Just A Boy

by Eric A

On the day before the start of FFIX, Vivi learns a lesson about life and himself...

Just A Boy

(Author's note: While the game manual refers to him as "Vivi Ornitier", I am going with "Vivi Orunitia" because that's how he's listed on the PlayOnline site. I also take some liberties with the story of FFIX in order to better tell my tale.)

He was going to reach Alexandria, no matter what obstacles he found himself facing.

The journey had not been too terribly difficult for him in terms of physical hardship; he had walked most of the day on the well-paved cobblestones of the Royal Highway, the main trade road that led the merchant caravans to the markets of Alexandria and the harbor there. What had forced the boy to leave the trail had nothing to do with the route itself, as it was the most direct route to the city that did not involve airship travel. In fact, he was walking parallel to the Royal Highway, hearing on occasion the thunder of wagons as they rolled past, heading to their destination. There was a deeper reason why he had chosen to take this path, after all. The boy made his way down a path, worn by the passage of many travelers, the staff he carried in his gloved right hand picking at the occasional root that crossed the path, and tried not to look at his reflection in the water of the stream. He knew what he would see if he looked; a boy, dressed in a blue and white overcoat and a tricorn hat made of leather, the brim casting his face in shadows yet not hiding the perfect amber circles of his eyes. The boy sighed as he walked down the path, part of him listening for the sound of wild beasts or even monsters that could be there; he supposed that the soldiers of Alexandria could have hunted the beasts that made trouble in the wilds of the Mist Continent difficult in order to protect the Highway, but he wasn't about to take a chance. So far all he had seen since leaving the Highway a few miles back was a few rodents and some birds, which didn't raise his spirits, or erase the memory of the cruel words that had sent him on this route. Still, Vivi Orunitia had every intention of reaching Alexandria in time, no matter the cruelty that the world placed before him.

Vivi rounded a turn in the path, part of him noting that he was moving further to the northwest than his route to date had carried him, and found that the path made its way towards the stream, towards a log that bridged the fast running current. Someone, he saw, had taken the time to flatten the top of the log-which looked to be a fairly decent sized tree trunk-to help a traveler cross it, but the fact remained that the bridge ran, thanks to the banks of the stream, some seven feet above the surface, and Vivi knew that one slip could send him into the water. He looked around, wondering if there was some other way to continue his journey and saw that beyond the turn of the path were a series of trees grown close together, brambles growing between them. Vivi knew that to try to travel through there would cause him to be, at best, inconvenienced, and at worst he saw himself impaled on the brambles, unable to move as the night fell and some wild beast approached to make a meal of him. He considered the log bridge and decided that getting wet was a better fate than that. Vivi pulled himself up on the log, and as he did, he heard a rustling sound, like that of a bird, or a small animal, moving in the undergrowth, but a quick scan of his surroundings told him that nothing was there. He stood upright on the log and felt a moment of irrational fear; Vivi did not like heights much. Come on now, he thought, that's nothing and if you fall you'll just get wet. It was easier to think than to do though.

After a moment's pause, Vivi stepped out onto the log, and, as if his thoughts on the subject had cursed him (not a wholly irrational thought, given his lot in life) he immediately found that the log was slick, and in his attempts to compensate for that, he slipped. Vivi's arms flailed wildly, his feet skidding madly, his staff almost flying away. He realized that he was about to go for a swim, and actually had time to wonder if there were any lethal man-eating fish in the rivers of Alexandria, when a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and a calm voice said "Easy, little fellow."

Part of him realized that the person who had stopped him from falling had made the sound that he had heard just before he had began his ill-fated crossing, but most of him reacted with fear. Inside him, he felt the power that was inborn to him rise, a power that he had always had, and he wondered, not for the first time, how he came to have such a power. Vivi looked up at the person who had prevented his fall and saw that, in fact, it was a young man, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old. He was tall, yet built whipcord slender, and handsome in an angular way, his features dominated by wide blue eyes, his hair blond, cut short in the back and long in the front. He was dressed in white trimmed in blue, over which he wore a white overcoat, the edges also trimmed in blue. Of greater concern to Vivi was the broadsword that he wore in a sheath across his back at an angle; from what Vivi could see, the blade was longer than he was tall. The youth smiled at him, gently, as he steadied him. "Better be careful. The stream's faster than it looks…you'd been halfway across the Mist Continent before you knew it."

Vivi suppressed the urge to use his power and, clearing his throat, decided to determine the youth's intentions. "I, uh, don't have a lot of money, but you can have what I do have," he said in a croak.

The youth's smile broadened. "Either you are exceptionally grateful or you think I'm a bandit of some sort. I'm not interested in your money, just your safety; after all, when you stepped on to this log, you walked onto my property, which makes me responsible for you."

Vivi shook his head to clear it. "You-you own this land?" he asked.

"After a fashion. But come now, I'm sure that you have places better to be than the middle of this log. Shall we cross and properly introduce ourselves?" The youth indicated the other bank with a wave of his hand.

Vivi took a cautious step towards the other bank, then realized he was putting the stranger at his back, which was not too smart. He turned and looked at the youth and was about to speak when the youth spoke for him. "And, no, I'm not going to do something while your back is turned. I've been following you for the past half hour, you know."

Vivi managed a nervous chuckle. "That doesn't help for some reason."

The youth grew more serious. "Only a fool would attack a black mage such as yourself, little fellow. And I'm a lot of things but I'm no fool."

Vivi thought about this for a moment. Clearly, the young man was skilled in the art of the hunt, and the mere fact that he could move carrying such a heavy war blade indicated that he was strong-yet he respected Vivi's power, without showing any signs of fear. Who is he? Vivi decided that it would be interesting to find out, and slowly walked across the log to the other bank. He turned and was not shocked when the youth cleared the log in two light strides that displayed a great deal of grace. He looked down on Vivi and said "So, what brings a black mage to the forest of Arnfeld?"

"I'm going to Alexandria," Vivi replied. He looked around and saw that the path continued winding to the northwest, perhaps a bit more to the west than before.

The young man nodded. " I doubted it was Arnfeld; very few travelers make that their final destination. Well, I don't know why you left the Royal Highway, but you were about to get lost. That pathway is an old hunting trail, and it leads to the town of Arnfeld, which is off the Highway by a few miles. Good thing I came along, sir black mage."

"It was…and I'm Vivi. Vivi Orunitia."

The youth bent over, took his left hand, and shook it. "Well, Vivi, my name is Eric Alfredsson, and I'm pleased to meet you." Eric looked up at the darkening sky. "Did you need to get to Alexandria today?"

"Uh…no…but I need to be there by tomorrow."

Eric smiled. "The festival, huh. Well, you'll make it, but not tonight. Come with me."

Vivi turned his head to the side, as if trying to dislodge a thought that he did not quite understand. "I beg your pardon?"

"Trust me, you don't want to stay at the Inn in Arnfeld; it's not exactly a garden spot. I have considerable space to lend, and I have to admit a black mage will make fascinating company. Then tomorrow morning I'll point you back to the road." Eric began walking away, leaving the choice of what to do with Vivi. Not as if he had much of one. If anything, his curiosity had been roused by this youth that had accepted him at face value with no fear. So Vivi followed as the youth began whistling a tune that the black mage did not recognize. Eric noticed him and chuckled. "I see you made a choice, my good black mage. Where did you travel from?"

"Um, from beyond Treno."

"I sincerely doubt you did that on foot. Did you travel by airship?"

Vivi nodded. "Until today. The ship had a stop outside of Alexandria, and I decided to walk the rest of the way. I didn't realize it was that far."

"The maps will do that for you," Eric answered. "So why did you leave the Royal Highway?"

Vivi looked away, flush with shame. "I have my reasons."

Eric nodded. "Well, it's none of my concern." Eric began whistling again, and Vivi found that he had a few questions to ask the young stranger. Vivi cleared his throat and got Eric's attention. "Yes?"

Vivi studied the broadsword that Eric carried. It was clearly a unique weapon, the blade, as he had noticed, nearly four feet long, the hilts silver and done in the design of an angel's wings. Vivi had not seen a blade like this, though his experience was admittedly limited. Vivi finally found a question to ask. "Are you a knight?"

Eric laughed one of genuine mirth rather than malice. "Not hardly, little one. Not hardly. No, my sword is something of a family heirloom."

"Oh. It's just that you said you owned these lands, and I know knights own land."

"Not in Alexandria. Most everything belongs to Queen Brahne, you know. No, my property is like my sword, strictly hereditary. Now my father, he was a knight of Alexandria, before he died."

"I'm sorry," Vivi said, automatically.

"It was a while ago, Vivi." Something seemed to cloud the young stranger's face for a moment. "That was the past." Eric walked on down the path for a bit, then stopped. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

Vivi listened, and heard nothing. " No, I don't."

"You will." Eric began trotting forward, his expression stern. " I had almost forgotten, running into you, that I was out here for a reason."

Puzzled, Vivi followed the young man, wondering if maybe staying on the path, let alone the airship from Treno, had been a good idea. Presently, he heard the braying of a wild beast, the sound of something crashing through the growth ahead and to the right of them, and more importantly, the shouts of people, clearly involved in some sort of hunt. Vivi had heard such sounds before, hidden from within the cave that he lived in with his Grandpa outside of Treno, and he had always felt pity for the animal. He tugged on Eric's sleeve to get his attention and asked, "What's going on?"

"Something I keep trying to stop, with little success, sadly." Vivi was about to ask another question when a shadowy shape burst out of the woods beside of them, a blur of claws and fangs that only later did Vivi quite realize that it was a Fang, a fairly common predator that could be bad news if one was not ready. And he certainly was not prepared for this…

…but Eric was.

In a movement so fast that Vivi thought he was seeing things, Eric drew his sword from over his shoulder and swung it at the Fang in an upward arc. There was a sharp crack, and the Fang collapsed on the path before them. It took Vivi a few seconds to collect his breath before he could speak. "Is…is it dead?" he asked.

"No. I used the flat of my blade on it. I don't place in value in unnecessary killing." The shouts of the hunters drew closer as Eric sheathed his sword, the blade of which was silver on the edges and black in the center. "Now these gentlemen on the other hand…"

Three men burst out onto the path, all of them dressed in rough leather clothing and carrying fairly crude looking weapons; two had spears while the other carried a short blade. The one with the blade noticed first the unconscious Fang, then Eric, before he spoke. "Well, well, if it isn't you." He had, Vivi could not help but notice, terribly uneven teeth for the few teeth that he still had. "You take it down for us?" he asked, pointing at the Fang.

"Of course not, Dari. Now you boys know that the hunting season for commoners is over, but here you are again, hunting on my property. Now, I will grant you a landholder can grant exceptions for his property, but you have to ask first."

Dari snorted laughter. "What are you going to do, go to the Sheriff or the Mayor of Arnfeld? You know how far you'll get."

"With those morons, true. But I don't need the Mayor or that fool sheriff to deal with you. You have one last chance to respect my wishes, Dari. After that, it's on your head."

"Really now." Dari's eyes finally drifted over to Vivi, and naturally they went wide. "By the Queen, what kind of creature is that?"

Eric smiled. "A friend. Which is more than I can say for you."

Dari took a step back. "Lad, that…that's a black mage you're consorting with! They're dangerous!"

"Perhaps, but not to me. Now are we clear on this, Dari?"

Dari and his mates looked nervously at each other, moving away, down the path. "You will hear about this, Alfredsson!" Dari shouted as they left.

Vivi sighed. "Have I gotten you in some sort of trouble?"

Eric shook his head. "I'm always in trouble with the people of Arnfeld, and you haven't made it any worse. Now come on, it's getting late and that Fang there will wake up soon, in a foul mood. My home isn't far now."

Vivi considered the unconscious animal, noticing that it bore some minor wounds from the hunt, and he could not help but wonder if he could have suffered the same fate had he not met Eric. People can be so cruel, Vivi thought as he went down the path at the side of the young swordsman.

Vivi perhaps should have expected it, yet he was surprised when Eric led him to the place that he called home.

He had known that they had been drawing closer to their destination when a split-rail wooden fence had cropped up beside of the fence, the sign of some sort of bounded property. Eric had been silent since they had left the site of their confrontation behind, and Vivi had allowed him to be so. Clearly, there was some sort of deep-rooted history between Eric and the locals, and Vivi hoped that he had not made it worse. All of this swirling in his mind contributed to his surprise when Eric walked through an arched gateway and Vivi saw their destination. The house that Eric lived in was closer to a mansion in Vivi's eyes, a sprawling wooden edifice, that went off in two wings off the main structure, the very picture, at first glance, of elegance and riches. "This…this is your house?" Vivi asked.

Eric nodded. "Well, it's the Alfredsson family estate. For the longest time, it was a military academy." Eric indicated the wings of the house. "Those were the dormitory rooms on the one wing, the classrooms on the other. The training fields are still behind the house, but they're overgrown. The only people to train here for over fifty years are family members, and I'll probably be the last."

"What happened?" Vivi asked.

"Things change." Eric turned towards a smaller house, almost a cabin, just inside the fence line. "I actually live here. This used to be a guard house for the Academy, and it's a bit more manageable." Eric walked into the house, which Vivi saw was quite dark inside. "Hold on a second. I need to light some lamps so we can see." He regarded Vivi with a warm expression on his face. "I'd ask you to do it, with your fire spells, but I wouldn't want you feeling like a torch or something."

"I wouldn't mind," Vivi replied.

"No need." Eric moved around the room, producing matches from a pocket of his coat and lighting an oil lamp that sat on a table at the center of the room. Eric went around the room, lighting lamps that were on shelves that lined the walls. Eventually, Vivi could see that he stood in a modestly furnished home, fundamentally a single room; he could see the kitchen just off to the left, and opposing that was a simple bed that Vivi supposed was Eric's. The only other furniture that Vivi saw was a couch that sat in front of the hearth of the fireplace and a bookcase that was filled with old books, just to the left of the fireplace. "Well, it isn't much, but I call it home," Eric said, unbuckling the belt that held the sheath for his sword and removing the blade from his back. He laid the sword down on his bed and turned towards the kitchen. "I'm not exactly what you'd call a chef, but I can make a passable stew, if you'd like."

"Yes, I would, thank you. You-you've been too kind to me."

Eric went into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cupboards, assembling ingredients for his stew. "Well, I don't have a problem with giving someone a hand when they need it, and I must admit I did have Dari and his fools in mind when I decided to ask you to come with me. They aren't what you call tolerant of anything. Sort of a trademark of the village of Arnfeld."

"Will…will there be trouble…?" Vivi asked, sitting down on the couch. Despite his worries, he found taking the weight off of his feet to be a blessing.

"No more so than usual. Sooner or later, the Mayor and that damned fool sheriff will decide that its time for this land to belong to Arnfeld, and they'll insist that I leave. They're just working up the courage to do it." Eric took off his overcoat and rolled up his sleeves. "Nothing I can't handle…though this soup might be." He walked for the door. "Need to get some water from the well, then we'll get this stew off right."

Vivi sat on the couch, waiting for Eric to return, hoping that he had not made a mistake in following Eric here. He just wanted to reach Alexandria and see the festival, and if those needs were simple, well, Vivi tried to keep things simple. He leaned back into the couch and suddenly realized how tired he was. I'll just close my eyes for a minute and rest, Vivi thought, and did so.

What felt like mere seconds later, Eric was shaking him by the shoulder. "Your snoring could raise the dead, little mage. The stew's ready, if you're interested." Vivi shook his head and realized that he had dozed off, not too surprising given the day he had had. He sniffed the air and smelled the stew that Eric had made; given how hungry he was, Vivi realized that anything would have smelled good to him. "Come on, don't want it to congeal or anything," Eric said, and Vivi realized that he liked this fellow, even if there was something odd about him.

"Okay…and thank you again."

Eric smiled. "Thank me after you try the stew. My culinary skills sadly lack."

Vivi was forced to admit that the stew wasn't exactly something to write home about, but when one was hungry, one ate what they had before them. He and Eric sat at a small wooden table that Vivi had not seen behind the counter, Eric watching with amusement as he wolfed down the stew. "There's a healthy appetite there," Eric laughed.

"I expected to reach Alexandria today," Vivi replied. "I thought I would eat there."

"You continue to be fortunate that you met me, Vivi." Eric regarded him with his blue eyes, eyes that, Vivi saw, belied his age. "So why did you leave the Royal Highway?"

Vivi looked nervously at his boots. "If I tell you, will you tell me something?"

"That seems only fair. So what happened, Vivi?"

Vivi tried to speak, and found he had no voice. He coughed to clear his throat and decided to blurt it out all at once. "I'm tired of getting looked at funny by the merchants heading towards Alexandria. When you see it once, you don't mind. But when twenty wagons go by, and the people on them point at you, you get tired of it."

"I thought so. Well, you won't have that problem in Alexandria, Vivi…they're used to the unusual there."

Vivi sighed. "That's the problem. I don't want to be unusual." Vivi thought about the things that he hadn't told Eric about the last merchant that he had encountered before entering the woods, and decided that he would keep that to himself. "Is that too much to hope for?"

"In this world? Yes. You are what you are, Vivi, and despite your best efforts to the contrary, people will see you as they chose to. The thing you need to do is to be true to who you see yourself as…at least, that was what I was taught once."

"By who?"

"My father…who, sadly, taught me how to cook as well. So blame him if the stew doesn't meet your expectations."

"It was fine." Vivi opened his mouth to ask the question that he had wanted to ask Eric and instead found himself saying, "I thought that there were no male knights in Alexandria, that the army was all girls."

"Oh, they have some male knights still in Alexandria, but since Queen Brahne assumed the throne, the army has become increasingly female. So, yes, once upon a time, my father was a knight, if that's what you wished to know."

Vivi took a drink from the glass of water that was all Eric had had to offer. "So, er, why aren't you a knight, then."

Eric laughed. "That's too long a story to tell you now, little mage. Well, tomorrow I'll see you through Arnfeld…I have a feeling that you'll need me with you…and you'll be in Alexandria in no time."

Vivi nodded, realizing as Eric began to busy himself with cleaning up after the meal that he had managed to avoid telling him much of anything, and that there was something going on here that he was not seeing, something to do with this Sheriff and Mayor and Eric's father…but it wasn't his concern. After tomorrow, he would be in Alexandria, and Eric would be a hopefully pleasant memory of a stranger that had helped him. And the memory of what the merchant had done would hopefully pass as well…that, though, Vivi truly doubted…

The next morning:

Vivi awoke to find himself sleeping on the same couch that he had dozed off on the night before; a look outside one of the windows told him that the time was early morning, perhaps just after dawn. He looked around and found that Eric was nowhere to be seen, which for a moment concerned him; Eric's timely arrival, in the light of the next day, seemed almost like something out of a dream. Then he heard something coming from outside that shocked him further; he heard Eric's voice, uttering shouts of exertion as if he was in battle. Vivi collected his staff from beside of him in a reflex action and made his way through the door. He would hate it if Dari and his friends had returned, and he had left the young swordsman alone in a time of need. Vivi burst through the door…and nearly tripped over the threshold. As he did, Vivi saw Eric, his sword drawn, a blur of motion and activity directed…at no one. It dawned on Vivi that Eric was, in all likelihood, training, and he calmed himself and watched. Eric's blade sliced and stabbed at the air in blurs that Vivi could scarcely register, suggesting a competence that was frightening to Vivi. If he had borne me any malice, I would be dead now, Vivi thought as Eric whirled towards him, saw him, and smiled. "Good morning, my good mage. You interrupt my morning exercises."

"I'm-I'm sorry," Vivi stammered.

Eric sheathed his sword behind his back and regarded Vivi with an expression that was best described as amused. "You, Vivi, assume too much at times. I merely commented on a fact…trust me, I've trained enough that one morning interrupted will not be the death of me."

"I see. Eric…how long have you been training to fight?"

"Good question. I first took up arms when I was six years old, but I was always in some fashion training, exercising, becoming stronger, so…all my life I suppose."

"And…and was it what you wanted to do?"

Eric frowned. " In my family, we don't get much choice about that…or at least thus far we haven't. It's the duty of the eldest son to become the wielder of this sword of mine. Why do you ask?"

Vivi could not figure out why he was being so open to Eric, and decided that he did not care; some things did not really bear close scrutiny. "I don't seem to have much choice about being a Mage, it was how I was born. I wondered if you had a choice about your life."

"Sometimes you do. Often you don't. I owe no real obligation to my father or my family history; there are no other Alfredssons left. Yet here I remain. You journey to Alexandria, but not as a mage, but merely as someone seeking entertainment. But I have no answers for you, Vivi. How you live your life is wholly up to you."

"I suppose so."

Eric nodded. "Now come on. Let's see if I can manage some breakfast before I set you on your way."

Vivi tried a joke. "If you want me to hurry along, your cooking will certainly do it."

Eric laughed. "I'd resent that if it wasn't true, little mage."

An hour later, Vivi and Eric were walking the same path that they had walked the day before, under the boughs of trees that seemed as ancient as the world itself, the sunlight barely filtering through the branches and foliage. Breakfast had been put off, simply because Eric was low on supplies, and in fact, one of Eric's tasks for the day was to purchase food. "Had you arrived today, I could have cooked you quite the meal, even given my limited skills."

"I might have done well," Vivi replied. "My grandpa was something of a cook himself…it was kind of his life."

"Well there are worse things to base your life on," Eric said. "The sword for one."

Vivi thought about what Eric had just said. "Did my questions bother you?"

Eric shook his head. "I've thought this before, little one. You can dress up what I do with this weapon with whatever finery you like, or I can claim that I dislike unnecessary killing, but the fact remains that a sword has only one purpose; to kill. To destroy."

"But what about fighting for your country, or your loved ones?" Vivi wondered.

"And the other poor fool that crosses blades with you? Doesn't he have a reason to live?"

Vivi tried to figure out how things had gotten so serious and could not do it. "I…I don't know…I don't understand."

Eric patted Vivi on the shoulder. "Someday you will, Vivi." He indicated the path ahead of them with a nod. "Now come. Let's see if we can get through Arnfeld in one piece."

"I hope you're exaggerating."

"Most likely I am."

They stepped out of the woods and came upon the village of Arnfeld, which, Vivi saw, was not all that large; in fact, Vivi realized that he could see the other side of the town from here. Like many small villages on the Mist Continent, it was built around a town square, which also served as a market; a few vendors had stalls and carts lining the perimeter of the square. Not too many people were visible, which Vivi viewed as fortunate. Eric peered at the markets, shielding his eyes from the sun with a hand. "Well, once I send you on your way, I can have a pleasant time at the market." He indicated one of the stalls, which was being run by a young woman with reddish hair that, even from this range, seemed quite attractive. "Pretty, isn't she?"

"Yes," Vivi managed to say.

"As nice as she's pretty. Cuts me a decent deal on my supplies too. Shall we go?" Eric walked on before he could answer. Vivi scrambled to catch up, hoping that things would go well.

As they entered the town, an elderly lady exited her house, noticed them, and stared at first Eric, then Vivi. Eric tipped an imaginary hat at the woman and said "Ma 'am," drawing a sneer from the woman. Vivi felt her eyes on them as they walked towards the stall run by the pretty girl. "Actually, that's a better reception than I expected," Eric said.

"Is…is it my fault?" Vivi asked.

"Not as much as you'd expect. Now, be nice to the pretty lady." Eric stepped up to the stall and flashed a truly winning smile at the girl. "Hello there, Donna."

"Eric," Donna replied, her eyes on Vivi. "Who's your little friend?"

"This is Vivi. He strayed a little off of the Royal Highway last night and stayed with me."

Donna leaned over the stall and smiled gently at Vivi. "And did Eric treat you well, Vivi?"

"Um, yes, he did. He made me stew."

The girl laughed. "He's done the same for me, so I have to say you're tougher than you look."

"You're insulting my cooking, aren't you?"

Donna nodded, then grew more serious. "Eric, I have to say that I'm not too surprised to see Vivi here. Dari and his brood came into the Inn last night looking for Sheriff Karil, talking about how you were keeping a mage with you."

"Not too shocked; I caught him and his buddies poaching on my property yesterday. At any rate, whatever happens there happens. Now, I need to see Vivi through town…he's on his way to the festival in Alexandria."

"Well, he's going to be the cutest thing there," Donna said to Vivi, who looked away, embarassed. "Now, I know that you didn't just come by here to introduce me to your friend. You forget to stock your cupboard again?

"Now, you know why I do that…"

"You're forgetful."

'I was going to say that I prefer to stay longer here at your fine establishment, Donna. But if you insist…"

Donna opened her mouth to say something, then paled. "Oh, damn," she said. "Eric, you should have left."

Eric and Vivi turned and saw a grouping of five men, amongst them Dari and one of his friends. They were being led by a burly blond haired man in a military styled overcoat that had a badge affixed to the left lapel; he carried a wooden staff in his hands. The other two men wore similar outfits, and carried shorter versions of the staff that their leader carried, and Vivi realized instinctively that this was the sheriff, Karil. Vivi studied Eric, who was supremely calm, and a thought occurred to Vivi; why does such a small village need such a force to enforce the law? Vivi tugged on Eric's sleeve and said, "I didn't want to cause any trouble."

"Don't worry; you're just a convenient excuse. This has been coming for a long time."

Vivi clenched his staff tighter as Daril came to a halt in front of them, his eyes, grey and cold, studying him. Vivi looked away, feeling the same discomfort that he had the previous day on the Highway, when he'd encountered the person that had driven him away from the road. Daril sneered, yet for a split second, Vivi saw something in the man's eyes that he could scarcely credit. For just a moment, Vivi saw fear in Karil's eyes. Then Karil focused on Eric. "Alfredsson. I had heard that you had company of an unusual sort."

"That is my privilege, isn't it?" Eric stared daggers at Dari. "Shall we cut to the chase, Sheriff? This has nothing to do with my guest; even the most ignorant country bumpkins would not want to irritate a black mage." Vivi noticed the implied insult in that statement and suppressed a giggle. "This is about me telling Dari to stay off of my property without permission."

Karil sneered at Eric. "Your property. What little your mother didn't sell off to cover your family's debts."

"That stings. And the fact that the Mayor was the one responsible for those debts is beside the point."

Karil's fist clenched around the staff he carried. "You would be wise not to speak of the Mayor so, Alfredsson."

"I've heard that before. Let me explain this to you; so long as I hold the title to that land, I do as I please with it. And by the law of Alexandria, that is how it shall be."

Karil leaned closer to Eric. "The 'law of Alexandria', Alfredsson? You know that if the law of Alexandria ever looked your way, you would be in a great deal of trouble."

"Leave him alone!" Donna cried. "Eric's done nothing wrong!"

Karil shook his head. "He carries that sword of his father, the sword of a traitor. Tell me that does not violate the law of the Queen."

Vivi stared wide-eyed up at Eric. Eric's father…a traitor? To who? What have I gotten into?

Eric did not even flinch at that accusation. "You don't even deserve to mention my father's name, Karil. My family has served Alexandria for centuries. What do you serve, other than a moneylender who hides behind the title of mayor…and fills your pockets with gil? Even the working girls in Treno have more honor than you."

Karil smashed his staff into Eric's stomach, driving the young swordsman back into the edge of Donna's stall. Vivi expected to see, even if this was a crime, Eric to fight back, but he did nothing. He looked Karil in the eye and, a little out of breath, said, "And they hit harder than you as well."

Karil struck Eric across the jaw this time, driving Eric to his knees next to Vivi. Vivi shot a gaze that he hoped was dangerous at Karil, feeling the wild magic that was his birthright building in him. He found himself thinking of what had happened the day before, as he had walked the Royal Highway, filling with an increasing joy at the thought of nearing Alexandria, when the merchant in the wagon had driven up beside of him…. Of how the merchant, for no good reason, had shouted at him, calling him a freak, and, worse, had cracked the whip that he had used to drive the horses that pulled his wagon at Vivi, nearly striking his face. All the shame and fear that had forced him to leave the road welled up in Vivi, in a desire to protect the man who had helped him, and he prepared to unleash his power on Karil…

…until Eric reached out and took Vivi by the hand, shaking his head. Vivi could not fathom why Eric would not wish him to fight, but as he calmed down, Vivi realized something. He had seen Eric as being a young man, strong and fearless, when in truth he was just a boy, carrying a burden that was perhaps more than Vivi would ever understand. And it was then that Vivi realized that the world was unfair to everyone, that the malice of the merchant, who had most likely feared him as much as Vivi had feared the merchant, had not been directed at him solely because of his unique status, but because bad things happened to everyone. Vivi thought about this and nodded at Eric, agreeing to his wishes. Eric coughed and said to Karil, "Is our conversation finished?"

Karil nodded. "Do not overstep your bounds again, Alfredsson. I'll be forced to do something unpleasant to you." Eric wisely kept his mouth shut as Karil and his mob-Dari perhaps already envisioning the poaching he would commit on Eric's property-marched away. Eric got to his feet, one hand rubbing at his jaw. " Well, that was a positive exchange of thoughts," he remarked.

Donna came around her stall and examined Eric's face. "You fool," she chided him. "I've seen you fight before. You didn't have to fight him but he only hit you because you let him."

"That he did. You have to let his sort think they've won, Donna, or else they do far worse to you." He turned his attention to Vivi. "You possess quite a power, little one. Had you unleashed it, things would not have gone well."

"I…I only wanted to help you, Eric."

"And by staying your hand, you did. Trust me, Vivi; you didn't need to miss the festival because you fought a battle that can't be won. Like it or not, they are the law here; the mayor owns all the land around here but mine, and the Queen won't concern herself with injustices this minor, even in a village so close to Alexandria." Eric's eyes were faraway, seeing, Vivi imagined, the past. Seeing whatever crime that had made Eric's father a traitor, seeing what had driven his mother, seeing…whatever. "But that's not your issue. You need to get to Alexandria. Donna?"

"Yes?"

"I'll be back for some supplies in a bit. Interested in trying my cooking again?"

She smiled at him. "I probably shouldn't; you're a lousy cook. But I'm daring." She bent over and said to Vivi "Take care of yourself, little black mage."

Not knowing what waited for him in Alexandria, an adventure that defied description, Vivi said "I'll be fine, Miss. Thank you."

"Oh, isn't he polite?" Donna beamed at him. "Have fun at the festival!"

Donna waved at them as they left the square, and then they were walking down a road paved with cobblestones, the sound of wagons rolling on the Highway echoing in the distance. After walking about half a mile, Eric said, "Well, Vivi, I can't promise you as interesting a time in Alexandria as you found here, but I know it won't be dull. If you follow this road, you'll be back on the Royal Highway in no time."

Vivi reached up, extending a gloved hand to Eric. " Thank you for everything, Eric."

Eric shook Vivi's hand. "No, thank you, Vivi. It's a pleasure knowing you. Now I have to go convince Donna that I can cook...perhaps a difficult task, as you know. Be good, Vivi."

Eric, showing no signs of the two blows he had taken, began walking back towards Arnfeld. Vivi watched him until he was out of sight, and then said "Goodbye, Eric." It would be years before Vivi saw Eric or Donna again, which, had you told Vivi that he would see them again at all, he would have been shocked. He had no intention of returning to Arnfeld, after all.

The sound of an airship bound for Alexandria came from the distance, and Vivi tried to put the recent unpleasant events behind him. Patting the inner pocket of his coat, where he kept his festival ticket, Vivi Orunitia took the first steps back towards the road to Alexandria.

The Beginning.

(Author's Note: I've decided, much as Square does with the character of Cid, to feature a new version of Eric Alfredsson in each of my FF related fanfics. I'm kind of experimenting with Eric here, trying on a bit less grim face, and rest assured, you will see this version of Eric again in my post-FFIX fanfic, The Accolade…)