Chapter 11 - Specter
"In Lilligue, I be, when the Day of Darkness came." Captain Bakala looked up from his soup as he began to tell the story. "There be a low cost on silver and steel, and I figure I could catch a fine price by trading to the blacksmiths that be here on Garlan. And I be right, on that at least," the boatman gave a sly chuckle at his recent riches. "On me third day, darkness took the town, and monsters roamed the streets. Truth be told, the town be fortunate with the presence of a Cathedral Knight by the name of Artojax."
The captain twirled his spoon through the soup before imbibing more of the golden concoction. His story went on, "He rallied everyone around the church atop the hill. You see, there be only one way to the church, and it be a thin path. That man fended them creatures off mostly by his self, he did." Bakala took a few more spoonfuls before he finished speaking, "I take away all the bad things me says about them Cathedral Knights."
"The next morning, I found Gadan in his home, unharmed." The captain looked at him with a friendly smile. "Ganas be with you that day, I reckon," he said with a laugh as he gave the man a simple pat on the shoulder.
Ryudo, on the other hand, knew it to be another god to have seen to his survival. The creatures of Valmar could no doubt sense the former tongue's occupation of his body within the man. A quick smirk emitted from the geohound as he took another moment to stare at his unusual company. The most astonishing change is in the former size of Gadan. Ryudo would guess him to be a full third of what he had once been. The memory of the amount of food he consumed during their first encounter was almost enough for him to push his bowl away. Almost.
He could not get over how different this man is from the one he had met back in Liligue. Captain Bakala was on his third helping, while he was on his fifth, yet Gadan had been done nearly half an hour ago. Not only is his appetite different, but almost every other thing about this man was not as he remembered. He had become quiet, polite, friendly, and far less stingy with his money. Ryudo's five helpings, and counting, is greatly influenced by the simple fact the Gadan announced that he was paying for the meal.
Gadan looked back at Ryudo as he turned pale. The young man got up suddenly and said, "I have to go." He hesitated little in leaving his ever precious food and walked away in a panic. While staring at Gadan, a sudden realization hit him hard. If this man is still alive, then what about his brother, Melfice? As he searched his surroundings, he was happy to find Gatta strolling in his direction towards Okimer's Place.
"Gatta," he called out to him before running over. He sported a confused look as Ryudo demanded a shovel. A quick recap was all he needed before the two men stood before the seemingly undisturbed grave of the former sword master. It took little time with the two of them fervently digging. They both let out a long sigh of relief to find that Melfice still lay peacefully. Ryudo forced back the obvious questions to which he would not yet know the answers and simply felt relieved for now.
…
Elena gave a small pout as she recalled the way the preacher's face lost pigment while she told her story. The particulars of Pope Zera's betrayal and the death of Granas rolled off her tongue with an elegant sympathy in hopes to somehow lessen the blow. There is really no way to gently crush a man's beliefs, but Elena was giving it her best shot. The empathy that the songstress feels can seem nothing more than a burden at times.
Father Talimon, the head priest of Liligue, absorbed the information like all the others. Their responses had almost seemed rehearsed; disbelief was first, followed by despair, and eventually apologetic for not believing her. Glossy eyes looked as though a friend had stabbed them in the back. At least then I could heal them, the sister thought. Elena suffered from sad eyes in one town to the next. That is, of course, only in the towns that had actually survived the Day of Darkness. A lump billowed in her throat as she recalled the massacre in Taundry, a town a bit northwest of Liligue.
A small quake pushed her thoughts back into the moment. As a sister of Granas, she sat as an honored guest aboard the new skyway, large fanlike trains that can glide through the air across cables and breach the gap of the Granacliffs. A look around permitted one to see that everything was recently made. Fresh paint on the walls, unstained wood decoratiing the door frames, and an unmarked floor, all served to relive the crash that the last skyway had undergone. Elena had taken part in that unfortunate trip. The constant bumps kept her a bit on edge.
Looking around, trying desperately to focus on anything but the remodeled skyway, her eyes caught glimpse of a dispersing crowd. The man at its center was eagerly proclaiming that the people should take their seats so he could attend to some other matter. As the people began to comply, the Elena got a better look at the train's celebrity.
He was a massive man that could almost be taken for a Nananian at first glance. Only after he walked closer, did she realize that he was simply very tall and very big. His clothes were simple enough, likely the undergarments of a soldier's battle armor. A few noticeable scars rest below his short blond hair. At that moment, Elena realized that he was heading in her direction.
She made an uncomfortable shift in her seat as the man knelt before her. After dropping his head in silence for a moment, his dark blue eyes pierced her own. In calm authoritative words, he spoke, "Grace be, the sisters of Granas. I, Artojax the fifth, humbly seek your wisdom and guidance." Upon finishing he bowed his head once more, waiting for her reply.
Elena gave a short giggle at the seriousness of his formality before she responded politely, "Rise now, and sit beside me if you wish to talk." A warm smile served well in concealing a blush. She had not received a welcoming like this in her time while traveling with Ryudo. After the man sat down, she spoke in a light voice, "My name is Elena. Now, what is it that you would like to discuss?"
The awkward knight tried to look proper in his seat, which was far too small for a man of his size, before he began to speak, "Sister Elena, may the light of Granas shine by you and I wish that thee guidance for sought out with me." The man almost looked confused by what he said, yet keenly awaited Elena's response.
Her smile masked a quizzical look beneath. "Thank you, good knight. I have heard your deeds before our departure. Upon arrival in Liligue I saw that most of the town had been destroyed, yet it would seem that the fiends were insufficient in claiming a vast amount of lives. May the strength dwell perpetually within you." The songstress concluded after some fidgety movements in the knight's eyes.
Artojax gave a long pause before speaking once more, "Sister Elena, the light of Granas is mammoth in your presence. My speech with you residual in the hopes of redeeming information to a luminescent sister as well." The knight possessed that same unusual hope from before. Waiting for the response from the sister beside him, Elena began to grasp the situation
The Cathedral Knight displayed confusion while trying to force a smile as Elena sent him a considerate look. She spoke in manner that seemed to undermine the elegance of her previous words, "You don't need to try so hard." She was rewarded with an even more puzzled look until she spoke again, "My name is Elena and I am pleased to meet you. And if either of us hopes to understand one another, then I suggest that we drop the formalities." Elena presented an exaggerated slouch in her chair. This was actually uncomfortable for her, yet she felt it necessary to make him understand. "You're going to relax if you want to talk with me," she ended while raising her eyebrows until the knight assumed a more fitting position in his seat.
He let out a strange laugh before taking a long breath. "Thank you," the knight was honest as he began speaking, "and I if can call you Elena, then you can call me Jax." A large hand came down in front of the songstress. A much smaller hand met his and gave a few shakes.
As Elena was finished, she used the distraction to reposition herself into a more comfortable posture in the chair. "This is much better," Elena made an attempt to progress the situation, "You mentioned something about information."
A quick jerk came from the large man as it seemed that had almost forgotten his purpose. After a moment, he collected his thoughts and began, "Umm, right. Well, I have this brother, and I'm tryin' to find him. Ya see, and he always keeps in touch with me but I stopped getting' letters from him." The words seemed sincere as Elena could think him to be a bit distressed. After a short sigh he went on slowly, "Last I heard, he was goin' to some desert, and I sorta forgot its name. I'm worryin' for him." The words trailed off as he tried to remember more.
Elena chimed in to break him from his trance, "I'm sorry, but that could be anywhere." Her words were apologetic despite her lack in fault. "There's not much that I can do to help you, and I'm on my own pilgrimage at the moment."
"Ah!" Jax exclaimed suddenly, "there's more." He brought the brunt end of his palm to his forehead, giving himself a light tap. "The reason I came to you is because he was stationed with a sister of Granas. High Sister Selene, her name was. I was kind of figurin' that you had some way of getting' contacts to another sister."
The songstress was stunned, letting it show, but only for a moment before she could overlay a compassionate smile. "I believe that Selene was in a desert recently. You may find your answers in the lands far to the east known as the great rifts." Elena did not lie as much as she simply omitted the story in its entirety. His brother must have been one of the knights that Selene ordered off the cliff to resurrect the body of Valmar. In a moment of sorrow, she put consoling arm around Jax, who seemed rather pleased with his newfound knowledge.
The Cathedral Knight stood and dropped to a knee as before. He spoke once more in his formal voice, "I grace thee, Miss Elena. In thankfullness, please allow myself to offer my protection for some time in your pilgrimage. I must not permit a sister like you to travel alone. And I offer protection until I convenience some of my brethren in accommodate you."
Elena took pity on the man as she told him to rise. She began to lay out her demands, "Only if you can promise me that you will stop talking like that." A few laughs were welcomed as she realized that it would lighten the mood before proceeding. "I can hardly understand you," Elena's giggle followed as she began thinking of a much needed explanation for Skye.
The man rose and bid his temporary farewell. As he walked away, a crowd of people formed around him once more, no doubt recalling stories of his remarkable bravery while defending Liligue. Skye is going to have a field day with this one. It is not that either were in any need of protection, far form it in fact, but at least this will likely curtail the endless supply of miscreants that have been attempting to make a victim out of a seemingly helpless sister of Granas.
Skye will have no need to mock me for healing our attackers, anymore, Elena thought with an odd satisfaction.
…
The next couple of weeks passed without incident. He had been staying at an inn called the Oar House. Its suggestive name had always been rather humorous for Ryudo as he could recall the day it opened. He was a boy then, as he watched Grandma Suriv decorate the giant sign with two full sized oars from a rowboat. She let the local children add some personal character to most of things she did. A few of the multicolored letters that made up the sign were done by his hand. Gatta, Melfice, and Reena were some others that assisted in its creation. It was a great shame when she died. It was a quiet, peaceful death in her sleep a few years prior to his original departure from the village. It seemed that the whole town had mourned her passing.
The inn is now run by her three grandchildren. The two boys, Cardon and Rastu, and their sister, Nequa, had been helping run the inn since they were children and seemed only natural that they took over. All three were respectable cooks, maids, bartenders, and even threw out the occasional ruffian. Nequa, he had heard, is especially known for mercilessly ejecting the aggressors of unruly mobs. Ryudo looked over the counter to his smiling hostess as she told him that his payment was unnecessary.
He struggled to maintain an irritated look, which was rather difficult while she sported her innocent smile. Ryudo's words sounded a bit odd as his stern look faded, "Look, I've been here for nearly two weeks, and I don't think I've paid for a damn thing!" It was an odd feeling to try and sound angry given the words he was saying, especially from him. After a deep breath he went for a more compassionate tone, "You and your brothers have been more than hospitable, and I'm going to see that you are paid for it." The geohound slammed some coins down on the table. It was actually less than what they would charge for a typical two week stay, but he still felt somewhat charitable considering that she demanded nothing.
Nequa's blue glossy eyes gazed dejectedly down at the coins as she swept them into her palm. Ryudo winced at bereaving eyes and almost apologized before she looked back up at him in an enchanting manner. "Well, that is not a proper way to say goodbye," she said while breaching the counter and walking towards him. Upon reaching Ryudo, she gently put her arm on his shoulder and guided him towards the door. "The whole town is forever in your debt for rekindling our once famous spark." The grateful words flowed elegant through soft lips as they reached the door. She embraced him in a gentle hug before saying goodbye and shoving him out the door.
Ryudo stood for a moment, astounded over what had just transpired. The loud crack of the door closing behind him did little to wake him from his trance. Though it is true that upon his return he has often been treated as celebrity, this was not the same woman that he had known for so many years. In fact, whenever he had done something foolish, she was always the first one to poke fun of him, even after his return.
A few steps were all he needed to feel the awkward weight and annoying jingle in his pocket. "Damn that woman!" Ryudo cried out, as he finally understood her true purpose for acting in such a manner. She was always quick with her hands, but Ryudo simply did not believe that she possessed the tenacity to pull off such a maneuver on him. Worst of all, she would never let him hear the end of it if he returned to try and give back the money.
He gave a wide smile as he made his way through town. There are still things to be done before I leave, he thought. The first of which he looked upon with much anticipation, as he headed off towards the blacksmiths quarters. The loud bang of iron and steel filled the air which held the overwhelming sent of melting ore. A feeling of nostalgia crept over him as he recalled the many hours in youth spent on these grounds.
Most of his time here was spent with a blacksmith known as Arabya, who lost a great deal of steel trying to teach Ryudo to forge his own blade. That did not stop the blacksmith from giving him a sword, of an amazing quality, before he ran from town in shame of his brother. As one of the few who treated him with dignity during those times, Ryudo was quite upset to find that he had been killed defending the town on the Day of Darkness.
A small sign depicting an anvil and a wolf with the words "Arabya's Smith Stop" indicated that Ryudo had arrived at his destination. The anvil was commonplace to signify the shop of a blacksmith, while the wolf was an honored tradition of their family crest. The banging sound came to an abrupt halt as Nirrep, who now held his father's hammer, took notice of Ryudo strolling in his direction.
Ryudo had spent quite a bit of time with the young man during his stay at Garlan, and was always amazed to find him attentive and cheerful. Despite being a few years younger than Ryudo, he was much wider than the powerful geohound. Years of working under his father had granted him with enormous strength even though it seems likely that the boy was not yet fully grown. His attire was simple, tailored specifically for the durability necessary in his work. With unkempt green hair and such a bulky exterior, his eyes often go unnoticed, yet it is likely one of their families most distinguished of features. The pale brown of his eyes, which held a striking resemblance to his father, seemed to gather the light of the fire while he worked.
"Ah, Ryudo," the boy could always manage a warm welcome, "you are going to be quite impressed." After eagerly shaking hands, the boy cleared away some room on his workbench and pulled a sword from underneath. Words came again, lively and full of energy, "I've finished your sword and I think you're gunna be pleased." A rustic sound filled the air as he pulled out a sub par blade.
Ryudo forced out an awkward smile as he took the blade into his hand. "So this is the sword you've been working on all week?" his tone sounded a question but it was meant for a simple statement. He fought to hide his disappointment as he has heard much from the other villagers of Arabya's prodigy. A few cuts through the air confirmed his suspicions to the blade's improper balance and flawed design. Though he did not want to discourage the boy, his face could no longer hold back the disappointment. Ryudo turned to face Nirrep, who sported an impish grin.
An unrelenting ring battled the air. "En Garde," Nirrep shouted as Ryudo began to ogle the sword that the blacksmith now wielded. It is long and thick, far more solid than the one in his hands. Even at such a close distance, he could barely make out the fine layers of folded metal that brought about its toughness. The handle was blue, much like the sheath he drew it from. Some intricate groves in the handle not only made for a unique design, but also allowed for easy transition and a firm grip.
Ryudo stared back at Nirrep, who really gave the appearance of a man who wanted to fight. "I hope you're joking," Ryudo protested, "this sword looks like it's about to fall apart." He was not going to be considerate when the blacksmith pulled out a real sword to mock the one he made for him. "I doubt it would even hold together well, see here," Ryudo pointed to a small gap where the steel met the handle, "I could prolly push right here and--" He was cut off as the blade slid out of the handle.
Nirrep no longer held a face ready to battle. In fact, he nearly knocked over some half finished iron as he erupted with laughter. "I see you can't even recognize your own work." The blacksmith continued his laughter while Ryudo took a second look at what remained in his hands.
Did that fool Arabya actually keep one of my old swords? Ryudo stared at the handle for a moment in disbelief before Nirrep's laughter subsided. By the time their eyes met, Nirrep's face was serene as he dropped to one knee. With the blade already back in sheath, the blacksmith held it up to Ryudo. "Ryudo the flippant, I present to you, the Tokironshura." As Ryudo gently took the blade from boy's hands, Nirrep dropped to his hands and bowed his head to the ground. "My life is but yours to take."
Ryudo drew the blade immediately, the ring scaling through the air once more. "I should accept, for that stunt you pulled," Ryudo said with a smile as he tapped the back end of the blade to the boy's head. This was followed but a mild cut to each shoulder. This tradition was still held by only a small number of blacksmiths and is typically only used in the most prestigious of ceremonies. It is meant to offer up one's life as a sacrifice for unsatisfactory work. The gravel by their feet and the dust in the air almost mocked the regular formalities that this tradition typically upheld, yet simultaneously gave the feeling of something more epic, like a representation of the struggling times.
"Tokironshura," Ryudo spoke softly as he stared at his reflection in the blade. "I love it, what does it mean?" The swordsman's knowledge of the ancient language is equivalent to his knowledge of carpa dancing. He gave the sword a few twirls in his hand, before the blacksmith's response, testing the counterbalance between the handle. It was just as he expected. Arabya's blades made for Ryudo were always a bit heavy on the bottom end. Apparently his son also knew of the geohound's preference for a quicker turn of the blade in a custom sword.
Nirrep let out a dodgy laugh before answering, "Umm, heh, heh, it's actually a fusion of the ancient words for a carro and pain." Ryudo sent the young lad an odd expression. Nirrep was quick to give his response, "It's not like anyone will know its meaning, so I just sort off went with a name that sounded good." He forced out a smile before adding in meekly, "You can always change the name anyway."
The geohound began laughing out loud before he settled down and spoke, "Actually, I think I like it. Sot of adds insult to injury, literally!" Ryudo seemed to find his joke far funnier than his young companion as he laughed a lot harder. It seemed that he was holding back tears in his eyes. Nirrep joined in mostly because he found Ryudo's behavior humorous. As the laughter subsided, Ryudo posed another question, "So what exactly does flippant mean?"
"It's along the lines of frivolously sarcastic," the blacksmith wasted little time in responding.
Ryudo's eyes shifted from side to side before he asked, "Come again?"
Nirrep let out a short sigh as his mind fumbled about in search for the best words he could use to explain. After a moment he seemed more confident while saying, "Carefree and disrespectful."
"Ah!" Ryudo produced an immediate smile. "Ryudo the flippant," he paused and placed the sword back into its back into its elegant blue scabbard, "And the Tokironshura. You've done well, Nirrep, your father would be very proud." He had not wanted to remind the boy of his recently deceased father but he truly meant the words and felt that they should serve him honorably.
Nirrep looked down and spoke with a solemn, "Father always told me that what had happened in this town was not your fault." He gave a quick look around for any unwanted ears, before he went on, "that one man cannot break the spirit of a strong individual. But now you have proven that one man can uplift the spirit of those around them, returning the strength to fight once more. This whole town is grateful for what you have done." The blacksmith seemed to be looking beyond Ryudo at this point. "And now you must go. May your adventures be filled with enough excitement for the both of us." Nirrep gave a respectful bow, indicating that their time to speak is at an end
Ryudo was a bit confused by this abrupt conclusion until he heard Gatta's voice from behind, "The ship is ready. Captain Bakala sent me to fetch you," Ryudo turned to face his redheaded friend, "Something about the optimal wind and that 'we be making haste.'" His impersonation was right on target. "Nirrep," Gatta sent a nod in his direction before turning his gaze back to Ryudo. "You must go, half the town is at port to see you off."