Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 9 belongs to Square Enix. However, any original characters mentioned in this story are mine, as is the plot.
Warning: This chapter pushes the PG-13 rating for gore. As in: Popcorn Monsters.
Knightwatch
By Saffire Raynius
Chapter Six
The slouching figure of Puck waved as Freya approached. She rushed forward as he lost his balance and tumbled, his crutches flying in all directions.
"Prince Puck!" Freya cried, alarmed at the absence of servants. She helped him to his feet. "What are you doing outside, alone?"
Puck straightened with some difficulty. She offered her elbow, and then he took it, albeit hesitantly. "I was tired of being holed up inside my room, so I snuck out here to grab dinner."
Freya shook her head. "I suppose I cannot convince you to return to your quarters."
"Nope!"
"Thenmay I aid you in retrieving food, my lord?"
Puck's eyes brightened. "Oh, please! I haven't eaten with anyone in a week! … Not that I need anyone to eat with or anything…"
Freya gave him a small smile. "Come along, my prince." She led him down the street and into an obscure, yet cozy, restaurant.
"What's this place?" Puck asked, glancing around. The people at the tables barely looked up. They were used to the higher-ups dropping by, since no other place in the city could rival their food. That is, except the royal kitchen—which was still out of commission.
The knight eased Puck into a chair and took her seat. Before long, a casually-dressed man walked over. "Good evening." He gave a short bow. "What'll it be?"
"Chowder!" Puck blurted. "And—and—ice cream!"
Freya flushed. "I'll just have the special, please."
"Alrighty. If you need anything else, just give a holler." The waiter drifted away and disappeared through a swinging door.
Freya attempted some form of a joke, much at Puck's dismay. They conversed for some time, although it was mostly Puck asking her questions about the places she had visited on her journey some years ago.
At last, their food arrived. They both ate hungrily, but silently. Neither of them had eaten since breakfast; Puck had resumed tutorial, and Freya's day filled with knightly duty as well as military duty.
Puck ate slower, so Freya finished before him. Her mind was somewhere else, however. She glanced out the windows as he ate, not really noticing the frantic soldier as he dashed past.
She sipped her water. "Hrm." It could have been a fluke, but Freya swore she heard screaming. Puck wasn't aware of it yet. The knight stood as another soldier rushed by the windows. "Pardon me, Your Highness. Please remain here until the danger has passed."
"Ooh, whatsh goim on?" he mumbled with his mouth full. He moved to grab his crutches, but Freya was quicker.
"I said, please remain here, my lord." She set the crutches on the table just out of his reach.
Puck swallowed his food. "I wanna go!" he protested.
"For your safety, my lord!" Freya darted out of the restaurant, nearly knocking over another soldier.
"Lei!"
"My lady! We've been looking all over for you! There's something at the gate—"
Freya twirled her lance. "Say no more!" She sailed onto the rooftops effortlessly and sprinted towards the gate. The sun became bright as it dipped below the horizon, dampening her efforts to scope the problem.
A half-circle of guards stood just inside of the cast-iron structure, their lances pointed at a dark shape on the stairs. She crouched just behind them. "I am here. What is the matter?"
The doubtful face of Nil glanced back to Freya. "Lady Freya! There's something odd about this beast. It seems to be covered in blisters of some sort."
She stepped through the circle of soldiers. A wall of blood-stench overwhelmed her nostrils. She stumbled backward. "My lord! I do believe it smells as if it has been dead for weeks!"
The beast was laboring to breathe. Its shape gave it away as a Fang monster.
"I wonder what happened to it?" one soldier mused. "Pretty damn scary-lookin', probably."
The monster gave a lurch upright. "Stand back!" Freya commanded. The Fang, bloodied and foaming, hurled itself against the iron gate. The soldiers backed up suddenly.
Freya couldn't reach it through the bars of the gate effectively. She had only one choice: knight skills. "Cherry Blossom!" A swirl of petals swarmed around the Fang and burst into flame.
The beast collapsed with a cry. She stepped backward, eyeing the welts on the beast's pelt. Suddenly, the blisters exploded in a spray of blood and fluid, sheer incredible force showering soldiers and knight.
Disgusting. Freya spat. "So much for dinner," she grumbled with her nose tucked in a handkerchief.
"Your orders—ew—my lady?"
"Go home, wash off completely, and make sure you don't let it touch your skin. If anyone gets sick, quarantine him."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Freya shed her armor and jacket on her way to the palace. Surely, the creature was infectious. None of the beast's remains had touched her fur, but the worry remained.
Hot water felt like salve on her sore muscles. Freya had been working for almost a week straight with three night's worth of sleep—not a good combination by any means. She was already half-asleep when she finally stumbled into her suite. Even so, she felt the presence of another in the room.
She paused by her bedside. "Fratley?"
The guilty warrior sat in a chair beside her bed, his head bowed. She smiled softly. His breathing was smooth and even and soft, a sure sign of sleep.
She tightened her robe. For the life of her, Freya couldn't understand why Fratley was present. Still, she trusted that he would clarify it in the morning. Until then, Freya had not the heart to wake him.
Just this once, she allowed sleepiness to overcome modesty.
Author's Note: Sorry for the shortness, the lateness, and the absolute crappiness of this chapter. There's more coming, I swear! The yellow journal in which this fic resides is nearly full, by the way. This chapter ended on page 84, while I'm on page 192 elsewhere; be assured, there are still about seven more chapters to go before this story ends, maybe more.
On to the reviews!
Robshi- The Priest is amusing because of how easy it is to hate him. I hope I can change that by the time the story ends, or at least shake reader's opinions. He really is a bastard, though! Unfortunately, I'm having issues with sticking Gar back into the story. Freya's a busy knight! I'll see what I can do to clarify his story, anyway!
Pilotslover- Believe me, there's tons more where that came from. This story has three settings: kill, fluff, and melodrama!
LancerZero- Thank you for nitpicking! I really need it, since one can read their own story only so many times before grazing over the mistakes. I am aware that the beginning is full of plot holes. XD
As far as the time frame goes, Fratley showed up around dusk. That gives them a good 6-8 hours to talk. Of course she can't tell him everything, but the important historic stuff she could at least get out of the way.
Feel free to review!