Chapter XI

They had finally reached Jidoor and were on the lookout for a place to stay. Before they had left the last town Shin had checked his wallet to make sure that they had enough gold that they would be able to pay for room and board while in town. After seeing that there was less gold than he had thought he had been forced to go to the money lender and draw upon his squads reserves. Not only that but Shin thought it was the best place to ditch the cape, the town was out of the way and the perfect place for him to have been spying on the girl. It felt odd being in his armor but not having to deal with the cloth that hung from his back that he had gotten so used to.

Jidoor was a large enough town that the citizens paid no mind to the soldier and his female companion. They had their own garrison in the city and Shin was hoping that none of them were on the lookout for Terra or there would be trouble. Blending in with a group they were able to get past the guards as the city entrance. Presence of the garrison also made Shin debate if he should lose his armor or not, he didn't want to get mistaken as a deserter. No need to attract unwanted attention to them, it was the reason he had left his cape behind after all. Selling his armor was out of the question as only the army could wear that color and leaving it behind wouldn't be a good idea as anyone could simply take it then.

Having never passed through Jidoor Shin didn't know the layout of the town or the location of the inns. After they had rebuilt from their previous destruction they hadn't set it up the same way so Terra was just as lost as Shin. Walking around they hadn't stumbled across any of the town's inns which meant trying to talk with one of the bustling townsfolk that really didn't want to give them the time of day let alone directions. It wasn't until they headed into a store that they got any directions, only after they had bought some unneeded potions.

Following the route the shopkeeper had told them Shin and Terra soon came to find a rather extravagant looking inn. Curtains that cost more than some people made in a month hung in the windows and the paint was nice and glossy, someone made sure that it stayed clean.

"This place looks expensive to say the least," Shin commented as they stood in the street looking at the building. Taking a glance at the shops around them the entire street seemed to be well kept.

"There should be someplace less, extravagant." Terra sounded sure of herself, she knew that a place like the inn they were looking at was way out of their price range. Had she been on her own she wouldn't have even stopped to look at the building as passed it by.

"We should head in though. In towns like this the inns generally know each other and someone should be able to point us in the direction of a cheaper place." Heading up the stairs leading to the door Shin paused to let Terra catch up to him before he opened the door.

Inside was as classy as you would have expected from the outside. Large tables took up the floor space with fat merchants sitting around conversing. A large roaring fire could be seen in the hearth warming the slight chill Shin and Terra had from staying outside for so long. Near the back of the room there was a small stage where a band sat playing a soft tune, it didn't drown out the merchants but could still be heard over the chatter.

What was more interesting was the woman that stood on the stage, her voice accompanying the music. She wore a white dress and her long blonde hair was pulled back with a lavender ribbon. Her light colored hair and white dress only highlighted the fact that the girl's skin tone was pale. As she sang her eyes were closed but from time to time they would open to reveal a striking blue. Shin felt entranced by the woman's voice and wondered how the patrons were able to talk so casually as such a beautiful voiced sang for them.

Hearing a soft gasp next to him Shin looked over at Terra who had her hand over her mouth. A shocked looked was displayed on her face as her violet eyes landed on the singing woman. Once the shock had worn off the look became one of recognition. Shin got the feeling that Terra knew the singer and they would be staying long enough for her to go and talk with the woman. Grabbing Terra's hand he led her to one of the empty seats near the stage so that the singer would have a chance to see Terra too. A waitress came and asked if they wanted anything, Shin ordered a very cheap drink knowing that an inn this classy would require him to purchase something if he wished to stay and enjoy the show.

About halfway through the second song was when the woman spotted Terra sitting at the table in front of her. Shin was able to tell because the woman had to sing the same word twice to get over the shock of seeing the familiar face. It confirmed to Shin that both girls did indeed know each other and he had made the right choice in staying. Now having seen Terra the woman seemed a little uncomfortable on stage and kept stealing glances at the two sitting in front of her. Some of the looks Shin swore were just for him, and they weren't pleasant ones.

Two songs later whoever the girl was had finished singing and hopped down off the stage. Quickly crossing the small gap between stage and the table she sat down in the empty seat next to Terra. A glass of water was quickly brought over to the table by the same waitress that had taken Shin's order. While she had made her way to the table rather quickly Shin had noticed that the woman carried herself more like a warrior than a singer.

"I couldn't believe that was you up on stage," Terra said to the girl once she had taken a drink.

"I owed the innkeeper a favor and singing was the easiest way to pay it back," the woman responded like it was nothing.

"Still to see you singing in front of people. You wouldn't have done that the last time I saw you." Terra had a far off look, she was doing her best to remember what she could about the person she was talking with. "If I remember right you didn't think singing was something worthwhile. It was sad to hear you say such a thing when you have such a beautiful voice."

"Yeah well, if it wasn't for my good for nothin' boyfriend I probably wouldn't have stuck with it. I sure as hell wouldn't be singing at an inn if it weren't for him either." Shin sensed some hostility in the woman's voice but he felt that some of it was forced.

"You have a boyfriend?" Terra seemed shocked that her friend was dating someone.

"You don't have to look so surprised you know." This woman didn't even try to hide the fact that she was just playing with Terra.

"I'm sorry Celes," Terra quickly apologized as she completely missed the fact she was being toyed with.

"Looks like you've been doing pretty well yourself," Celes rested her chin in her hand as she looked over at Shin, it was the look of a tigress finding a small weak antelope cut off from the rest of the herd. While the girls had been talking Shin had been content to just sit there and let them enjoy catching up. Now he had been roped in and he was sure that he wasn't going to like where it was going to go. "I never pegged you as the girl to go for the knight in shining armor type." Shin choked on his drink at the implications of what Celes just said.

"Shin's just helping me look for something that's all," Terra told Celes. Based on how vague Terra just was it seemed that even Celes didn't know about the creature that was hunting Terra.

"Is that so? How'd you manage to get a knight to help you out with that?"

"Simple, I offered." It was a simple version of the truth and by far the easiest explanation of what had happened. There was no need to explain what was going on anyways.

"Oh? And just what is it that she needs help locating?" Again Shin got the feeling that more was behind the words that what their face value would imply.

"Come on Celes leave Shin alone," Terra practically pleaded with the other woman.

"Alright," Celes conceded, "I'll leave him alone. For now."

True to her word Celes didn't press the matter any longer. Instead she sat and talked with Terra leaving Shin to do nothing but listen to them as they talked about what had happened since they last saw each other. Overhearing that it had been six years since Terra had passed through Jidoor it was no surprise then that she was shocked by some of the things that Celes had done since then. Take for instance back when Terra was staying in town Celes had wanted to join the town's guard but had been turned away because she couldn't get permission from her family. Should a family have only one kid the child would need signed documents from the parents that allowed them to join the army. It promoted people to have large families so that their children could join the army with little problem. Even with documents it would be hard for a female to join the army as they were more expected to stay home rather than join the battlefield.

Excusing himself after some time Shin got up to stretch his legs, not only that but also to give the two girls some time alone. Exiting the building Shin had to put his hand up to block the sun. It was no longer high in the sky but making its way down for the night. They had really spent some time at the inn and it didn't look like they would be leaving anytime soon, it took time to catch up on six years worth of events.

Standing outside Shin watched the people of Jidoor walk by. You couldn't tell by looking at them that only a few short years ago the town had been leveled and many people had lost their lives to an unknown monster. The bustling streets gave the impression that the town had stood for centuries and would still be here in the centuries to come.

Figuring that Terra would still be at the inn when he came back Shin headed down the street to see about finding the location of another place for them to stay. He supposed that he could just ask Celes, or the innkeeper, but he wanted to busy himself while he waited for the women to finish their talk. As he headed down the street Shin stopped and watched a group of people head into a small shop. A line stretched out the door of the store and when the group headed in Shin had been able to smell something sweet coming from inside. Whatever the place was making it must have been in high demand if people were willing to line up for it.

Continuing down the street Shin took a turn down an alley to come out on a far busier path. While the road he had just come from hadn't been deserted this street was jam packed with people milling about. Feeling right at home in the throng of people Shin pushed through to get to the other side so he could try to find a place less busy. Wearing his armor Shin was afforded the courtesy befitting a soldier, meaning that people did their best to move out of his way.

After making his way through various streets Shin had been able to find lodging that was more fitting for his budget. Making a mental map of how to get back to the inn Shin headed to go and see if Terra was finally done or not. Reaching the street he remembered the inn to be on Shin looked up and down to see if he had the right place or not. A shriek caught his attention causing his head to spin to face the direction the noise had come from. Standing in full armor was a squad of soldiers, they were standing right outside of the inn where Terra was at.

Being the smart man that he was, Shin didn't charge forth to rescue the damsel that might be in distress. If he went rushing in to check on Terra and the squad wasn't there for her then he would have only created a problem for himself. What he needed to do was wait and see what was going. Undoing the buckles that held his armor on Shin removed his chestplate and vambraces. Hiding his armor under a tarp so he could come and collect it later Shin headed over to the inn looking like nothing more than an average swordsman.

"Halt," one of the soldiers told Shin as he bared his blade. "We're apprehending a dangerous woman and we don't need you interfering."

"This woman, is she about yea tall?" Shin held his hand up to where the top of Terra's head would be, about shoulder height. "Blonde hair and violet eyes?"

"I take it you have seen this woman." The soldier looked back at the doors of the inn clearly waiting for something to be coming out.

"Aye," Shin stated. Casually resting his hand on his sword's hilt Shin debated about the best course of action. They were certainly here for Terra and he couldn't let them take her in, there would be too much blood spilled if she was taken to Vector like the King wanted. He couldn't fight the soldiers, there were too many of them and they didn't know what they were doing could bring death to an entire town. Still he needed to figure out a way that he could get Terra away without causing a fight to break out.

This choice was taken away from Shin before he could come up with another plan. His magic senses went wild even before he heard the explosion come from inside the inn. None of the soldiers had been ready either, each simply stared at the doors of the inn. Seizing the opportunity their confusion presented Shin dashed towards the doors.

Making his way inside Shin braced for the worst. Lying on the ground were two dead soldiers, their swords in their hands. Their arm had been stained black by the heat of the explosion that had killed them, the wood near their feet shared the same scorch marks. Traces of magic could be felt coming from Celes as she stood next to Terra with one hand held out in front of her.

"Shin!" Terra called out when she spotted him. Celes on the other hand stepped in front of Terra blocking Shin from reaching her.

"What do you guys want Terra for?" Celes questioned calmly.

"It's a good question, one that under normal circumstances would deserve an answer." Shin looked back at the door. "We only have a few moments before the guys out there get over their shock and come barging in to see what happened."

"Celes," Terra moved out from behind her friend, "Shin's helping me. He's not going to take me in, you can trust him." Lowering her hand Celes gave a quick nod to Terra in understanding. Walking over to one of the soldiers she had killed Celes picked up his sword. She inspected the weapon, looking over the blade checking to see how sharp it had been kept. Without warning Celes' hands dropped to the skirt of her dress, around her knees, and she cleanly tore it cutting the length in half.

"If you aren't taking Terra in then I expect you to help her escape. There's a back entrance and I want you two to head out of it. They might not have let me in the army but that doesn't mean I didn't learn how to fight."

"No! Celes you can't." Terra appeared mortified at what Celes was suggesting.

"Are you sure? It's a full squad you're dealing with. Once they realize you are able to fight they won't hold back and they'll use their magic." Shin wanted to make sure that Celes knew what she was getting into before he took any action himself.

"I'll counter their magic with my own, I'm no slacker when it comes to the arcane." It wasn't bravado in Celes' voice, she was confident that she would be able to hold back the soldiers.

"I see." Walking over to the two girls Shin put his hand on Celes' shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "In that case." Gripping her shoulders tightly Shin stopped Celes from moving out of the way as he rammed his head into hers. Having anticipated the pain Shin was already healing his head with the magicite in his pocket while Celes dropped to the ground. "Don't need you dying," Shin told the unconscious girl.

"Celes," was all Terra said before Shin grabbed her hand and led her towards the back of the inn. They had to go through the kitchen, which was devoid of anyone, but they found the back entrance and were able to leave the inn without incident.

When they got to the street though they ran into a problem. A group of soldiers, different than the squad that had been waiting in the front, stood in their way. Each of the soldiers had their swords drawn and a fireball in the other hand. For each of them to have magic strong enough to conjure a fireball they had to be using magicite. Four of the flaming orbs shot over the duo setting the building behind them aflame.

"Hand over the girl," the squad leader said as he stepped forward.

"You have no clue what'll happen if you take her back to Vector," Shin tried to warn the man.

"A big fat purse is the only thing that'll happen. Out of my way or we'll go through you boy." Like Celes had just done moments ago Shin moved to stand between Terra and the soldiers that threatened to take Terra away. "So be it, you'll regret this."

-o-O-o-

Kaiser raced down the road on the back of a horse. He had run into Shin's squad and had been able to talk the men into letting him take the horse so that he could reach Shin faster. They had seen their captain's personal sword on Kaiser's back and knew that the younger brother would only be bringing the weapon out if he felt that Shin was in trouble. The temperamental horse had been happy to see Kaiser, recognizing the teen as someone that took care of him. Another reason the soldiers had been willing to let Kaiser take his brother's horse was because Trombe refused to let others handle him without Shin in view, Kaiser being an exception to this rule.

Yesterday Kai had finally reached the town where the magic tracer said that Shin should be. As he got closer Kai was better able to pinpoint the exact location of the cape that Shin should have been wearing. Being led to a small building near the edge of the town Kai had been more than pissed when he didn't find his brother on the other side of the door. Instead a rather thin man was wearing the cape like a cloak, using the material to block the wind. Fighting back the urge to unleash his frustrations on the man hadn't stopped Kaiser from yelling out his question. The sickly man had buckled under the pressure of Kai's semi-controlled rage and told him that a nice young man had given it to him for a meager gold coin.

It was at that point that Kaiser knew that Shin didn't want to be found. If he had gone and sold his cape for such a cheap price, the material alone was worth a good forty gold, than Shin wanted to avoid the army. Why he didn't want to be found was the question that plagued Kaiser's mind. Had the girl he was hunting caught him and sensed the magic woven into the cape forcing him to get rid of it so they wouldn't be tracked? After learning that he'd no longer be able to track his brother with magic Kaiser had gone through the town asking if anyone could remember seeing a man that fit Shin's description. The town's innkeeper had told Kai that he had let a man that looked like Shin stay the night, he was also quick to share that he had spent the night in the same room as his female companion.

Learning what direction Shin had headed in after leaving town from the innkeeper Kaiser had mounted Trombe and raced down the road in the direction of Jidoor, it was the next town that the road would take him to. They had a two days head start on foot and with any luck Kai would be able to reach the city around the same time as them, should nothing get in his way. A single man on horseback attracted a lot of attention from the local monsters. More specifically the Man-Eating Buds where the monsters that had caught Kaiser and the horse Trombe. A Man-Eating Bud was an abnormally large yellow-gold flower with black spots on the edges of the petals. Where the bud on a normal flower was found you could see a large mouth instead that was ready to swallow a poor traveler in one gulp. Three vines broke out from behind the main flower each ending in a small bulb that opened up to a smaller version of the main flower.

One of the monstrous plant's vines had managed to snake its way around Trombe's leg bringing the galloping horse to a sudden stop. Not having spotted the monster Kaiser was unprepared when Trombe was forced to stop. Drawing on his magical ancestry Kai shot blades of wind at the vines severing them and freeing the horse's leg from the monster's grasp. Cutting only one vine wasn't enough to stop the Man-Eating Buds from trying to fulfill what their name foretold. Seeing that they weren't going to be able to eat their prey through normal means they shot globs of sticky lime-green goo at the man and horse trying to hinder them that way. Slashing at the goo with his dual swords Kaiser was able to keep himself clean but Trombe was splattered. Hardening the secretions of the plants made it hard for the chestnut steed to move, it only got more difficult when some of the goo connected his legs to the ground. Leaping down off of Trombe Kaiser took the fight to the monsters. It was clear that he wasn't going to be able to get past them without cutting them down.

"I don't have time for this!" Kaiser yelled as he plunged his right sword into the nearest Man-Eating Bud. The main flower had tried to eat him as he got close but Kaiser's sword had found the creature's nerve center and halted any such attempt. Now lifeless the three smaller vines dropped dead putting an end to any attacks the plant had been thinking of.

Without Kaiser to protect him Trombe was in danger as two of the Buds moved in on the horse. Running to protect his brother's horse, and his current mount, Kai was blocked by the last of the monstrous plants. Being smarter than the one that had just died the Bud was using the smaller flowers to lash out at Kai, the bulbs dripping with poison. Man-Eating Buds only used their poison when they were trying to outright kill their prey rather than simply wanting to eat it. Jumping back out of the way Kaiser left a small surprise for the plant as it moved forward to get within range. A small purple glyph sat on the ground and when the Man-Eating Bud slithered across it the glyph activated. Lighting shot out of the trap stopping the plant from moving any farther. Having no real strengths or weakness Thunder magic made the best for traps as only creatures of the element were truly able to resist it. Unable to move the Bud could do nothing as Kaiser put an end to it.

The remaining two Buds had their smaller vines wrapped around Trombe by the time Kaiser had gotten to them. Jumping at the Bud on the right side of the horse Kaiser cut the vines and dodged an attack from one of the other smaller flowers. He wasn't prepared as a bulb from the other Bud wrapped around his leg. Before he was able to cut the vine the bulb had been able to smear poison on his pants which soaked through to his leg. It wasn't a lot but it was potent, able to affect Kai in a short amount of time. His entire left leg started to go numb as the poison went to work on his body. Wind whipped around Kai and Trombe cutting through any vines that tried to snake towards them. Dropping his sword Kai put his hand to the ground causing another glyph appeared under the human and horse, this time a green color. When the Buds tried to get close the edges would glow brightly and wind blades would stop their advance. Concentrating on his leg Kaiser held on hand over the spot where he'd been poisoned. Blue light shone from his hand as he used Water magic to cleanse his leg.

"Time to end this," Kai muttered to himself. Checking to see if his leg would support him first Kai left the glyph. It was a constant drain on his mana reserves but it would stop anything from getting to Trombe. He planned on ending the fight quickly anyways so it wasn't like he was worried about how the drain was going to affect him in the long run. Dashing out of the trap he'd laid Kaiser headed towards the Bud that he had first been attacking. Poison orbs flew through the air at him but Kai was able to move out of the way before they hit him. Two quick slashes cut down the bulbs that tried to come at him and a singular stab was all it took to stop the main plant from moving. Going straight through his trap Kai let it dissipate and prepared for the attack that came his way. Repeating the process he lopped off the smaller buds and moved right to the large flower. Two blades cut through the sticky mess of the main body causing the Man-Eating Bud to wither instantly.

"You alright Trombe?" Kai asked the horse as he gave it a quick glance. A snort from the beast let Kaiser know that nothing was wrong, along with him not spotting any damage to the horse. "Good, let's get going then. Shin needs our help." Getting back on Trombe Kai urged the horse forward. Sensing the urgency that radiated the horse picked up speed quickly and they were soon on their way down the road to Jidoor once more.

Kaiser knew he was near the town before he even saw it and he was not happy with how he knew. Black smoke, far darker than what a normal chimney would produce, was billowing up into the sky painting the white clouds grey. By the time he was able to see the city there were orange flames licking the buildings on the edge of the town. There weren't any monsters that Kaiser could see but he knew that they could easily be in the town hidden by the buildings and flames. What was astonishing was the lack of fleeing citizens. If there were monsters in the city the first thing the town's military should be doing was evacuating the masses so that the knights could fight without worry of people getting in the way.

Making a mad dash down the road Kai came to the edge of the city in no time flat. Seeing no guards at the road was a reassuring thing, they at least had been called in. With no one to stop him from going in Kaiser slowed Trombe down, he didn't want to trample anyone by mistake. The first building that he came to that was on fire Kaiser spotted a few people holding blue crystals and using the power of the Water Magicite to try and douse the flames.

So they are trying to do something. Kai thought as he led Trombe down the mostly vacant streets. But what happened here? Where are the soldiers and why aren't they helping the citizens? It took effort for Kai to head on in without staying back to help out. He had been trained to work for the military and it was his job to help the people of the kingdom. If anything the scene that Kaiser was witnessing felt more like the aftermath of a large battle. Still he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was still going on in the city.

*BOOM*

His feeling was confirmed with an explosion accompanied by the screams of the people caught in it. Having never been to Jidoor Kaiser was lost but that didn't stop him from putting Trombe into a gallop. Never mind possibly running over people, if Shin was in the town then he was near the cause of that explosion. Navigating the unfamiliar streets the best he could Kai made his way in the direction of the screams that still pierced the day. Luckily whoever was in charge of the city's layout had made a few streets that connected to every part of the city, Kaiser was on one such road.

Arriving at what he figured was the source of the explosion Kaiser couldn't believe his eyes. A group of soldiers teeming with a magic stood up against two figures. The light of flames around them cast shadows on the two figures but there was no hiding that one was definitely a man, his build was too bulky for a woman. The exact opposite could be said for the other figure, you would be hard pressed to find a man with such a small frame leading Kaiser to think it was a woman. The soldiers were wearing the kingdom's armor and they were directing their attacks towards the two figures. One of the soldiers, a captain noticeable thanks to his standard cape, held out one hand and pillars of earth leapt out from the ground and flew towards the two people. The bulkier figure leapt forward and swung his blade cutting down the stone like it was nothing. However, his sword hadn't been able to stand up to the strain. On the third stone the blade broke in two and slammed into the man knocking him down onto his back.

"SHIN!" the other figure cried as she dropped down next to him. Kaiser felt the blood from his face drain at the name that assaulted his ears. That man had been his brother and soldiers were attacking him.

Kaiser barely had time to even start processing that his brother was being attacked by soldiers when something else happened. A black and purple light emitted from the girl. As Kaiser stared at the girl his magical senses were telling him to run, she was emitting a power beyond what he had ever seen a single person use. Black lightning shot out from the girl right into the captain that had attacked Shin. Dashing forward the girl came to rest in the middle of the soldiers who were too stunned to notice her. More black lightning could be seen coming from inside the squad and soon each member fell to the ground leaving only the girl. Her aura of black and purple soon faded and she too dropped to the ground. In a matter of seconds one lone girl had taken out an entire squad of soldiers.

Kaiser wanted to run, he just wasn't sure which direction he wanted to go.