Knight of Theater Vancoor
Disclaimer: I don't own Radiata Stories. Tri-Ace does.
Chapter 4: Berserk Woman and Princess Thieves
His reflection smiled back at him. Jack, now wearing a purple coat resistant to wind attacks, posed in front of the mirror with his new Phantom Edge. After some persistent begging, Jarvis finally decided to give him the funds to buy himself some new equipment. It was pretty easy to get some money off of the sergeant if you played your cards right. And a little blackmail about a certain fight outside the pub didn't hurt either.
Life had been quiet since Jack joined Theater Vancoor. He had managed to find friends in Felix, Cosmo, and the Hecton Squad. His relations with the other guild members were much stronger as well. Jack could've sworn he saw Deputy Chief Gerald shoot a cocky smile at him. Thanos was also a bit kinder but the receptionist wasn't without his biting sarcasm. Then again, Jack could blackmail him on the fact that the man spent his whole life at the desk. The teen even caught the receptionist sleeping at the desk during the wee hours of the morning. To sum it all up, Jack felt as though Theater Vancoor was his new home like Solieu Village had been during his childhood.
Before he could head out, frantic banging pounded on the wooden door. Concerned about the panicked knocks, Jack opened the door immediately. Standing outside was a young girl around his age. Even though they had never talked personally, Jack knew her as Yuri, the girl that worked at Begin Eatery and Giske's pub. Yuri was trembling with fear as she spoke. "Jack! You have to help!" "W-what's going on!" Jack questioned with worry. "It's Auntie Sheila! You have to help her!" The teen was confused. He never heard of anyone named Sheila…why did she go to him? Forgetting about the minor details, Jack tried to calm the girl down. "It's okay. Tell me what happened." Yuri breathed deeply before she explained. "Ms. Barbossa was cashing in a lottery ticket when Auntie Sheila punched her! Her eyes looked like a wild animal's! You have to help!" Without hesitation, Jack followed Yuri to Vancoor Square.
At the square, Ms. Barbossa sat near the lottery stand wincing with pain. Yuri helped the woman to her feet with gentle hands. "Thank you dear…" the woman said between pained breaths. "Where's Ms. Sheila now?" Jack asked. Ms. Barbossa looked to the house near Verontier Armory. "She took the money and locked herself in that house…" "Thanks. Yuri, take Ms. Barbossa to Theater Vancoor and tell them my name. I'll handle Ms. Sheila", Jack informed the girl. "Be careful Jack…" Yuri said softly as she led the woman away.
Jack walked up to the house with caution. He didn't know what was going to happen so it was better to stay on his toes. He knocked on the door, calling for Ms. Sheila to open up. When there was no answer, he backed up in order to ram the door open. Jack ran to the door but before he could make impact, it opened suddenly and a short stout woman charged out of the house. Quickly regaining balance, Jack stared at the woman. She was shaking with silent rage and anxiety. Her eyes were almost beastly as they glared at Jack. "Her eyes are like an animal's…" Jack mumbled to himself.
He turned his attention to the berserk woman. "Why did you attack Ms. Barbossa?" "She was trying to steal my money!" Ms. Sheila declared. "Ms. Barbossa won that money! You were the one stealing it!" Jack countered. The short woman pointed an accusing finger at the teen. "You want to steal my money too! I won't let you!" She charged at an inhuman speed and viciously clamped her mouth onto Jack's arm. He screamed as her teeth sank into his skin. Thinking quickly, Jack karate-chopped Ms. Sheila on the neck. The woman fell onto the ground shrieking loudly. Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad that's over with…" The woman rose back up with a murderous glint in her eye. Jack jumped back in surprise. "Or not!"
A couple of bites and karate-chops later, Jack gazed at the woman lying unconscious before him. "Man…that was scary. What could cause someone to go berserk like that?" Two Radiata guards arrived on the scene and took a look at Ms. Sheila. "Looks like another one…take her to the castle." "Wait, what's going on?" Jack asked the guard. "An epidemic is going on. It makes people go berserk. We're quarantining all the victims. Well…good day to you." They left with Ms. Sheila, leaving Jack to wonder what had just happened.
A day after the incident with Ms. Sheila, Jarvis called the Hecton Squad for a new mission. As Jack made his way to the locker room, he noticed the sergeant of the Quintom Squad Walter looking depressed. Even though it was strange, Jack didn't have time to investigate. The sight of the smoky room filled with garbage and flies greeted Jack. He took his usual seat facing the sergeant and listening to the mission briefing. "All right. We're all here. Our mission today is to escort one of the nobility in the castle." Intrigue flashed on Jack's face. "Wow, really? That's so cool!" "It's probably one of the royals", Daniel commented. Jarvis stood up, a gleam of confidence in his brown eyes. "What are we waiting for? Let's go." He led his squad to the castle for their new mission.
Radiata Castle stood majestically in front of Jack as he approached the home of King Jiorus and his family. The only time he ever came to the castle was for the knight trials, an event he would like to forget. Outside of the castle gates, two guards stood motionlessly on a constant vigil. By the gates were an old man and a beautiful young woman. The young woman giggled softly as she gazed at the Hecton Squad members. Daniel smiled nervously and could feel heat creeping up his face. Jack eyed his comrade strangely but thought nothing of it.
The aged man examined the squad closely. "Hello there. Hecton Squad reporting for duty", Jarvis said. The man nodded to the sergeant. "Thank you for coming. Allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Raymond and this is Bel- I mean Arnold." The young woman named "Arnold" smiled warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." "It is an honor", Jarvis said. The Hecton Squad bowed to "Arnold" but Raymond tried to stop them. "Please…no. We don't want anyone to know this is the princess…" Jack grinned excitedly. "So we get to be the princess's bodyguard detail? Awesome!" He then became slightly skeptical. "But…what kind of name is Arnold?" "Shut up! It's a great name!" Daniel yelled, smitten with affection for the princess. "I'm just saying…" Jack muttered. Daniel approached the princess, stopping only a few steps away behind Jarvis. "Don't mind him. He's only a private. I'm Daniel, the corporeal of the Hecton Squad." The teen gaped at the blatant lie. "What? I'm the…forget it." Feeling that enough time had been wasted, Raymond let the princess go off with her escorts.
Down the path to the Vareth Institute, "Arnold" gazed at the sights of the city like a small child. She giggled playfully as she went, causing Daniel to blush a bright red. His face was eventually redder than a tomato and heat was radiating off the axe fighter. Jack ignored his comrade's obvious crush for the princess but was still sore about the lie Daniel announced about him. "Arnold" turned to face her escorts, smiling sweetly. "We must hurry or else all the shops will close! I guess we'll stop at OK Hand first for some new accessories…" A frown formed on Jack's face. "Shopping? Oh…" The axe fighter wasn't amused by his comrade's lack of enthusiasm. "Hey! Stop complaining!" Jack immediately stood his ground. "Don't tell me what to do! Who's the corporeal around here?" Jarvis whirled around to his subordinates to stop the bickering. "Will you two cut it out!" The sergeant turned back to see the princess had run off.
Panic set in when the distressed cries of the princess called out from far away. Jack spotted "Arnold" being carried away by a large man toward Echidna Gate. "Bandits!" Jarvis exclaimed. Without hesitation, the teen chased the bandits with Daniel and Jarvis close behind. Once he reached the fork towards Echidna Gate and Beast Pit, Jack searched around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of pink head into the Path of Insanity and Fanaticism. He looked to his comrade and sergeant. Daniel was wheezing as he slowly plodded toward Jack. "Man, you're slower than a tortoise…right Sarge?" The sergeant arrived out of breath, bemoaning the fact that he was suffering. Jack crossed his arms. "Sarge, you need to cut down on the beer." "Shut up! I'm dying here!" Jarvis retorted. Thinking that it'll be a while before they catch their breath, Jack continued on by himself.
Thoughts of what would happen if the princess were harmed raced through Jack's mind. If he didn't argue with Daniel, Jarvis would have kept an eye on the princess and this wouldn't be happening. Unsure of where the bandits are, Jack decided to ask around for clues. No one was out on the path and the people that were in the houses weren't pleased with the teen banging on their doors. Things were looking up when Jack found a vacant house. He entered the building to find a secret passage. Thinking the bandits went through here, Jack made his way into the passage.
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