Return of Light
Chappu tethered Sovereign to the post outside then inn known only as The Silver Stag to most but to others it was known as the place where love affairs and unlawful acts took place.
Chappu knew this, of course, but it didn't bother him. He wasn't looking to have an affair—The Silver Stag, owned by a Mr. Lauthon, was the best place to stay if you wanted a more than decent meal to eat and good wine to drink. Besides, he was too tired to bother going further into Bevelle. The outskirts would do just fine for now.
The innkeeper looked up as Chappu entered threw the door, his blue eyes taking in the sight of a few dancing girls smiling and flashing far too much skin. It was loud and raucous, but Chappu didn't really appear to notice.
"Got a room?" he asked, strolling up to the bar and straddling one of the stools, one elbow resting on the bar. The innkeeper gave him a quick once-over. Harmless.
"I do. You have the gil to pay for it?" Master Lauthon said, raising one eyebrow to Chappu. It was then he noticed the Spirit Keeper sheathed on Chappu's back.
"I don't allow fighting in my tavern, sir," he said stiffly, drawing himself up to his full height. Chappu smirked and stood up, using his own height to his full advantage. He was a good half a foot taller than the innkeeper.
"I don't plan on starting any trouble, Master Lauthon. I just want a room for the night. Here." Chappu tossed some coins onto the bar counter. "Should be enough. I'll take my chocobo to the stables and come back for someone to show me to my room."
Leaving the poor man mouthing wordlessly, his face red as could be, Chappu turned and walked from the front room of the inn and retrieving Sovereign long enough to put him away in the stables at the rear of the building.
When he returned, Master Lauthon and a boy no older than fifteen were waiting for him, the boy standing quietly and Master Lauthon, by the looks of it, was standing there grinding his teeth in irritation.
He jerked his head to the boy. "Forin will show you to your room," he said curtly before meandering away into the kitchens where the blissful smells of cooking wafted to Chappu's nose. His stomach grumbled a little in protest as he moved to follow Forin up the stairs.
" 'Ere are your rooms, sir. Best in The Silver Stag, if ya ask me," Forin told him, opening the door to a large and spacious room. A large four-poster bed was in the center against the far wall, made of oak it appeared. A door on the left side of the room lead to the bath and the one on the right was the closet, no doubt.
"If ya need anythin', ring for me, sir," Forin said, bowing slightly to Chappu and exiting silently, his eyes darting over the Spirit Keeper more than necessary.
Chappu shook his head and looked over his new surrounding carefully, deciding it was secure. His eyes moved to the window and he walked to it, one hand coming to rest on the sill as he gazed ahead to the bright lights of Bevelle, the capital of Spira.
Shouts rising below turned out to be a man a woman screaming at the tops of their collective lungs over—Chappu's cheeks turned a brilliant scarlet and he tuned it out, moving back to the bed where he deposited his sack.
"Well, Chappu, what are you going to do now?" he wondered aloud, flopping backward onto the dark navy blue comforter. He sighed.
* * *
"Get up, you lazy cur!" Lulu snapped, yanking the blankets off of Wakka's sleeping form. The Besaidian only groaned and buried his head under his pillow; not ever bothering to jerk back the covers Lulu had so easily stolen.
"Go 'way, Lu! I don't wanna to see your face this early!" he muttered, closing his eyes tightly.
Lulu's crimson eyes flashed and with a battle cry fitting enough for a warrior and not a middle-aged woman, she pounced on the sleep-enthralled red head. Her slim fingers snaked their way around Wakka's neck until she was nearly strangling him. Wakka yelled and seized both her wrists in his coarse hands.
"Lu! Get off!" he shouted, and the pair continued struggling.
It was only natural that the other four people come to investigate what all the noise was about and the second Rikku burst in, she regretted it fully.
Not that she had time to regret it, anyway. As soon as she stopped dead, Yuna and Tidus crashed into her from behind and the trio went down in a tangle of arms, legs, and indignant screeches on Tidus's part from sharp nails sinking into his tan skin. And to add to the problems on the floor, Zeoron came running in and tripped over the group, sprawling out on top of all three with a loud shriek to boot.
"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!" Rikku shouted, numerous other curses leaving her mouth in a flow of Al Bhed, a few of which made Tidus's cheek stain with red.
Zeoron clambered to her feet and began pulling Yuna up, Tidus grumbling and shifting his glaring between his wife and Rikku and the scratch marks on his arms, which he rubbed gently.
"Help, please!" Wakka called from the bed, still struggling with the snarling Lulu. Rikku and Zeoron exchanged glances before shrugging and moving to pull the Black Mage away from Wakka.
Wakka sighed with relief and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and massaging his sore throat with one hand, grimacing.
"What on earth did you do to her, Wakka?" Yuna asked over the loud shrieks of fury that was Lulu, Zeoron, and Rikku. Zeoron howled in pain as Lulu clawed her arm and then purple thunder rolled in the young Black Mage's eyes and without hesitation, cast Sleep on the elder Mage, who passed out onto the floor with a groan.
Rikku blinked and then grinned at Zeoron, who was nursing the scrape on her arm. Zeoron scowled and Yuna moved to heal the wound.
"So, what did you say to her, Wakka?" Tidus said, jerking his head to the unconscious Lulu now lying peacefully on the floor.
"I just said I didn't want to see her face this early," Wakka explained, shrugging his toned shoulders slightly.
At once, three pairs of eyes turned to ice as they all switched to Wakka, whose own eyes widened in surprise. Tidus took a step away from Wakka, out of the line of fire.
It was if fireworks had exploded in the room as Yuna, Rikku, and Zeoron began shouting at him at the same time, Zeoron threatening to awaken Lulu and let her have at him with anything she chose to use.
* * *
Chappu awoke the next morning feeling refreshed though strange. The dream he'd had while sleeping had disturbed him, he knew, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what on Spira it had been about. Shaking his head, Chappu climbed out of the bed and stumbled bleary-eyed into the washroom.
Emerging a half hour later, Chappu was cleanly dressed, shaven, and ready for the new day of traveling. Shouldering the Spirit Keeper, he picked up his sack and opened the door. He stepped into the empty hallway and proceeded to the stairs where he descended to the lower level steadily.
Once on the ground floor, Chappu took in the common room with a sharp eye, noting Master Lauthon was already busily ordering serving boys and girls around. He noticed Chappu after a few moments and then jerked his head at the door, signaling Chappu to leave.
Smirking, Chappu walked silently to the door and moved out into the bright sunlight of the morning, taking in the sights of a busy street of merchants and buyers alike.
Once satisfied it was clear, Chappu headed back for the stables and found Sovereign already awake and munching on some greens someone had feed the chocobo. Chappu smiled and opened the stall door, dropping his sack in the straw on the floor.
"Morning, Sovereign," he greeted the gold, strapping the Spirit Keeper on his back. He snapped it with a click and reached for the bridle hanging on the wall. Quickly, he slipped it onto the chocobo's head and then tied his sack onto Sovereign's back.
Quietly, Chappu led Sovereign out into the stable yard and mounted the gold, his eyes darting around swiftly, taking in the sights. Content, he clucked and started Sovereign forward at a brisk pace, disappearing into the throngs of people milling about in the streets on the outskirts of Bevelle.
—
It was night by the time Chappu arrived in the crystalline woods of Macalania, he and the chocobo he rode upon nearly exhausted from the harrowing journey through the heart of Bevelle.
Dismounting, Chappu unsheathed the Spirit Keeper and glanced around. Though tired, his eyes were still alert as ever as he surveyed the surroundings carefully.
Quick as lightning, Chappu swung around to slash at an attacking fiend, sending it crashing into the brush a few feet away. Snarling, the Chimera shrieked and lunged for him again.
Chappu swung the blade up and caught the Chimera by surprise. Without wasting another moment, Chappu stabbed the creature through the middle and watched it fade away, sighing with relief.
Sovereign stood silently as Chappu built the camp up against the enclosure of a large cluster of boulders. Now ready, Chappu gathered his cloak around himself and lazily watched the dancing flames of the fire before drifting off into sleep's warm embrace.
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