[ooc] Adventure Story text: Chapter 1
I really wish I could find the images that went with the stories, ngl. In any case, in Wild ARMs 3, there's a sidequest you can take on to collect a series of storybooks for Clive to read to his daughter, Catherine. They're about a boy named Jack, who meets Marivel Armitage, and basically becomes her friend, l-lol. Anastasia also makes a cameo in the books, and I use pieces of it as headcanon, even if the timeline for it's a little screwed up (Anastasia being around, for one, but no mention of the rest of the Crimson Nobles, especially Marivel's parents.)
I slipped through the back door while the the radio filled the air with piano sonata. Crossing the backyard, I peeked through the window to see Grandma knitting under the light of the lamp.
"Now's my chance!" I thought, as I opened the fence and darted away with my homemade rubber-band airplane in my hands again. Heading straight for my destination, I ran up the mountain. Patches of flowers, lit pale-blue from the moonlight, swayed with my footsteps.
"Phew..."
Reaching the open riverside field far from town, I took a short breath and walked toward the stream. The cold air sneaks into the neckline of my short-sleeved shirt.
"Ooh, it's cold!"
Looking up at the full moon that paints the world blue, my breath turned white. Although it's just passed August, autumn has already begun in these mountains. On days like this, when the temperature drops greatly at night, it's a great time to take advantage of the wind updrafts to fly my plane.
I ready my aircraft and wait.
The time is ripe...
"Go!"
I release my beloved machine SK-13 into the sky and it successfully catches the upward current.
"Yay! Just as I calculated! Huh...?"
My SK-13 kept floating on the draft and drifted along without lowering altitude.
"H-Hey!"
How far is it going to fly? Having no idea what to do, I chased after it.
"Ugh!"
Seeing where the craft landed, I gasped. The dark silhouette of an old, derelict castle...I-It's the house of the blood sucking monsters of the night!!
But...I can't just leave my first successful aircraft behind...
Dragging my shaky feet, I head towards the castle.
"It's spooky..."
My body shakes as I look up at the gates carved with devil ornaments all over it. Do you think I'm chicken? Maybe so, but I'm just an eleven year old. I don't think anyone would blame me.
"There's no use standing around, Jack. You gotta go!"
I pumped myself up and opened the gates. Climbing up the crumbling stairs, I looked down on the ruins from the terrace. A cracked goddess idol was looking up at me with vacant eyes. The castle must have been beautiful in its day. How sad it is to see it so run down.
Oh, well. I'm not here to be sentimental.
"It should be around here... Ugh."
Pushing myself through the broken fence, I found what was left of my SK-13 and let off a long sigh.
"What tough luck..."
Feeling exhausted, I sank down and leaned against the fence. Then suddenly, I felt a looming presence behind me. As I swiftly stood up, something jumped at me from the darkness!! I-I-Is it the rumored monster!?
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!"
I rolled forward and turned to see what was behind me. I turned pale as I saw my would-be assailant. There it stood with glowing red eyes, a wolf with steel-blue fur!!
"Uwaaaaahhh!!"
I let off a pitiful scream as I avoided its lunge. Having no weapons or special skills, I can't expect to win against a wolf just by evading his attacks. I started losing my breath and my legs grew heavy. I can't turn my back to him and run away either.
Oh, Jack...To die so young at the tender age of eleven...
No...I can't die yet!!
I opened my eyes wide and stared into his. Glaring at each other, I slowly nudged toward the opening in the terrace fence. When I reached the point, I looked away.
"Grrr...Grrooooaaa!!"
It jumped towards me with incredible speed!
Just as I planned!! I jumped towards the wolf with a rolling somersault! Please, make him drop from the terrace!!
But, my prayer was not heard. The wolf jumped over my head, but twisted his body to avoid the opening in the fence.
The sound of falling rocks crashed.
The wolf let off an irritated snort and leapt at me with a graceful bound! It's the end, oh, God help me!!
But the deadly blow I expected never came. I opened my eyes cautiously. That's when I saw it: A small shadow coming out of the moonlight! A red ray of light fired from its finger!! As I stood breathless, the wolf slowly dropped in front of me. A long cape flapped gently in the breeze.
Landing with a light tap, the shadow stood in front of me.
"What the...?" I couldn't believe my eyes. The shadow belonged to a cute girl!!
As I sat there wonder-struck, she snapped her fingers and called a small machine that was floating in the air.
"So the motor sound I heard came from this," I thought while trying to regain my senses.
"Are you all right?" asked the girl with a rather high voice.
As I nodded up and down, she smiled faintly.
"Good. So, what brings you here?"
She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, curled at the tips; her hair was very pretty, but...when I looked at her eyes, I broke into a cold sweat.
Her eyes are red!? Is she the blood sucking monster!?
Before I knew it, I was screaming out, "P-Please, I don't taste good!!"
Watching me slide back on the ground, she smiled with a strangely sad face. From between her red lips, long white fangs glowed. She quietly approached me as I sat half-frozen with fear.
"I have no interest in a youngster's blood. You haven't answered my question yet. What brings you here?" The long iris of her eyes glared at me; I felt like a mouse hunted by a cat.
"I-I-I...c-c-came for my aircraft..."
"Aircraft?" she asked while tilting her small head.
"Uhh, y-y-yes. Hear it is..." I showed her the aircraft in my hands.
"Don't be so stiff. You need not be so frightened." Laughing wryly, she took the craft into her hands.
How can I not be petrified? It's impossible to feel relaxed in this situation.
"Hmmm..." With a serious expression on her face, she examined the shape of the wing and the rubber band power mechanism.
It felt kind of awkward, as if she was a teacher grading a test in front of me.
"Hmm. It's built well. For a youngster living only ten years or so, that is." She grinned as she returned the craft to me.
"Thanks...I guess..."
Hearing my snotty remark, she broke a smile again.
"My apologies. I meant it as a compliment. As a Crimson Noble, I'm not well versed in human nature."
"Huh...? A Crimson Noble?" I said with a dumbfounded voice; did I hear that right? But Crimson Nobles...they commonly appear in comic strips as the immortal, beautiful, and legendary race of night walkers in search of human blood. So the girl in front of me is telling me she's one of these Crimson Nobles?
"That's correct."
Nodding with an air of arrogance, she indeed shows characteristics of the legendary Crimson Noble. "So, what do you intend to do with the craft?"
"..."
I wasn't about to tell her everything, but she did save my life...and I was quite rude to her, wasn't I?
"I was experimenting with it so I can one day make an aircraft large enough to soar in the sky with."
"I see... That is quite an ordeal," she said in a patronizing manner.
(What kind of answer is that? It's not like I'm doing this as a joke!)
Feeling flustered, my mouth slipped.
"It's not nice to laugh at someone's dream after you asked to hear about it." This was the first time I ever told this to anyone.
"Oh, I was not laughing at your dream."
"Then what's so funny!?"
Without heeding to my question, "Here, here, don't get so touchy. Perhaps I can help you achieve your dream?" She then pressed a button on a mechanical band wrapped around her wrist.
"Uwahhhhhh!!" I screamed again, surprised much more than last time. I think even a grown-up would've screamed loudly at this one. The place that was a ruin just a second ago was now a shiny new castle!!
"Holy jeepers..."
The girl held out her hand towards me and led me into the castle. Inside the castle were machines that I had never seen before. I was still
stunned, but I followed her quietly.
Passing through several rooms, she opened the double doors to a big room.
"Oh...wow..."
The room was filled with books ten times, no, hundreds of times bigger than the school library!!
"This is incredible..."
I was awestruck, finding books like "The Basics of Wind Power" and "The Lost Flying Machine" that I always wanted.
"How is it? Do you like it?" Turning towards her, she was smiling with her arms crossed. "There are many books here that will help in your research. Come here to read whenever you like. I will set a transporter connecting to the town for easy access."
"That's very generous of you, but...why are you so kind to me?"
My fear of her was long gone.
It was strange, but there was something in common between me and her that made me drop my guard.
"Hmm... Well..."
She paused to choose her words.
"Well what?"
"I know...I will answer you when you have successfully constructed the aircraft and take me to the sky with you."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"Hahaha. Remember, it's a promise." She chuckled as she leaned against the bookshelf.
Trying to thank her, I realized, "Hey, what should I call you?"
"You seem to need to learn common social grace..." Said the girl with an impish smile. "Have you ever been taught to introduce yourself first before asking a person's name?"
"I...I guess you're right..."
I scratched my neck and straightened up.
"My name is Jack Beckson. I'm an eleven year old living with my grandma in Quartly, south from here."
Nodding firmly, she faced me and said, "I am Marivel Armitage. Master of the Crimson Castle."
"Nice to meet you, Marivel."
Marivel shook the hand that I held out and grinned.
This is how I met Marivel.
I slipped through the back door while the the radio filled the air with piano sonata. Crossing the backyard, I peeked through the window to see Grandma knitting under the light of the lamp.
"Now's my chance!" I thought, as I opened the fence and darted away with my homemade rubber-band airplane in my hands again. Heading straight for my destination, I ran up the mountain. Patches of flowers, lit pale-blue from the moonlight, swayed with my footsteps.
"Phew..."
Reaching the open riverside field far from town, I took a short breath and walked toward the stream. The cold air sneaks into the neckline of my short-sleeved shirt.
"Ooh, it's cold!"
Looking up at the full moon that paints the world blue, my breath turned white. Although it's just passed August, autumn has already begun in these mountains. On days like this, when the temperature drops greatly at night, it's a great time to take advantage of the wind updrafts to fly my plane.
I ready my aircraft and wait.
The time is ripe...
"Go!"
I release my beloved machine SK-13 into the sky and it successfully catches the upward current.
"Yay! Just as I calculated! Huh...?"
My SK-13 kept floating on the draft and drifted along without lowering altitude.
"H-Hey!"
How far is it going to fly? Having no idea what to do, I chased after it.
"Ugh!"
Seeing where the craft landed, I gasped. The dark silhouette of an old, derelict castle...I-It's the house of the blood sucking monsters of the night!!
But...I can't just leave my first successful aircraft behind...
Dragging my shaky feet, I head towards the castle.
"It's spooky..."
My body shakes as I look up at the gates carved with devil ornaments all over it. Do you think I'm chicken? Maybe so, but I'm just an eleven year old. I don't think anyone would blame me.
"There's no use standing around, Jack. You gotta go!"
I pumped myself up and opened the gates. Climbing up the crumbling stairs, I looked down on the ruins from the terrace. A cracked goddess idol was looking up at me with vacant eyes. The castle must have been beautiful in its day. How sad it is to see it so run down.
Oh, well. I'm not here to be sentimental.
"It should be around here... Ugh."
Pushing myself through the broken fence, I found what was left of my SK-13 and let off a long sigh.
"What tough luck..."
Feeling exhausted, I sank down and leaned against the fence. Then suddenly, I felt a looming presence behind me. As I swiftly stood up, something jumped at me from the darkness!! I-I-Is it the rumored monster!?
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!"
I rolled forward and turned to see what was behind me. I turned pale as I saw my would-be assailant. There it stood with glowing red eyes, a wolf with steel-blue fur!!
"Uwaaaaahhh!!"
I let off a pitiful scream as I avoided its lunge. Having no weapons or special skills, I can't expect to win against a wolf just by evading his attacks. I started losing my breath and my legs grew heavy. I can't turn my back to him and run away either.
Oh, Jack...To die so young at the tender age of eleven...
No...I can't die yet!!
I opened my eyes wide and stared into his. Glaring at each other, I slowly nudged toward the opening in the terrace fence. When I reached the point, I looked away.
"Grrr...Grrooooaaa!!"
It jumped towards me with incredible speed!
Just as I planned!! I jumped towards the wolf with a rolling somersault! Please, make him drop from the terrace!!
But, my prayer was not heard. The wolf jumped over my head, but twisted his body to avoid the opening in the fence.
The sound of falling rocks crashed.
The wolf let off an irritated snort and leapt at me with a graceful bound! It's the end, oh, God help me!!
But the deadly blow I expected never came. I opened my eyes cautiously. That's when I saw it: A small shadow coming out of the moonlight! A red ray of light fired from its finger!! As I stood breathless, the wolf slowly dropped in front of me. A long cape flapped gently in the breeze.
Landing with a light tap, the shadow stood in front of me.
"What the...?" I couldn't believe my eyes. The shadow belonged to a cute girl!!
As I sat there wonder-struck, she snapped her fingers and called a small machine that was floating in the air.
"So the motor sound I heard came from this," I thought while trying to regain my senses.
"Are you all right?" asked the girl with a rather high voice.
As I nodded up and down, she smiled faintly.
"Good. So, what brings you here?"
She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, curled at the tips; her hair was very pretty, but...when I looked at her eyes, I broke into a cold sweat.
Her eyes are red!? Is she the blood sucking monster!?
Before I knew it, I was screaming out, "P-Please, I don't taste good!!"
Watching me slide back on the ground, she smiled with a strangely sad face. From between her red lips, long white fangs glowed. She quietly approached me as I sat half-frozen with fear.
"I have no interest in a youngster's blood. You haven't answered my question yet. What brings you here?" The long iris of her eyes glared at me; I felt like a mouse hunted by a cat.
"I-I-I...c-c-came for my aircraft..."
"Aircraft?" she asked while tilting her small head.
"Uhh, y-y-yes. Hear it is..." I showed her the aircraft in my hands.
"Don't be so stiff. You need not be so frightened." Laughing wryly, she took the craft into her hands.
How can I not be petrified? It's impossible to feel relaxed in this situation.
"Hmmm..." With a serious expression on her face, she examined the shape of the wing and the rubber band power mechanism.
It felt kind of awkward, as if she was a teacher grading a test in front of me.
"Hmm. It's built well. For a youngster living only ten years or so, that is." She grinned as she returned the craft to me.
"Thanks...I guess..."
Hearing my snotty remark, she broke a smile again.
"My apologies. I meant it as a compliment. As a Crimson Noble, I'm not well versed in human nature."
"Huh...? A Crimson Noble?" I said with a dumbfounded voice; did I hear that right? But Crimson Nobles...they commonly appear in comic strips as the immortal, beautiful, and legendary race of night walkers in search of human blood. So the girl in front of me is telling me she's one of these Crimson Nobles?
"That's correct."
Nodding with an air of arrogance, she indeed shows characteristics of the legendary Crimson Noble. "So, what do you intend to do with the craft?"
"..."
I wasn't about to tell her everything, but she did save my life...and I was quite rude to her, wasn't I?
"I was experimenting with it so I can one day make an aircraft large enough to soar in the sky with."
"I see... That is quite an ordeal," she said in a patronizing manner.
(What kind of answer is that? It's not like I'm doing this as a joke!)
Feeling flustered, my mouth slipped.
"It's not nice to laugh at someone's dream after you asked to hear about it." This was the first time I ever told this to anyone.
"Oh, I was not laughing at your dream."
"Then what's so funny!?"
Without heeding to my question, "Here, here, don't get so touchy. Perhaps I can help you achieve your dream?" She then pressed a button on a mechanical band wrapped around her wrist.
"Uwahhhhhh!!" I screamed again, surprised much more than last time. I think even a grown-up would've screamed loudly at this one. The place that was a ruin just a second ago was now a shiny new castle!!
"Holy jeepers..."
The girl held out her hand towards me and led me into the castle. Inside the castle were machines that I had never seen before. I was still
stunned, but I followed her quietly.
Passing through several rooms, she opened the double doors to a big room.
"Oh...wow..."
The room was filled with books ten times, no, hundreds of times bigger than the school library!!
"This is incredible..."
I was awestruck, finding books like "The Basics of Wind Power" and "The Lost Flying Machine" that I always wanted.
"How is it? Do you like it?" Turning towards her, she was smiling with her arms crossed. "There are many books here that will help in your research. Come here to read whenever you like. I will set a transporter connecting to the town for easy access."
"That's very generous of you, but...why are you so kind to me?"
My fear of her was long gone.
It was strange, but there was something in common between me and her that made me drop my guard.
"Hmm... Well..."
She paused to choose her words.
"Well what?"
"I know...I will answer you when you have successfully constructed the aircraft and take me to the sky with you."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"Hahaha. Remember, it's a promise." She chuckled as she leaned against the bookshelf.
Trying to thank her, I realized, "Hey, what should I call you?"
"You seem to need to learn common social grace..." Said the girl with an impish smile. "Have you ever been taught to introduce yourself first before asking a person's name?"
"I...I guess you're right..."
I scratched my neck and straightened up.
"My name is Jack Beckson. I'm an eleven year old living with my grandma in Quartly, south from here."
Nodding firmly, she faced me and said, "I am Marivel Armitage. Master of the Crimson Castle."
"Nice to meet you, Marivel."
Marivel shook the hand that I held out and grinned.
This is how I met Marivel.