A/N: Ahh, I've been planning this one for a while. I love Sousuke so much, he's one of the cutest heroes. And I don't think there's enough slash in the GW file. That being said, this isn't one of my better chapters, but the story had to start somewhere! It's sappiness rivals the "Why, Midna? Why?" story in my archives. It will get better, though! Just stick with me! I'm hoping to have the next chapter up in the near future (and this time I mean it! _). I hope Sousuke's behavior isn't OOC in this or anything. BUT ENOUGH WITH MY INSECURITIES!!
Disclaimer: Guild Wars and Sousuke are owned by PlayNC and...whoever else owns Guild Wars. ArenaNet, I s'pose. ;D
This first section has dialogue from the game. I'll denote the section with a * at the beginning and end.
*"Jin! Acolyte Jin!"
A warm greeting that elicited a flash of irritation in her eyes. Jin's voice remained casual. "What is it, Sousuke?"
He smiled, eyes glowing like an overly eager puppy, making Jin sick to look at him for too long. Sousuke was unusually cheerful for someone just beaten in battle by a monk half a foot smaller than him. "What do you think?"
"Of what?"
"That Sunspear leader, of course!" He spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in Elona.
Jin waved her hand vaguely, whether to shoo Sousuke or to brush away the matter, she wasn't sure. "Nice moves. Has potential."
Sousuke's expression deflated slightly. "That's it?"
"That's enough."
Jin watched him survey the sunset over the high, Istani hills. The light tinting his brown hair a russet red.
He shook his head at her answer, "Something is going on here in Elona. I can feel it in my bones." He touches the space over his ribs almost absentmindedly. "This Sunspear is going to be a big part of it."
Jin shrugged. "If you say so. I'm just looking for someone to learn from. It is the Zaishen way."
Looking back at her, Sousuke's eyes were wounded. For some reason, Jin couldn't muster any sympathy.
"There is nothing about the Zaishen way that says we can't be enthusiastic about what we do," He said, earnestly.
"OK." Wasn't this conversation over yet?
The sarcasm either flew over his head or was thrown away indefinitely. The eagerness returned to his smile. "Field General Hayao will allow this Sunspear to train one of us. I hope I am chosen."
"I hope so, too."
Sousuke blinked, surprised, then he broke into a grin. "Thank you."
A smirk bloomed over Jin's face, "Then I won't have to listen to you jabbering on."
She turned and strode away too quickly to see his reaction.
Sousuke, of course, was shocked and not a little bit miffed. A woman ten years younger than him had just insulted him. "What did you just say?"*
***
Sousuke watched Jin's retreating form disappear into the fading light over the field and groaned softly to himself. His adventure in Elona was not going as he had hoped. A tentative hand touched his shoulder and he turned to face the bewilderingly large hazel eyes of the Sunspear general. Her tiny frame was typical of healing monks, with ribbons that curled around her blond hair buns to frame the sides of her face. She didn't have the look of a warrior, but she could order her troops to fight for her. It was the only way she could have defeated him, he was sure. Of this he was sure, if he was chosen as General Falls' apprentice, he would do whatever he could to learn from her example. This was one opportunity he didn't want to miss for all the platinum in Kaineng.
Remembering his manners in front of a superior, he quickly bowed. "It was an honor to do battle with you, my lady."
"I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt," She said, her voice soft and lyrical. "Koss's sword is sharp."
She looked over her shoulder to smile fondly at a burly man with bushy black hair who was sitting on a nearby rock and sharpening his swords with leather made from Iboga hide.
"I am uninjured, but thank you for your concern," Sousuke said. He wondered if this Sunspear leader had heard his admiring words to Jin, about her being important to Elona.
The look in her eyes was nothing short of warmth, however. "Let's head back to Kamadan. These plains are dangerous after dark."
"Of course, my lady," Sousuke said, agreeably, and he followed her back to the sparkling city, his disastrous words with Jin pushed back into his mind.
As it turned out, General Lydia Falls had come from the Tyrian continent, specially recruited by Kormir to assist with invading corsairs and some issue that the Sunspears were dealing with in the archaeological sites of western Istan. Things had turned very serious when the Zaishen Order were alerted, but so far, any news of the situation had been passed solely between those of a higher rank than Sousuke.
In Kamadan, a pair of of richly dressed servants showed him to a modest chamber in the building that the Zaishen had made their temporary headquarters in Istan. What he had seen in the city so far amazed him, as different as it was from the cramped, debilitated structures in Kaineng or the dazzling colors that made up the royal district. Kamadan's architecture blended with nature, placing fountains every one hundred feet and allowing wide-leafed plants to grow at the feet of their tall statues.
He thanked the servants and they left him alone to await word of the general's decision. It was late in the evening now and the sun had fully set, various insects buzzing their songs in the air. The breeze coming in from the open floor-to-ceiling window was cool, but the sun-baked stones of the floor and the lining of the window sill gave off the heat they had saved from the sun, making Sousuke sweat after the exertion of battle and walking.
He dumped his bag of scarce possessions on the bed and stripped off the blue elementalist overcoat. It crumpled to the floor with a rush of air and just as it landed, a folded sheet of parchment slipped out of one if the inner pockets. Sousuke blinked and picked it up curiously. The paper was worn and the creases tender, so much that he had to take care in unfolding it so that it didn't tear apart in his hands. The handwriting was untidy as if it was written in haste.
Mouse,
Now that we're both free from the Captain's fire-imp nest of a ship, I am no longer your Master. My old mates won't touch you any more. I'm off to be my own captain as the sea has always intended and I'm letting you free to go off on your own; whether you want to be with the Zaishen or not, whether we will be enemies or not. But know this, mouse, if you want to go back to their little order, you'll need your little headband back, and if you want it, you will have to come and find me.
The signature at the bottom was in Vabbian. Sousuke couldn't read it, but he knew notwithstanding who had written it. His heartache from the past two years had forced him to try and forget, but he couldn't deny the wave of memories that came back to him now.
Two years of remembering, two years of searching relentlessly, even while finishing his studies with the Zaishen, for the one who held his heart in his palm along with who knew how many jewels and doubloons. From the dock-slums of Cantha to the shores of Kryta. And still nothing.
Tears pricked at his eyes and he sat down heavily on the edge of the bed.
"I have been searching for you," He whispered to the note. "Where else should I go?"
He gently folded it back up and pressed the edge against his forehead.
"Kharim..."
A knock at the door made him jump to his feet and look around wildly for a place to hide the note. As if there was a need, he reminded himself. No doubt no one would know the context anyway. He slipped it underneath his bag and opened the door.
General Falls and a female necromancer (probably one of her officers) stood at the door with the news that he had been chosen as her apprentice. He had never said "thank you" or bowed so many times in his life. The monk pretty much reciprocated each one.
"I will be grateful to have your service. I'm just sorry for disturbing you so late."
"You didn't disturb me at all. I wasn't doing anything really."
Their faces were the same shades of pink. The necromancer rolled her eyes and handed Sousuke a pile of tanned garments.
"This is your Elite Sunspear Armor. You can wear it while you travel with us."
Elite Sunspear Armor? This was more than he could have asked for.
"I will do whatever you want of me, ma'am," he said.
"Please, just call me Lydia," The monk smiled.
They left Sousuke to his own excited thoughts, and just for one night, his excitement was able to drive away the memories lurking with the note hidden on the bed. At least it would give him some peace for a little while.
