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:
"I've heard that you guys are looking for new warriors, right?" The woman half asked, half stated. "'Cause I'm ready to save you the trouble of looking!"
Everyone stared at the stranger woman at the door, curiosity prodding them on. The female Burman stood proudly, tapping her leather wrapped feet idly on the doorframe as she fingered a lock of her sandy blonde hair. Dressed in a loincloth, yellow shirt, and mythril shoulder pads, her exotic appearance didn't mark her as being from Burmecia like the Regulators suspected.
Gerick was quick to question the woman's word. "Did 'ya really?"
"Yep! I figure that with my skills, you people would do a lot better fightin' off those pesky monsters on the plains."
"That's mighty good in word, but do 'ya think that you can back it up with a few trials?" The bearded man asked.
"Bring it on, I'll take any test you want!" The Burman woman declared, slamming the end of her lance on the ground.
Gerick looked back to the others present. "I know it's late, guys, but are you up fer giving the lady here a chance at joining us? It has been a while since we got a new member, and it'd be good to have more backup out in 'ta fields."
Illis shrugged. "If her skills match her big mouth, why not."
"I've got nothing against it." Fedrich added.
"Sure." Ruthy also agreed with a nod.
Gerick grunted in satisfaction, turning back to the woman. "Alright, looks like we'd be willin' to give you a test. What's your name?"
"Clariza Severspear of the Red Lance, but Claire does just as good."
Gerick gave the woman a handshake. "A pleasure, Claire. My name is Gerick MacDougal, and these are my friends. The one in black is Illis, the redhead is Ruthy, and your fellow Burman is Fedrich. Step on out to the square, I'll be givin' you a test of yer battle skill."
"Alrighty then, I'm up for it!"
The bearded man stepped inside and picked up his battle hammer from the table it rested on, then left the Hall and proceeded to the center of the square it stood on. Fedrich and the others walked to the doors and stood at the edge, keeping a safe distance to observe the fight. Claire stretched her arms out, flipping her lance around idly as she waited on Gerick's word.
"The trial of a Regulator is one of utter severity." Gerick began, spinning his battle hammer slowly. "The battlefield knows no mercy, nor does it recognize right from wrong or good from evil. As such, a Regulator must be ready to lose his life in this terrible place, for the battlefield won't stop an enemy from takin' it. Hesitation to kill is as good as bein' killed, and no morals or rules of combat will stop it. Do you, Claire Severspear, pledge to fight this trial with all your soul and heart, and fight every battle after with the same?"
"As a Severspear, I do swear it." Claire agreed.
"As this is a trial between comrades, and is not a matter of life and death, it is agreed that the trial will stop when first blood is drawn. Now, let us draw our weapons, and let this trial commence!" Gerick commanded.
Gerick charged forward and lashed out with his weapon, the heavy metal hammer aiming for Claire's shoulder. With a laugh and a grin, she ducked down and to the side, avoiding the strike entirely. Her lance flew upward, the short edge whistling past Gerick's short cropped hair as he too dodged the attack. She then jumped into the air and performed several flips, landing on her nimble feet with her weapon at the ready.
"I'm not gonna stand still for a slow weapon like yours!" She stated, grinning. "Speed in where it's at!"
Running forward, she threw the length of her lance out in an effort to strike Gerick's side, but the elder man planted his hammer down and absorbed the strike with ease. Gripping the hammer with both hands, he jumped forward and thrust the heavy tip into Claire's chest, forcing a grunt of pain from her. Stepping back in time to avoid her hasty counter strike, Gerick chucked his tongue in jest.
"Slow 'n steady, missy." He chided. "You gotta think your attacks through!"
Growling, she pulled back and again attacked, weapons colliding with a vicious speed. For a short minute, the two spent the battle attacking at a standstill, one unable to go past the other's defense. Snarling, Claire jumped back again and held her lance in both hands, staring down Gerick.
"You're tougher than you look." She spat.
"Come now, if 'ya can't beat me, then how do you expect 'ta defeat those monsters?" Gerick pushed.
Claire smiled and stood straight. "Okay then, I'll stop toying around and get serious."
She then knelt down and focused herself for a moment, then used her legs to jump across the ground faster than Gerick could react. His face exploded in pain as her lance collided with it, the flat of the blade leaving a red mark across his cheek. Skidding to a halt, she again swung her lance out and marked Gerick's head with a second red welt across his face, knocking the elder man to his side. Standing tall, she pointed her lance down and quickly drew a small cut across his forehead, a slim line of red blood forming.
"I've drawn your blood, making victory mine." Claire stated with a haughty tone.
"That you did." Gerick agreed, wiping his fingers across the cut. "That was some mighty footwork, there, missy."
"Heh, it's my favorite technique."
"Where did you learn that?" Fedrich asked. "I've never seen an attack like that."
"I spent a lot of my youth working hard to be a warrior, going from place to place and learning various tricks from the people I met. My skills with this lance are improving with every place I go to." She chuckled lightly. "Now I'm going to be finally able to see how I really stand up against the brutes out there."
"What do you do anyway? Are you some kind of mercenary or just a wandering warrior?" Fedrich wondered.
"A little of both, whatever makes me more money in the end. I've been wandering from place to place to earn my keep for more than ten years now. I came here to see what's around, and I heard about the Regulators through some of the fightin' circles, so I figured that working a steady job for a while might liven things up for me."
Fedrich nodded. "I joined up to get stronger for the Festival of the Hunt, so my live get's more interesting each day. You look like you'd be ready to win the Master Hunter title if it started today!"
Gerick rubbed his pained face as he spoke. "Well, she's got the strength 'ta handle the job, that's fer sure."
"Is there anything else I need to do? Any more tests?" Claire asked.
"Well, what do you all think?" Gerick asked of his comrades. "You think she's got the stuff for it?"
"I guess I've been humbled." Illis muttered.
"What did you say, sister?" Ruthy asked, poking her sister's side.
"You heard me!" She retorted, stifling a laugh. "She's as good as her word, why not let her in."
"I agree, then." Ruthy nodded.
"Count me in as well." Fedrich smiled.
Gerick grinned. "Well then, seems like yer more than accepted. Welcome to the Regulators, Claire."
"It's nice to meet you all." She nodded. "I'll do my best to rid these plains of any monster I find!"
"Speakin' of which, we'll be goin' out on patrol tomorrow mornin' at sunrise from here. Do 'ya have a place to stay at 'till then?"
"I got a room, so no worries about that."
"Care to step inside for a drink in the meanwhile?" Fedrich asked. "I think Gerick's still got come coffee leftover."
"No thanks. Don't think me rude, but I've got to take care of some business before I turn in for the night, it's later than I thought! I promise to be here at sunrise, so until then, comrades!"
With a final wave of her hand, Claire bounded off to the edge of the square and down the staircase, disappearing from view. Gerick muttered to himself, scratching his beard idly as he reflected on the brief yet intense meeting with the female Burman. Illis promptly forgot about the woman's arrival and walked into the Hall, quietly shuffling through a pile of old periodicals to read as the others re-entered the Hall.
"A strange woman, eh?" Gerick finally commented, entering the building as he closed the doors behind him.
"More like arrogant and loud mouthed in my ever so humble opinion." Illis replied dryly.
Ruthy snickered, then looked back toward Fedrich as he sat down, eyes neutral in thought. "Fedrich?"
The Burman made no response.
"Hello, Fedrich! Are we in there?" She asked louder.
"Huh?" He muttered, eyes focusing back to reality.
"You zoned out there for a sec. You okay?"
"I'm...fine, sorry." He apologized.
"Thinking too much?" Ruthy asked.
Fedrich shook his head. "Not really, I'm just surprised to see a fellow Burman here, especially a woman like her."
"Yeah, she's really something."
"She's definitely not from Burmecia, not the way she dresses. I wonder if she's from Cleyra, or maybe one of the western settlements in the desert?"
"I wouldn't know."
Fedrich caught himself before he spoke again. "Sorry, I'm just thinking too loudly."
"Then you are thinking too much." Ruthy accused with a light smirk.
The Burman smiled back. "I guess I am, take me away."
A knock at the door again sounded before Ruthy could speak, drawing strange looks from the Regulators. Gerick stood up and walked to the door, opening it to see no one outside. The bearded man looked around the square, seeing no one nearby or any kids that might have played a prank on him.
"Down here," A small, squeakish voice directed. "Kupo."
Gerick looked down, and he almost lost his balance when he saw a moogle standing quiet plainly at the base of his doorstep. Although moogles were relatively common sights throughout the Mist Continent, the fact that this particular moogle had a bow tie around his neck and a scroll in his hand was surprising enough to the elder man.
"Erm...can I help you?" Gerick asked.
"Actually, I have a letter for you!"
"Really, now. From who?"
"From Sir Setzer Gestahl's residence, written by Sir Gordan Fulmen, kupo."
"From 'ol Gordan, eh? What's he got to say?"
The moogle unwrapped the scroll, holding it with tiny hands as it nearly extended down to the ground. "Dear Gerick, I write to you with grave news. You know of my vacation to be with my parents and my uncle Setzer, no doubt, but it would seem that my stay here will be a for a time longer. During the tour of the Zebolt Factory, an assassin came and attempted to kill my uncle, but we were able to hold him off and stop the attack."
"Much to my surprise, my uncle unveiled to me a strange set of events that possibly has lead to him becoming a target for one of his rivals to the family business. By my word, I cannot reveal any other details of his problems, but I can tell you that he is in danger unlike anything he can protect himself from. As such, I will be staying at his side as a personal bodyguard until he returns to Treno and his loyal protectors at his home. He will be leaving within four days, so I shall stay at his side until then. The moogle with this message, Kurin, will also act as my liaison to you during my stay, so please entrust him with my sword that I left at the Hall."
"My apologies for this unexpected turn of events, but you must understand that my family's safety comes before my duties as a Regulator. I shall write to you as soon as I am able to, hopefully with more information as to what I am involved in. Until we meet again, my friend. Cordially, Gordan."
Gerick whistled low. "Seems like the poor guy's not gettin' any rest now."
"Pardon my haste, but Sir Gordan requested his weapon sent over as soon as possible, kupo."
"In a hurry, eh? I'll be a sec." Gerick waved, walking back into the Hall. "Illis! Did ya see where Gordan left his sword?"
"By the coffeepot where you'd see it, obviously." She replied with an overly sarcastic tone.
"Right." He muttered, going to his precious coffee grinding arrangement to pick up the sheathed weapon. Proceeding back to the door, he set the weapon next to the moogle and had to stifle a laugh when he compared the two. The moogle looked at the blade, pink pom-pom shaking about as if agitated, then gripped the thing with his small hands. Once Gerick let go, the sword fell over with the moogle as well, drawing a high pitched squeal from the creature as it hit the ground.
"You gonna be able 'ta carry it, Kurin?" The bearded man asked.
"I'll manage, kupo." The moogle insisted, hefting the weapon by it's strap and flapping it's wings at a frenzied pace. After a few seconds, it managed to gain some height and began fluttering back into the square, squeakish curses following. Gerick shook his head and chuckled, then closed the doors again and sat down heavily on a nearby chair.
"So what're we going to do now?" Fedrich asked.
"Well, you heard what Gordan had to say, so I'm not gonna try 'n stop him." Gerick replied.
"Yes, but what are we going to do? You aren't just going to let him be in that kind of situation without us, are you?" Illis pressed.
"He chose to do what he did, an' I'm not going to change around my schedule to help. He's more than able to fight on his own, you know that."
Illis glared at the elder man. "Come on, Gerick, you can't mean that! Gordan could be in a lot of trouble, getting involved in stuff like this. Assassins after high ranking nobles and businessmen, this is the kind of thing that gets people killed for being even around to the target!"
"Illis, I'm the head leader 'o the Regulators, and it's my job to do the patrols around the city to defend it from monsters. I can't just forget about that 'ta go defend one man when I've got the whole city 'ta think of!"
"But Gordan's our friend!" Ruthy added. "You can't ignore the danger he's in!"
Gerick sighed, rubbing his beard. "Ruthy, you know that he's my greatest friend in the world, but I've got 'ta put things in perspective. I'm the leader of the Regulators first, a friend second, and he knows that it's my responsibility 'ta protect the people before him. I can't put one man's life over everyone else's, it goes against everythin' that the Regulator's stand for, even if it's for Gordan."
"That's cold, Gerick...not like you at all." Illis commented with a quiet voice.
"I'm sorry 'ta hear that, but such is life, eh?" He shrugged.
"No, life's a lot simpler than that." Illis replied tersely. "I'm going to help him, I put my friend's lives above strangers."
Gerick remained silent.
"Let me take a break, I've worked as hard as anyone else to earn one."
"Illis, I'm not-"
"Don't be like this..." She interrupted.
"No, don't you be like this!" He snapped, foreign anger in his voice. "You swore to me that you'd protect the people 'o this city with your own life! Are you gonna go back on it now, forget everythin' that we do 'ta help the innocent live without fear?"
Illis stood up sharply, nearly knocking her chair over. She glared down at Gerick, her face tight with emotional conflicts raging beneath. Fedrich and Ruthy looked on at the confrontation, both of them surprised at the changes in their attitudes when push came to shove. After a few seconds passed, Illis left the table and walked to the door, picking up her weapon as she passed by the rack that held them. Gerick stood up as she pushed the doors open, hoping to stop her.
"Illis!" He barked, getting her attention.
"If you're going to fire me..." She started, eyes beginning to water. "Then do it. I'll protect those who I love instead."
Before Gerick could reply, she left the Hall and stalked into the darkening square, hurried pace taking her towards the stairs and out of his sight. The elder man stood still for a long second, then sighed heavily and closed the doors in defeat. Sitting back down on his chair, he glanced over at his two remaining comrades with a tired face.
"Why?" Ruthy asked.
"It was her choice 'ta go." He replied.
"You should have just let her go." Fedrich offered "You know how she is about protecting her friends."
"You already know what I'm gonna say, Fedrich, didn't you understand?"
"You're the one who doesn't understand!" Ruthy cried out, standing from her chair and storming out of the Hall.
"Ruthy, please!" He pleaded, unable to stop her from leaving as well.
Fedrich stood up as well to follow the redhead, drawing a look from Gerick. The Burman stared back at him, eyes reflecting inner feelings that made him seem ages older than he was.
"'And you value your damned duty more than my happiness!?'. Illis said that when Elric tried to stop her from living here and doing what she wants." He reiterated from memory, walking towards the door. "You reminded me of that time just now, Gerick."
Fedrich left the Hall, leaving Gerick alone with the thoughts of his friends words in his ear. Standing silently, he walked to the doors and closed them again, latch clicking in place as he pondered the unraveling of his camaraderie with the others.
* * *
Kurin swore again in his native tongue, which sounded more like angry hisses than any epitaph humans used. The sword that he held was heavy, seemingly getting heavier with each second passing by. Eventually the sword began to drag on the ground, and the moogle finally gave up and opted to take a breather, pulling the weight to the side of the street to not be a nuisance to those out.
"Stupid sword..." He muttered. "Why'd they make these things so heavy to start with?"
After a minute, he again gripped the leather scabbard and began pulling, small wings getting sore from the exertion. A gloved hand suddenly gripped the sword and pulled it up, Kurin squeaking with surprise as he was lifted up to a familiar face.
"Hey!? You're one of Gordan's friends, yes?" He chirped, wiggling his feet.
"Yeah, you need help with this?" Illis asked.
"I guess so...stupid sword." The moogle complained, letting go to hover near Illis' body.
"You're going back to where Gordan's at?" She again asked.
"Of course I am." Kurin replied.
"I'll go with you."
"I don't think that Sir Gordan's parents will let you in." The moogle warned, hovering hear her face.
Illis frowned. "They'll let me in, moogle, don't doubt that for a moment."
Kurin nodded, then noticed that Illis' cheeks were slick with wetness. "Tears? Are you crying because of something?"
Illis pulled on the sword, drawing part of the blade free. "Mind your own business."
"Eep! Sorry!" He replied quickly.
"Lead on." Illis ordered.
Kurin whistled low, wondering what kind of people that his master's nephew really worked around if one woman was this much trouble to deal with.
