AN: Hey guys! Here is the new update to this story! Well now, nothing much for me to rant on this chapter, so let's straight head to responding to reviews!
Radomaru: Yup! Now it's Leia that gets to join the party as one of the earliest, hehe. And yes, Alvin and Derrick know each other so things are gonna go down! wooo
lol I hope you'll like their interaction here. It's kinda short but I did what I can. Hmm... foreshadowing? Well, we'll just have to see
Hehe, I'm happy you liked the battle. I was afraid with my lack of grammar, my words were... hard to describe what was going on. And yeah, Milla's conviction, I try to show it here and there just like in the game
Nameless Knight: Oh wow, thanks for pointing that out. It's fixed now but didn't notice that. weird.
Wooo Leia! Ah yes, he shall have his talk with Derrick, hehe
Guest: Ah yeah, thanks for pointing that. I've fixed it :)
Hoho... well for now we'll use that system.
Aldehar: Hehe, I wanted to make an impact where Leia is one of the early ones to join the party! Will experiment to see how it goes with her now joining so soon. Ah yes, I also felt the short was fight but since I planend it to be a draw, it's sort of pointless to go too much details, hehe
For now, Milla is learning on her own but as to her teacher? We'll see :3
Oh yes, Fort Gandala will be a juicy event for this story!
Mr. AE Hachi-Roku: Aww but I enjoy reading your guesses! Although I can't respond to them, I like your predictions :P
Ah yeah, I notice you being absent on reviews on new chapters, but no problem! So long as you still enjoy my work, I'm happy
Glad you liekd the battle as well as the reasoning for why Milla can't use the Great Spirits. Not too sure on her char development though.
Indeed! This story is mostly going into different results, so glad you enjoy it so far!
CansIHasYaoi: Hohoho! Glad you found the whole battle on the ship intense! Haha!
Ah well... sometimes in battle, you don't think of everything, hence he did not use the Chromatus lol
Lol, that's true. That Jiao must have been so heavy for the wyvern D:
Huehue glad you're still enjoying the story! Hehe. OH! If you do make some fanart, let me know! I'd love to check them out :D
Eran: Wooo! Leia!
Hehe, well more like Ludger and Alvin got picked up by the same guy, but yeah... they were lucky! XD
Glad you liked that. But there's still more to cover between them. And yeah, poor Jude. :( I feel throughout the story, he always did have conflicts on what he should do. Here, even more so at times
Female Itachi: Wow, this is a long review but since it's an overall review up to chapter 8, understandable (not that I'm complaining. I enjoy long reviews, hehe)
Ah yes. It's a nice moment to see how Chronos, who hates humans, chooses to help a little. I guess it's like the lesser of two evils for him.
Well, Milla has to grow out of it to become strong. She learned her lesson where she cannot always depend on the Great Spirits, or it will slow her down, hehe
Ah, I did not really think about it but the one I had in mind was the wyvern from the castle, lol
Well they should reach Sharilton first, but whether that's where everyone will meet? Only future chapters will tell :D Cline's fate will only be known to me ;)
Hehehe, I've already got plans on how the party will meet Elize & Teepo. And well... it's not going to be pretty :S
Haha, yesh... Alvin will have someione to talk to in Leronde and Leia will be joining the party! Wooohoooo!
GraveBreaker: Thanks mate! I'm glad you find the story so far to be up to standard, hehe
I know what you mean. I originally wondered if he should tell them, but I felt in order for the story to progress, he had to tell them. The fact he already uttered "jude" and "Milla" name when he first met them, he couldn't really lie~ so yeah
Hoho, I'm so GLAD you pointed that out. They will DEFINITELY make an appearence but it'll be some time before they will show up. One of them will appear in this ToX event while the other only in ToX 2, hehe~
Thanks! I hope the story will continue be enjoyable!
Well that's it for the reviews! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter! Let me know!
CHAPTER 9: LERONDE & EXPERIENCE
When Ludger opened his eyes, he was bathed with bright light. He winced lightly and shielded his eyes from the light with one hand, propping himself up with his elbow on his other hand. He realized he was in an unfamiliar room, a small one at that. His memories of what happened slowly came back; the battle on the ship, getting hit by a wyvern and getting picked up by an old fisherman and finding Alvin there. After that, blank.
"Oh crap!" Ludger cried out in panic, looking for one specific item. To his relief, he found his pocket watch where it should be.
He also noted that his weapons were on a medium-sized table on the opposite side of the bed. Well, his dual blades and dual guns anyway. However, since the sledgehammer was huge, it was set upright and leaning on a wall next to the table. Well at least all of his weapons were with him.
The door to the room opened, startling Ludger. A woman with straight black hair and light yellow eyes entered. Ludger's first impression was that she resembled Jude, especially her straight black hair. Behind her, Alvin entered the room as well, giving a casual wave.
"It looks like you're awake." The woman said with a smile, "How're you feeling?"
"I'm… okay, I guess?" Ludger replied, checking his body for any injuries, "Just… a little tired."
"Well you probably just need a day to recover your strength." The woman explained, "After all, old man Danil found you and your friend here in the open sea. No doubt you used up all your energy just swimming for… who knows how long. Just rest up here in the meantime." The woman then approached Ludger and took out a stethoscope, "Now I'm going to need to do a quick check-up."
Ludger nodded and Ellen began the check-up.
Skit: Jude's parents
Available: Ludger & Ellen
Ellen: Now just breathe normally.
Ludger: Erm… so, where am I?
Ellen: Oh how rude of me. I haven't introduced myself, have I? *Clears throat* I'm Ellen Mathis, the wife and assistant of Doctor Derrick Mathis. You're currently in Leronde and at our clinic.
Ludger: M-Mathis?! Wait… so that means, you're Jude's mom? And… this is his dad's clinic?
Ellen: Oh my… you know my son?! *Excited* How do you know him? Are you a student at Talim medical school too? How is he? Is he eating right? What about-
Ludger: Wait, wait! Calm down!
Ellen: Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just… I'm always so busy with work, and I haven't heard from him since he left to study at Fennmont. I… I'm just glad he made a friend. He's always been a little… shy.
Ludger: *Nods*
Ellen: So you're his friend…?
Ludger: That's right.
Ellen: Hmm… now that I've got a good look at you, you're quite good looking. You're… not Jude's lover or anything?
Ludger: W-what?! N-no!
Ellen: Oh okay. I just thought with Jude's lack of interest in girls, that he might 'swing' that way. *smiles*
Ludger: *Nervous laugh*
XXXXXX
"Well everything seems to be normal." Ellen concluded, finishing the check-up, "I'll leave you and your friend for now. You two are healthy, but don't push yourselves, okay? I need to go help the doctor with other patients."
Ludger thanked Ellen and she gave a warm smile before she left the room, closing the door behind her. Alvin was now alone now with Ludger, leaning on the wall next to the door with his arms crossed. With Ellen gone now, Alvin dragged a chair and set it next to the bed, sitting down on it.
Ludger got up and sat on the side of the bed, turning to face Alvin, "So what? You come to settle our fight?"
Alvin raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a direct statement. He laughed for a while before he said, "Hey now, relax. I'm a mercenary and in case you haven't noticed, I sorta lost my employer. Or well, she left me. Depends on whose view you take. Well basically, she's not here so fighting you now will be pointless."
Ludger slowly nodded, "I guess… that makes sense. So what now?"
Alvin finally turned serious, crossing his legs, "…You're from Elympios, right?"
Ludger was silent for a moment, not answering immediately, "…Yes."
"Thought so." Alvin ran his hand through his hair, "Never thought I'd actually meet someone from Elympios but not in Exodus." Alvin stopped and eyed Ludger closely, "You're not from Exodus, right?"
Ludger shook his head, "No. But I know you are."
"Well, I think I'm going to need some answers." Alvin said, "I mean, anyone from Elympios that is stuck in this world… they should be among Exodus. And yet, you have weapons from Elympions but not part of Exodus. I'm totally lost right now. And you said we're 'friends', although I know I've never met you in my life."
"…Well, it's a long story… and it's going to be hard to believe."
Alvin shrugged, "Hit me with what you got."
And so Ludger did. He told the mercenary everything. He began with the basics, about the trial set by the Great Spirit Origin and how it granted him one wish. He explained what happened and how the world was created anew, throwing him into Rieze Maxia one year prior to his meeting with Jude.
After Ludger was done with his tail, Alvin stayed motionless on the chair. He did not move, he did not blink. The only way to tell he was still conscious was his breathing. His mind was trying to make sense of what Ludger told him, but that was pointless. How could the mind comprehend something that was impossible to do?
Finally giving up, Alvin sighed and massaged his temples, "Okay, I think I just got a headache." He laughed at his little joke, but Ludger did not. Alvin sighed for the second time, "Okay I'll admit. I don't… I really don't know what to think. I mean… that's just… what you just told me… how? I mean… that's just impossible!"
"And if you told the people you're from a different world called Elympios, separated by something the Great Spirit Maxwell created called a schism, you think they'd believe you?" Ludger offered.
"…Point taken." Alvin stared up at the ceiling, completely lost, "So… what you're saying is that you meet all of us in a year from now… Also, I wasn't a mercenary anymore? Hell, I left Exodus?" Ludger nodded an affirmative. Alvin scratched the back of his head in frustration, "What happened? Why did I leave Exodus? Don't get me wrong, I never really liked the whole thing but… what made me do it?"
Now it was Ludger who scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Well… thing is, I don't know. I only have a general idea of what happened with you guys. I never asked what happened in detail."
Alvin sighed, "That helps a lot." A heavy silence breached the room. After a while, Alvin got up from the chair, staring down at Ludger, "Well I don't know whether I should believe you or not. But you know a lot of things that outsiders shouldn't. So tell you what. I'll come along with and see for myself. Then I'll know whether you're telling the truth or not."
Alvin then offered his hand for a handshake. Ludger stared at his hand for a while, then at him. The mercenary winked, prompting Ludger to get up from the bed and accept it. The handshake was firm and the agreement was made.
"Well, I guess this makes you my employer for now." Alvin remarked with a grin.
Ludger grunted at that, "I don't have any money to pay you with though."
"It's just my way of saying that I'll work with you." Alvin said.
Ludger found the current Alvin definitely different than the one he knew in the original timeline. This Alvin seemed to hold something back, as if holding on all his cards. Whereas the Alvin he knew was more honest and earnestly did what was best for everyone, this one was difficult to trust. Whatever it was, Ludger had to show the mercenary his words were the truth. That was the only way to open the mercenary's eyes.
Just then, the door burst open and in came Leia. "Hey guys!" Leia greeted loudly, "You guys are discharged from the clinic! And since you guys don't have a place to stay, you're all welcome to stay at my family's inn!"
"We're already discharged?" Ludger asked, surprised.
Leia nodded, "Yup! Doctor Mathis said you guys aren't really that sick, just exhausted. So what you guys need is a good place to rest! And my family's inn is the best place! You'll even get a discount!"
"We still have to pay?" Alvin questioned.
"Of course!" Leia retorted, "Hey, you guys should be thankful that you're getting a free medical treatment. Besides, you guys will love the inn! Dad makes the best kind of food!"
Alvin was not sure about that and turned to Ludger. Seeing a friend like that, Ludger relented, "Fine. Not like we have a place to spend the night anyway." Ludger then turned to Alvin with a sheepish smile, "You… mind paying for the night?"
"Now you're asking me to pay for it? Some kind of client you are." Alvin joked. He then turned to Leia, "Well show us the way, little lady."
Leia pouted in anger, "Little? I'm almost an adult you know!"
Alvin ruffled Leia's hair as a response, emphasizing his height, "Yeah? Well, you're still a kid to me." However, Alvin yelped in pain when Leia kicked his shins in retaliation. After a moment to recover, he said, "Well, you hit like an adult, that's for sure."
"Whatever!" Leia said with mock anger. "Now come on! I'll show you guys to the inn."
Ludger obeyed and Alvin followed, finally willing to stop his teasing. Outside the room, there were numerous other patients waiting for their turn. All of them said hi or nodded at Leia. Leronde was a small town after all. The townspeople knew one another.
"By the way… err… Ludger, right?" Leia asked. Ludger nodded and she continued, "I heard from that you're a friend of Jude's?"
"Yeah?"
"Oh that's good!" Leia smiled, pulling Ludger's arm and now running for her inn, "I want you to tell me everything about his time in Fennmont!"
Ludger could hardly form a respond as he had to make sure he kept up with the girl, or he would tumble over. Alvin on the other hand simply continued at a leisurely pace. He was just walking out of the clinic's entrance when the doctor's office opened, calling for the next patient to see him. And it was then that Alvin and the Doctor Mathis eyes met. Instantly, the doctor's eyes widened in fear and recognition, unconsciously mouthing Alvin's name.
Alvin grinned and exited the clinic, closing the door. 'Well things are getting really interesting.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"It looks like a checkpoint…" Jude said, taking a peek from the corner of the tree.
"It seems that they are looking for us." Milla noted, "I guess those wanted posters we saw at the Sapstrath seahaven mean we're still wanted fugitives."
Jude nodded. Thankfully they were able to exit the seahaven without being recognized by anyone. That was partly maybe because the wanted posters sketch was horrible. However now at the Sapstrath highroad, it looks like their luck had come to a halt. There was just no way to sneak past this time. And there were too many soldiers to take all of them. And even if they did, they would simply call for reinforcements.
Jude started analyzing his surroundings, checking for any alternate routes. There were some visible monsters lurking about, the highroad and then some cliffs. It was then he recalled about their location. He jogged up some memories of Rashugal's geography and then, it hit him.
"Milla, follow me." Jude whispered and grabbed Milla's hand, "I know another way to Sharilton."
Milla was impressed Jude found a way so quickly, not questioning the medical student. That was how much she trusted him. Or perhaps she was far too trusting. After all, she was not fully aware of human relationships.
Jude started climbing a cliff and Milla followed suit. Once atop of the cliff, Jude pointed at a pathway leading into what seemed to be a dense forest. "We can use the Sapstrath Deepwood to bypass the checkpoint. Also, there are two entrances to this area. One is the one we're using and there's another one close to Sharilton."
Milla rest her index finger on her chin, impressed, "I see… I'm glad you're with me Jude. This definitely helps."
"No problem." Jude replied, happy that he helped.
The two entered the Sapstrath Deepwood, where the environment changed drastically. The area was heavily covered with nature; large trees, rocks and plants. Of course there were the occasional monsters here and there, which Jude and Milla quickly took care of.
Jude led the way, being the one most familiar with the region. Technically, it was his first time here though. He relied on his memory of the map of the area, something he sort-of memorized during his studies. After all, as a medical student, the Sapstrath Deepwood had some unique flora and fauna that could be used as medicine.
The pair had been travelling inside the Deepwood for an hour now, battling monsters every once in a while. They climbed another cliff when a large monster engaged them. It was a fairly large monster, dark green in color that complimented with its surrounding. It had what seemed to be thick vines or branches as arms and on top of its head was a strange, average-size flower.
Jude got into his defensive stance, "Milla, careful. That's a Sylvan Treant. It's quite tough and has a far reach with its arms."
Milla drew out her sword, "Don't worry. Besides, I believe this will be an excellent opportunity to train my skills with the sword."
"Huh? Milla, wait! Don't be reckless!" Jude called out but the Lord of Spirits already dashed in.
Milla was quick but the green monster instantly swung its wooden, branchy arms towards Milla once she was in range. She tried breaking the monster's arms by smashing her blade head on, assuming it had the same materials as trees. She was wrong however, her sword simply bouncing back. She saw the other arm coming at her from below, so she jumped and avoided the attack. Efreet appeared by Milla's side, channeling a fire arte.
"You will not interfere Efreet!" Milla ordered, "I must not rely on you or Sylph all the time."
"But Lord Maxwell…!" Efreet started to protest but one look from Milla and the Great Spirit obeyed. Sylph giggled at this, causing Efreet to glare daggers at him.
The monster continued throwing its branch-like arms at Milla, compelling the Lord of Spirits to continuously dodge and block each attack. However the monster was so preoccupied with Milla that it forgot about Jude. He came in from the monster's right, going in at full speed with a fist drenched in flame. 'Raging Blast!'
The Sylvan Treat was knocked away from the punch and ran around in circles, trying to fan out the flames. With this opportunity, both Milla and Jude attacked simultaneously. Despite the flames, the monster still proved to be a challenge, able to fend both fighters off.
Milla found the battle invigorating as well as a wonderful learning experience for combat. Slowly, she was beginning to adapt to the weight of the sword, reading the monster's movements and also forming different form of attacks. She was not the best yet but with this, she hoped in the near future she could fend off enemies without the assistance of the Great Spirits.
The monster finally managed to slam its right arm against Jude. The attack sent Jude flying away before crashing against the bark of a tree, throwing the medical student out of the fight temporarily. In retaliation, Milla released a series of vicious attacks, each of them severely injuring the monster. On her last attack, she spun around and slashed one of the monster's arms off before throwing a mini-fireball, blasting the monster in the face. The monster was close to death, and Milla moved in for the final blow. Unfortunately, Milla failed to notice the smokes shroom in front of her, stepping on it. Instantly it released a cloud of odorless gas, blinding Milla with tears and choking her.
"What… is this?" Milla wheezed, coughing and trying to fan the smoke away.
"Oh no…" Jude muttered, struggling to get up, "She stepped… on smoke shroom spores… I need… to hurry!"
Milla was completely vulnerable, blind and unable to defend herself. She rubbed her eyes and when she finally managed to open her eyes, she saw the monster's arm about to smash her head in. Efreet and Sylph were about to intervene when Jude reached first, smashing his fist into the monster's arm, breaking it into pieces. Then he sent a fury of blows at the monster, finally killing it.
Jude was panting heavily but immediately ran to Milla's sides, checking her, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Milla shook her head, "No, I'm fine Jude. Thank you. If you weren't here, I might have been in serious trouble." At this comment, Efreet grunted in annoyance. He would have protected his master.
"I'm just glad you're safe." Jude said, wiping some sweat from his brow.
Milla stared at the weird stuff she stepped on, "What was that just now? When I stepped on it, I…"
"It's called a smoke shroom spore. Once you step on it, it releases gas that will make your throat dry and your eyes to cry. Monsters here normally use it to their advantage." Jude explained and then chastised Milla, "You should really be more careful of your surroundings. That's something my martial arts teacher taught me. It can really help you in a fight."
Milla nodded, "I guess you're right. I've still got a lot I need to improve on." She was about to start walking when an aching pain on her ankle stopped her, "Ow!"
"You okay?" Jude quickly gestured Milla to sit down as he felt her injured ankle, checking for injuries, "It looks like you sprained it during the fight. It's okay though, I'll heal it and you should be fine." Jude started pouring healing artes into her injured ankle.
The two shared a small moment of silence, with Jude focusing on healing Milla. It was a nice change of pace since they had been on the move for a long time with little rest. Now, even if for a moment, they could enjoy the company of one another for a while. Milla especially appreciated that Jude was with her. His assistance had been invaluable.
When Jude was about to finish the healing procedure, he turned to Milla to report. However, his instantly blushed deep red. Because of Milla's attire and short skirt, with the way she was posed, Jude was able to see a lot of exposed skin. He was already aware of her beauty and with the way she was now, it was almost too much for a guy at his age. He quickly looked away, but the effects on him were already quite visible.
"Jude? Are you alright?" Milla asked and saw that he was blushing, "Are you sick again?"
"N-no! I'm fine! Just… no, never mind!" Jude said quickly. He was too embarrassed to face her.
Milla however was stubborn and reached out to Jude and grabbing his face. With strength, she forced him to look at her and their eyes met. Jude tried to look away but somehow, he could not. And Milla stared back. She realized she never appreciated the beauty that humans' eyes held. Or somehow, she felt as if Jude's eyes were the only she was mesmerized with. However when she realized the pain in her ankle had disappeared, she quickly got back up.
"Well then… let us go!" Milla barked, not sure why she felt heat on her cheeks, "We do not have time to waste!"
"R-r-right!" Jude responded quickly. The two quickly started their track to find the exit of the Sapstrath Deepwood.
The two Great Spirits kept watch of the surroundings, making sure no other monsters would ambush the two. However while doing so, Sylph kept thinking, "I'm positive I felt Lord Maxwell's heartbeat increased when interacting with Jude. Any idea why that is so Efreet?"
"Just focus on your duty Sylph." Efreet dismissed, "We're Spirits. We're not well-versed in human emotions." Despite that, Sylph continued bugging Efreet about it.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ludger, Leia and Alvin were all at a dining table, eating dinner prepared by Leia's mother, Sonia Rolando. Although the meal was decent enough, Ludger was heavily interrogated by Leia's parents whenever she was gone. Alvin claimed he was a mercenary, so he was saved from their questioning. It took a lot of convincing from Ludger that he was not a suitor or anything like that.
Throughout dinner, Leia was mostly asking Ludger questions about Jude. As a childhood friend, she was genuinely concerned for him, although Ludger and Alvin could tell she also had feelings for him.
"Leia, you're responsible with you're the guests!" Sonia hollered from the kitchen, "Your father and I are going to clean up and then head to bed. You hear me?!"
"Yes mom!" Leia called back before shifting her attention back to Ludger, "Wow it's already night huh? I guess time sure flies when you're having fun." Leia then got back to her questions, "So Ludger, are you a student at Fennmont as well?"
Before Ludger could answer, Alvin got up from his seat, "Sorry kids, but you guys continue with your chat. I'm just gonna have a little walk… get some fresh air. I'll catch you guys tomorrow."
"Alright!" Leia said, waving Alvin goodbye, "You're sharing the same room with Ludger, alright? Just wake him up when you're back!"
Alvin gave a thumb up and exited the inn. Ludger was perplexed and asked, "Wake me up? W-what do you mean? Why don't you just give him a key?"
Leia stuck her tongue out and bumped her head with her hand, acting like a cute girl, "Hehehe, well… our inn doesn't have enough spares so…"
Ludger sighed, "Fine… guess I'll bear with it."
With Alvin now gone, Ludger decided he might as well act now. Leia was part of the group that destroyed the schism. She was also a powerful fighter of her own right. He needed to get her to help now.
"So as I was saying…" Leia said but Ludger cut her off.
"Leia," Ludger said seriously, "I'm going to ask you something… and I need you to give me an honest answer."
Leia, sensing the serious tone also got serious, "Err… okay?"
"Alvin and I are going to be leaving Leronde tomorrow." Ludger explained, "We're going to try and meet up with Jude, who should be in Sharilton." Ludger stopped there, letting Leia comprehend his words, "What I'm asking Leia… is will you follow us on our journey?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alvin felt the cool sea breeze blowing gently. A cool, night walk in a town such as this; it was bliss. Even for a mercenary like him, this was a rare moment to find. While most of the residents had retired to their homes, there still some still enjoying the night air as well. But of course, being how he was, Alvin was only telling a half-truth about wanting to enjoy the night air. He made his way for his destination and once he reached it, he was glad the door was not locked.
The wooden floor creaked with each step he took, but he did not care. It was not like he was trying to hide his presence. He was about to explore more of the clinic in search of his target, but there was no need. The person he was looking for was calmly sitting in his office, staring back at him. Alvin chuckled when their eyes met. Alvin moved to the door and turned the door knob, opening the door.
"Sorry doc, but looks like you got one last patient to see." Alvin said, taking a seat.
Doctor Derrick Mathis found no humor in that little joke, "I had a feeling you'd come. Why did you appear? I'm no longer working with that organization! I'm happy here."
Alvin smirked, "Don't worry doc. I've got other things I want to talk to you about."
Doctor Mathis narrowed his eyes, wondering what it was.
CHAPTER END
