Chapter 2: Discussion in the Night
Silently slipping through the night, a figure detached itself from the mine walls, and onto the walk leading to Arvis' home. Glancing around, he saw that there were two guards he could see, and probably another he couldn't. Silently, he laughed to himself. At least, now they're expecting an attack. We could never convince them to even post a guard before. Not less than ten minutes later, the guards began to relax, as their replacements arrived. The figure saw his chance, and dashed over the bridge. The guards never noticed him.
The figure opened Arvis' back door, using a key he carried especially for the purpose. Stepping inside, he walked to the dining room, where he encountered Arvis, waiting for him.
"Took you long enough to get here! So, how goes the robbing and plundering business?" queried Arvis, a glint in his eye. He looked for a moment at the wide-open eyes of the young man, before he laughed.
The young man laughed as well, and said, between peals of laughter, "That's treasure hunting!" He stopped, and looked around, suddenly becoming more serious. Running a hand through his flaxen hair, and adjusting his blue bandanna, he said, "Seriously, Arvis, what do you need? You're lucky I was in the area – I was going to leave for South Figaro later today."
Arvis looked directly into the other's blue eyes, and stated, "Locke, I'd like your help getting someone out of Narshe." He wasn't prepared for Locke to sit down, heavily.
"This had better not have anything to do with the Imperial witch I've been hearing about. If rumor's correct, she's a colonel in the Empire."
"Rumor's correct, Locke," the old man admitted, pulling a pair of silver eagles from his pocket, and placing them in Locke's hand. "In fact, she is an Imperial colonel." He paused, then continued, "Colonel Terra Vectoris, Gestahl's heir."
Locke reached for his gloves, and pulled them on, beginning to turn away. "Then, I suppose we've got nothing to talk about, Arvis. I've known you since I was ten. You were even the person who brought me into the Returners - but on this, I have to disagree with you. The colonel should be interrogated. Maybe then, we'll get some information from her- and nothing you can say or do will convince me otherwise."
"Not even this, Locke?" asked Arvis, gently, pulling the slave crown out from a hidden drawer. "Not even knowing that she was not responsible for her actions? Locke, think for a second. If we could somehow enlist her help, we might have a chance. This town is going to be swarmed over by the Empire. So will Figaro, and so will South Figaro. Unless we stand together, we don't stand a chance. Together, we might stand a chance- but we'll need a top-notch tactician. If my records are accurate, Terra was better than anyone but Leo at battlefield tactics. Besides, think of the edge at having the imperial heir on our side." Arvis took a deep breath, and added, "Locke, she can't remember a thing. Slave crowns remove the memories of their victims. You were the one who retrieved that information. She needs our help. Please, Locke – for me."
Locke stood there, silently, not looking at the old man, or at what he held in his hands. Finally, he set the crown down on the table, and turned around, zipping up his jacket. "All right then . . . I suppose we've no choice but to help her. What now, oh great leader?"
Arvis pulled a map from his cupboard, silently breathing a prayer of thanks. "All right, then. Continue out the mines, and head to Figaro. Call her Aurora – that's the name she remembered when she woke up."
Locke nodded, and stood from the table. "Well, old friend, you owe me one. I'll be back- eventually." He grinned, and left, the impression of the jovial thief lingering in the room behind him.
Arvis walked to the door, and closed it. "Safe journey, old friend – and may the Goddesses go with you."
Locke tracked Aurora's path through the mines, quite easily. It really wasn't that hard – a footprint here, a drop of blood there. Moving quickly, he came upon a break in the floor, where he surmised she had fallen through. Goddess . . . don't let her die, not now! That would be the ultimate irony- her dead, and us with no gain at all! He looped his rope around a rock, and lowered himself into the hole, landing on his feet beside her. He dislodged the rope with a sharp movement, coiling it up while he examined her. She really didn't seem old enough to be a colonel – she couldn't be a day over nineteen. He did have to admit, though, he was attracted. She was the first woman to catch his attention since . . . since Rachel, wasn't it?
A shout shocked him out of his sudden reverie, and he looked up to see people in front of him- heavily armed people. "Absolutely bloody wonderful . . . there's a whole bunch of em." he muttered, and pulled his dirk out of it's sheath.
"What do you want?" he called to the men, though Locke figured he knew.
"Just give us the girl, and you won't be harmed, Locke! We owe you one, so we'll let you go- but you need to give us the girl! No matter what Arvis told you, she's an Imperial spy, and we need to interrogate her!" the leader cried.
Locke grinned at seeing who led the guards. He'd harbored a grudge against the local marshal since a run-in with him back a long while ago, back when he was merely a kid. If anyone else had been leading the guards, there was a chance he might have taken the easy way out. Now – well, to help Arvis and embarrass the Marshal at the same time; it seemed almost too good to be true. "No such luck, Jack," Locke called, casually flipping the dirk in his right hand. "If you want her, come and get her."
Author's Notes: Well, it's a short chapter – but I so wanted to get something posted tonight, and I simply couldn't stay awake any longer . . .
Ok, I've no idea whether I'll pair Aurora off with Locke or not. Despite what I might say about canon, Locke and Celes really do make a good pair, IMHO. Still, Locke and Aurora make almost as good of a pair . . . Decisions, decisions. . . I'm also wondering whether to include the Moogles in here. After all, it is kind of hard to describe white balls of fur throwing boomerangs, etc . . . =)
You know, some reviews might help sway my mind one way or the other.
Yes, I know this is merely a shameless ploy to get reviews. Anyone want to comment on whether it worked or not? ;-)
This is Anthonius, signing off, here at 2:41 AM on April 8, 2001