Disclaimer: I don't own Breath of Fire. Capcom does.

Chapter 2

"Not to sound... suspicious or anything, but where did you find this?"

"This" was a creaky, weather beaten cart.

"Behind the house. I'm surprised nobody else had stolen it."

"And the reigns?"

"Guards had them."

Nina looked at the lumps in the back of the cart.

"And those?"

"I can sell them."

"It's armor for Wyndian Ceremonial Guard! Who's going to buy that!"

"Anybody who knows what it is and doesn't care where it came from. There was a reason I wiped off the blood before it dried, you know."

Nina was silent once more.

"I mean, sure, the suits are both pieces frosted shit-"

"WHAT?"

"Frosted-"

"No no no no no, don't say it."

"Does the little lady have virgin ears?"

Nina glared at Ryu.

"Don't worry, I can be nice. As I was saying, the suits are both piles of shiny junk, but any collector would be willing to pay at least a few thousand zenny for them."

"You killed two men!"

"Yeah. So?"

"But- But-"

"And why were they after you, anyways?"

She was silent.

"Anyways, it's not like I can use the stuff. I've never been one for armor, even the light crap back there. I mean, those two idiots weren't even wearing linings and they had trouble moving."

"Linings?"

"It's probably not the right term for it, but yeah. Basically, those suits are imitation plate mail. All of the protection on the major parts, but no protection against anyone who knows what they're doing. A real Wyndian knight wears a full suit of chain mail underneath the plate armor and... speak of the devil."

"Hm?"

"Up ahead."

Nina looked. There stood what at first glance she could have only assumed to be a golem of steel and iron. No human could have been as large as that man. As they approached, he only become larger, an inarguable giant of a man.

"Hello!" called Ryu.

"Hello!" bellowed back the knight. The voice was deep and heavy. He didn't carry a sword, either. The knight pulled off his helm and hung it from what was his weapon: a warhammer. Ryu pulled back on the reigns as they reached the knight, he towered over the pair of them, even just standing on the ground. His own beast of burden, a behemoth as large as the man himself, rested on the side of the road. Nina was quite sure what to make of either the creature or the man, let alone the situation she had gotten herself into. No, that wasn't quite right.

"So, err... how are we-"

"Don't worry about it, it's all going to be fine."

"I take the young lady's worried a bit?"

"That she is, sir knight. My name's Ryu. And you?"

"Vargas."

Ryu nodded. This was a good sign. He wasn't full of himself.

"And where are you headed, Ryu?"

"Into town to sell some wears I recently acquired," replied Ryu with a smile.

The knight looked a moment, and raised an eyebrow. "Ho, now. I can tell there's a story to this one."

"Not much of one. There were a pair of brigands masquerading as Wyndian Royal Knights. They were ransacking the old cottage about two hours from here."

"Ransacking? That place? What for?"

"Well, they were looking for this fine young lady right here. Mind you, I didn't know that at the time. I was merely stopping to mention they shouldn't leave their horses just out on the road, unaccounted for."

"Oh, really."

"Honest, sir knight. Well, they didn't take to kindly to my advice, and I had to defend myself."

"You killed two people in armor?"

"Wasn't much for armor, if you ask me. Come take a look." Ryu turned around, and pulled the cloth from the two suits of armor. Vargas stepped to the side of the wagon, and looked in. "I mean, just look at this stuff. It's barely covering much of anything, and take a heft of it. This can't be actual iron, let alone steel."

Vargas looked at it for a moment. This was the moment of truth. He shook his head.

"I don't believe this," he said.

Ryu couldn't take a Wyndian Knight. Frankly, he didn't want to either. The Knights looked after their own. They'd tear the forest apart to find him, and then they'd tear him apart. And this Vargas... Ryu had heard that name before.

"How could they honestly expect anybody to fall for this crap?"

"That's what I said." Ryu didn't physically breath the sigh of relief. This was good practice, he suspected, for both himself and this Vargas.

"So what are you planning on doing with it?"

"Well... I figured since Loki was stupid enough to come back into Wyndia, I figured I could pass these off as the real thing to him."

"Loki's back in town?"

Ryu nodded.

"Well now... It might take a few hours to get together a proper group to deal with him... Being caught with armor of the Ceremonial Guard... that's a capital offense. A real black eye for it to be found in the hands of a petty criminal. You have to wonder where the Guard's horses went to, though. Horses aren't things that just fall out of the sky, you know."

"That is a good question. You know, I might be willing to donate this fine pair. They need a good brushing, but they look to be in fine health. Honestly, I doubt I'd be able to properly take care of them."

Vargas looked at the horses.

"Hmm... this is true. The health bit, that is. You're a capable man, I'd think you'd be able to take care of them. I'd also think the young lady might want to ride rather than walk. It might be a good idea to hang on to them, even. There might be more of those imposters about, and we knights aren't everywhere."

"This is true." Ryu thought a moment, digesting this piece of information. "This is very true. Except, I'm sorry to admit, I don't know how to ride."

At this, Vargas laughed.

He walked to his own beast of burden, mounting it in a single smooth motion. Ryu felt his worries as to who this Vargas was confirmed as the creature walked to alongside the horses.

"Come, you might need an escort back to town.