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Chapter Note: Contains mild language. Chapter happens to not be edited (like most will). Also, I apologize in advance if the chapter reads dull, blunt and dry.
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Percentage of Chapter Edited: {28% out of 100%}
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Original Character Introduction: Alex Dunes by Barrett M107
.[The Past: June 6th].
Sometimes, you overlook the most significant things over the trivial moments. You never get to select which you'd recall, it happens all on its own. You don't have a say, yet, you think you do.
It's like Magic.
It's there, but yet not.
Riddles concealed far deep into the desert, several deeper than others, or just plain foggy.
…Or maybe...
It's hidden for a reason?
"We've lost them!" A young male called out to the crew members, the fog of their enemy laid dense around their ship.
"Are you positive?" A booming male voice interrogated; the man stood high and broad as he overlooked the crew members.
There was a silent pause of hesitancy.
"I... believe so." He was daring his words toward the Captain, but he couldn't be wrong. So he went with his gut; both the right and wrong choice.
The Captain stared down at the younger man; his black eyes gazed into the latters in a manner that made him feel both rigid and tranquil.
"Understood," He nodded to him, and then commanded the crew with his sturdy voice: "Everyone else, prepare for impact at any time!"
The rest went straight to work under his word for they knew which judgment to follow and the truth of their enemy.
The fog was still thick and didn't look as if it'd lighten up at any time, the Captain knew as such but he had to take an estimate.
…Even if it was just a small, tiny hunch.
He strolled down to his lookout - the young male - and nodded toward him, "When do you think they'll resurface?" He spoke in hush.
The latter made a loop-sided frown, "I'm not quite certain, Sir. I want to say as soon as possible, but they don't seem to be like the other's we've fought against."
"Then," the older man started, "do you think that when and if they attack us now, we'd have a chance to win?"
Twirling the scope with his left hand, he thought of the question.
Were they?
He knew that the crew was strong and could live through the durability in life. They were clever for being limited to data from the outside world and psychically strong to put up a fight. The only problem that surfaced was their lack of Mages' on their side.
The ship they were up against weren't from Seven as the boxes and crates were labeled differently. And from his knowledge; they were Slave Traders.
They were the tough enemies they had never wished to come across due to the simple fact that more than half of their crew were Mages' that could probably swipe the ship head over heels.
Just what tactic were they going to use for an opponent that could pop in and out of the fog as they please?
"...unes..?"
"Huh?" He uttered, his thoughts somewhere else.
He shook his head, understanding his response, "I'm asking where Dunes is."
"Oh. He's toward the back part of the ship." He motioned toward the area with his shoulder as he turned back to his scope.
With that information, the Captain left without another word.
"Dunes!" He called to the youngest crew member.
A sandy blond young man looked up from the crate he was lifting, a solo eyebrow raised in a friendly question. His lips parted with a simple: "Yeah?"
The Captain motioned for him to walk over.
Dunes stood there, trying to comprehend the older male's gesture until it registered within his mind.
The blond handed his crate to another crew member, not bothering to ask if they minded or not, and took off with a grin toward the man.
"Is there something you need from me, Sir?"
There really wasn't anything important to tell the young fella, he just had the feeling that he needed to move the younger male away from that part of the ship.
Why?
He didn't know, but he always followed his gut.
"Dunes, do you ever wish to settle on land?"
The young man frown his brows in thought, his lips dropping ever so slightly.
He never really thought that much of that. Sure, he heard wonderful and countless stories of land and the Mages it holds; the guilds that band together and form bonds like him and his crew.
Sure, he was interested. What young man wouldn't be? But was he willing to part with the family he grew up with and learned to love as his own?
"Maybe," He said bluntly, almost shocking the latter, "That's normal, no?"
The taller male had to chuckle at his own expectations, "You're right. Hopefully if that time ever comes…" and he then mumbled the rest under his breath, triggering the other to learn closer to grasp his softened words.
He thought he had heard something slip pass, something about Magic that was rare in a sense. But he couldn't fully comprehend the bits and pieces he heard when suddenly the ship rocked like crazy.
Their attackers came back.
Their first attack was at the back of the ship, exactly where Dunes was.
"Dunes! Head to Shion! Assist him in anything he needs!" The Captain commanded of the young man as he turned toward the back of the ship and took off.
The blond was frozen for a split second, and as his brain was gradually gearing into action, his body was already on its move toward Shion - the lookout.
"Shion!" He called out over the fires of guns from both ships, but his voice was drained out.
He had a duty to protect Shion, ordered by the Captain since Shion was one of their few Mages onboard.
Snip!
A thin cut shot was fired feet away from him; a smoke barrier forming around and in front of him. But that didn't stop him from proceeding forward.
"Dunes!" He heard the shout from Shion to his left and dodging an incoming member of the other ship - he sprinted toward the man's voice.
His body felt lighter than normal, his eyes were shifting at every detail and his hearing was greater than average. He felt the need to be in motion then be immobile.
The moment he arrived at Shion, the latter had just knocked out a guy cold with his scope; a dirty smirk forming upon his lips.
"Stupid fools..." he muttered, his dark eyes focused on the still body.
"Shion." The blond called, dragging the eyes of the other to his own, "The Captain told me to come to you."
At first, the dark-haired male frowned with distaste, but he recalled as to why. He shouldn't be the one complaining here...
"Fine. Here," he turned to toss Dunes a Lacrima charged blade - glowing bright blue - and gave the boy a grin, "It'll knock them out cold. Whether you slap them with it or dig it through their skull."
Shion was always a dark fella when fighting...
Dunes' was a fair fighter; he wasn't the greatest, nor the weakest. He had always been average... So why, in Shion's eyes, was Dunes body moving so gracefully and skillfully through the attackers? How was he able to hit them all within one strike without getting grazed?
Slit!
"Dun-!" He heard Shion's voice call to him, and from the corner of his eye, he picked up on the direction of the latter's call; someone was advancing toward him, and fast.
He shoved the guy he was fighting away and turned, quickly, toward the other just as he was forming Magic within his grasp, aiming it straight toward Dunes.
It came to him, rapidly and swiftly; only one target in its way.
Dunes knew he didn't have time to dodge it, nor could he take the heat of it either. Shion couldn't even help him as he was already dealing with another Mage.
He was on his own.
Instinctively, his arms rose to protect his upper half from the impact that was quickly approaching at speed he couldn't believe.
But the impact never came. Better yet, the impact felt muffled, in a way. As if something had blocked it.
He pried open his dark green eyes just in time to see tiny, glimmering particles floating in front of him; dancing in the wind.
Green clashed with a lighter shade as he made eye-contact with the Mage, but their eyes were widened in astonishment and he couldn't guess as to why.
The Mage's lips moved in a quick fashion, his eyes then narrowed as he charged up another attack.
Dunes didn't catch those muted words, but he felt that it was something he should have.
The bolt came at him and Dunes' arms acted, bringing themselves to shield the attack.
He had thought something had blocked it for him, but he was wrong since he felt the full impact on his body as it went soaring backward, along with the other crew members and the enemies.
It was a Mage with Lighting Magic, he knew that much...
So why did the matter around him feel rough and dry?
.[The Present: September 13th].
Len didn't act the same after that night, Koichi could see perfectly.
The black-haired boy wasn't as out-spoken as before, he didn't move about like a worm; his brown eyes weren't wondering around, he didn't utter much words to the blond and he wasn't showering Koichi with questions or telling him random story's.
Len was dull.
The past five days were silent for the pair. They moved from town to town, looking for a new teammate but didn't find anyone; or anyone willing to join.
Koichi noticed that every time Len walked up to a person after using his device, he'd give them a blank stare as his words were forced out of his month. He used a tone he had used on him, but his body language and eyes didn't match it.
The dawning of day six soon arrived and Koichi started to question why he was still sticking around, helping the latter find people to join.
It had been over a week, the time limit Koichi had told Len, and yet here he was, still with him. Trailing him as if he was already a part of the guild… Was it weird if he said that he already felt like he was ever since that night?
"Koichi, it's time to head out," Len voiced from across the room as he made his bed.
That was another thing that just shrieked at him that Len wasn't himself; he was calling him by his full name, not that bothersome nickname.
"Yeah," the blond uttered quietly as he, too, made his bed and gathered his belongings.
Len was the first to be ready, and with not looking back to check if Koichi was or wasn't, he walked to the room door and unlocked it.
The blonde's ears picked up the sound of the door, and whilst grabbing his headgear and placing it on his head; fixing his tufts of hair – he rushed over after the taller male.
"Heh," his ears perked at the slim laugh from Len, "I always find that funny..." His jade eyes locked with faintly narrowed brown one's that appeared to have a spark of light in them.
One of Koichi's eyebrows' vanished as it rose in question.
Len's lips trembled into that significant grin as he gestured his index finger at the shorter male, "Your headgear, or hat." he shrugged, "It's cute in a funny way, you know? With those puppy-like eyes on the front and then that fluffy tail in the back. I swear no one's going to take you seriously."
Were his ears misleading him, or was Len starting to sound like himself again?
"It's not up to me to indicate who takes me seriously or not."
Len waved him off, "Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night…" He then turned the knob and opened the door to its full length with Koichi dogging behind.
Immediately, Len took a rushed step backward and slammed the door shut, producing the boy behind him to stumble back.
Catching himself and regaining balance, Koichi stared at the back of Len's head and gave a question, "Forgot something?"
He jumped and lost his footing, his left shoulder banging into the wall. Rubbing it, Len turned with his head down and answered his teammate, "Ye-Yeah... Something..." He brushed pass Koichi and sped off to the bathroom.
The latter was a bit confused at Len's actions, but shrugged it off.
He waited and waited, to a point that he was just going to go ask him what he was missing when there was a knock at the door that stopped him.
"Hello." Koichi gave a small bow of his head to the maid.
"Morning," she replied with a smile, "I'm here to clean your room..."
Koichi nodded, "R-Right. Um, we're still getting our things together... Can you come back in a bit, and then the room will be free."
The young women nodded and handed him a card to hang on the door knob, "Make sure to place it outside, Sir. May you have a wonderful day."
"You too," He called after her whilst he stared down at the paper, flipping it as he waited for Len.
Crash! Slam!
"-hit!" Koichi caught the end of Len's curse just as he closed the door. Making his way over to the restroom, he halted short at the mess the latter had caused.
"...Didn't find it?" Len looked up, his black hair loose from his pony-tail, with wide eyes.
He looked down, "A-Ah... No, yeah. I did." He gave a quick nod as he rolled up his folly red sleeves and bent down to clean his mess up.
Koichi gave a tired sigh under his breath as he, too, rolled up his navy blue cloak sleeves to help assist Len.
The two cleaned up in silence. Once done, they placed everything back and looked over the room for anything else they may have forgotten. Having everything ready, they walked out of the room (Koichi placing the paper card on the knob), down to the lobby to check-out and left the hotel.
The morning air was a nice breeze and quite refreshing. Though it smelled a bit salty, it was understandable since they had landed in a town close to the waters.
"I'm gunna look around one last time. Koichi, think you can get the tickets to the train?" Len asked as he dug dip into his pockets to take out some jewels.
"Yeah," Koichi took them and placed them in his own pockets, "I'll ring you on the Lacrima when they're ready."
"Kay!" Len shouted as he waved the teen bye, his back to him as he walked away.
Len knew he had about an hour or so to scout people out, but he just didn't feel motived since...
No, he wouldn't let that get to his mind. He wouldn't.
The dark-haired teen scouted the remaining Mages in town but he either declined them or they were already enrolled.
'Not surprising...' he muttered within his head as he walked away from the populated places. Throughout his walk, he had in fact run into countless of familiar faces – faces he did not wish to see or talk to.
Len found himself at the foot of a forest and with a shrug, he waltz right in.
For Len, the forest was a peaceful but dangerous place. He both hated and loved it.
He walked aimlessly within the forest as his mind raced about in circles. He didn't really feel like getting someone else anymore. Maybe just two additional were fine. It would be just like...
He kicked a rock as he shoved his balled up fist into his dark pants. He didn't want to think of the past anymore, he just didn't.
With a sigh, Len halted to untie his ponytail and then retie it. Rolling his neck, his lips allowed a peaceful sigh to pass, easing his troubled thoughts.
It helped.
Len spun on the heel of his foot and started to head back to town. He spent enough time walking around that it was more than likely close to the time the train departed from the station.
But as Len made turns here and there, he soon came to the conclusion that he was lost.
'Handy. Just freaking handy...' He gave a thick huff as he abruptly turned around a tree, hoping the exit to the forest was there.
It wasn't.
"Geez, man, I can't seriously be lost, can I?" Len mumbled into his hands as he crouched down to the ground, his voice laced with disbelief.
With a defeated sigh, Len looked up from his hands and frowned.
Was his eye's playing a trick on him?
He looked to his left with a raised eyebrow, then right. He then rose to a stance, and then turned around to look behind him, then back in front.
What was an overly large sand castle doing in the middle of the forest were no sand was even present?
"Well, isn't curiosity nibbling at my rear..." Len bit with sarcasm whilst his feet crept their way over to the sand, trying to make little to no sound.
It was small, but not large either. It was about the right height to walk at his full height with a bit of room left above his head. The texture on the outside was fascinating to Len, so much to the point that he just had to touch it.
He did.
Thankfully, nothing bad happened.
"Woooh, so soft..." Len's slender fingers drew a circle on the sand as his lips curled into a grin; "I wanna destroy this so bad..." he restrained himself by backing off and walked over toward the entrance of the castle.
There was no door made, it was just wide open for all.
He took that as in invitation.
His guess was right when it came to the height of the castle, though the space within was probably a little smaller than the outside led to believe.
Len walked about the tiny space provided, and hunching on instinct, he wasn't paying attention to his feet so much as he should and tripped over something.
That's when he heard a startled snort.
Len's face met the sand covered floor first, and then the rest of his body followed after. Quickly, he placed his upper weight on his arms as he raised himself to turn and look at the source of that snort.
His brown eyes clashed with light green eyes just as the sand castle started to collapse.
Len's own eyes widened as they take in the fact of the falling sand around him as his lips parted to release the most high pitched scream ever; "Kyaaa!"
The sand above was thick, and obviously, it was heavy to the point that it started to become hard to breath.
Len wiggled about, trying to set himself free but only got his left hand to its freedom; he rolled it around in panic.
He didn't think there was so much sand!
"..." He heard a faint voice above him, low and smooth. But before his slow brain could even think of whom it might be, his left hand was gripped by a rougher hand and was pulled out of the sand.
"I thought I'd die!" Len gripped the stranger by their biceps as he rocked their body slightly with his strength.
He then looked up at the person's face and gulped.
The stranger who had saved him from his 'death' had sandy blond scraggly thin hair, vivid green eyes, fair tanned skin and a visible scar from cheek to cheek across the bridge of his nose.
Only one thought traveled through Len's mind at that time: 'I bet Koi would look like him if he was taller and more masculine...'
"Uh..." Len uttered as he released his grip on the male's beige knee-length coat, "Um... Sorry?"
He held up a hand with a twitch of a charming smile, "It's fine. My fault for almost crushing you alive."
Len coughed his laugh, "Yeah..."
The young male's, seeming to be a couple of years older than Len, eyes scanned Len's attire in a quick fashion as Len did as such to him, but his eyes caught the brief pause at his neck.
The older male wore a coat around himself with a brown belt wrapped around his waist, keeping it closed. Around his neck was a brown scarf that fell to a reasonable length whilst a pair of goggles, with light green lenses, rested on his forehead. Following down, he wore white pants that didn't appear to be stained as his feet were wrapped in bandages.
"Dunes. Alex Dunes. Pleasure to meet you... sir." The blond held out his large hand as his passionate green eyes focused solely on Len's.
Len swallowed a lump in his throat as he ducked his chin lower than normal with his nod, "Yeah. Names Len Little." He shook back but resisted the urge to groan at the pain of the man's handshake.
The young adult kept his gaze steady on Len as he spoke his question, "What brings you to the forest, Little?"
Len gave a loop-sided frown, "Well, at first it was just for some clear minded walk, but I, uh, kind of got lost along the way..."
Alex chuckled through his nose, "I see. I don't blame you, anyone can get lost in a forest without marks." He walked up beside Len who straightened his back, "How 'bout I help you out since I'm heading to the next town? The forest can be dangerous even during light."
Len nodded, "Yeah, tell me about it." The words came out before they could filter within Len's mind as he rolled his eyes.
"Hm, well..." The blond started talking in a manner that made Len's brain hurt, yet he didn't have the heart to tell him that he was joking and being sarcastic.
The pair made it out of the forest by following and locating Alex's markings.
"Hey, Alec?" The blond turned slightly toward the shorter male with a raised eyebrow. It was weird how he was already used to being address as such from the dark-haired teen, "Where... are you heading to?"
He rolled his shoulders as he thought, "Not quite sure, honestly. Wherever my feet take me, I guess."
Len gave him a grin, "So then, you don't happen to already be in a Guild, right?"
"Nope. I'm not. Why?"
The dark-haired teen walked up to him and patted him of his shoulders, "How 'bout it, dude. I'm looking for one last team member to join. We're a Guild that's laid back to an extent, and I must say that you've already grown on me."
Alex blinked. He had gotten his fair share of offers from Guilds, especially once they knew what his Magic was, but for some strange reason, he felt that he couldn't decline Len's offer.
"I've got nothing to lose." He grinned back charmingly.
"Alright!" Len chirped loudly as he led the other to the train station, "You'll get to meet another teammate in a few, and then the other one is already back at the Guild. You're gunna love it, Alec. I can feel it."
And maybe he would because there was something rather interesting about this Len guy he picked up upon their first meeting.
Note: Four months and a couple of days since the last update, and I kind of apologize for that on my part. But I'm sure you all understand. Anyways, it took us awhile to get the two chapters started with a tone we both liked :/ Hopefully they'll make up for the delay in updates.
Hopefully Alex was done justice!
Chapter Five(5) will be posted when two or more reviews are received on Chapter Four(4)!
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{"Dialogue Preview" for Chapter Five:}
"...I'd thought you'd want to see Len's team members first."
"You and I both know how that will go the second Val sees me."
"Why don't you just face it?" He watched the blond tense, "It's been a year since then, and I'm sure the blame has become unbearable now."
"You know how long it takes to overcome personal weaknesses; I doubt this will happen sooner."