Tourney Arc

[Anonymous]

"That must be a rather interesting profession." Olguin remarked, hoping to distract the man from his own troubles. "Much more safer than being a martial artist, that's for sure."

He turned curious eyes towards Sagius. "Given that all communication with it has been pretty much blocked, I was wondering how things are in China, Sagius-san."

[Dracos]

"China is a scar festering upon the skin of the world.  Ruled by a near heartless demon, finite lives swiftly die before his blade and those of his chosen stars.  To think... he was once a shining star, and now is but a blight upon the universe.  Such tragedy."

Fearless Leader

[Anonymous]

"You knew that demon?" Olguin asked in shock. "But how did you manage to get out of that country with your life. I would think he would want to make sure that no one with that much knowledge could escape."

[Dracos]

"Aye lad.  I know him well.  And knew him well long ago.  And some things lad, are best not asked."

Fearless Leader

[Anonymous]

"Forgive my ignorance, Sagius-san." Olguin murmured with a wince. "I can understand that you wouldn't want to go into somethings with a complete stranger."

"Hmm...both COR and the Inquisition wouldn't let this go without some sort of resistance." He idly mused. "I pray they don't fail...for all our sakes."

[Dracos]

"It's your nature, lad.  I can't hold it against ye.  This be a long flight though...perhaps a tale to pass the time?"

Fearless Leader

[Anonymous]

"Of course, I haven't heard a good tale in a long time." Olguin thoughtfully pursed his lips in rememberance. "But you'd have to beat my mother's tales, Sagius-sensei." He briefly smiled at the historian, feeling that this man somehow deserved the title with the information he had given.

[Bean Bandit]

Miyuki said nothing, but listened to the conversation intently.

One of the benefits of looking like a child, she reflected...the only one she had discovered, to date, was that you were allowed to listen in on conversations, and be largely ignored.

She watched the man in the blue robes carefully as she listened, wondering why she was getting such an odd feeling...

[Dracos]

"Ah, a good lad ye are.  Lemme see...why not the tale of that very demon ye were so curious about?  eh?"

Fearless Leader

[Anonymous]

"I'd like that very much, Sagius-sensei." Olguin easily said, a faint smile on his lips. It'd be best if he learned all he could, afterall.

[Shukuen]

Leets sighed boredly, his feet dangling above the floor as he half listened to the conversation, still thinking of the events that had transpired back home.

[Dracos]

OOC: In the end.

IC:

Sagius began, his gravely voice carrying strange intensity as he recited his tale.


 Long ago, two great civilizations ruled the stars above.

 One civilization was called Jurai, world of the treefarers.  These finite beings bore the favor of the cosmos and bound their lives to artifacts of incredible power.  Ruled by a proud and noble emperor they spread far across the universe.  While finite, they were virtually ageless through the power of their artifacts.

 The other civilization was the Eternals.  Powerful beyond the ken of any finite, they were small in number.  Bound in a fierce class based system, they were ruled by the Grand Council.  They ruled the finites beneath them with benevolent wisdom and power.

 Eventually these two civilizations met, and through the wisdom of their rulers were joined in a grand alliance.  This period of time became known as the Grand Inifinity, for it was predicted that it would last forever.  This was a time of great peace and prosperity across the universe, for eons war was all but unheard of under the combined rule of these two great cultures.

 It was known though.  Occassionally as they extended their boundaries there would be.... resistance.  The culture of Jurai dealt with this through the usage of their powerful spacefaring ships.  The Eternals... designated an army.  A small army, but an army none the less.  Their leader was one of the strongest eternals ever recorded.  Invoked in the upper echelons, gifted with the strongest powers, he was titled....

Eternion, Eternal of War.

 Eternion was originally a good man.  Dedicated to the preservation of the empire, he was a shining star to the lesser Eternals.  He cared not for position, birth, or even power.  He was an elitest.  Only the most capable were inducted into his squad.  They were fiercely loyal to him, for often they had been raised far above their 'rank' of birth.  An opportunity virtually unknown before Eternion.

 Eternion and his team dealt skillfully with every menace to the security of the Grand Infinity.  Nothing was too much for them too handle.... until the Reavers.  

 The initial encounter with the Reavers devestated the Jurian defense force along with the world they had been defending.  Trained warriors armed with the best equipment died like flies before the Reavers' claws.  Even space ship bombardment gave little relief from this unstoppable menace.

 Reavers were the ultimate killers.  They adapted near instantly to anything used on them.  They could travel through space.  They breed by the thousands.  The Juraian's quickly asked their allies for help, before the reavers could spread to other worlds.

 Eternion went alone.  Shrugging off his elite team, he said he would handle it personally.  Many said he was suicidal...others thought him a hero.

 No one knows quite what happened.  The star in that system went supernova soon after Etenion left.  For years there was no word of him.  The torn space was considered his grave, mourned as a hero to both people.

...Then he returned.  With no warning he appeared unconscious on the floor of the Grand Council.  His face was scared nearly beyond recognition, but...it was him.  He had not only managed to stop the horde...but return alive.  It was thought a miracle.

 This though was not to last.

 Eternion had changed.  And not for the better.  He envied those around him...those who had never had to suffer the fierce raging heat of war.  His envy slowly grew to hate.  If he could not heal the wounds that he bore, than he would oppress those who were 'better' than him.  He would end those looks of 'pity'.

 And so, Eternion forged a single hateful blade.  A weapon that was the antithesis of everything he had once stood for.   Where once he defended life....  this fell blade was designed to be the ultimate equalizer.  A sword that could kill anything.

 With it he attacked Infinity, the homeworld of the Eternals.  Such began the war of the eternal.  Thousands fell before his blade, those most able to defend unwilling to raise their own weapons against their leader.  They pleaded with him to stop.

 Eventually two champion was sent forth.  A high Eternal, Infinel of the Grand Council.  And the One: The  Grand Eternal, Terminus Maximus.  Infinel bore the mighty blade of Infinity as he fought beside the Grand Eternal against Eternion for days on end before finally, through almost sheer luck, managing to disarm the mighty warrior.

 Eternion though was cunning beyond their understanding.  Where they had been softened from years without war, he'd been forged in the fiercest crucible.  Somehow....

He survived.

 Retaining his position on the council.  Their 'chained dog' so to speak.  The fools never quite understood that Eternion had been totally in his right mind when he attacked the world.  It was no mistake, no battle madness...  And he would attack again.

 Eternion plotted better than any, and slowly removed his enemies as the eons passed.  His minions gladly willing to help him bring about his 'new order'.  Those who questioned or opposed him slowly disappeared.  Eventually he managed the unthinkable....

 A group of adventurers from Earth acquired the lost legendary Melody of Finite.  Eternion discovered them and manipulated them into banishing the Grand Eternal from existence with it.   Using forbidden magicks the powerful adventurers destroyed one of the strongest restraints upon the ambitious devil.  Now all that stood between Eternion and his goals was Infinel.

 Infinel though was not up to the task.  Bound by his code, he would not openly oppose Eternion until Eternion acted openly.  By then it was too late.  Eternion had searched and found the very sword that had lead to his own fall.

 Confronting the remaining council members, surrounded by his loyal followers, Eternion issued an ultimatium.  Serve him or die.  Infinel died on the floor of the Grand Council, slain in mid speech by Eternion's fell blade.  The remaining Eternals quickly submitted at the sight.   Returning to the world where he had recovered the legendary blade from it's place of rest, he began conquering it.


*DING DONG*

"Please prepare for landing..."

Tiredly the gravelly voice ending the story, "And that brings us to the end of this tale..."

Fearless Leader

[Bean Bandit]

Miyuki stifled the urge to shiver uncontrollably as the story ended, looking at the blue robed man, alarm on her face.

She knew, somehow, that this story would come back to haunt them...

[Anonymous]

"...well...you easily topped all of the old legends." Olguin softly said, worry clear on his face and anxiety clutching at his heart.

[Shukuen]

"That was a... nice history lesson, sir." Leets tried to control the uneasy feeling he had after the odd man's tale. He wondered how much of it was true, or was it all just legend as Olguin had said. Feeling the cabin jolt as the plane landed, Leets sat patiently until it was safe to move again. "Perhaps we'll cross paths again, sir?"