Author's Notes: This chapter is a little more than twice as long as the first one, so hopefully you'll enjoy it! I don't think that I'm very good at explaining character's appearances, and I like to draw, so I'm working on a page that will have pictures of the main original characters on it. I'll post a link to it when I'm finally done. There will be a little "treat" in the next chapter (probably). I'm going to introduce an actual tales character! I won't say who, but some clues are that the character is a guy, has no specific game, and isn't a major character (though he will be a major character in my fic). Take a guess (though it might be hard to figure out unless you pay attention to every little detail in every tales game). Finally, please review! I'd be grateful for some feedback.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the tales characters, or any names associated with any of the tales games.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hahaha! That was awesome!" the female swordsman laughed, as she came to a halt about half a mile from Flambeau's border. "Those losers didn't even have a chance to think, and then --- BAM!" Her pale sea-blue eyes were glowing with delight at the mere recollection. Neil fell to his knees and panted as he tried to take in everything that had just happened. He then looked intently at his captor and made sure to take in every aspect of her appearance (in case he needed to describe her to the police when he got back---well, if he ever got back). She was neither tall nor short---about five foot four---and had long golden hair that extended to her belly button; it was fairly messy---especially on top. She wore a red sleeveless top that only covered half of her torso, and a thin dark belt was strapped around it about two inches from the bottom. Her left arm was covered by a black sleeve that extended from right below her shoulder down to her wrist (the device Neil had noticed earlier was around the wrist), while she only had a black fingerless glove covering her right hand. She wore tight red shorts with a mesh-like black belt around the top; a golden locket and a small black pouch dangled from the belt. (She sure doesn't dress like the girls in Flambeau…) Neil thought as he stared. Suddenly, he realized that the girl wasn't basking in glory anymore---she was looking at him, beaming.
"Pretty sexy, aren't I?" she mused, as she winked at him.
He immediately blushed and looked away. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't mean to stare," he said apologetically.
"Heh, don't worry about it." The smile on her face transformed into a proud grin. "Not many guys can resist my hotness!"
Neil's face flushed even more in response. "I-It's not that! I was just…just…you know…?" He groaned at his own stupidity. Man, did he sound like an idiot.
The blonde girl chuckled.
"It's just that I've never seen anyone dress the way you do!" he said defensively, jumbling the words together because he was talking so fast.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Sure…" she teased. "Anyway, I'm Ara! Ara Yule. Ara Yule, the kick-ass, dead sexy, mercenary extraordinaire! …And you are?"
The boy couldn't help but stare at her for a moment before answering; this girl was so…enthusiastic…and cheerful---the complete opposite of the first impression he had gotten. "Ah…okay. I'm Neil Pierson. Pleased to meet you, Ara." He got to his feet and extended his hand, initializing a shake.
Ara smiled and returned the gesture. "Yeah. Same here…but, what's your title?"
"Huh?"
"Your title! I mean, c'mon! You gotta have a title! Like I said before, I'm the kick-ass, dead sexy, mercenary extraordinaire! What're you?"
A sweat drop appeared on the back of Neil's head and he blinked. "Uuuuuh…I don't know. …Doctor-in-training, maybe?"
Ara frowned. "Aww…that's boring! Gimme some time and I'll come up with a totally amazing title for you!" Then she closed her eyes, as if to think. "Yes, yes…Neil Pierson…doctor-in-training…" she muttered.
The captive stared at the overly-enthusiastic girl and another sweat drop formed on his head. (Uuuh…what do I do…now? First, this girl kidnaps me, then she beats up some guards, then she somehow manages to break out of Flambeau, and then she simply wants to talk about introductions?) He was about to say something when Ara suddenly opened her eyes---glowing with glee. "Yup! Definitely the one!" she concluded. "…Neil, I am now one hundred percent positive that you're the person I needed to find! Soooo, you'll be traveling with me for a bit. I trust that's not a problem?"
"W-w-wai-what!?" he stuttered, his jaw dropping and his pupils widening.
"What are you, deaf?" she snapped. "I said you're coming with me! Honestly, why the heck are you acting so surprised? I told you back in town too…"
"W-well I thought that was annulled when you stopped here and started getting all friendly!"
A devious smile curled on Ara's face. "Nope. Just making sure that you really were the person I was trying to find."
Neil stared at the girl in defeat. Then, in a more calm tone, he continued. "Why were---" he began, but was interrupted by a tiny, dragon-like creature. It seemingly came out of nowhere and circled around his captor's head.
"Ara! Ara! Ara!" the creature chanted excitedly, still speeding around the girl. "Didja get away from those guards okay!? You didn't have any problems, didja!? Oooh, I was so worried! I hate splitting up! Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! I've been lookin' everywhere for you! I thought you might've gotten caught!" he rambled.
Ara calmly caught him by the tail and held him in front of her head. "Chill out," she said in monotone, placing the index finger of her free hand over her lips.
The miniature dragon slowly nodded.
"Look," commanded the blonde, glancing over at Neil.
The dragon also looked, and then did a double-take. "O-o-oh!" he exclaimed, blinking wildly. "I didn't even see you there---I'm sorry!"
Yet another sweat drop appeared on the back of the chestnut-haired boy's head; this sure had been an awkward fifteen minutes. "…No problem."
The red and purple creature grinned. "I'm Drycko! I'm a dragite!" he chirped. "In case you don't know about dragites, basically, we're a tinier, more peaceful breed of dragon capable of human speech."
"Oh. Uh…that's interesting. I've never heard of dragites before…though that really isn't a surprise. I've never been anywhere but Flambeau and the surrounding area…and…they keep a lot of information from us at school…or so I'm told." He smiled weakly as he finished. (I'm having a conversation with…an animal? This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger…)
Drycko grinned. "Well now you know! …Soooo," he began, but couldn't go on due to the fact that Ara had clamped his mouth shut with her left hand.
"Enough talking," she chided. "Drycko, Neil's going to be traveling with us. I need you to go back into the city and bring back some of his belongings. We can't go back ourselves because…well, you know." She then turned to the doctor-in-training. "So Neil, what would you like him to bring back?"
"I-I never said---!" Neil began to protest.
"Listen, Neil…you don't really have a choice in the matter," Ara flatly retorted. "You're coming, that's final. Now, what would you like Drycko to bring back?"
The boy sighed; she sure was pushy. "Well, how about my cooking utensils, my book collection---the one in the gold-rimmed trunk, my staff, a couple of different outfits, a pillow, a blanket, the picture of my mother, of course, a backpack, some food, my violin---wait, how are you even going to find my house?"
Ara looked as if she were about to burst into laughter at any moment. "Hold up, hold up!" she exclaimed. "How in the hell do you expect poor little Drycko to carry all of that? What do you think he is, a pack mule!?" She shook her head. "More importantly, how do you expect to carry it if he was able to bring it here?"
Neil started to speak, but Ara continued before he could really say anything.
"No, no, no. You're not bringing your whole house with you. Three things. Choose wisely. …Oh, and to answer your question, Drycko can track down your house by simply getting your scent."
(My scent? I thought he was a dragon…thing. Isn't that a little…dog-ish?) "Uuuh...okay. Sorry. It's just…I've never really traveled before."
The girl waved her hand in dismissal. "No problem, no problem. …Three things," she reminded him.
"Right. Hmm…well, I guess my staff would be helpful---I can't really cast spells without it. And…my dad's old book, titled The Ultimate Guide to Healing Techniques: Volume I, by Archibald Spencer---apparently, I can learn new spells by reading it. …And, the picture of my mother…" he trailed off.
"Awww, mama's boy!" Ara chuckled. Then she motioned for Drycko to leave.
Neil looked to the ground. "Yeah. Something like that…" he muttered. Suddenly, he raised his head, realizing that Drycko was gone. "Wait!" he called; then, he turned back to Ara. "Doesn't he need my key!?"
The devious smile curled once again on the mercenary's face. "Nope…he has his ways…" she said ominously.
The sandy-haired boy stared at the city and gulped as he thought about the possibilities. How could such a seemingly innocent little creature ever do something bad? He shook his head quickly in an attempt to dismiss the thought. "Say, Ara," he said, turning back to face her.
"Hmm?" she asked.
"I have two questions that I've been meaning to ask you…seeing as I am going to be traveling with you, I think that I have the right to know. But…well, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay; I guess it is your business."
The female swordsman slowly nodded. "Go oooon…" she said suspiciously.
The boy cleared his throat. "Weeeell," he started cautiously. However, when he actually got to the asking-the-questions part, he talked so fast that it was hard to understand him. "Why were those guards after you before!? And why were you looking for me!?"
Ara sighed and took a few steps toward him until her face was two inches away from his. "Neil, Neil," she breathed. "You had me thinkin' it was something important you had to ask, not something that…didn't matter."
"I-I think this qualifies as important!" Neil protested as he backed away.
The girl placed a finger on the edge of her lips and looked upward in thought. "Hmm…well I guess this would qualify as important…for you," she concluded. "So I guess I really should tell you!" She finished up with a grin.
The apprentice doctor simply blinked. (Wow. That was easier than I thought.)
"Mmkay! Those guards were after me because I'm not allowed in the city. You see…a passport is required if you want to enter. I don't have one, and I didn't really have the time to get one because I needed to find you. So, I snuck in and they found out." She shrugged nonchalantly, then continued. "Now, I needed to find you because my latest mission is to…protect you for awhile. I'm also on another mission: to collect certain…artifacts for an important archaeologist. That's why I'm traveling around…and why I need you to travel with me. …Does that answer your questions?"
Neil nodded slowly. "Uh-huh…but can I ask you one more? Who…who wanted you to protect me?"
Ara grinned. "That's classified!" she stated cheerfully. "A good mercenary never discloses information about the client to the subject."
"…Oh. Alright," the boy said, unable to hide his disappointment.
"Hey, don't worry about it! You'll find out eventually! Until then, just try not to think about it too much. ---Oh, hey! Perfect timing!" Drycko suddenly came into view carrying the three possessions Neil had asked for---the staff in his mouth, and the book and picture under each of his tiny arms.
(Wow. That was…fast.) Neil thought.
"Good work, pal!" Ara congratulated.
"Yeah, thanks," the captive said gratefully.
"Heheh! Aww, it was nothing!" the dragite chuckled as he deposited the staff at Neil's feet and then handed him the book and the picture. "Umm, Ara? I was gonna head back into town and get something to eat. Is that okay with you?"
The girl grinned. "Sure, sure! As long as you bring back something for us!" she laughed.
"Oh yeah, of course I will!"
"Good."
"Kay! Well, I'll see ya soon then! Later, guys!" With that, the cheery little dragon flew off in the direction of the city once again.
"Now…" Ara turned to face her captive. "We're going to try out a little…experiment."
Neil swallowed hard. "E-experiment?"
"Yup!" she exclaimed, beaming. She then pointed to Neil's staff. "You said earlier that you use that thing to cast spells, correct?"
The apprentice doctor nodded. "Yeees…"
"And you can learn new spells from that?" She pointed to the book in his hand.
"Uh-huh…"
The mercenary's eyes lit up with delight. "Haha! Well then that means you're not an average doctor-in-training! You're actually like...like, a cleric!"
"Yes…I guess you could call me that. …Uh, may I ask…where are you going with this?"
"Heheh! Well, clerics can use magic, so they're much more handy in battle!"
(…Handier.)
"Me, being the reckless fighter that I am, I tend to take a lot of damage. It would be great to have a little back-up, you know?"
"Yes…" Neil really didn't like where this was going.
"Instead of standing around like some princess and making me protect you…you are gonna be my back-up! …However, I'm gonna need to test your skills first…just to make sure that you're worthy of suck a task. …I also want to find out if my hunch is correct---that's the experiment aspect of it."
Nope. Definitely didn't like where this was going. "A…test?"
"Yeah! Mmkay! First, what spells do you know already?"
"Not many. Just First Aid and Sharpness."
"No attack magic?"
"No…well, I did used to know Photon, but since I never really have to use it, I can't remember how to cast it…"
That devious smile crept across Ara's face again. "Excellent…" she said suspiciously.
Neil gulped. What was she plotting?
"Alright, Neil! That's all I needed to know! Now, follow me!" Ara began to walk north and Neil followed suit, swallowing hard before he did.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, Ara came to a halt. "Mmmhmm…mmhmm," she murmured as she looked at some rabbits in the distance. Then she scanned the area and her gaze came across something else---a cave. "Excellent," she said, once again in that suspicious tone. "Alright! Just wait by that cave, and I'll take care of the rest. ---Oh, and you definitely need to keep that staff of yours handy." She winked once, and was off.
"Wa-wait!" Neil started, but his captor was already out of sight. He sighed, and then moved toward the cave. Once he got there, he slowly leaned against the outside wall of it and closed his eyes, taking note of each and every sound nature had to offer. This was so…peaceful (well, despite the fact that there was a looming sense of danger that just wouldn't go away). After what seemed like an eternity of relaxing, he heard some agitated squeaking noises and quickly opened his eyes. He saw the rabbits---from the cave, only about forty feet away---scurrying around angrily. He focused his eyes and found the cause; tiny rocks were being flung at them from…above him. He immediately jerked his head upward and saw that familiar face that belonged to Ara.
"Hey, Neil!" she chirped, tossing another stone.
The cleric's eyes widened slightly. "What are you doing?"
"Antag---oho! Here they come!" the girl exclaimed, pointing to the incoming group of three white rabbits. Their huge blood-red eyes glowed with rage and the eye-like marking on each one's forehead seemed to see right through Neil. "Better watch out!" she laughed. "They look mad!"
Neil stared at the trio in horror. Wasn't anything the way it appeared!? He never thought that adorable little balls of fluff could ever look so…menacing! Suddenly---without any warning at all---the rabbit in the center of the group hopped up and nailed the dumbfounded boy in the face with its too-big-for-its-body feet. He staggered backward while the animal landed gracefully on its haunches and seemed to snicker at him. He blinked twice in shock, then brought his right hand to his face, swiping the area under his nose. He held the hand out in front of him and his pupils widened; a fresh, crimson liquid was dripping from said hand.
"Ooooo! It gave you a bloody nose!" Ara called from the roof of the cave. "These little guys must really mean business! You'd better kick it into gear!" She chuckled. "Heh. Wouldn't wanna get your ass kicked by a few fluff balls, would ya? That'd be crazy embarrassing!"
The doctor-in-training sent a glare in her direction. "Not helping…" he muttered. Then another rabid rabbit charged toward him; this time he dodged. However, the other two hit him while his guard was down; one kicked him in the back of the head, while the other got his leg. The combined attack of the duo sent him tumbling to the ground, face-first, and he let out a cry of pain as he hit it. The three bunnies leapt up and down on his back in triumph; Neil was really beginning to despise them…
"Gah! Use your staff, dammit!" Ara hissed, no longer amused by the boy's clumsiness, but annoyed. "Enough…games!"
"Oh…right," Neil said, wincing in pain every other second due to the barrage on his back. He sighed, and then quickly pushed himself to his feet and picked up his staff. He jumped back and held the weapon horizontally in front of him. When the bunnies once again came in for the kill, he slashed his staff across and hit all three in their stomachs, sending them flying, blood squirting from their chests. "Haaah! Take that!" He smirked, then charged at the creatures, swinging his staff around wildly the entire time. One managed to hook onto his arm, and it bit down hard. Neil responded by shaking his arm around crazily in the air. The tiny beast continued to hold on until the cleric slammed his arm against a nearby tree; it knocked the rabbit unconscious, and it immediately loosened its grip and fell to the ground. Another one jumped onto his head and then pushed off; Neil swerved to face it and hit it with his staff while it was airborne, sending it flying. The final rabbit hopped angrily toward him, and this time, he stabbed it in the chest (the top of his staff was composed of a sharp, crystal-like object). His withdrew his weapon from its body and it staggered backward, fell to the ground, and died. Neil took a few steps away and then stood still, panting slowly and heavily. "I…I did it…"
A drawn-out whistle was heard from the top of the cave. "Ooooo…somebody's been corr-up-ted!" Ara teased. "I never took you for the type that mercilessly slaughters poor, wittle, fwuffy bunnies!"
The young man sighed. "They weren't poor, they were demonic!" He corrected in a sad tone. "…Anyway, I'm just glad that it's finally over."
The blonde simply chuckled. "I wouldn't say that! ---Look!" she pointed beneath her to a gigantic, purple and brown-furred egg bear, and it didn't look happy. "Looks like all the commotion woke Mr. Fuzz Face up!"
Neil backed up, and sent an accusing look at Ara. "You knew this would happen…" he said coldly, through his teeth.
The girl smiled slightly and shrugged, attempting to look as innocent as possible. "Who, me?" she cheerfully inquired.
The boy shook his head in disgust, then held his staff in front of him in an offensive position. The egg bear moved slowly but loudly toward him. Neil waited until the beast was only three feet away before he charged, holding his staff as if it were a lance. Then he thrust it toward the creature with all his strength; however, it didn't even leave a scratch; it was almost as if the creature was made of rock. He was temporarily unguarded after coming so close to the monster, and it took advantage of the opportunity by wrapping its massive arms around his back and continually pulling him toward its body in a series of painful bear hugs.
Ara shuddered, covered her eyes with her arm, and then turned her head. "Oooo! Ouch!" she exclaimed. "He's gonna have some serious back problems after all the abuse it's taken today!" Then she lowered her voice to a quiet murmur. "That is…if he survives…"
Neil became as limp as a rag doll after awhile, and eventually the egg bear dropped him to the ground and began to walk away, taking him for dead. The beaten cleric just lay there, gasping for breath. (I can't die here…not like this. Not now… ---Wait! That's right! I have my spells! I just have to quickly heal myself to the point where I can function, and then I can use Sharpness to make my attacks stronger!) He reached for his staff---his hand shaking the whole time---and held onto it as if his life depended on it. He closed his eyes in concentration, and with his remaining strength, slightly lifted the weapon. "…First…Aid…" he said weakly after about thirty seconds. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded him and he let out a peaceful sigh. Moments later, he stood up without a struggle and a triumphant smile crept across his face. "Heheh…" he chuckled, giddily. "I feel great, just like a million gald!"
The monster heard this and turned around; it did not like what it saw. It roared angrily, annoyed and furious that its prey was not only alive, but standing too. It stomped its feet and then moved toward Neil. The chestnut-haired boy simply stood still and closed his eyes, concentrating again. As his enemy came into striking distance, he raised his staff high into the air. "Sharpness!" he exclaimed, loudly and confidently. All of a sudden, he was surrounded by glowing red loops, and he felt a new power surging within him. When the loops disappeared, the bear was within inches from the healer; its massive arm was pulled back, ready to strike him; Neil immediately back-stepped, only getting grazed by the creature's blow. Then he went all-out; he swung his staff around wildly, occasionally hitting the beast, but completely missing it other times. He moved so swiftly that the egg bear didn't even get a chance to counter-attack; however, Neil began to move slower and slower due to fatigue. As he slowed, he noticed numerous cuts and gashes all over the bear's body. (Okay…at least I know that I'm damaging it---that's good. I just have to keep fighting---just a little longer---and I'll win!) He continued his assault on the beast, but---despite his mental pep talk---simply couldn't keep it up. Then, the beast whacked Neil in the face with its huge, powerful, and shaggy arm; he went flying---blood squirting from the spots on his face in which the beast's claws made contact---and then skidded across the ground. When he finally stopped, he coughed a few times (having the wind knocked out of him and all), then let his head fall to the ground.
"C'mon, Neil!" Ara shouted. "Grr…you're so pathetic! Don't you have any common sense at all!? …Use Photon! If you would've just done that from the beginning, things would have been a whole hell of a lot easier!"
The now-highly-annoyed apprentice doctor weakly picked up his head so that he could look at the girl one last time. Oh, how he despised her! He was now completely positive that she really was just a cruel, psychotic, seductive jerk. She was seriously just going to let him die here, wasn't she? "You're…you're crazy!" he panted. "I already…told you…I don't…remember…how to use it!"
"Shut up!" she roared. "Just pick up the damn staff (it had fallen out of his hand and landed about five feet in front of him) and use the damn spell!"
"I---"
"Shut up!"
Neil sighed, then looked at the approaching egg bear; it wasn't completely impossible…at the pace the creature was moving, he might just be able to grab his staff before the bear crushed it and then make an attempt at the spell… He took in a deep breath, then crawled as fast as he could to his weapon. When he picked it up, the bear---now only a foot in front of him---attempted to hit him again, but thankfully, he was able to evade the attack. Then he crawled backward (greatly resembling an over-sized crab) trying to get as far away from his opponent as possible, panting all the while. The monster slowly came toward him again, and he panted even more. "Photon! Photon! Photon!" he yelled desperately. When nothing happened, he freaked out even more, moving faster than ever due to the new motivation. He managed to put some serious distance between himself and the beast, and then stopped. "Okay…think, think, think!" he breathed. "The light that purifies…the seal of destruction…surrounds the foe…shocks it…the incantation…" he mumbled absentmindedly in an attempt to remember how to cast the spell. He noticed now that the bear was only five feet away…four…three… "Grr…think, think---wait! I think I've got it!" He tightly shut his eyes in concentration and raised his staff; the egg bear was now only a foot away with its paws pulled back and ready to strike.
"Photon!" Neil roared. Nothing happened at first, and he cringed away from the bear, awaiting his death; however, it did not come; instead, he heard a high-pitched, ringing sound and the agonized roars of the egg bear. He opened his eyes and faced the beast, only to find that it was in the air being tortured by a sphere of light. He stared in amazement, only blinking once. After about a minute, the light disappeared and the monster fell to the ground in a heap of violet fur. Neil stared down at the beast and tears began to well up in his eyes. "I…I did it. I can't believe…I actually did it," he said, incredulously. "I'm alive…"
"Wow! I'm somewhat impressed!" Ara's voice said from right behind him.
The boy quickly turned to look at her, startled.
The mercenary stared down at the fallen creature approvingly and smirked. "I must say…I was almost positive that you were gonna die…but nope! In the end, you really pulled through! Congrats, you passed, A plus! ---Heeey, are you…? Are you…crying?"
"N-no!" the cleric replied, a little too curtly.
The blonde stifled her laughter, placing a hand over her mouth. "…Liar," she muttered, after regaining her cool.
"I-I…n-no!" Neil stuttered. "I-I…well, maybe…" He looked down in defeat, but then burst out, "But in my defense, I almost died! And you just watched! You weren't going to do anything---I though you were getting paid to protect me!"
Ara placed her index finger next to her lips and looked up absently. "…That is true," she concluded. "However, it's only one job! Besides, these kinds of jobs really aren't my forte." She lowered her tone to a more serious one. "Working with other people…protecting them…isn't something I normally do. …No, I usually take on…bloodier jobs…the kinds that require me to take out certain people…if you know what I mean. And well, I needed to see if you'd be worth keeping around---if you'd be worth the toll this is gonna take on me." She paused for a moment, and then went on in her usual, upbeat tone. "But anyways, why are you complaining? You passed! You should be happy! And not only that! You also toughened up slightly---could've done without the tears---and relearned an awesome spell; thus, proving my hypothesis correct: danger does bring out people's inner strength!"
Neil stared at the mercenary in complete awe. How in the hell was he supposed to be happy after that? His worst fears had been confirmed: he really had been kidnapped by a psychotic, two-faced…murderer. His lips quivered as he pondered this longer, and then he finally burst out, "You're crazy!" taking a few steps backward.
"Yeah, I know!" Ara said cheerily, unfazed by the insult. "I get that a lot! ---Thanks, though!
Neil blinked. What the heck was he supposed to say to that!? (…I guess I really am going to die here, at the hands of this girl. It's just like those news stories I used to hear about…when someone who seems completely composed turns out to be a serial killer... They lure their victims to some place reclusive and then violently sabotage their bodies…) He shuddered at the thought, then decided on what he had to say. "Your…welcome."
Ara began to laugh. "C'mon! Don't tell me you're scared!" she teased. "I thought I made it clear! I'm not gonna kill you---or let anyone else, for that matter. You passed the test. Even if you didn't, and still managed to survive, I wouldn't have done a thing to you! I'm a nice person!" She shrugged. "It's not like I kill people for fun; it's strictly business---a living; almost all mercenaries do the same thing!" She shrugged again. "And if you haven't noticed by now, I'm a lot…different from other people; that's why I'm labeled as crazy a lot! So…no worries, kay?"
The apprentice doctor nodded, speechless. (Wow. It's like she can read minds.)
"Well then, let's get back and set up camp! I'm sure that Drycko'll be back soon if he isn't already!"
Neil smiled slightly. "…Okay."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, Ara?" Neil said, taking a bite out of an ear of corn that Drycko brought (Neil seriously wondered how the shop owner reacted to a talking dragon.).
"Yeah?" she replied, after taking a swig of her wine.
"Uuuuh…I was wondering…where are we headed…tomorrow?" He took another bite out of his corn, and then set it down beside him.
"That," She took a bite out of a fish, swallowed, then continued, "is a surprise. …However, I will tell you one thing: it's a port town." She sipped some more wine. "We're gonna catch a ship there and take it across the sea to Erie. …And from there, we'll head over to Grandiose, where one of the artifacts I'm looking for apparently resides."
"Grandiose! Grandiose! Grandiose!" Drycko chimed in. "Heheh! I can't wait! That place has everything!" He was now quickly looping around Ara and Neil in the air.
The blonde frowned. "Chill," she said flatly, grabbing hold of his tail.
The dragite's already-beat-red skin turned an even brighter shade of crimson as he looked at the girl. "Sorry, Ara!" he said in a still-cheery tone. "I dunno what's gotten into me! I've just been really, really hyper today for some reason!" He paused, then added, "---More so than usual!" as an afterthought.
"I know what's gotten into you…" Ara muttered, letting go of the cheerful little dragon's tail. "…Grapes," she said in a more audible tone.
"Grapes?" Neil repeated, raising an eyebrow.
A sweat drop appeared on the back of Drycko's head. "Heheh…oh yeah. I'm sorry, Ara! I just love 'em so much!" His eyes lit up at the thought.
Ara shook her head, sighed, and then turned to Neil. "Yeah, grapes," she confirmed. "Grapes for dragites are like…hmm…well, like what cat nip is for cats or what sugar is for humans. Basically, they make dragites completely berserk. "So, no matter how much he begs you, never let him have grapes…got it? Today's not so bad, because he only had one or two…right?"
Drycko nodded enthusiastically.
"…But if he has more, it can get…messy. …Okay?"
The boy nodded. "Yes. I'll keep that in mind." Suddenly, he heard Drycko giggling high above him, and he cocked his head back so that he could see; Drycko was zigzagging around, occasionally doing flips.
"Dammit, Drycko!" Ara yelled. "We're going to bed as soon as we finish eating, so if you don't quiet down and chill out soon, or I'm totally gonna ditch you!"
"Aww…c'mon, Ara!" the dragite whined as he slowly floated down and perched on her shoulder. "You know I can't help it!"
The mercenary sighed. "Well, you're gonna have to go somewhere else if you wanna burn the energy off…"
"Mmkay!" Drycko chirped. "No problem, no problem!" With that, he zipped off and was gone; Ara happily continued to eat.
"Ara?" Neil asked, watching Drycko disappear into the distance.
The girl didn't reply at first---being in the middle of chewing some fish---but said, "Uh-huh," shortly after.
"You didn't…" the boy hesitated. "You didn't have to be so…harsh. I wouldn't have minded his uh…hyperactivity. I'm used to falling asleep in the midst of a lot of noise.
Ara burst out laughing; the wine that was in her mouth ended up on Neil's shirt and he winced. After she had calmed down a bit, she said, "Oh. Heh, sorry. I'll have Drycko get you another shirt before we leave tomorrow. ---Ahem! Anyways, you think that was being harsh? Pfft! Hardly…I guess you really aren't gonna want to catch me on an off-day."
Neil sighed. "…Oh. Okay." He was too tired to discuss the matter the further.
"Pfft! Harsh…" the blonde girl muttered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neil stared up at the black sky that was speckled with tiny white dots. It was so pretty, unlike Flambeau, city of eternal daytime. There was something unnatural about his hometown…like it was covered in some protective bubble… (I wonder how long I've been awake. It seems like hours. It's just…I can't fall asleep now. There's so many thoughts that I just can't shake. But…I guess I'm kind of excited. This is so strange. I wished that I could go on an adventure…and it looks like I'm getting just that. The Goddess must be looking out for me or something…) He rolled over, and Ara came into view. She was laying flat on her stomach with her mouth hanging open. (Not the most…graceful sleeper, I guess.) But still…there was something about this girl…despite all of her quirks; Neil kind of liked her…kind of. He smiled, and then closed his eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Welcome!" Ara exclaimed, holding her arms wide open like the father of the prodigal son. "…To Brigand!"
Neil's jaw dropped and his pupils expanded several sizes. (What the---!? Why did she bring mehere