A/N: All right all, second story posted here and is a plotbunny spawned from Adventures of the Sister Unknown.
Disclaimer: I wrote both stories but I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco does.
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As a woman walked in the night, sounds chided her ears. Dirt crunched beneath her worn boots, the animal skins she wore rustled softly against her skin, and her sword, that was strapped horizontal across her lower back, clinked softly against the huge double bladed staff on her back. The woman had the air about her that she had everything she wanted in life, needing nothing but what she had. The woman walked on calmly through the night, unbothered by the monsters that she knew lurked in the darkness.
As she moved through the forest in peace, something caught her eye. Deep in the forest as she was, the only sign that man existed was the path she walked. It surprised her to see campfire light in such a place. Driven by curiosity, the woman silenced her steps and approached the alien light. The smell of smoke and burning wood stung her nose as she neared but it was the other scents that drove her forward. She stopped on the outskirts of a camp of eight people surrounding a small fire, the source of the light. Silently, the woman watched them from the shadows as they conversed with each other when a spell card flew at her. She darted to one side to dodge the card, but encountered the very broad chest of a man instead. She staggered back a couple of steps, recoiling from him, when she realized that they had surrounded her.
"Who are you?" A female from the group demanded. "Who do you work for?"
The woman regained her composure before rasping her answer in a neglected voice. "Give me your names and I shall give you mine. It is not proper to ask one's name before giving your own."
"Wow Lloyd, she sounds just like you!" The woman heard the silver haired boy remark, and froze where she stood.
"Lloyd? Lloyd Irving?" She wondered aloud nervously.
"Yeah, who's asking?" A familiar voice questioned back.
"I've been looking for someone by that name." The woman ignored his question before whirling to face the forest, sensing something. She darted to the small white haired boy and pushed him aside just as a snarling monster launched from the darkness, now aiming for her. The beast dug its claws and teeth into the woman before running away from the group dragging her along. They dashed after her hoping to help her, but when they arrived to where the monster had taken her, they froze in their steps.
The beast that had dragged her away was lying on its side, bleeding heavily from the long rips in its side. The claw that had made the initial blow was now just a stump of what was there and the creature was almost dead. The woman was no where to be seen.
The group cautiously entered the moonlit clearing and when they reached the monster they put it out of its misery in a move of mercy. The broad blue haired man scanned the clearing as the beast was put to death, when he spotted something lying in the grass not far off.
'Could that be...?' he thought, slowly moving towards the being. Sadness poured through him at the sight and he called his companions over to see his finding.
There in the grass, lay the woman. Her long auburn hair hung in tresses over her battered body and stuck together with drying blood. The furs of monsters she wore as clothes, once white, were now stained rust red with blood. The man with blue hair knelt down at her side and raised his cuffed hands to her neck and gently checked her pulse. It was faint, but still there nonetheless. The woman's breathing was shallow and labored, and her eyes were closed loosely in unconsciousness. A woman from his group with silver hair joined the blue haired man on the opposite side and looked sadly down at the woman.
"She took quite a beating." She commented nothing that the double bladed staff was still mounted on the woman's back but her sword was missing. "But she saved Genis's life, so we owe her to at least try to save her life. Does she have an exsphere?"
The man checked her hands and found one on her left wrist. "Yes, she's got one."
"Good. I'm going to begin healing her now." The silver haired woman's voice lowered as she concentrated on the woman lying in front of her. "Revitalize!"
An enchanting circle enveloped the woman and slowly the stains of blood faded from her and her wounds crept closed. However, the woman stayed unconscious through out the entire process and only when the spell was complete did she stir. The woman's eyes flew open and she launched up from where she lay. Her body was tense as her chocolate eyes scanned the clearing, spying the form of the dead attacker. The woman's body relaxed at this as she walked over to retrieve her sword. However, she was blocked by the black haired woman holding a spell card similar to the one that was thrown earlier.
"You still haven't given us your name." The black haired woman accused.
"You still haven't given me yours." The auburn haired woman croaked back, clearly not happy with the woman barring her way.
"We saved your life so the least you could do is give your name!" The card wielder pressed, getting worked up.
"And I saved one from your group from having to deal with the Night Wolf on his own. Clearly, he is a magic user and would have either bled to death from the initial injuries from being dragged away, or eaten as a meal in a few quick snaps. To me, it is a wash and I owe you nothing." The auburn haired woman pushed past the card wielder and continued on to her sword. She suddenly sensed danger behind her and blocked with the staff on her back.
"So unwise." The woman sneered, a feral look in her eyes. "I know not how to hold back with this weapon so beware." With that, she unhooked the dual bladed spear from her back and took a deadly swipe with it effectively forcing the black haired woman to keep her distance. The auburn haired woman pressed the black haired card wielder forcing her back before she finally got a decent slice on the card woman. Blood dripped from the groove on the card wielder's thigh and the auburn woman was about to score another hit, when a howl rang through the night air. The woman froze and quickly backed away from the card wielder, seemingly worried about the howling. The auburn haired woman darted to her sword, gathering it up before turning back to the group.
"I'd leave this forest if I were you. The wolves are on the hunt." She spoke as a howl rang again, louder and closer than the last, and not alone. The auburn haired woman smirked as she spun away from the group and darted into the trees, disappearing into the night. The group stayed in the clearing until they finally understood the meaning behind the howling. It was a hunting cry and the woman had darted off straight towards it!
"Wait." The black haired woman commented. "She can handle herself. Before she was caught off guard because we distracted her and she protected Genis. Not only that, but when she fought me, she wasn't even trying and had me beat. That woman can handle herself."
The group mulled this over when yelps were heard and the howling turned into snarls. They stayed in the clearingg and before long, the yelping faded away into the distance. Lloyd, the boy in red, clenched his fists crushing the urge to go after the woman, when she reappeared with a blazing white wolf carcass over one shoulder and a small nine-tailed creature at her side.
"I thought I told you to leave." The woman rasped again. "These woods are not as safe as you think."
"Tell us your name." Lloyd moved forward. "I'm Lloyd. The boy you saved earlier is my best friend Genis."
"Lloyd, we can't be sure if she can be trusted!" The silver haired woman protested.
"If she wanted to kill us, she would have by now." Lloyd smirked. "Besides, she doesn't even look like a Renegade, Desian, or a member of Cruxis."
The silver haired woman sighed and nodded. "All right. My name is Raine."
"Regal Bryant." The broad blue haired man in shackles told the woman. Once again the woman was covered in blood, seemingly unharmed, but her eyes were feral and hard.
"The red head is Zelos, he's a womanizer so stay away from him. The pink haired girl is Presea, the blonde is Collette, and the ninja you wiped the floor with earlier is Sheena." Lloyd filled the woman in as her eyes devoured the people he mentioned, scanning them for dangers.
"I am known by many things." The woman stepped full into the clearing and laid her prize gently on the grass. "Luna, Miaya, Killjoy, Endless, and many more. Never have I disclosed my real name, and I will hold to that even now. I mean no harm and wish not to upset you, for I have lived this way for many years."
"Why didn't you say anything before?" Raine asked.
"You never gave me the chance." The woman knelt down next to the dead animal, drawing a wicked looking dagger. "If you had let me then you would have known."
Lloyd's group stayed silent as the woman cut the dead beast open. The little nine tailed creature stayed by the woman, as it seemed to be waiting for something to happen. It whined softly and the woman smirked before tossing the innards to the creature, and resumed gutting. She pulled bones and tissues out until all that remained was the skin of the wolf. The little tailed creature was happily eating all of the pieces that humans couldn't eat and leaving the bones.
"If you're going to be staying, start a fire. The moonlight will keep most away for the night." The woman splayed the fur out, letting the blood dry, and began preparing the meat.
"You're cooking a monster?" The white haired boy, Genis, asked. "Isn't the meat bad?"
"Why would it be? Meat is meat out here. Live off of what you've got." she answered simply.
Raine sighed. "Sheena, Presea, Collette and I are going to pack up the old camp. Lloyd,collect some firewood if you don't mind, and Zelos you help him." After that the group split and each one of them went off to do their assignments, save for Genis and Regal. The two remaining of the group stayed near the unnamed woman, and the trio sat in silence. That is, until Genis became curious of how the woman was preparing the meat.
"No seasoning?" He asked as she kept going. "What are you going to use to flavor it?" The woman gave him a hard look, not saying a word. "What?"
"You're annoying her Genis." Regal spoke up. "She doesn't like all of the noise you're making."
"Oh, uh, sorry." Genis looked away from her and she continued preparing the food. Lloyd and Zelos returned with wood and soon a fire was crackling away. Once it was warm enough, Genis was about to set the meat above the flame to cook it, when the woman threw it straight into the flames.
"What are you doing?" Zelos shouted. "That's going to fry it to a crisp!" The woman ignored him and returned to the pelt lying in the grass. Opening a small pouch at her hip, she took a small jar out and began covering the non-furry side with it. When that was completed, she laid the pelt flat again and returned to the flames. The woman drew her sword and stabbed into the flames and pulled out the meat that was covered with ash and looked charred. Keeping the sword in one hand, she pulled her dagger and began shaving away the char to reveal nicely cooked meat. She repeated this with every slab of meat that was in the flames until everyone had a decent sized helping. Sheena and the others returned with the supplies from their last camp just as the woman finished shaving the last piece of meat. The little nine-tailed creature ate all the charred bits that were dropped, and was now sleeping at the woman's feet. The group of eight was wary of the meat till the woman took a mouthful of her share, and ate it. She quickly finished and headed back to the pelt, leaving the group by the fire.
"We need to give the lady a name." Collette spoke up suddenly. "We can't keep calling her 'Woman' or 'Lady'."
"What do you have in mind?" Zelos asked, "'Cause I've got a few."
"You have no say in this Zelos." Regal glared at the red head. "Nothing appropriate comes out of your mouth concerning women."
"How 'bout Ira?" Lloyd prompted eating the last of his meal. "Seems to oddly suit her to me."
The rest of the group mulled that over as the woman worked on the pelt. She had pulled her hair into a tail, keeping it out of her way. She had shed the top white coat she wore, revealing heavily muscled arms underneath. She had been listening to the bits of conversation that floated over to her, indifferent, until Lloyd suggested Ira. Her body tensed as she stole a glance back at the group to see that the group was nodding their heads in agreement at the suggestion. The woman sighed and continued working until someone came up behind her. She was in the middle of creating a long coat with the head as the hood, and did not stop her work. However, she did acknowledge the presence of her interested observer by glancing their way, and giving a curt nod. It was the blue haired bear of a man, Regal as she recalled. As she finished carving out the skull, she laid it upon her lap and looked to the blue haired man who had since moved in front of her.
"We have decided on something to call you." He said sitting down on the grass across from the woman. "What do you think of Ira?"
"It is an acceptable name." The woman rasped, an unknown emotion in her tone as she looked at the stars.
'She seems lonely.' Regal noted, his blue eyes calculating. 'The way she reacts to things tells that she has had little contact with people.'
Again, howls broke through the peace of the night, and Ira shot to her feet. She tucked her dagger away, and packed the pelt in her rucksack. She threw her coat back upon her shoulders and was about to dart away when she paused. Ira turned and faced Regal, her face unreadable.
"I cannot guarantee that we will meet again, nor that I will not attack you if we do. Tell the others I bid them farewell and good fortunes on your travels, which I also extend to you." The howls rang again as Ira cleared her throat. "Gentle the shell may be that hides unmatched fury, Duke Bryant. Farewell." She then turned, the nine tails at her side, and disappeared into the forest shadows, her sword drawn.
"Hey Regal." Lloyd greeted, walking up to the shackled duke. "Where'd Ira go?"
"She left." Regal answered simply. "She had to move on."
"Why'd she go?" Lloyd asked as the howls again. "She's protecting us again."
"Maybe." Regal looked up at the full moon. "Gentle the shell may be that hides unmatched fury."
Lloyd faced Regal suddenly, his eyes wide. "Where did you hear that?"
"From Ira. May I ask why you are surprised?" Regal asked still looking at the moon.
"My sister made that up." Lloyd spoke quietly. "Back before she left, she made up her own saying for me to remember her by. It describes her, yet gives me something to figure out. I haven't thought about it for a long time.
"How many years ago did she leave?" Regal pried gently.
"About 5 years ago. That would make her 23 now." Lloyd sighed. "She said she'd write but I never got even one. Her name was Skylar, but everyone called her Sky in fear of death by her blade. Maybe Ira met my sister at some point and traveled together for a time. Wishful thinking, I know, but I really hope that she's still alive. Come on Regal, we're getting ready to bed down for the night. Sheena's got the first watch.
"Go on ahead Lloyd, I'll be right along." Regal's gaze wandered back to the forest where Ira and her monster companion disappeared. Lloyd had already started toward the fire, and with one final glance at the forest, Regal followed.
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