"My friends, do you smell that? THAT is the smell of DESTINY! Word has spread far and wide how the ruler of this great kingdom is seeking the prophesied Warriors of Light. And that is EXACTLY what we shall give them!"
Standing atop a hill overlooking the Castle-Town of Cornelia
, cape flowing dramatically in the breeze, Bormas the Red couldn't keep the foolish smile off his face as he toyed with the crystal pendant hanging from his neck.
Off to one side, two of his compatriots paid no attention to Bormas' ramblings, having heard it all before. Instead, both were in deep contemplation, Raldin the White offering mental prayers to the Light for one reason or another, while Wicca the Black contemplated on her navel to discover the secrets of the universe to better blast it or something.
... for the umpteenth time, Joe wondered what exactly he was doing here instead of being cloistered away in his nice, safe monastery, learning the proper way to pummel things to seek inner peace and one-ness with the universe. He was still a student of the Art, after all.
Well, technically. He was fairly sure asking his masters questions they couldn't answer without being cryptic all the time lead to him being labeled a 'Journeyman' and shoved out into the big scary world to seek the answers he sought. And while his teachers would likely call his running into the three mages left for dead on the wayside as 'destiny' he could only call it coincidence. After all, all were stripped of everything save the clothes on their back, spell books stolen along with any useful equipment. All they had to them aside from that were those odd crystals which glowed when they held them.
The fact that their so-called leader had thought to ask a bandit leader for assistance in saving the world showed how much sense the three had. It was mere coincidence that the fourth crystal they seemed to have for some reason glowed when he held it. At least, he hoped so, since anyone else he got to touch the damned thing got shocked by eldritch energies he couldn't understand. He didn't even want to think about the story of how the Red Mage had gotten his hands on said crystals. Anyone who thought listening to dreams and the fact that they turned out RIGHT sent shivers down his spine.
"All is just as the great dragon of my dreams foresaw! We four shall venture off to Cornelia, meet with the King and see if he cannot render us aid in our quest! Come, my friends!"
Clearing his throat, Joe waved a bit to get Bormas' attention. "Sorry for raining on your parade, oh great leader... but I doubt the King would want anything to do with four unarmed so-called Heros of the Light. We should probably swing by the town and get some supplies first... and maybe clean ourselves up a bit."
Frowning a bit at the delay, Bormas tilted his head to one side, before shrugging. "You raise valid points. Very well. Come my friends, we shall venture to the Town of Cornelia before meeting the King!"
As if on cue, the other two mages of the party stood themselves up, Raldin making a simple parting gesture to end his prayers while Wicca merely adjusted her hat. Dusting off his clothes, Joe kept an eye open as he took the rear, making sure nothing ambushed the trio of mages from behind. All the while, he had an odd nagging sensation, as if something wasn't quite adding up.
Upon reaching town, Bormas stopped and glanced over at Joe. "Friend Monk... I understand your Order is one that forsakes monetary gain and worldly pleasures. As such, I must ask.. how much gil do you have on your person?"
Blinking, Joe reached for the sack of gil entrusted him on his journey from the Monastery. "About 500 gil, give or take, why do you ask?"
The odd smile on Bormas' face instantly gave him the feeling he shouldn't have said anything...
Some Time Later
"Hmm... we may have to ask the King if he cannot refill our coffers to fuel our effort, our current funds are sadly depleted."
Joe was speechless as his coin purse was noticeably lighter than before. They had bought him a light leather vest to help protect him, but aside from that they had literally went to town with his wallet, purchasing weapons and armor and new spellbooks faster than he could blink. Sadly, after such a spending spree, they couldn't even afford lodging at the local Inn yet. Yes, he had made the suggestion, but he didn't expect the trio to be completely broke. Sighing, he shook his head, making a whispered apology to his teachers for lowering his guard like this.
"Hmm... this fountain
is quite clean... a little washing up
before meeting the King will aid in our overall presentation..."
Glancing over at the nearby well
, Joe idly thought of tossing his so-called leader into it and forgetting this ever happened...
"Hey, you! You can't use the fountain like that!" Exclaimed one of the local guards as he ran up to Bormas. "I should arrest... you?" The Guard had grabbed Bormas by the shoulder and spun the Red Mage about, causing the other two mages to slowly reach for their weapons. "That crystal..." Glancing around, the Guard finally noticed the rest of Bormas' companions, and more importantly, the crystal pendant that hung from each of their necks. "Could it be...? I am taking you all to see His Majesty at once!"
Blinking, Joe sighed and smacked his forehead, muttering under his breath. "You have GOT to be kidding me..."
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