Chapter II: Introductions and Explanations
The three old friends and their new acquaintance were sitting at a table of the local inn going over what Teddy had told them the night before. "So you're telling us that you have been following us for the past fifteen years to ensure our safety because Riou's strategist was afraid that he might get harmed? And that you're the reason why Nanami isn't aging anymore? Where you hired to do theses things? Why and how?" Jowy asked of Teddy.
"No, I wasn't hired to this. I knew Viktor and Flik from a previous war and I was a part of there mercenary group before the Dunan Unification War, but I was away in Toran when Luca Blight invaded Jowston. I came back the night before Riou killed Luca and spoke with Viktor and Flik. They told me what was going on and I agreed to help as I could. I fought in Flik's unit for battles, but I didn't want to use everything I had because I was trying to keep a low profile. I just go around when the one hundred and eight Stars of Destiny are gathering and to help them, but after the war Shu asked me to tail Riou here for awhile and make sure he would stay safe because Shu thought he was going to run off looking for you, which he did. And I thought it would be nice if Nanami wouldn't get all old and decrepit on you two as you guys traveled and I did it because I like you kids." Teddy lengthily replied.
"You don't look that much older than us." Nanami stated.
"That's because I used to have a true rune in my right hand. But I put it into your right hand, Nanami. How else was I supposed to keep you from aging? See, I gave you the True Rune of Immortality. No matter what, you will never die." Said Teddy.
"What!?!?" Nanami screamed, "Never? That's a long frickin' time! What if I want to die?"
"Then I can take it back." He said coolly. "But you should calm down and stop yelling. Don't draw attention towards yourself."
"But wait. If you don't have the True Rune of Immortality anymore, can't you grow old or die? I haven't aged for awhile, so you must've given me this rune awhile ago, but you look like you haven't aged much. And exactly how old are you?" Nanami asked.
"Well unfortunately for me I shall never die, with or without that rune. I don't know why, but I've been cursed with this inability to rest as a normal person does when their life ends. And well to be truthful, I'm almost one thousand years old." Teddy answered.
"Wow! That sucks." Nanami said as Riou and Jowy nodded their heads in agreement.
"Yep. But I did find a nifty true rune a few years back after the Gate Rune Wars. I was searching the ruble of the collapsed castle looking for the other half of the Gate Rune for Miss Leknaat, but instead of finding that I find the Sovereign Rune. I used the True Rune of Immortality to force it out of the fallen emperor's sword and into mine here. I could sense that the other half of the Gate Rune had left by itself through the ground, so I just left." Teddy informed them.
"That's nice. So are you going to be traveling with us into Grassland? We're going even if there is a war. We'll just stay out of the way. Since you've been around awhile, maybe you could be our guide and maybe tell us where we can avoid fights." Jowy said.
"Sure thing, but it's not just an ordinary war. The Stars of Destiny are going to gather again too." Agreed Teddy.
"Well then, it's settled. Now all we have to do is find a way over these mountains. They probably won't let us through if a war is about to break out. So we'll think of a way and stay another night and buy all of the supplies we'll need. Including enough cloaks just in case one of us gets cold. Not naming anyone, Nanami." Riou stops speaking so everyone can turn and look and stare at Nanami to let it be known that he is, in fact, naming the person who was cold from lack of a cloak.
"Hey." Nanami said indignantly, "I really wasn't cold, but since we are going over mountains it'll be a good idea. I don't know if we have enough money though." Turning with puppy dog eyes on Teddy. "You seem to have a lot of money; maybe you could spare some for me, Mr. Cute Guy With Pointy Ears? Please?"
"Sure thing." Acquiesced Teddy.
While Jowy sat there looking dumbfounded, Riou asked, "Wait, you have pointy ears? Are you an elf?"
"Umm... Sort of. I'm half elf. Shall we get to the purchasing of the supplies?" Teddy said while getting up from the table. He held out his hand to help Nanami get up from the table while Riou got up and stared at Jowy who was still sitting there dumbfounded.
"Umm... how did she know he had pointy ears?" Jowy asked Riou. Riou just shrugged and waited for Jowy to get up from the table and then they both walked over to where Teddy and Nanami were making arrangements to stay another night with the inn keeper.
The three old friends and their new acquaintance were sitting at a table of the local inn going over what Teddy had told them the night before. "So you're telling us that you have been following us for the past fifteen years to ensure our safety because Riou's strategist was afraid that he might get harmed? And that you're the reason why Nanami isn't aging anymore? Where you hired to do theses things? Why and how?" Jowy asked of Teddy.
"No, I wasn't hired to this. I knew Viktor and Flik from a previous war and I was a part of there mercenary group before the Dunan Unification War, but I was away in Toran when Luca Blight invaded Jowston. I came back the night before Riou killed Luca and spoke with Viktor and Flik. They told me what was going on and I agreed to help as I could. I fought in Flik's unit for battles, but I didn't want to use everything I had because I was trying to keep a low profile. I just go around when the one hundred and eight Stars of Destiny are gathering and to help them, but after the war Shu asked me to tail Riou here for awhile and make sure he would stay safe because Shu thought he was going to run off looking for you, which he did. And I thought it would be nice if Nanami wouldn't get all old and decrepit on you two as you guys traveled and I did it because I like you kids." Teddy lengthily replied.
"You don't look that much older than us." Nanami stated.
"That's because I used to have a true rune in my right hand. But I put it into your right hand, Nanami. How else was I supposed to keep you from aging? See, I gave you the True Rune of Immortality. No matter what, you will never die." Said Teddy.
"What!?!?" Nanami screamed, "Never? That's a long frickin' time! What if I want to die?"
"Then I can take it back." He said coolly. "But you should calm down and stop yelling. Don't draw attention towards yourself."
"But wait. If you don't have the True Rune of Immortality anymore, can't you grow old or die? I haven't aged for awhile, so you must've given me this rune awhile ago, but you look like you haven't aged much. And exactly how old are you?" Nanami asked.
"Well unfortunately for me I shall never die, with or without that rune. I don't know why, but I've been cursed with this inability to rest as a normal person does when their life ends. And well to be truthful, I'm almost one thousand years old." Teddy answered.
"Wow! That sucks." Nanami said as Riou and Jowy nodded their heads in agreement.
"Yep. But I did find a nifty true rune a few years back after the Gate Rune Wars. I was searching the ruble of the collapsed castle looking for the other half of the Gate Rune for Miss Leknaat, but instead of finding that I find the Sovereign Rune. I used the True Rune of Immortality to force it out of the fallen emperor's sword and into mine here. I could sense that the other half of the Gate Rune had left by itself through the ground, so I just left." Teddy informed them.
"That's nice. So are you going to be traveling with us into Grassland? We're going even if there is a war. We'll just stay out of the way. Since you've been around awhile, maybe you could be our guide and maybe tell us where we can avoid fights." Jowy said.
"Sure thing, but it's not just an ordinary war. The Stars of Destiny are going to gather again too." Agreed Teddy.
"Well then, it's settled. Now all we have to do is find a way over these mountains. They probably won't let us through if a war is about to break out. So we'll think of a way and stay another night and buy all of the supplies we'll need. Including enough cloaks just in case one of us gets cold. Not naming anyone, Nanami." Riou stops speaking so everyone can turn and look and stare at Nanami to let it be known that he is, in fact, naming the person who was cold from lack of a cloak.
"Hey." Nanami said indignantly, "I really wasn't cold, but since we are going over mountains it'll be a good idea. I don't know if we have enough money though." Turning with puppy dog eyes on Teddy. "You seem to have a lot of money; maybe you could spare some for me, Mr. Cute Guy With Pointy Ears? Please?"
"Sure thing." Acquiesced Teddy.
While Jowy sat there looking dumbfounded, Riou asked, "Wait, you have pointy ears? Are you an elf?"
"Umm... Sort of. I'm half elf. Shall we get to the purchasing of the supplies?" Teddy said while getting up from the table. He held out his hand to help Nanami get up from the table while Riou got up and stared at Jowy who was still sitting there dumbfounded.
"Umm... how did she know he had pointy ears?" Jowy asked Riou. Riou just shrugged and waited for Jowy to get up from the table and then they both walked over to where Teddy and Nanami were making arrangements to stay another night with the inn keeper.