Chapter 2: Setting Out
"I don't get it." Jinx said as he rose from his bed, groggy in the head. His hair was a mess, in naught but a spare pair of pants as he rose from the troubled sleep he'd taken the night before, in the old, dirty cot that he had to call a bed. "Why would Nale choose me?"
"Well why not?" Mystic asked as she sat at an old vanity, made of tainted brass. She looked more so at her reflection in the old mirror as she ran a brush through her long, crimson hair. She was already mostly dressed in her usual attire, not having any change for it, so it was the same outfit she had worn for the week. Her eyes would occasionally look to her friend, as he got dressed, trying to help him through his troubles.
"Well, I don't know." The teenage Acolyte said. "I just don't think I deserve to be going on some journey in order to save lives. I mean, I'm just a church orphan… it's kinda hard to place so much responsibility on just one person."
"But you're very resourceful." Mystic said as she set down the brush, standing up and turning to her friend, who was just fastening his robe and reaching for his belt, which he would wrap securely around his waist, and buckle it. "You've been able to get away from those guards for years, I mean."
"Yeah, that's true." The adolescent boy said sliding on his worn shoes and moving to the vanity to make a quick job of brushing his hair, making sure his hair covered his left eye. "But still… it seems like a lot."
"Well, I think you should do it." Mystic smiled, standing behind Jinx. "It'll be fun for you, and a good chance to get away from here. I'll keep Isis and Alice company while you're gone, okay?"
"Well… I don't know. We'll see." Jinx responded hesitantly as he turned around and walked over to the bedside table where his fashionable glasses rested. He took them and placed them on his head, where they were intended to rest, the red-tined lenses reflecting most of the surroundings like an odd mirror. He then took the gloves that were resting next to the glasses and slid them on as well. Doing a last little check of everything, he smiled to his friend, who smiled back and moved to the door of their room, opening it.
"Come on, let's go see Nale. He should be at the south exit of town." She said.
Walking out of their room, down the ladder that led to the attic, and out of the church doors, they managed to leave undetected. The morning was sunny, as the day before it had been, and the air was warm against the form. Jinx smiled to himself. It really looked like it was going to be a good day to finally be allowed to go outside of the city, legally, by law. Before, he had been forbidden, because it was no rarity for orphans to run off when outside the city walls. He had never seen the outside world before, and he was excited. There must have been so many things he had not seen before, and he wanted to know them all. Mystic was the same way, regretting somewhat that she could not leave with her friend, as Nale had said nothing about her. All they had known were Merchants, selling, and the church. Though, that was a world within its own, with hardships, much like any other. Though, very few of these things had ever affected their lives before. Nale, though, seemed to be a major thing that would impact at least the Acolyte's life. Jinx had never been so anxious to see someone since his only friend had disappeared that one time. But that was another story.
Weaving their way through the vibrant crowds, Jinx and Mystic made their way towards the south exit. It was about noon, and the town was thriving with activity, making it hard to navigate. Merchants were out of the way, most crowding the sidewalks side by side, trying to sell their wares at lower prices then the person next to them. Other travelers were being very pushy, usually shoving the poor orphans aside while they moved towards their destinations. It was the big-city life, and frankly, the orphans were tired of it. Lots of people were tired of it. But there was nothing that could be done to save it. Prontera was a popular city, the capital city, and nothing in all of Rune-Midgarts was going to change that. The south exit especially was packed with people, making it difficult for Jinx and Mystic to walk around. They started, finally, to get frustrated, when they were suddenly pulled aside. They were startled, but they turned to see Cloud, who nodded to them.
"Hey, it's about time you two showed up." He said.
"Yeah, well, we had until noon." Jinx responded. "Where's Nale?"
"Come on, I'll show you." Cloud said, giving the two of them time to agree before he turned away and led them to a house. The house, of course, didn't belong to Nale, but he was there anyways, sitting at a table and enjoying a small chat with someone. The main room that Cloud, Jinx and Mystic had entered into was fairly spacious, the walls white with a clean paint job, the floors made of wood. It was fairly plain; a wooden table, which sat Nale and another woman, was set in the center of the room, two chairs at each end. Potted plants and paintings decorated the room, the plants dominating the corners. A bookcase stood at the far end of the room, dust gathered along the surface, implying that the books – as little as there were – were rarely used. Cloud cleared his throat to grab the attention of Nale, who looked over, his gaze a little off from the actual direction where Cloud was standing.
"Cloud, you're back, dude. Are Jinx and that other one with you?" Nale asked.
"Yeah, they're here." Cloud grumbled.
"Ah, good. So what's your choice, amigo?" Nale asked, not even looking at Jinx as he addressed him.
"Well, I was thinking, and I'm not really sure still." Jinx said. "I mean, why me?"
"Because, Jinx…" Nale blanked out for a moment, trying to think of an excuse.
"He's young and naïve." The woman across from Nale spoke. "That's it, isn't it?"
"What?" Mystic spoke out in disbelief.
"Don't be too touchy about it, kids, but the only reason Nale is choosing you is because you have no idea what the outside world is like. You're young, naïve, full of energy, and eager to get out." The woman said. "There's no better candidate."
"Who the heck is this?" Jinx asked.
"That would be Ichigo Blossom." Nale sighed. "Please forgive her, she is fairly... opinionative."
Ichigo looked to be early into her twenties, a young woman, at the peak of her form into adulthood. She was fairly thin, with most of her height resting in her legs, though in truth, she wasn't too much taller than Jinx. Her skin had a pigment that was almost on the balance between tanned and pale, and gentle brown hair that was braided back into a ponytail that would reach her shoulder blades. Her outfit was fairly revealing, wearing only a white muffler to cover her shoulders with a blue trim. Her golden yellow tube top covered strictly what was needed, her assets accentuated by a sort of belt or strap that held her top on. Her trim midriff was exposed, her arms covered by long brown sleeves to her dainty hands, golden bracelets resting over her wrists. Very short, form fitting shorts his pretty much her thighs and rear, very low fitted to her from, barely clinging to her slightly curved hips. A traveler's pack, normally worn around her waist, was hanging off the back of her chair, headphones also accompanying it. Down her long legs, rested only boots, buckles fastened to keep them on, having high heels to make them look like women's boots. Upon her shoulder sat a living bird, a falcon, its feathers washed thoroughly and groomed to perfection.
"Hey, if you don't want the truth, don't talk to me." She simply said.
"I never talk to her." Cloud whispered to Mystic, making her giggle.
"Well, whatever the case, she is correct." Nale said with a sigh. "I'm sorry amigos, but that is the very reason why I selected you. I can understand if you want to refuse and go home."
Regardless of the condition, that thought definitely did not appeal to Jinx. Thinking back to his "home," he could barely label it as such. Poor living conditions, poor care taking, poor everything. Even going on a journey where the odds were against you made by a desperate man seemed more appealing than that. Jinx shook his head, simply refusing to go home. He crossed his arms, his dirty cloak being a little itchy as he moved about. At least when he was out, he could have cleaned his clothes, and gotten his own food, and made an actual difference in his life.
"I'm not going home." Jinx stated. "Mystic and I hate it for all its worth. I'll gladly go out on this journey, Mystic too."
"Oh I don't know…" Mystic spoke.
"Really?" Nale looked in their direction this time. "This journey is very dangerous, though. There is simply no way that orphans with no idea of the outside world could actually succeed without the proper training."
"Then train them." Ichigo spoke up.
"Me?" Nale looked in her direction, his eyebrows lifting. "Have you lost your marbles? I am certainly in no condition to train two young teenagers for the outside world, dudette."
"Oh don't be such a baby." Ichigo shot back at him with a smirk. "It's not like you'll be fighting or anything, just teach them with words. That's what you've been doing for the past few years, isn't it? And what happened to the hippy I met a long time ago? The one that thought anything was possible?"
Nale stopped at this and thought. The three teenagers and Ichigo all stayed silent, looking at him. Obviously he was contemplating what to say in response. It seemed like a rude question, once someone thought about it. Asking someone what happened to their old personality when they have been disabled against their own will just didn't seem decent. Nale nodded to himself, agreeing with his own thoughts as he came into realization of a plan that seemed quite logical.
"Maybe I can't teach them everything…" Nale spoke. "But I know many people who can certainly help."
"That so?" Ichigo spoke up, smirking.
"Cloud, give them my map." Nale spoke. Cloud acted on this, going to a pack that he kept by Nale's chair and taking out an old rolled up piece of paper. He then moved over to Jinx and handed it to him. Taking the paper, Jinx unrolled it to see a map of Rune-Midgarts, all crumpled from years of ware. But it was still readable to the Acolyte, and little circles were visible in red ink. One circled Geffen, while another circled Al De Baran, and another circled a separate place, Juno. Jinx and Mystic looked at this curiously while Nale explained.
"Each of those places has someone who will gladly assist you." Nale said. "I know them all very personally. Cloud, write them a note explaining their purpose and give it to the girl."
"Wait, that means I'm going too?" Mystic asked ditzily
"Yes." Nale laughed. "When did you ever think that you weren't allowed to? Jinx will need your help."
"Wow!" Mystic cried out excitedly as Cloud handed her the paper. She pushed into him then and hugged him with a smile. He was a little confused, and stood perfectly still as she backed away, still very excited. "I'd love to go!"
"I really hoped so." Nale laughed. "Now, amigos, listen up. Each of those places has someone that will give you some experience. I take it you have the basics covered, since you're not Novices, right?"
"Right." Jinx said.
"Okay, so a quick question." Nale spoke, looking to Jinx. "If someone is say… temporarily blind, what do you do?"
"Cast a curing spell!" Jinx responded, doing a demonstration. Extending his hand, it glowed from the palm, a small aura surrounding Nale and then exploding into beautiful glitters. There was a silence then, as everyone looked at Jinx, who was patiently waiting for some sort of approval or sign of success. Nale sighed, getting the young Acolyte's attention. A silence similar to the one before it followed. Mystic was the first to speak up then.
"What's the matter?" She asked innocently.
"He has no eyes, you idiots." Cloud whispered as he pulled the two aside.
With all things set aside and decided upon, the five of them left the small house, and soon moved to leave Prontera. Nale rested his hands on both Jinx and Mystic's shoulders as he led them out. The guards stationed at the door gave them stern glances, having caught them trying to get away from the city before. Seeing them with permission to leave just didn't seem natural. Regardless, they were brought through the stone arch and out into a world they had never witnessed before. The sky seemed to be free, which was a strange thought that passed through the orphans' minds. Looking at the sky and not seeing towering buildings that would seemingly box up the sky was quite a feat. Then, the true treat was the wide expanse of grass and trees. As far as the eye could see until sight of paled mountains in the distance would cut it off. Nature was in abundance, and the only shade that was offered was not from people or buildings, but from freestanding trees, whose branches would sway in the gentle wind. The two orphan's felt a welling sense of joy and excitement in their hearts as they stared at the little there was to see, and Cloud watched them in a bit of annoyance. He just didn't understand.
"Geez guys, you treat it like you've never gone outside before." He laughed.
"We haven't, well, not this far." Jinx spoke back.
"We've never, ever been outside the town before, for as long as I can remember." Mystic said as she giggled. "It's so beautiful, I have no idea why coming out here was bad."
"Because you'd run away." Nale spoke. "I have a feeling that's it."
"I guess we would have." Jinx admitted. "But now we're free! There's no need to run away from anything."
"There's always things to run away from, kid." Ichigo grinned. "It's just if you choose to. So, Bard, why are we out here, and where are we going?"
"Well, I'm thinking Cloud and I could take the two kids to Al De Baran, first." Nale answered as he rubbed his chin. "I'm sure there's something for them to do there. The Old Clock Tower still needs to be purged."
"Great place to start." Ichigo said as she turned and went off towards the south. "Have fun with that!"
"Uh…" Jinx blinked dumbly as she walked off. "Does she… always do that?"
"Always." Nale chuckled.
While Ichigo set off once again in her own path, Cloud ran back to the town to fetch his pack of things. It was agreed that before they left, they could stop for some food before heading out. So finding a nice, shady spot to rest, Mystic and Jinx helped Nale over and sat him down by a tree. As soon as Cloud came back with his large pack of things, the group began by teaching Jinx and Mystic the basics about building a fire. Then, they cooked up some fish Cloud had caught from the nearby ocean, and enjoyed their meal. There wasn't much said, in truth. Nale did not know how to address the teenagers, and Cloud felt like a third wheel. Jinx and Mystic still had a lot to take in, so they were left ultimately speechless. The air around them seemed tense, but no one could do a thing to stop it from being that way. The meal passed silently, and the teens packed up before they were able to begin their journey. Looking at the map, it seemed that there was a town north of Prontera, around it, known as Al De Baran. Of course, seeing this unknown town, and the rest of the wide expanse of ink that seemed to cover the map, Jinx got very excited. With the urge to explore, he held the map before him and began to walk, his friend and new accomplices in close proximity.
Walking through nature is where everything got started. Jinx and Mystic had questions, many questions... possibly over one hundred of them! Nale and Cloud answered as many as they could, about the rivers and the streams, the different kinds of trees, and even the grass. Soon, Cloud got fed up and stopped answering, but the ever-calm Bard continued to answer each question to the best of his ability. He seemed very knowledgeable for someone who had no eyes. He would tell Jinx and Mystic about the winds and where they come from, and about the sky, how endless it actually was, and how hot the sun was really perceived to be. He would go into great detail about the monsters, such as how many legs a Stainer had, and how the number of spots on their shells actually counted as beauty in their eyes. He also went into a small tale about the first man who thought a Poring was edible. Each little bit of information, every insight, and each piece of knowledge was like food to the orphans, and they kept coming back for more. It soon exhausted the day, and the sun fell asleep over the horizon with the orphan's desire to learn. They tired themselves out, and just before the travelers could reach their destination, the two isolated teens were tripping over their own tired feet. Nale had no problem stopping, where as Cloud was against the idea, as they were merely a couple of hours away. But with Nale being the oldest at around 28, they had to listen to him out of respect. So, again taking more stuff out of Cloud's heavy pack, they set up a small tent, and Cloud stood watch while everyone went to sleep. He was rather used to that by that point, though, so it didn't bother him so much.
They awoke early the next day, and Cloud was found asleep outside under the sky. Mystic helped Nale out of the tent while Jinx woke Cloud, who helped him get dressed. As soon as they were ready, they packed up and left again. Jinx and Mystic had run out of questions to ask, so they quietly moved along. Nale was of course being a little chatterbox as he went along, trying to keep out the silence by talking about anything that would be of interest. But he too soon fell silent without a word to say. And so, they walked in silence, trees towering over them, sunlight beaming through the leaves and onto the ground. Mystic and Cloud walked slightly behind Nale and Jinx as Al De Baran was merely an hour away, and Mystic was looking around at everything they passed, a bright, beaming look on her face. She simply adored it, and couldn't get enough of what she would see.
"Mystic...?" Cloud spoke up soon, holding the pack straps securely as he carried the heavy load.
"Yes?" Mystic looked to him, an obviously confused expression on her face. Cloud never really spoke to anyone but Nale, so it was certainly a surprise to have the young Novice, maybe only a year younger than her, speak to her.
"I don't understand... how could you go for so long... without seeing the outside?" Cloud blinked to her curiously. "I mean... you really seem to like it."
"I love it!" Mystic beamed happily. "It's wonderful, and I don't quite know why I never saw it before. I guess it's because I'm an orphan."
"Even orphans should be able to see the outside..." Cloud said in thought. "I mean I'm an orphan too."
"You are?" This sparked Mystic's curiosity.
"Yeah." Cloud's shoulders kind of slumped. "Nale is the only real caretaker I remember having, but I know he's not my Dad or anything. He told me so."
"Oh... well, we're a lot alike!" Mystic smiled to him. "I don't remember my parents either. But you're lucky, you got Nale to take care of you, instead of some big mean... oh... wait..."
"Huh? What is it?" Cloud looked at her. "What's the matter?"
"Are you sure you're not Mr. Frugen's caretaker?" Mystic asked.
"What?" Cloud looked at her oddly.
"Well, I don't know... you help him go places, and do things..." Mystic thought. "And... you..."
"What?" Cloud asked.
"You... dress him..." Mystic blushed.
"And...?" Cloud never grasped the concept. He had been helping Nale do all sorts of things since as far back as he could have remembered.
"Isn't that embarrassing?" The young Magician asked.
"... Nale's blind, Mystic." Cloud answered in a rather sullen tone. "He can't do things as well as we can, he can't see anything. It's a handicap that he has to live with... and I'm surprised, really. He always talks about how much he loved to see nature, and play music... But now he can't do either of those things because he can't see anything. Nale is a very kind man, and I'm in his debt for taking care of me."
"Oh... um... I didn't mean..." Mystic caught on to how Cloud was acting. He was seemingly offended.
"I don't think dressing him after he had his eyes removed is such a big deal." Cloud added suddenly, walking up ahead, ending the conversation there.
"I... um... okay..." Mystic just watched as he moved away, somewhat confused.
"Hey! I see something!" Jinx suddenly called out, catching Mystic's attention. She ran up to see what all the fuss was about.
There, just over a hill, laid a grand sight. It was a city, surrounded in large walls that protected it, just like Prontera. With the morning glow on the horizon, it looked amazing. The walls were glowing with the yellowish rays of sunlight, the smooth white surface of it all making for a good, bright reflector. The three orphans shielded their eyes to see the sun's rays gleam in a sort of crystallization against a large, erected clock tower in the center of the town. How amazing it looked, the tower telling the exact time down to the minute with a kind of unmovable feel to it. Many streams seemed to flow to and from this town, and many small dots in the distance could be seen moving towards and away from the city. They must have been other travelers, doing their daily business. The grand sight took Jinx and Mystic away, while Cloud had seen it several times before. And somehow knowing their reactions, Nale only wished he could see it for himself, and appreciate it once again. He let out a drawn out sigh, and explained that the city they saw before them was Al De Baran, and that he had a friend that had been there for many years, trying to discover a secret. This made the orphans curious as Cloud led them onwards towards the city.
It took a good hour to make it to the city, this being told by the large clock,and it was as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. Though, this sort of thing was something the orphans were more used to. The city was booming with activity, just like Prontera. In fact, it wouldn't have surprised the orphans at all to discover that Al De Baran was like a branch from Prontera. It wasn't really, but it seemed that way. The only difference to the orphans was that the buildings were much smaller. Aside from the large clock tower in the center of the town, the city seemed to be made up of smaller buildings and houses. Cloud had been there many times, and just as he thought about Prontera, the crowds bothered him. He never quite knew why, but just seeing that many people, hundreds of them, all in one place, bothered him greatly. Nale didn't mind it at all, knowing that everyone seemed to be at ease compared to the times he used to live in years ago, when people seemed to be in constant distress. Since things had settled, it was enough to soothe his worries. Cloud continued to lead them, clearing way until they found an inn on the outer part of the city - as the center and the outside were separated by a sort of clean blue, square moat. He led them inside, and whispered something to Nale, who them moved slowly to the receptionist's desk, holding his hands out so that when he hit it, he would stop.
"Can I help you?" The woman across the desk asked.
"Yeah, ma'am, I'm looking for a Mr. Wingfoot... is he still here?" Nale asked.
"Nale!" A sudden voice shouted from the stairs, turning all the attention to a young man who ran to Nale and hugged him tightly, making him groan in pain.
The young man that showed so much enthusiasm was certainly not a goofy-looking guy - not unless he wanted to be. He was a fairly tall person, with a sort of build that wasn't macho, but was still fairly impressive. He was dressed rather plainly, a pair of old brown shoes adorning his feet, and a blue pair of jeans on over his legs, a white sort of shirt, un-tucked but neatly buttoned with the sleeves rolled up finished his ensemble. But from a woman's perspective, he was fairly handsome. He had the pretty-boy sort of look, with well-defined features and perfect blue eyes. His hair, a dark green, was fairly long, framing his face, where his slightly tanned skin would show quite plainly. He wore a goofy smile for a moment before he looked to Cloud, Jinx and Mystic, who were all standing in a line, all taken back by the man's energy. He hurried over to Cloud and took his hand, shaking it, quite energetically, and shaking Cloud's entire upper body as well.
"Hey Cloud!" He then blinked, letting go of Cloud's hand and moving to the orphan's, leaning in towards them and inspecting them with a careful eye, rubbing his chin and pouting his bottom lip. "Hmmm, who are these two scruffy kids? Never seen them before!"
"I think the question is: who the heck are you?" Jinx asked, not really liking the look he was getting.
"What?" The man looked back at Nale. "C'mon, buddy! You brought these kids all the way here and didn't tell them about me?"
"It must have slipped my mind." Nale chuckled.
"Well, that's insulting." The man huffed, turning back to the kids. "Well, my little friends, you've really hit an opportunity today!"
"We have?" Mystic asked, giving the man a too-cute curious look.
"Aww! She's so cute!" The man exclaimed, pinching the young Mage's cheek. He soon let go and brushed his hands off on his shirt then, the two orphans staring blankly at him.
"I am Barrett Wingfoot!" The man proclaimed, much to everyone's annoyance.
"You mean..." Mystic spoke in disbelief.
"Yeah, he's the Barrett Wingfoot." Cloud finished with a harsh, sarcastic tone.
"Ah, so you have heard of my exploits!" Barrett grinned.
"Barrett." Cloud spoke.
"Yeah?" He turned to cloud then.
"Shut up for a moment." Cloud grinned, looking away.
"... You remind me of someone, you really do..." Barrett stared at the young Novice blankly, while the two orphans stared back at him with the same expression.
Nale began to laugh.