CHAPTER 7

REVELATIONS

Olose was an experienced fighter. He had fought a lot of beasts during his time in the woods, and fought plenty since he had left. Yet he had never fought a battle as difficult as attempting to tie a bowtie. He simply couldn't figure it out. He had managed to get it into a knot, which he then struggled extremely to undo. He eventually decided to leave it knotted, having been completely defeated, but Arcadia wouldn't let him. She took over and helped him dress himself, something which Olose had a feeling he'd never live down.

He was uncomfortably dressed in a tuxedo, stood by the buffet table as he watched multiple elvaans dancing in a way that he actually found quite intimidating. Mainly because he had no idea how to imitate it, and yet he knew Arcadia would want him too. Slow moving classical style music filled the large hall, an ornate and expensive looking chandelier hung from the ceiling and gigantic fancy looking paintings hung from the walls. Olose shuffled slightly, feeling very much out of place. Arcadia was greeting many of the elvaans that she recognised, and Olose was left alone, a hume in a hall full of high status elvaans. He got a few dirty looks, but nobody really talked to him. He looked at the food laid out on the table, but decided that since he couldn't identify any of it he shouldn't eat any of it.

Arcadia, having satisfyingly conformed to the social regulations and greeted everybody she recognised, finally returned to Olose.

"You look petrified." Arcadia couldn't quite hide her smile.
"You're not expecting me to do that, are you?" Olose said blankly, looking out at the many dancers.

"You fight monsters but cannot dance?" She asked, smirking in a way that seemed uncharacteristic of her.

"I didn't have much need to dance living alone in the woods." Olose told her casually. "Except one time, but that's a long story." Arcadia shot him a strange look and he smiled. She couldn't quite tell whether he was joking or not.

"So what was that dance?" She asked, deciding to play along.

"It's really not appropriate for here." Olose laughed nervously. Arcadia rose an eyebrow.

"Well, what are we going to do?" She questioned him. "I invited you to a dance. You have to dance or the point in you being here is void, is it not?"

"I could teach you to speak like a normal person." Olose suggested. Arcadia folded her thin arms.

"Excuse me? I think it is you who needs educating in how to speak correctly." She shot, the upper class accent in her voice seeming more evident than ever, almost as if she was intentionally exaggerating it.

"Least I speak the right language." Olose grumbled, wondering exactly what Norg was up to at that point in time.

Norg was slightly drunk, slumped at the bar of a dingy tavern. The window was still smashed in the background. Nadia was laughing beside him.

"Giving up, Lieutenant?" She taunted, holding up her empty shot glass.

"Tsai boo shr, Private." He shot back, lifting his own shot and downing it. Nadia smirked, downing her next one with ease. "They teach you guys drinking contests in basic now?" Norg slurred, downing one, determined not to give up.

"Taught this myself before I was arrested." She told him, looking as if she was struggling to stay conscious.

"Arrested?" Norg asked in confusion.

"Yeah, they stuck me in the army as a better use of my energies. A kind of community service, I guess." She shrugged, weakly reaching for the next shot.

"Tah mah duh hwoon dahn!" Norg exclaimed. "Pride of the elvaan nation we are." He added in a sigh.

"Hey, I'm a good solider. Nice and respectful to my superior officers." She joked.

"Yeah, try that, but opposite." Norg told her. The two slumped on the table as thunder crashed. Norg bolted up and Nadia jumped. Norg burst into hysterical laughter at Nadia, who folded her arms, looking annoyed. They looked out of the shattered window as rain began to thunder down outside and lightning flashed.

"Another storm." Nadia muttered.

"Tyen shiao-duh, not another storm." Norg sighed. "Three nights, three storms. Almost as if it's…" Norg trailed off.

"What? What is it?" Nadia asked, getting up drunkenly. Norg bolted out of the tavern. Nadia looked on in confusion, but quickly followed.

Arcadia lifted Olose's hand and placed it on her shoulder, and took his other hand, and positioned it on her arm. His rough hands were uncomfortable against her silky skin, but she willing to put up with it.

"Now you just step gently to the music." She advised. "It is simple." She began to dance in a circle, and Olose followed uncomfortably.

"That's all there is to it?" He asked. She smiled.

"Not exactly, but I think it is as far as you will get." She mocked gently. Olose smiled back, and Arcadia sighed lovingly, luckily able to hide her feelings behind her extremely formal posture and expressions. Olose heard the thunder outside of the window, but didn't react. Arcadia looked around curiously, not reacting too badly as she was safe within Olose's arms.

"These storms are getting to be ridiculous." Olose sighed. "I'm glad I'm not back out in the woods."

"As am I." Arcadia told him. "It is strange that they are occurring so frequently."

"Like clockwork." Olose observed. "I don't think they're natural." Arcadia smiled, slightly amused.

"You really are paranoid, are you not?" She told him. "What could possibly be causing storms that is unnatural?"

Norg looked out over the wall into the forest outside, rain pouring down on him. Nadia ran to his side.

"Tah mah duh hwoon dahn!" He exclaimed as he saw what he was waiting for bolting between the different bushes and trees.

"What? What is it?" Nadia yelled over the wind and rain.

"They've been using the goddamn storms!" He exclaimed. "The orcs! They've been positioning themselves in the goddamn storms!"

"What?" Nadia called. Norg turned in shock.

"They're moving when we can't see them or track them. They're preparing for an assault." He explained. "They're going to attack!"

Olose felt embarrassed, not only because he felt like he was a fool, but because everybody else in the room was outperforming him as far as dancing was concerned. He slowed to a stop subconsciously.

"What is it?" Arcadia asked, her voice sounding concerned.

"Nothing." He tried to dismiss his thoughts. "I was just thinking about earlier."

"What happened?" Arcadia questioned softly.

"I was attacked. Somebody was trying to find somebody who was at the bar the night of the brawl." Arcadia looked on at Olose, seeming quite scared.

"Do you think they know what you really are?" She asked. "That they were looking for you?"

"I don't know." Olose shrugged. "But it can't be good." Olose froze as he heard something on the horizon. "What was that?" He snapped.

"That sounded like an elvaan war horn." One of the dancers observed. Olose's eyes went wide.

"Norg so owes me a drink." He announced as he bolted out of the building.

Norg looked out as elvaans ran to his side, drawing their weapons. He had rushed down and out of the gates while Nadia sounded the war horn, warning of the incoming attack. Orcs charged the walls, spears prepared.

"Impossible." He gasped as they got closer. "They couldn't organise themselves like this." They got closer, and Norg readied his weapon. He was much better hand to hand, but knew he had to fight armed first. The entire city was caught completely unprepared, and the few gate guards gripped their own swords nervously beside Norg. He could see up on the walls archers were beginning to fall into position, but it was too late. The orcs got too close and engaged Norg and his comrades in combat. He was completely outnumbered.

He counted about fifty orcs. Nowhere near enough to wipe out the city, but far more than should be able to operate in a group. He began to spin his sword, taking one out and blocked another. A third stabbed at him, knocking his sword away. It clattered to the ground and he sprang into hand to hand, dodging the stabbing spears and knocking the orcs aside with precise strikes. He saw too late one behind him going for the stab. He jumped to avoid it as an incredible force slammed into the orc, taking it out. Olose drove his fist through the orc's face, and leapt off it.

"What the hell is going on?" Olose cried over the rain.

"We're under attack!" Norg shouted back. "The goddamn orcs used the storms!" He cried. "They manoeuvred into position under cover of the storms to launch a surprise attack!" Norg beat back another orc, ducking under its swinging spear and blasting it in the knee caps with a powerful kick, dropping it down.

"There aren't enough here to cause any real damage." Olose observed. "What's going on? This isn't right."

"Somebody or something is controlling them!" Norg explained. "Some powerful mage. Powerful enough to summon these storms!" Olose leapt over an incoming blade, landing on an orc's shoulders and bouncing over it. It swung around, cutting him across the chest. The wound healed instantly and he swung outwards in a large claw like action, tearing across the orc's chest. He ripped the orc's spear out of its hands and impaled it with it.

"Where could he be?" Olose cried over the sounds of battle. The elvaans were beginning to become more organised, sending arrows at the orcish hoards that, despite having reached the walls, couldn't penetrate the mighty gates.

"A good vantage point." Norg guessed. "The mountain just west of here. Must be there." He guessed.

"I'm gone." Olose stated, tearing across the forest heading for the mighty mountain.

Arcadia looked out of the window from the ballroom with concern. She couldn't see much through the heavy rain.

"Mi'lady." Came a voice. She turned around to see a man dressed fully in black stood before her. She jumped slightly, startled. "Do not be too concerned for your friend." He said gently. She smiled slightly, relieved by his words. "It is for your own safety you should be concerned." His face suddenly twisted into a horrific grin and Arcadia's eyes went wide.

Olose raced up the Ghelsba mountain as fast as he could, finding old disused winding paths that he took to get ever nearer to the top. He skidded near the top only to be hit by a bolt of lightning and blasted across the mountain. He stopped just before plummeting to the ground below and looked up to see a small tarutaru dressed in full mage's gear staring him down.

"Who the hell are you?" Olose cried.

"Ah, Olose Sampson, I presume?" Laughed the mage.

"What do you want? Why did you attack San d'Oria? To lure me up here? Is that it?" He cried. The mage chuckled.

"Oh no. Notaru at all." He smiled. "You are not even part of our plan."

"But I know you mentioned me! The man at the tavern! That was me! I'm who you're hunting!" Olose cried.

"We never said man." The tarutaru mage grinned. "Don't be so sexist." Olose's eyes widened.

"Arcadia!" He gasped.

"Indeed, she arrived in San d'Oria sooner than we thought." The tarutaru confessed. "Your interference no doubt." He grinned again. "You see, my storms served a double purpose. One, they slowed down Arcadia, and two, they allowed us to move the orcs into position for the distraction."

"Distraction?" Olose asked curiously.

"Oh yes. Her kidnapping you see." The tarutaru explained. "We've been planning it for quite some time, but while she was safely in Tavnazia grabbing her was difficultaru. As soon as we learnt of her trip to San d'Oria we put our plans into action. It was lucky one of our agents was in the bar that night, or else we would have been totally unaware she ever arrived. Of course, our orcs were not as prepared as we would have liked, but I did what I had to do."

"Why? Who are you working for?" Olose growled.

"Abaj Tuh." Answered the tarutaru bluntly.
"Abaj Tuh?" Exclaimed Olose. He had heard the name before. A very powerful crime lord, so rich and powerful he was immune to all prosecution and remained holed up in a fortress somewhere in the world. He had pretty much taken over the criminal world seventeen years ago.

"Yes." The tarutaru grinned at the recognition. "Tavnazia decided to cross him, to try and drive his criminal partners out of the city. In retaliation he wants to capture their favourite daughter, Lady Arcadia. She is ours already. You cannot stop him."
"I'll kill you, stop these storms and track her down." Olose growled. "With you dead, whatever spell you have over the orcs will be disrupted and they'll fall into chaos. And you can't kill me." The tarutaru burst into hysterical laughter. He drew a silver sword from his belt.

"I think that I can." Grinned the mage. Olose backed away in fear. "So, let's talk about this. Fighting me will just result in your death."

Norg cheered as he cut down another orc. Nadia ran to his side, stumbling away from one of the beasts that was attacking her. She blocked each blow desperately, but looked wounded, her arm badly cut. Norg pushed her to the floor and skilfully took down the orc, striking upwards and snapping its neck with his bare hands. He turned to Nadia.

"You owe me one." He grinned. Nadia got up, clutching her arm. He looked at her in shock. Was she crying? She turned away, not letting Norg get a closer look. "Nadia? Are you alright?" He asked with concern. She turned around.

"NORG!" She screamed. "Look out!" Norg turned around and just managed to dive aside in time as flames tore past him.

"Great." He sighed. "They have a flamethrower." The gigantic wooden construction lumbered across the battle, sending flames out and burning trees and troops alike. "We need to take it out!"

"Let's beat it at its own game!" Nadia cried, regaining her usual fierce attitude. "My arm is dead. I can't fire any arrows."

"What are you suggesting?" Norg asked.

"Fire!" She cried. "Keep up would you? Fire! We'll burn the bastards! It's made of wood!"

"With what?" Norg protested. The flamethrower turned to face them, and fired out more flames.

"The trees are burning!" Nadia pointed out.

"Keep me covered." Norg ordered. "Jun ta ma yao ming. Joo-ee." Nadia gave him a blank look. "Be careful." He summed up.

Olose clenched his fists.

"You won't keep her." He warned. "I'll save her."

"You'll die here." The tarutaru taunted.

"Then why haven't you killed me yet?" Olose shot.

"I like torture. When the foolish adventurer realises whataru has actually been happening." The mage laughed. "Arcadia's a cute girl, but foolishly stupid. She got herself so stuck we didn't need this plan to kidnap her, just some mud would have captured her for us."

"Wait. How do you know about that?" Olose asked curiously, yet bitterly.

"Nice of you to help her out though." The tarutaru continued. "Oh, what, surprised I knew?" He laughed again.

"Impossible. You couldn't have seen us. I'd of smelt you." Olose said in confusion.

"Arcadia is dangerously naïve, she never saw me, and you rely so much on scent a simple deodorize spell meant I was all but invisible to you." The tarutaru grinned. "I know what you are, everything you've been up to. I've been watching you. The whole time." He laughed.

"That's a load of rubbish and you know it!" Spat Olose. "You didn't know Arcadia was in San d'Oria. You can't have been following us."

"That foolish elvaan friend of yours had his troops sent out. They spotted me and I was forced to retreat, mistaken for an agent of Windurst." The mage explained. "So I sent in the elvaan spy who was at that barroom brawl. He had no problem spotting you with the riot you made." The tarutaru laughed again. "So my plan is now complete. Manipulate a few storms through my great power, cast a spell of control over the orcs, and it all falls into place. Arcadia is mine, and her protector is about to die." He began to advance with the silver blade. Olose gulped.

"Not here." Olose stared at the little villain. "I can't die here. Mark my words, I will save Arcadia. That means you can't kill me."
"We're about to find out!" Cried the tarutaru as he lunged in for an attack.

Norg leapt up and grabbed hold of the branch of the flaming tree. As predicted it burnt and broke under his weight. He grabbed the flaming branch and ran at the flamethrower. Nadia leapt aside, dodging the flames, keeping it distracted. She stumbled, falling forwards and landing on her arm. She screamed in pain as she felt her injury throb. Norg ran in towards the mighty flamethrower and hurled his flaming branch at it. It bounced off the wet wooden structure, not causing any damage.

"Hm." He grunted. The orcish flamethrower turned to face him, leaving Nadia in safety. He scooped down and picked up the flaming branch, running around to the side of the structure before it could flame him. He spotted the entrance to it and ripped it open, spotting the orcs operating it within. He threw in the flaming branch and shut it again. He heard screaming from inside as the orcs were lit in fire. He helped Nadia up. "Run!" He cried, and the two retreated as the flamethrower exploded, the flames getting to whatever explosive substance was inside. Norg cheered; the orc's were beginning to retreat.

Olose flipped over the tarutaru, landing behind it, and ran the length of the mountain as his attacker swung in with the silver sword. Olose dodged it, but was caught off guard by a lightning strike. He tore across the mountain top, and landed roughly. The little tarutaru ran in, blade ready, preparing to attack the downed werewolf. Olose roared, leaping at him. The silver blade skimmed by his side, burning him and cutting into his flesh. Olose screamed, hitting the tarutaru hard. The tarutaru staggered back as Olose grabbed his side, the pain throbbing through his body. A seemingly small wound from a silver weapon was nearly enough to disable him. The flesh around the injury seemed to melt. The tarutaru stumbled back, his face bleeding.

"Impressive, boy." He spat. "But you cannot win. METEOR!" A gigantic portal opened above the mountain, and Olose saw a huge boulder emerge; a meteor. It tore down towards him at incredible speeds. He ran backwards, jumping from the mountain and sliding down its rocky surface to a ledge below as the meteor hit, blowing apart the top of the mountain. Olose looked up just in time to see a fireball emerging from the dust cloud, hitting him and blowing him off the mountain. He fell down, tumbling down the slope in an avalanche.

Arcadia struggled uselessly, being pulled away by her captor through the crazed city as citizens ran in panic.

"Let me go!" She grunted, completely unable to move.
"No." Came the firm response. Her captor was an elvaan, dressed in a black ninja outfit. "You belong to Master Tuh now."

"As in Abaj Tuh?" She asked in horror. Her captor grinned as she recognised the name. "Oh no." She muttered. She redoubled her efforts, grunting and struggling desperately to get free, but her captor was far far stronger than she was, and held her captive easily.

"Stop struggling." Commanded the elvaan. "I don't want to mess up your pretty face, but I will." Arcadia looked up at him in hopelessness. There was nothing she could do. Only one person could save her now.

Olose looked up wearingly. The tarutaru peered down on him with a grin.

"Goodbye, Mr Sampson." He laughed, holding the silver blade over him. "You were no match for me." He drove the blade down, and at the last moment, Olose's hands snapped together, stopping the blade. His hands hissed with smoke as it burnt into his flesh. He screamed in agony as he flipped the blade around into a stab, impaling the tarutaru. He released the blade as the tarutaru fell limp, dead. He looked at his burnt hands, feeling sick and giddy with pain. He turned away from the tiny body.

"Arcadia." He managed to say, trying to fight back the agony he was in. He clenched his hands and ran.

Norg spotted Olose approaching.

"The storm has faded, Olose!" Norg cried. "You did it?" He looked over Olose, who was in a dirty and torn apart tuxedo still. His side was clearly injured, and his hands looked almost as if they had melted. "What happened?" Norg asked in concern.

"Arcadia has been kidnapped." He explained. "And I'm going to get her back."

Author's Note: I saved this 'til after the story this time, because I wanted to point some stuff out about this chapter.

Most notably it sucks. I have a theory why, but it's quite a major problem. And that problem is Olose. He makes a worse main character than I had been planning. At least for me too write. People who have read the FFXI Chronicles will know that I used Vivli for pretty much the emotions and point of view, and it worked. I seem to find a little naïve girl much easier to write from than a hardened wild man. Is that a commentary on me? But it seems I struggle to write Olose's character and keep things interesting. Hopefully it'll pick up.

Another thing is that you may notice that San d'Oria is dropped in it. Again, if you read the FFXI Chronicles, you'll know that this happens often. It's a coincidence, honestly. Here, it had to be San d'Oria, because Jeuno isn't constructed yet, neither is Bastok (I think), Windurst is in isolation and Arcadia had to travel to another major city, leaving San. Sorry if you're an elvaan fan, I don't mean to keep screwing over San d'Oria. Although I still haven't forgiven then for that time they called me a fur-ball…

Another one of my main concerns is making sure everybody followed the story, I got a bit lost with everything going on, and the attack on the city came about a bit quickly. Sorry to use the stereotypical 'beastmen attack' plotline, but it was a convenient plot device. Anyway, hopefully everybody followed it okay, and wasn't as confused as I got myself in trying to get all the different plot elements to work.

And for once somebody nearly swore. I did have Olose exclaiming 'bullshit!' at one point, but decided since I never write that normally, I should leave it out because it was out of place.

Oh, and TheFrogKiller, yes I do know your real name! At least I think I do. I know what hotmail thinks it is, because when I receive an e-mail from you, it tells me the name you registered your e-mail address to in the inbox list. Whether it's your real name or not I don't know and I won't post it here in case you don't want me too.

And remember, shout at me if the Chinese is getting annoying. I'm gonna have to translate all the phrases I used at some point. Some in this chapter were a little more offensive than I would normally use, but none are really bad, you know, beyond what a lot of people say. Although I will tell you one translation now because it's funny, in one of the earlier chapters Norg exclaims "Holy Mother of God and all her wacky nephews!". Gotta love Firefly and the phrases they use (which is where I've stolen every Chinese phrase I use from)…