Of Lies and Fantasies

by XtremeManiac33

[SI]. Blake has a broken hand and is the brains of the duo. Alyssa is capable enough to fight for the both of them. He only wants to go home through any means necessary. She wants to help her new friends in any way she can. "They" have other plans for the two of them. Zidane & the others don't need to know and are caught in the crossfire.

37. On The Rocks

A/N: Good evening, guys and gals. I'm uploading this at home instead of at work. A bit of a change of pace for me since I've had an extended weekend due to the ASEAN meeting happening here at the Philippines. Wish I just didn't have to work for tomorrow and Friday though. Just complete the whole week, darn in!

Anyway, here's the new chapter. Though I am saddened that the advance chapter I'm writing wasn't completed, I'll have to work on it tomorrow at work when I have nothing to do. Wasn't able to write much during the extended weekend. Was too busy playing video games and sleeping and going out. Despite this chapter being done months ago, I added a small part near the end. Hope its not too jarring or noticeable.

Shoutout to Draen for giving me an idea about the eidolons as mentioned in this chapter!

Thanks to everyone that read the previous chapter and reviewed. Thanks to the new readers and followers as you guys and gals enjoy this chapter. I'm looking forward to next month's release. See you then.

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Of Lies and Fantasies
Chapter 37: On The Rocks

- Blake -

After spending fifteen minutes being interrogated by that enigma they call Inoire the day before, his words were more haunting than the message he left me behind that ticket Meguro gave me. Seeing him come out from nowhere and get past Beatrix was more than enough to tell me that this guy is a nightmare. He can fight, he's nice, something about his deep voice was menacing even if he was just telling the weather, and has magical abilities if his healing was any indication. This Inoire guy is definitely the kind of trouble I never want to introduce in my life.

Just hearing him address me made me want to run out of there. Seeing him float down behind us in pursuit put the fear of God in me. But at least we have a wall to separate us from him. Let's be honest though, that wall shouldn't matter if he can float down ten flights of spiral stairs and just walk at us at his own pace. And that warning he said to Alyssa? Clear warning for a future meeting, and a future meeting with him is the last thing I want.

My mind stopped thinking about the silver coat wearing man when I heard an echoing groan above me. The gargant had been summoned and was already pulling into the station when we rejoined the others. As it ate from the box lowered in front of him, we all stepped into the carriage attached to neutral monster. At least not everything in this underground passage is not trying to kill, unlike upstairs when humans and monsters and dolls had it out for us.

Surprisingly, it looked like its carriage could accommodate everyone. About half of our party had gotten in it except for Dagger, Zidane, and Steiner. Alexandria's princess was still looking at the doorway we had just passed through, hearing the noises of fighting and shouting where we were just trapped a few seconds ago.

"I...I don't know what to do anymore…" She said, uncertain about what's happening in her life all of a sudden.

"Why do you think they stayed behind?" Zidane asked her as he put a hand on his chest. "Yeah, they're fighting for you, but also, they know, deep down inside, that they have to fight! Beatrix, Marcus, and Blank...Sometimes, you can't think everything out. You have to listen to your heart."

"I would usually disagree with this monkey," Steiner sided up with the thief, "but this time I have to agree with Zidane."

After one more look to the doorway to the castle's basement, Dagger relented and joined us, finally ready to leave home again. And good timing in convincing her as well because the feeding box had just gotten out of its reach, with Steiner and Zidane hopping in and closing the door behind them just as it was about to move. Everyone was told that we were going to lay low in Treno for a while to figure out what we should do next.

Of course, things didn't go smoothly as they thought when the gargant stopped suddenly. The carriage rocked back and forth a few times after, but we were all generally okay despite the lack of seatbelts. Alyssa had her arm in front of me, acting like a seatbelt for me as I held Nero in both my arms. Everyone else started standing up after making sure it's safe to move, wondering what's causing the hold up.

"Not again…" I groaned.

A silhouette began to approach, making the gargant move backwards. The carriage might as well move slightly because I could see parts of the gargant start to shake in fear. Dagger and Steiner knew what this is all about when they started to disembark the carriage. I would be eager to jump off and join them in confronting that massive snake/worm if only my everything didn't hurt. That crazy soldier really went to town on me. Now I'm more afraid of being alone in a room with a red-haired girl than being struck by lightning. Fighting anything is not my concern at the moment.

Zidane followed Dagger, trying to get her back into the gargant's carriage, while Vivi and Freya went out to see what was the commotion all about. Only Alyssa remained and she was staring at the emerging monster slithering toward what it thought was its prey. Dirty green scales emerged from the shadows of the underground passage, two large tusk-like horns curved upward to the front of its face, its tan-ish underbelly had four red protruding spikes on its sides.

The Ralvuimago. Another snake-like creature slumming it underground in deep Mist. And, ugh...that name is gonna be so bothersome, same with the Ralvurahva. Why does it even have this kind of name anyway? Is it some sort of reference to a snake-like deity in some third-world country? Speaking of which, I'm not really sure if this is the Ralvurahva evolved into a worse monster for us or its mate. Whatever it is, it's hungry for some gargant and we don't want to have our ride eaten.

"You stay here, alright?" Alyssa told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Whatever happens, don't jump on that thing's back."

"What am I, crazy?" I retorted. That got me a dire stare from the brunette as she drew her sword. "Okay, point taken." She paused for a second, making sure I was serious about staying put.

"Before I forget..." She turns back to me and removes the sling she had around her neck and helps put my broken wrist in it gently.

"Thanks. Stay safe." I look up to her as she stands, one of her hands landing on my shoulder with a brief comforting squeeze before joining the others. Honestly, fighting is out of the question. And if she needed numbers, they had enough. Instead of the traditional 3 members this boss fight has, we have five.

Five party members at this stage. This is not how it's supposed to happen. We're only supposed to get this many people when we reach the Outer Continent. Now we're exceeding party member count before Dagger gets her most important ability as a white mage. Definitely not how it's supposed to be paced. Is this because of our presence? Perhaps we did something that looked unimportant but actually affected the world to line up these events to this particular point in time? And what about after this? What else is different?

There's nothing I can do to undo the changes to these things. I don't even know what caused them! And it's not like I can time travel to that point and prevent it from happening. I have knowledge of the future, not a Delorean waiting in a random garage. And that future knowledge is being compromised before my very eyes and I can't do anything about it.

It feels frustrating knowing that, but I feel so worn out and hurt that I can't think of how to react to it. Staring out of the carriage as the others ran around the giant green snake monster, hitting it when they could and dodging it whenever it would slither at them or swing its head/tail at them, the thought of finding out what caused these changes is making my head ache. Plenty of reasons why this happened and most of them I don't know how to prove. It'll only drive me crazy thinking about the possibilities of where we screwed up or indirectly affected the world.

Having compromised future knowledge is as useful as second-hand information. You're not too sure which ones are true and which one is exaggerated/untrue. I obviously can't rely on what I know anymore because of this. Such complications become bigger and bigger problems for me. It's like the world thinks I need more on my plate.

I might as well consider how big of a pain in the ass this is to keep a secret from the other protagonists. I wonder how they would react if they find out that Alyssa and I know what happens to them? Will they think we're joking or will they also feel frustrated that we hid this info from them from the start? Surely their reactions will be divided and interesting.

But that's all worst case scenario stuff. What do I do until then? Finding a way home seems as tricky as getting here. I'd love to find a way of making sure story events happen as originally intended, and with all the magic this world has I'm sure I can stumble upon one way of doing just that. It's finding the right place to stumble on that's tricky. Tagging along with the others is pretty much my go-to activity until said stumbling happens, which isn't helpful since it is pretty much waiting for anything to happen. Good or bad, whatever happens that can give me an opportunity- as long as it doesn't require me to kill another person- I'll consider doing anything.

Another look at the fighting below made me realize I must have been not paying attention. The Ralvuimago is already reeking from the looks of it. One of its body spikes had been cut, its left tusk was bent out of shape, and its light underbelly had a massive burn mark. Zidane was sliding down its back, the blades of The Ogre cutting the scaled surface with each spin he made, while it tried to attack this purple wall standing between it and the others. Vivi found an opening when it reeled back for another face-smashing lunge and was blasted in the face with a Thundara for its efforts.

Its cries echoed throughout the tunnel and was punctuated by the monster's head crashing down to the ground, Mist spreading upon its landing. Everyone was tense at first when it twitched twice. After that they all started to relax once it absolutely stopped moving.

"Is it dead now?" I ask after standing up to see if they did beat it. After a few affirmatives, I wave them over to get the show on the road. No need to dwell on things when we can move the story along. "Let's get going then!"

Eventually they get back on the carriage, Freya just jumped in with Vivi in her arms to make things go faster. The gargant sways for a second once we were all seated until it moves forward slowly at first. It picks up speed once we get past the 'dead' Ralvuimago. Alyssa is the only one looking behind us, her face looking very worried before adjusting in her seat.

"Maybe we should've made sure it was dead," she mutters. Freya, who was seated right next to her, picked up on it and shook her head.

"We've already wasted time fighting off that monster. Brahne's soldiers might have decided to run down here to pursue us." She said as she gave a brief look behind us.

"They wouldn't have gotten to us at this rate. We're like 3 minutes deep into the tunnel from the Alexandrian entrance before we stopped. At the speed this gargant is going, two minutes would be a hell of a time for them to catch up to." It wasn't the most accurate explanation I could come up with, but it felt like they got what I meant. "But Freya is right. We had to keep going and it probably wouldn't matter if that monster was just knocked out or dead."

When Alyssa whipped her head to me with a frown on her face. Did she not like my explanation? Like I said, it's not the best but it was passable. Killing it would only give us more problems than solutions. The Ralvuimago is supposed to get back up and go after us anyway. As much as I want to not crash into Pinnacle Rock, it has to happen. Having less injuries would be nice.

Plus, it still feels like my head was swimming underwater. Leaning back and resting against the carriage wasn't as comfortable as sleeping in a car driving on a dirt road. Sure my shoulders and head were out of the carriage, but it was okay for now. At least it wasn't as bad as sleeping in a car; there's not window for my face to smash against.

But a hand on the back of my neck makes me sit up. "Careful. You don't want to lose your head." Alyssa was helping me adjust in my seat and it's making me feel like a toddler being put in a high chair.

"I feel fine." My words are betrayed by the sharp spark of pain going up my back. I was trying my best not to yelp as Alyssa helped me straighten up. "Ugh...okay, not really fine. I should lie down. On my belly, because my back hurts. Every part of it. Ow…"

It would have been a calming ride, what with it being a vehicle going in a nice speed in a single lane with nothing to impede us. All I need is a pillow, my mp3 playing music in my ear, and a glass window for my head to thump against every few seconds to make this a perfect ride. I guess nuzzling against Nero's feathers would be a close second if there's no pillow around. But then again, we're not going to have that comfy of a ride in just a minute.

"Arriving under Doctor Tot's observatory should only take a few more minutes at this rate," Steiner noted at the speed of the gargant. When it went a little faster, it made the knight hum. "Hmm…? Well it seems like it wants to arrive there sooner."

That very statement made me hold on to my seat. Alyssa had taken a spot beside me and had decided to do the same silently. The others were too calm at the moment to realize that they missed something, one that I warned them about but was ignored. Dagger is the first to realize something was up.

"No, it's not like that! Look!" She pointed behind us. Everyone else looked and slightly jumped in surprise when they could see the massive green snake they had just fought is now trying to catch up to us.

"Damn it, it's chasing us!" Zidane exclaimed.

"It didn't like us denying it of its food!" I obviously said.

"We should've made sure - hmph!" Rolling my eyes, I covered her mouth before she could finish that thought. Now wasn't the time to gloat, but it was good that no one else heard it when they were busy holding on to the carriage. Anyone with easily removable headwear, like Vivi, had to hold them down while making sure they themselves wouldn't fly out of the monster-driven vehicle.

Zidane looked around the carriage in the hopes that there's something he can do to stop the gargant or delay the Ralvuimago. "We're gonna pass Treno soon if we don't stop soon!" Unfortunately, we didn't have any items worth throwing overboard to wound/stop the monster form coming at us. All we could do is just strap in and hope for the best.

"I think that was Treno." Vivi pointed to what looked like a station that we had just passed a second ago. Hard to see when our ride is basically disobeying gargant travel speed laws.

"Damn it! We can't just jump off at this speed." Zidane worriedly stated. We actually can try that, but it would definitely hurt. A lot. "Again, not the time, Blake."

The dark tunnel of Gargan Roo started to become a shade lighter than the mostly-black-ish color it had in between Alexandria and Treno, almost brown-like. Our vehicle is now operating at a roller-coaster-like speed, which was problematic because it wasn't safe for us. The gargant didn't care though as long as it was far away from the broken tusks of the Ralvuimago. Concerned shouts about the speed, the tunnel, and the gargant filled my ears as I tried hold on to my seat and keep Nero from flying away. I felt something cross over my chest. A brief look made me realize Alyssa was securing me against my seat with her arm. Looking up at her now, she was bracing herself for impact well before the possibility of it being announced, eyes already closed and attempting to relax her breathing.

There's something about seeing her now after being trapped in Alexandria's dungeon for what felt like days. Sure it was a relief to be out of there, but seeing her panic and feeling her struggle to carry me made me feel grateful I knew her. We might have not been friends before all this, but she's the closest one I got to one here now. So I extended my only able arm across her and tried to get a semblance of grip on the carriage.

"Everyone hang on tight!" Zidane's announcement made me turn away from where the gargant was heading.

This might hurt. A lot.

-OLaF-

If waking up being carried by Alyssa to the numbing of various bruises and muscles was a bad wake-up call, being in what might as well be a car crash was double the pain of the torture sessions Alexandria's soldier put me through. I'm absolutely sure this is well above my pain threshold. But when I opened my eyes and groaned out loud to tell the world how every part of my body ached, I was somewhat surprised any part of my limbs felt mind-numbing pain. I had to check if my fingers and toes could still move.

...Okay, still capable of finger movement, meaning most of my limbs should be okay.

With my confidence at my continued survival growing, I tried to take a guess where I was. I knew the gargant had crashed and got us to Pinnacle Rocks, but where exactly where I landed after the fact is what got me wondering. Scanning the immediate area in front of me made me balk. The area didn't make any sense. I could see the ruined carriage in various sizes, but it looked like they were hanging off the ceiling. Then there were massive vines wrapping around the areas not covered by stalactites. Did I fly off our ride before it crashed outside of the tunnel? How far did I land? Where are the others? Where's Nero?

And then I realize, upon trying to move my head, which sent an terrible ache up my neck, that I was just upside down, positioned in the opposite side from where I was seated earlier with my legs hanging off the carriage.

Sighing, I tried to move and readjust myself, however knowing my body can move and trying to actually move the whole thing are two very different ideas. When I tried to shift my shoulders so I could pull myself out of my current position, I tensed up when my shoulders flared up painfully, leading to more pain due to the muscles being pressed together. It was an agonizing that only stopped when I let myself go limp.

So much for the healing of Dagger's magic earlier. Our crash here just made it worse for me. Instead of moving, I just groaned out loud in the hopes of attracting attention. All I got was the ambient sound of midday insects going about their own business and running water. It's pretty calming, but not very helpful at the moment. A good change of pace after being trapped in the dark corners under Alexandria and laying unconscious against grimy cobblestone, away from the sounds of leather and knuckles cracking against flesh and bone.

Just as I was starting to relax, something hit a small spot on my forehead. I instantly look up despite the pain to see if I was going to die right here, right now. All that dread is washed away when I register the black feathers of Nero slightly brushing against my face, the little chocobo looking down at me with a slight tilt of his head.

"Oh, thank god it's just you." I exhale the breath I was holding. Nero's 'kweh' assured me that I would be okay for a while longer. Surprisingly it's the little thing that I've been carrying for days that finds me first. Not that I mind. I would love to be found by Nero more than any hungry beast prowling the area.

"Nero, where did you- Blake!" A feminine voice interrupts my trailing thoughts. Nero jumps up on my chest and flaps his wings at the newcomer. This person helps adjust my feet off the carriage remains to make it easier for me to move. A hand touches crawls under my shoulder, another holding my left arm as it tried to pull me up, the alert chocobo never leaving my arm as I held it between an arm and my chest. Once I was settled where my feet used to be, I finally got to see who is helping me.

"Dagger?" I asked. Not the person I expected to see first.

"Are you okay?" The princess asked. "Everyone else is awake now. They are taking a look around the area to see if we are safe."

"I would complain that none of you tried to help me while I was unconscious, but I'm too tired and too hurt to actually do that." I groaned as I leaned back on my seat.

"Alyssa tried to move you, but apparently she could not handle your unconscious reactions. Her words, not mine." She explained. I wouldn't move anyone caught in a brutal accidental too if I had the chance to witness one. "Let me heal you."

A warm feeling washed over me briefly. I could feel my muscles relax and some of my bruises ache less thanks to Dagger's magic. But when I tried to get up, a sharp pain from all over my body overwhelmed me, taking me back down to my seat. Trying again only got the same reaction, causing Dagger to knit her eyebrows in concern.

"T-Tell me, are you tired? I only say that because I think your magic is not packing that much juice. Ow…that stings…" I hissed after going for a third attempt, trying to keep back any expletive from getting out of my mouth due to the discomfort I was feeling.

"No...Aside from a few aches from the crash, I feel normal." She replied with a hint of uncertainty. There was a part of her voice that something I said had bothered her, which was further proven when she became silent. Might as well stay here and keep an eye on the carriage remains since moving is that damaging to my health. Plus, this could be our home base for a few more minutes until we get bothered by a certain summoning spirit.

"Your bruises…" I look over and see that my back had her attention. Yeah, it's not a pretty sight apparently.

"They're pretty much the worst injuries I've sustained in this journey so far. Not that I like to keep track. Hard not to though."

"Let me try healing you again." She puts her hands over my back, her gloves hovering just a centimeter away from my exposed skin. The wave of magic comes again and that same feeling of relief washes over me. But a few seconds later parts of my back tense up and spasm painfully to the point where my left hand grabs the closest thing and shares the pain. The problem with that was Dagger was sitting closely, making my hand land on her knee and hold it as hard as I could. She didn't shout, but I could tell I had hurt her a bit.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to do that. It just got overwhelming for a second there." I said while withdrawing my hand.

She merely shakes her head, not offended by my sudden action after shrugging off my momentary loss of control. "It's fine. I know you didn't mean to do it." Her eyes goes back to my back and an inquisitive hum follows. "A handful of them seemed to get better, but majority of them are still there."

"Better than nothing, I suppose."

Dagger leans back and closes her eyes. "This doesn't make any sense…"

I put my injured hand on her shoulder and tried my best to offer some comfort. "You're probably still tired after waking up. I don't know what kind of magic they used to put you under, but it's probably messing with your abilities. Don't beat yourself up too much about it."

She nodded, leaning into the seat for a more comforting position. I assume her head had a lot of thoughts running around them, especially after what happened in the castle along with her white magic not working effectively , so I just decided to let her have her inner monologue time while I comforted the anxious chocobo now settled on my lap. It was a couple minutes of calming silence. I could use more moments like this.

Looking forward from here game-events-wise, there's not gonna be any time for relaxation until we reach the Outer Continent. Well, the journey underground towards the Outer Continent shouldn't be that stressful since we're just walking through caves. The only noteworthy parts are the ones before we get in the caves anyway. Everything should be smooth sailing from there.

The woman beside me moved to her feet, her eyes looking at something to our right. Any question I had about where she's going was answered when I saw Alyssa and Zidane walking towards us. Both of them looked fine, but Alyssa looked like she was favoring her left arm.

"We can see part of Lindblum castle from the distance, but it's going to be quite the walk." Zidane informed Dagger as she met them halfway.

Alyssa immediately went to my side upon seeing me awake, a question about my current health was the first thing she mentions. So I answer, "I'm less than fine actually. Dagger tried to heal me, but for some reason it didn't work. Perhaps she's still feeling the effects of Kuja's spell…"

The brunette had the same confused look Dagger had earlier, but decided to think about it later when she dug into her own pockets. "Here, try a potion."

I gladly accepted the item and drank all of it. The moment I felt its cold contents pour down my throat, I started to feel better. Parts of my back wasn't as tense as before and it made easier for me to breathe and move. Sure my body still ached when I tried to move, but it wasn't as bad as earlier. Alyssa helped me up to my feet, a less painful attempt that didn't knock me down, she kept me still with an arm around my shoulders when I started to stumble.

"This is reminding me of the time I tripped while running around in the house and busted my forehead open." There was a hint of a smile at the edges of her lips, her eyes giving of a glint after dusting me off and looking away. "I was dizzy and crying and I was bleeding a bit after, but what scared me was my grandma. She was so shocked that she started scolding me for being so careless, but she did so while helping me wipe away the blood."

"That's...weird?" All I could think about was how strange that looks. Being yelled at while being treated. It's like a doctor badmouthing their patient before they administer the anesthesia for their surgery.

"It was scary at first, but looking back on it, she was just as scared as I was. I mean, her own daughter just died and now her youngest granddaughter gets hurt. I'd be a hell of lot worried if that happens too. But after going to the hospital and getting me all stitched up, she baked me some delicious cookies. And that's how it'd go every time I get hurt. Some scolding, treatment, and sweets."

"Didn't know you're the type of girl to get hurt a lot."

"I don't look the part!" She chuckled. "The best injury I had was dislocating my shoulder while I was taking self-defense classes. I landed wrong after a takedown and it hurt like hell. My teacher pulled me aside to check how bad it was, but he actually helped relocate it." I grimaced at the thought of that. I'd seen it done in movies, but that still sounds and looks painful.

I waved her off, stopping her from telling me more. Relocating dislocated shoulders are a bad mental image. "Okay, stop it! Enough of that! Thanks for the potion and whatever. We should get going." I could tell she's amused by my reaction when a slight grin forms on her lips as I walk past her.

"Be careful, okay? There's a lot of uneven territory around here." I hear Zidane warn me.

"Same goes to you guys. Crashing out here probably hurt you guys too." I pointed out before giving Alyssa another look. She's holding her arm a bit. "Looks like you have a useless arm at the moment."

"It's just a bit numb from the crash. It'll get better…. Eventually. See?" She lifted her bad arm with her okay one and tried to move it. All it did was show me she struggled clench her hand into a fist.

"That's not a dislocated shoulder, is it?" That grin of hers comes back momentarily as she shook her head. "Keep working on it, champ." I encouraged her with a pat on the back as we joined the thief and the princess. I was digging something out my pocket while the two were trying to consider their options. I hated to interrupt their moment together, but it's not like they're going to separate dramatically like last time, so I tapped the blond on his shoulder.

"What's up, Blake?" He takes a glance at me over his shoulder, pulling back when he saw my closed fist a bit too close.

"Here." I shake my hand. He stares at it dumbly momentarily and hears the shaking inside. He finally gets his hand up and I dump the coins in them. When he gives me this confused expression over the coins, I finally explain. "That's a hundred gil. Good news, that soldier I shoved is still alive. Bad news, there's no way in hell I'm apologizing after what she did to me. So you only get half of the bet."

It takes a second for him to get what I meant, but when he did, he chuckles and shakes his head as he accepts the gil. "Didn't think you'd take that seriously."

"I may be injury-prone, but none of my injuries have affected my head enough that I wouldn't remember any bets." I tapped my head. Been awhile since I had a concussion, so I'm confident that my memory is unaffected as far as I can remember. "So, how are we getting out of this dump?"

"Freya said she saw an opening over towards the west. She said it'll lead along the mountain towards Lindblum." The blond pointed towards the side of the mountain going away from where we had crashed through. I couldn't see the part of the castle from where I'm standing. They probably scouted the area at a higher vantage point using the tall trees. "And so far, there's not a lot of monsters prowling the area. So that's good news."

"Let's try not to jinx ourselves for now. There's still Mist around here." Alyssa noted.

Dagger was looking towards the direction Zidane mentioned, but she looked away towards another direction. "But...should we go to Lindblum?"

"Unfortunately, that is the closest place we can see from here." Freya landed near our group and pointed this out. "If Treno is your destination, you will need to travel for more than a day to get there from where we are."

The presence of Freya made me uneasy. She wasn't supposed to be here. The dragon knight is supposed to be with Beatrix trying to fight off the monsters Zorn and Thorn releases in the castle and she stays there until the next disc. Now that she's here, there might be something that prevented her to stay. Freya still fought beside Beatrix, that I'm sure. What made her go with us?

As if debating internally if she should go to where we should logically go, she turns to the last person to arrive in our group. Steiner had just reported that the perimeter is safe and that we should move now that everyone is up and about. However, Dagger didn't want to move at the moment and wanted his advice, which was saying something since he hasn't been worth getting advice from this entire-

OW!

"Stop muttering." Alyssa warned me through her teeth.

"Your Highness, as trusted and well-meaning Doctor Tot is, it would be best for us to go to Lindblum and seek shelter under Regent Cid's protection." Steiner advised. "What if the queen goes after us after escaping from her clutches? Surely, the Regent would help us in this time of need. We can think of what to do next after sharing what had just happened with him."

Another person not supposed to be here. The persistent and loyal knight, Steiner. Like Freya, he's supposed to be battling for Dagger's escape in the castle. He stays back and help Beatrix and Freya to hold back the black mages and monsters so Her Highness can remain safe as she made her way to Treno, which doesn't happen because they crash into Pinnacle Rocks. Unlike Freya's circumstances, I may have an idea why he changed his mind. Thinking about it now, the connection almost seemed obvious.

Our first attempt to break out of prison may have played a part with it. Seeing the queen order Dagger's execution pushed him to intervene and question Brahne herself. When she was dismissive, he decided to fight. Even if he failed, he realized his loyalty has come into question by his own morals. That time in the cage probably gave him enough time to think about it. Now that he can act, he's acting to stay and protect Dagger.

Speaking of which, his thoughtful suggestion was actually enough to convince Dagger to make Lindblum our next destination. Besides, the princess's mentor lives in a city filled to the brim with criminals. There's going to be a few restless criminals brave enough to get to Dagger if they know where she is just for the right price. And that Doctor Tot's tower wouldn't be able to hold all of us in it.

Not even two steps towards the 'exit' Freya had seen, a figure appeared in front of us. It looked like an old man with the longest beard I've seen in this world so far. He was sitting in the air with his legs folded and a staff also floating closeby. Everyone was already pointing their swords and spears while Alyssa and I stood back a step. They really can't fight a spirit right now though, but I might as well step aside if they do try.

'Wh-who are you!?" Vivi asked.

"My name is Ramuh…" The spirit answered in a particularly drawn out voice. It only takes Dagger a few seconds to realize how important this is for her.

"I've seen your name in a book about summoning magic… You must be Ramuh, the Thunder God!"

The now identified spirit nodded and swept a hand towards us. "I sensed an odd presence nearby and found a summoner and her friends where it is located, yet your potential seems to be blocked." The mere mention of he being a summoner brought about a few confused looks from anyone in the group that's of this world.

"It must be that mystery man that the queen has at her side that did this. The one who forced you into a deep slumber." Steiner theorized. It could be possible, but her potential has been blocked since the beginning of the game, her entire Summon abilities were greyed out. With her summons being taken forcefully, it is all just a coincidence that she could summon now after that kind of magical trauma.

"Summoners have the ability to call on spirits and creatures from other worlds called eidolons to aid them." Ramuh started to explain. "They only follow the orders of their summoners. It has been a while since I felt one's power before. Many have died for this kind of power and it seems the time is past for such a struggle to come once again."

...That's an odd warning. I could have sworn this is the part where Dagger suffers a guilt trip for letting her power be taken and used to destroy Cleyra.

"If what we heard is true, then your mother holds a number of powerful beings, ready to destroy her enemies in just a blink of an eye." Freya said, her tone grave.

"And if they're so powerful, there's no way we can fight them." Vivi added.

"If only we were more powerful…" Dagger lamented. She looks over to the spirit again, his presence giving her an idea. "If only I could use summon magic. I beg of you, please help me!"

"And what will stop you from using my power to cause destruction?" The spirit asked as he transformed from its mild-mannered grandfather form to a menacing elder with a much longer beard and a staff that's overflowing with thunder magic. Everyone had to take a step back in case they get hit by a stray bolt. Yet Dagger stood firm, not intimidated by the spirit's new form.

"I was afraid of my power before, but not anymore!" She declared.

Ramuh nodded and changed back to his not-so-threatening form. He then began to explain the challenge he had to Dagger: to find parts of him around Pinnacle Rocks, get parts of the 'Hero's Story' from said parts and piece them together. If she can do that to his satisfaction, he will agree to be her eidolon.

Upon their agreement of her objectives and where to go after getting all of the parts, their challenge is set as the old man disappeared and we were all left with the sound of the river coursing past us towards the mountain. Zidane is more ready to go out there and find Ramuh for the story parts, Vivi also sharing his desire to help the princess. There were some cautious warnings coming from Steiner, who did not easily believe that Ramuh is an actual eidolon and argued why they should do its challenge, while Freya told her to watch out in case it is a trickster spirit.

I rolled my eyes. Freya and Steiner were being ridiculous, but then no one got killed by being overly cautious so far. I'm only accepting this whole thing because I know what happens next. But in reality, no one would simply trust an old man with promises of power. That's just a way to prove people are gullible.

"Maybe we should split up." I hear Alyssa suggest beside me. I pull away from her and basically look at her as if she had just said something stupid. Because she did.

"You know that's how people in large groups get killed, right?" I told her.

Freya tried to interject. "So far the area looks devoid of monsters-"

"So far is the operative term there. There's still Mist here and monsters can pop up when we least expect it. I mean I'd rather have my limbs chewed off with witnesses around rather than alone."

"That's true." Steiner agreed. Thank you! The slight elation from having him agree with me made ignoring Freya's glare easier to bear. "But upon observing the area, our route is divided into two parts, one where the massive branches of the trees and vines make a walkable platform, and the second being downwards towards the small river." His explanation of having a group on each route would make it easier to sweep the area for the story parts is definitely better than sticking together and doubling our time to search. Okay, fine. That I can accept.

So with Steiner's idea, we separate into two groups. Dagger takes the upper portion with me, Nero, Alyssa, and Steiner. Zidane leads Freya and Vivi down to the river. That should cut down on search time, have enough people around incase fighting breaks out, and give us more time to get to Lindblum. Not that we're supposed to be rushing there anyway, but it'll give us a good view of the eidolon (which my mind can't remember the name of) acting as a giant vacuum in Lindblum.

Dagger is at the front of our formation with Steiner close at her side. Both Alyssa and I are behind them, a few good feet of distance between us and them. There was something about that whole conversation with Ramuh that felt...different.

"Something isn't right about this." I whispered to Alyssa after I placed Nero into his personal seat in my sling. I was able to walk by myself thanks to the potion she gave me. Now I don't have to burden her shoulder with my dead weight.

She turned to me and pressed a finger against my shoulder. "First of all, you're not walking, you're limping. Second, I don't mind if I have to carry you again. I just want to make sure you're not overexerting yourself."

"God gave me legs to walk on. It'll be a shame if I don't use them, even though it's a bit painful to move. I'll live though." And again, as if the world was proving that it was against me, my foot pressed on the ground and found it to be looser than the rest, giving away enough for me to trip. The landing on my front wasn't good. Thankfully Nero was able to jump out of my sling before he could get squashed. "Ow…"

The others heard my fall and helped me up despite my protests. Dagger tried to heal me again, but once again it only felt comforting for a moment before the pain went back. "Alyssa, perhaps it would make everyone feel better that you help Blake walk."

She nodded before turning to me. "No arguing this time. Princess' orders."

I could only sigh as she lifted my left arm and placed it around her shoulder. If that wasn't bad enough, she also put her arm around my waist. The proximity was unnecessary, but I'd have to grudgingly agree with Dagger that it's much better than limping on my own. Now I can use someone as a crutch without being too demanding. It's the last thing I want right now, but as Alyssa said, I can't argue against the Princess and her mighty knowledge.

"Comfortable?" Okay, Alyssa's face is too close. I had to snap my face forwards before something else happens.

"Y-Yeah," was all I can manage without making eye contact. I feel her nod as she lets me take the lead, taking the first step so she can match my speed and pace.

We walk through Pinnacle Rocks in a comfortable silence for a while. It's nice to be back with the others again, above ground and not behind bars. I'd rather camp out here than sleep in Alexandria's dungeon again. Those memories are something I want to forget. By far they are the worst of my time here in Gaia. Like I'd pick running around and cheating in the Festival of the Hunt or fighting Black Waltz No.3 (both times) than being tortured.

I'm just thankful to be free and with familiar people again.

"Aw...I miss you too, Blake. I'm glad that you're not too badly hurt." I heard Alyssa whisper, patting my waist as she continued to help me walk. 'Not too badly hurt' is a definite understatement as proven by the wounds on my back. I really need help with the whole talking when I shouldn't be talking thing. Perhaps I should visit a therapist or a hypnotist. One of my classmates is an aspiring hypnotist. Is it too late to get him to this world and help me out?

"Right…" I sighed. "And you didn't answer my question." I answered. When she tilted her head and tried to think about what I had asked her, I just pointed at Dagger and remembered to keep my voice low. "That whole conversation Dagger had with Ramuh! Something was missing…"

"I...uh...missing parts?" The girl with the sword repeated. I sighed. Either she doesn't know what I'm talking about or maybe that soldier hit me so hard that part of my brain didn't register some parts of the conversation. Did the technology around here allow for brain scans? I don't really want to walk around with the possibility of me suffering from brain damage. "You think Ramuh skipped over something important?"

"Of course that's what I think. I wouldn't bring it up if it was irrelevant." Ramuh had to briefly explain what eidolons are because Dagger and the player of the game don't even know she can summon. Sure the menu is there, but its importance only comes up when one is used to destroy Cleyra.

...That was it!

"He didn't bring up the how one of her eidolons destroyed Cleyra! That's what was missing." I fistpumped when I figured it out. I briefly saw Alyssa's eyebrows furrow before she turned away.

"Maybe she figured it out and Ramuh felt it was information already known to her…" The girl suggested. Her tone sounded a bit nervous. I guess she's wondering about it too. Can an eidolon not connected to a summoner read their minds like that? Perhaps not direct mind reading abilities, but instead felt the aura around us? I shake my head to get those questions out of my head. I can just ask the spirit later. For now, just focus on paying attention to the area in case monsters attack. "Well, that's one way to get answers."

Dagger stopped us as she found one of Ramuh's apparitions. While she is trying to get the first part of the story, we all stood guard in case a monster shows up. I stayed close to Alyssa's side for my own protection. And speaking of protection, my brain causes me to remember something Alyssa had done while we were trying to escape the castle. So I ask her about that magic wall she made appear.

"Oh, that! Well, those barriers started coming out around the time Beatrix beat us into the ground at Burmecia." She told me, demonstrating by making one come out in front of us. I touched it and felt it resisting against my hand. "And I can only make them appear because of this necklace."

She showed me the necklace around her neck. It's not worth anyone's attention at first glance, except for the purple jewel hanging of it. It's as big as my thumb and had a decently attractive design around it. Aside from that, it's what a guy would give their girlfriend for their first month anniversary at the last minute.

Alyssa pouted and crossed her arms as the barrier disappeared. "You make it sound like a cheap gift. Anyway, remember that monster breaking out of the parade before the Festival of the Hunt? The old lady I saved gave this to me as thanks. I just thought it was a regular necklace. Turns out it wasn't. It still needs some getting used to though."

I hummed, putting my hand under my chin as I thought about what she said. It seems suspicious she got a thing like that as thanks. But at least she has something she can use in battle instead of just swinging a sword. Everyone has something special they can do in fights anyway. We might as well have our own thing that can be useful during battle, aside from knowing the future of this world.

"How about you? How did you get that light chain thing you did?" Her question breaks me out of my thoughts.

"Just recently, while we were fighting off the third Black Waltz." It would have been more satisfying if the Black Waltz was more coherent during that time instead of the broken one we fought. Those green eyes still give me shivers though.

"So what does it do?"

I examine the bracer on my left hand. "I haven't done much usage of this thing's abilities to discern what I can and can't do with it. From what I've done before, I can put chains around something to disable them and pull myself towards a target. The latter still felt like an accident though. Needs to be tested more. Oh, and I used it to lock a door. Think police tape over the door, but can't be moved. Now I need to try that more."

We stopped talking for a moment to see Ramuh disappearing. Dagger recited the part of the story she got, which sounded like it was somewhere in the middle. With one part down (though we don't know how many the others have) we started moving again to look for the other parts.

"We might have time later for some practice when Dagger's putting together her story." She suggested when I tried testing out my power. I nod in agreement. The more I know what this can do, the more I'll be comfortable using it.

Dagger turns to us and points to the tree ahead, saying she saw a glimmer of a silhouette there, potentially spotting another piece of Ramuh there. She ran ahead with Steiner right behind her, telling her to be careful, while Alyssa and I took our time. The swordswoman leans closer to me as we follow the two Alexandrians. "Weird that we both found out what these things can do in boss fights."

"Caught me by surprise too." I can clearly imagine the dumb face I had when it happened first. "What's odd is that it's the same as yours, being tied to a worn accessory. Would have been useful during the hunt too."

"Where did you get—"

Oh yeah, the Festival of the Hunt. One of the things mentioned in my interrogation was that I came close to being the winner of that event. "Oh yeah, I found out I was in the top five! Do I get a prize for that amount of effort?"

"Unfortunately, the Festival of the Hunt only rewards the hunter with the highest points. No second or third prizes." Steiner overheard my exclamation and provided some knowledge about the event. My shoulders sag at his words though. Maybe a paper that says 'You Tried' might have been too much for them to supply the others in the top ten.

"Hold on, when did you even get this thing anyway?" Alyssa lifts my new bracer, examining it closely, before my brain could stray from the main conversation.

"Right after the Festival, after our last conversation. We talked about what happened in the Festival, what we're doing next, and about that person I told you about…"

It only took me that far for my brain to make the connection. Meguro had given me the bracer before giving me that opportunity regarding Dagger. Alyssa got that necklace of hers from an old woman. What does Meguro look like?

An old woman.

I stare at the necklace in disbelief. She made contact with Alyssa. This is the first time, right? Alyssa would say something if that is not the case. What makes this a weirder case is that Meguro told me not to tell anyone about her and she only dismissed wish when I broke it after the Festival. Now Alyssa is telling me she talked with her before that happened. So she broke her own wish?

Then what has she said to her? From the few times I've exchanged words with her, if she wasn't being vague she would be offering me ideas and possible solutions to go home. Did she tell her of the ways she could get her back to Earth, similar to the ones she told me? She would have gotten many opportunities between the lunch at Lindblum to my rescue at Alexandria. What if she's still considering doing what she asked of her?

"Blake? You look like you've seen a ghost." Alyssa gave my arm a squeeze as she spoke softly. I look up to her, trying to find the right question. Her eyes were urging me to tell her what was wrong.

"Tell me, did that old lady say anything particularly odd?"

Her eyebrows grind almost close together at the question. It wasn't a weird question, but the grave tone I took made her pause. It made her look away for a second, confusion clearly written all over her face.

"Not really. All she told me is that this necklace was from an old friend of hers that she helped out and that she's only maintaining some kind of tradition by giving it to me." I pushed for her to describe this old lady she saved. "I don't really remember much of her appearance. She could move far more than any regular elderly person, that's for sure. And she had this ragged cloak!"

Great... Not much confirmation about where her necklace came from. I still can't shake the feeling that this could not be a mere coincidence even if she's not sure it's the same person I'm thinking about. Still it would be better to warn her just in case. I motioned for her to get closer to make sure Dagger and Steiner can't hear us.

"Remember what we talked about in Lindblum? The part about someone knows about us? I'm certain that the person that gave us these things and the person I talked about are the same person. Did she say anything else? Did you have a second or third conversation with her?"

"No. That was the first and last time I talked to someone like her." Despite the confusion, she shakes her head and keeps her voice low. She then gives me a curious glance. "How many times have you talked with her?"

"Five? A handful? I'm not sure. I didn't really keep count." Though it did feel like more than just five.

Meguro must have a reason in mind when she gave us these things. Did she personally feel sorry for us for dragging us into this world with nothing? I mean, I would too, but she could have just told us that these items have special powers instead of not mentioning them. Or perhaps she had an ulterior motive…

"What if she gave us these things to monitor us? There's probably a hidden camera in here." I scanned the bracer for any suspicious indentations. Inside, outside, on the side. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Except… "What if she enchanted our items so she can watch us from a distance…? Hey Dagger!" The princess turned briefly at us, finally done with memorizing the second part she got from the eidolon. "Do you happen to know a spell that watches over items? Or have you read about something similar in your books?"

"I can heal wounds, Blake, not curse various items." Her voice was so disappointed in answering that I thought I had offended her. She didn't say anything about it, but it did get Steiner's attention.

"That's a particularly specific and odd question. You simply cannot think of a question like that without an explanation." The knight said.

And now I can finally use the age old question. "Ever feel like you're being watched?"

They both gave me strange looks, which were expected after hearing that kind of question. I might be a bit paranoid, but since I knew Meguro could be anywhere close by at any moment, I might as well figure out how she's keeping tabs on me. It can't hurt be paranoid when you don't belong in the world you're in and when you're carrying a dangerous secret. All Alyssa could do is shake her head until Dagger and Steiner put their attention back to finding the third part of Ramuh's story.

Zidane's voice echoes from the river, grabbing the princess' attention. Apparently, they found three parts of the story in their route. Since there was no specific meeting place for the conclusion of this riddle, Dagger told them to meet us ahead where both our routes converge.

Before we had moved from our spot, Steiner stood still for a few moments, getting everyone to stop as well and ask what was going on with him. His eyes darted above, his sword hand already at the hilt of his blade before any of us could react when we heard screeching in the air. A group of bats swooped down on us, but thankfully Steiner had taken position beside the princess, and in the process cutting down the one that got nearest to her while the others tried to regroup in the branches of the trees around us.

A different group of Seeker Bats came out from our blind spot to avenge their fallen comrades. However, they didn't last long when fire exploded right in front of them. It took out majority of them, the burnt out monsters falling to the ground like barbeque'd flies, while the others were swatted out of the air by Freya, who joined them in the air and killed them with a few swings of her spear. She landed gracefully in front of us, and she probably took a class of hero landings while training to be a dragon knight because she executed a picture perfect landing.

"We should hurry to some cover ahead in case more of them show up." She told us, pointing to some low branches from a fallen tree up ahead. We all nodded in agreement before she hopped down to join Zidane and Vivi.

After jogging over to the pointed out tree, we took a minute for Zidane to share the story parts his group had obtained. Even Steiner and Freya listened to them in case they needed different perspectives for Dagger's riddle. I, on the other hand, made sure Nero wasn't hungry or if he needs to walk around. They didn't really need me to figure out how to solve that riddle. Alyssa and Vivi were busy doing their own thing. The former checking her inventory and the latter…

Well, the latter had taken a seat by the tree, was being quiet as he stared into his gloved hands. Not that that's wrong or anything. We all need our time for ourselves. He's just so quiet after what's happened. I internally shrug, thinking that Vivi might just want to have some time alone to calm down after what has happened recently.

Since nothing was happening at the moment, I tried to make use of it by practicing with my magic chains.

The mere thought makes the bracer glow. As it prepared to be used, wrapping around the bracer and one set of links going around my hand, I tried to think of other ways to apply these things. I can bind enemies and makes them vulnerable and use it as a type of grapping hook. I've only gotten pulled towards a target and the other way around has yet to be tested. Due to the latter being more of an accident, I tried to make it happen in a safer way. Looking up, I see a branch from the tall tree that Freya could get to for a vantage point. That should be able to hold my weight, right?

I raise my left hand and aim at the branch. The bracer shoots links of light upwards and hit my target, wrapping around it securely. After testing that the branch won't give away by pulling at it a bunch of times, I try to think of a way to will the chains to get me up there. Though I do worry that I'll just shoot upwards and hit the branch and fall down. That would certainly hurt and probably kill me. Do I internally focus on being pulled slowly or make a chant?

As if hearing my wish, I start feeling the chains tugging at me. It's a steady pace but eventually I feel like being lifted off my feet; I even start swinging my feet just to make sure I was actually being pulled up, hitting nothing but air. Nero was tweeting at me as I ascended and he caught the attention of the others.

"Skylark, what do you think you're doing?" Steiner marches over and tries to grab my foot, but I had already gotten high enough for his stubby arms to miss his timing. The rest of the group looked up as well with varying levels of concern. Alyssa and Dagger immediately come to Steiner's side while Zidane looked up from where he was and was ready to act if something where to happen. Freya was nowhere to be seen while Vivi looked up from his seat.

"Just practicing my abilities! Don't mind me. Keep doing what you're doing." I say while waving down at them. Okay, maybe I should start going down. Did not mean to cause a ruckus and distract the others.

But apparently the thought of going down was interpreted as a sudden fall instead of the slow pace I have going up. Imagine the look of dread I had when the chains vanished into wisps of light. And then gravity remembered me.

"Oh no..." Before I could even shout, I was already falling. The thought of my back absorbing the impact made my brain wince so hard I thought I had already hit the ground. When I stopped falling I thought that had happened. But instead, I hear someone clear their throat. Looking up I see Steiner looking down at me. "Uh…thanks for catching me."

"Next time be sure to practice with appropriate supervision." He tells me as he lets me down on my feet. Why does he have to say that like I'm a child? "You're lucky you didn't fall that high and that you're lighter than a regular man."

"Thanks?" Not sure if that's supposed to be an insult or an actual compliment. Consider me lucky then. "I guess I'll just sit down then."

The knight approves of my chosen activity, but decides to stick close in case I have another stupid idea. Good thinking too. Nero joins me as I take a seat beside Vivi. With all of the excitement I had incited now gone, everyone is back to what they were doing before. Figuring out Ramuh's riddle and item management. That should be enough practice too. Vivi's still quiet though. All that excitement didn't even get him to budge. No offense taken though. Perhaps Vivi needs someone to distract him from the growing existentialism he's having.

"Not sure if you're aware, but staring at your own hands is either a sign of deep thought or a medically-induced altered state." He looked up at me curiously with those bright yellow eyes of his. "How are you holding up?"

"I…don't know." Vivi answered as I sat beside him, his gaze going to his feet. "It's been pretty hectic."

"Tell me about it." I lean back on my seat and press my back against the tree. Bad idea! I immediately pull away. "We should get some down time after getting back to civilization. Some peace and quiet would be nice."

The young mage nodded. When he didn't say anything, I didn't think much of it since he might be tired. All that magic casting he's done from Cleyra to now must've tired him out. Give him time to clear his mind and such. I'd use my quiet time to think about what possible reasons Meguro had in mind on why she gave me this arm guard without explaining its uses and how it can be possibly used to track me-

"Did you find out anything about the black mages?" Vivi's sudden choice of words made me look over at him. Seeing him look so tired that his yellow eyes become somewhat faded compared to the last time I saw him felt weird. How long was it that he took some time for himself?

But then I guess it would be hard for someone like him to relax when there are dolls that look like him wandering around and following orders like mindless weapons. Just like how they are supposed to function.

"We didn't really get to sit down and talk with Queen Brahne about them." I responded. That made him silently sigh, which was evident with how his shoulders went up and down like one would when they are disappointed. "Bothers you that much, huh?"

"Seeing what they've done to the people in Burmecia…" He stops as he shakes his head before saying something else. "The mages we saw in the cargo ship confused me. Seeing what the third Black Waltz do to them made me angry. But seeing them hurt other people...It just doesn't make any sense…"

"Morality is a weird thing," I tried to briefly explain with after a long breath. "And war doesn't have to make sense for us. The bigger picture of it all matters to the person at the top, the ones in charge. We're either trying to get out of dodge or fight for what we believe in."

"It just...scares me that those...mages that looked like me hurt so many people. Burmecia, Cleyra...now who knows what next? Don't they think it's wrong?"

"Well, one issue with that is they probably don't think. That's why they don't know what they're doing is wrong. But you," I tapped him on the shoulder. "You're different than them."

"Different?"

I leaned on my knees so I could look him in the eye as I listed what made him so different. "Yeah. Your vocabulary has more words than just 'KILL', you use spells creatively when you team up with Steiner, and you can think on your own. Hell, you look different than them with your blue jacket here. You stand out in a crowd of black mages. More distinct than any of them."

Vivi looked at himself as I mentioned what I thought made him him. Being different is fine. It's what makes the individual anyway. Sure some people like copying other people because they look cool or that they're great role models, but they still can't avoid putting their own spin on it because you can't avoid being yourself while being someone else. Unless you're a robot that can download any personality.

"Robot…?" I look up, seeing Vivi staring at me, and curse myself for letting my mouth talk while my mind wandered.

"Point is, I wouldn't worry about looking like them or being similar to them, Vivi. I'd worry more if you were doing the same thing as them." I pat him on the shoulder, hoping that it would be enough of a confidence boost.

"Thanks." From how his eyes still have this faded glow to them, it seems like he's still bothered by something, but he nodded nonetheless.

"I'm sure we'll find some answers about those other black mages. Until then, let's try to get to safety first." I stand up to make sure I could still move properly. Don't want my back and my joints to suddenly freeze up just because I stopped moving for a little while.

While stretching and feeling my back ache, I notice that Dagger had separated herself from the others. She was now standing across from the tree, where it looked like the bark and vines separated into an exit. I could see the faint image of Ramuh in his elderly form in front of her, nodding at the girl's words. Steiner had proceeded to stand guard near her. Freya is still nowhere in sight for some reason. Zidane and Alyssa, however…

They were talking. Nothing wrong there. But with the way they were talking so close to each other and how serious they both look and so quietly conversing with one another, the river we had just ran past seemed louder now than their conversation, made a part of my brain get suspicious. You either talk like that if you're exchanging secrets or talking about someone else.

They could be talking about Dagger and the test she's taking or could be talking about something that happened in Alexandria. If it's the latter, it could be about that Inoire guy. If it's the former, they could just be wondering what the Hero's Story is all about aside from being about a 'hero'. Still they don't need to be talking like that. It feels like they could be talking about something else...

"I would not frown like that if I were you." I didn't expect the dragon knight to land in front of me, causing me to stumble back to where I was seated a few seconds ago. "I could see your eyebrows criss-crossing from way up there." She pointed to some branch way up high above us that. I honestly couldn't really discern where she was pointing at, but I felt it's really irrelevant.

"Wh-what do you want?" I asked, my attempt to be unaffected by her surprise landing being unsuccessful.

"Was merely observing from above. There doesn't seem to be any more bats that want to attack us." Freya told me while taking a brief glance to the trees above. While that's good and all, I don't see why that merits a visit from her. "Though I did notice some tension on your shoulders while I was up there. Is there anything that distresses you?"

"Nothing really worth talking about." Not with you anyway.

The woman in red hummed thoughtfully. "I would like to ask a question about Alyssa."

Now that catches my attention. Do I look like an expert on her? And why not ask her directly instead of me? She looked intent on getting an answer from me though. "What do you want to know?"

"There was something she mentioned during our struggle in Cleyra, about one of our enemies. The man with the gun." I stayed silent when she mentioned that guy. I haven't had any experience dealing with that guy until our escape and his lousy pot shots at us. And from the looks of it, he's been bothering the others since Alyssa and I separated at Lindblum. Since I don't know much of him from personal experience, I really doubt I can say anything helpful. Freya took my silence as a sign to say add more information. "I would like to know if you have any experience regarding that weapon. Either using it or being attacked with it."

"Using it? None." Any experience I have using a gun is either in a first-person or third-person shooter videogame. I'm also sure that if I found a gun on the floor right now I would not be qualified to use it. I don't need another busted wrist or a bruised rib for mishandling a gun. "Being attacked by someone using it? Never happened to me until now."

She hummed again. Why does she need to know this again? "Just pondering about something she had mentioned to me."

"Next time, just ask her. She's standing right there and she should be okay with some minor interruptions."

"Perhaps your own advice is too good to heed?" Underneath that hat and that pale hair of hers, I could feel some hint of a smirk aimed at me. Are you throwing shade at me?

"To be fair, that's common sense. If you've been around on our way to Lindblum, you would know that I barely use it in times of great danger." I nod over to the rest of our group. "They all know about it."

"Lack of common sense is not something one should brag about. I would hazard a guess that it's why you have that sling and that chip on your shoulder?" Excuse me? "From what I've observed of you, there is this aura of passive-aggressiveness around you. Sometimes you make it obvious, other times you mutter disparaging remarks under your breath. Anyone from the Burmecian military could sniff you out in a crowd any day of the week."

No comment on the passive-aggression, making it clear when I turned away and crossed my arms. So what? I just can't help it sometimes if it slips out. It gets me elbowed in the side and glared at when someone hears me. Just a force of habit I never thought could be a problem until now.

"Going back to what Alyssa had mentioned to me, something about it doesn't make sense to me." She taps the ground with her spear, thinking to herself about whatever they had talked about, before giving me another glance. "I'm sure she has already mentioned it to you before. You two are friends, correct?"

"Long time." I answered, thinking of the back stories we had agreed on. "We've known each other for as long as I can remember, but I'm not physically present in most of her life. You could be talking about a number of things though. Embarrassing stuff, sad stuff, happy stuff."

"She previously told me about the reason why she lives with her grandmother."

So sad stuff then. I turned away slightly to hide the frown that went up on my face. When she told me about that she did it because she wanted me to trust her. It's a very personal part of her life, so I can understand why she doesn't share it often. For her to mention it to Freya must have been an important choice for her to make. Or she was pressured into it…

"Even if she did mention it to you, I don't think it's my duty to tell you all the details that I know." I told her softly. "If that's all she told you then leave it at that. She can tell you when she's ready."

Freya nodded. "Understood. But I was actually looking for your insight."

I sigh. She really wants to get some information. I could just say nothing and let Alyssa deal with her questions. The girl's been through enough for this day and having someone dig through their history is going to add more stress to it. I finally relented, nodding for her to continue and letting her go forward with what she wants to ask.

She then proceeded to explain what led her to asking about this when she noticed Alyssa would freeze up every time they hear a gunshot. Hard not to do that actually. When we hear one, that's usually a signal to hit the floor. It is even worse for Alyssa since she has trauma with a gun-related incident. Then she tells me they talked about it briefly, only touching up on her past, to which Freya understood and didn't pry. Which leads to her question…

"I do wonder how such a deadly weapon has gone unnoticed from her childhood until now." That soft taping of her spear on the ground felt like a clock counting down to something horrible that's about to happen. But I kept my guard up in case something did while focusing on her. "Ever since I traveled the world in search of Sir Fratley, I should have heard about this 'gun'. Variations of this weapon should have spread already and armies should be using something so effective and deadly from what I've seen in the few skirmishes against that man. But why is it so rare to see be used and even rarer to hear about?"

That begs the question of where did this guy come from? Is it possible that he's actually from this world, but provided with powerful weapons, or is he like Alyssa and I? We can only know if we demand from the source himself. Until then, I have to cover our tracks.

"Who knows actually? Even I haven't heard about these guns after the attack on Alyssa's family. Maybe her family's attacker gave it away when they were caught or kept it hidden somewhere. It could be a new prototype. The less I heard about them, the better it was for everyone." I shrugged as I detailed my own 'theories'. They wouldn't really convince her that I don't really know. That's not my play here though. I got closer so only she can hear my next sentences. "But isn't it weird that the Queen of Alexandria is suddenly getting these black mages from her mysterious weapons dealer? No one knows where he came from and he's happy to help with the Queen's bid for power. And now she has someone with a deadly weapon that's faster and deadlier than magic like that now after so much time has passed, especially in a time where war could happen. That's too much of a coincidence for me."

She gave my words some serious thought if the grave hum she made was any indication. I waited in bated breath if she has any follow-up inquiries about the whole thing. Anything she had in mind had to take a back seat when the figure of Ramuh became much clearer over Dagger.

Everyone in the vicinity turned when a thunderclap caught all of us by surprise, all except Dagger it seems. The ghostly old man had once again turned to his superior and threatening form as he presented Dagger with something. A small object floated down from the eidolon's hand down to Dagger's gloved ones and accepted it gracefully, bowing and thanking the spirit.

Ramuh then turned to us as his body started to disappear. "Protect my summoner from danger. Her eidolons have already been taken away from her once. It would be preferred if a second time does not occur."

"Such a thing will not happen!" Steiner declared, saluting the spirit.

"Not when we're around." Zidane added, standing beside the knight and the princess proudly.

"We'll do whatever it takes to keep that from happening again." Alyssa finished.

"Yes, having helpful friends will do you nicely." Ramuh commented, a heavy chuckle reverberating under his beard. Once that had died down, he swept his arm over all of us. "I believe that with all of you by her side she may be able to do some good for the world. She is still young, but there is room for growth...So I chose her as my master."

"I am honored." Dagger bowed when she heard Ramuh's words.

"I will be watching over her." The Thunder God stated, looking at each and every single one of us.

It felt like this mighty being was acknowledging us for our bravery to stand with her against the threat of other eidolons being used for evil purposes. But when his eyes crossed mine, I felt glued to where I had stood, that his gaze was so intense that I thought he was trying to convey something to me. When I saw how his forehead creased, how his eyes seemed to darken in that single second he looked at me. That was when I realized he is trying to send a message.

It felt like a warning.

"I hope the rest of you protect her from any harm of this world...and those from outside it." His last words cinched it for me.

He knew. The eidolon knew!

As Ramuh started to disappear, the moment everyone started move I felt my brain start to function again. It was too late to register the hand on my shoulder. I would have jumped if I wasn't shocked. What didn't surprise me is that it was Alyssa who went to my side. Her hand touched my elbow.

"Did you feel that?" I heard her whisper, the worry in her voice made it worse for me. I only nodded as I tried to shake it off. Of course, it was not as easy as it sounds when I could feel my heart beating so fast that I thought I was just caught in a crime scene with the murder weapon in my hand and the victim's blood all over me.

"What did he mean by that last part?" I heard Vivi ask the others. He received various answers like 'Maybe he's just covering his bases' (Zidane) to 'An ominous warning' (Steiner). I gulped, hoping they didn't hear my nervousness, hoping they didn't connect the dots. I didn't move until I felt Nero's beak poke at me multiple times. My hand unconsciously went to pet the little thing, the feeling of its growing feathers under my hand and between my fingers felt comforting at the moment. Even Alyssa's hand on my shoulder helped my nerves.

"We should go. It should not take us long to get to Lindblum." Dagger told everyone as she is the first to use the narrow path leading outside Pinnacle Rocks. Steiner followed her wordlessly with Vivi and Freya going after them.

"C'mon guys, you don't want to get left behind." Zidane waved us over before going through the exit. Alyssa and I shared a look, clearly both of us having the worst internal reaction to the eidolon's voice. What's surprising is that nobody noticed from how everyone acted afterwards.

No, someone must have. There's five of them aside from us and none of them noticing would either be the biggest coincidence or the universe giving us a lucky break. I simply can't feel relieved after what Ramuh said. He basically gave us away! And for what!? I don't feel safe anymore now that we have a summon spirit that basically winked at me and I don't even know how he knows!

I took a few breaths to calm my nerves, my hand still running through Nero's feathers as a supplementary calming method, while Alyssa waited and paced patiently. She's taking it fairly well compared to the pseudo-panic attack I was having. Thankfully, no one else was there to see this.

Eventually, Alyssa stopped and took me by the shoulder. "We have to move. The others might suspect something if we don't join them now."

"Aren't you bothered by what just happened!?" I asked her, unable to help the panic in my voice. "An eidolon just sent us a warning! And we haven't done anything-"

"It's scary, I know. But after what we've been through recently, that is the least important thing we have to worry about." She told me, her hand finding its place on my left forearm. "We have a guy with a gun on the loose, a woman with an agenda following us, and a man more mysterious than Kuja after us. We have to worry about them more than just an eidolon's words we could interpret in many ways."

"And I'm sorely worried about the one way it could be interpreted that points us out!" I hissed.

"Then don't worry about it for now!" Her hold on my forearm got tighter, noticeable but not unbearable. "I want to believe Ramuh's warning is about something else, that maybe he meant that there are more people like us out there, just so we're aware of it." She briefly turns away to see if Zidane or the others went back to come and get us. When she found no one waiting, she urged me to follow after the thief. "Just...focus on getting to Lindblum. We can talk about it later."

"Y-Yeah…" It would be better to talk about it in relative privacy. Even if Lindblum Grand Castle gets attacked and is filled with Alexandrian soldiers, I'm sure we can find somewhere private to think and talk about this. Maybe on the way there I can clear my head.

Going through the narrow pathway with a clearly distracted brain presented some difficulties, but it was nothing compared to being forced to climb down a tree to get to the ground, where a path down gave us a clear route to Lindblum. I nearly bit the dust when I forced myself to climb down, injured arm and chocobo in my sling and all, but thanks to Freya's quickness, she was able to grab me out of the air and safely put me on solid ground. Alyssa, however, still had to climb down on her own.

Everyone was in a rush to get to Lindblum, jogging towards the city we could see just beside the mountain. Ramuh's words still repeated in my mind, everything around me felt unimportant as I tried to think of various reasons and excuses why it had bothered me so much that Alyssa was basically dragging me along behind everyone else. It affected me so much that I missed the signs that something else was wrong, that I had focused on part of the bigger picture that I didn't notice another significant part of it.

Perhaps it was the time of day that didn't give it away. It was too bright out when we emerged from the Gargan Roo, so it must've been during the day that our prison break happened. It should be overcast, that there should be this helpless feeling in the air. Now it didn't have that. In fact, the sun shined on Lindblum as if it was a waypoint to be followed, a safe haven, even though I know it would be unwise to go there right now.

But our group kept going towards the city. I tried to stop Alyssa from dragging me too close to Lindblum, and when she saw me point to the sky, she looked at me with confusion. We were too close to the others for me to specifically say what I wanted to explain, but I pointed to the sky again and the direction where the Red Rose was supposed to be appear any second now, where Queen Brahne would be contently sitting with another stone containing an eidolon she stole from Dagger, one that would suck up parts of the city and leave it vulnerable for her attack force.

Only for the Red Rose to not appear. I looked over to where I was pointing and felt my anxiety rise even further. There was no sign of the Red Rose in the sky or anywhere near us.

I blinked, thinking that all of the punishment I've been through was starting to affect my eyes or my brain, only for the ship to still be absent. I rubbed my eyes, yet it did nothing but make my eyes blur for a bit for nothing.

Brahne's ship...it was not there. The Red Rose is supposed to be here to oversee the damage her eidolon is supposed to do to Lindblum. Her forces would then come in and stomp through the city and take control. Why isn't the first part happening? Did we finish Ramuh's test too fast?

The closer we got to the gate, everyone else seemed to be elated to be closer to safety. Only Alyssa and I felt different about it all. She looked shocked, doing double takes at me and the sky, as if she finally realized what I was trying to point out earlier. I couldn't share the happiness of the others because it felt wrong, because this is not supposed to happen.

A pair of guards saw us running, hearing Zidane and Dagger's shouts and cries, and opened the gates as quickly as they could for us without giving any space for any monster that might appear behind us. They closed them the moment I, the last one of our group, crossed past it and locked it secured behind me.

Even with the gates closed, I felt like I had just run deeper into the lion's den. This city is supposed to be sitting in ruin by now with wounded guards and soldiers, black mages and Alexandrian soldiers patrolling the streets for anyone rebelling or causing trouble, and the rest of the city's population shaking in fear. Now that is not the case.

Just what is going on here!?