I do not own Valkyrie Profile. That honoe belongs to Tri Ace and Square Enix. I do not own the characters of Lezard, Lenneth, Mystina, and any other VP character that may show up. Arik however is my own creation. I do not make money off of this writings. This is done purely for fun, and to let the creativity fly!
-Michelle
He has been dreaming again. Of a beauty so sublime, so ethereal and untouchable, his heart hurts with the knowledge that she cannot possible be real. It doesn't stop him from wanting her, from yearning for her with every fiber of his being. He's already half in love with a figment, a thought his mind had randomly put together then burned into him, the memory of her face. If only she was forgettable. If only she hadn't been so captivating a beauty. Maybe then he could have forgotten that first dream of her.
Sometimes he marveled at the creativity of his dreaming mind. That it had been able to come up with a woman like her. That alabaster skin, untouched by the sun's kiss and offset by a shining curtain of hair. It is hair like he has never seen, cascading downwards in long, unruly waves that reached to the back of her knees. The length alone is unusual, but that isn't what make her hair stand out. It is the color, a bold platinum that stays silver only so long as the light doesn't touch it. But when it does, oh how it shines, the faintest hue of blue tinting the platinum.
He wants to run his hands though that hair, instinctively knowing it will be softer than it looks. It is a touch that will only be matched by that of her body, the pleasing softness of her womanly curves, and silk like skin. He wants so badly to be able to touch her, to feel the textures and shapes that make up her body. To do more than just touch, but to kiss and to hold, to feel her go pliant against him. He wants to cover her in kisses, explore every inch of her with his tongue. To hold and possess, and own her more thoroughly than the dreams allow.
The dreams are strange. Never mind the oddity of a woman who cannot exist, there is the circumstances surrounding her. He sees her wear many disguises, the nature of her changing depending on the clothing she wears. He has seen her in the outfits of the past, everything from the finery of a queen, to the rags of a peasant. He's seen her at the height of decadent fashion, a courtesan calling to her admirers. Just as he's seen her as nothing more complex than a simple village girl, dressed as a milk maid or shop keeper.
He's even seen her as a warrior, and that perhaps is his favorite vision of her. She is never more confidant than when she is garbed in the cobalt blue armor. The metal is molded to the curves of her body, a long white skirt descending out from beneath it. The skirt would be impractical if not for the high slits that allow tempting glimpse of her legs as she moves. A sword is her weapon of choice, and he can't help but be transfixed at how she wields it.
Seeing her fight, it excites him. In a way that is surprising, for he's never cared about battles and the people who brawl in them. But for her it is different, she holds him transfix with everything she does. Even as he feels jealousy for the men her courtesan self beds, and pity for the peasant, in the same breath he is enthralled by her. It is madness that consumes him, making him want so strongly, so desperate for that which cannot possibly be real.
The dreams aren't always pleasing. They can't be, with all that they show him. He is given glimpses of her lives, brief snatches that never tell him enough. Her lives are so different from each other, and yet they share one thing in common. Death. Her death, a swift heralding that takes him by surprise again and again, for never has she been allowed to live for more than a few years time.
It is a disturbing trend. He doesn't know why he dreams about so beautiful a woman dying. Nor does he like it, often waking up with tears in his eyes, his whole body trembling as though he, himself had gone through some great, personal loss. It never gets easier. If anything, each time she dies, he reacts all the more strongly, his soul shattered by the experience.
He's been dreaming about her for months now, the time soon to spill into a year. He often thinks he is going crazy, wondering how much more he can take of watching a woman that doesn't exist die. A woman he's falling in love with, impossible though that is. But he can't escape the dreams of her, the woman always waiting for him to close his eyes. She is patient where he is not, and endures the times he tries to avoid her by foregoing sleep all together.
He's learned the hard way he cannot go without sleep. Just as he's learning he cannot endure without the dreams, painful though they might be. He wants to see her too badly, can't think of much of anything but her. She's starting to affect his waking life, thoughts of her forcing their way in when he can't afford to be distracted. Today was such a day, an important test being held. He's already done so badly on several others that he really can't afford to flunk this one. And yet, his mind had been full of thoughts of her, lingering on the dreams rather than the answers he should have known.
But how could he concentrate when he remembered so vividly the feel of her beneath him? She had been blindfolded then, those beautiful blue eyes of her hidden. Even without her expressive eyes, he could tell she was uncomfortable, her arms bound over her head. A thin sheet had separated them, keeping her naked body covered. He had wanted to tear the sheet away, and yet in the dream he merely looked at her, stealing touches of her hair.
They had been speaking to each other in the dream. He had seen their mouths moving, though the words were lost to him. What had she been trying to say? What had he been saying that left her so disturbed? He hadn't a clue, his mind often wandering back to that moment rather than focus on the paper before him. It was an unpleasant reality when the school bell rang, signaling not only the end of class, but the end of the test. He had barely answered it, far too many questions left blank. There was no salvaging his grade, no chance to keep from flunking completely. His father was going to be mad, but even the thought of his anger wasn't enough to make him forget the dreams.
His head is in a haze, fragments of the dreams tormenting him. Playing over and over again, adding to the anguish of his heart. He knew something was wrong with him, the dreams only growing in strength each time he went to sleep's embrace. He doesn't talk about the dreams to anyone, certainly not to his friends, and definitely not to his father. His father would think him crazy, and would insist on seeking professional help for his dream plagued son. Sometimes he wants to be free of the dreams, but more often than not, he cannot bear the thought of never seeing her again.
He walks through the crowded halls of the school, half in a daze and ignoring many of the people that accidentally brush up against him. It is crowded, and they are in a rush, hurrying to freedom or to their next class. He allows himself to be guided by the crowd, swept along in the currents that lead outside. The sun is a bright, shining orb that nearly blinds him at the first sighting of it. He actually hisses, and draws back into the shadows for comfort.
It is a beautiful day, the sun bright, the air warm. The faintest of breezes stir, allowing enough coolness for the heat to be comfortable. The students of the academy relish in being outside, in being free of their studies. There's laughter all around him, people excited and teasing one another, talking to each other. He's apart from it all, the dreams firmly have him in their grip, taking him away from these people and the life he's meant to live.
How much has he sacrificed for the figment? How much has he given up, finding the dream of her a million times better than the reality of a real flesh and blood woman? How many hearts has he broken, cycling through girlfriends with such ease he's earned a bit of a reputation in the school. That reputation doesn't stop women from approaching him, each one believing she will be the one to change him, to tame him to her hand. They fail just as all the others have, used only for their bodies and the brief comfort he can find in slacking his appetites on them.
When he is with a woman, he is not really seeing them. He sees the female of his dreaming mind, it is her that he touches. It is her thighs that he parts, kisses turning reverent as he presses his lips against her smooth skin. It is she that he sees, as he empties himself into the body of whatever convenient female has approached him. It is the dream he wants to be with, and it is his reality that he balks against.
Sometimes he wonders if he shouldn't tell someone. If he shouldn't discreetly seek out help for the madness his mind is inflicting on him. But the thought of never seeing her again, it stops him. Always keeps him from following up on the doctor's appointments he sometimes makes. The dreams are that important to him, mattering more than any sanity he might have once possessed.
He is still thinking about the dreams, when a voice calls out to him. It doesn't stand out as any more special that any of the other voices chattering around him. Certainly he doesn't stir from his thoughts to acknowledge the voice, not until an arm roughly clamps around him.
"Lezard, you day dreaming fool!" A familiar voice exclaims. "Where is your head at? We've been calling for you for the last five minutes!"
He slowly blinks his eyes, the dreams not so easily shaken from his thoughts. It takes real effort to concentrate on the here and now, Lezard spying the concerned faces of his friends. One is the man who even now, keeps an arm around him, as though grounding Lezard in reality. This man is taller than Lezard, with a build for his body that would hint he is more apt to be a warrior than a mage. It is some ironic twist of fate, that for all his brutish muscles, the man himself cannot stand true violence, actually fainting at the sight of heavy bloodshed.
His clothes are tailored to fit his muscled build, though even with the newest in aristocrat fashion, he looks out of place. As though his cravat is choking him, the buttons of his green jacket looking as though they would pop free should he suddenly laugh wildly. Lezard looks away from the black haired man, to catch sight of an equally concerned gaze.
It is a woman who looks at him. She is about equal in height to Lezard, with long blond hair that falls about mid waist down her back. She is proud of that feature, knowing the hair offsets her lovely looks of tanned, green eyed goodness. She could pass for an angel, if not for the wicked smirk she usually favors, the green eyes always holding a mischievous light to them.
She is holding books under her arms, and is dressed in her favorite color. A deep royal purple, the gown flowing to the ground to cover over her fashionable shoes. Lezard wonders if she's tapping a foot in impatience, the woman actually frowning as she waits for him to speak. He doesn't get the chance, for the man is shaking him again.
"Come now!" He exclaims. "Stop casting your thoughts to the heavens. It's time you ground yourself in the present."
If only it were so easy, Lezard thinks to himself. But he forces a smile at his concerned friends, speaking out an apology. "Sorry Arik, Mystina. Guess I was still thinking about that last test of Lorenta's."
"Yes, that was a hard one." The man known as Arik agrees. "Nearly fried my brain, trying to come up with some of those answers!"
"Maybe if you spent a little more time studying, rather than chasing after girls, you wouldn't have such a hard time with her tests." The blonde hair female he knew as Mystina has turned haughty as she chastises the black haired Arik.
"Can't study all the time Mystina." Arik argued. "We got to live our lives eventually..."
"We can worry about living, once we've graduated." Countered Mystina. "Anything we do now, is simply a distraction from our goals."
"Sometimes we need that distraction. Right Lezard?" Arik looked at him for support, but it was Mystina who answered.
"Oh that's not fair, asking him!" She protested with a cry. "It's obvious whose side he would take, especially after his disastrous test results." Her green eyes narrowed, her look both suspicious and jealous. "Just who is she, Lezard?" Mystina demanded. "Just who is this girl you've been sacrificing your studies for?"
That question hit closer to the truth than he would have liked, Lezard hardly able to tell them that he had been busy falling in love with a dream. "There's no one, Mystina. I've just had a lot on my mind..."
"Just what have you been thinking about, if not some girl?" She questioned sharply. Lezard simply shrugged his shoulders, unable and unwilling to answer. Mystina made an exasperated sound, but it was Arik who spoke.
"We've all noticed the change in you." He was trying for a diplomatic tone. "You're not only been neglecting your studies, and flunking tests, you've been avoiding us...If it's not a woman who has your attention, than what is it?"
"Maybe it's just getting to me." Lezard sighed tiredly. "The rigors of school life. The hectic pace and demands of Lorenta. Not to mention the expectations of my father..."
"Those demands and expectations are only going to get worse, the more you continue to do badly in school." Pointed out Mystina, and even Arik nodded.
"Especially with a student of your potential..."
"A potential you seem to be wasting!" added Mystina. "I mean, when you do come to class, you hardly seem there in your heard. You're distracted, and it shows." And it was clear by the way Mystina was looking at him, she wanted to know the reason why and would be content to pick at him till he gave up the answer.
"Just haven't been feeling well, that is all." Lezard muttered. "I've been needing a lot of sleep..."
"Have you been to a doctor yet?" asked Arik, concerned.
"There is no need to go that far!" protested Lezard. "Not yet at any rate. I've just been...bored I guess."
"Bored?" repeated both of his friends with sour looks on their faces.
He nodded. "There hasn't been very much excitement in our lives. What do we do, day in, day out, but study and go to class. We're pushing ourselves, and I for one am tired of it. I sometimes think I am burning out, bored beyond belief by the sameness of our situation. Arik is right, we can't study all the time, and yet that is what is expected of us!" Lezard wondered where the words had come from, how easily the excuse had flowed off his tongue. Mystina and Arik were staring at him, surprise in their eyes to hear him sound so passionate about anything at all.
"I need a break." Lezard continued. "I need a change. I need to get free of this campus, of the teachers and their lessons. I need to live life, to experience something beyond this school and the house I've made my home."
"Hmm..it sounds to me like you need an adventure." Arik mused, his eyes seeming to twinkle with mischief.
"Adventure?" Mystina asked with a frown. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Nothing like you're thinking, I'll bet!" laughed Arik. "But I do think Lezard is right. He needs a change, he needs to get free of the life this school would force on us. We are young yet, and life is only going to get worse as we grow older. We'll have even more responsibilities once we graduate. And contrary to your belief, Mystina, now is the perfect time to spread our wings and to experience life in a way we hadn't before."
"I am not against having fun." Mystina began stiffly. "I certainly wouldn't say no to excitement, especially if that is what our friend, Lezard needs to get better."
"Then you'll have no objections to what I'm about to suggest." Grinned Arik, his arm seeming to pull Lezard even closer. Lezard looked up at him curiously, seeing the way Arik made sure no one was close enough to overhear. Even Mystina stepped nearer, her eyes curious though she tried for a disapproving look. "We're not going to find any excitement on these grounds, that's for damn sure. Everyone here is too uptight, too like Mystina to want to break any rules."
Mystina made a protesting sound, even as Arik grinned. "No, we won't find any fun in this neighborhood."
"Then what do we do?" Lezard asked, interested despite himself.
"We'll have to broaden our options." Arik explained. "We have to go to the unusual, to the exotic. We have to go..." He paused for dramatic effect. "To the lower east side."
"The lower east side!" Mystina gasped, her voice louder than either Lezard or Arik would have liked. Immediately the black haired man let go of Lezard, waving his hands wildly at Mystina.
"Shhh!" He snapped. "Not so loud!"
"But the lower east side..." Mystina protested, then glared. "Have you gone mad? There's nothing but filth in that area of the city."
"There's taverns, and brothels..." Arik retorted. "Shops, and the mercenary's guild. It's where things happen, where excitement can be found!"
"That's more excitement than I'm prepared for!" Mystina hissed.
"That's fine." Arik replied. "Wasn't going to take you along anyway."
She didn't like hearing that, Mystina's lips pursing together in disapproval. "The lower east side is hardly a place where respectable people go to. I know you, yourself aren't much when it comes to respectability, but think of Lezard's reputation!"
"The lower east side is simply where the rest of the city goes to conduct their business. It's only the nobility that thinks themselves too good to venture down those streets." Retorted Arik. "Make no doubt, Mystina...the things you enjoy were not only made in the lower east side, but was purchased from there by your servants."
She glared at him, then looked at Lezard. "Surely you're not onboard with this plan of his? Your father would have a fit if he knew you were slumming it in the lower east side. Yours too!" She reminded Arik.
"They need never find out." Arik retorted. "What do you say, Lezard? Care to go with me on this adventure?"
"I...don't know..." Lezard was hesitant. "What would we possibly do there?"
"We'd have fun!" exclaimed Arik. "Think of Lezard! We could visit the taverns, have a few drinks while taking in the atmosphere..."
"And get your throats slit in the process." Retorted Mystina. "Lezard, this is madness!"
"Pick up a few tavern wenches for some fun." Arik continued, ignoring Mystina's scandalized gasp. "I don't know about you, but it's been far too long since I've gone without female companionship."
"It's because all the women here are wise to your tricks!" snapped Mystina. "Lezard, please. Don't go with him. You're only asking for trouble. Not just from the school, but from your father as well!"
"Sometimes we need a little trouble..." Argued Arik. "And it might get your mind off of whatever it is that is troubling you..."
"I don't know if anything can do that..." Lezard admitted, still thinking of the dreams. Of the woman who starred in them.
"You won't know until you try!" insisted Arik. "Come on, Lezard. I know you're sick of your surroundings. This might be just the change your craving for! And a little frivolous wenching might go a long way towards curing you of what ails you!"
He didn't think there would be a woman anywhere in the city of Flenceburg, that would distract him from the one he dreamt about. Lezard certainly didn't expect to find one of comparable beauty in the lower east side. Not when he had seen and sample some of the best the nobility had to offer in terms of female companionship. And yet Arik continued to try and tempt him, filling Lezard's mind with ideas of what sort of adventures awaited them in the slums of the city.
He didn't think he'd be able to completely forget about his dreams, but perhaps for a while he'd be able to set them aside. To actually live and experience something beyond the longings of his pained heart. Lezard realized he wanted, NEEDED the distraction. And so he found himself nodding, Arik looking relieved to have obtained his agreement.
"All right, yes." Lezard said out loud. "Let's go...let's go right now."
"You're making a mistake!" Mystina said, her green eyes angry. "No good can come of this excursion!"
"If we wanted safe and boring, we'd remain here with you." Arik's taunts earned him an indignant gasp, Mystina then turning and stalking away from them. Lezard felt bad to see her leave off in a huff, but he couldn't rouse himself to chase after her with an apology. Not when he knew the only thing that would get her to calm down was Lezard's promise that he wouldn't go to the lower east side with Arik. That was something he could not give her, Lezard realizing he wasn't only looking forward to the trip, he NEEDED it. Needed it more than he could properly understand, Lezard wanting a day, even just an hour free of his obsessions with his dreams.
To Be continued...
I thought this chapter would be further along, and I had a specific line I wanted to use to end it...but just setting up where Arik and Lezard are gonna go took longer than I anticipated. Hopefully for next chapter maybe...
I'm still working on OSVP too...but this idea grabbed me, shook me and violently demanded I at least start it. X_X So I'm trying to get the opening scenes out of my head so they won't distract me anymore from my other stories...X_X
So...this is sorta an idea I had many years ago. I say sorta cause it's gone through a lot of evolving since then. When I first had the idea, it fit into the first game's setting loosely. There was no dreaming of Lenneth, but he did know about her...I actually had like half a chapter written, but then the devastating computer crash happened, and I lost it along with several other wips. I don't know why I was reminded of this idea, but I started thinking of it again about two days ago. In the first wip, Lezard and Mystina were at some kind of amusement fair. Lezard ditches Mystina when she starts trying on dresses, and comes across a freak show tent. The barker advertising the freak show, tempts Lezard to go inside...and there he sees the main attraction. A fallen angel/Goddess in chains...i.e. Lenneth. He tries to buy her from the freak show, but would be refused. I always intended to have him go and steal her in the middle of the night, but the wip was then lost in the crash.
Since then I've given Lezard a friend, and I've changed some of the circumstances...he doesn't know of Lenneth, save for the dreams. And he's not going to find her in any freak show. But to say anymore is too big a spoiler. I have PLANS! *excited laugh* And a villain who ties into these lives Lezard is dreaming about...who is not Odin! :O But that's enough teasing! XD
Michelle