Disclaimer: I don't. I wish I did. I don't own Final
Fantasy IX! *sniff* Squaresoft does.
*sheepish
grin* Ehehee....yeah, see, allow me to explain why it took me so long to post
this chapter. Er, um....*hacking cough* I'm sick. Yeah, quite sick in fact.
I've been missin' a lot of school. (Can we say, 'three days????') And I
certainly aint been on the computee to y'know, write and stuff. Yeah,
sorrrrrryyyy Lizzie! (so far, you're my most loyal reader to this fic!) And
this fanfic is supposed to be my masterpiece! Grrrrr....Anyway. Let's
just....yeah. Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~{Sergundra}~~
By: Laura M. Ulian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Banished?"
Cora squeaked, leaping form the edge of her bed in a frightened panic.
"Gone? You mean, actaully thrown out of Alexandria? For good?"
"Thrown
out, banished, evicted," said the yawning Amses, flopping himself heavily
into the room's single armchair. "Exiled, deported, ejected,
expelled....Pick one. He's gone, and that's good."
"It
is not!" cried the girl, dropping the pillow she'd been holding.
"Why? Why has he been exiled? What crime did he commit?"
"Murder,"
said the old man, simply. "He denied, it of course. He's a typical
scoundrel, Cora. All Coral's were, and they always will be."
"But
WHERE?" insisted Cora, exasperated. "How can they prove it?"
Amses
gently lifted his hood from his face, revealing his tussled grey hair,
untrimmed mustache, bushy eyebrows and
quite chubby cheeks. He peered at her carefully from underneath his bunched
brow, and slowly a smile seeped onto his face, "Cora, you're very young.
Even if I told you-"
"Tell
me!"
Amses
shook his head, leaning back into his chair again, "An alleyway," he
said softly. "With a dead girl younger than you are, and another man
clutching a dagger. It's a small weapon, Cora, so many believe it was a source
of self-defence -- not assault."
"But-"
said Cora, sitting gently back down on the edge of her bed, turning rather
pale. "How....What if it had been the other man who killed her...? I mean,
the girl, I....mean. Amarant cold have been-"
"The
girl had been murdered by someone whom uses claws as their weapon," said
Amses, shrugging of her words. "Amarant doesn't fight without them,
apparently."
"There's
no evidence supporting that he wasn't the killer, Cora," he continued,
voice almost sympathetic. "He's a lucky rascal to have not faced trial.
The verdict would undoubtedly have been death by hanging, little miss. He's
been banished, on a lighter note. Of course, it hasn't gone over with the city
very well, but...."
"He
could have-" she began.
Amses
held up an exahausted hand to silence her, "And," he went on.
"As far as I could hear, there was also some kind of a witness involved.
He swore on his Alexandrian honour that he saw Amarant kill them both, in cold
blood."
"Hmph,"
Cora folded her arms, her colour slowing returning. "It's very unfair....I
bet you anything that I own or value, that it was the witness. Amarant
doesn't....he wouldn't...."
"Somehow,
little miss," chuckled her guardian. "You're convincing me with your
little attitude. However, even if it wasn't Amarant,
there is nothing we can do about it. I suggest that you turn in, before I have
the mind to mail your mother of your recent behaviour. I hear Mognet's a
healthy source of-"
"You
wouldn't," snapped the girl, and slid off the edge of her bed. She knew
her friend, "You can't trick me, Amses. I know you too well. In
fact....can I ask you one more question?"
"If
it will put you to bed," said Amses, rising out of his chair.
"Not
likely," said Cora, and she went on, anyway. "Where is he now? Did
they take him away already?"
"Of
course not," replied her guardian. "All sentences are carried out at
dawn, subsequently. Including exiles."
"Then....?"
pressed the girl.
Amses
thought for a minute, and then sighed. "They are keeping him, I
believe....unless, I heard incorrectly....in the ninth cell on the right
corridor in the -- Oh, Cora, no.....get back here."
Almost
impulsively, he stepped forward to seize the girl's hood in his left hand,
before she could reach the room's doorway. "This is our vacation. We're
supposed to have fun here -- that means absolutely no running headlong into
trouble. Now, what was it you mother said, hmmm? Oh, right. I remember now. It
was something like.... 'Cora, so help you, if I am forced to bail you out of
one more prison. Just one more time, and I'M FINDING YOU A NEW GUARDIAN!'"
"Amses,"
sighed Cora, and whirled to face him. "It wasn't like that. She said,
'Cora, please stay out of trouble this time. If worse comes to worse, I may
have to substitute Amses for a more stricter tutor'."
"No
matter how it was worded," said Amses, loosening his grip. "It means
the same thing."
"Not
quite," said Cora, backing away a pace or two. "And I won't get into
trouble this time. I promise. After all, visiting hours are over in....say, an
hour or so. What harm could be done in one hour?"
"Plently,
knowing you," growled her dubious guardian.
"Well,
you obviously don't know me that well," retorted the girl, and quickly
made for the door. When Amses didn't follow, she turned around to face him once
more. "Thanks, Amses. Just trust me this time! I won't don anything bad, I
promise promise promise!"
When
she was gone, Amses sat back in his chair. After several minutes, he sighed,
and unpocketed his pipe. As he was lighting it up for the third time that
night, he mumbled through his pursed lips, "A gil for every time I've hear
that, and I'd be a rich man."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He'd
never been inside of the Alexandrian prison before, excluding the times he'd
travelled through Gargant Roo. Amarant disliked new places, when he knew it
meant he'd be treated less than the rats they laid traps for. Honestly, however
he'd ever admit it, he didn't fancy the idea of watching the castle's rodent
pests being favored like kings compared to himself.
Three
guards had been added to Amarants pleasant handleful of pecimistics already.
His escort growled under their breaths, whispering back and forth to each other
about things like death, punishment, and what they would have done in their
queen's position. Amarant, being THE Flaming Amarant, truly couldn't help but
overhear every word.
"This
one's a manipulater...." hissed the gaurd whom had complained about her
duties beore. "Just look at this! He's gotten himself a load off of the
punishment he deserves, I'd say...."
"Of
course he has!" snapped the Alexandrian, whom earlier had done the most
talking. "If I were Her Majesty, I would never had ordered an exectuion! I
would have ordered a lifetime of torture, that's what I'd of done. Or several
years worth in the least!"
"Well,"
said a quieter, and more sensible (according to Amarant) guard on his right.
"I would have done the same....that is, if I'd been sure about his crime.
I mean, don't get me wrong....I'm not saying that's he's innocent, but I'd at
least be positive he's guilty before thrwing him in chains or anything."
"Hmmph," said a fourth guard, a male this time and one of the
newcomers. "I don't care if I wasn't there. But there'll be no chains
today, fourtunately. Just a cell, and it's be for one night. The least, and I
literally mean least we can do for him is skip serving his meals, for the time
he does spend...."
"Skip
his meals?" growled the bossy, mean guard whom Amarant had long ago
decided to take a seriously disliking to. "Why, if I didn't honour my
pride as an Alexandrian lieutenant....I'd be out 'ere tannin his hide until
mornin! I'd make him pay in blood for what he's done to little Myra...."
"You
know her?" inquired one of the guards whom had been silent until now.
The other guard was silent for several moments, and Amarant coudl feel her
slack her pacea little. ".....My niece," she explained sombrely.
"Oh..."
whispered the quiet guard. "I suppose that explains why you're so mad....I
thought, you know, you were being just....mean."
At
that moment, Amarant chose to ignore their talk. In the first place, he wasn't
supposed to hear their conversation. And the talk of death, and angry family
members simply brought a more heated rage to his mind. At the moment, he was
ready to rip the throat out of the cloaked man whom had framed him. And the
moment he had the chance to, the bandit knew he wouldn't hesitate to do so. It
wasn't simply for his revenge for being accused so falsely....all of the
rumors, and the talk about this dead girl was getting inside of his normally
placid feelings. Fairness was something he looked up to. Whatever had happened,
it was certainly far from fair.
He
was silent, until his group of 'hardy' escorts had forced him into a halt and
untied his hands. Through the flickering light of a nearby torch, Amarant could
see the cell that they had been talking about. It was, to be frank, very small.
And to someone of his size, it was downright puny. Had Amarant been an inch
taller, his hair would have brushed the stone ceiling, and the bandit could not
walk more than a pace and a half across it lengthwise. Not realizing it, he
swore harshly beneath his breath.
The
guards, on the other hand, were nearly as keen to their senses as Amarant,
"Shut up, worm!" spat the bossy guard, the 'aunt' to 'little Myra'.
"Just feel lucky I'm not your escort for tomorrow! If only I....if I were
to be on that damn airship with you, I'd set it afire, burn it to the ground! I
wouldn't care who dies, so long as you die with them! And if I lived, I'd find
you, and make sure you're-"
"Velra!
Velra, calm down!" cried the guard to 'Velra's' left. She grabbed the
woman's hand as it went for her sheated sword. Velra was now breathing
exhasperatedly, and glaring killer daggers towards Amarant. "Calm
down..." said the other guard, softer this time. "Don't sink to his
level....Remember. You're Lieutenant Velra....you have a husband and a child.
You work for the queen, honorably.....don't throw that away for him."
"It!"
sapt Velra. "I'll do nothing for the sort. It's not worth it, no matter
what it's done to me....to Myra. I'll kill him. I'll hunt him down,
instead...."
"You
think that," said Amarant, his tone unbreaking. "Before you leave,
allow me to wish you good fortune. I only hope that my 'crime' will be
rectified by then."
"There's
nothing to correct about it!" growled another guard, shoving the bandit
with an unexpected amount of force. Amarant half-stumbled into the cell's open
door. He didn't bother to turn around for her next words, "I pity Her
Majesty....for ever knowing, and actually trusting someone like you....We can
only understand why she's done this for you. Velra, I envy you."
Velra
ignored the guard's words, and spat on the ground before the cell, before
turning and storming away in a clatter of metal. Slowly, as a group, the last
of the Alexandrians slowly shook their heads, and left Amarant's presence. One
remained long enough to slam the iron, barred door shut and lock it. And
Amarant was still, as he waited until their accusing voices disappeared. Then,
turning to face the cell's thick bars, he leaned his back against the wall and
slid into a sitting position.
He
didn't care that he'd never see Alexandria or any of his former comrades again.
He could see Freya, of course, or Eiko. Not that he'd ever want to. But the
fact that he was falsely accused, for something such as murder, bothered him.
Before, it never occured to him that it hurt other families and even people who
had never been associated with the victim in the first place. He'd known, and
still believed that pain was another part of life. However, experiencing it so
closely seemed to touch him more than it should.
They
had taken away his claws, of course. Now he had no weapons. Without them to
fight, he couldn't figure out how he was going to find the money to buy new
ones. Unless he stole it, of course. Then again, if he were caught by anyone --
armed with anything from daggers to deadlier -- he would have to resort to....
Amarant
shook his head, swearing at himself. He was thinking about how to start over.
Start over? He was really going to let it go, then, and start things all over
again? Once Lani heard about this, anyway, she'd most likely come to try and
break him out of prison. She'd be one of the few who would believe him, and not
the rest of the entire city of Alexandria. But there was no reason for her to
go anywhere with him, when he knew of her 'secret' love. Amarant almost
grinned. He'd never actaully spoken to Marcus before, but he'd seen him once or
twice in Linblum. A man, a thief to be exact, and not all that
attractive....Lani somehow got a minute or two in her busy schedule to fall in
love with him. Marcus, Amarant thought sourly. A man to be pitied if he ever
marries her.
Somehow,
hours crept by, and Amarant began to sense that it was growing darker outside.
Unless Lani hadn't heard, she would have arrived by now. Of course, she might
have simply ran off when she heard that her partner had been accused and
exiled. Now that Amarant thought about it, it sounded like the more likely
thing to do, in her case.
He
stared at the bars of his imprisonment. It was, undoubtedly, going to be a very
long night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It
had begun to rain, by the time Cora reached the entrance to Alexandria's
dungeon. In fact, she was drenched, having sat in the channel boat for so long.
As she tediously approached the single guard, standing watch at the iron gates,
she wondered silently how the Knights of Pluto, or any other knight for that
matter, could stand being out in the rain. Didn't it rust their armour?
"Halt
where you are," said the guard, raising her hand to signal her demand.
"Identify yourself."
Cora
suddenly felt glad that she'd cloaked herself, "I'm just....a little
girl..." she sniffed, putting on her best, innocent voice. "I
wanna....see my uncle, before he...." she sniffed, pretending to be on the
verge of tears. Everyone, she remembered clearly, always told her how wonderful
of an actress she could be. "Before he....leaves tomorrow..."
"You're
uncle?" inquired the guard, a little softer this time. "How old are
you? What is your name?"
Once
again pretending, Cora wiped at her eyes, "My name is C..." she
faltered. Should she use her real name? "C....Corala," she said,
deciding to be careful.....just in case. "I...I'm nine years old,"
she lied.
"Well,
Corala," said the guard, taking a careful glance around her. "Tell
me, who is your uncle?"
"But..."
sniffed Cora. "If I told you, you wouldn't let me in!" she wailed.
"Shhh..."
the guard, hushed, looking rather flustered. "Of course I would. I have to
let visitors in. It's my job."
"Oh..."
said Cora, feeling a little safer now. "Please don't tell
anyone....but....but I just wanna see my Uncle Amarant one last time,
before...."
"Amarant,"
said the guard, a little more fiercly than Cora had expected. "You are
related to that man? You poor thing. I have not been notified of any relatives,
on the other hand. I'm not sure I can trust you, nine years old or not, little
girl."
"But
you have to!" wailed Cora again. "Please, he's the only family I got
left! Please let me see him! Please???"
Clearly
annoyed by her whining, the guard gestured at her, and made yet another hushing
noise, "Very well! I will let you in to see him, but only for a short
while! But first, I'm going to make sure that he really is your uncle. You stay
put, and don't go anywhere, until I return. Do you understand?"
Inside,
Cora was trembling, but she sputtered, "Th-thank you....I...I understand,
ma'am...um, sir."
Great,
she thought flatly, as she watched the guard disappear into the dark dungeon.
Amarant doesn't know that I'm here! What do I do now?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(They
just get longer, and longer, don't they? Or is it shorter? Hmm....never mind.
Well, this is DEFINITELY going to take a long time. And ont he next episode, if
you're aching to know, Amarant is yes, dumped on the Outer Continent's
perimeters....but what happens then? *suspensful music* Aha! *hug her stereo*
I've already had a number of people kick my suspensful music maker....no hurt!
Sigh. Yes, I'm tired. Can you tell? Anyway...please R&R! And Lizzie!
Hehehehehe.....I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I
UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I
UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I UPDATED! I
UPDATED! I UPDATED! ARRRREEEE YYYOOOOUUUUU HHHHHAPPPPPYYYY?????? j/k! ^_^)