Chapter 1: Adaptation to Circumstance
The lush green field gives way as I stop in front of the gates of Prontera. I breathe in deep, collecting the sweet moist air and pause to hear the lunatics and roda frogs passively traversing the plain.
"Welcome back sir Aki!" I hear one of the guards say. There are approximately 240 knights in service at Prontera city, yet I seem to be distinguishable.
"Why thank you Andrew, I sure miss the scenery here. I can't wait to kick off these sandy boots and enjoy a fine hot bath." Perhaps it was how I got to know as many soldiers as I could personally that attracted them to me. After all in my philosophy, an intimate army is a strong one that fosters cooperation and teamwork stronger than one ruled by law and order. He raised the gates and I entered anxiously.
"Riyu, you need not cloak in Prontera city. It is perhaps the safest and friendliest city in all of Rune Midgard. In addition I would rather not have the folk here think of me as a maniac talking to myself the whole trip home." I tried to keep my gaze forward to not further attract any attention. Surprisingly enough Riyu agreed and appeared next to my peco. The gaze on her face now was more peculiar than the daunting cold stare it was before. Since it was her first time out of Morroc I could understand her curiousity at the bustling Prontera market. "Prontera is where almost all merchants come to sell their goods due to the high traffic flow and population here. You can see how much variation there is just by comparing prices. Right over there," I motioned towards an unusually dressed alchemist, "is Pyoro's shop. He's selling elunuim for 160, 000 zeny. Then you have this blacksmith here, Ascalon. Judging by his slightly lower price but large surplus of elunium I would say he is attempting to monopolize the elunium market. Even if the price differs by so little, you will lose all your business to someone selling just a single zeny lower." We continued walking, Riyu attempting to absorb the environment in as best as she could. People were shouting out their offers and requests here and there, auctioning cards and rare equipment left and right. Compared to the desolate city of Morroc, Prontera must seem completely flooded. We stopped in the middle next to the fountain.
"Here, surrounding the central fountain are the flags of the Prontera clans. In addition to the clans there is Prontera's Knights, the main order of soldiers trained specifically to carry out high-level missions. On the left in the distance you can see the Knight's guild. This is where swordsmen go to apply for Knighthood. On the far right we have the Prontera church, where both acolytes and priests are ordained. Down the center further we have the clan halls, and a bit to the east we have our suburban town Izlude, where the Crusader guild lies. Right now we are going to head towards Prontera Church, where King Tristam the thirteenth awaits me." I was about to keep going but I saw Riyu ogling a romantic leaf in one of the vendor's shops. "Riyu, it is time to go." However no words reached her as her gaze was fixed upon the leaf.
"Excuse me, how much is this romantic leaf?" Riyu asked quietly. This was perhaps the first time I had heard Riyu speak and I was surprised by her timidness. I had imagined her to speak harshly and roughly, but no trace of that was here.
"What's ya offer?" Came the reply. I saw Riyu contemplating hard as she had absolutely no idea about the value of that leaf. Before she would embarrass herself I stepped in.
"She cannot buy it at the moment, we are in a rush. Good day sir." Riyu gave me a hard stare that made me feel like I had been stone cursed. Still, she stood there biting her lip.
"I'll sell it to ya for 2 mil, how's that?" The merchant replied. Riyu seemed astounded at such an astronomical price. I thought she would have backed down and quietly followed me to the church, but instead, she surprised me by raising her voice.
"Are you serious? You have got to be kidding me, what drops that leaf?" Riyu was definitely not happy about the price. Perhaps it was living in Morroc that had dulled her economic senses, or perhaps it was a woman's inborn nature of bargaining.
"Wanderman! Wanderman! One of the quickest sword drawers in Rune Midgard! Excellent dodgers, and with rumours of an impending attack, nobody dares travel to Glast Heim castle. 'tis a rarity my dear. I'm sure your rich husband here will be more than happy to buy it for a cute gal like yourself." The merchant smoked his pipe, undoubtedly one dropped by Eddga, and smirked. I could see Riyu was about to cause a scene and I wanted to get the hell out of that place right now and get my hot bath, so I quickly interceded.
"Alright, first of all, rumours are rumours, there is no such threat. Furthermore, how about 1.5 mil, take it or leave it. I really am in a big rush, and if you want to sell it, you better sell it to me right now or see my 1.5 mil walk away." I already had the zeny in my hand ready.
"Ok ok, you drive a hard bargain. Just because you're sir Aki, I'll give it to ya. Oh yes, I know of you, who doesn't? You helped my friend train as a novice back in the day, in fact you do that quite often. Just keep my name in mind will ya? Name's Shojiki." He gave me the romantic leaf and I practically shoved the zeny into his pockets.
"It is a pleasure Shojiki, but I must run. Have a good day." I stuffed the leaf into Riyu's hand, grabbed her by the other arm and marched towards the church.
Riyu followed me quietly all the way to the church. I suppose her obedience was her way of thanking me for the gift. She had the romantic leaf in her mouth the whole time, and whenever we passed by something reflective she'd try to catch a glance of herself with the leaf in her mouth. She looked less like an assassin and more of a teen in a costume for Halloween. I could not help but smile.
We reached the magnificently built church of Prontera, its white stone walls, extravagantly sculpted columns and angelic statues adorning its holiness. The sweet sound of the choir crept through the front entrance and filled me with calm. I could see this must have been Riyu's first time at a cathedral as she was lost in awe at the beauty of the building. We entered the house of worship and were greeted by a fantastic array of light patterns dancing on the floor, created by the delicate stain glassed windows proudly showing the saints and martyrs of the church. We strolled further down the soft red velvet carpet into the sanctuary where Valentine, the crusader valkyrie and several nuns stood around King Tristam the thirteenth. He was never under heavy guard, as he truly had trust in the safety and kindness of his city.
I kneeled down at his feet and motioned for Riyu to do the same, but she did not budge. Fortunately King Tristam the thirteenth is very benevolent and understanding, as he did not show any sign of disgruntlement. He gestured and I brought myself back onto my feet.
"Welcome home sir Aki. How was your journey to the assassins guild?" The king smiled at me and leaned forward to hear my response.
"Tolerable your majesty, although I would like to state that I would prefer to abstain from such agonizing trips in the future. At least not without a sakkat and a grand peco, your Highness." I replied, wiping the sweat that lingered on my face with the edge of my gauntlet.
"Very well sir Aki, I will keep your recommendation in mind." King Tristam the thirteenth laughed. "And what of master Sesshomaru? Has he agreed to the meeting?"
"Actually your Majesty, master Sesshomaru is unable to attend due to some very important matters concerning his guild's welfare. He did not say specifically, but he has instructed his trusted confidant Riyu, the assassin you see before you, to represent him at this meeting. I will be taking her into my care and escorting her back to Morroc after the meeting." I stiffened up a bit as I saw King Tristam's eyebrows furrow. I had great respect for the king, and to disappoint him made me feel inadequate to be one of his high knights.
"Very well, that is unavoidable then. I had hoped to get some military strategy or reconnaissance information, but I suppose we can save that for later. As long as he has placed a representative to relay to him the important issues we will be discussing, then that will suffice. You are dismissed sir Aki; I will call upon you to escort miss Riyu the morning of the meeting. Stay in Prontera until then." The King relaxed and leaned back into his comfortable throne. The throne itself was not as lavish as one would expect. It was gorgeously crafted yes, but there were no selfishly excessive embellishment synonymous with previous rulers of Rune Midgard. I suppose it is a good thing the current king would rather spend his resources on bettering the society, such as the providence of free transportation via the Kafra service. I motioned to Riyu and we walked out of the cathedral and back out into the fresh open air.
I began walking southwards when Riyu spoke up. "Are we not heading towards the Knight's guild to rest?" I suppose all the walking has made her a bit tired, but I had not noticed since I had been riding on my peco.
"Only training swordsmen actually live in the guild. I take my quarters in the barracks only when a battle is about to ensue, but otherwise I live in my humble abode, on the southern side of Prontera. It is a luxury King Tristam the thirteenth provides to those who have shown distinguishable loyalty and performance." My pride was definitely on the border of arrogance, but I wanted to give her the facts as well. After all, I did rise up the ranks of the Prontera Knighthood from a mere novice all by myself. I think my hard work and dedication deserved a bit of praise now and then, even if from myself.
"I see." That was the last Riyu said as we approached the south. The bustle of the market had died down and the amount of tall and lavish buildings had disappeared. Now there were meek households dotting the landscape. Homely and inviting, the houses were small but very organized and well kept. We made our way through a pathway of lawns and came to a stop in front of my house. My abode was a bit smaller than the surrounding lots, but that was because I lived alone. My residence was also very plain, as I had no intention, time or skill to decorate. The lawn was void of flowers, and only some tall grass grew. Stepping up my cobblestone stairway we entered.
My house had two levels joined by a short straight wooden stairway. The first floor had a single angled hallway that led to the kitchen, storage room, living room and laundry room. Several pictures hung on the walls depicting several heroic figures such as the legendary assassin Loki, and the almost mythical knight Chaos. The kitchen was brimming with food, and so was the sink. Fruits, breads and juices lined the counter, their sweet smell giving the room a tasteful aroma. The storage room held all the junk and treasures I had accumulated over the years as a warrior, including some semi precious jewels and stones. I also kept my extra equipment in there. Leading Riyu into the living room, I showed her my harpsichord. The living room had several instruments on their stands, music scores littering the floor and walls.
"Do you play all of these?" Riyu inquired. She looked at the array of instruments in disbelief. She sat at the harpsichord and poked a few notes.
"Yes, I had been planning to be a bard when I was a novice, but during my training I had wandered to the north of Alberta and witnessed a knight battling Eddga with ease. It was then that my heart was won by the power and elegance of the Knighthood. However I continued my studies in music on the side. My music is my company." I suddenly stopped and realized that I probably should have left out that last comment. It was perhaps a bit too personal to be sharing with a stranger.
"Can you play something?" Riyu asked, eager to see whether I was any good, or ready to laugh at my false bravado. She looked around and picked up the score with what seemed to have the densest population of notes in the bunch. She held it up to my face and said, "Play this one!"
"I, do not think I can play with an audience," I stuttered. "Besides, I must cleanse myself after that long journey." Riyu looked disappointed, but then she moved to say something.
"Aren't knights supposed to be chivalrous?"
"Pardon?" I asked. That seemed like a very random question at the moment.
"I'm not a barbarian you know. Just because I live in the outskirts of Morroc does not mean I am uncivilized. True I did not choose to become an assassin by choice, but it is the path that I follow with diligence. I've seen the way you look at us with contempt. I don't' blame you, assassins don't have a good reputation in Rune Midgard other than in the military, but don't pre-judge me based on your discriminations please." I felt a bit ashamed at that moment because what she said was true. I am quite prejudiced against the assassin guild, but with good reason. "All I'm saying is, keep an open mind to us, if you are to take me into your custody. ."
". . .care," I corrected.
". . .then at least give me some respect. Furthermore, be a chivalrous knight like the townspeople seem to believe and let me shower first! I don't want your disgusting dirt on me!" With her high flee she sprinted upstairs.
"First door on your right!" I shouted. At least her humorous quip did not leave us at an uncomfortable position. I sat grouchily on the sofa waiting for my turn to use the bathroom. I sure hope she does not break my crystal mirror. Who knows how many dark frames and owl dukes I had to hunt for that!
Hours passed and we had finished having supper: A simple soup, bread and chicken. Her table manners were quite refined, and she showed amazing etiquette without looking like a pompous aristocrat. The only letdown was that she did not attempt to wash the dishes.
"About tonight Riyu. . ." I began.
"Yes?" she replied, unaware of the tension in my voice. She hoisted herself onto the counter.
". . .about where you are to take your rest. I. .well, I believe it is necessary as my role as your guardian to have you sleep. . " I took a deep breath and swallowed the boulder in my throat and continued. ". . .in my quarters." I turned away from her eyes but I could imagine the "dot-dot-dot" emoticon popping up right now. I quickly turned about. "Let me explain. I assumed the position to watch over you, and it would be of much greater ease to have you in my immediate vicinity and line of sight. " Her glare burned deeper into me. "I plan to sleep on the floor! The bed is yours!" I quickly added. Her gaze lightened up a bit.
"That's fine. I must admit it is a tad awkward to be sleeping in the same room, but if anything, if you try anything I'll just have to kill you and explain to your king what a great lecher you are." She flicked her jurs out and gave me a grin. I could not even tell at this point whether or not she was joking or not.
I was about to disagree and interrupt, but I conceded in defeat. "Alright," was all I could muster. "I'm going to wear protection though; my full plate that is."
As I curled into my spare blankets on the wooden floor, I made sure not to move around because of the creaking panels. This is going to be a bit difficult. At this angle I could barely make out Riyu, and with her added stealth I am unable to tell whether she is actually there or not without speaking up. However I did not want to cause any more trouble by interrupting her sleep so I focused on the doorway and around the bed to notice if she got out. I had planned to sleep after I was sure Riyu was slumbering, but I recognized that there was no way to truly tell. With that said, I took an hour's wait and then turned in.
The next morning I awoke chilled to the bone, and I sat up wrapping the coarse blankets around myself. I shook my hair and rubbed my eyes. I got up disoriented and began to scuffle over to my wardrobe. I almost jumped out of my trousers when I saw a woman lying in my bed snoozing. Wait, this was no woman! It was just Riyu. The mission had slipped my mind, and flushed I gathered my clothes and left the room to change. I pulled on a long sleeved shirt and my slippers and headed downstairs to prepare some breakfast, carefully moving down the stairwell as to not wake my guest. I tread lightly to the kitchen and pour some grape juice. Everybody loves grape juice. I throw some potatoes into the oven and mix up some green herbs on them. I sprinkle some moth dust and my dish is complete. I take out the potatoes and set the table and go up to wake Riyu.
"Miss Riyu. Rise and shine. Breakfast is ready! Come eat up before it gets cold." I shook her lightly but she batted my hand away like a cat tired of being played with by its owner. "Come on, the sun has been up for hours already, today has already begun." I prodded her until she started to groan and whine and she finally sat up abruptly wrapping the covers around her rightly, her hair a mess.
"You're a terrible human being. I hope an alarm eats you." Riyu responded drably, and yawned. She looked really discombobulated. Not only was her hair in ruins, but also there were bags under her eyes, and subtle dirt marks on her. Maybe all that talk yesterday was for show and she just sat in the bathroom pretending to shower. Maybe assassins require a lot of sleep to compensate for their expeditious speed. Or perhaps just the whole change in environment has her thrown off balance.
"Excuse me mister knight, can you please give me some privacy to change." Riyu asked, her eyebrow twitching.
"Change into what? I was not aware you had an extra change of clothes." I replied. She better not be thinking of taking MY clothes. Not only would they not fit her, but also that means more laundry for me!
"Actually, I'm kind of naked right now so if you would please stop trying to look through these bed covers and leave the room and lock it behind you I would greatly appreciate it, thanks." I stiffened up and make a quick about-turn and marched out of the room without saying anything more. From behind the door I heard, "I've only one pair, what do you expect? And stop trying to peek through the keyhole!"
"Oh my heavens, please, what do you think I am, a zerom hunter? Change and come down right away!" I could hear her laugh as she laughed at my joke. The only reason she would understand it is because it is a Morroc joke. There are two kinds of people who hunt zeroms: The kind of people like Terayon who want the extra dexterity boosts, and then people like Gloren, who want to enlarge their collection of panties.
We hungrily devoured our meal, cleaned up hastily and set out to another day of exploration. Having been assigned this task I was to not partake of any other mission, and so I practically had a short vacation, given Riyu would not give me much trouble. Consequently, I had effectively been transformed into a babysitter, or bodyguard depending on what mood Riyu was in. For the next few days we became more acquainted, and dare I say on the border of instigating a friendship. We were never apart, not only because it was my job, but because there really was no one else I could spend time with. My friends and comrades were all on duty, and Riyu was a very intriguing character – spontaneous and entertaining. We traveled to Izlude so she could see the Crusader's guild since Izlude was in Prontera's direct jurisdiction. We also explored the Hidden Temple to the north of Prontera, as well as hunted the Golden Thief Bug in Culverts. It was indeed quite amusing fighting side by side. I must confess however, that we did indeed leave the secure borders of Prontera to go spelunking in the caves of Payon, just South East of Prontera. There we traveled five levels down to have a glance at Moonlight and its mob of nine-tailed demon foxes. It was peculiar to see such a fierce monster that is so adorable. We also traveled north of Hidden Temple quite habitually to hunt Angeling. Our efforts and persistence resulted in a fresh pair of angel wings to garnish Riyu's head.
"I'll get you something too sometime, just you wait and see!" Riyu would joke, whenever I'd find something for her.
The good times rolled on for almost two weeks, and the time of the meeting neared. The town was filled with further commotion as leaders from the Wizard, Crusader, Monk and Hunter guilds arrived, to name a few. I had never witnessed so many auras fill the streets of Prontera. It was a magnificent sight to behold, to bask in the authority and skill of these warriors. We watched them train in the Knighthood's guild dungeon and were amazed at their efficiency and bravado. Moonlight, Osiris, Pharoah: These elite parties joined together to create near invulnerable formations.
More time passed, and it is the day before the meeting and all but the Rogue, Sage, Alchemist, Assassin and Blacksmith guilds were present. Now the town was filled with music as amateur bards and dancers regaled the city with their song and dance. The cathedral was packed with priests and monks, in a time of prayer, fellowship and meditation in preparation for the meeting. I received word from a swordsman that King Tristam the thirteenth requested my audience.
"Riyu, the King requests our audience. Make haste and let us depart at once." I shouted up the stairs. Once again Riyu was taking a nap. I heard her groan and get out of bed. In a few minutes we were out the door and on our way.
This time we were headed towards Prontera castle, where the King usually resides. It is a much more secure area that the King usually spends his time in, and the meeting was to be held there. We walked by the halls lined with chandeliers and armored mannequins and into the meeting area. Riyu seemed to take great notice.
"Try not to lose sight of me Riyu. This castle is almost like a labyrinth and you would get lost quite easily without a guide." She edged a bit closer to me but her gaze was still fixed on her surroundings.
We entered the meeting room in the King's hall and there sat King Tristam the thirteenth in his grand robe and garments. He stood up to greet us and invited us to sit by him.
"Miss Riyu I hope sir Aki has taken adequate care of your needs over the past two weeks." Riyu smiled and nodded and King Tristam the thirteenth continued. "Tomorrow the meeting will be held here. Sir Aki I would like you to represent the Knighthood. You shall be one of the leading captains in this campaign. Everyone will be briefed tomorrow on the situation and we will develop a plan. Miss Riyu, you need only pay attention and return safely to relay these correspondences to your master Sesshomaru."
"Understood, your Majesty. I will be here promptly tomorrow morning with Miss Riyu. Is there anything else your Highness?"
"Yes. Dress appropriately for this occasion. Outfit your most extravagant and powerful equipment because we must not lose face in front of our fellow guilds. As superficial as that may seem, the reputation of Prontera must be made evident in such small details, and many judge by external appearance. We must assert our authority in order to bring the guilds together firmly. A valiant commander has no weak soldiers, or in this case, a respected leader has the trust of his followers and partners." The King slowly sat back down into his chair, seated at the head of the table. He added, "Of course, Riyu is no exception to the rule, being Master Sesshomaru's representative. As an ally of Prontera she too should appear imposing. If need be, purchase some bartered equipment at the expense of Prontera castle. I will fully reimburse you."
"Thank you, your Majesty." This time both me and Riyu bowed and we left the room together. "Looks like we will have to go shopping Riyu." Her eyes widened.