The Attack on Morroc

At the same time that the citizens of Geffen were fighting for their lives, Morroc, like it before the ambush started, was not expecting any attack. Morroc was alive with its nightly bazaars, musicians and dancers. The Pyramids and Sphinx were still teeming with people; unaware that they were going to have the nightmare of their life.

Altair Thorne had been in Morroc for two months now. He had done this because he could no longer stay in Prontera with Wealthow asking annoying questions about Nerva. Of course that was a secret, and Altair was going to keep it until Nerva showed up. Besides, the great Blacksmith had taken to forging various katar these days and where else would he sell his powerful Thornecraft weapons?

That day, Altair earned a total of five million zeny. That day too, he sold over eight hundred pairs of various katar, elemental and not. From his inventory and calculations, Assassins preferred ready-made elemental weapons than buy slotted Jurs and Jamadhar. He interviewed a couple of his customers why, and he got the same answers: buying a weapon was already expensive, why go through so much effort to look for a card when therere ready-made elementals?

Though he had so much money, Altair did not check in on any hotels in Morroc. Instead he selected a particular spot by the pyramids and set-up a crude tent there. He was lying down and reading a book he got from Nerva last Christmas as he waited for his water to boil.

And then the kettle whistled shrilly. Altair sat up and poured some boiled water into a chipped mug, where a teabag was already waiting. He rotated the bag absent-mindedly with his free hand as he continued to read on. The book Nerva gave him was highly interesting. It taught some remarkable forging techniques that the gods themselves used, and most of them Altair did not know yet.

"Excuse me, monsieur?"

"Uh, yeah?" said Altair, jerking his gaze with great effort from the book. "What can I do for you?"

"It is my Damascus, monsieur." The Thief told him, taking out his dagger for Altair to see. "I attacked a Muka and it went haywire, I dont know what went wrong"

This Thief has a funny accent, Altair thought as he took the Damascus. He quickly spotted the problem. "Your weapons been damaged even before you thwacked that Muka. What else did you fight earlier?"

"I attacked a couple of Wolves, a Desert Wolf and a Golem." The Thief replied.

Altair whipped out a monocle from his shirt pocket. He fitted it over his right eye and examined the blade closely. There was a fine crack that started from the hilt that wound around the blade.

"A simple Repair Weapon would do this right." said Altair, pocketing his monocle. "Youd have it back tomorrow."

"Cant monsieur do it now?" the Thief asked anxiously.

Altair threw the Damascus into his cart, where other sorts of damaged weapons were piled on top of another. "Nope, monsieur cant, because I do my services on a first come, first served basis. Youd have it back tomorrow at around noon; youre at the end of my list."

"V-very well. Merci."

The Thief walked away looking sullen. Altair felt a small smile spread on his lips as he sipped his tea and returned to his page.

Hours passed by quickly, until the Pyramids and Sphinx were closed so that only the campers remained. The thick crowd earlier was replaced with tents, and campfires glowed everywhere you looked. Altair felt his eyes itch, and decided to put off his reading to some other time. He marked his page carefully and shut the book. He stood up and doused his fire with some water.

Altair inhaled some of the clean desert air as he watched other campers getting ready to sleep. Here in the Pyramids and Sphinx, if you wanted to get ahead of everyone else and find good training spots for the next day you had to camp. Caliph Harun al-Rashid only allowed a hundred campers every night, so getting a slot for yourself or for your party was mean business. Usually Priests and Assassins got the slots for camping, but the Knights were planning to go on strike to get more slots.

He wondered how Lilian was doing. They havent seen each other for three weeks now. She said shed go to Mjoinir with her party and try out some of the creatures there. Altair provided her with a good supply of herbs and potions, because he knew the insects in the mountains could give nasty, venomous bites.

"What a tiring day" Altair sighed as stretched his arms. "I wonder where Id go tomorrowmaybe Id better try my luck in Payon this time around"

He yawned and returned to his flimsy tent. Altair pulled the blankets above his chin, removed his glasses and turned on his side. He uttered a secret prayer before closing his eyes to sleep

Somebody was screaming. Altair felt an unusual jerk inside his head. He was sure he could hear screams. His head throbbed, and he felt terribly dizzy. Then his eardrums caught more sounds. He heard people screaming, running. Then there were unearthly growls that made his hair stand on end. Altairs deep violet eyes snapped open. He smelled smoke-and fire.

Altair sat up so suddenly that he slammed his face into a frying pan that hung from his flimsy roof. Clutching his terribly aching nose he groped for his glasses and wore it clumsily before his eyes. He crept out of his tent and straightened up. His jaw dropped open.

"Holy cow-?!" he gasped.

Tents were lying on the sandy ground in heaps. People were running around, screaming hysterically and fighting off-Mummies. At first Altair swore he was just having a very bad dream, not until a madly barking Verit dog pounced on him and made him fall flat on his back.

Hed punch the Verit off him. Altair was quickly on his feet and grabbed hold of his big-wheeled, roofed and metal Kafra cart. He gripped it by its handles.

"CART REVOLUTION!" Altair yelled.

The steel cart was soon sent whamming into the Verit, who gave a high-pitched squeak as the cart and the weight of the weapons inside it combined to deal more damage. The Undead dog fell dead on the spot.

Everyone in Altairs sight was fighting. Assassins, Knights and Priests that were still wearing hairnets and pajamas were attacking the oncoming rush of Mummies from the Pyramids. Altair was bewildered; he knew that the Pyramids and Sphinx had been sealed by Geffenese Wizards five hundred years ago to keep the Mummies inside. What had happened to that ancient, magical seal?

A Mummy leapt at him. Altair summoned his hammer.

"Hammerfall!" he attacked, squashing the Mummy with a sickening splat.

He broke into a dash and joined the others who were struggling to keep back the Mummy wave from the Pyramids entrance. Once there with the other warriors Altair saw the remnants of a magical barrier at the Pyramids entrance. It was pulsating with a pink light and sizzling with sparks. It was broken.

But who would be powerful enough to break the Wizards seal?

Somebody shouted. Monks and more Priests from the city arrived and rushed to help. Knights on their Peco-pecos came running from the road that led to the Sphinx. Altair saw that the Knights looked horrible; every single one of them was covered with blood. There was even one dangling from a Peco-peco and he looked dead.

"WE CANT HOLD BACK THE CROWD AT THE SPHINX!" The lead Knight screamed, waving his arms frantically. "WE NEED HELP BACK THERE! THE KHALITZBERG IS COMING! WE NEED PRIESTS AND MONKS BACK THERE!"

Fifty Monks and Priests obliged and dashed to meet the panicking Knights. Altair saw their lot return to the Sphinx, but the Peco-peco carrying a dead Knight was met by Acolytes instead. The dead Knight had his whole spinal column shattered by the rampaging Khalitzberg. A Priestess and a Monk rushed to the aid of the Acolytes who fetched the dead Knight.

There was a great bang as twenty Monks, Priests and Knights were blasted off their feet. Altair was siezed with horror as Osiris himself, the legendary king of Morroc, emerged from the Pyramid.

Osiris looked like an ordinary Mummy, except that the bandages wrapping him were made of glittering gold-cloth. A priceless golden crown was also on his head. He charged at the crowd, bandaged arms raised stiffly-

Many of the Knights fled for dear life, but the Monks and Priests stepped forward to stop the mummified king.

"Theyd be no match for that!" a female Wizard wearing a pink, flowered nightgown squeaked beside Altair. "Lets help them do it!"

Like what the Wizard said, Osiris just swiped his arm to the approaching Priests and Monks to send them blasting off their feet. Altair joined a brave group of other Blacksmiths and Wizards who attacked Osiris next.

Morrocs foundations shook as thirty Hammerfalls slammed into the ground in one powerful blow. By now the whole city knew something was afoot in their land, though most of the people were clueless that the crowd by the Pyramids and Sphinx were dying in droves.

If the crowd at the Pyramids were barely coping with Osiriss power, the Knights, Monks and Priests trying to fend the Khalitzberg and Matyrs were having harder times. It was the very same situation in Geffen; anyone who died with a bite soon turned into Ghouls or Zombies-even become Zeroms or Requiems. The Priests and Monks were taken aback; they have never encountered anything like this before.

There were loud screams when rampaging swarms of bloodsucking Drainiliar and Farmiliar bats erupted from the Pyramids and Sphinx.

Luckily, an Assassin named Luther and a Hunter named Damian dashed to inform the caliph of what was happening. Soon enough, warning gongs all around Morroc were struck, giving out a loud reverberating sound. High-level Thieves who were nearing the 2^{nd job promotion and Assassins were summoned from the city and ordered to go at the Ruins to help.}

When the reinforcements arrived however, the people at the Pyramids were already at Morrocs walls, and the crowd at the Sphinx was lessened to twenty Knights, Priests and Monks altogether. Hundreds of the demi-human monster Isis also joined the fray.

"We cannot let the monsters break through the walls!" Altair shouted. "Or else theyd go pouring into Morroc itself! We have to obliterate them all here!"

"But were retreating! We desperately need more help!" a female Knight wailed.

"We can do it!" an Assassin shrieked at the Knight. "If youre a coward, just scamper away; you arent helping us all a single bit! Get lost!"

Altair spun his hammer above his head and whammed it into the ground. "HAMMERFALL!"

A considerable chunk of Mummies were stunned by this attack. Ten Wizards behind the front all cast a spell.

"SOUL STRIKE!"

The ancient spirits looked like fireworks against the night sky. After that the Wizards cast Lord of Vermilion, Meteor Storm and other wide-range destructive spells while the Mummies were stunned.

But they were unprepared for what happened next.

It turned out that the crowds holding back the Sphinx monsters were badly overwhelmed. There was a great explosion, and everyone turned to see the surviving Knights, Assassins, Priests and Monks running away for dear life. Behind them were about a thousand Zeroms, Requiems, Matyrs and the Khalitzberg. Even Altair felt the color drain from his face.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" One of the Assassins was screaming madly. "RUN FOR YOUR-"

But he didnt get to finish his warning, as a red cloud of fluttering Drainiliar bats enveloped him and sucked him dry on the spot. It was a horrifying sight.

One by one, they all lost their nerves.

"AAAAAH! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" a Wizard lost his nerve completely and scampered away like a duck.

"GODDAMN IT, COME BACK HERE!" a female Assassin yelled after him.

But many others followed the Wizards example and started running away for their own lives.

"RUN!"

"OUTTA MY WAY! OUTTA MY WAY!"

"I DONT WANNA DIE YET! RUUUNNNN!"

Altair ground back his teeth. His violet eyes darted around; if the monsters from the Sphinx merged with the ones they were holding back they would all die. Goddamn it, what happened to those courageous Knights? Damn them all!

Even Mr. Bogus, the Thieves Guild Mushroom Keeper, was running away carrying sackfuls of his mushrooms. The Kafra girl by the pyramid nearly got herself trampled by Knights riding Peco-pecos.

An Alchemist beside Altair withdrew his staff. The remaining fighters thought he was planning to run too.

"GO ON, RUN, JOIN THE WHOLE LOT OF THEM!" the same female Assassin shrieked. "RUN, THE WHOLE SUCKING LOT OF YOU! HOW DARE YOU CALL YOURSELVES 2ND CLASS PEOPLE WHEN IN THE FACE OF TRUE BATTLE YOU RUN! YOU MAKE ME SICK!"

"I'M NOT RUNNING AWAY, DAMN IT!" the Alchemist hollered back as he pushed his crooked glasses up his nose. "IM GOING TO FORMULATE AN EXPLOSIVE TO DESTROY THESE BEASTS!"

Some Knights and Assassins exchanged meaningful looks.

"ALL BLACKSMITHS AND ALCHEMISTS STAY BACK!" a Knight from The Covenant ordered. "WELL COVER YOU! HURRY UP AND DO YOUR THING!"

Somebody grabbed Altair by the neck and pulled him to the back of the dwindling defensive crowd. Altair was carelessly thrown on the soil like he was a doll. Blacksmiths and Alchemists soon formed a huddle. A Magician kindly made them fire. The planning began.

"What were you planning?" a female Blacksmith asked at once. "I have some chemicals with me-"

"I have amplifying potions-!" said another Alchemist, waving his bulging bag at them.

"Shall we use Stones? I have Stones!" said another.

"I have Oridecons!" blurted another.

"What do we do?" demanded Altair.

"SHUT UP!" the lead Alchemist shouted. The huddle became alarmingly quiet. "Now listen here. This is my discovery-its called saltpeter. Its a sugar complex chemical, but it explodes like Lord of Vermilion. Now, listen the whole lot of you-well need five barrels-!"

The lead Alchemist spoke very fast. Altair had to lean closer to hear everything. They needed sugar. And thenah, they needed five barrels of sugar. They had to get it now-steal it and pay for it later. When everyone understood, their huddle quickly broke apart and proceeded to do the plan.

"What did you discuss?" a Knight asked Altair as he returned to fighting. "Why arent you with them?"

"Half of us stays to fight." Altair replied as he used Mammonite on a Verit. "Anyway, theyve gone to ask for barrels of sugar."

"Sugar?" repeated the Knight.

Altair nodded. "Pure, one hundred percent, sweet and refined sugar."

If the Knight found this odd, he hid his confusion well by spinning his pike and using Bowling Bash to stop the Mummies. Their meager army resisted before Morrocs thick walls, waiting for the other Blacksmiths and Alchemists to come back with the much-needed sugar.

"WEVE GOT THEM HERE!" came a shout.

Altair withdrew from fighting and helped prepare the mixture. Things had to be handled carefully, said the Alchemist, because one wrong move and they would all ricochet themselves to heaven. Their preparations took on twenty minutes, and their defensive barrier was fast collapsing by then. Monks and Priests ran around like crazy, fighting and trying to Heal people at the same time.

Altair was given the task of taking a barrel and planting it. The Blacksmith was soon on his feet.

"RUN! NOW!" said the lead Alchemist.

Altair, along with two Monks, a Priest and a brave Swordsman, banged head-on into the crowd of demi-humans and Undead. They had to duck, jump, swerve, careen, cartwheel and plunge to avoid attacks. The barrels were huge, so running with them proved quite hard. Altair couldnt even use his hammer because his hands were full.

Like what was planned, the five barrels were put in five different locations around the monsters. Coming back to the protection of the other fighters was easy. Altair had to Hammerfall anything that attempted to grab his ankles as he ran.

"NOW!" the Alchemist yelled.

"METEOR STORM!"

Fiery boulders rained down from the sky. The barrels ignited and-

The explosion was so great that the whole section of Morrocs eastern wall fell. The Priests and Wizards cast Safety Walls to protect everyone. The impact was so great that Altair felt his hair stand. One of the Alchemists was lifted off her feet and slammed eighty feet away onto the sand.

"Clear the smoke out! We need to see!" somebody yelled.

One of the Wizards obliged. "Storm Gust!"

A cool and powerful gust of snow blew out the thick black smoke left by the explosion. Altair looked and felt his jaw drop open.

"Wow" he croaked with amazement.

No single monster survived the explosion. Unfortunately, the Sphinx and Pyramids were both blown up into heaps of burnt rocks. Cautiously and slowly, the crowd slowly advanced into the field

"That was one hell of a bang" a Monk shuddered. "Kafra Corporation would surely look for its maker"

When they were sure that all of the monsters had been obliterated, the crowd burst into cheers. Knights clashed their spears with their shields, Merchants banged their carts and Magicians started shooting Fire Bolts into the sky. The Alchemists started to go around giving everyone a cup of expertly brewed beer.

Altair was too mystified to join the celebrations. He knelt on the spot where Osiris lay. Looking carefully around, he removed the mummy kings crown and slipped it quietly into his backpack. Wealthow would surely want to know about this.

He returned to the partying crowd. "Can anyone warp me to Prontera? Its urgent."

Two Monks and three Priests gladly volunteered. A minute later, Altair was walking toward the great Pronteran Sanctuary, Osiriss glittering crown in his hands.