How's Time Will Tell going so far? This is my first long fanfic-- any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer: Of course. Everything original is mine, Star Ocean is not.
Chapter 6
Fayt watched from the fenced-off entrance to the training ground, as Helgrave worked his way through what Fayt supposed was a training exercise, or perhaps a weapons demonstration pattern. Helgrave's technique showed off unbelievable strength, but it was with none of the beauty of Albel's style that Fayt found so morbidly enchanting.
The night before, despite whatever Helgrave had thought about how tired Fayt appeared, the young man spent most of the night in a state of unidentifiable anxiety.
His room, filled with moon light and the crisp clarity of night air fallen from the snowy mountains, kept him like a beast in its cage. For simple want of something to do, Fayt strayed over to the bookshelves, and ran his fingers lazily across the bound spines as he judged the unfamiliar titles. The Lineage of Kings. The Dragon's Weave, a History of the Dragon Brigade. War Runology.
And stranger titles, ones that Fayt slipped out of the bookcase to discover their contents. There was a book of Glyphian philosophy, a travel diary from the Sanmite Republic with sketches of the Lost City of Surferio. A book describing the mechanics of a Greetonese invention that looked suspiciously similar to Albel's gauntlet. And even, worn and faded though it was, a slim volume delineating the mythology and teachings of Apris. Fayt wondered how long that little book had laid hushed and forgotten there.
He took in a meditative breath of that night air, hoping the chill would clear his mind. But it was a useless blade to the miasma that had settled like fog around Fayt's thoughts.
Because, of course, his mind had set itself on Fayt's most obsessive subject.
Fayt found it impossible to believe that his mind actually spent what had to be all of its time thinking about Albel. Perhaps because he was in Albel's world now, there were no distractions to lead Fayt's thoughts astray. And the letters now in his possession were what caused the anxiety that fueled his errant thoughts and kept him wide-eyed awake.
It didn't matter that he could put them back and, likely, no one would know the better. It did matter that he had already looked into Albel's world.
Why was this all so hard?
An alien sound flitted through the silent room. Fayt jumped up with a start; it took him a moment to recognize that the sound was from his communicator, the only link he had now to his former world.
"Sophia?" Fayt said thickly, fumbling for the message button.
He pressed it, only to have connection terminated from the other side. He was alone.
Helgrave finished, and to Fayt's wide-eyed surprise, managed to toss his oversized sword in the air and deftly catch it in one hand, as if had been as light as a staff or spear. Fayt was still registering the casual execution of incredible skill and strength when Helgrave turned to him.
"Morning, Fayt! Sleep well? You'll need your strength if you're going to learn how to fight like a real swordsman!"
No kidding, Fayt thought to himself as he stepped into the dusty circle.
"All right if I take a look at your blade? I've never seen an Aquarian-made up close before. At least, not one that wasn't covered in blood."
Fayt nodded and handed it over. Helgrave examined it closely, carefully, and in doing so made Fayt think of the painstaking way in which Albel maintained his sword and gauntlet. What had Albel said about the gauntlet, once? 'Greeton engineering, Aquarian runology, Glyphian intent', he'd muttered the one time Fayt had asked about it.
Helgrave handed back the sword, and began to walk around distractedly as he talked. "I'm not nearly as good at the various arts of war as, well, pretty much everyone ranked above me, which isn't saying much about myself. What do you say we," he said, "have ourselves a sparring match first?"
Fayt smirked. "No problem," he said, settling into a fighting stance.
They traded blows, until a lull came in their fighting, with Fayt coming out worse for wear. The skill he'd seen Helgrave practice with was definitely above what he was using to fight Fayt, and even so Fayt was getting sorely beaten. And he didn't like it.
"Come on," Helgrave laughed. "You expect to fight me like that? Show a little backbone!!"
Fayt growled to himself. He didn't know what was more annoying, Albel's cutting criticism or his brother's light-hearted banter. Fayt's memory of the fight against the Creator was still fresh in his mind, and here was Albel's little brother disparaging his fighting style.
Fayt, indignant, let his emotions dictate the next blow. Helgrave cast it aside as if Fayt had attacked him with a blade of the wheat waving in the fields. Infuriated, Fayt swung again, and Helgrave parried effortlessly, the bulk of his blade sending Fayt's sword aside with enough force to knock Fayt off balance.
Helgrave took the opportunity to move in and kick Fayt with just enough strength to send Fayt to the hard ground.
"Guess nobody told you to keep a guard on your feelings as well as your stance," Helgrave grinned, offering Fayt his hand. "But I shouldn't have baited you like that. It was wrong of me," Helgrave admitted.
Fayt removed his hand from his middle, having regained his breath, and wordlessly got to his feet. If Albel was the Black Brigade's best, then why was his younger brother proving to be such a challenge? In less than five minutes, Fayt's confidence in his swordsmanship had diminished until it felt like he'd just picked up a blade for the first time.
"Right," Helgrave said, sighing even as he tried to keep the mood up. "So… I think what needs to happen right now with your fighting style is that you need to separate yourself a little from the fight at hand. You're too emotionally involved, and the decisions you make while fighting are suffering because of it."
This stung Fayt, and even made him a little angry. The only reason that he had survived anything was that he had the strength of his emotions pushing him on. How could anyone say that he needed to step away from them? What did Helgrave know about how he fought?
"You're not taking that too well, I see," Helgrave said perceptively. "Hey, criticism hurts. Trust me—the Captain's my brother, after all. But it makes us better."
Fayt still didn't believe him. "I beat Albel once," he said.
"Yeah, I heard by way of Woltar. And it's funny you mention that. It's the perfect example of what I was talking about, letting your emotions rule you during battle. It can ruin even the best of us, as you saw."
Fayt frowned. "All I was at that point in time was someone with Crimson Blade."
"Which was enough for him at that point. It would have been enough for me, too, tell the truth. You know I'm a twin?"
Fayt recalled the slashed woven tapestry, the destroyed family tree he'd come upon the night before. So that other branch had meant to connect something to Helgrave, after all. Still, the knowledge shocked him.
"My brother Sieg took a blade from one of Crimson Blade's soldiers perhaps moments before the Captain fought you. He took it for the Captain, in the heart."
"I…" Fayt began.
"He died as Albel incanted the runology that would have saved his life."
Fayt was quiet. It was a warm day even for Kirlsa, but he felt that a chill had settled between them.
"I wasn't in the field that day—or we might have met much earlier than yesterday. Now, let's fight for real this time."
Fayt was glad for a change of subject, and glad for the opportunity to think a little about what Helgrave had said, as they guarded and parried in a half-lesson, half-duel. And through the entire time, Helgrave was quick to offer streaming commentary, advice, and even ask Fayt about some of the monsters he had faced before.
Why can't Albel be like this, Fayt mused. And no sooner had he said it, when he saw Albel watching from the sidelines. How long he had been there, Fayt could not even guess. He'd been so involved in his fight with Helgrave that everything else had gone unnoticed. But just as Fayt looked his way, Albel turned away and walked on.