"Rather then reveling in the happy mirages of our youth, seek the true
worth of life in the growth of your mind; for the sun holds but one answer,
but the mind holds them countless." Alicia adjusted her thin glasses and
looked over the book at her pupil, who was busy moving her limbs as
frantically as she possibly could. "Eiko!"
The young girl looked up quickly, "Yes?" They were seated in the small study room Regent Cid had built into the Hilda Garde IV specifically for his daughter's studies. Alicia could understand quite well the young girl's plight. Alicia was quite a bit older, and she still felt a bit of cabin fever, trapped in the ship for more than a day. But she was a tutor, paid for her services. She wasn't paid to complain.
"Can you tell me what Mister Aframs is trying to tell us here?" Alicia smiled faintly at the forlorn expression that crawled across Eiko's face. It was the same face that she was busy trying to fight back.
"Why do I have to study today? It's so boring!" Eiko whined, lowering her head and pouting. Alicia sighed and stood up,
"Well if you would listen to what I'm reading to you, then you might understand. Your father wants you to have a bright mind, even if that means sacrificing some of your play time."
Eiko played with her bow as she shot Alicia a beautiful puppy-dog face. Alicia just rolled her eyes. Eiko would definitely be a winner with the men when she got older, but she was still young and ineffective. She was still a little tomboy wearing a baggy pair of red silk overalls and a tousled purple shirt to match her bow, nothing like the little princess Cid and Alicia both hoped someday would come out.
"But...I never get to go to Alexandria! I want to go check out all the cute guys!" Nine years old...Now that was quite a bit over the edge. Alicia closed Afram's Divine Wisdom, took off her glasses and gave Eiko her most patient smile.
"Checking out is something adults do, Eiko. You're nowhere near mature enough to run around doing what you want to like adults do, and until-"
"Please!"
"And until you-"
"Please Miss Alicia!"
Alicia smiled even more patiently, "And until you finish this lesson you can't prove to me how mature you are, can you?" That left Eiko quite clueless. And they called her a prodigy..."Look...if we get through this chapter and you behave, I'll take you out into town and we can...oh...do whatever you want to do."
Eiko nodded rapidly, "Read, read!" Alicia sat back down, laughing in spite of herself. Every day for the last two years she had spent with Eiko, and it didn't take too long to find the girl's strengths and weaknesses, what buttons she could push. Besides being a teacher, she also played the nurse and friend as well as she could. Hilda didn't seem to be very fond of raising a daughter that wasn't really hers, so Alicia lent all the attention she could afford.
The situation really had not changed. There they were in Alexandria, quite possibly the wealthiest city in the entire Mist Continent, and at least the most entertaining, and Eiko's parents were off fulfilling their own agendas. Not like Eiko had been in the ship thirty hours and wanted to get out. Of course, Alicia didn't really have an opinion on the whole matter; she just did what she was paid to do, nothing more.
"Some day you will wake up from this fragile world created by your superiors, and find that there is something bigger out there." Alicia began to read once more, smiling as she saw Eiko's face scrunch up in heavy effort to interpret what was a jumble of words in her mind. She would become what was required of her one day, if Alicia had anything to do with it. "Some day you will wake up and find that you are a real human."
--
"Fletcher! Flet-cher, I make arrows." Kain explained patiently to the gatekeeper for the third time. The grizzled old guard just bit his lip and bent his eyebrow more suspiciously. "Arrows...for bows."
"So you're not a smuggler?" The guard spat.
"Smuggler? No I'm just a Fletcher from Macema. You've probably never been there but it's a small town along the Lindblum border." This of course was nothing like Kain had anticipated his journey to Alexandria would be. He had pictured a magnificent city resting on a cluster of hills, where everyone was proud and rich and...Unrealistic. It was just that he had never been to a big city before, and he had his little silly preconceived notions about them. Especially about Alexandria, Alexandria was the talk and the dream of everyone that had never been there.
And now that he was there...he was there. Huge buildings, stone walls, a deaf guard who was convinced he was smuggling illegal goods. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. "Macema, eh? I've heard there's a big Udine market down there."
"No, that's Tyen." Udine was the most potent and most illegal drug on the market...meaning only the rich and powerful could afford to own it and not get caught; the rest of the addicts were all in various prisons hallucinating and screaming for more.
"No...? Maybe gambling then?"
"Kazal." Was this guard actually looking for a reason to get him in trouble? Kain rubbed his head ruefully and looked down. He was there for one purpose; he was delivering a tribute that declared Macema a province of Alexandria, he was watching the anniversary play and drinking just a little bit, and then he was going home.
"Well..." The guard drawled, eying Kain's travel satchel, a heavy thing thrown across his back. "I suppose I'll let you through." He stepped aside, clearing the path to the towering Gate of Dreams, the main entrance to Alexandria. Kain glanced over his shoulder to see a line of people and carts curling around for hundreds of feet behind him. He smiled as he moved on; some people were going to have a really long day.
Once he was through the gate he began walking aimlessly. He had a few things to do, but the grandiosity of the situation overwhelmed him and he just walked. Tribute - duty - polite - travel - tired - all just another day in the life of Kain. Exciting, perhaps, compared to the rest of his life. But it didn't really matter...there was no joy in it. What was he looking for?
"You need the deliverer!" Someone yelled at him. Kain turned his head to see a wizened old woman, decaying beneath a layer of white rags. She pushed a torn and dirtied paper at him and screeched, "The sins of science heap higher every day! Repent, repent and join the deliverance! Save your eternal soul!"
Kain blinked, "The deliverer?"
The old hag leaned closer, "He will come soon - the apocalypse is at hand! Repent!" Kain sighed and walked away, the word still ringing in his ears. 'Repent...hmm.' He looked down at the paper she had handed him. It was a picture of a man, covered from head to toe in robes, impaling an airship with a giant sword. Under the depiction there was scrawled a time and place for a meeting about the deliverance, and how to prepare. Kain grinned and tossed the paper on the ground. An apocalypse was just another problem to worry about, not a solution.
He continued to walk. He walked past taverns and dark alleyways filled with dark alley people. He walked past rich inns and poor inns and travelers of every shape and size. Past merchants and businesses, docks and warehouses. Past workers and slaves and hagglers and thieves. Past homes, and their owners, some clean as the water of the great river, some as filthy as the mud at the bottom. People, people...everywhere there was life. But were they happy?
Ahead he saw a young mother and her daughter walking along, talking and laughing as they pointed at people and places. They were probably travelers as well, from the awkward way they moved through the crowd. Maybe they were smiling, maybe they looked happy on the outside. But maybe they were also as cold and blind as the gatekeeper, on the inside.
And maybe he just needed to stop depressing and have some real fun. Kain let out a long sigh and kept walking. It had been quite a while since he had taken time off of work for pleasure, he could at least enjoy it...and if he could just keep forcing himself to smile maybe he could believe that.
--
A few more minutes of study, a quick note to Eiko's parents, and Alicia rushed them out of the docks and straight into the bustling city. Alicia took in a deep breath of the city air and allowed herself a broad smile. She loved the crowd - she loved the excitement and clamor of hundreds of people she didn't know mingling into her day. It made her feel more alive.
"Now where would be a good place to pick up some guys?" Eiko mumbled to herself. Alicia quickly covered her mouth and spoke curtly,
"Of course there will be no flirtatious behavior on your part, young lady, or else your parents will hear about it!"
"Of course." Eiko smiled sweetly up at her. "So what about you? Does that mean you're going to put on some flirtating?"
Alicia blushed and looked around at the crowd, assuring herself that everyone was minding their own business, not paying any attention to the silly conversation. "Flirtating is not a word, Eiko, and of course I won't be. Your parents would never approve."
"But you're an adult, right? That means you can do what you want to do. Like Aframs says." And when Alicia least expected it...Eiko was actually listening.
"Well dear, I am supposed to be a role model for you - so you turn into a proper lady when you grow up. Proper ladies don't go flaunting themselves around the city."
"I'll have problems then, won't I?"
"Eiko!"
"Just kidding...of course." Eiko smiled. "So...do they sell candy around here somewhere? I want some candy!" Alicia sighed and led them through the crowd toward the commercial stalls. It had been many years since she had been a young girl, wandering the streets of Alexandria, but she still remembering most of it. The wonderful thing about the old city was that it never changed. People were set enough in their ways to leave everything exactly how it always was for the sake of nostalgia.
As they walked, Alicia noticed many eyes wandering her direction. Subtle glances, men looking back and forth, pretending to examine the fruit stands, but they were looking at her alright - she wasn't stupid. One young rogue was even cheeky enough to wink as she passed by. She just smiled as harshly as she could and kept walking, feeling as if her body was on fire.
She tried to deny it, but it really was a good feeling. Power...everyone watching her, waiting for her next move, waiting for some sign of approval. She was in command on the streets - The Queen's mind controlled their bodies, but her body controlled their minds. She-
"Look Teacher!" Eiko whispered loudly, "They're all looking at me!" Agh...
"Ignore them, Eiko. You don't want any attention from these kinds of men, street rodents - all they want are horrible things."
"Horrible things?" Eiko echoed. "But they're smiling!"
"It's a long story Eiko...I'll tell you some other time." Suddenly Alicia forgot the whole point behind wandering the streets with a nine-year- old in the middle of the day.
"You mean they're naughty men?"
"Eiko, please!" Ah that was it...she was paid for her services. Sad. "Look, candy booths!" And there they were - hard candy, soft candy, sticky candy, sugar candy, syrup candy, everything imaginable. And all of Eiko's disturbingly immature mature thoughts disappeared as she flew into the booths with a burst of giggles.
Alicia let out a long sigh and fell back against the side of a large fruit cart.
"Did it hurt?" A thick voice asked quietly from behind her. She turned her head slowly,
"Hmm?"
"When you fell out of heaven?" The man chuckled and ran his hand through his thick burgundy locks. He was a sturdy man; he looked like a fighter. He also looked drunk, his slate eyes glazed over slightly, thick eyebrows trying hard to defend them from the sun.
"That's pathetic." Alicia shook her head slowly, turning away again.
He laughed and took a step closer, "Well you know...it's hard to always be a man of wit."
"Especially when you've been soaking in alcohol."
"Ouch." He stepped in front of her to dramatically grab his side, "You got me. Shot straight through by an angel."
"Don't you have something better to do...like...going away?"
He smiled lopsidedly and then bowed deeply, "Alright, you win. The lowly town drunk will leave the angel alone. Any chance he could get the angel's name?"
"The Angel Gabrielle will do for now." Alicia nodded her head curtly and smiled. He certainly had a lot of nerve, even for a drunk. She felt Eiko's hand pulling on her arm from behind her and she waved the girl away quickly. It wasn't right for the girl to see so many evils in the world so soon.
"Ahah...it's a joke, right? A pseudonym?" Alicia widened her eyes in surprise. The man bowed once again, then winked, "I'm Blank. But you can call me...Lucifer. Good day." And with that he quickly faded away into the crowd, leaving Alicia with one pertinent question lingering in her mind. Was he really drunk?
"Did you get a date, Teacher, did you?" Eiko grinned wickedly as she held her bag of candy up.
"No, I didn't." Alicia answered, as coldly as she could manage.
"But he was cute! You should have!"
"He was a vagabond. Let's go buy your candy." If she was going to bother finding a man, she could at least be picky enough to grab a gentleman, not the lowest of the low. But it wasn't going to happen so there was no point in thinking about it. The trip was just for the candy - nothing else.
--
There was no set time at which Kain decided to stop wandering through the streets. But eventually he heard the long peal of a bell striking the hour, and he stopped. His feet had led him to a part of town that was not infested with people. A river slowly ran before him, and small boats were tied along the shore for crossing. And across the water was the illustrious Alexandria Castle, rearing its noble head over the whole of the kingdom, ruling with its blade of steel. If there was a god in Alexandria, it was the great tower.
A soft voice from above cut off his musings, and he looked around to find its owner. In the castle, in one of the high towers, sitting by a window, was a woman. Not just any woman, but the most beautiful woman Kain had ever seen. She was just sitting there in a silver sequin dress, staring out across the water at the city, her eyes clouded with deep thoughts he couldn't read.
Her eyes...deep...sad...Sara...! He wrenched his head away and looked instead at the rippling water, at the jaded reflection of the great building dancing in its waves. Stupid man! Looking away didn't make her disappear.
He didn't move for a few moments, but finally his curiosity got the best of him and he glanced up quickly. She was staring at him. Damn! He looked down again hurriedly, his face flushing deeply. He heard her call out something, but the distance was too great, and he couldn't hear what she was saying...so he just stood there and looked at the water.
Staring into the waves, he could almost see her reflection, a tiny dot in the black, but enough. He stared at it...was she looking at him? What did she think? She probably thought he was stupid...she probably thought...
What the hell was he doing? Adrenaline and testosterone had taken reason out of the picture. He was a man - middle-aged at that, not a child. He could look a woman in the eyes without fear - what could she do to him, after all?
Slowly his eyes traveled back upwards, and his heart skipped a beat as he found that she was still looking at him. As their eyes met, she smiled and waved gently. She was...young. Young and beautiful. An Angel sent straight from heaven and confined in a dungeon. Maybe she needed to be rescued! Maybe he was her knight in shining armor to come save her and run away with her into the sunset! Maybe...
He offered a weak wave in reply...turned, and walked away as quickly as he could. Time to find an inn and put his things away...then go find the queen and see a play. No point in wasting his time...no point in wasting time...he had already wasted enough.
--
The light cried out as darkness pressed against it, pulsating from the shadow of night in hopes of ending the day and silencing the roaring brightness. Just trying to add some finish, some finality to the day...the world... Existence. What a petty crime, to be alive. That was the only prerequisite needed for oppression...just enough life to get enjoyment out of smothering it.
'Heh...and it would be so easy to smother too. Just look at this festering pit of life, overdue for squeezing away. Nothing hard...as easy as breathing.'
He breathed, and kept walking forward, toward the great Gate of Dreams, his eyes flickering here and there as he considered all the beings wandering here and there, busy with busywork. It was very nostalgic, walking into the place that used to be his home, filled with many people he used to know...so many memories, he could almost taste them in the air.
'Breathe in...it's not that hard.'
"Enough." He adjusted his black cloak around him and walked the ramp up to the city, stopping when the guard approached him.
The guard was a lazy beast; stupid and so fat he barely fit his armor. He yawned as he waved at the traveler's robes, "Got any weapons underneath that getup?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"What, don't you trust me?" The Traveler smiled, "I'm just an innocent tourist coming to see a play."
The guard nodded and took out his ledger huffily, "What is your name and origin, please?"
"I'm from the west. Call me...Arteon."
--
Have you ever felt so out of place,
That the smile on your face,
Was to keep from crying?
Don't know why we get so out of touch,
But I don't want much,
Just to find out
What Happiness is.
Happiness - Verve Pipe
The young girl looked up quickly, "Yes?" They were seated in the small study room Regent Cid had built into the Hilda Garde IV specifically for his daughter's studies. Alicia could understand quite well the young girl's plight. Alicia was quite a bit older, and she still felt a bit of cabin fever, trapped in the ship for more than a day. But she was a tutor, paid for her services. She wasn't paid to complain.
"Can you tell me what Mister Aframs is trying to tell us here?" Alicia smiled faintly at the forlorn expression that crawled across Eiko's face. It was the same face that she was busy trying to fight back.
"Why do I have to study today? It's so boring!" Eiko whined, lowering her head and pouting. Alicia sighed and stood up,
"Well if you would listen to what I'm reading to you, then you might understand. Your father wants you to have a bright mind, even if that means sacrificing some of your play time."
Eiko played with her bow as she shot Alicia a beautiful puppy-dog face. Alicia just rolled her eyes. Eiko would definitely be a winner with the men when she got older, but she was still young and ineffective. She was still a little tomboy wearing a baggy pair of red silk overalls and a tousled purple shirt to match her bow, nothing like the little princess Cid and Alicia both hoped someday would come out.
"But...I never get to go to Alexandria! I want to go check out all the cute guys!" Nine years old...Now that was quite a bit over the edge. Alicia closed Afram's Divine Wisdom, took off her glasses and gave Eiko her most patient smile.
"Checking out is something adults do, Eiko. You're nowhere near mature enough to run around doing what you want to like adults do, and until-"
"Please!"
"And until you-"
"Please Miss Alicia!"
Alicia smiled even more patiently, "And until you finish this lesson you can't prove to me how mature you are, can you?" That left Eiko quite clueless. And they called her a prodigy..."Look...if we get through this chapter and you behave, I'll take you out into town and we can...oh...do whatever you want to do."
Eiko nodded rapidly, "Read, read!" Alicia sat back down, laughing in spite of herself. Every day for the last two years she had spent with Eiko, and it didn't take too long to find the girl's strengths and weaknesses, what buttons she could push. Besides being a teacher, she also played the nurse and friend as well as she could. Hilda didn't seem to be very fond of raising a daughter that wasn't really hers, so Alicia lent all the attention she could afford.
The situation really had not changed. There they were in Alexandria, quite possibly the wealthiest city in the entire Mist Continent, and at least the most entertaining, and Eiko's parents were off fulfilling their own agendas. Not like Eiko had been in the ship thirty hours and wanted to get out. Of course, Alicia didn't really have an opinion on the whole matter; she just did what she was paid to do, nothing more.
"Some day you will wake up from this fragile world created by your superiors, and find that there is something bigger out there." Alicia began to read once more, smiling as she saw Eiko's face scrunch up in heavy effort to interpret what was a jumble of words in her mind. She would become what was required of her one day, if Alicia had anything to do with it. "Some day you will wake up and find that you are a real human."
--
"Fletcher! Flet-cher, I make arrows." Kain explained patiently to the gatekeeper for the third time. The grizzled old guard just bit his lip and bent his eyebrow more suspiciously. "Arrows...for bows."
"So you're not a smuggler?" The guard spat.
"Smuggler? No I'm just a Fletcher from Macema. You've probably never been there but it's a small town along the Lindblum border." This of course was nothing like Kain had anticipated his journey to Alexandria would be. He had pictured a magnificent city resting on a cluster of hills, where everyone was proud and rich and...Unrealistic. It was just that he had never been to a big city before, and he had his little silly preconceived notions about them. Especially about Alexandria, Alexandria was the talk and the dream of everyone that had never been there.
And now that he was there...he was there. Huge buildings, stone walls, a deaf guard who was convinced he was smuggling illegal goods. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. "Macema, eh? I've heard there's a big Udine market down there."
"No, that's Tyen." Udine was the most potent and most illegal drug on the market...meaning only the rich and powerful could afford to own it and not get caught; the rest of the addicts were all in various prisons hallucinating and screaming for more.
"No...? Maybe gambling then?"
"Kazal." Was this guard actually looking for a reason to get him in trouble? Kain rubbed his head ruefully and looked down. He was there for one purpose; he was delivering a tribute that declared Macema a province of Alexandria, he was watching the anniversary play and drinking just a little bit, and then he was going home.
"Well..." The guard drawled, eying Kain's travel satchel, a heavy thing thrown across his back. "I suppose I'll let you through." He stepped aside, clearing the path to the towering Gate of Dreams, the main entrance to Alexandria. Kain glanced over his shoulder to see a line of people and carts curling around for hundreds of feet behind him. He smiled as he moved on; some people were going to have a really long day.
Once he was through the gate he began walking aimlessly. He had a few things to do, but the grandiosity of the situation overwhelmed him and he just walked. Tribute - duty - polite - travel - tired - all just another day in the life of Kain. Exciting, perhaps, compared to the rest of his life. But it didn't really matter...there was no joy in it. What was he looking for?
"You need the deliverer!" Someone yelled at him. Kain turned his head to see a wizened old woman, decaying beneath a layer of white rags. She pushed a torn and dirtied paper at him and screeched, "The sins of science heap higher every day! Repent, repent and join the deliverance! Save your eternal soul!"
Kain blinked, "The deliverer?"
The old hag leaned closer, "He will come soon - the apocalypse is at hand! Repent!" Kain sighed and walked away, the word still ringing in his ears. 'Repent...hmm.' He looked down at the paper she had handed him. It was a picture of a man, covered from head to toe in robes, impaling an airship with a giant sword. Under the depiction there was scrawled a time and place for a meeting about the deliverance, and how to prepare. Kain grinned and tossed the paper on the ground. An apocalypse was just another problem to worry about, not a solution.
He continued to walk. He walked past taverns and dark alleyways filled with dark alley people. He walked past rich inns and poor inns and travelers of every shape and size. Past merchants and businesses, docks and warehouses. Past workers and slaves and hagglers and thieves. Past homes, and their owners, some clean as the water of the great river, some as filthy as the mud at the bottom. People, people...everywhere there was life. But were they happy?
Ahead he saw a young mother and her daughter walking along, talking and laughing as they pointed at people and places. They were probably travelers as well, from the awkward way they moved through the crowd. Maybe they were smiling, maybe they looked happy on the outside. But maybe they were also as cold and blind as the gatekeeper, on the inside.
And maybe he just needed to stop depressing and have some real fun. Kain let out a long sigh and kept walking. It had been quite a while since he had taken time off of work for pleasure, he could at least enjoy it...and if he could just keep forcing himself to smile maybe he could believe that.
--
A few more minutes of study, a quick note to Eiko's parents, and Alicia rushed them out of the docks and straight into the bustling city. Alicia took in a deep breath of the city air and allowed herself a broad smile. She loved the crowd - she loved the excitement and clamor of hundreds of people she didn't know mingling into her day. It made her feel more alive.
"Now where would be a good place to pick up some guys?" Eiko mumbled to herself. Alicia quickly covered her mouth and spoke curtly,
"Of course there will be no flirtatious behavior on your part, young lady, or else your parents will hear about it!"
"Of course." Eiko smiled sweetly up at her. "So what about you? Does that mean you're going to put on some flirtating?"
Alicia blushed and looked around at the crowd, assuring herself that everyone was minding their own business, not paying any attention to the silly conversation. "Flirtating is not a word, Eiko, and of course I won't be. Your parents would never approve."
"But you're an adult, right? That means you can do what you want to do. Like Aframs says." And when Alicia least expected it...Eiko was actually listening.
"Well dear, I am supposed to be a role model for you - so you turn into a proper lady when you grow up. Proper ladies don't go flaunting themselves around the city."
"I'll have problems then, won't I?"
"Eiko!"
"Just kidding...of course." Eiko smiled. "So...do they sell candy around here somewhere? I want some candy!" Alicia sighed and led them through the crowd toward the commercial stalls. It had been many years since she had been a young girl, wandering the streets of Alexandria, but she still remembering most of it. The wonderful thing about the old city was that it never changed. People were set enough in their ways to leave everything exactly how it always was for the sake of nostalgia.
As they walked, Alicia noticed many eyes wandering her direction. Subtle glances, men looking back and forth, pretending to examine the fruit stands, but they were looking at her alright - she wasn't stupid. One young rogue was even cheeky enough to wink as she passed by. She just smiled as harshly as she could and kept walking, feeling as if her body was on fire.
She tried to deny it, but it really was a good feeling. Power...everyone watching her, waiting for her next move, waiting for some sign of approval. She was in command on the streets - The Queen's mind controlled their bodies, but her body controlled their minds. She-
"Look Teacher!" Eiko whispered loudly, "They're all looking at me!" Agh...
"Ignore them, Eiko. You don't want any attention from these kinds of men, street rodents - all they want are horrible things."
"Horrible things?" Eiko echoed. "But they're smiling!"
"It's a long story Eiko...I'll tell you some other time." Suddenly Alicia forgot the whole point behind wandering the streets with a nine-year- old in the middle of the day.
"You mean they're naughty men?"
"Eiko, please!" Ah that was it...she was paid for her services. Sad. "Look, candy booths!" And there they were - hard candy, soft candy, sticky candy, sugar candy, syrup candy, everything imaginable. And all of Eiko's disturbingly immature mature thoughts disappeared as she flew into the booths with a burst of giggles.
Alicia let out a long sigh and fell back against the side of a large fruit cart.
"Did it hurt?" A thick voice asked quietly from behind her. She turned her head slowly,
"Hmm?"
"When you fell out of heaven?" The man chuckled and ran his hand through his thick burgundy locks. He was a sturdy man; he looked like a fighter. He also looked drunk, his slate eyes glazed over slightly, thick eyebrows trying hard to defend them from the sun.
"That's pathetic." Alicia shook her head slowly, turning away again.
He laughed and took a step closer, "Well you know...it's hard to always be a man of wit."
"Especially when you've been soaking in alcohol."
"Ouch." He stepped in front of her to dramatically grab his side, "You got me. Shot straight through by an angel."
"Don't you have something better to do...like...going away?"
He smiled lopsidedly and then bowed deeply, "Alright, you win. The lowly town drunk will leave the angel alone. Any chance he could get the angel's name?"
"The Angel Gabrielle will do for now." Alicia nodded her head curtly and smiled. He certainly had a lot of nerve, even for a drunk. She felt Eiko's hand pulling on her arm from behind her and she waved the girl away quickly. It wasn't right for the girl to see so many evils in the world so soon.
"Ahah...it's a joke, right? A pseudonym?" Alicia widened her eyes in surprise. The man bowed once again, then winked, "I'm Blank. But you can call me...Lucifer. Good day." And with that he quickly faded away into the crowd, leaving Alicia with one pertinent question lingering in her mind. Was he really drunk?
"Did you get a date, Teacher, did you?" Eiko grinned wickedly as she held her bag of candy up.
"No, I didn't." Alicia answered, as coldly as she could manage.
"But he was cute! You should have!"
"He was a vagabond. Let's go buy your candy." If she was going to bother finding a man, she could at least be picky enough to grab a gentleman, not the lowest of the low. But it wasn't going to happen so there was no point in thinking about it. The trip was just for the candy - nothing else.
--
There was no set time at which Kain decided to stop wandering through the streets. But eventually he heard the long peal of a bell striking the hour, and he stopped. His feet had led him to a part of town that was not infested with people. A river slowly ran before him, and small boats were tied along the shore for crossing. And across the water was the illustrious Alexandria Castle, rearing its noble head over the whole of the kingdom, ruling with its blade of steel. If there was a god in Alexandria, it was the great tower.
A soft voice from above cut off his musings, and he looked around to find its owner. In the castle, in one of the high towers, sitting by a window, was a woman. Not just any woman, but the most beautiful woman Kain had ever seen. She was just sitting there in a silver sequin dress, staring out across the water at the city, her eyes clouded with deep thoughts he couldn't read.
Her eyes...deep...sad...Sara...! He wrenched his head away and looked instead at the rippling water, at the jaded reflection of the great building dancing in its waves. Stupid man! Looking away didn't make her disappear.
He didn't move for a few moments, but finally his curiosity got the best of him and he glanced up quickly. She was staring at him. Damn! He looked down again hurriedly, his face flushing deeply. He heard her call out something, but the distance was too great, and he couldn't hear what she was saying...so he just stood there and looked at the water.
Staring into the waves, he could almost see her reflection, a tiny dot in the black, but enough. He stared at it...was she looking at him? What did she think? She probably thought he was stupid...she probably thought...
What the hell was he doing? Adrenaline and testosterone had taken reason out of the picture. He was a man - middle-aged at that, not a child. He could look a woman in the eyes without fear - what could she do to him, after all?
Slowly his eyes traveled back upwards, and his heart skipped a beat as he found that she was still looking at him. As their eyes met, she smiled and waved gently. She was...young. Young and beautiful. An Angel sent straight from heaven and confined in a dungeon. Maybe she needed to be rescued! Maybe he was her knight in shining armor to come save her and run away with her into the sunset! Maybe...
He offered a weak wave in reply...turned, and walked away as quickly as he could. Time to find an inn and put his things away...then go find the queen and see a play. No point in wasting his time...no point in wasting time...he had already wasted enough.
--
The light cried out as darkness pressed against it, pulsating from the shadow of night in hopes of ending the day and silencing the roaring brightness. Just trying to add some finish, some finality to the day...the world... Existence. What a petty crime, to be alive. That was the only prerequisite needed for oppression...just enough life to get enjoyment out of smothering it.
'Heh...and it would be so easy to smother too. Just look at this festering pit of life, overdue for squeezing away. Nothing hard...as easy as breathing.'
He breathed, and kept walking forward, toward the great Gate of Dreams, his eyes flickering here and there as he considered all the beings wandering here and there, busy with busywork. It was very nostalgic, walking into the place that used to be his home, filled with many people he used to know...so many memories, he could almost taste them in the air.
'Breathe in...it's not that hard.'
"Enough." He adjusted his black cloak around him and walked the ramp up to the city, stopping when the guard approached him.
The guard was a lazy beast; stupid and so fat he barely fit his armor. He yawned as he waved at the traveler's robes, "Got any weapons underneath that getup?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"What, don't you trust me?" The Traveler smiled, "I'm just an innocent tourist coming to see a play."
The guard nodded and took out his ledger huffily, "What is your name and origin, please?"
"I'm from the west. Call me...Arteon."
--
Have you ever felt so out of place,
That the smile on your face,
Was to keep from crying?
Don't know why we get so out of touch,
But I don't want much,
Just to find out
What Happiness is.
Happiness - Verve Pipe