CHAPTER 6: The second leg of the trip
I do not own square-enix or final fantasy 11, all copyrights belong to their respective owners.
A/N: Believe it or not much of this story is very related to in game events, or at least based on them. This and following stories may contain remnants of the story line that some might even consider spoilers. Just a friendly warning. Thank you for reading, I appreciate any kind of review. Also many thanks to those of you who have already submitted reviews. Also Sein Please read the reviews to answer your questions, I hope that cleared any issues up
Surrounded by blackness and pain spinning through nothingness for all eternity knowing nothing but a gentle throb of pain resonating throughout my body reminding me that I am still alive. Before me I see a bright light in the distance, Is it over, have I finally departed from this mortal realm.
PAIN, intensifying greatly my entire body is racked with pain, however I can feel my wounds closing and energy returning to my body, slowly the pinpoint of light in the distance expands rapidly and I can see the stars far above where I lay. Looking up I see a mithra dressed in the attire of an accomplished red mage wearing tiny red shorts, a red coat and a red felt hat.
A groggy voice mutters "Who.. ar… you.."
As my mind begins recalling my memories I realize the raspy tired sounding voice is none other than my own.
The red mage kneels next to me and brushes her long mahogany hair out of her sky blue eyes and replies "Hurrray you surrvived, oh Altana what a mirracle."
Looking around I can clearly see the airship behind me, and realize that my travelers cloak is missing along with my espadon, leaving me with only a simple pair of pants.
Sitting up I look into her beautiful eyes and inquire "Were there any other survivers?"
With what could have only been a tear in the corner of her eye she looks away and responds in a low quiet tone, "No, maybe if I had hurried otherrs would have surrvived the crash, but I was too slow"
Firmly grasping her shoulders with my strong hands, I pull her face inches from mine and look deep into her eyes and say with both sternness and affection. "You did what you could, you have no one to blame and you saved my life."
Suddenly the mithra begins to cry and she grasps onto me holding me tightly and whimpering. "I have fought many battles, but have never seen adventurerrs so brrutally killed in all of my days."
As I embraced her I could smell the sweet scent of her hair, and the sweat that covered her body after working so hard to save the lives of people she had never met. Her pleasant breasts pressing against my chest. In another time and place I might have even been aroused embracing this mithra, however as of late my life has seemed to put me in the wrong place at the right time.
Gently rubbing her back in a nonsexual but consoling fashion I whispered reassuring words into her ear.
Letting go of me she stands and looks down at me, as I pull myself to my feet I inquire "What is your name?"
"My friends call me Adria." She replies in a near normal tone as she is apparently trying to pull herself back together
"Where are we Adria?" I inquire searching the area for landmarks but not finding any.
"This is South Gustanburg, I alrready sent a young passing adventurrer to consult the Iron Musketeers, I imagine they will be here shorrtly" She smiles
"I am glad you already consulted the Iron Musketeers" I replied with a false smile
Well I was going to have to talk to Wolfgang anyway to get back what he has held for me all these years, but this is not the time place or condition I would like to be in to see them in. Well as is life such choices are not always within my realm of control
Looking off into the distance I see dust rising as and what could only be a contingent of chocobo riders heading towards the flaming remains of what was once an airship as if on que.
As the riders near where I am standing I begin to see all five races before me, though mostly humes and galka, they where armor from the low quality of a centurions to the high quality Iron musketeers. Finally upon reaching me the lead rider dismounts from his chocobo.
As the rider nears me I look at the hume with dark hair, and fine armor. Looking deep into his eyes in an almost catatonic stare I speak "Hello Wolfgang, it has been a long time"
I can see him scanning my body his eyes, "Who are you, what has transpired here?"
Gesturing with my hand to a particularly long scar running from my left shoulder blade to my lower abdomen, I reply "Doesn't this bring back memories old friend"
Studying the one scar amidst its many companions his eyes suddenly light up. "It cannot be"
"But it is Wolfgang, It's Viddion"
As I looked around I could see by this time the rest of the riders were dismounting from their respective chocobos and heading towards wolfgang, three in particular stand behind him, one I recognize as Naji, but the other two also humes like Naji I have never seen before. All three wear Iron Musketeers armor without the helmet.
Wolfgang runs his fingers along his chin considering something, "Ok, if you truly are Viddion prove it" With these words he pulls his sword from its sheath and throws it at me in an almost violent fashion.
Studying the blade it appears to be of high quality…
As I begin grasping it and getting a feel for the blade, Wolfgang suddenly screams Naji, Mika, Josa attack.
Naji draws a 1 handed sword and a shield and comes at me before the other two have a chance to join the skirmish. As Naji swings his sword wildly at my un armored body I have no choice but to evade his attacks as I strive to remember his fighting style from the last time we fought. Then suddenly as he prepared a powerful downward strike opportunity presented itself. Quickly turning the blade in my hands 90 degrees I struck down as hard as I could on Naji's forehead, the flat of my blade hit him stunning him signifigantly, at which time a powerful upward swing contacting his blade caused it to fly from his hand at which time my blade found its accustomed place ½ an inch from Naji's neck.
Wolfgang raised his hand to the other two Iron musketeers who were just about to enter the fray. "You are either Viddion or another master of sword I have yet to meet.
"I am who I say I am Wolfgang, let us not forget what Maat said all those years ago shortly before I beat him in armed combat."
I could see all the emotions flash through his eyes, shock, denial, anger, acceptance. All over so quickly most would have not even recognized any change in his appearance.
"So, you are who you say you are, what happened here Viddion?"
"I will tell you what happened when we reach Bastok, Also Naji, make sure my friend Adria here receives a Bastokan commendation for bravery to be personally awarded by the president."
Looking over to me Adria inquires "Who are you?"
Smiling warmly I reply "Just a mercenary Ma'm"
With those words said I gripped the grip of Wolfgang's sword extending the grip so he could grasp and sheath it, which he took the opportunity to do.
Putting my armor upon Wolfgang's shoulder I said in a serious tone. "Come Wolfgang we have much to discuss, many things have transpired."
After a brief overview of some of the more personal aspects of my being, I informed Wolfgang of the events that had transpired, in detail, from the time I found the demon in Khazam to present. The whole time he nodded or spoke in simple phrases obviously trying to absorb the entirety of the situation. I could tell looking into his eyes that he was thinking the same thing as I was, this could be the beginning of a second crystal war.
"Then Adria healed my wounds and you arrived thereafter." I said finishing my tale.
"Well here we are" Wolfgang replies almost under his breath, apparently in deep thought through all of what had transpired.
"It is time Wolfgang to give back what I told you to hold onto for me all those years ago" I said in a firm but friendly tone.
With a roguish grin I see Wolfgang reach the tops of what turned out to be a long elegant necklace he wore, likely for the high status it represented. Pulling a tiny key off of the end of the necklace Wolfgang extends his palm towards me with the key laying in the center.
"Here, I have kept it with me always, I owed you that much Vid" Wolfgang says as I take the key from his waiting palm.
"Thank you Wolfgang, I really must be going now old friend, perhaps after I acquire some equipment I require we can sit down and have a nice long chat"
With a hearty smile Wolfgang places his hand firmly on my shoulder and replies "I would enjoy that very much Vid"
Waving goodbye I turn and break into a light jog heading for the residential section of the city and hoping that everything was still in working order.
Upon reaching the entrance to the residential area it was a short run to my mog house, I haven't been here in many years but such memories never really fade away.
As I look at the door to my small but pleasant mog house, memories of my youth flood back to me so many good times and bad, often not having enough money to by food to eat, and instead scavenging through south Gustanberg to find a hill lizard to eat. Regardless of my many weaknesses at the time, I was pure back then and even now that I am striving to regain purity and forget old deviant habits, I know that I will never be able to return to my innocent youth…
Pushing these thought aside I walk to the door of my mog house, insert the key into my front door and turn it. Stepping inside I see that while it is covered by dust and not especially well kept, nothing has been noticeably stolen.
As I look at my Nobles Bed, my various dressers, mantles, and paintings I wonder how I ever left this place behind to return to this state of perpetual ruin. Walking swiftly over to the mannequin in question I see what I came for.
On this finely crafted wooden life size mannequin, lay my most prized possessions from the days before that assault on Bastok, that assault on my only love, the assault on my heart… My adaman
This full set of finely crafted armor is made of adamantium armor, making it extremely rare and hard to come by, even the few that could afford it, would be hard pressed finding a blacksmith with the trade skill to make the armor.
However as I looked closer I found a tiny seal left by the most talented blacksmith I have ever met, Zeroz who made me the entire set for an extremely low price considering materials costs at 2 million gil.
On the hip of the mantle rest my trusty blade Durandel, and on its opposite arm sat a Koenig shield. On its waste sat a Warwolf belt, on its ears a pair of hades earrings, its fingers held two special earrings one crafted from the heart of king behemoth and dubbed the defender ring, the other from the ashes of the bomb queen. The mannequins back was covered in a Knightly mantle made of thick material processed in San O'doria. Finally slung across the mannequins back lay Rosenbogen, bow of legend handed down from Paladin to Paladin had been in my family for generations.
Opening a chest and removing my pants I obtained a fresh pair of undergarments. Then looking at the adaman armor, a blue purplish hue, ordained from top to bottom beautifully by Zeroz, it had indeed been worth all 2 million gil after all.
With the new undergarments in place I began putting on the armor starting with the boots, five minutes later, reaching over I pick up my Koenig shield, and lastly I clipped durandel in its sheath to the left side of my waste and was ready.
Looking over at myself in a slightly dusty mirror I smile warmly, I am back, Viddion is back, defender of justice, protector of the innocent. Sadly memories of Jennifer emerge, but are easily suppressed for the moment.
With everything ready it is time to go consult Wolfgang about the meeting of the three cabinets. Walking quickly I leave my mog house carefully locking the door as I leave. In almost no time I arrive at the Bastokan metalworks, make my way inside, and 5 minutes and an elevator ride later arrive at the President's office.
As I am about to enter Wolfgang and the Bastokan president emerge in what appears to be a rush. The president walks past me as does Wolfgang, both turn into Cid's lab seemingly ignoring my existence.
Quickly I follow them inside only to have Wolfgang confront me as if to ask me to leave, before quietly stating "Oh, I'm sorry it's you Viddion I almost didn't recognize you in your old armor, come inside quickly."
Turning to him I inquire "What's going on Wolfgang?"
The president looks over to me and quickly replies in a harsh tone "You will see shortly have some patience for once in your life"
I feel my fist clench and almost go for my sword, but stop myself and just breath deeply a few times trying not to show any of the anger I felt. Just then I see Cid enter with his Galka assistant.
Cid walks to the president and says "There have been similar strange events in San O'doria and Windurst, no airships have arrived in Jueno, Bastok, San O'doria, or Windurst, The Star Sybil has called an emergency meeting, the Elvann royalty has agreed and all of us are asked to meet in Jeuno Sir"
Walking over to Cid I ask in a serious tone "How are did we get this information and how are we going to get to Jeuno without an airship?"
Cid looked at me and laughed "Well of course there is an emergency linkshell established just after the Crystal war to help coordinate the three nations in case of another such emergency, do you think our predecessors had no brains at all? And of course we are taking the CAV1.0"
Sighing deeply I look at him with near anger in my eyes "Why do you scientists insist on naming everything strangely, call it what it is"
"Obviously," Cid rebukes "It stands for Combat Airship Version 1.0"
All I manage to stammer is "Huh!"
CHAPTER 7: Decisions
A/N: I would just like to say thank you one more time to all of you reviewers out there, please keep it up. Random Factiod: Many of these events are based on real events, the ones that are not are farely obvious, but several of the flashbacks and many other things ring true in the game, for example Zeroz was the best blacksmith on my server, blacksmithing 100 everything else besides cooking was 60, and he made me full adaman for 2,040,000 gil cheaper than AH that's for sure. And he even engraved it for me, now that he quit at least I have the armor to remember him by, I own the Koenigs, Durandel, and use much of the other equip, I don;t own a defender of bomb queen ring, but hope to one day...Oh well /endrant.
