Note: All Suikoden elements belong to Konami.
Author's note: I'm dissatisfied with the way the first draft of Chapter 8 came out…so here's a new version, in all its glory. Hope it turned out good!
Rebirth
Chapter 8: Proposition
by ArchFaith
The tall, silver-haired mage brought a demure, black gloved hand to her cheek, smiling in obvious amusement as she quickly advanced from behind the counter, the heels of her high boots clicking against the cold stone floor as she came to stand in front of them, taller than Sierra but not quite as tall as Nash.
A flurry of memories surged through Sierra's mind as she immediately went to the tall woman and flung her arms around her, in a rather uncharacteristic show of emotion. "Jeane!" she exclaimed, hugging her old friend tightly as she buried her face into the mage's shoulder. "I cannot believe it…"
Jeane smiled, giving Nash a seductive wink before she turned her eyes downward to meet the vampire's questioning gaze. "Well, believe it, my dear," she whispered elegantly, her voice warm and calming as she gently brought her hands up to Sierra's slender back. "Ah…it's been a long time, Sierra."
Sierra pulled back, lightly grasping Jeane's shoulders with her pale hands as she peered into the mage's deep, aquamarine eyes. "What are you doing here? My goodness, Jeane…it has been almost a year since I last saw you."
Jeane giggled, a rather inappropriate gesture in most cases; but with Jeane, one simply had to forgive her peculiarities. She was just too enchanting, too charming to correct. "Not since the one hundred eight stars disbanded after the war…how could you just take off like that? I was hoping you'd take me up on my offer!" Smiling, she turned towards Nash, who had been standing there in an awkward silence, his hands tucked into his pockets as he watched their surprising reunion. "Well, who do we have here? Nash Latkje, hmm? Well, well…I'm shocked, Sierra, that you'd ever consider having a boyfriend so much younger than you!"
Nash smirked as Jeane's familiar laugh seemed to bounce off the walls and become a part of the hot, swirling atmosphere in the small, crowded shop. He remembered this strange, powerful woman from his excursion in Greenhill, almost a year and a half ago; to aid the distressed residents of the plagued city, Jeane had helped him to organize a magic barrier around the area when his own skills could not produce one; luckily, the tactic had worked, and the city had been saved. But afterwards, she had mysteriously disappeared; gone without a trace, vanished in the blink of an eye—the mysterious silver-haired beauty who never divulged any knowledge about herself to anyone. Yes…mysterious, seductive, and charming. Purely Jeane.
He scratched the back of his head, giving Jeane a wide grin. "Good to see you again, Jeane," he greeted.
"Teehee," Jeane responded, releasing her light grip on Sierra. She slowly crossed the room to give Nash a light hug. "There's the young man I helped out in Greenhill! You had a lot of promise back there, Nash…I hope you used it to your full potential."
Nash smiled crookedly as he eyed Sierra's interested glance. "No need to worry about that, Jeane. Everything's been going pretty well, actually."
"Really? Hmm…" Jeane mumbled, turning back to look at Sierra, who had crossed her arms over her chest. "I could have sworn I sensed some kind of trouble going on as soon as I entered the room…is anything wrong, Sierra? You seem a bit…nervous."
Sierra smiled politely and shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing, Jeane…" she began, but stopped herself as she considered the situation. They had come to the rune shop seeking information from a book; instead, in place of that alternative, they had come across perhaps one of the most knowledgeable rune mages in the world, well-versed in the arts of magic and legends. And above her, her old friend. Maybe…perhaps it would be alright to…
"Actually," she began anew, "there is a small problem, Jeane. I am glad I found you here."
Jeane cocked her head in curiosity. "Well, it must be serious if you needed me to sort it out," she replied, the half-humorous undertone in her voice apparent as she placed a hand on Sierra's shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Sierra's ruby eyes glinted in the strong sunlight as she glanced at the blonde-haired swordsman, who was standing there simply observing their conversation in silence. One look into his azure eyes and she received a strong response; a simple, stubborn little response that whispered I'm staying. She quickly shook her head, wishing to indicate that this was a matter she would need to talk about alone; Nash knew Jeane, and they had worked together once, but he still did not know everything about her. No one knew everything about her, for that matter; but out of all the people alive in the world, Sierra knew the most.
"Jeane…" she began, looking into her friend's eyes. The tall mage's visage was fixed with support and understanding, and these emotions were indeed welcome. But there were things they would talk about that the boy would not understand…
"Nash," she said, turning now to her companion. "I…it might be best if I spoke with Jeane alone. I find my conversation is a great deal more amiable when you are not around."
The swordsman knitted his eyebrows, crossing his hands over his chest as he cocked his head. There was something Sierra was hiding from him, something she was not going to divulge for a great deal of time; the secretive undertones in her voice had given her away, and her weak explanation only contributed to his theory. It certainly wasn't fair; the entire situation was his as well as Sierra's, and if Sierra should desire that Jeane know of it, he wanted to speak with her as well. He could see why Sierra was so eager to speak with the mage—she was almost a legend, after all—but he could not see why she was being so cold to him about it.
"Is that such a good idea?" he countered. "This whole thing is as important to me as it is to you…"
The vampire sighed, a gesture more of resignation than of annoyance. She knew he would insist on staying with her; but for now, his gentle prodding would not be allowed to penetrate her will. "Come now, boy," she said, talking as she would to a child. "These are matters you would not understand."
These are matters you would not understand.
The next thing he knew he was standing outside the small shop, his feet digging into the dusty ground as his mind flared in anger. How dare she say such a thing to him at a time like this! It was as if he were the disobedient little boy, and she the mature lady who came to reprimand him. Of course the disparity in their ages had to be accounted for, and of course her experience in the world greatly exceeded his; but, for a brief moment in time, he had thought they might have been on the same page as the other, understanding and forgiving. And yet…and yet…
Who am I kidding? he asked himself as he looked up at the sunny sky, shielding his eyes from the scorching star. I'm just here to play babysitter, that's all. The only reason she came back was because she was sick; and the only reason she's staying is because she doesn't have a clue about what to do herself.
A flutter of wings sounded over his shoulder; in a moment the faithful Dominguez was perched next to his cheek, his sharp claws digging into the soft skin. "I thought I might find you near the market, Master," he greeted cordially. "Have you come to buy supplies?"
Nash sighed, giving the shop one last look as he slowly began to walk away. "Yeah," he said blankly as he slowly brought his azure eyes to the dusty ground. "Supplies."
(-)
Her ruby eyes were still upon the door, which had shook with the strength Nash had utilized to almost pry it off its hinges. A twist of regret suddenly welled up within her; she had been harsh to him, true. Insulting. He was right; it was his situation as well as hers, and she had no business to tell him otherwise. But the words had slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them; and she hadn't meant to offend him so. She never did…
Her hands had wandered absently to her stomach as Jeane quickly approached her, troubled eyes studying the vampire's solemn face. "Sierra," she began, frowning. "This is a serious thing, isn't it?"
Sierra quickly nodded. "Yes….very serious," she replied simply, looking into the mage's face. "I am eternally glad I found you, Jeane…you are perhaps the best person I can think of to talk to concerning this."
Jeane knitted her eyebrows, an expression of worry rare on her generally cheerful face. "Come inside, Sierra," she whispered, placing her hands on her friend's shoulders, gently guiding her around the wooden counter. "Let's have something to drink."
The back of the shop was rustic, to say the least. The same stone architecture seen in Nash's house prevailed here as well, though the grey stones were worn and chipped, and grime had slipped into the cracks between the pieces. Various boxes and crates were piled up in corners of the room; glancing inside, one could see small runes wrapped in soft fabric, along with various spell books and crystal balls. A worn red rug decorated the bare stone floor, and dirty pink curtains were tied back against the greased windows. The only sign of the elegance of its new owner were an obviously-expensive looking tea table covered by a silky blue tablecloth. Two cushion-seated chairs were set by it, and a steaming china teapot sat roundly upon its surface, surrounded by two empty cups and saucers. In the corner by the window hung an elegant pair of wind chimes, gently rustling as the wind from the open window brushed past.
Smiling apologetically, Jeane advanced to the table and swiftly pulled out a chair. "Sorry I haven't had time to clean up," she said. "The place was a pigsty when I found it."
Sierra smiled comfortably, and took the seat offered her. "It is quite alright. One cannot be expected to have everything perfect all the time."
"Teehee," Jeane giggled as she took the chair opposite Sierra. "I guess you're right. Still…when I finally get something done to this place..." She sighed rapturously and turned her bright eyes to Sierra. "Ah, my throat is parched! Let's have some tea. One lump or two?"
Sierra tapped her finger indicatively on the rim of the teacup. "You know I do not eat or drink, Jeane."
"I know," the mage responded, gracefully grasping the teacup with an outstretched finger. The vampire suddenly found herself focusing on the tall woman's long eyelashes as her eyes bent downward to pour the tea into the cup. "But it would be polite to not to ask…"
It was so easy to become lost in her eyes…
"…so let's just pretend. What do you think?" Jeane continued, playfully rolling a small square of sugar between her fingers.
Sierra sighed and propped her tilted head up with her pale arm. "Whatever you say, my dear."
The silver-haired mage elegantly raised the full teacup to her mouth, taking a cautious sip as her blue eyes flickered downward.
"Now," Jeane continued, setting the cup down on the saucer. "Let's talk about things, my fair Sierra. First, where do I begin? Hmmm," she whispered, putting her hand to her chin. "How about…where have you been all these months!" Her voice had now become an excited yell, and her ever-ready smile beamed forth as she leaned forward over the table. "You must tell me…it's bound to be fun."
Sierra smiled, her half-closed eyes taking in the sight of the slender mage leaning forward, eagerly awaiting an answer. She almost seemed to forget her present troubles as she looked into those bright, encouraging eyes…the gentle arch of her face when she smiled…
"I…I have done many things," she began, setting her arms down upon the table. "Though," she added, "I cannot say that these experiences were a good thing for me to have had."
Jeane cocked her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," the vampire continued, casting her eyes to the patterns on the tablecloth, "that…ah, where shall I begin?"
"Well, first of all, tell me where you went after you so ungraciously left me hanging and rushed off!" Jeane answered. She shifted in her chair, crossing her legs. The slit of the sleek dress reached almost to her waist, and made for a quite distracting image to the usually focused vampire.
Her hair is in her eyes again. Like always.
"Oh…that. Well…gods, I am almost ashamed to admit where I went. But…the truth is, I came here. To Caleria."
"Why? What's here for you?"
"Ah," Sierra sighed, her mind retrogressing to the surprised look on Nash's face when he had opened the door to his little shack to see her standing there—the silvery beauty, embarrassed, annoyed, and indescribably happy to see him. Quickly shaking the memory from her mind, she continued. "Jeane…you are well aware of the fact that I knew Nash Latjke from before, correct?"
The mage nodded. "The mission with Rean, right?"
"Exactly. And…I have told you my true feelings for him, yes?"
Jeane giggled, picking up the teacup with a graceful gesture. "Which feelings? How you hate him and think he's an idiot…or the way you feel when you look into his eyes?"
"Jeane," the vampire replied warningly, immediately realizing that threatening glances had never worked on the legendary mage before; and most likely, they never would.
"Oh come on, Sierra! You love the boy…and that's why you came here, right? To see him?"
Sierra sighed, suddenly wondering if her decision to speak with Jeane alone was indeed a mistake. "Shall I answer that question, or continue informing you of my present situation?"
"Continue, by all means. This had better be an interesting story."
(-)
"My. That certainly was interesting."
Sierra sighed, catching her breath as she laid her right hand down on the table, patiently tapping the silky tablecloth with a pale finger. "Yes…quite extraordinary, actually."
Jeane raised her half-empty teacup to her smooth lips, sipping the dark tea with a rare elegance the vampire had not seen in ages. "So…do you think what that doctor said was true, then?"
"I do not know," Sierra answered, leaning back in her chair. "On one hand, it is an impossible occurrence…and on the other, what else can it be?" Suddenly remembering the specifics of her and Nash's excursion to the rune shop, she suddenly leaned forward, focusing her ruby stare into Jeane's understanding eyes. "That is why we came to you today, Jeane. I had thought that if we went to the local rune shop they might have some material on the subject, but…it seems I have found something even better than a book."
Jeane set her teacup down with a quiet clink. "Oh Sierra," she chided, smiling gently. "Don't say that! I'm little more than a simple rune mage, scraping out a living with her modest trade…"
"But you can tell me something, can you not? Concerning this child, or whatever it may be…this…this thing."
Jeane frowned as she absently began to trace the rim of the saucer with a gloved finger. "First and foremost, my fair Sierra…it is a child, not a thing. You shouldn't refer to it like that."
"Ah, what difference does it make?" Sierra answered, immediately regretting the words as they tumbled out of her mouth. Taking a moment to calm herself, she continued in a low voice. "But is there not something you can tell me about it, Jeane? Anything? In all the years you have lived upon this world, have you not seen a case such as this?"
Jeane apologetically shook her head. "I can tell you right now that this is new to me, my dear."
The silvery-haired vampire bowed her head in frustration. "Gods…what can be done?" she muttered. The momentary ray of hope that had descended on her as soon as she saw Jeane's familiar figure had now been erased; even the one person whom she thought might have any clue as to what was happening to her knew nothing. The entire ordeal was misery and regret and questioning, and the mental strain was beginning to wear her tired mind thin.
Immediately sensing her friend's consternation, Jeane stretched a hand across the table, resting it soothingly on Sierra's pale fingers. "Don't give up, Sierra. Everything will be fine. I know it."
The vampire sighed, gratefully grasping Jeane's gloved hand in hers. "It is hard to believe that it will."
"Sierra," Jeane continued, giving her friend's hand a gentle squeeze. "Everything could be right, you know. There's a way to solve any problem."
"Then give me an answer, Jeane," Sierra replied, the biting sarcasm apparent in her voice. "Tell me what to do."
The mage's eyes quickly danced over the vampire's silent form, as though calculating in her head the solution. Beneath that elegant exterior, deep inside her mysterious soul lived a cunning strategist; but, her former battlefield compatriots, her tactics were of a decidedly different nature. Though it was true she was genuinely worried about Sierra's condition—a pregnant vampire, for goodness' sake!—the mage did indeed possess the wisdom of the serpent. A chance opportunity to rekindle an old companionship, placed straight in the middle of a troubling pregnancy. A coincidence like that would not show itself again. The mage knew, deep within her soul, that she had to act quickly; dawdling and beating around the bush would only deepen the vampire's affections for the boy. And she did so desire to have a companion once again…
"Sierra…you can leave this place," she whispered, her supple lips rolling each word between her tongue.
"Hmm?" the vampire answered, surprised at the brevity of her answer. "What did you say?"
Jeane again smiled, her seductive lips arching in a thin curve. "It's simple, my dear. It's clear you hate this place, and it's clear that although you may care for the boy, he is no knight in shining armor. You seem to be stuck between staying here and living with a mere child young enough to be your great-grandchild…or leaving him and possibly giving birth to something hideous."
Sierra cocked her head in a slight confusion. "You use very interesting terms, my dear. Yes, essentially that is true. But what are you getting at?"
Jeane slowly withdrew her hand from Sierra's grasping fingers, and gently rose from her seat. Following the vampire's curious stare, the mage seductively advanced to the other end of the table, stopping until she was standing in front of Sierra, a hand planted on her curvy hips.
"Sierra…you do remember the offer I gave you before you left…don't you?"
The vampire sullenly lowered her eyes. "How could I forget…?"
Jeane slowly leaned over, a gloved hand reaching out to the vampire's chin, raising her pale face up to meet her bright eyes. "Sierra…I missed you, you know. I really did. But I comforted myself with the fact that you had probably gone back to Nash Latkje—that you would be happy with him, and that everything would work out for you in the end." She blinked slowly. "But it looks like the opposite is true."
Sierra found herself staring straight into the mage's clear blue gaze, immediately drawn to the attractive contours of her slender face and neck. Resisting the urge to suddenly reach out and pull her closer, she merely turned her face away from Jeane's insistent glances. "We make our own futures, Jeane," she whispered, a hint of anxiety present in her voice. "This is mine, however bleak and miserable it may be."
"So you made your own future like this, did you?" Jeane asked, her pleasant smile still visible as her eyes narrowed. "This is what you wanted?"
"Jeane," Sierra protested, weakly attempting to rise from the table. She succeeded in standing up, but the mage quickly grasped both her shoulders with her hands; and though the vampire possessed superior physical strength than five men combined, she found herself pulled towards the irresistible aura that seemed to emanate from Jeane's voluptuous form.
"Sierra…remember when the one hundred eight stars were gathered?" Jeane asked, her voice barely a whisper as a small droplet of sweat trickled down Sierra's nervous face. "You and I were quite smitten then, weren't we? Of course no one knew about it…but you have admit that we were, don't you?"
"This is no time for your games," Sierra answered, as Jeane inched closer towards her face. "That was a long time ago, you know…it was just something to 'tide me over', as you would say." Her mouth opened in silent defeat as Jeane's gentle grin seemed to penetrate her soul. "You and I agreed to forget it when we ended that affair."
"Sierra, Sierra, Sierra," Jeane chided, placing her right hand against the vampire's slender neck. "People agree upon many things…and yet, when both parties are willing to break the pact…isn't it wise to honor the agreement?"
This time Sierra's will prevailed; she quickly pushed Jeane's welcoming arms away, immediately placing her arms over her chest as if in protection against an oncoming mental barrage. "I should leave," she gasped, smoothing her silvery hair against her forehead. "It has been a while now…Nash will be waiting for me."
"Sierra!" Jeane scolded, bringing both hands to her hips in open frustration. "Why must you go back to him? Don't you know what you and I could do together, if you came with me? What does that little boy have to offer you besides those damn eyes of his!" The smile was back on her face now, but it had become contorted into a wicked grin; a confident, challenging gesture that caused Sierra's ruby eyes to widen in anxiety.
"I loved you, Sierra. I loved you…and then you left me." Her smile grew even wider. "For him. But it can't be just a coincidence, my dear, that you found me again. If you could just say the word, we can both leave this place at once! And we'll find a way to take care of that child inside, no worries about that. Leave the boy to find his own destiny…he could marry, have a family, live a normal live. But we two are different; we have greater things in our future."
"Stop!" the vampire suddenly screamed, the enchanting spell broken as the previously nervous ruby stare had suddenly turned into a determined scowl. "That is enough, Jeane…I have heard enough. You certainly are seductive, but eight hundred years on this world has taught me that a pretty face is not always enough." She rapidly turned, marching across the room to brush the heavy red curtain out of the way. Taking one last glance back at her friend, she sighed.
"We did have fun, Jeane. But..." her voice trailed, then came back stronger than before. "That was all it was…just fun. Besides," she added, turning around, "he is no longer just a boy."
In a moment she had swept out of the shop, slamming the door behind her with such force that the screws were torn from their moorings; the door shook and gently collapsed against the frame, leaving a few curious passerby to gawk at the enormous feat.
Jeane blinked, looking down at the teacup which Sierra had inadvertently smashed onto the floor. With a sigh, she gracefully bent down to pick up the broken ceramic pieces, turning a large piece over her hand, examining its forever altered state.
"Well," she whispered, to no one in particular. "My plan didn't work after all…odd. Quite odd."
(-)
"Nash!"
The blonde swordsman turned at the sound of his name, called so urgently across the plaza as he saw the silver-haired maiden emerge from the rune shop, her hands folded over her chest as she swiftly walked towards the small armor stall where he had been examining the latest chain mail from Harmonia.
He quickly handed the vender the right amount of potch, and, shouldering the new armor, walked with a slight reluctance towards the vampire.
They met in the center of the sandy plaza, her ruby eyes rising to meet his. "So what did she tell you?" he asked dryly, still smarting over her latest insult. Normally he would have forgiven her many faults, her insolent errors; but to deny him the right to listen and see if there was anything to be done about the child was too much. The humor in him had temporarily retreated, and he was now left with a confused mess of passionate outrage.
Sierra shook her head, her wispy hair tousled by the warm breeze. "She could tell me nothing," she answered truthfully. With a sigh she looked away from him, turned her girlish gaze beyond his eyes and towards the fading sun, a burning ball of redness against the darkening sky. "It would have better if I had not talked to her."
He knitted his brows. "Why? Did something go wrong?"
She lowered her eyes to the dusty ground now, playfully tapping her foot against the dusty ground. "Pleasure is hard to forget, Nash," she answered, folding her arms in front of her. "It is hard to separate reason and desire."
The cryptic speech did nothing but confuse her companion. She seemed distracted, almost; as if she would rather not think about what transpired—whatever had occurred—with Jeane. He stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"
To his surprise, she did not brush his hand away. "An unfortunate occurrence," she answered with another sigh. "But come…it is growing late. I will tell when we arrive back at the dwelling."
"Will you tell me everything?"
His question immediately caught her off guard; she looked to him with a look of surprise that quickly faded into neutrality. "Well, as you said before…this little one inside me is yours as well as mine. So we share some common bond, do we not?"
Little one? Her uncharacteristic response almost stunned him; catching himself, the questioning glance was replaced with a gentle smile. "I guess," he answered. "Glad you're finally coming around, old girl."
"Mmmm," she mumbled, sensing that his teasing nature had returned. "Do not think my attentions will turn to tenderness from now on."
"I won't," he promised. "Let's hurry back though…I sent Dominguez ahead with the small stuff, but this chain mail is pretty heavy."
She smirked. "I would assist you, but I do see that you need to lose some weight. It would be good for you to do some exercise."
"Hey!" he replied, shouldering the burdensome package. "That's pretty mean of you."
She laughed wickedly. "Hahaha….hurry up! Perhaps I will try some of your hideous cooking tonight."
"Hideous! Let's not forget the time you tried cooking something for me when I got sick with Chishan flu that one time…"
"Oh, stop it…!"
The curtains in the window of the rune shop faintly rustled as the two argued, slowly walking away from the plaza, their dusty footprints fading out of sight.
To be continued…
Note: Whew…that was a really long chapter! You see, I actually had trouble writing this…when I introduced Jeane in the seventh chapter, I thought I would have her act as a kind of "advice giver"…that she would essentially comfort Sierra and give her some information about the "child". But then I got this idea…Jeane and Sierra probably would have been friends during Suikoden II…but what if they were something more? (Of course Sierra had her eyes on Klaus, but that didn't turn out very well, did it?) Anyways, I had to switched Jeane's role from a supporting friend to a possibly destructive presence…there was always the option of throwing the romantic plot out, but it was just too much fun to keep in! Besides, Sierra and Jeane always seemed like they might lean both ways…I don't know why, they just do.
Kuroi Neko-kun: Give birth to something human? Hmm…perhaps…but perhaps not…
Dark Shadow: Thanks! I always try my hardest…
Virtue: Sure, the kid seems crazy…but is it really?
Cat, Avatar for the DCG: Hehe, triple reviews! Glad it turned out better than you expected!
thundersenshi: Yup, my first time writing about Jeane. Hope I didn't mess her up though…
Oh, and please review! I really enjoy reading everyone's comments, they always make my day!
Next chapter: Sierra still isn't too sure of what she wants…but when the time comes for her to decide, will she take the easy way out…or the hard way? Stay tuned!