Chapter 7: Different Roads
Patricia slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a soft bed, and she began wondering where she was. She looked to the right, and there were two beds, where Lucia and Celes were laying asleep. She looked across from her and noticed 3 beds opposite them, where Frog, Cyrus, and Locke were resting.
"Could it have been… a dream?" she asked herself.
She stood up and walked outside, walking through the long hallway. As she passed two doors, she noticed a woman behind a desk.
"Ah… finally… one of you has gotten up." Said the woman.
"Where…where am I?" she asked.
"You are in Albrook Inn." The woman responded.
"How did I get here?"
"Wow, you must have been out pretty bad. A lightning bolt hit around the area where you and your friends where at."
"Lightning?"
"Yes…people reported hearing loud crashes and flashes in the fields, right when it started raining. It's a miracle your hero wasn't hurt! Otherwise, you may not have survived."
"H…Hero?"
"That man sitting outside on the rock… with his dog."
Patricia walked over to the window and looked outside, seeing Shadow sitting there, Interceptor sitting at his side.
"Shadow…"
"Shadow? Is that his name?"
"Yes…"
"Well, when he got here, he was holding only you in his arms. I wondered what had happened, and he came here and ordered the largest room in here. He went in there and put you into a bed. Since there were only two beds in the room, he put the other four beds in there from the other rooms. She rushed outside and brought two more women, and set them on the beds. Then he rushed out again, and brought back two men, and an over grown frog, and put them into bed. He came to me, paid for everything, and walked outside, and sat down on that rock... and as you saw, he hasn't moved since. He has been still for near ten hours!"
Patricia stepped outside, barefooted, and walked on the wet paved walkway, in her clothes that were under her armor. She walked towards him, and sat besides him.
"Thanks."
"Couldn't let you die there..."
"Me or all of us?"
"All of you."
She smiled as she rested her head on his arm.
"…"
"So… you can use magic too or was I just dreaming that?"
"No…I have been able to. I have been since I was young…for as long as I can remember."
"But... I thought you said you couldn't use magic."
"I never said that. All I said was that the Prophet was a fool, and that I didn't understand what he said... I never said I couldn't use it."
"Oh…"
"It isn't something to be proud of..."
"Well…thank you for saving me, Shadow…"
She lifted her head from his shoulder, and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, one of the only parts that showed on account of the mask he wore. He pulled away and stood up.
"Wake the others and go to the eating house over there. We will discuss future battle plans. Interceptor, come."
Shadow walked off, as Interceptor followed. Patricia looked at him walking off, and momentarily closed her eyes. She went back into the Inn to check on the warriors. As she entered the room, she saw the warriors waking up.
"Ooohhh god, I feel like crap." Muttered Locke.
"I feel like I've been kicked around like a rock…" said Lucia.
"Ow… me too." Said Frog.
"Every bone… in my body aches…" said Celes.
"Agh... I had a nightmare. I dreamt that the queen attacked us, and she pounded us all to the ground, then Shadow turned into super guy or something and saved us." Said Cyrus.
"It wasn't a dream guys…look around you. We're in Albrook Inn…"
The tired warriors looked around.
"She's right…" said Lucia.
"How'd we get here?!" they asked.
"Shadow carried us here…"
"SHADOW!?!" exclaimed Cyrus. "You've got to be joking…"
"He saved my life… you all saw… he used magic… and he pounded Agon too…"
"I guess… your right…" said Celes.
"It's still too hard to believe... I mean... why...?" Said Locke.
"Hey…maybe Shadow turned into the White Knight!"
Everyone laughed except Patricia, as she had a puzzling look on her face.
"White Knight?" she asked.
"Oh it's a stupid legend around here. Supposedly, a knight becomes one with the earth, and saves the world from evil." Said Celes.
"Yeah… it's kinda weird." Said Lucia.
"Oh…well… anyways… Shadow told us to get our things ready, and to meet him at the eating house."
"Alright then. Let's go." said Cyrus, in a reluctant tone.
The warriors cleaned up, put on their armor, attached their weapons and stood outside the Inn. They saw Interceptor walk up to them, woof, and walked off.
"Guess we should follow him…" said Frog.
They followed Interceptor to their destination, where Shadow had told them to meet, as they all were wondering about him.
"Why do you think he wants to meet up with us?" asked Lucia.
"I don't know. He DID save our lives…" responded Patricia.
"Maybe he is going to take off his mask!" joked Frog.
"Yeah, and reveal that HE is actually the Queen!" Cyrus finished.
Cyrus and Frog laughed out, as the other warriors looked at them strangely.
"You guys are just angry that single handedly, he took care of Agon." Said Locke.
"Yeah…" said Patricia.
"I think there might be more to Shadow then we see." said Celes.
"I think so too…" said Lucia.
"Maybe… When Shadow saved me…before I went unconscious… I looked into his eyes…that cold stare he had… it wasn't there anymore. But...He seemed so…alone."
"Sounds like you have a thing for him…" said Lucia jokingly.
"Nah…" Patricia responded, as she blushed a bit. "It's just that… Im curious as to… why would he save us…"
"If he didn't care…" said Frog.
"Yeah…"
As they approached the large out of place house, a rather tall blue haired woman stepped up in front of Lucia.
"Hello!" she said in a rather high-pitched voice. "Which one of you is Cyrus?"
Cyrus stepped up from behind Lucia, and stood in front of her.
"That's me."
"We have your reservation! Follow me please!" she said as she walked to the side of building.
"Reservation?" they asked.
They followed her into a large table on the side of the eating house. It was an outside room that showed the forest. She led them to a table with bread rolls, shrimp, lobster, roasted pig, and many other delicacies that King's only eat once in a while. They sat down and noticed Shadow leaning on a pillar, Interceptor, as always, at his side.
"Whoah! Shadow…is this for us?" asked Locke, practically drooling.
"Yes…" he responded.
The warriors began eating all they could, for their bodies needed energy. They had not eaten since their fight with Agon.
"So…" said Frog with his mouth full. "Why dids't thou want to meet'eth us here."
Shadow stood up and looked at all of them.
"As you know…all of you together could not stop Agon." he said. "I merely scratched her when I attacked her…"
The warriors put their food down and began to listen.
"If all of us attack her now…we will die." He continued. "I suggest all of you leave this town to go and train. If you decide to leave, you must leave individually, your magic will only improve if you do this in a solitary manner. If you decide to leave, be back in one year, that's three hundred and sixty five sunrises and sunsets. When you come back, we will form a plan to attack her. That is… IF you decide to come back. The decision is up to you, but if you want to stay weak and die... then that is your decision to make..."
Shadow turned away and began walking off, away from them to heed his own words, Interceptor walking alongside behind him. The warriors looked at themselves and then continued eating.
"So…do you guys think we should do that…?" asked Cyrus.
"I think we should…he has been right about everything…and he saved us…" said Lucia.
"Me too…" said Patricia. "If we don't…Agon will win… and we can't let her…"
"Yeah…" whispered Celes.
"So finally…after the seven warriors get together…they must separate?" asked Locke.
"I guess so…" said Frog. "For our own good."
"So remember guys… in one year." Said Cyrus.
So the warriors said their goodbyes, for it is time for them to train, so they can reach their full potential, and put an end to the evil that is Agon.
Patricia slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a soft bed, and she began wondering where she was. She looked to the right, and there were two beds, where Lucia and Celes were laying asleep. She looked across from her and noticed 3 beds opposite them, where Frog, Cyrus, and Locke were resting.
"Could it have been… a dream?" she asked herself.
She stood up and walked outside, walking through the long hallway. As she passed two doors, she noticed a woman behind a desk.
"Ah… finally… one of you has gotten up." Said the woman.
"Where…where am I?" she asked.
"You are in Albrook Inn." The woman responded.
"How did I get here?"
"Wow, you must have been out pretty bad. A lightning bolt hit around the area where you and your friends where at."
"Lightning?"
"Yes…people reported hearing loud crashes and flashes in the fields, right when it started raining. It's a miracle your hero wasn't hurt! Otherwise, you may not have survived."
"H…Hero?"
"That man sitting outside on the rock… with his dog."
Patricia walked over to the window and looked outside, seeing Shadow sitting there, Interceptor sitting at his side.
"Shadow…"
"Shadow? Is that his name?"
"Yes…"
"Well, when he got here, he was holding only you in his arms. I wondered what had happened, and he came here and ordered the largest room in here. He went in there and put you into a bed. Since there were only two beds in the room, he put the other four beds in there from the other rooms. She rushed outside and brought two more women, and set them on the beds. Then he rushed out again, and brought back two men, and an over grown frog, and put them into bed. He came to me, paid for everything, and walked outside, and sat down on that rock... and as you saw, he hasn't moved since. He has been still for near ten hours!"
Patricia stepped outside, barefooted, and walked on the wet paved walkway, in her clothes that were under her armor. She walked towards him, and sat besides him.
"Thanks."
"Couldn't let you die there..."
"Me or all of us?"
"All of you."
She smiled as she rested her head on his arm.
"…"
"So… you can use magic too or was I just dreaming that?"
"No…I have been able to. I have been since I was young…for as long as I can remember."
"But... I thought you said you couldn't use magic."
"I never said that. All I said was that the Prophet was a fool, and that I didn't understand what he said... I never said I couldn't use it."
"Oh…"
"It isn't something to be proud of..."
"Well…thank you for saving me, Shadow…"
She lifted her head from his shoulder, and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, one of the only parts that showed on account of the mask he wore. He pulled away and stood up.
"Wake the others and go to the eating house over there. We will discuss future battle plans. Interceptor, come."
Shadow walked off, as Interceptor followed. Patricia looked at him walking off, and momentarily closed her eyes. She went back into the Inn to check on the warriors. As she entered the room, she saw the warriors waking up.
"Ooohhh god, I feel like crap." Muttered Locke.
"I feel like I've been kicked around like a rock…" said Lucia.
"Ow… me too." Said Frog.
"Every bone… in my body aches…" said Celes.
"Agh... I had a nightmare. I dreamt that the queen attacked us, and she pounded us all to the ground, then Shadow turned into super guy or something and saved us." Said Cyrus.
"It wasn't a dream guys…look around you. We're in Albrook Inn…"
The tired warriors looked around.
"She's right…" said Lucia.
"How'd we get here?!" they asked.
"Shadow carried us here…"
"SHADOW!?!" exclaimed Cyrus. "You've got to be joking…"
"He saved my life… you all saw… he used magic… and he pounded Agon too…"
"I guess… your right…" said Celes.
"It's still too hard to believe... I mean... why...?" Said Locke.
"Hey…maybe Shadow turned into the White Knight!"
Everyone laughed except Patricia, as she had a puzzling look on her face.
"White Knight?" she asked.
"Oh it's a stupid legend around here. Supposedly, a knight becomes one with the earth, and saves the world from evil." Said Celes.
"Yeah… it's kinda weird." Said Lucia.
"Oh…well… anyways… Shadow told us to get our things ready, and to meet him at the eating house."
"Alright then. Let's go." said Cyrus, in a reluctant tone.
The warriors cleaned up, put on their armor, attached their weapons and stood outside the Inn. They saw Interceptor walk up to them, woof, and walked off.
"Guess we should follow him…" said Frog.
They followed Interceptor to their destination, where Shadow had told them to meet, as they all were wondering about him.
"Why do you think he wants to meet up with us?" asked Lucia.
"I don't know. He DID save our lives…" responded Patricia.
"Maybe he is going to take off his mask!" joked Frog.
"Yeah, and reveal that HE is actually the Queen!" Cyrus finished.
Cyrus and Frog laughed out, as the other warriors looked at them strangely.
"You guys are just angry that single handedly, he took care of Agon." Said Locke.
"Yeah…" said Patricia.
"I think there might be more to Shadow then we see." said Celes.
"I think so too…" said Lucia.
"Maybe… When Shadow saved me…before I went unconscious… I looked into his eyes…that cold stare he had… it wasn't there anymore. But...He seemed so…alone."
"Sounds like you have a thing for him…" said Lucia jokingly.
"Nah…" Patricia responded, as she blushed a bit. "It's just that… Im curious as to… why would he save us…"
"If he didn't care…" said Frog.
"Yeah…"
As they approached the large out of place house, a rather tall blue haired woman stepped up in front of Lucia.
"Hello!" she said in a rather high-pitched voice. "Which one of you is Cyrus?"
Cyrus stepped up from behind Lucia, and stood in front of her.
"That's me."
"We have your reservation! Follow me please!" she said as she walked to the side of building.
"Reservation?" they asked.
They followed her into a large table on the side of the eating house. It was an outside room that showed the forest. She led them to a table with bread rolls, shrimp, lobster, roasted pig, and many other delicacies that King's only eat once in a while. They sat down and noticed Shadow leaning on a pillar, Interceptor, as always, at his side.
"Whoah! Shadow…is this for us?" asked Locke, practically drooling.
"Yes…" he responded.
The warriors began eating all they could, for their bodies needed energy. They had not eaten since their fight with Agon.
"So…" said Frog with his mouth full. "Why dids't thou want to meet'eth us here."
Shadow stood up and looked at all of them.
"As you know…all of you together could not stop Agon." he said. "I merely scratched her when I attacked her…"
The warriors put their food down and began to listen.
"If all of us attack her now…we will die." He continued. "I suggest all of you leave this town to go and train. If you decide to leave, you must leave individually, your magic will only improve if you do this in a solitary manner. If you decide to leave, be back in one year, that's three hundred and sixty five sunrises and sunsets. When you come back, we will form a plan to attack her. That is… IF you decide to come back. The decision is up to you, but if you want to stay weak and die... then that is your decision to make..."
Shadow turned away and began walking off, away from them to heed his own words, Interceptor walking alongside behind him. The warriors looked at themselves and then continued eating.
"So…do you guys think we should do that…?" asked Cyrus.
"I think we should…he has been right about everything…and he saved us…" said Lucia.
"Me too…" said Patricia. "If we don't…Agon will win… and we can't let her…"
"Yeah…" whispered Celes.
"So finally…after the seven warriors get together…they must separate?" asked Locke.
"I guess so…" said Frog. "For our own good."
"So remember guys… in one year." Said Cyrus.
So the warriors said their goodbyes, for it is time for them to train, so they can reach their full potential, and put an end to the evil that is Agon.
