: 3 :

:: Glance ::

( Constructive criticism and reviews only, no flames. )

"Ion should be east of here right? Where the Zao Ruins are?" Guy asked as the group left the comfort of the oasis. A bead of sweat trickled down Luke's face, lazily replying. "That's what Asch said..." The heat of the sun became worse when they had left the oasis and after a few battles with desert bandits and monsters, their water bottle had once again run out.

"It looks like our supply has ran out. We'll just have to suffice without it for a while." Tear started, emphasizing the empty bottle by shaking it up and down. "It doesn't sound like there's a drop left..." Anise whined. "It's too far to go back now though to get more..." Natalia answered.

"Indeed, we've spent enough time lingering already." Jade added. "I wonder who finished it all." Guy asked, rubbing his chin. They all looked at Luke, who innocently rubbed his head, minding the sand instead. "Luke." Tear said. He scowled and kept moving towards the ruins. "Whatever! It's just a little water! C'mon! Let's keep moving! The faster we do this, the faster we get to meet up with Master Van at Chesedonia."

Anise sighed. "You were the one who wanted water that badly when we were at the oasis..." Guy chuckled before replying with a grin. "Don't mind him, it's probably the heat. Let's keep moving." Everyone nodded.

"But still...I wonder why Asch and Luke look so much alike? It's also strange that he can communicate with Luke in such a manner don't you think?" Natalia brought up, walking between Tear and Guy (who somehow managed to stay a little ways away).

"I don't know. I do find it strange though." Tear replied. Anise walked after them with Jade and Sophia not far behind. Jade stayed silent.

"I bet Ion has water..." Anise sighed. "That's another reason why we should hurry!" Before anyone could reply to this, Sophia coughed politely. Natalia turned around and smiled. "Is there something wrong?" she asked. Sophia smiled warmly and produced another bottle she had held in her hand. "I still have some water here with me, if you'd like some."

Anise grinned widely and ran towards her. "Really? You'll give me some?" she asked. She nodded. "Of course. That's why I offered it in the first place." Guy blinked. "Are you sure you wanna give us this? How about you? Are you still okay?" he asked with concern. Sophia continued to smile and nodded as well. "I've drank a lot ever since the oasis so I'm alright."

"That's very kind of you Sophia. Thank you." Natalia and Tear said as each took turns drinking the water. (Mieu had to give the water bottle to Guy. Jade said he wasn't very thirsty.) After the drink (and the empty bottle pushed aside), they continued to follow Luke into the ruins, Jade and Sophia still tagging behind.

"You told me you weren't fond of water in that way." he whispered subtly. His eyes were still focused on the road ahead, not bothering to look at his companion beside him. She smiled. "I'm sorry...I guess I kind of lied."

"I see." he responded simply.

There was silence afterwards, until Anise jumped up in front of them and started a conversation. "So Sophia...are you going to fight with us in the ruins?" she asked. "I wanna see you kick some monster butt!" Sophia chuckled. "I hope what I'm about to say won't change anything but I'm not very good with fighting, nor do I...consider the idea."

"Well, well, we have a pacifist in our midst." Jade answered with his trademark grins. Her smile faded slightly as she began to giggle. "Will that be a problem?" she asked. Anise replied though, instead of Jade who, she was expecting to answer. "Don't worry. We'll protect you! It's not a problem, right Guy?"

Guy joined in and laughed. "Sure! I guess not! But, shouldn't you be asking Jade that?" he joked.

"Oh, don't mind me. My opinion isn't that useful anyway."

Sophia silently giggled.

"Speaking of all of this, do you have any particular artes?" Tear questioned. She shook her head slowly. "I'm a Seventh fonist but my Fon slots are sealed permanently. And even if they weren't, I wouldn't know how to use it. I don't know any spells."

"Really? Since when?" Guy retorted. "That sucks doesn't it?"

Sophia smiled and sighed slightly. "They were sealed a long time ago and...It's alright. I don't mind."

I was ecstatic when I heard that our next destination was Zao Ruins. I've read about them quite a lot during my short stay at Grand Chokmah. I heard the ruins existed since the Dawn Age for a purpose unknown. (Even the book didn't say. And I'm glad it didn't, at least I'll learn something new once we get there and investigate.) Thank you Yulia then, for allowing me to see one.

The heat of the desert was painfully hot but I didn't mind it that much. I was...raised better and I was used to the heat. It had been a few days (could be more than a week, I've lost count.) after the Kaitzur Naval Port incident. We met for the very first time and afterwards, I had met everyone else.

I didn't expect that they would be that surprised of hearing about this. (I'd expected fewer reactions.) Another mistake I made about the colonel; he isn't very talkative about personal issues. (I should really stop doing that when I'm about to meet people.)

The situation that was presented during our meeting wasn't very pleasant. I didn't expect them to be so welcoming so I braced myself for the worse. But they aren't that hard to deal with, Guy Cecile, Anise Tatlin, Tear Grants, the only person whom I found rather interesting was Luke fon Fabre.

At such a young age, he acted so...irrational. I don't want to be that judgmental, so I'll leave it to that. Maybe there's more that meets the eye?

There was no time to get to know someone like me; they still had to save the chief. The general (Count Almandine, I heard.) had requested for me to stay here at the base until they were through with the rescue but I'd be slowing them down; and I wouldn't want that as well.

We traveled to Choral Castle, where I found out that Luke was captured seven years ago and was brought and found here. (I'm sorry Luke.) It also used to be their summer home but was abandoned after the Hod War. (A lot of things were abandoned after those sorrowful moments.)

Tear had then asked me if I was from Malkuth, since the colonel also came from there. (At least they're being polite by striking up a conversation, if not satisfying my own personal needs for socialism.)

I had ended up telling them anyway, as we escalated higher to save the chief, the Fon Master at our side. (I never realized how young he looked till then.) Both my parents were born in Malkuth territory and fled to Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. There, they had earned quite a reputation in business and economics. That was also the place where I was born. (Answering the question of why I have blonde hair and yet was born in Kimlasca.)

After the Hod War, our business plummeted since most of our powers resided in Hod. After...certain events, we moved to Malkuth to become legal citizens. There, I was also engaged to marry the colonel. (I hadn't told them that in detail of course. I just let them get ideas of there own.)

The colonel...I felt even more intrigued with knowing more about him ever since Choral Castle. We found a door with strange markings deeper inside the manor. Luke and the others found a way to open it and soon, we stood face to face with a strange machine. It was gigantic, and it somehow resembled an hourglass, except there was glass in the middle of the two.

I asked myself what it was and Anise was happy to answer it for me; we both had no idea. (She is a very nice girl.) But what I also found out something...interesting, if not strange. I didn't know that Guy had gynophobia. Anise jumped when she saw what was presumed a mouse and then, Guy went ballistic. (I guess I should stay away from him so as not to aggravate his condition.)

I noticed then, the colonel. That machine we were facing, he seemed to know it. Everyone started asking each other what it was but, he was awfully silent. I stayed quiet as well but...as I looked at him, I'm certain he knew what it was. I wonder...he really is quite an enigma.

I guess, that's where my intrigue and curiosity arose. Meeting him for the first time gave me an impression of who he was but that wasn't enough. I felt oddly aroused when I'm around him. (Not in that sort of way, though.) As if, I wanted—needed to know more about him. He had that strange aura...it was intimidating but it relaxed you in a way. It made you feel like...a person reading a mystery book. (I'm not so good with these kinds of things, forgive me.)

But I doubt if we would both open up to each other, just like that.

We continued our ascent towards the building, in hopes of finding Arietta the Wild. We're all hoping she didn't do anything with the chief. It felt a little nerve-wrecking, traveling with people you don't really know like this. But I couldn't say I was intimidated. More afraid than that.

And it's strange that now that I finally met the man I was arranged to meet, I can't—don't know what to think or what to say. Nothing seemed plausible around him. Even in this situation, everything seemed so...narrow. I couldn't describe what to do first, since nothing I could come up with seemed to be related to the circumstances at hand.

Another introduction? Tell them what I like and what I don't? My strengths and weaknesses? It all seemed so...stupid at the time. Someone is being held captive by a girl from the Order and everyone is basically confused. I...don't really know what to say.

Guy started talking to me then, a little far from me though. He's a nice person, even though he's afraid of...my kind. (I hope that isn't racist or sexist talk.) Maybe he felt a need to connect with someone new? Nevertheless, even though circumstances didn't call for it, everyone else joined in and tried to get to know me. (Of course, I'm sure the colonel was listening in, I had a hunch. Although Luke wasn't very happy to be..."wasting time with stupid chit-chat". I wonder why he's in such a hurry?)

I don't mind that what was on their minds on priority right now is the fact that they needed to save the chief but I'm glad that they made such an effort to talk to me. It's a nice impression and I don't mind that they're trying to get to know me. After all, I'm here for a quite a while.

Anise was only thirteen years old and yet, she seems so precocious. (In a good way though.) I find her kind of cute actually. Especially her doll she uses to fight; what is it called again? Toku--tokunaga was it? She could easily beat me in battle, by the way she fights. (Not like I would provoke one though.) And I was much more surprised when I found out that she was a Fon Master Guardian. (Amazing!) She struck me as outgoing; I'm glad she was here. I could easily talk to her, despite our age difference. (I guess it's also because she knows more about the colonel than I do.)

Tear and was also very kind to me. Tear is strong headed and she knows where her mission lies. However, even though that is true, she considered still, talking to me and helping me feel welcome. I envy her...I saw her use fonic artes once. She's very good and she has a wonderful voice. I wonder...

Now that I think about it, they weren't asking me how I met the colonel. They weren't asking me what happened between us or how it had come to pass. Were they avoiding the topic or waiting for another time to ask me? It's a question anyone can ask themselves, if given such a situation.

I don't want to believe just yet that they're accepting me like this without any doubts or questions. Maybe because they know I'm somehow related to the colonel that they won't ask? I still feel odd traveling like this but what can I do? I'll just have to stay silent for a while then.

Eventually, we found Arietta on the roof, together with what I think are...ligers? (Strange. No wonder they call her Arietta the "wild".) They were about to pull off into combat when one of her...pets (I don't know what to call them. Should she be offended by the word 'monsters' then...) knocked out Luke and dragged him back downstairs. We hurried to his rescue. (What could they possibly want with him? I have to admit, he wasn't as friendly as everyone else.)

We searched for him all over the castle. Even I tried to do the best I could to help them find him. When I glanced at the colonel's direction, I once again felt the need to know what he was thinking. It looked to me like he knew where Luke was taken. I wanted to ask him if he did know but...I don't know. I couldn't. (Even though I'm only here to get to know the colonel better, I can't help but get a tad bit excited when something happens.)

We soon found Luke on the strange machine we saw earlier, a God-General in our midst. He was still half-unconscious (Luke I meant, not the God-General.) when Guy and the colonel found him but as soon as Guy attacked Sync the Tempest, he fled the scene. (I'm assuming now that Guy and Luke are quite close since Guy was the most worried about him.)

Guy came back and showed some sort of Fon disc that slipped from Sync as he escaped. He said that they should try and analyze it for information afterwards. (Why was the colonel so silent? Was something bothering him?) But right now though, we have no way of reading it and the maintenance chief is still up on the roof. We have to rescue him.

Climbing back on the roof, Luke used a rather strange technique to ward off another incoming monster, a trick repeated from before. (Mieu is a cheagle right? She can breathe fire? Is...she even a girl?) They went into battle and...that was really the first time I witnessed their fighting prowess near maximum. (I'm starting to feel out of place now.)

They dodged Arietta's attacks and killed the monsters. (I'm sorry.) The chief was rescued at last, thank goodness.

...I didn't like what I saw next. Or rather...what I was about to see. I helped the maintenance chief together with Tear while she asked him if he had any wounds. Arietta was knocked out after the battle, so she laid there on the side of the building, wounded and hurt. (I felt horrible having to witness it, even though I said earlier I thought they fought good.) I somehow found the need to help her, even though she technically was ou--their enemy. (...Not yet.)

I didn't notice that I was slowly walking towards her, to see if she was still alright. (Pun intended I'm afraid.) I stopped when I saw the colonel walk past me, clutching his spear in his hands; looking at her with a frighteningly cold face.

I never forgot that expression. I tried to wonder, to reason with myself what to do or what to think; what to ask, but...the feeling was intense. I thought I had known the colonel. I really thought I had somehow managed to get past his first layer of ice but...this scene made me change my mind. We are nowhere near close.

I heard Luke shout when the colonel went in to kill Arietta. (He said if she wakes up, she'll be a hindrance to them continually. I can't believe it though.) Luke (thank goodness!) stopped him before he killed her as well as the Fon Master who, I think, might have known Arietta. (Maybe, since they're both from the Order.) He had to agree and a man named Van (Luke seemed so happy when he came.) came and took Arietta, saying that he knew we weren't in the port and that he'll take care of things. Fon Master Ion and the others agreed and we all headed back to Kaitzur.

I'm too judgmental. I really am and I act like that (or rather, tend to think like that) when I only have my thoughts to myself. I shouldn't have judged the colonel based on one introduction. Just one introduction...I'm such a fool. That won't provide me with anything.

I started to fear him that day. The colonel bears the nickname "The Necromancer", I had heard in Malkuth. I'm not sure why though but then and now, I'm starting to think I might know why.