Wind Guides the Monkey [Closed]

[SM Nick]

This is my longest story post and my first original post here in the Town Square. This details Niklas and Rena's first meeting and will be in multiple posts. Go easy on me and enjoy!

 

EDIT: Fixed some things!

 

 

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10 years ago, 5 years before the start of the Calamity.

 

It is another new dawn rising on the highlands of Coerthas, back when it was still green and full of beauty. The birds are chirping and the wind is blowing a slight breeze. Mountains are seen in the horizon amongst the hills and cliffs. A small house can be seen in the distance as well, appearing to be crude yet habitable.

 

Niklas Gran, a refugee from the now fallen city-state of Ala Mhigo, has been living by himself for 10 years ever since he ran away from the Garleans. He has been able to survive with the help of various fruits and nearby villages. The house is his, made from wood and various other durable materials. Inside are various objects, including a torn family portrait showing Niklas as a baby with his dead mother, and a hole where his father should be. There is also an unfinished sword sitting on top of an anvil nearby a book detailing blacksmithing.[/align]

 

Niklas opens his azure blue eyes to see light glaring inside from the nearby window, a tell-tale sign that morning has come. He stretches and gets himself up. He goes outside and puts some eggs he got from some nearby chickens and boiled them over a fire. Niklas is wearing his undershirt and some dirty pants along with some boots and worn gloves. He hums as he watches the eggs boil. When he checks to see the eggs ready, he gets a plate from inside and puts the eggs on top of the plate. He gets a fork and takes a bite off the yellow part of the boiled egg.

 

"Mmm they laid some good eggs this sun." He said as he was chewing the egg.

 

Nik eventually finished eating, and went for his canteen to drink some water, when he saw that it was empty.

 

"I need to refill the canteen. Time to go hiking." He said as he put on cleaner clothes and armed himself with a small sword and a dagger as he headed out the house.

 

He walked across the nearby landscape to refill his canteen at a nearby stream, drinking some of the water afterward when he heard some footsteps in the distance. He quickly hid beneath a rock as he looked to see who was coming near.

 

The footsteps were revealed to be coming from some Hyur men with a chained blonde Miqo'te seeker girl, seemed to be youngest of them, whose clothes are tattered and dirty. She had small claws that were nonetheless sharp enough to cut and rend flesh. The chains were tight but not tight enough to restrict movement of the hands. The leader wore a long beard and was armed with a large sword, with the others looking crooked and armed with bows, lances, or hora.

 

"We must be close by, boss." Said one of the subordinates. "We've been hiking for many suns now."

 

The boss points up towards a cave up the path. "O'er there, my lads. We be home soon enough, and just in time for us to play with our gal o'er here." He sinisterly replied. The blonde Miqo'te showed a face of desperation and growled at the boss, almost biting him.

 

"Oi watch yer bite there, lass. We don't want any trouble from ye. Besides, ye can't do much with yer bondage." He glanced over to a subordinate who tightened his grip on the girl, as they all continue the path up toward the cave.

 

Niklas growled as they passed by, but frustrated since he is not currently equipped to deal with them. He quickly runs off without being spotted back to his house in order to finish his sword. As he got to the house, the clouds got dark and it started to rain and thunder.

 

"Tch great. Those ruffians. Can't just do nothing." He mumbled as he got to his doorstep. He entered and dried himself up, and got to finishing his blade.

 

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Meanwhile, the ruffians and the Miqo'te got to the cave just in time before it started to rain. Inside the cave was a dungeon that led downstairs to some cells. The ruffians threw the Miqo'te into one of the cells, locking the door with an iron key.

 

"There now make yerself comfortable, lass. We'll be back for ye in a bit." The boss said as he and the others went upstairs. The Miqo'te tries to break herself free in an futile effort but she stops when she realizes she's hungry. She's too tired to speak properly, if not at all. She closes her golden yellow eyes to rest as the ambience takes over the sound.

 

Back at the house, Niklas has finally finished his sword, swinging it around to get familiar to the feel of it. Smiling he sheathes it around his side, puts on some light armor, then rushed outside in the rain towards the cave he saw.

 

"Don't worry, little girl. I won't let them hurt you. I'm coming!" He said as he ran.

 

Back to the cave's dungeon cells, the Miqo'te girl is sleeping soundly as she wakes up to the creaking of the cell door opening, by the boss nonetheless. He holds a dagger in his right hand as he does a creepy snicker.

 

"Had a good sleep, lass? Goood..." He walks quietly to the girl as she growls and moves back towards the wall cornering herself in the process. The boss crouches down to eye contact as he shows the dagger in front of her eyes.

 

"If ye are a good lass, ye won't get this in yer belly. Now then..." the boss said as he lowered the girl's tattered top and prepared to grab a part of her, causing the girl to instinctively kick the boss in the face, pushing him back and making him angry.

 

"BRAT! Ye done it now..." He angrily yelled.

 

He was about to stab the girl in the chest when she quickly grabbed the boss's hands with her own still chained hands and rerouted the dagger into the boss's own chest, growling loudly as she does so. She gathered barely enough strength to break her bondage and brutally murder the boss ruffian by clawing, punching, and stabbing until blood was everywhere in the cell, including on the girl's berserk panting face. The subordinates above heard the commotion and rushed downstairs, causing the girl to pull the dagger from the boss's chest and hide.

 

"Boss! BOSS!" One subordinate said as they went downstairs.

 

A shocked and then scared expression appeared on their faces as they saw their boss's brutalized corpse. They ready themselves knowing the girl is still in the room. The nearby torches went out as screams can be heard along with growling and roaring.

 

Niklas, who was outside the cave when he heard the screaming faintly, stood frozen with fear for a brief moment before calming himself down.

 

"What's going on down there?" He thought as he went inside.

 

He took a nearby torch inside and walked slowly deeper until he started seeing blood on the walls. As he went downstairs, one of the ruffians can be seen reaching his hand begging for mercy and help.

 

"Y-you there! Please...HEEELLLP!" He could not finish as he was dragged off into the shadows, terrifying Nik inside as horrifying sounds can be heard from the bottom of the steps. Gulping, he unsheathes his sword on his right hand, holding the torch on his left hand as he went to the bottom of the steps.

 

The mere sight of what was in front of him was enough to make an ordinary man faint. Blood covering every adjacent wall and most of the floor, the smell of which was too much for an ordinary Hyur, but not Nik. There were mutilated corpses, each showing bleeding claw and bite marks along with dagger wounds. He walks on the bloodied floor not minding the puddles he steps on. As he walks towards the open cell with the boss's corpse, he looked around for a while.

 

"Hello? Anyone still alive? I know you're here little girl. Come out." He said as his voice echoed along the cavern walls.

 

After a bit, footsteps can be heard with blood dripping. Nik doesn't get into a stance just yet, wanting to see the full figure first, not wanting to mean any harm. Soon the full figure of the girl is shown to Nik: The ruffians' blood is all over her worn out body, also staining her dirty clothes red, there is murderous intent in her eyes, and there is blood dripping from her claws and her teeth, showing her as the origin of those bite and claw marks. She licks the blood drooping from her cheek as she drops the bloodied dagger she was holding. She growls at Nik, who is unfazed and is rather trying to help the girl calm down.

 

"It's alright. I don't want to hurt you. I'm a friend. Look." He said as he sheathed his sword raising his free right hand to signal he means no harm.

 

The Miqo'te girl growls more, not listening to Nik's words in her berserk state, soon rushing at him with murderous intent. Nik however catches her and hugs her, causing the girl to stop her attack in surprise.

 

"Calm down...breathe...think...The evil has passed...you're safe..." He said to calm the girl down, which happened as she started to shed tears and pass out from exhaustion.

 

When the girl finally calms down, Nik smiles as the torch he was carrying gets blown out, fading to black.

 

[align=center]TO BE CONTINUED[/align]