Part 4: A Strange Man

(Thread note: So I had five dragon names suggested and nobody really voted for one, so I numbered them 1-5 and rolled a die, which landed on 4. I'm about to turn the game back on and play some more, and when I do I will name the dragon Roderick - which I'm personally fine with as I enjoyed Cleese's character in Jade Empire.)

When we last left Edge and Roderick, they had just landed after rescuing a strange man in red from Arachnoth.

Is that...your dragon?

Edge: No, he's not really mine...he just understands me...somehow.

With him you could fight against the Empire...

Edge: Fight against the Empire!? Are you one of Craymen's...!?

Edge has a Jump to Conclusions Mat at home, so he's very practiced in this sort of thing.

I'm not with Craymen, I'm a Seeker.

Edge: Seeker? You mean that band of tomb raiders?

Wrong again, Edge. He's wearing far too much clothing to be a tomb raider.

Man: Hey, you make it sound like we're thieves, buddy. If we're tomb raiders, then the Empire's a bunch of grave robbers. Who says those treasures are theirs, anyway?

Edge: So what is a seeker doing in the middle of nowhere?

Man: I was heading for a rendezvous point. I took a short cut, and that big ugly freak attacked.

Anyway, I owe you my life.

As fishy as the man's story still sounds, that last line was good enough for Edge to put his gun away.

but can you take me to my people? It's not far. Just south of here in Cainus Village.

So he's a hitchhiker. Great. Edge begins to turn away when the man starts speaking again.

Man: Hey, take it easy, buddy. You've never traveled alone, have you? I can help you.

Edge: All right. But just to Cainus, okay?

Man: That's fine by me.

Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet.

My real name is Skiad-Ops-Gash, but just call me Gash, okay?

No problem, dude, especially considering your full name sounds like some sort of bizarre euphemism for eating out a girl in the snow.

Gash: I know quite a bit about things around here. Ask me anything you want to know about the local ruins or monsters.

The conversation finished, the game shifts to the world map view. Here, you can choose the area you wish to explore (similar to Final Fantasy X). The insignia in the upper left hand corner is Craymen's, and by pressing X,

you can see where Craymen's fleet is at the moment.

With his captain dead and no other options, Edge is basically forced to take the man Gash to where he wants to go, so the pair mount the dragon and fly to Cainus Village.

When they arrive, a somber Gash looks around at the deserted, desolate village.

Gash: So they attacked here, too...

Edge: Who attacked?

Gash: This is the work of those monsters. But why now...

I need to find out why. We need to stay here tonight.

And with that, Gash walks off. Again left with little choice in the matter, Edge begins to gather wood for the fire as the sun sinks lower and lower in the sky.

Once night falls, Edge finds himself sitting by the campfire with Gash, telling him all about the strange events that transpired over the past day.

Gash: ...Hmm. So that's how you met your dragon...

...Among the seekers, dragons are seen as Messengers of the Gods. Of course, if there were Gods, these villagers wouldn't have been ripped to pieces in a feeding frenzy.

The atheist goons over in D&D would love this guy. He continues speaking.

that dragons have another origin. To be honest, I don't know who is right anymore.

They believe dragons are demons that rose from hell and left the Ancient Age in ruins. Of course, oracles have foretold dragons ending the Empire's reign.

Edge: Folklore can be twisted to trick people into fearing their saviors?

Gash: It's so hard to know who or what to believe, don't you think?

Okay, so maybe he's more of an agnostic. At any rate, he changes the subject, and asks Edge what he's going to do next.

I'm after a man named Craymen. He killed my friends.

Gash: Revenge, eh...as good a reason as any. Few people attempt to travel into the frontier...and half of them are crazy.

Edge: Fair enough, why are you here?

Gash: Me?

Edge: That's not fair...

After that cheap shot, Gash decides that it might be best *not* to be an asshat to the guy with the pet dragon.

known only as the Divine Visitor. That's how it's written in the ancient records anyway.

Edge: Divine Visitor?

Gash: Sorry, but that's all I can say...

And with that, Gash gets up, the conversation apparently drawing to a close.

he's heading for the desert.

Edge: What!?

Gash: Craymen led the monsters into the village. Seekers always leave information for their own kind, even in their deaths.

My friend wrote me that message in his own blood.

Now *there's* something you want to hear right before bed. With that creepy thought echoing in his mind, Edge curls up on his bedroll and falls into a restless sleep.