Episode 04: Beast's Fury Unleashed
It was him. I never thought that we would ever see him again, but there he was, standing right behind Van. The two looked almost identical, like a boy and his shadow standing in the moonlight. But even though they looked so alike on the outside, their insides are worlds apart.
It's strange, how two brothers can be almost completely opposite of one another. There was a time when they weren't so different, but that's all in the past now…
"Van, how nice to see you here," the figure behind him said. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"What do you want, Leon?" Van said. "I have nothing to say to you, so why don't you just leave me and Saffron alone?"
The brown-haired boy laughed. "Honestly, Van, is that any way to greet your own brother?"
"His brother?" Jenna exclaimed in disbelief. "That's Van's brother?"
"Now that you mention it, they do kind of look the same," Isaac said, still very confused at the events unfolding before him. He had put away his sword now, removing it from its once threatening position.
"Yes, that's his brother," Saffron confirmed. "But it's been quite some time since we've last seen him."
"I'm picking up a bad vibe from this guy," Isaac said. "Just like before…"
"And look, dear Saffron is with you as well," Leon said, looking over his brother's shoulder. "Are you two still getting along as well as you used to?"
"Leave her out of this," Van said angrily. "Whatever your problem is, you deal with me, not her. Understand?"
"Well now, if you're going to be so abrupt about it," his brother replied, sounding disappointed. "Too bad, little brother. We could have actually had some fun."
Van scoffed. "If my theory proves correct, you're here to kill me," he said. "I would hardly consider that 'fun'."
"You know me too well, dear brother," Leon said with an eerie chuckle. "But you're not exactly right. Hand over the tablet to me, and I just might let you and your dearest love leave this field alive. Resist, and let's just say that I'll have to employ more… persuasive methods."
Van considered the two options for a second. "Fine then, we'll do it your way," he said, going into the wagon through the back, where the tablet was hidden.
"You've made the right choice, Van," Leon said as a big smile formed on his face. "This way, no one gets hurt."
"You're not exactly right," Van said from inside the wagon.
"Hmm?" Leon said as his eyebrows furrowed.
Van stepped outside again, but now he looked different. He had taken off his cloak, revealing his whole figure. He was dressed in only a sleeveless shirt and a pair of work pants, but the thing that stood out most was the giant neck-cleaving knife that he now carried at his side.
"What is the meaning of this?" Leon said angrily.
Van assumed a battle stance, with both hands on his mighty sword. "The only person who's getting hurt tonight is you, 'dear brother'. So if you're not too scared to fight me, then bring it on."
"You've made a big mistake challenging me, Van," Leon said as he laughed evilly. He threw off his own cloak, revealing a more muscular build than his brother's and two swords hanging from his waist. "Did you forget that it was I who taught you everything you know? Your entire repertoire of techniques is like a book open for my reading, and there is nothing you can hide from me, little brother."
"Don't be so sure about that," Van said. "And just for the record, you're no brother of mine," he spat as an afterthought.
Isaac drew the Gaia Blade again and stepped beside Van. "You need a hand? This brother of yours looks pretty tough."
Van was confused for a moment, but then he smiled and shook his head. "I can take him, don't worry. Just do me a favor and take of care of those two, all right?"
"No problem," Isaac replied. "But do me a favor in return."
"What is it?" Van asked as he watched his brother draw his blades.
"Stay alive. I've got some questions that I'd to have answered after this is all over," Isaac said as he put away his sword.
"I don't know what your questions are, so I can't guarantee you any answers. But don't worry, I'm not ready to die just yet," Van said.
"Van!" Saffron cried out from behind him.
Van turned around. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," he called back.
Saffron wanted desperately to help out her best friend, but she knew that if she tried then she would only get in his way. "Be careful!" she called out.
"I guess I'll leave you to your business then," Isaac said as he began to walk back towards the others. "Good luck."
"Well now, any last words before your untimely demise?" Leon said as he began to slowly walk towards Van.
"Just three," Van replied. "Go to hell."
Leon charged him with a yell and began to attack. Van parried away a good portion of his brother's strikes with his enormous blade, and he nimbly dodged the rest. "That the best you got?" he said with a smile. "Because if it is, you don't stand a chance against me, much less against the wolf."
"Oh, don't worry. That was just a little warm-up to see if you've gotten any better since I last saw you," Leon said. "I for one certainly wouldn't expect it to be that easy."
"Isaac, do you really think that Van can win?" Jenna asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Isaac said, not taking his eyes off the battle in front of him. "I haven't witnessed either of their true powers yet, so I can't tell which of them is stronger."
"True power?" Jenna wondered, a bit confused. "Is that what you were talking about earlier, Saffron?"
Saffron nodded. "The form of magic that we use can be hidden until the time it is needed. Right now, those two are just fighting as regular warriors, but things will get much more intense once either of them starts using magic. But tell me, how do you know about our hidden power?" she asked Isaac.
Isaac smiled knowingly. "To be honest, I didn't until now. He's not really making an effort to hide it now," he said.
"Yeah, I feel it too," Jenna said as she closed her eyes and concentrated on finding a Psynergy signal. "It feels like Psynergy… but a bit different. If only Kraden was here right now… he would have a field day."
That's when Isaac suddenly remembered about the others. "Kraden! What happened to him?" he exclaimed, turning to Jenna.
"Saffron, did you find an old man inside the house when you took the tablet?" Jenna asked.
Saffron shook her head. "I'm afraid I didn't. Why?"
"Because, uh… that house kind of belongs to him," Jenna replied uneasily.
"Oh!" Saffron said with a hint of insecurity. "You must give him my apologies then, we tried to leave everything as it was, only taking the tablet."
"As long as he's all right, then it's okay," Isaac said as he breathed a sigh of relief. "That old geezer gets on my nerves sometime, but I don't know what we'd do without him."
"Yeah…" Jenna agreed. "He must have gone to eat dinner at Piers and Ivan's place or something, since he never did like cooking for himself."
In front of the trio, the tension was beginning to reach a boiling point again. Van was again ready for battle, and Leon appeared to be sizing him up like a shark stalking its prey. "Well, are you going to attack or what? I don't have all night," Van said, with a hint of cockiness in his voice.
"Patience, dear brother," Leon replied tersely. "The hunter always waits for the perfect opportunity before he strikes."
"Keep searching all you want, you're never going to get a clean shot at me," Van said.
"You really think so?" Leon said with a smile as he stood up straight again. "And what if I do… this!" Right as he uttered that last word, he pointed his right index finger straight at Isaac's group, aiming over his shoulder, around Jenna and pointing straight at Saffron.
"Saffron!" Van cried as he spun around, realizing who Leon was targeting.
Jenna's reflexes kicked in the fastest, as she flung herself to her right, bringing Saffron down with her in a heap of arms and legs. The black beam that had been fired out of Leon's finger zoomed harmlessly over their heads, leaving a smoking trail in its wake.
"You okay?" Jenna asked as she dislodged her tangled limbs. "That was too close."
Saffron nodded shakily. "Thank you. You saved me," she said gratefully.
Isaac kneeled down next to Jenna. "Hey, you all right?" he asked. "That was some quick thinking there, Jenna."
"I'm fine," Jenna said as she dusted herself off a bit. Behind Isaac, however, she saw Leon charging towards Van, who was still looking over in their direction. "Van, look out! Behind you!" she cried.
Van spun around at the moment Leon arrived in front of him. "Done in by your own compassion, how sad," Leon said as he swung one of his swords at Van, aiming directly for his neck.
Van turned back around and dove to the ground in a single motion as soon as he saw the attack. His brother's blade missed his neck as he turned, but it cut into his back and drew blood. Van cried out in pain and fell face-first to the ground awkwardly.
"Van!" Saffron cried as she got up and started running towards him. She was held back by Jenna, though.
"Don't go! We can't help him now," Jenna said. "We can't lose you too!"
"Hmm, nice move," Leon said as he retracted his weapon and examined the damage. "Too bad you're only delaying the inevitable." With that, he readied his sword and swung it downwards again.
"Quake Sphere!" Isaac called out as he quickly created a ball of earthen energy in his palm. "Go!" he shouted as he threw the ball as hard as he could towards Leon's moving sword.
The sphere connected with its target, stopping Leon's attack and sending the sword flying out of its owner's hand. "What in the…?" Leon said as he turned around. "You!"
"Let's see if you can take me on!" Isaac said as he drew the Gaia Blade from its sheath and charged towards Leon.
"Foolish boy, you're going to regret that little show of interference!" Leon yelled as he waved his hands through the air. "Chains of Restraint!"
As Isaac was charging his enemy, he failed to notice several magical ropes emerging from the ground beneath him, or at least until it was too late. The chains wrapped around his legs first, then the rest of his body, completely immobilizing him. "What the… I can't move!" he exclaimed as he struggled in his mighty bonds.
"Isaac!" Jenna cried. "Get out of there!"
"This will teach you to mind your own business!" Leon shouted as he charged Isaac and delivered a hard punch to the stomach while running full-speed. Isaac doubled over instantly, as he felt his innards being crushed by the harsh blow. Then everything went black, and he passed out and fell to the ground.
"Humph, that was quick," Leon mused as he stood up and dusted himself off. "These two are out of commission, and those two won't pose a problem," he thought to himself as he glanced over at Jenna and Saffron. "I guess I'll be going then," he said as he walked over to Van's wagon.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Saffron called out as she and Jenna headed back towards the wagon as well.
Leon turned around. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he said. "This tablet belongs to me now."
"It's not yours! We found it!" Jenna said.
"And they fought for it too," Leon replied, motioning over to the two unconscious bodies of Isaac and Van. "Since I'm the only one still standing, I guess I'll be leaving with my battle spoils."
"Oh no you don't!" Jenna exclaimed as she reached into her pocket, grabbing the Smoke Bomb that Felix had given to her earlier. "Take this!" she cried as she threw the Bomb at him as hard as she could.
"What the…?" Leon began. He was cut off as the bomb detonated right in his face. Smoke spilled out of the exploded sphere and blanketed the whole area like a thick cloud.
Jenna was already on the move, however. "Take this!" she cried as she moved right in front of Leon and swung her right fist directly at him.
Leon was blinded by the smoke around him, but he could still see the arm that was being thrown at him. He nimbly dodged to the left and grabbed Jenna's arm, yanking it roughly and dragging her to the ground. "Tornado!" he called as he raised his free arm into the air, conjuring a miniature cyclone that dissipated the smoke around him.
"Did you really think you would be able to fool me that easily, little girl?" he said as he pulled Jenna's right arm around her back, pulling it until the strain on her muscle began to hurt.
"Let me go!" Jenna cried out as she thrashed her left arm wildly, trying to hit him in whatever way she could. "I swear, when I get my hands on you…"
"Leon, stop this madness right now!" Saffron cried as she came up behind them. "Let her go, then we can talk this out like reasonable people," she pleaded.
Leon released Jenna's arm and pulled her back to her feet. "There's no need to talk," he said as he pushed her back over to Saffron. "Because I'll be leaving now. Attempt to follow me, and you'll suffer the consequences," he warned. With that, Leon hopped onto the horse that the wagon had been tied to and rode off, taking the mysterious tablet with him.
"Hey, come back here!" Jenna yelled after him as she watched him go.
"Jenna, just let it go," Saffron said as she helped her to her feet. "There's nothing we can do now," she added sadly.
Jenna realized that she was right, though she didn't want to believe it. Then she remembered that Isaac and Van were still there as well. "Isaac! We have to go see if he's all right, and Van too!"
Saffron turned pale almost immediately. "Oh my goodness, Van… I completely forgot about him!" she said as she ran over to where he lay. Jenna headed towards Isaac, just as he was beginning to stir.
"Oh man, what a shot," Isaac groaned as he sat up shakily. "I'm going to be feeling that one for awhile."
"Isaac!" Jenna said as she arrived where he was and kneeled down beside him. "Are you all right?"
Isaac nodded. "Got a bit careless, that's all," he said. "What about him?" he asked, motioning towards Van. "He got hit pretty hard back there."
"Van! Van, wake up," Saffron whispered as she held Van's bleeding body in her arms. "You can't die… you can't. I won't let you…" she said as she broke down into tears.
Suddenly, Isaac felt a sharp jolt through his body, almost as if an enormous surge of Psynergy had just gone through somewhere. "What the… where is all that energy coming from?" he thought to himself as he looked around. "It's all going… towards him," he thought as he turned his attention back to Van.
"Isaac, hurry up!" Jenna said as she stopped and turned around. "We have to go and help Van!"
"Something's happening to him," Isaac replied as he stopped. "I don't know why, but I feel a massive energy surge coming from his body."
Just then, Van began to stir. "Van, you're all right!" Saffron said with a sigh of relief. "I thought I was going to lose you for a moment there."
Van sat up wordlessly, as if he didn't feel any pain from his still-bleeding back. "Uh, Van? Are you feeling all right?" Saffron said cautiously, as a faint guess of what was happening began to form in her mind.
Van turned his head to face her, and as she looked into his eyes, she saw not the peaceful boy that was her friend, but instead something much different…
"Oh no," Saffron gasped as she backed away from him a bit. "Van, please tell me you didn't…"
Van's had now stood back up again, and he was hunched over slightly almost like an animal. His teeth were now gritted together, and faint snarls could be heard coming from his insides.
"Saffron! Is he all right?" Jenna asked as she and Isaac arrived where she was.
Saffron didn't reply, instead she just stood transfixed, with her eyes never leaving Van for a second. "Um, hello? Saffron, are you feeling okay?" Jenna said with a hint of worry.
"We're all in great danger," Saffron said. "Van's soul is integrating with the wolf as we speak, and when he's finished… we won't be able to stop him."
"What do you mean, he's integrating?" Isaac asked. "Is this why his energy level is rising so much?"
Saffron nodded. "There's no time to explain it all. We have to knock him out again before the integration is complete, but without damaging his body any further."
"Leave it to me," Isaac said as he approached Van's standing figure. But right when he got within striking distance of his neck, Van turned around, with a look of pure rage in his eyes.
"Get out of there! You can't do anything now!" Saffron cried from behind him. "Move, before he attacks you!"
Too little, too late. Van leaped forward and tackled Isaac to the ground with inhuman strength. "What the… what's he doing?" Isaac said as his hands held Van's head away from his neck, which appeared to be the target of Van's ferocity.
"Isaac! Hold on, I'm coming!" Jenna cried as she ran forward and rammed Van with her shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern.
"It… it's like he's not even human anymore," Isaac said, clearly shaken up by the whole ordeal. "What's happened to him?"
Van crashed to the ground hard, but he stood right back up and began pacing towards Isaac and Jenna, leaving a trail of dripping blood in his path. If he was still feeling pain from his back, he was certainly not affected by it in any way.
"Van, stop!" Saffron cried as she moved in front of Isaac and Jenna. "Van, don't you recognize who I am? It's me, Saffron!"
Van snarled viciously in response. It was clear that he wasn't listening.
"Van, look at this," Saffron said as she reached into her shirt and pulled out her necklace. "Remember this? You gave it to me, Van. It was your gift to me on my birthday five years ago."
Van's attention turned the necklace. It sparkled brightly with a golden aura, since Saffron had been keeping it clean since the day that she had received it from him. It was then that the real Van began to stir within the depths of his mind.
Suddenly, Van grabbed his own head and feel to his knees, as if something was erupting inside his mind. He roared loudly like a real wolf as he tried desperately to purge whatever was causing the pain inside.
"Do it!" he shouted as he clutched his heart with his right hand. "Do it, before it's too late!" he shouted again.
Isaac realized what he meant. He rushed forward with his fist clenched and delivered his hardest punch right to Van's gut as he passed by, just as Leon had done to him earlier. "I'm sorry," he said as he withdrew his hand and caught Van's body as it fell to the ground, unconscious once again.
"Is he all right?" Jenna asked worriedly as she and Saffron came up to him.
"Yeah, I don't think I got him too hard," Isaac said as he laid Van on the ground stomach-down. "We should get him back into town, but first we need to get this cut closed," he said, examining Van's battle wound. "He's already lost a lot of blood."
"Wait, I've got it," Jenna said, reaching into her robe and pulling out the flask that Van had given her earlier. "He said this heals battle wounds, right? We can use it to fix him up before the situation gets any worse."
"But… your friend," Saffron began.
"He'll be fine," Jenna assured as she pulled the cork off the top of the flask. "Besides, we've got a healer in our village that can fix him up just fine."
"You're talking about Garet, right?" Isaac said. "I saw him on my way here, Mia's already working on him. He should be a lot better now."
"Besides, this is more urgent," Jenna said. "Now… how does this treatment work? It looks a bit dangerous to drink," she said a bit sheepishly.
"Just pour it on a wound and it will heal instantly," Saffron said. "It's quite handy, especially in the middle of a battle."
Jenna carefully poured the flask's contents onto the large cut on Van's back. As she and Isaac watched, the cut began healing before their very eyes, and moments later, it was gone. "Whoa… that was amazing," Isaac said.
"Our town apothecaries originally developed it to be a quick method of healing during a war, but ever since the power of the four elements was sealed away, we haven't had any more wars. That's why we have so much of it in our village," Saffron explained.
"It's a lot better than drinking a disgusting Potion, that's for sure," Jenna mused.
"His wound has been healed, but it will still take some time for him to regain consciousness," Saffron said. "For now, it's best to let him rest."
Isaac picked up Van's body and put it onto his back. "Follow us, you can stay with us for the time being," he said.
Saffron was very surprised by the offer. "Oh! I… we really couldn't," she said.
"Don't be ridiculous, it's the middle of the night right now, and your wagon just got stolen," Jenna said. "You can stay the night with us, and then we can all decide what to do in the morning."
"But, we really couldn't impede on such short notice," Saffron protested.
"We insist," Jenna said as she went around behind her and began pushing her along the path. "Don't we, Isaac?"
Isaac smiled. "You might as well come with us. Once she sets her mind on something there's no changing it," he said.
"…well, okay then," Saffron said as she smiled back. "Thank you for your generosity."
"Don't mention it. That's what friends are for, right?" Jenna said with a bright smile. And with that, the three of them headed back into town, armed with new knowledge and a plan, at least for the time being.
These people of Vale are a mysterious folk indeed. The strangest thing is, they're not anything like what the Elder described to us. In fact, they're really the complete opposite: gentle, forgiving, and caring, even to complete strangers such as Van and myself.
Maybe the outside world isn't so bad after all, if there are more people like Jenna and her friend inhabiting the villages outside of our own…
"So, we can let Van rest in here for the night, and you can sleep in the other guest room," Jenna said to Saffron as she opened the door to the first guest room.
"Um, I think I'll just stay here," Saffron said, a bit uneasily. "In case he wakes up and he needs something," she added.
"Oh, I get it," Sheba said coyly. "I guess we should just leave the two lovebirds alone then, right?"
Saffron blushed a deep red. "No, you don't understand. It's nothing like that, I assure you," she stammered.
"Sheba, be nice to our guest," Mia said to Sheba. "I'm sorry, she can get a bit… intrusive at times."
"Well, excuse me if I was trying to have a little fun," Sheba said with a pout.
The group was interrupted as Isaac came into the room, still carrying Van's unconscious body on his back. "Geez, it wouldn't have killed one of you to give me a hand now, would it?" he asked as he laid Van down onto the bed in the room.
"You're the big and strong man around here," Sheba said with her hands on her hips. "Besides, I don't want to get my nails dirty," she added with a hint of sarcasm.
"Would you like some tea, Isaac?" Mia asked as she flashed Sheba a dirty look. "I can have it ready in a couple of minutes."
"Sure, that would be nice," Isaac replied with a yawn. "It's been a long night…"
"That's for sure," Mia said as she left the room with Isaac behind her. "But at least we made some new friends…"
"Hey, I still don't know your name yet," Sheba said after the two of them had left.
"Oh, it's Saffron," Saffron said. "And this is Van."
"I'm Sheba, it's nice to meet you," Sheba said with a smile. "Listen, sorry about those cracks I made at you earlier. I wasn't trying to offend you or anything."
Saffron smiled back. "Don't worry, I know you weren't."
Jenna yawned audibly. "You know, I think a cup of tea would do us all some good," she said. "I don't think any of us are going to be sleeping at this point."
Sheba nodded. "I'll go down and help Mia with it," she said. "You and Saffron can wait with Felix and Garet downstairs. It shouldn't be much longer."
"Are you going to come down with us, or do you want to stay here?" Jenna asked as she headed for the door as well.
"I… I think I'll stay here," Saffron replied.
"Okay, I understand," Jenna said. "Would you like me to bring you a cup of tea?"
"That sounds good, thanks," Saffron said gratefully.
"All right then, be back in a jiffy!" Jenna said as she left the room.
Tonight was supposed to be a simple assignment, something even a C-ranked warrior could accomplish. But not so, this has definitely turned into something much more…
I guess I should cherish these moments while they last. The outside world is certainly much more than I had originally imagined, and there's so much that I still want to see, but after our failure to secure the tablet tonight… I doubt the Elder will ever let Van or myself out of the village ever again.
"Man, I've only noticed it now, but the inside of your house smells really weird," Garet said as he wrinkled his nose.
"Maybe because we actually clean it regularly, unlike some people," Sheba said as she rolled her eyes and coughed out the names Ivan and Piers under her breath.
"Actually, we have a few boxes of perfume that we leave open around the house," Mia said as she came into the room. She was holding a tray containing a large tea kettle and several teacups. "I find its aromatic nature to be quite refreshing."
"It does seem to calm the senses a bit," Felix said from the side. "I kind of like it."
"Real smart, man. Sucking up to the pretty girl, huh?" Garet whispered with a smirk.
"Why Garet, I didn't know you thought of Mia like that!" Felix said loudly, so everybody in the room could hear him.
"Do you have something to share with us, Garet?" Jenna asked with a smirk of her own, having overheard the two's conversation.
Garet shook his head and delivered a quick jab to Felix's ribs.
"Ow! Hey, that still smarts," Felix said as he took a swing of his own as he grabbed his midsection.
"Shut up, both of you, and drink your tea," Isaac said as he took a sip from his teacup.
"I'm sorry, did we offend you by talking about your girl behind your back?" Garet said as he turned to Isaac with a wicked grin.
"Oh, you're asking for it now," Isaac said as he put down his cup and stood up.
"Please, you two. We have guests right now," Mia said as she put her hand on Isaac's shoulder.
"Garet, can't you ever act your age for one moment?" Jenna scolded. "Honestly, you're like an eight-year old trapped in an eighteen-year old's body!"
"Hey, Jenna, didn't you say you were going to bring Saffron a cup of tea?" Sheba asked.
Jenna slapped her forehead as her memory was refreshed. "Damn it, I forgot…" she said as reached for the tea tray that had one coaster and teacup still on it.
"Don't worry about it, I'll get it," Garet said as he picked up the two items and stood up. "No need to trouble yourself."
"Uh, thanks," Jenna said as she stopped in mid-reach. "What's with the sudden surge of helpfulness?" she added.
"Aren't I always?" Garet replied as he headed for the upper floor.
"Actually, you aren't," Sheba said once he was out of hearing range. Everyone else shared a laugh at that.
Van… why won't you wake up? Can't you see that I'm right here, waiting for you to return to me? Maybe you're scared of what else you'll find when you come back to the world of the living.
Tell me, Van, what are you afraid of?
"Um, hey there," Garet said as he knocked on the door of the guest bedroom. "I brought you your cup of tea."
Saffron turned around and saw the boy that she had encountered earlier that night. "Oh, I… thank you," she said as she took the coaster and teacup from his hands and placed it on the bedside table. Then she sat back down beside the bed, watching the body of her unconscious friend.
"It was you… wasn't it?" Garet said as he remained in the doorway.
Saffron nodded, not saying anything.
Garet sighed as he entered the room and sat down beside her. "You're good. A lot better than me, really," he said as he looked down at the body of the boy who had almost killed him a few hours ago.
Saffron shook her head. "I sensed your power, you're a lot stronger than you looked tonight. You just let your guard down."
"Maybe…" Garet trailed off. "But tell me, what exactly happened to him when we were fighting? It's like something possessed him all of a sudden…"
"It's a long story…" Saffron said. "A really long story."
"I'm all ears," Garet said. "After all, you look like you could use a little something to pass the time while you're waiting for your boyfriend to wake up."
"He's not my boyfriend," Saffron replied as she flushed slightly. "We're just childhood friends, like you and Jenna."
Garet scoffed. "Except for the fact that she hates me," he said.
"Really?" Saffron asked, surprised. "You never would have known the way she was worrying about you tonight."
"Huh?" Garet exclaimed as he almost fell off his seat. "You're joking, right? Since when has Jenna ever stopped to worry about me?"
Saffron smiled at him. "The whole time we had her tied up, she kept bickering at us to go back so she could make sure you were all right," she explained.
Garet was a bit taken aback. "Talk about your weird surprises…" he said.
"One more thing, I don't think Van would have beaten you so easily if you didn't block that attack for her," Saffron said. "Are you sure that you don't feel the same way about her that she does about you?"
"Hey, no one's 'feeling' anything right now," Garet retorted. "Anyone would have done the same for an old friend in danger."
Saffron laughed. "You two would make a good couple," she said.
"Most definitely not," Garet replied. "Now then, how about you get around to that story of yours?" he said, quickly changing the subject.
"There's something different about you right now," Saffron said as she looked him over. "But I guess you merit my attention, for the time being."
"I'm honored," Garet said with a smile. "By the way, I still don't know your name."
"Call me Saffron," Saffron said. "And what might your name be?"
"I'm Garet," Garet replied. "Always a pleasure to meet someone with such beauty," he added.
"You flatter me, but your words carry the scent of insincerity," Saffron answered.
"I'm serious, but then again I guess you're not exactly my type," Garet said, backtracking a bit and covering his steps.
Saffron laughed again. "Do you want to hear the story or not?" she asked.
"I'm listening now, honest," Garet said as he sat down in his listening pose..
"I guess I should begin then. The story begins in my hometown, a place called Antiga…" Saffron began.
To Be Continued….
