FINAL FANTASY XI
CHAPTER VIII
Dragoon
It had happened all in a flash to Aadia. The Galka had run past her towards the edge of the city in a hurry past her, and then Magus and company would stroll past. Her abode was not far in; she could make it if she tried. A flash of intuition, she had to make her way there someway.
Hurry Aadia.
There's no time.
You have to hurry.
Magus.
Those Galka...
I don't get it, why am I doing this? I shouldn't go out of my way to help out him... I don't even know the other two. I just feel... Well, I can't just leave them out there. Gah, this is horrible... Well, it might even be fun to stop those guys. They're so stupid, like.. Like Tartars. I hate Tartars. They're really stupid... How can you keep yourself safe just off magic? Their source of power will drain away and a rat is going to eat them all. Weird freaks. Move out of my way, loser! This is insane... What am I supposed to do when I get there anyway? I bet that Chemist can handle herself, she has one of those guns. I hate guns; they're arrows without the work. I guess that works, almost fun. I should learn how to use one. I need to stop thinking so much; I gotta get in my battle frame of mind. Act calm and cool, it's not a problem. There is at least one Elvaan in trouble in this situation, so it isn't unpatriotic or something... I don't even care about San D'oria, it's just my way of giving justification for learning to be a Dragoon... They said it couldn't be done, a Dragoon female... Ha, I showed them.
"Whoa!" Aadia's train of thought would simply stop; she'd trip over and on to the ground. Somehow a dislodged piece of the cobblestone street had sent her sprawling, but she was so close to the edge of Rydia there was no reason to stop now. Even if she had second thoughts, the call for battle was now. Could she possibly beat out those Galka so easily, Magus had scared them off with a simple swing of his metal wand and a casting of the common flame spell. But they seemed to now be out for blood. The pace of her thoughts quickened to blinding speed, as did her pace.
Go. Go. Go. I'm gonna jump, I have to jump. Lance goes down, turn feet... THERE! Focus, find the target, and don't listen to them. They're surprised I'm here. I can do this, I can save them. Take this! I swear to god these guys piss me off. They run around in Elvaan cities making light of a Hume's presence, and then they attack at whim. They are worse than that which they detest. I need to stop thinking so much, wait! What's that sound!? NO! Get out of the way you rose-colored freak; stop swinging your sword so close to my head! If that gun shows it's ugly face I'm gonna scream and just accidentally take off Elarisa's head. Where's Magus... Wait... One, two, three, four Galka? No! They brought a friend... Take this... DIE! There is no reason for me to go through with this but -- What the hell was that!? Stupid draft... That's gotta be Blizzard... Damnit, it's coming from that robed one too. Sword, and magic all in one person? It's gotta' be a red mage... That's really going to be a pain.. If I... THERE! That's going to leave a scar on that silver face of yours. And if I ever see it again I'll know it from the rest by that huge red mark of blood! I'm going to need a new blood rag... They're out for blood, I'm not; I can't get too caught up... But one scratch on the face isn't going to kill someone.
The fight was hanging on her mind, Aadia would jump and dodge and parry and slash her way towards what she hoped would be victory. Her reluctance faded into almost a feeling of passion for the fight, and she wasn't faring horribly either. There was nothing that the Galka to do to try and catch up with her feather like movements; if one were to ever come close to doing so, a simple tuck and roll and a propelling into the air by way of her lance would set her to safety. To anyone else it would seem impossible, but she was a Dragoon. She had to fight like one, or at least she was accustomed to thinking such.
Let's see you take this on for size! Yeah! That's right, how do you like the taste of cold hard steel against the side of your face. God, this feels better than I remember. Great way to relieve aggression... Why won't they just give up though, it's like they can never deplete their own source of energy. Hmm, it's gotta be magic. It's not like they're anything special, just powerhouses. I remember, if I ever see a mage I'm supposed to go for it first; Red Mages in particular... That's because they're support mages of both schools... I guess I learned something in my day, take this! Little monster with your magic and your hideous face, and stupid robe which you should have tripped on. I'm giving it all in this next... Punch! Yeah! I bet that'll slow the others down, he was probably doing some kind of regeneration spell or something. I'm so good at this; it's like a sport. Go out and use my knowledge for something decent, keeping the peace... Even if I am just adding to the problem. I still think I don't move instinctually enough. It should be one fluidic movement... I'll try n-
Aadia's own attempt at being more so like a dragon in her finesse-like fighting style would cause her to trip in similar fashion to the cobblestone incident. Her weapon would give some support, but her hands brushed roughly against the filigree on the long handle of it. She would twirl around it, using it for support in her showgirl like movement, of which she internally cursed herself for. It was all she could do to recover from falling; she'd pull her lance free and aim it at the last two standing Galka. One still decorated itself with rage, as well as the source of such anger: The crimson crease across his cheek. The others were handling themselves pretty well, and Elarisa seemed to be keeping Osamu active with a mixture of support magic that Aadia could catch in the corner of her eye from time to time.
I bet he's coming back for another scar to match that first cut. I know he's gonna hate me the rest of his life when he gets up from this fight. No way I'm going to murder him because of a little street fight. I hate Galkas... I hate Galkas. They just fight for no reason, they think it solves something. I hope this isn't how their government works, but I guess it might, given the fact they're so messed up in the head. I can't even tell if they're male or female either. They don't have sex; they just die and get reincarnated. So I guess I'd be giving the species a refreshing present if I killed it. No, I can't... That would really be awful... I have to just keep parrying and try to beat this guy over the head. Then he'll be out... Something behind me!? Jesus! Stupid warrior scaring me again, better watch it with that sword of yours or I'll turn you into my enemy... Too reckless even if he has lots of form, I don't like his style at all. That's it, no more. I can't stand anymore fighting; I've had enough... TAKE THIS YOU IDIOT!
There....
"All done." Aadia would dust off her hands against the foreside of her thighs, letting the lance dangle against her shoulder. The Galka had all been knocked unconscious, one by one and in a different order than she would have expected. She could at least rest a bit, the conflict ending as soon as it starting could. Magus would utter words of praise, but the pounding in her head from the rush of the fight made him a faint whisper compared to it. She sweated a bit, nothing severe, and the temperature of her body was a little more than she cared for.
"That was very elegant." It was a soft voice that pierced her thoughts, which had begun as suddenly as they had died down. Elarisa had complemented her style of fighting, surprisingly to Aadia. Blue Mage, Chemist, and scholar were all genres of people who didn't care to bring about angst and fighting; however Elarisa could appreciate the exact timing and abilities of Aadia. It was puzzling, and Aadia found herself unable to reply. She was not worried; no one would care for her less if she didn't speak. Aadia was their savior of the moment.
"Yeah, beautiful... Specially that high jump." The next voice that she could strain out was full of admirable confidence; it had to have been Magus. He seemed as if he was in the state of mind to clap, but her inability to respond must have stopped him. The Black Mage simply sat down on a fallen tree that had ceased to exist against the blunt force of Saruta Baruta's hot climate. The samurai should have been the next in line to compliment her, but he said nothing as he simply stared down at the scarred face of the lead Galka. The silver had faded to pink in a mix of the body hair and blood.
Everything seemed back in order, the party could continue travelling and Aadia could return to Rydia to try and rest. Something hung on her mind, as if it was too easy to just go back to her usual routine of "Business as usual". She had to come with them; she felt a strong urge to do so. They were going to be in trouble again, she was sure of it. She even went so far as to assume that it would be Magus's fault as well, and what about meeting this Hume that the Elvaan girl before her was so proud of.
"I'm going to come with you."
"Ok."
"What, you don't have a problem with me coming?"
"Not at all."
"That's it?"
"Yes, that's it."
"Alright... Let's just get going then.
***
CHAPTER VIII
Dragoon
It had happened all in a flash to Aadia. The Galka had run past her towards the edge of the city in a hurry past her, and then Magus and company would stroll past. Her abode was not far in; she could make it if she tried. A flash of intuition, she had to make her way there someway.
Hurry Aadia.
There's no time.
You have to hurry.
Magus.
Those Galka...
I don't get it, why am I doing this? I shouldn't go out of my way to help out him... I don't even know the other two. I just feel... Well, I can't just leave them out there. Gah, this is horrible... Well, it might even be fun to stop those guys. They're so stupid, like.. Like Tartars. I hate Tartars. They're really stupid... How can you keep yourself safe just off magic? Their source of power will drain away and a rat is going to eat them all. Weird freaks. Move out of my way, loser! This is insane... What am I supposed to do when I get there anyway? I bet that Chemist can handle herself, she has one of those guns. I hate guns; they're arrows without the work. I guess that works, almost fun. I should learn how to use one. I need to stop thinking so much; I gotta get in my battle frame of mind. Act calm and cool, it's not a problem. There is at least one Elvaan in trouble in this situation, so it isn't unpatriotic or something... I don't even care about San D'oria, it's just my way of giving justification for learning to be a Dragoon... They said it couldn't be done, a Dragoon female... Ha, I showed them.
"Whoa!" Aadia's train of thought would simply stop; she'd trip over and on to the ground. Somehow a dislodged piece of the cobblestone street had sent her sprawling, but she was so close to the edge of Rydia there was no reason to stop now. Even if she had second thoughts, the call for battle was now. Could she possibly beat out those Galka so easily, Magus had scared them off with a simple swing of his metal wand and a casting of the common flame spell. But they seemed to now be out for blood. The pace of her thoughts quickened to blinding speed, as did her pace.
Go. Go. Go. I'm gonna jump, I have to jump. Lance goes down, turn feet... THERE! Focus, find the target, and don't listen to them. They're surprised I'm here. I can do this, I can save them. Take this! I swear to god these guys piss me off. They run around in Elvaan cities making light of a Hume's presence, and then they attack at whim. They are worse than that which they detest. I need to stop thinking so much, wait! What's that sound!? NO! Get out of the way you rose-colored freak; stop swinging your sword so close to my head! If that gun shows it's ugly face I'm gonna scream and just accidentally take off Elarisa's head. Where's Magus... Wait... One, two, three, four Galka? No! They brought a friend... Take this... DIE! There is no reason for me to go through with this but -- What the hell was that!? Stupid draft... That's gotta be Blizzard... Damnit, it's coming from that robed one too. Sword, and magic all in one person? It's gotta' be a red mage... That's really going to be a pain.. If I... THERE! That's going to leave a scar on that silver face of yours. And if I ever see it again I'll know it from the rest by that huge red mark of blood! I'm going to need a new blood rag... They're out for blood, I'm not; I can't get too caught up... But one scratch on the face isn't going to kill someone.
The fight was hanging on her mind, Aadia would jump and dodge and parry and slash her way towards what she hoped would be victory. Her reluctance faded into almost a feeling of passion for the fight, and she wasn't faring horribly either. There was nothing that the Galka to do to try and catch up with her feather like movements; if one were to ever come close to doing so, a simple tuck and roll and a propelling into the air by way of her lance would set her to safety. To anyone else it would seem impossible, but she was a Dragoon. She had to fight like one, or at least she was accustomed to thinking such.
Let's see you take this on for size! Yeah! That's right, how do you like the taste of cold hard steel against the side of your face. God, this feels better than I remember. Great way to relieve aggression... Why won't they just give up though, it's like they can never deplete their own source of energy. Hmm, it's gotta be magic. It's not like they're anything special, just powerhouses. I remember, if I ever see a mage I'm supposed to go for it first; Red Mages in particular... That's because they're support mages of both schools... I guess I learned something in my day, take this! Little monster with your magic and your hideous face, and stupid robe which you should have tripped on. I'm giving it all in this next... Punch! Yeah! I bet that'll slow the others down, he was probably doing some kind of regeneration spell or something. I'm so good at this; it's like a sport. Go out and use my knowledge for something decent, keeping the peace... Even if I am just adding to the problem. I still think I don't move instinctually enough. It should be one fluidic movement... I'll try n-
Aadia's own attempt at being more so like a dragon in her finesse-like fighting style would cause her to trip in similar fashion to the cobblestone incident. Her weapon would give some support, but her hands brushed roughly against the filigree on the long handle of it. She would twirl around it, using it for support in her showgirl like movement, of which she internally cursed herself for. It was all she could do to recover from falling; she'd pull her lance free and aim it at the last two standing Galka. One still decorated itself with rage, as well as the source of such anger: The crimson crease across his cheek. The others were handling themselves pretty well, and Elarisa seemed to be keeping Osamu active with a mixture of support magic that Aadia could catch in the corner of her eye from time to time.
I bet he's coming back for another scar to match that first cut. I know he's gonna hate me the rest of his life when he gets up from this fight. No way I'm going to murder him because of a little street fight. I hate Galkas... I hate Galkas. They just fight for no reason, they think it solves something. I hope this isn't how their government works, but I guess it might, given the fact they're so messed up in the head. I can't even tell if they're male or female either. They don't have sex; they just die and get reincarnated. So I guess I'd be giving the species a refreshing present if I killed it. No, I can't... That would really be awful... I have to just keep parrying and try to beat this guy over the head. Then he'll be out... Something behind me!? Jesus! Stupid warrior scaring me again, better watch it with that sword of yours or I'll turn you into my enemy... Too reckless even if he has lots of form, I don't like his style at all. That's it, no more. I can't stand anymore fighting; I've had enough... TAKE THIS YOU IDIOT!
There....
"All done." Aadia would dust off her hands against the foreside of her thighs, letting the lance dangle against her shoulder. The Galka had all been knocked unconscious, one by one and in a different order than she would have expected. She could at least rest a bit, the conflict ending as soon as it starting could. Magus would utter words of praise, but the pounding in her head from the rush of the fight made him a faint whisper compared to it. She sweated a bit, nothing severe, and the temperature of her body was a little more than she cared for.
"That was very elegant." It was a soft voice that pierced her thoughts, which had begun as suddenly as they had died down. Elarisa had complemented her style of fighting, surprisingly to Aadia. Blue Mage, Chemist, and scholar were all genres of people who didn't care to bring about angst and fighting; however Elarisa could appreciate the exact timing and abilities of Aadia. It was puzzling, and Aadia found herself unable to reply. She was not worried; no one would care for her less if she didn't speak. Aadia was their savior of the moment.
"Yeah, beautiful... Specially that high jump." The next voice that she could strain out was full of admirable confidence; it had to have been Magus. He seemed as if he was in the state of mind to clap, but her inability to respond must have stopped him. The Black Mage simply sat down on a fallen tree that had ceased to exist against the blunt force of Saruta Baruta's hot climate. The samurai should have been the next in line to compliment her, but he said nothing as he simply stared down at the scarred face of the lead Galka. The silver had faded to pink in a mix of the body hair and blood.
Everything seemed back in order, the party could continue travelling and Aadia could return to Rydia to try and rest. Something hung on her mind, as if it was too easy to just go back to her usual routine of "Business as usual". She had to come with them; she felt a strong urge to do so. They were going to be in trouble again, she was sure of it. She even went so far as to assume that it would be Magus's fault as well, and what about meeting this Hume that the Elvaan girl before her was so proud of.
"I'm going to come with you."
"Ok."
"What, you don't have a problem with me coming?"
"Not at all."
"That's it?"
"Yes, that's it."
"Alright... Let's just get going then.
***