Yay. Here we go, chapter five. This took me a frigging long time to
write, but I had a lot of fun doing so. At the time of this chapter, I'm
at 33 reviews.woot I didn't think anyone actually liked my writing, but
apparently I'm incorrect. Well this chapter may yet change your views of
my writing and you'll see it for the crap it really is. But anyways, the
long awaited Ramza finally wakes up.lazy yutz. Keep the reviews coming.I'm
so happy and all, hehe.
Woken up from a dream. Dragged out of hell. It doesn't matter where I've come from now, but where I'm going. Maybe it's battle training, maybe it's adrenaline, maybe it's just the fact that I need to move, but I'm on my feet in seconds, throwing off the blankets onto a startled Alma, with a decisive move I snag my Genji armor off the table, buckle on my Ragnarok and dart for the door.
"Brother Ramza! What? Huh?" Alma is struggling from the blankets, trying to get over her shock, but I've got to move, I've got to go to Agrias, I can't wait here.
"Agrias, where did she go? Alma, I must know!" My voice is desperate, the edge scares even my little sister. Her brown eyes are wide and staring, I didn't mean to do that, I didn't mean to scare her.
"She, she left last night, no one's seen her since, she probably went into the city for supplies." Alma rose quickly then, coming towards me slowly and looking deeply. "You said things, when you were out that is. A lot of different things." The look on her face puzzles me. Said what kind of things? She's thoughtful and searching, her quick eyes on my face and I'm confused now.
"What kind of things? What did I say?" My voice still has that desperate edge, but I'm curious now too.
"You said.you said that you loved her." My mind reeled at that. The ground had dropped out beneath me and I was falling. Loved her.
What was I thinking? Love? I didn't know anything about that, I'd been raised with a silver goblet in my left hand, and a sword in my right. Love. How could I have said anything about that? Of all the stupid.
"Brother?" Alma's eyes were pleading. Quiet and staring at me as I struggled with my own inner turmoil.
"What.what did I do?" My cheeks are blushing scarlet, but I can't stop my eyes from staring at Alma. Please to god, tell me this is just her idea of a fun little joke. But somewhere, deep inside, I already know the truth.
"You have to go after her you know." Alma's voice changed then. It was no longer the pleading one of my childhood, but something different. I looked at her, how she had grown up, a young woman, no longer the little girl who dropped a reed into my hands and asked me to play. No longer the little girl who hugged our father and put a little white lily in his hands, no longer the grinning eyes, or the smile of innocence. That's what this blasted war stole from both of us.innocence.
I had lost my innocence in this war. Would I lose love as well?
There was no more time to ask questions of myself. I turned and ran, I had to run, to pump my legs, to race down through the house, racing through the town. I hadn't run like this in a long time, not from or to a battle, not to save life, but to find my own. Where was my life? Buried beneath all the sorrow.
Maybe she's gone
But it won't be for long
What do I know?
Maybe she's found
What we all dream about
What do I know?
She's beautiful and wonderful
I can't compare
It's not that fair
"Help me, someone!" A voice calls out to me in the streets, somewhere to my right. Skidding to a stop I try to think. I need to find Agrias, my love, isn't that right? But I can't leave someone in need. A sigh almost shrugs through my body, but somehow, I can't stop myself from charging around that corner, hand on my hilt.
Three knights and a thief have cornered a female templar knight. I stop suddenly. This is dangerous, a templar knight could report me to the church, and put all my friend's lives at risk, we wouldn't be safe here anymore. But seeing four people gang up on one is hardly just, and I can't control my hands from drawing the Ragnarok smoothly.
"Leave her alone." My simple voice rolls off my tongue, startlingly cold. I'm not sure why, I don't usually get angered like this very often. But then, whenever I've seen people take advantage of those weaker then them, or those who outnumber others. Bullies and cowards, always needing to be dealt with. I don't look very imposing, an edge I welcome, in my simple blue and black Genji, and the Ragnarok, aside from the hilt and etchings looks like nothing special.
"Shut up boy, get on your own way or else we may have to settle things with you as well." The first knight spoke, the thief snickered slightly, a smirk that I wanted to wipe from his face with the edge of my sword. I was only 22. That thought hit me rather harshly. I was very very young compared to the rest of the world, but already I felt so old, so tired and so weak compared to the injustices that surrounded me.
"Leave her alone. Or face the consequences." Again I was startled by the tiredness in my voice. But I didn't feel like bantering, they would fight me nonetheless, their pride would allow for no less. The three knights exchanged a knowing smirk, and then advanced upon me. Their weapons were almost sad in comparison to mine, and with a pang of 'almost' regret, I stepped forward to meet them.
The first knight, one on the left darted forward at me with his sword point outstretched. He must've thought he was moving fast, but I merely sidestepped and hit him with the hilt of Ragnarok, sending him sprawling face first into the dirt. The other two moved more cautiously. The thief, confidently watched as he slipped closer to the temple knight and held an assassin dagger outstretched.
A swing left and both the knights pincer me, but it doesn't matter. Their weapons won't damage my armor, and I take the time to move the fight closer to the thief, who's stopped paying attention now and is focused on the templar. With a quick clash I stab the first knight just barely through his weak armor, barely enough to graze him before spinning around and slashing the mantle off the other.
By now, clear fear is beginning to show on their faces. They've never seen anyone like me move so fast, strike so hard to cleave armor or do so without even missing a beat. It's the clear mental superiority that I use to beat them without shedding too much blood. Loss of life is a hard thing to deal with these days.
With a mad bolt, the three knights race off, a few splatters of blood on the flagstones, leaving me to contend with only the thief. His eyes are wide and his mouth open in a wide gape. I advance slowly, carefully, don't want him to do anything desperate now, just to let him out of the cage so he can bolt too.
"Who are.where did you.?" He stammers and stumbles over backwards. Weaving the dagger in what he tries to maintain a protective circle.
Suddenly from behind him, the templar knight moves closer. With a lightning fast draw she rams the sword through his back until the point pierces through the middle of his chest, with a sharp action she runs the blade straight up, slashing through the blades of his left shoulder and cutting until it hits the free air.
With a sagging motion, the thief slowly crumples to the ground like a bag of sodden flesh. His eyes glaze over and a dribble of blood courses out between his lips. She wipes her blade on the thief's clothing before sheathing it, and then she turns to me. This is my first time to analyze her up close. She has that haughty, templar knight bearing, flowing blue armor linked together tightly and a white cape draped over it all.
"My name is Illana, my thanks to you devout stranger, and St. Ajora's blessings upon you." Her eyes race up and down my frame. Suddenly tightening on my eyes. She's tall, just barely shorter than me, long blond hair that frames her sickeningly angelic face. One hand rests on the scabbard of her intricate sword, the other concealed deep within her cloaks. "Thank you again, stranger.I hope we cross paths again." She moves away slowly then, catlike grace taking her off in a different direction.
I don't say anything, merely nodding and deciding that is a good time to make my escape into the alleyways. With a swish of my mantle I disappear, moving quickly through the streets on my path way earlier, searching for any sign of Agrias.
That meeting was unnerving however. Just the way she sized me up, was beyond a little strange. Like she was looking for someone. I'd have to be indefinitely more careful in the future, especially if I aspired to save templar knights. The callous way she killed the thief was strange though. And the fact that she did it so easily leads me to believe that perhaps it shouldn't have been that simple.
Something lead me to believe that life was never that simple.
- - - -
So that was the great Ramza Beoulve.
Interesting.
This chapter, wasn't all done in one sitting, believe it or not. Unlike all the other chapters, it was a weeks worth of procrastination and a bunch of different scenarios.
I've often been bugged that there is no distinct conflict, besides the love between Ramza and Agrias going on in this story.well here you have a nice little one kicking around *le grin*.
Woken up from a dream. Dragged out of hell. It doesn't matter where I've come from now, but where I'm going. Maybe it's battle training, maybe it's adrenaline, maybe it's just the fact that I need to move, but I'm on my feet in seconds, throwing off the blankets onto a startled Alma, with a decisive move I snag my Genji armor off the table, buckle on my Ragnarok and dart for the door.
"Brother Ramza! What? Huh?" Alma is struggling from the blankets, trying to get over her shock, but I've got to move, I've got to go to Agrias, I can't wait here.
"Agrias, where did she go? Alma, I must know!" My voice is desperate, the edge scares even my little sister. Her brown eyes are wide and staring, I didn't mean to do that, I didn't mean to scare her.
"She, she left last night, no one's seen her since, she probably went into the city for supplies." Alma rose quickly then, coming towards me slowly and looking deeply. "You said things, when you were out that is. A lot of different things." The look on her face puzzles me. Said what kind of things? She's thoughtful and searching, her quick eyes on my face and I'm confused now.
"What kind of things? What did I say?" My voice still has that desperate edge, but I'm curious now too.
"You said.you said that you loved her." My mind reeled at that. The ground had dropped out beneath me and I was falling. Loved her.
What was I thinking? Love? I didn't know anything about that, I'd been raised with a silver goblet in my left hand, and a sword in my right. Love. How could I have said anything about that? Of all the stupid.
"Brother?" Alma's eyes were pleading. Quiet and staring at me as I struggled with my own inner turmoil.
"What.what did I do?" My cheeks are blushing scarlet, but I can't stop my eyes from staring at Alma. Please to god, tell me this is just her idea of a fun little joke. But somewhere, deep inside, I already know the truth.
"You have to go after her you know." Alma's voice changed then. It was no longer the pleading one of my childhood, but something different. I looked at her, how she had grown up, a young woman, no longer the little girl who dropped a reed into my hands and asked me to play. No longer the little girl who hugged our father and put a little white lily in his hands, no longer the grinning eyes, or the smile of innocence. That's what this blasted war stole from both of us.innocence.
I had lost my innocence in this war. Would I lose love as well?
There was no more time to ask questions of myself. I turned and ran, I had to run, to pump my legs, to race down through the house, racing through the town. I hadn't run like this in a long time, not from or to a battle, not to save life, but to find my own. Where was my life? Buried beneath all the sorrow.
Maybe she's gone
But it won't be for long
What do I know?
Maybe she's found
What we all dream about
What do I know?
She's beautiful and wonderful
I can't compare
It's not that fair
"Help me, someone!" A voice calls out to me in the streets, somewhere to my right. Skidding to a stop I try to think. I need to find Agrias, my love, isn't that right? But I can't leave someone in need. A sigh almost shrugs through my body, but somehow, I can't stop myself from charging around that corner, hand on my hilt.
Three knights and a thief have cornered a female templar knight. I stop suddenly. This is dangerous, a templar knight could report me to the church, and put all my friend's lives at risk, we wouldn't be safe here anymore. But seeing four people gang up on one is hardly just, and I can't control my hands from drawing the Ragnarok smoothly.
"Leave her alone." My simple voice rolls off my tongue, startlingly cold. I'm not sure why, I don't usually get angered like this very often. But then, whenever I've seen people take advantage of those weaker then them, or those who outnumber others. Bullies and cowards, always needing to be dealt with. I don't look very imposing, an edge I welcome, in my simple blue and black Genji, and the Ragnarok, aside from the hilt and etchings looks like nothing special.
"Shut up boy, get on your own way or else we may have to settle things with you as well." The first knight spoke, the thief snickered slightly, a smirk that I wanted to wipe from his face with the edge of my sword. I was only 22. That thought hit me rather harshly. I was very very young compared to the rest of the world, but already I felt so old, so tired and so weak compared to the injustices that surrounded me.
"Leave her alone. Or face the consequences." Again I was startled by the tiredness in my voice. But I didn't feel like bantering, they would fight me nonetheless, their pride would allow for no less. The three knights exchanged a knowing smirk, and then advanced upon me. Their weapons were almost sad in comparison to mine, and with a pang of 'almost' regret, I stepped forward to meet them.
The first knight, one on the left darted forward at me with his sword point outstretched. He must've thought he was moving fast, but I merely sidestepped and hit him with the hilt of Ragnarok, sending him sprawling face first into the dirt. The other two moved more cautiously. The thief, confidently watched as he slipped closer to the temple knight and held an assassin dagger outstretched.
A swing left and both the knights pincer me, but it doesn't matter. Their weapons won't damage my armor, and I take the time to move the fight closer to the thief, who's stopped paying attention now and is focused on the templar. With a quick clash I stab the first knight just barely through his weak armor, barely enough to graze him before spinning around and slashing the mantle off the other.
By now, clear fear is beginning to show on their faces. They've never seen anyone like me move so fast, strike so hard to cleave armor or do so without even missing a beat. It's the clear mental superiority that I use to beat them without shedding too much blood. Loss of life is a hard thing to deal with these days.
With a mad bolt, the three knights race off, a few splatters of blood on the flagstones, leaving me to contend with only the thief. His eyes are wide and his mouth open in a wide gape. I advance slowly, carefully, don't want him to do anything desperate now, just to let him out of the cage so he can bolt too.
"Who are.where did you.?" He stammers and stumbles over backwards. Weaving the dagger in what he tries to maintain a protective circle.
Suddenly from behind him, the templar knight moves closer. With a lightning fast draw she rams the sword through his back until the point pierces through the middle of his chest, with a sharp action she runs the blade straight up, slashing through the blades of his left shoulder and cutting until it hits the free air.
With a sagging motion, the thief slowly crumples to the ground like a bag of sodden flesh. His eyes glaze over and a dribble of blood courses out between his lips. She wipes her blade on the thief's clothing before sheathing it, and then she turns to me. This is my first time to analyze her up close. She has that haughty, templar knight bearing, flowing blue armor linked together tightly and a white cape draped over it all.
"My name is Illana, my thanks to you devout stranger, and St. Ajora's blessings upon you." Her eyes race up and down my frame. Suddenly tightening on my eyes. She's tall, just barely shorter than me, long blond hair that frames her sickeningly angelic face. One hand rests on the scabbard of her intricate sword, the other concealed deep within her cloaks. "Thank you again, stranger.I hope we cross paths again." She moves away slowly then, catlike grace taking her off in a different direction.
I don't say anything, merely nodding and deciding that is a good time to make my escape into the alleyways. With a swish of my mantle I disappear, moving quickly through the streets on my path way earlier, searching for any sign of Agrias.
That meeting was unnerving however. Just the way she sized me up, was beyond a little strange. Like she was looking for someone. I'd have to be indefinitely more careful in the future, especially if I aspired to save templar knights. The callous way she killed the thief was strange though. And the fact that she did it so easily leads me to believe that perhaps it shouldn't have been that simple.
Something lead me to believe that life was never that simple.
- - - -
So that was the great Ramza Beoulve.
Interesting.
This chapter, wasn't all done in one sitting, believe it or not. Unlike all the other chapters, it was a weeks worth of procrastination and a bunch of different scenarios.
I've often been bugged that there is no distinct conflict, besides the love between Ramza and Agrias going on in this story.well here you have a nice little one kicking around *le grin*.