Treasures and Truths
"...The Pig Avenger?" remarked Avian, looking incredulously at the young scholar who sat across from him at the table.
"Look, Avian," Julius, the scholar, said, seeming rather impatient. "If you aren't up to riches and fame, don't go for it. You're sitting on a gold mine here."
"You're telling me," the treasure hunter replied, "that just this once, during this specific lunar cycle, this 'Pig Avenger' carries a prize as rare and wonderful as the Sun Ring? I find that impossible to believe. Plus, the cave, his lair... it's filled with... well... pigs! Do you have any idea what that SMELLS like?"
Julius couldn't help but laugh at that remark. "Like I said, if you don't believe me, your loss. Unfortunately, I'm a scholar, not a hunter, or I'd go after it myself."
Avian stood up from the table and laid down a few coins to pay for his drink. "I'm going to go prove you wrong." With that, he left the inn, leaving a sighing Julius at the table sipping rice wine.
"Be careful, old friend," the student yelled after him. "The ring's power may be too much for a human mind... I wouldn't touch it directly if I were you."
Avian pretended not to hear and kept walking.
* * *
After donning his trusty Wind Armor and cleaning his Dragon King Spear, Avian stood inside the den of the mythic pigs. The only thing of mythic proportions there, Avian thought, was the smell. Opting to shrug it off and push on, the young treasure hunter closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the power of the White Tiger, Baekho, rush into him, empowering him with speed and strength.
His eyes snapped open and he began to run, jumping over pigs here and there, using his spear like a pole-vault to launch himself over chasms and cliffs, and striking down the occasional pig-like obstruction in his path.
When he finally arrived at the lair of the Pig Avenger, he skidded to a halt, using his spear to stop himself. Avian looked at the huge lump of flesh laying in the center of the room and began to laugh. THIS was the mighty Pig Avenger!? He hefted his spear and began to walk towards it, laughing the whole way.
His laughter was cut short when the pig suddenly jumped to its feet and struck the point of Avian's spear away with sudden ferocity. Avian thought he saw a glimmer of gold on the pig's hand, but he couldn't be too sure, as a blast of lightning was suddenly hurtling his way. He dove to the side to avoid it, then jumped to his feet, rushing forward with his spear. The blade stuck into the Pig Avenger's side, and a loud squeal was heard.
However, the beast would not fall so easily. It whirled around, wrenching the blade from its body, and struck Avian in the chest with an incredibly powerful punch. Avian thought he heard a crack as he slammed into the wall; that was never, ever a good sign. The treasure hunter used his spear to lift himself, then glared icily at the avenger.
Once more, he rushed the beast, but when its arms came flailing, he was suddenly nowhere to be found. Instead, Avian was behind the beast, and he slashed the creature across the back with his spear's blade. It whirled around to face him, with another squeal of pain, but that was only in time to see Avian's Dragon King Spear glow with immense force. The young rogue lunged forth with a loud "KA~!" sound and thrust his spear through the pig's chest.
With one more loud squeal of agony, the beast exploded into a flash of light, and a small ring of gold tinkled to the ground. Avian stopped a moment, catching his breath, and then knelt to pick up the ring.
When it touched him, Avian's eyes flashed with a golden light, and the ring was wreathed in flames.
Julius was right.