Hello, this is my first time posting something like this up anywhere, but this little fanfic piece (not a completed fanfic, might or might not make more to it, guess it depends) has been kind of burning a hole in the back of my mind and I’m practically rabid for feedback at this rate. So without further ado, I’ll try to post it up here and see if anyone wants to comment on it. 
THis is my first time doing something like this so be gentle. 
Also I’m not particularly fond of the current title, so that’s subject to change if I can ever think up something better. Whether that happens or not.
Just as a little note about the setting. This dosen’t really tie into any existing theme or game. The only bit with ‘Final Fantasy’ that it shares is things common to the games. Such as the classes (black mage, dragoon, etc) some creatures (Chocobo) and possibly other things (maybe a Cid will have to show up somewhere along the lines). Other than that, everything else is just off the top of my twisted little mind. So without further ado, here it is.
Under the Twin Moons
By T-Rex
Daylight's tender caresses had long since given way in the late evening of the day, yielding to the persistent moonlight that would rise upon this portion of the world for yet another lengthy night. The first moon that always rose at night, Luna a giant that when in full cycle could dominate nearly a portion of the sky equivalent to two hands raised and placed together with fingers spread out, would shed her dark lavender glow across the land in preparation for her much smaller, but albeit no less brilliant sister, Ruby, a much smaller moonlet that always followed in her wake, but glowed even brighter with a pale pink aura that mixed with her sister's light to create a truly dazzling array. Even at night time, it rarely ever became so dark as to make it difficult to at least see marginally well. Only during the occasional eclipse of one of the moons, or the very rare occasion when both would be hidden within the shadow of the world would the night be plunged into absolute darkness, a time when person and beast alike had long since learned it was best to lay low and ride it out, for during these times creatures terrible to behold were rumored to rise from underground. Hating the light, these monsters would revel and rampage within the relative security of an entire night's complete darkness, only to return to their holes before the dawn would come again, leaving little but destruction and tragedy in their wake. Even beyond these rare nights of carnage, the world was a dangerous place, this was never cast into any doubt, as the untamed lands were rampant with monsters and wild bands of raiders that would seek to take advantage of the unwary, or even to overwhelm small villages and townships where defenses were lax.
Nevertheless, amidst this adversity and danger, not only had the civilized races managed to carve out an existence for themselves, but to strengthen as well. There was no worry of the danger of errant monsters behind the safety of castle walls and watchful guardsmen patrolling the streets, ever wary for signs of threats to the populace safely nestled within their care. In truth, for those fortunate enough to live within these great cities and kingdoms that would be formed, the fear of the wilderness would be replaced by the fear of one's fellow 'civilized' beings, for even amongst the relative safety of the cities there would be those who prowl the streets at night, seeking the weak and unwary. The danger from one's fellow sentients comes not just from within for that matter, but without, for the established kingdoms had gathered a long history or clashing with one another, as jealousy and adversity would eventually reveal its head. Territory, honor, or personal gain, wars would be fought for these reasons and more, and amidst it all, rivalries would form, alliances would be forged and broken, and old enemies would forget past transgressions to band together against a common enemy. The world would remain uncaring of these disputes between the civilized beings of course. Regardless of the rise and fall of kingdoms, every day the sun would rise, and every night, Luna and Ruby would cast their collective glow beneath them, and so life would go on for Decades, Centuries, even Millennia.
The small kingdom of Ceinan was no different than those that had come and gone before it, forged on the collective ideals of a group of leaders, and upon the labors of those willing to follow them, to see a dream fulfilled, and a better future for their children and grandchildren. When motivated, people could be moved to the heights of literally moving mountains it had been said. While such boasts may not be literal, the feat of carving out a successful existence for the city of Ceinan was no small task unto itself. Enterprising pioneers had met with the daunting task of finding a place to settle amidst what could best be described as a rocky desert amidst great steppes and cliffs set into great crags that at one time would have been a magnificent mountain range, only now they were little more than a broken shadow unto itself. The task would indeed have been impossible, were it not for the discovery of a rare oasis of water amidst the wasteland. An underground spring, long since left over from ancient times, had bubbled up to the surface to form a small lake, around which the founders of the city had finally settled. The oasis had the added benefit that there were several valleys set into the surrounding terrain, with surprisingly fertile soil fed by the underground streams, and allowed the growing of crops. Over time, as the city of Ceinan would grow, alliances and trade agreements would be formed with the nearby cities of Sphrom and Jalkadesh, from which caravans would bring goods and food that couldn't be made or grown off of the surrounding lands, and in exchange taking back the spoils of living within a mineral rich landscape in the form of gems and ore, as well as a surprising source of revenue in the form of chocobo eggs and meat. The terrain about Ceinan was unsuitable for the raising of typical livestock, but the chocobos were large, ostrich-like birds, that were hardy, and proved capable of scraping out more than enough food and water for themselves amidst the landscapes to not only thrive when let loose free-range upon the area, but to also survive in the wild. Their clawed feet and sure step also made them able to traverse the rough terrain with ease, thus not only were they harvested for food and resources, but despite their sometimes ornery demeanor also bred as steeds and pack animals where necessary. The rocky steppes seemed to fit the giant bird’s tastes so much in fact, that it all but encouraged them to breed, and as a result, Ceinan's royal chocobo flocks became well known as not only a producer of high quality stock, but high quantity as well. Such a valuable commodity would of course need protection, from both the elements, and those who would look to pilfer from the city's wealth, and as such, a constant vigil and guard would always need to be posted to keep an eye upon them, night or day, such duties would fall more often than not to hired guards to tend to them, as such duties were beneath the requirements of the Royal Guard of the city.
Thus did Vanz Lance find himself wondering just what he was doing out here standing on a jutting, rocky peak in the grazing grounds of the Royal Flocks, in the middle of a cool night, and not back within the warmth and security of the castle walls. This night wasn't terribly frigid, but it was cool enough that he could see his breath in the air, and the surface of his pale blue armor had become cold to the touch. This didn't matter to most of his body, as the armor was insulated and he wore a warm tunic beneath, but his helmet, fashioned into a long beak-like shape, not unlike that of a bird, or a dragon's maw, had no such protection and he found the chill transferred readily to his cheeks and exposed face, bringing a rosy tinge to them, in sharp contrast to the dark brown of his hair, typically held long, except for when he wore his helmet, at which point he had it pulled back into a tight braid that hung loosely from the open-backed design of his helmet. It was common practice that Dragoons of the Ceinan Royal Guard would wear their hair long, so common in fact that the Royal blacksmiths had taken to building their helmets to allow for such fashion statements.
Vanz's hands wore no gloves at the moment, as he had forgotten them in the morning's rush to get suited up for daily exercises. He had only recently been promoted from Squire to an official soldier in the royal army. Despite his past record of headstrong acts, and tardiness as a student, his skills couldn't be denied, and despite some setbacks he was eventually promoted, not just to within the membership of the prestigious Royal guard, but as one of the kingdom's elite, few Dragoons for that matter! The Dragoons of Ceinan were a small group of specialized soldiers that answered directly to the king, and always acted upon Royal business, which further confused Vanz as to just why he was out here slowly freezing his extremities. It was his own determination that now that he wore the proud symbol of his homeland, he would do his best not to disgrace it. This morning he had made it on time, barely, but he had discovered only afterwards that he had forgotten his gloves. It was forgivable...they weren't a required part of his outfit so he hadn't been concerned at first. But then he hadn't expected to be out, away from the city many hours later, currently standing on a rocky outcropping and looking over a herd of chocobos, all branded with the Ceinan royal seal, while his fingers were numb with cold. He raised them to his face to blow onto them, bringing a thick mist of warm breath, and for a moment they felt better...until the mist was gone and the chill gleefully took hold of them once more.
"That only makes it worse you know." The voice was that of Shesal san Mone, an older Dragoon in service to the city, and Vanz' superior officer, as well as his senior by forty years to add to Vanz' own tender age of seventeen. He was dressed within armor similar to what Vanz wore, with a beak-like helmet, but it was colored a pale white, signifying both his position, as well as his senior rank with the Elite few. He wasn't just Vanz' superior officer however, he was also his friend and mentor. Vanz suspected that it was Shesal who had pushed to see him through to graduation and enlistment in the Dragoons, something that somewhat troubled him, as he didn't like the idea of having only gained his position through the influence of another. But in Shesal's own words, he had learned all he could through training and more training, and now needed a little real life world experience to teach him some of life's more important lessons. With this in mind, Vanz had been that much more determined to see it through, and prove to everyone that he -was- deserving of his position and rank.
Somehow he'd thought it might have entailed doing something a little more glamorous than this however.
"Sorry..." the young knight replied then, rubbing his palms against one another quickly as he struggled to resist the urge to blow on them again. "...they just get so numb I get worried I wouldn't be able to use my fingers if I really need them Shesal. Can't use my spear if I can't feel my fingers right?" The familiarity with which he addressed Shesal would have been frowned upon by most senior members, but out here in the steppes there was no one else around to see, and his mentor and friend didn't seem concerned enough to correct him about it.
"Yes, well...it's pretty quiet so you probably won't be needing your spear out here anyway, this is just a routine check and all." Shesal responded, as he raised a brass spyglass to one eye, looking about the surrounding landscape. The apparent darkness of nightfall made it impossible to make out details, but one could still look to a great distance in the search of silhouettes or shapes that looked out of place. Navigating at night was rarely a problem thanks to the constant glow of the two moons...except during the eclipses, when any sane minded person wouldn't be wandering about in the open anyway.
Vanz couldn't resist the chance to voice the question that had been dogging his mind since they'd first stepped out of the city. "Just why -are- we out here then?" He raised his hands as if to blow on them again, but quickly corrected himself, and set to rubbing them against each other to get the blood flowing once more.
Shesal smiled just faintly at the young Dragoon's frustration, but didn't answer right away, instead scanning the horizon before finally lowering the spyglass and placing it back within the specialized belt loops for it at his side. "Well, evidently -something- has been pilfering some of the Royal Chocobos as of late..."
"...but that's a job for the Flock guardsmen, not Royal soldiers." Vanz interjected, then immediately regretted it when he received something of a glare from Shesal. He was his friend, but he was still his superior, and at times the boy's mouth got himself in over his head. "...ah, that is to say I don't mean any disrespect to the King or his orders. I guess I'm just...confused is all."
The older knight's gaze eased off then somewhat, as he gave a slow nod. "Yes, well, it seems things have gotten a little more serious in the last few days. Yesterday, one of the Flock guards went missing as well, and nobody's seen any signs of an attack or otherwise. At first they thought it might be bandits or a few predators, but there's been some reports of Rock Hoppers traveling this way, so His Majesty thought it best to send a couple of the royal dragoons to have a look. That's where you and I come in."
Vanz shuddered just slightly. Rock Hoppers were a serious problem, the only real threat to Ceinan's chocobo flocks, as well as the citizens for that matter. They were large, lizard-like creatures roughly the size of a man, with great crocodilian mouths full of sharp, pointy teeth. They stood on two oversized hind legs, with a pair of smaller forelimbs that reached out like small arms, all of these limbs ending in wicked, razor sharp claws, that could strike with enough power to tear the shield from a soldier's arm in one blow, then rend his armor from his body in the next, only to finish him with a terrible bite from that tooth filled mouth. The worst threat from the creatures however, came from that which gave them their name. Their hind legs were extremely powerful, and could propel them in great, bounding leaps that could cover the span of the castle courtyard or more in a single bound. Even during an attack, they constantly kept moving almost in a blur, leaping about, off of cliff faces, the surrounding terrain, anything they could land on, making them extremely difficult to hit with sword or bow. Even Ceinan's few black mages had been frustrated in several encounters with the difficulty they had in bringing their offensive spells to bear on the speedy monsters. The only fortunate circumstance in all of this was that encounters with Rock Hoppers were relatively rare, scholars believing that the creatures made their home much deeper in the Wastelands, beyond where Civilization had yet reached. They only came out this far to hunt when food was scarce within their own boundaries. After more than a few dangerous, and in some cases, lethal clashes with the monsters, the Royal Guard had decided to post their Dragoons as the ones who would officially deal with any Rock Hopper problems, simply for the fact that the Dragoons were the only ones who could possibly keep up with the beasts, and fight them on their own terms.
"Do you think they're right?" Vanz asked then, a hint of nervousness in his voice, or perhaps excitement at the prospect of giving battle. He'd never -seen- a Rock Hopper before but he'd heard all about them, been briefed...since he would be expected to face them should they appear.
"Maybe..." Shesal responded with a shrug. "...but even if they are, I wouldn't hold up much chance of seeing any tonight. The last few times we've had to deal with the devils they seemed to realize that we were hunting them, so they were hesitant to engage us. They can see in the dark much better than you or I as well, and if there are any in the area, they've probably long since seen us before we saw them." He handed the spyglass over to Vanz then, as if to allow the young knight to confirm this for himself. "No...our best bet would probably be to look for signs in the daylight and try to hunt them down in force. Ideally you don't want to face them at night anyway. They say Ruby's glow has a tendency to make them more bold and aggressive...and they're quite bold and aggressive enough as is thank you very much."
Vanz lifted the spyglass to have a look, briefly having to accustom himself to the sense of seeing distant shadows and silhouettes up close. He'd only recently been using the tool, and still found it odd to be able to see things from far away like they were right next to him, but the spyglass was a required piece of equipment for his profession, essential to assist with scouting of the surrounding terrain.
A sudden flash of movement caught his eye then, and he frowned, giving the instrument's dial a slight turn to bring it into focus. "Hey I see something moving, I think it's a Chocobo!"
"Probably just a wild one. The local herders around here haven't been keeping a close eye on their flocks and there's been some escapes. Darn things breed like crazy in the wild and got the farmers worried about them eating up all the food. They make for some good hunting though..."
Vanz bit on his lip just slightly as he tried to make out more details, and after a few moment's fiddling, he managed to bring the object into better focus. Sure enough, it was one of the big birds, and at first he was inclined to agree with Shesal that it must be one of the wild breed, but a moment later he caught the distinct and unmistakable shape of a banner hanging from the bird's neck. "No, wait...it's one of the Royal birds."
"Are you sure lad?"
"Positive, it's got a banner on it's neck and everything. What's it doing away from the rest of the flock? Maybe we should go retrieve it?"
Shesal sighed, raising one hand to rub at the curve of his chin. "That's the herder's job, but the damn fools have been practically asleep at their posts lately. There's going to be hell to pay if someone gets wind of this." The older knight gave a moment's consideration, then finally gestured with one hand to take back the spyglass. "Allright lad, you go get him and I'll join you in a minute as soon as I pack up the last of our things here. If it's a royal bird you shouldn't have any trouble convincing it to come back. Can probably just ride it back in fact, they're pretty tame."
"You got it." Vanz stated then with a wide grin, glad at the chance to do something, anything other than stand here in the cold looking through a spyglass. He moved to the edge of the cliff face he and Shesal were perched upon, which was little more than a giant rocky outcropping that jutted up into the sky like a jagged tooth with a flat top. Some fifty feet in the air, it would have taken a climber quite some time to get to the top without the proper equipment. For a Dragoon it was a simple matter really. "I'll see you there Shesal..." He didn't even wait for his mentor to answer, before he crouched down, bunching his legs beneath him...
...and with a powerful leap, propelled propel himself skywards. Years upon years of specialized training had prepared him for this task. A combination of physical strength, and some said divine favor granted all Dragoons the unique ability to be able to perform astounding leaps and bounds that all but defied gravity in it's entirety, and allow them to land again, unharmed...as long as they landed upright. It was a rare time when a Dragoon didn't land with both feet squarely on the ground, as they took to the aerial leaps and bounds as readily as a bird took to the air or a fish to water. Vanz loved the feel of leaping from peak to peak, covering distances in a single bound lasting only a few seconds that would make the fastest Chocobo racer green with envy. He enjoyed the feeling of spreading his arms to either side, the sleek design of his armor offering minimal wind resistance, as he turned his face to look straight ahead, his beaked helmet cutting through the air easily as he soared freely. He loved every moment that he spent airborne, and at times, he felt like a bird, defying the pull of the world and being truly free. Flying was something that Dragoons could not do however, and eventually gravity claimed him again, Vanz was dropping once more, though his descent was controlled, and by now he had twisted his body in a half flip, to place his feet before him as he came down, aimed perfectly upon another rocky peak beneath him that jutted up from the ground. No sooner had he touched down, than he coiled his legs, like a pair of great springs, and pushed off again, performing a second great leap that carried him airborne. Thus was he and all of his profession able to perform these feats with great ease, covering such great distances in a mere heartbeat of the time it would take a person riding the same distance. For all of it's advantages however, the leaps and bounds were tiring, and no Dragoon could keep this up for too long, so when traveling great distances, it was best for them to do so on the back of a Chocobo or a horse like everyone else, to conserve their energy. In this instance however, the distance to the wayward bird was negligible. All but three or four leaps and he would be there.
He tried not to land -too- close to the animal. No sense startling it with his sudden arrival and driving the big bird off in a panic afterall. He didn't feel like trying to leap onto the back of a moving Chocobo, especially not tonight, so he aimed his descent to several dozen feet on the far side of the large bird, landing with little more than a solid thump of his armored body setting down, his form dropping into a crouch to help get rid of the last of his great momentum in a gesture that was second nature to all Dragoons, and was only possible due to incredible conditioning of his legs and ankles to strengthen them to near superhuman proportions. He turned about after straightening up, noting the Chocobo standing nearby, which had raised it's head and given out a questioning "Wark?" at the sound and shape. Seeing that it was humanoid however, the horse-sized bird didn't seem nervous, and in fact started to advance towards him, until the point that Vanz could reach out to rest one hand on the creature's beak, a common gesture with tame Chocobos that they evidently found soothing. This one was no different because the instant his palm was caressing the beak, the animal was chirring contentedly. Royal Chocobos, above all else had been specially bred to have pleasant demeanors, part of the reason they were so sought after. This particular one had a deep, sandy coloration...which looked more red and purple thanks to Luna and Ruby hanging overhead, but Vanz, like any other person had long since figured out how to mentally convert the perceived colors of the world that would result from the two moons into their daytime equivalent.
"Hey there big fellah." Vanz spoke in as soothing a voice as he could manage. He'd never been much for interacting with animals, but it seemed easy with this one. The -last- time he'd interacted with one of these creatures had been when he'd been trying to ride one on a dare. Unfortunately the creature's demeanor at the time was less than friendly and he'd been nearly trampled in the process. "Now why did you go and wander off from your flock? You got any idea how much you're worth to some bandit or thief that'd happen across you?"
The Chocobo merely chirred back at him, turning so the knight could run his fingers through its feathers. Vanz allowed himself a few moments of this, chuckling to himself as the creature seemed to soak all the attention up. "You're a spoiled one aren't you? Just like the rest of your flock I bet. We better see about getting you back where you belong though huh?" He walked up to one side of the large bird, and reached out with one arm to place across it's back. Any time he'd ridden a Chocobo in the past, it had been in a saddle, but plenty of people rode them bareback as well, so how hard could it be? According to those he'd spoken to you just tucked your legs under the bird's wings and held onto its thick neck feathers and everything was fine. Needless to say he was startled when the bird suddenly gave out a loud squawk and darted off to one side. "Damn it not again.." His first assumption was of course that he'd committed some taboo and gone and offended the previously friendly bird in some fashion. He knew he should have paid more attention to what the bird trainers had been saying back when he was a Squire.
However, on second glance, he realized then that the Chocobo wasn't looking at him at all, but was instead staring off into the darkness, with it's wings spread wide, and it's feathers standing straight as it emitted a thick hiss and scraped it's clawed feet at the ground in a threat display. "...hey what?" he began, already starting to turn, before he suddenly felt a sharp impact, a blow strong enough to take the wind out of him and send him stumbling face-first into the ground.
"Watch out lad!" Shesal's shout was immediate, commanding, but also warning in itself, and by the tone, Vanz knew that there was trouble afoot. Instinct and training made him kick off to one side, using his right leg to propel himself into a tumbling sideways leap, that he turned into a half roll and a cartwheel using his hands, finally to land in a crouch once more, his posture down on one knee. In a blur of motion behind him, Vanz was aware of a large, scaly shape leaping to the ground where he was a split second ago, lashing claws out to impact the ground in frustration as it missed it's mark a second time. It took the young Dragoon only a split second to piece together what had happened. It had leapt at him, while he had his back turned, and only Shesal's split second arrival had saved him, as the older Knight had pushed him forcefully to the ground to avoid the creature's initial leap, followed by Vanz' last second dodge allowing him to scarcely avoid getting clawed again. There was no time to reflect on the two close calls in a row, because the creature was a blur of motion once more, already leaping at him. It was a Rock Hopper, he knew this much, could see the crocodilian maw filled with teeth, the claws lashing out...and the speed. Such speed and agility!
"Move it Vanz! Don't sit still or he'll get you!" Shesal's words propelled him to action, and with another leap, the young knight tried to clear the Rock Hopper's head, only being half successful in the process. The monster lashed out with one of it's hands, and its claws raked across his left leg, his armor thankfully protecting him from the knife-like blades, but the impact was enough to knock him off balance, and he tumbled down to the ground heavily, landing hard on his shoulder. His training kicked in again however, and he didn't sit idle, already rolling to one side and pushing off, flipping rolling and doing everything to become a moving object again. He kicked off from the ground with one leg, an awkward jump, though he twisted to align himself correctly in the air once more. A Dragoon's prerogative in battle was to never stop moving, never stop leaping, always have your opponent guessing where next you would be, and once again the Rock Hopper was confounded as the leap that it thought would be a triumphant rending of the downed knight had turned into grabbing of empty air once again. The creature was crafty however, and had guessed that he would repeat the motion once more, as it leapt after him, propelling itself far faster than Vanz' own clumsy leap, and for a moment, the young knight stared in horror as the creature came at him, mouth agape, teeth flashing as it prepared to make the kill, all while he was still airborne and unable to change his course.
He waited for the impact, the crunching of teeth into his body, but it never came. Instead there was a loud crunch, and the Hopper's body flew wildly off to one side, as Shesal had impacted it, the older Dragoon having drawn his shield and spear, and now propelling him fully into the battle to intercept his opponent before it disemboweled his young protégé. "There's two more of them coming lad!" Shesal shouted, even as he and the Hopper fell opposite of each other, the creature snarling and snapping as it prepared itself to leap again as soon as it landed, the white armored Dragoon preparing himself to meet it head on. "Smaller ones but they're coming fast! Don't stop moving!" There was concern in the older man's voice, indeed, concern for Vanz' well being, but he could only divide his attention so many ways.
For some reason, this filled Vanz with a sudden surge of adrenaline beyond what was already pumping in his veins. This was -his- fault! He had been careless. He should be dead right now were it not for his mentor's timely arrival, and Shesal was probably worried he would be killed by two of the creatures now. Vanz couldn't let that happen, his friend had his hands full as it was. "Be careful!" He called out then, as he reached back, slipping his sleek, carved shield from where it always was interlocked to his back, to blend in with the pattern of his armor so as not to restrict his movement. The shield moved over his left forearm, not providing the same amount of coverage as a footman's shield of course, but it was better than nothing. His right hand gripped onto a metal tube locked onto his other side, snapping it free from the clasps, and a quick twist of his wrist had the fold-up spear extending to it's full length, special mechanisms locking it into place as it became its full six foot length with a single motion. He turned to face his new opponents, instantly spotting the bounding forms coming in towards him. In fact, one of them was already descending on it's attack lunge, claws extended as it gleefully threw itself into the battle. Shifting to his right, Vanz planted his feet firmly onto the ground, raising his shield and holding it above him, even as he braced his spear with the tip pointing upwards, gleaming just slightly in the light of Luna and Ruby, which watched the battle overhead as impassively as always.
The Rock Hopper didn't even adjust its course, too caught up in the frenzy of battle to realize it was setting itself up, and at the end of its leap, the creature impaled itself on Vanz' spear tip, the weapon sliding home as it wrenched into the predator's stomach. It snarled and screeched wildly in pain and rage, lashing out in a frenzy as it came to rest against the young knight's shield, arms and feet having enough reach to that they continuously raked across his armored form. And yet, Vanz held firm, driving his speartip home as he tried to inflict a lethal wound that would put the creature to death at last. He never even saw when the clawed limb descended just right, didn't even realize that it was about to hit him, until it already had. He only knew that he felt a sharp blow against his exposed face, and his head recoiled to one side as everything went black.
[i]Am I blind?[/i] The thought panicked him, with the thought of at least one other Rock Hopper still there, and even amidst the stars and blackness, he pushed off as quickly as he could, leaping straight backwards, without even looking where he was going. The jump was a strong one, carrying him several dozen feet into the air, and it was only at the apex of his leap that he rubbed at his face, feeling the warmth and fluid of what unmistakably must be blood...but whether his or the Hopper's he wasn't sure. He was relieved however to see that his sight was returning, amidst a few stars that he forcefully blinked away, in time to look down and see the other Hopper rising up to meet him, arms thrown out wide and claws ready to find his flesh somewhere beneath all of that armor. Vanz didn't think much about it, he just angled himself correctly, flipping about so his feet pointed skywards, and he descended straight down, in a practiced move common to all Dragoons as he extended his shield arm in front of him. This motion was often used against ground-based opponents on foot to stun them, but it worked just as well against airborne ones if you were certain you could hit your target, and indeed Vanz -was- certain, confirming this a moment later with another harsh crunch of impact, his body jarring with the force of colliding with the second Rock Hopper, feeling the harsh stench of it's breath upon his face as he all but stopped the creature's upward momentum and plunged downwards with it.
He didn't know where Shesal was right now, even a few leaps having carried him a significant distance from where he'd started the battle. He hoped the old veteran was allright. [i]Heck, he's probably already done and is looking for me right about now.[/i] He found the chance to muse this to himself, right about the time he and the Rock Hopper landed. Vanz's intention had been to land on top of the Hopper and further stun it, then use his spear to finish the job, but he hadn't counted on crashing onto a diagonally slanted slope, and suddenly found himself pitched off wildly to one side, even as he and the predatory reptile were thrown wildly, tumbling and rolling down the side of a rocky crag, only to land harshly in a clatter in the bottom of a stone valley. His spear went flying from his right hand, clattering a few feet away. [i]DAMN![/i] He didn't have time to worry about it however, as the Rock Hopper was already moving again, snarling and lunging at him once more. He spun wildly to one side, feeling the lash of those claws across his armored back again, and the harsh snap of it's vice-like jaws coming shut just inches from where his head had been a moment ago. He continued through with the spin, building up momentum as he spun his left arm around, then savagely smashed it into the Hopper's head, staggering the beast and sending it careening off to one side from the blow. He used this opportunity to make a wild grab for his spear, but the Hopper recovered far more quickly than he had anticipated, and no sooner did he have the weapon in his grip than he felt one of those clawed hands seize around his ankle, followed by a harsh tug that jerked him off of his feet, and sent him flying into one of the many cliff walls of this area. Again, the wind rushed from his lungs, and his breath was already coming in harsh pants, struggling for oxygen. In most battles, Dragoons had the luxury of catching their breath between leaps, but not so with the Rock Hoppers, who could match them move for move with each passing second. Vanz was quickly running out of steam, and his mouth was filling with blood, filling his senses with the coppery taste. He knew by the pain that it had to be somewhere on his face...he was just thankful that he hadn't lost an eye in the process.
[i]Got to finish this, now. Or he's gonna outlast me... [/i]
He stumbled from the cliff face several paces, even as the Rock Hopper crouched, then lunged for him, going high as it sought to take his head into it's mouth once more. In a way, Vanz simply let gravity take its course, pitching forward as he spun about, to land harshly on his back, even as his attacker soared overhead, and at that precise moment, he stabbed upwards, violently...with his spear, which after recovering it, he had made absolutely sure not to loose his grip on. He felt the tip bite deeply into flesh, and the Hopper's course was altered violently as it lashed off to one side, flipping and tumbling along the ground, before it landed on it's back, where it proceeded to grip and tug at where the spear was lodged fatally into it's throat. It was to no avail however, and the struggles soon turned into death throes as the lethality of the wound could not be denied, and when its body finally laid still, Vanz was left, sitting upright, with his back to a large boulder, one hand clamped over his face where he felt the sharp pain stinging at his features, his breaths coming in thick, labored gasps. [i]I did it...[/i] The thought hit him suddenly, and he felt some satisfaction, and at the same time, worry, about Shesal's situation. [i]I hope he's allright. I gotta...get over there...[/i] He tried to will himself to his feet again, tried to get another wind into him, but he found his limbs unresponsive, and found himself only wanting to lie down, and catch his breath...to lay his head down. [i]...got to...help Shesal....can't....leave...him... [/i]
Vanz didn't even feel it when his head hit the ground, protected by his helmet, and long since having blacked out by that point into blissful silence, the pain in his face all but a distant memory in the wake of the pleasant warmth of unconsciousness.