Chapter 13 – Time is Like a Thief
The following morning was chilly and gray. Flik, after a meeting with the senior sergeants, departed from the Dawn Fort, heading back towards Muse City, escorted by a squad of cavalrymen. The wind up on the plateau was wild and fierce, out of the northwest, and filled with drizzle. Flik wrapped himself in his blue cape and ducked his head against the breeze. Hours passed; the wind shifted around to the southwest, bringing with it a steadier, warmer rain. By the time they got down the causeway and back into the city proper, it was well into late afternoon. The streets were more subdued today, and he wasted no time in heading towards their destination -Leona's tavern.
With practiced precision, Flik and his men stabled the horses: brushing them down, checking their hooves, making sure there was food and properly prepared water. Finished, they walked around to enter the inn, only to find Leona and Millie blocking the way.
"I hope you're not thinking of entering in the state you're in. Look at you, you're all dripping water." Flik glanced at his men; well, her statement certainly was true. Luckily, the women had brought towels and the men, after peeling off most of their armor, were able to dry off.
"So, what's new?" Flik asked, handing his towel over to Leona.
She looked at the towel disdainfully. "Well, you're hair is a mess." She smiled, Millie giggled, Flik shrugged. As they walked through the doorway, Leona continued. "Viktor spent yesterday arguing with various officials, trying to get supplies and weapons." She sighed. "Nothing seems to work around here without ostentatious bribes."
The interior of the inn was warm, bright, and dry. Taking a deep breath, Flik savored the smells of bread and meat cooking. Finally, he responded to Leona with, "That's true."
Leona frowned, considering her next piece of news. "Also, Riou came by the day you went up to the fort saying that Jess had sent them on a spying mission. I sent Hanna, Kinnison, and Shiro with them, but I'm not sure when they're supposed to be back."
Flik ground his teeth. "I'd hoped to keep them out of the fighting. What are they thinking up there in the Mayor's office?"
Leona shook her head. "I don't think they were forced to do it. They, or at least Riou and Jowy, seemed pretty enthusiastic about the whole idea."
"Foolish kids," Flik muttered. "They have no idea what they're getting themselves into."
"Well, all we can do is wait and see." They arrived at the table where Viktor was sitting. As usual, the other patrons had given him a wide berth. Casually, Flik pulled a chair around and sat down. Leona departed, carrying away her stack of now soiled towels.
"So, the men settled in?" Viktor asked, looking up from his beer.
"Well, we had some problems getting the fort turned over, but all of that's been taken care of. How about you; I hear you had some problems with supplies."
This was all Viktor needed to get going. "You'd better believe it," he began. "I don't think I've ever dealt with such a useless bunch of pencil pushers. Each one of them thinks he's a little lord, guarding his precious domain against all intruders, and none of them can pull their heads out so far as to begin to see the big picture. I'm sure they'd still be there, unwilling to release even a bent sword, if Highland were marching through the city burning everything." Viktor was frothing by the end of his speech. Leona came by, set down a beer in front of Flik, and rolled her eyes.
Flik laughed. "Well then," he replied, "we'll just have to make sure that Highland doesn't get the chance to march through Muse."
Viktor smiled. "Now that's the right attitude."
Food was delivered, and the two men lapsed into silence, working at their meals. In the midst of their eating, almost unnoticed, the door to the inn opened, and Riou and Nanami walked in. They looked tired, wet, and miserable. Flik, spotting them, motioned the two over towards the table. Dejectedly, they plopped down into the remaining two chairs.
Flik noted the absence of Jowy, who would normally be with the two of them. Finally, when neither Riou nor Nanami spoke, he decided to begin the conversation. "Are you two okay?" he asked, trying to sound concerned and not annoyed. "Leona told us about what's going on. We've been very worried." Viktor nodded, giving an encouraging smile.
Riou and Nanami exchanged a glance full of trepidation. Flik could feel a sinking sensation in his stomach. He was on the verge of speaking again when Nanami finally answered. "Y-Yeah, we're okay, but-" her voice quavered a little. "Jowy." Riou looked down at the floor.
Flik swallowed, searching for the right words. Viktor, on the other hand, didn't hesitate. "Yeah, he's not here," he said, stating the blatantly obvious. "What happened?" he continued, now voicing concern.
There was another long silence, where nobody was willing to meet anybody else's eyes. Again, it was Nanami who told the tale, in a quiet voice. "Well, we got to the Highland camp and Riou and Jowy went on alone. And then there was a lot of shouting from the camp and then it was quiet and then there was more yelling. Then Riou was running, being chased by Highland soldiers, and we went to help him. He drove them off with the Bright Shield, but Jowy…Jowy wasn't…" She trailed off.
"What?" Viktor yelled, causing everybody in hearing range to wince. Nanami, especially, shrank back in her chair. "So they've captured Jowy?" he asked, voice still booming.
Nanami began to blink rapidly, fighting off tears. "I…I don't know." She sniffed. "Riou said that…that Jowy was going to follow right after him."
Viktor pounded the table in frustration, causing Nanami to shriek a little. Riou stood up, placing a protective arm on her shoulders. Flik also stood up. "Enough, Viktor. You don't need to scare them. Let's just go and see Jess. We'll get the story from him."
Nanami, from behind the protection of Riou, spoke again. "But Jess wasn't there and we weren't allowed to go see Anabelle."
Viktor, standing up, smiled finally. "Oh, don't worry about that. I'll show you all a good trick. You'll really enjoy it." Flik chuckled; it was likely that Viktor was going to get the most enjoyment out of his trick.
The four of them left the inn, walking through the streets of Muse towards the Mayor's office. It was early evening, the westerly sun filling the clouds with red fire. It was no longer raining and the southwest wind made the air warm, almost muggy. Even at this hour, there were still plenty of people out on the streets, many going to and from various dinners and parties. City watchmen were busy setting up the street lamps.
Eventually they arrived. As before, no one barred the doors, and the four of them simply walked into the foyer. Flik glanced around the dimly lit interior; if anything, it seemed even more subdued than last time. He wondered if any of the important officials were in. That thought didn't seem to occur to Viktor, who purposefully strode towards the stairs. Flik, with a glance at Riou and Nanami, followed in his wake.
At the top of the stairs, Viktor paused, almost as if testing the air. "This way," he said, marching towards the same hallway that they'd gone down during the last visit. At the entrance to the hall, an official, appearing from somewhere, scurried over to intercept them. Flik studied him closely. It was the same bespectacled man who'd accosted them last time.
"What's your business here?" he demanded, imperiously. "Lady Anabelle is very busy with an important meeting and I don't think-"
Viktor, very gracefully in fact, reached out with one hand and shoved the official right out of his shoes, launching him ten feet down the hall. The official landed on his back with a startled "Unf!", scrambled around onto his hands and knees, and crawled to the first open door, darting inside.
Flik put his forehead in his hand. "Lovely trick," he muttered. "Next time we want to get in here, we'll probably have to fight our way in."
Viktor ignored him, instead turning to address Riou and Nanami. "And that," he lectured, "is the best way to deal with government workers. Let's go in."
Viktor turned and, without preamble, pulled the door open, walking in. Flik heard an indrawn gasp of surprise before he, too, entered, with Riou and Nanami coming in last. Looking around Viktor, Flik noted the four other people in the room. Anabelle stood behind her desk, with Fitcher sitting in a chair to the side. Hauser, having returned from the ruins of Toto, stood by the far wall, his hand only slightly strayed towards his sword belt. Jess was closest to Viktor, on the near side of the desk.
It was Jess who spoke first, pointing a finger at Viktor. "What is the meaning of this outrage?" Viktor glowered in response; Flik could feel his own rage simmering. Nanami and Riou remained partially hidden, clutching slightly at Flik's cape.
Anabelle, who was dressed as she had been for the earlier meeting, stood up and, projecting calmness, walked around her desk. She moved deliberately, head turning slightly to regard each new arrival in turn. She frowned slightly. "Viktor, what happened? Why are you so upset?"
In a swift outburst of anger, Viktor lunged at Jess, grabbing him by the shoulders, propelling him backwards, and finally pinning him against the desk. "You!" Viktor growled. "You sent Riou and Jowy off to spy on the Highland camp."
Fitcher, who'd fallen back out of his chair in the rush, cried out pitifully from the floor, "Wait a moment, everyone be calm, please!"
Jess, on the other hand, retained his cool. "Yes, I asked them to do it. Now get your hands off me." He shrugged slightly out of Viktor's hold, opening up some space by forcing Anabelle's desk backwards.
Flik noted the furrows that movement left in the rug, and then turned to speak to Anabelle. "I don't know the situation very well," he began, trying to match her calm. "But are you really in such bad shape that you had to use Riou and Jowy as spies?"
Anabelle glanced at her Vice-Mayor. "Jess, I'd like to hear your reason," she demanded, a slight chill in her voice.
Jess floundered momentarily under her gaze but then gathered himself. "We need information to win the upcoming battle. We have to use every tool at our disposal to get that information." He looked towards Riou. "Riou, how many provisions did they have?"
There was a tense silence as Riou seemed to deliberate. Finally, he stepped away from Flik's cape and said, "About two weeks worth."
Jess nodded. "Now we know. The mission was a success."
A spasm of rage shook Viktor, and he turned away from Jess. "Is that all you care about?"
Nanami, still clutching at Flik's cape, spoke up. "What about Jowy? He might be captured by Highland. Can't you save him?"
Anabelle took a few steps towards Nanami, bending her legs slightly to come down to her eye level. She smiled sadly and placed a hand on Nanami's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she answered gently. "What you three have done for us is invaluable. I wish we could go and save your friend, but we simply don't have the means to do it." Anabelle stood up once more. "Do you understand?"
Nanami didn't seem to. Rather, she cried out, "But, but…isn't there anything?"
Flik sighed, putting his arm around Nanami's shoulders. She hugged it, reflexively. "Riou…Nanami," he said. "Standing around here and talking about this isn't going to help us any. Let's go back, okay?"
Jess seemed to be going over his notes. "Two weeks means that they're planning a swift assault. That'll certainly help our strategy at the Hilltop conference." He smiled. "Good work, Riou."
Unfortunately for Jess, that remark set Viktor off again. He spun around, knocking the papers out of Jess' hands, scattering them across the room. Fitcher, having just regained his seat, now fell out of it again. "Please, no violence! No violence!" he begged, from his position on the floor. Viktor glanced over at Fitcher and took a step back.
But Jess had one more verbal barb to toss at Viktor. Scowling, he spat, "How dare you, mercenary! We have to do everything that we can to save Muse. Besides, it's your fault that Lady Anabelle suffers so."
Viktor froze, face contorted between rage and pain. Anabelle frowned, but her right hand strayed down towards her abdomen. Furiously, Flik flogged his mental faculties into action, blushing slightly when he finally figured it out. At his side, he heard Nanami's startled gasp. Hauser's brow furrowed, but then he nodded silently to himself. Fitcher looked as though he desperately wanted to disappear into a corner. Even Riou seemed to have figured it out. Everyone seemed to hesitate as to what to say next.
Finally, Anabelle spoke, filling the room with frost. "Stop that, Jess. Not another word!" Jess' triumphant smile flickered out, and he scooted around to the far side of the desk.
Viktor remained rooted in place, glancing between Anabelle and Jess, unspoken words dancing on his lips. Flik walked over and tapped Viktor's shoulder, catching his attention; it was time to end this discussion. "Enough, Viktor," Flik said, working to keep the resentment out of his voice. "It's obvious that the government of Muse isn't going to care much about the concerns of a bunch of mercenaries. It's time to go home."
Anabelle walked over and kissed Viktor lightly on the cheek. His hand came up to touch that spot on his face. She smiled and said, "Get some rest, Viktor. We'll talk about this later, alright?"
Viktor nodded, and permitted Flik to lead him from the room.
The trek back to the inn was made in complete silence and, to Flik, the dejection surrounding them seemed almost tangible. The fire in the clouds was fading with the setting sun. The two moons were risen. The blue moon was now full and the red moon was nearly so, filling the streets with a sort of pale lavender light. Leona was waiting for them at the inn and, catching their mood, said nothing as she escorted them to their table. Pilika, in her pink dress, quietly walked over and sat down in Nanami's lap. Flik regarded the little girl. In the fort, she'd been reasonably cheerful and talkative, but since they'd reunited, she seemed not to be speaking at all. He sighed; there was another concern to mull over.
Viktor finally spoke, looking down into his hands as he did so. "I'm sorry. We should've been there."
Nanami shook her head. "Jowy is…he's fine. I'm sure of it." She didn't sound sure of it.
Now Riou spoke. "It's Jowy; he'll be fine." He sounded more confident. Was he? Flik could not tell.
Nanami, though, was buoyed by the confidence in her brother's voice. "You're right," she replied, and then set Pilika down on to the floor. Nanami stood up. "I'm going to wait for Jowy out by the gate." Without waiting for anyone's approval, she bounded out the door. Pilika followed at her heels. Riou remained in his chair.
Flik glanced around the inn, looking for a familiar face. He spotted Rikimaru, working on what appeared to be a whole chicken, sitting at a nearby table. He motioned the swordsman over.
"What's up, oh mighty mercenary man?" he asked, carrying the bird under his arm.
Flik gestured towards the door. "Nanami and Pilika just went out to the gate to wait for Jowy. Keep an eye on them, discretely, and make sure they don't get into any trouble."
"Not a problem," Rikimaru replied. Then he looked down at Riou. "Cheer up, little master. Your friend will come back. Just you wait and see. Here, have something to eat." He deposited the chicken directly on to the table and then sauntered out after the girls.
Riou picked at the bird, pulling off little strips of flesh to eat. Viktor, never one to waste food, ripped off a drumstick and started chewing. In between bites, he said, "Listen to me, Riou. Everything's going to turn out fine. Things like this have a way of turning out, so you should just go upstairs and gets some rest. Okay?"
Riou didn't move and Viktor didn't push him. Minutes passed, and the two of them picked at the chicken in silence. A new arrival entered the inn; she was a female warrior with close-cropped brown hair, dressed in a purple coat and painfully heeled boots of iron. Finding an empty table, she pulled off her iron gauntlets and waved one of the serving girls over, ordering a glass of wine.
After a while, Riou seemed to doze off, with his head resting between his hands on the table and his eyes closed. Viktor had pulled the remains of the chicken closer to his side of the table and was now working the remaining meat off its bones. Flik, pondering the discussion back at the Mayor's office, finally chose to speak.
"So, Anabelle's pregnant," he began, casually. "Did you know?"
Viktor looked up from the meat. "Yeah, she told me that night while you were up at the fort."
Flik nodded. "How do you feel about that?"
Viktor made a sort of noncommittal grunt while he swallowed a piece of meat. "I don't know. I guess I haven't really thought about it."
"You're going to be a father," Flik continued, seriously. "You do understand that, right?"
"Yeah, I know," Viktor replied, looking a bit wary about this line of questioning. "What's the point?"
Flik paused, trying to hash out the best way to ask the next question. The pause was long enough that Viktor looked back up to see if the conversation was going to continue. Finally, Flik decided on the direct approach, as much as it discomforted him. "Do you love her, Viktor?"
"Of course I do," he sputtered, and then blushed, and then coughed, trying to cover his embarrassment. When he had regained his breath, he said, "You know I'd do anything for her. I'd give up my life for her, if necessary."
"This may sound presumptuous," Flik continued, "but I think you should marry her. It'd be good for your kid to have a father, don't you think?"
Viktor looked down at the bones of the chicken, a frown on his face. "No…I'd just get in the way. I'm no good at all this…fatherhood stuff. Besides, Anabelle will never marry me; I'd be too much of a political burden."
"I think you underestimate her," Flik answered quietly. "You should never pass up a chance to show a woman how much you love her. You think you have forever to speak the right words, but time is like a thief, snatching each chance out of your hands, and suddenly all you're left with is regrets." Flik blinked, much closer to crying than he had realized. For the next few moments, it was all he could do to struggle with the pain in his eyes. When he finally recovered, he whispered, "I'm sorry about that."
Viktor was looking at his very seriously, and the next words out of Viktor's mouth were among the most serious Flik had ever heard his friend speak. "I'll…give it some thought. Scares the daylights out of me, though. I'd rather ride into battle outnumbered a hundred to one than think about being a father." Seemingly startled at his own tone, Viktor stood up, pushing the chair back. "I'm off to bed," he said, trying to sound casual. "Tell me if anything comes of-" He gestured at Riou. Then he was gone.
Riou suddenly yawned, lifting his head out of his arms, and then glanced around, as if trying to get his bearings. "Still with us?" Flik smiled. "I think you should follow Viktor's example and get some rest. Waiting is hard work, you understand that?" Riou nodded, but still made no move to leave the table.
The two of them sat there, looking patiently towards the door to the inn, as even the last of the late drinkers finally got up to seek their beds. "I understand how you feel," Flik found himself saying. "It's better to remain optimistic; think that he's alive." He paused, and suddenly the ghost of his own voice echoed in his head; Odessa isn't alive. "Things…usually work out okay," he babbled. The voice taunted his words; it didn't turn out okay. "That's right," he answered his own words; though he wasn't sure which voice he was answering. "He'll come back," Flik ended, now speaking wholly to himself. The other voice whispered its retort; Odessa didn't come back. She died; your fault, your fault, your-
"I'm back!" a girl's voice spoke. "I'm back I said!" Startled out of his reverie, Flik looked up, expecting -in some mad fantasy- to see a woman with auburn hair and a red cape rushing towards him, her arms thrown wide to embrace-
But it was Nanami. She paused in the middle of the room and then, finally finding her brother, she rushed towards the table. "Jowy's back, I mean. He's here; he's coming." She reached the table and pulled Riou out of his chair, hugging him, and letting happy tears stream down her cheeks.
Cautiously, Flik stood up. "Let's not get so excited," he said. "People are trying to sleep."
Nanami released her brother, just as Jowy and Pilika walked through the inn door. The little girl had a death grip around his leg and waist, making it difficult for him to walk. He struggled to the center of the room and finally announced, a little sheepishly, "I'm back, Riou, just like I promised."
Riou nodded and then, in a greater display of emotion than Flik had ever seen out of the young man, walked towards his friend and embraced him. "Welcome home," he said simply, after stepping back.
"Thank you," Jowy answered. "Thanks…Riou."
"I told you," Flik said, though mostly to himself. "I knew it would turn out okay." He turned to wipe a tear, and found that his cheeks were already moist.