Author's Note (get used to 'em): Yes, there was a bit of a lag in this
chapter, because I have been dealing with computer troubles, and I also
took a break from this fic to write a Chrono Trigger short story, on the
most intriguing character in said game (IMHO), Frog. It is entitled 'The
Frog Knight' (not incredibly original title, but hey, it serves the purpose
well enough), and it is complete. Read it, I implore you. Please? *hits
himself* See, I'm begging again. Bad me! Moving on...
Chapter 14
"Arriving at Fletz at precisely 12:36 PM."
"That's not funny, Phil."
"I know, I've just always wanted to say it."
"There's a lot of things you've always wanted to say. Like "(edited to preserve rating)".
"Yeah... but that's different."
"How so?"
"I haven't SAID that one yet!"
Rayen sighed. He opened his mouth to say something, but Phil interrupted him.
"Whoa. That's pretty big."
Rayen looked up, then let out a low whistle. Dawn gasped. The famous Twin Castle had just come into view. 'Pretty big' was a bit of an understatement on Phil's part. The castle towered over all the other buildings in the city, even the gigantic skyscrapers. Its two spires dominated the skyline, reaching so high they almost seemed to pierce the clouds. Rayen had seen pictures of it, of course, but it was not like the real thing, which stood in its entire splendor before him.
"Gentlemen, and lady, the Twin Castle of Fletz. Okay, Shade, what do we do now?"
Shade looked uncomfortable, or at least as uncomfortable as a person can look when their entire body, minus their eyes, is wrapped in black clothing.
"Well... I don't really know."
"Then why did you have us drive for four days to get here?"
"I had... a feeling. Besides, I heard Fletz mentioned in many of their conversations. They thought I was as good as dead, so they didn't hesitate when speaking in front of me. They didn't say anything substantial, but Fletz was mentioned several times."
"Alright. Well, since we don't know what we're looking for, why don't we go find this heroic Dragoon everyone's talking about?"
"Seems fair to me."
They didn't have to look very hard. In the city square, a gigantic crowd was growing by the second, surrounding a podium in the center. On the mounted stage stood the Thunder Dragoon, minus his armor, and behind him stood an older man in a fancy suit. He had the look of an executive, and Rayen thought he had seen him before, but he couldn't figure out where. Suddenly, the Dragon Knight Boleras (Rayen hadn't read enough of the Internet article to know his first name) stepped up to the microphone.
"Here we go. Sappy over-rehearsed speech," Rayen muttered.
Phil grinned, but several of the people in the immediate area turned around and scowled. Obviously, the populace had already accepted this man as a hero, and yet he had not even fought any of the monstrosities roaming the area. Rayen put it down to the media, and their portrayal of the man as the savior of the world. Then he started to speak.
"People of Fletz, you no longer need to worry about the abominations that currently run rampant throughout are countryside, destroying and pillaging!"
Of course, this statement was blown far out of proportion. The monsters were hardly running rampant, or pillaging and destroying. Most of them were holed up in caves or trenches, too fearful of the world to cause much trouble. Only the stupid and reckless monsters were the ones that traveled out of their hiding places, and even then they were mostly nocturnal. Rayen didn't believe they were much of a threat now. The real concern was if they were allowed to reproduce, or if whoever was producing the fiends could learn to make more powerful specimens. But the assembled populace didn't know the difference, of course, and the statement was met with a roaring cheer from the crowd.
"I will personally hunt down and exterminate all of these beasts, until they are wiped from the face of the planet!"
Another deafening cheer erupted from the gathered masses. More was said, but Rayen didn't need to hear it. In fact, he wondered why they even bothered to come here at all. This speech wouldn't contain anything of use to their cause. He motioned to the others, and they waded through the sea of bodies to somewhere private.
"Okay, what do we do now?"
"This is what I think. We wait until he's done talking, and follow him. Once he goes off to hunt monsters, the populace will stay behind. He'll take a cameraman with him, of course, to further inflate his reputation, but we can deal with that. We'll have a private conversation with him then."
"Fine, but when?"
"We'll need someone to watch him. No one should pay that much attention to a single person, considering the mob that will surround him at all times. That scout will inform the rest of us when he leaves to do his job, if ever, and then we'll go after him."
"Makes sense to me."
"Dawn, how would you like to watch? Let's face it; Shade would be a little conspicuous, especially alone. Besides, there might be someone looking for him in this city."
"Fine."
"Good. The rest of us will go about preparing for the trip to wherever we find out we should go next. I'm sure that we'll find out eventually. But first, Shade... why don't you change into something a little less... black?"
"Alright..."
Phil, Rayen, and Shade left, back towards the motorhome. Dawn hung around, waiting until the Dragoon stepped down from the podium. Minutes later, Shade stepped out of the motorhome. He had swapped his black ninja outfit for a pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, with a blue scarf wrapped around his face.
"Not bad. It's November, no one will think twice. Just let us do the talking."
Shade nodded. They got in the car, and drove through the city. They bought more food, water for the sinks and bathroom, and filled up the gas tank of the RV. When they pulled out of the gas station, Rayen's cell phone rang.
"Rayen here. Speak now or forever hold your peace."
"Very funny. He's leaving. Get over here and pick me up."
"Right. Where are you?"
"On the east road leading out of the city."
"Okay. Be there in a minute."
He nodded to Phil, who took a right turn, and they sped off out of the city, for a chat with the Violet Dragoon.
Chapter 14
"Arriving at Fletz at precisely 12:36 PM."
"That's not funny, Phil."
"I know, I've just always wanted to say it."
"There's a lot of things you've always wanted to say. Like "(edited to preserve rating)".
"Yeah... but that's different."
"How so?"
"I haven't SAID that one yet!"
Rayen sighed. He opened his mouth to say something, but Phil interrupted him.
"Whoa. That's pretty big."
Rayen looked up, then let out a low whistle. Dawn gasped. The famous Twin Castle had just come into view. 'Pretty big' was a bit of an understatement on Phil's part. The castle towered over all the other buildings in the city, even the gigantic skyscrapers. Its two spires dominated the skyline, reaching so high they almost seemed to pierce the clouds. Rayen had seen pictures of it, of course, but it was not like the real thing, which stood in its entire splendor before him.
"Gentlemen, and lady, the Twin Castle of Fletz. Okay, Shade, what do we do now?"
Shade looked uncomfortable, or at least as uncomfortable as a person can look when their entire body, minus their eyes, is wrapped in black clothing.
"Well... I don't really know."
"Then why did you have us drive for four days to get here?"
"I had... a feeling. Besides, I heard Fletz mentioned in many of their conversations. They thought I was as good as dead, so they didn't hesitate when speaking in front of me. They didn't say anything substantial, but Fletz was mentioned several times."
"Alright. Well, since we don't know what we're looking for, why don't we go find this heroic Dragoon everyone's talking about?"
"Seems fair to me."
They didn't have to look very hard. In the city square, a gigantic crowd was growing by the second, surrounding a podium in the center. On the mounted stage stood the Thunder Dragoon, minus his armor, and behind him stood an older man in a fancy suit. He had the look of an executive, and Rayen thought he had seen him before, but he couldn't figure out where. Suddenly, the Dragon Knight Boleras (Rayen hadn't read enough of the Internet article to know his first name) stepped up to the microphone.
"Here we go. Sappy over-rehearsed speech," Rayen muttered.
Phil grinned, but several of the people in the immediate area turned around and scowled. Obviously, the populace had already accepted this man as a hero, and yet he had not even fought any of the monstrosities roaming the area. Rayen put it down to the media, and their portrayal of the man as the savior of the world. Then he started to speak.
"People of Fletz, you no longer need to worry about the abominations that currently run rampant throughout are countryside, destroying and pillaging!"
Of course, this statement was blown far out of proportion. The monsters were hardly running rampant, or pillaging and destroying. Most of them were holed up in caves or trenches, too fearful of the world to cause much trouble. Only the stupid and reckless monsters were the ones that traveled out of their hiding places, and even then they were mostly nocturnal. Rayen didn't believe they were much of a threat now. The real concern was if they were allowed to reproduce, or if whoever was producing the fiends could learn to make more powerful specimens. But the assembled populace didn't know the difference, of course, and the statement was met with a roaring cheer from the crowd.
"I will personally hunt down and exterminate all of these beasts, until they are wiped from the face of the planet!"
Another deafening cheer erupted from the gathered masses. More was said, but Rayen didn't need to hear it. In fact, he wondered why they even bothered to come here at all. This speech wouldn't contain anything of use to their cause. He motioned to the others, and they waded through the sea of bodies to somewhere private.
"Okay, what do we do now?"
"This is what I think. We wait until he's done talking, and follow him. Once he goes off to hunt monsters, the populace will stay behind. He'll take a cameraman with him, of course, to further inflate his reputation, but we can deal with that. We'll have a private conversation with him then."
"Fine, but when?"
"We'll need someone to watch him. No one should pay that much attention to a single person, considering the mob that will surround him at all times. That scout will inform the rest of us when he leaves to do his job, if ever, and then we'll go after him."
"Makes sense to me."
"Dawn, how would you like to watch? Let's face it; Shade would be a little conspicuous, especially alone. Besides, there might be someone looking for him in this city."
"Fine."
"Good. The rest of us will go about preparing for the trip to wherever we find out we should go next. I'm sure that we'll find out eventually. But first, Shade... why don't you change into something a little less... black?"
"Alright..."
Phil, Rayen, and Shade left, back towards the motorhome. Dawn hung around, waiting until the Dragoon stepped down from the podium. Minutes later, Shade stepped out of the motorhome. He had swapped his black ninja outfit for a pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, with a blue scarf wrapped around his face.
"Not bad. It's November, no one will think twice. Just let us do the talking."
Shade nodded. They got in the car, and drove through the city. They bought more food, water for the sinks and bathroom, and filled up the gas tank of the RV. When they pulled out of the gas station, Rayen's cell phone rang.
"Rayen here. Speak now or forever hold your peace."
"Very funny. He's leaving. Get over here and pick me up."
"Right. Where are you?"
"On the east road leading out of the city."
"Okay. Be there in a minute."
He nodded to Phil, who took a right turn, and they sped off out of the city, for a chat with the Violet Dragoon.