Chance for Sunshine by Wordsworthy
Disclaimer: I obviously do not own the Suikoden series since obviously Konami does, along with all other references made over the course of the story. This is, after all, just a fanfiction written for the sole purpose of entertainment and not for any profit motive what so ever. So please just enjoy the story and do not sue me for this. If you wish to know more about the series, please support the companies producing them directly and purchase their merchandise if you like.
Chapter 10: Indelible
A knocked sounded at the oak door, bringing the conversation at hand between the leader of the pirates and her guests to a temporary standstill.
"Enter."
A burly bear of a crewman entered as directed and righted himself respectfully in their leader's presence.
"We've received word that the Endeavour is approaching from the north by northwest, madam."
"I see. See to the necessary arrangements."
"Aye, madam."
"The Endeavour?" asked the younger guest in the captain's quarters after the crewman took his leave.
"Ah… it is one of the newer frigates in the Island Nation navy. An oddity really, in the fact that it is captained by one of the few who inherited some common sense in that damn bloodline."
"Bloodline… you mean the Egans? Come to think of it, we've only really met Admiral Skald and Bernadette… Georg, do you know them well?"
"Mmm… well… I can't say I know them on a personal basis other than the Admiral, but I am acquainted with a few of the others. They are a rather well established clan in the Island Nations, with many of their members involved in the workings of the Federation politics and military."
"Hmmph… most of them are either hotheads or fools, depending on how you look at them. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, if you know what I mean. It is mostly to the female Egans credit that the Island Nations hadn't run aground financially, or gotten involved in some pointless war."
The white haired pirate lady let fly with a few more sarcastic remarks after downing another shot of rum. It would appear that some grievances ran rather deep with the females when it came to that family.
"I wonder who it would be…" pondered Georg aloud.
"Saa… judging by the state of things, with the Lino en Kuldes out of the picture… probably Bernadette Egan…"
"Eh! Bern's coming!?"
A certain very cute pirate captain suddenly stuck her head out from behind the panels cordoning off the bed chambers, leading the older sister to heave a long sigh again at the very telling reaction.
"I might be repeating this, but we've a complicated relationship with the Egans." admitted pirate leader while her sister shrunk obediently back behind the panels.
"I'm afraid to imagine..."
A short awkward silence elapsed before the host and guests downed their shots of rum, trying their best to either really not imagine or run away from reality.
"Would you mind if i ask something a stupid question?"
It was Georg who was curious this time.
"Go ahead. Rather, please."
"What exactly are you? What's the different between a Pirate Captain and a Pirate Boss?"
"Ah... that question. Mmm... mmm..."
The pirate lady actually looked strangely happy that a familiar question came up.
"The title of Pirate Queen actually belongs to my sister. In the words of the previous Pirate Queen, my sister is the one who has inherited the 'heart' and 'spirit' of the pirates of old. Hence, she is the undisputed captain of the Grishend, the flagship of the Pirate Queen that holds immeasurable meaning to not just us pirates, but the entire Island Nations as a whole."
There was an unmistakable sense of pride and love in her words, one that made Frey slightly envious for reasons that escape him for now.
"However, my sister still has some growing up left to do before she can best this many headed sea serpent that our organisation has become. In the meanwhile, I am to manage the organisation in her stead until she is ready to do so. The lads call me Boss in lieu of a formal position, I guess. However..."
"I'm so ready to retire you know, whenever that might be.."
"Uguu..."
That little dig drew a cute moan from beyond the panels of the bed chambers again, perhaps proving once more that elder siblings tended to lean towards a certain disposition, or so it seems.
"If I may... that little fight we had earlier... what was that thing you did?"
The lady in question raised a brow quizzically as the young man's query.
"What thing?" replied the woman coyly.
"That disappearing trick thing." insisted Frey with ill-disguised interest and ambivalence.
"Don't you know its impolite to pry into someone else's trade secrets?"
"I've seen something like it. I'm just being cautious."
"Where?" asked the pirate woman in a snappy return as her brows became slightly furrowed.
Realising that the other person had the right of way regarding the information he was after, Frey relented and opted for a little truthfulness, in hopes of receiving some in return.
"One of the assasins in Nethergate did something similar."
"Ah..." A small sound of realization lapsed from the previously quiet Georg who had been listening all along.
Dolph...
"Nethergate... the organisation of assasins working for the Falenan royal factions... interesting but... i doubt its the same technique."
"How can you tell?"
"Hmmm... for starters, that... disappearing act as you call it, is part of the swordstyle created by my Master."
The pirate woman wet a slender digit with the contents of her rum glass before drawing out two foreign looking characters on the top of the bar counter to illustrate a point. However, only Georg showed some sign of recognition between the two guests.
"Your Master is from the Western Continent?"
A shrug of her bare shoulders seemed to be all that she was privy to answer before she continued.
"In a nutshell, you'll need an extensive grasp of several of our key techniques, mastery of various applications of runic magic and a certain degree of body modifications to be able to use it. Learning the swordstyle is next to impossible without my Master's machination. I barely made the grade myself."
"Mmm..." said Frey idly as he went into deep thought. "When you say body modification, you meant the strengthening of physical attributes beyond one's natural development right?"
"That's correct."
"You can't defeat me in that condition. Surely you realise that..."
"Could it be done through the use of drugs and such?"
"Like?"
"I think I might have overdosed. My wounds don't bleed and I feel no pain."
"How about Raging Nostrum? Nethergate has a variety of other similar things along those lines."
"Perhaps... if someone were to reach that kind of speed through drug induced body modification alone... it must be someone with a death wish."
"Death wish..."
"To repay their kindness, I tried all sorts of drugs so I could better serve them."
Stop!
"..."
"..."
No one said a word about the crazed glint of pain that ghosted fleetingly on the young man's features. Apart from a brief meeting of glances, it was as though it was a mere figment of one's imagination.
"... Well... I should be able to tell if someone else is using the same swordstyle immediately if I see it in person."
"Ah... that's not necessary. Rather, its not possible anymore..."
"Is that so? Why is that?"
"After all, I've already turned him into ash."
Elsewhere, beneath a sprawling landscape of crumbling spires and ill maintained cobblestones, a lone hooded figure in black flitted past the sparse few pedestrians around as the persistent shower of blackened rain gradually devolved into an unforgiving deluge.
A gloved hand reached up and pulled the hood closer together as faint wisps became more evident with the worsening rain intensity. With quickened steps, the hooded figure turned the nearest corner and entered one of the nearby buildings with the yet plausible reason of taking shelter from the black rain.
While the interior of the building seemed to possess the size and majesty of some past splendor, both the aged floorboards and the many rows of rundown seats showed obvious signs of decay and disrepair. Sporadic pools of black water gathered where the rain had eaten past the old roof. Still, it was much drier compared to being out of the main street. Plus, there were still some functioning seats left, one of which was eventually taken by the hooded figure.
A faint murmur arose from beneath the black hood, one that would not seem out of place in the old dilapidated church. If not for the content being murmured of course.
"...kafute... difficult... entrenched... higher clergy..."
"... disturbing... suspicious... contact..."
"... earth... bishop... warn... "
"... delay... training... prepare..."
The murmurs eventually died down a few minutes after the shadows flickered inconspicuously. It was to be a while more before the hooded figure moved, a gloved hand reaching to loosen a part of his cloak.
A small head of white fur peeked out of the well concealed pocket.
"Please bear with me for a while more Mr Mouse... Oh, did you hear what Raven said? Sagiri and Shigure have agreed to be part of the Queen Knights."
A tiny squeak was all it took to share their muted sense of happiness for their friends' progress.
Author's notes:
I've had the skeleton of a few chapters lying around, but it's thanks to the few reviewers that encouraged me to flesh it out. If people are fine with reading my writing, I'll try to find time to dust off the partial chapters for this story~
As always, reviews are welcome.