This story belongs to me and my creative mind. However, most of the characters, names, and places all belong to their respective companies, so don't yell at me for copyright infringements! Remember, Italics represent a person's thoughts or the telling of past events.
Enjoy...
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:Faraway Dreams:
Chapter Five:
Fedrich looked around, seeing inky blackness everywhere his eyes darted to. With a flash of light, he found himself hovering in front of a familiar castle, looking inside a bedroom and seeing a young woman sitting on a chair, staring in a mirror. The image then shifted, revealing a massive airship docked near a castle, a play being held on its decks. Fedrich quickly realized what the images were, and he looked around in a futile effort to see who was doing this to him.
"Phantom! I know you're around here, come out!"
I have no means to showing you my true form
"Well...why are you showing me this again?"
You obviously did not believe me last time we spoke, so I determined that another message was needed
"Another message? This is the same thing as last time!"
Unfortunately, my influence in this place is limited, and this is all I can do
"If you can't show me more of this, then can you at least tell me why you're showing this to me?"
Have you ever considered your future?
"My future?" Fedrich repeated, confused.
The future I show you is a culmination of individual fates tied together in a complex web called destiny, and much like a spiders web, is supported and maintained by a few important lines
"And?"
What happens when you cut the strands of silk that hold up a spiders web?
"The web would fall down from wherever it was hanging."
Yes
Silence pressed down on Fedrich for several seconds.
"...And your point?" He asked, annoyed.
Do you not understand the metaphor?
"No..."
The entire web of drastic events to come can be easily undone and destroyed, brining ruination to everything that was within it
"And this would be a bad thing?"
This web will result in a certain history being created, but destroying it will create a history that is either better than what it would be untouched, or possibly worse
"Then this future is going to happen...and messing with it could make things better or much worse, right?"
Simply put, yes
"Then why are you telling me this? Isn't there a chance that telling me could mess things up even worse?"
Because your fate is intertwined with an important string in this web of destiny, your knowledge of this web allows you the freedom to move yourself around in a manner to strengthen it or weaken it
"And what would you have me do?"
Silence.
"Phantom?"
Silence reigned still, and Fedrich's anger rose again.
"Come back here! Don't leave me hanging like this!"
Fedrich looked around, and his vision fell onto the forgotten screen showing the images that made up his vision. The final segment passed, the ruined airship flying into the Falcon's gate, and the screen disappeared and left Fedrich alone in his dark environment. Then, like before, a blinding image of a crystal embedded itself into his eyes, and he felt it's raw energy course through his body.
Fedrich shot up from his cot with a cry of panic, again woken up by the intense feelings that the vision gave him. Just then, a knock sounded on his door, and the burman wondered if Gerick heard him.
"Come in?" He spoke hoarsely.
The door swung open, letting dim light filter into the spare room, Gerick's large form standing in the doorframe. "Its daybreak, kiddo. Time ta get up and get ready for work."
"Okay, I'll be up in a minute." Fedrich replied.
"Alright." The elder man muttered, closing the door to leave Fedrich in darkness.
The burman stood up and stretched, cracking his fingers and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He then stepped carefully to the center of the room and unblocked the lamp, letting artificial light shine into the room and uncover his surroundings. He opened the dresser and pulled out a pair of mud colored pants, a dull white shirt and his green vest. Donning the apparel, he looped his belt around his waist, slung his sword across his shoulders, and gathered his hat before leaving his room. Passing down the hall, he entered the central room, saw Gerick, the sisters Illis and Ruthy, and Gordan, all in durable attire, and armed with their weapons of choice.
"Good morning, all." Fedrich announced.
"Well then, that makes the last of us." Gerick commented. "Might as well get movin'."
"So what are we doing today?" Fedrich asked.
"The same thing we do every mornin', patrol the walls for anythin' out of place, then strike out to the plains. I'll explain what else we do when it comes."
Gerick and the rest of the group left the hall and walked to the Aircab station in silence, the early morning air crisp and cold. Few people were up, most of those who were awake preparing for another day of business. Once at the station, finding an Aircab was a simple matter, the platforms barely occupied. The operator quickly directed the flying cab down towards the Business station, not being forced to battle for airspace in the early morning hours. Once on land, the group exited the Business District and began the long descent down the many flights of stairs that exited out into the open fields of the Lindblum Plateau. An hour after leaving the Hall, Fedrich touched clawed feet to the dirt with a determined air, the others reflecting the same.
"Alright," Gerick finally spoke towards the burman, breaking the silence. "The patrol around the city border's gonna be what takes up most of our time. Dependin' on what's around, we could be going 'round the walls until late afternoon. Then we'll take a break and head out in'ta the field to check the trails."
"Sounds easy enough." Fedrich commented.
"It can be, some days, but it's still dangerous work." Gerick warned. "Don't let the flat land lure you ta thinkin' well see the enemy before they attack. Some monsters'll hide in the grass, even underground at times."
"Also we must be especially cautious when entering the city shadow, where monsters are more likely to reside and are difficult to spot. Despite our combined strengths and experience, I believe I can safely say that even we are hesitant when entering the shadow." Gordan added.
"I could imagine so." Fedrich mused, looking at the brightening morning sky.
"I did a little reading, and it came to my knowledge that Burman's have an advanced hearing that is vastly superior to a humans." Gordan spoke. "Once we enter the shadow, value your hearing more than your eyes, since it is your natural strength."
"I will." Fedrich replied quietly.
"Enough o' the chattering, now." Gerick insisted. "Let's get movin'."
The Regulators kept up a fast pace during the patrol around the massive hills and walls that surrounded Lindblum. Fedrich was wide eyed at the scenery, seeing many new things that weren't at all common in Burmecia. The grass was reedy and thickly patched, sometimes almost as tall as his waist as they moved along. Occasionally the artificial form of an Airship would appear overhead, the loud whir of the mist engine giving it away so Fedrich could look up and watch it gently fly into the city. Save the sound of Airships, Fedrich noticed a background theme of insect buzzing and the chirp of birds, a natural blanket of nature's creations that hardly graced the cold mountains of his home.
After a few hours of walking, Fedrich was feeling his legs grow weary of the demanding pace set by his comrades. However, the other Regulators didn't seem to be showing any signs of fatigue as they plodded on, something that made the burman even more determined to stay with them. Their patrol took them farther and farther around the city, the walls of Lindblum pressing on them from the sky and the orb of the sun beating on their shoulders. It was only after until Fedrich suspected that noon passed by that he spied a shadow against the hills and walls. His muscles tensed, remembering the words from his comrades earlier.
"You ready for this?" Gerick asked, the elder man a step ahead of the burman.
"As ready as one can be." Fedrich answered plainly.
The shadow of the massive city came up quickly, and Fedrich could literaly see waves of tension rise from the other people around him. Once they passed out of the sunlight, the ground quickly grew darker and less defined, losing its unique and intricate designs to a simple appearance of a flat surface. After several minutes of walking, the light soon faded away to a memory, and the land looked as if it was under a premature nightfall. The burman's fur ruffled at his back, his sensitive hearing taking every sound as a potential threat, sending paranoid thoughts into his mind.
Fedrich flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder, nearly forcing a gasp of surprise from his lips. He looked to his side and saw the darkened form of Gordan standing nearby, the noble man's eyes showing concern and words of comfort. Fedrich pushed his nervousness aside and nodded, putting on a strong front.
The regulators all sighed with relief after passing through the city shadow, finally back into the brightening sunlight.
"Well, it looks like the monsters were bein' cautious this time 'round." Gerick declared, propping his battle hammer across his shoulders. "Looks like thing'll be easy for ya, Fedrich."
"I suppose that's a mixed blessing. I was hoping that-"
Fedrich stopped mid-sentence, his ears perking up as sounds bombarded his advanced ears. His eyes widened, sound forming into that of heavy footsteps and the deep chirping of some creature.
"Fedrich?" Gerick spoke. "You were sayin'?"
Fedrich was still as possible, his ears translating sound into information the burman was trying to tie together. He began to fret when the deep sound of footsteps began to speed up, growing closer at a pace that scared him.
"Are you-" Ruthy started.
"Watch out!" Fedrich shouted, seconds before two giant monsters trampled over a slight hill, screeching at the regulators.
The group of people fled in different directions, the two monsters stopping in the center and looking around in confusion. The beasts were frightening to look at, bearing a scaly hide of yellow, small legs with black claws, and an oversized beak as if belonging to groundless birds.
"Iron Beaks!" Gerick shouted. "This is gonna be tough. Everyone, rush the left Iron Beak and give it everything you have!"
Gerick, being closest to the beast, rushed at it and hefted his battle hammer, swinging down at it's beak. The heavy metal hammer hit the monster with a loud crack, splinters forming on the beak, which caused the beast to flair about in pain. With a mighty swing, the bird hit Gerick and knocked the elder man several meters away, incapacitating him for the moment. Illis and Gordan immediately counter attacked, swords drawn and arcing down to slash at exposed scale, piercing the beast's body and spilling its reddish blood.
"Ruthy!" Illis shouted, "Take care of the other one!"
"Yeah!" The younger sister stated, drawing an arrow into her longbow.
The second Iron Beak, staying to the side as its cohort was attack, screeched in agony as an arrow impaled itself into its bulky body. Further angered, the beast looked around and found the archer drawing another arrow to the string. With a shrill roar, it began a lumbering run towards the redheaded woman. The archer let fly a second arrow, but the metal tipped projectile was deflected off the large beak of the monster, barely damaging the thick bone.
Panicked, Ruthy looked on as the beast stampeded towards her, unable to move her legs to escape. However, a gray blur slammed into the beak of the monster, knocking it into the dirt and forcing a screech of pain from its jaws. Ruthy looked carefully, and the blur formed itself into the shape of Fedrich, his short sword almost buried to the hilt in the thick beak.
"Ruthy!" Fedrich shouted, snapping her out of her trance.
"Right!" She declared, drawing another arrow and aiming for the Iron Beak's leg. Fedrich jumped off the beast, minus his sword, and landed near it as an arrow shattered it's stubby leg. With quick motions, Ruthy strung another arrow and pulled back, firing the projectile at the beast and adding to the wounds in it's body. Two more arrows followed in seconds, and the monster finally keeled over and died, an arrow firmly impaled between its eyes. The redhead jogged to the monster's side, seeing Fedrich tug and pull on his sword to free it from the beak.
"Having trouble?" She asked jokingly.
"Just a little." He returned with a smirk. "This thing's stuck tight."
The burman firmly placed a foot on the beak, then pulled with all his strength and finally freed his blade from the monsters corpse, also falling onto his back with a yelp of surprise. Ruthy tried to hold her composure, but broke down in a fit of snickers as Fedrich looked at her with a sour expression.
"Kick when he's down, eh?" He asked.
Ruthy just smiled, offering a hand and assisting the burman to his clawed feet.
"So, what are we gonna to with these things?" Fedrich asked.
"Iron Beaks are known for having strong beaks, hence the name." Ruthy began, looking and seeing the other three Regulators inspecting the other dead monster. "The problem is that you can't carry them, since they are so heavy. The only thing we can do is try and break off pieces of the beak and pack them for sale."
"I guess they are good for armor?"
"That they are. Blacksmiths can take sections of the beak and use them for armor. The fun part is trying to haul back as much of this as we can."
"Sounds like it." Fedrich added quietly.
"Well, might as well go and start picking up whatever Gerick can knock off."
The two walked over to the corpse alongside the others, watching as Gerick swung his battle hammer down on the beak to force it to pieces. Following several swings, the beak finally began to fall of the corpse, and the others collected the fallen pieces and cleaned them off. After dealing with the first Iron Beak, the group proceeded to the second beast and scoured off as much of the beak as possible before striking off to complete their round about the city.
"Is anyone else here feeling tired?" Fedrich asked, wiping his brow for the umpteenth time.
The others all muttered similar feelings, but Gerick was quick to address their concerns.
"Don't worry 'bout it. The city gate's just a stones throw away, and we can take a good rest and deliver these beak pieces to Corban before goin' back out."
"What about you, Gerick? You took a nasty hit back there." Illis commented.
The elder man chuckled. "It's nothin' I can't handle."
"You sure?" She pressed.
"O' course I am!" He boasted. "I haven't been leader o' the Regulators for seven years only 'ta be beaten by a lousy Iron Beak!"
"Alright, boss, you can ease up on the ego trip." Illis muttered.
Ruthy approached her sister, leaning close. "Why are you concerned about him, sis? He looks fine to me."
"Don't be stupid, look at his left leg." She whispered back.
The redhead glanced at Gerick's leg, and she immediately noticed that he was treating it gingerly, his pack of beak fragments on the opposite shoulder, and his battle hammer casually following his footsteps as a crutch. She narrowed her lips, wondering if he was worse off that he let on.
"You think we should stop him?" She asked.
"Nah, let the old man save his pride for the moment, he'll be in pain soon enough."
* * *
"Damn, Gerick, ya certainly managed to pull in a good haul!" Corban commented, viewing the wealth of beak shards on his table.
"It wasn't easy picking, though, but I managed 'ta work them over without any problems."
"Alright, I'll haul this to the scales."
The tattooed man took an armful of the shards to a large scale, dropping them on one side to unbalance it. After several trips, he finally began to add in metal weights until he brought the scale to an even balance.
"I'll be, forty seven kilos of beak! This must'a been hellacious work."
"Carrying it was almost tougher than killin' them!"
"So what is the payment for the fragments?" Gordan questioned.
"Well, armor sales have been on the rise for a bit, so demand is up for the raw material." Corban explained. "So methinks that thirty Gil per kilo is a fair deal compared 'ta twenty seven Gil."
"Alright, ring it up." Gerick agreed.
"Okay," Corban started, scrunching up his face. "Now thirty multiplied by forty seven...it's more than a thousand, for certain..."
"The total is fourteen hundred and ten Gil." Gordan answered.
"You sure?" Corban asked.
"As sure as I can be sure that my hair is black." He joked.
"I'll get some ink 'n find out."
Corban picked up a well of ink and dipped a quill into it, then did some math on his table and came up with the same conclusion. The worker grinned and reached under his table for the Gil he kept.
"Right as ever, Gordo!"
"It's Gordan..." He moaned, unwanting of the gentle worker's nickname.
"Okay, here's your payment for the beak." Corban replied, handing a small sack of coins to Gerick.
"Thanks be to you, friend. I'll see ya tomorrow!"
"Farewell, and good huntin'!"
The Regulators all exited the Hide shop, Gerick handing out payments as they left the alley and entered the main street. The daylight was already fading from the shops, the immense height of Lindblum only offering the sun a mere few hours to pour direct sunlight into the lowest levels of the District. Gerick looked up, then tapped the end of his battle hammer on the ground to gather the attention of his comrades.
"Alright, everyone, let's get back 'ta work."
The others are made agreeing remarks, and they took their first steps towards Hunter's Gate. Gerick took a step on his injured side, and his face scrunched up in pain, hesitation stiffening his body. Fedrich looked back, and he quickly noticed the elder man's pained expression.
"Gerick? Are you okay?" He asked, worried.
"I'm fine, Fedrich, just a little...dizzy..."
Everyone stopped and looked back, Ruthy and Illis both worried while Gordan's face registered shock and surprise as Gerick began to teeter on his feet. His fingers loosened, and the battle hammer fell over and clattered on the cobblestone with a metallic echo, soon followed by the heavy thud of his body falling next to it.
