Stranger in a Strange Land
The next day, I was feeling much better. Leon and Sage really did know what they were doing. As I walked outside, I ran into Margurita, who was hanging around.
"Thank you for yesterday," I told her, "You, Leon, and Sage saved my life."
"Don't mention it. Listen, I'd like to apologize to you. When you first came to us injured, after the thieves incident, I was kind of short with you. I also didn't trust you too much, even after you joined up with us for good. It was yesterday that I finally decided to trust you," she admitted.
I replied, "It's ok, I understand. I was told that you're a little bit skeptical, and a good deal logical. I really came off as suspicious, especially after running away from you all on two occasions."
She looked at me. "You really understand me? I guess I shouldn't have been afraid of talking to you. Truth is, I'm kind of shy in situations like this. They say if you put Sage and me together, you get the epitome of a person born under Virgo."
I laughed a little with her. Just then, Ramza came up to us. He was happy to see me up and around. Then we all began to pack in order to begin our journey to go and find Cloud.
* * *
After passing Dorter along the way to Zarghidas, we began to hear wacky rumors. It seemed that a stranger came to various cities, and began getting into all kinds of fights. He started a brawl in a bar in Golland, and took on a whole mercenary team in Lesalia. And as we followed the stories, we were lead to - - you guessed it - - Zarghidas Trade City.
There, we saw a group of thieves surrounding Cloud. Turned out, he'd taken them all on while they were bullying the flower girl Ramza had purchased a flower from on our last trip here. Then he'd gotten a headache, and was now in a bad position.
"Cloud!" yelled Ramza, "Are you ok?"
"Does it look like I'm ok?!" he screamed back.
Although I didn't like that tone of his voice, I still knew we had to save him. I'd guessed that Cloud was used to taking care of himself, and anyone doing it for him was too embarrassing.
I used Shellbust Stab on a Monk, who was the apparent leader. Ramza and Orlandu took out the two Squires, while Tess and Tyler each attacked a thief. Soon, there was only one of the knaves left alive, another thief.
He whined, "Please, spare me. I'm only a lackey. I'll never do anything bad again."
I scoffed. "You can't fool me. Every one screams that before they're killed. Then they turn on the person who was kind enough to spare them. I'll give you no quarter. . .HELCRY PUNCH!"
Instantly, the last thief was down. I saw Cloud standing up, trying to get the ache out of his wounded leg. I motioned for Tess to go and get Sage or Leon.
"I lost. . .," Cloud began, "A very important thing."
"Cloud. . .?" inquired Ramza.
He continued, "Ever since, I've been lost. Who am I? What should I do? What about this pain." He turned to leave us all behind.
Ramza stopped him, "Cloud. . .there's someone in your world waiting for you. We might be able to send you back where you came from by using the stone's power."
"Let's go, Ramza," Cloud said, "I can't be here. Must go. . . to the Promised Land." "What is that? We've never heard of it," I admitted.
But Cloud never replied. Instead, he just walked back to the Inn with us. Waiting there were Sage and Leon. Tess's warning had given them time to get the clinic set up for when Cloud arrived. Sage said, "Here, we'll take care of that nasty wound for you. It must sting pretty badly. Don't worry, Leon and I are the best healers in the whole world. Oh dang, now I'm beginning to sound like that little egotistical punk."
Cloud walked right past her. "I don't need your healing. I can take care of my own wounds." He lifted his hands, as if he were going to cast a spell, but nothing happened.
"Drat," he groaned, "I forgot that my Cure spells were all imbedded into my Materia Blade. I must go to the volcano to retrieve it."
That's how we ended up climbing the only volcano in all of Ivalice to look for his missing sword. Sage and Leon saw a lot of work when we were through. Not only did we all get some nasty burns from the lava, but a gang of monsters saw our antics as a great reason to go and attack all of us on the spot. Ramza was turned to stone, my arm was bitten, and Beowulf hit his head. Ries charged the monster that had done that piece of damage. Don't even get me started on all of the wounds Cloud received from this little jaunt, he deserved each one. After all, it was his fault that we were all there.
To be fair, Cloud did do his share of the work after grabbing his sword and equipping it. I'd never seen fancy fighting like that. He called it a Limit Break, but to me it was just a fancy term for magic. But we never found the little marbles that fit into the hilt of his sword. Cloud claims they're Materia, a crystallized part of the Lifestream, but I didn't quite understand what he meant by that.
We now were out of little quests to go on. With no new leads on the activities of the Shrine Knights, we decided to head towards the Murond Temple. Most likely, Vormov was there, planning his next move. At the least, we'd find a clue or two towards his whereabouts.
That night, I looked out the front of my tent at the stars shining in the sky. I remembered all of the times that I looked up at them with Izlude as a child. That brought me back to how he had died, and my heart was filled with anger.
'Vormov will pay for what he's done to Izlude. Don't worry little brother, I'll make sure to stop him so he can never hurt another being ever again,' I thought.
- - - -
The battle in Murond next time. Well, I was guessing a bit at what someone like Meliadoul would say about Cloud's tales of his own world. I don't think any of the characters would be able to figure it out.
The next day, I was feeling much better. Leon and Sage really did know what they were doing. As I walked outside, I ran into Margurita, who was hanging around.
"Thank you for yesterday," I told her, "You, Leon, and Sage saved my life."
"Don't mention it. Listen, I'd like to apologize to you. When you first came to us injured, after the thieves incident, I was kind of short with you. I also didn't trust you too much, even after you joined up with us for good. It was yesterday that I finally decided to trust you," she admitted.
I replied, "It's ok, I understand. I was told that you're a little bit skeptical, and a good deal logical. I really came off as suspicious, especially after running away from you all on two occasions."
She looked at me. "You really understand me? I guess I shouldn't have been afraid of talking to you. Truth is, I'm kind of shy in situations like this. They say if you put Sage and me together, you get the epitome of a person born under Virgo."
I laughed a little with her. Just then, Ramza came up to us. He was happy to see me up and around. Then we all began to pack in order to begin our journey to go and find Cloud.
* * *
After passing Dorter along the way to Zarghidas, we began to hear wacky rumors. It seemed that a stranger came to various cities, and began getting into all kinds of fights. He started a brawl in a bar in Golland, and took on a whole mercenary team in Lesalia. And as we followed the stories, we were lead to - - you guessed it - - Zarghidas Trade City.
There, we saw a group of thieves surrounding Cloud. Turned out, he'd taken them all on while they were bullying the flower girl Ramza had purchased a flower from on our last trip here. Then he'd gotten a headache, and was now in a bad position.
"Cloud!" yelled Ramza, "Are you ok?"
"Does it look like I'm ok?!" he screamed back.
Although I didn't like that tone of his voice, I still knew we had to save him. I'd guessed that Cloud was used to taking care of himself, and anyone doing it for him was too embarrassing.
I used Shellbust Stab on a Monk, who was the apparent leader. Ramza and Orlandu took out the two Squires, while Tess and Tyler each attacked a thief. Soon, there was only one of the knaves left alive, another thief.
He whined, "Please, spare me. I'm only a lackey. I'll never do anything bad again."
I scoffed. "You can't fool me. Every one screams that before they're killed. Then they turn on the person who was kind enough to spare them. I'll give you no quarter. . .HELCRY PUNCH!"
Instantly, the last thief was down. I saw Cloud standing up, trying to get the ache out of his wounded leg. I motioned for Tess to go and get Sage or Leon.
"I lost. . .," Cloud began, "A very important thing."
"Cloud. . .?" inquired Ramza.
He continued, "Ever since, I've been lost. Who am I? What should I do? What about this pain." He turned to leave us all behind.
Ramza stopped him, "Cloud. . .there's someone in your world waiting for you. We might be able to send you back where you came from by using the stone's power."
"Let's go, Ramza," Cloud said, "I can't be here. Must go. . . to the Promised Land." "What is that? We've never heard of it," I admitted.
But Cloud never replied. Instead, he just walked back to the Inn with us. Waiting there were Sage and Leon. Tess's warning had given them time to get the clinic set up for when Cloud arrived. Sage said, "Here, we'll take care of that nasty wound for you. It must sting pretty badly. Don't worry, Leon and I are the best healers in the whole world. Oh dang, now I'm beginning to sound like that little egotistical punk."
Cloud walked right past her. "I don't need your healing. I can take care of my own wounds." He lifted his hands, as if he were going to cast a spell, but nothing happened.
"Drat," he groaned, "I forgot that my Cure spells were all imbedded into my Materia Blade. I must go to the volcano to retrieve it."
That's how we ended up climbing the only volcano in all of Ivalice to look for his missing sword. Sage and Leon saw a lot of work when we were through. Not only did we all get some nasty burns from the lava, but a gang of monsters saw our antics as a great reason to go and attack all of us on the spot. Ramza was turned to stone, my arm was bitten, and Beowulf hit his head. Ries charged the monster that had done that piece of damage. Don't even get me started on all of the wounds Cloud received from this little jaunt, he deserved each one. After all, it was his fault that we were all there.
To be fair, Cloud did do his share of the work after grabbing his sword and equipping it. I'd never seen fancy fighting like that. He called it a Limit Break, but to me it was just a fancy term for magic. But we never found the little marbles that fit into the hilt of his sword. Cloud claims they're Materia, a crystallized part of the Lifestream, but I didn't quite understand what he meant by that.
We now were out of little quests to go on. With no new leads on the activities of the Shrine Knights, we decided to head towards the Murond Temple. Most likely, Vormov was there, planning his next move. At the least, we'd find a clue or two towards his whereabouts.
That night, I looked out the front of my tent at the stars shining in the sky. I remembered all of the times that I looked up at them with Izlude as a child. That brought me back to how he had died, and my heart was filled with anger.
'Vormov will pay for what he's done to Izlude. Don't worry little brother, I'll make sure to stop him so he can never hurt another being ever again,' I thought.
- - - -
The battle in Murond next time. Well, I was guessing a bit at what someone like Meliadoul would say about Cloud's tales of his own world. I don't think any of the characters would be able to figure it out.