CHAPTER 9

DEPARTING

The sun gleamed down on San d'Oria, it no longer being racked by the storms that had gripped it in the days now passed. Arcadia, Olose, Nadia and Norg stood by the mighty gate.

"Well, see ya around." Olose said to Norg, shaking his hand.

"It was fun." Norg laughed. Nadia frowned, her arm hanging in a sling.

"It was painful!" She protested.

"You weren't impaled on the jaw of a gigantic snake monster!" Olose cried.

"Well, we can't all regenerate like you." She told him. Olose paused.

"Is my secret actually a secret to anyone?" He asked sarcastically. Norg and Arcadia laughed.

"You do realise we will be required to explain this when we arrive in Tavnazia?" Arcadia pointed out. Olose rose an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's going to be fun." He sighed. "You decided what you're going to tell your parents?"

"I would appreciate it if we could leave out the fact that you rescued me originally." Arcadia told him. "I set out to prove myself, and I failed. I have no desire for them to discover that."

"Just say I rescued when Abaj showed up." Olose shrugged. "Makes me seem like a big hero then."

"You are a big hero!" Nadia pointed out. Everybody stared at her for the strangely uncharacteristic comment. "Well, he is." Nadia tried to shrug, but winced as her arm fired with pain. Norg laughed.

"Well, this is getting to be one of those long sentimental goodbyes, so get out of here." Norg told the others. Olose and Arcadia laughed.

"It's not a goodbye, it's a 'see ya later'." Olose explained.

"Thank you for everything." Arcadia said with a curtsey.

"Let's go." Olose gestured for the gate. "Bye!"

"See ya!" Norg cried.

"Bye." Nadia said simply. Olose and Arcadia walked out from the mighty San d'Orian gates and into the wilderness.

The journey back to Tavnazia was one that was long and hard, for Arcadia at least. Olose remained unfazed, but Arcadia struggled, becoming worn out quickly, and often finding it difficult to traverse the rough terrain Olose kept picking for the short cuts he had come up with. They were mostly silent while travelling, except for the odd direction from Olose. It felt cold, but Arcadia was actually glad of it. She still felt a pounding attraction to Olose, and just focusing on getting back to Tavnazia meant that she didn't need to dwell on it too much, or let it grow, as it often felt like it was when she talked to him. She knew she had to crush it down. The scandal of her falling in love with her bodyguard would be huge, and something she couldn't allow.

Olose was also concerned about their relationship, but for a different reason. He was finding it harder and harder to picture Talia in his head. He felt as if he was replacing her, trying to sweep her aside and forget what he did. He could never forget that. He had killed her, and should never be freed from that guilt. He could never forgive himself, and never allow her to be replaced, which was exactly what he felt like he was doing. He dwelled on this silently, hardly saying anything.

As soon as Tavnazia fell into view however, after what felt like days of travelling, they snapped back into behaving how they always had been.

"Now ain't that a site." Remarked Olose, staring down on the gigantic city.

"You have never seen Tavnazia before?" Arcadia inquired. Olose shook his head.

"Lived in the woods, remember?" He said jokingly. She smiled.

"It is the greatest construction of hume engineering in the land." She told him, as if she was advertising it. "It is truly a great feat."

"Perhaps, my lady," Came a voice from behind them, and the two swivelled around, "But it is no match for the combined hume and galkan city under construction as we speak." The two found themselves facing a huge galka that loomed over them.

"You mean Bastok, right?" Olose guessed. "That city has been under construction for years."
"Dammed straight." Snapped the galka. "And when it's finished, it'll be mightier than this pathetic hole of a city. It'll crush those dirty elvaans as well."

"Charming." Olose smiled to Arcadia.

"Name's Sotobu." The galka grinned behind his big black beard.

"There a reason you've randomly started talking to us?" Olose asked.

"I just came here to generally tell everybody how superior Bastok is." Sotobu told them. Olose rolled his eyes.

"What delightful people you meet at your home." He said with a sarcastic grin to Arcadia. "And we just came from San d'Oria!" He threw to Sotobu. Sotobu frowned.

"Well, we'll sort out San d'Oria." He gloated. "You think this city will last before it comes under elvaan control? You know how they're expanding. There's no stopping them."

"Except for you. Right." Olose sighed. "Since when did nations need advertisers?" Sotobu rose a mighty eyebrow.

"I'm not advertising, just telling the truth." He pointed out. "Besides, I'm here to meet with some people."

"Who?" Arcadia inquired.

"Lord and Lady De Lily." He answered. Arcadia looked surprised.

"She's their daughter." Olose gestured to Arcadia. Sotobu rose an eyebrow once again.

"Ah." He sighed. "That forms a bit of a moot point then."

"What do you mean?" Olose inquired.

"I was sent by Bastok to attempt to locate Lady Arcadia. She had been missing you see, and to display the capabilities of Bastok we were sent to find her." He answered. "But if she's here, then clearly you don't need my services."

"Uh oh." Olose muttered, and Arcadia didn't appear overly confident.

"Looks like you might be in trouble." Sotobu laughed to Arcadia. "I don't think they're going to be happy about you running off like that."

"I simply did what I was intending to without bodyguards." She stated.

"You got kidnapped!" Sotobu cried. "We know what happened in San d'Oria. They thought you might be dead!"

"We should have stayed in San d'Oria." Olose grumbled.

Hours later Olose was slumped in a dingy tavern he had found. Both he and Arcadia had decided that it was for the best that she was left alone to try and explain what had happened to her parents, and Olose had no desire to stand around feeling like a third wheel. He was clutching a drink, but actually drinking it was pointless. Alcohol couldn't affect his rapidly regenerating body system, which meant it was more for effect than anything else. Sotobu on the other hand, was less successful. He had not only gotten very drunk, but was now stood upon the bar ranting about how fantastically great Bastok would be. Olose sighed and opted for trying to ignore him.

Sotobu eventually got very drunk and passed out, much to the relief of everybody in the bar. Olose stayed slouched over the table, feeling oddly depressed. He wasn't quite sure why, everything was looking up in his life. He was out of the woods, at least, and could now begin working towards a real life, whenever the moon didn't interrupt. Perhaps it was because he was finally moving on, finally leaving behind everything that had gone so wrong for him, it made him sad to lose it. In a way, it was like he was saying a final goodbye to Talia and his old home. He swirled the drink around. Alcohol was supposed to be a good way of relieving stress and forgetting bad memories, and so he found himself badly wishing that it would affect him. He downed the contents of the glass, and banged it back down on the table. For a moment he felt light headed, but it quickly faded away. He sighed heavily.

He perked up the instant he caught that familiar scent, over the smell of the people in the tavern and the alcohol. He glanced across the bar to see Arcadia standing awkwardly in the entrance. She scanned the bar, but clearly felt very out of place. Olose got up and walked over to her, smiling.

"Hi." He beamed to repress his feelings of depression. "How'd it go with your parents?" Arcadia smiled surprisingly, looking genuinely happy.

"Well." She answered. "Well, not well." She paused, slightly confused over how often she'd said the word 'well'. "But that made it well." She paused again, once again confused.

"Do you want to start again?" Olose smirked.

"It is not complicated." Arcadia said, rolling her eyes and intentionally patronising Olose. Olose folded his arms in mock offence, and they shared a smirk. "My parents were angry and upset about what happened to be, and took is as evidence that I could not possibly look after myself."

"Bad, right?" Olose guessed.

"Yes. And no." Arcadia smiled as Olose became confused. "As I said, it is not complicated. My parents became so concerned they would not let me do anything on my own. My father is waiting outside, he would not even let me walk through town on my own."

"Still confused here, Arcadia." Olose said casually, as if he was getting used to that state of being.

"Well, they said the only way they would ever trust me to travel again is if I had a protector of great worth, and then asked if it was possible I could find the person who rescued me from Abaj." She paused, smiling. "I said I thought it might be possible."

"So, for you to be allowed to continue having any freedom whatsoever, I would have to be your bodyguard?" Olose confirmed. "Which I am anyway?" Arcadia smiled.

"Yes." She answered simply. "Of course, they don't know that, so technically they are going to be greatly appreciative that you've agreed to protect me, and think it is an act of kindness stemming from the conversation we're having now."

"Hm, maybe I could push for a pay raise then." Olose joked.

"I was not aware I was paying you anything." Arcadia shot back, her formal pattern of speech interfering with her wit.

"Well, let's get out of here." Olose said, moving towards the door. Arcadia followed eagerly, feeling increasingly uncomfortable in the dark tavern.

Olose stepped outside to be stopped by a man dressed in a dark green expensive looking coat, dark black trousers and an expensive looking shirt and tie.

"You, sir, are Olose Sampson?" He inquired. Olose nodded nervously. "I am the father of Arcadia De Lily. I believe we owe you her life."

"It was nothing." Olose laughed. "You know, a giant snake, a few dozen soldiers, the odd galka, a rather annoying mithra, stuff like that. Nothing I can't handle."

"Urm, indeed." Nodded Arcadia's father. "Has she approached about our request?"

"You mean to be a bodyguard?" Inquired Olose. "Yeah. I like the idea. Sounds fun." He paused as he saw the scowl coming from her father's face. "Urm, I mean, I'd take it very responsibly. Nobody would get past me."

"See? I told you he would agree." Arcadia smiled to her father. Her father smiled back.

"Thank you. For everything you have done." He said, taking and shaking Olose's hand.

"I was happy to help." Olose gave in response.

"We can arrange living quarters for you." Her father continued. "You can stay here, and accompany Arcadia at all times. I don't want her going anywhere on her own."

"Daaaaad!" Arcadia whined quite humorously, sounding more like a child than her usual upper class tones. "I can go some places on my own!"

"Yes. Indeed. Don't follow her into the bathroom." Arcadia's father told Olose sarcastically, and Olose laughed.

"I like this guy." Olose beamed. "He's hilarious." Arcadia's father crossed his arms with a deep cough.

"Indeed." He rumbled. "Now, we are to have dinner tonight. We would appreciate it if you could attend, Mr Sampson." He offered.
"I'd love to." Olose replied happily. "And just call me Olose."

"Indeed I shall. In public, I am afraid you will have to call me Lord De Lily, but feel free to address me as Andrew in a more relaxed setting." Andrew offered as he walked.

"Right, gotcha." Olose nodded. "Now, I heard the promise of food." Andrew laughed. "You have no idea how long it's been since I've eaten cooked food."

"What about the buffet?" Arcadia asked.

"I didn't eat any of that." Olose answered in a shrug. "Besides, I barely classify that as food."

"And what do you classify as food?" Arcadia questioned, sounding slightly like she was mocking him.

"A full sheep. Now that's food. Meat right off the bone, and a lot of it." Olose grinned.

"Sheep?" Andrew questioned. "Convenient." He smiled. "Guess what we're having for dinner."

"Oh, I'm going to like this job." Olose said happily.

Elsewhere, in the depths of an elvaan jail cell, Abaj watched the moon rise in the sky.

"It is only a matter of time." He said to himself in the darkness. "We are children of the moon, you and I, Olose Sampson. A confrontation between us is inevitable."

"Who ya talkin' to in there?" Snapped a guard from outside.

"Myself." Came a casual response. "I am alone, am I not? Or is there a flaw in your precious jail cell?" The guard stared in angrily.

"Don't make me come in there!" He threatened.

"But then I will not be alone and so be justified in talking." Abaj pointed out. The guard rose an eyebrow.

"Dammed weirdoes." He muttered, wondering off. Abaj smiled, turning back to the window.

"You have taken everything from me, Olose." Abaj said bitterly. "And so I will take everything from you."

Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter is shorter than usual, I really suck and ran out of things to happen in it, and the next chapter kinda vitally has to be separate. So this entire chapter was filler. And so crap. So sorry you had to endure that. Hopefully it'll get better again, with more chapters like the last (I actually like that one).

Oh, and yes, Abaj ranting to himself at the end makes no sense, but I needed a dramatic device to create tension, so decided to make him slightly crazy so that I could have him talking to himself. I often wonder who villains are talking to when they rant to themselves, hence the guard interrupting. Anyway, that's about all I have to say (or at least all I can remember I had to say), so thanks for reading this chapter, and sorry it was so crappy. I mean, I normally think what I write is bad, but this chapter I particularly felt turned out incredibly poorly. If I wasn't so lazy I'd rewrite the whole dammed thing. But anyway. That's besides the point.

Oh, and Ghoma from the last chapter is always an early boss in The Legend of Zelda, often a one-eyed big bug like thing, in the Wind Waker it was a large snake (that dove around in lava), so I used it. I love Zelda, so decided to homage it. I suck with character names, so might stick a 'Link' in there somewhere later as another nod. I'm unoriginal like that.