(Mountains near Pherae)
Eliwood let out a sigh, propping his head up on a hand. Normally he didn't mind coming out to the valley like this, but today was a boring day. He and Hector had decided to go hunting today, but none of the elk in the valley had been seen, prompting Hector to go looking off for something else to entertain him.
Eliwood himself didn't stand out too much; his flame red hair and crystal blue eyes both local to the area he was from, and he was wearing a plain black tunic over his white breeches and brown boots. His belt hosted a rapier on the right side, and he was holding a bow and quiver for hunting as he walked among the tall trees that covered a fair share of the valley's floor. As he kept walking, a strange smell hit his nose, making him frown a bit. "What on earth …?" He muttered, curiosity taking over as he began to walk towards where the smell kept coming from. It almost smelt like someone was burning oil, but it was hard to enter the valley if you didn't know what you were doing. Perhaps a night patrol from Bern had dropped their lamp?
After a while, Eliwood frowned a bit as the trees thinned out, revealing a long path of churned up earth. "What could have...?" Muttering more to himself, the redhead followed the trail of upturned earth, stringing the bow and grabbing an arrow; if it was something dangerous, he could hit it from long range and keep some distance between him and the source of the damage. "Who goes there?" He asked after a moment, reaching the end of the dirt trail.
To his surprise, there seemed to be someone lying in the dirt. Cautious, as he didn't' know who this person was, Eliwood kept the bow at the ready as he crept closer. When he was on level with the person, however, he did a double take. "How...?" Dropping the bow, the redhead walked closer and knelt, reaching under the 'person's' armpits to drag them out of the dirt. He wasn't prepared for the weight, and almost fell over from the first pull. "Blast! What in Naga's name...?" Cutting off to a string of muttered curses in Magvelian, Eliwood succeeded in pulling the person out of their dirt pile after about five minutes, and got them onto their back.
"What on earth have I discovered this time?" The redhead asked himself after a moment, scratching his head.
The 'person' he had pulled out of the dirt appeared to be made out of metal, but the shape was feminine in design. The majority of the body was a sort of murky brown color, but that was most likely to crashing into the dirt; a quick rub with his traveling cloak to the woman's arm showed that most of her body was white beneath the grime. Flashes of gold at her 'joints' were visible, and her wrists and the tips of her fingers were a deep charcoal color. The charcoal color was also present at the end of her legs, which Eliwood was assuming where her legs. Her face was incredibly human, with blonde hair and a face that looked somewhere between pained and asleep; a red and gold headband covered the area where her ears should be, and a tattered red ribbon was fastened around her neck.
'… Okay, I know that I'm not dreaming this … but still, what in Naga's name is she?'
His brain was constantly running the words 'Golem' over and over in his brain, but that made no sense; a quick glance over her didn't show any of the runes associated with Golems on her, and those were usually made of clay or stone, not metal. Metal went towards armor and weaponry and tools, not for making life-sized puppets.
"... Maybe if I figure out how to wake her up ..." He wondered, kneeling and tapping her on the 'shoulder'. The smell of oil hit his nose again, making Eliwood grimace. "Please don't tell me she's been damaged beyond repair; it'd be cruel to leave her like this."
"Oi, Eliwood!" The shout of his name made him jump a bit, turning to look as Hector came out of the forest. The other young man was taller than Eliwood by half a foot, and much broader from musculature. His hair was a short cropped sapphire, and his eyes were a dark enough shade of blue to appear black at a distance. He was walking in armor like most men handled fabric, and he carried a heavy crossbow instead of the regular hunting bow that Eliwood himself had nearby. "I managed to get a couple of elks; I left them with the … horses ..." Hector tapered off as he saw the unconscious figure on the ground next to Eliwood. "... Okay, I know this valley is older than the Scouring, but what in Father Sky's name did you dig up this time?"
"That's what I would like to know, Hector." Eliwood sighed, tapping the woman on her shoulder with a bit more force. "I found her like this, really; still trying to figure out how she got here, let alone what she is." Lifting his head a bit as Hector came over to look himself, Eliwood stood. "maybe there's clues where she landed ..." Heading over a few feet, the redhead slid into the trench he had pulled the girl from. At a first glance, it appeared empty, but something black rested a stone's throw down the dirt trench that had been made. "?" Walking over, Eliwood picked it up, confused to hear something rattling inside. "What's this?" He asked himself, noting with interest that there appeared to be a hollow rectangle on top of it, like it was supposed to connect to something; perhaps the charcoal part of the girl's forearms?
"How do I open...?" Muttering, the redhead managed to undo a latch on the bottom of the cylindrical canister when he found it, letting it split in half to reveal strange, arrowhead like pieces of metal rattling around inside. "? What on earth are …?" He asked, picking one up and examining it up close. "I've never seen anything like this..."
"Uhm, Eliwood?" Hector's surprised call made Eliwood drop the arrowhead like object back into the canister, shutting it with a snap before stuffing it into his belt pouch as he turned around.
"Yes, Hector?" He asked, trotting over to where he had left his friend and the strange woman. Hectors arms were held up, and he was holding the ribbon in one of his hands. The girl was not only sitting up, but glaring at Hector with the intensity of an angry wildcat, her hands extended to point directly in the larger male's face. Eliwood half suspected she would be firing thunderbolts out of them if she could.
"I think I woke her up." Hector deadpanned when Eliwood reached him.
[Systems engaged; core of Papillon Heart exposed. Take aggressive action until all threats are eliminated.]
"Okay I do not understand a word of what she just said, but she sounds pissed." Hector commented. "You understanding what she's saying?"
"No." Eliwood replied, sighing and shaking his head. "And it's your own fault she's angry."
"Well kicking her in the side didn't wake her up!" The blue-haired lord protested, earning a flabbergast look.
"Your manners are horrible! Eliwood countered, hitting Hector on the head.
"What are you two doing now?" Both of the teens looked up at that, turning as a third man walked towards them. He resembled Eliwood strongly, save for his hair being less vibrant and a moustache covering his upper lip. He dressed every bit as plainly as the younger two, confusion on his face as he neared them. "And what's this you've discovered now?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out, Father." Eliwood admitted, scratching his head. "Hector did something to wake her up, but she speaks in a language we don't understand, and I suspect her pose should be threatening … if she didn't look so confused."
"Oh hi Lord Elbert. Little help?" The blue-haired lordling asked, looking up from where he was kneeling.
Elbert let out a sigh and shook his head. "I leave you two alone here for ten minutes ..." Stepping forward, he gave the strange girl a look over before turning to Hector. "What did you do right before she woke up?"
"Pulled this off of her neck." Hector admitted, holding up the tattered red ribbon.
"Well then put it back on." Eliwood slapped his forehead with a hand, an action his father mirrored. "There's obviously something important in her neck that she was hiding with that ribbon, if that's the case." The blue-haired lord muttered something, but followed up on the suggestion. After a moment of cursing, he had gotten a haphazard bow tied around the blonde woman's neck, and she seemed to relax and lowered her arms.
[Language sensors do not detect Japanese in use.] She was speaking after a moment, face frustrated. [This is most bizarre. Was that doorway a portal into another dimension?] Eliwood blinked at that, scratching his head before clearing his throat. When the blonde woman was looking at him again, he began speaking to her in Magvelian; Elbert had never seen a person's face go so confused so fast.
"... Okay he was talking too fast and I'm not good at this yet. What'd he ask her?" Hector scratched his head in confusion, looking at Elbert.
"He explained how you two found her and asked for her name." Elbert gave a nod, used to the sudden language switch. As it was, the blonde's jaw was agape as she stared at Eliwood like he had removed his own head for a magic trick.
[… What the hell?]
The younger redhead let out a sigh. "Well, it was worth a shot." Kneeling again, he offered the stranger a hand up. "Perhaps Mother'd have better luck?" He suggested, looking towards the mountains.
"Most likely, yes." Elbert nodded, undoing the cloak that he was wearing and draping it over the strange woman. "Here; it wouldn't do well for the commonfolk to panic at the sight of you. We don't know if you're a danger or not yet, and it wouldn't be good to see anyone getting hurt due to a misunderstanding with a foreigner, even if she is a golem."
"I don't think they could hurt her unless they took a hammer to her." Hector shrugged, folding his arms behind his head. "From what I could tell, she's made of fine quality steel and hard-fired ceramic for the legs; that's the sort of armaments you'd see on an armored knight back home in Ostia."
"Perhaps we should send her with you then." Elbert commented.
"Oh HELL no! Do you know how badly Luna would get after me?" The blue-haired lord groaned.
"Yes, but at the same time, she does know a lot about strange things." Elbert countered. Eliwood shook his head as he listened, deciding to assist the stranger and explain to her that they just wanted to help her get out of the valley. "Besides, you'll have to inform about this about this as is."
"Uther's used to this sort of insanity! Luna'd be one who'd pry and prod and I don't know what blondie can do but I'd rather not-"
"Excuse me." Eliwood spoke up after a moment, making both Elbert and Hector turn to him. Nodding after a moment, he turned to the blonde woman, who gave a polite bow, even if her movements were oddly stiff. "She actually spoke up a bit while you two were debating; her name is Aigis, and she's apparently referred to as a 'gynoid' where she comes from. Her 'battery' is also low, otherwise she would be speaking more; something about an electrical charge fixing that." The now named Aigis nodded her head at that, almost swaying on her feet. "She said her charge had about an hour left, so it's being reserved in case of emergencies."
"Well, if it's an electrical charge, I'm certain Eleanor could assist there." Elbert gave a nod. "And the elk will make the cooks happy; I managed to get a large one myself, so the market can have that one. We should head back to Phyrexia for the day before the sun starts to set." Eliwood and Hector nodded in agreement, and Aigis followed suit after a moment. "Alright, let's head out then. Marcus is waiting for us at the horses."
"Aigis can ride with me." Hector gave a nod. "Belle's a big enough horse to carry me and a regular-sized person, but we'll be taking up the rear." His suggestion was greeted with nods of agreement as they started walking, Aigis making sure to stick close at hand.
Sure enough, the small group of four reached the horses fast, a fifth person waiting on horseback with the elks strapped to the back of his horse's body. Breaking off, Elbert went to speak to him as Eliwood and Hector lead Aigis towards two of the mounts, making the blonde blink; the horses were every bit as contrasting as their riders. One was a storm cloud gray with white markings, while the other one was immense and almost pitch black.
"... The black one looks as if it is a bear wearing a horse's skin." Aigis spoke up, making Hector turn to her in amusement.
"Huh, you can talk." He chuckled. "You also sound like you've been buried in the ground for a few centuries, but I'm sure we can get that ironed out once you get more energy in ya." The blue-haired man's grin grew wolfish as he whistled, calling the black horse towards them. "And as for the comment about Belle, she's gonna be the one carrying you."
Aigis just stared at him like he was mad; the fact that her head didn't even come up to the top of 'Belle's' withers wasn't helping her either. "I beg your pardon?"
"What? She doesn't bite."
"Hector, you might have to help her up." Eliwood countered, already on the grey horse. "She's … not exactly a giant like you are." The blonde nodded in agreement, noting with a slight touch of fear that she only came up to Hector's chest and was currently staring at the center of his breastplate.
"Bah, fair enough." Hector shook his head. "Want just a leg up, lass? Or should I just pick you up and set you on her back?" Aigis continued to stare at him like a mad man, making the blue-haired lord sigh. "Alright, fine, I'll just pick you up." Not giving the blonde a chance to protest, Hector had her scooped up and on the horse's back in about a minute or so. "Huh, she weighs less that you do Eliwood."
Eliwood responded with a rather rude suggestion in Magvelian, getting a laugh out of Hector as he swung up into the saddle behind the now very flustered Aigis; the girl had no idea as to how to respond, and the black horse didn't seem to even notice her presence on her back. Elbert arrived later on a blue roan, amused by the situation.
"You might want to relax, miss; being stiff as a board makes it easier to fall off." He stated before nodding, leading the way towards a small pathway that seemed to lead out of the valley. Aigis yelped as Hector got Belle to follow, gripping onto the horse's broad neck to keep from falling over. Hector gave a chuckle at that, but let her adjust herself as they left the valley.
Aigis had no clue what to think, and settled herself as best as she could. Her low battery warning was beeping inside of her head, and she couldn't detect any of her comrades … At the moment though, she was grateful that one of the scientists had programmed Latin and English speech recognition into her speech parameters (The younger redhead had spoken to her in some strange language that hadn't been programmed in). She could communicate with these people, and for that, she was thankful.
Perhaps they could help her find her friends …
(Ilia)
Fuuka whimpered, trying to curl up tighter as she looked around. Nothing but snow as far as she could see, and an empty sky overheard to show the first signs of evening rolling in. [If … if I don't find some form of shelter soon, I'll freeze to death …] She thought to herself, forcing her body to keep moving. Already, she was recounting the medical expertise her extended family had given to her over the years, mentally ticking off the facts and symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite she'd begun to gain.
Thankfully, she had spotted a light a short distance away, and was doing her best to trudge through the waist high snow to get to it. Wherever she had landed, it clearly didn't understand that it was summer. Or at least the warmer half of autumn, but the main thing was that Fuuka had never been in snow this high before in her life, and she was quickly growing tired.
As she continued to force her way through the snow – she was edging closer to the source of the light, at least – Lucia continued to exist in the back of her brain, scanning. The teal-haired girl was trying to see if she could locate her friends, but wasn't having much luck. At least the Persona had picked up the presence of people at the source of the light, so that was something. [I just hope I reach there without losing too many toes …]
It felt like it took half an hour or so to finally reach the little hut, and Fuuka was certain she would have collapsed long ago if Lucia hadn't kept nudging her to keep moving from inside her soul. The natural light was fully gone now, leaving her stumbling into a fence with a small yelp. The teal-haired girl was sure it would have hurt more if most of her body wasn't numb. [Okay Fuuka, just get yourself to the door …] Pushing herself forward, Fuuka shivered a bit more before feeling her legs give out from the sudden drop in snow level. Somehow, the snow on the other side of the fence was pounded much flatter, and only came up to her ankles. [How?]
Her question was answered when a long, snow white face butted against hers, a set of blue reins on its face. Yelping in shock, the girl stared up as it turned out to be a horse that proceeded to look her over, nudging her with its muzzle to see if she was still breathing. After a moment, it let out a snort before trotting to the hut, allowing Fuuka to spy a large pair of elegant wings on its sides. [… Am I dying of the cold?] she wondered. [Horses don't have wings …]
As she watched, the winged horse butted its head against the door, letting out a whinny. It seemed to alert whoever was inside, and a second later the door opened to reveal a person about Fuuka's height with a mass of curly hair, the features hard to determine from the back lighting.
"Huey?" It was a girl in the doorway, at least as far as she could tell without understanding the words. Fuuka felt Lucia kick into a scan, and to her surprise – and relief – the girl did indeed seem to have an Arcana ; Priestess, much like the teal-haired girl herself. Lucia couldn't understand what she was saying either, though. "What is it? You know that the mastiffs will chase off any wolves ..."
Huey – Fuuka assumed that the winged horse was Huey – whickered again before turning towards her, lying on the snowy ground. The girl in the doorway turned to look as well, and let out a squeak of surprise before grabbing something beside the door and then bolting towards Fuuka. "O-oh my gosh! What are you doing out here?" She squeaked, revealing that the thing she was holding was a cloak made out of what Fuuka would have sworn was fur. "Your clothes look so thin, you must be freezing ..."
Not understanding a word of what was said, Fuuka gave a weak nod as she tried to get up; the cold was starting to set in, so she really had to get up and off of the ground, but she was so tired … To her surprise, she felt something nudging her from behind, and reached up. Her fingers gripped onto thick, incredibly warm fur, and it felt so good that she clung with all her strength as she was lifted onto her feet by something.
The girl with the cloak let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you so much Sophie." She said to what Fuuka was gripping onto as she draped the fur cloak over Fuuka's body. "Now, just get her inside, please?" Fuuka was aware of something whickering and being carried to the door as the other girl darted towards the doorway. "Fiora! The Pegasi found a stranger in the pasture, and she seems so lost …!"
Fuuka was aware of a flurry inside the house – Lucia informed her that the second person in there was of the Strength Arcana – but she was more focused on what she was clinging onto. It was a second winged horse, but this one was a deep coal black in color. Deep brown eyes focused on her in concern as the horse brought her to the door, Huey moving a bit to give the other horse space. She was aware of a pair of feminine hands grabbing her, and she reluctantly let go of her four-legged savior to be brought into the hut.
It was so nice and warm inside … She was aware of the same hands stripping her and tossing the cold, wet clothing aside, gently rubbing warmth into her frozen limbs. Fuuka knew she had to stay awake, but she couldn't comprehend much of anything for what Lucia later informed her was three hours, when she finally shook herself out of a stupor beside a roaring fire, the people that had saved her hovering nearby with the biggest looks of worry on their faces.
They looked to be sisters, judging by their face and body shapes. The one that was closer to Fuuka's own size was the one with curly hair, now revealed to be a soft lavender color, and the gentle curls fell around her face and shoulders to frame the deep, seafoam green eyes she shared with her sister. The other – Fuuka was willing to bet she was an older sister – had hair that reminded her of forget-me-nots, as straight as her younger sister's hair was curly. Both of them wore white dresses that were even shorter than Fuuka's uniform had been, boots and leggings going up to the middle of their thighs. She suspected that something about the dresses – were they a sort of uniform as well – was magical for them to not be bothered at all by the frigid weather.
"Ah, bless the Saint, it's a relief to see you responding." The elder one said, letting out a heavy sigh as she placed a hand to her collarbone. "Florina and I were worried that we were too late for a while there." The younger one gave a nod in agreement, and while Fuuka still couldn't understand what was being said to her, she gave a not of understanding. It wasn't that hard to notice the sheer amount of relief in the elder sister's voice.
"I … I'm just glad that Huey was smart enough to get us ..." The younger spoke up, nodding. Fuuka glanced at her, giving a shy smile; she felt a connection that she couldn't quite explain yet, but it seemed that the lavender-haired girl did as well, if the way she gave a small smile back was any indication. "But … You're not from around here, are you? Most people don't come out to Ilia, let alone dressed like you did."
"Not only that, but your facial structure is unusual to the area. No offense." The elder one continued, making Fuuka turn to look at her. "And we've never seen clothes made like yours before; I'm sorry, but I couldn't figure out how to undo them in time, so I ended up cutting them to get them off of you." She glanced to one side as she spoke, revealing the cut up fabric. "I'm just grateful you and Florina are the same size."
Following the older girl's look, Fuuka sighed at the sight of her clothing. [It … it's alright. I would have died for sure if you hadn't gotten me out of those clothes so fast.] She explained, giving a polite bow from where she sat. She could hear the apologetic tone in Strength's voice, and Priestess was giving her a relieved look despite the puzzlement in her eyes.
"I've never heard that language before." Strength commented, voice soft. "You probably can't speak Elibean at all, and to get lost enough to wind up here in Ilia ..."
A quiet neigh at the door made the girls look at it, Priestess getting up and walking to it after a moment. The black winged horse was standing there, ears perked forward as it craned over Priestess to look around. "S-Sophie?" She squeaked, blushing.
"She was probably worried as well." Strength seemed amused, nodding to Fuuka. "Sophie's always been an odd one, after all ..." At this, she seemed to glance between Sophie and Fuuka, seafoam eyes curious. "I wonder …" Offering Fuuka a hand, Strength led her over to Sophie. "Florina? Move please?" The lavender-haired sister nodded and moved, leaving Fuuka facing Sophie in the doorway.
Swallowing, the teal-haired girl reached out and put a hand on the black muzzle in front of her. Brown eyes focused on her again, ears perked forward. Fuuka swallowed a bit; now that she could actually see the creature, the coal black fur and feathers were actually quite smooth and glossy, and Sophie seemed content.
[You're so soft …] Fuuka couldn't help but giggle. [So you're Sophie? You were the one who helped carry me in, thank you.] Sophie let out an agreeing noise, and actually bobbed her head in what Fuuka figured was a nod, making her giggle again.
"Well, I'll be." Strength was amused. "Florina, it looks like our guest was meant to come here after all. Sophie's normally not keen on strangers."
"Fiora, you told me all black pegasi preferred riders with a stronger bond to magic." Priestess added, looking towards Fuuka. "That's why the healers and mages in the Pegasus Knights all ride black pegasi."
"Correct." Nodding again, the blue-haired sister walked over. "Sophie sweetie, back up please; you can worry over our guest more in the morning. Right now we need to get food in her and get her some rest." Sophie let out a noise of annoyance, but backed up after a moment. Fuuka stepped aside to let her close the door. "Also, we should introduce ourselves." Strength chuckled before extending a hand. "Fiora."
Fuuka blinked for a moment before taking the offered hand. "... Fuuka." She said after a moment, taking Fiora's name to heart. Lucia didn't detect any ill-will among them, and they had helped her out.
"Fuuka, hmm? Even your name is unusual." Fiora gave a nod, stepping aside to let her sister approach. Fuuka was amused to see that they were indeed almost the same size.
"H-hi there, miss Fuuka." The lavender-haired sister had her hands in front of her chest, the fingers steepled as she spoke. "I'm Florina ..." Fuuka gave a shy giggle, waving her hand at the other girl. Florina responded with a giggle of her own, making Fiora shake her head in amusement.
"Well, I'll be, Florina." She stated when the other two girls turned to look at her. "You have a kindred spirit. The more and more I look at it, the more and more I wonder if she was supposed to come here." Both Florina and Fuuka blushed – the latter from seeing the former do so – and Fiora just laughed. "Well, Florina, I guess the first thing to do would be to help her learn how to speak Elibean, if only enough for her to explain that she's not from here. I'll go ahead and make dinner."
"Okay." Nodding, Florina shyly reached out and took Fuuka's hand, leading her over to a hanging wool curtain. "Sorry, the beds are here. I'm ah … not the best teacher, but I'll do my best okay?"
Fuuka just smiled back and nodded; she was in good hands.
(The Isle of Valor)
Ken huddled in the decrepit ruins, watching warily as the figures walking patrol passed dangerously close to his hiding spot. Nemesis was screeching in the back of his head in warning, making the young boy even more cautious as he laid as still as he could, grateful that the heavy wool coat Shinjiro had given him was a neutral tone of grey on the reverse side. He didn't want to know what would happen if the figures spotted him, having no weapon and no Evoker to help him out. Those golden eyes were frightening, and it took all of the young boy's willpower to keep from freaking out.
He had come to relatively fast, and immediately wished he hadn't; the place he had landed felt like a suffocating aura was pressing on him, and the people he was now hiding from were crawling around a broken down chapel. All of them had that pure white skin and pitch black hair, offsetting one another and making the gold eyes even more frightening as they walked around. Ken had tried to sneak away as fast as he could while still keeping the noise he made to a minimum, but hadn't gotten too far.
It seemed like he had given them the slip for now, as they were pacing around trying to find where he had hidden himself. It was only two of the massive group he had seen before, but one of them was on a horse, and the other one had a magical aura that made Ken nervous to be around for much longer. The broken handle of a polearm lay near one of his hands, so he supposed that if worse cane to worse, he could try to fight back, but he wanted to avoid that at all costs.
[don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don't move don'tfuckingmove]
The thought was starting to loop around his brain to the point of insanity, blending with Nemesis's cries of agitation to form a sort of static that made Ken hyper aware of his surroundings. It was still just those two … things there, but he thought he could hear something else moving in the background. It didn't sound like it was coming closer, at least.
The gold-eyed creature with the magical aura stepped closer, its boot a finger's length away from Ken's hand. The boy's heartbeat began to pound even harder, joining the already maddening mantra running through his brain. Whatever was a ways off in the background was now moving closer, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight for reasons he didn't understand.
"Ego, qui in plena luce caeli stare præcipio tibi aperire portas inferi. Egredere, divino fulmine!"
The chanting made Ken pause, staring as several small orbs of light collected around the two figures. Both of them seemed to realize they were in danger, as they kept spinning around, but to no avail. The boy watched as the orbs of light began to grow in numbers before exploding, a sudden bolt of white lightning crashing down from the canopy.
When Ken looked again, there was nothing but a charred mark on the ground, a pile of ash slowly blowing away on the wind.
Nemesis seemed to have calmed down, but the adrenaline kept Ken's heart racing as he grabbed the broken weapon haft, hearing whatever was in the background draw closer and closer. The boy began slowly turning, keeping his movements to a minimum as the shape continued to come closer. With a final snap, the twisted tree that separated Ken from the approaching thing was gone.
And standing in front of him was something that he was both relieved and scared to see.
It was another person, a middle-aged man in white robes that were trimmed in various shades of indigo. A pale lavender cloak covered his shoulders, and his left hand was holding a golden staff with a rounded blue stone on the top, emitting a pale light. Dark eyes looked down at Ken, studying him for a moment as the boy stared back up at him.
"At ease, child." The man spoke after a moment, his voice deep and weary. Ken shuddered a bit more, not understanding him, but Nemesis wasn't screeching out warnings now that the two creatures had been destroyed. Keeping his hand on the broken piece of wood, the boy stood up slowly, his other hand gripping the coat. Another piercing stare looked him over. "... You are not of this world, child from the Outrealms."
[… Where am I?] Ken asked after a moment, looking around. [I was just told to come here … Dragons took over where I came from, so I came here with a …] He paused, not knowing what to call Shinjiro. A part of him wanted to say 'comrade' after what had happened, but at the same time, the memory of his mom was still burned into his brain. [… An acquaintance.] He finished after a moment. [We got separated, but I …]. The elder reached out and put a hand on top of Ken's head, something in his gaze softening.
"... You remind me of someone I once taught." He muttered, ruffling the brunet's hair. "But this is not the place for speaking. Come; my shelter is some distance away, but it is safe." Ken gave a nod when he saw the man turn, trailing after him once he saw that he was expected to follow.
The forest around them both still felt as imposing as ever, and Ken was beginning to miss the sunlight. The oppressive aura seemed to be lessening, however, as the elder lead him to a more intact ruin that stood against a small brook. A good look showed the boy that a series of runes had been carved into the stone of the building, and while Ken couldn't read them, the feeling of protection was there as he was lead through the doorway put him at ease.
"We are safe here." The elder spoke up again, placing his light on a stone nearby. Like the round one in his staff, it lit up, the face casting an even glow the color of daylight. "The Morphs will not come here; the teachings of Saint Elimine burn their flesh." As he spoke, he walked over to a chest that was nearby, Ken following him. "I have spares that I can mend to better fit your frame; if you walk around as you are now, you will be found out as being from another plane."
Shivering a bit, Ken took the coat off to reverse it back out to the maroon wool exterior, blinking when he saw something silver fall out of the pocket. It bounced once, letting a lid spring open to reveal a watch face. Much to the brunet's shock, it kept on ticking away, oblivious to the change in location. [Ten forty... and if that little sun I see is any indication, it's AM.] picking it up as he spoke, Ken looked it over. There was a carving in the back, making him flip it over; a quick study showed it to be the kanji for 'Aragaki'. Shrugging, he went to put it in the pocket when he saw the small piece of paper nearby. [?] A quick unfold as he sat down – glancing at the elder showed him going through the chest for something still – and Ken felt his heart stop.
[This is Mom's handwriting …]
The memory of the strange look he'd gotten from Shinjiro at the Naganki Shrine flashed in his mind's eye. It had looked almost … protective, and Ken still found himself puzzled by it. The puzzlement was slowly followed by a sinking feeling in his stomach as he began to unfold the piece of paper more, until it was revealed to be a full letter in his mom's handwriting. Nemesis had gone dead quiet, retreating into the back of his mind as he dithered for a moment on if he should read or not. Biting his lip, Ken shook his head and started, not knowing what he'd find.
[You have a good memory, Shinjiro; Kaname's a common name, but you remembered that we used to live in the country, so you narrowed in on that. Not too many people would think of it, and for that, I'm happy … I got a job here in Iwatodai, so my husband and I moved here; he knows about you, and is perfectly happy to meet you himself when he comes back from overseas. An archeologist, before you ask. He makes good money, even if he is gone for half of the year; thank goodness for technology and Skype there! Do be a dear and tell me your cell phone number when we finally meet again, because I'm sure he'll want it too. He loves being a father so much I wonder why he didn't just decide to be a stay at home parent. I'm sorry about having to leave the two of you like I did -]
Ken paused at that, confused, before looking at the kanji his mother had used to write Shinjiro's name; surprisingly, it was spelled with three kanji – Ken only saw that with feminine names – the last two being 'second son'. His brain was still processing that not only was this in Shinjiro's possession, but that it was indeed his mom; the name Kaname was right, and his father had been an archeologist, but he'd gone missing in Cairo about two years ago … How had his mom forgotten to tell him that he had older brothers?!
Shaking his head, he continued reading.
[I'm sorry about leaving the two of you like I did, but I just couldn't support you. And I'm sorry Yoshiro left you; I hope he has a happier life elsewhere … I just wanted the best for you two. His anger at me isn't a surprise. You wanting to find me again was … Shinji, you … I just don't have any way to express it right now. But you'll have a younger brother to meet! He's about seven years younger than you, named Ken. He's a ball of energy, and he's always asking if he can get another sibling … I think he'll be happy to meet you.]
He almost dropped the letter at that, feeling like someone had just stabbed him straight in the stomach. He had … been trying to kill his older brother …? Even Nemesis seemed stunned, if the noises of confusion rattling around Ken's head were any indication. Trembling, the brunet swallowed the lump in his throat and continued reading. The letter was almost done.
[You mentioned in the note that you're attending Gekkoukan High School? You don't know how happy I am to hear that … Just remembering how hard it was when you two were so little, hearing that you're going places is wonderful. It makes a mother's day to know that her child's doing well. I'm sorry that this reply's so short, but you said you wanted to meet on the fifth? That's just a few days away! I need to get everything clean here; I don't want you coming home to a dirty house! ~Mother]
At that, Ken let the note slip through his fingers, curling into a ball as the tears started flowing. So THAT was why; he had noticed how happy she'd been that week, even when she started cleaning. She hated cleaning, and yet the entire week up until her death, something had her so elated that nothing seemed to wipe the smile off of her face. As a dental assistant, she was always putting in long hours, but nothing seemed to be stopping her cheer. Ken had asked her once or twice why, but she would always just giggle and say it was a surprise.
And then everything had gone so horribly wrong …
Ken didn't register that he had been making some sort of noise until he felt a hand on top of his head. Glancing up from his ball, the boy looked up to see the elder man from before, deep eyes soft. "I do not know why you cry, but I assure you there's no shame in it." His voice kept the stern tone as before, but there was a gentleness to it. "Whatever you were reading is for your eyes alone, even if it was written in a tongue I could understand. If you ever wish to speak of it to me, I will listen; my soul has it's own fair share of sins that prevent me from judgment."
Ken just let his head hit his knees again, sobbing as the warmth from the wool coat crept into his skin. He remembered the hug he'd been given before Shinjiro had run out to fight the dragon, even knowing he'd probably die. The way he'd been looked at when he had planned to run the elder boy through … Shinjiro'd gone through that the entire time knowing they were brothers. Why had he not said anything …? [Because he probably knew I wouldn't believe him.] He thought bitterly, curling up more as the man's hand shifted to his shoulder.
It felt like an hour or more had passed before the tears began to stop, making him look up with a hiccup. The man – perhaps he was a priest? - still knelt beside him, a look of reservation present despite the kind gesture. Ken wagered that he wanted to ask about the sudden outburst, but was holding his tongue for various reasons. [I'm sorry … just a lot on my mind.] He didn't like how hoarse his voice had gotten. [I guess I really have no way out of this unless I trust you.]
"It is good to see that your voice still works." The man gave a nod. "It is only fair that I train you in the language before I get you away from this accursed place; there is a great darkness at the Dragon's Gate, so I cannot send you home." Shifting a bit, he gave a nod. "I am known as Father Renault, young child from the Outrealms."
Ken blinked, taking a moment to register what he had just heard as the man giving his name. He was curious as to what an 'Outrealm' was, but that wasn't important right now. "... Ken."
"'Born of fire?' That is a good name." Renault gave a nod, looking him over. "... I assume the coat is not yours; it looks much too large on you." Indeed, the maroon colored wool reached past Ken's knees, and the sleeves extended a few inches beyond his hands. "I will not have you be rid of it, but you do appear most comical." Shifting a bit under the staring, Ken took the coat off, gaining an arched eyebrow. "... You are much smaller than I had presumed."
Giving a weak smile at the constant staring, Ken felt his stomach growl; now that the terror and adrenaline had worn off, he was hungry. Renault seemed to notice this, because he shook his head. "Forgive me; I will set about to food in a moment." At this, he paused. "... Perhaps I should teach you magic; there seems to be the blessing of a saint around you. Be it an actual saint or whatever spirit is native to your realm, it would be wrong to ignore such a thing." At that, Renault nodded to a cot nearby. "Rest. I will wake you when the food is ready."
Feeling his body aching, Ken took the suggestion as an invitation to go to sleep, and trudged towards the cot, dragging the coat along with him for a blanket. Renault watched him to make sure he made it fully to the bed as he set a fire, ingredients for stew nearby. After seeing that the boy had managed to settle in for sleep beneath the coat, he let out a sigh and turned to the spare robes he had pulled out to adjust to Ken's frame.
"I'm going to have to be creative about this."
(Lonely Mountain, Bern)
Lloyd Reed didn't know what to make of this.
The whole past twenty-four hours had been a blur; first Archeon, his mother's wyvern, had come back to the base screeching and frantic about something, saddle empty. It had taken his younger brother about an hour to calm the beast, and Archeon listened to him best out of all of the family save for his mother. A few hours later, a messenger had arrived to say that an assignment had been handled in Lycia, where she had been deployed, but the messenger was surprised to find out her mount was there without her; she had apparently noticed something suspicious and gone off to investigate. Some of their more advanced mages had gone to investigate her last known location … and returned with her body.
Sighing through his nose, the man kept on walking, trying to push the thoughts from his mind. His father had taken the news hard and retreated into his quarters, not wanting to be disturbed. Linus had gone to look after Archeon, and the rest of the Black Fang had somewhat sunk into their own mourning as well, leaving Lloyd to walk out of the base, one of the family's wolfhounds trotting alongside him. Taking a small path down the mountain a small bit, the pair of them began walking around a small plateau, watching the sun rise.
He kept a hand on the hilt of the single-edged sword he had, gold-green eyes scanning the area in the early dawn light. Lloyd didn't think he stood out too much, the long dark coat he wore shielding him from the chilly winds that tossed short blond hair around in the breeze. "Well, Snuffles … What do you make of this, buddy?" He asked the hound, who was ignoring him in favor of some sort of interesting scent in a snowbank. Shaking his head, he let out a sigh, watching his breath fog for a moment before shaking his head.
'What the hell could have happened?' He wondered, beginning to pace around a bit; grief was still there, yes, but his mind had latched onto the 'how' of it. 'Mother was never one for unnecessary risks … Whatever made her stay behind in Lycia had to be severe, especially to send back her squad without her there to lead them. They would have been in Tuscania, so that's nowhere near the Flight Zone that is the Ostian fiefdom …'
Snuffles's barking jarred him from his thoughts, turning to look at the wolfhound in sheer shock; the wolfhounds rarely barked, and the way he was pawing at the snow while glancing at his blond master only made the situation more nervous. "Snuffles?" Knocking the hilt of his sword so the blade would be easier to draw, Lloyd went to the snowbank as well, seeing where the dog was pawing. "What's got your attention?" In response, Snuffles started pawing more at a certain spot, paws eventually exposing a flash of black fabric. "! Shit!" Frowning, Lloyd started digging through the snow with the dog, cursing the snowfall that they had gotten the previous evening.
To his relief, it wasn't heavy snow that had fallen, and it only took a few moments to expose the rest of the fabric's origins. There, lying in the snowbank, was a teenage girl in the strangest of outfits, her auburn hair falling out of the remains of a restraint. Something that looked like shattered steel lay on the stones beside her, and Lloyd could see the tinge of blue in her fingers. "Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit... I need to get her to Ursula and fast." Reaching forward, he scooped the girl up, fingers reaching to her exposed wrist. "Good, she's got a pulse, but it's slow." Shifting so he had the girl in a bridal carry, he started jogging, Snuffles at his heels.
The eerie quiet of the base was unsettling at first, but Lloyd didn't pay it much attention. A few more wolfhounds trotted over when they spotted him, eyes bright. 'Oh thank mother earth.' Shaking his head, the blonde nodded. "Alright you three, I need you guys to split up and find Ursula; first one to find her and get her down to the springs gets mutton tonight. Snuffles, you already earned some finding this girl." Snuffles wagged his tail at that, sitting on his haunches as the other three dogs scattered. Content that the dogs knew what they were doing, Lloyd headed down a nearby staircase, hoping that the warmth from the natural springs would help keep her from slipping away.
To his surprise, the springs weren't deserted.
"Lloyd? Who the hell is that?" Turning his head fast enough to give himself whiplash, Lloyd relaxed; it was just Linus and Archeon, at least. The younger Reed brother had brown hair and eyes, but the shape of his face was the same as Lloyd's, and his hands were currently occupied with cleaning the neck scales of the massive grey wyvern they had grown up with.
"I could not tell you, Linus." Lloyd sighed. "Snuffles found her when I went walking and he decided to tag along, and I think Repede, Noishe and Beka are the three I sent to find Ursula. This girl's clothing is soaked to the bone and she's unconscious; I don't know how long she was in the snowbank." Linus let out a curse at that, getting up from where he sat at the wyvern's side to come look himself. Archeon extended his neck to look as well, lifting himself a bit from the spring.
"... Lloyd, what does that red band around her arm say?" Linus asked after a moment, helping Lloyd settle the girl down on a makeshift bench someone had put down there. Both brothers stared at the red band, brows furrowed. "Lemme see if I can pull it off ..." there was a quick tug, and the sound of tearing fabric made Lloyd give Linus a disapproving look. "Well I couldn't figure out another way to get it off. 'sides, the writing's still in tact." Holding the band out for both of them to look at, Linus blinked. "... Well, I'm pretty sure at least two of those words aren't Elibian."
"Something I'm not going to bother attempting to pronounce, something… I'm going to assume that's a misspelling of exsecutioni, and … Sqooad?" Lloyd read aloud after a moment, brows furrowed. "What the hell that's supposed to mean in full, I could not tell you, but I think she might be from some sort of assassin's guild."
"And yet you found her collapsed in a snowbank." Linus replied.
"I never said she was a good assassin." Lloyd countered. "Besides, I said might be from an assassin's guild; we can ask her after Ursula's healed her." As if on cue, one of the wolfhounds came back, wagging their tail. "Hmm? You found Ursula, Noishe?" Lloyd stood up at that as the dog's tail wagged harder. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." Lloyd stood up at that, sighing. "Linus, keep an eye on her; we don't want her dying."
"Gotcha." Linus nodded, stowing the slip of red fabric into his own large coat's pocket. Waiting until his older brother and the hound had darted up the stairs, Linus frowned as something occured to him, before looking at the auburn girl again. "If we don't want her dying then why the hell is she being kept in wet clothes?!" He shouted up the stairs, only to receive no reply. Slapping his forehead with a palm, Linus muttered a few choice curses before heading towards a separate part of the spring. "I know I brought down some clothes to wash with you, Archeon; you think one of my shirts would cover a tiny girl like her fully?"
The wyvern proceeded to give Linus's back a look that could only be described as 'this is incompetent and you should stop now'.
Not noticing, Linus managed to grab one of the shirts in question, holding it up. "... Yeah, this should work … She looks rather thin on top of it all, so it'll probably drape more." Nodding to himself when he was sure the shirt was dry, he turned around and trotted back to where the unconscious girl was lying. "It'll have to do for now; Ursula can probably get her better clothes when we get this girl's story."
Archeon proceeded to let out a noise between a growl and a sigh, slapping his scaled forehead with a paw and dragging it down his muzzle before continuing to watch the impending disaster.
If Linus noticed, he chose to ignore it, setting the shirt down before looking the girl over. "Probably should start with what I can take off easily; whoever designed the top and what could be called a skirt is obviously a madman who deserves a slug in the jaw." Nodding to himself at his plan of attack, the brunet male began taking off the wet clothing, starting with the shoes and leggings. Like he had thought, they were soaked through and the skin they concealed was clammy. As he suspected, the skirt and top were designed by a madman, and he ended up having to cut them off.
Archeon continued to watch, neck extended as far as it could be to observe and possibly intervene if he needed to. The wyvern's attention was what allowed him to spot when the girl's face twitched, Linus having gotten the damp undershirt off of her and leaving her in underwear. Shifting, the wyvern tried to get Linus's attention as he fought with the strange wrapping around her chest, his swears growing more colorful. The girl was waking up, and Archeon really didn't want to hear the screaming that would happen if she found herself in the nude with a strange man; Linus didn't seem to notice the growl, prompting another gravely sigh from the wyvern before it let out a short, direct roar that made Linus shout and jump back, dropping his knife as he spun to the wyvern.
… And had the unfortunate side effect of waking the girl up fully.
Linus had never heard a more shrill screech in his life, and the next thing he registered was a kick to the face as the girl unintentionally grabbed the shirt he had meant to cover her with as a shield as she reflexively jerked. Reeling from the pain and swearing – she had probably broken his nose – Linus stumbled back and fell on his rear. Archeon let out a small growl of agitation before shifting, sitting by the girl and letting his wings wrap around her, obscuring her from view.
"What the HELL was that noise!?"
And as if to add insult to injury, only now did Ursula and Lloyd decide to show up. Not registering much past the blinding pain his face was sending him, the brunet male opted to roll around on the ground swearing, faintly aware that the auburn girl was now sobbing.
Well, his morning was going great.
Hamuko sat down on the stone floor, sobbing and hugging herself as she tried to register what was going on. All she could recall after being separated from Minato was blue light before blacking out … only to wake up here, in a stone place with a strange man nearby, mostly naked. Her skin felt cold and clammy, and her underwear was wet too. She could hear the guy she had kicked cursing and swearing, and two new voices had joined the fray, but she couldn't understand a word of what they were saying.
The miniature dragon that was also nearby seemed to have pity her, as it has extended wings to keep her shielded for the moment. Right now she was glad for it; it was a calm in the center of the storm, because it sounded like the two new voices were tending to the person she had kicked in the face. Good, maybe she'd have a chance to calm down before they spoke to her.
"Archeon, let me talk to her." The voice that hit Hamuko's ears was female, and the miniature dragon grumbled for a moment before shifting a fraction to let someone else into the circle of scaled flesh and wing membrane. Feeling a hand land on her knee, Hamuko whimpered again, lifting her head to look. There was a young woman kneeling in front of her with short blue hair, indigo eyes worried. "You're frigid; clueless as he is, Linus had a good idea." She admitted, both hands pressing flat against Hamuko's knees as a blue light wrapped around them. "The meathead should have woken you up first though."
What the other woman was saying was lost on the auburn, but she didn't move when she realized that a healing spell was being used on her. Worried and a bit shocked – had she fallen in with a group of foreign Persona-users? - Hamuko tried to focus on the girl in front of her. While no Personae showed, the burning aura she associated with the Magician Arcana cloaked her, and the indigo eyes that had been focusing on where her hands had been flashed up to Hamuko's face.
"Please stop that, it tickles." Her voice gave away that she could somehow tell what Hamuko was doing, making the other jerk a bit as she shivered, the clamminess of her underwear chilling her chest. "... You're going to have to strip fully for this to work, you realize. Lloyd and Linus wouldn't dare peep; Archeon would bite them, wouldn't you?" Her last statement seemed to be directed at the miniature dragon, who let a nod.
Shifting and sneezing a bit, Hamuko sighed and reached down her torso, undoing the bra and immediately trying to fold her arms over her chest for some modesty. The blue-haired woman just tsked a bit and placed her hands on hamuko's now bare collarbone, the healing spell carrying a red tint to it this time. "Good, good, just relax … Nice kick to Linus's nose, by the way. I haven't seen him laid flat like that in a few years."
[W … where am I?] Hamuko finally asked, voice tight with nerves.
At that, those indigo eyes snapped up to her face again, the other woman's mouth opening in surprise as the healing spell stopped. "Son of a ..." She seemed surprised, and quickly stood up to lean over one of the wyvern's wings. "Lloyd Reed, how in the name of the gods did you find a foreigner in a SNOWBANK on the mountain?!"
"I do not know." Came a responding voice, male and a bit flummoxed at whatever he was being asked. "Why, what's she saying?"
"She's talking in a language I can't even begin to understand, so for all I know she could be thanking me or calling Linus a massive arse." The woman responded, giving Hamuko a chance to look her over. She wore a simple, gold-trimmed skirt underneath a fitted top that trailed off into a sort of psudeo-tailcoat, the long bow weighed down by golden decorations on the ends. Her boots went up to just below her knees, the heels raised a bit to allow for what Hamuko assumed was horseback riding. A sleeveless shrug covered her upper back, and long gloves that went to the middle of her upper arm covered her hands.
"Well, shit ..." The same voice from before replied. "What do you suggest we do, Ursula?"
"Right now, I'm going to get the poor thing warmed up and in clothes that fit her; bring food for us up to my chambers you two?" The girl replied, still leaning over the wyvern. "Get a lot too; this girl is so skinny I could probably pick her up and carry her a few leagues without Rosemary."
"So you're saying get her a Linus-sized portion?"
"Hey!"
"Yes, actually, that'd be perfect." The girl shot back, shaking her head. "Go do so now please? I don't think she's gonna want to leave Archeon's little impromptu curtain here if you two are standing there."
"Fine, Fine … C'mon, meathead." The sound of footsteps reached Hamuko's ears at that, and a quick scan for auras showed that the other two present were of the Temperance Arcana and the Chariot, and both of them were leaving. Sighing and uncurling a bit more, the auburn girl let out a sneeze as she finally took off her last piece of wet clothing.
"Men, I swear ..." Huffing, the blue-haired woman turned back to Hamuko, hands on her hips as she gave her a worried look over. "Well, now that I look at you, I'm seeing some musculature. You're still awful thin." Gripping the spare shirt that laid nearby, she offered Hamuko a hand up. "You well enough to stand?"
Giving her a nervous look, Hamuko kept one hand around her chest as she let the Magician pull her upright. The look she was getting made her uncomfortable. Was it her weight? The other woman seemed to have a bit more mass to her. [Ah … I just … w-well, we have smaller portions back home …]
"Gods, looking at you like this makes me feel bad." The other sighed, shaking her head. "I hope that you'll be able to stomach all that food, but you should really get some weight on you." At that, she shook her head and pulled the shirt on over Hamuko's head.
To the auburn's embarrassment, the sleeves went far past her hands, and the bottom hem went down to her knees. The neck started to slip off one shoulder, and the sheer silliness of the scenario prompted a weary giggle out of Hamuko. [It's a circus tent...]
"Well, Linus is an ox." The blue-haired Magician seemed equally amused. The miniature dragon let out a snort and settled back into the spring. "You going to stay here for a bit, Archeon?" Hamuko turned to the miniature dragon as it nodded, shifting so the steaming hot water covered more of its haunches. "Alright, I'm taking our guest here up to my quarters; they're roomy enough for another person no problem." The wyvern gave a nod, and the blue haired woman seemed to realize something. "Ah, damn! I've been around the meathead for so long I forgot my manners ..." At that, she turned back to Hamuko and slid into a partial curtsey. "I'm Ursula, the Blue Crow of the Black Fang."
Blinking as she registered what she thought was the Magician's name, Hamuko gave a nod back. She almost opened her mouth, ready to give her name, when she paused. Ursula was a western name, and she'd been hearing 'Lloyd' and 'Linus' a lot; her name would stand out so much here it would raise a lot of suspicion, and she didn't know how these people would react to her. But how could … A light bulb went off, and she gave a weak smile before giving a bow. "Eurydice."
"Eurydice?" Ursula arched an eyebrow. "That's an old-fashioned name. But at the same time, it suits you." Nodding, she offered Hamuko a gloved hand. "Come on, let's get you settled for the time being. Perhaps when things calm down we can figure out what to do with you." Hamuko stared at the hand for a moment before taking it and letting Ursula lead her back upstairs.
The dice had been rolled; now all she could do was see if she had gotten lucky.
Tori's Notes: You tried Linus, you tried. Have a gold star.
Seriously though, I'm actually surprised I got this next chapter out so fast. I had insomnia a few days in a row and decided to just sit down and see how much of this nonsense I could plow through. I was not expecting to wind up with a nearly 11,000 word chapter from one night's worth of work.
So we're down to the last two members of SEES who got punted through the gate next chapter; Shinjiro and Makoto (With Pharos the tagalong). And then after that? We'll be hopping back to Iwatodai for all sorts of crazy stuff. For now though, notes for this chapter~
-Eliwood speaking in Magvelian is a bit of a headcanon. Due to the fact that his mother Eleanor barely looks older than him, a headcanon/theory of mine is that she's actually from Caer Peylin, not from somewhere on Elibe. So Eliwood learned how to speak the language alongside the common tongue on Elibe, and Elbert and Hector learned enough to understand when Eliwood and Eleanor started having conversations in it.
-Black pegasi! Yes I know Dark Knights and flying healers were only in the later console games, but I'm screwing with continuity anyway.
-Building off of the Pegasi bit; Fuuka's name is spelled with the kanji for wind (fuu) and flower (ka). All of the Pegasus Sisters have a name that means flower (Farina's is flour, giggle giggle oh a pun), so she fits right in.
-To couple with that; Ken's comment about Shinjiro's name is something I've noticed myself; most Japanese names are spelled with one to two kanji, and the only exceptions to that I've seen are girls names apart from Shinjiro's. It's nothing story breaking, but I figured it was interesting.
-And to wrap up the comments, I write Ursula as a lot less aloof when she's not on duty, so she might feel a bit out of character right now. I just feel like there can be more to a character than can be seen in game, so I often have her as more relaxed when around Lloyd and Linus and them alone. Then again that could just be my love of the Black Fang shining through, but that's for another day.
Now before I flop off to do other things, one comment. Anyone who can see the Latin chant Renault was using, and tell me what I'm referencing with it will get cookies. (Google translate actually doesn't butcher Latin too horribly; yay for using a dead language!) Until then, cheerio~