Chapter Seven
Beating
Two weeks later I woke up before dawn, ready to spend five hours swimming. Though it left me exhausted, it did seem to be helping everyone get stronger. Besides, Freya's comical antics were funny, and she was helping me learn to swim better.
I began to prepare tea, as usual. I then sat at the table. I wanted to go and check on Freya, but it would not work. Freya's mother was terribly suspicious of me, and I had learned to stay away from her house. Freya would come to me.
I sighed and rose from the table. It seemed oddly lonely without Freya. Normally she would come along at this time, but for the past three days she hadn't. In fact, for the past three days she had just managed to come on time for Dragon Academy, and Ebon had smacked her for supposedly "coming late".
I took a mug from the cabinet, and grabbed a packet of tea from the jar on the counter. I put them on the table, then realized I had forgotten a spoon and retrieved it from the cabinet. By now the water was boiling, and I poured it into the mug. I inserted the tea packet into the mug and began stirring the tea. My thoughts were on Freya and her problems. She had her mother worrying, Ebon smacking her, and then her odd sister Arana acting like she wanted to kill her.
I had been so busy thinking I didn't realize I had been stirring the tea for three minutes. Quickly I grabbed the mug and drank the tea in one sitting despite the burn. I took the mug and placed it in the sink. I then descended the stairs and headed outside. Even though the sun had not risen anywhere on the Mist Continent, the humidity was already close to unbearable. The rain didn't help with the humidity. It was warm, warning of a storm. I headed down the dark streets, heading toward the lake, as usual.
I was the first to arrive at the lake and received a brief nod of acknowledge from Ebon. I sat down near the lake's quiet waters, watching the distance for signs of Freya.
About fifteen minutes passed, and the boys had showed up. Freya had not. I took a deep breath, waiting nervously. Would she come just in the nick of time again? If so, another slap was to come. She didn't show up. Ebon gave us the normal instructions. The boys immediately shed and headed into the water. I stayed sitting, waiting for Freya. Ebon glared at me, but I ignored him. Freya was never late. She made sure she was never late. What could have happened?
Ten minutes passed. Someone then appeared. They were running swiftly over here. I recognized Freya immediately. I rose to my feet, only to find Ebon pushing me down to the ground.
"Stay down and don't interfere," Ebon growled.
Freya had reached Ebon at this point. She was looking at him with worried eyes.
"I'm sorry," she muttered.
She didn't get anything else out. Ebon punched her hard in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. I tensed angrily.
"You were told not to be late," Ebon growled. "You will be punished."
Ebon slammed his fist into Freya's chest. Freya let out a startled gasp. My eyes widened with shock. Freya made an attempt to defend herself as Ebon's punches and kicks rained down on her, but it was useless. Ebon said she would be punished, but I didn't expect this, for some reason.
Ebon was beating her.
Instinctively my fur bristled, causing me to look more polar bear than Burmecian. My normally placid blue eyes became fiery with anger. I rose to my feet, fists clenched. I was watching for a time when I could get in.
Finally, after a few minutes, I saw an opportunity. Ebon had his fist raised. I rushed forward and pushed Freya out of the way. Ebon couldn't stop himself in time and his fist slammed into my jaw, slamming me into the ground.
It hurt worse than I had thought. The sharp pain the punch left caused me to kick out, latching onto Ebon's leg. I threw him to the ground. I then rose to my feet just in time to see Freya running away.
I looked over at Ebon.
"Don't you dare leave," Ebon snarled.
He was too late. I was already running after Freya. My feet pounded against the wet ground as I chased after her. She ran straight for the woods, a perfect place for her to hide.
"Freya!" I shouted.
Freya kept running. The minute both of us were in the woods, Freya turned and looked at me. Her eyes were full of tears. Her face was bruised, and her body probably was as well. I could see her shaking.
"F-Fratley," she muttered. "I can't stand this. M-My mother tries to keep me away from my dreams. T-Then I escape and I-I get the shit beaten out o-of me. Can't I do anything anymore?"
I walked slowly over to Freya.
"Freya," I muttered, only finding I had nothing to say.
Freya collapsed into my arms. She was sobbing uncontrollably, something I had rarely ever seen her do. Slowly I lowered her and myself to the ground. She lied against me, sobbing helplessly. I held her against me, trying to comfort her. I knew it was hopeless. She couldn't be comforted at this rate. She was crushed.
I don't know how much time passed with Freya sobbing. I didn't know what to do. Never had Freya been this upset. Even the last time she had cried she had eventually stopped after five minutes. Now, more than five minutes had passed without her even ceasing to stop.
"Freya," I muttered softly. "It's all right."
Of course, it wasn't all right. Ebon had never beaten her before. He had smacked her, but never actually beaten her.
"F-Fratley, I'm sick o-of being treated like s-shit," Freya choked out between heaving sobs. "Why c-can't anyone let me do what I wish?"
"Freya, I do," I whispered. "I don't care what you do, as long as you're still you. Freya - Freya, I hate seeing you this upset."
Freya looked up at me with tearful eyes. "I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize," I muttered. "Ebon is the one who should apologize."
Freya wiped away her tears, only to find they came back. She stared at me.
"I got you all wet," she muttered, trying desperately to stop crying.
I shrugged. "I think the rain makes me wetter than this, Freya."
"Yeah - Yeah, I guess so," Freya said quietly. "How much time has passed?"
"I don't even know, Freya."
"I-I'm tried of this place, Frat. I'm sick of it all."
Freya's sobbing began again, and I held her closer. We were oblivious to the humidity and rain. All I noticed was Freya. I don't know if Freya noticed anything.
It was another five minutes or so before Freya showed signs of calming down. I slowly released my grip on Freya. She rose to her feet, I following. She looked toward the gate.
"Maybe," She said, taking a deep, ragged breath. "I can run away."
"Run away?" I asked with worry.
"Yeah. Just a little bit. See if the outside world is any better," Freya muttered.
"Freya, don't go anywhere," I begged.
"You can come if you want."
"Come? But Freya -"
"We won't go far. I just need to take a walk outside this place." Freya looked toward me with upset green eyes. "Please?"
I looked down at the ground. "All right, Freya. But let's be careful."
Freya nodded slowly. She began to slowly walk toward the Main Gate. I followed quietly. We stepped through the woods and onto the sleek streets. Freya was walking in an almost ghost-like manner. No one was willing to walk around in the humidity yet, so not many people were around. We swerved between houses and through yards and alleys. Sometimes we even leapt over roofs to get to our destination.
When we reached the Main Gate, it was open slightly. Freya and I easily squeezed through the small opening. We looked around with awe. Outside was a vast expanse of green land that became brownish sand in the distance. The massive tree of Cleyra could be seen in the distance. Massive mountains isolated the Daines-Horse Basin from the rest of the world. Stepping carefully into the unknown territory only a bit away from our home, we looked around in all directions. We had never seen the area outside home before.
"It's so free," Freya muttered. "No restricting walls or buildings. It's just a bunch of nothing."
I nodded in agreement. Except for the steady green grasses and an occasional tree or two, the area appeared desolate. We stopped walking, being a few good feet away from Burmecia. The humidity did not seem as bad outside the city, being the air had more time to roam. The rain fell just as endlessly as it did in Burmecia.
"So green," Freya muttered. "God, I wonder if people live out here?"
"It looks too lifeless," I replied.
Freya was walking around aimlessly, examining the area. I was looking around suspiciously. Something wasn't right. The place was too quiet.
"Freya, perhaps we should head back. Something's not right," I said.
Freya looked over at me. She seemed to notice my worried look.
"All right," she said, though clearly disappointed.
We turned around and began heading back toward Burmecia. Freya was staring at the ground. I was trying to listen for any sudden moves. I heard the rustling of bushes, and then the steady pounding of massive feet.
"Freya?" I whispered. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear -" Freya began, but she was cut off by a massive roar.
Slowly we turned around. Standing behind us was a massive green creature with a brown underbelly and chest. Its feet had to be the size of the doorway of an average house. Small claws came from these massive feet. It had huge bulky legs and massive shoulders that made it look much larger than it really was. Its head was tiny compared to its massive body, and small horns were on this head. Its actual body appeared thin, but its thighs were massive just like its shoulders to support huge legs and large feet. It had a small tail. It roared angrily at it, rearing upward on its massive hind legs and crushing the ground with large front feet.
"Run," I muttered.
Freya and I turned around and began to rush toward Burmecia. The monster roared and ran toward us. It was far quicker than we were, and Freya and I soon had to head in opposite directions besides forward to escape it. It slowed to a stop, looking around with tiny black eyes for a target. It located Freya, roared, and charged toward her. Freya let out a startled yelp and ran out of the way. The beast roared, lightning gathering at its horns. It then sent the lightning toward Freya. Freya was hit and knocked to the ground.
I ran forward.
"HEY YOU!" I screamed at the monster, trying to distract it. "OVER HERE! COME HERE!"
The monster looked over at me and roared. It then charged. I ran out of the way and scraped at its leg with my long nails. They succeeded in cutting small, skimpy scratches that bled little. The monster apparently wasn't pleased, however, for it turned around and charged toward me. I tried to rush completely out of the way, but I ended up being smacked by the monster's deep, low chest. I fell to the ground and managed to avoid any other damage.
Freya had weakly risen to her feet, and the monster had chosen her as a target. I rose to my feet and began shouting again. The monster turned around and snarled angrily. It then charged. I began to run, but mud had gathered in certain areas. My foot landed in a mud puddle and I almost fell over. I found myself stuck right in the monster's path.
Seconds before the first large hoof fell upon me I was shoved out of the way. I immediately looked up and watched in horror as Freya was trampled.
"FREYA!" I screamed.
The monster made a massive turn as it located me. I stared at it with horror. It roared and charged.
Suddenly a lance shot through the air at a blinding speed and latched itself into the monster's neck. It roared with pain and stumbled about, trying to find the thrower. Soon, two more lances punctured its chest and side. The monster screamed and tried to go after me, the only person around who seemed dangerous. I rushed out of the panicked, bleeding monster's way. It staggered about, and soon a fourth lance slammed into its eye. The monster screamed and collapsed.
Meanwhile, I rushed over to Freya. I lifted her into my arms as I stared with horror. Tears came to my eyes. Her shirt had been ripped near her stomach, and a gruesome bruise was forming quickly. Was she going to die? Was she already dead? What would happen? I began to sob.
Behind me, someone walked toward me. Soon, Aireff was beside me.
"Calm down, all right, Fratley?" he said, gently taking Freya into his own arms. "She's goin' ta be fine."
I didn't bother asking where Aireff came from and how he knew she'd be fine. I simply stayed where I was, sobbing. Aireff rose to his feet and walked away. Soon, Rose was beside me.
"Fratley, calm down," she muttered softly.
"How can anyone expect me to calm down?" I choked.
"Freya's going to be fine, Fratley. Junes isn't a healer for nothing, you know," Rose muttered softly.
"He couldn't help Angela," I sobbed.
Rose was silent for a while. "No, 'e couldn't. But Freya isn't in Angela's situation. Freya can be saved." Rose lifted me to my feet. "Come on. Let's get back 'ome before another Catoblepas comes along."
"Mamá, are you mad?" I asked, looking up at Rose.
"Why should I be mad? Despite the dangers no one teaches their children not to go outside the gates. We seem to think that they are born knowing the dangers. Fratley, why should I be mad?" Rose asked, looking over at me. "Why should I be mad at you for something you were never disciplined against?"
In the end, it seemed like Freya would end up all right. There had been internal bleeding, which explained the massive bruise, but Junes stopped it quickly with herbs. She had a few broken ribs, though whether Ebon or the Catoblepas had caused them was uncertain. He also gave her some pain-killing herbs. When I went to see her, she looked exhausted, but smiled at me.
"Hey, Frat," Freya muttered softly.
I was getting pretty close to tears. "Freya, I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who suggested leaving," Freya said. "And it's not your fault you fell in mud."
I shook my head. I just felt guilt, though for what reason I could not say. Something within me was guilty. I reached down and hugged Freya without her having to move.
"I don't know," I muttered. "I just hope you make it."
Freya gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before I rose.
"I'm sure I'll make it," Freya said quietly. "I can deal with Ebon, so I can deal with an over-sized green freak. After all, they are the same - both ugly and stupid."
I couldn't help but chuckle. Perhaps Freya would be fine. At this point Freya's mother rushed in.
"You!" she snapped at me. "You got Freya into this, didn't you?"
I stared at her with complete confusion. "No -"
"Don't lie! Ever since she started hanging around with you consistently she's been coming home bruised. And now she looks like this! What have you been doing to her?" Marie asked angrily.
I backed away from Marie nervously. I hadn't been doing a single thing.
"I swear -" I began.
"Answer me!" Marie snarled.
"Marie, calm down," Rose said, realizing I needed her assistance. "Fratley 'asn't done anything. It's Ebon."
"Ebon?" Marie asked.
"Yes," Rose said, nodding. "Freya 'as 'eaded off against your will to become a Dragon Warrior. Ebon's 'arsh, particularly with Freya, and 'e is the one that is smacking 'er around. And apparently 'e was at it again."
"Ebon," Marie muttered. She then turned angrily on Freya. "I told you that was too dangerous! Why don't you listen to me?"
Freya's eyes narrowed.
"It's my life!" she snarled.
"I told you not to become a Dragon Warrior! How dare you disobey me," Marie snarled. "You're getting pretty close to being stuck at home."
"If you keep her at home, Marie, she'll only escape. Then Ebon will beat her," Aireff said calmly, his familiar accent gone. "At the rate your child is going, you would be much better off to simply let her go to the training. Fratley is there."
"Fratley - Fratley, have you done anything?" Marie asked me angrily.
"Yes!" Freya immediately said. "Leave him alone, Mom! He hasn't done anything! It's all me! I wanted to become a Dragon Warrior! I wanted to leave Burmecia! He's only been supporting me and helping me out! If it weren't for him, I may have been beaten senseless by Ebon! Don't you see the bruise? He shoved me out of the way!"
All eyes came on me. Immediately everyone located the swelling bruise on my snout that came from Ebon's powerful punch. I shrunk away against the wall, wishing I could go straight through it. Marie's angry look disappeared while Rose headed into the healer's bathroom. Aireff looked over at Marie to see what she would say.
"All right," Marie muttered quietly. "I apologize for accusing you, Fratley. I didn't know."
"It's all right," I automatically said.
"As for you," Marie said, turning her gaze on Freya. "It doesn't seem that I can do anything to stop you from doing much. So fine, you can go train. Just, please, be careful."
Freya nodded. Rose had reentered the room and gave me the cold, wet cloth she had retrieved. It muttered a soft thank you and placed it against the swollen bruise. Aireff was nodding with silent approval at Marie's decision. Rose stood near him, also taking in the scene. Marie sighed.
"I'd better get home before Matthew sets fire to the food again," she muttered. "I'll be back, Freya."
Marie gave her daughter a quick hug before leaving.
"Well, at last she got a bit o' sense," Aireff said, his accent returning.
"I have a question to ask," Freya said.
"What is it?" Aireff asked.
"I was still a bit conscious when the monster was attacked. Was it only you two?" Freya asked.
Smiles crossed the faces of my parents.
"Yep, only us," Aireff said. "Like our quick throwin' abilities?"
"Quick showing off, Aireff," Rose said, smacking him playfully.
"Oh dear, m' wife is beatin' me. Someone 'elp!" Aireff yelped teasingly.
"Oh, hush," Rose snapped. She then turned to Freya. "Yes, it was only the two of us."
"Oh," Freya said. She took a deep breath, and the pain-killing plants clearly did not work hard enough to stop the pain she felt when breathing. "How did you know?"
"Fratley was screamin'," Aireff said. "It was a good way to get 'elp."
"I was actually distracting the monster," I explained. "It didn't like loud sounds."
"Nah, some of 'em don'," Aireff said with agreement. "If ya 'ave no weapons, that's one o' the best things ya can do. Scream and wave around. If ya keep it up, ya can scare some away. Not a Catoblepas, though. It'll jus' kill ya."
"I noticed," I muttered.
"Wonder what it was doin' 'round this area," Rose muttered thoughtfully.
"Probably Treno," Aireff said with a snort. "That stupid shop with the monsters probably released it."
"Maybe," Rose muttered. She then looked over at Freya. "All right, so it's very clear that Ebon needs more than a talking-to?"
Freya nodded. "A lot more."
Rose grinned wickedly. "Coming right up."
Rose quickly left the room, and I immediately voiced my opinion.
"I hope she really hurts him."
------- Poor Freya =( Anyway, doesn't matter, because this time Ebon's really in for it. *evil grin* Next chapter is going to be pretty exciting. I'll try not to give anything away, but let me just say this: Freya gets revenge.
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.
Beating
Two weeks later I woke up before dawn, ready to spend five hours swimming. Though it left me exhausted, it did seem to be helping everyone get stronger. Besides, Freya's comical antics were funny, and she was helping me learn to swim better.
I began to prepare tea, as usual. I then sat at the table. I wanted to go and check on Freya, but it would not work. Freya's mother was terribly suspicious of me, and I had learned to stay away from her house. Freya would come to me.
I sighed and rose from the table. It seemed oddly lonely without Freya. Normally she would come along at this time, but for the past three days she hadn't. In fact, for the past three days she had just managed to come on time for Dragon Academy, and Ebon had smacked her for supposedly "coming late".
I took a mug from the cabinet, and grabbed a packet of tea from the jar on the counter. I put them on the table, then realized I had forgotten a spoon and retrieved it from the cabinet. By now the water was boiling, and I poured it into the mug. I inserted the tea packet into the mug and began stirring the tea. My thoughts were on Freya and her problems. She had her mother worrying, Ebon smacking her, and then her odd sister Arana acting like she wanted to kill her.
I had been so busy thinking I didn't realize I had been stirring the tea for three minutes. Quickly I grabbed the mug and drank the tea in one sitting despite the burn. I took the mug and placed it in the sink. I then descended the stairs and headed outside. Even though the sun had not risen anywhere on the Mist Continent, the humidity was already close to unbearable. The rain didn't help with the humidity. It was warm, warning of a storm. I headed down the dark streets, heading toward the lake, as usual.
I was the first to arrive at the lake and received a brief nod of acknowledge from Ebon. I sat down near the lake's quiet waters, watching the distance for signs of Freya.
About fifteen minutes passed, and the boys had showed up. Freya had not. I took a deep breath, waiting nervously. Would she come just in the nick of time again? If so, another slap was to come. She didn't show up. Ebon gave us the normal instructions. The boys immediately shed and headed into the water. I stayed sitting, waiting for Freya. Ebon glared at me, but I ignored him. Freya was never late. She made sure she was never late. What could have happened?
Ten minutes passed. Someone then appeared. They were running swiftly over here. I recognized Freya immediately. I rose to my feet, only to find Ebon pushing me down to the ground.
"Stay down and don't interfere," Ebon growled.
Freya had reached Ebon at this point. She was looking at him with worried eyes.
"I'm sorry," she muttered.
She didn't get anything else out. Ebon punched her hard in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. I tensed angrily.
"You were told not to be late," Ebon growled. "You will be punished."
Ebon slammed his fist into Freya's chest. Freya let out a startled gasp. My eyes widened with shock. Freya made an attempt to defend herself as Ebon's punches and kicks rained down on her, but it was useless. Ebon said she would be punished, but I didn't expect this, for some reason.
Ebon was beating her.
Instinctively my fur bristled, causing me to look more polar bear than Burmecian. My normally placid blue eyes became fiery with anger. I rose to my feet, fists clenched. I was watching for a time when I could get in.
Finally, after a few minutes, I saw an opportunity. Ebon had his fist raised. I rushed forward and pushed Freya out of the way. Ebon couldn't stop himself in time and his fist slammed into my jaw, slamming me into the ground.
It hurt worse than I had thought. The sharp pain the punch left caused me to kick out, latching onto Ebon's leg. I threw him to the ground. I then rose to my feet just in time to see Freya running away.
I looked over at Ebon.
"Don't you dare leave," Ebon snarled.
He was too late. I was already running after Freya. My feet pounded against the wet ground as I chased after her. She ran straight for the woods, a perfect place for her to hide.
"Freya!" I shouted.
Freya kept running. The minute both of us were in the woods, Freya turned and looked at me. Her eyes were full of tears. Her face was bruised, and her body probably was as well. I could see her shaking.
"F-Fratley," she muttered. "I can't stand this. M-My mother tries to keep me away from my dreams. T-Then I escape and I-I get the shit beaten out o-of me. Can't I do anything anymore?"
I walked slowly over to Freya.
"Freya," I muttered, only finding I had nothing to say.
Freya collapsed into my arms. She was sobbing uncontrollably, something I had rarely ever seen her do. Slowly I lowered her and myself to the ground. She lied against me, sobbing helplessly. I held her against me, trying to comfort her. I knew it was hopeless. She couldn't be comforted at this rate. She was crushed.
I don't know how much time passed with Freya sobbing. I didn't know what to do. Never had Freya been this upset. Even the last time she had cried she had eventually stopped after five minutes. Now, more than five minutes had passed without her even ceasing to stop.
"Freya," I muttered softly. "It's all right."
Of course, it wasn't all right. Ebon had never beaten her before. He had smacked her, but never actually beaten her.
"F-Fratley, I'm sick o-of being treated like s-shit," Freya choked out between heaving sobs. "Why c-can't anyone let me do what I wish?"
"Freya, I do," I whispered. "I don't care what you do, as long as you're still you. Freya - Freya, I hate seeing you this upset."
Freya looked up at me with tearful eyes. "I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize," I muttered. "Ebon is the one who should apologize."
Freya wiped away her tears, only to find they came back. She stared at me.
"I got you all wet," she muttered, trying desperately to stop crying.
I shrugged. "I think the rain makes me wetter than this, Freya."
"Yeah - Yeah, I guess so," Freya said quietly. "How much time has passed?"
"I don't even know, Freya."
"I-I'm tried of this place, Frat. I'm sick of it all."
Freya's sobbing began again, and I held her closer. We were oblivious to the humidity and rain. All I noticed was Freya. I don't know if Freya noticed anything.
It was another five minutes or so before Freya showed signs of calming down. I slowly released my grip on Freya. She rose to her feet, I following. She looked toward the gate.
"Maybe," She said, taking a deep, ragged breath. "I can run away."
"Run away?" I asked with worry.
"Yeah. Just a little bit. See if the outside world is any better," Freya muttered.
"Freya, don't go anywhere," I begged.
"You can come if you want."
"Come? But Freya -"
"We won't go far. I just need to take a walk outside this place." Freya looked toward me with upset green eyes. "Please?"
I looked down at the ground. "All right, Freya. But let's be careful."
Freya nodded slowly. She began to slowly walk toward the Main Gate. I followed quietly. We stepped through the woods and onto the sleek streets. Freya was walking in an almost ghost-like manner. No one was willing to walk around in the humidity yet, so not many people were around. We swerved between houses and through yards and alleys. Sometimes we even leapt over roofs to get to our destination.
When we reached the Main Gate, it was open slightly. Freya and I easily squeezed through the small opening. We looked around with awe. Outside was a vast expanse of green land that became brownish sand in the distance. The massive tree of Cleyra could be seen in the distance. Massive mountains isolated the Daines-Horse Basin from the rest of the world. Stepping carefully into the unknown territory only a bit away from our home, we looked around in all directions. We had never seen the area outside home before.
"It's so free," Freya muttered. "No restricting walls or buildings. It's just a bunch of nothing."
I nodded in agreement. Except for the steady green grasses and an occasional tree or two, the area appeared desolate. We stopped walking, being a few good feet away from Burmecia. The humidity did not seem as bad outside the city, being the air had more time to roam. The rain fell just as endlessly as it did in Burmecia.
"So green," Freya muttered. "God, I wonder if people live out here?"
"It looks too lifeless," I replied.
Freya was walking around aimlessly, examining the area. I was looking around suspiciously. Something wasn't right. The place was too quiet.
"Freya, perhaps we should head back. Something's not right," I said.
Freya looked over at me. She seemed to notice my worried look.
"All right," she said, though clearly disappointed.
We turned around and began heading back toward Burmecia. Freya was staring at the ground. I was trying to listen for any sudden moves. I heard the rustling of bushes, and then the steady pounding of massive feet.
"Freya?" I whispered. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear -" Freya began, but she was cut off by a massive roar.
Slowly we turned around. Standing behind us was a massive green creature with a brown underbelly and chest. Its feet had to be the size of the doorway of an average house. Small claws came from these massive feet. It had huge bulky legs and massive shoulders that made it look much larger than it really was. Its head was tiny compared to its massive body, and small horns were on this head. Its actual body appeared thin, but its thighs were massive just like its shoulders to support huge legs and large feet. It had a small tail. It roared angrily at it, rearing upward on its massive hind legs and crushing the ground with large front feet.
"Run," I muttered.
Freya and I turned around and began to rush toward Burmecia. The monster roared and ran toward us. It was far quicker than we were, and Freya and I soon had to head in opposite directions besides forward to escape it. It slowed to a stop, looking around with tiny black eyes for a target. It located Freya, roared, and charged toward her. Freya let out a startled yelp and ran out of the way. The beast roared, lightning gathering at its horns. It then sent the lightning toward Freya. Freya was hit and knocked to the ground.
I ran forward.
"HEY YOU!" I screamed at the monster, trying to distract it. "OVER HERE! COME HERE!"
The monster looked over at me and roared. It then charged. I ran out of the way and scraped at its leg with my long nails. They succeeded in cutting small, skimpy scratches that bled little. The monster apparently wasn't pleased, however, for it turned around and charged toward me. I tried to rush completely out of the way, but I ended up being smacked by the monster's deep, low chest. I fell to the ground and managed to avoid any other damage.
Freya had weakly risen to her feet, and the monster had chosen her as a target. I rose to my feet and began shouting again. The monster turned around and snarled angrily. It then charged. I began to run, but mud had gathered in certain areas. My foot landed in a mud puddle and I almost fell over. I found myself stuck right in the monster's path.
Seconds before the first large hoof fell upon me I was shoved out of the way. I immediately looked up and watched in horror as Freya was trampled.
"FREYA!" I screamed.
The monster made a massive turn as it located me. I stared at it with horror. It roared and charged.
Suddenly a lance shot through the air at a blinding speed and latched itself into the monster's neck. It roared with pain and stumbled about, trying to find the thrower. Soon, two more lances punctured its chest and side. The monster screamed and tried to go after me, the only person around who seemed dangerous. I rushed out of the panicked, bleeding monster's way. It staggered about, and soon a fourth lance slammed into its eye. The monster screamed and collapsed.
Meanwhile, I rushed over to Freya. I lifted her into my arms as I stared with horror. Tears came to my eyes. Her shirt had been ripped near her stomach, and a gruesome bruise was forming quickly. Was she going to die? Was she already dead? What would happen? I began to sob.
Behind me, someone walked toward me. Soon, Aireff was beside me.
"Calm down, all right, Fratley?" he said, gently taking Freya into his own arms. "She's goin' ta be fine."
I didn't bother asking where Aireff came from and how he knew she'd be fine. I simply stayed where I was, sobbing. Aireff rose to his feet and walked away. Soon, Rose was beside me.
"Fratley, calm down," she muttered softly.
"How can anyone expect me to calm down?" I choked.
"Freya's going to be fine, Fratley. Junes isn't a healer for nothing, you know," Rose muttered softly.
"He couldn't help Angela," I sobbed.
Rose was silent for a while. "No, 'e couldn't. But Freya isn't in Angela's situation. Freya can be saved." Rose lifted me to my feet. "Come on. Let's get back 'ome before another Catoblepas comes along."
"Mamá, are you mad?" I asked, looking up at Rose.
"Why should I be mad? Despite the dangers no one teaches their children not to go outside the gates. We seem to think that they are born knowing the dangers. Fratley, why should I be mad?" Rose asked, looking over at me. "Why should I be mad at you for something you were never disciplined against?"
In the end, it seemed like Freya would end up all right. There had been internal bleeding, which explained the massive bruise, but Junes stopped it quickly with herbs. She had a few broken ribs, though whether Ebon or the Catoblepas had caused them was uncertain. He also gave her some pain-killing herbs. When I went to see her, she looked exhausted, but smiled at me.
"Hey, Frat," Freya muttered softly.
I was getting pretty close to tears. "Freya, I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who suggested leaving," Freya said. "And it's not your fault you fell in mud."
I shook my head. I just felt guilt, though for what reason I could not say. Something within me was guilty. I reached down and hugged Freya without her having to move.
"I don't know," I muttered. "I just hope you make it."
Freya gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before I rose.
"I'm sure I'll make it," Freya said quietly. "I can deal with Ebon, so I can deal with an over-sized green freak. After all, they are the same - both ugly and stupid."
I couldn't help but chuckle. Perhaps Freya would be fine. At this point Freya's mother rushed in.
"You!" she snapped at me. "You got Freya into this, didn't you?"
I stared at her with complete confusion. "No -"
"Don't lie! Ever since she started hanging around with you consistently she's been coming home bruised. And now she looks like this! What have you been doing to her?" Marie asked angrily.
I backed away from Marie nervously. I hadn't been doing a single thing.
"I swear -" I began.
"Answer me!" Marie snarled.
"Marie, calm down," Rose said, realizing I needed her assistance. "Fratley 'asn't done anything. It's Ebon."
"Ebon?" Marie asked.
"Yes," Rose said, nodding. "Freya 'as 'eaded off against your will to become a Dragon Warrior. Ebon's 'arsh, particularly with Freya, and 'e is the one that is smacking 'er around. And apparently 'e was at it again."
"Ebon," Marie muttered. She then turned angrily on Freya. "I told you that was too dangerous! Why don't you listen to me?"
Freya's eyes narrowed.
"It's my life!" she snarled.
"I told you not to become a Dragon Warrior! How dare you disobey me," Marie snarled. "You're getting pretty close to being stuck at home."
"If you keep her at home, Marie, she'll only escape. Then Ebon will beat her," Aireff said calmly, his familiar accent gone. "At the rate your child is going, you would be much better off to simply let her go to the training. Fratley is there."
"Fratley - Fratley, have you done anything?" Marie asked me angrily.
"Yes!" Freya immediately said. "Leave him alone, Mom! He hasn't done anything! It's all me! I wanted to become a Dragon Warrior! I wanted to leave Burmecia! He's only been supporting me and helping me out! If it weren't for him, I may have been beaten senseless by Ebon! Don't you see the bruise? He shoved me out of the way!"
All eyes came on me. Immediately everyone located the swelling bruise on my snout that came from Ebon's powerful punch. I shrunk away against the wall, wishing I could go straight through it. Marie's angry look disappeared while Rose headed into the healer's bathroom. Aireff looked over at Marie to see what she would say.
"All right," Marie muttered quietly. "I apologize for accusing you, Fratley. I didn't know."
"It's all right," I automatically said.
"As for you," Marie said, turning her gaze on Freya. "It doesn't seem that I can do anything to stop you from doing much. So fine, you can go train. Just, please, be careful."
Freya nodded. Rose had reentered the room and gave me the cold, wet cloth she had retrieved. It muttered a soft thank you and placed it against the swollen bruise. Aireff was nodding with silent approval at Marie's decision. Rose stood near him, also taking in the scene. Marie sighed.
"I'd better get home before Matthew sets fire to the food again," she muttered. "I'll be back, Freya."
Marie gave her daughter a quick hug before leaving.
"Well, at last she got a bit o' sense," Aireff said, his accent returning.
"I have a question to ask," Freya said.
"What is it?" Aireff asked.
"I was still a bit conscious when the monster was attacked. Was it only you two?" Freya asked.
Smiles crossed the faces of my parents.
"Yep, only us," Aireff said. "Like our quick throwin' abilities?"
"Quick showing off, Aireff," Rose said, smacking him playfully.
"Oh dear, m' wife is beatin' me. Someone 'elp!" Aireff yelped teasingly.
"Oh, hush," Rose snapped. She then turned to Freya. "Yes, it was only the two of us."
"Oh," Freya said. She took a deep breath, and the pain-killing plants clearly did not work hard enough to stop the pain she felt when breathing. "How did you know?"
"Fratley was screamin'," Aireff said. "It was a good way to get 'elp."
"I was actually distracting the monster," I explained. "It didn't like loud sounds."
"Nah, some of 'em don'," Aireff said with agreement. "If ya 'ave no weapons, that's one o' the best things ya can do. Scream and wave around. If ya keep it up, ya can scare some away. Not a Catoblepas, though. It'll jus' kill ya."
"I noticed," I muttered.
"Wonder what it was doin' 'round this area," Rose muttered thoughtfully.
"Probably Treno," Aireff said with a snort. "That stupid shop with the monsters probably released it."
"Maybe," Rose muttered. She then looked over at Freya. "All right, so it's very clear that Ebon needs more than a talking-to?"
Freya nodded. "A lot more."
Rose grinned wickedly. "Coming right up."
Rose quickly left the room, and I immediately voiced my opinion.
"I hope she really hurts him."
------- Poor Freya =( Anyway, doesn't matter, because this time Ebon's really in for it. *evil grin* Next chapter is going to be pretty exciting. I'll try not to give anything away, but let me just say this: Freya gets revenge.
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.