((just to note this might get a bit graphic viewer discretion is advised))
The bandits chuckled as they lorded over the corpses of the chocobo carriage and its occupants. Â Not one was spared in their quest for coin. Â They took necklaces and earrings, coinpurses and even lavish silk clothes that they would probably sell or gift to unknowing courtesans. Â It was quite the haul in all - a somewhat wealthy family lay dead, their possessions now claimed by the strong, the weak left to find their way back to the aether. Â
A chocobo cry came out in the distance. Â One of the remaining bandits looked around confused because they had already shipped off all their chocobos with the majority of the wealth they procured. Â He was one of three remaining - to pick through the scraps and make sure there was nothing left behind to tie their particular troupe to the crime. Â The cry seemed to come from everywhere since they were in a bit of a valley of rocks, a great ambush spot, as they were about to find out...
Out from the left of the bandit came a horrific sight - a chocobo, garbed in complete behemoth gear and looking like the beast itself, suddenly jumped from one of the ledges above him, and just as he turned to see the beast, before he could even cry out, the talons of the beast raked down the man's face, slicing through eye and lid both, twisting around and using its back talon sliced through the man's scalp nearly lopping it off in one swift maneuver, twisting its body to push off of the man's face, throwing him to slam the back of his head into the wood and nails of the remaining carriage carapace, while it landed gracefully as a dainty rose.
"Bugger it all, I'm late!" a high-pitched voice came from atop the chocobo, a lalafel woman armed to the teeth with a rifle and what appeared to be a card discus (along with all the trimmings like bullet packs) Hopping down from the reigned creature, the lalafel held up her rifle to the two remaining men, who immediately surrendered after seeing the gruesome display of her chocobo.Â
"Oh what, not going to make this fun for me?" she sighed, firing off a round at the left bandit, dropping him to the ground. Â "Sorry boys, the stars just aren't aligned in your favor today." she was reloading her gun especially slow, as if waiting for the last man standing to get into gear and attack. Â He was panicky, obviously scared out of his wits, he was after all just joined like the other scrappers she had killed and not really part of the main bandit force, just starting out and green as a blade of grass. Â
Finally, in a show of desperation, the man picked up a throwing axe and let loose at the lalafel. Â With crackshot timing she fired her rifle at the oncoming projectile, hitting the metal blade with such force that it flipped backwards and struck the man on the forehead with the blunt handle. Â It threw him for a loop and he fell on his backside, trying to regain composure...
But by that time the lalafel was on top of him, rifle placed against the very same spot the axe had struck. Â With a devious smirk, she fired the rifle one last time, ending the 'threat' to the carriage. Â She began reloading one last time as she surveyed the carnage before her, and placing the rifle over her shoulder with her right hand, she pulled the discus off her back with her left. Â It opened and cards floated between several rotating rings. Â She tapped a finger against her lip, thinking to herself. Â "Hmm...I wonder why I was so late? Â I could've sworn that I read the stars right this time..." Â As she and her chocobo wandered off into the distance...
The bandits chuckled as they lorded over the corpses of the chocobo carriage and its occupants. Â Not one was spared in their quest for coin. Â They took necklaces and earrings, coinpurses and even lavish silk clothes that they would probably sell or gift to unknowing courtesans. Â It was quite the haul in all - a somewhat wealthy family lay dead, their possessions now claimed by the strong, the weak left to find their way back to the aether. Â
A chocobo cry came out in the distance. Â One of the remaining bandits looked around confused because they had already shipped off all their chocobos with the majority of the wealth they procured. Â He was one of three remaining - to pick through the scraps and make sure there was nothing left behind to tie their particular troupe to the crime. Â The cry seemed to come from everywhere since they were in a bit of a valley of rocks, a great ambush spot, as they were about to find out...
Out from the left of the bandit came a horrific sight - a chocobo, garbed in complete behemoth gear and looking like the beast itself, suddenly jumped from one of the ledges above him, and just as he turned to see the beast, before he could even cry out, the talons of the beast raked down the man's face, slicing through eye and lid both, twisting around and using its back talon sliced through the man's scalp nearly lopping it off in one swift maneuver, twisting its body to push off of the man's face, throwing him to slam the back of his head into the wood and nails of the remaining carriage carapace, while it landed gracefully as a dainty rose.
"Bugger it all, I'm late!" a high-pitched voice came from atop the chocobo, a lalafel woman armed to the teeth with a rifle and what appeared to be a card discus (along with all the trimmings like bullet packs) Hopping down from the reigned creature, the lalafel held up her rifle to the two remaining men, who immediately surrendered after seeing the gruesome display of her chocobo.Â
"Oh what, not going to make this fun for me?" she sighed, firing off a round at the left bandit, dropping him to the ground. Â "Sorry boys, the stars just aren't aligned in your favor today." she was reloading her gun especially slow, as if waiting for the last man standing to get into gear and attack. Â He was panicky, obviously scared out of his wits, he was after all just joined like the other scrappers she had killed and not really part of the main bandit force, just starting out and green as a blade of grass. Â
Finally, in a show of desperation, the man picked up a throwing axe and let loose at the lalafel. Â With crackshot timing she fired her rifle at the oncoming projectile, hitting the metal blade with such force that it flipped backwards and struck the man on the forehead with the blunt handle. Â It threw him for a loop and he fell on his backside, trying to regain composure...
But by that time the lalafel was on top of him, rifle placed against the very same spot the axe had struck. Â With a devious smirk, she fired the rifle one last time, ending the 'threat' to the carriage. Â She began reloading one last time as she surveyed the carnage before her, and placing the rifle over her shoulder with her right hand, she pulled the discus off her back with her left. Â It opened and cards floated between several rotating rings. Â She tapped a finger against her lip, thinking to herself. Â "Hmm...I wonder why I was so late? Â I could've sworn that I read the stars right this time..." Â As she and her chocobo wandered off into the distance...
