Literally every time I tried to work on this, I would get a call from work to do something else. It was really annoying. I spent the last three days doing my best to finish this chapter before I got distracted by something else.
I think this story is being received very well. I'm glad you guys are liking it so far, even with the very little action that has happened. I like the idea of creating a darker universe than the game's, pushing that M factor hard, haha!
Anyways, hope you guys like this chapter. It's different from the others, but you'll see that in a second. Remember to leave a review to let me know what you guys think. Also, if you haven't already and you really enjoyed the story, remember to follow and/or favorite it so that you get notifications when a new chapter is published! Enjoy~
Oh, and before I forget, check out Uncertain Times: Stories Untold. I will be publishing short stories on there about the past of the characters from here, be it OCs or canon.
Chapter 4: Search
With the rise of the sun came the beginning of a new day. In the early hours of the morning, a figure tossed and turn on a bed. The dream she was having had her uneasy. Unfortunately for her, sleep hadn't come easy for the last few days. She was too worried about what they might or might not find all day that it even haunted her dreams. When her eyes finally shot open, she could feel the beads of sweat going down her body. She breathed heavily, trying to shake the images in her head. As per usual when having a nightmare, she turned one last time to feel the warmth of the man besides her, except that this time, there was no one there to comfort her. Her hand moved to the spot where he was supposed to be, caressing the sheets slowly as she would him. Damn you…
It had been four days since her lover had gone overboard, swept away by the sea to some unknown corner of the world. She could still remember it happening like it had just happened. During the storm, many had suffered injuries, but it was only him that was unaccounted for. The man had brought them to, quite literally, the other side of the world only to not get to set foot on land. The others had been diligent about searching for him, but they produced no results. Day in and day out, they would move up and down the coast looking for him. Every day that passed brought down the moral of the crew, and though no one spoke of it, she could see the hope vanishing from their eyes. Her, however, didn't think him dead. No, the connection they shared told her otherwise. Because of this, she would get little rest, sleeping only a few hours at a time and skipping one or two meals per day, hoping that just maybe she could spot him floating somewhere, grinning that stupid grin of his and acting like nothing had happened.
Her lips parted to let out a sigh. She missed him dearly, that was true. The others would give her looks of sympathy followed by either encouraging words and paths on the back everytime they saw her walking on deck. Part of her appreciated it, but then she would immediately scowl at them for talking to her as if she was a widow of some kind. In the whole ship, there were only five that treated her differently. Caleb, who had had become the captain of the ship, would always follow her intuition, sailing the ship to whatever direction she asked to go next, but he wouldn't talk to her out of shame in himself for what had happened, as it had been explained to her by a third party. He wasn't the only one to do so. Shaw, who would normally talk to the point she felt like slapping him upside the head, had become very silent and secluded. The merchant girl, Anna, she acted normally, trying to sell knick knacks around the crew and would joke around. Nowi would stick to her like sap, following her around and helping with whatever she could. It was sweet, but would get on the dark mage's nerves at times, especially when trying to go to sleep. She often wondered if that was the way a real little sister would act. Then again, it could also be that the girl was just trying to fill a void that had been filled and then emptied so fast by Robin.
And then there was Isabella, or Izzy as she was more commonly known. The archer had blamed herself repeatedly for what had happened, despite Tharja reminded her that it had been Robin's own fault for being careless. Still, it had taken its toll on Izzy. Afterall, she'd just seen the closest thing she had to family be taken away because he'd rescued her. They shared a special bond, Robin and the archer. He'd been the one that had first called her Izzy while she had been the one that nicknamed him Captain. This didn't make Tharja jealous as much as it once had because in the end, she was the only one he would call "love"; the only one he would kiss; the only one he would make love to.
After looking at the empty spot besides her for a while, she was finally able to drag herself up from the bed. She moved herself over to where she'd drapped her clothes and accessories, picking the items one at a time to put them on. The mesh that covered her whole body came on easily enough, as did the pieces that covered her more feminine bits. The cape she'd worn for so many years still felt warm to her touch. It was the first thing Robin had ever given to her… Sort of. Back then it was a cloak, but it had been far too big on her, so when she found herself with some extra time, she modified it. He never asked for it back nor complained about it when she'd shown it to him. He'd only chuckled and given her a smile. The memory was clear as day in her mind. The only thing she didn't like about it was that it'd lost his scent over the years.
She tied the knot on it so that it would fall freely over her shoulders and down her back before moving on to the next item. It was another of Robin's gifts. This one he'd really given to her. A simple silver bracelet. A noble would look down upon a accessory of such simple design, being a plainly decorated piece held together by a small steel chain. To her, however, it was one of her most treasured possessions second only to her tome, which was saying much considering she'd had that tome for her entire life and amassed all the knowledge she had of the dark arts in it. The bracelet was another nice memory that she could and would carry around with her at all times.
The last item she was missing was newer. He'd taken her dagger from her for it, but she was overjoyed to have this instead. The dagger had no value to her and could always be replaced with a handful of silver coins. A memento? That was irreplaceable. And where the cape had lost all of Robin's scent, the shemgah still had enough to give her comfort. When he gave it to her he'd wrapped it around her head, but now she mostly wore it just around her neck like a muffler as she didn't spend as much time on the deck as those days she'd spent with him. It was perfect. Not only could she run her hands through it, but she could smell his scent at all times.
Feeling ready, she left the quarters to meet up with the rest of them. It had taken some convincing, but the night before she'd talked Caleb into anchoring the ship at a nearby port. The ship was comfortable as it allowed her privacy and a nice bed to sleep on, but she didn't like the feeling of helplessness she got from standing around all day and gazing out to sea. No, Tharja wasn't one to wait for the best. If she wanted something, she would go get it. It was this mindset that pushed her forward.
Every morning after leaving the captain's quarter's Nowi would come greet her, all smiles. When it didn't happen that morning, Tharja was left surprised. Taking a look around the deck, she could see the familiar faces of the rest of her companions, but the short, hooded figure of the energetic girl was nowhere to be found. Robin had told the girl that she could leave the ship and venture out on her own when they reached the port if that was what she wanted. It was possible that she'd simply left without a goodbye. That...didn't feel quite right. Though Tharja had only known her for a short time, she was sure that Nowi would stick with them after reaching Chon'sin. There had been no indication that she would be doing otherwise. Heck, she acted happily enough around them, and they all were happy to have her too. The dark mage berated herself internally when the words she'd told Robin about the girl growing up came to her mind. Why should she care if Nowi had left, anyway? Everyone was free to do whatever they chose to do. None the less, she couldn't help feeling uneasy about not seeing the girl's smile that morning. Shaking the thought out of her head, she approached the group that had formed on the deck.
"All I'm saying is that if we are already here, we might as well sell some of our cargo before it goes bad," the dark mage heard Anna arguing with the others as she got closer. "It's not going to do us any good if things spoil while we look for Robin. If a few of you help me with the unloading, I can start selling it. Meanwhile, you lot can be out there looking for good old Rob-Rob. I might get some information out of the other merchants here that could come in handy in the future."
There was a mixed reception to the redhead's plan. Some looked thoughtful at the idea. It was true that much of the fruit they had onboard would spoil if it was left untouched. Not only that, but if they could get rid of the extra goods they had that was doing nothing more than taking up space and weighing them down, the ship would get some much needed speed. Tharja wasn't against the idea. It was well thought out and the smartest course of action they could take given their circumstances, but she could also see that there were some that were against it based on their frowns and stink eyes they gave the merchant girl.
"And we're supposed to just let you take everything from the boat and sell it by yourself?" Shaw asked, voicing the concern that was on the minds of a few. "Who's to say you won't take the gold and run after you are done? Gods know that wouldn't be the first time you do something like that. No, you and the goods are staying here where we can see them."
"That's a low blow, even for you, Shaw," said Gaius as he walked towards the swordsman, arms crossed and with some piece of candy on his mouth as per usual. There was no time of day that the ginger thief wouldn't be eating some sweet or another except when he was forced to eat meat and vegetables for health reasons. Tharja always wondered if someone had perhaps hexed him in the past, making him not only addicted to sweets, but also invulnerable to the side effect sugar could have when consumed in large doses. "What happened to trusting your companions? Just 'cus Bubbles ain't here doesn't mean that you can accuse people of whatever you feel like. Besides, without Robin and the old man here, Anna is the closest thing we have to a leader, and you know it."
"The Sugar Knight comes to defend the damsel in distress, oh my!" Anna giggled to herself, an index finger lightly pressing against her lower lip. Always ready to diffuse a situation, Anna took a step forward. "But even if what Gaius said about me being a leader is true, I don't see myself able to take up that role. Right now, all we can do is keep things going as best we can until we find Robin. Isn't that the reason Caleb took charge of the ship?
"I've been helping with this rebellion of ours not only as another sword, but also as Master of Coin because of the Captain's insistence. My family has spent generations mastering knowledge of economics. So let me do what I do best! And if I'm able to fill our coffers and even get my wallet a bit heavier in the process, who's to complain, no? But hey! If you still feel uneasy, how about some of you come with me? I could use the extra sets of hands~" Putting her hands behind her back and doing a dramatic turn to face Gaius, she gave him her best innocent smile. "I'm sure my little knight here will accompany me, right?"
The sweat was practically visible on the thief. He had taken a step back, but was forced to even lean back further when Anna took another step towards him. Looking defeated, he scratched the back of his head. "I guess…" he said weakly. "I'm getting sick of being out there all day long, to be honest. And my supply of sugary goodness is running low… I could also look for some information around town about Bubbles too."
"Is splittin' our man-power really the best decision, 'ere?" Caleb asked, looking conflicted towards the floorboards of the deck. "If we go back out there with fewer pairs of eyes to look out for 'im, we might miss the guy…"
"If you didn't want anyone to get off then why did you bring us to port?" Shaw asked. "We could have set anchor literally anywhere out there and just resumed the search at dawn."
"That's because I told him to do it," Tharja said, finally making her presence known. She'd been standing there for some time, but no one had acknowledged her. Shaw and Caleb looked at her, startled at what they probably thought was her sudden appearance. "We have been searching the sea blind for far too long with no results to show for all that effort. Instead of sailing in circles, I want to go into town to look for ingredients to perform a divination. By now, Robin would have washed ashore somewhere. Getting those ingredients may take some time, so feel free to go back out there and keep the search going, if that makes you feel better."
Her expertise with hexes was widely known through their ranks. Many a times there would be someone that would come to her to help them with something or another—be it related to their loved ones or to disease and phobias. She'd spent her whole life honing her craft through rigorous training and experimentation. So when she said she could use a hex to find out where Robin was, no one questioned whether it was possible or not. They accepted her word as truth, be it out of fear, like Shaw would, or out of trust. And knowing the kind of relationship she held with their leader, they had to know just how serious she was being.
"You goin' out there by yourself?" Caleb asked, showing some concern towards her. It was strange to see a man like him do such a thing. He reminded the dark mage of her own father, in a that was missing was her mother coming later and destroying the man's words, the two of them would be much too similar.
She eyed him for a second, one of her eyebrow rising slightly before she rolled her eyes. His concern was being misplaced. "Oh? You think I'm too weak to fend for myself? Of course I am going alone. In case you forgot, no one here but me knows what they need to look for. Having more than one person go into an ingredient shop will get us noticed more than we already are. Besides, weren't you the one complaining about not having enough people on the ship to look for him in the first place? I will be fine on my own," she reassured him, holding her lazily tome with her right hand in front of her. "I can defend myself better than most."
"Wait a minute," said another voice. Tharja turned to look at the owner—a white mage by the name of Petra. This woman was almost the complete opposite of herself not just in the type of path they took with their magic, but also physically. Tharja was of fair skin, was on the shorter side, and had long raven hair. Petra on the other hand had rich-caramel skin, was taller than most men, and had short—except for a single braid that was neatly tucked behind her left ear—blonde hair that spoke of her Feroxi roots. Even their clothes couldn't be any more different, with the latter wearing white robes that cover her entire body except for her arms. The two had hardly talked outside of battle, so when the blonde spoke up, Tharja was a bit surprised. "I know why no one has mentioned it until now, but… We should consider the possibility that Robin could be in a better place now…"
"Robin still lives, and you are lucky he isn't here right now. He isn't fond of the gods," the dark mage responded, shooting a glare at the white mage. "He is too stubborn to die. If you don't believe me, you can ask Izzy about it. If you think that I'm only speaking with my heart, then you would be wrong. I am sure of this because I made a divination days before the storm came. In it I saw all of us standing in this port. We stood with weapons in our hands, looking ready to march."
No other word had to be said for everyone to agree on what they would do. Tharja, Anna, Gaius, and a few others would go into town to settle whatever their business was. In the meantime, Caleb would take the rest of the crew and set sail once again to keep up with the search. He would return by sundown. They would be meeting then to decide on what their next course of action should be. It would all depend on the outcome of Tharja's divination.
The group that stood on the port looked on as the crew lifted up the anchor, undid the ropes that tied them to the port, and brought down the sail. The ship slowly build up momentum as the wind blew, making the sail dance away until it was secured properly. Some of the people on the ship looked back at the pier as the ship moved away, waving at the comrades that they were leaving behind. Some of them waved back, but not Tharja. The notion of saying goodbye when knowing that they would meet up again in half a day was stupid. People were being over dramatic. It wasn't the first time they had seen their friends set off, and it sure wasn't going to be the last.
The raven walked towards the town without notice. She knew that if she stayed with them for too long, she would be roped into helping Anna move the cargo around town all day. There were better things for her to do, to quote Anna herself. All she had to do was find a shop that sold ingredients for hexes or an open-air market, both of which weren't common sights in small towns. This one wasn't a small town. It wasn't big enough to be called a city, but it was too large to be called a town. Having a port with many merchant ships that bore flag from both Valm and Ylisse meant that there had to be merchants with all kinds of goods up for sale. If there were manakete claws to be found anywhere in the immediate area, it would be in there.
Expecting a country on a different continent to be similar to Plegia was a mistake. Chon'sin was...interesting. The streets and architecture were vastly different, but what Tharja noticed the most were the people. They all worse a similar style of clothing—a strange kind of dress with loose sleeves—made out of cotton or silk, if she had to guess. The fabric was useful to separate the normal workforce from those that had more gold and influence. There was also the fact that those that wore the cotton clothes often had the sleeves rolled up, leaving their toned arms in plain view. These people covered their entire bodies. She knew that because of this, their eyes kept wandering towards her—both men and women looked her up and down. It didn't bother her, but it did look like those around her were bothered by it. From the scowls of some women to the reddened cheeks of men, these were just some of the faces that looked at her.
After going up a several streets, she came up to the first store that looked promising. She entered the small shop without a care in the world. The place was small. Boxes were lined up along the walls with different labels of ingredients used for both hexing and cooking. Rabbit ears, bat wings, a number of different salts and spices, it looked like they had anything. The only thing she couldn't see in the open was a label for the one thing she was looking for. That was when an old lady called out to her from the back. "My, we don't get many visitors around here these days," the old woman said, delighted at the prospect of someone coming in, "especially someone so young! And such a beauty you are! But I also detect a dark aura around you, my dear. You use the dark arts. So tell me dear, what can this old woman do for you?"
Tharja for once was glad that someone could tell so quickly she was a dark arts practitioner. It would help move things along and skip the usual discussion of the seller asking her if she knew what she what every ingredient she was buying was used for or, even at times, what it was called. She approached the old woman cautiously just in case, holding her tome over her chest. "I need manakete claws."
"Manakete claws?" The woman repeated. "Now that's a surprise! Young ones always come here looking for love potions and fertility charms. Then there are a few ladies that will come for a charm that will help them not get pregnant. Oh, youth…"
The woman closed her eyes as if she was reminiscing of her better days. Tharja's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the woman. It was until she coughed twice that the woman was brought back to reality. "I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to go on a tangent like that. Manakete claws, manakete claws." She brought out a small, worn book where a long list of records were kept. She ran a shaky, bony finger across the pages, looking for an answer. A minute passed. Then another. Before Tharja knew it, she'd spent close to a turn of an hourglass there, the hope that she had of doing business quick vanished.
"I'm sorry, dear," the old woman said again, closing the book. "We sold our last bit of them days ago. We normally keep an extra supply in hand for emergencies, but it looks like we sold that one too…" Tharja let out a sigh. "If you are not in a hurry, I can talk with some people I know about getting some for you. It could take a few days-"
"I don't have a few days," Tharja responded much harsher than she had wanted to. She tried to hide her eyes with her bangs, not wanting to show her true emotions. "I… Someone very important to me was lost at sea not long before I got here. I know he still lives, but we've searched for him ever since that day with no results…"
"Losing a loved one can be difficult. From your urgency I sense that this "important person" of yours is more than just that. Isn't he?"
Was she really letting on to that much? Tharja didn't think so. This woman, maybe because of her age, knew the telltale signs just by looking at her; those signs that were impossible to hide. "...He is my soulmate…"
"I see," the woman said warmly. "Yes… Then, there might still be something I can do to help you. A few streets down from here, on the other side of town, lives an old shaman. He and I have known each other for a long time… I remember him having a complete manakete claw in his study. Go to him and tell him that ol'granny asked him to sell it to you. He'll understand."
Tharja looked at the woman, both surprised and skeptical about the woman's kindness when she received a piece of paper containing directions for getting to the shaman's house. "Why would you go that far for someone you've just met?"
"I too lost my soulmate long ago," the old woman confessed without breaking her caring smile. "Back then, I knew that he was alive too. I did everything I could to get to him, but by the time I did, it was too late… If I can help someone avoid the pain I felt that day—even a stranger—then I will do everything in my power to do so." She smiled. "All I ask is that, after you find him, bring him here so that I can meet the man that has stolen your heart so."
All Tharja could do was nod at the woman. She wasn't making a difficult request. Though, Robin would have many questions when brought there. With nothing else to say, the slender woman walked out of the store, the old woman calling after her to watch herself and to be careful around town. With a new destination in mind, she kept on walking. Not surprisingly, the eyes of passerbyers were kept on her again, but she ignored them. It was humorous, in a way. She wondered how many of the men would get scolded for looking at her with those lewd eyes.
Walking with more haste on every step, she moved from the big streets to ones with much less crowds. They had thinned out so much that she could only see a few people every block—mostly women with their children. It was here that she heard a voice that didn't belong with the rest of them. It sounded to a struggle between a man and a girl to her. She found her step slowing down, coming to a stop where there was a fork in the road. If she went left, she would get to the shaman's place. If she went right, she would get closer to that struggle. It's probably just a brat that's disobeying their parent, she thought. She was gritting her teeth as she eyed her two choices. The shaman wasn't going anywhere. On the other hand, if there was someone in trouble, the help couldn't wait… Against her better judgement, she took the path to her right.
"C'mon, don't be like that," came the voice of the man. "I just wanna play a lil'. Nothin' wrong with that!"
The two figure came clearly into view when she turned a corner. The man had managed to get the girl to go down a hallway, just out of view, though with their voices traveling through the silent streets it was pointless. The man had his back to Tharja. All she could tell was that he didn't look all that imposing. Against a full grown woman, he would stand no chance. That had to be why he was going for small prey as- "Nowi?"
"Eh?" The man turned around to face her, his hand wrapped around one of Nowi's wrist. The man's cheeks and nose were red from intoxication. Whether he was drunk from drinking all morning or still drunk from the night before was hard to say. All that was certain was that the drunken stupor had made him violent and confident in himself. "The fuck you suppos' to be, ha?"
Tharja looked at the man like she would an annoying insect. Her eyes had always been piercing. It was part of why many had stayed away from her through her youth. Normally, with a man like that, a look was all that would be needed for him to scramble. But with liquid courage running through his veins, she would need to do more than that. She kept walking towards them. "Let go of her. Now."
The man ogled her like some piece of meat. His eyes ran up and down her body several times. He was practically salivating just from looking at her. A grin spread across his face as she came to a stop a few step away from him. Nowi was still trying her best to get away from the man's grasp, but it wasn't working. Taking a step forward, he said, "you want this brat? You can have 'er. Buuuuut, then I'm gonna take you fer a bit and have some fun!"
He quickly moved his free hand towards the raven. It landed on her hip, the thin fabric that covered her body being the only thing that separated his skin from hers. He grin got wider as he squeezed. Savoring every moment, his hand started traveling up her body. He got past her waist, and was heading towards her breast when she chuckled, her own lips turning into a wicked smile. "You've had your fun," she said, causing him to stop just below her breast and look at her in stupor. "Now it's my turn."
All it took was a flick from a single finger. The movement made the tendrils of the Flux spell she had casted without the man noticing to shoot up from the floor. They wrapped around both of his wrists, his neck, and just above his knees. She could see that he was in pain. She took a step back to get a better look at him. His hands were already changing color from the lack of blood flow. He let go of Nowi too, who fell to the ground with a soft thud. With another flick of the same finger, the tendrils pulled him down to the ground, his face hitting hard against the cobblestone road. He cried out in pain, looking up at her from the ground. "That's a better place for your kind," the black mage told him. "Thinking you are stronger because you are bigger. Men can be so stupid."
Without hesitation, he stepped on the hand the man had used to touch her with enough force to crack a few bones. The man cried once again in pain as he looked at the state of his hand. "That's for thinking you could touch me without consequence. I only allow Robin to do that and get away with it." The man cared little about that last statement. He was too busy crying for his crushed hand.
Ignoring him, Tharja walked past him and towards Nowi, who was looking at the man still. The raven stopped near her and extended her hand towards the girl. Nowi looked unsure as to whether she should take it or not. Hesitantly, she took the hand. Tharja pulled the girl up to her feet and, without letting go of her, started walking back the way she came, Nowi struggling to keep up with the raven's stride.
"Big sis? Slow down a little," Nowi pleaded behind her, but her voice fell on deaf ears. Despite her composed exterior, her heart was racing much faster than she wanted it to. She was too concentrated on slowing down her heart that she couldn't hear anything at all. "Big Sis? Tharja…? Hey, can you hear me?"
It would take her some time to recover and go back to her usual self. When she did, she let go of Nowi's hand—gods knew how long she'd been holding onto it—and turned to look at her with a scowl. "What were you thinking leaving the ship by yourself? Are you that much of a fool to go out and get captured again?"
Nowi flinched, looking abashed. She couldn't even hold the eye contact that Tharja was giving her. She looked down at the ground instead. "When we came to port, I thought I could go out and find some manakete claws for you… I remember you telling Big Bro that you had used all you had to make the divination before, and I… I just thought that maybe if I could find some for you, you could do that again and we could find Robin…"
Tharja let out a frustrated sigh, pulling her tome close to her chest. Nowi's heart was in the right place. Tharja appreciated the sentiment, but that didn't excuse her from being so stupid about her own safety. "And how exactly were you planning on getting them if you found them? In case you've forgotten, you have no gold. You need to think before you act," the dark mage scolded. "At the very least you should have let someone know what you were planning so that they would go with you. A prepubescent girl shouldn't walk around on her own in a place she doesn't know. "
"B-But I did get them!" Nowi looked up to meet her eyes. From under her cloak, she brought out a bag and held it out to her friend. Tharja wasn't amused. She knew that there was no way that the girl would have obtained the claws that simply, especially after she had learned that there weren't any around town except for the single one that the so-called shaman had. But she was also curious. Perhaps the girl couldn't recognize between a manakete's claw and any other animal claw. She took hold of the bag gingerly, just in case. Undoing the knot of the leather strap that held the bag together, she opened it to take a look at the contents. He jaw dropped a fraction. Indeed, the bad held manakete claws—from small clippings to complete claws of different sizes—it was impossible to deny the magical aura that they had or to even mistake it for that of another animal. But then, how could Nowi have gotten so many of them? Where a small bag would be considered to be worthless if it contained any other ingredient, it being full of manakete nails gave it a price of a few gold and silver coins, at least.
"Where did you get these, Nowi?" She questioned as she redid the knot on the bag. If someone were to see them handling it with so little care they could steal it. "I've been searching around town, looking for manakete nails since the early hours of the morning. Even in a place like this, there aren't many places where you could get manakete nails. And the one place that could have them had been sold out of them for days…"
The girl laughed nervously and tried to feign ignorance, but when she saw that Tharja wasn't going to let the topic go so easily, she tried to explain, "...I left the ship way before anyone woke up. I wanted to explore town a little. It's been awhile since I've had the chance to do so… And while I was at it, I thought I would look out for manakete claws, like I said before. I happened to stumble upon a trader that had just arrived to town and he had that bag with him-"
"Lies," said Tharja, looking down at the girl no longer in suspicion, but in anger. "Don't think you can lie to me so easily. There are very few people that can lie to my face and go unnoticed. Your story doesn't explain how you got a hold of the claws. You have no coin, unless you stole some from someone else. You don't have the aura of a thief like the sugar fiend does. I doubt you could do that much even if you tried. So now...the truth."
Nowi had taken a step back. She probably thought that Tharja wouldn't be asking so many questions, or more like demanded answers she hadn't prepared beforehand. The girl was showing her age by the way she was acting. It was as if she had been caught by her mother eating sweets before dinner. Her lips pressed hard, forming a thin line. She wasn't smiling, nor was she frowning. It looked like she was debating on what to do next. Finally deciding on what to say, she look down at the ground, finding the scattered pebbles to be less intimidating than Tharja's gaze, and said, "I've had those with me for some time… I found them hidden on the ship… Before they captured me, I had them with me too. I, ugh… I collected them…"
Tharja remained silent. So far, she could tell that every word Nowi had spoken was the truth. That wasn't all that the girl had to say, though. She continued, "The truth is, there was more to it than what Robin had said when you guys first found me… I… I'm actually a manakete!"
When Tharja still showed doubt in her words, Nowi pulled down her hood to show her the undeniable proof. For a second time, she found herself feeling surprised. Her eyes widened as she looked at her. When Nowi had her hood up, Tharja and the others had caught glimpse of her hair. Because they had been glimpse, she assumed the color she saw had been of blonde hair. She was mistaken. What she was seeing was a head full of green hair. Green. And then there were the ears. Where a human ear would be short and oval shaped, Nowi's ears extended far back with a pointed end. The ears were enough to show she was a manakete—no other known species had ears quite like those. The hair told of her heritage. Her being captured, it now made sense.
"...You are a Divine Dragon…" Nowi nodded slowly, looking nervous at her. With the surprise also came realisation. Of all the dragon tribes that Nowi could have belonged to, she had to be from the Divine Dragon Tribe. Tharja pulled the the manakete's hood back up to cover her ears and hair, eliciting a yelp from the greenette. "Don't let anyone see you like that," she warned Nowi. "We already told you that we live in the worst time to be a manakete. Being a Divine one surrounded by Plegians puts you that much more in danger. Many of them suffered because of Naga. If they find out about you..."
"Is it really that bad?" Nowi looked down, looking almost disappointed. "But it's not like me being a manakete makes me a different person! I'm still me. I just happen to be the kind you guys- Wait… You said that Plegians don't like my kind, but you are Plegian and you are okay with me, right? You haven't attacked me yet, and you are even standing here with me, helping."
Tharja snorted, turning around to keep walking. "I didn't lose anything during the war," she said when she heard the sound of Nowi's steps by her side. "I was born and raised in a different part of Plegia—to the east. The crusade never made it that far. The west took the brunt of it, being the border with the enemy. I hate the Ylisseans for what they did to the others, especially to my Robin. But even then, my feelings are shallow compared to theirs."
The two remained silent for a while, the sound of their steps the only thing that they could hear. Nowi looked like she was trying to decipher a difficult riddle. She'd been overwhelmed with information that revealed how at risk she truly was. If there was a time that she had thought about leaving the Plegians behind like Robin had said before, it had to be then. The greenette was fidgeting with her hands as if piecing together a puzzle when she asked, "...do you think Robin will be okay with it?"
Her voice had been low, yet charged with sorrow. Tharja looked over at the girl. She could see that it was eating her from inside. "You can only be sure if you tell him yourself," Tharja said. "I've known him for years and I still can't decipher him entirely. He is our leader, but you would be surprised at how little some of the others know about his past. They are attracted by his charisma and his personal ideology. They think that the man in front of them is a whole, when they only see a part of him. I know because I was like them too.
"What I can tell you is that if he still thinks well of you after you tell him—if you decide on telling him—then the others will accept you too. His word will cover for you partially. You are still a manakete. There is nothing that can drive people into making wrong decisions like money and love. You need to decide whether you will stay after learning all that, or leave on your own. Robin said we should give you supplies if you decided on leaving. At least that would be one less thing for you to worry about."
Silence took over them once again. Tharja had even noticed that they been walking aimlessly for quite some time. She had a lot on her mind to bother looking at the people that were throwing glances towards them. Her stomach was what broke her train of thought. She hadn't had anything to eat all day, and seeing as Nowi had left the ship before her, she probably was hungry too. Without a word, she changed the direction she was heading to walk towards the nearest restaurant there was, Nowi following behind her like a lost puppy. They had just entered the establishment when the raven heard someone call out for her.
"Yo, Sunshine," came the voice of the sugar thief. He wasn't alone either. Upon his greeting, the others turned around to look at her and Nowi. The six of them were seated on the floor, around a short table. They had drinks in front of them, which told the dark mage that they had gotten themselves gold for the cargo. She wasn't sure whether to be glad she found them, or annoyed that she would have to eat with them. Either way, the option was out of her hands when Anna beckoned her and the greenette to join them for a meal.
"I'm surprised to see you two together," said Anna with her trademark smile as she played with her half empty cup. "I don't remember seeing you two leaving the ship together. Did you just bump into each other on the way? Actually, that's not important. Tell me, Tharja, did you find what you were looking for? Because if not maybe I can cash in on a few favors~"
How the redhead already had merchants indebted to her in the few hours since she arrived was a complete mystery. That woman was frightening with the way she played people. Like a spider, her words were as beautiful and attractive as a well woven spider-web, but also dangerous if you were stupid enough to get too close and you were and insect. All that aside, Tharja decided to just answer her before she found herself roped into some scheme she didn't want to be a part of. "We found them, yes. Now all I need are the rest of the ingredients that are on the ship and some time to put it all together."
"We're going to be waiting for Muscles here, then," said Gaius as he stretched his back. "Might as well make the best of this place. It'll take them a few hours to get back to port. With all the carrying around we did, I could use a break. A break full of delicious sweet and maybe something to drink too would be nice."
The conversation moved on without her. She listened to her comrades talk about menial things like they would back in Plegia. It was comforting in a way to see them go back to being the group she didn't much like, as odd as the idea was. Normally, she would distance herself from them all by going to do something on her own or by stealing Robin away, but with him gone and nowhere else to be, she was forced to be with them, for better or worse. Even Nowi was fitting in. Despite their talk earlier, she seemed to be doing well not letting on to her secret. There were a few moments, rare and far in between—that the manakete showed caution. She would hold onto her cowl when someone accidentally brushed an arm against it. She would also stir away the conversation from herself, only answering questions with brisk answers that were enough to satisfy the others, but that didn't let on to her past. Tharja kept an eye on the greenette, wondering if she would truly be happy if she stayed with them or live in fear because the prospect of being alone was too much for her to handle.
Food was served eventually—when it had been ordered, Tharja didn't know. It consisted of mostly rice and a variety of fish… Raw fish. She had never thought about eating raw fish before. Taking a look around, she noticed that no one had touched a single piece. They were all stuffing their faces with rice (they had been given forks by the waitress, though the other patrons had what looked like two small sticks as utensils,) waiting for someone else to take the first hit before trying the odd dish themselves. The fish looked pleasant. It was displayed in an almost beautiful manner, like a piece of art. The smell wasn't all that bad either, which was surprising. It had to be fresh for that to be possible, maybe caught that same morning.
And it didn't taste that bad either. The texture was something she would need some getting used to, like many of the other things in that side of the world, but the food was edible. The others had been staring at her, studying her reaction to the dish. She just stared back at them, having a little fun with not letting them know what she thought about it. It was only after she took another pieces that the rest started eating them themselves.
They spent hours in the restaurant, mostly drinking, chatting, and getting annoyed looks from the people that were trying to have a meal in peace. When the time came for them to head out, Anna was the one that paid for it all, leaving the exact amount of coins needed a just a tad extra for the troubles after the others pushed her to. They left the place content and with their bellies full. Gaius was able to get some extras for the ship's crew, saying, ironically, that they needed to eat something different once in awhile.
The ship was waiting for them when they got back, with Caleb and Petra looking down and waving at them from side of the ship. Tharja didn't waste any time, deciding to head directly for the captain's quarters to begin the preparations for the divination instead of staying on the deck with the rest, telling each other what she already knew; Robin was still lost. For now.
The room was exactly as she left it. Caleb was the captain, but even he knew better than going in and touching her things without her permission. It wasn't just dangerous because she would find out, but because she had ingredients and concoctions that were dangerous if mishandled, something they had learned long ago when Shaw had been snooping through Robin's room back home.
She quickly cleared the large desk, pushing aside the maps and texts that had been laid there before they had taken the ship from the navy. She needed that space. Next, she gathered the materials she needed. The manakete claws and clippings that Nowi had gifted her, herbs of many kinds, colors, and shapes, and other creature bits like bee stingers, the tail of a rattlesnake, and the eye of a feline, to name a few. She also needed something that belonged to Robin. She had his sword and her makeshift muffler, but she didn't want to grind does down. Luckily, he'd slept on the bed in that room for days. Finding a few hair strands was no trouble. And finally, the last thing she needed was her crystal orb, which she placed in the middle of the desk.
Her years of working on hexes made her movements methodical. She grind the ingredients into a fine powder, mixing them perfectly. She'd done this countless times. She no longer required a scale to see how much to add. She could do it all by memory and feel. When the powder was to her standards, she poured it into a clear glass bottle that had an active base. The reaction changed the color of the liquid from clear to pink to purple. The mixture was then poured on top of the crystal orb, covering completely. Putting both her hands on it, the reaction started to occur.
The surface of the crystal absorbed the mixture as Tharja imbue it with her magic. It lost its transparency, instead looking more like a spherical, purple mist. She closed her eyes, picturing Robin in her head. When she opened her eyes, the mist slowly cleared, revealing an image for her to read. She felt a smile pulling at her lips as warmth spread across her chest. She could see Robin there, clear as day. Oh, how handsome he looked! She wished the divination would allow her to reach out to her other half and at least stroke his cheeks, but alas, that she could not do.
He was riding on a horse, a spear on his hand. Behind him followed two figures, also on horses. Women, she assumed, seeing that they both had long hair. Oh, my love, you better be careful… Or I might just have to kill you. She also noticed the direction of the sun and the moon where in the image. He was heading south...west? She let out a small laugh of joy before taking a deep breath, feeling like she could finally breath again. No… He wasn't just heading southwest. He was heading towards them!
The others were waiting for her when she came out of the room. They were all looking at her, hoping that she would tell them some good news about their leader. They held their tongues expectantly as she walked towards them. Truth be told, she had to hide her eyes under her bangs to not cry out to them that she had been right. They would be seeing Robin soon enough. When she stopped at the edge of their circle, Izzy worked out the courage to speak up. With a shaky voice, she asked, "s-so…? Were you… Did you see him...?"
For once, she smiled when the others were around. It wasn't a smile filled with malice. No, this was a warm smile that would normally be reserved for only Robin to see. She could already see the smiled spreading across the others, but they still looked at her, waiting for a confirmation. "He is coming here," she told them, and almost immediately, they cheered as if they had just won the hardest battle of their lives.
Izzy ran to her and hugged her, much to Tharja's surprise. It was an uncomfortable hug for her, but she didn't pull away, knowing that it was what the girl needed. The archer's knees were shaking and her tears were damping the dark mage's cloak, but she still didn't pull away.
"What do we do now?" Caleb asked as the rest of them calmed themselves down. It served as a reminder that just because Robin was alive it didn't mean that they knew what they should do next. "We ought to go lookin' for 'im or somethin', right?"
"He was traveling by horse and away from shore," Tharja said as she lightly pushed Izzy away so that she too could hear the conversation. "If you tried getting to him by ship, you will likely miss him. Then there is the chance that you are hit by another storm. We would need to go on foot, but that would leave the ship vulnerable. Someone could take it without us knowing if we all left."
"What do you suggest we do then?" Petra asked, crossing her arms. She wasn't being confrontational. Her answer showed true confusion.
"I'm planning on leaving to meet him halfway. I will be fine on my own. The rest of you should stay here with the ship and wait for us to return. You can continue selling the cargo and looking for information that could be useful for us later."
"If you are leaving, then I'm going with you," said Nowi, balling her hands into small fists and stretching them above her head. "I want to meet with Robin tooooo!"
Tharja was ready to deny the manakete on the spot, but stopped herself before doing so. Despite what she was saying, it could be that the greenette also wanted to go with her because she was afraid to be on her own with the others. But more than the true reasoning behind it, Tharja thought that Nowi could come in useful. Another body, even a small one like that one, could help carry provisions, possibly Robin's sword.
"I'll go too," said Izzy. "I won't rest easy until I see that Cap is okay. The sooner I see him, the sooner I can apologize. I won't take no for an answer."
"Then I'll go too," said Petra, looking confident. "You lot are bound to find yourselves in trouble sooner or later. A healer is what you need."
"Four women walking out there on their own in a strange land? Does sound troublesome," said Shaw. "I'll go too. I can be the front-liner in case of an attack."
"Hmmm, that still sounds like trouble to me," teased Gaius. I'll go in case there are any locks that need picking. And if we find any extravagant sweets along the way, well, happy coincidence."
And so, without asking, the group had formed up. The next morning, the group of six set off from the port city, heading northwest to meet up with their missing leader.
A Tharja chapter, yes. After I wrote the one-shot, I felt like writing what was going on their side. I had some fun with it. It's always interesting to get into character of (my version) of Tharja. You'll see I played around with a lot of stuff that I either mentioned before or that the game mentions but never elaborates (i.e. divination.)
There is a new character too! Sorry for those that don't like OCs... It always bothered me that in a game like FE, almost the entire cast on your side is white. Basilio, Flavia, and Vaike are the only exception (Vaike is more tan, though... I think.) I also wanted to make a more bad ass healer. I don't know about you guys, but whenever I watch an anime or read a story (not FF,) healers are always portrayed as people that want to saaaave the world, and super weak. Screw that! I want someone that will refuse to heal you if you do something stupid, like in an mmo!
Nowi's secret is out of the bag. I was tempted to go heavy into that, but I want to stretch that out. With the perspective being locked to one character, it's difficult to show what exactly is going on in her little head in a single chapter. Also, a bit more drama there that I'm sure you guys picked on.
And to finish it, the party to look for Robin is now on. I did this so that I could get to some of these characters sooner. It also helps me not come up with a ton of OCs to fill the spots...although, there will be more showing up in the future. Can't say how important they all will be. They could die from one chapter to the next. Then again, so could canon characters.
Review responses!
potatoman098 -A lot of it has to do with cultural differences. The way commoner would act around Gangrel would be way different than the way Say'ri and Yen'fay were, same for Emmeryn, Chrom, and Lissa. Libra is one of those characters that I've never used in the game, but I liked from reading his supports on the wiki. I think he has a lot of potential is played right. Of course, this is a different version of the character to better fit the story, but I want to give him a shot at having an important role in one of my stories. I always end up with a dark knight Robin. So OP. I think if you go for the item drop the most, then yeah, lances and axes are your way to go. But unless you are playing on the hardest difficulty, money is no real problem to get.
Guest (Ch3-Dec1) -That's pretty much it. Though in the one-shot she barely looks unaffected by it, it did leave behind something that she has to learn to deal with. It's a personal challenge that I think will be interesting to see her fight through.
Guest (Ch3-Dec1) [other] -I think you will enjoy this chapter then. I was already writing this chapter when I saw your review. Made me smile, haha.