Bloody ARMs
By: Maeleene
Chapter Two: Destination
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Disclaimer: Wild ARMs 3 belongs to its respective owners ( MediaVision and Sony, I believe). The following story is made for the sole purpose of entertainment, not for profit, and is the creation of a bored and lowly fan.
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"All you need is the plan, the roadmap, and the courage to press on to your destination." – Earl Nightingale
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When one is a wanted criminal, travelling freely is often easier said than done. Such was the dilemma the four Drifters found themselves in the following day.
"Why can't we stay in Baskar a little longer? At least we have beds to sleep in and decent food to eat."
"Hey! My cooking isn't that bad!" Virginia piped up with a pout.
"Of course it isn't Virginia," Clive soothed. Then he turned to Gallows. "We shouldn't stay in one place too long. No matter how discreet we are, we're still able to be tracked. The Ark of Destiny is relentless in their pursuit, and they won't believe our innocence in the matter."
"Stupid Beatrice," Gallows cursed under his breath, kicking the a pebble with his toe.
The group fell silent again. It was true that the Wasteland was largely unexplored by the average man, but finding untouched ruins was a rarity. Worst of all, most of their leads were cut off due to the Wanted posters tacked up across the globe. It was true that aside from freedom, a Drifter appreciated a little notoriety. This was not quite what Virginia had been hoping for, however.
"Maybe Jolly Roger?" Gallows suggested after a moment, shrugging. It wasn't far, and lucky for them, the faces were always friendly there.
"Oh, yeah, and what would we find there?" Jet glared at Gallows.
"Well, at least I'm trying to come up with a destination, unlike you, Punk!" The tribesman walked over to Jet, looking about ready to slug the younger boy, but Virginia stepped in between the two, hands raised.
"Just stop," she said. Her voice was coated with weariness, and her eyes were dull from exhaustion. After dinner, she'd been strangely unable to fall back asleep and had spent most the night tossing and turning on her cot. When she finally managed to close her eyes and drift into an uneasy sleep, she was woken about an hour later.
Her uncharacteristic behavior did not go unnoticed."Virginia, are you all right?" Clive asked with concern. "You seem unwell."
"Just tired," she replied truthfully. And so very tired of her Wanted status. "I didn't get much sleep." As if to prove her point, a yawn forced her mouth open. She quickly covered it with her hand.
"Maybe we should head to Jolly Roger," Clive stated. "It's not too far away. Virginia could use some rest, and we would still be getting somewhere, which is our main priority at the moment. You never know when new leads might pop up, as well."
"See! I told you we should go to Jolly Roger!" Gallows hissed to Jet.
"Whatever," was the other boy's plain reply.
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After breakfast, the group began gathering their belongings. As they tightened the saddles on their mounts, Shane approached his older brother in a much more subdued manner than he had the day before.
"Are you certain you have to leave, Brother? Baskar Village is very secluded, and all of us will defend you against the Ark of Destiny's accusations."
Gallows breathed out a sad sigh of his own and nodded. "Unfortunately, we do. The old head of the Ark was fairly level-headed, but the new guy is so irrational. For all we know, he wouldn't hesitate to burn a place like this to the ground if he thought he was doing it to catch us." He rapped his knuckles against his head an grinned. "That guy has a skull thicker'n mine, if you know what I mean. You could preach until the cows come home, and he'd still be pointing fingers like a toddler."
Shane nodded sadly in understanding, shoulders drooping. He watched as the others went about their work quickly, checking the shoes of their horses and filling their saddlebags with food and tools. Finally, he turned back to Gallows. "I had a dream," he said.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Would you like to know what I saw?"
Gallows knew his younger brother could see the future in his dreams. Most people might take advantage of that, demanding to know what might befall them in order to change it. But Gallows was not most people, and he would not use his brother like a tool. That, and he preferred the future to remain a mystery. With a grin, he glanced at Shane. "Naw, you know how I like it. I'd rather be surprised, even if it turns out bad in the end."
A worried frown graced his lips, but Shane didn't say anything. Instead, he hugged his brother good-bye and wished the others well on their journey. Waving from the gate of the village, he watched the four ride out of site. When Halle came to stand beside him, long after they'd left, he murmured, "They're headed for trouble. Something ominous is headed towards them, and it could be more than they can handle."
His grandmother nodded gravely, then patted his back. "Indeed, but such is the nature of a challenge. One cannot grow stronger if he does not face something larger than himself." She chuckled as she led Shane back towards their hut. "But that's what my idiot of a grandson is good for. He may not have the brains of the family, but he's certainly obstinate. With those three standing beside him, I think we can trust he'll come home safely."
Shane smiled, comforted by this, and set about his chores for the day at ease.
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Status: Complete
Changes made: Completely redid this chapter. Added another two pages in content. The entire second scene with Shane is new. Also changed the chapter title. Basically, the chapter used to be a page with two Author Notes included, and now it's three. So that should give you an idea of how drastically different it is now.
Note: I just wanted to say, I know Gallows doesn't use perfect grammar. But that is Gallows for you. Any grammar errors in his speech or thought are likely intentional. Any others that are not stylistic are probably not, and I'd love for you to point them out! Reviews are very much loved and appreciated. Concrit is welcome!
…And does anyone still play/read Wild ARMs 3 still (besides me)??