Author's Notes: You may have guessed it by now, but yes, No Such Thing As Fate is a rewrite of the game. Before you hit the close button on your browser, hear me out. 1. There are some things that are the same as the game, including bits of dialogue, but for the most part, things have changed and drastically. 2. It's completed, so you won't have to worry about me losing interest in it half way. 3. I worked for a full year (November 7 2012 - November 7 2013) and I worked very hard to make a game rewrite that would surpass everyone's hopes. It's not a game rewrite with an added character or something like that. Things are very different.
Thank you for giving No Such Thing As Fate a chance and I hope you enjoy it.
Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.
He was pretty well used to prison cells. If you had been in one, you'd really been in them all. One thing that was constant between Zaphias and Dahngrest was the way the prison cells looked. The interrogation had been pretty rough, but he had been forced to bear bruises and wounds much worse than a few angry knights could inflict. It hadn't taken them much to discover why he was there. A quick survey of his items gave them all the information that they needed. Once they found he was from Dahngrest and a guild member, their treatment of him became only harsher.
"Heyya neighbor." The voice from the cell next to his bore a familiar twang and a lazy, rough dialect he recognized as being from Tolbyccia. "Yer awful quiet over there. Whaterya in fer?"
"What's it to you, Old Man?"
"Old Man? Now you've hurt this old man's feelings."
"Sorry, Old Man. I'm not much for chatting."
"How about I tell ya a tale then? I know a lot of em. I got a great one about the Pirate King Aefried's hidden treasure, or this crazy island off in the northwestern sea, or the famous spa far to the west..."
Their conversation was cut off by the prison door opening, and the feet of many knights approaching. A silver haired man dressed in red passed by his cell without a second look, and two Royal Guards followed him. They stopped at the next cell, and with a motion of his hand, ordered the guards to unlock the cell door and drag the man there out. He was a scruffy, middle aged man dressed in purple with a slumped posture and his spiky brown hair in a high ponytail. Yuri knew him, but made no inkling before the assembled Knights to indicate that. It wasn't his presence that he was surprised about, so much as the silver haired man's.
It was a rare sight to see Commandant Alexei. With the ongoing war between the Empire and the Guilds, he kept himself cloistered up in the imperial palace for safety. It wasn't far from belief to think that assassins from Dahngrest would be more than happy to take him out of the picture.
The man from the next cell over stumbled a moment, dropping something on the floor rather intentionally. He stood and with a little movement of his foot, slid the object across the floor and between the bars of the cell. It was a lock pick. He shifted a bit, acting like he was stretching, and covered the lock pick with one of his legs. Being captured had been an inevitability for both of them. Although this had not been a desirable outcome, they had planned for this.
The Commandant left, a few of the knights dragging the old man along behind him. The single guard left to watch him seemed pointless since he could barely move. He couldn't see what time of day it was from in here, but he assumed that it was getting late since the guards mentioned a shift change. After a while longer, the first guard left and another came in. He was not quite the usual Royal Guard, but Yuri couldn't say that he minded.
The blond was tall, very close in height to himself, with a lean and muscular form and eyes the color of the clear autumn sky.
"It's not often I get the pleasure of being guarded by one of the Commandant's personal guards." He managed to lean up against the rails.
The blond ignored him.
"What's it take to get a decent meal around here?"
"Meal time isn't for another two hours."
Oh, this one was going to be tough. A challenge like this would be something worthwhile even while in a prison cell. "Are those keys in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"
The blond shifted an angry, steely glance over to him. "What are you talking about?"
"You know, it's pretty cold in this cell. How about you come warm me up?"
"I don't know what the hell you're going on about, but if you don't quiet down, I'll knock you out."
Yuri was flabbergasted. Many times before, he had succeeded in seducing his way out of jail or other troubling situations. It had never failed before now. No prison guard before had been able to resist his charms. This was unprecedented. Was this boy just so dense that he couldn't see when he was being propositioned?
Either way, he had to distract the stalwart knight in order to get a chance at picking the lock. Right now though, he watched over Yuri eagle-eyed and unmoving. He leaned back against the bed. Maybe it would be best to get a little sleep for right now. Maybe the next guard could be more easily swayed. He needed a little time to heal before he would be able to do too much escaping anyway. If he was lucky, they were still determining the date of his execution. The body of a guild member hanging from the walls of this pure white city certainly would be a sight to behold. Not that he was going to let it come to that. He just had to bide his time and wait until he could catch either this knight off guard or the next. As soon as he had a glimpse of freedom, he would take it.
It was late when he was woken by the slamming of the prison door and the flurry of footsteps that came running down the stairs. A commotion just beyond the door worried him a great deal for whatever could be hampering his escape. The blond guard seemed to be startled by it as well.
Yuri rolled up off the straw cot groggily and took a couple of steps to the cell door.
"Flynn!"
Through the arched doorway came a young woman wearing an opulent dress with short pink hair. She was nearly shaking as she ran up to the guard, grabbing his arm.
"Lady Estellise, what's wrong?"
"It's Ioder and Alexei and the capital..." She was panting, probably from having run down the numerous flights of stairs that surely littered the castle uselessly. "Alexei has Ioder and I... I don't know what he's doing, but the whole castle is filling up with aer! He said something about the 'Child of the Full Moon' and sent the Royal Guard to apprehend me! He's mad! If the flow of aer keeps increasing it could start to leak out into the city and endanger the citizens."
Whatever was going on, it didn't sound good. It sounded a lot like Yuri needed to make his escape soon. It appeared as though the guard was also filled with this sense of urgency.
"I will see you safely out of the palace, and then I'll come back for Master Ioder. I don't know what Commandant Alexei is thinking, but if he's endangering the citizens of Zaphias, then he must be stopped." He took the young woman by the hand and headed toward the stairs.
Finally, he could make good his escape.
"Wait, Flynn. What about him?"
Yuri was surprised as she nodded back toward his cell, and the blond was too.
"He's a spy from Dahngrest."
"We can't just leave him here. If the aer gets too dense, he could die."
Shit.
A look of reluctance passed over the guard's face, but he must have known that the young woman was only telling the truth. As he approached the cell, Yuri had a passing thought that maybe this guy wasn't too bad, just a little dense. But as soon as he saw the man brandishing a pair of shackles, he knew that he wasn't going to get out of this easily. "You're right, Lady Estellise. He may be a criminal, but we can't just leave him here to die."
Yuri supposed he could always escape later when the timing was better. It wouldn't be too hard to get away from one Royal Guard, or knock him out when the opportunity presented itself. He let the blond shackle him and nearly drag him out of the cell.
"Don't get any ideas about escaping."
"I'm more concerned with getting out of here alive." It was the truth.
He looked at him shiftily. It was no secret that he believed that Yuri couldn't be trusted. At least this guy had a sense of morals and was deciding to not let him rot away in a prison cell while the whole capital crumbled around him. He had seen before what could happen when the aer in an area was too dense, and he was no fan of having that happen to himself. He also knew that if the pink haired noble girl had not said anything, he may have indeed been left behind.
The blond motioned for him to go first on the way up the stairs and they followed. He didn't argue. It didn't surprise him that the knight was so cautious of him, especially since he had seen some of the propaganda that the Empire was passing out to its citizens. It wasn't completely inaccurate in Yuri's case. He was surprised, however, when the young lady pulled his equipment out of a nearby chest and shouldered it. His sword was thankfully among the collected items. Once he got that, he could break away. That hope died a little when the knight briefly tried to fuss at her, but instead just took the sword and tied it beside his own on his thick belt. Damn it.
They moved up through the basement to the main area of the castle where Yuri had never been, but it looked pretty much like what he expected. Empty feeling halls filled with uselessly ornate decorations that served no purpose whatsoever other than to showcase how wealthy the imperial family was. The opulence and the waste that must have been caused in such a place made his stomach turn. Even the wealthiest of citizens in Dahngrest didn't live like this, and all of them had earned their fortunes, rather than having it handed to them by family. How anyone could live like this was beyond him, especially with the way he knew that the people from the Lower Quarter lived.
One superfluous hallway led to another. The young lady hadn't been exaggerating. The aer was pooling like a gentle looking green mist. He knew the truth about it. He received a wary glance from the blond every few seconds, who was using his now drawn sword as a pointing device. Finally, a large doorway stood before them. Yuri assumed that it was the entrance.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Even on the battlefield, he couldn't remember ever feeling so panicked. The words that Estellise told him about Commandant Alexei having gone mad hadn't quite sunken in, even as they were forced to move carefully through the clouds of aer that were quickly filling the palace. If it became too much more dense, then it would become over saturated and turn red. He knew from experience that if that happened, it would prove lethal.
As that voice came echoing down the hall behind them, he stopped in his tracks. He didn't recognize the voice, but he didn't like the sound of it at all.
"Prepare to die, Flynn Scifo!"
Flynn turned quickly to see a man in black charging him, knives spinning in his hands, ready to strike. He blocked with his sword, and pushed the man back a few steps.
He came at him once more.
"Who are you?!"
"I'm Zagi, the man who will kill you!"
He didn't have time for this. The thickness of the aer was making it difficult to breathe. He had to get Estellise to safety and then discover what was really going on in the palace. What could Alexei be up to and who was this crazy person?
Flynn blocked with his shield and aimed for the man's upper body, well above his center of gravity. Zagi dodged smoothly and easily, spinning a moment before coming back in slashing wildly. He stayed behind his shield, waiting for an opening and after a few seconds of crazed movement, he paused to catch his breath. Flynn pulled back and then charged forward as hard as he could, knocking the man several yards down the hall.
"Flynn, I'll help!"
"No, Lady Estellise! Stay back."
"Give me my sword. I'll give you a hand." The dark haired prisoner took a few steps toward him, but Flynn maintained his fighting stance, putting a little distance between them. He didn't want to risk the man grabbing his sword and attempting to make an escape while he was distracted in battle.
"Damn it!"
"At least let me heal you!"
Zagi shook off the bits of a vase that he had smashed into, and came back for more. He jumped up and using all his weight, spiked himself down toward Flynn, his bladed feet aimed for a head strike. Flynn ducked behind his shield, hunkering down against the floor. The crazed man struck his shield with more force than Flynn had expected from someone who moved with such agility. It sent him tumbling down, flat on his back on the marble. He hit his head on the floor, momentarily knocking the wind out of him and he had no time to recover as Zagi began a frenzied attack against his face and chest.
"This is so much fun, Flynn! Don't die yet!"
The dark haired man swore, rushing forward, and Estellise behind him. He tried to push Zagi off. At this rate, the princess could get hurt or worse. With all his might, he pushed his shield upward, thrusting Zagi up and allowing him a split second to break free. At his right side, Estellise knelt briefly and in a flash of green, the pain from his injuries dissipated.
On his left, the man from Dahngrest grabbed the handle of his own sword that Flynn was carrying, and drew it while handcuffed. He was fast, but Flynn didn't have time to admire that since his prisoner was charging forward to face Zagi, who had once more recovered.
"Thank you, Lady Estellise." Flynn got to his feet as fast as he could to get back into the fray. His prisoner may have carried a sword, but Flynn had no idea what he was capable of, and once this enemy was defeated, would the known spy turn the blade on him? He couldn't risk that.
He had to admit that the man was pretty handy with a sword, even while shackled, as he fended off several blows. If he could handle himself this well while handicapped, he would be a formidable foe without such a hindrance. That made him a danger. Disarming him now though, was not an option. Instead, he concentrated all his energy and waited for the moment to strike.
Screaming and cackling, Zagi came at them. Yuri moved in to attack again, but Flynn surpassed him in a dash. His blade scraped against the marble, throwing up blue sparks and he stopped, letting the glow created continue across the ground and hit Zagi. The force tossed him up in the air. He fell against the marble hard, and when he didn't move after a moment, Flynn presumed him unconscious.
"Flynn! Are you alright?" Estellise was at his side in an instant, patting his arms and chest to make sure that she had healed him properly.
"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Lady Estellise."
"Yeah yeah. That's great and all, but we should be getting out of here."
Flynn snatched the sword from the dark haired man's hand when he was the least bit off guard and sheathed it once more. He wasn't at all pleased with that, but when he went to complain, another voice came from behind him.
"So, Zagi was useless." This was a voice he recognized, and that chilled him to the bones. "I see."
"Alexei!"
At the end of the hall, Zagi was gone, and now the Commandant stood there, looking annoyed. Behind him, in a swirling bubble of red energy, was Prince Ioder. He appeared to be in a sleeping state, his eyes closed tightly and his face wracked with pain.
"Master Ioder!" Flynn's fingers tightened around his sword. Why was he having to hold it against someone he respected so much? "Commandant, what are you doing?"
"It's none of your concern. Return Princess Estellise to me at once."
"Stop this madness!"
"You have no idea, boy. Just give me the girl and I'll let you live."
"What the hell are you doing to that kid? Whatever you're up to, it can't be good!" the spy called from behind Flynn.
When it was clear that Flynn was not going to surrender, Alexei's face twisted in annoyance. He raised his arm up, palm flat. Red energy sparked in his hand and all around the bubble that was encasing Ioder.
"What of your ideals, Commandant?! Those who seek justice will lead lives of prosperity?!"
"Foolish notions." The energy in his hand shot out a bright beam of light toward them, but Flynn's shield barely held it back.
From behind Alexei stepped a Kritya woman that Flynn recognized as Lady Khroma, Alexei's confidant. With a simple flick of her wrist and the barest utterance of "Gale Storm", a fierce wind whipped through the hall, throwing open the doors behind them. It pushed them back with the intensity of a hurricane.
With a scream, Estellise flew out the open doors.
"Lady Estellise!"
Against that wind, the dark haired man had no hope while in shackles, and even as he fought to hold his ground, it swept him away also. And Flynn was left with a choice. Protect Estellise from whatever Alexei was planning and temporarily abandon Ioder, or try against all odds to save Ioder and risk losing them both. A strategic retreat was the best option, but he didn't have the time to choose as the winds got stronger and pushed him straight out of the palace. He tumbled down the front steps and hit the gate with the full force of his body. Before he could scramble to his feet, the castle door slammed shut and a glowing red field covered it.
"Flynn, are you alright?" Estellise rushed to his side to help him up.
He shook off the disorientation rattling his brain and ambled up. He ignored her question, his mind full of too many other things to be concerned with his own health. He bounded right up to the door. He tried to open it, but the red glow shocked him as soon as he touched the gilded handle. He tried again, but it was sealed tightly by some sort of magic.
"I don't know about you, but we should really get out of here."
Flynn whipped around to look at the spy who was attempting to untangle himself from a bush with mixed success. He stopped, looking beyond the gate and into the darkened city. After a few seconds, Flynn also heard the noise that must have alerted him. The thunder of boots across paving stone, the grind of plates of metal armor, swords at the ready. A brigade of knights, wearing uniforms of pink, was approaching quickly.
At the head of them, stood a man in a similar uniform, but with a flowing cape, milk white skin, and long periwinkle hair. He was smiling in a manner that made Flynn very uncomfortable.
"It appears as though Lieutenant Scifo has teamed up with the Union spy to kidnap Lady Estellise."
"Captain Cumore, please listen-"
"He's not exactly the listening type. He's already come to his conclusion." The spy wrenched himself forcefully from the bush, breaking off all manner of leaves, flowers, and branches in his long, black hair.
"Kill them both and take the Princess into custody."
He wanted to try and explain to Cumore and get his assistance against Alexei, but he knew that it was unlikely. Cumore hated him, and all those in the ranks of the Imperial Knights who weren't of noble birth. A retreat was indeed in order now. With the brigade blocking the front gate, how were they going to get out? The dark haired man was already ahead of him on that account, too.
"Come on!"
Flynn didn't think twice. He grabbed Estellise's hand and they followed the man around through the gardens. They found a statue that depicted the goddess, knelt in prayer. The prisoner shoved his weight against it, pressing his shoulder against the stone. It gave way a little, and then finally revealed a ladder leading down into darkness hidden underneath.
"Get moving!" He shouted, urging them down in the dark hole. They found a walkway below, and he jumped down to meet them. He pulled the statue back over the secret entrance, and turned to sigh with relief. He stopped before Flynn's drawn sword.
"Who are you?"
"Can this wait until after we've gotten out of here? If the castle is filling up with aer, then these tunnels will be soon, too." He didn't appear the least bit threatened.
He reluctantly lowered his sword, but it remained in his hand. There were bigger problems right now. "Lead the way."
The prisoner turned and started down the tunnels, Flynn and Estellise in tow. Flynn motioned to the princess to stay close behind him in case the man should try to draw his sword that still hung at Flynn's side and try to attack them.
The catacombs under the palace had long been a legend, but he found that their halls were very real and numbered even more than the halls of the palace above. They had probably once been used as an escape route for the royal family in case of danger. These paths were too well made, and were still lit with blastia lights, to be anything else. But how had a young man from Dahngrest known about them, and how to access them? He didn't bother to keep that question to himself.
"An old knight told me about them once over a few drinks."
Flynn merely shook his head in disgust before continuing the questioning. "Why were you in Zaphias?"
"Guy can't take a vacation once in a while?"
He glared at the back of the man's head for a moment. "I was told you were a spy."
"Jeez. The things they make up these days."
"If you're not a spy, then what are you doing here?"
"I'm chasing a blastia thief."
Flynn was skeptical. Even if he was telling the truth, he was still a criminal who had broken into a nobleman's house and attempted to assault said nobleman. This made the possibility of him being potentially dangerous high. These were things a normal person wouldn't do.
The silence stretched uncomfortably between them, but thankfully, he could finally smell fresh air over the musty scent of the empty tunnels.
"Here we are." The spy lifted one leg and kicked out the metal grate that stood between them and the world beyond the barrier. He stepped out first, and scanned the surroundings. "The coast is clear."
Cautiously, Flynn stepped out, and then Estellise after him. The passage had taken them to the furthest wall of the city.
"What are we going to do now, Flynn?"
"We should go to Deidon Hold. Some of the Schwann Brigade is stationed there. We can get backup and go back for Master Ioder."
"That's a bad idea."
Flynn turned angrily to the spy, an argument ready on his lips.
"Think about it. There was an assassin after you. That weasel Cumore seems to be siding with Alexei, who has finally shown his true colors. The Knights at Deidon Hold wouldn't think twice about arresting you, no matter what you tell them is happening. Are they really going to believe one Royal Guard who is telling them that the Commandant is up to no good?"
He didn't want to admit that this person was right. An angry heat rose in his chest. "I have to do whatever it takes to save Master Ioder."
"And that'll take you right to the executioner's block. You have a princess with you. A lot of things here could easily be construed as treason. But do whatever you want to. Although, if you really wanna save that kid, there's got to be a better way to do it."
"Maybe he's right."
"Lady Estellise..."
"I don't know what Alexei is doing. We should find an expert on aer and see if we can determine what is going on. Once we have proper evidence, we can plan our return. I only hope that Ioder will be alright until then."
"If that is what you think, then we will head to Aspio. There are many scholars there. Surely one of them will be able to help us. But how will we get there without passing through Deidon Hold?"
"I know a way." The dark haired man took a few steps away from them. "There's some monsters, but if you don't mind fighting, I can show it to you."
"What's the catch?" It wasn't like a guildsman to offer their services freely, even if the tides were not currently in their favor.
"Let me go and I'll show you the way."
"No."
"Good luck finding it on your own then."
"Maybe a compromise would be ideal in this situation." Estellise spoke up, speaking calmly and authoritatively. "Whatever Alexei is doing, it can't be good for the Empire or for the Guilds. Right now, it's in our best interest to work together."
The man looked at her a little surprised.
"I can't promise you freedom, since by our laws, you are still a criminal, but perhaps we can work out another mutually beneficial arrangement."
"What could you possibly offer me otherwise?" He snorted in brief amusement. Someone of his type didn't care much for laws or compromise.
"I don't know. Please give me some time. I give you my word."
"Fine. Follow me."