RPG Archives Beads of Balance: Chapter One: Nodum

Athena smiled at the girl and said, "I'm sure that we can manage with him walking on his own steam. If he does fall we can try carrying him then but i doubt that he'll need it. Now where on the other side of town do you want us to help you get to?"

 

"I's a small plaice calld th' Dew Drop Innnn, prha's ya 'eard o' it? We jus' gotta go dun thiz rood, strai' thruu th' skwairr, an' ta' th' firs' left."

 

Natalie stared at the man. She could barely understand what he was saying. She had an odd feeling about him. Plus her covered up manacle hummed a little. She looked at him. Something about him seamed familiar. "What is your name?"

 

Erasmus could've sworn he heard a very, very faint humming, but dismissed it as a ringing in his ears.

"What is your name?"

"Ma name's Er- Er- Erasmus Ffffagin."

OOC: Drunken Man Speak translator!
"I's a small plaice calld th' Dew Drop Innnn, prha's ya 'eard o' it? We jus' gotta go dun thiz rood, strai' thruu th' skwairr, an' ta' th' firs' left."
Means, in English:
"It's a small place called the Dew Drop Inn, perhaps you've heard of it? We just have to go down this road, straight through the square, and take the first left."

 

Athena smiled at him and said, "I'm Athena and we'll get you to your inn... I promise."

Athena then started to walk with him.

 

Natalie wasn't to happy. She lightly whispered something and her manacle stopped. "My name is Natalie. Let's get a move on." She help him on his other side.

 

From inside their small shop Yuuki watched as the grey clouds started filling the sky with their unwanted presence. Rain was fine, but when it became a storm, it wasn't so fine anymore, was what she believed. She much prefered it when the sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds.

But Yuu loved it when it was grey out. Matched the mood he always had: gloomy. If he was the type for such things, he would honestly just stand outside during a whole storm.

"I thought you were going out." Yuu began as he walked out form the back room of their store.

"I WAS gonna go out, but it's gonna rain soon so I've decided to stay inside." she replied.

"Hmph, stupid. Fine then. I'M going out and YOU can watch the store." he said as he opened the door to leave.

"Hey wait a minute, where are you going?!"

"To the square, wasn't that where you were going to?"

"You're doing this to tick me off aren't you?!"

But he didn't answer her, just closed the door behind him and made his way to the square. Yuuki knew EXACTLY what he was up to, to prove his twin was nothing more than a little girl afraid to go out in the rain and get some fresh air. Well she wasn't gonna let him get away with that.

"Hey! Wait up!" she exclaimed to him as she put up the closed sign and locked the door behind her.

OOC: Sorry for not posting sooner. ^^; been hard to get on lately.

 

Athena turned her head at the sound of the girl yelling for her brother to wait up. She then turned her attention back to where they were headed and said, "Tell us when we have to turn.

 

Natalie stopped walking she realized that they were now in the town square.

[OOC] I think this is what Gata wanted right? Sorry, I have been busy but in a good way. I hope this helps some. B19

 

Finally Yuu and Yuuki arrived at the square.

"You didn't have to come." Yuu said to his twin.

Yuuki pouted. he had been saying that over and over again, trying to convince her to head back. The two always did things like this to each other, it was a way of seeing who was better.

Of course, Yuuki was too stupid at the moment to realize that she REALLY didn't have to come, and her brother wasn't taking part in their never ending 'game' this time.

 

Strong wind brushed through the town, and people in buildings closed their windows and sat closer to their fires.

Sagwa lost sight of the little animal after emerging into the not-so bright Square. It could've darted anywhere, and that was an inconvenience.

Oh, but the wind was biting and cold. Then -- Then it suddenly turned warm, very warm. It was a comforting wind, like an embrace.

Then there was a voice.

"Oh, you have heard the call, you, my people, my faithful subjects..."

Sagwa had heard that voice before. It was a voice everyone knew. "It's the Queen!" she cried, more to herself than Taku or anyone else.

Slowly, steadily, orange clouds formed the shape of the Queen, hovering a few inches above the ground in the center of the Town Square. Her benevolent gaze fell upon the present. The image then squinted in the direction of some buildings.

"Missing... They are still missing..." She lifted her arms and face skyward and cried, in a melodic and gentle voice, "The few, the few who are missing, come to me! Come to the Nodum Town Square. I entreat you, come!"

OOC: That means Markku, Lakia, Aeiskai, and Tailki. ^_~

 

Lakia stopped short of the city square, "What in the world..."

"The few, the few who are missing, come to me! Come to the Nodum Town Square. I entreat you, come!"

"That voice!" Lakia exclaimed. Then, making up her mind, she continued on forward until she was standing in front of the center of the town square.

Lakia gazed speechless at the figure of the Queen, not quite sure what she was looking at.

 

Markku came out of a restauraunt. "Man, I stu---" He was interruped when he heard a voice call out.

"The few, the few who are missing, come to me! Come to the Nodum Town Square. I entreat you, come!"

Luckily, the town square was a block away, and so Marrku ran towards the square. Once there he saw a few colorful people standing around he looked around puzzled.

 

Erasmus stared at the apparition in disbelief. Surely this wasn't a result of his constant enebriation; he'd never hallucinated before, why start now? Besides, everyone else present in the square seemed to see it as well. Unless this was some sort of group vision, what was happening was very real. He desperately needed a drink.

 

Yuuki fell over in disbelief. Yuu just stood there, with his usual clam, glaring face. he folded his arms, showing he was neither impressed or shocked by the queen's sudden appearance. Rather, it seemed to him like this was meant to happen anyways. Something in the pit of his stomach told him that.

still it was the queen. He couldn't help feeling overwhelmed deep down.

And embarrassed.

"Get up, you." he said to his sister. "You look like an idiot, and that's not the way to look in front of the queen."

Yuuki scowled but got up either way, but trembling. Unlike Yuu this WAS a shcok to her. She was VERY impressed, but also confused as heck.

 

Natalie watched as the queen appeared. She stopped helping the drunk. Normally when something strange would happen she would pull out her manacle to defend herself. She felt this odd feeling and others were coming. 'What is happening here,' she thought to herself.

 

"I have no idea..." Athena said.
She looked at the drunk and said, "Are you alright do you need to sit down?"
She let an expression of concern go over her face even though she was still amazed that the Queen had appeared before them.

 

Aeiskai sniffed. "There are people here, I know it."

As he walked, he herd voices coming from the Town Square.

Then, he came into the area with everyone in it and silently said, "Hello, I'm Aeiskai."

OOC: Sorry, couldnt think of a good way to come it, heh.

 

Athena smiled at the newcomer and said, "I'm Athena."
"I wonder if he is one of the few that we're missing." She thought as she smiled at him.

 

The Queen smiled in the direction of Aeiskai. Then a look of sadness and disappointment came over her and she shook her head. The tenth presence, it must have been only an echo of the missing person.

She turned to regard the nine people, smiling benevolently again.

"I greet you, my dear subjects," she said, her orange-cloud mouth unmoving. "Your coming here together was my doing. I need something of you, Ziacgam needs something of you. You are aware of this great evil that has taken hold of the palace at Kye. I cannot leave it physically, but through the powerful magical aid of the Archmage I have been able to come to you like this. Please hear me.

"Recall the story of our past heroes. They defeated the evil of their time by harnessing the power of the Ten Beads of the Balance. After their great victory, the beads were returned to the Sprites. Now, we are in great need of these Ten Beads, for they are the only means for the salvation of Ziacgam."

She lifted one hand and a map appeared between herself and the nine spectators. Lightning flashed overhead. The Queen looked somber now, having released her smile many words ago.

"I give you this map -- it is the same map used by the heroes of fifty years ago. It will show you where you must go and the precise order in which you must acquire each bead. It will not lead you astray. You will face many dangers, but unity will see you to the end of this journey. When you have completed your task, you will be able to pass through the barrier surrounding Zadé Palace. I will await your arrival there. I will not be harmed, so fear not for me."

The storm's winds once more blew through the town, and the gusts passing the Queen's form seemed to carry away parts of the orange clouds forming the image of the monarch. She looked alarmed. She spoke with urgency now.

"You must go soon! You must be prepared for anything and everything! Unity, my warriors! If you do not believe me, gaze upon each other's foreheads and see for yourselves -- the Mark of the Heroes is emblazoned upon you nine, and one other! You must find this tenth hero, for only then will you be able to find all ten beads. The Sprites will aid you... the new Heroes of Ziacgam!"

With those final words, the winds of the storm took the cloud form of the Queen away, and once again it felt cold. Sagwa reached out for the Queen's map before the storm took it from them, and shivered as she looked at it.

She looked up at everyone, unsure of what to say.

On the map a road originating from Nodum glowed. It led to a nearby forest -- Igmuan.

ooc: We will continue without Tailki for now. Don't worry, though. ^^ We can meet him along the way if he returns. ^^