned the horizon carefully. All of a sudden a high-pitched scream of terror broke from the back of the lines, Shan and the other eight mercenaries turned at once to find the other warrior half submerged in lava screaming his lungs out, it seems he had slipped and fallen in yet he was at least ten feet away from the lava pool when Shan had last seen him. Drawing the weapon up to his head he looked around with his brow furrowed in thought "Close the lines" he grumbled as the soldiers he had hired closed around him and scanned their surroundings for any sight on whoever or whatever had caused their comrade to fall into the lava, they thought themselves safe in their small circle and they were right it seems that nothing would be able to reach any of the warriors without alerting the rest of them. Everything was quiet save for the last grasping screams of their now dead partner...
Roxa watched from the long grass that he was laying in and he knew that he would not be able to penetrate that circle easily, yes he had the magic which seemed to be able to control the air around him but he was unsure on how well he could control it and he didn't want to compromise himself. To think he was so close to one of his greatest enemies and he had to lie and waist like a coward, he simply watched like some sort of hunter as his prey fumbled around, he patiently waited like a predator waiting for the simple creature he was chasing to make a stupid mistake and open it's unprotected flanks for attack. The opportunity never arised, for a whole hour the group stood in a tight knit circle so they must be very well trained, Roxa was unsure on how he should proceed after all they knew he was there and he knew they were there all he needed was something to tilt the odds in his favour "I could handle that" Ave whispered in the back of his mind, Roxa had decided to name it Ave when it used the dark sadistic male voice and call it Eva when it portrayed his loving former sister, "Just let me handle them" he was unsure of what to make of this so he simply opened his mind and let Ave, the inner demon of his soul take control of his body.
Everything was red, everything from the sky to the floor was a pale shade of red. Ave stood up straight and unsheathed the dark onyx sword and pointed it at the group of soldiers "Evening boys!" He shouted moving forwards "You went and killed my mother six years ago!" He yelled getting ever closer "And we want our revenge!" he dissapeared in a flash, he was nowhere to be seen, the men looked around frantically expecting him to have jumped off somewhere yet none of them could find Ave. It had to be at least half a minuite before one turned to the inner circle of the group to find Ave just stood there grinning like the embodiment of evil and insanity, before the man could gasp or scream the sword ran across his throat and a fine line of blood gushed from the wound and he collapsed onto the floor dead, dark splatters of blood staining his face. Ave moved from the inner circle with his free hand glowing and pulsating with dark energy, he walked with unparalled grace yet his movements could strike fear into the strongest of opponents the way his shoulders rolled as if stretching for the light excercise that was to come, one of the merc's charged him only to be raised into the air by dark magic and tossed into a lava pit which went on to eat away at his flesh, muscle and bone with agonising strength, a second tried to attack him while he was distracted, swinging an axe towards his head but the sword came up and blocked the strike, his body didn't move an inch and his face showed no sign of strain, the attacked on the other hand was struggling with all his might before Ave raised the glowing hand with his palm open, he slowly curled the open hand into a fist before a light popping noise came from his assailant, blood poured from every possible escape point in his face, from his eyes, his ears, his nose and his mouth, he collapsed onto the floor long deceased before he hit the ground with a crushed brain thumping weakly against his skull. Three mercenaries dead only five remaining and then Shan himself, two archers crouched down and fired in Ave's direction but they seemed to bounce off of nothing, Ave rushed forwards with demonic speed and sheathed his sword as he went, reaching the two archers he gripped their throats and hoisted them into the air with ease as if they were nought but feathers, they squirmed and kicked at his wrists but he did not relent instead he slowly closed off their airways effectivley choking them to death. Tossing the two corpses aside he turned to the final three and grinned darkly at them "And what to do with you?" He mused taking a step forward as they took a step back making him chuckle slightly "That's right fear the kid" he hissed smiling before moving his pulsating hand in a series of intricate motions creating a dark black symbol to levitate in the air, he then muttered in-comprehendable words under his breath and the symbol started to unravel itself and change into the shape of a perfect circle, this then wrapped itself around Ave's feet "Basuto" he muttered and the circle erupted outwards past the three men who simply fell over in fear "Girochin" he muttered this time around and the circle closed inwards cutting the three men in half. Ave stood up straight and let the torso's of the three men fall to the floor, the battle had not lasted two minuites, he turned to Faran who was looking for an escape route "All your's brother" he muttered and then he closed his eyes.
Roxa opened his eyes to have only a large throbbing pain in his head greet him, he felt as if the inside of his skull was on fire and protesting against the savage beating it had taken... Although Roxa did not remember anything of the sort. All around him lay devastation and death, things that he had done yet he had not done, these men had not died the death's they should have died these death's were not honourable they were executions. Roxa looked up to find Shan stood there cowering with wide eyes as he stared at Roxa as if he were some sort of demon, it was then that he forgot everything, he blanked out the dead corpses of what were his foes and moved forwards towards Shan, ignoring the violent protests of the pain in his head and grabbed the collar of Shan's leather armour, pulling him back slightly he placed the onyx blade's tip lightly against his stomach "You did it didn't you" he hissed at him, Shan simply whimpered "D-d-d-did what?" He recieved a knee into his groin which forced him onto his knee's "You were involved in the bandit attack six years ago weren't you, it was you who raped the woman who begged the child to flee wasn't it!" He slammed his knee into the man's groin again forcing a weep from him "Yes, Yes, Yes it was me, but I was only following orders, I mean what else was I to do!?" He got a knee in his jaw this time sending him reeling backwards knocking him against the floor, Roxa followed after the blow and pointed the sword at his throat "I'm sure your orders were not to do such things to the woman!" He roared in pure fury, the man started to speak something but was cut off by the swishing of the sword, his throat opened up in a flow of blood and he gagged for a moment before dropping dead, yet that did not stop Roxa, he swung the weapon again and again and again until the man's neck and most of his lower face were no more. Dropping onto his knees he released the weapon in his hand and took many many deep breath's and tried to steady himself, tried to calm himself and get his body to relax from it's current tensed state.
Roxa had decided his conciense was too scarred for him to head back towards the small village where he had met Alessia and instead he set off for Crepusculum hoping to hide himself among the many other's so that he could find the last and final piece of the puzzle "I do not know who killed me..." Eva said solemnly in the dark corner of his mind, he had been not too friendly with her after what she did to those mercenaries. He was stood in the centre of Crepusculum when a man wearing a dark cloak that hid his eyes approached him "I know that face" he said "That's the face of someone who's lost a loved one" Roxa was irate and not in the mood for a man's literary "And that's the tone of a man who looks for death..." He quipped but the man simply raised his head and made direct eye contact with him "I apologise Roxa, when you walked by me I sensed a lot of power that you have... My name is Kain Angelo, and I'm just like you" Roxa simply snorted slightly before staring upwards at Kain with his sapphire blue eyes that despite his young age seemed to swim with experience "you are just like me? so you've spent the last six years of your life viciously hunting down two men and killing any and I mean Any person that stood in your way, simply so you could avenge the death's of two people?" Kain simply shook his head "No, but my brother was just like you, always looking for revenge and I will tell you this Roxa, revenge doesn't help, do you know what the greatest revenge is?" Roxa growled irritably "Pray tell Kain what is the greatest revenge?" he asked sighing slightly, the man's rhetoric was starting to bore him, already he had cut down Derezza and slaughtered Shan, he needed to set off and find the archer responsible for Eva's death "Live well, it is the greatest revenge. To let your enemy see you like that will only give them what they want, knowing they turned you into one of them" Kain mutterd placing a hand on Roxa's shoulder "Don't go down this path, It will only haunt you for the rest of your life" Roxa simply nodded slowly "But first... My sister must be avenged" he reached back and pulled the dark hood over his head "And I believe that you could help me with that..." Kain smiled and simply nodded.
From that day onwards Roxa Sairen was officialy a member of the Saint's, together with warriors such as Kain and Everto they expanded not just their number's but their reputation in vast proportions. Alessia would find that her home was attacked by the armies of Duo and petition for the Saint's to aid her, when they arrived her home town was burnt to the ground and she joined the saint's in the hope of revenge. Roxa asked one simple thing of Kain during Duo's attack on Ignis, that Alessia does not know his involvement in the Saint's and she did not, it was not until a few month's before they were all sealed in the sky that Alessia actually learnt of Roxa being alive and well. The Saint's fought Duo's army only to have their allies flee the field of battle to allow their last hope of freedom become sealed off away from the world. But now they are free, and while the other's dream of revenge on those who abandoned them, they say that Roxa still plots and schemes with Ave knawing away at his mind. His revenge... is nowhere near complete
Part III
"Ahh but Roxa... that is the thing, although you fail to admit it, you do know me"
Roxa was wandering through Ignis, he had spent another few month's hunting down a man who's name he did not even know, the man who had killed his mother. He grew more and more irate every day and his anger and hatred festered and grew like a plague in a close knit community, spreading and growing with each passing day. Somewhere in this small nation of fire he believed the man who murdered his mother was resting his head, sleeping some blissfully peaceful sleep with no idea that a fury that was no doubt out looking for him.
He had constantly pondered this thought until he walked into a small village, pulling up the hood of the large black overcoat that he was wearing, he hid his face from view and reminiced on the time he had killed the bandit leader Derezza and taken this jacket from him. A girl around the age of seventeen walked through the village, a lot of the local's bowed down to her as if she were some form of goddess which made Roxa somewhat curious. All of a sudden she lept in front of him with a smile playing across her face "You know, a man your age should smile more" she gave him a bright smile "What brings you here, if I may ask?" she said, Roxa seemed somewhat stunned and stopped moving, he could certainly see a particular reason why they might worship her, she was a very pretty girl, but then again now that he thought about it he had spent six years without even casting a thought to anyone but his family, he glanced down at the floor somewhat nervously "I am looking for someone" he said resting his hands against the outside of the overcoat, he knew he could have his sword out in a split second. The girl simply nodded "Oh really? I know everyone in this village so I can help you" it appears that she had not yet noticed the two swords hanging from his waist under the coat, she looked at him with a sense of interest that worried Roxa slightly "Of course if you want my help that is" Roxa nodded slowly "The man's name is a mystery to me" He said quietly, his face still shrouded in shadow's behind the hood "All I know about him is that he is the reason that my mother's ashes rest in the smouldering remains of my home" In an instant his left arm flashed underneath his overcoat and came back out gripping a glittering silver blade adorned with a blue heart shaped jewel in the hilt "And I need to make sure that this does not move by"
The girl simply blinked a few times "Revenge for your family...? I'm sorry to hear..." her voice seemed to grow smaller with each word "How long have you been looking?" Roxa took a deep breath "Six years..." he said his gaze moving upwards slightly, the blue iris' of his eyes seemed to suddenly leap from the dark shadow's of his hood "I spent three years hunting the man who killed my father, and now I have spent another three hunting the man who killed my mother" She looked aghast "Six years!?" She gasped "No wonder, you look tired. Tell me you at least stop to eat and sleep!?" She seemed to try and look underneath the hood and see his face. Roxa's nerves rattled at her concern, the last thing he wanted was to become emotionally
attached to anyone "Every two or three days" He said sheathing the weapon back under his overcoat "In fact that is why I'm here, I plan on resting tonight and then head out again in the morning" again the girl looked somewhat worred "Two or three days...? I can't last five hours without eating something" She snapped her fingers "I got it! You can eat over at my house, I mean sure you act scary but I'm sure you're just a nice guy on the inside... I think" well she didn't plan on waiting for an answer, she grabbed hold of Roxa's hand and somewhat reluctantly dragged him towards a small house made of stone with a few plant's surrounding it, Roxa noticed that it stood alone "Here it is" she announced "Small I know, but I like it"
Roxa simply shrugged slightly "I have seen worse places..." He said The girl simply nodded slightly "Right" she said opening the door, inside it wasn't much just a bed and a kitchen and that was realy it "So what's your name?" she asked, Roxa raised his eyes slightly behind the hood "Roxa Sairen" he replied "And may I ask yours?" the girl simply smiled across at him "Alessia, so you've been tracking a man all the way to Ignis?" He nodded "Alessia..." He muttered quietly as if testing saying the name "But yes, I spent three years hunting a bandit lord named Derezza, then I've spent the most recent three years hunting a mystery figure who is the reason my mother is dead" he pulled the hood of the overcoat down and the blonde spikes of his hair pointed in every possible direction "And I will find him" as he spoke she started to heat up some water on a fire, she seemed to be listening intently before pouring out two cup's of hot tea "So all of these years alone... Do you ever get... lonely?" Roxa started to worry slightly before a small voice chimed in his head "Don't let her know how lonely it can get, the long day's and freezing nights with nought for a companion because then you may end up having to care for her as well as yourself! Roxa simply shrugged "When you have revenge as a companion their isn't much time for being lonely" He crossed his arms across his chest before smiling to himself "Strange, I've spent the past two weeks without saying a word" He chuckled slightly. She simply laughed along with him "Right, right" she sat down opposite him, she seemed to be thinking of something to say, was all of this doom, gloom and revenge getting to her? "So" she started "This guy named Kain came into town awhile ago asking me to join a group called The Saints, I actually thought you were with him judging from his power. I guess I was wrong... am I?" Roxa had heard the name before but he had not yet met the man Roxa shook his head lightly before drinking from the cup he had been given "I have heard of him but I have never met him" he looked across at her "Although I hear their are certain... Restrictions, did you accept his offer?" She placed her cup onto the small table "I have not, I see no reason to join, But... What restrictions do they have...?" Roxa simply shrugged "I'm not sure myself" He placed his own cup onto the table "All I hear are rumours" She seemed to fade off "Oh..." She said drifting off into thought, with a quick shake of her head she seemed to get back on subject "Well I don't believe I saw anyone you mentioned come into town, and I'm in the guard so I see everyone who comes here, So sorry about that" Roxa simply nodded and finished off the tea before standing up straight "Well I think I'd better be off..." He said his stare resting nowhere in particular "I apologise for any trouble I may have caused" "Y-you're leaving?" Roxa could notice the clear sound of disappointment in her voice as he stood up. She soon however gave him another smile "Well, uh, you didn't cause any trouble. Actually if you ever come around this part again I would... like...like to see you again sometime" She quickly drank the rest of her tea. Roxa paused for a moment and looked back, his expression seemed torn slightly, it had been so long since he had stayed in a town properly yet he still had his revenge to exact. He made his decision "I...I guess I could stay in town for the night..." He said "You are an idiot my friend" that little voice sighed "Now you are emotionally attached to the girl, you will never get rid of her from your mind now!"
Alessia's face seemed to lighten up slightly and Roxa found himself smiling at her "That's great! If you don't want to stay in those Inns I have an extra bed around here I'm sure, if you'd like to stay here" Roxa smiled again, he had not taken an interest in someone other than his family since Grain and his family and that was six years ago "Sure...! I guess..." and again the voice chimed in "Did you have to sound so enthusiastic? At this rate your going to be driven off track for this girl!" Roxa scratched the back of his head "Erm... Thanks for this..." he said quietly "Alright, I'll go get everything ready!" She yelled running into a small room, "Okay! I found something and- Whoa!" a loud thudding noise reverberated from the room as a small silence fell over the house "I'm okay... I just tripped" she moved around setting up a second bed whilst Roxa moved into the doorway and simply watched... feeling somewhat sheepish and unsure on how he should help, it seemed that in all his years of travelling, life skills had disappeared slightly. In the end he decided the best thing to do would be to simply say "Erm... A-Are you okay?" she tripped over again as she brought out a pillow "No, I'm fine! Just trying to get everything ready for you" Roxa seemed uncomfortable having her do so much for him, she stopped eventually and took a deep breath, it seemed she tripped more and more when she was nervous "So, uh, anything else you need?" Roxa shook his head smiling "No" he said starting to chuckle slightly "I think all I'll need is the bare essentials" She smiled back before moving over to her own bed and sitting atop it "Well I don't know about you but this is my first time having someone sleep over, what about you?" He scratched his head before sitting at the foot of the bed she had set up "I think other than sharing a room with my sister I've never slept in another person's house or room" Alessia rested her head against her pillow staring upwards at the roof "You loved your family a lot huh? All this time and you still look for the ones who... well you know. I think that's pretty nice that you live up to their memory but I'm sure there are other ways to do it than revenge..." She quietened down after her little monologue, it seems she was afraid she may have angered him yet he simply frowned in thought "How many times I've wished to simply be able to walk away from my revenge..." He sighed and rested his head against the pillow "Yet something draws me back in..." she nodded "I see..." she closed her eyes "You should watch out, they said that Duo became what he is because of revenge. I don't think a guy like you could become a monster like him but still, it sure seems that revenge consumes the soul" He stared up at the roof as her words rang through his mind "If I ever become like Duo..." he said quietly he said closing his eyes "Get any soldiers or warriors you can and kill me" He smiled grimly before drifting off to sleep "Right... Kill you..." those last words tasted sour in her mouth but still she drifted to sleep.
Roxa opened his eyes and turned to face Alessia in the other bed, she was asleep and Roxa could not help but watch her for a few minuites before concentrating on the task at hand, sitting up he fished around for some paper and pulling a small home-made pencil from his pocket he scrawled onto the paper
Alessia,
I apologise for not being able to stay long enough to say goodbye, but it appears that my revenge calls for me to be elsewhere. Maybe once I have avenged my family and this passion for the murderer's death is gone I may be able to return, but I am afraid that until then I must be gone for a while...
Roxa
He left the note on Alessia's pillow next to her head before heading out of the small house and towards the edge of the small village with nought but a quick glance back.
"Awww, I'm touched Roxa I really am, but I must admit you did well to turn your back on her, she would only have become a distraction and a waste of our time" the velvet voice said with sarcastic sympathy "Who are you?!" Roxa growled through his teeth, the voice simply laughed at him "Ahh but Roxa... that is the thing, although you fail to admit it, you do know me" Roxa furrowed his brow in thought "No that is not true at all" but yet again the voice laughed "Oh but now you have a clue don't you? You have this little feeling who I am but one thing stops you believing it" Roxa shook his head as if to relieve himself of the voice "No, you cannot be that person, your voice is not right!" Roxa hissed praying no-one was nearby listening to him talk to himself "See now I am not exactly that person, I am more a mental embodiment of that person's hatred and rage, and I believe you know now don't you, It all makes sense" Roxa blinked a few times, his stare lingering on the floor ahead of him. He parted his lips and uttered a single word "Eva..."
Yes now it made sense to him, when the arrow punctured her throat and she turned to him... it was not a look of sorrow and helplessness that she had shown, it was a look of anger and rage... When she had reached out to him so that he could help her, she was signalling for him to kill those who did this... When she had collapsed the small glitter in her eyes which he had believed was a tear, was in fact a look of fury which had not suited her young features. Yes, now it all made sense...
Roxa opened his eyes slightly and did nothing to wipe the warm tears that were now streaming down his cheeks "So this is what you've become?" He asked scouring his mind in the hopes of finding Ave... or Eva... "Yes Roxa, this is what I have become" the voice replied although it was softer this time around, the voice of a girl. He sat on the floor cross-legged and buried his face in his hands "Do you have a physical appearance?" He asked trying his best to halt the sobs racking his body "While no-one will ever see it yes I have an image of what I should look like if I were to have a body of my own... Would you care to see?" before Roxa could even answer his mind was filled with images of a pretty blonde girl about his age with sapphire blue eyes that were eeriely similar to his own, he simply gasped slightly and was pulled back into the real world "Shan Melshan" the voice whispered, now back to it's hostile male tone "He is just south of our current position, please just go and finish him" Roxa stood up with a fresh resolve and headed southwards towards the man who now had a name.
Shan Melshan sighed outwards as he looked across the swamp which was spewing magma all over the plain's, he looked across at the other nine men with whom he travelled and shook his head. Yes they were able warriors but all the same they were hired mercenaries and he couldn't help but worry they may stab him in the back, he pulled his large two handed sword from his back and scanned the horizon carefully. All of a sudden a high-pitched scream of terror broke from the back of the lines, Shan and the other eight mercenaries turned at once to find the other warrior half submerged in lava screaming his lungs out, it seems he had slipped and fallen in yet he was at least ten feet away from the lava pool when Shan had last seen him. Drawing the weapon up to his head he looked around with his brow furrowed in thought "Close the lines" he grumbled as the soldiers he had hired closed around him and scanned their surroundings for any sight on whoever or whatever had caused their comrade to fall into the lava, they thought themselves safe in their small circle and they were right it seems that nothing would be able to reach any of the warriors without alerting the rest of them. Everything was quiet save for the last grasping screams of their now dead partner...
Roxa watched from the long grass that he was laying in and he knew that he would not be able to penetrate that circle easily, yes he had the magic which seemed to be able to control the air around him but he was unsure on how well he could control it and he didn't want to compromise himself. To think he was so close to one of his greatest enemies and he had to lie and waist like a coward, he simply watched like some sort of hunter as his prey fumbled around, he patiently waited like a predator waiting for the simple creature he was chasing to make a stupid mistake and open it's unprotected flanks for attack. The opportunity never arised, for a whole hour the group stood in a tight knit circle so they must be very well trained, Roxa was unsure on how he should proceed after all they knew he was there and he knew they were there all he needed was something to tilt the odds in his favour "I could handle that" Ave whispered in the back of his mind, Roxa had decided to name it Ave when it used the dark sadistic male voice and call it Eva when it portrayed his loving former sister, "Just let me handle them" he was unsure of what to make of this so he simply opened his mind and let Ave, the inner demon of his soul take control of his body.
Everything was red, everything from the sky to the floor was a pale shade of red. Ave stood up straight and unsheathed the dark onyx sword and pointed it at the group of soldiers "Evening boys!" He shouted moving forwards "You went and killed my mother six years ago!" He yelled getting ever closer "And we want our revenge!" he dissapeared in a flash, he was nowhere to be seen, the men looked around frantically expecting him to have jumped off somewhere yet none of them could find Ave. It had to be at least half a minuite before one turned to the inner circle of the group to find Ave just stood there grinning like the embodiment of evil and insanity, before the man could gasp or scream the sword ran across his throat and a fine line of blood gushed from the wound and he collapsed onto the floor dead, dark splatters of blood staining his face. Ave moved from the inner circle with his free hand glowing and pulsating with dark energy, he walked with unparalled grace yet his movements could strike fear into the strongest of opponents the way his shoulders rolled as if stretching for the light excercise that was to come, one of the merc's charged him only to be raised into the air by dark magic and tossed into a lava pit which went on to eat away at his flesh, muscle and bone with agonising strength, a second tried to attack him while he was distracted, swinging an axe towards his head but the sword came up and blocked the strike, his body didn't move an inch and his face showed no sign of strain, the attacked on the other hand was struggling with all his might before Ave raised the glowing hand with his palm open, he slowly curled the open hand into a fist before a light popping noise came from his assailant, blood poured from every possible escape point in his face, from his eyes, his ears, his nose and his mouth, he collapsed onto the floor long deceased before he hit the ground with a crushed brain thumping weakly against his skull. Three mercenaries dead only five remaining and then Shan himself, two archers crouched down and fired in Ave's direction but they seemed to bounce off of nothing, Ave rushed forwards with demonic speed and sheathed his sword as he went, reaching the two archers he gripped their throats and hoisted them into the air with ease as if they were nought but feathers, they squirmed and kicked at his wrists but he did not relent instead he slowly closed off their airways effectivley choking them to death. Tossing the two corpses aside he turned to the final three and grinned darkly at them "And what to do with you?" He mused taking a step forward as they took a step back making him chuckle slightly "That's right fear the kid" he hissed smiling before moving his pulsating hand in a series of intricate motions creating a dark black symbol to levitate in the air, he then muttered in-comprehendable words under his breath and the symbol started to unravel itself and change into the shape of a perfect circle, this then wrapped itself around Ave's feet "Basuto" he muttered and the circle erupted outwards past the three men who simply fell over in fear "Girochin" he muttered this time around and the circle closed inwards cutting the three men in half. Ave stood up straight and let the torso's of the three men fall to the floor, the battle had not lasted two minuites, he turned to Faran who was looking for an escape route "All your's brother" he muttered and then he closed his eyes.
Roxa opened his eyes to have only a large throbbing pain in his head greet him, he felt as if the inside of his skull was on fire and protesting against the savage beating it had taken... Although Roxa did not remember anything of the sort. All around him lay devastation and death, things that he had done yet he had not done, these men had not died the death's they should have died these death's were not honourable they were executions. Roxa looked up to find Shan stood there cowering with wide eyes as he stared at Roxa as if he were some sort of demon, it was then that he forgot everything, he blanked out the dead corpses of what were his foes and moved forwards towards Shan, ignoring the violent protests of the pain in his head and grabbed the collar of Shan's leather armour, pulling him back slightly he placed the onyx blade's tip lightly against his stomach "You did it didn't you" he hissed at him, Shan simply whimpered "D-d-d-did what?" He recieved a knee into his groin which forced him onto his knee's "You were involved in the bandit attack six years ago weren't you, it was you who raped the woman who begged the child to flee wasn't it!" He slammed his knee into the man's groin again forcing a weep from him "Yes, Yes, Yes it was me, but I was only following orders, I mean what else was I to do!?" He got a knee in his jaw this time sending him reeling backwards knocking him against the floor, Roxa followed after the blow and pointed the sword at his throat "I'm sure your orders were not to do such things to the woman!" He roared in pure fury, the man started to speak something but was cut off by the swishing of the sword, his throat opened up in a flow of blood and he gagged for a moment before dropping dead, yet that did not stop Roxa, he swung the weapon again and again and again until the man's neck and most of his lower face were no more. Dropping onto his knees he released the weapon in his hand and took many many deep breath's and tried to steady himself, tried to calm himself and get his body to relax from it's current tensed state.
Roxa had decided his conciense was too scarred for him to head back towards the small village where he had met Alessia and instead he set off for Crepusculum hoping to hide himself among the many other's so that he could find the last and final piece of the puzzle "I do not know who killed me..." Eva said solemnly in the dark corner of his mind, he had been not too friendly with her after what she did to those mercenaries. He was stood in the centre of Crepusculum when a man wearing a dark cloak that hid his eyes approached him "I know that face" he said "That's the face of someone who's lost a loved one" Roxa was irate and not in the mood for a man's literary "And that's the tone of a man who looks for death..." He quipped but the man simply raised his head and made direct eye contact with him "I apologise Roxa, when you walked by me I sensed a lot of power that you have... My name is Kain Angelo, and I'm just like you" Roxa simply snorted slightly before staring upwards at Kain with his sapphire blue eyes that despite his young age seemed to swim with experience "you are just like me? so you've spent the last six years of your life viciously hunting down two men and killing any and I mean Any person that stood in your way, simply so you could avenge the death's of two people?" Kain simply shook his head "No, but my brother was just like you, always looking for revenge and I will tell you this Roxa, revenge doesn't help, do you know what the greatest revenge is?" Roxa growled irritably "Pray tell Kain what is the greatest revenge?" he asked sighing slightly, the man's rhetoric was starting to bore him, already he had cut down Derezza and slaughtered Shan, he needed to set off and find the archer responsible for Eva's death "Live well, it is the greatest revenge. To let your enemy see you like that will only give them what they want, knowing they turned you into one of them" Kain mutterd placing a hand on Roxa's shoulder "Don't go down this path, It will only haunt you for the rest of your life" Roxa simply nodded slowly "But first... My sister must be avenged" he reached back and pulled the dark hood over his head "And I believe that you could help me with that..." Kain smiled and simply nodded.
From that day onwards Roxa Sairen was officialy a member of the Saint's, together with warriors such as Kain and Everto they expanded not just their number's but their reputation in vast proportions. Alessia would find that her home was attacked by the armies of Duo and petition for the Saint's to aid her, when they arrived her home town was burnt to the ground and she joined the saint's in the hope of revenge. Roxa asked one simple thing of Kain during Duo's attack on Ignis, that Alessia does not know his involvement in the Saint's and she did not, it was not until a few month's before they were all sealed in the sky that Alessia actually learnt of Roxa being alive and well. The Saint's fought Duo's army only to have their allies flee the field of battle to allow their last hope of freedom become sealed off away from the world. But now they are free, and while the other's dream of revenge on those who abandoned them, they say that Roxa still plots and schemes with Ave knawing away at his mind. His revenge... is nowhere near complete
