Duel of Hearts
They got to Little Rock, and proceeded to search for where Maya was. It appeared as if she hadn't arrived yet, so the five went into the saloon to rest and have some drinks; well, only Laura wanted the drinks. Jessica, Alfred, Lyla, and Vincent were playing cards with the deck Vincent always carried. He was happy for once to play something other than solitaire. They had settled down for a game of Go Fish. It was almost like Alfred was part of the group already; after only a short sea voyage with the team.
"Got any Sixes Vincent?" inquired Lyla, "Wow, seems like only yesterday we left Baskar to begin our journey towards a new life. And we can already enjoy ourselves like a real team. I'm happy I met all of you." Vincent handed her the Six of Spades, and gave the young Baskarian girl a small smile in return.
"Well, we are all friends here. Speaking of friends, who wants me to pour them a drink? It's one of the best brews on all Filgaia," Laura tempted them. She then began to down another mug for herself. Lyla giggled, Vincent moaned, Jessica sighed, and Alfred looked like she was crazy. Well, she was crazy.
Jessica reminded her, "You're the only one of age here. Vincent is the second oldest among our little team, and he's only eighteen. Meaning, we can't yet drink legally. Besides, as a priestess, I get enough liqueur from drinking ceremonial wines during certain festivals. Once, I accidentally got drunk on my share. Boy, I'll never do that again. I woke up in the fountain near the center of town; soaked to the bone. After that incident, I came down with a bad cold and had to drink Aunt Victoria's nasty remedies.
Laura shrugged and poured herself another bottle. "Well, your loss, my gain. You guys just don't know what you're missing. Maybe when you're older you can come to enjoy the finer things in life like me. I guess now you still are drinking fruit juice and soda pop like they're going out of style. So, am I wrong?"
"Alfred!" Maya's voice called, "So there you are! I've been worried about you. Honestly, all of the gems in the world are calling to us, and I find you in a pub enjoying yourself with a bunch of pretty girls. I didn't think you were that type of kid." Instantly, both Jessica and Alfred turned a deep shade of crimson.
S...S
"So that's what happened. I didn't think you were trying to pick up girls. I don't usually say this to anyone, but thank you for finding my kid brother. Alfred's the only family I have left on this little dustball of a planet that we all call Filgaia. I'd do anything to protect him," Maya vowed as she looked at her brother.
Jessica, feeling a little jealous of their relationship, replied, "I accept your thanks. And I can relate to you in more ways than you think. For years, it was always me and my mom. But now I've learned that when she and my father were split apart by fate and tragedy, he had their only son with him. So I've got a big brother out there somewhere. Now, I will take on any task I can handle at all in order to find him and bring him back home with me. One day, I know my hard work will pay off and we will be together at last."
Maya held out her hand and shook Jessica's. "Well, I can see you've got strong convictions. You may be a green kid and a little sentimental, but at least you aren't in over your head. I know this girl like that. She just spread her wings and yet she believes she can take on Demons. It might be foolishness to people like you and me. But she's a little naïve and a bit of an idealist; thinks justice will be her shield."
Before Jessica could reply to Maya's comment and ask the name of the person, a shot rang out. Before them stood a young man of about twenty one with long brown hair and deep brown eyes. He had on a shirt and jacket much like the one Vincent wore. Over the jacket he had draped a black cape that was held together with an emerald; with another one acting as a clip for his black leather belt. His pants were tan and his boots were a light brown leather with some black leather running as a border on the top and bottom. In his hands he held a long high powered sniper scope rifle; codenamed the Killer SAL863.
"So you're the infamous Maya Schroedinger," the man stated, "My name is Percival Vanderbuilt. I traveled long and hard just for the chance to meet and challenge you to a duel. Nobody has ever beat me in a gun match before. And I have heard of your phenomenal skills with various ARMs in combat."
"Well, you are sure a really smart guy for complimenting a girl such as myself. But don't think that a little flattery will make me go easy on you. I'm no fool. Just because I'm a woman, that doesn't give anyone the right to take advantage of that. Why do you think that I learned quickly how to shut out the emotions I feel during battle? Because I am never going to let people walk over me because I happen to be female. Women can fight and protect themselves in the Wastelands; we don't always need a man around. My allies are not my bodyguards, but my friends. I watch their backs just as much as they watch mine," Maya yelled at him. She flashed a smile that shone through as if it were a threat to back off again.
Percival replied, "I don't mean to insult you. I look for strong opponents to challenge. To me, it doesn't matter if the fighter is a man or a woman. As long as I can test the limits of my abilities, any fight is the same. Besides, appearance isn't really a very reliable thing out here; only the barrel of your ARM."
Maya smirked. "Well said young man. Or, to be more precise with me, the barrel of my ARMs. I carry many types, all to aid me in my conquest of the Wastelands. That's why I've survived for so long. Now feel my full fury. Calamity Jane!" With that, she began shooting off every ARM in her arsenal at the other Drifter. Alfred was already offering some popcorn to Jessica; he knew what happened when his big sister got like this. So before he could even fire a single shot in the duel, Percival had fallen to the ground.
"Amazing," he muttered, "Not only did I lose this fight, but I didn't get a chance to even hit you. All of the rumors I've heard about the infamous Maya Schroedinger are true. She truly is a powerful warrior. I now humbly ask for you to teach me your techniques. To lose means I am in need of stronger training."
"Sorry kid. I don't train lackeys. I have enough dead weight on my hands and I don't need any other people around. Go hone your skills on your own and then challenge me again if you think that you can handle it. Todd! Alfred! Shady! Let's get going," Maya called. With a last wave goodbye to Jessica and the others, Alfred turned and ran after his sister. The five watched them fade into the orange sunset.
Percival was still staring at the place where Maya had been. He whispered, "I think I'm in love."
Jessica took one look at the direction they'd taken and sighed. "Me too. Please be safe Alfred."
Teefa's Last Words...
I wanted to introduce the guy that Maya was married to in "The Gemini". So I turned him into a man who seeks strength, and admires those who are stronger. Maya is a woman of power like he's never seen before, and that's what attracts him. We'll have updates with him later.