Disclaimer: I do not own Wild ARMS 5.
Author's Note: This story was a collaboration between myself and Vinsfeld123. He usually did most of the writing, while I would come up with the story, point out various errors, help keep the story/game facts straight, and think of dialogue, while also making sure his character dialogue and actions were not out-of-character. The input we each had varies from chapter to chapter. He has since decided to stop writing it, and we have drifted apart, so I am taking his suggestion and finding someone else to help me finish it. The first seventeen chapters are going to be the ones me and him worked on together, while the ones after that will be the work of me and another person. In this chapter, both myself and Vinsfeld did the writing, and I handled the editing and gave some major plot ideas. As always, there were some errors I could not convince him to change. Also, I fixed some grammar errors that made the story hard to read before.
Please read and review!
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Chapter Eleven
A long ways northwest from Honeysday, from which Volsung, Fereydoon and Bartholomew were currently fleeing, was a gigantic ship, stationary in the sky far above the sea. It was white, with gold semicircles on the right and left sides of it, spikes protruding from the side of the ship and stabbing through the semicircles at various angles. The inner parts of the ship were white as well, with blue metal flooring. It was in the control room, a room that was very expansive and had a large, blue window to the north of the south entry door that the crewmates of the ship were meeting.
"Where is the captain? What is his status?" asked a crewmate.
"As I heard he was accompanying two adventurers on their travels," replied another.
"When is he due to return?"
"Soon, I hope. We can't waste anymore time. The radicals can launch a surprise attack any day now!" the second crewmate replied.
"The radicals, or at least I believe they are responsible, have launched a few attacks throughout Filgaia recently. Did you hear about the train that was destroyed near Laila Belle?" asked a third crewmate.
"Was that the radicals doing!? I thought it was a freak accident!" the first replied, flabbergasted.
"No, I'm fairly certain it was the radicals!" the third replied.
"But… why would they want to destroy a train heading to Laila Belle?"
"It might not have been the radicals," a fourth crewmate said, "but a small group remotely affiliated with them."
"Would they sink so low?" a fifth asked.
"It wouldn't surprise me. They're dirty scoundrels." the second replied.
"Watch it! Some of the Veruni higher-ups have spies posted here. If they here what you say, they'll kill you where you stand, you fool!" whispered the fourth crewmate to the second.
"You're right. I apologize sincerely," the second replied.
"Anyway, we need the captain to return soon! If war breaks out between the radicals and the moderates, we'll need his superior leadership!" the first said.
"I agree."
"So do I."
"Then we will continue to watch the Mayflower until the captain returns!"
"Yes!" they all agreed, and dispersed.
-
Meanwhile, Volsung, Fereydoon and Bartholomew were fleeing the town of Honeysday. They had walked a good amount, and it was still morning. At this rate, without interruption, they would surely reach Mirapulse before the afternoon. Of course, Volsung knew the man in black wouldn't give up, and would surely be on their tail soon.
"I hope the train isn't rigged this time…" Volsung commented.
"Indeed…" Fereydoon replied.
Bartholomew stopped. "Rigged? You mean that explosion was…"
"Planned. Yes." Fereydoon informed, sighing.
"How in the world could the man in black pull that off? You have to be a high-class Veruni official to even remotely request such a thing! And not to mention, I highly doubt the guards would consent to it!" Bartholomew complained, smashing his palm with his fist.
"Indeed…it is skeptical…" Fereydoon replied.
Volsung glanced at the two, highly confused about what they were talking about.
"In any case, we should get to the train station. If that man in black catches up to us here, we'll have him and the monsters to worry about." Bartholomew replied.
"Yes, let us go." Fereydoon said, and the two of them walked on.
Volsung just stood there, confused.
"Lord Volsung? Are you coming?" Fereydoon called.
Volsung looked up at him, "Oh. I'm sorry! I'm coming!" he said, and ran after them.
They continued along the path which led from Honeysday up to the train station, nestled snuggly between the mountains and the embankment leading to the sea. The walk to this station was shorter than the walk to Alcedonia, and this path was well taken care of.
Volsung didn't notice much about the walk. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Bartholomew and what the man in black had said. He shared the man in black's curiosity.
Who was Bartholomew, and what did he want with them? Volsung tried his hardest not to dwell on it, because he didn't want to think that Bartholomew was a bad man. He had helped them so much, and he was Volsung's newest friend, the only person (besides Fereydoon) that didn't ostracize him. So, Volsung tried to forget about it, and concentrated on the walk to the station.
"Well! We're here!" Bartholomew said, coming to a stop in front of a large building.
It looked normal, much like Alcedonia. There was a sign hanging above its door that read "Meisis."
"That was a quick walk," Fereydoon commented, happily.
"Yes. The Meisis train station isn't far from Honeysday or Starlit Path. It is the closest train station to a town there is. Cavam Valley, our destination, is the farthest. But, if we walk without stopping, we can easily reach Mirapulse before the afternoon. But, I've got to ask you, Fereydoon. Why did you suggest Mirapulse?" Bartholomew wondered, turning to Fereydoon.
"I'm curious as well," Volsung added.
Fereydoon took a step forward, "If I remember correctly from the archives in the Rygs Mansion, Mirapulse is a town where anybody can live if they agree to work, or provide the necessary aid to the villagers. In other words, if you assist them with labor, you can live there with no hassle."
"That's true, for the most part. You see, to live in Mirapulse, you have to sign a contract that states you'll be working to earn your keep. But it's true that if you keep to your business and don't give the Veruni any trouble while doing your part, you won't get any trouble." Bartholomew said.
"That's the perfect place for us to begin planning…how to bridge the gap." Volsung said, hesitantly.
"….Let's hurry." Bartholomew said, ignoring what Volsung had stated, and walked up the stairs towards the doors.
Fereydoon and Volsung exchanged glances with each other, and followed.
-
The laboratory's hum was quiet. Weston was nowhere to be found, but Vinchezna stood where he usually stood, on the large platform connected to the rest of the laboratory only by a flimsy bridge. The southern door opened, and in stepped the man in black. He walked across the bridge, swiftly, with an angry expression on his face.
Vinchezna only smiled.
The man in black grabbed Vinchezna by the collar, "What's the big idea!? That 'NE Zone' didn't do a damn thing!"
Vinchezna smiled, "I apologize. During the calibrations, there was a short period in which I left the table. Weston must have modified it."
"W…what did you say?!" The man in black dropped Vinchezna, which landed on his posterior, enraged. "Why would Weston do such a thing?"
Vinchezna stood up, continuing to smile. "I don't know. Perhaps he's betrayed you."
"But…why! This doesn't make any sense! Yesterday we were just fine!" The man in black rebelled.
"Perhaps you were wrong in choosing him. It's all part of his elaborate plan to assume complete control of this laboratory. He wants to kill you, and me. After we're out of the way, all control will revert to him, as will the weapons and grants." Vinchezna said, swaying his hair.
"I…don't believe this…!" The man in black replied, staring at the ground. "Weston… would he really…"
"I'm not surprised. This is the mistake you made by trusting someone who reports directly to the higher-ups. He's most likely their patsy." Vinchezna said, in a joyful tone, as if he was enjoying every minute of the man in black's torture.
"…"
"In any case, you have failed yet again. I tire of watching you come back here with your tail between your legs. They are children. Why is it so difficult to kill them?"
"It would be difficult for you too if that man got in your way."
"Nonsense. It wouldn't be difficult at all, I would slice him to ribbons and then I would slice the children to ribbons too," he said, beginning to laugh maniacally, "my heart singes with sensation just thinking about the concept of watching their lifeless bodies hit the ground… Oh yes. What an exhilarating and amusing pleasure, to see so much blood to be shed in the tides of war…"
"This isn't war; we're just trying to kill two kids."
Vinchezna gave the man in black a smile, as if lusting for blood, "It will evolve in to war if I will it to be so… and if I have to kill everyone in my path to reach them, so be it! All the more death for me!! Hahaha hahaha!!" Vinchezna laughed, his insanity increasing.
"Is that all you want!? War!?" The man in black yelled, enraged.
"Yes. I want the humans and the Veruni to go at each other's throats in a savage way, slaughtering each other, soaking the ocean with the crimson tinge of blood…" he turned to face the back of the room, "That is the only thing I have to live for in life!"
"I should've expected something from a crazy bastard like you." The man in black said.
He shrugged, "Whatever you do, keep the casualties at a minimum. You know how Weston dislikes pointless slaughter."
"Of course…" Vinchezna said, stifling more insane laughter.
"Farewell, then." The man in black said, and exited through the door he came through.
"Of course I'll keep them at a minimum… my minimum." He said, with more insane laughter, and walked out of the room through the back door.
-
Volsung, Fereydoon and Bartholomew walked up the stairs, as Fereydoon had done before when he was carrying Volsung. They looked around. The interior looked exactly like Alcedonia, the map of Filgaia on the south wall, various people staring and commenting about Volsung.
"Cavam Valley…" Volsung said, looking at the map, searching for their destination. He followed Meisis across the map, until he reached a red dot with words written above it. They read "Cavam Valley". It was to the northwest of Meisis, and it seemed like it would be a long ride.
"Our destination is far…" Fereydoon commented.
"Yep… I'll admit, if someone's going to sabotage this train, they'll have a lot of chances to do it." Bartholomew said.
"What do you mean?" Volsung asked.
"Oh nothing…" Bartholomew replied, creating another fabrication.
"For the last time! I will not go out with you! Now shoo!" a woman's voice said.
The three of them turned to stare at the woman. She was standing at the right side of the train station, standing up against the fence. Across from her was the man with green hair.
"Oh come now! Isn't it every woman's dream to be with a scientific genius like myself?" the man asked her, trying to get close to her.
She pushed him away, "I said no! And nothing you've done so far can be remotely counted as genius! Now shoo!"
"Oh come on, my dear! You cannot deny your feelings from me! They burn within you like the inside of my mouth whenever I have a big bowl of extra spicy curry!"
The woman glared at the man. "…"
"Every great scientist in history has had a female companion with him! If you don't accept my offer, I won't be able to concentrate on my work! What will you do when many people are living in dire straits, in desperate need of my scientific know-how? You'll feel bad! You'll feel as bad as a thousand wilting flowers on a winter's day!" the man with green hair reasoned.
"That's enough of this…" Bartholomew said, and proceeded to walk over to them.
"B…Bartholomew!" Volsung called, but Fereydoon stopped him.
"There's no point, Lord Volsung. Once his mind is made up, it's made up."
The woman lowered her expression into a very angry one, "I told you to go away! I don't care about your flowers or your chili!"
"CURRY!!!!" The man criticized, in tears. "HOW DARE YOU STOMP ALL OVER MY FAVORITE FOOD AS IF IT WERE A ROCK BENEATH YOUR LARGE FEET!"
Bartholomew stared at the two of them.
"…." The woman did not dignify that outburst with a response.
Bartholomew tapped the man on the shoulder, "Hey. The woman isn't interested in you. Leave her be."
"Rapscallion! How dare you tell me, a scientist, what to do!" The man in green yelled, turning to Bartholomew.
"I wonder. How easy does a scientist such as yourself bruise?" Bartholomew asked, grinding his fist into his palm.
"I…urr…umm….EEEK!!!!! DON'T KILL ME!!!!" The man with green hair said, and began to run. "I'M AS DELICATE AS A THOUSAND HAMS IN A FEAST FOR BEARS!!!" Quickly, he was out of the train station and no longer able to be seen.
The woman stared at Bartholomew. "Are you expecting my thanks?"
Bartholomew stared.
"I'm not giving it." She said, coldly.
"…"
"Now if you would kindly leave me be…" she said, and proceeded to walk down the stairs and out of the station.
"…what was that all about?" Bartholomew asked, and shook his head. He walked back over to the other two, who were giggling. "What's so funny?" he asked them.
"Nothing…" The two of them responded.
"…all right, then. Let's get on the train." Bartholomew said, and walked over to the ticket taker.
Volsung and Fereydoon followed.
"Excuse me, but y…you're-!" the ticket-taker said, and stared at Bartholomew.
Bartholomew flashed him a smile, "Is there a problem? I'm just a regular guy."
Volsung and Fereydoon rolled their eyes in disbelief at the sound of "I'm just a regular guy".
"Umm…n-no sir!!" the ticket taker said, with a salute.
"Three tickets to Cavam Valley, please." Bartholomew directed.
The ticket-taker nodded and gave them the tickets, "No charge." He said, with a smile.
Bartholomew gave him a salute and walked onboard the train. Volsung and Fereydoon followed.
The ticket collector walked over to a Veruni guard, "Those are all of the people boarding, sir!"
The Veruni guard nodded. "All right. Close her up."
"Yes sir!" the ticket collector said, with a salute, and proceeded to close the train doors.
The pistons on the train began to grind, and the train wheels began to move. Before they had known it, the train began to depart from the station.
The first thing Volsung, Fereydoon and Bartholomew noticed as they entered the train was the amount of people. They counted at least fifty people in the dining car, as they proceeded to walk to the first-class car, where they would take their quarters and relax until the train arrived at Cavam Valley. At least, that was Bartholomew's goal. Volsung and Fereydoon had questions that required answers.
The three of them made their way to the second cabin, and pushed open the partition door, walking in. Volsung closed it, and sat down next from Fereydoon at a table, across from Bartholomew.
"So…Volsung, Fereydoon. You wish to bridge the gap between the humans and Veruni…" Bartholomew said, with a serious expression.
"Uh-huh." Volsung confirmed, "I'm going to be the next Johnny Appleseed!"
At the sound of the words "Johnny Appleseed", Bartholomew's jaw dropped.
Fereydoon stared at him, "Is there a problem, Bartholomew?" he asked, raising his left eyebrow.
"N…no! Heh heh heh! Of course not!" Bartholomew said, through much sweat.
Volsung glared. "All right. The charade's over. Who are you? Who are you really?"
Bartholomew stared, his laughter subsiding. "What do you mean?"
"The man in black said only high-class Veruni have access to the info on the 'NE Zone'. Not only that, the ticket collector knew you! You know an awful lot for someone who's just 'just a regular guy'." Volsung explained.
Bartholomew looked at the two, with distrusting their distrusting faces. He sighed, "I don't know what you're talking about…"
"Of course you do. How can you not? Are you a Veruni soldier? Did they send you to spy on us?!" Fereydoon commanded.
"No."
"Then who are you!? Are you with the man in black!?"
"No."
"Then tell us! Who are you?"
"I'm not your enemy. I'm your friend. I'm on your side." Bartholomew said.
"So you say," Fereydoon began, "but you seem to be well acquainted with the man in black."
"T-that's because…"
"Because why! Because he is your partner?" Fereydoon asked.
"No. It's because…" Bartholomew sighed, "It's because the man in black was my best friend… William Smith. And I'm not his partner, I'm his enemy."
"I see…" Fereydoon said.
"Who are you, then? Tell us, so we can trust you!" Volsung pushed.
Bartholomew lowered his head down towards the floor, "Heh… All right. Fair enough. My name is Captain Bartholomew."
"C-Captain?!" The two yelled, incredulously.
Captain Bartholomew nodded. "You're right about one thing; I'm a high-class Veruni. And I know your grandmother, Fereydoon."
"Lady Diana!?" the two continued to yell, more incredulously.
"Yes. We grew up together on the Locus Solus."
"Locus what-is?" asked Volsung.
"Locus Solus," Bartholomew explained. "It's where all of the Veruni originated from. Eventually, Diana migrated from the Locus Solus to Filgaia in order to raise a family. I didn't know I would run into her grandson the day I defended you two in front of Laila Belle."
Fereydoon stared, amazed.
"So how are you not our enemy?" Volsung asked. "You are a high-class Veruni! Aren't you supposed to stop all attempts at starting relations between the races?"
"Not all Veruni are bad, Volsung." Bartholomew began. "For example, Lady Diana, Fereydoon, and myself; we're good Veruni. Vinchezna, William and him, they are the bad Veruni."
"Him?" Volsung asked.
"The radical leader. The radicals are the ones that oppose all attempts of starting relations between the races. They attempt, by force, to oppress the humans to make the world better for the Veruni. He leads them. I am the leader of the moderate faction. We seek a better world for the Veruni by a much more peaceful way. We also seek to open relations between the two races." Bartholomew explained.
"Who is the leader of the radical faction?" asked Fereydoon.
"Leopold Ahmveitzen." Bartholomew said, with a scowl. "We are constantly at each other's throats. We despise each other."
"All right, that clears that up. But why are you called "Captain" Bartholomew?" Volsung asked.
Bartholomew beamed with joy. "I've been waiting for this one!"
Fereydoon and Volsung exchanged glances, staring at Bartholomew oddly.
"I'm a captain of the moderate ship the 'Mayflower'!" Bartholomew replied.
"The Mayflower?" Fereydoon and Volsung asked, looking at each other.
"Yep! She's a beauty! I'll have to show the two of you sometime!" Bartholomew said, continuing with the beaming.
"When you say ship… you mean, a boat, don't you?"
"No. A ship, as in, an actual flying ship. I came down here from the Mayflower to look for Leopold. I heard he was in Laila Belle, so I went there. After finding out he had left, I saw the two of you. Now, I couldn't just leave you to die. Who would've known I would meet William there?" Bartholomew explained.
"Oh… I see…" Volsung replied.
"It's too amazing to have happened by chance!" Fereydoon replied. "And that story is preposterous! In all of the books I have read in Rygs Mansion, I have never once read anything about a flying ship!"
"Oh she's real, all right! She is about 200 or so clicks away, in the middle of the ocean." Bartholomew said, beaming.
"Why the ocean? Wouldn't it make more sense to look for Leopold on land?" asked Volsung.
"Well, in a way we are looking for two things. One, we are looking for Leopold, and two, we are looking for Sihramneux Island." Bartholomew explained.
"Sih whatsa what?" Volsung asked, confused.
"Sihramneux Island. There is a facility on it called Weitzheim. Weitzheim has been lead to be a radical facility used to replicate and modify relics from the Age of Lost Technology."
"If you could find that, looking for Leopold would be pointless, wouldn't it?" asked Fereydoon.
"Not quite. You see, Leopold fled the Locus Solus because we attacked him, and he escaped. He will most likely find a new establishment where he will hide, manipulating things behind the scenes. Sihramneux is just one of those things Leopold would manipulate. If they can replicate and modify relics, and produce "nukes" such as the Longhorn Nova, we will have a real problem on our hands. Leopold will launch them at the humans, and the humans will revolt. It will result in war for sure." Bartholomew said. "In a way, you could say that Leopold and I are the top Veruni."
Volsung blinked in disbelief. "You? The top Veruni?"
Bartholomew nodded.
"Why can't you fix things, then!?" Fereydoon asked.
"Well…not many Veruni are loyal to the moderate cause. The bulk of them side with the Radicals. We don't have any control on Filgaia, unfortunately." Bartholomew said, with a sigh. "And…in a way…it is my fault things are the way they are."
"How?" Volsung asked.
"You see… I settled the Veruni on Filgaia, and tried my best to make everything work, but nobility developed. Veruni began feeling better than humans, claiming they were the superior race. Over time, the relations between the two races declined, and things ended up the way you see now. It's like the old saying. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Bartholomew replied.
"Wait…you settled the Veruni on Filgaia…?" Volsung asked.
"That's right. I'm Johnny Appleseed." Bartholomew said.
Volsung was completely shocked. All this time, the man he had grown to trust, the man who sympathized with him.
All this time, he was Johnny Appleseed, what Volsung wanted to become.
"So why are you helping us, Bartholomew? The real reason." Fereydoon said.
"Well…I suppose it's because, in this way, I can fix things. I know its probably not really my fault, but I feel completely responsible for letting things become the way they are." Bartholomew said.
"You shouldn't blame yourself for that. The real fault rests with the Veruni and humans who have closed their hearts to relations." Fereydoon reasoned.
Bartholomew shook his head. "No, not quite. Of course, they play a part in it, but the real fault rests with people like Leopold. We were supposed to keep the races together, but we allowed one to be better than another, and the oppression only grew from there. As long as Leopold and his radical ideas exist, the oppression will continue unceasingly."
"Why is that?" Volsung asked.
"Because Leopold believes that the humans are meaningless piles of garbage. He cares only for finding a better life for the Veruni." Bartholomew explained.
"Better life?" Fereydoon asked, looking at Volsung with a confused stare.
Volsung looked at Fereydoon and shrugged. "What do you mean 'better life'? Aren't the Veruni the rulers of Filgaia; don't they live in unceasing royalty?"
Bartholomew stared at both of them and looked at the floor, "…no. The Veruni life only appears to be full of regality and assurance. Things are different underneath the surface than they are atop it. You see, there is this thing, the 'VR Factor'. Each day, it claims yet another one of the Veruni citizens."
"What is the 'VR Factor'? I've heard Lady Diana mention something about it before, but she never explained to me what it was." Fereydoon said.
"The 'VR Factor'…" Bartholomew began, hesitantly. "It's… well…you see…" His tone seemed to change from a confident one, to one of worry and sorrow. "Because we come from the Locus Solus, Filgaia rejects us. The air of Filgaia is like poison to us, slowly causing our deaths. The more we inhale it, the worse our condition become. So many Veruni citizens have been claimed because of the 'VR Factor'…" he ended, in the same sad tone.
"That's…horrible. I had…no idea…" Volsung said, staring at the ground sorrowfully.
"It's not something the Veruni speak about openly. As a matter of fact, not many of them besides Leopold, and other high ranking Veruni such as myself know about it. You're the first I've told not in the moderate faction." Bartholomew explained.
"Why don't you tell the public? Don't they deserve to know?" Fereydoon wondered.
"They are afflicted by it, as well."
"Indeed they are, but we shouldn't worry them. If they found out they were dying slowly, they would panic, and nobody wants that. If the public becomes chaotic, the humans may find their chance to strike back at the Veruni." Bartholomew continued.
"So basically Leopold is trying to find a forceful way to stop the 'VR Factor', and you are trying to find a peaceful way to stop it, while helping both races at the same time?" asked Volsung, incredulously.
Bartholomew nodded, "That's the gist of it, yes."
"Wow… Bartholomew, you're even more amazing than I thought!" Volsung said, with a smile creeping up on his face.
Bartholomew stared and grinned, "Thanks! I guess that's why my crewmates trust me with undying faith, huh?"
Fereydoon and Volsung nodded.
"Anyway! That's enough of this depressing talk! Let's talk about something else!" Bartholomew said, with a grin.
"Such as…?" Volsung asked.
"That girl you met in Honeysday!"
Volsung frowned. "What about her?"
Bartholomew smiled, "You like her, don't you?"
"N-no!" Volsung replied, shaking his head. "We were just talking about her brother and she helped get us the herbs to save Fereydoon, that's all!"
"If you don't like her, why are you getting so defensive?" Bartholomew asked, smiling.
Volsung blushed. "I-I'm not getting defensive!" he protested. "And hey! What about you and that girl at the train station?"
"What about her?"
"Do you like her?"
"I don't even know her! I saved her, then she gave me the cold shoulder. I don't know what her problem was!" Bartholomew replied, objecting.
"Uh-huh…" Volsung said, rolling his eyes.
The two of them talked like this for a little while, with Fereydoon sitting there laughing the entire time. It seemed like the peaceful talking would never end. Unbeknownst to them, however, a grim encounter would be waiting for them; watching their every move.
Soon, they would know the true meaning of fear.