Categories > Games > Final Fantasy 6 > Path of a Shadow

Thieving scum

by Necrophiliac666 0 reviews

A cult of fanatics wishes to finish what Kefka started by reviving magic and using its power to destroy everything. A chain of events puts Shadow in the position of a hero, a position he never expe...

Category: Final Fantasy 6 - Rating: R - Genres:  - Characters: Shadow,Terra - Warnings: [!!!] [V] - Published: 2010-12-06 - Updated: 2010-12-07 - 958 words

0Unrated
Prologue arc
Chapter 2
Thieving scum

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy six and all its characters belong to Square Enix.

XXX

Silent is the land that he treads upon. Grey is the sky, which lurks above his head. Cold are his eyes, as he looks forward, nothing before him, and nothing behind. His canine companion is the only other figure for a long distance. Calloused were his hands, and his garments were stained with dry blood.

Baron wasteland was all that stretched on before Shadow's eyes. Two feet and four paws pattered against the dead soil underneath. There was not a smell in the air, only the wind blowing violently against the two. There was not a taste in his mouth. Hunger was growing rapidly within him. He had not eaten for at least three days.

Shadow looked up into the sky, and he noticed that the sun was setting. He looked down to his companion. If Interceptor were tired, then they would rest. If not, then they would continue on their way until the sky went from orange to completely black. Interceptor merely let out a small whine.

'I know,' Shadow replied, referring to the figure that had been following them for a few hours. Shadow took a seat on a nearby rock. Probably another bandit wishing to take what few possessions he had on his person. He would deal with them when they revealed themselves.

Therefore, Shadow and Interceptor rested where they fell. They used rocks as beds. They were not exactly comfortable, but amazingly, they were more so than they would have been, had they rested upon the baron and rocky ground.

The sun set fully. Then, only when they were sure that the ninja and dog were asleep, a figure moved in. The bandit was quiet in stepping over the many rocks, as not to wake either up. They were dressed in black, from a mask to their shoes. This made it easy for them to move in the night unseen by their unsuspecting victims. Slowly, they approached Shadow, and quickly saw a small pouch of money at his hip. The bandit took in a deep breath before reaching out her hand. She was slow and quiet, even though she was certain that the man was asleep.

She was wrong.

Shadow sprung up from his would-be bed, a blade drawn and slashed at the bandits arm. The bandit let out a surprisingly high-pitched scream of agony as their hand detached from the rest of their arm. Blood splashed onto Shadow's torso. He raised his blade as he approached the bandit. He knelt down to her, and he grabbed her mask, and ripped it from her face. Since the scream, he was not surprised at what he saw. It was a woman under the mask, agony over her features. She had piercing blue eyes, which were the colour of the ocean on a clear day. Her fair, blonde hair was rather short; it stopped shortly before the end of her neck. Her skin was exceptionally pale, white as the moon. Her pink checks stood out above all else, they looked like roses in a way.

Many would have strayed from their course of action. Shadow did not. He took his blade, Sword breaker, and put it at her throat.

'Please...Help,' she begged through her whimpers.

'First she tries to rob me, and then she begs for my help. Stupid girl,' Shadow thought as he began to push down, breaking the skin.

'I-I can pay you,' she said.

'And I could not take it from your cadaver?' asked Shadow, giving the girl a chance to beg for her life, something he had given very few.

'I d-don't have it with me, I-it is with my village,' She stated, ''I-I only attacked you because...because my people are victim to a horrid man, and we need the funds to request assistance from the many blades for hire that so often roam the land.'

'How much,' Shadow simply asked.

'A f-few thousand,' weakly answered the girl.

Likely a pathetic price, but it was better than nothing was. Shadow was completely broke right now, so this was exactly what he needed.

'If the price is what you say it is, I will deal with him,' said Shadow as he picked up the discarded mask and tied it around the girl's wound, as to prevent more loss of blood.'

'You? No, he will rip you apart, he would!'

It appeared that she needed to be persuaded of his worth. Then perhaps his luck was beginning to change, for out of the corner of his eye, Shadow could see a wolf-like creature approaching. It was hairless, with drool dripping from its mouth. The creature was most likely attracted by the blood.

The beast ran at Shadow, who stepped aside. It then jumped at him, but he stepped back. The beast let out a ferocious raw, which did not help it in its current predicament. The beast jumped forward again, but Shadow slashed at the beast's throat, and it fell to the ground. Blood pumped from its wound.

The girl sat there in awe at the display of ability. It took the greatest of hunters at her village over ten minutes to dispose of one of those creatures, and there were often casualties.

'I was wrong. You may be what we need after all. Please, come with me to my village,' requested the girl.

'I'll need half of the pay in advance, you do know,' Shadow stated as Interceptor approached and stretched out beside him.

'Yes. My name is Leanne by the way, what is yours?'

'...Shadow.'
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