(DF) Vesis: Elemental Entropy

(DF) Vesis: Elemental Entropy (Full Version)

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G.I.G.A. -> (DF) Vesis: Elemental Entropy (2/11/2011 21:30:50)
Comments and criticism here. I would appreciate any feedback. If you want to understand Vesis's personality a little more, read my other fanfiction Downward Spiral. _______________________________________________________________ Vesis: Elemental Entropy _______________________________________________________________ *Book 1: Hungering Flame* Part 1: The Spark Chapter 1: Vesis had been doing a lot of wandering. Ever since he had left Piore, he hadn’t received any instructions, so he simply did what his instincts told him to do: eat, sleep, drink, and be warm. He had encountered several villages in his wanderings, none of which interested him. The larger cities seemed to be more tolerant of his appearance than Piore had been. Perhaps they were used to such odd phenomena. Vesis contemplated little during this time. When he did, it was on arbitrary, unimportant things, such as the proper treatment of bed sheets. He was not particularly happy during this time, nor was he sad. He had become stuck in some emotional middle ground, cemented there by his lack of purpose. He was lying on the ground, staring up at the stars, when it happened. That familiar yet alien presence visited him. His mind shivered in anticipation for the message it would deliver. He had a mission. Yes yes, a very important mission. In this world, almost everything was built according to the eight elements. Fire, water, earth, wind, ice, energy, light, and darkness were everywhere in this world called Lore. Each of these elements was held in check with its respective avatar. Yes, his purpose was coming soon, so soon. These avatars needed to be disposed of. There, there it is. Oh, but not done yet, no. These avatars had to fall for a reason. With them gone, the elements would be in chaos, and following them, the entire world. Who would step in but the master? Yes, he would step in and take control. Control them, turn them all into his servants. First was the flame. Yes, Fiamme, that was her name. She would be the first to fall. To the West, to the mountains. That was his purpose. He opened his eyes and, for the first time since he left Piore, grinned.

G.I.G.A. -> RE: (DF) Vesis: Elemental Entropy (2/12/2011 15:15:29)
Chapter 2: Vesis was so excited, he almost didn’t know where to begin. Ah, that’s it. He needed to go west. He needed to get to the mountains. There were so many volcanoes in that range that the avatar of fire had to be lurking amongst them. He set out at once. It took him well over a week to stumble his way to the mountain range. He faced no great challenges along the way, except for the occasional lack of food or water. As soon as the gravel at the base of the mountains crunched beneath his feet, his grin was renewed. What was next? The obvious choice to him would be to ask around. Surely if these avatars were so important, even the commoners would know where they are. Of course, that raised another question. Where could he find commoners? Vesis hadn’t seen any towns for days, and he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to live in the mountain range among so many active volcanoes. With a shrug, he began trudging up the mountain side. Perhaps a few people actually were crazy enough to live up there. Vesis had only been walking for a few hours when, to his extreme surprise, he saw thin trails of smoke peeking over a ridge. He cleared it to find a village nestled in the shadow of an active volcano. This perplexed him at first, but as he began to wander through the village, he pieced together bits from overheard conversations. Apparently, the ash from volcanic eruptions made great fertilizer, promoting agriculture. He wandered around the village for some time, looking for some form of tavern. Twitch. Vesis emerged from his blackout to find he was standing directly in front of a tavern. His grin was ear-to-ear as he strode through the door, but faded slightly when he found almost no one inside. This village must have been smaller than Piore. No matter, there were still people he could talk to. He sat next to one at the bar and let the silence eat up the seconds. After a while, the man moved to leave, but Vesis’s hand shot out to restrain the man with a cold glare. “Now now, just want to talk. Sit, sit. Much to say.” The man sat back down, now visibly uneasy with the situation. Vesis’s grin returned as he questioned the man. “Now, know Fiamme, correct?” The man nodded hurriedly. “Good, good. See, want to find her. You know where I could find her?” The man paused uneasily for a second, his mouth hanging open, as if unsure how to continue. “Well, well? You know? Say it!” “W-well, you see…” “No no, straight answer.” “Fiamme doesn’t necessarily… live here, on Lore.” “Hm? Explanation.” The man was becoming increasingly uneasy listening to Vesis’s articulation. “See, she lives in the plane of fire, not here. And, us normal humans, we can’t possibly enter the elemental planes.” “Hm, problem, yes. Draw her here, yes? Can one draw her here?” “Well, the elemental avatars have only appeared when the balance of the elemental planes is disturbed. Like, say, when a bunch of monsters from a plane suddenly dies.” Vesis’s grin returned. “Ooh, yes, most helpful. Thanks I give, now must be on my way. Later, perhaps, more questions.” Twitch. Vesis walked out of the gloomy tavern and into the glorious sunlight. Yes, he knew what to do now. He had to destroy as many fire beings as he possibly could. Then and only then would Fiamme show herself, and Vesis could promptly dispose of her. He stumbled his way to the inn, seeking a bed for the night. As he slept, he thought of various strategies to go about massacring the fire population. Surely there were some large concentrations of monsters in the area, but that might not be enough. Oh well, he could think farther into the future after he had accomplished his immediate goals. Now, however, he needed to sleep and prepare. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

G.I.G.A. -> RE: (DF) Vesis: Elemental Entropy (2/16/2011 1:04:38)
Chapter 3: *Awake. You have much to do.* Vesis hadn’t even realized that he had fallen asleep. No matter, he woke up immediately at the familiar voice. He needed to go. He needed to find some fire monsters to kill. His sword tip trailed in the dirt behind him as he ambled through town, pondering how to go about these tasks. If only the town was under attack or something of the like. It would have been simple to find monsters then. Sadly, that option wasn’t available to him. Perhaps there were some caves in the surrounding mountains that sheltered a few populations of monsters. That settled it, then. With a smile, Vesis left the village at once to search the mountains. He wandered for what seemed like hours before finding anything. The soft red glow was what attracted him, and the smell drew him even closer. Yes, the smell. He could smell a heavy scent of smoke, probably originating from a fire deep within. A smile touched his features. He had found his goal. He was cautious at first, not entirely knowing what to expect. The ambient light radiated from thousands of tiny cracks cast Vesis’s shadow in ten different directions as his footsteps echoed unanswered throughout the tunnel. Occasionally, he found, a particular section of floor would crumble and give way to a short-lived fountain of magma. Then, he could feel the heat, an intense heat building ever hotter within the span of a few milliseconds. He sidestepped just in time to see a fireball pass by his head, close enough to singe a few hairs. As he watched, it crashed into a nearby wall, punching a hole in the already weak stone. With nothing to hold it back, lava began sloshing into the tunnel. Vesis grinned widely and turned to face his attacker to find a fire elemental staring impassively back at him. As if on cue, sounds of sloshing and sizzling echoed through the tunnels as all manners of fire monsters streamed from forks in the tunnels to pack into the tiny space around Vesis, although they kept a good distance away from him for now. It was as if they had agreed to do this if the intruder could not be killed simply. The decreasing odds of survival only widened Vesis’s grin. If he was to die, then so be it. The least he could do was die serving the master. And then, it began. The entire tide of red and orange surged forward to engulf thhe single speck at its center. The lava slimes were the closest, and thus, the first to fall. Red tides erupted throughout the advancing lines. Hundreds of white-hot points seared into Vesis’s skin as bits of red slime flew everywhere, blinding and burning whatever they touched. A group of fire elementals was next. They only managed to let off a few fireballs before they were extinguished by a tidal wave. The battle dragged on for what seemed like hours. Vesis hacked, doused, and drowned for all he was worth, yet the monsters’ inexorable advance could not be halted. This was all grating on Vesis’s nerves, and he truly wished that the battle would end soon. In the midst of battle, he could hear a distinct sloshing sound. Not that the sound itself concerned him – the slimes were sloshing everywhere – but its proximity did. He looked down to notice a slime sneaking right by his leg. With a cry borne of frustration, he kicked it savagely. He immediately regretted this for two reasons. First, it burned his leg rather badly, and second, the slime was sent crashing into a wall. Not just any wall, though. The slime crashed into the wall that had already been punctured by the fireball. As soon as Vesis saw the cracks beginning to form, his first instinct was to run away, and fast. He turned to, only to vomit from the pain of his leg. He was quivering badly now. He didn’t need to look to know that the cracks were spreading. Soon, the wall would collapse, and the flood would overtake him almost instantly. Monsters advancing. Pain excruciating. Fear rampant. Dreading death. Hope forgotten. Doom impending. Failure. Failure. Failure.

G.I.G.A. -> RE: (DF) Vesis: Elemental Entropy (2/21/2011 0:01:39)
Chapter 4: Oh, how wrong he had been. Vesis wasn’t ready to die yet, not even if it was for the master. He wasn’t utterly loyal, and for that reason he deserved to die. He needed to give up, but wanted to resist. He needed to stay, but he wanted to run. Quite a vicious cycle, wasn’t it? To further his indecision, he immediately thought of a plan to get him out of the tunnel safely. All he had to do was have the will, and he could be safe, yet he stood still for precious seconds while his fiery doom rushed forward to meet him. In the end, his animal instinct won out. A tidal wave swept Vesis off his feet just as the wall gave way to a flood of magma. As he was washed into the open air, a wall of water formed at the cave entrance, directly in the path of the magma flood. He did not rejoice as the lava met the water and formed an impenetrable stone wall, sealing the monsters inside. He had completed his mission, but he had failed the rather unexpected test of his loyalty. For the first time since his rebirth, Vesis was filled with fear as the presence of the master entered his head. You are not truly loyal. No... am not. Twitch. A long silence followed, in which the only sound Vesis could hear was the whistling of the wind through the bare canyons. Suddenly, he became frantic. What if the master were to kill him? Or worse, what if he were to be stripped of his power, left naked to the world’s evils as a human? No, that couldn’t happen. He couldn’t let it. Please forgive. Not mean it, no no. Please please, will make it up. Do anything, yes! So… so… please no harm, yes? Know what did was wrong, yes yes. Not fear again, no. Always always do what master want, yes! Never fear like human, never, never. The silence dragged on. Vesis began to get even more uneasy. Twitch. His foot began tapping the ground incessantly. Twitch. He began to scratch places that didn’t itch. Twitch. His eyes flicked around the area, looking for anything that could lessen the torture of waiting. Twitch. You shall not be pardoned again… And just as soon as it had come, the presence left. Vesis stood still for several minutes after. Was that it? No punishment? No scolding, simply a warning? No, that couldn’t be; there had to be something else. He stood completely still for what seemed like hours, and still he remained unpunished. Perhaps he really had gotten off lightly. No matter, he couldn’t afford to stand around any longer; he needed to treat his leg. The walk—or limp, rather—back to town was difficult to say the least. He could barely get more than a few hundred feet before having to stop and wretch from the pain. Regardless, he continued. He limped onward, his determination burning fiercely when any normal mortal would have simply given up. His eyes were glazed over and fixed permanently ahead as he limped his way over the mountains and through the valleys. He had to continue. He had to be able to function again. If he couldn’t then he would disappoint the master again. And he didn’t want that, no no. How long had it been? Hours? Days? Weeks? How much time had passed by the time he set foot in the village? There was no way to be sure; the only fact he knew now was that his torment was at an end. Darkness. Consciousness. Voices. Confusion. Light. Vesis opened his eyes. White. All he could see was white. He was lying on something soft. A bed, perhaps? He turned his head to find the whiteness shifting. He was in line with a row of beds. The beds had people in them. Curiously, he couldn’t feel the pain in his leg, and his movements were oddly sluggish. “Ah, you’re awake!” Vesis turned to the voice to find a woman in a white coat standing by him. “Mmm… Eh?” A look of disappointment came over the woman’s face. “Oh, you can’t speak yet? Everybody thought you’d at least be able to tell us what happened after so much time… Oh well, I guess I can at least explain a few things. You’re in the infirmary of our village. We found you just outside the village with a badly burned leg, so we took you in. It’s been… I think three days since we found you. We managed to take care of the worst of your leg, but you still need to rest.” The doctor hung around for a few more seconds, perhaps clinging to the hope that Vesis could speak. With a sigh, she gave up and began to walk away. “Wait,” Vesis croaked. The doctor paused and turned around, an excited expression on her face. “Can speak.” The woman walked to stand by his side once more. “So, can you tell me what happened?” Vesis shrugged as best he could; shrugging while lying down was incredibly awkward, he found. “Nuh really. Kicked lava slime. Thaz all.” Whatever drug they had given Vesis, it was impairing his speech as well. The woman seemed rather disappointed with the explanation. “Is that all? Why did you even kick the slime in the first place?” “Dunnuh. Wus angry then. Din’t really tink troo. Ey… y’know where can find sum monz… monzt… monzterz? Need find sum, now.” The woman shook her head, slightly confused. “Wait, what? Are you looking for a fight already? No, you need to stay here and rest. You’re no good with all those painkillers in you now.” This made Vesis angry. Or rather, it made him as angry as he could be through the haze of the drugs clouding his thoughts. Nobody could tell him what he could or couldn’t do. He did as the master ordered, and no mortal or painkiller could make him do otherwise. He struggled to sit up in his bed, intent on carrying out his mission. The woman put a hand on Vesis’s shoulder, gently forcing him back into bed. “There, there, just rest for now. It’ll be-“ She didn’t get to finish her sentence before her body was torn to shreds by a red tide. The path clear, Vesis swung his feet over the bed and placed his feet on the cold floor. He had just begun to stand when the other people in the room finally processed what he had done. He hadn’t even taken his first step before the screaming started. He shuffled rather awkwardly out of the infirmary, paying no mind to the screams and shouts of alarm surrounding him. He needed to do… what? What did he need to do again? Something about… the master? What did the master need him to do? Fire monsters… he had to kill them. The why didn’t matter. He would do it through this haze if he had to. Step, step, step. That was all Vesis could think of. Put one foot in front of the other. Carry himself to his goal. Step, step, step. Continue onward. No drugs could stop his advance; no mortal could bar his path. Step, step, step. The flames were flickering on the edge of his vision. Yes, they had come for him. Step, step, step. Towards the fire monsters now surrounding the village. With open arms he advanced, welcoming his goal. Step, step, step. Put one foot in front of the other. With a madman’s grin he prepared his blade. Step, step, step. Yes, they saw him now. They recognized him. Step, step, step. The fire monsters had come to revenge their doomed kin. The fire monsters began to converge toward him. Step, step, step. Closer, closer, closer they came. The drugs could not turn him from his goal. Step, step, step. Yes, then the water came. Then the water came and washed away all the flame. Splash, splash, splash. There were still a few left. Red tides corrected that. Splash, splash, splash. And then there were none. Darkness. Vesis awoke to find himself simply lying on the ground in the village. His head was spinning nauseatingly and his leg was throbbing, but other than that, he appeared to be okay. He looked around to find the ground oddly dry. Was it possible that the fire monsters had simply been a hallucination? It wasn’t unheard of for painkillers to cause that sort of thing. He shook his head to clear it; he couldn’t afford to think about these things any longer. He needed to continue his mission. Obviously, killing a population of monsters hadn’t worked as well as he had hoped. He would need a better plan to draw out Fiamme. He smiled as he thought of just the way to come up with such a plan. Vesis found the man seated at the exact same bar stool that he had been at the first time Vesis had met him. As he watched, a look of dread came over the man’s face as he noticed that Vesis was staring and grinning at him. He sighed as Vesis took the seat next to him. “Told you, be back, hm?” The man closed his eyes and pressed his hands against his temples, obviously not liking the situation. “Yes, I suppose you did.” “Now now, another question. Populations of monsters not working, yes. Another way to draw out her?” The man seemed hesitant. “Well, I think I know of one way.” Vesis started bouncing in his seat from excitement. “Yes yes! Tell, tell! Come, out with it.” “Each element has its own great dragon, which holds sway over a large portion of the element. The balance might be thrown off if the dragon were destroyed.” “Yes? And what is name of fire great, hm? Tell, tell.” “The name… It’s…” “Come come! Hesitate much much. Tell straight, now!” “A-Akriloth! The great dragon of fire is named Akriloth.”

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