Sunlight streamed through the open window onto a light brown mass of semi-curly hair. It was mid-afternoon by now, and the translucent yellow rays had warmed the room considerably. The only respite from the lack of air-conditioning was the cool, gentle breeze wafting in through the window. It was the heat that woke her up. Groggily shifting into a sitting position with her legs dangling off the edge of the bed, Mu looked about for a moment, recalling the events that had led her here—the closest she’d been to home in eleven years. Home… The very idea of her still, even subconsciously, thinking of Besaid as her home was laughable; she had long ago abandoned, and been abandoned by, any ties she had once claimed to that backwater island. Grunting in disgust, she heaved herself up off of the bed and walked over to the small washbasin. Looking in the mirror, the image that greeted her was the usual one: chaotic light brown mane, eyes that were currently a dull, green-tinted grey, and three grisly scars over the left side of her face that completely ruined any looks she might otherwise have possessed. She had long ago gotten used to the scars and accepted them, but that didn’t mean she was proud of them. As Mu screwed her expression into a concentrated scowl in the mirror, she splashed some water on her face before quickly drying off, grabbing her scythe, and heading downstairs. She was tired of waiting, and a walk might rid her of unpleasant thoughts.
As she walked down the stairs, the sound of voices caused her to pause for a moment, and listen. From her vantage point, she couldn’t hear very well, but she caught bits and pieces of the conversation. It wasn’t long, however, before the conversation ended and the people dispersed, leaving her with only a vague comprehension of the subject matter. Something about fiends and not to leave the village under any circumstances, for any reason whatsoever. Well, she had her weapon, and was by no means unused to combat so as to whether or not she ran into any fiends, she cared little. Mu strode forward, and was about to leave the building when the voice of the proprietress called out from behind.
“Miss! We have just been warned of an unusually large amount of fiends in the wood, which may be accompanied by Sinspawn, so please don’t leave the village.” The middle-aged woman rang her hands—she actually looked genuinely worried. Most people would, when confronted with anything related to Sin.
Regardless of any fiends, or Sinspawn for that matter, Mu needed to get out. “Don’t worry,” she said, smiling a small, half-smile at the woman. “I know how to take care of a fiend, and if I meet any Sinspawn, I can run fast.” With that, she turned and headed for the edge of town, paying no heed to the proprietress’s entreaties for her to stay in town.
There was only one “real” exit into the jungle, and that was the same path that led to the temple. Mu knew the way, for, during her three and a half years at the temple, the youngsters from each temple were sent to another temple once a year, for a few weeks or so, as part of a sort of exchange program. Mu had been sent to Kilika her first year—the year after, she had been sent to Djose, and then the third and fourth years, Kilika again. That fourth year—her last year—it had been the Kilika Temple that had sent the young trainees to Luca to see the High Summoner’s speech, and then paid for the ferry to take them directly back to wherever they belonged—in Mu’s case, Besaid. So it was, as Mu meandered down the forest pathways, she had no fear of getting lost. As she neared the Temple (which she was entertaining no thoughts of visiting), however, the sounds of pitched battle invaded the quiet sanctuary of the forest.
Somewhat annoyed at the interruption of her walk, and a little more than curious, Mu trotted onwards to see what, exactly, was going on. The sight that met her eyes was one she didn’t quite know how to describe without attributing some sort of recklessness or idiocy to the girl involved. In a small clearing was a girl waging war against multiple Sinspawn. Fool, Mu thought—perhaps callously. How could one girl expect to vanquish even one Sinspawn, alone? Yes, see there? One of the overgrown fiends had plunged its tentacles into the ground, one of which was coming up behind the girl, about to knock her to the side; and yet she still hadn’t seen it. The blow would most certainly knock her unconscious if it didn’t kill her. Sighing, Mu pulled her scythe from its home on her back, and tread quietly forward. She really didn’t feel like watching someone explode into pyreflies before her eyes. Luckily, the Sinspawn were too engrossed in the one target to pay any heed to Mu.
As the plant-like tentacle was swinging downwards, it jerked suddenly before falling with a dull thud to the ground, where the severed vine twitched for a split-second before sending tiny glowing lights dispersing into the atmosphere. Looking away in disgust from the goo now dripping from the formerly immaculate blades of the scythe, Mu looked at the other girl, the barest trace of a smirk tilting the corners of her lips. “Looks like you could use a hand.”
As she walked down the stairs, the sound of voices caused her to pause for a moment, and listen. From her vantage point, she couldn’t hear very well, but she caught bits and pieces of the conversation. It wasn’t long, however, before the conversation ended and the people dispersed, leaving her with only a vague comprehension of the subject matter. Something about fiends and not to leave the village under any circumstances, for any reason whatsoever. Well, she had her weapon, and was by no means unused to combat so as to whether or not she ran into any fiends, she cared little. Mu strode forward, and was about to leave the building when the voice of the proprietress called out from behind.
“Miss! We have just been warned of an unusually large amount of fiends in the wood, which may be accompanied by Sinspawn, so please don’t leave the village.” The middle-aged woman rang her hands—she actually looked genuinely worried. Most people would, when confronted with anything related to Sin.
Regardless of any fiends, or Sinspawn for that matter, Mu needed to get out. “Don’t worry,” she said, smiling a small, half-smile at the woman. “I know how to take care of a fiend, and if I meet any Sinspawn, I can run fast.” With that, she turned and headed for the edge of town, paying no heed to the proprietress’s entreaties for her to stay in town.
There was only one “real” exit into the jungle, and that was the same path that led to the temple. Mu knew the way, for, during her three and a half years at the temple, the youngsters from each temple were sent to another temple once a year, for a few weeks or so, as part of a sort of exchange program. Mu had been sent to Kilika her first year—the year after, she had been sent to Djose, and then the third and fourth years, Kilika again. That fourth year—her last year—it had been the Kilika Temple that had sent the young trainees to Luca to see the High Summoner’s speech, and then paid for the ferry to take them directly back to wherever they belonged—in Mu’s case, Besaid. So it was, as Mu meandered down the forest pathways, she had no fear of getting lost. As she neared the Temple (which she was entertaining no thoughts of visiting), however, the sounds of pitched battle invaded the quiet sanctuary of the forest.
Somewhat annoyed at the interruption of her walk, and a little more than curious, Mu trotted onwards to see what, exactly, was going on. The sight that met her eyes was one she didn’t quite know how to describe without attributing some sort of recklessness or idiocy to the girl involved. In a small clearing was a girl waging war against multiple Sinspawn. Fool, Mu thought—perhaps callously. How could one girl expect to vanquish even one Sinspawn, alone? Yes, see there? One of the overgrown fiends had plunged its tentacles into the ground, one of which was coming up behind the girl, about to knock her to the side; and yet she still hadn’t seen it. The blow would most certainly knock her unconscious if it didn’t kill her. Sighing, Mu pulled her scythe from its home on her back, and tread quietly forward. She really didn’t feel like watching someone explode into pyreflies before her eyes. Luckily, the Sinspawn were too engrossed in the one target to pay any heed to Mu.
As the plant-like tentacle was swinging downwards, it jerked suddenly before falling with a dull thud to the ground, where the severed vine twitched for a split-second before sending tiny glowing lights dispersing into the atmosphere. Looking away in disgust from the goo now dripping from the formerly immaculate blades of the scythe, Mu looked at the other girl, the barest trace of a smirk tilting the corners of her lips. “Looks like you could use a hand.”
