The stars continue to burn as destiny is rewritten… See the first installment for all disclaimers/warnings.
~ * Hollow Reception * ~
Who would have thought a lizard's hands could be so gentle?
Melville craned his neck in an attempt to study the back of his leg, but couldn't twist enough to get a good look at the newly mended limb. The rip in his pants had been sown up, anyway, a fresh patch of leather stitched over the place where his attacker's blade had ripped through fabric and flesh…
The lad grimaced, remembering how soundly he and his traveling companions had been defeated. The fight -- if you could really call it that -- couldn't have lasted more than a few minutes, and Melville had spent nearly all of it lying in agony on the cold stone floor, gripping his wounded leg and biting his lip to stifle the scream bulging in his throat.
Somehow, despite their injuries, the group had picked themselves up and limped the rest of the way. The Sergeant's healing magic had gone a long way to ensure their survival, but the denizens of the tunnel had nearly wiped their weakened party out. The monsters hadn't been more than a nuisance before, even for the young Saint Loa Knight. But after that disastrous encounter, they seemed more menacing, the threat they posed more real.
They could have died down there. Melville recognized that now, and the thought formed a knot deep in the pit of his stomach despite the fact that he also recognized they had made it out safely.
Thanks to the Lizard Clan's kindness, his injury was now little more than a memory, the wound sealed away by the soothing caress of a magical breeze. The limb that earlier had been sending wrenching pain up his side now supported his weight just as readily as the other, a phenomenon that he couldn't resist testing by rocking back and forth on his heels for a few seconds. Soon becoming bored with this task, Melville turned his attention back to the grotto he now stood in, his curious tan eyes drinking in more details now that they were better accustomed to the sparser lighting.
Tales of the barbarous lives the less civilized Grassland Clans led had enabled his imagination to weave mental pictures of what such dwellings looked like, and at first it appeared his youthful daydreams were not far off the mark. The cavern was very meagerly decorated, a heap of straw with thick blankets strewn over it serving as his bed. There were a few recesses that appeared to be hand-carved, strategically placed so that by lighting torches mounted inside the natural room could be brightened.
He was alone for the moment: everyone else was occupied elsewhere, leaving the youngest of their number behind as they attended to their own business.
Reed, injured the worst during their encounter, was still being treated in another room. There had been whispers among the adults concerning his condition, but all the details were being kept from the lad out of 'respect' for his youth. That was why he'd been hustled into this bedroom in the first place, shooed out from underfoot while the lizards set about attending to their most gravely wounded guest.
Sergeant Jordi was more fortunate. Though the mallard had also been stabbed, somehow his wound hadn't turned out to be as dire. Apparently it wasn't as deep, or hadn't been torn so badly… again, Melville didn't know because nobody wanted the kid to be upset. They didn't understand that his inability to find out what was happening to his companions was much more distressing to the young knight.
Since their reptilian hosts recognized the sergeant's clan and rank, Jordi had emerged in the Lizard Clan's eyes as their group's leader. Dupa had therefore requested an audience with him as soon as it was clear he was healthy enough to speak with the chieftain, and Melville figured that he was probably busy with that at the moment.
Naturally, Lilly hadn't taken her overshadowing by her guide's title very well, and after a while the expected tirade faded into the echo of the Tinto noblewoman storming away. Samus was likely to be shadowing her, ensuring her fury didn't get them into more trouble than the sergeant could talk them out of.
As for Aila, the huntress ran off as soon as they entered the Great Hollow, charging over to the first cluster of Karayans she glimpsed in the massive grotto. The last Melville had seen of her as he was being hustled away to have his wounds treated was the back of her curly ponytail bobbing up and down while the rest of her was engulfed by the embraces of old friends thought lost in the flames. The echo of their relieved cries and shrieks seemed to follow his group down to the infirmary.
The knot in his stomach tightened, though Melville couldn't explain exactly why. He was thrilled, of course, that they'd found survivors; he never wanted to believe that everyone in the village had been slaughtered by the knights, but…
(…Why am I here again? I came to see Aila and Sergeant Joe back home safely, and…)
Now, looking back on what had happened after he followed them out of Vinay del Zexay, Melville wondered if he'd made the right choice.
It wasn't that he regretted his oath to his friends. As the Swordsman of Rage and commander of the Saint Loa Knights, it was important that he value honor and integrity above all else. He was indebted to them; without their assistance in the northern cavern, it was likely that Alanis, Elliot and he would have been defeated by Guillaume and his bandits.
Still… had his presence really changed anything for the better?
Karaya had burned. They hadn't arrived in time to prevent that disaster, and it was a small miracle that Aila hadn't gotten herself killed attacking the… Silver Maiden…
It wasn't like their situation had improved much afterward. That strange man in black they'd run into had nearly slaughtered them… and Melville hadn't managed to be of much help then, either.
And now that they'd found refugees from the village, what was left for him to do? He couldn't return to Vinay del Zexay; Sir Leo and Sir Percival were probably still looking for him, remembering the role he'd played in the Grasslanders' escape… And even if that calmed down soon, it was unlikely he'd be able to return in time to say goodbye to Alanis…
The thought of his own unit's Silver Maiden caused Melville to frown, dragging his brows down over his too-serious brown eyes. He didn't know exactly when her family was leaving, but it couldn't be more than a few days away… if they hadn't left already.
Did she and Elliot find that note he'd left behind? They'd likely gone to the clubhouse the morning after he left, only to find that piece of paper with a hasty explanation scribbled on it… Probably didn't take it too well, either. The young Fire mage was probably pretty upset that he'd gone off on a mission without taking her and Elliot along…
(No,) Melville cut off that line of thinking with a firm shake of his head. (It was right to help Aila and the Sergeant escape. It was the honorable course of action…)
Eager to distract his mind from such matters, Melville left the room and headed back toward the main grotto. The walk wasn't as far as he remembered, probably because he was no longer fighting just to stand on his own two feet, and soon the hallway widened into the towering cavern at the heart of the Great Hollow.
If his previous quarters were a fair approximation of his imagined version of the Lizard Clan's lair, the scene before him now illustrated how far off the mark his daydreams really had been.
They were still underground, but Melville found when he tilted his head back that he couldn't quite make out the ceiling that capped the massive cavern. The Great Hollow seemed basically a hollowed-out mountain, with plenty of space in this central chamber alone to house all of the naturally taller, bulkier members of the Lizard Clan.
In a way, it reminded the Zexen child of the capital city's Main Square, a more rugged approach to the plaza where he'd played so often with his friends. There was even a natural spring bubbling up in the center, trickling out of the stone staircase that seemed to be carved directly from the earth's slope, its waters bubbling just before the entrance to what appeared to be the Chief's quarters.
Melville followed the raised pathway slowly, resisting the urge to run and take in more of this strange underground city as quickly as possible. There were no railings along the raised walkways, he noticed; a misstep on his part could lead to disaster. It was better to take the time to adjust to his surroundings than to hurry along and pay the price for slipping.
"It must be a far cry from Vinay del Zexay, isn't it?"
Though the voice stating this was calm and unthreatening, Melville still jumped from surprise and whirled around to face the speaker, heart hammering in his chest. He relaxed only slightly when he found himself staring upward into the elongated face of one of the warriors who had met them at the entrance. One of the reptilian's hands caught the boy's shoulder, guiding him steadily away from the edge.
"Careful, now," he chided evenly. "I'm sure a fall from here would at least aggravate your wounds, if you didn't manage to split your head open. You humans are so frail…"
"Um… thanks…" stammered Melville, staring wide-eyed at the lizard, "…but, how…"
Though he couldn't judge for certain, Melville got the impression that Bazba smirked at his shocked expression.
"It's obvious you're not from one of the Clans," he responded before the boy could finish his query. "Your clothes aren't of Chisan make, which would be the only clan you'd be remotely likely to pass for. You're not Karayan, and definitely not from the Duck Clan, and you're dressed differently from even those other three strangers…"
"Oh, Miss Lilly and her friends say they're from Tinto," Melville blurted, latching onto the temporary distraction. The lizard's firm stare was more than a little unnerving, even to the leader of the Saint Loa Knights.
"Yes, I've already been informed of that," and Bazba grimaced slightly, recalling how the redhead had pounced on him for an explanation earlier. His head still throbbed from her shouting, and he made a mental note to repay her darker-skinned companion for prying her away long enough for him to make an escape.
His tone tipped the youngster off to the fact that the lizard had already gotten a demonstration of Lilly's… strong personality, and the expression on the reptilian's face actually caused him to laugh for a second. It soon tapered off, however, as Melville remembered how serious his situation was. Though the Lizard Clan warrior wasn't acting hostile just yet, he wasn't naïve enough not to recognize that knights weren't exactly revered in the Grasslands.
"…So, you're not a foreigner," Bazba returned to the point of their conversation, resuming his matter-of-fact explanation, "and your clothes seem a little too fine to be from one of the farming communities, so you must be from one of the cities…"
He trailed off and looked at Melville, an almost expectant gleam in his narrowed slit-pupil eyes. Melville shifted nervously under the lizard's firm stare: there was something rather unnerving about being pulled aside by a scaly clansman with claws on his fingers and a weapon that was even longer than his already impressive height. Not to mention the fact that the manner in which Bazba outlined his Zexen heritage made it sound like it was something to be ashamed of.
Drawing himself up, Melville lifted his chin and met the reptilian warrior's stare with what he hoped was a proud and noble bearing. It really didn't help his confidence much that he was dwarfed by Bazba, his brown-topped head roughly level with the lizard's muscular waist.
"I am Melville of Vinay del Zexay," he announced, trying his hardest to keep his tone level, low and strong, "the Captain and Swordsman of Rage of the Saint Loa Knights."
He took a measure of pride in how he managed to keep his voice from cracking as he forced out the familiar title. Though he wasn't familiar enough with lizard clan physiology to be certain, it appeared to him that the ridge over Bazba's left eye quirked upward, and he regarded the lad with a bemused expression.
"Really? The ironheads train their children this young?" he commented, more in an undertone to himself instead of addressing the boy. Then, in a more typical, almost amused tone he questioned, "And what business brings you here, young captain?"
"I came here with my… my friends and comrades, Sergeant Jordi of the Duck Clan and D… Aila of Karaya," Melville hid a flinch as he nearly referred to the archer by the title he'd originally given her. "They helped the Saint Loa Knights complete a mission before running into some… trouble… on their way out of the capital. I wanted to repay my debt to them, so I accompanied them out of the city, and then… well…"
Now Melville really struggled with his words, frantically casting about for some way to explain what followed their exodus from the capital. Thankfully, Bazba appeared to understand his hesitation: his blunt features seemed to soften slightly, and he clapped one scaled hand over the child's head, almost absently ruffling his already messy tan locks.
"…So long as you're okay, kid," he muttered, shaking his head. Turning away and hefting his gride with his free hand, Bazba glanced back down at the boy and added, "Just don't go around telling everyone that you're a Zexen ironhead, all right? After what happened, even someone your age could get into trouble if it got out that you're from there…"
His eyes narrowed distastefully at the concept, Bazba shook his head again and moved on, leaving the youth to his own devices. The child hardly seemed a threat to him, but the reptilian fighter knew there were those in his clan who would think otherwise if they discovered his origin.
"…I know…" Melville murmured, watching the warrior walk away with an all-too-serious expression. "…You don't have to remind me."
Feeling distinctly more uncomfortable after receiving such a warning, Melville hurried off to look for his other companions. Hopefully joining any of the rest of his group would help him feel less like an outsider, less like an intruder…
~ * ~
"…We'll talk later, alright?"
Aila wished she didn't feel so guilty saying that. How many hours had she already spent catching up with the friends she'd found here so far? There was still a lot of ground to cover in the Great Hollow, and she probably needed to find the Sergeant and the rest of her group again anyway and figure out what else they could do…
Still, exchanging another round of quick hugs and handshakes with those bunched around her while making her way out of the cluster of refugees, Aila couldn't help but feel a flash of remorse at the thought of parting ways with them. It wasn't like she didn't know where they were, and that they'd still be around when she returned, if not exactly where she left them, then elsewhere in the Hollow, but…
…Hadn't she felt certain of that before, when she'd left Karaya for the Zexen capital…?
…No, things were different this time, she was certain of it. Now everyone was aware of the danger, and better prepared to face it: hadn't the Great Hollow already repelled an assault just before they arrived? They were safe here… safer…
Aila waved back at her friends even while walking away, until the curve of the corridor blocked them from view. Turning to face the widening hallway ahead, the huntress blinked rapidly in order to clear the mistiness from her eyes before stepping into the largest cavern.
(I'm so glad Dachi's here, and Kino, and Anne, and Tsun, and…)
Mentally she continued to rattle off the names of those she'd been able to track down so far, trying her hardest not to think of the faces of the friends she hadn't found yet. She definitely didn't want to remember the familiar faces she'd seen back in the village ruins… the friends she'd buried… or that were still lost, somewhere…
She had to be strong! The losses hurt, but there was still hope, so long as she and the others survived… Karaya was not gone. The village might be, but her clan still lived…!
Aila lifted her chin slightly, clenching her jaw. The ironheads would pay for what they'd done; she'd make certain of it. One way or another, she'd teach them that Karaya wouldn't fall so easily to their trickery…
"…Aila?"
She spun around, emerald eyes widening at the familiar voice behind her. She'd already known, of course, from what her friends told her, but it was still an immeasurable relief to see her chief alive and well.
"Jimba…!" Despite her best effort, his name almost became a sob.
The Karayan Chief smiled, blue eyes twinkling at the sight of the huntress, and he stepped forward to welcome her to their temporary home. He clapped both hands over her shoulders and appraised her silently, as if ensuring she was truly safe and sound before him.
"It's good to see you here, Aila," he said at length, his expression somehow balancing pleasure and seriousness without difficulty. "When I heard that a Sergeant of the Duck Clan had arrived, I figured that Jordi had brought you here. I'm glad you made it back safely. After what happened at the treatise signing…"
"I know…" Aila dropped her gaze to the floor, ashamed to meet her chieftain's eyes as she added, "…I'm sorry… I failed to…"
"…Aila, don't do this." Jimba shook his head and gently cupped the archer's chin with one hand, gently making her look up at him. "None of this is your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's me."
"B-but you couldn't have known… they'd pull such a dirty…"
"…Exactly. I never would have guessed it, so what makes you think you should have seen it coming?"
Aila blinked, taken aback by how Jimba had turned her words back on her so abruptly. Jimba never quite lost his smile, though he shook his head almost bitterly and his tone became a bit more serious as he insisted on her blamelessness.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through such an ordeal," he apologized, shaking his head slowly before she could interrupt. "I wish there'd been some way to tell you what happened, but when the peace treaty went out of hand, there was no way… I'm thankful you were able to find your way here."
"…It wasn't just the Sergeant who helped," Aila replied. "If it wasn't for Melville, we wouldn't have gotten out of Vinay del Zexay at all. Even Lilly and her group helped, a little…"
"Of course," and Jimba nodded. Patting Aila on the shoulder, he added, "Now, then, I'm afraid I have some things I need to discuss with Chief Dupa about what to do next. If you'll excuse me…"
Aila nodded, but as she watched her chief stride past the huntress couldn't help but feel a slight stab of envy. Things were moving on without her, it seemed, and she had to wonder what was left for her to accomplish.
(I delivered the message, for all the good it did… Now what am I supposed to do? Just wait here until they find some way to settle things…? …No! I want to help… I want to make the ironheads pay…)
~ * ~
"I don't BELIEVE this!"
The aggravated screech echoed off the sloped walls of the natural hallway, punctuated by the frustrated stomp of finely made leather shoes against cool stone.
Samus valiantly resisted the urge to sigh and hang his head as he trudged after his fuming mistress. How many times had they crossed this way already…? He had lost interest in counting after the third or fourth time they passed the great fountain in the center of the main cave.
So far, their quest for more information on the Flame Champion had turned up next to nothing of importance. What little they did manage to gather were tidbits that were already well known, scanty pieces of rumors and speculation about the Grassland's hero that Lilly was quick to insist she already knew.
Samus wasn't entirely certain that they were even talking to different sources at times; the lizards all looked more or less the same to the attendant, though he didn't dare point this out to Lilly just yet. She was in a bad enough mood at the moment as it was, and Samus was hardly eager to give his employer's daughter half a reason to direct her anger at him.
(…Not that she needs a reason most of the time…)
Several strides ahead of him, Lilly stopped walking, copper hair whipping about as she looked around sharply. To his relief, instead of zeroing in on one of the lizards milling about the massive structure, she turned smartly on her heel and headed for the fountain at the heart of the cavern. Samus hurried his pace slightly, heartening considerably when he saw her sit on the curved barrier at the edge of the natural pool. Finally, a chance for a little rest…!
She didn't look over to him when he approached; her body was turned so that she was facing the fountain, running the gloved fingers of her right hand across the clear surface of the water. Thankfully Lilly hadn't dunked her legs in the water: Samus had no idea what Lizard Clan customs were and didn't want to risk his lady crossing some line that clashed with what was considered proper in this strange land.
(Not that it wouldn't be the first time…)
After a moment's consideration, Samus sat down on the fountain's edge as well, keeping a respectable distance away from his mistress. It wasn't proper to sit directly beside her, but he was close enough that she wouldn't have to raise her voice too much to give him orders over the noise of the rushing water.
Experience taught him that his lady wasn't too predisposed to sitting around and relaxing for long periods of time… or, really, any period of time. And, naturally, as one of her servants he was expected to follow her whims on a moment's notice, no matter how exhausting it was for him. He wasn't paid so well to rest, after all -- a concept that had been ruthlessly hammered in by the frenetic pace Lilly loved to set.
He could see why Gustaf was so desperate and hard-pressed to find bodyguards for his only daughter, now. When he'd first been offered the position and learned how much it paid, Samus had wondered why such a lucrative-sounding job was readily available. He'd already heard the rumors about the Pendragon lass, of course, but had figured that such tales were mostly exaggeration.
What kind of noblewoman would be so interested in risking life and limb on a daily basis, after all? Especially someone who possessed such luxury…
Well, now he knew the truth, and that those rumors paled in comparison to dealing with the genuine article. These past months had been utterly exhausting, and this latest obsession of Lilly's with the Flame Champion was the worst yet…! After this mess was finally resolved, Samus would have to seriously consider finding a new line of work…
"…There must be something…"
Blinking back to reality, Samus looked quickly over at Lilly, slightly amazed at the fact that he'd actually missed the fact that she was speaking. To his utter relief, she didn't appear to be addressing him: she was still glaring at her rippling reflection in the water, stirring the surface idly with one hand and muttering quietly, apparently to herself.
"…The Flame Champion has to be here… Why won't anyone tell me where he is? There must be a way to track him down…"
Regarding her out of the corner of his eye, Samus shook his head in silent dismay. Apparently she wasn't planning on dropping the matter anytime soon. …Not that he expected her to simply give up on this fool's quest, nice as that would have been.
From what he understood, it would take a couple of days before Reed would be considered healed enough to leave the Great Hollow. What remained to be seen was how long Lilly would be willing to suspend their hunt for the sake of her other attendant's health. Clearly it rankled the girl already, but hopefully not enough that she would consider abandoning the poor man for the sake of chasing down some flimsy lead on the Flame Champion's whereabouts.
…Why was this so important to Lilly, anyway? She never bothered explaining herself to her attendants… or anyone else, for that matter. They were just expected to go along with her impulses, hopefully keeping her from getting too far in over her head in the process of following her every whim…
"…Samus?"
That was not Lilly's voice, and Samus looked up to see Melville approaching them. He offered the child a smile and a seat, scooting over slightly to allow the lad to plop down on the ledge beside him. Lilly didn't even glance over when Melville sat down, her attention still reserved for her own private mutterings.
"…Something the matter, Melville?" If Lilly wasn't going to start a conversation for once, Samus wasn't going to be rude enough to ignore their new companion.
But his intentions fell flat this time, for Melville simply shook his head and stared at the floor, swinging his legs off the side of the rock barrier.
(…Well, fine.) Samus shrugged to himself and decided not to push the matter. Moments of peace were rare enough as it was without him jeopardizing them. Rather than question it, Samus chose to enjoy the relative silence of the moment. Who knew when the next one would roll around…
~ * ~
"…Jimba, if you don't mind my being frank… Are you absolutely certain about this?"
"Positive," replied Jimba with a curt nod. The Karayan Chief shifted in his seat so that he faced each of his companions equally, steel blue eyes filled with conviction as he stated, "According to the rumors that have been going around, there has been a lot of activity at this castle recently. I don't know all of the details, but there's been talk of recruitment, and people heading off to settle there…"
"Yes… Just yesterday, one of our blacksmiths said something about it," Dupa noted. "Peggi acted quite excited about it, actually… From what he said, apparently he was given a new hammer by the representative in return for agreeing to set up shop there…"
"Bribery?" commented Bazba, then shook his head at his own query, stating, "No, that doesn't sound right. Peggi never struck me as the type to accept that…"
"If what I've heard is true, this could be a cover for the Fire Bringer," Jimba reported. "They appear to be building up strength for something…"
"But why now, of all times?" Dupa frowned, tapping his tail off the ground thoughtfully. "Does it have something to do with Zexen's actions?"
"Hard to say at this point. That's why I want to send somebody to investigate," and here Jimba looked meaningfully at one of his companions. "Sergeant…?"
"I understand." Jordi smirked thinly, shaking his head. "Qua… I'll have to discuss it with Aila and the others, but somehow, I don't think we'll have to worry about any objections…"