*Save My Tears - Chapter 3- Musings*
A Legend of Dragoon Fanfiction
Written by Rap's (RaptorJNB@aol.com)
Notes:
Third Chapter! rejoice or run- heh... it's up to you! Thanks for the encouragement on this story everyone... luv ya's! ^_^ Below are just a couple of Terms I've created that you may want to recognize... and please remember to tell me how I can improve future chapters!
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The Searching: A Ritual that uses the magical essence of a dragoon spirit and the guidance of The Circle to locate the next moonchild.
The Circle: A magically balanced structure consisting of a pebble, feather, leaf and small pool of water at four corners of a dragoon spirit. Used as a method of guidance for Rose when she begins her search for the moonchild.
True Serdian: Original Serdian dialect native to it's home country, replaced some 5 thousand years ago by the newer, universal language spoken by all three continents. Only preserved by some members of Serdia's royal family.
High Wingly: An extremely old Wingly dialect used back in the days before the Dragon Campaign and human slavery. Entirely extinct with few exceptions.
Now, onto the story!
----
High above.
Sing to the wind you feel.
Kneel and savor this
Lonesome song.
And carry me far away.
--- Save My Tears: Chapter 3 ---
"It's a highly interesting development..." Diaz said, quietly trailing his hands over the steel railing before him. An unnerving smile worked to upturn his thin mouth. "Absurdly amusing in the simpler sense; yet amusing still."
Dark Reddish eyes briefly shot to examine the face of Emperor Doel as a few quiet moments passed.
Doel had the audacity to glare in return. "Amusing is hardly the word. If your pet decides to-"
Diaz waved a thin hand, dismissing Doel's words and returning his attention to the forests that enveloped the perimeter of Kanzas. As the raven haired Sandoran quietly clicked his jaw shut, Diaz smiled yet again. Lightly allowed the wind to carefully thread it's delicate fingers under the brim of his hood and tousle the blonde that wavered there. A fall of blood red cloth shifted over his right arm as Diaz pointed into the darkness ahead; out over the flickering lights of the city.
"I sensed it, Doel. A second existence that clung to his skin like a fragrant perfume." Diaz quietly let his hand drop, watching the distant horizon. "Lloyd had arrived late, hadn't he? And throughout our earlier meeting his mind traveled farther and farther away... leaving his shell of a body to compensate for the thoughts that so eagerly consumed him."
Doel traced his eyes over the estranged silhouette of Serdio's great forests. "I understand your reasoning, Diaz." And he paused, facing him. "But the Black Monster? Both of you have spoken of her as if the woman were both curse and cure. Lloyd is your dueful apprentice. He would never both find, meet, and CONVERSE with the demon unless your permission entitled such a thing."
"Hnn... and yet he leaves in the dead of night; his clothing radiant with *her* presence." Diaz continued, emphasizing that she was no demon. No. Rose was far more then that. "As I said, Emperor... I sensed her upon him. I do not believe he may realize that this woman is the fabled creature of yore, but far to many things have fallen into place these past few days that may suggest his having met her. Neet was destroyed a simple few nights ago. You know this as well as I."
Again, Doel was quiet a few moments. At last he echoed a quiet; "And then what do you suggest we do if indeed you are accurate? Gods be damned, suppose she chooses to destroy him?"
And as if something had struck the blonde with a blind thrust of humor, Diaz threw his head to the sky and laughed towards the moon above.
Doel frowned, perplexed.
"Your underestimate my *pet* far more then you realize, Doel." He said in an almost giddy tone of voice. The man spun then, his robes flowing like crimson water, and approached Sandora's king. "Lloyd is powerful and cunning to a fault. The Black Monster would find herself in unfortunate company should she attempt to hurt him." Diaz smiled and then reached out a hand. Clasped Doel tightly by the shoulder. "My Wingly is a smart one. He'll not put himself into a situation that could jeopardize our ideals."
"Unless, of course, he's unaware of doing so." And as Diaz frowned, Doel felt his own eyes narrow. "You said yourself that it is unlikely, upon meeting this woman, he could identify her. I do not trust this situation."
Diaz grasped tighter, which earned him a slight wince as a stab of pain went through Doel's arm. He leaned closer.
"Frankly, I don't much care. You would dare question me, emperor?"
Doel's free hand came up and roughly dislodged the offending limb. As Diaz slunk back slightly with a disturbing grin, Doel returned it in one smooth, sarcastic pull of lips, and shook his head. He rolled his neck once. Quietly turned to gaze back inside; towards the throne room.
"If necessary, Diaz. But dare touch me again, and I'll have more then my share of words with you."
Diaz watched quietly as Doel began inside, and then once again turned to the forests beyond Kanzas. Absently felt his right fist clench.
~ You'll die soon enough, human. All in due time. ~
***
Ready? Set?
Turn the HELL back around!
That- was the rational area of Lloyd's mind, and currently it was rather annoyed with him. Now that he had actually *left* Kanzas and was once again on the move, Lloyd found himself deeply entranced with the wild around him and the night that crept quietly amongst it. This was where he felt at peace. Alone. Simply walking along the damp forest floor; the scent of pine heavy around him. Even if he was not searching blindly for a figure that, in all good reason, would remain a mystery... Lloyd wouldn't want to return to the city. Not now.
~So, fool. It's a day's travel to Milli Sensaue by flight alone, and your walking. Doel will have your head if he realizes you have gone, which he will... and Diaz might as well use you for target practice given half a chance. Did you just *eat* something that's affecting your mental sanity?~
"Met someone." Lloyd corrected aloud. And even as he pushed those nagging voices out of his current thoughts, Lloyd understood their confusion. Was he *actually* willing to travel to another *continent* for this? To find HER?
"Agh..." And he pulled a snatch of silver hair from a mischievous branch above, shaking free of the dense vegetation."It HAD to be something I ate... goddamned idiot... hell am I thinking?"
~I'm just trying to help. Distance is irrelevant when a person needs you.~
She didn't *need* him. Her eyes told of skill and strength that may have far outmatched even his own. Rose didn't even know who he was outside of their simple conversation. Just suppose, by chance, he DID find her? What then?
Lloyd laughed aloud and echoed a soft, yet sad; "Excuse me, miss. You seemed troubled two days beforehand and I thought I should check up on you."
She would then do one of two things. The first? Have absolutely no fair CONCEPTION of who she was talking to, or simply take a look at his sleep deprived eyes, thorn torn clothing, and dub him a lunatic stalker.
~Total idiot. I'm a complete and total IDIOT.~
Eventually, his mind became more and more quiet as the Wingly pressed on. The drum of his leather boots turned into a muffled, mindless sound. The only, in fact, that made him realize he was still moving. Lloyd truly didn't have a destination... more of a motive; and a notion to help it along. Lohan appeared on the horizon in a flicker of yellowish lights; but they soon faded as he passed the town and continued northward; until once again Serdio's great forest claimed the landscape for it's own. The next three hours came and went. Hoax drifted lazily into- and then out of his site. Lloyd took to flight.
Sometime later, with a soft clean sound, his flickering wings of light retracted. Lloyd dropped a foot or so to the gritty earth, crouched and then straightened, and leveled his gaze ahead of two lazy shrubs.
Beyond, Fletz rose against the barren landscape. And from somewhere to his right.... Lloyd heard the quiet sobbing of a child.
***
Crouched upon the damp morning earth, Rose quietly sank to her knees. Thin brows drawn deep in concentration, hands placed limp before her; the forest seemed to still as a sense of magic grew strong upon the air. The birds above, perched lightly atop their nests, stay silent. The Runner fawns that usually ran briskly through the forests were nowhere to be seen. Only Rose stole into the quiet; whispers on her lips and pose one of an almost regal determination.
Before her, the Darkness dragoon spirit lay beneath trembling hands. A feather at the north- a pebble to the south. A pool of water and wrinkled leaf to the east and west of her stone respectably. Minutes passed with only those continuous whispers... be it incantation or precious hymn, a passerby could not say. This ritual had become as mindless as her words, over time.
~Show me~
"Em torra. De cutkhym whis topre'ja."
Rose, eyes still closed, wrinkled her brow in confusion. As of yet, the stone had not responded to her voice in any tone. Any language. The only dialects she was not well versed in included High Wingly and True Serdian... but whenever would the simple chant have required such a thing? Her voice should have been enough. Her pleas for guidance should have been answered in the wind and on the earth as they always had beforehand.
Opening her dark eyes, Rose wondered over the small construction before her. The water, pebble, leaf and feather... with her shimmering spirit of darkness placed carefully in it's center. This was so very... odd. Never before had she been unable to begin the cycle; and this posed an immediate problem. Perhaps 108 further years had yet to pass before again she must slay the moonchild... but it was important that her search begin now. The process was long and complicated. Why wouldn't The Circle answer her?
Again she began to concentrate.
"Fall to Me, great mother. Open your blood." And she touched the spirit. Began once more. "Light my fate with your whim. Show me."
But none of her elemental markers moved in the slightest. Nothing was quickly cast into the wind- bound for the direction that she would then follow in pursuit of the Moonchild. No image came. No voice; only silence.
Rose didn't understand. There was many ways in which The Circle could guide her... and yet none of what she had experienced included this. The dark Dragoon sat back on the chilly ground and thought a moment. Charle might be able to help... but Rose did not exactly favor a trip to Ulara this time of year. What was wrong?
Flash.
Twin calamity; though one slain. The winds sweep from each yearling. The god comes.
Rose threw herself backwards as the voice cut among, and then left her thoughts. An explosion of air ripped through The Circle and scattered it's contents. Her Dragoon spirit tumbled over the ground and fell just to the right of her hand.
The dragoon of Darkness stared ahead, shocked.
~Calamity? The god comes?~
At the very least, even if somewhat of a violent response, she was given the such. The words, however, made no sense. The god? Rose would presume her magic had spoken of the God Of Destruction; but it's information was not surprising. Of course the god would come. Endlessly it tried; and endlessly she would thwart it's trials. Had she been given direction, however?
Quietly scanning the ground, she could find no trace of her elemental markers.
~Damn.~
Fine, then. It was quite possible that her attempt to read Fate was simply off Balance. Perhaps muddled by her various attempts, location, weather... hells and demons- a thousand and more factors could contribute to The Circle's refusal to cooperate. She would try later, and then again if necessary.
~Twin Calamity... one slain. Gods be damned; the last thing I need right now is an arrogant riddle. And I am NOT in the mood for one that interferes with my locating the Moonchild.~
Gathering herself, Rose hoisted her lithe body from the ground and stretched, yawning into the brisk morning air, and trying wholeheartedly not to let her troubled mind interfere with the day ahead. Last night, having fallen to dreams within the spanning forests of Milli senseau, she had not slept long. An hour at most... and then a confusing nightmare had awoken her.
In fact, all she could truly remember was Lloyd. His hand, reaching to help her as a crimson pool of blood pulled down... tried to drown her in it's warm, thick grasp.
~Him again.~
That damned, silver haired Wingly.
And after her somewhat frightened breath no longer came in quick, surprised gasps, Rose had quietly left the forest. Began to travel. By daybreak, she had ventured well within the border of Tiberoa... and stopped here. To perform A Searching... even if however uneventful. Now, with the ritual passed (for better or worse...) the dark dragoon would begin again.
She was going to Serdio, wasn't she?
~Lloyd mentioned he was bound for Serdio that afternoon, after Neet...~
But Rose was not going there to seek him.
~Yes, yet they are in the midst of war. How could he cross the border? Has it not been restricted? Basil would be more lenient with his defiance of such a strict regulation, but Sandora takes no prisoners, save for the godawful Hellena.~
Then again, Lloyd was a Wingly. He would have no greater a problem entering Serdio then she herself would. Which, needless to say, was very little.
~Your worried for him, aren't you?~
No, of course not. She hardly even knew the irrelevant bastard. Hell was this?
Rose dismissed her thoughts and began to walk.
***
"Are you feeling better?"
The little boy nodded, although his eyes were still both downcast and heavy with past tears. Lloyd would admit he could admire the child's strength. Both of his parents had died (As the small one had told him.) which, being a young orphan himself, Lloyd could easily relate to. As it seemed, they had more then simply a tragic childhood to share. Although faint; the presence of the Black monster was with this boy. He was a survivor of Neet... and Lloyd frowned with the recognition of a morbid memory. Of his own parent's having been taken by _her_ some four thousand years ago.
~I'd been away on visit to my grandmothers...~
Lloyd sighed.
Around them, Fletz bustled with life as it's people walked to an fro along the cobble streets. Noon had broke, and the sky was filled with the laughter of children; echoing over the blue and white peaks of the Twin Castle. When he had arrived in Tiberoa that morning, Lloyd had found the young blonde quietly weeping alone in the forests. Had been shocked when, upon discovery, he leapt up with the intention to fight. As if indeed it was not a full grown man he was willing to fend off. Lloyd had quietly soothed away his fears, and then asked the child his name.
"Dart, are you hungry?" Lloyd began, gazing out over the active town and the condiments there displayed. Shopkeepers waved colorful woven rugs from their stands and balconies. Hand painted pottery decorated small benches and flowery windowsills.
"A little." The boy said quietly, one hand at Lloyd's belt as they wandered through the streets. Dart was incredibly wary of those around him... and his eyes still carried a sharp fear. Each time a bird might swoop gracefully across the sky, his head would snap up. His grip on Lloyd's black leather slings would tighten reflexively.
~Don't worry, little one. She'll not return for another 108 years.~
"Here, then..." Lloyd yawned quietly into the salty air; his obvious lack of sleep causing Dart to blink once in confusion. The Wingly briefly weighed a pear in his hand and tossed it to the blonde, taking a few lucre from one pocket.
"Thank you." The boy replied, watching as Lloyd paid for the fruit; and then turn to face him. "Why are you helping me?"
Lloyd smiled, moving quickly from the path of a chittery couple. "You don't need a reason to help someone, Dart. Come on now, let's see about getting you into Serdio..."
Dart stopped mid-bite into the sweet fruit, large eyes widening at the mention of Serdio. He swallowed quickly, half running to catch up with Lloyd as the Silver haired man weaved quickly among pedestrians and carts. When at last he made it back to his side, Dart swallowed another mouthful of the pear and blurted out; "You can do that!? You WOULD do that!?"
Lloyd absently pulled Dart from the path of an oncoming herd of astronomers and moved off to one side of the busy street. He leaned against a high wall behind them, and nodded quickly. Watched a seagull furiously attempt to steal fresh fish from one of the Shopcarts.
"Well..." And he looked down at the boy with a kind smile. "You told me your aunt lives there, correct?"
Dart nodded. "Yes. In Seles. But the war..."
"It's alright. We'll find a way." And as a great relief spread across the boy's face, Lloyd felt his own weariness triplefold. Finding this child had not exactly been a part of his initial plan... and Soa knew it would delay his return to Kanzas by another day or so. Still, what other choice did he have? Dart had made it to Tiberoa alone over the past few days. No guidance. Many dangers. Letting him venture to Serdio, however, would surely be throwing him to suicide.
It was simply the right thing to do. With all the life he would be forced to take in these coming years, one saved was one less dead.
Rose would understand that. And after he was certain Dart had safely made it to Seles, he would search for her again.
***
Um- you like? please tell me what's wrong!!!
^_^ Bye now!