Diary ~
Linen! Roasted pork! Silver forks!
It feels so good to be back in civilization! I'm lying on a bed with clean sheets that smell like fresh water under the sun and there are imported tiles on the wall and beautiful chandeliers on the ceiling and a plush ankle-deep sea-blue carpet on the floor. It feels so good. I have never been treated with such courtesy before. I feel like curling up and yawning like a cat.
When we arrived in Fletz, the capital of Tiberoa, Rose and I both sensed something wrong. I may not be an eleven-thousand-year-old Original Dragoon but I've a sensitive mind for a human. But Lloyd was nowhere to be found so we all just wandered around getting a feel for the land and to ask if anyone had seen Lloyd. By the way, we crossed a bridge that was named after me. Or at least someone with my name.
Princess Emille made an appearance. She was the elder of the two princesses of Tiberoa. Her beauty, gracefulness, and kindness were renowned throughout all of Endiness. Well, she was very beautiful, but nowhere near graceful and kind. She was very rude and seemed to bounce to her steps with restrained energy. She yelled at a pregnant woman and disappeared back inside the castle once bandits were mentioned. What a child! So rude! If she were my child I would make sure she was disciplined for such breaches of etiquette. Albert was very upset with this. He told me that when he was younger, he had an arranged marriage with the princess. He had obviously fallen in love with her as a child and couldn't believe that she and this person were one and the same.
We wanted to enter the Twin Castle to warn the Tiberoan king of Lloyd but the guard at the gate wouldn't let us inside due to a large amount of bandits that had been wandering around. Albert has traveled with us incognito and didn't want to reveal his identity, so there was no way to get through.
While most of them went to the bar, Shana and I continued shopping. It was good to have a female companion shopping with me. Rose didn't want to come, to nobody's surprise. But I guess that after eleven thousand years of shopping, a girl tends to get tired. I still have doubts on whether or not she is an Original. The idea just seems so completely crazy. But she had quoted things nobody but my husband had known and told me other things about the Dragon Campaign. And besides, how else can she be such a fine warrior? Also, she just has that age-wisdom, so many accumulated years of it.
Shana and I ran into a man named Fester at the marketplace. He was an astronomer, as most people in Fletz are, and the personal governor of the younger Princess Lisa. He told us of Tiberoa's current condition. Six months ago, there was a sudden increase in thieves and bandits and "hooligans." Bandits ran loose everywhere, but struck only at night, so guards patrolled the streets and the gateways in and out were barred. He also told us a bit about astronomy, though nothing we didn't know.
We told Dart about the bandits and the night policy and we made it in time to the hotel to rent a room for all of us. There wasn't enough so Dart and Albert volunteered to find a place in a civilian home. The day after they told me that it was a gardener named Nello, who struck a friendship with Albert very quickly. They spoke of greenery.
The next morning we set out farther into Tiberoa, in pursuit of Lloyd. I had not thought of him for a while before, automatically classifying him into enemy, but later on I will tell you what happened. We traveled through the deserted Barrens and I began to see why Nello and Albert wanted to give greens to it. The land was living up to its name: barren. It would be much more beautiful if there were a few flowers here and there, some grass…
Anyway, we were attacked by bandits halfway through the canyon, some idiot Mappi and some other flunkies. The battle was short; Father and I took care of them by ourselves, showing off some of the Rouge arts to the others. But Father's Dragoon Spirit was stolen. Mappi wasn't smart but he was fast and he managed to swipe the Spirit away from Father's neck. He ran off with it.
By the way, we haven't gotten it back and Rose is EXTREMELY pissed off that we had let it be stolen in the first place.
We arrived at the next town a bit dejected because of the lost Spirit. It looks like we were going to have to invade the bandits' lair to get it back. While the others went to the bar to catch up on news and see what was going on, I wandered the town—Donau—which was full of the flowers that I wanted to have in the Barrens. It was a beautiful city, all sweet fragrances and butterflies and the occasional bandit but nothing I couldn't handle by myself.
I was heading for the Item Shop to pick up some more Healing Potions and a Mind Purifier as Shana had instructed when I heard a scream. A woman, crying for help.
Three bandits were harassing a tiny blonde woman, cornering her against a fence. I yelled at them to leave her alone.
"Hey, this one can sell for a pretty high price too." Not a smart thing to say to me. I took the three of them out easily.
"Thank you." The woman said to me. "My name is Wink, I'm a Sacred Sister in Mille Seseau. If you are ever in Deningrad and need help, call me."
I remember Wink. She had helped me find a home in Mille Seseau for a while when Dart was still a child. But I didn't tell her this. I just smiled and thanked her, seeing her safely into a store.
"I would say what a surprise it is to see you here, but I know why you're here." A voice said, and then I realized that I had overlooked the sound of a sword unsheathing when I went to rescue Wink.
I turned, threw a punch before I even saw him. Surprisingly, he caught it gently but firmly, then released it. "Please don't. I wouldn't like to hurt you." His sword was back in his sheath. He had meant to use it to help the woman, not to use against me, but then again, he didn't need to. He was physically stronger and didn't need his sword to defeat me.
"And yet you slashed my arm open and nearly killed my friend!"
"I apologize for the pain that I have caused. I was merely defending myself. I couldn't let anyone get in my way."
I glared at him for a moment but it was impossible to stay angry at him for some reason. "Who are you, Wingly?"
"My name is Lloyd. I thought you knew that."
"I know your name but who are you? Are you a traitor to Basil? A spy for Sandora? Who are you now that the war is over? Are you an enemy or a friend?"
Lloyd paused. "Can we have this conversation sitting down? I've been traveling for a while. I'll buy you a drink at the tavern."
Against my better judgment I went. Nobody cared what you said at the tavern anyway. When we were seated I repeated my question. Do you know what he said?
"I am not a traitor to Basil because I have never sworn allegiance to it and I am no spy for Sandora because I work not for that country. I work for myself, and for my personal goal. I am a messenger and I don't care about the war." He stopped, looked at me until I felt uncomfortable. "I am not your enemy but I will stand in your way if need be. I would like to be your friend but I will have to kill you if you try to hinder me in my personal quest."
"Why do you only speak to me?"
"Because the others would kill me on sight. And because you're the only one who will listen and believe me." He really does have a charming smile.
"Who says I believe you? You tried to kill me."
"I've no rebuttal there. All I can offer is my apologies. How's your drink?"
"Stronger than I'm used to." I admitted. "Why do you do this? Why do you want the Moon Gem?"
"Because I'm working for a higher authority."
"Good gods, are you some sort of religious fanatic? Are you speaking about Soa?"
"Gods no. Not quite that high. But if I get the Divine Moon Objects then I can accomplish my goal."
"What's your goal?"
"Sorry, Claire, but I don't think I can tell you that yet. I have a question. How did you identify the Dragon Buster just by seeing it for a second?"
"I've studied the Dragon Campaign for quite a while and I know things that most people don't. My husband taught me. He was a fanatic, and he loved to study it."
"'Loved?'" Lloyd raised a silver eyebrow. "He doesn't like studying it anymore?"
I had to laugh. "I don't think that even death would stop him from studying the Dragon Campaign. But I don't know now…"
"I beg your pardon?"
"He's dead." My voice was only slightly flat.
Lloyd did look sincerely surprised and apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring back bad memories." He meant it; I forgave him. "I didn't mean to be cruel. Do you believe that from a person who most of the planet thinks is evil?"
"Is my opinion that important to you?" I meant it as a bitter joke.
He took it seriously. "Yes. I'm not evil, or at least I don't think so. I don't want you to think I am evil either. It's a nasty word. My goal is not evil." He glanced out the window. "I saw that you saved that woman. Nice moves. You've just hurt three humans, which some people would find evil. But you did it for a good cause, to save that nun."
"Sacred Sister."
"Whatever. It is the same with me. I'm not evil, Claire." He smiled, tossing some Gold onto the bar. "I don't think your son would think the same way though. I'm leaving before he can find me. But I can't tell you where I'm going. Blood is thicker than water after all. But I'll talk to you again. I like talking to you." He took my hand and kissed it, and left the tavern.
I was sitting there for a moment before my senses kicked in again, when Shana appeared. She asked me what was wrong, why was my face so pale? I told her I didn't feel well, but we needed to get going.
I don't know what Lloyd's goal is, or if he is evil. All I know is that when he starts speaking it's impossible not to agree with him. He seems mocking but in a sincere way, not mean. Just like…I don't know how to describe him. Maybe when I find a way I'll write it.
But I'm sounding like a little girl fawning over a crush again.
Shana told me that they had found a young woman here. That woman's fiancé had run off to fight the bandits. Not a smart move, obviously, because he was captured. The woman Kate had begged us to help save him. While they were running along the streets they met Kate's friend, who had…insisted on traveling with us.
Her name is Meru and I'm willing to bet that she's looking over my shoulder right now, am I correct? …Go away, Meru, this is private… Okay, she made a face and left. She really is a kind and sweet young girl but a bit… energetic. She's like a bundle of sugar-high puppies. But she's a dancer—though what kind I'm not sure—and she's nice and she fights pretty well with a giant hammer, plus we can't shake her off, so she's coming with us. I've noted that Rose and Dart—the two least talkative—are staying far away from her. But having her around kinda reminds me of the children of Seles. I like having children around. Meru must be at least sixteen, but she acts so childish and reminds me of Shana at a very young age. Father seems to get along with her rather well.
We had to return to Fletz because in order to get to the bandits' hideout we needed to pass through the Valley of Shifted Gravity or something like that. But to go through the Valley we must have the pass for it or else the guards wouldn't let us through. But the guard wouldn't let us into the castle again so Shana had the idea of getting Fester. After all, he was the governor of Princess Lisa, wasn't he? He would be seen in the palace often.
It worked. Fester helped us to get past the guard and into an audience with the King Zior. The king was…to nicely put it, a bit scatterbrained. A bit stupid to be king of a country, as Rose said. I have to say I agree. Look at the difference between him and Albert! But he gave us the pass and invited us to stay the night, so who am I to complain?
We met the younger of the two princesses first. Actually she summoned us and beseeched our help. Her dear sister Emille had changed drastically, she said, starting from half a year ago, when she hit her head falling off a horse. Ever since then she was rude and acted in "a manner not becoming of a princess that is heir to the Tiberoan throne." Princess Lisa was sure that it wasn't just because of the horseback riding. Emille was an entirely different person and must be related to the events of the bandits, which had also started half a year ago.
She asked us for our help. We agreed to go to the bandits' hideout and find out what we could. Which fits in with our plans anyway. Lisa was a person who spoke to the stars, and she told us that the stars said never to hand over the Moon.
That meant the Moon Dagger, the heirloom of the royal house of Tiberoa. Which meant that Lloyd was going to be here.
During dinner, we got an up-close look of Princess Emille. Gods, what a slob! She practically put her face to the plate and slurped it all up. What princess acts like this? Zior seemed not to notice, passing it off as a hungry appetite, mere anxiety of the Coming of Age ceremony in a couple of weeks, when Emille would receive the Moon Dagger as her royal gift, passing the throne from her father to her. Emille reacted very strangely when we mentioned the bandits.
Afterwards, Lisa's maid led us to the guestroom, where I'm writing now, in the beginning when I said that stuff about clean sheets. It really is such a relief to be on soft cushions and eat delicate food and have an actual tub full of steamy hot water instead of the frigid lake water that I can only stand for about five minutes.
We set off tomorrow morning. In the meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy the royal treatment.