Child of Destruction
Author: Chaos Valkyrie
First Conceptualized: December 12, 2003
Posted Chapter 03: February 18, 2004
Updated: December 22, 2005
Disclaimer: I called Sony about that little problem of my name not being in the game booklet… and they had no idea who the Hell I was! The nerve of them… but, until I get this little problem straightened out, I still don't own LoD.
Author's Notes: All right, short chapter, but new people! Yea!
Chapter Three: Flower Storm
Iris, Claire, and Geru were among the first passengers to disembark from the Princess Buttercup as it docked in Donau. Iris had not yet told her family about the strange man she had stolen the purse from – she had not seen him since the day they had left Fueno. However, she did make sure that her family had a good head start on him as they entered the Flower City.
Claire smiled appreciatively at the scenery as they left the boat. Geru, on the other hand, wrinkled his nose as he stumbled up the winding stairs next to the dock.
"What's that smell?" he spat out in distaste.
Claire laughed. "That, my young friend, is the smell of millions of flowers."
Geru snorted. "Yuck."
Iris merely shook her head, pulling her family up the countless stone steps from the dock to the town above. She glanced back periodically, checking to make sure the coast was clear. She thought she saw a flash of green on one of the upper decks of the ship, but she couldn't be sure.
Claire forced the group to pause once they reached the top of the long staircase. The small family stared at the strange city around them. The buildings here were plainer than in Deningrad, built with smooth, white stone. However, the rather plain walls were crawling with flowers – flowers in huge planters and small pots, flowers ranging in size from large to small, flowers everywhere. The city was alive with color, thousands of different hues surrounding and even covering the houses before them.
Iris nudged the small group ahead, drinking in the strange mingled smells of hundreds of different floral varieties. Geru was making faces, gagging at the cloying stench. The small family walked through the city, pausing at the local tavern to buy some food and supplies. While Iris and Claire were occupied at the counter, Geru wandered about the tavern.
"Dalia, have you got that water yet?" an angry voice called from the kitchen.
"Just about, sir!" an eager voice called from outside. Geru walked to the doorway to look outside. He gasped in wonder. The courtyard's perimeter was lined with tiers of flower boxes, reaching high above his head, and holding a vast variety of both ornamental flowers and kitchen herbs. Just then, Geru noticed a slender blond girl, about his age, struggling to pull a heavy bucket full of water from the well at the centre of the small plaza.
"Here, let me help you with that," Geru said, walking over to pull the bucket up. The girl blushed.
"Th-thank you," she mumbled. Geru blushed as well as he stared into her sea-green eyes.
"Dalia! The water!" the angry voice called.
"Coming, sir!" Dalia cried, grabbing the bucket from Geru and running inside. She hurried too quickly, however, and tripped inside the doorway. The bucket toppled, spilling water everywhere. The girl, Dalia, gasped.
A large, pot-bellied sweaty man appeared, towering above the cowering girl. Geru ducked behind the well, watching.
"Dalia!" he roared, picking the girl up by the scruff of her uniform. She dangled in his grasp, trembling, her legs swinging uselessly. "How many times do I have to tell you! That's the third time this week!" he yelled.
"B-but sir, the bucket is too heavy –" the frightened girl stuttered.
"No excuses!" he bellowed, throwing her across the courtyard. She fell heavily, then struggled feebly to stand as the man marched across the stones towards her.
"Get away from her!" Geru shouted, running out and standing over the quivering girl. The man roared with laughter as he towered above the silver-haired youth.
"What are you going to do about it, runt?" he shouted, swinging a heavy fist at Geru.
Geru blocked the punch, barely, before kicking the man in the gut. The man fell back, shouting incoherently. Before the man could get up, Geru pulled out his Basher and smashed the huge flower boxes directly above him. Dirt and plants rained down on the man, burying him momentarily.
"Geru! What the –" Claire exclaimed from the doorway. Iris peered out from behind her.
"No time! Let's go!" Geru yelled, scooping up the smaller girl behind him and running for the alleyway as the pile of dirt began to stir. Iris grabbed Claire's arm and the two girls followed Geru out of the courtyard and into the streets of Donau.
A lone man, leaning against the wall across from the tavern, chuckled appreciatively as the four teenagers ran for the city gates.
"All right, Geru, now will you explain?" Claire asked as the four stopped just inside the barren gorge outside the city. Geru tried to explain the situation to his surrogate sisters as Iris stooped to check the nasty bump on Dalia's head.
"– And then he just attacked her, for not being able to carry the bucket! Even though he knew it was too heavy for her!" Geru exclaimed, his face reddened with anger. Both he and Claire looked to Dalia, who had her head bent so they could not see her eyes.
"I-I'm sorry you had to get involved, sir," she mumbled. "But I… I should go back now. I don't want you to get in trouble for helping me do my work."
Geru looked at her, wide-eyed. "You can't go back! He could kill you!"
Iris had to lean forward to catch the girl's next words. "It wouldn't matter to anyone, anyway."
Iris put a gentle hand under the girl's chin and lifted her sea green eyes to meet Iris's own stormy blue ones.
"Yes, it would matter, to us. To Geru. To your parents, wherever they might be," Iris whispered. The girl's eyes welled with tears, and Iris pulled her into a light hug. The girl cried on her shoulder.
"My parents… are dead," the girl sobbed. "They've been gone… a long time. I can… barely remember them…" Iris held her close as she continued to cry.
"You're coming with us," Claire announced suddenly, and the girl gulped, looking up with wide eyes.
"You – you mean it?" she asked tearfully.
"Of course! We're orphans too!" Geru announced, jumping up and throwing his hands behind his head, stretching. The girl sniffed, before smiling tentatively.
"I'm Dalia," she whispered shyly as the other two girls smiled down at her.
"I'm Iris, that's Claire, and that doofus is Geru," Iris smiled widely, as Geru blushed and stammered insults at his laughing friends. She and Claire helped the younger girl to her feet.
"Hmm, if I remember correctly, the capitol of Fletz should be just beyond this gorge," Claire muttered thoughtfully.
"Then might we join you?" a deep voice asked from behind the small party. Dalia gasped and ducked behind Geru, who tried to mask his own surprise as he proudly stood to protect her. Iris's eyes widened as she recognized one of the new strangers.
"Sure," Claire said cheerfully, looking to her growing family for confirmation.
"Thank you," the brown haired man said, smiling. "I'm Andres, and this is Darrin," he said, gesturing to the blond haired man beside him. Darrin nodded politely before walking to the front of the group, leading the way through the gorge. Claire and the others began to follow. Andres smirked at Iris as he passed her, and she gulped visibly. This was going to be a long walk.
End Notes: Ah, young love… I'll admit it, the whole help-the-girl-with-the-heavy-bucket scene was inspired by Rurouni Kenshin, when Yahiko helps Tsubame. I thought it was cute! Kawaii!