So. I hope you all are ready to return to the main plot, because that is what we are doing in this chapter. Of course that was what the last chapter was for. The return of the main plot. Now that we are back on the main track, I best let you all do what must be done. Which is reading the chapter. Which I will let you. Okay? Okay. I'll shut up now and let you read. Enjoy, I hope.
Chapter Forty: Ghosts, Reunions, and a Truth
I'm glad to back with the Shepherds. I honestly am. I really missed these guys, and I really missed my friends. I especially missed Donny out of everyone here other than Anna, my wife who I missed in a different way. You know, I came to realize something while I was conscripted in the Valmese army. Donny and I have not been acting like friends at all. We've sort of kept to ourselves ever since the Shepherds grouped back up to fight Valm. We haven't really done anything together, much less even have a good chat together! I'm a terrible friend, and by extension so is he. Well, I'm worse as I went on a suicide mission and I haven't told him I'm alive yet. He's probably mad at me, like Flavia will be I imagine!
But I slightly don't want to be in the Shepherds again. Why? Well, it is rather simple. It has gotten ten times weirder since the last time I was a part of their ranks! How did they get weirder? Well, the answer is rather simple once more. All of the children from the future that came to the past is a part of the army! All of them! And almost every single one of them are super strange in some way! Like, for example, this kid called Inigo who is a bloody man whore who tried to hit on every woman in the Shepherds from what I heard! Or his friend Owain who acts like he is touched in the head, shouting off random junk like a maniac! Better yet, there is this Taguel named Yarne who is a massive coward and complains about dying of heart failure every time someone tries to talk to him!
All in all, I'm mostly glad to back with the Shepherds. Sure we got some pretty weird additions to our force, but what else is new? We've had stranger additions to the ranks like that manakete Nowi and our resident farm boy Donny. Hell, I'm a part of the Shepherds! If someone as unreliable and foul-mouthed like me can be a productive member of the Shepherds, then I can excuse the others for their personal quirks. It's the least I can do seeing how insane this army is.
Which reminds me, I have no idea what the Shepherds are doing right now! I think we're marching somewhere, but I have no idea where we are marching to. I'm going to have to ask Anna about that. She's the smarter one in the relationship after all! She doesn't accept suicide missions like I do, nor does she waste any opportunity to earn the Shepherds some extra gold for their budget. But she has her faults too, especially when it comes to dealing with copyrights. Makes me wonder if I should use a copyright for the sell of those replicas of my sword…
Anyways; after a day of marching, I decide to ask Anna what is going on with the Shepherds. After I grab two bowls of good old bear stew from the cantina tent, I begin to maneuver my way towards Anna and I's little tent. As I make my way through the camp, I dodge and slide around various items and people in my way such as: Jack and Jill's two Morgans, really imaginative names am I right?, playing tag with each other, Sully talking with some Ylisse Soldiers about how some spear techniques they can use, some Ferox Fighters taking turns arm wrestling with Vaike, and a floating barrel of water heading towards my tent- Wait, what?!
Just as I am about to enter Anna and I's tent, I see what looks to be a barrel of water floating all by itself enter the tent before my very eyes. Our we haunted by ghosts again?! Why can't nothing normal-ish happen to us? Why do we have to deal with ghosts, the undead, and morons who want to control them?! I just wanted to eat bear stew with my wife and learn what the hell is going on around here!
Despite my overwhelming need to flee, I decide to press on and enter my tent; shaking like crazy from the fear crawling down my spine. As I enter the tent, I notice that the barrel of water has been placed in the center of the tent space; no longer possessed by the ghost I suppose. As I glance around, trying to see if there is anything else haunted; I hear something that instantly chills my blood.
"Oh! Hello Aiden. Do you need something?" In response to hearing this come from nowhere, I let out a scream full of utter fear as I whirl around; holding the bowls of stew close to my chest to protect myself. In front of me is a man wearing a massive set of white Knight armor, frowning as he waits for me to stop screaming. After a while, I do manage to stop screaming and warily look at the man.
The Knight glances around before pointing to himself, saying "Um… Aiden it's me, Kellam. You do remember me, right?" Kellam! I remember now! What the hell is he doing here?
"Yeah, I remember you Kellam. You just scared me, that's all." I say, waving him off as I set the bowls of stew down on the barrel of water. "Did you see the ghost carry this barrel of water, Kellam? Wasn't it freaky?! It certainly was for me!"Kellam stared at me, silent, for a few seconds before letting out a sigh.
"That was me. I carried the barrel of water. Anna wanted it for some reason so I offered my help. It's the least I can do to help." the Knight explained, making me feel incredibly stupid as he spoke. I hate feeling like an idiot…
"I didn't see you carrying that thing at all! How on earth were you able to hide yourself in plain sight?" I ask, an idea forming in my head at how Kellam's presence seemingly didn't exist.
"I guess no one really notices me." Kellam answered, shrugging his shoulders as he gave his answer.
"Well it looks like we have to change that, no don't we?" I say, giving the Knight a smile as my idea begins to finally shape into something.
"We do? Do you have an plan to get people to notice me more?" Kellam asked, watching me as I head on over to some writing supplies of mine.
After getting out what I need, I turn back to Kellam and hold up a brush, saying to him with a glint in my eye "Oh yes I do… And you are going to love it!"
"I don't like this…"
Aiden and Kellam attained Support Level B
After a while of me helping Kellam out, I send him off to go and make himself known to the world by introducing himself to the others in the camp. Hopefully; he'll get noticed and not mistaken for a ghost, again. Why did I get spooked by him twice? Why does he act like a ghost? Imagine if he is some kind of spectre that had possessed that armor of his, and he projects what he thinks is a generic face so people aren't freaked out by him. If that was the truth, imagine all of the free stuff he could get by scaring people… I'm somewhat jealous to be honest.
It doesn't matter though. I got dinner with Anna to enjoy! But, I got to set up for it first. After all, I'm not going to let my wife sit on the dirty ground. She'll sit down on a chair and eat food on a table, and I will do the same as well. I first got to arrange the room to make it as such! Sorry barrel of water, but you must move!
After a while of struggling to move the rather heavy barrel, and some silent cursing at Kellam's strength, I manage to clear out a good amount of space to start making a dining area. Just as I was about to grab one of the chairs, Gregor suddenly enters my tent and looks at me with a mighty scowl on his face.
"Gregor heard what happened to you. You are very lucky to be alive, Mr. Rider-man. And Gregor is very happy that you lived!" Gregor says as he pulls me into a hug, laughing with pleasure at my apparent survival.
"Yeah, I'm alive old man! Glad to see that you're still kicking with your old age." I answer, hugging him back a bit before we seperate.
"Gregor is not that old of a man. Gregor just have much experience. Rider-man understand now, yes?"
"You say that but you never told me your age! How am I to know what to call you if you don't tell me how old you are?" I ask, bringing up the age-old question that made us friends in the first place.
"Age is irrelevant. Gregor only cares about the soul and passion one has."
"And the gold."
"Most definitely the gold! You think Gregor not know himself? Gregor does know."
"Still doesn't answer my question…"
"Alright fine! Gregor will answer stupid question. Come here…" Gregor said, beckoning me to lean in close to hear the answer to my question. This so unnecessary and stupid, but it is Gregor. Might as well do what he says… I lean and hear what he says, his whispers creating a tornado of emotions and thoughts in my mind as the truth is revealed.
"What?! No way! That's how old you are?" I say, backing away from him; shocked at the new revelation.
"Gregor is correct about this information. Now, are you satisfied Rider-man?" Gregor asks me, crossing his arms as he smiles at me.
"But you look so- How are you able- Why haven't you- Oh…!" My world is shattered! I can't believe it to be honest! I simply can't believe it! That's how old he is? That is how long he has lived for?! How? His age is so- How?!
"Gregor asks that you not tell anyone about this. It be our little secret now, yes?"
"Yeah… Sure thing Gregor." I'm going to have to carry this secret to the grave… Oh Gods, that is a terrifying prospect!
"Good! Now Gregor must be off. Gregor is in need of his own food after all. Enjoy your dinner, Rider-man!"
Aiden and Gregor attained Support Level A
After calming myself down from Gregor's startling revelation, I return to what I was doing and begin to create a little dining area from my wife and I. I never thought that I would learn Gregor's age to be honest. I thought that would be like one of the mysteries of life, but to my surprise Gregor went and told me the secret! I feel like I have attained a piece of enlightenment from that, and I can't tell anyone or Gregor might fuck me up. Actually, he will fuck me up if I tell anyone!
Well, with that revelation out of the way; I finish creating the dining area for me and my wife. As I position the last chair, I feel something glaring holes into my back. I hope to Naga that it isn't Donny, or worse Flavia behind me. Those two are probably going to kill me, and I would rather deal with one at a time to be honest.
I turn around and see who was staring holes into my back. Turns out that it was both Donny and Flavia glaring holes into me, standing right in front of the tent's entrance with their arms crossed. I'm in for the scolding of a lifetime, aren't I?
"You dastard! How dare you not tell us that you were alive!" Flavia says, opening up the world of pain for me as she closes the distance between the two of us and proceeds to lift me up by the collar of my shirt.
"I reckon ya had me worried more than a rabbit durin' duck huntin' season!" Donny adds in, joining Flavia by her side.
"I-I understand that you two are upset-"
"Upset?! What tipped you off with that?"
"What in tarnation makes ya think that, huh?!"
"Well you are holding me up by my shirt-"
"You idiot! I thought you had died fighting Walhart alongside Basilio! Your 'death' made all of your friends grieve!" Flavia says, making me cringe with how careless I had been with my friends and their emotions. I am such an idiot...
"I reckon my heart shattered into near million pieces when I heard ya went off and died! Ya know how much I missed ya?"
"Too much?"
"Too much! Now, I reckon ya best apologize for what ya did to everyone, and soon!"
"Yes Donny." I say, landing on my butt as Flavia lets go of my collar. I look up at the two glowering over me, their arms crossed as they glare down at me. I give them a half-hearted smile before whispering out "I'm sorry."
Swiftly and suddenly, Donny surprisingly hugs me after I utter my whisper; saying to me "I reckon I accept ya's apology." Thanks for forgiving me so quickly, Donny. I'm glad that you are my friend, and I'm glad that you still like me after what I did to you and the others. After hugging me for a few moments, Donny lets go of my and stands up while Flavia offers me a hand.
I grab her hand and I am pulled back to my feet with help from the Khan, who begins to laugh. "I'll accept your apology, for now. In Ferox, we have different ways of saying sorry. One such way is sparring! I expect you to spar with me soon to repay me, and I expect you to give it your all. Do you understand me?" the Ferox Khan says, smiling at me with a wink.
"Yes Khan. I do." I answer, a sweat drop sliding down my temple. I just got roped into becoming Flavia's sparring partner, a simple mercenary sparring with the Khan of Regna Ferox. I'm so going to get my ass kicked, aren't I? I'm regretting my life decisions right now!
Just as Donny and I begin to laugh, Gregor bursts into the tent and says "We pack up! We move out, now!"
"Why? What's the matter?" Flavia asks, tensing up in preparation for battle.
"Plan has been forced to move forward. Robins' say that the situation has progressed faster than thought."
"Really? I reckon we could have rested for a little bit before we sauntered back to the fields…"
"Me too Buckethead, but it now or never! Me must move, now!" With that, Gregor ran out of the tent; followed close behind Flavia. I need to know, right now!
Just as Donny is about to leave, I grab his hand and ask him "What is going on? What is Gregor talking about."
"Them highnessesships are going straight for that Walhart! We've was to catch him when he returned to his capital. From what it sounds like, I reckon the mighty man himself has jumped the wagon and done it!" Donny explains to me before heading off, going to go pack his supplies. I let out a sigh as I turn and examine the inside of my tent.
What am I going to do with this barrel of water?
So. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as you could before it turned into trash for you. Next three chapters are going to be filled with plenty of fighting and killing and all of that good stuff. I do hope you all are ready for that, because that is what it is going to be. If not, then too bad because that is what is going to happen. Anyways, go off and read some better fanfiction while I get to work on this. If you actually enjoy this dumpster fire; then go and give the story a follow or a favorite. Or better yet, review this piece of trash so I can make it less trash. Every little review helps in some way, except when it devolves into that weird incident where people are calling each other fakers like Sonic and Shadow. That doesn't help anyone at all! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy yourselves until the next chapter. Goodbye!
