Chapter Nine
Burmecia; Castle Grounds; Late at Night
The Burmecian walked silently through the Castle Grounds, any familiar features covered by a thick black cloak. He looked around, only to find no one around. He smiled, then headed toward the castle. Following him was another Burmecian that was perhaps ten years younger.
Finally, they found someone. A man dressed completely in black watched them, his eyes completely black. A heavy sword was strapped to his thigh. He walked over to the Burmecians.
"You're late," he hissed in a cold voice.
"Sorry," the older Burmecian said. "It was hard getting away from rebuilding without anyone seeing us."
"Why did you bring someone with you?" the man asked in a hiss.
The older Burmecian grabbed his fellow Burmecian by the arm and brought him roughly forward.
"Speak your name," the man growled.
"Raven," the younger Burmecian said nervously.
"Why did you bring someone?" the man asked the older Burmecian.
"Raven doesn't like her anymore than we do. Besides, he's an excellent fighter. He could help you," the older Burmecian said.
"Looks weak to me," the man commented.
"I'm not a weakling. I could kick your ass!" Raven snarled.
The man smashed his fist into Raven's jaw, knocking him over. The man laughed at Raven.
"You're a weakling. But perhaps you could be of service to me." the man growled.
Raven rose to his feet and took out his ax. "Try me, you bastard! You think I'm weak!"
Raven rushed forward and brought his ax down on the man's head. Nothing happened, shocking him. The man took out his sword and slashed open Raven's arm. Raven backed away, dropping his heavy ax. The man then kicked Raven to the ground.
"Don't you dare underestimate. I could kill you in five seconds, but you could be useful. Besides, Ebon seems to like you," the man said. He then gazed at the older Burmecian. "What is so handy about this idiot, Ebon?"
"He's one of the most powerful warriors in Burmecia. Only Freya and Fratley beat him." Ebon trailed off.
"I don't really care. What use is he to me? Come to think of it."
The man suddenly pinned Ebon against a wall.
"I don't see what use you are becoming. You haven't helped me once. When am I going to get the Gil, and when are you going to do something for me?" The man asked harshly.
Ebon swallowed nervously. "Y-You didn't kill her. So I can't give you the money. A-And Raven can easily be an assassin for you."
"I don't hire Burmecians," the man said. "I kill them."
"Hey, it looks like you hired Ebon!" Raven shouted, rising to his feet.
The man whipped around and slashed Raven in the other arm. The Burmecian backed away. Clearly the man was smirking behind the cloth covering his face. He then turned to Ebon.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill the both of you now," the man growled, lifting his sword.
"You wouldn't get the money," Ebon snarled. "Or benefits. Don't you forget that I'm helping you locate targets for your silly Collaboration. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't know who's weak and helpless and who kicks ass."
"And I thought that the female you set me against was weak!" the man roared.
"You were able to kidnap her," Ebon growled.
"And she escaped! She escaped my clutches, can beat me down, and I can't find her! She's much more powerful than you made her out to be!"
"Someone's coming!" Raven cried.
The man looked in the direction of the castle to see what appeared to be a kid walking toward them. He laughed.
"It's a child," he grunted with amusement.
The man released his hold on Ebon and stepped toward the child approaching them. He stopped a few feet away, and so did the child. The child appeared to be eleven years old, and he didn't look to have any weapons. He wore royal clothing, and had angry blue eyes.
"Get out of here, child. Otherwise, you may meet your maker quickly," the man warned.
"You heard him, weak Puck," Raven snapped.
Puck only stared at the party he was faced with. "All of you, scram."
The man laughed. "You don't know who you're talking to. Do you really know who I am?"
"Yeah, a bastard. Get out of here," Puck commented.
The man's eyes narrowed. "You asked for it." He rushed for Puck.
A shot of fire came from the behind Puck and nailed the man. The man toppled to the ground. A black mage soon appeared beside Puck.
"God, you really are annoying," the black mage commented. "Go away."
The man disappeared. Ebon and Raven took one look at Puck and ran off. Puck sighed.
"Thanks, Verdant," he said. "You know that guy?"
"Not exactly. I just know what hurts him," the black mage Verdant commented.
"What?"
"Magic," Verdant told Puck.
"Magic? No wonder Freya couldn't scratch him!"
"Yeah. Physical attacks don't cut it very well. I guess a really powerful Dragon ability would nail him good, but magic is the best." Verdant paused. "Who were those two Burmecians?"
"Two complete idiots," Puck told him. "Neither of them have any idea how much trouble they are in! I knew they were behind all of this."
"Behind what?" Verdant asked, looking up at Puck.
"Come with me and I'll tell you," Puck said.
The two headed toward the castle.
"But why?" Verdant asked after Puck had told his story. "Freya helped saved this word from destruction! Why would anyone want her dead, especially her own people?"
"Raven and Ebon are just bastards, and that's the end of it. Raven and Freya were always rivals, and Raven was always jealous of her. As for Ebon. He just hates all women. He and Freya also got into a fight quite a while ago. Freya was only 17, and she creamed him. Ebon hated her ever since. To the two of them, it doesn't matter that she helped save the world. Their hatred and stupidity blind out their senses," Puck explained.
Verdant nodded and looked out of the window of the castle.
"Are you going to tell her?" he asked.
"Of course. And I honestly can't wait to see her reaction."
Cleo carefully flew through the air, not exhausted. Freya and Fratley were not sleeping despite how late it was. Neither felt sleep would be smart. They could either be attacked or fall off Cleo.
Freya carefully crawled over one of Cleo's huge spikes and placed herself next to Fratley.
"Where did you find a shapeshifter?" she asked.
"In a jar," Fratley replied.
"A jar?" Freya asked with surprise.
"Yes, startling enough. She was in a jar." Fratley said. "She said she was captured or something."
Freya nodded. "It's likely."
Fratley was silent. He really didn't know what to say. He could see that Freya had gone through a bit of a rough time. There was a new gash on her head that was probably caused by a rough blow. She was burned slightly in certain areas, and there were long cuts on the side of her jaw. She appeared to have various bruises. Fratley frowned, while Freya suddenly sighed.
"I don't understand," she said.
"Don't understand?" Fratley asked, baffled.
"This 'Julius' or 'Meander' or whatever the hell his name is. He seems almost invincible. The night he kidnapped me I nailed him with Cherry Blossom. He was burned, but he kept moving! Then when I woke up, I noted that most of his burns were gone. He may have Hi-Potions, but I'm not so sure. But I know Hi-Potions wouldn't protect against fire. I finally got away from him using Dragon abilities. They are the only things that hurt him. But then I met him again, and he was almost perfectly fine! He only had a slight limp. I beat him down again, but I still think he's alive. I just can't. kill him," Freya said, shaking her head. "I don't understand it."
Fratley stared at Freya with sympathetic eyes. He put his arm around her shoulders and wished he had something he could say. Freya sighed.
"I did find out something, though," she commented.
"What?" Fratley asked.
"Magic hurts him," Freya said. "If we were only mages."
"We could always buy scrolls," Fratley commented.
"Perhaps." Freya trailed off and suddenly changed the subject. "Do you have an extra weapon?"
"Um." Fratley jogged his memory. Had he packed any weapons other than his own? "No, sorry."
"I suppose I'll just get one in Alexandria, then," Freya said. She then surprised Fratley by taking some Gil coins out of her pocket.
"How the heck?" Fratley began.
Freya laughed slightly. "Clearly, that man didn't kidnap me to rob me. Let's see." Freya counted the coins. "I've got 400 here. Darn."
Fratley tried to remember what he brought. "I think I have 3000."
"Filthy rich," Freya muttered teasingly.
"Maybe so!" Fratley said with a light laugh. He then turned to Cleo. "Aren't you tired?"
"Hardly!" Cleo chirped.
"Okay then." Fratley was clearly stumped. "Shapeshifters confuse me."
"Why?" Freya asked.
"Because when she was an Ice Hawk before, she constantly needed to rest. Now she doesn't!" Fratley said.
"Well." Freya thought this over. "Perhaps she needed more rest because she had just gotten out of the jar. Maybe she's regaining her strength."
"Why don't I think of these things?" Fratley asked the cold air of the night. "Am I that stupid?"
Freya smiled at him. "You're not stupid."
"Look!" Cleo chirped.
Freya and Fratley both looked out toward Alexandria. They were shocked to see how close they were to the city.
"How did you move so quickly?" Freya asked.
"I move fine! Time pass quickly!" Cleo commented.
Suddenly Cleo morphed. Freya and Fratley had no danger of falling off due to the fact that she was still solid, but it still surprised them. Soon, Cleo had become a gorgeous yellow chocobo. Unfortunately, she was now not as wide, and Fratley was in mid-air. If it weren't for the fact that Freya grabbed his arm just in time, he would've had a very painful landing.
Cleo flapped her small wings and managed to make a skimpy landing. Flying was not a chocobo's specialty. Freya let go of Fratley's arm, allowing him to fall to the ground.
"Sorry," Freya commented.
"Not you're fault," Fratley said, rising to his feet. "So now what should I do?"
"Lead Cleo in," Freya replied. "Pretend you own her."
"Oh." Fratley said with wonder. "Yes, that would make sense."
Gee, where did your brain go? Freya thought with amusement.
Fratley began to "lead" Cleo over to Alexandria. The city, though not as large as Lindblum, was larger than Burmecia. The two moons' reflections could be seen in the large sword atop Alexandria Castle. In the dark night, the streets appeared to be empty as Fratley, Freya, and Cleo approached the city. A moat surrounded most of the city; rivers separated parts of it and fell down into a gorgeous cascade below the Plateau. The waters glistened in the moons' light.
A Pluto Knight was watching the three approach. His companion was sleeping nearby.
"Welcome to Alexandria," the Pluto Knight said in a rather sleepy voice. He seemed to find Freya, Fratley, and Cleo harmless, and therefore did not object when they entered the city.
The streets were deserted. Everyone was inside his or her houses at such a late hour. Freya could see a candle in the window of the inn.
"How about we take a rest in the inn?" Freya asked Fratley.
"What are we going to do about her?" Fratley asked, motioning to Cleo.
Freya pondered this question. She then got an idea.
"No one can see. Cleo, turn into a bug of some sort," Freya said, getting off Cleo.
Cleo morphed into a butterfly.
"Now we shouldn't have much trouble with her," Freya said. "No one will exactly notice a butterfly."
Fratley nodded his agreement. The three entered the inn, Cleo entering a few seconds after them.
"Welcome," The innkeeper said, clearly happy to get visitors no matter how late it was. "It's 60 Gil to stay a night."
Freya took six small, silver Gil coins from her pocket and gave them to the innkeeper. The innkeeper nodded and tossed her a bronze key.
"Second room on your right upstairs," he said. "Be sure to sign out in the morning. Have a good night."
Freya and Fratley headed upstairs, Cleo following in random movements a few seconds after. They soon found the right room and entered. It was a small, simple room with three rooms.
"I guess he thought the butterfly needed a bed, too," Fratley commented.
Freya laughed lightly, shaking her head with disbelief. Fratley tossed his pack into a corner. Cleo transformed into a black cat with orange eyes. Freya closed the door, not wanting anyone to notice Cleo. Fratley yawned suddenly while Cleo leapt onto one of the beds. Freya suppressed a sleepy yawn. She walked over to Fratley and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Have a good rest," she told him.
Fratley kissed her back. "You as well."
The two settled down in the remaining two beds to sleep.
------- Bad chapter ending, I know. But at least it's not a cliffhanger, right? Anyway, more information is slowly being given to you and guess what? More characters appear in the next chapter! Yay! =)
The world of Gaia and most of its inhabitants are copyright to SquareEnix. This story and some inhabitants, monsters, and even a continent (?!) are copyright to me. But SquareEnix owns most of it.
Burmecia; Castle Grounds; Late at Night
The Burmecian walked silently through the Castle Grounds, any familiar features covered by a thick black cloak. He looked around, only to find no one around. He smiled, then headed toward the castle. Following him was another Burmecian that was perhaps ten years younger.
Finally, they found someone. A man dressed completely in black watched them, his eyes completely black. A heavy sword was strapped to his thigh. He walked over to the Burmecians.
"You're late," he hissed in a cold voice.
"Sorry," the older Burmecian said. "It was hard getting away from rebuilding without anyone seeing us."
"Why did you bring someone with you?" the man asked in a hiss.
The older Burmecian grabbed his fellow Burmecian by the arm and brought him roughly forward.
"Speak your name," the man growled.
"Raven," the younger Burmecian said nervously.
"Why did you bring someone?" the man asked the older Burmecian.
"Raven doesn't like her anymore than we do. Besides, he's an excellent fighter. He could help you," the older Burmecian said.
"Looks weak to me," the man commented.
"I'm not a weakling. I could kick your ass!" Raven snarled.
The man smashed his fist into Raven's jaw, knocking him over. The man laughed at Raven.
"You're a weakling. But perhaps you could be of service to me." the man growled.
Raven rose to his feet and took out his ax. "Try me, you bastard! You think I'm weak!"
Raven rushed forward and brought his ax down on the man's head. Nothing happened, shocking him. The man took out his sword and slashed open Raven's arm. Raven backed away, dropping his heavy ax. The man then kicked Raven to the ground.
"Don't you dare underestimate. I could kill you in five seconds, but you could be useful. Besides, Ebon seems to like you," the man said. He then gazed at the older Burmecian. "What is so handy about this idiot, Ebon?"
"He's one of the most powerful warriors in Burmecia. Only Freya and Fratley beat him." Ebon trailed off.
"I don't really care. What use is he to me? Come to think of it."
The man suddenly pinned Ebon against a wall.
"I don't see what use you are becoming. You haven't helped me once. When am I going to get the Gil, and when are you going to do something for me?" The man asked harshly.
Ebon swallowed nervously. "Y-You didn't kill her. So I can't give you the money. A-And Raven can easily be an assassin for you."
"I don't hire Burmecians," the man said. "I kill them."
"Hey, it looks like you hired Ebon!" Raven shouted, rising to his feet.
The man whipped around and slashed Raven in the other arm. The Burmecian backed away. Clearly the man was smirking behind the cloth covering his face. He then turned to Ebon.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill the both of you now," the man growled, lifting his sword.
"You wouldn't get the money," Ebon snarled. "Or benefits. Don't you forget that I'm helping you locate targets for your silly Collaboration. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't know who's weak and helpless and who kicks ass."
"And I thought that the female you set me against was weak!" the man roared.
"You were able to kidnap her," Ebon growled.
"And she escaped! She escaped my clutches, can beat me down, and I can't find her! She's much more powerful than you made her out to be!"
"Someone's coming!" Raven cried.
The man looked in the direction of the castle to see what appeared to be a kid walking toward them. He laughed.
"It's a child," he grunted with amusement.
The man released his hold on Ebon and stepped toward the child approaching them. He stopped a few feet away, and so did the child. The child appeared to be eleven years old, and he didn't look to have any weapons. He wore royal clothing, and had angry blue eyes.
"Get out of here, child. Otherwise, you may meet your maker quickly," the man warned.
"You heard him, weak Puck," Raven snapped.
Puck only stared at the party he was faced with. "All of you, scram."
The man laughed. "You don't know who you're talking to. Do you really know who I am?"
"Yeah, a bastard. Get out of here," Puck commented.
The man's eyes narrowed. "You asked for it." He rushed for Puck.
A shot of fire came from the behind Puck and nailed the man. The man toppled to the ground. A black mage soon appeared beside Puck.
"God, you really are annoying," the black mage commented. "Go away."
The man disappeared. Ebon and Raven took one look at Puck and ran off. Puck sighed.
"Thanks, Verdant," he said. "You know that guy?"
"Not exactly. I just know what hurts him," the black mage Verdant commented.
"What?"
"Magic," Verdant told Puck.
"Magic? No wonder Freya couldn't scratch him!"
"Yeah. Physical attacks don't cut it very well. I guess a really powerful Dragon ability would nail him good, but magic is the best." Verdant paused. "Who were those two Burmecians?"
"Two complete idiots," Puck told him. "Neither of them have any idea how much trouble they are in! I knew they were behind all of this."
"Behind what?" Verdant asked, looking up at Puck.
"Come with me and I'll tell you," Puck said.
The two headed toward the castle.
"But why?" Verdant asked after Puck had told his story. "Freya helped saved this word from destruction! Why would anyone want her dead, especially her own people?"
"Raven and Ebon are just bastards, and that's the end of it. Raven and Freya were always rivals, and Raven was always jealous of her. As for Ebon. He just hates all women. He and Freya also got into a fight quite a while ago. Freya was only 17, and she creamed him. Ebon hated her ever since. To the two of them, it doesn't matter that she helped save the world. Their hatred and stupidity blind out their senses," Puck explained.
Verdant nodded and looked out of the window of the castle.
"Are you going to tell her?" he asked.
"Of course. And I honestly can't wait to see her reaction."
Cleo carefully flew through the air, not exhausted. Freya and Fratley were not sleeping despite how late it was. Neither felt sleep would be smart. They could either be attacked or fall off Cleo.
Freya carefully crawled over one of Cleo's huge spikes and placed herself next to Fratley.
"Where did you find a shapeshifter?" she asked.
"In a jar," Fratley replied.
"A jar?" Freya asked with surprise.
"Yes, startling enough. She was in a jar." Fratley said. "She said she was captured or something."
Freya nodded. "It's likely."
Fratley was silent. He really didn't know what to say. He could see that Freya had gone through a bit of a rough time. There was a new gash on her head that was probably caused by a rough blow. She was burned slightly in certain areas, and there were long cuts on the side of her jaw. She appeared to have various bruises. Fratley frowned, while Freya suddenly sighed.
"I don't understand," she said.
"Don't understand?" Fratley asked, baffled.
"This 'Julius' or 'Meander' or whatever the hell his name is. He seems almost invincible. The night he kidnapped me I nailed him with Cherry Blossom. He was burned, but he kept moving! Then when I woke up, I noted that most of his burns were gone. He may have Hi-Potions, but I'm not so sure. But I know Hi-Potions wouldn't protect against fire. I finally got away from him using Dragon abilities. They are the only things that hurt him. But then I met him again, and he was almost perfectly fine! He only had a slight limp. I beat him down again, but I still think he's alive. I just can't. kill him," Freya said, shaking her head. "I don't understand it."
Fratley stared at Freya with sympathetic eyes. He put his arm around her shoulders and wished he had something he could say. Freya sighed.
"I did find out something, though," she commented.
"What?" Fratley asked.
"Magic hurts him," Freya said. "If we were only mages."
"We could always buy scrolls," Fratley commented.
"Perhaps." Freya trailed off and suddenly changed the subject. "Do you have an extra weapon?"
"Um." Fratley jogged his memory. Had he packed any weapons other than his own? "No, sorry."
"I suppose I'll just get one in Alexandria, then," Freya said. She then surprised Fratley by taking some Gil coins out of her pocket.
"How the heck?" Fratley began.
Freya laughed slightly. "Clearly, that man didn't kidnap me to rob me. Let's see." Freya counted the coins. "I've got 400 here. Darn."
Fratley tried to remember what he brought. "I think I have 3000."
"Filthy rich," Freya muttered teasingly.
"Maybe so!" Fratley said with a light laugh. He then turned to Cleo. "Aren't you tired?"
"Hardly!" Cleo chirped.
"Okay then." Fratley was clearly stumped. "Shapeshifters confuse me."
"Why?" Freya asked.
"Because when she was an Ice Hawk before, she constantly needed to rest. Now she doesn't!" Fratley said.
"Well." Freya thought this over. "Perhaps she needed more rest because she had just gotten out of the jar. Maybe she's regaining her strength."
"Why don't I think of these things?" Fratley asked the cold air of the night. "Am I that stupid?"
Freya smiled at him. "You're not stupid."
"Look!" Cleo chirped.
Freya and Fratley both looked out toward Alexandria. They were shocked to see how close they were to the city.
"How did you move so quickly?" Freya asked.
"I move fine! Time pass quickly!" Cleo commented.
Suddenly Cleo morphed. Freya and Fratley had no danger of falling off due to the fact that she was still solid, but it still surprised them. Soon, Cleo had become a gorgeous yellow chocobo. Unfortunately, she was now not as wide, and Fratley was in mid-air. If it weren't for the fact that Freya grabbed his arm just in time, he would've had a very painful landing.
Cleo flapped her small wings and managed to make a skimpy landing. Flying was not a chocobo's specialty. Freya let go of Fratley's arm, allowing him to fall to the ground.
"Sorry," Freya commented.
"Not you're fault," Fratley said, rising to his feet. "So now what should I do?"
"Lead Cleo in," Freya replied. "Pretend you own her."
"Oh." Fratley said with wonder. "Yes, that would make sense."
Gee, where did your brain go? Freya thought with amusement.
Fratley began to "lead" Cleo over to Alexandria. The city, though not as large as Lindblum, was larger than Burmecia. The two moons' reflections could be seen in the large sword atop Alexandria Castle. In the dark night, the streets appeared to be empty as Fratley, Freya, and Cleo approached the city. A moat surrounded most of the city; rivers separated parts of it and fell down into a gorgeous cascade below the Plateau. The waters glistened in the moons' light.
A Pluto Knight was watching the three approach. His companion was sleeping nearby.
"Welcome to Alexandria," the Pluto Knight said in a rather sleepy voice. He seemed to find Freya, Fratley, and Cleo harmless, and therefore did not object when they entered the city.
The streets were deserted. Everyone was inside his or her houses at such a late hour. Freya could see a candle in the window of the inn.
"How about we take a rest in the inn?" Freya asked Fratley.
"What are we going to do about her?" Fratley asked, motioning to Cleo.
Freya pondered this question. She then got an idea.
"No one can see. Cleo, turn into a bug of some sort," Freya said, getting off Cleo.
Cleo morphed into a butterfly.
"Now we shouldn't have much trouble with her," Freya said. "No one will exactly notice a butterfly."
Fratley nodded his agreement. The three entered the inn, Cleo entering a few seconds after them.
"Welcome," The innkeeper said, clearly happy to get visitors no matter how late it was. "It's 60 Gil to stay a night."
Freya took six small, silver Gil coins from her pocket and gave them to the innkeeper. The innkeeper nodded and tossed her a bronze key.
"Second room on your right upstairs," he said. "Be sure to sign out in the morning. Have a good night."
Freya and Fratley headed upstairs, Cleo following in random movements a few seconds after. They soon found the right room and entered. It was a small, simple room with three rooms.
"I guess he thought the butterfly needed a bed, too," Fratley commented.
Freya laughed lightly, shaking her head with disbelief. Fratley tossed his pack into a corner. Cleo transformed into a black cat with orange eyes. Freya closed the door, not wanting anyone to notice Cleo. Fratley yawned suddenly while Cleo leapt onto one of the beds. Freya suppressed a sleepy yawn. She walked over to Fratley and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Have a good rest," she told him.
Fratley kissed her back. "You as well."
The two settled down in the remaining two beds to sleep.
------- Bad chapter ending, I know. But at least it's not a cliffhanger, right? Anyway, more information is slowly being given to you and guess what? More characters appear in the next chapter! Yay! =)
The world of Gaia and most of its inhabitants are copyright to SquareEnix. This story and some inhabitants, monsters, and even a continent (?!) are copyright to me. But SquareEnix owns most of it.