Glass or Diamond: Fairy's Wish

Episode 22: A Young Fairy's Worst Nightmare

"... And, the two armies clashed, spilling blood in the valley separating their worlds. Men, women, children of all races on both sides, conscripted and forced to do battle for their own survival.

Never did they know they were being hunted; conveniently corralled for a terrifying being's leisurely feast.

One man refused. One man stood face to face against the horrifying monster known as the Holgamoor, fearless and unafraid. As the monster slaughtered all of the others, the man fought back. And, with a single, deadly blow, the man struck down the horrifying monster, even as it tried to collapse the mountains around him.

Never did he falter.

What man could stand in the face of the fiercest of monsters and defeat it?

Truly, only a knight of the Holy Order.

Sir Murtoa of Lakia, slayer of monsters and warrior of the north!"

A human warrior wearing improvised armor and carrying two swords on his hip walks calmly past the storyteller entertaining a small crowd with exaggerated tales of a brave knight. The warrior knows many of the tales, or versions at least. Princesses dream of meeting the knight of legend. Warriors and soldiers aspire to be him. Imposters impersonate him. For the longest time, civilization formed around avoiding the predatory colossi roaming the world. The legendary human knight proved that, not only can colossi be killed, one man alone can do so.

The stories have no effect on the human warrior walking through a village in the far north of the desert, having just returned the sand bike he borrowed for his errand. The tales give others hope and give him work when he finds his way to places where his job needs done.

The warrior may not resemble the legends in the slightest, and he has no interest in the benefits that come from the hero's name.

Murtoa is the name he was born with, and Lakia is where he hails from, but his focus has been, since that fateful day, to hunt and kill colossi.

With that said, Murtoa has found himself as member to a party interested in aiding him in his mission, for reasons he doesn't quite understand. And, although they know a fraction of what he's had to learn through grueling experiences, his companions have quickly fallen into place as being valuable assets to his daunting task.

As he's making his way towards the bailiff, the young blacksmith's apprentice jogs up, "Sir Murtoa."

Mury turns to face him, and the young man says, "If you're looking for the others, they headed west. Someone came to ask them to help."

"Help? With what?" Though, he is somewhat surprised, the warrior's voice is calm and rather emotionless.

"I... think I overheard them say about finding some girl. His girlfriend maybe? Sister? He didn't seem like he was from... you know, the desert."

"What makes you say that?"

"How he was dressed, sir. His outfit was... strange. And he talked weird, too. Not sure how to explain it."

"He was from the city." The new speaker is the bailiff as the aging gentleman approaches. "The one that passed by recently."

Mury sighs. City's aren't ideal for his party. Fairies aren't welcome by the Holy Order, even if they aren't explicitly forbidden. Coco's ancestors make her... complicated. "Thank you for letting me know. Can I book passage to the city?"

The bailiff nods, "We would be honored to aid the noble..." Before the man can finish, a young woman jogs out of the bailiff's station, calling out, "Bailiff! Bailiff!"

The group turns to face her, and she says quickly, "Bailiff, we just received a message!"

The aging man grumbles, "Don't delay, then. What is it?"