Chapter Thirteen
Nolrich Heights; Yeti Springs; Midnight
A dream, a nightmare to be exact. A nightmare coming from a person who really didn't need nightmares. A cry, a dream-cry, for help to a person who couldn't help, screamed in his mind. Then it died, replaced by a feeling of true sorrow.
Wanderer took a deep breath and opened his russet eyes to stare at the looming clouds. Soft flurries fell onto his face, and the rest of him was untouched since he was mostly underwater. He closed his eyes again and concentrated on the dreamer. Slowly he sank under the frothy waters of the springs.
She was not leading the best life. She was not injured, at least not in a physical sense, but she was ill with Teleportation Plague. Her boyfriend, apparently, had left without a goodbye, and she was fearful for his safety. She was being stalked, and – suddenly Wanderer recognized the dreamer.
So Freya had made it out of the mountains. Sure, now she was sick and most unhappy, but Wanderer could change that. He opened his eyes, then quickly regretted it as the waters stung his eyes. He slowly floated to the surface of the water and sprayed a bunch of water out of his mouth.
"Once again Eroy will be performing his magic, Landloper," Wanderer told his dog, who was resting on a fur blanket. "How exciting, no?"
Landloper only yawned. Clearly he wasn't excited. Wanderer drew two lines in front of his eyes, leaving the burning trail. He closed his eyes, concentrating on Freya, and what she had looked like last time he saw her. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at Freya, and she looked sick. He touched the vision lightly with his index finger, and was teleported straight to Freya's mind. There were enough memories to choose from once he broke through the nightmare.
One looked especially promising during such a time. Burmecians were suckers for dates on roofs, and apparently Freya was no exception. One peaceful night she and Fratley had a date on a roof during the spring. It sounded nice; not necessarily Wanderer's thing, but nice.
Carefully Wanderer reached out a hand and took the memory. It came as a soft string. He made it easy to grasp, then took the nightmare. He pulled out right to his face. Wanderer then took the memory thread and carefully snapped it in two. The two pieces quickly grew to become two of the same memory. Replacing one memory strand back in its original position, Wanderer then snapped a small piece form the nightmare. He took the other memory strand and added the nightmare piece. The memory strand became a dream. Wander then carefully placed the dream back into its rightful position. Freya could sleep easy now.
As for the nightmare... Wanderer took the nightmare strand and crushed it. It fell as a soft powder into the springs. Wanderer then brushed the fiery lines away, along with the vision. He felt tired, but satisfied.
"The Dreamweaver works again," he said with satisfaction.
Landloper yawned and laid his head down. He watched as his owner swam into an upright position. Wanderer squeezed the water out of his long roan hair. He swam to the edge of the springs and got out. Shivering in the cold air, he looked over at Landloper to find he was taking up two blankets.
"Hey, I need one of those," Wanderer said, grabbing the edge of one blanket and pulling.
Landloper reluctantly moved off one of the blankets. Wanderer wrapped it around him and sat near Landloper. The warmth of the Great Dane's body was helping to dry him off and keep him warm in the frigid air. Silence passed for a few moments until Wanderer heard footsteps. Swiftly yet silently Wanderer tossed the blanket aside and dived into the springs. Landloper followed equally swiftly. Silently they swam under the waterfall supplying the spring waters. Wanderer surfaced and stared through the powerful waterfall while Landloper settled on a boulder near the waterfall. They were hidden from view.
Four humans stepped into the area. One of them was dressed completely in black and appeared to be limping. Another was a 15-year-old girl with gorgeous, long brown hair, a tight leather suit, and a Wizard Rod. Her hair was tied back in a braid. A 17-year-old man with a Black Mage outfit was with them, but he had no pointy hat and his face was perfectly human except for the fact that his normal-looking eyes were yellow. His staff appeared to be a Cypress Pile. The final person in the group was a 30-year-old who was apparently a tracker.
"No one is here," the Black Mage commented.
"But they were," the tracker said. "Look at the mess. And the tracks are fresh."
"They are from a Burmecian," the girl said.
"Don't worry about it," the man in black said. "Let's just camp here briefly."
The Black Mage nodded and took off a pack slumped around his shoulders. The man in black also took off a pack and began setting up a campfire. The girl knelt down beside the springs.
"I could use a bath," she moaned softly. The man in black threw a fur blanket at her.
"Then take one. We won't look," he said gruffly.
The girl shed her clothes and waded into the stream. Landloper and Wanderer exchanged glances. Hoping she wouldn't come near the waterfall, Wanderer held his breath. To his relief, the man in black spoke.
"Don't go far," the man in black told the girl as she surfaced. "There may be something behind that waterfall, and we don't want you eaten."
"Fine," the girl said, and Wanderer allowed himself to breathe.
The man in black had a fireplace set up. The Black Mage started a fire, then returned to getting supplies out. The man in black walked over to Wanderer's stuff and began rummaging through it while the tracker examined the snow and rocks.
"There's a lot of good crap in here," the man in black said.
"Like what?" the tracker asked.
"Food, weapons, medicine, and Gil," the man in black said. "I don't think we can carry it all though."
"Let's take what we can, then," the girl said as she got out of the springs and wrapped the blanket around her. Her hair was no longer in a braid and she began to wring it. "We could use the medicine and food."
"What weapons are there?" the Black Mage asked.
"Javelins, arrows, and a sword," the man in black said as he took the medicine out of Wanderer's supplies.
"Ah, nothing good," the girl moaned.
"Except the arrows," the Black Mage said. "Are they suitable for the crossbow?"
"Yes, some of them," the man in black said. He took most of the arrows out of Wanderer's supplies, then took a bunch of food. "There. That should be all we can take."
Wanderer clenched his fists, yet didn't move. Landloper almost growled but Wanderer silenced him with a glare. The man in black opened his pack and put the supplies he took from Wanderer's stuff into his pack. The Black Mage settled down in front of the fire and took out some food. The girl, now fully dressed, sat beside him and began to eat some of the food. The tracker also sat down, as did the man in black. They all began to eat slowly.
"How far are we from Burmecia?" the girl asked.
"Not far. We probably only need to travel another day," the man in black said.
"I still don't understand why we're going there. She isn't there," the Black Mage said with confusion.
"Because the king is there, and so is Ebon," the man in black grunted. "I have a perfect idea to give ourselves a little entertainment and to insure that the rat we're after won't be returning back to her place of sanctuary."
"Oh," the Black Mage said. "So basically we're going to kill the king?"
"You learn quickly," the man in black said.
"I heard the king was only a kid," the girl said.
"But he has enough guards, spunk, and Dragon Knights to boot," the man in black said. "Don't worry. We have a challenge on the way. We have to kill the king, and then make Ebon look like the perfect king..."
"What good does it do to make Ebon king?" the tracker asked.
"He hates her," the man in black said simply.
A silence followed as the group understood what the man in black meant. Wanderer hoped he could remember this conversation. He wished he could move, but the slightest movement would draw the group's attention. Landloper yawned lazily, then rose to his feet, claws scraping the rock.
"What was that?" the girl asked.
"Just a critter," the man in black said.
"Pretty big critter," the Black Mage said.
"Yeah, well leave it alone," the man in black grunted. "We need to save our strength."
The other three nodded in agreement. Wanderer slowly lowered himself into the water, not only to make no sudden moves, but because he could only move slowly. The girl looked up, but she saw nothing but a disturbance of water near the waterfall. Soon, everyone else was looking up as they heard something else enter the water. Slowly Wanderer swam through the water, closely followed by Landloper, who managed to keep completely submerged. Then, they both stopped moving. Wanderer carefully placed himself in a jumping position.
Suddenly Wanderer leapt out of the water, napped a few arrows and his bow, and jumped back in. He appeared almost lame as one leg dragged along with him, yet by moving on all fours, he moved swiftly enough. The man in black stood up, drawing his sword, but Wanderer was already gone.
"What was that?" the girl asked nervously.
"I don't know," the man in black said. "Some white monster, probably."
"A Yeti?" the tracker asked, nervous.
"No, too small," The Black Mage said.
The Black Mage rose and peered into the waters. Suddenly an arrow flew out of the frothy spring waters and nailed the Black Mage in the eye. He screamed with pain and fell into the waters. Wanderer grabbed him and tugged him downward. The Black Mage struggled, but he clearly wasn't a good swimmer. Wanderer dragged the Black Mage downward, but then he felt someone toss him aside. He bumped into Landloper, who would've snarled but he was underwater. Wanderer took his bow, loaded it, and shot an arrow at the man in black, who had dived under. The man in black knocked the arrow aside and swam over quickly. He slashed Wanderer in the chest, then grabbed the Black Mage and surfaced. Wanderer floated slightly to the top, stunned, and he could hear voices.
"What was that?" the girl was asking fearfully.
"Simply a mad creature," the man in black lied. "He won't give us trouble."
"I don't like it here," the girl said nervously. "Can't we camp a little bit away from here?"
"I second that," the Black Mage said with a cough.
"Fine," the man in black said with exasperation. "Fine."
The four packed up in left. Landloper grabbed Wanderer by the neck and swam to shore with him. Wanderer lay gasping, staring at the slightly reddish waters of the spring. He was freezing, but that was not the problem.
"Landloper... Get something to help," Wanderer gasped.
Landloper was rummaging through Wanderer's pack, and soon he came up with a potion that the four people had overlooked. He gnawed at the cork and soon managed to dislodge it. Carefully Landloper brought the potion to Wanderer, and Wanderer reached out and drank it. Soon, the potion reduced his chest wound to a serious wound, yet not a wound that would kill Wanderer in minutes.
Wanderer carefully got himself into a sitting position, one of his legs lying stiff and still in front of him. He reached out and grabbed his blanket and wrapped it around himself. His chest wound was still bleeding, but not as badly as it was. Sensing Wanderer's need for the pack, Landloper nosed the pack over to his owner. Wanderer looked through it to find that all was taken except for a bit of food, his water, his clothes, his machete, the javelins, and his largest arrows. Wanderer let out a heavy sigh, making his chest hurt. He took his machete and used it to slice off a good chunk of the fur blanket. He wrapped this chunk around his wound, then grabbed the leather string he normally used to make sure the pack was closed extra-tight. He used this string to tie the chunk of fur blanket tied to his wound. It was crude, but it would have to do. Wanderer then dressed.
Slowly Wanderer crawled over to the fur blanket Landloper was laying on. Wrapping the other one around his body, Wanderer stared up at the cloudy sky. The snow was falling more rapidly.
You'll make it out of this, Wanderer thought. You're Eroy the Dreamweaver. You can make it. You have to.
He soon fell unconscious.
Freya's night had certainly been a curious one. A horrifying nightmare she had been having suddenly became a peaceful dream, and though it allowed her to have a very refreshing sleep, she woke up confused. The sun appeared to be fairly high in the sky, and a black cat lay watching Freya.
"Did Fratley return?" Freya asked the black cat.
"No," the black cat answered, making Freya sure she was Cleo. "He still gone."
Freya sighed as she stared out the window. "Does anyone know any more about the situation?"
"I no know. Queen look through records but she find nothing on Julius," Cleo chirped.
Freya sighed again. "I see."
She looked past the buildings and toward the horizon, where she could see dark clouds heading toward the mountains. She wished she were back home, regardless of the storm that was heading in Burmecia's direction. She wished Fratley had never left in the first place many years ago, and she wished she would stop wishing things and actually try to do something.
Slowly Freya rose from the bed, her head swimming. Cleo watched her with worry. Freya slowly walked over to the door, stumbling. She took a deep breath.
"You okay?" Cleo asked.
"I'm fine. I am not going to hang around in bed when this is going on," Freya said.
Cleo morphed into a massive dog-like creature around the size of a leopard with green eyes, long white fur, long ears, and a massive mouth full of sharp teeth. She padded over to Freya.
"A Bandersnatch? Is that really necessary?" Freya asked.
"It strong and you ride me anyway!" Cleo chirped.
Freya could only stare as Cleo hoisted Freya onto her back. Cleo then opened the door using her large curled tail and bounded outside.
"Where to?" Cleo asked.
"This is ridiculous," Freya said, shaking her head. "All right, the library. Just don't knock anyone-"
Cleo was already bounding down the stairs and sending Beatrix crashing to the ground. Freya leapt off the wild shapeshifter and toppled down the stairs as well.
"Sorry... She's a little hyper," Freya told Beatrix, as she made an attempt to rise.
"And she's straight out the door," Beatrix commented, watching Cleo bound away.
Freya turned around and watched Cleo bound off. She shook her head and turned back to Beatrix. "You all right?"
"Fine," Beatrix said. "Quite the stunt you just did."
"I was going to fall off eventually anyway," Freya said. Unable to rise without her head spinning, she simply sat on the steps. "Cleo will eventually return."
"What are you doing up?" Beatrix asked, stepping down the stairs and staring at Freya.
"I don't want to be bedridden at such a time," Freya said. "That's all I need to do, make everyone one else do something and get killed in my sleep. I was going to head to the library and see if I could find anything at all that could be useful."
Beatrix nodded. "And what about Cleo?"
"Blame her for that. I was going to walk."
"How so?"
"I would manage."
The two knights heard footsteps and looked up to see Zidane rounding the corner. He stared at them.
"What are you doing?" he asked them.
"Blame Cleo," Beatrix and Freya said together.
"Huh?" Zidane asked, evidently confused.
"Let me explain..." Freya began. "I wanted to go to the library but Cleo insisted that I ride her there. She was going too fast, however, and knocked Beatrix over. I leapt off Cleo so I could make sure Beatrix was all right, resulting in me crashing down the stairs. We've just been talking, waiting for Cleo to return."
"Who's Cleo?" Zidane asked.
"A shapeshifter Fratley freed from a bottle," Freya said.
Beatrix couldn't help but chuckle. "A bottle?"
"Even I don't know the full details," Freya said with a sigh. "Ask him if he comes back."
"He will come back," Zidane said.
Freya lowered her gaze to the floor.
How can you be so sure, Zidane? Freya thought grimly. How can any of us be so sure that Fratley will return?
"Lo and behold," Beatrix said softly. "She returns."
Freya lifted her head and watched as Cleo bounded over to the stairs. Zidane stared at her with shock.
"How did a Bandersnatch get in here?" he asked, grabbing for his dagger.
"It's not a Bandersnatch," Freya said. "It's Cleo."
Cleo morphed into her spiritual form. Zidane stared at her briefly, then put away his dagger.
"Freya, why you jump off?" Cleo asked.
"Cleo..." Freya trailed off, then took a deep breath. "Cleo, I know you're trying to help, but... I don't need you to do so much. You can go enjoy yourself, but if you really insist you can stick around if I need help..."
"Okay!" Cleo chirped morphing into a Trick Sparrow. She then fluttered on Freya's shoulder.
"You remind of a scarecrow, Freya," Zidane said with amusement
"Thanks, Zidane," Freya said with a grunt.
Freya put her hand on the wall and slowly pushed herself to her feet. She wobbled slightly, but when Beatrix went to try and assist her, Freya waved her away. She soon kept herself steady and stepped down the steps carefully.
"I'm going to the library," Freya said.
"Okay. Take it easy, okay?" Zidane said.
"I will," Freya said as she headed slowly toward the library.
"No you won't," Zidane muttered under his breath, but Freya didn't hear him.
It was a good thing the largest encyclopedia in the library was on the bottom shelf. Otherwise Freya would've dropped it on her stomach and pinned herself to the floor, and she was having enough trouble rising already.
Freya did drop the book, but it ended up on her foot and not her stomach. At that point Freya just managed not to scream, but she had figured out how much information was in the book. Kneeling down carefully, Freya picked the heavy book up and away from her throbbing foot. She rose to her feet and limped over to a small wooden table near the massive bookcase. No one paid attention to her, for they knew any offers to help would be politely but firmly declined.
Freya placed the heavy book on the table, and it randomly opened to a page. "Burmecia," the top of the page said. Freya smiled at the irony. Well, that wouldn't get her anywhere, and she already knew everything there was to know about her own home. Freya sat down in a chair and began flipping through the pages in massive chunks. B's, B's, B's... Freya continued flipping idly. B's, B's, C's – hey, a new letter! Freya continued flipping, then suddenly stopped on a page that startled her.
At the very top of the page with the symbol she had seen before. The pentagon with the sword and Leviathan was on the page with the words "Collaboration of Leviathan" written next to it. Freya felt a shiver run down her spine at the words. The words held a spooky feeling, and Freya didn't like it at all. She leaned over the encyclopedia and began to read:
"The Collaboration of Leviathan, or COL, is a powerful and deadly organization started by a man named Julius (see pg. 480)."
Reading only that one sentence made Freya's blood run cold. Julius? Immediately the article dragged Freya in. She continued to read:
"The exact date that the Collaboration was started is not known. Around 1770 an unusually high record of murders began to rise, and most of the victims were Burmecians. Therefore it is assumed that the Collaboration began at that time. The Collaboration either hires or trains assassins to perform sneaky and sudden deaths. Their victims are believed to be chosen, not random, and they are almost always female Burmecians. It is believed that the goal of the Collaboration is to drive the Burmecians to extinction.
"The Collaboration has very quick and sneaky ways of attacking. The most popular method recorded is an arrow to the back, fired by a crossbow. The arrows are very small and therefore hard to detect or hear. They clearly deliver an instant death. Another method is poison, though how the poison is administered is not known. The most popular poison used is Burning Acid (se pg. 289). This poison delivers a slow and painful death. Swords are also used. Various victims have been found with their chests slashed open. Other methods have been used, including kidnapping, but they are very rare.
"The Collaboration is spread out on the Lost, Mist, and Demi-human Continents. They are more numerous on the Mist and Demi-human Continents. Only one of the their headquarters, however, has been discovered. It was found near Tessaih and is very close to the Doorian Coast. It is believed that this location was chosen because of its closeness to major travelling areas. Travelers have been advised to stay away from the Collaboration territory due to attacks.
"As mentioned before, it is believed that the Collaboration's goal is to drive the Burmecians to extinction. Though once the plan to do this was unknown, a plan has been discovered. All victims suspected of being murdered by the Collaboration are female Burmecians. Though many ages have been killed, normally women between the ages of 15 and 40 are selected and killed. This is the same age group that normally is able to and does bear children. Many victims were also pregnant when murdered. This has drawn many to the conclusion that the Collaboration will achieve its goals by killing all female Burmecians."
At this point Freya turned away from the book and stared at the ceiling. Her heart was pounding. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it refused to leave. Taking a shaky breath, Freya wiped away the drool that had somehow managed to find its way to Freya's lips. Was she being stalked by more than a person? Was a whole Collaboration stalking her?
Crap, Freya thought, turning back to the book. Crap, crap, crap.
She continued to read the remaining paragraphs.
"A belief surfaced near the beginning of the deaths that a serpent may be used to kill victims. The only proofs known are serpent bite marks and a slimy substance near the victims. Leviathan also appears on the symbol of the Collaboration, further supporting the belief. It was discarded, however, when no other proof could be found. Some still believe it, however, and spread the belief. One thing that is known, however, is that Behemoths are used by the Collaboration for transportation, lugging of goods, and even attacking. People are advised to stay away from the massive beasts, as they are not tamed and appear to be trained to attack.
"No counterattack against the Collaboration has been successful, however, safety precautions have been formed. Special armor, bodyguards, and even fighting back have all been suggested, but none have been proven to work. Entire armies have been fought back. Alexandria's powerful troops, led by General Beatrix, were completely blown back when an attempt to fight them was tried in 1793. This, and other battles, have caused the Collaboration and all of its members to be classified as 'armed and deadly'."
Freya looked up from the book. She was sweating by this point, though she did not understand exactly what made her so nervous. Surely she could make it through this! Surely, even if an entire Collaboration was after her...
"Shit," Freya muttered as she began to flip to page 480.
To Freya's surprise, there was very little about Julius:
"Julius is a mysterious and highly dangerous man born on the Demi- human Continent. All of his past is unknown, and much about him is also unsure. He has been suspected for over 50 murders in various places, and for each one he has never been caught.
"Julius is the supposed starter of the Collaboration of Leviathan (see pg. 322) and is an expert assassin. His first murder was said to be committed in Tessaih around 1768. A female Burmecian was found dead in her home, an arrow through her back. Various murders were committed sparingly until around 1770, when the murders began to skyrocket. For each Julius was blamed, but no proof has come as of yet.
"Examinations of victims and the few successful spies have revealed many things about the types of weapons and methods of killing Julius uses. He is an expert with a crossbow, and he also has this small, silent crossbow fit with small yet need-sharp arrows. This silent weapon creates only a slight "snap" when the arrow is fired, making it harder to hear than most crossbows. He also holds a powerful, black sword that is believed to be one of the Brother Swords (see pg. 220). Julius can also cast powerful Fire spells, and he is an expert at aiming and throwing. Commonly, Julius' attacks are swift and instant, though he has also delivered long and painful deaths using various attacks and poisons. His most common method of killing is a swift crossbow arrow, but if it does not work, careful observation has shown that he turns to either his sword or swift beatings.
"Julius is also terrifyingly strong. He is very resistant to attacks of any sort, and recovers quickly. He moves swiftly and silently, and attacks without warning. Anyone who is being stalked by him is advised to be on his or her top guard. He has been classified as 'armed and highly dangerous'."
Freya sighed deeply, stressed. She closed the massive book. Meander had a massive crime record. If the article on Julius was bad, she could only imagine Meander's. Slowly Freya rose from the table. Cleo had left a while ago, but she quickly returned to put away the encyclopedia, which Freya had left on the table due to being distracted. Quietly Freya limped out of the library and toward her room. She didn't look at anyone or speak to them. She was too distracted; she was too stressed.
Night offered Freya no consolation. Hours later, she stared at the dark ceiling, her fairly good eyesight making out relative details on the wall. She changed her look to the door, and she could make out the doorknob in the dead of the night. Uneasy, she looked to the window. The moons were just beginning to reach the middle of the grand sky. The stars twinkled softly from beneath clouds that were gathering in the far distance. The night was as peaceful as any night could get.
Freya yawned, but she did not want to allow herself to sleep. Her fear was a natural thing for her to feel, though she had not yet comprehended the true fear that she felt. Freya thought she only felt caution and nervousness, not downright fear. Regardless, her instinct knew: "Thou shall not sleep until peace has come upon the night."
By the time the moons were at their highest peak, exhaustion had taken its toll. Peace seemed to dominate the night and Freya, though it was against her own will, fell asleep.
At the same time, hidden on a strong chandelier in the castle in the Kingdom of Eternal Rain, a black-eyed man with a small crossbow loaded with a needle-sharp arrow muttered a singe word in a quiet yet firm voice.
"Strike."
------------- Do you know who did it? You can make a conclusion at this point, but it's all right if you don't know who is after Freya: Meander or Julius. If you do know, however, don't say: Let's not spoil it for the others =)
Rewrote part of this chapter.
This chapter was full of a lot of information, so if you weren't paying attention, read again! Hehe, anyway, will Puck be killed? What the heck is with Wanderer, and who is he? Find out as the story continues! =)
Thank you to all reviewers. You are very patient and friendly people for dealing with my insanity, delays, and problems gives you all a cookie or two And it's amazing that I had no delay this time, no?
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.
Nolrich Heights; Yeti Springs; Midnight
A dream, a nightmare to be exact. A nightmare coming from a person who really didn't need nightmares. A cry, a dream-cry, for help to a person who couldn't help, screamed in his mind. Then it died, replaced by a feeling of true sorrow.
Wanderer took a deep breath and opened his russet eyes to stare at the looming clouds. Soft flurries fell onto his face, and the rest of him was untouched since he was mostly underwater. He closed his eyes again and concentrated on the dreamer. Slowly he sank under the frothy waters of the springs.
She was not leading the best life. She was not injured, at least not in a physical sense, but she was ill with Teleportation Plague. Her boyfriend, apparently, had left without a goodbye, and she was fearful for his safety. She was being stalked, and – suddenly Wanderer recognized the dreamer.
So Freya had made it out of the mountains. Sure, now she was sick and most unhappy, but Wanderer could change that. He opened his eyes, then quickly regretted it as the waters stung his eyes. He slowly floated to the surface of the water and sprayed a bunch of water out of his mouth.
"Once again Eroy will be performing his magic, Landloper," Wanderer told his dog, who was resting on a fur blanket. "How exciting, no?"
Landloper only yawned. Clearly he wasn't excited. Wanderer drew two lines in front of his eyes, leaving the burning trail. He closed his eyes, concentrating on Freya, and what she had looked like last time he saw her. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring at Freya, and she looked sick. He touched the vision lightly with his index finger, and was teleported straight to Freya's mind. There were enough memories to choose from once he broke through the nightmare.
One looked especially promising during such a time. Burmecians were suckers for dates on roofs, and apparently Freya was no exception. One peaceful night she and Fratley had a date on a roof during the spring. It sounded nice; not necessarily Wanderer's thing, but nice.
Carefully Wanderer reached out a hand and took the memory. It came as a soft string. He made it easy to grasp, then took the nightmare. He pulled out right to his face. Wanderer then took the memory thread and carefully snapped it in two. The two pieces quickly grew to become two of the same memory. Replacing one memory strand back in its original position, Wanderer then snapped a small piece form the nightmare. He took the other memory strand and added the nightmare piece. The memory strand became a dream. Wander then carefully placed the dream back into its rightful position. Freya could sleep easy now.
As for the nightmare... Wanderer took the nightmare strand and crushed it. It fell as a soft powder into the springs. Wanderer then brushed the fiery lines away, along with the vision. He felt tired, but satisfied.
"The Dreamweaver works again," he said with satisfaction.
Landloper yawned and laid his head down. He watched as his owner swam into an upright position. Wanderer squeezed the water out of his long roan hair. He swam to the edge of the springs and got out. Shivering in the cold air, he looked over at Landloper to find he was taking up two blankets.
"Hey, I need one of those," Wanderer said, grabbing the edge of one blanket and pulling.
Landloper reluctantly moved off one of the blankets. Wanderer wrapped it around him and sat near Landloper. The warmth of the Great Dane's body was helping to dry him off and keep him warm in the frigid air. Silence passed for a few moments until Wanderer heard footsteps. Swiftly yet silently Wanderer tossed the blanket aside and dived into the springs. Landloper followed equally swiftly. Silently they swam under the waterfall supplying the spring waters. Wanderer surfaced and stared through the powerful waterfall while Landloper settled on a boulder near the waterfall. They were hidden from view.
Four humans stepped into the area. One of them was dressed completely in black and appeared to be limping. Another was a 15-year-old girl with gorgeous, long brown hair, a tight leather suit, and a Wizard Rod. Her hair was tied back in a braid. A 17-year-old man with a Black Mage outfit was with them, but he had no pointy hat and his face was perfectly human except for the fact that his normal-looking eyes were yellow. His staff appeared to be a Cypress Pile. The final person in the group was a 30-year-old who was apparently a tracker.
"No one is here," the Black Mage commented.
"But they were," the tracker said. "Look at the mess. And the tracks are fresh."
"They are from a Burmecian," the girl said.
"Don't worry about it," the man in black said. "Let's just camp here briefly."
The Black Mage nodded and took off a pack slumped around his shoulders. The man in black also took off a pack and began setting up a campfire. The girl knelt down beside the springs.
"I could use a bath," she moaned softly. The man in black threw a fur blanket at her.
"Then take one. We won't look," he said gruffly.
The girl shed her clothes and waded into the stream. Landloper and Wanderer exchanged glances. Hoping she wouldn't come near the waterfall, Wanderer held his breath. To his relief, the man in black spoke.
"Don't go far," the man in black told the girl as she surfaced. "There may be something behind that waterfall, and we don't want you eaten."
"Fine," the girl said, and Wanderer allowed himself to breathe.
The man in black had a fireplace set up. The Black Mage started a fire, then returned to getting supplies out. The man in black walked over to Wanderer's stuff and began rummaging through it while the tracker examined the snow and rocks.
"There's a lot of good crap in here," the man in black said.
"Like what?" the tracker asked.
"Food, weapons, medicine, and Gil," the man in black said. "I don't think we can carry it all though."
"Let's take what we can, then," the girl said as she got out of the springs and wrapped the blanket around her. Her hair was no longer in a braid and she began to wring it. "We could use the medicine and food."
"What weapons are there?" the Black Mage asked.
"Javelins, arrows, and a sword," the man in black said as he took the medicine out of Wanderer's supplies.
"Ah, nothing good," the girl moaned.
"Except the arrows," the Black Mage said. "Are they suitable for the crossbow?"
"Yes, some of them," the man in black said. He took most of the arrows out of Wanderer's supplies, then took a bunch of food. "There. That should be all we can take."
Wanderer clenched his fists, yet didn't move. Landloper almost growled but Wanderer silenced him with a glare. The man in black opened his pack and put the supplies he took from Wanderer's stuff into his pack. The Black Mage settled down in front of the fire and took out some food. The girl, now fully dressed, sat beside him and began to eat some of the food. The tracker also sat down, as did the man in black. They all began to eat slowly.
"How far are we from Burmecia?" the girl asked.
"Not far. We probably only need to travel another day," the man in black said.
"I still don't understand why we're going there. She isn't there," the Black Mage said with confusion.
"Because the king is there, and so is Ebon," the man in black grunted. "I have a perfect idea to give ourselves a little entertainment and to insure that the rat we're after won't be returning back to her place of sanctuary."
"Oh," the Black Mage said. "So basically we're going to kill the king?"
"You learn quickly," the man in black said.
"I heard the king was only a kid," the girl said.
"But he has enough guards, spunk, and Dragon Knights to boot," the man in black said. "Don't worry. We have a challenge on the way. We have to kill the king, and then make Ebon look like the perfect king..."
"What good does it do to make Ebon king?" the tracker asked.
"He hates her," the man in black said simply.
A silence followed as the group understood what the man in black meant. Wanderer hoped he could remember this conversation. He wished he could move, but the slightest movement would draw the group's attention. Landloper yawned lazily, then rose to his feet, claws scraping the rock.
"What was that?" the girl asked.
"Just a critter," the man in black said.
"Pretty big critter," the Black Mage said.
"Yeah, well leave it alone," the man in black grunted. "We need to save our strength."
The other three nodded in agreement. Wanderer slowly lowered himself into the water, not only to make no sudden moves, but because he could only move slowly. The girl looked up, but she saw nothing but a disturbance of water near the waterfall. Soon, everyone else was looking up as they heard something else enter the water. Slowly Wanderer swam through the water, closely followed by Landloper, who managed to keep completely submerged. Then, they both stopped moving. Wanderer carefully placed himself in a jumping position.
Suddenly Wanderer leapt out of the water, napped a few arrows and his bow, and jumped back in. He appeared almost lame as one leg dragged along with him, yet by moving on all fours, he moved swiftly enough. The man in black stood up, drawing his sword, but Wanderer was already gone.
"What was that?" the girl asked nervously.
"I don't know," the man in black said. "Some white monster, probably."
"A Yeti?" the tracker asked, nervous.
"No, too small," The Black Mage said.
The Black Mage rose and peered into the waters. Suddenly an arrow flew out of the frothy spring waters and nailed the Black Mage in the eye. He screamed with pain and fell into the waters. Wanderer grabbed him and tugged him downward. The Black Mage struggled, but he clearly wasn't a good swimmer. Wanderer dragged the Black Mage downward, but then he felt someone toss him aside. He bumped into Landloper, who would've snarled but he was underwater. Wanderer took his bow, loaded it, and shot an arrow at the man in black, who had dived under. The man in black knocked the arrow aside and swam over quickly. He slashed Wanderer in the chest, then grabbed the Black Mage and surfaced. Wanderer floated slightly to the top, stunned, and he could hear voices.
"What was that?" the girl was asking fearfully.
"Simply a mad creature," the man in black lied. "He won't give us trouble."
"I don't like it here," the girl said nervously. "Can't we camp a little bit away from here?"
"I second that," the Black Mage said with a cough.
"Fine," the man in black said with exasperation. "Fine."
The four packed up in left. Landloper grabbed Wanderer by the neck and swam to shore with him. Wanderer lay gasping, staring at the slightly reddish waters of the spring. He was freezing, but that was not the problem.
"Landloper... Get something to help," Wanderer gasped.
Landloper was rummaging through Wanderer's pack, and soon he came up with a potion that the four people had overlooked. He gnawed at the cork and soon managed to dislodge it. Carefully Landloper brought the potion to Wanderer, and Wanderer reached out and drank it. Soon, the potion reduced his chest wound to a serious wound, yet not a wound that would kill Wanderer in minutes.
Wanderer carefully got himself into a sitting position, one of his legs lying stiff and still in front of him. He reached out and grabbed his blanket and wrapped it around himself. His chest wound was still bleeding, but not as badly as it was. Sensing Wanderer's need for the pack, Landloper nosed the pack over to his owner. Wanderer looked through it to find that all was taken except for a bit of food, his water, his clothes, his machete, the javelins, and his largest arrows. Wanderer let out a heavy sigh, making his chest hurt. He took his machete and used it to slice off a good chunk of the fur blanket. He wrapped this chunk around his wound, then grabbed the leather string he normally used to make sure the pack was closed extra-tight. He used this string to tie the chunk of fur blanket tied to his wound. It was crude, but it would have to do. Wanderer then dressed.
Slowly Wanderer crawled over to the fur blanket Landloper was laying on. Wrapping the other one around his body, Wanderer stared up at the cloudy sky. The snow was falling more rapidly.
You'll make it out of this, Wanderer thought. You're Eroy the Dreamweaver. You can make it. You have to.
He soon fell unconscious.
Freya's night had certainly been a curious one. A horrifying nightmare she had been having suddenly became a peaceful dream, and though it allowed her to have a very refreshing sleep, she woke up confused. The sun appeared to be fairly high in the sky, and a black cat lay watching Freya.
"Did Fratley return?" Freya asked the black cat.
"No," the black cat answered, making Freya sure she was Cleo. "He still gone."
Freya sighed as she stared out the window. "Does anyone know any more about the situation?"
"I no know. Queen look through records but she find nothing on Julius," Cleo chirped.
Freya sighed again. "I see."
She looked past the buildings and toward the horizon, where she could see dark clouds heading toward the mountains. She wished she were back home, regardless of the storm that was heading in Burmecia's direction. She wished Fratley had never left in the first place many years ago, and she wished she would stop wishing things and actually try to do something.
Slowly Freya rose from the bed, her head swimming. Cleo watched her with worry. Freya slowly walked over to the door, stumbling. She took a deep breath.
"You okay?" Cleo asked.
"I'm fine. I am not going to hang around in bed when this is going on," Freya said.
Cleo morphed into a massive dog-like creature around the size of a leopard with green eyes, long white fur, long ears, and a massive mouth full of sharp teeth. She padded over to Freya.
"A Bandersnatch? Is that really necessary?" Freya asked.
"It strong and you ride me anyway!" Cleo chirped.
Freya could only stare as Cleo hoisted Freya onto her back. Cleo then opened the door using her large curled tail and bounded outside.
"Where to?" Cleo asked.
"This is ridiculous," Freya said, shaking her head. "All right, the library. Just don't knock anyone-"
Cleo was already bounding down the stairs and sending Beatrix crashing to the ground. Freya leapt off the wild shapeshifter and toppled down the stairs as well.
"Sorry... She's a little hyper," Freya told Beatrix, as she made an attempt to rise.
"And she's straight out the door," Beatrix commented, watching Cleo bound away.
Freya turned around and watched Cleo bound off. She shook her head and turned back to Beatrix. "You all right?"
"Fine," Beatrix said. "Quite the stunt you just did."
"I was going to fall off eventually anyway," Freya said. Unable to rise without her head spinning, she simply sat on the steps. "Cleo will eventually return."
"What are you doing up?" Beatrix asked, stepping down the stairs and staring at Freya.
"I don't want to be bedridden at such a time," Freya said. "That's all I need to do, make everyone one else do something and get killed in my sleep. I was going to head to the library and see if I could find anything at all that could be useful."
Beatrix nodded. "And what about Cleo?"
"Blame her for that. I was going to walk."
"How so?"
"I would manage."
The two knights heard footsteps and looked up to see Zidane rounding the corner. He stared at them.
"What are you doing?" he asked them.
"Blame Cleo," Beatrix and Freya said together.
"Huh?" Zidane asked, evidently confused.
"Let me explain..." Freya began. "I wanted to go to the library but Cleo insisted that I ride her there. She was going too fast, however, and knocked Beatrix over. I leapt off Cleo so I could make sure Beatrix was all right, resulting in me crashing down the stairs. We've just been talking, waiting for Cleo to return."
"Who's Cleo?" Zidane asked.
"A shapeshifter Fratley freed from a bottle," Freya said.
Beatrix couldn't help but chuckle. "A bottle?"
"Even I don't know the full details," Freya said with a sigh. "Ask him if he comes back."
"He will come back," Zidane said.
Freya lowered her gaze to the floor.
How can you be so sure, Zidane? Freya thought grimly. How can any of us be so sure that Fratley will return?
"Lo and behold," Beatrix said softly. "She returns."
Freya lifted her head and watched as Cleo bounded over to the stairs. Zidane stared at her with shock.
"How did a Bandersnatch get in here?" he asked, grabbing for his dagger.
"It's not a Bandersnatch," Freya said. "It's Cleo."
Cleo morphed into her spiritual form. Zidane stared at her briefly, then put away his dagger.
"Freya, why you jump off?" Cleo asked.
"Cleo..." Freya trailed off, then took a deep breath. "Cleo, I know you're trying to help, but... I don't need you to do so much. You can go enjoy yourself, but if you really insist you can stick around if I need help..."
"Okay!" Cleo chirped morphing into a Trick Sparrow. She then fluttered on Freya's shoulder.
"You remind of a scarecrow, Freya," Zidane said with amusement
"Thanks, Zidane," Freya said with a grunt.
Freya put her hand on the wall and slowly pushed herself to her feet. She wobbled slightly, but when Beatrix went to try and assist her, Freya waved her away. She soon kept herself steady and stepped down the steps carefully.
"I'm going to the library," Freya said.
"Okay. Take it easy, okay?" Zidane said.
"I will," Freya said as she headed slowly toward the library.
"No you won't," Zidane muttered under his breath, but Freya didn't hear him.
It was a good thing the largest encyclopedia in the library was on the bottom shelf. Otherwise Freya would've dropped it on her stomach and pinned herself to the floor, and she was having enough trouble rising already.
Freya did drop the book, but it ended up on her foot and not her stomach. At that point Freya just managed not to scream, but she had figured out how much information was in the book. Kneeling down carefully, Freya picked the heavy book up and away from her throbbing foot. She rose to her feet and limped over to a small wooden table near the massive bookcase. No one paid attention to her, for they knew any offers to help would be politely but firmly declined.
Freya placed the heavy book on the table, and it randomly opened to a page. "Burmecia," the top of the page said. Freya smiled at the irony. Well, that wouldn't get her anywhere, and she already knew everything there was to know about her own home. Freya sat down in a chair and began flipping through the pages in massive chunks. B's, B's, B's... Freya continued flipping idly. B's, B's, C's – hey, a new letter! Freya continued flipping, then suddenly stopped on a page that startled her.
At the very top of the page with the symbol she had seen before. The pentagon with the sword and Leviathan was on the page with the words "Collaboration of Leviathan" written next to it. Freya felt a shiver run down her spine at the words. The words held a spooky feeling, and Freya didn't like it at all. She leaned over the encyclopedia and began to read:
"The Collaboration of Leviathan, or COL, is a powerful and deadly organization started by a man named Julius (see pg. 480)."
Reading only that one sentence made Freya's blood run cold. Julius? Immediately the article dragged Freya in. She continued to read:
"The exact date that the Collaboration was started is not known. Around 1770 an unusually high record of murders began to rise, and most of the victims were Burmecians. Therefore it is assumed that the Collaboration began at that time. The Collaboration either hires or trains assassins to perform sneaky and sudden deaths. Their victims are believed to be chosen, not random, and they are almost always female Burmecians. It is believed that the goal of the Collaboration is to drive the Burmecians to extinction.
"The Collaboration has very quick and sneaky ways of attacking. The most popular method recorded is an arrow to the back, fired by a crossbow. The arrows are very small and therefore hard to detect or hear. They clearly deliver an instant death. Another method is poison, though how the poison is administered is not known. The most popular poison used is Burning Acid (se pg. 289). This poison delivers a slow and painful death. Swords are also used. Various victims have been found with their chests slashed open. Other methods have been used, including kidnapping, but they are very rare.
"The Collaboration is spread out on the Lost, Mist, and Demi-human Continents. They are more numerous on the Mist and Demi-human Continents. Only one of the their headquarters, however, has been discovered. It was found near Tessaih and is very close to the Doorian Coast. It is believed that this location was chosen because of its closeness to major travelling areas. Travelers have been advised to stay away from the Collaboration territory due to attacks.
"As mentioned before, it is believed that the Collaboration's goal is to drive the Burmecians to extinction. Though once the plan to do this was unknown, a plan has been discovered. All victims suspected of being murdered by the Collaboration are female Burmecians. Though many ages have been killed, normally women between the ages of 15 and 40 are selected and killed. This is the same age group that normally is able to and does bear children. Many victims were also pregnant when murdered. This has drawn many to the conclusion that the Collaboration will achieve its goals by killing all female Burmecians."
At this point Freya turned away from the book and stared at the ceiling. Her heart was pounding. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it refused to leave. Taking a shaky breath, Freya wiped away the drool that had somehow managed to find its way to Freya's lips. Was she being stalked by more than a person? Was a whole Collaboration stalking her?
Crap, Freya thought, turning back to the book. Crap, crap, crap.
She continued to read the remaining paragraphs.
"A belief surfaced near the beginning of the deaths that a serpent may be used to kill victims. The only proofs known are serpent bite marks and a slimy substance near the victims. Leviathan also appears on the symbol of the Collaboration, further supporting the belief. It was discarded, however, when no other proof could be found. Some still believe it, however, and spread the belief. One thing that is known, however, is that Behemoths are used by the Collaboration for transportation, lugging of goods, and even attacking. People are advised to stay away from the massive beasts, as they are not tamed and appear to be trained to attack.
"No counterattack against the Collaboration has been successful, however, safety precautions have been formed. Special armor, bodyguards, and even fighting back have all been suggested, but none have been proven to work. Entire armies have been fought back. Alexandria's powerful troops, led by General Beatrix, were completely blown back when an attempt to fight them was tried in 1793. This, and other battles, have caused the Collaboration and all of its members to be classified as 'armed and deadly'."
Freya looked up from the book. She was sweating by this point, though she did not understand exactly what made her so nervous. Surely she could make it through this! Surely, even if an entire Collaboration was after her...
"Shit," Freya muttered as she began to flip to page 480.
To Freya's surprise, there was very little about Julius:
"Julius is a mysterious and highly dangerous man born on the Demi- human Continent. All of his past is unknown, and much about him is also unsure. He has been suspected for over 50 murders in various places, and for each one he has never been caught.
"Julius is the supposed starter of the Collaboration of Leviathan (see pg. 322) and is an expert assassin. His first murder was said to be committed in Tessaih around 1768. A female Burmecian was found dead in her home, an arrow through her back. Various murders were committed sparingly until around 1770, when the murders began to skyrocket. For each Julius was blamed, but no proof has come as of yet.
"Examinations of victims and the few successful spies have revealed many things about the types of weapons and methods of killing Julius uses. He is an expert with a crossbow, and he also has this small, silent crossbow fit with small yet need-sharp arrows. This silent weapon creates only a slight "snap" when the arrow is fired, making it harder to hear than most crossbows. He also holds a powerful, black sword that is believed to be one of the Brother Swords (see pg. 220). Julius can also cast powerful Fire spells, and he is an expert at aiming and throwing. Commonly, Julius' attacks are swift and instant, though he has also delivered long and painful deaths using various attacks and poisons. His most common method of killing is a swift crossbow arrow, but if it does not work, careful observation has shown that he turns to either his sword or swift beatings.
"Julius is also terrifyingly strong. He is very resistant to attacks of any sort, and recovers quickly. He moves swiftly and silently, and attacks without warning. Anyone who is being stalked by him is advised to be on his or her top guard. He has been classified as 'armed and highly dangerous'."
Freya sighed deeply, stressed. She closed the massive book. Meander had a massive crime record. If the article on Julius was bad, she could only imagine Meander's. Slowly Freya rose from the table. Cleo had left a while ago, but she quickly returned to put away the encyclopedia, which Freya had left on the table due to being distracted. Quietly Freya limped out of the library and toward her room. She didn't look at anyone or speak to them. She was too distracted; she was too stressed.
Night offered Freya no consolation. Hours later, she stared at the dark ceiling, her fairly good eyesight making out relative details on the wall. She changed her look to the door, and she could make out the doorknob in the dead of the night. Uneasy, she looked to the window. The moons were just beginning to reach the middle of the grand sky. The stars twinkled softly from beneath clouds that were gathering in the far distance. The night was as peaceful as any night could get.
Freya yawned, but she did not want to allow herself to sleep. Her fear was a natural thing for her to feel, though she had not yet comprehended the true fear that she felt. Freya thought she only felt caution and nervousness, not downright fear. Regardless, her instinct knew: "Thou shall not sleep until peace has come upon the night."
By the time the moons were at their highest peak, exhaustion had taken its toll. Peace seemed to dominate the night and Freya, though it was against her own will, fell asleep.
At the same time, hidden on a strong chandelier in the castle in the Kingdom of Eternal Rain, a black-eyed man with a small crossbow loaded with a needle-sharp arrow muttered a singe word in a quiet yet firm voice.
"Strike."
------------- Do you know who did it? You can make a conclusion at this point, but it's all right if you don't know who is after Freya: Meander or Julius. If you do know, however, don't say: Let's not spoil it for the others =)
Rewrote part of this chapter.
This chapter was full of a lot of information, so if you weren't paying attention, read again! Hehe, anyway, will Puck be killed? What the heck is with Wanderer, and who is he? Find out as the story continues! =)
Thank you to all reviewers. You are very patient and friendly people for dealing with my insanity, delays, and problems gives you all a cookie or two And it's amazing that I had no delay this time, no?
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.