A/N:
This is the scene where you first meet Laike in the woods, from his POV. Doesn't really follow the games dialogue much, unfortunately. Please read and review!
Laike was waiting quietly waiting at his camp, wishing for dawn to come quickly. There was bite in the air and he pulled his cloak around his shoulders more tightly.
I never would have pictured anything like this even sixteen years ago, he thought wryly. All I would have seen was a bright, glorious, pampered future.
He heard twigs crackling, and someone moving noisily in the woods, and went off to investigate.
He saw three young people, children. really, huddled together in the forest. There was a tall brown-haired young man, with a suspicious resemblance to the young Alex, a fat boy, and a blue-haired girl -- He sucked in a breath. It couldn't be her, could it? He felt a faint twinge of almost regret at the memory of Althena, but he suppressed it ruthlessly. It was what she had wanted.
He spotted the white, winged creature with a resemblance to a cat hovering in the air, and he knew he had guessed their identities correctly. He stared at Nall for a minute. So this was Quark's successor?
His thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sounds of several monsters, and a scream from Luna, for it could be no other. Perhaps their fates were still intertwined, somehow, he mused.
Laike leapt into the battle to help them, easily destroying the monsters with a little help from the three, and once the threat was past, he asked them what they were doing there. He thought perhaps they were lost, this deep in the woods.
"We're adventurers!" the fat boy declared proudly.
"Adventurers?" He couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Adventurers!"
"We have already passed the White Dragon Trial!" Nall told him indignantly. "Now we're going to Salth, to sell the diamond."
"I see." He led them toward his campground and threw more wood into the fire. Well, at least he wouldn't be bored anymore. "Why don't you tell me all about it?"
They told him all about how the fat boy, Ramus, Alex and Luna, as well as Nall, had all gone exploring the White Dragon cave, and found the Dragon. Alex had successfully completed the first trial. They then returned to town to sell the diamond and were advised to go to Salth. The next morning they set out, but were detoured by fog. Luna had managed to clear it with her voice. Laike managed not to show his surprise at this. Was there still some remnant of his Althena in the girl?
That was only a few hours ago. They wanted to get to Salth and back in time for the Goddess Festival, as Luna was going to sing. Laike found that ironic in a strange sort of way.
Long after they had all fell asleep, Laike sat staring at the fire, deep in thought. Luna had at least a vestige of her former power. He wondered if perhaps she could be returned to her former self. He banished this nostalgic thought almost immediately. It had been what she had wanted, and even were it possible, she wouldn't want it.
He couldn't help but stare at the girl who had once been his Althena.
Sometimes, he almost regretted the past.
Several hours, having not slept, he left without waking them. He knew he would see them, and her, again.
Laike was waiting quietly waiting at his camp, wishing for dawn to come quickly. There was bite in the air and he pulled his cloak around his shoulders more tightly.
I never would have pictured anything like this even sixteen years ago, he thought wryly. All I would have seen was a bright, glorious, pampered future.
He heard twigs crackling, and someone moving noisily in the woods, and went off to investigate.
He saw three young people, children. really, huddled together in the forest. There was a tall brown-haired young man, with a suspicious resemblance to the young Alex, a fat boy, and a blue-haired girl -- He sucked in a breath. It couldn't be her, could it? He felt a faint twinge of almost regret at the memory of Althena, but he suppressed it ruthlessly. It was what she had wanted.
He spotted the white, winged creature with a resemblance to a cat hovering in the air, and he knew he had guessed their identities correctly. He stared at Nall for a minute. So this was Quark's successor?
His thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sounds of several monsters, and a scream from Luna, for it could be no other. Perhaps their fates were still intertwined, somehow, he mused.
Laike leapt into the battle to help them, easily destroying the monsters with a little help from the three, and once the threat was past, he asked them what they were doing there. He thought perhaps they were lost, this deep in the woods.
"We're adventurers!" the fat boy declared proudly.
"Adventurers?" He couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Adventurers!"
"We have already passed the White Dragon Trial!" Nall told him indignantly. "Now we're going to Salth, to sell the diamond."
"I see." He led them toward his campground and threw more wood into the fire. Well, at least he wouldn't be bored anymore. "Why don't you tell me all about it?"
They told him all about how the fat boy, Ramus, Alex and Luna, as well as Nall, had all gone exploring the White Dragon cave, and found the Dragon. Alex had successfully completed the first trial. They then returned to town to sell the diamond and were advised to go to Salth. The next morning they set out, but were detoured by fog. Luna had managed to clear it with her voice. Laike managed not to show his surprise at this. Was there still some remnant of his Althena in the girl?
That was only a few hours ago. They wanted to get to Salth and back in time for the Goddess Festival, as Luna was going to sing. Laike found that ironic in a strange sort of way.
Long after they had all fell asleep, Laike sat staring at the fire, deep in thought. Luna had at least a vestige of her former power. He wondered if perhaps she could be returned to her former self. He banished this nostalgic thought almost immediately. It had been what she had wanted, and even were it possible, she wouldn't want it.
He couldn't help but stare at the girl who had once been his Althena.
Sometimes, he almost regretted the past.
Several hours, having not slept, he left without waking them. He knew he would see them, and her, again.