Chapter Eighteen
Maze of Emotions
The trip to Tessaih took much longer than I expected. I completely avoided the Illiad Forest by going around it, which may have slowed me down. The true culprit who hindered me, however, had to be the massive thunderstorm that suddenly rolled in from the Liosa Mountains. I was stranded over a few miles away from Uma, a small town near a massive lake. In the distance I could see the massive gates that surrounded Tessaih, my destination.
At last the storm left, leaving the ground muddy and wet, yet the skies clear and the weather fair. Soon I was moving again, and within two days of traveling through muddy territory, I reached the front gate of Tessaih.
Tessaih was known to be the richest city on Eoroqu, and for good reason. Famous people lived in the city and paid a high price to live there. People visiting paid a high price to visit. Because of the expensive prices, Tessaih made plenty of money, and therefore could afford expensive things. The font and back gates – the front facing the ocean and now unseen Mist Continent, and the back facing the Liosa mountains – were made of pure silver. The tall walls, at least fifteen feet high, were made of strong steel mixed with silver. Massive spikes around three feet high topped the edges of the walls, making getting into the city by the walls nearly impossible. Patrolling the massive gates were four humans dressed in black and yellow uniforms. They rode gorgeous, armored chocobos and held wooden staves. They were the Black Knights, the police force of Tessaih and its neighbors.
As I approached the massive gates, a Black Knight turned his gaze onto me. Then, without questioning, he turned the one massive crank that opened the gates. The gates slowly opened, and I quickly stepped into the city. The streets were paved silver, and the first building I saw was a stone building, looking plain, yet decorated with black and yellow banners. Many buildings were lined up alongside each other, most of them made of stone. Many people walked through the streets, some Demi-humans, some humans, and some Burmecians. I walked forward and looked around, but could see nothing easily through the huge crowds.
"Over here."
The voice sounded very familiar. I looked around, and soon spotted a familiar face. Meander stood nearby, watching me quietly. Without another word, he motioned for me to follow him, and began heading down the east road. I quickly followed him, somehow not losing him in the massive crowd.
Soon, a small building came into view. Unlike the other buildings, which were made of white stone, it was pitch black, and clearly made of basalt. The door was made of a dark mahogany. Massive windows covered the east wall. The door was open, and people were seen inside the building, which had a black floor and black walls inside. There was clearly a second floor, but no windows on it. Meander entered the building, and I quickly followed.
Inside, thousands of wooden trays had been hammered into a wooden strip along the stone wall. Inside the trays were thousands of carved jewels of many kinds. I saw opals, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and even diamonds. There were also wooden tables that held necklaces, bracelets, and rings made of silver or gold and containing many jewels. Many people, most of them looking very rich, were examining the many jewels and jewelry. Meander ignored them and instead headed through a closed wooden door and into a small room. He allowed me in, then closed the door.
The room was cramped, with two small chairs, and a small wooden table containing knives, cutters, and many other things used to carve gems. Meander sat down at the table and eyed me with black eyes.
"So you made it here, eh? Defeated Relámpago. I'm impressed," Meander grunted nonchalantly.
"What am I here for?" I asked.
"To learn a thing or two before you go after your test," Meander replied. "First, I'm going to advance your skills with some of the best. Second, I'm going to make you a new weapon. Finally, you're going to fight me."
I stared with surprise. Meander rose to his feet. He held up his long-nailed hand and muttered something in the grunts and growls of the demon language. A red haze appeared in his hand. I stared at Meander suspiciously. Just as quickly as the red haze appeared, however, it was gone.
"You're going to learn a few demon techniques," Meander grunted. "Since you're a Dragon Warrior, I expect you to learn quickly."
"Demon techniques?" I gasped. "Only demons have the ability to learn those."
"The most powerful, yes. The weaker ones, no. Combine the weaker ones with a few Dragon attacks and you'll have some good attacks on your hands," Meander grunted. "First, though, you have to learn the demon language."
"What?" I asked with shock. "How am I supposed to do that?"
"It's not that hard," Meander snapped. "Pay attention. I'm going to be your teacher. We have a lot to accomplish, and I don't care how long it takes."
"What is your estimation?"
"I'd say a year and a half to do it all. It will take quite some time for you to learn the language, a little longer for you to learn the techniques, and who-knows-how-long for you to defeat me in battle." Meander paused there, his black eyes narrowing as he started at me. "But it's up to you. Will you stay with me for that long, in this accursed city?"
I moved my gaze to the ground, thinking over the offer. Meander seemed like he wanted to help me, and indeed, he most likely did. But I didn't approve of a year and a half wait to learn all that would be required. Yet it seemed like I had no choice. I looked up, and found Meander's black eyes staring right at me, as if into my soul. I took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Meander smiled very slightly.
"Good to hear," he said quietly. "Now, why don't you go do a little exploring? Get used to the city; you'll want to."
With a nod, I turned around and left the black building. The crowds were still as fierce as ever, yet this time I walked with the crowd, staring at all the buildings. One building, a massive building that seemed to have very thick walls and massive, purposeful holes in its roof, caught my attention. Slipping out of the massive crowd, I began a steady walk toward the building. As I approached, the smell of blood came to me, as did growls and snorts. There the entrance to the building was massive, so massive a dragon could probably fit. I entered the building, and immediately found myself staring.
Inside, the entire floor was lined with piles of soft hay. On the hay, romping around, were dragons. Most of them looked young, with their wings too small and their heads too big. They romped about, growling playfully. An especially large dragon, with brilliant green scales, massive horns, and dangerous-looking teeth and claws, watched the dragonlings protectively. One dragonling saw me with its massive yellow eyes. With a mew-like growl, it wobbled toward me, seeming awkward on its small legs.
"Hello," a voice said, startling me. I turned in its direction and saw a Black Knight watching me. "What are you here for?"
"Just looking," I told him, kneeling down as the dragonling continued to approach.
"Interesting things, aren't they? Grand Dragons. Right from Daguerreo. Everyone loves 'em. Clearly they don't know how viscous they really are," the Knight said. "We've had Flaming Dragons, Water Dragons, Grand Dragons, even Silver Dragons at one point, though that was many years ago. And despite the danger people jus' keep buying them."
I reached my hand out to the dragonling, who stopped approaching and sniffed the air. With a growl it pounced on my hand, digging its sharp teeth into my hand. I flung my hand instinctively and sent the dragonling flying into a giant pile of hay. The adult Grand Dragon growled angrily and made an attempt to fly toward me, but massive chains held her back. The man chuckled.
"Most would've considered that cute," he said, heading toward the back of the room.
"Cute? It tried to bite my hand off," I muttered.
"Yeah, but the world is full of idiots," the man said, handing me some bandages. "I sell these things for big money, then find out years later that the Dragon was released into the wild after killing someone. Makes me wanna laugh."
"Why do you sell them, then?" I asked, bandaging my hand.
"Because the public wants 'em anyway," he said. "I'm a Dragon Trainer. I try to train the dragons before the people take 'em, but they don't listen. Kisha, the mama who wants to kill ya now, is as tame as a Grand can get. But people think that the babies will be tame too. It's a funny world."
"What other things do you sell?" I asked.
"I've sold beasts from time to time. Behemoths once. They went quick, and I made a lot of money off of 'em. Thanks to that money I was able to get Kisha. One of my main sells is off of Catoblepas. Don't know why, but people love those things. Mean beasts, though. And I have great experience taming Fangs."
"You're famous for selling wild beasts, aren't you?" I asked.
"Yep," the Knight said. He then smiled. "Well, if you're goin' to stick around, I guess ya deserve to know my name. I'm Tegre."
"Iron-tail Fratley," I replied. "Did you ever sell griffins?"
"Yep. Sold 'em with Red Dragons," Tegre replied. He then watched as a few people, clearly nobles, entered the room. I also watched them, wondering if they would be foolish enough to buy a dragon right at that moment.
"I'll leave you now," I told Tegre.
"See you late'," Tegre said, approaching the nobles who were now cooing over the dragonlings.
I turned around and left quickly, looking around the city quietly. I quickly headed over to the stone building with the black banners. Black Knights guarded the entrance, but when I approached, they let me pass. I found myself in a massive room made completely of stone and containing wooden chairs that I assumed you rested on. The room appeared to be an antechamber of some sort. Only three people besides myself were in the room. One human woman had a long scratch on her arm and had appeared to be beaten. The other two clearly had come together. A man in black was being held by a man who appeared to be a farmer. I assumed the man in black was a criminal who had been unlucky enough to get caught.
The place, however, held little value for me. I left the building, and found myself staring in the direction of Meander's shop and home. I took a deep breath as I realized the reason I had traveled the town. I had been hoping for something different, something more worthwhile than spending who-knew-how-many years with the mysterious Meander. Yet, there was nothing that offered anything better. Meander was my best choice. So, with a sigh, I returned to Meander's shop.
"There's nothing you would like," Meander said the minute I entered.
"How—?" I began, but never finished.
"It's in your eyes and movement. You're disappointed," Meander grunted. "Listen. Your cooperation will make this go by quick. I can probably get you out of here within a year, maybe less. But it'll be harder."
I took a deep breath, surprised at this information. I then nodded. "I'm ready to do anything. I just want to accomplish my goal."
"Well then," Meander said, looking me in the eye with his black emotionless eyes. "Be ready, for we start tomorrow."
I could immediately tell, by the look in Meander's eyes, and the tone in his voice, that I had just sworn myself to hard work.
------- Er, I don't know what to say. Well, except that I want to slap myself for the crappy last sentence in this chapter. Anyway, I'm sorry about slow updates; my computer is not working properly. The Internet and Network are both screwed up, so it takes a long time to get to my stories, and even longer to upload them. I'm trying, though.
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright so SquareEnix.
Maze of Emotions
The trip to Tessaih took much longer than I expected. I completely avoided the Illiad Forest by going around it, which may have slowed me down. The true culprit who hindered me, however, had to be the massive thunderstorm that suddenly rolled in from the Liosa Mountains. I was stranded over a few miles away from Uma, a small town near a massive lake. In the distance I could see the massive gates that surrounded Tessaih, my destination.
At last the storm left, leaving the ground muddy and wet, yet the skies clear and the weather fair. Soon I was moving again, and within two days of traveling through muddy territory, I reached the front gate of Tessaih.
Tessaih was known to be the richest city on Eoroqu, and for good reason. Famous people lived in the city and paid a high price to live there. People visiting paid a high price to visit. Because of the expensive prices, Tessaih made plenty of money, and therefore could afford expensive things. The font and back gates – the front facing the ocean and now unseen Mist Continent, and the back facing the Liosa mountains – were made of pure silver. The tall walls, at least fifteen feet high, were made of strong steel mixed with silver. Massive spikes around three feet high topped the edges of the walls, making getting into the city by the walls nearly impossible. Patrolling the massive gates were four humans dressed in black and yellow uniforms. They rode gorgeous, armored chocobos and held wooden staves. They were the Black Knights, the police force of Tessaih and its neighbors.
As I approached the massive gates, a Black Knight turned his gaze onto me. Then, without questioning, he turned the one massive crank that opened the gates. The gates slowly opened, and I quickly stepped into the city. The streets were paved silver, and the first building I saw was a stone building, looking plain, yet decorated with black and yellow banners. Many buildings were lined up alongside each other, most of them made of stone. Many people walked through the streets, some Demi-humans, some humans, and some Burmecians. I walked forward and looked around, but could see nothing easily through the huge crowds.
"Over here."
The voice sounded very familiar. I looked around, and soon spotted a familiar face. Meander stood nearby, watching me quietly. Without another word, he motioned for me to follow him, and began heading down the east road. I quickly followed him, somehow not losing him in the massive crowd.
Soon, a small building came into view. Unlike the other buildings, which were made of white stone, it was pitch black, and clearly made of basalt. The door was made of a dark mahogany. Massive windows covered the east wall. The door was open, and people were seen inside the building, which had a black floor and black walls inside. There was clearly a second floor, but no windows on it. Meander entered the building, and I quickly followed.
Inside, thousands of wooden trays had been hammered into a wooden strip along the stone wall. Inside the trays were thousands of carved jewels of many kinds. I saw opals, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and even diamonds. There were also wooden tables that held necklaces, bracelets, and rings made of silver or gold and containing many jewels. Many people, most of them looking very rich, were examining the many jewels and jewelry. Meander ignored them and instead headed through a closed wooden door and into a small room. He allowed me in, then closed the door.
The room was cramped, with two small chairs, and a small wooden table containing knives, cutters, and many other things used to carve gems. Meander sat down at the table and eyed me with black eyes.
"So you made it here, eh? Defeated Relámpago. I'm impressed," Meander grunted nonchalantly.
"What am I here for?" I asked.
"To learn a thing or two before you go after your test," Meander replied. "First, I'm going to advance your skills with some of the best. Second, I'm going to make you a new weapon. Finally, you're going to fight me."
I stared with surprise. Meander rose to his feet. He held up his long-nailed hand and muttered something in the grunts and growls of the demon language. A red haze appeared in his hand. I stared at Meander suspiciously. Just as quickly as the red haze appeared, however, it was gone.
"You're going to learn a few demon techniques," Meander grunted. "Since you're a Dragon Warrior, I expect you to learn quickly."
"Demon techniques?" I gasped. "Only demons have the ability to learn those."
"The most powerful, yes. The weaker ones, no. Combine the weaker ones with a few Dragon attacks and you'll have some good attacks on your hands," Meander grunted. "First, though, you have to learn the demon language."
"What?" I asked with shock. "How am I supposed to do that?"
"It's not that hard," Meander snapped. "Pay attention. I'm going to be your teacher. We have a lot to accomplish, and I don't care how long it takes."
"What is your estimation?"
"I'd say a year and a half to do it all. It will take quite some time for you to learn the language, a little longer for you to learn the techniques, and who-knows-how-long for you to defeat me in battle." Meander paused there, his black eyes narrowing as he started at me. "But it's up to you. Will you stay with me for that long, in this accursed city?"
I moved my gaze to the ground, thinking over the offer. Meander seemed like he wanted to help me, and indeed, he most likely did. But I didn't approve of a year and a half wait to learn all that would be required. Yet it seemed like I had no choice. I looked up, and found Meander's black eyes staring right at me, as if into my soul. I took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Meander smiled very slightly.
"Good to hear," he said quietly. "Now, why don't you go do a little exploring? Get used to the city; you'll want to."
With a nod, I turned around and left the black building. The crowds were still as fierce as ever, yet this time I walked with the crowd, staring at all the buildings. One building, a massive building that seemed to have very thick walls and massive, purposeful holes in its roof, caught my attention. Slipping out of the massive crowd, I began a steady walk toward the building. As I approached, the smell of blood came to me, as did growls and snorts. There the entrance to the building was massive, so massive a dragon could probably fit. I entered the building, and immediately found myself staring.
Inside, the entire floor was lined with piles of soft hay. On the hay, romping around, were dragons. Most of them looked young, with their wings too small and their heads too big. They romped about, growling playfully. An especially large dragon, with brilliant green scales, massive horns, and dangerous-looking teeth and claws, watched the dragonlings protectively. One dragonling saw me with its massive yellow eyes. With a mew-like growl, it wobbled toward me, seeming awkward on its small legs.
"Hello," a voice said, startling me. I turned in its direction and saw a Black Knight watching me. "What are you here for?"
"Just looking," I told him, kneeling down as the dragonling continued to approach.
"Interesting things, aren't they? Grand Dragons. Right from Daguerreo. Everyone loves 'em. Clearly they don't know how viscous they really are," the Knight said. "We've had Flaming Dragons, Water Dragons, Grand Dragons, even Silver Dragons at one point, though that was many years ago. And despite the danger people jus' keep buying them."
I reached my hand out to the dragonling, who stopped approaching and sniffed the air. With a growl it pounced on my hand, digging its sharp teeth into my hand. I flung my hand instinctively and sent the dragonling flying into a giant pile of hay. The adult Grand Dragon growled angrily and made an attempt to fly toward me, but massive chains held her back. The man chuckled.
"Most would've considered that cute," he said, heading toward the back of the room.
"Cute? It tried to bite my hand off," I muttered.
"Yeah, but the world is full of idiots," the man said, handing me some bandages. "I sell these things for big money, then find out years later that the Dragon was released into the wild after killing someone. Makes me wanna laugh."
"Why do you sell them, then?" I asked, bandaging my hand.
"Because the public wants 'em anyway," he said. "I'm a Dragon Trainer. I try to train the dragons before the people take 'em, but they don't listen. Kisha, the mama who wants to kill ya now, is as tame as a Grand can get. But people think that the babies will be tame too. It's a funny world."
"What other things do you sell?" I asked.
"I've sold beasts from time to time. Behemoths once. They went quick, and I made a lot of money off of 'em. Thanks to that money I was able to get Kisha. One of my main sells is off of Catoblepas. Don't know why, but people love those things. Mean beasts, though. And I have great experience taming Fangs."
"You're famous for selling wild beasts, aren't you?" I asked.
"Yep," the Knight said. He then smiled. "Well, if you're goin' to stick around, I guess ya deserve to know my name. I'm Tegre."
"Iron-tail Fratley," I replied. "Did you ever sell griffins?"
"Yep. Sold 'em with Red Dragons," Tegre replied. He then watched as a few people, clearly nobles, entered the room. I also watched them, wondering if they would be foolish enough to buy a dragon right at that moment.
"I'll leave you now," I told Tegre.
"See you late'," Tegre said, approaching the nobles who were now cooing over the dragonlings.
I turned around and left quickly, looking around the city quietly. I quickly headed over to the stone building with the black banners. Black Knights guarded the entrance, but when I approached, they let me pass. I found myself in a massive room made completely of stone and containing wooden chairs that I assumed you rested on. The room appeared to be an antechamber of some sort. Only three people besides myself were in the room. One human woman had a long scratch on her arm and had appeared to be beaten. The other two clearly had come together. A man in black was being held by a man who appeared to be a farmer. I assumed the man in black was a criminal who had been unlucky enough to get caught.
The place, however, held little value for me. I left the building, and found myself staring in the direction of Meander's shop and home. I took a deep breath as I realized the reason I had traveled the town. I had been hoping for something different, something more worthwhile than spending who-knew-how-many years with the mysterious Meander. Yet, there was nothing that offered anything better. Meander was my best choice. So, with a sigh, I returned to Meander's shop.
"There's nothing you would like," Meander said the minute I entered.
"How—?" I began, but never finished.
"It's in your eyes and movement. You're disappointed," Meander grunted. "Listen. Your cooperation will make this go by quick. I can probably get you out of here within a year, maybe less. But it'll be harder."
I took a deep breath, surprised at this information. I then nodded. "I'm ready to do anything. I just want to accomplish my goal."
"Well then," Meander said, looking me in the eye with his black emotionless eyes. "Be ready, for we start tomorrow."
I could immediately tell, by the look in Meander's eyes, and the tone in his voice, that I had just sworn myself to hard work.
------- Er, I don't know what to say. Well, except that I want to slap myself for the crappy last sentence in this chapter. Anyway, I'm sorry about slow updates; my computer is not working properly. The Internet and Network are both screwed up, so it takes a long time to get to my stories, and even longer to upload them. I'm trying, though.
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, locations, events, and Gaia in general are copyright so SquareEnix.