Highlander's Tale: By The Water

J.C. walked serenely by the lake, late night because he liked to travel when it was dark. It was quiet, so he was quiet... for the most part. It was always a fun thing to occasionally speak to himself. Maintaining one's sanity was important. He was outside of the range of social contact, and had been for over a week. He had a couple scrapes from some rogue monsters he just so happened to run into. J.C. was hoping he would reach a town soon, because his rations were getting fewer and fewer, and he could only take the health from monsters he runs into for sustenance. He was simply walking, nothing too bad going on asides some monsters lurking around, as usual.

Mystic strolled across the plains outside the beautiful lake. He always enjoyed careful strolls across grand scenery, so this wasn't any different. His white mage cloak dragged behind him softly in the grass, creating the grass to slightly soften downwards as Mystic walked. The boy stared at the sparkling lake this whole time, wondering about things to himself. He wanted to know alot about this world, but for now, he kept silent, as no one was around him. At least, he didn't notice anyone around him. Not yet. Until he found someone, Mystic would just wander, enjoy himself, and let the winds carry him to where he wants to go.

J.C. continued his walk for a little while, but then he realized that he actually had no idea where he was. Orientation was not one of those things he learned in Highlander training. Not only that, but he didn't even bother purchasing a map! Man, he was so unprepared! J.C. looked around for a moment, trying to figure out where he was. But, in doing so he found another person! Wonderful! They would help him find out where he was. He immediately walked towards the man, approaching him in a manner that was appropriate of a man in his situation, "Umm, excuse me, but do you have any idea where this is?"

Mystic's peaceful stroll was soon interrupted by someone trying to get his attention. The guy had black hair and a pretty nice attire. Mystic stopped and said, "Well, last I checked, this is the World of One, and I believe this is Crescent Lake. I'm so happy I glanced at that map before leaving town." Mystic giggled merrily, a common habit the thirteen-year-old had. Mystic soon stopped and examined the guy. He didn't seem like some bad guy, but the boy would have to wait. Time will tell, he always told himself.

J.C.'s eyes lit up brightly. "Wait? You were in town? That means that there's a town nearby?" he inquired about the young boy's statement. His stomach growled, which only could mean one thing... he was about to get attacked. Since he'd been lost for so long, his body was starting to tell him when he was in immediate danger, even if he knew, even if he didn't know. Some brush near the water started moving, and almost every tree as well. From the brush popped out a couple of massive rats, they were the size of guard dogs! From the trees, emerged some oddly shaped birds that had spearheads for beaks. "Oh great, I stop for a moment to talk to a person, and get surrounded by monsters. Kid, can you fight?" he commented, seeing that the monsters had surrounded them, unsheathing his blade, Soul Vector, and wielding it in reverse, the sword lazily hanging from his hand and pointing behind him, his shoulder pointed out towards his first selected enemy.

Mystic was about to open his mouth, telling of the town of Crescent, when he was suddenly interrupted. This man's actions made the thirteen-year-old get cautious. When the monsters jumped out, Mystic jumped up, already taking out his Staff of Necromus and starting out in a defensive pose. Mystic watched and examined his enemies and terrain. A few trees, grass plains, and a lake. His enemies were some giant rats and some large birds. Mystic already knocked a giant rat that rushed at him, though his staff wasn't doing as much as a trained warrior or anything. The mage stumbled back when the bird tried pecking at him. Mystic sidestepped out of the way of the rat that came at him also. Mystic just knew that this battle would be just like any other: long.

J.C. nodded as the enemies started charging in, first attacking the younger, and then they started attacking him. He wasn't a fan of being attacked. He dodged a rat that leapt at him, and he slashed downwards at the rat, launching it back heavily about 3 feet. Then a bird, narrowly missed the back of his head. "Dammit!" he cursed as he swung upwards. J.C. managed to hit the tail, and launched it up quickly to about 3 feet. He was only getting elbow room out of this. "Grr... I'm not in any mood for this," he said attacking a rat as it got close, slaying that one with a critical hit. With that, he charged out at a crowd of enemies, gathering together for some unknown purpose, and leapt into the middle, and did a spinning slash, blasting them all three feet away at minimum.

A bird flew past J.C.'s ear, and he jumped up, and grabbed it by its neck, slamming it into the ground, and snapping its neck. With that, he swung it like a flail and smacked away a rat and flung it at another bird, pegging it out of the air, and then backflipped over a rat. "Geez there's a lot of them," he said, unable to curse at them anymore due to the heated combat.

Mystic twirled around, dodging the pecking birds like a bllet dancer, and soon slammed one in the beak. Mystic was soon being mauled by two rats. Mystic's staff thrusted the back, and he soon casted ALPHA Protect on himself (50-30MP=20 MP Remaining). A blue shield-like aura covered his body, allowing him to take less damage from the rats. Mystic then ran up and repeatedly thrusted the staff into a rat, then slammed it until it died. Mystic's head tilted. Well, didn't mean to break it's skull, but, oh well. Mystic's mind was soon caught to a rat biting his leg. "Hey! Get off you overgrown fleabag!" Mystic yelled. Protect was helping somewhat, but Mystic continued slamming the thing, trying to get it off of his leg. He ducked a bird swooping at him and continued attacking the rat gnawing on the boy's leg.

(Protect - 2 posts reamining)

J.C. was in the zone... his mind was focused as if it were just him, and this swarm of monsters. He gave a fanged grin as he started tearing through them with Soul Vector. He began ramming himself carelessly through the all as a crowd, flipping over when he tripped and blasting small mobs away. He panted slightly. That luxury time in the city had taken a hefty toll on his body's endurance... and possibly the hunger too. Come to think of it, his body ached from the hunger. He needed lifeforce, he then saw a rat gnawing at the young boy's leg, and J.C. found a reason to use the spell. It would feed himself and it would save the kid. "Give me your lifeforce you smelly rat!" he snarled at it as he connected the rat's lifeforce to his own, and magically conveyed the lifeforce to himself from the rat, displayed in a brilliant display of color.

J.C. now felt quite refreshed, while the rat simply ceased motion and died. "Ah, it's been a while..." he said, wiping a bit of saliva from his lower lip as he also loved the 'taste' of lifeforce. After that, though, he was bombarded by a swarm of spear-head birds. It took the brunt of his agility, but he actually pulled of a badass move, catching one by the neck, twirling and batting a wave away from himself with the bird's body, shoved Soul Vector into it, launching the bird off with the vector effect, and blasting away the rest with a billiards effect. He flipped his sword back to a lazy reverse grip and stood, observing the area around him. "You holding up over there?"

---

Drain: 20 MP
130/150 MP Remaining

Mystic's leg soon felt relieved as the as he was aided in the removal of the rat. The rat's teeth loosened when it became deceased, but Mystic's leg bleeded a small bit. Mystic had to keep going though. he repeatedly jabbed a bird in the face when he head the other man talk. Mystic yelled back, "As fine as a pretty lady enjoying her nightly stroll!" Mystic's sarcastic, happy-go-lucky attitude came back as he spun around and slammed two rats. His Protect Spell made him barely notice the bird pecking at his arm. He too the bird by the beak, carefully aimed his staff, and bent the bird's nose. The bird squawked around humorously, and it couldn't poke anything via it's beak. Mystic soon decided to knock it in teh gut and put it out of its misery. After Mystic got a few laughs in.

(Protect - 1 post remaining)

J.C. grew weary to the tireless struggle, and snickered quietly at the sarcasm. He exhaled and then dragged the the blade of his sword across the palm of his hand, drawing just enough blood to activate, his Souleater ability, boosting his attack power to double what it is. "Now then," he muttered, and slashed his blade down upon the mobs of enemies who crowded around him, immediately killing off the brunt of the rat force. Blood filled the arrow in his Soul Vector, and a dark aura followed. "I'm going to cut them up!" he shouted, partially in warning, partially because he liked the threat to the monsters.

Mystic, wandering by the monsters swiftly followed by an uppercut with his staff, continued fighting. He was soon tackled by a rat, in which Mystic rolled over and slammed it repeatedly in it's nose until it died. Mystic got up, dodged two birds, and heard his company shout a warning. Whether to Mystic or the monsters, Mystic didn't care. Mystic hopped on a rat, then slammed a bird after bouncing off the rat. The bird was knocked at an angle in which it was swooped into the rat, stabbing it with the bird's beak. Mystic landed where two rats surrounded him. Or so they thought. Mystic spun with his staff and hit them both repeatedly. As Mystic spun like a top, he soon stopped, got dizzy for a second, then noticed that ALPHA Protect wore off. "Aw, butterbiscuits," Mystic said sadly, but he had no time to worry. He had a battle to continue.