Only eight chapters in and I have already reached my initial review target, thank you so much for all your support, next target is fifty, c'mon guys make me happy!
Replies to reviewers:
KON: Thanks, glad I finally seemed to have picked up some new readers.
funkymoleperson: Thank you very much for your insight, im happy you have been at liberty to read some of my work so far, as such your opinion matters to me though I must inform you that my work gradually does get a little bit better along the lines of punctuation and so on because the first couple of chapters were composed on rich text and therefore I did not have access to a spelling and grammar checker. However especially recently I have been able to work with Word 2003 in my workplace and therefore I feel my work stylistically has improved in many respects. Don't worry about your criticisms, I dont mind after all this is all constructive and will allow me to better myself and then everyone benefits.
Back once more, it always seems to bring out the worst in me, writing like this, just goes to show how little of a life I have, continually updating for you guys.
Anyway, time for an update.
Chapter 8: A Decision Made
Lloyd and Presea had made good time crossing the small peninsula that had been created since the worlds were reunited, before when Tethe'alla and Sylvarant were separate, Altamira and the surrounding area had been an island totally isolated from the remainder of the world, all of that had changed since the journey two years prior. It was a dramatic view for the pair crossing the thin strip of land that connected Altamira to the mainland, scarcely two hundred metres wide, the ocean was clearly visible on both sides of the small dirt track they were currently on.
Ahead of them, they saw a carriage for the Lezarano Company being what looked to be hijacked by a pair of rogues, seeing this Lloyd sprang into action with Presea in tow.
"Just give us all the money in the carriage and you can be on your way," the first rogue sneered at the passengers.
"Please just leave us alone, we have no money to give you?" George who happened to be among the passengers cried.
"Well if that's the case we have no more use for you then," the second rogue piped up before drawing back his blade to stab George through the chest.
"Hold it right there!" A loud and booming voice declared, both rogues whipped their heads towards the sound.
"And just who the hell are you?" the rogue asked with a threatening demeanour.
"Tell me your name and I'll tell you mine!" Lloyd declared arrogantly.
"Ha-ha! Very well then brat, my name is Ryzar and I'm about to make this the worst day of your pathetic life." Ryzar said with an edge in his voice.
"Maybe, maybe not, my name is Lloyd Irving and I demand that you leave these people alone," Lloyd narrowed his eyes and let his hands drift towards his sword hilts.
The rogue behind Ryzar looked visibly shaken after hearing the name of their opponent, "Boss?" he asked nervously.
Ryzar glanced over his shoulder at his second in command, "What is it Xandir?"
Xandir pointed a shaky finger at Lloyd and Presea, "I've heard the name before boss, he's the one who destroyed the Desians a couple of years ago!"
Ryzar looked astonished looking upon the youth he was pointing at, "A little whelp like that, haha, Xandir, you've gotten all paranoid on me lad," he sniggered before pointing his sword at Lloyd. "If you want to stop us from killing these people, you will have to beat us first," he threatened.
"Very well," Lloyd retorted simply drawing his swords slowly so as to allow a scraping noise to escape from them as they were drawn, mostly for effect, he knew the rogues were no match for himself and Presea.
"Presea, I'll take these guys alone, if I get into trouble, be ready to jump in." Lloyd said without taking his stare off of the pair in front of him.
Presea nodded but unclipped her axe allowing it to thump into the ground, "Ready," she said simply.
Ryzar and hesitantly Xandir had their weapons ready for the Eternal Swordsman's inevitable attack, the former of which being too arrogant for his own good was taunting him by telling him to "bring it!"
Suddenly Lloyd quickly dashed at his opponents causing them to put up a hasty defence, without any hesitation he took a horizontal slash knocking Xandir's blade from his hand and into a nearby tree.
Xandir yelped in terror as he found himself defenceless in front of quite possibly the fiercest swordsman on Aselia, without a second thought he ran from the fight much to the annoyance of Ryzar.
"Get back here you coward!" Ryzar screamed as he found himself in mid parry with Lloyd, swipe for swipe the two continued the back and forth action until they both relented and continued to stare each other down.
"Not bad, I give you credit, you are much stronger than I thought!" Ryzar complimented as he started to pace around Lloyd.
"Thanks, you aren't too bad yourself," Lloyd replied wiping a fresh layer of sweat from his brow.
"Okay round two!" Ryzar said before quickly moving his sword into striking distance of Lloyd, at the last second Lloyd flicked round and blocked the incoming stab with his right blade before flicking around behind the attacker and giving a grazing cut with his left blade.
Ryzar yelped in pain before falling to his knees dropping his sabre on the ground and trying to nurse the wound across his back but only wincing more as he touched it.
"Now go, I don't want to hurt you," Lloyd reasoned.
"Okay, I'll leave, just don't kill me," he pleaded.
Lloyd felt an overwhelming sense of pity for this man, clearly he was a talented swordsman and it pained him to see him reduced to robbing carriages for the money to get by.
Standing in quiet contemplation, Lloyd opted to open the door to the carriage to see if everyone had remained unharmed. All of a sudden he felt a heavy weight land on his shoulders and push him to the ground. He scrambled to get out from under…Ryzar.
"What happened?" Lloyd asked.
Presea flashed him a thankful glance, "He was about to attack you so I…saved you," she sighed feeling sorrow in her words.
Lloyd walked over to Presea and gave her a light hug, "Thanks, I owe you my life now, I wont forget it," he spoke the last sentence looking into her eyes.
George stepped out of the carriage and gave his thanks to the two people whom had just saved his life, "Thank you ever so much, I shall inform Master Regal of your bravery here today."
Lloyd blushed a bit, "It was nothing really," he scratched behind his head as he looked at the ground.
"Don't be so humble," George requested, "It would be fair to tell you that one of our emissaries that had been watching over the Meltokio sector of the Tethe'allan continents has spotted Miss Fujibayashi in the last few hours and she seemed to be okay."
Lloyd looked visibly relieved, Presea however remained unfazed, feeling uncomfortable with the fact that her time alone with Lloyd could be coming to a close sooner than she expected.
"Thank you so much for telling us, guess we are definitely heading to Meltokio then," Lloyd chirped enthusiastically.
Presea, merely nodded unsure of what to think and even more so what to do when they met up with Sheena again.
Sheena returned to the gate of the Imperial city shortly before dusk, feeling a new confidence in herself after finally deciding on a course of action, she needed to return to Zelos' manor and inform them of the news so that they could possibly give her some last minute advice, basically just to let them know she was okay. She wasn't sure that Zelos would worry but she thought that Raine and Genis probably would which would be unfair to them seeing as how they did nothing to warrant it.
She had held the picture of herself and Lloyd for most of the journey back to Meltokio before a gust of wind almost forced her to lose it, after that she had opted to replace it in her pocket so as not to risk losing the only piece of Lloyd she truly had.
The manor that Zelos lived in still loomed over her as she walked up to the door and prepared to knock on it, however she was surprised when she almost knocked on Sebastian's face instead, the eager butler had opened the door in the split second that her attention had been divided.
"Good evening Miss Fujibayashi," the butler politely spoke.
"Evening Sebastian is Zelos or Raine home?" she questioned.
"Indeed so, please take a seat in the living room, I shall inform the master of your arrival," Sebastian offered beckoning Sheena inside.
The young ninja saw no reason to doubt his words and sat inside the comfortable living area while Sebastian disappeared upstairs.
Zelos and Raine stormed downstairs as soon as they heard Sheena had returned from her day to herself. "Sheena?" Zelos began, "did you decide what's more important to you?"
Sheena smiled, a warm smile that she hadn't displayed in a couple of days as she levelled her gaze with the former chosen, "yes I have," she paused for effect.
Zelos tapped his wrist, "well what have you decided already?" he asked impatiently.
"I've decided that Lloyd is truly the most important thing to me and I will do anything to make sure that I wind up with him and him alone." Sheena finished with vigour.
Raine's eyes lit up at the determination she caught in the young girl's eyes as she spoke those words, "Well I'm sure Lloyd will realise just what he has in you, if he doesn't point him in my direction," she jested.
Sheena grinned from ear to ear, happy that she at least had support from her friends, hell even Zelos seemed to be supporting her decision to be with Lloyd, she could only surmise that it was Raine's influence on him and the fact he had finally got into a stable relationship with someone to change his views on her.
Zelos winked at her "you are more than welcome to use the guestroom, but you may have to wait a little while, it's kind of occupied right now."
Sheena cocked an eyebrow at him, "why? Who's in there just now?"
Zelos laughed a little, "my little sister finally came out of the abbey today, she arrived shortly after you left so I finally have my only member of my family back in my life again," he smiled broadly.
Raine also perked up, "Oh and she happens to have taken a shine to Genis, she has been chasing after him all day."
Sheena laughed at that, she could imagine Zelos' obnoxious little brat of a sister chasing down a poor helpless, well maybe not helpless Genis all around Meltokio. Poor kid, she thought inwardly.
However she was in a good mood and decided not to let the fact that even Genis was discovering love from someone else bring her down, "How about I make my special curry for this evening?" Sheena offered.
Raine smiled "That would be great, would I be able to assist you in the kitchen?" Behind Raine, she could see Zelos waving his arms and mouthing 'no' with wide eyes. However when she turned to stare at him, he looked perfectly normal.
"I would be honoured if you wanted to help out," she grinned at Raine before walking off to the kitchen.
Zelos watched Raine follow with a hop in her step towards the kitchen leaving Zelos on the sofa all alone, Great, here's to my last meal on this world, he sighed slapping a hand on his forehead with closed eyes.
Chapter 8 finished and my first chapter that I have managed to write in it's entirety at work which is a good thing as it kills two birds with one stone.
It gives me time to update and also stops the boredom being so regular.
Not much in the way of action this chapter but If all goes according to plan, the next one should have the moment I can imagine many of you are waiting for. I wont say it just in case I give something away that I shouldn't so I will just leave it here until next time.
