Disclaimer: I'm sorry if I have in any way offended, harmed or generally annoyed anyone who has any real claim to Skies of Arcadia, but I'm just jealous. I want to pretend to be more like you by thinking in my own head I own a little bit of this game, when, in truth, the game holds a little bit of me. But I'm not doing this to annoy you deliberately or ruin anything about the game, so please be nice to me in the courts, because I know none of its mine really.
Reviews: ...are always nice, but after 8 months, I'm really needing inspiration for this again, lol. And tell me where I'm going wrong in how I write - do you like my style? Am I too descriptive? My speech stilted and unrealistic? I need to know, because I very much take what is said to heart and try and do something about it...
Overview: I recognise that after 8 months, your memory on this story might be a bit rusty. So, if you haven't read the rest of the story in some time... "Last time, in this story", the three Rogues had gone up in Fina's ship and spotted De Loco's ship, after an attack on Crescent Isle. They were attacked whilst up there, and last time we left them, they had been stranded in the desert...
Matt Dovey
Vyse quickly revived the others and, with their help, found a rocky structure that they could shelter behind, in the shade. Although it was not much cooler and the dry heat still burned their throats, they could at least see easier, and they were safe from sunburn, a point that was especially important to Fina, whose pale Silvite skin did not hold up well in the sun.
"There's no chance of us repairing the ship - even if one of us was a mechanic, we've lost the front half, and we've no tools, materials, anything... So we have two options left to us," said Vyse, quietly. Adverse situations rarely got to him, but right now things seemed desperate - no-one even knew they had gone, as they were trying to keep the possibility of De Loco hidden from the crew. Besides, even if people did know, they wouldn't know that they'd ended up here...
"I have a feeling I'm not going to like either of them," grumbled Aika.
"Firstly, we can start walking. It's hard to tell where we are for now, but if we can spot a landmark of some kind that's shown on the maps, I can get us to somewhere civilised. However, we have no food, we have no water, we have nothing to shade us from the sun and Red Moon, and we could be days away from anywhere, so it's not very viable. The second option is to try and signal someone - either try and get something from the remains of the ship together, or lay out a design in the sand." There was a silence as the three crew members contemplated this option, looking at each other. "The major problem with that is... we don't have the front end of the ship with all the communications boards, so being able to fashion a beacon is unlikely... So all we can do is make a design in the sand and hope someone sees it. But..." Vyse paused, his eyes cast downwards
"...But we're in the middle of a desert, and there's no guarantee that someone will pass over... we could be waiting till we die..." Fina carried on, dejectedly.
"And even if someone does find us, they might not be friendly," completed Aika.
"I know it looks bleak, but sitting around doing nothing is even more futile! We've got to at least try something, and we'll survive longer if we don't move about. I had to live on my own on Crescent Isle that time when we got split up, and I was there for a good few weeks before I was found!"
"But you had water and a plentiful supply of food there, Vyse..." pointed out Aika.
"We haven't looked round here yet, there could be a spring in a cave in those cliffs, an oasis over that dune, creatures that come out at night... you can't give up, Aika! I've pulled you through everything so far haven't I? Looked after you and stopped you coming to harm!"
Aika chewed her lip, staring at the ground. "Ok Vyse, I trust you... but you realise I'll beat you if your plan doesn't work!" She flashed her devilish grin at him, the usual glint back in her eyes. Vyse laughed, and stood up, brushing the sand off his trousers.
As the sun set on the desert, the long shadows stretching across the dry sands, Vyse stood at the entrance of a cave and stretched. Not long after outlining the plan for rescue, they had split up and searched for somewhere to stay, and Fina had found a cave with a small spring at the back. Although the water flowing from it was only a small trickle, and unclean, Fina had been able to cast Curia to purify it, and the water could easily be collected while the three slept. They had quickly made the decision to rest during the day and work at night, as it was cooler in the desert then, and the Red Moon stopped it from ever becoming freezing.
The Rogues had spent a few nights now scavenging the surrounding area for various materials. On the first night Aika had been shocked to see so many small creatures come out at night, and Vyse had quickly devised and constructed a series of simple traps to capture the lizards with. By using some small and otherwise useless red moonstones they had found, they managed to cook the lizards through thoroughly, and although not the tastiest dish they were in ready supply and enough to keep the trio alive.
Much of the material they had found was stones and rocks of various sizes. There was a growing pile of them kept just outside the cave, waiting to be arranged on the sand. By studying the movement of the moon and sun, Vyse had worked out that they were south of Nasrad, so he had selected a spot that would be easily visible to any ship going to Esperanza from Nasrad or Maramba.
Vyse walked over to the selected spot and checked it, looking around in the skies in the vague hope of a passing ship. To say that Esperanza was meant to be a new trading town, not much trade seemed to be going to it... but at least no Black Pirates had found them yet. He stared at the rocks, his mind drifting in the heat of the dusk. What if they were never found? Are these few rocks really going to be enough? Suddenly, he jumped and spun on the spot, to find Aika behind him - she had crept up while he was stood there and tickled him. As he came to realise this, he laughed, as much at his own reaction as Aika's actions. She grinned at him, her eyes bright with happiness.
"Haha... nice to see you can still laugh, Vyse. It's been a while since you have."
"I've... I've just been thinking... what if we're not found?"
"What's this? Vyse the Infamous Blue Rogue giving up hope? No, it can't be!" she teased.
"Heh, I guess you're right... let's get these rocks shifted, they're starting to get in the way of the cave anyway." He smiled, then walked up to her as if he was about to embrace her. As Aika looked at him in blank disbelief, he suddenly tickled her sides then ran off back towards to the rock pile.
"Gotcha!" he shouted back at her, laughing.
Vyse looked up at the stars above him and Aika and smiled. He was laid back on the sand, his cutlass belt and Sky-Seer goggles lying nearby in a heap along with Aika's boomerang and glove. Aika herself was laid next to Vyse, with her head resting on his chest. The rock symbol had taken them around two hours, and was some 20 paces each way. Both Air Pirates were exhausted from the effort, and had collapsed onto the sand gratefully when they had finished it.
"Hey Vyse..." Aika began, "...do you really think it will work? The rocks?"
"Heh... why not? There must be hundreds of ships flying around the skies these days; someone's bound to spot it. It's not as if we're that far out of the way. Why waste time worrying?"
Aika smiled and snuggled further into the creases of Vyse's shirt. "I guess so. I... I just want to say thank you, Vyse. I'm stuck out in the middle of a desert with no ship and I'm still smiling, because of you. After all we've been through and everything that's happened, you still haven't forgotten how to manage that." She tilted her head back to look up at him, and grinned. "I've known you for the best part of my life Vyse... and I mean that in two ways."
Vyse could feel himself starting to blush as he looked back at Aika, so instead he averted his gaze skywards once more. "Don't mention it. Ever since I first made you smile all those years back, it's what I've spent most my time doing. I've just always preferred to do it by catching you out." He looked back at Aika, and a mischievous grin flashed onto his face.
"Haha, I guess that's true at least." She looked down, biting her lip gently, apparently caught in indecision. Then she looked up again, her usually cheeky eyes serious. "I love you Vyse, you know that?"
Vyse smiled back at her. "Of course I do. Isn't that part of what best friends is all about? C'mon, we better get back to the cave, Fina'll be wondering what's taking us so long." They had left Fina to cook some food up and purify some more water, as she was somewhat frailer than the other two Rogues and less suited to hefting rocks about the desert. As Vyse stood up, brushing sand off his blue clothing, Aika stared at him. She had said she loved him, and she meant it with all her heart... She just wasn't sure in what way, still, after all these years.
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Well, it's always nice to move a story along some more. At this pace, I should have this finished about the time I finish University. Ho hum. As said before, reviews are lovely, criticism is lovelier (so long as its justified). Having just finished the game again, I'm feeling all fired up again, so I'll update this again soon, promise.
Incidentally, does anyone know anything about a Europe release of Skies of Arcadia: Legends? It's out in the US now, and as far as I can tell, it's release date is still "To Be Announced" on this side of the Atlantic. I need this game again...
--Matt