1st Ashan
Horse tied up, Ryder let out a small and quiet sigh. After one of the toughest missions he'd ever been on, the man was simply travelling down the road to Southguard, riding through a lightly forested rode. As if none of it had ever happened. Trees surrounded the path on all sides, and the night started to turn dark. Ryder knew there was a place he could stay on the way, but with the sun setting he would have to arrive there soon. Behind at Etzos city was his daughter, who he wouldn't see for a fair few trials now. His friends, left in charge of Serah, keeping her safe in his absence. All of it ongoing while Ryder rode off to make the plans for this Aviary. This entire journey was in the pursuit of power.
When the man thought about it, Ryder's life was spent pursuing a greater power. Delroth and his blessing had been one of them, abilities that could help him in the field of battle, as well as his general life. Al'Angyryl, a faction that he was now becoming a prominent figure in, with a position of some power. People followed Ryder to battle, they were his men. His.
With that thought in his mind, Rocky landed beside the man, lightly pecking at his arm. A small smirk spread across the mercenaries face as he scratched lightly under the birds chin. Rocky had given Ryder a lot, if anything an edge in combat. Flying around the place and showing the man glances of a fight to give him an advantage, or tracking down someone that Ryder needs found. That, and razor metal wings, made for an interesting blessing to say the least.
A small whisper made Ryder and Rocky immediately glance to the woods behind them, Ryder drawing his sword. As he had been taught to do, Rocky took off and started to scout out the area, as Ryder kept his gaze on the woods in front of him. Blood-red glimmering came from his longsword as his cold eyes watched the area before him. It couldn't just be him, Rocky had heard it too. Someone was there, and they were fucking with him.
"What a pretty sword" the woman rasped in his ear, her words like a serpent slithering through the air. As Ryder turned to look and held his sword ready, however, he saw nobody nearby. Nothing but a faint glow in the woods before him, only prominent because of the lack of light that the evening gave. With a closer look, Ryder saw no source of the glow. Just a faint, red glow.
"Jumpy. We'll have to work on that, I'd say. Though your readiness to fight is impressive. That sword is not quite a standard sword either" the woman's voice analyzed. She sounded relatively young, early twenties at the oldest, though that didn't mean much to Ryder right now. Weirder and weirder shit kept happening to the mercenary, and now small glows were talking to him. Spotting this scene, Rocky came and landed back down on Ryder's shoulder.
"Who are you? Or what, I should ask" the man said, not taking his eyes off the red glow for a second. Whatever this thing was, there was no telling what it wanted, what it could possibly be after for the man. If it was trying to attack Ryder in some way, there wasn't even a way to tell if he could defend himself.
"I'm not anyone, not really. It's who YOU are that interests me. A warrior, with a fine weapon. It could do with some improvement, but it's a start" she spoke, trailing off to more analyzing before snapping herself out of it. The glow then disappeared and reappeared closer to the mercenary, almost enveloping him, a shiver going down the man's spine.
"I am a Spirit, what is called a Diri. We are born with a purpose, a mission that we are to accomplish, one that our lives are entirely based around. My purpose is a simple one. I am to be a great weapon wielded by an equally great warrior. In return for a such a position, I enhance the weapon that the warrior of choice uses" her voice explained quietly in Ryder's ear, flowing aura swirling around him as the voice came from all directions.
"I want to be your sword, and you to be my warrior" the woman put bluntly. Powerful energy started to slither towards Ryder's blade, moving down his shoulders and hands with a beautiful, serpentine movement. Slowly the energy sunk in to the blade, forming in to a small snake insignia at the base of the blade.
"What's the cost?" Ryder asked, glancing down to the sword, the symbol glowing lightly, almost causing the sword to surge with power. A small aura surrounded the blade while a notable glow came from the base. Not enough to light up a dark room, but enough to see over the dark red blade of the sword.
"There are two costs. You must always be striving for improvement, in both your skill and your sword. You must be the greatest warrior in the world, and never stop trying to be anything less than that. You must also find me the best sword you can, imbued with magic and power. That is cost number one."
Both paused for a trill, before the sword spoke again. "The next cost is blood. With each weapon I imbue, I must taste blood. Your blood first, then that of your enemies. A small incision in the hand will do. But that is the cost" she murmured, the voice now appearing almost in his head.
Yet Ryder was hesitant. This sword was offering a power that would one day help him outmatch anyone, until not a single person left on this world could fight better than him or possess a weapon stronger than his. But who in their right mind accepted the deal of a spirit that bound itself to a sword in exchange for blood? Yet the power it was offering for such a small cost was tempting.
"Whatever you are, if this 'deal' of yours isn't what it's made out to be, I'll end you before you ever find you purpose" Ryder said, glancing down to the sword. A trill of silence, then a pleased and almost ecstatic voice from the sword. "I'd expect nothing less from the best warrior in the world."
Hesitantly, Ryder put the blade to his hand. If this was the only chance he had to obtain this advantage, to become the greatest fighter alive, then he had to take it. Nothing could stop that, no uncertainty. He had to take the risk and find out for himself if this Diri was telling the truth. If it was, then perhaps his mission for power would be a lot easier than it had been before.
With a small cut to his hand, the sword surged with bright red energy, flashing for a trill before returning to normal. But the effects were already easy to see. Glimmering, the sword was evidently sharper than it had been before, and sharper than any sword Ryder had ever laid his eyes on. No sign of a dull blade could be seen, and any slight damage the sword had already obtained was gone, as if the blade was fresh from the Blacksmiths.
"Now you see that my offer was real?" the voice whispered in his head. Ryder looked down at the sword in awe, before a small smile spread across his face. It had been done, the deal made. Blood for power, both his and the enemies. Now that power was his, and all it would take to keep it was the goal he had already set himself. To train, to be stronger, to be as powerful as he could be. Ryder on the surface was a fairly simple man. A mercenary that worked for Al'Angyryl, fighting their battles in the hope of keeping himself and his daughter safe.
But deep down, there was more than that. Some craving, a lust for more. Everything Ryder had done since his age had reached double digits had been in the pursuit of something greater, some kind of power. Whether it was fueled by love, hate, rage, lust or anything in between - all he had wanted was power. From beating his own father, to training in the hope of avenging his friends, protecting the girl that was now his daughter figure, joining Al'Angyryl. All of it in the hope of being stronger.
"So what now, my warrior?" the blade whispered lightly to the man. Ryder looked at the sword with one last smile, glancing up at the road ahead. "Bandits are probably waiting for someone to lie in these woods, so they can attack them. Groups of about three or four, if I'm guessin' right."
Then Ryder's smile turned malicious, as he held the sword down by his side. "Let's go meet them."
Horse tied up, Ryder let out a small and quiet sigh. After one of the toughest missions he'd ever been on, the man was simply travelling down the road to Southguard, riding through a lightly forested rode. As if none of it had ever happened. Trees surrounded the path on all sides, and the night started to turn dark. Ryder knew there was a place he could stay on the way, but with the sun setting he would have to arrive there soon. Behind at Etzos city was his daughter, who he wouldn't see for a fair few trials now. His friends, left in charge of Serah, keeping her safe in his absence. All of it ongoing while Ryder rode off to make the plans for this Aviary. This entire journey was in the pursuit of power.
When the man thought about it, Ryder's life was spent pursuing a greater power. Delroth and his blessing had been one of them, abilities that could help him in the field of battle, as well as his general life. Al'Angyryl, a faction that he was now becoming a prominent figure in, with a position of some power. People followed Ryder to battle, they were his men. His.
With that thought in his mind, Rocky landed beside the man, lightly pecking at his arm. A small smirk spread across the mercenaries face as he scratched lightly under the birds chin. Rocky had given Ryder a lot, if anything an edge in combat. Flying around the place and showing the man glances of a fight to give him an advantage, or tracking down someone that Ryder needs found. That, and razor metal wings, made for an interesting blessing to say the least.
A small whisper made Ryder and Rocky immediately glance to the woods behind them, Ryder drawing his sword. As he had been taught to do, Rocky took off and started to scout out the area, as Ryder kept his gaze on the woods in front of him. Blood-red glimmering came from his longsword as his cold eyes watched the area before him. It couldn't just be him, Rocky had heard it too. Someone was there, and they were fucking with him.
"What a pretty sword" the woman rasped in his ear, her words like a serpent slithering through the air. As Ryder turned to look and held his sword ready, however, he saw nobody nearby. Nothing but a faint glow in the woods before him, only prominent because of the lack of light that the evening gave. With a closer look, Ryder saw no source of the glow. Just a faint, red glow.
"Jumpy. We'll have to work on that, I'd say. Though your readiness to fight is impressive. That sword is not quite a standard sword either" the woman's voice analyzed. She sounded relatively young, early twenties at the oldest, though that didn't mean much to Ryder right now. Weirder and weirder shit kept happening to the mercenary, and now small glows were talking to him. Spotting this scene, Rocky came and landed back down on Ryder's shoulder.
"Who are you? Or what, I should ask" the man said, not taking his eyes off the red glow for a second. Whatever this thing was, there was no telling what it wanted, what it could possibly be after for the man. If it was trying to attack Ryder in some way, there wasn't even a way to tell if he could defend himself.
"I'm not anyone, not really. It's who YOU are that interests me. A warrior, with a fine weapon. It could do with some improvement, but it's a start" she spoke, trailing off to more analyzing before snapping herself out of it. The glow then disappeared and reappeared closer to the mercenary, almost enveloping him, a shiver going down the man's spine.
"I am a Spirit, what is called a Diri. We are born with a purpose, a mission that we are to accomplish, one that our lives are entirely based around. My purpose is a simple one. I am to be a great weapon wielded by an equally great warrior. In return for a such a position, I enhance the weapon that the warrior of choice uses" her voice explained quietly in Ryder's ear, flowing aura swirling around him as the voice came from all directions.
"I want to be your sword, and you to be my warrior" the woman put bluntly. Powerful energy started to slither towards Ryder's blade, moving down his shoulders and hands with a beautiful, serpentine movement. Slowly the energy sunk in to the blade, forming in to a small snake insignia at the base of the blade.
"What's the cost?" Ryder asked, glancing down to the sword, the symbol glowing lightly, almost causing the sword to surge with power. A small aura surrounded the blade while a notable glow came from the base. Not enough to light up a dark room, but enough to see over the dark red blade of the sword.
"There are two costs. You must always be striving for improvement, in both your skill and your sword. You must be the greatest warrior in the world, and never stop trying to be anything less than that. You must also find me the best sword you can, imbued with magic and power. That is cost number one."
Both paused for a trill, before the sword spoke again. "The next cost is blood. With each weapon I imbue, I must taste blood. Your blood first, then that of your enemies. A small incision in the hand will do. But that is the cost" she murmured, the voice now appearing almost in his head.
Yet Ryder was hesitant. This sword was offering a power that would one day help him outmatch anyone, until not a single person left on this world could fight better than him or possess a weapon stronger than his. But who in their right mind accepted the deal of a spirit that bound itself to a sword in exchange for blood? Yet the power it was offering for such a small cost was tempting.
"Whatever you are, if this 'deal' of yours isn't what it's made out to be, I'll end you before you ever find you purpose" Ryder said, glancing down to the sword. A trill of silence, then a pleased and almost ecstatic voice from the sword. "I'd expect nothing less from the best warrior in the world."
Hesitantly, Ryder put the blade to his hand. If this was the only chance he had to obtain this advantage, to become the greatest fighter alive, then he had to take it. Nothing could stop that, no uncertainty. He had to take the risk and find out for himself if this Diri was telling the truth. If it was, then perhaps his mission for power would be a lot easier than it had been before.
With a small cut to his hand, the sword surged with bright red energy, flashing for a trill before returning to normal. But the effects were already easy to see. Glimmering, the sword was evidently sharper than it had been before, and sharper than any sword Ryder had ever laid his eyes on. No sign of a dull blade could be seen, and any slight damage the sword had already obtained was gone, as if the blade was fresh from the Blacksmiths.
"Now you see that my offer was real?" the voice whispered in his head. Ryder looked down at the sword in awe, before a small smile spread across his face. It had been done, the deal made. Blood for power, both his and the enemies. Now that power was his, and all it would take to keep it was the goal he had already set himself. To train, to be stronger, to be as powerful as he could be. Ryder on the surface was a fairly simple man. A mercenary that worked for Al'Angyryl, fighting their battles in the hope of keeping himself and his daughter safe.
But deep down, there was more than that. Some craving, a lust for more. Everything Ryder had done since his age had reached double digits had been in the pursuit of something greater, some kind of power. Whether it was fueled by love, hate, rage, lust or anything in between - all he had wanted was power. From beating his own father, to training in the hope of avenging his friends, protecting the girl that was now his daughter figure, joining Al'Angyryl. All of it in the hope of being stronger.
"So what now, my warrior?" the blade whispered lightly to the man. Ryder looked at the sword with one last smile, glancing up at the road ahead. "Bandits are probably waiting for someone to lie in these woods, so they can attack them. Groups of about three or four, if I'm guessin' right."
Then Ryder's smile turned malicious, as he held the sword down by his side. "Let's go meet them."
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