Ruin hunters are people who delve into the deeps, people who explore forbidden magic and ancient artifacts that had been left behind after the great calamity over 900 years ago. The strange phenomenon caused the world of Elvendoria as we know it to change and grow along side us, creating domains out of thin air that would be deemed as hazardous to villagers. My whole life I wanted to be like a certain Ruin hunter, the one who saved everyone from the Calamity all those years ago, Gerard. A hero who pointed his swords to the heavens as he finally faced off against the demon king. "'My body may be battered and broken! It may be filled with scars from battle, but I wear them with pride knowing that no matter what happens I'll never have a scar on my back! For I always face my foes!" His words of bravery echoed into the future, and a young elf took the mantles of his soul and his courage, a kid that would sprint head first into the future, shouting his god given name to the heavens as soon to be known, Kaluar, the tinkerer of legends. This is my story, on how I became a Ruin hunter.
'Hurry with those supplies!' Loud burly voices cut through the moment of a blissful memory, bringing our protagonist to the cold clutches of reality.
Kaluar, a young elf of sixteen years, marched through a dark cave, tailing the backs of his superiors, his heavy boots marching against the stone cold floors, cyan eyes narrowed in fatigue, gritting his teeth together as he carried their heavy supplies, the weight causing his knees to buckle.
Each step proved a challenge, as he pressed on, determined to see it through, finally coming to a point rewarded with the view of a life time, the view of an adventurer, of a ruin hunter that he always wanted.
His eyes widened in amazement, chills running up his spine as he felt the child in him coming out once more, face to face with an underground ravine. Water droplets fell like liquid gold against the glowing stones and Lightcrystal, colors of blue, pink and gold adorning the cave in a massive festival of light, a beauty one couldn't possibly write down in literature or capture in one's mind but we can certainly paint a picture.
As it's holy glow danced along the ravine walls, the stones illuminated the cave in a powerful ray of light, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Kaluar's lips fell agape as his eyes tried to capture everything, to think something so beautiful would be hidden away in something so dark and dreary only to enhance it's beauty ten fold.
His gaze observed from a distance, the weight of his burden taken off of him by his superiors, tons and tons worth of pickaxes leaving his back as he sighed from relief, sitting down against the cold floor, his brown baggy pants now damped for it's hard surface.
He looked down as the adventurers would take their time, lashing away at the stones which marked this cave their home, a smile on his face as he knew one day that would be him, leading the charge of his own team and become ruin hunters.
Times when the voice of defeat crept up by the ear of our hero, the times where giving up would lurk in the back of his mind. He would remember the words of his father all those years ago, picking him up when things would leave him behind, a smile on his face after each long rest, eyes always set to the future as he sprinted ahead in a burst of power. Taking in a deep breath as he announced his arrival, screaming his god given name to the heavens to let the world know who was coming, Kaluar, the great tinkerer of legends, was marking the path for future generations to follow, the path to greatness.
'So you're finally thinking of stepping up in the world.' Commented a woman of the guild, her posture nonchalant against the wooden walls, a smile on her face.
The guild was as lively as ever, the roaring of adventurers after completing a mission, singing merry songs of old after making it back alive. They would clap to the beat of their own rhythm, playing games of cards or downing beer until they couldn't stand anymore.
The young lad smiled a blush on his cheek from the comment.
'Yup! I've gotten my rank to D so I should be able to get a team going right?' He asked, his eyes filled with hope as he looked at our mistress.
As she leaned off the wall she looked at the young boy in his eyes with her green gaze, orange hair cascading down her back, following her movements as she spoke.
'Hold on there. You need to be a C+ to make a team, also you need to fill this out before you can officially make a guild, but after that, you're free to adventure the world with your party at your side.' She said, sliding a form and a weird trinket his way with a grin.
'Think you can do that?' She asked, her smile challenging.
'Yeah.' Kaluar smiled back taking the form from her hands.
His mind would always wander to stories his father would tell him as a child of the four great adventurers, elves that had survived A great battle a mere five hundred years ago, heroes to the nation of Elvendoria that slain the monster from another dimension a seal that was ripped with the power of magic. It was a momentous occasion celebrated in song and dance every five years.
Kaluar would walk out of the guild only for his eyes to always fall on him, Gerard, the warrior of legends, his iconic pose set in stone, his blade forever unsheathed against the sun. The cracks of time started to set in within stone. he's the man who Kaluar hopes to be. His sword always facing towards danger, a determined glint in his eyes as he screamed to the heavens his name. His famous lines known by all,
'My body may be battered and broken! It may be filled with scars from battle, but I wear them with pride knowing that no matter what happens I'll never have a scar on my back! For I always face my foes!' Kaluar recited, his voice barely that of a whisper as his heroic voice echoed in his mind, saying it along with him.
'Gerard, the warrior of legend,' Kaluar muttered under his breath, admiring the statue in the town's square, his gaze focused on it's intricate design, cracks adorning it's figure as the mark of time rows on. The sun beaming down on him a triumphant smile to the end.
'One day, that'll be me.' His voice trailed off in a sense of wonder, soon exploding into a confident smile as he set off out of the village, his feet marching against the stone pavement of the village to the soft grass of the fields.
They danced to the wind, their movements in tandem as dew drops fell from their soft blades, the blue sky stretching far across Elvendoria, Kaluar running across the fields with the same determined grin and smile. His hands holding the straps of his oversized bag a musket strapped to the side, adorned with makeshift gloves, goggles running through the strands of his fiery red hair and his ears pointed to the sky.
'I just realized.' He muttered as he stopped, his gaze looking around the field,
'Where am I going?'
His pace slowed as he thought, the trinket that was given to him glowing in his bag. Kaluar's eyes widened in shock, taking the bag off his back and quickly searching it's contents, his hand burrowing through everything he hand until he had it.
'I'm still in here!' A voice screamed at him from the bag.
Turning it upside down, Kaluar dumped everything out into the fields, there fell a little elf girl, the size of his palm. Her body as illuminated in blue, her clothing looking of that of a simple white gown.
'Are you stupid or something?!' she squealed, though it was more cute than threatening for her small size.
'S-sorry.' Kaluar murmured, sitting down in the grass, his legs crossed with each other as he looked down upon the young elf, extending his hand out to her.
With a huff she got on, her little fingers wrapping around his thumb for support.
'Hi, I'm Kaluar,' He introduced, his other hand to his chest and a small endearing smile spreading the cross of his lips.
'So you're the adventurer I'm tasked to help this time.' She sighed, a screen appearing before her made out of mana, Kaluar looked in a silent awe and shock as her hands glided across the air.
'What's your team name?' She pondered, looking up at our hero.
'Team Rekka! Raging flames.' He announced with a sense of pride in his eyes.
'That's a dumb name.' She mumbled under her breath. Her eyes darting over the screen.
'So you're supposed to go to the Eldrian Ravine and mine Lightcrystal. Who knows maybe if you're lucky you'll get some Gravinite.' She informed, the screen closing before her.
'Edrian Ravine.' Kaluar murmured, his gaze set up to the sky as he tried to remember such a place, the wind brushing through his hair with soft caring hands. With a steady pace, he got up from the ground, lifting the small elf girl on his shoulders and running off to his next destination with a steady pace. His hands on the straps of his bag, his hair taken in the direction of the wind, feet marching in a steady rhythm.