Hello once again! Consider yourselves all thoroughly spoiled, I'm dishing out to you the longest chapter so far, and this sucker bumps up the number of words by 50 percent! Yep, that's right, this fic has just officially surpassed the length of 'Irony', and it's not even half finished yet! Talk about a milestone!
What's that? You say you don't care about the number of words? You don't care that I've worked on this piece of fanfiction for over a year for no money and am only doing this for your benefit? Oh... you just want to read the story... Alright, I guess I can live with that.
Like the last one, not a drop of blood gets spilled in this chapter. But don't worry, it's still going to be very entertaining, I promise! (Depending on your personal opinion of my work, that is. But for now I'll assume that your opinion of my work is rather high considering you've read this far!) But then again, I guess that it is easy for me to assume that you are enjoying this thus far, considering that not one of my reviews up to this point have been negative in any way. But hey! This fic has passed the 500 mark on the hit counter, so there must be at least SOMEONE out there who is reading this and NOT GIVING ME AN OPINION OF THIS WORK! takes a moment to huggle all the nice people who've been giving me plenty of nice reviews, to reward the good and make the the non-reviewers feel jealous and guilty!
Without further a due, the last few chapters covered the disclaimer rather well; I feel no need to repeat it a fourth time.
ONWARD!
"Good form Pricilla," Kent called as he made another thrust with his lance, "keep it up!" The sun had just been touching down on the horizon when Fargus's ship left port, carrying with it 43 members of a company heading for a destination that slaughter and death called home. The reason they were traveling here, however, was to execute whatever invasion they needed to cause in order to prevent an apocalyptic war. And so the vicious cycle of 'an eye for an eye' would continue.
There was still enough light to see in, and Kent and Fiora intended on using whatever free time they had to practice with their new weapons, and their new partner. There wasn't anyone else on the fully 1 acre broad deck of the ship, so they had plenty of time and space to go through what many kingdoms would consider to be an unorthodox practice session. Because Pricilla was not trained in the use of material weapons, the three of them had devised a sparing routine that would exercise Pricilla's dodging and blocking abilities, with Kent and Fiora acting as enemies.
"Thank you!" Pricilla replied as she stopped the end of Kent's weapon in place by simply raising her hand. Pricilla was by no means the most athletic or strong member of the group: her body was thin and light, devoid of all but minimal muscles. But her magical aptitude, combined with her coordination and physical flexibility more than made up for it. As Fiora slashed at her from behind with her killing edge, Pricilla let go of the hold she had on Kent's lance, and sidestepped the lance's now continued thrust as well as Fiora's swipe. This would have caused Kent's lance to go right for Fiora, had she not swerved out of it's way as well. Pricilla then brought her hand up and pointed a finger at Kent's heart. "At this range," she declared as the three of them froze in place, "It's quite impossible for my flames to miss their target. And don't think I'l get burned too!"
"It looks like you've won again..." Fiora complimented, as she withdrew her blade. "But what promise do you have that I won't have survived? You know as well as I that these morphs aren't foolish, and they also think on their feet rather well." She brought her blade down to the side of Pricilla's very undefended waist, "A chop here will be the end of you."
Glancing slowly from Fiora to the blade in her hands, Pricilla stood up and Kent withdrew his lance as she stated, "Shall we try another one then?"
"Indeed we should." Kent answered as he stepped back from Pricilla and walked a perimeter around her as Fiora mirrored him. After a moment of Pricilla standing there waiting for an attack, Kent quickly ordered, "You've just fallen form your horse. Defend yourself!" Pricilla obeyed and fell to the ground front first. As Kent and Fiora ran at her, Fiora began her slash for the spot that Pricilla's body would occupy when she stood up, and Kent readied a downward swipe for her neck on the ground. Pricilla fully extended her arms to lift her shoulders as far off the ground as possible, (essentially doing a push-up) tucked her legs in and thrust them through the gap between her shoulders and the deck of the ship. With elbows bent at perfect right-angles, she tapped into the help of her magic to kick off from the ground into a hand-stand position, and push herself off into the air totally vertically. With the bottom of her foot, Pricilla kicked Kent's lance out of the way, enough so that she could pass up through the air, avoiding Fiora's attack entirely, do a flip to land on her feet right between the two, and point a hand at each of them.
"Lightning for both of you, and I don't think I've left an opening this time." They froze in this position, examining the results. Pricilla had her left side and hand towards Kent, with his lance behind her, and her right pointed towards Fiora, who's sword was out in front of the valkyrie, it's edge pointed harmlessly outward.
After looking the situation over for a while, Fiora stated, "Unless your magic misses it's targets... a near impossibility from this distance... I don't see how you couldn't have survived this!"
They withdrew their weapons from their positions, and Pricilla let her arms fall down to the sides with a sigh. "I think I'm done for the day." Pricilla said, "I'm getting tired."
"GOOD!" Fiora shouted as she readied her blade for another slash, "Because that's the way it'll be like on the battlefield. Once more!"
Fiora took a Sacanian stance this time, which would have been counted as improper technique for twenty reasons in the eyes of any nomad from that region, but worked well enough for now, slashing vertically from the ground up. Pricilla jumped back from her, using her magic to hold Kent's thrusting lance behind her yet again in place as she landed her feet on top of it. Fiora was undaunted by the magical acrobatics and turned the path of her sword so that at the peak of it's height, the blade swerved back down and made a horizontal slice for Pricilla's legs. Pricilla jumped once again, letting go of her hold on Kent's lance and allowing her magic to propel her body high into the air. At the peak of her jump (during which, she at least seemed to hover for a moment or two) she pointed her hands downward at each of them and declared, "You're dead!" She then noiselessly landed a reasonable distance away from both of them, her hands still pointed in their direction. "Now could we stop!?" Pricilla exclaimed, catching her breath for the first time in a long while.
Kent and Fiora exchanged an impressed glance for a moment, and Fiora finally sheathed her sword and stated, "I think that's enough, we don't want to exhaust ourselves for tomorrow." Fiora then walked over to Pricilla, giving her a pat on the back and spoke to her, "I think that we're going to come through this whole thing just fine when we reach our destination." The three of them walked through the door to the inside of the ship, where the other members of the party were preparing themselves in one way or another for the inevitable attack they would be making, but some were more preoccupied with getting ready to turn in for the night. Kent and Fiora set their weapons down next to the other armaments of the rest of the group, and they couldn't help but listen to the conversation that Mark was having with Fargus and the ship's navigator.
"...Now look here!" Mark asserted, "This is the last time I'm going to explain this to you."
"Just show me the damn thing once more ya lousy slumbich!!" Fargus shouted as he slammed his fist down on the table, half begging and half enraged with impatience, "I've got to learn to do this... 'gernomitee' or whatever you call it!"
"It's called 'geometry', and it's very self-explanatory." Mark responded as he picked up a quill in one hand and a somewhat rusted compass in the other. "It was just a simple little comment, but since you insist on an explanation of why the distance we travel from Ostia to Badon to Valor," He sketched rough illustrations of the geographical features, "forms a right angle, I suppose I shall have to-"
"JUST CUT TO THE CHASE!" The two pirates yelled.
Showing only signs of compounding irritation, Mark continued as he drew out what he dictated, "This is because when you draw a straight line that starts out in Ostia and hits and passes through the point of Baddon, you can make two separate points on that line an equal distance from Baddon. From each of those points you draw an arc, using the compass, that reaches just a bit past Baddon from both sides, making sure the two arcs intercept at two points. You can now form a straight line that passes between the two points of interception and Badon. This leaves you with a new line that connects with Valor, that is also perpendicular to the original line!"
"How did he do that!?" The navigator burst out scratching a particularly bald patch on the side of his head.
Not knowing exactly what to think of the whole situation, Kent, Fiora, and Pricilla walked away from the room in silence. What's 'geometry'? they all pondered as they walked to their sleeping quarters, ready for some rest after all that had happened that day.
"Kent!" Sain's voice suddenly rang in all their ears, "Over here now! Talk with me!" He was sitting in a wooden chair by a small table in what appeared to be the room he was given. There wasn't much else in the room though, so exactly how Sain intended on finding a comfortable resting place that night was a question destined to remain forever unquestioned.
"It's O.K." Fiora said to Kent, "You can go talk with him. We'll see you later." And her and Pricilla walked on in a very casual way.
That means she wants to see me alone later... Kent thought, making a mental note to find her when he next got the chance. Upon stepping into the room, he realized that Sain looked slightly different than he had remembered him. The differences were very subtle: his hair had grown a tad bit longer, his posture that he had sitting in the chair was a bit more calm, he looked a little more at ease than usual; little things like that. Kent sat down on a stool as Sain looked at him with expecting eyes. "So..." Kent started, "what did you wish to talk about?"
Giving an overly annoyed look, Sain quietly shouted, "ANYTHING! My good man, it has been months since we've talked! How have you been? Do you miss my company? If you've composed a will in the case of your death, might I be getting anything of yours, perchance?"
"To answer your questions one at a time," Kent said very quickly for fear that Sain might go on for hours with more questions, "I have not made out a will, as I am quite intent on living through this. I suppose that I do miss your company a bit, and over all, I've been doing very well."
"Forgive me for being so insistent my friend." Sain said in a merry tone. He may have changed a wee bit on the outside, but his trademark personality remained almost completely unchanged, "But it's been so long since I've talked with you that I feel as thought I could snap like some puny twig under the pressure! You were once my closest friend and companion, and ever since the tyrannical powers that be have taken you away from me, I feel as though I hardly know you any more! I suppose that it is jealousy that fuels my discontent more than anything else though... but I cannot tell whether it is jealousy of Fiora for inheriting your friendship to replace mine, or of you for being 'designated' to spend so much time with such a truly stunning woman. And now another woman as I've come to understand as well! How many more will Mark give to you, I wonder?" He gave a hearty laugh at this, and had a notorious glint in his eye that suggested the latter of these two reasons was the cause of his jealousy. Sain always had been quick to act like this after all; change the subject to women.
Rolling his eyes, Kent assured, "You are still now, as you always have been, a friend of mine Sain..." He then gave him a stern look and continued, "Though I will say that I cannot help but detest the way you talk about the individual who I happen to be working rather closely with."
"Ah, HA!" Sain laughed as he pointed a finger at the man beside him, "Quick to defend her name, aren't we? And I was starting to give up on you Kent! Perhaps I was wrong about you?"
Putting his hand to his forehead, and leaning on his elbow while shaking his head from side to side, Kent replied, eager to change the topic, "Don't you see Sain? This is exactly the reason why you aren't spending more time with me... or Fiora I might add. Mark found you to be an individual who cannot keep his concentration on the battlefield at all times: You are much more intent on impressing women than anything else. You are a fine knight of Caelin, and of Lycia for that matter, but your mind is rarely focused on your duties, and Mark thought that it would be best if you weren't apart of this tactic because of that."
"You wound me, truly!" Sain retorted, as though he were brushing Kent's entire statement aside, "I have a duty to my knighthood, yes, but I don't think that that should prevent me from satisfying the needs of the fair beauties that so densely populate our party to a display of my chivalry."
"That is another thing!" Kent said, "You're obsessed with getting women to notice you. I really didn't want to be the one to say this but the women in this company are honestly... annoyed with you more than anything else. You constantly follow them around, chanting poetry about their beauty and how special and fair they are; yet when one pushes you aside, you immediately move on to another and the cycle repeats itself. It is my opinion that you just don't know much about courting women." As he said these words, Kent couldn't help but reflect on the situation. A while ago... I never would have been this blunt with him... why is it that I am so bold all of the sudden? Could it have anything to do with our separation for so long? Well... he doesn't seem to notice... and maybe I've been bottling this up for quite a while...
"Kent, Kent, Kent," Sain said in a clam voice and a grin on his face that shook from side to side, quite unfazed by any of his comments, "You misunderstand me. I treat them all like this because they are all special to me! I have to act this way because I know -- for a fact I, might add -- that every single one of them is completely swooned by the mere thought of me: I have no choice but to treat every single one of them as though they were goddesses! They only 'push me aside', as you s primitively put it, so their minds are not completely consumed by me! Why, if that were to happen, they would neither eat nor sleep and they would all shrivel up like lovely little flowers deprived of water, and what a terrible thing that would be! It is difficult when you know that so many have their eye on you, Kent. Besides, what would you know about courting a woman?"
After a short pause of thought, Kent answered honestly, "Nothing at all."
"Exactly."
"But Sain, just because I have no... 'experience' in this field, does not necessarily mean that you are the best at it."
"I think quite the opposite my dear fellow!" Sain replied in a very matter-of-fact tone, "I do agree that while you may have little or no experience in courting women -- or even the ways of women for that matter -- I don't think that I'm the best in all the land; just the best in this army! I simply believe that I am only soaking in the good fortune that fate has bestowed upon me, and I am doing my very best to recognize that I am... how does one say... a humble connoisseur of women. The old proverb holds true Kent: If you have confidence in yourself, you will succeed! I have confidence that I will win Rebecca's heart, therefore, the chance that it will happen is greatly increased."
Looking upon him with one eyebrow raised high, Kent said, "So Rebecca is the latest target is she... I mean; 'the one you've realized you were really in love with all this time'. Well then... I suppose I should wish you luck."
"Your sarcasm is not appreciated Kent..." Sain replied in a surprisingly serious tone, giving him a hard look, "You'll see soon enough: I shall have Rebecca as my own by the time this journey is over. You will see!" He then nodded his head as if to say such a thing were already so.
Kent couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at Sain's fruitless determination. If your eyes are set on Rebecca, he thought, you'll have to at least get through Wil first. He stood up and said with a smile, "I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, but it is very late and we must both get some rest before tomorrow. It was nice talking with you Sain. I do hope that you eventually end up with a woman."
"Remember!" Sain corrected, "It is Rebecca who shall soon be in my arms."
"Yes of course!" Kent said as he gave a short laugh, "Rebecca. Forgive me, it was my mistake." He started to walk away. I'm cutting this conversation a bit TOO short aren't I...? He thought as he headed for the door.
Well of course I am.
But he's my FRIEND! I've known him longer than anyone else in this army!
That doesn't change the fact that sometimes I get annoyed with him... He's a good man, and he means well in all that he does, but his headstrong attitude just gets to me every once in a while. I know that one of these days I should just come out and tell him how much I detest so much of what he is, but I couldn't tell him that... That's all there is to it! Besides... Fiora's probably waiting for me...
Ah, yes! Of course! How could you ever forget HER! 'Fiora: The Most Important Person In Your life'? But... should that make her the only important person in your life...?
Well...
"Just tell me one thing before you leave!" Sain suddenly declared, Kent stopping in his tracks, "How goes your love-life with Fiora?"
Not expecting this question in the least, Kent could only manage to stutter, "Umm... ahh..."
"Oh, out with it already!" Sain burst out with a large grin, "Fill me in! I'm only curious! What was it like the last time you took her aside for a little 'private discussion'? How many times has she been the one to deliver the 'last kiss goodnight'? What did she think when she found out she'd have to compete with Pricilla over you?"
Deciding it would be best to play along, and seeing no immediate options open to him at the moment, Kent replied with what he made sure was too much sarcasm in his voice, "Wow... I haven't really been keeping track of some of those things... "
"Been going on for... how long now?"
"Not too long."
"How far has the relationship come?"
"Umm... in comparison to what?"
"Doesn't matter."
"I'd say reasonably far."
"Sleeping together?"
"Er... yes quite often..." The conversation was rapidly making him more and more uncomfortable and his enthusiasm for this sort of 'humor' had long since melted away.
"Well, if you ever have any trouble getting her lit -- if you know what I mean -- then I'd be more than happy to lend some of my professional assistance!"
"I'll be sure to notify you if I have the need for it..." Even if it was only a joke, Kent found speaking of Fiora in this way more and more sickening, and he wanted for it to stop. Now. He began to speculate what Sain's reaction would be if he walked out the door this very moment.
"A nice body that woman has!" Sain continued merrily, "She doesn't have it as much as I should like up north, but I'm sure the rest of her more than makes up for it! They say that Illian women tend to be rather cold and frozen most of the time, but I'm sure I could warm her up in more than one way! Perhaps I should sneak into her room tonight just to see what kind of futile resistance she could possibly give before I-"
"SAIN! I BELIEVE I SHOULD TELL YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT I THINK YOU ARE INDEED A VERY SICK-MINDED, CHILDISH, PERVERTED LITTLE BASTARD! AND IF YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD ABOUT FIORA, THEN I'LL BE FORCED TO BREAK YOUR JAW WITHOUT A MOMENT'S HESITATION!"
Sain's smile instantly disappeared, and it was replaced with little more than a wide eyed and almost fearful expression that covered his face. Did I really just say that!? Kent thought in amazement, Did that just come from my mouth!? Nobody else heard that, right? It was only a joke! Did I really have to yell at him like that?
He insulted Fiora...
But am I truly so defensive of her that I would scream like an animal at a mere jest?
He didn't just insult her, he talked about doing things to her... doing things to her that are wrong... acts that I would kill him for if I found him doing them to her!
Would I really... kill him for that...? But he didn't mean anything by it! Sain would never...
Or would he...?
Why did I have to say that! Did I really mean what I said...?
There was complete silence between them for what seemed like hours, as they both just stared at each other with wide eyes. It was as though they had just witnessed someone's body turn inside-out, and they were looking at each other expecting one of them to be next. Then Sain laughed. He suddenly burst into a loud, insane laughter. He slapped his leg and pounded on the table as his uncontrolled laughter filled the room and he rolled onto the floor with tears in his eyes. "Kent!" Sain laughed, doubled over on the floor, "FINALLY! YOU'VE FINALLY GOTTEN A SENSE OF HUMOR! And I thought that you would be an astute hard-ass all your life! A CHEER! A cheer for the man who on this day made me laugh for the first time since I've known the poor sap!"
With sweat on his brow, Kent stood there for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. This... is a good time to leave... He thought and then said, "Goodnight Sain."
Still flopping around on the floor in laughter, Sain called out, "...CHILDISH! HA! I'm older than him and yet he calls me the child! HA HA HAAAAA!"
&&&&&&&&&&&
As Fiora and Pricilla left Kent to talk with Sain, Pricilla asked on the way to her room, "Why is it that those two are such close friends?"
"I think it's because they used to work together before they joined this group." Fiora replied, "It must have been hard to get that friendship though. I don't know of any other two companions who are so close yet so different from one another. I can't say for sure, but I do believe that Sain is jealous of me for... 'taking' Kent from him. Kent didn't seem to mind working with me all the time and almost completely severing his ties with Sain though, so I suppose their friendship was a bit more one-sided. Of course, I could be wrong."
"Intriguing..." Pricilla said as they turned a corner, "At first -- before I learned otherwise you must understand -- I thought that considering the way Sain and Kent were once very close-working knights; I thought their personalities would be very much alike. So, if Sain was... well... the way he is, you know... then Kent would also be-"
"Oh, no, of course not!" Fiora said as she shook her head, "On the contrary, I find that they're quite opposites. While Sain is always trying to court every woman he sees, Kent is the kind of man who would probably... apologize if he were to confess any sort of emotion to a woman!" She laughed lightly, and while it did not show on her face; she suddenly remembered that Kent had in fact done exactly that. "And Sain is typically much more care-free and to an extent, more cynical than Kent, so they do differ in many ways."
Giving a bit of a chuckle, Pricilla asked, "By the way, I'm just curious about something. When I joined this group, Sain tried to court me early into our journey. He'd follow me around all day, always bringing an injury to me that he said I needed to mend -- though it would usually be little more than a small cut that I soon suspected to be self-inflicted -- just so he could spend time with me and hail me with compliments about my physical characteristics. But... I never saw him trying to attract you, though he surely must have done such a thing at some time or another. Didn't he?"
Rolling her eyes, Fiora let out a small chuckle and said, "I do recall him trying to court me, but his obsession with me was much shorter lived than most I think."
"What happened?"
"Well," She said as she scratched her head as though the action would aid her memory, "I had just joined the group, and we were all riding on this very ship back to Badon. I had just been through a lot to make a long story short, and I was about to retire for the night when Sain walked up to me and asked my name. I gave it to him and I believe he said something to the effect of, 'Well then Fiora, as a Knight of Caelin, I am duty-bound to honesty. As such, I feel that I must say that you are by far the most beautiful and stunning Dame it has ever been my absolute delight to gaze upon!' He then went on for quite some time poetically trying to flatter me with compliments, I didn't really pay much attention to what he said, and not just because I was tired." Pricilla laughed, "But then once he had finished, he asked me to marry him!"
Eyes bulged in surprise, Pricilla asked, "What did you say?"
"Nothing. I was tired and I wanted to go to sleep."
Pricilla gave a puzzled look. "Sooooooooooo... you just went straight to bed?"
"No, I gave him a swift kick in the shin, and he hopped away. Then I went to bed."
Pricilla laughed out loud at this and said, "I'd expect no less from you. Still... it just seems wrong that he tries to flatter every woman he sees. I wonder if any woman has ever felt anything for him back, or if he will ever find someone. It's hard for me to not pity him."
"Yes..." Fiora said, "I suppose that it's best not to beat him into the dust so much..."
They walked along in silence for a while, making this turn or that, yet they had so far only traveled half the distance to Pricilla's room. "So..." Pricilla said in a very hushed voice as they walked down a remarkably quiet hallway, "Speaking of such things... aren't you going to... tell me about it?"
Looking at her quizzically, Fiora answered, "Ummmmmm... tell you about... what?"
"Oh don't act like a fool for me Fiora! I can keep a secret!" She whispered, "You know exactly what I'm talking about!"
"No..." Fiora answered, "I honestly don't."
"Oh, in the name of all that is sacred!" Pricilla sighed, "Fiora, I'm talking about you and Kent! You two are having a secret relationship aren't you!"
Trying to keep a straight face, Fiora responded to the accusation in much the same way she had earlier that day, "I don't know where you get these ideas Pricilla, but I must say that you should not let your mind dwell on such a subject when the three of us have a very big day tomorrow! We need to have absolute trust in one another, and ensure that we fight to the best of our abilities."
"That's just something that I've noticed about both you and Kent, Fiora." Pricilla stated, "All that either of you seem to think about is your current situation and what happens immediately afterwards! Didn't you take the time to notice that this is going to be the first time since our last trip to this island that we've been on the offensive? Every other battle we've been in has been an attack on us, and now we're doing something that is totally new to us. It actually makes me wonder whether or not we're ready for this. Once you think about it, we are essentially reversing our strategies!"
"That's the last thing you should be thinking of Pricilla. We have to be ready for this now! If we're not, the assault on Ostia could happen all over again in every city on the continent, and the attackers would soon be including dragons as well. It would be just like the Scouring, and this time I don't think that our race would win. Just think that it's no longer about saving our own lives, it's about saving all the lives of humanity. After this, I don't know what will happen, but we need to understand that we must go to whatever lengths necessary to accomplish this task, the fate of our existence depends on it."
"There you go again! You don't know what's going to happen after this because you don't take the time to look around you and recognize the other things that are important!"
"Like what?"
"Like you!" They both stopped in their tracks and Fiora turned to Pricilla in amazement at what she was hearing, "What will become of you after this is over Fiora? Sure you'll get paid; we're all getting paid after this is over, and I might add that we deserve it a good deal for all the pain we've all gone through, but it won't be enough for us to live on forever; not on our own at least. That's why I ask about you and Kent. Look at yourself! You're living out the prime years of your life, and you tell me you have no one to spend them with!? What about your sisters? What will happen to them? You need to figure out a future for yourself, a life that may perhaps be separate from the ways of war. You can't be a mercenary all your life Fiora."
It was quiet for a while, Fiora was still trying to comprehend all she had said. "Pricilla..." She said gently, "Why do you feel this way?"
Pricilla's expression softened. "Because I care about you Fiora... I'm not afraid of you dying tomorrow, I'm just afraid that after this you won't know what to do with your life. Or that you'll go back to the life you lead before, which as I understand, was not exactly an enjoyable one. You're a good person Fiora... you deserve to live a happy life, and I just wanted to give you some advice because I thought you could use it."
She has a point... Ever since my unit of Pegasus knights was wiped out, all I've known is working in this army. If I had finished my mission, what would I have been returning to? A station to give me another mission? Another contract of some client to fulfill? She makes a very good point... outside of being a mercenary... what am I? "Thank you Pricilla..." Fiora said, still realizing so many things, "I guess you're right..."
Pricilla sighed. "Fiora... I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Fiora assured her, "I thank you for bringing these things to my attention."
"No..." She replied, shaking her head, "What I mean is, I'm sorry for probably depressing you. I didn't really mean to say that I just..." She trailed off and looked away a bit.
"Yes?" Fiora asked.
With yet another sigh, Pricilla explained, "It's just... almost too much to take in, you know? That the fate of our entire race rests on our shoulders, and to me it just feels so... heavy. But I must carry my share of the weight, just the same as every other individual of this group carries theirs. And I am proud to carry this burden Fiora... but I just don't think I'm ready to die for it. That's all. I just want to live through this and I feel almost... ashamed because of that." Her gaze shifted back to the floor.
Fiora put an arm on her shoulder and stated, "Pricilla, you are not alone. I don't blame you for such thoughts; in fact, I rather agree with you! Yes, this battle needs to be won by any means necessary, and for noble reasons at that, but I don't think anyone really wants to give their life for it. Perhaps it's unfair to make judgments about other people's decisions without their consent, but I think it's safe to say we all want to come through this alive." Pricilla looked up and she finished, "Does that help?"
"Yes..." Pricilla said, "I suppose it does... It's good to know I have a friend like you, Fiora... thank you." She smiled shyly and Fiora thought, Is she really... Yes I suppose that I could call her a friend of mine... I haven't really known her all that well for too long, but I suppose... Pricilla, you've healed my wounds numerous times, I've talked with you and I've fought alongside you. Pricilla, I don't see how you couldn't be a friend.
"I'm glad that I have you for a friend as well Pricilla." Fiora said with a smile, "Now get some sleep so you're ready for, tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and the for the remaining years of your life. I know you'll have a fulfilling future." Upon hearing this, Pricilla stepped forward and gave her a hug that Fiora returned whole-heartedly.
She is...
...definitely a friend!
"Goodnight Fiora."
"Goodnight Pricilla."
Turning around, Fiora walked away from the closing door of Pricilla and Serra's designated sleeping quarters and walked in the direction that she thought would lead to her own room. O.K. Take a left at this corridor, then another left at this one... Now I turn right once I pass that hole in the wall, and take the third left... or was it the right...? She decided to take the left turn, and upon recognizing a lantern hanging in the middle of the hallway with a missing glass pane, she was reassured that this was where hers and Kent's room was located. She paced down the hall, entered the correct room, and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of a totally shirtless Kent, his nose touched to the floor but quickly rising with the rest of his body in completion of what must have been at least his 50th push-up. The sight mesmerized her. She didn't know why, but the way the light was hitting him right now, the angle that she was watching from, and the way he was moving left her completely awe-struck in pure admiration of his physique. He lowered himself, this time with a sharp exhale of air, before his muscles flexed in perfect synchronization and forced him up from the ground once more. She had never truly gotten a good look at him like this, she realized, and now she could easily see why this man was indeed granted the title of "Knight of Caelin". He rose from the ground once more and stopped, breathing lightly. His head tilted up. Like a hair thinking it had just been spotted by a wolf, Fiora snapped back to her senses, which in this case, meant quickly gasping followed by spinning around and pressing her back against one of the walls of the entrance with a loud thud. "Sorry-I-didn't-mean-to-walk-in-on-you!" She blurted out with hardly any clarity to her words.
"It's fine." Kent called, quickly getting up and reaching for a rag to wipe away the thin layers of sweat upon him, "I just finished anyway."
Hoping and praying that he hadn't realized she was watching him just a moment ago, she asked, "Why don't you sound tired? Did I interrupt you?"
"No, you didn't. It's fine. It was only seventy-five push-ups."
"Only seventy-five?" She asked in surprise, "I thought you usually did a hundred every day."
"I do." He replied, "But today is special... I don't want to take any chance of straining myself for tomorrow. We've both got a big day ahead of us. Ahead of all of us."
"Yeah..." she looked down at her feet and leaned a heel against the wall. How dare you stare at him like that...
Oh, it was only a peek!
ONLY a peek!? You would have watched him all day!
I couldn't help myself!
Yes you could!
I know...
"By the way," Kent said as he walked out of the small, doorless room and stood beside her, (she made no signal of it, but she was incredibly relieved to see he had his shirt on) "I should probably tell you about what happened during the little chat Sain and I had..." He went on to describe in detail -- and without any censorship -- the dialogue he and Sain had partook in to the best of his memory. She listened to most of it with an amazed expression complimented perfectly by her greatly widened eyes. Once he had finished up, Fiora inflated her cheeks and exhaled long and low while rubbing her brow. She slipped a finger under the string that tied her hair back, and felt the slight indentation it had left on her forehead, a gesture that he alone recognized as her look of having just been overwhelmed by something. She suddenly realized that it must be rather late, and she walked past him and into their somewhat cramped quarters. She looked from one corner of the room to the next and spotted her neat pile of clothing and personal items next to Kent's. "Wow... Kent... that's..." Fiora said over her shoulder, her thoughts still unorganized, as she grabbed her pajamas and began to get undressed. "So do you really think Sain suspects...?" She asked as she concentrated on her various buckles.
"I don't think that he truly suspects much of anything." She heard Kent reply, "I think that he only jests at you being a woman and I being a man, and that the two of us spend a large amount of our time together... which is all true, Fiora. But over all, I think that he was only joking; even when he talked about... or at least suggested... well..."
"...with me?" Fiora finished for him, slipping out of the main piece of her uniform.
"Yes..." Kent replied with a bit of a shudder, "When he said... THAT... I just lost control of myself. I yelled at him Fiora! I yelled at a man I've known for I can't remember how many years. Luckily, he took it as a part of the joke he had been telling the whole time... but I meant every word of what I said! For a moment I even actually considered him to be a real threat to you. And for that reason alone, I did desire to do him harm..."
"Kent... Don't be so hard on yourself." She tried to calm him, tying the knot of her shirt, "Given the circumstances... I believe your actions are justified at least to a certain extent."
"I know... But it doesn't seem right that such feelings should cause me to be so irrational..." He stopped and thought for a moment. "Sometimes, I just don't know what what I feel inside anymore. It's as if my whole life is just slipping through my fingers like sand, and every time I try to save a single grain, I loose five thousand others."
I can relate. She wanted to say, but her voice only echoed in her mind. "Kent... I don't blame you for being unused to... our situation... I've never been in a position like this either. But don't worry about it too much Kent... After this journey is over, we can..." She suddenly became quiet for the same reason that he had earlier that day. Still, it felt unnecessarily awkward to end her statement like that, so she continued, "Just don't worry about it Kent... I'm sure that in the end, things will turn out for the best." She finished her thought even though she knew she didn't sound very sure. Adjusting the last of her clothes to her liking, and deciding to keep her hair bound back for a bit longer, she turned around to find his back had been facing her this whole time to give her privacy. She smiled. Still so respectful... still so moral... If the others knew how things really were between us, they might not view this as a problem at all... She walked up behind him and hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, almost puzzling over how hard it was to do such a thing with him in comparison to how easy it was to do with Pricilla. He turned, and looked straight into her eyes that save for perhaps one or two centimeters of difference, were perfectly level with his.
"Fiora..." he sighed for a lack of words.
A quick, "Shhh." was all she gave him before knocking him totally off his guard when her arms flanked him on both sides, swooped in under his, and rested in the middle of his back. She was forcing herself, she knew this, but the action was proving to be a more easily endurable task than had been expected. Slightly more.
He wanted to say something but couldn't. He felt a good deal more than awkward in this position, which a bit peculiar in itself as he wasn't even doing anything in the first place. Awkwardness turned to guilt. Guilt quickly evolved into an unbearable feeling. Slowly, but surely, his arms encircled her and landed at opposite shoulders, eliminating at least some of the guilt. He wasn't clutching her, but he felt there would be some sort of consequence if he pushed her away.
She responded to his gesture without any external signal at all, but on the inside, it felt like a victory in a battle she hadn't known she was fighting. She felt a trickle of goose-bumps run up the side of his neck and a memory was triggered within her. "Kent?" She whispered.
Fiora... Yes... it is true. I... am... in love with you. And... I am... sorry... for this. I will... leave... immediately.
Kent, that would not do. Please, do not leave. I do not wish for you to be gone but to stay where you are. I wish for you to stay here... with me.
Fiora?
Kent, I love you too.
With a deep swallow, Kent answered, "Yes...?"
"Do you remember... anything from... The Night?"
The question ignited a fuse that led to an explosion right in his face. She was asking him about The Night! She wasn't just referring to it, she was actually inquiring about it! She was asking him about the most taboo subject in their universe! It was strange, but he answered quickly with a shiver of hesitation, "Y- Yes... of course I do. I remember... everything. Why do you ask?"
"No reason... Just seeing if you remembered. That's all..." She verified, her lips gently forming into a small, unseen smile, "Because I for one... certainly do." He made not a sound. Have I perhaps said too much? No. I couldn't have. What's that...? She noticed something. A feeling on her shoulder. He was stroking her there with his thumb. Perhaps it meant nothing, but then again, how would she really know? Maybe an indicator could be that her eyes were closed now. Gently. Blissfully.
What are you doing?
I just want to check something.
Check what?
The back of his neck.
Why would you want to check that?
I just... want to see if it feels... the same way it used to. I just want to touch him... maybe stroke him a bit... Is there any harm in that?
Yes.
I'll bet he feels the same. Warm... strong... his hairs all on ends...
Fiora don't!
They heard a thump at the open doorway. Breaking apart in the blink of an eye, Kent and Fiora turned their attention towards the disturbance. It was Dart; his large body lying on the floor with his face down and a half-filled bottle of ale in the other. After a moment of shifting around on the floor with little or no coordination at all, he brought a hand up to his forehead and pulled his bandanna up from over his eyes. He looked around with a puzzled look on his drowsy face before he staggered to his feet, his large, usually powerful muscles not appearing to be helping him very much. Propped partially up against the wall, he took a swig from his bottle that would have made most men double over and become sick, brought it back down and noticed Kent and Fiora, who had been watching him in silent amazement this whole time, for the first time. He raised his bottle to them merrily as if in a toast, and said in a drunken voice, "Well I'll be! Itch Eliwad an' dat curshed laydee from a couplea months bak! How'd ye git 'ere?"
After exchanging a glance with the woman beside him, Kent walked toward Dart, placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him and said in a very direct voice, "Alright Dart. I think you're lost, but if you don't mind, it's rather late and we should all be getting some sleep before our invasion tomorrow. Now I know that my words are falling on deaf ears, but a hangover isn't-"
"EY! Itch yoo!" Dart suddenly burst out, apparently recognizing Kent for the first time, "You're dat one fella! Whash yer name ugain? The impotent guy who always 'angs out wif da lesbian!"
With little more than a roll of the eyes and a groan, Kent wished him good night and pushed him down the hallway. He couldn't do much more than that anyhow. He walked back into the room and turned towards Fiora. But she wasn't where she stood before. She was laying down on the top bunk, her head resting in the palm of her hand, propped up on her elbow. "I-"
"It's alright Kent, it wasn't your fault." She said for him. He sat down below her on his own bunk and started to remove his boots. "You know..." She started, as she watched him from over the ledge, "you're right... we do have an invasion to set out on tomorrow. We should get some good sleep tonight while we still can."
"Right." He said, his boots off but his head still hung downward with thoughts swimming through it like the millions of unknown forms of sea life he knew were swimming about in the ocean just a few decks below his feet. He felt that there was so much more that he wanted to say, but he didn't know how to say it. What am I doing... He thought as he closed his eyes, How did it come to this? My life was so much simpler before. I was a Knight. NO! I'm STILL a Knight! I'm a Knight of Caelin, a title few have bore in the past, and I waste my time dwelling on these... emotions.
How can you say that? How can you think that? Do you mean to disregard the woman above you? Do you truly mean to think of her in such a way? Doesn't she mean something to you?
She shouldn't. Before she came along, my life was fine. She was only supposed to be my comrade... someone to work with. Nothing more.
You slept with her.
I know.
You told her you loved her.
I know
Would you truly be so shallow? You said yourself that she means something to you! You said so yourself, just today! You know you feel something for her. You think about her almost all the time now... More and more lately, you've been thinking back to The Ni-
I KNOW! I know... I know... I can't help but remember. I just can't help but remember... everything... the look in her eyes... the thoughts that so unexpectedly came to me that night... the things I felt for her that I... couldn't understand. Love. That's what I thought it was. That's what I thought I felt for her.
Did you?
I don't know... I'm not sure...
What are you sure of then?
That during The Night... when we came together the way we did... I was happy. Something I had never felt before was driving me, and I couldn't help but give in to it. It was what I wanted. It was what I needed. I can still see her... My eyes were clouded with tears... but I could still see her face... that lovely face... those eyes that I had never before stopped to appreciate... and I heard her voice... that soft, compassionate voice, that whispered my name...
"Kent?" The woman above him asked. His eyes opened. His head tilted skyward, and he saw a few strands of her aquamarine hair hanging down over the edge of her bunk. He stood up and turned to face her to see what she wanted. But she said nothing. She just stared at him, expressionless. Her chin was rested on her right hand's wrist, and her cheek leaned against the palm of her left. She had clearly removed the string around her forehead, and her hair was somewhat messy, but only in contrast to the incredibly tame fashion she usually wore it in. But her eyes gazed at him, and even though a single lantern outside the hallway, a small candle by his bedside, and the incredibly faint light that came in through a knot hole or two in the wall were the only sources of illumination in the room, the two blue skies set beneath her brow almost seemed to glow with their own light. Still, she said nothing. But he didn't mind. The mere sight of her was satisfying him, even if a part of him knew he shouldn't be staring at her for so long. He felt the urge to avert his eyes tugging at him, but this time he couldn't do that. In fact, now he only wanted to see more of her. Almost without a moment's hesitation, he reached out to move away some of the hair on her right side. She let him go about his business without any interference. He moved her hair all back as neatly as he could, and hung it back behind her ear. His task completed, his hand guided below her face so as to not obstruct his view in any way. He cleared away the hair on her left side. Her eyes closed gently, as if falling to sleep. He took a silent intake of breath to ask what it was she had called him to for. He never got the chance. Her hand caught his wrist and refused to let go. Before he could do anything, she yanked his hand back behind her, pulling his body forward and pressing his lips firmly against hers. Without a single thought put into it he plunged head first into the magnificent paradise of her kiss and the action felt more natural than breathing. A hand wrapped around the back of his neck as if to keep him in place, but he had no desire to leave her. Both his arms wrapped around her and pulled her in to him as closely as he could. She let out a moan of what could never have been mistaken for anything other than pure relief and joy when their shoulders pressed squarely against each other, and it drove him wild with want for her. This was what he had been craving for so long. He had been too timid, too foolish, too embarrassed to ask for this long lost sensation in any way shape or form, but now it was here, and everything else could wait. All that mattered now was proving how deep his passion was for her went. The sweet, undeniable fact that the lips of this fine Illian woman were at long last once again his to claim, was a notion so beautiful that it brought tears to his eyes. But he fought them back. This was no time for sorrow. Her other arm lifted him up slightly, while at the same time squeezing into his back with a yearning he had almost completely forgotten. He stepped up on his edge of the bunk to raise himself higher and closer to her. The contact was broke for a moment, but it was quickly reforged as she pulled him down on top of her and locked them back into position. He felt her tongue press against his lips and he was more than happy to invite her. Indulging himself in the first Etrurian-kiss he had shared with her in four long, agonizing weeks, he closed his eyes even tighter and held her with all the affection he had wanted to show her for what seemed like forever. There were more than ten thousand thoughts pulsing through his mind right now that he longed to convey to her, but the kiss spoke for him better than any modern or ancient language ever could. After a deliciously fulfilling lifetime of being locked together like this, consciousness returned, accompanied by the need for more sufficient oxygen, and she broke off with a gasp, softly hyperventilating a bit. He looked upon her and saw that her hair was now ironically even more of a mess than before, but her gentle smile was more than redeeming of this small imperfection. Her eyes shone brighter too, and even the tears in them only added to her beauty. He opened his mouth to tell her how lovely she looked, how dear she was to him, how sorry he was for keeping his emotions pent up inside of him for far too long and delaying what they both wanted, or at the very least thank her for so bravely breaking the ice between them! But her voice came first, "Kent, can you hear me?"
His eyes opened. His head tilted skyward, and he saw a few strands of her aquamarine hair hanging down over the edge of her bunk. Whether he had just fallen asleep and it had all been a dream, or it had simply been a fantasy in his mind, he could not tell, but nonetheless he immediately tried desperately to extinguish the thought from his head before it burned itself into his memory. Disgusting... you disgusting bastard! How could you think of such things! Not simply let it pass across your thoughts, NO, but linger you on it to the point that you completely forget where you are! It was the lack of thought behind the desire that fueled his anger the greatest. The horrible want for nothing more than her kiss. The want for her, the lust for her, the need, the emotion, the sensation, all of it. He wanted nothing more than for the mere suggestion of all of it to be forever banished from his mind. "Kent," Fiora whispered quietly, completely unaware of how much self-hatred he was going through at that moment, "are you already asleep?"
"No." He quickly answered as the thought mercilessly became forever imprinted in his memory, even though he was now ignoring it, "I'm quite awake," he stood up and turned to face her, "what is it?" The string was still in her hair, and her hairstyle was the same as it usually was, right down to the two long tufts of hair that came out in front to form the main part of her unique cowlick. Her chin was resting on both of her wrists, her small bracelet was removed as well, and she was staring at him with sleepy, half opened eyes that weren't too different from his own.
"Kent... about earlier... I just wanted you to know that..." She sighed and shook some of the drowsiness from her head. She pulled an arm out from beneath her chin and pressed it firmly on his shoulder. She pulled him in slightly before she continued, "You said earlier today that you... wanted... to get used to this. The truth is, I want us to get used to this as well. I really do! But it's just so hard for me sometimes... that's all. I just hope that you don't think I'm... pushing you away-"
"No, of course not!" He hastily assured her, clutching her hand, "I would never make any such assumption Fiora. I understand the way you feel. I really do."
"Thank you Kent." She replied with her eyes averted to the ground and a small smile occasionally flashing on her lips. "But it's more than that. It's not just that I don't want to push you away... It's not just that I do feel something for you... Kent, I... ... I... ... ... ... ..." The words never surfaced. She was quiet for a long time. It didn't seem like she was searching for words to explain what she wanted to say, rather she was just soaking in the moment more than anything else. But this was only what he suspected to be the reason for her silence, and before he could speculate further, she continued, Her face now heavy with a blush, "Kent, I want you to know that you... ... are important to me. It's just that every time we're close, all of my unease settles in and that's the only reason why... I mean... were it not for that, then right now... I would... I'd..." She trailed off when her eyes came back up to his. Their faces were now so close she could have sworn that had it not been for the lack of sufficient light, she could have seen her reflection in his eyes that were almost vibrating with agitation just as much as hers were. But neither of them made a motion to retreat. She felt her eyes close and his breathing grew louder and louder. They were getting closer. Neither could tell just then who was the most responsible for this, or whether they were both equally so, but either way, that did not change the fact that the gap between them was lessening at what was just below an alarming rate. It was like walking on air. Fiora's forehead ever so delicately connected with his and then they stopped. She slowly leaned in further, taking her time crossing this maddeningly short distance. Again, she stopped. It would be so easy. So very easy to cross the insignificant space of air left between them to receive the kiss she knew she wanted. And yet she held back. Why...? she wondered, it's not like I've never done this with him before... After we shared our first one, I must have kissed him a thousand times during The Night... and a hundred times the day after... a few dozen the next day... perhaps an even dozen after that... and then...
after that, it stopped... didn't it?
Why? Did some of our feelings for each other... perhaps... fall away...?
No, that couldn't be the reason.
They why all this tension? Why should it be so hard for me to just kiss him? Shouldn't there be a reason?
I'm only human. I'm unused to this. Sometimes, this is just the way things are.
But it's wrong! There's nothing to stop me, so why must I hesitate!
This is just the way things are, and I must weather them regardless. Nothing in my whole life has ever been easy. Why should this be any different?
What about during The Night? Wasn't that different?
Yes... That was different... But we weren't ourselves during The Night! I don't regret anything that took place, but had I not been so overwhelmed by the heat of the moment... it may not have happened.
At least... some of the feeling still remains...
"I'm sorry Kent..." She whispered, gently swinging back outward a bit, but still leaning against his forehead, "I can't-"
"Neither can I." He whispered, having no other words that he felt he could say. With their foreheads no longer touching, her hair drifted back into place and in the current light, it cast long delicate shadows across her face, and he bathed in her gaze. "It's alright Fiora. Don't think about it too much." He said. He slowly reached out to touch her, "It's not too important to me anyway. I am satisfied with... just your presence." he delicately ran a finger across her cheek bone. But unexpectedly, she did not withdraw. She smiled. Their eyes closed.
I can't believe how hard that was... It's not just because the mood was broken from earlier... even if that drunk hadn't interrupted, things would be the same... but at least she understands... at least she knows that I understand her.
I don't know what we'll be facing tomorrow, but it's good to know that some of this mutual feeling is finally resurfacing. He's so warm... I can't believe I forgot how warm he is... how much I really do care about him. I won't forget this Kent... it's been quite a while since we were this close, and I want to always remember this moment: When all the atrocities looming overhead, the never-ending hardships of staying alive and healthy, and even the complications of all that has happened between us were all simplified... just by being in your presence.
Uncounted time slowly whittled away as they felt their internal clocks tick into late hours. "We should get some sleep." He finally said, smiling back at her.
"Yeah..." They parted, and Fiora rolled back into her top bunk with a small creek. Kent, in turn, returned to his own bunk and flopped down into place. After he heard another creek, he opened his tired eyes and saw Fiora's face hanging over the edge upside-down, and looking right at him. "Goodnight Kent." She said with a grin in an almost playful manner.
"Goodnight Fiora." He replied with a rare giggle of amusement. She smiled and her head flung back and disappeared from his sight. He smiled inwardly to himself, licked his fingers and pinched out the candle. Laying down, and still thinking of the woman above him, and now not quite as ashamed of it, he found sleep much easier than was anticipated.
FIN!
Wow... a lot of the last part of this chapter just came to me a while after I posted up the third chapter. I sure hope you liked it!
By the way, dear reader, I must ask, what do you think of the Kent/Fiora material over all? Am I doing a good job on it? I mean, I'm getting a lot of "It's well written" and "I'm really enjoying this fic" kind of feed-back, which is fine (I would MUCH prefer less vague critiques, but for some reason, I don't think that I should push my luck) but so far, very little of it has been about the romantic side of this story, which in my opinion is the main reason for this fic's existence. Am I doing the relationship justice? Am I making it into too big of a deal? Is it in any way annoying or confusing? Feedback would be greatly appreciated so that I could better gauge and improve my work. Thank you.
Also, I'm not going to make any promises on when the next chapter will come out. Chapter 5 is probably the single most worked on chapter of this whole story, and it will take quite a bit of time to fine-tune. It may be 2 to 3 months or more before I finally deem it fit to be posted, but if I get a lot of reviews, I may post it sooner.
Again, thank you all to those of you who have reviewed! I'll see you all in Chapter 5: Gentle.
R&R!
