Chapter 2: Of All the Places to End Up
All around the world, a sudden storm sparked. In Tzen, an old barkeep looked outside and sighed, knowing it would be "another one of those nights" yet glad a certain stranger had left the bar with another wanderer. In Kohlingen, a former treasure hunter and his wife looked outside and smiled, holding each other. A gambler dealt cards to a king, his brother, and a young woman under the ground in Figaro Castle, while a young girl drew the picture in stunning accuracy. But elsewhere, two people unknown by the world weren't as safe.
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"What the hell?!" Clyde yelled out, holding onto his bed inside the ship. "This ship is the most modern thing to come out of Figaro, why's this storm giving it so much trouble?"
Sitting across from him and acting quiet and calm, Dave only sighed. "A ship is a ship, regardless of what technology may tell you, and when those dratted gods decide to slap around the water, you're at it's mercy."
Clyde only stared at Dave for a little bit. "You're insane, you know."
Dave laughed. "Of course I'm not! Besides, wherever we're going, I'm sure fate has a reason for taking us there.
"Oh, not THIS conversation again." Clyde said, moaning. "Fate this, fate that, you blame and give credit to fate for everything! Gods, why did I ever take your offer."
"Because you needed the money, you were getting bored of moping around, and fate needs you!" Dave shouted over the sudden sound of creaking timber.
Clyde would've responded to the mention of fate, but the sound of creaking timber turned into the sound of breaking timber. "Where's your fate now?!" He yelled as the door burst open and water flooded into the room. Looks like he was about to die anyways, despite what he may have thought a bit ago.
Dave laughed again. "We're about to find out!"
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Clyde woke up to the feeling of someone poking him with a stick. His eyes opened to see Dave, still smiling, actually poking him with a stick. Spitting out some water, he slowly got up and glared at Dave. "Are you quiet done yet?" he asked harshly. "I think I understand what you fate is now; a cruel joke aimed at me."
Dave's smile faded immediatly. "You understand so little, Clyde. Well, get up. There's a town off in the distance and we should be able to make it by nightfall."
Clyde sputtered momentarily. "Nightfall? Gods damn, that storm was large...it felt and looked like night just a few minutes ago." Clyde looked up to the sky to find out how long ago exactly, and gasped. "Why, it's past noon! Where are we, how did we drift here, and why did it take an hour."
Dave sighed. "Calm down, friend. Let's just reach the town." He quickly looked around. "Seems like the only thing on this island, aside from that mountain range over there and that large forest."
Clyde's eyes grew wide. That forest, and that mountain range...oh, please, whatever deities would listen to him, PLEASE let it not be that island and that town! His hopes were immediately smashed as Dave cheerfully said "Ah, a sign! Seems the town's named.Thamasa!" Clyde's heart sunk. Fate was indeed a big joke, and there was no denying who was the butt. As the two walked towards the town, Clyde's curiosity finally got the better of him.
"Say, Dave. Why do you need to get to Figaro so much? You act like the world's about to end, or something."
Dave stopped walking and stared at Clyde for a moment. "And what if the world IS about to end? What if I've found something so amazing and revolutionary, that it's existence could cause the heart of the world to skip a beat?"
Clyde looked unimpressed. "Then I'd have to say you're just like all the other loonies in the world who think the end of times is near. In case you've forgotten, the world already ended-and we survived."
Dave only sighed and shook his head. "Clyde, Clyde, Clyde.what will I do with you? You need to have more faith. Look, if I showed you this revolutionary thing, would you start believing that it's important enough for us to get to Figaro as soon as human-or inhumanly-possible?
Clyde snorted. "It better be pretty damn impressive." He said uncaringly. "Pretty damn impressive indeed. I'm starting to wonder when I get my pay. Gods know I deserve much more then you offered."
David grinned. "Well then, feast your eyes-" a loud roar suddenly interrupted him. "Ah, an even greater chance to show it!" he said cheerfully.
Clyde stared at Dave. "You ARE insane. I don't even know what monster makes that roar-but it's big, whatever it is!
Dave only grinned wider. "Good! Bigger target then!" Clyde only pinched the bridge of his nose and asked whatever gods might be listening why this was happening to him.
The beast finally came into view. Its scale-armored skin glinted black in the sunlight, and it roared a second time, showing yellow and crimson stained teeth. As it raised its head and began clawing at the ground with all four limbs, Clyde did a quick calculation to measure its height at 7 feet.
"Well, have fun." Clyde said, waving. "Maybe I'll see you in the afterlife."
Dave only grinned more fiercely. "Let it come. I'm ready." The creature apparently understood Dave, because it roared one last time and charged. Dave only watched it come, then made a motion like he was pushing it away with one of his hands. A sudden jolt of electricity came from his hand and struck the monster on the forehead. Clyde's jaw dropped.
"T-t-that was...was...m-m-magic?!" Clyde said, his eye's wide.
The creature roared in pain and confusion, then charged again. This time, Dave held his hand next to him and it was suddenly engulfed in fire. He made a throwing motion, and the flame left his hand and connected with the monster. The creature fell to the grass screaming, dying quickly as the flames crowned its head. Clyde only starred as Dave smirked.
"Might you believe that's a good enough reason?" Dave said, arching an eyebrow
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Strago stretched and yawned, letting the afternoon sun warm him as he sat in his rocking chair. Child at heart or not, he enjoyed his rocking chair fiercely. He scratched his balding head and sighed, then started to mumble to himself. "Bah, Setzer should be coming soon 'n picking me up fer the castle...blasted castle in the blasted desert and underground..."
"Mister, mister!" a young boy's voice cried out next to him. Strago's eyes opened suddenly in surprise. "Ghah!" Strago cried, "What is it boy? What's going on?"
"Dah airship's here!" the child said, bouncing up and down. Strago groaned. Blasted Setzer and his blasted timing. He slowly stood up, slapping away the child's hands as the kid tried to help him. "Don't bother, young'in. I'm not that old. Yet, at least."
He looked around, until he spotted the silver hair that was almost totally unique to Setzer. "Blast you, I had just settled in, too. There's too much heat in that stupid castle, I'll never get my sun nap." Setzer only laughed and led Strago over to the airship, where the two went inside.
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"Now!" Clyde whispered, leaping onto a hook that lead into the airship. Dave jumped on board right after him, and the two climbed up. "This hook's secure. Hang on for gods' sake and we'll reach the castle no problem." Dave only nodded and kept at the bottom of the hook so he could stand. Clyde seemed to naturally cling to the chain itself and still appear at ease.
Clyde sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't at ease, though. Magic still existed, and if what Dave told him was true-not that he now had any reason to doubt it-then they would need to talk to all the heroes. And that meant facing both of them...he was just thankful they spent almost no time in the town, and that practically nobody had seen him.
"You alright Clyde?" Dave yelled from below. Clyde winced. "Not so loud," he said softly, letting the wind carry the words to Dave. Dave nodded and didn't ask again."
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Setzer frowned. He would've sworn he just heard something, but that was impossible; he was very high above the ground. He shrugged to himself. "Must've been just a bird..."
All around the world, a sudden storm sparked. In Tzen, an old barkeep looked outside and sighed, knowing it would be "another one of those nights" yet glad a certain stranger had left the bar with another wanderer. In Kohlingen, a former treasure hunter and his wife looked outside and smiled, holding each other. A gambler dealt cards to a king, his brother, and a young woman under the ground in Figaro Castle, while a young girl drew the picture in stunning accuracy. But elsewhere, two people unknown by the world weren't as safe.
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"What the hell?!" Clyde yelled out, holding onto his bed inside the ship. "This ship is the most modern thing to come out of Figaro, why's this storm giving it so much trouble?"
Sitting across from him and acting quiet and calm, Dave only sighed. "A ship is a ship, regardless of what technology may tell you, and when those dratted gods decide to slap around the water, you're at it's mercy."
Clyde only stared at Dave for a little bit. "You're insane, you know."
Dave laughed. "Of course I'm not! Besides, wherever we're going, I'm sure fate has a reason for taking us there.
"Oh, not THIS conversation again." Clyde said, moaning. "Fate this, fate that, you blame and give credit to fate for everything! Gods, why did I ever take your offer."
"Because you needed the money, you were getting bored of moping around, and fate needs you!" Dave shouted over the sudden sound of creaking timber.
Clyde would've responded to the mention of fate, but the sound of creaking timber turned into the sound of breaking timber. "Where's your fate now?!" He yelled as the door burst open and water flooded into the room. Looks like he was about to die anyways, despite what he may have thought a bit ago.
Dave laughed again. "We're about to find out!"
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Clyde woke up to the feeling of someone poking him with a stick. His eyes opened to see Dave, still smiling, actually poking him with a stick. Spitting out some water, he slowly got up and glared at Dave. "Are you quiet done yet?" he asked harshly. "I think I understand what you fate is now; a cruel joke aimed at me."
Dave's smile faded immediatly. "You understand so little, Clyde. Well, get up. There's a town off in the distance and we should be able to make it by nightfall."
Clyde sputtered momentarily. "Nightfall? Gods damn, that storm was large...it felt and looked like night just a few minutes ago." Clyde looked up to the sky to find out how long ago exactly, and gasped. "Why, it's past noon! Where are we, how did we drift here, and why did it take an hour."
Dave sighed. "Calm down, friend. Let's just reach the town." He quickly looked around. "Seems like the only thing on this island, aside from that mountain range over there and that large forest."
Clyde's eyes grew wide. That forest, and that mountain range...oh, please, whatever deities would listen to him, PLEASE let it not be that island and that town! His hopes were immediately smashed as Dave cheerfully said "Ah, a sign! Seems the town's named.Thamasa!" Clyde's heart sunk. Fate was indeed a big joke, and there was no denying who was the butt. As the two walked towards the town, Clyde's curiosity finally got the better of him.
"Say, Dave. Why do you need to get to Figaro so much? You act like the world's about to end, or something."
Dave stopped walking and stared at Clyde for a moment. "And what if the world IS about to end? What if I've found something so amazing and revolutionary, that it's existence could cause the heart of the world to skip a beat?"
Clyde looked unimpressed. "Then I'd have to say you're just like all the other loonies in the world who think the end of times is near. In case you've forgotten, the world already ended-and we survived."
Dave only sighed and shook his head. "Clyde, Clyde, Clyde.what will I do with you? You need to have more faith. Look, if I showed you this revolutionary thing, would you start believing that it's important enough for us to get to Figaro as soon as human-or inhumanly-possible?
Clyde snorted. "It better be pretty damn impressive." He said uncaringly. "Pretty damn impressive indeed. I'm starting to wonder when I get my pay. Gods know I deserve much more then you offered."
David grinned. "Well then, feast your eyes-" a loud roar suddenly interrupted him. "Ah, an even greater chance to show it!" he said cheerfully.
Clyde stared at Dave. "You ARE insane. I don't even know what monster makes that roar-but it's big, whatever it is!
Dave only grinned wider. "Good! Bigger target then!" Clyde only pinched the bridge of his nose and asked whatever gods might be listening why this was happening to him.
The beast finally came into view. Its scale-armored skin glinted black in the sunlight, and it roared a second time, showing yellow and crimson stained teeth. As it raised its head and began clawing at the ground with all four limbs, Clyde did a quick calculation to measure its height at 7 feet.
"Well, have fun." Clyde said, waving. "Maybe I'll see you in the afterlife."
Dave only grinned more fiercely. "Let it come. I'm ready." The creature apparently understood Dave, because it roared one last time and charged. Dave only watched it come, then made a motion like he was pushing it away with one of his hands. A sudden jolt of electricity came from his hand and struck the monster on the forehead. Clyde's jaw dropped.
"T-t-that was...was...m-m-magic?!" Clyde said, his eye's wide.
The creature roared in pain and confusion, then charged again. This time, Dave held his hand next to him and it was suddenly engulfed in fire. He made a throwing motion, and the flame left his hand and connected with the monster. The creature fell to the grass screaming, dying quickly as the flames crowned its head. Clyde only starred as Dave smirked.
"Might you believe that's a good enough reason?" Dave said, arching an eyebrow
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Strago stretched and yawned, letting the afternoon sun warm him as he sat in his rocking chair. Child at heart or not, he enjoyed his rocking chair fiercely. He scratched his balding head and sighed, then started to mumble to himself. "Bah, Setzer should be coming soon 'n picking me up fer the castle...blasted castle in the blasted desert and underground..."
"Mister, mister!" a young boy's voice cried out next to him. Strago's eyes opened suddenly in surprise. "Ghah!" Strago cried, "What is it boy? What's going on?"
"Dah airship's here!" the child said, bouncing up and down. Strago groaned. Blasted Setzer and his blasted timing. He slowly stood up, slapping away the child's hands as the kid tried to help him. "Don't bother, young'in. I'm not that old. Yet, at least."
He looked around, until he spotted the silver hair that was almost totally unique to Setzer. "Blast you, I had just settled in, too. There's too much heat in that stupid castle, I'll never get my sun nap." Setzer only laughed and led Strago over to the airship, where the two went inside.
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"Now!" Clyde whispered, leaping onto a hook that lead into the airship. Dave jumped on board right after him, and the two climbed up. "This hook's secure. Hang on for gods' sake and we'll reach the castle no problem." Dave only nodded and kept at the bottom of the hook so he could stand. Clyde seemed to naturally cling to the chain itself and still appear at ease.
Clyde sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't at ease, though. Magic still existed, and if what Dave told him was true-not that he now had any reason to doubt it-then they would need to talk to all the heroes. And that meant facing both of them...he was just thankful they spent almost no time in the town, and that practically nobody had seen him.
"You alright Clyde?" Dave yelled from below. Clyde winced. "Not so loud," he said softly, letting the wind carry the words to Dave. Dave nodded and didn't ask again."
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Setzer frowned. He would've sworn he just heard something, but that was impossible; he was very high above the ground. He shrugged to himself. "Must've been just a bird..."