The Mystic Strikes Back Chapter 1

By Weiss

The cold harsh rain pummeled the gigantic ancient forest trees. Tata pulled his brown sopping wet rain cloak a little further over his face. He continued down the muddy misty trail deeper into the woods. Visibility only extended for about 20 yards due to the mist and interconnected branches of the trees. Tata kept faint attention on his path but most of his thoughts were on the road ahead.

Ozzie the second had attacked. The memory of the murmur of rumors in the inn surrounded his ears and seemed to be real enough to touch. Another brisk wind blew over the uneasily quiet forest and Tata pulled his cloak tighter for extra warmth. A faint rustle of leaves echoed forth jarring him from his contemplations of the rumors. He continued his stride without faulter but his eyes quickly scanned the tree line.

The war cry of the scaly green ogre reverberated through the ancient trees. Tata quickly ducked under the swing of the brute’s horizontal slash of a double-bladed axe. He rolled back to his feet sword drawn, and faced the ugly being. The beast’s stomach rolled out of his body into a round sphere in front. His eyes glowed a light green while mucus lined his nose. Two gigantic teeth extended from his lower jaw, one was chipped at the top. His arms and legs pulsated with raw and unbridled power.

“Oh it’s only you, I thought it was him,” Tata eyed the creature waiting for a response.

The ogre inhaled deeply, a gurgle of sound ever present in his breathing. He snorted quickly and a thick mist rose from his nostrils joining the ocean of fog around them. “friend, or foe?” the beast asked.

“I have sworn to destroy Ozzie and all his followers.” Tata raised his blade ready to attack at any moment. The beast arched his neck back and roared with laughter, his belly jumping up and down in a joyous dance.

“You…ha, ha…You destroy king Ozzie the second.” A lighting bolt struck directly to the left of the two enemies. A tree fell burning to the ground as the large droplets pounced on the red blaze quickly extinguishing it. “My master demands sacrifice be made for our victory. You will be…”

“Enough talk,” Tata screamed. The smell of burnt wood spread across the forest path. The ogre rose to its full height dwarfing the human before him. His eyes flashed with rage as he swung his axe towards Tata. Tata dodged the incoming blow and bounded to the right. Another vicious swing of the axe screamed through the air. Tata jumped to the left almost losing his right leg to the beast’s rage. The ogre welled up in frustration and charged the young man. Tata remained on his ground and awaited the charging beast’s attack almost bored. The ogre reeled back and ripped his long round blade towards Tata’s head. The ogres hands vibrated with pain as the facts slowly revealed themselves. He had missed the boy; he had sunk his axe into a large tree instead. He quickly looked down but Tata was nowhere in sight. He tried to pull his axe free from the massive trunk but it was wedged in the unforgiving wood. He looked over his shoulder to see the young human coming from the sky above, arms pulled back behind his head clutching the sword. A few more moments and the fight would be over. The ogre swallowed hard knowing he could not escape in time and his weapon helpless in the ancient red tree. The boy flew over the ogre and landed on the ground behind him. He stood up slowly his back remained to the ogre. The rain pounded unceasingly.

A quick check for pain revealed the ogre was still intact, not a scratch on him. Had the boy missed? The ogre quickly snatched his blade from the tree and faced the youth. “Another well mannered Guardia Knight. These mercy weaknesses are why you will lose this war.”

“A lone traveler in the dark ancient woods without full armor. I am no Guardia knight, and I would think you should be more grateful for not being dead.” Tata responded. “That idiocy and ungratefulness is why you will never win.”

“So, you think your smart.” The beast stated wiping slobber from his chin. “Then your brain will taste good in my stew,” the ogre charged Tata with veracity, pulling his axe back for another blow. This time the blade descended vertically aimed for Tata’s head. Tata jumped back missing the blow and rocketed into the beast’s chest. He yanked his sword back and jumped off the ogre’s stomach to the soft mud below. The beast threw his axe away as if it was fire and fell to his knees. He screamed a final bone-chilling cry before falling down dead in a puddle of cold rainwater.

Tata sheathed his sword slowly. He was not tired, just thinking. He watched the pool of water turn a sickening blood red for a moment more before resuming his path down the misty trail.

Out of the bushes shot another ogre axe hissing through the air. Tata jumped back but was cut across the shoulder. He grabbed his shoulder in pain and tried to get his bearings. The second beast charged the wounded man with an unleashed fury. Tata jerked his sword from the sheath and held his defense. But the force of the strike was too much for his wounded arm and his sword was flung from his grasp into the misty growth of the woods. No time to think as the ogre brought his axe back for another pass, Tata rolled out of the way and into the trunk of a huge tree. He was cornered in a dip in the tree’s trunk and the ogre was not about to let him out. He had to think fast if he was going to stay alive. He examined his surroundings in a split second searching for anything to help him. Nothing was there save the savage beast bent on his destruction. Just a few moments before impact and Tata had absolutely no idea how he was going to get out of the situation.

Suddenly the ogre’s eyes rolled back into his head and he fell face first into the ground motionless. Behind him stood a lone hooded man. His blade almost glowed in the pelting droplets of freezing rain. Strands of green hair swayed in the gusts of wind. He replaced his sword into the sheath under his cloak.

“Lower thine guard and thou art allowing the enemy in.” the hooded man bent over extending his hand to the shaken youth. “Mayhaps now thou will heed thy lessons?”

“Sir.” He bowed.

“Come, we must mend thy wound if thou art to participate in practice this night.”


Chapter 2

Chrono Trigger Fanfic