Well, this was a slow update...for me, anyway. Heh. Only one review last chapter? Really folks? Is anyone reading this? (And thank you to Michael Mario who always reviews. I appreciate it!)
Anyway, I wrote more then half of this tonight, and what normally takes me 2 hours, took 4, because I had to write from Ceodore's POV. *sigh* Ceodore...
ANYWAY, the adventure is underway, so enjoy!
Today was the day.
Ceodore felt silly at how excited he was to not only be going to see Lunarian ruins, but also to be getting out of the castle for a while. He had just been gone, but this was an official mission, and it felt nice to have something to do.
Still, he had a nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong, or come up to prevent him from going. He hoped that wasn't the case.
On the way to the hanger bay, he tried not to second guess himself. He usually did, especially when there was no one around to do it for him.
He wanted this to go well, to be flawless and exciting, but he was terribly worried he would mess something up along the way.
The sooner they left, the better.
The airship hanger was surprisingly busy, but he had vaguely remembered hearing that Luca and Cid were working on yet another new project, so there were a few extra hands about, all working on what appeared to be a small framed craft in one of the far corners.
Ceodore took a deep breath before heading down the metallic steps to the ground level, keeping an eye out for the Relativity, since Kieran had chosen that as their ship.
Briefly Ceodore wondered why he was letting his pilot pick their ship, but he honestly didn't care and so shrugged it off.
"No, no," he heard Cid shouting across the bay. "Where did you learn to plate hulls, the moon?!"
The man he was yelling at winced, but looked confused, "But, if I had, wouldn't that mean I was good at it? The Lunarians were the ones who taught us, so-"
Cid cut him off and threw his hands up in the air, tantrum style, and exclaimed, "No! It looks like crap! I'm not sure where you came from, but you should go back and stop ruining my ships!"
Ceodore frowned, unsure if he should interrupt or not. Truthfully, this was usually the scene in the airship bay, so he took it in stride. Besides, he was over an hour early.
Cid continued to berate the team working on the new ship, yelling and pointing and Ceodore instead turned his attention to the rest of the area. A few of their ships were missing, including the Farragut which was left in pieces over the field of battle. Parts were being brought back bit by bit, but it wasn't a top priority.
"Ceodore, you're actually early to something!"
He blinked and looked around before glancing up and spotting the speaker on top of one of the scaffoldings over the Excalibur.
Cdodore frowned, "Kieran, why in the world are you here so early? Wait, better question; you hate the hanger bay, why are you up there?"
Kieran rolled his eyes and leaned against the railing, resting his elbows on top. "I got drafted by Luca. She said since I caused the damage, I had to help fix it, especially since I wanted to take her 'prize' out for a spin."
"Her prize?" Ceodore questioned, confused.
Luca appeared from the inside of the ship and nodded, "The Relativity. It's my baby, you know. I don't even let Cid touch her."
The prince glanced up at Kieran, who shrugged.
Luca took her goggles off and grinned, "Anyway, what's up? You're here early."
"Oh…um…I just thought I'd come down and have a minute to myself before the mission actually started…" he explained, slightly embarrassed.
Luca shrugged, "Sure, makes sense. The Relativity should be good to go for you." She looked up at Kieran and frowned, "Assuming you keep your word and don't destroy it."
He grinned at her, "Snarky troublemaker's honor, Luca."
She sighed, shook her head and looked at Ceodore. "You sure you want him to come?"
The prince chuckled, and Kieran called from above, "Hey, Luca, am I done being your slave now?"
"Look here!" she called back, pointing at him menacingly. "Your help was hardly worth it! I had to listen to you complain, and whine and act all high and mighty about your knowledge on airships, so don't act like this wasn't a punishment for me too!"
"Then don't make me come back here," he retorted.
She blew out a breath, ruffling her bangs and shook her head again, "Whatever, get down."
He began to climb down and Luca turned to Ceodore again, grinning, "Look, I know you know, but please be careful with the Relativity. She's brand new, just about. Not even a year old. Be gentle, and don't get sand in her gears."
He smiled, "No worries, Luca. Despite all his problems, Kieran is a good pilot, and we will be careful with your ship."
Luca nodded, "I know, I know…"
There was a loud crash from across the hanger and Luca squeezed her eyes shut, muttering; "Oh for the love of…"
She ran off, calling back as she went; "I've gotta go! See what Cid screwed up this time!"
Ceodore sighed and made note that Kieran had already somehow appeared beside him. He made a face, "How did you get down so fast?"
"I just jumped," his friend said, waving vaguely at the scaffolding. "Not that high up. It was faster."
"That was dangerous," Ceodore scolded.
Kieran groaned and crossed his arms, "Whatever goody-too-shoes."
The prince glared at him, not amused, and then hesitated, mentioning, "So…are you sure you want to come?"
"Of course. I already told you I would." his friend commented, shrugging. "And you, stop worrying."
"Worrying?" Ceodore asked.
Kieran let his gaze slide to look at him again, expression slightly condescending as if he knew something the other man didn't. "I know you well enough to tell you're worried about this mission. You'll do fine, so relax. You helped save the world, remember? What's a little mission like this compared to that?"
He walked off in the direction of their ship and Ceodore just stood there for a moment before hurrying to catch up. As he fell in beside Kieran, matching the slow pace he set, he poked him to draw his attention.
"Who are you and where is the real Kieran Astor?"
Kieran rolled his eyes and Ceodore complained. "You never offer me encouragement, and if you do, you never say it with such a straight face. You're in…a weird mood. I'm not sure I like it."
"I can't keep up with you people," his friend gripped. "First I'm in trouble because I'm too anti-social, then I'm rude, now I'm too nice and outgoing. Make up your minds."
There was a hint of teasing to his words that only fueled Ceodore's confusion. "Seriously, what is with you? I mean, I'm glad you're not depressed about going on this trip, but…this is weird."
Kieran sighed and stopped walking, sparing the prince an annoyed look. "If you must know, I'm feeling…stifled here. I know I just got back, but let's just say I'm looking forward to leaving again. I may not give two chocobo feathers about Lunarian ruins, but right now, I want to be out of Baron."
Ceodore hesitated, wanting to pry a little more and get to the real reason he was so discontented here, but his friend just shrugged and started walking again. "Anyway, this will go well, don't worry. And if something does get messed up, just blame it on me."
Ceodore couldn't tell if he was kidding or not.
Before they could continue their conversation, or finish making their way to the Relativity, a loud call interjected from across the room.
They both turned and saw Viola rushing to meet them, bag in hand. She frowned, first at Kieran and then at Ceodore, who tried not to wince. The senior white mage could be scary when she wanted to be.
"I think you forgot to check in with me before you left, and forgot to take the standard issue of medical supplies with you." She informed them once she had stopped.
Ceodore winced, embarrassed, "I knew there was something I was forgetting…"
Viola simply frowned halfway at him, "You would not be the first person to ever do that,"
Kieran snickered and she glared at him, "Don't think you're off the hook just because I started with the prince,"
He sighed and looked away as she began and Ceodore fought a grin at the stern, motherly tone she adopted. For whatever reason, she was less formal and more familiar with Kieran than anyone else. She acted like he was somehow her responsibility.
"You need to be careful in the Damcyan region. It's the start of desert fever season and you can't afford to get sick, not with something that serious in a kingdom that has very few white mages." she lectured.
"I know," he complained.
"Don't stay in the direct sunlight, and drink plenty of water and…please tell me you're not wearing black as usual,"
Kieran set his hands on her shoulders, "Viola, breathe. I'll be fine. I'm not five. Also, you are talking very fast. Bad day?"
She rolled her eyes, "You could say that…We had an unexpected inspection from R-" her gaze darted to Ceodore and her tone lightened somewhat. "Someone and it's fine, because I always keep the medical quarters nice, but I had to listen to Xenon prattle and suck up. It was nauseating, only made worse when he got promoted already. Can you believe it? The little bastard doesn't know anything but how to run off at the mouth!"
Ceodore had never in his life heard Viola rant so much and Kieran snickered before touching her shoulders again. "I said to breathe, remember? What do you care if creepy guy gets promoted? If he gets on your nerves too much, you can poison him."
Viola laughed slightly and nodded and he continued, shrugging. "No one is a better white mage then you, Viola. You saved my life, remember? Everyone knows how good you are at your job."
Her eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"
Kieran frowned, brow furrowed, "First Luca, then Ceodore, now you. I can't win, apparently."
Ceodore grinned at him and Viola just chuckled, "You've been in such a good mood since you got back from Eblan, I'm almost sorry to see you go."
Kieran shrugged largely, "How do you know I won't be even better coming back this time?"
Viola's expression turned sly, "Because the reason you're so happy isn't located in Damcyan, is it?"
He glared at her, leaving Ceodore totally confused. He wondered if this somehow connected to the conversation Kain and Kieran had a few days ago.
She chuckled again and pushed something into Kieran's hand. "Here, take that. There's one for the return trip in the bag."
He glanced down at the phial containing purplish liquid and nodded, "Thanks."
Viola nodded and turned partway away to walk off, pausing to smile at them both, "Have fun, good luck, and do be careful."
She directed the last part with a pleading glance at Kieran, who merely waved off her comment with a short; "You worry too much."
She left them after that, leaving the hanger filled with only the sounds of clanking, steam, and arguments.
"That was nice of her," Ceodore said, holding up the bag of medical supplies. "I always forget you're supposed to check in with the white mages before leaving."
"That's because no one does it," Kieran said, unscrewing the top of the vile. "So, before they get here, tell me about…these Elite."
Ceodore tossed him a frown, "Well I can tell you they won't like you calling them that,"
"That's their group name, isn't it?" Kieran retorted, grinning.
The prince rolled his eyes, "Without the sarcasm, Kieran…"
"I'm not sure I can. It's a condition, you know," he replied, shrugging largely. Ceodore smacked his arm before taking a deep breath and bringing the conversation back to the more serious matter.
"Well, it's a small team of what captain Anneal claims are the best." he explained. "I haven't met them yet. She's just compiled this team, I think this will be their first official mission."
Kieran looked thoughtful. "I heard she's poaching them from other commanders,"
Ceodore hissed under his breath, "Don't say that!"
"What? It's true." he retorted.
Ceodore sighed, "I mean…yes, kind of…she's taken three of the members from other divisions and the fourth I heard was right out of basic training. There's a lot of rumors about these four, but not much information."
"We'll find out soon enough," Kieran mumbled, not sounding thrilled.
Ceodore, on the other hand, was excited to meet them. They sounded interesting, and he loved meeting new people. Besides, if Candace thought they were the best, then he wanted to meet them all the more, to find out what they were like and what special skills they had.
Kieran, like everything else about them, was opposite. He hated meeting new people and was usually disinterested in anything about them.
The trip to Damcyan would be interesting, Ceodore was sure of that.
He watched Kieran down the vial of medicine with a disgusted face and frowned, "What is that?"
"Tonic for airsickness," his friend replied. "It cuts the symptoms but doesn't get rid of them completely. Still, it was nice of Viola to bring it by."
Ceodore nodded, making a mental note to remember Viola in the future, and to thank her again for coming all the way down to see them. Kieran was right when he said she was dedicated to her job.
Kieran suddenly sighed and nodded in the direction of the metal stairs leading from the landing above. "We've got company,"
He sounded less then thrilled.
Ceodore swallowed, nervously fidgeting as he eyed the two approaching soldiers. One was a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, slender and petite, armor bright silver and other clothes a surprisingly light color of blue. It was an unusual mix of attire, and he wondered just what division she was supposed to be in.
Candace may have created her own team, but surely she still followed the basics.
The second figure was a man probably the same age as the prince if he had to guess, looking overly serious and walking with purpose. His armor seemed heavier than most people wore and was the same color as the woman's.
Ceodore was more uneasy about this then he had any right to be. But he didn't know these people, and they would have some weird idea about him without getting the chance to actually decide for themselves first.
Either they expected too much or too little from him. It was always the same.
Not to mention this was officially his first real assignment, even if it wasn't all that serious or world-ending, it was still a milestone.
His friend rolled his eyes and gave his arm a whack, "Calm down, it's going to be fine. If it makes you feel better, I will wager you ten Gil they start out their greetings by making some comment about what an honor it is to meet you."
Ceodore glared at him sideways, not amused. "I'm not taking that bet,"
"Thought I could win some easy money off you," his friend teased, taking a step back and to the side somewhat the closer their company got.
The prince gave him an odd look, not quite sure why he was distancing himself but then thought that perhaps he didn't want it to be so obvious they were friends. Why that should matter, Ceodore couldn't figure out, but he also didn't have a chance to think on it heavily.
They stopped in front of him and Ceodore was instantly glad he hadn't taken Kieran's bet.
"It's an honor to meet you!"
His friend gave a snicker behind him and the prince had to resist the urge to whip around and scowl at him. He could be so frustrating, but right now he needed to focus.
Because as much as he sometimes wished he didn't have too, he was expected to make a good impression.
"Um…yeah, thanks," Ceodore muttered, trying to sound appreciative. Really he was just annoyed, but that was no way to start this mission off. "And you are?"
The man gave a slight bow, "Dario, knight first class of the Elite."
Kieran grumbled; "Fancy title,"
Dario flicked a look in his direction but didn't say anything to him and returned his attention to Ceodore. "This should be a very worthwhile experience for us all. This will be captain Anneal's Elite's first operation together as a team. We look forward to it and I'm sure we can learn much from you."
"I'm sure we can all learn a great deal from the journey and whatever we discover at the ruins, Lunarian or not." Ceodore commented.
Dario nodded thankfully and then glanced at his companion as she shifted her weight. The young woman next to him gave a practiced looking bow, one fist pressed against the opposite shoulder. Her ponytail slid off her back and dangled over one should as she straightened and flashed a smile.
"I'm Marcy," she greeted, voice high and strident.
Ceodore nodded, "Nice to meet you,"
Marcy grinned, "We've met,"
Ceodore paused, trying to remember where when she took the option from him and continued, voice just as shrill as before. "We met at one of those formal events about two years ago. I do believe we danced as well."
He racked his brain but couldn't recall her, though he had no reason to doubt her words.
Marcy's grin widened, "You have no idea who I am, do you?"
"Um…sorry, I mean-"
She waved a hand at him, "No worries. You meet a lot of people at those things and it's all for naught. Besides, all the rich, snobby aristocrats all look the same, right?"
Ceodore wasn't sure how to take that comment and hesitated. Kieran just snorted, "That's the truth. But, if you were at one of those parties, aren't you one of those rich, snobby aristocrats?"
Ceodore shot him an annoyed look, but luckily Marcy just chuckled, "Formerly one of them, actually. Daddy isn't too happy his dearest youngest princess decided to ignore the family's sterling reputation. But that's a story for another time,"
"So you joined the military?" Ceodore asked, confused.
She gave him a look and gestured to her armored attire, "Ah…hello?"
Kieran snickered.
Dario cut into their conversation by clearing his throat and muttering; "Marcy," under his breath.
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Ugh, don't worry, mister stick in the mud, I'm not going to make the Elite have a bad name or anything by being my charismatic self,"
He looked skeptical, but they were all distracted by a commotion from across the bay as two others came towards them, already locked into a debate by the sound of it.
"No, that doesn't make any sense,"
"You just don't get it."
Marcy frowned, "Oh look, Karsh and Zoah are late. I am shocked by this development."
Ceodore gathered from her sarcastic tone that they were usually the tardy members of the group. That, and Dario was leveling a stern look at them.
The younger of the two noticed the look first and nudged his companion, muttering, "We're getting the look,"
"You're late," Dario informed them.
Marcy rolled her eyes, "I'm pretty sure they figured that out,"
"Shut it, Marcy." the younger man snapped, sparing her a quick glare. She stuck her tongue out at him while the bulkier figure began to apologize.
"Sorry,"
His friend winced and pushed him slightly, "Indoor voice, Zoah. I know you can't hear worth crap out of that helmet, but seriously…we're standing about two feet away from you."
"Sorry," he repeated, though it was just as loud.
Zoah was an impressive silhouette in full heavy armors, though Ceodore couldn't help but wonder what he looked like without it on. Since he had been named, the final member, a much taller, although also thinner man, had to be Karsh. He was busy fixing the band in his hair that held the blonde strands in a ponytail and looked bored while Dario complained at him.
"Look, not everyone can have a spotless record like you," he finally said, smirking. "Besides, my friend, we were told to come at midday, and that could really mean anything."
"Wow," Marcy muttered under her breath just loud enough that everyone could hear her. "That is totes a reasonable mistake…"
"I told you to shut it, Marcy."
"Make me," she taunted childishly at Karsh.
Ceodore suddenly heard laughing from behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Kieran leaning against the hull and chuckling. Kieran smirked at him, "Oh, I feel so sorry for you right now."
Ceodore frowned, "Thanks a lot,"
His friend pat his shoulder and then turned to disappear into the airship.
Ceodore knew he should probably get them all rounded up and into some semblance of a team, but he felt like the task was daunting and impossible.
Dario was frowning, and Karsh grinned, turning his attention to Ceodore and shifting from the juvenile, sarcastic young man to a much more formal and respectful soldier.
The change snapped Ceodore back to the reality of what they were doing and he was slightly glad things rolled along normally with introductions and explanations. It was dull, but it was routine and easy.
Despite they're lack of much team spirit, when in the proper mode for a mission, they were the image of perfection; attentive and official, adding just enough compliments to stroke his ego and be considered for the term, 'suck ups'.
Still, he was concerned over how this mission would function. He couldn't tell if they were truly alright with him leading them through all the false praise.
Things would be so much easier if he wasn't royalty.
However, in their defense, he had heard that three of the four had already been in Baron's military for a good time before being assigned to Candace Anneal.
Ceodore paused and then decided to voice his question aloud. "Dario, you and Karsh were under Captain Pike before, right?"
"Yes," Dario replied, nodding.
"For two years," Karsh seconded.
Ceodore glanced between the two of them, "So…why the change to be under Candace Anneal's command?"
They exchanged a glance, which made him instantly suspicious, though nothing else seemed off. It was Karsh who answered with a shrug, voice not betraying any hidden intent. "Captain Anneal wants to build a team, not an army. It sounds interesting, not to mention being asked was an honor."
"And it pays pretty well, too." Zoah chimed in.
Karsh chuckled, "Yes, and that."
The prince was still puzzled, but wasn't sure if he should pry anymore. It wasn't really any of his concern what Candace did or who she recruited, but he had also heard rumors about her and her methods.
After all, she'd only been in Baron a handful of time, and yet she was quite well along in status and prestige. It might have been nothing, but something about her constructing her own team of soldiers bothered him.
Ceodore shook his head slightly to clear it. He needed to focus on the task at hand and worry about what might or not might be later. Besides, if he really wanted to know, he supposed he could ask his father about it.
"Hey," someone called from behind them.
Ceodore turned around and spotted Kieran hanging out of the open door of the airship, grasping the frame with one hand and gesturing to the ramp in front of them with the other.
"Are you guys coming or what?"
Ceodore winced and offered him an apologetic smile before nodding, "Of course,"
Kieran disappeared back inside with an annoyed sigh and Ceodore led the others up the ramp and into the airship. They settled into the bridge a moment later, although none of the Elite looked as at home as Kieran did.
He was already flicking switches and pushing buttons, obviously ready to get underway.
Ceodore watched the Elite as they looked around their new surroundings. Dario looked critical, Marcy looked worried, Karsh looked like he could care less and Zoah...
Well, he was looking around, but with his helmet on, who could tell what he was thinking?
"Is this thing…you know…safe?" Marcy asked, eyeing the windows.
Karsh grinned at her as he flopped into a seat, "Oh, the great and powerful princess Marcy is afraid of something?"
She glared at him, "Do you want a crossbow bolt to the face, Karsh?"
"Try it, diva,"
Ceodore sighed, sitting in his chair and feeling a headache coming on. Surely his dad never had these kinds of problems?
Dario quickly cut them off with a snappy remark and they just glared at each other from across the ship's deck, though Marcy still looked unnerved at the idea of flying.
Kieran pulled the final lever and the engines kicked on. "Alright boys and single girl, is everyone ready for takeoff?"
Dario narrowed his eyes, "There is no way you went through the entire pre-flight procedure,"
Kieran shrugged, busy setting the controls. "No, I skipped the unnecessary ones."
"Procedures exist for a reason," Dario began.
His teammates all groaned loudly.
Undaunted, Dario continued as if they hadn't made their dislike known. "They ensure safety and efficiency. They are not guidelines or suggestions, they are rules. We cannot and should not take off without completing the full pre-flight."
Kieran glanced over his shoulder, "Rules are there for people who need them,"
"Are you saying they don't apply to you?"
"Some of them shouldn't." Kieran shot back, frowning slightly. "We're ready to go and you all wasted more than enough time already."
"It's a violation of procedures, which are clearly stated in the flight handbook, pages thirty-seven, paragraph nine, subsection two." Dario recited.
Kieran smirked.
Ceodore winced. That was never a good sign.
"Page thirty-eight, paragraph three, subsection four indicates that the pre-flight can be skipped or accelerated at the discretion of the pilot. I am the pilot. Ergo, I'm saying we've done the important steps."
Dario scowled at him, "That section is referring to a crisis situation," He held up his index finger, "Furthermore, I have taken note that you are not in the proper attire."
Kieran was sparing him a scathing look, "Oh, I'm sorry, Dario, knight first class of sunshine and rainbows, I didn't know that you were suddenly the fashion police of the dragoons. Maybe, somewhere in that handbook of yours, you'll see a notation about what we, in the dragoon corps have what we call 'light' versions of our armor. I'm dressed just fine."
By this point, Marcy was giggling and Karsh looked as amused as she did, spinning his chair back and forth and watching the bickering.
Ceodore just wondered if they were ever going to get to the ruins.
Dario opened his mouth to continue but Kieran just sighed loudly and shifted his gaze to Ceodore, giving him a look that the prince couldn't decode.
"Can we go or do you want me to start the entire pre-flight over?" Kieran asked.
Normally, Ceodore would have just told Kieran to hell with the pre-flight, but he figured that would probably be bad, considering the situation and who he was with.
"Um…Dario is right; the pre-flight check is important and required…"
Kieran surprisingly said nothing. No whines, no quick remarks. He didn't even sigh as he turned back and clicked the engines off.
"Aye, aye," he muttered, starting everything over.
"Master power switch, on,"
"Fuel gauge…full,"
"Landing flaps, gears, and lockdown levers…check,"
Marcy leaned her head back, "No wonder he skipped the pre-flight…this is boring as hell."
Karsh nodded, "No kidding. Thanks a lot, Dario."
"He's just trying to be a suck up," Marcy teased.
He glared at that both, "I am not being anything but dutiful."
Even Ceodore, who agreed that rules were beneficial, wanted to gag.
He was half surprised Kieran didn't make some smart comment and just continued to call out the checks one by one.
"Final engine check complete. We are ready for lift off." Kieran reported. "Heading?"
Ceodore made a face. There should be no reason for him to have to explain where they were going. Kieran glanced over his shoulder, giving him a look again.
Finally he realized what his friend was trying to say wordlessly; "Your in charge, would you please act like it?"
He felt a flash of embarrassment and swallowed before answering the question; "Damcyan."
Kieran nodded and flipped the final switch, mentioning over his shoulder, "The flight should take approximately two hours."
Ceodore nodded, and just to be on the safe side, decided to explain one last time to everyone. "We'll be landing the Relativity on the outskirts of the Damcyan desert, since it cannot take off from the softer sand. Once there, we shall have to travel on foot to Kaipo, where Harley will meet us with transportation to Damcyan's capital."
Everyone muttered acknowledgements and they braced themselves as the ship shook, lifted, and then stabilized.
They were finally off, and despite all the trouble that had already happened, Ceodore couldn't help but feel excited about the quest ahead.
Kieran squinted against the bright sand and used a hand to shield his eyes. The Damcyan region was nothing special to look at, especially south of Kaipo. Some of the upper lands had impressive rock formations, and closer to the capital there were exotic plants in the right season.
Here, though, everything was just sand.
Ceodore was yakking about something or other, but Kieran had stopped listening, already knowing what they were here to do. He just nodded every so often so everyone else would think he was paying attention.
They set off over the sands, and he sighed, adjusting the swallow against his back. He was not looking forward to hours of trudging through sand, only to have to sit and wait through hours of rest in Kaipo, moving on to hours of driving through sand to Damcyan.
Sometimes he hated himself for saying yes to things like this.
Kieran made note Ceodore fell into step beside him and frowned, though he said nothing, and neither did the prince. They traveled for almost an hour in silence before he finally glanced at him. "Did you need something?"
Ceodore gave him an odd look, "No, why?"
"I'm just wondering why you're walking next to me and not leading this little group,"
Ceodore smirked, something he didn't often do. "I put Karsh on point. I'm in charge."
"Ah, I have trained you well," Kieran commented, grinning.
The prince nodded, glancing up to check on the Elite before his smile faded and he returned his gaze to Kieran. "Hey, um…did you do that on purpose this morning?"
"Do what?"
"Start that fight. I just…you seemed like you were trying too…" Ceodore hesitated and Kieran waved a hand at him dismissively. "Dario and I were bound to rub each other the wrong way."
"True, but…" the prince hesitated again and then sighed, stopping in front of him so he had no choice but to talk to him. "I just feel like you're…trying to help me with this whole thing and…I appreciate it. Thanks."
Kieran sighed, averting his gaze so he didn't have to see Ceodore's grateful expression. He knew what he should say, no matter how much he just wanted to keep quiet.
"I am trying to help you, so take my advice. Favoritism is just asking for trouble."
"I'm not picking favorites," Ceodore argued, sounding a little put out.
Kieran ignored him and continued. "I know you and I are friends, by some miracle, but don't let that interfere in any way on this assignment. You need to forget for the moment that you and I are actually friends because honestly, right now, that isn't going to help you in the slightest."
Ceodore looked like he wanted to protest, expression surprisingly stricken, "But-"
Before he could even start, Kieran groaned and shoved him out of the way, starting to walk again. "Crystals Ceodore, don't look like I just broke up with you or something. We're still friends; I'm just telling you that you're in charge, so act like it."
Ceodore took a minute to catch up, though Kieran made sure to fall into step beside Zoah, who was lagging behind. The man didn't talk much, and that suited Kieran just fine.
He wasn't entirely sure how to explain to Ceodore that their friendship wasn't in his best interest. Usually Kieran could care less, but this was a special case.
He didn't trust the Elite.
They worked for Candace Anneal, and she was an unnerving woman, ambitious and cunning. He had every reason to believe that whatever her team of recruits found interesting would make its way back to her.
There was no reason that Ceodore needed to be so clingy about their friendship on this mission, so it was best to keep it as mundane as possible.
Kieran rolled his eyes.
Sometimes politics were so annoying. He escaped most of it by not being royalty, but there was still some damage to be done.
Ceodore looked confused as he discussed something with Karsh and Dario, and Kieran just hoped he understood.
"So,"
Kieran frowned, glancing as Marcy as she sidled up to him. "What?"
"Your way more fun than I thought you were going to be. I've met other dragoons and they suck," she explained.
He raised an eyebrow, "Who else did you meet?"
"Oh, I've met Kain, and Hobby and Tycho." she said.
Kieran grinned, "Kain's got a wicked streak, but…well, I'm sure everyone in the world knows that. Boring is not a word I'd use to describe him."
She chuckled, shaking her head, "See? You're fun. I like you."
"…Okay," he said, giving her a weird look.
Marcy frowned at him, "Not that way,"
"What way?"
She laughed again and walked off, "Boys."
Kieran wondered if Baron was so desperate for new blood in their army they were going with insane people.
"She's always like that," Zoah practically yelled.
Kieran winced and then looked up at him. "So…anything I should know about you?"
"I have a cat."
Yes. They had definitely started recruiting crazy people.
The sun was starting to disappear behind the mountains far to the north, and Ceodore shuddered, thinking it was eerie to see so far in the distance, so clearly. Everything was laid open in the desert, and it was both wondrous and unsettling.
Ceodore glanced back at Kieran, who was standing on a ridge looking into the distance to check their bearings.
The prince wasn't sure what they're talk had meant earlier. He felt like he was missing something, which was becoming more and more common where his supposed friend was concerned. He didn't like it, and wanted nothing more than to simply talk to him for longer than five minutes.
He suspected Kieran was trying to tell him that he should focus, but he didn't understand why he couldn't do that and still chat with his friend. Maybe Kieran was just being paranoid about the whole situation.
Ceodore called up to him, "Well? Are we going the right way?"
Kieran held a finger to his lips and then looked back out, making the prince frown, hand resting on the handle of his sword.
His friend turned around and nodded, "Yeah, we are going the right way, I can see it. Maybe about an hour out?"
Kieran slid down the some rise to meet up with them, frowning. It wasn't his usual 'I'm in a bad mood' frown, it was more thoughtful and concerned.
"There's a problem, though." he said, shaking his head. "There's a nest of Hellflappers in our way. They'll spot us out here the minute we climb over that rise."
Ceodore's brow furrowed, "Hellflappers? Out here?"
"I know, odd…"
"Well, they were out here once before, but that was…" Ceodore trailed off and paused, thinking it over. He sighed, "When the creator's second moon was in orbit, when it threw off all the monsters and the crystals were taken, I think Hellflappers were around here."
Kieran crossed his arms, "But there's only one moon now, so why are they here?"
"I have no idea…"
The Elite were waiting patiently and Ceodore sighed, turning back to them and relaying the information before continuing. "We have no options but to just cut through them. They aren't scary or anything, but be careful not to touch their wings. They can blind you with the dust."
"And here I thought this trip would be boring," Karsh quipped, grinning.
Marcy loaded a bolt into her crossbow, "I could just shoot them all out of the sky for you from here,"
Kieran gave her a flat look, "There's at least fifty. They'd swarm you before you could get them all."
"Well, fine then. I'll accept some help," she replied, winking and taking off towards the rise.
The other Elite followed and Ceodore hesitated, glancing at Kieran who was moving at a sedate pace.
He raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem overly thrilled by this,"
"I'm taking my time. I want to see what the Elite can do." he replied.
Ceodore had to admit, the thought was tempting. They paused at the top of the drift of sand and watched for a moment.
For all their bickering, they moved well together in battle. Everything was practiced, deadly and precisely. They moved like a team.
Marcy unloaded her crossbow into one, ducked down and rolled while loading another bolt. In turn, Zoah socked one out of the air as it tried to swoop down on her, using nothing but his bare hands. As soon as she was kneeling again, she unleashed another bolt, felling another fiend.
Karsh and Dario moved as if they'd been fighting next to each other their whole lives. Each strike was backed up by the other, they dodged in unison.
Very few words were said, but moth after moth fell to the sand under their feet.
Still, there were enough moths to overrun a town, let alone four people. Ceodore drew his sword just as Kieran heaved a sigh.
"Alright," his friend complained. "I will begrudgingly admit they are good,"
The prince chuckled, shooting him a look. Kieran grinned at him, "Do you want to go and completely show them up now?"
"Sure, why not?"
He hadn't even finished speaking before Kieran was gone, into the skies. He landed and impaled a moth about to strike Karsh from behind. The long haired man jumped startled, and glared at him.
"You could have just warned me it was about to hit me!" he snapped.
Kieran flashed him a grin as he sped away, calling; "Could of, but didn't!"
Ceodore joined in the fight more carefully, trying to weave around a few of the damaged but not dead, moths. They were shedding dust like crazy, using their easiest defense mechanism. He cleaved one in half and watched it twitch on the ground for a moment before falling still. Dario used his foot to push a mangled moth off his sword.
"How many of these are there?" he asked, looking around. Ceodore frowned, "Too many, what are they are doing here, anyway?"
"Who cares!?" Marcy shouted, coming to their side and aiming her crossbow before firing. "Let's just get rid of them."
Ceodore had to admit, she did have a point. Once they were no longer a threat, they could investigate the reason for their swarm.
Ducking a flick of wings, Ceodore slashed low to cut another one apart, wincing when he felt a shower of powder on his head. He quickly closed his eyes to avoid being blinded and stabbed upwards, feeling his sword connect with something before he stood and pulled it free.
"Down!"
He didn't need to second guess that command and dropped, opening his eyes in time to see Kieran knock aside a Hellflapper just as it unleashed a flurry of dust.
Dazed, the moth spiraled in the air and Ceodore cut it in half, sparing a quick look at Kieran, "Thanks."
"Sure, just take your own advice and avoid that stuff." he commented before flicking a grin his direction. "Also, I'm at twenty, you?"
Ceodore made a face, "You're counting?"
"Aren't you?"
He frowned, "No, and you-"
He cut himself off and stabbed another fiend that zipped at them, nearly hitting Kieran's shoulder.
"As I was saying, you should pay-" he trailed off as Kieran leapt away.
"…attention." Ceodore finished, frowning. Apparently Kain taught him a little too well, including how to avoid conversations.
Most of the Hellflappers were dead, and those that weren't, Zoah finished off quickly, since they bunched together.
Dario was standing not far from the biggest stain of purple-red on the sand, poking at something in the sand. Ceodore wandered over, trying to catch his breath, and paused at the man's side to take a look.
"What is that?" the prince asked, making a face.
The creature was large, and there appeared to be remains of feathers mixed in with the rotting flesh and bones.
Marcy covered her nose, "Wait, why are the moths all over that?" Her eyes grew larger, "Ew, gross, do they eat meat? That's just wrong…"
Karsh rolled his eyes and Kieran shot her an amused look, "No, they don't. But fiend moths are just like normal butterflies and moths. They seek out water. This thing has moisture in the otherwise dry desert."
Ceodore breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad it was only Hellflappers we ran into. There are plenty of meat-eater monsters out here that could have been here instead."
The ground rumbled.
Kieran glared at him, "You had to say something, didn't you?"
He winced and everyone tensed as the sand shivered, tightening their holds on their weapons.
There was a pause of complete silence and calm before the ground burst open in a gapping rupture, showering them all with sand and rock fragments.
There was an unearthly, high-pitched roaring sound.
"Move!" Ceodore ordered, not even sure where they needed to move too. It didn't matter, he knew what that thing was, and it would not be as easy to fight as the Hellflappers.
But once he got a good look at the sand worm, something was clearly off. The coloring was all wrong in the dying rays of sunlight, the skin looked textured and the teeth were set in three rows, not two.
The worm burrowed as they scattered and Marcy was the first to break the silence. "My arrow did nothing!"
"Aim for the eyes," Dario instructed calmly.
She spun around toe glare at him, "There aren't any eyes!"
Kieran nodded, "My swallow couldn't get through the skin either,"
Ceodore winced, not sure they could out run it even if they tried. Sand worms were bad enough, but those didn't have such high defense or speed as whatever this was.
It reappeared and sent them to the ground as the sand trembled. Once they were on their feet again, they all tried taking a swing at it, but nothing seemed to hurt it.
Ceodore grunted as his sword slipped off the scaly skin, proving it was coated in slime of some sort, overlaid with sand, on top of the tough crust.
"If only we had a mage!" Zoah commented.
Kieran snapped back; "What good would a mage do?! That thing is too fast to hit with a spell."
Ceodore assessed the situation and frowned, trying to think up another solution. Nothing came to mind easily.
Marcy finally scored a hit inside the creature's mouth, but it did nothing to slow it down.
It buried underground again and Kieran scowled at the trail it left. "So…any ideas?"
"You could jump," Dario said sarcastically.
Kieran gave him a similar look to that of the airship a few hours before. "Into its mouth?"
"If that works," the other man muttered.
Ceodore was about to tell them to stop it when he blinked and shook his head, "No, that's actually a really good idea!"
Kieran looked at him like he had lost his mind. The prince explained hurriedly as the ground shook around them again, "You don't actually have to attack it, but when you land, the vibration of the landing will draw it…"
"And then you can all attack it from behind," Kieran finished, nodding. "Got it. Ready?"
They all nodded and the plan went into effect. It worked as the sand worm, or whatever it was, burst from the ground at the sound of the newest tremor, and as soon as it was out of the ground, they rushed it.
"Attack the same spot, everyone!" Ceodore called, trying to stab instead of slash to avoid missing. They all followed his lead and the worm wailed again.
It didn't retreat right away and tried to knock them aside with its mouth, succeeding in tearing some clothes and causing minor bruises but nothing too serious. Ceodore threw his sword up to block a flurry of teeth, but the attack was over quickly as the worm wheeled around, pivoting in its sand trap to try and grab Marcy as she let loose another bolt.
Ceodore spied a trail of blood coming from a few ribbons of wounds along its mass. One spilt open wider as Karsh and Kieran both hacked at it. In retaliation, the fiend swung around and they dropped to the ground to avoid getting whacked.
Ceodore tightened the hold on his sword, wishing there was he was more used to fighting alongside. If there was, this battle would be over in a matter of seconds, and he wouldn't have to be wincing as his team got hurt.
A thought struck him and he called; "Kieran!"
His friend glanced over his shoulder and backed up a few paces so they were within earshot, "What?"
"Did Kain ever tell you about when he and I traveled together? There's this attack-"
Kieran raised an eyebrow, "Cross slash?"
Ceodore paused, not sure if he should feel jealous or confused over the fact Kieran knew exactly what he was talking about. "Um…yeah."
"What, you want to try that?" Kieran asked, looking back at the worm.
Ceodore pointed with his at the weakness they had uncovered, "See that spot? I think we can finish this if we strike there, but I don't think my weapon is strong enough by itself."
"Alright, let's give it a shot." Kieran said, shrugging. "We've got nothing to lose."
He shifted the grip on his weapon and flicked a glance at him. "Left?"
Ceodore nodded, "Right."
They both sprang into a dash forward and slipped around each other. It was good that Kieran's weapon was dual bladed since he and Ceodore were both right handed. It made the movement awkward for whoever was rushing from the right. But since he could just flip it around, it flowed smoothly.
Both blades grazed along the largest cut already made, and due to the momentum of the run and lunge, it pulled it deeper, further. Both edges of their weapons slid along each other on their path, finally cutting free of the worm's flesh with a flick and splatter of blood on either side.
They both skidded to a stop on opposite sides of the fiend, and Ceodore exhaled sharply, having forgotten how breathless that maneuver made him. He glanced at Kieran and saw the same visible sag from his friend that he felt.
They both looked up as the worm swayed, and then fell forward, nearly cut in half.
Ceodore blinked, "Whoa."
He hadn't expected to do that much damage. There was a long pause as everyone waited to make sure it was dead, trying to catch their breath.
Marcy, as usual was the first to speak; "Holy crap."
Karsh stood from where he had been knocked to the ground. He clutched at his armor and frowned, "Why the hell didn't you two lead with that!"
Ceodore grinned sheepishly, "…Sorry?"
"Most impressive," Dario commented, eyeing the fallen monster.
Kieran stood up straight, "I think…we need to have a talk with Harley about the weird monster activity."
Ceodore nodded and then looked over the group, the white mage in him assessing damages. "Alright. Is anyone too injured to make it to Kaipo? There'll be more fiends on the way now that the sun has set, so it'll be better if we keep moving."
They all assured him they were fine and after a brief scan, he decided that they were. With a tired sigh, he sheathed his sword and gestured vaguely in the direction they had been heading before. "Alright, let's go before something else shows up."
Kieran glared at him, "No more out of your mouth, because you're asking for trouble."
Ceodore offered him another sheepish grin.
Author's Notes: Yes, there is a joke with the Elite's names...I couldn't help myself...
They are minor characters in this story. In fact, they have the most influence in this story. But they are still important, I just don't care to focus that much on them. What's to know, anyway?
I've decided to go further then I had intended with the character development in this story...if I can pull it off, it'll be good. If not, well...I hope I can, and I hope everyone will enjoy. The story will probably be a little longer because of it, but since I've started it, chances are I will finish.
This means there will be more delicious emo moments, and drama...
I've also decided to try and incorporate the idea of "bands" into the story as still being a thing. I mean, why not? Besides, I have new characters, so this should be fun...
In other news:
I'm hosting a summer fic-a-thon! The details are posted on my profile, and it's open for any fandom, so have a look and get writing :) Also, if you do write something, let me know and send me a link. I might read it...even if it's for a fandom I know nothing about...
Now seriously, folks, there's a holiday weekend coming up for those of you in the USA, and even if there isn't a holiday, please leave me a review...I need to know someone is reading this!
Thanks for those to your who ARE reading, and I hope you are enjoying the story so far.