How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Aim For The Head.

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Day T-9: I've been hearing some odd talk lately about some sort of rabies going around; reminds me of when the black wolfs around Bastok got crazy a few years back and started coming out during the day and biting any who they crossed. I hear over yon in Bastok, Cid's been busy trying to find some sort of cure or reason for it with the help of an Elvaan doctor from Jeuno. Sure as hell hope that it's nothing, because I can't take the hit; soup just doesn't make nearly as much money as sushi, and I really gotta pay to finish my schooling in Windurst.

Day T-3: Well, I was able to afford a new staff and ring because everyone is panicking and stocking up on soups or medicines (oh boy, Megan Fox is really fortunate I let her set her use my shop to start herself off a few weeks ago; she'll be ready to open alone in no time). The customers, they really won't tell me much; even though I'm their cook, I'm still just a kid to most of them. A new customer wandered in today--I do believe his name was Lu Doggy--and told me that he was being followed during the night by something creepy, but couldn't figure it out.

Day 0: Today, I killed my best friend. Everything happened so... so fast. Last night and early into this morning Jeuno was flooded with travelers from all over. I heard a few of them were pretty messed up and taken into hospitalization on the upper parts of the city. My shop was kept so busy today that I had to hire a few tarus off the street to help out. People were grouping together to stay safe. I figured that whatever was going on, Jeuno would be fine; right? It was the massive city of our world.

Then it happened. Around midday, everything went crazy from tension. People started attacking each other over simple arguments; an Elvaan ranger held me at gun point around one in the day and told me to empty out my safe as he gathered all the supplies. Unfortunately for him, Wolfgang just so happened to be on a supply run for Doctor Monberaux, whom had just arrived back from Bastok a few hours ago.

Later on, Meg came back from a break with a bite mark on her arm. We cleaned her up best we could. She said that some creep came out of the shadows and attacked her. She was pretty shaken up, but we got her disinfected in time. I could only think, though: they said that whatever was going around was like rabies: could that mean...

It did mean that. By dinnertime, Jeuno was a mob scene. There was a fire ravaging through Ru'Lude gardens and people were attacking each other. I didn't understand what was going on until I heard some groans coming from the back of the shop where Meg was laying down. I locked up my door again and went to see if I could do anything for Meg.

She had "turned" to something of nightmares. I saw her hovering over the body of one of the tarus I employed that day and...

I can't. I can't say it, but I can write it. Just... need a second.

She was digging into it's stomach with her teeth, just ripping it to shreds with those sharp Mithran teeth of her's. She saw me and dropped the taru and started walking towards me.

I panicked, really, really badly. I called out to her to stop but she kept walking. Looking back, I should have bound her and gotten the hell out of there.

But I didn't. She lunged at me and all my lessons flew through my head at once as my time learning dark arts took over. I grabbed my stave and held it out, and she was stunned. I looked her in the eyes and saw nothing left of my friend in them. With a flourish and an incantation I began casting a spell that I knew would kill her.

I electrocuted Meg, my best friend, with such power that her body crumbled. I stumbled to the door and ran through the chaos.

It was hell out there. Jeuno was overtaken by lawlessness and "turned." Now here I am, hiding out on an airship with a few other survivors led by the Ducal Guards. We'll have to dock for fuel in a few hours, but for now we're all left wondering: what the hell was going on?

very nicely done. I'm looking forward to more.

You killed Megan Fox? :o

...You will pay for this outrage.

Day 1: Pherimociel, one of the Ducal Guards, almost got us all killed. While the others slept,"safe" aboard our airship, he also "turned." Apparently, even the spit of those that have been "turned" can turn someone else. I was awake, sitting on the back of the deck and writing in this book. It's all I've got left. Pherimociel stumbled down to the deck and began sniffing the air like a wolf looking for prey. I think the turned can smell fear, because he looked where I was (even though I wasn't in sight with only the feint traces of light there were) and began stumbling to me. I grabbed my stave, but my throat locked up. I wasn't a killer: I couldn't do this. I couldn't even scream. That was when I heard the voice of a tarutaru yell out, "Not the boy, you son of a ***!" and watched as Pherimociel suddenly exploded. The taru's name was Dasva, and I owe my life to them. All I remember was finally passing out then.

Day 6: Bastok was almost empty. I'm starting to get used to all the dead bodies hanging around. We tried to appeal to the Empress of Al Zabi for sanctuary last night but she refused: she could not risk bringing the plague to her own lands. She offered condolences and resupplied us with fresh food and materials, which was great because we were pretty much out. The survivors and the ducal guards had a meeting while we were docked, talking about the need to stick together and help ourselves run. I'm the only one on the ship that has a massive background of cooking, so I've been elected the chef of the ship. We keep trying to hang on to some vestiges of society, despite the rumors over the intercoms from the other airships that life is pretty much destroying itself down there.

Day 7: We're going to have to dock back in Jeuno. Oh god...

Day 8: This morning Wolfgang organized another meeting where he split us up by our talents fighting. When I had reached the front of the line to tell him my credentials he put his hand on my shoulder and asked if I was hanging in there. I guess being a kid in the middle of all this makes people care a bit more about you. He asked what I was trained in besides crafts, to which I could only reply "I can cast almost every spell, white or black or forbidden, but I've never finished formal education in any one of them." Wolfgang looked at his list, stroking his chin, and simply said, "Then you're part of our special op's unit. That makes two. Go to the captain's cabin."

So I went, and who would have thought: the only other person there was the taru that saved my life, whom I now know to be Dasva.

Day 9: Our "Special Ops Unit" consists of a handful of people that are to go on the most suicidal of missions. One of them is a mithra ranger that could probably kill me fourteen ways by the time I could cast a stun spell--my teacher says I need more fast cast. She's the leader of our group and answers only to Wolfgang. She doesn't talk much, but I think her name is Alyria. Wolfgang spoke to Dasva and I in privacy; Dasva, apparently, was wanted for a slew of crimes and was offered total amnesty if the world was ever to go back to normal. Part of this deal was that Dasva would get my mage skills into shape so that we could start to assemble a "Cannon." Dasva knows much, and so long as I show willingness to listen and learn, I sense that I will have no problem with my new "teacher." Wolfgang also made me write down the hundred or so recipes I could remember off the top of my head in case I died in battle. Joyous.

Day 10: Yesterday was the first "mission" for my team. We docked in Port Jeuno and the sound of an airship attracted all those who had turned. Our mission: secure Delkfutt's Tower. They were going to drop us off and come back in 10 days. On the tenth day, we were supposed to guide them to Delkfutt. The others were going to mob-raid on Bastok to rescue Cid, who sent a distress beacon out. My group and I massacred Port Jeuno. There were a few survivors left in the Mog Houses that gave us what little we could. Thank God for showers... we smelled pretty bad.
While we showered Alyria had apparently gone on to Lower Jeuno and managed to grab clothes and possessions that belonged to those of us who lived there permanently before this plague. I had to hold back tears as she held up Meg's Caduceus and alchemy set and asked if it would help us. I'll be setting up the alchemy portion in Delkfutt for public use: Meg would like that, her work helping people.

has some elements of "The Stand" to it. interesting plot development.

Never got around to "The Stand." Was more of a gunslinger type :X

Wow, this is a fun read, i'll have to keep up with this. :D anyway you'd be able to e-mail me a finished copy once it's all done?

Day 11: We set out for Qufim in the morning and were absolutely amazed at what we saw. The Turned had already infiltrated Qufim by the hundred and seemed to be attempting to fight the current life there to take over. Though I was never fond of pugil--they had nothing good to cook with--I found myself strangely disheartened as I saw them losing the fight against The Turned.

We fought through the tunnels to find that the archane Weapon fiends were successfully fighting off a hoard of the Turned on their own. We had time, time enough for--on Alyria's orders--Dasva to teach me how to cast a tier III fire spell that would torch an entire lot of them at once. Dasva, she took out a good thirty of them in one stroke and then started to run as those that only got splashed on the outskirts began chasing her.

Now mind you, Tarus can run fast for creatures that have no visible knees. I listened to the tips that Dasva had been giving me passively since we met and began to chant the same spell.

It wasn't as pretty or powerful as Dasva's and was only a bit more powerful than a tier II spell, but it did the job. For a first time, I'd suppose I did fine. That group of the Turned had been finished.

We left the tunnels and Alyria took one of the others in our Special Op's Group to take point. Stikle, a beastmaster and dragoon by trade, was talented in spears, axes, and the critters of the world. Dasva and I rested as we watched Alyria pull out a gun and slowly walk towards the exit to the tunnels. She motioned to Stikle to hold back until her first shot was fired.

Stikle clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth three times and his wyvern awoke, whom had been riding on his pet crab. It would appear as though the wyvern and the crab took turns guarding each other; the wyvern stayed awake at nights and hunted for the crab, who allowed him to ride on his back during the day. It was a little funny, in a way: the animals were more peaceful with each other than we were.

I digress--

Alyria exited the cave and fired a shot into the air that was so loud that the Turned could be heard gathering from far away. They murmured, groaned, and sometimes shrieked when in large groups. She turned to Stikle, nodded, and the two climbed up onto the rock pillars on the small opening before the open island. Stikle's wyvern flew forth to scout for more of the Turned and round them forth.

His crab began to run forward upon a command from his master. Crabs, apparently, can run at about the same speed as a Taru. When I next saw the crab it was being chased by a group of The Turned.

Stikle and Alyria massacred the group. I was beginning to get used to this: killing was slowly becoming the norm, rather than the exception.

Dasva and I were backing the other two up when we began to see Gigases in the distance approaching us as the night set in. I paused, a little frightened now: a Turned Gigases would be very, very dangerous.

The Gigases, like the Weapons, had been fighting The Turned. Alyria and Stikle had decimated the Turned that had shown up and were simply watching The Gigases as they approached.

Alyria mounted her gun and aimed at the head of one of them. When they could see us, one of the Gigases had stopped and raised his two hands in the air, his palms open. The other carried a large pelt, and also stopped. I watched as Alyria began to pull her trigger...

"Don't do it," I said. I had a growing suspicion that Gigases were not so dull as they seemed. She glanced at me, her gaze as sharp as daggers. "I think they mean to parley."

It was one of the first times I ever heard her speak as she said, "You do it then; don't blame me when you die. I don't have time for bleeding heart children."

I stopped. Two weeks ago, this would have seemed impossible.

I took my rucksack off my back and rummaged through it. I had a cape, a trophy from a rat I had once defeated on a trip to Zabi with a few of my dearest friends, that would serve the purpose of showing a peace offering. I left my rucksack behind; if I was bludgeoned to death, it was more use to the others for the food and ammunition.

I had the feeling that Alyria almost hoped I was smashed as I walked over to the Gigases, holding the cape out in my hand, and stood in front of them. I placed the cape on the ground and stepped a few feet back.

The other gigas placed the pelt on the ground and did the same. The other one slowly said, "Lea.Der. Speak. And. You. Lea.Der." He took the cape and I took the pelt as he said, "Come."

I paused and turned around. I heard Alyria swear under her breath, the wind carrying it to me, as I called out, "Go on without me; I'll meet you at Delkfutt."

<333 Don't copyright this, I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.

lmfao

You just earned yourself a spot in the Special Operational Team!

wooo, I got a mentioned in a story and it didnt involve me touching little girls :D

You'll see what I have planned for you >:D

Bravo!^^/ enjoying the read, keep em coming:)

Yet.

Sweeeeeeeetttt. I really like this =)))

>.>

:D:D:D

If you can work this scene involving me and not-another-man that'd be just peaches too, dear.

zombie songs! friends old demo~ ill try find the lyrics i have for it somewhere, death metal hard to decipher <.>

Wow, very nice writing!

Can't wait to read more, I'm hooked :P

OMG!! What a scene! I can't believe he stopped me from pulling the triggerrrrrrrrrrrr

We seem like a good team =P. I'm glad my chara has the JP hax button.

So true, we kick ***!!

I blow stuff up! Wootga

You have got to see what I have planned for you to do at one point.

D2 everyone but 1 person out of a very bad situation?

I feel like a Jessica Biel in Blade Trinity lol

Holy crap @.@ Wow I like this alot lol. After you get the storyline done. Do you think you could make this into a 3 dimensional short movie/film? Kind of like the short things Unasis did?




























I'm sure this would be so much better!!!!! O>O

Wow, I've never seen this thread... either it's new or I'm blind.

Great reading, I absolutely love it. You gotta put a PUP in there though D: They'd be great for comical relief and uh... stuff... like... you know... PUP stuff... not sure how they'd work in your story.

Anywho, keep it coming. I'm like one of those turned, but instead of eating flesh, I'm eating your story up like flesh... with my eyes.. :D

I'd write more tonight, but I have to do make a 15 minute presentation on Dissociative Identity Disorder for a class tomorrow >_< Expect an update later on tonight or when I take another break. Thanks everyone for being so supportive :D