Why I Am...

[Zerrif]

Ooookay... so I know I should be finishing up Beliefs but I got inspired to do a new sort of story line-- just little things about each of my characters. Why they chose to go down their respective paths in life.

A Priest ? by Gerik Irnathin

I am a Priest, because I enjoy seeing my powers have a direct effect on the people that I help.

The cries had gone unheeded and ignored for what seemed like hours, now, but they hadn?t shown signs of letting up. The Novice was sitting on the ground by the wall of a Prontera shop, his pleas for help dying off into mumbles and groans, now.

?Is there something wrong?? A voice came. The Novice looked up past his short, auburn bangs up at a Priest. Had someone finally cared enough to ask? This had to be a dream, or even better, an angel of sorts. ?I?m no angel.? The Priest said?had he been mumbling aloud? ?But if you tell me what?s wrong, perhaps I can help you.?

The Novice didn?t speak a word, just moving his hands aside. He had a rather large, and deep gash that he had been clutching on his side?and it looked like he had been this way for quite some time, with how lots of blood had been dried and caked around it. It looked like he had tried to apply some First Aid, but to no avail, the wound had been far out of the Novice?s abilities. There were also a couple of cut straps on his belt?a satchel had been cut off of it. He was also strangely pale and he didn?t seem to focus well, like his mind had been drained or worse, broken.

? Oh dear. Alright then, one problem at a time?that?s always been my motto.? The Priest said, as he bent down to one knee beside the Novice. He reached out calmly and just gave him a warm smile, before his eyes closed and he began to chant. ?O great Freya, I call upon thy divine powers...?

The Novice felt a rush of heat surge into his wound and he winced, the initial discomfort being no more painful than a few stings. However, that sting soon turned into soothing warmth as he felt the cut close up, healing near instantly. He looked up to see the Priest still mumbling, and that warmth began to wash over him again and again.

?Th...ank you...? The Novice stuttered, and Gerik opened his eyes, smiling. With that settled the Priest stood up and reached inside of his robes, pulling out a small bag. It jingled and he just held it out to the Novice, who knew exactly what was contained inside of it.

?Please, take it. I have little use for it at the moment, and it looks like you don?t have much to spare.? Gerik continued to hold the outstretched bag of Zeny?it was by no means a grand amount, but to the Novice it was probably more than he had before the incident. ?Do you remember who did this to you?? The Novice shook his head. Gerik knelt down again and stared into his eyes?they were less blank and dead, but groggy. Had he been put to sleep before the attack?

?Blessing !! Increase Agility !!? Gerik chanted suddenly, startling the Novice. He felt his body tingle and tense up, his muscles feeling primed and his mind at its peak. He looked up to see Gerik still smiling at him. ?Go on, and do be a tad more careful, hm? Some rough people in this place, of all places.?

?And some nice ones, apparently.? The Novice said, his voice still hoarse. He struggled slightly to get on his feet, and hid the satchel somewhere else than on his Belt, smiling at Gerik. ?Thank you. I?ll never forget this.?

I am a Priest, because I believe that the world will not be rid of evils, unless we take a proactive stance against it.

Gerik winced as he hopped back a few feet. His shoulder was bloody and his arm dislocated, and while he would have been able to fix and heal it himself, he wasn?t being given any quarter. He narrowly avoided another swipe as he stepped back again, looking around to find himself trapped on a narrow stretch of land. Surrounded on two sides by darkness, demons on another, and running out of room on the last, he cursed his situation.

Damn that Sniper for having tricked him! He had followed him so blindly into the depths of the Geffen Dungeon, before he had suddenly been left alone. He had been tricked with the notion that the two of them would go down to do a little bit of ?demonic cleanup?, and then he had been abandoned. Sure, he hadn?t exactly paved his way through life without making enemies, but this still didn?t sit well with him.

Neither did the idea of being stuck here for the rest of his days. Sure, he could have just retreated?but that would only leave these demons (and whatever else lurked down here) for the next poor adventurer who would be tricked into coming down here. If he could deal with it himself, why not? He stared at the large group of demons that stood before him, and continued to back away as best he could. Nightmares, Deviruchis, Marionettes, all of them here and by the numbers to boot. Just a little more... come on dammit!

?My child, receive this blessing and use this power to vanquish this evil...?

Gerik felt his mind open up into a white nothingness. His body moved of its own accord, and he felt his entire being surge with raw holy power. It took all his concentration to funnel that power into his hand, and then fuel it towards the ground. With his palm held open, he drew a magic circle on the ground in pure white. ?Magnus Exorcismus !!? He shouted, his voice booming through the dark void.

The circle that he had drawn on the ground became a brilliant area of glowing white, and he had placed it right under all the demons. They stared down at the distracting display, before it surged up like walls of fire. Their screams and roars became mingled and dissonant as the display began to tear into their every being.

Gerik felt a chill down his spine as seemingly every pair of eyes was focused on him, and then disappeared from existence. Ghastly cries echoed through the air, but no physical bodies remained of the group. Gerik sank to his knees, and let out a sigh.

I am a Priest because those people that I help become my allies, and my friends; and one cannot walk the path of life fully alone.

?I?ve got you now...?

The voice goaded Gerik with a venomous tinge, and he struggled to keep his senses straight as he ducked and weaved his way through turns, and passageways. He had been on his way down in the Sphinx when he had suddenly been jumped, an Assassin having been lying in wait for a target.

?Keep running, my little toy... I?ll have you soon enough!?

He was right. Gerik could feel his muscles tire, and soon his holy enchantments were going to wear out, and he?d be easy pickings. He had lost his sense of direction in the scramble, and was simply scuttling around blindly.

He felt his breath hitch as the cold point of metal touched against his throat, and he froze in place, not having the energy to fight it off.

?Soni--?

?Falcon Assault !!? Gerik felt the tip leave for a split second, and he ducked. None too soon, as a bird came whizzing in, and struck the Assassin. He scurried forward as best he could, only to look behind after he?d gained a small bit of room.

A Sniper stood, his foot jammed down between the Assassin?s shoulder blades, two arrows pointed against the back of his head. Gerik looked up and his panic and fear melted away into embarrassment, and light giddiness. ?I told you, I?d never forget your kindness.?

?Nice to see you?re doing well.? The High Priest said, slowly getting to his feet, albeit shakily.

?I could say different. What are we going to do with him??

Gerik looked down. ?Let him go.? He said. The Sniper didn?t even ask twice, getting off of the Assassin (who was in obvious pain). Gerik approached slowly, and then placed a hand on the shadow-walker?s back, closing his eyes.

?I still don?t understand you Priestly-types.? The Sniper said, as Gerik healed his assailant.

?That?s a good thing, I like to be mysterious.? Gerik joked, standing up. The Assassin shot Gerik a glare over his shoulder, before he got to his feet, and dusted himself off. He grumbled something, and just began to take steps away, fading into nothingness again.

?He might do this again.?

?I know. But next time, I?ll be watching. You will too, won?t you??

?Not to you. He owes you his life.?

?No, not his life. But perhaps he owes me some honesty. I was good enough to show him that, along with kindness.?

?Probably the first time he?d been shown that in all his life.?

Gerik chuckled. ?Well that would explain a lot then, wouldn?t it? Come on, how about we get out of here and go see what?s on sale in Prontera? Now that I still have all my cash, I want to use it.? He clapped his hands together, and beamed.

A sigh. ?I really don?t understand you Priestly-types.?

[Ngjoko]

Ok, the last part is pretty funny.