Tales of Vesperia (Aero's POV)
Our world, Terca Lumireis. No one knows how far its lands and oceans stretch. For our people are no match against the hordes of monsters that crawl the earth. Barriers protect the cities in which we live, and we are completely dependent upon them for our survival. These barriers are generated by the blastia. Blastia uses primeval power of aer that fills the world...To provide us with fire, water, and light. They provide us with everything that has made the empire prosper. Perhaps one day...We may even forget the threat of the vicious monsters lying in wait, just beyond the barrier. The blessings of the blastia...Will bestow ever more prosperity to the world and peace to its people. From the empirical capital Zaphias, bedrock of peace, we pray: May tranquility bless this world.
E.
***
Chapter 1: Zaphias!?! (part 1)
Yuri's POV
"..."
('Tum, tum, tum, tum, tum' 'Crash')"YURI!?" A small boy, with brown hair came crashing in. He looked to be around 9-years-old. "It's terrible!"
"Huh?" Yuri turn his attention to the front of his room where the young boy was panting slightly. "What is it, Ted?"
"It's awful." Ted ran up to Yuri's window seal. Pulling himself up, he pointed towards the massive pool of water that swamped the entire centre of the lower quarter. "The aqua blastia is broken again. And we just finish fixing it."
"Heh! Why not get the imperial knights down here to help us out? I mean, this part of town is part of the capital as well." Yuri sarcastically replied. He knew better than anyone that the knights were to stuck up to ever notice the lower quarters, even if they were in danger.
"You know the knights never care about us," Ted pouted, wiggling his hand around in a disappointing gesture.
"Well..." Yuri stated as he sat up from window sill. "Why not ask the heroic Flynn to come save the day?"
"They wouldn't even let us see him!" Ted continued, pouting more as he jumped down from the window.
"Oh, so I'm Flynn's replacement, huh?" he teased Ted.
Ted gave Yuri a smug look before ignoring his last comment. "Never mind that, come on! We're short on people."
"TED, TED!? You get down here. They need you, too." His mom yelled from the story below.
"I'll...I'll be right there." He shouted before turning his attention back to Yuri. "You'd better hurry."
With that Ted run down stairs and into his family Inn.
Repede, Yuri's faithful pooch, paced himself down stairs to the front of the Inn. Ted had just poked his head outside the door when Yuri touched down in a perfect landing next to Repede.
"Yuri!" Ted exclaimed excited. He was happy to know that he could always count on Yuri whenever there was trouble in the lower quarters. Yuri simple sighed in return and walked towards the center of the square.
*
{Everyday in the Lower Quarter}
"Man! First it was the knights yesterday and now this. This really isn't my day." (Yuri)
"Woof!" (Repede)
"I know, I know. There's no use whining about it." (Yuri)
"Woof!" (Repede)
*
As Yuri walked up to the central square, water was seen rushing out of the fountain like crazy.
"We've got to seal it off somehow?" Said one of the residents.
"What going on here? Find any sunken treasure?" Yuri walked into the rushing water, not really caring if he got wet.
"Yeah, but you got here too late, so I'm not sharing." Said a teenage boy.
"Heh heh! Ah, come on, you could of save at least some pocket change for me." Yuri teased him.
"Hey, it's sink or swim, buddy!" Were his last words before he went back to work.
"Looks like that blue-hooded mage we hired skimmed us of our money," Fretted a young lady from the side lines, carefully avoiding the water.
"Glad you could find the time to help us out, Yuri." An old man from the other side of the fountain called out.
Yuri turned to him grinning. "Aren't you a little old to be playing water sports old man? You're not young anymore, Y'know!"
"You're up next! Not afraid of a little water, I hope."
"Yikes! Hanks sometimes you scare me with that youthful spirit of yours," Yuri returned.
"Come on, put your backs into it. Heave, ho! Heave..."
Hanks was one of the Lower Quarter's most respected men. If it wasn't for him half the lower quarter would have been missing in the past.
"Hanks is really going at it." Yuri mused surprised. He's known Hanks for a while now, but he's never seen him this serious.
"He feels responsible," the teenage boy replied. "He was the one who pushed the people to get enough money to fix the blastia core."
"And now he's the one who's all wet." Yuri signed before turning his attention towards Hanks once more. "It's not Hanks fault that mage did a two-bit repair job."
Inspecting the fountain, Yuri notice that the aqua blastia core was gone.
"Yuri if you're not going to help, stand clear. This is dangerous." Hanks warned, placing many sand bags over the edge of the fountain to stop the water from over flowing and flooding the Lower Quarter's.
Yuri walked over to Hanks side. "Hey Hanks! Do you know what happened to the blastia? You know that shiny piece in the center of the fountain?"
"Huh...? Is it gone?" Hanks took a moment to examine the blastia for the missing piece.
"Yeah, the blastia won't work while the core's missing." He tried explaining as much as he knew. He didn't know much about blastia, just as little enough to know that this fountain needed a core. "That aristocrat that came to fix the blastia was the last one who touched it, right?"
"That's right, a Mr. Mordio."
"And he lives in the royal quarters?" Yuri turned his gaze towards the attention of the higher up, now.
"Yeah, so?" Hanks took this opportunity to return to work. "Forget about that Yuri, and give us a hand here."
"Sorry Hanks, I just remember I have an errand to run." He hummed ignoring Hanks and heading up to the Royal Quarter.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Hanks realized causing suspicion. "You're not thinking of going to go see, Mr. Mordio, are ya?"
"The royal quarters? Me? I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like that. It gives me the creeps." Taking his leave he smiled to himself.
"Damn it, Yuri! Just because you can do a few tricks with that bodhi blastia you think you're invincible!" Grumbling to himself, Hanks returned to helping the others. "Here's hoping that he doesn't do anything crazy..."
Aero's POV
Coming down from the royal quarters, I notice my good pal Yuri walking in my direction. "Stand clear, handsome; someone with good looks coming through," I joked as I made myself seem pro and victorious.
"Good looking? I thought somebody did me a favour and hit you in the head with a rock.
"Smack"
" Oww..." He grinned not caring for the bruise he was just given, brushing it off.
"Why must you continue to tease me. Yuri, you know you're only gonna get hurt," I pointed out the obvious.
"Come on, Aero, you know I'm only kidding around. Besides that's how I get my kicks every day." I notice that Yuri's mouth twitched for a moment, trying to hide that smile of his from me again. Men, never like to show off their feelings, do they?
{Pause – My name's Aero Phelo. I won't tell you much about me right now, since along the way of our adventure, bits and pieces of my identity will be revealed in time. But I will give you a brief description of what I look like. I have long blonde hair that's tied up in a double loop pony tail, with two curly strips dangling down the front of my face, red eyes, and slightly tanned skin. My wardrobe comes with a brown bandana that covers my forehead, White tube-top, that is silked over with a clear, see-through shirt, and an accessory belt with multiple pockets and holders for my twin daggers. On my leg's I wear riped-up, jean-like Capri pants, along with my knee high brown, belt-buckle boots. Also, I have a lot of jewellery on my wrists and neck. Attitude wise...I am a female flirt. I hate how men can do whatever they like with us, so I became a flirt like them and now I just can't stop. I'm kind towards many people and I love to explore. Opps...I almost forgot to say...I have a little bit of "sticky fingers syndrome" as well.}
``Hah hah! Very funny!`` I replied sarcastically.
``Anyways, what were you doing up in the Royal Quarter's? Stealing again?" He asked raising his left eye-brow. Yuri's always known me too well, but not well enough.
"No, no! You got it all wrong. You can just assume that every time I'm up visiting the rich and annoying that am always up there to steal," I mumbled annoyed, crossing my arms as I knew very well what Yuri was talking about. But, I don't steal on a regular basis. "What about you? You seem to make a racket every time you set foot up there too." And here I change the subject.
"It seems the fountain in head quarters has sprung a leak and dear old Hanks has kindly asked me to seek the help of a mage in town."
There he goes again, using his sarcasticness.
"Hmph..." I chuckling at what he said. "Yes, I notice a tower of water shooting up from that general area when I was investigating the castle. "
My postured changed according to the conversation. I was beginning to get irritated. "Hasn't the lower quarter suffered enough! Damn! Everyday people down in the west part of the capital have to suffer, while these rich bastards look down upon us like we're dirty. Well, I'll give them something dirty." I started to grind my teeth.
"As long as you keep it 16-A...!" Yuri trailed off, drifting towards the stairs.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
Seriously if he has something to say, say it to my face.
"Anyways, I'm coming with you."
"Hmph...Suit yourself," he waved his hand lazily in the air, me following behind. See that's what I like about Yuri, he allows me to do as I please. No ordering me around or telling what to do. Of course I've never had any love interest in him, or him interested in me for that matter. We're simply good companions... well not as close as him and Flynn.
While on our way to the Royal Quarters we were stop by a familiar challenge. Two guards were stand at their post, and it was too late to wait for their shift to change. The nobles were always heavily guards since the castle was right next to them. We hid in the flower bed, which was the closes to the gate that led into the estate of those rich bastards.
"Hey did you hear?" the guard on the left spoke, chuckling. "The aqua blastia in the Lower Quarters has gone ballistic again and the people were actually trying to collect money to repair it."
"Do they even own enough money to buy a replacement?" the guard on the right replied.
"Don't think so. I heard they had to give up some of their treasures to pay for the repairs."
Man this guy was fat...
"If you can call that junk treasure, that is."
I was serious starting to get pissed. At the same time Yuri was clutching his fists as well, knuckles turning white. He was angry. "They'd probably only get one gald out of all the crap they keep."
"Hah hah..."
Kneeling down, Yuri snatch up a couple of rocks, as the guards kept laughing.
"Watch this!" With a strong flick of his wrist he chucked the 3 lds rock at the guard on the left.
"Ophm..." The guard managed before collapsing to the ground unconscious.
"What the...you all right?" The other idiot decided to make sure his friend was ok. Smirking I kneeled down and took this chance, to throwing my rock, knocking him out cold.
"That'll show you two sons of a bitch." I roared in success. Yuri sighed next to me. "Too much?"
"Yes..."
We stood and headed for the entrance of the estates. "If you can't understand the value of junk then your worth less then junk itself." He quoted as he passed the unconscious guards. Entering over we kinda figured which one was Mordio's place, with people's help. A huge carriage was at the front of the mansion with the name plate 'Mordio' on it. Yuri smirked to himself as he placed his hand on the closed door. "Your chariot awaits madam!" He bowed to exenterate his mocking.
"Sorry sweet-cheeks, but your gonna hafta to do better than a curtsy and fancy words to woo me over." I politely added as I waltz over and feminine his soft cheek with my hand. Yuri seemed bummed out; he knew it was useless to make fun of me unless he has some dirt on me. Looking up at the lamp post Yuri notice that the cores were being stolen here as well.
"So it's not just the Lower Quarters. Even these quarters are missing their core. Looks like someone has a case of sticky fingers." his doughtful face turned to me.
"Heeeeeeeeeey...! You can't always think that I'm the only bad guy in the capital and besides I only steal food, money, clothes, jewellery, weapons, men...." I was suddenly cut off by someone's annoying hand.
"If I say I believe you, will you please stop talking?" he asked exasperated
Giving him a slight annoyed looked I gave him a firm nod, causing him to release me from his grip." Good...because I think your talking is what makes people really ill in town
"Smack"
"...Oww..."
I could see Repede shaking his head in embarrassment of his partner.
"Better start digging your own grave; because at the rate I'm pounding you to death your last days on this land isn't that far off." Brushing off his comment we continued on down the streets of nobles.
*
{Nobles}
"Looks like the nobles are living the sweet life, as usual." (Yuri)
"Woof?" (Repede)
"The lower quarter's right there and they still don't give a damn." (Yuri)
"It's not their lost, so what do they care?" (Aero)
"They should act, you know, noble. Not just dress nice and hide in their mansions." (Yuri)
"I hate nobles, there all stuck up bastards. It makes me sick to my stomach when they look down on us." (Aero)
"Easy now tiger we don't want to make a scene...yet!" (Yuri)
"Whine." (Repede)
*
After walking only a few feet from the carriage, we arrived at the front of the Mordio residence. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. "Doesn't seem like anyone's home." I mused, shifting to my side, crossing my arms in disappointment.
"Let's see if we can find another way in." Yuri sighed.
We snooped around the house and found an opened window --- thank god it was on the first floor!
"This seems like a way in...Hopefully I can fit through!" Yuri scratched the back of his head.
"Aw'right now you're speaking my language. We're doing a B & E!" I was pumped up, enough to throw my fist into the air
"What, you want bacon and eggs?"
There he goes again with his sarcasticness.
"No you idiot, I mean Breaking & Entry!" I scowled inches away from his face. "Don't make me hurt you again. And since you're so full of spirit why don't you go first."
I bowed, my hands showed the way to the window. Yuri pouted once more as he claimed up into the window. I followed after him, landing completely silent in the main rec room.
"Mordio has to be here somewhere? Let's search down here first, then up stairs." Yuri stated
We spilt away from each other to check the other rooms.
"I don't think he's down here. If he was I'm pretty sure Repede would have sniffed him out by now." I sighed as I leaned again the wall for support, there no fun in a B & E if you're not stealing anything.
"All right, then let's try up stairs." Yuri ordered. Walking up stairs I, or should I say we, heard a door open from beneath us. From up high, I notice a short man in a red robbed coat exiting a previously locked room. Patting down his pocket, he extracted a shiny orb.
"Could that be...?" Yuri trailed off, jumping down from the second story, followed by Repede. Sure...leave me behind.
"The aqua blastia!" Yuri exclaimed, un-sheathing his sword. I came running up beside him, my hand steady by my daggers as I waited for my moment.
"Wh-who are you?" Asked the mage, trembling at our surprise entry. Suddenly, his hand raced down into his pocket once more and pulled out a smoke bomb.
"Repede quickly!" Yuri ordered as Repede dash into the wall of smoke. After it cleared the mage dude got away, but Repede manage to snatch his bag of goodies.
"Good boy, Repede." Yuri patted his head. Scanning through the bag he notice that the aqua blastia wasn't in it. He sighed. "It not here."
"He must'a ran away with it, damn!"
As I bit my finger I decided we shouldn't be wasting our time. "Let's get moving. Maybe we can still catch him on the way out?"
"Yeah, let's go and get the core back. And give that mage a good whooping while we're at it...Aero...! Put the candle stick down!" Yuri had his hand on his hip.
"What I'm just looking at the fine art work on---Woah!" I was being tug out of the house.
"Yeah, yeah! Keep talking..."
Not caring we exit through the front door. Ummm...here's a tip when your breaking & entry DON'T GO OUT THE FRONT DOOR!
"Halt, I say!" a familiar voice spoke.
"Ah crap..." I muttered, still hanging off Yuri's arm; I wasn't surprise to see them.
"I know he's poor, but breaking into an aristocrat's house? My, my how the mighty have fallen," another voice came from the same direction.
"Well if it isn't Tweedle A and Tweedle B!" Yuri mused making fun of the two guards that block our path. He released me and I quickly stood to my feet next to him.
"Grrr...Stop calling us that name!" the guards both shouted.
"Good afternoon, Boccos, Adecor! How are both of you?" I decided to join the fun, but behind them I could see the mage guy escaping into the chariot.
"I-it's...The Grand Master Thief!" again both guards shouted as they pointed towards me. Not even paying attention, Yuri and I race towards the runaway cart, but where stop once again by the two in front of us.
"There's no hope in escaping, you two. We've got you surrounded." Boccos said readying his spear.
Yuri sighed at the loss of the carriage. "Does it look like we're trying to escape? See it stuff like this that keeps you guy from getting promoted."
"You did not just say that." Boccos exclaimed again in anger.
"Heh! I don't blame them. I mean they got stuck with a lousy, lazy captain, that sit around and does nothing all day." I added smirking as they bristled.
"I say, you take that back. Our captain is a great man." Adecor spoke up as he turned his blade on us.
"Yeah who pretty much hides in the shadows of town and lets his slave do the work for him." I quietly added.
"Enough beating around the bush, I guess." Yuri sighed flicking his sheath aside as he prepared for battle.
"Today is the day that we, The Schwann Brigade, capture the infamous Grand Master Thief," Boccos finished as he launched.
"Bring it!"
Jumping into battle, I swirled by blades around, blocking his, seriously easy, attack.
"Gahhh..."Boccos rolled back to where he was before.
"I say, allow me, your superior to take on the both of them. You peon should watch and learn from someone with more experience." Adecos announced.
"No, you're the peon so you stand aside." Boccos argued as he, as well, approach.
"I appreciate the sentiments guy, but let's cut the cat-fight and get on with it." Yuri mocked trying to bring them back to the task at hand.
"I guess we should just whack them around a little, don't you think?" I asked and we both took the opportunity, running up and damaging them up with what little fighting was necessary.
"Garrrrh...." they both yelled out as they dropped their weapon in defeat."
"Didn't you hear me when I said "Get ready"?" Yuri snickered as he pulled his sheath back on. I, as well, returned my dagger to their resting place. "You should thank me. I'm giving you some extra practice."
"Come on you guys, I thought you could do better than that." I bent down to reach eye level with them, but my fun was suddenly spoiled. "Great just what I need, Captain 'Cum-More'!"
Ok any guy with a name like that is definitely gonna be criticized.
"Well if it isn't the Schwann Brigade, and all their pitifulness along with them." a man with light purple hair came waltzing into the scene with his task force at hand.
"C-captain Cumore!" Both Boccos and Adecor stood to their feet immediately and bowed in respect. "Please...please don't tell Sir Schwann, Sir!"
"I can't believe our taxes go to paying these guys?" I muttered as I sat down beside Yuri. I knew we were going no were. From the side line I could see Repede with the bag still in he's mouth. Yuri gave him a firm nod and Repede ran away.
"I say, that tops it all. Abandon by your faithful pooch," Adecor laughed.
"My, my you've had a busy day, haven't you Mr. Yuri Lowell? Might I add our most beautiful thief Lady Phelio!" Cumore an chantey'd us. Yuri threw in his sword, sighing I did as well.
"I am a busy man, you know, but I guess I can play with you two for awhile. Gentlemen...go easy on them will you." Cumore turned his back on us. "After you're done with them throw them in prison. Ten day for the boy should be enough... but for the girl..." His glance back at me sent shivers up my spine. "An...eternity sound nice don't you think? For all those time you've stolen from us, this is your punishment."
Without looking back Cumore left and his minions were left to beat us to a pulp, before trowing us into the dungeon of the castle.
Few! All right! I know I finished this chapter a while ago, but my friend helped me edited it. Now it should be a little easier to read. But besides that...I hope you enjoy my story so far!? Am working on the next chapter right now so don't you worry. Please R & R! XD