FINAL FANTASY XI
CHAPTER VII
Departure
Elarisa finished packing her elaborate briefcase, much better than she had for the previous outing she'd had in the early part of the day. She had decided that since she could not discuss the progress she had made among other things of the nature with Torukoishi at her own locale, she would travel with the young Black Mage on his return trip. She had managed to speak with him soon after Osamu had left, and in returning only found tales and remnants of a conflict that the same samurai had endured. Rumors spread throughout the cafe across the road and flooded into the streets beyond, all of a display of feats performed by an Elvaan thief and Hume warrior. It tugged a bit at the back of her mind, as she placed the carrying device for her work under the counter waiting for the Black Mage. He was yet unnamed to her, but he seemed to bear a likeness to a textbook apprentice. Youth and exuberance hung in the air around him as he spoke of his master and even coaxed her to join along. If she ever saw Osamu again, perhaps he could accompany them as well.
She never again witnessed that oddly quiet Elvaan Dragoon that had come in with the apprentice mage again. It was strange, something about the presence of her signaled that perhaps there was previous knowledge that the Dragoon held of Elarisa; perhaps even a horrible rumor spread by her more enthused competitors across the city. That would have been too simple, yet there were few key things that could have set the girl off like that. All that occurred to the chemist was that her own named was announced, and her package was delivered to her on time. Nothing odd about that in the slightest, something might have been off indeed, but Elarisa was clueless.
The clock mounted on the wall chimed three times, giving off the obvious notation that it was three o'clock. Torukoishi's brainchild would arrive soon, Elarisa having scheduled a proper meeting time with him at a quarter past the third hour of the day. What would she do when she arrived before her colleague's presence? It hung heavy on her mind, she wasn't near close enough to the respectable master of the trade to come for simple fun, a plan had to be contrived and she had to decide what matters she would discuss that would require her presence.
There was the matter of the elixir she worked on each day, which was something that Torukoishi's skill could aide to greatly. There was much to be learned of his archive of Blue Mage skills; to have become a teacher he must have learned quite a bit in the field he was initially skilled in, even if there was no pretext to follow. Blue Mages were a dying breed, a profession chosen by those who wished to be both of the elemental and healing arts but would not settle for the mediocrity of a Red Mage. Red Mages were practical it might seem, but to Elarisa she occasionally looked down upon them. They played the field too much, and were always undecided of where their true path would lie. There was no reason to take arms as well with swords, a true random gathering of skills from various classes and styles of fighting.
So her trip would not be in vain, and Torukoishi would not be disturbed in vain. Maybe she was going about this all the wrong way, and she wondered if her presence would be a welcome one in the abode of the master mage. She reached down to adjust the strap that carried her metal device under her dress to tighten it more than it was, but when she made means to the youth she waited for would enter. Her train of thought that seemed mere seconds had drawn on the full fifteen minutes, and now it was time to leave. He carried nothing with him but his clothes, so it seemed that he meant to make the trip quick and without need of rests and stops. She smiled and waved, reaching her hand away quickly from her leg.
"So, are you ready to go?" He was first to make his move in the way of speech, leaning up against the frame of the portal in which he had just entered. A smile portrayed on his face, was he happy to go home? It even passed Elarisa's mind that he enjoyed her company, or maybe anyone's company. It could have even been a simple courtesy smile, just to show pleasantries. Regardless, she placed a curve of her own lips in her silent reply, coupled with a nod. Then after, she'd return the briefcase from the shelf to her hand and fetch a key from her inner pocket. She wanted to not only just say she was ready, but look it was well. The Black Mage nodded in understanding, leaving first so that she could lock the door to her shop, of which she made haste to do so. Now they both trekked down the road, and she sighed at the remembrance that Osamu could not be with them at the moment.
"Wait, Elarisa!" The sound of the voice went in perfect unison with her thoughts. It was starting to seem that any person she thought of was conjured before her, as if her mind was a powerful beacon and summons. The sounds of metal against stone would be heard, turning her head she would spot the missing member of the travelling party. Osamu seemed no worse for the wear, not even a smudge on the rouge petals of his protective covering. If there was actually a fight between he and an Elvaan thief, it seemed that there was no need to worry about whom came out victorious. She nodded to him, acknowledging his presence so he wouldn't be disheartened or something of the same nature.
"So you made it after all?" She smiled again; this was a bit less forced than her reply to her guide earlier. It was good to know he was safe, the rumors were rather worrying. Stories of flying metal and men who could leap 10 feet into the air. She forced images that matched the wayward descriptions from her mind, and continued her pleasant look as Osamu made the short journey from one end of the street to the other. He would stop to catch his breath, and then match his sights to Elarisa.
"I'm sorry I'm so off time. I ran into a bit of trouble with someone trying to pick my pocket." Osamu's words would be a decent explanation; it was probably something of value taken from him. She would say nothing to this, simply begin her walk at a pace that both the Black Mage and Osamu could agree upon. She hoped her silence didn't come off as being ignorant, but she wanted to let his account stay in one piece without having to explain any further than he had.
The walk through the city was it's own form of calm, the streets were still busy as usual. While Rydia was not a national center for government or trade, one could find any of the rarities they needed from local shopkeepers who specialized in whatever area they felt would do well. Elarisa's shop received many customers, even if there were more elaborate looking shops out in the more busy parts of the market town, and for that she was not only quietly proud, but also living comfortably. She was not to say rich, but was able to purchase anything she felt like; she still chose to live simply. Nothing out of the ordinary would occur until they had reached the city limits.
It was certainly out of place, a large shadowy figure before them. A few more steps out into the fields would prove the figure to be none other than a Galka of some sort of mage occupation. But she almost wished she hadn't trekked any further, the Galka was accompanied by several other towering men of it's own breed. There were glimmers of light at their sides, which were obviously weapons that each of the three others carried. They seemed familiar, like the variety she had caught running through the city after some sort of skirmish. It certainly could not have been her travelling group they were after; she and Osamu had done nothing. It never occurred to her that an apprentice of Torukoishi could do any wrong.
"You! Black Mage! Stop!" The words came from the third Galka on the right, the tallest of the four and in possession of a silver face mask of his own fur covered hide. He scowled down at the one he shouted to, and already could she see the expecting look on the guide's face. She took her eyes quite quickly off the apparent leader to hear the draw of a weapon. It wasn't of any sort of the Galka's massive blades, but a singing sound. It was Osamu's shining lengthy blade, which he extended out towards the Galka who tried to advance upon the Black Mage.
"Another Hume?" His eyes would shift from his initial target to a newfound enemy. Elarisa could only assess, that both Osamu and the Galka were out for each other's blood, as each dawned the same expression of anger and even angst on their faces. It was hard to pierce through the defensive shield of white hair that the Galka dawned, but it was already obvious to her that he wasn't pleased. She would turn over to the counterpart of the beast man, the Black Mage extending a staff at his soon- to-be opponent. She couldn't tell where he had gotten the weapon, but it shined a blue hue that she enjoyed seeing again; the metal must have been composed of Mythril.
"Why are you here?"
"We're here to pay our respects to the Hume who did us in today."
"I won't let you do it, you'll go through me first."
"Osamu..."
"Elarisa, stay back."
"Hyaaaa!"
"What's that in the air? It's coming right at us!"
"Augh!"
"Aadia!?"
***
CHAPTER VII
Departure
Elarisa finished packing her elaborate briefcase, much better than she had for the previous outing she'd had in the early part of the day. She had decided that since she could not discuss the progress she had made among other things of the nature with Torukoishi at her own locale, she would travel with the young Black Mage on his return trip. She had managed to speak with him soon after Osamu had left, and in returning only found tales and remnants of a conflict that the same samurai had endured. Rumors spread throughout the cafe across the road and flooded into the streets beyond, all of a display of feats performed by an Elvaan thief and Hume warrior. It tugged a bit at the back of her mind, as she placed the carrying device for her work under the counter waiting for the Black Mage. He was yet unnamed to her, but he seemed to bear a likeness to a textbook apprentice. Youth and exuberance hung in the air around him as he spoke of his master and even coaxed her to join along. If she ever saw Osamu again, perhaps he could accompany them as well.
She never again witnessed that oddly quiet Elvaan Dragoon that had come in with the apprentice mage again. It was strange, something about the presence of her signaled that perhaps there was previous knowledge that the Dragoon held of Elarisa; perhaps even a horrible rumor spread by her more enthused competitors across the city. That would have been too simple, yet there were few key things that could have set the girl off like that. All that occurred to the chemist was that her own named was announced, and her package was delivered to her on time. Nothing odd about that in the slightest, something might have been off indeed, but Elarisa was clueless.
The clock mounted on the wall chimed three times, giving off the obvious notation that it was three o'clock. Torukoishi's brainchild would arrive soon, Elarisa having scheduled a proper meeting time with him at a quarter past the third hour of the day. What would she do when she arrived before her colleague's presence? It hung heavy on her mind, she wasn't near close enough to the respectable master of the trade to come for simple fun, a plan had to be contrived and she had to decide what matters she would discuss that would require her presence.
There was the matter of the elixir she worked on each day, which was something that Torukoishi's skill could aide to greatly. There was much to be learned of his archive of Blue Mage skills; to have become a teacher he must have learned quite a bit in the field he was initially skilled in, even if there was no pretext to follow. Blue Mages were a dying breed, a profession chosen by those who wished to be both of the elemental and healing arts but would not settle for the mediocrity of a Red Mage. Red Mages were practical it might seem, but to Elarisa she occasionally looked down upon them. They played the field too much, and were always undecided of where their true path would lie. There was no reason to take arms as well with swords, a true random gathering of skills from various classes and styles of fighting.
So her trip would not be in vain, and Torukoishi would not be disturbed in vain. Maybe she was going about this all the wrong way, and she wondered if her presence would be a welcome one in the abode of the master mage. She reached down to adjust the strap that carried her metal device under her dress to tighten it more than it was, but when she made means to the youth she waited for would enter. Her train of thought that seemed mere seconds had drawn on the full fifteen minutes, and now it was time to leave. He carried nothing with him but his clothes, so it seemed that he meant to make the trip quick and without need of rests and stops. She smiled and waved, reaching her hand away quickly from her leg.
"So, are you ready to go?" He was first to make his move in the way of speech, leaning up against the frame of the portal in which he had just entered. A smile portrayed on his face, was he happy to go home? It even passed Elarisa's mind that he enjoyed her company, or maybe anyone's company. It could have even been a simple courtesy smile, just to show pleasantries. Regardless, she placed a curve of her own lips in her silent reply, coupled with a nod. Then after, she'd return the briefcase from the shelf to her hand and fetch a key from her inner pocket. She wanted to not only just say she was ready, but look it was well. The Black Mage nodded in understanding, leaving first so that she could lock the door to her shop, of which she made haste to do so. Now they both trekked down the road, and she sighed at the remembrance that Osamu could not be with them at the moment.
"Wait, Elarisa!" The sound of the voice went in perfect unison with her thoughts. It was starting to seem that any person she thought of was conjured before her, as if her mind was a powerful beacon and summons. The sounds of metal against stone would be heard, turning her head she would spot the missing member of the travelling party. Osamu seemed no worse for the wear, not even a smudge on the rouge petals of his protective covering. If there was actually a fight between he and an Elvaan thief, it seemed that there was no need to worry about whom came out victorious. She nodded to him, acknowledging his presence so he wouldn't be disheartened or something of the same nature.
"So you made it after all?" She smiled again; this was a bit less forced than her reply to her guide earlier. It was good to know he was safe, the rumors were rather worrying. Stories of flying metal and men who could leap 10 feet into the air. She forced images that matched the wayward descriptions from her mind, and continued her pleasant look as Osamu made the short journey from one end of the street to the other. He would stop to catch his breath, and then match his sights to Elarisa.
"I'm sorry I'm so off time. I ran into a bit of trouble with someone trying to pick my pocket." Osamu's words would be a decent explanation; it was probably something of value taken from him. She would say nothing to this, simply begin her walk at a pace that both the Black Mage and Osamu could agree upon. She hoped her silence didn't come off as being ignorant, but she wanted to let his account stay in one piece without having to explain any further than he had.
The walk through the city was it's own form of calm, the streets were still busy as usual. While Rydia was not a national center for government or trade, one could find any of the rarities they needed from local shopkeepers who specialized in whatever area they felt would do well. Elarisa's shop received many customers, even if there were more elaborate looking shops out in the more busy parts of the market town, and for that she was not only quietly proud, but also living comfortably. She was not to say rich, but was able to purchase anything she felt like; she still chose to live simply. Nothing out of the ordinary would occur until they had reached the city limits.
It was certainly out of place, a large shadowy figure before them. A few more steps out into the fields would prove the figure to be none other than a Galka of some sort of mage occupation. But she almost wished she hadn't trekked any further, the Galka was accompanied by several other towering men of it's own breed. There were glimmers of light at their sides, which were obviously weapons that each of the three others carried. They seemed familiar, like the variety she had caught running through the city after some sort of skirmish. It certainly could not have been her travelling group they were after; she and Osamu had done nothing. It never occurred to her that an apprentice of Torukoishi could do any wrong.
"You! Black Mage! Stop!" The words came from the third Galka on the right, the tallest of the four and in possession of a silver face mask of his own fur covered hide. He scowled down at the one he shouted to, and already could she see the expecting look on the guide's face. She took her eyes quite quickly off the apparent leader to hear the draw of a weapon. It wasn't of any sort of the Galka's massive blades, but a singing sound. It was Osamu's shining lengthy blade, which he extended out towards the Galka who tried to advance upon the Black Mage.
"Another Hume?" His eyes would shift from his initial target to a newfound enemy. Elarisa could only assess, that both Osamu and the Galka were out for each other's blood, as each dawned the same expression of anger and even angst on their faces. It was hard to pierce through the defensive shield of white hair that the Galka dawned, but it was already obvious to her that he wasn't pleased. She would turn over to the counterpart of the beast man, the Black Mage extending a staff at his soon- to-be opponent. She couldn't tell where he had gotten the weapon, but it shined a blue hue that she enjoyed seeing again; the metal must have been composed of Mythril.
"Why are you here?"
"We're here to pay our respects to the Hume who did us in today."
"I won't let you do it, you'll go through me first."
"Osamu..."
"Elarisa, stay back."
"Hyaaaa!"
"What's that in the air? It's coming right at us!"
"Augh!"
"Aadia!?"
***