A Mercenary's Journey

[Jack Sarratt]

"Not that I remember, but I've lived for a long time." Rebunanta stared off into the distance. "I know so little about myself." Damn that Domon and his magic.

[Mr_D]

"Memory loss eh? Must be pretty tough not knowing who you are."

[Jack Sarratt]

"Not lost, but just...not there. Maybe I should just try to explain it." Rebunanta sat down on an old boulder near the path. "But first, you must promise me to never reveal any of this unless I allow it."

[Mr_D]

"Who am I going to tell? Besides, I'm not in the habit of shouting out other people's secrets."

[Jack Sarratt]

"Hmph, indeed. Then sit down and let me tell you a story." Rebunanta cleared his throat.

"A long time ago, there was a man named Deval. He was a necromancer, but not a very good one. So, eventually, he was struck down by an assassin who was never named. As Deval lay dying, he called up one final spell, to bring back a Greater-Dead. You know about those ghosts, specters and such? This spirit was worse. It preyed on Deval's weakness. It possessed him. He was revived and immediately killed the assassin. But, in doing so, the spirit's energy infused the assassin. The poor man was doomed to forever walk the earth as an immortal. Until he could kill the spirit inside Deval."

This happened almost a millenia ago. A young necromancer named Domon once met this unfortunate assassin, and told him that he could help. He said that he knew a way to free him from the energy, and allow him to finally die. What the assassin didn't know, was that Domon worshiped Deval, and wished to join him in power. He conceived a spell that would wipe the assassin's mind and the energy would flow into him."

"The plan failed, though, because Domon was too weak to actually finish the spell. He succeeded in wiping the man's memory, but he couldn't steal the energy."

Rebunanta sighed, then stood and looked at Ryu. "So, does that explain anything to you?"

[Mr_D]

Ryu looked blankly at Rebunanta then rose from here he had been sitting.

"You think I'd be able to explain all that even if I wanted to?" He laughed.

[Jack Sarratt]

Rebunanta sighed again. "Well then, I guess I'll have to show you." Saying this, he took off his glove. To Ryu's obvious surprise, The flesh was almost completely gone! The bone was extruding from what little flesh was left. "This is my curse." Rebunanta seemed to sneer. "So, still want to travel with an immortal monster?"

[Mr_D]

"I got the point." Ryu said. "Now put that damn thing away before I'm sick. All I meant was that your secret's safe with me. I couldn't be bothered to explain all that to someone."

[Jack Sarratt]

"Whatever." Rebunanta slid his glove back on. "Now, if were going to get work with those merchants, we need to do two things. One: we need to appear capable of handling ourselves in battle. Two...."

[Mr_D]

"No problem" Ryu waved Rebunanta away dismissively. "You worry too much."

[Jack Sarratt]

"I see." Rebunanta quickly pulled out one of his kusarigama and threw the chain at something behind Ryu. "So you don't need to worry about undead monsters coming up from the ground?"

[Mr_D]

"Whatever happens I'm sure we can deal with it." Ryu said nonchlantly.