I might as well have died and gone to heaven, don't you think? Here are the
reasons I couldn't get this one up:
1. My teachers decided homework was the best thing in the world, so I had little time.
2. I discovered an unusual talent for drawing within the empty recesses of myself (unfortunately, I can't put any of it up on rpgdreamers or something because the one scanner my mom had said "What the hell, I'll work ONLY on the ONE COMPUTER IN THE HOUSE that takes FIVE YEARS just to start up.").
3. When I finally managed to get on the PlayStation to find out what Glenn and Riddel said, I found I was at the point where Serge goes in to find Kid, and it would take a while that I didn't have (thanks Kid Majere!).
4. My brain. . .died. Literally died. I could NOT get it to work.
Disclaimer: Yadda yadda, don't own the dirt on my shoes.
And. . .AAACK! I forgot about the Teleporter! The one thing I promised myself I would never do! -_-; Oh boy. . .Wait, wait, I can make this work. . .
Chapter Four: The Crazy but Touching Town of Termina
"HEEEEY EVERYBODY! THIS SHOP'S A BUNCHA BALONEY!" the girl shouted, her voice resounding through the city. She was perched on a wall where the vendor's merchandise was placed.
As the vendor, her face red with embarrassment and anger, began arguing with the girl, Kid shook her head. "I don't understand. What's going on over there?"
Serge shrugged in reply. "Somehow I don't think they're at a point where they'd like ta explain."
"G-go back to your filthy demi-human friends!" the vendor shouted, her voice still shaking at the accusation.
"CHA!" the demi-human retorted, scowling at her. "I won't take that from a stuck-up dirtbag like you!" She kicked dust into the vendor's face, causing her to cough, before leaping over the side of the wall. Serge and Kid glanced about, surprised by the sudden apparently suicidal action. There was a thump and a splash, as though she had hit something wooden. Serge glanced over the railing of the walkway suspended over the glistening water. He nodded as Kid joined him. The demi-human was calmly paddling her small craft down toward the shrines.
Serge gave Kid a smirk. "Boatgirl, check."
"Who was that?" Kid asked the vendor.
"That's Mel. She lives in Guldove." The vendor wrinkled her nose in her contempt for the girl. "I wonder why she hangs around in Termina all the time. . . ?" She shook her head. "You shouldn't deal with the likes of her."
"What made him do that, though?" Kid continued, interested in this demi- human.
The vendor frowned, putting her hands on her hips and pressing her lips together. "She disapproved of the captivity of a collector's item mermaid!" she told them, ripping a cloth off of the tank beside her.
The mermaid in question had a tail of gold, shining in the sunlight. Her hair was brown with strands of green mixed in, Kid noticed as they floated weightlessly in the water. She turned, exposing the fin-shaped ears. Her eyes, slanted in the natural mermaid fashion, were a startling rose. She had been examining a plant in one section of the tank when they arrived, but now she left it, swimming forward to place her hands helplessly on the glass of the tank. Both teens saw the pleading in her eyes. Her cheeks were red, as though she had been crying, which she probably had. But before she could attempt communication, the vendor slipped the sheet back over the tank, hiding her from view.
Kid had half a mind to switch the vendor with the mermaid and see how SHE liked it, but she didn't want to cause any trouble. There wasn't much either she or Serge could do physically, and she could tell that talking it over with the vendor wouldn't change anything. The most they could do was walk on toward the shrines. But as Serge passed the tank, he was sure he heard an almost inaudible sobbing emitting from it.
"I think Leena should be outta the shop by now." Serge remarked to Kid as they returned to it.
"Yeah, she's probably in the bar by now." Kid agreed.
Serge paled. "The bar?"
"Why the tension?" Kid asked.
"I'd better make sure they're safe. Remember the bloke who made a move for ya?" Serge reminded her.
"Oi." Kid murmured, coming to a stop then and there.
"Oi is right." Serge made a beeline for the bar. "Don't follow me! I'll be fine, 'kay?" he called over his shoulder.
Kid stood in the middle of the road, feeling like a useless idiot. 'Dammit, what am I supposed to do then?! I've got to do SOMETHING to help!' she thought to herself, frowning. 'Hey, wait, I didn't exactly PROMISE him I wouldn't follow. Hell, I didn't even RESPOND, now did I? And it's not as though I can't hit a target with this dagger.' She held it up, inspecting it and wondering just how much damage she could inflict on someone who came after her cousin.
But before she could attempt to enter the bar, Serge came out with an unconscious Leena in his arms. Poshul was trotting beside him, looking distinctly ruffled, and Adam was trudging behind him, nursing an arm Kid would classify as most definitely BROKEN. But what scared her the most was that Leena's clothes were also ruffled-too ruffled for Leena.
"What happened?" she whispered as Serge approached.
"You don't wanna know." he replied.
"She's not. . . ?" Kid didn't need to finish the sentence, fearing the worst.
"Nah, she's not dead."
". . .That's not exactly what I mean."
"Oh." Serge nodded. "OH." he added, understanding further. "No, I caught the bloke 'fore anythin' serious happened."
Kid sighed in relief, putting a hand to her chest the way her mother used to after she had fallen out of a tree and emerged unscathed.
"These three should rest at an inn." Serge jerked his head toward Poshul and Adam, at the same time gesturing to Leena. "Adam picked a bad fight with one of the tougher of the bunch, and lost, even though he had Poshul's help."
Kid nodded. That had been painfully obvious (literally), given their condition.
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"So we can't take them with us to go to the manor?" she asked later as she and Serge stood outside of Termina's inn.
"Not at this point, no." Serge fumbled in his pocket. "But I do have somethin' that can get 'em with us once they recover." He held up a strange silver gadget with one crimson bulb, blinking periodically. "It's a Teleporter. The way ya use it is. . .ah, hell, it's a real pain in the arse ta explain. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Kid shook her head, smiling, as she took the device from his hand. "Nifty. But I don't think I'll be able to use it until I understand it."
"I'll explain on the ride ta Viper Manor." Serge told her. "The only drawback's that ya can only have three members in yer group if ye're usin' the Teleporter."
Kid let her lip slip into a mock pout. "That's no fair!" she cried playfully. Turning serious, she added, "Yeah, I think three will do fine. It's not as though we'll do anything after this, is there?"
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Serge stopped Kid as they made their way around the shrines. "Ain't that the knight guy we saw before?"
"Hm?" Kid glanced where he was gesturing. "Yeah, that's him." Her hand lightly caressed the flower she had picked from the valley. Was it the bellflower he was searching for?
This time the man was with a woman, her hair halfway between purple and blue. "So," she began, her voice filled with sorrow, "she was out of bellflowers. . ." She clasped her hands together. Her green dress made her look a lot like the bellflowers she had mentioned. "That is unfortunate. Then let us pray without any flowers today.
Meanwhile, the other man had seen the bellflower Kid was holding. "Hmmm. . . ?" He approached them, a little uncertainly. "Is that a bellflower you have there?" he asked Kid. "Would you be so kind as to give up that flower to us? We need a bellflower for our prayer."
Kid didn't hesitate. Seeing the pain hidden behind the veil this man had slipped over his eyes, she nodded. "Yes, I'd be glad to."
"For free?" The knight was surprised. "Are you sure?"
"It has much more value to someone with pain connected to it then someone without." Kid told him.
He nodded. "I thank you deeply."
She watched him take the flower back to the woman, handling it as though it were made of china. "Please let me offer my gratitude as well." the young woman told them as the man handed her the flower. "The souls that rest beneath this sword loved this flower in life. That is why we always bring some here when we pray here. . ." She knelt, placing the flower gently onto the gravestone beside them. "Dario, here is a bellflower that you used to love so much. Soon, the flower's seeds shall sprout, grow leaves, and bloom flowers everywhere. And we shall age another year, while you remain the same in memory. . ." The words were spoken streaked with grief, yet with an injured sense of hope involved.
"Father. . .brother. . ." the young man murmured, his voice almost inaudible.
After a thoughtful silence, the young woman continued. "It is such a mystery: this sword never rusts, even when left in the rain. It seems as if the souls of its masters live within it. Do you not think so, Glenn?" she asked, turning to the young knight.
"Yes. . .I have engraved in my memory the lives of my father and brother, who had wielded the sacred sword Einlanzer. . ." Glenn told her.
"Let us hope that is true. . ." the woman whispered.
"What do you mean by that? Miss Riddel, I cannot allow even you to. . ." Glenn began, but didn't finish.
"Do you not think there is something odd about the dragoons of late?" Riddel asked. "Daddy's face show anguish, and even Karsh was saying he was sent on a "ghost-hunt". . ."
Kid's stomach jarred violently as questions in her mind began exploding like fireworks.
"Miss Riddel. . ." Glenn began again.
"Everyone has been acting oddly, ever since that beastly guest arrived at the manor. . ."
Kid saw Serge's face harden, but he shook his head. No, it couldn't be true, it couldn't be her.
Glenn didn't protest this time, remaining silent.
"Glenn, promise me to always keep the unclouded truth in sight." Riddel told him, worry in her almond eyes. "Do not be swayed by the masses. The splendor of the Einlanzer must not be tarnished. . ."
". . .As you wish." Glenn promised solemnly.
It proved to be less solemn to Riddel, who tried to hide a small chuckle.
Glenn gave her a confused look. ". . . ?"
"Oh, forgive me." Riddel told him, though a smile still threatened to crease her young features. "I just found it a little funny to hear you say such words. . ." she chuckled again.
Glenn was silent, probably not quite understanding just what was so amusing about what he said. ". . .Miss Riddel, a chill wind has risen. Shall we return to the manor?"
"Yes, of course." Riddel began toward one exit of the shrines, nodding to Kid and Serge on her way.
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". . .And then she threw it back over the tank." Mel finished. By this time Kid and Serge had managed to track her down. "It was a hilarious sight!" she added to her marine friend. "Oops, customers." She rose to face Serge and Kid. "I'll getCHA some really big fish next time!" she called back to the aquatic demi-human.
The other laughed. "You sure can pilot a boat, but your fishing skills stink!" Before Mel could reply, he turned. "See ya later, Mel!"
Muttering something intelligible under her breath, Mel turned back to the other two. "Sorry 'bout that. What can I do for you?"
"We're tryin' ta get ta the manor." Serge told her.
"Viper Manor?" Mel modified. "WhatCHA gonna do there?"
"Don't ya know not ta go snoopin' in yer customer's business?" Serge shot back.
"Sorry, it's just that I don't know how to get to the manor." Mel told them. "Do you?"
"Didn't think of that. . ." Serge glanced to Kid.
"No." Kid sighed.
"Then next time bring someone who does." Mel sat back down, retrieving her fishing rod from the ground where she had left it when they applied.
"But who knows how to get to the manor?" Kid asked Serge as they mounted the steps back up to the higher section of Termina.
"Hello, young man. It is you again." A strange man, light violet hair spilling over his gold streaked white cloak.
"Heya." Serge waved.
"Who's that?" Kid asked, not remembering such an acquaintance.
"That's Guile. He helped me fight off those blokes in the bar." Serge explained. "He was pretty good with that staff of his."
"And remember, if you don't get it by the end of the week, 400 gil is mine!" the fortune-teller cackled from her tent.
"What's that old loony ramblin' on about?" Serge asked Guile as he and Kid approached.
"Just a bet." Guile sighed. "I must retrieve an item from the manor's mess hall before a week is up."
"Manor? As in Viper Manor?" Kid asked.
"Yes." Guile gave her an interested look. "So you have interests at the manor as well?"
"Yeah, we're tryin' ta get there, only the boatgirl at the shrines doesn't know the way." Serge explained.
"I know the way. Perhaps I could be of some assistance." Guile offered.
"Sure!" Kid agreed, eager to have their little talk with Viper about her would-be-kidnappers. She noticed as they continued toward the shrines how his feet literally left the ground when they ran. Her problem was beginning to get more interesting.
A/N: Okay, I don't know just WHAT THE HELL I was thinking when I wrote about Leena there. All I knew was that I had to kick Leena, Adam, and Poshul behind the door somehow. Flame or review, I treat them equal. This one was longer than most in attempt to make up for the weeks I didn't update. *isn't sure that will do it*
1. My teachers decided homework was the best thing in the world, so I had little time.
2. I discovered an unusual talent for drawing within the empty recesses of myself (unfortunately, I can't put any of it up on rpgdreamers or something because the one scanner my mom had said "What the hell, I'll work ONLY on the ONE COMPUTER IN THE HOUSE that takes FIVE YEARS just to start up.").
3. When I finally managed to get on the PlayStation to find out what Glenn and Riddel said, I found I was at the point where Serge goes in to find Kid, and it would take a while that I didn't have (thanks Kid Majere!).
4. My brain. . .died. Literally died. I could NOT get it to work.
Disclaimer: Yadda yadda, don't own the dirt on my shoes.
And. . .AAACK! I forgot about the Teleporter! The one thing I promised myself I would never do! -_-; Oh boy. . .Wait, wait, I can make this work. . .
Chapter Four: The Crazy but Touching Town of Termina
"HEEEEY EVERYBODY! THIS SHOP'S A BUNCHA BALONEY!" the girl shouted, her voice resounding through the city. She was perched on a wall where the vendor's merchandise was placed.
As the vendor, her face red with embarrassment and anger, began arguing with the girl, Kid shook her head. "I don't understand. What's going on over there?"
Serge shrugged in reply. "Somehow I don't think they're at a point where they'd like ta explain."
"G-go back to your filthy demi-human friends!" the vendor shouted, her voice still shaking at the accusation.
"CHA!" the demi-human retorted, scowling at her. "I won't take that from a stuck-up dirtbag like you!" She kicked dust into the vendor's face, causing her to cough, before leaping over the side of the wall. Serge and Kid glanced about, surprised by the sudden apparently suicidal action. There was a thump and a splash, as though she had hit something wooden. Serge glanced over the railing of the walkway suspended over the glistening water. He nodded as Kid joined him. The demi-human was calmly paddling her small craft down toward the shrines.
Serge gave Kid a smirk. "Boatgirl, check."
"Who was that?" Kid asked the vendor.
"That's Mel. She lives in Guldove." The vendor wrinkled her nose in her contempt for the girl. "I wonder why she hangs around in Termina all the time. . . ?" She shook her head. "You shouldn't deal with the likes of her."
"What made him do that, though?" Kid continued, interested in this demi- human.
The vendor frowned, putting her hands on her hips and pressing her lips together. "She disapproved of the captivity of a collector's item mermaid!" she told them, ripping a cloth off of the tank beside her.
The mermaid in question had a tail of gold, shining in the sunlight. Her hair was brown with strands of green mixed in, Kid noticed as they floated weightlessly in the water. She turned, exposing the fin-shaped ears. Her eyes, slanted in the natural mermaid fashion, were a startling rose. She had been examining a plant in one section of the tank when they arrived, but now she left it, swimming forward to place her hands helplessly on the glass of the tank. Both teens saw the pleading in her eyes. Her cheeks were red, as though she had been crying, which she probably had. But before she could attempt communication, the vendor slipped the sheet back over the tank, hiding her from view.
Kid had half a mind to switch the vendor with the mermaid and see how SHE liked it, but she didn't want to cause any trouble. There wasn't much either she or Serge could do physically, and she could tell that talking it over with the vendor wouldn't change anything. The most they could do was walk on toward the shrines. But as Serge passed the tank, he was sure he heard an almost inaudible sobbing emitting from it.
"I think Leena should be outta the shop by now." Serge remarked to Kid as they returned to it.
"Yeah, she's probably in the bar by now." Kid agreed.
Serge paled. "The bar?"
"Why the tension?" Kid asked.
"I'd better make sure they're safe. Remember the bloke who made a move for ya?" Serge reminded her.
"Oi." Kid murmured, coming to a stop then and there.
"Oi is right." Serge made a beeline for the bar. "Don't follow me! I'll be fine, 'kay?" he called over his shoulder.
Kid stood in the middle of the road, feeling like a useless idiot. 'Dammit, what am I supposed to do then?! I've got to do SOMETHING to help!' she thought to herself, frowning. 'Hey, wait, I didn't exactly PROMISE him I wouldn't follow. Hell, I didn't even RESPOND, now did I? And it's not as though I can't hit a target with this dagger.' She held it up, inspecting it and wondering just how much damage she could inflict on someone who came after her cousin.
But before she could attempt to enter the bar, Serge came out with an unconscious Leena in his arms. Poshul was trotting beside him, looking distinctly ruffled, and Adam was trudging behind him, nursing an arm Kid would classify as most definitely BROKEN. But what scared her the most was that Leena's clothes were also ruffled-too ruffled for Leena.
"What happened?" she whispered as Serge approached.
"You don't wanna know." he replied.
"She's not. . . ?" Kid didn't need to finish the sentence, fearing the worst.
"Nah, she's not dead."
". . .That's not exactly what I mean."
"Oh." Serge nodded. "OH." he added, understanding further. "No, I caught the bloke 'fore anythin' serious happened."
Kid sighed in relief, putting a hand to her chest the way her mother used to after she had fallen out of a tree and emerged unscathed.
"These three should rest at an inn." Serge jerked his head toward Poshul and Adam, at the same time gesturing to Leena. "Adam picked a bad fight with one of the tougher of the bunch, and lost, even though he had Poshul's help."
Kid nodded. That had been painfully obvious (literally), given their condition.
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"So we can't take them with us to go to the manor?" she asked later as she and Serge stood outside of Termina's inn.
"Not at this point, no." Serge fumbled in his pocket. "But I do have somethin' that can get 'em with us once they recover." He held up a strange silver gadget with one crimson bulb, blinking periodically. "It's a Teleporter. The way ya use it is. . .ah, hell, it's a real pain in the arse ta explain. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Kid shook her head, smiling, as she took the device from his hand. "Nifty. But I don't think I'll be able to use it until I understand it."
"I'll explain on the ride ta Viper Manor." Serge told her. "The only drawback's that ya can only have three members in yer group if ye're usin' the Teleporter."
Kid let her lip slip into a mock pout. "That's no fair!" she cried playfully. Turning serious, she added, "Yeah, I think three will do fine. It's not as though we'll do anything after this, is there?"
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Serge stopped Kid as they made their way around the shrines. "Ain't that the knight guy we saw before?"
"Hm?" Kid glanced where he was gesturing. "Yeah, that's him." Her hand lightly caressed the flower she had picked from the valley. Was it the bellflower he was searching for?
This time the man was with a woman, her hair halfway between purple and blue. "So," she began, her voice filled with sorrow, "she was out of bellflowers. . ." She clasped her hands together. Her green dress made her look a lot like the bellflowers she had mentioned. "That is unfortunate. Then let us pray without any flowers today.
Meanwhile, the other man had seen the bellflower Kid was holding. "Hmmm. . . ?" He approached them, a little uncertainly. "Is that a bellflower you have there?" he asked Kid. "Would you be so kind as to give up that flower to us? We need a bellflower for our prayer."
Kid didn't hesitate. Seeing the pain hidden behind the veil this man had slipped over his eyes, she nodded. "Yes, I'd be glad to."
"For free?" The knight was surprised. "Are you sure?"
"It has much more value to someone with pain connected to it then someone without." Kid told him.
He nodded. "I thank you deeply."
She watched him take the flower back to the woman, handling it as though it were made of china. "Please let me offer my gratitude as well." the young woman told them as the man handed her the flower. "The souls that rest beneath this sword loved this flower in life. That is why we always bring some here when we pray here. . ." She knelt, placing the flower gently onto the gravestone beside them. "Dario, here is a bellflower that you used to love so much. Soon, the flower's seeds shall sprout, grow leaves, and bloom flowers everywhere. And we shall age another year, while you remain the same in memory. . ." The words were spoken streaked with grief, yet with an injured sense of hope involved.
"Father. . .brother. . ." the young man murmured, his voice almost inaudible.
After a thoughtful silence, the young woman continued. "It is such a mystery: this sword never rusts, even when left in the rain. It seems as if the souls of its masters live within it. Do you not think so, Glenn?" she asked, turning to the young knight.
"Yes. . .I have engraved in my memory the lives of my father and brother, who had wielded the sacred sword Einlanzer. . ." Glenn told her.
"Let us hope that is true. . ." the woman whispered.
"What do you mean by that? Miss Riddel, I cannot allow even you to. . ." Glenn began, but didn't finish.
"Do you not think there is something odd about the dragoons of late?" Riddel asked. "Daddy's face show anguish, and even Karsh was saying he was sent on a "ghost-hunt". . ."
Kid's stomach jarred violently as questions in her mind began exploding like fireworks.
"Miss Riddel. . ." Glenn began again.
"Everyone has been acting oddly, ever since that beastly guest arrived at the manor. . ."
Kid saw Serge's face harden, but he shook his head. No, it couldn't be true, it couldn't be her.
Glenn didn't protest this time, remaining silent.
"Glenn, promise me to always keep the unclouded truth in sight." Riddel told him, worry in her almond eyes. "Do not be swayed by the masses. The splendor of the Einlanzer must not be tarnished. . ."
". . .As you wish." Glenn promised solemnly.
It proved to be less solemn to Riddel, who tried to hide a small chuckle.
Glenn gave her a confused look. ". . . ?"
"Oh, forgive me." Riddel told him, though a smile still threatened to crease her young features. "I just found it a little funny to hear you say such words. . ." she chuckled again.
Glenn was silent, probably not quite understanding just what was so amusing about what he said. ". . .Miss Riddel, a chill wind has risen. Shall we return to the manor?"
"Yes, of course." Riddel began toward one exit of the shrines, nodding to Kid and Serge on her way.
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". . .And then she threw it back over the tank." Mel finished. By this time Kid and Serge had managed to track her down. "It was a hilarious sight!" she added to her marine friend. "Oops, customers." She rose to face Serge and Kid. "I'll getCHA some really big fish next time!" she called back to the aquatic demi-human.
The other laughed. "You sure can pilot a boat, but your fishing skills stink!" Before Mel could reply, he turned. "See ya later, Mel!"
Muttering something intelligible under her breath, Mel turned back to the other two. "Sorry 'bout that. What can I do for you?"
"We're tryin' ta get ta the manor." Serge told her.
"Viper Manor?" Mel modified. "WhatCHA gonna do there?"
"Don't ya know not ta go snoopin' in yer customer's business?" Serge shot back.
"Sorry, it's just that I don't know how to get to the manor." Mel told them. "Do you?"
"Didn't think of that. . ." Serge glanced to Kid.
"No." Kid sighed.
"Then next time bring someone who does." Mel sat back down, retrieving her fishing rod from the ground where she had left it when they applied.
"But who knows how to get to the manor?" Kid asked Serge as they mounted the steps back up to the higher section of Termina.
"Hello, young man. It is you again." A strange man, light violet hair spilling over his gold streaked white cloak.
"Heya." Serge waved.
"Who's that?" Kid asked, not remembering such an acquaintance.
"That's Guile. He helped me fight off those blokes in the bar." Serge explained. "He was pretty good with that staff of his."
"And remember, if you don't get it by the end of the week, 400 gil is mine!" the fortune-teller cackled from her tent.
"What's that old loony ramblin' on about?" Serge asked Guile as he and Kid approached.
"Just a bet." Guile sighed. "I must retrieve an item from the manor's mess hall before a week is up."
"Manor? As in Viper Manor?" Kid asked.
"Yes." Guile gave her an interested look. "So you have interests at the manor as well?"
"Yeah, we're tryin' ta get there, only the boatgirl at the shrines doesn't know the way." Serge explained.
"I know the way. Perhaps I could be of some assistance." Guile offered.
"Sure!" Kid agreed, eager to have their little talk with Viper about her would-be-kidnappers. She noticed as they continued toward the shrines how his feet literally left the ground when they ran. Her problem was beginning to get more interesting.
A/N: Okay, I don't know just WHAT THE HELL I was thinking when I wrote about Leena there. All I knew was that I had to kick Leena, Adam, and Poshul behind the door somehow. Flame or review, I treat them equal. This one was longer than most in attempt to make up for the weeks I didn't update. *isn't sure that will do it*