The Stranger
By Xenomorph666
Disclaimer: I own only the characters of Wraith, Skalla, Perf, Captain, Birch and Beano. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and all related artifacts are owned by Square-Enix
Summary: He arrived with no knowledge, no family, no way of knowing that the miasma should kill him. Now the strange young man journey's with the caravan that has welcomed him as they collect their myrrh, while he journey's for the truth of his past.
Clothes make the man
The next day, after I talked to Roland about assuming the patrol duties, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise. Skalla and the others were going to take me shopping for some "essentials". What they meant, I had no clue, but it sounded like a way to keep myself busy for a while. At least until Roland got a response from the other villages and I could fully assume my patrolling duties.
"Come on!" Skalla shouted as she ran ahead of the others.
"Women, give them money, a store and a person to dress and they go nuts." Perf said with a blank stare.
"Hey do you hear me complaining?" Beano said, a slight tone of joy crossing his voice.
"Well considering your parent's are the town's tailors, you stand to get some money from this…" Captain eyed Beano warily. "And don't try selling him those cheesy, yet extremely expensive charms."
"I wouldn't dream of it." Beano said with a slight exaggeration of his hands.
"Right, well you'd better not try it." Captain warned.
"So…" the voice of Birch joined us as we walked along. "Did you guys hear?"
"Hear what Birch?" Perf grumbled a hit of dislike for the young man in his voice.
"Roland's adding you're buddy and I to the caravan and advising the other villages to add more to theirs as well." Birch smiled as he fell into step with us.
"Well, Wraith I get. He's a great fighter." Captain started, "But you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn." He was silent for a few seconds, "And you're an ass."
"What!" Birch roared in anger as he tried to leap forward and strangle Captain. All he got was a punch from Perf that sent the Selkie and his red bandanna sailing.
"That wasn't necessary." I said as I noticed the blood trickling down Birch's nose. I walked over to Birch quickly and offered my hand to help him up, he paused for a few seconds and then tossed a handful of sand at my feet before he got up and ran off.
"Don't worry about him, Birch is an ass and overconfident to boot." Perf said, again with serious distaste for the selkie.
"Oh…" I said as I rejoined the others, and looked over my shoulder. I didn't quite understand why they disliked Birch so much.
"We're here." Beano said as he and the others turned into a brightly colored building. It was painted in an almost fluorescent purple and had streaks of blue on it. When I walked in Skalla was already holding up several different pieces of clothing. Then I remembered what she said about my clothes and I couldn't help but groan.
"Yes my friend, clothes shopping…" Perf smiled widely. "With fashion Princess Skalla… Ow!" Perf said as Skalla punched him in the shoulder.
"Go try these on." Skalla said as she handed me a pair of black pants and a black shirt to match.
I could only stare at her, "Change out here?" I asked. Again more blinks, a common occurrence with me.
"No. In the back where it says 'Men's Changing Room'." Beano said, "Better yet, follow me." I nodded as I followed Beano to the back where he opened a door for me. "Ok, change in here."
When Beano closed the door I looked at the shirts and pants. They looked like they would fit, and they were also soft and comfortable on my skin, like the feel of spring grass. I quickly changed into them, but also felt they lacked something; something befitting my own personality. I had to find that one thing, so I walked out into the main store once more and looked around.
"Can I help you dear?" A female Yuke, Beano's mother I guessed asked me as I began to browse their store.
"Yes, I'm looking for leather armor, gloves, boots, shoulder and knee pads and many, many belts and straps." I said as I looked through the shelves. "Preferably black, too."
"Well, that's quite a list young man. I'll see what I can do about the shoulder and knee pads, but we do have several pairs of black leather gloves and unfortunately we don't make black leather boots. However, we do have a rather dark brown color." She said as she led me to the counter where the others were waiting.
"Nice!" Captain said with a smile on his face. It was then that I noticed he had removed the helmet he usually wore. His face was no different from any other lilty's really, but it had an almost innocent look that was eerily deceptive.
"I like it." Beano said, "Now how about a nice trinke--", Captain gave Beano a sharp glare as the yuke set aside a small tray of necklaces and rings.
"I don't think he's done." Skalla said as she noticed Beano's mother bringing up a pile of belts for me.
"And here I was thinking Selkies liked belts a little too much." Perf said with an edge of humor.
"I'm making my own armor." I said as I looked through the belts. "These will do." I said as I picked a dozen or so out. "Did you find the pads?"
"I sure did young man." She said as she placed several shoulder and knee pads on the table, "But you'll have to attach them manually, because we've never done anything like that here."
"Not a problem." I said as I took the scraps and put them in a nearby bag. "I should be able to repay you for this next year after the caravan's run. I hope it's not too much to ask."
"Young man, you may have those for free. You saved my son's life after all." She said as she took my hand and patted it.
"I couldn't…" I started to explain.
"Nonsense, just take them. They're yours." She said with a wave. Then she looked at Skalla. "Now onto the matter of a certain shopaholic's bill."
"Heh heh…" Skalla turned a bright red at the presentation of a very large piece of paper. "More money, less shop, right?" Beano's mother only nodded. "Right…"
As we left Beano's home, Perf and Captain led me off while Beano followed Skalla home to get payment for all the clothes she bought. As I followed the two we came across Birch again, he didn't look happy to see us but he remained still and mad no move to us. Then we came to a building with a large anvil and a fireplace hot enough to melt most metals.
"Now we're going to set you up with a better weapon." Perf said with his usual smile. "Hey pops, customer!" He shouted as a short balding man came out.
"Hello, I'm Patrick Steel Haven, you can call me 'Pops' if you like." He said as he gave me a good look over.
"I don't need a weapon." I said sternly, the idea of laying my daggers down for something else, severely crossed me.
"Nonsense!" Pops said with a smile similar to Perf's. "Why look at this blade, finest I've ever made thanks to Perf and his finding that weapon scroll. I give you 'Excalibur'!" He said as he held the sword up high. A split second later my knife plucked it from his hand and impaled it against a wall.
"I don't need a weapon!" I almost shouted.
"Whoa!" Captain said as he held onto my cloak. "We were just trying to find you a back up weapon."
"A what?" I asked, calming down a little.
"Well, Beano thought that since magic doesn't affect you that you probably couldn't use it either." Perf said as he tossed me a green ring. "Go ahead try to use it, think about healing Captain."
I did as Perf said; I focused my thoughts on Captain and of healing any cuts on him he might have. Nothing happened. At least nothing good, instead of healing Captain the ring sent a buzz of electricity up my arm; it was so much I had to drop the ring in pain. I even fell to my knees and hid my face, for fear of the darkness appearing before them.
"Jeez, we didn't expect that." Perf said as he ran to my side. "I'm sorry; I didn't know that would happen."
"It's alright." I said as I sat up. "Better we find out here then in the battle field." I then got up, "But I don't like swords."
"Well…" Pops said as he tried to pull the dagger out. "Blasted thing's stuck in there, other wise I could possibly melt it down into another weapon."
"Another weapon?" I asked as an idea popped into my head. I walked up to the dagger and wrenched it out of the wall easily. "Do you have an solid molds?"
"Uh, yes. Why do you ask?" He asked as he handed me two good-sized molds.
"I plan to make a mold for a very unique weapon." I said as I looked the molds over, they were just the right measurements.
"Well ok. The Excalibur will be waiting to be melted down." Pops said with a whimper as he placed the sword on a table. I then realized how much I had hurt his pride.
"I apologize. I shouldn't have lost my temper." I said in shame.
"Ah, you're forgiven. Besides, I wouldn't want to give up those buggers either!" Pops laughed as he pointed to my daggers. "Well I guess you boys had best be goin'. See you later Wraith and remember to bring the finished molds."
"I will, sir." I said as I picked up my clothes and pads and headed off to Roland's home to start work on my mold and armor.