A Dream From the Shadows
Chapter 1
Auron entered the small bar slowly. He carefully noted each person present. He was always careful. He had to be.
The bar in Luca was certainly not of the highest quality, but it was always packed. Everyone loved to drink while watching their favorite team blitzing. Auron drank, but not even Wakka's Aurochs could make him care about some meaningless sport. Every time that Wakka had a game, the whole group went to Luca. And every time they went to Luca, Auron went to the bar.
The bartender gave Auron the usual as he sat on a tall stool. Same drink. Same seat. Every time.
But today, Auron had a bad feeling. He knew that something was going to happen, he just didn't know what it was.
"Shake it off," he said to himself. "The routine's just getting to you, that's all." But he couldn't clear his head. He couldn't afford to be distracted. He was a guardian. He had a job to do.
"But now there's a hidden danger, and I can't save anyone if I don't know what's coming..." he continued to mumble.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. He instantly spun around, grabbing the throat of his attacker. He looked, and saw spiraled emerald eyes looking back at him.
"Rikku," Auron said with little shock. "For the last time," he added before releasing her, "stop poking me."
She leaned over, putting a hand on a padded stool to steady herself. She took a few deep breaths, then was almost back to normal.
"Sorry, jeez," she said, still shaken slightly. "I just came to tell you Wakka won his game, so they made it to the finals." She looked at Auron, expecting an apology.
"Well, why'd you bother me if he's not done?" Auron scoffed. He wasn't about to let Rikku get the better of him.
"Sorry, I just thought you'd want to know. This is really important to him, you know."
"Yeah, I know." Auron allowed a small smile to cross his lips. "Come back when he's got the trophy. I'll buy him a drink."
"Yes, sir." Rikku saluted him. She always did things like that. She loved screwing with people. She turned and scurried off toward the square, hoping to meet the guys from the Psyches. She loved getting autographs. And flirting. But she was a guardian, too. She needed to focus.
Auron turned back to his drink. He didn't really want it, but at least he had something to look at. He avoided eye contact with other people as much as he could. It wouldn't be hard to start something up, everyone being drunk. Auron really hated coming to Luca.
"Maybe I should take up blitzball," he pondered to himself. "I'm not that old, and it'd be more fun than staring at a drink." He placed that thought in a small box, locked it, and threw the key Yevon-knows-where. His conscience scream at him, "No distractions!"
"Auron!" He suddenly heard Rikku yelling for him. He tried to ignore her, but it didn't work.
"Auron!' He felt the pain in his shoulder again. He couldn't take it anymore. He shoved off of the bar, stood up, and turned around.
"Dammit, Rikku! I told you to stop..." He stopped.
He was face to face with the glimmer of metal. So close, he could feel the sharpened point of the knife at his nose.
He froze, his eyes still never giving away emotion. At first he could see only the silver in between his eyes. Slowly, he looked past to see Rikku in the doorway. She had a very concerned look, but she was frozen as well. Everyone in the bar had stopped.
The bartender began to reach for his katana, hidden behind the counter. Auron, facing the other way, commanded, "No, put it down. It's alright." The bartender slowly brought both hands above the bar.
"Hmm, you're smarter than you look, old man. You've learned," said the assailant. Auron looked at the knife carefully, wondering what he wanted.
"Is there a reason for this?" demanded Auron. He loosened up, not making any sudden movements.
"There's a reason for everything, old man. But then again, maybe I just think it's fun."
"Okay then, 'son,' as I see it you can do one of three things."
"Oh, yeah? And what would those three things be?"
"Well," Auron smiled, "you can either kill me right now, you can put down that knife, or you can stand there while we all die of boredom." Auron's face became more solemn.
"Wow, choice three is really tempting, but I think I'll just kill you now."
"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. Rikku!"
As the attacker turned, Auron made his move. He grabbed the knife thinking, "What an idiot. This is too easy." Then, he suddenly felt a pain in his neck and back. He realized that he was lying on the bar, facing up. He could feel the cold metal of a second knife against his throat. He tried to move, be he was being pinned down.
"Rikku!" Auron yelled. "What the hell just happened!?"
Rikku managed to speak, despite her shock. "Well, you yelled my name. Then this guy turned around, looked me right in the eye, smiled, drew another knife, and flipped you onto the bar. All that in about half a second."
"Thanks," Auron said sarcastically.
"Ah, you've got quite the quick little eyes, don't you, young lady?" the attacker hissed. Rikku became even more uncomfortable. Auron thought to himself, "What, half a second? But only...no, it can't be." He felt a hot breath near his neck.
"I'm not just another drunk, Sir Auron. I know exactly who you are."
"Do I know you?" Auron said, still showing no fear.
"I'm disappointed, Auron. You don't remember me?"
"Obviously not, but could we continue this conversation without you sitting on me?" he asked pointedly.
"Of course, why didn't you just say so?" The man climbed down off the bar and slowly took the knife away the away from Auron's throat. He sheathed it next to many others like it on his belt.
Auron sat up, shoot a glare at Rikku, but she only responded with a "who, me?" look in return. Auron pushed himself off of the bar. He finally got a good look at his assailant, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
The man wore typical black boots. Nothing special. Black leather pants, black leather trench coat, red leather shirt underneath. Nothing stood out as strange. The knife belt was slightly odd, but not uncommon. He wore a single glove, on his left hand. "Coincidence," Auron thought to himself, stepping closer. Auron noticed a silver necklace, which had a strange symbol on it. It was a sun with a "S" in the middle. "Hmph,"Auron scoffed out loud. Then he mumbled, "That could have been stolen." But as he neared the strange man, Auron noticed his eyes. Behind flowing black hair and sunglasses similar to his own, Auron saw them. One was silver, the other was red. "It can't be..." he said, speaking louder than he intended.
"Who is it, Auron?" Rikku asked with a very shaky tone. She noticed a slight smile come to Auron's face.
"How in Yevon's name did you find me?" Auron asked him.
"Please, you're a legend. And you're guarding Lord Braska's daughter. It wasn't that hard." He smiled back. Then, he stepped forward and embraced Auron.
Auron had never expected to see him again. "Traum," he asked, "where the hell have you been?"
Chapter 1
Auron entered the small bar slowly. He carefully noted each person present. He was always careful. He had to be.
The bar in Luca was certainly not of the highest quality, but it was always packed. Everyone loved to drink while watching their favorite team blitzing. Auron drank, but not even Wakka's Aurochs could make him care about some meaningless sport. Every time that Wakka had a game, the whole group went to Luca. And every time they went to Luca, Auron went to the bar.
The bartender gave Auron the usual as he sat on a tall stool. Same drink. Same seat. Every time.
But today, Auron had a bad feeling. He knew that something was going to happen, he just didn't know what it was.
"Shake it off," he said to himself. "The routine's just getting to you, that's all." But he couldn't clear his head. He couldn't afford to be distracted. He was a guardian. He had a job to do.
"But now there's a hidden danger, and I can't save anyone if I don't know what's coming..." he continued to mumble.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. He instantly spun around, grabbing the throat of his attacker. He looked, and saw spiraled emerald eyes looking back at him.
"Rikku," Auron said with little shock. "For the last time," he added before releasing her, "stop poking me."
She leaned over, putting a hand on a padded stool to steady herself. She took a few deep breaths, then was almost back to normal.
"Sorry, jeez," she said, still shaken slightly. "I just came to tell you Wakka won his game, so they made it to the finals." She looked at Auron, expecting an apology.
"Well, why'd you bother me if he's not done?" Auron scoffed. He wasn't about to let Rikku get the better of him.
"Sorry, I just thought you'd want to know. This is really important to him, you know."
"Yeah, I know." Auron allowed a small smile to cross his lips. "Come back when he's got the trophy. I'll buy him a drink."
"Yes, sir." Rikku saluted him. She always did things like that. She loved screwing with people. She turned and scurried off toward the square, hoping to meet the guys from the Psyches. She loved getting autographs. And flirting. But she was a guardian, too. She needed to focus.
Auron turned back to his drink. He didn't really want it, but at least he had something to look at. He avoided eye contact with other people as much as he could. It wouldn't be hard to start something up, everyone being drunk. Auron really hated coming to Luca.
"Maybe I should take up blitzball," he pondered to himself. "I'm not that old, and it'd be more fun than staring at a drink." He placed that thought in a small box, locked it, and threw the key Yevon-knows-where. His conscience scream at him, "No distractions!"
"Auron!" He suddenly heard Rikku yelling for him. He tried to ignore her, but it didn't work.
"Auron!' He felt the pain in his shoulder again. He couldn't take it anymore. He shoved off of the bar, stood up, and turned around.
"Dammit, Rikku! I told you to stop..." He stopped.
He was face to face with the glimmer of metal. So close, he could feel the sharpened point of the knife at his nose.
He froze, his eyes still never giving away emotion. At first he could see only the silver in between his eyes. Slowly, he looked past to see Rikku in the doorway. She had a very concerned look, but she was frozen as well. Everyone in the bar had stopped.
The bartender began to reach for his katana, hidden behind the counter. Auron, facing the other way, commanded, "No, put it down. It's alright." The bartender slowly brought both hands above the bar.
"Hmm, you're smarter than you look, old man. You've learned," said the assailant. Auron looked at the knife carefully, wondering what he wanted.
"Is there a reason for this?" demanded Auron. He loosened up, not making any sudden movements.
"There's a reason for everything, old man. But then again, maybe I just think it's fun."
"Okay then, 'son,' as I see it you can do one of three things."
"Oh, yeah? And what would those three things be?"
"Well," Auron smiled, "you can either kill me right now, you can put down that knife, or you can stand there while we all die of boredom." Auron's face became more solemn.
"Wow, choice three is really tempting, but I think I'll just kill you now."
"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. Rikku!"
As the attacker turned, Auron made his move. He grabbed the knife thinking, "What an idiot. This is too easy." Then, he suddenly felt a pain in his neck and back. He realized that he was lying on the bar, facing up. He could feel the cold metal of a second knife against his throat. He tried to move, be he was being pinned down.
"Rikku!" Auron yelled. "What the hell just happened!?"
Rikku managed to speak, despite her shock. "Well, you yelled my name. Then this guy turned around, looked me right in the eye, smiled, drew another knife, and flipped you onto the bar. All that in about half a second."
"Thanks," Auron said sarcastically.
"Ah, you've got quite the quick little eyes, don't you, young lady?" the attacker hissed. Rikku became even more uncomfortable. Auron thought to himself, "What, half a second? But only...no, it can't be." He felt a hot breath near his neck.
"I'm not just another drunk, Sir Auron. I know exactly who you are."
"Do I know you?" Auron said, still showing no fear.
"I'm disappointed, Auron. You don't remember me?"
"Obviously not, but could we continue this conversation without you sitting on me?" he asked pointedly.
"Of course, why didn't you just say so?" The man climbed down off the bar and slowly took the knife away the away from Auron's throat. He sheathed it next to many others like it on his belt.
Auron sat up, shoot a glare at Rikku, but she only responded with a "who, me?" look in return. Auron pushed himself off of the bar. He finally got a good look at his assailant, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
The man wore typical black boots. Nothing special. Black leather pants, black leather trench coat, red leather shirt underneath. Nothing stood out as strange. The knife belt was slightly odd, but not uncommon. He wore a single glove, on his left hand. "Coincidence," Auron thought to himself, stepping closer. Auron noticed a silver necklace, which had a strange symbol on it. It was a sun with a "S" in the middle. "Hmph,"Auron scoffed out loud. Then he mumbled, "That could have been stolen." But as he neared the strange man, Auron noticed his eyes. Behind flowing black hair and sunglasses similar to his own, Auron saw them. One was silver, the other was red. "It can't be..." he said, speaking louder than he intended.
"Who is it, Auron?" Rikku asked with a very shaky tone. She noticed a slight smile come to Auron's face.
"How in Yevon's name did you find me?" Auron asked him.
"Please, you're a legend. And you're guarding Lord Braska's daughter. It wasn't that hard." He smiled back. Then, he stepped forward and embraced Auron.
Auron had never expected to see him again. "Traum," he asked, "where the hell have you been?"