Tales Of Vesperia: Cask of Moonlight
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Vesperia, and therefore claim not legal affinity over the property.
Chapter 2: The "look at me" part
Yuri sat staring into the… he wasn't really sure what it was Karol had prepared, but it was good. Brave Vesperia was in the back quarter of the guilds to be introduced, so they didn't need to be heading out until right before noon, so they got to lounge around the camp. Judith was out, Karol was minding the fire, Repede was…eating a squirrel, and the old man was still asleep, as per usual. He scratched under his eye, and then looked over the newest slash mark down his arm. He hoped it would have healed better by now, as he had several disputes to deal with over the next few days, and was counting on his sword arm to carry the authority he would need.
It had been established that major disputes between guilds, the Empire, or both, would be settled in physical contests, and those guilds that were not proficient with Warriors could hire out to those that were. It was a way for some guilds to earn some reputation and get a leg up in a fierce job market. In fact, A little known guild, The Crimson Legion, represented another because they could not afford anything else in a claims dispute and won, and their business had increased exponentially over the intervening year. They were actually admitted to the grounds a full quarter before Yuri's own Guild. It made him Miss Estelle, knowing she could fix him up good as new in a matter of seconds.
He looked up from his personal musings at the sound of footsteps. He looked up and saw a recent acquaintance he had met in some woods up north followed by another man.
"Hmh, I thought you'd be up front with the rest of your party." Yuri Growled, gesturing for the newcomer to pull up some ground. He sat with his friend, maneuvering his dual blades so as not to interfere with his position.
"Nah, I'm not a limelight type of guy."
"Yeah, I hear you there." He really did, as he had, on multiple occasions, refrained from taking credit for his achievements. Raven sat up, yawning widely, and mock saluting the pair, acknoldged by nods.
"Morning Lloyd, who's yer buddy?" He scratched his head and got his hair back into a less organized rumple.
"This I Zelos, he pulled our butts out of some pretty tight spots back in the day." Lloyd answered, accepting a cup from Karol.
"Yeah?" Yuri expressed, with raised eyebrows, "7 to 3 he didn't get you into that trouble in the first place…" He left in hanging and Raven picked it up, offeneded.
"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"
"You sold me to slavers., Raven." Karol said, not displeased but merely stating it.
"Yes, but I also told you first, and so we made a profit and had a good to raid their compound."
"We didn't need an excuse, because it's in our laws to stamp out stuff like that." He retorted, still mater of factly. Judith had returned, depositing a fresh load of wood near the fire, and waving to Lloyd. She was wearing her dragon rider armor, and looked no different that any of the male pikers that wore their armor in the camp. The man, Zelos, who had looked bored until that point, followed her with his eyes.
"Don't forget that mess with Estelle." Yuri said. Raven looked away.
"Don't know why you're accusing me, that was the work of that Schawwn Fella." He rubbed the back of his head.
"Funny," Yuri sighed, "comb your hair I wouldn't be able to tell the difference." Raven mubled something, and Lloyd spoke.
"Well, I am afraid you'd lose that bet, as this guy set us all into a trap, changed his mind half way through, and let us all loose." His friend, who had remained silent until that point spoke in a high, aristocratic voice.
"Why id you're lady friend wearing so much heavy armor?" They all looked over at him, Judith cocking her head sideways slightly, her helmet creaking. She reached up and unbuckled it , shaking out her hair and antennae as she placed it on the ground. A little stuffed dragon clung to the end of her left most Antennae, a replica of her friend, Ba'ul.
"I am surprised you could tell I was a female in this. She said, her voice silky, but not to sultry. Zelos sprung to his feet and bowed deeply, while Lloyd shook his head and sighed.
"There is a way a lady walks and hold herself that can be seen even under such blockage. I am Zelos the great, Chosen of Tethe'alla, and you're humble servent. Allow me to assist with the removal of that offensively covering eye sore my darling." His overpowing attempt at charm did nothing but light a fire in Judith's eyes, and give her the need to bait him.
"Judith." She offered her gaunleted hand, and he made an elaborate show of kissing it.
"This remind you of anyone?" Yuri whispered to Karol, who nodded, looking a little nauseated.
"Hey, shut up!" Raven pouted, growing slightly red. "I was never that overblown."
"He's not over doing it, this is about normal." Lloyd didn't bother to wisper, as Zelos wasn't listening.
"I have it covered." He voice was even silkier, as she was well aware of the effect she could have on men, and enjoyed the harmless teasing of them, and this looked to be more fun than goading the Old Man, as this one seemed to believe in his charm. Her goal was to see is she could get him to pop a blood vessel. She made a real production out of stripping of her armor and stretching her long, smooth appendages. "The sun and the troublesome monsters can be so bad for one skin, you know?" to her disappointment, the mans expression had not changed, and she could see in his eyes that while he was admiring her, this show was just that, a show, and she decided to save her energy.
"I do. You know, you are quite as… ample, as another of our friends, although you do seem to like to show it off a bit more that she does."
"Well, a girl does like to be noticed. Thank you." She gave a short smile, accepted another cup from Karol, and sat between him and Yuri.
"I call dib's on introducing him to Rita." Karol said quickly.
"Damn it!" Raven said, dropping his shoulders in defeat. Zelos's eyebrow arched.
"Hmm? Rita? Is this another lovely companion of yours?"
"I guess you could…"
"Yes, she is." Judith cut Yuri off, seeing where this was going and making a mental note to be there to watch.
"Anyway," Yuri decided to change the subject, "you never did tell me what brought you to our side." He was looking off in the distance.
"Uh… well, I don't really know." Lloyd said, thinking hard. "I… I guess,… we just got bored." He looked conflicted, and more than a little uncertain. Strangely enough, it was Raven who chimed in, still sitting with his back to the group.
"What use is there for old soldier when the world enjoys peace?" All they're eyebrows rose as they stared intently at Ravens back. They remained quite for a few minutes, each lost in there own thoughts, eyes unfoucused as they all looked at their past.
"That is actually about it. I could not put it to words but I think you nailed it.
"Yeah, Yuri said, "The old man can be pretty insightful when he really wants to be."
…
The introductions had flowed smoothly and rapidly throughout the afternoon, and the presentation was nearing the end. The displays had played out in many different ways. One brigade did a show of precision marching, another a fancy archery exhibition. One guild even put on a puppet show for the assembled crowds in the freshly constructed risers squared around a pitch of now churned earth. The stage for the contests would be brought in and set up that night. But now, the final display of the day would be taking place.
The riser with its back to town with the gigantic flowering tree and a second shaded platform built on the top, and hosted a mess of chairs. In these seats were Emperor Ioder, The Comandant Flynn, his first officer and girlfriend, Lady Sodia, his second officer, the mage Witcher, Lady Estelline, Rita, and a host of the other most important nobles in the empire. The heads and retainers of the Master Guilds and a special envoy from the other side of the Gate sat in a matching stand across from them. The Empire filled the seats to the left of Rita, and the guilds and others took up the right.
Once again she ran her eyes along the see of cheering and jeering faces to the spot where the people she knew sat. Repede sat straight and watched the field with interest while, Karol next talking to the old man. Then Yuri and a strange man. She was irked, as this man was clearly with the Guild Brave Vesperia, as this man was sitting between Yuri and Judith, and the three were talking animatedly, and kept gesturing at a few others down the line. She was not irked about not being included, but that there was something she didn't know.
The first man had long light red orange hair that fell straight and to past his shoulders. She could see he was kind of… pretty, she decided, even from this distance, and held himself lightly. The one next to Judith stood out because of his bright red clothing, but that was about it. The two being gestured at were a small girl with long brown hair, and a blonde boy with purple clothing, and what appeared to be a large black cat of some kind. The magically magnified voice of an announcer cut through the commotion and ended her thoughts.
"And now, for the final performance, a display of magic and summoning for the other side of the gate!" Ha, she thought, the word of someone who didn't have a clue what they were talking about. Summoning was just what idiots thought magic was. Spells aren't conjured, they are created. "I give you Sir Genis Sage of Sylvarant, and Madam Sheena Fujibayashi of Tethe'alla!" She was looking at a small boy, dressed in light blue, with grey hair and what looked like some king of toy in his hand. Next to him was a woman, comparable in size to Judith, a bit stockier, but at least as pretty. Rather than flashing an extreme amount of skin, she was encased in a flowing and elegent dress of what looked like semi transparent silk.. Both stood in a calm yet expectant way.
With a quick movement, the woman, Sheena, pulled out a deck of rectangular cards and began placing them in the air, where they floated unassisted, and the boy began playing with his toy. She was unimprested as it was obvious they were performing a dual cast spell, and the cards and toys were the equivalent of her own fabric strip. The boys voice, high yet strong, cut across the field as he chanted his incantation, Rita lounging back, not expecting much.
"I call upon thee in the land of the dead to release thy fury and thunder…INDIGNATION!" Both glowed with a slight purple light as a circular sigil rotated onto the churned earth, and with a roar dozens of bolts of violet lightning crashed down from the cloudless sky into the glyph.
Rita sat bolt upright so quickly that she startled Estele. I wasn't the lightning that peaked her interest for the first time that day, but rather what was left behind in it's wake. A globe of throbbing electricity. Two glowing eyes, and a pair of pincers hovered in the spot the bolts hat hit. Rita was forming theorys and smashing them at a high rate. They weren't dual casting, but rather syrcronized to cast at the same time. But what was the lightning ball thing? It moved off to a side, and the others were already moving to there next spells, cards moving and ball jumping.
"Form a torrential vortex and engulf the evil spirits… TIDAL WAVE!" a Blue flash and a tornado of water spun up. When it died, a female figure made of water glided to a corner. Rita almost recognized it, but it couldn't be.
"May the merciless embrace of frost take you... ABSOULUTE!" Spires of ice erupted from the grounds, then shattered, revealing a blue woman sitting side saddled on a wolf with a mane of ice crystals, it's breath spreading frost on the ground. Estele whispered to Rita.
"Those look like spirits." She nodded but said nothing, watching, analyzing what she was seeing. It continued, every spell bringing another figure, one of fire, wind, dark, light, and earth, until eight of them stood in a rough circle. They all shot their respective elements inward, and where they met, a ball of all the elements swirling at once grew into a sphere of pure golden light. Then, the womans voice called out over the crowd.
"The source of heaven, earth, and everything in between; the ruller of all. I summon thee…come, ORIGIN!" The was a crack, and the tips of four blades pierced the ball of gold, and blasted ot open, reavealing a giant, four armed man of intense age and power floating. He twisted and twirled, slashing his powerful muscles and weapons, finally driving all four into the dirt, and in a flash of light, all were gone, and quite fell. Applause thundered at the display, and the woman who was casting panted and staggered away, drained of energy, followed by the boy.
…
Lloyd got up and left before the echoing boom did completely.
"He sure wasted no time in making for the exit." Raven commented as he vanished into the boiling crowd.
"Nah, the girl up there, Sheena, that's his woman, and he's going to help her back to the tent, now she's all tuckered." He looked up at the red glowing clouds, and then turned to Judith. "Looks like it's going to rain, you should come and sleep in our tent tonight." Judith smiled alluringly and innocently.
"Oh, my, how nice, but I couldn't possibly leave my friends out in the rain." Raven smirked at how cynical Judith was in her young age. She was going to play with a man who was used to it. Where a lesser man might have stuttered of become intimidated by the aura of pure sexuality that Judith had going for her. Zelos, he just smiled a knowing smile.
"And I would not even think of leaving them out in the rain. We're all friends now, right?" as if to punctuated this, a loud voice cut through the air, drawing a sigh out of the Verperians.
"HEY, KID! STOP!" The female voice echoed across the stadium, causing the boy Genis to pause and look back
"Huh…What?" He startled himself as his voice was magnified to reach back to the girl who had shouted. Rita yelled even though her voice was already extremely loud.
"I challenge you to a magic battle, tomorrow." He looked startled again, turned hesitantly to the stands behind him, and then turned back and answered in the affirmative.
"What is up with that chick? Genis is going to obliterate her." Zelos said, shaking his head at what was a truly insane display of pride and arrogance.
"I don't know," Yuri said, absently, "I've seen that one in action, and she is pretty good."
"Geez," Karol added quietly to Raven, "I see she hasn't changed."
…
The large tent was large enough to comfortably fit all the Vesperians and others. Emil, Marta, had retired, as hadKarol, nervous about the fights he would be participating in, while Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos, Yuri, and Raven were sitting around a fire under a canopy awning that was sagging slightly as water pooled. Judith had gone out to try to get a word with Estelle and Rita, who, like all the most senior people, were lodged in the Inn within the town. Sheena was wrapped in a blanket, leaning up against Lloyd, fast asleep. Yuri, Raven, and Zelos sipped steaming mugs of tea. The rain was really falling; obscuring almost all of the surrounding camps, save for a blurry form splashing past every now and again.
"So," Zelos inquired of Yuri and Raven, "what is the story with your lady friend?"Raven smirked.
"Judy? Well, she's smart, skilled, elegant, strong, and… oh, what's the word?"
"Incredibly violent." Yuri added.
"Yeah! That's it! If you are thinking about trying anything with her, remember that." Zelos looked skeptical.
"I don't think it'll be a problem." Raven scoffed with a grin.
"That's what I thought before I made a pass. And now," Yuri looked over curiously, as this was ne information to him, and saw Raven pull the front of his shirt down. "This is the only thing that keeps me alive." He pulled his shirt back into place, and Judith emerged from the rain, drenched and sat down by the fire. "Judith, darlin', aren't you going to change into something dry? Karol stashed the pack in the tent, want me to dig something out for you?" She looked slightly morose, but replied softly.
"No, thank you. I wans't counting on the rain, but I only brought the one outfit, figuring I would purchase something nice at the stalls for the festivities. I'll be fine, not the first time I've gone to bed wet."
"No need, you look about my size, I'm sure I have something you could borrow." Sheena had spoken, apparently awake. The boys all watched as the to women spent the next few minutes going back and forth, Judith declining, and Sheena insisting. Finally, Judith relented, and was led inside by the dark haired woman. Both emerged another couple of minutes later, wrapped in matching thick robes, Sheena returning to the fire by Lloyd, who had dropped back to sleep in their absence. She woke him and moved him into the tent.
Judith, using her lance and a few logs of dry firewood, hung her cloths near the fire so that they would be dry for the morning. She placed her under garments closer, so she could wear them to bed. When she finished, she grabbed a seat between Yuri and Raven, back to the fire, prompting her hair to dry.
"Estelle says hi, and that she cannot wait to see you." Judith imparted, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Zelos was sitting apart, watching her dressed in just a robe. Subtle movements showed that she was in fact toying with him, though. "Rita says she's going to beat how the kid did his," she made air quotes with her fingers ""Magic tricks" tomorrow. The Commandant said that he agrees with your terms, and that he hopes you will put up a good fight this time."
"Of course he does." Yuri grunted, and Judith, repositioning one of Raven's legs, used it to lie back and show the top of her head to the flames, and flash just enough cleavage across the fire.
"So, why did you ask Repede to stay with Estelle for a while?" Yuri stood up at this, an waved a dismissive hand at her.
"Ask the old man, I'm going to bed." Yuri did, and after getting a look from Raven that said he would not have the opportunity to get Judy alone, Zelos followed with a polite goodnight to the female. She looked up at Raven, who shrugged, having no input on Yuri's surly reply.
"Call it an old man's intuition, but something about the crouwd today just didn't seem right. Having a little dedicated backup with Estelle and the little Genius just helps me sleep at night."