Gosh, these chaps are getting long. I tried cutting it up but... oh well. Hm, this, compared with the rest of this fic, is supposed to be funny. I suck at comedy, so i hope my attempt this time would be successful. Enjoy. This time, I MEAN IT.
Disclaimer: The author of this fic does not own gundam seed/destiny, or its characters, because if I claimed I did, would delete my story—wouldn't it?—and the copyright people will sue me. Any similarities from other fics are purely coincidental, and so are any allusions to real events, places and people.
ooooo
Chap 21: Maximum Tolerance
Solemn was the solitude of the army's peaceful slumber half a mile from Sabadoa. The day before, they had just claimed Huwebo after a short struggle against their army.
"Heh, can anyone call that a struggle?"
The Commander had told him Huwebo would not take many resources to conquer, but Shinn never expected things to go this smoothly. When the two armies faced, the Huweban king raised the white flag even before Athrun could unsheathe his sword. Just before Shinn could grab some much-desired shut-eye, a screeching, haughty voice disrupted the evening's serenity.
"If you don't let me through, I'll report this monstrosity to the king!"
"At least give us your name, Sir," entered Nicol, who was probably one of the few soldiers who had the patience to deal with this man. "So we can announce your presence… er… formally…"
"Why, what took you so long to ask?" the guest bellowed in a proud, "elegant" manner fitting only for him. "I am the noblest of all nobles, the most scholarly of all scholars, the most eloquent of all speakers, a god of wisdom, the arts, profundity, and—how can I forget?—beauty…"
Disgusted, Shinn thought, Just spit it out.
"Bow down, mortals, for I am…"
Shinn plugged two fingers in his ears, running in his head, Disillusioned freak.
"Yuuna… Roma… Seiran…Viscount of Sabadoa,son of Unato… Ema… Seiran…"
And so began the long list of family members Yuuna started to enumerate proudly. A hundred glares boring on his back, and he didn't care.
"And now that you know me, Yuuna Roma Seiran, Viscount of Sabadoa, acknowledge my supreme authority over all of you and tell me. Where is Athrun Zala?"
"He's asleep."
This arrogant nitwit was getting on Shinn's nerves.
"Just who do you think you are, barging in on us like this? In the middle of the night!"
"Are you deaf? Have you not heard how I so eloquently stated my distinguished title?"
"You just don't get it, do you? You are in Zaft's base camp—our base camp. This is not Sabadoa, Sir, and you, as a matter of fact, do not wield any authority here whatsoever. You have no right to order us around!"
"I say, I say! Such proud…" Yuuna smirked, circling the spot Shinn stood, "such daring words from a soldier boy. Very, very good!"
"Soldier boy?" Shinn burst. "Take that back."
"Now why would I lower myself to the level of a peasant pipsqueak like you? Now tell me, where is your Commander?"
"That's it. Off with your filthy, disgusting head!" Shinn cried, drawing a dagger from his belt. But just before Yuuna could see the gleaming blade…
"Compose yourself, Ensign. Let's not have unnecessary bloodshed for something so trivial."
It was Athrun, somewhere in the crowd. Impatient, Yuuna shoved everyone out of his way, sending curses buzzing from the soldiers.
"Where are you, Athrun Zala? Why hide among your men? Scared of me? Come on Zala, I won't bite!"
Shinn shook his head in disbelief. "Does he not realize who he is talking to?"
"No, Ensign, apparently not."
Lt. Le Creuset revealed himself, standing so that he had full view of the Commander, who was rather confused himself, obviously pulled out of bed.
This will certainly test your patience, Commander, Le Creuset thought. Let's see how you deal with the world's most foolish ambassador.
Meanwhile, Yuuna kept shoving aside soldiers, who followed basic military protocol and implemented what was best for someone like Yuuna—maximum tolerance. At some point, Yuuna found himself before one of the younger men in the crowd, a lone figure standing right in his way.
Outraged by this "blasphemy", Yuuna grabbed the Zaft soldier by the neckline of his shirt.
"You! Who do you think you are? Why are you in my way? I know, maybe you know where Athrun Zala is. Tell me. Where is he?"
"Sir, he's right in front of you," the man answered in a calm, slightly confused tone.
"He is? Where? WHERE? I've been looking for him all over this wretched place."
"He's right in front of you."
"Where? WHERE?" Yuuna shook the young man's lean frame as his eyes rolled back and forth. No one was standing behind the young man.
"Sir…" the man waved his hand at Yuuna's face, trying to get his attention. "I'm over here."
"You?" Yuuna snarled, apparently disgusted. "It is not you I seek. Where is Athrun Zala?"
"You're talking to him."
"I'm talking to you! Not Athrun Zala!"
"But I'm Athrun Zala."
Yuuna stooped down, eyeing the young man's flat belly, rigid chest, and ice-cold stare.
"You? You're Athrun Zala?"
"Yes. I believe there was something you wanted to tell me."
Among base camps flickering torches, Yuuna's countenance changed from shocked to unbelieving to disgusted to constipated…
to sharp hateful shrieks of laughter.
"Are you kidding me? You're just a kid!"
A tiny crease on Athrun's face—atypical of the countenance he'd normally put up in situations like this.
"Look," Yuuna broke in his laughing fit, "I know I scared your Commander off his pants…"
"What?" Shinn burst, about to leap forward. "Scared? Of you? Just who do you think you are, you…"
"Ensign." Athrun commanded him to hold back. "This does not need your interference. That goes for all of you."
Yuuna was so consumed in laughter, he did not notice it was the same voice that commanded Shinn not to kill him earlier.
"But please, I just want to talk to him," Yuuna laughed his way into saying.
"You are talking to him..." Athrun said coldly. "I'll ask you again, is there something you want to tell me?"
"No, seriously, let me talk to him. Please, don't embarrass yourself anymore, young man. Just take me to your Commander."
"I'll ask you again, and for the last time," he said darkly. "Is there something you want to tell Zaft's Commander?"
Finally, Yuuna's laughter died down, leaving him a dried up balloon gasping for air.
"Sorry, young man… that joke, of you being Athrun Zala… was just too… God, I should stop… I mean, it was just hilarious!"
"Joke?" Yzak growled, listening from a distance with the rest of the lieutenants. "That imbecile's the biggest joke I've ever seen!"
"Patience is a virtue, Lt. Joule," Heine whispered.
"Patience has its limits. This man is going overboard!" Yzak replied angrily.
Shinn agreed. "How can the Commander stand this guy? Why doesn't he just cut off his head?"
Discreetly amused by the young ones' commotion, Le Creuset thought a little advice from an oldie would help.
"The Commander is a very patient man. You, Ensign, should be acquainted with that."
"It is true, Sir, that I can be highly argumentative in my Commander's presence…" Shinn defended himself.
Such fine words from him, for a change, Dearka commented.
"But never… never will I insult him the way this moron does!" roared an enraged ensign, rushing full speed at a still incapacitated Yuuna, only to be held back by two lieutenants.
o+
How long does this man plan to waste my time? Athrun thought.
Yuuna had been laughing for the last five minutes. He was so red, he reminded Athrun of an overripe, oversized tomato.
"Oh my, have you been muted, young man? Fear of my great, glorious physique? Or my charming good looks? He could have at least picked someone who looked the part. Someone grand and noble… someone spectacular… terrifying… awe-inspiring…"
"What was he expecting Athrun to look like?" Heine wondered. "Oh, wait, let me guess…"
"Someone… like… me," Yuuna let the words fall slowly in his sweaty lips.
"I knew it."
"Good looks? When was the last time he looked at a mirror?" Dearka snarled.
"Noble? Grand? Spectacular?" Yzak burst. "Spectacularly stupid, that is!"
"Maybe he's farsighted," Nicol reasoned, "or nearsighted. Please, Dearka, Yzak, keep in mind. Maximum tolerance must be exercised at all times."
"Maximum… tolerance…" Each word seemed to have been shredded through Yzak's gritting teeth. "Fine…"
"Look at you. The way you're dressed, you… you're a peasant, for goodness' sake! Sack-clothes? How crude. Poor leather shoes, cheap trousers, at least he could have given you something fitting for a prince! And pllleeease! He could have chosen someone bigger. You look like you're about to snap in half, literally! Couldn't he have picked a bigger guy? There are a lot of big guys in this bunch… oh, I get it. You' re all scared of me, aren't you? Haha, scaredypants!"
"Scared? Scared of you?" Heine cried out. Heine was normally just as cool-headed as Nicol was, but Yuuna was going too far. "Our Commander scared of you? That's it, everyone! Off with his hea…"
"Heine!" Nicol silenced him. This guy's patience is unreal. "You should know better. The Commander's orders were not to interfere!"
Orders were orders, and Athrun's orders were absolute. Say something, Athrun, Heine thought. Only say the word and we'll tear him to bits!
Despite all this raucousness, Athrun remained amazingly composed. His face was betrayed by no expression, trained by years of teaching himself that emotions must never overcome rationale. Then again, one must always be reminded. Patience had its limits.
"Right…" Yuuna laughed his way into saying. "You're so slim, I almost mistook you for a girl a minute ago!"
Silence. Utter silence.
Nicol repeated the words in his head.
A girl?
He repeated the words again. They just didn't jive.
Mistaken? For a girl? The Commander?
No matter how patient, how gentle of a fellow Nicol was, he was bound to blow.
"Athrun Zala mistaken for a girl?" Nicol muttered under his breath, clasping his sword's handle. "Does this goofball not realize that hundreds of men are waiting… just waiting… to slice his head off?"
"Maximum tolerance, Nicol," Heine reminded him, cracking his knuckles.
"Maximum tolerance does not apply to this idiot," Nicol mumbled angrily. The dark lines beneath his eyes, devoid of sleep, darkened even more, along with the rest of the army's faces. In the air floated a cloud of incomprehensible murmurs merged into one reverberating chant.
Commander, forget maximum tolerance. Just say it… off with his head… off with his head…
It filled the air—a ghastly, ominous chant.
OFF WITH HIS HEAD!
Still, Yuuna refused to take notice of all of this. He was consumed in the belly of laughter; can anyone blame him?
"Right… You're so pretty, all you need to do is put a skirt on, and I bet everyone here will fall in love with you. The army's muse! Isn't that charming?"
"Stop saying that," Shinn mumbled, drawing out his dagger again. No one was stopping anyone now.
As he watched Athrun's expression, which, for the first time since this blockhead showed up, was absolutely baffled, Nicol muttered, "Just give us the order, Commander, and we'll chop him to pieces. To bits. To smithereens!"
One word from Athrun Zala's lips, they all thought in unison. And you… are… dead!
Unfortunately, Yuuna was just too stupid to get the message.
"Honestly, how could he? How could he pass off for himself such a cutesy, dorky, girly-looking lad like you?"
That was it. Their patience was blown to bits, obliterated, dispersed into oblivion. All the soldiers drew their weapons—anything sharp and pointed they could get their hands on—and started advancing at Yuuna, who was still overwhelmed in laughter.
"Girly-looking? The Commander? How dare you!"
"No one insults the Commander that way!"
"Die, you bastard. Everyone, attack!"
In this mutiny against maximum tolerance, the army transformed into an aggressing mass of flesh and fabric, unstoppable…
Until Athrun Zala says the word and makes them stop.
"Patience," he bellowed, in the same voice that launched the army's onslaughts, "is a virtue. Don't ever forget that."
Gritting their teeth as hard as ever, the soldiers restrained themselves.
"Sir," Athrun turned to face Yuuna. "Do you have something to tell me, or are you just wasting my time?"
No matter how hard he tried to suppress his feelings, Athrun was obviously angry. But thinking that the young man and the rest of the red-eyed, wrathful soldiers were just being spoiled sports, Yuuna, lips pursed and pouted, flaunted his overgrown, overcurled, eyelashes.
Now that made Athrun want to throw up.
"Alright, Commander," he teased, pressing on the last word emphatically. "Let me see… what was I about to tell you, again?"
"Don't tell me you forgot."
"Oops, looks like I did. Sorry, all that laughing made me a little soft in the head. My sincerest apologies."
His men watched Athrun close his eyes, praying he'd grab this numskull by the neck and squeeze the life out of him. To their disappointment, Athrun only turned his back to leave.
"Fine, that was you're king's message, correct?"
"Right."
"If you can't remember, I'll just pay him a visit tomorrow morning. Personally."
Tomorrow? the soldiers thought. Why can't we decapitate him now?
"Could you tell that to your king?"
Still thinking Athrun was joking, Yuuna pouted, acting like a sorry, sniveling toddler, "Yes, Commander."
"Fine. I'll just come unannounced, then."
"As you wish, Commander." The fool smirked as he watched Athrun walk through the crowds of stupefied men. "Adorable kid. Hah, what a strange bunch of fellows we have here. Toodleloo!"
Waving his hands to bid them goodbye, Yuuna thought, The message of my king must meet the eyes of Athrun Zala alone. But they won't show him to me. The coward… oh well. Their loss, not mine.
Minutes later, Athrun bid his men to go back to sleep.
"Commander!"
The three lieutenants formed a packed crowd in front of Athrun's tent, clamoring about how he shouldn't let anyone call him a girl and get away with it. Not even Shinn was able to say anything, and he could have sworn he was dreaming when gentle, soft-spoken Nicol shoved the three away and cried, "If you didn't want to do it, we would have gladly done it for you. All you had to do was give us the order. You didn't even have to lift a finger. Athrun, you should have just let us beaten him up!"
A cold, austere face greeted his friends.
"I hope you are not forgetting that in this assemblage, you are not to address me as casually as you do in private conversations. I am to be addressed as Commander, not by first name."
Yzak, Heine, Dearka, and Nicol felt their limbs stiffen. This cold, sharply stern face rarely spoke to them personally. Almost tearing away the flaps, Athrun shut himself in his tent.
"Dealing with that imbecile is not worth my time or my sleep. It is not worth yours, either. Go back to sleep. "
In a matter of minutes, all who had crowded around Athrun's tent had tucked themselves in, save for three lieutenants, one captain, and one sleepy, yawning ensign.
"Ensign Asuka, stand attention!"
Dearka's command sent his body bolting up, but he eased, mumbling, "Why do I have to do this?"
"About time you apologize for everything you said before," Nicol told him. "Don't you think it's more comfortable to do a group apology than to apologize alone?"
"Yes, Sir," Shinn grumbled.
"So," Dearka broke hesitantly. "Who's going to announce our presence?"
"Volunteers?"
"Ensign, how about you?"
"What? No way!"
"Don't tell me you're scared…"
"I'm not… it's just that…"
"Oh admit it, you're scared."
"Well, if you aren't then why don't you do it, Lieutenant?"
"Why you little…"
"Yzak, control yourself. Ensign, announce our presence. That's an order."
"Lt. Westenfluss, why me?"
"Go ahead, Shinn."
"Lt. Elsman, I object!"
"Object? You can't go against a superior's orders. Announce our presence. Now!"
Realizing he didn't have much of a choice, Shinn cleared his throat. Luckily, it wasn't necessary.
"Enter. All of you."
With jelly feet, the five of them entered. Dearka almost tripped on a rock sticking out of the ground.
"Well?" Athrun said. "Speak up."
"Commander!" Heine blurted immediately. "We…"
He couldn't put it in words.
"My patience has already been stretched beyond its limits tonight. Now talk."
"We…" Heine stuttered under Athrun's encompassing stare. "We're sorry."
"Sir, we're sorry for causing an uproar earlier. It was very unbecoming of us. We sincerely apologize," Nicol said softly.
"We will accept all forms of reprimand," Yzak finished. "As you deem just."
His stare was still freezing. The apology didn't work.
"Tell me, Dearka…"
Hey, he's calling me by name. Dearka sighed in relief. I'm spared.
"You used to call me pretty when we were younger, correct?"
Or maybe not… "Uhm… yes."
"Tell me. Do I really look like a girl?"
Seeing his frosted glare, Dearka dare not crack his composure anymore. "No, Sir."
"Be honest."
Seeing his still frosted glare, Dearka decided it was best to just tell him the truth.
"Considering your gentle facial features, your soft-spokenness, and your seemingly lean physique, it could be contended that you would be, to a certain extent, mistaken for a girl, under favorable circumstances."
"Very well." Athrun got up from sitting cross-legged on the sand. Dearka shuddered upon feeling his friend's arm on his shoulder.
"So… if you happen to meet me in town—let's say, the park. I'm sitting on a bench, a fluffy white poodle attached to a leash in my hand. You'd mistake me for a girl for one second, right?"
"Uhm, yes…" Dearka answered uneasily.
"Five seconds?"
"Probably, Sir…"
"Ten? Would you still come up to me and invite me for a nice cup of tea under the oak tree?"
"Well… yes…"
Athrun pulled Dearka closer, his arm rounding to Dearka's neck.
Dearka pushed out, "If you smile back, hand me your poodle, gesturing me to carry it for you… and if you take out a fan to cover your mouth before giggling…"
"Alright, so let's say I did all that… you'd mistake me for a girl for 30 seconds, right?"
"If you suppress the urge to giggle, because I'd find out your voice is of a man's…"
"Would you mistake me for a girl for a minute? Thirty?"
"I guess so… if you can do something about your voice, or if you can act like a woman for that long…"
"Which I cannot imagine Athrun to be capable of doing," Yzak mumbled grimly.
"Does this voice sound like a girl's? Do I act like a girl?"
Dearka was saying, "Athrun, you're choking me!" but Athrun was deaf to that. The Commander wasn't shouting. He kept his voice low, frigid…
Intimidating. The other four subordinates gulped in unison. This fact they knew all too well—the Commander could get very murderous when angered to the extreme.
Very murderous.
o+
Dawn. Most of Zaft's soldiers were just getting up, miffed about not having a full night's sleep. Behind one of the tents was Cagalli, forcibly muffling Haro's yapping beak. The parrot sprung out into the sky, carrying Cagalli's report on Zaft's actions.
There wasn't much to tell Kira this time. Huwebo's takeover needed virtually no resources, save for the effort of the soldiers wearing their armor. What greatly disturbed Cagalli was that everytime Haro came, it did not have a message for her from Kira or anyone else. This was so unlikely of her brother, who had been so hesitant to let her go.
"And Father, too. Why isn't anyone writing back?" she wondered. This made her uneasy—she could not tell if no news from home meant good or bad.
A few minutes later, she noticed Shinn, Nicol, and Yzak accompanying their Commander. All of them were in full armor and on horseback.
"Nicol!" Cagalli called out. "Where are you going?"
Nicol responded, "To see the Sabadoan king."
"Really? But don't you normally send a messenger to your adversaries?"
Cursing mentally, they recalled Yuuna and last night's ridiculous ordeal. In this refreshed fury, Yzak sped off.
"Lieutenant, wait."
Cursing mentally again, Yzak stopped.
Athrun continued. "Sabadoa had a message for us. They sent a messenger last night. We're going out to see what that message is."
"I thought you said Sabadoa sent you a messenger. He didn't tell you?"
Biting his lips as if to suppress them from blowing up, Athrun turned away. Nicol answered in his stead. "Well, he kind of forgot."
"Forgot? How could he forget?"
"Beats me," Shinn grumbled. "I don't even know how someone as stupid as he is can live to be his age."
"Wait, can I come?"
The four men stopped. Yzak asked, "Why would we let you?"
"I… need to see someone in Sabadoa."
"Yes, and that will be of what importance to us?"
"She just wants to tag along," Nicol whispered from behind, " what harm could possibly come out of it?"
"I'm just being honest. Cagalli, sorry, but you can't come."
"W… wait! The friend I'm seeing is a weapons' dealer! I figured you might want to see his work."
His ears flushing red, Yzak spun back. "I said you can't…"
"Really? Is he good?"
"Ah yes, Commander, the city's best. I'm picking up something I asked him to make for me. But he has items up for sale in his shop, and I tell you, they are good. I thought someone like you would be interested."
Cagalli's entrepreneur smile made Yzak's ears burn hotter. Nicol could hear him mutter, "Athrun… if you say yes… I swear I'll rip your tongue into pieces!"
"Why not? Let's give his work a shot. All of you, move."
"Oh well." Nicol patted Yzak's head. "Look at the bright side. Technically, he didn't say yes."
Hearing a loud smack, Athrun spun to see Yzak rubbing his temples furiously.
"Something wrong?"
"Oh, nothing's wrong, Sir… absolutely nothing!"
"Hm… I'll take that as a lie. Do tell me of it later. Now Cagalli, tell me about your friend's pieces, are they really good?"
Watching Athrun and Cagalli chat away as they rode for the city, Nicol chirped, "Leave it to a weapons' shop to make Athrun happy."
"I don't get it," Shinn butted in. "He's got tons of swords at home. Why does he want more?"
Yawning, Yzak answered, "He collects swords for a hobby. Spears and shields, too. Name it, he probably has it. I think his collection blew to fill something the size of the Imperial Theater last year."
"And he's still looking for more? I mean, we are in the middle of war here," Shinn asked. "This isn't exactly the right time to be shopping."
This isn't the right time to be playing with women, either, Yzak thought.
Grinning, Nicol told him, "Honestly, buddy, lighten up."
o+
As soon as Cagalli was out of earshot, Shinn asked, "Commander, why is she with us?"
"As a guide. I just want to drop by that shop she's been talking about. Even you might find something you like."
"That's not the point! Besides, why was she so persistent?"
"Do you suspect her of anything, Ensign?"
"Yes, Commander. I think she's gathering information."
Cagalli was then having a busy conversation with Nicol a good distance away.
"She asks too many things and has skills to match some of Zaft's best. Doesn't that mean anything?"
Athrun kept to his brisk pace. Yzak said, "People are noticing, and people are wondering why you aren't doing anything about it. Still think we're overassuming?"
"Are you saying she's a spy? Lt. Joule, I've already told you why I disagree."
Yzak huffed, recalling how Athrun had convinced Heine and Dearka to think his way.
"The last thing a spy wants is to be noticed. If Cagalli were a spy, she would have never challenged me to a mock brawl."
"We're not saying she's a spy," Shinn butted in. "She's someone from Orb, a country we are about to attack. She doesn't know that yet, but what if she finds out? She'll tell them everything she knows."
Athrun's pace changed not one bit.
"Personal affairs must not be intermingled with national duty," Yzak said. "I hope you're not forgetting that."
"You don't need to remind me."
Momentarily, Athrun pulled back, coming to a stop before he sent his horse flying across the desert. He whispered lowly, just low enough for Cagalli not to hear.
"Even if she tells Orb everything she knows, it'll be too late by the time the message gets to them."
o+
"Ahmed, are you in here?"
"What? Oh, princes…" Surprised by the arrival of one of his more illustrious customers, Ahmed's back bolted back up from being hunched under the cashier's counter, hitting his head in the process. "Ow…"
"Be careful," Athrun told him.
"Oh, milady, you've brought friends? Goodie… I have some really nice new ones here… maybe they'd like to see." He raised his face, seeing four towering men behind the princess. "Oh my…"
"Them? Don't worry, they're acquaintances from Zaft. They're potential customers, don't stare at them so rudely."
"From Z… Zaft?"
With limp feet, Ahmed watched the four gents checking his retailed merchandise.
Nicol was checking on some of the crossbows. "Interesting handiwork… I like how you put the emblems on these pieces. Very artistic…"
"Artistic yet efficient. You're quite the blacksmith, Sir."
Displayed on the cashier's countertop was a set of daggers. Athrun started grabbing daggers one after another, trying them in his hands as he went. One hand would flip a dagger accurately and catch it smoothly with the same hand, as the other hand did the same. At one point, he took hold of ten daggers, juggling them to see how well he could balance each before laying them back one by one on Ahmed's countertop.
Still caught in the image of steel flying inches from his face, Ahmed gasped, "Amazing."
"They're all good. I'll have all of them."
"S… sir? All fifty of them?"
"Yes, and a few more things…"
By the time he was done, Athrun had picked at least twenty other items. As he scouted his trousers for payment, a black sword held by what seemed to be a wax replica of a Zaft soldier captured Shinn's attention. It felt good under Shinn's grip, and as he observed the sword's handle, he noticed it bore a striking resemblance to a very familiar one.
"Modeled after the sword of Zaft's Commander himself," Ahmed said proudly. "It's the most expensive piece. Few have seen its archetype and lived to tell the tale. Perhaps even the Commander would have been fooled, don't you think?"
Shinn shook his head. "Not really. This is a bit shorter than the real thing, and his is in silver, not in black iron."
"Really? But the history books say… and how do you know? Have you seen it?"
Shinn let a part of his black armor show from under his coat, scaring the blood away from Ahmed's face. "I'm a soldier, we see it unsheathed before every battle. Still don't believe me? Why don't you ask him then? He's right behind you."
"Interesting, the scabbards are similar enough…" Athrun was mumbling to himself, comparing the imitation with the original. Seeing Ahmed pale as a ghost, he asked, "Sir, are you alright?"
"Y… you're…" Ahmed could barely keep his feet straight. "Zaft's C…commander?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"Agh! Don't hurt me, please! You can take everything, just don't hurt me!"
Frightened off his wits, Ahmed hid himself under the cashier's counter, cowering.
"Wait, Sir…" Slightly confused, Athrun turned to Shinn. "What did you tell him?"
"I just told him who you were, that's all."
"You what?"
"Big deal, everyone knows who you are."
"In Zaft. Not a soul knows what I look like in these parts of the world. See? You scared the poor fellow. Come out mister, I won't hurt you."
"Sir, I didn't scare him," Shinn argued. "You did."
This brought a curl up Athrun's forehead.
"Besides, doesn't that feel good? Everyone acknowledges you for what you can do. Shouldn't you be flattered?"
Maybe Shinn meant to annoy him, but Athrun took no notice anyway. "Sir Blacksmith, I'll just leave the payment here. Ensign, you can take the sword with you. It's paid."
"Wait," Shinn burst. "I didn't ask you to buy it for me!"
"You broke your sword the last time. Now go and find our horses so they can carry this merchandise. Find the town plaza and we'll meet you there."
"Sir… I don't need a new…"
"Go. That's an order."
Shinn left, still fingering the sword's scabbard. It did come from Athrun's pocket, but it still felt good under his coat.
o+
"Ahmed, do take this glass of water. You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh, it's worse, milady, worse!" Ahmed's eyes were practically leaking off their sockets. "T…that was…"
"I know. That man you were talking to just now was Athrun Zala."
"Milady, what are you doing with Zaft's Commander?"
This was getting Yzak's attention. Cagalli knew she had to cut to the chase immediately.
"Assisting them in their medical needs. I was offered a post in the medical team."
"Cagalli."
Yzak startled the both of them. Anxiously, she waited for him to speak.
"Don't tell him too much. Someone might overhear."
Nodding promptly, Cagalli said softly, "You heard what he said. I can't tell you everything. The next chat would have to wait…"
"But Prin…"
"Ahmed, stop addressing me so formally. We're friends, remember?"
Her identity must remain concealed.
"Understand?"
"Yes, Cagalli," he answered with a cheerful grin. He got the message.
"Great. By the way, have you got the crossbow I asked you to make for me?"
Outside the shop, Ahmed had marked a nearby olive tree with a piece of white tarp the size of his palm. Cagalli took aim from a distance of roughly ten feet, the arrow dead locked to the white patch nailed to the tree's trunk. It took a few minutes before she released the arrow, sending it whizzing through the air.
"Milady, you missed it. What happened?"
The white patch remained untouched. Cagalli's arrow had landed on the tree's protruding roots.
"I wasn't aiming at the tarp. Stationary targets are a bit boring, don't you think so?"
"Perfect aim!" Nicol exclaimed. In his hands was a halved olive. "You just sliced an olive in midair by launching an arrow from ten feet away! Amazing!"
Blushing slightly, Cagalli managed to say, "It's a good bow. We must congratulate Ahmed for that."
"But the skill the craftsman had endowed a weapon with can only be seen through the hands of a masterful user. Even Nicol here was impressed, and he is Zaft's best."
"It's just luck, honestly." Cagalli blushed even more as Athrun and Nicol began discussing how finely the olive had been sliced. "I don't get it all the time."
"This is luck?" Athrun turned to her. For some reason she couldn't tell, Cagalli blushed even more.
"I beg to disagree. This is talent."
"Thank you," was all she could push out. Athrun paid for the crossbow, too.
She's even better than Nicol, Yzak commented, watching his companions from inside the shop. Tell me that doesn't mean anything, Athrun, and I'll pull the hair out of your head.
But seeing how Athrun seemed to be totally at ease, Yzak sighed, Oh what's the use? It's hard to convince Athrun without solid proof. Maybe I am overassuming. Or maybe he's…
The glimmer of a silver boomerang caught Yzak's attentions. These weapons originated from the South, and the best were made, still, by southern craftsmen.
"Now this is art," Yzak whispered, ready to pay any price for it.
Just before Yzak could grab his desired purchase, a woman took it, claiming that she had had it reserved a few days ago.
"But Lady Shiho, you never had it reserved."
"Oh, I must have forgotten. Anyway, I'm taking it now."
Bloated veins began to pop on Yzak's forehead. There was one basic rule in dealing with Yzak, and even Athrun kept to that rule.
"No one, and I say no one," he snarled, "ever takes me for granted like that."
This caught the woman's attention. She wore no veil; Yzak could clearly engrave on his mind every line on her face.
"Problems, Sir?" she asked lazily.
"Yes." Infuriated, Yzak pointed at the boomerang peeking out of the lady's knapsack. "I saw that boomerang first. Put it back where you found it. Now."
"Why should I?" the lady spat back, quaintly annoyed. "I was here days ago. I saw that boomerang first."
"Why didn't you buy it then?"
"Why must I explain myself to you, Sir?"
"Because I want that piece. Blacksmith, I'll pay you double for it."
"Sir I…" Ahmed stammered.
Angered herself, the lady pulled out more gold pieces.
"I'll pay you triple."
"Quadruple," Yzak followed with a fresh stack of gold.
"Quintuple."
The prized boomerang's unofficial auction priced it at millions, to say the least. Ahmed tried desperately to calm the both of them down.
"Stay out of this!"
In unison, their voices blasted the poor man's eardrums.
"Never had I met a haughtier, rowdier woman!" Yzak gnarled. It was like watching two wild beasts fight it off in a verbal standoff. "You have no business in a place like this. You should be at home… tending to your children's needs, or to your husband's, or to whoever needs a woman's attention at home!"
"Children? Do I look like I have children? Excuse me." Her hands set snobbishly on her waist, she smiled teasingly. "Shouldn't you be telling that to yourself? Did your hair get stuck in flour for the last half of the century?"
"Lady, are you implying…"
"Oh, please forgive my rudeness, Grandpa… young women my age should respect their elders, shouldn't we?"
"Call me old, will you? Fine, have it your way. Young women your age should know their place, that's something women like to forget quite often nowadays."
Her jeering smile was wiped off.
"The problem with you women is that you like to fancy yourselves equal to men in everything. You like to criticize us men about how much we belittle you, saying we always think ourselves superior…"
"Which is something you never fail to emphasize," the lady pressed, her eyes threatening.
"Because it's true!" Yzak blew. "Especially in battle. I don't see how you can even imagine yourselves in armor, how you can picture yourselves wielding a sword, or any weapon for that matter. Let women have their bounty in the arts… heck, even in politics! But the battlefield… no, never should a woman set foot in the battlefield. Do not torture a man by forcing him to face an enemy whom he can indubitably conclude to be weaker than him. Now be a good girl and give me that boomerang. Leave such business to men, who can wield that better."
Much to Yzak's shock, a dagger almost hit his left eye, had he not evaded quickly enough.
"Draw your sword. Before you think of me any lowlier, taste my blade. Fight!"
"I can't draw my sword against a lady!"
"Enough talk. Prove yourself. Fight me!"
"Lt. Joule, what are you doing?"
Athrun, Nicol and Cagalli looked at the two quizzically. Athrun decided it was best to apologize for his friend, who seemed to have said something the lady didn't like. Expecting something along the lines of, "No, it's alright," they were all surprised to hear the lady say, "A lieutenant acting that way? Do tell your superior, his men need discipline."
"Now lady, this is not a question of discipline," Athrun replied. "If you question my men's discipline because of one lieutenant's actions, then that licenses me to question your women's discipline for it was you who drew your sword first."
Leaving the shop, Athrun asked Yzak, "Now as for you. What on earth could you possibly tell a lady to provoke her like that?"
"The hard, cold facts of reality," Yzak muttered.
"Be precise. A lady would never raise a weapon unless provoked by an unforgivable crime."
"Commander, why do you have to point out that she was a lady?"
"But Cagalli, aren't women more tempered than men?"
"Maximum tolerance, Cagalli," Nicol grinned, seeing Cagalli march off. "Athrun, the line between women and men has long been crossed. You should really be less discriminatory now."
"I was just paying her a compliment… women are so hard to understand."
Then the three men set off, catching up with the veiled woman.
Meanwhile, Lady Shiho fingered her newly bought weapon. "That girl called him Commander, and one of them called him Athrun. That was Athrun Zala, correct?"
Ahmed nodded, still frightened.
"And that sexist bastard was one of his lieutenants. Hold your horses, Yzak… for the next time we meet…"
The lady's gaze, entranced by the boomerang's glimmering blade, seemed to stick daggers into her new target's throat.
"This little baby is going to slice off your head."
oooooo
Hey, they're human. They need to have timeouts every now and then. Again, many thanks to people who've been taking the time to read and review. (Bows and exits)